Video Blog #10 - Surgery Day!
4:54
Today is lap-band surgery day!
Tags: lap-band michael surgery obesity weight library librarian
Added: 3 years ago
From: LibrarianMichael
Views: 20
["Michael's video blog #10 - Surgery Day!" appears on screen, then the scene opens with a male librarian speaking directly to the camera]
MICHAEL: Hi everybody, it's Michael. Uh, today is December Twenty First, Twenty Ten. Six-ten in the morning ... Um, I'm having my lap-band surgery today. Uh, let's see here, so I go into surgery about noon. I actually get there about ten-thirty, fill out a whole bunch'a paperwork, and then they wheel me in there. I'm told that I'll probably be in the operating room for about two to three hours, the actual process only takes about one hour.
[he fidgets in his chair]
MICHAEL: Um, I expect to be coming home today, but we'll have to see what they say after the surgery, so they might keep me in there ... just overnight. So, just to observe me, make sure everything goes well after the anesthesia wears off and everything.
[he looks down]
MICHAEL: So, uh ... yep, the big day is finally here. So, in just under six hours, I will be lap-banded and on my path. Right now I'm two hundred and fifty two point eight pounds. Um, my BMI is about thirty-eight-point-four. And, uh, that's pretty low. I've been on the post-surgery diet, the regular diet that you do after you're off soft foods and everything for about a week now. It's not too bad, there's plenty of ways to mix things up there. And, uh, get your flavors and everything in there. So, that's really helped drop off some pounds before I go into surgery.
[he smiles]
MICHAEL: Um, my goal weight is one hundred and eighty pounds ... but hey, I'd be thrilled just to be outta the two hundreds. Um, at this point I'm not gonna make any predictions about how much I'll be losing, y'know, per week. Or at the start, or whatever, because I--
[he shrugs]
MICHAEL: Honestly, it varies from person to person, so ... Um, I have a treadmill. Fortunately, I didn't sell that yet. I was trying to sell it, but no one wanted it, so fortunately I still have that. So, um, I can do all of my walking stuff up here upstairs. I'm gonna be home for a couple weeks, took a couple weeks off work.
[he fidgets in his chair]
MICHAEL: Um, I have jigsaw puzzles and puzzle books and ... movies, DVDs. Library's a great resource when you're gonna be home for an extended stay because, hey, it's all free!
[he smiles]
MICHAEL: So, um, lots of stuff to keep me occupied. Um, so ... yep. Of course, I'm feeling the normal things. I'm anxious, I'm nervous. Um, stressed. But, hey.
[he smiles]
MICHAEL: I don't know if the, uh ... Last night was the first time in over four hundred years that, or almost four hundred years, that we had a lunar eclipse on the winter solstice. So that was pretty neat, actually, what I could see before the clouds completely covered it up. Um, so that's something to look forward to. So I guess we'll find out if that was a good or bad omen.
[he smiles]
MICHAEL: So, um, that's it. So ... just a quick note that I'm here. Um, be interested to here if anybody else who's had this done is actually on the lapband dot com website. Um, we may chat there.
[he fidgets in his chair]
MICHAEL: Otherwise, I will be making videos every week now. Um, usually on Sundays. This one's a little bit later because I just wanted to give it to you, uh, right before my surgery. I will be taking my camera, my video camera, in with me to pre-op and post-op. Um, they won't be able to film the actual surgery, but the doctor's office has told me they will give me a DVD of an actual surgery that I can put on my video blog. So it won't be my surgery, but it will be the surgery for anyone interested in the actual process. I will make it a separate blog post, so those who don't wanna see all the gory stuff won't have to view it.
[he smiles]
MICHAEL: So, uh ... and there won't be anything gross in the pre- and post-op video. I just, uh, thought I'd post my feelings and get everything out and let you know how things are going. So, uh, let's see. I might do another blog post when I get home. Uh, on Wednesday or Thursday, just let everybody know I'm still doing well.
[he smiles]
MICHAEL: So, um, I guess that's it from me for now. I will see you, in one form or another, in a few days ...
[he waves to the camera]
MICHAEL: Bye!
---
From blogspot.com:
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Remember me? Well, I'm back and have big news.
Hi everyone. Sorry I've been gone for a while. I've been having some health issues; shoulder, knees, back, breathing, etc., but most significantly with my writing hand an carpal tunnel syndrome. I've been able to keep it together during the work days but after that my hand goes into the brace which doesn't allow for much typing. I'm trying to re-learn lefty typing but it's going slow.
The other issue I've been dealing with is the weight. For years now I've been avoiding a particular option. I've been determined to try other things first, however, after years of trying diets (not all fads, some real ones too) and exercise I am barely holding my own and not losing anything. I've got too much extra poundage and other health conditions, primarily the diabetes, has pushed me to this decision and it's not one I take lightly. Surgery is definitely NOT the easy way out. This is a major life changing event and it will be a long and difficult road. As the body gets older it becomes more difficult to recover from any procedure. With my underlying conditions, it's even more difficult. So, it's now or never (never meaning I'll probably be gone in a few years). I also feel I'm setting a bad example for the kids. This is just me and my feelings, not a judgement on other overweight people who work with children.
I have decided to go with the Lap Band Surgery. This is the least invasive of the procedures and has the least amount of complications as well as being reversible if need be. As I said, it's a major life changing event; not just the reduced amount and type of food I eat but also financially. In order to get this covered I will need to switch to my employer's most expensive health insurance plan; that will cost an additional $75/month. Plus there is a $500 deductible and they cover 90% which leaves me with 10% out of pocket just for the surgery. Add in followup appointments with the specialist for fills and unfills on the band and Primary Care doctor check-ins, new clothes as needed, etc. I'm looking at year one costs of approximately $5,175. That doesn't include interest on the credit card I'll need to charge this to. Since I am currently only about $60 ahead of my bills every month this is going to be tricky.
My time to have this done is early August (after the Library's Summer Reading Program but before Fall programming begins).
I've begun taking step to come up with some creative financing. You'll notice my blog has an Amazon.com link now. I am part of their Affiliates program. If you begin your Amazon.com search from my blog it will take you directly to the Amazon website. You will not notice any difference. It's the same website you have always used in the past. Also, I don't have any tracking info so I have no idea who is buying the item. The difference for me is that, for the referral, I will get 4% if the sale. 4 cents on the dollar is a lot, neither is 40 cents for every $10 but, hopefully it will add up in the long run. I also have several links on the sides of my blog that relate to what I'm blogging about. These are links to other sites with related info (I don't get to choose them) and I get a few cents for each click.
I'm working out some other creative financing ideas now and keep you all up to date on how things are going. Also, as I get closer to the main surgery dates, I will begin to Vlog (video blog) about the experience both before and after the surgery.
Well, my wrist is really hurting now so I'm going to leave it here. Please post comments or questions I'll get back to you ASAP. I also plan, later in the week, to update my lists of 2010 movies, books and facts. I have a lot of additions.
Until then faithful readers, [insert quippy farewell line here].
Posted by Michael Schor The Banded Librarian at 7:19 AM
ABOUT ME
I am a Youth Librarian who has the lap-band for weight loss. This blog chronicles my lap-band journey. I cover everything (using both video and text) from the initial "should I do it" stage through the "can I afford it" stage and into the "I'm glad I did it, come follow me" stage.
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