Rambling

Today was a beautiful day to be outside. My friend Sara and I ventured to a wonderful outdoor quilt show. My knees held up pretty well with the walking. It was slow and leisurely up and down the grapevines. I have always loved to knit but this winter I started quilting. As I just put the binding on a baby quilt I am making for one of my daughter's friends' son, I realized how much this hobby might help me in my effort to change my lifestyle. If one wants to make a beautiful quilt, one should not be nibbling on food. You don't want to wash it before it is finished. Also, quilting forces me to think about what I am doing and that should help occupy my mind. Speaking of mind, in many of the blogs and discussions about lapbanding I have read comments about the psychiatric evaluation. You know, I think that might be the most sensible task and insurance company could require of those considering banding. I say that because I do believe one has to be in the right mindset. Sanford Health refers their patients to a clinic where they use the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory as a screener. Coupled with the results of this 567 True/False question screener, the psychologist can assess mental well being. I know there have been times in my life when depression and anxiety have stimulated my eating habits. They are looking into a patient's coping skills and mental readiness. She asked me questions about any stressors present in my life at this time and my ability to adapt to new things. I believe being mentally ready is key to success. I also believe I have to want this for the right reasons. A positive attitude about the ability to succeed is one thing that I identified early on and have been working on to this moment. I have been reading a discussion where one of the participants did not have an eval nor any counseling before her surgery. She was contemplating if that might have been a good idea. I think anyone considering this surgery certainly needs the support of their significant other, at the very least. You need to converse about your doubts and voice your fears. Vince is my rock! He is my biggest cheerleader and he wants so much for me to succeed that he sometimes fringes on what Georgia called "babysitting". I have to be the one to make responsible decisions. This kind of support of family and friends is crucial. I also believe some individuals feel so much better when they are sharing with other people who are going through the same experience. I think that is why one finds so many lapband discussion boards exist.