Notes During Hurricane Katrina

Posted 8:30 a.m.
Don't worry about me and baby, we are fine. Please pray for our neighbors to the immediate east of us. It's bad, but it could have been lots worst if things had not shifted a few miles eastward.

We have some intense wind and rain where I live which is 70 miles from New Orleans. NOTE: We are not in a parish that evacuated. I've never been in danger by staying here and it's much better for those of us in Baton Rouge not to congest the highways for those who HAD to leave. My area will see power outtages and flooding and the entire southeastern part of the state is still holding its breath until the storm's eye leaves the state in about four hours from now.

I'm going to get some "protein first," but I will try to post in a couple of hours if I still have power.

Noon on 8/31/2005
My little girl and I got our power restored late Tuesday. I got out into the more "city" parts of Baton Rouge today and heard my first newscasts since the first hours post-landfall. I've shed a lot of tears today and I know for every heart-breaking story broadcasts, 10 others exists. The level of human suffering within an hour of me becomes quite difficult at times.

At one point last night, I left my house with my baby in a wagon and one flashlight. My car stopped on me through all this and the thought of being in a slightly rural area with no lights, phone or car was overwhelming.

I've felt what seems to be panic attacks all day and my blood pressure is in the clouds. I plan to see my PCP tomorrow.

There's no witty or inspiring twists. Life down here just got 100 times more difficult and we all need your prayers. Thank you all for the kind words and prayers.

Written to "Dee" on 9/02/05
Dee,

I've never met you, but I feel we are more kin than we ever have been. We are bandsters battling the storm after the storm. Most of the people complaining can't begin to understand how our lives have been totally changed by the storm -- even or especially our lives as bariatric patient.

Examples:

• The day of the storm, I was wandering around looking for "hot" food because I can't eat sandwiches and cold anything (except yogurt)
• La. bandsters searching for aftercare now that four of the few centers in Louisiana are closed (washed away).
• A preop in Metaire who lost everything and her/the kids are separated frpm her husband.
• A postop lady who fled to Texas and is now dehydrated and losing protein levels because she doesn't have the products she tolerates. She's losing weight at an alarming rate.
• Several preops who were finally approved and scheduled and now their doctors and centers are no longer operational.

Those of you with the "constitution" to read this far, bear with us. My posts aren't "OT" because they aren't.

Thursday, there will be a meeting of bariatric patients from anywhere in the state who need support, nutritional supplies and medical care. There will be at least one surgeon there who is offering aftercare and adjustments for displaced patients or those from other areas who were just treated in New Orleans and Covington. We have bariatric supplies and nutritional products being shipped in from vendors all over the country.

I realized the day I searched for something that would sit well with me that people were going to be in trouble. My angellette just had surgery in N.O. and she still had drains and staples. I felt people would suffer and possibly died if something wasn't done to meet OUR specific needs.

Operation Katrina is being spearheaded by ObesityHelp Inc. Just that in itself makes this effort very un-"OT."

If you can't feel you need to avoid the posts, I fully understand. But we in Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi are part of the family and the family is hurting and suffering beyond compare.

Those of you who don't understand, I hope you never have to.

Onward!