Patrick K.
A little Stir Crazy
May 10, 2007
Been a while since I last posted. Been home healing from a hernia repair. Went in on April 26th and went home the next day. My doctor had to do an open incision again. He cut along the same line that he used for the bypass surgery. Fortunately he did not have to cut the full length like before. He explained that he had to cut away a bunch of scar tissue, but once the area was cleared he sutured up my abdominal muscles they stiched in mesh before closing me up. Hopefully this will take care of this problem for the long term.
Recovery has been slow and steady and I should be ready to go back to work by the middle of next week. Still sore when I cough, sneeze or bend too many times for the right for some reason. I can go left all day LOL.
Surgery does have one psoitive side effect; additional weight loss. I am happy to say that I am at 294. The first time I have weighed 2-anything since junior high. 44-46 pants and XL shirts fit comfortably. This has been a real high.
Recovery has been slow and steady and I should be ready to go back to work by the middle of next week. Still sore when I cough, sneeze or bend too many times for the right for some reason. I can go left all day LOL.
Surgery does have one psoitive side effect; additional weight loss. I am happy to say that I am at 294. The first time I have weighed 2-anything since junior high. 44-46 pants and XL shirts fit comfortably. This has been a real high.
9 Months and 200 pounds ago
Feb 27, 2007
Today is a good day to post an update. I have lost 200 pounds as of today, just a little over 9 months since my surgery.
I had a little extra kick in my step on the way to work this morning. I think I will go out and but something new to wear :)
Alone at the Office
Dec 26, 2006
I think that I am the only person here today. I also wonder why they feel the need to run the AC in December; it's freezing in here!!
Hope everyone had a great holiday. I certainly enjoyed mine this year. My partner and I picked up my mother on xmas eve and went to a cousin's house. I had not seen any of my cousins in almost a year. They were amazed at the weight loss. I have to admit that all the nice comments were a huge ego boost. I am also happy that through all the office parties, family get-togethers, etc that I lost another 7 pounds. I am easily fitting into 2xl shirts and size 50 pants. Hard to imagine that just 7 months ago I was wearing size 66 pants and 5xl shirts.
Robert is down 115 pounds. He had his surgery in July, about 2 months after me. We timed it so that I would be recovered and back to work and able to help him after he came home from the hospital.
We are both very happy that we made this decision and look forward to continuing to shrink together.
Wishing everyone a happy new year and continued success.
Hope everyone had a great holiday. I certainly enjoyed mine this year. My partner and I picked up my mother on xmas eve and went to a cousin's house. I had not seen any of my cousins in almost a year. They were amazed at the weight loss. I have to admit that all the nice comments were a huge ego boost. I am also happy that through all the office parties, family get-togethers, etc that I lost another 7 pounds. I am easily fitting into 2xl shirts and size 50 pants. Hard to imagine that just 7 months ago I was wearing size 66 pants and 5xl shirts.
Robert is down 115 pounds. He had his surgery in July, about 2 months after me. We timed it so that I would be recovered and back to work and able to help him after he came home from the hospital.
We are both very happy that we made this decision and look forward to continuing to shrink together.
Wishing everyone a happy new year and continued success.
Happy Holidays
Dec 11, 2006
Checking in to wish everyone a happy holiday. Not much new to report, but I am down to 366 as of this morning. That's 18 pounds since I last posted on 11-7. I was plateau'd for nearly 3 weeks and then dropped almost 10 pounds within a week. From all that I read, this seems to be a common occurance.
Had a bunch of people over for a holiday get-together and ate vicariously through them, lol. Everyone had a good time and it was fun to prepare favorite holiday dishes for everyone else to enjoy. I did eat a piece of cake that my neighbor made and boy was that a mistake. I was nauseated for 2 hours afterwards. It's definitely not worth the 2 minutes of pleasure while eating it.
Had my six month followup with Dr. Meilahn at the end of November and he was pleased with my progress so far. Unfortunately I will have to go back for a hernia repair.
Enjoy the season!!
Election Day
Nov 06, 2006
Stopped off to vote before work this morning. The polling location was pretty busy for 7am. Looks like everyone is up for some changes this year.
Did my usual Sunday morning weigh-in and was happy to see that I lost another 4 pounds. That puts me at 384 giving me a 146 pound loss since May. It even knocked a half point off my BMI :)
I see Dr. Meilahn next Friday. I am a little upset because it seems I have developed another hernia around my navel :( It's especially noticable and uncomfortable when coughing while laying down. I know there's a high risk of hernias, especially with open surgery, but I am sad about it nonetheless.
Otherwise, I am feeling great, walking like I have never walked in years and working on projects around the house because I want to. I find that I have a hard time sitting still for very long. I suppose that's a good thing.
Did my usual Sunday morning weigh-in and was happy to see that I lost another 4 pounds. That puts me at 384 giving me a 146 pound loss since May. It even knocked a half point off my BMI :)
I see Dr. Meilahn next Friday. I am a little upset because it seems I have developed another hernia around my navel :( It's especially noticable and uncomfortable when coughing while laying down. I know there's a high risk of hernias, especially with open surgery, but I am sad about it nonetheless.
Otherwise, I am feeling great, walking like I have never walked in years and working on projects around the house because I want to. I find that I have a hard time sitting still for very long. I suppose that's a good thing.
Great Weekend
Oct 31, 2006
I have been limiting weighing myself to once a week. Usually on Sunday morning, but this week I weighed on Monday since I was away all weekend. I was happy to see that I dropped another 3 pounds to 388. That makes 142 pounds since May and it sure feels great. I can't imagine what I will feel like after the next hundred comes off.
This added to a great weekend spent in NYC. My partner and I picked up his aunt and uncle at their home in S. Orange, NJ. We then headed over to Manhattan to see the new co-op they bought on the lower east side. What a great getaway apartment it was with fantastic views of the East River and Brooklyn. Jessica's daughter lives in the same building with her husband and their twin girls. Their apartment has a 25 foot balcony with an even more spectacular view.
After checking out the new digs we headed over to Queens for the wedding we had been invited to. It was held at a place called the Foundry, http://www.thefoundry.info , just over the 59th Street bridge in Long Island City. What an interesting conversion of an old 1800's foundry into a great spot for a party. Located in an industrial area, there is plenty of parking and no neighbors to disturb with the music and festivities. Had a great time and headed back to NJ to spend the night.
We were invited to attend a Sunday brunch that was being hosted by the bride's parents. Many out of towners attended the wedding and were staying at the Hyatt on 42nd St. near Lexington Ave, so they decided to have it there. Got up on Sunday and headed back over to NY and had some time to check out Grand Central Station. The restoration of the station looks great. It's amazing to think that they wanted to tear the place down. The brunch was great and making good food choices was not too difficult all weekend. I even had a sip or two of white wine at the wedding.
Said our goodbyes at the brunch and headed over to the west side and a drive up the Henry Hudson pkwy toward Rockland County to pick up my mother. She is visiting for a couple weeks. Each time she has seen me since my surgery she can't believe it, lol. I know that she is relieved that I have finally done something about my weight problem.
I have lived in the Philly area for 11 years now, but the trips back home to the NYC metro area are always exciting.
That's all for now. Have a productive day.
This added to a great weekend spent in NYC. My partner and I picked up his aunt and uncle at their home in S. Orange, NJ. We then headed over to Manhattan to see the new co-op they bought on the lower east side. What a great getaway apartment it was with fantastic views of the East River and Brooklyn. Jessica's daughter lives in the same building with her husband and their twin girls. Their apartment has a 25 foot balcony with an even more spectacular view.
After checking out the new digs we headed over to Queens for the wedding we had been invited to. It was held at a place called the Foundry, http://www.thefoundry.info , just over the 59th Street bridge in Long Island City. What an interesting conversion of an old 1800's foundry into a great spot for a party. Located in an industrial area, there is plenty of parking and no neighbors to disturb with the music and festivities. Had a great time and headed back to NJ to spend the night.
We were invited to attend a Sunday brunch that was being hosted by the bride's parents. Many out of towners attended the wedding and were staying at the Hyatt on 42nd St. near Lexington Ave, so they decided to have it there. Got up on Sunday and headed back over to NY and had some time to check out Grand Central Station. The restoration of the station looks great. It's amazing to think that they wanted to tear the place down. The brunch was great and making good food choices was not too difficult all weekend. I even had a sip or two of white wine at the wedding.
Said our goodbyes at the brunch and headed over to the west side and a drive up the Henry Hudson pkwy toward Rockland County to pick up my mother. She is visiting for a couple weeks. Each time she has seen me since my surgery she can't believe it, lol. I know that she is relieved that I have finally done something about my weight problem.
I have lived in the Philly area for 11 years now, but the trips back home to the NYC metro area are always exciting.
That's all for now. Have a productive day.
EGO Boost
Oct 25, 2006
I work in the Information Technology department of my company. One of my assignments is to support the upper management at the corporate headquarters. I ran into my boss this morning. She had flown on the corporate jet with the CEO and a couple other VPs. She said that they commented about how well I was looking since my WLS. They also complemented me on doing a great job for them.
Needless to say I was both flattered and impressed. Got me off to a roaring start today. People really do notice!
Hope your day is going well.
Jump Ahead to Today
Oct 23, 2006
I originally signed up on this website back in 03 when I first started to research this surgery. Two plus years later, after visting several surgeons and facing various disappointments, I met Dr. Meilahn and his staff at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia and knew I had found the program that I wanted to be a part of.
I'll begin my story where I am today, 131 pounds lighter than when I entered the hospital on May 18, 2006.....
My name is Patrick, I am 45 years old and live in Collingswood, NJ. I have been overweight my entire life. Both my parents are/were overweight and suffer/ed from severe health issues. My dad passed away 1 day shy of his 64th birthday shortly after receiving a heart transplant. He had been retired on disability for 8 years prior, suffering from serious heart related problems. My mom has suffered the debilitating affects from diabetes and at 70 years old has many health issues. I knew that I was in for some serious trouble down the road if I failed to make a significant change in my health.
Met with Dr. Meilahn in December of 05 after I had sent him an e-mail first to see if I was a viable candidate for his practice. I was extremely impressed that he answered my e-mail that evening and suggested that I call the office and make an appointment. He agreed that at 530 pounds I was a risky patient, but he was confident that with the right tests and precautions surgery was definitely possible.
After meeting with the doctor and his assistant, during which time I was given an exam and described in detail the procedure, I was invited to join the program whenever I felt comfortable to do so. Temple's bariatric program requires a $600.00 program fee that covers all expenses not normally paid by insurance. I took all the information home with me and after three days sent in my program fee to start the process.
Shortly after they received my check, I was sent a schedule of tests to be done at Temple. These included extensive blood work, doppler of my lower extremities to look for any blood clots, cardiac workup, upper GI test, lung function tests in the pulmonary lab, psychological evaluation and a meeting with the program's nutritionist. Once the tests were completed, I met with a pulmonologist and a cardiologist for follow up. I was quite impressed with the thoroughness of the preoperative testing. It definitely helped me relax knowing that they were taking as many precautions necessary to ensure my best chance at a successful surgery.
After all the testing was completed, the information had to be submitted for insurance approval to Blue Cross of SE Pennsylvania. At that time I was given a surgery date of May 18th, subject to insurance approval of course. I planned a vacation to California the week prior to my scheduled date in order to take some time to relax before the surgery.
I went for my preadmissions testing prior to leaving for California and got to meet with the anesthesiologist. He was quite upbeat and confident that everything would go well for me during my surgery. The only alarming thing he mentioned was that the breathing tube would probably be inserted while I was still awake. He said that it was safer to do the procedure this way in certain bariatric patients, but assured me that I would probably not remember it anyway.
For the most part things went off without a hitch leading up to surgery day. I did get a call while changing planes in Chicago that there was concern in my preadmission EKG. I was able to make some phone calls between flights and get that problem squared away. Finally I was able to relax and enjoy the trip.
I had planned to work the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday when I returned from California and report Thursday morning the 18th for surgery. I made it through Monday and Tuesday, but wound up leaving early on Wednesday. I was just a little too nervous to stay there all day. My bosses understood and wished me well as I left.
I never thought much about the benefits plan I have from my employer until after this experience. The medical insurance is top notch. The process for establishing my short term disability could not have been any easier. My payroll deposit was in my account every two weeks as if I had never been out of the office. I feel fortunate to work for a company that provides such good employee benefits. I have read all too often about some of the nightmares people have gone through to get coverage.
Is there a doctor in the house???
May 18, 2006. A day that will live.....oh never mind. I got up early Thursday morning to get ready to go to the hospital. I wasn't feeling anything at that point. Just acting like a robot, going through the motions. The doctor had given me special soap to wash with the night before and that morning. I remember that it had a strange smell and left my skin feeling exceptionally smooth and squeaky. I dressed and headed out to the car. I wanted to drive myself to keep my mind off of what was coming. I felt ready, I think lol
I suppose that never having a surgical procedure before in my life was a good thing. I mean, I never had so much as a broken pinky finger. They say ignorance is bliss (who is 'they' anyway) and I tend to agree. Every aspect of that morning was a new experience.
Check-in at admissions was fast and easy. They asked me if I wanted a wheelchair to the 'short procedure unit'. Short procedure I thought; yeah right! I declined the wheelchair and walked down the hall and took the elevator to the second floor. I signed in and waited for them to call my name. Five minutes later I hear "Patrick"....aaack, that was quick. The nice lady took me around the corner to my prep area and handed me off. My nurse come over, said hi and handed me a bag with a gown, booties and a funny looking hat. She said to take everything off and put these on (pointing to the bag), then use the bag for your street clothes. For the first time that morning I felt the pit of my stomach in my throat and wanted to run the hell out of there. The reality of it all was sinking in.
Needless to say I did not run away and I made it to the OR. I only remember the anesthesiologist saying that he was going to give me something to help me relax. The next thing I remember was Dr. Meilahn's masked face asking me to wake up. I thought they had canceled the whole thing because I felt like I had only been asleep for a couple minutes... that was until the feeling of having been hit in the gut with the number 7 bus came over me.
Dr. apologized for not being able to do the procedure laproscopically, but assured me that everything went well. He even fixed a hernia while he was at it. LOL, a 2 fer 1 deal.
I am happy to report that I was wheeled into my room at about 4:00pm on Thursday and stepped back into my house at around the same time on Saturday. Nobody was more surprised than me when the doc said that I could go home on Saturday. I was sore and it hurt to get in and out of bed, but it is truly incredible how fast the body heals. As part of myrecuperation, a home health nurse stopped by 4 times, over the first 3 weeks, to check my incision, blood pressure and temperature and medications. Dr. Meilahn called me that first Sunday to make sure I was OK. He told me to not hesitate to call his service if I had ANY issues.
I went back to work on July 5th and have been feeling great. Five months passed this weekend and more importantly for me, I weighed in at 399 on Sunday morning. I have not seen any weight starting with the number 3 for a long long time. I think it's what inspired me to come back here and log on to this web page that I had high hopes of starting 3 years ago. I wanted to share my story with others as they have shared with me. For the first time in my life I honestly believe that I can get to my goal weight and stay there. For this I am truly grateful.
For anyone considering this life-altering surgery, please weigh (no pun intended) all of your options carefully. Choose a doctor AND program that works in your best interest. If you think they are overlooking anything important, speak up! I fully understand as an obese person how we tend to clam up when it comes to issues of our own bodies. But it is your body, so be your best advocate.
I hope to post a recent picture here soon and add updates as I progress.
Take care,
Patrick
I'll begin my story where I am today, 131 pounds lighter than when I entered the hospital on May 18, 2006.....
My name is Patrick, I am 45 years old and live in Collingswood, NJ. I have been overweight my entire life. Both my parents are/were overweight and suffer/ed from severe health issues. My dad passed away 1 day shy of his 64th birthday shortly after receiving a heart transplant. He had been retired on disability for 8 years prior, suffering from serious heart related problems. My mom has suffered the debilitating affects from diabetes and at 70 years old has many health issues. I knew that I was in for some serious trouble down the road if I failed to make a significant change in my health.
Met with Dr. Meilahn in December of 05 after I had sent him an e-mail first to see if I was a viable candidate for his practice. I was extremely impressed that he answered my e-mail that evening and suggested that I call the office and make an appointment. He agreed that at 530 pounds I was a risky patient, but he was confident that with the right tests and precautions surgery was definitely possible.
After meeting with the doctor and his assistant, during which time I was given an exam and described in detail the procedure, I was invited to join the program whenever I felt comfortable to do so. Temple's bariatric program requires a $600.00 program fee that covers all expenses not normally paid by insurance. I took all the information home with me and after three days sent in my program fee to start the process.
Shortly after they received my check, I was sent a schedule of tests to be done at Temple. These included extensive blood work, doppler of my lower extremities to look for any blood clots, cardiac workup, upper GI test, lung function tests in the pulmonary lab, psychological evaluation and a meeting with the program's nutritionist. Once the tests were completed, I met with a pulmonologist and a cardiologist for follow up. I was quite impressed with the thoroughness of the preoperative testing. It definitely helped me relax knowing that they were taking as many precautions necessary to ensure my best chance at a successful surgery.
After all the testing was completed, the information had to be submitted for insurance approval to Blue Cross of SE Pennsylvania. At that time I was given a surgery date of May 18th, subject to insurance approval of course. I planned a vacation to California the week prior to my scheduled date in order to take some time to relax before the surgery.
I went for my preadmissions testing prior to leaving for California and got to meet with the anesthesiologist. He was quite upbeat and confident that everything would go well for me during my surgery. The only alarming thing he mentioned was that the breathing tube would probably be inserted while I was still awake. He said that it was safer to do the procedure this way in certain bariatric patients, but assured me that I would probably not remember it anyway.
For the most part things went off without a hitch leading up to surgery day. I did get a call while changing planes in Chicago that there was concern in my preadmission EKG. I was able to make some phone calls between flights and get that problem squared away. Finally I was able to relax and enjoy the trip.
I had planned to work the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday when I returned from California and report Thursday morning the 18th for surgery. I made it through Monday and Tuesday, but wound up leaving early on Wednesday. I was just a little too nervous to stay there all day. My bosses understood and wished me well as I left.
I never thought much about the benefits plan I have from my employer until after this experience. The medical insurance is top notch. The process for establishing my short term disability could not have been any easier. My payroll deposit was in my account every two weeks as if I had never been out of the office. I feel fortunate to work for a company that provides such good employee benefits. I have read all too often about some of the nightmares people have gone through to get coverage.
Is there a doctor in the house???
May 18, 2006. A day that will live.....oh never mind. I got up early Thursday morning to get ready to go to the hospital. I wasn't feeling anything at that point. Just acting like a robot, going through the motions. The doctor had given me special soap to wash with the night before and that morning. I remember that it had a strange smell and left my skin feeling exceptionally smooth and squeaky. I dressed and headed out to the car. I wanted to drive myself to keep my mind off of what was coming. I felt ready, I think lol
I suppose that never having a surgical procedure before in my life was a good thing. I mean, I never had so much as a broken pinky finger. They say ignorance is bliss (who is 'they' anyway) and I tend to agree. Every aspect of that morning was a new experience.
Check-in at admissions was fast and easy. They asked me if I wanted a wheelchair to the 'short procedure unit'. Short procedure I thought; yeah right! I declined the wheelchair and walked down the hall and took the elevator to the second floor. I signed in and waited for them to call my name. Five minutes later I hear "Patrick"....aaack, that was quick. The nice lady took me around the corner to my prep area and handed me off. My nurse come over, said hi and handed me a bag with a gown, booties and a funny looking hat. She said to take everything off and put these on (pointing to the bag), then use the bag for your street clothes. For the first time that morning I felt the pit of my stomach in my throat and wanted to run the hell out of there. The reality of it all was sinking in.
Needless to say I did not run away and I made it to the OR. I only remember the anesthesiologist saying that he was going to give me something to help me relax. The next thing I remember was Dr. Meilahn's masked face asking me to wake up. I thought they had canceled the whole thing because I felt like I had only been asleep for a couple minutes... that was until the feeling of having been hit in the gut with the number 7 bus came over me.
Dr. apologized for not being able to do the procedure laproscopically, but assured me that everything went well. He even fixed a hernia while he was at it. LOL, a 2 fer 1 deal.
I am happy to report that I was wheeled into my room at about 4:00pm on Thursday and stepped back into my house at around the same time on Saturday. Nobody was more surprised than me when the doc said that I could go home on Saturday. I was sore and it hurt to get in and out of bed, but it is truly incredible how fast the body heals. As part of myrecuperation, a home health nurse stopped by 4 times, over the first 3 weeks, to check my incision, blood pressure and temperature and medications. Dr. Meilahn called me that first Sunday to make sure I was OK. He told me to not hesitate to call his service if I had ANY issues.
I went back to work on July 5th and have been feeling great. Five months passed this weekend and more importantly for me, I weighed in at 399 on Sunday morning. I have not seen any weight starting with the number 3 for a long long time. I think it's what inspired me to come back here and log on to this web page that I had high hopes of starting 3 years ago. I wanted to share my story with others as they have shared with me. For the first time in my life I honestly believe that I can get to my goal weight and stay there. For this I am truly grateful.
For anyone considering this life-altering surgery, please weigh (no pun intended) all of your options carefully. Choose a doctor AND program that works in your best interest. If you think they are overlooking anything important, speak up! I fully understand as an obese person how we tend to clam up when it comes to issues of our own bodies. But it is your body, so be your best advocate.
I hope to post a recent picture here soon and add updates as I progress.
Take care,
Patrick
