Karrie W.
3/24/07
Okay, so I'm 4 days out, and feel pretty good. I still have some soreness at my incision sites...I have 5. I have lost 17 lbs. since starting liquids 2 weeks pre-op. I gained after surgery with what they called "IV gain", but lost that pretty fast when I came home. I will say that getting your fluids is key! I'm going to work on getting in some exercise today, and hopefully move the needle on the scale again!
3/22/07
So I had my surgery on Tuesday, and I'm recovering. I spent one day at Barix, and thought that the entire staff was amazing! They took great care of me, and were so attentive. What can I say, they know what they are doing, and they do it very well!
Well, I am scheduled to have Lap Band surgery on March 20th!!!! You can read my story below...what a journey this has been! Over a year of working to get this, and there's no looking back. Still, my story is not that uncommon!
I am currently trying to find a Dr. locally that will accept a cancer survivor into their program. I'm finding it frustrating that I can't get a consultation at this point, without investing still more time, energy, and emotion, only to be told that I must be a 5 year survivor to qualify. I'm a working mother/wife who loves/misses enjoying outdoor activities. I have two dogs that I love dearly, but can't even enjoy play time with them anymore because of the severe pain caused by weight and arthritis. I will keep up the hope that there's a surgeon out there for me, and that when I find him/her, I will be approved by my insurance carrier!
12/05 Thinking seriously about this surgery, and looking into options in my area. So far I have found OSU, and Barix. Barix shut me down over the phone because they say I need to 5 years cancer free, and I am almost at 3 years. Will consider sending in my application to OSU. Barix just seemed right...too bad.
12/05 Was ready to send my application to OSU when a friend told me about another option at Mt. Carmel. I am going to call them to get more info.
01/06 Going to Mt. Carmel's forum next week. They are supposed to send me more info, a map, etc.
01/06 Well, went to the forum, and all I can say is that I was very disappointed. First, they did not send me the info they promised, no directions, and I was late getting there because I had no idea where I was going. I went into the room, and was surprised to see that they had seated some folks in folding chairs to accomodate their size. Let me ask, do you not know who your audience is going to be at a forum on WLS? Well, about halfway through the forum, one of the chairs broke, and when I saw the look on the Dr.'s face in dealing with the gentleman with the broken chair, decided that it was not the place for me, left as fast as I could after the forum ended, and didn't look back. Just wanted to get the heck outta there! I'm calling my PCP, this is frustrating. Maybe he can help me find other options.
01/06 Well, Barix has said that they will consider my case, and maybe get me in for a consult if I am all clear. I have been in contact via email, and phone, and went to their forum tonight. WOW. They seem wonderful. This is where I want to have the surgery if I am approved! The facility is amazing, the fact that the chairs were made for obese people, and the general vibe was great. The forum was very in depth, and they stuck around to talk to everyone...I mean everyone that had a question after. Don't know if they did that at the other place since I ran for the door as fast as I could! Barix is wonderful!
2/10/06 Learned today that I will need some test to show that I am still cancer free before I can be scheduled for a consult. No problem, I am confident that all will be clear! Time to call my PCP since my GYN surgeon and oncologist refuse to cooperate. My PCP is the best in the area anyway, and he is an advocate of me having the wls.
2/17/06 Today I had the pelvic exam and PAP test. One little step in the direction of getting approved for a consult down, another next week with my CT. My PCP told me all I have to do now is continue to pass all of the tests...told him it's not like I can study for it! He's a great Dr., and I'm so glad I found him 5 years ago. Hard to believe I was afraid to bring up the subject of WLS with him, and after so long wondering about it, he brought it up to me! It was such a relief to know that he was on my side, and willing to help me on the journey.
2/22/06 Today I had my pelvic CT. I hate drinking the contrast medium! Hopefully it won't be too bad this time! Need to get good results in order to be approved for my consult.
2/24/06 Got my results already from the CT, and everything looks good. That's wonderful news for me, being 3 years cancer free! Just waiting on the results of the PAP, and should hear back on an appointment!
2/28/06 I have been trying to get approved for a consult for the last 2 months now. I have finally gotten approval, and am waiting to be scheduled. Hopefully I will be able to get in soon, but have been told that they are scheduling as far out as May right now.
3/1/06 Well, I was thinking it would take a while to get my consult scheduled, but I received an email today, saying I have an appointment at Barix on Wednesday, March 29th. Wow...that was fast, and sooner than I had thought it would be. I am really getting excited, and will probably be a wreck with nervous energy leading up to the consult. Wish me luck with the consult!
3/20/06 The day of my consult is getting closer, and I'm getting anxious! I hope everything goes well, and will update after next Wednesday. I really need this to happen, as my arthritis has been bothering me a lot lately. My PCP tells me I will need to have at least one knee replacement if I'm not able to have the WLS, and I'm not looking forward to that. I'm not even 40 yet, and can't believe my knees are this bad. I broke my kneecap when I was quite young, and it's not been right since then, but the added weight has not helped it either. It's a vicious cycle, since it has always been hard for me to be physically active because of the bad knee! Wish me luck next week! I'll update after then, hopefully with good news.
5/04/06 Well, I haven't been by to update lately, so a lot has happened. I had my consult back at the end of March, that went well, and I was approved by the surgeon for Lap/Band surgery. I have had a sleep study, which showed that I do have sleep apnea, and am going in again in 2 weeks for another study with the C-PAP. That had to be the most miserable experience I have ever been through! Geesh, how can they expect to get accurate information, when there's no way you can have anything near a normal night's sleep with all of the STUFF attached to you! LOL! I have also started my 6 months of supervised diet, and it seems to be going pretty well. I have lost about 8 lbs. since the beginning of my quest, but not since starting the supervised diet! How funny is that? Well, I'm committed to seeing it through, and will follow the plan as prescribed. The nutritionist seems to be trying to steer me away from the surgery, but is very nice, and very easy to talk with. Have had to deal with some not so nice people with regard to the sleep study, but I guess I should be used to the insensitive thin people out there by now! Will try to thicken my skin so that it doesn't bother me, but we all know how that goes...sometimes we're tough, and sometimes it's just too much to take. Will try to be more frequent with my updates in the coming weeks!
Insurer Info:
Aetna, POS
