Carlita
PRE-OP STATISTICS:
Height: 5'7"
Weight: 270
I am in the process of investigating WLS for myself as well as my son (he is 23). I am anticipating a problem with insurance coverage, so I'm making inquiries to my insurer now to see what is in the policy about WLS. I am probably looking at an 80/20 proposition, so will be investigating total costs at various hospitals and with different doctors, as well. My son's insurance will probably cover his surgery.
A BRIEF DIETING HISTORY:
I've been through most of the "diet wars" over the course of the last 25-30 years. I think my first real diet was in about 7th or 8th grade. The school nurse called my Mom because I had gone over 200 pounds, so Mom put me on a diet. I lost about 35 pounds while growing a couple of inches. I ended up at about 170, wearing a size 13. I haven't been that small since. I think the last time I was under 200 was in high school (I'm 45 now).
I've been a Weight Watchers member at least 5 times (lost 60 pounds once on that), done Medifast for a while, tried Xenical (very messy) and Meridia (headaches with that). I asked my PCP for phen-fen when it was popular. I'm glad she wouldn't prescribe it - she was worried about the heart effects before it ever left the market! Thanks, doc. I was on Prozac for a while for depression, and it actually helped me lose some weight during the 90's. I have slowly regained from that loss. My last dieting attempt was Atkins. I can see how people could be successful with that. If I had stayed on the very low-carb side it might have worked, but I started to add too many carbs back in, and I think I re-addicted myself. After that disappointment, I had almost resigned myself to being fat and facing slowly deteriorating health, when my son approached me about weight loss surgery. I hadn't really thought about it for a long time; the last I had thought of it was when they were still doing the old "stomach stapling" procedures. I didn't know how much it had improved. So we started our research together in August of 2002.
11/27/02: I am getting very frustrated waiting for my insurance company to send me a letter which is supposed to say if WLS is a covered benefit. The surgeon's office I have been working with said they were told it would be covered only by the Major Medical portion of my insurance policy, which means I will have to come up with the hospital costs up front (around $36,000), then wait to be reimbursed by BC/BS. When I first asked them about it, they told me (over the phone) that WLS is a covered benefit on the medical/surgical portion. I really don't think they know for sure what they cover and what they don't. Anyway, I've called back once (since Oct. 30) to ask what is taking so long on this inquiry. They've been very nice on the phone, but I'm starting to be a little frustrated with the wait. I'll be calling them again after the Thanksgiving holiday, for sure. In the meantime, I have been researching this site and others and gaining much invaluable information.
My son is trying for surgery as well. He has different insurance than I do, and his requires a nutrition eval and psych eval before approval. He is scheduled for both of these in December.
12/10/02 - Still frustrated with trying to get a letter from my insurance company. I keep asking why it's taking so long (since Oct. 30), and can't even get an answer on that. I'm not sure what to do at this point. I'm just stuck waiting and waiting. I will keep calling them at least once a week until I receive an answer. I'm not even asking for approval at this point, I just want to know if WLS is a covered benefit on my policy. I can't understand why it's taking so long to answer such a simple question. Either it's covered or it isn't! No wonder so many members of this site are frustrated.
12/18/02 - Called BC/BS again and spoke with the original rep who took my inquiry request. Her supervisor had sent it to someone else in the system for clarification on 11/20. They have been waiting for the "system to update," which she didn't explain the meaning of. Anyway, she was very nice and told me that I have been more than patient and that they are preparing a letter to send to me which outlines the benefits available. From what she said, it appears that RNY will be covered fully under the med/surg portion of the policy, which is not what the surgeon's office had been told originally. Anyway, if this works out and I actually get the letter, I will be ready to proceed to the consult with my surgeon. I'm wondering if I go ahead with everything, will BC/BS try to deny the claim later? I haven't felt real comfortable with their responses, especially since they told the surgeon's office one thing and me something different. We'll see.
My son's psych eval is tomorrow. His surgeon's office should then be able to send all the info to his insurance company. I'm hoping he will get a quick approval. He needs this surgery so much! He's 5'11" and weighs about 435. He hasn't been able to work because of back and feet problems, and has been living on welfare, with medical assistance for the insurance. He's such a great kid with so much personality - I just know losing this weight will help him in so many areas of his life. As his mom, though, I'm terrified of him having major surgery. But he seems to be taking the whole thing in stride.
12/26/02: I received a letter from my insurance company (finally). It wasn't as specific as I had hoped, but I'm not surprised. After all, I am dealing with an "insurance" company, and from what I've read here on this website, many of them are only interested in getting out of paying! Anyway, it states that their definition of MO is BMI of 35+, 100 lbs, or 100% over ideal weight. It also states that with a diagnosis of MO, gastric bypass surgery is eligible. It was really a simple letter - I can't figure out why it took them almost 2 months to get it to me! I faxed the letter to my surgeon's office, and went ahead and set up a consult date for February 4, 2003. That was the soonest they could get me in. I still don't feel real secure about the insurance, though. I guess after my consult, and if they deem me a good candidate, the surgeon's office will go ahead with sending for approval.
I am calling my son's surgeon's office today to make sure they are ready to send his paperwork to the insurance company. They lost his nutrition and psych evals, which had been faxed to them. So, we had to call both the dietician and Ph.D who did the psych and ask them to re-fax both reports. The surgeon and his staff just moved to a new office, so that could explain why they lost some stuff, but I'll keep on them just to make sure.
1/14/03: The surgeon's office for my son called today, and he has received approval from the insurance company for his surgery! We are very excited and happy about that. He should be getting a call from them soon to set up his surgery date and pre-op appointments. Hooray!! It looks like we might almost be through the insurance maze!!!
2/5/03: I had my consult appointment yesterday with Dr. Hamad and her staff. I was very impressed, and it was pretty much what I expected, since I've been in contact with another of her patients. I feel comfortable with her level of expertise, and with the amount of post-op care I will be receiving.
I tried to talk to someone in my son's surgeon's office (which is the same office as Dr. Hamad's), about them not getting him scheduled. There's been a lot of confusion with his chart. The nurse who handles insurances told us in early January that he had been approved. But it's been a month and nothing was scheduled. So I tried to find out why, but no one has returned phone calls. When I finally got someone on the phone, they looked for his chart and said he hasn't been scheduled because his insurance has not approved yet!! So, at this point, we don't really know what's happening with his case. The insurance nurse is on vacation until Feb. 11, so I guess we'll have to wait until she returns to find out the true status. My son may try to call the insurance himself, but I know from other attempts to call them that it's very difficult to get any info.
He also has a potential problem coming up. His welfare and medical benefits may end on March 10, unless he is still deemed disabled. Hopefully, his PCP will sign off on this for him, and there won't be any interruption of benefits. It just hasn't been going very well for him, and I'm a lot more stressed out about it than I am for myself. He wants and needs this surgery so much. I know he'll be devastated, and so will I, if he loses his opportunity to have it!
3/12/03: It's been a month since I updated. But it's been an eventful month, not so much for me but for my son. He's had his benefits continued for another 6 months, and his surgery has been scheduled for May 5, 2003. We are very happy, excited, and nervous about it. His surgeon's office became very attentive to us after we wrote a confidential letter to the doctor. We had people calling us all the time then! Anyway, he could have been scheduled sooner, but decided to wait until his college semester is done. That will mean he will have lots of time to focus on recuperating, and not have to deal with projects, tests, etc. Most of his pre-op testing is completed, except for seeing his PCP for surgical clearance.
I have been working on my own testing as well. I have to re-do the sleep apnea test, as the machine they gave me did not record the entire night. I still have to have an endoscopy and my psych eval, and that should be it. I probably won't be scheduled for my surgery until late summer. My doctor is very busy, but she's the one I want, and I feel it will be well worth the wait. After all, I've been fat all my life, what's another few months anyway?
3/27/03: I had my upper endoscopy done. It was found I have a small hiatal hernia and gastritis. The doc prescribed nexium for 8 weeks, and then I'm to follow up with my PCP. I guess they will also test for h-pylori, and if I have that, will have to get it treated prior to surgery. I also re-did the sleep test, and I think it worked this time. The sleep tech said the machine (oxi-flow machine) recorded about 6 hours. I know I wasn't asleep that entire time!! So hopefully, I won't have to have that done again. I really don't think I have sleep apnea, but I'm glad they're checking for it. I also completed my psych eval, which was a very short appointment. I answered one sheet of questions, and the psychologist asked me some other ones, about prior depressions, self-esteem issues, etc. It was pretty much a breeze compared to some of the things I've heard on the site about the psych evals.
Once all my testing has been forwarded to the surgeon's office, her PA said I could be set up for a date. They are scheduling for July and August now, so I'll have a few more months to wait. I'm anxious, but this is really for the best. I want to help my son get through his surgery, and hopefully, he'll be feeling pretty good by the time I have mine (and then he can help me!!).
3/31/03: Well, the whole family knows now about our surgeries. Everyone was supportive, or at least if they weren't, they kept their negative comments to themselves. I was very nervous about everyone knowing, as my family is usually very private about our various problems, undertakings, etc., so I was kind of unsure how everyone would react. But, it's out in the open now, so I'm glad that milestone has been met.
I'm not as sure about what to do with my co-workers. There are only 2 (of about 21) that I totally trust to know my personal business. I discussed this issue with a friend the other day, who also works for the same "company" and she felt it might be best to just keep it to myself, and when I return from surgery, to simply say I've "had surgery," and leave it at that. I'm still undecided. Maybe I'll take the route of not telling until I begin to have success. I'm one who has tried many diets, and my co-workers have seen a couple of them as I've succeeded, and then failed. I guess I won't believe it myself until it really starts working, so perhaps then I'll share it at work.
My son's pre-surgical consult will be this Friday. We're getting anxious about his surgery, but excited as well. I posted a message on the board, asking for support for him, and got many wonderful responses. I am really thankful for them, as I know it meant a lot to him to hear from others, many who are young also, who have already gone through this.
4/15/03: My son's surgical consult with Dr. Schauer (on 4/4/03) went very well. His fiancee and I accompanied him to the appointment. The staff is wonderful, and we were able to have all of our questions answered. Jeremy is ready for surgery, his only problem at this time being low iron. He was told to begin taking an iron supplement daily. I can't believe it's less than 3 weeks from today. I believe I'm more nervous than he is. I'm nervous but definitely feel this is the way for him to go. Jeremy really wants to have the surgery Lap (RNY), but he is quite large (at 442, 5'11"). Dr Schauer said there is a "good" chance that it can be done Lap, but Jeremy is prepared if it must be completed as an open surgery.
I am going to see a pulmonologist on Friday. This is a follow-up to my home sleep test, which showed episodes of stopped breathing. He will determine if I need a further sleep study. I was disappointed about this coming up - I was hoping to get a surgery date soon. My surgeon (Dr. Hamad) will not approve me for surgery until all the test data is in. I feel upset at the delay, but I'm happy that she is being so thorough. I know this is very important, because if I do have sleep apnea, I must get treated for it prior to surgery. So, more than anything I'm learning to be patient these days.
Our family was rocked on April 5 - my father suffered a stroke. It was a pretty bad one, but he is doing well, and is expected to recover following a stay at a rehab hospital. He was taken to the hospital where my son will have surgery. Jeremy was quite taken aback by this, and was concerned that perhaps he should postpone surgery. My mother and I encouraged him to go ahead, that he needs to have this done, and that even though his "Pap" is sick, he would want him to go ahead too. We are blessed with a very supportive family, and everyone has pulled together to help get my Dad and Mom through this. My mother is an incredibly strong woman - I can only hope to be half as strong as she has always been.
4/30/03: I want to share this information with all of you. I had been in contact with a researcher at the Univ. of Pittsburgh, who has been conducting a study on calcium absorption of post-op gastric bypass patients. I found the article on the UPMC website: upmc.com. It briefly stated the research being done, and stated that bone loss was at a high rate following surgery. I emailed the researcher and asked a couple questions about the study, including what type of calcium the participants took. I received the following response:
"Dear Ms McChesney: Thanks so much for your interest in our research. We have been recommending that people take 1000mg calcium citrate daily because we also were concerned that calcium carbonate would not be absorbed after the surgery. The calcium in Tums is calcium carbonate. Our patients were taking a variety of supplements but largely switched to calcium citrate. A very similar operation used to be done to treat stomach ulcers. The part of the stomach which produces the most acid is bypassed so stomach acid is greatly reduced. We are also strongly recommending that people maintain vitamin D intake in the form of 1-2 multivitamins daily. Most vitamin D doesn't come from food, but is made by the body during sun exposure. This obviously varies with time of year and what latitude you live on. However vitamin D deficiency has been described in people after bypass surgery who weren't taking supplements. I would also suggest to someone who has discovered low bone density after this surgery that they have their vitamin D level checked. If someone is deficient, osteoporosis therapies will not be effective. There are very high dose forms of vitamin D available as a prescription which are given over a month to build levels up fast. Vitamin D deficiency can also cause muscle aches and weakness if it is severe and longstanding. There are many other supplements including iron and B12 which also need to be taken lifelong after the operation! I hope this has been helpful Penny Coates"
5/13/03: My son's Lap RNY surgery went very well last week. He didn't get weighed right before surgery, but at his pre-op on 4/4/03, he weighed 442. One week following surgery he had lost 25 lbs. already! We were very excited, and feel very blessed that all has gone so well for him. The only minor problem was him having a G-tube inserted into his stomach/intestines to take nutrition. His doctor wanted to give the new stomach more healing time. Jeremy took the leak test one week post-op. It was fine, and he started on his clear liquid diet. We feel very fortunate to have had one of the best surgeons (Dr. Schauer) performing this surgery. I found out from another member here that Dr. Schauer and 2 other surgeons (Dr. Champion and Dr. Wittgrove) pretty much developed the surgery as it's being performed now, and train other doctors in their methods. His surgery was about 3 hours long, no complications or problems, and he's had very little pain since right after surgery. What a relief for this nervous mom! I'm just very happy that he's begun his new life.
As for me, I finally got a surgery date of September 11, 2003. This is a relief to me, also, as I just couldn't see this happening without having a date to look forward to. My surgeon is very conservative, and wouldn't give me a date until all pre-ops were done and results in to her. I still have to finish my sleep study, probably to be fitted with a CPAP, and that will occur on June 12, unless I can get a cancellation with the sleep lab sooner.
6/11/03: I haven't updated in a while, I guess because I'm in "waiting" mode. My last pre-op test is my second sleep study, and I'll be going for that tomorrow. I should be fitted with a CPAP at that time. After that, it will be just more waiting. It feels like forever, although everyone keeps saying it will go fast. I need to tell my boss soon, so that he will know I'm going to be off work for a while. I checked with my surgeon's office and the general rule for time off is 2-4 weeks, depending on individual circumstances. So I think I'll shoot for 4 if I can get it - it's been a LONG time since I've had any significant time away from work. Hopefully, I'll feel fairly good, and can enjoy part of the time off, at least.
My son is doing very well. I worry a lot about him, even though he's done very well. It must be the "MOM" in me showing. He hasn't had any complications or problems, which is great. His nurse feels he's doing very well, having lost 41 pounds the first month. He's just not very communicative with me about it, I guess. And part of it is that he's dealing with emotional/mental issues concerning the loss of food, and he's always been one to keep a lot to himself. Also, he and his fiancee have been very busy planning their wedding (July 26), so I'm sure that's part of it too. Anyway, I've done what I can do for him, and I check in with him as much as possible, but the rest is up to him. It's his tool, and he'll have to figure out how he's going to make it work.
8/28/03: It's been a while since I've been here, and I'm just kind-of in "wait" mode. It won't be long now (9/11/03), and my pre-op appt is on Tuesday, Sept 2. I'm very excited to have this happening, finally, after almost a year since the beginning of my research. My consult was in February, and some issues from my resulting tests had to be dealt with before I got my surgery date. I found out that I have mild sleep apnea, and have been using a CPAP machine since the beginning of July. I really don't like it much, but it's a necessary evil. I am hoping the weight loss will improve this problem, and I'll be able to say goodbye to the monster machine!
My son has been doing wonderfully well since his surgery on 5/5/03. He's lost 100 pounds, and feels so much better. He would like to lose 100 more, and I hope that he makes it, but even at this point, it's such a blessing to see how far he's come.
My angel is Jane Tell, who also had surgery with the same doctor I have (Dr. Hamad). Jane's surgery was on August 1, and she's doing very well. I'm so happy to have met her through AMOS. It has certainly been a blessing in my life.
I'll try to post again after surgery.
9/2/03: Not post-op yet, but just got back from my pre-op appt. I'm good to go! My biggest worry and fear was that I wouldn't make the "weight requirement." My doc will cancel you if you've gained any weight since your consult appt. Well, I did gain 10 pounds after my consult in February. Since the end of May, I've been struggling to get it back off, and it really came down to the wire. I didn't eat much at all for two days, just to be sure. Even this morning, when I weighed myself at home, I wasn't sure I'd be under the weight I needed to be. But I guess my scale and the doctor's vary a little, so I ended up being 5-1/2 pounds under the weight I was at the consult. What a major relief. I know I would have been devastated if she had canceled me now. I really don't like her policy much, and I can't see what difference a few pounds would make, but I realize there are others who must lose a required amount before they can get surgery. At least my doc only asks you to maintain what you were. But I've never had so much trouble losing 10 pounds in my life! I guess it's the age factor creeping in. I sure hope the surgery works like it's supposed to, and that losing won't be so hard afterwards. I'll post again after 9/11.
9/16/03: Well, I finally made it! I'm through with my surgery, and I can't believe how happy I am to have it done. I think my biggest fear going in was wondering if I'd wake up after surgery. I was so delighted when I woke up in recovery! I'm doing very well, I think, no throwing up, very little nausea, very little pain. The strangest thing is all the stomach rumbling and gurgling that's going on! It doesn't hurt, it's just really weird! I'm truly very grateful that my surgical experience has been this good. I expected a lot worse, and am very pleased that I feel this close to normal at this point (5 days out). I have a JP drain, which is fairly annoying, but I'll deal with that. It should come out on Monday (9/22). I'm so thankful to my wonderful surgeon, Dr. Hamad, and all the nursing staff at Magee Hospital in Pittsburgh. They are all fantastic.
10/17/03: I started back to work on Monday of this week. It was a little tough as I'm still pretty tired, but I got through it OK. I'll be happy to catch up on some sleep over the weekend. I'm doing pretty well - have lost 26 pounds since surgery. I had my one-month checkup on Wednesday (10/15), and everything seems to be normal at this point. I have a few eating issues (got real sick after lunch at work yesterday and threw up twice). It's hard to figure out why something you ate 3 days ago would make you sick today. But others who've had this surgery tell me this is pretty normal at this point. So I won't complain yet. I had my week or so when I questioned my decision to do this. I was really missing food, and missing pigging out. But that's what got me fat in the first place, so I keep reminding myself that it will get better, and eventually I'll be able to eat a little of the things I love, and it will satisfy me just like it used to in much larger quantities. Head hunger is a big deal right now. Often things smell very good, but when you try a taste of them, the appeal is gone. It's definitely a learning process, with lots of adjustment and re-adjustment.
11/11/03: Two months today! I'm feeling very well, down about 40 pounds total from my surgery day weight, and 54 from my highest weight last summer. I feel great about that. Most of my eating issues are resolving, although last weekend I had a bad experience with a Lean Cuisine chicken/broccoli alfredo with pasta. My stomach did not like it at all and let me know almost immediately that it wasn't going through! But for the most part, I'm doing well, eating-wise. I will return to my surgeon on December 17 for my 3-month check. I've been very fortunate to have two friends (also post-ops) give me clothes they can no longer wear. So I haven't had to buy a lot yet. I weigh 216 right now, and haven't been at this low a weight for about 15 years (when I had a semi-successful WW attempt, making it to 203). It just feels wonderful, and I feel very grateful to have been able to have this surgery. I know in my heart that I could not have done this without WLS. Life is good!
2/19/04: Wow - it's been a while since I updated. But I do spend a good bit of time on the Q&A and message boards, and have been staying active that way.
I'm a little over 5 months post-op, and am down 68 pounds. I'm feeling better and stronger than I have in quite a while. I love this "losing weight" thing. I think other post-ops will understand when I say this has been the "easiest" time I've ever had losing weight. Easy in the sense that I don't feel much hunger, at least not like it used to be. The diet plan itself has been pretty easy for me, too. I make sure I get in my protein first, then eat a few carbs if there's room, and drink at least 64 oz of water/decaf drinks daily. I think I'm taking in about 60 g of protein a day. I feel fine, and am anxious to see what my first lab work will be like. I will have it done after my 6 month check up appt on March 17.
I don't feel as though I've had to deal with too many emotional issues, especially concerning my eating. I honestly feel as though I had gotten some control over my "emotional" eating prior to the surgery. The worst times for me have been right before and the first couple of days of my period. I usually crave more and feel hungrier at those times, and usually gain a couple of pounds as well. But so far, they have always come right back off! I don't worry about the menstrual stuff anymore - if I can't handle it after 35 years, then I better hang it up!
I'm truly enjoying trying on clothes for the first time in FOREVER! I haven't weighed less than 200 pounds for over 25 years, and now I'm weighing 185 and wearing 14 pants and large tops! Incredible! Hubby loves the new me, and he's certainly shown it during our intimate moments! He's been so wonderful though, and has even asked me if it bothers me that he's so much more into my body than he used to be. It truly doesn't bother me at all - it's like I'm realizing a dream I've had for as long as I can remember. I always wanted to be thinner and feel sexier and now I do!
My health has improved thus far. My feet, knees and back don't hurt like they did before, and I feel more energy and stamina than I used to. I do have problems with constipation, and always have, but it is worse now. I use Benefiber twice daily and 2 stool softeners daily, and that usually helps. Making sure I eat enough fiber-rich food also helps, but sometimes I struggle with making those choices on a consistent basis.
All in all, I couldn't be happier with the results of this amazing surgery. I feel so blessed to have been able to have it. I am determined to make this work for me, and promise myself that I will take the necessary steps to maintain my weight loss. I never want to go back to being 260 pounds again!
4/26/04: Not too much is new since my last post. I got the results of my blood work, and all is well. The only level not in a normal range was my good cholesterol. It was low, at 51, and should be higher than 64, I believe. So I guess I should work at getting that increased. But I was really happy to see that everything else is good.
My weight loss has slowed a good bit. I'm at 176 as of this morning. If I don't lose any for a few weeks, I'll think about adjusting what I'm doing. Maybe try less carbs. Carbs have not been a problem for me at all up to now, but we'll see. I'm willing to adjust whatever I need to in order to lose the last few pounds. I would be very happy to make it to 160. I would dearly love to have a tummy tuck and breast lift with implants. I haven't made any consult appts yet, as I'm still not sure where my weight will end up. Of course, at this point, that may be up to me. I hope insurance might pay for the TT at least, but I have serious doubts that it would pay for anything else. I will try to find a way, though. I'm really hating my breasts at this point - I honestly didn't think they would end up looking so bad. There just isn't much tissue left at all, and they hang straight down. I practically have to "roll" them up to get them in my bra. I used to be a full "D", but am not even filling a "C" cup right now. Oh well, this is bugging me more than it should, probably, but it's an adjustment getting used to all these body changes.
My son continues to do well. His 1-year WLS anniversary will be 5/6/04, and he has lost 178 pounds (from 442 to 264). I'm very proud of him. Losing this weight has given him back his life - he can work now where he couldn't before. Things are really looking up for him, and it makes me so happy.
9/13/04: One year has passed! Wow, I simply can't believe it. And what an amazing year. The most incredible of my life I'd say. To have yearned to be thin all my life, and now to have reached a point where, believe it or not, I can say that I'm thin, is truly amazing. I have lost a total of 106 pounds. My highest pre-op weight was 270, I lost 16 on my own prior to surgery, and weighed 254 on the day of surgery. I am now weighing in at 164, and usually stay there or close to it at this point. And I'm very happy here. It's much more than I ever expected, and even better, I look like I weigh around 140, according to those with whom I discuss such things.
I'm really doing well with my various regimens. I'm eating well, and much healthier than when I was MO. I pay a lot more attention to what's going in my mouth these days. I'm blessed in that I really have no eating problems to speak of, and can eat pretty much whatever I want. Of course, that can be a double-edged sword, but I'm staying in control thus far. And I love that I can still eat a variety of foods. I feel that I enjoy my food much more now than before surgery. Some of my tastes have changed, but not all that much. I loved food before, and I still do, it's just that I have now dedicated myself to healthier eating. I wish I could dedicate myself to exercise. That is not something that has changed for me. I really hated it before, and I still do now. I feel guilty at times when I realize that so many of my peers have struggled pretty hard to lose their weight and many would have been unable to do so without strict exercise. But for me that has not been the case. I do realize that my muscle tone and stamina would be much better if I were exercising, but I haven't been able to bring myself to do it. Perhaps I will work on that next. In fact, there are a few of my co-workers who are attending a "Workout Express" that is close by. I keep telling myself that I'm going to stop there and ask them if I can do a "trial" workout. Now that I'm writing this, I really should follow through - and soon!
I'm pretty strict on my vitamins, though. That's one thing that I rarely, if ever, forget about doing. I keep a weekly pill box and fill it up every weekend for the next week. My first set of labs were very good, and I will be getting my second set done soon. My one-year appt with my doctor is on Sept 22, and she will be giving me an order sheet for blood work at that time. I'm having some very minor pain in my stomach when I eat, but not all the time. I had this once before, and my doctor ordered Prilosec OTC for a 2-month period. This was from about the middle of May until mid-July. I had been OK since that time, but the last few days it has flared up. I will be contacting my doc's PA about this, to see if they may want to do an endoscopy to see what's going on. Could be ulcers, from what I've heard others say.
I also had a minor problem with cigarettes. I used to be a smoker, never a heavy one, but hadn't really smoked for a number of years. I started craving them, and bought a few packs. I would only smoke in my car (like when I used to eat in my car? like it won't "count" or something?) and usually would have at the most, 4 cigarettes a day. Well, I know how bad this is, since smoking is the number one cause of ulcers in post-ops (at least according to my doctor). I have it under control now, I feel, and haven't smoked any cigarettes for almost a month. I also realize that I was using cigarettes like I used to use food - as a comfort or for stress relief. I need to find something healthy to do to help me when I need emotional relief. I know, everyone reading this will say that exercise is what I need, and I know they are right. I promise to try.
My son is doing really well also. His surgery (in case you haven't read above) was May 5, 2003. He has lost 190 pounds, and feels that unless he works much harder at this point, he is done with losing. He started at 442 and now weighs about 252, which is pretty amazing, I think. I feel that he would have really liked to get to about 225, but if it doesn't happen for him, I know he'll be happy to stay where he's at. He's gotten a "new life" from all of this! I'm very happy and proud of him -I'm proud of both of us. Life is pretty good. As someone said on the message board here the other day, "I've got 99 problems, but obesity isn't one of them." I loved that little phrase. Losing weight hasn't solved all of my problems, for sure, but it certainly makes dealing with them a lot easier.
11/7/04: Here is some info about hair loss. There are always so many questions about it, and I researched it a little bit when I was going through it back in December 2003 to April 2004. There are a bunch of websites where the info can be found, and the medical term is "telogen effluvium." This was one little article I found on the internet:
Telogen effluvium is the name for temporary hair loss that follows some shock to the system.
Hair loss from one brush
Cause
In a normal healthy person's scalp about 85% of the hair follicles are actively growing hair and 15% are resting. A hair follicle usually grows hair for 4 years then rests for 4 months. The old hair then falls out and a new hair begins to grow. When the hair rests it changes into a club hair. When the new hair starts it forms under the resting club hair and pushes it out.
Thus, it is normal to lose up to about 100 hairs a day on one's comb, brush, in the basin or on the pillow, as a result of the normal scalp hair cycle.
If there is some shock to the system, as many as 70% of the scalp hairs can be precipitated into a resting state, thus reversing the usual ratio. Typical precipitants include:
Illness
Operation
Accident
Childbirth
Nervous shock
Weight loss or unusual diet
Discontinuing the contraceptive pill
Overseas travel resulting in jetlag.
The resting scalp hairs, now in the form of club hairs, remain firmly attached to the hair follicles at first. It is only about 2 months after the shock that the new hairs coming up through the scalp push out the "dead" club hairs and increased hair fall is noticed.
Thus, paradoxically, with this type of hair loss, hair fall is a sign of hair regrowth. As the new hair first comes up through the scalp and pushes out the dead hair a fine fringe of new hair is often evident along the forehead hairline. At first the fall of club hairs is profuse and a general thinning of the scalp hair may become evident but after several months a peak is reached and hair fall begins to lessen, gradually tapering back to normal over 6-9 months. As the hair fall tapers off the scalp thickens back up to normal, but recovery may be incomplete in some cases.
Because nail and hair growth are under the same influences, an arrest in hair growth is often mirrored in the nails by a groove across them coinciding with the time of the shock to the system. The time of the shock can be estimated from the fact that a finger nail takes 5 months to grow from the posterior nail fold to the free edge. So if the groove in the nail is half way down the nail then the shock must have been 2 1/2 months ago.
Treatment
Telogen effluvium is self-correcting. It is really not influenced by any treatment that can be given. However, gentle handling of the hair, avoiding over-vigorous combing, brushing and any type of scalp massage are important.
You should also ensure a nutritious diet, with plenty of protein, fruit and vegetables.
The doctor may check your levels of iron, vitamin B12 and folic acid, as any deficiency in these can slow hair growth.
Related information
On DermNet:
Hair loss
Alopecia areata
Other web sites:
Telogen effluvium - from emedicine dermatology, the on-line textbook.
3/17/05: It's been a while since my last update. I'm living life much happier now, and in a much more contented way. I'm trying to learn how to maintain this weight loss now, something I've never really done in the past. I was either dieting and going down, or not dieting and going up! The challenge right now is to stay the same! I've been doing pretty well so far, but have been having a horrible time with wanting to eat more than I should be and eating the wrong things. This is much worse for me during PMS, and currently my PMS is lasting way too long! It's been a week of torture because I'm really hungry and craving chocolate and sugar so badly. When my period comes, I know it will be fine - I have been going through this every month since shortly after surgery. But it's usually only a couple of days - this time it's been over a week.
My son and I visited our doctor yesterday for follow-up - my 18 month appt, and his for 2-years. We are both doing well, and feel great about what WLS has done for our lives. My boy has lost 207 pounds and he looks simply amazing! What a difference in his appearance, and in his physical abilities. He couldn't work before surgery because of back and feet pain. Now he has a job where he's moving and on his feet all day!
Photos
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Hospital Reviews
Surgeon Info:
Surgeon: Giselle Hamad, M.D.
I had my first consult appointment at Dr. Hamad's office on February 4, 2003. I was impressed by the staff and the office surroundings. I filled out some paperwork, mostly regarding my personal health history, was weighed and measured, then viewed a 15-minute video about the surgery, pre and post-op concerns, etc. It was informative, but I was already familiar with most of it due to my own research. Then, I was seen by a resident she is working with. He went over my health history, prescribed the various pre-op tests I need to have done, and examined my stomach. I then met with a nutritionist on staff, who asked me about my current eating habits, and made an assessment of how she felt I would handle the changes after surgery. She also thoroughly covered the prescribed post-op diet for RNY patients, including all the supplements that will be needed. Finally, I met with Dr. Hamad, and she answered all of my questions, and went over her methods for performing the surgery. She was very personable, but professional, and I felt comfortable talking with her. She and her staff stressed that if I have any questions at any time, do not hesitate to contact them, either pre or post-op. There is a lot of testing to be scheduled, which I need to do on my own. I don't know if this is standard procedure or not, but it would have been nice to get a little help from them on this. It was a long afternoon, as I had to wait for each different segment of the appointment. But otherwise, a very positive experience.
Insurer Info:
Highmark BC/BS, Not sure
