nick
About Me...
HOBBIES: I like Pro-Wrestling, and PlayStation 2. I also like selling on eBay! DA' BOYS ARE BACK! I AM a lifelong DALLAS COWBOYS fanatic! I am also an avid NASCAR fan. My driver is Kevin Harvick #29 simply because my wife can't stand him and I like to see her flustered lol! I look forward to that time when I can enjoy things that I love, hunting, softball, and general outside activity.
HISTORY: My weight problem began at puberty. I have accumlated more weight as each year has passed since then. I have never been successful at dieting. WLS has become my only hope. I was directed to this website by my friend and now "Angel" Teresa. I had no idea there were so many people out there who felt the same as I, nor did I realize there were so many others involved in receiving the surgery as a means to end their suffering from morbid obesity. I have been touched by all I have read, and viewed here. The members of this site are a Godsend.
PRE-OP:
My surgery has finally been scheduled for August 17, 2004. It has been a long wait, but not nearly as long as some I have read on here. I feel blessed to have had my progression to this point move along rather smoothly. I will keep you all posted.
*UPDATE: 7/28/04
Only 18 more days til my surgery. I go in for my pre-op visit on August 4, 2004. I will certainly return here to let you all know how things go.
*UPDATE: 8/15/04
Well...it's finally here! Time to get going! My wife and I leave for Birmingham tomorrow at noon. When we arrive, we will get a room, and settle in for the evening (and take that lovely magnesium citrate stuff!) Then it's a hopefully restfull night sleep, and up at 5 a.m. To the hospital we go! Up til this point, I have been both scared, and anxious to get this thing overwith. Pre-op appointment with Dr. DeWitt went very well. I had lost 4 lbs even, and that was before the 7 day low carb high protein diet I had to undergo this past week, and today and tomorrow's liquid diet restrictions...hmmm..wonder how much I weigh now? This surgery is something that I MUST do, for my life, and the quality and quantity of it. I pray that the pains disappear along with the pounds. I look forward to having a new outlook on life. We thank God for bringing us this far, and for giving us hope, courage, faith, and strength. We thank those of you who have wished me well, and I appreciate any words directed to our Lord and Savior on my behalf.
POST-OP:
*UPDATE: August 20, 2004
I had surgery on August 17, 2004 at Carraway Methodist Medical Center in Birmingham, AL. Dr. DeWitt is my surgeon. Things could not have went more smoothly! I was concerned prior to surgery, scared, anxious, and doubting my decision. I was assured by others here that this was normal. Yes, the feelings still remained. I am only 3 days out, and I am very glad that I went through with this. My pre-existing blood pressure medication was not regulated, and this caused a slight problem. Because of the blood pressure readings during/after surgery, I was placed in ICU for two days. I was up and walking once I recovered from surgery in ICU. Once they got my blood pressure under control, I was moved to a regular room, and continued my walking there. Dr. DeWitt has proved himself one heck of a man, and one awesome surgeon. After a 2 1/2 hr long surgery, he successfully completed a RNY laparoscopically. There was concern that an Open may have to be done because of my size. He worked diligently to give me the Lap. The day after surgery, my wounds were already healing very nicely! Dr. DeWitt summoned other specialist to check in on me in ICU and in my room, and they did so daily. They were all so very thorough, professional, courteous, and caring. I was very impressed! I had a problem urinating for the first two days, and had a catheter inserted...yuk! I was told this happens sometimes with this surgery, and wanted to pass that on. By the third day, all was operating efficiently on it's own ;-) I was introduced to soft foods today, Aug. 20. I have not had any hunger pains either. This may change! My wife would ask me if I was hungry, and I always answered no...she could not believe what she was hearing! I did not weigh after surgery. I know I have lost some weight because I was on the liquid diet 2 days prior to the 17th, and 3 days afterwards. I was also dieting 7 days prior to surgery as well. So, when I visit Dr. DeWitt this next week, I expect I will find the reading on the scales somewhat lower than pre-surgery weight. I REALLY look forward to getting on those scales! Post-Op medicines: They changed my blood pressure medication to better suit my needs. They gave me a B-12 shot at the hospital that will last a month. I have to take a blood thinner shot for the next 7 days, along with stool softeners, tums for calcium, multi-vitamins, my prescribed Celexa, among other daily neccesities. I must walk everyday, and drink 64 ounces of fluid. I'm on my way, one day at a time! Hopefully soon, I will have some pics up here, Lord knows my wife took enough of them! More update information to follow soon. Thanks to everyone for EVERYTHING! Thanks goes out to Debbie Estep for everything she has done, visiting me and sharing helpful information & easing my anxiety prior to surgery at the hospital. A special thanks to Christie Duckett for her continued support, for the gift, and for visiting me at the hospital. You two ladies are so very special! God Bless You!
*UPDATE: August 26, 2004
First Post-Op Check Up...Went in to see Dr. DeWitt today, Nine days after surgery! Everything looks very good he says. It was nice being able to visit with some others that I met prior to surgery who were there also, to get to listen to how they are doing now. Best thing of all...first time I've stepped on scales since Aug. 17th operation and I'm down 48 POUNDS! WOOOO HOOOOOOO! UNBELIEVABLE! Well this sure made us all very happy! Makes it all worth it to see my weight falling off, gone forever! Amen! Thank the Lord, and Dr. DeWitt!
*UPDATE: Sept. 2, 2004
Today, I went and weighed on some local scales. It has been 15 days since my surgery. I just had to check my weight loss for half a month. To our surprise, I had lost an additional 14 pounds for a total of a 62 lb weight loss since surgery! I started at 620 and now weigh 558! Things are still going smoothly. I have not had any nausia as I have changed over from all soft foods to adding processed meats. I am happy to report that all is going very well! I have truly been blessed, and We are very thankful.
*UPDATE: Oct. 25, 2004
Well here we are nine weeks post op! I currently weigh 505 lbs. A loss of 115lbs!! Things are still going great!
*UPDATE: Nov. 19, 2004
THREE MONTHS OUT - TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS 137 POUNDS!
Today's weigh-in was 483 lbs! I started at 620 lbs! WOW! 137 lbs lost in just 3 months! I am so grateful...and feeling like a new man already! I have a long way to go still, but this has truly been three awesome months! I thank God for having been given this new life. *UPDATE: March 4, 2005
Seven months out! I've lost a total of 189 pounds so far. Things have been great, I've experienced very few problems, nothing out of the ordinary.
*UPDATE: April 07, 2005
FINALLY, I'M HERE! WOOOO WOOOOOO as Ric Flair would yell! I have a current weight loss of 200 lbs! Praise God & Dr. DeWitt! I have went from a miserable 620 lbs to a feeling better every day 420 lbs! Before / After pic below...please visit my website for more pics!
*UPDATE: December 26, 2005
Well I did it now! I let my first year anniversary go by without updating this site! SHAME on me! On August 17, 2005 I was a year post-op. Now, I'm 16 months post-op and weighing in at 350 lbs! I've lost a total of 270 lbs as of last weigh in on Dec. 17, 2005. Oh how my life has changed. My high blood pressure is gone, my knee pain is gone, and I can buy clothes at Wal-Mart (the moment you know things are really good is when you can walk in Wal-Mart pick up a shirt you like, and walk out it's new owner!) Yes, things are good, they are better than good, they're great! I walk a little over a mile everyday, easily! I could probably walk further, but I'm still sticking around that 1.3 mile mark. I am able to do so many things that I haven't done in many years. Most importantly, I feel better, 100% better! I still have some weight to lose, and I am still losing. Throughout this whole year, each time I weighed, I lost, with the exception of two times I remained the same...that is UNTIL THANKSGIVING! Oh my goodness...I couldn't eat much, but I guess I must've ate a little too often that day and the days after, I gained 8 lbs that week and was horrified! Needless to say, I got busy working on that gain, and got it off again! WHEW! I promised myself THAT would never happen again! So, when Christmas time came, I was a good boy! LOL! I have also slacked taking my supplements. This is my new goal as it is obtainable due to the fact that I simply MUST do this to survive. I am still unable to tolerate sugar and that is very good. I do not try to eat things with sugar in them, it's just that I have found out that some things have sugar in them that I didn't cook and did'nt know about until my body let me know almost immediately. So, I can safely say, sugar is still and probably always will be a "no no." My physical self goal is to reach a reasonable weight anywhere from 185-200, so as you can see I still have quite a bit much more weight to lose. Dr. DeWitt says that I must stop losing weight before they will do skin removal/plastic surgery, so, I've got a little while longer to wait on that too. This loose skin is driving me nuts though! Heck I bet I'd lose 50-80 lbs if they'd just cut off what was loose now! My next scheduled appointment with DeWitt is in April. We'll see how things are going then, and I will update.
*UPDATE: April 16, 2006
Okay, I've had my check up with Dr. DeWitt. Seems my weight loss has indeed slowed down. I weighed in at 345 lbs which means I have only lost 5 lbs since December. The doc agreed it was time to confer with a plastic surgeon, though, he said, that I should be able to lose more weight on my own. I've made my plastic surgeon appointment for consultation for May 3, 2006. I'm excited about the possibility of losing this loose skin, and some poundage with it! I'm curious as to how much weight from loose skin I have on me. I'll return to update after my consultation.
