Heather V.
My best advice to anyone contemplating surgery is to make sure you are totally ready to commit yourself to a totally new way of life before you have the surgery... Go out and enjoy a few "last supper" type meals... It won't kill you... but don't go completely crazy and put on another 10 pounds beforehand...
My advice to recent post-ops is "hang in there"... It WILL get better. Right now you feel like crap and wonder what you did to yourself, but in a few weeks or even months, you will know that it was the best thing you could have ever done for yourself!
Now, on with my story...
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FEBRUARY 11, 2005 - Well, today is the day... I have an appointment to see my primary care physician (PCP) to discuss WLS. I need to get a referral due to having an HMO insurance plan. I am REALLY nervous about speaking with my PCP about the surgery because of how stigmatized the surgery is... I know there are a lot of people and especially medical professionals who feel that WLS is too dangerous and should only be used in extreme cases. Well, from what I have read, you are better off having the surgery BEFORE you become an extreme case as you have a better chance for a quick, uncomplicated recovery. I have already been diagnosed with Obstructive Sleep Apnea and am on a C-flex machine at night. I have been diagnosed with GERD and depression. I am exhausted all the time and have been really having problems with my back and knees lately. I have decided it is time to do something about it. I have done the Weight Watchers thing and the Atkins thing... I have counted calories, fat grams, carbs, sugar, and about everything else under the sun that you could count... I have been successful while on the diets, but as soon as I stop the strict regimen, I gain the weight back.
I will be leaving in about an hour for my appointment... I have my fingers and toes crossed that it goes well. I am armed with a letter, some articles, my own knowledge, and sheer determination. Of course, I always have a few tears in reserve if all of the above fails... LOL! Wish me luck! I'll let you know how things go when I return.
FEBRUARY 12, 2005 - Okee-dokee... walked into the doctor's office all prepared to defend my case. I got myself so worked up and nervous that I thought I would lose my lunch! LOL! The doctor walked in and asked me what I wanted to discuss with her and everything I had prepared and gone over and over in my head just flew out the window! *chuckle* I blurted out that I was there to ask her for a referral to a bariatric surgeon. None of the "nice-nice" stuff leading up to it that I had planned... I forgot it all! LOL! She looked up from my chart and said, "No problem!" After I picked my jaw up from the floor, she asked me if I had thoroughly researched the procecure and made sure I knew that there were risks associated with the procedure... We figured out my BMI and comorbidities and she gave me the referral. She told me that she was there for anything I needed and would be happy to provide any letters or documentation I needed. As I was trying to get the referral paperwork from the front office, one of the medical assistants overheard the conversation and tried to burst my bubble by telling me that the insurance I have won't cover the surgery. She said she has never known anyone with my insurance who has been covered for gastric bypass surgery. I replied "Then I will be the first!" Thank you God! I'm on my way to the losing side! Now it's on to fight the insurance company!
FEBRUARY 14, 2005- Talked to my insurance company today and (reattaching jaw again) they told me that they would need a letter of medical necessity from my surgeon that states my BMI and any comorbidities and said they will cover the actual surgery but not the pre-op nutritional counseling or psych evaluation. Praise the Lord! I will gladly pay for those things... but there ain't no way I could pay out of pocket for the surgery!
I called to make the appointment with the surgeon. I will be going to the Weight Loss Clinic in Harrisburg, PA. The first thing they do is schedule you for an information session with one of the nurses... I'm assuming that is to make sure you know what you're getting into and make sure you're serious about the surgery and know all the risks and changes you'll have to make afterwords. After that, you meet with the head of the clinic. He will determine whether or not you are a good candidate for the surgery. If he decides you are a go, then you get an appointment with the surgeon to discuss the actual operation. My information appointment is scheduled for next Tuesday (Feb. 22) at 8:45am. I'll let you know how things go there. :)
FEBRUARY 22, 2005 - Had my information session with the nurse at the Weight Loss Clinic in Harrisburg, PA... She was very friendly and knowledgable and explained the procedure for approval/pre-op very thoroughly. In fact, they provide a step-by-step checklist so that you know where you are in regards to getting your date. Apparantly, my insurance company only approves WLS for state and federal government employees so I lucked out on that end and it has to be medically necessary, but I never had a problem with that part... Anyway, I got all the information, the paperwork to be filled out by me, and the paperwork to be completed by my PCP... as soon as all of the paperwork (and my medical records) are returned to the Clinic, I will be scheduled for an appointment with Dr. Weiger to find out if I am a good candidate for WLS... Keeping my fingers crossed... I will update when I get new information. :)
MARCH 2, 2005 - Well, I took the paperwork to my doctor's office so she could do her part and, while I was there, I told the lady that Keystone would cover the insurance for state and federal employees (since she wanted to know if they covered it)... she sort of looked at me skeptically (is that a word? LOL) as if she didn't believe me, but she took the paperwork and said she would get it to my doctor. I called the doctor the next day to be sure she got the paperwork and to give her an answer to a question she had asked when I was in... she said she did get the paperwork and that she had it taken care of with the exception of some bloodwork that I needed to have done. She said that the office would be calling me either that day or the next to schedule the blood tests. Well, they never called... I finally ended up calling them the following week and scheduling it myself... Sheesh! I'm starting to think SOMEONE in that office doesn't want me to get this done! LOL! So, that's my update... My bloodwork is scheduled for March 9th... After the results of that come in, they can send their portion of the paperwork to the clinic and I can schedule my appointment with Dr. Wieger.
*** I'm thinking about what my reward should be for reaching my goal weight... it's funny... my rewards to myself have always revolved around going out to eat... LOL! To one of my favorite restaurants for a treat... Guess that's a part of the problem, eh? I'm thinking maybe a cruise... Caribbean, of course, so I can wear a bathing suit! :) Hehehe... ***
MARCH 6, 2005 - Well, I promised some people I would update yesterday, but I didn't get there... sorry!!! :) I'm only one day late though... I received a call from the Weight Loss Clinic on Friday to let me know that they received the paperwork that I had returned to them. They had not yet received the paperwork from the doctor's office and I told them about my bloodwork that was scheduled on the 9th... Well, they said they could go ahead and schedule my appointment with Dr. Weiger anyway (even though all of my bloodwork wouldn't be completed)! I guess I can meet with him and if there are any problems with the few tests that they are waiting on, they can discuss them with me later! I am so excited for this appointment... nervous as well... this one will basically let me know whether or not I can actually go through with the surgery... I'm not anticipating being a high risk patient. As far as I know, there is nothing wrong with my heart or lungs... my sleep apnea isn't TOO bad yet... I'm hoping there is nothing in my bloodwork that would prevent me from having it done... I can't imagine there would be... Keeping my fingers crossed anyway! Sheesh! Sometimes I think this waiting business is more stressful than working!!! LOL! I had a dream last night that I had the surgery... of course, in the dream it was all a breeze and everything went wonderfully and I had very little pain! Hehehe... sure hope it goes that well! LOL! Well, I just wanted to update on my latest appointment news... seems like so long ago I was making myself sick over a visit to my family doctor! LOL! I'll update you after my appointment on the 10th. :)
MARCH 13, 2005 - Well, the second shoe has finally dropped... I knew everything was going too well... of course, it wouldn't be MY life if there weren't any problems... I went to my appointment with Dr. Wieger on Thursday and, as I expected, I am an ideal candidate for WLS. There were absolutely no major problems, I just need the basic tests pre-op and everything; however, while I was there, he mentioned talking with a few other state government workers who had said that the benefits plans were to be changing and that they would exclude WLS. So Dr. Wieger told me to check with my insurance company. Sure enough, I checked with them and they told me that the state government will stop covering gastric bypass surgery effective immediately; however, they will offer a transition period for those already in the process... I will need to be pre-approved by my insurance company BY April 1, 2005 and have the surgery performed before July 1, 2005 in order to be covered!!! Well, thank GOD the Weight Loss Clinic really cares about their patients and is willing to work with them... Dr. Wieger told me that it CAN be done, but would have to be done extremely quickly.
As of today, I have my Nutritional Evaluation on Tuesday, I see the surgeon on Wednesday and I have my Psychological Evaluation on Thursday! EEK! That's a lot of appointments in one week! LOL! And to top it all off, I broke my ankle after slipping on icy steps this past Wednesday, so I am in a cast for the next four weeks and can't drive! ICK! What a pain! Needless to say, my life has been turned upside down this past week! *sigh* Any prayers would be GREATLY appreciated!!! Anyway, the only thing I have left to schedule is an Upper GI that is required by my insurance company and I will have all of the insurance requirements met. Then they can send the letter of medical necessity and all accompanying paperwork to my insurance company via fax and hopefully all will turn out for the best! Keep your fingers crossed for me! That is a lot to accomplish in a little over 2 weeks! I'll update you more later as I get information... :)
MARCH 16, 2005 - Well, here I am, back again... :) I just returned from my appointment with the surgeon. I had my nutrition evaluation yesterday and it was easy. The nutritionist basically just asked me what my goals were with the surgery, what my past dieting attempts were like and what I am doing now to prepare for the surgery. Easy stuff. She will then incorporate my answers into a neat little format to be placed in my file and sent to the insurance company. No problems there...
I met my surgeon, Dr. Davidson, this morning and about fell out of my chair! That man is about the most gorgeous thing I have ever seen! LOL! I'm just glad I didn't drool all over his dry erase board as he was explaining things to mom and me! Yes, it was that bad! Even mom had to pick her jaw up off the floor on the way out! :P ANYWAY... on to the boring appointment information... LOL! Just kidding! He explained exactly what they would be doing to me during the operation. Which parts of my guts would be moved where and all that yummy stuff. (Of course, all the while I'm thinking that I really don't want to have this fine specimen of man looking at me that way... boy, what a buzzkill! LOL) I did manage to absorb all of the pertinent information from the session though. Whew! I listened to the information and asked my few questions that I still had about the post op days and then we discussed Penn State football for a few minutes before leaving... Of course, that settled it... a guy who likes Penn State football can do my operation any day! (Course he would have to be a SURGEON first) ;)
So, two appointments down, two to go until the paperwork can be submitted for insurance approval... I have the psychologist evaluation tomorrow and I have my upper GI Friday morning. :) Then I'll be good to go for the insurance! Keep those prayers coming... I'm not out of the woods yet!
ACK! Sorry about the incredibly long update today, but I had to get that surgeon stuff out before I exploded! LOL! I'll update more later! :)
MARCH 18, 2005 - ICK, ICK, ICK!!!!!!! I had to have the Upper GI done this morning and, if I never have one again in my life, it will be too soon! Blah!!! *insert gagging vomit noises here* LOL! At least they had fat people gowns in the changing room and I didn't have to special order one! :D So, I'm sitting there, after taking the Alka-Seltzer crap, and trying not to belch because of the gas from that... and the technician tells me I need to drink the rest of this barium quickly... I looked at him like he was crazy! Then he tells me to pretend I'm on Fear Factor and this is for $1,000,000... LMAO! Ok... I had to laugh at that one, because I always thought I would be able to eat the stuff they have on Fear Factor if it was for money, but darned if I could drink that stuff any faster... I now know that there is no amount of money that could make me choke down water buffalo penis! LOL! I could barely swallow the barium! But I did it... because I didn't want to have to come back and do it all over again! ;)
So next they lay the table back and make me turn onto my right side... then onto my stomach... then my left side... then my back... then back to the right side, stomach, left side, back, and finlly stay on my right side! All the while, I'm banging the table with my ankle cast and half falling out of my fat person gown... at least I wore my pretty red undies! LOL! I asked the tech and his assistant (who also happened to be male) if they had fun doing these things and they said that the spinning is the most fun part of the test! Hardy har har!
Of course my stupid stomach wouldn't cooperate! The duodenal bulb that they needed to get a picture of is somehow on the BACK of my stomach not easily reachable by the test like everyone elses! And then my stomach just wouldn't let go of the darn barium... of course, I hadn't eaten since dinner the day before, so it probably thought it was starving to death and better hold onto whatever I put in it, no matter what it is! LOL! So the techs had me flop around on the table a little more! *sigh* So my stomach FINALLY decides to let go of some of the barium so the poor guys can finish their test... I should have warned them in the first place... If anyone is going to give them a hard time, it's gonna be me! :)
So, I guess all I have left to do is wait for approval from the insurance company... I believe they are going to send the paperwork out the beginning of next week... Oh, Lord... now I need the prayers! I am so worried that the insurance won't approve it in time! Keep your fingers crossed for me! I'll let you know as soon as I know more! :)
MARCH 21, 2005 - Got a call this morning from the Clinic... they have all my paperwork together and they were going to fax it over to the insurance company today! Whew! Now begins the waiting game! I sure hope they approve fast! I'm so nervous right now... *sigh* Now it's all in God's hands. :)
MARCH 23, 2005 - AAAAAAIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!! I got the call this morning!!!!! After only a day and a half, I HAVE BEEN APPROVED!!!!!!!! WOW! All this hurrying with appointments and all has paid off... and the decision was made a whole lot quicker than I ever would have imagined!!! When I got the call this morning, my first thought was that it was too soon and I must have been denied... when she told me that I was approved, I was so excited I really didn't know what to say... not that the words would have come out anyway! LOL! I'm over the insurance hurdle, now I have to have the EGD (scheduled for next Wednesday), an EKG, and a gallbladder ultrasound... I also need to get medical clearance from my PCP. Then I can schedule my date! Ooooh, I get a 'date' with the cute doctor! LOL! Ok, I'm getting hysterical now... boy, did that make my day though! Thanks to everyone who kept me in their prayers... they seem to have worked. :) I'm going to go try to get some work done now... although I can't really concentrate on anything at this point... LOL! I'll update more later!
APRIL 6, 2005 - Wow! It's been a while since I updated... of course, there hasn't really been much to update, but I thought I'd better put SOMETHING down here... LOL! Let's see... Well, I was supposed to have my EGD done (which, for those who don't know, is where they stick the scope down your throat to check out your esophagus, stomach, and duodenum) last Wednesday (March 30th), but Dr. Davidson was called in for an emergency surgery and was unable to do it that day so I had to reschedule for next Wednesday (April 13th)... GRRR! I just wanted to get it over with... but I understand. I get my gallbladder ultrasound done on Friday and I have an appointment with my family physician next Monday for my EKG and pre-op clearance... Geez, now that I've gotten the approval, it seems like it's taking forever! LOL! Even though I know it's not... I just can't wait to be a loser! :P
Oh, I also go back on the 13th to get my cast checked on my ankle... hopefully, he will decide to take it off and leave it off!!! ACK! I really, really, really want to be able to take a nice long SHOWER again... Do you realize how hard it is for a person who is morbidly obese to get OUT of the bathtub once you've gotten in and sat down??? LMAO! It's NOT a pretty sight! Thank God for handrails! Course, it might be a little easier if I had two good feet!
Well, I guess that's all for right now... I'll update more later... hopefully a little sooner than the last time. :)
APRIL 14, 2005 - Ok, I have a bit more to update now. :) Let's see... where to start. I had my gallbladder ultrasound on Friday. It took the technician almost an HOUR to get all of the pictures she needed... I was about ready to fall asleep! LOL! It was sort of boring because I couldn't really see the screen so I didn't have anything to look at while she was doing the test... of course, my mom was standing there going "What's that?" and I really wanted to see! She later told me that she saw two men in a boat and an old man's profile in my gallbladder, liver, and kidneys... gee, thanks mom! :)
I had my pre-op physical and EKG on Monday at my family physician's office. I found out that I have actually LOST a pound even though I haven't been able to exercise because of my broken ankle! Yay! So... my EKG was normal (Hooray!), my bloodwork was good except for my low iron count (I've been increased to 3 iron pills per day now)... and I have gallstones! ICK! She said she has no problem clearing me for the surgery though, so that's GREAT news! I guess that means I'll be getting rid of my gallbladder when I have the surgery now.
Yesterday, I went to my orthopedic doctor to get my ankle x-rayed again... My mom called him a 'stud muffin' when he walked into the exam room! LMAO! I can't take her anywhere!!! His face turned bright red, but he got a good laugh out of it! Good news there too! My ankle is healing fine and he decided to leave the cast off and give me a corset brace! YAY!!! I can finally take a REAL shower again!
After the orthopedist, I went to have my EGD done (finally!)... the first thing the nurses told me when I got there is "He's HERE today!!!" LOL! MORE good news! Not only because I got to get my test done, but I got to drool some more! ;) Course the nurse that helped me said they all do it too, so I don't feel quite so bad now! It was so funny! I thought I was getting a treat seeing Dr. Davidson again, but he brought along an extremely good-looking resident and intern too! Of course then you get the medication and you don't remember any of it, but it was fun while it lasted!!! LOL! Turns out I have a little gastritis, but nothing major that will prevent the surgery! YAY!
Looks like now all I have to do is get the appointment with the nutritionist to go over the post-op diet and I can schedule my date with my studly surgeon! ;)
MAY 2, 2005 - Yippee!!! I have the appointment with the nutritionist on Friday! After I see her this last time, I just have to wait for my surgery date! I'm hoping for around Memorial Day... I will let you know as SOON as I find out. I'm starting to get a little more nervous now as it is finally all coming together and I'm realizing that this is actually going to happen! EEK! I am looking forward to it at the same time... let me tell you, this is a very odd mix of emotions! :)
Oh, and to make things even MORE fun, my ankle brace... GRRR!!! In order for it to work correctly, it had to be tied fairly firmly which is understandable... but I found out that if I tied it tight enough to get the support that I needed, when I took it off at night, I had HIVES!!! LMAO! I don't think that is supposed to happen! So I've given up the brace... I only had 2 more weeks with it on anyway... I'll just be REALLY careful! :)
Well, I'll update more after nutrition on Friday... Talk to you soon!
MAY 6, 2005 - Had my appointment with the nutritionist. She was really, really nice! Took the time to explain everything and answer all of my questions. The post-op diet doesn't seem as bad as I had expected, but it DOES sound very complicated at first. I'm sure it will get easier with time though... I found out that the entire time I am in the hospital, I only get ice chips (1 cup every 8 hours!) and they will give me nutrition through the IV... then for 3 days after I get home, I will do clear liquids with protein supplements. For the next 7 days, I will have full liquids with protein supplements and the following 14-21 days will consist of soft foods with protein supplements as needed. Once I pass the soft food phase, I can start incorporating a regular diet slowly as everyone tolerates things differently. Of course, I have to be sure to get in at least 60 grams of protein and 32-64 ounces of water each day. Wow!
The doctor then came in to discuss my medications and told me to continue to take them after I get home from the hospital except I will need to take chewable vitamins instead of my One-A-Day's... I'm also supposed to continue Prilosec for a month after surgery to try to help prevent ulcers. He said I should have my date Monday or Tuesday and it will probably be within 2-3 weeks!!! Yikes! :)
MAY 10, 2005 - I GOT MY DATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! After only 3 months from start to finish, I got my surgery date today! I am scheduled to become a loser on May 24th, 2005!!!
WOW! That was a lot faster than I thought! I am really nervous now... I can't believe this is actually happening! I'm excited at the same time... I almost don't know how to feel! Well, I'm going to go jump around and tell everyone now... I'll update more later. :)
MAY 23, 2005 - Well, this is it... tomorrow is "L" day... LOL! I am terrified! I am nervous... I am excited... I'm really not sure how to feel, but I don't have a whole lot longer to feel it before the procedure is finished! I know I'm not getting a whole lot of sleep tonight, but I guess I ought to go at least try... I just wanted to let you know what was going on... I will update as soon as I am able after I join the "Losing Team"... :) Keep me in your prayers!!! Talk to you soon!
MAY 28, 2005 - Hiya everyone! Just stopping in to let you know that I am home and recovering... :) Yes it sucked for a little while, but the pain is getting a little less each day and it was tolerable... I'm still very tired and just getting up and walking around makes me sweat... LOL! But I'm officially a "loser"... :) I'll write more later when I'm feeling a little better... just thought I let you know I'm home! Thanks to everyone for all your support! You all are wonderful!!!
JUNE 16, 2005 - Hello again everyone... I know it's been a while since I've updated, but I honestly just couldn't sit at the computer for any extended period of time. I did great the first two weeks after I came home... got most of my protein in, was drinking at least 32 ounces of fluids... etc... then last Thursday, I started having problems with nausea. I started feeling sick after I ate (I had just graduated to soft foods on Tuesday)... so I tried going back to liquids for a day, but the nausea progressed until it got to the point that I got sick to my stomach even when I sipped water or sucked on a ice chip. I finally gave in and called the surgeon on Monday. They called in a prescription for Reglan (an anti-nausea) medication. I took that Monday and Tuesday but it wasn't doing any good... I tried to go back to work on Tuesday and managed to get through about 5 hours... when I got home from work, I laid down in the recliner to rest... I kept trying to drink because I knew I wasn't even getting in the 32 ounces I needed to keep myself from dehydrating, but every time I took a sip, I felt really sick... Blah!!! But I never threw up... seems like everyone at the doctor's office thinks that if you aren't throwing up then there must not be anything wrong with you! GRRRR!!!
WELL... I had been laying in my recliner for a few hours and all of a sudden I started having chest pains on the left hand side... of course this REALLY scared me!!! So, at about 11:00pm I had my mom call the answering service for the doctor's office and let them know what was going on so they could page my surgeon. He called back within about 15 minutes and told my mom to get me to the ER and he would call ahead... so, of course, now I'm even MORE scared which starts the adrenaline going and makes everything even worse!
So, we get to the hospital and the get me a bed and then the nurse comes in and asks me if I can PEE!!! LMAO! Of course, I've been drinking next to nothing for about 3-4 days at this point, but I manage a little dribble or two for her and she seems satisfied with that (thank God!!! Cause she wasn't getting any more!) Then they come in and run an EKG because of the chest pains... come to find out my heart rate is 138! And that was a resting rate! EEK! So they hook me up to an IV (hmmm... brilliant idea!) and start the fluids pumping... I think while we were in the ER alone, I went through about 3 full bags of fluids and didn't even feel the slightest urge to pee! ACK! Talk about being completely dehydrated! They then took me down and x-rayed my abdomen and chest to check for any type of blockage... wasn't any of that, thank goodness!
So, now we just have to wait for the resident to come in and see me. Well... the good doctor comes in and asks me questions... I tell him about the nausea and he orders some anti-nausea medication... gee, thanks... I haven't already tried that... then he starts asking about my chest pain. I tell him it is on my left side and he says "Oh, your incision pain..." and I said NO! It is NOT my incision... I know what THAT feels like... this is completely different... so he finally finishes asking questions and goes to check my x-rays and lab work. He comes back in about an hour later and asks if the anti-nausea medication is helping... I tell him it's not... and he seems surprised. LMAO! Then he tells me that my x-rays were fine (no blockage... good) and my labs were all good except I had a slight urinary tract infection. He then proceeds to tell me that he thinks I will be ok because (get this... no lie, he actually SAID this to me!) "You don't LOOK sick." and that I can go home if I'd like! AAAARGH!
I finally had to put my foot down and stand up for myself and tell him that I was afraid that if I went home, I still wouldn't be able to drink anything because it STILL made me sick to drink even water!!!! And I would be back again in another couple of days to be rehydrated again... so he goes and calls my surgeon who had a whole different idea and told him to admit me and that they were going to scope me the next day to check everything out because something wasn't right... so, I was admitted to the hospital after about 4 hours of waiting...
The next day, I went down for the EGD around 2pm and Dr. Davidson comes to talk to me afterwards and tells me that I had a stricture!!! It wasn't completely closed off yet, hence the no vomiting, but the opening was only about the size of a pinhead!!! So they put the balloon in and stretched everything out for me and he showed me the before and after pictures!!! WOW! I don't know how anything was even getting through that little teeny hole!!! So they took me back up to my room and let me sleep a while and then brought me some apple juice which seemed to go down just fine! WOW! What a relief! I spent the night at the hospital getting more fluids and vitamins via the IV and finally came home today around 5:30pm... What an adventure!!! I am staying home from work tomorrow and I will see how I feel Monday and decide from there if I'm going back or not... I am supposed to see Dr. Davidson next Wednesday so I'll let you know if everything is good...
Anyway, the moral of this incredibly long story (LMAO!!!) is... PLEASE don't be afraid to stick up for yourself with your doctor if something just "doesn't feel right"... I can't imagine the problems I may have had if I had gone home Tuesday night instead of insisting on further testing! Remember, doctors are human too... and no one knows your body better than you do! Also, no one else is going to stick up for you but you... so just do it! :) Just my piece of advice for the day!
JULY 8, 2005 - WOW! Has it really been almost a month since I last updated??? Sorry about that! I have been really having some problems, so I haven't been around the computer a whole lot and really didn't feel much like typing when I was around it... Well, I guess I had better get busy updating...
Since my last update, I have been back in for 2 more stricture dialations and admitted to the hospital once more for hydration and electrolytes! ACK! Apparantly, the first balloon job didn't do the trick and I ended up going back for a second... after which I actually felt worse... so I was re-admitted to the hospital and had a 3rd one done. After the third one I felt ok for a day or two, then started feeling bad again... when I started feeling worse, I made myself eat some soft foods and I started feeling a little better. I ate again that night and the following day I felt pretty good... then I started feeling great for the next two days.
I am still having a problem getting in all of my protein because I have a hard time tolerating most of the supplements, but I do my best. I also have a hard time getting all my water in because I forget to drink sometimes and then I want to try to gulp it down which never seems to quite work out the way I want it to... LOL! So I have to try to remember to take sips all day long.
Dr. Davidson said that I have really lost a lot of weight since my surgery, but that it wasn't "too much" so I don't have to worry... I know it's not healthy to lose too much weight too quickly, but that just struck me as funny that a person who had surgery to lose weight would lose "too much" weight! Hehehe...
For those inquiring minds that want to know... I have now, as of this morning, lost a grand total of ... 38 pounds!
I think I am going to go to the support group that meets at the hospital where I had my surgery. I really need to meet some other people in my boat and I'm sure I can learn some really valuable things there...
I guess that's really all I have to update for now... I will try not to make it a month before my next update... :) Talk to you later!
AUGUST 9, 2005 - Ok, ok... I know... I promised I wouldn't wait another month to update, but here I am a month later... Sorry!!!
Where to begin... well, since the last update, I have been back for 2 MORE EGD dilatations of my stricture... the stricture has finally given up and stayed open now!!! But apparantly my body had become stuck in a 'nausea rut' because of all the problems I was having... EEK! It got so bad that my body would sort of 'reject' anything I tried to swallow because it got so used to not having anything in there! So I was put back in the hospital the 3rd week of July so they could break the nausea cycle... they also had to give me Potassium bolus which BURNS like you wouldn't believe... My forearm is STILL sore from that crap! So another bit of advice... GET YOUR POTASSIUM IN!!! LOL!
Well, I got out of the hospital the last time on a Saturday and Sunday night I ended up back in the ER with a right arm that was swollen to about 2-3 times the normal size... sheesh! Turns out I ended up with phebitis from the IV lines and the PICC line they put in... luckily though, I didn't have to be readmitted! The swelling went down over the next week and I was fine.
Hmmm... well, as of right now, I really need to start working on rebuilding my muscles... I'm thinking that when I had all the stricture problems my protein got so low that I started losing some muscle because I get winded just walking very short distances... another thing I've noticed is bad pain in my left hip socket... it's bad enough that I can't sit cross-legged. Strange... I'm not sure where that came from, but I'm fairly sure it has something to do with my weight... Eventually I'll build back up to normal again though... and I'm still thinking positive... I'm not regretting having the surgery at all... even with all the problems I had, it could have always been much worse!
For my final update... ... I have lost, as of today, a grand total of 52 pounds!!! I am now down to 223 from 275 (that's what the surgeon's office goes by, so I am using that as my "official" counter)... My BMI is now down to an even 36.0 from a starting point of 44.5... I am no longer considered "morbidly" obese!!!
I guess that's all for now... I'll TRY to update before another month goes by, but I'm not promising!!! LOL! :)
SEPTEMBER 1, 2005 - AHAAAA!!! I am updating BEFORE a whole month has gone by!!! I did it!!! LOL! So what if it's only 8 days until a month, it's still before!
I can EAT again! I have been able to eat without getting sick for almost a month now!!! Of course, that really slowed my weight loss down, but I knew that would happen sooner or later... the important thing is that I'm still losing...
I go back to see my surgeon tomorrow for my 3 month check-up... I guess I'll find out whether my vitamin levels are still good and see how my weight loss is progressing... then I believe I don't go back until 6 months out... I can't believe it's only been 3 months since my surgery! It seems like SO long ago that I was having all of my problems!!!
On a happy note, I bought my first size 18 shirts this past weekend!!! I haven't worn anything that size since before I had my son!!! Which was 10 YEARS AGO on August 29th!!! Everyone at work keeps yelling at me, telling me to get new shirts because I am swimming in my 3X's but I didn't want to go buy 2X shirts because I was almost into 1X... so now I can buy 1X! YAY!
On a funny note... I have been noticing little things that change with massive weight loss that I would never have thought about until they happened to me... just a little advice for people who are looking into the surgery or recent post-ops... If you wear glasses, they WILL stop fitting your face very shortly after you start losing... seems the first place you lose weight is in your face and my glasses got so big on me, they kept falling off my face! LMAO! I ended up wearing my contact lenses all the time! Another thing that happened was my bowling ball was WAAAAYYY too big on my fingers!!! I bowl in a league and our first week of bowling was 3 weeks ago... let me tell you, I tried to throw the ball and I couldn't hold on to the darn thing to save my life!!! I ended up having to have it plugged up and redrilled because I had lost about 3 sizes in my fingers!!! It's the little things you don't think about that really catch you by surprise! Hehehe...
Well, for my most recent weight loss update... I have now lost a total of 61 pounds and my BMI is 34.5... My BMI is now no longer in the "Severely Obese" category, I have just graduated to "Obese"!!! And I would no longer qualify to have weight loss surgery even WITH comorbidities! Hurray!!! My own little brother didn't recognize me from behind the other day... that really made me feel good!!! WOW!
Update ya later... I'll probably be back after my appointment with my surgeon to let you know what HE says!
DECEMBER 1, 2005 - Wow! I'm getting worse and worse at this updating thing... Sorry everyone!
Well, lets see... where to start... I guess the most important place... weight loss update!!! I am now weighing in at a grand total of 184 pounds!!! That makes a total of 92 pounds gone in 6 months!!! It is just amazing... I'm still in semi-shock... LOL! I now have 34 pounds to lose until my goal... Sheesh, I can remember when I was happy to have LOST 34 pounds! :-)
At my 3 month checkup I was told that my labs were good, but that I was still a little low in iron. I am supposed to be taking this iron pill, but every time I take it, I get horrible pains in my stomach... they get so bad that I can't even sit down... I have to stand and lean on my arms to stretch to even get somewhat "close" to comfortable... so I stopped taking them and called the doctor. They told me to try taking them with food... well, I tried that and got the same result... I'm going to mention it to him when I go back for my 6 month check tomorrow. I have been taking the Feosol for the time being hoping that at least SOME of it will get into my system. I may have to get injections or something if there is nothing I can tolerate...
As for me... I have SO much energy now. I get stir crazy if I have to sit around the house doing nothing when prior to my surgery, I would have given anything to do just that! I now have a lot of my self-confidence back and I actually WANT to go out with people now, I'm not embarrassed any longer. I now go out once a week to a karaoke bar and I actually SING!!! And I usually sing more than once!!! And I'm not drunk while I'm doing it... LOL... that would have never happened before. I have started looking at men again... now that I'm not concentrating on how fat I am and telling myself that they would never want to date me because of that (which was the truth, sad as it is... I know none of the guys I talk to now would have given me a second glance 6 months ago and that depresses me)... It's like I'm a whole new person... and I've actually had people tell me that.
What a great feeling!!! If you are on the fence about having the surgery, let me tell you... Even with the problems I had right after the surgery, I would do it again in a heartbeat! It has completely changed my life!!!
I am more than happy to answer any questions anyone may have... If you need to know anything or just want someone to talk to... my email is [email protected]. Please feel free to write me.
I'll update again shortly... although I guess I had better not make any promises considering my track record! LOL! :-)
MAY 1, 2006 - Ok, ok... so I lied again... I know it's been almost 5 months since my last update. I might as well just admit that I stink at remembering to update this thing... Sorry!!!
Let's see... I am now at 154 pounds which makes a grand total of 122 pounds lost since my surgery date... I will celebrate my one year surgery anniversary on May 24, 2006!!! Wow! Doesn't seem like it's been a whole year already! I still want to lose another 4-14 pounds, but I would be happy if I didn't lose another pound... I love the new me!!!
I am now wearing a size 10 jeans (which I haven't worn since high school!) and depending on the brand, either a medium or large top... I now weigh LESS than I did when I graduated from Navy boot camp!!! How's THAT for skinny! LOL!
I went to a nightclub about a month ago and the guy carded me at the door (bless him!!!)... He did a triple take between me and my driver's license and then kind of looked at me funny and asked if that was really me in the picture... LOL! Needless to say, I went down to the Dept. of Transportation the following Monday and got my picture retaken! When the lady asked why I needed a new picture, I handed her the license... She just looked at it and said "Oh..." LOL! No more questions... :o)
I've finally found an iron pill that I can stomach so far... I only run into problems when I swallow one wrong and it gets stuck... but most of the time, it is fine... YAY!
Well, I guess that's about all I have to update at the moment... No men on the horizon... Where did they all GO??? LOL! Not that it matters much, I just want to enjoy my newfound freedom a while longer before even thinking about any sort of relationship anyway! I'm going to try to post my February 2006 picture since the last one I have up is from October... LOL!
I'll update again sometime... How's that for honest?
Happy Monday!
NOVEMBER 3, 2006 - Whew! I feel much better updating so late since I didn't make any promises to... LOL! It has now been a year and a half since my surgery and I've never been better! I can actually eat "normal" meals now and providing I count the calories, I can have bits of chocolate or ice cream with my PMS... Hehehe... I still have a few things that I have a hard time with, mostly things with lots of sugar and/or fat... Funnel Cakes will keep me in the bathroom all day... but darn if they aren't SOOOO good once in a very long while!!! LOL! Mostly though, I try to get in protein first, then my veggies... I can eat breads and pastas and rice, I just have to watch what I'm eating... Same thing with potato chips and snack foods... As long as I count the calories and pre-portion servings, I can have just about anything I want...
As for my weight loss update... I surpassed my doctor's goal just before my first year anniversary... His goal was 150 while mine was 140... He told me not to expect to get that low, but I showed HIM!!! LOL! I am now in a holding pattern at 137 pounds (which is one pound more than I weighed in 10th grade!)... Depending on the "time of the month" I go back and forth between 137 and 142... but I'm fine with that as long as I don't go any higher... LOL! Depending on the brand and cut, I wear between a size 6 and size 8! Wow!!! Single-digits! I have actually had people tell me that I am losing TOO MUCH weight! LOL! Who would have thought anyone would say that about ME... EVER???
Well, I guess that is about all I have for now... But I'll continue to update once in a while to keep you posted on my progress... And as always... If anyone has any questions, please feel free to email me at [email protected]... I'd be more than happy to answer any questions or concerns you have about the RNY procedure...
Happy Holidays!!!!
