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Surgeon TestimonialStephen McNatt, M.D.I first met Dr. McNatt in June of '06, I had initially gone for a lap-band evaluation, and after reconsidering, decided to go with RNY. Dr. McNatt does more of the Gastric bypass procedures, so I thought I wanted the "old Hand" to do my cutting. Second meeting on 1/18/07 with me and my husband (I was told to bring him with me this time so he could talk to us both.) He was very matter of fact and business like with our first meeting, same with second. He explained the basics of the surgery, in a very professional manner. As a nurse, I felt comfortable with his expertise. He is not a "warm and fuzzy" type of fellow. Serious and matter of fact...but in my experience with surgeons, that's the kind of guy you want cutting on you.... Knows his stuff, has alot of confidence, doesn't take any crap (can't be talked into things by his patients!),able to make life saving calls in a split second kind of guy! Yea', that's my man!!! I was able to make him grin a few times, so I know somewhere he has a sense of humor. Explained that this is merely a tool, I will have alot of work to do post op, and that will be paramount to my success in weight loss! Explained all the risks, including death to me and my husband. WVU does have a great Bariatric Surgery Coordinator in Mary Anne Yanosik...(also no monkey business type RD,LD.) But she knows her stuff. McNatt is a n 9 on a 1-10. ( Could be a little warmer!) I feel like he is a good man, and confident surgeon! Member Interests
- Books & Literature - Love Nora Roberts!!!
- Pets - Dog and a cat, Benji and Tigger
- Theater - I work in a small professional theatre in my area, mostly character roles.
- Christianity - God is in Control!!! Always!! That's my final answer!
- Mary Kay - Have been a consultant for 13 years, weight now hampers me
- RN - Work in an Adult Medical Day care and love it!
- WLS in your 40's - Hope to soon be on the loosing side!
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I am a 46 year old mother of two, 17 year old girl, 14 year old boy. I have been happily married to my high school sweetheart for 25 years (as of August '07). I am a RN and work at an Adult Medical Day Care, which has become the best job move I have ever made. I, like most folks here, have battled weight for a long time. I was thin in high school, gained some weight in college, more after I got married...then lost about 40 lbs. Became very active in a local theatre group, which helped me stay in shape (dancing.) In the late 80's, decided to start a family, gained a ton of weight with my pregnancy. Went to weight watchers, lost 80lbs. Three years later, after the birth of my son, continued to carry my pregnancy weight...and have a running joke that I am still carrying my pregnancy weight...even though my baby is 14!! If only that were all, I have added on lbs. until I have surpassed my wildest dreams!! Now it is time to take control of my life and my body! I never thought that WLS would be an option for me. I thought it was for "other " people, but as my health has declined ( hypertension, GERD, Sleep apnea/C-PAP, sever back discomfort, and fibromyalgia), my physician suggested I consider this life altering path. In Nov. '05 I attended a WL seminar at WVU in Morgantown WV. After months of indecision, and countless prayers, I have found a peace that my life's journey has led me to this choice. With God's help, I will survive this surgery and give Him the glory of my testimony.
4/09/07 on April 9, 2007 11:11 am
It's been a little over 2 weeks since I last updated my blog. I think I am being a little more reasonable these days. My weight was down 3.5 lbs. on Friday...that's a grand total of 53 lbs. I am happy...still not thrilled. I must focus on the good things, though. We visited home this weekend, my first time to see some of my family since Christmas...I must say Mike's family is more moral boosting than some of my own....don't get me wrong. My family was very nice and complimentary, but Mike's family just seem to reinforce all my hard work....everyone was so excited for me. My MIL is great, she seemed very proud of me, even bought me an outfit for summer in 18/20 and I am thrilled....even more so when I will be able to fit into it! Everyone was very glad to see me, as I was them....it has been a very long winter( these last few months!!!!) Everything at home is getting green and beautiful...but it was so cold!!! It almost didn't seem like Easter.
How was my eating this weekend? Well, generally not too bad. It is difficult to say when a holiday rolls around how someone with an eating addiction is going to react. At home I am relatively safe with only the things I bring into the house, and the things I know I can have....but away from home is different. I can really appreciate the struggle drug addicts and alcoholics have when they first get out of rehab....it is like learning to function in a whole new way....the same is true with someone that has an addiction to food. When there are too many choices, it is easy to stumble...did I stumble...perhaps a little, but at least with control. For the first time, I had a hamburger from a fast food restaurant....and a couple fries. I feel guilty for eating that, but should I....? I allowed myself to taste a dessert...a very small portion...but I still feel guilty....now the psychology behind all this is......no food should ever be taboo...as far as I am concerned. And to never have something I really want, would be torture...the guilt comes in the form of, did I slow down my weight loss because I may have eaten more of something, or something I shouldn't have had? When I think of the size of the amount of the food I ate...there is no way! But the feeling of guilt for having stepped slightly off the path is terrific. So, what do I do today???? I eat my normal foods, walk my usual routine, and realize that there is no way for me to fail now....before with a regular diet, this weekend could have been enough to completely throw me off the program...but not so with my tool!!! The only thing I am truly concerned about is the amount of food I was able to tolerate without being ill...and if it will affect the satisfaction I will feel with smaller amounts that I have been eating...which I plan on returning to.....just something else to worry about.
Something that has hurt me, in an unbelievable way, that should have no bearing at all is....my brother that has not seen me since Christmas, said not one word to me about losing weight, or the fact that I am healthier looking or even mentioned the fact that I had surgery. My SIL did say to me before leaving that I was looking "younger"....and I told her that I was feeling much better. Why this hurts me is a mystery...since we don't seem to be very close in any way, any more....I suppose since he hasn't seen me in a long time, I expected some verification from him.....but it doesn't surprise me that he didn't acknowledge me especially if he thought that it might hurt me if he didn't. It is hard to understand why someone doesn't care about you when they are your flesh and blood, but I truly think he has no regard for me at all.....what difference does it make? None, but the hurt is still real....
My walking is great, however!!! I am walking 2 miles in under 40 minutes...quite an accomplishment for someone that couldn't exercise before surgery...I am thrilled that I can do it, even more so that I feel so good when I do it and after I finish...do I look forward to doing it...NO! But I do it anyway, because when I am finished, I feel good, energized and calm!!! I think of it as depositing money in the bank...each time I walk,sweat, and burn calories, that is another stone added to my path to make my journey more productive and effective. To reach my destination will be terrific...but my work won't end there....this will need to continue the rest of my life. Having surgery was like signing a contract....it is a binding agreement that I have made a choice to change my life. It can be broken, but at the cost of so much physical pain, and loss of accomplishment, why would I???? Just like I said before, the addiction is strong......
I have so much to think about in the next few months....Cassie's graduation, upcoming auditions for theatre, preparation for college for Cassie....almost more than I can fathom....so I an praying for strength and patience and hoping I can find my way thru the next few months........until then, I will keep doing my best, because that is what I must do.....
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3/29/07 on April 2, 2007 3:51 pm
Weigh in today.....down another 2 lbs.....Grand total is 49.5 lbs. to date.
Now, under any other circumstance, this would be wonderful. But I am having a difficult time feeling like this is a successful week. I think because my weight loss is slow....and I am feeling like I should be losing 4 or 5 lbs per week...I am feeling somewhat discouraged. Now let's be real about this....on any given week 6 months ago, I would have been thrilled just to not have gained 2 lbs. I need to stop obsessing about what the scale says and start being grateful for my physical changes. Yes, my clothes are noticeably baggy. I desire to walk/exercise...hahaha...who woulda' thunk....and I feel like I have energy to get things done. ( I am still having some difficulty with my right knee....but I don't want to have to address this just yet...) My son told me yesterday that he really could tell I was much thinner....so what has caused this feeling of disappointment????
Last week we went shopping for some things for the house. Pillows, sheets, towels, etc. While at Penny's, I thought I would try on a few things to see if my size was any different...well, after losing nearly 50 lbs., you would think so, right? Wrong!!! I still look very fat in the full length mirror, and a smaller size still doesn't look good.......so why then, are my current clothes baggy? I guess I am losing "all over" and not in those areas that would significantly change. I am walking, and I expected that to help my body change greatly and tone up...but now I am thinking...maybe I need more intense exercise....or maybe I just need a shot of patience!!!!!!
So in 9 weeks, I think I should fit into a size 18??? From a 24 or ....gasp.....26. Oh Pleasssse....it certainly took longer than 9 weeks for me to pack on all these pounds, so I guess it might take a little longer to take them off!!! I just need some feed back...something visible I can see. And some patience!!!!
On a positive note, I am still tracking all my food on fitday.com I think as long as I do that, I won't be fooling myself into thinking that a bite here and there won't hurt me....I know better from past experience!
Heading into Holy week, Easter, and my favorite time of the year coming on.....it is a brand new season, and I am a brand new person with my great new tool...now don't let me forget to be grateful and patient........
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3/20/07 on March 20, 2007 4:47 pm
I really do need to update a little better...since my last update, I have lost another 6 1/2 lbs......46 1/2 lbs. going.... going....... gone!!!!!! I have returned to work now, and my folks were really glad to see me. They are the sweetest people in the world....they have also noticed that I look different, and have commented on my weight loss. My co-workers have also been very complimentary as well....and while most of them are not brazen enough to actually ask how much weight I have lost...there is always one....she actually asked me how much weight I wanted to lose....ok, the real question on everyone's mind is "How much did you actually weigh???" I'm not going there, you can see it on my ticker for those that are really curious...but my goal is to lose at least 150 lbs.....so do the math...and no wonder my back, knees and feet hurt all the time!!!
I have just gotten over a nasty bout of the flu, and haven't been able to walk like I was...so tonight my DH and I went for a drag with Benji (Benji never did learn to walk on the leash...BAD owner!!) After the first mile, though, he got the hang of it and walked like a normal dog...of course Mike got the added advantage of getting the extra "pull" the first time around the block....it actually is pretty comical to see....here's this 35 lb. dog pulling this 200 lb.+ something man....quite a feat!!!
My energy level is very good, I feel very well...and it seems like each week, my knee is hurting less...and for these things I am very grateful....an added bonus is that my work clothes are starting to get fairly baggy.....yeah!!!! Quite a turnaround from them being so tight they are ready to rip!! The last week I worked before I went to have surgery, I busted the butt out of one pair of pants and the side out of the other. I had 3 pair of pants that I had been wearing since summer that still fit...and they were starting to be pretty ragged....now I am fitting into jeans that I have had for years (only 1 pair...because like most folks here, I refused to buy more than one size bigger because I was going to lose weight!!) So, I probably have one size of each size from a 24 to an 18, boy won't it be grand when I fit into something smaller than an 18??? The strange thing is, it seems unreal that I will, but how can I not when I am losing this well? It all sort of feels like a dream, and I am hoping to wake up one day and be a 12, but even then, it will only feel like a dream. I could actually be the size my daughter is!!! She is about a 10-12.....anyone that is obese has a very difficult time thinking that they will ever see those sizes again.....but it is possible....and it will happen!! I have to reinforce my thinking and actually see it in writing to believe it......
O.K., now to sing the RNY praises....let's hear it for WLS.....here I am, 8 weeks post op (as of Friday), that's 2 months....normally on a diet, the honeymoon phase is over, and it is just plain work...sometimes boredom, and sometimes the time that some folks throw in the towel. Yes you've lost some weight, and you may be exercising, but without that iron will and resolve, it is easy to gently slip off the wagon, revert to comfort foods and quietly resume old eating habits....right? We've all done it, we know how it happens....and sometimes the resolve goes for a little longer (I know because I lost 80 lbs once with diet alone...), but it is the rare individual that actually succeeds.... to (trumpets sounding...) goal weight!!! So, here I am, 2 months out, and I have a bad day...one in which I nibble (not pig out and binge, because that is no longer possible.) And I think, wow, here I go, I've had a bad day, and it will be down hill from here on out!!! WRONG!!!!! I simply had a day that I allowed boredom to take over, and allowed head hunger to rule my eating!! Glory to God, the next day my nibble spell is over, I am busy and back to work, I have my meals planned and my lunch packed, and my RNY won't allow me to fail!!! Now that's where this tool is a wonderful thing!!!! It is the golden key that will unlock the will power to resume the journey, and let me be successful where I have failed before! I sometime feel like the richest person on the planet these days because I have something....really have something...special...that is helping me!!!!! And I'll tell you another secret....you know how folks will say, "There will be a day or time when you will think or say out loud...what have I done to myself?" I am so happy and grateful that I have done this, I don't think I have had that thought...yet. And, I don't think I will, because I needed this surgery so badly...worse than I knew...because it has saved my life!!! It honestly has! Without it, I would have continued my downward spiral to greater weight gain and declining health!!! Thank you, God, for this wonderful tool....and for the better health I have been blessed with for having the faith that you were leading me to go this direction. Maybe someone will read this and still be thinking (as I was) do I really want to mutilate my body in this way? What would be the difference in destroying myself with eating...or having something done that may be dangerous, but could be life saving? I vote for saving the life...and being healthier. Feel the fear and do it anyway...right?
Anyway, for the first time in a long time, I am looking forward to spring and summer (my favorite times of the year) and I am excited about being outside, having some energy and enjoying the coming warm weather!! I hope I can get some work accomplished around the house that I have been wanting to do but just didn't have the energy to do......and I am looking forward to swimming and playing with the kids and hubby and going to amusement parks and being able to fit into the rides!!! (And they just thought I was afraid of those roller coasters...and I would rather they thought I was afraid than think I was embarrassed because I didn't fit...painful to admit, but so true.)
Enough for now....looking forward to next time and some new measurements!!!!!!
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3/2/07 on March 5, 2007 1:57 pm
Well alrightyyyyy then...guess who lost another 4 lbs. to bring my grand total to ****40lbs.***??? lost..forever!!! Yeahhhhh. Since Jan. 11th...
And as great as this is...I want it gone faster!!! What in the world is wrong with me??? Must be losing brain cells, too....that is the only logical explanation! Can't remember the last time I lost 40 lbs....well that is a lie, I can, but it seems like such a vague memory!
I was lazy and didn't post my measurements last week like I said I would..so I'll put them here in blue and white for the world to see. (I had to take "The Fray" off because it wasn't playing...bummer...will try to get it back up sos we can all see the beautiful boys on mine and my MIL's favorite show....) Yep...she got hooked on Grey's Anatomy, too!!!
Here goes:
1/25/07 2/23/07
Wrist---7 1/4 inches............7 inches
Bicep---17 3/4 inches..........15 1/2 inches
Neck---17 1/2 inches...........17 inches
Bust---52 inches..................50 1/2 inches (Sobb!!)
Waist--49 3/4 inches............45 inches(ughhhh!)
Hips---54 1/2 inches............52 inches(Ughhh!)
Thigh--30 inches.................27 1/2 inches
Calf----19 1/2 inches............19 inches(cankles??)
Ankle--18 1/2 inches............10 inches
**** 23 1/4 inches lost in one month*****
What folks say about taking pre-op measurements and how they will boost your self esteem is so true...who would have thought that I had lost all those inches. And that was 2 weeks ago!!! So, for anyone pre-op that is reading this...please make sure you do this...you will be so glad you did. I almost didn't do it. I was so busy the night before surgery, but something told me to make sure I recorded those measurements. It took my daughter maybe 5 minutes to help me do it...and now I am simply amazed...or maybe I am just simple, but anyway, I am so happy I did it. And as Martha says "...it's a good thing."
In one week I go back to work, and I am really going to miss seeing Martha (Stewart) every day..we've gotten to be pretty good buddies. (Although, I have been known to watch her when I should be working around the house)...but don't tell anyone, O.K.?
Oh yea...something else for the viewing...I am walking a 20 minute mile!!! (And I used to have trouble walking through the house!!!) My buddy JoLynn...God bless her heart...called me last week and said..."I found you a treadmill, are you going to be home...I'll drop it by?" Now is that a great friend or what??? Finds the treadmill, buys it....(I did pay her back)...picks it up and drops it off in my living room, ready to go. Can't get much better than that!!! She's the bestest ol' buddy anyone could ever want. My other buddy, Laurie, has been making me go to the mall and walk with her, too. I have the greatest friends in the whole wide world...they take such good care of me. I guess they want me to be healthy...so I really can't disappoint them, now can I? Like I said before, I am so Blessed!!!
So I hop on the ol' treadmill, warm up for 5 minutes, walk for 20 minutes...sweat like a pig...and cool down for 5 minutes... and I feel soooo good. Feels like banking energy for the next day...not to mention the mental aspect...my mind feels clearer, and my mood is lighter. I guess those endorphines do know what their doing!!!
O.K., next project...figure out what I am going to pack in my lunch for work...to be continued...
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2/23/2007 on February 23, 2007 8:46 am
Today is exactly four weeks since my surgery. To date I have lost 36 lbs. and will post my inches lost this weekend. I am seeing numbers on the scales I haven't seen for over 4 years! I am also wearing pants that haven't fit for the last 2 years. This in itself is great! The best part about it all is that I feel so much better...and for that I am most thankful! To finally be feeling like a human being again, instead of a pain filled, huge, lumbering mass (which I know is very negative, but that was what I was feeling!!!) I just pray that I can continue to eat healthy, exercise, and use this God given tool to it's greatest capacity...
Yesterday I saw Dr. McNatt at WVU. He seemed pleased with my progress and doesn't need to see me again until 3-4 months. That will be May or June...spring time!!! I can't wait to see the changes....
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