- Name: crystal W.
- Username: 123169
- Location: east liverpool, OH, USA
- Member Since: 2/11/2007
- BMI: 40.6
- Surgery date scheduled
- Surgery Type: Lap Band (06/05/07)
- Surgeon: Vincent Vanek, M.D.
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Category: Diabetes 2 People in progress, 0 People achieved this |
Category: Other 3 People in progress, 0 People achieved this |
Surgeon TestimonialVincent Vanek, M.D.Dr. Vanek impressed me as a no-nonsense kind of doctor. He is more experienced at gastric bypass than lap band but explained he has assisted his partner on several and he will have a surgeon who has done hundreds of lapbands proctoring him until he is more experienced. I liked that he didn't make me feel rushed during the consult and didn't have an air of superiority. He did get a little stern with DH because he didn't watch the info video about RNY. He said "you need to support her, she can't do this by herself." But all was ok when I said he does, he just has a weak stomach! I also liked his description of how he will do fills. He will put enough in that I can't get water to go down, then remove enough to allow it to go through. So that seems like it takes the guesswork out of proper restriction.
His office staff were friendly and efficient. I had called a few times with some concerns pre-consult and they never seemed annoyed.
The center has a very structured aftercare program. Dr. Vanek placed heavy emphasis on the requirement of aftercare, especially for lapband patients. He feels if you can't commit to that part you shouldn't have lapband because you won't have successful weightloss results.
He did ensure we thoroughly understood all the risks, from possible problems from the scope to band slippage and erosion.
So far, I give him a high rating. Some people may be put off because he doesn't seem to be a real laugh and joke kind of guy, but he instilled a lot of confidence in me.
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I LIKE YOU. When the world is mine, your death shall be quick and painless. Stewie Griffin
Time flies on March 25, 2008 6:39 pm
I can't believe it's been almost a year. Of course I had hoped to be much closer to goal, but then I remembered that the main reason I chose the band was because I wanted to feel normal when it comes to food. It was always so disgusting how I would just hoover up mass quantities of food, even if it wasn't something I really loved. I wanted to have a small piece of cake and be satisfied. I wanted a cookie or two, not 8 or 10. This is so amazing that food doesn't totally control me now.
Of course, I'm still learning and still trying to wait out the cravings, to make sure I really have to have it. Head hunger is a hateful BEEEOTCH!!!!!!! I know I need to severly limit carbs because they make me so tired and increase my cravings, but that is something that will probably take a long time to get completely under control. But I vow to do it. And with each slip-up I will come here and cry to my fellow bandsters. They will give me encouragement and advice and slip-ups will become fewer and farther between. I love these people and I don't even know them. They have all suffered the undeserved humiliation that society believes the obese should suffer. They have been denied jobs, friendship, dignity and most tragically of all, love. Just like I have. They have been afraid to meet new people or go to restaurants with booths or take a class because the desks are too small. They have spent ridiculous amounts of money on the latest can't fail diet and miracle fat cures. Just like I have.
Now, finally, the all have this blessed band and are on their way to health and happiness. Just like I am.
Bye for now.
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Insurance Approval on May 10, 2007 4:48 pm
I got my letter from BCBS today that I'm approved! Please Dear Lord, please let everything be ok on the 5th. I've lost 6 1/2 of the 13 lbs I was supposed to lose before surgery, which is amazing to me considering all the junk I ate over Easter. I'm determined to make this work. I'm going to start walking at least 10 minutes a day til then and really try to stick to the low cal, low fat diet.
This will be great if all goes well with the surgery, where moving into the new house is concerned. I'm not supposed to lift anything over 5lbs for several weeks so DH and the many kids will have to do it! HA! So many blessing wrapped up in one little procedure! ;-)
Bye for now!
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WOOOOOHOOOOOO on April 12, 2007 8:01 pm
I have a surgery date!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! June 5 is a new beginning. The surgeon's office called today while I was at work and asked if I'd be interested in having the surgery that day because a guest doctor, Dr Lusco from Kentucky (she thought) was going to be here doing surgeries with Dr Vanek. He is a lapband expert, I was told, he does 6-7 bands per day. Would I be interested in having that date?!!! Heck yeah I'm interested! Sign me up, baby! I'm on my way!
Till next time...
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Abundant Blessings on April 5, 2007 2:41 pm
I'm closing on my loan 4/11/07 at 4:15 pm. Possibly 4/9 if the closing agent can rearrange some things. And I called my ins co this morning to ask if they received anything from my surgeon and YES! they got it a couple days ago. Of course I asked if he had any idea how long it usually take to get a decision and he said about 30 days, maybe longer if they need something the doctor didn't send.
The contractor can start right away too, so maybe I'll get my surgery soon and I'll be small enough for DH to carry me over the threshold. How awesome.
I hope I've said my prayers the right way and God knows how grateful I am.
Bye for now!
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Progress on April 2, 2007 4:49 pm
Discovered my insurance just started approving gastric banding Jan 2007. The second week of Jan I was locating surgeons in my area that do lapband. During this time I discovered Obesity Help (Thank you, Jesus!). Found Dr. Vanek's office and contacted them at the beginning of Feb. Molly sent out the info packet and explained about the psych eval, etc. Called Dr. Walker (I had been in a psych class he was teaching a few years ago at Kent State) and first met with him March 1. My surgical consult was scheduled for 3/28 that same day. Took that crazy MMPI test 3/2 . Met with Dr. Walker again 3/13 & he said that I was ok. (Then why did he keep trying to make me wear that weird jacket with the extra long arms that fastened in the back?!)
So the 28th finally gets here and DH and I are off. We get to the doc's, I fill out a couple more papers and then someone says it's time to watch the video. My husband instantly turns green and refuses to go with me. So the staff and I make fun of him all the way to the video room. I like them instantly. After the video explaining RNY, the nurse takes me to get some vitals. Actually I'm not as fat as I thought, only 254 instead of 260 but 5' 1" instead of 5' 2". My hubby & kids will later find this hilarious. I live with a bunch of weiners.
Now I'm in the exam room waiting for the Dr. The nurse says put on a gown but I can leave the bra & panties on. Good. I hate anyone seeing my giant floppy boobs & belly and I need at least a week to prepare myself mentally for a breast exam. But doc has other ideas I discover when he moves behind me to listen to my deep breaths but then unsnaps my bra faster than DH did on prom night! I can feel my face burning so I just stare at the ceiling tiles and sing the ABC song in my head. Doc keeps telling me "relax and bend your arm. RELAX and bend your arm. You can't relax, can you?" Well not when a stranger is pawing all over my girls, no. (I didn't say this out loud as he had not yet approved the surgery, but I plan to pants him at some point, so he'll understand my shame). He says get dressed and leaves to get Kenny (the DH). I'm still so flustered that I can't get my bra back on and I know they're going to be back any minute. Sure enough, there's a knock and they start to come in. NOT YET!! I yell. So I'm hopping around the room trying to get my girls back in the corral and get my pants and shirt on all at the same time. They both come in and Doc goes over everything and answers all my questions and says the nutritionist will be right in. Kenny then turns & asks why is my shirt not on right, so I look down to see half of my boob is showing because I didn't have time to adjust it into the cup and my arm is through the neck hole of my tank top instead of the arm hole. and of course the blouse over top the tank is see through. I hope the doctor doesn't think I'm angling for a discount or something. Hmmmm, maybe there is a bright side to this!
Bye for now.
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My Story I never really had trouble with my weight until I stopped nursing my first baby. I gained 40 pounds while pregnant but lost all but 5 lbs within a couple months of his birth. After I stopped nursing it seemed I just ballooned over night. (Picture the chick who turned into a blueberry in the Willie Wonka movie, only without the cool color). My weight just went up & down over the next 3 pregnancies. My highest weight ever was about 270 and at 5' 1", it wasn't pretty. I could just kick myself for complaining I was fat at 135 lbs. What a dumb-ass! Why is it so hard to eat normally? People always say food is comforting to them. Not me. I can't eat when I'm upset or nervous, so I don't recall ever feeling particularly comforted by food. But when I do eat, it's over the top amounts. It's probably that feast or famine effect. Growing up we would go weeks at a time when there was no food in the house. Once my older sister actually tried to make pancakes out of just flour and water. We ate them with mustard. Awful. Back then I couldn't eat very much at a time and the step-bastard, uh sorry, I meant step-father, would pile huge amounts of food on our plates whenever we actually had food, and tell us all the horrible things he was going to do us if we wasted it. So I was constantly either starving or being forced to consume mass amounts of food. When I got out on my own, I would actually get physical reactions, almost like a panic attack, if there was not a certain amount of food in my cupboards. I eventually got myself straightened out with that, but I still can't eat normal amounts. No matter how stuffed I feel, I can't stop eating till it's all gone. I keep working on that, too. Anyway, I know 2007 is going to be an awesome year. I'm building a house, possibly this month (April), depending on the contractor's schedule; grandson #2 due Aug 6; and my manager said as soon as he gets the go ahead, I'll get promoted. Now just gotta cross my fingers and anything else possible that ins approval comes too. I hope God doesn't realize I'm getting abundantly blessed this year and decide to revoke something.
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