Hi There and Hello!!

Jul 07, 2010

Well, I have 4 OH friends who are saying they want to know what my journey has been like so far and I haven't even started any blogging or anything... So, here's my WLS story so far!! :D 

Day 1 February 2009 Surrender. I don't care if having surgery is the easy way out, right now, I'll take ANY way out there is.

Day 2 February 2009 Visit with my PCP, who gives me a referral for Dr. Takahashi, Medical Director of Bariatric Surgery at COE Torrance Memorial Hospital. Call to make appointment. Take the earliest available appointment.  It's for October 24, 2009. Depression... This is going to be a nightmare. I can't believe I have to wait so long just to meet the dr. Get on the scale and face the music for the first time in a long time! 316  wearing 26/28 shirts, size 44 H goddess bra, and Lane Bryant Size 5 Red Jeans. My wedding and engagement rings are hanging around my neck because they are too small.

Sometime in the summer:  PANIC!! I have this packet of stuff that has to be at the office 4 weeks before my appointment. It's filled out. It's staring me down. I can't mail it. I'm a chicken. A BIG chicken. A 316 POUND CHICKEN!! I can't mail it. Maybe it's time to try dieting the weight off one last time... I tell my family that in prep for surgery, all bread, tortillas, chips, soda, and sugary foods will be ejected from the house. All cooking sugars are stashed in the hard to reach cabinet above the fridge. One shelf is designated for Rachel's lunch stuff (off limits to all but Rachel).

Early October... TRAUMA!! The patient coordinator at the drs office calls and asks for my paperwork. I never did mail it. She says if I bring it to her in person today, she will bend the rules and let me keep my appointment. I'm so scared, it's not even funny, but I drive the papers over there anyway.

October 24, 2010  299 pounds... You're kidding?? I can't believe I'm under 300. I can't believe I lost weight. And even better, Dr. Takahashi counts those 17 pounds as part of my required 32 pounds to lose!! I'm more than halfway there and I haven't even started!! YAY!! Dr. T asks me, "What surgery are you interested in?" I ask her, "What surgery should I be interested in?" We talk about the choices and decide on RNY. She gives me tons of test and bloodwork orders, sets me up with weight check appointments, and sends me on my way... I like her, she reminds me of Christina from Grey's Anatomy. Of all the interns on Grey's Anatomy, I wanna be friends with Izzie, drink with Meredith, go camping with George, go dancing with Alex, but for my doctor?? I WANT CHRISTINA!! She also gives me a book to read: Living a Lighter Lifestyle. 

Next couple few months... Reading this book is changing my life!! I can't believe the things I'm learning in this book... I hate having an arterial blood gas test. I don't mind pulmonary function test all that much. Chest X Ray, Who cares?? Same ole... Same ole... Upper GI is torture invented by drs to attempt to kill us... and skinny biotches should not be allowed to stand there suggesting I think about food to make the nasty stuff go down faster... Things come out of my mouth like, "But, if I throw this stuff up, we have to start all over again, right?"   Echocardiogram is no big deal... Vein Ultrasound, no DVTS, yay. Upper Abdominal ultrasound, fatty liver, pretty expected... etc... etc... etc...

During this time, my ever obnoxious uterus starts creating for me a problem with anemia. Add 3 more drs to the mix- dr. gynecology, dr. gastroenterology, and dr. hemotology... Everyone is pretty sure I only really need Dr. gynie but better more doctors than less I guess... After many different prescriptions for varying levels of birthcontrol, and finally a depo provera shot, my iron levels start inching back up again... Take 1 iron pill a day (50mg)... No, better take 2 pills a day (100 mg)... Why are you taking so little of such inferior iron, take this niferrex 1 time a day (150 mg w/ vitamin c)...

March 15, 2010... Pre-op appointment... 269!! YAY you have done everything we've asked of you and you are ready for surgery... EXCEPT... What's this?? Hemoglobin 9 ?? No, we can't do it... We are going to have to postpone it until you get this anemia under control...  

March 17, 2010... Shoulda been my surgery day... Spent the whole day miserably trying to convince myself that some day I will feel better, I will get to have this surgery sometime... Try not to eat your feelings, remember what you read in the book.

Continueing on with the Iron pill fun: Oh, you should be taking that pill 2 times a day, it will help much faster (300mg)... Take this, You can have it 2-3 times a day as you can tolerate it, whatever (650 mg)... What?? No, you can take your iron with food and take 3 of those pills EVERY DAY! I don't want to hear about you missing doses! (975 mg a day!!)  A month or 2 later and my hemoglobin is in the normal range again... 

June, 2010... My iron levels are normal! I'm cleared by Dr. PCP, dr. gynie, dr. gastro, and DR. HEMATOLOGY!! WOOHOO!! I get a new surgery date: July 29, 2010

Question of the months is: Will I be able to lose 3 more pounds before surgery?? Or will I just maintain the 47 pound loss I have acheived so far??

So far, I'm "just" maintaining the loss. I think it would be awesome to lose 3 more pounds before surgery, but I'm also very excited and proud to have lost 47 pounds and kept it off for 5 months. That's one of the highest numbers I have lost, and this is the longest I've ever kept any weight off... So, even if I don't lose 3 more pounds, I'm ok with that.

Huggles!!
~Sarah~

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