ObesityHelp - Gastric Bypass, LAP-BAND® System, DS and Other Surgical and Non-Surgical Weight Loss Options.

Name: Melanie H.
Username: dimnd_grl1
Location: London, ON, Canada
Member Since: 6/25/2004
BMI: 30.2
Post Op
Surgeon: Jeffery Genaw MD

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Uploaded on 4/19/07 11:44 am	Shirley Stuart and Carol.jpg Uploaded on 11/27/06 6:48 am
Laurie and hubby.jpg Uploaded on 11/27/06 6:48 am	Melanie Shirley Paul Trudy and Sue.jpg Uploaded on 11/27/06 6:48 am
shirley and mel.jpg Uploaded on 11/27/06 6:48 am	group at pauls.jpg Uploaded on 11/27/06 6:48 am

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Melanie H. has 29 Friends

Shari M.	JL1957	kyym
Debbie Linfoot	FatmeFaye	Marie R.
Mary Lou B.	Kim C.	Cathy Wilson - OH Staff

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Surgeon Testimonial

Jeffery Genaw MD
My first impression of Dr. Genaw was that he was very direct and maybe even a bit unfeeling. I also thought he was a bit harsh with his comments. Nothing that obese people haven't been through before. My impression of him changed when I thought about his remarks and realized that he wasn't being mean but rather truthful. He had to tell me the truth.

Dr. Genaw's office staff or his program coordinator is the best to be had. Wanda is an amazing woman. She is caring and dedicated to helping as many people as she can. She is the one who keeps the whole process moving smoothly.

I would say the thing I liked the least about Dr. Genaw is his directness and the thing I liked the most about him is his directness. He says the things you need to hear not always the things you want to hear.

Aftercare, my goodness we get a binder called our "blue bari binder" that we must carry with us to every appointment. It contains everything we need to know from the first appointment and for the rest of our lives. The aftercare is the most important part of the program. It is stressed from day one and we are responsible to know everything that is expected of us.

I would rate the entire program because it all goes hand in hand. The dietician the exercise specialist, the program coordinator, the clearance physician, and the surgeons Dr. Genaw and Dr. Carlin they all get a top notch rating in my book. Without any one of these people the program would not be as good.

I have to say Dr. Genaw is a knowledgeable and skillful surgeon. He is kind and caring and takes more time with a person than any doctor I have ever been to. His bedside manner is wonderful and he spent several hours talking with my husband and I while I was in the hospital. He never makes you feel rushed or that he doesn't have time for you. He takes the time. He answers all questions and then has time for teasing and joking with you as well. He makes you feel like a valuable person.

Member Interests

Pets - One dog one cat
Grandchildren - My number one interest
Support Groups - I am a co-moderator of the London WLS support group

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Product Reviews

Champion - Champion Pure Whey Stack - Chocolate Flavor

Latest Surgery Support Comments

Comment by Kim C. on 10/24/06 3:46 am

Hey Mel, I just read your profile and so glad things weren't as bad as you feared. I can't wait to see you! I assume seeing as we are now at october 24th that you are post plastics. I will try to call you today or tomorrow. Hope you are feeling as fabulous as you looked last time i saw you! (Oh I hit the 167 mark today!) miss ya!

Comment by Kim C. on 6/16/06 4:02 pm

Cheers to you! You have done amazing things for yourself and those who's lives you touch! Bless you! Congrats on your great loss! Glad I got to tag along for the ride! Talk to you soon! 12 days and 14 hours til I join you! Luv ya! Kim

Comment by swangirl on 3/11/06 11:13 am

Congratulations on your successful weightloss, and best wishes for the future! Linda/Bactrac/swangi rl Name/CB handle/me post op

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Melanie's Journey
*********************

August 19,2006
on August 19, 2006 11:10 am

Well life has a way of hitting you upside the head when you least expect it. One day you think you have things figured out and then along comes life and knocks you down again. I am very thankful for friends that I can call and ask for prayer. I don't want to explain everything right now but will when I find out what the doctor has to say next week. Thanks Debbie for being there for me and giving me some Scripture to fall back on. I am chosing to walk in faith not in fear. So I am going to put the Scripture that I am standing on for my strength for today:

Psalm 34: 1-7
I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak his praises. I will boast only in the Lord: let all who are discouraged take heart. Come let us tell of the Lord's greatness: let us exalt his name together
I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me, freeing me from all my fears. Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy: no shadow of shame will darken their faces. I cried out to the Lord in my suffering and he heard me. He set me free from all m fears.

Psalm 34:17-20
The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles. The lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those who are crushed in spirit. The righteous face many troubles, but the Lord rescues them from each and every one. For the Lord protects them from harm not one of their bones will be broken.

So I am standing on these verses and praying that fear stays away from me at this time. When it begins to creep in I will read these verses again and again. I will remind myself that fear is not from God but from satan the destroyer.

Another verse that was just brought to my mind is
IITimothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power, love, and sound mind.

Ok now he has given me the power to stand in Faith and not fear this is what I will endeavor to do from this day forth.

Just for the record this has nothing to do with my upcoming plastics. It has nothing to do with WLS at all. I will explain when I can.

Well it was a very long weekend. My niece came in on Friday and I thought what a horrible time for her to have to be here with this other information hanging over our heade. I decided to make her time with us enjoyable and to continue to walk in faith. On Monday it was time to go to the doctor and I asked Kevin and Carrie to take me so I would not have to worry about the parking. They did and I went in. This day there was very little wait time and I was taken right in. Once the doctor looked at me and examined me he said there is absolutely nothing to biopsy. He said the other doctor must have been being extra cautious but that there was nothing wrong except a dermatitis. He made me an appointment with a dermatoligist and said good bye. PRAISE GOD THERE IS NOTHING WRONG!!!!
My niece was here for a week and we had a marvelous time and now on to plastics. I am scheduled for surgery October 2nd.

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August 15, 2006
on August 15, 2006 11:06 am

For the past four months I have been going through a course called “Mastering Food”. The purpose of the course was to help me figure out what makes me eat. What emotions trigger the eating binges, and what is causing the “rebellious little girl” in me to want to sabotage my progress towards a healthy happy life.

In this program they ask you to go back in your life and try to see when the process began. I thought in the beginning of the course that it was a bit simplistic but have since changed my thoughts on the whole process. Kevin my dear husband, knowing I was struggling in this area has been very supportive to whatever steps I felt I needed to follow in order to find peace in my life and learn to master my food addiction.

The first 14 months of my wls journey seemed to be very easy for me. I never felt the need to eat anything off program and then one day like a rushing wind it came back. I can’t explain why but it started happening again. I was desperate to figure out what was going on so I joined the course Mastering Food. I never want to gain the weight back so I needed to get this figured out.

It has taken me a lot of digging and even contacting someone in my past with whom I needed to get some closure from. I have since discovered that I am angry with myself for being passive and afraid to speak up and voice my opinions, thoughts, and desires with the conviction that I feel inside. What I have also come to realize is that I put myself into this self destructive “prison”. Circumstances helped but I turned the key and locked the door. I also know that the key to this “prison” has been in my possession all the time, I just had to want to open the door strongly enough to turn the key. I don’t have all the answers yet but I am continuing to work on the problem and am confident that one day the answers will be there and I will truly be in charge of my life. No “rebellious little girl” holding me back and sabotaging me. My thought for this time in my life is “Whatever situation I find myself in, I put myself there”. I am responsible for the decisions I make. I can’t blame other people or circumstances for the decisions I make.

This part of my journey would have been very difficult if I had not had the support of Kevin. He sat with me many nights while I wrote my feelings down. He listened while I read them to him and even when they were things that could be painful to him for various reasons; he listened and never judged me or asked me not to delve into things. I could have made the journey without his support because it was my decision, but he made the journey easier by supporting me through it.

I don’t have all the answers yet but I am closer than I was in the beginning and I have more control over my eating now than I did when I began this part of the journey a few short months ago. Kevin is my rock and he shows his love to me in so many ways every day so I am putting this song in my profile as a tribute to him. Thank you Kevin for all your help and support. I don’t know much but I know that I love you and that may be all I need to know.

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