- Name: Joanne P.
- Username: JPxyz
- Location: Provincetown, MA, USA
- Member Since: 6/7/2008
- BMI: 57.0
- Surgery date scheduled
- Surgery Type: RNY (11/10/08)
- Surgeon: Pablo Gazmuri, M.D.
Photos
I'm Not In Any Photos Yet.
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Latest Surgery Support Comments
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Hey Joanne! today
is your day! Your
rebirth! I hope it
is an uneventful
procedure for you.
We'll be seeing you
on the loser's bench
in no time! HUGS!
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Good luck tomorrow
Joanne, I will keep
you in my thoughts
and prayers for an
uneventful surgery.
You are about to
start and a new and
wonderful life.
-
The Healthier New
Your is right around
the corner, good
luck & best wishes
on an uneventful
surgery and speedy
recovery.
Click here for the surgery support page
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Welcome to Joanne's Page. Sit. Stay.
It's All Led to This... on November 8, 2008 9:33 am
It's hard to believe that my surgery is in two days! Time has flown by so quickly since I made my decision to have WLS in June, and attended my first information seminar in July. All of the doctors' visits, scans, tests, blood draws, info. seminars, psych & nutritional evaluations, and saturating myself in all the information I could find, has finally led to this point. The WLS program at Newton-Wellesley Hospital is very comprehensive and the entire staff has been patient, informative, and caring. I feel very prepared for Monday's surgery, and at peace with my decision. Of course, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous, but I think that would be the case for any surgery I was facing. I keep reminding myself that I am in excellent and experienced hands and, for the entire time I will be under anesthesia, I will be the primary concern of a team of highly trained and dedicated professionals. I don't believe we are ever led to a place in our lives, only to be left on the side of the road at a critical juncture. I am surrounded by the loving support of my family, friends, and "invisibles," and I know I will be brought safely to the next phase of this journey. Until then, I will make sure I have everything I'll need for the hospital and my first weeks at home. Tonight I will enjoy a quiet dinner with Cynthia at our favorite restaurant, and talk in future tense...
Oh. My. God. on October 8, 2008 4:19 pm
I found out today that my surgery date will be Monday, November 10th!
It still seems unreal, and I'm waiting for it to sink in. I feel grateful, scared, and very excited.
Mostly grateful...
I Got the Binder! on October 7, 2008 7:16 pm
Surgical evaluation went well, but it was an exhausting day! Newton-Wellesley is over two hours away -- then an hour with the shrink, another hour with the dietition, down to the lab to have bloods drawn, and finally my consult with Dr. Gazmuri. He is the most unpretentious, warm, respectful, and compassionate doctor I have ever met. We spoke for an hour, and he patiently explained the procedure, answering whatever questions Cynthia and I had. He wouldn't leave until he was sure we totally understood what life after surgery would be like. As we were leaving, I was given "THE BINDER" -- which is the passport to the OR, and the official acceptance to the NW bariatric program! The binder is full of information and instructions regarding the surgery as well as pre and post-op preparations and care. I have a sleep study scheduled for 10/13, a follow-up on 10/21 for upper g.i. series, gall bladder ultra-sound, MORE bloods, meeting with the nurse, an anesthesiologist, and a resident (check-up and medical history). Shortly afterwards, I will be notified of my surgical date. If all continues to go well...
Hold Please... on September 8, 2008 3:16 pm
Recently, I've begun to feel as though my life is on hold until I have my surgery. This is not a particularly good thing, since I haven't even had my surgical consult yet! Originally I wanted to have the operation at some point after the Holidays, but now I will be happy with any date I'm scheduled for. I just want to be done with it so that I can get on with my life. There's so much lost time to make up for, and I can't wait to start. I wonder what it will be like to not have my obesity be a factor in any given day. What can it possibly be like to not wonder if the chair will hold me, whether I can buckle the seat belt, or find a parking space close enough. To not have my "third ear" continually tuned in for the inevitable rude comments...
I've made a vow that once the surgery is over and I've healed, that I will try and find a way to help and support others who are suffering from obesity. Everything I have endured over my entire adult life will have been for nothing if I can't find a way to "give back." | Click here to leave a comment.
I've landed. on June 30, 2008 12:47 pm
After a lot of soul-searching, research, and talking to post-ops of both procedures, I've decided that having an RNY is the best path for me.
Dr. Gazmuri of Newton Wellesley Hospital comes very highly recommended by people I know who had the surgery over six years ago (as well as by so many people from OH):
(http://www.newtonwellesleywls.com/content/16.htm).
My appointment is on 9/23 for psych eval, nutritionist meeting, and surgical consult. If all goes well, my surgery will be after the Holidays. Also, it seems that my current health coverage, Neigborhood Health Plan, will not be the problem I thought it would be, and I DO NOT need a referral from my PCP after all!.
To be continued...
| Click here to leave a comment.
Archive
My Story At 5’’ I am currently at my all time highest weight of 297 pounds. Being 170+ pounds overweight negatively affects my energy level and self-esteem, but more critical are the comorbidities I am now facing: Hypertension
Elevated triglycerides Herniated Disk (L5-S1)
Osteoarthritis both knees
Edema - feet /ankles / legs
Shortness of breath and overheating upon minimal exertion
Unable to walk more than a half block at a time or to stand for more than 5 minutes
My father was an insulin-dependant diabetic, blind (diabetic retinopathy), and on dialysis for ten years prior to his death at age fifty two. My sister, four years older than I, was diagnosed with diabetes in her early forties, and my younger brother, age forty three, is hypertensive and struggles to keep his cholesterol levels down. Both have been overweight since childhood. Almost all of my maternal relatives have been obese as adults and suffer from a variety of weight-related disorders including diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and high cholesterol.
At the age of fifty, the quality of my life will only continue to diminish without serious intervention.
I have made numerous attempts at weight loss -- and have even lost some weight here and there -- but I have yet to be successful with maintaining a healthy weight long-term. My weight loss efforts over the past twenty five years have included:
Weight Watchers
Richard Simmons Program
Think Thin
Overeaters Anonymous
Psychotherapy
Atkins Diet
Cambridge Diet
Scarsdale Diet
I have been researching WLS extensively over the last few months, and I am well aware of the risks. The way I see it however, I am more at risk right now, as I write this.
WLS is neither cosmetic surgery nor a “quick fix,” but the tool which may finally help me realize lasting weight loss. If successful, it will diminish my appetite, help me limit portion sizes, eat more slowly and “thoughtfully,” and to recognize when I am full. I am willing to commit to a healthy eating plan under the guidance of a nutritionist, and actually look forward to the time when I can exercise and enjoy an active life-style -- instead of being unable to walk more than several steps at a time. Without making these necessary life-style changes, I will not lose the weight I so urgently need to, despite surgery.
I referred to WLS a “tool,” but I think “weapon” might be more accurate. My life is being threatened by a very formidable adversary, but I can now fight back with a weapon that has been missing from my arsenal for all these years.
I expect the journey from morbid obesity to health will bring up some issues for me, as I develop a new way to relate to food and eating, and deal with the fallout from so many years of suffering. Since I have never experienced adult life at a healthy weight, I plan on reaching out for support as I learn a new way of being in the world. With this new weapon and some strong allies, I can look forward with optimism to the changes that I will experience.
My strongest ally is at home, though. I am fortunate to be married to someone who has stood by me for twenty years as I struggled with my weight, and who will be at my side, enthusiastically and unconditionally, as I make this stand for the last time. We have so much lost time to make up for -- and many more years to share in good health and happiness.
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