- Username: lexiep
- Location: San Antonio, TX, USA
- Member Since: 6/25/2007
- BMI: 42.6
- Post Op
- Surgery Type: RNY (05/22/07)
- Surgeon: Lloyd Stegemann
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Category: Health 124 People in progress, 17 People achieved this |
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Surgeon TestimonialLloyd StegemannDr. Stegemann is a very direct, no-nonsense individual. He was very knowledgable of bariatric surgery, and had answers to all my questions. My impression only improved with time. His office staff was a little disorganized, however, my appointment the day prior to surgery they were packing up to move into their new offices. Following surgery, at the new location, things seemed to have settled down, and the staff was very courteous and helpful when I call in. I can't think of anything I didn't like about Dr. Stegemann. He was very straightforward about his expectations of me with aftercare and all follow up visits being of uptmost importance. There is a very structured aftercare program at WeightWise here in San Antonio, one of the best I've found in all my research. Dr. Stegemann addressed all issues regarding risks of surgery, complications, and how he would work around any such problems. I would rate Dr. Stegemann as a very superior physician. I believe a physician, to be effective needs a good bedside manner as well as surgical competence. Member Interests
- Jewely Making - Began making anklets as I couldn't find any that I liked that were large enough
- Grandchildren - I have 4 of the most wonderful grandkids!
- Medical Transcriptionist - Used to work 2 jobs, one of which was usually always medical transcription.
- Notary Public - Have been a notary public for the past 4 years
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Greetings everyone. I'm here, like most of you, with a life-long struggle with my weight. This journey of my new life has been a blast - for the most part. If I had to do it again, I most definitely would, but preferably 20 years earlier!!!!! But I suppose God had a plan for me, and I had to go through the things I did to get to where I am.... And I am content in that thought!
Long time on August 28, 2008 7:28 pm
Gosh - it's been six months since I've added anything to my profile. Partially because I have changed jobs and just don't have the free time anymore, and partially because life has gotten so hectic for me, and partially because I have been having some problems. Back in January I started having back pains - actually I thought it was my tail bone. Started seeing a chiropractor and then stopped when I changed jobs. So since January I have had pains. Finally got a diagnosis about 6 weeks ago - its 2 herniated discs, an impinged nerve in the spine and arthritis to boot. I have had 3 spinal steroid injections - all with no improvement in the pain, but hey - those darn injections had a positive side effect. I've lost weight!!! I finally made it into onederland!!! This glorious place I have not see since I was 19 years old.... I turned 50 in June.... 31 years of being over 200 lbs.... I was so happy to get on the scale and see that most magical number... I just about cried with joy!!! And now the scale has blessed me just a little further - I'm down to 197...WOOHOO... Life continues to be good - other than the pain, but I can deal with that. I still would not go back to 350 lbs and not have the pain. I feel so much better about myself than I ever have and would have the surgery all over again, even knowing that I was going to have the pain. The physical therapist has said that when I was more obese, my body had some stability with the fat. Now that the fat is gone, I have lost that stability and that is probably why I have so much pain. Oh well, I'll just have to learn to deal with the pain.... I'm not willing to go back!!!
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As the World Turns on March 3, 2008 9:49 am
Well, it's been nine months now, I'm down about 134 lbs and I've been struggling to get back on track. Christmas just about did me in - I had given up on ever getting where I want to be. Finally came to the realization that I was self-defeating myself yet again.. None of this weight loss has been exceptionally easy - I've had to work at it - to keep on track... Now that I'm back on track, I've seen the scale start to move in the right direction again. I had gained about 10 lbs, and man is it hard to lose the second time around. But those pounds are gone, and I'm not going back that way!!! Today I'm starting the 5 day pouch test, just to see if I can fine-tune my pouch a little more. I've been doing great for the last couple of weeks. I've discovered that the more protein I get in the better off I am. Anything over 100 gm of protein and my body seems to respond. I have my 9 month check up with Dr. Stegemann on Friday and really want to see if he has any ideas. At 6 month check up he was not much help other than to tell me that because of the insulin I was on for several years, my body seems to be losing very slowly - YA THINK?? DUH... Maybe a visit with a nutritionist would help some, but most of my help has come from the Texas Message Board people. They are such a great support. Guess I'll post more after my appointment.
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Looking back.... on January 9, 2008 6:22 pm
Was just in my closet hanging up some clothes - and I saw my wedding dress hanging there. I got married December 31, 2005. So I decided to try the dress on (have only tried it on once since I started losing weight)... See my new photos I'm posting now.... On December 31, 2005 I wore a size 28 - TIGHT..... December 31, 2007 - I wore a size 18.... 10 sizes down and I'm 7-1/2 months post op.... WOW!!! I haven't been in a size 18 since I was in college and that was only for a very, very short time....
This is a very awesome journey, and I would do it again every day to have this feeling of euphoria that I have right now!!!! Almost made my husband cry when I walked in the living room with the dress on.... In my wedding pictures, you can see my feet because the dress was tight... Tonight I was having to kick the dress out in front of me to keep from tripping on it as it was so long.... WOOT WOOT...
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New Year and the Journey continues on January 8, 2008 8:01 am
Well, I made it through the holidays.... not as well as I wanted to, I succumbed to temptation too much, and unfortunately, didn't dump at all... Did get a few heart palpitations though.... The good thing is I didn't eat a whole bag of candy - just a couple of pieces and that was enough. I did gain about 4 pounds since my last appointment with Dr. Stegemann. Seems after he told me that my insulin was the reason for my slow weight loss - my brain and I decided that I was doomed for failure then...... I gave up..... Luckily for me, my husband, I think with the help of God - knocked some sense back into me and I realized what I was doing to myself. Poor pitiful me - I'm not losing like everyone else, so I'm a failure!!!! BS.... I've never been like everyone else in my life - so why would this journey be any different??? So, I've sucked it up - made amends to myself for poor judgement and am repairing the errors in my way of eating. The best part of that is that I finally got back on the scale this morning - I had shed the +4 lbs, and actually lost 4 more..... I'm down to 121!!! Holy cow!!! I was so pleased with myself...
Exercise wise I've been slacking too. Let my gym membership expire while my dad was in the hospital, and then my excuse was it's so far over there - I was doing it every day - but when you have to drive 70 miles a day to work and then to the gym - it is a bit much. Started climbing stairs here at work 3 times a day - 7 flights - and may I say that my buns of steel are shaping up nicely!!!! I can really tell in the way my clothes fit. Made a resolve last night to get back to doing something besides just the stairs, so hubby and I will start walking at the school track tonight.
On to bigger losses for this year. It's my choice, no one else can make the decisions for me!!! I've been so very blessed to have been given this tool to make my life the quality that I now have. I never would have dreamed that a year ago - about 110 lbs heavier - that I could be this size or even feel this good. I feel good about myself - don't love myself yet, but I'm getting there. If only my eyes could see what others seem to see in me.... I still see that 348 lb woman looking back at me most of the time....But as my husband says - "This too shall pass"....
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And the scale has MOVED.... on December 3, 2007 6:57 am
Its been several weeks, but I have finally seen movement in the scales again, and a big movement - for me at least. I'm down 4 lbs since last week - now at 224 and 124 lbs lost FOREVER.... I began walking the stairs at work with a couple of coworkers. We are doing 7 flights of stairs 3 times a day and then walking around the hospital each time. Seems to be working - and working my butt off too.... I can tell the difference in my clothing and in how my butt aches at night...lol...
I continue to have problems with constipation, and even made some Move 'em out muffins yesterday, but so far, nothing is moving out..... Guess I need to get back on my dieter's tea - that stuff really seemed to work. I just forget to take the time in the evenings to make it and sit still long enough to drink it before heading to bed.
Plans are to take pictures for our Christmas cards tonight, so hopefully I will get the DH to take my six month pictures tonight as well. Need to get some new ones posted as the one showing now is my 4 month picture...
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My Story
I'm a 48 year old female who has been overweight since the age of 5, when I had my tonsils removed (or so my parents say). I suppose I have been on just about every diet that has come along even when I was in junior high and high school. I can remember being on Weight Watchers in high school, and my mom making their version of "ketchup" (I love ketchup).... It was horrible. When I went off to college, I started seeing a physician who prescribed a hand full of medications (never knew what you were taking) and I managed to lose weight while eating everything everyone else did. Upon completion of college and meeting my former husband I weighed 199. That was the smallest I had ever been - wearing a size 16!! Man, was I proud of me.... After marrying, I suppose I just forgot about watching my weight, and my husband didn't seem to mind anyway. Two years later when I got pregnant, I was weighing in at 260 or so. I can remember the doctor writing on my chart that by the time I delivered I would weigh 300 lbs. That made me so darn mad, I decided I would show him. Little did I know that I didn't have to worry. I was so sick while being pregnant, I gained only 12 lbs, and when the baby was born she weighed almost 9 lbs.... But I got pregnant again when the baby was 4 months old, and never saw 260 or 270 again....
I divorced my husband of 24 years in 2002, and managed to lose a few pounds. I was dating some and enjoying life so much (even with the excess weight). I dieted some and managed to maintain somewhere in the 280 range for a while. Then in March of 2005 I met the most awesome man, and married him 31 Dec 2005. After moving to San Antonio TX, 218 miles away from my children and my parents, I managed to gain more weight, and was totally disgusted with myself and my life. I had some problems with my liver and started seeing a GI doctor here in San Antonio, who asked me if I had considered WLS. That was the start of the new journey of life for me!
Upon starting this new journey in life I weighed in at 348 lbs. Because my insurance required a 6 month physician supervised diet prior to surgery, I began my weight loss with Dr. Rogers at WeightWise here in San Antonio. The surgeon I had chosen, Dr. Lloyd Stegemann saw me and told me I would have to lose 34 lbs prior to surgery. With the help of Dr. Rogers and the Medifast diet, I was able to lose 56 lbs. By the time I had surgery, I had gained 3 of those pounds back, for a weight the day prior to surgery of 295 lbs.
My husband is so totally supportive of my decision to have the surgery, especially once we attended the seminar. He has been my rock and my coach - always giving me the encouragement I need. Dr. Stegemann even gave him instructions in his role to support me!!! With a team like this, how can I not lose?!
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