Well now that I am 18 moths out, I wanted to update everyone on what was happening with me..along with plastics visit..   I had the surgery to implant the dorsal column stimulator for my pain.. there were difficulties as always with me.. they could not get the leads to lay flat on the spinal cord, so they had to open the back up higher and drill a hole and put a metal wire in and fish it down the spinal canal and attach the leads to it and pull them into place and stitch it there.. so my overnight visit became 3 nights in hospital, but that was ok.. came home with a walker but that was only for two weeks.. I had to be restricted to no arm lifting and no lifting any weight above 5lbs, and no twisting or bending for 10 weeks.. well that has finally passed and I am doing great.. The pain is almost all gone.. I am able to walk and do things I have longed to do again for so long.. I worked in my yard for the first time in years.. I am walking in Walmart without a cart again.. I can walk to my daughters and back which is about 1/4 mile.. I am trying to increase that as much as I can each day.. I was up to 3 miles a day before the back collapsed.. I am not sure I will get back up to that again but I will be happy with a mile or maybe 2.. This stimulator has gave me back so much.. No it is not perfect, but still great. Yes I am still restricted to 20lbs weight limit for life and have to be careful not to forget to charge my internal battery system.. if it goes down 3 times the battery is ruined and I have to have surgery to replace it.. so you bet I set an alarm and charge it every other day.. lol...
NOW as for my seeing a plastic surgeon, I have been at a stable weight now for about 9 months.. running from 148 up to 153 at times, and I am just over 18 months out from surgery now.. I lost another 1lb this past week and got to 147 my current weight.. yay.. which puts my total weight loss at 155lbs.. well anyway having lost over 100lb and being 18months out and at a stable weight,  I now qualify to request insurance approval for a panniculectomy.. I think that is all the insurance will cover, if we can get them to cover that.. it is always a fight with the insurance, but I have met all the criteria, now we just battle..   But I think I will not be happy with a panniculectomy .. I would prefer to have an abdominoplasty done (tummy tuck)... The surgeon said that I could pay the difference.. so now we just have to wait and see what the insurance says.. I also have an incisional hernia just above the belly button about 2 1/2 inches long.. I thought it would be a different surgery but he told me he can do both.. so that will be great..and the insurance will cover that..  I am getting excited.. I have been waiting for the day to come where we could apply to the insurance.. As of yesterdays visit with plastics I have submitted all the forms and met all the criteria and they have all they need now to apply.. I can hardly wait.. but I know as with anything to do with the insurance it IS a waiting game..   Well thats about it for now.. I will try to update again soon..

I was seeing the new surgeon  here in Herrin IL,  It was only 45 minutes from home and very convenient..I liked the convenience, but he is so very new to bariatrics and I didn't feel he was running the right bloodwork. He was not checking Vitamin D at all and was not checking total blood binding iron and not recommending a bone density scan.  I have had so much trouble with my spine I sure do not need my body pulling calcium from bones.. so I made a major decision again.
I called St. Louis and asked if I could return to their program and see the surgeon that has stayed there.. He was the assistant surgeon for my RNY so at least he know what was done to me.. I met him yesterday.. I so so like him. He has a great personality and I feel so comfortable with him.. I had such a warm welcome and felt right at home again with the staff there.. My best friend Teresa B. (here on OH too) went with me.. It was so much fun..and none of them recognized us. It has been a year since we had been there and major weight loss for both of us.. He ordered blood work immediately for me . I had it drawn right after the office visit.. I sure hope the blood work comes out good..

 I officially weighed in yesterday at 149, and that was with my clothes on.. I was so glad.. My lowest weight has been 148 without clothes first thing in the morning and this was at 2pm and with clothes.. Yippee..

They took after pictures of me and if I can get them some more pictures and write a testimony they are going to feature me in their May newsleter.. What a great feeling to be called a great success.. 

I am now 15 month + out from surgery.. I think this is going to be where I will stop with the weight loss.. I might loose a little more but I have been at this weight for many months now.. and to tell the truth I am very happy here.. I have went from a 5x in pants and tops to a size 10 in jeans and a medium in tops.. stretch pants, like I used to wear all the time, now have to be a size small in order to not fall off.. I never dreamed to be this size again.. This surgery has been the best I thing I have done for myself. I would do it again in a heartbeat..

Teresa B is not sure whether she wants to return to St Louis or not.. but it sure would be nice.. we had such a great day together yesterday and could make our trips together every year.. after all it is only once a year now unless there are any problems.. and Thank God, neither one of us have had any real problems with the RNY surgery..

Well Friday is another big day for me.. I am having another back surgery.. this time they are implanting a dorsal column stimulator on my spinal cord.. this will help with my pain and hopeful get me back to being able to get out and walk again and do some more exercises..

I return to my surgeon in November which will be my 2 year anniversary.  Until then I hope to maintain my weight and try to go for tummy tuck this summer.. ..if insurance oks it .. and we all know how that goes.. I will be jumping through hoops again..

I will try to update as things go along..

well MAY 23RD WAS 6 MONTHS OUT FROM SURGERY AND i HAVE SPENT IT IN THE HOSPITAL..ON MAY 2OTH I HAD WHAT WAS A MUSCLE SPASM AND WOUND UP NOT BEING ABLE TO WALK AFTER ATTENDING MY SUPPORT GROUP. I WENT TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM WHERE I WAS ADMITTED. ON THE 21ST WE FOUND OUT THAT OLD HARDWARE THAT WAS PLACED IN MY BACK IN 1995 AND HAD ALREADY HAD TWO SCREWS BROKEN FOR YEARS HOW NOW COLAPSED..I WAS GIVEN A LOT MORE TESTS AND SURGERY WAS SCHEDULED TO REMOVE THE OLD HARDWARE AND REPLACE WITH NEW. I WAS IN TREMENDOUS PAIN,SO MUCH SO THAT IF I MOVED I SAW STARS AND WAS ON THE VERGE OF PASSING OUT. AFTERCALLING MY SURGEON I WAS PLACED ON A MEGA AMOUNT OF STEROIDS AND PAIN MED MEANT FOR SEVERE CANCER PATIENTS BUT WITH  NO RELIEF. SURGERY WAS PWERFORMED AND ALL WAS THOUGHT TO HAVE WENT WELL. BUT NOW THE PAIN WAS WORSE IF THAT WAS EVEN THOUGHT POSSIBLE AND WAS RUNNING ALL THE WAY TO THE TOES. SO MORE NERVE INVOLVEMENT. AFTERDOING ANOTHER MYELOGRAM AND CT SCAN IT WAS FOUND THE NEW HARWARE HAD TWISTED AND ONE SREW WAS BENT AND COMING OUT OF THE SIDE OF ONE OF THE VERTEBRA . ANOTHER SCREW MAYBE A LITTLE TOO LONG ON POINT AND TOUCHING YET ANOTHER NERVE. ALSO ANOTHER DISC HAS DEGENERATED FARTHER UP AND THOSE SCREWS ARE NOT HOLDING,, MY BONES IN 6 MONTHS HAVE BECOME VERY BRITTLE AND ARE LEACHED FROM CALCIUM.. TAKE NOTE OF THIS GIIRLS.. I HAVE BEEN TAKING 1500MG OF BARIATRIC CHEW WITH VIT D CALCIUM DAILY VERY FAITHFULLY 3 X A DAY. I ALSO HAVE BEEN TAKING 50,000MG OF D 3 TIMES A DAY WITH THE CHEWS AS WELL TO ABSORB AS MUCH CALCIUM AS POSSIBLE AND MY BONES ARE STILL SOFT.. PLEASE TAKE YOUR VITAMINS THEY ARE SO IMPORTANT.,AFTER WE GET THROUGH THIS I WILL GO ON A DAILY SHOT FOR CALCIUM AND BONE BUILDING THAT IS STILL NOT FDA APPROVED BUT IS VERY MUCH NEEDED I WILL DO THAT FOR A YEAR A SHOT DAILY  THEN RECLAST A YEARLY SHOT AND I AM SURE INCREASE CALCIUM INTAKE TOO..OK BACK TO MY STORY. I STILL CANT WALK AS OF TODAY TUESDAY JUNE 1ST. THE DOCTOR WILL COME IN TODAY WITH THE DECISION BUT IT LOOKS LIKE ANOTHER SURGERY TOMORROW TO TRY TO NOT ONLY RELIEVE THE PAIN BUT TO TRY TO START ME TO BE ABLE TO GET OUT OF BED AND LIFT MY FOOT TO HOPEFULLY WALK AGAIN... i WAS WALKING 3 MILES A DAY BEFORE ALL THIS AND RIDING A RECUMBENT BIKE AND WALKING ON TREADMILL FOR AN HOUR AND DOIND WII FIT FOR AN HOUR AND LOTS LOTS MORE.,.I AM IN LIMBO NOW AND NOT SURE AS IS THE SURGEON NOT SURE IF I WILL WALK. BUT I AM NOT PARALIZED AND I AM ONE DETERMINED GAL. IF I CAN GET OUT OF THIS EXCRUTATING PAIN I WILL MOVE AHEAD AND DO ALL I CAN DO FOR EXERCISE,. I AM NOT ABLE TO WATCH CALORIES IN THE HOSPITAL BUT STICKING TO THE AMOUNTS OF FOODS AND THE DIETICIANS ARE DOING GREAT WITH SUPPLYING LOW SALT LOW SUGAR MEALS AND 4OZ AND I AM GETTING IN MY FLUIDS AND BENEFIBER(TOOK TWO WEEKS TO POOP WHEW) I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO KEEP MY PROTEINS UP TO 90 TO 100..MY HUBBY WILL NOT LEAVE MY SIDE. HE FEEDS ME AND WAITS ON ME LIE A QUEEN..THIS MORNING PAIN MEDS ARE JUST STARTING TO GET INTO SYSTEM AFTER ALL NIGHT IV WITH ANXIETY DRUGS AND LERICA AND EXTRAS BEING ADDED THIS MORNING TOO NOW SO I THOUGHT WHILE I WAS STILL LUCID I WOULD TRY TO UPDATE MY BLOG HERE,, TERESA B HAS BEEN SUCH A WONDERFUL ANGEL THROUGH THIS ALL POSTING ON THE FORUMS FOR ME EXPECIALLY MY HOME FORUM OF OVER 50 BMI...SHE IS MY BEST FRIEND AS I DO ALSO HAVE SO MANY MANY GREAT FRIENDS ON HERE. YOU ALL HAVE BEEN SUCH GREAT INSPIRTIONS AND HAVE GIVEN ME WONDERFUL ENCOURAGNMENTS AND AT TIMES LIKE THESE THE WILL TO GO ON..I LOVE YOU ALL AND I WILL UPDATE AGAIN AS I KNOW MORE..I HAVE LOST 125 LBS NOW AND THANK GOD WITHOUT THAT I MAY NOT HAVE MADE IT THROUGH THE 5 1/2 HOUR FIRST SURGERY OR THIS 2 1/2 HOUR SECOND SURGERY AT ALL.. GOD BLESS YOU AND PLEASE KEEP ME IN YOUR PRAYERS..,