My name is Tonette Powers and I am an HR Manager in Port Neches Texas (That's on the Gulf for all you Yankees)!  I have been in HR for about 20 years now and absolutely love it.  My life has been a real roller coaster... rough child hood, bad first marriage, good second marriage.  During my career, I have been told that no one would ever take me seriously because of my weight.  Unfortunately, appearances do matter.  Not only do I want to look 'normal', but I want to feel normal.  I want to play tennis with my twins.  I want to go to the park with my grand daughter.  I want to go out in public and not worry about what other people think.  I want to be happy and healthy!

10/21/06

Spoke to my surgeons nurse yesterday.  They finally got the approval letter from the Insurance Company.  They moved my surgery date from 11/13 to 11/06.  I'm getting really excited and nervous now.  My husband is a little apprehensive.  I think he's afraid I'll die and he'll have to raise the kids (3 teenagers) alone! lol - I say TOUGH!  I'm just trying to live.  Spoke to one of my best friends, she's afraid I'll get 'Skinny' and not want to be her friend anymore.  My other best friend, the one who got me started on this path, finally gave up trying to convince the insurance company to do the right thing and approve her and she decided to go self pay and Lap Band. 

I look forward to being a "Hot Mama" instead of a "Big Mama"! lol

10/26/06

Received my pre Pre-Op Packet from my surgeon today.  Boy, this thing is really going to happen!  WOW!  Filled out all the paperwork and I go for my pre-op appointment on Monday, 10/30, see my PCP on Wednesday, 11/01 and my surgeon on Wednesday, 11/01.  Also found out I have to pay $1000 cash to the surgeons office prior to my surgery for the surgeon's assistant as he is not covered by BCBS.  Weighed myself today, 251, down a pound.  WooHoo!  My surgeon still has not put me on a pre-op diet to shrink my liver and I'm 10 days out.  I certainly hope and pray he freally knows what he's doing!  See ya Monday.

11/02/06

4 days and counting!  I'm really excited, but scared to death.  Had my Pre-op at the hospital on Monday and all went well, except that i have anemia and a "fatty liver".  What the heck?  Fatty liver, what did he expect, "anorexic liver!?"  Met with my family doctor and she is so excited for me.  She went on about how much it will change my life and asked if she could visit me in the hospital.  Then I met with my surgeon for the final consult before surgery... not much of a bedside manner, but then I guess it's not his job to coddle his patients.  He explained to me that there is a possibility with Laparoscopic surgery that they could leave things behind.  Then they would have to perform another surgery to go in a retrieve them... what kind of things, I wonder!  There is always the possibility of death, although his mortality rate is 0.  Then, finally, we could go through all of this, then when they got inside of me, they could find out they wouldn't be able to perform the bypass afterall. 

Whooooooosh!  getting a little light headed!

Well, gotta run for now.  I started a liquid diet this morning (surgeon's orders) and system flush this afternoon.  My wonderful, supportive family is downstairs enjoying their pizza, while I sit here, enjoying the aromatic flavor of my "HalfLytely"!  WooHoo!

11/11/06

Home from the hospital yesterday evening.  I spent every day in the hospital in ICU.  Just a precautionary method by my surgeon.  The hospital staff was just wonderful.  Very caring and attentive, but didn't get all my phone messages to me.  Oh, well.  This was the roughest week of my entire life.  I was in so much pain the night of my surgery.  I had a huge gas bubble sitting just under the bottom of my ribs which made it very difficult for me to breath.  As a result, I ended up getting pneumonia in my left lung.  The only other major surgery I have ever had is a couple of C-sections 14 years ago.  I don't remember it being this bad.  I remember lying in the hospital bed the first night and following day, crying and begging God to allow me to live.  I truly thought I was dying.  You move past that though.  I am home now, very sore, but scared to death of getting a blood clot, or worse, or even of undoing the bypass.  I know this too shall pass.  I just need to keep my head held high and have faith that god will keep me safe.

11/16/06

Went to my surgeon for my 1 week follow-up.  He says I am progressing well.  I still have a lot of stomach tenderness and swelling, but he says in time it will get better.  I am not getting enough water in and my iron is still too low.  Having alot of weakness and I seem to be tired all of the time.  All I want to do is lie around and sleep.

Oh yeah, I've lost a total of 21 lbs so far!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

11/18/06

Been out of the hospital a full week now.  My doctor started me on "smooshies" today (soft, pureed foods).  Not too bad, but soft scrambled eggs absolutely do not seem to agree with me.  Mashed potatoes are okay, but pureed lasagna a little iffy.  I seem to be hungry all of the time and am really craving the "junk" that got me here to begin with.  Especially since my family is still eating it all regularly.  Now, I am really afraid that I am gonna get a blockage or just somehow rip my insides apart.  Graphic, I know.  Sorry!  I weighed this morning and have lost another 2 lbs.  WOOHOO!  Had more energy today.  Felt like kicking in and doing all sorts of things, but I know I can't just yet.  It was great to feel good though!

01/06/2007

It's been awhile, but I'm back.  I am exactly 2 months out today.  I weighed in this morning at 201, woohoo!  Going to Las Vegas for my Birthday on the 11th to celebrate my first big WOW moment.  Had a few ups and downs in the past couple of weeks.  The week before Christmas, I was in the ER with bad stomach cramps and nausea.  I'm okay.  It turns out I am lactose intolerant and my body seems to severely reject red meat.  (Started on solid foods the Thursday prior).  Oh well, I still enjoy fish and chicken immeasurably.  I eat alot of cottage cheese, chicken/fish and my protein shakes.  Not a lot of variety, but it is really helping me get past the "live to eat" thought processes.  I have more energy and surprisingly, not a lot of crankiness!  I don't get in much walking (or any at all! lol)  I work 12-14 hours a day and still too tired to hit the track.

07/04/2007
Well, I am now 2 days shy of the 8 month mark.  I currently weigh 154 lbs and have lost a total of 98 lbs.  I have not lost any weight in about 5 weeks, but a lot of that could be due to depression and loss of interest.  You know, the same ole stuff that made most of us gain so much weight to begin with.  I lost my job on 5/25 due to a selfish, unscrupulous sob.  I turned him in for unethical practices, and lost my job 3 days later. WOW.  Well, after that, I got custody of my two beautiful granddaughters, Trinity Grace 4 and Serenity Hope 1.  I spend all of my time with them and trying to find another job.  I am so exhausted most of the time that all I seem to want to do is sit on my (no longer shrinking) butt and watch TV.  And, oh yeah, the snacking is back.  It seems I am constantly putting something in my mouth, hungry or not.  Sometimes, I don't realize what I am doing until it is too late.  It's still the good stuff though, you know, cheese sticks, peanut butter and sugar-free popsicles.  Meals are a different story.  I have to cook every meal for my husband and he absolutely refuses to eat anything healthy.  It's frozen pizza, spaghetti, chili dogs, burgers and the like.  Any time I try to fix the family something healthy and delicious, no one eats it, everyone complains and I have to fix them what they want anyway.  I guess I could fix myself something seperate, but it's so much work and I have so little energy these days.  And forget about the exercise.  I can't get anyone to play tennis with me, not that I would have time with a 1 year old and the only way I can get in a workout is cleaning house during the baby's not long enough afternoon nap.  
WOW, do I sound depressing or what.  I think what I need right now is a lot of support, prayers and love and I will get through this.  I just have to remember why I had the surgery to begin with...