• Username: vellenturner
  • Location: New Albany, IN, USA
  • Member Since: 2/26/2009
  • BMI: 42.0
  • Surgery date scheduled
  • Surgery Type: RNY (08/21/09)
  • Surgeon: Mark A. Shina, M.D.
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Goals

to feel healthy and normal in my body.

1 Person
 in progress, 
0 People
 achieved this

be able to have a normal weight and walk with my dogs.

1 Person
 in progress, 
0 People
 achieved this
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Surgeon Testimonial

Mark A. Shina, M.D.
He is very interested in making sure you are a success. He answers questions with a straight forward attitude. The office staff seem interested in you and what is happening with you. So far I haven't found anything I don't like about Dr. Shina. Dr. Shina emphasizes aftercare a lot! It is a structured aftercare program. He does address the risks of this surgery. I would rate Dr. Shina way up there, very close to a 10. Surgical competence is very important with bedside manner second. So far I have not been disappointed, but I understand he has put some people off with his lack of bedside manner. I understand he will not be holding my hand and babying me, that I have to do the work to be successful. I want to do this for me and would hope he would feel good about my success.
Latest Surgery Support Comments

  • Comment by Michael S. on 8/21/09 1:32 pm
    Congratulations on your Weight Loss Surgery! I hope all went smoothly! May you have a speedy and uneventful recovery! I’ll move down and make a spot for you on the loser’s bench!
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vellenturner's Blog
vellenturner's Blog


Over 2 years now and still a size 14 - but did gain 15...
on October 12, 2011 11:53 am
I had some health issues this summer.  I was having problems with very low blood pressure.  I would stand up from a sitting position and feel the 'tunnel' heading my way.  I thought sure I would pass out.  I would stand still, put my head down and breath deeply.  The feeling would then subside.  This started happening in March and by June it was all the time.  Then one night in late June I got up from the bed and walked to the hallway and that is the last thing I remember until 15 minutes later my husband found me face down on the rug in the hallway in a pool of blood.  I had busted my lip pretty badly and also busted my nose.  It took awhile for the bleeding to stop.  I waited until the next day to go to the doctor's and by then my lip was so swollen and sore and my eyes were black and blue.  The doctor checked my blood pressure and did not like the numbers that came up and the fact that I didn't remember going down.  They sent me to the hospital for an overnight stay to run a lot of tests which lasted 3 days.  It wasn't my heart and it wasn't my head.  What they found was my adrenal glands that are sitting on top of my kidneys had completely stopped working.  Stress and other things had caused my adrenal's to shut down.  They help regulate your blood pressure.  I had been craving salt, I MEAN CRAVING salt for months.  I didn't tell the doctor that I was craving salt as I didn't know it was a sign of adrenal failure.  But I had other symptoms like total exhaustion, sleeplessness and and drinking lots of water.  They put me on 5 steroid pills a day to attempt to kick my adrenals into gear.  They tested me again in August and cut my steroid usage down to 3 pills a day as the adrenal's were still not up to par.  I am down to 1/2 a pill a day and hope the next test I have will show I can get completely off.  I still have 'funny' feelings now and then, but they pass very quickly and they aren't as bad as they were before.  I have more energy and feel better but I was hungry all the time on 5 pills a day.  That has slowed down but it did put 15 pounds on me.  Now to get back to the beginning and lose those 15 pounds.

I hope everyone is doing well.  I tell everyone I meet that I would do the surgery again in a heart beat and I mean it!  This has been a blessing, I'm on less medication then before, and I feel good about myself.  I hope all of my friends who have the same new 'birthday' are doing as well.

Vera-Ellen Turner

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Happy at Size 14!
on January 25, 2010 10:38 am
I am happy right where I am at the moment.  I have a lovely size 14 wardrobe and want to enjoy wearing these clothes for a while.  I am currently eating a little bit more to stay where I am in weight.  If I only go to a size 12 I will be happy.  Even if I don't get there, I am happy.  I am so glad I had this surgery.  It will help me stay where I want to be.  I have no more back pain and sleep well.

 
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Under 200! Reached my first goal!
on November 10, 2009 10:18 am
I stepped on the scale yesterday morning and weighed in at 198.5!  I was dancing on the ceiling!  What a feeling it is to be under 200.  I've been getting some walking in everyday and that helped me push past my first plateau.  I was hovering around 200 for 3 weeks!  I am finally all healed too.  The area where the drain was has taken over 2 months to heal!  It now has scar tissue over it.  Up until this week, it still had a scap over it.  I was wondering if it would ever really heal.  But it did, finally.   I need to start using vitamin E and rub on the spots to keep the scar tissue from being so hard.  I've been doing well with the eating plan and haven't had to worry about any strange cravings.  What a blessing that is.  I will be going to a Thanksgiving dinner but don't think it will be a problem.  I'll eat what my body says it needs and that will be that.  The size 16's are getting very baggy on me, so I guess for December, I'll be looking into size 14 clothes.  I'm down 76 pounds this year!  My doctor was so pleased a couple of weeks ago that I was down 73 pounds, but now it is more.  I only have 38 more pounds to go and I will be at goal.  I may reach that before my birthday!  I'm so glad all the bumps are over and I'm on track for being healthy.  The first part of next year will be a period to investigate a back surgeon.  Gee, I'll have a whole new body!  Whatever shall I do with it?  LOL
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Moving on down the scale at this point. Goody,...
on October 19, 2009 1:56 pm
It has been a while since I wrote.  I had to have 2 endoscopes to have the stricture stretched.  Since then, if I eat too fast, it doesn't stay down.  It isn't that I'm not chewing, it is that I'm eating too fast.  I definitely have to eat slow and steady.  I'm down 67 pounds this year, 34 since the surgery.  If I keep this up, I will be under 200 by the 28th of this month!  Gee, I haven't been in that range in a good 20 years!  I'm fitting size 16's perfectly and X-LG tops.  I had to go out and get a whole new wardrobe as I had no 16's in my closet.  Of course I hit Goodwill and New Hope thrift store.  I found a real bargain at the New Hope Thrift store in Clarksville, IN.  Liz Clairborne pants, 5 pairs in 16 for $1 a pair!  Couldn't pass that up and they fit perfectly and were in excellent shape.  It was like finding a gold mine!  

I've had 2 WOW moments since returning to work.  Two people told me how young I looked.  That was nice.  Everyone had to make comments about how 'skinny' I was getting.  Well, it isn't over yet, so watch out world.  I've been sending my clothes to a friend who is losing and is a bit behind me.  I hope she gets some use out of them.  

The only problem I have is making sure I get all the vitamins and minerals in and all the water.  The protein isn't a problem.  I've been on so many low carb diets that protein first is a habit and easy to follow.  I am glad I can finally eat fruites and vegetables now.   

I've been swimming at the 'Y' and walking when I can.  I may even take up skiing again at this rate!  Who knows?

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Gastroparesis - new diagnosis.
on September 30, 2009 8:12 pm
 Gastroparesis    I don't know if they will find anything tomorrow.  At least now I have medication to handle it.  Maybe the surgeon will find something and maybe not.  But at least I feel better about the problem.  And yes, it is a problem.  I hope to get over this soon.
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