Kats Krazy
I am just starting the process. Have been trying to get WLS for over a year now but have been going around in circles trying to find a doctor who will take my insurance.
As a mom of 3 special needs kids, I have to try to work in my doctor visits inbetween theirs. Not an easy things. I live in a small town between Jacksonville and Daytona. Most of the kids doctor appointments are in either Jax or Gainsville. On the road 3 to 5 days a week does not give a lot of time for me.
Gonna give this a shot though. Thanks to all that have helped so far. Will keep you updated. 
2-23-05
Well I have had my labs and my anemia is back. My TSH (thyroid) is also very high. My PCP has given me a perscripton for Folic Acid to help with the anemia. They upped the Sinthroid again. (ugh) I am at 2.5 mg. A very high dose.
I called today and scheduled my Psysc consult, my Pulm, and my Cardiologist. I am going down to Fort Lauderdale on the 23rd of March to do the seminar and all my appointments. Until then I am in a holding pattern hoping the anemia will go away and the synthroid will continue to do its thing. Bye for now. Kat
3-28-05
Pulm, Cardio and Psyc are all done. Pulm and Cardio cleared me on the spot. Psyc said 7 to 10 days. The pulm wants a sleep study so I got that set up today. I also finished my paperwork for Dr. Cox office today so I will send that in tomorrow. Hurry Up to wait Hurry up to wait. I feel like I am going in circles. My goal is to have a date by May 1st. Every time I see someone else with a date, my confidence slips a little more. My hubby says it will all work out. We will see. The sleep study is on Thursday so hopefully that will come back with no problems. I am overnighting my paperwork out tomorrow so that Dr. Cox will have it by Wednesday. I have an appointment with my PCP tomorrow and I know he is going to order more labs for the anemia. Just hoping that it will back off. More later.
Kat
5-02-05
Been a while since I have updated this. It took this long to get everything in the right hands. The last letter was finished by my PCP today. I faxed it over to Carey and he called me about an hour later and said I had been appoved by the insurance company. WOW that was fast. I should have a surgery date by the end of the week. It is moving soooo fast now.
5-5-05
Today, I got my new birthdate. My surgery will be 5-23-05 at Northridge Medical center. I will do pre-op on 5-19-05. I am too excited to think. So much to do. With 3 special needs kids, I have so many things to reschedule but it will be worth it. I have 18 days to get my life in order. Will update more when I have more news.
5-19-05
Well after a 5 hour drive to Ft Lauderdale, I have my pre-op. Another Pulm function test(why I dunno I passed the last one), 6 vials of blood, a chest x-ray and a consult with anestesia. All and all it wasn't bad. When I checked in, the guy at the hospital desk must have been new, he gave me my after surgey test paperwork and not pre-op. I noticed it while I was waiting and his supervisor helped him fix it.
After the pre op, it was over to Dr. Cox office to meet with him and to go over any questions that I had. I did my weigh in and got all my measurments done. The doc examined me and it turns out that I have a hernia right above my belly button. Because it is in the way of the insicion, he will fix it when he does the surgery. 2 for 1 deal. It has never bothered me so I didn't even know it was there. The doc went over the proceedure with me again and gave me 4 scripts. They are pain meds, sleeping pills, potassium, and an acid blocker for my tummy. All is a go for Monday.
5-20-05
Just got a call from the hospital. They said I had a 927.00 co payment due when I check in on Monday. I polietly told the lady to recheck her records and she will see that all co-payments for Medicare have been met. She did some checking and called back and said oops, her mistake. Not a good way to go into this. Then again if that is all that goes wrong, I will do the happy dance in her office.
5-23-05
Surgery. After being told to go to the emergency entrance of the hospital at 5:30 in the morning and them telling me they had no idea why I was told to go there, I made it to the right place. From there is was hurry hurry hurry. After bloodwork, an iv and changing in to a gown they were already ready for me in the or. The doctors wife/nurse asked me one last time if I was sure I wanted to do this. I remember telling her I am scared but yes I do. I remember waking up in ICU and my hubby being there the rest of the day was a blur.
5-24-05 I was moved to the main floor today. I got up and took my first walk. I didnt walk on the day of surgery because I was ill. So today I walked and walked and walked. I feel like a truck has run over me. They keep bringing me broth and jello and other liquids and the thought of them is enough to make me puke.
5-25-05 Today I got rid of the Pca machince which is the machine that gives you morphine. Boy I realy feel the being hit by a truck feeling now. Vicodin don't do near what the morphine does but I will make it through. I managed to get a couple of sips of broth and tea down.
5-26-05
My hubby will come to see me today. Because my surgery is out of town and we have 3 special needs kids, I am basically on my own. I think I am getting depressed because I don't want to get out of bed. Just want to be left alone. I bit the poor nurses head off when she tried to get me to eat. Why oh why did I do this to myself. Hubby comes and I try to cheer up for him but he sees through the act. He keeps telling me it will get better. Right now I just want to be left alone. He took me to the support group meeting in the hospital meeting area. I introduced myself and got a standing ovation for being there only 3 days post op. Big deal.
5-27-05
Today, I should go home. Instead of going home I get to go to a hotel room. I have to stay intown until my g-tube is out which will be next Thursday. 6 nights in a hotel alone because hubby has to go back home today. He picked me up at the hospital and we went to the grocery and got foods that I might want. We then went to circit city and got a dial up modem so that I could get online. After getting me settled in the hotel, hubby left More and more I am wondering why oh why have I done this to myself. I just want to go home..
5-28-05
I refused to get out of bed this morning. I didn't take my meds or anything else. No tv no lights nothing. My mom called when I was laying there crying in pain wondering if any of this is going to be worth it. She told me to suck it up and go on. That I have had the surgery and there is no way to go back now unless I want to have another one. While she was on the phone she made me go shower and wash my hair and then take my meds. I am still waiting for the why I did this to kick in but hopefully soon. I promised mom that I would eat something so I am going to go look in the kitchen and see whats there. I am also going to make myself walk around the hotel and get some exercise. Maybe it will help.
5-29-05
Well I sucked it up and went on. The day did get better as it went on. Today has been an ok day. I am sore but not in agony. Food is still tough but one small step at a time. I am actually nibbling on turkey and cheese as I type this. Went to the hotel laundry and did my clothes today. Down to my last clean pair of undies I guess it was time. Still not sure that this surgery was the best thing to do, but it is done now I have to live with the decision.
6-2-05
I gave up trying to do day by day so will update as I can. I am home now and things are a little easier. The ride home was a nightmare. 5 hours in the car with it pouring rain. We stopped about 1 1/2 hours into the drive at an Applebees. I ordered some chicken bites and got about 2 of them down. The rest I brought home.
6-3-05
Well my recoup time was short lived. I just got back from the local ER. My g-tube hole sprung a major leak. I was gushing stomach ick. They put 2 stiches in the site where the g-tube was. I can't get that smell out of my nose. YUCK!!!! Don't think I will attempt to eat till much later.
My kids came home today. They are early cause my daughter is ill with a massive infection in her ears and sinuses. She did nothing but cry today and finally my ex mother in law gave up and called me. I said bring her home. Atleast it gives me something to focus on beside myself. 
6-9-05
Today was a test for me. My youngest had to go to the ENT in Jacksonville which is about 80 miles north of me. Hubby got called in to work so that means I was on my own. Normally the drive does not bother me but today I was worried that I would have problems. Everything went fine.
Eating is not easy for me still. It is not that I can't get anything down, it is nothing even remotely looks or sounds good. I am trying to do what I should but I am going nuts trying to get food and fluids in. I am pushing the fluids more cause I figure that if I get dehydrated it will make things worse. I got all my meds in today which is a goal for me. I also got 3 meals in which has not happened since I got out of the hospital. Maybe I can do this.
6-10-05
Oh boy, I dumped on water. Simple water. I think I drank to much at one time and it came right back up. Boy that is a nasty feeling. So I started again from the basics. Warm liquids to calm the pouch then some chicken. What a day. I went to bed and just cried because I am frustrated. Tomorrow will be better
6-11-05
Breakfast and lunch no problem. Dinner rut roh. I had chicken that I covered in mozz cheese and made like a chicken parm. It went down and within 10 min it came up. Again I think I ate too fast. It rained here all day today due to TS Arlene. Made for a very long Saturday. Tomorrow will be better. I think I have let myself get dehydrated so I am working on getting alot of fluids in today. I feel like I am going to float away.....
6-15-05
Today is my and hubbys 4 year anniversary. I have had a rough couple of days. I have an infection in my incision site and had to start antibiotics. If the incision does not clear in a day or so (4 days on the meds) then I have to go to the local ER and have them cut it back open and drain it. Not something I am looking forward too. I dumped last night on chicken broth. I am so fed up with not being able to get food in that I am ready to just quit eating. Today was the first day I was hungry so I made some tuna salad. 3 bites in to it and it all starts comming back. So today has been a waste food wise. Gonna try some chicken that I have cooked in the crockpot for dinner.. Hubby and I were going to go out but he just got called into work again. Oh well. I would be upset if we went out to eat and I dumped in a resturant. Maybe God is telling me to stay home. Oh I did weigh at the peds office today when I took my son for his pre-op physical. According to their scale I am down 30 lbs. Maybe something good is coming of this.
6-24-05
Well another wasted day in the ER. Yesterday I started vomiting, well after about the 4th or 5th time I started to get worried. I called the doc and there was a new girl in the office and he never got the message. After about 10 times of getting sick, I stopped all food and water. Nothing going down, nothing coming up. Made since to me. Well after trying to go to sleep last night, I developed a pain in my belly right under my rib cage. It hurt sooo bad. I toughed it out till about 6 this morning and then called the emergency number for the surgeon. He is so awesome, He always answers it himself after hours. Well he told me to get my butt to the ER and now. So I did. 11 hours later, 1 cat scan. 8 tubes of blood 4 needle sticks and one major needle I am home again.
Seems I have fluid collecting around my incision site. The can see this on the cat scan. So they took a needle and inserted it into my abdomen and drained some of it. It seemed to take some of the pressure off. The also gave me 5 bags of liquid while I was there because I was so dehydrated. So now I am home again with more bruises and am afraid to eat because I don't want to get sick. Going back to the basics of broth again for a day or two. 1 month and 1 day out and I am still wondering why I have done this to my body. Will it ever get better?
6-29-05
Think things are looking up. For the past 2 days no dumping at all. I have managed 3 meals a day and today even got close to the 64 oz of water. Still trying to do a little more each day. Bad news is I talked to the doc yesterday and because of the incision he won't let me go back to work for 3 to 6 more weeks. Kinda hard when you are the co owner of a busines. Least my partner is understanding about things.
My son had surgery yesterday. Even with traveling to the hospital and the stress of him being under, I still managed to get all my meals in. I feel like I have accomplished something.
7-5-05
Have had some bad days since I last updated but back on the good side again. I got in 70 oz of fluids today and 3 meals. Protein is still way lower that what I need but I just can't do shakes or powders. Every time I do I throw up for 3 days straight. I made a big step today toward my future. I went and registered for college today. I go on the 12th to take my entrance test. My next appointment with my surgeon is July 14th.
7-15-05
Well I missed my appointment with the surgeon. Why?? Because I have been in the hospital for the last 3 days. Won't go in to the long details but the end reason was that my potassium was so low that I had a twisted bowel. I was also severly dehydrated. They gave me mega doses of potassium and 11 bags of fluids in 3 days. I am home and stuggling back at stage 1 again but determined I am going to do this.
Have no idea how much I have lost but I am down 3 underwear sizes and 3 shirt sizes so must be good. I have an appointment with the doc again next Thursday so hopefully, I will have a number to go with the close sizes next time I update.
7-21-05
Well today was my big weigh in with the doc. I am down 47 pounds total. My primary doc had put me on some steroids and it may have halted the weight loss a little. I am happy with 47. He says is it really good progress. He is worried that I can't keep anything down so he ran some tests and I have thrush all down my throat and into my pouch. It makes for a very grouchy pouch. So new meds and he even wants me to add some fruit juices (yippeee). 10 hours in the car 800 miles. I am done.
7-31-05
Nothing has changed. I have been on the antibiotics for 10 days and still I throw up almost every meal and alot of my fluids. Today (Sunday) The doctor calls me and tells me he wants me in the hospital tomorrow so that they can run some tests. With the kids, there is no way I can just drop every thing and drive 400 miles to be put in the hospital. The doc agreed that this week would not work for me so next Monday I go back to the hospital for a scope to check for problems. The doc is calling in some new meds in the morning for me to see if they can atleast help. I am so down tonight I am wishing that I had never done this. For the past 9 weeks I have felt like a truck has ran over me and continues to just keep backing up and doing it again. Now I am facing going under anestesia again. Not a happy camper. Is the 50 pounds worth it??? Only time will tell...
8-2-05 The hell only gets worse. Today I kept down breakfast which was some strawberries and lunch which was some grits and bacon with cheese.. Then all hell broke loose. I took the kids to the beach and got really light headed so we headed home after about 90 minutes. The minute I walk in the door I start to heave. The only thing on my stomach at that point was water. After tossing my water till I thought I would die it finally settled. SO I waited a while and tried some Orange Juice. Same thing about 10 minutes and I was running to the bathroom. This process went on for about 4 hours. Finally about 7 pm I decided (why I don't know) to try food. BIG MISTAKE!!!! I got about 3 bites of steak down and I got so violently ill that I pulled a stomach muscle and a groin muscle. Every since then every thing I eat or drink comes back. I can't even get my meds in. The doc says coat them with honey and they will stay down.. Nope even that does not work. So about 9 pm I call him and he tells me to go to bed with a heating pad and try to sleep. Before I go to bed he wants me to take an Ativan to see if it will settle the tummy.. No go. It won't go down. So I lay down and napped a little till about midnight and then got up. Finally got the ativan down and it is helping some. I am about ready to give up.
8-7-05
It is early 6 am on Sunday morning. In the past week it has not gotten much better.. I do have good days like Friday where I only got sick 1 time and was able to get 3 meals in of Wendy's chilli. Then there are days like yesterday where I only got in 1/2 of a hot dog and a 1/2 peice of toast. Did get in 33 oz of fluid so getting a little more. The down side to this is I threw up a total of 42 times yesteday. 99 percent of it was fluids because I would take a sip of something and then it would come back to haunt me.
Today hubby and I are taking the kids to the Waterpark for a day in the Florida sun. Hoping to be normal (what ever that is) today. I just want to be able to play in the water and have fun with my family. Being so ill since surgey I have missed that so much.
Tomorrow hubby and I am driving back down to the Doctors area and being admitted into the hospital. They are going to do a scope on Tuesday to see what is going on in Oscar my pouch. Hopefully they will figure out what the problem is and it will be a quick fix.
8-11-05
Well I went back to Ft Lauderdale Monday and checked into the hospital. My dehydration was so bad they had the iv pump running at 300 m/l per hour from the moment I got there. They did the scope on Tuesday about noon. It was scheduled for 8:30 but as I am laying on the scope table waiting, they called from the sleepy docs (not going to attempt to spell it) and said they had an emergency and could we reschedule.
When they did the scope they found that my stoma was open to about the size of a pencil lead. They couldn't get the scope to go down at all. They did the balloon and reopened it and checked Oscar (my pouch) for holes or defects. He seemed to be in perfect working order.
They kept me again Tuesday night due to the dehydration issue not being resolved even after being on continuous iv for 24 plus hours. I came home yesterday and am so tired all I want to do is sleep. The doc says to listen to my body and let it lead for now. So I do a little and lie down sip sip sip eat and start again.
Still not feeling 100 percent but I am determined to make this work. I have not been sick since I have been home although the desire to is very high. This is the heads doing versus the body. I have gotten so used to throwing up after I eat that it is now engrained in me. It is a battle that I am determined to win.
8-16-05
The battle continues. For the first day or so after my scope I was able to eat and just feel like I was going to be sick. Well it has gone beyond the feeling now. I am throwing up again. Yesterday I got 5 bites of steak and about 16 oz of water down all day. Today has been zero food kept down and about 10 oz of water. Have called the doc again. I feel like I am losing my mind. I know this was not suppost to be easy but need something to go right.
8-25-05
I ended up in the ER again with severe pain in my stomach and back. I had not gone pee in 2 days. They finally got a urine sample and my kidneys have an infection. I also have a UTI. After 3 bags of fluids and a iv round of antibiotics they asked me if I wanted to stay or go home. Always sleeping better in my own bed I chose to go home. I am still throwing up and cant get more than a bite or two of food down. I will be 14 weeks out on Monday and I am still wondering what the hell and why the hell have I done this to my body.
8-29-05
Well let's try the ER again. The pain on a scale of 1-10 is a 225548. I have not kept anything down in 2 days. Have not had a bm in too many days to count. The kidney infection is still going strong and I am miserable. Walked in to the ER (they know me by name by now) the nurse took one look at my face as I was in tears and almost hysterical from the pain and she took me straight in to triage. After taking my vitals my bp was 210/120. She didn't even ask me any questions, called to the back and said I have a code 1 now. The doc (whom I also know) met me at the door to the exam room. Looked at my face and at the fact I was doubled over in pain and told the nurse in charge I want 10 of morphine and an iv in now. Within 15 minutes of walking in the door I had morphine and fluids going.
I am still dehydrated and I now have adhesions on my pouch and my old stomach. What this means I have no idea. My surgeons office was hit by a hurricane 2 days ago so everything there is a mess. Have left a message for them to call me when they can. Till then I live on pain meds and anitbiotics.
8-31-05
Today is my daughters 9th birthday. I over did it today with shopping and cooking dinner. She enjoyed her birthday totally which makes it all worth it. The kids have been through so much worry with me in the past 14 weeks that I needed to make today special for her. It was very very important to me.
There is good news. I have not thrown up in 2 days. Count them 2.... Still not getting a hell of a lot in but anything is better than nothing. I find that I do better late night trying to eat than any other time of the day. I think it is because it is finally quiet here and I am not so stressed. The more stressed I am the harder it is to eat and keep it down. The kidney infection seems to be healing although slowly. Only one Percocet today, which is a good thing. For a while there I was popping them like they were candy. I don't like pain. Keeping my fingers crossed that tomorrow will bring day 3 with no vomiting.
9-5-05
Well I didn't make it 3 days. I started throwing up again on Thursday. It is now Monday and it hasn't stopped. I called the doc's office and they want to put me in the hospital and run a bunch of tests. So next Monday the 12th I am going down to Ft. Lauderdale to get this done. The doc thinks it is a twisted or blocked bowel or an ulcer. We shall see.
Good news is that yesterday we had a birthday party for my daughter. It was at my ex mother in laws house. Everyone there kept commenting on my weightloss. My father in law goes Damn your hot. All I could do was grin. The look on their faces made it all better if only for a little while. The only bad thing is
