Jenna B.
During my pregnancy with my second child my husband, Jeff, and I had long discussions about WLS, once the baby was born I started to aggressively research and learn as much about the surgery as I could.
I have met several people who have had successful surgeries & being overweight all my life I felt that I needed something to help me finally beat my obesity. After losing thousands of pounds on several different weight loss programs but never being able to keep the weight off I was very frustrated and the more I learned about the procedure the more interested I became. This surgery seemed to be the tool I needed to help me maintain the weight loss.
The following are the appointments and consultations that I've completed as a requirement of the Saints Memorial Surgical Weight Loss Program. Once I've completed everything they will let me know if I am a candidate for WLS and then a request will be sent to my insurance Co. for a final approval.
Appointments, Consultations and General Information
11/11/03: Jeff and I went to see my PCP and discussed his feelings on WLS. He felt that I may be a good candidate considering my age and my family history with diabetes & high blood pressure. I had gestational diabetes though both my pregnancies & now I have high blood sugar so adult onset diabetes is just a matter of time. He referred me to Saint's Memorial Medical Center's Surgical Weight Loss Program and I spoke with Christine Lebrecque. I was given a consult date of 1/23/04.
01/23/04 Consultation: Jeff and I met the two surgeons at the hospital that do the procedure, Dr. Jeiser & Dr. Shen. The consult is an all day affair starting at 9:00AM and ending at 3:00PM. During this time we saw an informative film, spoke with the Nurses, the Dietitian (Janet Carter), and met one on one with the Doctors (Dr. Shen). Upon review of my information, possible co-morbities & my unsuccessful weight loss attempts I was told that I would be accepted into the program on a pleminary basis. Basically I have several other appointments I need to schedule, once the Dr. reviews the results of my appointments & tests I will be told If I am a candidate for surgery. The hospital will submit all my paperwork to Tufts for final approval and if Tufts approves the surgery then I will be given a date. I hope if all goes well I will have a date for the end of May beginning of June. My current weight is 290lbs.
01/31/04: I had all my bloodwork drawn at the hospital, one test down, several more to go!
02/04/04 Psychological Evaluation: I met with MaryBeth Sherrin for about 45-minutes. I was told at my eval that I would need about 3 appointments with her so she could decide if I was mentally ready for my decision and to make sure I had a handle on my eating habits. She was a lovely woman & I was very comfortable speaking with her. After our meeting she told me that she felt I had a very good understanding of the risks of surgery and she felt that I understood this was a tool to assist me in maintaining my weight loss. She felt my eating disorders were more related to stress, boredom and bad food choices. She thinks that my meeting with the dietitian will be benefical.
02/10/04 Appointment with PCP: General check-up, and to give him the request from Saints Memorial for the Letter outlining my weight history for the past 5-years along with his recommendation for Surgery.
02/18/04 Dietitian Appointment: I'm on my way; I went over my eating habits with the Dietitian (Janet Carter). I need to keep a food journal for about 5 days so at my next appointment we can see what my “problem areas” may be. She also suggested I start eliminating something to drink with my meals, and try to take about 30 minutes to eat each meal. She wanted me to try to lose a few pounds before my next appointment with an overall goal of 10-15lbs before surgery (If I’m approved). I need to start getting into the post-op eating habits now so it won’t be such a culture shock if and when I have the procedure. My "homework assignment" is to sample some of the protein drinks & be label conscious.
03/01/04 Hospital Appointments: I took the day out of work so I could get these tests done in one day. The Hospital Appointments consist of: an abdominal ultrasound, chest X-Rays, Upper G.I. Series, Cardio Echo & an E.K.G. It appears that I have a slight case of acid reflux (which may work in my favor as a co-morbidity). Overall the technicians said everything looked good. I had my gallbladder out back in 1989 so the good news is that is one less post-op complication to be concerned about.
03/09/04 Sleep Study: (check for sleep apnea) I think out of all the testing I’ve done so far this was my least favorite. I arrived at the hospital at about 7:15PM and got changed into a T-shirt & shorts. The technician then attached leads & wires to my legs, chest, face, behind the ears, and the back of my head. She also put a monitor on my finger to track my O2 levels. I sat up and watched TV until about 9:45 and then “went to bed”. She attached my wires to the monitors & I tried to fall asleep. The problem was every time I rolled over the wires tugged at my skin so I would wake up, the bed was a bit uncomfortable so my back was sore, and being in a strange environment I was very conscious of any strange noises from the hallway. I woke up about 5:30AM and she came in around 6:00AM to “unhook” me. I showered & then went to work. She said they would notify me with the results. The test itself honestly wasn’t that bad, it was just uncomfortable because of the wires & not being in my own bed at home.
03/16/04 Dietitian Appointment: I met with Janet Carter today for the second time. I was excited to find out I've lost 10-lbs since my last visit with her in February. We went over stage 2 of the post-op diet & my "homework" is to go one day and try to eat the pureed foods. We talked about the vitamins I will need to take & how much. She also gave me a couple of samples to take home & try. At the end of my appointment she said I was all set & she would let Christine know I’ve completed my meetings with her. I’m starting to get a little nervous now, I have only one appointment left and it’s a little less than 3 weeks away.
03/23/04: I've been approved & I have a date! I got the call this morning from Christine at Saints Memorial and Tufts has approved the request, my surgery is scheduled for 05/18/04 with Dr. Shen. I'm very excited and nervous!
04/05/04 Lung Specialist: to review the sleep study & Chest X-Rays. Everything looks good according to the lung specialist. I do have mild sleep apnea, but she doesn’t think it is necessary for me to go on a CPAP machine at night, she feels that the loss of about 30-40 pounds will resolve it.
04/30/04 Pre-Op Appointment: Meeting with Dr. Shen & Christine Lebrecque to go over the specifics of my surgery and preperations I will need to take, and how to take care of myself after surgery. They gave me a prescription for a laxitive to take the day before in order to "clean out the pipes" and for a patch to put behind your ear to help eliminate the post-op nausia. I've was also able to schedule my post-op appointments to meet with Janet Carter & Lisa the Nurse. I haven't lost anymore weight, but I'm down a total of 10lbs since my innitial appointment in January. My current weight is 280 lbs.
05/12/04 Pre-testing/Pre-Admission: Today was the day to complete the remaining paperwork for my surgery. I had my blood drawn, blood pressure taken, and my oxygen levels tested. I met with the Nurse that works with the Anesthesiologist so she could go over what I should expect. My surgery is scheduled for 8:30AM so I need to arrive at the hospital at 7:00AM. I’m glad I have such an early morning appointment. My dear friend Diana is taking some time out of work to help my husband with our girls and be there for moral support for the both of us. I can’t believe my surgery is only 6-days away.
05/20/04 I’m Home! My surgery took a little longer than expected because when I was 19 I had my gallbladder removed. Dr. Shen said there was a lot of scar tissue for him to work around but other than that everything looked great. He said he could tell I didn’t binge eat the days prior to my surgery because my liver looked great & wasn’t enlarged at all. Right now I’m feeling pretty good. I’m more soar than "in pain", but I’ve got liquid pain medication that helps a lot. My first follow up appointment is on the 28th with Dr. Shen.
05/22/04 Slight Relapse: Well I was feeling great up to Friday afternoon, the nausea came in waves & I started vomiting late Friday afternoon. Jeff got home around 5:00PM and I was running a temp at about 101. He called the Dr's office and left a message with the answering service. The Dr. returned our call right away and requested we go back to the hospital. They admitted me, hooked up a new IV and by midnight I was feeling better. They did X-rays and a new swallow test on Saturday morning & everything is fine. The Dr. thinks I'm allergic to the pain meds (Roxicet)and possibly have a touch of the flu. So I'm home again & hanging in there. I've been taking liquid tylenol in lieu of the pain meds so i'm uncomfortable, but I don't feel sick to my stomach anymore.
05/23/04: Just one more reason to love Dr. Shen. Here it is Sunday and he called and spoke with Jeff, to check up on me! How many Doctors do that these days?
05/25/04 One Week Post-Op: I feel great! I'm able to get the required 60grams of protine & I'm drinking at least 60ozs of fluid each day. I even took a drive to the drug store today to pick up some supplies. I do feel a little weak, and my incisions are uncomfortable, but overall all I feel wonderful!
05/28/04 Post-Op Follow Up: I've lost 16 lbs post op & I'm still feeling good. The Dr. has advanced my diet to pureed foods. Never thought Baby food would make my mouth water : )
06/15/04 Post-Op Follow Up: So far so good! I've lost another 11lbs. My total weight loss including what I lost prior to surgery = 37 lbs. My diet has been advanced to "real food" and for dinner I had chicken & cauliflower. I ate a little too much and had that after thanksgiving dinner feeling. Luckily I didn't get sick - but boy you really have to be careful and pay attention to what your eating. My current weight = 253 lbs.
07/01/04 Post-Op Follow Up: I've lost another 4lbs for a total of 41 lbs. I'm doing really well & haven't had many problems with food yet, but I have been super careful. My cloths are getting real big and I'm trying to hold off of buying anything until it's absolutely necessary.
07/16/04: I've lost another 9lbs since my last check up for a total of 50 lbs! I've officially reached my first goal & now to set another 50 lb goal. My BMI is down from 48.3 to 39.9 & I'm feeling great! My current weight = 240 lbs.
08/07/04: I've lost another 13lbs since I last posted for a total of 63 lbs! I'm wearing a size 18/20 jean down from a 26/28. Luckily I've gotten a lot of cloths from friends and through clothing swaps at my support group so I haven't had to buy very many things.
08/23/04 Dietitian Appt: I've lost another 5 lbs for a total of 67 lbs. I'm meeting my protein requirements but Janet suggested I have a high protein snack in the afternoon instead of depending on the protein shakes. Other than that she thinks I'm doing great so far.
09/01/04 3-Month Post-Op: My blood work came back "normal". My calcium levels are borderline so Lisa suggested I take 3-calcium supplements per day instead of the 2 that I'm taking now. My BMI is down from 48.3 to 36.8, my fasting sugar is down to 114 from 120, and my BP was 120/60. Total loss to date = 69 lbs
09/15/04: I've lost another 6 lbs since the last time I posted for a total of 75 lbs My BMI is down from 48.3 to 35.8. I have 25 more to go to reach my second goal! I was even able to buy a pair of cords at Old Navy :) It was very exciting!
10/06/04: My weight loss is starting to slow down and stabilize. I've lost 5 pounds since I last posted for a total of 80 lbs. My BMI is down from 48.3 to 34.9. My 18's are getting lose but the next size down is still a little snug. My current weight = 210 lbs.
10/18/04: Down another 7 pounds in almost 2-weeks. Total loss to date is 87 lbs. My BMI is down from 48.3 to 33.8. I'm able to zip a size 16 jean, and it doesn't look too bad.
10/31/04: I weighed myself this morning & I've made it to "One-derland". I've lost another 5 lbs since my last update for a total loss of 92 lbs! 8 more pounds and I'll update my "after" photo & become a member of the "century club". Current weight = 198 lbs.
11/19/04 6-month post op Appointment: I weighed in today at 190lbs. My total weight loss post op is 90lbs for a total of 100 lbs! I definitely need to update my after photo. I'm so very excited! My next goal is a size 12, I'm not sure what weight goal that will be, maybe another 20 or so pounds? Current weight = 190 lbs.
Here are the latest stats:
12/02/2004: I've lost another 4 lbs since my last check up for a total weight loss of 104 lbs.
12/22/04: It appears I've hit another plateau in my weight loss. My total to date is 105 lbs, and my current weight = 185 lbs. It's frustrating, but I'm not going to complain too much. I need to get back on track with my protine and water intake. I "forget" to eat a lot and I find my body realy holds onto the weight when I'm not eating enough. I finally got a new after photo taken that I've forwarded on to be uploaded to my profile, so any day it will be appearing.
12/29/04: Current weight = 183 pounds, and I’m stuck. Now that I’m 7 months out I find I can eat a little more of the "bad stuff" than before with no dumping. So through the holidays I confess I did just that. I have a follow up appointment with the new dietitian on 01/12/05. She asked that I keep a food diary for a week or two and I’ve noticed I’m not getting in nearly enough protein as I should which is the second half of my problem. Time to buckle down and stop goofing off, the goal Dr. Shen and I set before my surgery was to weigh 170 pounds, and I’m so close. Total weight loss to date = 107 lbs.
01/14/05: I had my appointment with the new dietitian today her name is Katherine. Janet had left a few months back and the patients she was dealing with were unfortunately left in limbo. I weight in at 181.5 pounds. We discussed my plateau & agree I need to exercise more. Unfortunately having 2 small children and working full time walking is the only exercise I can do, and since the weather has been crappy I haven‘t really been able to do that very much. She suggested more fun activities on the weekends with the kids which would be great because it helps me get in the exercise and spend quality time with my girls. Total weight loss to date = 108.5 pounds.
02/16/05: 9-month post op appointment I weighed in today at 179lbs. My total weight loss post op is 101lbs for a total weigh loss to date: 111 pounds! My blood work came back that my iron is low but other than that everything looks fine. My fasting sugar is down to 85 from the 120's. I've got about 9 pounds to go to reach the goal I had set before my surgery.
04/15/05 Dietitian Appointment: Well it looks like my motivation to start a work out routine has paid off, shortly after my 9-month follow up I started to an at home work out called “Walk Away The Pounds” by Leslie Sansone. So at my appointment today I weighed in at 174, which means I’ve lost 5 pounds since February for a total weight loss to date of 116 pounds! My goal was to weigh 170 pounds at my one-year post op appointment which is on May 13th, I hope I can lose these last 4 pounds before then.
05/13/05: One Year Check up! Looks like I made it and then some!! I weighed in today at 165 pounds for a total weight loss of 125 pounds! My blood work looks great and everything seems fine. Dr. Shen was very happy with my results. My current pant size is a 10/12 depending on the cut. My next appointment in this journey is with the plastic surgeon, Dr. Ali, on 05/25/05. I know I won't be able to have this surgery for a while but I want to start doing my "homework".
09/23/05: Just stopping in I just wanted to update my profile real quick. My Next appointment with the Dr. wont be until November, but I'm still feeling great & doing well. My current weight is about 157 pounds for a total weight loss of 133 pounds. I went shopping recently and my pant size is now an 8/10 depending on the style. The sagging skin is still bothering me but I need to save up some money for what the insurance wont cover for the surgery. Dr. Ali is pretty confident I can get the skin removal covered but I would have to pay the difference for a tummy tuck. I've decided that If I'm going to do that I want to go all the way and have a breast lift as well. We'll see what happens, but for now I'm just thrilled to be at the weight I'm at!
10/19/05: Just stopping in I'm still feeling great! Last night my husband and I took the kids shopping for Halloween costumes - and I was able to buy a "normal" size for me, it was so much fun! I weighted myself this morning and I'm currently 155 pounds for a total weight loss to date of 135 pounds. I'm going to need to update my photo again soon :)
11/23/05: 18-Month Check Up All of my labs came back fine & I'm still doing well, I weighed in today at 155 pounds for a total weight loss to date of 135 pounds! They were pleased that I've been able to maintain my current weight with only a 10-pound loss since my last check up 6-months ago.
Here are the latest stats:
11/29/06: Just an update: It has been a while since I've posted anything. At this time I'm going through the process of trying to get an approval for a panniculetomy/abdominoplasty. I had an appointment with Dr. Ali on 10/23/06. At that time we submitted the request for approval to Tufts. My PCP, the OBGYN and the Physical Therapist (I had an auto accident in June & had a lower back injury) all submitted documentation of medical necessity to the insurance company. I have since received a denial letter dated 11/17 from the insurance company stating that I do not meet the guidelines as outlined under the Clinical Coverage Criteria. So, on 11/27/06 I submitted a 2 page letter of appeal to Tufts outlining why I felt the decision should be reevaluated. I’m awaiting a response. If Tufts doesn’t approve the surgery I still plan to move forward with the procedure. My husband and I have agreed to use our 2006 Tax return to fund most of the procedure and I can finance the rest.
01/02/07: Happy New Year! I received the decision for my appeal to Tufts & they have denied my request. Basically they feel that because I don't have reoccuring skin problems then I don't meet the criteria. The NP at my PCP's office submitted a letter of necessity and the Physical Therapist from my accident had as well but they still denied my request. That being said, the procedure will be an out of pocket expense. As for my weight, I've back-slid over the holidays and I'm currently back up to 165lbs YIKES!! I've done quit a lot of snacking and nibbling on BAD foods but now that the New Year is here and hopefully all the junk food is gone out of the office I can get back on Track. For my own personal peice of mind I need to get back to 150lbs before I have my Tummy Tuck.
04/15/07: It's been a little while since I've been on here, things at work have picked up and my kids keep me hopping! Anywho... I've scheduled my tummy tuck and breast lift. I'm scheduled for May 3rd, which is less than 3 weeks away!! I've been researching and talking to others who have had this procedure and Im getting myself mentally and physically prepared. I've moved the recliner chair into my bedroom so I can sleep as comfortably as possible. I've also stopped into Target and bought 3 pair of inexpensive draw string sweatpants. My husband also picked up a couple of my favorite TV programs on DVD so I'll have something to watch while I'm down for the count. As for my weight, It has been fluxuating between 165 to 168 pounds. My New Year resolution of getting off 15 pounds kind of fell to the wayside. I'm not going to beat myself up too much, but I'm not going to let myself gain anything more. Once I'm back on my feet after the surgery it's walking & excercise videos again for me.
Here are a couple of dramatic photos of Jeff and I. The first was taken back in October of 2001 when I was at my heaviest - about 320 pounds. The second was taken in October of 2005 at a friends wedding I'm at my current weight - 155 pounds.
About Me
Before & After
rollover to see after photo
