Kimberly C.
June 6, 2008 - I'll be 43 years old this month. I'm married, have a 19 year old son, and have a grandson due to be born on July 1st! I've been over weight for about 34 years! When I was a child people thought my Mom didn't feed me because I was so skinny! I came down with a bone disease in my right hip when I was age seven. My activity level went way down. While the other kids were running and playing I hung with my Mom and her friends at the kitchen table. Grandma was a real good cook too! Loved going to Grandma's for breakfast! At age 10 1/2 the leg brace came off and I was already well on my way to being a chunky girl!
I never really got very active, and I definitely didn't learn good eating habits. Like most over weight people I have yo yo dieted more times than I care to remember! Each time I gained all of the weight back PLUS MORE! I usually did well on any diet for about three months then I crashed as usual. Now I am 5 foot tall and 247 pounds. I can not afford to gain any more weight. It is so hard to walk around sometimes that I fear gaining weight would be debilitating.
Last year I was re diagnosed with Pseudotumor Cerebri of the optical nerves. This is an unknown cause of increased spinal fluid pressure on the optical nerves which can lead to blindness if not managed. Pseudo means false so it acts as if a tumor was on the optical nerve because of the pressure from the fluid. I dealt with this around 1996 and thought it was ok now. Surprise, it isn't! I started experiencing eye pain again. Dr. Seirant is wonderful he is the eye doctor that diagnosed me. Him and my neurologist have been treating me with a drug called Diamox. The Diamox is a diuretic which keeps the pressure down. It is thought that obesity is a major cause of this disorder. They say that weight loss is the best solution. So once again I started dieting again in June of 2007. I started at 258 and got down to 235 pounds. I was seeing my family physician every couple months to monitor and document my progress.
I've been looking into Bariatric surgery for about 4 years. Up until this year my insurance has not covered it. Thankfully I started the documentation in June of 2007 so now that it is June of 2008 I have completed a years worth of documented weight loss attempts. I quit smoking in April which helped tip the scale back in the wrong direction which leaves me currently weighing in at 247. I had to quit smoking or Dr. Bacal said he wouldn't do surgery. I've been trying to quit for the past few years. I finally had to have a talk with myself to say either quit smoking, have surgery, and live a healthier life or stay smoking, don't have surgery, stay fat and unhealthy, and blame yourself because it was your choice not to quit so that you could have surgery! That did the trick! I quit cold turkey! :)
I went last week for a psychiatric evaluation! Hmmm, I bet she wonders how I am not running around completely crazy! I've had a few challenges in my life that I don't care to share on the net! However, I have always believed that we have a choice how we are going to handle things that happen to us in life! We choose to make our self miserable or to pick our self up, dust our self off, and move on to the next challenge!
Monday June 9, 2008 I have an appointment to see Dr. Bacal, and June 12th I have to attend a Gastric Bypass class. Terry the Bariatric nurse at Oakwood has been wonderful helping me get through my documentation process! She said that I would most likely have surgery on July 15th or July 22nd pending insurance approval.
I have decided that I want to have Gastric Bypass instead of the Lap Band for a few reasons. The Bypass is the most popular surgery and has been around for a while. The Bypass is restrictive as well as providing malabsorbtion. I know that the dumping syndrome happens with the Bypass but I view that as an extra tool! I know myself and I am a sugar/carboholic! I think the Bypass would be a better route for me to take! I also don't like the idea of having the band inside me for the rest of my life. I'm sure at some point that will cause a problem and need another surgery.
I am slightly concerned about the possibility of having vitamin deficiency, and about loosing weight faster resulting in more of an excess of skin. I have been trying to research the two issues and will talk more with Dr. Bacal. I will definitely take my vitamins like I am suppose to!
My Husband, my Dad, and my best friend are very concerned about me having this surgery. None of them are really glad about it. My husband thinks I am just fine the way I am which I love about him! He also fears that I will die and leave him alone. My Dad still thinks I can loose weight on my own. My friend Sherry is afraid I will die and wishes I would have the Lap Band instead.
My son really hasn't expressed how he feels. My Mom and friend Denise are supportive! Some of my coworkers are very supportive!
I hope and pray I can have the surgery and am ready to have it now!
Wish me luck! I should know very soon if I am approved and when I will have the surgery!
