Lori Cooper
Hello everyone, I have been interested in WLS for about 3 years but never really got serious about it until January 2006. I called a local Dr. that wouldn't even let me into the seminar because i was not 100 Ibs over weight so i gave it up until i was in Krogers at the Service Desk and the girl working there was talking about that she had just had it done and that she felt great, so i ask her who her dr. was and then i came home pulled him up on the internet and then called his office first thing Monday morning and went that Thursday to the seminar and knew then that the Lap Band was the one for me. So i filled out my paper work on Jan 26th, 2006 and waited on the call from the Dr.s office to see if i was a good candidate after he reviewed my file and sure enough the next day i had an appointment to meet with him. I was so excited.
I went to see Dr. Wheeler on February 6th, 2006. He talked with me and explained everything to me and i knew it was what i wanted to do. I was so happy i cried all the way home. I was set up to have a endoscope done on Feb. 18th, 2006.
Feb. 18th, 2006 i had the endoscope done with everything being really good. Signs of some past ulcers but no big deal. Next i will need to meet with the psychiatrist, nutritionalist and then get my PT eval that will all be done on Feb. 28th. Once that is all completed and results back then they will be ready to submit to insurance. I am really nervous. i want this so bad. i want my life back.
Feb. 28th, 2006. Well i did all the rest of my testing. I passed everything. The psychiatrist stated that i was normal and my husband begged to differ. hahaha. He said he wanted a second opinion. He is so crazy, but i love him. He is great. Now i will wait for everything to be submitted to my insurance. I have a follow up appointment with Dr. Wheeler on March 13th, 2006.
Well it is now March 13th, 2006 and i have met with Dr. Wheeler and he ask where my test results were for my gallbladder. Didn't know that i was suppose to have one done so he wrote me an order and luckly i could have it done locally. So that was easy. So now it is the waiting game. I will call insurance in 2 weeks to see where i am at.
It has been about a week and a half and i received a letter from my doctor saying that everything was submitted by fax on March 20th, 2006 and that i could start calling Insurance in about 2 weeks. Boy was that a long 2 weeks. Well i started calling and everyday several times a day all i heard was it is in review with no decision made. I thought that i would have a heart attack waiting. So on April 17th, my husband called for me that morning. With work i could not call, i am a receptionist and answer 8 lines all day so kinda hard. When he called still no answer. So i came home for lunch and of course called again and was told that my file had been finalized and that i met all criteria. i said does that mean that i am approved and she said she would think so but i had to wait my letter. I hung up with my husband thinking that i had got the usual answer of no decision and i started jumping up and down and crying. He was laughing and said i take it you got approved. Well i was and am still on cloud 9. When i got home from work for the evening i had to call one more time just to hear it again and the lady said you have to wait on your letter so i hung up called back again and ask them is it an approval or not and the lady said congratulations, you are approved. So i called my Dr. and left a message and they called me back. I go for the mandatory nutritional class on April 25th, and then to my PCP for a pap test on May 1st, and then for my pre-op appointment on May 10th. My doctor is gonna be out all next week so it kinda delays things but that is okay i know that i am gonna get it so what is a couple of weeks. So i am hoping for maybe May 18th or 25th. I am so excited. I have had a couple of people say well if you cut back on your eating you could lose weight, that makes me want to rip their head off and shove it up there a__. They don't understand what i have been through and why i am like i am. I was always able to control my weight until 1997. I was diagnosed with PCOS and boy did i ever go through it. I went through menopause at the age of 21. Had a hysterectomy at the age of 24. I just had heart surgery in December of 2005 at the age of 29. I am doing really good now. I am in the beginning stages of Diabetes Type 2, it is not full blown yet but i got alot of symptoms. This is gonna be my cure all. I never thought that with PCOS and having a hysterectomy that PCOS could still haunt me. I have gained about 90 Ibs that will not budge. So i am so ready to do this and get my life back along with my self esteem. I will keep you all updated when i get my date for sure.
April 21st, 2006
Well i haven't got a date yet. They are making me get a pap test done first, so i have that scheduled for May 1st, and then i go for my Pre-op visit to my doctor on May 10th and then i will get my date. I can't stand waiting. i just want a date. I called and requested May 25th so i could have an extra day off with pay on memorial day.
April 25th, 2006
I went to the mandatory nutritional class. I learned alot. I spoke with Deana the RN and she moved my appointment with Dr. Wheeler from May 10th to May 1st. I cut out pop and sugar.
May 1st, 2006.
I got my date. I have surgery on May 11th on a thursday. I can't wait. i am so excited. I dont' know what time yet i have to call the day before and get my time. I go this monday to get a chest x ray and blood work done. I am can't wait to start losing. Will post soon.
May 8th, 2006
I just came back from the hospital to have my blood work done and chest x ray. They went ahead and pre registered me so when i go in on thursday i am ready to go. I have butterflies so bad. i am not nervous i am so excited i can't stand it. I have already went through all of my skinny clothes and hung them up so when i start dropping it will be exciting to see what fits. An RN at my work got me a gift certificate to Victoria Secrets for when i hit 20 Ibs lost. That was nice of her. i can't wait to go spend it but i will probably wait until i have lost more than 20 Ibs. I bet my husband will enjoy it also. hahah. I will write soon.
May 12th, 2006
Well i am now officially a bandster. I went in yesterday morning at 8:30 and my surgery started at 10:30 am and lasted until 11:30 am and i was in recovery for 1 1/2 hours and then i went to my room. I was there until 7:00 pm and then was released. We left the hospital and drove 45 minutes home had to stop on the side of the road once with dry heaves but was only gas not vomit thank god. I believe i am allergic to morphine. I done that a couple more times last night and the gas pain was unbearable but once i got some of it out it really eased alot. I took some liquid Loritab and sleep really good through the night. I got up this morning got ready and went with my husband to my mother in laws to mow grass (i sat and watched). Then we went to Krogers and walked around. i can't believe how good i feel. I am very sore but not much gas pain today at all. I got on the scales this morning and have already lost 2 Ibs. How exciting is that. Well i will keep you posted.
May 13, 2006
Well today was not that good of a day. I was very sore and constipated. That is such an aweful feeling. I am gonna go back and lay down. I have walked alot today. I did manage to take a shower and wash my hair.
May 14th, 2006
Today is a much better day. I went to my grandma's they had a dinner. It wasn't has hard as i thought it would be not being able to eat. She had soup beans and so i ate some of the broth. It was actually pretty satisfying. I am still having some gas pains but not to bad. I have lost 5 pounds as of this morning. Well i will keep you posted.
May 21st, 2006
I am doing really great and am down 8lbs. This has been so easy and am loving my band more everyday. This is the best thing that i have ever did for myself. My husband has been absolutely wonderful in helping me and i thank him very much. I went to my cousins graduation and then party after. I was able to eat alittle of the baked beans, pasta salad. It was so cool for once in my life i did not over eat or keep stuffing myself and then feeling guilty about it. I felt good and felt as if i had some control over eating.
May 24th, 2006
I went back for my 2 week check up. Doc says that i am doing great and that the thing for me is to not get frustrated because i am not as big as alot of patients that have this done and that it will be a slow process. I am glad that i will be losing instead of gaining so i can deal with it being slow. I have control over how much i can eat and that means a great deal to me. I am so glad that i have done this. I go for my 1st fill on July 5th, i don't know how it will go so i went ahead and took the whole day off work. Well by the doctors scales i have lost 6 lbs, but by mine i have lost at least 8.5. I think i like my scales better, hahaha. Well i will keep posted.
June 25th, 2006
Well it has been about a month since i last posted. I have been really busy working at my mother in laws on the weekends and then working on my own house, i have been helping my grandma get ready for a big family reunion which was yesterday. Plus i have been working 40 hours a week. I started this journey at 243 1 week before my surgery and i now am at 225. That is 18 lbs. I am happy with that. It is a slow lose but it is so much better than a gain. I go for my first fill on July 5th. I am so excited i can't wait. I have not had any problems at all. I feel really good like i have alot more energy. I am truely happy that i did this and would do it again in a heart beat. Will keep you posted.
July 5th, 2006
I went for my first fill today. It was so painful. My port has flipped and so he had to dig around in there and after about what seemed like 20 times or so he finally was able to flip it back with the needle and give me the fill but when the needle came out the port flipped back. I now am scheduled for another surgery on July 18th to have the port fixed. I had a stitch come out with the needle. He was very surprised to see it flip so soon. I followed all instructions but i guess i was bragging to soon about how easy this was. Well i will keep you posted. I am tired, sore, have a headache from crying so i am going to bed. One good thing i have lost another 8 Ibs since my last visit.
July 19th, 2006
Well I went and had my port fixed yesterday morning. It was so painful. Of course they put me to sleep and went into my big incision and had to fix all 3 stitches holding my port i had broke them all so they fixed that. I am still so sore. I feel like i have been kicked in my side really hard. Well i am going to go i took my pain medicine so i am ready for bed.
I will stay updated.
Aug. 2nd, 2006
It has been 2 weeks today since my port revision. I feel much better. I am still a bit sore but nothing to complain about. I go back to the doctor on Monday the 7th. I have started to walk with my husband. I am still glad that i did this surgery. It is hard sometimes but i am still very glad that it is done. I haven't lost as much as i like but i have had a set back with the port revision but i have the tool to get it started again. Today is my Dad's Birthday. Happy birthday DAD. I will keep posted.
August 31st, 2006.
I am doing really good. I believe that i have finally healed from the port revision. I have lost a total of 23 pounds and alot of inches. I feel really good. My clothes are getting really big. I got into a pair of shorts and have been wearing them, i couldn't wear them at the beginning of this summer so that makes me happy. Everyone at work compliments me on what a difference they can see. I am happy. I took pictures the morning of my surgery and then my husband just took more the other day and i can really see a difference. The band is the best thing that i have ever done. I go back for a check up in November. I am so excited it is almost fall and i love it. It is my favorite time of the year fall heading into Winter and Christmas. I almost have my Christmas shopping done. GO ME. Well i will update again soon.
October 24th, 2006
I am still alive. I have been so busy with work and taking care of my husband. I have lost between 24 and 25 pounds it bounces back and forth. I have not been able to keep up very well eating hospital food and running non stop. This week i have started walking again on my treadmill and drinking more water and protein shakes. I am so excited that it is getting close to christmas. I will be going with my mom, grandma and aunt christmas shopping next friday. We do this every year and it is so much fun getting to spend time with my family. My cat is so crazy he is attacking the tv watching racing. He thinks he can catch them cars. I have met a person that i really like. Her name is Patty. She is so nice. She has gave me alot of information and clothes. I appreciate her alot. I have also been emailing Leatha. She hopes to have surgery soon. I ask her if i could be her angel and she agreed. So i will met her for the first time when she has her surgery and i will keep everyone posted. Well i better go, i need to save my tv from my cat. I will keep everyone posted.
