TrishInKeswick

Send Message

Block

Add Friend

 

OPTIMAL HEALTH SEEKERS’ RADIO, airing Sundays at 4pm Eastern, is an online radio show that educates inspires and empowers people seeking to find their own personal level of optimal health.

Host Trish Robichaud brings a voice of compassion, logic and humour to those who are motivated to take an active, even proactive role in managing their health.

A multiple award winning Disability Awareness Coach, Maximum Life & Business Coach, Author, Facilitator, Advocate & Motivational Speaker, Robichaud lives with multiple sclerosis and major depression. She is a woman with a disability but she is NOT a disabled woman!

Join her on Sunday, January 9 at www.OptimalHealthSeekers.com for her INAUGURAL SHOW!

Trish’s guest for this ground-breaking episode will be Laura Dawson, Acupuncturist, Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner and Nutritional Healing consultant.

“Early one beautiful morning, after dropping my kids off at pre-school and kindergarten, a careless stranger forced my car off the freeway and into a cement divider at over 70 mph.  In that moment, my life changed forever.  On top of the multiple injuries I sustained, I ended up with amnesia, lost my job and found myself disabled caring for two young children as a single parent.”

Laura Dawson now enjoys a rewarding career in alternative medicine as an Acupuncturist, practicing Traditional Chinese Medicine for more than a decade.  Her journey from victim to healer is a testament to her enduring spirit as well as her commitment to wellness-based lifestyle choices.

Read her published article at www.MyOptimalHealthClub.org.
 

Join us at www.OptimalHealthSeekers.com and hear this internationally acclaimed speaker and author share her story that includes a pivotal moment involving Deepok Chopra and the power of self-healing.

• Where:   www.OptimalHealthSeekers.com
• Date:      Sunday, January 9, 2011
• Time:      4:00 – 4:30 pm Eastern / 1:00 – 1:30 pm Pacific

Listeners have the option of tuning in online as well as calling into the show at (714) 464-5251 to ask questions.  There’s also a chat room accessible to www.BlogTalkRadio.com users (it’s a free account) who’d like to pose questions by chat instead of calling in.

Go to www.OptimalHealthSeekers.com now to sign-up and be ready to participate on the show!

 

Please tweet on Twitter, post on Facebook and share on other networks about this empowering radio show!

Things have been up and down with my health and my business over the last few months.

My gastric bypass is scheduled for Feb 1st.  Took me 9 mo's from initial contact to get a surgery date.  Now it has to be postponed.  Turns out I need a coronary bypass first. 

I started with chest pains a few months ago and after many tests they found 5 blockages in 3 arteries ranging from 70 to 95% blocked.  I don't have a date for my coronary bypass yet but should have one in the next couple of weeks.

They tell me that the recovery from the heart surgery will be about 3 months so I'm hoping that I'll be able to just push my WLS out by about 4 to 6 mo's after the date of the heart surgery.  The last thing I want is to get put on a back burner at the bariatric clinic as a result of this.

Keeping my fingers crossed that things go smoothly all around. 

Trish:-)

I met my surgeon a few weeks ago for the firs time.  He seems nice.  He was helpful, answered all my questions and treated me with respect.  I asked him what the odds might be to have the surgery scheduled prior to Christmas so that I could  use the downtime during the holidays for my early recovery.  He said he didn't see why not.

I'll see him again in November some time but I don't have an appt date yet.  Between now then and I'll I have an appt on Oct 20 to see a dietician and a social worker.

Last week I went for my Gastric Bypass Class.  2hrs.  Nothing new, just a closer look all everything involved.  They shared a link with me that was interesting:  http://www.obesity.org.au/flash2/ypo.swf

The two things that really got my attention were:

1 - We're told to expect hair loss.  I probably have more than my share of vanity about my hair.  Having been fat/obese all my life, my hair was one thing I always took pride in.  They said it's not going to be like as if we've been through chemo, we won't go bald but it's likely to fall out in patches.  That definitely makes me nervous.  I'd make a really ugly bald person; I've got skin tags all over my scalp.

and

2 - I feel ok with the liquids only for 2 weeks after surgery and then strictly pured foods for 2 weeks after that, and then very small portions for up to a year or more.  The thing that I find unsettling is that for 2 weeks prior to the surgery we have to be on a drink called Optifast that we have to buy at the bariatric clinic.  It's apparently made to assist in shrinking the liver to minimize nicking the liver during surgery (since apparently the liver obstructs their access to the stomach when doing the procedure laproscopically). 

My issue isn't even with the risk to the liver.  IT'S BEING ON LIQUIDS ONLY FOR 2 WHOLE WEEKS WITH MY NORMAL SIZED STOMACH!!!  And apparently the stuff isn't all that tasty.  They recommended adding some Chrystal Light powder to it.

There must be someone on here that had to drink the same stuff.  If anyone reads this and has some perspective to offer, please write.  Thanks!

Trish:-)

When I first contacted the bariatric clinic nearest me (back in April '10) they told me it would be 12 to 14 months before I heard back.  Apparently they were overestimating because after only 4 months they contacted me with an appointment to attend their Patient Information Session.  So I did that on Aug 25.

I have to say it was a very validating experience.  There wasn't much they had to say that I didn't already know as a result of the research I'd done before even seeing my GP for a referral.  The only thing that was news to me was that my hair might fall out as a result of the proceedure.  Eeeeek!   Since my hair is my most valued body aspect, that certainly freaks me out a little but not enough to abort this mission.  I'm told that it doesn't fall out for everyone and of course, it will grow back.    I'm going to keep my fingers crossed and move forward.

Then just this past Thu the 9th, I had my first appointment with my surgeon.  Again, no new information but it was nice to meet him of course.  He seems like a good guy, very friendly and answered all of my questions.  He definitely came across like there was little question that I'd be having the surgery.  I would need to yet see a Dietician and a Social Worker and they would need to approve me as a candidate but short of having a lousy attitude and a total lack of a support system, I should be anticiapting having the surgery.

Of course my attitude is good (I've been ready for this for years now) and my support system is Ernest and he's amazing.  So I asked the surgeon if it would be possible to have the surgery done a week or so before Christmas so that I could use the holiday down time with my work for my early recovery.  He said that shouldn't be a problem.  Once I've seen the Dietician and the Social Worker (my appointment is on Oct 20), I'll get an appointment to see the surgeon again and he'll give me a surgery date then.

I do have to attend a Gastric Bypass Class as part of the process and they've booked that for Oct 6.  It's a 3 hr class so Ernest is going to just love that! He'll be fine though, taking smoke breaks every 30 minutes or so.  LOL!

Speaking of breaks, I did finally quit smoking!  Yeah!    Good thing as being a smoker is reason enough to disqualify you for the surgery.  I'm definitely feeling better as a result.  No more wheezing or waking up feeling like I've been licking an ashtray in my sleep.  I'm still craving from time to time but my electronic cigarette helps big time.  (www.epuffer.com)

And last but certainly not least, I've actually lost about 25 lbs since my diabetes diagnosis and getting my referral from the doctor for the WLS.  It's amazing since I haven't been trying all that hard.  The biggest factors in the weight loss have been that I've eliminated 95% of the sugar from my diet (ok, I still slip once in a while) and I'm eating a salad with dinner every night now.  Plus I've replaced most snack foods with fruit.  I can't even tell you how many apples I've eaten lately.  I experimented with different kinds and found a couple that I really like.  Didn't even know I liked apples prior to my diabetes diagnosis.

Well, here's to loads of delicious autumn apples and gorgeous multi-coloured tress in your neck of the woods!  And if you don't have the season change like we do here in Ontario, here's to relief from this horrendous heat that we've had this year.

Till next time, take self-care seriously and God bless!
Conceive, Believe and Receive... because you CAN!

Trish:-)

•.¸¸•´¯`•.¸¸.ஐ

I saw my GP today.  I brought all the info I needed and told him I was there for a referral to "this" clinic and "this" doctor for WLS.  He was skeptical, told me OHIP wouldn't cover it.  I told him YES they will and gave him a page from the clinic's website to prove it.  He relented & sent the referral by email while I was in his office.  I've just now completed my Preoperative Patient Questionnaire & plan to fax it tomorrow.

Whoo Hoo!

I posted a thread on the Ontario Forum tonight out of frustration at not knowing what my next step would be now that I've decided that WLS is for me.  I'm a "doer" and I needed to know where to go from here.  I had no idea how to find a surgeon and was getting the impression that most surgeries are done in the US.

I noticed that when people post in the forum, their doctor's name appears below their ID.  So, I began clicking on doctors names.  Most I found were in the US and I really want to have the surgery done in the Toronto area.  So I kept searching.  After having seen the same Toronto name a couple of times I noticed there there are loads of testimonials on this guy - Dr John Hagen.

OH doesn't have much into on him so I Googled him and lo and behold I found  him at the Humber River Regional Hospital, Minimally Invasive Surgery Group (MIS Group) http://www.misgroup.ca/surgeons.html.  Their website told me everything I needed to know about how to proceed from here, ground zero.  And I got enough info on the proceedures they do to know with certainty now that I'm looking to have the RNY laprascorpic bypass!  Whoo Hoo! 

Then not 5 minutes after I finally leave their site, I see that someone responded to my post...
...................................................................................................................................................................
OHIP does cover bariatric treatment via surgery is your BMI is over 40 or over 35 with co-morbidities. 

ONTARO ASSESSMENT CENTRES

St. Joseph’s HealthCare Hamilton 
phone number : 905-522-1155 Ext 33240
fax number :     905-521-6152
website : www.stjoes.ca

Humber River Regional Hospital 
phone number : 416-747-3720
fax number :     416-747-3731

Guelph General Hospital 
phone number : 519-837-6440 ext. 2700
fax number : 519-837-6773

The Ottawa Hospital
The Weight Management Clinic 
phone number : 613- 761-5101  
fax number : 613- 761-5343
website : www.weightclinic.ca

Toronto Western Hospital (UHN)
phone number: 416-603-5800 ext. 6145
fax number: 416-603-5142
website : www.uhn.ca/applications/TWH/iNews/default.aspx

Windsor Regional Hospital Regional Bariatric Assessment and Treatment Centre
phone number: 519-971-9206
fax number: 519-971-9566
website: www.wrh.on.ca

Sick Kids (SickKids Team Obesity Management Program)
phone number: 416-813-5592
fax number: 416-813-8770
website: www.sickkids.ca

Your best bet would be to go to your family practitioner and ask to be referred to one of the Ontario centers 
...................................................................................................................................................................

Unbelievable!   Thank you so much to the OH member calling herself/himself "mipokerface"!!!!  This is exactly the validation that I needed to know that I'm on the right track. 

I've now downloaded MIS Group's patient questionnaire (all 13 pages of it!) and can't wait to get started!  I now have a clear goal and a clear plan - Thanks OH and Google and of course the Lord Above! 

I'm on a mission! 

Yesterday my husband took me out for a ride on his motorcycle.  He's had it for about 2yrs and this was the first time.  Up till now he was really nervous about letting me ride with him because he was uncertain about how well he'd be able to handle the bike with me and my almost 300 lbs on the back.  I understood but I really wanted to go so he relented.

To start it was a feat and a half for me to get on it.  You see I can't lift my right leg off the ground very far without help (due to MS).  And I couldn't stand on that leg long enough to throw my left leg over the bike.  LOL!   What a sight!  I stood up on the left peg, practically had to lay my weight on hubby's back and then get additional help to lift my right foot over the back rest.  LOL!  But, we did it!    What a blast I had! 

I can't even explain how much fun it was and how close I felt to my husband as I squeezed his hips between my knees and hugged him from behind.  On the way back we talked about how I'd be able to go riding with him all the time if/when I lose some weight.

Now I'm REALLY thinking about how WLS could transform my lifestyle and more importantly my quality of life.  There's so much I'm missing out on because I'm not physically able to participate.

Five days ago I knew absolutely nothing about WLS, now I'm feeling a little more informed, thanks to a few members here who have pointed me in the right direction.  Prior to joining this site I was feeling pretty hopeless about the prospect of losing the weight necessary to take control of my diabetes, my diminishing mobility (due to MS) and my binge eating disorder.

I'm starting to feel some new hope.  Thank you OH & new friends here.


 

Well, here I am.  I good friend recommended this site because he knows I need support.  I was diagnosed with type 2 Diabetes this past week on Wed Mar 31st, 2010.  It's hit me like a tons of bricks, taken me to my knees.

While I realize that diabetes isn't the end of the world, I'm still scared shitless.  I've overcome so many challenges in my life this should present just one more for me but this one is the BIG one.  You see I've been obese most of my life.  Food has always been the one demon in my life that I've never been able to overcome.  This diagnosis presents the ultimate challenge for me now - I HAVE to get a handle on my eating.

On a general basis, I tend to eat pretty healthy but my problem is that I'm a binge eater.  Having done some research this week in response to my diagnosis, I realize now that I have Binge Eating Disorder.  I see online that the recommended treatment is Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) but I can't afford a psychotherapist.  I'm seriously considering having weight loss surgery and could use all the support I can find.

If you're open to connecting, please reply or email me.  Thanks.