ObesityHelp

10/24/05 WELL HERE I AM FINALLY ONCE AGAIN! I AM RECOVERING FROM A TUMMY TUCK (PROBABLY THE LAST SURGERY WITH DR. G.)I'M DOWN TO 141 LBS. FROM ONCE OVER 416 LBS.

CAN YOU BELIEVE IT!!!!!

I AM TERRIBLY, TERRIBLY DEPRESSED THOUGH! I HAVE SO MUCH SKIN HANGING NOW AND I DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO PAY FOR SURGERY. INSURANCE HAS DENIED (1ST DENIAL - I WILL FIGHT THOUGH.) MY MARRIAGE SUCKS. BUT I LOOK GREAT IN MY CLOTHES. I'M SMALLER THAN I WAS AS A TEENAGER.

8/21/03
GOSH IT'S BEEN SUCH A LONG TIME SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE. I'M 16 MONTHS OUT AND AM DOWN TO AROUND 200 LBS. (GOES UP AND DOWN A FEW LBS.). DOWN FROM 416 LBS SEEMS LIKE A LIFETIME AGO AND YET I DO STILL REMEMBER HOW UNHAPPY THAT PERSON WAS. I'M VERY UPSET THAT I HAVEN'T LOST MORE WEIGHT AND I KEEP TRYING (SOMEWHAT!!!) BUT I'M NOT GIVING IT EVERYTHING I'VE GOT. THE BIGGEST MISTAKE I HAVE EVER MADE IS EATING SUGAR. I CAN EAT LOTS OF IT WITHOUT DUMPING OR EVEN FEELING BAD! ALTHOUGH IT DOES BOTHER ME SOMETIMES, I FEEL LIKE I EAT MORE THAT I SHOULD AND I AM HUNGRY; A LOT. THAT DISAPPOINTS ME BUT REGARDLESS I WILL CONTINUE TO WORK ON LOSING THE REST OF THE WEIGHT. I'M TRYING LOW CARB BUT IT IS HARD! I DO NOT REGRET HAVING SURGERY AND EVEN IF I NEVER LOSE ANOTHER POUND I WOULD DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN TOMORROW !!! I HAVE A LIFE NOW, AT 416 LBS. I WAS MERELY EXISTING. I WORK NOW, I GO PLACES, I LOOK PEOPLE IN THE EYE, I DRESS LIKE A "WOMAN", HECK I EVEN WEAR SKIRTS AND DRESSES SOMETIMES. I HAVEN'T WORN DRESSES IN 20 YEARS!!! THINGS ARE NOT GOING AS PEACHY AS I HOPED THEY WOULD, I DIDN'T THINK (OR HOPED I WOULDN'T)NEED TO STRUGGLE TO LOSE WEIGHT AFTER HAVING SURGERY BUT AS WE ALL KNOW THIS IS NOT A QUICK FIX THIS IS A TOOL AND NOW I HAVE TO TAKE THIS TOOL AND WORK WITH IT. TAKE CARE TO ALL....

DEBBI
11/13/02
WOW IT SEEMS LIKE A LIFETIME AGO AND YET SO RECENTLY THAT I HAD SURGERY. IT'S BEEN JUST OVER 7 MONTHS AND I FEEL LIKE A NEW PERSON.
I HAVE HAD A SET-BACK. I HAD HERNIA SURGERY ON OCTOBER 17, 2002 WHICH WENT FINE BUT 5 DAYS LATER ENDED UP BACK IN THE HOSPITAL FOR 2 WEEKS. IT SEEMS THE MESH OR SOMETHING INFECTED MY INSIDES. SO I HAD TO HAVE SURGERY AGAIN TO REMOVE ALL THE ABCESSED MATERIAL. I'M STILL RECOVERING BUT HOPE TO BE WELL SOON. I'LL STILL HAVE TO HAVE HERNIA SURGERY AGAIN IN A FEW MONTHS. REGARDLESS OF THE PROBLEMS THIS TIME - I STILL BELIEVE THIS WAS THE BEST THING I EVER DID FOR MYSELF.
THIS TIME LAST YEAR (2001) I WEIGHED AROUND 401 LBS., I LOST 50 BEFORE SURGERY (WITH THE HELP OF TOPAMAX AND NERVES !!!) AND NOW 7 MONTHS POST-OP I WEIGH 236 LBS. !!! I WENT FROM A BMI OF 71 TO A BMI OF 41.8 (I THINK).
IT'S WONDERFUL TO BE ALIVE AND WELL !

*****I HAVE A DATE FOR SURGERY! APRIL 9th. 2002 @ 8:45 a.m.***** I am in shock! I have been fighting for this so VERY long. I was really expecting for surgery to happen in March but I'll have to deal with this. Exactly 6 weeks from today will be my new birthday !!!
I'll be 43 in March. I'm diabetic, have sleep-apnea, suffer from depression and anxiety, and have many other health problems. I have so many physical problems that it is unreal. I must sleep in a recliner with my feet propped up on 2 - 3 pillows. I can't lay flat in the bed, I can't breathe and I swell so bad that I can't move. My hips and back have gotten so bad that I can't walk for more than maybe 20 feet or stand for 2 - 3 minutes without them feeling like they are going to break. I'm unable to work anymore because of all these problems. In 2001 I fought my Ins. Co. all year - I appealed 7 times and was denied all 7 times because of an exclusion in my policy. My PCP has written several letters along with 3 other Drs. and surgeons. We now have changed Ins. Co's for 2002 and it is supposed to cover surgery if it is medically necessary. I pray that I won't have any problems getting approved quickly. I am so miserable. I am not living; I'm merely existing. My Dr. has put me on Topamax which has decreased my appetite dramatically but I keep gaining weight. The last time I weighed the first of November 2001 I weighed 403 lbs. I'm eating less than I have in years but I can't lose weight. I feel like if I don't have surgery soon that I may die. I get so short of breath that I literally end up gasping for air anytime I walk from the living room to the bathroom. I have to use a wheelchair if I go anywhere else and I'm getting so big that my husband is having a hard time pushing me. If anyone knows anything about Cigna PPO of SC please email me. ******** UPDATE: as of December 20, 2001 I've lost 32 lbs. down to 371. ********* UPDATE: I HAVE FINALLY BEEN APPROVED !!! I have only had a problem getting the letter of approval from the Ins. Co. - it's been 17 days since it was mailed to my PCP and they have still not received it. I finally was able to con- vince someone to fax it to them. They received it today (2/7/02).
I have lost even more weight *** I'M UNDER 350 LBS. !!!*** I'm under a lot of stress right now (not because of having surgery) and normally I would be eating cardboard if it was in front of me but I find now that food doesn't appeal to me much at all. Partly due to a new medication I'm taking - Topamax. I have an appt. with the surgeon (Dr. Givens - he is in with Dr. Strick-land) February 14th. His office has said that it shouldn't take more than 1 - 2 weeks to schedule surgery after this. I could possibly be having surgery in March (my birthday is March 12th). Physically since losing over 50 lbs. and being able to move around and do more I feel so much better. I'll update after my visit with Dr. Givens.

***UPDATE***
I had my appt. with Dr. Givens. He is ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL !!! He did not rush me and answered all my questions and then some. He is extremely pleasant and not bad to look at either !!! LOL !!
I feel totally comfortable with he and Dr. Strickland operating on me just as soon as the Ins. Co. approves for them to do the surgery. (Hopefully very soon - his office said 2 weeks should be all it takes.) They put you completely at ease. I am so very glad that I made the decision to choose Dr. Strickland and Dr. Givens as my surgeons. I think it's probably one of the best decisions I've ever made in my life.

Hello Everyone. It's been forever since I've been here. Too Long! Sorry I've been going through a lot. I've lost 104 lbs. as of my last Dr.'s visit since surgery. Along with 50 lbs. that I lost before surgery so I've lost from 401 lbs. down to less than 250 lbs. I've gone from a size 30/32 down to a 22/24 as of now and they're getting loose now. You lose weight so fast that you can't wear clothes out...I FEEL ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL !!! I feel like I'm 20 years younger. I do not regret having this surgery - in fact I thank GOD every day that I had it and HE brought me through. I was right Dr. Givens and Dr. Strickland are tremendous surgeons. I am so glad that they did my surgery. Good Luck to everyone.

Debbi 10/1/02