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| Countdown 'til Surgery  |
Jan,2003
Well, Here I am after a life time battle with obesity. I am so tired of the yoyo diets. I have been researching the Roux-En-Y Gastric Bypass surgery for sometime now. My beginning weight was 280lbs Nov. of 2002, and my BMI was 50. I believe the Roux-En-Y is the ideal weight loss tool for me. I am confident and know this is truly what I want and need. I am ready to take on a new life style change for the rest of my life. I know there is a beautiful person inside this obese body waiting to come out in full bloom. I am doing this for me! I am worth it! I have been eating healthy since Jan.2003. I now weigh 268lbs. with a BMI of 49. I am getting in shape so surgery and post op will not be so difficult. Thanks for taking time to read about me. 
April 24,2003
I have tested positive for severe sleep apnea.I stopped breathing 35 times an hour. I have to go March 7,2003 to be fitted for CPAP machine. Hopefully this will help me get approved for surgery! For more info on sleep apnea, please visit sleephelpsa.com ....My last preop test is April 30th.I have to have the endoscopy procedure. Hopefully the test results will be sent to Dr.Greene and then sent to the insurance company within the following week. I here they only take 2 days to approve! (Optimum Choice) Woohoo..,almost there!
April 30,2003
ALL DONE!! I had the last preop test today. The upper endoscopy results were normal with only a slight inflammation of the stomach lining. They took multiple biopsy samples of the lower stomach. Results should be back in a few days. Hopefully I will hear from my insurance company within the following week. Time is going by so fast now. I am getting very anxious.
May 7, 2003I received a call today re: Endoscopy biopsy report. Results were all normal. I called my HMO to see if they had received the results. They did receive them. I called Dr.Green's office and all the proper papers have been received! They will send everything to the insurance company tomorrow. I should know if I am approved or not by Monday!I pray they aprove me! My heart is racing now!May 8, 2003WOW! What a refreshing experience that was. I slept like a baby! The titration sleep study went very well. I should hear from Dr.Harding by Monday reguarding the results. Dr.Greene's office will be faxing all my paperwork over to my insurance company today. I feel positive I will be approved. I will let you know as soon as I hear something.
May 13, 2003As of 11:00 today, my paperwork has still not been sent to my insurance company. I am begining to feel a lil frustrated. I will be back to update this as soon as I hear something.May 14,2003I just received an email from Jeanne telling me they are posting surgeries for August(2003). My surgery will most likely be in August also. (If I am appoved) I just called Jeanne and she told me that Sue only faxes out our paperwork on Tuesdays! WHY DON'T THEY JUST TELL US THIS IN THE FIRST PLACE? Now I won't hear anything from my insurance til late afternoon next FRIDAY! Ok, I feel better now. I received my CPAP orders today from Dr.Harding. I should get a call tomorrow for an appointment to go pick up my machine and be instructed on how to proper use and take care of it. Till next time, take care. font>
May 20, 2003I got my CPAP machine today. I will begin using it tonight. They told me I should have increased energy levels within a week. I know this is going to make me feel so much better. Hopefully I will get a full night of sleep and rest. I will keep you posted...
May 21,2003Well, today I called Sue and she told me that my diet history papers were still not with my file. I called my PCP and they faxed them again. Sue told me my papers will go out to my insurance company Friday. I can call them and see what the status in on Tuesday or Wed. I wanna say Congrats to my friend Sandy Miller."SHe has been approved!"...
May 27,2003 3:16p.m.I called my insurance company today to check the status of my approval. They do have my first letter.It was received last Friday. My approval is still pending. No word yet. I will keep you updated....
May 28, 2003 I have called my insurance company twice today. My papers were esculated to the Medical Director. At 3:00, Sue called me from Dr.Greene's office telling me I was "approved!!" Julia will call me with a sugery date on Friday. At this point, it looks like my date will be in Sept. "Praise the Lord" I am ready for this!........UPDATE..Julia was too busy on Friday so she will call me on Monday with a date....Tuesday June 3,2003...Still no date yet. Maybe I will get the call tomorrow....NOT!!! Here it is Thursday June 5th,2003...STILL no surgery date yet!...UPDATE>>Friday June 6,2003 4:00pm...Seems there was some kind of mix up with the hopspital scheduling my date. Julia will call me on Monday after she gets is straigtened out. Hopefully she will also get a confirmation the same day. I am keeping a smile on my face hoping for positive news....UPDATE Monday June 9,2003..YES! YES! YES! "I have a date!"...Friday July 25, 2003. OMG, This is much sooner than imagined! I am so pumped. I am ready for this new life. Oh mya new life...how sweet it is!I will let you know how things are going up til surgery date. Oh my goodness...tears of joy are streaming down my face. Thank you Jesus! My final pre-op meeting with Dr.Greene is July 3rd.I will get my pre-op instructions that day. Julia says to start 2 protien shakes a day and 1 high protien meal.(Which I have already been doing) 2 weeks prior to surgery, I will need to drink 3 high ptotien shakes a day and lots of water.June 16,2003Ok, Now I am in the waiting stage of this process. We went to Rehoboth Beach, Deleware this weekend and I was so good about doing the shakes and water. I even did well by eating high protien low carb meals...Everytime I looked in the mirror at the hotel, I thought to myself, "This is the last time I will be wearing this swim suit on vacation and being this obese" Next time I will (hopefully) be proudly wearing a smaller full piece. Next summer I will very proudly be wearing a bikini for the first time in my life. I won't have to worry about the "beached whale" feeling anymore or what people are thinking when I walk on the beach and block their sun rays. Well, enough for now. I will write more later.
*June 26,2003
I have my final pre-0p visit with Dr.Greene on July 3,2003. I will get my physical, blood work, and chest X-ray with my PCP on July 18,2003. Time is flying by quickly now.
*July 1,2003
Next Tuesday I am off to St.Petersburg,Florida to see my sister b4 my surgery. Not sure when I will be able to travel post-op. Going to have fun. I will be starting the three protein shakes a day on July 15th. It will help shrink my liver more before surgery. The smaller the liver, the more room Dr.Greene will have to move things around. This will also assure laparoscopic surgery rather than open. Here is a link to see the laparoscopic proceedure. http://www.laparoscopy.com/obesity/roux.html Til next time.
*July 3,2003
I had my final visit with Dr.Greene today. He gave me my pre and post op instructions and perscriptions. My preop weight is now 263lbs. He also gave me some wonderful news. Someone called in and canceled their surgery. I may have a new surgery date! Next Friday July 11th! I am so excited. Julia will call the Shadygrove OR on Monday morning to schedule me. I had to postpone my Florida trip for a few weeks. That didn't bother me at all. I am ready to get this surgery over with. I feel so blessed!"One week from tomorrow!" I will call my PCP on Monday to reschedule for my blood work, physical, and chest X-rays. The results need to be back STAT!
*July 8, 2003
My surgery is definately on for this Friday July 11,2003. I check in at 6:00a.m. and surgery begins at 7:30a.m.I had my blood work, physical, and EKG done yesterday. Tomorrow I will get the chest X-ray. At 1:00 I will go see the anesthesiologist at Shadygrove Hospital. I picked up all my perscriptions yesterday and started one of them. The pharmacy had to order the medical body wash again cause it did not come with the rest of my order. I will pick it up later today and begin using it. I will add more detail later today about all the meds. Til then, see ya.
*July 10, 2003
Well, It has been a long haul for me to get to this point, but here I am. Surgery is tomorrow! I am a bundle of nerves. I have had previous surgeries, but never been this nervous. I have knots in my stomach and had 2 anxiety attacks this morning. I think tomorrow when I check in at 6:00, they will give me something to calm my nerves. I know everything is going to be fine. There is no way I am backing out now. I have come too far on this journey! I started the 2 preop antibiotics today at 11:00am, 12:00pm, next will be at 2:00pm, then 10:00pm tonight. This afternoon at 4:oo I will start my first bowel prep.The second dose will be at 8:00pm. I will do the Lovenox injection probably around 10:00pm right b4 I go to bed. Wow, I bet I won't get much sleep tonight. I am getting up at 4:00am. I will take my Effexor at 4:30am, then head out to the hospital. I have to follow my husband to his job to drop off the company truck, then we will go straight to the hospital for 6:00am check in in the out patient dept. (Although I am an inpatient)Then at 7:30...My new life will begin. I am getting so excited. Is it tomorrow yet? lol Oh, by the way, I have lost 20 lbs since I begain this journey back in January 2003. I was 280 in Nov.(in my first pic on my profile) and I am at 260lbs. today! I will probably add more later today. If I don't get to it (cause I will have company this eve), then I will write more when I get home Sunday night. Good luck to everyone having surgery all over the country. May God be holding your hand through your big journey. Good luck to you too Sandy! Hope you got the July 16th surgery date you were hoping for! May God speed. See you Friday eve when I am "POST-OP!"
*July 13, 2003
My surgery went very well. I was in the hospital from 6:00am on Friday the 11th, til 5:00p.m. Saturday the 12th. I didn't have any complications at all. Dr.Greene and his team did an excellent job. I also did very well. I was up and walking 2 times the first day. Friday eve, I was pulling my self up in bed, talking to family and doing great! The nurses were amazed how well I was doing and said if I keep up the good improvement, I may go home the next day. Well, Dr.Greene came in to see me Saturday morning right after the leak test. He said I was doing so well that I could go home by dinner time. All I had to do for the rest of the day was drink 1 oz. of diluted juice every five minutes and keep it down and not get nausious. Well, I didn't get ill at all. I was discharged by 5:00p.m. Here it is Sunday morning. I am feeling a lil disconfort but that is natural. My liver doesn't hurt like it did previously. My entire body feels a lil stiff, but the more I walk and move around, the better I feel. Well, I will add more later. I get a lil weak quick now I am post-op. This should go away within a week or so. Til I add more, see ya later. God bless everyone.
*July 28, 2003
I am almost 3 weeks post op now. I am no longer taking any pain meds. Yes I still have pain, but it is minimal. I am still on liquids for now. I go this Thursday for my 3 week post op visit with Dr. Greene. I am hoping he will put me on pureed foods. I can't wait to have a little food in my mouth. Over all I am doing very well. I have lost 22 lbs. in 2 weeks. Each day gets better and better. Til next time. Take care all.
*September 4, 2003
Hello everyone. I am now 8 weeks post op and weigh 223. I haven't seen this weight in over 15 years. Wow, I feel great! It is hard to believe I once weighed 280lbs. Life is so much better now. My marriage has become stronger than ever. I hope to update with post op pics soon. Til next time...take care.
October 8, 2003
I now weigh 213 and wear a size 20 jeans confortably. I am so happy. I have 3 big bags full of clothes to give away. Everything I try on falls to the floor! "Yippee"
November 15,2003
Hello everyone. Well, It's been slow coming off, but I am now -75 lbs. I weigh 205 now and fitting in a size 18 confortably. Lots more to come off, but I know it will sooner or later. Til next time...see ya.
December 2, 2003 I am now down to 199 lbs!. I am now -81 lbs!Life is GREAT! Starting to see some nice ab lines!
March 3,2004 I now weigh 188lbs. That is a total of -92lbs so far. I've only lost 10 lbs in 2 months. I think the plateau will be over as soon as the weather breaks and I can get outside and be extremely motivated. I'm looking forward to losing another 53lbs. 
Profile by Min an Obesityhelp Volunteer
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