Shar Pei Kay
The good, the so-so, and the I don't know what...
Feb 17, 2011
The Good:
My daughter and I went in for weight checks yesterday. She is down to 405, which is exactly 200 pounds lost since her highest recorded weight a few years back and down 70 since her RNY on November 22. She is doing great! She had a rough surgery experience, but is doing soooo well now. I am so thrilled and so proud of her.
My niece had her lapband last week and seems to be doing really well. She had surgery on Friday and was back at work on Monday. I am impressed!
The So-so:
My weight was 385, which I think is down one pound since I was there in January, and still 35 pounds over the magic number I am supposed to reach to be eligible for revision. I have been struggling a lot lately with what I eat, falling back into some bad habits, not nearly as bad as I have at times (which is why I did lose a smidge, rather than gain) but I'm just not doing well with it.
The I Don't Know What:
When I was at the surgeon's office, they informed me that there are concerns about my medical coverage covering the revision.
I have Medicare and Medicaid. (I am only 50, but am disabled.) When I started the revision journey about a year ago, I had only Medicaid, but was told that it would cover it, but I had to be under 350. (I was thrilled, because in the past Texas Medicaid had not covered any WLS at all.)
When I turned 50, I became eligible to receive Widow's disability benefits, in addition to SSI, so I began receiving Medicare too.
When I told the surgeon's office about the Medicare, they said that Medicare wouldn't cover a revision. Medicaid would cover it though, so I wasn't worried. Now they are telling me that likely neither is going to want to cover a revision. I don't know what to think at this point. I am supposed to call and talk more with their insurance guy. My plan is to proceed as if I will get coverage and work to somehow make it happen. As my daughter reminded me on the way home, "If God wants you to have it, He will provide the way for it." I do believe that, I really do. He did on my original surgery; I have no doubt that it was His plan for me. He provided for my daughter's surgery too.
I just feel so... I don't know what. Not really discouraged... unsettled, maybe?
I really hoped that when I had my RNY it would change my life forever; and in many ways it did. If gave me much of my life back. Before I began that journey, I was 658 pounds and bedridden. I have to keep reminding myself of that. The hope of having the RNY helped me to reach a point where I could safely have it, then the surgery helped me further, to regain mobility, to be able to finish my bachelors and masters degrees, to do so much that I never could have otherwise. The medical opinion is that if I had continued where I was in 2005, I would not be alive today.
On the other hand, I am still disabled, with significant mobility impairment. While I am so much better than at my worst, I am not doing nearly as well as I was at "my best," in about 2007/2008. While I was mobility impaired then, things were progressing towards the better, but now my physical trajectory is more to the downhill, rather than towards improvement.
I am not able to work. I have this pretty masters degree, that I can't use. That is frustrating. I worked so friggin hard to get it, with the thought that, I was getting better physically and would be able to use it. Not the case.
Then revision came available like a(nother) light at the end of the (blankity-blank) tunnel and I thought, just maybe...
I don't know what to think right now and I don't really know how to get where I want to go...
0 comments
My daughter and I went in for weight checks yesterday. She is down to 405, which is exactly 200 pounds lost since her highest recorded weight a few years back and down 70 since her RNY on November 22. She is doing great! She had a rough surgery experience, but is doing soooo well now. I am so thrilled and so proud of her.
My niece had her lapband last week and seems to be doing really well. She had surgery on Friday and was back at work on Monday. I am impressed!
The So-so:
My weight was 385, which I think is down one pound since I was there in January, and still 35 pounds over the magic number I am supposed to reach to be eligible for revision. I have been struggling a lot lately with what I eat, falling back into some bad habits, not nearly as bad as I have at times (which is why I did lose a smidge, rather than gain) but I'm just not doing well with it.
The I Don't Know What:
When I was at the surgeon's office, they informed me that there are concerns about my medical coverage covering the revision.
I have Medicare and Medicaid. (I am only 50, but am disabled.) When I started the revision journey about a year ago, I had only Medicaid, but was told that it would cover it, but I had to be under 350. (I was thrilled, because in the past Texas Medicaid had not covered any WLS at all.)
When I turned 50, I became eligible to receive Widow's disability benefits, in addition to SSI, so I began receiving Medicare too.
When I told the surgeon's office about the Medicare, they said that Medicare wouldn't cover a revision. Medicaid would cover it though, so I wasn't worried. Now they are telling me that likely neither is going to want to cover a revision. I don't know what to think at this point. I am supposed to call and talk more with their insurance guy. My plan is to proceed as if I will get coverage and work to somehow make it happen. As my daughter reminded me on the way home, "If God wants you to have it, He will provide the way for it." I do believe that, I really do. He did on my original surgery; I have no doubt that it was His plan for me. He provided for my daughter's surgery too.
I just feel so... I don't know what. Not really discouraged... unsettled, maybe?
I really hoped that when I had my RNY it would change my life forever; and in many ways it did. If gave me much of my life back. Before I began that journey, I was 658 pounds and bedridden. I have to keep reminding myself of that. The hope of having the RNY helped me to reach a point where I could safely have it, then the surgery helped me further, to regain mobility, to be able to finish my bachelors and masters degrees, to do so much that I never could have otherwise. The medical opinion is that if I had continued where I was in 2005, I would not be alive today.
On the other hand, I am still disabled, with significant mobility impairment. While I am so much better than at my worst, I am not doing nearly as well as I was at "my best," in about 2007/2008. While I was mobility impaired then, things were progressing towards the better, but now my physical trajectory is more to the downhill, rather than towards improvement.
I am not able to work. I have this pretty masters degree, that I can't use. That is frustrating. I worked so friggin hard to get it, with the thought that, I was getting better physically and would be able to use it. Not the case.
Then revision came available like a(nother) light at the end of the (blankity-blank) tunnel and I thought, just maybe...
I don't know what to think right now and I don't really know how to get where I want to go...
And so it continues...
Nov 23, 2010
I am currently sitting in the hospital with my daughter who had her RNY yesterday. She is having quite a bit of pain and they are keeping her NPO until tomorrow because her pouch has a lot of swelling, but overall, is doing very well.
She makes the 4th person in our family to have RNY. Plus one family friend. Not counting all the people we have met because of the surgeries. Oh, and a cousin is having lapband. :)
On a personal note, I weighed in at 394 at my surgeon's office last week. I weighed 430 the last time I saw him, in February. So I have lost at least 34 pounds since then. Actually though, it took from then until late July to manage to pull my into "dieting mode." Given the way I was eating before that - and that I had already gained about 130 pounds from my lowest post-op point by doing that - I am sure I gained more in that 6 month interim. I would estimate at least 20, More likely closer to 40 pounds or so beyond that. So, since July 26th I have lost at least 34 pounds, but probably more like 50+ maybe up to 75 or so.
So, I am well on the way to getting back to 350, which my medical coverage says I have to reach, to have the revision. I was doing really well for several months tracking what I ate here on OH, but lately I haven't quite had the umph to do it. I am still watching what I eat pretty strictly, but not actually keeping track of the calories. Although I am doing really well at staying away from bad stuff, it is quite risky. I really need to get back to tracking, but it just seems that with everything we have had going on lately, that tracking the food is just one thing over the top of what I can handle. I'm hanging in there though.
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She makes the 4th person in our family to have RNY. Plus one family friend. Not counting all the people we have met because of the surgeries. Oh, and a cousin is having lapband. :)
On a personal note, I weighed in at 394 at my surgeon's office last week. I weighed 430 the last time I saw him, in February. So I have lost at least 34 pounds since then. Actually though, it took from then until late July to manage to pull my into "dieting mode." Given the way I was eating before that - and that I had already gained about 130 pounds from my lowest post-op point by doing that - I am sure I gained more in that 6 month interim. I would estimate at least 20, More likely closer to 40 pounds or so beyond that. So, since July 26th I have lost at least 34 pounds, but probably more like 50+ maybe up to 75 or so.
So, I am well on the way to getting back to 350, which my medical coverage says I have to reach, to have the revision. I was doing really well for several months tracking what I ate here on OH, but lately I haven't quite had the umph to do it. I am still watching what I eat pretty strictly, but not actually keeping track of the calories. Although I am doing really well at staying away from bad stuff, it is quite risky. I really need to get back to tracking, but it just seems that with everything we have had going on lately, that tracking the food is just one thing over the top of what I can handle. I'm hanging in there though.
Okeydoke...
Jul 27, 2010
Alright, I actually got back on the horse yesterday and started counting calories again, with a goal of staying around 1500, and definitely below 2000 calories a day. That's the plan I used to get down to have my original bypass. I started at 658 in 2005 and had to get under 500 to be safe for surgery. I was about 450 when I had surgery in May 2006. My lowest weight after that was just under 300 lbs. Currently I am somewhere around 400-425 or so. My scale is skitzing out for some reason and seems to fluctuating in that range, so I am just saying 425 right now.
I wrote down my calories yesterday, but today I decided to use the online tracker here at OH to see how I like it. I've always just done it "old school" with a pen and paper before. I managed to stay under 2000 calories yesterday, which included eating a couple of slices leftover pizza from the day before, before I had made the decision yesterday was Day 1, so to speak. Today holds the challenge of being my son's birthday, so I will likely eat a piece of cake. I will decide when the time comes if it is worth spending the calories.
On other issues, to update my last post: I graduated with a master's degree in Social Work in May. (Yay!) I have been job hunting, but have not had success yet. I have had a couple of interviews, but nothing has come of it yet. To be perfectly honest, I am not sure I really have the physical ability to work a full time job yet, but hopefully as I lose again I will feel better quickly.
I saw the orthopedic surgeon and he confirmed that I am not a candidate for knee replacement at this weight. I think he said 300 was the magic number there, but I don't really remember off the top of my head, I just kinda mentally filed it under, "Nope, not right now." He did give me a shot of cortizone in my knee which helped considerably for quite awhile, although it is starting to get a little "slippy" again sometimes. For now I will just get the cortizone shots periodically and keep hanging in there.
Guess that's it for now, hopefully I can keep myself motivated to be around here.
0 comments
I wrote down my calories yesterday, but today I decided to use the online tracker here at OH to see how I like it. I've always just done it "old school" with a pen and paper before. I managed to stay under 2000 calories yesterday, which included eating a couple of slices leftover pizza from the day before, before I had made the decision yesterday was Day 1, so to speak. Today holds the challenge of being my son's birthday, so I will likely eat a piece of cake. I will decide when the time comes if it is worth spending the calories.
On other issues, to update my last post: I graduated with a master's degree in Social Work in May. (Yay!) I have been job hunting, but have not had success yet. I have had a couple of interviews, but nothing has come of it yet. To be perfectly honest, I am not sure I really have the physical ability to work a full time job yet, but hopefully as I lose again I will feel better quickly.
I saw the orthopedic surgeon and he confirmed that I am not a candidate for knee replacement at this weight. I think he said 300 was the magic number there, but I don't really remember off the top of my head, I just kinda mentally filed it under, "Nope, not right now." He did give me a shot of cortizone in my knee which helped considerably for quite awhile, although it is starting to get a little "slippy" again sometimes. For now I will just get the cortizone shots periodically and keep hanging in there.
Guess that's it for now, hopefully I can keep myself motivated to be around here.
Here I am...
Mar 27, 2010
Well, I haven't been here in a long time. For a good while that was a good thing, I had simply gone on with my life. Unfortunately, things have back tracked on me... First, I'll go with the good stuff: In the just over two years since I blogged I graduated from college with a Bachelor of Social Work in August '08. Just a week later I started grad school. I will be completeing that with a Masters of Social Work in May '10.
On the other hand, in the last couple of years I have had a significant regain. Last I checked, a few weeks ago, I had hit 430 again. That puts me only about 20 pounds less than when I had surgery. (Although still over 200 pounds less than my highest weight in 2005.) With the weight gain has come decreased mobility again, although I am still comparatively active in life. At my worst, I was bedridden. When I had surgery I had gotten to the point where I could walk around the house without a walker, but not much more. At my best, I was not using a walker or cane at all and only used my scooter for things that required extensive walking like grocery shopping. These days I have to resort to the walker sometimes around the house and use the scooter pretty much whenever I go somewhere.
I have significant problems with one of my knees. I had to have arthroscopic surgery summer before last and the doc said to plan on having it replaced in 2-5 years. That probably would be a good plan at this point, but I doubt I have the general mobility to do the rehab required. In addition to the knee issue, walking is just generally painful, causes shortness of breath, etc. I have an appointment with the orthopedist in a few weeks to discuss my options.
I went to see the surgeon that did my RNY a few weeks ago and we discussed the possibility of a revision. The wonderful news is that Medicaid now covers it! Hallelujah! The downside is that they require me to be under 350 pounds. Plus the usual "six months supervised weight loss" thing. I managed to lose over 200 pounds in order to be at a weight safe enough to have my first surgery, but so far I have not managed to motivate myself on this one. Coming back here is... I guess maybe the first step in that. So, here I am, back again and we'll see where it goes from here.
Update
Jan 08, 2008
Wow, here I am posting again and it hasn't even been a month this time. Way to go me! I did NOT get to have my panniculectomy done over the Christmas holidays. :( I thought it was all lining up, but the plastic surgeon decided that the extent of my surgery was going to require someone with more experience in the area than he had, so he is referring me to Houston. At this point I am waiting to hear whether the suggested doctor will work with my coverage. If that aspect of it all works out then I have to deal with the timing issue of when I can do it.
I am back in school on 1-11-08, so anything soon is out of the question. Conceivably I might be able to take a little extra time off at Spring Break and do it then, but that would only give me about two weeks recovery. I just don't know if that is feasible at all, given the extent of my problem, but once I get the surgeon situation figured out, I will get a medical opinion on whether that would be reasonable.
The only other good option would be in May, after the semester ends. I will have 3-4 weeks off before time for my summer internship to begin. After the internship I will be graduating and hopefully starting work right away, so then getting time off becomes a whole different kettle of fish, the insurance situation changes, etc. Plus, I really think that having had the panni before job hunting would be very helpful. It will improve my appearance and I will be able to dress much more professionally than I can now.
Clothes are an issue for me. Even though I have gotten down into about a 2X (it varies) I have to have shirts that are about 40 inches long to cover my tummy. This does not create the most professional look in the world. Dresses are not an option, because my legs have a lot of extra skin also. So, at this point I do the best I can and hope to get things fixed soon!
On the good news front, I am back in twooterville! I was at the doctor's office yesterday [sore throat :( antibiotics :)] and I am back down to 297.6! My little scale at home has been being kind of cranky and I have been having to reset it back to zero each time I weighed, but it showed me as 308 yesterday morning - naked! It's time for that scale to go bye bye. I do believe that it is worthwhile to invest in a new one that will actually give me an acurate weight. I even weighed on two different scales at the doc's, just to make sure. The first one was the fancy digital scale, but I confirmed in on an old fashioned balance scale. I haven't been on one of those in years. It was SO COOL when the 300 lb. weight was too heavy and I had to switch to the 250 one. I had forgotten how big a thrill that was. :)
I've posted some updated pics so y'all can join in the fun.
I am back in school on 1-11-08, so anything soon is out of the question. Conceivably I might be able to take a little extra time off at Spring Break and do it then, but that would only give me about two weeks recovery. I just don't know if that is feasible at all, given the extent of my problem, but once I get the surgeon situation figured out, I will get a medical opinion on whether that would be reasonable.
The only other good option would be in May, after the semester ends. I will have 3-4 weeks off before time for my summer internship to begin. After the internship I will be graduating and hopefully starting work right away, so then getting time off becomes a whole different kettle of fish, the insurance situation changes, etc. Plus, I really think that having had the panni before job hunting would be very helpful. It will improve my appearance and I will be able to dress much more professionally than I can now.
Clothes are an issue for me. Even though I have gotten down into about a 2X (it varies) I have to have shirts that are about 40 inches long to cover my tummy. This does not create the most professional look in the world. Dresses are not an option, because my legs have a lot of extra skin also. So, at this point I do the best I can and hope to get things fixed soon!
On the good news front, I am back in twooterville! I was at the doctor's office yesterday [sore throat :( antibiotics :)] and I am back down to 297.6! My little scale at home has been being kind of cranky and I have been having to reset it back to zero each time I weighed, but it showed me as 308 yesterday morning - naked! It's time for that scale to go bye bye. I do believe that it is worthwhile to invest in a new one that will actually give me an acurate weight. I even weighed on two different scales at the doc's, just to make sure. The first one was the fancy digital scale, but I confirmed in on an old fashioned balance scale. I haven't been on one of those in years. It was SO COOL when the 300 lb. weight was too heavy and I had to switch to the 250 one. I had forgotten how big a thrill that was. :)
I've posted some updated pics so y'all can join in the fun.
Catching up...
Dec 14, 2007
I haven't been on here in forever, basically life has gotten too busy to blog. In the last six or eight months I reached my lowest weight of 296, then stalled out. The highest I have seen since then was 320. (I really do think I was retaining fluid that day.) Generally I have settled in between 305 and 310. That is where the scale lands virtually every time. I did reach my surgeon's original prediction that I would lose about 70% of my excess weight.
I do feel SO much better than I used to. I have my mobility back, I still have some limitations, but I am certainly ambulatory. I'm in school, finishing my senior year of college; I'm dating again and I'm generally very busy with life. I've even applied for an internship for this summer that is something that I never thought that I would have the mobility to even consider.
I am currently back to jumping through hoops, this time to have a panniculectomy. I have a lot of excess tummy skin (a grade 4 pannus) that interferes with my mobility. I am hoping that once the panni is done I can up my activity level and jump start my weight loss again. (Although, even if it doesn't, life is good where I am.) I am hoping to have it very soon, during the Christmas holidays, while I am out of school. I just have to finish jumping through all of these durn hoops...
I do feel SO much better than I used to. I have my mobility back, I still have some limitations, but I am certainly ambulatory. I'm in school, finishing my senior year of college; I'm dating again and I'm generally very busy with life. I've even applied for an internship for this summer that is something that I never thought that I would have the mobility to even consider.
I am currently back to jumping through hoops, this time to have a panniculectomy. I have a lot of excess tummy skin (a grade 4 pannus) that interferes with my mobility. I am hoping that once the panni is done I can up my activity level and jump start my weight loss again. (Although, even if it doesn't, life is good where I am.) I am hoping to have it very soon, during the Christmas holidays, while I am out of school. I just have to finish jumping through all of these durn hoops...
Two-tervillle!!!
Mar 31, 2007
I am now officially in two-tervillle!!! As of yesterday I am 298. It has seemed to go very slowly lately, with lots of fluctuations, but my weight FINALLY starts with a two! I was probably 28 the last time that I was this small. That makes a total loss (pre and post op) of 360 lbs in two years.
As a bonus, I moved down a bra size yesterday too. I am now in a
40 I. The band keeps shrinking, but the cup size is hanging in there. If that holds up maybe one of these days I can justify insurance paying for a breast lift by having a reduction done. Gonna have to find a new style of bra soon, this one only goes down to a 38. Whoo hoo, what problems to have!
I'm a TRIPLE Century Club member !
Mar 03, 2007
March 2, 2007
Mar 02, 2007
I am sooooo ready to be in tootervile... I suddenly dropped to 305 yesterday, after being stalled at 310 for a couple of weeks. That seems to be the pattern these days, stall and drop, stall and drop. It can be a bit frustrating during the stalls, but oh well, as long as I keep moving downward, I'm a happy camper.
I've been moving down in sizes too. I'm generally in a 2X or 28W to 30W. I got a new bra today, I'm in a 42 I now. (I started in a 54 FF.) Man... a 42... that's starting to feel like skinny sizes to me.
I haven't been this small since the '80s , lol!
I've been moving down in sizes too. I'm generally in a 2X or 28W to 30W. I got a new bra today, I'm in a 42 I now. (I started in a 54 FF.) Man... a 42... that's starting to feel like skinny sizes to me.
I haven't been this small since the '80s , lol!
January 12, 2007
Jan 12, 2007
I haven't been to the doctor for a while, but my scale at home says I am 320 lbs. now. That is a loss of 133.5 lbs. since surgery and a total loss of 338 lbs. I am smaller now than I have been since I was in my twenties. Twooterville here I come!
My mobility is steadliy increasing. I started back to school yesterday. All of my classes are in one building this semester. If I am able to get a good parking place, I am able to just walk in and don't have to deal with using the scooter. This is a major wow for me.
It is still hard for me to grasp how much my life has changed in such a short time. That first visit to my surgeon, where I weighed in at 658 was less than 21 months ago... I don't know which is harder for me to realize, that I ever was there - or that I am not still.
That day was so terribly hard on me. I was in such pain physically, from being out of bed and trying to fit in the van and just making the trip to Houston. It was agonizing. The only pain I ever had worse was labor when I had my children. Surgery was certainly not as bad. I was hurting so badly trying to sit up while I talked to Dr. Wilson that I could hardly comprehend what he was saying. He told me that day that I had to lose 158 lbs. to be below 500 before it would be safe to have surgery. I don't think he thought that he would ever see me again. I really suspect that he thought that he was sending me home to die. I really thought he might be too. I honestly didn't know if I could do it. I felt like I had to try though. I finally had the opportunity to have the surgery. I figured that this was my one shot and I better try to take it.
Somehow though, incredibly, it came together. The pre-op weight started coming off and then, miracle of miracles, I had my surgery. I have never for one moment regretted it. I had very little post-op pain so I never even had those moments of thinking, "What have I done?" It all still seems rather surreal, but it is by far the best decision that I have ever made. I have known that God was in this from the beginning. Never have His words in Jeremiah 29:11 rung so apt to me, "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
My mobility is steadliy increasing. I started back to school yesterday. All of my classes are in one building this semester. If I am able to get a good parking place, I am able to just walk in and don't have to deal with using the scooter. This is a major wow for me.
It is still hard for me to grasp how much my life has changed in such a short time. That first visit to my surgeon, where I weighed in at 658 was less than 21 months ago... I don't know which is harder for me to realize, that I ever was there - or that I am not still.
That day was so terribly hard on me. I was in such pain physically, from being out of bed and trying to fit in the van and just making the trip to Houston. It was agonizing. The only pain I ever had worse was labor when I had my children. Surgery was certainly not as bad. I was hurting so badly trying to sit up while I talked to Dr. Wilson that I could hardly comprehend what he was saying. He told me that day that I had to lose 158 lbs. to be below 500 before it would be safe to have surgery. I don't think he thought that he would ever see me again. I really suspect that he thought that he was sending me home to die. I really thought he might be too. I honestly didn't know if I could do it. I felt like I had to try though. I finally had the opportunity to have the surgery. I figured that this was my one shot and I better try to take it.
Somehow though, incredibly, it came together. The pre-op weight started coming off and then, miracle of miracles, I had my surgery. I have never for one moment regretted it. I had very little post-op pain so I never even had those moments of thinking, "What have I done?" It all still seems rather surreal, but it is by far the best decision that I have ever made. I have known that God was in this from the beginning. Never have His words in Jeremiah 29:11 rung so apt to me, "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
About Me
Port Arthur, TX
Location
88.6
BMI
Surgery
05/22/2006
Surgery Date
Jan 15, 2006
Member Since
