Antoinette T.

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I feel awesome!

Tomorrow is Monday April 14th and I will consider this my re-birth!!! I am getting banded tomorrow! I am scared and nervous and excited and a bunch of other feelings all in one. I am really tired right now from lack of food.. I couldn't find a good chicken broth that I liked but I finally got it!!!

Tomorrow at 10 am at Christiana Hospital. I am ready to become a new me!

So..... I HAVE MY DATE!!! 4/16/08! In exactly two weeks I am going to be starting my new life with the lap band!!! Hopefully everything works out because this is a tentative date and I don't want to lose it!

I have my pre-op weigh in tomorrow and I had to lose 4-5lbs originally but i stopped my diet pills and gained another 5.. so I have been struggling to get that 10lbs off.. I have been doing liquids for the last 5 days and I think I have pretty much taken care of that 10lbs! I guess we will see tomorrow.. This morning I was right at the weight and with the liquids and nothing else today I hope I will perfectly on target!

I went to the hematologist today. I have to get a few things of blood and I go back to see him on the 11th to discuss the results. He thinks everything will be gravy though.... 

I am also done my life skills classes and I passed. I had to lose/maintain weight, pass a test, and hand in menus for my liquid and pureed stages that were accurate. I have learned a lot from those classes though so I am glad that I took them.

So here is what I have left to do......

Tomorrow- preop appt with Dr. Wynn (irgau is my surgeon though but she will be there too while it's being done)

April 8th- FINAL MD clearance appt with endocrinologist and dietician.

April 10th- ENDOSCOPY.. I will get the results that day

April 11th.. test results from hematologist!!!

I am almost there!!!!!

Okay, I do not have sleep apnea! I am really glad for that. I had to do the testing and thatttt was soooo awful!!!!! I had to do the sleep test with all the wires hooked up to my head and body and it sucked!! But, I don't have it so YAY!... Now I don't know why I snore and I am always so darn sleepy...

So I guess this means I now have pulmonolgy clearance.. I have already gotten the cardiac clearance.. I am doing my life skills classes right now and I will be done March 31. I have a hematologist appt April 2nd and my EGD April 10th and the only thing I have left is my final dr clearance with the endocrinologist... I am getting really excited because I can see my new life right ahead of me!! As soon as I have my final dr appt scheduled I will be able to get my tentative surgery date!

I was 230 when I had my initial consult and then I went up somehow to close to 240... I have been working out hard and doing my food diary with 1400-1500 calories a day and I have been fluctuating the last few days between 232 and 234.. so I know I will meet my 225 weigh in goal before I see Dr. Irgau again. I have been exercising soo much my whole entire body is sore.. I can't do as much as I want but I am pushing myself!

So, I guess that is all for now. I will update again probably after I go to hematologist on April 2nd..

My BDAY is this Thursday! I'll be 23!!!

Today I went to see Dr. Guy to get my clearance from the pulmonologists end. So wow what fun that was lol... Well, I have asthma and I hate inhalers because they make me feel funny.. So I did the spirometer test to check my breathing and she made me take two puffs from an inhaler and do the test again and I had better results.. I do have to go to the sleep study because I have small airways so they want to make sure that I don't have it. So, I should hear from the sleep study place tomorrow or monday to make the appt. If all goes well, she will give me clearance.. I still need to see her in 5 weeks to get my asthma under control...

I am pretty sure that I don't have sleep apnea.. But I know it's better to be safe instead of sorry. So hopefully I will have pulmonary clearance soon!

I am getting irritated because CHRIAS hasn't scheduled my GI appt just yet and it's been a month.. *Tomorrow is a month* So, I called there on Monday and I was told someone will contact me this week.. So if I don't hear from them at like 3 or so tomorrow I am going to call back..

I know they are dealing with a lot of stuff but I am super excited to get through this crap! I hate things holding me up!

That's all for now!

TONI

So... I am getting closer and closer to getting this surgery! Today I had my cardiologist stress test. The tests were normal last time but because I have a lot of shortness of breath they wanted to make sure that my heart was okay. So I walked/jogged on the treadmill for about 7 minutes to get my heart rate up to 168. It was 9 am while I was doing this. I thought I was going to die!!! Anyway, they said everything was fine and he will write the letter of clearance to my surgeon and PMRI! YAY

Tomorrow at 1:30 I have my pulmonary appointment. I don't know what they are going to do or make me do... Hopefully it will be an easy in and out appointment because I want to get through this crap asap.

I have to say that I think I am pretty healthy besides the weight that I am carrying. The weight is causing me pain in the back and knees.. I am trying to become a nurse but it's hard for me to stand too much... I'm almost 23 and I want to live a long life. I need to do this. I want to feel like for the first time in my life I have control of my weight.

I also questioned my decision for a lap band but I am set on it now. I know that I may lose weight slower but I will be healthy and I will do what I need to do to get what I need out of it! I'm sooooo ready to do this. I wish it was NOW!

So, here I am right now just anxious as ever.... But, everything is going well so far... I went to my cardiologist on march 3rd and he said things were good I am going back for the stress test on March 12. I also had my appointment with the Nurse Practitioner and Psychologist at PMRI. It's good to know I am not completely crazy.. lol... So now I have my pulmonology  appt on Thurs March 13th. So after that I just need to see the hematologist April 2nd... do my 3 life skills classes which are scheduled for the end of this month and once I am done that I see their doctor to get my final clearance.. I was told that if everything was scheduled that I could get a tentative surgery date.. SOOOO I am super duper excited... So hopefully on Monday I should have a date if everything works out. I really hope that it does because I can't wait at all!!!!!!

It's like this whole new life is waiting for me to just enter it.. I know that it isn't going to be easy at all.. It's not supposed to be easy... I didn't become a big girl overnight.. even though it seems like it... and I won't become healthy and skinny over night either.. but it's just that I am so ready to start this journey that I can like see it within reach but can't yet grab it!

So, I am going to get in a quick workout before I don't feel like it..

Thanks.  Toni

So I figured I would come on here and type a little post.. This is the only place where I can just be open about the weight stuff... If ya haven't been there then you just don't get it....

So as I have said before my appts are all scheduled for March.... I called my surgeons office today to see if my insurance has sent approval over to them but I found out that they don't actually submit to the insurance until I get clearance from all of the other doctors.... That actually makes sense.. why fight and hassle if you aren't even cleared for surgery... Sometimes my brain doesn't work right lol... But anyway, I can't wait to get clearance and just get the ball rolling.. Right now I feel like there is so much I want to do and I can't. I want to have all of the appts like today.. like NOW!!!

Well, I also went to the gym today.. I haven't been there in a few months cus of moving and all that stuff... I have been in a lot of pain with my back and knees that I'm almost embarrassed to go to the gym and feel like I'm slacking.. I don't know if any of you guys get that or not but it's like when you are working out and kinda big people like look at you as though you should be pushing harder.. I go to a co-ed gym and that's probably why I feel so intimidated.. Anyhow.. I got in a little over half hour of cardio and I was happy with that.. I am just starting to get back into to it sooo I want to take it slow and easy..

Alright here is some good stuff I have found..
You Tube--- for anyone who is pre-op.... There is a ton of peoples video testimonials that has pictures of surgery, after surgery, incisions, plastic surgery for skin removal... I have been looking at the videos on there for about 3 weeks now and I have learned a lot.. you know people don't sugar coat it on there...  so if anyone goes on I'm youtube.com/italian03babygrl.. i think that is how it goes..

Also--- if you walk for 20 minutes a day for 2 weeks before surgery you will have better oxygen levels.. That is something that I read somewhere...
And the big thing is to avoid pain killers... like alieve,advil,ibprofeun... only tyenol is okay....

I'm not a doc lol just passing it along.. So tonight we are going out for some fun.. don't know how much fun I will have but hey at least my friends are encouraging me and pushing me to get the heck out!!

until later---- have a great day/evening everyone!

Toni

Well, I guess I just wanted to start by saying that I have just jumped into this process this month.

I saw Dr Irgau for my consult on Feb 15th and I have already scheduled all of my appointments to get clearance for the lap band surgery. I have to see a cardiologist, pulmonologist, hematologist (because my sis had blood clots before). Then I will get a call from my surgeons office to have schedule my GI appointment. I am also going through PRMI. It is required through CHRIAS (where my surgeon works) ... I will have to go to a psych doctor, dietitian, an RN and I also have to do some classes... I am really on track with this..

Since I am a college student I am on state insurance.. I just found out that they actually cover this procedure and all I have to do is lose 2% of my excess weight before surgery.. So hopefully everything will go great... I was seriously doubting that I would ever get done school because of my weight. I am going for nursing and I also work on my feel all day doing hair.. so by the end of the day I am like dying..

So here is my first blog. I will try to keep writing as I go through the appts and stuff.. Most of my appts are scheduled for March... sooo get here soon March!!!!!!