bethrn
Hi! My name is Beth. I'm a middle aged wife & mom of 2 sons. I'm a nurse, work full time, and I'm currently in graduate school working toward my lifelong career goal to be a nurse practitioner. I started keeping up with my WLS on OH back in 2004 or 2005. Below you'll find my own WLS. I may update it sometime soon, especially now that fixing my body and the leftovers of being morbidly obese by plastic surgery is in the works. This is my old WLS diary I kept on the old OH layout. I copied it and pasted it here when I changed over to the new layout. I hope you can keep up with my system here. The older diary is at the bottom with black text. It is followed by the newer "blog posts" at the top in white text. Confusing.. sorry. :)
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I have really enjoyed reading people's WLS stories here, and thought I'd add mine. I started considering WLS in 2003, but it seemed like it would never be possible. It sounded just too good to be true. I was always skinny as a youngster, but always loved to eat. My friends used to say, "how can you eat like you do and stay so skinny!?" When I had my first child, I ballooned up to 210 lbs. I managed to lose back down to 140 lbs in 1997 with the help of Phen-Fen, but over the years have gradually gained and gained. I have tried so many weight loss programs, but I eventually revert back to my old eating habits, and gain it all back plus some.
Two of my friends from work had lap band surgery in spring of 2004. Dr. Woodman performed both of these surgeries. I have watched their progress as well as their struggles over the past year, and finally decided I was going to do it! Another friend of mine from work had lap-band done in May 2005, and has lost 70 lbs in the first six months. They all 3 have done wonderfully!
Here is my story so far, pretty much as it happened. :-) (Until I got lazy keeping it updated! lol)
January 8, 2005 - I attended the seminar at Baptist Hospital in Memphis on December 30, 2004, and went for my initial office visit January 7, 2005. I had my H&P, watched the Lap-Band video, and Cyndy (Dr Woodman's nurse) taught me a lot about the lap band. The visit took about 2 1/2 hours, and was extremely informative. I have a long checklist to complete in order to get approved for WLS by my insurance company. I am in the early stages here. I am on a 6 month medically supervised diet, as required by my insurance company. Luckily I was able to back this up to my last physician's appointment in December. This 6 month period will be over in May. I have my dietician appointment this coming week, and my psych assessment is at the end of January. I also have to quit smoking, per Cyndy, which only makes sense. I have been an off & on closet smoker for years. I have to get all my medical records for the past 5 years to Dr Woodman's office as well. My primary physician that I have been seeing for 5 years isn't very enthusiastic about putting it in writing that he recommends me for bariatric surgery. He reluctantly said he would try to put a letter together for me yesterday. So many doctors don't understand why you just don't "go on a diet." I have been for the past 15-16 years!! It gets so frustrating. It only works short term, and in the end I put it all back on plus some. I am not morbidly obese, but should qualify for the lap-band based on my BMI of 37.6 and several co-morbidities (HTN, GERD, hyperlipidemia).
February 7, 2005
Well, several things have happened since I last posted here. I quit smoking January 14, and have gained from 226 to 243 lbs! I never thought I'd be able to quit, so this is a major accomplishment for me, however, I have really packed the pounds on. I am now officially morbidly obese. :( I have kicked the smoking habit though. I really can't believe it!!
I had my dietician appointment, and he really shot down the idea of me having WLS. He put me on a 1500 calorie diet and wants me to keep a food, exercise, and weight journal for him to review every week. I did not see the dietician that Dr. Woodman told me about at Baptist in Memphis. I used the one where I work instead. I explained to him that I needed his nutrition assessment compiled into a report and sent to my PCP. I hope he does this. I don't feel very optimistic about it. I may end up having to go to the dietician in Memphis anyway.
I missed my psychological eval appointment in January. I had made an appointment with a psychologist in this small town where I live. I work night shift, and slept right through it. (Ugh!) I have made an appointment with Dr. Amos in Memphis this time. The appointment is in mid-February. I made sure it's on my day off so I won't sleep through this one. LOL I have not really started an exercise routine yet. I have been walking some, but not very consistently. I won an elliptical trainer on ebay this weekend. I cannot wait to get it and put it to use!
I am not sure if my PCP has sent my referral letter and copies of my medical record. I suppose I will find out this week when I go to be weighed. This will be month 3 of 6 on my 6 month medically supervised diet. Here is my starting point. Weight=243 and BMI=40.4
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February 8, 2005
I am starting to reconsider the lap band. I'm starting to think about the lap RNY more carefully. People at work don't understand why I would even consider the RNY over the band, but I have inevitably failed at every whole-hearted weight loss attempt I've ever made. I do not want to fail this time!! It would be my luck that it would get infected or eat into my stomach, or that I'd have some whacked-out reaction to the silicone. *sigh* I'm really tossing this around, reading as much as possible, and weighing the pros and cons of each. It is nice to have the choice. The people I've talked to that had the band say it's the only way to go, and vice versa with the RNY.
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April 13, 2005
I just realized I haven't posted anything here in a while. The psych visit was actually kind of fun. I really liked Dr Amos. My PCP still hasn't sent a referral letter or copies of my records to Dr Woodman. I still don't have a copy of my nutritional assessment done over 2 months ago by the dietician. It's frustrating despite calling many times. I have less than 1 month to go in my 6 month diet/exercise program required by my insurance company! woohoo. It's weird how you can sabotage yourself though. I have tried so hard the past 3 months to eat healthy and exercise, yet when I binge, I really binge, and it has completely counteracted what progress I could have made. Stopping smoking was a big whammy, although I know I'll never start back. I'm still at the same weight (243). I'm feeling desperate again. I think I have figured out it's generally not what I eat, it's how much & how often I eat that is making me fat. I just keep telling myself that there is hope in sight.
I have been plagued with right upper abdominal pain the past few weeks. I had an abdominal ultrasound this morning, and just got my report. It looks like I got a fatty liver, and that is all it showed. No gallstones thankfully. I realized when I went for my ultrasound this morning how fat I really am when they handed me the "large" hospital gown to put on. We use these gowns for the very very obese people that come into the hospital. I never thought I would be handed one. :( It really put this into perspective for me, as silly as it may sound. I never thought I'd be here.
I return to my PCP in 2 weeks. The nurse promised she would have everything ready for me to send to Dr Woodman when I come back in 2 weeks. I'll believe it when I see it.
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May 28, 2005
Update! I finally completed my 6 month diet plan required by my insurance company. My PCP has all my records together for me and I get to go pick them up this week to send to Dr Woodman's office! Yippee! I procrastinated this past month because my hypothyroidism has been out of whack, and I assumed I would not be able to apply for insurance approval until it gets back to normal. I called Dr Woodman's office and she told me that she didn't think we'd have to wait for normal thyroid labs before we submit for approval. So... It should be all downhill from here I hope. I am still weighing between 244-248 despite exercising more than I ever have in my life and eating better. 4 1/2 months without a cigarette. Yay. Oh... I was reminded how fat I am again today. I could barely reach my feet to paint my toenails! :-( I'll post more as it happens...
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August 10, 2005
Well, everything is finally sent off and waiting insurance approval as of today! Whew!! What a roller coaster. I thought all of my paperwork was sent off well over a month ago, and I later found out that my PCP had not written my referral letter to the bariatric surgeon yet! It has been a long, slow, frustrating process. My PCP is the best doc in my book, but his nurse has more on her plate than she can handle, and it is true "out of sight, out of mind" at their clinic. He left it up to her, and once I was not in front of her, she just disregarded the need to do it until I was standing in front of her again. She even told me a tale that she couldn't get it to go through with the fax number I gave them, so finally today, I just said, "if you will please give me the letter, I will make sure it gets there" She was stunned and quickly went to her desk and had to type it up because it had never been done in the first place. GRRRR
I could have already had this surgery approved and done except for my PCP's nurse dragging her feet. It's not like they had to do this for free, either. They were paid over $600 by my insurance company for my 6 months of weigh-ins. I'm trying to stay positive. On an upbeat note, I have been smoke-free now for almost 7 months. :-) I am sooo happy about that. It's one of the hardest things I've ever done, but I feel a huge sense of accomplishment.
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September 27, 2005
Well I can say that this is truly starting to stink! I called Dr Woodman's office the other day to find out what the status of everything was, and was told that my chart was on the nurse's desk. They put me through to the nurse, and was told (after all this time) that they haven't submitted insurance approval yet because, even though I have had my 6 months of medically supervised weight loss visits, I am going to have to have 3-4 more months because it took my doctor so long to get my referral letter done. So now trying to get my PCP to put on paper 3-4 more months of visits is going to be difficult. I plan on working on this all day tomorrow. I sure hope I can get something accomplished. This is so frustrating! My insurance will probably change and no longer cover WLS by the time I jump through all these hoops. I'm trying to get this done and it's very hard with a PCP and his nurse that has not helped very much. :( I keep telling myself it will be worth it.
On a brighter note, I have given up my carbonation. That is another biggie for me. I have been hooked for years on Mountain Dew. I'm down to water & coffee with sweet n low in it (and occasionally tea). Now I'm working on not drinking with my meals. Baby steps... I tell myself.. to make this change for life. :-)
Oh another very positive note is the bariatric nurse told me to go ahead & make my appointment with the dietician for my post-op diet teaching. :-) I'm going to do that tomorrow.
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November 22, 2005
Happy Happy Joy Joy!!! I received my approval letter from Pittman & Associates insurance in the mail today!! Woohoo! It has only taken over 11 months! LOL
I had two great hold-ups in this process, which I won't even get in to. I will just say that this process should have been completed in May or June instead of November. If you are reading this and are having problems with getting healthcare professionals to get their part done, all I can say is you have to stay on them. Don't assume they are doing their job while you are waiting. I think nurses in general have more on their plate than they can handle. I think it's, unfortunately, the nature of healthcare.
Anyway... I am going to Baptist Hospital in Memphis on December 1 for all of my pre-op testing, which I believe consists of an EKG, O2 sat, chest X-ray, abdominal ultrasound, and upper GI. December 2, I am supposed to have my lab work drawn. When Dr. Woodman gets all of my test results back, I will schedule an appointment for my pre-op doctor's visit, and that's it! Yaaaaaaaay. I should have a date within a couple of weeks, hopefully. The real kicker is I have to have this surgery before the end of the year now, because as of Jan 1st, my insurance is changing and supposedly it's a lot more difficult to get approved then. I completed my post-op diet teaching in October. I would definitely recommend Megan Murphy to anyone. She is one awesome dietician. I paid her $100 and she spent an hour with hubby & me teaching us about the post-op diet changes I will have to make. I do not dread this at all. I am looking so forward to it.
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December 11, 2005
A quick update: I completed all my pre-op tests and labs Dec 1 & 2. I had everything but the lab done at Baptist in Memphis. They were quick & efficient. I literally went from one test to another and was out of there in a few hours. The upper GI was the worst. Yucko! I'd do it 10 times though to get this surgery done. :-) I had all the lab done at the hospital I work at. My glucose tolerance test showed that I had some elevated glucose levels, but not high enough to be diabetes. I hope I can reverse that as I lose weight. My T4 and TSH were at the best levels they have been at in almost 2 years. :) I was iron deficient and anemic, which surprises me, but I have started on some Iron tablets. Several tests had to be sent off to an outside lab, and that is the hold up at the present. Tomorrow I should be able to get my results from medical records and fax them on to Dr. Woodman's office. I have to have this done this year for my insurance to cover it, and I'm running out of time! Hopefully my next post will be my surgery date. :-)
December 15, 2005
Well, I'm still waiting on the doctor's office to schedule my preop visit. They should have all my lab work. I called 2 days ago and they said the lab is on the doctor's desk. I'm still waiting. :(
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December 22, 2005
I had my pre-op office visit with Dr. Woodman today. It was quite a rollercoaster. I read a book, took a test, got weighed, met with Deborah, his OR tech, for a while, then had my pre-op consultation with Dr Woodman. He took my pre-op photos, then he referred me on to Kelley, his bariatric program coordinator, for surgery scheduling. I explained to her about my insurance dilemma and she initially said there is no way we can do it this year. He is booked up through December 30. I think my chin quivered at least half the time I was there. lol I told her there is no way I can go through this approval process again. She said she would work on it and give me a call tomorrow. If anyone sees this, please say a prayer that something positive will happen tomorrow. I know I am. Thank you.
Just for what it's worth, this is what I have had to pay so far out of pocket, in case anyone is interested.
WLS (OUT OF POCKET)EXPENSES
Initial office visit $ 35.00
Nutritional Assessment $0 (due to being done where I work, otherwise $200)
Psychological Assessment $ 80.00
8 month supervised diet $200.00
($25. each visit)
Dietician for postop diet teaching $100.00
Pre-op Visit with Dr. Woodman $35.00
Program Fee $500.00 for $950 total
I know I will have to pay part of my preop testing fees, which so far total up to $4800 (no kidding lol). and I know I will have a $500 copay the day of surgery, that is if I can get this surgery done this year, while I'm still covered under Pittman & Associates; otherwise, I will be back at square one and have to start over with the approval process.
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December 23, 2005
I have a date!!! woohoo and it's this year so it will be covered by my insurance. I am so happy!!! I will be having my band December 27 at Methodist Germantown hospital in Memphis. He worked me in that day, and I just don't know what to say. I'm so happy!! My surgery will not be until 4-5 PM that day Kelley said. My surgery is contingent upon me losing at least 5 pounds in 3.5 days. I guess I'm down to vitamins and water! lol Anyway, I'm so happy. :-)
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December 24, 2005
Well, in the past 24 hours I have eaten 1/2 can of Healthy Request vegetable soup and a can of chicken broth. I've drank at least 2 quarts of water and drank some coffee. I completed 25 minutes on my elliptical trainer last night. I had never gone more than 10-15 minutes because I didn't think physically I could do it. I remember a couple of days ago Dr. Woodman saying, "some people that say they are exercising aren't really exercising. It's the people who exercise vigorously 10 times per week that have the best results." I know that is extreme, but it stuck with me. I also keep running through my mind something else he said. He asked me, "if i put you in a room with a glass of water for a week and nothing else to eat, what will happen?" I said, "nothing. I'll lose weight!" He said, "ok, what if I put you in this room with plenty of water and vitamins only for 4 months, and then come back to check on you, what will happen?" I sat there a minute not knowing what he was wanting, and then said, "Well, I'd be malnourished if not dead!" He said, "Wrong! Nothing with happen. You'd be fine. You could live off your excess body weight with no problems for at least 4 months." He told me I had to get it in my head that it's ok to be hungry. Nothing bad is going to happen if I get hungry. As silly as that may sound, I had never thought of it that way. Every time in the past that I got hungry, I felt like "OMG I have to eat now!" Well surprisingly, as little as I have consumed these past 24 hours, I do not even feel hungry. Hungar has already passed, but I still feel energetic. I am looking so forward to Tuesday, although anesthesia scares me, I know I am praying and everything will be okay.
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December 27, 2005 @ 9:30 PM
Well, I'm home and banded!! I'm having a lot of pain, and don't feel like being up, so I will post more about today later. Everything went fine. Oh, I lost 11 lbs since Thursday on my pre-op diet. :-) Post more tomorrow.
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December 29, 2005 @ 7:20 AM
This is my 2nd post op day, and I do not believe the pain is getting any better. It just changes places from day to day. Hubby is having to take another day off work today just to help me get up & down in bed, in chairs, etc. That is the hardest part. I can get down, but can't get up. His boss is not happy that he is having to stay home with me another day, and I don't think he is either. :-( I'm feeling guilty that I'm requiring help and crying a lot today.
I think I've lost somewhere in the neighborhood of 17 lbs in the past 7 days. I won't weigh officially until 6 weeks postop at Dr Woodman's office. I'm still on clear liquids. I'm definitely not hungry. I find it hard just to get enough fluid in, but I'm trying. I'm having a hard time getting my protein in also. I think I only got about 20 grams in yesterday. I'm mixing the Unjury unflavored protein with Crystal Light which tastes good, I just can't drink the volume that I need to to get 60 grams of protein in. My BMI is already down from 43.3 to 41.4, with that 11 pounds lost before surgery.
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December 29, 2005 @ 9:30 PM
It's still post op day #2, and it has gotten better! Once my GI tract started working again (let's just say I got rid of some pressure lol), it has been so much better after about 1 PM today. I have only had 2 doses of pain meds today. I have walked a lot in the house. I've had some water, crystal light with Unjury unflavored protein in it, and some apple juice. I'm taking my Flintstones vitamins and Tums. I also had a little bit of strained chicken noodle soup. Boy, was that good. :-) I am feeling like my old self again, thankfully. Hubby should be able to go back to work tomorrow. I'm not sure if I'm up to keeping our 5 year old child alone yet. I'll see what tomorrow holds when I wake up. My Mom has offered to watch him for me tomorrow if I need for her to. I'm still sore, mainly in my left lower abdomen. The shoulder pain is gone. Yayy!!!! Getting ready to have my 1st sugar free popsicle. Still trying to get my fluids in. Got a call from one of my "banded" friends at work tonight offering any support I need. That is always reassuring, knowing I have 3 friends who have done this already. Welp, going to spend some time with hubby then to bed. Yay!! I feel so much better. :-)
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December 30, 2005 @ 12:20 PM
It's post op day #3, and I added some full liquids to my diet. Today I've had some fat free chocolate milk (just a few sips), a few sips of pulp free OJ (with calcium & vitamin D added), quite a bit of water, and my regular Sunrise Crystal Light with Unjury Unflavored protein in it. I strained some chicken noodle soup to drink, but my cat beat me to it! :-( I could really hurt her right about now! lol Physically, I'm not hungry. Mentally, I am. I've been thinking almost all day how good a chili dog would be! That is not even something I would normally crave, but I am craving it. Leave it to my son to ask for chili for lunch! I'm sure that is where that craving came from.. my mind kinda wondered as I was fixing it for him. lol Oh, well... I'll get past it. Today I feel a little weaker than the other days. I am not sure if it's because I haven't had any real food in 8 days or what. I have been walking pretty consistently in my house since surgery, but I know it's not real exercise. I am going to get on my elliptical today and just see how much I can do. I have been doing some housework today, stripping linens and washing laundry. Still having pain in my lower left quadrant, which I figure is gas. My incisions do not hurt. My belly isn't even bruised. I'm kinda impressed with the neat little row of 5 incisions I have. I signed up for a forum at lapbandtalk.com and looked at a lot of people's incisions. Mine look pretty darned good compared to some of them. I wouldn't really expect any less.. because I am pretty sure Dr. Woodman is a perfectionist. Dr. Woodman emphasized to me on the day of surgery that the first 6 weeks is a time for healing. After that is really when I can expect to put my "tool" to use. He said I may not even have to have a fill. He said some require none, some 1 or 2, and some 10 or more. NO pain meds in about 15 hours. I am very much an anti-narcotic type person, so I won't take them unless I have to. I absolutely had to have them the first 2 days. I think the pain the first 2 post op days was a lot worse than I ever expected, but I'm getting better faster than I expected too. I just want to get past this weakness today.
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January 1, 2006
Postop Day #5 :) If anyone is reading this, Happy New Year!
Ok I figured out what my weakness was the other day. I'm not needing my blood pressure medicine right now. My BP stayed low all day after I took my Diovan HCT. I haven't had it in 2 days, and so far my BP is good.
I'm still craving real food, but I know that is normal. You can only enjoy liquids so long! lol Hubby & I went shopping tonight in Walmart and I had some pretty crazy ideas about what I might be able to make into a liquid. Well... in the end, I came home, strained some vegetarian vegetable soup and drank it and called it supper. Today was rough, though. His family always cooks a huge New Years Day lunch, and today was no exception. Of course we had to go, and I tried to just stay out of the kitchen. It did set my cravings off bigtime though. Today I've had SF Carnation instant breakfast and a cup of milk, a couple bottles of water, some strained soup, and about 2 spoonfuls of black eyed pea juice (at his grandmothers... it's liquid right? :-)) I think that has blown me up though... I've had gas pains all day after that. I came home and chewed some simethicone tablets, and that helped.
I'm still having no incisional pain, and no port pain. I took my port dressing off today, and the site looks good. I only needed to use the Lortab elixer the first 3 days for pain.
My bathroom scale is really ticking me off... I'll get on it and YES! I've hit that 20 lbs lost mark!! Then, I'll get back on it, and I have gained 3 lbs in a matter of 2 minutes. hmmm... So anyway I ordered us a new scale from Amazon.com last night. I do believe I've lost in the neighborhood of 18-20 lbs at least since 12/22 though. Also, I am able to get on my elliptical and give it a pretty good ride. I can't do the 25-30 minutes nonstop like I could before surgery, but I can still do it 10-15, which I figure is ok if it's all I can do right now. After that I start hurting pretty bad in my left side.
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January 2, 2006
Post op day #6 here. Today I am having a constant pain in my left side, under my ribcage. I feel certain it is gas as I can feel all kinds of rumblings in there. It has been really bad the past 12 hours. It's hard to take a deep breath. I haven't had much intake today. I've had 1 bottle of water, 1 cup of Crystal Light with protein in it, 1 bite of SF jello, and 1/2 cup of tomato soup. I got on my elliptical and was only able to do it 11 minutes and had to stop. The pain was too bad. I've walked walked walked, and it's not helping. I chewed some more simethicone today, and so far it hasn't helped either. Maybe tomorrow will be a little better. I'm going to go try to get some fluids in and go to bed.
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January 7, 2006
Today is postop day... let me see... 11. On postop day 9, I emailed the dietician and she told me I could have some very thin mashed potatoes, so I did, and they were great. They gave me no problems. I'm still eating very little, but not hungry at all, mentally or physically now. I go back to work in 2 days. I'm still a little sore in my left side and a little sore at the port site. I had terrible terrible pain in my left side and left abdomen for 3 days (I couldn't even lie down and had to sleep sitting straight up), and I figured out what it was. I overdid it on the elliptical. I wouldn't recommend exercising on that after surgery for several weeks. I've been nursing strained muscles and taking it easy for 3 days with a heating pad. I'm finally getting better. 24 lbs lost so far in 2 weeks. I'm just astonished at how it is melting away. I know I'm not supposed to weigh, according to my doctor, but once a month, but it's too tempting. I got my new scale, and I love it. Very accurate and consistent. It's called a Tanita scale, and I would definitely recommend it. My mother in law gave me a Magic Bullet blender thingy for Christmas, and I can't wait to put it to use! We will be having pureed chicken salad around here as soon as I am able to. lol That's the only thing I really look forward to eating. Today I had a spoonful of deviled roast beef (kinda like potted meat, if you've never heard of it) and about 1/2 cup of thin mashed potatoes, some orange juice, and water. I'm still not needing my blood pressure medicine. I've only been taking 1/2 pill every 2 days, because I'm afraid to stop it all together right now. Well, that is what is going on with me. :-) I do not regret this surgery for a minute. I think it is going to be one of the best things I have ever done.
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January 14, 2006
It's been a week since I updated so I thought I'd do this real fast. The weightloss is slowing down, which I expected. I've lost 2 more lbs this week, so 26 lbs lost total since December 22. I am able to eat mushies, and have been eating a lot of mashed potatoes. I know the carbs aren't that good, but I'm not a veggie eater. I'm going to have to find some nonstarchy veggies I like. I made some homemade chili tonight for supper and pureed it. We have been out to eat twice and I had soft (easily-chewed-into-mush) foods, and did fine. I am only able to eat a very small amount at a time before I get full, which is great!!! I have been putting a small amount of food on my plate (how much I think I should eat) and can only eat about half of that amount before I feel like I've just eaten a huge Thanksgiving dinner! lol I love this band. :-) The pain is almost completely gone. I'm still just a little bit sore at my port, but that's all. My incisions are almost healed. I went back to work 13 days after surgery, and that was just about the right amount of time off. It really took about 2 weeks before I was able to do things without limitation due to pain. Everything is going great.
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February 5, 2006
Well, it's 5 weeks post-op now. I'm on a regular diet. I am drinking my weight in water every day it seems. I don't feel like I have much restriction at all now. I am looking very forward to my doctor's appointment next week, and hopefully get my first fill. I am able to eat anything I want. I'm still making good choices, but the weight isn't falling off like it was. I'm making sure that I'm truely physically hungry every time I eat. I've lost 30 lbs so far. I'm averaging about 2 lbs per week the past 3 weeks. I never would have lost this much weight without my band, though. And the doctor's office told me to only expect 1-2 lbs per week. I look at it like this. If in a year's time, I lose 2 lbs per week, heck.. that's over 100 lbs. :-) I don't think my clothes size has changed, but I can tell my 3Xs are a lot looser than they were. I can wear 2Xs but they are snug when I sit, so I'm sticking with the 3Xs for now. I am going to really try to lose at least 10 lbs over the next month. We are going out of town in mid-March for a belated anniversary weekend away, and I'd love to be able to wear something that makes hubby go WOW. lol I also have a very good possibility of getting some Kid Rock backstage passes for the concert we're going to that weekend. I don't want to be huge in the pics if I do. lol
I'll be back next month. :-)
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February 22, 2006
It's been almost 2 months since surgery now. I went to Dr. Woodman and had my band filled on February 9th. I didn't feel like I had any restriction at all before he filled it and now I only have a little. He told me I should never be able to eat bread, but I am able to without any problems. I can eat anything still. I've been doing very well watching what I eat, though. I think I've lost about 36 lbs. It's creeping off because I still don't have much restriction. On my scales I am down from 260 to 224 lbs so that I am very happy about! :) Of course that is naked, first thing in the morning. lol When I went back to see Dr Woodman a couple of weeks ago, he really praised how well I was doing. He even patted me on the back! *gasp* If you know him, you will find that surprising. I really am doing what I am supposed to though. I think he could tell it. I can't wait to get on my elliptical tonight. That is the only exercise I'm doing and I love it. That's the best $86 I've ever spent on ebay.
I have been hit with whopping medical bills in the past few weeks. Today I figured up my surgery cost over $40,000 total. I am having to pay over $10,000 out of pocket. That is just overwhelming to me. I guess I'll be paying monthly payments for the next 5 years! lol I understood that my insurance was supposed to pay 100% after a $500 copay but they didn't. They only paid 80% of some things after a $2500 copay and there was a whole lot of charges not allowed that I'm responsible for 100%. It really stinks. Oh well... I guess they will just have to take what I can pay as I can pay it.
I know years down the road I'll still be glad I did this. I am ready to get under 200 lbs though. When I was on Phen-fen, it seemed like the weight fell off. It seems like it's creeping this time, which I know is ok. I had a great NSV today. Before surgery I was wearing size 24 jeans. I have been wearing a size 22 in the past week, but they seemed kind of big. I ordered me some new size 20s from Lane Bryant over the weekend hoping that I'd be able to fit in them by the time they arrive. This morning I was in a huge hurry to get to the bank and I picked up the first pair of jeans I saw in my closet. I put them on and ran to the bank. When I got home I thought, "man these jeans are a little snug." I took them off and looked at the tag and they were a size 18! omg. I about did a dance in the laundry room. lol I couldn't even have gotten those up over my hips before surgery! That was a great moment, I must admit.
I go back to the doctor March 23. I am really hoping to be down to 215-220 lbs at least by then. I'm already starting to feel like I'm not just HUGE anymore. Keeping up with my small son is getting easier. Aches and pains I had at 260 lbs are gone. My blood pressure is on the low side now. I'm still only having to take 1/2 of my bp tablet every other day instead of 1 every day as before. I wish I was losing the weight faster but I'm satisfied with the results. Anything worth having is worth waiting for, right? :-)
I'll update again soon.
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April 11, 2006
I'm about 3 1/2 months post-op now. I've lost about 50 lbs. I saw Dr. Woodman yesterday. He praised me again and said he didn't need to fill my band any. I have almost zero restriction, and can eat anything as long as I take small bites and chew well. He said I'm getting full after eating only about 1/3 as before and consistently losing so that's all that counts... even if I can eat anything. I feel very blessed. I have never vomited (PBed) since the surgery. My terrible reflux I had before surgery is totally gone. I have not had it once. My swelling is gone. I don't ache all over anymore. My BP is generally good on 1/4 the medicine I was taking before. I'm off my cholesterol medicine. I've gone from a tight size 24 to a comfy 18 in less than 4 months.My scrubs I wear at work have gone from 3X to XL. Life is good. :-) I had some hair loss but that has resolved. I think I'm very well noursihed on what I'm taking in. Vitamins and water are still my daily routine but no more protein supplements because I'm eating plenty. I feel just as satisifed after eating a smaller amount as I did when I gorged myself presurgery. I love this band!
I find myself caring more about how I look now. I have a totally new hairstyle, which people have really complimented this past week. It's all one length, straight, and shoulder-length. It made me feel really good getting the compliments. We went to hubby's office crawfish boil last weekend, and I got a *wink* from a man there. OMG. Not that I want a wink but I can't believe I got a wink! lol I'm buying new clothes and even tanning. I know it's not good health-wise, but it makes me feel good so I'm doing it. Hubby is taking it in stride, and I don't see our relationship suffering one bit. I think he's enjoying it too. :-) I'll try to post a recent picture on here soon.
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July 27, 2006-
Thought I'd post a quick update. I know it's been a while. I'm at 194 lbs which is a 66 lb weight loss in exactly 7 months. I'm wearing size 16 pants and 18 tops and large scrubs at work. I've had my band filled twice in 7 months, and think I am at my "sweet spot." I can still eat almost anything but I at least have a reminder sometimes that my band is there when something gets stuck. lol Nothing that papaya enzyme tablets can't fix. :) I still have never thrown up or had any problems though. I also find that my band is tighter at times than at other times. When it's tight, I don't push it. I just eat something soft. Other times I can eat a steak with no problem. I just try to make good food choices most of the time. I occasionally splurge, but not that often. I still drink a lot of water but also drink coffee or tea. Since my 2nd band fill, I do not get hungry very often, which is great. :)
August 28, 2006-
Well, 4 more pounds gone this past month. It's slow, but it's still consistent. I'm at 190 lbs. 70 lbs lost in 8 months. The past two days my band has been super tight, and I haven't had it filled in a while. I think I'm going to try a couple days on liquids and see if that helps. I almost have a constant heartburn type feeling too. I hope the band hasnt slipped. I haven't had heartburn once since surgery until now. I really hope the band is still where it's supposed to be.
January 29, 2007 -
I know I never update this thing. The main reason is because since they changed the layout, I can never find the edit profile link. lol I have my whole getting ready for surgery story on here, and I really hate to convert to the new profile, because I will lose it. Anyway, I am going to try to put it on a separate website or something so I can change it over. Until then, I suppose I'll leave this as-is.
I am at a big plateau as far as my weight loss goes. I lost about 80 lbs and just got stuck. I'm still stuck. It's no one's fault but my own. I need to exercise, and stop going for "quick fixes" for meals such as frozen dinners, etc. I still get meals like weight watchers meals without a lot of fat & calories, but I definitely notice I lose more weight when I cook home cooked meals instead of boxed, canned or frozen food (and especially fast food!). I'm still living off coffee, tea, and water. Since I had this surgery I have replaced my Mountain Dew addiction with coffee addiction. I suppose that's alright considering coffee has no calories. I use a little bit of fat free coffee mate and sweet n low in it. I honestly believe I lost all that weight right after surgery mainly by not drinking all that sugar every day.
I am working full time and also going to college full time as well as have a hubby & 2 sons. I feel like I run around like a chicken with my head cut off almost all the time. Dr. Woodman says everyone has time to exercise. I suppose he is right, but I am having a hard time fitting it into my crazy schedule since I started back to school last fall. I need to find the motivation I had a year ago, I guess, and I would exercise before I did other things in my off time. I believe Dr. Woodman set my goal at 134 lbs. I'm about 185. Gosh that is a lot more weight to lose, and it just feels overwhelming, especially now that the weight is not coming off without a lot of work on my part. I'm going to have to work my tail off to get the rest of it gone. I have had my band filled 3 times. The first time, I couldn't tell it. The second time, it was perfect. I didn't get as hungry as often. The third time, I again couldn't tell it. He told me to come back if it wasn't tight enough, but that was the week before Christmas, and I couldn't get a day off work to get down there to see him until at least the end of January, so I'm waiting for my next appointment in a couple of weeks.
I know if I don't lose about 10 lbs between now & then he is going to have my head on a platter. :-| I'm seriously thinking about joining a health club. I used my elliptical trainer a lot during that first year, but I am so bored with it now. It's too cold to walk every day like I did in the summer & fall. I just need something to do that excites me and helps me stay motivated to exercise again.
Any suggestions? :)
I'm wearing a size 14. I was in a size 24. I don't feel very fat anymore, even though naked it's still not a pretty sight. lol I guess I am comfortable where I am, which is not really acceptable. When you were as big as I was for as long as I was, to be able to buy normal size clothes and fit in normal size (movie theater) chairs and even be able to cross my legs comfortably are huge milestones for me. I need to get out of my complacency and get back to work at this.
March 6, 2008 - Oops! I've been gone a while, haven't I? That's probably because the entire year of 2007 was a whirlwind for me. I was going to college full time and working many, many hours at work. There's not much to say as far as weight loss. I spent the entire year at the same weight... 185 lbs. I just went back to Dr. Woodman 4 weeks ago, and he tightened my band. I go back in 2 more weeks to see him. I know I've lost some, but I'll wait until I go back to see what I weigh. I expect to be in the 170s! Woohoo. The band is still awesome. I was just too busy to have it tightened, and I spent a year running around like crazy being able to eat anything that I wanted. I still used a lot of self-control and didn't gain any weight. I'm still wearing a size 14 and mostly large and some medium scrubs at work.
March 20, 2008 - Well, I saw the CRNA at Dr. Woodman's office today for a checkup. I lost 9.3 lbs in a month, so I was pretty satisfied with that. I finally hit the 60% of my excess weight lost mark! Woohoo!! That was a big goal for me and Dr. Woodman both. I rewarded myself on the way home by stopping and buying me some size 12 jeans and even 1 pair of size 10 jeans. I knew I probably couldn't get them on, but when I got home, the 12s actually half-way fit. I can even get the size 10s on (it just pushes everything north lol). It gives me something to work toward. I'd love to be able to wear at least the 12s to my next appointment and feel comfy in them. :) I go back in 8 weeks. I need to exercise more, which is something I'm really going to work on over the next 2 months. I'm glad to be losing again. :-)
(following this visit, my band was so tight, I could not choose what I ate.. only mushies would go down at best... I was in college & working all the time, did not have time to take a day to go to Memphis, and ate lots of rice, cheese dip, chips & dip, ice cream, everything bad... From Mar 2008 to Dec 2008 I gained back up to 212 lbs... The rest of my story is in reverse order at the top in white text.)
