Shawn Boarts
NOV 24 2002
Hello there My name is Shawn and I am from Erie PA. I am just doing alot of reading about this surgery and everything sounds good. I have read a couple stories from people who didnt have a very good beginning but almost all of them turned out good in the end. I have been on quite a few diets and I am at my end with the whole thing. My girlfriend is the one who started to check into this and she told me about it. So I started looking into it and that is where I am at. I am going to make some calls to some doctors and see if I can get in to talk to someone and take it from there. I am on my computer a couple time a day and if anyone wants please e-mail me. I am looking for a support group or some kind of group in the Erie area. If you know of anything close by please let me know. I will update soon.
NOV 26 2002
I made a call to my doctor to make an appointment for Tuesday to come in and talk with her about this surgery. I want to see what she has to say about it and to see if this is for me. I will update as soon as I talk to her.
Dec 04 2002
I went and seen my doctor today and she was very supportive about this surgery but she would like me to have some bloodwork done before I go any further. I am going to have the bllodwork done on Thursday and in the meantime she is going to get ahold of the hospital in Pittsburgh. She is trying to set up an appointment for me to go and talk with someone and to get some of my questions answered. I will update after I find the results of my bloodwork.
Dec 23 2002
Well I am back but not much of a change except I went and had blood work done and I had to go back for a second test. I guess my liver count is high. I got what I call a book in the mail from the Hospital in Pittsburgh. I have filled it out and just waiting for the nerve tosend it in. They have asked me alot of medical questions and a few others. I think I am going to send it back to them after Christmas. I found someone on here I have been talking to for a couple days and she is at the same point of this as I am. She has been a great person to talk to and I just enjoy talking to someone who knows exactly what you are going through. Thank You Keva for just listening. I will update after I here something from the hospital in Pittsburgh.
JAN 24th 2003
Well here I am again.I have an appointment to go to pittsburgh on FEB 20th to talk to them down there and I guess have some blood work done there too. I have had to go to the local hospital and have a liver scan and the doctor told me that because of my size they could only see so much. So I had to go and have more blood work done. They tested for Hepititus C. Everything came back good there. They called me back and said they wanted me to go and have the blood test done to see about my liver 1 more time to see if it was still high. I am getting this done on Monday. I read these profiles on here and it seems hard to believe maybe one day it might be me writing of weight loss. Like I said it is hard to believe. I will update after I get results of blood work.
Feb 07 2003
Hello again. I went and had the bloodwork done again and it is still high. I dont think they are going to worry much about it though. I went today to talk with the doctor who is doing my upper GI,well the nurse I never got to talk to the doctor. It was funny when she did a few routine tests on me(blood pressure,heart...) she seemed surprised when everything was good. I told her I get that alot when people see my size they think I am going to have high blood pressure and other things wrong with me. She told me that this is probably a good time to have this done while I am still in good health. I have an appointment to have an upper GI on Monday Feb 10th 2003. The nurse at the doctors office was very helpful because she found out that my appointment was on Feb 20th to see the doc in Pittsburgh and she made sure that she got me in and made sure they could get the results back before I go. The one nurse even said she would like to see some of these patients after losingthe weight. I told her of this site and she said she was going to come and check it out. Ok I think I will quit boring you and I will update after the doctor visit in Pittsburgh.
Feb 23,2003
Hello again, I went to my appointment in Pittsburg and when I got there I did not see the surgeon but I talked with .....hold on let me back up a min. When I got there I checked in and went to have a seat and guess what? The seats were very small. Oh wait that isnt the best yet. I wasnt in the waiting room long until they called me back. My girlfriend and my mother came back with me. When I got back in the room the nurse took me to get weighed. WOW!!!! I lost 3 lbs. oh yea. lol lol. then I was taken back to the room to get the normal blood pressure and eyes,breathing tests done. After all that was done the nurse asked me to have a seat. Well guess what? Small chair again. But this time I was offered a bigger chair. Afterall of that then there was a doctor Tulskey who came in and asked me some medical questions and he explained to me that there are some more tests I need to have done before I talk with the surgeon. Then he asked me to put on a gown. Well do you want to guess what happened? You got it, the gown was for a small person and when I asked if they had something bigger I was told they didnt. They must of thought I was a skinny guy coming to find out about weight loss surgery or they just didnt care, not real sure. I had a physical done and after that He explained what all needed done before the surgeon visit and he told me that I could have the rest of my tests done here where I live since it was so far away. I had my mother and girlfriend with me during this visit and I think my mother is interested about this too but I think she is waiting to see how everything goes with me first.Wel I am going to make an appointment on Monday and after that I will let you know what is going on.
Feb 27 2003
Well I called my family doctor on Monday and they told me it would be in March that I could get in,then the nurse asked me who I was and what the appointment was for. When I told here what I was having done and what I needed she said well hold on 1 sec and she asked if I could come in Thursday. I Said yea sure. I thought it was kind of kool when I told her what it was for and what I was having done she got me in. I went to my appointment today and My doctor said to me when she seen all the tests I have to get done, We are going to know you inside and out when this is all done. My doctor is very nice and helpful with all of this. I will have to get some more blod work done so I will start with that. I think I will go Monday for that. I will let you know if anything changes before then.
March 6th 2003
Hello there again. I Did go for my blood work on Monday and they took 5 tubes of blood out of me that day. The nurse had a little problem finding a vein this time. She tried it in my other arm and threre wasn't a problem there. When I was at my family doctor,she gave me two slips to get a couple tests done at the hospital. I went Tuesday and had a EKG and a CXR done. It wasn't no problem. The CXR is just a couple chest x-rays and the ekg is just to monitor your heart. It took longer to put all the sticky tabs on me than it did to run the test. I went today to have a liver and gall bladder sonogram and a venous doppler. Boy are they fun. NOT!! The venous doppler is a scan of your legs and groin area. There is a lot of poking. It isnt that bad but I don't want to do it again. Well I have an appointment in Pittsburgh next Tuesday for a sleep apnea test. If I wanted to have it done here then I would have to wait till June. So I am going to Pittsburgh on Tuesday and check in to get my machine or whatever I need. I guess I can take it with me. I was told I could take it home or to a family members house but I don't have any close to there. I am getting a motel room and I will return the stuff the next day. I tried to make an appointment with a psychiatrist on the same day but it didnt work out so I have to go back to Pittsburgh on march 25th for that. WOW!!! busy busy busy. Well that is all I know for now but I will update when I get back from my sleep apnea test.
March 14th 2003
Hello again. Well I just got back from Pittsburgh today. When I went there on Tuesday I went to the hospital and got checked in and had to go to another floor to get my oxyflo machine. I was told how to use it and all that good stuff. We left from there and went to the hotel that we reserved. Talk about a nice place. We got settled in there and then we went to the store and got a few things. When we got back we just hung out and watched some tv and played some x box with the boys. That night Sue hooked the oxyflo machine up tp me and it wasnt long I was zzzzzzzzzz.
The next morning when I woke up the machine said nasal not registered. We didnt know what happened until we noticed one of the cords was unhooked. We were told I would have to sleep at least 4 hours to get a good reading and I wasnt sure how long I did. After we checked out we took the oxyflo machine back to the hospital and Sue took the machine back in. All I could think was her coming back with the machine and I would have to do it over.
It seemed like forever then finally she came back out and without the machine. I was glad but when she got in the jeep she told me that they wnted to see me. She told me they said I have one of the worst cases of sleep apnea they have seen. I went to see the doctor and his nurse which were very nice and explained everything very well. They told me that I would have to stay overnight and to have another sleep study done. I would also have to have this machine which pushes air down my throat. I made the appointment for March 25th which makes it good because I have 2 more appointments earlier that day in Pittsburgh. It was along day so we just went to my parents and we stayed there a couple days and we just got back today. I wasnt home a couple hours and I get a call from my family doctor and I was told that My thyroid was elevated from my last blood test and my chest x-ray showed my heart was a little bigger than normal(all heart I guess) lol lol. That is where I stand with this right now and as soon as I find anything new out I will update. I hope this is helping someone just like the ones I read helped me.
March 24th 2003
Hello there again. Just wanted to update a little and say that I went to have my blood work done again for the 386th time.(lol) just kidding. But it seems like it. Will update after my sleep study and nutrion appointment.
March 26th 2003
Hello again. I just got back from Pittsburgh today.I had an appointment to see a nutionist and I did have a psychiatric appointment but it was rescheduled. The nutrionist was very nice and she explained things very good. That appointment took close to an hour then I had another appointment to stay overnight for the sleep study. My nutritionist appointment was at 11:00am and my sleep study was at 7:00pm so Sue and I just drove around and went and got something to eat and just hung out for the day. It was nice just me and her. Havnt done that in a while. At 6:00pm we went back to the hospital and we got to my room and we talked with Tom my nurse. He explained a few things and said we would start at 7:00pm. At 7:00pm he came to my room and hooked me up with all kind of wiressome on my face some on my legs and some on my head. He explained to me that when I go to sleep he was going to monitor me while I sleep and if I have sleep apnea then they would put the mask on me (C-PAP machine)which has a stady flow of air so I will always have air.(I suggest if having this done to practice with this while you are waiting for bedtime). I went to bed at 10:30pm and finally fell asleep around 11:00pm. Tom came in a couple hours later and he said he was going to put the mask on me. I fell righ back asleep. Then I woke up out of a dead sleep all parinoid. If you dont breathe in and out of your nose then they want to put a chin strap on you so you do. Well I wasnt going for that because I felt all closter fobic. I took the mask and the strap off and he came in to ask what was wrong. I told him I couldnt wear the strap. He said it would be ok not to waer it. At this time I am wide awake. I put the mask back on and after a little I fell back asleep. The next thing I remember is Tom coming in to wake me. By the way he was telling me, I should be hearing from the doctor and I should be getting one of the c-pap machines to wear at night. When I got home I got a call from my family doctor and I have to go and have my echo cardiograhm done tomorrow. I will update as soon as I find something new out.
April 1st 2003
Here we are again. I did find out that my blood work came back normal. I havnt found anything out yet about my echocardiograhm yet. I did get a call from a nurse in Pittsburgh and she set everything up for my cpap machine. I talked to the lady here in Erie where I will be getting it and she said it should be close to a week. I did get a shrink appointment too. It is on May 6th. It will be (I hope) my last appointment before I talk to my surgeon. As soon as anything changes I will update.
April 4th 2003
Hello again, Well I have something else to say today. THANK YOU! I just want to say thank you to my girlfriend Susan. She has been with me through all this so far and I dont expect it to get easier for awhile. I know I am not the easiest person to live with and alot has to do with my sleep apnea. I know sometimes I dont say it enough but I appreciate what Sue does in a days time. She gets the boys off to school in the morning and then she goes to school part time herself. She does all the driving now. just like last night I needed something from the store and I knew she didnt want to go because she was studying and I what I needed was important. She went for me and didnt get an attitude either. This is a sample of what she does for me in a days time. I dont like the feeling to have to depend on someone to do things for me but what can I do? I just have to be patient and soon I will be able to do things for myself and even for her too. Like I said before Thank You Susan and I love you.
April 6th 2003
Hello there again. Well I got a phone call the other day and I was talking to the lady who was bringing my oxygen and cpap machine. She asked when was a good time and I said anytime. She brought my mchine about an hour after. She was very nice and explained averything well. I found out that It isnt a cpap but it is a bipap machine. There is a difference. (cpap) is one staedy pressure of air while you inhale and exhale. (bipap) is two different air pressures, one pressure when inhaling(highest pressure) and another pressure when exhaling(lower pressure) kathy the lady who brought the machine said this is one of the newest types of machines. I also got a oxygen machine and a humidifier. She showed me how to hook everything up and the cleaning of the machines. I checked the paper which I had to sign before she left and it was like 650.00 a month to rent these. WOW I am glad my insurance covers this because I would never be able to cover that. Ok now it was the first night and I have everything hooked up and I get my space suit on lol just kidding. Well I lay back and it isnt long that I am sleeping. I remember waking up one time and pulling off the mask. I guess I just got a little paranoid. Don't know why though. I went and put it back on and fell back a sleep. The next morning I noticed that I was alone in my bed but the night before my girlfriend was in there with me. When I asked her why she went to the living room she said she couldnt sleep in there. Now at first I though because of the machines running but they are not even that loud. That want the problem, she told me because she kept waking up to check to see if I was breathing. I wasnt making any noise in my sleep and I wasnt snoring either. I was sleeping like a normal person and it was scareing her. The next night I woke up again and took the mask off then back on and back to sleep. A little tossing and turning but beside that I slept pretty good both nights. Hey Am I boring you yet? OK I will end this for now and I will update when something new comes up. If anyone needs someone to talk to about sleep apnea just e-mail me and I will help as much as I can. Bye for now.
April 24th 2003
Hello there again. It has been a few days since I have been on here. A few new things to tell.On April 16th I went to my first support group meeting. I tell ya I had a good time. We just sat around and introduced ourselves and we asked each other questions. I do suggest everyone to go to these. On April 22nd I had an appointment with the shrink in Pittsburgh. I wasnt real sure on the time of the appointment so we went and got there at 10:00am and found out that it was at 12:00pm. So we had to wait for two hours and then I got to see her. It was a routine visit. Just alot of questions about my past and some about how I feel day to day. She said I was normal(boy did I fool her) lol lol just kidding. The next day I had an appointment to see Dr. Strollo,he is the doctor who set up the sleep test for me. I talked with him and he just told me the results of my sleep test. He told me how may times I woke up without the bypap machine and how many times with it. Without it I woke up 115 times in 1 hour and with the bypap machine I woke up 4 times within 1 hour. No wonder I have been so grouchy. GGGRRRRR!!!! lol lol. Dr. Strollo asked me if I had a surgey date and I told him I havnt seen the surgeon yet and it will be 3-4 weeks till I do. He told me he wants to see me again in three months. I guess he wants to check blood gas. He said if everything is ok he will talk with my surgeon and try to get my surgery pushed up sooner. Not real sure if he can do that but it sounded good anyway. I was hoping to have this in June but I guess it wont be that soon. Well I have a cadiologist appointment next Monday so after I get back from there I will update. Hey see ya then.
April 29th 2003
OK Im back. I went and had my visit with the cardiologist. Well lets get the first thing out of the way. There were no bigger seats there. One good thing was that I didnt have to wait long. I talked with the cardiologist and he said my right side of my heart was enlarged. He strongly things this is due to sleep apnea. He is oking me to have the surgery. He told me that he doesnt think there is anything I have to worry about. Well that is it. I have all my preop tests done and this is where it starts. The waiting game. I am looking on seeing the surgeon within a few weeks. I was told it could be another 6-8 months after I see him. I hope it isnt that long but if it is I guess I will have to be patient. I am waiting to here from the S.S. Office for my disibility decision. I hope that works out for me. It has been rough not working and I think if I get the disibility we can make it till I get back to work. Some days I get real bummed out knowing if I was working like before then everything would be ok but when you can not stand on your feet for long periods of time or you have lower back pain what is a person to do? Well as soon as I hear something I will update.
MAY 19th 2003
Hello again. I just wanted to pop in and let everyone who is reading this know I am still here. Nothing really new. I am still waiting to hear from the surgeons office. I did call to make sure they had everything they needed and found out that they didnt have my results from my sleep study yet. I called and asked if they could send them and they did. I guess liuke alot of people say it is the waiting game now. Two more days and I go to my support group meeting. I hope I can go because I think I need it. Susan just started a new job in the evenings and my oldest son and youngest son are in sports now. I just dont know how we can do this because I am not driving anymore and Susan has been doing all the running. With her working it isnt tha eay anymore. I would like to just say "THANK YOU" Susan has been a great help with this. I was the one to do all the driving and now it has changed to her doing all of it. I know she is getting tired of it and she has alot on her shoulders right now with school,work and the boys and any other running she does. I will definetly have to make this up to her. She is my angel and she just doesnt relize how much I love her and appreciate her. Well I am going to end this for now and I will update as soon a I find something new out.
June 8th 2003
Hello again, I finally got a call from Pittsbugh hospital the other day. They told me that they were hand delivering my papers to the surgeon and for me the following week to give them a call and to see if I could get into the July worckshop. This is where you go and sit in a group meeting with others while the surgeon and his staff explain everything. I was so glad to just get a call and to know that my papers were not just sitting around somewhere. So I was planning on calling next week when one morning we got the mail and I had a letter from Pittsburgh saying that I am scheduled to be there for the workshop already July 22nd. Boy was I excited. I just cant wait. This seemed to come to a stand still for a little but now it seems to be moving a little now. I was thinking about support groups. What is the reason a person wouldnt go to a suppoet group? Afraid? does not want to go out? So I started one online. I have a online support group every Sunday night @9:00pmEST. If you would like to come and ask questions or just to share your experience please join us. If you would like to come to the support group please e-mail me @ [email protected] and in the subject please put(CHAT ROOM) and I will e-mail you the link. As for right now this is only available to AOL members but if there is a change I will update. I would like to just say thank you to everyone who has been helping me with this. You know who you are. Good luck to everyone having the surgery and I will update as soon as something new comes up.
July 8th 2003
Hello again. It has been a month since the last time I updated and I am still waiting for the 22nd to come to talk with my surgeon. I hope I get a date when I see him. I am so ready for this. The past Sunday we had a great support group meeting and there were alot of good things we talked about. I encourage everyone who is interested to e-mail me and i will e-mail you the link. It is a good time. After the meeting last week I did some thinking. How could I get my info as far as what I went through out to thers to help them. I came up with an idea. I would write a book. I started that night. It is coming alot pretty good but I dont plan on finishing it for a couple years. I am starting this book from as far back as I can remember. I am going to keep writing this book until I get to my goal weight. I am not sure if this will sell or not but I am not doing it to make a living but to help others on their way through this life changing experience. Well I will end this for now and I will update as soon as something new comes up. Good luck to everyone having surgery.
July 11th 2003
<Journey
As we walk through our journey of life
my eyes fill with tears no end in sight
as we struggle with our everyday strife
Don't look at me as though I can't see you
because I can and your hurting me too
How dare you judge me by my size?
Don't you care? Don't you realize?
That we are human beings just like you
we also have feelings too
So next time you see me don't you stare...
Just ask yourself
Would I want someone to judge me by
the burdens I bare
by Judy Zipperer
July 23, 2003
Hello again. I went to Pittsburgh to go to my workshop and got to finally meet the surgeons who will be doing the surgery. There were like 30 of us there and I found out most of the people who were there havnt had any testing done yet. I hope this means I will be one of the first ones to have this done out of all of us. I was told when I return home to make a copy of my insurance card and to mail it back in. I was told when they get approval then they make an appointment for you to come in to talk one on one with the surgeon. I just hope this doesnt come to a stand still again. I hope things start to move. I am so ready for this and some days I just feel like something will happen to where I cant get it done. I hope this doesnt happen. I got weighed when I was there and I was very disapointed. I gained weight since my last check up. I thought I might of gained a few pounds but I gained a little more than that. I met a few people down there and a girl from my support group was there too. It was a long day expecially because it was a 2 1/2 hour drive there and then almost 4 hours there then 2 1/2 hours back. I was glad to get back home. I will update as soon as I find anything new out. Good luck to everyone who is having surgery.
July 30th 2003
Happy Birthday to me. Today is my big 30th Birthday. I am not as bummed out about it as I thought I would be. It really isnt any different just another day. Today my girlfreind Susan and our boys had a surpise for me. First let me tell you that I love lasagna and every year for my birthday I have it made by someone. Sue was to make it this year and her work schedule was pretty busy so I wasnt planning on having it this year. Today she had a suprise for me and she said she wasnt telling what it was. She said she was taking me somewhere and we were all going. So we went and here my cousin Traci made it for me and her and her boyfreind Bill bought me a Icecream cake too. Today turned out to be a pretty good day. The only thing that bothered me a little was this was the first time in a long time that I didnt have some drinks on my birthday and I know I quit and there will be no more for me but it was a little depressing but I didnt change my mind. There are going to be a lot of good things that come from this surgery but there will be some sacrifices too. I am going to end for now but as soon as I find something new I will update.
July 31st 2003
Well I am back and I have some news. I AM APPROVED!!!!!!!!!!!!! I just found out today that I am approved and I am waiting on a date. The lady said at the hospital that there were a couple openings in Aug still but most in Sept. I dont think It would matter either way at this point but to just have a date would be great. I was talking with a freind yesterday and she told me to keep bugging them and if they didnt get this on the ball she was going to kick some butt. I guess she scared them(Thanks Vanessa). lol. I would like again to thank my angel(Susan) for all the help,support,running around and just keeping everything together. I just dont know what I would do without her beside me. She is my everything. I love you Susan and I always will.
I asked God for a flower, he gave me a bouquet
I asked God for a minute, he gave me a day
I asked God for true love, he gave me that too
I asked for an angel and he gave me you.
- John Raine -
Aug 6th 2003
Hello again. I have been sitting here waiting patiently to hear something from the doctors office. I hope this picks up a little this week. I read a lot of profile where it said about the waiting game. I am going through this now and let me tell ya it isnt any fun. I would rather be getting tests done because at least then something is being done but now everything is at a stand still.
I have a friend who is having surgery on Aug 12th and I would like everyone who reads this to pray for her. She has been a great help for me and I try to do the same. Her and I have been close to the same stage in all this and she is a head of me now with a date. She has all of her preop tests done and in 6 days she will be a loser. Keva I wish you all the luck in the world and I will be here waiting to hear all the details. I will end for now and I will update as soon as something new comes up.
Aug 7th 2003
Hello everyone. I just wanted to let everyone know that I am starting another online support group for WLS. I have been getting a lot of people who can't make it to the one on Sundays at 9:00pm est so I am having another on Tuesday at 1:00pm est. So if you would like to come and join us and to ask some questions or to answer some please e-mail me at [email protected] and in the subject please put(chat room 9) or (chat room 1) . Again this is for AOL members only right now but as soon as I can get this to a different room I will update.
Sept 1st 2003
Hello again, It has been a little since I have been on here and really nothing has changed. I am still waiting to hear from the surgeons office. I did get a letter from my landlord saying that they sold my house and I have 30 days to move. What luck! Sue and I have been looking into buying a house but we were in no hurry. Well now we have been looking hard and we found one. We will know tomorrow if the buyer will except our offer and we will go from there. There are 6 of us in my family plus 4 dogs. It isnt easy to find a place to go for all of us. As soon as something else comes up I will update. Good luck to everyone who is having or planning on having this surgery done.
Sept 3rd 2003
Hello everyone. I just found out today while I have been waiting on a surgery date that the doctor hasnt even got all my tests results back yet. I guess the lady in Pittsburgh(Juliette Russo) hasnt even faxed them yet. This has been almost three months or more. I just dont understand this. I also found out that a lot of the tests I have had done are out dated and I will have to have them done again. I engourage everyone to stay on their surgeon's nurses or whoever you have to and make sure things are being done and not sitting arounfd waiting and nothing being done. Well this is all for now and I will update as soon as I hear something new.
Sept 5th 2003
Ok I am back. I just talked with the lady in Pittsburgh finally. She said she didnt know why they had not recieved my results yet but she would mail them out today and they should have them by the beginning of next week. I hope this gets things going. I will let you know if anything else comes up.
I just wanted to let everyone know that we have moved the WLS online support group. It is in a room where anyone can come not just AOL members. I e-mailed everyone the new room link but if I missed you or you want the link please e-mail me and in the subject put WLS CHAT ROOM. I hope to see you there.
Sept 11th 2003
Hello everyone. I finally found out that they have recieved all my tests results. I was told they submitted them to my insurance CO. I was told they did this already but I will go along with this for now. They told me to give them a week then as soon as they get the approval back they would call to set up a surgery date. If I dont here from them by a week I am to call. I will let you know how this goes next week.
Sept 23rd 2003
Hello everyone. I have been going through a lot with this move to a new house. We should be in our new one within 2 weeks.(hopefully). We are staying with friends right now and as soon as the house closes we will be in it. Oh yea I wanted to let everyone know..... They did submit my insurance again and there was no problem. As soon as Susan found out that it was approved she started to making the calls to Pittsburgh to see when this was going to happen. Let me tell everyone, It is nice to have someone there by your side to help you with this. Can you believe after all this time. SHE GOT ME A SURGERY DATE!!!!!!!!! Yes you heard me correct. She called them everyday for a whole week until they told her the date. My surgery date is Nov 3rd and my preop testing is Oct 17. This is starting to feel a little more real now but still not as nervous as I thought I would be but maybe the closer I get the more I will.
I would like to give a little advice for anyone who is planning on having this surgery. I know we go through a lot and we have a lot of problems due to weight but please dont forget the ones who love you and who are there everyday. Sometimes they feel left out or that they are not important after you start this. sometimes we just look at having the surgery and we are looking forward to it so much we put everything on the back burner. We can't do that. well I am going to end this for now and as soon as something new happens I will update. Good luck to all.
Oct 15th 2003
Well it is getting closer to my surgery date and the closer it gets the more nervous I am getting. I go this Friday for my preop appointment(Oct 17th 2003). I was told they do some bloodwork,EKG and I am going to talk with my surgeon. I suppose he will want me to lose some weight before surgery. I guess I will have to do the adkins for that. As for most of us we know it works but it isnt long term.
I also got an e-mail from a friend online who sent me an application for the Oprah show. I guess they are looking for people who are having the surgery in the near future. They want to follow the stories,even through surgery and after.Well I am going to end for now but I will update you when I return from Pittsburgh on friday. Good luck to everyone who is having surgery.
I would like to just say welcome back Keva. I am glad everything went good for you.
Oct 22nd 2003
Hello everyone. I went and had my preop appointment and got to finally talk with my surgeon. It wasnt for long but I did get to talk with him. At first I went and met with the nurses and the group of others who were having the surery soon. We had to sign some papers and thn we talked about things that we have to do before surgery and after. As far as the do's and don't. Then waited a long time in the waiting room to see the nurse practioner. He went over all my medical records with me and he explained to me about the surgery. I was shocked when he told me that I would be able to have the surgery lapriscopicly done. I was explained that this would have to be done in two stages because of my size. He told me that this was a safer way and the recover time is quicker. The surgery itself will onlt take 1 hour. The surgeon will do the pouch in the stomach the first time. I was told within 6-9 months later when I have lost 150-200 lbs they would do the roun-x part of the surgery. At first I wasnt sure of having
thisdone twice but I guess it is safer so I will go for it this way. The surgery date is getting closer and afetr finding this out I am feeling pretty good and not realy nervous as
much.I have a couple tests I have to get done before surgery from my family doctor and then I will be ready. I will update as soon as something new comes up. Good luck to all and anyone who is waiting please be patient.
Oct 30th 2003
Hello everyone. I had to have some blood tests done Tuesday and I went for another chest x-ray and a tests called a CXR(to monitor your heart) I guess everything is a go for Monday. Alot of people say that it just seems like yesterday that they started this but for me I can not agree, As you can see I have been through a lot to get where I am at right now and I am sure that it will take awhile to get where I want to be at. Like I said before, You have to have patience with this type of procedure. For everyone who knows me and knows what I have been going through with the new house and waiting on the closing, I am finally in my new house and trying to get settled in before Sunday when we leave for Pittsburgh. We did make some calls to see about help with a motel or housing and we were told to call back Sunday between 10:00am - 1:00 pm to see what they can do. I hope we can get some help with this because I need it. Well enough of blabbing and I would like to just say thanks to everyone who has e-mailed me
with the support and I will try to add something before I leave on Sunday. Good luck to everyone who is having surgery.
Nov 2nd 2003
Hello everyone, This is the day before my surgery and I think everything is going to be ok. I have been on liquids since yesterday and it isnt that bad. I do not smoke but I do chew snuff and I was told I would have to quit. Ever since Friday night I havnt had any and I hope I can handle this. We are leaving for Pittsburgh here in a little to get checked into a motel and then it is the waiting until the following morning. We are dropping our two youngest boys off at family while we are down there. Well when I come back to update I will be on the losing side. WOW!! I just cant beleive I am the one saying this now. I remember reading everyone elses and them sayin that but now it is me. Ok I will end this for now and see you very soon. good bless and good luck to everyone who is having surgery.
November 9th 2003
Hello everyone. I am finally on the other side. It took me a while but I finally made it. I wemt to Pittsburgh to a family house the night before surgery to get sttled in with my Girlfriend, my son David and my mother. When we got there and checked in, they asked if we wanted a tour of the place. Susan and my mother and David went to see everything. They were very nice there and it was a very nice place.
I had a phone call a couple days ago from the doctors office and they told me that being that I have a latex reaction that instead of being at the hospital at 8:45 am they might want me to come in at 5:00 am. I was told that I would get a phone call at home or at where I was staying. When I finally went to sleep Sunday night I kept waking up and but one time the phone rang and it was 5:30 am Monday morning. There was a nurse on there saying that I was to be there by 5:00 am. We told her that we could be there in 20 mins. When we did get there we didnt have to wait for anything. They rushed me right through and ut was nice in a way but nervous too. I was checked in and I was told to go to this room to change into a gown. Yes they were big enough. Boy was that nice. I then was taken to this room where they did the normal blood pressure and temp. They brought in a scale and I dont even know why I wasnt even thinking of it but when I got on I lost 10 lbs since last time I was there. That made me feel good. After all the little check ups then they put me on the bed and pushed me into the recovery room where everyone else who was having some type of surgery was getting ready too. I was asked a bunch of questions and I talked with the anesthesiologist. He was telling me all what they were going to do. I was told that being of my size that he didnt think it was going to be a good idea that I have the surgery done with a breathing mask on. He told me that they were going to numb the back of my throat and they were going to put a breathing tube for me to breath.He told me that when they were done with the Ivs they were going t give me a shot of something in my Iv to make me feel good and I was told it would make me feel like I had a few drinks. I then had some IVs put in my arm and hand. They had a little trouble finding my veins at first but they did finally get it. After all that they injected the stuff in my Iv. After that I was moved to the operating room. On the way there it was like I just had a few drinks. I told the guy who was pushing me that I am glad he is driving. I am in the operating room where they moved me on a different table. They sprayed the back of my throat with this medicine. It started to numb it and then I was given a tounge depresser with a glob of something on it. I was told to put this in my mouth and to let it disolve. I will tell you any other time I might not of liked it but being that I was allowed to eat anything since Friday well it tasted pretyy good. One of the nurses came over and removed the tounge depresser after about 10 minutes and sprayed more of the other medicine then another nurse came over with a big Q-Tip with something on it and swabed it in the back of my throat. After that I didnt know what they were doing until I started to feel it. They were puting the tube down my throat. At first it was very uncomfortable and I was doing some gagging but in no time I was told to take a deep breath and when I did I was able to breath just fine. After that I remember hearing good night Mr. Richard.
After Surgery
I remember waking up a couple times in the recovery room and thinking that I just wanted to let Susan,David and my mother that I was doing fine. I then fell back asleep. I did this a couple times. I woke up one time and at the foot of my bed I seen Susan,David and my mother. I was happy to see them. I wasnt up long after that when I fell back a sleep again. When I woke up again I remember having this feeling that I had to go to the bathroom. I asked the nurse and she told me that this was just a feeling. I didnt understand what she ment till later when I found out I had a cathater in me. When I was awake for a little and the nurses did their routine check ups and everything was ok they wheeled me into my own room.When they got me in there they hooked up the leg pumps. These help the blood circulate and to prevent blood clots. I also had a JP drain on my right side. It is shaped like a little football with a hose connected to it. I dont remember much but bits and pieces. Later on that day I was more awake and I remember I wanted to get out of bed. I was surprised that they didnt have me out before this. I was able to get out of bed but with help. It was painfull. I wont lie. I was hitting the pain medicine when I was feeling the pain but I have a little secret. You get this medicine every 9 minutes so if you just hit the button around every 9 minutes after a few of them you start to feel good and the pain doesnt bother you too much. I had 8 cuts across my stomach. One was very swelled up and I noticed I was swelled up all over my front. I was told this was the gas in me. every day it was a little better.
I was in the hospital for 3 days. I remember when Susan told me that she talked to our two youngest boys Tyler and Alex. Tyler asked Susan if I was still Fat. He thought I was goijg to get it all chopped off I guess. Something I was very happy about was that after surgery my surgeon came out and told my family how thngs were going and the next day in the hospital he came to my room to check on me. I guess I was just expecting him to send a nurse or an assistant. I was up in the halls walking as much as I could I had a breathing machine to breath into while I was sitting around. This was to keep the fluids out of my lungs. I think the worst part of this was when I had to cough. I was in pain and it seemed to really hurt on my right hand side. The more and more I walked and used my breather the better it was. I was told when I was walking that my oxygen was as low as 77% and I would have to have oxygen all the time for now. I was feeling pretty good by Wednesday and I was ready to leave and all I need was the ok from the doctor. I had to walk the halls and the nurses monitored my oxygen again while I was wearing oxygen and it was 92-94 so I was taking a mobile tank with me that day. I was finally ready to go and they put me in the wheel chair and pushed me down to the door. We got in the jeep wich wasnt as bad as I thought. We went to the family house a couple blocks away and I went to my room. THe next couple days I stayed in the Magee family house and everything was going good. Still sore but I wasnt having problems with any of the food. I wasnt sleeping very good because of the beds in the house. I asked for a recliner but I guess they couldnt bring one in. I spent alot of time in front of the TV on Thursday with my son David. We watched movies and we had a good time. Everyone at the Magee family house were nice and very helpful with everything. I even met a lady who just had surgery before I did and she was a big help. We stayed at the Magee house until Friday. Around 10:00 am Friday we went about an hour from Pittsburgh to my parents house and we stayed there for the weekend. I was more comfortable there and I got to sleep on the recliner there. It was the best night sleep I have had in a while. I was on the clear liquids still. Chicken/beef broth,water,sugar free jello... I think I was doing pretty good on it. Saturday night I noticed my drain I had in was not squeezed. I took off the cap and squeezed it and I hear a hissing sound. I thought the drain had a whole in it. I noticed that the tube wich was coming out of my side had a couple wholes in it. I knew the tube had come out some. I was a little nervous and so was everyone else. Susan called Pittsburgh to let them know and to see what we had to do. We were told the surgeon would give us a call. We were waiting when I heard a noise. I looked down and the drain had came out all the way. We didnt know what to do then the phone rang and it was m surgeon. Susan talked with him and he said that as long as I wasnt running a fever or getting sick t not worry. He said that my body would absorb the fluids. I just had a piece of guaze put on it until we seen the nurse. We left Monday morning to go back to Pittsburgh for my check up before we went back to Erie. My appointment was for 10:00am and we got there at 9:00am. We got in by 9:30am wich made it nice. I was taken back for the blood pressure test,thermometer,pulse and to get weighed. I lost 23 lbs sinc my first preop visit. I was pretty excited about this. I was then taken to a room and and I was waiting for the surgeons nurse to come in for a check up. When she came in she checked out my incisions and she said they look good. I told her about my drain and she said it wasnt a big deal that my body would absorb the fluids. She said everything was looking good and that as long as I wasnt having problems with the liquids that I could move to stage 2 of the foods. This I was happy about. After we got done in there Susan said she was going to take us to the cafeteria. When we got there I got a plate of cottage cheese and let me tell you It was good. I ate it very slow and I chewed it up very good. At first I was a little nervous but everything was good. When we got done there we got our things together and we headed back to Erie. Warning!!!! when you eat something for the first time after liquids make sure your close to a bathroom. We got close to home and we stopped and picked up our two youngest boys who were staying with family. (thanks Brook and Eric). We then went home and boy is it nice to be home.
Nov 17th 2003
Hello everyone. I just wanted to let everyone who is following me through this that I am doing fine and I am finally seeing a weight loss in my face and chest. I tried a pair of my jeans on that I never even got to wear but I will soon. These jeans are my first goal. I am hoping by next wek I can fit into them.
I am eating pretty good. It doesnt take much to get filled up but it takes a little to get used to the amount you can only eat. I am not getting sick but there was a couple times I think I ate the food a little to fast. I was having some bad cramps but I just stopped eating and waited and it went away. When they say to eat slow they mean it. I am not very energetic lately and I am finding myself sleeping a little in the afternoon. I was told the energy will pick up but as for now I am still waiting. Well I am going to end this for now but as soon as I can I will up date again.Good luck to everyone having surgery and anyone who is in the process have patience because it will happen.
November 20th 2003
Hello again. I went to my support group last night and it was the first time I was there since I had my surgery. Before I went I got weighed and I was shocked when I was down 31 lb since all this has started. It is a good feeling to see the numbers go down instead of going up. I havnt been at this support group for a few months and I couldnt believe the weight people lost since I was there last. I am not going to get weighed again until my 1 month appointment on Dec 12th. I will update as soon as something new comes up.
Nov 28 2003
Hello everyone. I just wanted to share something that I experienced. I have only been wearing sweats for almost a year because all my jeans do not fit or it is harder to find ones that do fit. I have noticed that my shirts have been feeling very lose on me. I thought I would see how far I had to go to be able to wear a pair of my jeans. GUESS WHAT? I can wear them!!!. I felt better than I have in a long time. I mean being able to wear pants that I couldnt before was great but when you put clothes on because it is what you want to wear not because you have to. It is a feeling that I am trying to explain but it is impossable. I just hope everyone who made their decision to go through this sticks with it because so far this has been worth it for me. I just can't wait to see what amazes me next.
I would like to just say stick in there Charlene. It will be no time you will be on the losing side and feeling these changes. Have patience and good things will happen. Good luck to everyone else too and I will update as soon as I have something new.
Dec 14th 2003
Hello everyone. I just wanted tolet everyone know I am doing fine and the weight is coming off. I am finding that I have more confidence and more energy than before. Somtimes I feel I might of over did it for the day and sometimes I feel great at the end of the day. I went on Dec 12th and I had my 1 month check up. I am down to 450 and I was told everything is going good so far. I am sticking to my diet pretty good and I wish everyone luck who is going through this surgery.
DEC 25th 2003
MERRY X-MAS everyone! I just wanted to let everyone know that things are going good and I am feeling great. I am walking 1/2 mile everyday and I feel pretty good after too. I did have a scare the other night. I ate a salad around 3:00 pm and right after I got done I was having a very bad stomach cramp. I then thought it was just from eating too fast. It was 7:00 pm and I still was having them. Sue and I took a walk and I thought that might help. When we got back I still felt it. Susan called my surgeon's answering service and he called back to let me know to drink clear liquids for 24 hours. If it wasnt better by then to call his office. I also took a stool softener too. When I got up the next morning everything was good. I think it was because I had cheese in my salad and it just didnt digest good enough. I think I needed that to just give me a reality check. I think I was taking things for granted when I was eating as far as how fast. I am back on my regular foods and I am more cautious now. Hope everyone has a great holiday and I will update as soon as something new comes up. Everyone who is having surgery or wanting to, hang in there it will happen.
Jan 28th 2004
Hello everyone, It has been a little since I have updated. Nothing new has realy happened until today so I wanted to come on here and let everyone know. I went today to get and I was shocked when I seen the scale. I was down another 29lb since last time. I was very happy to see this. Last week I was asking my cousin about his tread mill he has in his basement and he was going to talk with his girlfriend about me using it. I got a call from him and he told me that His gorlfriends sister has one that I can just have. I went and picked it up and brought it home. It needed cleaned up and oiled but after all that it works great. I am walking 1/2 - 1 mile a day. Well I am going to end for now but remember the waiting for this surgery is well worth it. I feel 10 times better and every day is getting better. Good luck to everyone who is having surgery.
Feb 9th 2004
Hello everyone. I have made it to 3 months. I am down 73 lb and I feel good. I am walking and I acually like it. Some days more than others but for the most part I like to get out and walk. I am looking forward to this summer to walk the Erie peninsula. I plan on walking the whole thing this summer.(wish me luck)lol. I was told today that the weight loss is doing good and to keep up the good work. You dont know how that feels coming from a doctor unless you have been told this. I just want to let everyone know that if you are waiting for surgery or insurance approval or whatever is holding you up, please be patient because it will happen and when it does it feels great. If you need to talk to someone or just want to ask questions send me an e-mail. I still have the online support group chat room on Sunday nights for anyone who wants to join us. E-mail me with WLS in the subject and Ill send you the link. Good luck to everyone and Ill update as soon as something new happens.
March 10th 2004
Hello everyone. No I didnt forget about everyone. I am trying to stay busy and try to stay off the computer as much as I can. I am in my garage a lot and I am feeling good. I think I will feel a lot better once I start back to work if I every find a job. for most of the time I feel like I have alot of energy but there are still days I feel drained but not that often. I guess everyone feels like that every once in a while. I am having a problem with my hair loss. I have very long hair and it is coming out when I brush it. I started to take a hair vitamin and I havnt seen a difference yet. I hope it stops coming out soon. I havnt been weighed since my last time I updated but I can tell I have lost. I think it is a good thing to go as long as you can before getting weighed. Before surgery I had a pair of jeans that were size 60 and I couldnt wear them anymore. I now cant wear them again because they are too big for me now. I am wearing my old work jeans that are a size 56. It is a great feeling and I cant wait till I go down another size. I just want to tell everyone that I am very happy that I went through this and I again want to thank my Angel Susan who stood by me through all this. I do not think I could of made it if it wasnt for her. I just want to say Thank you babe. Well I am going to end this for now and when I go to get weighed Ill update this again.
MAY 26th 2004
Hello everyone, Sorry it took me so long to update. I was anxious to get weighed but nervous. I finally went today and WOW! was I shocked. It has been a little over 6 months and I have lost a total of.........drum roll............. 113 lbs. I am down to 385 lbs. I cant tell you the last time I was in the 300's. I can not explain the way I felt when I found out. You know the comercials that at the end they say priceless? well that will give you an idea. LOL. I also have been working. I was woring out of town for awhile but it wasnt worth being away from my family here in Erie. I am now back in Erie working. Not the greatest job but I am working anyways. I would just like to thank everyone who I have talk to on here who helped me with questions and with their support. I waited so long to be on this side and it was worth it. If anyone has any questions or just need some support dont be afraid to give a yell. Well I am going to end this for now and I wish everyone who is looking into or going to have the surgery done good luck.
Sept 24 2004
Hello everyone. It has been a long time since I was on here last. I have been busy doing all kind of things. It is hard to beleive not long ago I was not able to do a lot of things now I am working everyday and working on my garage in my spare time to start doing body work. I feel 100% better now. Today I had to add a hole in my belt and it was still too big so I added another and it fits good now. I have cut some of the belt of a couple months ago and it is getting smaller everyday. I havnt been weighed since the last update but I will soon. I would of thought I would want to get weighed every chance I get but I guess I feel it so I already know I am. Well as soon as I get weighed Ill update again. If anyone has any questions just e-mail me and I will be more than happy to help out in any way I can.
October 27th 2004
Hello again. Wow it has been a while since I have updated. Sorry for everyone who is following this and have to wait. I did finally go and get weighed again and I am down to 366 lb. I have lost a total of 132 lb since November 3rd 2003. Speaking of that, it is going to be a year in a few days. I do not know where the time went. I am feeling better than ever and I and very glad I made the decision to have the surgery done. I can eat just about anything except spicey food (hot). I only had half the surgery done and I need to go for a check up soon and maybe find out more when I will have the second part done. Well I am going to end this for now and Iwill try to update as soon as there is new news. I wish everyone all the luck in their journey through this. Any questions just ask.
March 24th 2005
Hello everyone. Sorry but it has been a long time since my last update. I was doing good with the weight loss but in time I was back to my old habits. I got to the point that I could eat just about any kind of food. still a small amount but enough to gain weight. I was losing and that it stopped and then started to come back. little by little I was getting bummed out with this. On March 1st me and Susan were taling about joining weight watchers. My aunt Lisa had great success on it the past 2 years. We talked about it but I wasnt sure if we would be able to afford it. Well on March 3rd we were checking online to see where the meetings were here in Erie and we just said it is time we started eating right. We went to the meeting and I was a little uncomfortable at first. It was all women. (no offense) LOL. By the time the meeting started there was 2 more men there. It wasnt so bad I guess. We talked with the lady a head of the program and she explained how it works and we said we were going to give it a shot. I got weighed that day and I was disapointed on what I seen. 379.6 pounds. It was time to do something about it. I just wasnt sure on how long Sue was going.
Jan 26 2011
Well where do I start? I am i
