CynthiaLH2008

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I have been approved for surgery on January 20th.  I cannot wait.  I have been waiting my whole life for this moment.  I have been trying to drink the protein drinks to lose some weight.  It is going to be hard with the holiday season coming up but I am up for a challenge.  I will do anything necessary to prepare myself for this surgery for the best outcome possible.

I have been wanting to have this surgery for over a year now.  I have been overweight my entire life.  I currently weigh 369lbs and I am 51 years old.  Last year I started the journey of weight loss surgery with another hospital.  I began in April of last year. I went to the seminar, met with the nutritionist, and was told I had to lose weight. I weighed 369 when I started LAST APRIL!!. The nutritionist started me on the preop diet and I lost 50 lbs by August, 2007. Since my insurance carrier is BCBS of NC, they had decided not to renew their contract with that hospital. So I made a decision to go to Duke in September. I had to start ALL OVER!! I went to the seminar at Durham Regional. I did not send in my application until May of this year because in September of last year, my mom was failing in health and eventually passed away in November 07. Then the holidays came and went. By the time my first appointment was scheduled in September, I had gained all of the weight back and I weighed exactly the same as I did last year! I knew I had gained all the weight back, I could feel it. Also, I have an abdominal hernia. It is in the fatty part of my belly button. I got it as a result of a C-Section in 1987 and a hysterectomy in 2007 through scar tissue.  Both surgeries were open surgeries. I was always afraid to have WLS because of the scar tissue that I expected I had. Anyway, I have done all of the testins and my file is in medical review.  It has been about 5 days.  I want to have this surgery so bad so that I can feel better. My legs are very heavy and my feet and ankles hurt all the time. My husband bas congestive heart failure (still working though), and we are going to Duke all the time.  I need to get this weight off so that I can be healthier and live a long life. I have just one child, a son that is soon to be 21 that is in perfect health and not overweight.  Thank goodness!!!! Any encouragement anyone can give me will be appreciated!!! Thanks for this website and being there!!!

I had my first appointment on September 4, 2008.  I was very nervous.  I met with the nurse practitioner, the psychologist and had blood work. I had to have followup tests done, barium swallow, pulmonary function test, another sleep study even through I have a C-Pap now, and blood gas testing.  Everything went fine.  I called Duke to see what the status was since the testing has been completed and my packet has now gone to medical review.  Hoping to hear something soon.