fawnlori

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I am crushed. They called from the sleep center today and they don't have an opening until June 12 but she put me on the waiting list for cancelations and marked me urgent. She tried telling me that they have cancelations every day so I should get in within two weeks. Pray for me? 

I was quite worried about my medications as I am on psychotropics and don't want to have to quit any of my meds.  Since Edwin did not get back to me, I asked on the WLS Regain and Revision group on Facebook and they said forget the doctor, talk to the pharmacist.  I called CVS yesterday and the pharmacist was happy to go through all my meds with me.  All but three of them are crushable.  Two of them are capsules that can be opened and only one has to be ordered in a new format.  That one is no problem as I see my pcp on the 12th and I will be able to talk to her then about it.  I didn't get called Friday for the sleep study or the cardiologist so I am just waiting now to start this process.

I got called by Dr. Gedeon's office today.  They already made the referrals for the sleep study and the cardiologist.  Things might be moving fast.  I don't know about the sleep study, though.  Those you usually have to wait a while for and this is a new sleep center so I'm sure they are bogged down with referrals.  I tried calling the cardiologist to schedule my appointment but no one was available all day.  Karen (therapist) did not call me back for the second day in a row and neither did Edwin (prescriber).  So bottom line is the referrals were sent in but nothing happened today.

So I was so caught up with the speed in which I would have my surgery that I forgot to ask questions.  I called the office yesterday and asked a few.  The doctor acknowledged my pain but I forgot to ask for pain meds so I did when I called.  He should get back to me today.  I asked about my meds.  I take quite a few.  They told me I will have to contact my prescribers and they would have to order either liquid versions or crushable pills.  I see my pcp on the 12th and I will ask her then and I'm calling my pdoc today to talk to him about it.  I then asked how expensive the meal replacement was and they don't sell it at the office but one of the ones they suggest is available at Walmart for about $20 per can and one can lasts about a week.

I met with the surgeon today and I do definitely have a fistula.  I am going for my endoscopy Friday and then back to his office sometime in the next week to start the liquid diet again.  He wants me to lose 30 pounds before surgery in a month!!!!  Yes, that's right, I am having my revision in a month!  I don't have to go to all the pre-op testing I did the first time around, just cardiologist, sleep study, endoscopy and NUT.  I'm excited and nervous all at the same time.  I'm SO ready for the weight loss but all those worries are back about undergoing surgery and what could happen.  My starting weight this time around is 331.8 as opposed to 492 the last time.  It should not be as risky this time.  My only concern is that I will be intubated again like I was the first time around and for 20 days last summer.  I am hoping that doesn't happen. It will make my hospital stay longer and all I want is to have the surgery and go home.

Wish me luck!

So I meet the surgeon tomorrow to find out what he can do about my fistula.  I'm very anxious about this and even more anxious to be going through this all again.  My insurance company does not require the six months of NUT counseling so I figure I will be having surgery in 3 months but we will see.  Preparing myself mentally for going through all those pre-op appointments again.  I'm not sure how the pulmonologist will go because I had half my lung removed last summer and then there's the sleep study and the cardiologist and the psychiatrist.... and whatever else.  I expect that he'll do an endoscopy and insert a filter like I had done last time.  See what I mean?  Tons of questions.  I hope he isn't going to rush me in and out tomorrow.  This surgeon has great reviews but this will be my first time meeting him.  Wish me luck?

Now that I know that I have a medical reason for my weight gain and appetite, I can't wait to see the surgeon.  May 6th can't come here soon enough.  I have so many questions and the first one will be how does a fistula form like mine did?  What surgery options do I have?  Which is the best one for taking off 150-200 pounds?  Do I have to go through the 6 month pre-op stuff all over again?  How soon can I be scheduled for surgery?  And the questions go on.  I don't know how I will get through these next two weeks in anticipation of this meeting!

I have been considering a revision lately because I stalled for the longest time.  Yesterday I went for an upper GI series to see if I stretched my pouch.  The radiologist and I were both shocked to find out that I have a fistula.  Food is completely bypassing my pouch and going to my stomach.  Looks like I am getting that revision now.  I see the surgeon on May 6th.

I haven't gone to sleep yet so it's still my surgiversary in my eyes.  One year later and WHAT A DIFFERENCE!  I will weigh in on Thursday but even accounting for the bad scale on the last weigh-in, according to my pcp's scale on the 25th, I was down 205 pounds in this first year.  I am sitting in my son's rec room upstairs (couldn't get here often before) relaxing with him after returning home from a 5 day trip to NY that I was able to do on my own without the wheelchair, a walker or even a cane.  I took the train and bus without concerns about fitting on the seat or through the aisle.  I sat at a booth at a restaurant while I was there and used a non-handicapped bathroom without concerns about fitting there, either.  I bought new boots TWO SIZES smaller than the shoes I wore before surgery and am wearing a skirt and shirt 10 sizes smaller.  I am sitting here with the laptop on my LAP---- I have one now, and a neck, too, for that matter!  You know, there are even slight protrusions that I understand are collar bones LOL.  I cannot believe the differences in my life and if you could only have walked in my shoes a year ago, you'd understand.  Very few people really understood the impact all that weight had on my quality of life, not just my health.

Oh, by the way, for ha-ha's, since I haven't taken one bit of insulin or diabetes meds since one week post-op I checked my bloodsugar while with my partner this weekend.  Fasting (am) reading?  101.

Thank you Dr. Barba for giving me my life back!

I am in a state of shock, actually.  I just got back from the gym where I weighed in for the first time in about 6 weeks.  I have been dealing with a lot of body image issues lately and this weigh in put everything into perspective again.  So here are the totals for 11 mos:

Starting weight:  492
Current weight:  265

Inches lost (waist, hips, thighs, chest):  66.5

Starting size:  46W
Current size:  26W

Meals are still a slight challenge and the ulcer still rears its ugly head often but there is no way I would reconsider having done this.  I still have a month to go and it's looking like losing 250 in the first year is a reality!  I have been looking into the cost of plastic surgery because my understanding is that medicare will only cover my stomach but it looks like I will be able to afford all but my chest if I carefully save for it.