Penny R.
I am happily married for almost 25 years! We have 4 children, all boys. They are 24, 22, 19 and 16. They are great kids and I know we have been blessed to be their parents.
I have never been thin, but was average size prior to getting married & having children. I struggle with having willpower, especially when it comes to chocolate & other sweets. My hubby is a great cook and spoils me in that way. He was raised on a farm & enjoys the "meat & potatoes" life. We both struggle with our weight, however, I now have to admit that it is beyond struggle and willpower.
I have a great job and enjoy what I do most of the time. I have had wonderful opportunities to see different parts of the country through work, but now that I have reached the highest weight yet, I see opportunities pass me by.
I enjoy laughing and spending time with friends and family - my goal is to have WLS to help me extend the time I have left on this earth to hopefully enjoy grandchildren some day.
I attended a WLS seminar in 2003 at a nearby hospital, but since i had hiatal hernia surgery (laparascopic nissen fundoplication) in 2000, they told me the only option I had was open surgery and they had done ZERO of them at that time. I was not interested in becoming the first one.
In October 2007 I went to another, very popular, WL surgeon in my area. I was so excited to be able to actually be considered (preop investigation got my hopes up). After only just a few minutes with this surgeon, all my hopes went out the window. He told me that I was too high risk from having the nissen & that he wasn't willing to ruin his reputation by taking that risk! I was totally shattered. He told me about a surgeon in NYC that I could go to, but my insurance would not cover him. Once again, I was back to square one.
The next day he called me to tell me about Dr. William O'Malley in Rochester, NY. He is the surgeon who mentored his partner in WLS and has a great deal of experience and would accept me as a patient! YAY!!!!! That was October...FINALLY this Thursday I am scheduled to attend the required 3 hour seminar. I am so hoping that this will work out for me. My insurance company assures me that Dr. O'Malley's office is a participating provider, so that should not be an issue. I am hoping and praying that it works out this time.
