Gina A

Send Message

Block

Add Friend

OH held a conference in San Antonio Sept 14-16 and it was wonderful. This is the third conference I have attended and they have all been awesome. Each time you get to meet new people, catch up with friends you have already met, and see the changes in everyone weather its physical or mental. It's so fun to get to hug everyone. It's just like being with family.

The best part about the conference was Sunday. I got a call from my sunshine Debra Flores and she told me that Jackie had announced that Monica was finally going to have her surgery. Monica (from the Texas board) has been fighting her insurance company for several year. The physcian's at NIX offered to do her surgery for her. This truly shows that there are still good people out there that care about us. When Debra called me I literally wanted to jump out of my skin in excitement for Monica. So many tears of joy were shed Sunday for this remarkable woman. She deserves this surgery so much and will be a great success. Good luck, Monica.

On another note, we had a great time dancing, laughing, talking, and just being silly. I got to spend some time with my punkin' Jenn in SA and I was so glad to see her because its been a while.

This by far was the best conference yet. 

I am still doing well from my TT recovery. I still get swollen and the scale is still teeter tottering from PS. My scars are starting look better each week. You can barley see the scar on my right hip and my mid section and left hip are starting to look better considering I had infection and was cut in those areas 3 times. 

I also found out a couple of weeks ago that Dr. Naaman is retiring. I have found myself emotional about this even at 2 1/2 years post-op. Dr. Naaman deserves to enjoy his life because he has helped enrich so many of ours but, how dare him retire on us. LOL (just kidding)

I am still maintaining my weight other then swelling from PS and just trucking along now.

As most of you know these past 3 months have been very hard on me. I have had PS 3 times in 3 months. In March I had a Tummy Tuck and got an infection, a month later my surgeon went in and irrigated the infection and did  some “touch-up” work, it took me a while to recover. I had to have a pick line IV in my arm and administer at home antibiotics for 2 weeks. I got past the infection, lost my job on June 1^st and was very hopeless. I had my surgeon re-do surgery in June while I was out of work to do some more tweaking and I got necrotic tissue in the belly button area. So, back to infectious disease I went. I have been seeing both the infectious disease Dr and the Plastic surgeon once a week. It seems like things in the tummy tuck area are finally starting to turn around.

In the middle of all of this my plastic surgeon told me about a position at a local surgery center. He gave me the surgeon’s phone number to call when I was well enough. Well, last week I had an interview and today (06/28/07) a job offer was extended to me. One I couldn’t refuse. They have asked me to help them market their bariatric program. I think this will not only be rewarding but, challenging for me and open new doors.

In these last 3 months I have realized that life is VERY precious and so are the people around us. We must show our appreciation to those we love and that are near and dear to us. I am really excited and wanted to share this with all of YOU because YOU are all important and special people in my life. Thank you all for being here for me through all of this. I hope to make each and everyone of you proud of me.

All I gotta do is   BELIEVE!

04/25/07 - When the world seems to be crashing around you. I normally don’t write about my depressed feelings, I am a very private person with some aspects in my life. Since my PS on March 29^th I have been very depressed. No one told me this was an emotional roller coaster, more then gastric bypass.

I have had this infection in my belly button and while it has improved it has been pretty ugly. To have PS and look at your body and see a flat tummy is a wonderful feeling after all the weight loss. But to look down and see a belly button that is so ugly and gross, it almost makes me sick to look at it is very heart breaking. I look at it and think my body is falling apart. I see this infection and cry and ask myself why did I have to have PS.

I have a seroma and I have had to aspirate it myself. It looks like a monster from a cartoon when the fluid starts shooting out of your body. It doesn’t hurt in fact the infection doesn’t even hurt…physically but, mentally it hurts a hella lot!

I don’t know why I put my body through this or why I was so adamant about having my stomach skin removed. Sure, I wont have rashes and boils now but, I can’t help to wonder if it would have been better to continue life that way then what I am having to go thru now. I know its not the end of the world, I know it could be worse but, its my body and its how I feel right now.

I worked so hard to have WLS (3 years) and ended up being self pay. I fought my insurance for a year for PS, I just thought something that came my way for once in my life would come easy but, it hasn’t.

My attitude has affected my life and the people around me. I feel like I am just functioning because I have too. I go to work, I put on my make up, I do the normal things you do in a day but, in reality my heart is aching and all I want to do is curl up and cry. Please let me find the strength somewhere to see that it will get better. Sorry this post is a downer but, its how I feel right now, right here, today.

04/22/07 - On March 29th I had a TT with muscle repair. I had an anchor cut. Recovery has not been what I expected it to be. The pain is worse then I thought it would. After I sit for a while I get stiff. I went back to work after two weeks and have been going about my routine pretty well. I am now three weeks out and feel good 50% of the day. 

I got an infection in my belly button and have been seeing my PS twice a week. We have been treating the belly button with very strong antibiotics.

I saw my surgeon Thursday (04/19/07) and he said that we could continue treating my belly button with antibiotics or get aggressive and go in and do surgery. He said he can go in and clean out my belly button (basically wash it out) and while he has me under anesthia he is going to revise my left hip.

When he originally made my incisions the left side was a bit lower because of my anatomy (my hip bone is low) and he was afraid to cut on my bone. Now that I am somewhat healed he can cut a little higher so my incisions are more even on the left and right side. He is also going to do some more “tweaking” while he is in there.

I will be having surgery next Friday April 27th almost a month after my original surgery.

This has been an emotional roller coaster for both Tracy and myself. He takes really good care of me and has been phenomenal through all of this.

Thank you all for your continued support and prayers

03/27/07 – In less then 48 hours I will be having my TT. With the help of my employer, I fought my insurance company’s “clerical error” and we won! Funny thing is, my insurance is running out on 03/31/07 and I am getting new insurance on 04/01/07. I made it by the skin of my teeth! My surgery is 03/29/07.

I will be having what they call a Fleur De Lois incision. Which basically looks like a small t. Everytime I see or hear the word Fleur De Lois I think of Jen in S.A. when we were in New Orleans in February I was telling her I liked a symbol and she said oh the Fleur De Lois. Maybe she knew my destiny!

I can’t wait to run and not hear skin flopping around. I am sure it will seem strange. I am not nervous. I know the Good Lord is going to take care of me! I am excited to see the results and live life without rashes and boils in my folds of skin. It’s rather sad because a part of me knows some of my signs of obesity will be cut away. However, I know in my heart I will never forget being obese.

01/21/07 - Yep, that's right insurance SUCKS!!! I hate insurance companies. Two days before my TT I got a call from the PS office and my insurance had approved me in their system for a Breast Reduction but, their approval letter stated I was approved for a TT. They then tried to rush things through before my surgery date and their physician denied my TT. I had arranged for the time off from work, my Mother drove to TX from Louisiana and BOOM I get a call, saying your not having PS. Needless to say I am devasted and now want PS more then anything, its like taking a toy away from a child. I have spent countless hours on the phone with the insurance company screaming and hollering but, it has done no good. They keep saying they want more documentation. I know some of you are saying just go do it and get them what they want. I have no problem doing that but, the issue is they took something away from me and I'm pissed! So, I am now trying to get them to overturn their denial but, in the meantime back to the Dr I go to prove to those damn people this procedure is medicall necessary.

Good luck in your journey wherever you are. And don't ever give up...I'm living proof. I think I have had the worst luck with insurance company's more then anyone I have ever met. So, I'm getting out my ammo and I'm ready to fight!