hanslori

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I don't know if anybody's reading these anymore, but I'll stick up a post anyway.  I had surgery on JUNE 2, Mainly to finally get rid of the hernia, but the only way to lower the chances of it recurring was to have a panniculectomy (sp) too.  Insurance of course flaked, but I did it anyway.  It's healing now and it is actually kind of strange not to have that huge amount of skin.  Which for the record was only 7 lbs.  I really would have thought it was more.  It's hard to see the end result but the surgery seems to have been a success and now just to heal and see how it looks after it streches out, etc.  Still everything clothing feels odd.  I'm having to cart drains around and it wasn't the easier surgery, but it was no where near the horror story one lady has posted on here.  Anyway I actually dropped under 200 the day of surgery, to 197, and then went to surgery.  Which oddly had been my goal and seemed like it would never happen I was stuck at the 200 mark.   Then zip, bam, boom.  190,  Yes it does feel really good.  Once I can move more, it'll feel even better.   Good luck and God bless

How funny that we're all at this stag at similiar times.  I ran the gamit (sp) trying to get insurance to cover it, even with a hernia being worsened by the skin and still insurance wouldn't cover.  Now this is Anthem in VA so I don't know about the others. The good news is they will cover the hernia surgery and I got my docs to work together so I only will have to pay for the Plastic surgeons part. Which is 4 grand,.  Mind you that is a whole lot in my world but to finally get rid of the pain of the hernia (Basketball sized and the skin issues, well lets just say It's money well spent)

Originally when I first applied about 2 years ago for the skin removal I was denied because of not having a documented ongoing rash for over 3 months, or documented back pain from itl. Mind you I had all these things just not documented to their satisfaction.  Grrrrr.  Worked out for the best though because this way they covered the RNY and I couldn't be happier with the weight loss.  Though I still laugh,  They won't  cover the 5000 dollar surgery, but they'll cover the 30,000 one.  Don't figure???? 

This time when I applied I had all the back documentation, rash documentation, they did the pictures of the sagging skin etc.   You know the ones that make you feel sooo lovely.  And I was rejected for several reasons.  One was not being 18 months out yet, which at least was understandable, but the other two are this.  Your BMI has to be under 30 and stable for at least 6 months before they'll even consider it.  And you and I both know by the time that's done they will have more regulations to deny me.,  Therefore I opted to get rid of the pain, etc.  3 years of pain due to an abdominal hernia, left over from weak skin areas where I had  to have a colostomy, that has continued to grow and hurt worse is enough.  Truthfully I feel really screwed over by insurance, but they have us where they want us.  

They were always ready to fix the hernia, but my doctor and I both knew it would never hold given the pull in that area and well because they wasn't a medical journal to back it up here  I am.

Sorry to rant and rave, BUT TO THE GOOD NEWS!  i GO IN FOR SURGERY ON JUNE 2.  Hernia repair and excess skin removal , A few weeks of healing and tada a much happier pain free Lori :0)

Hello all! 

I know, I know!  I never post.  Well I get on regularly, but never take the time to type.  Basically to sum it up.  It's been 13 months since surgery and during that time I've lost 115 pounds and 30 pounds before surgery.  All in all I've lost a  person off of me.  I'm in 18 jeans and 16 tops, I haven't seen the weight I'm at or these sizes in 16 years.  I'm still fighting the hernia or I'd be in 16 jeans I'm pretty sure and truthfully I think I may need to shrink top sizes.  My mind just can't figure out the size  I am compared to what I was.  It's the same problem I had in high school .  In high school I thought I was huge and was really actually skinny and now I'm working that direction, but I still see the huge person.  The fact that I can't be active due to the hernia has made the excess skin more difficult.  Muscles aren't filling it up.  So that bugs me some, but to do it all again, in a heartbeat.  I'm 30 pounds from goal and feel great except for the hernia. Which I finallly have a surgery date for.  Yippee!!   June 2

Hello to anyone that actually reads this.  I'm officially 6 months out and down 79 lbs. since surgery.  For a whopping total of 109 lbs.  :)   Yeah for me.  I'd like to still lose 67 more to be at my goal.  So I keep plodding along.  Eating is still weird at best, usually I'm just not very hungry, and I have to stay to safe foods, or I get nauseous.   The only time I'm ravenous is right before my monthly "friend"  Then I have to keep myself in check, because I swear it's a bottomless pit.  I'm very happy I had the surgery and I'd do it again if I never lost another pound.  However I intend to make the most of it and lose all I can.  Exercise is difficult at best due to the hernia ( at least the size of a cantalope on my right abdomen)  I have good days, bad days, and medium days.  On all days I do as much as I can.   Anyway the Dr. was pleased with my progress and hopefully by the time I hit a year out, I will be able to get rid of the hernia. 

Hello all!

Well it's been 3 months since RNY.  47 pounds down.  Certainly not as much as some, but serious progress.  I seem to hit a plateau every 5 lbs.  My body has had this weight a long time and it is not giving it up easily.  Sometimes that can get very depressing.  But I try to stay focused on the long term.  My eating has been completely altered which is good, but it has come with not having a way to comfort myself.  So when super stressed or depressed I'm kinda at a loss.  Not to mention eating was a very passionate thing for me and now, well honestly, who cares.  Very little sits well, and so I get bored easy.  What's a girl to do.  :)   So it's a struggle to cook for my family because I have no desire to even look at food.  Who'd thought?  So while it's been soooooo good on many fronts, I am struggling there.  My other struggle is exercise.  I have a large abdominal hernia, that I've had for way too long now.  And it has pain issues, still.  The weight loss has helped it, but not completely.  So exercise hurts.  Not exactly a way to encourage exercise.  Of course exercise was never my strong point either.  So thus far it's been minimal.  I also find myself , yelling at myself because imagine the weight loss if I'd been exercising.    I will say my husband and I just got a Wii and the Wii Fit.  I do enjoy the Wii Fit and it certainly makes me sweat.  I just need to do it more regular.  8-)  So anyway thanks for listening, any suggestions would be welcome.   Good luck all.  Might I add I'm nervous about the Dr and getting fussed at. 

Well I finally got brave and got on the scales yesterday.  15lbs down since Feb 23rd.  I must admit that it made me feel better to actually see results.  Still working on the mush diet and we'll go from there. 

Hey all!  I'm out of surgery, home, and healing.  They couldn't do the hernia yet, so that was a bummer, however they did the gastric without a hitch.  The doctor did have to do it with an open incision, due to all my previous scar tissue, which is why they couldn't due the hernia.  I'm on the mush diet.  I must admit I'm already bored with the mush.  Oh well.  I am concerned though because it's going almost too smoothly.  Able to eat fine, no nausea, no dumping, having to measure everything because I still don't really feel when I'm full.  So I'm worried that this is going to fail, though I'm trying to be positive.  I just struggle with concern.  Which isn't going to help me.  Once the weight is gone I'm sure I'll be happy not to have the complications, but for now they were a way to help me.  I'm also struggling with protein.  It's really hard to get that much protein in when you're only eating a little bit at a time.  I haven't weighed yet, due to most gain after surgery, and I didn't want any discouragement.  So that's where I'm at.  Good luck and congrats to everyone else.

Hello all!
I tried to add some goals last night and for some reason it decided I had accomplished all of them, even though I marked them as working towards.  So while I'd love to say I've done all those things.  I am just starting and far from it.  Surgery is still a couple of weeks away and until then I'm just trying to prep everything.
My goals
1.  Follow the Drs. and Nutritionists advice
2.  Feel attractive again
3.  Be under 300 lbs
4.  Be under 200 lbs

Hey all!   I finally got a new surgery date!   February 23.  It's a good thing, but I'm still really disappointed.  I was less than 24 hours from surgery when the stupid cold hit.  Obviously they didn't want to take any chances with pneumonia, so that's good too.  I just am kinda going, what the heck do I do now.  I readily admit to eating several no nos in my few days before pre- op prep.  Knowing that they were about to leave forever.  Bidding a fond farewell to them so to speak.  However now I'm craving those things like crazy, know I shouldn't eat them, and am fighting to regain control.  However, I also still have that stupid voice saying "You know after surgery, this is will make you sick, hurt you,  etc.  You know how good I taste, how good I make you feel, come on, one last time"   So I run from it, sometimes literally.  Okay walk quickly away.  LOL  Sometimes however I cave.   So with basically a month to wait,  I don't want to find any weight!  :) 

Okay, now I've had to reschedule, because I woke up today, the day before surgery with a cold.  Extremely disappointing and frustrating.  I mean I was already half way through the prep and I'm still dealing with those side effects, but now no surgery and I'm back in limbo.  I have no clue when the surgery will be reset to, and I'm just really disappointed.  I was so close,  and now I'm 3 steps back.  I've spent over a year and a half to get this far, and so to hit another roadblock is devastating.  I'm trying to take it in stride.  I know God has his hand in this and that there's a reason for it.  But it's still hard.  Anyway that's what's up, when I have a new date I'll post it as well.  Please be in prayer for me.  Thanks.