infantrywife

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I have come a long way...and in less than 6 months!!!!  Unbelieveable!!  I have lost 125 lbs!!!  That is the size of my 20 year old sister.  It is nice to be able to see what 125 looks like!  :)

I talk about my daughter so often.  She is a very "energetic" 4 year old.  When I describe Emma to people, I usually say, Think of every girl stereo type you know of, and BAM...you just met Em.  She is the joys of our lives.  She that kid that knows how to cheer you up when you are down in the dumps.  So...just introducing you to Emma Jean!!

I am very fortunate to have the friends I have.  We are a military family so we don't have family around us.  And I don't know what I would do if I was missing the support from the ones I love.
I just found out that my friends are making a chart of who is going to cook what and when for my family.  I found out that they (my friends) didn't want me to have to cook post op and wanted to make sure that my husband and daughter were being fed well.  So for about 3 weeks post op, all my friends have signed up to bring a meal over.  
Isn't that FANTASTIC!!!! They wanted to be supportive and didn't know how I would feel about having to cook and not being able to eat it.  I have been so blessed!

To add on to their support, all of my friends have offered take take my daughter off my hands for a day and one friend even said she would take her for a week!!!

I love my support system and it makes it a heck of alot easier living away from my family!!!

1. Imagine the new healthier you
2. Walk around the block
3. Call a friend
4. Make a list of your Top Ten Reasons to Lose Weight
5. Make a To Do list
6. Turn on music and dance
7. Jot a thank you note to someone
8. Go to bed early or take a nap
9. Read a book
10. Blog or journal
11. Give yourself a manicure or pedicure
12. Plan a healthy meal for your family
13. Surf the Internet
14. Finish an unfinished project
15. Walk your dog, pet your cat, feed your fish
16. Brush your teeth
17. Balance your checkbook
18. Say a prayer
19. Chop veggies to keep on hand
20. Give a massage
21. Clean out a junk drawer
22. Play a game with your kids
23. Try a new route on your walk
24. Drink a glass of water 
25. Kiss someone
26. Try on some of your clothes
27. Look at old pictures
28. Rent a video
29. Wash your car
30. Take a hot, soothing bath
31. Update your calendar
32. Work in your yard
33. Start your holiday shopping list
34. Count your blessings
35. Write a letter
36. Fold some laundry
37. Check your e-mail
38. Give your dog a bath
39. Send a birthday card
40. Meditate
41. Hug someone
42. Rearrange some furniture
43. Light a fire or some candles
44. Put your pictures in an album
45. Plan a trip (real or imaginary)
46. Straighten a closet
47. Clean out a files
48. Visit a friend
49. Clean out your trunk
50. Do something nice for someone

This is the letter I am going to submit with all my paperwork going to my ins.  Please, feel free to give me positive critisism.  
Thanks for reading!

To whom this may concern,

Hello, my name is Erica XXXXX-XXXXXXX. I am the mother of a wonderful four year old and the wife to a great soldier. My family means the world to me and I look forward to my life with them.

I am also an obese woman. Actually, I fall under the Super Morbid Obese category. I carry a weight of 328 lbs on my small 5’1” frame. My BMI is 61.9. Someone with my height should weigh anywhere from 100 lbs to 130 lbs. This has taken a toll on me and my body in so many ways.

I have decided that I want to have Gastric Bypass. This is not something I have decided to do on a whim. It has been something that has been on my mind for almost 4 years now. It was first brought up to my attention from my PCM at Ft. Hood TX back in 2003. At that time, I felt it was not the right choice for me. I didn’t feel that I had tried everything that I could do to lose weight on my on. Now, four years later, I KNOW I have tried all I could.

My health is concerning me. My weight is concerning me. I fear that if continue the path that I am, my four year old daughter, will not have a mother. She needs me here and I need to be here for her. It has gotten to the point that I can not keep up with her. There has been two times that she has run out into the street. She was three at this time, and I was not able to catch her. She can out run me and when her safety is an issue, it breaks my heart knowing that she could get hit by a car, and I couldn’t catch her.

I am very fortunate not to be suffering from diabetes, high blood pressure or sleep apnea. But that is not to say that it isn’t around the corner. I do, however, have high cholesterol and I suffer from constant aches and pains in my knees, hips and lower and upper back. My hygiene has also become an issue. Urinary stress incontinence has become a problem for me. It has become embarrassing for me to sneeze or cough in public, for fear that urine may leak out.

I also get bad rashes under my breasts, at my waist line, at my panty lines and between my thighs. The pain is sometimes so severe and unbearable. And my feet seem to remain swollen and in pain.

My weight became a problem, a real problem when I was 16 yrs old. I was put on Prednisone and in the matter of months, I gained about 60 lbs. By the time I was 18, I was weighing in at about 250 lbs. My parents had hired me a trainer and nutritionist and lost about 10 lbs. I then went off to college and eventually got married and I started taking birth control pills. With that, came another 20 lbs. At this time, my husband was on his second deployment and I had gained another 10 lbs or so. In 2002, I became pregnant. I weighed 273 lbs. The pregnancy went well, but the delivery was hell. I believe it was all in part due to my weight. When I gave birth, I weighed 304 lbs. After Emma was born, I lost 30 lbs w/o doing anything. I was back to about 270lbs. I did Atkins and lost another 10 lbs. My husband deployed again. This time it was to Iraq. I had a gym membership to Curves and went everyday, but I was gaining weight. Soon, I found my self weighing 290 lbs. I left Curves only to join a “regular” gym. I again was not losing any weight, but I was going everyday. I also started seeing a nutritionist at Ft Hood, and had no success in weight loss. When my husband returned from Iraq, he got orders to become a Drill Sgt. This was our first PCS and it was a very stress full time in our life. When we got here (Ft. Jackson) I decided to join Weight Watchers. My weight was 322 Lbs. I was able to lose 20 lbs, but that is where the weight loss ended. Since leaving WW, I joined a gym and try to watch calories and fat content. I have not been able to lose weight and it has ballooned to 328lbs.

I have tried many forms of weight loss. These include Atkins, having a trainer, nutritionist, gym memberships, several diet pills, portion control and Weight Watchers. I am almost positive that there are other methods I have used but that I did not list.

My weight not only affects my health but it affects my family life. My husband is very active and I can not keep up with him. He wants to do family activities and because of my weight disability, I am not able to participate in the things he wants to do. Even a simple thing as going on a family walk in the evening has become a chore.

My husband has been nothing but supportive in my decision to have weight lose surgery. He stands behind me 100%. My parents and siblings all back my decision. I have a sister and my mother suffer from Super Morbid Obesity. They are proud that I am doing something about it before it gets worse. I think me having the surgery will prompt them into getting it done and bettering their life.

I am ready to use Gastric Bypass as a tool to help me achieve a healthy weight. I am ready to put all the work into it that I know it will take. With Gastric Bypass, the guidance of a nutritionist and the commitment to exercise, I know a healthier me is achievable.

I thank anyone who took the time to read this. Please, please consider me and all I have had to say when you make your decision to approve this life changing tool. Again, much thanks,

Erica XXXXXXX-XXXXXX

I had my pysch eval last Tuesday.  He said everything looked good.  This doctor though, was very hard to read.  He seemed a little concerned about my age.  (24)  He thought that that might be too you and he wanted to know what the NP had thought about that.  I told him that she thought is was a plus.  

So after about an hour of talking about my home life, my social life and my childhood, he told me that everything looks good.  He said that I seem to have a great surpport system and that I am young and otherwise heathy and that I am married and have a good relationship with my husband and daughter.  He said he would fax in his report and to expect a call from the weight managment center (wmc) for my next step.

Yesterday I called the WMC to see if there was an update.  I knew that tomorrow would be the mandatory exercise and nutrition class and I knew I was not signed up for it yet.  I asked the secretary if I could attend it even though I haven't heard back from them since having my psych eval.  She said she would have no problem scheduling me for it, but that someone else is in charge of that and that lady was out of the office and I would recieve a call from her.

So today I recieved a call from the secretary about my cardio appt.  That is set for the 23rd of this month.  I again asked about the nutrion class and she said...oh!  no one has called you yet?  Let me transfer....

Ha!  So after all is said and done, I have my nutrition class tomorrow. I am super excited to learn more on what my eating habits will be AFTER the surgery.  

The WMC is thinking I will have my surgery at the beginning of Apr.  That works for me!

Wow!  I wish  would have kept up with this blog.  But life gets busy, so here goes my updates....

On February 13th I attended the mandatory seminar.  Honestly, I didn't learn anything new.  Yes, it may sound a bit cocky, but I find that to be a good thing.  I feel that I have well informed myself.  I have done nothing but research the RNY.  I'll tell ya what though, it AMAZES me on the people that went to the seminar and didn't even know common knowledge!!!!!  I thought to myself, this is a HUGE decision, and you seem to not have researched ANYTHING!  I left that day, upset with people, people I didn't even know!

I also left that day with something else....My first appt date!  YES!

I had my appt on the 19th of Feb.  It went well.  The NP seemed very pleased with all that I knew.  She told me that my age was such a "plus" in this whole process and although I have an extreamly high BMI, I am thankfully healthy otherwise.  She also said it was a "plus" that I was so mobile.  All things that work in my favor!  All in all, my appt went fantastic!  

I left that day with my psych appt scheduled.  That is taking place next Tuesday.  I have to have one nutrition class that I believe is being held on Mar. 8th and I also have to meet with a Cardiologist.  I am waiting for my referral on that one.  Fortunantly, my ins is pretty cut and dry and really doesn't require much of me.  I don't have to do a supervised diet or anything.  This is one of the best things I have decided to do for myself.  Everything seems to be moving along smoothly.  I am just too excited!!!!

On Saturday, I recieved my referral in the mail.  What excitement!  Everything is moving along.  Even better yet, the surgeon my insurance chose is the same one I wanted.  How easy was that?  

I called to make an appointment, but the secretary let me know that I had to attend the seminar before an appointment could be made.  I knew that already, but I thought it wouldn't hurt to try.  Fortunantly for me, tomorrow is the seminar.  My husband and I will be attending it.  And I should be able to make the appointment tomorrow evening.  


I can't believe my journey is starting!!!!!!!

I have my appt tomorrow (1-31-07) with my PCM.  I am going to talk to him about getting WLS and I am *hoping* he will put in the referral.  I thought I would prepare myself for the appt by making a list of all the diets I have tried and the timeline of my weight gain (and losses).  I am just praying all works out and maybe by the end of the week, I will have a call from Tricare letting me know what surgeon I will see.  :)

I am so happy to know a couple people who have been through this.  They have been a wealth of knowledge, but unfortunantly, neither live close to me.  I believe that I have well educated myself in the WLS process.  I still do have questons about things, but I will always have questions.  I am prepared mentally for the road that lies ahead and I am ready to take the journey full force!

Please, send me "good luck" vibes for a referral!  I will update Wednesday with the answer!