Jessica Wyatt Robinson
My history:
I had this lifechanging surgery at 33. I was told I was overweight my whole life. When I was 12 I was a size 9/10 and have been steadily increasing ever since. In 1989 (19 yrs old) I hit 200+lbs and at the time of surgery I was over 260# with BMI of 48. I had read about gastric bypass surgery for a couple of years prior. I stumbled on this website and was pleased to see the honest accounts and honest critiques of doctors, the surgery, and general feelings about weightloss. Through the members here I got a better idea of what was involved in surgery and was able to contact a surgeon and start the process of WLS. I cataloged my journey below from most recent to least recent posting.
Most recent post:
05/23/07 - Like most people who are this far out (post-surgery) I tend to forget to update my profile. I'm still holding steady at 139lbs and find that God continues to bless me over and over with energy, excitement, fun and a wonderful life. This surgery, my new (almost our year anniversary) husband, and God are all parts fo my life that I could never give up. Food is still the same, concentrate on vitamins and suppliments, protein intake and small portions chewed well. I've had no complications and am really in great shape. All information on my last physical was normal and good.
11/01/06 - Lost a little over the last few months, have decreased from size 8 to size 6-7. Living in the Coastal South is definately agreeing with me. I love Charleston! My husband, Shawn, and I have been very very happy here. I do have to say it's also particularly great to have my own personal Chiropractor to keep me in adjustment along with my healthy weight now. :)
7/23/06 - I am still holding steady at 148lbs and size 8. i've been wearing a bikini (well a bikini top with the boy short bottoms, which hides the scars from surgery) and I'm now living in Charleston, SC with new hubby, which is absolutely fabulous!!! I'm loving the southern seacoast!!!
1/20/06 - Now a size 8, having just had a panniculectomy in December (Merry Christmas to me!) and I have been doing fabulously and am so happy with the results and the progress!
Shawn, the man in my life, was so wonderful in his support and care and I can't say enough great stuff about that man'o'mine! He is caring, sweet and wonderful and I feel like a teenager again with a love that I have never felt for anyone! The down and dirty details about the panny surgery. It was an overnight stay, I had 4lbs of skin and fat removed from the stomach area and had two drains in for 10 days (one on each side). The surgery went well, I think it lasted about 4.5 hours and I was up and walking within a couple hours of waking up from the anesthesia. I was put under general anesthesia and in Jess form was already cracking up before they even gave me the first dose. I had no trouble waking up or getting around, though the pain was enough that I stayed on better living through chemistry program (Vicadin) for about a week afterward. I also wore a support band for almost 3 weeks and have been careful with cleaning and making sure to use cocoa butter lotion on a regular basis. The incision runs along the bikini line as a C-section would and the incision should be very minimal scarring, so all in all I'm extatic. My insurance covers this as a medically necessary surgery (BCBS PPO), and because the doctor deemed the over night stay necessary, that cost was also covered by insurance. The Surgeon who performed the procedure is out of East Lansing, MI. Dr. Preecha Supanwanid, MCPC. and was very nice, informative and willing to answer any and all questions and go over the procedure thoroughly. I had the surgery at Ingham Greenlawn in Lansing, and it was fine. I have to say Blodgett in Grand Rapids blows them out of the water in terms of service, care and cleanliness, but Blodgett rates a 12 on a scale of 1-10 and Ingham would rate a 9 so really it is a good hospital, it's just that Blodgett is OUTSTANDING! (side note: people, divorce is never easy, and even the greediest of Bast*@rds can be more greedy than you think is possible. The divorce paperwork finalization has moved to January 26 but again everything but the paperwork was final a couple months ago.)
11/30/05 - Still a size 10, and I've got a new wonderful love of my life. Shawn is so terrific! The divorce is final (except the final paperwork for signatures) The whole thing will be done and over by Christmas! YAY!!! I'm 146-148 depending on the day and my abdominoplasty is scheduled in Lansing with Dr. Supinwanid for December 19. Exciting! That's pretty much the update. Everything is still going well, no real sickness from eating, no reations, and everything is on schedule. I had a physical done and Cholesterol is below normal, blood pressure is low normal, body fat is 21%, range of motion is in the top 95 percentile and so is my hand/arm muscle strength. I donated blood last month and iron levels are normal too!!! What can I say, this surgery is one of the best decisions I've ever made. (PS the sex life is AMAZING now! - no details other than that)
9/21/05 - A lot has changed in life. I'm still a size 10 (Sometimes an 8 in some brands). I am divorcing (not due to the surgery, we had issues before and I continued to work on my life while he fell back into old bad habits (cheating on me) so the new happier healthier me decided I'm much better off without him. I will be having a tummy tuck in December (and maybe an arm-lift) and right now I'm toning with weights and aerobics. It has been a wonderful journey and I wouldn't trade my WLS experience for the world, it has brought me health, and a sense of self I've never had.
3/15/05 - Still a size 10, going to step aerobic classes regularly and feeling GREAT! Every once in a while I have jags where I don't really want to eat anything and that's when I bulk up on protein drinks. It has officially been over 1 year since surgery and everything has been so great! My website is updated with photos as well.
1/5/05 - I'm in a size 10 now. I weigh 165.5lbs and I'm so elated that I took the steps and opted for this "LIFE SAVING" surgery. I cannot express enough what this has done for my life and my self-esteem. I'm healthier and happier and have had no regrets!
8/24/04 - I've been updating my website more than this profile, so the detailed information is available on my website including recent photos. My BMI is now 33.3 and my weight is 188. This has been a great process, and I'm so thrilled with the results as I continue to lose and become healthier. 38lbs to my next goal!
6/7/04 - Weighed in yesterday at 198 - BMI 35.1!!! I'm at my first goal which was to be under 200. I haven't seen this weight on the scale since I was 19 years old. I'm so excited!!!
5/3/04 - Weighed in this morning at 214 - BMI 37.5!!! I'm excited to be back in the 2-teen digits! Rock and Roll!
3/24/04 - Weighed in this morning at 234.5 which puts my BMI at 41.5 now instead of the whopping 48 that I began with. YAAAAAY!!!
2/21/2004 - Well, I'm now out of the hospital, out of the drain bulb that they had in me post-op, and on my way down down down the losing road. I've lost 17.5lbs since surgery on the 11th. within 3 days out of the hospital I have not used the pain medication prescribed and have been up and excercising 15 minutes per day for the first week, then today began to up my excercise to 30 minutes on the ole' treadmill.
2/13/2004 Hubby writing again. Well Post Op day 1 was a little challenging. Had a big problem with the ABD muscle spasm's and reaching pain management - the PCA Morphine didn't cut the pain to less than 7-8 of 10 all day and night. Surgeon didn't order any "breakthrough" pain meds to boost the morphine's job either. I understood it but Jessie didn't like it. Adv to all - Use ICE packs on the op-site and a cool wet washcloth on the forehead. Jessie was a little feverish last night for a while but then her JP drain started draining clear red tinted fluid and her temps back down to the 37 degree neighborhood. Its now 48 hours since she went in for surgery and they just disconnected the IV and started Jessica on oral liquids and liquid pain med, her first dose of Carnation Instant Breakfast is sitting here waiting for her - Things are starting to go really good now. Looks like Saturday we are going home if things keep going this way....
2/11/2004 Husband Larry here - Jessica's enjoying better living through chemistry after a sucessfull day of surgery!!! YEA!!! Anesthesia took her back at 1000 this morning and by 1230 she was in Recovery with a 2 oz stomach! About an hour later she was up in her room and we were back together again - relieved I was for sure. Took a while for her to get enough Morphine through the PCA to manage her pain, initially rating it as 8-9 of 10, but after about an hour she was able to sleep comfortably. Its now 18:38 hours and she's aleady amazed the staff by getting all three balls in the Spriometer up the first time and walking all the way down the hall and back her first time out of Bed (no way I could have done that after that surgery for sure - heck its about 250 foot long ONE WAY)!!!! Needless to say it seems things are going well. I will write more in the morning after the Doc visits.... god I love this woman!
2/11/04 - Husband will post my progression through surgery.
2/4/04 - I will continue to post journal updates on my website, the updates here I will just post weight and update my photos so I save space. Be sure to visit my website for the most detailed info from now on :)
1/14/04 - Friday night at 5:30pm I got "the call" from the surgeon's office. My surgery is scheduled for 2/11/04 February 11? It doesn't seem possible that time has passed this quickly from start to finish. No real excitement, anxiousness yet, guess that will come with time. It is nice to say "my surgery is less than a month away" though. If all works out my first day out of the hospital will be valentines day. What a V-day gift! Have I said how great my hubby is lately! He really has been very supportive. I've had a migrane for the last two days and he has been a gem! Plus he is an excellent cook and has been making foods that are healthy and low carb for me pre-surgery. I'm going to miss his cooking while in recovery!
1/9/04 - I had my surgical consult right before Christmas and was pleased with Dr. Vanderkolk (Dr. Scholten's associate). Amy, the office manager, was really great with the information, upbeat personality, and was very informational about scheduling and insurance (already approved). Now I only have to get that phone call for the scheduling!!! Hurry up and wait, Hurry up and wait - Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate!!!
12/5/03 - I got the results of my psychological testing back. While it wasn't perfect (the Dr. Felt I may have an anxiety disorder along with depression issues) I am cleared for surgery. Next step; Surgical Consultation, Yaa Hoo! I am very happy to have this step completed and happier still to have a supportive family. I officially quit drinking diet coke (boy that is rough) and am drinking the correct ammount of water each day. This is a good step too!
11/17/03 - I find myself in the mindset of "well I won't be able to eat this anymore after my surgery, then I begin to think of all the things I may miss and start to tick off a mental list of things I want to eat before surgery. Then I mentally kick myself and remember that this is a change in my way of life, not a punishment. I will still eat after the surgery, and I will still be able to eat many of the things I have eaten before, just more carefully, less of them, more concious of carbs and fat content, and generally just in better proportion. It's really hard not to have that "last meal" mentality though.
11/14/03 - I went to my physician Wednesday for a check up and it was good. We talked about bloodpressure and talked about him writing up a recommendation for surgery for my insurance. He said it would be done probably by the end of today. He has already had copies of my records sent over to the surgeon. He also said I should take a look at People Magazine from this week. It has an article about "extreme makeovers" including a woman who had the bipass surgery done. WOW! What a change in these people. I'm scared of the way my skin will look, but I know it will all be for the best, and no matter what it's better than the fat I carry around now.
11/10/03 - Saw the psychologist last week. It was a good trip, and Dr. Kenneth Hoffman (Grand Ledge, MI), is personable and efficient. He gave me the rundown of what the appointment would be about, asked the questions pertinent to the bariatric surgery, and gave me the MMPI. He has a good sense of humor, and gave me the timeline for when I should receive a phone call regarding the results and when he would get the results to my surgeon. Overall I was very impressed with Dr. Hoffman and his office staff. I feel even better having this checked off of my "things to do" list. Next, the visit to Circle of Friends WLS Support group. I'm attending a meeting in Bath, Michigan and may also attend a meeting in Big Rapids if all goes well.
10/31/03 I had the first appt. with the surgeons office yesterday. What a great orientation. They were very informative and went over the process in detail. Very welcoming of questions, and there was even a bonus. One of the Dr's former patients had come with a friend for her orientation, so she answered questions as well. I am more determined than ever at this point to have the surgery. I want to get control back. I want to fit into regular store clothes instead of big girl clothes! I want to be healthy and active, and run, bend, kneel, jump, climb trees, and act like the nut I was when I was younger. I want to have good sex with my husband, I want to have a real marriage, I want to use this surgery as a diving off point for a new way of thinking, feeling, and doing! Next I have to schedule a Psych. eval, and get my doctor to write a referral for surgery, as well as getting him to send the surgeon my medical records. I feel as though I finally have the tools to sculpt myself into a healthier person, both physically and mentally.
10/22/03 I have included pictures, but beware, I'm hideous! My wedding pic is ok because I'm covered almost completely, but somehow I have been able to seperate myself from what is really in the mirror, mostly I think because I don't look! The only time I have real mirror issues is when I have to look (clothes shopping) and I get very depressed then. I hate shopping for clothes, so most of the time I don't try stuff on in the store, I assume the size, or if I do try stuff on I do my best not to look at the mirror until I am fully clothed.
10/17/03 - I spoke ot my PCP, he was very informative and supportive, he said he is on the fence as to what he feels about WLS, but gave me information, encouraged me to speak about my thoughts, and gave me a lot to think about. He went over the down side of surgery, and I've been researching a little more Especially Anemia, which is something I hadn't read about prior to seeing him.) I'm still thinking surgery would be a good idea, so I called Dr. Scholten's office in Grand Rapids, MI and made an appointment to go through the orientation with his office. It will cost $99 out of pocket, but I'm happy to pay that in order to gain more information and be able to work through the process to decide about having surgery.
10/13/03 - I made an appointment with my PCP, Dr. Beebe, to talk about the possibility of surgery and to get his help in obtaining more information about Surgeons and hospitals.
About Me
Before & After
rollover to see after photo
