jmatteol
My Story is quite a simple one. I'm happily married to a wonderful caring wife. I have 2 sons. One still at home. I have been struggling with weight for several years. For years I've tried all the different fad diets to end up with failure and putting on more weight that when I started. After years of refusing to go to the Doctor I finally gave in.
Shocked to find out that after checking my blood my Doctor explained to me that my blood was like glue. He said he had not seen that high of Cholesteral, and my Thyroid was not working at all. According to my Doctor this explained why I had put on weight and not been able to get it off. At this stage in my life I'm dealing with chronic back pane. My Doctor sent me for a MRI only to find out that my lower back L4 and L5 I have buldging disk. So I was given Crestor for the Cholesteral and Thyroxine for the Thyroid problem. I was sent to a back specialist to have 3 iterations of Steroid injections directly in my back. The first one was good. The other 2 were bad and made me worse. I swore I would not go back to this Doctor. At this point I was starting to get concerned about my Job. I was actuially falling asleep at work, sometimes in the middle of a conversation. I was worried I would loose my Job. So I began inquiring about the R&Y Gastric By-pass Surgery. I was desperate to get the weight off.
So my Doctor being a proponent of Bariatric Surgery reffered me to a Surgeon (Thomas Sonnanstine). Along with this came a large number of other appointments. As I'm sure all of you know. The first being a Sleep Apnea Doctor. Much to my suprise through the sleep study, I was diagnosed to be getting no REM sleep. None, Nata, Zero, This explained the reson for falling asleep at work. So CPAP here I'am. This is one little device I have a love hate relationshp with. If I get a sinus infection to where my nose is plugged, I can't use it and you guessed it. I don't get any rest. So thankfully this has only happened a few times.
Going forward. Still working on getting the surgery. Its taking me over a year to get approval from a insurance company. I fought with Aetna but could not make any headway. Just the run around. I had this insurance for 20 years and probably paid into it hundreds of thousands of dollars. But when it came down to them helping me no way. So I fired them. I got some different insurance and they appproved immediatly. It has be a blessing. So this week 3/20 I get a physical and probably have my heart checked again for the 2nd time. Buty thats OK Doc wants to make sure I'm ready for surgery. On the 29th I have Pre-admission testing. And the morning of the 31st I will have brain surgery on my belly as Dr. Sonnanstine would say.
Thanks to my family for putting up with my poo. I can't thank my soul mate enough for helping me get to this point. I'm going to need her even more when I first start this Journey. I feel good about it. I have alot of folks praying for me.
So that is where I'm at now. Scared, Anxious, Ready & Waitring.
March 19th 2008
Tommorow I have a couple of appointments coming down to the nitty gritty. A Physical with the Bariatric Surgeon. And then a check with the heart doctor. Its funny I have already seen the heart doctor back in July when Aetna did not approve. The Heart Doctor cleared me for surgery then but I guess it has been to long. I have been smoke free since August 2007 but I have packed on some pounds since then. I hate it. So hopefullly I can complete these 2 tasks tomorrow with out problems. Then the only thing I will have left is pre asdminsion testing.
March 21st.
Everything went fine at the Surgeons office and the Heart Doctors Office. The Cardiologist cleared me without problems. Thank GOD. The visit to the Surgeons office was labeled as a Physical but it was more of a release signing agreement. Basically me releasing him the surgeon from liability it seemed like anyway. I trust him he is a good surgeon. He has been contracted to teach the laproscopic lab band and R n Y surgery all over the world. So 1 more hurdle and I will be on the cutting table. Per-admission testing on the 27th.
March 26th
OK Just finished Wednesdays day at the Office. It seems like Work is trying to squeeze every bit of life out of me before I go on this WLS Journey. But I feel good. Pre-Admission Testing tomorrow. One final day of work. Then Satrurday is a free day. Church on Sunday, and the big day on Monday the 31st. I'm the first on the cutting board. The Doc should be well refreshed. He is vacationing in Miami. I will be his first surgery after the vacation. I have a lot of trust in him he is one of the best in this field. I'll post more after the testing tomorrow.
March 29th
My last day of work for 3 weeks was yesterday. It seemed like they tried to suck what life was left in me out because they new I would be gone for so long. Anyway I'm glad its behind me. I've got a busy weekend ahead of me. I wished it was being spent preparing for the surgery on Monday, but Its cluttered with family obligations. Retirement party for my sister's husband and a wedding for some friends daughter and Sunday Church. Which I realy need to be at Church. This is always a given with me and my family we will always be in Church on Sunday. In any event I will be depending on my wife quite a bit during the recovery process to get any remaining items I will need.
Do you ever feel like your Joe Joe the circus clown doing a Juggling act. 
March 30th
Its around 10:17pm. No food or drink after midnight. I've been playing around with my profile trying to keep my mind off the impending surgery tomorrow morning. Still feeling very tense about the surgery. I've got tons of support with family and friends all are praying for me. I just need to give it to GOD and trust he will take care of me. I hope and pray that this life change will not only improve my life physically but also spiritually.
cya ;-) 
April 3rd 2008
3 days Post Op. Well still pretty soar. I feel like something is pulling me down from my chest to my hips. I'm on the stage 3 diet still liquids some soft foods. I get to eat some pudding here in a few minutes
My breakfast was a Carnation Sugar Free Breakfast drink with a scoop of unflavored unjury. 26grams of protein. My pudding will have a scoop of chocolate unjury which will bring it up tp 22 grams protien. I neeed to work on the water intake. I have to learn to sip and not gulp. I have not had any problems but Its tough for me to make a 4 ounce liquid meail last 20 minutes. Anyhow. I'm home and glad to be here. The hospital was great but there is something about being in your own place.
Until Next Time cya 
April 5th
5 Days post Op. Things seem to be progressing well. One of the incisions seems to be a little red and sore. I think it will be fine. I have not had and solid food since Sunday March 30th 6 days now. I'm not having problems with feeling hungry but it seems I just am craving something to chew. Sounds crazy. Anyway I'm not pushing the envelope on this there is just to much at stake. I have to make it work for my family. They are counting on me recovering quicly and getting back to work providing for their needs (Which is a chore I love). So I have been lacking on the excercise. I did about a quarter mile walk today. My back started hurting so I cut it shorter than what we would have done. We meaning my Grand Daughter and my wife. So I just had my supper 4 ounces of strained cream of chicken with a scoop of Unjury Protein powder. Yummy 
Until the Next Post bye bye 
April 8th
8 Days Post Op. Still fell pretty good. I had my first Group Post Op Sessions Yesterday morning. Things went pretty much as expected. One of the Guys got into it with the RN over a recipe that somehow slipped by and got entered into the binder for the Stage 3 Liquid diet. The RN said thet we should not have any flat soda or any soda of any kind for at least 6 weeks. The reciepe called for flat orange soda. So he ended up showing her in the binder. She stomped off angrily to retrieve the Nutrionist. Brought her back into the class and had her personally apologize to the class and ensure us that she would have this removed from the binder. I just don't think the RN handled the situation very professionally. I work for Toyota as a contractor. I know that if I acted this way at Toyota I would be updating my resume. Anyway I ran some errands afterwards. Tried to find some protein powder at GNC but got the run around. Hit 3 other stores with no luck so I'm stuck ordering Unjury on-line. Picked up some forever stamps from the Post Office. I seemed to be dropping a pound or 2 a day. Oddly enough I think I can see it in my feet.
I'm going to try to incorporate some work around the house into my excercise for today.
Cya 
April 11th 2008
11 days Post Op. Its a rainy day today. Down pour actually. So I thought I would take the time to update my Journal. Still feel pretty good. The only pain I get is in my back and I hope and pray this will improve as the weight comes off. I've lost about 28 lbs now and can tell the difference. I have more energy for sure. I have completed quite a few tasks around the house and been able to do some walking as well. Stiil dropping about a pound a day or so. I'm a little concerned that the loose skin will cause me problems. I guess I'm putting the horse before the cart. I have added a video from our Youth Group at Florence Baptist Temple. It is awesome. It depicts all the garbage our kids are bombarded with on a daily baisis and how God is and has always been there for them. They only need to reach out to Christ for his comfort and protection. God is Good. I pray for everyone that decides to take this journey. I pray for strength and encouragment. and mostly a more heathy life on this earth.
God has been good to me and my family and I'm so thankful. 
Until Next Time
Take Care of yourself and the ones you love.
God Bless You and Keep You.
Wednesday April 16th 2008
2 weeks and 1 day post op. Seen Dr. Tom yesterday. He advanced my diet to stage 4 Blenderized / pureed. I've gotten so sick of protein shakes. I know I'm not totally away from them nor will I probably ever be, but it is so nice to be able to eat something with some sort of consistency. Pureed Chili was a blessing. Dr. Tom says I'm doing great. I have been very strict about staying true to the diet. I need to excercise more. I have kept my self very active with work that I have been needing to do around the house. But I feel I need more than this type of activity. I will work harder in the coming days to try to introduce first a walking regiment and then possibly more as I progress. This is my last week of recovery at home, then I will return to work on Monday the 21st of April. I'm looking forward to going back to work. It is a stressfull job but I want to ensure I can provide for my family and keep my position showing I'm still a valuable team member. That's all for now God Bless you and Keep you.
L8r
Saturday April 19 2008
Last 2 days before I go back to work. Starting to feel a little aprehensive about going back to work. Some of the folks I'm sub contracted to are a little weird. I'm concerned about being ribbed about the surgery. There is a group of them that play this biggest loser game and I can hear the comments about my surgery from them. On another note. I have been very active. I've done so much stuff around the house its incredible. Energy level seems to be through the roof. I start one project that leads into another and the next thing you know I have 5 or 6 things going at the same time. Then I'm busting tail to get them all done before the end of the day. I had to look at my Moms Frig this morning. The water line where it connects to the Frig appears to be leaking. The butt head service technician mis diagnosed the thing. I hate it when people take advantage of the elderly. He said it was the defroster drip pan. Mom said he did not even pull the Frig out and check the back of it. Any way she has kept me pretty busy as well. Diet seems to be going OK. Yesterday I think I got my first feeling of overeating. I mis gaged the amount of food I ate. Pretty tight feeling. Very uncomfortable. I did not want to do anything until it passed. I did not get any nausea or sickness like I needed to vomit just a real tight feeling in the chest. So once this past I went out and spread fertilizer on the yard. Got some good walking in here. Weight seems to have stalled some what. I also have not had a bowel movement in several days. This could be attributal to the stall. I feel confident it will return though as I'm only three weeks post op. I have not been excercising like I should. I don't own a tread mill and walking is kind of boring to me. So I have stayed very active with chores around the house. I have been forcing myslef to walk also just not any huge amounts. I think I have walked up to maybe a half a mile. Any way thats where I'm at. Church tomorrow. This means with all the committments at Church I will be tied up the whole day. Then its back to the grind stone. I have to try to work off the debt from the surgery now.
That's all for Now
Cya L8R 
