jovialkiki
1-10-03----I am 24 years old and I have been overweight for what seems like the majority of my life. My obesity started showing up at age 13. As of Jan 2003 I am 5'3 and 256 lbs. I'm currently wearing 22/24 pants and the same in shirts. Since 1997 (at the age of 19) I have slowing been gaining more and more weight and developing more and more serious health problems. I do not have any children and I am not married. I do however have 2 wonderful dogs and a soon-to-be husband. I just want to feel 24, above all. I don't want to be tired and achy anymore. I'm tired of watching my life just slide right by me. I want to have children and more importantly I want to be able to raise them with energy and excitement. I am praying that this surgery will not only change my life but will make my life begin. ---------------------------------------------------------------- 1-14-03----I went to the consultation yesterday and gosh it was long. I arrived there at 12:50 (appointment was at 1:15) I didn't leave until after 4:00! But they made it up by not making me pay the consultation fee because of the wait. My doctor answered almost all my questions. I know now for sure this is what I want to do. I would prefer Lap but I don't want to go anywhere else but to BTC. I suppose now I will just wait for the insurance, I’ll probably start calling them next Friday the 24th :) Gosh this wait is going to kill me and it has just begun. 1-16-02----Man, this wait is killing me and it has only been 3 days. I guess I better get used to waiting. I've met a lot of interesting people on the site and everyone is so helpful with all my crazy questions. I have a "buddy", she is in the same stage I am and we will be having our surgery at the same hospital so I'm glad I'm not alone in that sense. Tick Tock 1-16-02----Ok, I have a set back now. Originally I decided to go to BTC because they didn't require a large fee up front for me to come up with. Now I find out that they just changed it. They don't know how much it would be for me because I don't have a maximum out-of-pocket amount on my insurance plan since it is out-of-network. I know for sure I would have to pay my deductible, which isn't so bad, but I would hate to go in the day of surgery and the hospital wants me to give them $1000!!! Can't I get a straight answer? On top of all this, I was told that if something major happened to me at the hospital during or after surgery that this facility isn't equipped to be able to treat me. I was told that they would stabilize me and call for Care-Flight. That alone could take 30-40 minutes because this hospital is in the middle of nowhere. Then it would take 20-30 min for them to get me to Medical City of Dallas for treatment, by then I might be dead! Do I just cough this up as another risk I'm willing to take to be the best I can be? I'm not sure. I am going to look around and see if there is somewhere else that I can go, but I think financially this is going to be the best deal. 1-17-03----Ok, reading over that last entry makes me see the negativity in my attitude. I guess I'm a little frustrated but I just need to learn to be calm and take slow steps. I spoke with someone in Patient Accounts today and found out that the BTC in TX hasn't changed their payment policy yet. If I get approval (or denial) before that change happens then I will not have to change my plan. I'm just going to let it go and see what happens. 1-20-03----Still waiting for approval. I've been just passing the time by looking at profiles and reading the message board. I feel much more patient now that I realize I can't change anything or hurry anything along. I just get to think of all the things I'll be able to do once I get the surgery. 1-21-03----I called BTC Corporate today and found out that the corporate office just got my chart today. I was told by the office when I went to the consult that they would overnight it. Well I guess that didn't happen. I think I'm getting better at the waiting but there is always room for improvement. I'm going to my first BTC Meeting tonight. I hope I have fun. I have written several things I know I will enjoy after my weight loss. I plan on adding to this list: These are the things that at age 24 I live with everyday of my life. I want to feel young and happy again. *Being able to clean myself on toilet without stretching my shoulder muscle. 1-27-03----I have gotten much better at the waiting game. I've just been trying to keep myself busy. I have my psyche evaluation tomorrow. They turn this into a 2-visit deal. The first is the evaluation with the doctor and the second is the MMPI test. Hope it goes well and I find out I'm not crazy. I had called my insurance again (PHCS PPO) to find out any required things and finally spoke to the lady in charge of all gastric bypass approvals! She said that obviously it had to be medically necessary, had to have the psyche evaluation, and a consultation with a dietician. I found a dietician that would do it over the phone so that is great. I have scheduled that for this coming Wednesday. I'm so excited; finally everything seems to be moving. Until next time. 1-29-03----Well, I had my first visit with Dr.Schmitt the psyche doctor. After the evaluation he told me about a $300 fee that I would have to pay. Apparently there is a $150 charge for each hour of his time, which I don't find unreasonable. However, when you go to take the MMPI test the insurance will pay for the test and the 2 hours it takes for you to do the test but they won't pay for the reporting fee. If I understand this correct, it takes the doctor 2 hours to write up the letter from the evaluation and test and that totals to $300, but insurance won't touch that so the doctor wants the $300 up front from the patient. I decided I didn't want to do this so I found another doctor in Plano named Dr.Whitehurst. He is WLS friendly and he doesn't charge this reporting fee. He also does everything in one visit. I have scheduled that for Feb 14th. I had my dietician consult today over the phone. Just some basic questions then I emailed her my diet history so that she could include it with her letter to the insurance. She was so very nice. I've been trying to contact my insurance rep at the BTC Corporate office but I can't seem to get through. Until next time 2-4-03----I found out today that BTC has sent my paperwork in to the insurance company even though they know they don't have anything. I have left numerous messages on Sally's voicemail. She is the woman who is assigned to my chart at BTC in the insurance department. I will still go and have my psyche. Eval. but I don't think it will be enough. Great West is now saying that I have to have a letter from my PCP stating that they have supervised a diet for 12 consecutive months. My PCP is a gyno since that is the only problems I ever have. Why would I pay a weight loss clinic $400 to weigh me in and then pay my PCP $70 more to weigh me in as well? Maybe I will try and get my gyno to write a letter for the last 6 months that I have been seeing her. I was at a weight loss clinic for 3-4 months prior to that so maybe I could get something out of them. We'll see. 2-11-03----A couple of things have happened. First of all I found out that BTC never sent the paperwork in to the insurance company. I don't know why they told me they did. I saw my PCP and he wrote me a letter that sounds like I've been on prescription diet for about 2 years. My Psyche. Eval. is this Friday Valentines Day. I found a different surgeon, named Dr. Meyers. This doctor is in network so I would only have to pay $700 and it is closer to home and closer to a major medical facility in case of emergency. I have that consultation on the 18th. I'm just slowing creeping toward this surgery. I will get there eventually. 2-18-03----I went to the Psyche. Eval. on Friday and it was a cinch. Long but fairly easy. Dr.Whitehurst faxed me the evaluation papers today and I have my consultation with Dr.Meyers tomorrow Tuesday the 19th. I have everything I need for the insurance company. I have pretty much put my process on hold at BTC. From what I've been reading a couple of other people are having problems with BTC right now too. Hopefully tomorrow will go good and I will hear from the INS Company by the end of the month. We'll see. 2-19-03----I went to the consultation with Dr.Meyers and his wife/nurse Ruth. They answered all my questions and I feel confident in going with them. I have to lose 25-30 lbs before the surgery, which may or may not be easy. I still have to have a stress test and I have to attend a meeting, and I have to have a endo...(sp) thing down my throat to look in my stomach. And of course the ever so popular waiting game with the insurance company. ---------------------------------------------------------------- 2/26/03----I still haven't really made any progress. I have my stress test scheduled for 3-7-03 and my required meeting on 3-17-03. My surgery is scheduled for 5/1/03. Later 3-3-03----Well, I have some progress to report. I received a call on Sunday at about 5:30 from a nurse named Tracy. She works with One Health Plan at the insurance company. She is the nurse that has been assigned my case. I didn't know this but BTC has sent something to the insurance company. Tracy was telling me that I shouldn't have any problems and that all she needed was my psyche evaluation. I went ahead and faxed her my "Detail of Diet History", "Psychological Evaluation", "Nutritional Consultation", "Letter of Physician Supervised Diet", "Endocrine Study results", "Letter from my Chiropractor", and "Detail from New Health Weight loss Center". It was a 40-page fax, so I'm hoping to hear from her to let me know that she received it. I also spoke to Ruth and she said she would try and get the letter of medical necessity out to Tracy some time this week. I'm getting very excited now that things seem to be rolling right along. It's funny you wait around for what seems like forever and then all of a sudden everything moves at the same time. It's good though. 3-4-03----I'M APPROVED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 3-6-03----Even better news. Not only am I having my surgery on May 1 but I'm moving in with my wonderful mother, 2 brothers, 1 sister, 1 step-dad. I get to pay off my debts and stay there for a few months and then move on to another apartment. It would be much easier to move if I weren't so fat, so I won't have a problem moving out of my mother’s house. I'm so excited; everything is just getting better and better. I have my stress test tomorrow, so I will update on that. Until then 3-7-03----Well, I took my stress test this morning that the surgeon requires you to take. It wasn't too hard. There were a few breathing test. They hook you up to about 7-9 ECG cords and put a mask on your face hooked up to a machine and then make you ride the bike. I would say it got a little stressful, but not anything I couldn't handle. So now all I have to do is go to the required (and wanted) support group meeting and wait for the week before surgery May 1. Let’s see that is.....55 days and a wake up 3-11-03----And the count down begins!! 51 days and a wake up. hehehehe. This week I get to start packing, since I'm moving soon. I'll be staying with my mother for about 3 months so I'm moving before my surgery. The first thing I'm going to do is go through my closet. I have ALOT of clothes from when I gained 100 lbs in one year, in all different sizes. I'm going to categorize them and then box them up accordingly and keep them out at my Moms since I'll be changing sizes all the time. This will defiantly be fun. I have an entire closet STUFFED with clothes from size 9-26 and I can only wear about 5 outfits in there. Sucks. But hey look on the bright side, it won't suck for long!!!! I'm getting very excited now, can't wait. 3-17-03----Happy St.Patricks Day!!!!!! I'm going to my first support group meeting tonight and I hope many people show up so that I can meet other patients of Dr. Meyers. I'm excited about it. I'm learning html now so no telling what I will end up putting on my profile :) 3-20-03----I went to the support group and enjoyed myself. There were a lot more people there then what I expected. The topic seemed to be around Protein. Sometimes it was very hard to hear what was going on because everyone starting talking to each other in the room while a question was being answered. I was a little frustrated by that, but oh well I guess. I've gained 7 lbs since my consult with Dr. Meyers. I've been trying to lose the weight they wanted me to lose (25-30 lbs) before surgery, but it isn't coming off. I've been working out; maybe I'm not seeing the numbers go down because I'm putting on muscle. I don't know for sure, but I hope they won't decide not to do my surgery because of it. If they have to do an open procedure then I will take that. I guess I have about 41 days to go before surgery. Seems like a long time huh? Gives me time to move my apartment and to get used to the idea of no food. I have stopped smoking again. My last cig was on Sunday 3/16/03 and I haven't so much as smelled a cig since then. I hope I can keep this up. I'm using step 2 of the patch and it helps a lot. It helps with the headaches, ringing ears, and jitters. Wish me luck. 4-1-03----Happy April Fools Day!!!!!! I just thought I would throw an update in here. I haven't heard anything from my surgeon’s office about when my pre testing would be done or anything. I have 30 days to go before surgery and I am getting more and more nervous as it approaches. I've started having nightmares about getting to the hospital and feeling a sudden urge to run!!! Seems mild but not in my dream, it feels like I am running for my dear life. Well, I'll update more when something happens, until then..... 4-4-03----I have some updating to do. First of all they changed my surgery date from 5/1 to 4/30. I will be on the table at 12:00 noon on 4/30. I will be having my endoscopy on 4/11 at 8:00 a.m. I will pre register over the phone for the endoscopy. Then on 4/21 I go in to Pre Register for the surgery and have all my pre-op testing done. Then it is off to surgery on 4/30. I will be off of work from 4/30 to 5/20. Nice little vacation. I'm really excited now and I can't wait. Pre Registration for Endoscopy ***NO FOOD OR DRINK AFTER MIDNIGHT APRIL 10, 2003*** Endoscopy at Trinity Medical Center on April 11, 2003 Pre-Op with Ruth at Trinity Medical Center on 4/25 Surgery at Trinity on 4/30/03 **************************************************************** 4-11-03----Well, my Endoscopy is done. I will be frank and say that it wasn't a pleasant experience. I was terrified, of course, and didn't really understand what was going to happen, since I've never had this done before. First I went to Day Surgery and they took my vitals down. I would like to say, "Thanks" to my nurse his name was Frank. He gave me my IV and finished the paperwork. Then they wheeled me around the corner where I met 2 women. I don't remember one of their names but the other was Sharon. They put a BP cup on my arm, oxygen reader on my fingertip, oxygen tube things on my face. They asked me to lay all the way on my left side. I did. She then told me to open wide and she sprayed the most God awful stuff on the back of my throat. Now I'm gonna spend some time on this stuff, because it left a lasting impression. It came out of a spray can like WD-40 or something. It even had the little extension tip on it like WD-40. She sprayed a whole bunch of it on the back of my throat and told me to swallow. I did. It was all fizzy and bitter. Then she sprayed some more and told me again to swallow. I did. About 2 minutes later Sharon asked me, "You remember that margarita I told you about? Here it comes.". Okay so I started feeling really light and floaty. At this point I knew I was in trouble and they were about to do it. Dr. Meyers came over and they put this little green bite protector thingy in my mouth to keep me from biting the camera or hurting my teeth. (Should have known at this point, thinking why would someone have the urge to bite down?) I remember one of my nurses covering my eyes with a towel to prevent splashing in my eyes. (What splashing??!!! I didn't think to ask this question, probably better left unknown) I remember something trying to go down my throat and I remember trying to help it. Gosh, it was just so darn big! Every time I tried to swallow, I would gag and it would feel like it was scraping my throat. I guess I finally opened the right hole and it went where it was supposed to go because I don't remember too much after that. Now that I think of it I don't remember being wheeled back to my little room for recovery. I remember them bringing my man back in and seeing him. I don't have much of a memory loss other than right after trying to swallow that darn thing and I guess succeeding. This is not something I would want to do every Friday. I didn't feel really messed up afterwards either. I came home, ate some McDonalds and went to sleep for 3 hours. Now I'm updating my profile, so I'm not overly drugged or anything. Just a little sore throat is all. Piece of cake! 4-14-03----Finally it seems like all my ducks are getting in a row.... >(')____, >(')____, >(')____, My throat got a lot better after about 24 hours. I'm just glad that it's done. It's funny, I came home from the endoscopy and immediately updated my profile. Now that I read it I don't remember as much now as I did then. I guess that is the temporary amnesia (sp?) that they told me about. I figured I would give a little update on my stats. SURGERY DATE 4/30/03 AT 12 NOON HEIGHT 5'3 PRE-SURGERY REQUIREMENTS AND SCHEDULE: *8/22/02 ENDOCRINE STUDY (UNRELATED TO SURGERY BUT REQUIRED PRE) I think that is about it, I will update it if it changes for the future dates. 4-18-03----Well, there's not much to update other than my anxiety. I've been getting my apartment packed and ready to move. This weekend will be my last weekend to pack and then I will move the next weekend and then my surgery is on Wed. I think it is going to happen very fast. I have the pre-op testing on Monday 21st, then my appointment with my surgeon on Friday 25th, and then surgery on Wed 30th. Never thought time would be flying by like it is. I'll update after the pre-op. 4-21-03----I'm back from pre-op. I feel as though I have had the longest day in the world. I went to Presby to have the test done and then found out (after 2 hours) that I couldn't have the surgery at Presby due to some surgeon messing up a Gastric Bypass surgery there. So I then had to go to Trinity to do the pre-op test and now my surgery will be there instead of Presby. They did a Chest X-Ray, Blood Work, and an EKG. They gave me the anti-bacterial soap to bathe with the morning of the surgery and a Spiro meter to practice my breathing exercises. They gave me a detailed description of what to expect and I am going to include that here so that I will have it to reference later: 1. Your surgery has been scheduled for 4/30/03 @ 12:00. 2. Arrive at the Day Surgery Unit (Admitting) @ 10:30 a.m. 3. Two family members or friends may stay with you until you 4. Notify your physician immediately if you should develop a 5. You will be on a clear liquid diet 2 days before your surgery 6. You may brush your teeth and/or gargle in the morning of your 7. Your doctor has ordered the following preps to be done the 8. Shower or bathe at home the morning of your surgery with prep 9. DO NOT wear any make-up, jewelry, lotions, creams, perfumes, 10. Wear loose fitting clothing and flat shoes. 11. After surgery, you will be taken to the recovery room for a 12. Please make arrangements for a responsible adult to drive you 13. When you wake in the recovery room you will be connected to You are 34% geek Take the Polygeek Quiz at Thudfactor.com ---------------------------------------------------------------- 4-25-03----Everything is confirmed, everything is set. All that is left is me and my anxiety. I went to my last final pre-op appointment with Dr.Meyers and Ruth. I now have all my final instructions before surgery. This is basically how it is to go down. At 4:00 pm Tuesday 4/29 I am to take my Phosphosoda followed by 8 oz. liquid 15-30 minutes afterwards. 4-26-03----I went out to eat with my family today. I truly enjoyed my outing. I ate reasonably but I ate something that I enjoy thoroughly. We all went to Benihanas. I had some lobster and steak with fried rice. I went home with quite a bit. We told them it was my Birthday; I really wanted a last pic of myself pre-op with my loved ones. Surprisingly it is the first photo in over a year that I have not viewed myself as awful. I think I am finally ready for the biggest change I've experienced in some time. I just recently (3 days ago) moved in with my wonderful mom, and my surgery is in 3 days! I'm very excited and a bit nervous but still very confident in my decision. I've weighed the risk and the odds and feel very certain that I will not only succeed, but will maintain my weight for the rest of my life. I pray for everyone who is seeking this surgery, and everyone who is counting down the days, and for those that have had the surgery. We all have a common goal and the underlying factor is happiness. If I'm not happy with myself how can I be happy with anyone else? If I can't be happy with anyone around me then how can I expect them to be happy with me? My precious pet Sandy will stay with my Fiancé from the day of my surgery until I am up and about outside. My grandma came over after we ate at Benihanas. She soaked my feet in her foot bath massager. She exfoliated and lotioned (sp) my feet as well. She fixed my toenails that I can barely reach (short arms). And waxed my legs and eyebrows. Hurt like the dickens but well worth it. I cleaned my car out really good today too, it needed it and I would rather do it then to be sick of it when I can't do anything about it. Now all I have to do is go to my Apartment and clean it out. Shouldn't be hard, but it's good exercise. I'm sure I'll update before my surgery so I will end this breath of air for now...until then 4-28-03----51 hours left before surgery now. I feel strangely calm but I can sense some anxiety rearing its ugly head. I'm so hungry right now. But I can only drink stuff. Finally got my "monthly", better late then never huh? I'll have to get used to not taking Midol every month. I wanted to thank everyone for their prayers and thoughts and emails. It means so much to know you are not alone and that people are rooting for you. 4-30-03----This is it. I have exactly 5 hours before the big moment. I suppose I haven't fully woken up yet because I'm not scared yet. My bag is packed, family is in town and I'm ready to go. The next post will be from the losing side. Wish me luck! 5-3-03----It's over. I have had my surgery and all went well. I'm not going to type too much just yet due to soreness, but I will tell y’all of the hospital stay later. I took a hand held tape recorder with me and documented the entire thing. I'm on my 3rd day and I'm feeling pretty good. I have a latex burn on my neck and it hurts pretty badly. I will update later. 5-5-03----Here is my "surgery update" 5-6-03----I went to see the surgeon today for my 1 week post-op visit. He had weighed me on 4/25 and I weighed 268 lbs. Today I weigh 251!!!!!! That's a loss of 17 lbs. The last diet I did I lost 17 lbs in 6 weeks!!!! Gosh I'm so happy I feel like I'm going to burst. I now can eat full liquids for the next 2 weeks. That includes cream soups, yogurt, and pudding. That should make me happier with my diet. I'm tired of broth and jello. I'm so happy I did this. I just hope it continues to go as great as it has so far..... 5-7-03----Woke up this morning and got on the scale (I know). 245 lbs!!!!! That is a loss of 23 lbs at 7 days post op!! hehehehe I'm so excited. I just can't believe it, this is the best thing I've ever done. I'm not hungry, I don't crave many foods and it still comes off!! I don't know why it comes off only in my sleep but I'm not going to argue. 5-14-03----I went back to work today and only lasted 5 hours before I felt so tired I had to come home. I was supposed to go to work on the 13th but I had a car accident on the way and came home because I didn't know if my car was safe to drive 20 miles. The scale hasn't moved...yet. I'm not worrying too much about it right now. I've been trying to get a protein shake down so that my energy level will get better, but gosh those things are so awful! I'm sure it will get better with time though. Tomorrow is my 2 weeks post op and I keep having to remind myself that I just had major surgery and it hasn't been that long so I shouldn't push myself too hard. I'm going tonight to see the sneak preview of Matrix-Reloaded. I'm excited about it. I've been waiting for some time for it to come out, so it should be fun. I'm so tired right now I guess I'll go take a nap and update later. 5-15-03----Well, I went and saw Matrix-Reloaded last night. I was a good movie. I'll see it again this weekend if I feel better. I started to get sick during the movie and didn't feel well this morning so I didn't go to work today. I'm still taking my multivitamins every day and B-12 sublingual every Wednesday, and my Vitamin C chewable everyday. Boy, that Vit C is sour!!! So far today I have drank 16 oz of V8, and 8 oz of water by 12:00 noon. I haven't felt very hungry. Good news is that my scale has finally moved again. I'm now weighing in on my home scale 241 lbs!!!!! That is a 4 lbs loss all of a sudden. I'm so excited about that. I thought my scale was broken for a while there. 5-19-03----Well, the weekend is over. I had a lot of fun. I saw the Matrix-Reloaded again. (It made a lot more sense this time around) I've been reading the Q&A section and the message board. I'm still on full liquids and I'm sick of it. It has been 20 days since my surgery and I'm still drinking everything. I went to Mi Cocinas this weekend and got some tortilla soup to go. yummmmmmm. My Mom ate the Chicken and pepper and such. That was so delicious! I'm drinking V8 Twist like there is no tomorrow. Haven't lost anymore weight. My support group meeting is tonight. It will be my first one post-op. And I have my 3 week checkup on the 21st. 5-25-03----Well, my 3 week checkup went great! I had developed some really bad ulcers on my gums between my teeth and lower lip that were pretty bad. Dr.Meyers gave me a prescription and 2 days later they were gone. I weighed in at 246 lbs!! That is a total loss of 22 lbs in 3 weeks!!!! I'm so excited and I can't wait until I don't have any clothes to wear. :) I'm on puree foods now and it is much better. I've been having a hard time with work though due to being so darn tired. I can already feel my energy level rising though with the higher calorie intake. I threw up last night for the first time. I didn't eat anything or drink anything. I just started feeling sick, so I went for a glass of water but couldn't finish getting it before I got sick. It didn't hurt though. It wasn't so bad. I'm one of those people who absolutely hate throwing up and will avoid it at all cost. I weighed on my scale this morning and it said 239 so I know I am losing still and I'm happy. Thank you Lord for this blessing and bless everyone out there needing this surgery. ---------------------------------------------------------------- 5-29-03----I'm officially 4 weeks out. I lost 28 lbs in 28 days!!! Hurray for me!!! I'm doing good with food. I've been eating beans, potatoes, yogurt, pudding, jello, sf popsicles, egg salad, and I've even eaten some chicken. It was chewed up really well. I'm still working on getting my protein and water in. I get forgetful. I'm walking around the neighborhood every other day. I'll tell you, I think this walking has made me feel a whole lot better. My energy level has risen! Gosh, couldn't wait for that to happen. I've started taking B-12 twice a week instead of only once, for energy. I've tightened my bra as much as it will go, so I will have to shop for a new one soon. :) I don't mind that at all. Later. 6-4-03----5 weeks out and the scale has finally moved a little. 238 lbs. That’s down 30 lbs. Everything is going great. I can already tell a difference in the way my clothes are fitting. Nothing is too tight anymore. Everyone around me keeps telling me how different my face looks. That’s great but I can't see it yet when I look in the mirror. I'm still not drink protein drinks. I just keep trying hoping my tummy will learn to like it. I'm going to a family reunion this weekend, so that should tire me out pretty good. 6-5-03----I'm so happy. My girly time is up and I have dropped another 3 lbs overnight. That makes me 235!!!!! A loss of 33 lbs!!!! 6-10-03----I went to my 6 week checkup today and everything is great. I have lost 30 lbs exactly on the doctor’s scale. I feel great and my energy is where it was before the surgery (not that I had that much to begin with). My clothes are hanging off of me so I guess I need to dig through some boxes and try some stuff on. The family reunion this last weekend was great. Everybody was doing so wonderful and it is so nice to see everyone. Lots of babies. I think I was 1 of the 3 women there that didn't have any babies. hehehe My time will come, I know. I ate half of a chicken soft taco from Taco Bell today. Man that was good! I haven't eaten anything else though. I haven't been really all that hungry for the last couple of days. Anyway, until next time!! 6-13-03----Friday the 13th, my scale has moved! 231 lbs. I've lost 37 lbs in 6 1/2 weeks. I love that. Me and my scale have this understanding. 6-16-03----My scale didn't move this weekend but I'm not worried about that right now. I have bloody stools. I'm going to meet with a Dr.Nadir that is in Gastroenterology. Dr.Meyers wants me to have a colonoscopy. I have had this problem before WLS and always just assumed it was my hemorrhoids, but they want to be sure about it. I do to. It didn't bother me as much before WLS but now I can't take any chances. There was a lot more blood then what I have ever seen before but then again my BM's are not like they used to be. I will be going to the consultation today, hopefully this will go quick. 6-22-03----Today is Sunday. Darn, the weekend just flew by. I ate some shrimp, crawfish, and fish today and everything went just fine. I'm so relieved. I haven't eaten anything that my body couldn't handle yet. (knock on wood) I'm weighing about 230 lbs now so it is moving just slowly. I'll officially update the weight this Wednesday. Keep loosing!!! 6-27-03----I've lost another 5 lbs overnight. I now weigh 224 lbs. That’s a loss of 44 lbs. Gosh, I can't wait until I have lost 50 lbs. That seems like such a big marker for weight loss. I've never lost that much on any diet. I lost 47 lbs on a diet once and I was thrilled with that. I feel great nowadays. I've had a Candidiasis infection for the last couple of days. My gyn says she believes it is from all the antibiotics I took in the hospital. I'm battling it and it is already getting better. I haven't changed clothes size officially yet. I'll update this page when that happens. I have to go to work now. So take care everyone and keep loosing. 7-9-03----I'm 10 weeks out now and I've lost 44 lbs. I'm happy with that. I have recently been diagnosed with ADHD and severe depression. My PCP gave me Lexapro 5mg for the depression for 2 weeks before starting the ADD medicine. I took my first one yesterday and about 2 hours later I was more tired than I have ever been in my life. It was awful. Later that night I was eating some string cheese and I started getting a hard pain in the center of my belly right under where my rib cage meets up. It was so bad I tried to make myself throw up but I couldn't. I finally found a position that seemed to offer relief and then I went to bed. This morning I could still feel that pain but it was not so bad. I didn't take the medicine today for fear of it doing the same thing. I figured that maybe my body has to get used to it for a few days before the side effect taper off. I will try them again on the weekend so that I'm not sick at work. Other than that everything is going great. I'm still loosing and I don't even have to get on the scale every day. I think I'm down to every other day now. :) 7-15-03----It has been 11 weeks since my Lap RNY. I have lost 46 lbs. Current weight is 222 lbs. I'm very happy with my decision. Sometimes I get scared for my future but I know the Good Lord has a plan already set out for me. I've been able to tolerate everything I've eaten. I've developed a liking to Pizza Rolls. I can only eat about 5 or 6 and then I'm full. I know I haven't been doing too great on my Protein intake, but it's a work in progress. I eat Chicken, Tuna, Fish, and Cheese mostly. I've been having a little problem with feeling ill in the mornings. I take my vitamins, medicine, and eat something small every morning, but I'm not sure what is causing me to be ill. I already feel a lot better about myself. I have to keep reminding myself that I'm still a big girl. I have my 3 month appointment with Dr. Meyers next week so I will update then. 7-21-03----Today is a landmark day for me. I have lost 53 lbs!!!! That 50 lbs loss was a big goal for me and I have made it! I'm only 55 lbs away from my goal (160), and 85 lbs from my doctors goal for me (130). Wow, 215 lbs. Yes, I would do this all over again. I'm very happy with what I have done. Good luck to everyone out there! Love you all. 8-6-03----I am 14 weeks out today and I feel great! I'm weighing in at 211 lbs for a loss of 57 lbs!!!!!! I am able to eat just about anything, but I am following my doctor’s orders and staying away from the Pork and Beef. Not a problem though with all the fish and seafood and chicken out there to eat. yummmm. My wonderful Fiancé' bought me a treadmill!!!! It is so cool and it makes everything so much easier when it comes to walking. I'm able to do it everyday. My surgeon told me that I am actually ahead of schedule with my weight loss. He said that me loss is averaged to 3 lbs per week when normally it is only 2 lbs per week. Hey, I'm happy with that, I don't see anything wrong with being ahead of schedule. I need to go to work now, so good luck to everyone and keep loosing!!! 8-24-03----Well, I'm 16 1/2 weeks (4 months) out of surgery and I weigh about 202 lbs. I'm so excited about being under 200, I just can't wait for that. I'm able to wear size XL in shirts and 18 in pants. When I started I was wearing size XXL or XXXL and a size 24 pants. My bra size has increased quite a bit though. Started in a DD now in an E. I expected just opposite of that but maybe I'm an early bloomer and it will go back to normal later in the game. I'm able to eat whatever I want within reason. I am not allowed to eat beef or pork until I am 6 months out, but I'm not craving it or anything. I'm getting happier and happier every day and it is as great as I had hoped it would be. Good luck to everyone out there reading this and I hope your surgery goes as well as mine has. I will update when I get under 200!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 9-20-03----It has been a little over 20 weeks (5 months) since I had my RNY surgery. I regret nothing. I'm officially 192 lbs. That is a total loss of 76 pounds! I can't believe that I have been so blessed to have lost so much weight in so little time. I'm wearing a size 18 jeans. I can squeeze into my 16's but I wouldn't dare wear them in public yet. I'm wearing an XL or 16-18 size shirt. I'm still able to tolerate all the foods I want. I still am not eating pork or beef, advice per my surgeon. I go to a doctors appointment next month for my 6 month checkup. I believe I will have a blood test at that time. I'm still struggling to get the amount of protein in that I am supposed to. I took the protein powder I bought at GNC several months ago, back to GNC and traded it out for a different one. Hopefully it will be tolerable. God Bless.. 11-17-03----It has been almost 7 months since my RNY and I couldn't be happier! Of course as soon as I say that, it just gets better. I never realized exactly how unhappy my weight made me. I'm more outgoing, professional, and envolved. People around me at work and at home constantly tell me how great I look. I think my new nickname is "Skinny Minnie". Corny but cute non the less, better than the "Fat Cat". lol My clothes size hasn't dropped as much as I wanted it to but all the clothes are still getting bigger on me, so that is good. I'm wearing a loose size 16 and a large shirt. I'm able to wear cute little shoes with heels!! My bra size is getting a little out of hand though. I've gone from a 42DD to a 36F. Oops someone forgot to tell them that I had the surgery. ;> My rings are swiveling around my fingers all the time. I'm finally able to wear my beautiful watch my BF gave me for X-mas one year. Oh! And the best part, my other half and I are about to buy our first house! I feel so good about everything. I have to start planning a wedding soon!!!! I will try and update sooner than I did last time. ---------------------------------------------------------------- I'm 8 weeks pregnant today and I've gained 1 pound (*gasp* sound the alarm), LOL just kidding of course. I'm coming back here to document my pregnancy because I remember how important keeping my journey logged here was for me. I came to the site today to find other pregnant post-ops, but the site has changed so much that I had to re-format my profile and I have no idea where to go to find answers to my questions now. I noticed that my profile counter said something like 2012 people on it but wow....wonder if anyone reads it? lol 8-02-08----My baby is now almost 8 months old. She was born 12/10/07 6 lbs 9 oz. I can't and do not want to remember life before her existance. She is absolutly the best thing I've ever had part of. Now, for the weight issue. I didn't gain a terrible amount while I was pregnant, only 33 lbs. I'm currently weighing 207. I've joined a club and joined a T.E.A.M. weight loss class at the gym. We meet Mon, Wed, and Fri every week and workout on the treadmills using heart rate training. If nothing else, my spine and neck feel better from all the walking, but I'm sure this will do the trick to get some of this weight off. Days Since my Life Began:
MOST RECENT ENTRIES AT THE BOTTOM!!!!
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*Won’t have to struggle to put/take off my bra.
*Can put on my shoes and socks without having to hold my breath.
*Can take a bath instead of a shower.
*Can shave my legs without my legs going to sleep.
*Can sit on the floor without my legs going to sleep.
*Can bathe my dogs and blow-dry them without back, knee, and leg pain.
*Can sit in the theatre chairs without being squished.
*Won’t have to worry about whether or not we will be seated in a booth or table.
*My ankles won’t hurt when I go up or down stairs.
*I won’t get stuck on Judge Roy Scream at Six Flags.
*My car’s shocks won’t squeak when I sit in the car.
*I can go dancing.
*I can shop at Wal-Mart and not have to dress in pastels.
*I’ll be able to scratch my back.
*I won’t tinkle in my pants when I cough or sneeze.
*I’ll be able to wear my rings, watch, and necklaces.
*I’ll be able to paint my own toes.
*I won’t get chaffed from my legs rubbing together all the time.
*I’ll be able to wear shorts.
*I’ll be able to go swimming.
*I won’t bump into absolutely everything I pass, preventing bruises.
*I can have my picture taken without getting depressed.
*I can wear a belt.
*I can wear my belly button ring again.
*Self-esteem and confidence will once again be part of my personality.
*I’ll be able to see past my cheeks when I’m laughing.
*I will be able to sleep on the side of my bed instead of the middle.
*Panty hose will be a part of my wardrobe again.
*I will be able to wear cute little high heels again.
*I won’t have to wear deodorant under my breast.
*Won’t have to spend so much money on clothes.
*The bar in my closet won’t sag so low from the weight of my big clothes.
*My hip won’t lock as often because I’ll be lighter.
*I won’t be afraid to sit on a lawn chair.
*I’ll be able to ride in the saddle again.
*I’ll be able to comfortably fasten my seat belt, any seat belt.
*I’ll be able to ride in my boyfriends 25th Annv. Firebird.
*I won’t be so hesitant to clean my house.
*The depression will be gone.
*My ankles won’t swell anymore, as well as my hands.
*My stretch marks will fade (I hope).
*I can wear a sleeveless top without total embarrassment.
*I won’t have to wear a moo-moo to bed at night.
*Maybe my corns on my feet will go away.
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MY SURGERY DATE IS TENTAVLY SET FOR MAY 1, 2003!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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I called the nurse and asked her if she had received my 40 page fax yesterday and she told me to hold on, asked me some questions (Who is the surgeon, what hospital does he do the surgery at?) and then gave me an approval number!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I just can't believe it. I'm so happy; I'm about to bust. I could have my surgery earlier than May 1 but I don't want to because I'm not going to have any sick days or vacation days b4 then to use. Wow. . . . gotta breath.
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4-10-03----I'm getting nervous about my endoscopy tomorrow morning. I'm just scared it's gonna suck real bad like gag reflexes and stuff. Don't want any of that. I don't think I deal well with things being forced down my throat. :) I am going to include my official schedule here so that maybe it will help someone out there realize how time will fly by once your time comes. It seems that when you are playing the waiting game it takes for freakin ever and then all of a sudden **BOOM**. Your date is approaching and you have a ton of things to do. I am currently in the process of moving so I will be just freshly moved when I have my surgery. Seems that when I change things in my life I really do it well.
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Go to Patient Registration
-or-
Do it over the phone
Sometime between now and 4/10/03
Where: Trinity Medical (Day Surgery)
Time: 1:00 p.m. (be there at 11:30 a.m.)
Go to Admitting first to sign papers and pay $200
Go to Day surgery for procedure
I will not be returning for work.
Pre-Op Testing & Pre-Registration at Trinity on 4/21
Pre-Registration for Surgery @ Patient Registration @ 9:00 a.m.
Pre-Testing for Surgery (Pre-Registration will direct me) @ 10:00 a.m.
Pre op visit with Ruth at Trinity at 11:15 a.m.
This is the last “Doctor Appointment” pre-op
Where: Trinity Medical Center Carrollton, TX
Time: 12:00 Noon
Arrive by 10:30 (This will be confirmed at Pre-Op testing)
My hospital stay will be about 2-3 days (usually only 2)
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...(` =~~/... (` =~~/ ... (` =~~/
~^~^`---'~^~^~^`---'~^~^~^`---'~^~^~
WEIGHT 268 (WAS 256 WHEN I STARTED ON THIS JOURNEY)
*1/13/03 WENT TO BTC FOR FIRST CONSULTATION WITH DR.WILTSE
*1/29/03 NUTRITIONAL CONSULTATION VIA PHONE
*2/3/03 WENT TO PCP DR.HUSSEY FOR LETTER OF PAST DIET HISTORY
*2/14/03 PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATION
*2/19/03 FIRST CONSULTATION WITH DR.HARRY MEYERS
*3/7/03 STRESS TEST AT DR.MEYERS OFFICE
*3/17/03 1ST GROUP MEETING WITH DR.MEYERS AND PATIENTS
*4/11/03 ENDOSCOPY AT TRINITY MEDICAL CENTER WITH DR.MEYERS
******PAID $200 DEDUCTIBLE******
*4/21/03 PRE-OP TESTING AT TRINITY MEDICAL CENTER
*4/21/03 2ND GROUP MEETING WITH DR.MEYERS AND PATIENTS
*4/25/03 PRE-OP TESTING AT TRINITY WITH DR.MEYERS
*4/30/03 SURGERY AT NOON AT TRINITY MEDICAL CENTER
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Have a family member just write on the little form activate
leave for the operating room. The rooms are very tiny and
cannot hold many people. They will then be escorted to the
surgery waiting room where they will wait while you are in
the OR (3-4 hours) and the Recovery Room (1 - 1.5 hours).
If you are admitted, please inform your family and friends
they should go to your assigned room once the physician has
spoken with them post-op
cold, temperature, cough, flu-like symptoms, or any other
illness between now and your surgery date.
Do not take any medication after 12 midnight.
surgery, but do not swallow the water. Do NOT chew gum or
suck on mints or smoke the morning of your surgery.
night before or morning of your surgery: Bowel prep per MD,
Betasept Surgical Scrub Soap prep.
or nail polish the day of surgery, and DO NOT bring any money
or valuables with you to the hospital. You will need to
remove contact lenses, hair pins, wigs, etc., prior to
surgery. Hearing aids may be worn.
period of time, then transferred back to the Day Surgery Unit
or be admitted.
home. Taxi service is NOT an acceptable form of
transportation.
several different machines to monitor your progress. A
Catheter will be in place as well as an IV in your neck.
That about sums it up.
You are a geek liaison, which means you go both ways. You can hang out with normal people or you can hang out with geeks which means you often have geeks as friends and/or have a job where you have to mediate between geeks and normal people. This is an important role and one of which you should be proud. In fact, you can make a good deal of money as a translator.
Normal: Tell our geek we need him to work this weekend.
You [to Geek]: We need more than that, Scotty. You'll have to stay until you can squeeze more outta them engines!
Geek [to You]: I'm givin' her all she's got, Captain, but we need more dilithium crystals!
You [to Normal]: He wants to know if he gets overtime.
4/26 (tomorrow) Eat reasonably (I guess this means no "last meal")
4/27 (Sunday) Eat soft food, soups, grits, potatoes, pasta, baked fish (no fried foods, no beef)
4/28 (Monday) Clear Liquid Diet: water, jello, sprite, juice (no pulp), broth, popsicles
4/29 (Tuesday) day before surgery Clear Liquid Diet again.
I'm both nervous and excited. My brother helped me move out of my apartment yesterday, so now I am living with my Mom. It shouldn't be too hard to occupy myself this weekend with all the unpacking and all I need to do.
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Well, I figured I would go ahead and put my surgery update on my profile. I haven’t really felt like updated a bunch for the last couple of days, but here it goes. My surgery was scheduled for Wednesday April 30, 2003 at 12:00 noon. On Tuesday I had to do bowel prep. I drank the Fleets Phoso Soda at 4:00 p.m. and it did its magic until about 9:45 that night. Whew, that was one heck of a ride. I got up at about 7 am the morning of surgery and updated my profile. I then took a shower and washed with the antibacterial soap the hospital had given me. I braided my hair so that it would be out of the way during my stay. I got to the hospital at 10:00 due to being so anxious. The nurses went ahead and prepped me in the “holding area”. I received my first Lovenox shot in my bottom left section of my belly. They put some booties on me that prevented blood clots and helped circulation. A nurse started an IV in my left hand. At that point I was getting my antibiotics and fluid. The surgeon was running late due to the surgery prior to mine. I met my anesthetist at about 1:00 and he gave me something in my IV that didn’t make me real groggy just not scared. I wasn’t nervous anymore but I was totally sober. I said goodbye to my Mother and Father and Fiancé and he wheeled me off to the OR. I was able to look around in the OR and ask some questions then it was lights out. I was officially out of surgery at 5:05 pm. I woke up in terrible pain on my left side. It seems that my abdomen was having muscle spasms. It took the nurses about 45 minutes to figure it out and then they gave me something to relax the muscles and it stopped. I was taken to x-ray to get a picture of my IV that was in my neck. That apparently took a long time because my parents didn’t see me until about 7. I woke up at about 7 pm in my room with my family surrounding me. I took my first walk at about 9:30 that night and only got about 10 steps before I got extremely hot and nauseas. I turned around and went back to bed. Dr. Meyers and Ruth came in at about 11 pm that night to see how I was doing. I was very surprised to see them that late at night but I’m glad they stopped by. At about 3 am Thursday morning I woke up and the front of my gown was wet. I called the nurse and she fixed my drain site and cleaned me up. I went back to sleep and woke up at about 5:30 wanting to walk because I was afraid of blood clots. I couldn’t wait for someone to get there. My Mom showed up right at 6 am. Soon after that I tried walking again. I couldn’t get very far but they were changing my linen so I went ahead and brushed my teeth. At about 9:45 I was able to walk to the nurse’s station. At 3 pm Thursday, I took my barium swallow test. Passed with flying colors. At 4:25 pm I got my first ice cube to eat. They were the best little ol ice cubes I had ever eaten. At 7 pm I was able to go to the restroom by myself. :) Thursday night the nurses gave me some medicine to help me sleep through the night. It worked. At 6 am Friday morning I walked around the nurse’s station again and was feeling very good. At 8:15 am the nurse brought me my first meal tray. I had the choice of: 2 oz of tea with a little packet of sweet thing, 2 oz of orange jello, 2 oz of warm chicken broth, and 2 oz of watered down apple juice. I chose the jello. At 11:00 I took my first oral pain medicine, Loratab. I wanted to go find Barbara Coffers. She is another one of Dr. Meyer’s patients that had her surgery right before me. At first the nurses wouldn’t tell me where she was but I guess they got her permission and then they told me so I went and paid a visit. I had my first bath at 11:40 pm with my moms help. It was very soothing. I was released from the hospital at 3:10 and I went home and went to bed. Overall I think my surgery went very well. I’m happy that I am on the other side and doing well. This entry is long winded and I’m tired so I will update more later.
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You're Miranda! Sarcastic and bitter about life,
you save your charm for those close to you.
You're a great friend to have around.
Which Sex And The City Girl Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla
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Later that day:
I went to the consultation and will be having a colonoscopy on 6/25 next Wednesday with Dr.Nadir. I'm nervous of course but I gotta do what I gotta do. I've requested that I be completely under instead of just Twilight. I remembered everything from my endoscopy and I don't want that this time. I went to my support group meeting tonight with my Mom. It was very good. They had a plastic surgeon there showing slide of previous patients who had had tuck and lifts. Very interesting. I learned a lot. They said they would like to start a newsletter for everyone soon, so that will be great! Love to all
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12-30-03----Well, I see that I haven't updated my profile in some time now. Sorry about that. I've been doing very well. I'm able to eat anything I want (no sugar) but still always in small quantities. I'm able to eat a lot more than I was able to at first. I'm able to eat a whole hot pocket if I want. I'm wearing a size 12 bottoms and a large/14 in tops. I couldn't be happier with my progress. People are always commenting on how great I look and they can't believe I'm so pretty (of course they add that they thought I was pretty before, but....), I don't mind. It's nice to hear good things instead of bad advise. Thanksgiving and Christmas went by without too many problems. I overate at both dinner. I thought I was doing good and then it would hit me. ugh I hate overeating, it has got to be the worst feeling in the world. We are still looking for just the right house to buy. I'm excited about it and looking forward to my man forcing me on the treadmill he bought me a while back. I'm finally able to buy clothes pretty much wherever I shop. That is very nice. I find myself being a little more daring than usual in my wardrobe, but I still can't stand my legs. I'm still going to my support group meetings every month and I feel good about that. I skipped about 3 months and then starting going again. It's so nice to see all those shrinking people each month! I've been having a lot of back pain, but what's new? Too make a long story short, I love myself and I am so happy that I was able to have this surgery successfully. Good luck to everyone and God Speed.
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3-28-04----Wow! I must be busy to not update in so long. We bought our house, installed wood flooring, picking stupid weeds, cleaning, unpacking, buying junk, cleaning, oh and did I say cleaning?! I never would have survived this move if I wasn't a size 9. Yep, I'm in a 9 now! Can anyone believe it? I am constantly surprised at my shrinkage. I'm tickled pink about it though. I haven't been to a support group meeting in a while, but I plan on attending one soon. Will try to update later.
5-08-07----Talk about a delay in updating =P It has been 4 years since I had my surgery and my life has changed so much. I had bottomed out at about 135 lbs but then started gaining more weight back. I've weighed about 180 for the last 6 months or so now. I found out on 4/9/07 that I'm pregnant with my first child. My husband and I are thrilled at this news and I can't wait to start this new chapter in my world. While I'm not very happy at my weight now, nor will I be looking forward to gaining more by the end of this, I'm too happy about the baby to be upset at weight gain. Food is my life long rival and it is my belief now that it always will. My biggest challenge will be to break the chain and teach my children the healthy ways of living.
I had my 5 year checkup Friday with my bariatric surgeon, of course I didnt actually get to see him. I haven't seen Dr. Meyers in about 3 years. I guess he was just the surgeon and his job is done now. They are now out of network so I get to pay twice as much to see them now.... wonderful.
Pre-Op (4/29/03) : 268 lbs (BMI = 47.5)
1 week (5/07/03) : 251 lbs (-17)
2 week (5/14/03) : 246 lbs (-22) **girly time**
3 week (5/21/03) : 246 lbs (-22)
4 week (5/28/03) : 240 lbs (-28)
1 MONTH TOTAL LOSS:::::::::::::::::::> 28 lbs (BMI = 42.5)
5 week (6/04/03) : 238 lbs (-30)
6 week (6/11/03) : 235 lbs (-33) **girly time**
7 week (6/18/03) : 235 lbs (-33)
8 week (6/25/03) : 229 lbs (-39)
2 MONTH TOTAL LOSS:::::::::::::::::::> 11 lbs (BMI = 40.6)
9 week (7/02/03) : 230 lbs (-38) **girly time**
10 week (7/09/03) : 224 lbs (-44)
11 week (7/16/03) : 222 lbs (-46)
12 week (7/23/03) : 215 lbs (-53)
3 MONTH TOTAL LOSS:::::::::::::::::::> 16 lbs (BMI = 38.1)
13 week (7/30/03) : 215 lbs (-53) **girly time**
14 week (8/06/03) : 211 lbs (-57)
15 week (8/13/03) : 207 lbs (-61)
16 week (8/20/03) : 206 lbs (-62)
4 MONTH TOTAL LOSS:::::::::::::::::::> 9 lbs (BMI = 36.5)
17 week (8/27/03) : 202 lbs (-66)
18 week (9/03/03) : 198 lbs (-70)
19 week (9/10/03) : 198 lbs (-70) **girly time**
20 week (9/17/03) : 193 lbs (-75)
5 MONTH TOTAL LOSS:::::::::::::::::::> 13 lbs (BMI = 34.2)
21 week (09/24/03) : 190 lbs (-78)
22 week (10/01/03) : 188 lbs (-80)
23 week (1About Me