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   HAS IT REALLY BEEN SINCE JANUARY SINCE I HAVE UPDATED MY PAGE......... WELP, I GUESS IT HAS BEEN. THIS ROLLER COASTER RIDE IS FINALLY COMING TO A STOP!!! I'VE GOT MY DATE, I'VE GOT MY DATE!!!!!!!!!  
DEC 16TH 2011 IS THE DAY. TWO WEEKS BEFORE THE HOLIDAY AND I COULD NOT BE HAPPIER ABOUT IT! THIS HAS BEEN A LONG TIME COMING. TWO YEARS IN THE MAKING. ENDLESS DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENTS AND 80LBS LIGHTER THAN WHEN I STARTED MY JOURNEY FOR A REVISION. A BRIEF SYNOPSIS I HAD RNY -PROXIMAL IN 2005. SURGERY WAS SUCCESSFUL,  I WAS A TEXT BOOK CASE. ALL WENT WELL UNTIL ABOUT YEAR 5 WHEN I STARTED TO NOTICE WEIGHT REGAIN.  THING'S WERE GOING WELL EATING HABITS WERE A  LILTTLE OFF BUT NOT CRAZY. WENT TO AN MD WHERE I KINDA FELT LIKE I WAS IN A FACTORY. HAD AN UPPER GI THAT WAS AN THE EXTENT OF TESTING. REFERRAL SENT SURGERY DENIED FOR REVISION. THANK GOD FOR THAT!!!!! I WAS BUMMED GOT UP DUSTED M YSELF OFF, CHANGED BACK TO SEEING MY OLD PCP A NEW REFERRAL WAS GIVEN.  WENT TO A FEW CLASSES MET WITH DR.KLEIN AND MADE A PLAN FOR LIFETIME SUCCESS. HAVE BEEN SEEING HIM OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST TWO YEARS FOR FU AND NUMEROUS TEST. COME TO FIND OUT I NOT ONLY HAD ONE POUCH BUT I HAD 2. YES2!!!!!!! AND MY POUCH IS TOO BIG. HE WAS SUPRISED THAT I WAS EVEN ABLE TO LOSE AS MUCH WEIGHT AS I HAD. SO WITH HIS HELP I HAVE LOST THE 80LBS AND NOW WILL UNDERGO SURGERY TO GET RID OF POUCH NUMBER TWO WHICH I HAVE NAMED THE 'COW"..LOL  

   SO NOW IN THE PRESENT  IT SEEMS LIKE MY LIFE IS TURNING INTO A WORLDWIND OF EVENTS TO HAPPEN WITHIN THE NEXT MONTH. SINCE THIS IS THE SECOND GO ROUND I WILL HAVE TO GO AND DONATE 2PINTS OF BLOOD. I HAVE A CLASS TO ATTEND, PRE-OP VISIT WITH MY MD. LABS TWICE AND 2 MORE APPTS WITH MY SURGEON. TALKING TO ALL KIND OF COORDINATORS, AND SO ON AND SO ON. MY SECOND POUCH WILL BE GONE, STOMACH SIZE REDUCED BACK DOWN, COMPLETE TUMMY TUCK (YEAH BOY) AND BREAST LIFT!  I AM LOOKING AT THIS AS MY MINI VACATION FROM WORK. 6WKS BABY. HOPEFULLY I WILL BE ABLE TO DO SOME TRAVELING..... SHHHH.

   I KNOW THAT THIS TIME AROUND THAT THING'S WIL BE MUCH DIFFERNT. FIRST THIS PROCEDURE WILL BE DONE IN AN OPEN APPROACH DUE TO POSSIBLE ADHESIONS FROM MY PREVIOUS SURGERY. AND SINCE MY MUSCLE WILL BE TIGHTED HE WILL HAVE TO GET IN THERE. AND HE ALSO MAY BE REMOVING MY GALLBLADDER AS WELL. I REALIZE THAT THIS TIME AROUND THAT ALSO THE WEIGHT LOSS WILL BE SLOWER. BUT, SLOW AND STEADY CAN ALSO WIN THE RACE. I AM AS EXCITED AS I WAS THE FIRST TIME AROUND. I AM BLESSED TO HAVE A SURGEON WHO TOOK THE TIME TO REALLY SEE WHAT I KNEW WAS NOT RIGHT GOING ON IN THE INSIDE OF MY BODY. I WAS NEVER RUSHED INTO ANYTHING FROM MY SURGEON. HE HELPED ME GET BACK TO THE PLACE WHERE I ONCE WAS. HE NEVER PLACED BLAME ON ANYONE, NOT EVEN MY FIRST SURGEON. I HAVE HEARD OTHER PATIENTS SAY THAT HE GOES OFF ON TANGENS FROM TIME TO TIME. I HAVE NEVER WITNESSED ANY OF THAT MYSELF. HE WANT'S THE BEST FOR HIS PATIENTS AND WILL HELP YOU TO HELP YOURSELF GET THERE.

   IT IS JUST SO HARD TO EXPLAIN THE GRATITUDE THAT I HAVE FOR MY SURGEON. I WAS A LIL MAD AT ALL THE TEST THAT I HAD TO GO THROUGH AT FIRST. BUT REALIZED ETHAT IT WAS ALL IN MY BEST INTREST. EVERYBODY DOES NOT GET A SECOND CHANCE. I AM JUST GLAD THAT I WAS ABLE TO . OH YEAH AND MY INSURNACE IS ANTHEM BLUE CROSS IN CASE ANYONE IS WONDERING. I WISH YOU ALL THE BEST ON YOUR JOURNEY'S. NEVR GIVE UP ON WHAT'S FOR YOU. WHEN ONE DOOR CLOSES ANOTHER ONE WILL SOON OPEN. JUST BE PATIENT! IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FEEL FREE TO INBOX ME. I COULD GO ON AND ON BUT, I WON'T. AT LEAST TODAY. AND I WILL BE BACK SOON TO UPDATE YOU ALL ON THE THING'S THAT I WILL BE GOING THROUGH FOR THE NEXT FEW WEEKS. UNTIL THEN TAKE CARE!



 

Has it really been that long? Well, I guess that it has. I do not even remember where I left off last time. I know that I shared my list of battery of test and my weight loss up's and down's.

So, since my last post and I am going from what I think I may have posted last time. If I repeat a few things, you can just scroll through real quick. :)

Since last time and reviewing my UGI with my surgeon alot of things have changed. I remember sitting in his office as he uploaded the disc. He sat back in his chair, started scratching head and looking at the report. He was like this is not normal. I mean the look on his face. He got on the phone asked to speak to the lead radiologist about my study. He wanted an addendum made on my report. See on my last visit we only had the paper report not the actual study its self.

He showed me that I actually have 2 pouches........Yeah TWO. He believes that it is a portion of my original stomach that did not get all of the way removed.It kinda looks like a candy cane. And my pouch is too big as well. So, a few weeks later I had a follow up Ugi to confirm the surgeons findings on the other ugi.

For the life of me I wonder why this had not been noticed by another surgeon that I had seen a few years before..... But, then again that experience alone is another story.

I have been seeing this surgeon for almost a year now. I am so glad that he just did not push me through a surery without much of a second thought. I see him at least once a month just to see where I am at. I have had alot of ups and downs with my weight. But, now I have a handle on it since I am very well aware that things are about to work themselves out. I have kept 50 additional lbs off plus now another 30. I had regained 60. So, I had to relose weight that I had already lost.

My highest weight was about 460 and my lowest of 270, never losing a lb more. One reason my newly found 2nd pouch and some of my eating choices. Better choices and more activity has helped me out with this as well.

The plan is for me to maintain my weight where I am now, or lose a few more pounds before the next step. The plan is for me to revise from my proximal rny, to a distal rny along with decreasing my pouch size along with a whole  abdominal wall reconstruction. Yeah buddy, Mama is gonna have a flat tummy finally!!!! Lol

This has been my choice to convert from a rny prox to a rny distal. I have looked at some of my other options. But, this is the option that suits me the best. You can have your thoughts and input. However this is what I am doing for me. My surgery will take place around the second week of May. The actual revision will be covered by my insurance, The abd wall reconstruction will be paid 25% by myself and the rest covered.Which is under 4G's. That makes me very happy. Half will be paid on my next visit to get the wheels in motion and the remainder due 2 wks prior to surgery.

So to sum it up. I am still a work in progress. Working on a better me. If you want it bad enough do not give up.When one door closes find that one that is open. TTYL

So it has been a while since I have updated what is going on with me. Well, I have had an appt with the surgeon last month which went well. I lost 37 of the 40lbs that they wanted me to lose.Yay me!!!!! So, my appointment with the surgeon went as well as planned. I must admit that I was a little bumbed that I did not get a surgery date though.... According to all of the test, I am fine.. I have another appt with him next week for another f/u with him. Although he had the results of my uppe GI on paper he wanted to have the chance to go over the actual study on film with me. He wanted to take a closer look at it for himself and to give me a better idea of what the heck is going on.I was also informed that my abd muscles are weak as well. All of which he said some of it was due to the fact that when I had my panniculectomy, no muscles were tightened at the time of the procedure. Thus in some way making my pouch be able to expand out more than what it had before. Thus saying that this may just be a mechanical failure. Hmmmmmmmmmmm . Any who, I am trusting in him. He does not want to just jump me into surgery. He wants to make sure that all options are covered prior to just rushing me into surgery. There is no guarantee on how much weight you will be able to lose with a revision. He told me why put me through a whole other procedure when there is a possability that I would possibly only lose 20lbs or may 100... I can truly understand that. Access all options first and then lets move on to the big guns. This has definately been a process. But, at least my doc is willing to work with me and help guide and support me on this second quest to get it right.  I really feel like rambling on tonight but, I will not. I will come back and post next week once I see the surgeon again. Let you al know what is going on. Oh and to let you guys know I originaly had a RNY proximal possibly being revised to = I dont know yet....~sigh~ I have not quite gotten that far yet since all my test are saying that I am "NORMAL". I guess that I can not complain though because the more documentation, the better. Hopefully everything will end up paying off in the end.

Where should I start? It has been a minute since I lasted updated my page and let everyone know what is going on. Since, my last update I have been on vaction, which was much needed. I was in San Antonio Texas for 5 days home for 3 days and off again to Chicago for 5 days as well. My eating habits in Texas were very good. My friends and  myself went to Costco and did some shopping. We bought mostly good stuff. I want to see the worst thing was possibly Pita chips and hummus. But, the worst was the alcohol..I drunk 2 days out of the five I was there...Oh so many empty calories..I know, But I really wanted those drinks. And then when I went to Chi the first day there I was looking for deep dish pizza!!! And, yup I ate it and it tasted sooooo good. Sorry, but it was the truth. And, I dont want to hear you do know better..Tsk, tsk, I am very well aware of that. While, I was in Chicago which was my main reaon for going was for the breast cancer walk!!! There were sooooooooooo many people there. I think I heard about 10,000.Wow, it was great seeing so many people there supporting such a good cause. Me and one of my best friends were the first to make it in from our group. We did it in over a lil over an hour. We had a late start waiting for the rest of our team to show up.

Was I concerned about weight gain when I was gone? Abso freaking lutley. I  made sure that I continued to drink plety of water and did lots of walking. I have been back home for about 2wks now and I have been on track. I am feeling thinner. :) For the most part, I have done really well with my eating habits and excercise in spite of my vacations.

With my appointment right around the corner to see the surgein.  I find myself getting more and more anxious. I am not scared or anything....Just wow. Time has flown in that respect over the last few months. Hopefully, I am within range of where I  need to be and we can get to the meat and the potatoes of this revision.

Still undecided as to what procedure to have. But, after doing more research and weighing my options. I have a few questions about a few of the procdures that I have been looking into. Withhis help, I am sure that there will be a great choice made that will suite me best. I have my lil notepad ready incase I get amnesia once the doc comes into the room.

My revision surgery could ultimately be just around the corner, pening insurance approval. I think that is what I am scared of the most. I know I have probaly said this before. But, I am gonna say it again. To have gone through all of these test. Some a piece of cake,  and others not so much. I hate to have gone through all of this and not get an approval.

Ok enough of that before I go and get my bp up..Lol, it has been good for the last few months. I dont want issues with that now.Or maybe will that help me even more??? :) I'm playin yall.

I will update again after I see the surgeon. Wish me luck . And good luck to you in your journey what ever part  of it you may be in.

I finally received all of my test results from the sle of test that I have had. Most of everything looks great! There are a few snags here and there which can be corrected. My Ekg and Heart Ultasound were great. No, hart dz. Mammo was normal. Sleep study  showed sleep apnea, which I knew since I received a cpap machine. Ugi, chest xray, abd ultrasound and bil. leg doppler looked good. My pft's showed that I do have asthma. Which I have had for years. I think that was all of them.

The NP was great. I felt like my physical with her was more thorough that my cpe with my pcp. I mean they looked at every nook and cranny on my body. They even wanted to look at the skin betwen my thighs(ummmm yeah). I think she spent about an hour with me. She talked to me about the slower pace of the weight loss as well. I mean this office visit was very thourough

On the other side my Vit D is very, vey low as was my protein. So, she gave me a rx for 50,000 units of vit d daily for 6wks. And I will be going back on the protein shakes as well. And six weeks from now I will have to repeat my labs to see if my levels have improved. And my bp was very low as well. It was 84/43. It is well controlled with the meds that they have put me on. And I got a prescription for phentermine as well. She basically said that I was approved. But, until I see it on paper, I am not gonna believe it. LOL. I also have a follow up with her in 7wks and then with the surgeon in 10 wks. A tenative surgery date is for late june or early july.I am thinking about the 2nd week in july since I am going out of town for the 4th of july weekend!!! Whooo Hooo.

Right now, I am still debating on which type of revision I really want to get. And the office is not pressuring me @ least n o t until I meet with the surgeon again. So, I have 10 weeks to think about it.-17lbs, 23 more to go to make the 40 that the doc wants me to lose! So, I am on the road again. Until next time guys!

Man, you talk about alot of stuff going on...Whew!!!!! I have finally wrapped up all of my diagnostic testing!!!! Can, I get a whoop, whoop????? The last few weeks, have been exhausting trying to get all of this stuff done before I start traveling again.. Last week was the real humdinger.. It started off with my abdominal ultrasound. Followed by a chest xray, followed by the dreaded ugi...Ugh, the hardest part of that was having to drink that stuff that was like alka seltzer and trying not to burp. When all you wanted to do was just that..I am soooooooooo happy that I did not have to drink as much barium as I thought that I would have to though..Thank goodness!! I looked at the tray and there were 3 bottles of that mess sitting there waiting for me. But, after gulping about a 1/2 cup I was done. Oh and that mammo. It started off great! But, then when they had to do that side view...OMG!!! I wanted to pull that thing of of my breast immediately..Thennnnnnn she messed one up and had to retake it...Ugh. I so wish that I had, had another tech. Cause she wasnt very friendly at all..Now, I wonder had I went in there in my uniform would she have been just a tad bit more curtious.

Next week, I go in for my psyche eval and to another support group meeting. Might I add the support group meeting was so much better than what I thought that it would be. I know it is sad to say but, I have NEVER been to one in all of my gbs life..Very, very sad and very, very true. I am looking forward to going to 2 of them next week. The experience was awesome! In my own mind, I just thought that we would be in a circle of about 20-30 folks talking and what not....That was so not the way that things went at all. I want to say there were about 90 folks there. We had received some very good handouts and activites to do and go over for the next session. So, I believe if I continue to go and hang in there I will have a better outcome. I kinda wish that I would have had to do some of these things last time.  With the follow up care and all of that the last time, I  just think that the ball was dropped. I love the place where I am now.The Association of South Bay Surgeons.

Then after that above is done. There are labs to be drawn. Then on to  a physical with the NP. Then 2 wks after that, I go to a nutriyion class. And, I believe after all of that is said and done everything will be submitted to the insurance company. Or it may just wait until after I lose the weight that is required..So far 17lbs down in a month and a half.Whooo Hooo way to go ME!!!!!! I'll figure that out for sure after my doctors appt!!! All I know is that I have a tenative surgery date for 7/10. So, I am sure they will find a few more things for me to do...And,I  will do them if all of this is going to make they stamp a big ole APPROVAL on my referral! You guys take care and keep me in your prayers. Until next time.

There have been so many different test that I have already completed. My life you can say is one big doctors appointment after another. Last week I had my echocardiogram, and ekg and some labs. And, this week coming I have my pfts and next week, is when I have the 4 test in one day. That will wrap up the diagnostic testing. I think I may go to a support group meeting this week as I have to go to 2. I am trying to have all of this done by the end of march. The last of my testing I think will be over by april. With a projected surgery date of 7/10...

I am still trying to get use to this cpap machine. I find myself snatching it off alot of times off at some point during the night. I think that I have only managed to slep with it completely on just one full night. Lets hope that tonight will be better and that I will be able to keep it on the whole night.

My mom the same woman who broke down and cried when I initially had my rny is looking into weight loss surgery herself. Who would have ever thought that she would ever decide to go this route as well. She is not sure which procedure she wants to have yet. I have only asked her to research them each surgery individually themselves. Heck, I even told her to come over here and make a profile, read and talk to folks. Ultimately she will be the only one who can and will make the decision for herself. I  am happy and excited for her!!! I wish her the best in here decision what ever it may be.

I think that is about all that I can think about to tell you guys right now. I am so proud that I am keeping my page up. Since I have almost not updated in a year. Yay me. I must admit that I enjoy going back through my older post and rereading them. So many things happened and it kinda refocuses me and keeps me encouraged to push forward in spite all. You all have agreat evening and I will be back next week with more info.

So, I had my sleep study on 1/31/10. It went pretty good. If it werent for the 200.00 cancellation fee, I probably would have cancelled my test though. It just worked out that I came down with some kinda stomach virus the day of the test.The suite was very nice and the technician was awesome. I am not sure really how much sleep  I got since I tossed and turned and dry heaved for most of the night. Hopefully, they got what they  were looking for and I will not have to repeat the study..

Imagine getting home and having more referrals waiting for you. They are really on the ball here! All of my test have been scheduled already. Some of the other test that I will have to have will include an abdominal ultrasound, bilateral venous leg doppler, ekg and echo of my heart, an upper gi series, a chest xray, a pulmonary function test and last but not least a mammo (due to a strong family history) Then comes a nutrition class, a psych eval and 2 support group meetings.... Oh and a few blood test in between all of this. Does this sound like alot???  I have everything set up with this and next month. Several of the test will be done all on the same day. Oh and I have to lose 40lbs, dont know if I shared that or not yet.

So, what happens once all of this happens? I mean I know what happens but, I think that I would be devastated if it was denied. However, I am feeling quite confidant that this time things will be in my favor. I did not do any of this the last time I attempted to have a revision. Maybe it was in my best benefit for things not to go through last time. Because this time, I do not really have any uncertainty or doubt about this. I will keep updating and lettig you guys know what is going on during this process. Evryone have a great weekend.

There has been alot going on with me the last few weeks. Since my car accident, it seems like all I do is go to doctors appts and physical therapy. And then I have to make what seems like a million phonce calls daily. Adjusters, doctors office follow ups and attorney calls. Since, my appt with the surgeon last week, it seems like I have called or have spoken to them almost on a daily basis. 

The ball seems to be rolling pretty good right now though. I have an appt for this sunday to have a sleep study done. The office called me on last friday and were like your referral has been approved for a sleep study.. I was a liittle in awe because I did not eve know that I was being referred for one. Any who, after I pulled myself together and absorbed the information, I  was ready to schedule my appt. She gave me the date of 1/31/10 which sounded as if it were eons away.So, everything is all set for this test to happen now. After I hung up the phone, I was like damn.......That is next week, which is now this week. I dont know how I feel about them attaching all of these lil sensors in the top of my head. They are gonna mess up my hair....Lol... But, we shall see what happens with this test since I will be coming to work the following morning. Wish me luck and I will come back next week and let you guys know how things went. Have a great day everybody!!!!

Yesterday, I had my appt to  see the surgeon. My day started off really crazy. I have physical therapy 3 days a wk and they were 45 minutes late opening the office....I go to the second appt and find out that I am really suppossed to be scheduled with Dr. Klein and not Dr.Solomon.....And, when I got there they were running 45minutes behind as well. So, I did wait and I saw Dr.Solomon and when he got to the part of my lil booklet of info that I had to fill out he was like so want to have a revision? Of course I answered yes. He told me that it would be better if I saw Dr.Klein since he has been doing bariatric surgery's for over 20yrs. Fortuntately, they had an appt for 2pm that I was able to get. So, I had to watch a video and then the Doc came in and introduced himself and all of that. By the time he was done. I had so much information and felt so great about his capabilites and what their program offered, I am now glad that at least I did have the chance to speak to both Md's. This program seems like it is so different that some of the other ones that I have attempted to do. For, me at this office, I did not feel like I was in a drive through. He took the time to explain alot of things  and answered some questions and what not. When I looked up it was 5pm. He spent so much time with me that I was just amazed. They ar not rushing to get my referral issued yet. There are a few things, classes that I will have to do first. I am so freaking excited. It feels like this time around things really just might happen for the good in my favor!