longhornrose

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My blog has definitely fallen by the wayside the last couple of months.  Finally had my surgery on 9/13, and I'm slowly - ever so surely - losing weight. 

Surgery went off without a hitch, recovery was really a breeze for me, and I feel better than I have in what seems like forever.  All told (pre-op and post-op), I've lost a total of 55 lbs, which probably accounts for how well I feel!  My weight loss has been much slower post-op than I would like, but the numbers are decreasing rather than increasing, so I'm trying to stay positive.

Learning to eat, drink and take my vitamins continues to be a challenge.  Some days I do fairly well, many others not so well.   I keep trying, though!  I'm retired, so at home most of the time to work on the eating/drinking/vitamin regimen, but I keep wondering, how do all those people who have jobs/kids/classes, etc. do this???  For me, it's pretty much a full time job!  I guess there's a system I haven't quite figured out yet.

Well, it looks like I didn't have as much to say as I thought, so I'll stop here.  Hopefully, I'll come up with something else worth reading soon!

With great joy I'm announcing the fact that I'm on my way!  Found out a couple of hours ago that I pick up protein shakes from my doctor's office tomorrow, start pre-op diet Thursday, 8/30, get my lab orders on 9/4, and my pre-op appointment and NUT meeting on 9/6.  Finally, surgery is 9/13. 

This process has taken so long that I was beginning to think maybe it wouldn't be happening after all.  Now that I know it's all set, I can get down to the nuts and bolts of how I'll be living after the surgery.  Oh, I've read and researched life after surgery, but it hasn't seemed real for me until now.

Still trying to process it all, so I'm going to leave this for now and come back later when I can gather my thoughts and write something semi-coherent, LOL!

Well, I finally got approved for my surgery.  I'm still in a state of disbelief, because it was so long in coming.  Once I get started on all my pre-op preparations, I guess I'll believe it.  Right now, waiting to hear from my doctor on a pre-op appointment, visit with dietician, pre-op diet instructions, etc. 

For now, I'm going to work hard to follow the pre-op diet I know will be coming - got that info from my first meeting with the nutritionist - with an occasional "last meal" thrown in for good measure.  I have done well in changing my eating habits already, and don't intend to go off the deep end with food now, but thought I'd savor a few little things I've always enjoyed, as they may turn out to be totally off-limits for the duration. 

Okay, that's my short and sweet post for now.  Just wanted to document my journey.  More to come!

Wow!  Yesterday was quite a day.  Slipped on our tile floor and fell; wound up taking myself to the ER for a 4-hour session of hurry-up-and-wait, x-rays, and more hurry-up-and-wait; back home with nothing broken, just some serious inflammation and another dx of "you know you have arthritis, right?"  Um, well, yeah:  the old body tells me this every single day, as I moan and groan and whine, clicking and clacking with every step I take.  What else to expect at age 60, with a lifetime of obesity to weigh on a lot of the joints?

If I wasn't already committed to WLS, it would sure be at the top of my list now, after this last fall.  (Did I mention this is the 3rd time I've fallen?)  It's not only the reality and pain of the fall; it's also the fear of not being able to get myself up, and/or the embarrassment of having my family watch me do it.  What I sight I must have been yesterday!  My shear size makes it pretty much impossible to catch myself when I go down, as I would have been able to when I was younger (and 100 lbs. lighter.)

Almost as troubling as the fall yesterday was my response when I was back at home, licking my wounds and waiting for some pain meds to kick in.  Since I hadn't had more than half of my morning protein shake, I was hungry as a bear, and neither hubby nor I was up for cooking, so pizza was the dinner winner.  As if that wasn't bad enough, I decided I needed a dozen or two McDonald's oatmeal raisin cookies to further dull the pain.  Well, I didn't eat a dozen, but six was certainly more than enough (one was more than enough!)  Although I'm back in the saddle today, I'm still a little shaky from yesterday's trauma to my body, and so I'm finding myself wanting that soothing taste of something (anything!) to take the edge off.  Right now, I'm writing this in order to keep myself rooted to this chair, for fear getting up will be my undoing.  I keep trying to remember what my counselor told me to remember daily:  This too shall pass.  

THIS TOO SHALL PASS. . . THIS TOO SHALL PASS. . . THIS TOO SHALL PASS. . .

 

Had my psych re-eval Saturday, and was told I passed with flying colors.  Woo-hoo!  Didn't think to ask, but hopefully, her report will go to my surgeon very, very soon, and then it'll be on to insurance (I think.) 

Now that I've cleared that hurdle, I need to really start getting down to the nitty-gritty of preparing for surgery (getting vitamins, stocking up on post-op supplies, etc.)  I pretty much know what the 2-wk. pre-op diet will consist of, so I am hoping to get myself started on that before it should officially start.  (Don't know if that makes sense, or not. . . )

I've been going to the gym with my husband, and swimming (or walking) in the rec pool for about an hour at a time.  Finding that I love actually moving, especially without pain, and I'm feeling better and better physically each time I go.  Seems like my muscles are re-developing after years of inactivity, and my joints aren't nearly as stiff or painful.  Happy Day for me!

I find myself feeling a few butterflies, now that it looks like this is really going to happen.  Hopefully, that little bit of nervousness won't get too much worse!  I'm going to try and stay as busy as possible the next few weeks, as I wait to get my psych eval to the surgeon, get insurance approval, get a surgery date.  Lots to look forward to!

Well, July 6 has come and gone, and I still haven't had surgery.  After finally getting the results of my psych eval (after almost a month's wait!), I was told I'd need to get some counseling and work on developing ways to cope with emotional issues, prior to surgery.  I wasn't a very happy camper - which I shared with both the evaluator and my surgeon - but since I really want to have the surgery, I complied.  As it turns out, it hasn't been a bad thing, in fact, I'm really getting a lot out of the counseling, and finding that it's definitely helping me with all kinds of things beyond getting prepared for surgery.

During my session yesterday, my counselor urged me to contact my doctor, lay my cards on the table, and see where I go next.  So today, I sat down and wrote him an e-mail pleading my case.  Now I'm nervously waiting for his response. 

Here's what I've been doing (since I first began considering surgery):

Researching WLS

Educating myself on nutrition for now, and after surgery

Joined OH

Found surgeon and had consultation

Completed all my pre-op testing

Had my psych eval

Began journaling

Began seeing a counselor

Made a couple of friends through OH, who are local and also having surgery through my doctor

Got friends and family - especially my husband - on board with this major lifestyle change

Taken up crocheting again, and doing it like there's no tomorrow, LOL!  Great for keeping the hands busy, and helping me miss all the food commercials on TV in the evenings!

Begun taking daily multivitamins

Working studiously on changing what I eat, how much I eat, and how I eat

Lost 17 lbs.

That's all I can think of for now.  I'm wondering what else I will need to do to get this show on the road!  If anyone has any ideas on what I'm missing, please feel free to chime in! 

All my paperwork is finally in, and should be going to my insurance company very soon.  Had a few somewhat heated words with my surgeons office, but I think we all came away with a better understanding of what's going on.  (Too long a story to go into.) 

Tentative surgery date is July 6.  It could have been June 1, but that's the day my "baby" graduates from high school, so there's no way I could do it that day!  That's okay; I have more time to work on my eating habits, learning new coping skills, and just getting myself ready for a total life change.

I'm thinking insurance will approve me, but of course I can't count my chickens until they hatch.  I'm optimistic, though!

Saw my PCP today for a complete physical.  Had my EKG and chest x-ray.  Stress test/nuclear medicine is scheduled for Thursday and Friday, my psych eval is on Saturday, and then a week from Friday (the 6th), I'll have my EGD and colonoscopy.  Also got blood work done today for all three doctors.  

My head is kind of spinning at how fast this is going!  Assuming all my tests are positive, the only other hurdle I'll have will be insurance approval, but after speaking with my bariatric rep at insurance company, I don't really think there will be a problem.  Not sure how long I'll have to wait for a surgery date if/when Humana approves me. 

I'm working on learning to eat well, to drink lots of water, cutting out my Diet Coke (), and checking out protein supplements and vitamins.  I'll have one more nutrition class before surgery, but not sure how much use that will be, as the first one was really a joke.  I've learned 100 more reading OH and doing my own research!

I'm starting to get that butterfly feeling in my stomach, because things are coming together.  After talking to Dr. Stegemann's secretary, it look's like within the next 2 months, I might be in surgery.  Yikes!  or Yay! depending on how you look at it!

Talked with insurance (Humana Gold Plus), and have my very own assigned person to talk with if I need info or have questions.  She sent me a list of all their criteria, and I don't think there will be any problem meeting it (them?).  See doc Thursday to schedule scopes, first nutrition class Thursday night; then my pcp on Monday for physical and to schedule stress test/nuclear medicine.  I want to see how those go, and then I'll schedule psych eval.  Or maybe I'd better go ahead and schedule psych eval, in case their report takes awhile to get completed?  Need to think on that a bit.  Didn't want to spend the money until I knew whether or not things were okay physically to go ahead with surgery.  Maybe I'll call Humana and see if they can refer me to a in-network provider, and I won't have to pay for psych eval!

Found out surgery will be in San Antonio.  Not crazy about that idea, but after looking at the hospital online, I feel pretty reassured about the quality of services I'll be getting.  It's a certified COE, and it looks like everything is pretty much state-of-the-art (as best I can tell, anyway.  What in the world do I know, LOL?)

Had a reality check while I was pre-planning the out-of-town surgery.  As I've read of others, I thought that I might have to stay in S.A. a day or two after hospital discharge, and so was looking for hotels near the hospital.  Found a nice one nearby, and was looking at their breakfast area, thinking, "Oh, that looks nice; we'll be able to have coffee, a little bite to eat, and it will be like being on vacation!"  HA!  I don't think so!  I won't be eating much of anything; hopefully, I'll be sipping water and protein or whatever doc prescribes for post-op.  May not feel like I'm vacation, either, LOL!  I laughed at myself, but it was also kind of sobering, because it was a good reminder that pre-RNY and post-RNY are two whole other worlds.  Need to really wrap my head around that.

Talked to my lifelong, all-time best friend yesterday, and she was very encouraging about me having the surgery.  Says several people she knows have had it, and done well.  That makes me feel good, especially to know that she is supportive.  I guess if I'm really going ahead with this, it would be a good idea to start gathering the wagons, finding my support people, and getting them prepared along with myself.

I really am getting excited, and feeling so much hope, that I will finally be able to get control of my body again after having this surgery.  I'm so motivated, and determined that I will do everything I need to do to use it to have a better quality of life.  This is kind of like my last stand against my obesity being the absolute end of me.  Since I've never given up on life and what's around the corner, I don't think I want to now, so here goes!

Where to start???  Met with Dr. Stegemann Feb. 28.  Really, really liked him!  Seems so professional and knowledgeable, and really took the time to go through my history, and listen to my replies to his questions.   I'm mad at myself though, because I didn't go prepared with specific questions to ask, and so forgot many things.  He covered a lot on his own though.  He offered his e-mail address for any additional questions, which I had, and which he responded to right away.  That's definitely a good sign!

My only real concern about his office is that he is just now getting established in Corpus Christi, and so is currently "borrowing" space from a cardiac practice, his receptionist/medical tech is still learning insurance things, and I think it's all a work in progress.  He was with a bariatric practice in San Antonio, so all my insurance stuff is going through their bariatric coordinator.  I'm hoping I don't somehow get lost in the shuffle!  However, on the good side, he doesn't seem to have a lot of patients here yet, so I think I'll probably be getting much more personalized service from him, and that's a definite plus.

Since seeing the surgeon, I have a whole list of appointments and tests to get scheduled.  Many if not most of them need to go through my PCP, who, as it turns out, is on vacation through the 23rd, so I can't see him until the 26th.  I will be able to see one of his partners on the 22nd though, to schedule the EGD and colonoscopy.  At least I'll be able to get that going.  I also have to schedule an appointment with the nutrionist and get a psych eval, but I'm a little hesitant to do those until I have some kind of indication that my insurance will approve the surgery.  Since I think I'll have to pay out-of-pocket for them, I thought I'd wait a bit.   

One of the things that's bugging me right now is that I'm so consumed with having this surgery that I can't seem to focus on anything else in my life!  It seems I spend so many hours a day reading OH, reading books on WLS, trying to plan for life after WLS, that there isn't time for anything else.  I'm hoping things will move fast so that I can get on with my life!