longhornrose
Decision Time?
Feb 15, 2012
I've been going up and down and around about having WLS. First I was 99.9% sure I would, then started to have doubts, then decided definitely NOT to do it; now, I'm back to square one. Not sure what brought me to this point, other than the fact I'm just losing a pound, gaining two, and getting nowhere fast. Plus, I had a heart-to-heart with my hubby, who confessed a couple of things to me that made me sit up and take notice. One, of course, is that he's afraid he will lose me if I don't do something soon about my weight, and the other is that he has so many things he'd like to be doing with me: walking on the beach, strolling down the River Walk in San Antonio, just walking together in the evenings. Right now, I'm totally out of commission, and as he gets healthier by the day, here I sit. I didn't realize he felt he was missing out on so much, so it's made me start to re-think this whole thing.
Today, I came back to OH for more fodder for my brain, hoping reading more positive outcomes will help, plus prepare me for that may be down the road with surgery. Also, I did some searching for Dr. Stegemann's info, and found some very good reviews of his expertise and bedside manner, which definitely put me at ease, and made me feel like I would be in good hands if he did the surgery.
Back when I was initially considering surgery, I attended a seminar and filled out a form requesting additional information and to schedule a consultation. That was on Jan. 19. On Jan. 23, the doctor's office called and stated they would need a referral from my pcp, so I immediately called and got that going. It took a couple of days, but my pcp sent the referral on Jan. 25. Didn't hear back right away, so called Dr. Stegemann's office on Jan. 31. Had to leave a voice mail message, but never got a return call, until Monday, Feb. 13. In that time, I had pretty well given up the idea of even having the surgery, and so didn't immediately return their call. I think I will do so tomorrow, though. I need to just get this show on the road; there will be enough time to continue considering the final decision on "will it be yes, or will it be no?"
You know, when I was much younger, I was always so willing to jump into things feet first, going with my gut, so to speak. As I've gotten older, though, and had to pay the piper a few times, I'm much more cautious. I suppose in some cases that's a good thing, but in this, I'm not so sure it is!
Stay tuned for my continuing saga!
0 comments
Today, I came back to OH for more fodder for my brain, hoping reading more positive outcomes will help, plus prepare me for that may be down the road with surgery. Also, I did some searching for Dr. Stegemann's info, and found some very good reviews of his expertise and bedside manner, which definitely put me at ease, and made me feel like I would be in good hands if he did the surgery.
Back when I was initially considering surgery, I attended a seminar and filled out a form requesting additional information and to schedule a consultation. That was on Jan. 19. On Jan. 23, the doctor's office called and stated they would need a referral from my pcp, so I immediately called and got that going. It took a couple of days, but my pcp sent the referral on Jan. 25. Didn't hear back right away, so called Dr. Stegemann's office on Jan. 31. Had to leave a voice mail message, but never got a return call, until Monday, Feb. 13. In that time, I had pretty well given up the idea of even having the surgery, and so didn't immediately return their call. I think I will do so tomorrow, though. I need to just get this show on the road; there will be enough time to continue considering the final decision on "will it be yes, or will it be no?"
You know, when I was much younger, I was always so willing to jump into things feet first, going with my gut, so to speak. As I've gotten older, though, and had to pay the piper a few times, I'm much more cautious. I suppose in some cases that's a good thing, but in this, I'm not so sure it is!
Stay tuned for my continuing saga!
Is it necessary to have a title?
Jan 21, 2012
I'm rapidly warming to the idea of WLS being a viable option for me. I have to be careful, though, as I sometimes jump off the deep end of things without being certain about how deep the water is. Dh is helping me to keep my head, though, and luckily, he tends to be a very cautious person, so think I'll move forward with eyes wide open.
We went to a seminar Thursday night, which was pretty disappointing. For some reason neither of the surgeons was able to be there, so it was led by the nutritionist. She's probably young enough to be my granddaughter, and couldn't answer some of the more specific medical questions I had, so I didn't learn much more than what I'd already learned through internet research. Ah, well. At least I sort of got my feet wet. I filled out a questionnaire, with insurance info., so they will be checking on my coverage, and then calling to schedule an appointment with the surgeon I designated. Only two guys (out of a larger practice in S.A.) operate here locally, so there isn't a lot of choice. Only one does RNY, but according to his bio, he's pretty well-regarded nationally, so I think he might actually be a good choice. We'll see when I meet him for a consult.
I'm trying to identify my eating behaviors so that once I have surgery, I can be prepared for roadblocks that I know will pop up. I tend to be a grazer, and my worst time of day is at night, after dinner. I've got to find some things to keep me occupied so that my mind won't automatically wander to food, sweets, in particular!
Well, I guess that's about as far as I can go for now. I'm going to try to keep writing here, so I can have a record of what's going on during this journey.
0 comments
We went to a seminar Thursday night, which was pretty disappointing. For some reason neither of the surgeons was able to be there, so it was led by the nutritionist. She's probably young enough to be my granddaughter, and couldn't answer some of the more specific medical questions I had, so I didn't learn much more than what I'd already learned through internet research. Ah, well. At least I sort of got my feet wet. I filled out a questionnaire, with insurance info., so they will be checking on my coverage, and then calling to schedule an appointment with the surgeon I designated. Only two guys (out of a larger practice in S.A.) operate here locally, so there isn't a lot of choice. Only one does RNY, but according to his bio, he's pretty well-regarded nationally, so I think he might actually be a good choice. We'll see when I meet him for a consult.
I'm trying to identify my eating behaviors so that once I have surgery, I can be prepared for roadblocks that I know will pop up. I tend to be a grazer, and my worst time of day is at night, after dinner. I've got to find some things to keep me occupied so that my mind won't automatically wander to food, sweets, in particular!
Well, I guess that's about as far as I can go for now. I'm going to try to keep writing here, so I can have a record of what's going on during this journey.
My First Post
Jan 16, 2012
Jan. 16, 2012 - My first blog entry. Not sure where to start here, but I guess I can do a little summary of my situation.
I'm 60, married with two sons (28 & 17), and desperate to do something about my weight. I started gaining when I was 6 or 7, and have never stopped, so as of today, my weight is somewhere around 311/312, and I'm 5" 4-1/2" tall. That gives me a BMI of around 52, and puts me in the Super Morbidly Obese category. That sounds so cut-and-dried, but in reality, it is a sickening and terrible place to be, as everyone reading this probably knows. I'm on meds for high blood pressure and hypothyroidism. I also have bipolar disorder and anxiety. I do pretty well despite the mental issues, but live in a state of constant depression because of my weight. I feel awful all the time. I'm exhausted, and it seems like week by week, I'm able to do less and less, which of course only makes weight gain even more inevitable. It's a vicious cycle that I can't seem to escape.
The idea of WLS has flitted around in my mind for a very long time, but I never seriously considered it, because it seemed so drastic, and I was always afraid the surgery itself would kill me. Of course, the truth is, I'm far more likely to die from remaining so fat, than I am while having surgery. After months and months of feeling more and more desperate and sick, in December I started really looking into surgery as a solution. I've been reading everything I can find, and coming here to OH for information and support. Today, I have an appointment with my PCP, and I plan to talk to him in detail about his opinions. He's already said he thinks I should pursue it, but I'd like to see how knowledgeable he is, and see if he has any recommendations on a surgeon. I also called a local surgical weight loss center, and am scheduled to attend a seminar this Thursday, 01/19.
I'm really anxious to move forward with this, because I just get more and more down every day, and I need to find some hope and help to get my life back. That's about it for now. Hopefully, I'll have more to talk about later in the week, after I talk to my doc, and attend my first seminar.
1 comment
I'm 60, married with two sons (28 & 17), and desperate to do something about my weight. I started gaining when I was 6 or 7, and have never stopped, so as of today, my weight is somewhere around 311/312, and I'm 5" 4-1/2" tall. That gives me a BMI of around 52, and puts me in the Super Morbidly Obese category. That sounds so cut-and-dried, but in reality, it is a sickening and terrible place to be, as everyone reading this probably knows. I'm on meds for high blood pressure and hypothyroidism. I also have bipolar disorder and anxiety. I do pretty well despite the mental issues, but live in a state of constant depression because of my weight. I feel awful all the time. I'm exhausted, and it seems like week by week, I'm able to do less and less, which of course only makes weight gain even more inevitable. It's a vicious cycle that I can't seem to escape.
The idea of WLS has flitted around in my mind for a very long time, but I never seriously considered it, because it seemed so drastic, and I was always afraid the surgery itself would kill me. Of course, the truth is, I'm far more likely to die from remaining so fat, than I am while having surgery. After months and months of feeling more and more desperate and sick, in December I started really looking into surgery as a solution. I've been reading everything I can find, and coming here to OH for information and support. Today, I have an appointment with my PCP, and I plan to talk to him in detail about his opinions. He's already said he thinks I should pursue it, but I'd like to see how knowledgeable he is, and see if he has any recommendations on a surgeon. I also called a local surgical weight loss center, and am scheduled to attend a seminar this Thursday, 01/19.
I'm really anxious to move forward with this, because I just get more and more down every day, and I need to find some hope and help to get my life back. That's about it for now. Hopefully, I'll have more to talk about later in the week, after I talk to my doc, and attend my first seminar.
About Me
South Texas,
Location
37.2
BMI
Surgery
09/13/2012
Surgery Date
Dec 17, 2011
Member Since
