lynnsarasin
I have struggled with my weight for over 25 years ever since I became an insulin dependent diabetic when I was 18 years old. I have been as small as a size 8 and as large as a size 24. I've weighed anywhere from 135 to 258 over the past several years and have never been able to stay at the same weight for more than a few months at a time.
In February 2007 I went through extensive tests and an evaluation for a pancreas transplant, at Fairview, MInneapolis, MN. I was finally placed on the list on April 13, 2007 for my pancreas, but was then notified by my transplant coordinator that I had gained too much weight to stay active on the list. As long as I kept taking the enormous amounts of insulin I needed to in order to keep my blood sugars stable, I couldn't lose any weight. The scale just seemed to keep creeping up every day. My transplant coordinator said I would still be on the list accruing time but would not be able to actually have the transplant until I lost at least 70 pounds. I actually have a total of 120 to lose.
It was when I started seeing my Health Psychologist, Dr. Greg Jones, that we seriously discussed the option of the Roux En Y surgery. I had been thinking about this for years but just never followed through with even getting more information. It seemed like my only option now in order to get back active on the transplant list. I made up my mind that I was going to do this and spoke with my PCP, Dr. Florin Stuleanu. He was very supportive in this idea and even wrote a letter for me to submit to the insurance company stating whey he thought I should have this surgery right away and named all the other medical problems I was having. The insurance company sent all the paperwork back to his office and said it needed to come from the surgeon. I immediately called my surgeon, Dr. Wayne English, and he agreed to submit a letter to my insurance stating why he also thought I needed to have the surgery immediately. It was approximately two months later that I got the phone call that I was approved. (There's nothing like that particular phone call. I couldn't control the excitement inside.)
I had my Roux En Y surgery on Monday, October 29, 2007 at Marquette General Hospital by Dr. Wayne English. Everything went great and I was able to return home on the 3rd day. The next several days were pure hell. I had a lot of pain, fever, sweats, chills, migraines, etc. All of a sudden, everything broke, stabilized, and I felt like a new person on a whole new journey to a whole new life. Then 2 weeks post op I developed an infection and had to go back twice to have it drained and packed. They taught my husband how to clean and pack it at home....lucky guy! Then 3 weeks post op I still wasn't able to keep any food down so I called my surgeon's office and they told me I needed to get up there right away. I had a scope test and it ended up I had a stricture. They did a balloon procedure to open it back up. I know the journey will be eternal but I'm looking forward to what is in store for my future.
All I am asking is to be free from all the pain I was in before the surgery, to live healthy and to have my quality of life back so I can spend the years I have left participating in my husband and children's lives! With God in our lives, I know all things are possible....I praise Him for helping me through each day! ONE DAY AT A TIME........
