Cathy A.
I have been overweight all my life. Even when I loose weight I am still bigger than most people. I would like to live my life without worrying everday about my weight. Now that I have found out about WLS I feel there is a light at the end of a very dark tunnel. If it is possible I will have this surgery. I will have a new life. I'm so excited I can't hardly stand it. They say it might take a long time to get the surgery but I am determind to have it as soon as possible.
3/28 I recieved my first authorization to see my Dr. Patching in Sacramento. I already made an appointment for May 9. It seem like a long wait but I will make use of it. I also made appointments for an upper G I and one with a dietion, and with the physchiatrist. I should have them already to take with me to Sacramento. The journey has started.
4/23 My friend Leslie and I are planning to have this surgery together (just like on TV) Leslie had more trouble than I getting her referral. She finally got it last Friday and bingo her PCP referred her to a different Dr. than the one she requested Dr. Patching. Go figure. We talked about it and felt that it would be easier for me to get a new referral so I am now in the process. I do feel I was a sign though an am very happy to be going with Dr. Waldrep in Roseville. My research indicates that he is a wonderful and very capabable Dr. I also know someone who has had him for wls surgery and she says he is the greatist. Waiting for the surgery seems like it is killing me I want it so bad I have no reservations at all I only see a life ahead where now it is minimal to none.
5/23 Leslie and I made our trip to Dr Waldreps consultation on 5/20 Beth his nurse was great she did a brief exam and told us all about the surgery. She said we were both good candidates. We already had almost all of our pre tests completed. The next day we went to see Dr Mabery a bariatric weight management Dr. I don't think this is very important but it just one more hoop to jump through. She was very nice and gave us both clearance also. Now we will just have to wait for a date. It will probably be in mid July.
5/25 I have a date oh happy day July 11. Leslie and I are able to have surgery on the same day. Everything has worked out so nicely. It is really nice to be able to relax having jumped through all those hoops.I spend my extra time now reading posts from the support groups Life is turning for the better.
6/28I have been just waiting and waiting for surgery. Today I went in for my Pre op. Dr. Suh said everything looks good and I was glad to hear that he agrees with drinking protein shakes. I feel I will be healthier and more ready for surgery and after surgery. I spend most of my extra time reading posts at yahoogroups.com I am an email junkie. I have learned so much. You get tons of email but I go through them pretty fast. I feel I am very informed about wls. Learning from people who live it. My favorite is ossg-protein and wowsalsa and ossg and wls400plus you have to have weighed 400 or over before to be able to post. I weighed 425 at my top weight. I lost 4 pounds since last visit I am on my way. I am not afraid only anxious to do this.
7/11 Today I moved to the other side. My surgery went very well. Because of my colon cancer surgery three years ago (I am cancer free thank God) there was a lot of scare tissue. The doctors said I gave them a challenge but everything went well I was in surgery for 2 hours or so. Waking up is no fun I thought what have I done to my self. The first day was the worst. but not really to bad as I look back now lol. The second day I felt much better it felt like I had a knot in my stomach like when you are really upset. It went away by the third day. They watched me closely on the fourth day I took the blue die test it was not to bad and came out just fine. Then I had to do an upper GI. I had to drink some awful yellow sweet liquid. and it seem like way to much. I did it the test came out fine but the liquid made me feel sick and gave me diariah I think it was my first dumping. I had a slight temp 100.2 so they would not let me go home until the 5 th day. I had a 2 hour trip home but it was fine.
7/21 I noticed that I had a swore right arm today. There was a knot about 4 in by 6 inches on my right fore arm. I went to the Dr. localy and they said it was a blood clot from the IV. This is not the type you really worry about. It was treated with blood thinners, antibiotics and warm compress applied to it. It was better in four days and gone in about a week and a half. That was my only complications.
8/20 I have felt wonderful most of the time. I have no problem drinking or eating. I was worried because I thought you weren't suppose to be able to drink very much. I can't just guzzul it down but I can drink a mouthful wait a little bit then drink again. When I could eat food. I would take small bites and chew it up good but I can eat almost normally. I measure out my food because I do not feel fullness right away. If I ate as much as I wanted it would be to much and I would get sick. So far I have not had any dumping, nausea or vomiting. I had two days where I woke up tired feeling but it went away in the afternoon and two days that I felt kind of sick. Food did not sound good and I felt like laying down. It went away just as it came. Most everyday I have felt great. I took it easy and have been working my way back to normal activity. I lost 30 pounds in the first 3 and 1/2 weeks. I can not weigh until I go back to the Dr. or find a scale. I do not feel hungry which amazes me every day.
November 23, 2002
I am now 4 and a half months out from surgery. I have lost over 80 pounds and feel really great. This wls has done for me what I ccould never do for myself. I can eat just about anything that I want. I eat about 1/4 of a normal resturant portion. You can hardly tell I have eaten from my plate but I am full and satisfied. I now can throw away food, this was something I never did before I use to eat mine and finish of the kids plates also. I tell the server not to give me very (I can believe those words come out of my mouth I always wanted more not less) then I only eat part of the less food and throw away the rest. NOW THATS WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT What a concept. I still love food make no mistake about that I just eat so much less. I still make the wrong food choice sometimes and have paid the price (dumping) Now that will get your attention and you don't want to go there again. It is still an adventure and a new life. I am getting close to weighing 2 something and that is great.
January 25
Well I am now 6 months outand a few days I have lost 105 pounds I feel really good, people are finally starting to notice that I am loosing weight it is kind of amazing to me that some people don't seem aware at all. I am down to a size 24 from a 34 or bigger. I take lots of vitamins and try to drink all my water and exercise. My job is pretty physical so that helps. I sure can do my job easier now. I am still a big girl but is so much better. I don't feel like a freak now. I am not the biggest in the room always. I am learning the importance of changing my eating behavior now so I can live this new life. I can eat some sugar and fats but I try to really limit them and eat more healthy this is not a fairy tale ending where you can eat like a horse and not gain. I have a tool that helps me now I eat about 1/4 of a regular meal. I have portion control now I never could do that before. I am satisfied with a small amount that was also unheard of before. I am very grateful these days and so happy for all of us wls friends.
May 16, 2003
Wow time flies when you are having fun. I am 10 months out now and I have lost 132 pounds. I cut my hair got contacts again and wear make up. Everyday someone tells me how great I look and how much younger I look. and how much smaller I am. My deflated ego gets pumped up more each day. The weight loss has slowed way down and plateaus sometimes but if I exercise more I think I will do better. I feel great. I am active in my support groups one in Roseville where I had surgery and one in Modesto. I drink at least 3 protein shakes a day and take a mountain of vitamins it seems like. I found out I have moderate Osteoporosis Yuk and so I take extra vitamins for that. Make sure you get a Dexascan for a base line I am so glad I didn't wait, it was bad enough already.
12/3/03
Well time flies when your having fun and life is so much better now. I have lost 151 pounds and feel great. I have had to take a hard look at the foods I choose to eat. I want to loose about 60 more pounds and I will not if I keep eating whatever I want. And the most important thing is I need to exercise more. I wish I had from the beginning I would have lost more weight. But it is something I must work on. I do feel I will reach my goal but now I will have to work for it.
9/12/06
I guess it is time to update almost 3 years have past and they have been very interesting to say the least. My weight loss stop at that last posting and i did not lose any more weight. I stayed the same weight for ablout a year then I had foot surgery and could not get around. I gained about 15 pounds but was not worried because I thought it would come off when I was back to work. Well it didn't. Then one year later I had another foot surgery and gained another 15 pounds. Now I am frantic and feeling so bad about myself. I had an upper GI done and it was found that my stoma is streched and that he food just goes right through so I get hungry soon after eating and I can eat to much. So I went to see Dr Higa in Fresno about getting a lap band and he thought it would help me.
I have a date of October 27 for surgery and I am so excited. I feel like I am having wls for the first time. I have started a Yahoo group RevisionBandsters so anyone that is having my problem join and we will all help each other.
10/23/06
Well it is 4 days until surgery on the 27th I am very excited and can hardly wait. I have a very positive feeling about this wls.
1/19/07
It is almost 3 months since I was banded. This wls is very different from the RNY. It has been very slow for me. I felt no restriction which is what usually happens when first being banded. They want to give you time to heal. I have had 3 fills so far and I am just now begining to feel something because of the band. I am going to see Dr Higa again on the 31st and get a little more fill and then I think I will be on my way. I have been in what is called banster hell but I do see the light of day. I have lost 20 pounds so far and believe this is going to work.
8/16/07
It almost ten months since banding. It has been a very slow process for me. I really didn't lose any weight in the 7 months since January post. The fills were slow to work and then about 4 months ago when I went for a fill there was nothing in the band and we thought I might have a leak but when I went bac a mont later I was fine no leak but I had to start the process all over again. I live 2 hours from my Dr so it makes it hard to just run back and get a fill so thats another reason it has taken so long.
Now to the good news. On July 19 I went for a fill I am now at 3cc in 4cc band. The Dr asked me to give up sweets and bread. I promised to do this. Wow what a difference I have been able to do this and really monitor my food. I have rewarded with a 18 pound weight loss and its still not a month. I am almost where I was at my lowest weight since RNY so I am very happy. I thought this would work and it is I can now see myself getting under 200 and may even more.
6/19/08
I now weigh 225 tha is 200 pounds from my highest weight ever so I am very happy and see that 200 pound goal just around the corner, I feel much better about my band it is working for me.
