mebmgr
5/29/04 Less than a month to go before surgery. I have been carrying around this extra weight for years, tomorrow my oldest daughter will be 33, the day she was born I weighed 170 and I have yo-yo dieted for years. Loose the weight only to gain back that plus more. I have tried just about every diet that there is only for the weight to come back. When I started doing my research on gastric bypass I'm really glad that I found this sight...information I got from here made my decision alot easier. Yes, I am concerned about the out come. I do have sleep apnea and they bought my CPAP to my house on Tuesday, that is getting to be fun using that. I've run into 2 people that have had the surgery and looking at them I would have never known that they have once been over-weight, it was an assume thought to think that in a year I could be down that much weight.
6/10/04 Had my appointment with the dr. today and he had all my tests back and everything looked good. So 2 weeks from today is my surgery, how the time has flown by. The drs. office had called me 2 weeks ago and told me to go on the Atkins Diet till surgery, when I got weighed today I had lost 7/lbs. He wants to make sure the liver isn't fatty so he has more room to work.
6/19/04 My co-workers took me out to lunch yesterday, some of them can't understand why I am going thru with this, but hopefully they realize that I am doing this for my health. One of the ladies had told me to make sure that everything I like to eat now make sure I have it since I won't be able to after surgery. The hardest thing so far was giving up the Pepsi's. The sodas have always been my downfall. I will be working from home the first of next week so I can start the clear liquid diet and drink the fleet stuff. It's hard to believe that I am less than a week away from surgery.
My grandson turns 9 on Monday and my daughter is having his birthday party today.
6/28/04 Well, Dr. Hottie did it again, I got out of the hospital on Sunday, he kept me a extra day till I passed gas. My surgery ended up being 5 hours because my esphogaus doesn't come straight down like it is suppose to. The most pain I had was from that darn drain, and they figured the morphine was making me fell sick on the stomach. I get to see the Dr. on Wednesday to have the staples taken out.
6/30/04 Went to see the dr. today and get the staples out, I had only lost 4 lbs but he said that I am retaining fluid so he wants me to try and get more water down. He said to start exercising, and once I stop the pain medicine for 24 hours I can start driving again. I hate riding in the passenger seat. I also get to start pureed foods.
7/9/04 It's now 2 weeks out from surgery and I am feeling really good. I still find it hard to get all the protein down but I am getting the best majority of it. About the only thing that still hurts some is where the drain tube was in. I am getting some walking in, I go see the doc on the 21st.
7/26/04 Well alot has been going on since I last posted. My mother took ill and passed away on the 14th of July, then lasts Sunday when I woke up I noticed I was feeling sick and my back was hurting under my shoulder blade, well I call the docs office on Tues and they told me they would send me for a gallbladder sonongram on Wed while I was up there for my appointment. Well, the sonogram came back negative so the doc. ordered a hydra scan and with that I was admitted to the hospital to have my gall bladder removed, so that surgury was done on Friday. They loaded me up with fluids, when I weighed at the docs on Wed. I was down to 249, now this morning when I got on my scales I weighed 266. I hope all this extra fluid leaves quickly. I had been taking the gall bladder medicine at least now that is one less pill I have to take.
8/28/04 Didn't realized that it had been a month since I lasts posted on here, well I have finally losts a little over 50 pounds which really makes me feel good. I went back to work on the 9th of Aug. Got back to work and found out that our main office is relocating for Florida by the first part of next year so we have been given an incentive to stay thru the end. I really wish now I had stayed off an extra week, with 2 surgeries in a months time I just wasn't up to it. Any how I am feeling better getting more water down, having trouble on getting all the protein down. I have been using items with Splenda and trying to stay away from the "real" sugar. So far I haven't had any problems with any foods. I'm really glad that I had this done and that Dr. Chebli was my doctor.
10/5/04 All is going real well, I have lost almost 70 pounds, I go back to see Dr. "C" on the 19th of this month. After a couple months of not wanting to eat or drink anything we figured that it was one of my meds that I was on and once we stopped that I have been drinkng alot more and wanting to eat more. I don't have the appetite that I use to have. It's really funny watching people eat what I use to be able to eat. I work near Worldgate and the TGI Friday's the manager was really nice when I went there for lunch, I explained that I had had surgery and he told me he would make however much I needed. My employer sent me into another tail spin by changing our health insurance on Nov. 1. My insurance has already paid $500.00 towards the rental purchase of my cpap machine, now I have to turn that back in and have the dr. I am using order it from the company that uses the new insurance. So far Anthem paid both my hospital bills at 100%
10/20/04 Got to go see the good doctor yesterday, he is pleased with how well I am doing. I have lost a total of 76 pounds since my surgery. I have a co-worker that I have gotten into walking with me, so we are walking 2 times a day in the companies parking garage...it keeps us out of the bad weather. S
12/12/04 It's hard to believe that it has almost been 6 months since my surgery. I have lost almost 100 pounds, hopefully when I see the "DR." on 12/23 it will be 100. I have started shedding my hair and his office told me to drink an extra protein drink.Looking back I'm really glad that I had the surgery done I wish now I had done it sooner.
1/30/05 Well it has been 7 months and I have lost almost 110 pounds. I feel great, am still shedding, my lab work came back fine for my 6 months check up.
4/10/05 I saw the good "Dr." on 3/24/05 for my 9 month check-up and to get my blood work done. I have lost a total of 121 pounds since my surgery. I got the results back of the blood work and it was great...
6/23/05 Today I went in for my one year check up, I have losts a total of 137 pounds and have only 16 more to get to my goal weight. I'm also really sad to find out that Dr. "Hottie" is leaving, he will be greatly missed.
8/19/05 I go in a month to see Dr. Chebli's replacement, still can't believe that he's not going to be here for my next appointment. I still cry when I think about him not being here. I think my weight lose has finally slowed down, I have lost a total of 140 pounds since June of 2004. I have my next appointment on the 22nd of Sept., my baby who will be 24 next month is getting married on the 24th...and I will have a new grandbaby the end of December. The sonogram says it's a boy...so I will have 2 grandsons and 2 granddaughters. Have experimented to see what "sugar" would do...at least I didn't have any dumping, I need to make sure that I don't slip back into eating the wrong things.
10/19/05 I saw Dr. Chebli's replacement lasts week, he really seems to be a good doctor, but I sure do miss "Dr. Hottie".Well since June I haven't lost anymore weight and haven't gained any either. I'm at 143 pounds...can't remember when the lasts time was that I weighed that...want to say I was in my 20's. Have been trying to see about having surgery for excess skin removal...the plastic surgeons want all the money over and above what my insurance will cover. I have been working with Dr. Drake at UVA Medical Center and for some reason they are having problems getting my paperwork thru to my insurance. Have had allot going on my daughter got married which I will try and put the pictures on here, I moved to No. Va., changed jobs...and going to have another grandbaby in December
1/25/06 I had my tummy tuck done on 1/10/06, by Dr. David Drake from UVA Hospital. I am now down to 130/lbs. It took us a long time to get my insurance approval. So far I have done very well, came back to work on the 23rd part-time...the incisions are sore. Dr. Drake is excellent.
2/17/06 Recovery on the tummy tuck has been good, wish I hadn't gone back to work after 2 weeks but didn't have short term disability...but I was only suppose to go back to 4 hours per day...but I work 2 jobs and was working 4 hours for each. I am well pleased with the results so far. I have been trying to go with the stomach binder off a couple hours at a time, but I feel more comfortable with it on. The hospital provided one, but I went to a Pharmacy in Culpeper where I found a stomach binder that was longer than what UVA had given me. My hospital bill for the one night.was just under $17,000, United Healthcare paid all of that except for $1679.00. Haven't seen Dr. Drake's bill yet. I go on Monday for a check-up.
6/26/06 Well, it has been 2 years since my surgery. My weight is right around 140. I have done really well since my surgery in January for the tummy tuck. Finding out now I am hungry all the time. I'm finding that I can tolerate surgar and have been consuming things with real sugar instead of Splenda. I need to stay way from the sugar. I drink allot of diet sodas which I need to get back to drinking water. Having this surgery was the best thing I have ever done.
10/23/06 I am now 22 months out from my surgery. In the pasts several months I have gotten where I wasn't taking my vitamins like I should, so now I am severely anemic where they will now have to give me iron via an IV. I had to go find as many of the vitamins as I could in chewables. Also, I wasn't walking or exercising like I should so I have put on 8 pounds. I want to crunch ice all the time. Need to get more walking in.
1/3/07 well it has been 24 months since my surgery, I have gained a little but still under 150/lbs hadn't been taking my vitamins like I should and have become severly anemic and had to have iron via a IV for the lasts 8 weeks. Went on my first cruise at Thanksgiving and had a wonderful time...was on the Carribean Princess and was able to run up and down the stairs. Need to find more time for walking and getting exercise but with working 2 jobs it's a little hard. Really need to find a support group but with the hours I work it's hard to find one that fits in
I sure do miss Dr. Chebli, he was wonderful.
6/25/07 Yesterday was my 3 year anniversary how time flies!! No one remembered but me what yesterday was and what it means to me. I sit and looked at pictures prior to my surgery and can't believe that I let myself get that way. I also don't ever want to get that large again. I know if I don't watch what I am doing that can be done and that scares me to death to think about that. I also know that I am not watching what I should be eating for so long I hadn't had "real" sugar and have found that I can eat it without much side effects and I need to stop it. Of course I tell myself this once and not tomorrow but tomorrow comes and I eat it again.
Well, I get to see the doctor today also to see about my labs...if you are reading this take your vitamins daily...I'm paying for not doing that. I have to get back to taking them on a daily basis.
2/25/2008 Well I am headed towards my 4 year anniversary and have started picking up weight. I have found myself grazing and going back into some of my old eatting habits. I also am not exercising like I should. I am up to 162.lbs on the doctors scales. Went to see him today and told him that there are times that I can eat a full meal and he claims that I shouldn't be able to. Will have to go back in 2 months for labs again since my Vitamin D level is down.
7/25/2008 Well, I am now up to 170/lbs. I can't seem to stop the grazing I can eat a full meal