sandy C.
My Journey Begins
Apr 21, 2007
I am a happily married mother of two and a grandmother of 6 and a step-mother of two who are just as important to me as my own children.
I started thinking about gastric bypass about four years ago after my mom passed away, but didn't get serious until Sept. 2006 when I began to have health problems, Walking was getting very hard, just getting up and down in church and out of chairs at home was beginning to be a huge issue, Getting out of a bathtub was impossible, but I knew that I had to get serious when I stepped out of our travel trailer and broke the bolt in the top step, So I talked to my husband and told him I was going to approach our family dr about this, he immediately agreed so the journey began.
Since I was his first patient to think about this in our area, It was going to be a learning experience for all of us.
I first had to find out if our insurance would cover it, and I was lucky to find out that Tri Care Prime would pay if you met what they required,
So next step was to start getting all my ducks in a row, I had belonged to Weight Watchers and had lost weight only to gain it all back plus about an extra 50. I had also belonged to Curves but again the joint pain and the weight were more than I could handle and I would try and go every other day but the joint pain would be so bad that I wouldn't be able to move that night and the next day, which made it very hard to work, as I am a pet groomer thankfully I worked for myself and my husband helped me or that would not have been possible, so in Oct. 2006 I stared all the testing that would start this Journey.
My next step was to find a bariatric surgeon that was in the tri care prime network, but before this would happen I would break out with shingles and find myself in the biggest mess of my life, I was in so much pain that I couldn't even get up off the couch much less work this went on for about 12 to 14 weeks, durning that time I really got in bad physical condition and gained even more weight and lost what muscle tone that I had left, as I began to feel better I began looking again for my surgeon. I would soon find Dr. Russell Gornichec of Oklahoma City. At first I had wished that I could find someone a little closer to home, but after meeting with him, I know that it was meant to be. Although I still don't like the four hour drive and the cost of a hotel, but it can't be helped. I know he is going to be worth it in the long run.
Now I think all the test that my family doctor did, was just extra money spent, or maybe it was the ground work that was needed. Dr. G has wanted his own tests which I think has been a good thing, but like everyone else I wanted this surgery yesterday so the waiting has been rough
My first meeting with Dr. G was on Tuesday March 20th and that was his Semminar. I was so nerves and afraid that he would not approve me for the program that would give me a new life.
My next appointment would be Wed. March 21 when I met with him one on one, His staff was so nice and they weighed me and measured to see how tall I was and took my blood pressure, oh it was so high that day even on medication, but I was so afraid that I would say the wrong thing or he wouldn't think that I was a good candiate that I was afraid to say anything, He tried to lighten the mood with a couple of jokes and finally ask if I was afraid of him but he put me to ease as much as he could and then it was up to Kim to start setting up my appointments. My first appointment was another sleep study, the first had been done in ft. smith ar. January 2 2007 and after waiting more that 6 weeks they said I didn't have sleep apnea but did have a very bad case of restless legg so put me on meds for that. Now Dr. G wanted another one run and on March 28 they found that I did have sleep apnea and that I would need a cpap.
On April 3 it was back to Oklahoma City to get ready for an EGD on Wed the 4th. at St. Anthonys North after the test Dr. G came in and said that I had a stomach full of ulcers and put me on medication. This was a set back for sure. Thursday the 5th was a free day with nothing to do so just sat around the hotel room resting up for Friday. Friday started out with a bang, Earlier morning we would go to Baptist as an out patient to have lab work, chest x-rays, Ekg and Echo, thought that we would have some extra time but time was passing quickly and I didn't have that much time to worry about the Psych exam that I was going to have at 2:00, Well about all I can say about that test was that the Dr. talk to me for about 2 hours and then told me that this surgery was going to rock my world, but that I passed as he felt that I had a good support group and a family dr. that I could talk to when I needed to, and also that I had shared with people in my church and my clients in my shop that I was having this surgery and he consider it to be a good thing.
On Saturday April 7 I would have my first group meeting and met so many wonderfu people who were willing to share their stories and many people like myself who had many questions to ask Dr. G requires one meeting before and after surgery. I want to thank everyone who puts these meeting on and gives of their time to help all of us who are just starting.
My next appointment was with my family dr. on April 10 I needed him to send the rest of my records to Dr. G office. One member of his office staff didn't see the importance of any of this and only sent the one page, luckly I found this out before our next trip to the City.
For a Break we took a trip to Branson Mo. We keep a 30 foot trailer in Treasure Lake Resort and just rested and spent time with our dogs who go with. We also went out to Silver Dollar for a couple of hours but since I can't walk very far or can't get up and down the hills in the city we just set on top and listened to music, Came home on the 15th and then it was off again to Oklahoma City for more appointments.
April 17 I had an appointment with Dr. Huff who is a Pulmonary specialist, Who told me that my lungs were in good shape considering I had been a smoker for 20 years. He told me some of the major problems with this surgery was with a persons lungs, He also told me alot about Dr. G and that his numbers were good, So that helped me to know that I had picked a good surgeon.
At 6:30 that night I meet with another support group and enjoyed that group also,
At 9:00 p.m. went and had the last part of my sleep study and got fitted for my cpap machine, waiting for a call telling me when to come and get it.
April 18 I met with Dr. Gornichec and we went over test results and he said the we needed do the EGD over again and look at the ulcers again but that everything else was ago
I started thinking about gastric bypass about four years ago after my mom passed away, but didn't get serious until Sept. 2006 when I began to have health problems, Walking was getting very hard, just getting up and down in church and out of chairs at home was beginning to be a huge issue, Getting out of a bathtub was impossible, but I knew that I had to get serious when I stepped out of our travel trailer and broke the bolt in the top step, So I talked to my husband and told him I was going to approach our family dr about this, he immediately agreed so the journey began.
Since I was his first patient to think about this in our area, It was going to be a learning experience for all of us.
I first had to find out if our insurance would cover it, and I was lucky to find out that Tri Care Prime would pay if you met what they required,
So next step was to start getting all my ducks in a row, I had belonged to Weight Watchers and had lost weight only to gain it all back plus about an extra 50. I had also belonged to Curves but again the joint pain and the weight were more than I could handle and I would try and go every other day but the joint pain would be so bad that I wouldn't be able to move that night and the next day, which made it very hard to work, as I am a pet groomer thankfully I worked for myself and my husband helped me or that would not have been possible, so in Oct. 2006 I stared all the testing that would start this Journey.
My next step was to find a bariatric surgeon that was in the tri care prime network, but before this would happen I would break out with shingles and find myself in the biggest mess of my life, I was in so much pain that I couldn't even get up off the couch much less work this went on for about 12 to 14 weeks, durning that time I really got in bad physical condition and gained even more weight and lost what muscle tone that I had left, as I began to feel better I began looking again for my surgeon. I would soon find Dr. Russell Gornichec of Oklahoma City. At first I had wished that I could find someone a little closer to home, but after meeting with him, I know that it was meant to be. Although I still don't like the four hour drive and the cost of a hotel, but it can't be helped. I know he is going to be worth it in the long run.
Now I think all the test that my family doctor did, was just extra money spent, or maybe it was the ground work that was needed. Dr. G has wanted his own tests which I think has been a good thing, but like everyone else I wanted this surgery yesterday so the waiting has been rough
My first meeting with Dr. G was on Tuesday March 20th and that was his Semminar. I was so nerves and afraid that he would not approve me for the program that would give me a new life.
My next appointment would be Wed. March 21 when I met with him one on one, His staff was so nice and they weighed me and measured to see how tall I was and took my blood pressure, oh it was so high that day even on medication, but I was so afraid that I would say the wrong thing or he wouldn't think that I was a good candiate that I was afraid to say anything, He tried to lighten the mood with a couple of jokes and finally ask if I was afraid of him but he put me to ease as much as he could and then it was up to Kim to start setting up my appointments. My first appointment was another sleep study, the first had been done in ft. smith ar. January 2 2007 and after waiting more that 6 weeks they said I didn't have sleep apnea but did have a very bad case of restless legg so put me on meds for that. Now Dr. G wanted another one run and on March 28 they found that I did have sleep apnea and that I would need a cpap.
On April 3 it was back to Oklahoma City to get ready for an EGD on Wed the 4th. at St. Anthonys North after the test Dr. G came in and said that I had a stomach full of ulcers and put me on medication. This was a set back for sure. Thursday the 5th was a free day with nothing to do so just sat around the hotel room resting up for Friday. Friday started out with a bang, Earlier morning we would go to Baptist as an out patient to have lab work, chest x-rays, Ekg and Echo, thought that we would have some extra time but time was passing quickly and I didn't have that much time to worry about the Psych exam that I was going to have at 2:00, Well about all I can say about that test was that the Dr. talk to me for about 2 hours and then told me that this surgery was going to rock my world, but that I passed as he felt that I had a good support group and a family dr. that I could talk to when I needed to, and also that I had shared with people in my church and my clients in my shop that I was having this surgery and he consider it to be a good thing.
On Saturday April 7 I would have my first group meeting and met so many wonderfu people who were willing to share their stories and many people like myself who had many questions to ask Dr. G requires one meeting before and after surgery. I want to thank everyone who puts these meeting on and gives of their time to help all of us who are just starting.
My next appointment was with my family dr. on April 10 I needed him to send the rest of my records to Dr. G office. One member of his office staff didn't see the importance of any of this and only sent the one page, luckly I found this out before our next trip to the City.
For a Break we took a trip to Branson Mo. We keep a 30 foot trailer in Treasure Lake Resort and just rested and spent time with our dogs who go with. We also went out to Silver Dollar for a couple of hours but since I can't walk very far or can't get up and down the hills in the city we just set on top and listened to music, Came home on the 15th and then it was off again to Oklahoma City for more appointments.
April 17 I had an appointment with Dr. Huff who is a Pulmonary specialist, Who told me that my lungs were in good shape considering I had been a smoker for 20 years. He told me some of the major problems with this surgery was with a persons lungs, He also told me alot about Dr. G and that his numbers were good, So that helped me to know that I had picked a good surgeon.
At 6:30 that night I meet with another support group and enjoyed that group also,
At 9:00 p.m. went and had the last part of my sleep study and got fitted for my cpap machine, waiting for a call telling me when to come and get it.
April 18 I met with Dr. Gornichec and we went over test results and he said the we needed do the EGD over again and look at the ulcers again but that everything else was ago
