merrillee
I've just about always been overweight, except for the couple years I starved myself in high school. Once I got married and had kids it was all over for me. Couldn't keep up, gave up, whatever. I truly like who I am and what I do.....but food had a hold on me.
I was beginning to have some issues with high blood pressure, high cholesterol and type 2diabetes. SO! a few years ago I decided to look into weight loss surgery. I was all ready to go with a bypass -- even had insurance coverage for it.....and got cold feet. Part of it was that my diabetes was not in good control, and when I went on the pre-op diet I got very ill. Also, a friend's mother, who is a super prayer warrior, really didn't sense this was a good thing for me at that time. AND I was REALLY thinking I wished the band was available, which is was not at the time.
Fast forward to 2007. I weighed almost 250 pounds. My type 2 diabetes was under fair control, but that was with HIGH dosages of both metformin pills as well as insulin. Blood pressure was not great, but ok with two meds, cholesterol was high, too, but I tried to combat it by eating lots of oatmeal and taking the "right" vitamins, etc. since I was intolerant to most cholesterol meds.
I decided to check out the band....costs, etc. I had a new insurance which had a written exclusion to any weight loss surgery, so I knew that if I wanted to do this, I'd have to PAY! My family was extremely supportive and felt I should go ahead and finance the thing to try to gain back some health, if nothing else.
I found my surgeon, Dr. Oh and got the process started in March of '07. My financing went through without a hitch, so I was banded on April 3, 2007, which happened to be the Jewish Passover. This had much meaning for me, being a Christian and understanding the Old Testament story of how the Angel of Death "Passed Over" the homes of the Jews in the time of Moses and left them alive. I felt like I had passed over from death to life. Or at least a chance to live a long life, see my grandbabies grow up, etc.
It has been a rough road, but also a joyful one as I am re-learning to eat the band way....and adding exercise has been super, as well. I started by just walking as much as I could.....but by the winter there weren't many places to walk, and I got tired of the mall. So I joined the YMCA in January and have been working out as much as I'm able to. To date, (July, 2008), I have lost 110 pounds and am at a healty weight for the first time in my life. I am off all diabetes and blood pressure medications. My cholesterol is well within normal. I have tons of energy and I finally have hope for the future of my health and body for the first time in my life. I did it with the help of God, the lapband and my surgeon, Dr. Oh.
On April 5, 2008 I also had a massive tummy tuck with Dr. Art Foley in Olympia. It is fabulous. I honestly have NEVER looked so good. I still have some hanging skin here and there (tops of arms and legs) but it's really not so bad that I will be doing anything about it. Now my face.....we'll have to see. It is much slimmer than it was before the weight loss and I can definitely see some sagging. I guess it takes a year or so for the skin to snap into as much place as it's going to, so I will give it until next spring or so to see how it really turns out.
2/26/2012
in November of 2010, my lapband slipped and eroded into my stomach. I had to have emergency surgery to remove it. It has been over a year now, and my weight is up quite a bit....more than 60 pounds from my lowest. This, even though I upped my physical activity and limited myself to no more than 1300 calories per day. These surgeries DO mess up your metabolism.I have really great insurance at this point and am currently seeing Dr. Ross McMahon and Nurse practitioner George Baxter (my friend!) at Swedish Weight Loss surgery in Seattle. Working on getting a gastric sleeve this time. I did so well with the band, as far as being compliant with the rules and losing weight well. I have no doubt that I will be able to lose this weight and get back to what is now to me my NORMAL slim self. It looks like my insurance will require a 6 month medically supervised diet....which, of course, is particularly rediculous in my case (all cases, really)....buy that 's my plan.
09/13/2012
Just had my final Dr. appointment for the 6 month supervised diet part of the journey today! HOORAY! Saw a PA, not George. She told me that since I have been diagnosed with sleep apnea that I HAVE TO be on a C-pap machine or the Dr. won't do my surgery. Nobody ever told me that before. Dang! I don't want to mess with the Dr, or insurance or whatever, so I made a follow-up appointment with the sleep clinic to get one, etc. I do hear it helps you sleep better....hope it doesn't disturb my honey's sleep, though. Asked how long it will take for my insurance to OK the surgery and get scheduled. Sounds like it could take some time, although I have definitely fulfilled all their requirements. Here's hoping it's SOON!
December 31, 2012Had RNY on December 3, 2012. Kinda eventful. My liver had been scarred by the darn lapband and was adhered to my stomach...so they had to repair that. Also had an umbilical hernia...my 3rd. Dang! Ended up losing a lot of blood and had to have a transfusion. In intensive care for several days. My poor honey was freaked. My kids were upset. I was a mess. Fast forward to 4 weeks out. I'm feeling fabulous. Have lost 30 lbs. Doing well. On soft foods. Off diabetes meds and my blood pressure is perfect. Still believe I did the right thing. Wish I'd done RNY to begin with....Darn LapBands!Looking forward to a happy, healthy 2013!
