NadineM
********LATEST UPDATES AT BOTTOM*****
~~~~~~~~~~~~~HAD LAP-RNY ON JULY 19th, 2004~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
4/2/04 - I was hoping to have LAP-BAND surgery in 2004. My BMI is right at 39.9 - 40.6 I am 5"1' and weigh between 210-215. In high school I weighed 98-110#, I'd be happy to be about 114 again. I am originaly from CA. moved to Washington State about 7 years ago.
I have Blue Cross Blue Shield of MN and am hoping they will authorize right away. Although, I do not have any comorbidities that are life threatening right now! I do have PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Disease), infertility, major joint problems, arthritis in almost all my joints, exercise induced asthma, lethargic in general, back & neck problems, and mild sleep apnea....Obesity runs in the family, one grandparent (mother's side) had diabetes (both are passed away) and mother is hypoglycemic. Biological father died last year, asthma. My granny in the pic is on my Dad's side and she is tiny and not too many health problems.
4-22-04 - Met with surgeon Dr. Hong, very nice Canadian man. My husband was with me so we asked the most general questions and concerns. We talked about complications and in the end it sounded like the RNY would be the best choice for me, according to what I told the doctor. I know the LAP-BAND is the NEW surgery of choice and I totally understand why. Less invasive to your body, less recovery time, no stapling of any organs etc....BUT....I also know that it takes SOME people 2-3 years to loose all their weight.
With the BAND there is more up-keep, you need to see your surgeon more often, come in for fills etc.....with the RNY with no complications (God willing) you can continue living a normal life just make sure you take all your suppliments and get that PROTEIN in.
Since I am a 38 year old mainly healthy woman, I feel that I will heal well with the RNY. Then again I question myself ...... would I rather have a surgery that over half the population has had than a new one that has only been in the USA since 2001? Or should I try the "NEW" and improved WLS? I know the BAND has been in Europe way longer then USA but I feel better about the surgery they call the "Gold Standard" surgery here in America. I am sooooo confused....can you tell???
This week I am having my EKG and Echocardiogram since I had taken Phen-Fen many years ago. Also he wants me to have another Sleep Study since I was diagnosed 4 years ago with MILD Sleep Apnea & a CPAP if needed, I guess he wants to make sure I don't croak on the table from not breathing, so I guess that's a good thing! LOL
I'll write again as soon as I get the news....take care!
4-26-04 - Sleep study, NO-CPAP needed...YEAH...very mild sleep apnea!
5-5-04 - Deleted entry
5-10-04 - Heard from my Dr.s office, I am approved for the Gastric Bypass
:( I was like "what?" I wanted to try first for the LAP-BAND!!!! She said oh we submitted you for the GB. I was steaming......so she asked me to call and find out what to do now? I thought that was the Insurance person's job? Anyhow we have re-submitted it for the Band now.....just waiting to get an answer........ Uhgggggg!
5-17-04 - Denied first time for Lap Band
6-25-04 - Denied 2nd time for Lap-Band
7-2-04 - RNY was submitted and approved in 3 days of course!!!! I have decided to move forward with this. I know I cannot stay heavy like this and I have met personally several people that are fine from this surgery. I know everyone is scared and who wouldn't be? Surgery is a scary thing whether it's consensual or not. There are people every day who go for un-needed plastic surgery to nip/tuck/add things into their body and there are risks with that and they do it. I am leaving my life and body in Gods hands.......knowing that he will take care of me. I have been in pretty good health most of my life. My body is just deteriorating with all the weight on me. I am looking forward to getting my health back, to do the things I used to and not feel ashamed of my body, being able to walk the mall again with my mom and sisters would be an improvement for me. To go for a hike with my husband and to do all things we want to do without me having to stay home will be so nice. Thank you all for your support, I will be having LAP-RNY in 2 weeks....Please pray for me.........thank you :)
7-12-04 - Well, one week away......nervous, excited, nervous, excited....oh, did I tell you I was nervous and excited??? Trying to prepare everything even though I feel like I am planning my departure sometimes. Making contact with old friends I haven't talked to, and trying to make sure my husband is ok with the meal situation, etc.....
Things I am looking forward to doing (I love these lists)
~Snow skiing again
~Horseback riding
~Lovemaking with the lights on
~bike riding with my husband
~Hiking and mountain climbing with my husband
~rollerblading
~walking the mall for more then 1 hour
~running around with my nephews
~No more rashes between my legs
~crossing those legs
~Not out of breath from a flight of stairs
~Being able to take the stairs
~No more knee & joint pain
~Better sleep and feeling rested
~Thong bikini here I come :)
Ok, any bathing suit in public would be nice
~Having a flat tummy again
7-17-04 - Here I am the night before surgery, and I am going to see Tim McGraw in concert! I figure this will keep my mind off of tomorrow and by the time I get home I will be tired and hopefully sleep well......! I have been nervous then I was fine and was at peace with this decision. But then I look at my husband and know how much he loves me just the way I am, then I think is this the right decision? I know everyone has to feel this way. None of us WANT willingly to subject ourselves, but are left with only this alternative in having the life we all desire. Genetics and bad habits are just NOT fair! But this will improve the quality and give me a chance to live life better.
I will update when I get home.......best of luck to everyone else!
Hugs........Nadine
7-21-04 - I'M BACK~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Surgery was on Monday and I was home Tues. night!! Unbelievable.....! They had to keep me under longer then the normal time, I guess my upper abdominal muscles gave them some probelms so I needed more muscle relaxers. Was in about 10:00 and out of recovery about 3:00 they were done with surgery I think around 12:00. Today my abs are extremely sore, I think I have torn the muscles trying to get up and down so I will rest this week and let them heal. If it wasn't for them I think I feel somewhat normal. k, I'll write more in a couple of days...thanks everyone.....hugs Nadine
7-27-04 - Passed the 1 week mark, and getting better. My left side rib cage still giving me extreme pain. But overall I feel good. Trying to get the water and protein in is hard but I am following the rules as much as I can. Walking about 2 blocks everyday.
Here is stats:
START WEIGHT - 213 at 5'1" size 18-20 pants
DAY OF SURGERY - 203 (lost 10 they asked me to loose)
ONE WEEK - 197 (down -6lbs)
TWO WEEKS - 195 (-8lbs)
THREE WEEKS - 190 (-13lbs)
FOUR WEEKS - 188 (-15lbs)
FIVE WEEKS - 185 (-18lbs)
SIX WEEKS - 180 (-23lbs)
SEVEN WEEKS -2 week plateau UHHHGGG!!!
EIGHT WEEKS= 2 months - 176 (-27lbs)
Skipped a few weeks here...sorry
Almost 3 MONTHS - 171 (-32lbs)
3 months & 1 week - 167 (-36lbs)
3 months and 3 weeks - 164 (-39lbs) size 14 & 12 pants :)~
I will start entering monthly from here on!
NOV. 19th = 4 months - 160 (-43lbs) -53 w/pre-op lost weight
DEC. 19th = 5 months - 150 (-53 lbs) slow but steady (size 10)
JAN. 19th = 6 months -144 (-59 lbs)only 6 pounds lost this month :( Oh well...
11/2005 PAST ALL THIS AND FORGOT TO UPDATE
I AM 1 year 4 months and weigh 109# (down 104 pounds) since surgery
8-2-04 - Well, I am a SLOW LOSER, I don't know what's going on but I have not budged on that damn scale for a week now. I am trying to get in 32-40 oz of liquid and a protein drink every day which has 20 grams of protein plus protein in foods, but maybe I am eating too much?
My left side pain is slightly still there and walking is barely all I can do right now. My stomach muscle from my main left incision to my belly button incision feels like it is still torn. I can't really sleep on my left side yet or move comfortably in and out of bed without feeling like I am pulling the muscle. I still have that egg size lump under the left main incision and it still hurts to sit and bend down. I have my post-op apt tomorrow so I will see what this is. I called Sonja (Dr. P.'s) assitant last week and she tells me it sounds like a collection of fluid or blood, I just hope that's what it is. She says it will dislove on it's own, but here we are 2 weeks and it's still there?
Overall I am feeling fine, off pain meds and driving and going to work, and running errands after 2 weeks. Now, if only the weight would start to fall off, so I can feel all this was worth it!!!
8-9-04 - 3 WEEKS POST-OP
Finally that damn scale budged and i lost another 3-4 pounds...thank you God!I was beginning to wonder if they really did the surgery!!! LOL I stil am having a bit of difficulty scheduling the vitamins, the water, the protein....drink this before that and not before 1 hour....lol I know they say that just try your best....I think they give you such a high guideline to strive for anyway just so you hit enough even if it's lower. I swear one needs a personal assistant to keep me on track. Oh yeah...don't forget to work, clean the house and make dinner and of course walk, walk, walk.....Uhggggg! I also wonder if your a smaller person don't you need less???? Hmmmm......Anyhow, things are alot better now though the left side pain has subsided though the knot under the incison is still there it doesn't hurt that much and I can now lay on both sides. My back has started to hurt a bit due to the compensation for my stomach muscles.
I am tolerating solid foods since last week. I asked the Dr's assistant and she said that it was fine as long as I can handle it. I was a bit scared but knock-on wood nothing bad has happened...Y-E-A-H! I just take small bits and try to stop if I feel full...though sometimes I feel like I could eat the whole thing..I try to stop about 2-4 oz of anything.
Well, I am definetly a SLOW LOSER but that's ok with me! I am down about 11 pounds since surgery and had lost another 10 before surgery so that put's me at 21 pound loss....until then!!!!
8-14-04 - Well, I am 26 DAYS POST-OP and only down 13-15 pounds!! Uhgggg! Oh well, I can notice alot in my clothes and that makes me feel better. I am still having issues trying to see what I should be eating. I am NOT eating junk food, but maybe too high of carbs in some things. Oh, well still truckin along....C-Ya!
8-22-04 - Well, it's been along road....I was plateauing for about 2 weeks and somewhere in there I have lost another 5 pounds...YEAH!
I also had last week the DREADED FOOD get stuck. I had a bite of my husband's beef on a cracker and just inhaled it and never chewed and felt like I was going to die. It for sure was stuck, and up came the GROSS saliva stuff. No food just gobs of saliva. It took about an hour till I didn't feel it stuck and I then tried the meat tenderizer that everyone suggests. No dinner for me that night. (No wonder I lost 2 pounds!!!!) The next day I still felt it was swollen and sore like there was something there so I ate only soft creamy stuff for the day and it has mostly gone away. But I still think I am eating way too much normal things and I have to step back and go more mushy foods.
8-30-04 - Going on my sixth week here....Finally I made the 23 pound loss!! Yeah, that's a total of 33 pounds since 2 weeks before surgery! Things are going well, I just keep wondering if I am eating the right things. I know that I had this surgery to not worry about dieting, but I still feel I am sometimes. Wondering if I am eating too much and the right kind of foods. Have had 2 episodes of the steak getting stuck, though the last time I am not sure what happened because I had tried steak another time in between these times and nothing bad happened. Not much else, my pants are falling off me, and I am down 2 sizes in pants. Can't find much to wear and don't want to buy a whole new wardrobe. I am now at 180 and would like to loose another 70 pounds. Hope you all are well......Hugs Nadine
9-21-04 - Guess I have been a bad girl and not updated lately. Had another 2 week plateau and then slowly lost another 4 pounds some how in there. The inches are definetly coming off, as I am down almost 2 sizes. Wearing now 16's and some 14's, I will say even though I have not lost 1/2 of what other's have lost in my time, I am pleased to see that I am loosing. I do worry that I am not eating as good as I should be, but I know other's have survived. Also, I have not been able to work out and hopefully in the next week or two here I will be joining a gym. Hope all is well with everyone else!!!!
10-16-04 - I hadn't entered anything for awhile because NOTHING was happening. I went on a 7 WEEK PLATEAU. Then finally 2-3 pds came off then another 2 pounds in the past week. I am not sure why this happened. I was trying to be good, started the Gym was getting more water and Protein etc. After my "monthly" came seems like I stalled again and hormones are all wacked out. Have sore breasts now for 3 weeks....Uhhggggg! I upped my cardio instead of doing weight training for 30 min, I did it for an hour and low-and-behold I lost another 2 pounds the next day. I also wasn't getting in 50-60 grams of protein and I upped it with a 35mg shake and ate more protein based foods and this seemed to help. YEAH!! So now I am -32 pounds since surgery and 10 pre-surgery...that's 42 pounds!!! 50-60 more to GOAL!
10-20-04 - Well, now I know why the sore breasts.....I had ended my period 3 weeks almost and then started another :( Uhhhggg! OK, so now even on my monthly I have lost another 2 pounds...Go figure! I was having a major hormonal imbalance. So, now I weigh 169 and that's even on my monthly :) So, I should be a few pounds thinner after...YEAH!
Last Thurs. went out with a few other AMOS Members, had a great time. I think it's realy important to meet with others and hear that most things happening to you are normal and happen to other people. Also, that sometimes we are all NOT perfect and have to do the best job we can. I meet tomorrow my Dr. for my 3 month post-op I AM VERY EXCITED! Let you know what she says then...Ciao!
10/27/04 - It's been 3 months and 1 week. Had my 3 month post-op finally with the DR. and she thinks I am right on schedule having lost 44% of my goal. I guess her goal and mine is a bit different. She thinks my ideal weight is 122# and I think it's 110# !!! So, we shall see! Everyone else around my height that started as a lightweight is down around where I want to be. But I guess at 3 months out and 44% to goal is some good odds when I have about another 9 months left of window of opportunity. Feeling fine, trying to stick to the program. Working out 3-4 days a week. Life is great right now. Things are so big on me now, it's quite hysterical. Because I have a tiny waist and big butt, most pants are huge around the waist. But I LOVE THE FEELING of things not so tight. I can cross my legs now, wrap a normal size towel around me after a shower, and have even ventured to be nude around my husband :) and he's not complaining either!!! He never did before, but it feels better!
12-13-04 - Things are slowing down.......at another 2 week plateau. Haven't really been good anyhow with all the Holiday parties and B-days this past 2 months. Hopefully after my knee surgery in jan. I can get back on track...Still feel so blessed to have had this surgery, just hope i am taking good care of myself. Sometimes I feel like life is too good and how can this be.....just from this surgery..."THANK YOU GOD"!! HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO EVERYONE!
12-24-04 - MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR.... Feeling great, down to a size 10 in most things but 12's in pants. Hair is starting to fall out a bit more. :( But hopefully that won't last long. I have extremely thick hair too....I just had it cut 3" off to help with the dead ends. Have a safe Holiday....!
2-19-05 - Forgive me Father for it has been 2 months since my last update!!!!!
OK, so here I am, hairloss definetly slowing down YEAH....!!!! But so is the weight loss :( Lost only 4-5 pounds this past month....don't know if that's typical in your 7th month? Fitting now in size 8 pants some 6's depends on the maker....size small tops...This is very weird for me, to be able to shop like a normal person and fit into Juniors and cute clothes....I LOVE MY LIFE!!! It's amazing how we take the little things for granted. Just to wrap a towel around me is an amazing thing...to cross my legs at a job interview and not feel selfconcious is heaven. My feet rarely hurt anymore walking around, though I still need knee surgery it's from before I lost my weight I still feel so much better. If your just starting out...hang in there.....it's get's so much better. HUGS TO ALL.... <3
11/3/2005
WOW, once again I have fallen behind in the update. It seems as your life moves on and you get back to a normal routine you forget to update. I know it's important for others and I remember just starting out and I loved to read others updates. It was so enlightening to know what they were going through. Well, back in April/May I had another surgery for internal hernia. I guess it's really common and I got it. Other then that I have had (NO COMPLICATIONS and have been very lucky I feel. It was scary going back into surgery so soon. But it was easier in healing then the original of course. My intestines were wrapped around my bowel and I wasn't able to eat anything without pain. Took care of that and have since been fine. I started to worry about loosing too much weight and shopping for clothes now has the opposite problem. I am too small for all Misses and have to shop in Juniors. I know this doesn't sound like it should be a problem but it has. I still would not trade not doing this for anything in the world. My life has changed so much, and I feel so blessed to be here and now. My husband and I are buying a home finally after 2 years of marriage and I feel better then I ever have since I was 20. I just had my 40th B-Day and the only wish I had was I wished I would have done this surgery 20 years ago because I have lost all that precious time being misreable, and sorry for myself and heavy.
Well, if anyone has any questions please feel free to email me...take care! I will try to update every 6 months from now on!
2-2007 Well it's been a few years that I have slacked for updating.....! It's quite a funny thing. Your so involved when your first going through this process, then things happen so fast and life seems to go back to normal before the surgery. Things have been great, still at goal weight, was down to 106 pounds and have gained about 10 pounds. Everyone says that I was getting to thin (is there such a thing?? LOL) Anyhow, so glad still I did this. I can however eat "ANYTHING" I want and can eat about as much as a normal person in most things. Depends on the food, I can have 2-3 pices of a pizza but go to have a hamburger or make a sandwich and I can only eat half?? Hope you all are doing well and again anyone have any questions, feel free to email me.
8/27/2009
Hope everyone's doing well I am still struggling with the 20-30# weight gain.....surely my fault not excersizing and drinking too much VINO :) still happy to be me. Any questions or want to chat feel free to email me,.....HUGS XOXOXO Nadine
