Lady Chi
long time, eh?
Feb 13, 2010
wow! well, i never thought i would be away from this page for so long. although i always come online to see the success of others, i have not logged into my profile. what's been happening? LIFE! i've been busy with work ... changed jobs, my father passed away last year and that was difficult, especially with the back-and-forth to chicago until he passed.
i am almost 3 years post-op and i have lost ~120 lbs. i met my goal, but would like to lose about 10 lbs more, max. my mother tells me that i am too old to be trying to be as thin as i used to be. ahahahahahaha ... you're never too old to be thin. yes, bone-thin is not attractive, but thin is cool!
i will be having a body lift in 2 weeks as my thighs and butt are a scary thought and only i am allowed to behold them unclothed. in fact, i always tell people that i have 2 sharpeis - Buffy and Pinky - i am referring to my thighs! LOL
about 1 month post surgery, i had emergency surgery unrelated to GBP. the weight loss i had achieved at that time had allowed for a football-sized uterine fibroid to fall through and was just hanging by a stalk. i waited 3 days in discomfort (unfortunately, i have a very high pain tolerance which precedes me from acting on pain quickly) before i went to the hospital -- self-medicating and thinking the pain would go away. i even drove myself to the hospital 50 miles away (at the time i was thinking it was GBP related so i was going to see my surgeon) with all the windows open, heart palpitating wildly. by the time i arrived at the hospital, it took about 15 mins to get out of the car and by that time, i could no longer stand straight as now i WAS in pain (level 10 pain for me, is like level 20+ for many people). even the attending physician on call that night chastised me about allowing myself to endure all that pain. i was given a CT scan to find out the problem.
so, this then led to another complication, again, unrelated to GBP. due to the pain i subjected myself to, and the fibroid hanging and cutting off circulation, i developed 3 DVTs between my left and right leg and a PE in my lung. i could have died. they suspected i had a clot, but because i was not able to lay flat for the CT scan, it was not as clear as it could have been and even the ultrasound of my legs came back negative. miraculously, i lived 3 weeks in this condition and it was only diagnosed when i went in for my check-up for the fibroid surgery. i had another CT scan when i complained of discomfort on the left side of my chest (again, see, i call it discomfort as opposed to pain). i was not predisposed to clots, but due to the number that i had developed, the doctors thought i would be on meds more than 1 year. to everyone's amazement, including my own, i was only on meds 4 months. the clots had dissolved!!! the body and mind are truly amazing!!! don't ever forget that! we can heal ourselves if we believe!
so, i am doing well. the GBP did not change my life. yes, there were the wonderful little things like crossing my legs without losing circulation, walking short - medium-length distances without being out of breath, and i was very happy on the plane, sitting in coach with room to spare in my seat! i love traveling and will do more and more. i am treating myself to Greece at the end of summer, if the Greek economy does not fall. otherwise, i will go someplace else nice.
otherwise, my life was pretty much where it was before GBP in terms of i still did not have good self-esteem, etc. i did not have men falling all over me after i lost weight because i still had a wall stronghold up all around me. i did not have belief in myself. i did not feel i was deserving. yes, i make good money (no worries about money) and have a solid career, but i have a 'safe' career and not truly doing what i want with my life. please remember whatever issue(s) you had that you allowed in your life that enabled your weight gain will still be there (and more) when you lose the weight. many people who are honest will mention this is their posts.
i used to have the perfect body before i gained weight. but because i did not think highly of myself back then and did not truly have love for myself, it manifested itself in my weight gain, bad relationships, one-sided friendships, and financial upheaval. now i am dealing with all the loose skin as your body does not like yo-yo weight fluctuations and eventually the skin will not snap back to the way it was before the weight gain.
it is really important to know who we are and to give ourselves accolades every day. we must appreciate who we are and develop the life we intend and deserve. don't let people, whether it is your family, religion, friends, government tell you who you are. when we do this, we live a life not our own. if you have children, try your best to be encouraging and use positive words with them even in the bad times as those words will build children who are strong and sure of themselves. we need to tell ourselves and our children that we love us/them. even if you don't say bad things to yourself or your children, the absence of encouraging and loving words can still have the effect of saying bad things.
well, i am off my soap box! :~) i love me and each day i am getting better. my life is now changing for the better. i am creating the life i deserve. i don't know when i will post again, but i am proud of all of your achievements! keep up the wonderful work with your tool and other areas of your life!
best,
nette
0 comments
i am almost 3 years post-op and i have lost ~120 lbs. i met my goal, but would like to lose about 10 lbs more, max. my mother tells me that i am too old to be trying to be as thin as i used to be. ahahahahahaha ... you're never too old to be thin. yes, bone-thin is not attractive, but thin is cool!
i will be having a body lift in 2 weeks as my thighs and butt are a scary thought and only i am allowed to behold them unclothed. in fact, i always tell people that i have 2 sharpeis - Buffy and Pinky - i am referring to my thighs! LOL
about 1 month post surgery, i had emergency surgery unrelated to GBP. the weight loss i had achieved at that time had allowed for a football-sized uterine fibroid to fall through and was just hanging by a stalk. i waited 3 days in discomfort (unfortunately, i have a very high pain tolerance which precedes me from acting on pain quickly) before i went to the hospital -- self-medicating and thinking the pain would go away. i even drove myself to the hospital 50 miles away (at the time i was thinking it was GBP related so i was going to see my surgeon) with all the windows open, heart palpitating wildly. by the time i arrived at the hospital, it took about 15 mins to get out of the car and by that time, i could no longer stand straight as now i WAS in pain (level 10 pain for me, is like level 20+ for many people). even the attending physician on call that night chastised me about allowing myself to endure all that pain. i was given a CT scan to find out the problem.
so, this then led to another complication, again, unrelated to GBP. due to the pain i subjected myself to, and the fibroid hanging and cutting off circulation, i developed 3 DVTs between my left and right leg and a PE in my lung. i could have died. they suspected i had a clot, but because i was not able to lay flat for the CT scan, it was not as clear as it could have been and even the ultrasound of my legs came back negative. miraculously, i lived 3 weeks in this condition and it was only diagnosed when i went in for my check-up for the fibroid surgery. i had another CT scan when i complained of discomfort on the left side of my chest (again, see, i call it discomfort as opposed to pain). i was not predisposed to clots, but due to the number that i had developed, the doctors thought i would be on meds more than 1 year. to everyone's amazement, including my own, i was only on meds 4 months. the clots had dissolved!!! the body and mind are truly amazing!!! don't ever forget that! we can heal ourselves if we believe!
so, i am doing well. the GBP did not change my life. yes, there were the wonderful little things like crossing my legs without losing circulation, walking short - medium-length distances without being out of breath, and i was very happy on the plane, sitting in coach with room to spare in my seat! i love traveling and will do more and more. i am treating myself to Greece at the end of summer, if the Greek economy does not fall. otherwise, i will go someplace else nice.
otherwise, my life was pretty much where it was before GBP in terms of i still did not have good self-esteem, etc. i did not have men falling all over me after i lost weight because i still had a wall stronghold up all around me. i did not have belief in myself. i did not feel i was deserving. yes, i make good money (no worries about money) and have a solid career, but i have a 'safe' career and not truly doing what i want with my life. please remember whatever issue(s) you had that you allowed in your life that enabled your weight gain will still be there (and more) when you lose the weight. many people who are honest will mention this is their posts.
i used to have the perfect body before i gained weight. but because i did not think highly of myself back then and did not truly have love for myself, it manifested itself in my weight gain, bad relationships, one-sided friendships, and financial upheaval. now i am dealing with all the loose skin as your body does not like yo-yo weight fluctuations and eventually the skin will not snap back to the way it was before the weight gain.
it is really important to know who we are and to give ourselves accolades every day. we must appreciate who we are and develop the life we intend and deserve. don't let people, whether it is your family, religion, friends, government tell you who you are. when we do this, we live a life not our own. if you have children, try your best to be encouraging and use positive words with them even in the bad times as those words will build children who are strong and sure of themselves. we need to tell ourselves and our children that we love us/them. even if you don't say bad things to yourself or your children, the absence of encouraging and loving words can still have the effect of saying bad things.
well, i am off my soap box! :~) i love me and each day i am getting better. my life is now changing for the better. i am creating the life i deserve. i don't know when i will post again, but i am proud of all of your achievements! keep up the wonderful work with your tool and other areas of your life!
best,
nette
16JUL07
Jul 16, 2007
woo hoo! had my post-op appt. today and i am 14 lbs lighter (and almost out of my size 20s)! 
it is really crazy to reflect that i had surgery just 11 days ago! i did not have any pain related to the surgery. of course, the first 22 hours post surgery, i was really doped up, which i totally did not like. i could not stay awake. someone would come in or call me and i would have to excuse myself and go back to sleep. 
yes, i love sleep, but that was not of my own accord!
anyhoooo ... back to my post-op appt. ... i think i drove Dr. Powell batty today because i was talking a mile-a-minute and bouncing around in my seat! i think that since i have been working from home, i have been understimulated and i took that out on Dr. Powell.
ahahahahahahah!
up to now i have been on clear liquids in addition to the protein supplements, and Dr. Powell said that i can progress to the next phase incorporating soft foods (yogurt, cottage cheese, eggs, cream of wheat/rice), but i will hang out with the clear liquids until the evening before i return to work.
Dr. Powell also stated that i could work out, just not to overdo it to the point of feeling faint. so i will start working out on the elliptical trainer next week when i return to the office campus. i have already incorporated wall sits/squats and triceps kick-backs and extensions to give me a boost beyond moderate walking. walking up and down the stairs in my place is also a help, i'm sure.
i still don't feel like i have had surgery and i asked Dr. Powell if he was sure he performed the RNY on me. ahahhahaha ... well, i know he did because i feel it when i drink my water too fast!
well, i guess that is all i have for now.
God Bless,
nette
it is really crazy to reflect that i had surgery just 11 days ago! i did not have any pain related to the surgery. of course, the first 22 hours post surgery, i was really doped up, which i totally did not like. i could not stay awake. someone would come in or call me and i would have to excuse myself and go back to sleep. yes, i love sleep, but that was not of my own accord!anyhoooo ... back to my post-op appt. ... i think i drove Dr. Powell batty today because i was talking a mile-a-minute and bouncing around in my seat! i think that since i have been working from home, i have been understimulated and i took that out on Dr. Powell.
ahahahahahahah!up to now i have been on clear liquids in addition to the protein supplements, and Dr. Powell said that i can progress to the next phase incorporating soft foods (yogurt, cottage cheese, eggs, cream of wheat/rice), but i will hang out with the clear liquids until the evening before i return to work.
Dr. Powell also stated that i could work out, just not to overdo it to the point of feeling faint. so i will start working out on the elliptical trainer next week when i return to the office campus. i have already incorporated wall sits/squats and triceps kick-backs and extensions to give me a boost beyond moderate walking. walking up and down the stairs in my place is also a help, i'm sure.
i still don't feel like i have had surgery and i asked Dr. Powell if he was sure he performed the RNY on me. ahahhahaha ... well, i know he did because i feel it when i drink my water too fast!
well, i guess that is all i have for now.
God Bless,
nette
08JUL07
Jul 08, 2007
hello my friends/visitors!
i am 3 days post-op and i must say i feel pretty good having had a major surgery just a few days ago. i have not had any nausea and my pain has not been too much, mostly discomfort due to gas.
right now i am still carrying water weight and remaining gas that i am still trying to move out of my body. i walk often (and even stand up wiggling), but i guess the gas will move on it's on accord. i was 279 pre-op, and i want to lose ~130 lbs. i am 5'7 and wear size 20 bottoms, some 16 or 18 tops/dresses.
i will let you all know of my progress, posting as often as i can, but i will not promise that i will post every week, biweekly, etc., as many do and don't keep their promises!
best wishes for those with upcoming surgeries, uncomplicated recovery for those who have had surgery, and big weight loss for those who are post-op!!!
God Bless,
Nette
i am 3 days post-op and i must say i feel pretty good having had a major surgery just a few days ago. i have not had any nausea and my pain has not been too much, mostly discomfort due to gas.
right now i am still carrying water weight and remaining gas that i am still trying to move out of my body. i walk often (and even stand up wiggling), but i guess the gas will move on it's on accord. i was 279 pre-op, and i want to lose ~130 lbs. i am 5'7 and wear size 20 bottoms, some 16 or 18 tops/dresses.
i will let you all know of my progress, posting as often as i can, but i will not promise that i will post every week, biweekly, etc., as many do and don't keep their promises!
best wishes for those with upcoming surgeries, uncomplicated recovery for those who have had surgery, and big weight loss for those who are post-op!!!
God Bless,
Nette
06JUL07
Jul 06, 2007
I HAVE SUCCESSFULLY MADE IT TO THE OTHER (LOSER) SIDE!!! 
I had my surgery yesterday, 05JUL07, and all went well! I am officially a 'LOSER'!!! thus far, i have not had too much pain, and am off the morphine since this morning. the antibiotics and other meds they give me makes me doz in and out of sleep, but I am not complaining. I LOVE TO SLEEP!!!
i will be discharged Saturday afternoon. i really like Dr. Powell and Huntington Memorial Hospital. Dr. Powell/Lourie truly have a reputation amongst professional staff in this area. that is a testimony in and of itself!!!
well, that is all for now. i will post again in a few days.
God Bless,
Nette
I had my surgery yesterday, 05JUL07, and all went well! I am officially a 'LOSER'!!! thus far, i have not had too much pain, and am off the morphine since this morning. the antibiotics and other meds they give me makes me doz in and out of sleep, but I am not complaining. I LOVE TO SLEEP!!!
i will be discharged Saturday afternoon. i really like Dr. Powell and Huntington Memorial Hospital. Dr. Powell/Lourie truly have a reputation amongst professional staff in this area. that is a testimony in and of itself!!!
well, that is all for now. i will post again in a few days.
God Bless,
Nette
03JUL07
Jul 03, 2007
whew! yesterday was some day! i went to have my pre-op testing and just made it when the brakes and the accelerator on my car crapped out. unbelievable!! my car is only 6 years old with less than 57K miles and i have been having much trouble recently.
i parked my car in the garage and went forth for my pre-op testing. all went well (except for a mishap with the cup for urine which i will not get into). i had blood/urine draw, EKG, and chest x-ray.
thereafter, i walked down the street to meet with Dr. Powell. he is a wonderful doctor! his manner is very nice, relaxed, with a tinge of humor. he answered all my questions, especially in RE: to what i could and not do within x-amount of time after the surgery. he joked with me that i was healthier than he, being that i have never had a surgery/hospitilization up to now. he laughed when i joked that i was relatively healthy, only fat with bilateral OA of the knees. that was too funny to him because he is not used to patients coming in using med terms. i am glad that he is performing my surgery. BTW, the OH website asks what kind of RNY people are having -- distal or proximal -- and Dr. Powell stated that distal RNY are no longer performed.
sooooooo back to my car. i called AAA to have my car towed to a VW dealership in T.O., but they called me back and told me that because of the distance, they could not pick me up until 7.20 pm ... 3 hours after my call to them. hello! that was not going to work because the service center closed at 7.30. so, i regrouped and called a VW dealership there in Pasadena and had my car towed. of course, they were very busy that night, with most people choosing to wait for their vehicles. alas, they were able to get my car repaired and the worry i had about a big plug out of my pocketbook did not occur. i needed a 'suction jet pump' and that corrected the problem with the brakes and accelerator. Sally (my car ... Black Sally to be exact ... ride Sally ride!!) purred up and was good to go. so, in Cali style, i sped home so that i could call it a night!
=============
so, now i am sitting here at my computer, feeling a bit melancholy. the time for my return to the other side is fast approaching. i don't feel anxious or scared, just waiting.
alrightey then ...
God Bless,
Nette
i parked my car in the garage and went forth for my pre-op testing. all went well (except for a mishap with the cup for urine which i will not get into
). i had blood/urine draw, EKG, and chest x-ray.thereafter, i walked down the street to meet with Dr. Powell. he is a wonderful doctor! his manner is very nice, relaxed, with a tinge of humor. he answered all my questions, especially in RE: to what i could and not do within x-amount of time after the surgery. he joked with me that i was healthier than he, being that i have never had a surgery/hospitilization up to now. he laughed when i joked that i was relatively healthy, only fat with bilateral OA of the knees. that was too funny to him because he is not used to patients coming in using med terms. i am glad that he is performing my surgery. BTW, the OH website asks what kind of RNY people are having -- distal or proximal -- and Dr. Powell stated that distal RNY are no longer performed.
sooooooo back to my car. i called AAA to have my car towed to a VW dealership in T.O., but they called me back and told me that because of the distance, they could not pick me up until 7.20 pm ... 3 hours after my call to them. hello! that was not going to work because the service center closed at 7.30. so, i regrouped and called a VW dealership there in Pasadena and had my car towed. of course, they were very busy that night, with most people choosing to wait for their vehicles. alas, they were able to get my car repaired and the worry i had about a big plug out of my pocketbook did not occur. i needed a 'suction jet pump' and that corrected the problem with the brakes and accelerator. Sally (my car ... Black Sally to be exact ... ride Sally ride!!) purred up and was good to go. so, in Cali style, i sped home so that i could call it a night!
=============
so, now i am sitting here at my computer, feeling a bit melancholy. the time for my return to the other side is fast approaching. i don't feel anxious or scared, just waiting.
alrightey then ...
God Bless,
Nette
25JUN07
Jun 25, 2007
HEY!!! i got my date ... 05JUL07 ... I'm on my way to LOSERVILLE!!!
i received my approval from Aetna in 1 business day, but took a while to get a surgery date as my original surgeon was unavailable until August.
i am ecstatic!
yeh!!!
i received my approval from Aetna in 1 business day, but took a while to get a surgery date as my original surgeon was unavailable until August.
i am ecstatic!
yeh!!!
11JUN07
Jun 11, 2007
YAY! I AM APPROVED. My paperwork faxed to Aetna on Friday, 08JUN07 and I was approved today!
I expect to have surgery the last week of June. I was supposed to have Dr. Lourie in Pasadena, but since he is booked and/or on holiday, the soonest date they could give me was 06AUG07 and that does not work for me. I need to be at least 2 months post-op prior to my trip out of the country in September. Dr. Powell, who is both MD and FACS, which Dr. Lourie was not FACS, will perform my surgery. There was another doctor I could have went to at their practice, but Dr. Powell was my original choice. Their practice is a Center of Excellence.
wheeeeee ... I am happy!!!
I am on my way to this being my last summer for the past 14 years as morbidly obese!
17MAY07 - I completed my upper endoscopy. i had asked that since the procedure was so short in time, that they limit the amount of meds to put me down for the procedure. it was no big deal. however, the center's staff were not happy with me because i did not have someone to pick me up after the procedure. i lied and said i did, and they even talked to one of my co-workers to confirm they were coming. eventually, i just walked out the door on my own. YES, i know this was not good, but i am alone here in Cali and i did not have anyone to chauffeur me around. i was good, i did not get on the freeway. i went to a support group meeting, but also brought bananas and B12 with me to get me over, and since i did not have the regular amount of meds, i did very well.
22MAR07 - I completed the pulmonary stress test and I performed very well. I started at a speed of 3.0 mph, and it was increased and the inclined was increased to about 14. this is definitely something that i do NOT want to do again! having my nose clamped was terrible, and the mouthpiece did not want to stay in my mouth, even with my full lips ... ahahahahaha! ....... i also had my abdominal ultrasound and there were no gallstones. i then finished off the day with the nutrition evaluation.
16FEB07
Feb 16, 2007
Well, it has been some time since I have posted or logged into my account, although I continued to visit the site.
I am re-starting my journey toward WLS. I was denied by Aetna based on 6-month doctor supervised diet criteria even though all my paperwork specifically stated that I was submitting under the 3-month multi-disciplinary surgery preparation program. So, I got my company's insurance advocate involved, and then Aetna had to find other reasons such as lack doctor progress notes documenting that I was seeing a dietician and exercise specialist. It did not matter that I submitted documentation from the RD as well as from the personal trainer. They wanted everything documented through the PCP's PNs. Aetna also had to relent about the 5 year history as the policy did not say it had to be current or consecutive years. So, of course, I am such a procrastinator, and that is why I only re-started my 3-month MDSP program in January instead of November 2006.
I switched from Dr. Quilici to Dr. Lourie, and my account of him on this page states part of the reason why. The other reason would be that I did not receive any follow up from Dr. Quilici's office after my denial from Aetna.
So, here I go again. Maybe I will have surgery by the end of April or early May if all continues well.
I am re-starting my journey toward WLS. I was denied by Aetna based on 6-month doctor supervised diet criteria even though all my paperwork specifically stated that I was submitting under the 3-month multi-disciplinary surgery preparation program. So, I got my company's insurance advocate involved, and then Aetna had to find other reasons such as lack doctor progress notes documenting that I was seeing a dietician and exercise specialist. It did not matter that I submitted documentation from the RD as well as from the personal trainer. They wanted everything documented through the PCP's PNs. Aetna also had to relent about the 5 year history as the policy did not say it had to be current or consecutive years. So, of course, I am such a procrastinator, and that is why I only re-started my 3-month MDSP program in January instead of November 2006.
I switched from Dr. Quilici to Dr. Lourie, and my account of him on this page states part of the reason why. The other reason would be that I did not receive any follow up from Dr. Quilici's office after my denial from Aetna.
So, here I go again. Maybe I will have surgery by the end of April or early May if all continues well.
About Me
Southern, CA
Location
42.3
BMI
Surgery
07/05/2007
Surgery Date
Apr 26, 2006
Member Since
