nicola542
(believe this was written in October 2009)
I have been looking into WLS for the past five years or so. I started really getting over weight after my first three knee surgeries. I have several conditions in my knees. The first condition I have is called P.V.N.S., which is pigmented villonodular synovitis. Pigmented villonodular synovitis(PVNS) is a joint problem that usually affects the hip or knee. It can also occur in the shoulder, ankle, elbow, hand or foot. When you have PVNS, the lining of a joint becomes swollen and grows extra tissue. This growth harms the bone around the joint because the tissue starts attacking the joint. The lining also makes extra fluid that can cause swelling and make the joint hurt. They say after surgery to remove this, you should be rid of it, but six surgeries, radiation, drop foot, nerve repair surgery, and many hours of physical therapy later, I am not rid of it and the doctors all tell me that it won't get any better until I get my knee replaced and they won't do that anytime soon because of my age(to young, 35). Because of that I can hardly walk due to all of the damage and pain. I also have have degenerative joint disorder in my knees. Because of these reasons my doctor when we were in the Army, they said that I qualified for WLS and I was put on the list in 2005, but we were discharged out of the army due to my husbands medical problems before my name came up on the list. Now I get SSI and medical through the state and I'm trying to figure out a way to have WLS still.
YAY!! I have a Dr. that is trying her hardest to get me the WLS with a DSHS coupon that I get through D.S.H.S. for being permanently disabled because of my knee and Post Traumatic stress syndrome. I'll be going through WSU, and my surgery should be in March, I can't wait!! DSHS has two pages of requirements that we have to do, but we're determined. The first three things to pass the first stage to qualify is being the right age(22-60)(qualify there), the second is BMI(definitely qualify there), and lastly have to have a joint replacement or other serious problem(my Orthopedic Dr. wrote up his notes exactly as they wanted it worded, that was so nice because he's a new doc but I like him). I also have Post traumatic Stress Syndrome, anxiety, back problems from the way I walk with my cane, and arthritis in the rest of my joints. So now we wait for DSHS's first approval letter that shouldn't be a problem at all. After getting that approval letter I have to make a journal of what I eat everyday and what I try to do for exercise everyday for the next 6 months, see my PCP once a month, and a Dietitian twice a month for the next 6 months. Oh yea, before surgery I have to loose 5% of my weight(approx 15lbs).
February 19, 2010
Update on D.S.H.S. and where I am now
I was denied by DSHS, I was passed through all the guidelines and then some, but they were giving my PCP a hard time saying that she wasn't sending in her 7 digit DSHS provider number, and she ended sending it 13 times(or more), with them even telling us in the middle of all that, that they had it and I was approved to go on to stage 2, then they said they didn't have it again.
My Dr really thought WLS would be very beneficial to get some weight off my knees and joints(I gained all my weight because of all my surgeries and I cannot walk w/o a cane or for long distances use a powered wheelchair). I have lost 8lbs in the last couple months from eating better & less and going to water aerobics a couple times a week. That's really the only exercise I can do right now is water aerobics, hopefully can do more later with less weight.
In Jan 2010 after being on SSI for two years, they put me on Medicare with Medicaid to pay for co-payments and things of that sort. To my surprise when I called the University of Washington, they said that Medicare covers WLS. So I went to the Seminar February 17th, 2010, I and have my surgery consult March 2, 2010, will have 2 more appointments after that to see nutritionist and the psychologist, and then surgery.
While seeing Dr. Khandelwal he asked which surgery I was looking into, asked my reasons, saw some of my reasons, but recommended the RNY, but was willing to do the lap band if that's what I thought was best for me, but he thought I'd have the best success with the RNY.
April 6th, 2010 went to get lab work done after fasting, see my social worker, then my nutritionist, and finally saw a physical therapist. They all passed me to be good to go on with surgery but highly recommended with my arthritis, and needing knees replaced that I have the RNY instead of the lap band, but the said in the end the decision was mine. I've been doing alot of reading on here, talking to people on here, and talked to a few people that I know personally that have had the lap band done and I believe I agree with my medical team!
April 20th 2010-Today I went in to see my surgeon, he was happy to hear that I changed my mind to the bypass, but he was surprised. He said "You're having the lapband and ...", before he could continue I said "no, actually the Bypass". He asked if I changed my mind, and I explained that I took into consideration his and the rest of the UW team's input, that I talked to people that had both the lapband and bypass, and did more research and more looking on www.obsesityhelp.com, and yes I had changed my mind. He said that he really thought it was the better choice for me. So I signed my paperwork with him, he explained my questions, and he sent in the nurse to finish things up(I already saw my nut. again before seeing Dr.Khandelwal). I signed more paperwork with Michelle, she showed me where I was going to do my blood thinner shots for the 4 weeks following surgery, explained that I would clean with their disinfection soaps two days and day before surgery, and then said all I need to do now is get ahold of my PCP to have my thyroid checked again and if it was fine, have the results faxed in, and they would give me my surgery date(and be put on a waiting list for any cancellations to have it done sooner than 3 weeks). I need to have my surgery done as soon as possible because we go to family camp every year the first week of August, and I want to make sure I have plenty of healing time and getting use to my diet.
April 22, 2010 Finally got a call back from PCP office today to go get my blood drawn for my thyroid, now I just have to wait for the results to get back, so the nurse can fax the good results over to UW and get the surgery date!!!
Post Date: 5/19/10 6:16 am
Well we're running a few minutes late, but we left Port Orchard and are headed to the University of Washington in Seattle. Suppose to be there at 6:15am and surgery at 7:45am, however I only had an hour of sleep and had to take my second hospital soap shower(other one last night), so a slow start for having to leave no later than 5am. GPS says we should be there late at 6:21am, and that's just to the parking garage. I have had seven knee surgeries, so I'm not nervous about surgery but I'm totally anxious because they are moving around cutting up my organs, but I know this is what is going to make my life healthier and prolong walking. We had a family dinner last night, so we would be together to pray all together before the night was over. It went wonderful and knowing God has angels watching over me and he'll be guiding the hands of my surgeon and that's reassuring. I was suppose to make Echiladas, but everyone else did all the work, but did good with my recipe. Anyway, me or hubby will give an update later. Oh yea, with three weeks of the protein shake diet only 3-4 times a day, lots of water and feeling like I'm starving all the time with a growling tummy; I've lost 22lbs with the pre-op diet. So from here I have a 100lbs to go.
May 23rd 2010
(From my post)
Surgery went great, my surgeon and his team are great, things went well.
We got there a few, well 15 minutes late, but there was no real "rush" getting me back and prepped. As soon as I was checked in and they took me back to the pre-op room. Everyone came in one at a time doing their necessary job, and I had to wait like ten minutes before they took me back to the O.R..
When they weighed me the scaled said 261, but that was first thing in the morning too, before any liquids or anything. I couldn't believe I had lost that much weight. I was glad the starving everyday part was over and I made it through with protein shakes 3 X a day and maybe a third for a snack or a very small portion of dinner(which I did like four times I think and that was more towards the end).
One of the nice anesthesia gals came in a couple times, after the head anesthesia doctors saw me, and she started my first IV, and then not long after said she was putting something in to help me nerves. That's when she told me it was like ten minutes before they took me back, and it went by quick. Actually everything in pre-op was pretty quick because there was everyone there doing what they needed to, but without the rush, and so that ten minutes came pretty quick and went by pretty quick. I remember the same nice, young(not scary young ,lol) wheeling me back to the O.R. and them having me scoot over to the table. Someone(I think the same anesthesia gal) made some comment they were sorry, they knew it was hard scooting over like that with all my knee surgeries, The medicine she put in my IV before wheeling me back must've done something good because my anxiety was fairly non existent , while they were strapping me to the bed, putting my air leg massager/circulator, and telling me to breathe in the mask which I didn't like because I felt like I wasn't getting enough air.
I remember waking up in the recovery room, not real with it, and they let my husband come bac****il I got a room ready upstairs in post-op. They wheeled me upstairs on a bed, and shockingly they moved me laying down with a lift to the bed, it was neat and I'm sure safer for everyone involved. I was pretty in and out of it when my husband was there, and then said goodbye because he had to go home to our four kids(ages 16 yrs, 14yrs, 5 yrs, and 3yrs).
I remembered what everyone said here about getting up and walking as soon as you could, and I remember being so uncomfortable from my shoulders down, and everyone kept telling me that it was from the gas they fill you with during the the laproscopic gastric bypass. So I decided at 2am that night I couldn't take it no more, and decided that I was going to get up and walk. Well the guy that came in to help me (God Bless him), got more than he expected. We got almost to the doorway and I told him I thought my catheter was leaking. It wasn't, he thought we had pulled it or something because it was blood running down my leg. Well something else I read either here or from Michelle the Vita-lady, was bring Sanitary supplies because it always happens when you don't want it to, and sure enough I waited for it to happen before surgery and nothing and then bam. So we got everything fixed and I still went for a walk at 2 am, 6am, 12pm, 2pm, 4pm, 6pm. I was so anxious for them to take out my catheter and one of my IVs, they did that around noonish Thursday. I was coughing hard to cough up stuff from Wednesday on and they said that it was good to cough to get my lungs clear(my case it wasn't good, explain later). It hurt terribly to cough but I kept trying to cough stuff up and use my breathing device that you try and raise the little canister inside up and hold it.
I was ready to be discharged as planned Friday about 1pm, but they the time everything was done and my husband got there we headed downstairs to the pharmacy about 3pm. The nurse upstairs said my prescriptions were ready for me to pick up, but we got downstairs and they said it'd be an hour before they were ready, but we had an hour drive and that wasn't including time to go through Puyallup to the vita-lady's to pick up protein. So the UW pharmacy gave us the papers they had and told us to take them to our local pharmacy.
Sometimes it's good when places mess up I guess....I was real hot on the way home, and then woke up in a sweat twice that Friday evening. The second time I woke up my husband was gone trying to get my prescriptions but the pharmacy couldn't do it because they didn't understand the paper work(was weird) and it was not on the right paperwork. The second time I woke in the sweat I called for anyone to come in to help me get up because I was so hot and didn't feel good at all. We got my husband called, he came right home, called the hospital, and took me in. Come to find out I had a fever, and besides getting my meds taken care of, they were concerned about finding out why I had such a fever(I think it was 101.8). A fabulous caring doctor that I'm glad I've had previously going into the E.R., did a urine test and chest x-ray. I had pneumonia in my right lung. So they gave me some fluids with two anti-biotics, and some to take home and finish in five days.
So today on my 4 day post op, I'm pretty miserable, but at least because of the UW not giving us correct prescription papers, I went in and found out why I am miserable and know that this to shall pass. God does things for a reason and since UW didn't catch my pneumonia while I was admitted and am very blessed that it was caught that night. I don't blame UW and would recommend their program to my mom or best friend, they were checking ALL of my vitals(including temp) and listened to my lungs. At that time I didn't even have the crackly breathing like I've had in the last couple days.
(The E.R. nurse even said that she thought it sounded pretty good.)
All the major pain I feel is from that deep coughing stuff up and left side where the bigger of the five incisions were done for the stapler. I don't have pain meds because my medical insurance wouldn't pay for it outside of the hospital. I have been having problems drinking, especially water, but I think that's because of the pneumonia. So I've been worrying if I've had enough to eat(pureed diet since leaving the hospital) and drink. I've been having three protein shakes, a sugar free pudding in the morning and evening(mainly to take my pills with that I was on before surgery that have to be crushed), and any water I can tolerate. I also was sent home with constipation liquid and stool softener, which I haven't needed. Along with self injections of Lovenox(blood thinner and I hate needles!), liquid Tylenol(yuck), and a nausea/vomiting liquid that I luckily haven't needed.
My family went to church without me today, and my husband came back bearing a gift from the church, with a get well message, and card from this lovely elderly couple. I guess the couple tried to come see me, but the word didn't get around through the elders that I was at the UW and not local. So that was all very nice since I feel miserable today, even though you know it to shall pass it's hard going through the pain at the time.
Guess that's all, it's taken all day for me to get up to feeling good enough to think and get this out. I have incision pictures on my profile, feel free to look-they look good. My surgeon was GOOD! I guess I was the first and last surgery that day, so that made me feel good going into the surgery.
About Me
Before & After
rollover to see after photo
