Angelia C.
Some history about myself.
As a child, I was always overweight. I was laughed at, made fun of, etc. etc. When in my teen years I then began taking 357 mg of Caffeine. This did help me to lose some weight, but oh! when I stoped taking them...Bamm - all the weight I'd lost plus more came back on. Talk about dicouraged. In August 1993, I married the best man a woman could ever ask for or have! I weighed approx 175 pounds on my Wedding Day. By December of 1993, I was really gaining weight! I found out that I had a low thyroid. My doctor sent me to another doctor and she didn't do anything to help me. By March of 1994, I had gained over 100 lbs. In just 3 months. I was then diagnosed with Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome, in 1994. Now at the time of this writting, I am weighing in at 425 pounds. I am looking forward to my new life, after WLS
2003
(April 2003) I seen Dr. Bernard Jaffe, M.D. from New Orleans, LA. My first visit was at the HPL Medical Center, in Pineville, LA. Dr. Jaffe suggested that I apply for SSI because I do not have insurance. I am currently waiting for the report from them. I will update hopefully soon.
(9/22/03) I have gotten a report from SSI, today. It was approved! to this I am forever greatfully to the Lord for working this out. As soon as I get my medical card in, I will see Dr. Jaffe again to update my condition, and to wait for approval from Medicaid for the surgery.
(10/14/03) I got my Mediciad card in today. So I went to see my PCP group and have gotten a referal to see Dr. Jaffe, again. Now the rest of the process can begin! Yes! My next appointment is next week!!! Friday, Oct. 24th. I am so GLAD! I thank God for His help in this matter. Until next time.
(10/20/03) Bad News! I got a call from Dr. Jaffe's office today. My appt had to be reschedualed. It is now set up for Nov. 4th. (Again, I have to hurry up and wait). The Good News! I have my appts set up to see the Pulmonary Doctor on Oct. 27th, then on Oct 28th, I will see the Dietician and the Cardiologist. Well, until I have another update, I'll go for now.
(10/28/03) Got it done! Got back from New Orleans tonight. I seen the Pulmonary Doc, the Dietician, & the Cardiologist. As far as I know, I am cleared for the surgery. I do have to see the Endocrine Specialist, still, but that won't be too long hopefully. Until Next time.......
(11/4/03) I seen the surgeon today. I have to get the Endocrine clearance. My apt. will be next Friday the 14th. Then Dr. Jaffe will submit the request for Approval. Surgery should be sometime in December or January. I will update later.
(11/12/03) I've been doing alot of reading concerning feeling like I just want to eat everything in sight. I'm trying not too, but it is hard. My Endocine Clearance will be Friday. I'll be so glad to at least have the letter sent to Medicaid. I've really getting almost depressed over it taking so long, but this too shall pass. My husband, Daughter & I went to the Veteran's Day Parade and then took her to a local park afterward, after trying again to get about in the real world...I am so ready for this surgery. That's why it's kinda depressing. Also the battle with not having proper clothes is getting the best of me. I don't want to buy more large clothes, just to get rid of it in a few months, so I'm trying to hold out until I'm on the lossing side. Well, no need to bore my readers, so I'll go for now.
(11/19/03) I spoke with Lisa, Dr. Jaffe's nurse, she said that I need to go back in to see Dr. Jaffe. I will get that appt set up tommorow. The request for approval will be sent off shortly. Hopefull it will not take too long to get an approval.
(11/20/03) Made my appt. today. I will be going back in on Nov. 25th to see Doc again. Cellulitis is not getting better, we have to do something to heal it up before I can have surgery. Please pray for me. I need that healing hands of Jesus, on me.
(11/25/03) Well, We have made yet another trip to New Orleans today, to see Dr. Jaffe again. I now have a surgery date!
Jan. 5,2003! I am so excited! I will have a pre-op visit on Dec. 30th to Dr. Jaffe, then on Jan. 2nd I'll go for pre-op admit, then be at the hospital for 6 AM on Monday Jan.5th. Well, we have found out that I DON'T have Cellulitis after all. It is poor circulation in the lower abdomen. That's an answer to prayer. Thank you AMOS friends for praying for me. "Happy Thanksgiving" to all of you.
(12/8/03) My, My..... Why do these kinds of things happen to me? I got my letter in from Mediciad and they have dennied my request for surgery due to SSI elgibility status to end. I spend half the day at the Social Security office and at the Medicaid office. I hope all of this gets resolved. Please help me pray.
(12/12/03) Well, to my knowledge everything is suppose to be taken care of. Dr. Jaffe submitted another letter and we are again waiting .
(12/18/03) Got another letter in from Medicaid... still denied due to non eligibility, so I called the Medicaid office and this is what we found to be the problem; the girl in the insurance dept at Dr. Jaffe's office has been submiting the dates for approval as Jan. 5, 2003 instead of Jan.5, 2004, so I called the Nurse and told her the problem and the insurance girl got right on it today. Hopefully I will get the approval letter in by next week.
(12/22/03) Found out today that I am still being denied! Now they say they need more evidence. So we again will have to wait, which means that my surgery date will have to change. I faxed a picture of myself to the Nurse to submit it with the next letter. I hope that they take one look at me and decide, "this is something we have to do." Again, I'm asking for your prayers. It is so crazy that they can't approve me seeing all of my co-mobilities. Doc is going to resubmit everything. Wait, wait, wait! & More wait!
(12/25/03) I am up at 1:15 AM and decided to stop in and post a message. You know, even though its a disappointment, I feel like I will have more than just a few days to prepare for my surgery now that it's not on Jan.5th. I am still looking forward to haveing the surgery, but with not having the approval yet, it gives me a little breathing room to get over Christmas & New Years. We have been soooo busy, so I was getting stressed out over how soon I would be going in for surgery. This is our first Christmas with our daughter and it is nice not to have to be so stressed! Well, I hope everyone has a Christ filled Christmas. May the Lord Bless each one that reads these words.(12/31/03)Happy New Year to everyone! Well, I got yet another denial letter in from Medicaid. This is sooo depressing! What more do they want. They are still saying that they don't have enough medical evidence, but everything that I have as Co-Mobilities are from the weight. Oh well, what more. Gotta go for this time.2004
2004
Dr. Jaffe is still working on getting approval from Medicaid. He will be resubmitting a request to them this week, after reveiwing my case and rewriting. Hopefully this time I will be approved. I'm asking that each one will continue to help us pray about this situation.
Well, until next time...May you be Blessed.
(2/4/04) Well, again I am denied. Medicaid is still saying that the Medicaid Doctor does not have enough medical evidence. He says that Dr. Jaffe is not listing my co-morbilities. Dr. Jaffe's office say that they are.......on and on this goes. I've checked some other profiles of those that used Medicaid of LA and they were all approved, but the one thing that I have noticed is that those all used the same doctor too. That is Dr. Martin, so I may have to switch doctors.
(2/6/04) I talked with personell from the Weight Managment and they told me that we had done everything that they would think needed to be done. So Dr. Jaffe's office has now called Medicaid to see exactly what they are wanting. They have sent that in and we are now once again waiting on yet another answer. This is the 6th request that has been submitted. I'll update more as I know more.
(3-11-04) It seems like it's been forever since I updated, but there has not been a change in my status. I feel like I am getting somewhere. I spoke with a Rep from Medicaid and she informed me that I had no appeals left. So to make a long story short, she told me to my Dr. Office call and she would explain what they are needing to get this surgery approved. Well, I spoke with Yolanda the financial screener)yesterday and the nurse had not given her the message so she said. After a nice but firm conversation, she assured me that she would contact the Prior Authirization Unit Rep, and see what she can provide. If this Denise can not help them, she said that she will be in contact with a Medicaid PA Rep, that she works with to get these surgeries approved. Well, I didn't tell her this, but my thought was, why have you not done this before now? Instead of waiting until I have been denied 5 times. Needless to say, I hope this situation will be handled in a timely manner and will get approved. All I ask from anyone who reads this, is that you pray that God's will be done.
Oh Yes, I have also cotacted the Obesity Law Institute. I'm waiting to here back from them.
(3/31/04) Monday I received a phone call from Dr. Jaffe's office. Dr. Jaffe's message for me, was that he had not seen me in a while and needed to update my chart; so I went to the Appointment on the Tuesday. When we got there and went in, the Manager over the nurses had told me that she would be in the room with me (she is the one that I talked to about the situation concerning me changing doctors b/c of the runaround that I've been getting), we meet with Dr. Jaffe and we found out that they did not have all of the documentation that Medicaid needed. Well, we knew that b/c that's what they had told me. The nurse had told me that I needed to bring any of my medical records that I had, so that's what I did. Now we have proof for the Co-Morbib Conditions. Dr. Jaffe said that my surgery date will be set for May 5th. We should have the approval back in about 5 weeks. So I say to anyone that is reading this, "God is working"! He gave me a promise last week from Ps. 46:10a "Be still... and know that I am GOD!" That is just what he is doing. He is proving to me that HE is STILL in control.
(4/9/04) I went to Tulane yesterday for the bone scan that Dr. Jaffe wanted to have done. Then today...I have gotten the mail and in it was another letter from Medicaid. You will not beleive what the status is! Guess what it is... APPROVED!!!!! I am so excited! Well, Gotta go for this time. More later.
(4/27/04) I had my Pre-Op Visit today. My surgery date has been change from the 5th of May to the 6th of May. It was a long day, but we made it by the help of the Lord. My bone scan came back showing some problems. I will be having a CT Scan done on Tues. Dr. Jaffe says that he's not sure if it is a tumor on my right knee or just what it is, so the CT Scan will show more. To all of my readers, I covet your prayers. We will update as we can. Be looking on my surgery page for updates from my Angels, Ms. Jennifer and Mrs. Donna. Thank you girls in advance.
(5/3/04) Well, again my surgery date has been changed. First it was May 5th then May 6th and now it's May 7th. we'll update more later.
(5/7/04) You will not believe it! My surgery was canceled today. I was in the holding area, ready for surgery, when they came out and told me that ICU had no beds availible! I wanted to just cry. It has now been reschedualed for May 13th. Hopefully it will happen then.
(5/13/04) Hello Every one all is well, the surgery was done in about 5 hrs. Dr. Said "Surgery was without insident, no complications. Thank you to all who Prayed for the surgery. E.C.
(5/14/04) Today was a good day. Ventalater has been turned way down, and Dr Jaffe says that possibly by Saturday he would have it removed. Monday she should be in her room. Keep up your prayers, we've been feeling them. Thank you one and all. E.C.
(5/15/04) The Dr. said that the vent tube comes out today. Praise the Lord. Angelia is doing very well. Keep praying God is answering.E.C.
(5/26/04) GOING HOME!!!!!!!!!!!
OVERALL I DID NOT FIND IT TO BE TO BAD OF AN EXPERIANCE. THE PROBLEMS THAT I DID HAVE WAS THAT THE STAFF DID NOT FOLLOW THE DOCTORS ORDERS. HE ORDERED THAT I BE TURNED OVER EVERY 2 HOURS. WELL, I WAS IN SURGERY FOR 5 HOURS, THEN I WAS TRANSFERED TO SURGERY ICU, WHERE THEY KEPT ME ON MY BACK FOR 3 FULL DAYS AND 4 NIGHTS. SO I'VE ENDED UP WITH EXTREEM BED WOUNDS FROM WERE THE TAPE JUST RIPPED MY SKIN, LEAVING ME WITH 2ND TO 3RD DEGREE WOUNDS. THEN SOMEHOW I'VE ENDED UP WITH PINCHED NERVES THAT WILL NOT LET MY RIGHT LEG WORK PROPERLY. PLEASE HELP US PRAY THAT ALL OF THIS WILL WORK OUT, SOOON! OH, WELL THATS ENOUGH.
P.S. AT MY PRE-OP VISIT 2 WEEKS BEFORE SURGERY I WEIGHED IN AT 448. AFTER SURGERY I WEIGHED 490, THE DOCTOR SAID TO START WITH THAT WEIGHT AND COUNT DOWN FROM IT. SO AS OF THE DAY I LEFT THE HOSPITAL, I HAD LOST 44 POUNDS. WONDERFUL!!!!
(6/15/04) Went to Dr jaffe today. I'm one month and two days post op and I have already lost 101 pounds. Well, until next time,,, take care.
(6/23/04) HELLO TO YOU ALL,
I'M WRITTING TO GIVE AN UPDATE ON MY CONDITION. ON MONDAY OF THIS WEEK, I WENT TO MY APPOINTMENT AT THE WOUND CARE CENTER. FOR A LITTLE WHILE, ERIC HAS TOLD ME THAT IN THE UPPER RIGHT SIDE OF THE WOUND THERE IS A TUNNEL THAT IS EXPOSING WHAT SEEMS TO BE MY HIP BONE. WHILE I WAS AT THE APPOINTMENT, I STARTED TO FAINT, MY BLOOD PREASURE DROPED DOWN TO 80/40. THEY GOT ME ONTO A STRECHER AND WHEELED ME DOWN TO ER. THERE I FOUND OUT THAT MY WHITE BLOOD CELL COUNT WAS HIGH, WHICH MEANS INFECTION, I AM DEHYDRATED, MALNERISHED, ANEMIC, LOW PROTEIN LEVEL. I WILL BE GOING BACK TO TULANE HOSPITAL TO BE ADMITED, SO THAT I CAN BE TREATED FOR THE INFECTION, AND I WILL HAVE TO HAVE A SKIN GRAPH DONE ON THE WOUNDS. YA'LL I NEED PRAYER! PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO REMEMBER GLORIA & ERIC, THEY ARE FACING THERE OWN EMOTIONAL STRUGGLES. I THANK YOU.
(8/5/04) WELL, I WAS IN THE HOSPITAL THE LAST WEEK OF JULY. IT ALL TURNED OUT TO BE A BLADDER OR URINARY TRACK INFECTION. GOD HAS ANSWERED PRAYER AGAIN. THANK YOU ALL FOR PRAYING.
(8/30/04) Just more detailed update from the last one. Well, I'm doing a lot better. When I was in the hospital the last week of July, the Dietician came in to see how I was doing. She told me that I needed to be taking at least 1000 mg's extra of Vitamin C a day, 500 in the morning and night. So when I got home I started taking it. Well, my wounds have really started healing good, so I am now taking 500 mg's morning, noon and night. I am hoping to see even more healing. On the other hand... my right leg is still giving me fits. I have bad pain to go along with the numbness. I am trying to get up every day to walk from my bedroom to the living room. I am also having lots of pain in the wound in my back. After sitting up for about 20-25 minutes it feels like ants are bitting me in the wound. I assume it is the nerves that are exposed.
Weight Loss - Well, I have not weighed since I left the hospital in July, so I don't really know how much I have lost as of now, but at that time it was 114 pounds. I know it is no doubt more now. I have enclosed some pictures of me the day of surgery to present.
(10/07/04) Alot has happened since I last updated. I am finally, now being able to get out of the house. It feels so good to be able to see something else besides the four walls of my bedroom. I come very close to losing my mind...ha! ha! You try staying in bed for 4 and a half months and see if you don't go CRAZZZY! My wounds are healing up nicly. Thank God.
Now for weight loss... as of September 20, 2004 I have lost 134.5 pounds! Now that is wonderful in my book. Talk about feel so much better!
Again, I want to say a big Thank You to all of you that have prayed for me. God is so Good! Until next time, take care.
2005(1-17-05) Happy New Year to you all. I just wanted to give an update. I've lost 156 pounds as of now. I was 8 months post op on the 13th.
My leg is doing just a tiny bit better. It's still really numb, but the Lord is helping me with it. Gonna go for now. Until next time, take care.
(1-27-05) I've gone to Dr. Parish to find out about the front wound that is not healing. I will be having surgery to open it up on Monday Jan. 31, 05. There is a possibility that I may have a hernia. We will not know until he opens me up to see what's going on inside.
Please pray for me and ask God to touch and heal. Until next time.
(3-11-05) Well, it's time to check in again. I've got a new weight. I've lost a total of 169 pounds as of Tuesday the 8th. That is so encouraging. I've got 22 pounds to go to be under 300! WOW! I'm getting it done! YES!
(4-17-05) Well, it's been 11 months now. It's so hard to believe! The 13th of next month will be 1 yr. Post-Op. WOW! I've come a long way.
My wounds in my back are all healed up now, and the wound in my incision, is so small now that hopefully it will be closed up by my year anniversary. Well, gonna go for this time.
(5-13-05) Today... One year post-op! WOW! What a year. I've been through so much in this past year, but I do feel like it will be worth it all, when everything is said and done. I'm waiting for just a very small area to heal on the last incisional wound, and I'll be free of wounds. Now, I'm not saying that I'm free on some major scarring...No, not at all. As far as my numb leg... it's still numb. I'm trying my best to learn how to just live with it. I really have no other option. If I did, I sure would check it out. Ha! Ha!
Well, I'm between a rock and a hard place... my scale here at home is messing up on me, so it's really hard to know how much I am weighing today. I'll have to go buy another on this afternoon and hopefully I'll be able to weigh in and post it. The last that I knew I've lost approx 170 pounds.
To all of my fellow ObesityHelp 1st Year Anniversaries... Congratulations on a job well done.
Ok, I've got my new scale and my old one was way off! Ok, I've lost approx 174+ pounds. Gotta go for this time.
(9/26/05) Greetings to you all. I wanted to update and let you all know that I've lost a total of 188.5 pounds. I have my Intital Consult for my Full Body Contour, tommorow 9/27/05. Hopefully it will all go well. It's so nice to look back at what I used to weigh (500 lbs) to what I weigh now (311 lbs), it helps me realize that I've done very well.
For an update on my numb right leg... it's still numb, but I have learned how to walk without a cane. I still have times when I fall, but I get right back up and keep going.
Well, I'll go for this time. Best Wishes to you all.
(11-3-05) I'm now down 194 lbs. I'm weighing in at 304.5. On Sept. 27th I went to see the plastic & reconstructive surgery doctor and he gave me some news that I did NOT want to hear. After all of the weight that I have lost he said that I must lose another 100 lbs before he can do my tummy tuck. The problem is that I am not being able to lose any more weight. In fact, I am gaining about 8-10 lbs during the month then after I have my period, I lose it. So I'm on a yo-yo ride. Does anyone have any suggestions? Until next time. Best wishes to you all.
(11-17-05) Well I weighed yesterday morning and I am now down 199.5 pounds! WOW!!! I am weighing in at 300.5 It's so hard to beleive that I am .5 of a pound being 299. Well, by today I may have lost the half of pound. Until next time. God Bless.
(12-28-05) Here I am again... writing more of my journey on my profile page. Christmas has passed and a few days before I weighed in at 285 pounds. WOW!! I am sooooo HAPPY!!! Until next time. God Bless!
2006
(2/20/06) Here we are in a new year and it has taken me this long to update. Back in Dec. 05 I had lost another 10 pounds, but then gained it back. I did not know what else to do. I had not changed the way I was eating, in fact I started eating even less. Well, I got my new issue of ObesityHelp Magazine in and began reading. I read about how a couple of people wrote down every thing they put into their mouth and so I did the same. I found that I was not consumming enough protein. In one week I began eating the proper amount and I lost 8 lbs. in that first week. I have wondered why for all of this time, I have not lost down to goal. Well, my mystery has been figured out. I have 3 lbs. to go to be back where I was before Christmas.Take care to you all. Until next time.
(7-21-06) Just a short note to let you all know that I am doing well. I am no longer lossing weight. I am maintaining. I guess that's ok.
2008
(5-14-08) It's been a long time since I have updated my profile. Today is my 4 year WLS Anniversary. I am not at my goal weight and the way I feel, I'll never get there. There is so much going on in my life right now that sometimes I feel like I'm going under. Oh well, that's life! Until the next time! Take care.
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