Rachel E.
I am a 26yr old female who has been overweight since I was 9 yrs old. Battling this and that obstacle, experiencing all the prejudice and discrimination not to mention ridicule has been hard….but it’s fixing to stop! I am 363 pounds today but my life is about to change. I know that inside this heavy body weighed down with fat and guilt and down right depression is the healthy, beautiful, happy person I have been fighting my whole life to find.
I researched having WLS about 6 or so years ago and I met with Nu-weigh back when they had first started. The only procedure they were doing was a procedure where they had to crack open your breast bone and do some major stuff and being only 20 then I was too afraid to even consider it so I went running from there. Since then I have been back to the diet routine and have been on so many diets I can’t even begin to tell you all of them.
I came to this site about 3 months ago after I met a woman in my favorite plus size store that had an open RNY. In 9 months she had gone from a size 24 to a size 2 or 4 and I was amazed. I immediately came home and started my research. I then found a surgeon who performed the Laparoscopic RNY which to me was great! So….. I scheduled an appointment. July 27th is the day. I’ll tell ya more later.
Well......I met Dr. Wongsa, he was a great if not better than I expected. It was very nice to finally meet a doctor who will not talk down to me like I am an idiot. I came to his office very educated and had alot of questions. In his introduction he answered probably 89% of the questions I had in great detail which made me feel real at ease. Then I got a chance to ask any additional questions I had and he was very eager to explain in detail. Anyway so now I go on to another step. TESTS!!! Yuck! Anyway I have an appointment with my PCP Monday morning bright and early. Then I have to have an Upper GI, ultra sound of my gallbladder and an endoscope. In the meantime Ruth in Dr. Wongsa office is going to be sending my letter off this coming week to the insurance. Hopeful it will be smooth sailing.
More news later.
Well I had the Upper GI and Ultra Sound today. Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh be prepared the glue like liquid they make you drink is just plain awful. Trying to drink it fast is nearly impossible. Only thing good I have to say is that the doctor's assistant was the sweetest woman I have ever met in the health care profession. She made the whole procedure much easier to deal with. I did have to go home and rest afterwards because the barium didn't set well on my stomach. The ultra sound was nothing major and I believe went well only the girl who did it said she couldn't tell me anything that they would send the results out to my doctor and he would tell me...which kinda made me nervous but I figure that is just routine business. I called Dr. Wongsa's office today and found out from Ruth that she faxed off my letter on Tuesday July 31st. So.....I decided to call United Health care today, it took me a while but I finally found a lady who could verify that they had received the fax and that it was in the approval process. She told me to call back Monday. So I will.
Well it's Monday and I got another nice lady on the phone and she verified again that the approval is in the process but she said that I would do better to call back Friday to see if I am approved. So here goes the waiting game.
Well I called insurance again and was directed to a very nice lady named Pat. She must have dealt with other WLS patients because she understands how anxious I am to find out the verdict. I called Thursday, she said call back Friday. Called Friday she said she would try and get me some answer by the end of the day. No answer :-(
I called Pat at United Health Care back this morning.....still no answer but every time I call she is sooooo polite I could never be upset......but that doesn't mean I'm not still VERY ANXIOUS. Well......about 2pm I got a call at work.....it was Pat w/United. I about broke my pencil I was gripping waiting for her to get to the point where she said yes or no and well she said YES!!!!!!!!!!!!! I AM APPROVED! I work in the office with my mom so she was standing right there and I gave her a thumbs up and she started jumping up and down and it was hard to be serious on the phone but I managed. Anyway Pat went over some things with me and was really a sweetheart. She had already called my doctor and gave them the word so I was anxious to call and get a date. So.....I called. And Ruth confirmed she had the approval gave me a date of October 18th....but I am on the move-up list if the Dr. gets a cancellation. Anyway I am very excited and nearing the very nervous stage. But..........on a good note....usually when something good happens in my life I celebrate with food. Guess what I did this time? I went to the gym and did water aerobics!!!!! Wow I felt great afterwards! Well thats all I have for now, I'll write more after my Endoscopy on Thursday.....YUCK!
:-)
Endoscopy went fine no problems. I was glad to be able to have it at the hospital where I am having my surgery.
Well now all that is left is the waiting!!!
Went for pre-op interview and tests today at the hospital. Dang it took forever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But in the long run I am glad they were so imformative. I had blood taken, EKG and chest x-ray but those were no biggie. After all that and leaving the hospital I went to my surgeon's office to weigh in. Thank goodness I had lost 9 pounds! I kinda figured I had lost more than 5 pounds but I was worried. So.....more waiting 9 days til surgery. Getting really scared.
October 18, 2001
Well it's about 6:20 am fixing to leave the house to head for the hospital. Still a little scared but I feel ok. I think I lost a few more pounds so that makes me feel better. Please keep me in your prayers! I'll see ya on the other side.
October 22, 2001
HEY!!!!!!!!!! I'm on the other side. Surgery went great no problems at all and I don't remember a thing. Minimal to no pain at all. The only pain I had was from IV's, shots and the stinking hosptial bed. They tell you to get up and walk and believe me I was so glad I did......I wish I could have slepted standing up cuz that hospital bed did a number on my back. Dr. had planned on keeping me til Sunday but I got out Saturday morning. I think everyone is still in shock at how quickly I was up and going and feeling fine. (Honestly SO AM I) But I am determined not to sit around get feeling weak. Since I've been home I went grocery shopping w/mom on Saturday to Albertson's and I have to admit it did tire me out a little but it was good to feel like I was human again. Sunday I took it easy for most of the day and then later I went to the movies with my family. I worried about feeling comfortable but it was ok. Glad it wasn't a 3 hr movie! Well as of this morning I have lost 11 pounds since surgery!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so glad! Food hasn't been a problem yet at all I love sugar free popsicles they are a God send for sure!!!!!!! I've eaten the following foods with no problem at all: turkey weiner, chicken breast, chicken broth, scrambled eggs, and ...............drum roll a 1/2 oz of beans from Taco Bell ohhhhhhh they were goood!!!!!!!!!! Well I guess that is all I have to post right now I'll keep updating with more info!
November 13, 2001
Wow I didn't realize it had been so long since I posted. Things are going pretty good. I've had a few food problems here and there and experience the awfulness of throwing up. I had 2 days there where I couldn't even keep down water. Every day seems to get a little better. I have been working out a little. Not near enough but I am gonna get back in the routine. Well as of today I have lost a total of 42 pounds that counts the 12 pounds before surgery but shoot it counts too. Thursday will be 4 weeks post op so I figure I am doing well. Thanksgiving is coming on too fast I hope it goes ok. I have a check-up with Wongsa the 30th so I'll post more then.
