sptalents
June 11, 2007
I am a 49 year old mother of one amazing daughter, wife to a husband who has been through this procedure, and teacher of 25 years. I have taught special education for all of them. I am proud of my profession and love the children that I work with. I could not think of another job that would have rewarded me the way that this has.
My hobbies...where do I start? I love to cook, even though I haven't done a great deal of this lately-sew, write poetry, sing, and love to oil paint.
Overall, I am a great person. But I have allowed myself to hide behind this massive body. Few people really know me because all they see is the outer shell and not who is inside. Fat is lonely, but I guess I have let it become that. Hopefully that will change.
June 12, 2007
Have you ever stopped to think about life? I do constantly. I have discovered that over the last 4 years....life has basically ended as I have always know it.
I always took pride that even though I was morbidly obese...I was never an inactive fat person. I was so proud of that. My husband had his surgery four years ago. That was the beginning of the life I have come to hate. We had a very difficult time with his procedure, no fault of our doctor, but Robert's medical conditions and family history. We spent a long 2 years of recovering and I do not regret helping him one bit. I teach school and made the choice to continue my teaching with him in and out of the hospital...I still don't know if it was the right choice...but I know that God had reasons for helping make it. I would travel every weekend to the hospital and stay and leave him on Sunday afternoon. It was very hard to do that... but I knew that between Dr. Merriman and the hospital staff at Christus Schumpert...he was in good hands and I was only a phone call away. I felt guilty because teaching was my escape from reality....when I was there I had to give 100% to my job and the kids and when I was with Robert I had to give him the same. I always called several times at night and was at the hospital as quickly as I could when I needed to be. I had excellent training from our wound care nurse, Emily...by watching her closely I was able to help Robert every time he came home. I learned how to do things that I never thought or dreamed that I could. So between Dr. Merriman, Dr. Wall, Emily, home health and myself...we did great. Anyway...Robert has done very well and he has LIFE again. I am proud of his weight loss and his ability to do those things in life that has meant so much to him in the past.
But due to inactivity and exhaustion, my life began to change. The next year, I had pneumonia 4 times and the 4th time landed me in the hospital for 9 days. There they discovered I also had asthma and sleep apnea on top of my high blood pressure and high triglycerides. I went into the hospital in September and finally returned to work in November. The rest of the year was fairly uneventful. I had used all my days the 2 years Robert was recovering...started the year with 10 and then had to use my disability insurance. The last year was not too bad... except that my weight and inability to be as mobile has taken its toll. Then again in March 2007...I had been diagnosed with pneumonia again and when they did the EKG...I was taken to the emergency room because they didn't like the reading. On April 18, 2007, my sister-in-law drove me to the emergency room with chest pain and pain in my left arm. I was kept for 3 days and my triglycerides were 979-- they are suppose to be 150 or less. Thank goodness, they didn't detect a heart attack or blood clot--but it was an eye opening experience. When I had my last check up with my pulmonary doctor..who is a wonderful caring man...he simply stated that I needed to do something...my weight is killing me.
And that is where I am today. It took me three days to stop being depressed. I have been following weight watchers for the last year...a WONDERFUL PROGRAM...one that in the past I lost over 70 pounds. But the last year has been a roller coaster ride for me. I have been up and down with the same 30 pounds the entire year. And now I am faced with-- WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO?
I, or should I say my husband, has made an appointment with Dr. Merriman for the 20th of June. I always told him and everyone else that if I ever made this decision he would be the Dr. that I would allow to perform the surgery. Well, here I am...making the decision that could change my entire life. Now to decide which to choose....Lap Band or Gastric Bypass.
If you have had the Lap Band and would like to...please email me at [email protected]. I have some questions from those who have had the procedure. I will and can get the medical info from Dr. Merriman, but would like input from those who have had it done.
