SuezanneWells
I have been battling my weight since I was 13. I am over 300# now and nothing works for long. I have tried every diet out there. I've had doctors tell me I have no willpower after starving myself for months on supervised plans. I now have a doctor (a group of them really) who are more interested in my health than their egos. They are trying to help me get insurance approval. I am so tired of this battle. Now that thyroid imbalance has been excluded from the causes list, we are all working to get me approved.
Sept. 4, 2002-- I have my consult scheduled for Sept 25th. I will have to go to Palestine TX so that I don't have to wait a year for the surgery. My insurance company is National Asbestos Workers Medical Fund....and they will pay for the surgery, but I have to wait on the confirmation letter to arrive. I'm hoping it will be here before the 25th so that I can have my surgery on Sept. 26th. I am excited and scared. Dr. Dirk Rodriguez and his staff have been recommended to me repeatedly, and Karen Stiles, RN, has been wonderful about answering my questions. Because I live so far away, they are trying to get my surgery scheduled ASAP. I'll be calling my insurance company several times a week til I get approval.
Sept. 13, 2002-- My insurance company is playing games, trying to postpone having to pay. I may have to reschedule my surgery. I'll find out for certain on Monday whether I'll have my approval in time for surgery on Sept. 26th. On the lighter side, I have lost 10 pounds over the last month. I guess that my husband's heart attack and the anti-depressants that my PCP put me on contributed to that.
Sept. 19, 2002-- Due to my insurance company, my surgery has to be postponed. I am frustrated and tired of waiting. Looking like at least another month for me.
Sept. 28, 2002-- I got my approval letter on the 26th. Now all if have to do is get new surgery date set up w/ Dr. Dirk Rodriguez in Palestine, TX., and raise the money for the trip. I'm planning to have a huge yard sale soon. I've already got women asking me what I'm doing w/ my clothes. I haven't weighed...but I think I've lost another 5# or so. That brings me down to 287#, but I think my goal should be 155#. Wish me luck ya'll!!!
October 2, 2002--I have a surgery date!!!!!! October 17, 2002 will be the beginning of my new life.
October 18, 2002-- Today is day of surgery. All the pre-op testing is done and I am in TX and ready to go. My weight is down to 290# so that will be my starting point and my goal is 155#.
October 23, 2002-- I got home from TX today. My surgery went well. I spent 2 days in ICU and 2 days in my own room. I was up walking on the 19th, and after that the nurses were calling me "Marathon Lady" because I was walking so much, so fast, and usually without assistance. Dr. Rodriguez had to remove my gall bladder because it was non-functional. Palestine Regional Medical Center is a wonderful facility with an incredible staff.
I am going to try to post weekly updates.
Oct, 26, 2002-- I weighed yesterday, and I am at 279#!!!!!!!
I only have pain in one place on the left side of my belly, and Tylenol has been enough to handle it since I left the hospital. I am glad to be home and glad to be through my first week. I am getting tired of liquids though. Only one more week and I can start moving to soft foods though.
Oct 31, 2002-- day 14 Post-op. I am down to 268#. I blacked out once a few days ago but I've done very well otherwise.
Dec. 18, 2002-- I am now 2 months postop.... weight is now 250#. I've been doing well lately although it is hard to keep drinking and eating the protein supplements. They are nasty. I have gone from a size 28 to a 20 and feel wonderful.
Jan. 9, 2003-- I now weigh 235# and am wearing a size 18 for the first time since high school. I have found that Protein 8 bars are rather tasty if a bit expensive. I feel like a new woman and love every moment of my new life.
Feb. 4, 2003-- I have lost a total of 80#. I am in a size 18. Weight loss has slowed to one or two pounds a week but I am able to exercise more so maybe it will pick back up. People who haven't seen me in a while don't recognize me. Reactions ranging from total shock to disbelief are common. For anyone who is discouraged with the battle..... HANG IN THERE. THE RESULTS ARE WORTH IT.
March 9, 2003-- I have lost 95# now. I am still in an 18 but they are getting loose. I'm still having some problems with hair loss, but taking B-complex, Zinc, and Selenium supplements have slowed it down a lot. I have given most of my old clothes away. I went out to buy summer clothes and deliberately bought them a size or two small so I have a goal.
March 28, 2003-- I have now lost 100#. Hair loss is minimal now and I feel wonderful. I'm starting to research plastic surgeons for skin removal as I have an awful lot of excess skin but it is a small price to pay for being healthy for a change.
June 13, 2003-- I have lost 114#. I am stil in a size 18 but that is mostly due to the excess skin. In blouses I can wear a 12 or 14. In fact, my mother gave me some clothes that were too small for her and they fit wonderfully. I so enjoy being able to shop in the ladies section of the stores now. I am smaller than I have been since I began highschool. I was in a car accident 6 weeks ago, so my exercise regimen went on hold til last week, but I am back in the groove now and the month long plateau is breached. While I cannot recommend this surgery for everyone, I would most heartily recommend it to anyone who, like me, has exhausted all other options. The excess skin is still bothersome, but I can live with it if I have to.
July 24, 2003-- I have lost 122#. Got shocking news last month. I am pregnant. I was told I could never get pregnant again and had adjusted accordingly. My local doctor is working with me to balance out my diet so that I stop losing weight for the pregnancy. She doesn't want me to gain any but have to stop losing. This is amazing news.
August13, 2003--My weight is hovering at about 185#. I am 12 weeks pregnant as of today. So far I have only had a few problems w/ the pregnancy and none of them are related to my surgery. For all my other pregnancies, I was 50-100# heavier and didn't show until about 6 months, but with this one I have already started to show. It's almost devastating to have to go back into larger clothes after finally getting down so little. I am excited however. My OB says it's early but I've started feeling the baby move and have finally gotten a lot of financial stresses dealt with so that I can relax a bit around home. I am still in college and hope to graduate in December.
June 7, 2004--Wow, how time flies. I hadn't realized it had been so long since I'd updated my profile. I ended up on full bedrest in early December last year with complications of the pregnancy (preterm labor). When Morgan was finally born January 12th, he weighed in at 5# 10 oz and was 19 inches long. He was nearly 7 weeks early so we were all happy that he was so big and healthy. Neither of us suffers any ill effects from the pregnancy now. For the entire pregnancy though, I managed to only lose 4# which my doctors thought was fantastic. I am now down to 170# and maintaining without any effort. The excess skin does bother me a bit, but I am so glad to be healthy that I believe I will not worry about a little skin. I am 15# from my weight goal, and my doctors are advising me to NOT lose the remaining weight as they believe it is all excess skin. My lab results are good and although I sometimes forget my vitamins,I am basically very healthy. I do still have occassional problems with dumping syndrome, but local doctors are saying that is because while I was pregnant I HAD to eat richer foods and basically force myself to overeat to maintain weight for the baby. He's worth it.
December 28, 2005--A lot has happened since my last update. In December 2004, my family noticed my voice had changed and I thought it was just a weather related sore throat or something. By the end of Jan 2005, however, I'd gained over 30# for no apparent reason and I was having major difficulties swallowing. When I went to my doctor, we found that my thyroid had 3 huge (and fortunately benign) goiters/tumors and was completely non-functional. March 21, 2005, my thyroid was removed with all the goiters/tumors (198 grams--no wonder I had swallowing problems) and it was a surprise to the doctors that the tissue was almost entirely crystallized. I still have about 25# of the thyroid weight gain to lose, but it's slowly coming off. For everyone who has this surgery, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE have your thyroid function checked at least yearly. From my research, I've found that many WLS patients suffer thyroid function problems within 4-6 yrs of their surgery. The current theory is that my unexpected pregnancy contributed to the degradation of my thyroid, BUT I have many WLS post op friends who are also experiencing thyroid problems now.
There have been so many stressors in my life over the past 2 years, and an incredible amount of wonderful things as well. I am still battling my long term clinical depression and my doctors all agree that given my history, this will probably be a life long battle. I still have occassional migraines (usually hormonally induced) and insomnia and I also catch colds and get bronchitis easily. My health overall is MUCH IMPROVED over what it was before I lost the weight. I have a good life now and can enjoy my children and work to improve their lives as well. I got my divorce (necessary to protect my children) and met a wonderful man who I plan to marry in March. This will probably be my last update for a good while. Between our children, my work, his work and our extended families, it is hard to keep in contact. I do answer emails and welcome anyone who wants to discuss WLS. After all, one can never have too many (or enough) friends.
About Me
Before & After
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