Tammy G.
This is my story...
I am a 34 yr. old woman with 2 beautiful boy's ages 14 and 9 yrs old.. I have been gradually gaining weight for the past 10 yrs, but lately have gained also.. tried to loose this weight for yr's, I have become a type II diabetic been taking med's for about 3 yr's now, it has been harder now then ever to loose the weight.. I have been looking and studying on this wls for about 5 yrs now, and for all the ins. plans my husband and I have had always excluded this procedure and anything remotely close to it.. they have alway's called it cosmetic..I have finally been excepted through the state for badger care plus-united healthcare and I am hoping for a good break through this time around.. I am currently 327#'s and really wishing I could rid of these diabeties.. and have my life back.. so I am on the road to finding out if I can have the gastric bypass surgery.. My family is very supportive of this decision that we have come up with,I know I have a history of anxiety, panic attacks when it comes to medication, and I am praying that I will not have an episode when and If I have the surgery at anastesia time...
Ok It's Nov. 21st and I have done alot of soul searching and dr. searching, the surgeon I was going to have the rny with I did not feel comfy with so I kept searching and asking ?'s, well I found that there was a post that I read about the ds procedure, and I had gone to her profile, and read all I could on the up's and down's of the procedure, and I fell in love with the fact that it was going to be the best procedure for me.. So I went and seen that she also was from milwaukee, so I went ahead and looked up her surgeon and read about him and his team Dr. Engstrand was his name and there were 3 others in this office and they do all the procedure's, and they do laprascopic, which the other surgeon didn't do, all he did was the open rny, so being with him I felt like I had no choice but to have that type of surgery, so I made the appointment to go to the seminar for Dr. Engstrand, I tell you I am glad my husband and I did go,it answered my hubbies question's and mine all at the same time, I loved how thorough he and his team are, and how organized they are also..So here I am at square 1 all over again, but was told to keep going to my nutritionist, for the visit's since I can use that for my 6mth supervised diet.. yes I need that, don't like it but it's a small price I need to pay to have this tool to help me back to a normal and healthy life. I got the packet in the mail yesterday for Dr. E's office and so I filled it all out, I called the insurance which is badgercare plus united healthcare, and found that it is a covered service, i just need to be preauthorized and approved for it medically necessary, I should not have any problems with that due to having diabeties, and sleep apnea, arthritis, and tumor's in my legs and the extra weight is making them really hurt.. I also have infertility issues, haven't been abe to concieve in 9 yr's.. and we would like to have another one.. So I have the appointment with Dr. E on the 30th to meet with the nurses, and get all my appointments that I need for the nutritionist of there's, and the psyc eval, then all I have to do is keep seeing the nutritionist for 6 months, so since I started seeing her in nov. I should be done with the visit's by May.. And lets hope that I can get on the loser's bench soon after that with all the other loser's..lol I will post more after my visit at Dr. Engstrand's office on he 30th..
Well here it is Nov. 30th, I had my first visit today for Dr. Engstrand's office, I met the nurse and him as well, I must say they are very polite, and respectful I tell ya, they made me feel so comfortable and excepted it was a great feeling.. well I found out everything I need to start doing, and going to all the appointments.. first I get to keep the nutritionist that I was seeing, and just have her document everything for me, and I also have to make and appointment to see my reg. dr. ,and the psyc, eval, then I have alot of testing at the hospital for the ekg, blood work, pulmonary testing due to my sleep apnea,and the dietarty evaluation, to talk about how and what I will be eating after the surgery for the ds. it seem's like sooo much to due, but I only have 5 months to go.. and they will go fast due to the holidays,and birthday's and so forth coming.. alot alot to do... I can't wait for the day for them to tell me I am appoved...well I will jot down more after I find out when I have to go to these appointments and let you know how it goes.. ttyl
Well I went in this morning... in the winter storm we are having.. had to be there at 730 this morning to do the pulmonary, ekg, labs, and therapy eval.. It went well, was out of there by 11am, the testing for my pulmonary went rather well, the only thing I did not like was the artery test..That hurt like Hell.. it felt like someone was pulling my veins out of my wrist through that small hole they poked me with.. but it went well finding out i won't need breathing treatments, and my oxygen lvls in my blood are good, then I was off to the labs and they could not catch a vein on both of the arms.. so they had to stick me for the third time on the wrist when they finally got it..so four tubes of blood later i am sent home.. I am now waiting for the phsyc. eval on friday, and the I just have to see my nut until May, and see my pcp.. I only do not know if I am suppose to lose weight on the supervised diet.. not sure if I should be or needing to be losing, I do know she has been weighing me at the visits, I don't want to ruin this by not losing anything or by losing too much.. and they might tell me I can do this on my own.. any suggestions as to that..? I am just so glad this seems so sereal knowing all the testing is done just about, and knowing that This just might happen for me.. I am trying to stay focused and Positive about this.. but when you read others say they have a date and you have been here for yr's, trying to get that,it makes you feel down and out, but yet happy for the ones who are getting there life on track and the body they deserve.. I so want that for myself in so many ways, and as long as god is on my side I shall have the words approval and I have a date come out of my mouth and my fingers crossed..lol...
It's now Feb. 17th and I know I haven't been on here as often as I should be updating my profile, but I have been busy, well I have gone and done the pulmanary testing, and the psyc. eval, since my last update, I have passed the psyc. eval, with no problems, and the lung testing I had to recently go back and retake the test, with alittle more extensive testing, due to them thinking i have some restriction in my lungs, and I seem fine, I really do, I breath fine except when I go up and down the stairs, then I get exherted.. but I go in for the results of this test on March 2nd, and can't wait, I am hoping that I have passed that test.. I also have been taking vitamins since dec. because my counts are low, my vit d 3 is a normal at 34 and mine was a 12 and so I have been taking 2000iu a day of vit d, and i have been taking 500 vit c, iron glucanate,and sublingual b12 1200units.. I haven't had any blood work done since i have been taking the vits.. I know my diabeties is not doing good, they are thinking about putting me on lancit the shot at night, but before hand they want to put me on another pill along with my recent medication and see how that works. I really can't believe that time has flied as fast as it has, I only have till mid may to finalize sending in the papers to the insurance to get the approval, I am excited but I am also scared to death, I am hoping that I don't chicken out! I really want this but can I over come my anxiety to go through with this.. I know I am in really good hands, and I know I need this really bad.. My mom will be there to kick me in the hinder to get me in there and go through it.. I also joined the YMCA with my family and have been working out for 2-3 times a week mostly on the weekends cause i babysit my sister's kids during the week and my husband and I are down to 1 car and i can't get there at night and during the day with the kids I can't, so I try to go early early one day a week, and then both sat and sunday.. I am doing more now than I have ever done, weather it's only twice a week, I still walk 3 miles a week, and I do strength training with it,and I also do laps in the pool for a few hr's with my son.. So I will update when I get the results from the lung test, and when I hear more.. I hope someone is reading this and I am giving them the hope that I was looking for..
I know shame on me for not posting sooner, It's now May 24th 2010, and I just recieved a phone call from the bariatric's of wi. center, and they have told me that I have been APPROVED for the Duodenal Switch!! Now I am awaiting for the surgical tech's to call me to set up an appointment!! OMG I can't believe that I got approved I have been waiting Sooo long for this, I cried to my hubby,and my sister after finding out, my husband thought someone died, that's how bad I was blubbering, I am so scared but I think I am more excited than anything.. I have to tell you if your like me one of them people who lurked, weren't sure, and were in the process of getting approved, I have to tell you if you believe put your faith into The lord, put it in his hands, I did I prayed, had family and church pray for me,and he has heard all of us, and now I am to wait for my surgery date!! I can't wait, I told the nurse at the clinic that I wanted the next available date!! So I will post more when the time comes..
I recieved the call that I am to have the surgery on the 29th of June, I can't hardly believe it, I am to start my liquid diet 2wks before the surgery, I have already been to my appointments, I just need to see the surgeon on Friday the 18th for a visit with him. I am not liking this liquid diet thing.... But it needs to be done, I think I will sleep most of the time while on this, to keep my mind off of food, or the thought of being hungry!! I can't believe that the time is coming soo fast.. I am so excited, but scared at the same time,but I guess that's just human right.?
Well I did it, I went in there on the 29th and I successfully went and did it, I was petrified beyond all, but I was able to do it.. The surgery was good, it was only to take 5.5hrs but it took 10hr.'s!! I know I guess it was hard for him to get around for there wasn't alot of room for him to work in, so he took my gallbladder,my appendix found a cancerous tumor the size of a golf ball inside the appendix, fixed my hernia, and cut alot i mean alot of scar tissue out that is what took so long also because of all the adhesions, (scar Tissue) it was a harder surgery, So not only did he save my life once with the surgery but found the tumor and removed it... I can't believe that was in me, and he removed all of it,It would never had been found unless my appendix would have ruptured... But I am here healing itching cus of the healing and it's driving me nuts.. so far i am not having any complication's, I keep to my protien drink's and water, and I have about a half cup of pureed soup, pudding, I go back to the dr. on the 12th of July, my anniversary, and I should be able to move to soft foods,until then I will cut it off there.
I know shame on me it's been awhile since I have posted my update, I know I loved reading these pre op, Well I am currently 4months out and I am down a total of 77.5lbs and 66inches all around, I have no problems except once in awhile i forget to slow down but I get reminded really quickly, I am loving life, I have so much energy to do things, I am loving the fact that Most if not all of my clothes don't fit me anymore, I have thrown and donated bags and bags of clothes. I am starting to lose my hair, started last month so I went and got a bottle of biotin and started taking 5k mcg daily and changed my shampoo, I just went and got my hair cut, it's short, but alot of what was there was so dry and dead and it wasn't helping me any, it was just looking terrible, so now it feel's healthier, and it does feel thin, but hoping it will come back quickly.. I have gone from a 5x in shirts to a 2x and a size 28-30 jean to a 22!! I still have a way's to go but I am damn proud of where I am, and I am beginning to love my ds.. I do have a situation where my insurance has been cut, and I can't get my lab's drawn I have had my 3month ones done and they look good so far just need to up my vitamin D and take potassium for that is low.. Liver enzymes are elevated a bit but not too worried about that for they will straighten them selves out later. I will have to fork the money out of pocket and find out how much it will run, I will not go without having my lab's done, he want's me to do another set because of my potassium and my liver enzymes, so I am looking into that to see how much it will cost me, hopefully not to much. well I will come back to update soon again, I know this really helps alot of you pre op's who are searching for stories and experiences to kind of see what you will be going through and they help that is why its important to me to update as much as I can..
Well here I am 6 months out I am doing awesome, I have no complication's, I feel like I am melting away, I can not believe that it has been 6months, and I have lost 102 lbs!! I have so many wow's, I can tie my shoes,I can bend without any problem's, I can cross my legs and not realize I'm doing it, for Christmas I went to the local thrift store and bought a size 18 dress for only 4buck's and it fit!! and looked nice too, I have gone from being a size 28/30 4x -5x shirts to a 18 jean and a XL in shirts, I eat all my protien, and I get all my water in,I take my vit religiously, I do need to exercise more, but getting a wii in a few week's so I will soon be doing that! My life feel's like it's getting under control, and I am living life like I should be, I know I have 90lbs to go, but I am over half way there, and I know I will get there this time, and not go back!! For all you preop's and lurker's I have had the ? brought to me would I do this again, and YES I would and my only regret that I couldn't get it done sooner, but I am still young and able to enjoy the good part's of my life, all I ask from you guy's is that you research and research as much as you can, make sure you have a great surgeon, and know that with this surgery your LIFE depends on you taking those Vitamin's and getting all of your protien in!! Until next time..
