ToniP
I am in the process of going through the insurance part of the surgery. I have appointments set up for a sleep apnea and a Psychiatric evaluation. I am very excited and my insurance seems to be cooperating so far.
6/20/04 Well, I have an appointment with a Psychiatrist on June 21. I have gone to the Nutrionist and also started to see the Sleep Study Center. I had no idea that there is more to it than just going in for the sleep study. I went to see the doctor and he looked at this quesionaire I filled out. He talked with me and now I have to go in for some blood tests and other tests on June 22 before the actual sleep study, which is the 28th of July. I don't know how much time they need to review the study, but I then have an appointment with the Doctor on August 30 for the evaluation of the sleep study. I guess once I have the evaluation done(hoping there is nothing wrong with the blood tests, etc.) then I guess the next step is the date of the surgery. I hope they can get me in soon. I am so excited about this!
7/11 Well, I am done with my sleep apnea test. However, I have to see the doctor for a the follow-up on it yet. I have seen the Psychiatrist and he requested that I see a counselor for more support. I was kind of bummed about this. I really wanted to have my surgery done and on the road to recovery before my daughter goes back to school, but it looks like that is a no-go. So, I will see the couselor till the end of August. Hopefully, I will have enough counseling in and they will let me go ahead for the surgery. I just wanted to let people know that my first visit to the Doctor-Psychiatrist evaluation was not covered by BCBS of Michigan. They do cover the sleep apnea and the surgery as long as it is a medical necessity. I will post more as I enter another phase. I really want this by September! :)
7/25/04 Well, I am pretty much at the same place as I was before. I went to the follow-up on my sleep apnea. I have a CPAP machine for my sleep apnea. It seems to be working pretty well. I was having extremely bad headaches while I was sleeping. The CPAP machine has really helped me in not getting the headaches and sleeping pretty much through the night. The mask is horrible to wear though. It kind of hurts at times when I sleep which results in my waking up. Go figure...so I still wear it because it is better than getting those terrible headaches. I have two more times with the counselor and then she should sign off and I can make an appointment with the surgeon to talk with them and decide what surgery is best for me. Then we'll see what happens next.
I read many profiles here, and have come to a conclusion that it is requested that a person lose some weight before surgery. Well, I don't want anything to make me have to wait for this any longer, so I am in the process now of doing that. I hope I can get an appointment for the surgery soon.
8/17/04 I am done with my counseling. She feels I am really ready for this! I just have to wait for the Bariatric Center to send my file to the surgeon. The surgeon's office will make an appoitment to visit with me. Then we will make the surgery date about maybe a week later. Hope everything works out! I am so excited! :)
8/18/04 I talked with the Bariactric Center in Green Bay and she has sent my paperwork to the surgeon! I am just waiting for their office to call me to schedule a time to meet with the surgeon. I can't wait. I am so excited!
8/25/04 I now have a time for the consult for the surgeons. I will let you know more once I go to the consult. I am so excited. :)
9/2/04 I went to see the surgeon today and have made the date for the surgery on September 9th!!! It is finally here! I am so excited! I have told my friends and family about the date. I am so pumped about this! In the meantime I have lost about 14.7lbs! I have changed quite a bit of my food intake and I am now into getting some extra protein before surgery. Just to let everyone here know, I was not told to lose weight before the surgery, I just did because I read many profiles here and people were asked to lose some weight before the surgery. I will update more after the surgery when I am on the losing side! Please pray for me! :)
9/8/04 I just wanted to let everyone know that I will be having surgery tomorrow and I am really pumped. A little scared, but I am doing ok. I can't wait until I can be on the lighter side of life and enjoy living again. I have talked with some great people and look forward to many conversations with anyone who would like to email me. I will email again as soon as I get home and feel up to it. So, a short bye for now! Take Care!
9/9/04 CANCELED! :( I can't believe it! I got a call yesterday just before 11:00 from the surgeons office. They said that the EKG that I took on 9/2/04 at the hospital in preparation for the surgery, showed something that the anesthesiologist didn't like. In turn, they wouldn't put me under until the Cardiologist meets with me and gets a better look at the EKG. God, I cried all day long yesterday! To be so close and have it ripped out from underneath is absolutely devastating. I have an appoitment with the Cardiologist on Friday, 9/10/04. The surgeons office said that the GBS wouldn't be out of the question, but just not as scheduled right now. So I wait again.... I know that it is best to get this looked at, but I personally feel this will never happen. I am very sad about all of this.
Thanks for the lovely emails and support, but I feel like I am back at square one again! That's all for now. I'll write more after Friday.
9/17/04 Well, after talking to the wonderful people at the surgeon's office, I have another date for surgery set up! It is for September 30th! Everything came out fine on the nuclear scan done by the Cardiologist, so it is a go ahead for surgery! I am happy once again! I am really getting in my protein and can't wait until I have surgery. Hope all is well with everyone here! Thank you for the support from everyone here that has emailed me. Take Care.
9/26/04 My surgery date is still a go for the 30th! Hooray! I had a letter from BCBS denying me the hospital stay, but the surgeoon's office took care of it and I am approved for 3 days stay so far, at least that is what Deb said. I get scared of things like this popping up. Deb assured me that everything is ok, so I'll trust her. I am trying to keep busy and get things taken care of at home before surgery. Well, take care everyone and Thank you all for your prayers!
9/29/04 New time for Surgery tomorrow! I now have to be at the hospital by 6am and the surgery is for 8am. I am so excited! It is here! Thank you so much for your support. I'll update as soon as I can. Take care!
10/23/04 Sorry, it took so long to update. I am finally on the mend, well, kind of. Man, what an ordeal. And I'm not done either. I had some complications during the surgery, but thank God I had a very good doctor and she managed to take care of things such as, I had some cysts on my ovaries, so they took them out; I had some bowel repair that was needed too. Then when I was waking up, my oxygen level would not stabalize. After 6 days in the hospital, I came home only to return 3 days later because of my bial duct, which made me throw up all the time. This is something that I had for a long time, I guess. I always had problem with indigestion and now I know why. So they had to go through the liver to get to the bial duct (because the stomach was cut already) to put a drain in. That really hurt! I have a drain right now and on the 27th, I go in and get like a stent put in to keep the bial duct open. I am recovering, but feel like I am at a stand-still with it. Thanks for the prayers and best wishes. I'm sure once I get over this, I will feel better. I'm undecided yet as to if I made the right decision. I'm sure I will feel I made the right choice once I feel better and am able to exercise and get back into a routine. But being in limbo for 4 weeks and feeling like everytime I go to the Dr. I seem to have a setback to recovering. Just kind of bumming me out. My daughter has been such a trooper. I love her so! I don't know what I would do without her!
Weight in August (picture) 323
Weight at time of surgery: 317
10/21/04 Weight at Dr. office 284
10/27/04 Weight at hospital 278
11/21/04 Weight at home 265
12/07/04 Weight at home 258
10/28/04 Yesterday I had an outpatient surgery on the tube that runs from my bial duct. I thought they were going to take it out and replace it with a stent, but they didn't. What I had done was they put a balloon through the bial duct and expanded it so it would widen the part that was pinched and then they changed the tube. So I still have the tube in and I still have special care for it that my daughter is doing for me. I go back tomorrow to have them check on it. This is when he is going to let me know how long I will have this in. It is bringing me down. I just want to get moving and get fully run at 100% yet. I'll write more tomorrow after the Doctor appointment.
11/21/04 I am updating finally after all the stuff I have been through lately. On 10/29 I got the tube from the bial duct out. I thought I was going to have smooth sailing. Huh! That night I was rushed to the hospital because I have blood clots in my left leg. It swelled up so big. As of today, it is still swollen. I had to have Lovenox shots in the stomach and I am on Coumadin(sp)(blood thinners) to get rid of the blood clots. I have a doctor's appointment on the 29th to see if I can go back to work half time. I am still having some hard times eating. Things just don't agree and get me nauseated. Man, I hope I can find something for me to eat. Vitamins are hard to handle too! This has been very difficult for me.
11/21/04 Weight at home 265!
12/7/04 Well, I have gone back to work as of 11/29/04. I feel pretty good except my left leg is still swollen. I am trying differenct things to eat and some are good and some are not. I guess that is just the way it goes. I haven't started the exercise program yet because my leg is so heavy. But I am loving how my old clothes that I couldn't fit in are fitting now! Man, it's like a whole new wardrobe. My family can really see the difference in me. I am down to 258 on the home scale.
01/01/05 Happy and Healthy New Year everyone! I am doing pretty good. I still am having a battle with the blood clots in my leg which left it very swollen, but I am mobile and working and trying to get my life in order. I am going to the fitness center to see if they can help with the swelling in my leg. I am on blood thinners and water pills, but to no prevail is the swelling going down. :( However, I am losing weight and feeling great about that! I was telling a friend the other day that I caught myself singing in the shower that song, "I feel Good" and it made me smile. The swelling in my left side has made it hard to buy new size clothing as the swelling is in my hip and buttocks, so I am just wearing my baggy clothes for now. However, my shirts are really getting big. I bought a Ladies Large shirt the other day and it fit! I used to wear a size 24 in tops. Man, that was cool. But realistically, I think I am in a 16/18 shirt. I think I was just lucky I found that Ladies Large the other day. Anyway, I am weighing in at 240 as of today. I haven't been this weight since I got pregnant with my daughter 17 years ago. It does feel Good! Check out the BMI from 55.4 to 41.2. That is looking good too! Take care and I'll write again.
1/9/05 I just wanted to write that I am seeing a Vascular doctor in regard to my blood clots in my leg. I decided to get a second opinion about it. The swelling still has not gone down and I am getting frustrated that I cannot exercise like I want to. I go on the 13th, so I will write what happens after that. I am down to 235lbs as of today.
1/21 I went to the Vascular Dr. and got the results on the 19th. He has confirmed that I still have at least 3 clots in my leg. I have one in my upper hip region, one around mid thigh region and one in the knee region. So I am on coumadin and hoping this will help. I am also at a standstill on my weight which is getting me a little bummed. I hope something breaks and my leg will start to heal. I am still at 235lbs.
1/31 I moved the scale. I know I shouldn't make this a numbers thing, but I haven't seen these low numbers in a long time! I am so happy, I could burst! I try and exercise at home as much as I can with these blood clots. Yes, I still have them! I can't wait until I am 100% to really get moving! :) Life is good again. I feel alive!
2/8 I have lost of 96lbs unofficially! It is always a little lower at the doctor's office. Anyway, I am happy with losing the weight. However, I have some stressful news. My family is not doing well. I have a sister with breast cancer, my brother has hystoplasmosis(lung disease) and my other sister is not doing well health wise. With all that, I am losing my job, (the department I work in) is losing its job to India. I am so tired of hearing how jobs are being offshored to India, people losing their jobs and then some idiot with a suit says the economy is getting better! How would he like to be me as of May 1st? He has no clue what it feels like to know that your good paying job is being taken away. Yes, there are jobs out there, but you either need a degree(I don't have one) to get a real good paying job or you settle for less and work two jobs! I am getting too old for that! I can't go back to school, because I financially can't afford it! Ok, I'm done venting now. Thanks for listening!
2/17/05 Not much to write about. The company I work for is dragging their heels about the severance pay we are going to get. I guess that is to be expected. Anyway, I have lost another pound. The weight is coming off a little more slowly now. I still don't exercise like I want becasue of the blood clots in my leg yet! I am getting so tired of that too! I hope I can be 100% at the time of my vacation to Florida at the end of March. I am praying! Take care everyone and thanks for being there for me! :)
2/22/05 Well, I did it! I reached 100lbs (scale at home)! I am so excited. I feel great! Even though I am about to lose my job. I am trying not to think about it...somehow, it will work out! Before, I would be a nervous wreck...now I am just patient about it and praying a lot! Thanks for the support and care everyone has shown me! Take care!
3/4/05 The weight loss is a little slower, but it is still coming off! I try and exercise as much as I can, but I still have my blood clots that I have been working on since October! It gets frustrating, but I am coping. I am so happy about this surgery. It has been a struggle, but now I would say the rewards are fantastic. I'm so grateful for my family and friend's support. Have a great day. I'm getting a picture of me (with a weight loss of 100lbs on February 22) ready to get put on this page. Wait to you see it! Take care!
3/23/05 I haven't gotten the new pic up yet. I forgot how to do it. I will have to contact someone for help. :) Anyway, I am down about 106lbs. I need to get off 2 more pounds by the end of March. I made small goals of 10lbs off each month. I am going to be on vacation soon, so I am gonig to really concentrate on losing those two pesty pounds. I am feeling good. Kind of scared about eating. It seems I can eat, to me, alot! I'm so scared about stretching my stomach. :( So I go to the meetings and get support that way. Take care. I have come too far to start gaining any back! I WILL NOT!!!! :)
04/04/05 Well, I just came back from Florida. The weather was great and I got really tan! I also was away from a scale for a week and was very afraid of what was going on with my weight. To my amazement, I lost 3lbs while I was in Florida and another 2 from just being home and working outside on the lawn. I was pretty excited about that. So I have approximately 67lbs to go to get to my goal weight of 145lbs. However, if I lose 47lbs and reach 165lbs, I will be pretty proud of that. This whole experience is the best thing that has every happened to me. Thank you for your support and emails. Thank you for listening to me when I was down and out and scared. Love to all!
09/28/05 Hello to all! It's almost a year since I have been reborn! I am feeling great. I had some pitfalls at first, and I am still battling the blood clots that I ended up with after my surgery when they removed the tube from my bial duct, but all in all, I am doing great. I have lost 126lbs! I fluctuate and things have really gotten kind of slow as far as losing, but I am determined to lose 50 more pounds! I still get a little nauseated if I try and eat too fast or the wrong foods, but for the most part, I am eating good. I have a little sweet treat, but nothing like I used to. I stay away from shakes, malts and stuff like that. Milk really bothers me. Greasy foods do too!
I want to take this time to thank everyone here for your love and support. When I was down, people would email me and make me keep on going. I hope all your dreams are coming true! It is a wonderful life again! Take care and email me if you want to chat or if you have questions. I'll be there for you! Love to all!
12/14/05 Well, it's been over a year! I have lost 126lbs! I feel great! I am going through some trying times right now and feel somewhat depressed about some choices I thought were a good idea(who knew) and now they aren't working out so well...but I am thinner and have that going for me! :)
But anyway, I am sorry that I haven't written in eons, but I had so many changes in my life...I have been very busy. I can eat pretty good now. I still have issues with milk, greasy foods, breaded foods. So I stay away from stuff like that. Too much sugar takes a toll on me too!
I am getting frustrated with the belly flab I am getting though. Sometimes it makes it very hard to wear pants because I sit so much at my job, and the flab hangs and then it really hurts my stomach. I can't wear anything too loose, because then it feels like they will fall off. So someday I would like some of this flab removed. That will be later. I have about 50 more pounds to go and then I will look into some removal of some excess skin on my tummy and arms. My legs are kind of flabby. I would love to do a whole bodylift. I saw a doctor in Kansas perfom this. It was neat but scary too! So I hope everyone has a happy and a healthy Christmas! Take care and I'll write again... Love to all!
12/28/05 I hope everyone had a Great Christmas! Mine was good. I got to see a lot of people I wanted to see, so that was neat! I am on a gaining/losing thing. One day I lose, then the next day I gain. So I am really getting down to business and have to get back exercising.
I still have the blood clots. I guess I will always have it. I'm not sure. I am still on blood thinners and hope to get off them some day. I have to go see the doctor. Pretty soon!
I changed jobs again and really like what I am doing. It is pretty much like what I used to do, except a little more in depth on helping users with computer problems. Well, that's it for now...take care everyone and Happy New Year!
2/19/06 Hello everyone! I am doing pretty good! I have been at a stand still; actually I have gained some of my weight back! About 10-12 lbs! I am devastated! That means a lot to me! So I am trying to get back to picking better food choices. My biggest mistake was letting sugar into my life. I did so much better when I didn't have the refine sugar in my diet. So I am back to reading labels and making better food choices. I have been quite depressed about somethings in my life and have let that cloud my decisions about me again! I have to learn that I matter in this world. So I am talking with people again and I have decided to go back to the classes offered in my town! Hooray! They are great support classes. I joined the fitness center where I work now, so that is pretty cool! I started to feel frumpy and then I lose my self-confidence! I'm such a baby! So I gave myself a good talking to, and I have straightened my act up! I desparately need to lose about 65 lbs to be at my perfect goal weight. Now to be at a content weight, I need to lose about 55lbs! So, I am being careful now! I hope everyone here is doing great! Take care everyone!
8/27/04 Weight in picture 323 (my scale)
9/30/04 Weight at surgery 319 (Doctor's scale)
10/21/04 Weight at Dr. office 284
10/27/04 Weight at hospital 278
11/21/04 Weight at home 265
12/07/04 Weight at home 258
12/12/04 Weight at home 250
01/01/05 Weight at home 240
01/09/05 Weight at home 235
01/31/05 Weight at home 229
02/08/05 Weight at home 227
02/22/05 Weight at home 223 100lbs Century Club!
03/04/05 Weight at home 220
03/23/05 Weight at home 217
04/04/05 Weight at home 212 111lbs off!
07/26/05 Weight at home 200 123lbs gone!!!
9/28/05 Weight at home 197 126lbs gone!
