morgan3677
Most recent posts are at bottom. PLEASE NOTE: THE BEGINNING OF MY POSTS DEAL WITH DR. TITUS DUNCAN, BUT I CHANGED DOCTORS TO DR. HART SO THE BOTTOM OF THESE POSTS WILL DEAL WITH THAT.
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I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11
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5/17/2002 Mailed my packet in to Dr. Duncan. They also wanted a picture. I hide from the camera all the time, so I had to really search to find a picture to send in. Really gross.
5/22/2002 Got a call from Joyce at Dr. Duncan's office. She told me what I needed for my insurer, and set me up an appointment for a seminar on June 8th at 8am. I need psych eval and medical clearance letter and thyroid panel work from primary physician.
5/23/2002 Psych office called me back and I'm scheduled for June 10th. Waiting is not what I do best. I guess God is teaching me patience.
6/8/2002 I had my first consult/group appointment with Dr. Duncan. He has started group meetings for initial consults, pre-op, and one month post-op appointments. He has found that through his practice and throughout the country that when people are in the group settings and support groups they do better post-op in losing weight. And also that questions one person has can be helpful to an other person because we've all experienced the "Oh, I forgot to ask the doctor that question." We did get to see him individually after the group meeting if we needed to. I didn't need to. He answered all our questions during group meeting. I brought my list!!! I know he got tired of hearing my voice. I did meet with his nurse before and after the meeting to weigh in (my favorite thing, of course)and have blood pressure taken and to go confirm whether you have had previous stomach surgery and to look at the scars on your stomach. He has done around 500 lap RNY surgeries. He does, including his partners, about 10 per week at Atlanta Medical Center. There were 11 of us at the meeting, not counting family members that attended. We had to tell our weight out loud...OMG!!!!! I'm so glad my husband didn't go. :~) Dr. Duncan said that telling our weight keeps us accountable. This was done in a very relaxed and comfortable atmosphere, no pressure at all. A lot of laughter going on. No questions were off limits. He answered each one very candidly. Also, his nurse had the surgery approx. 4 months ago and has lost 80 pounds. What a poster girl! I'M SO THANKFUL FOR THIS WEB SITE THAT HELPED PREPARE ME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.
Questions included: PICC line? (No, unless needed); NG Tube? (No, unless leak after surgery); J drain thingy? (taken out in hospital, you don't come home with it); Endoscopy pre-op? (No, per dr: most ins. won't cover unless you have previous stomach ulcers or other stomach problems, then he advises it); Gallbladder scan? (No, unless previous problems); Check for leaks? (3x after surgery while still in OR; then next day by radiologist); Post-op initial diet? (Clear liquids 2 weeks minimum, then other liquids)Gallbladder removed automatically? (No. Waits 'til he gets in there to see how it is, then if needed, it's removed.)Hair loss? (Yes. Can't avoid it. Vitamins good, protein good, zinc good. Remember, the hair grows back.) B-12 shots? (If needed. Will ck your blood level to see if needed post-op, then sublinqual (sp?) recommended, not shots); Initial size of tummy? (15-30cc to begin with; will stretch to about double that after a year on its own) Can tummy size be bigger in the beginning if patient wants it? (Yes, he will discuss that option if you insist and will do that for you, but he recommends 15-30 cc)How long for surgery? (Take about an hour to an hour and a half; but, he cleans up previous scar tissue first, if needed, so you may actually be in there longer, but the actual Lap RNY only takes that long.)
6/10/02 Met with Gary Santavicca, Ph.D. today for psych eval. I found him to be very easy to talk to. He was well-educated on morbid obesity and the bariatric surgery. He said that he has turned no one down for the surgery, although he did say that he was starting to recommend that some people continue with counseling to adjust to the life-style changes they will need to make for surgery. That would be with the counselor of their choice, too, not with him. He said he didn't want to give the impression to insurers and bariatric doctors that he rubber stamps approval letters, however, he genuinely feels that this surgery can only be a benefit to someone who is morbidly obese. Had to take written test. Entire appt. lasted about 1 1/2 - 2 hours. Office staff very nice. Guess I'm okay! He said he would send letter to Dr. Duncan within the week.
7/11/2002 Well, BCBS has the info in medical review as of 7/8, so I'm doing the waiting dance! Supposedly, they will give me an answer on or before August 8th or so.
7/18/2002 OMG!!!!!!!!I'M APPROVED!!!!!!!!!! Per telephone call w/BCBS, it was approved on 7/15/2002. Letter should be going out today. No date yet, as Joyce is on vacation (how dare she!!) and won't be back until Monday. I'll update more then. Oh, I am attending Dr. Dennis Smith's support groups each month. Those are easier for me to attend rather than Dr. Duncan's. I recommend that everyone attend a support group pre- and post-op. I'm not there to compare the doctors, just to get the support and information I need. Don't ignore this part of your care.
7/25/02 Well, I'm still waiting on the letter from BCBS and a surgery date. I spoke w/BCBS again this morning: I am approved for lap RNY, assistant surgeon, and upper GI endoscopy. Spoke w/Joyce in Dr. Duncan's office again this morning, and she is going to call BCBS this afternoon to confirm approval and, hopefully, give me a date. She told me yesterday that she is booking surgeries this week for December or January!! I'm hoping for December, if not sooner. Keep your fingers crossed!!!
8/2/02 Well, I'm STILL waiting on approval letter. Joyce never called BCBS and has not returned my calls in over a week. (BCBS can tell you who has called on your claim -- ask them to do that)I've called BCBS every day about approval letter. I called my husband's employer -- HR department -- to get them to call. They told the HR coordinator on the 31st that my letter went out on 7/22. They told me yesterday that it went out 7/26. I get a phone call at 7:50 this morning from BCBS that my letter went out yesterday, 8/1, and they were sorry for the delay. They won't fax it to the doctor. Can't get surgery date until Joyce has actual letter in her hand. VERY FRUSTRATING!!!!!! I have called Joyce and left message with precert #, but who knows if she got that info. She doesn't call back. Now, she was great before approval at returning calls, so I don't know what the deal is now.
8/11/2002 Well, Joyce still has not called me back with surgery date. I still have no letter from BCBS, although I do have approval #. I have told her on two different occasions since 7/18 that I need the date in December because my work is slow then, as I'm self-employed. I did get BCBS to call Joyce while I waited on the other line (I wanted to do a three-way phone conference) -- she was told that Joyce had left for the day (it was about 3pm) and the lady with BCBS left msg on her voice mail with approval info. I have yet to hear from her. This was the beginning of last week. I now read that another member on here has a surgery date with Dr. Duncan of 1/10/03 and she got that last week. What's up with that???? I'm not a happy girl at this point with Joyce. Let me say, BCBS has been great through all this, with the exception of the approval letter being late. Let me also say that I am now, due to personal reasons, anticipating that I may not have insurance next year when Joyce graces me with a surgery date. So that's more stress in my life to deal with. I will update more tomorrow.
8/14/02 Well, I still haven't heard from Dr. Duncan's office and I've been approved one month tomorrow. I've e-mailed several people about changing doctors and am going to research if it can be done without an act of congress. BCBS says it can. So we'll see.
8/23/02 Still no word from Dr. Duncan's office and I've been approved over a month. So with that in mind, I am changing doctors to Dr. Christopher Hart. I've already seen him and will see him again on Monday. BCBS has my paperwork from him, and the approval to him should go through by next week. I still have my insurance problem, in that by the end of the year my insurer may change, which is the moving force behind this change of doctors, AND the fact that Joyce has not done what she told me she would, has pushed my changing doctors into high gear. Please note that the fact that I am changing doctors has nothing to do personally with Dr. Duncan. Lisa with Dr. Hart's office didn't mind calling BCBS to confirm my approval -- imagine that!!! Also, my surgery most likely will be before the end of October. Now, things are moving! Dr. Hart operates out of Northside Hospital, just FYI. Well, gotta go. I have a busy weekend ahead.
8/26/02 Saw Dr. Hart for second time today and he spends so much time with you in his office making sure that you understand everything. It's very nice. He's a well-kept secret, that's for sure. I'm good to go for surgery as soon as BCBS transfers the approval to him. My anesthesia appt. is set up as well as my phone assessment w/Northside Hospital.
8/31/02 My surgery has been approved w/Dr. Hart at Northside Hospital. Lisa called BCBS and got all the info she needed. So I'm good to go!! I can't wait. Changing doctors has been the best thing I have done.
9/9/02 Well, I go Thursday for my cardiac test that Dr. Hart requires. I will have that and then I'm good to go for surgery. The countdown begins...now if I can just quit eating... I had my pre-anesthesia appt last Fri at Northside. Met w/anesthesiologist and went over medical history. Very supportive of WLS surgery. Had blood typed and now am wearing a lovely pink bracelet . Have to keep it on until surgery. Will write more later...
9/23/02 I'M ON THE OTHER SIDE!!! Had lap RNY Thursday 9/19/02 at Northside Hospital in Atlanta. Surgery went well, had a few adhesions to take care of, so it took about 3 hours or so. Hospital is very prepared for bariatric patients, nurses were great, so were techs. I did have a problem initially in recovery, my pain was not under control, and they did not get it under control until I had been in my room for some time. That was irritating. I was not in pain in my abdomen, but in my back. And boy was I HOT! Felt like I had been laying in the sun. The nurse got a fan for me immediately (there are only 3 on the floor, so take your own if you need to). Now, I'm just trying to figure out protein drinks, clear fluids, etc. and getting that water in. Dr. Hart was great, of course. I would recommend him to anyone in the Atlanta area. Oh, and I had no idea how swollen I would be, from my head to my toes. Couldn't wear pants I had brought to go home in, so plan to take something big to wear home. My IV did come out of my vein and the fluid leaked into my arm (no pain, just very swollen) and I bruise easily, and I have a very LARGE bruise from the j-drain thing in my stomach. Dr. Hart couldn't believe how big the bruise was. But all in all things went well. This is major surgery, it's not a walk in the park, but I know it's going to be worth it in the long run.
10/8/02 I've been so busy and my computer has been so slow, I haven't updated. I've lost 20 pounds in 18 days!! WOOHOO! I'm on soft foods, but am able to tolerate an occasional saltine cracker with no problem. Getting the water in is a pain, but I just keep pushing. The two protein drinks a day are a challenge, too. The swelling went down from surgery in about 2 weeks, which is normal. Had my appt. w/Dr. Hart and everything was good. I go back in January for a check up and blood work. I have not had my blood pressure medicine since the day of surgery -- I'm keeping a check on it, but everything is fine so far. My blood pressure went waaaaayyyy down in the hospital, so they told me not to take it for a while after I came home. So far so good. Please e-mail me if you have any questions. Will write more later!
11/2/2002 Hey there. Just a quick update. I'm down 33 pounds as of today -- 6 weeks out. Had a week where I didn't lose anything, but when I was trying to figure that out, I realized that I wasn't getting in my water or protein drinks as I should. So...back to the water, water, and protein drinks, and the weight is coming back off nicely. I feel great. Still no blood pressure medicine -- yeah! Will begin exercising seriously next week. More later...
11/29/2002 Well, made it through Thanksgiving -- yummy! I have lost 45 pounds to date, and I'm about 9-10 weeks out. I've been on a plateau (again!). Those plateaus are buggers, but I know they are necessary for our bodies to catch up. Hope everyone had a wonderful and blessed day yesterday. I feel wonderful!!!! More later...
02/14/2003 Happy Valentines Day!! I'm down 72 pounds as of today. WOOHOO. Got a great new job and had to go buy lots of new clothes -- I suggest going to a consignment shop. Best deals, best prices. I feel great! This is the best thing I have done for myself. If you are considering this surgery, please, please do your research. More later...
04/21/2003 Happy Easter! Hope everyone had a blessed day. I'm down 80 - 82 pounds. It varies. You can tell my weight loss has slowed down and I'm having to get really serious as my "window of opportunity" is closing and I've got a lot more to lose. I've got to get very serious. I can't eat sweets, only an oreo or two or I'm sick (nauseous). That's a good thing. However, salty and crunchy things go down fine, which is not good. Plastic surgery is looking very good to me now. Just have to save money. A friend just got back from Costa Rica where she had her surgery and is doing great. Apparently there are a lot of options out there. I have discovered chewable Excedrin -- I've been using the liquid Tylenol, but it's great to discover chewable things.
Please, please, e-mail me with any questions. More later...
12/31/2003 Happy New Year! It's been a while since I've posted and I'm down 105 pounds. Everything is great. I saw Dr. Hart and everything is good and I don't go back to him for another year. I'm starting a different exercise program next year and hope to lose my last -- heehee -- 20 - 25 pounds. That's my goal, another 25 pounds. Wow. Just to hear that and know that it sounds so do-able -- not overwhelming. Would I do this again? Absolutely!! Also, I can't tell you the number of people who don't recognize me until I speak. It's delightful. But there is a down-side to this as well, there are people who wouldn't speak to me before, who now are very nice. And vice-versa -- I had one friend that said it wasn't fair, "Now she was the fat one." Geesh!! All that takes a little getting used to. It's a work in progress. But what a wonderful work!!Again, feel free to e-mail me w/questions.
10/25/2006 -- Wow, it's been a long time since I've posted. IT'S BEEN FOUR YEARS!!!! And I'm down 140 pounds!!! How wonderful is that. This surgery saved my life and I would recommend it to anyone. I have had no complications related to this surgery and would do it all again!! Take care and good luck in your journey...
10/31/2007 -- WOW AGAIN! It's been a year since I've posted, and five years since my surgery!! WOOHOO. I'm still doing great. I was reading back on my profile, and I realized I didn't put my beginning weight -- arrgghh -- but I know that I'm the same BMI now as I was a year go. I have days where I have to go back to the "beginning." I have to do protein drinks for a day or two to get "back on track," so to speak. There are still days when I can eat too much -- always grazing -- that is not a good thing. There was a point a few years ago when I started gaining weight -- I got up to 185 -- and the bottom-line is -- you've got to figure out WHY you're overeating. This is only a tool to help you get started and at some point, you'll hit the brick wall again. You have to stay on top of the eating. It's so easy to go back to the old ways, and when you're this far out, you can go back and gain your weight back if you're not careful. I now stay between 145 and 150.
I still have to remember to get my liquids in. But all blood tests and results have been good so far. I have changed surgeons -- only because Dr. Hart's office is located in Suwanee, Georgia and it takes me about an hour to get there. I have had occasion to use a surgeon near me who is now performing gastric by-pass -- Dr. Stephen Odom -- so I have transferred my records to him and am seeing him my yearly check-up. I would highly recommend him to anyone in our area (west Georgia). He performs surgery at Wellstar Cobb Hospital in Austell. Good luck!!
9/20/2011 And yet another WOW. It's been 9 years since my surgery, as of yesterday, and four years since I've posted, looks like...didn't realize it was that long! Things are good -- have to use the tools every day, like I've said before. I stay between 145 and 150, still. My labs were done this summer (I went back to Dr. Christopher Hart) and they were all very good. I still get dehydrated very easily, and now must watch my blood sugar -- sometimes it drops very low, although in my lab results, my A1C count was normal. So I just try to eat more frequently. So happy I had this surgery -- would not go back for anything!