perfectangel824
6-09-2007
So here goes my story...I have not been fat all of my life. As a child I was actually very very skinny..I remember going shopping with my mom and having to buy slim jeans (If your in your 30's you remember those sizes too..lol.) Anyhow as a teen I began to gain some weight but by the age of 13 I weighed 152 lbs and I was 5'8" tall and I wore a size 13/14. When I was in H.S. at the age of 15 I was weighing in at 163 but I was 5"10" and wearing a size 7 or 9. By graduation I was up to about 190 and not very happy. At the start of college I was weighing in at about 220 and it just felt terrible. Being I was so tall I guess I was able to carry it well so it did'nt bother me as much as it really should've. When i met my hubby at the age of 20 I weighed about 245 and I started to take Phen/Fen. I lost alot of weight and went down to 204. I felt amazing and then they took it off the market and i gained it all back and then some. I went up to about 265. I started another program called stay slim and I was able to go down to 223 and I was stuck at that number for weeks and I gave up. By the time we got married in 2000 I weighed 273. I got pregnant with my first child in 7/2002 and I weighed 291 and by the end of my pregnancy in April I weighed 360. I began to lose the weight really quickly due to post partum and the Atkins diet. Eventually I was weighing in at 304 when my son was 8 months old. In December I found out I was already 3 months pregnant with my 2nd son. I delivered him in July and I was weighin in at 380...the heaviest I have ever been in my life.
I have thought about WLS but I was always afraid because of all the horror stories you hear. I am a health care provider and I was afraid after hearing so many stories.. When I heard about the Lap band I was very interested. I saw all my patients coming in for pre-op and when they would come in post op I was amazed and sooooo jealous. Finally I said you know what..I am gonna do it too.
This is when it was my turn to deal with the horror of doctors and insurance companies came into play for me. I went on a consult to a Dr. in NYC and they told me they took my insurance. I did the seminar, nutrition evaluation , psych eval., endoscopy and 8 months of consecutive weigh-ins. They gave me a surgery date of May 18, 2007. I was so excited. The next day I get a call from the secretary stating that they are sorry but they do not take my insurance, which by th eway is ghi. I flipped out. I could'nt believe they put me through all the bull sh*t and then figure out the insurance issue. I specifically asked when I booked my appt. if they took it. They took a copy of my card and everything....imagine that!
Anyhow thats when I went to see Dr. Dakin and get the process in play with him. His P.A Diana is very nice and very thorough. I have all my pre reqs in place but of course another issue....GHI is telling me that I have an 11 month pre-existing condition waiver on my policy so I have to wait til 1/2008 to do this. I am now in the process of fighting it. Before I even scheduled any appointments for anything I called my insurance to verify my benefits and if my policy covers wls. I have worked in the medical field now for 13 years and I know my rights.....Everyday I call GHI to see if my appeal has gone through and everyday they tell me they are unsure....I am freaking out......so now knowing my luck they will not approve my surgery...I know it..
6/26/2007
I am soooo happy to report that the hospital called me today and said my surgery was approved. I was taken back and I actually started to cry. I am so excited and I just can not wait till July 19th.....wow...Its really gonna happen...
7/3/07
Well today I went to the hospital to have my pre-ops done. It was o.k. I also joined a long term study and my total time spent there was 4 hours. They took a ton of blood, did an ekg, and i also had a chest x-ray. The anesthesiologist came in and spoke with me and she was nice but kinda freaked me out by the way she described the procedure to me. It was'nt the surgery that scared me but the fact that they would be inserting a tube down my throat into my lungs which would be attached to a ventilator. She explained that the ventilator would be breathing for me during the surgery and that freaked me out. Oh well I will get over it.
7/5/07 WT;322
Well Diana just called me...she is the dr's PA and she rescheduled my surgery now for the 16th...3 days earlier..woo hoo..I really can not wait.....
7/13/2007 WT; 322
Well 3 days until my surgery. I can not wait. I am getting a little nervous but I know I will be fine. Today I am going to Pizzeria Uno for my last meal. Tomorrow I start my 2 day of liquids.....
7/14/2007
Today was my fist day of the clear liquid fast.....I am not hungry...probably my nerves...
7/19/2007 WT;318
3 days post op....Well let me tell you this surgery was no joke. I was in more pain than I ever thought. I was put on morphine and it helped somewhat but it was the major gas pains that was torture. I feel alot more comfortable today but he gas is still here. It comes up into my chest as if I am having a heart attack..no exageration. WEll i just wanted to write in a lil bit..i will fill you in on all the details of beginning of the admission to my 4 th day home when i have more time...
7/30/2007 WT: 303
Well today is my 2 weeks post op. I have lost a total of 19 lbs so far. The gas is gone and all my pain is gone as well. I am healing well at all the incision sites with the exception of the port area. I have a lil infection and I am oozing pus from it...GROSS. I know but I do..lol...Anyhow I noticed today that I was able to eat more than I have been. I seem to be able to handle 4 oz at a time now. My hardest thing is not being able to like chug a glass of water ..ice cold water..you kno hen u r really thirsty u just wanna drink a big tall glass of something cold...well that is what is my biggest problem. I feel very thirsty. I asked my surgeon if I could kinda chug a drink and I was told I can try but I might be uncomfortable after...so I tried ..I tok 5 bigish typre sips and I was fine..Thank god..I do not, I repeat I do not want to throw up...
8-6-2007 wt:302
Well I have to say this past week I am noticing I am more hungry sometimes...However I am careful and I do not overdo anything...My band is empty...I think I get my fill on 8/22..I am still on "mushy" food. I will admit that I did eat a little grilled chicken and some cheese..I tolerated it well. No problems at all...My weight seems to be holding steady at 302 and I am dying to break the 300 mark..It has been over 4 yrs since I have been under 300. My underwear is now size 22/24 where it was 26/28....so I am down 1 size so far ..I am down 20 lbs so far
