Angela123
My Story... hmmmm mine is a long one but I will put it in the Readers Digest format. I decided about 6 years ago that I wanted to find out more about gastric bypass surgery. The famiy physician that I was working for at the time would have nothing to do with giving me information about the surgery. He didn't think it was a good thing to do at all and totally scared the crap out of me. So I gave up the idea. At the time I was about 240 lbs and still very active. Not long after that, I met the man of my dreams and we fell in love. I moved to a new city and we moved in together. My life at that time consisted of working all day, coming home and having dinner at 9 or 10 at night with my hunnie and dinner was usually take out or delivery. Oh, I had also quit smoking at the same time. Before I knew it, my jeans didn't fit anymore and anything that had a bit of stretch to it, was getting tighter and tighter. I reached 300 lbs. I stayed there for quite a while and slowly gained and gained. It was so slow, that I can honestly say, I didnt' notice it. All my clothes were so big, that by the time I was at my heaviest, 366, my knees were what was telling me how fat I was. Then my most embarassing moment; I fell out of a bus at an airshow in front of hundreds of people. My knee just gave out underneath me and down I went. I tore all the ligaments on both sides of my knee and did damage that I don't think can ever be repaired. That was my "lightbulb" moment that I had to do something. I then called the Dr. I used to work for and TOLD him that I wanted to be referred to someone and find out more information on bypass surgery. He sent my referral to the Endocrinologist and I went on with my life. A year and a half later, I get a call for an appointment with a Dr. I have never heard of and almost didn't go because I had no idea what it could be for. I had completely forgotten that I asked for it LOL...
So my process began. I met with the Enodocrinologist twice and had a battery of tests. He sent my request to Medicare for funding and I was approved in 2 months. I was floored. Now I had a lot of research to do. I needed to talk to people, find out what I was going to do. Initially, I wanted to have a lapband, BUT couldnt' afford it and decided to go ahead with the bypass. I was lucky I guess in that my wait was relatively short compared to what I am reading about these days. I had my last appointment with my endocrinologist in February and I met with Dr. B in June. I had my information session in August and was scheduled for surgery in November. There I was, prepared and ready to go laying in the bed with my IV in my arm and the Dr. came in to tell me he was sick and that they were going to have to reschedule. I was devistated but tried to keep a brave face knowing they would try to get me in as soon as possible. Two weeks later they called me with a new date, December 12. WOW.. 2 weeks before Christmas, how much fun was that? LOL. But there was no way I was turning that date down at all, it would be like an early Christmas present for me. The day of surgery was a nervous day, would something go wrong? would they cancel again? Thankfully none of that happened. Everything went amazing, or so I am told. I don't remember much of the first day back in intensive care other than briefly seeing my boyfriend and my son and saying ridiculous stuff about how pretty the nurse was LOL. I did a lot of sleeping and the next day was told that I would be staying in intensive care for my stay at the hospital because there were no beds upstairs. worked for me, woo o hooo, private room the whole time, gotta love that. So on day two I was eating (or attempting to eat) jello and clear soup and drinking sips of water off and on. I sure loved that morphene pump beside me. Guess thats why I didn't have any pain LOL.. On day 3 my dad came to pick me up and bring me back to my house. The drive was little uncomfortable. Just over an hour in the car and my pump was gone LOL I had pain pills with me, but they just didn't seem to take it away like the pump. When I got home, I pretty much just headed to bed and relaxed until my boyfriend and kids got home. After that, other than walking slow and not picking up stuff, life returned to normal pretty quickly. The smell of food made me sick, so I tried not to cook smelly things for a while. And cream soup? I hope I NEVER see another bowl of it again for the rest of my life. LOL Recovery came quickly for me and I was lucky to have my great kids around me to help when I needed it. Eating was difficult at first, not because I was in pain or couldn't, I was just so full all the time. I really had to schedule myself and make sure that I was eating. The hardest part for me is taking the vitamins. I am so forgetful that way but have a schedule now that I follow faithfully. The only side effects I have from this surgery at all is the hair falling out, but I have so much of it, my head is probably glad to be rid of some of it. I will soon have to have my gallbladder out (which was giving me problems even before the surgery) and when I have an attack, ohh baby I just want to take the damned thing out myself. So as of right now, May 3, 2007, I have lost 101 pounds and a whole lot of inches and am feeling fantastic. I have so much energy. Life is good. I am counting down my next 100 pounds and I hope everyone comes along for the ride!!
