Bev V.
I'm 57 and have been overweight since my 30's - although I've been dieting since 6th grade. I've yoyo'd myself to 236 lbs., and don't have the heart to fight the war anymore. I need help, and I'm looking into bariatric surgery, but I also have RLS (Restless Leg Syndrome) and the further loss of iron in my system may make it worse.
I have 3 kids, 5 grandkids, LOVE to read (esp.mysteries)and do computer projects like cards, T-shirts, etc. I'm also VERY grateful for support groups like this - nothing beats have someone understand exactly what you're going through!
8/11/05 - Today I met the staff at Magee & Dr. Eid for the first step towards my new life. There were a few of us there to hear about WLS and what steps we need to take to get the surgery done. After the 4 hour session was over, my daughter and I picked up my grandson & went to lunch - at a Chinese Buffet! As I sat there, I admit I was thinking..."I'll never be able to do this again"....but seconds later (I'm grateful it wasn't hours later), I realized that there would be a hundred other things we could do together that are impossible for me to do right now - walking, bike riding, skating, going to a pool, going to the movies - the list is endless - and actually includes living life! So I'm excited about starting the process . In 2 weeks I have arthoscopic surgery on my left knee - some of the pre-surgery tests can be used for the WLS, so I'll be on my way. It's up to me to get my part done so that the process moves along and doesn't stall because of MY procrastination (my middle name).
8/18/05 - I've got the appt. for the nutritionist set up - waiting to hear from the psyche dr.'s office to set that one up.
9/1/05 - I had my appt. with the nutritionalist today, and Heather was very easy to talk to. She spent some time with my previous diet issues and then explained the new way of eating that I would need to begin - and right away, because she said the bad habits need to be changed before the surgery so that I don't jeopardize my chances once I've had the surgery. She said she thought I'd be a good candidate and was recommending the surgery for me. One down! I'm hoping to get most of the testing done next week while I'm still off work from the arthroscopic knee surgery.
9/6/05 - Getting the testing done while I was recuperating from the knee surgery didn't go as well as I'd hoped. My knee isn't doing well because I have no cartilege left - just wisps of white where it should be. I'm still doing the therapy, but am very discouraged. I started back to work today, and it's a good thing I sit at a desk, because I'm not sure I could handle standing all day.
9/22/05 - The pelvic ultrasound is out of the way - even though they couldn't find my poor little shriveled ovaries since I had the hysterectomy so long ago. They ended up doing it again internally, just to make sure, but at least it's one more test under my belt!
9/26/05 - Funny, I thought I'd be here updating every day...but I thought I'd be walking around by now, too. It's been very depressing not having the knee surgery go well. I seem to have a good few days, then try to clean the house on the weekend....all of a sudden I'm crippled again. I'll see the doctor in a few weeks and see what he has to say. I've had to schedule the remainder of my tests in October since I'm back to working full time and need to make the appointments for my days off.
10/04/05 - Well, I managed to get in bloodwork, an Upper GI and a chest x-ray on my day off today. I keep checking things off of the list as I get them done - somehow it helps to see some things accomplished!
10/10/05 - Since I work in a bank, I have today off and I was able to schedule some more testing. I can now put checkmarks by the Psyche exam (she actually thinks I'll do very well!) and the cardiologist, although the cardiologist now wants a stress test because of my pacemaker - oh, well, I need to remember there are reasons for all of this - it's just another step forward I'm taking.
10/17/05 - Since I had today off, I had to use it for my stress test and cancell the pulmonary visit since I needed a large block of time for the stress test. The hospital called and said the stress test went well, so I'm good to go with the cardiologist, too! Now I just need to make another appt. for the pulmonary exam. My doctor can't see me for a while, but I lucked out calling around, and am on a list for a cancellation with another doctor.
10/20/05 - Ask and you shall receive. The new pulmonary doctor called yesterday and they had an opening today. When I got there, I gave them my insurance card and started filling out forms while they copied it. When one of the nurses brought my card back to me, she asked me if I was related to Melanie. My daughter-in-law used to work for this office until 3 1/2 years ago when she & my son had twins! They were so great to me, and I was already thankful because they rushed me in so quickly for an appointment. I had told the receptionist that I was in the process of being approved for by-pass surgery and had to cancel with my normal pulmonologist, and she got me the first appointment she could - 2 days later! After I saw the doctor, she told me she had had the surgery last year - no wonder she understood my need to see the doctor ASAP! Another checkmark done on my list of things I need to do.
10/26/05 - My last test is now finished. I had the endoscopy today, and it's the last of the list of tests I need before Dr. Eid's office can get my info to the insurance company. My PCP already sent in the 6 month supervised diet forms, so I'm getting VERY excited!
11/9/05 - OK, here's where everything starts to go crazy. Dr. Eid's office needs the results of the sleep study I had years ago - but it's been faxed 3 times from 3 different sources. One step at a time - I'll take it to work tomorrow and fax it again.
11/10/05 - Did I say crazy?????? Now I need a mamogram and a colonoscopy! Not an insurance requirement, but Dr. Eid's requirement before he will do the surgery. I know it's for my own good, but I wish they would have been on the list in the beginning - especially because when I tried to set up the appointment, the nurse said I could have had the colonoscopy done at the same time as the endoscopy!!! Rats. OK, deep breath....just need to get it done. Dr. Eid is scheduling mid-December already for surgeries, so I have time to get these tests in - and I have 3 vacation days left if I need to schedule a day when I'm working. These are good things. I'm lucky. Another deep breath.
11/28/05 - I'm about ready to give up hope that I'll have this surgery done this year. When I thought that my info was being sent to the insurance company 2 weeks ago, it seems it was just being sent to someone to get ready for the insurance company. It did go out last week, but I haven't heard anything yet and I know that there aren't very many dates left in December. That will mean another deductable, but more importantly, using next years vacation weeks for recovery time. Oh, well, if that's what has to happen, so be it. I'm trying to let it go.......acceptance is crucial, right? I prepped for the colonoscopy last night - it wasn't nearly as bad as everyone told me it would be. I have to wait till 2:15 this afternoon for the appointment, and have the procedure at 3:30. The mammogram is set for the 12th. Then I will be all set and have everything done except for the final physical from my PCP and the surgery pre-op meeting. (I'm being positive about the outcome of the insurance approval.)
12-20-05 My surgery was denied due to the documentation of the 6 month diet. I'm finally over the disappointment and am just trying to hang in to get it done. I should be ok after the January doctor visit, then Dr. Eid's office will resubmit. It's hard waiting because my knee is still giving me some problems. It's better, but the first couple of steps I take after I've been sitting a while are not fun. I'm so hoping that losing weight will relieve some of the pressure! For today, I'm grateful that there's an appeal process.
1-11-06 I went for the last of my 6 month supervised doctor visits today. I'm going to get all the forms together and get them faxed to Dr. Eid's office. Hopefully this time I'll be approved. I love my PCP - when I was getting ready to leave the office, he said,"You know, all of my patients who have had this surgery are all doing very well. I know it's going to help you." Then (I've lost 10 lbs in the last 2 months) he patted my shoulder and said, "I'm proud of you". I felt like a million bucks. We've been down a rough road together the last 7 years or so (I needed a pace maker), and it means alot that he really cares - I'm not just another $ to him & the staff and I feel really lucky to have their support.
02-02-06 It has finally happened for me!!!! I got a call at work on Monday that I was approved for the surgery. I could probably have had it by the end of this month, but we're down 2 people at work and I'm helping to train a new person who is starting tomorrow. We'll still be down one teller and I know that the new person won't be ready to be on her own for a couple of weeks, soooo. But I'm OK, it was my choice. My boss told me to do what I needed to do, but I know she was grateful that I postponed everything for a month.
I've gotten a couple of protein powders in the mail getting ready for the date, lost a few pounds and hope to lose a few more before the surgery so that my liver isn't in the way for Dr. Eid. Thanks to everyone on this board who has helped me to get this far. Without all of the support I find here, I'd probably be crazy by now instead of putting one foot in front of the other & taking it one day at a time.
3/14/06 - I'm getting excited. I had my pre-op visit on the 10th. Dr. Eid likes my attitude - I used to be a very positive person. Knowing that it's finally going to happen and that I'll have a tool I need to help keep my portions down has made me very positive again. That feels good. I don't need to do the bowel prep because Dr. Eid likes to have his patients do a 5 day liquid diet before the surgery. He says that not having the bowel prep keeps us from starting out being dehydrated. So, this Saturday I start the clear liquid diet. Funny, but I haven't been binging on everthing in site. I had a steak this w/e, and my daughter is fixing me the spare ribs I asked for when I go to dinner there tomorrow night, but I'm not looking to eat everything in the house (or the grocery store, or the restaurant...). I think I'm just at peace with my decision, and don't see a need to make up for what I won't be having anymore - WOW, talk about a WOW moment - I'm at peace! I trust Doctor Eid, I trust Magee, I trust my PCP, I trust the process and I'm ready.
Thanks to all of you who have sent me your thoughts & prayers. I love each and every one of you.
3/22/06 - I'm finally at my date! Tomorrow I'll join the losers. I'm really excited. The 5 day liquid diet hasn't been as difficult as I thought it would be. My co-workers think it's because I'm ready. I've packed and hope I can get some sleep - need to be at Magee by 5:45, surgery scheduled for 7:30. I can't wait.
4/13/06 - My surgery went well, and as far as the WLS, I'm doing great. Two days after my 1 week post-op visit, I pulled a muscle. Man, did that hurt. It's on my right side near the operating site. I was afraid I did something terrible when I first felt it. I called the doctor, explained what happened, and they said it was a pulled muscle. The PA explained that during laporascopic surgery, as the air is being pumped in, your muscles are stretched. Because of the length of time for the surgery, about 2-3 hrs., the muscles are stretched for a long time. They are then vunerable to muscle pulls. It's been a rough couple of weeks, because esp. the first week, sitting hurt, walking hurt - everything but laying down hurt. This week has been a little better, but I'm still in pain. I bought a binder, and wearing it for a while is ok, but once I sit it curls up and hurts more than the pulled muscle! I posted to ask if this had happened to anyone else and sure enough, I got some answers. I guess I'm looking at maybe a month or more before the pain is completely gone. It's been really frustrating, because other than that, I feel great. I've lost about 15 lbs, & fit in a pair of pants that I could barely squeeze into before the surgery. I feel like I could be doing so much if it weren't for the pain. Oh, well, one day at a time.
I was on a liquid diet for a week & a few days, and am now still on the pureed diet. I go back to work on Monday and I'm hoping that this muscle pull won't cause me too many problems. The next Monday I'll go back for my 1 month check-up. Moving right along, I guess! I'll probably go to the soft food stage then for a few weeks. My family and friends have been very supportive. All of the customers from the bank have been telling my co-workers to let me know they're thinking of me. It's great working in a small bank - like an extended family!
For the last week I've had trouble getting to sleep (hence my being on the computer at 1:00 AM). I know part of the problem is the muscle pull, because I can't lay on my side yet. I can only lay on my back, and it's getting uncomfortable staying in that one position all night. Another part of the problem is my Restless Leg Syndrome kicking in (pardon the pun). I was a little worried about that happening, because of iron absorption. If it continues, I'll need to have my ferritin level checked and see if I need to up the iron. I really think that if I could just lay on my side a few nights it might settle down. Wish me luck with that, please!
4/20/06 - My first day back to work wasn't bad at all - till about 2:30. Then I started to feel it. The muscle pull, the abdominal stress - but I managed to stick it out, and the next day I was a little sore, but not too bad. Wednesday was my day off and I actually got some housework done! I should have been exhausted, but here I am at 2:15 AM updating my profile.
My food has been ok, I'm getting the vitamins in, and usually most of the protein I need. I thought I'd be walking by now, but going back to work kind of knocked me out a little. This w/e my daughter & I start together - we'll keep each other going!
The one problem I seem to have is drinking plain water. The protein shakes go down ok. Pureed food goes down ok. The water seems to cause a funny feeling. It sounds so crazy to me - I like water, so it's not that I don't want to drink it, it just that it doesn't feel good when I do - even small sips. I see Dr. Eid for my 1 month post-op visit on Monday and it's one of the questions I'll ask him.
5/22/06 - I'm almost at a regular diet stage. I've been trying things, and mostly it works out ok. Somedays it seems like too much work to think of what to eat, and I do protein shakes and yogurt. And thank goodness for s/f popsicles! I've gone out to eat at restaurants a few times, and seem to do ok, there, too. I end up with enough food for @ 4-5 meals :-) I'm throwing away most of the rice & pasta. That would NEVER have happened before. And I don't fill up on the bread & butter before my meal even gets there! I can't wait to try salad, but am a little nervous. I think if I just keep chewing, it'll be ok. One thing that I've found is that if it isn't going to work, I know pretty much right away and stop eating whatever is causing a problem. I haven't dumped, but I did lose a few bites a couple of times, and I think it was because the meat was too dry. I try to make sure everything is very moist, and I haven't had any more trouble. I weighed myself last week and was down 35 lbs. - maybe a little slow, but that's ok. Everyone continues to be very supportive - my daughter set up a walking program for us - if it stops raining long enough for us to get out!
5/30/06 - I'm down almost 45 lbs. and under 200 for the first time in years! I'm down to a size 18 - another place I haven't been for years. I'm hitting the thrift shops for clothes because mine are just too big. My energy level is finally starting to get higher and I'm not so tired all of the time. Some days I actually enjoy walking - I used to , but haven't for years. I still have some knee & foot pain, but not as bad as before, and I'm hoping that with more weight loss I'll feel even better. I'll go in late June for my 3 month check-up, and I think Dr. Eid will be pleased with my progress - I know I am.
7/23/06 - Now I understand why people don't update as often once they are a few months past their surgery! I absolutely cannot believe how long it's been since I've done it. I check into the board, but I don't take the time to update my profile because I'm off to do something else. Where to begin...with the weight loss, I guess. I'm down to 185 from my highest weight of 241, and I can't begin to tell you how great that feels for my knees and feet (not to mention my self-esteem). I can work in the yard, go up & down steps numerous times without my knees hurting and I can still breathe, I'm down about 3 sizes and really need to buy some clothes again (but I'm on a little losing streak right now, so I think I'll wait till I stop for a while), and best of all I feel happy. I'm not where I want to be, and it's slow coming off, but I'm happy. I am so grateful that at last I actually have some energy. Tasks that seemed so overwhelming and hard have become normal every-day things again. I don't pile things on the steps so I only have to make one trip up. I don't do a single side-step up & down the stairs - I just walk up & down normally. I can bring groceries in without needing to rest 10 minutes between loads. Everyone has noticed that I walk differently. I can feel it myself. I "lumber" around when I'm so overweight I can hardly move. Now I feel like I bounce around. My knees don't hurt constantly, my feet don't hurt constantly. It's not that I'm pain-free, but it's so much less that I can easily deal with it, and as more weight comes off, I know I will feel better & better.
When I went for my 3 month check-up, they asked me what my goal weight was. I honestly don't really have one and they didn't give me one. I explained that the numbers had so much power that I was afraid to set a goal because that would be my focus instead of being happy with where I am and where ever I end up. I don't want to "diet" anymore. I have been eating healthy foods and enjoying them. I have a little miracle inside now, that tells me I've had enough and I can listen to that little miracle and not feel hungry or deprived. So I'm happy. When I went to my PCP last week for a regular check-up, he told me once again how proud he was of me. I'm proud of me, too. Unlike some people think, this isn't the easy way out. I know that I've been very lucky and not had alot of complications. But it's not all easy. I still don't want to exercise - but I make myself get moving. I'm not thrilled with the saggy arms - but I need to work at firming them up or else wear longer sleeves or just accept them as they are. I can't use food as a crutch or a salve anymore - but I can deal with life and move on. I am so thankful that I had this surgery and want to do everything I can to stay happy - so far I think I'm doing just fine.
10/2/06 - Guess it's time for another update. I'm a little over 6 months out and now weigh 177 from my highest weight of 241. That's a total of 64 lbs.! I know others are losing faster, but I'm ok with my "one day at a time" head-set. I'm not gaining, and when I don't see the scales going down, I still see differences in the way my clothes are fitting. I seem to stay at a weight for a while and then drop 5 lbs. in a week. As long as I'm losing, the pace can be whatever it needs to be - I'm content. When it was time to get more clothes the last time, I decided that I was going to try and sew some seams in what I had. It worked great! I took a lot of time to do it, tried everything on numerous times as I was sewing and am very happy with the results. It will give me a little more time before I need to get a smaller size. I need a couple of long-sleeve tops for cooler weather, though, and I think I'll hit the thrift stores this week. I don't have much luck with slacks, but I can gauge pretty well which tops will fit. The thrift stores I've been to sort clothes by...get ready....COLOR!!!!!! Searching through racks of pants sorted by color is really tough and I lose my patience because I don't have a lot of time to be looking. Tops are much easier to check out, and the size tags are more easily accessible to read.
I was supposed to have my six months check-up today, but Dr. Eid was called out of town, so I'll call and reschedule. I'm anxious to see how my lab report turns out. I haven't had a big problem with my restless legs, so I'm guessing that my iron levels must be ok. I'm taking my vitamins & eating protein, so I'm not worried about that, either. As far as life in general, I'm movng around soooo much easier. My knees don't hurt at all, except for a little ache when the weather changes. Tylenol Arthritis takes care of that and my sore feet as well if I'm standing in one place too long. Walking doesn't seem to bother my feet, but standing in one place is a killer. I can't believe how quickly I can walk around now - no more lumbering!!!!!
Here are some things I can do now that I haven't been able to do for years:
Walk normally up & down steps - without gasping for breath! I'm even at the point now where I can carry the laundry basket up 2 flights without breathing heavily!
Bend over easily to pick things off of the floor.
Tie my shoes by bending over to them rather than pulling a foot up and holding my breath while I tie.
Ride on rides at an amusement park - wow was that fun!!!
Fit in the bathtub without touching the sides. Actually just getting into a bath (instead of a shower) - before I was too afraid of falling getting in or not being able to get out!
Weeding the garden - even the hillside - amazing!!!
Wear a size 16 bottom and a large top (from 24's and 3X's)
Have a smile on my face almost all the time - I know this because so many people (esp. my husband) have mentioned it!
Best of all, I can get down on the floor and play with my grandkids. They were the primary reason I decided to have WLS. I have young grandchildren and at 58 am too young to miss out on "playing" with them versus sitting and watching them play. I want them to have some great memories of us when they are older.
Life is good.
1/31/07 - I can't believe it's been this long - I think the thought of re-doing my profile was a little daunting, but I just "Copied" and "Pasted" my way through it and it didn't take too long. I'd like to play with it a little, but first I thought I'd update my progress. I'm down to 165 and am in a size 14 pants and a med/large top. WOW!!!! I can hardly believe it's me when I look in the mirror.
I have reached a point where my knees no longer hurt, my feet no longer hurt, I can stand for a long period of time without my feet killing me, I can walk to go shopping, I can clean my house and do other things in the same day, I walk up and down steps without even thinking about it. I used to make a pile of things to go to another floor and make one trip. Now I just put whatever it is away and make another trip if I need to - awesome! My sense of balance has come back. I'm not so afraid of falling, especially on steps and in the snow, so I walk with a lot more confidence.
My next task is to add some Before/After pictures to my profile so that I can share my progress.
