Cimpy
Wow! Where to start? On February 16, 2005 I did the best thing for me. I had WLS. My doctor is Dr. Muhammad Jawad of Ocala, Florida. In my Honest Opinion he is the best doctor. Of course I may be a bit biased! I am only 1 week and 1 day post op. I have lost 13lbs. since surgery and 19 from my Pre-op consult the week before surgery.
I was approved for surgery in 5 days. I had everything finished and ready to submit to the insurance company on Thursday, Feb. 3, 2005. The doctors office submitted it on Friday, and I was approved by Feb. 9, 2005. I was amazed. The biggest thing that amazed me was that my doctors office called me and asked me when I would like to have my surgery? I asked them how far out they were scheduling and she said... Well, we have an opening on the 16th. I said. Oh ok.. March 16th sounds good to me! She then informed me that she meant Feb. 16th, just one week from that very day! LOL I told her that I would have to talk with my hubby and could I call her back. She said absolutely and that's just what I did, once I talked with my very loving and supportive hubby. He said that if this is what I want, then it's what he wants and no need wasting time!
I went to the Pre-Op appointment the very next day! My sister went with me. I really wasn't nervous. I am very sound in my decision and feel it is and was the best thing for me.
HERE IS MY INSURANCE LETTER TO MY INSURANCE COMPNAY:
Dear Humana Tri Care Prime: February 1, 2005
My name is Cindy Lynn Anderson; I am MORBIDLY OBESE. To a lot of insurance companies I would be just another consumer holding a policy. I feel that I am a lot more than just that. I am a very persistent and proud person. I am a mom to five wonderful Children, a wife to my husband for the past 15 years; I am a Girl Scout Leader, a Cub Scout Leader and a volunteer at our Local Little League.
As you can read from the above, I am a very busy active person. I love to roller-skate with my children, I just wish that I could go around more than 2 or 3 times before I have to sit down because my shins are hurting. I play softball on an adult league and have to make sure that I only hit the ball enough to get to first base¡K otherwise I would have to run further.
I would like to share with you about my family; my husband and I were married in December, 1989. He was in the Army, so we traveled quite a bit. We tried for 5 years to have children. We always came to the same brick wall. I was too heavy each doctor would say. I couldn¡¦t believe it the first time that one of the doctors put in my records morbidly Obese. I thought to myself¡K That¡¦s not me. I¡¦m not that big... just a bit heavy. I was still very active playing on two different softball teams, playing racquetball with my husband. I just couldn¡¦t even see myself as MORBIDLY OBESE.
When we finally decided that we would give up on the fertility drugs that I was using; we decided to pursue adoption. We adopted our 3 oldest boys at the same time. We were married 6 years by then.
We then adopted two more children. I worked so hard to get my children, I want to be around for them when they are older and enjoy life with them. I truly love myself; I am not a sad person that feels sorry for herself. I have realized that I cannot do this on my own. I need the help of this surgery to control my eating and to force me into a life change.
I have researched the Gastric Bypass in depth and I am well informed. I know there are risks associated with gastric bypass surgery, just as there are risks associated with any surgery. I realize that a lifestyle change and exercise are major components of this surgery and I have already started making those changes. I also know that this is just a tool to help me help myself.
While researching bariatric surgery, I have found that it is necessary for me, because it is the only proven method of achieving long term weight control for the morbidly obese. I am aware that Bariatric surgery is not a cosmetic procedure. Surgical treatment of morbid obesity does not involve the removal of fat by suction or excision. I am not expecting miracles; I know this is not going to make me a pin-up for Play boy. What it is going to do is enable me to become healthy.
While growing up in Michigan, I remember being on diets with my mom. I remember a diet that was Boiled Eggs, Tomatoes & grapefruit. I had eaten so many tomatoes that my mouth was raw inside. I have tried many weight-loss plans, including Grapefruit Diet, Dr. Atkins Diet, Deal-A-Meal by Richard Simmons, Weight Watchers. Also, I was part of a study at Walter Reed Medical Center where I used Xenical.
I was able to loose about 45 lbs. on Xenical. As soon as I went off of it, I gained all of my weight back plus a few extra pounds. I have had 2 gym memberships in the past 15 years.
At the present time, I walk about 2 miles 3-4 days a week. I intend to start walking more in the near future. I have already started drinking a protein shake for one of my meals during the day. I am trying to prepare my body for the biggest change that I will have ever experienced.
I now suffer from many of the co-morbidities that are associated with having a BMI of 52. They are High Blood Pressure, High Cholesterol, Back Pain, Infertility & I have been diagnosed as a Diabetic in the past two months.
Please when considering my application for approval; know that I am doing this for all of the right reasons. I want to continue to raise my children with my husband; I want to live to be a grandmother. I want to see my children go to college, have careers, get married and have families of their own. I want to be healthy!
The main reason though is I Love me and Want to live my life to the fullest
Thank you,
Cindy Lynn Anderson
THIS IS MY HUBBY'S SUPPORT LETTER TO MY INSURANCE!
Dear Dr. Muhammad Jawad: January 23, 2005
I am writing today for my wife Cindy Anderson; she is over weight and needs some help with loosing and controlling her weight. We have been married for over 15 years; she is a great Wife, Mother and Woman. She is such a Beautiful person on the inside and out. She does so much for our family and our Community. My wife volunteers for my children’s Scout Programs, with their Little League Teams plus she works a full-time job.
I love my wife very much and have tried to help her with the weight loss, but we just can’t seem to get there. I am very worried about my wife, she has been taking pills for high blood pressure for about a year; now she has been diagnosed as a Diabetic & also has high Cholesterol.
She has been talking about this surgery for about four years; she has done a lot of research on it. When she first started talking about this surgery, I wasn’t sure that it was a good thing. After reading all of the information that she has compiled and talking with several people that we have met that have had this surgery done, I now feel very positive about this. We know that there are risks with bariatric surgery, but there are also many risks with being so over weight.
She has met a lot of very supportive people through a local support group that meets near our house. The support group is at Town and Country Community Hospital in Tampa, Florida.
I support her decision to do this, we have 5 children and they need their mom just as much as I do. We love her so much and just want her to be healthy. She has already started trying to become healthier. She is now walking again 3 or 4 times a week.
I have watched her try a lot of different diet plans; she has even been successful on some of them. As soon as she goes off of them, she gains the weight that she has lost, plus usually a little more. This is why she really needs this surgery, so that she will be able to help herself loose and keep this weight off.
Sincerely:
Bobby G. Anderson
HERE ARE THE DETAILS OF MY HOSPITAL STAY!
Two days before my surgery was Feb. 14th. Valentines Day! My husband bought me a box of Whitmans Chocolates. I couldn't believe it. I actually asked him about it and he said, I know that you are not supposed to have candy and that your supposed to be drinking only protein shakes, but I wanted to make sure you had the chance to have at least a piece of candy before your surgery, (It's Valentines Day)¡¨ I told him Thank you, and I will not lie. I had one piece of candy that led to 3 pieces. But thats it. I probably could have ate 6 or more before. But I knew So anyway, now you all know my weakness. Candy.
The day before surgery, I went to Sweet Tomatoes and bought a couple of bowls of their soups I brought them both home and strained the stuff out of them and I had the Broth. My family had the vegetables and the chicken that night for dinner over rice.
I was calm and fine. I knew this is what I wanted. I had talked with my hubby and he also agreed that if this is what I wanted and I was willing to do it, then he wanted this for me too. He just didn't want me doing it for HIM. I told him, that I was doing it for me but, I'm sure that he would reap some of the benefits!
The day of surgery, Bobby, My dad and I got up and left the house at 6:30 a.m. Remember I live in Tampa. My mom, Aunt and my sister also left their houses about that time and we all met up at Ocala Regional.
I was taken to the pre-op area where they asked all sorts of questions and gave me a gown that would have fit my hubby and I! I was a bit concerned about a gown that would cover my butt didn't want to wave it around in the hallways.
So, I'm in my gown, I'm on the bed talking and passing time with my entourage and the anesthesiologist comes in. The only word I can use for him is an A S S. I'm sorry.
If I were a weaker person, I would have gotten off of the bed and left the hospital. It seems to me that he did everything in his power to scare the H E L L out of me.
He comes in, looks at me and says Have you ever had any problem being put under before. I told him no and he asked me how much heavier I am now than when I had a surgery in 1991. I told him about 50 lbs. Then he says Well, How much do you weight, I'm sure that I have you beat on weight, but I'm all muscle and I can be obese and still be healthy, but you have mostly fat. (I kind of looked at him like he was crazy. There were LOTS of people in my room.) LOL I don't know why I didn't just tell him, but I told him that I'm sure that ¡s in my chart. He looks and says.. well I weight 280 but like I said, I'm all muscle. OKAY??? Anyway he tells me to open my mouth wide and I do. He tells me that my airway is small and he isn't sure that he will even be able to put the breathing tube down my throat. NICE! anyway.. He tells me that he will put me under and then try, but if he can't that he will be waking me back up and making me swallow it down. It will delay my surgery, but he'll get it in there. He then tells me that when they give me that little cocktail to knock me out he will then give me a shot right in the front of my neck. I was bit stressed by then. This guy is a doctor that I¡¦m not impressed with.
They came in and gave me the little cocktail to knock me out and I do not remember the shot, but my husband said that they did indeed give me one. They asked me how many drinks did it take and I kind of put my finger up and said 1. I don't remember this. LOL
The next thing I remember is being in the recovery room. My first question was... was it Lap? (Remember I was told that I had a 10% chance of Open) They told me yes, and then I remember hearing beeping noises and the nurse or someone telling me... Cindy, take deep breathes. I also remember someone asking me if I had sleep apnea... I have never been diagnosed, but she said that she was sure that I did. I told her groggily... Apparently.
I remember being wheeled towards my room and my dad sticking his head out the door and I waved to him. I really don't remember a lot those next few hours. I know that I spoke with people on the phone and I know that I told Pam, "I'm on the loosing Side now¨ My mom told me later... I didn't know what you were talking about. I was in and out.
My sister stayed with me at the hospital that night and the first time I was up walking in the hallway, I had only gotten to the door and I asked the nurse if there was anything that I could say or do to get the catheter out of me. LOL she said, nope, sorry honey... LOL
Well, when I was going to sit back down on the bed after walking my cath, just fell right out and I also made a bit of a mess on the floor. LOL I had to try¡K so I then asked her if there were anything that I could do or say to get the nose tube out early! She said... NICE TRY¡K LOL
The day after my surgery, I walked up and down the hallway a few times. But remember I was walking to the bathroom all night. I really felt pretty good.
Dr. Jawad came in and seen me about 2:00 and said that he wasn¡¦t kicking me out of the hospital, but when I felt that I was ready to leave, I could. My husband and I left by 3:00 p.m. The ride back to Tampa was a long and a bit painful one, but I managed okay!
(WEAK STOMACH ALERT)
Friday, my first full day home, every time I would set on the toilet I would pass blood into the toilet from my bowels. It kind of frightened me so I called the office. They called me back with-in a very short time period and asked me to go get my blood work drawn. Long story short I did and everything was fine. BUT IT WAS SCARY¡K There is a lot of gas and rumbling inside me¡K
I have now been home for 3 full days and I am doing fine. On my 2nd full day home, I went and watched part of my two youngest childrens ball games and then went to part of my Girl Scouts Thinking Day Celebration. People were amazed that I was there, but I had an obligation and I really do feel fine.
When I sit down and when I initially stand up is when I hurt.. It¡¦s right around the g-tube and I guess that¡¦s to be expected!
June 30, 2005
It's been so long since I have updated, I really meant to update often. With a full time job, a Girl Scout Troop and 5 children, life is just a lot!
I am now down 86 lbs. I am wearing a size 20 jeans & size 16 tops. I started in 26/28 jeans and 30/32 tops. I'm feeling GREAT! I am looking Great! (Grin)
August 30, 2005
It's been too long since I last updated... 2 months. I am now down 115 lbs. GONE FOREVER! I'm at 215 lbs. I am nearly to the 100's again... WOW!
I am doing well, but I do have an unexplained back ache... it's up in the right side of my back nearly to my shoulder blades. I am actually going to Physical Therapy 3 days a week for a month to correct this. We think that it has to do with a posture issue. I have never had back aches in the past. My doc's office seems to think that it is from the shift of weight. Whatever it is... I hope it goes away shortly!
March 10, 2006
I am now at 182 lbs. I have lost 148. I still have the unexplained back ache, but other than that.. I am feeling wonderful!
