Debra Bearden

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Well today is May 21, 2009. 

In December, my husband looked at me, as I sat there shivering from the cold but steadily chomping on ice, and said are you going to call the doctor or should I?  So I called the doctor.  YES all of my iron was gone again.  I asked him if we could wait to do the iron infusion until after the first of the year for insurance and flexible spending money reasons.  He said that I could wait a little while, but I had to have it done by the end of January.  They scheduled my day at the hospital for January 21, 2009.  I spent the entire day there in the chemo/infusion suite having this big bag of iron pumped into my body.  
For the next week i felt like I had the flu.  I spent several days in bed just sleeping.  But then I started feeling better.  

At my Hemotologist urging I went to see my Gynogologist to discuss how to control my heavy periods.  She suggested an endometrial ablation.  I had this done on March 3rd.  Easy out-patient procedure.  Great results virtually no periods as of today.  

I continue to take B-12 shots weekly.  

I have gained a few pounds but summers coming so I will get those off.  

All-in-all it has been a good journey 

If I had it all to do again I would 


 

Sometimes I can't believe that it has been three years - 

I feel great though I continue to be very aware of my weight and what I eat.  My lowest weight was 148 and everyone told me that I was too thin.  I have rebounded and i now fluctuate between 155 and 165.  This seems to be very comfortable for my body.  

I had a friend call me today - He wanted to talk about my experience.  He is in the hospital right now with cellulitous in his leg.  His doctor has encouraged him to pursue weight loss and has suggested that surgery would be  good option for him.  
I do enjoy talking about my experience, because it was the right decision for me, but everyone has to make their own decisions about how they will deal with their own health issues.  I NEVER tell someone that they should have surgery, I would not want to feel responsible if they had a severe complication.  What I always tell people is that I would do it again.  It was worth the risk for me.  But, whatever his decision I will do what I can to support him and his wife. 

I did have a problem earlier this year I had completly depleted my Iron stores and my blood count dropped to 8.2 (It should be 12)  I virtually had no iron in my body.  So I had an iron infusion.   I may have to have them periodically so I monitor my blood levels a little more closely.  

My husband, James also had the surgery and he is doing extremely well.  He continues to exercise on a daily basis.  He started at a weight of 481 and now he weighs about 240.  

We both have lots of extra skin but I'm not sure if we will ever be able to do anything about it.  (Insurance doesn't cover it and we just don't have the money to be self-pay for anything like that.)