jillypooh8
12/1/03 I am 5'7" tall and 281 pounds right now. I began process by visiting Dr. Veninga's web site. I began compiling the past medical records and letters required for LapBand surgery. Wow! I am finding out that most everyone is supportive of weight loss surgery. I have been running all over Dallas retrieving records. Oh, please, let my insurance company approve! I even have the support of Jenny Craig, not personally Jenny Craig, but the staff there. I must be their most hopeless case to date. I've been in and out of there since 1992. I lose and I gain the weight right back.
12/9/03 All paperwork (past medical records, letters from trainer, primary care physician, Jenny Craig and other professionals who have watched my thus far unsuccessful struggle with obesity) taken to Dr. Veninga's office. My surgeon's office have been so nice - they are sending the letter soon. IMy mother wants me to do this because according to her, I am not pleasant to look at - Oh, well! That's been going on forever, so it's no big deal. I just want to be healthy, to be able to run, to be able to jump out of bed in the morning and put on clothes without pain. Ah, I also want to wear beautiful clothes - gorgeous fabrics and colors. Is that shallow? Maybe. But it's the way I feel. 12/9/03 I attended the WLS seminar by Dr. Veninga at Carrollton Public Library.. 12/10/03 Dr. Veninga sent letter to United HealthCare PPO Prime for LapBand approval. Now the wait. I am all over UHC (United HealthCare) to approve the surgery! And, quickly, too! 12/12/03 Began systematic approach to pushing letter for approval by calling UHC every two hours - no joke! UHC would tell me letter was in Predetermination and that I could not call Predetermination - no problem! I just kept calling. 12/15/03 Again, five calls today to find out status on approval. I talked with two very nice people who agreed to send a "hard copy" to Predetermination stating I was in need of a quick answer due to backpain and other health problems related to obesity. 12/16/03 SUCCESS! Surgery approved. Thank You, God!!! Oh, thank You, God, for showing me the way. I need this surgery. 12/24/03 Finally, my husband and I are divorcing. Been working towards this since April 1st of this year. It has been so long to get to this point, and I think it's going to be a long wait. I think he likes the control he has over me when I am obese, I do not believe he ever loved me. Why would he, really, and be abusive? I have never had control over my weight since being seven. I have used diet pills for brief respites from obesity. I am at a loss. 1/13/04 I am so afraid of going through the surgery alone on Jan. 29th. I had the required stress test today and I was told today I have heart disease. I am so afraid. However, I have been told the damage is reversible with weight loss. When it rains, it pours. But I am on this journey for a reason, whatever that is. I hope no one goes through a spouse leaving them because they're having weight loss surgery and/or finding out you're not as healthy are you once thought, but maybe, if they do, they will read right here that we can do this. We can. Well, that's enough soul searching. I am glad to be alive and be right where I am. Good luck to us all! 1/14/04 I am so shocked and very happy to be here right now! God bless everyone who has had an unsupportive people in going through WLS, from preop to post op! I am going to find my home, be comfortable in my own skin! Oh, sweet God, thank you so much. 1/19/04 Ten long days until surgery! Thank God for this site! I am having difficulty adhereing to the preop fast. But there is such great support here on obesityhelp.com that every hour, fasting prior to surgery becomes possible. Thank you so much everyone here for your kindess and your time. 1/20/04 I have the EGD procedure tomorrow. I am not looking forward to it but it's going to put me closer to the 1/29/04 surgery date! I think I would run naked with a pack of wild gazelles in deepest, darkest Africa if it were required. Come to think of it, an EGD is much more preferable that running naked with gazelles. (I can't move very quickly at my current weight of 273 pounds. And, my, oh my, wouldn't those lions look at me and think, "juicy one there, Mack. And she can't run fast. Let's go get her. Bon Appetite!") (If lions could speak, of course.) 1/21/04 Off to Trinity Medical Center in Carrollton for the EGD. The staff were awfully nice, just super really. Especially CJ in the day surgery! What a sweetheart!!!! I love my surgeon, Dr. Veninga! Board Certified Bariatric Surgeon from Stanford and we're both Texans - hahahaha!!!! But, Dr. Veninga is the best and I can't really believe my soon to be exhusband is undermining me. Could I really think he is trying to do so! Yes, I could!! I don't know what love is, except what I hear from therapists but it sounds so unreal. Unconditional acceptance, right? (And how about equal share of household chores!) I cannot wait til 1/29/04! And, I have an Angel, too! Bonnie Gabriel from San Angelo, TX! Oh, only eight more days! Yeeeehaaaaa! 1/23/04 I am so overjoyed to think that six days from right now, God willing, I will be banded and coming home from the hospital. It's as if I am afraid something will happen to jix it, that United Healthcare will cancel the approval, my surgeon will be too busy that day and have to cancel or any of a hundred things. I always dreamed of having a powerful tool (usually an invisible friend) that would help me in losing weight. I found it mostly in prescription diet pills but that is a "losing" proposition, pun intended. Heart damage frequently results in repeated amphetamine useage, and those pills make one so irritable! Please God, let it happen. Let the weight loss surgery go ahead as planned. Please, Sir, let the surgery go well. Would you please guide the surgeon, Dr. Veninga? Let the nurses and staff at the hospital be highly competent and kind. And, let the recovery be rapid, successful and happy! And, may the weight loss be spectacular, permanent and healthy. I wish all this for everyone of us, always! God be with us all and keep us close by!!! Sunday, 1/25/04 Only four days away! I can't sleep at night being so very happy and filled with joyful anticipation. Gee, the preop fast is "loser." I've lost 11 pounds so far. I hope most of which was the fat around my liver so the procedure is technically easier to preform. Yeeeeehaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!! Hurry up 1/29! I wan to get on the losing side! Monday, 1/26/04 I am overjoyed to think in 72 hours I will be preparing to be banded. How grateful I am to God above and my wonderful sweet friends, both on and off this web site. I truly believe that men, some men, think that because woman is morbibly obese, that they can get away with anything. I look at the way men treat women of size when I am out making my marketing calls twice a week. No one holds doors open for the morbidly obese woman - are we invisible? And, men make jokes about our size. I am going to sit on the next person who is ungentlemanly - I just might do it. I am so excited to be going through surgery and getting this new life. Oh, dear God, please be with us all!!!!! Only 72 hours to my new way of life! 2/3/04 Ouch! You know, it kind of hurts. However, I am keeping my eyes on the result, which is a powerful aid to help me and everyone else who suffers from morbid obesity, never be morbidly obese again. Ok, it's not going to be easy, and right now it hurts, but it's worth it! It is. I love my angel! Bonnie Gabriel, I don't know what I would have done without you! God be with us all!! 2/4/04 Wow! Much better day! It's day six post op and I feel great. I am having approximately 500-700 calories a day. And, for the first time ever in my life, I am full. I am not hungry. I can't believe it. This is a miracle. 2/5/04 Ola! I am making my outside sales calls today and feeling great. I have had children's Tylenol and that is awesome during the day. I have had to take the liquid Hydrocodeine at night but since Tuesday night, I have had a great time. And, oh, my God! Y'all - I feel full and with very little, nutritional liquid supplement. Before the lap band surgery, I would drink the supplements (preop directive from my surgeon) and there was no way it assauaged my hunger. Actually, I don't ever remember any food in any amount that gave me a sense of being full longer than four to five minutes. I think that's indigenous to being morbidly obese. But, oh, thank God, for the lap band. Thank God for the surgery! Thank God for this website. Thank God we're all here on the earth right now while these sweeping changes are being made to aid us that suffer from morbid obesity. I feel so sad for those who were also morbidly obese before by-pass, stapling, fobi pouches, lap bands, RNY's, and all the other wonderful tools out there - they just had to suffer, I'm so very sorry! Thank God for the way some doctors have embraced bariatric surgery to help all of us! Saturday, 2/7/04 Woah! THIS BAND IS WONDERFUL! I feel great. I can exercise, bend, work and just not be hungry. And, y'all the weight is coming off! I think I was 281 post op, my last weight was 277, pre op and I just weighed 262.6 this morning. Bye, bye fat! You know what? I wish I could donate fat, you know, the way we donate blood? Think what we could do to help people in need! I am serious. Where does liposuction fat go? Is it donated? Just curious. THE LAPBAND RULES!!!!! (Of course, great respect for all other forms of weight loss surgery.) Tuesday, 2/10/04 I was given the ok to go to slushy foods with lean meats (chicken fish or turkey) if needed to feel full and to get protein. I get my first fill on 3/2/04! Yeeeeehaaaaa! I weighed 260.2 this morning. I feel great! I have lost 20.8 pounds! Wednesday, 2/11/04 This eating lean meat is great. Just an ounce of lean chicken, turkey, fish or beef and I am full for hours! Of course, I had to learn the hard way to chew like a working beaver before swallowing. (Remember to chew because the pain of something going through the little opening for the tummy really hurts!!!) But, I am full on a small amount of food. I get to start working out again with my trainer, Gary Mekuly, on March 1, 2004. I have been with Gary since October '99 and I am his only client of well, of "size." Everyone else looks like one of this months SI Sports Illustrated models. I have built so much muscle for a morbidly obese person, I can't wait to remove the "insulation" :) and have (dare I hope) a hard body, a healthy, firm body. It's been so long since I've been slim and firm. And, always when I'd get slim in the past, I knew the inevitable weight gain would occur. Now, the weight has a hinderence and oh, dear God, I am going to use my lapband to help me. I am going to achieve by December of this year!!!! I am so happy and so grateful to be banded! Sunday, 2/15/04 Wow! Great week end. I am so excited about the band. I tried to eat a piece of homemade bread and it stuck! Yeeehaaa! I love having the food police in my stomach! I have lost 25 pounds and I couldn't be happier. I can't wait to wear a size 8 or 10 by the end of this year! That's what I daydream of when I think those happy thoughts. Friday, 2/27/04 I was at a plateau for 14 days but I lost a pound last night. So, I am very grateful. And a fill on Tuesday! Yeeeehaaaa! So that's 26 pounds so far. I love this band. Tuesday, 3/2/04 First Fill. I had 1.5 cc's and this just rocks! I am having soup and that is all! Wow! I am full on a normal sized bowl of soup. Just an fyi - don't eat solid food right after a fill. I did and it was painful. Wait at least 24 hours after a fill. Wednesday, 3/17/04 Happy St. Patrick's Day! I had another fill yesterday so I am up to 2.0 cc's in the band. I had some pudding last night for dinner since I didn't want to risk eating. I am not hungry. I just LOVE my band. (I sound like a vain musician.) I bought two suits last week end, both 18's! I am still at 251, I think I have been at 251 for a while, maybe over two weeks. But, I feel like I am shrinking, so maybe I should just stay off the scales. Ok, but that's really difficult because I so want to weigh 240 at the end of the month. Well, I am just going to take what comes, keep exercising, keep practing good band hygiene (not eating the soft, naughty foods) and know that this is the way to 140 pounds! Oh, I have hope for the first time in so very long, that the obesity that has plagued me since the age of 7 can be beaten. I am so happy for all of us, regardless of the type of weight loss surgery we have had, that we have this great opportunity to slam morbid obesity - to beat it! Rock on all of us, banded, bypassed, whatever! And, to everyone preop, come on over! Don't wait. It's one of the best decisions you can make! 4/2/04 These bands rule! I had my third fill this morning. I am down to 240 pounds! Exercising daily! And, just so grateful to be here on this planet with y'all! 4/9/04 Finally that 240 weight has dropped to 239! Oh, I am so happy, I could just jump for joy! And my sweet friends on the message board are all losing weight. Oh, I so wish everyone who wants to be banded, or have any form of weight loss surgery, could get it right when they need and want it, provided their health will cooperate! I can move around so much better. I am wearing a size 18! I am so happy to be here right now, I just wish so much that everyone has joy and happiness in their journey! 5/27/04 My life has kind of sucked with gusto lately! I won't write about it because everyone has problems. And these problems are supposed to develope our character, right? Ok, well, I should have lots of character by now. I am so glad to be banded though! What a sweet relief not to have the added sadness of binge eating through a pressure-filled time in life. You know, maybe I am a drama queen and I look for this stuff to happen. But, I don't think so. I would love a normal, peaceful life! Maybe I am not a normal, peaceful person. It's a nice experience though, for the most part. Life, I mean, except for the people who drive slowly in the left lane! Not really! Just trying to be funny! Oh, well, I am down between an 18 and 16! Mostly 18's!!!!!! Only if the 16 is HUGE will it fit! Can't seem to get divorced, moving so slowly that way. See you soon! 2/3/05 Wow! Life is great! I wear a 14 in jeans and a 16 in jackets and shirts. It's great to wear my husband's clothes and have the shirts come to my knees. It's been so long since that happened. I am working out 2x a week with Gary Mekuly, my trainer and exercising at the gym at work and/or Curves twice more a week. I can't wait to weigh 140 pounds. That's really not far away. Oh, to be thin again! And, forever. I wouldn't give up this band for anything. 5/05 Divorce Final!!!!!! Time to move on. Even if I am to be alone the rest of my life, so be it. I've had enough. Yuck! It's amazing how losing weight refines and clears one's perspective of life and relationships. We are all much less inclined to be used by others when we feel confident and have self esteem. Thank God for this surgery. 05/24/05 What a great future lies ahead. I am so grateful to all the good people I know, my friends and my family. Dear God. Dear life. It's difficult being single, but I am ready to move forward, slowly, cautiously, as I should have before marrying this last time. I will follow my rule from my teens, which doesn't bear repeating here. Good luck to us all. 8/4/05 OK, I weigh 189l I began working out with Ryan of Healthy Images in Las Colinas - awesome guy! This is so cool - he can straighten out my back after each session. Wow! How great is it to be size where someone can actually pick you up? I mean that in a literal sense. Not the other type. He's only 29. I love my life now - great career, great friends, unlimited future. This band has given me control over food which I never had without resorting to diet pills and I am so grateful. I have a huge crush (no pun intended) on someone but we'll have to see where this goes. Bascially I need to tell this man, who lives a long way away what his voice does to me? It's really strange because he hasn't shown the least bit of interest in me. And, he's a client. I'll keep it as a crush for now. I know that's tmi, but it's the truth. And, it is my blog. Without the band, I would, no doubt, still be struggling with weight and the guilt from overeating. This band has given me a great new life and I am so grateful! 11/23/05 It is difficult going through the holidays alone. My divorce has been final - it's almost a YEAR now. I am healthy and fit and have a great career. My soon to be exhusband defaulted on a debt, so I am now paying off $15,000 of his part. I hope to get that resolved in the next few months. I mean, the man is already living with another woman so why do I have to pay his debts? Ah, well, life is a learning experience, isn't it. It's so nice, no matter how difficult a day, to know I never have to deal with overeating and the guilt and health problems that brings on. Just wish that soon to be ex would be a man and take care of his own debts. I got up the nerve to tell my client in Washington I love his voice and his personality. We'll see what happens now. Until later! 12-6-05 Oh, my gosh! I started Weight Watchers and the amount of food we're supposed to eat is mind boggling. I have lost a pound - weigh 188. But, get this. My client in Washington (the state, not DC) is coming to Texas for New Years. This is the one I have had a crush on for four months. He doesn't think I'm fat. I know a size 14 isn't really obese at all, but I am so used to thinking that if I am not a size 10, I am not desirable. And, he's gorgeous! We'll see.