Kathy T.
I am 53 years old and have only been considering WLS for about 2 months. I have already had my psych eval. have my nutritional eval. on 6/19 and my surgeon's appt. on 6/21. If all is in order, they will give me a date and then also put me on a cancellation list. I pray daily for God's will in this matter. At this point, I truly have peace about going forward.
Well, I met my surgeon today, Dr. Alexander Abkin, and I like him very much. He seems extremely competent and he answered all my questions and put me at ease. I weighed in at 261 and am hoping to lose a bit more weight before the surgery. He said I am a good candidate for Lap surgery since I am very PEAR shaped. Funny, he even said I was small! I've not heard that one in years:) So now we wait for the insurance to be approved. They don't expect any problems. God bless all of you for your good wishes. Oh, by the way, my surgery date is August 26th, unless there is a cancellation!!!!
8/5/02 I've not written for a long time. Just continuing to pray daily for the Lord's direction and still having a true sense of peace. I have wonderful support from a fantastic husband and our two married daughters. At first I was apprehensive to tell people about my surgery for fear of their reactions. We first went to our pastor, and he was very encouraging; even teased about maybe gaining more weight so he could have the surgery since he struggles with about 30 pounds. Since then, I have spoken to some of my church family as well as my biological family and they are all so supportive. I know I have their prayers now and through my surgery. God is really so good to me! Jesus died, not only for my salvation, but also for my health! Thank you, Lord for this tool to health!
I have been learning patience, and I am not a patient person. My surgeon's office does not send the insurance paperwork in until about four weeks prior to the surgery date; so my papers just went in last week. Here I am 3 weeks from my date without insurance approval. The doctor's office says that I should not have any trouble and for now, I will trust that they have the experience with each company and pretty much know what to expect. The office told me that it is likely we will hear from Cigna this week, and if I don't, that I should call the surgeon's office on Wednesday and they will follow up. I am praying that there will be no delays as I have commitments to make for September. We oversee a Marriage Ministry and are starting a 13-week program in late September, but I have not committed to the date. Lord, please put all of this in order.
I've managed to keep my weight within a few pounds of 262. I was hoping to go down, but that might not be possible; so maintaining is good enough. I have enjoyed a few meals that I know I won't be able to have for a long, long time or maybe never; but I am not overdoing it. Right now, my ankles are very swollen; one of those perimenopausal hormone things that I go through. So I take an occasional water pill and drink lots of fluids til my ankles are normal again. Can't wait til this is over too:)
We are having our 34th anniversary next week and I plan to enjoy a lovely evening out without gaining weight; and I am truly looking forward to next year and our 35th anniversary and the new me!!
Please pray that I will not have to appeal with my insurance company, so that there will not be any delays.
8/18/02 - Only two weeks to my surgery! Well, that is if I can get my insurance approved by then. Apparently, my doctor's office faxed the papers into Cigna over 3 weeks ago, but Cigna did not receive them. When I called Cigna to ask for an update, they told me this and I called my surgeon's office. They told me, "Oh, they have them, we sent them". Well, I called and called and still no entry in the system. So finally on last Tuesday, I found a rep at Cigna who was willing to personally receive the fax and hand deliver it to the Pre-Determination Department. I called the surgeon's office and they re-faxed the papers immediately. So, here I am 8- days from surgery and my papers only got to Pre-Det. dept. on Thursday. They are saying it 'could' be done by 26th, but no guarantees. Of course, they could just say 'NO' and that would be a whole new situation; although my surgeon's office doesn't expect a problem.
On an up note...we had a lovely anniversary out with our youngest daughter and son-in-law. Today was her 30th birthday, so we had a dual celebration. I just keep asking the Lord for His peace and His patience; I have little left of my own. I am thankful to the Lord for my husband who stands so steady and calm during these things; and for that wonderful man who looked at me on his way to work the other morning (me - nightgown, no makeup, the fat) and said, "You're a gorgeous women". Made my day! Lord, thank you for Joe.
8/19/02 - Today I call insurance, still no approval. Called doctor's office. . now they set me up for an appointment to come in and sign consent forms. I told them that I am feeling very rushed at this point; no approval and seems like no time to even ask the doctor any last minute questions. I hope that I have a few minutes to speak with him when we meet for pre-op visit.
8/20/02 - Praise the Lord!! I got approved today. Apparently, my papers were only sent in last week, instead of four weeks ago, as I was told. So Cigna was really quick. Thankfully, they did get a prodding from Maria at Dr. A's office. I am very thankful to her. Only 6 more days til my surgery. This Thursday I will meet again with Dr. Abkin and the coordinator of the weight loss program at Morristown Memorial Hospital to sign consent forms and ask my last minute questions:) Then I will get my pre-op testing done. I am so relieved that this part is over. Again, thank you Lord!!
8/22/02 - Went to pre-op visit with Dr. Abkin and Mary Meola. Still bloated, so weight is up a few pounds to 272 (my high was 282 which was totally scary). I signed away my life:), then I asked the few questions that were not answered in all the paperwork we went through. I got a diagram of where my incisions will be; doesn't look bad at all. I am truly at peace about the surgery; God has given me a peace that passes all understanding. In addition, he directed me to a very competent surgeon. I am calm and excited about my surgery on Monday.
8/31/02 - Scripture tells us that our bodies are "fearfully and wonderfully made". What I have experienced in the last week has been incredible; miraculous might be a better word. On Monday, August 26th, I went in to the hospital at about 10AM. Surgery was scheduled for 12N, but there was a delay and I was not taken to the operating room til after 1PM. I had time with my family (hubby, youngest daughter and mom) and was at total peace. Got on the operating table and don't remember a thing:) Laparoscopic surgery took 1 hr. 15 minutes and the doctor found an umbilical hernia and fixed that also. I was awake and talking with my family by 5PM. My roommate was another patient of Dr. Abkin's, who had her surgery 5 hours before me.
I did have a morphine pump when I woke up and used it a bit during the first night. By the end of Tuesday I stopped all meds. My incisions barely hurt and there was no bleeding or drainage at all. I was walking on Monday night (just a short walk) and Tuesday morning, I started a clear liquid diet. After not eating since Saturday night, it was delicious!
In the hospital I was nauseous only once and they gave me medicine for it. They also gave me heparin a number of times to be sure I did not clot; but said that the walking was most important.
I was able to come home on Wednesday have been progressing extremely well since coming home. I drink my protein shakes (not the best part of my day, but I am still working on finding more tolerable ones); I love chicken broth, I eat diet Jell-O and diet ice pops; my daughter even got me sugar free Italian Ices from Rita's.
I will be going to full liquid (which includes yogurt, cottage cheese and a few other things tomorrow). Today I did have a cup of broth from Healthy Choice Garden Veggie Soup. It was yummy.
I have even been blessed not to have to use a laxative. All systems are working really well and very normal, considering what they have gone through.
One note: When I came home, I was soooo swollen, that I had gained 5 pounds. Don't fear, it goes away fast.
I have my post-op visit with Dr. Abkin on Friday, September 6th. My staples will be removed and I will be officially weighed. I am truly looking forward to it.
I want to thank the Lord for leading me to such a competent surgeon; one that is not only incredibly skilled but who has genuine concern for his patients and also has a sense of humor. My surgeon did his best work on me; everything went beautifully. My God did the healing!!! Thank you, Dr. Abkin and Thank you, Jesus!
9/6/02 - How wonderful, the staples came out today and I am down 19 lbs. from when I got home from hospital. I am not that excited since I realize (after years of dieting) that a lot of it is water weight, but I'll take whatever I can get:)
9/27/02 - As of today, I have lost 28lbs. I am thrilled. Yesterday, I went to see Dr. Abkin for my 1-month visit, and he said everything is going great. I am off any physical restrictions and can do as much exercise as I can with my bad knees. I feel very encouraged. I must say that this has been much easier than I ever expected it to be. I think that is because I did so much studying and speaking to people and getting really prepared for what was to come. I have not missed any foods and I have been very fortunate to have absolutely no problems with the foods that I do eat (so far, that is:). I've been out with friends for coffee once (and it was great; I just had decaf and enjoyed the conversation at Perkins); then for breakfast with another friend and I just had a scrambled egg and about 30 minutes later, a cup of decaf. Today I went with my daughter to Don Pablo's and had a cup of Chicken/White Bean Chili soup. It was really good and I like the idea of being able to do normal things. We used to eat out very often and just enjoy the time to relax with friends. I've checked around for restaurants that do serve soups and other smaller items, and have logged the phone numbers in my cell phone so that when we are out, I can call and find out what they are serving and make a good decision if we have to eat out. I am so thankful to the Lord because I have been so blessed by my family and their support. Hubby is so encouraging and still really trying to help as much as he can around the house, and everyone else in my immediate family and my church family is really supportive of my efforts and so very encouraging. So far, my best meal has been stewed chicken and yam. Next week, or maybe Sunday, I will try salmon (Doc said OK), which is one of my favorite foods. Oh, I eat scrambled egg for breakfast and really enjoy that too. I will update when there is something significant to report; but otherwise, I do not see the doctor until December 12th when he will give me results from blood work I will have done in November and I will report on the state of my health. May God bless everyone who has prayed for me and sent me notes of encouragement.
10/26/02 - I am two months post op and have missed the -40lb. mark by .5lb. So 39.5lbs. gone forever. It is a wonderful feeling. I am having no trouble eating different foods. A tender steak seems to be my best choice. It goes down even better than chicken and I eat a lot of fish. I am able to eat all sorts of veggies and fruit w/o a problem. No more shortness of breath going up or down stairs and hubby says snoring has decreased significantly (many people who are not overweight snore, so maybe I'll be one of them). Clothes are really getting big on me. This is the first time in, maybe, 12 years that I have been this weight; and the first time in about 16 years that I've been able to lose over 30lbs. This is truly a blessing. Thank you Jesus! Will update again next month. Blessings to all!
11/14/02 - Well, I thought I'd wait to write, but I just felt a need. I am down 45lbs. to 227. It is the lowest I have been in about 20 years. I am bloated from a PMSy week due to menopause, so I may have lost more, but I am happy with what is happening. People are really starting to notice my loss and the last picture my hubby took of me actually looked 'good'. May God bless each of you on your journey to health.
11/27/02 - Three months since my surgery and in spite of the fact that this meno thingy has had me pmsy til my "really good friend" came yesterday, I am down over 50 lbs. I am almost out of the 220's. I cannot believe this. I am so grateful to God for this wonderful gift. I look forward to Thanksgiving Day w/o any problems, especially those of GAINING weight. Oh, my hips are down to 50.5" from 57" and my waist is 38", down from 46". That is a big change in a 5'2" person. I am stunned. I have had to give so many things away and that included my winter coats; but, I got a new one - Size LARGE. Imagine, from a 2X to Large in three months. God has surely blessed me, and I wish the same blessing on all who read this page.
12/12/02 - today I went for my '3 month' checkup (it is really 3 1/2 months, but who cares:). I weigh 215; I am really very pleased. I also had my first blood workup since surgery and it was excellent. Doc says I am doing really well. My tummy is doing great and my food intake is really good too. Doc said I can take Celebrex for my knees if I need to. I am going to wait a few more weeks and see if I continue to feel a little better. He did say there is a chance, small chance, that I might irritate my pouch and surely I would not want to do that. Believe me, this is the best thing I've done for myself. God is good, all the time!!
3/12/03 6 1/2 months post op and feeling great! I weigh 189 pounds. I am exercising regularly and my knees are doing much, much better. I did have a bit of trouble with acid reflux but got a new script for Prilosec and now I'm fine. Praise God. While I feel that the weight loss has slowed; at the end of the month, I am still down between 9-11 lbs. so I can't consider that slow at all. I am now wearing all medium tops and large bottoms instead of all 2x's. That is a major accomplishment. If my body will allow it, I would like to lose another 40-50 lbs. Not looking to be skinny or 30 again! I am very content with my progress to date and if I stopped losing now, I would still consider my surgery a major success. I am seeing Dr. Abkin tomorrow for my "6 month" checkup and will report on the results of the bloodwork and the visit. God bless each of you as your travel this journey.
4/5/03 - had my 6 mo (actually 6 1/2 mo) visit on the 13th of March. All went well; my bloodwork is just fine and they say that I have lost an enormous amount of weight for my size. I will just press on to success. Thank you, Jesus!!
8/1/03 - where do I begin? It has been a rewarding 4 months since I last wrote. I am down to 163 lbs. and really look healthy and feel wonderful. I am up constantly, walk around all the time; go to malls, for walks like never before. Even though I am only 5'1", I feel great at this weight and count each additional pound as blessing. God has been so good to me. My Joe and I are renewing our marriage vows on August 16th, only two weeks away. We are having the wedding we never had. What is more wonderful is that people see things on the surface and most think this is like my "coming out party":) but in reality it is done with the utmost sincerity and love for a man who has always treated me like a princess; never thought less of me because of my weight. Now granted, my new body is a lot more attractive, but that is a natural outcome of the weight loss and of course, he'll enjoy it more!! But who I am was always good enough. Praise God. Well, must go and continue preparing for our anniversary. I'll write again after my next visit with Dr. Abkin in September. God bless each of you.
11/05/03 - I am now 14 months post op and I've lost just about (depending on the day) 120 lbs. I feel like a totally different person. I will be posting a picture within the next day or two. The difference in my energy level is unbelievable. I can walk for hours; I can dance and never even get out of breath. God has blessed me mightily. Oh...our vow renewal ceremony in August was awesome and the party was just so much fun. I did see Dr. Abkin on August 28th and he was very pleased with my progress and the state of my health. He suggested that I lose only another 10-15 lbs. I was very glad to hear that because I don't think that at 54 I want to turn into a Barbie doll. I am enjoying my 10/12 Petites; they are fine for me, now and forever. I have lost about 8 of those pounds, so you can see I am nearing the end of the first part of my journey. The next part will be to maintain my new, healthy weight. At this point, I am not considering any cosmetic surgery. My legs are flabby (I really don't like them) and so are my arms, but my family feels that my health is most important and that more surgery is unnecessary risk. Even with the sagging skin, I am much improved. Hubby says I am 'fine'; and I look great in clothes; it's just the bathing suit season that will be a little hard. Who knows..with more exercise, I might make some improvements. And if I really can't live with it down the line, we'll fix it. Well, more later, after I've fully reached my goal weight of approximately 142. God bless each of you and keep up the good work.
1/02/04 - Happy New Year to all. I started this new year at 152 lbs. and have about 8 more to lose. I am thrilled. Never, ever expected this degree of success. I am grateful to my doctor for his excellent skills, for the remarkable education I received at Morristown Memorial (they had very rigid standards for post-surgical eating, etc, which many doctors/hospitals don't stress) and for the hand of God that healed me so totally.
With a new year ahead, I look forward to losing my last few pounds and then just living in a manner that will maintain that weight fo the rest of my life.
