MommaSyn
Well, this has been some journey for me and quite the long one. Back in 2005 my NP told me that if I did not lose the excess weight I had, that I would die within the next 4-5 years. That was very scary for me. It was the first time that I learned what morbid obesity meant and that it described me. I was diagnosed with metabolic syndrome and she stated that I was non-compliant with my diabetes and my obesity. Man did that floor me. That December I went to my first informational meeting in Duluth. I ended up a patient of Dr. Walter Medlin. My husband and I decided that the lap band was the way to go for us. So I started the process. I did all the dietician visits. I saw the psychiatrist and learned that I had Bipolar Disorder and Adult ADD as well as PTSD. They put me on medications for that but felt that I was able to understand what the surgery was all about and that I could handle the after care without problems. I came to OH and found a lot of support from the classes all the way through to the surgery. I had the lap band done in May of '06. I was Dr. Medlin's 10th lap band surgery. I stayed overnight and was discharged the next day. I went to support group in Virginia and followed all the rules. I got down to 230 from 310 and was doing quite well, but then I ran into problems. First problem was I was not able to keep food or liquids down not even water. It was a pickle lodged over the opening and letting the fluid out of my band helped. The pickle passed. But they did not refill my band right away. I continued to follow the rules and tried to lose again but then I started gaining weight. They started to slowly tighten my band again and I continued all the appointments but I kept gaining. Finally I quit going to have the band filled. I stayed about 250 for about 2 years. Then the swallowing problems got worse. I came in and saw Tony Valentine, PA and he ordered some tests to be done to find out why I was having such difficulty swallowing. I had several endoscopic tests done, an upper and lower GI done and swallowing studies done. Come to find out that I have a cyst the size of my pinky between my aorta and spine that pushes on my esophagus. The pressure from the band when filled put further pressure on the esophagus and I couldn't keep things down. They did not want to remove the cyst due to where it was located and the possibility of knicking my aorta or my spine if they removed it. By this time Dr. Medlin was no longer a part of the Duluth system. So I went in to see Dr. Bettendorf. He agreed to take my case on. We sat down and went over all of our options. We decided that removing the band was important but we needed to know which surgery to revise to. I told him if the band came out that we would have to do the RNY. The gastric sleeve would possibly cause the same type of pressure on my esophagus. He agreed and we started things all over again...seeing the dietitian, etc. Dr. B got the okay from my insurance to remove the band but my insurance would not do the RNY. He went to bat for me and BCBS finally approved it but called it "elective" surgery so I had to pay a portion of my surgery in cash up front. Thank God for tax refunds!!!!! I got my RNY done March 21, 2011. Now, I am finally going to get all this weight off!!! The exercising and the diet are working nicely and actually slowly too. So it is keep plugging time. I came back to OH after my RNYsurgery because I felt I needed the support again.
I found my old OH blogs and have copied them and added them here.
8/8/06 I feel like such a pig today! I am back up to 242. But I am really swollen in my feet and ankles. I did overeat on the salad today. Plus I had an oatmeal cream pie (little debby) as well. SO is it the water weight or the food? I could not stop eating the salad stuff!!!!! And I was NOT drinking with my food as I ate either. So how come I could eat 2 dinner plates of salad? What the heck is going on here? This should not be. Okay, Cindy, take some responsibility. Drink more. Eat more protein and less carbs. And EXERCISE!!!!!!!
8/4/06 Well, I am still headed down! Look at what I weigh now 240.2! A little over 2 pound in a little over a week! How wonderful!!
7/27/06 Well I go in to see Dr. Medlin today. I may or may not have a fill. I am 243.6 pounds. I can get into a 20W pants but it is kind of tight. Yet, I can get into an 18W top! I can wear my XL scrub tops, but not the scrub pants. One step at a time. Oh this is a slow process!! But it didn't go on overnight and it ain't comin' off overnight.
7/10/06 Today is my 2 month bandiversary!!! I am down to 248.4 pounds and am still a size 22W but I can see the difference in my face and my energy levels. I am still battling edema. I tried to go without my Lasix and gained!! And every bit of it fluid!! My ankles were huge and my wedding ring was tight. But I took a full dose of 20mg to get it back down again and will continue on 10 mg daily to keep it off. Man what a disappointment that I have to keep on a diuretic. Just have to keep my fluid intake up. "Just keep swimming", (my Dorie mantra from the Nemo movie).
6/23/06 Today is mine and my husband's 16th wedding anniversary. We are on our way to SD for our niece's wedding tomorrow. I am singing at the wedding. I am wearing a very beautiful dress that I have not been able to wear for 6 years!!!! And I can wear the travel dress I wore after our wedding to go to the Radisson in St Cloud for our honeymoon's beginning. It's an old 22 1/2 in the sizing system we had before the "W" got added. I have not been able to wear that dress for those same 6 years!!!!! I feel GREAT!!! Plus I can wear my wedding bands again!! What a great present!! And I am so excited about this!! God is good!!! I give Him the praise for this!! I couldn't have done it without Him. Oh and I got my first fill yesterday!! They put in 0.7cc. Let's see how I do, now.
6/17/06 Well, I am at my mother-in-laws house for the weekend. Family states they can see a difference. Mom is giving me all her clothes that are too big for her right now. Mostly size 16-18 or XL. I am working with the leader of my support group to start a clothing exchange for those of us in the Iron Range area of Minnesota. I am very excited about this! I got pictures from Kat that we took of me the day after my surgery. Maybe now I can get them uploaded to OH and add to my pictures below. Am anxious to get my first fill in 5 days. I am still at the 252 range. I'm diasappointed that I am not at the 240 range, but that will come in time. Just gotta keep plugging away.
6/7/06 Today is my 4 week bandiversary. I can say I am DEFINITELY losing inches. I have lost 4 around the chest, 5 1/2 around the waist and 4 around the hips! Weight is staying the same but as long as I am losing something, I am okay with that. First fill is June 22, that is 12 days from my one month bandiversary. My 16th wedding anniversary is June 23rd and my neice is getting married on the 24th and I am singing in her wedding. I want to be below 240 by that point. Guess, I had better be sure that I am exercising and behaving or that ain't happening!! Keep on keeping on!! "Nothing tastes as good as thin feels!!" keep that mantra going!
6/1/06 Well, my 3 week bandiversary was yesterday. I am now 254 pounds. I can walk over a mile and not get winded. I can climb stairs without getting winded, although my heart rate gets up there. I'm in 2x (22W to 24W) depending on who makes it. Why can't all companies make the same size the same size? Duh! That would be too easy!! WELL DONE SO FAR!!
5/ 21/06 I had a WOW moment today or a NSV (non-scale victory) today. I am down 24 pounds and put on a size 24 outfit today for church. Praise God!! It was a wonderful feeling to know that I am losing inches as well as pounds. Exercise is a big part of that. I am trying my best to keep exercising and following the MD's diet. But I am giving God the praise and glory He deserved for allowing this to happen!!
5/17/06 WOW! I got on the scale today and it said 257.8! A seven pound drop in 2 days! I have never done that before!! How awesome!!
5/15/06 Well, I did it. I took one drink too many this morning and threw up. I was uncomfortable for about an hour afterwards. I also find that I am having hiccups alot. Man, do they hurt, even worse than my port site!! Went to support group tonight. I drove myself. Liz almost shot me over that one!! Everyone was glad to see me. Liz is still going on about how I went into surgery with a smile on my face and coming out with a smile on my face. Says she's never seen anything like it!! "Are you sure you even had surgery?" Yep!! I have the band, the surgical inscisions, and the port pain to prove it!! Gotta keep going!! Wt 264.2
5/13/06 I weighed this morning on my new scale and it said 265.4 lbs. That's sounds good to me!! I did 15 minutes on the Treadmill at 1.5 and will do it again this afternoon. No internal surgical gas pains today, but tons of the other gas. Thank God for gas-x chewables. Doing okay. Tired but good.
5/12/06 Got my new scale today. It's a Health-O-Meter that tracks weight loss after you put in your goal weight. I haven't got it set up yet, but I will do that before I go to bed. Still a little tender at the port site. Still some of the chest/shoulder surgical gas pain that comes and goes. They must have used a lot on me. Otherwise, feeling fine. Doing 10 minutes on the Treadmill at 1.5 twice today. Will try for 15 minutes tomorrow at the same speed. If I'm tolerating that, then maybe the next day up the speed a little. Gotta get all the protein in. It feels like I am drinking constantly to get it all in. Oh well. I'll just keep going!
5/11/06 Home again. Resting and happy! Family told me today that I went into surgery yesterday with a smile on my face and came out with one on my face, and still had one when I was released at 10:30 am. Glad to go home!
5/10/06 Surgery day!! Up at 4 am. Shower. Last drink. Head to Duluth. Get to Duluth and get admitted. Weighed 266.5 on their scale. That takes my BMI down to 4.6. I asked Dr. Medlin what number I was. He told me I was his personal 10th Lapband. I can say I was literally in the TOP 10. They had a hard time getting my IV started. I have very UNCOOPERATIVE veins. The 15th or 16th time we finally got it in my left foot. Once they got that in and IV running, I was out!! Came to in the recovery room. Pain level was about a 6 or 7 but that went away with pain meds. Taken to PACU/24 hour care unit which is attached to the recovery room. Dr. Medlin informed my family and my angel that I was a "text book operation." He stated that my insides were exactly how the textbooks say they are after following the dietary guide lines he had for me and that I was good to follow the liquid diet for 2 weeks before. If I hadn't, it could have been harder for him. Walked to and from the bathroom several times and went walking in the hall with Don (my husband) several times as well. Port site hurts more than anything when I do have pain. Am taking it easy.
4/30/06 Today was a little rough. It's my youngest son's 13th birthday. I have been avoiding cooking because of being on the liquid diet. However, I felt I needed to make his birthday dinner. I made him his favorite meal and used our crystal to serve it on (like I do for all our birthdays). It was difficult to sit there and eat sugar free Jell-O and drink beef broth, a protein shake and herbal tea while they were eating meatloaf, cheesy green beans and mashed potatoes. I had a sugar free popsicle for desert while they ate cake. My liquid diet made me full, but I was drooling over their food. I know things will go better and that this is just a temporary diet. I know that I will be able to eat those things in the future, just smaller portions. But knowing and feeling are always two different things. Keep praying!
4/28/06 Pre-op physical done today plus all the lab works, chest x-ray, and EKG. One more step out of the way. How come my primary doctor's scale always weighs me at 280 and the dietitian has me at 274.5? I don't like Dr. Kelly's scale!
4/26/06 Started my liquid diet today. So very hungry!! My stomach has been growling all day. I guess I'll get used to it. Got an email from my support group leader. She is going to be my angel for my surgery, I believe. She said she was able to get the day off to go with me. So that is good news!! My kids are taking 2 days off from school to be with me, too. Don's mom is coming up, also. She will be staying at a hotel in Duluth. She will be keeping my children overnight at the hotel with her and Don is going to spend the night at the hospital with me. This is majorly exciting for me!! My mom called today and told me that if her health was better she would fly up from NC but just physically could not make it. I think she is slowly accepting this. My sister called yesterday and she, too, is accepting this better. Both have been more open to talking about this. I'm glad!!
4/24/06 Why am I stuffing so many unhealthy foods into my mouth? It isn't like I won't be able to eat the things I enjoy after the banding is done. It may take a while. But stuffing things I generally don't eat is ridiculous!! What's worse is that it is mostly sweets that I am stuffing. Gotta get past this!!!
4/21/06 Met with Dietitian, Heather Roy, and Surgery RN, Patti Sweeney, today. I start my liquid diet on the 26th. Heather is so cool. She okayed using Attain by Melaleuca for my liquid diet. Said to use 5 shakes a day. Gave me hugs as I left. RN is awesome,too. She said we would become real close as I have to check in with her every week or 2 after the surgery regarding fills and everything. At this point I am 18 days, 17 hours and 16 minutes from my surgery which is May 10, 2006 at 8 am. And the count down continues. Weight 274.5 BMI 4.7
4/5/06 I HAVE A DATE!!!!!! My Lap Band Surgery will take place on May 10, 2006. I am so excited, but I can't seem to take it all in!!! I have my appointments with the bariatric nurse and the dietitian on the 21st of this month, my pre-op physical on the 28th of this month, and I start the 2 week liquid diet on the 26th of this month. Lots of things to do and get ready for this. I sure hope I have lost some weight in the meantime. It would be nice.
3/17/06 I've been approved!!!! They actually approved me on the 13th but Lola was waiting to hear back from my husband's insurance, CCStpa, to see if they had approved me also. But since BCBS of MN approves for CCStpa, I am doubly approved. God willing, I may not have to pay for anything! HAHA! (yeah right!) But Lola states, she giving my name to my surgeon's scheduler and we can go from there. I am so excited!!!!! It's getting closer!!!!
3/10/06 EGD is done. Everything okay there. Don't remember any of it. After they gave me the medications IV, I was out in 2 minutes flat. But I came out of it soon enough. Dr. Medlin is awesome! Checks to see how I'm doing, jokes around some and then tells me what is happening and what will be done if all is fine and if they find soemthing. He really knows how to make a person comfortable. On Monday, I get to start bothering the insurance company to see where my letter of approval is. Bad news travels fast and good news takes forever. So, I'm pulling for the good news!!!
3/1/06 EGD is scheduled for 3/10/06 at 9 am at St. Mary's Hospital in Superior, WI. Imagine, going out of state to get a test run on my esophogus and stomach. Dr. Medlin is doing it himself. I called BCBS today and they did not have my first letter yet. So I called SMDC and Lola told me they just got my release of information form yesterday, so they faxed the first request letter this morning. I have to check back in 2 weeks. Nervous eating happening. Gaining and not losing!!!! I don't understand why it is that everytime I get good news, I eat like it is bad news. Maybe a question for Shawna, my therapist.
2/21/06 Met with the surgeon today. Don went with me and asked questions as well. He is very nice and answered every question. He agreed to do the lapband. He also stated that if the lapband caused me major problems we could still do the RNY if necessary. But he seemed to think that it would be a great way to go. He is very honest and forthright. He reminded me that the surgeries are a tool to use to gain better health and not a get skinnie quick scheme. I know this but it was good to hear him say that. I am very comfortable with him and he seems very knowledgeable about both surgeries. So lap band it is. Weight 280 lbs BMI 4.8
2/15/06 The surgery consult team met today and have said I can take the next step. So I have an appointment with Dr. Walter Medlin on Feb. 21st at 3 PM. I am so excited and so nervous at the same time. I told them I would like the lap band but we will see what the surgeon has to say.
1/30/06 I missed my first support meeting on the 16th due to bipolar issues. I made my psych eval appointment on the 17th anyway. I feel it went okay. The psychiatrist should be getting the info to the surgeon's RN now. I just have to wait for the team to meet to see if they feel that I am a good candidate. I'm trying to eat less and get used to doing a liquid breakfast (protein shake). I am trying to eat less for lunch and am pushing myself away from the table after having one serving of what I make for supper. I am trying to drink more water. Now I just need to push myself to start exercising. I am going to keep trying.
1/6/06 Well, I met with Licia, one of the bariatric RNs, and Heather, a dietician. Both seem to think this would be a good thing for me. I have my psych eval on the 17th of this month. I am trying to stick real close to my diabetic diet and lose some weight before I have to do anything else. Am going to my first support group meeting on the 16th. I hope to meet new friends there. Well, Keep praying for me!!
12-14-05 I have been struggling with weight loss for years. Part of my weight gain was due to hiding my body after being raped at the age of 17. The rest was just overeating. I know my problems are partly physical and partly mental/emotional. I just need to get the weight off so I can live to see my kids grow up. I am struggling with how WLS is going to affect how I perceive myself. I am seeing a psychologist at this time for depression, bipolar disorder, and ADD. There is a lot to deal with. My husband is being so supportive and my kids want me to be able to ride the rollercoasters with them as soon as I can fit in the seats again. They love me and that is what matters most. I love to cook and eat. I crochet. I love to read...mostly John Grisham, James Patterson, JD Robb, and Kay Hooper. Medical, police, and forensic mysteries are right up my alley. I love to do crossword puzzles although I am not the best at it. I have 2 dogs and a cat. We live out in the country away from the hustle and bustle of city life and we love it. I like picking wild bluberries and raspberries out on the back 40 during the summer. I love tromping through the woods with my husband. We have a wood stove and I help gather wood and prepare it all year long. I love just ambling through nature at a slow pace. It would be nice to have somone to chat with who is going through the same thing.
