I am for the most part a very outgoing/friendly person. I am a single mom to a beautiful, almost 14 year old daughter. We are very close. My mom lives with me, which is a blessing and a curse at the same time :> ..... actually I enjoy having her with me, we are very close as well. My family and friends are very supportive of me and my decision to have surgery. I am truly blessed to have such a strong support network. Even those that don't like the idea of the surgery itself, are still there for me, offering to love me no matter what size I am. I do attend monthly support meetings at Franklin Sqaure Hospital for people who have had the surgery and those of us who are contemplating the surgery, so I am making an informed decision.
I have been more than 100 pounds overweight for years, however in the last two years my weight has affected the quality of my life immensely. This weight has caused me so much physical pain, which I am sure I don't need to explain to most of you, not to mention the depression asscociated with discovering that even the smallest tasks can no longer be acheived without an extaordinary effort, if acheived at all.
I made the decision to pursue bariatric surgery in July 2005 after returning from my family reunion. I could not actively participate in any of the activities planned for the reunion because of the pain in my back, legs, heels of my feet, joints, and extreme shortness of breath. I was totally miserable. I came home and started doing my research.
My doctor recommended my surgeon to me. Even though I trust her immensely, I still felt the need to check him out. The more I checked, The more I liked. So I finally called the office to see what I would need to do towards the end of July. They sent me a packet of information that I had to return by Sept. 13th.
Part of this packet was to gather information on my previous attempts to lose weight. In gathering medical records, I visited a weight loss center that I had gone to before. I absolutely loved the doctor of that practice, who had unfortunately passed away. I learned that Dr. Vanguri used to work with Dr. Kfoury years ago. That was the final piece I needed to make me choose Dr. Vanguri.
My first appointment with Dr. Vanguri was scheduled for November 1st. Now, I am just waiting for my insurance company to make a determination about the surgery....hopefully they will approve the surgery. Today is the 21st. I will keep you posted. :>
This is me at the family reunion with two of my cousins.
December 12, 2005
The waiting has been driving me insane. Many thanks to the members of OH who have posted reponses to me on the message board with tips of how to get through this nerve wracking period of time. I have been experiencing migraines, upset stomach, my tmj has started to flare up, not to mention depression awaiting the response from the insurance company. This waiting is very stressful. Today, I AGAIN called the insurance company and found out that they have finally approved my sugery!!!!! YIPPEE! They made the decision on Friday. Now I am waiting to hear from my doctor's office for a date.
December 27, 2005
Happy Holidays to all! I just wanted to post to document all of my emotions during this journey. I still have not gotten a surgery date from my surgeon's office which is annoying me, although I do understand the reasons why. My healthcare insurance technically "ends" 12/31/05 and resumes 1/01/06. I have a calender year plan. The surgeon's office won't schedule the surgery until they are sure that my insurance will resume in the new year. They did send a letter to my PCP stating that my tentative surgery date is 2/01/06. I know rationally that I should be "happy" with where I am in the process, however I want to be able to say that ....."My surgery date is......" This holiday has been an emotional one for me. I WANT MY DATE!!!! .......I feel better. :> I have been depressed, I am still suffering from migraines, and have had an upset stomach since my last post. I try to be optimistic, but that is really hard when everything on your body hurts all the time, even getting dressed is such a painful chore......why bother? I just want to crawl in a hole until my surgery. I try to stop the depressing thoughts by trying to envision how I will look and feel next year this time as opposed to how miserable I am right now. That's something to look forward to. :>
January 8, 2006
I am just updating to let everyone know that I have an angel! The lovely Ms. Ericka Morgan a.k.a. Baby Phat has graciously accepted the position. Ericka and I have been trading emails since I stopped lurking in the shadows of BAF and made my presence known. I was already feeling the vibe she was putting out and our personalities were definitely a match. When I posted that I was in need of an angel on BAF, I was secretly hoping that she would respond. I guess this match was meant to be, because she came out of semi-angel retirement for lil ole' me. Thanks Ericka!
January 11, 2006
I GOT MY DATE TODAY!!!!!! It is February 15, 2006. I am so excited. Thank you Jesus! I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.
January 14, 2006
Today my angel (Ericka) and I met for the first time. We went to her suport group meeting in Oxon Hill. I met some other sistahs from BAF. They really made me feel at home, not to mention the eye candy (the men) that we had to look at through the window of the meeting room of the gym. I enjoyed Ericka's company immensely.
A picture of me and Ericka.
January 16, 2006
I did all of my pre-op testing in one day! I had to have bloodwork, urinalysis, gallbladder sonogram, abs w/pulmonary function test.
January 19, 2006
I have gallstones and a urinary tract infection. I was put on antibiotics for the uti.
January 26, 2006
First of all.....IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!!!!!! Secondly I spoke to the surgeon's office today, they will be removing my gallbladder during my surgery.
Your Birthdate: January 26
You lucked out the the skills to succeed in almost any arena.
Put you in almost any business or classroom, and you'll rise to the top.
You're driven and intense, but you also know when to kick back and cooperate.
Your ability to adapt to almost any situation is part of what's going to make you a success.
Your strength: Your attention to detail
Your weakness: You can be a little too proud of your successes
This is a picture of me at my girlfriend's baby shower today. A picture says a thousand words.....no wonder my back hurts.
FUTURE COMMENTS HERE
February 2, 2006
Today I had my final appointment with the surgeon before my surgery is to take place. I weighed in at 336lbs. He made sure that I did not have any further questions and again went over what i can expect.
February 15, 2006
This is me the day of surgery.
I am updating this in retrospect but I still remember all of the feelings of this day. I woke up excited and ready to skip to the hospital if need be, we could have left the car behind. LOL We arrived at the hospital around 6:20am. They ran another pregnancy test on me and then I waited for them to call me back to get ready for my surgery. I joked with the tech that took me back because she was complimenting my hairstyle and I told her that I had to have my do done for my momentous occasion. FOREVER THE DIVA!!
me and the tech sharing a laugh before they put me under.
February 16-17, 2005
Those were some pretty rough feeling days for me. I had some minor complications with my surgery that had me feeling kinda bad. I had blood in my stools for several days and my blood count kept going low. I had to have a blood transfusion of four units of blood, however slowly but surely I started to feel human again.
me walking the day after surgery
Me and my Angel Ericka in the hospital. This was not a good day.
February 18-20, 2006
I am starting to feel so much better. Throughout this whole process, I will not complain. This is such a wonderful tool/opportunity that I have been given and I plan on utilizing it to the fullest. I left the hospital on Monday, February 20th.
Let me take a moment to thank my mom, my daughter Daija, and my sisters Shontee' and Kim for all of their love and support during this process. My girlfriend Sharlane was also there for me during this life changing event. Shontee sat with my mom the day of the surgery and was there for me in the hospital the day after my surgery as well. Kim could not be there for the surgery because of work and school, but beat the band during any freetime to see me. My special Sharlane brought me a fan to the hospital when I was about to strangle my hospital roommate for being ignorant by keeping the heat up so high that I was hyperventilating. They continue to support me to this day.
This is a picture of Daija and her Godmommy Shontee'
February 21, 2006
I went to the pharmacy and to the grocery store today. In the grocery store, I was able to actually walk around with the cart instead of getting on the ride on cart. This was the first time I had done this in a while. Even at home I am able to maneuver the steps better. I get up to the top a little bit fast and with less aches and pains. GOD IS SO GOOD!!!
February 22, 2006
My new girlfriend let me know today that she is boss. :> I ate something at somepoint that did not agree with me. Although I did not throw up, I felt pretty bad. I had a boost, which I loved the taste of but it seems that maybe since the surgery I may be lactose intolerant or the string beans that my mom pureed for me really tore my pouch up. I had diarrhea most of the day.
February 23, 2006
Feeling better today. I went to the store and brought some lactose free milk to mix with my protein shake. I again walked around the store even longer than previously.
February 24, 2006
I got on the scale today and I have lost 11lbs. I went from 336 to 325 from February 15th until today.
FUTURE COMMENTS HERE
March 2, 2006
It is now 2 weeks and 1 day after my surgery. I AM FEELING WONDERFUL!! I am starting to be able to move around so much better. I can walk up the stairs with greater ease and just get around better in general. I am happier than I have been in a long time. I have lost 24 lbs since 2/15/06. Here are some pictures to show you the difference since the surgery.
June 9, 2006
Where do I begin? I know it has been a while since I have updated my page and for that I apologize...especially to my lil' sista Tanya who checks my site frequently for updates. This has been a marvelous ride. I HAVE A LIFE AGAIN!!! It feels so good to be able to do the simple things in life, like walk in the grocery store, climb the steps without losing breath, and have the energy to play with my young nieces. This journey has been an awesome experience and to date I have lost a whopping 65 pounds. I have not had any sickness or problems with my surgery. You can call me the bariatric surgery poster child. :) I have not had any of the negative effects that we have been told we can possibly have with surgery. Having this surgery performed was the best decision that I made in a long time. I would recommend this surgery to anyone whose life is as miserable as mine was before this surgery. Before I could barely walk from my house to my car....now I can dance the night away. I thank God everyday for this blessing.
Here are some recent pictures of me taken towards the end of last month.
February 9, 2007
OH WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR CAN MAKE.....THANK YOU JESUS!!!
Wow!!! Wow!!! Wow!!!!
I know that I promised to keep this site updated..but to be quite honest, I am NEVER in the house to do so. LOL This journey has been a terrific ride...still I have absolutely no regrets in having my surgery. I cherish life and doing new and exciting things. I have to be honest and admit that I have not exercised like I was supposed to do and even so I have lost 100lbs...so just imagine had I exercised. I have change my eating habits and I do go out dancing on a regular basis...so that can be considered exercise...right?...look I am trying ;-)
I have recently started going to the gym though...for two reasons:
1) I realized that I only have about 6 months left to maximize the benefits of surgery and I want to have some leeway for some weight gain as I get older without getting to be morbidly obese again and
2) I am going to Cancun in May and I want to be ultra sexy on the beach...LOL
Are there some negatives to having surgery..yes. I am lactose intolerant...the last time I tried to eat icecream I thought I was dying (never again by the way) My stomach is very sensitive. I can eat something right now and tolerate it well and eat the same thing later tonight and feel nauseated. Protein shakes....YUCK...but I did just find one that I like at Walmart after adding fruit and splenda. But would I do it again....HECK YEAH!!!!!
Those minor things do not not put a damper on the new release on life that I have. I look for the adventure in everyday activities...LIFE IS GOOD and I LOVE EVERY MINUTE OF IT!
Life is short. Break the rules. Forgive quickly. Kiss slowly. Love truly. Laugh uncontrollably. More importantly...never regret ANYTHING that once made you smile....even if only for a brief moment.
Death has a way of clarifying life.
Current mood: nostalgic
On July 25, 2007 I lost my grandmother Juanita Keene Montgomery. Although I knew that she was ill and would not be with us much longer, her death still affected me. It did not affect me in a manner in which I felt I wish I had done this, or I should have done that, because I truly cherished and loved this dear lady with all of my heart and I know that she knew that. There was nothing that she wanted or needed that was within my power to give her that she did not get. My sadness comes only in that I will no longer have the opportunity to create new memories. When she first passed away, I felt like I could not breath. This lady, although my grandmother, was one of my best friends. I could and would talk to her about ANYTHING. Over the years we have laughed together, cried together, shared triumphs, and restrategized failures, but we never gave up on each other. She would always tell me that she does not worry about me because whatever I set my mind to do is going to get done one way or the other. Her death also helped to reveal to me some toxic relationships that I was holding on to. Friendships that were once treasured that I did not want to accept for what they were today. I remembered her saying "everything has it's season and not everything or everyone is meant to be there for a lifetime" With her passing and their lack of support, I was finally able to let go...no hard feelings, just understanding that the season has passed. Then in my work situation, things are not always the greatest, and they were really insensitive towards me in the few days leading up to my Grandma's death, and I seriously contemplated handing them my badge and walking away...but then after talking to some family members and my sistergirlfriends, I was reminded of a few things. 1) I am going to have to put up with BS no matter where I go and at least where I am at, I get paid very well to do so. 2)More importantly, I receive my college education for free as long as I can provide a passing grade of C or better...I can do that with my eyes closed. Education was very important to my Tweety (grandma's nickname) and she would not have me leaving one situation for a half thought out plan. I have lost in my lifetime three phenomenal women, my other Grandmother Lucy D. Smith, and my aunt/godmother Mary Lee Stallings. These women loved me in a way that I find hard to put into words. I will honor their memory by continuing to be a success. I will put God first in everything that I do. I will be the best parent I know how to be and I will continue my education and get the college degree that I promised them all...albeit late in life, but it will be done. I love you Grandma, Aunt Lee, and Tweety. I will continue to make you proud.
Even through the storms, still remember that you are blessed..praise your way through it.
Current mood: hopeful
I feel so blessed, even when times are hard and things are not going as I wish, I think about where I have come from, where I am, and where I plan to go. GOD IS SO GOOD TO ME!!! He continues to bless me on a daily bases through my health and the health of my family and friends, my continued weight loss, my beautiful children and my nieces, my mother is still here for me to share life day to day challenges with, even though our relationship is not pefect, she is still my mom..although i have just lost my Tweety, I was blessed to have her for as long as I did and to have shared the loving relationship that we have. I am employed, I am sheltered, even when I am broke...through his grace and mercy...I AM RICH!!!!!!
These are pictures taken from March 07 to the present. The red dress is me about to go out with my sistergirlfriend to celebrate her birhday at the end of March. The horseback, big cheesy grin with the sombrero, arms in the air partying, the black and white outfit and the bathing suit balcony was from my first real vacation to Cancun in May....I even went swimming witg the dolphins while there!!! The pictures of me in the brown suite were taken in Septembr 07. As you can see...I do not sit still long enough for grass to grown under my heals...LOL
October 3, 2007
My Four Legged Children..you love them just like you gave bith to them to. Losing them hurts too. I keep walker to his food and water bowl wondering why it is still full....
Many of you have either heard me tell stories of my "roaming" cat or have met him personally during the few minutes he would come home to pimp me for water and food.....Tigger was hit by a car Monday night, the driver never stopped as if he was just a bump in the road. He was taken to the per ER. His hind legs were crushed and he seemed to have some internal bleeding. They said that they could perform surgery on him and put him on meds to the tune of over $5000.00 but could not guarantee what his quality of life would be. Daija and I made the painful decision to have him put to sleep. I am attaching a couple of pictures of him from his and our last moments together. I swear I think he knew what was happening. He had tears in his little eyes, I do not know if from the pain or the "knowledge." I always said he was a very smart cat. I will miss him dearly. I am tired of losing people and things that I love. Please say a prayer for my family and I that the spirit of death that seems to be clouding over us be removed.
