Long-time lingerer; (sorta) first-time poster

2by4
on 2/7/13 1:13 pm

Hello fellow OHers,

I have been lingering around in the background for awhile admiring everyone's progress and quietly cheering from the sidelines.  I hope you could hear me!

I wanted to drop in tonight to introduce myself and reciprocate with support, whenever and wherever I best can.  I welcome your insights, questions, comments and concerns - either here or through a PM.

Here's a little bit about me:

In 2004, at 42 years of age, I had a VBG (Vertical Banded Gastroplasty) with Dr. Abawi in Bowmanville. Within the first year I lost 70+ pounds and despite having a very active lifestyle, I never lost anymore!

In 2006, age 44, I was diagnosed with Stage 2 Breast Cancer and fought a valiant battle for 3 years.  I had both breasts removed, 6 months of chemotherapy, 6 weeks of radiation and then another year of (hormonal-based) chemotherapy, which had to end when I suffered heart failure.

In 2008, age 46, I "gave birth" to 2 beautiful new breasts through the magic of plastic surgery and the DIEP method (basically where they transplant the abdominal fat to the chest area).  Everything was very successful and I have the 132" of scars to prove it.  Soon thereafter I also had nipples made and aerolas permanently tattooed.

In 2009 I had to have an open abdominal total hysterectomy.  And in late 2009, after being off work for 3 years, I was forced to return to work (because of insurance reasons).  I love my job but I was so fatigued and stressed-out that I could barely make it everyday.  All I did was sleep and work.

By 2010, not quite 6 years post-VBG, I had gained back about 50 pounds.  Even my perfectly flat tummy from the DiEP was huge and my new chest mounds grew another 2 cups larger!

..... fast forward to 2011 and I was consistently gaining 2-3 pounds every month!

In August 2011 my family doctor filled out a referral to the Ontario Bariatric Network asking for a consultation to see if I would even be a good candidate for a conversion to Roux-En-Y Gastric By-Pass Surgery.

I called and emailed the OBN after 6 weeks and they said it was far too early to have received my application.  I followed-up with them again at 3 months and they confirmed they had received it and had referred my application to Guelph - they said I should hear from Guelph within 6 months.  At 6 months I called Guelph and they confirmed they had me in their queue and asked me to be patient.  After 9 months when I impatiently called them again, they did not have my application!  

I called back to the Ontario Bariatric Network and told them of the fiasco and they arranged to transfer my file to Humber River (HRRH).  I called them a week later to confirm they received my file and they invited me to the Information Session the next day!  Once under their wing, everything has been very organized and streamlined.

There have been a couple of hiccups along the way.... seems Dr. Hagen prefers to do the conversions, so getting an appointment with him took a month or so... then he wanted to personally do a Gastroscopy before making a decision...and that process takes a couple of months.  Getting in to see Dr. Glazer was a real circus and then he wanted a heart-scan... blah blah blah....  Trying to find vacancies and juggle appointments is a nightmare!

When I finally did complete all interviews and appointments (November 2012) I was booked for surgery at the end of February - almost 4 months away!  I couldn't believe it.  His secretary called me in early January to explain to me that because Dr. Hagen's Operating Room time was always going over the 2-hour mark, the hospital insisted he cut-back from doing 4 surgeries per day, to only 3 and allow 2.5 hours per surgery.  Not only that... but then the hospital gave him another surgery scheduled day in the Operating Room!  So... instead of doing 4 surgeries in one day, he's doing 6 surgeries in 2 days.

The good news for me was that they had all this new and extra operating times available - so I was moved up from February 19th to January 28th.

The bad news for the newbies will be... that it will be more difficult to get to see an appointment with him because now he's only in the office one day per week.  Not sure if this schedule is permanent or if they are trying to clear up a backlog of patients...

It's all good with me!  When I had my VGB done in 2004 - it took two years to get an appointment to see the Surgeon and he only did one surgery per week!  If I remember correctly, from start to finish, THAT process was about a 3-year adventure....almost as long as the weight remained off.

And that was the QUICK route!  There were 3 or 4 other surgeons in the GTA area with wait times of 5 years!  Eventually, OHIP started allowing Bariatric patients to go to the U.S. for surgery.

But, I digress.

And so... my surgery on January 28th went very well.  He kept me in the hospital for 4 days because I kept getting a fever and "dumping".  Which he thought was very odd.  I am in little-to-no pain and by all accounts, I'm doing very well.  I'm not happy about my lack of energy and my taste buds are all whacky.

Even though I cautioned the doctors and nurses about my highly-sensitive skin and pleaded with them to not use the sticky tape on me... they still did.  Ugh.  I am soooo itchy and scarred from all the wound dressings.  I know, I know.... it seems trivial, but it's very uncomfortable.  I am also bruised from knees to boobs from needles.  Iye yie yie.  

And through it all... I'm a happy girl.

The only thing incurable is my optimism!

Jazzy.

VBG: Dr. Abawi (Bowmanville) Jun-2004.   Weight Loss:  237 ⬇ 164 = 73 pounds loss in first year.
Bariatric Network Registry:  19-Aug-2011                               Orientation at HRRH:  17-Aug-2012
Consult with Dr. Hagen (HRRH): 29-Aug-2012              Doctor ordered Gastroscopy:  10-Oct-2012
Meetings with  Nurse,  Vampire,  Registered Dietician  and  Social Worker  (HRRH):  24-Oct-2012
Consult with Internist Dr Glazer:  29-Oct-2012          Ordered Cardiac Ultrasound 12-Nov-2012
Met with Dr. Hagen: 12-Nov-2012    Surgery date 19-Feb-2013     (07- Jan-2013 date revised)
Pre-Admission Tests:  10-Jan-2013     Started OptiFast: 14-Jan-2013     Starting Weight:  233
Conversion Surgery VBG ➜ RnY with Dr. Hagen:  28-Jan-2013          Weight day of Surgery:  216
  

Amanda F.
on 2/7/13 1:22 pm - Toronto, Canada
VSG on 01/10/13
Welcome! I'm happy to see you speak up! I hope you remain active on the forum

Referral to Bariatric Program at TWH: 08/09/11     Orientation at TWH: 08/17/11                 Nurse Practitioner: 10/12/11
Social Worker: 12/02/11                                         Nutrition Class: 12/21/11                         Nutrition Assessment: 01/26/12
Psycho-Social Assessment: 05/31/12                      Meet Dr. Penner (TWH) 11/30/12            Pre-Admission: 12/10/12

Surgery Date: January 10, 2013
LilySlim Weight loss tickers

                             For more information on the Midtown Toronto Walking Club, please click here.

2by4
on 2/7/13 1:44 pm

Thanks Amanda!

VBG: Dr. Abawi (Bowmanville) Jun-2004.   Weight Loss:  237 ⬇ 164 = 73 pounds loss in first year.
Bariatric Network Registry:  19-Aug-2011                               Orientation at HRRH:  17-Aug-2012
Consult with Dr. Hagen (HRRH): 29-Aug-2012              Doctor ordered Gastroscopy:  10-Oct-2012
Meetings with  Nurse,  Vampire,  Registered Dietician  and  Social Worker  (HRRH):  24-Oct-2012
Consult with Internist Dr Glazer:  29-Oct-2012          Ordered Cardiac Ultrasound 12-Nov-2012
Met with Dr. Hagen: 12-Nov-2012    Surgery date 19-Feb-2013     (07- Jan-2013 date revised)
Pre-Admission Tests:  10-Jan-2013     Started OptiFast: 14-Jan-2013     Starting Weight:  233
Conversion Surgery VBG ➜ RnY with Dr. Hagen:  28-Jan-2013          Weight day of Surgery:  216
  

Heathergetbetter
on 2/7/13 4:11 pm - Trenton, ON, Canada
RNY on 05/02/12

Hello and Welcome. You have been through a lot and as you said, you remain optimistic. It's a pleasure to meet you. I look forward to hearing your progress.

Dr Ref: Sept 9th '10, Dr. Follow up (file lost in bulk transfer) Aug '11Pre-surg Asmt Ottawa: Dec 9th '11File Transf to HRH -another bulk transf Bypass class: Feb 2 '12 Surgeon Consult: Feb 8 '12    Dietician: Feb 8 '12   Soc Wrkr: Feb 8 '12 Nurse: Feb 8 '12 Internist: Mar 9 '12  Surgeon: Apr 4 '12 Opti:Apr 18 '12 SURGERY: May 2 '12    
2by4
on 2/7/13 9:00 pm

Thanks Heather!

VBG: Dr. Abawi (Bowmanville) Jun-2004.   Weight Loss:  237 ⬇ 164 = 73 pounds loss in first year.
Bariatric Network Registry:  19-Aug-2011                               Orientation at HRRH:  17-Aug-2012
Consult with Dr. Hagen (HRRH): 29-Aug-2012              Doctor ordered Gastroscopy:  10-Oct-2012
Meetings with  Nurse,  Vampire,  Registered Dietician  and  Social Worker  (HRRH):  24-Oct-2012
Consult with Internist Dr Glazer:  29-Oct-2012          Ordered Cardiac Ultrasound 12-Nov-2012
Met with Dr. Hagen: 12-Nov-2012    Surgery date 19-Feb-2013     (07- Jan-2013 date revised)
Pre-Admission Tests:  10-Jan-2013     Started OptiFast: 14-Jan-2013     Starting Weight:  233
Conversion Surgery VBG ➜ RnY with Dr. Hagen:  28-Jan-2013          Weight day of Surgery:  216
  

crstalww
on 2/7/13 7:34 pm - Toronto, Canada
RNY on 11/06/12
Thank you for sharing. Great job. Welcome to the forum and welcome to a new start. I can see your a survior and you will overcome anything in your way. Welcome to your journey we are all here to support each other. You have had it rough I'm wishing you an easier time with this surgery and onward. Again thank you for sharing . It's always inspiring to others and others who are going or has gone through what you have. Keep it up your an inspiring person . Whoop whoop

 Orientation: July 23 2012       Dr Sullivan : August 16, 2012 Dietician, SW, RN, Sept 26, 2012    Dr Sullivan Oct 17, 2012 and pick up Optifast   PATTS: October 24, 2012         Surgery: November 6, 2012. Starting weight 277 surgery weight 268

 

    

 

2by4
on 2/7/13 9:01 pm

Thanks crystalww!

VBG: Dr. Abawi (Bowmanville) Jun-2004.   Weight Loss:  237 ⬇ 164 = 73 pounds loss in first year.
Bariatric Network Registry:  19-Aug-2011                               Orientation at HRRH:  17-Aug-2012
Consult with Dr. Hagen (HRRH): 29-Aug-2012              Doctor ordered Gastroscopy:  10-Oct-2012
Meetings with  Nurse,  Vampire,  Registered Dietician  and  Social Worker  (HRRH):  24-Oct-2012
Consult with Internist Dr Glazer:  29-Oct-2012          Ordered Cardiac Ultrasound 12-Nov-2012
Met with Dr. Hagen: 12-Nov-2012    Surgery date 19-Feb-2013     (07- Jan-2013 date revised)
Pre-Admission Tests:  10-Jan-2013     Started OptiFast: 14-Jan-2013     Starting Weight:  233
Conversion Surgery VBG ➜ RnY with Dr. Hagen:  28-Jan-2013          Weight day of Surgery:  216
  

momof4beautifulgirls
on 2/7/13 7:49 pm - Canada

Wow what a journey you have been on.  You are right optimism is the key. Welcome and thanks for sharing your story.

    
2by4
on 2/7/13 9:03 pm

Thanks momof4beautifulgirls!  Congrats to you... 5 more pounds!

VBG: Dr. Abawi (Bowmanville) Jun-2004.   Weight Loss:  237 ⬇ 164 = 73 pounds loss in first year.
Bariatric Network Registry:  19-Aug-2011                               Orientation at HRRH:  17-Aug-2012
Consult with Dr. Hagen (HRRH): 29-Aug-2012              Doctor ordered Gastroscopy:  10-Oct-2012
Meetings with  Nurse,  Vampire,  Registered Dietician  and  Social Worker  (HRRH):  24-Oct-2012
Consult with Internist Dr Glazer:  29-Oct-2012          Ordered Cardiac Ultrasound 12-Nov-2012
Met with Dr. Hagen: 12-Nov-2012    Surgery date 19-Feb-2013     (07- Jan-2013 date revised)
Pre-Admission Tests:  10-Jan-2013     Started OptiFast: 14-Jan-2013     Starting Weight:  233
Conversion Surgery VBG ➜ RnY with Dr. Hagen:  28-Jan-2013          Weight day of Surgery:  216
  

JJ_
on 2/7/13 7:58 pm

Welcome to the forum.  I notice in your weight in your timeline.  How tall are you?  How much weight do you wish to lose?

 

Judy

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