Hi! Newby lurking around

Hi. My name is Melissa. I'm from Laurel. I attended a WLS seminar in Hattiesburg a week or so ago & got all the info from Dr. Whitehead. I sent my application for surgery this morning....or should I say application for consult? Anyway, if they think I could benefit from WLS then I'll get an appointment to come in. I'm worried a bit though. I don't have 'too' many complications going on as for as comorbidities go. I have HBP & Hypothyroidism (I'm on meds). Diabetes in the family & obesity in the family. I am just basicly starting to feel old with all this weight on me & I'm only 28! My knees are in the begining stages of giving me problems. I do have bouts of indigestion/reflux sometimes. There's a few other things (minds blank). I've been on & off diets...mainly fad diets for almost 10 yrs. I was on WW once in May 2003 but quit in October 2003 when my weight started going back up. Found out later I was hypothyroid. Have been on meds for almost a year but no weightloss. I'm just sick of trying so hard & getting back so little. But anyway, you guys are an inspiration! I'll let ya'll know if I hear something soon. A little more about me. I'm a SAHM. My husband is the bread winner in our family. We have been married 10 yrs. We have 3 daughters ages 9, 6, & 2. #1 question people ask us is " are you going to try for that boy?" answer is "don't know". Little boys are a non existant thing in my family. My sister has 1 daughter & brother has 2 daughters & 2 more on the way! The twins are due in 3 weeks so we are excited about that. Thanks if you got this far!

Hi Melissa... I am one of Dr. Whiteheads patients. He is a wonderful surgeon. His entire staff is wonderful. I know they will make you see Dr. Carsons and he is only here once a month. They will also want you to have a psycological exam. They are great! If I can answer any of your questions I will! Ask away. BTW-- I did not have ONE comorbity. How exciting about twins!! I have always wanted twins. We have support group meetings once a month at the Renassaince Center in Hattiesburg by Forrest General. I hope you can come. I have never missed one and absolutly love them. We are also having a luncheon on March 9th in Hattiesburg at Chesterfields. You are welcome to join us! Take care and post often! Christine -82 pounds (only overweight now---hehehehe)

Welcome Melissa, You are a very busy mom with those girls, I am sure. I also am the mom of 3 daughters, but the granjan to 7 little boys. What a difference. I love every moment I send with them. I am still waiting for my surgery date. I have all my paper work in to them and clearance, but my doctor left in December and this set me back some. Welcome again and I hope you enjoy the friends family that we have here. Smiles, Jan

Welcome, I am glad you decided to come out and post with us. I too lurked for a while when I first started coming here. I hope you hear something really soon from Dr. Whitehead's office. He was not my surgeon but I attend the support group with all of his patients and they all adore him and have all done really well. I think you are in good hands. A really good friend of mine has 3 girls. I asked her husband if he was ready to try for that boy. And he laughed and said, "Nope, three strikes and you're out"! Then he said he loves his girls and even though he is outnumbered in the house he does get alot of attention and hugs and kisses from his Daddy's girls. Boys are pretty much nonexistent on both sides in their family too. Good luck in your journey to better health and happiness. Melissa Taylor Lap Rny 1/15/04 277 to 136 and maintaining 141 pounds lost

Hi. It's me again. Thanks for the replies. What is the psych eval. like? That scares me. I have a cousin there in Hattiesburg that is a psychiatrist.....guess that wouldn't work LOL. Anyway, from my understanding if they don't think you would qaulify or benefit from the surgery, you don't get a consult. Am I wrong? Mrs. Janet's going to think I'm crazy because I answered all their questions but added replies & side notes on almost every page. I just want them to understand me. Hopefully they won't think bad of me. I'm so tired of being fat & feeling trapped. I want to play w/ my girls w/o having to tell them "mommy's tired, I can't" or going out with them & not having to come in within minutes. Here's my past of weight issues if anyone cares: I was chubby almost all the time. My highest weight (while in high school) was 148 (13/14 & they were getting tight). All I could think of was "i'm almost 150!". Well, my sister & I decided to try a low fat diet & working out at a gym. We did that for a few months & I went down to 130-135 & wore sizes 10 & 12's. That was the greatest feeling. I still thought I was chubby. I was still not the little size most of my friends were but what I wouldn't give to be that 'chubby' now! Man, I was crazy! Anyway, I got married & conceived baby #1 the month after marrying. Too bad for me one of my cravings was honey buns....1 or 2 a day!!! I gave birth weighing 185#s & a week later was 160 & wearing 14W. I thought the world had ended ...to me 30#s seemed like 100. The next year on my baby's bday I was 170#s & sz 16. Went up to 188 2 yrs later then 176 when I found out i was preggers w/ #2. Had her weighing 220#s & evened out to 185 a few months later. Somewhere between then & baby #3 I gained to 226. Had her weighing 260#s YIKES! I was so ashamed. I got down to 231 went on Sugar Busters for 2 wks lost 10 #s then started Weigh****chers. I lost down to 204 & knew I had found the key. Until I started gaining back & things seemed harder & harder. I quit WW weighing about 217 & found out a few months later I was hypothyroid. My meds are at the correct dosage but I haven't lost...I've gained ( I'm 238 now)if anything. I try but get so discouraged. I hate buying clothes in a size 22. I am so large. I've seen some very beautiful overweight women who carry their weight beautifully, but I am NOT one of them. My face looks like a hot air balloon; my tummy is so full of flab & we aint even talk'n about the rear! I'm so ashamed. I go to church feeling so bad. I should be focusing on God , but I'm thinking "I wear this almost every Sunday" or "I know they are commenting on my weight" The real horror is seeing people from high school. I really wanted to go to my h.s. reunion but I skipped it cuz I was too ashamed. I'm affraid kids will tease my children. I've never heard anyone tease me, but I know how cruel people & kids can be. I've been getting scared about my health. I want to be healthy...shoot, I want to play too! & another thing, I WANT TO GO SHOPPING IN A NORMAL SIZE DEPT @ THE STORE! Another thing I'm insecure about is whenever I'm with my DH. He is underweight. He is skin & bones. He eats so much more than I do but looks like a noodle! I can just imagine someone saying "Look how fat she is & how skinny he is...I bet she eats all of his food & makes him starve!" Honestly, everytime we are out that is running thru my mind! Well, I better stop here. I babysit my sister's daughter & she's crying now. I'll write later if I think of anything else...I talk alot so get used to it...thats wierd though considering in public I'm painfully shy!! Thanks! Melissa

Hi Melissa... The way you said it is accurate about if they cant help you they wont call but I never let them not call me. I called Janet 3 days after I turned my stuff in. She made me an appt. She is the surgery nurse manager for the entire surgery staff. She is over all the other nurses and can get very busy. She is wonderful but can forget easily about things she said she would do because she is always so swamped. Call them next week sometime and see if she has had a chance to look at your stuff. The psyc eval is pretty nerve wracking. I had a very skinny non understanding of fat people shrink and she really got on my nerves. I told this to Janet and now they have 2 shrinks to choose from (if you dont know one of your own).... My husband is 6'2 and weighs 180!! Talk about skin and bones. He is very skinny and makes me sick. I always used to refer to us as Jack Sprat and his wife. Dont worry about being teased. I know its hard but it doesnt happen as much as we imagine it does. How tall are you? My sister is 5'4 and weighs 238 or so... she is also trying to get this surgery. She is waiting on her psyc eval which is next week and then they are going to send her stuff into insurance. Cross your fingers for her! I was 266 morning of surgery and I am 5'6... Its gonna work out for you and its a whole new world!

Hi Christine. I'm 5'2. Short stuff here lol. Good luck to your sister. Yeah, I figured I'd try calling next week if I haven't heard anything. I'm a very impatient person anyway though. Will your sister be using Dr. Whitehead? My DH is about 6' & 140#s...its pathetic (said in a loving way). The way he eats....metabolism must be working overtime! He used to criticize my weight (this was a long time ago...long story, but we had a bumpy ride for the 1st 5 or 6 yrs of our marriage. He's a completely different person now). I told him I'd rather be fat than to look like I had worms. That worked pretty well. Of course then I was only 30- 50 #s overweight. What kind of stuff did they ask you at the psych exam? Thanks for the encouragement! Melissa

Hey! WElcome to the board!!! I hear wonderful things about your Doc. I tried to get an appt with him, but he doesn't take my insurance. I know he is excellent, tho!!! Come back and post often!!! Smooch ARlies