newspaper artical today
Sanderson plans his future, not his funeral
Story posted Jul 31, 2007 - 23:07:46 EDT
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“I'd like a large fry and three Big Macs,” a typical order echoed at McDonalds. If the order was placed at a pizzeria, a large pizza with extra, extra cheese was sounded.
The order sounds characteristic for a family of two or three. It wasn't. It was an average meal for Jeff Sanderson. Sanderson, 41, said he always had a large body frame. Working as a paramedic, meal times were often at late night hours. During down times between calls, Sanderson said, also added to his unhealthy eating habits. It was common for him to consume two 2-liter Diet Cokes a day, he said. “ I piled on more and more weight,” Sanderson said.
In 1999, Sanderson's obesity caused him to retire from the medical profession and go on disability. His health, Sanderson said, deteriorated little by little. Sanderson's weight climbed to 740 pounds. “I was bedridden,” Sanderson said. Confined to a hospital bed, Sanderson depended on others for his day-to-day care. A health aid was needed to bathe him. “I was on oxygen all the time,” Sanderson continued, “and I took pills and multiple shots of insulin.” He also relied on a urinary catheter. Oddly enough, Sanderson's heart posed no serious problems. The strain on his heart, however, caused a lung condition and Sanderson was hospitalized for congestive heart failure. He also had chronic cellulitus in his legs that often meant hospital confinements. In 2005, Sanderson's wife, Rene, had to undergo surgery. “Seeing her go out the door tore me up,” Sanderson said. “I couldn't go be with her and take care of her like she did me.” The experience and feeling of helplessness, Sanderson said, influenced him to make a drastic change in his lifestyle. He no longer wanted to be included in the class of super morbidly obese individuals. Sanderson discussed the possibility of gastric by-pass surgery with his primary care physician, Dr. Art Morris. “The doctor told me there had to be some changes made or I wouldn't be here much longer,” Sanderson said. Sanderson agreed to talk with Dr. Karl Byrne in Charleston in February 2006. The Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, Sanderson said, is the only hospital in the area to accommodate morbidly obese patients. The hospital, according to Sanderson, has larger wheelchairs, hospital beds, operating room tables and extra wide door openings. Sanderson learned that because of his extreme obesity, laproscopic by-pass was not an option. He would have to undergo bariatric gastric by-pass, meaning an abdominal incision would be necessary. During the internal procedure, part of the stomach is cut down to a pouch about the size of an egg, Sanderson explained. The small intestine is unhooked and attached to the bottom of the pouch. “I was told there was a chance I wouldn't come off the operating table,” Sanderson said, “and that if I survived surgery, I could get a wound infection and die.” He was also told he could have a heart attack or stroke, resulting in death in the operating room or a post operative wound infection could result in death. Sanderson was scheduled to undergo surgery in May but changed his mind. “I thought about it, talked to my regular doctor and Renee, prayed about it and decided to have the surgery,” Sanderson said. Sanderson knew he had to do something, he said, because he could not continue the same pattern. On Aug. 30, 2006, Sanderson faced the life changing surgery. He spent eight days in the hospital. “I did wonderful,” he said. “They had planned for me to go into rehabilitation at Springs Memorial Hospital but I did so well, they sent me home.” Two weeks after surgery, Sanderson struggled with a wound infection. He was hospitalized again for eight days. He came home with an open wound that required a drainage tube. Infection, he added, had to be suctioned from the wound. Another set-back resulted from a low protein level. Sanderson became anemic and needed intravenous fluids to build his system up. The nutritional fluids, however, caused Sanderson to become deathly sick. “I was told that if I didn't take them, I'd die,” Sanderson said, “but I was so sick that I quit taking them. I got better, day by day.” Mrs. Sanderson, a nurse by profession, is also disabled but used her medical skills and knowledge to care for her husband. “She never left my side,” Sanderson said. “If I wasn't for her, I'd be dead.” Sanderson also praised his church family at Second Baptist Church for their calls, concern, support and donations during difficult times. He invites everyone to visit his web site, www.freewebs.com/flopeyeforums. When Sanderson returned to the surgeon for his three-month check-up, he had lost 200 pounds. For the first time, the doctor was able to see Sanderson upright. Every trip to the doctor before and after surgery, Sanderson arrived on a stretcher. “He said Jeff has lost the most weight the quickest of any of his patients,” Mrs. Sanderson said. Sanderson's projected weight loss was 387 pounds in 18 months. Ten months after surgery, Sanderson has dropped 307 pounds and now weighs in at 433 pounds. His final goal is to weigh 250 pounds. He has dropped four pants sizes from the 8X size he had to special order. “I want to go back to work as a medic,” Sanderson said. Sanderson has an abdominal hernia that will require surgery. He will also need surgery to remove excess skin. Sanderson said he was fortunate that Medicare and Medicaid paid 100-percent of the costs of his surgery. “It was cost effective,” he said. “It would save them costs in the long run.” Sanderson's McDonalds order now includes a double cheeseburger from the value meal menu. He only eats half of the sandwich, he said, and there are no add along French fries. “I love salads and pickles,” Sanderson said, “and baked pretzels and mustard for a snack.” Sanderson said he eats six small meals a day. It is very important he has 60 grams of protein a day, he said. He uses protein drinks to fill the need. He must also take vitamins and minerals for the rest of his life. He said he no longer craves sweets. “We were concerned the food places would go out of business without us,” Mrs. Sanderson joked. “It has been a 180 degree turn for me,” Sanderson said. “I feel better than I've felt in 15 years.” For the first time in four years, Sanderson drove his vehicle. He laughs when telling that he got a speeding ticket during his first week of on-the-road experience. “I feel so much better,” Sanderson said. I wish I had done it 10 years ago. I was making plans for my funeral. Now I'm making plans for my life.” “I feel like a teenager because I have a new lease on life. I'm planning where I want to go and what I want to do.”
Great Work!
You were 740? What an amazing change. You big guys never cease to amaze me. It really would require a 180 degree change, really almost a personality change.
I hope that the complications will be over soon. Those are some startling bodily changes and it will take some time for the body to catch up. Looks like you're well on the way, though. Your new outlook on life and state of mind will definitely get you through and even help you take less notice of any negatives.
See, I started at 280. So, I guess I'm on here after nearly two years, not because it took a huge effort to lose weight that one time, but in the process of losing 70-80 lbs over and over again, I managed to keep a fitness base by yo-yoing (on and off extreme exercise). Now, as long as I exercise it doesn't come back AND food doesn't seem to give me a hangover like it did before.
Congrats Again,
Dave
