TOLEDO...DR. WHITE...looking for a few local contacts

oneyeshort
on 3/17/09 2:30 pm - Ney, OH
hi caroline--

it's taken me awhile to get back to you.  work has been outrageous, and i was also out of town for a long weekend.

i'm finding that my emotions are sort of roller coaster-ish right now, and i haven't even been near an OR or a scalpel.  today, i was just about in tears...upset because at times, it seems like the management where i work want you to feel guilty or completely selfish for being ill or going somewhere to seek treatment and consequently missing work.  i know that, normally, that wouldn't yank my chain that badly, but right now, i'm just one giant (and i DO mean giant...LOL!!!!) emotion!  i really want to do this and get started because i'm sort of driving myself crazy 'thinking.'  i'm starting to feel like my ability to keep pace...with work and with just life in general...is fading terribly fast.  i know it sounds utterly pathetic, but i have found myself wishing that i could afford not to work for the next week because i would be staying at home for certain.  that's not practical or right, and i couldn't ever do it.  but the daydream has crossed my mind.

i went on friday morning early and did all my pre-op testing.  there is only one that still has results outstanding, but everything else has come back acceptably to the best of my knowledge.  that's quite a relief.  i wasn't necessarily expecting them all to come back horrendous, but i would have been more than a bit miffed if ONE lab held up this whole parade, yanno?  were they all perfect, hell no.  i wouldn't be here if they were all perfect.  but they were passable.  i'm willing to accept passable for now.

thank you so much for answering my questions and commenting on my comments.  i appreciate it a whole lot.  it's nice to have a couple different perspectives on all of it.  i have the perspective of one of my wife's best friends, but my observation is that she is not very tolerant of things that are painful or that involve discomfort.  i appreciated her insight, too.  however, i tend to be a bit more tolerant and appreciate the perspective of someone who seems similar in that regard.

i really am pretty sure that, unless they are going to 'bring the party to me' on april 1, i probably won't be at the next support meeting as i will still be in the hospital or will have just been discharged.  however, i should be at the may meeting for sure.  i'm looking forward to that as well.

speaking of meeting at the meeting...i'm not sure how to broach this, but i feel as though there's something i should probably explain to you.  perhaps you've already clued into this by reading my profile.  frankly, i don't even remember what my profile says.  anyway, i don't want to take you completely by surprise in person.  technically, i'm a non-surgical, transgendered biological female.  in 'real life terms,' it means that i was born a female but feel that my identity and who i am is much more masculinely inclined.  i don't have any intentions of engaging in hormonal and/or surgical transition, and i consider myself gay.  i wear men's clothing and have my hair cut in a style that is at the very least gender-neutral.  i do have a wife, whom i am legally and very, very happily married to in canada.  as soon as i'm physically able, i will relocate there permanently and officially.  i never know how people will react to all this information.  and normally, i wouldn't just throw all this at someone, but i don't want to appear as though i've been dishonest or whatever.  please don't hesitate to ask me anything where this is concerned.  i'm very open to helping provide more understanding of my 'lifestyle' (for lack of a better word) if i'm able to do so.

okay...i could probably talk for a lot longer, but i'm tired and ready to sleep.  but i'm sure we'll talk again soon.  hope things are going well with you.  i feel like i'm being really selfish and that we never talk about anything you want to.  you know, i'm more than willing to listen or do what i can.  i know i don't know nearly what you do about wls, but i'm a decent listener and discuss-er.

okay...i'm off to bed.

nick

And now whatever way our stories end, I know you have rewritten mine by being my friend.
                                   
                                           -- Elphaba & Glinda in
Wicked
ang41
on 3/11/09 8:10 am - Lima, OH
Hi,

I had my surgery wtih Dr. White on November 17, 2009, so I am almost four months out.  I had a very positive experience with Dr. White,  his staff and with Toledo Hospital.  I went through the surgery without any problem.  I had to have the drain in and it was bothersome, but once it was out things were fine.  I was only in the hospital basically overnight and went home in the late afternoon of the next day.  Really the only problem I have had is I have had  is constipation since the surgery.  Part of it is not getting all of the water in because it so hard to do for me when I can't drink with my meals or a half hour before or after them, but I am trying my best to improve on that.  Plus, I got a prescription at my three-month check up to help with the constipation.  Hopefully it will.  The surgery itself was not bad at all for me and I was up and around very quickly.  So far I have lost 63 pounds since my surgery.  I am off of all of my medicines for diabetes, cholesterol and blood pressure as well.    The thing I find so great is that I have more energy than I did before and getting to wear smaller clothes is a great perk too!  My most important reason for having the surgery was to improve my health and get off the medications that I was on and I have accomplished that.  I was at the last support meeting and it was a little bit hectic.  Sorry you didn't get to say much, but its not always like that.  Any, good luck on your surgery and if I can help answer any questions, I be happy to do so.

Angie

 

Margo M.
on 3/11/09 12:30 pm - Elyria, OH
angie-it sound slike you are doing very well !
and not drinking half hour before and after meals is veryimportant-suggestion? sugar free (sf) popsicles count as water...also decaf green tea is good-  carry a bottle of water around with you -like attached at the end of your hand! and sip sip sip...

it IS very hard to get everything straight but it gets better!

I get up every morning determined to both change the world and have one hell of a good time. Sometimes this makes planning my day difficult.
- E. B. White

 

ang41
on 3/12/09 1:36 pm - Lima, OH
Margo,

Thanks so much for the suggestions!   I know I will get it figured out, and if this is the worst side effect, its nothing compared to how I felt before I had the surgery.  Things are already are better and getting better every day.

Angie

 

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