The Loser's Bench
Introductions
Hi Kelly,
It's good to meet and thanks for the geographical reference... I'm a transplant from CA and still trying to get my bearings.
I understand the frustrations with insurance exclusions and wish you all the best as you work to find a way to make it happen. If you haven't accessed the insurance forum, it might be worth checking there to see if anyone has experience or advice that might be helpful.
I look forward to meeing you sometime.
All the best,
Barbara
ObesityHelp Coach and Support Group Leader
http://www.obesityhelp.com/group/bcumbo_group/
High-264, Current-148, Goal-145
My name is Kellie, and I live in Raleigh NC with my husband, our 2 canine fur kids, and 5 feline fur kids. (Yes, it's a full house, but we love it that way!) I had my RNY on 12/8/08 with Dr. Paul Enochs at Rex Hospital, and it's the best thing that I've ever done for myself.
I was a skinny child, until about the age of 12. Then, I started putting on weight, and steadily increasing until I hit my all time high of 360. (The day before my surgery). I will never see that number again, and I am very glad of it. I made the decision to have WLS when I had seen a picture of myself taken at a work conference, and didn't recognize myself in the photo. That, combined with the fact that I am a Type 2 Diabetic (although hopefully not for much longer) had high blood pressure that was hard to manage, and have been diagnosed with PCOS, made the decision that much more important.
I've been on diets for what seems like an eternity. SlimFast, Weigh****chers, Atkins, South Beach, just not eating, exercising, etc - it would work for a week or so, and then I'd fall victim to the siren call of the french fry, and it anything I lost would come back, bring friends, and staple itself to my butt. I thought at first that the LAP band would be optimal for me - just restricting what amount of food I ate, but after a discussion with a LAP band patient, I decided that it wouldn't do it. I needed to have something in my life that would not 'let' me cheat. (Yes, I know that even RNY patients can push the boundaries of their tool...but I would much rather not be able to drink a milk shake because I 'dump' - no matter how much I want one.) After discussing matters with Dr. Enochs, we decided that the RNY would be the best way for me to go.
So, here I am - 30 days out from my surgery, just getting ready to go back to work, and loving my life. My blood sugars are lower than they have been in years, as is my blood pressure. I'm losing weight, and I am never hungry. I know that last part may change, but for now, I'm just tickled that this is how my life has worked out :)
I look forward to getting to know everyone here.
Kellie
Hi Kellie,
Congratulations on giving yourself a new lease on life.
I look forward to meeting you sometime... We have monthly general support group meetings in Raleigh on the 3rd Saturday of each month. I also hold special interest group meetings on week nights during the month ... Grads, Banders and Over 50 BMI... If you are ever interested in joining us you can get the details at http://wls.meetup.com/101.
Welcome to the Loser's Bench!
Barbara
ObesityHelp Coach and Support Group Leader
http://www.obesityhelp.com/group/bcumbo_group/
High-264, Current-148, Goal-145
I was never heavy as a child. I think that if I weren't so active then I probably would have been. In high school I seemed to be obsessed with staying thin. I would work out 2 hours a day after school and became very toned. I didn't eat very much at all. Obesity ran very heavily in my family and I was always scarred to end up that way. As I got into my older teenage years I became more involved with boys and hanging out with my friends that I just didn't have time to work out any more. My senior year of high school I ended up getting to 174 lbs and wore a size 12/14. That is also when I found out that I was pregnant with my daughter. I gained 52 lbs during pregnancy and could not get it off. Not too long after that I became pregnant with my son and put on another 40 lbs. I was in a really bad marriage and became depressed. All I ever did was turn to food. I ended up weighing 250 lbs. I couldn't believe what I had become. I didn't even recognize myself anymore. I had to pull myself together and I did. I left that miserable marriage and got my kids out of there and I lost 50 lbs. Then my body decided to stop and reverse. No matter how hard I tried I couldn't get the weight back off; then I just gave up. I ended up right back at 250 lbs.
I met my current husband, Luke, and we seemed to just hit it off. We are getting ready to celebrate 3 years of marriage on Valentine's Day. Our kids just all seem to fit. The girls do their thing and the boys do their thing. Our family has it's ups and downs like any other family, but for the most part we are all really happy now.
I have been looking into WLS since about 2005, but I was always too scared to actually do anything more than go to an informational seminar. When I finally did get enough courage to go through with it I found out the insurance I had at the time would not cover it. What a bummer! All that did was give me more time to let fear sink back in. In 2007 my younger brother, Chris, had a gastric bypass. He was 450 lbs. Today he is 227 lbs!! I watched what he went through and asked him an overwhelming amount of questions about everything he had gone through. After seeing him, I wasn't afraid anymore. I got a new job with new insurance and began the process. Nine months later on 12/23/2008 I had a gastric bypass. I weighed 229 lbs the day of surgery and this morning I weighed in at 204 lbs!
I feel very blessed to have been given this opportunity and thank God for it. It is through His will that I have come to where I am and it will be through His will that I follow where He leads me.
Becca
Hi Becca,
It's nice to meet you and I look forward to getting to know you better as we make this incredible journey together.
My husband just had his own RNY 12/11/08, so you both are just about in the same place in your respective journies.
I wish you every success,
Barbara
ObesityHelp Coach and Support Group Leader
http://www.obesityhelp.com/group/bcumbo_group/
High-264, Current-148, Goal-145
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Hi Layla,
Welcome to the group! I look forward to getting to know you as you make this journey. My husband had his surgery a couple of days after you, so he's just about where you are in this journey. It sounds like you know have the tools and support you need to make some huge and positive changes in your life.
Wishing you every success,
Barbara
ObesityHelp Coach and Support Group Leader
http://www.obesityhelp.com/group/bcumbo_group/
High-264, Current-148, Goal-145
As advice for those looking at the surgery. You must, must, understand the process and the steps that you should take after the surgery. You must be ready for these and embrace them. The time to find out that you cannot tolerate protein drinks is not 4 days after the operation. I read and encourage you to read the Dummy's book on weight loss surgery. I found it to be a great tool to get ready.
If you are ready for this and have planned out your recovery, then you will breeze through this process. The weight will come off and your self esteem will grow instead. The common theme I read from the Internet support is that many of the complications are self induced and can be eliminated or controlled if you stick to the program.
At this stage I have two issues, the weight loss has stopped for 20 days. I travel alot and have not exercised like I should, and I am grazing more than I should. What are some sure fire ways to restart the weight loss?
Secondly, I started taking the calcium citrate because my blood work showed low calcium. I stopped going #2 and when I did go eventually, I think that I broke something. Can you get calcium without this stuff? I would rather die of insufficient calcium than have another "Come to Jesus" session in the bathroom.
That is my intro. The surgery is working and was not as difficult I had prepared for. If your get your head straight, the surgery can really make a positive difference. If you don't, then you will curse your decision to make this permanent change.
Hi Mark,
I too had my surgery with Duke and while my group sessions were like yours, I hear your frustration. Duke has gone through a metamorphosis of sorts and my husband, who just had his surgery with their program in December is having a much better experience with the program now.
It is not uncommon to have a stall that lasts for 20 days or so... If you arent' logging your intake, it might be worth doing. You may find some things you can 'tweak'. Be sure that you are getting in your requisite protien and hydration. Be sure that your calorie count is appropriate for your weight loss goals. If you are still trying to lose, the recommended calorie count is about 800 to 1000 calories a day with a minimum of 60 grams of protien.
I would strongly recommend that you resume your calicium citrate. I truly understand and sympathize with the problems that you alluded to in your post. I think that you will find that Miralax is a Godsend in that regard and will help you maintain gentle regularity whilst taking the necessary calicium.
I look forward to meeting you sometime... We have monthly general support group meetings in Raleigh on the 3rd Saturday of each month. I also hold special interest group meetings on week nights during the month ... Grads, Banders and Over 50 BMI... If you are ever interested in joining us you can get the details at http://wls.meetup.com/101.
Welcome to the Loser's Bench!
Barbara
ObesityHelp Coach and Support Group Leader
http://www.obesityhelp.com/group/bcumbo_group/
High-264, Current-148, Goal-145
My name is Lisa, and in desperate need to lose weight. Now im not talking about 40 or 50lbs, but I need to lose over 240 pads. I have been on/off diets for over 13 yrs now. I haven't seemed to be able to keep the weight off consistently, my weight keeps going up and down and I am sick of being FAT. To top it off, when I was 16 years old, I found out that I was a diabetic. Now, I have tried every diet there is, and have failed them all. I failed them all..
I've always been big my whole entire life. As long as I can remember, even as a child, I have had a weight problem. Nothing can take away the pain that I was bigger than all my friends and that boys had no interest in me at all. After yrs of yo-yo dieting, losing 50lbs and regaining 70 lbs. though all kinds of diets and commercial programs, my doctor finally talked to me about gastric bypass surgery. He wasn't pushing it, but knowing my failing history with dieting, he thought That I should investigate it and well, I did..
What I learned was that following the surgery, I would forever be doomed to eating about 2 oz. a meal, or I could get sick and die. It was as simple as that. I had told him I would give him my decision soon. During that time I started another diet, still with no success. I was morbidly obese, and could not exercise. It was a vicious circle. But, I still had not made a decision..
What I realized was that her program would have me eating the way I’d have to have eaten after the gastric bypass surgery, and that I could lose weight without the pain of surgery, without the cost of surgery, and without the danger of any surgery. So, I finally made a decision. I’m gonna go for the surgery. My journey is not over, and quite frankly, it just began, but my goal is to lose 245 lbs. and weigh 130lbs. Every since junior high school I have dreamed about being skinny..
So every year I tell myself this is the year I'm going to change it. That was all small talk because it never happened. I told myself that by my 23rd birthday that I was going to lose this weight. Instead I have been gaining and just lying to myself. So in November of 2009 I will be 33 and I have to get this weight off. I cannot sit here and lie to myself anymore; "I am going to start next week" or telling myself "let me get all of my cravings out this week and then I am going to start." I need to start now. I'm not happy with the way I look or feel and I am very ready to make some changes. I have tried many diets and they havent worked This isn't going to happen this time !!! I do not know why but I am finding it rather hard to stay POP ...
I am very scared that I will not reach my goal. I have always been larger than those in my family. I was "FAT" and they were thin. I felt FAT. When I was in Jr. High school I was in gym class and couldn’t pull myself up on the rope. Then in 2003, I fell and hurt my back. I was in so much pain and couldn’t move what so ever. I had gone to the doctor and had some x-rays done. The doctor told me that I had a herniated disc in my back. I was in bed for six months and I still couldn’t move. The painkillers didn’t work for me either. I gained 50lbs from that. I have been obese my whole life. Currently I am about 245lbs over weight. The way I see it. I've been trapped in a FAT body too long. I think one of my biggest downfalls was all the food I would eat..
I have turned down seeing friends who have not seen me in years, because I am so humiliated by what I look like. I have a really bad addiction to food. I don’t even eat it necessarily because I am hungry, it's because I'm addicted to the food, I love the way it tastes and makes me feel. I feel like I have to have it. I have always hated myself for letting myself get this FAT and I don’t feel comfortable in my own skin. I feel that I am very ugly. I feel like I'm a skinny person trapped in a fat persons body screaming to get out. I also feel that me being this FAT Im not going to live a long life and if I continue to gain weight and don’t lose any weight it will affect my health big time. Well I guess this is the start of a very long battle and journey..
WISH ME LUCK !!!
WE ARE FIGHTERS AND FIGHTERS WIN!!
