Weight Loss Surgery Journey of Georgine V. Johns - Last Update: December 25, 2004
December 25, 2004 - OK. I've now settled at 159-162 pounds. Woo Hoo. This is so awesome. I want to include a reply to a post that I just made. The person posting asked if WLS was "worth it" financially - their insurance denied them WLS and they were concerned that they might pay for this surgery, it will fail, and they would still have their bad eating habits. DING DING DING! You *NEED* to change your eating habits. Here's my reply: RE: Is it worth it? You hit the nail right on the head. The surgery WILL work. However, you HAVE TO change your eating habits FOREVER. If you're not at the point yet where it's not about the food any more.. you will probably have a more difficult time adjusting emotionally to this surgery, as well as achieving success. In my case, I was struggling with my weight all my life, had never felt "normal" in my size or weight.... and I was just sick of always being the fattest person I knew. I had dieted lots and always had to starve myself to lose weight... I knew this wasn't the best way... So I had the RNY-Open. I changed the way I eat FOREVER. You go into this surgery not knowing how you will be able to tolerate certain foods and temperatures. I was one of the lucky ones. I am a year and a half out and I have had NO negative side effects or complications. I can eat pretty well anything, but I don't prefer a lot of starchy carbs any more, and I have been completely off added refined sugars since my surgery. I'm lucky; I dump. I have never eaten a large amount of sugar to get really sick, but certain foods have higher amounts of natural sugar carbs, and I do get a racing heart and diarrhea. The other thing was picking my goal weight. The lowest I remembered weighing at my smallest (after losing 60 pounds starving on the old very restrictive WW system) was 170. I chose to use that as my ideal "in my dreams" weight. I never expected to make it that far. I started at 331. I thought I might get to 250. Passed that mark; then thought, well.. maybe I'll get to 225. Passed that, then watched the numbers continue to go down. Passed 200, passed 180, passed 170 - I was in shock... the loss slowed down... passed 160, and settled at 159. I am in a size 12. I can't believe it. I have had to readjust my thinking from DIET to LIFESTYLE. The biggest changes in my life since the weight loss (besides feeling "normal" sized for once and not obsessing about food any more): 1. I don't eat to feel "full" any more. I hate how uncomfortable FULL is.. so I now eat about 3/4 of that amount and basically I now eat to be NOT HUNGRY. 2. I eat vastly smaller amounts of food in one sitting, and I eat about 5-6 times a day. My surgeon does NOT promote this.. he calls it grazing. Well, I cannot physically get enough food in without being uncomfortable, and I needed to stop my loss because I had exceeded my goal and felt comfortable. So now I eat whatever I want, whenever I want.... however that is DIFFERENT than it used to be. I am probably the worst example. I am NOT an exercise fiend. I have a day once in a while when I forget to take my supplements. I have bad eating days where I don't feel right and don't want to eat anything. I have other bad eating days where I eat all the wrong stuff (except not sugar - I don't wanna be sick!). But I lost 172 pounds in 14 months. I am thrilled. You have to be ready for this surgery though. If you're not ready to give up bad eating habits for the most part, you're just going to be frustrated.. you won't have food to help you deal emotionally with your life, and you will be annoyed at your inability to eat garbage any more. The only food I really worried about "giving up" was ice cream. Since surgery I have tried every single brand of no sugar/low carb ice creams. I really hate them all or react badly to them... so after feeling sick a few times, I just lost the desire to eat it at all. It no longer bothers me. At first I was thrilled with the amount of sugar free/low carb foods available... but you know what? It's all processed foods for the most part - sickening and not nutritious. The only low carb stuff I pick up now is ketchup, bbq sauce, juices, yogurt, and jam. Everything else is either naturally low carb or I make my own. I have only just found my desire and enjoyment of experimenting in the kitchen again, only I now use Splenda for my entire family. They don't mind, and I get to enjoy treats with them. This surgery was totally worth it for me, and it would have been worth a bank loan to me. I was fortunate that my insurance covered it. But, I am 32 and I have my life back.
November 25, 2004 - Still losing. I'm trying to stop losing now - not trying to actively lose, anyway. I weigh 160 now, and I've lost 171 pounds. I'm in a size 12, which is getting big. I've been struggling with a little depression for the last few months, which I've recently started taking an antidepressant for, and it's appearing to correct itself. I've recently been experiencing some weakess in one of my feet, and my doctor has been checking my back and nerves out. I don't think it has anything to do with this surgery at all, though it may have to do with the change in my center of gravity from not carrying all the excess weight around. I had my one year post op bloodwork performed and all is well. I do not supplement with iron - I won't until it's necessary - but I do take a multivitamin, a b-12 sublingual, and two calcium chews (1000 mg) per day. I'm trying to eat more, but having a hard time getting enough calories in. I don't like how "full" feels, so I have to eat more often rather than larger amounts in one sitting. I'm still learning, though. I've started experimenting in the kitchen again, and I can tolerate very small amounts of "regular" stuff like desserts. I would never order a dessert for myself, but I can eat two bites of my husbands dessert along with other foods, and not get sick from the sugar. Too much makes me sick though, so I am still avoiding almost all added, refined sugars. I am thrilled with my results - I've done very well - and although I have lots of excess skin, it's not totally disfiguring or anything. I look OK in clothes and am learning to accept myself without clothes as well. Perhaps someday I'll have some plastic surgery, but unless I start struggling with skin infections/hygiene, etc. I don't forsee much more than a tummy tuck after having kids (if we have any). I am basically healthy, happy, and wouldn't change my experience for the world. I LOVE being thin, and I love not being at war with food and eating any more. I eat whatever I want, whenever I want it, with an emphasis on protein and veggies first. I have not had a gain yet and it's been 15 months tomorrow since my surgery in August 2003.
June 2, 2004 - So I'm still losing, pretty steadily at around 10 pounds per month. I'm now down 140 pounds. I can't believe this is happening. Now in a 16, getting too big now and I have a couple 14's. I've been mowing the lawn, weeding the flowers, and doing projects around the house that I would never have attempted last year at this time. Mood has improved drastically, probably due to weather. The sun is up at 4:00 AM here, so maybe that is helping me be more cheerful. I'm finding that I'm a lot more patient and settled right now than I have ever felt for years. Until next time! - GVJ
April 12, 2004 - It's a new year and a new me. I have lost 126 pounds since last August. I'm really the same person inside, but I am not more assertive and outspoken on the outside. It's interesting what a little self-confidence and happiness will do for a person. I have gone from a size 30 to a size 18, and I'm rapidly on my way into a size 16. I'm still having good loss - I have lost 45 pounds since my last post. Doing pretty well taking my vitamins and supplements. Blood work was OK at 6 months post op. I don't think I'll need plastic surgery. The hair loss has reversed and my hair is coming back in. The only thing I'm dealing with physically is some psoraisis on my scalp and occasional depression. I'm not sure what's driving the depression - it's something that I suspect I've always struggled with. It's not the down in the dumps gloom and doom kind... mine is more like lack of motivation and purpose. I barely will do things for myself that I enjoy. I like redecorating and scrapbooking and having a clean house, but sometimes I feel paralyzed to do something about it.. then I feel bad because I'm sad and lonely. I am so thankful however, that food wasn't an emotional issue for me. I was not a snacker or emotional eater, so I'm not running to food for comfort. If I am still struggling like this in a few months, I will speak to my doctor about it. I have been on depression meds before and there is depression on both sides of my family medical history, so there could be something real there that I am struggling against. Overall though, I am one of the lucky ones. I have had no side effects, no problems with foods (though I am completely off sugar and don't plan to go back) and I am winning my battle with obesity. Now I plan on working on my low motivation and get the rest of my life back. I'll visit my journal again in a few months!
December 7, 2003 - Well, I am about 3.5 months out and I've now lost 80 pounds. No side effects except for hair loss, and I've got a lot of hair so I'm not worried. I already have a ton of new growth in. I am not having any troubles with foods or beverages, not having any sugar cravings, and only a low occasional desire for starchy food. I actually am finding that I usually do not eat enough - which is quite a change for me. I am finding that I don't like the same tastes I used to, I never know what to eat, and I get sick of things pretty easily now. Weird. I am very pleased with my weight loss so far though. I am hoping to get actively involved with a local gym - I am starting to get kinda jiggly cause the weight is coming off so fast and I'm not yet firming up to make up for it. Hips aren't thinning as much as legs and waist are, so I may need a lift or tuck later if the gym doesn't work for that. All in all, things are great, life is back to normal, things are much much better all around and I would go through it all again to achieve the results I've gotten just in three short months. I update less often because this is almost like something in my distant past now - I am busy living my life again!
September 24, 2003 - I have now lost about 44 pounds. Not sure yet whether my scale will match Dr. Haicken's, but I will find out in a couple weeks. I feel pretty good, am getting my vitamins and supplements in, need to keep working on protein and water, but I'm doing well. Finally fit another size down, so I am three sizes smaller now. Wow! Pretty impressive results after 4 weeks. I am so glad this is working well for me. I have been putting that Mary Kay rich handcream on my scar for 2 days now and it's softening and lightening up already. I think I'll keep doing that - it looks really good and shouldn't be too bad, I don't think.
September 15, 2003 - Just got back from my 3 week appointment with Chris at Dr. Haicken's office. She took out my 4 deep sutures (ouch!) - does it ever feel GREAT to have them out. Also, I lost another 6 pounds, for a grand total of 31 pounds in 3 weeks. I am going to have to buy myself a scale - I don't think I can go 3 more weeks without weighing myself. I see Dr. Haicken on October 6, 2003 for my 6 week checkup. I am easily getting in my 50 grams of protein daily and getting in all my supplements and drugs. I also reinvented my favorite treat, the Starbucks Mocha Frappachino, using my favorite chocolate protein drink and procel powder! I am so thankful that this was an option for me. I remember going in to Dr. Haicken's office way back in January, wondering how hard this was going to be and how I would ever get through the preop testing, insurance hassles, and learning a new lifestyle... but whatever you are determined to do, you can do! It's amazing how much inner strength I found and I am still amazed that it was just short of 3 weeks ago that I had surgery. I feel like it was MONTHS ago, a distant memory. Thanks again, Dr. Haicken!
September 8, 2003 - Woo Hoo! 2 weeks out and 25 pounds down! And all my staples are gone now! I am so thrilled with my progress. I am feeling great, I have lots of energy, I can start eating pureed foods, I am getting in all my supplements and drugs, and I'm getting just over 40 grams of protein a day, so I'm almost up there! I feel great! Next week I get my 4 deep sutures removed, and then my skin on my tummy will feel GREAT!
Have a great week, everyone! - GVJ
September 5, 2003 - I had my one week follow up appointment on Tuesday 9/2, and I have lost 21 pounds in 1 week! I am floored. I can't believe it. I also had half of my staples removed. I get the rest out on Monday 9/10. I am now getting most of my liquids in, and have started a 3 meals per day routine (though I do get a little hungry before dinnertime, seeing as I'm still on liquids). I finally sorted through all my supplements and prescriptions and with the help of my trusty pill splitter I'm getting everything in that I need to. Last week (first week postop) I took in less than 500 calories for the whole week combined; this week I am getting between 300 and 400 calories daily. As soon as my protein powder comes in (Vitalady.com is taking a while because she ran out of UpCal D) I will be between 500 and 600 calories with my increased protein intake. I found some decent protein shakes at Walmart - EAS Advant Edge chocolate fudge and dark chocolate... and they only have 4 grams of fat. The Atkins and others all have at least 9 grams of fat. So with a shake for breakfast (which takes me about 2 hours to ingest), a little cream of wheat and skim milk for lunch, and blended cream soup for dinner, and some yogurt or sf jello, I am getting about 350-400 calories and 30 grams of protein. Still not all the way up there (I need 50-60 grams daily), but by next week it'll be there. I feel GREAT - I woke up Tuesday morning and just felt so much better and I know the additional nutrition is making me have more energy. I basically feel normal except that I have to be careful when I drink not to swallow gulps. It's SO HARD to sip. I ingest so much air when I drink that I'm constantly belching and hiccupping, but I'm sure I'll learn. I just wanted to let you all know that I'm doing great, things are good in the bathroom, the incision is not painful at all, I'm stronger, I can get around without my hubby pulling me out of bed now... and my clothes are fitting much better - in fact, some are now falling off because they're too big for me. This is so worth it, it's such a relief to not feel hungry all the time. I have not had one complication or rotten experience as a result of this surgery. Keep in mind though, that I did a lot of homework and made a committment to the diet and exercise plan. I did not go through the hell of GoLytely and being cut open and poked and prodded for a couple days in the hospital to cheat on this diet. Your mind and heart have to be in the right place for this surgery to work for you. And don't forget that complications can and do happen, often. I am one of the lucky ones. Dr. Haicken, thank you for helping me get my life back - I am so thankful for your skilled hands and compassionate heart. - GVJ
August 30, 2003 - Well, my profile is getting a little long, so for the convenience of those who wish to follow my story, as well as myself while updating, I decided to reverse the order of my entries, so the newest entries will now be found near the top. I made this change on my personal web page as well, but when I get a few bugs worked out on my browser (permissions based bugs) I will likely separate my entries by month to make things easier. I have been home since Thursday night 8/27 and my sleep has been MUCH better. At the hospital there were a lot of interruptions even though I had a private room. Staff were coming in at all hours to test my blood sugar, draw blood labs, etc. I have been doing well at home, controlling my pain effectively and trying to get my fluids in as well as figuring out my drug and supplement routine. There are a lot of things you have to take and some need to be spaced out. It a challenge now in my Lortab induced foggy mind, but I'm sure it will be fine in the days to come. I've been haiving some WEIRD dreams as well, probably induced by the heavy narcotics. One was a dream where Ian and I owned some weird contemporary style open space home in the genre of the movie "Gattaca" - we rented out our swimming pool/patio area to community groups and one night when I went out to swim there were "Pow Frogs" all over the place. These frogs had two spots on their heads that exploded like cap guns every time they croaked. You can just imagine... ribbet bang! ribbet bang! I am hoping that these strange dreams are from the narcotics and not an indication of my mental state. Ribbet Bang! Until next update! - GVJ
August 25, 2003 - Let me just say this Golytely is quite possibly the NASTIEST stuff that has ever touched my tougue. I'll be amazed if I ever want food AGAIN after drinking this stuff. I tasted it first without crystal lite in it and there was just no way. So I dumped lemonade into it and it's now like hint-o'-lemon and NASTY. EWW. My DH is being so sweet and encouraging... "Why don't you go sit on the potty, honey? I'm scared you're going to make a mess...!" Anyway, I will get this stuff down and hopefully I'll be OK. See you on the other side! - GVJ
August 21, 2003 - Well my walk in the park was a little rough yesterday. I had my IVC filter put in and although the procedure went well, recovery sucked. Either the sedative or the painkiller (probably the painkiller, as I have had Versed before with no troubles) they gave me made me violently ill and while I was supposed to be drinking fluids and eating a meal (I started with OJ and chocolate pudding), I was violently puking my guts out instead. THAT was pretty gross. They finally ended up hooking me up to IV fluids and giving me two shots of something to make me not barf anymore (in my IV thankfully, I had enough needle sticks!). Whatever THAT was made me instantly go to sleep for hours. I didn’t leave until 7 PM and they were only planning on keeping me until 6:00. So today my back hurts like heck from being in the wrong position all day at the hospital. Also my neck hurts quite a bit from the procedure and my hand hurts from the IV. I’m a mess. I feel much MUCH better right now, though, than I did after the procedure. I picked up my Golytely and am still waiting on the Compazine - they were out. I am planning my last preop meals with joy and anticipation. Though I am enjoying this "last" week, I am relieved that there is a new beginning around the corner. Another quick note: Anyone getting an IVC filter put in should also get themselves a medic alert bracelet. This could be a safety issue during a medical emergency in which you cannot speak for yourself. - GVJ
August 18, 2003 - So today I came up with and posted on Dr. Haicken's message board a question for the post-ops who have had Greenfield filters installed.... I am used to getting a phone call right before a day surgery procedure that tells me a) they have a record of me being on their schedule; and b) what type of preparations I need to do (eg. fasting, where to report, what to bring, what to expect). I thought my Greenfield filter was going to be installed tomorrow, and since I hadn't heard from Morton Plant by now (3:00 PM) I decided to call them just to check in and find out what the deal was. They told me that I would NOT be having the filter implanted tomorrow, that this would just be a consult and the filter would be installed a day or two later. They said this is their process. I wondered if any of the other post ops have had this experience, because I'm surprised - I was getting myself all psyched up to do it tomorrow and now it's not going to happen and I have to arrange for transportation another day. Also, I am having some work done on my house this week so I didn't plan around needing to make two trips to Morton Plant this week. I am not upset, just surprised that I wasn't told this was the routine when the whole thing was being set up. I guess I'll find out more tomorrow when I see Chris at Dr. H's office - I have an appointment in the morning for a quick update and physical as well as instruction for surgery prep and post op. Until next time! - GVJ
August 16, 2003 - Dr. Haicken's office called me back about 15 minutes later after I had posted on August 7 about getting my surgery date. My IVC filter installation at Morton Plant Hospital in Clearwater is scheduled for Tuesday 8/19 in the afternoon. I have an appointment at Dr. Haicken's office on that day in the morning, to update my chart and history, get a preop briefing from Christine, and ask any questions I may have remaining on that day. I presume somewhere in the week before surgery I will have a surgical coordinator from Morton Plant Hospital call me in to go over some paperwork and get information such as what time to report to the hospital, where to check in, etc. I can't remember what happened the last time I checked in for a procedure. It was day surgery but I remember something about being sent up to a floor and checking in with the nurses that got me ready for surgery. I am not really nervous - just waiting for this surgery to be done and wondering how much pain to expect afterward. It will be an interesting journey, and I'll keep you all updated! - GVJ
August 7, 2003 - *doing the happy dance* Guess what? I got approved and my sugery date is 8/26. I still need to have the IVC filter procedure scheduled, as well as an appointment with Chris to update my history and physical, but I finally have a date! Perseverance and patience are finally paying off! - GVJ
August 6, 2003 PM - Thank you Cindy from Dr. Haicken's office, for getting back to me after seeing my posts! Ok ya'll... here's the situation. I just received a phone call from Cindy at Dr. Haicken's office - take hope in the fact that they read what's on this message board and respond to it. They were asked for my diet history, clinical psych eval, medical forms, etc. and they were sent to United Health Care. I was surprised to hear that, since I was under the impression that all the information I had submitted to Dr. Haicken was submitted to UHC. I asked what the process is, and was told that United has a very specific process for getting this surgery approved. The doctor is not allowed to send all the information in at the beginning. They have to send exactly what UHC asks for, and then UHC assigns a nurse to your case. When the nurse gets around to reviewing your information, they then ask your doctor to forward them more information. It's a waiting game. It makes me angry that this is the way things work, but this is the way it is. You have to play the game by their rules. Anyway, after expressing my concern that I would be waiting for another 5 weeks, Cindy told me that my diet history and clinical info looked good, and at this point (after the UHC nurse assigned to my case asks for more info) it usually takes only a few days to get a decision by UHC one way or the other. So I got impatient a little too early in the game. I just wanted to post to update you all and to give anyone with United Health a picture of their approval process from after the consultation with Dr. Haicken takes place. So it looks like it may be soon after all. I'll post again when I get dates! - GVJ
August 6, 2003 AM - A post from Dr. Haicken's message board. Someone commented that they were changing health insurance and thanked myself and another for our postings on the board about our experiences. --- Beth: Thanks for your kind comments. You will be happy to know that UHC's Choice HMO program is the absolute best insurance plan I have ever dealth with. They do not require referrals! That alone made them awesome. Plus, they have historically had very high approval rates for this surgery (unless there's a written exclusion). I have never had one problem with them. They have excellent customer service. Their website is very comprehensive - I have used it to review claims and order prescriptions online. Once you work out the kinks with changing insurance companies and find out which company is going to cover you, you will be pleased to deal with UHC. I can't say enough good about them. The only thing that I have struggled with is it's been more than four weeks since my request for surgery has been in their hands and they are just now asking Dr. H's office for more info, and they couldn't tell me what it is they're looking for. So I'm a little frustrated. I'll post again when I know what's going on. If Dr. Haicken's office does not call me today I will physically go there tomorrow. There is no excuse for telling me I will receive a phone call the same day and not getting one at all, even if just to tell me they're still looking into it and will call me back. I have a lot on the line here, I have spent a lot of money on this, and I have NOT been a pest to them. I have followed every single directive they have said to me, so I'm not very happy about getting the run around. I know they're very busy and that is why I am trying to be understanding, but if I tell someone I'll call them back I always call them back. Other than this I have had no complaints about the process or Dr. Haicken's office procedures. The only thing I can say about this whole process is to estimate it will take at least TWICE as long as you think it will to get everything done, and to take everything anyone says with a grain of salt and roll with the punches. That is the ONLY way you can get through this frustrating, stressful, lengthy process and still have a decent attitude on the other side. Enough for now, I'm stepping off my soapbox. Good Luck and you'll love UHC if you have the same experiences with them as I have. - GVJ
August 5, 2003 - I'm getting very discouraged. It’s been 5 weeks since I saw Dr. H on July 3. My insurance shows my packet was in their system 4 weeks ago. I have called my insurance once a week to get a status report on where I am in their system. I tried to be proactive and put all my info together in an orderly manner, tried to make sure it was pretty much self-explanatory, and this morning my insurance told me that they had requested more clinical information from Dr. H. I have been very patient and I have not called Dr. H's office to bother them or get them to check with the insurance on what is taking so long. I finally called Dr. H's office this morning after speaking to my insurance company and they just took my number and said they'd get back to me. Everybody who started this journey at the same time as me has already had surgery. I had to wait weeks and weeks to get records from a place, but I didn't lose hope. I self-pay my health insurance and we are near a breaking point financially, as it's $700 a month. I have already paid my administrative fees to Dr. H's office. I'm just soooo discouraged, because I want and need this surgery and now I've been working on it for 9 months since I decided to go for it in December 2000. I have tried to have a great attitude and tried so hard to be patient but I really cannot afford any more delays. My insurance happily paid for all my preop stuff; why can't they just say yes and let me get on with my life? Any and all encouragement appreciated. *deep sigh* -- Georgine Johns (as posted on Dr. Haicken’s WLS message board)
July 6, 2003 - Well, I expected it to take a couple weeks for Dr. Haicken's office to get back to me, but when I went out of town for a business trip, I had TWO phone messages waiting for me when I got home. I called them back immediately on June 6. They scheduled my consultation with Dr. Haicken for July 3, 2003. June was a long month for me. Fast forward to July 3 - I had my appointment with Dr. Haicken. This consisted of a weigh in, BP, temp, and watching a video about complications, which was very informative and interesting. I had prepared a list of questions to ask Dr. Haicken, and the movie gave me a couple more... so Dr. Haicken answered all my questions, thanked me for writing letters of support to Morton Plant on his behalf during the little snafu in May, and drew a purple line on my tummy to show me where the incision would be located. He indicated that my paperwork would be submitted to United Health Care that very afternoon, and that I would hear from his office as soon as they heard from United Health Care. They are usually pretty good and quick, but he noted that they have been taking longer recently. A nice surprise for me was that my admin fee was a little bit lower than the current rate because of my initial consultation date being before the rates went up. I thought that was very nice of them to allow me the reduced rate; they certainly didn't have to... Thanks for your kindness and compassion, Dr. Haicken. I am looking forward to joining the "losing" side! - GVJ
June 1, 2003 – Well how’s that for a delay? It took FIVE WEEKS to get medical records from Diagnostic Clinic of Largo. Keep that in mind if you’re getting things done there. The doctors are very nice, and the staff are very competent but they use a copy service for medical records and you have to go through their process. They stated 7-10 days, but it was FIVE WEEKS! So I finally received everything on Thursday 5/29 and got my paperwork together that night and handed it in to Dr. Haicken on Friday 5/30. I included a letter to United Health Care as well as a letter of support to United Health Care from my PCP in an effort to prevent an automatic denial and put a human face on my request for approval. Here’s hoping I did everything correctly and thoroughly. - GVJ
April 30, 2002 - Well, I have been diligently collecting all my paperwork and only have two pieces left to go. Since these new patient confidentiality laws went into effect, everyone has been changing their procedures daily and there are more hoops to jump through to get what you want. I dropped off my requests in writing to a couple places today and signed release of information forms at one. One place charges $1.00 a sheet, which you have to pay before they release the records, but you have to wait for a bill from them, go pay it, and then they mail the records.. they won't hand them over. *sigh* I'm excited about the surgery, so the waiting is hard right now... especially since our moving and vacation/travel plans are also on hold until we know what will happen with the surgery. I am finalizing my will and power of attorney/living will just in case anything happens.. we don't like to think about these things, but it's much easier on everyone involved if these preparations are pre-arranged should anything happen.
Was in to see my PCP Monday (April 28th) and she is so sweet and supportive. She is going to closely follow this surgery since I am only about her 3rd patient who has walked this journey... and the first one who she has followed from start to finish. She is looking forward to seeing the results and agrees with myself and the dietician - that the RNY is going to work well for me based on my particular issues. She gave me a big hug and wished me the best and is writing a letter of appeal to the insurance company just so they have more "humanity" evidence - support of my PCP and my own personal letter may help prevent a denial and keep the wheels rolling. I am almost done my appeal letter as well. I want to write the letters to submit with my request for approval paperwork so I don't have to appeal later. I am confident that the insurance company will approve me, however. I am lucky enough to have one of the most cooperative insurance companies and their customer service is also top notch.
Looking forward to my consult with Dr. Haicken - I hope it's within the next 3-4 weeks or even sooner! Woo Hoo! It's been so nice to chat on the message board and email with so many of you. It's nice to not be judged by people on the outward appearance - most thin people who haven't ever suffered from massive obesity and all its issues don't realize that there is a thin person inside all of us trying to get out and that we haven't been ourselves for a long time due to embarassment and discouragement/guilt. Though we have contributed to our problems, there are always other factors involved... I thank God for medical science every day and that I have it so much better than my extremely fat ancestors! :) At least I don't have cholesterol and cardiac issues. Until next update! - GVJ
April 11, 2003 – Today I had my 1 month follow up appointment with the Pulmonary doc, Dr. Averill. I am doing very well on the CPAP machine. I did ask him to make a note that I want my ramp time changed to ½ hour. I usually take a little longer than 20 minutes to fall asleep and that isn’t one of the settings I have access to. I am finding that I sleep very well with the machine. He encouraged me to keep in touch with him as I lose the weight – that my CPAP needs will change and may decrease. He said that if I was starting to feel as if the machine wasn’t helping me that might be an indication that it was time to adjust the settings. He also noted that he probably wouldn’t recognize me the next time he saw me. That will be interesting.. So I scheduled a 6 month follow up with him in October and a CPAP clinic in a month. Then I had my appointment with the dietician. I saw Nadine Pazder at Morton Plant in Clearwater. I found her to be very real and appreciated her insight, especially into protein. She didn’t really recommend doing protein shakes, which surprised me.. she gave me a post op diet that is for after week 3 and after you have added new foods, and said that if I follow it I will be getting 50-60 grams of protein daily. You have to eat almost every half hour for 12 hours for the first 6 months. Mind you, “eat” is a relative term. It’s more like a 1-2 tablespoon snack. At this point, food becomes fuel. So don’t kid yourselves, it is a huge time commitment and drastic lifestyle change. She discussed dumping syndrome as well as volume sensitivity – she thinks that based on my answers to her workup, I might be volume sensitive – and I got some really good information from her. This volume sensitivity thing goes along with my original discussion with my preop psych eval statements of feeling hunger all the time and being able to eat very large portions. I am not a binge eater, not an emotional eater, and not a snacker. If the only thing I get from this surgery is the ability to feel full and not be hungry after eating tiny portions, then this tool will work for me. I am getting very excited and very committed to this process now. I hope that Dr. Haicken feels that I am a good candidate after reading my paperwork. One thing I thought was kinda funny though.. I told the dietician that I didn’t ever want to experience dumping – she misunderstood what I was trying to say and launched into a tirade of “EVERYONE needs to *feel* what dumping is!!!” While I don’t disagree, I meant that I was planning on total compliance – not that I wanted the ability to eat things with added sugar. I am not undergoing this surgery and haven’t been through the preop process to start cheating on the diet and possibly undo all the good I hope to achieve. Perhaps after I have lost my weight, I might try a small amount of these foods… but I am thinking that after 1-2 years on sugar free treats, I will be used to the regimen and have lost my taste for sweet, the same way I have lost my taste for fatty foods. I have plans to live the rest of my life as though I am sugar sensitive. It’s probably healthier that way anyway. Well sorry for the rambling. I am now at the point where I need to collect all my medical records and get them handed in to Dr. Haicken’s office. I hope to get in to see him soon, and be close to the surgery itself. There are some really amazing updates going on from patients that I watched go through where I am at. I started watching Dr. Haicken’s website last fall and patients who have had surgery through the fall are now doing so awesome! Many 100 pound weight losses… it’s interesting to see the emotional and psychological and social changes as the physical changes happen. Until next update – GVJ
March 30, 2003 - Well, I finally got through to the dietician at Morton Plant Hospital in Clearwater. They indicate that I will be able to use my health insurance there. Woo-Hoo! This will be one of the last steps in my pre-op journey. The first available appointment was April 11, the same day of my follow up after CPAP to Dr. Averill's office. If all goes well, I will get cleared for surgery for Dr. Averill after this appointment, as well as getting some good information from the dietician to supplement the research I've already been doing into the post-op diet. I think I'll get good info from the Bypass Buddiess meetings as well. Tomorrow the CPAP supply people are supposed to come out to my house and set me up on that, so I'll have a couple weeks of sleeping on that before my follow up with Dr. Averill. I'm getting excited that my time is coming nearer. Hopefully I'll be able to get my paperwork together without much effort and get it to Dr. Haicken's office by mid-April. - GVJ
March 18, 2002 - The CPAP supply people called me and left a message yesterday. They booked an appointment during the day for me on March 31. Apparently they will only come out during the day (which makes me think this must be really inconvenient for people who work full time). I wonder how long I will have to be on it before I can see Dr. Haicken. Also, I have been calling Morton Plant Hospital and leaving messages for booking a dietician consult and they finally called me back. Of course I was out of town when the called, so when I called them back today I left a message and they haven't returned my call yet. I am leaving town the rest of the week so I may have to try calling them on my cell phone while I'm out of town. This is getting annoying and I have had a hard time finding someone who I can use my health insurance with. I will keep persisting, however, because I have several more weeks until I will be "done" with Dr. Averill and he clears me for surgery. I hope to have my paperwork done and submitted to Dr. Haicken's office by mid-April. Maybe I'll be lucky and get a surgery date for end of April to end of May! I am very excited at this point of my journey. I haven't really faced any huge obstacles yet and feel like the Lord has been guiding my steps and helping sort things out - this can certainly become overwhelming and I have been taking things one appointment at a time. I am so pleased I did so well with my upper GI endoscopy - I think that was one I was most worried about. I am a little concerned about the procedure to get a Greenfield filter implanted as well, but only because I get nervous during any invasive procedure - not because I have actually experienced any real pain yet. I hope and pray that the Lord gives me the strength I will need to get through the pain of recovering from surgery. I have a high level of motivation so I know I'll be successful with this surgery! I am thinking about everyone else going through this process as well and sending good wishes and prayers up for all of them. Thank you, Dr. Haicken, for caring about the struggles of the morbidly obese, and for trying to make a difference in others' lives! I know *I* certainly appreciate it and have a deep respect for your dedication to your patients. - GVJ
March 14, 2003 - Dr. Averill's office sent me a note in the mail requesting me to call to schedule a follow up appointment regarding my sleep test results. When I called them yesterday after receiving the mail, they indicated they had an opening first thing this morning, so I took it. He showed me the results of my study, including the frequency of non deep sleep periods, the brain activity level, the volume and frequency of my snoring, the oxygen levels zig zagging up and down. Then he compared the first study with the CPAP study. There were like 3 sleep disturbances on the second study, compared with like 39 per hour on the first one, there was much more deep sleep on the second one, the microphone was mostly showing silence on the second one, and the oxygen level was a straight line on the second study. Dr. Averill said the CPAP supply people would give me a call soon... He requested I set up a follow up appointment in four weeks, so I booked another follow up appointment on April 11, 2003. - GVJ
March 7, 2003 - Had my repeat sleep lab with CPAP study. The tech got me set up and then turned on the unit and gave me a mask to play with and get psychologically ready for wearing it... I watched Star Trek and put the mask on and took it off intermittently. After Star Trek, I told the tech that I thought I would be completely fine with the mask and the only thing that I thought I might have to get used to was the pressure in my ears. I have usually felt like I'm getting OK sleep but have some sleep anxiety now because I have a hard time falling asleep and sometimes wake up exhausted and headachy. Apparently these can be symptoms of sleep apnea. He put the mask on me and OH MY GOSH! I got to sleep flat on my back for the first time in years and I slept like a rock! I only woke up once or twice, once I kinda remember getting on my side from a muscle spasm in my back, and once because the tech had to reapply one of the EEG leads to my head. I felt GREAT in the morning and stayed up all day instead of going back to bed after getting home at 6:15 AM. To tell you the truth, though I expect to be placed on a CPAP, I am actually hoping to be placed on one. I feel like I slept really well. I did really well with the mask I had during the study and I didn't even have hydrated air. I probably will get some hydration with my CPAP equipment though - I was really dehydrated in the morning. - GVJ
March 6, 2003 - Had my psych consult today with Dr. Isabelle Desjardins at Baycare Behavioral Health. If anyone still needs to get their psych consult I HIGHLY recommend her. She is very sweet and compassionate. She wanted to know what led me to my decision to pursue WLS, if I had tried other methods to manage my weight, if I was making this decision for myself, whether it was for preservation of my health or for vanity, etc. Then she did a general depression/anxiety screening and asked me if I had ever been abused physically or emotionally. She sat across from me and chatted like a friend - not at her desk. She said she would have a letter readied and sent to Dr. Haicken, my PCP, and myself, as she understands that Dr. Haicken's patients need to collect their own reports. This was a positive experience. Also today I had my Upper GI endoscopy by Dr. Visvalingam at Largo Medical Center. I was really nervous about this, as it's probably the most invasive test I have ever gone through, but I was actually more nervous about getting an IV started than the procedure itself. People, if you are nervous about getting an IV or just don't like the pain involved, feel free to ask if they might use a bit of lidocaine first. It really helps get the sting out of the large guage needle and catheter they have to use. The knock out juice for the procedure really made my hand hurt - it ached like a really really bad ice cream headache or "brain freeze". But as soon as the ache dulled I don't remember anything but waking up and feeling drunk for about 5 minutes. They let me go home about 30 minutes after my procedure. So all I have left is my repeat sleep study (this time with CPAP) on March 9, 2003 and a dietician consult, then collect all my reports and drop them off at Dr. Haicken's office. I am really getting excited that this could actually work for me! The nurses at the hospital were really encouraging, they told me that one of them had it done and were doing VERY well. Until next time! - GVJ
March 3, 2003 - Had GI consult with Dr. Visvalingham at Diagnostic Center in Largo. What a nice doctor! I really liked him. He has scheduled my Upper GI Endoscopy for March 6, 2003! How cool is that? I'm having it done at Largo Medical Center. I'm a bit nervous but have to just believe that I'll be knocked out well enough that I won't remember it. - GVJ
March 4, 2003 - Had a call from Professional Sleep Diagnostics saying that Dr. Averill received my sleep study report and has ordered a CPAP study to follow up. Scheduled that with Michael over the phone for March 7, 2003. I highly recommend Dr. Averill at the Diagnostic Center in Largo and Professional Sleep Diagnostics if you still need a sleep study - he's very nice, and their sleep lab is just like hotel rooms. I wonder how long I'll have to be on CPAP therapy before Dr. Haicken will feel comfortable operating. This could affect my surgical date. Still collecting information on dietitians. I hope I can find one on staff somewhere where they take insurance. Maybe I can get a recommendation from Dr. Visvalingham? Also, today I had a call from Largo Medical Center - they wanted to verify some info and tell me my copay amount and ask how I intended to pay it. When I tried to ask for details on where to go to check in, they said someone else would be calling me tomorrow for that. No central point of information contact there, now, is there? Of course, tomorrow is my birthday so I probably won't be home when they call. Hopefully they'll leave a detailed message on the machine. I'm going to Arigato's for dinner to celebrate! - GVJ
March 2, 2003 - Got an email from someone who is a moderator at AMOS. I have been trying to get support for an issue with my profile. When you click on my name when I post to the message board, my profile doesn't come up - it just says "member not found". Since my emails to AMOS were not getting replies after several months of trying, I posted the issue on a message board. This moderator, after checking my profile, said that it looked like I had two profiles and that's what's causing this trouble with my profile not displaying correctly. They promised to look into it further for me, and I emailed them my thanks. We'll see how it goes. I would love if my journaling can help others to sort out the details of pre-operative testing. There's a lot to do and it can be overwhelming if one isn't meticulously organized. Just one note: I tried to simplify the report collecting process by centralizing my reports at my PCP's. I have written a letter to each provider requesting they copy my reports to my PCP because of Dr. Haicken's policy of wanting the reports all at once, and I enclosed a copy of Dr. Haicken's letter to patients requesting such, along with my PCP's contact information - mail, fax, phone, and MDHub website. I haven't contacted my PCP's office yet to see how the reports are trickling in, but I figure after I'm done my preop testing, I'll make an appointment to see her and go over my results with her so she knows where I'm at, and get copies then, and any outstanding reports I can pick up when they arrive. The it's off to Dr. Haicken's office and waiting for my consult with the Doc himself, and hopefully a surgical date! - GVJ
March 1, 2003 - Hmm. Got a bill from Dr. Haicken's office in the mail today for the balance of my initial consult with Chris. I had a glitch with my insurance a month or two ago - perhaps the date of my appointment falls into that time period and the billing office hasn't re-tried to submit to insurance. I'll have to call them - I hope I don't have to pay a $10 fee to speak with their Accounts Receivable department. - GVJ
February 27, 2003 - I went to my first "Bypass Buddies" meeting at MPH in Clearwater. Finally saw who Stephanie H is. Have to meet that girl for coffee sometime. The meeting was very informative - Liz discussed food labels, counting protein, carb, fat grams, and calories, and Dr. Haicken came to the meeting and answered many questions. I think that when I have my consult with him I may ask about getting a Greenfield filter (umbrella to trap blood clots and prevent Pulmonary Embolism). Strokes run in my family and I don't want to take more risk than I have to. This (or other types) filter seems to be a no brainer to me. I also had my sleep study last night. This was an OK experience. It was difficult to sleep as I felt like I was suffocating a couple times with the stuff taped to my chin and neck, the strap around my chest, and the room getting so hot. They weren't allowed to discuss the results, of course, for liability reason - however, the kind gentleman who was looking after me did mention that he expected to see me again soon. So I expect that I will be put on the CPAP machine. That will be an interesting experience.. but if I need I then I hope I can easily adjust. I easily enough adjusted to the sleeping conditions in the lab and got some deep sleep in... I still need to schedule a dietary consult. I was hoping to get it covered by insurance but I think at this point it's going to be an out of pocket. - GVJ
February 19, 2003 - I had my pulmonary consult wih Dr. Averill in Largo. Basic medical history was taken, he listened to my lungs and heart, I did a breathing capacity test, and he is going to have me go to the sleep study lab. After the sleep study is completed, there will either be a treatment plan and further sleep study, or he will clear me for surgery based on the results. I have had a couple friends say their testing is going much faster than mine, but I'm comfortable with the slower pace I have chosen through my appointments with my chosen providers. Still looking for a dietitian who works with United Health Care. My profile is still not showing up with I click on my name or on Dr. Haicken's website. I will have to ask for help again. - GVJ
February 5, 2003 - I had my chest x ray and abdominal ultrasound today at Morton Plant's Bardmoor Outpatient Facility. I had a wonderful ultrasound tech who didn't bruise me and who was very interested in talking about the surgery. The chest x ray guy and facility was very comfortable. They put the chest x ray women in the same "inner sanctum" waiting room as the women who are there for mammograms. They have curtained off changing rooms and a locker system for patients. This was a good experience, clean facility, and lots of parking was available. - GVJ
January 31, 2003 - I had my bloodwork and EKG done at my PCP's office. I am going to try to book all my other pre-op tests to take place in February, and try to get on cancellation lists if they are busy through March. This is going to be quite a journey. - GVJ
January 29, 2003 - I had my consult with Dr. Haicken's nurse-practitioner, Christine Craig. She is so cool. I am VERY COMFORTABLE with this surgical practice. They are very friendly and very direct. Basically I handed in the paperwork I had previously completed (packet that was mailed to me), got weighed and had my height and BP and pictures taken. Then Chris spent about an hour doing a physical (10 mins) and discussing WLS. I still hadn't decided which procedure I wanted to try to have (BPD/DS vs. Open RNY) but after talking with Chris strongly feel that the RNY is the best surgery for my situation. I received a bunch of scripts for pre-op testing, a packet of info to read, and a video - VERY INFORMATIVE - to watch. After I get through all the pre-op stuff and gather all the reports, I'll drop them off as a packet and when Chris gets through the packet of test results, if Dr. Haicken feels I'm a good candidate, he will meet with me to further discuss surgery and make arrangements. I'm on my way! - GVJ
December 15, 2002 - I have been researching WLS for about 5 years. I have been obese for most of my life after age 10, and super morbidly obese (and miserable) for the last 6 years. I have lost and regained large amounts of weight multiple times. Losing was never as hard as maintaining; but I constantly starved myself to lose. I was resistant to the idea of surgical methods at first, but over time have come to feel that the very absolute final step of surgical intervention and a life long change could very well save my life. The thought of feeling fullness and satiety physically gives me hope in this surgery. Besides, NOTHING could even taste as good as being thinner would feel. I have the full support of my pcp, husband, and family and I look forward to meeting Dr. Haicken and preparing for WLS. I'm also looking forward to meeting some of you who have been there and who may just be beginning the WLS journey. Feel free to email if you have questions or comments. - GVJ