leo39

[font=comic sans ms,cursive][size=3][size=4]HI everyone, my name is Heidi and I am 39 years old. I have benefitted greatly from reading postings and stories from people on this site so I felt it only fair to put my own story out there! [/size][/size][/font][font='comic sans ms', cursive]I am due to be sleeved in March, hopefully during March Break because it will be much easier to have my husband come with me and to arrange for my kids. [/font][font='comic sans ms', cursive]I was planning to be sleeved by Dr. Cabrera but I'm having second thoughts - date was March 4th originally but he seemed unsure of whether he wanted to do my sleeve due to some health issues. Its funny, I thought I'd be a great patient for someone because I have no diabetes, sleep apnea and my BMI is in the moderate range (36) at least when it comes to people getting a gastric sleeve procedure. But, I've realized that the reputable doctors in Mexico have one eye on their finances, which I understand with Medical Tourism helping their economy so much. Dr. Cabrera has concerns about my medical history and is leaning towards recommending someone with more experience with adhesions and a minor platelet defect. So, things are a bit up in the air at the moment. One doctor his co-ordinator mentioned was Dr. Kelly and I have spoken to him via email which I really appreciated. We are speaking later this week via skype and I think he will probably be the person who will perform my surgery.[/font]

[font='comic sans ms', cursive]I have fibromyalgia and a year and a half ago I had a hysterectomy due to stage 4 endometriosis, which post surgery revealed stage 1a uterine cancer. This basically means that they found cancer extremely early and the hysterectomy rendered me cancer free with no further treatment necessary. I was very lucky. I've had my appendix and gallbladder out and so I joke around that they don't need to inflate me since there is almost nothing left in there :) But adhesions and scar tissue can be a challenge, so I'm told. The surgery may be longer and have a slightly increased risk. I have a healthy heart, though, and I have had surgery so many times I think in some ways I'm less of a risk of surprises occurring, than other patients who have not had surgery before.[/font]

[font='comic sans ms', cursive]I was a healthy kid who loved to swim and run long distance. Not athletic per se but fit and yet I always thought I was fat. My brothers were tall and thin, whereas I was short and curvy at a pre-Kardashian time :) LOL. I was actually 36-24-36 at 18, but my brothers teased me incessantly about my bottom and hips and my mother was always on me about my weight. Its sad that I felt so insecure about myself. [/font]

[font='comic sans ms', cursive]I married a wonderful man and we looked forward to family right away. God had a unique plan for us, and that's the quick answer to the reality that I was never going to have a successful pregnancy. I have had multiple surgeries to remove endometriosis and suspicious looking tumors, and that is what caused my infertility. Each miscarriage or failed fertility treatment was painful but 'happy food' helped us through. After my third miscarriage we decided to stop and pursue adoption, and it was a wonderful decision we have never regretted. We have been foster parents since 1996 and have adopted three children. We are also currently fostering a sibling group of three more, so we have a full house and feel very blessed (if not broke and tired!!). In 2003 along this journey, just before having laproscopic surgery, we had a failed adoption and had to give back our son. Before I get further I need to say that it ended up working out and he's 9 and we are so thankful! I tried to postpone the surgery but they had concerns about cancer and went ahead with it. I had complications, and recovery was tough because of blood loss and my state of mind. I never seemed to get back to full health even after my son was legally adopted and we had a blissful home life. I knew something medical was wrong. I had a bunch of tests, went to many specialists, and got the diagnosis of Fibromyalgia. FM is an auto immune disorder that you are born with, and which tends to surface at a time of trauma to the body or mind. So, it made sense that it emerged after that difficult time. I was eventually able to return to work and with medication I have also felt almost where I wanted to be physically. That said, the two main medications I have taken since that time have one major side effect - weight gain. I felt (and still feel) that it was worth it to be able to be the kind of mom I wanted to be, but its not been great for my self esteem. My husband has been supportive but I know especially in the last few years, when I also went into menopause at 37, he has not been as physically attracted to me. Hard to admit but true. He's been amazing through everything and I kindof feel he's due a little reward...I've been praying for smooth sailing so that its not one more thing he has to deal with.[/font]

[font='comic sans ms', cursive]I started researching bariatric surgery after trying a myriad of different medication combinations and having specialists confer with me about what my future may look like. I don't have a super high BMI, at 36, but I'm pre-diabetic and heading for sleep apnea and I don't want to go there. My doctors have told me that staying on these medications will almost guarantee a continual rise in BMI and pain levels. I don't take any narcotic medications and never want to have to resort to that in order to function. I want to live a long life full of energy, health, and yeah, I'd love my old figure back (or thereabouts :)). I'm sure my husband would love that too! My doctors believe gastric sleeve would definitely be a positive step towards taking back my life and they've fully cleared me for surgery. Hopefully my talk with Dr. Kelly will lead to a definitive date to get on with getting sleeved! I'm SO open to anyone contacting me who has worked with him (or opinions about Dr. Cabrera who is not totally out of the running). I can't seem to find recent reviews of the hospital or of Dr. Kelly, I'd love updates from people who have been sleeved in the last six months especially. And I wish everyone here good health![/font]

[font='comic sans ms', cursive]xo[/font]

[font='comic sans ms', cursive]I [/font]