Operation Skinny Jeans

[tony179@aol.com 2]

Back in 2009 my medical Dr, told me while i weighed 350lbs. that i need to do something about my weight before i hit 50 yrs old, which at the time i was 46 yrs old and on BP Meds. So i was like yeah,yeah ,yeah. On July 3, 2010 i participated in a health research and was weighing 395lbs. Then moving forward to the early 2011 weighing 410lbs. and now had a new female Dr. for a while now. She had me do blood work-up which showed elevated cholesterol and sugar level rising. So my Dr. starts to mention about bariatric surgery to lose weight. So now I'm looking at my Dr. who looked like she weighed 350lbs herself(keep reading it get interesting). So I'm not convinced by what she was talking about, but agreed to attend a bariatric seminar at Jacobi Hospital. The same day i met with a nutritionist who impressed me and gave me a meal plan. As soon as i got home that meal plan went into the night stand somewhere.So i attend the seminar and walked away displeased by the noisy people in the audience and a post-op pt. talking about his ordeal while holding up his old trousers he wore prior to his surgery.(keep reading trust me). At the seminar i get an appointment for the bariatric clinic which i didn't bother going to.

So now summer 2011 comes around and i balloon up to 442lbs, 90 degree weather outside and i'm wearing long pants because I'm embarrassed by my swollen legs. I make an appt. with my Medical Dr. and when i arrived at her office I WAS LIKE WHAAAAAAAAT. My Dr. had shed like 100 lbs and i was like WHAT DID YOU DO WITH MY REGULAR DR. So she proceeds to tell that she had a Gastric Sleeve operation was the reason she had slimmed down. So i confess to her that i didn't attend the bariatric appt. So she gives me another meeting date for a seminar, i attend and receive my appt for Oct,2011. I attend the appt and weighed 431lbs. I receive a list of appts for various specialties which took from Oct 2011 thru Jan 2012. One of the Appts was for sleep Apnea which i wind up having and get put on a sleeping machine call CPAP. Now i go back to my Medical Dr. who now looks like she lost 150lbs and i was amazed and went home that day and began exercising.

So finally after completing a whole battery of test i receive my surgery date for March 1st. So i had to request a Leave from work for 6 weeks which was approved based on the Dr. notes i submitted from the Bariatric Dept. So the day before the surgery i go to finance Dept at Jacobi and was devastated when i was told that My insurance didn't approve my surgery because some nutritional notes were missing. I went home and began to lose hope and felt that the last few months were all in vain. So my wife and daughters begin to tell me not to lose hope and have faith. The very next day i receive a call from Jacobi and I recognized the voice as the Bariatric nurse Lynn who tells me how she is fighting with the insurance company and filed an appeal. This call does little to cheer me up but my wife does not want me to think like that. So on March 2 i get a call from Jacobi stating that i have been approved for surgery and if i wanted to come in on March 5th, and i was like WHAT TIME YOU NEED ME TO BE THERE.

So March 5 comes around and i have my Gastric Sleeve surgery and i awake in a PACU ward and staff telling me all went well with the surgery. I then receive instruction on using a Morphine drip and feel a pain below my chest above the stomach which i was eventually told that is the area where a alot of cutting takes place. I also had a dry feeling sensation in my lips and kept requesting for ointment to be put on my lips. So my family and co workers begin to come into the hospital ward to see me, so i'm smiling when i see them but inside my mind is starting to ponder was this the wrong decision i made to have this surgery. March 7 i get discharged from hospital with a meal plan for the next 10 weeks and a load of prescriptions to fill plus Vitamins and Protein Shakes i have to get. So prior to leaving the hospital i weigh myself and i was 415lbs. So the first two weeks go by and I'm on a liquid diet and I'm doing walks in the streets and parks.My wife and daughters start telling me that I'm trimming down' in my eyes i do not see it but I'm noticing that i'm not getting back aches and don't feel that heaviness that i felt with 442 lbs of weight on me. I go into my closet and i tried on a suit jacket i brought 12 years ago for my best friend's wedding and was able fit into it and that's when it hit me and i thought about the guy (remember earlier in my story) who held up his trouser at the seminar and now realized what that meant to him at that time and his accomplishment. Week 3 just started this Monday March 19 and i'm onto pureed food.So today March 20 i attended my first post-op appointment and my weigh was down to 386lb. I was elated that i began to text my family and close friends of my accomplishment.

Although i'm just 3 weeks into my Post surgery i continue to follow the meal plans, drink my fluids, drinks my Protein shakes and read on line anything i can find on the subject of nutrition and pass on tips to my friends struggling to lose weight. So far i have lost 56 lbs since Oct 2011, and 29 lbs. of that in 2 weeks since my surgery. My brother has also been an inspiration to me as well because he's trying to run 50 marathons by the time he's 50 years old. I now sit back and think of that Dr. who told me in the beginning of my story to get my act together before you hit 50yrs old because it get harder to do then. So Dr. i was listening all along.

[chitowngirl 884]

Wow what a great story. It's amazing how it takes years for some of to realize how much we really need this. It took me a while to finally decide that I needed this. Talk about denial. Anyhow the important thing is that we finally did realize. Congrats on your weight loss. Keep up the good work. Remember to take pictures of your journey.

6 days and counting, until my big day.

[Artsy 48]

Thank you for your inspirational story. I have my 1st appt tomorrow. Scared and excited at the same time when I think about going through this surgery. Wishing you wonderful continued success.

[tony179@aol.com 2]

Wow what a great story. It's amazing how it takes years for some of to realize how much we really need this. It took me a while to finally decide that I needed this. Talk about denial. Anyhow the important thing is that we finally did realize. Congrats on your weight loss. Keep up the good work. Remember to take pictures of your journey.

6 days and counting, until my big day.

i wish you all the best

Thank you for your inspirational story. I have my 1st appt tomorrow. Scared and excited at the same time when I think about going through this surgery. Wishing you wonderful continued success.

all the best

[KatieOkieDokie 171]

Thanks for sharing your story! I'm happy you finally got the sleeve!

[kimmy*custis 276]

What a inspirational story, I am glad you finally did it for YOU!!! You are doing fabulous, keep up the good work.

[emily_0192010 168]

I go into my closet and i tried on a suit jacket i brought 12 years ago for my best friend's wedding and was able fit into it and that's when it hit me and i thought about the guy (remember earlier in my story) who held up his trouser at the seminar and now realized what that meant to him at that time and his accomplishment.

First off, thank you so much for sharing!! I loved this part of your post because it is so true. Before my surgery I was sympathetic towards those people, but I just didn't "get it"... at 6 months post op I am kinda struggling with "seeing" and "feeling" how far I've come and for some reason what you said just resonated with me, because I truly "get it". All the hard work before, during and after the surgery... it is so worth it and I cannot wait to pull out my "before" pants and get one of those cheesy photos (i mean this in the best way, I LOVE cheesy photos) holding them out from my waist.

Thanks!

[terrilynndrew 89]

Thank you for your words of inspiration! Your story is great! Keep on keeping on and I look forward to keeping in touch with you!

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