Jump to content
×
Are you looking for the BariatricPal Store? Go now!
$99 Yearly Supply Alert! 🌈 "1 per Day!" Bariatric Multivitamins

Greetings From the Palm Springs of Washington

GreatGoddess

Recommended Posts

GreatGoddess    15

GreatGoddess
Posted

Hello, I was asked to introduce myself here. I'm GreatGoddess, I'm not ready to tell my real name. I had the gastric sleeve done August 15, 2017. My heaviest weight was 398lbs. When I saw the surgeon in January of 2017 I was 396lbs. When I had surgery I was down to 326lbs. I now weigh 174lbs. My surgeon is Dr. Wanda Good and she and her team are absolutely amazing. She's in the city of Pasco, Washington. I travel 90 miles to see her. It's all worth it. I've listened to everything she's said to me and what the dietitian has to tell me and I've done as I was told. I'm very involved in my menu planning and I do all my cooking. Exercise is a little hard at this time because I live in a basement and it's freezing. Plus I'm poor and cannot afford a gym membership nor do I have a way there.

I've been over weight most of my life and it had gotten to the point where I thought I was going to have a heart attack just going up the stairs to make a meal for me and the parents. One of my doctors was very concerned about me and kept asking me about WLS. When I finally told yes I would like to have it but can't afford to go over the mountains to see the surgeon and everything, he asked me what was wrong with the surgeon in town. I had no idea there was someone in town. When I got to meet with Dr. Good I found out she was moving at the end of the month to Pasco which is 90miles away from me. However, it was still closer and far more cheaper in gas than Seattle. So I stuck with her. I'm so glad I did. I'm now in a size 14 and still losing weight.

I'm an artist, I draw fantasy art, fairies, elves, dragons, occasional mermaid or unicorn. Now that my arms are lighter I want to get back to painting. In May I've signed up for a 5k walk. I'm going from being a recluse to wanting to be out and about and making friends. I'm even going down to L.A. to see my cousin and her husband in April. It's like life has opened up for me. It feels good.

Ed_NW, ProudGrammy, npolleck and 3 others reacted to this

Share this post

Link to post
Share on other sites

SusieQ2019    567

SusieQ2019
Posted

Thank you for sharing, your story is quite inspirational. After my surgery I am definitely going to follow my doctor's and nutritionist advice.

FluffyChix reacted to this

Share this post

Link to post
Share on other sites

Alpaca55    168

Alpaca55
Posted

Thank you for sharing your story! 😊

GreatGoddess reacted to this

Share this post

Link to post
Share on other sites

GreatGoddess    15

GreatGoddess
Posted

1 hour ago, SusieQ2019 said:

Thank you for sharing, your story is quite inspirational. After my surgery I am definitely going to follow my doctor's and nutritionist advice.

Oh is it really inspirational? My surgeon said the same thing. Although I have one word of advice, don't wait until after the surgery to take your surgeon and nutritionist's advice. I've found that my theory of embracing the WLS lifestyle before surgery has give me a lot of help. I bought cookbooks and I go recipe hunting now. I just decided before surgery the only way I was going to survive after surgery when I was in it for life and there was no turning back, was to dive right in before. Started eating the way I would after surgery when I was back on solids. Drink Water the way I'm suppose to, take those Vitamins. And ask the questions I needed to ask so I mess up before it would hurt me. My surgeon said that was one of the smartest things a patient had ever done. I have no idea if she was telling me the true. But I liked that she said it.

FluffyChix and ProudGrammy reacted to this

Share this post

Link to post
Share on other sites

GreatGoddess    15

GreatGoddess
Posted

1 hour ago, Alpaca55 said:

Thank you for sharing your story! 😊

Thank you for reading it. It sort of makes me feel good.

DanaC84 reacted to this

Share this post

Link to post
Share on other sites

FluffyChix    17,409

FluffyChix
Posted

Congrats and welcome. Hope you will stick around and post often! Keep up the great work and can't wait to hear how your world unfolds!

ProudGrammy and GreatGoddess reacted to this

Share this post

Link to post
Share on other sites

DanaC84    1,116

DanaC84
Posted

On 03/06/2019 at 20:20, GreatGoddess said:





Thank you for reading it. It sort of makes me feel good.


It should make you feel good and very proud! Thank you for sharing. Your story is very inspirational 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Share this post

Link to post
Share on other sites

GreatGoddess    15

GreatGoddess
Posted

2 hours ago, FluffyChix said:

Congrats and welcome. Hope you will stick around and post often! Keep up the great work and can't wait to hear how your world unfolds!

Thank you for the welcome. I'm going to try to get into being in here. Sometimes I'm not that good about it. But I can't always get to my support meetings so I want to get support any way I can.

FluffyChix and ProudGrammy reacted to this

Share this post

Link to post
Share on other sites

GreatGoddess    15

GreatGoddess
Posted

1 hour ago, DanaC84 said:
16 hours ago, GreatGoddess said:




Thank you for reading it. It sort of makes me feel good.

It should make you feel good and very proud! Thank you for sharing. Your story is very inspirational 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

It's hard for me to feel proud, I was always told it was a bad thing and I had nothing to be proud of. However, I am trying. I'm still in shock that people think my story is inspirational.

DanaC84 reacted to this

Share this post

Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
Go To Topic Listing General Weight Loss Surgery Discussions

  • Trending Products

  • Trending Topics

  • Recent Status Updates

    • KeeWee

      KeeWee

      It's been 10 long years! Here is my VSG weight loss surgiversary update..
      https://www.ae1bmerchme.com/post/10-year-surgiversary-update-for-2024 
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • Aunty Mamo

      Aunty Mamo

      Iʻm roughly 6 weeks post-op this morning and have begun to feel like a normal human, with a normal human body again. I started introducing solid foods and pill forms of medications/supplements a couple of weeks ago and it's really amazing to eat meals with my family again, despite the fact that my portions are so much smaller than theirs. 
      I live on the island of Oʻahu and spend a lot of time in the water- for exercise, for play,  and for spiritual & mental health. The day I had my month out appointment with my surgeon, I packed all my gear in my truck, anticipating his permission to get back in the ocean. The minute I walked out of that hospital I drove straight to the shore and got in that water. Hallelujah! My appointment was at 10 am. I didn't get home until after 5 pm. 
      I'm down 31 pounds since the day of surgery and 47 since my pre-op diet began, with that typical week long stall occurring at three weeks. I'm really starting to see some changes lately- some of my clothing is too big, some fits again. The most drastic changes I notice however are in my face. I've also noticed my endurance and flexibility increasing. I was really starting to be held up physically, and I'm so grateful that I'm seeing that turn around in such short order. 
      My general disposition lately is hopeful and motivated. The only thing that bugs me on a daily basis still is the way those supplements make my house smell. So stink! But I just bought a smell proof bag online that other people use to put their pot in. My house doesn't stink anymore. 
       
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • BeanitoDiego

      BeanitoDiego

      Oh yeah, something I wanted to rant about, a billing dispute that cropped up 3 months ago.
      Surgery was in August of 2023. A bill shows up for over $7,000 in January. WTF? I asks myself. I know that I jumped through all of the insurance hoops and verified this and triple checked that, as did the surgeon's office. All was set, and I paid all of the known costs before surgery.
      A looong story short, is that an assistant surgeon that was in the process of accepting money from my insurance company touched me while I was under anesthesia. That is what the bill was for. But hey, guess what? Some federal legislation was enacted last year to help patients out when they cannot consent to being touched by someone out of their insurance network. These types of bills fall under something called, "surprise billing," and you don't have to put up with it.
      https://www.cms.gov/nosurprises
      I had to make a lot of phone calls to both the surgeon's office and the insurance company and explain my rights and what the maximum out of pocket costs were that I could be liable for. Also had to remind them that it isn't my place to be taking care of all of this and that I was going to escalate things if they could not play nice with one another.
      Quick ending is that I don't have to pay that $7,000+. Advocate, advocate, advocate for yourself no matter how long it takes and learn more about this law if you are ever hit with a surprise bill.
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • BeanitoDiego

      BeanitoDiego

      Some days I feel like an infiltrator... I'm participating in society as a "thin" person. They have no idea that I haven't always been one of them! 🤣
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • ChunkCat

      ChunkCat

      Thank you everyone for your well wishes! I totally forgot I wrote an update here... I'm one week post op today. I gained 15 lbs in water weight overnight because they had to give me tons of fluids to bring my BP up after surgery! I stayed one night in the hospital. Everything has been fine except I seem to have picked up a bug while I was there and I've been running a low grade fever, coughing, and a sore throat. So I've been hydrating well and sleeping a ton. So far the Covid tests are negative.
      I haven't been able to advance my diet past purees. Everything I eat other than tofu makes me choke and feels like trying to swallow rocks. They warned me it would get worse before it gets better, so lets hope this is all normal. I have my follow up on Monday so we'll see. Living on shakes and soup again is not fun. I had enough of them the first time!! LOL 
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.

  • Recent Topics

  • Hot Products

  • Sign Up For
    Our Newsletter

    Follow us for the latest news
    and special product offers!
  • Together, we have lost...
      lbs

    PatchAid Vitamin Patches

    Bariatric Forums

    For Patients

    Health Professionals

    Search Surgeons

    Bariatric Surgeons: Want to research a weight loss surgery surgeon? Enter their last name below to start!

    ×