Profile: Kelly M Surgery: Post Op , PA, USA Personal Comments Hi everyone, My name is Kelly and I am 29 years old. I have a wonderful husband and the most beautiful little girl of 4 years. Her name is Kayla. I guess I have been struggling with my weight for about 9 years now. After high school I just began to gain weight. Then my father died in 1995 due to medical negligence and I guess that is when I started turning to food for comfort. The situation has spiraled into binge eating and food addictions. I am having my surgery with Dr. William Peters in Pennsylvania on June 28th, 2005. I have been on too many diets and have exercised myself silly. It is time to get my life back under control and become the person that I know I truly am. I am so scared and nervous at the same time...but I cannot wait to get my life back. July 10th, 2005 Well here I am on the 12th post op day not counting the day of surgery. All is going good. I have lost approximately 17lbs so far. I cannot even believe it. I am eating some soft foods and will be adding a little bit solids starting tomorrow as I feel comfortable. The surgery went well. I had a lot of adhesions so my incision was larger than expected but that is fine with me. The first days in the hospital felt like I would never get home and I would feel crappy forever! But all that is not true. Each day gets better and better, less pain, able to get in more liquids, and able to eat a little more normal as each day goes by. Dr. Peters is wonderful. He has given me the tool to work with to get my life back. He is truly a gifted man. The bowels are working themselves out and that part is getting better too! I will admit to not getting in the multivitamin 2x a day as I should but that will come with time. I am not stressing about grams of protein but getting in what I can. I know I won't lose weight this fast forever but it feels great knowing the scale is moving. The scale is not my main focus but of course it is validating. That is it for now. Sharon is having surgery on Monday morning. I am praying for you! More updates soon. July 14th, 2005 Had my 2 week check up today. Well it is actually 16 days post op. The official loss by the doctors scale is 16.7 pounds. I will take it. Went over diet and eating and vitamins and water, etc. I also got my staples out. The first 3 by my belly button were ouchers but not really painful if that makes sense! All is going well and I return back to work on Tuesday. My energy level isn't the best but will come with time. I am trying harder to get in all the calcium and my vitamins every day. I am also trying to make sure I eat the protein first to be sure I am getting enough in. And I am sure that will also help with the weight loss. Every day is better and I have no regrets at all. I have no pain except little annoying picks where the staples were and a lot of healing itchiness! That is all for now....more to come soon! July 27th, 2005 Today I am 30 days post-op and I have lost 25lbs! It is totally amazing to me. I still miss food and eating like I used to but it is getting easier with each day. I am able to eat a little more normally now. A little faster(but not fast) and a little more depending on what I am eating. Chicken still fills me really fast. I find myself mainly eating eggs, meatballs with sauce and cheese, tuna, peanut butter and crackers, some canteloupe, soups...well you get the picture. Cottage cheese(over 2oz) gives me bowel issues and certain types of pastas give me a hard time while others do not. As I reflect the first days in the hospital are becoming a distant memory. I thought I would never forget those days, but I am. Some days I still can't believe I actually did it! I am also starting to feel like food does not control me anymore. Sure I have my moments but overall I feel in control which is something I have not felt in over 9 years. My surgeon and his wife are so supportive and encouraging. I am so glad to have found them and went on this journey with them. My support system is great and I feel really good! I have my six week check up in two weeks so I will update again soon! August 3rd, 2005 Well, I had my puking experience. Being in denial, I honestly believed that it wouldn't happen to me because I have been doing so good....NOT!!!! I thought I could have some of the Nachos BellGrande from Taco Bell. I mainly wanted the toppings, beef, sour cream, refried beans, diced tomatoes...yum! And protein loaded. Well if you have ever seen Taco Bell beef before they make a taco, it just sits there and all the grease floats to the top. Then they mix it up and make the food. Well my 5 week new tummy could not handle all this grease and I got severe pains at the bottom of my breastbone and once that went away I got very sick to my stomach. After trying to avoid the inevitable puke for two hours it hit me! I had the dry heaves and little orange oil drops came up! Like the kind that normally come from the other end!!!! Yuck! It wasn't alot at all, but the grease had to come up! I called the surgeon's office and confessed. My tummy felt horrible the next day too! So I ate lite! At five weeks out which was yesterday I have lost 28lbs. I can't believe it. I have T-shirts that look so darn sloppy I can't wear them anywhere now except around the house and to bed! This is a good thing! And my pants are ready to fall right off of me...WOOHOO! Other than that episode I am feeling really good. My incision is healing nicely and I feel amazed each day with this surgery. I have my 6 week check up next Thursday which will actually be 6 weeks and 2 days and I will update again then. Stats: SW/CW/GW 262/234/140? August 14th, 2005 I had my six week check up on Thursday. I am down 34lbs. I cannot even believe it. It turns out I started out at 265 not 262, so that added 3 more pounds to my total! The incision is healing nicely and all is going very well. I got the ok to try some roughage, so lettuce seems to be doing ok...although I only had a small amount. I am finding it hard to get in all the calcium every day but am trying really hard. I survived my first family outing today since surgery. Let me tell you, even though I still have quite a way to goal, I had this self confidence about me today! I got my hair done, bought a smaller size shirt and just carried myself different. I even got hit on in Wal-Mart today. Boy I forgot how that felt! I am feeling really good except for the fact that by 6 or 7pm every night, I am wiped out! But that will all come with time. I also got the ok to up my exercise a bit, so I plan on doing so. I also seem to have hit my first plateau, which is normal and I am okay with it! I really just want to put some pictures up...so here goes! New Stats: 265/231/140? As of 08/15/2005----265/229/140? I swear I am staying off the scale now!! This is me before....Yuck look how miserable! 265Lbs Another before shot; this is two years ago. About 250Lbs. This is me and Careen last year at a meeting, I fought from that time until June of this year for my DS and finally won! 250Lbs This is me at 6 1/2 weeks out, down 34lbs! This is my senior picture in high school. 140Lbs My precious daughter Kayla who is now 4! Kayla playing dressup...oh no growing up already! Kayla in the pool, she loves to swim! This is hubby David who has been very, very supportive of me throughout all of this. He is with Kayla when she was under a year old!! Too cute! Cannot forget about the puppy...Rodney! August 20th, 2005 I was stalled for a little bit and am losing a little bit again. I learned my lesson with eating too much taco dip! At almost 8 weeks out my tummy has stretched out a little bit and I am able to eat a small bowl of cereal or 4oz meat at one time before feeling full. Normally a few bites of meat would fill me so fast. I hope it is not too soon to be able to eat that amount. The protein is getting much better and the only thing I honestly have a problem with is getting in all the calcium some days. It is easier to take it with me to work and leave it on my desk...this way it is always in view and I can space it throughout the day and then I can take the rest later in the evening. People are really starting to see a difference and are giving me compliments! Feels great! I am not shy at all about my DS! This is a picture taken of me today at my mom's house. We had a yard sale...woohoo! This is August 20th, 7 1/2 weeks out and down 39lbs. WOOHOO! *Note to self* I REALLY NEED TO INVEST IN MORE EXPENSIVE BRAS!!!!!!!! Stats for 8/20/05 265/226/140? August 28th, 2005 Just want to update my stats today!!! WOOHOO! 265/222/140? September 6th, 2005 The past few weeks have been pretty good. I can eat steak without a problem. I chew better than I used to with it just in case. But it goes down no problem. I had some over the weekend my grilled up for me. YUMMY! I had about 3oz. and a few hours later had about 2 more oz. Gotta get in tht protein. I think my iron has gotten low and it was really bad during my period. I ordered a chewable iron with Vitamin C for absorption and hopefully this will help. Alos ordered some Thiamine. Those were a rough few days, nausea, lightheadedness, dizzy spells, pale skin and extreme fatigue. I will see the Doc tonight and let him know. I do feel more stressed out lately. I have alot of things going on right now and I can no longer eat the stress away or at least make myself feel better by eating. How powerful food can be is amazing to me. I am learning new ways to try to get rid of stress and deal with daily life without eating like I used to. It is not extrememly hard, but also not a piece of cake either. I am taking it day by day. I am taking a friend to a support group tonight. Hope we all don't bore her to death!!!! That is all for now! Current Stats: 265/220/140? 10 weeks out and 45lbs down! Feels Great! September 15th, 2005 Things are going great so far! Here is a little info about my diet at 11 1/2 weeks out. I usually eat Special K with a banana and skim milk for breakfast during the week. On the weekend I will have an omelet or lunch meat or whatever I feel like. Lunches are usually a meat or a salad with meat in it. Alot of times I will have albacore tuna with lite mayo and crackers. Dinner is usually some type of chicken or steak and maybe a little rice or potato or green beans. Now this is not a faithful routine for me which it should be. Every few weeks I get bad and eat way too many carbs which I pay for in the gas and potty department. This is not a good thing because I notice when I do the protein more I lose more. However, on special occasions I will eat what I feel like in small portions of course. Vitamins-Ok I am getting in my 2 multis every day, one in the morning and one at night. I take a 100mg dose of B-1 every day which is Thiamine which will not hurt to take it and I read a horror story about a woman who had her RNY reversed because of Thiamine deficiency. It scared me. I also take an 18mg chewable iron with Vitamin C in it from Bariatric Advantage. And I am trying very hard to get in all my calcium citrate but will be completely honest and say that I have not been so great at this one. The water is usually not a problem, but I have had a few diet sodas and it just makes me want regular soda so I have stopped it completely and traded it for sugar free Tropicana Lemonda and Sugar Free Tropicana Orangeade which tastes just like TANG!!!! Yummy!!!! This is the complete and honest truth. I have found myself grazing too much on food that goes down easy like cracker jacks and cookies, sweets, etc. The bad stuff. I am going through some personal stress with rental properties that I own and I am finding it hard not being able to eat my stress away. I am trying to find alternative things to help with this. I have began adding to my walking and adding some weights for arm exercises. I do take Xanax but feel it is not helping at all. I will discuss this with my PCP at my next appointment. I may seek therapy. This is a hard process mentally, one that I am ready to take head on. I can see the signs and stop them in their tracks before it is too late which is a good thing. Thanks everyone on OH for all your support. I thought I would post this picture of me from high school. I thought I was fat then...what the heck was I thinking? Too funny. Stats as of 09/15/2005 265/217/140? Too funny! More updates soon!!!! September 19th, 2005 Want to add a few cute pics today and update my stats....oh yea and rice makes me go potty funny! This is hubby after a practical joke played on him....picture not to follow or I will be in big trouble!!!! Oh Well New Stats: 265/216/140? September 21st. 2005 I got my period again. It has only been 3 weeks. I am marking it on the calendar every time now....Geesh...what the heck is up with this? All else is good! More later! September 24th, 2005 I am just adding a picture taken today at my mom's house. At my mom's 216lbs down from 265. October 20th, 2005 Just a little update. I want to see if I can get an updated pic on here tonight! I dressed up a little for work today and got so many compliments. They made me blush. But it felt great. I had my 30th B-day night out and had quite a bit more to drink than I thought I would be able to handle. I guess I am one of the rare cases where the alcohol does not hit you so fast. To make a long story short. I had a blast, got drunk and didn't get sick. I know my limits at age 30!!!! Old woman I am! HeHe! I am still having a hard time chewing all the calcium every day but I am trying. Otherwise, I feel really great and am so glad I made this life altering decision. I weighed in this morning(clothes on)at 207! Woohoo! October 31st, 2005...Happy Halloween! Today is Halloween and I weighed in at 204! That is with clothes but no shoes....WooHoo! I went to the Halloween parade at my daughter's pre-school...too cute! She is still hanging onto a cough and actually does not want to go trick or treating. She got alot just from school! I won't force her but was looking forward to it. She wants to watch cartoons! I missed my appointment due to circumstances beyond my control so I go to my PCP on the 7th and the surgeon on the 10th! Hope all is well with my bloodwork. I must admit that the emotional side of this is much harder than the physical for me. Sure there are physical moments of nausea, getting full so fast some days and being able to eat others, etc. But for me, that plays more on my mind than anything else. I am finding ways to cope though. My co-workers are always complimenting me and it feels good. I can't believe I am almost under 200lbs. That to me is just amazing! And I am not a hermit anymore. I want to go out and have a good time and I can walk up the steps at work without feeling like I might die or have a heart attack from doing so. My back does not ache anymore when I walk which is a blessing! Going out in public to the movies or anywhere really is not a nightmare anymore. I don't feel like everyone is staring at "the fat girl" anymore. Although sometimes when I look in the mirror it is hard to see all the changes. Some days I look and feel like I have come so far and look how great I am looking and other days I still see the fat me. That is all part of this process and I understand that. It is just frustrating sometimes! This surgery has been amazing for me! I am going to put up some pics from today at 204!!!! I don't see much of a difference from my 216lb pics but that is OK!!!! Kayla before the parade at home! She is Jo Jo the clown! Me at my mom's house from a further back view at 204lbs! At my mom's...a closer up view! 204lbs! At the Halloween party early Saturday night. I wore my bat PJ's! That is all for now. I will update again after my doctor's appointments! Stats: 265/204/140? November 11th, 2005 So I finally had my bloodwork and 3 month follow-up at 4 1/2 months out! Life happens and it got pushed back. My calcium is normal but the lowest normal. So I will be sure to chew those stinking pills every day. If I get in both multi's I miss calcium...if I get in all the calcium, I miss a multi! Too much chewing, but I feel I am absorbing better using the chewables. Also my potassium was 1/10 of a point low, so I am to eat more bananas and drink OJ(I hate OJ). So, it will be the banana with my B-fast or for a mid-morning snack! And my prealbumin was slightly low. So I am trying to up the protein. I am only getting in 50-60 grams most days and it should be 75-80 or more. All else is good, no hernia, and I feel great! I still get full faster some days than others, I still get a little nausea here and there, but it is still very early in the game for me. I don't feel I am experiencing anything out of the norm. My hair loss has slowed down quite a bit! Thank goodness. It was starting to worry me. Even though I know it grows back. Thank goodness I had thick hair to begin with! I have been going to more places and doing more things. It feels good to not always dress down for work and to put on nicer clothes. The compliments are great and my confidence has soared. I could go on here forever about how great this has been for my life but I would be writing forever. I hugged and thanked Dr. Peters at my appt. I do not know where I would be today had I not found him. Thanks Doc! That is all for now! More to come soon! Current Stats: 265/200/140? I will take 160! December 20th, 2005 I haven't written in a little while. I own some rental properties and the daily stresses of life have gotten in the way lately. Acutally it can be a very fruitful and safe business for some, but I am not cut out for it. I am selling off two of my properties and going from there. It just got to be too much. Since Thanksgiving I had bronchitis and little spouts of a cold here and there. My daughter has been off and on sick like this too. In DS land things are looking wonderfully! I weighed in at 188 with clothes on(no shoes) so I am thrilled! I CAN NOW SHOP IN THE GAP. PICTURES TO FOLLOW!!!! LOL! I actually think I may add each new outfit!!!! I just feel so darn good in it I didn't want to take it off tonight! I was afraid of that store for a long, long time and I got the guts and went in. I had $150 in gift cards from my 30th b-day in October and have been going and wearing my size 18 pants looking like I had a load in them all day!!!! These are better. First is my little Kayla Pirate! Then of course Kayla's Christmas picture for this year. Just look at that hair. I have since gotten 4 inches taken off but it is growing back already!!!! These are today 12/20/05 at my mom's house. 188lbs in my new GAP jeans and GAP sweater! Feeling great! And of course a new head shot...hopefully I can get this one to show up on the message board soon! HI DR PETERS AND ROBBIE.....LOVE YA!!!!!! STATS SW/CW/GW 265/188/140 HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE! ME AND MY NIECE NEW YEARS EVE 185LBS!!!! MORE UPDATING LATER!!!! July 10th,2006 OMG! I cannot believe I haven't updated since 2005!!!!! I am truly behind. Well as far as getting reimbursed from Blue Shield....it looks like a 6 month road! They are such beaurocrats!!!! I actually had to have Dr. Peters send me my letter of medical necessity, pre-op weight, etc...just to know that I am going to send it to Blue Shield for review...I also have about 500 pages of research that they do not want from me to review!!!! By the time they are done with me they will just cut me a check....anyone with any questions....just email me @ kellys5pt0@yahoo.com. Things have been rocky for me. I traded my food addiction in for an opiate addiction! Imagine that. Food really was like a drug to me. People that I tell still have a hard time believing that one!!!! But we all know differently. I am clean and sober and am going through marriage counseling right now to deal with all of this. Anyone reading this...DO NOT get me wrong!!!! This surgery has been a blessing. The other issues were already there. They just needed to be worked on in ways they never were...and all is good! I want any newbies to know that I DO NOT regret one second of the decision I have made to have the DS. Even though I owe my sister some money, etc....the benefits far outweigh anything! I am sure there are others out there who can agree and attest to that one!!!! I am doing fine and just want everyone to know that at some point we are all weak....and we need to do what we know to do for ourselves. It just took me a little longer to admit it! I am living proof! So come and get me! I have to get some full body shots on here and I cannot wait to do so and I cannot wait to see Dr. Peters at the next support meeting! Hail to him for believing in this surgery and his patients! Thanks! Without him I do not know where I would be today. Whether I get paid from Blue Shield or not is just an inconvenience....not the main part of the story! Right Doc???? This is Kayla at my sister's pool with her SCUBA goggles on!!!! 07/02/06!! This is me in the pool with of course a "not so great pic"!!!! And this is Me and Kayla at Logan's Roadhouse Steakhouse near me...we are just too cute!!!! Well she is anyway!!!! Ok seriously...more updates and pics to come soon!!!! Surgeon Info: William S. Peters (Peckville, PA) I absolutely love Dr. Peters and his wife Robbie! I cannot say enough good things about them. My first impression of him was that he takes his work very seriously. I also felt that he truly cares about his patients and everything is not about the almighty dollar to him. He will turn patients away if he feels they are not committed or ready for this whereas other surgeons will operate on anybody. My feelings about him and his skills have only gotten stronger over time. Every day I am more and more thankful that I found him. I believe in him and his skills and that is important. Robbie is so wonderful and knowledgable and very encouraging. Dr. Peters tells it like it is and is very honest. I respect him more for that. Some people may not like how honest he is but it makes me respect him even more. He does continued aftercare and has a support group meeting once a month for his patients. He also has the nutritionist come to certain meetings. He puts much emphasis on how important aftercare and follow up care is after surgery. He is very thorough when he explains the different types of surgery and the different risks associated with them all including death. He basically tries to scare you and it usually works. He wants his patients to know this is not something to take lightly. I have researched him and I feel that could not have made a better choice for myself. Insurer Info: Blue Cross Blue Shield Federal This insurance is terrible to deal with. They stall on purpose but I think they respond when they know you have a lawyer. You must be careful in PA because the local Blue Cross and Blue Shield act like two different entities. My insurance is Blue Cross AND Blue Shield Federal Employee Program PPO. But Blue Cross approves the hospital and Blue Shield deals with the Dr. aspect of it which is totally ridiculous to me. I plan on letting them know this. The insurance is only getting worse as time goes by. For example, Blue Cross will say go ahead we approve such and such a procedure and hospital stay but Blue Shield will deny the doctor fee even if the Doctor is a preferred provider in my plan. This is awful to me and I do not understand how they can get away with it.