The BIG Day: First Office Visit

Well, today was the first day leading up to The BIG day!  I went to my very first meeting with Dr. Richards, a bariatric surgeon, and her team; a psychiatrist, a nurse, a dietician, I met my new personal trainer, and an insurance agent.   It was a grueling 3 hours for me as I had been fasting a total 15 hours by the time I was through.  ("O ye of little...")

I was nervous, anxious, and scared but I got up bright and early this morning along with my WONDERFUL, LOVING & SUPPORTIVE parents to drive to Salt Lake City.  We got there in enough time.  I was able to look around and take pictures.  Who does that, right?  Instead of sprinting into the clinic before any of my Salt Lake friends see me at a Bariatric clinic, I decided to soak up everything!  It's a new adventure for me and hopefully one that will change my life for good.

Today, I weighed in at 356.8lbs with a height of 5' 6" which brings my BMI to ONE MILLION!!  No, just kidding, CLOSE, but not that high... 57.6!  A normal BMI for my height and weight would be 18.5-24.6 or 118lbs - 145lbs, ha!  Are you serious?  So you mean to tell me my BMI was normal when I was in the 3rd grade?  OMG, I am overweight!

Here are my notes from today (YES, I took notes):

• Dr. Richards is very nice.  She seems very kind and genuine; a positive for me.  She is concerned about my liver... oh no, I may not be able to have the surgery done; MAJOR COMPLICATIONS if liver goes untreated.  #bummer;(  STRIKE 1
• The nurse came in to tell me that I need to stop taking a few meds in order to check for H. Pylori.  Hmmm... I wonder WHAT THE HELL H. Pylori is and WHY THE HELL they didn't tell me a week ago so I don't waste my time?  #shakingmyhead
• Personal Trainer: way to excited!  I didn't get anything she said, I couldn't get over her natural(ly caffenated) high:)
• Dietician: heard it a million times.  WHAT?  A liquid diet???  Hope my blender can turn steak into liquid.
• Psychiatrist: Me: "Am I bipolar?" Her: No comment, just a resched--- damn Medi-caid/care;( STRIKE 2
• Insurance agent: Me: "Will medi-caid/care cover the Gastric Sleeve?"  Her: "Uh, no... HELL NO!"  STRIKE 3

Long ass story short: I need to be cleared of liver cancer/liver cirrhosis AND by pulmonary before surgery date can be set!

That was my day and I'm glad I went because now I know!!  Will go on with the procedure... PRESSING FORWARD, NO turning back!  They treated me VERY well there.  The facility was beautiful.  It was like walking into a spa, except everything was ten times the size of normal stuff.  I felt at home-- comfortable.  The picture at the beginning of the post shows the huge seats in the waiting area and the conference room.  The restroom was beautiful and roomy.  Everything was sturdy!  Haha, check out their foot stool to get up on the bed (everything built to hold 1,000lbs+, now that's my kind of joint):

Feel free to follow my journey to weight loss surgery: The BIG Day!  Thanks for reading and hopefully your day is going well.  God bless!!

Love, Faga

New Month... New Bod'?

Ha!  That's right ladies and gentlemen, I've been contemplating a new life and new body.  Okay, well not a whole new body but one that works!  As most of you know, I've been fighting this horrible monster called diabetes, which I would NEVER wish on my worst enemy (if I had one;).  I have been in and out of the hospital now more than ever due to complications.  I am ready for a change.

Dr. Pien, probably the best doctor at Straub in Honolulu, Hawaii, told me right when I woke up from diabetic coma #1 that I should get the Gastric Bypass done IMMEDIATELY!  You can imagine the horror I felt just waking up (thanking God to be alive) only for this JERK, and I do mean JERK, to say for me to go back "there" (outer darkness).  I tried everything I could for the next two years to stay out of the hospital, in fact, I was so scared that I was able to drop 300lbs. with diet (fish/chicken and veggies ONLY) and exercise (swimming religiously in our pool).  I could not believe how afraid I was to go under the knife. and I sure as hell wasn't going to let him win; a bastard with ZERO bedside manners.

Left: at heaviest 600lbs.

Right: at 450lbs.

I should have listened.  That's all I got to say.  I should have listened, afraid or not, because 10 years later my life has been a living hell!  I have plateaued at 300-350lbs. and my diabetes has worsened in every way possible.  My life is confined to my dark room, on my computer, wishing everyday that I had listened to him.  I cannot play with my nieces and nephews whom I love!  I can't enjoy an entire evening with friends because it's so uncomfortable.  My last hospital stay was only seven days ago and I thought it was my last-- I caught a virus that caused my blood pressure to drop to almost nothing, I was dehydrated, and I had a fever of 105 degrees.

Why the sudden change of heart?  The P.A. (physician's assistant) working in the ER that day, "You need weight loss surgery!  You are going to die and SOON!  Your body is sick; your organs are shot because you can't control your diabetes!!!  It's the one thing that will save your life!  It is the ONLY cure for diabetes!"

At first, I sure wanted to tell him where to go and where to stick his P.A. degree.  "You don't talk to me that way, you're just a P.A.!  (A Punk Ass mofo'!)"  Well it wasn't 'til I was released that I had realized HE WAS RIGHT!  I have tried every pill, insulin, vitamin, drink, you name it, I've done it and I still suffer!

Long story short... haha, I'm in the process of getting things done.  I went to my first appointment a week ago and tomorrow is a 4-hour testing and screening to see if I can handle the surgery.  No matter what, I'm going to do it; gastric bypass or sleeve, I'm going to DO IT!

I just wanted to write about my new and upcoming adventure... WATCH OUT NOW!!!

Thanks for reading!  Advice, suggestions, well wishes, etc. are GREATLY appreciated!

I'll update you on tomorrow's appointment in the evening.  I pray it works out for me... it has to.  I'm all out of chances.  Take care and God bless!

Love, Faga