Re: Big update and surgery information

January 7, 2004

hi tess, it's good to hear from you. i will also pray for you and em. i hope

you get through all these decisions. if you take the one bedroom where would

em go? my son is still out of work but he appears to be looking now (thank god)

his cobra payment just jumped up another $100 a month. i told him it was time

to drop it. geez, that could almost rent a place to live!!! today is a sad

day for me (in some ways) my husband committed suicide 11 years ago today. work

has been crazy since we fired one and 3 more quit. that leaves 3 of us and 2

dr's. i am totally running the office. calling insurance benefits. entering in

the computer. billing the insurance company, posting the payments, following

up the insurance, billing the patients. i've been really pushing it about 5 hrs

a day. 4 days a week. health wise the only day i have problems is fridays

after stuffing and mailing all the bills. but financially i'm wondering if it'll

be ok ssd wise. i really don't want to lose my benefits. but if i make too

much money i will. and if i make any less i might as well put my mobile home

that

i have lived in for 8 years up for sale. i could rent out my sons room

(furnished, he hasn't taken any, except his tv/vcr) i am just having a har time

with

this. a stranger in my house?!?!?! well now i've babbled enough and you know

what i have been doing and why i am not online as much. spend enough time a

day at a desk. but i try to read when i can and i think of you all everyday and

hope we will get better. kathy in il

January 7, 2004

In a message dated 07/01/2004 02:07:11 Central Standard Time,

tess_northwest@... writes:

> Well, now that you've read my version of " War and Peace " I will say

> good-night. I just truly love you all so very much. I pray the best

> for all of us this year and beyond.

>

Good luck with whatever you decide, Tess. You have certainly worked hard at

improving your health! You deserve to feel good! Cary

January 8, 2004

Tess,

I'm glad you're feeling much better, even if the improvements are small.

I wish the FM wasn't giving you such problems. The weather could be the

culprit.

It sounds like you are doing your homework. You will be able to make a very

educated decision, weighing all of your options. Whatever you decide, I

hope you can get the weight off and improve your health.

I hope the problems you're having with Em will work out ok. I will keep

both of you in my thoughts and prayers. The stress of dealing with these

problems can be a major trigger for flares, so I hope everything works out

ok.

a

> Dear RA Support Family...I wanted to kind of " catch you up " on what's

> going on with me. I know I've been pretty quiet, but you are always in

> my heart and in my prayers, and I do read the posts everyday to keep up

> on everyone.

>

> I'm still on Humira and MTX. My RA has gotten some better, slowly, but

> that's ok. No goofy infections, thank the Lord. The FMS has been a

> real problem the last couple months - we are having a very screwy winter

> for our usually mild NW Oregon winter weather, and I do wonder if that

> is a part of it.

>

> Emmy has kind of been going though a " second " puberty. You know she has

> some mild learning and emotional issues. This time has been difficult.

> She hasn't had the depth of problems she had a few years ago, but they

> are somewhat similar in nature. Prayers would be greatly appreciated!

>

> There is a possibility that she and I might move to separate homes.

> This isn't at all a bad thing, but we are praying for the Lord's

> guidance. It appears I'll be eligible for Sec. 8, but can stay in the

> same complex, just moving to a one-bedroom apartment. Something else to

> keep in prayer!

>

> As some of you know, I have the problem of morbid obesity, and have been

> working steadily on dealing with that and improving my health. I have

> had some success, but not nearly what I need to make major positive

> changes in my health status. I have been attending support groups for

> folks who are thinking of, or have had bariatric surgery (commonly

> called " wls " or " weight loss surgery " ). I also attended an

> informational meeting at our big teaching hospital. I am leaning more

> and more toward this option, but nothing is " cast in stone. " I have

> also been studying the types of bariatric surgery available, which one

> might be the best option for me, and all the pros and cons. I also

> belong to several on-line support groups.

>

> My PCP is working on this with me. She is great. I am still food

> journaling, doing all my mild exercising now that my hysterectomy is

> fairly well healed internally. One of the physicians at the

> informational meeting said quite forthrightly that if one is considering

> bariatric surgery that this is NOT the time to think you can really

> overeat fearing you will never get to eat what you like again. He said

> now is the time to work the best you can on eating in a very healthy

> manner, exercising the best you can. Doing this lessens the risk of

> death, complications, and other problems post-op. None of this is

> viewed as a diet but, rather, as a new way of life. Being in even just

> somewhat better health for my hysterectomy has convinced me thoroughly

> in the validity of this point of view. And the truth is, after the

> 18-24 month window of weight loss after surgery, you can eat most

> anything you ate before, but in smaller portions generally.

>

> I would so much rather not have any surgery. But, the facts are I am 52

> years old, and have been morbidly obese for 33 years, and overweight

> even before that. I have tried many, many weight loss methods - some

> horrible and dangerous, some sensible. Even this past year trying so

> hard I have definitely improved my health, but still have many

> comorbidities and little weight loss. I am 5 ft. 3 inches tall. My

> highest weight was 398. My present weight is between 354 - 358. My

> little body just cannot continue to carry such a load.

>

> I have enclosed here a link to a site that does a good job of describing

> and showing the surgery we think would be best for me. It is called the

> Biliopancreatic Diversion with Duodenal Switch and Lateral Subtotal

> Gastrectomy. Yikes, what a mouthful - no pun intended. Most commonly

> it is called a GRDS, a BPD/DS, or simply a DS. This information is not

> from our hospital, but one in California that has good information.

>

> This is major, serious, life-changing surgery. There are life-long

> changes I will have to adhere to. For someone as morbidly obese as I,

> the stats are about 70% - 80% loss of excess body weight, more if the

> patient pursues a more rigorous exercise routine as they lose weight.

> There can be serious and unpleasant side-effects. But doing what your

> physician requires and approaching this as a life-long decision

> decreases those.

>

> I meet with a bariatric nurse practitioner on March 2, I must bring all

> my medical records from all my physicians for the past 2 years. Other

> testing and evaluating is also done, then an appointment is scheduled

> with the bariatric surgeon. The physician I am looking at has been

> doing this specific surgery for 8 years and I have heard many great

> things about him. He has been a GI and Vascular surgeon, as well as a

> trauma physician for many years.

>

> I am keeping all this in much prayer, and taking steps toward it. I

> pray the Lord will close the doors absolutely if this is not for me, or

> open the doors widely if it is. I will take all this step by step, and

> continue to pray.

>

> If you are interested or curious, I would like you to look at the link.

> If you have any questions or concerns, please do write me either here or

> privately. Most of all, please pray for me. It truly is the desire of

> my heart to get as healthy as I can. I am willing to embrace this

> important step if I truly believe it is what the Lord knows is best for

> me.

>

> I'm trying to take care of myself, and also pace myself with so much

> going on. Sometimes I have to just put it all up on a shelf and take a

> breather. These are all such important ventures.

>

> Well, now that you've read my version of " War and Peace " I will say

> good-night. I just truly love you all so very much. I pray the best

> for all of us this year and beyond.

>

> All my love, always....

>

> Tess (((((((((((((RA Family))))))))))))

>

> ----------

>

> http://www.gr-ds.com/forpatients/our_treatment.html

>

January 8, 2004

Tess,

I haven't written much lately either. The holidays were way to hectic this year.

Being a fellow " morbidly obese " person, I know how hard, if not impossible,

weight loss is. I too am 5'3 " and was up to about 320. I have dropped down to

298 in the past 4 months. I too, have a long way to go and the pace is slow.

I'm glad you are looking into all aspects of the surgery. I've thought about it,

but I'm a chicken. Maybe, if you go first, and you do well, maybe I'll follow

you.

I admire your determination and your researching of the procedure so thoroughly.

Good luck and keep us informed.

Love,

Noreen

January 8, 2004

I'm saying prayers for both you and Em, Tess, for a very happy and

healthy 2004!

[ ] Big update and surgery information

> Dear RA Support Family...I wanted to kind of " catch you up " on what's

> going on with me. I know I've been pretty quiet, but you are always

in

> my heart and in my prayers, and I do read the posts everyday to keep

up

> on everyone.

>

> I'm still on Humira and MTX. My RA has gotten some better, slowly,

but

> that's ok. No goofy infections, thank the Lord. The FMS has been a

> real problem the last couple months - we are having a very screwy

winter

> for our usually mild NW Oregon winter weather, and I do wonder if that

> is a part of it.

>

> Emmy has kind of been going though a " second " puberty. You know she

has

> some mild learning and emotional issues. This time has been

difficult.

> She hasn't had the depth of problems she had a few years ago, but they

> are somewhat similar in nature. Prayers would be greatly appreciated!

>

> There is a possibility that she and I might move to separate homes.

> This isn't at all a bad thing, but we are praying for the Lord's

> guidance. It appears I'll be eligible for Sec. 8, but can stay in the

> same complex, just moving to a one-bedroom apartment. Something else

to

> keep in prayer!

>

> As some of you know, I have the problem of morbid obesity, and have

been