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My One Year Anniversary

September 16, 2003

Good morning. It is Tuesday, September 16, 2003.

What a difference a year makes.

One year ago this morning, I was on my way to the operating room to

get the tool that would help me to change my life. I had my surgery

by Dr. Emma , at Legacy Good Samaritan Hospital in Portland,

Oregon. I will never forget that day. I was scared to death as I was

wheeled into the operating room. As I was wheeled in I knew that at

460 pounds that I was a high-risk operation. I had a long talk with

Dr. in regards to this choice. When we were exchanging

ideas about what surgical procedure would be best for me. She told me

flat out that she was not at all comfortable doing anything but the

Adjustable Gastric Band for me.

The risks for the other surgical options far outweighed the benefits

for me. Mitch, my husband, and I talked about this at length about

all the options that were currently being offered on the market. We

came to the conclusion that this is the safest, least invasive option

for me. At that appointment, Dr. also put me on a high

protein/low carbohydrate diet. I did this diet from that appointment

in June of 2002 until the day of my surgery in September. Was it

easy? No. Did I want to rebel and say screw this? Yes. But this

surgery saved my life.

A little background on how I came to my final decision of having

weight loss surgery. I was on vacation with my husband and his family

at a 50th wedding celebration in Kailua, Kona, Hawaii, in February

2002. I weighed 496 pounds at 5'8 " . I spent the entire first ten days

with a blinding headache and severe edema in my legs, hands, and in

the fluid surrounding my brain. My headaches where so bad that I

could not see my husband when I tried to look at him. I was advised

to go to the nearest emergency room to be looked at. Reluctantly I

went in. The Emergency Room physician told me that I was in

congestive heart failure. Scared is an understatement. Came back to

our condo and promptly got onto the phone with my primary care doctor

here at home and he advised getting off on of my diabetes medication

and he prescribed Lasix and potassium to try to counter some of the

edema that I was having. Within two days of coming off of that one

diabetes medication the headaches and swelling were subsiding, but my

courage to change was growing. The day after we got home, I was on

the telephone with Dr. 's office.

I had been involved with her practice in 2001, but when she

experienced her first patient death, I got cold feet, and decided

that I would watch the next set of my friends go through their

respective surgeries and see how they do. Thankfully they all got

through their journeys and are doing well. I made my appointment for

June 22nd, 2002. I knew that I had most of the requirements done so

all that I had left to do was my sleep study. Well, there are those

of you that know me personally, you will know that not everything

always goes easily for me. My first sleep study was a bust. I will

admit that I freaked out with all the wires attached to my head. So

at 1 o'clock in the morning, I called my husband and he came and got

me and took me home. The next day I rescheduled and this time my

husband, loving man that he is, spent the night in the adjoining

room. It made for a long night for him, but gave me the peace of mind

to get through this last test. I did it. Last obstacle cleared.

My paperwork for my surgery was submitted to my insurance carrier the

last week of August 2002. I was approved on September 4th, 2002.

Luckily enough for me, there was a cancellation for surgery on

Monday, September 16th, 2002. When I was offered that date, I jumped

and took it. My husband made the decision to be there for me from

beginning to end of this journey.

The hardest part of getting to my surgery date was not gaining a

pound. Dr. has, in her practice, a policy that states that

you are expected not to gain even 1 pound from the date that you

first met her. Very hard, but I knew that this doctor and her staff

where going to try to give me my life back. I knew that I had to do

my part. I did it. To my amazement, I went from 496 pounds to 460

pounds the day that I had my surgery. I have in the year that has

come and gone, lost down to 386 pounds.

This past year has been one of learning both physically and

emotionally. A roller coaster of sorts. I have met a lot of really

wonderful people and have formed many new friendships and sources of

support. I have had good days and bad. I have been on program for the

most part. I am making far better choices overall than I did a year

ago. Is this an easy journey? No. Are there days when I wish I could

throw in the towel and say screw it all? Of course. I would be lying

if I said that there weren't. But in the end this is a journey that

we all choose to take. The outcome is all-dependent on what we choose

to do. I have focused on eating more healthily and getting in my

water and exercise. I have learned that in order to succeed at this

you need to be an active participant.

I do have to give a lot of thanks to all those that have supported me

from the very beginning of my journey to where I am now. Especially

my husband, Mitch. He has never known me as a smaller woman. He is as

informed as I am and been there for every step, good and bad along

the way. I am thankful and for all the love and support that he has

given to me. I don't know if I would have been nearly as successful

without his love and support.

So here are is my progress by the numbers:

Surgery date: 9/16/02

Height: 5'8 "

Starting weight: 496 pounds

Today's weight: 386 pounds

Pounds lost: 110

BMI: 75.4

BMI: 58.8

Fill in Band: 1 cc

A journey of learning and personal growth. I am glad that I am able

to be here one year later to share all of this with you! Here is to

seeing where the next year takes me!

Take care,

Becca Kauffman

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Welcome Becca. Sounds like a rough journey but one well worth the

trouble.

Lori Owen - Denton, Texas

SRVG 7/16/01

Dr. Ritter/Dr. Bryce

On Tue, 16 Sep 2003 05:17:48 -0000 " mitch_and_becca "

writes:

> My One Year Anniversary

> September 16, 2003

>

> Good morning. It is Tuesday, September 16, 2003.

>

> What a difference a year makes.

>

> One year ago this morning, I was on my way to the operating room to

>

> get the tool that would help me to change my life. I had my surgery

>

> by Dr. Emma , at Legacy Good Samaritan Hospital in

> Portland,

> Oregon. I will never forget that day. I was scared to death as I was

>

> wheeled into the operating room. As I was wheeled in I knew that at

>

> 460 pounds that I was a high-risk operation. I had a long talk with

>

> Dr. in regards to this choice. When we were exchanging

> ideas about what surgical procedure would be best for me. She told

> me

> flat out that she was not at all comfortable doing anything but the

>

> Adjustable Gastric Band for me.

> The risks for the other surgical options far outweighed the benefits

>

> for me. Mitch, my husband, and I talked about this at length about

>

> all the options that were currently being offered on the market. We

>

> came to the conclusion that this is the safest, least invasive

> option

> for me. At that appointment, Dr. also put me on a high

> protein/low carbohydrate diet. I did this diet from that appointment

>

> in June of 2002 until the day of my surgery in September. Was it

> easy? No. Did I want to rebel and say screw this? Yes. But this

> surgery saved my life.

>

> A little background on how I came to my final decision of having

> weight loss surgery. I was on vacation with my husband and his

> family

> at a 50th wedding celebration in Kailua, Kona, Hawaii, in February

> 2002. I weighed 496 pounds at 5'8 " . I spent the entire first ten

> days

> with a blinding headache and severe edema in my legs, hands, and in

>

> the fluid surrounding my brain. My headaches where so bad that I

> could not see my husband when I tried to look at him. I was advised

> to go to the nearest emergency room to be looked at. Reluctantly I

> went in. The Emergency Room physician told me that I was in

> congestive heart failure. Scared is an understatement. Came back to

>

> our condo and promptly got onto the phone with my primary care

> doctor

> here at home and he advised getting off on of my diabetes medication

>

> and he prescribed Lasix and potassium to try to counter some of the

>

> edema that I was having. Within two days of coming off of that one

> diabetes medication the headaches and swelling were subsiding, but

> my

> courage to change was growing. The day after we got home, I was on

> the telephone with Dr. 's office.

>

> I had been involved with her practice in 2001, but when she

> experienced her first patient death, I got cold feet, and decided

> that I would watch the next set of my friends go through their

> respective surgeries and see how they do. Thankfully they all got

> through their journeys and are doing well. I made my appointment for

>

> June 22nd, 2002. I knew that I had most of the requirements done so

>

> all that I had left to do was my sleep study. Well, there are those

>

> of you that know me personally, you will know that not everything

> always goes easily for me. My first sleep study was a bust. I will

> admit that I freaked out with all the wires attached to my head. So

>

> at 1 o'clock in the morning, I called my husband and he came and got

>

> me and took me home. The next day I rescheduled and this time my

> husband, loving man that he is, spent the night in the adjoining

> room. It made for a long night for him, but gave me the peace of

> mind

> to get through this last test. I did it. Last obstacle cleared.

>

> My paperwork for my surgery was submitted to my insurance carrier

> the

> last week of August 2002. I was approved on September 4th, 2002.

> Luckily enough for me, there was a cancellation for surgery on

> Monday, September 16th, 2002. When I was offered that date, I jumped

>

> and took it. My husband made the decision to be there for me from

> beginning to end of this journey.

>

> The hardest part of getting to my surgery date was not gaining a

> pound. Dr. has, in her practice, a policy that states that

>

> you are expected not to gain even 1 pound from the date that you

> first met her. Very hard, but I knew that this doctor and her staff

>

> where going to try to give me my life back. I knew that I had to do

>

> my part. I did it. To my amazement, I went from 496 pounds to 460

> pounds the day that I had my surgery. I have in the year that has

> come and gone, lost down to 386 pounds.

> This past year has been one of learning both physically and

> emotionally. A roller coaster of sorts. I have met a lot of really

> wonderful people and have formed many new friendships and sources of

>

> support. I have had good days and bad. I have been on program for

> the

> most part. I am making far better choices overall than I did a year

>

> ago. Is this an easy journey? No. Are there days when I wish I could

>

> throw in the towel and say screw it all? Of course. I would be lying

>

> if I said that there weren't. But in the end this is a journey that

>

> we all choose to take. The outcome is all-dependent on what we

> choose

> to do. I have focused on eating more healthily and getting in my

> water and exercise. I have learned that in order to succeed at this

>

> you need to be an active participant.

>

> I do have to give a lot of thanks to all those that have supported

> me

> from the very beginning of my journey to where I am now. Especially

>

> my husband, Mitch. He has never known me as a smaller woman. He is

> as

> informed as I am and been there for every step, good and bad along

> the way. I am thankful and for all the love and support that he has

>

> given to me. I don't know if I would have been nearly as successful

>

> without his love and support.

>

> So here are is my progress by the numbers:

>

> Surgery date: 9/16/02

> Height: 5'8 "

> Starting weight: 496 pounds

> Today's weight: 386 pounds

> Pounds lost: 110

> BMI: 75.4

> BMI: 58.8

> Fill in Band: 1 cc

>

> A journey of learning and personal growth. I am glad that I am able

>

> to be here one year later to share all of this with you! Here is to

>

> seeing where the next year takes me!

>

> Take care,

> Becca Kauffman

>

>

>

>

> Homepage: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Graduate-OSSG

>

> Unsubscribe: mailto:Graduate-OSSG-unsubscribe

>

>

>

>

>

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Share on other sites

> A journey of learning and personal growth. I am glad that I am able

> to be here one year later to share all of this with you! Here is to

> seeing where the next year takes me!

Becca,

Congratulations!!! Keep up the good work.

kathy

***********************************

Open Roux-en-Y

with 150cm Alimentary Limb

07/05/02

416 Highest weight

411/236/150 (hopefully)

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