Territravel

Lifting you up in prayer. With God, All Things Are Possible!

Lord lift Kali up and heal her body as only you can. Give her medical team the knowledge they need to help her in her time of need... Lord I pray that you give comfort and peace of mind to Kali and her family and guide her on the path of recovery. All this I ask in Jesus precious name. Amen
Thinking of you Kali... hang in there girl!! Everything will work out

WOW! Looking great....

Psalm 121
1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord watches over you—
the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
8 the Lord will watch over your coming and going

All glory, honor and praise to you Lord. Amen.

Amen, thank God for his mercies are anew everyday

Joy, peace, healing and blessings over everyone's mind, body and spirit. The best is yet to come!!!!!

Today I know someone is having WLS. Father order the doctors hand, give him or her a clear mind that he or she make operate with precision and no mistakes. I declare miracles in the healing of every incision down to the smallest stitch. I declare nurses and staff that will do the work and will of The Lord that your name be glorified. Peace beyond understanding for our minds and endurance to our spirits for this is first of the best days of our lives.

I love God and I love to pray! We all have made a life changing decision to improve our quality and quantity of life. It took a lot of faith to get to this point. Let's lift up each other daily in prayer. Unity in prayer causes miracles.

The prayer.. Lord we love you and you're Our Father. We can and will do all things through Christ who gives us our strength. We declare that the decision we had made lines up with your will and that you continue to be the healer and helper that your are. Everyone under going surgery or have had surgery will have a steady recovery. We declare no leeks, dehydration, healthy mental attitude, and strength to endure. In Jesus name. Amen :-)

I hate to waste food. I'm picky what I feed to my dogs. "They get gas that will run a human out of the room." Someone gave me baby chicks for Easter. Now, I never throw leftovers in the trash, cause those chickens will eat ALMOST anything!

*UPDATE*
For all who asked:
I talked to a local malpractice attorney, he said no one legitimate would take my case. It seems if a doctor has been reckless, negligent and unprofessional, it would be best if they killed you. The problem it seems, I haven't died yet and it isn't "profitible" for them to file suit. He was really very nice and explained some of what I suspected- it would require hiring specialists to say what the doctors did was wrong which would be thousands of dollars on their end. Since I didn't lose my life, or at least a limb, the case is likely worth less than 50k and they would eat up most of it in expert testimony. How can that be? seriously? oh well, there has to be a dollar amount placed on everything and apparently this isn't worth a whole lot! His suggestion was to call the hospital and talk to their patient liason or the risk management department and complain about my stay. I replied it wasn't a hotel and I didn't need to complain, what they did was grossly negligent and almost cost me my life and my daughter her mother. I'm on the fence about trying another attorney, I don't want to hear the same thing but I also don't want a sleaze ball giving my high expectations and hopes that can't be realized.
I AM pissed, I've been hurting, I DID suffer for way too long, NO ONE listened to me, I DESERVE compensation for the misery they put me through, I want them to pay for what they did, I want everyone to know what they did. I'm petty and childish and want retribution for the wrongdoing, to feel vindicated in a courtroom, in front of a judge and jury, to be able to look at them and tell them what they did came close to ruining my life and ask who would have mothered my child had I died? To remind them the hippocratic oath says to do no harm and they failed, they harmed me, left me in pain, didn't ease my suffering, blew me off as just another fatty who didn't care enough to take care of themselves and what were they supposed to do? fix all the damage I did to my body over 40 years?
My biggest concern is for other patients seen both at the hospitals and by the doctors involved. I really don't want to ruin anyones career but I also don't want these doctors thinking that the bare minimum is good enough. We are patients, living, breathing human beings who are at the mercy of people who take one look at you or review your file and decide you're a complainer, you can't tolerate a small amount of pain, you're a drug seeker, you like the attention, you're a hypochondriac, you should just shut up and be quiet or better yet, just stay home.
I'm still not able to eat and drink enough to sustain myself but found milk and bread settle my stomach so I don't feel like i'm constantly spinning from the nausea. The problem with that has been a temporary 5 lb weight gain- sooo scary, i've lost all but a pound, back up to 301, great! Having some temporary relief has made it worth it though, I honestly hoped I would die some days because the nausea and vomiting were so bad, feeling that vomit well up from your toes and the waiting, trying to stop it from happening, worrying about the pills you took earlier and whether they were in your intestines or stuck in your pouch and would come up with the vomit, being so tired you aren't sure you'll actually live through another stomach spasm because when they start they don't stop, even if you've vomited up everything and you just lie there, with your eyes bulging out and your mouth open with your tongue pushed out and you can't slow it enough to even catch your breath. So the good news is that my PCP referred me to not 1 but 2 departments at the University where I will see a gastroenterologist and another bariatric surgeon to get some insight into the complications and hopefully a long term fix. If anyone can help, it's the University hospita,l and I am so thankful that my PCP was able to get me in there!
The blood clots in my arm have not subsided which is slightly unusual and makes me worry, alot. For anyone with hand or arm problems, it's similar to nerve issues like carpal tunnel or guyon canal compression etc.... i'm having pain, numbness and tingling just like I did before I had surgery on my hands. My arm is still swollen and i've woken up with my hand huge and cold several times this week. It feels like theres a rubber band at my anticubital that is tightening and irritating the nerves. The scary thing is that neuropathy and nerve issues can be the result of med toxicity and could be permanent. I don't believe that is the case, I think it's just from the vericose veins and the blood clots. I hope that's the scenario, but to find out either way and see if it requires surgery, I have been referred to a vascular surgeon. yay!
I've gotten a reprieve from the terrible trips to the lab for blood draws! My insurance carrier has covered a home PT monitor to check my clotting times. It only takes a drop of blood and gives the score which I call in to the doctors office every day. It has been running high so they decreased my coumadin which means only3 pills instead of 6 every morning- I can't tell you what a relief it has been! I took some flowers to the lab tech who had been drawing my blood these last few weeks. She was my hero, she gave me tiny infant foot warmers that I would put on before I went every day so they could increase the blood flow and make it easier for them to get. She listened to everything I said about where to try a stick and avoided the veins I told her to, even though she could see them and really wanted to poke them, she believed me when I said they would blow if she got one or worse yet, roll and hide when she went to stick which causes them to poke you and then dig, dig, dig for the vein they know is there- they won't get it and you'll be miserable, eventually scar tissue forms and there won't be any more blood draws in that spot.
The greatest things through all of this have been the support, compassion and sincerety i've been met with while sharing my story. My primary doc was so open, honest and apologetic for what I went through, not even my surgeon has admitted anything went wrong but my PCP knew something wasn't right, he listened to me and fought for me. When I said I couldn't go back to my surgeon's office he personally contacted specialists and got me in to the best ones he could find. I'm much more optimistic and hopeful that someone, somewhere will figure out my issues and help me. It has to keep going up from here right? :-)

I believe it allows more air, therefore more gas...Honestly, I've been using a straw since day 5 and have had no problems what so ever! Try one, if you get gas pains, put it away. " I've always been a rule breaker", lol!

I believe it allows more air, therefore more gas...Honestly, I've been using a straw since day 5 and have had no problems what so ever! Try one, if you get gas pains, put it away. " I've always been a rule breaker", lol!

I've worked as a Registered Nurse for over 2 decades in New York. I worked for 4 university affiliated health care systems and had my band surgery in the U.S. as it was paid for by insurance (after a long fight).

The band failed me and Empire BS/BS would not pay for a revision until I had a 6-9 month "paper trail" of documented problems. I was worried that the months and months of choking up stomach acid was going to cause esophageal cancer and I could no longer tolerate the quality of life I was dealing with. I saw 2 bariatric surgeons in NY and spoke with 2 others. All wanted @ $25,000 out of pocket to revise me to a VSG or bypass or give me another band. I only wanted a VSG but they tried to talk me into other procedures (likely because they were more comfortable doing them). The $25,000 included the surgery and the time spent in the hospital in a semi-private room. Two surgeons send you home the same day and the other 2 send you home the next day.

Since the U.S. was letting me down, I researched Mexico and found a bariatric surgeon who certified by the American College of Surgeons. He operated out of a hospital with ICU capabilities and used an all RN staff. For LESS than half the money, I got:
- Transportation to and from the airport
- All pre-op testing
- A night's stay in a gorgeous resort (with free transportation to and from the hospital)
- The surgery
- Post-op testing
- A private room with a private bath and round the clock nursing care for 3 nights
- A 2 week supply of nexium and pain medications

Any doubts I had about going to Mexico were erased when I walked through the doors of the EXTREMELY clean hospital. U.S. hospital could learn a lot from the way things are done in Mexico. I saw my surgeon three times a day and felt safe and cared for. In the U.S., the surgeon sees you for 5 minutes a day. Would I go back to Mexico? In a heartbeat, yes!

Prayers for a successful surgery and quick recovery. See ya on the losers bench!

Sleeved at 278 lbs on 10/1. First post op pic at 244 on 11/1 . Second pic was at 291 in 8/12

Started at 319 lbs on May 1, 2012.
Lived through the difficult 2 week liquid pre-op diet (-11 lbs!)
And now, in less than 6 months since surgery, I am OFFICIALLY 50% of the way to my goal!
I feel AMAZING!
For the first time in my adult life (and I'm 43 years old...), I can fit into a size 18; I can shop in "normal" stores, and I KNOW it only gets better from here. I'm off all my asthma meds (even when exercising), after previously taking 3 puffers and 2 oral meds for the last several years.
I feel truly blessed to have found the Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy procedure; to have had the opportunity to self-pay and go to Mexico and have one of the top docs (Dr. Kelly) perform my procedure flawlessly; and to finally find the "skinny girl" inside of me that's been hiding behind all the weight all these years.
I would like to thank everyone here who has been supportive, who has shared their own stories, struggles and successes; has patiently answered my stupid questions and given encouragement and advice. You all ROCK and I'm looking forward to giving back as I continue on my journey.
The next half will go more slowly (I know), so I've joined a gym, hired a trainer and I'm going to sweat, pump, pound and flex my way to the fit, athletic confident body that I've always dreamed of having.
And by this time next year, I'd like to be able to say I've completed a 5K, a 10K and a Tough Mudder!

That's how the old saying goes. I've decided to change this up and put my feet where others money is... I signed up for a Make-A-Wish 5K run fundraiser and put it out there that for each $50 donated above $100, I'd run an additional 5K. One week into the donation period and my family decided to punish me! I'm now running a marathon with more than $500 in donations. Signed up to run the Surf City Marathon in Huntington Beach, CA the day after the Make-A-Wish 5K here in Las Vegas. I've take the last month off after doing the Ironman 70.3 World Championships and a half marathon the following week so it's time to get my butt in gear and back on road. This should be interesting. New nutrition requirements and challenges. I'll post my challenges as I face them.

I DID IT!!!
This past Saturday I ran my first 5k!
I did the "Run For Your Lives" zombie run and it was awesome! (Happy dance) Woohoo!! And I wasn't last place!!!! I'm on cloud nine right now! Here are the pictures of before and after the run. (Im the one in the middle with the scared shitless look on her face, lol)

Hello, I've been reading this forum for a while.. Well about a few weeks and I have finally decided to join. I jsut finished my last Pre surgery appt w/ the crazy shrink! I am just waiting for all the other Dr.'s to send in what is necessary so I can get insurance clearance. I've decided to go w/ the sleeve because I feel like that is best for me. I am so excited!
I decided after I was at a carnival this summer w/ my son who is 4 years old. He wanted Mommy to go in a 'funny house' with him.. You know the one that is two levels and funny mirrors?? Also the big punching bag things that hang down I know that I would get stuck in. Well it broke my heart because he really wanted to go but I told him that it was closed and not open yet. I felt so bad and I said to myself, I can't do anything about it right now- BUT you can bet your bottom dollar that we are going in that thing next summer!

Yes, it's normal. Yes, it will go away. Your doing terrific, hang in there! Now we need some knock-knock jokes for the laughter portion.....
Knock knock.
Who's there?
Cows go.
Cows go who?
No, cows go moo!

Yes, it's normal. Yes, it will go away. Your doing terrific, hang in there! Now we need some knock-knock jokes for the laughter portion.....
Knock knock.
Who's there?
Cows go.
Cows go who?
No, cows go moo!