Denika

Hello! I did stay one night when I had my surgery, but I think that was because I was self-pay and it was included with the cost. The reason that I think that is because Dr. Bauman asked me if I wanted to stay for the night, and if it wasn't included I don't think I would have had a choice. Since I live over an hour and a half away and it was already paid for, I figured, what the heck, why not stay and be waited on a little bit?:biggrin1: So, I don't know how that works if your insurance is paying, but I did get to stay one night. I should say though that I could have definitely gone home the day of surgery with no problems whatsoever. (In fact, I thought something was wrong because I felt so "normal.")

Hello! I think the only major thing to worry about after the first week would be lifting. I can't remember what the weight limit Dr. Bauman gave me was, but he can tell you at your appointment I'm sure. I would say though that other than lifting, you should be fine after the first week. I stayed by myself way before the first week was up, but then my little boy was 3 at the time though and didn't need to be picked up. So, I guess all in all, I'm not much help am I? Sorry about that! If you have any other questions, I'll try to be more help on those!:biggrin1: Congratulations on getting your appointment!

Karen, I remember how exciting it is to know that things are getting started! Congratulations, and I hope you get some great news really SOON!

Hello everybody, I just wanted you to know that I'm still hanging around here, and I'm going to try to do better at posting once in awhile. I'm trying to catch up with everything that you've all been up to!

Hello everybody, I know it's been awhile since I've been on here, and I haven't let you know what is going on with my mother. I HAVE MISSED YOU ALL! You may remember that I wrote a couple of weeks ago about her having a rare kind of cancer, and that she was going to be going to Duke University Medical Center. I really don't remember what I had exactly told you all, but I'll try to let you know what has happened since then. The kind of cancer that Mama has is Paget's Disease of the Vulva. With this, there is a 20 percent chance of the cancer being somewhere else too. My Nanny passed away February 3, 2005 of kidney cancer, so we were all concerned about that. When she went to Duke for the first time to see the gynecological oncologist, they went ahead and scheduled her surgery and did some tests, one of which was a urine test. It came back with atypical cells, degenerative cells, and blood in it. Let me just say that I was a basket-case. But, God helped me through it and gave me strength like he always does. So, since it came back like that, she had to have CT scans done of her kidneys and bladder, in addition to her uterus and ovaries. She had these done on Thursday, March 2nd. On Friday, they called us to tell us that her scans were clear! There was no cancer anywhere (besides where they already knew.) but they told us that she did have a very bid kidney stone. It is so big that it has to be surgically removed, and since they would have to go through her back, she wouldn't be able to have this surgery at the same time as the first one. It is such a blessing that her scans came back showing only a kidney stone. God has really blessed us through this whole thing. Mama had her surgery this past Wednesday, March 8th. She had several procedures done during one operation. She had a vulvectomy to remove the Paget's Disease. Then, instead of testing for further cancer, she had a complete hysterectomy, including her uterus, ovaries, and everything. So, instead of putting her through a bunch of tests, they checked everything after they took it out. There was a pathologist in the surgery who "examined" everything that they removed. He said that it didn't look like there was any cancer anywhere else, but they sent it off anyway just be sure. We found out yesterday that there was NO cancer anywhere else. We are so happy about that. We also found out though that they do not think that they got all of the Paget's though. During the surgery the doctor took as much tissue as she possibly could without taking, as my Mama says, "the parts a woman doesn't want to be without." But, it seems that the cells reached even further than they thought. So, they are going to monitor her very closely to see if it grows or whatever. If it does, it would mean more surgery. God has truly blessed us though, and I am so thankful. He is wonderful. Please keep her in your prayers. I can't tell you how much it means to me that you are praying for her and our family. Denika Menis

Hello everybody, I am very sorry that I did not get to come yesterday. I do really want to meet all of you. I kind of need your help with something though, I know that sounds weird coming from someone that you hardly know. You hear of others going through things, and you really do care and pray for them, but when it comes home, it's very different. I have a very special prayer request and I hope that even though I don't really know you, that you can spread the word for me and ask anyone and everyone that you know to pray for my Mama. I believe and have seen for myself that God puts people in our lives for a reason, and maybe this is a part of why he is letting me get to know you all. I just found out Friday that my mother has cancer. It is a very rare kind of cancer and I don't know if you've ever heard of it or not. But, it is called Paget's Disease of the Vulva. She has had problems with bleeding even though she's already been through menopause, but she had a surgery, a D&C, and an ablation to check for uterine cancer and nothing was found. When she went back to the doctor the Friday before last, she mentioned that she had a place "down there" and the doctor did a biopsy. It came back that she did have this "Paget's Disease" there. Most of the time this cancer is confined, but in 20% of the cases, it can mean that there is cancer somewhere else. She is still bleeding, and her doctor has no idea why she could still be bleeding after an ablation. So, I am very concerned about that 20%. Jimmy keeps telling me that that means 80% don't have it anywhere else, but you know me! I'm a worrier if there's ever been one! I do know that God is complete control, and is already working things out for us. She has to go to either Duke or the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and the earliest she has been able to get an appointment was March 16th. But, my mother has a very close friend whose mother also had this disease, and they have gotten in contact with the people at Duke. The lady who coordinates everything there called my mother TODAY, on Sunday, to let her know that she would get her in sometime this week! This is a prime example of how God puts certain people in our lives for a reason. It simple cannot be a coincidence that my mother met her friend years ago, and now has the same rare cancer that her mother had. It is such a blessing that we do not have to wait until March 16th. I know that I don't know any of you in "real life," but it would mean so much to me if you would pray for my Mama. If you have a prayer list at church, please put her on it. You may remember that she's been living away from her own home and my Daddy for about a year and four or five months because she took care of her mother who had kidney cancer and now her father who is blind from two strokes. Please remember my Daddy and me too, if you can. Thank you all so much! I really appreciate you all. (Her name is Vicki Goble) Denika

They are both beautiful! You must be so proud!

After both of my fills, Dr. Bauman told me 3 days liquids and 3 days mushy food. You all are cracking me up with naked old man stuff. Let me just say that I am very happy that he was holding on to the doorway and not something else too. That would be a very bad visual that I don't even want to think about. Denika

Melissa-I'm sure your daughter will be fine! She's just probably going to be cute and petite. I know that some of my kids in my class have drank Pediasure to help put on weight, but I don't know if it helps with height or not. Angie-I'm sorry to hear about the stomach bug, but I'm sure you handled it better than my husband did last night. He had it, and I'm sure I don't have to tell you about men and how they act when they are sick. Let's just say I am so glad he's doing better today, for many reasons!

Goodness Dianne, that sounds like it must've been terrible to go through. I'm so sorry that that happened to you. I will definitely pray for you and that this time, you have no trouble at all. Denika

Hey Court, you're filled almost just like me! LOL! He gave me 1.5 cc's the first time, and 1.0 cc's on the second. I have restriction now, but not so much that I can't stand to eat. It's pretty much just right. Sometimes I wish I could eat a little more, but usually it's O.K. I hope yours is "just right!"

My, my Karen, he is pleasant to look at!:nervous

That's exactly right Kim, and what is it they say about diets? "Just because you're on a diet doesn't mean that you can't look at the menu?"

Angie-LOL! Yes, the other doctors in North Carolina are great too. I know because I've heard wonderful things about them! I really hope I didn't sound like I was saying that they weren't, because that's not what I meant at all. I just meant there are lots of reasons why some choose one doctor over another, and those reasons aren't the same for everyone. I have the hardest time getting things across sometimes, and lots of times I end up sounding like I meant something totally different! I think it comes from working with 18 4 and 5 year olds all day!:phanvan I don't have any idea what Dr. V looks like, so I can't really compare. But, Dr. Bauman is a cutie. I wouldn't go so far as to say he was a HOTTIE, but most defintely a cutie. I think it makes the fills go by just a little faster! Now don't get me started about Jamie's ENT. He is a HOTTIE! Jimmy (my husband) makes fun of me all the time for liking him, and accuses me of wanting to take Jamie to his appointments by myself. He is definitley easy on the eyes.

I completely agree with you Angie. Dr. Bauman is wonderful, and the upfront costs are more than worth it. I would so much rather pay a little more upfront and know that I have a wonderful surgeon. But what am I talking about, I paid for everything upfront, since I'm self-pay!:faint: My point is though, if I had to choose to pay more upfront and feel confident in my surgeon or not pay as much up front and feel even be just a little less confident, I would definitely choose to pay more upfront. Boy, that made absolutely no sense at all, did it? Of course, there are lots of reasons why different people choose different doctors. It's just like when we chose to take our son to New York City for his bilateral cleft repairs, instead of going to Winston-Salem, Chapel-Hill, or Duke. Everyone thought we were crazy. But, at the local places he would have 16 surgeries or more, and in New York he would have 2. To some people that's not worth traveling that far, but to others it is. So, I do know that what seems right to some won't be the right thing for others. Ugh, I'm completely off track! I just wanted to say that, no matter what his upfront costs are, to me it was more than worth it for Dr. Bauman to do my surgery. That's just my opinion, and you know what they say about those!!:embarassed: Denika

Oh good grief, here it goes: Morning-Coffee Breakfast-Oatmeal with a little butter Lunch-4 fish nuggets and about 3 bites of macaroni and cheese (gotta love school cafeteria food!) Snack-MANY Girl-Scout cookies!!!! Bad, Bad, Me!! Supper-Don't Know Yet

Diane, I guess I'm so new that I don't know your story. Do you mind sharing it with me? If you don't want to, I completely understand. I don't ever get to read anywhere else but on this forum, so could you all tell me what they've been saying? Or, where to go to read it? Thank you so much!

What a wonderful picture! You have an absolutely beautiful family, and I know you must be very proud! Thank you for sharing the picture with us!

Uh, Melissa, I was told that you have 4 fills covered with Dr. Bauman's sugery fee. I was self-pay though, so I don't know if that matters or not. So, for my first one I only had to pay the hospital, none to Dr. Bauman. Then for my second I paid nothing at all since it was in his office. Weird!

Hello Courtney! My name is Denika Menis, and Dr. Bauman did my surgery too. I had mine on 7-26-05. So far I've lost 55 pounds, but I've been doing REALLY bad for about week now, and I've got to do better. I did want to tell you though that I did not have much success either until I got to 2.5 cc's. I was just like you and was feeling like a failure, but boy after my last fill I can sure tell I've got restriction. I've only had two fills, but I don't see another one anytime in my near future. I'd write more, but I'm at work and it's time for me to leave! I just wanted to say "Hello!" Denika

I'll be happy to eat soup too! In fact, we went there last week and I had soup, even though I wasn't on liquids. It was great! Denika

O.K, I think I did it! Boy, I've lost 55, but I sure have a long way to go! Denika

Melissa, Thank you so much! Let's see if it worked. Denika Oops! I must've still done something wrong. Let me try again.

Hello everybody! I hope you are all having a great weekend! I have a question about those cool tickers some of you have. I went to tickerfactory.com and made one, but how do I get it to be on my posts? I know it has several different codes for the one I made, and I didn't know which I used. I also couldn't figure out if I put it on my signature somehow or if I have to put it on each post somehow. Can anybody help me? Thank you! Denika

Goodness Kim, I will definitely say a prayer for him and for her to be completely honest about what happened! How terrible for her to change her story. Denika