A Pulmonary Embolism Saved My Life

[cap1963 7]

On June 6, 2011 I found myself being wheeled upstairs to the emergency room at UNC Hospital in North Carolina. Quickly, the nurses were putting in more IV's after a V Q Scan had shown that I had a pulmonary embolism. They gave me Hepron and other blood thinning agents to make sure that I didn't die. As I laid there alone in the ER I had plenty of time to think. My life sucked. I had been fat pretty much my whole life. Been on every diet imaginable and then some. Lost and gain weight repeatedly. My knees were shot and needed to be replaced but no orthopeadic surgeon would touch me with a ten foot pole because I weighed 386lbs. and this was after I had lost down from an all time high of 405lbs. Mostly because my Dr. put me on Lasix due to edema in my legs which was probably part of the PE. I had been depressed and miserable for a very long time. My knees hurt all the time and it was more and more difficult for me to get around. I was somehow still working but just barely. I had been told by my gastroenterologist that I could never have weight loss surgery because of a previous surgery on my esophogus and stomach. After I got out of the hospital for the PE I decided to get a second opinion. I first went to Duke. Their lovely psychologist Dr. Applegate felt like I needed to wait a year and come back and reapply. Besides they wanted $30,000 out of pocket for the surgery. But through that process I learned more about the Gastric Sleeve as an option for my weight loss surgery. I'm originally from Texas and my mom told me about a friend of hers that was a nurse and had had the sleeve a few months earlier. I called her and she had done tons of research and recommended the sleeve and her surgeon Dr. Schrapp in Beaumont, TX. He only charged 14,000 and since at that time my insurance didn't yet pay for the sleeve I pursued him. I went to TX for Thanksgiving and arranged to see Dr. Schrapp and his team. They immediately approved me but I had to wait til I was done with the Coumadin that was treating my PE, I called back in December when my PCP released me from the Coumadin and set the surgery for Feb. 5, 2012. I flew to TX went to see Dr. Schrapp for my pre-surgery visit. He told me he had changed his mind and had some concerns for my mental health issues and wanted me to wait 3 months. I was pissed. The bottom line was he had two complaints against him at the Medical Board and hadn't really thought through my surgery risks due to my previous surgery. He was afraid to do my surgery and definitely lacked the ability to successfully do it. So I regrouped and fortunately through a family friend found Dr. Todd Wilson in Houston, TX. He agreed that I had many risk factors but was willing to do an endoscopy to look at my previous surgery before he decide. After the endoscopy he said he could do the surgery and I got scheduled at Hermann Memorial Hospital in Houston, TX. AND, then found out from his administrator that my insurance had changed and would pay for 80% of the surgery but only at Hermann Memorial and by Dr. Wilson. So finally, March 15, 2012 I had the Gastric Sleeve successfully with almost no complications. I now weigh 274lbs. feel great, my knees will still ultimately need to be replaced but now the pain is minimal and manageable with an NSAID instead of 3 different pain meds and frequent cortizone shots. My depression is almost gone and I am active, happier than I have been in 30 years and have a whole new outlook on life. I saw Dr. Wilson yesterday and he told me my weight loss was ahead of schedule and he expected I would continue to lose. Dr. Wilson took a big risk by doing my surgery. He had never done the sleeve on someone who had had a Heller Myotomy before and he consulted with many surgeons and drew out the surgery and was able to complete it. He also knew that I struggled with depression and anxiety and had numerous stressors in my life that could have complicated things further but he took the risk, had faith in himself and me and did the surgery. I am forever grateful. At this point, I do get hungry, I am tempted at times to overeat or eat foods that I know I shouldn't if I want to continue to lose, but 97% of the time I make the best choices and I have continued swimming laps 3-5 times a week and am slowly now losing weight. I reach plateaus at times and that is hard. But I know if I keep doing what I'm supposed to I will continue to lose.

[A Sleeve4me 26]

Awesome!!I'm so happy for you!!!

[Ballermom 803]

You are an inspiration. I love sports and to here how you are swimming is motivation for me. You are Doing a Super Job.

[AStephenson 159]

Love your story...thanks for posting. Great job, I wish you continued success!

[mike010906 14]

On June 6' date=' 2011 I found myself being wheeled upstairs to the emergency room at UNC Hospital in North Carolina. Quickly, the nurses were putting in more IV's after a V Q Scan had shown that I had a pulmonary embolism. They gave me Hepron and other blood thinning agents to make sure that I didn't die. As I laid there alone in the ER I had plenty of time to think. My life sucked. I had been fat pretty much my whole life. Been on every diet imaginable and then some. Lost and gain weight repeatedly. My knees were shot and needed to be replaced but no orthopeadic surgeon would touch me with a ten foot pole because I weighed 386lbs. and this was after I had lost down from an all time high of 405lbs. Mostly because my Dr. put me on Lasix due to edema in my legs which was probably part of the PE. I had been depressed and miserable for a very long time. My knees hurt all the time and it was more and more difficult for me to get around. I was somehow still working but just barely. I had been told by my gastroenterologist that I could never have weight loss surgery because of a previous surgery on my esophogus and stomach. After I got out of the hospital for the PE I decided to get a second opinion. I first went to Duke. Their lovely psychologist Dr. Applegate felt like I needed to wait a year and come back and reapply. Besides they wanted 30,000 out of pocket for the surgery. But through that process I learned more about the Gastric Sleeve as an option for my weight loss surgery. I'm originally from Texas and my mom told me about a friend of hers that was a nurse and had had the sleeve a few months earlier. I called her and she had done tons of research and recommended the sleeve and her surgeon Dr. Schrapp in Beaumont, TX. He only charged 14,000 and since at that time my insurance didn't yet pay for the sleeve I pursued him. I went to TX for Thanksgiving and arranged to see Dr. Schrapp and his team. They immediately approved me but I had to wait til I was done with the Coumadin that was treating my PE, I called back in December when my PCP released me from the Coumadin and set the surgery for Feb. 5, 2012. I flew to TX went to see Dr. Schrapp for my pre-surgery visit. He told me he had changed his mind and had some concerns for my mental health issues and wanted me to wait 3 months. I was pissed. The bottom line was he had two complaints against him at the Medical Board and hadn't really thought through my surgery risks due to my previous surgery. He was afraid to do my surgery and definitely lacked the ability to successfully do it. So I regrouped and fortunately through a family friend found Dr. Todd Wilson in Houston, TX. He agreed that I had many risk factors but was willing to do an endoscopy to look at my previous surgery before he decide. After the endoscopy he said he could do the surgery and I got scheduled at Hermann Memorial Hospital in Houston, TX. AND, then found out from his administrator that my insurance had changed and would pay for 80% of the surgery but only at Hermann Memorial and by Dr. Wilson. So finally, March 15, 2012 I had the Gastric Sleeve successfully with almost no complications. I now weigh 274lbs. feel great, my knees will still ultimately need to be replaced but now the pain is minimal and manageable with an NSAID instead of 3 different pain meds and frequent cortizone shots. My depression is almost gone and I am active, happier than I have been in 30 years and have a whole new outlook on life. I saw Dr. Wilson yesterday and he told me my weight loss was ahead of schedule and he expected I would continue to lose. Dr. Wilson took a big risk by doing my surgery. He had never done the sleeve on someone who had had a Heller Myotomy before and he consulted with many surgeons and drew out the surgery and was able to complete it. He also knew that I struggled with depression and anxiety and had numerous stressors in my life that could have complicated things further but he took the risk, had faith in himself and me and did the surgery. I am forever grateful. At this point, I do get hungry, I am tempted at times to overeat or eat foods that I know I shouldn't if I want to continue to lose, but 97% of the time I make the best choices and I have continued swimming laps 3-5 times a week and am slowly now losing weight. I reach plateaus at times and that is hard. But I know if I keep doing what I'm supposed to I will continue to lose.[/quote']

Feb 5th... My daughters birthday. Your story is truly inspiring! Would love to see some before and current progress pics.