January 7, 2005
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Thank you all for you well wishes! You are very sweet to me. I’m feeling a little bit better…but still coughing a great deal and my chest hurts quite a bit from coughing so much. I only have one more day of antibiotics left…so I hope that I don’t get worse instead of better over the weekend. If I’m not feeling up to par still on Monday, I’ll go back to the doctor. The last thing I want is for this to elevate to pneumonia.
Other than that…I’ve been working…or at least trying to. I’m behind as it is…but after having to leave early on Monday to go to the doctors and then being gone on Wednesday and leaving early yesterday (the President told me to go home)…I’m still behind. The good thing is that they’ve hired a temp to come help me over the next two weeks with my filing and such…that will help out a great deal! Also, I found out yesterday that instead of hiring me a new assistant, they’ve decided to have Regina (a dear friend of mine that currently handles payroll and accounts payable for the
company) to only do payroll and benefits. They’ve hired a new full time accounts payable clerk and that means that Regina will be moving into my office to be my new assistant!!
I think that is the best damn idea that they’ve had yet! We work very well together and do things the same way…so this ought to work out just wonderfully! No more of either of us having to constantly go to each other’s offices (which are currently on the opposite ends of the building) to go over things and exchange paperwork! Finally…a good decision made by the management of my company!
In other news…completely unrelated to all of the above. I’ve been doing a great deal of research this past year on gastric bypass surgery. My doctor mentioned it to me last year as an option (more like a last resort) if we were unable to get my hypothyroidism under control. So since that time, I’ve been giving this a great deal of thought because even after almost thirty years of being on medication for hypothyroidism…I still am unable to lose weight effectively, no matter what I do. The more I’ve researched morbid obesity (which is anyone who’s BMI is over 40…mine is 54.1)…the more signs I recognize in myself. Hypothyroidism is a medical condition that can sometimes be controlled by medication…but there are some cases that cannot. I’ve been overweight my entire life and have had many medical conditions. I was born with pneumonia which weakened my heart over the years after having relapses for eighteen years straight. Due to this, I almost had a stroke having my first child…but I chose to have her anyway. I’m not diabetic (thank God)…but I’ve had many problems with high blood pressure, hypoglicemia, depression, stomach ulcers (also acid reflux) & something that my cardiologists have referred to as “petite coronaries”. These are all items that I’ve seen related to being morbidly obese.
I‘m going to check with my insurance and see if this procedure is covered and then speak to my doctor again about it. I’m sure that to some people this seems a bit drastic, however…I must look at this from a logical standpoint. I have some health issues that potentially could become life threatening if I’m not careful and they all are related to being morbidly obese. I’ve tried everything that I know of to be healthy and have recently been able to keep my blood pressure stable without medication…but the other items all still concern me a great deal. I want to be here for my family and I want to be healthy and the only way that I believe that’s going to happen is if I have this surgery. Many variations of this surgery are now available and I’m curious to see which one would be recommended for me. I guess I’ll just have to wait and see…and in the meantime, I’m going to contact my insurance and get some questions answered.
Comments (16)
I’m glad to hear you’re feeling a bit better. As for the surgery..only you know yourself and you have to do what you have to do to keep safe and healthy for your kiddos!
Please be careful with the surgery option. There is a fairly high mortality rate with this operation.
I don’t know if anything is going to cahnge your mind about the surgery once you’ve decided– but I do hear that gastric bypasses have very mixed results.
Whatever you do though, get a really reputable surgeon.
I know a couple of people who have had the surgery. One is here at Xanga in fact. It might be good to talk with some people who have had the surgery so you know what to expect from the patient point of view. Sending wishes for better health for you.
That gastric bypass surgery is quite a scary thing, but my good friend had it done I think about 2 yrs ago and shes lost about 150lbs. But she also had to have her gall bladder removed and she had problems with her pancrease too. I’m not trying to discourage you in any way, you have to do what you have to do. Just make sure you get a doctor who knows exactly what they are doing, which im sure you already know that. Its just scary thats all. Have a great weekend!
Much Love, Keri
I hope you get to feeling better soonly, and I’m glad the company is figuring out an efficient way to get through the work load.
To be honest, I’ve heard and seen nothing but good things on the surgery. In fact, if you want to talk to anybody on Xanga here about it, I suggest you go here. Send her an email and I’m sure she’d be happy to tell you all about her experience with the procedure, and also be able to give you information that might give you a broader view–not like you haven’t already researched it, but everything prolly counts.
glad you feel a bit better.
good luck on the decision.
feel better soon!!!!
Well whatever you do, I hope it makes you happy! You are one of the most beautiful people I know, inside and out, but when I started to read the paragraph, the first thing besides your health that I thought about was your family. I can just imagine it being really difficult to physically be the awesome mom you are if you have health problems. It would be wonderful and I am very willing to be a babysitter if you do go through it. I’d love to help you guys out anytime, you know! I’d do it without charge… well, except for some of your damn good cooking that I’ve heard so much about!
Love you guys!!!
I hope you continue to feel better
As the above stated.. get a lot of advice and doctors consults on that surgery – I have heard and seen some scary things about it 
i’m sure you’ll do all the research you possibly can on the surgery. you sound like you’re the type to take matters into your own hands when you want an answer. [that's a good thing] [not that i'd know anything about taking the bull by the horns or being stubborn or anything] [*cough*]
there’s another xangan i read who had the surgery about a year ago. here (hoping the link works…i’m never sure if it will or not) she’s such a sweetheart and i know she’d be happy to answer questions you might have.
i’m glad you’re staying on top of the bronchitis too. pneumonia’s not good, as i’m sure you know and it loves to come back to haunt people. and hypothyroidism. gah. i was “hyper” till i had it removed when i was ten years old. went from super thin to a lump of blahh in about a year. i take meds too. o_o seems like a never ending battle sometimes, doesn’t it, kid? ever look in the mirror and just say, “what? what? what’s the deal here?” ::nods:: i know.
i’m glad you stopped by tonight. i was [girl scout's honor] thinking about you on my way home from dinner tonight and how i hadn’t seen you [nor had i stopped by here] lately. anyway…thanks. was good to “see” you. (oh and i have eeyore envy of your email thingy.)
Hope that you are well soon. But take it easy…..I know many people(my daughter being one) that keep having relapses and are sick for weeks. Go back to the Dr if you are not significantly better by Mon. I would really pray about the surrgery…….make sure it is for health reasons and not just the lure of losing weight. Your family needs you! I do suggest that you get feed back from people who have had the surgery.
I’ll be praying for healing.
You need to do LOTS of research on your own, take all your questions directly to your doctor and decide if surgery is for you…. There are so many different different views…I too need GBS but my insurance won’t cover it… so I have to wait… to either die from a related complication, or old age…LOL
Anyway… you just check out the net, and get the pro’s and cons… because trust me there are tons of those out there that will tell you it is a easy way out, and there is NOTHING easy about it….
Much love,
Tina
my mother had the surgery 9-30-04 and she has lost 85lbs. she made sure she went to the best surgeon around. asked his mortality rate. that type of thing.and she is very very happy.
you know I will support you on all your decisions, my love. I just want you to be healthy!