New Surgery Date

On Monday August 24, 2009 I received my itinerary from Dr. Fitzer's office. While reading it, I noticed that my surgery date had been changed......to October 27, 2009!!!! I'm really excited and really nervous at the same time. I was just starting to get used to 103 days, when now it's down to 58 days!! The reason for the change is that another canadian patient was not as well organized and still waiting for OHIP approval. Since I had done all of my 'homework' and my approval was received prior to my consultation with the doc, they were able to offer me an earlier date. Yippeee!!! Pays to be organized.

Flu Shot vs Surgery

Once you have been scheduled for surgery, it's important to keep in mind that some routine treatments from your doctor may cause a delay. It's always a good idea to ask your Bariatric Surgeon's office staff before starting any new treatments.

Every fall it's flu shot season and I've been regular at receiving mine now for the past 3 years. This time however I called Dr Fitzer's office to verify if it's alright to get it.

Answer: Flu shot must be received at least one month prior to surgery. In my case, anytime before November 8th.

Roux-en-Y Available in Canada - Voicemail Jail?

After speaking with an old friend of mine, I found out that she received the Roux-en-Y surgery in Montreal, Quebec. The surgeon is Dr. Christou. She had to pay for her surgery when she had it done.
http://www.weightlosssurgery.ca/en/about/christou

NEWS:
2009-02-28: OHIP and Weight Loss Surgery enter into formal agreement to provide laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery to Ontario patients.
http://www.weightlosssurgery.ca/en/news?id=360

YIPPEE!!ALRIGHT, RIGHT ON!!!! Until your bubble gets wickedly burst when you try to contact their office.....goodluck! After calling the toll free number available on their website, I basically got nowhere. Their mailbox is full, when the automated voice transfers you for further assistance there is a message stating there is no one at this extension to assist you. Crazy!

I can ASSURE you that whenever calling Dr. Fitzer's or Dr. Graber's office, you can leave a message and that's only in the very small chance that there is no one available to answer your call. From my experience, everytime that I have called the Dr. Fitzer's office, I've always received a live person to assist me. Of course it would be nice to have the operation in my own country, however, what a mess when trying to even get through to Dr. Christou's office. I'm sticking with Dr. Fitzer, PERIOD!!

Will the status change at Dr. Christou's office? Perhaps...but I sure don't have the time to keep trying to find out.

Wow 117 Days left

I'm pretty sure that everyone that matters to me now knows what is going on. I feel somedays are tougher than other days, waiting and making sure everything is just right before I go in December. Some people tell me stories about things they've heard, people dying from the surgery, but I need to keep focussed on what the reality is. So here it goes, if I don't get the surgery, I will die. If I get the surgery, I will most likely live. Which one would you chose??

My sleep apnea is severe and Geoff worries about me alot when he notices that I stop breathing several times at night (sometimes up to 77 times per 7 hour sleep). I wear my CPAP as much as I can, but it's very uncomfortable and sometimes feels like I'm being strangled by the hose. I've gained approximately 20 lbs over the summer. Is it my thyroid condition? My doctor still has problems regulating my Eltroxin. Is it my eating habits? Geoff and the boys complain that I don't eat enough, possibly not so much the amount I eat, but what I'm eating. Funny thing is, I eat the same as them, less of it, and they are just fine. Mind you, they are much more active then I am, so burning off the calories is most likely a problem. The bigger you get, the harder it is to move around. It could possibly be as simple as just not getting enough sleep due to the sleep apnea.

It's all very hard to explain. Am I trying to justify my decision? Nope. I'm merely trying to explain some of the reasons why I made it. There are several reasons for my decision, however, please keep in mind that the TOP reason is for good health and to be here for mine & Geoff's kids...and for Geoff. The cosmetic results of the surgery is very appealing, but was not the end factor of my ultimate decision to have the surgery. Some people have said to me, wow you're going to look 'hot' or 'so pretty' when you lose all your excess weight. Perhaps I will....hope so too, but I would like to think that I'm pretty now?

This blog is meant for me to share the feelings and emotions that maybe most people will deal with while going through the same thing. Some will be very positive, and some maybe not so positive. Either way, I'm here to share & not hold back so that some people who are working on making their own decision might be able to say, 'Wow, that's exactly how I feel'. I thank you all for reading, supporting me, hanging in there if there are going to be some difficult times, and hanging around for the fun and laughter.

117 more days to go....it's coming faster than I thought.

WHAT DID I LEARN IN THE SEMINAR

What is Roux-en-Y? Simply, it is reduction in the functional volume of the stomach. Did you know that the top portion of the stomach is where the nerves are that trigger that important message to the brain "I'm full". By reducing the volume of the stomach using this top portion of the pouch, it will give me the ability to feel full sooner and for a longer period of time. Foods to be avoided are mushy foods, like mashed potatoes with gravy and cereals. Solid foods are to be consumed. like carrots, broccoli, cawliflower, chicken, beef and pork. As always, drinking water is good for me, however I'm not to drink 30 mins before or 45 minutes after meals. I'm to try to spread my meals over 5.5 hours in between.


Photo: Wikipedia

What does this mean in a nutshell? Four bites is what I will be allowed to have in one meal. This is the equivalent to 1/2 cup. As long as I eat the solids that the nutritionist recommends, I should be able to lose 70% of my excess weight.

What is excess weight? Take your ideal or healthy weight from the BMI index and substract your existing weight from it. The difference is your excess weight. For example, if you have 100 lbs of excess weight, you will most likely lose 70 lbs with this surgery.

Some people who have had this surgery sometimes complain about their 'little pouch' stretching. This is not the case. In most cases, the patient has taken one too many bites, 'the fifth bite' and had pain in their new stomach. In order to get away from that pain and instead of reducing their bites to the recommended 'FOUR', they have returned to eating the mushy foods that are prohibited. The mushy food is consumed and the nerves in the little pouch never feel the sensation of fullness, the mushy food squeezes out into the intestines and the patient feels hungry once again. Therefore, the stomach never stretching.

I learned about all the risks involved in the surgery. Common ones like infections and gallblader stones. However, some more serious risks where one involves death. Something no one wants to discuss, since it is a very sensitive conversation. I have discussed all these risks with my family and also have made sure that they are well taken care of in case this ever happens. Not the dinner table topic, but needs to be discussed either way. My boys are old enough to have this discussion with and actually appreciate to know that they will be well taken care of. Make sure you have an updated Last Will and Testament and appoint your Powers of Attorney. It costs money, but it will also make your family feel better knowing that you have everything in order.

I'm happy to have the support from all of you, your kind words mean the world to me.

I'm happy to have Geoff by my side to help me through this huge change in my life. He is a man who loves me just the way I am, a man who has never been condescending to me because of my weight. The man that blows me kisses at least 10 times a day, and the man who looks at me with passion in his eyes and lets me know that I'm beautiful and sexy to him. I love you so much!

I'm extremely happy to have my children by my side who understand what all this means to me. They've been through the rollercoaster rides with me on different diets and where also there to see the joy of the weight loss then to see it fail, see the tears and the resentment. They want the same for me that I want for myself....a healthy and active life. I'm honoured to have children like my boys who have so much care for the people they love....I'm very greatful to be one of those people. Love you guys so so much!

CONSULTATION

We arrived on time for the doctor's visit after our beautiful day at the Utica Zoo (all pictures from the weekend will be posted on my facebook profile).

We met with the nurse Kayla and she went through the medical questions, took my weight and my height. After our conversation with Kayla, we met with Michelle who walked us through again the same questions, however, she was able to offer me a date for my surgery!

My surgery will be held on December 8th, 2009. (UPDATED: SURGERY WILL BE ON TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27TH, 2009)

I will be in Utica on Monday, December 7th, 2009 for pre-op and am required to be on a liquid diet for 72 hours prior to the operation. The operation takes about 1 hour. My stay in the hospital will be 2 to 3 days, then I am required to stay one night at the hotel before I depart for Canada. If no complications, I will be ready to come home. Time away from work is 2 - 3 weeks, depending on how well I heal. My family doctor here in Canada is responsible for all blood work, EKG tests required for pre-op and any prescriptions required for post-op. Tests will be required to be done 30 days prior to my surgery.

After our meeting with Michelle, we then met with the surgeon who AGAIN walked us through the medical questions, had me sign a variety of documents and thanked us, shook our hands and went on to the next patient. The appointment took all about 30 minutes to complete. Also a tip, if you have medical insurance with your work, make sure to have the forms completed (patient information) for the pre-op. Your surgeon will complete the form and send it to your disability management group.

I'm not sure what it is I feel right now...fear, happiness, gratefulness, relief.... it's going to happen, and it's going to happen in the next 4 months. Knowing that my manager is supporting me at work and said that she feels my decision is 'a good news story', puts me at ease. One less thing to worry about.

Wow, this is for real now...my life and health can only improve going forward.

Thanks for letting me share all of this so far. I will keep you updated with any other information if anything comes up.

Your friendly, loving and caring person always,
Deliska ;-)

August 6, 2009 - Utica Zoo

My appointment with Dr Fitzer isn't until 2:30, so Geoff and I decided that we will go spend our day at the Utica Zoo. It's only about 5 mins from the hotel and it has 200 acres where 35 acres of it is now in use. We're off very shortly to have our complimentary breakfast.

http://www.uticazoo.org/

SEMINAR

I was very impressed that when I walked in, it was the surgeon (Dr Fitzer) himself who was delivering the seminar. He spoke of the techniques used, how the surgery works for weight loss and the do's & don'ts. He also talked about the risks involved. Dr Fitzer was up front about some of these risks happening to his patients, but was able to mend them. I was already aware of all the things he spoke of since I have done alot of research on my own. At the end of his speech, he opened the floor for questions. It really hits you in the face that this is actually going to happen now. When you're actually there speaking with the surgeon and knowing that your health and life is going to completely change with this surgery. Tomorrow at 2:30, I meet one on one with Dr Fitzer to discuss my personal medical history. Hopefully tomorrow I will know when my surgery is going to be...not really sure how that works yet, but will definetely note it once I find out.

On a tourist note, Geoff and I went to the Stanley Theatre. The doors were unlocked and the man at the ticket booth said to go on in. What an amazing theatre. The architecture was unbelievable and antiqué. We roamed around the theatre, from the bottom up, pretending that we would some day attend a performance there. And of course, I didn't have my camera with me, but man, what a kodak moment that was. Just a gorgeous place to have the honor to visit.

ARRIVAL FOR SEMINAR & CONSULTATION

2:30pm - Geoff and I arrived at our hotel room in Utica. We made several stops along the way, including the Skydeck on Hill Island. We both went up right to the top, it was a beautiful view(pictures to come). U.S. Customs was a breeze, waited about 10 minutes max to get through. A bit of construction a long the way, but the roads are pretty good.

Special thanks to special friends for signing as guarantors. We appreciate very much the last minute request.

5:30 is the seminar....looking forward to it and will be taking lots of notes.

Pick up Passports & On our Way to Utica, NY

So we're off to Ottawa to pick up our passports (last hurdle to jump over). They better be there! LOL Then we're off to Utica, NY. Seminar at 5:30 - 6:30.

APPROVAL RECEIVED

My family doctor called me this morning to let me know they received a fax from OHIP. I have approval!!! I'm so stoked now! Off to the states tomorrow for the seminar and consultation with the surgeon.

WAITING FOR OHIP

I'm getting very anxious to find out if OHIP is going to approve my application. I'M not sure if Purolator is running today. I'll stick around the house to see if they might be running. I guess that's the biggest thing right now. Everyone tells you that there should not be a problem with approval, but until you know for sure that it's confirmed, it's a bit frustrating.

PREPARE FOR EXTRA EXPENSES

August 2, 2009 - Extra Expenses

Although OHIP will cover the Medical Insurance (once approved), they will not cover travel & accomodations. The first trip will require to stay minimum 1 night stay. The surgery will require your spouse/partner/family to stay minimum 3 nights. Plan ahead for the costs of the travel and accomodations as this surgery (for my area) takes place in Utica, New York.

http://www.mvnhealth.com/

St Luke's Health Care

OHIP STATUS

July 29, 2009

I contacted OHIP to find out the status of my application. The medical team was reviewing my application. They had contacted my doctor a couple of times with extra questions and the lady told me it looked good for approval and I should receive my results by purolator in a couple days.

PASSPORT OR ENHANCED DRIVER'S LICENSE

July 17, 2009 - EDL & Passport

Since Canadians are now required to either have an Enhanced Drivers Licence (EDL) or a Passport to cross the border, Geoff and I were forced to get our butts to Ottawa to get one of them. We decided we would try for the EDL. The lady at the Service Ontario counter advised us that the wait was 6 weeks or more, so we had to get our passports. A friend of mine drove 30 minutes from where he lived to come and sign as my guarantor and Geoff had to wait to have one of his friend's sign on the weekend. Takes about 15 days to get your passport if you can pick it up. If you want it by snail mail, you'd better be ready for a LONG wait.

EDL ($40) or Passport (Approximately $97 and up). You will also need passport pictures taken. Prices vary depending on where you get them. It was approximately $45 for Geoff and I at Black's Photography.


EDL: http://www.news.ontario.ca/mto/en/2009/05/apply-today-for-your-enhanced-drivers-licence.html

Passport Canada: http://www.passportcanada.gc.ca/index.aspx?lang=eng

ENSURING FORMS ARE FAXED TO OHIP

July 9, 2009 - Forms are sent

My family doctor's office called to let me know they faxed the forms over to OHIP. Now the waiting begins.

FAMILY DOCTOR VISIT & ONLINE REGISTRATION WITH DR GRABER

July 2, 2009 - Family Doctor Visit

I had my visit with my family doctor and I was well prepared with all the forms filled out. He knew the rollercoaster ride I had been on trying to lose weight and is willing to back me up 150%. He agreed to filling out the forms.

I went home and accessed http://www.drgrabermd.com/ to fill out the questionnaire and start the process of their office contacting me for an appointment. Within 24 hours, Dr Fitzer's office called me to arrange an appointment for the seminar and a consultation appointment. They also let me know that if for some reason OHIP wasn't to approve, that they would not charge me for the consultation with the surgeon. I'm very excited about all of this.

My appointment is August 5, 2009 (Seminar) and August 6th (Consultation).

DECISION

June 2009 - Meeting a new friend and getting a new chance

I met a very nice lady from the car dealership where I purchased my new SUV. She had shared with me that she had recently had bariactric surgery in January 2009. I became very curious about the surgery and started reading about it online.

http://www.drgrabermd.com/

This site is very helpful. It takes canadian patients through steps one at a time. I printed the patient handbook and everything else that they suggested I would need. My tip to you is to see your family physician as soon as possible and have the forms from OHIP with you prepared and filled out (patient portion filled out). You can find these forms at http://www.health.gov.on.ca/english/public/program/ohip/outofcountry/prior_approval.html

Read the website, it will tell you everything you need to know.

As far as sharing my weight at this time, I'm not comfortable doing that. I will, just not right now.