Kimberly Novak
My old posts from 11/26/00 to June 2006
Nov 07, 2006
I am a mother of 6 children. i think that the most important thing to me, is to be able to keep up with them. i cannot wait to start my new life after surgery. i am having a hard time getting my family to agree to help me when i am in the hospital. i have had more offers from strangers to help me than i have from my sister and mother. i will not let them get me down! somehow, my husband and i will get through having somebody stay with the kids so i can go into the hospital and not have to put this off. my surgery is in 12 days!!!! wish me luck!!!!
update 11/26/00 my surgery is tomorrow morning! i haven't gotten nervous yet, but i did develop a head cold a couple of days ago, so they will check me out at the hospital, and if i am not running a fever or my lungs sound good, we will be doing good! to all of you out there waiting for your surgery date, have hope, it will be here before you know it! best wishes to all of you. i will update when i get home from the hospital (a long 3 hour drive!)in belvidere, ill.
*******update dec 11/00 well, i am now on the other side. the surgery and the pain were not really that bad (remember that i have had 6 children naturally!!!!). i do have a high tolerance to pain. eating jello and pudding and drinking diluted juices though, i think are going to kill me. i just want to eat healthy, hot food!!! it has been two weeks, and believe it or not, my scale read 306 this morning!!!!!! i feel pretty darn good, although i don't feel that i have the energy to do things around the house or for the kids yet. i will keep you updated. good luck to all of you still waiting!!!!
******update---march 30,2001--yes it has been awhile since i have updated-- i now weigh 278 pounds. i have lost about 75 pounds in 4 months. i do need to start excercising, but old habits die hard. i am so grateful for this surgery. i no longer am stared at and laughed at like some circus freak when i go out. what a feeling! it is such a relief to not be so paranoid. guess what? i can cross my legs! not for long (my circulation goes pretty quick) but i had to lift up my leg with my hand before the surgery. life is getting better everyday. i do get very frustrated with my scale, i would really like to see these pounds melting like butter on a hot skillet, but they are going away---NEVER to come back!!!!!!!!
UPDATE 4*17*01 it has been 4 1/2 mo. and my scale this morning read 255 pds. that means that i have lost 98 pds. i just cannot believe it!!! i was stuck on a platue for about 4 agonizing weeks of pure torture, but now, look at me. i am on cloud 9!!!!
********UPDATE 6*25*01 well folks--drumroll please- i have lost 110 pounds in 7 months!!! i still cannot believe it. i still am having problems with my tummy area-it seems like it is melting off everywhere else but there. but i cannot complain! i encourage everyone that is suffering to go ahead and have this surgery and start a new life.
update----JULY 26, 2001**************WELL, IT HAS BEEN 20 MONTHS SINCE MY SURGERY. I NOW WEIGH 172 POUNDS ---THAT IS A LOSS OF 180 POUNDS. MY LIFE HAS COMPLETLY CHANGED. I DON'T EVEN FEEL LIKE I LIVED LIFE AS BIG AS I WAS. IT JUST SEEMS LIKE IT WAS A REALLY BAD DREAM. I AM AT THE HEIGHT OF MY LIFE, ALL BECAUSE OF THIS SURGERY. I DO NEED A TUMMY TUCK DONE, BUT I DO NOT HAVE INSURANCE AT THIS POINT. BUT I AM HAPPY WITH WHERE I AM, AND I KNOW THAT LIFE WILL NEVER BE THE SAME.
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO ME!!!!!!!!!!!! today is my 2nd year anniversary of my surgery. the changes that i have experienced in the past 2 years have been tremendous! Every single part of my life has changed. I am so happy that the past is behind me. The life I used to live was horrible. I have lost 175 pounds. I have not lost any weight in about 4 months, but i am happy were I am at. I do need alot of plastic surgery (arms, legs, back, and definetly my tummy), but I do not have the insurance for that at this time. I cannot tell you how much life is worth living now. For all of you still struggeling, please have hope. Maybe your day will come soon, and you can finally feel life is worth living.
Jan. 2004 *****I thought that I would update. Well, It has been a little over three years since I have had my surgery. I would not take It back for the world. I am soooo much happier and healthier. I have gained about 20 pounds in the last 18 months, so BEWARE- the pounds CAN and WILL come back to haunt you if you let them. I have went through a very long and tiring divorce. This in turn caused me to make a very BIG mistake to move about 2 hours from my friends and family, and a job that I absolutely LOVED. That is what I contribute my weight gain too. I am so depressed out here that I do nothing but comfort eating, and basically don't move unless I am made to. But, I have hope, and I am desperately trying to get back home. And I know that when I get there, I have friends that are going to kick my ass back into shape!!!! God bless them. Well, that Is all for now. I hope the best for you.
FEBRUARY ******2005******** I guess it is time to update. I injured my back at work 18 months ago. I have gained about 60 pounds in that time. I can barely even function in daily life because of the pain that I experience. I have been told by a couple of back specialist that I need surgery, but just the idea of that scares me to death. I just received my referal for a TT. I have medicaid, so hopefully I won't have to fight them to get it done. I have always had a huge pannis, and even after my highest weight loss, it was still really big. I know that this is not helping my back either. I will say that I am really stuck in a rut right now, but hopefully things will start to turn around for me, because I really am at my wits end. I miss being active and healthy. I miss yard work, cleaning my house, working. Having energy--I would give anything to have that back. It seems like everytime I get a taste of success, I get dumped on. I have been in the dumps long enough. It is time for things to start turning around.
UPDATE**************************************************************** 4/8/05--Received my denial letter today from medicaid. They said they feel it is cosmetic. COSMETIC---ARE YOU $$$##@@((*&^ NUTS? I WILL APPEAL. And if that fails, I will sell everything I own to hire an attorney. They are the ones that are going to get screwed. NOT ME--NOT ANYMORE. I cannot live with this panni ANYMORE!!!! ************************************************
*********************UPDATE--I was called by my plastic surgeon office and was told that they filed an appeal for me (I was in the process of doing so myself because I didn't know that they would be doing this). They then told me that medicaid reconsidered their decision, and are now giving me an APPROVAL!!! However, I am not trying to sound ungrateful, but they (ps) waited 2 weeks to get ahold of me and tell me this! 2 WEEKS. And a couple of other things that upset me about their practice, is 1. I was told that their schedule is only booked for 3 weeks in advance. Not bad right? WRONG--They cannot get me on schedule for 8 Weeks--8weeks? What happened to 3? Well, my surgery is extreme and will need double the time to schedule. SO WHY CAN'T YOU GET ME IN ON THE 4TH WEEK? NOPE--8 WEEKS IS THE BEST THEY CAN DO. WHATEVER! 2. I was told at my initial consultation that she can fix hernias, do a tubal ligation, AND fix my muscles all together. Now that the time comes, she will not do ANY of those extra things! WHAT? 3. I wanted to have an anchor cut. I asked how much they would charge me, because I would pay for table to table (cannot move me at all), and my fat roll starts on my butt. And what about all the fat above the bellybutton? Will that eventually fall down to even out? I really hope this turns out o.k. I wan't my life back. Thanks for listening to me vent. I will be posting after pictures, and letting you know how it goes. Wish me luck!
$3,900. WHAT? The total charge for a REAL tt (muscle repair, and removal of skin above the bellybutton too) is only $5,400. Why would you charge almost as much as the whole procedure? No answer for that--that is what they will charge. Thank you. Now please do not get me wrong. I am so happy to be getting rid of this panni. However, I am going to have to have this done the RIGHT way eventually, and how am I ever going to get the money to do that? I look like a freak now, but am I going to have "dog ears"? ************************************************
*******************update--I had my panniculectomy done in june 2005. She cut me 3/4 around, and removed 22# of fat. I have no compaints. I did not get "dog ears" because she cut me so far around. I had a drain for 3 weeks. OUCH is all I can say about having it removed. That sucked. I have to say that I am addicted to ps. I want other things done, but don't have good insurance to get it covered.
***************june 2006***** well it has been a year already, and i am so happy with the panniculectomy. i still have some problems with my back that interferes with losing weight, but it always has to be something now doesnt it!**********************************
