Gerry Smith
8 Months have come & gone!
May 21, 2009
UP-Date on my New Life Adventure!
Sep 25, 2008
Had a very succesful Lap RNY with NO complications. Only spent 1 night in the hospital... Dr. Roye with the grace of God has given me a new lease on life.
9/22/08
Today is the better of all days since I came home. I still have this drain in me... it's called a Jackson Pratt (JP) drain... it's a rubber tube connected to me inside and the fluids drain via suction into a little football shaped bulb, that I periodically have to drain. Years ago they did not do this for my type of surgery and that's why allot of patients had complications from infections etc. I can take a shower as of day 2 and can swallow all my pills... something I wasn't sure I could do, so all is good. I am just having to train myself to consume the required fluids to help my body heal and nourish. I am not hungry at all. I weighed myself this morning... I weighed 251.5. A few days ago I was saying this surgery is not for wimps because the pain... coughing really hurt, I needed to cough to clear my lungs. I am on liquid Vicodan 3 teaspoons every 4 hours... I have my cell phone alarm clock set for this... Even deep breathing hurts, but today the pains are not painful, they are soreness. I can straighten out my body now...I had to sleep on my recliner since I came home... too painful to lie flat on a bed and then try to get up and out of bed...Tonight I try my bed! One has to be able to get to the bathroom very fast... the most painful part of my surgery is trying to pass the gas they used to pump up your stomach so they could do the surgery. This hurts when it starts rumbling and bumping into everything that was moved and repaired during the procedure. Then if you try to pass the gas yourself, accidents and a mess happen, you have to let the gas expel itself, then no mess..LOL! I feel very weak, which is expected with GBS (gastric bypass surgery). My diabetic meds are cut back, am only taking 2 - 5 mgs Glyburide... one in the am & 1 in the pm. Stopped the other 2 diabetic meds. I am monitoring my glucose, and will probably be able to stop the Glyburide as well, soon. I have an appointment with my surgeon on Tuesday at 2 pm... to remove my JP drain... Yay!!! All the prayers that have been prayed for me are really working. God is so good and must have plans for me in our parish, because I have had no complications, absolutely no problems at all. I am not planning to get out and get committed to anything... till I am getting all my fluids in and my strength comes back. I might start walking here around the house... but that's it for now.
9/25/08
My nurse (Gary) is doing great... he likes it now that he can eat whenever he wants too and eat what he wants to eat... not what I fixed...LOL! He's back on track with his Atkins's lifestyle of eating and his glucose readings are good... his blood work came back and his A1c was a 6.0.... this is where diabetics want to be! As for myself... all went well Tuesday... went to Sam's to gas up and a little shopping before my 1 pm Dr. appt. Rode the electric cart so I wouldn't get tired. Then to Innovative Nutrition to return all the protein Bullets and Unjury drinks that would gag a maggot... and exchanged them all for protein soy or whey powders... much more tolerable on my new pouch! Then the doc pulled the 2 foot tube out of my belly and we ditched the JP drain... LOL! That sucker might not have had that long a tube but quoting Gary "Dr Roye grabbed hold of it and pulled the length of his arm and then let go, grabbed hold again and pulled till it was out!" It didn't hurt, but sure felt weird coming out! Went shopping at United on the way home to buy cream soups cause my Doc put me on Phase 2 of eating... this is the next stage of eating, I was on Phase 1, clear liquids (if you can see a light thru it) you can have it! Full Liquids stage is soups that are strained, Protein shakes made with 1% milk etc. Phase 3 will be Pureed foods... Probably when I see my Doc in three weeks. Doc wouldn't refill my liquid Vicodan... said I need to take Liquid Tylenol from here on for pain! Wednesday was not too great.... the drugs wore off... 30 hours of Morphine via drip in hospital, then 3 teaspoons of Vicodan every 4 hours... I set alarms for these doses every 4 hours (found a good use for our unused cells, they have great alarms) and never missed a dose night and day! Well Wednesday I went thru withdrawal symptoms... I felt every movement the surgeon made, every push and nudge he did to my innards, I felt the stomach I no longer used and some new and strange feeling from my new pouch (my tool)... just kidding... I did feel very weak, clammy and just not as good as I had been feeling. But today is a new day... the pains are really gone... it's more a discomfort and soreness. Although I still can't sleep in bed... I tried again last night and rolled over to my left side, using pillows for support against my tummy, but woke up feeling pains so back on my back and then back to my recliner till I can actually lay on either side without feeling like I shifted my innards to the opposite side...LOL! I am doing well with my fluids intake... this is why my doc moved me up to full liquids. When one eats strictly fluids, our bodies will process strictly fluids... which at the present time has caused a few embarrassing moments for me. So due to this natural process of our human anatomy... I will be keeping a low profile and not committing to anything outside of home and my personal toilet for awhile... I'm too young to have to start wearing depends... LOL! I weighed 247 pounds at the docs office (was 265 the last time most of you saw me)... don't plan to weigh myself till my next doc appointment on 10-14, this is something I decided. I hope I didn't gross you out but just thought I'd share my experiences with this life altering change I opted for. My surgeon Dr. Roye has given me a new leash on life, more like a second chance at life... I'm not blowing it this time by eating wrong... I have the TOOL my new 2 oz stomach! Now I must share who all the credit must go to for my having this surgery, having a successful surgery with NO complications, with support from my family (especially my hubby, my nurse Michelle) and friends... I owe this all to Our Heavenly Father, who has given me this chance to be of more service to Him as I gain my strength and am able to return this blessing by ministering at church! We have an awesome God... I Love You Jesus!! Thank you all for letting me share my adventure with you and for all your many prayers and may Our Lord Bless you and all your loved one!
MEETING DR. ROYE, JR ON FRIDAY 8-15 @ 10 AM!
Aug 10, 2008
Aetna has finally got their update on Dr. Roye's new location to
Playing the WAITING Game!!!
Jul 31, 2008
Gerry the Karaokejunkie
New Appointment Date CANCELLED!!!
Jul 29, 2008
Sad news... Dani, from Dr. Roye's Office called and my appointment has been cancelled due to
7/29/08
Dani from Dr. Roye's Office called... there was a cancellation so my appointment has been moved to August 4th at 10 am from 8-08! I have started a low fat diet consisting of 1,000 caloreis... will stay on this till I meet Dr. Roye... I decided to try to help my surgeon and my body by trying to shrink my "fatty liver" and get my type II diabetis regulated... hopefully he'll count this week as part of my 2 week diet before surgery!
Got My Appointment to Meet Watson P. Roye, Jr. M.D.!
Jun 17, 2008
7/17/08
6/17/08
Having a heart cath is no picnic… but in all honesty, it wasn’t that painful. The hardest part was having to be still and lay flat on my back and not raise up my head or legs for an hour. God is so good and answered all the prayers said in my behalf. Quoting my cardiologist Dr. Monte Slatton “He evaluated me and said I see NO active cardiac contraindications that would preclude surgery and anesthesia in this patient.” He approved my request for Bariatric Surgery! I would like to thank you all for your prayers and support and friendship. I have 1 more month with my Dietician and the last test will be my Bariatric Evaluation with a Psychiatrist on July 17th. Then all I will be waiting for is my appointment to meet my WLS surgeon Watson Roye, Jr. He will be accepting new patients August 1st! The waitng game begins once again, LOL!
Required for Insurance Approval!
May 06, 2008
5/29/08
My Cardiologist Dr. Monte Slatton's Office just called with bad news; I have a blockage and Moderate A1 Insufficiency (I have a leakage in the main aorta) with Inferoapical Ischemia! My lungs are healthy but my heart needs repairing before I can be accepted as a patient for Bariatric Surgery. They might have to put a stint in... they'll know more when I go for my Cardiac Catheterization on June 16th! I go back and talk to my Cardiologist on June 11th and they'll explain all and get me ready for the procedure! I have to have this done before the Cardiologist will give me a clean bill of health for Bariatric Surgery. So it's kind of a good thing that I wanted the Gastric Bypass... no telling how long I would have gone with out the stress test and radioactive echocardiogram etc. This is why the Insurance company requires these kind of specialists testing before they will approve and pay for WLS. "God is Good!"
5/28/08
I finished 2 days of testing at the Cardiology Center of Amarillo. I had never had a Stress test before and I am now waiting to see if I did well. The 27th they did a Treadmill Stress tests with an IV of Radioactive solution, then an Echocar-diogram and lastly pictures of my heart where I had to lie still with my arms over my head for 11 minutes. Then today the 28th I had to have Resting pictures again for 11 minutes in the same picture machine… this time the Radioactive solution was just injected into my arm and we had to wait 30 minutes before the pictures were taken. Being STILL is something I hate to do, LOL! I just did a Google search and this procedure is called “ A Myoview stress test!” My Cardiologist Dr. Monte Slatton will call me in a day or two and go over my test results. I hope I passed and am healthy enough for RNY surgery. I am supposed to ask him what my “Ejection Fraction is?” My oldest daughter Michelle is an ER-RN and wants to know if it is 50% or higher… kind of neat to have my kids worry about me for a change! LOL 
5/19/08
Went to BSA Hospital in Amarillo for a Breathing Test and Chest X-Rays. My husband and I were really impressed with BSA. From the hospital we went to my Pulmonologist Dr. Alfred E. Conde for my exam and consultation of the tests at BSA. I passed both with flying colors. My swimming a mile three times a week with fins, mask & snorkel really helped me get great breathing test results. I see my Dietician Marilyn Baird again tomorrow 5/21/08; here in Borger at GPCH… this will start my second month of three, under her care in preparing me for Aetna’s approval for Bariatric Surgery. Then on 5/27/08 I have my Appointment with the Cardiology Center of Amarillo. This will be #3 of the 4 required specialists I have to see for Aetna to approve my laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB).
5/06/08
I started a 3-month program with a Dietician recommended by Dr. Crum's Office on April 22, 2008. This is the first step in my eligibility requirements for Aetna's approval for Bariatric Surgery. My husband Gary who supports me 100% in my decision to have Gastric Bypass surgery is taking me to Dr. Crum's Support Group Meeting in Amarillo tomorrow at 6 pm. He wants to meet Dr. Crum, we are anxious to meet the surgeon who will give me a New Healthier Life, to share with my husband for the rest of our lives!
My Cardiologist Dr. Monte Slatton's Office just called with bad news; I have a blockage and Moderate A1 Insufficiency (I have a leakage in the main aorta) with Inferoapical Ischemia! My lungs are healthy but my heart needs repairing before I can be accepted as a patient for Bariatric Surgery. They might have to put a stint in... they'll know more when I go for my Cardiac Catheterization on June 16th! I go back and talk to my Cardiologist on June 11th and they'll explain all and get me ready for the procedure! I have to have this done before the Cardiologist will give me a clean bill of health for Bariatric Surgery. So it's kind of a good thing that I wanted the Gastric Bypass... no telling how long I would have gone with out the stress test and radioactive echocardiogram etc. This is why the Insurance company requires these kind of specialists testing before they will approve and pay for WLS. "God is Good!"
5/28/08
I finished 2 days of testing at the Cardiology Center of Amarillo. I had never had a Stress test before and I am now waiting to see if I did well. The 27th they did a Treadmill Stress tests with an IV of Radioactive solution, then an Echocar-diogram and lastly pictures of my heart where I had to lie still with my arms over my head for 11 minutes. Then today the 28th I had to have Resting pictures again for 11 minutes in the same picture machine… this time the Radioactive solution was just injected into my arm and we had to wait 30 minutes before the pictures were taken. Being STILL is something I hate to do, LOL! I just did a Google search and this procedure is called “ A Myoview stress test!” My Cardiologist Dr. Monte Slatton will call me in a day or two and go over my test results. I hope I passed and am healthy enough for RNY surgery. I am supposed to ask him what my “Ejection Fraction is?” My oldest daughter Michelle is an ER-RN and wants to know if it is 50% or higher… kind of neat to have my kids worry about me for a change! LOL
5/19/08
Went to BSA Hospital in Amarillo for a Breathing Test and Chest X-Rays. My husband and I were really impressed with BSA. From the hospital we went to my Pulmonologist Dr. Alfred E. Conde for my exam and consultation of the tests at BSA. I passed both with flying colors. My swimming a mile three times a week with fins, mask & snorkel really helped me get great breathing test results. I see my Dietician Marilyn Baird again tomorrow 5/21/08; here in Borger at GPCH… this will start my second month of three, under her care in preparing me for Aetna’s approval for Bariatric Surgery. Then on 5/27/08 I have my Appointment with the Cardiology Center of Amarillo. This will be #3 of the 4 required specialists I have to see for Aetna to approve my laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB).
5/06/08
I started a 3-month program with a Dietician recommended by Dr. Crum's Office on April 22, 2008. This is the first step in my eligibility requirements for Aetna's approval for Bariatric Surgery. My husband Gary who supports me 100% in my decision to have Gastric Bypass surgery is taking me to Dr. Crum's Support Group Meeting in Amarillo tomorrow at 6 pm. He wants to meet Dr. Crum, we are anxious to meet the surgeon who will give me a New Healthier Life, to share with my husband for the rest of our lives!
