Wendy Kohlhoff
March 5, 2007
Mar 05, 2007
February 28, 2006
My husband and I went to our second to last meeting with the staff at Liv Lite and everything is fine. I had to do a CT scan because the ultrasound tech last time kept seeing shadows on every organ in my body, but the CT scan showed my kidney was pristine. :o)
I still gag thinking about that "stuff" they make you drink for that. but I lived, I am a trooper.
We scheduled our last meeting (Aetna requires 3) for the 13th of March and they scheduled the surgery for the 20th of March. I still can't believe it's so soon. But I know it will be fine. Yes, Aetna can still give us a problem, but our surgeon hasn't had one as of yet (Or they aren't telling us they have)
Hopefully by next year my true love and myself will be half the people we are today.
March 14, 2006
Well Yesterday my husband and I had our last insurance required doctor visit over at Liv-Lite. It went well. So far they don't see any troubles in the foreseeable future that the insurance co. would give us, but I'm now holding my breath...
We are scheduled now for the 22nd of March. They bumped us up two days because of a scheduling conflict. But that's okay. It gives me a couple extra days to get stuff done.
So I'm excited...and terrified. I know it's normal but I wish
I could just calm down a little.
I'm not scared of the pain or the changes...I'm afraid of the surgery itself. I have never been put under for a surgery.
Is that irrational...I mean it's no biggie right? But it totally freaks
me out!
I wonder if it's a control thing...
For the most part...Everyone os thrilled for us. Except my oldest
daughter Alycia she's terrified. I have been trying my best to
inform her as best I can. But she's heard all the nightmare stories from her friends and their parents and I just can't make her see the good of it.
She's so afraid to lose us but if we don't do this...It wouldn't take long before our lives were in jeapardy.
On a lighter note. Bill had to lose 10 more pounds before the surgery...And he did...I'm so proud...Me? Not so much...I've lost 3.
*pouts* They put us on a low carb thing. I tried to tell them I
don't lose on Atkins...But I tried it again anyway.
I think it's a woman thing. I just need the carbs...Just a little.
But I'm so happy for Bill. He was such a good boy :)
Surgeon was pleased with my food log and how we were doing...He insists that he knows we are going to do great.
Guess not everyone follows what they are told to a T and we were a good little boy and girl.
So pray for us next Wednesday on the 22nd. That it will
be uneventful and a quick recovery for my sweetheart and I.
Looks like Bill will be going first around 7 am and I will follow.
I joked with him that he not wear the surgeon out too much before I get my turn.
March 21, 2006
Sadly...We hit a glitch. We have Aetna and had a 3 month/ 3 visit with the doctor agreement. The doc set up our appointment after we finished the last appointment. But the person handling the paperwork on Aetna's end said legally they have the full three months to send the doctor the approval paperwork and they "WILL" use all the time they are alotted. *Cries*
I'm mad...Hurt and mad. When they do this..I realize we are only numbers on paper to them. My husband suffers from blood pressure related ailments and chronic and excruciating tendonitis due to his weight. So basically they are telling us that they don't care that we suffer...We still must wait to be bundled in with next months verified accounts.
So we won't be having surgery in the morning
:o(
And hopefully we can keep the weight off that we've lost. And my husband can deal one more month of pain.
I try to remember that they are approving us...At least we were fortunate in that aspect. I hear so many sad stories of people that
wait and wait and wait and are still denied. At least we are blessed in this way. And one month will fly by I'm sure.
God bless everyone that has been praying for us.
April 25, 2006
Today we went into the hospital to be prepped for surgery.
We spent the day together mostly. The nurses laughed because when they'd go to find either Bill or I, they'd find us both in the other's room.
Prepping wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be. It was a tiny bottle of this salty sour flavored stuff and it didn't hit me until about 3 am.
I didn't take the sedative they offered because the cleaning out solution hadn't worked yet so I was awake all night, was sure that
if I fell asleep I'd have an accident (Yuck) but all was good.
April 26, 2006
Surgery Day
Did sleep for a couple hours in the early morning, but got up about 5 and went to Bill's room down the hall and sat up with him until they got him ready for surgery because he was going first.
I held his hand and kissed him and told him I'd see him later when we were both in ICU.
His surgery took a long time. They took him in around 7 am, they called for me at 11:30 am, but they were still working on him, and just were getting all my paperwork in order.
I was a nervous wreck and tended to joke with all the nurses.
I calmed me a bit. About 12:30 they said he was done and I caught a glimpse of him being wheeled out of the operating room.
I called to him that I loved him, but I don't think he heard me.
Dr. Nazarian came out to see me. He didn't look so good. He looked tired, was sweating...But he just smiled and in his special quiet way he told me that Bill did fine. That he was a big guy and it took a long time.
I saw the anesthesiologist there. I think his name was Jackson. Nice man. He talked with me for a few. That's all I remember before I was waking up in recovery.
They said my mom had to leave already, she waited to make sure I was okay, she had visited Bill but she had a 2 hour drive home to Palmdale and the kids needed her there. I really was so out of it, I doubt I would have remembered her visiting even if she could have.
I pretty much remember nothing the hour in recovery. Except I felt like I'd been hit by a truck. I think I said my pain was about a 7. Then I spent 24 hours in ICU. Learned to use the self morphine pump. Didn't use it a lot, but maybe once an hour and a half.
About 8:45 pm I asked the nurse to turn on the TV so I could watch Lost. My favorite TV show. I thought it would be some semblence of normality for me. It was a freakin re-cap show (Scenes from the very beginning....Yawn) But the nurse found it amusing.
I was told Bill was right next door. Sometimes I could hear him so I'd try to talk to him through the wall, but he said he never heard me.
April 27, 2006
The next day, early afternoon They took me to my hospital room first. I don't know why. I was already sittin up in the chair. That was nice on the back.
So they put me in a wheel chair and took me to room 319. And they pulled some strings and got Bill 318 right next door.
He came up about an hour later. He seemed almost sad, but we'd been through so much and even then he was only thinking about me. He's like that you know.
Things got better from there. Within the day we were walking, just a little. So we got to see each other. My mom visited with my girls.
Our oldest had a really hard time...She never did come back to the hospital after that, but our youngest visited 3 times.
For the next few days, no sleep, no food, just medicine, breathing treatments, physical therapy, shots, doctor visits.
Had an x-ray on Thursday. Not pleasant, the first thing we had to drink to check for leaks was this nasty cough medicine stuff...But I was a trouper. 5 swallows, 7 x-rays later...Thank God...No leaks in the new system.
My reward...Ice chips...Now don't undereatimate ice chips, after nothing for days. They are cold heaven on a spoon.
April 28, 2006
Friday night we got food...Well not real food, vanilla protein shake, hot tea, jello, broth. But it was nice. Bill and I were getting around pretty good, so we could have meals together by then.
I had one nasty glitch here. My IV was burning. I asked the nurse what causes that, she said the potassium in the IV solution.
I should have had her look at it, but it started to get warm and I was really tired and I fell asleep. When she came in a while later, I couldn't move my hand.
I was like, there's a problem. I pulled my hand out under the cover, and it was swelled up like a 5 sausage balloon. I couldn't make a fist. All my IV solution was filling my hand and arm. My id band, allergy band and blood type band were so tight now that the circulation was being cut off, she had to move them down my wrist.
Needless to say, they had to move my IV again. Ugh.
Next day that one started to do the same thing. I basically refused another IV, doc said that was okay since we were going home Sunday the next day.
April 30, 2006
We got out of the hospital. So Excited. Bill had to take home the blood thinner shots for himself. He's so brave with that.
But things are getting back to a little more normal.
Every day we feel a little better and get a little stronger.
May 25, 2006
We are one month Post op. And doing great. As we are able to eat more foods, I'm noticing that it's a bit hard to eat solids. After just a bite or two I feel very full, not even close to 4 oz. But it's getting better.
I relapsed a bit in the pain department, felt like I was all healed, but must have twisted wrong or bent over wrong and I've re-injured my left side. If I move wrong I feel as though I've been socked in the gut. It winds me. But all in all, I can't complain.
My energy levels are getting better. I can finally sleep on my right side (still have trouble on my left) but I was so sick of being on my back, this is something to celebrate.
I weighed myself and I'm at 253 now. Down from 276 at surgery time. Not too bad. I get a little jealous that My husband has lost 43 lbs. already but he has so much more to lose and I'm just greatful that he's feeling better. They've already reduced his blood pressure medication in half, he's sleeping through the night and not falling asleep during the day. It's amazing.
Struggling to find simple recipes that we can eat and my kids might like and not having any luck with that. Everything online has like 20 ingredients and takes hours to make.
Going to look into a gym membership after our doctor appointment on the 5th of June.
July 14, 2006
Having a bit of a spat with our surgeon. Found out we are having to pay him a lot more after insurance than we were originally told.
Tried to explain it to his biller, but it's been a rough road. Finally cut a deal (I think) but it's still twice as much as we were planning.
The stress of it all has been insane. But I'm trying to let it go as a lesson learned. Get it in writing.
On a lighter note LOL lighter...I'm down to 233. That's 42 lbs.
Yay me!
July 27, 2006
Fixed it all with the surgeon. He felt bad about not understanding what we were told, so he's taking the out of network payment for all of our future appointments. What a great guy.
Had our 3 month doctor appointment. Bill's lost 70 lbs, me about 45.
Had blood tests done and all looked great, no deficiancies for either of us. My cholesteral has gone from 210 to 187. Not a huge dip, but at least it's in the right realm.
March 5th, 2007
My husband and I see our surgeon every 2 months now and the last visit I walked in and he called me skinny. It was hard not to cry.
I have never been to a doctor's office in my entire life where I was referred to as skinny or not had them say something about being too heavy.
My BMI has gone down from 45.3 to 28, I'm just 19 lbs overweight. I can deal with that.
My surgeon Dr. Nazarian has been trying to get Aetna to cover plastic surgery. I don't think they will so, so my husband Bill is trying to figure out how we can pay for it.
Aetna has already turned us down once, but I keep praying. If anyone other than an insurance co. got a look at the pictures the surgeon took of my excess skin, they wouldn't hesitate, saying it is a necessity.
I'm hoping to get my thighs, tummy and what my daughter's call my angel wings removed (prettier than bat wings, don't you think?)
Bill is doing awesome. He has so much more to lose than I. But he's still going strong.
We are planning a little vacation to Maui in April to celebrate our 1 year anniversary of our surgeries. We've been to Hawaii and Maui before, not been able to walk far, or do a lot of extracurricular things due to our weight, so this time it'll be nice to walk the beaches, and go horseback riding etc. I can't wait.
My husband and I went to our second to last meeting with the staff at Liv Lite and everything is fine. I had to do a CT scan because the ultrasound tech last time kept seeing shadows on every organ in my body, but the CT scan showed my kidney was pristine. :o)
I still gag thinking about that "stuff" they make you drink for that. but I lived, I am a trooper.
We scheduled our last meeting (Aetna requires 3) for the 13th of March and they scheduled the surgery for the 20th of March. I still can't believe it's so soon. But I know it will be fine. Yes, Aetna can still give us a problem, but our surgeon hasn't had one as of yet (Or they aren't telling us they have)
Hopefully by next year my true love and myself will be half the people we are today.
March 14, 2006
Well Yesterday my husband and I had our last insurance required doctor visit over at Liv-Lite. It went well. So far they don't see any troubles in the foreseeable future that the insurance co. would give us, but I'm now holding my breath...
We are scheduled now for the 22nd of March. They bumped us up two days because of a scheduling conflict. But that's okay. It gives me a couple extra days to get stuff done.
So I'm excited...and terrified. I know it's normal but I wish
I could just calm down a little.
I'm not scared of the pain or the changes...I'm afraid of the surgery itself. I have never been put under for a surgery.
Is that irrational...I mean it's no biggie right? But it totally freaks
me out!
I wonder if it's a control thing...
For the most part...Everyone os thrilled for us. Except my oldest
daughter Alycia she's terrified. I have been trying my best to
inform her as best I can. But she's heard all the nightmare stories from her friends and their parents and I just can't make her see the good of it.
She's so afraid to lose us but if we don't do this...It wouldn't take long before our lives were in jeapardy.
On a lighter note. Bill had to lose 10 more pounds before the surgery...And he did...I'm so proud...Me? Not so much...I've lost 3.
*pouts* They put us on a low carb thing. I tried to tell them I
don't lose on Atkins...But I tried it again anyway.
I think it's a woman thing. I just need the carbs...Just a little.
But I'm so happy for Bill. He was such a good boy :)
Surgeon was pleased with my food log and how we were doing...He insists that he knows we are going to do great.
Guess not everyone follows what they are told to a T and we were a good little boy and girl.
So pray for us next Wednesday on the 22nd. That it will
be uneventful and a quick recovery for my sweetheart and I.
Looks like Bill will be going first around 7 am and I will follow.
I joked with him that he not wear the surgeon out too much before I get my turn.
March 21, 2006
Sadly...We hit a glitch. We have Aetna and had a 3 month/ 3 visit with the doctor agreement. The doc set up our appointment after we finished the last appointment. But the person handling the paperwork on Aetna's end said legally they have the full three months to send the doctor the approval paperwork and they "WILL" use all the time they are alotted. *Cries*
I'm mad...Hurt and mad. When they do this..I realize we are only numbers on paper to them. My husband suffers from blood pressure related ailments and chronic and excruciating tendonitis due to his weight. So basically they are telling us that they don't care that we suffer...We still must wait to be bundled in with next months verified accounts.
So we won't be having surgery in the morning
:o(
And hopefully we can keep the weight off that we've lost. And my husband can deal one more month of pain.
I try to remember that they are approving us...At least we were fortunate in that aspect. I hear so many sad stories of people that
wait and wait and wait and are still denied. At least we are blessed in this way. And one month will fly by I'm sure.
God bless everyone that has been praying for us.
April 25, 2006
Today we went into the hospital to be prepped for surgery.
We spent the day together mostly. The nurses laughed because when they'd go to find either Bill or I, they'd find us both in the other's room.
Prepping wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be. It was a tiny bottle of this salty sour flavored stuff and it didn't hit me until about 3 am.
I didn't take the sedative they offered because the cleaning out solution hadn't worked yet so I was awake all night, was sure that
if I fell asleep I'd have an accident (Yuck) but all was good.
April 26, 2006
Surgery Day
Did sleep for a couple hours in the early morning, but got up about 5 and went to Bill's room down the hall and sat up with him until they got him ready for surgery because he was going first.
I held his hand and kissed him and told him I'd see him later when we were both in ICU.
His surgery took a long time. They took him in around 7 am, they called for me at 11:30 am, but they were still working on him, and just were getting all my paperwork in order.
I was a nervous wreck and tended to joke with all the nurses.
I calmed me a bit. About 12:30 they said he was done and I caught a glimpse of him being wheeled out of the operating room.
I called to him that I loved him, but I don't think he heard me.
Dr. Nazarian came out to see me. He didn't look so good. He looked tired, was sweating...But he just smiled and in his special quiet way he told me that Bill did fine. That he was a big guy and it took a long time.
I saw the anesthesiologist there. I think his name was Jackson. Nice man. He talked with me for a few. That's all I remember before I was waking up in recovery.
They said my mom had to leave already, she waited to make sure I was okay, she had visited Bill but she had a 2 hour drive home to Palmdale and the kids needed her there. I really was so out of it, I doubt I would have remembered her visiting even if she could have.
I pretty much remember nothing the hour in recovery. Except I felt like I'd been hit by a truck. I think I said my pain was about a 7. Then I spent 24 hours in ICU. Learned to use the self morphine pump. Didn't use it a lot, but maybe once an hour and a half.
About 8:45 pm I asked the nurse to turn on the TV so I could watch Lost. My favorite TV show. I thought it would be some semblence of normality for me. It was a freakin re-cap show (Scenes from the very beginning....Yawn) But the nurse found it amusing.
I was told Bill was right next door. Sometimes I could hear him so I'd try to talk to him through the wall, but he said he never heard me.
April 27, 2006
The next day, early afternoon They took me to my hospital room first. I don't know why. I was already sittin up in the chair. That was nice on the back.
So they put me in a wheel chair and took me to room 319. And they pulled some strings and got Bill 318 right next door.
He came up about an hour later. He seemed almost sad, but we'd been through so much and even then he was only thinking about me. He's like that you know.
Things got better from there. Within the day we were walking, just a little. So we got to see each other. My mom visited with my girls.
Our oldest had a really hard time...She never did come back to the hospital after that, but our youngest visited 3 times.
For the next few days, no sleep, no food, just medicine, breathing treatments, physical therapy, shots, doctor visits.
Had an x-ray on Thursday. Not pleasant, the first thing we had to drink to check for leaks was this nasty cough medicine stuff...But I was a trouper. 5 swallows, 7 x-rays later...Thank God...No leaks in the new system.
My reward...Ice chips...Now don't undereatimate ice chips, after nothing for days. They are cold heaven on a spoon.
April 28, 2006
Friday night we got food...Well not real food, vanilla protein shake, hot tea, jello, broth. But it was nice. Bill and I were getting around pretty good, so we could have meals together by then.
I had one nasty glitch here. My IV was burning. I asked the nurse what causes that, she said the potassium in the IV solution.
I should have had her look at it, but it started to get warm and I was really tired and I fell asleep. When she came in a while later, I couldn't move my hand.
I was like, there's a problem. I pulled my hand out under the cover, and it was swelled up like a 5 sausage balloon. I couldn't make a fist. All my IV solution was filling my hand and arm. My id band, allergy band and blood type band were so tight now that the circulation was being cut off, she had to move them down my wrist.
Needless to say, they had to move my IV again. Ugh.
Next day that one started to do the same thing. I basically refused another IV, doc said that was okay since we were going home Sunday the next day.
April 30, 2006
We got out of the hospital. So Excited. Bill had to take home the blood thinner shots for himself. He's so brave with that.
But things are getting back to a little more normal.
Every day we feel a little better and get a little stronger.
May 25, 2006
We are one month Post op. And doing great. As we are able to eat more foods, I'm noticing that it's a bit hard to eat solids. After just a bite or two I feel very full, not even close to 4 oz. But it's getting better.
I relapsed a bit in the pain department, felt like I was all healed, but must have twisted wrong or bent over wrong and I've re-injured my left side. If I move wrong I feel as though I've been socked in the gut. It winds me. But all in all, I can't complain.
My energy levels are getting better. I can finally sleep on my right side (still have trouble on my left) but I was so sick of being on my back, this is something to celebrate.
I weighed myself and I'm at 253 now. Down from 276 at surgery time. Not too bad. I get a little jealous that My husband has lost 43 lbs. already but he has so much more to lose and I'm just greatful that he's feeling better. They've already reduced his blood pressure medication in half, he's sleeping through the night and not falling asleep during the day. It's amazing.
Struggling to find simple recipes that we can eat and my kids might like and not having any luck with that. Everything online has like 20 ingredients and takes hours to make.
Going to look into a gym membership after our doctor appointment on the 5th of June.
July 14, 2006
Having a bit of a spat with our surgeon. Found out we are having to pay him a lot more after insurance than we were originally told.
Tried to explain it to his biller, but it's been a rough road. Finally cut a deal (I think) but it's still twice as much as we were planning.
The stress of it all has been insane. But I'm trying to let it go as a lesson learned. Get it in writing.
On a lighter note LOL lighter...I'm down to 233. That's 42 lbs.
Yay me!
July 27, 2006
Fixed it all with the surgeon. He felt bad about not understanding what we were told, so he's taking the out of network payment for all of our future appointments. What a great guy.
Had our 3 month doctor appointment. Bill's lost 70 lbs, me about 45.
Had blood tests done and all looked great, no deficiancies for either of us. My cholesteral has gone from 210 to 187. Not a huge dip, but at least it's in the right realm.
March 5th, 2007
My husband and I see our surgeon every 2 months now and the last visit I walked in and he called me skinny. It was hard not to cry.
I have never been to a doctor's office in my entire life where I was referred to as skinny or not had them say something about being too heavy.
My BMI has gone down from 45.3 to 28, I'm just 19 lbs overweight. I can deal with that.
My surgeon Dr. Nazarian has been trying to get Aetna to cover plastic surgery. I don't think they will so, so my husband Bill is trying to figure out how we can pay for it.
Aetna has already turned us down once, but I keep praying. If anyone other than an insurance co. got a look at the pictures the surgeon took of my excess skin, they wouldn't hesitate, saying it is a necessity.
I'm hoping to get my thighs, tummy and what my daughter's call my angel wings removed (prettier than bat wings, don't you think?)
Bill is doing awesome. He has so much more to lose than I. But he's still going strong.
We are planning a little vacation to Maui in April to celebrate our 1 year anniversary of our surgeries. We've been to Hawaii and Maui before, not been able to walk far, or do a lot of extracurricular things due to our weight, so this time it'll be nice to walk the beaches, and go horseback riding etc. I can't wait.
About Me
Palmdale, CA
Location
21.8
BMI
Surgery
04/26/2006
Surgery Date
Feb 15, 2006
Member Since
