A New Year/ A New Start

Acknowledgements:

I want to thank Wayne MacLean and "Diminishing Dawn" for their inspiration and information.  Being new to the blogging scene I have been impressed with how they have shared their journey.  I want to "pay it forward" and hopefully help others by sharing my journey.  (It will also help keep me on track as I will be accountable to whoever reads this!)

Some background:

I am an elementary school principal.  I thoroughly enjoy my job but feel that I need to take time to take care of my personal health issues right now. After two heart ablations (cauterizing the heart from the inside to prevent further irregular heart episodes) and several years with a CPAP (constant pressure air pump) for sleep apnea I decided that I needed to do something about my weight.  I also want to feel more professional in my role.  Most of all, I want to stop being winded by going up the stairs, and having to shop at the "Big and Tall" stores. I also want to be slim and trim by the time my kids graduate from university - the first one will be in June of 2010 - the other two years later.  I need to get started now!

Doing Some Digging:

I went to Toronto to a clinic where they would do lypo-suction and a abdominoplasty.  This would only do the "surface" fat - not the fat around internal organs.  I re-joined Weight Watchers again - good program, but this is my sixth time.  I needed something else - I need a bigger "shovel" to dig myself out of the "hole" I am in.  I needed something to help me take it off and keep it off.  I went to my family doctor who recommended the Barix Clinic in Michigan.

I had never thought of the Roux-en-y procedure as a possibility.  For one, it sounded awfully drastic - and awfully expensive.  He then told me it was covered by OHIP and that he had a few patients that he had sent there with great results.  (Two have given him permission to share their names with me.  One is a nurse in his office!  I am going to see her on Tuesday to talk about it.)  As it turns out, I know two other people who have had the procedure at the same place with absolutely tremendous results!

And so it Begins...

On December 10th I signed the Out of Country forms for OHIP.  On December 24th, at 4:00 pm, Purolator arrived with an envelope for me - my OHIP approval was inside.  What a Christmas gift!

Right now I am waiting for a letter from the Cardiologist in London, ON.  My doctor in Michigan needs to know I can survive a 90 minute surgery.  (My heart ablations were 5 1/2 hours each - piece of cake!)

That's all for now.  I promise to update once or twice a week - likely more as my surgery date arrives - hopefully I will know soon.  It will help keep me occupied when I am recovering.  (I am hoping for late March.)  

I hope I can be helpful and I welcome your comments.

David