Reflections on a Difficult Time - Going off on Medical Leave

In January 2010 I went out on a medical leave.  I had the support of my doctors, my family, and even my employer.  I did have the small matter of some excessive absenteeism due my illnesses, and unfortunately this put me in a position without any guarantee that my position would be available if/when I came back.  It didn't matter because I was just too sick to keep working at that time.  My weight loss was one factor, and of course there was the matter of my fibromyalgia.


Making this change was incredibly traumatic.  I missed my sense of purpose, my work, seeing my work partners and friends every day; and despite having some short term disability coverage, a full paycheck was  also sorely missed.  I found a great deal of support and comfort in working weekly with a psychologist (thanks, GW!), as well as important time to talk about some issues related to my weight.   I continue to prepare for an eventual surgery date, filled with anticipation, trepidation, excitement, fear and hope.


Happily, my fibromyalgia is slowly improving.  I'm bothered most by incredible fatigue from time to time when I have a flare.  This does interfere with my ability to exercise consistently, but I'm making every effort to get some exercise in daily.  I feel very lucky as I recuperate, to have the opportunity to focus on my upcoming WLS (GP- RNY, I expect) to make some long needed changes in my health and welfare.


I've been on a partial liquid diet using HMR high protein powder, lots of veggies, some yummy yogurt and some great high protein Lean Cuisines for 5 weeks now.  Tomorrow I get to discuss the possibility of choosing a surgery date with my doc, the nurse practitioner and perhaps other members of my team.


My fingers are crossed...

Off With the Old

Welcome to my blog:  Off With the Old! My Gastric Bypass and the Lessons I've Learned From the Process

I started this blog at the urging of some of the members of my team, at the Legacy Health Weight Management Institute in Portland, Oregon.  I am a patient at the Weight Management Institute (WMI) Since November 2009.  Since then I have been virtually surrounded by a team of professionals assisting me in planning for success in finally achieving my weight loss goals.  I want to say that my support team doesn't just include the Physical Therapist (PT), psychologist, nurse practitioner, registered dietitian (RD), and Surgeon (MD).  I also consider my family, my Primary Care provider (PCP),  and my personal psychologist to be just as important in my quest for lifelong weight loss. 

My Story

I have been overweight for as long as I can remember.  As a child, I was "the fat one" and I struggled despite my parents desperate and sometimes dysfunctional efforts to "make me thin".  I say this with love, because despite the worry my weight caused my family, with the comments, the bribery, the begging and pleading - I know that this was because they love me.  Nevertheless, it was difficult and often painful dealing with the pressures around my weight, whether it was a few pounds or many in question.

Last Fall I decided that enough was enough. It seemed then as if it happening all at once, but in retrospect it clearly happened over a matter of months to a couple of years. I was suffering from a multitude of medical problems that made work virtually impossible, and nearly all of my complications were related to my weight.  I was suffering from:

• Hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Chronic pain from osteoarthritis in my knees, ankles and low back  
• Non-insulin dependent diabetes
• Chronic heartburn from GERD (gastro-esophageal reflux disease)  
• Severe sleep apnea requiring that I use a machine called a C-PAP at night when I slept.  This requires getting used to a face mask of sorts hat blows air into your airway to keep it open while you sleep
• Impaired mobility -  I was having difficulty getting around, and now had to use a straight or single point cane.  

I agree that this is a lot of medical trouble, but that was not the worst of it.  I also suffered from:   

• Periodic venous stasis wounds on my legs from leaking veins that were causing a need for sometimes painful daily wound treatment and aggressive compression treatment ranging from the "oh so fashionable" compression hose to mechanical pumping using a lymphedema pump.  This pump machine is recommended for use for several hours a day to control lower extremity edema (swelling).  
• And the compression hose?  They are as uncomfortable as they are ugly.  

Suddenly it seemed that I was a mess and was heading toward disability very quickly.  And that's why when I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, on top of all of the rest of it I knew I didn't stand a chance.  Triggered by my many medical problems, my fibromyalgia flared out of control.  I was missing a third of my scheduled work time, and I was facing issues at work due to my absenteeism.  My job was on the line for the first time in my life.  I knew then that I needed to go out on a medical leave.  Fortunately, my PCP, Dr. D agreed.


More soon...