JUDITH A BROADWATER

I AM REQUESTING A CONSULT FOR BARIATRIC SURGERY. YOU WILL FIND MY INSURANCE POLICY INFORMATION WITH THIS DOCUMENT.

MY HISTORY WITH WEIGHT BEGAN AS A CHILD, I WAS A VERY ACTIVE ATHLETIC CHILD WHO TOOK DANCE FOR OVER 10 YEARS AND RODE HORSES COMPETITIVELY. I ALSO SWAM AND WAS EMPLOYED AS A LIFEGUARD AS A TEENAGER. I AM 5’8 AND CURRENTLY WEIGH 320. MY WEIGHT EARLY IN LIFE NEVER MAXED 130.. I WAS PUNISHED SEVERLY IF I WENT OVER 125 POUNDS, TOLD I WAS OBESE, AND HUMILIATED IN PUBLIC. MY LOWEST WEIGHT AT 5’8 WAS 110 POUNDS, AND I JUST QUIT EATING.. TO AVOID BEING CHASTISED AND HUMILIATED BY MY MOTHER, I WOULD HIDE FOODS AND BINGE WHEN I BABY SAT ETC.. MY MOTHER IS STILL ASHAMED OF ME, AND HATES TO BE SEEN WITH ME. ON THE FLIP SIDE, I HAVE A VERY LOVING SUPPORTIVE HUSBAND, WHO IS KIND AND SUPPORTS ME IN PURSUIT OF THIS SURGERY /LIFECHANGE. HE IS HELPLESS WHEN MY BACK GOES OUT RIGHT NOW AND I CAN’T WALK. MY BACK GOES OUT EVERY COUPLE OF MONTHS JUST FROM MOVING WRONG… AND THE SCIATIC NERVE/SCIATA IS EXCRUTIATING.. I HAVE A STRONG FAITH IN CHRIST, AND KNOW THAT HE PUTS PROCEDURES AND THE PEOPLE TO DO THEM IN PLACE TO HELP US.

I DIDN’T HAVE A MENSTRUAL PERIOD UNTIL I WAS 17, AND THAT WAS NEVER REGULATED. I WENT ON THE PILL AT 19 TO TRY AND REGULATE MY PERIOD, AND I GAINED 60 POUNDS IN TWO MONTHS. MY PERIODS WOULD LAST FROM 3 MNTHS NON STOP TO GOING A YEAR WITHOUT ONE. MY BREASTS WENT FROM A 34AA, TO A 36 DD. I WENT TO AN INTERNIST WHO TOLD MY MOTHER THAT I STOPPED GROWING TOO SOON… MY GRANDMOTHER WAS 6’4. THEY DID BLOOD WORK, HOWEVER ALL RETURNED “NORMAL.” I CONTINUED TO BATTLE THE WEIGHT, AND MARRIED AT 21. I ACTUALLY CONCEIVED A CHILD ON THE PILL, HOWEVER LOST IT WITHIN 4 WEEKS OF THE PREGNANCY. AT THIS POINT I WEIGHED ABOUT 220 POUNDS. I WENT ON A VERY RESTRICTIVE DIET OF LESS THAN 800 CALORIES A DAY, AND LOST 80 POUNDS IN SIX MONTHS ONLY TO GAIN BACK 110 IN ABOUT 3 MONTHS, ONCE I STARTED EATING REGULAR FOODS AGAIN. I DESPERATELY WANTED A CHILD, MY HUSBAND AND I,HOWEVER AFTER MULTIPLE DIAGNOSTIC TESTING TO INCLUDE 2 D&C, AND THREE LAPAROSCOPIES THE DX WAS THAT I NEEDED TO LOSE WEIGHT, AND TRY FERTILITY MEDS. I WENT THRU 10 YEARS OF FERTILITY MEDS AND EVALUATIONS ON THE ENDOMETRIOSIS I DEVELOPED, ALL THE WHILE MY WEIGHT CLIMBING. NO BABY… I BLED SO MUCH THAT MY HEMOGLOBIN DROPPED TO 4, MY HEMATOCRIT WAS 22. THEY TESTED ME FOR CUSHINGS. I TESTED POSITIVE AND THEN NEGATIVE. I HAD BIWEEKLY PELVIC SONOGRAMS FOR 4 YEARS, TO MEASURE THE ENDOMETRIUM, I PASSED CLOTS THE SIZE OF A SOFTBALL. DR KEITH HANSEN AT MCG TOLD ME THAT HE COULD SEE HUNDREDS OF CYSTS ON MY OVARIES, HOWEVER IT WAS 5 YEARS LATER THAT MY GP AND I DX THE PCOS. DURING ALL THESE TESTS AND TREATMENTS, MY THYROID WAS ALWAYS THE FIRST THING THEY TESTED, HOWEVER NO ONE EVER ORDERED AN ULTRASCAN OF IT TIL THIS YEAR WHEN ANOTHER DR FOUND A LUMP IN MY THROAT. I HAVE ALWAYS HAD NORMAL TSH LEVELS, BUT THEY ARE FALSE. I HAVE A MULTI NODULAR GOITER AND HAVE GAINED 30 POUNDS ON THE SYNTHETIC HORMONE, WHICH IS BEING MONITORED BY DR. LYNN TUCKER. I HAD A TOTAL HYSTERECTOMY IN FEB OF 2003, HOWEVER, BECAUSE I AM SO LARGE THEY WERE UNABLE TO REMOVE MY CERVIX. THEY DID REMOVE THEOVARIES, BUT EXPLAINED THAT THE PCOS HAD RAVAGED MY SYSTEM AND DESTROYED MY METABOLISM. I AM NO STRANGER TO DIET FADS AND WHAT IS THOUGHT TO BE TRULY GREAT NUTRITIONALLY. I EVEN SPENT TONS OF MONEY AT PHC TO GAIN THE WEIGHT RIGHT BACK., MY DOCTOR CHALLENGED ME TO TRY ATKINS, I DID AND LOST 115 POUNDS IN 9 MONTHS. I NEVER WENT OFF THE INDUCTION STAGE, AND HAVE GAINED BACK 60 POUNDS OF WHAT I HAD LOST. IF I EAT ANYTHING WITH OVER 20 CARBS IN A DAY I WILL GAIN WEIGHT. I CAN GAIN OVER 10 POUNDS IN A WEEK. I have done weight watchers and gain, I have tried South beach etc. Diet is not a new word to me. I have exercised but because of current degenerative disc disease in my back and my neck, with sciatica and a nerve that is pinched in neck, they do not want me to exercise heavily. I could actually sever my sciatic nerve as it is compressed between two discs in my lower back. Because of the HYPOGLYCEMIA, I have PRE DIABETES WITH AN ISULIN RESISITANCE OF ALMOST 70.. They say my pancreas is overworking to keep up with the insulin my body requires.. I have degenerative disc disease in my lower back, and my doctor has recommended a laminectomy. However I can’t expect a good recovery with 150 extra pounds. I also have Reynauds Syndrome… I have Irritable Bowel, and Asthma. I am not certain that I have sleep apnea, I do snore. I sleep elevated with two pillows. I also have been treated for High Blood Pressure, however as my weight reduces It does go down and I am not on meds for it right now. I AM A BINGER,HAVE NEVER DONE THE THROWING UP THING… LIKE THE FOOD TOO MUCH… BULIMIA IS NOT SOMETHING I ENTERTAINED… HOWEVER IT IS FRIGHTENING WITH THIS YOYO UP AND DOWN. I HAVE A VERY POOR SELF BODY IMAGE, HOWEVER I KNOW THAT THERE IS A HEALTHY PERSON INSIDE ME WAITING TO GET OUT. I DON’T WANT DIABETES OR TO BE IN A WHEELCHAIR DUE TO THE JOINT PROBLEMS AND ARTHRITIS. PLEASE IF YOU NEED ME TO BREAK THIS DOWN FURTHER I CAN, I NEED YOUR HELP. I AM READY TO TAKE CONTROL OF MY LIFE. I DO VERY WELL IN A SETTING WHERE I AM ACCOUNTABLE , AND I REALLY ENJOY HEALTHY FOODS AS MUCH AS THE JUNK. I KNOW THAT THIS SURGERY CAN EMPOWER ME TO START A NEW LIFE AND EAT TO LIVE , NOT LIVE TO EAT.

THIS WAS THE LETTER I SUBMITTED TO DR SHERMANS OFFICE TO GET MY CONSULT, TWO WEEKS LATER I WAS APPROVED, THREE WEEKS LATER ON 082206 I HAD MY SURGERY. IT CONTINUES TO BE AN INTERESTING JOURNEY, AS TODAY I HAVE LOST 58 POUNDS.. IT'S BEEN 9 WEEKS TODAY...Music Video:http://216.180.244.187/videos/b/bette_midler/from_a_distance.html" target='_blank'>FROM A DISTANCE  (by Bette Midler)

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