I had a wonderful interaction with Lisha on our regular post and while I posted this for Lisha who is getting married in two months memories started flooding back for me.  I wanted to save this post here because it brings me JOY!
Here are the lyrics to the song I love but my husband chose as "Our song!"  This explains partly how I fell madly in love with him and how we remain madly in love today 16 years later.
  I wanna be where you are
'Cause you know I won't be far from you
I need you by my side 'cause you make things right
I wanna feel what you feel
The warmth of love that's real
Straight from your heart
Don't wanna be apart
'Cause you make things right

Let the rain fall down above my head
I'll let your love keep me dry
You are the axis that keeps my world turning
You are my earth and sky

I find my strength in your smile
And it makes my life worthwhile
Oh yes it does-it comes from love
You've got my heart and my soul
And together we will grow old
I know it's true
My love's for you

I would lay the world right at your feet
Pull the stars out of the sky
Anything you ask I'll do for you
And your love's the reason why

BTW after my first date with Berto 16 years ago he left the following message on my answering machine:
Hi Gina,
It's the mista mista, who can't resist yah, still licking my lips, from the last time I kissed yah!
So what did I do?  I married him 3 years later.  The VERY best decision of my entire LIFE!  Gina :  )

A few day's over 9 weeks out I weigh 242 lbs.  I have lost 55 lbs.
I can't believe it is real.  I am so blessed.  I am on top of the world.  I feel like I have one the lottery.  WLS is the greatest blessing I could have ever dreamed of.  I am hungry when it is meal time I eat a cup of soup or some salad with a 1/4 of shrimp or egg salad or almost half a burger, (no bread) maybe some cheese 1-2 oz with some ww crackers whatever, and I am done.  I love that I eat like a petite lady and I am full.  FULL!  Like I NEVER knew what that was before surgery.  I love that I know what full is. 

It is so wonderful.  I am enjoying things I never really took the time to taste.  I don't know if I had really "tasted" food for years I just vaccumed them down.  I am amazed by the tastes I don't like now that I take the time to chew and taste.  I don't like sweets anymore or dried herbs, hence the italitan food.  I used to eat pizza a few times a week and I can't stomache it now.  I do love meat now like steak and never have before in my life.  I also am loving beans and I love salad.  I never ate unsugared ceral and love kashi now and I love certain soups and never ate them before in my life.  Most interesting is drinks.  I used to just guzzel diet cokes and now I love sf flavored drinks and actually look forward to them everyday.  I LOVE MY RNY.  I wish everyone in the world that suffers with their weight can get this surgery and end the hell.  I am only 6 weeks out, my bp meds need to be lowered if not stopped, my blood sugar is completely normal, I have dropped 3 sizes and lost over 40 lbs.  I LOVE MY RNY!

I get a little scared once or twice a week wondering, "Why haven't I lost any weight?" Then pleasantly, I get on the scale and BOOM 3 or more lbs disappear.  It is like no weight loss and then you skip a few number entirely.  I guess this is the way I lose now.  I LOVE MY RNY!  I love everything about it.  I feel like the luckiest girl in the world.  I only wish that every suffering heavy person could benefit from this surgery and have what I now have.  Every dream I ever had about my exsistence regarding food is now my reality.  I am hungry three times a day and I eat a few ounces of food and I am full.  I am experiencing food for the first time in forever because now I chew and take long enough to actually taste all the food, not just the first bite.  I have been blessed with the RNY!  263 Today only 5 weeks out.

My doctor Mary Nary also wrote a wonderful letter along with a letter that came from the Governors office after I got them on my side too.  It takes work but you can do it.  DON"T GIVE UP!  After sending all three letters the insurance co. overturned the decision within 72 hours.
March 31, 2008

 

Patient Name: Gina Holman-Garcia

 

Subscriber Name: Norbert Garcia

 

Patient ID:

 

Case Number:

 

Requested Service Laparoscopic Roux-En-y with Gastric Bypass

 

Health Plan Name: PacifiCare

 

 

To Alan Blumenthal, M.D., PacifiCare Medical Management and all others concerned:

 

     Please let it be known that I have done everything in my power and fulfilled all of your directives in a timely manner, to help facilitate weight loss and improve my health. *Please see attached a brief summary of 30 years of diet history.  Also, attached, more detailed diet and exercise progress over the past two years, incl. but not limited to attempts and failures and success.

 

     I have lost almost 100 lbs. three separate times in the last decade and one half.  Additionally, in Oct. 2004 when I began looking into weight loss surgery as an option I went to my Dr. as a last attempt to lose the weight for good and avoid surgery.  The Dr. suggested I go on the South Beach Diet.  For six months this DIET worked well.  I lost weight on a pretty consistent basis but then, the losing slowed and finally came to a stop.  My hunger quickly came back to the forefront and rapidly increased.  After losing 68 lbs. in 6 months, the weight began to creep back up slowly.  Forward to, June of 2006 I had not only gained back the 68 lbs. I was gaining more than I had lost.  Now, fast forward to March of 2008 I am heavier than I have ever been.  I have dieted my way back up from the 68 lbs. I lost plus and extra 12 lbs. beyond that.  I am heavier than ever and I can feel it all over my body.  I take medication on a daily basis to control my blood pressure and acid reflux additionally, I am pre-diabetic and hoping to avoid medication to control that.

 

     I can feel the gain and the effects it is having on me each day.  I awake in the morning from a night of tossing and turning because firstly, I can’t get my mind clear of thinking about how gravely unhappy I am about being so very fat.  It hurts my heart my soul and my mind in a way that there truly are no words to describe.  Secondly, my back simply hurts from all the weight on it, this often leads to headaches.  I know it is all the pressure.  I get out of bed and my left knee feels as if it can just not bear the weight of my body any longer.  As I approach the stairs to wake my boy’s I fear my knee is just going to give out and my children will wake to mommy  stuck in pain at the bottom of the stairs, on the floor.  I get to work to spend my day thankfully doing what I love so dearly, teaching middle school.  However, standing for long periods has become a daunting task for me.  I am so very tired.  I am so deeply saddened whenever I think about how sorry it is that I can’t get through a day like other people.  I am so tired, so tired.  After I eat lunch with my colleagues, I fight with everything in me to not nod off.  (I contribute this to a problem with my blood sugar as I have been advised by my PSP and Optometrist that I show all signs of being borderline diabetic) *See attached documentation. I could go on and on but I think you get the picture.  These ailments are not of a 60 -80 year old person.  I am a mother, a wife, a productive member of society.  I am only 38 years young.  I am quickly losing my health to obesity.  Please, simply please help me to help myself give my life back to me.  Weight loss surgery in my case, is a life saving procedure. 

 

     I am a winner; I have accomplished many great things.  I have a BA in Elem. Ed.  I have earned a Master’s Degree in Counseling.  I am a highly decorated educator as well as mother, wife and daughter.  Realistically, losing weight and keeping it off has been my only failure, I NEED MEDICAL, SURGICAL INTERVENTION. 

 

     My life is almost whole, I need you to approve me for weight loss surgery, every time I follow your directives a new one appears just at my completion please see history (incl. first it was 6 mo’s when I was almost done it changed to 12 months.  I then completed the 12 months and PC said I had a hole in Feb 07 and needed 6 more months.  I completed that and then you changed your policy to needing to go to Anders/Dunning.)  I have in every good intention done what you asked for.  I need you to approve me for weight loss surgery under my circumstances; it is the only viable solution.  Please consider all that I have done already to get back my health and live my life at a healthy weight.  Please find in the interest of both myself and PacifiCare financially, and myself and family spiritually. 

 

*See attached, documentation of support for surgery and or indicators needed from my PCP, Surgeon, Psychologist, Optometrist and self.

 

                                                            Thank you, my kindest regards,

 

                                                                  Gina Holman-Garcia                   Norbert Garcia

 

Just a quick summary *please note that through all these years I have received counseling via medical,  psychological and persons assigned to weight loss programs to aid in my weight loss attempts. 

 

1979 – 10 years old – Mother takes me to Weight Watchers – I reach goal after losing 8-12 lbs.

 

1983 to 1985 – 14 to 16 years old – Mother packs my school lunches with diet bars called Figurines.

 

1987  Starved  18 years old.  Starved myself and lost almost 100 lbs.  came back on as soon as it came off.

 

1989 to 1997 – 20 to 28 years old.  Weight Watchers lost 99 lbs. as soon as I hit goal it started coming back on again.  I gained until I hit about 160 and kept it off.

 

1998 to 2004 – 29 to 35 First pregnancy in 1998 gained up to around 240, never lost any of the baby weight.  Pregnant with second child 2003 gained up to 279. 

 

2004 – 2006 – 35 to 37 Dr. ordered South Beach Diet I worked with the Dr. and online with the company.  I lost 68 lbs. only to see it quickly return and reach a new highest weight.

 

2006 – 2008 present– 38 years old have done every commercial diet, exercise, pill you name it.  I weighed in yesterday at doctors office at 290 lbs.  I am on medications for obesity related health issues.  I am so very depressed about my weight.  I have dieted myself fat.  I admit I need medical, surgical intervention proven through all other methods over 30 years.