Hi. My name is Vanessa. I'm 29 years old. I'm a Black female living in South Texas, and I work as a home health care aide. It's hard sometimes, but I basically get paid to hang out with one of the most awesome people on Earth, and help them navigate through their daily life. Also, while I am facing many challenges, I am grateful to be alive. That is because I almost died last year. In March 2016, I was in a medically induced coma for two weeks after complications from gastric bypass weight loss surgery. When I woke up, all I could see (after the blurriness wore off) was my grief-stricken mother, bursting into tears of joy because I could finally open my eyes and hold her hand. I can't imagine how hard that must have been for her. Ever. No one ever told me how or why it happened to this day. Complications from weight loss surgery happen all the time. This is from the Mayo Clinic. It's why you sign a million forms the day you register for surgery (mine wa
Back at the treatment house after a week of being at a treatment hospital for suicidal thoughts. Upon intake at the treatment house, the interviewer felt it was best for me to go to the emergency room. After a few days, on the 20th, I was admitted to the psychiatric hospital. I spent seven days there. Yesterday afternoon, I was sent back to the treatment house. I had a good day. I slept fairly well, but I am now dealing with some natural issues with my body. I should be fine in a few days. My estimated check out date from this house will be on Tuesday if all goes well. I'm thinking it should because I am staying on my medications. I also have a meeting with my case manager on Monday morning. I hardly ever see her, but I'm guessing they worked something out since I had to go to the hospital and everything. I'm happy to report that I am glad I held on to my life and decided to continue on my journey, mentally and physically. The weight loss will come in time. I also need to
Just received a very sobering phone call from a "Patient Advocate" with a bariatric specialist. The long and short of it: The doctor (who I will not name) thinks that I am a candidate for a revision surgery. Basically, I would have to go back into the ER, this time, in San Antonio, and make my stomach pouch even smaller. Whoa. Then she gave me the price. $20,000. Paid in full, before surgery, with NO financing options. Seriously. She said it like it was nothing. Like she was just breathing. Like everyone has $20 K in their back pocket. Then she tried to reassure me that the surgery would be really simple, only three days tops. Yet I would have to spend at least two weeks recovering at home. I wouldn't need physical therapy or home health care either, she said. But what if I don't recover on that time table? What if there's another complication during surgery? What if I go into ANOTHER COMA?!? So yeah, I was pretty freaked. There's also 5
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