Drinking with meals is one of the ways people who've had weight loss surgery can impair their success. Some people even go so far as to purposefully wash down food so they can eat more. That is why this surgery is a tool, and not a cure. It is extremely important that it be viewed that way. As it has been said in my support group, "This is not brain surgery." You still have to deal with all the food issues you had before surgery and new habits have to be learned to replace the old bad habits.
The wonderful thing about my new "tool," though, is that it will be in place forever. If I slip and gain a few pounds, I will simply have to revisit some of my post-surgery pouch rules. And though it is possible I may never attain my "ideal" weight, or might slip and gain back a few pounds now and then... I will never be morbidly obese again!
Post-Op Updates
4-Months Out
It is now four months, almost 4.5, since my surgery. As of August 11, 2003, I have lost 98 lbs. This represents a few milestones on my journey. First, I am more than half way to my goal of 160. It's possible I may never reach this goal, or flirt with it only briefly as it is an arbitrary number I picked for myself based on my weight in different periods of my life. Still, with that goal now only 90 lbs. away, I am very pleased with my progress and excited by the possibilities. Secondly, my BMI (body mass index) is down to 39 from 53. BMI is used by the surgeon and insurance company to determine eligibility for weight loss surgery. A BMI over 40 (or 100 lbs. or more overweight) is categorized as morbidly obese. A BMI of 39 means I am no longer considered to be morbidly obese, merely obese. Yeah, it's still an ugly word, but I'm thrilled to be at a point where I would no longer qualify for weight loss surgery.
Post-op life has not been without some minor complications. Three times since surgery--two weeks out, four weeks out, and six weeks out--I had to visit the emergency room for atrial flutter/fibrillation. After some tests on my first visit, it was discovered that I was depleted of potassium, a necessary mineral for heart and muscle function. After I was electro-cardioverted, the doctors prescribed a potassium supplement and sent me on my way. Two weeks later, I was there again. And again, I was electro-cardioverted. This time, however, they sent me home with some blood thinners (one oral and one a shot I gave myself in the tummy) and a heart medication to control the beat and pace of my heart. They also suggested that I might want to look into a procedure used to cure this irregularity, called a catheter ablation. It involves catheterizing a vein in my thigh and running an electrode up to my heart which would then cauterize the nerve that was misfiring. Yikes, I had just been through major surgery, I didn't even want to think about having to have surgery on my heart.
By this time I was concerned that my weight loss surgery was somehow the cause of this recurring condition. My surgeon dropped by to see me during my second visit to the ER and we talked about this possibility. He agreed that the surgery itself, but not the procedure, might have been the reason for my potassium depletion. He encouraged me to continue with my potassium supplements and to start trying to incorporate some potassium rich foods into my diet.
We Interrupt This Program...
A brief update to my update. I seemed to be out of the woods as far as more a-flutter episodes were concerned. Then, just last Saturday (8/16/03), I found myself back in the ER once again. This is my fourth time now, and the nurses are beginning to recognize me when I come in. The attending physician was at a loss, though, as to the cause. My potassium levels were perfect, so that can now be ruled out as the cause.
I will be making an appointment with my cardiologist to discuss my potential for getting the ablation.
Essentially, there is a nerve in the heart that fires in a circular pattern. With each beat of the heart, it makes one complete circle. However, the one in my heart doesn't stop where it's supposed to, it just keeps going around in circles. An ablation involves catheterizing a vein in the leg and sending a probe up to the heart. That probe then cauterizes the nerve at a certain point so that the signal will stop after one lap. Yikes! I know. But I've done too much already to try and get my life back, I don't want my heart to slow me down now.