First Posting:

Hello :) I've been researching like CRAZY it seems for over a month now and have decided to pursue the surgery. When my friend Connie decided to do it I thought she was nuts. I'd always felt it was such a drastic thing to do. However, I poured myself into studying about it and after all those hours of reading story after story and medical articles one after the next I've come to realize this is the best answer for me and my medical conditions.

I've been heavy ALL my life. The smallest I remember ever being as an adult is 212 pounds and I'm well above that now. I had a mild stroke ...wow..it's been 4 years ago TODAY! Anyway..the stroke was caused from a hole in my heart since birth. I didn't know about the hole till I had the stroke and they ran a series of tests to find out what caused the stroke and they found the hole and determined it to have been caused by a clot that had formed at the opening of the hole. A piece of material from the clot broke loose (kinda like dried blood material) and got in my blood stream and blocked oxygen to my brain).

To make a long story short..they want to put a device in the hole in my heart (kinda like a double sided umbrella) to repair the hole and get me off the Coumadin that keeps my blood from clotting at the hole again, but I have to lose a lot of weight before I'm even a candidate. So after all the research WLS seems ideal for me. One thing at a time..first the WLS and then down the road the heart. Pretty scary..but..it's time.While I'm still somewhat young.

My dad died a few years ago weighing close to 500 pounds. I promised him on his death bed I'd do something about my weight. He always worried about me because of what he'd been through himself as a big man.

At this point, I've been with my friend to her consultation at BTC in Grove City, Ohio. They told me my insurance wouldn't approve it to be done through them because it was an HMO. Last week my friend and I went to the free seminar at Dr. Clarey and Dr Bruce's office in Dayton, Ohio. Their office told me my insurance was one of the best and should be a breeze. I sure hope so!! (Aetna US Healthcare HMO). I have my first individual appointment there on January 15th with Dr. Bruce.

At this point my confusion is that I've talked to those who had the RNY done and the Duodenal Switch both..and there are pros to both sides. I just want to make the decision for sure which surgery and then let the paperwork begin :)

Any input would be MORE than appreciated!!

Helen

[email protected]

http://members.aol.com/safhire/index.htm

December 11, 2000

Today I went with a friend to her consulation at the Bariatric Treatment Center in Grove City, Ohio. I couldn't make my own consultation because they told me on the phone that my insurance (Aetna United Health Care HMO) would not cover it through them and that it could take two years to get all the red tape through to get them to cover it if I wanted to try. They weren't even interested in trying. So..I went with my friend just for information gathering. While we were there my friend pointed me out and told the surgeon I was interested but was told my insurance wouldn't take them. He told me that my taking coumadin could be worked out by hospitalizing me a few days before the surgery to use frozen plasma to remove the effects of the coumadin then put me on the heparin and do the surgery just like the other patients. He was really nice (Dr. V) So..even though it seems I won't get it done through BTC it relieves my mind to know I can still have it even though I'm on coumadin.

December 28, 2000

Today my friend and I went to the seminar put on by Dr.'s Clarey and Bruce in Dayton, Ohio. It answered a lot of questions and I left with paperwork to fill out to bring to my first consultation should I decide to make an appointment with them. One thing that kinda bugs me...we asked her why the RNY (the surgery Clarey and Bruce performs) is better than the DS (Duodenal Switch). She didn't give us any answers, but said "and that's all I have to say about it". I find myself very confused and teetering between the RNY and the DS. But I made an appointment with Dr Bruce for 1/15/01 to try to get an understanding of which surgery to have done.

January 03, 2001

I called a friend of mine in PA who'd had the DS done and she gave me some answers to work with. I also talked to another friend who lives in Bowling Green, Ohio (where Dr. Hess is..the surgeon who pioneered the DS surgery). I'm still very confused which to choose...the RNY or the DS. The DS sounds great, but the nurses at work keep telling me to go for the RNY. I think they just are uneducated about the DS,but their doubt works on my mind and confuses me even more.

I called Dr. Hess's office to ask about the next informational seminar and found out he is holding the next one on Jan 9th...next Monday. I think I'll go.

January 06, 2001

I had an appointment with my PCP today to ask him for a referral since, I believe, my insurance requires that. I want to at least get one step towards the surgery (whichever one I have) done. I'd been forwarned by his nurse practitioner (whom I have a very good patient / health care provider relationship with) that he probably would not want to stick his neck out for the referral, so I went in pretty skeptical about getting the referral. However, I went in armed with a lot of information and print-outs I'd gotten from the internet on both the RNY and the DS. He was impressed and told me he would be happy to cooperate in whatever way he could to help me. He kept the information I gave him and told me I probably knew much more about the surgeries and WLS than he did. But...he said he'd make the referral, and he did. I didn't know which to get the referral for, so he gave me one for Dr. Bruce since I already had an appointment made for 1/15.

January 09, 2001

I've been researching and researching and keep teetering between the two STILL. I went to Dr. Hess's seminar tonight and met my friend Beth there and several other very nice post-ops who filled me in on a lot of info from their own experience. It supplemented Dr. Hess's information and I find myself really leaning towards the DS.

January 10, 2001

I stopped by my PCP's office today and told them I wanted a referral to Dr. Hess and gave them the information on him. They said they'd give me the referral for him. So..I suspect I'm referred to them both lol

January 12, 2001

I've been taking mailing list postings to work on floppy disk to read while I had a few minutes to spare here and there at work. I've studied so much I feel like my brain is about fried and I feel like a ping pong ball being bounced back and forth between the RNY and the DS and it's getting soooooo frustrating! I just wish God himself would whisper in my ear exactly what to do, cause I seem to just be confusing myself more and more the more I research.

If anyone has any input for me, I'd MUCH appreciation your email!! :)

January 16, 2001

I had a consult with Dr. Bruce (of Dr.'s Clarey and Bruce) in Dayton yesterday.

It looks like my decision between the RNY and DS has been made for me.At least the decision has been made..that's a bit of a relief.

After talking to me and examining me, he said that I was in good health other than being on Coumadin. He said the heart sounded really healthy even though it has a hole in it (birth defect) and that I was a good candidate for an RNY but I would even have to have cardiac clearance for just the RNY. He said he felt the DS is a much more involved surgery involving removing part of the stomach as well as the appendix and gall bladder and it would be a much higher risk than the normal DS patient for me due to possible bleeding both during and after surgery.

So..I have to see a cardiologist on Feb 5th to have him look at my case and discuss any complications and get his ok to go through with the RNY. Also he would have to be there during the surgery in case there are any problems.

I'd rather choose to remain on a more restricted diet with the RNY than to die bleeding to death in an attempt for the DS.

Dr. Bruce's office told me that if my surgery is approved as fast as she expects it's possible that I may be scheduled for sometime in March (the doctors are going on vacation from mid Feb through March 6th. She said that my insurance, Aetna was a breeze. (From her mouth to God's ears :) )

Now the waiting begins...to get approved, and to get cardiac clearance on Feb 5th. Wish me luck.

January 17, 2001

I called Aetna today to have my insurance switched to a new PCP since my doctor is moving to North Carolina. I'm switching to a new doctor that's with the group of doctor's my doctor has been with, so I don't have to switch anything around it turns out. While I was on the phone with them, just for giggles, I said "While I have you on the phone, can you tell me what the status of my surgery is?" She looked it up in the computer and said "your pre-op testing has all been APPROVED, but I don't see anything about surgery yet."

That doesn't surprise me since I have to see the cardiologist. I imagine the doctor is waiting to hear back from the cardiologist before he submits the actual surgery. But why would all the pre-op testing be approved unless they were going to approve the rest of it? :) !

January 19, 2001

I'M APPROVED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dr. Bruce's office called me at work at 8:30 this morning to tell me I'm approved!!

After all the insurance horror stories I've read about and heard about in all my research I can't believe I got approved in FOUR DAYS and without a fight! :) Thank you God :)

I have a visit with the Cardiologist still on Feb 5th to iron out the details about the Coumadin thing, and I got for my PAT (pre-admission testing) on March 6th.

My surgery date is MARCH 13!!

Whew...this is blowing my mind :) Excited, nervous, scared, not backing down, I'm a bundle of emotions!!

I'll post more later :)

January 30, 2001

My nerves are calming down a bit and I'm preparing to be a post-op. I'm stocking up on the vitamins and broths, sugar free gelatins, etc. that I'll need post op, and researching and reading like mad about post-op info and things to keep in mind for the hospital stay.

I've been able to have other things on my mind than the surgery to help pass the time till surgery day because I'm planning my WEDDING! ;) My boyfriend (I'll call him fiance once the rings come in and he puts it on my finger lol) and I picked out our rings last Friday and are in the beginning of all the wedding planning stages. wow..two huge events happening in the same year.Our family's meet this weekend. I'm starting to feel kinda like Carnie Wilson must have with the surgery AND now wedding LOL.

I just left my brand new primary care physician and he's terrific so far :) It was a great visit. His name is Dr. Taddeo. He's pretty young. Looks to be in his early 30's.

First of all, you know how they tell you that you should expect to gain a little weight before surgery because you eat things now you can't later and you'll eating your favorite things before then? I lost 6 pounds since the last time I was there! I about fell over when I looked down at the scales. And I thought I was retaining water really bad today too! lol

My blood pressure was great! He's making me have a full series of blood tests (cholesterol, etc) as well as a pap smear and full gynecological testing. Yippee skippy..I know I'm looking forward to THAT..not :)

I asked him if he'd had any experience working with patients who'd had RNY's and he said yes, that he trained at OSU and took care of RNY patients there. I asked him if they were successful cases and he said that only one patient had complications that were a real worry to him.

Then I asked him what he felt about the RNY surgery. He said that he feels that it's a very beneficial surgery for those who need it and that had he not known upon meeting me that I was all set to have it done, he would have suggested it right off. That makes me feel good. (It also makes me glad I didn't meet him before cause I'd have probably been all insulted had it been the reverse LOL.)

But..another thing that eased my mind a little is when he told me that I'm on the SMALL end of patients having this surgery! No kidding..he really said that! lol He said that he's seen patients who have been 700-800 pounds who have had it done and did fine, and that most people who have the surgery are right around my size and that he thinks I'll be just fine.

And, just like my surgeon, Dr. Bruce...his only concern is my anticoagulant issue and feels confident that I'll be ok since I'm going to see a cardiologist next week to get cardiac follow up and clearance for the surgery. He said had Dr. Bruce not already taken that route he would have insisted upon it himself.

He said he would follow along with my follow-up and after care with the surgeons; and the nurses were all excited for me telling me it would be a treat to be able to watch my success as I lost the weight :)

When I was in the waiting room waiting to see Dr. Taddeo, my old doctor who will be moving on Feb 14th came through the room on his way home for the day. He saw me and came over to talk to me. He said "well I see you got all cleared for the surgery" I said "Yep..it's all set. March 13th is the big day. I REALLY thought I'd have a big fight on my hands with the insurance company." He said "I thought you would too..I really did. I'm really surprised they approved you." I said "I think it's probably meant to be then :) " and he agreed and told me good luck and he left.

so...that's where things stand at this point :) I see the cardiologist on Monday in Dayton, so I'll post again after that is over.

February 5, 2001

Today I saw Dr. Young, a cardiologist Dr. Bruce's office referred me to located in Centerville to get cardiac clearance and input for Dr. Bruce in reference of the patent foramen ovale in my heart and how to handle me being on anticoagulants. He wants to make sure all the bases are covered where that is concerned.

Dr. Young is such a nice man. He evaluated me and talked to me thoroughly about my condition and he gave me the go-ahead for the surgery (YAY).

However, he also told me that there are many people in the world who have patent foramen ovales but not that many who has suffered a stroke as a result of them, so therefore, there just isn't enough historical data to draw on to see what is entailed in this case. (That scares me to say the least).

He did say that he gives me a 5-6% chance of having complications during surgery above the average person having the surgery done. He said it would have been best to have the heart fixed first then the wls, but I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place.

He agrees that the hole needs repaired and agrees with the information I received from The Cleveland Clinic about it. So..the odds are pretty low, and I've been asking for and doing much prayer about it, and it just seems like this is what's best for me...to go on with the surgery.

To be on the safe side, he had his tech do a new echocardiogram and ekg to just make sure nothing had changed since my last echo over a year ago.

So now all the hoops are jumped through up to pre-admit testing on March 6th!

February 17, 2001

HELP !

I've missed the last three days of work thanks to a lovely (grumble) bout of Asthmatic Bronchitis and ear infection. I'm doing everything the doctors tell me to do and it doesn't seem to be getting any better.

On the first visit they put me on prednisone, augmentin (for the ear infection and of course IT causes a secondary yeast infection...yay), and a cough syrup with codeine.

Yesterday I got up after sleeping maybe two hours (because when I lay down I can't breath hardly for all the wheezing) worse than ever. I called my doctor's office and they had me come right in.

I sat in the doctor's office bawling my eyes out cause I was freaking out about not getting any better and not wanting it to interfere with my surgery that's only 3 weeks from Tuesday!! ( Of course, that made it even harder to breath).They gave me a prescription for an inhaler and had me go to the hospital for a breathing treatment.

I'm taking all my meds like I should and drinking so many fluids that I have to run to the restroom every 15 minutes it seems.

What else can I do to kick this so I can be healthy enough for surgery in only 3 weeks? Any advice would be greatly appreciated !!!!

February 23, 2001

I got a card in the mail today from Dr. Young (the cardiologist I saw in Centerville {Dayton}) with the results of my echocardiogram. It said my heart size was normal and I have a small mitral valve and tricuspid valve leak.

I didn't know of any "leak", but I suspect that's where the blood came from that clotted at the hole that made me have the stroke as to why they have to keep the blood thin now. It was nice to find out that the heart size is still normal. That's one reason he had me do that test..he said that sometimes after awhile people's hearts get large on the top after having the stroke from the hole and he wanted to make sure mine was ok. So that part is great. And..it said "very small" leak. It could be much worse. At least the hole is still very small still. I guess given what "could" be..that's good news.

February 27, 2001

My asthmatic bronchitis is still here, but it seems to be calming down finally. If I could just get the rest of this yuck out of my lungs I think I'd be ok.  It's coming way too close to pre-admission testing for my liking, though ! I have that a week from today. Surgery is only 13 days away, and I'm starting to feel it big time. I'm starting to be nervous and having difficulty sleeping at night. I know it's normal, though. It isn't an all-encompassing fear or anything, just general pre-surgery nervousness I guess. I've never had a surgery this serious. The only other surgeries I've had was a tonsillectomy and surgery on my hands. Nothing done to my torso at all ever. So...I'm sure a lot of it is fear of the unknown.  

March 09, 2001

Today was my last day at work before surgery. I got a call from my primary care physician's nurse practitioner that my blood sugar level was too high and I may not be able to have surgery due to that.  I tore out of work and went to the office and was allowed to be seen. I was put on incilin for the first time in my life.  It's strange that it's a few days before surgery and I'm being put on incilin. I sure hope I get off it quickly afterwards, but mostly I hope it helps me to get it down to a decent level so I can have the surgery. I'm really worried about that.

POST-OP POSTINGS:

March 27, 2001

Well here I am 2 weeks post-op. Sorry I didn't get around to updating my journal before now, but I spent the first week post-op at my mom's, then I just came home to my apartment last Sunday and have went to the doctor two days in a row and had other things to get done and just now got around to sitting down at my computer long enough to start in.

I'm doing GREAT. Today at my primary care physician's office I was weighed, and it shows a 32 pound loss!! I about fell over! I couldn't believe my eyes!

Surgery was rougher than I expected it to be, but then I'd never had a serious surgery before. I'm told I did wonderfully. Surgery lasted 2 hours and I was in recovery for 4 1/2 hours because they wanted to slowwwly ween me off the breathing tube. I had to have a drain tube put in, so I have this lovely hole in my side/stomach that's slowly closing up, but very gross to look at. They said that my organs were up higher than most people's and they had to put the drain tube in me and slowly ween me off the breathing tube.

I went into surgery scared to death I could die in surgery. Mostly because of being off my anti-coagulant that keeps the hole in my heart from having a blood clot there and causing another stroke, but also because I knew it was one of the chances that I was facing going into it.  So when I woke up in recovery I was quite pleased to have made it through surgery and the nurses were all laughing at me for being so pleasant after having been through what I had just been through.  I just remember waking up and fighting to get my eyes to open completely and then realizing that I made it through surgery and I got so tickled  to be alive :)  The nurses were also amazed that I was laying there so patiently with the breathing tube down my throat waiting to have it taken out. I didn't care..I wanted it out, but hey...I survived surgery and I was thrilled! :)  

I won't lie...the first 10 days or so I was pretty miserable. I only threw up once since surgery, however, and the being miserable was from the post-op pain and the fact that I started my monthly really hard the same day as surgery..during surgery more than likely and along with surgery trauma I was weak from the hard cycle as well. I think the worst part in those first days aside from that is the fluid that I had in my stomach area from surgery. I'd lay on my back and feel like I was suffocating, I'd get up without my binder on and it would feel like I had no stomach muscles to support me, but it was all the pressure of the fluid build up I had. Today is day 15 and the fluids are mostly gone now and I feel sooooooo much better, it's amazing.

Yesterday I went to the surgeon's (Dr.s Clarey and Bruce) office for my first post-op visit and it went really well. They removed my staples (all 45 or so of them) and it felt like little bee stings. They put steri-strips on where the staples were and poked a little hole in my incision to let the fluids drain out easier that have been seeping out the past 5-6 days or so. It all looks pretty gross, but there's no infection or anything, and I'm healing great, so it's all ok at this point. I got the ok to start driving again, so after that appointment I went to a store and rode around in the little cart and got some dressing supplies and other things I needed, went home and went to bed early because I'm still pretty weak yet, and get shaky too. It's only two weeks post-op so I'm sure that's only normal.

Today I went to my primary care physician's office for a visit with the nurse practitioner and they weighed me and I showed a 32 pound loss (I had a diabetes check-up). By the way..my blood sugar has dropped amazingly to a really good level. It's been staying right around 107-120 since I've been home from the hospital! I'm hoping to be off the insulin shots in a few weeks, and I'm told that's a real possibility. Keep your fingers crossed for me! :)

So far I'm able to tolerate most foods. I started on soft foods yesterday and so far I can eat anything I've tried. The only food I've had a problem with so far is applesauce, of all things. It feels like I eat a spoon of it and it fills up my pouch and starts to come back up my esophagus. I know that isn't what's happening, but it feels that way :)

I didn't get any pictures at the hospital, so the only newly post-op picture I'll have to share is one of my incision once I get film developed. I was so out of it at the hospital that I just didn't care if I got any pictures taken there or not. Between the demerol pump and the pain and discomfort, that was the last thing I was worried about.

But..the worst part is over and now it's just a matter of my incision healing up well and getting my strength back and getting used to the very very small portions I eat and not drinking while I eat now and all the rest of the dietary issues that goes along with the changes in tummy sizes and being a post-op RNY patient.

That's it for this posting. Keep praying for me that I'll adapt well and stay healthy while the weight comes off :)

March 30, 2001

Today I weighed in and have lost 38 pounds! So far it's coming off at the rate of 2 pounds a day. I know I shouldn't weigh every day, but it's so wonderful to see the scale dropping at that high a rate that I get up and cant' stop myself lol. I know it may fluctuate eventually and slow down a bit, but for now I figured I'd let myself enjoy the "honeymoon" stage :)

Eating continues to be a challenge as some days my stomach seems to be a little touchier than other days. For the most part, I've been able to tolerate all the foods I've tried as long as I chew them up good enough. The challenge lies in remembering not to drink while I eat, which becomes a problem for my breakfast meal since I take medication with food. By the time I get all my medication and vitamin supplements taken and the liquid it takes to swallow them all my new stomach is nearly full already and I can't eat much.  Today I'm trying something new. I just took my vitamins and medications with just enough milk to get them all down and ate a few spoons of applesauce..just enough to give the medication I have to take with food some food to work with.  Then I'll try to eat breakfast in 1/2 hour or so to see if I can eat enough breakfast that I need for good nutrition.  Keep your fingers crossed :)  This is such a juggling act!  But..it's worth it, I know.

April 02,2001

Another weigh-in and I'm down 45 pounds and 46 1/4 inches! I measured myself the day before surgery and am measuring myself once a week and keeping a log. I continue to be amazed at how fast the weight is coming off. 45 pounds in 20 days so far.

My incision opened a little, but the surgeon told me it probably would as it heals from the inside out. It doesn't look infected or anything, just really gross looking and still seeping, but I guess that's to be expected as deeply as I was cut. I just try to keep it bandaged and clean. A note to you pre-ops. Stock up on dressing supplies! :)  I'll sure be glad when it's sealed over and stops seeping.

My friend, Connie, who had surgery the same day and same hospital I did was re-admitted the other night because of her infection in her incision :(  Please say a prayer for her that she gets better soon! She's allergic to most antibiotics, so this is a real struggle. She's my surgery buddy and has to get over this sooooon.

April 06, 2001

Today I hit the -50 pound mark!! It's a great feeling! Two days this week my weight loss slowed down to -1 pound per day rather than the -2 that it was, but I dont' mind because 2 pounds a day is really fast and I want to stay healthy.

I got a call from the surgeon's office day before yesterday telling me that they were calling me in an antibiotic because I have an infection. That was news to me. I saw my primary care physician later in the day and he looked at my incision and told me that it was a minor infection and it must be staying on the surface and I should be fine after the antibiotic kicked in.

I tried on a few of my clothes that have been too tight, and about half of them now fit :) That's a terrific feeling too.

Some days my stomach is a little fussy and then the next day it's just fine. No real complaints about that either, because some patients at only 3 weeks out are still on pureed stuff. I'm eating about anything I want now, just obviously not very much of it and taking my time to eat what I do have.

I've been taking a pre-natal vitamin since a few months before surgery. Yesterday my PCP gave me a prescription for a chewable pre-natal vitamin. Thank goodness! No more chopping it in 4 pieces to take it :) Also he said my blood pressure was perfect! 117/73 .

Every day my health is getting a little better :) I really think this surgery is saving my life.

April 18, 2001

I'm starting to feel normal again in regard to no pain and I have so much more strength back. I'm not quite to the strength level I was pre-op but it's getting there. When I feel like I have my full strength back, I'll do some walking or shopping and after an hour or so it's like someone pulled the rug from under me. I guess that's to be expected though. I'm only 5 weeks post-op and I went through major surgery, so it can't be rushed.

I go back to work a week from today, however, and I'm a little concerned about being strong enough to work a full eight hours. I still have another week, though, so maybe that will change by then.

On a postive report, I've lost 56 1/2 pounds now. I hit a week long plateau and then lost a pound then hit a 3-day plateau and lost a pound and a half. I saw my primary care physician day before yesterday and he was very pleased with my progress. I expressed my concern about the loss slowing down and he said it was just my body catching up to the weight I'd lost so quickly at first and that it would start dropping off again soon and not to worry. My blood pressure was down to 110/60 :) He smiled when he took the blood pressure :)

Also, the pain in my back and legs when I do much is gone. I feel much lighter when I move about and it's a huge difference in how I feel.

It's really neat. I'm like a celebrity at my doctor's office. The staff all know I've had the surgery and they're so nice to me and they all want to know what the current loss is. It's really nice. They're a great group of people.

I see my surgeons, Drs Clarey and Bruce on Monday. I'll get the ok or not whether I can really go back to work next Wednesday then.

The hole in my incision (that Dr.Clarey made on purpose so it could drain) is starting to heal much better. It was a nickel-sized hole, and now it's smaller than a dime and I'm down to wearing just a large band-aid type of bandage rather than a big dressing on it. It's hardly seeping at all now.

I'm sleeping on my sides and looking forward to sleeping on my stomach again soon. I always sleep best on my stomach. And speaking of sleeping...boy do I sleep deep now! I've always been a bit of a deep sleeper, but I guess I'm breathing better in my sleep now because I just sleep so peacefully now it's not funny. My fiance said I hardly snore anymore as well, and I was always a real healthy snorer :) So that's a real plus.

The only thing I really miss a lot food wise is pop. I miss 7-up and pepsi. I can't have the carbonation anymore..the gases will expand in my new stomach and that's not good. So I'm trying to get used to iced tea and other sugar-free beverages.

All in all, to date, I feel like my life was saved with this surgery. I have no regrets. All the sacrifices are worth it.

4/27/01

Yesterday I got on the scale at my Primary Care Physician's office. When I stepped off I had a big smile on my face and the nurses and the nurse practitioner all came over and asked what the progress was. I said "Down 64 pounds" and they all gave me big hugs :) It was such a great feeling!

A few setbacks to report though:

Setback #1: I was due to go back to work day before yesterday. I'd seen the surgeon last Monday and she cleared me to go back to work part time for the first two weeks because I still get tired out of the blue during the day (typical recouperation). I took the paperwork in to personnel at work and the Warden (I work at a prison) wouldn't allow part time work due to liability so she said for me to wait and come back full time at the end of the two weeks. So now I go back to work May 14th.

Setback #2: I have to go to my doctor's office every two weeks or so for a protime check. A Protime is a blood test to determine the anticoagulation level my medication, Coumadin, has in my blood. Normal is between 2-3. Mine was so high at the doctor's office's lab that they had me go to the hospital's lab for a more reliable test. I did and the result was over 10 ! Which is very very dangerous. So...from now till I get it tested again on Monday and as I stop the medication till it comes down enough, I have to stay very still and she said to not even bump myself let alone cut myself. I'm at risk to bleed to death internally. I'm more than a little concerned, but the longer I go without the Coumadin the more I know the number is coming down and the more relaxed I feel. It's happened before in the past, but this time the nurse practitioner feels it's due to the weight dropping and they need to readjust the dose of my medication due to that.

Setback #3: Not really a setback, I guess, but something not so enjoyable. I have this terrible pain in my right rib. The surgeon said it was from the incision healing and as the stomach muscles rebuild it pulls on it. Also it's from during surgery, they said my organs were higher than most people's and they had to lift on my ribs a little bit to get to what they needed to work on. So that will lessen and go away eventually, but dang does it hurt bad at times.

I still have no regrets though. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. It'll all be worth it. I'm at the point now where people are starting to really tell a big difference and tell me how good I'm looking and what a wonderful feeling that is. I'm getting around so much better and feeling so much lighter too. My clothes are getting baggy on me and the ones that were tight now fit a little loose.

I had a watch that was too small..didn't even come close to clasping. I had been hoping to have an extention added to it so I could wear it. Last weekend I saw it and thought what the heck...I put it on..and it shut just fine and clasped no problem. I almost cried! :) What a great feeling!

May 05, 2001

I'm down 73 pounds today and my BMI is down to 59 from 73 :) My incision is healing up great, the small hole is finally closed. Best of all (for this report anyway) is that my protime level is finally down too. It's right at 3, where it's supposed to be.

I pulled some clothes out of the back of my closet that was way too tight before and now they fit great, actually a little loose on me. That feels so good.

The past week has been difficult in regard to eating. I've had to make myself eat and I've thrown up a few times. I know that's fairly normal, though, so I expect it to happen. Yesterday was better. I've been really weak lately and tired easily, but that's been with me the whole post-op trip so far. Looking at my eating patterns, I'm thinking I'm not getting enough protein in. In fact, I'm sure I'm not. I bought some protein mix that's got 30 grams of protein per serving at the store the other day, and when I mixed that up and drank it I felt better, so that must be it.

I'm supposed to drink 64 ounces of water per day. I get at least 40 ounces normally, so I'm still working my way up to the 64.

I have one more week till I go back to work and I'm looking forward to getting back into a normal routine.

All in all I'm doing really well :)

May 09, 2001

My doctor pulled me off my water/blood pressure medication today. I still take one that's just for blood pressure, but she said the other was too much for me now that I've lost 76 pounds and I don't need it anymore.

It's been making me very dizzy to the point of things going black. I went to see her today because of that and she took my blood pressure sitting and then standing and it was a 20 point difference just standing up, so that's one less pill that I have to take :)

Eating is STILL difficult lately. This past week has been rough in that department. I've been so nauseous lately. I may call the surgeon tomorrow and see what they have to say.

May 11, 2001

Well I'm feeling a bit better. I think being taken off the water/blood pressure medication is the main thing that helped.  Also I'm feeling better with the nausea. I spent a lot of time reading on the obesityhelp.com site (what a great site) the other night and read that many people go through this phase and it helps to take a teaspoon of Mylanta a day, so I went immediately to the grocery store and bought some and that has really helped.  Also I read that for dizziness to eat a little more sodium. That makes sense because when you compare all the soft drinks (pop) I used to drink pre-op that were so high in sodium to my diet now that has next to no sodium, I'm sure it's a major shock to my body.  Lots of changes going on!  I'm down 78 pounds today.  But today I'm feeling pretty good and am getting ready to go to the Y.

   Oh yeah...I forgot to post about that! I've been going to our new Y all week so far and have been swimming 1/2 a mile a day.  I had been used to a mile a day a few years ago, so I'm working my way back up to that, but the 1/2 mile feels really good.  That's 20 laps.  Today will be the 4th day in a row.  I wanted to get familiar with the new Y (I used to go to the old one before I started working at my current job) before I go back to work on Monday.  My friend Shelley joined and has been going with me.  We're loving it :)

May 29, 2001

Today I'm down 88 pounds. I'm really looking forward to that 12 more pounds to hit 100 off. I'm feeling so good. I have bad eating days, but it's worth it.

I've been back to work for 2 weeks now and everyone has been so nice. Lots of compliments on my weight loss and that makes me feel so good. Things like that and the way I feel now makes all that pain and the bad days worth it.

My nurse practitioner prescribed some potassium supplements I sprinkle on food and I think that's helping me feel better too. My potassium level was really really low. I'm also trying to eat foods higher in potassim than I was too.

My energy level has really soared. I was worried about having the energy to make it through an 8-hour work day and not only am I doing that fine, but going to the Y after work and walking 2 miles a day on days I'm not swimming and then I swim 1/2 mile. I worked up to the 2 miles slowly. Now I'm considering walking at least a mile before I swim on days I swim.

I'm finding that it's true when they say that exercise gets addicting! :) My fiance bought me a new pair of Reebok walking shoes. I walked a big blister into my heel the other day from the old shoes. I'm looking forward to walking today after work to see how the new ones do.

My fiance was here a few days longer than usual (he stays weekends) over the long Memorial Day weekend and we got a lot of wedding planning done. The honeymoon is officially booked now and we're going to Hawaii for 10 days :) woohoo! We ordered all the flowers and put the deposit down too. We got so much done!

Well I guess that's it for now. Thank God I broke my plateau and am losing again! :)

 

December 22, 2001

Wow, it's been so long since I've updated this! I'm sorry about that!
Much has happened since my last posting. I just got married on December 1st. We spent 10 days in Hawaii for our honeymoon and it was wonderful!

I'm down 140 pounds now! I hit a plateau that's lasted for a LONG time...probably about 3 1/2 months or so. I got on the scale before going back to work after the honeymoon the other day and had lost 10 more pounds, so I'm really happy about that. Also people at work are starting to tell me they see more weight off.

Some of the plateau is my own fault. I'm one of the lucky ones (I think unlucky, some may think lucky) who doesn't dump much. I can eat sugar and it doesn't bother me much, unfortunately, so I fell into some old habits again of eating some junk food.
Hopefully after the holidays are over I can get a handle on that and more weight will come off while I'm still in the 18 month post-op weight loss window.

As far as eating goes otherwise, I can eat much more than I could in the beginning, but NOWHERE near what I used to eat. My biggest problem pre-op was pizza. Now I can eat two slices at the most. Much more like a "normal" person now.
One exciting thing is that I've been on airplanes for the first time in my life. Several now in fact, and I NEVER had to ask for a seatbelt extension! That was pretty exciting for me after hearing horror stories about airline seats and seatbelts :)

I stopped working out at the Y when I moved into my now-husband's house a few months ago...I moved 80 miles away from where I used to live, so there's no Y nearby. Hopefully after the holidays and things calm down I can find someplace to work out.

I feel so much better physically. I no longer have diabetes or high blood pressure...
I work with a girl who weights 140 pounds and now every time I look at her it's amazing to think I used to carry her around with me and that I lost her. To imagine picking her up and walking through life carrying her weight. I don’t know how I did it, but I'm SO grateful that that weight is gone.
I truly feel like a new person!

April 01, 2004

Wow, it's been a LONG time since I posted. A LOT has happened! ;)

Since my last entry, I've gotten married and had a baby boy! I'd lost 157 pounds total and didn't even gain any weight at all during the first 2/3 of my pregnancy ( in fact I lost weight during that time). During the last trimester I gained 5 or 6 pounds so when I had my son I weighed the same as the day I found out I was pregnant.

However, my son just turned one year old the other day and since he was born I have regained 20 pounds. I need to get busy and try to get it back off again and try to get more off as I know it's up to me now to lose it the old fashioned way. I've lost all I can through the surgery but that's ok. I got my health back and was able to conceive an adorable little miracle baby so it's all been more than worth it !

Believe it or not, I really wish I had more of the dumping syndrome than I do! I envy those of you who cant' eat any sugar at all without dumping! One sure fire way for me to dump is milkshakes. I get really sick every single time, but candy and cookies do not make me dump and those are my biggest temptations. Pre-op Pizza was my big diet temptation. I still eat pizza, but I can't eat huge amounts of it like I used to so that's really not a problem for me anymore. It's the sugar that is my downfall in a big way.

Say a prayer for me that I can get back to it and get this baby weight off and more in addition to it. I'm just concerned that if I don't get more off that as I get older the health problems I used to have and that are gone now with the weight loss will come back again.