******GREAT BOOK OUT: IT IS THE BEST OVERVIEW OF WLS I'VE SEEN YET: WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY, A LIGHTER LOOK... AT A HEAVY SUBJECT. BY TERRY SIMPSON, MD*******************************
Several of the best things about this book are the explanations and pictures of each kind of surgery; The bold statement repeated in this book is: If you do not stay compliant with your diet & supplements, you could become malnourished & die!!!; THIS SURGERY IS NOT THE "EASY" WAY OUT. IT REQUIRES A LIFE LONG COMMITMENT TO CHANGE EVERYTHING ABOUT HOW YOU EAT, DRINK AND TAKING SUPPLEMENTS FOREVER!!. Make an educated decision, find out everything before you decide what you want to do about wls. The more you know, the better you do. (karen - 12/1/04)
8/28/01 I am so excited about having this surgery!! I have always struggled with my weight since I started having periods. It seems that the hormones kicked in and I started balloning!! I lost a bunch of weight after my 1st child and managed to keep it off before and after the 2nd child. But I had to eat about 800-1000 calories and exercise (running, aerobics, weightlifting) about 2 hrs per day for 6 days a week to keep it off! But when I decided to go to nursing school when my kids were in upper elementary grades, I couldn't exercise like I needed to and guess what!! The weight just piled on. I had my preop testing yesterday. I have an appt with the surgeon on Thursday, I still have a few questions I want to get answered. I have some wonderful friends and family who are being so supportive and encouraging. The wait to get my surgery date was the most frustrating time!! I started the whole process right after New Year's Day 2001. I soon was told that I had eligibility and benefits, so I could go ahead and do the psych eval in 2/01. Then they told me the surgery was approved in 3/01. I had my gallbladder us & barium swallow next. I had to wait until 4/13/01 to see the surgeon to sign consents, get preop info, etc. Then started the llloooonnngggg wait to get a surgery date. At the very end of July I finally got THE CALL! Since then I've done some mild dieting and started walking again. I've actually lost 15lbs!! I've also been taking care of odds and ends to feel like everything is ready for me to be out of my regular routine for a few weeks without the whole house falling down around my ears. Ha! I am very fortunate that I work for an excellent company that provides short term disability, so I will be paid while I am out of work. I'm so looking forward to "talking" with everyone. I sure have gotten lots of information already from this great web site. God has been good. I pray for wisdom & skill for my surgeon and no complications for me every day. Good Luck to all.
8/30/01 Well I saw the surgeon again this afternoon. He was acutally very pleasant! I also asked some questions about several things I wanted to know. Unfortunately my bp was up to 135/117-104!! He wasn't very happy about that! Now I have to go see my pcp and get it taken again on 9/4, Tuesday and have them fax it over to the surgeon's office. Otherwise I feel about as mentally prepared as I can be. I actually met 4 ladies in Dr. Appel's office who were all post op. One of them, Sharon, had sent me an email already! How wonderful to actually meet with her so soon. She was almost 4 weeks postop, another was about 5 weeks postop and the 3rd was 6 weeks postop. Then there was a gal there who had been some time ago and she had lost a total of 160 lbs. WOW!! did she look fabulous. I think I got lots more out of talking with them than I did with the surgeon!! From all the wonderful material on this web site, I made a shopping list to go out and get what I'll need the first 3 weeks. 5 more days to surgery!
9/1/01 Went out to dinner at one of my favorite restaurants tonight for a filet mignon, mushrooms, baked potatoe, the works!! MMMmmmm it was good!! I guess you could call that my "last supper". Made a shopping list off of some of the suggestions for types of protein powders and drinks. I will be going shopping on Monday, 9/3, to acquire stuff.
9/2/01 Had picked up some protein powder. I put it into 4oz of juice and drank it. HHhhmmm, not too tasty. It wasn't bad, but if I felt sick to my stomach, there would be no way to get it down without barfing it up I'm afraid. Will be investigating some suggestions tomorrow when I go shopping. I had my husband Chris do a before set of pictures, one straight to the camera and 1 sideways. Only 3 more days to surgery!!
9/3/01 Ahh Shopping, one of life's pleasures. I went to Wal-Mart and got lots of different types of juices. I also went to GNC and found the isopure drinks. Not Bad!! I also got some protein powders. Today is my last day of eating "regular" food. I had leftovers all day! For breakfast I ate the rest of my steak/mushrooms/potatoe from my last supper; for dinner I had the rest of the chicken fricasee with dumplings I made for Sunday dinner. I'm having an ice cream cone tonight and then tomorrow it's clear liqs only. I also will be starting the bowel prep. 1/2 gallon of the colyte solution. I just loved the suggestion some gentleman made to freeze the inside of your mouth with ice cubes in order to not taste the stuff while you drink it! I plan on using his method exclusively! It sounds like from other people's profiles that some surgeon's have very extensive preop diets/meds/bowel preps. I am glad Dr. Appel only asks for 2 days of clear liqs, drink 1/2 gallon of the colyte in 4 hrs, then take a series of neomycin tablets the day before surgery over 12 hrs. Only 2 more days to surgery!!
9/21/01 Sorry it's been so long since I posted. The surgery on 9/6 went great. That evening I asked to sit up at the bedside and dangle my feet. The nurse couldn't believe it! I told her I am going to be active so I can get out of the hospital with no complications. I started using the incentive spirometer and could already pull the indicater to 1500ml of air. I had my big bear from my son to hold on my abdomen when I did the coughing. The next day 9/7, I was up and walking 3x that day. I had a private room and either my husband or my daughter stayed with me 24hrs a day. That was wonderful!! I was still npo except ice chips. No nausea at all. On 9/8 I was up and walking 4x that day. I had the leak test done, no problems showing so I could start taking juice/milk, etc. Everyone who came to see me or worked in the hospital kept asking when my surgery was done because they kept saying I looked so good for such a recent surgery!! Still no bowel sounds, but keeping the fluids down no problem. On 9/9 I walked 4x, started passing gas. Yeah!! that means everything is working right. I didn't have much pain overall from the surgery. Mostly my back was killing me!! I had done something to it about 2 weeks prior to surgery and that was what hurt the most. I got to go home on 9/10. That was wonderful to be home. Still having problems with my back, so Dr. Appel gave me some lortab elixir to take for that. I have tolerated milk without any problems. I am so glad of that, I love milk, cheese, etc and would have been very disappointed if I couldn't drink/eat it any more. My main difficulty now is getting all the protein in each day. I am so tired of protein powder in my milk. It is a good kind, but it still tastes yuckky. My family is constantly reminding me to drink! I don't feel hungry and I forget. I saw Dr. Appel 8 days postop and I had lost 18 lbs in that time!! I had to wait another 4 days before they would take out the jp drain. I still have the g-tube, and it is annoying, but I guess I'll have to just wait until they let me get that tube out. I have not had any nausea or vomiting. I do get full from drinking a little too much at a time. Have not had any negative reaction to the milk drinking so far. I have lost another 5.5 lbs the 2nd week and my family says they can really tell I am losing. Add the postop weight loss to the preop weight loss of 15 lbs and I have lost a total of 38.5lbs. Wow! That is so fantastic.
10/10/01 Hello everyone! I am so glad to finally be off the liquid diet. I have been on the puree diet now for 1.5 weeks and I'm afraid that I have cheated horribly!! I have had a couple of corn tortilla chips one time and a very small piece of cheese pizza; just yesterday I had some sloppy joe with cheese on half a bun! I'm being so bad. But even though I can't eat much of it, it tastes so good. And I chew and chew so it is a puree consistency before I swallow. I have had no vomiting, no reactions to anything I have eaten. Today I bought some sugar free/low fat fudgesicles! Heavenly to eat one!! And no reaction. I am only eating 2 meals a day. I still have absolutely no hunger pains and spend the rest of the day drinking all the liquids I am supposed to get in. I feel pretty good. I started retaking my guaifenisen therapy for my fibromyalgia and it is like starting from scratch again with it. I feel so tired right now and sleep alot. That usually passes once the therapy is reestablished in about 2-4 weeks, so I've just got to rest alot and wait it out. I've been excellent about getting my protein drink in each day until this past Sunday. I know I will hate chocolate milk forever!! It really doesn't taste bad, just I'm ssssooooooo tired of it. My g-tube came out on it's own when I was doing a dressing change, I thought I had gotten all the tape off and when I pulled the dressing away from my skin, ooppss, the g-tube came right out!! I had noticed it was hanging much lower the last 2-3 days before I accidently yanked it out. I think the stitches had come out and it was sagging further out than before. It was only 3.5 weeks after the surgery that it came out, which is way earlier than Dr. Appel likes to take them out. He didn't seem upset about it the next day when I had an appt to see him. Of course, I have not had any vomiting or nausea or anything, and hadn't even been hooking the tube up to drain at night for the last 10 days before it came out. He also finally took all the staples out. I can now put lotion on the incision to keep it soft. My wonderful Sunday School class brought meals to our house for a month every 2-3 days. They were wonderful!! I am walking with my husband nearly every night. I think I have been on a plateau the past 2 weeks, but it hasn't bothered me!! I have 40lbs gone forever!! I have enjoyed getting into clothes I haven't been able to wear for some time. Today the scale went down 2-3 lbs and it looks like I'll finally see some more weight loss. I am currently planning to go back to work on 10/22. I am working with my short term disability people at work; I hope they will let me work 1/2 days the first week so I can ease back into my schedule. I am just praising God for answering all the prayers I and others prayed for no complications and good adjustment to this surgery. Take care until next time!!
10/26 The end of my first week back at work for 1/2 days. I can't say I am terribly happy to be going back to full-time on Monday! I had forgotten some things and had to look at some old files to remember what to do. I feel really good. I've now lost 49.5 lbs in 7 weeks. I got out some boxes of clothes I had stored and I was able to get into some of the smaller sizes. That was fun! Everyone says my face has thinned out quite a bit. They are also saying I look younger! Now that was a surprise. Still eating only 2 meals a day with one snack. I just can't eat 3 meals and 3 snacks a day. It is way too much. I can't drink until at least 1/2 hr after eating, so it cuts into my fluid intake to eat often. I'm still having pretty much whatever I want. I've been to restaurants and a party. I just had little portions of everything and enjoyed it all. Of course still chewing everything good. I don't eat anything fatty or fried, and I haven't tried any sweets. If my sweet tooth hits, I have a sugar-free/low-fat fudgscicle. I've also had the minute maid lemonade popscicles without any problems. I have had no problems drinking skim milk or eating cheese. I am so thankful for that. I am glad that when I am full, I can stop eating immediately without trying to stuff myself or feeling deprived. I know not everyone has the same experience, but this has been a breeze. My only regret is that I didn't know about it much sooner!! Take care.
11/6/01 Today is my 3 months postop day. I have officially lost 70 lbs. Wow!! It is so exciting. I am down to size 18 from 24/26. It has been hard to "think" thin. I still feel so fat in my head. I often look at myself in mirrors/windows to remember how much I have lost. Of course my husband is so excited. He just can't stop telling me how good I look. I have 80 lbs more to lose to get to my goal weight. I started at 297 lbs, am currently down to 227 lbs, and want to eventually get to 147 lbs; which is a good amt for my height of 5 ft 7 inches. The adventure continues!!!!
12/17/01 The holidays haven't been bad at all! I thought it would be harder to be around the treats & snacks. But it really hasn't. The minute I eat fatty/greasy foods, I get sick & throw up, so I stay away from those completely. I have eaten sugar-free candy & cookies so I didn't feel left out when dessert time came around. I still can eat pretty much whatever I want. I still have been able to have all the milk & cheese I want without any reactions. I have given away 9 large kitchen garbage bags crammed full of my old large size clothes. My closet is getting bare!! But I don't want to buy much in these in-between sizes. My dear daughter finally took pity on me and bought me 4 pairs of pants/jeans after Thanksgiving so I'd have something to wear!! I found a couple of boxes of clothes I had saved in smaller sizes, but I'm almost out of all that now too. I've told my husband that I am going to need a whole new wardrobe when warm weather comes as I don't have hardly anything left for that season. It's fun to go to clothing stores and see what you can fit into now. Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to all.
1/8/02: You know, I think this is the first year I have lost weight over the holidays while stuffing myself. I think I ate a little something about every 2hours all during the Christmas-New Year's gatherings. And yet, now I am over half way!! Yahoo!! I now have lost 77 lbs. I am four months postop as of 2 days ago. I have had some plateauing this past 2 months, so I've slowed down quite a bit on weight loss. But it is true that inches still are coming off. I need to exercise more but December was so busy I didn't get much done. My size 18's are getting loose now. My husband took my "halfway there" photos 2 days ago. I plan on sending in my before, halfway and all the way there photos some time the middle of this year!! I even bought a swimsuit and went swimming at the hotel during New Year's celebrations in Michigan. Still not having any problems. I'm going to be having labs drawn in another week and we'll see if I'm having any changes in my levels, (protein, iron, vit b12 are the biggies). I'm going to be most interested in seeing how my Vitamin B12 looks. So far I haven't had to go on the shots. They aren't so bad, but why start them until you have to!?! I will be seeing Dr. Appel again on 2/7. I would like to lose 23 more lbs by then, but I need to exercise alot more to accomplish that. Haven't been walking much as it's so COLD! I have a nordic trac, but only 1 of us can be on it at a time and we always walked together, so it's not as much fun to do. I have recommended this surgery to so many people. It's changed my life for the better!! I have so much more energy and don't poop out so fast. My feet don't hurt to death at the end of a long day on them. My joints don't hurt so much, and I even fit on the back of my husband's motorcycle!! I can bend down and squeeze through tight spaces. I can even cross my legs now!! I must say though, the only downer this winter has been being so cold!! I've lost so much padding that I've had to wear 3-4 layers to keep warm. I also need to use a special cushion in my chair at work because my butt is getting so boney it's uncomfortable after about 20 mins of sitting! Just think of all the great things you can do when you lose your weight!!
1/28/02 I started walking again. I have lost 7lbs in the last 2-3 weeks, I'm now down 84 lbs, only 66 more to go to reach my goal of 147!! I went shopping this past Saturday and was able to buy size 16 pants. That was really exciting. My labs were good. I could tell I haven't been taking my protein drinks as much as I should. My protein level was low normal. Vit B12 & iron still okay. So I don't need to start shots yet. I'm glad of that. I want to reach 100 lbs off by my 6 month anniversary on 3/6 if I can. If I do that, I'll also be below 200lbs for the first time in 14-15 years. I know that this surgery has changed my life for the better. I redid my bmi & I am at 33, no longer morbidly obese, just very overweight! See ya in a few weeks at my next anniversary!
2/19/02 Just popped in to say hello. I saw Dr. Appel on 2/7 and I weighed 209 lbs! Down 88 lbs now. That was so exciting!! I didn't expect it at all. Only 62 more lbs to go. My size 16's are a little less snug, but I won't be ready to change sizes for another 10-15 lbs or more. I had my first 5 french fries while we were in Orlando last week. They sure tasted good. We celebrated 26 years of marriage on Valentine's Day. My sweet husband bought me some expensive sugar-free chocolate for our anniversay. He never bought me candy before "because you don't need it", so this was a pleasant surprise. It was great to be able to get on rides and buses and stuff and be able to fit in seats and put the seat belt on without trying to suck it in big time!! Unfortunately my Lupus has been active since about late November and I'm struggling with that. I'm on steroids now and I hope it kicks it in the butt so I can go back to feeling wonderful again. Now that nice weather is moving in to the Atlanta area, I hope to get back on a walking frenzy again and help this weight get off faster. I'm really excited about losing the next 10 lbs and being below 200 lbs!! Best Wishes to all who are contemplating or about to have this surgery, or is in the postop stages: especially Steve who is just starting and Patti who is newly postop, and Sharon who is doing so wonderfully! There have been NO regrets. Hugs to all.
3/6/02 Today is my 6 month anniversary. I had a goal of losing 100 lbs by today, but I'm going to just miss it. But how can you be sad at all when 96 lbs are gone FOREVER!!!! Only 2 more lbs and I will be under 200 lbs! I haven't been there since at least 1985. I tried on a loose size 14 dress and it fit!! Of course I'm not quite ready for 14's yet, about 10-15 more lbs and I'll be there. My 16's are actually getting baggy around the butt & legs, but I could still lose some around my waist, and we all know the problems with our tummy's!! I've begun to think about having that panniculectomy after all! I have loose skin on my arms, but it would be better if I exercised my arms with small weights, legs are okay, I really don't have hardly any loose skin there. Still struggling with my Lupus. I've been put on more steroids and will have to take them for a month or so and then taper them if this gets under control soon. I'm looking forward to warm weather. I'm so tired of being cold!! I started the Vit B12 shots even though I seem to be doing okay by my labs. I started them because every little bit that might help my health right now & give me more energy is what I'll be doing. I've beat this before and I'll do it again, God willing. But at least I'm THIN this time!!!!!!! Good Luck to all, I've never regretted one minute, and would do this again without hesitation. Here's to all our new lives!!!! Yahooo!
3-17-02 DRUM ROLL PLEASE!!! As of today I weigh 195 lbs!!! I am down 102 lbs. I went below 200 on Thursday, 3/14, but just hadn't had time to get online & let you all know! I'm so excited it's a wonder I don't bust! My bmi is 31 which is still in the very overweight level, but I'm within 5 lbs of going down to 30, which is overweight! I have 48 more lbs to get to my goal weight of 148 lbs. I had ordered some dresses and bought 14's as I was sure I'd be there soon, and now I know it will be soon!! I may jump right through the size 14's and need 12's quicker than I expected! Now wouldn't that be great! I'm really surprised at how fast the weight has come off while I'm sick, because steroids make you crave carbohydrates and I've been eating everything in sight. I eat from morning to night. Now obviously I can't eat much at any one time, but I've had cookies or other sugary items every day. I've been so afraid that I would gain while I was on steroids and just the opposite has happened. Not that I advocate going off the diet so badly for anyone at anytime. It just seems to be not affecting me while I'm on steroids. I have always been "lucky" that I can eat any diary products I like and can tolerate small amts of sweets too. The worst I get is some diarrhea in the morning after I've eaten them. I've never dumped. Now that can backfire too and cause you to get lazy with the diet and then you could gain weight, so I've cut back on the sugar and am trying to eat more healthy snacks, but I sure haven't cut down on the quantity. I have been moving a little more too as I'm starting to feel better physically. All in all I am so excited to have reached my goal of 100 lbs off within my 6th month after surgery. Good Luck to all of you in your weight loss journey!!
4/22/02: Oops! I missed posting on my 7 month anniversary on 4/6, oh well. I spent last week hiking in the Smokey Mountains!! That was something I couldn't do a year ago! We had a great time. And I lost 6 lbs over the week. My official weight at 7.5 months is 188 lbs. I have lost 109 lbs. I have 41 lbs to go. I am now solidly in a size 14. Once again I am giving away the bigger sizes. All the clothes I bought in a size 14 fit wonderfully now. My daughter had some old size 12's in her closet she gave me and so I have something to look forward to! I had an onion ring while I was on vacation. It was so good. I am so happy with the weight loss still. I am hoping I can lose the last 41 lbs over the next 5 months and reach my personal goal of 147 lbs by my 1 year anniversary. And if I never lose another pound, I will be happy, happy, HAPPY!!
5/6/02 Happy 8 month anniversary to me! My weight is 186.5, I am down 109.5 lbs. My bmi is 29.1, which is still in the overweight level, it has to be below 25 to be in the "just right" level!! (big smile) I still have 39.5 lbs to go for my personal goal of 147 lbs. I am still struggling with my Lupus some, but I do get to start tapering off my steroids, for which I am very thankful. Had my labs done again as I will be seeing Dr. Appel on Thursday, 5/9. Everything looks good, but my protein level is borderline low. I guess I'm going to have to pump that up some. I want to try the Proteinex that has been advertised on this web site and see if I like it. I've been eating lots of cottage cheese and drink 2-3 cups of milk every day. Which is probably why it isn't worse. I just couldn't stand to keep drinking that protein powder in milk for any reason. But I guess I still need something extra. Best wishes to everyone on their journey. Happy Mother's Day to all you momma's & grandmama's!! Email me anytime if you have any questions.
5/16/02 I had to go see my primary care physician due to falling down my deck steps & breaking my tailbone, OUCH!! The only good part was getting weighed in, I was down to 183 lbs!! That comes to a total of 114 lbs gone. I was wearing some size 14 shorts and I was told how much he has bragged about how the surgery has worked for me. That was nice. Happy Memorial Day to everyone.
6/12/02 I have passed my 9 months anniversary on 6/6. I am down 119.5 lbs. Only 30.5 lbs to go. I am down into a 12/14. I had to shop for some summer casual clothes for work. That was a blast. I can fit into size 12, but it's snug around the tummy area. Otherwise it fits fine. But I'm sticking to mostly 14's for now. I am starting to finally see some saggy skin, on my arms mostly, although I have noticed just a wee bit on the inner thigh, but you'd have to look carefully for it. I haven't been exercising this month like I was due to the broken tailbone. So I don't feel as toned right now as I was. I'm trying to wean off my steroids for my Lupus, but it's been slow going and I had to go back up because the symptoms came back terribly. So maybe in another week or two I can try again. I am very tired of being on so much steroids!! Food wise I am doing fine. I still have days where I can eat alot and days where a couple of bites are all I have room for. I have indulged in lowfat/sugar free ice cream and enjoyed that as a treat. Usually every week. I still find fatty/fried foods hard to eat more than a bite or two of before I feel sick so I pretty much stay away from them. I rarely have a few potatoe chips or stuff like that. I eat lots of fruit and have about 1 cup of cottage cheese & 2-3 cups of milk each day for my basic protein intake. I bought one bottle of proteinex (16 oz) at Walgreen's, but it cost $30!!!! It doesn't taste too bad, but it's so expensive, so I don't think I'll be using more than the one bottle. I'd rather eat cottage cheese and drink milk for protein. If I get the munchies bad I eat plain unsweetened, dry cereal. It makes me feel like I'm eating alot. Mentally I feel like I want to eat due to stress at times, but most of the time I eat a bite or two of something and I'm satisfied. I still struggle to get all the water in each day. I can tell when I haven't been drinking enough because when I stand up I get lightheaded and faint. A fellow bypass pt told me about Fruit2O, and I simply love that. If I'm struggling to get my water in that day, I usually drink that. It tastes so good and doesn't seem so blah. My husband still compliments me nearly daily on how "sexy" I am to him now. My friends at work call me "skinny-minny". This is the best thing I have ever done for myself and don't regret it for one minute. I would definitely have this surgery again if I had to. Best wishes to all in whatever stage they are in, and feel free to contact me if you have any
7/5/02 Happy 4th of July, !!!! I am on a killer plateau right now. I haven't lost any more weight since my last posting, although I can't complain at 120 lbs gone forever!! I am sure that when I start tapering my steroids this month, I should start to see some improvement. Tomorrow is my 10th month anniversary postop. I am nearly into a size 12. They are a little snug yet, but my 14's are too big. At home I weigh 173.5 lbs on my scale in the am when first getting up, with clothes I weigh 177 lbs on the doctor's scale. I am still deleriously happy with how I have done. And if I didn't lose the other 30 lbs I want to lose, I would be very happy. But I'm not giving up!! I have a sister-in-law who had this surgery 1 year before mine, who has had the full tummy tuck a month ago. She looks fabulous. I can't wait until it's my turn, although she did say it hurt way more that the wls did. Best wishes to all!!
7/24/02 I am happy to say I have officially gone into size 12. I have only lost 2 more pounds in the last 4-6 weeks, but the inches have been falling like crazy. I HAD to go buy some clothes in size 12. That was fun!! I'm afraid I am beoming addicted to clothes shopping. I am excitedly waiting for the fall catalogs to come out. I'm down far enough now, where I think I could actually get into a size 10 except for the excess skin on my tummy. I hope to look into getting that taken care of in early 2003. I don't want to deal with any more surgeries until I get off the steroids for my Lupus and just stay regulated for a few months. Besides, December/January are usually my worst time of the year. Nice to meet some of you who have emailed me. Please contact me anytime. I'm so happy to talk about where you are on your journey and where you want to be and what has worked/not worked for me. Take care my friends. Until next time.
8/9/02 Happy 11 month anniversary! I have lost a total of 125 lbs. I want to lose 25 lbs more. My weight loss has slowed down quite a bit this past month or two. I remain in a size 12 at this time. I am looking into plastic surgery for my excess tummy skin. I'm not sure I want to do the full tummy tuck to the muscles. 1st) I'm not sure I need it and 2nd) I have heard first hand from others that it was incredibly painful. I have to lose 12 more lbs to be in the normal weight bmi. I am looking forward to that. I hope to get a new after picture up soon, as I have lost almost 25 lbs since the present one was taken! Best Wishes to all in their journey!! (((((hugs))))).
9/9/02 HAPPY ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY TO ALL WHO HAD SURGERY WITH ME ON 9/6/02!!!!! I was 164 lbs on my home scales, and 168 lbs
on the md office scales. That is a total loss of 129 lbs in 12 months (by the md office scale weight). I am very very happy with that!! I am in a size 12 dress/skirt/fitted top, size 10 jeans (relaxed fit), medium tops. My original weight loss goal is 150 lbs, so I am only 21 lbs from that. Actually I would like to lose 10-15 more, and if I don't, I don't care at all! My husband says I'm bony enough and don't need to lose anymore. My current bmi is still in the overweight range though at 26.3 (168 lbs), and it won't be in the normal weight range until I weigh 158 lbs or less. So I really need to lose a few more. But we shall see. I've really slowed down my weight loss now. I plateau for about 6-8 weeks, then drop a few. One of the last plateaus lasted 2 months, and suddenly I lost 10 lbs in 2 weeks!! That was okay!! I'm still eating pretty much whatever I like. Some days I can eat alot, and some days I hardly eat anything. I still can tolerate dairy foods well, which is good as I drink a quart of skim milk everyday. It gets me a good calcium boost & a bunch of protein grams. I like milk alot. I eat pretty much beef, chicken, hamburger and tuna for protein. Sometimes I have a little problem with the chicken, but most of the time it is okay. I eat fresh fruit & vegetables every day also. I also can eat small amts of sweets. So far it hasn't hurt me, but I do overdo on occasion, (okay, that means I had a small soft serve ice cream cone, or I have 10 tootsie roll midgets over the course of a day). I can eat a few things and drink at the same time: popcorn with a drink, raw fruits & vegetables interspersed with a drink. Otherwise I still have to wait about 10-15 mins after eating. But I can be drinking right up to when I eat without problems. I occasionally have pop, just don't drink a whole can anymore. I can eat a whole slice of pizza from a small one. I still don't do so good with bread. A few bites and I'm full up, so I usually don't eat it. I can eat a whole sandwich if I haven't had anything to eat yet in a day, but then I'm full pretty much for the rest of the day. I prefer to snack in the evening on several different things rather than eating a meal. Lunch is usually my big meal of the day. On the weekends I get very busy and forget to eat or drink and then I feel sick by the end of the day. I am slowly tapering off my steroids still, but it seems to finally have become easier. I did okay from 12mg medrol down to 8mg in about 2.5 months; but the next 4 mg took almost another 3 months to get down. I am now down to 4mg daily. I hope to be off them for good in another 2 months or so, Yeah!! I do take other meds for my lupus, fibromyalgia, hypothyroidism, allergies. But I don't take blood pressure pills anymore! And my fibromyalgia is much reduced most of the time. I know my knees are much happier not carrying around all the weight. I am still not exercising much. I go walking at work on breaks, and my husband & I try to walk after work, but I'm still not regular enough with it. I've been very lucky to have lost all over, so I'm not out of proportion. I plan on getting a new picture up on the site as I'm much smaller than the one in the yellow dress now!! I've looked into plastic surgery, and I'd like to have my stomach done, my upper arms done and a boob lift. But only time will tell if I can afford all that. If I never had it, I'd still look good in my clothes. I just have a small tummy with the loose skin. Well, I guess that's all the news thats fit to print today. I probably won't be posting every month from now on, but I will answer any and all questions sent my way. The very best of luck to all the preops working towards their miracle and all the best to all the postops out there enjoying life to the fullest. May God bless each one.
2/6/03 Hello fellow wls adventurers! Just thought I'd update my new email address and finally get a new picture put on the site. And can you believe it? It's already 10 lbs out of date. Yep, I've lost 144 lbs now. Only 6 more to go to reach my original goal of 150 lbs lost. I'm at 153 lbs now. My bmi is 24.0, which is finally in the normal weight range. Now, that's exciting!! I can wear a size 8 but it's a little snug around the tummy. I haven't had any plastic surgery yet. I'm too busy having a wonderful time!! I am still addicted to clothes shopping. Just today I was trying on last year's shorts and guess what?! I need to get all new ones! They are all too big. I like that problem. Still no problems with my eating/postop life. I can pretty much eat anything I want. I still drink a quart of skim milk every day for protein/calcium. The only thing I have any struggles with on a regular basis is drinking water. I have found that it just doesn't taste good anymore. I used to drink a half gallon a day prior to surgery, but I am lucky to get a quart in now. I do drink other things, but plain water is my least favorite thing to drink. So I usually drink Fruit2O instead. I get it at Sam's Club by the case. Please feel free to email me anytime with your questions, I'll be glad to answer all. Best Wishes!
5/17/03 Hello WLS friends!! I am currently down to 148.5 lbs. I have lost exactly half my weight - 148.5 lbs lost. Isn't that funny to be exactly half?! I am firmly into size 8, and wear smalls. I have to keep myself from buying clothes all the time!! It's so much fun. I am feeling good as far as my surgery goes. I can eat anything, and I mean anything I want. I just take small portions and have seemed to finally stop losing. I was still losing inches for a while even though I wasn't going down but a few lbs on the scale. My husband says I look really healthy & slim and doesn't want me to lose any more weight. As if I'm trying any more. I'm still not getting around to plastic surgery. My life is so full now! Maybe next winter I can get some done. Best wishes to all in their journey and email me any time!!
6/25/03 Hello fellow WLS friends! I am home from work due to complications from my Lupus, and thought I'd pop in and say hello. I am still loosing weight, am down to 146 lbs, which is still okay for my 5 ft 7 inch frame, but I wonder sometimes if it will stop. Please be assurred it is not from not eating enough. I have compared my diet to some of my other WLS friends and I eat way more than them. I suspect it is because of my Lupus, which is a disease that can cause you to loose weight, but it never seemed to do that when I was fat??!! I am still loosing inches too. Some of my size 8 clothes are getting a little loose. Not that I am complaining. I must admit that I am eating candy often also. I can eat about 3-4 penny candy sized pieces at a time and often do!! My husband and kids really get on me when I do that. I have had to increase my protein intake also as I am loosing protein in my urine as my Lupus affects my kidneys. That is frustrating. I have a hard time getting in so much protein to begin with and then I have to eat extra gms just to keep up with what I am losing in my urine! My 2 year surgery anniversary is this September 6th. Hard to believe that it has been that long. My great friend Pat is having her surgery done on 7/8/03, good luck dear friend!! I still have no regrets about my surgery and am so lucky that I was able to lose all that I wanted to lose and a few lbs more. Good luck to all out there in whatever step they are in their journey. Email me any time with your questions/comments. Best wishes always. X O X O
9/15/03 Hello fellow wls friends!! I missed posting on my actual 2 yr anniversary on 9/6/01 as I was in the Smokey Mountains hiking and motorcycling with my husband on vacation! What a blast! I can hike about 4 miles, then my problems with Lupus kick in and I have to stop or I'll end up spending the rest of the day puking repeatedly from exhaustion! Yuck! I seem to have leveled off on my weight at around 146 lbs. I did loose a few this vacation from all the walking, but I'm sure it will come back on when I get back to my regular schedule. I am evened out at a size 8/small. I have looked in to going to a plastic surgeon, and even got a recommendation from one of my docs of who to go to, but I haven't gotten around to going yet for even a consultation. I actually had an episode of puking while we were on vacation! I ordered some hash browns on the side at a restaurant and they made me sick. I guess they really had a lot of grease on them. I should have stopped after 3-4 bites as I was okay then, but they tasted so good I had about 2 more bites and whoops-a-daisy!! Otherwise that almost never happens. It's so hard to believe 2 yrs have gone by. What a difference in my life has occured. I have so much fun buying clothes; my ability to do so many things amazes me still even now. I was putting nail polish on and was sitting on the bed with my knee up to my chest and I wasn't gasping for air or having my belly be in the way!! While we were on vacation I put on a swimsuit and went to the pool and was in the hot tub. I wouldn't have done that for a million bucks 2 yrs ago. (Okay, maybe a million TAX-Free bucks!!) The only thing I can think of that is annoying some times is being gassy at times. I use the generic anti-gas pills and it kicks it just fine, though. I wish the best to all pre & post ops!! Good Luck, email me anytime.
1/5/04 Happy New Year fellow adventurers in weight loss, wherever you may be on the timeline!! I am still losing some weight & inches. I am down to 142.5 lbs at this time. (I had gotten down to 138.5 lbs after some minor surgery because I didn't feel like eating, but have regained 4 lbs.) That's a total loss of 154.5 lbs over 2 yrs and 4 months (surgery 9/6/01). My size 8's are all getting bigger, but I don't have the money right now to go buy any 6's. So, I'll just wait for a while. I hate to buy stuff and then change sizes again. The last time I thought I'd reached my final weight, I started losing again after about 5-6 months. I still eat whatever I want to, the only "restriction" is really greasy foods. I think my experience with continued weight loss even after adding any carbs/sweets I want to my diet is very unusual. I haven't really noticed anyone else with this problem. I still could lose to about 135 lbs and look okay. But I have noticed that this last 5 lbs seemed to come out of my bustline and legs the most. The legs I don't mind, but the bustline I do mind!!! I haven't been very faithful with my exercise this fall at all, my Lupus is raging again and I'm on steroids. My right knee is swollen to two-three times its normal size & hurts like the dickens. I know it'd be much much worse if I weighed 297 lbs still! I continue to have no regrets whatsoever about my decision to have this surgery. It has been such an awesome journey. I gave my regular md and my rheumatologist permission to give my home phone # out to people who may be interested in getting wls. So far I've had a couple of calls. That's been neat to speak with others about my journey and answer their questions. And if I'd gotten a commission for all the times I've given out this website, I'd be able to pay for my daughter's upcoming wedding without a problem!! If anyone would like to email me with their questions, etc, I'll get back to you. Take care everyone, I hope 2004 is a great year for you all! karen
4/22/04 Greetings fellow WLS'ers!! Wow, what a ride this year has been so far. I'm having lots of Lupus issues and am off work right now. None of it is related to my WLS. It looks like having 2 outpatient surgeries this past year were just too much for me. Of course, stress at work couldn't be contributing could it?? The only issue I am having from my WLS seems to be low iron. I guess Ferrous fumerate is the best to take for gastric bypass, my body isn't using the standard Ferrous sulfate or gluconate that most over the counter stuff contains. My hematologist states that if the new oral iron regimen he has me on now doesn't work, he's going to give me intravenous iron! Small price to pay for looking gorgeous! I lost a couple more pounds, am down to 137 lbs now. A total loss of 160 lbs. Way cool!!! I love how I look and how I feel at this weight. If we could get my Lupus under control, I'd be on top of the world. But that's how it goes. Still would have had this surgery in a minute. The benefits soooo outweigh any possible negatives. I don't think I'll be having any plastic surgery this year or maybe even next year. Got to pay for a wedding!! It's so exciting. I'm enjoying looking for a dress for it, instead of dreading being in pictures and stuff. Wishing you all the best and be glad to answer questions any time! Just email me. karen
5/17/04 Well, fellow wls'ers, I got the intravenous iron, and MAN! do I feel great! Do not skip going to the doctor for regular checkups and labs. It is very important to be sure your md stays on top of what is happening in your body. My hematologist said it was not unusual for the liver to run out of stored iron at about 2-3 years after wls. I have lost a couple more pounds and am down to 135 lbs. I go up and down about 2 lbs. It's surprising that I don't gain weight as I'm on 12mg Medrol (steroids) every day for my Lupus and they usually make you crave carbs. Actually, if I don't eat much for a few days, I start losing again, so I have to force myself to eat! Isn't that a switch??!! My daughter is getting married this July and it's so great to be thin and able to run all over. It was so much fun to buy a "mother of the bride" dress. I tried on oodles of dresses before getting one my husband liked. I had to go out and buy new shorts & pants in a size 6 this summer. All my size 10's from last summer were too big!! That was fun. I have simply got to get a new after picture up on this profile!! Hope all is well and email me anytime!! Have a great summer!!!
10/14/04 OOOPPPSSS!! I missed updating on my 3 yr anniversary on 9/6. I meant to, but was so busy. I am fully in size 6 now. I finally had to go buy clothes as my 8's were too big. I am so very happy with my weight loss of 162 lbs. I can eat anything I want in small amounts. I even eat some candy almost every day - which is NOT what you should do, but oh man, I do like it!!! My labs have been good up until last month, when my protein was low. I have been eating more protein and also eating protein bars. I am so happy with my weight loss and where I am today. I am thankful that I continue to have no complications. I had such a good time at my daughter's wedding on 7/3/04. And my floor length dress was awesome!! I still find it hard to drink enough plain water, it just doesn't taste good to me anymore. I can drink lots of other types of fluids just fine. I still drink my quart of skim milk every morning. I am convinced that the high quantity of dairy products I take in each day has contributed to the excellent weight loss and the continued maintenance of my weight. I still take my vitamins, calcium, etc. I am weaning off my steroids and hope to be completely off them in another 4-5 months. I still struggle with my Lupus, and have had to cut my work days to 4 per week. Otherwise, life is good and I enjoy where I am weight wise so much. If you ever want to chat about the surgery, just email me! Best wishes to all past, present and future wls'ers!
12/1/04 Greetings fellow WLS's and preops and just thinking about its! I learned some stuff from Dr. Terry Simpsons new book as noted at the top of my profile. This past summer I was having some problems with leg edema and water weight gain of about 10-15 lbs. I thought it was related to my Lupus and have seen a kidney specialist and had my other doctors doing testing and such to find out what it was from. Well guess what? I discovered that low protein levels can cause leg edema! So I stopped eating any candy, started stocking up on high protein and Viola'!! the leg edema is all gone. Also, I wasn't feeling as good as I was, and when I sat and thought about it, I was being lazy with my supplements and water intake. So I recommitted to being careful to take my Calcium citrate, multi-vitamin and B-complex on a daily basis instead of sometimes forgetting them for a couple of days at a time. And guess what? I feel so much better. I have lost 10 of those 15 lbs and hope to have the last 5 off this month. I had a friend of mine who knows a gal who had wls about 1 year ago, and she is in the hospital for malnutrition and could die!! She loved the weight loss, but wasn't being careful about eating the right foods & taking her supplements. It is much easier to prevent malnutrition than to fix it after the fact!! And some vitamin deficiency caused problems can be permanent! So take your vitamins & supplements!! Other than this learning episode (I can't blame everything on my Lupus!), I feel good and love my size 6's. (They were a little tight in the waist when I had gained that weight, but they fit fine now, thankfully!) I've upped my plain water intakes too and I think that has helped me to feel better also. You know, it doesn't matter how far postop you are, you can always learn and grow more intelligent about this surgery and postop care. I am always looking at web sites and other areas for more information as there is always some nugget of info that I didn't know that helps me. I also went to the Nashville OH Regional Meeting in November. It was fun and I met alot of neat people. I also got a COOL PIN with a bar for losing >150 lbs. That is so awesome. If there is ever one in your area next year, then be sure to go. You'll be glad you did. Well, I guess that's all for now. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and I hope you have a lovely Christmas and New Year's Holiday!!
March 2, 2005 Hello fellow friends on the Weight Loss Journey! My life has been interesting lately. My son has gone to . He is a Sgt in the Marines. It has been stressful to have him in training and then to be gone for about 8 months overseas. I am thankful that is only how long he has to be over there. He will be home sometime in late October. I spend many a night praying for him, and all our brave troops all over the world and their special families back home. I have been able to maintain at around 142 lbs. I am still a size 6. I struggle with menopause at this time and sometimes will gain 5-10 lbs with the hormone issues and then suddenly lose them again. It can be frustrating to have your clothes feel tight and its not because you're being bad!! But eventually this will pass. I'm just thankful that if I gain some weight (water or otherwise) I just cut my intakes for a week and drink more water and viola!! the tool works!! I just love that I am successful in a way I never was before. I feel so in control! That is a great feeling. I would like to relose about 5 more lbs., but I'm lazy when its cold and not exercising like I should. Maybe when it warms up I'll get serious about it. I went to the OH meeting in Norcross in January. That was great. I had brought 2 friends with me. I have been using Vitamist every day for about 3 months now and have noticed that my hair is thicker and fuller. Maybe I wasn't getting enough from the oral vitamins I was taking. But I plan on using Vitamist from now on! That's all the news for now. I wish everyone well. Email me anytime! Hugs, Karen
May 3, 2005 Greetings fellow journeymates on the WLS trail!! I am feeling great physically, and maintaining a weight of about 140-142 lbs. (Up from lowest weight of 135 lbs.) I can't believe that I am coming up on 4 yrs postop! WOW! I am solidly in a size small/6. I really have to stop buying clothes!! But it is so much fun. I have been weaning down my steroids and hope to be off them completely by the end of this year. I have been on them for 14 months now. I get tired of the side effects!! But it does control my Lupus very well. My son is in and sometimes that stresses me out. But he is handling it very well, (those Marines are so tough!!) and I send him lots of emails and packages, and that helps me. He occasionally calls home and it is so good to hear his voice. I thought I'd have lots of time to go to the support group meetings again and see everyone, but I can't seem to find the time. I need to get up and moving more as my bone density scan is showing some bone loss in the spine (darn steroids!!). I still drink my quart of skim milk nearly every day and get those supplements in. Life has been good and I am blessed. Prayers and hugs to all. Email me anytime you want to ask a question or just chat about WLS! karen
May 25, 2006 Greetings Fellow WLS's and searchers!! Wow, it's been a while but things are going great. Can you believe it is going on 5 yrs since I had surgery in 9/2001? I am totally off steroids now and I dropped the 5 or 6 lbs of excess weight right away, so I am staying at about 142 lbs, give or take a pound or two. I buy clothes in small or size 6, but occasionally need a larger size 8 if the cut is really form fitting. Still haven't had plastic surgery on my tummy or arms yet, just now we have another wedding coming up in November and I can't seem to be interested in spending money on myself right now. Someday...? My son got engaged and then went back to !! He's over the half way point now, so we are getting excited as September rolls around. Then the wedding!!! Then total empty nest - YEAH!!! We really like that part alot! Our daughter & her husband are moving to TN. Not really happy about that, but it's their life! Gives us an excuse to get away for a weekend now and then. I still eat whatever I want and whenever I want. I have something sweet every day. I don't conciously restrict my carbs at all anymore. I get my protein in every day and take all my supplements. I still drink my quart of skim milk almost every day in order to get half of my protein in an easy (to me) form. I eat alot of cheese also. Actually, if I don't keep my intakes up, I start to lose weight again and then if I go below 140 lbs, I kind of look sickly, so I try to maintain right at around 140 all the time. I do weigh myself almost every day just to see how I'm doing and keep track of stuff. I only exercise very moderately by walking. Overall, I'd say that I have been very fortunate to achieve my goal bmi in the normal range and also to be able to maintain my weight in an easy fashion. I am so very blessed! Best wishes and good luck to all those wherever you may be in your journey and feel free to drop me a line anytime!! Hugs, Karen
September 13, 2006 HAPPY 5TH ANNIVERSARY TO ME!! Wow! It's hard to believe that on 9/6/01, I had my open RNY done. And now I am one of those long-term postops. Amazing! I still wear a size 6/small (and a size 8 if it is form fitting). I drink my quart of skim milk only about 4-5 days per week now. I still faithfully take all my supplements. My labs have been just fine. I have had no health issues related to my byass since the iron deficiency 2+ years ago. I still eat anything I want and been able to maintain within a 3-5 lbs up or down range from my base weight of 140 lbs. I still only walk for my exercise, as my physical activity is limited by my Lupus. I am still eating chocolate in small amts as I can't seem to let go of it, but a couple of bites and I'm satisfied. I have only ever dumped a couple of times in all these years. I do still occasionally throw up if I eat too fast or don't chew enough - talking too much during a meal and not paying attention to what I'm doing!! I still love to go clothes shopping, but hold myself back now as my weight is stable, no more changing sizes as an excuse to shop!! I wish all those starting on or moving along their journey the best of luck and email me anytime!!! Hugs to all, Karen
