ALafferty
I had WLS on 07/27/2007. At my first postop visit I was down 32 pounds. Then some complications set in...I developed dehydration, which required a trip to the ER for fluids. Three days later I was back in the ER with blood clots in both legs. I had had a blood clot 10 years prior after a pregnancy and luckily I had a Greenfield filter placed the morning of my WLS in case this happened again, so at least I have (and continue to have) the protection of the filter. I spent a week in the hospital for the blood clots and then was bedridden at home for 2 1/2 months. I developed anemia very severely where I could barely make it from my living room to the bathroom by myself without feeling like I was going to pass out and huffing and puffing all the way. By Christmas time of 2007 I was down 75 pounds. I have lost quite a bit of hair, but luckily I had thick hair prior to surgery and my hairdresser said I could afford to lose some. Hopefully that is finished now and the dermatologist says it will grow back in about a year or so. One can hope! In March 2008 I developed pain after eating. I had to go back to the ER. I had a laparoscopic cholecystectomy (gallbladder removal) on 03/06/08. I spent another week in the hospital so they could do the surgery and regulate my Coumadin (blood thinner) levels again. A week after discharge I was back in the ER because my family doctor thought I had a mini stroke since the left side of my face was drooping. Luckily, after an MRI and CAT scan, it turned out to be just Bell's palsy, which is related to the herpes simplex virus and will go away with prednisone, which I am almost finished taking. I am now 8 months out of surgery and down 146 pounds. I still have more to lose, but I'm happy with the weight loss. If I wouldn't have had such a great weight loss so far, I would be depressed with all the complications. I am only 36 and did not have ANY health issues before surgery, except the obesity. I am hoping that I'm on the road to good health now, even though eating has been an issue for me over the last week. I envy those of you who have undergone WLS and not had any complications (like my girflriend). Congrats to those of you who have had the WLS and are on your way to your goal or have reached your goal and good luck to those of you who are going to have WLS or are considering WLS. I honestly don't know if I would go through it again. I've been through too much at this point and can't even fathom the thought of plastic surgery because of all the hell my body has been through. Like I said, the weight loss has been the only thing that has made it all worth it.
