Rebecca B.
10/17/06
I am 45 years old, married with one daughter. I am 5'4" and weigh 285lbs. I have Kaiser Permanente insurance and have completed the 10 week required classes. I was called by Kaiser the other day and informed that that they had a date available on 11/7/06 but have opted to wait until the first of the year because of work and personal issues. We are really short staffed at work right now and with the holidays coming it is just a bad time to take off. Also I plan to travel out of state the first week in December and the first week in January. I have been told that they do not recommend that you travel for 6 weeks to 2 months after surgery. I first got my approval letter from Kaiser back in May of 2005. It seemed like it took forever for me to get a call to start the classes. I really enjoyed the classes and am glad that they were required before surgery. I think without the classes I may not have been as ready mentally and emotionally as I am. I am really starting to get excited. I can't wait until the surgery is over. I have been waiting for this for a long time. I had posted last year but with the new format it must have gotten lost. Anyway I have posted again and am really close to getting to the other side.
1/10/07
I have a date! January 22 less than two weeks away. I am so excited, I can't wait. There is so much that I have to do to get ready.
2/12/07
I am home and doing well. I did have a complication that caused some concern. Below I will write out my surgery experience. I had Lap RNY on 1/22/07 (Monday), I came home that Thursday 1/25/07. Dr Brown suspected that I had a leak and it would close on it's own. I had a drain in and things were going good. By Friday evening I knew that everything I was taking in by mouth was coming right out into the drain. Saturday morning (1/27/07) I called Dr Brown and told him what was going on. He told me to come back to the hospital. Once back in the hospital I was given IV fluids and eventually started on TPN (nutrients through IV). The TPN bag ran 16 hours a day. They have to give it over a long period of time so that you don't get things like potassium, sodium and calcium too fast. He started me on IV antibiotics as a preventative measure. I was then allowed to go home on Thursday (2/1/07). I continued the TPN and IV antibiotics at home. Finally Friday(1/9/07) he removed my IV and abdominal drain. I was on the IV feeding for over 11 days and was sick of that IV pole that I had to drag everywhere with me. So I am home and happy and without any tubes connected to me. During the whole process of the surgery and being re-hospitalized I can't say there was a lot of pain, just mostly some discomfort and the fact that I was annoyed with the IV and the abdominal drain. I fell really good but am not ready to go back to work yet. I feel like I have been stuck in the house most of my recovery because I was on the IVs. It sure has felt like a long journey but now I hope the fun part begins.
2/17/07
I am starting to feel like myself again. I have more energy and feel like doing things that I enjoy. I feel like I can drink a lot more fluids at one time than right after the surgery. The swelling must have gone down. I drink a lot of milk. I don't think that I am getting in quite 400 calories a day but I don't feel deprived. Monday will be 4 weeks since surgery and I plan to start walking on the treadmill. After I see the Dr on wednesday I want to start doing weight lifting if he says ok. I never thought I would get out of the slump I was in, but I just started feeling good again. I am now looking forward to being an active participant in this whole weight loss thing. Before I felt like it was just happening to me because of all of the complications but now I want to be in the driver's seat. Most people say that you will lose weight the first 6 months regardless of what you do, but I do want to feel like I am making it happen along with the surgery. I lost 30 lbs in the first 3 weeks, which is great but I feel like I didn't do anything to deserve it. With exercise I will be able to take off weight and also build up my stamina. I am only going to weigh on Mondays. I don't want to become a slave to the scales. It is hard because some days I just want to jump on the scales and take a quick peek. I have been trying out different foods and am eating foods high in protein. I usually can drink a lot of fluids throughout the day, so that has not been a problem. It is so nice to feel good. I know the best is yet to come.
3/22/07
Today is two months since my surgery. I have a little trouble getting in all of the protein that I need. I have lost about 46 lbs, and have been stuck at this weight for the last week and a half. I know my body is just trying to regulate itself so I am not too worried. I feel like I am still losing inches. I have been doing some weight training but need to do more. I feel really good but have to make myself eat most times. When I do eat I still can't take in very much food at one time. I like the way food tastes but everything just kinda sets heavy on my stomach. So I try to get in a lot of little meals. Everything feels like it has healed, I just hope I don't get a stricture at some point.
4/22/07
Wow! Three months since my surgery. I'm feeling great. I have lost 64lbs. I can't believe it has been just 3 months, it seems like forever since I had my surgery. It's funny how the whole ordeal of the surgery is forgotten once you start feeling good. I can eat about anything but only a very small amount. I still struggle with getting in my protein. I have found a protein shake that I can tolerate-Unjury vanilla. I have tried some South Beach protein bars that I like. It takes me awhile to eat a whole bar, but at least I like the taste. Sometimes I get a little sore from exercising and walking but other than that I feel really good. Some days I have a lot of trouble getting in enough food. It seems like my pouch is picker some days than others. I have been taking my multi-vit and B-12. It is hard to get in all the calcium but I do try. I have just recently started back taking omega-3 fish oil and glucosamine (for bone and joint health). I took them before surgery and liked the way I felt when I took them. This surgery has changed the way that I eat. I now think before I put anything in my mouth and contemplate what I will eat and what I need to eat to feel healthy. I just feel so good right now, it may be from the 64 lbs I lost or the fact that spring is here and we had such a nasty winter here in Denver or a combination of both.
5/22/07
Four months since surgery and I am down 74.5 lbs. I was aiming for 75 lbs at 4 months but am happy that I am just 1/2lb from my goal. I have been feeling really good and healthy. I still have trouble getting in all my calcium but am working on that. I had to buy some new clothes because my old ones were too big. I really enjoyed buying new clothes,usually I hate to try on new stuff, not this time. I will have to be careful that I don't become a shopaholic. I can eat almost anything just small amounts. I have not tried anything with concentrated sweets or high in fat. So far I have not dumped on anything but I have been very concious of what I put in my mouth. I do at times feel like things set heavy on my stomach and that can be a little uncomfortable. I really crave cranberry juice but have not had any trouble craving other things. I have snacks around the house for my family and I don't have trouble resisting them. I just know I can't have them because they would make me feel bad. Starting weight 288.5, current weight 214.
6/22/07
I am five months out today. My weight loss has slowed down some at this time. I have lost 84.5 lbs and feel really good. I am having a stall right now with losing the weight, but I know it will end at some time. I usually have stalls then start losing and lose about a pound a day. I have not been eating very well lately, been very busy. I need to start making sure that I get my protein in and take all of my calcium tabs. Some days I can eat more than other days but for the most part I can only eat a small portion of anything.
12/8/07
I'm about 10 1/2 months out. I have lost 128.5 lbs and feel great. I have 15 more lbs to lose to my goal. I started at 288 lbs (my home scale) and now weigh 160 lbs. I want to get to 145. I'm already thinking about plastic surgery on my arms, breasts, stomach and loose skin on my legs. But I know PS will have to wait until my weight stabilizes. What a year this has been. I am so glad that I had this surgery. I can eat about anything I want. I still watch the foods with concentrated sweets and high fats. Sometimes meat will sit heavy on my stomach but for the most part I can eat everything. Once in a while something will get stuck in my stoma and make me feel a little uncomfortable but then it will pass and I will be ok. If I never lost another lb I would be happy with my weight, I have so much energy. It is amazing to walk and not get out of breath and to not have my knees and ankles hurt when I walk up and down stairs. I don't think weight loss has changed the person that I am, but I feel that it has made me healthier which has increased my happiness. Some people think that WLS will make them happy, but I believe that if you are an unhappy person before WLS you will be unhappy after WLS. You still wake up each morning with you. But WLS does make you feel better in the way that you have less pain and stress on your body. If you loved yourself before WLS you will love yourself after WLS. Walking and exercise is fun, just wish I had more time to enjoy it.
