Lynn T.
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Lynn T. 25 years, 4 months ago
12/20/00: I went for my second post-op follow-up appointment with Dr. Pearce today. I have lost another 30.5 pounds since my last appointment for a total weight loss of 37.5 pounds since surgery 11/17/00. I am delighted! I really felt like I was losing, but I have a firm rule about only weighing at doctor's appointments, so I had to contain my curiosity until today. I also had to see a urologist for a followup on some of my post op complications. I had renal failure after surgery and he is doing some tests to determine if it was just a one time thing due to the surgery or if I have an ongoing problem with my kidneys. I should know something in a week or two. Prayers are appreciated!! Congratulations to all you big losers, welcome to the other side new posties, and good luck to those of you fighting with insurance companies. Best wishes for a Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year. God Bless You All.
Lynn T. 25 years, 4 months ago
12/05/00: 18 days post op and doing well. I feel a little stronger every day. Learning to eat again is a challenge ... I can't seem to get the hang of knowing when I am full. I was so proud of myself - I walked a half mile yesterday and was barely winded. Before surgery, I would get out of breath walking from my office to my car in the parking lot. Being able to walk 1/2 mile is like a miracle to me. I refuse to weigh except at doctor appointments, but I think I can see a difference in certain areas already, so feel like I am at least losing inches. I will wait until my appointment on 20 Dec to see if I am losing any more pounds. I am so happy for those of you having such super weight loss. I can't help but be a little envious, but I know we shouldn't compare. After all, it has only been 18 days and I sure didn't gain it all in 18 days!! Congrats to all the new posties, those who have dates and to all of you big losers! Bye for now and God Bless.
Lynn T. 25 years, 5 months ago
11/27/00: I had an appointment today. 10 days post op and here are my numbers: 10/18/00 - 358 pounds (consultation) 11/17/00 - Surgery date. Unfortunately, they did not weigh me when they admitted me to the hospital and I was too nervous to think about asking them to. 11/18/00 - 374 pounds (severe post op fluid retention) 11/27/00 - 350.9 pounds So, even if I disregard the "fluid" weight gain, that's still 7 pounds lost in 10 days. Maybe not record breaking, but my doctor does not want me to lose any faster than that. He says total starvation will only take off about a pound a day, so 7 pounds in 10 days is good. I am walking more each day and feel pretty good. I can already tell a difference in that I don't get as much shortness of breath when I walk. I am very pleased to be able to see results in such a short time. Some of you have expressed concerns about what I am eating. I confirmed with my doctor today - I am doing fine. My doctor does not require liquids for a month as many seem to. As many others have said before me - everyone and every doctor is different. Please pick a doctor you feel comfortable with and follow his instructions to the letter. What I post here are my personal experiences only and should be considered as support and encouragement to others who are in the "same boat" and not medical advice. As always, thanks to all for the support and encouragement. Prayers for quick approvals to all of those waiting, no complications and fast recoveries for new post ops, and continued healthy weight loss to you long termers. God bless you all.
Lynn T. 25 years, 5 months ago
11/25/00: 8 days post op and getting a little better every day. Thanks to all of you who posted notes and sent e-mails. I love to hear from you. I am recuperating at my Mom and Dad's house and they live in the country. Today, we went for a little drive and saw 5 beautiful deer. It was a gorgeous day - cool, but bright and sunny. I walked to the mailbox and back. Not far ... may 1/8 mile, but you gotta start somewhere. Pre-op even that would have exhausted me. I get tired, but it is the good kind of tired. Can't wait to find out if I am actually losing weight. I am eating small portions, so I should be losing, but my clothes aren't getting loose yet (darn it). I am learning how to eat day by day. When they tell you 1 bite is the difference between full and miserable, they aren't kidding. For dinner we ate nachos made with refried beans, cheese, guacamole on baked tortilla chips. I ate exactly 4 chips and it was just right. One more bite and I would have been sick. Don't think I ever ate 4 chips and felt full before -- it takes some getting used to. Well, I will close for now and will update when I have news. sugar-free sweet dreams and blessings to all.
Lynn T. 25 years, 5 months ago
11/24/00: 1 week post op today. I am not going to weigh until I go back to the doctor, but am having some anxiety about whether I am starting to lose weight or not. I am eating well. The only thing so far that does not agree with me at all is refined sugar. In the hospital I gained approximately 7-14 pounds because of EXTREME water retention (hard to know exactly because my last pre-op weight was at my surgical consult a month prior to big event - had some pretty serious "last supper syndrome" epidsodes during that last month pre-op month :-}} Intellectually, I know water weight loss is just water and temporary unlike fat lost; HOWEVER, emotionally, a pound is a pound is a pound ...... I had a wonderful Thanksgiving ... great food, family, fellowship, fun and many, many blessings for which to be thankful. I was able to eat nearly all the "traditional" Thanksgiving treats, just small portions, very well chewed, and eaten slowly. I was afraid to try the cranberry salad and pie for desert because of the high sugar content. But everything else ... turkey, dressing, gravy, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, tasted like ambrosia. I think it scares me that I can eat most things so easily. I estimate that I eat about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of food at a time. I have read about so many post ops that eat 1 or 2 bites and are full. I am afraid that I will be a slow loser, although I am not overeating (at least I don't think so) I seem to be eating very well. I try to eat slowly, but I need to work on this as I tend to eat very fast, especially when I am hungry. I get hungry just like normal, eat a small amount and am generally satisfied. It is hard for me to get used to not drinking with meals, but it helps to eat slowly, so it's nice that those 2 new habits work together so well. I was a big water drinking before WLS and so am not having too much trouble getting the water in. I am trying to learn to sip instead of gulp when I drink my water. Pre-op I drank 3 quarts of bottled water per day, often exceeding a gallon when it was particularly hot (I swear I am not exagerating! My co-workers call me the water bottle lady and frequently ask if it is really water in the bottles or vodka LOL. Some attribute my sense of humor to those little bottles of clear liquid.) I know I need at least 64 ounces, but am afraid I will drink too fast or too soon after eating and stretch my pouch. I had not told some of my close relatives about my surgery yet. I told my brother and sister in law yesterday. They weren't too judgmental about it ... actually seemed more curious than anything. I had printed out some explanations and sketches of different procedures and I used these to explain what I had done. One diagram is really worth a thousand words when a financial manager tries to explain roux-en-y bypass surgery to a professional farmer and cattleman LOL. People seem to confuse it with a tummy tuck (which is removal of excess skin and tightening of muscles usually done post weight loss) or with the early stomach stapling surgeries that we have all heard such horror stories about. In the future, when I try to explain it to people, I plan to have explanations and sketches readily available. I am more willing to discuss it with people now. Pre-op I just didn't want to hear the negativity and "I have a friend who knew someone who ......". Now I will pick and choose who I tell. I am kind of funny about "minding my own business" and expecting others to do the same. I never mind sharing with other people who have or continue to suffer from obesity, as I know where your questions are coming from. The morbid curious seekers(usually thin as a rail) who constantly ask "how MUCH weight have you lost? or "what are you doing, dieting or something else (as if you were doing something vaguely immoral for heaven's sake) tend to arouse my temper. They are apt to get the sharper side of my tongue if they catch me in the wrong mood. I have never understood why people think it is OK to ask these kinds of extremely personal questions of perfect strangers. They would never go up to someone and ask what a women's bra size is or for personal stats of a similar type about a guy. Why do they think it is OK to constantly ask that question. It is NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS WHAT I WEIGH OR HOW MUCH I HAVE LOST. It is a totally different matter if the information is volunteered by the person, I guess I am just old fashioned and think it is RUDE to ask. If you really want to give someone a compliment or let them know you notice the weight loss a simple comment to that effect is always appreciated. If they look nice - GREAT!! say so, if you notice she don't get as out of breath on the stairs wonderful, or if you notice he seems to feel better and have more energy - - wonderful. Just don't pin me down to dress sizes and scale numbers. Well, I will step down from the soap box for now (don't really know where that came from --- I must have some ISSUES -- ya think???) Thanks for letting me vent. Have a great day. Prayers for fast and complete recovery for new posties, fast approval for those fighting, continued healthy weight loss for all, and easy maintenance for you long termers out there. God bless.
Lynn T. 25 years, 5 months ago
Hi - this is Lynn. 6 days post-op and doing fabulous. I got out of the hospital yesterday and my sister brought me up to my mom's for Thanksgiving and covalescence. Nobody better to take care of you than mom ... right? I had a wonderful experience with Dr. Pearce and all of his staff as well as the staff of Edmond Regional Medical Center. They are a fine bunch of professionals and I would not hesitate to recommend them to anyone. I had a proximal RNY - I don't even know for sure if I have lost a single pound yet ... but it was worth even if I haven't. I haven't taken a blood pressure pill since surgery (I used to take 4 per day). I had a rough time on Moday and Tuesday with SEVERE nausea. Dr. Pearce did a mini- upper GI and determined that everything was A-OK. I had a combination of too much demorol (sp?) and too much sugar. Lesson Learned on Sugar: I didn't do this on purpose - the hospital brought me foods containing sugar such as ice cream, regular jello, pudding, sweetened beverages, etc. I checked with the nurses and with my surgeon and they felt it would be OK because the amounts were so small. WRONG. I am still not sure exactly what caused me to feel so bad, but it seems strange to me that I had demoral on a PCA pump for several days before I had food, and I never had problems until I had the food. This is probably my ONLY complaint. Dieticians and nutritionists need to be better educated on the care and feeding of recent post op WLS patients. Word to the wise - if you think you know best about what your diet should be post-op you may be RIGHT. The misery you save could be your own <g>. I had some minor problems with my kidneys - - for some reason my body want to hang on to every ounce of fluid it could post op. Apparently, this is not too unusual. It was a little scary at the time, but lots of IV lasix (sp?) and some time took care of it. An ultrasound later confirmed that kidneys are now A-OK. I feel good, am moving pretty well considering the belly full of stitches, am using minimal pain meds, and have my color back. My entire family has been great - especially my little sister who visited me in the hospital and helped me with some very personal chores when mobility was more difficult (I did have a lot of hardward attached to me, especially at first, but was all for my own good). Thanks to all the well wishers and praying folks out there for encouraging me and my family through the surgery. Special thanks to Michelle Montgomery for the surprise visit in the hospital I will do my best to answer all of your e-mails and questions in the next few days. Keep sending those warm, skinny healing thoughts my way. God Bless you all and have a wonderful Thanksgiving (Boy do I have a lot to be thankful for this year). I feel like I have been "showered with blessings" like the line in that old gospel hymn. ttfn
Lynn T. 25 years, 5 months ago
Ken T. 25 years, 5 months ago
Hello I just talked to my wife Lynn and she says that she is doing great. She was getting ready to eat some cream of wheat. She is getting out of the hosp. today and going to stay with her mom for a while. I thank God that I have a great mother-in-law. I know she will take care of Lynn for me. Our sons just left to go to Grandma's and will be going when I get off Thanksgiving morning to see Lynn. Thanks for all the prayers. Ken T
Michelle P. 25 years, 5 months ago
I went to see Lynn in the hospital and she is doing great!! She looks really good and can carry on a good conversation (which is more than I can say for myself when I had mine!!!). Lynn has made it to the other side and we are all really proud of her.