Hello!

Four years ago today, I had my DS with the amazing John Rabkin, MD in San Francisco (paclap.com). I could have used a DS doc here in Chicago, but I wanted the very best I could find. After all, this was my LIFE we were talking about! Traveling for my surgery was a breeze.

I am not on OH much anymore. I found the privacy issues scary and the uneven moderation here oppressive, so like hundreds of others, I migrated over to the "other" WLS board. I still come around here now and then to answer newbie questions when I can--I remember how helpful it was to me when I started my journey.

The DS has been nothing short of a life-saving miracle to me. I was 344 pounds, had sleep apnea and the dreaded Type 2 diabetes. Today, I weigh between 155 and 161. I went down to about 143 in the early days and I looked gross in my opinion--all pointy edges, not particularly feminine. I look back at pictures taken in that era and I look so sharp and too thin. I hope not to go past my present weight, but I'll see. I am convinced that if I low-carb, I can drop any pesky pounds easily. No more sleep apnea or diabetes!!! My cholesterol is amazingly low. Life is sweet.

Let me address some common newbie questions about the DS:

Can you eat? Yes! My stomach capacity is pretty large these days. I can eat a lot of food for someone with a tiny tummy. I just try to keep it high-protein and semi-high fat (so I do not get constipated****ep a mindful eye on my carbs but I do enjoy bread, candy and cake! I think if I had the VSG, I would be in a world of trouble right now because my stomach was cut to the small size of a VSG tummy and I can surely eat and feel raging hunger now. A friend of mine had the VSG the same day I had my DS, and she is struggling with her weight and she never got to goal in the first place.

Is pooping so bad? I do  NOT have gas or bowel issues. Yes, when I do fart (about once or twice a day, probably less than a person who did not have surgery) it stinks. When I poop, about 2-3 times a day, it stinks. It should. It's poop.

Vitamins? It's a ***** to take all of the vitamins, I won't lie. And I only have to take 14-15 a day, according to my twice-yearly lab results. I recently became sloppy in my vite habits and stopped taking them regularly and man, did my numbers drop like a stone. I cannot afford to be cavalier about them again! I order most of my vites from Vitalady and take Costco's calcium citrate.

My iron was always low before my DS and it's in the crapper now. I have iron infusions about twice a year. Those are damn easy so I don't worry about it. My surgeon would prefer if I could get my iron up with oral iron, but it's not to be. 

Plastic surgery? About 1 year after getting to goal, I did have some reconstructive surgery--an extended "anchor" tummy tuck and a brachioplasty. Insurance paid for my tummy (I documented the hell out of the skin issues and pain I was having) and I self-paid cash for my arms. Those went very well and I am thrilled with the results. I used Dr. Michael Lee at Northwestern in Chicago.

Do you have "head issues?" I do not have any "head issues" around my weight loss. I am treated a bit differently by people these days, mainly strangers, but that's fine. I spent a lot of time before surgery in therapy, so maybe that helped. Having friends and family who loved me for me helped, too. My weight was real to them, but it was not a defining characteristic, so it is not one now. I always liked me, and that never stopped no matter how much I weighed.

I also attend monthly support group meetings, which are helpful to feel "connected" to other people in my same shoes.

Does WLS mean a divorce? My relationship with my husband has not suffered as a result of my weight loss surgery, like many people here say happened to them. I believe that it's true that WLS results can make a strong relationship stronger and a weak one weaker. If you are experiencing relationship issues now, before surgery, try and resolve as much as you can ahead of time. It will make the various transitions easier to deal with.

Oh, it's tempting to flirt and enjoy the attention of the opposite sex now, but that's not who I am. I don't need that validation from anyone other than my husband. I don't feel like I have "missed" my 20s or my 30s by being obese so I don't feel the need to go out clubbing and drinking with strange guys. If that's how you feel, you may not be ready for surgery. You may have to spend some time getting your house in order NOW before you have to have a lawyer help you do it later.

Did you tell anyone you had the DS? Yes, I tell everyone and anyone. I am very proud that I took this step to save my life. I was DYING from my obesity. The second I figured that out, there was no shame for me. It's like chemotherapy or radiation. Why should I be ashamed? As a matter of a fact, I feel smart that I chose the DS. I still get the fabulous long-term results AND get to eat the foods I love, from steak to cheese to desserts to well, anything! I still love food and with the DS, that's just fine. I never feel deprived. I view food as fuel and a pleasure. I look at a menu and say "YES!" 

Do you exercise? I work out maybe once a week, doing mainly cardio. I need to do some weight lifting for muscle and bone health. In the year before and the year after my DS, I worked out 2-3 times a week with a personal trainer to make sure I survived the surgery and to maiximize my weight loss and minimize muscle loss.

What do you eat? In that first 6 months, I ate very low-carb, about 30g of carbs a day. The weight flew off. Try and maximize your weight loss "window" of approximately 18-24 months. You will be able to eat carbs later--don't squander the opoprtunity right out of the gate. I lost 108 pounds those first 6 months and I did not lose a ton of muscle.

Here's what I ate today:

B: 8 Bagel Bite pepperoni pizzas and a Diet Coke

S: 2 cups of some sort of Target nut mixture (Sweet Cajun, maybe?) and a Diet Coke

L: Jimmy John #5 Vito with extra mayo and a Diet Coke

S: Starbucks coffee drink

D: Probably some chicken thing or hot dogs--see what I grab--and a Diet Coke

S: probably some cheese and crackers

I eat a lot of cheese and meat these days. Before my DS, I was practically a vegetarian, so this meat thing is surprising, but it's also medicinal. Now I like how it tastes. I drink a fair amount of water, too. Not as much as I probably should, but I do drink other things besides Diet Coke!

If you have any questions for me, please send me a PM or ask them in this thread. I will try to get back to you ASAP.

Now, on to some pix!

February 2008: 344 pounds, size 30-32 pants



December 2011: size 8-10 pants



February 2012: (a couple of days ago) The lady handed me a size medium wet suit and life jacket and I almost laughed! Even four years later, it's sometimes hard to believe!



I wish you all the best on your journey!

Nicolle

Hi, everyone! I hope things are going well for you all, three years out! The following was taken from something I posted on the Main Board and the DS forum the other day.

Nicolle
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So, on Tuesday, it was THREE YEARS since I had my DS with the amazing Dr. John Rabkin in San Francisco (www.paclap.com).

Before my DS: 344 pounds, 55.5 BMI, Size 30-32 and Type 2 diabetes and sleep apnea  

3 years after my DS: 148 pounds, 23.9 BMI, Size 8-10 and Type 2 diabetes and sleep apnea GONE!!

   

I had an extended tummy tuck and a brachioplasty 6 months ago. (Info and pix on my blog.) So far, I must still be in my “DS honeymoon.” I have no idea how long that will last, but I will enjoy it as long as I can. I eat what I want (fortunately what I want is not usually ALL carbs so far) and I have no deficiencies and no gas or poop issues, so far.

I weigh myself EVERY day. I notice the number and I don’t freak out if it’s a pound up or down. I know the neighborhood it should be in for my comfort. I WILL say that if I even lose 2 pounds, it seems to come off of my face ONLY and I look “too skinny” for my taste. Then I up my carbs a smidge. If I start to regain, I plan on cutting back severely on my carbs and seeing what happens.

Yesterday, I ate:

Breakfast at Bakers’ Square
·         Hickory Skillet with extra bacon and cheese
·         Two pieces of rye toast with butter
·         2 cups of coffee with heavy cream and sugar

Lunch/Snack
·         Half of a large bag of uber-buttered popcorn at the movie theater
·         2 treat-sized bags of mini-M&Ms
·         Handful of chocolate-covered almonds and Diet Coke

Dinner out at a Latin American restaurant:
·         Handful of tortilla chips and salsa
·         Tapas: Lamb mini-taco, mini chicken empanada, 2 breaded goat cheese and pumpkin balls, breaded plantain ball
·         Half of a skirt steak with Costa Rican potatoes
·         Glass of white wine
·         Grand Marnier chocolate torte with whipped cream
·         Cup of coffee with heavy cream and sugar and Diet Coke

Midnight snack
·        Cheese and crackers

I have not developed any cross-addictions like over-shopping (in fact, I hate clothes-shopping--too many choices now!), alcoholism, drug addiction, sex (well, I AM far hornier for my husband than before my DS, but that’s a good thing). My marriage has been positively impacted by my weight loss and improved health. My kids eat well-rounded, healthful meals and snacks and indulge in some treats (some nutjobs here on OH seem to think we DS moms and dads slather Crisco on a cookie and hand it to our kids for lunch). My kids view food as fuel and pleasure, as it should be. If I had that attitude from birth, maybe I would not have become obese in the first place. I exercise, but usually in the act of having fun and sometimes in the gym.

I told my husband and my best friend the other day that if I died tomorrow due to something freakish about my surgery, then I would have no regrets. It still would rate as one of the very best things I have ever done. While I was always active, even at 344 pounds, I was moving slow, not at the hyperspeed that I am now.  I have packed a helluva lot of living in these three years including:

·         Easily walked the almost 40-mile Avon 2-day breast cancer walk
·         Logged hours upon hours in active play with my kids (rollerskating, bikeriding, running, climbing,etc.)
·         Gone back to work full-time, confident that my appearance was the LEAST important thing they noticed in interviews (My hilarious new co-workers DID say they saw me on interview day and actually called me a “skinny *****!”)
·         Hours upon hours of more comfortable, even closer sex with my husband
·         Happily posed for hundreds of pictures without trying to shield my huge body from the camera with children, my purse, a chair, anything!
·         Did everyday life things without a thought to my appearance (e.g. "I wonder if I look fat doing this?").
·         Ate any and all foods that tickled my fancy, without worrying about fat, calories, etc. or how people would judge me for my choices. I now taste food and flavors as they should be tasted. I had been tossing food back without really tasting it for YEARS. The world is HUGE when you can taste it all!
·         I said “yes” to lots of things, from roller coasters to new relationships. I was always outgoing, but now I am outgoing times a million.
·         Met tons of new friends, fellow DSers IRL and online.
·         Oh, and I got to wear shoes with a heel. Now, I am never going to wear serious high heels. It’s not my style and not really age-appropriate, BUT, here is a pic of my shoe the other night. I felt tall and glamorous, not frumpy.

 

To all of you celebrating your two-year anniversary, congrats! Yesterday was the two-year anniversary of my duodenal switch!!

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my DS!!!!

In 2008, I was 344 pounds and had a BMI of 55.5. I was newly diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and sleep apnea. I had arthritis in my knee and three herniated disks in my spine. According to my PCP, I had 10 years until I became bedridden and dependent on others, IF I stayed on that horrible path. With two young kids and a disabled husband, this was a grim prognosis for us all.

Diets had not been my friend, leaving me fatter and sicker each time.I needed something that would actually work. Based on all of my research, the DS had the long-term success rates and post-op quality of life that suited me best (see www.dsfacts.com for peer-reviewed scientific data). I did my research, picked one of the top DS surgeons on the planet, and traveled to San Francisco to change my life. (My surgeon comes to Chicago for our monthly support group meetings since there is a fair amount of us here.)

Today, my diabetes and sleep apnea are gone! I fluctuate between 145 and 155, depending on the time of the month, exercise, etc. I was a size 30-32 in jeans and now I am an 8-10. I take 12-13 vitamins a day, whi*****ludes 8 calcium citrates, one multivitamin, one B complex, one Vitamin D (3x a week, I take two of these) and one Vitamin A. I have about 2-3 small, easy bowel movements a day, depending on what I eat. As long as I get my protein in, I eat what I want with no ill effects, from meat to salads to cheese to desserts.

In fact, last night, my hubby and I celebrated my surgiversary with a great meal at a top Chicago restaurant—goat cheese frisee, great bread/butter, stuffed Amish chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, lentils, decadent dessert and a Lemon Drop martini. We had a very late dinner reservation, so we stopped off for Taco Bell earlier—go figure!

I know that excessive carbs can derail any weight loss surgery, even the mighty DS, so I watch the scale. If I go on a carb bender, I up my protein/lower my carbs the next�couple of�days and the scale drops down. Pretty amazing, like a “normal person! I plan to stay vigilant yet enjoy all the goodies I can!

I am considering reconstructive surgery, but we'll cross that scary bridge when I come to it. My abdomen needs some work, but I can deal with it longer as I gather my courage.

Negatives? I DID have kidney stones last year—hideously painful but resolved quickly. I was low on iron as a pre-op and my DS made it slightly worse, so I have had two iron infusions recently—no fuss, no muss. I feel great. I hope I shall always be so fortunate, but time will tell.

I am one of those “pay-it-forward DSers because I feel so lucky to have discovered this amazing option. I do NOT believe that everyone should get the DS, but I think everyone should know it’s a real option for them, even if they are lightweights or have to travel, switch jobs/insurance policies or even self-pay (I did a combination of most of these). I resent how insurance companies and ignorant doctors, using inaccurate information and hearsay, steer people away from the only surgery with a 98% resolution rate of diabetes, which is a brutal killer. Sure, the DS is not as profitable as the other WLS for docs, but patients should know it exists.

And finally, I just wanted to give a shout out to all of the veterans who generously pay it forward on OH every day. Thank you for sharing your experience and wisdom.

Two amazing years down, 60 more to go!

Nicolle
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Photo Captions: (I think I squoooshed the photos to fit them--forgive me if I look 2 feet tall!)

Left, me at 344 pounds with diabetes and sleep apnea.
Right, me (with my surgeon, Dr. Rabkin) at 150 pounds. My diabetes and sleep apnea are gone.

�

I have head hunger it seems more and more each day - I try not to cave into the carb monster but man it is difficult!

It seems I can eat and eat somedays alot more than others - may I ask how much you are able to eat?

Congrats on your loss and GAIN with the babies - they are a true gift. Congrats!

I am 18 months out and have lost 120lbs. Now I am freaking out because I gained 2lbs this week (and not my normal fluctuation of 163-165lb) I am 167. I have cut out all carbs and processed foods until I lose at least those 2lbs if not 5. I know exactly where I got too lax, now I have to nip it in the bud. I am too addicted to food to let this slip by. I would have loved to get to 150lbs, but this seems to be where I ended up. My surgery was late Feb. 2008 and I stopped losing about 2 months ago, which is fine as long as I don't gain (which I just did). I think my problem was the old habits creeping back just like you, but I made up my mind to just pay attention to everything that goes in my mouth instead of living my life depriving myself of everything. The only reason I gained was because I wrote down every bite of cake and ice cream and such but I wasn't reviewing my food journal at all and when I gained the 2lbs and went back and looked and the journal I was shocked I was eating so much crap. I now allow myself 150-200 calories a day of "crap" and cut the rest of the carbs and have to stay under 1600 calories a day.

Hey -
Sorry to hear things are not going so well right now.  I feel like I have done really well since my surgery on 2/8/08, but now have a fear of gaining weight because I am now able to eat more and see some of my old habbits creeping back in.
I have lost 130 lbs since surgery and currently weigh about 150 - give or take a few lbs.
We really have to get back on track.....I know I need to do a better job of planning my food and get my rear to the gym more often.
Don't know if this helps.....I have never responded to one of these....normally just a reader....
We have lost so muc and just need to continue to head the right direction.

Sorry to hear that you had some problems, but I am glad that you are feeling much better. Good luck on those last 25lbs I know that you can lose them. Summer is on the way you can find many things to do outside to work off those pounds.

I continue to lose about 1 or 2 pounds a week. I hope that it continues for awhile longer I have about 40 more pounds I want to lose. I bought a bicycle today and plan on using it as much as I can this summer.

Cathy

I am not really sure what's going on but I am very sad today.  It feels like I have the weight of the world on my shoulders.  I don't know if this is something we go through or it's the new meds.  Anyone ever feel like this and not know why?

You look fantastic...I know you must FEEL great!  I can relate to all the things you listed.  I am soooo much happier and outgoing now.  No more blending into the crowd for me.  Like you, I am down to losing that last 25 lbs.  My surgeon told me that I had probably lost all that I would lose from the surgery and that anything else I lose would have to be through my own efforts.  So, I just have to work at it a little harder.  I am giving myself a year to get that last 25 lbs off though.  No rush.  I am already happy where I am and anything else would just be nice.

Sandi

  

Michelle, that's great! Happy anniversary to you and congrats on your regained health!

What a difference a year makes, huh?

Nicolle