Username: blessedandgrateful
Location: GA
Member Since: 9/30/2007
BMI: 44.6
Surgery date scheduled
Surgery Type: Duodenal Switch (05/15/08)
Surgeon: Dennis C. Smith Jr. M.D.

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blessedandgrateful has 7 Friends

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Goals

Complete the high ropes course at Kanakuk Family Camp.

Category: Hobbies & Interest

1 Person

in progress,

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achieved this

Get to a healthy weight.

Category: Health

2 People

in progress,

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Latest Surgery Support Comments

Comment by danielle_ham on 5/16/08 6:47 am

Heard from Kellie via text this morning - Surgery went smoothly and she's doing well. Should be up and moving shortly. She's on to liquids now so all is good.

Comment by Jodie R. on 4/30/08 8:04 am

congrats on the decision to get the DS.. welcome to the dark side. i hope you have a safe surgery and a speedy recovery!

Comment by Laurie D. on 4/30/08 7:53 am

Kellie, congrats on your new life switch! Wishing you a quick recovery and a very successful adjustment to your new life!

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blessedandgrateful's Blog

one underland
on September 28, 2008 11:15 pm

Wow! Oh what a feeling. Two days ago I hit one underland. I am a sz 14 on bottom and large or xl on top. I have bones that I can feel in my shoulders, pelvis and hips. My skin is drooping here and there-- I especially hate the droopy arm lumps that fold over my bra but it is a small price to pay. My 3 month labs were ok~~Needed to add more calcium, K and potassium. Strangely enough the only place I can get a good amount of potassium in one fell swoop is through blackstrap molasses. I take a big tablespoonfull each day-- it is somewhat gross but the taste doesn't linger. I have more energy and have noticed that people respond to me differently. I still have trouble truely seeing my size and when I recently ordered clothes I couldn't wrap my head around the idea that I needed to order size 14s even though most 16s are too big. Finally my husband insisted--- and he was right. I feel incredibly blessed to have had this surgery. I eat pretty much whatever I want just in much smaller portions and get that protein in first. I know this is a journey and have talked through many of the conflicting feeling I am having with my husband each step of the way. He has been a gift and is hugely supportive and understanding. God is so GOOD!

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On the loser's bench now:)
on May 27, 2008 11:25 am

Well, I finally had my DS on May 15, 2008. I was petrified to "go under" but I kept reminding myself that my RN sis told me it was just like going to sleep. My DH and I prayed before they came to take me and then he walked me to the OR door and when he kissed me good bye he was crying. He was worried too. Thankfully, the nurses and PA all said a friendly hello and then put me out (right after I told them that if they were praying people I would welcome prayers during my surgery). I woke up in pain-- I think those were my first words- but the pain pump took care of that. I had some trouble breathing after they pushed the pump-- my O2 levels dropped to 70% and the nurses would start shouting at me to breathe. A few angrily told me I had sleep apnea but I have been cleared twice for it and don't snore much at all, and always wake up rested. Anyway, all was well soon and I was up and out of bed walking either that night or the next morning-- pain drugs have dimmed my memory of this.

Dr Smith said he made my CC 80CM and my stomach can hold about 90cc's. I had asked him to take a look around during the surgery and he took a few photos for me of my ovarys, uterus, liver, gallbladder etc. It was really cool! He said I had a textbook surgery. Thank you Jesus! Its been 12 days and I feel great and have lost 22 pounds so far! I detest the all liquid diet and live on Champion Banana Scream and Unjury chicken soup. I am a little worried about my vitamins and am looking forward to the blood tests to reassure myself I am doing ok. Three times a day I take a Bariatric Advantage Multi plus ADEK and a 400mg calcium citrate. Also for the first 30 days I am on priolsec. Thats it!

I feel excited about the future and am looking forward to seeing some numbers on the scale I haven't seen in years! Thank you God for this wonderful oppurtunity.

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DS Surgery Instead
on February 1, 2008 8:55 am

In Dec, I decided to postpone my RNY surgery in order to have time to research the DS. I wrote a letter to my former surgeon telling him why I wanted to postpone my surgery and scheduled an appointment with Dr. Smith in Marietta, GA. Afer further research and reading research studies till I was bleary eyed I have decided to pursue the DS surgery. I think it is the right surgery for me- allowing me to get to a healthy weight, keep that healthy weight and not worry about dumping, stomas or ulcers. My research shows that the DS should also eliminate my insulin resistance. I am excited about this surgery and what it offers me. My goal when I turned 40 was to get healthy and I would like to get this surgery before I am 41 as a serious step in that direction. Thank you to all those DSers who are "paying it forward" - the DS is a hard surgery to find and your willingness to answer questions and reach out to those of us who are seeking information is something I will be forever grateful for.

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surgery update
on November 26, 2007 4:43 pm

Ok, I have finally nailed down a surgery date-- 16 Jan 08 at 7:30AM. It feels good to know when it will happen and I feel ready to take this next step.

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surgery approved
on October 17, 2007 8:38 am

My paperwork was submitted last week and when I called to confirm they had received it they said to call in two days to find out if it had been approved. I called today.... lo and behold it has been approved! I am scared... its a big change..... but excited to get on with it. My dh and I need to sit down and figure out when he can take some time off to take over the kids while I recover.

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Archive

My Story

Hi,
What a journey I have had! I am truly blessed and grateful to be right where I am right now. I am a wife to a loving and supportive husband for nearly 18 years, and mother of 4 great kids. I am finally at peace with who I am and where I am in life and I think that has made me ready to take this big step. Yes, the surgery itself is intimidating but in some ways even more intimidating is the idea of being at a normal weight again.

I thought I had weight problems all my life. It wasn’t until a few years ago when I was looking through my baby book (mom did a great job keeping it up to date until my teenage years- wish I had done the same for my kids!) that I realized as a child, only my mind was fat- my body wasn’t! After having kids my fat mind took over and my weight went up and down for many years. I never stabilized near my pre-pregnancy weight of 145 but rather yo yo’ed up and down. The up’s got higher and sadly so did the down’s!

I think my moment of truth came after my daughter was born. I just knew I didn’t want her to struggle with her weight like I have. I wanted more than anything for her to have a “normal” relationship with food—to enjoy food but eat for health not emotions. Then, one day it dawned on me….. if having a “normal” relationship with food were good enough for my daughter, why wasn’t it good enough for me? And that is when it clicked. Whole grain breads and pastas, tons of fresh fruit and veggies, no trans fats etc were some of the changes I made for our whole family. We are much healthier eaters. I feel better than ever and even lost 18 pounds. I just can’t seem to keep loosing. I even exercise several times a week.

I have thought about WLS on and off for 4 years now. I have two distant relatives who have had long term success with their surgeries but have been reluctant to try. A few months ago I started researching WLS again. I read about a study that showed WLS is the only proven long term successful method of loosing weight.

My awesome husband and I have had many discussions about WLS. He has seen my struggles with dieting- WW, Atkins, Body for Life, low calorie, low fat, no sugar, etc.- I have even worked with a physical trainer for 2 years. I am in great shape for a fat person—LOL. He (DH) worries about the surgery itself, about my not being able to eat normally again etc. I think our discussions with the surgeon have reassured him and me about the risks. Thankfully, I have no co-morbidities although I am told it is just a matter of time.

So, back to the beginning…… it is intimidating to think about being a normal weight again. I don’t want to be at a healthy weight and still think I am fat. I think I need to work on changing my mind set. I want to be healthy, live a longer and more fulfilling life, feel free to do some of the more adventurous activities I like, get my energy back again etc. I want to set a good example for my kids- not just eating the right foods in the right portions but also just living a life full of physical activities- hiking, skiing, rock climbing etc. I have avoided a lot of those activities because I get too winded or won’t fit in the harness. My kids are healthy, active kids and I want to be a part of those activities. So, as I loose weight I want to keep my eye on the healthy, active prize and recognize/ be grateful for how blessed I am along the way.

God is so GOOD and I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me!