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Before & After There are currently no before and after photos for this member. See these instructions if you wish to submit your own Before & After photos. Latest Surgery Support Comments
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My Story 1/3/06 I have finally decided upon the DS wls. I will most likely be working with Dr. Foote at MMPC in Grand Rapids, MI. I have to go to their orientation on 1/9 and then after that I will begin scheduling for my follow-up appts. 1/10/06 I went to my orientation yesterday...it was a drag to have to drive 2 hrs to get there but it was good to get the ball rolling! They are going to try and fast track me so that is nice! I have my surgical consult next Monday at 10am and the next day I have my internist and psychologist appts. So by the end of next week I am hoping that they will be ready to ship everything off to BC/BS for approval! 1/31/06 Well I have completed all my initial appts. (surgeon, internist and psych consults) as of 1/25/06. I guess the protocol at MMPC is that within 2 weeks of last appt they will submit to insurance for approval. So by 2/8...one more week they will have sent it off to insurance. I have BC/BS of New Jersey which is out of state for me and the insurance liason at MMPC said they can be challenging to work with...I am praying not! She said it could be 4-6 weeks to get through BC/BS system. So it could be another 5-7 weeks before I get an approval. The unfortunate part is that we are moving in April and I need to have this surgery before mid-March or I will have to wait until June. I really don't want to wait that long but I have to trust the timing is in God's hands. It will work out for the best. Dr. Foote seems nice enough and he was more than willing to do the DS/BPD on me. I was concerned he wouldn't do it because I wasn't large enough. Turned out not to be a problem. 6/26/06 Wow. It has been a while since my last update! I was initially denied my DS because insurance said it was investigational. I prepared a 140 page appeal and 2 weeks after my appeal I was approved. So, it took 7 weeks for me to get approved. But, I won! We still haven't moved yet... :( so many issues. I thought we were moving in June so I didn't schedule my surgery until July 26th thinking that would give me plenty of time to get into the new house before surgery...not so! We are running up against the gun! I am just praying that we can move in the weekend before my surgery. I have 2 pre-op appts. July 12th to meet with the nutritionist and begin my 2 week pre-op diet and then another one on July 19th for all my pre-op work up. Then the week after, my surgery. I am really excited! Not nervous at all about the sugery...just scared that I won't be able to stay committed to changing my lifestyle. 8/18/06: 1 month update
Dr. Foote and Dr. Kemmeter at MMPC did a fabulous job. I am very pleased with their program. My one complaint is that most of their regimine is geared towards the RNY patient but I am sure in time they will get on the ball with that one! They have only been doing the DS for about a year now. It is really fun to watch the scale drop. It has always gone up for me. Never down. So this is fun! I weigh myself everyday and I notice that I will stay the same weight for 3-4 days and then drop 2-4lbs overnight. I am sure as I am better able to eat more protein the weight will drop faster and more consistently. 10/1/06: 2 month Update
I have had a couple “wow” moments in the last week or so. This past week I went to San Diego on a business trip. I was actually comfortable I my plane chair! I had room to cross my legs and put the tray table down flat and room to wiggle my bottom in the seat! Also, I was going through my jewelry box this weekend and saw a pearl ring I got for my 18th b-day. It hasn’t fit me in 10 years. IT FITS!!!! I couldn’t believe it. When I look in the mirror I don’t see the weight loss or that I look smaller so it is a shock to me that I am wearing smaller clothes and wearing a size 8 ring. On the down side, I am still having a really hard time eating. Things feel stuck in my throat a lot. Nothing looks good to eat so it is hard to force it down. I thought for sure by 2 months out I would be eating more normally. It is very frustrating. I know I am only getting about 40g of protein in. Fluids are hard too. I just don’t drink nearly as much as I used to. I can’t figure that one out as to why I would be drinking so much less than before surgery. I didn’t drink because I was hungry before so I don’t know what the deal is. 11/1/06: 3 month update Unbelievable that 3 months has already gone by! There are days when the weight loss seems soooo slow but that is because I weigh myself every day so my weight loss seems to be nickel and dimed. But…when I look at my loss for 3 months it is amazing. My loss so far…. Drum roll please… 70lbs! I now weigh 210 lbs. That is a 16.5lb loss for month 3. Not too shabby! I don’t remember the last time I saw that weight. And I am only a month away from onederland! Unbelievable! My goal was to by below 200 before Christmas…looks like I will easily hit that target! I had my 3 month labs done…all it good except my Vit A and D are low. Shame on me. I have not been diligent about getting my 2 ADEKs /day. After reading the post the other day about the girl who had a reversal because she couldn’t stop losing weight…that scared me into turning over a new leaf. This is serious business and I need to treat it as such. I also still struggle with Protein. I can’t find any supplement that doesn’t make me gag. Literally. And I am just not hungry enough through-out the day to eat enough food to get 90 grams in. I am probably getting about 50 grams/day. My protein was fine..but on the low end of normal. I probably still had some reserves. So I need to buckle down here too. My hair started falling out this month too. Very scary for me. My eating is getting better. I still get that “stuck” feeling at least once or twice/day. But it is soooo much better than before. And I am able to branch out in my food choices. I am guessing by month 4 or 5 at the latest I will be eating normally. Bathroom issues…I usually go once in the morning and then I am done. Some days I have the runs and go 2-4 times/day but that is probably 3-4 x/month. I go a lot less now than I ever did pre-op. And…I don’t really have any gas issues.Another thing I have noticed…my skin is wiggly and jiggly and nasty! I knew from the outset I was going to have skin issues…I have no elasticity in my skin. Never have. My tummy is like a bowl of jell-o. My arms are like the flabbiest bat wings I have ever seen and my butt is quite jiggly. My thighs are lumpy and nasty too. And…I am only half way done! YIKES. I get sad when I think about the damage I have inflicted upon my body. To think I let my lack of self-control destroy my physical body…very sad.Some WOW moments for me this month… 1) I bought a pair of size 16 jeans a couple weeks ago…thinking I would have to wait a month or two before they fit…I tried them on anyway and low and behold…I got them on! I had a nice little muffin top going on but they looked great otherwise. And now they fit nicely. 2) I was able to shop at Old Navy in the regular sized section. Amazing!! I am solidly in 18 pants and have 2 pairs of 16s that fit. In tops I am wearing XL. Some XLs are still too snug but most are OK.3) I cleaned out my closet 2 weekends ago and had a friend come over and take away 75% of my 24s and 3x. My entire queen sized bed was covered with piles and piles of clothes. I have one box that I need to give away to salvation army. Other than that…I have nothing in my closet larger than an 18/20. Very exciting! 12/1/06: 4 month Update Month 4! What a month. I "only" lost 11lbs for this month (puts me at 199). My goal for this month was 15 lb and to be at 195 lbs. So, I missed it by 4 lbs. I have been stuck at 199 for the last 7-8 days. I have tried upping my protein and still nothing. The upside is that I am stuck at 199 and not 200 !!! Wouldn't that have been evil? 1/3/07: 5 month Update I just realized that 1/3/2006 was my first post, exactly 1 year ago. I never thought a year ago I would be nearly 100lbs lighter! Time flies! Here is my month 5 update! Well, I started out month 5 bummed that I had only lost 10lbs for month 4 and determined to do better. Although, not very optimistic with the holidays looming ahead!I am happy (so very happy!) to report a 14lb loss for month 5!!! I am not at 185lbs. That is 95lbs lost in 5 months. Staggering to me! What boggles my mind even more...that in 5 more lubs I will have lost 100lbs. Unbelievable. I am still wearing mostly 16s on the bottoms and XLs on the tops. They fit fine (although they are getting roomy) so no need to purchase more clothes yet. I did have a couple clothing mini-wows... 1) i bought a size 14 pants because they were on clearance and figured i could wear them in a month or so. A couple days later while cleaning up my closet I decided to try them on. They fit beautifully and I didn't even need to suck it in! I was delighted! And 2) I bought a pair of PJs size Large thinking they might be a tad snug since my XLs fit fine. I put them on and they are nice and comfy if not a tad too big! I was geeked. Eating wise...still struggling to get my protein in. I probably get 50-60 g/day. My vit D and A are still low upon rechecking so now I have added extra D and A to my already rigorous vitamin routine. Ugh. Very frustrating. My K was borderline. I am happy to report I only threw up twice this month. Both times were due to me eating to big of bites, too quickly. Double Ugh. Oh! I am also excited that for the first time in my life I can make the traditional new years resolution to "lose weight" and actually follow through this year!!! :) I told my mom that, with a smirk and she told me to "shut up". :) hehe. Gotta love the DS! Seriously, I am committing to increase my excercise for 2007. I am sooo flabby! I also know I have about 40-45 more lubs to lose but when I look in the mirror (without clothes!) It looks like I still have 100lbs to go! I am starting to see muscle definition in my legs and arms. I have never seen that on myself before. I still waiting for my collar bones to make an appearance. Occasionally they will peak out but then disappear again...sigh... I just love collar bones! Today was my first day back at work in almost 3 weeks and it was wonderful hearing the compliments from everyone. I got a super wow today when one of my co-workers told me I was about done losing right?! She is this tiny little petite thing and she said, you look about my size now you should stop losing weight. When I told her I still have 40-50lbs to go she was shocked. She said she didn't know where it was going to come from! Also, my sister the other day said my legs looked "skinny". Obviously, a bit of exaggeration going on there but they certainly are slimming down! I am really feeling good about myself. I feel younger and healthier and full of energy (most days). I do have more wrinkles in my face than ever before. All that fat that was filling it out is leaving behind its path of destruction. Sigh... I wouldn't trade my DS for anything! A couple of sad things....one of my closest friends here at work has never once complimented me on my weight loss or asked how I was doing. She was my confidante before the surgery. The only one at work that knew and she supported me. I don't get it. I don't NEED her affirmation but it would feel nice. She is this skinny little thing that can eat anything and never gain a pound so I know its not jealousy! Also, my husband, he has never complimented me (unless I asked him if something looked good etc.). It's like he hasn't even noticed my weight loss. I know he has a lot of insecurities of his own so this is probably why. But it would still be nice to be told by him, just once, that I am beautiful. Especially because he has never seen me this "thin" I was 250lbs when we met 9 years ago. Again, I am confident and secure enough to not NEED his affirmation, but it would be so nice hear. Sorry to chat your ears off!! All in all, month 5 was fabulous! 2/1/07: 6 Month Update I can hardly believe it has been 6 months!! The time has just flown by. Although…the first 6 weeks seemed to drag on forever because I was so nauseous all the time and completely uninterested in food but yet always hungry! But, I can say with confidence that that nonsense is firmly behind me! 1) Made the century club!
3/1/07: 7 month update I can’t believe it has been 7 months already!! Well…I am still moving at a snail’s pace…getting quite frustrated. I only officially lost 4 lbs this month. UGH!!! That is only 9 lbs in the last 2 months. It is too early for me to be slowing down this much! I still have 35-40lbs to lose for pete’s sake! I really need to start exercising. I can’t wait until spring come and I can start walking outside with the dog again! Guess I will break out the aerobics tapes for the next month or so and see if that speeds up the loss a bit. Here is the scoop: Weight and Measures: I have officially lost 104lbs. I got down to 174.5 several times this month which would have put me at 5.5lbs lost for month 7 but on my official weigh-in day I was back up to 176. Grrrr…. My BMI has gone from 45 to 29.1 (morbidly obese to just overweight) I have lost 13 inches from my waist and 12 inches from my hips. Doesn’t seem like a lot but whatever…measurements don’t mean a whole lot to me. I have gone from 24s and 3x to Large tops (a bit snug but wearable!) and 14s (and even some 12s) on the bottoms. Now that is amazing! I can’t wait to be a size 8. That is my goal…we’ll see if I ever make it! Even though I only lost 4lbs this month I did lose a size in clothing. I couldn’t squeeze myself into a 12 last month and now I have several items that are 12s and fit comfortably. All my 16s are too big and my 14s are comfy. So even though I didn’t lose a ton of weight things are still shifting and moving around. Nutritional levels… I am still struggling with my vitamin A. It has dipped lower than my last draw 8 weeks ago. So, I am going to be changing my ADEKs to the SourceCF ADEKs and see if that helps. And I am going to find a dry form of Vitamin A. On the upside: my protein was a 6. It has been 6 since I started this adventure so I am geeked that it hasn’t dropped. Although the normal levels are 6-9 so it would be nice to see that move up away from the low end of normal. My challenge for the next 5 months! I have stayed nicely hydrated according to the Tanita scale at the clinic…although on the low end of normal again. I actually was expecting to be below normal because I know I don’t get enough fluids. All other levels are great and I have brought my vitamin D up nicely into the normal range since the last draw. Yeah! Wows for me this month: Can we say NEW SHOES!!! I was finally forced to by new shoes…I HATE SHOE SHOPPING. Long story. Anywho…after tripping over my feet a zillion times a day I decided I need to break down and buy new shoes. I have worn a 10.5 W or WW for as long as I can remember. I even have a couple pairs of 11s. Drum roll please….. All four of my new pairs of shoes are size 9.5 REGULAR…no wides baby! I feel like I have normal feet now…. J Oh! And I only spent $50!! My clothing splurge for this month: NEW BRAS! I desperately needed them. Amazingly, I am still at 38D although I am on the last hook on the 38s so will likely be headed to a 36 very soon here. I bought 5-6 new VERY SUPPORTIVE bras from victoria’s secrets (went there to try them on and get fitted and then bought them off of ebay for a fraction of the cost!). I love my girls…when they are stuffed into a bra that is! Otherwise they are quite pathetic looking…but I don’t need to tell the ladies about that… Need a new bra? I recommend the VS Full Coverage IPEX or the Angels Uplift IPEX. Both are very supportive and lift those puppies right back where they belong…mostly. My struggles: I still struggle to get in my fluids and protein. I probably only get 40-60 grams of protein a day. My food portions are still quite small and I fill up very quickly. The other day I forced myself to finish about 2-3 ounces of chicken and it took me an hour. That was a bad day. Most aren’t like that but it is just an example of what I still struggle with a couple times/week. As far as fluids…I just don’t drink as much, I don’t crave beverages like I used to. I probably get 48 ounces in on a good day. Overall, I feel great. I am delighted with the new me and I can’t WAIT to be normal. I am sure normal is over-rated but when you haven’t been normal your whole life…it takes on a new meaning.
Here I am! I have been so scarce around here the last couple months. Things have been really crazy with me trying to figure the job situation and all. But we are pretty much settled now…I am staying with Pfizer but we are relocating to ENGLAND! We are soooo excited!! Some time this summer we will be moving. Sad but very very cool! We now just have to try and figure out my husband’s job situation over there. So on to the weight loss! This is my 9 month update. I didn’t give an 8 month update either! I have updated pictures in my photo album. For month 8 I lost a dismal 4 lbs. For month 9 I lost a marvelous 7 lbs!!! I am now 165 lbs. and only 25 lbs. from my goal. I feel great! Strangely, I haven’t been very hungry lately. I am back to having to remind myself to eat in the evenings because I just don’t feel like it. I am still surprised at how little I can put down in one sitting. On rare occasions I surprise myself and eat a normal sized portion of something but 9 times out of 10 I am just eating a few bites and have to let that settle for a while before proceeding. However, I eat pretty much anything I want. I haven’t noticed any foods that cause me bathroom issues…maybe it is because I am not at the point where I can eat any one thing in a large enough quantity to reek havoc. I do still tend to have looser stools and the occasional oil slick (tmi!!) and of course, quite often (not all the time) my bathroom time tends to leave a lingering aroma…my husband is always teasing me about that one! My skin is flap-ola. Yuck. Interestingly enough, I am most self-conscious about my arms. They are so flappy! My 6 year old has even noticed and commented a few times…she likes to “play” with my wings. I of course feel like smacking her around a bit when she does that but smile and laugh it off instead. And gently remind her that it isn’t nice to pick at someone else’s body. Grrrrrrr…. I might have to do something about that. I think being in Enlgand I might be closer to some of the European plastic surgeons! Who knows I might come back to the states in a few years with a whole new body! Haha.
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