- Username: newbarb2
- Location: Concord (East Bay), CA, USA
- Member Since: 7/13/2008
- BMI: 33.4
- Post Op
- Surgery Type: RNY (01/08/09)
- Surgeon: Stanley Rogers M.D.
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396 People in progress, 84 People achieved this |
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Surgeon TestimonialStanley Rogers M.D.My first impression of Dr. Rogers was that he was so easy going, had a wonderful personality and took time to answer every question my husband and I had. He explained the benefits and risks of the surgery and complimented me on my research and readiness. In fact since I had planned to have surgery at John Muir which wasn't approved by insurance, I came to him with all my tests completed. He was thrilled and said I was the 1st one ever to come prepared to go and he said let's schedule surgery. My impression has not changed since surgery.
Esther his Assistant is very nice and responds timely.
Karen at the front desk is a little regimental but when I reached out to her in a friendly way she has come through like a dream when it comes to scheduling.
I had questions and got called back quickly by a nurse practioner and told them I would like to see more of a schedule in the post-op program. I was told that they are re-doing it.
I would recommend Dr. Rogers to anyone, he is an excellent surgeon who understands people.... he plays clarinet too!
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A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words.
Author Unknown
 
6 Months Post-Op on July 5, 2009 10:05 am
Ok, I'm 2 days away from 6 months post-op. Feeling great, no eating issues or intolerances. I am using Fitday to journal my food and find that it keeps me in control. I do not eat any sweets at all, but I am eating lots of sunflower seeds (reduced sodium). I have not dumped, but if I don't chew well, I am still prone to get the foamies. I can now eat steak, and make sure that I chew that well too, so that was the last food that I waited to add back.
I am looking for a job as I lost my job with the school district on June 30th. I know that there is something out there, I just need to find it.
Not too much new to report, just livin' a healthier life and lovin' every minute.
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Three Months Post-Op on April 12, 2009 10:11 pm
Three months post-op. I feel fantastic and I just keep shopping in my closet. I have enough clothes to last probably 3 more months at this point, then shopping, oh darn!
I feel so blessed with the fact that I have had no intolerance's to food. I have been faithfully logging my intake into Fitday.com to keep me honest with myself and to remain aware of what I am eating. According to Fitday, I am losing about 3.7 lbs on average per week. I have not had any refined sugar or refined sugar products since surgery and truth be known, I don't really miss it.
I am trying to get my water in each day, and I think with adding coffee and ice tea, I come close.
The good news this past month is that I started eating salads again, and boy did I miss them. So far so good, I do have to chew, chew, chew.
I met with my nutritionist a couple weeks ago and she is most pleased with my progress. She warned me to decrease the amount of carbs that I was eating for snacks (1 popcorn cake in am and 2 stoned wheat crackers in the pm with my cheese.) She said just do the cheese and omit the carbs, so I have made the adjustment and things are fine.
So here is what I am taking vitamin and protein as of 3 months post-op
- Centrum Chewable Multi Vitamin
- Chewable Vitamin C - 1000 mg
- Biotin 1000 mcg
- Vitamin D 1000 iu
- Citrical Petites Calcium with D - 2 caplets 2 times a day
I generally have one Unjury protein shake per day, usually for breakfast. I like the chocolate the best as it is not too chocolaty and seems to be more milk chocolate tasting. Between the cheese, the meat and the Unjury, I average between 70-80 grams of protein per day which is right in line with where they want me to be.
I do have to work harder on getting more exercise in. My biggest problem is that I have pain in my sciatica and this hinders me a bit. Core strengthening will probably help that. So I need to take time to work it and just do it.
Later this month, I will do my 3 month labs and I am anxious to see how things are doing.
Love my RNY.
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Two Months Post-Op on March 8, 2009 9:15 am
Two months post-op today. I notice the difference in my clothes, in fact this past month I had to clean out my closet and drawers and filled 4 bags of clothes. Yesterday, I bought my first tops in the regular woman's section at WalMart, I couldn't help myself, they were on sale. So that was a strange but happy experience, I felt like I was in a foreign land!
The most interesting part of this journey so far, is that when I look in the mirror, I still see me. I have a tough time seeing the changes, although I know by the difference in clothes of course. I couldn't exercise a lot this past month as I had over done it on my WiiFit and caused a micro tear in a muscle, so this month I will be back to walking on a regular basis.
Traditionally, I have always been a fast eater, and apparently on Friday, at work, I slipped into subconscious eating again. I had packed my lunch (2 oz chicken and 2 oz green beans) which I meticulously weighed, but I didn't cut it up as I usually do. I thought, oh, I can just eat little bites and chew really well...... wrong! I got through about 1 oz and a little bit of green beans and the chicken got stuck. OMG I felt like someone was sitting on my chest and just felt lousy. Fortunately, I work with a wonderful woman who had RNY 3 years ago, and she came over, gave me a big hug and said give it about 1/2 hr to 45 mins, DON"T drink anything and it will clear. She came back about that time and said now, take little sips. Sure enough it worked. So lesson learned, cut up the chicken regardless of how late you're running in the morning and chew, chew, chew and SLOW DOWN!
One other interesting thing happened this month which was a total eye opener for me as far as a reality check. The same woman from work who had RNY had bought some Mrs. May's almond crunch mini bags. She gave one to me and said these are good protein and low fat and sugar and I thought you might want to try them. OMG, I was like a junkie, I wanted to eat them all. The 1st day, I ate two pieces, and of course, I am a fanatic about logging stuff into Fitday and I did. The 2nd day I ate the rest! I had to log them, but I couldn't stop until they were gone. Now that's bad! So, I realized that I can get sucked right back into bad habits so easily and I vowed never to buy these Mrs. May's things ever! So another lesson learned about myself.
Well, on to month three. I do get to increase my calories and protein numbers today, although I am not too sure how I will get all that food in, but I am going to do my best and log each morsel and remember to chew, chew, chew and SLOW DOWN!
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One Month Post-Op on February 8, 2009 2:34 pm
I thought I would add a couple of newly discovered things to my blog in the event it might help someone else.
Weeks 3 & 4 my weight stalled somewhat. I only lost about 1 or 2 lbs each week and I began to get concerned. However, it looks like this week will be very good for lbs lost. I usually weigh each day to get an idea (but not sure that's really a good idea) but I will know this coming Wednesday what the total is.
One change I did make was I ordered some Unjury protein powder in chocolate and unflavored. I really like both of them and they sure have boosted my protein intake. Here is my morning protein boost which really is great in the morning. I mix 1 envelope of Carnation No Sugar Added Instant Breakfast and 1 envelope (or scoop) of Unjury unflavored protein and mix them both with 8 oz of skim milk. Since my plan only allows 4 oz of liquid at a time, the net intake results in 113 calories and 17 grams of protein. I have found that this allows me to get a jump start and I have been boosting the protein grams to over 50 per day.
I did over do it on my Wii Fit last weekend and ended up with a micro tear in my back muscle. So word of caution, even though you're feeling great, don't do what I did. Wow, that was painful (worse than the RNY and I'm not kidding.) Fortunately, my Dr gave me meds which took the spasms away and now I am med and almost pain free.
Also, in the the old dog is learning new tricks category....
I decided to forgo my mid morning snack and have scrambled egg and a turkey sausage. Before I ate, I decided to take some pain med for my back (liquid Lortab). Lethal combination! I fainted! So moral of the story.... always eat before meds and don't skip your snack, your body needs it.
In the end, I worked on hydrating myself and took in most meals via protein shake, and I felt much better at the end of the day.
I do find myself getting more sure of myself with trying new things, i.e. sliced turkey deli meat, turkey sausages (Jenny O Brand) and re-fried bean (Pintos and Cheese from Taco Bell). So far so good, but I chew thoroughly and take it very slow. I also find it much easier to get my water in now 8 oz at a time.
Finally in the good news column, my Dr told me to discontinue my cholesterol med. This leaves 1 diabetic med left and he feels this will be gone within the next few months. I just take an allergy pill and my Advair for my asthma. I am SO excited to be tapering off of these meds. Diabetic meds for me while they were necessary, they made me hungry all the time. This makes in tough when you are trying to lose weight.
So that's it for now. More next time.
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Two Weeks Post-Op on January 25, 2009 9:48 pm
I met with my surgeon this past Wednesday and everything is A-OK and I am doing great. UCSF is very different from other programs (or so it seems) as far as post-op diet. Rather than being as protein focused like many programs, they are calorie focused for the first 3 months. I asked the Dr. about this and was told that during the first few month, your body is using up the fat stores that you have and so it is not as important to focus entirely on protein. Rather, they want you to focus on quantity and quality of what you eat. Currently, I am allowed 500 calories per day for the next two months using pureed or soft food, never going over 1/4 cup of pureed or soft food and 1/2 cup of liquids. I am using www.fitday.com to track my calories and protein and purchased the upgrade which is a little easier.
I am not hungry between meals and am now able to drink 8 oz of water or tea between meals. The Dr. even will allow me 1 cup of coffee per day as long as I am drinking the water as well, thank goodness as I really missed it.
So far I am tolerating everything I try and for that I am grateful. The only challenge was for my first soft food ground beef sounded SO good. I made hamburger patties and cooked them in my George Forman grill. I also made zucchini and made sure I cooked it really well. I bought the super lean ground beef and when it was cooked it dried out more than I really like. I was able to eat it and chewed and chewed and chewed some more but I was scared, so I think I only got down about 1/2 ounce and the zucchini needed to be cooked some more. I didn't eat so much that night for dinner. Hind site, I think some spaghetti sauce or gravy on the meat would have made it slide easier. I think I will try it again in a week or two.
I am feeling well to continue to walk more and more and I am doing a 30 minute workout on my Wii Fit. I will be returning to work this coming Thursday, Jan 29th.
I will post more after my 3 month post-op unless anything extraordinary happens before that. The weight loss tells the story combined with the fact that I feel great and don't regret for a moment my decision to have this surgery. I feel healthier and stronger and more in charge of my well being each and every day. I like it!
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My Story
I was always thin growing up, I was active, swimming or biking somewhere. It wasn't until I got married at the age of 19 that I started gaining weight. I had 2 children and gained 50+ lbs with each and never got serious about losing the weight. Sure, I'd do Weight Watchers for a bit and even did Medifast....twice. Each time I'd lose and gain it back plus. I had come to realize that eating was my source of comfort, or was it really?? Over the years, I developed Type II diabetes, thankfully non-insulin dependent, but certainly heading that way. My asthma was getting worse, and overall I just didn't like the physical person I had become. I divorced in 1998 and definitely began a serious course of stress eating.
I then met my wonderful husband who showed me how simple and glorious life can be if you let go of baggage and adopt a simpler way of life. WOW, what a concept. I am SO blessed with having this man in my life. He never complained about my weight but was concerned for my health. I lost both parents to cancer in 2001 and became scared that I could end up dying very young. We got married in 2001. I tried a metabolic nutrition fasting program and lost 102 lbs in 2003. Then I had to start traveling for a living. Wow 102 lbs comes back on really fast when you're eating out and on the run most of the time. Ick.
In April 2008, I was watching 60 Minutes and they did a segment on Bariatric Surgery. I listened intently and knew after hearing the testimony of the 8 people featured, including 1 that was a physician, that this was something I needed to learn more about.
I did my initial research on the web, and finally gained the courage to discuss it with my husband. Initially, he was very much against it but I showed him the 60 Minutes segment that I had found on the web and he said, let's talk to our beloved Dr and hear what he has to say. In May 2008, I made an appointment and we sat there together and our Dr. listened while I explained to him all the reasons I thought this might be the right decision for me. Dr. K, said, "I totally agree with you." My husband was a little more at ease with the idea, but still guarded in his acceptance but not his support if this was something I wanted.
In June 2008, I contacted the Bariatric Surgery Center at John Muir Hospital in Walnut Creek and was told that while Blue Shield HMO would pay for the WLS but John Muir Network won't pay for the surgeon, so if I wanted to have it done there, I would need to pay the surgeon's fee. My husband and I decided that with the price of gas (then) vs. going to UCSF or Stanford, we could swing it, so we set up the appointment with them. We paid for the consult with Dr. Chin who we felt very comfortable with. We met with the nurtitionist and had our orientation. Dr. Chin requested that I obtain surgery clearances from a Cardiologist, Pulmonologist, and have an endoscopy.
On Aug. 13, 2008, I had my meeting with Pulmonologist who ordered a pulmonary functional capacity evaluation.... this was performed and clearance was given. Woohoo on the way.
On Aug. 19, 2008, I had what I call, my "two-fer" both ends scoped! Endoscopy and Colonoscopy. If I was going to be put out for 1, I might as well get the whole thing done. I was cleared (excuse the pun) and surgical clearance was given. Yee haw, another hurdle cleared.
By far the scariest hurdle for me was the Cardiology clearance. My mother had been through a quadruple bypass years and years ago (she was a very heavy smoker, I have never smoked), but I never have had any heart issues. I was scared and certain that they were going to find something wrong with this fat body. I met with my Cardiologist, a real young whipper snapper, who made me nervous. He said that the "gold standard" would be an angioplasty but that he didn't think I would need this (thank goodness). He said he thought he would need to put me on beta blockers but that he'd wait until after my test. The scheduled the test, "a duel isotope myocardial perfusion exercise stress test with echo-cardiogram. 2 days this sucker lasted. I was SO scared. On Sept 25, 2008, I met with him again, and he smiled and said, you have the heart of a young woman and I won't be putting you on any medications. OMG, I was skippin' down the halls and instant relief came over me.
I thought ok, we're gonna be good to go, perhaps surgery in Oct. Then for the bad news.....
Blue Shield won't pay for the hospital stay if they don't pay for the surgeon too and they won't approve surgery at John Muir. My heart went into my stomach! I even took it to the State level of appeals and it was a no go.
Well, I gave in, if you can't beat em, join em. I called my Dr and said, I give up, let's go to UCSF. We started the consultation approval process one more time.
On Oct. 15th, we met with Dr. Rogers, Asst. Department Chair of Bariatric Surgery at UCSF and it was comfort at 1st sight. He had never had a new patient come to him with all the testing done. He was SOOO happy and so easy to talk to and said "lets roll and get this thing scheduled". They originally wanted to schedule surgery for Dec. 18th and I said, no way. Let's do it in Jan. So, Jan. 8th 2009 at 7:00 a.m. will be the date, time and place.
I know this will be the best decision of my life, but I await the date with nervous excitement. See you on the losers bench!
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