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Surgeon TestimonialThomas Beetel, M.D.I met with Dr. Beetle once so far and he seemed nice and I felt comfortable with his answers as I asked my questions. He seemed very competent and my instincts led me to feel very relaxed about putting my life in his hands. I'll update more after surgery, provided I get approved by my insurance company. rnUPDATE: I did get approved, and I had my surgery with Dr. Beetle. He was wonderful. My surgery went well, no complications and his bedside manner is terrific. Professional and caring. No complaints from me! His assistant Stacy was helpful also, she really drummed in to me how important aftercare is and how my success with my new pouch is all up to me. I have a new tool, and how it gets used is my responsibility. Member Interests
- Fish - I have a fish tank, 15 gallons, and I love watching them...it's relaxing.
- Cats - I really love cats, they're my favorite, I have an orange Tabby named Luna.
- Parenting - I don't have any children myself, but my nephew and niece are my sunshine. :)
- Movies - I really love movies, all kinds.
- Photography - I love nature photography.
- Roller Skating - I can't wait to be able to roller skate again!!
- Star Trek - I love TNG and Voyager.
- Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome - I have this disease, and it's a real pain in the butt. Infertility sucks.
- WLS in your 30's - I wish I would have gotten this surgery YEARS ago!
- Reading - I love reading, it's my favorite hobby. Fiction is the best!!
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10 months post-op... on June 22, 2008 9:30 pm
Hiya...
I'm 10 months post-op. How time has flown by. 2 more months and it'll be a year since I has surgery. Unreal, I'm tellin' ya!
I've lost 114 ponds so far, and have 61 pounds to go. I want to be 135 and see what I think at that point. Maybe I'll want to pick another weight then, but that's my surgeons goal so I'll have a normal BMI. We'll see!
I've only (yes ONLY!) lost 29 pounds in the last 4 months. I shouldn't complain, I realize, but I'm anxious to get thinner than I am now, y'know. But I keep chipping away at it and that's what matters. I've got to keep counting my blessings and have patience. I'm ususally in a positive frame of mind because I feel so good. Emotionally and physically. Life is blissfully sweet. :)
I'll try to update sooner than 4 months. I'll probably take pictures on my surgiversary. ;)
TTFN...
~Brandi
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Foods to choose... on April 1, 2008 5:21 pm
Ginger - boost metabolism
Hot Peppers - raise your body temp
Water - hydrated body works best
Coffee - caffeine raises metabolism/stay away if doc says so
Green tea - raise metabolism
Fat-free milk - higher calcium/less body fat
Carrots - keeps metabolism going and gives you full feeling
Low-fat Yogurt - helps reduce body fat
Broth based soups - soup before meals helps you eat less
Oatmeal - boost metabolism and helps you feel full
Broccoli - great all around veggie
Grapefruit - boost metabolism
Chili - boost metabolism, use those hot spices
Fish - all around great protein source
Apples - great all around fruit
Healthy LF Trail mix
Lean Turkey or Chicken - great source for protein
Eggs - energy booster and protein source. Try 2 or 3 egg whites and one egg yolk
Tofu - Energy booster and burns body fat
Whole grain cereal - energy booster, great heart healthy food
Fruit/Protein shake - fruits, lf milk, protein powder, flaxseed
Salads - low calorie, healthy
Cheese and crackers - metabolism booster
Whole Grain Breads - healthy feel full choice
Cinnamon - keeps insulin levels in check
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30 Weeks Post-Op... on March 17, 2008 9:58 am
So, it's Monday morning, and that means I write down what I weigh, officially. I have lost 98 pounds thus far. I hope it's gone for good. So many people gain their weight back...will I be one of them? I really hope not. I'm assuming it's because of laziness and going back to old ways. Will I be this stupid?? Damn, I hope not! I'm going to concentrate on this knowledge; that I'll have to be in constant awareness of my habits...I have to make sure they'll attribute to success and not failure. So many say, "Xlbs. gone forever!" without really understanding that this takes work and diligence for this to be an accurate statement.
In 4 days, I'll be 7 months post-op. I hope I lose 2 pounds by then! That would feel great. :) I was hoping to have 100 lbs. gone by 6 months post-op...
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28 Week Update: on March 3, 2008 10:42 am
My BMI is in the 30's now...39.9 LOL
I'm 6 months and 2 weeks-ish post op and I've lost 92 pounds and I have 83 to go!
I feel good, no problems thus far. I'm so glad to be losing weight. I'm amazed I'm tellin' ya! RNY is like a miracle. I realize I might develop complications in the future...but my future was already threatened by complications of staying obese. I'd rather be thin and take my chances this way. I wasn't living as a "super morbid obese" person. I was ashamed and too big to do anything. Currently I'm 218 lbs. and I'm still considered "obese" but I got rid of the "super morbid" part. I feel so much better, I'm not ashamed of myself any more and I can do so much more...and it's only going to get better from here. :)
I have to go clothing shopping. I have no idea what size I'll fit into. I do know I need a couple pairs of pants and a few shirts. I won't buy much because I don't plan on wearing them long...I'm shrinking! Yay!!
I can't believe how much my face has changed. It just blows my mind. I can't wait to see how much more it changes as these last 83 pounds slips away.
I'm very much looking forward to warmer weather. I want to get walking! It's been so cold that I haven't been "moving to lose" as much as I should have been. I have an audio book player that my mom is going to let me use. As I walk I can listen to novels and keep my mind off of what I'm actually doing. ;) I do hope that as I walk walk walk I'll lose faster than I think I will. I know that sometimes weight loss really slows down after the first 6 months or so...so maybe it'll take me a year to get rid of this last 83 pounds, but I'd love it if it didn't take nearly that long. I'd be thrilled if I could get it gone by my surgiversary...but I won't hold my breath. I would just like to be pleasantly surprised. :) I certainly don't want to stress over it. I want to enjoy this ride. It's been terrific so far!
I've been really focusing heavily on getting all of my carbs "complex." I eat veggies, and fruit, and when I have bread it's Ezekiel bread which is rather low on the glycemic index. It's flourless and it tastes really good. I especially like the cinnamon raisin loaf and I just toast a piece and spread a bit of peanut butter on it. Very delish. I also bought a box of Ezekiel pasta. Haven't tried it yet, but how cool is that?? I can't wait to give it a whirl. I only use wild rice or a wild rice/brown rice mixture. No white rice at all. I also bought a box of the Kashi pilaf 7 grain mix, but haven't cooked any yet. I know I'll like it because it's the same as the stuff they use in the Kashi frozen dinners I've tried. (They're really good, BTW. Very filling. I can only eat a third of one of them at a time.) I do eat white potatoes. I realize they are rather high on the glycemic index, but they aren't processed nor do they have any freakin' high fructose corn syrup in them. I don't buy prepackaged, I make them myself so I know what's in them. I love mashed potatoes and making homemade fries is good. I certainly don't eat much at a time, I always have protein with them and veggies...so there isn't much more than 2 table spoons of mashed taters with any meal, y'know?
I haven't been counting calories. I do try to tally in my head how many protein grams I have in for the day. I make sure I have 60 grams at least, but no more than 70. When my weight loss slowed a bit my nut said it was because of getting in too much protein. Go figure! I measure out my food portions. I eat about 3/4 c. at a time. Sometimes less. If I get full, I stop. Most times I can eat the whole 3/4 c. meal. It really depends on the consistency of the food. I do eat alot of thick stew type stuffs...but if it's a denser meal I'm eating, I can't eat that much. I get full much quicker. So far so good. I lost 5 pounds this week. Stood still last week, but my clothing got a bit looser. It's weird to lose no pounds but lose inches. How can one get smaller but stay the same weight. That's just weird, but I'll take it!! ;)
Later...
~Brandi
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6 Months Post-Op... :) on February 22, 2008 9:03 pm
Copied from what I posted on the August 2007 board:
Well, today is 6 months post-op for me. I cannot believe 26.5 weeks have passed since I was rolled into that operating room. It just doesn't seem like it's been that long. Not at all.
I've lost 87 pounds as of Feb. 18th, whichput me at 223 lbs. I only officially record my weight on Monday...but I do step on the scale every morning after I pee and take my PJ's off, LOL. This morning I'm up 2 pounds since Monday. Grrrr. So it's 85 pounds lost as of this morning.  I'm not sure, but I think I haven't been eating enough this week so far. I'll have to keep an eye on this. Gaining weight sucks and this does it to me now. 
I've lost very nearly half of my excess weight and I feel great! 
So far :::knock on wood::: I've not had one complication. 
I'm thinking that the next 90 pounds will come off over the next year. I really would like it to be a shorter time than that, but I want to look at this realistically. I am hoping that with the warmer weather coming and with my walks increasing because I can go outside so much more often without freezing to death, my weight loss will increase and so the 90 pounds will come off faster. (I don't exercise all that often right now, but I'll be increasing this within the next couple of weeks.) I don't want to stress over my weight if it doesn't drop faster. I want to enjoy life and relax. Life is precious and I don't want to spend time freaking out over the damn scale numbers any more. I've done that for the last 20 years and I'm sick to death of it. That being said; I am going to try to stop weighing myself daily and leave it for Monday mornings only. I have no idea if I can do this. Getting on the scale after my morning pee is such a huge compulsion!!! 
I have no idea what I am in clothing size.
At work I was in a 3X shirt (they provide) and I've graduated down to a 2X which is too large on top but still fits around my belly. I don't like tight clothing. I've definitely noticed that from my belly button up, I'm way smaller than I used to be. My shoulders have gotten smaller and I can feel (and see, somewhat) my collar bones. My boobs are less full as well. My bra size was a tight 44DD, not the right cup size! Now I'm in a 40DD and it's the right size, feels comfy. I still wear my 3X t-shirts and sweatshirts and they're looking big on me, but a 2X is a bit too snug yet. A 2X will fit nicely soon, I keep trying them on!
Now, from the belly button down, I am smaller, of course, but it's still rather big which makes getting a shirt to fit nicely kinda hard. I'm looking forward to having this change. I kinda look funny right now, LOL.
Pants: Ugh. I have a size of 22/24 that were skin tight when I was 310 lbs. I couldn't wear them. Now I'm wearing them and they're fitting nicely and are almost, but not quite, too big. I have another pair of stretch jeans (no zipper kind) in 26/28 that fit snuggly. I couldn't wear them at 310 lbs. Now they fit, but they feel like a second skin on my legs so I don't wear them, hate that feeling. My sister gave me a pair of 18 stretch jeans (with zipper!) and I can get them on and zipper them if I lay on the bed, LOL. But they mushroom top me, so ewww. I just got 2 pair of 18 jeans (with zipper, no stretch) at goodwill and they don't go over my hips yet.  But I did get a pair of 16 capris (stretch, no zipper) on the same trip to Goodwill and I can get them on, but they're tight of course. So, I have no freakin' idea what size I actually am...it depends. :: ::
It's so much easier to move around now, and I can stoop down and reach under stuff and not get stuck, LOL. When I go down on one knee I can get back up without grunting and almost not making it! I've enjoyed this development immensely.
TMI: I can wipe my butt without looking like a contortionist. 
TMI: I can put in a tampon while still sitting on the toilet.
And speaking of tampons; I have PCOS and I never got my period pre-op without using Provera or BC pills to induce it. Now, since surgery I've gotten nearly every month. My cycles are irregular, but that's better than non-existant. And I'm told that this has the potential to become more normal as my hormones can stabilize once I get closer to goal. WOOHOO!!! I don't particularly like cramps, but I'll never complain about getting my period because I remember what it was like never to get one and to feel so incredibly broken. 
I can walk around without getting winded. I can walk around without my knees hurting so much. I can walk around and feel like I want to keep going!
I'm enjoying life more and feel less embarrassed about myself. I used to go out and feel so bad, now I don't. THAT is cool. I'm still fat but I don't feel so gargantuan. This is all about the way I feel. People still probably think I look awful, but I don't feel awful and this makes all the difference in the world!
I didn't really have anything wrong with my health (YET!!!) before surgery, but I knew bad things were going to happen if I didn't do something and quick. So I can't say that this condition or that condition is better because I hopefully headed off those conditions by getting this surgery.
Now for the bad parts:
I do worry about never getting to goal. I do worry that I'll fail. That I'll go brain dead and graze all day and gain back what I've lost. I worry that I'll betray myself as I've done in the past. I worry that even if I do what I should, I'll fail and my body will go wacky and gain weight no matter what I do to stop it. I worry that I'll have health problems CAUSED by my gastric bypass. I worry about stupid stuff that I shouldn't sweat until it comes because it probably won't, etc., etc. To combat this, I try to live in the today and leave the tomorrows to worry about themselves. This helps me because "today" is manageable. Today and tomorrow, now that's more complicated.
Another bad thing: My hair is still falling out. I take my vitamins. I take my calcium. I get in plenty of protein. It's still falling out. I think I'm nearing on half of it being gone. I thank my genes for providing me with s much hair. I started out with a crap load of hair, so I still look ok, but geez, stop falling out already!!!!!!!! 
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My Story My name is Brandi, I'm 33 years old and I've been married for nearly 18 years. We don't have any kids. Rich and I tried...but my PCOS got in the way, so we gave up TTC to regain our sanity. We live in Pennsylvania, but we'd rather be in (southern) California again. We lived there for 3 years in the early '90s while my husband was in the USMC.
I wasn't a fat child...I started gaining weight (rapidly) at puberty because of the PCOS. Dieting really doesn't work for me. My body guards it's fat well, lol, and it's REALLY hard for me to lose any weight at all. It's been a real pain in the butt. I recently GAINED weight on Weight Watchers...and it's such a great diet!!!
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