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Surgeon TestimonialMichael L. Schwartz, M.D.I love my surgeon! He is warm and comfortable and yet can crack a joke. He was very down to earth and made me very comfortable during the consult. I work at the hospital I'm having my surgery done and I could not have picked a better surgeon to do my procedure. I'm very impressed at how professional yet warm and compassionate everyone is. I wasn't sure at one point if I had fallen through the cracks and not made all the appointments I was supposed to or submitted the right paperwork. I was immediately reassured that I had and we were on track. rnrnDr Schwartz definately knows what he's doing. It felt very good that he made it a point that they will be following me for life.. So I should have no worries down the road. I think he has VERY high surgical competence and his bedside manner is warm and caring. |
Ready for a new lease on life!!
11 months.. time to post again... on May 25, 2010 9:08 am
Well its been a looong two months since I last posted...
I'm losing very slowly now.. I'm doing everything I'm supposed to according to the dietitian. I am having some issues with not eating little bits of sugary foods... Somehow in my mind I justify only having a bite of this or a bite of that (cookie, fudge, etc).. So I'm working hard on just walking away from them now...
I have protein supplement at home but rarely use it because I'm gettting more than enough protein through my daily diet eating.. YAY! But I keep it around for when i'm not feeling so hot or I'm on the go and I know I'll have a hard time getting a truely healthy meal in.
Finding how much I love being active and working out... I walk at least 60 mins a day and I either walk or do pilates/power yoga/kick boxing videos at home at night.
I'm 160.. and a size 10. I couldn't be happier!!! I have lost inches again in the last couple of weeks so that's good, I may even get into a size 8. I'm going to let my body land where it is supposed to land... My goal is still 140 but I'm patient and will let the next year and my new healthy lifestyle determine where I land weight wise.
I LOVE MY RNY!!!
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9 MONTH POST OP YESTERDAY on March 17, 2010 5:51 am
First of all... YAY FOR ME!!!
Last weekend I bought size 10 jeans... I haven't weighed myself in about two weeks because I knew the 9 month post-op appointment was coming up...
Yesterday I was 164.2... WHAT? CRAZZZY!!! I'm so Psyched! I'm only 5 lbs from the 150's??? AMAZING!
I have lost 64% of the weight I should lose... I'm slightly ahead of normal still.. RN said at 12 mons most people have lost 74%.. so I'm ahead of the game.
We talked about weight goals too yesterday... She put me at 145ish... I'm thinking more like 135-140ish but I'll take whatever my body gives me. She said lower than 130 and my body fat would be too low for their liking... So 140 is my set goal for now.. and jeepers.. its only 25 lbs from where I am at.. totally attainable when I've already worked my tool and my body to lose the 75 I already lost!
My NUT says I'm doing fine.. I'm actually eating enough protein now to drop the protein shake if I want to (just extra calories at this point) unless I start working out for a longer period at night (say 2 hrs at night instead of 2 hrs spread out a few times during the day)... But diet wise I'm doing well.. I need to try and eat more protein at breakfast.. I've been doing yogurt with protein granola and its not even getting me to my morning protein snack... so back to cottage cheese and some fruit or some eggs with cheese and some meat in them.. hard to do eggs during the work week though... just not enough time!
Also, I should make sure I'm getting/keeping healthy fats (cheese, avacado, olive oil for examples) into my diet.... not everything needs to be "low" fat... so I'm going to whip up some homemade olive oil dressing this weekend (it also tastes better than alot of the store brands I buy)...
I can't boast enough about what RNY has done for me... I have a whole new outlook on life and a healthy lifestyle to boot. I like to get sweaty and feel my muscles burn now when I work out. I like to feel bones and muscles in places I forgot they were hidden by the ex fatty I was... I looked at old pix of myself this past weekend and I couldn't even believe that was me.. People I've ran into who I haven't seen in months or since surgery don't even recognize me.. they walk right past me w/o realizing its me.. until I flag them down!
RNY IS AWESOME 
New year.. new me 1/12/10 on January 12, 2010 6:50 am
I haven't posted in awhile so I thought I'd update...
I'm in a size 12 pant, mostly medium tops unless they run small (I can wear large juniors)
I was in a 2x scrub pant for work before surgery.. last night I just bought size small at Walmart...
I am increasingly finding my strength beginning to increase again as I'm working out and using light weights to strength training
My hair is finally growing in again after the whole thinning thing.. and I'm working on growing it out
White meat chicken and I are finally friends... No more instant pukers from it.. I'm so happy because its such an easy protein source to eat in so many forms...
I feel "thin" everywhere but my tummy and my legs.. but I've noticed my thighs thinning out in the last couple of weeks.. 12 jeans were tight in the legs when I tried them on in the past, now they aren't as tight...
But I'm worried about what my stomach is going to look like at goal weight.. the lower part between my belly button and the girly parts is ALOT smaller than it every was, but its stretch marked from gaining weight and its already looking like a droopy raisin... Sad..
Feeling good.. looking forward to my 9month post op visit... I'm going to weigh @ the WLS office this week again to track my progress again.. I believe I'm below 170 now...
At home sick and first experience puking non WLS... on November 4, 2009 7:04 pm
Well I woke up early this morning with the pukers.. not WLS related from what I can tell.. I have had a runny/stuffy nose bug for a few days and last nite I didn't feel well at all (flu like) so I popped some tylenol and went to bed.
This morning I woke up so dizzy I could barely stand up let alone walk to the bathroom- I knew I was going to puke! I was like wtf? because I had only puked from eating too fast (or from my whole retarded pouch aversion to chicken) or a couple times the wrong thing.. and that was within a few minutes of eating it... Puked for like an hour this morning.. being that we have no stomach any more, it was highly unpleasant.. I dry heaved for most of it. I never ever want to get the non-food related pukes again.. it was awful and my pouch seemed sore for hours afterward...
So I called into work.. I could barely stand up.. Let dog out.. all while hobbling around all dizzy... managed to whirl up a protein shake and practically crawled back up the steps and got into bed. slowly sipped protein shake (i doubled teh milk to get liquids in) and then went back to bed. I woke up around 9 because dog wanted to go out again.. I no longer had the spins... I called the WLS office to reassure myself I was doing what I was supposed to do.. she said clearly I was dehydrated if I was getting the spins.. the rest sounds like a bad cold or a bug i picked up... Push fluids as hard as I could.. if I still was dizzy in the afternoon I should call her back and they'd get me in the ER for dehydration... well I didn't want that so I drank 20 oz of water as fast as i could... too fast.. made the pouch hurt.. then went bakc to bed
woke up around 1 and felt better... still sick but not spinny, not feeling dehydrated, and i drank some more water.. then called the WLS office back and reported how much liquids i had drank, and she said good job, keep drinking, don't forget about sf popsicles if you have any (which i did from surgery back in june) and i sucked on a few of those...
lemme tell ya.. the flu is not fun.. and my tummy still hurts.. as does my head and my stupid nose wont' stop running.. whaa
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Wow... size 14 on November 1, 2009 7:24 pm
So yesterday (Sat 10/31) I went out in search of a pair of black pants for a seasonal help interview I have tomorrow night.
Previously in the week I had plodded my way through a few stores.. Jones New York, Gap, and H&M.. well everything in H&M is skinny jean cut for size 0's.. so that doesn't count! But the other stores I was in.. I grabbed 16's right off the bat and went and tried them on.. and to my amazement they were too big! Had the sales lady go get me 14's.. and OMG they fit! And with no problem! I haven't been a 14 since my sophmore year of college (1997)... so this was HUGE!!!
I ended up at Clothes Mentor because I wasn't going to spend $47 on a pair of pants that in a month or two may not fit me anymore & hoped I could find something there.. I tried on all 14's too! it wasn't just a fluke at those other stores.. I grabbed 5 pairs of 14's (3 of which I had no intention of buying but had to try on for excitement sake) and again.. ALL FIT! And low and behold.. I found a pair Jones New York black pants almost identical to the ones I found at their store, only these were $14 instead of $47... what a steal...
YAY! I feel so good! Being in "normal" sizes again was a goal I wanted to reach...
I still can't believe I've lost 60lbs in 4 months.. I can't even wrap my brain around it! My brain is catching up though finally.. this weekend while I was shopping I walked by a full length mirror a few times in the stores and I literally went wait, is that me? wow??!!
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10/29/09 on October 29, 2009 11:51 am
Well its been 5 weeks since my 9/24/09 3 month check up. I was 188.4 that day... (WLS office scale)
Today 10/29/09 I am 180.3... (again, WLS office scale)
The last 5 weeks have been very stressful financially for me.. I had something that I thought was taken care of 2/08 come back to haunt me. So that taken care of, I'm now behind on other bills and will struggle to pay off the money borrowed to pay this.
So the stress I'm sure slowed down my weightloss. The last two weeks I worked really hard on water, walking, and eating right.. very little carbs if any unless naturally in foods.. reading labels.. eating organic yogurt instead of high fructose corn syrup filled ones.. (bub-bye yoplait light!) Things like that.. I was stuck at 188 for about 3 weeks and I think the last two is when I lost the last 8.. I was in shock when the RN told me my number today.. So I'm hoping the plateau is over and I'm on the losing bench again...
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3 month post-op appt today on September 23, 2009 2:46 pm
I had my 3 month post op appt today... And everything was fabulous!
I'm at 188.4... I started this journey with their recorded weight of 238.7 on 2/19/09... however highest weight was 242.
I have lost 43% of the weight I am supposed to lose!!! Above average for 3 mons.. most people are 20%-30%!!
Brought my daily plate logs in to discuss diet and carbs etc... Overall I'm doing great and now I should work on adding fruits and veggies to my meals
I'm spot on for weight loss and I was encouraged to make sure I'm exercising now at this point and to keep doin' what I'm doin' and look forward to the 6 mon post op visit!
YAY FOR ME!!!!
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Accomplished my Victoria Secret goal on September 13, 2009 7:10 am
Yesterday I tip toed my way into Victoria Secret... and luckily a very helpful very cool "manager" approached me... Honestly I was worried I'd get some 18 yr old perfect perky boob'd size 0 teeny weeny who just didn't understand what its like not to be able to buy bra or underwear in a regular lingerie store. After explaining I had lost weight and I was pretty sure I was in "regular" range of sizes, we went back to the fitting room area and she measured me.. and damn if I wasn't! WOW MOMENT!!!
So she suggested a Wardrobe fitting.. they give you all the bras they have in the store in your size for you to try on. So after joyfully, almost tearful joy, I walked out of the changing room happily with almost all the bras fitting me the way I wanted them to. I think she could tell what big deal this was, because after I handed her the bra style I wanted to purchase, she gave me a big hug!
So anyway.. just had to share my big giant WOW moment!!! | Leave a comment.
Yup constipation.. on August 29, 2009 1:10 pm
So ya.. left sided pain was baaaaad constipation per my surgeon. Dr Schwartz said I need a daily regimen of Metamucil and Ducosate (softener) and no more Vitron C... Seems to be working so far!
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Constipated.. we think... on August 24, 2009 9:58 am
So starting on Fri 21st I had this really weird left sided discomfort.. its at about my belly button height on my left side but its sort of closer to my belly button off and on. I called the WLS office on Fri and the RN talked to my surgeon after getting my symptoms.. Dr Schwartz said he's thinking its constipation (or bad gas) and to take some M of M and poo... So I upped water on Saturday and got moving... nothing.. Sun am I took M o M and all day.. nothing.. things seemed to bubbling and gargling.. but nothing happened.. This morning (Monday) I poo'd but I strained and it was only a little bit and it was very hard. WHHHHAAA...
Today I am at work and I feel stuffed up and the left sided discomfort is still lingering.. so I called the WLS office again and his RN made me an appointment for Wed afternoon to see my surgeon.. she wants to rule out any problems and have him do an exam. So I feel better. She said to up the water and take some more M of M if I want to in the meantime.. if it gets worse or intensifies or turns to pain (which its not) to call them right away.. page the on call bariatric surgeon at the office, and head to the ER... I hope it's nothing serious but now I'm all paranoid its a blockage or something.. whaa....
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Almost to "Onederland" on August 6, 2009 5:29 am
Well I'm at 202 as of yesterday when I ran upstairs to the WLS office and weighed! I can't believe I'm this close to the 100's!
I'm a little disheartened though because 7/27/09 I was at 205 and yesterday I was only down to 202.. yes thats 3 lbs in just over a week but still.. I'm this close and now my body wants to slow down at losing? Go figure!
So I up'd the protein and really making the effort to get my water in (been struggling with that) and walking around the hospital campus on my lunch break... so we'll see if I can't get these 2 lbs off by tomorrow!
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Yesterday/today not doing so great on July 10, 2009 8:49 am
Well I attempted to make my own version of Eggface's "bites" last nite for dinner (the egg bites on her website).. and shortly after eating one (don't know if I ate it too fast or too much or what???) I was sitting there and suddenly felt very queezy and ran up stairs and proceeded to puke it up.. had 3 waves of the pukers. I deducted after the fact that I ate it too fast possibly, and peep's had warned me that scrambled eggs/eggs other than poached don't go down too easily.
So I felt like crap the rest of the night and I am home from work this morning.. I slept okay but got up and still felt queezy... had a glass of water.. too my shower.. ate some yogurt.. and the pukey feeling came back all over again. I think my pouch is pissed at me for putting those damn eggs in there. So I'm home taking it easy today... sip sip sip my water and eating back to basics... finished my yogurt w/o any problems, going to drink a mug of chicken broth for lunch, and i'm going ot have something basic for dinner too.
Sorry pouchy!
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3 week post surgery... on July 9, 2009 5:01 am
Well so far so good! I'm at my 3 week stall as far as the scale goes, but my clothes are definately looser than they were before surgery! In fact a few pairs of capri's are even baggy! So I must still be losing inches.. yippy!
Over the weekend I ran into the first food I haven't been able to tolerate.. fake crab. I bought a brand from cub that comes in smaller pouches and tried it over the weekend.. landed in my pouch like a lead brick and left me feeling blech for several hours afterward. I gave it another try yesterday at lunch by throwing it in the food processor to chop it up (thought maybe consistency was the issue) and stirred it up with a little light sour cream and some light mayo (how I make seafood salad)... well I ate about 3 spoonfuls and that was quite enough for me.. did the same thing all over again. But this brand was not light and flakey like other "mock" crab brands I've tried. So I'm giving up the idea of crab salad for now.. or use the real thing and try that... or make a seafood salad using shrimp...
This week has been the first full time week back to work since sugery and I'm exhausted! Every night when I get home from work around 5 I have to crash out for a little bit...
According to my NUT I'm doing well food and protein wise. Still struggling a bit to get liquids in.. doing A TON better during the day at work doing that, but then I get home and forget to drink.. so i've been in the routine of filling up my water bottle as soon as I get home and keeping it with me the whole time.
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Finally back online and able to post! grrr! on June 23, 2009 11:33 am
 So comcast are idiots.. ha ha.. screwed up the work order plus originally ran into a wiring issue.. fun huh?
 I am feeling really fantastic! Tomorrow is the one week anniversary officially. Dr Schwartz is a really great surgeon and I was really impressed with the surgical team care and the post surgery nursing care I got at Abbott! 
Still struggling with getting enough liquids in. It seems like my whole day is consumed with sipping liquids.. I know its just a fact of life now and eventually I won't even think twice about it. I had a dizzy spell yesterday because I hadn't gotten enough fluids in.. I've already taken the gulp of liquid that is too big.. as well as drinking too many sips at one time and getting that oh I'm too full now in my pouchy! Also struggling with the damn Citracal + D tablets.. petite my ass! Plus cutting them up with my pill cutter is just a big pain in the ass. I tried dissolving them in my water or Crystal light the other day.. so we'll see what works best. I called Bariatric Advantage and they are sending me some calcium citrate + D chewy bite samples. I hope they come soon. And as you all advised me.. liquid in.. liquid out! ha ha 
Enjoying my time off but antsy too. If they clear me on Mon 29th at my post-op visit I'm going to work Tues 30th-Thurs 2nd half days at work and then enjoy the rest of my time off up north at my mom's cabin. My short term disability at work ends Tues 7th so I have to go back on the 8th... whaa whaa 
Thanks for your messages and support! Glad to be back.. I know I'll need more!
Stacy | Leave a comment.
It's here! on June 15, 2009 6:26 am
So Wed is the day! I'm posting today because I don't have internet access at home until Friday post-op...
I was so excited last night I couldn't sleep!
However, I'm slightly disappointed in my family's enthusiasm over my surgery. I wasn't expecting a big hoopla or anything, but now my sister has decided she doesn't want to be at the hospital and that just leaves my mom to sit by herself for 4 hours after they take me back from pre-op.. All my other family members work or live to far away. Dad has a neurological disease that affects his ability to drive very far- and my stepmom is currently undergoing radiation for breast cancer. So I feel like my surgery is a big inconvenience of time for everyone or something.. thats how its making me feel anyway. I just don't want my mom to have to sit by herself for 4 hours. I think my coworkers are going to walk over to the waiting room and check on her for me. They are so sweet...
So today is the last day of the pre-op friggin LD.. thank god! So tired of the pudding. And i have two more 6 packs at home.. that I don't really want to eat post op.. lol
Tomorrow is drop off the doggy to be boarded for 5 days and then my bowel prep.. oh fun..
I'm excited but nervous. I've never had major surgery and I have anxiety already thinking about the prep and OR before they put me to sleep. I'm not afraid of needles.. I keep thinking what if I wake up during it and they don't know it! ha ha
Anyway.. Therese is going to post my update on OH for me..
I'll touch base myself on Thurs or Fri when I'm at my sisters house recouping... | Leave a comment.
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My Story I've been heavy for as long as I can remember. I had childhood cancer- Leukemia. I remember being lankier and not so fat before that. But I think I got the wrong idea about food being in the hospital- everyone "treated" me to food.. and I was on prednisone and was always hungry from it.. so when people came to visit they knew I'd more than likely be hungry and they'd bring food-- Burger King, pizza, treats. I think I learned about food the wrong way. I was heavy going forward from there.. I was a chubby grade schooler.. but not truely "heavy" until a certain point.. I vividly remember going school shopping for 6th grade and my mom having to go to another section and I remember putting on a pair of size 10 jeans (in 6th grade!!!). I knew this was a much higher size than my friends wore. I was a size 12 through high school, and when I went to college but I still was the "fat" friend.. everyone else was a 6 or 8.. even with the freshman 15 gain. By the time I was a senior in college I was a 16. I moved home, did okay.. and then ballooned to an 18... and now a 20. I'm only 5'1" and over 100lbs overweight. It was January of this year when one day I woke up and it just hit me. It was the right insurance, the right job, and the right time in my life to do it. So here my journey begins...
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