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Category: Other 121 People in progress, 50 People achieved this |
Category: Health 222 People in progress, 76 People achieved this |
Category: Education 15 People in progress, 1 Person achieved this |
Category: Health 6 People in progress, 7 People achieved this |
Surgeon TestimonialBrian E. Lahmann, MDFrom the very first seminar I knew that Dr. Lahmann was the right surgeon for me. He has a wonderful ability to put you at ease and make you feel that helping you get healthy is a #1 priority for him. He is extremely informative in his field and sympathetic to all of the physical, social and emotional problems of those suffering from obesity. No problem is too small or too big for Dr. Brian Lahmann. He will take the time to answer any and all of your questions with patience. As someone who has seen a plethora of doctors in her time, I can honestly tell you he is one of the best doctors I have ever had. Both his surgical competence and bedside manner are stellar. If you are looking for a terrific surgeon, Dr. Brian Lahmann is your doctor. Member Interests
- Crafts - Love to Crochet and scrapbook but I dabble in other crafts too.
- Pets - We have two rowdy pet rats. :)
- Dogs - Our beloved Jesse passed away 6/4/07. We have another dog now: Banger!
- Movies - I really love cinema, a nice esacpe from stress!
- Photography - I love taking photos of nature.
- Christianity - Faith gets me through it!
- Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome - A horrible syndrome that afflicts too many women.
- Married - I've been happily married for over nine years.
- Computer and Internet Surfing - Addicted to the net!
- Reading - There is nothing better than curling up with a good book before bed.
Latest Surgery Support Comments
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Hi, we are both
having surgery
tomorrow, I have
asked god to wrap us
in a blanket of his
love, and for us to
both have success
tomorrow. I know you
will.
God Bless.
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Hi Tonya!
I see we have
surgery the same
day!!! You will be
in my prayers!!! I
pray God will guide
your surgeon and you
will have a safe and
speedy recovery!
God Bless!
Pamela
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Eating Poorly on February 7, 2008 7:35 am
I've been eating too much, and too much crap.
I've come too far to sabotage myself now.
I must find other things to do, other coping mechanisms to deal with stress. It doesn't matter that level of stress has been severe as of late. I'm going to have periods of high stress throughout my life and I can't do this each time.
Proper coping techniques. Use them and don't destroy your last chance at good health.
Food is not the cure.
Dust yourself off, and start over woman!
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Relflections One Year Post-Op on December 4, 2007 9:35 am
Sorry that this is a month late:
When one loses 140 pounds in less than a year it has the ability to make some vast changes in your life. Some of these changes are wonderful while others lead you to realize just as you knew before the surgery that being thin wouldn't solve your problems, but perhaps you had a deeper wish than you once thought--that being thinner would cure things.
Physically I'm healthier, no bones about it. This surgery saved/prolonged my life. I'll be forever grateful for that.
Lets recap my health conditions before the surgery:
*Borderline Diabetic and on diabetes medication to keep it at bay-- no longer on any diabetes/blood sugar medication. :D
*On blood pressure medication for high blood pressure (I'm only on it now because it's a migraine preventative, my blood pressure is usually 110/80 now unless I'm suffering from a migraine).
*A heart murmur and 2% blockage.. still have the blockage, but no murmur!
*Sleep apnea with severe snoring that interfered with my sleep -- GONE! :D
*Horrible joint pain. The pain would get so bad I couldn't walk to take out the trash without getting tears in my eyes-- GONE!
*Shortness of breath from just walking to the car-- GONE! I cannot believe the energy I have now.
*Asthma worsened by weight-- it's so much better now!
*Severe depression and social phobia due to weight-- gone. I've gone more places here in Illinois these past few months than I have since we moved here in 2001. Some of that is due to the fact I can walk without difficulty, not just the release from phobia. I have a more positive outlook on life.
*High Cholesterol-- It is now 149!
How can you argue with that? You can't. Any sane person will say and know that all of the above is miraculous.
My self-esteem is better, and it is a shame that I couldn't love myself more when I was obese, but let's face it, I had the worst self-esteem before I gained that very first extra pound. I have a lot of work to do on my self worth, and it worries my doctor, my family and me when I'm not happy at the weight I am at now. I want to lose more and the question is: "What weight will make me happy?" I'm a size 10-12 for crying out loud, I used to be a size 28. I believe it's further evidence that I'm stuck in society's idea that the thinner you are, the happier you are. I used to think these people were insane and now I'm getting stuck in it. Btw, it's not uncommon for those who have had Gastric-Bypass to develop eating disorders. I don't need that and I'm working on it with my doctor. I also have to realize (as I've been told) that ten pounds of my 143bs is excess skin. So I am really 133lbs or perhaps lower. I know without the excess skin I could easily fit in a size eight. An EIGHT. My shrink thinks getting this excess skin removed will help a great deal but I've heard from everyone who has done it that it's far more painful that the gastric bypass surgery itself and I've heard of way too many infections happening. I had a breast reduction due to severe back pain and that surgery was far, far more painful that than the RNY and the RNY was less recovery time than the breast reduction! Unless the excess skin starts to cause rashes or pain I need to learn to deal with it.
So what I am trying to say is that this surgery doesn't fix everything in your life. Now I knew that going into this, but I guess subconsciously I had hoped I'd bounce out of bed feeling beautiful every morning. WHO DOES THAT?! COME ON! Unrealistic expectations indeed! What IS good about this is that I can work on my self-esteem issues from the inside. I thought my low self-esteem was all due to appearance and now I realize how deep my self-esteem issues run. Now I can work on those issues and try to find as much peace and contentment as possible.
Other downsides? Well since I lost all of my "padding" the cold air hits me hard and makes my Fibromyalgia act up so much worse. I have to bundle up like Randy in A Christmas Story when I go out, and stay wrapped in warm pajamas, a robe and heated blanket indoors to keep my fibro flares at bay. Luckily this is mostly a winter issue I have to deal with.
Thanks to my Fibro being more sensitive my migraines are acting up. They recently found a link between Fibro and migraines and I could be a patient in that case study! Good news, my doctors and I are working on it and we 'll find an answer. We've been trying different meds and I'm sure something will help.
My hair is thinner and balding more than Donald Trumps's hair! I've been told it can take up to two years for your hair to catch up with massive nutrient loss in the beginning months post-op while some people's hair is never the same. Hey, I can always find flattering hairdos and use Rogaine! Small price to pay for health.
I would do this surgery again in a heartbeat. I couldn't get the weight off myself and I was miserable. I couldn't exercise with all the weight as I was in too much pain to do so. I lived my life on the couch or on the computer. I hardly ever saw the outside of my apartment because I was always too darn tired to do any physical activity, even walk a quarter way around the grocery store!
Would I recommend this surgery to every obese person? Heck no. Unless that person has severe health problems and is virtually housebound like I was, I'd beg them to not cut up and rearrange their insides and I'd beg them to do everything in their power to lose it themselves. If they can't lose the weight and have tried every method under the sun like I did and they want the surgery, I'm 100% behind them. I just have some guidelines about the surgeon and the team they'd choose.
This surgery has made me realize how dang strong I am. My mom, my dad, my shrink, my surgeon, and most importantly, my husband, all are so extremely proud of me and frequently remind me of the very hard work I've done this past year. Hard work with sticking to my doctor's plan and not cheating, hard work dealing with having to change my medications because my body doesn't absorb them the right way anymore, hard work with my self-esteem, etc. This has been one of the hardest things I've ever done and I should be so very proud of myself. You know what? I'm beyond proud of myself!
I cannot wait to get back in the workforce and/or college and pursue my dreams.
I now have a lifetime of eating properly and exercising consistently ahead of me and it will be a day to day challenge, but all I have to do is reflect on how miserable I was and that challenge becomes much easier.
Thank you to all of you who have supported me through this life altering surgery. I hope you are able to watch me grow even more. I can't wait to reach my full potential.
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One Year Out on November 19, 2007 1:20 pm
I plan on making a blog entry about my thoughts on being one year post-op and how my life has changed since this life changing surgery.
Watch this space.
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Mini Dump-- On Oatmeal on October 22, 2007 12:56 am
Okay, to be honest I have been worried that I wouldn't have Dumping Syndrome, and honestly, I didn't want to test it to only find out I didn't have it. I want that tool to keep me in check.
I've stayed away from "bad carbs" except for a tortilla chip with lots of meat, cheese and beans on it (nachos, duh), and a BITE of premium dark chocolate here and there, but otherwise it's high protein and complex carbs for me.
I noticed a lot of people here on Obesityhelp eat oatmeal for breakfast. I love, love oatmeal, always have, and appreciate the health benefits it offers as well. So I bought some Quaker oatmeal (not instant) and made half a cup. I just prepared it with water and added a bit of butter and Splenda. About 15 minutes later I felt very clammy, cold, dizzy, rapid heartbeat, nauseated and very weak. Of course my dog chooses this time to need to be let outside for a walk, so I took him out briefly. I got worse- even more dizzy, so much so I was holding onto a tree, extreme fatigue, cold sweats and clammy skin along with some fierce nausea. I knew what this was but I also knew it was just a "mini dump" and nothing like a full on Dumping Syndrome I've heard and read about. I wasn't on the bathroom floor vomiting, thank heavens.
So I think this is too weird and can't believe it's the oatmeal of all things causing this reaction. I tried first as my dinner and thought maybe it was due to something else I ate during the day. I get up the next morning and try it again on a fresh tummy. This time I prepare it with organic milk, fat free. I'm obviously still not thinking too clearly, but I'm just so flabbergasted by mini dumping on oatmeal that I refuse to believe that is what it is. Well, I got the same results, in fact worse than the night before due to the milk addition, I'm sure. This time I had to lay down in the fetal position and take a nap. I didn't feel good for the rest of the day. So no high carb foods for me! I'm happy about this though because carbs were my major addiction and now I get sick looking at the oatmeal canister in the pantry.
Btw, I've lost four more pounds in two weeks, so I'm now down 137lbs since my surgery almost one year ago (Nov 6th is my surgiversary!). I'm below my doctor's goal and I want to lose 16 more pounds.
I know I can do it!
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Still Losing & Feeling Wonderful! on September 26, 2007 10:55 am
As of today I'm 153, 8 pounds below goal. :) The weight keeps falling off! I'm feeling so much better than I was several months ago. I have more energy and my mood has finally leveled out. :)
I was starting to eat too fast again and it caught up with me. I got something lodged for awhile and it wasn't pleasant. I just don't want my food to get cold, but I'd rather have cold food than that feeling again. Even though I'm allowed to add everything back into my diet now, I've refused to add breads, pasta, rice, white potatoes, etc. I just don't want to get started on the bad carbs again. I don't mind complex carbs, but no white stuff for now.
Sugar -although I have kept it to 6 grams in a sitting only, and no more than 10-15 a day- doesn't seem to bother me, but too much fat does. I feel awful if I eat too much fat in a day. I haven't had the Dumping Syndrome yet, but I also haven't pushed it either. I'm glad the fear of it is there.
I can't believe on November 6th I'll be a year out. Wow, time flies!
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Archive
My Story I began to gain weight in my mid twenties (I am now in my mid-thirties). I used to be a tiny 115 lb girl, but something was going very wrong with my body. I was at first perplexed by my weight gain because I wasn't doing anything different that I had been doing for years. I began to feel very fatigued and my depression was worsening by the day. I finally found a new doctor and was told I was hypothyroid and that was the cause of my weight gain. Even with my thyroid medication I still gained weight and my depression continued to worsen. I had a strong feeling I was suffering from Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) and I went to a specialist in my area (Texas at the time). They wouldn't confirm PCOS but would confirm Premature Ovarian Failure. They said there really wasn't anything they could do. This led me down a deeper downward spiral and I became even more depressed due to weight gain and severe hormonal fluctuations. I became socially phobic, could no longer tolerate the stares or cruel comments. I couldn't even look in the mirror without wanting to cry, and sometimes I did. I became a recluse of sorts. I THEN began to eat terribly because I developed a mindset of, "Well, I'm gaining weight anyway, I might as well eat what I want!". I admit it, I was eating crap for the past few years and with my health the way it already was, I had no business doing that to my body. I had to drop out of my university and stop studying for my dream: a nursing degree. I couldn't even work. I also developed debilitating migraines that would leave me vomiting and crying in bed for hours or sometimes days.
Many years later, after moving to Illinois, I found TWO specialists who told me I indeed had PCOS and that was a large reason for why I was obese (and imo, the crap food I was eating). My thyroid was also under treated! Even with intervention, it really was too late for me at this point. I couldn't get the weight off and keep it off for long. I tried everything available to me, and nothing stuck. I did Slim Fast, Insulin Resistant Diet, Weight Watchers, Atkins, Susan Powters "Stop The Insanity", joined specialty gyms, and regular calorie counting with exercise to name a few! Nothing would stick.
After my doctors witnessed my struggle, and also saw my health rapidly declining, weight loss surgery was discussed, but discussed for awhile. I had been looking into it for several years and by the summer of 2006, my doctors and I knew it was time for me to get my life back. Weight Loss Surgery, in fact, has been harder than any diet I've ever tried, but it works, and I am adapting and thrilled I made this choice. I encourage anyone looking into weight loss surgery to do a lot of research, visit several surgeons, more research, go to a Center of Excellence, make sure you are committed to a lifetime of permanent change and do even more research, lol. I hope my story helps those who have been in the same, if not similar, boat as I've been in. God Bless.
This is not an easy way out. This is not a quick fix. This is not a cure. This is a tool. I promise you this. It can prolong and/or save your life, but never think the surgery will fix all of your problems. They do not operate on your brain, your reasons for overeating and eating unhealthy foods. That is why it is so important to receive proper counseling, hopefully someone familiar with bariatric patient's needs, to stop the cycle of poor eating habits. You still have to watch what you eat and exercise for the rest your life. This surgery doesn't take away those responsibilities for you. You have to be committed to this dramatic lifestyle change.
"WOW" Moments:
-putting on my size 28 jeans to see them fall to the floor
-fitting into my size 22 jeans
-looking into a public mirror without avoiding it and being proud
-sitting comfortably in a movie theater seat
-sitting comfortably in a booth at a restaurant
-getting off my insulin medication
-walking long distances/exercising without joint pain
-fitting into my size 20 jeans
-shopping all day and walking around the mall w/out getting tired
-being able to buy something right off the rack and it fit me 1st try! (not Lane Bryant, either!)
-no longer clinically morbidly obese!
-I hit ONEderland! :D 4/18/07
- no longer hiding from the camera (and I like the pictures of me!)
- feeling pretty enough to bother with make-up and hair styles again 
- fitting both legs into my size 28 jeans I wore before surgery!
-fitting into size 14 pants!
-trying on the outfit that I was wearing when my husband proposed to me to find it's too big!!! (I weigh less now then when I met my hubby! He is so proud of me!)
-going through my entire closet to find almost everything is too big!!
- losing 100 pounds! I hit the Century Club! (May 31, 2007)
-fitting into my old swimsuit that I haven't been able to wear since the 1990s
- going to the pool and not feeling too self-conscious
-reaching my surgeon's goal weight! (8/23/07)
- size 14 pants too big for me, size 16 jeans, too big for me
-standing up for myself a lot more now, and I respect myself more and ask for the same in others
-the outfits I wore on my honeymoon are now too big!!
-I am valuing my life and life in general a lot more
-Fit into size 12 jeans! 
--Going shopping and am amazed at fitting into size medium shirts and sweaters!!!
-My BMI is now 29! No longer obese! I'm now "overweight"!!! 
- My size 12 jeans are now too big for me! Time for a size ten! WOW!!!!
****BMI Chart****
Less than 18.5 = Underweight
18.5-24.9= Normal
25-29.9= Overweight
30-39.9= Obese
40-50= Morbid Obesity
Over 50 = Serious Morbid Obesity
****Weight Log****:
Highest- 286lbs :( BMI: 54
After Pre-op Diet- 270lbs lost 16lbs (-16lbs total) BMI: 51
One Month Post-op- 246lbs -lost 24lbs (-40lbs total) BMI: 46.4
Two Month Post-op- 233lbs -lost 13 lbs (-53lbs total) BMI: 44
Three Month Post-op- 220lbs-lost 13lbs (-66lbs total) BMI: 41.6
Four Month Post-op -214lbs -lost 6lbs (-72lbs total) BMI: 40.4
Five Month Post-op- 203lbs -lost 11lbs (-83lbs total) BMI: 38.4
Six Month Post-op- 194lbs -lost 9 pounds (-92 total) BMI: 36.7
Seven Month Post-op -185lbs- lost 9 pounds (-101 total ) BMI: 35.0
Eight Month Post-op -171lbs- lost 14 pounds (-115 total) BMI: 32.3
Nine Month Post-op - 165lbs- lost 6 pounds (-121 total) BMI: 31.2
Ten Month Post-op -158 -lost 7 pounds (-128 total) BMI: 29.9
11 Month Post-op - 152- lost 6 pounds (-134 total) BMI: 28.7
One Year Post-op- 146- lost 6 pounds (-140 total) BMI: 27.6
13 Month Post-op 143-lost 3 pounds (-143 total) BMI: 27
14 Month Post-op 143- lost 0 lbs (-143 total) BMI: 27
I DID IT!! I hit my surgeon's goal weight! August 23, 2007
My surgeon's goal weight for me: 161.5
Current Weight (as of March 13, 2008): 139
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