TERI R
I am acquainted with several people who have had WLS in the past and have thought about it, but always thought that it was not possible for me as I am a diabetic. Then several months ago I checked into diabetes and WLS. I discovered that WLS can totally make diabetes II a thing of the past. It was after this revelation that I decided to seriously check into the possibility of having this surgery.
Went to informational meeting at Park Nicollet on 06/01/04. Received paperwork and mailed it in the following day.
06/07/04 - Received call from bariatric nurse setting up first appt with nurse.
06/22/04 - Met with bariatric nurse, dietitian, nutritionist and took psych evaluations.
06/25/04 - Initial evaluation.
07/09/04 - Psychiatric evaluation.
08/03/04 - Paperwork sent to insurance for authorization.
08/05/04 - Approved by insurance!!
08/09/04 - Appt. set up for meeting with surgeon.
08/18/04 - Met with surgeon and have a surgery date. Date is Sept. 17th. Really getting excited/nervous now!!
Started the 10-day liquid diet on 09/07/04. Not a very fun thing to do but I have heard that it makes all the difference and so I have followed it to a "T".
Checked into Methodist Hospital at 11:00 a.m. Surgery is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. Feeling a little nervous, but confident that everything will work out all right. Say goodbye to hubby and youngest daughter and am wheeled away to await surgery.
Awoke from surgery and everYthing seemed good. I don't remember much else from this first night.
The morning after surgery I went down and was checked to make certain everything was good and there were no leaks.
The test showed everything was just fine. I was feeling a bit weak (not in very much pain at all)and nauseous. They changed my pain med from morphine to dilaudid (sp?) as the nurse said that didn't cause as much nausea. In the afternoon, I got a terrible pain in my right shoulder. I assumed that this must be the "gas" that I have heard about and so hubby and I start cruising the hallways trying to alleviate this terrible pain. After a while, I realize I am grunting as I am breathing because I have the sensation that a 2 ton train is on top of my chest. We told the nurse about this and my husband told her that I have a fairly high tolerance for pain and that something is definitely wrong! I have no memory of anything else this evening, but was told that the nurse insisted that it was just "gas".
The next morning (the day I was SUPPOSED to be going home) I am still having problems. The nurse that I now have says that this is "not right" and says she thinks I may have an abscess, that I should not be feeling like this. The next thing I know, I am being taken down to Radiology for a swallow test or a CAT scan (I can't remember which). This test shows that there is DEFINITELY a leak. I then returned to my room, where I proceeded to start to eat a popsicle.
After only minutes, I have a slew of hospital personnel in my room. Someone told me that I had to throw my popsicle away. I looked at them and said, "Yeah, right" and continued to suck on the popsicle. They looked at me and said, "Really, you need to throw it away." I responded with, "You're serious, aren't you?" I then relinquished my popsicle. (Little did I know that I would be unable to eat or drink ANYTHING from that point until 24 days later!) They then informed me that I would be taken for another surgery to repair the problem. My surgeon said that it was a "breakdown of the staple line" and that he had no explanation for it. He had never seen/had a case where everything proved to be just fine and then not too long after, could go so wrong. I was still having problems breathing and the last thing I remember was being in an elevator (going to surgery I imagine) and the anesthesiologist spraying a lot of puffs on inhaler in my face. I was thinking, "That's not the correct way to use that thing." I guess you could say I was a bit messed up.
I don't remember ANYTHING that happend for the next week and a few days. I was told that they completed the 2nd surgery that day (Sunday). On Monday, the sepsis or whatever the toxin that had leaked into my body from the GI leak hit my lungs and then I was in deep doo-doo. I was having great difficulty breathing and I believe my entire family and friends believed that this was going to be the end of me! I was in ICU at this time and the decision was made that I needed to be intubated (put on the ventillator).
Like I said, I really have no memory of all of this but I do vaguely remember feeling like I had an entire roll of Lifesavers stuck in my throat and it kept making me gag. I can only assume it was the vent. My oldest daughter flew in from L.A. My one brother was here from Texas, my good friend from South Dakota was here and spent every night with me. Another very good friend who is a nurse and lives in Pennsylvania also flew in. Not to mention the rest of my family and friends. I remember none of it or them being there except for my friend from PA, as she was still there when I regained full consciousness. I believe I was on the ventillator for 7 days.
I remained in in ICU for several more days and then I was moved to a normal unit. This was great as I found getting any rest in ICU to be next to impossible, as it was so noisy at all hours of the night.
I found it very ironic that the number one reason for me deciding to have surgery was the probability that I would no longer have diabetes after the surgery. Now, since I was not allowed ANYTHING by mouth, I was receiving all of my nutrition from an IV that was dispensing a thing called TPN into my vein. TPN is "Total Parental Nutrition". It contains a lot of sugars. I was also being "fed" lipids (fancy word for fats).
So here I was, after a surgery in which I was fully expecting NOT to be able to eat sugars and fats, receiving just that. Because of the high sugar content, my blood sugar levels were rising and it was necessary for me to receive insulin shots many times during the day and night! In the past my diabetes had been treated with oral medications but since I could have nothing by mouth, it was insulin. Instead of the 3 days/2 nights I was planning on being in the hospital, I was there 20 days and 19 nights. Not at all what I had expected/planned.
I was discharged from the hospital on October 6th. I still had 3 drains coming out of my stomach and would continue with the IV with the TPN at home. I would also continue with the insulin shots at home.
Returned to the hospital on 10/11/04 for a swallow test to determine if the leak was totally gone. Saw surgeon on 10/13/04 and he said it was much better, but there was still a slight leak but it was contained. He pulled the 3 drains out at this appointment and told me I could have clear liquids for the next 2 weeks until my next appt. with him. I was so happy to get those stupid drains out - they were in the way, a drag to empty and an even bigger drag when you wanted to shower!
Returned to hospital for another swallow test on 10/25/04. The radiologist said it looked great, whereas to begin with I had a very big leak, he said it was now like a little pimple. Saw surgeon on 10/27/04. He congratulated me and told me that I had now graduated and was a "regular" bariatric patient. He also told me that I had been the "sickest gastric bypass patient" that he had ever had. I surely could have done without making THAT accomplishment!!!At this time he told me I could start a regular liquid diet and the bariatric nurse-Barb pulled the PICC line out and told me that my TPN had been cancelled - YIPPEE!!!!
I started a puree diet on 11/01/04. Let me tell you...tomato soup and refried beans from Taco Bell have NEVER tasted so wonderful!!!
12/16/04 -- Trying not to get too frustrated here and trying to think positive and about all of the good things that have been going on.
Feeling a little frustrated because tomorrow it will be 3 months since my surgery and I have only lost 25 lbs. And then to top that off, I will gain one pound and then lose that same pound - a vicious circle that has been going on for 10 days now. I really don't understand it. So for 10 days my weight is basically the same. Could this be a plateau? Already? And after only 25 lbs!!!
I then try to tell myself that even though surgery was 3 months ago, I cannot use that date because of the TPN that was administered to me (causing me to weigh the exact same on 10/28/04 as day of surgery). So I have to use the date of 10/28/04 as my "start" date and that makes it 7 weeks. So I guess 25 lbs in 7 weeks sounds pretty good. It is just that I see so many people who have lost WAY more than that and I get a bit discouraged. Hopefully this is just something that is "normal" and I am not totally wacko.
On a more positive note, I am doing very good. I am taking all of the vitamins and getting all my liquids in. I have started exercising (the 10,000 step program) and I have had no incidences of vomiting, dumping, or getting anything stuck. I am very careful about what/how much I eat and hope never to experience any of that stuff. YUCK!
My blood sugars are all within normal limits and so I am declaring that I am "diabetes free". This is a VERY good thing, in fact that was the main reason for me opting to have the surgery -- to get rid of the diabetes. So this is marvelous. My family members are all healthy and doing well and my eldest daughter is coming home from L.A. to spend Christmas here in MN (crazy girl). Like I said earlier, I am trying to dwell on the GOOD things.
04/20/05 -- My oh my, I can't believe it has been so long since I have updated my profile. I know I have thought about doing it many times, but have never taken the time to do so.
Life is good. I finally hit the "below 200 lbs" mark several weeks ago and that was a wonderful feeling. I do not believe I have been there since early in my 3rd pregnancy (20 yrs ago). I am continuing to exercise (even though I still don't much care for it) and am feeling stronger and healthier every day.
I no longer feel like such a loser because in my mind I was such a "slow loser". I had a very hard time not comparing myself to others who were losing at a much quicker pace. When I time it out I find out that I have lost 80 lbs in under 6 months time. I now think that is pretty cool. I will continue to work my "tool" and I will succeed in this journey!!!
I have been seeing my clothes sizes drop, but honestly I really do not see much difference when I look in a mirror. I have had several people tell me I am crazy and that I need to look at photos because then perhaps I will be able to better see the changes.
Life is good!!!
05/30/05 -- It has now been 7 months since I started this "losing game". Have to use Oct. 27th as my date, as that is when the TPN was discontinued and the losing actually started. My weight is now 185 - meaning a loss of 89 lbs. Even though I still feel like a "slow loser", when I think of 89 lbs in 7 months...sure can't complain too much about that. Went looking for some jeans at Old Navy yesterday with my daughter. Bought a pair of size 14's. My daughter thought they were too big and told me to try on a pair of 12's. Well imagine my shock when I was able to actually get the 12's on and zip them and not pass out from holding in my stomach in order to do so!! I still thought that they were too snug for my comfort though (and I am all about comfort) so I passed on the 12's and bought the 14's. I can't even remember wearing a 12 in my past. 14's I do remember...that would have been high school and that was a LONG time ago!! So even though I really don't feel like I have changed very much, I guess going from a 24 to a 14 is quite a difference and I will just have to work on realizing this. TOO KOOL!!!
Life is good.
06/23/05 -- Went and got my resting metabolic rate and got underwater weighed by Dr. Carey this morning. Very different and interesting. And I didn’t drown in the process!! I had to swim out to a metal chair-type thing in the deep end of the pool. I then had to sit in it and dunk my whole head/body under water and then force ALL the air out. Then count 1001, 1002, 1003 and then come up. Had to do this 4 times.
My metabolism is normal – I guess that is good-we all strive to be normal do we not? And here I thought it was going to be low, as I never was a very big eater (and since being diagnosed w/type 2 diabetes approx. 8 yrs ago cut out all sugars and a lot of fats) and seemed to gain weight so easily and couldn’t lose it for anything. I was secretly wishing it was high but no such luck. That means I can eat a “whopping” 1610 calories per day and maintain my weight. I also have to maintain the exercise part too. (And yes, I am being facetious about the “whopping” part, I do not think that is a lot of calories!)
Right now, at 185 lbs, (according to his scale – the one at home says 182!!!) my body consists of 30.6% fat….the remainder is considered lean mass. I guess this is okay. So right now I have 56.6 lbs of fat on my body 128.4 lbs is considered lean mass.
He has given me two possible goals. He said if I get to 170 lbs that I will have 45.3 lbs fat = 26.6% fat. He said that would be super.
If I could get to 160 lbs, then I would have 37.8 lbs of fat = 23.6% fat. He said this would be marvelous, IF I can get to that number.
Personally I don’t know what I am capable of doing. Right now I am at 182, so we are looking at either 12 or 22 lbs (according to home scale). So we will have to wait and see what happens. I seem to have been such a slow loser when compared to most people (or so it seems) and now it seems like things aren’t moving again (I have remained at approx. the same weight for about a month now), so I am just remaining patient and doing what I am supposed to be doing - protein first, lots of liquids and exercising. They keep saying when you stop losing (or hit a plateau), you are still losing inches, that your body is “catching up” with everything and readjusting. So I will just continue to play the game as I have been playing it so far.
At least I now have a number to strive for/have in my head as a goal, since my surgeon would not give me a number. I have been asked when I am going to stop losing weight - at how many lbs, and I say that I have no idea, I guess wherever my body stops losing is where I will stop. I have never worried about continuing to lose and me being nothing but skin and bones. That just ain’t gonna happen and I never thought it would. I just want to be “normal”. But now at least I have some sort of idea where I should be in the proverbial ball park.
09/05/05 -- Just had to make a quick little announcement that I FINALLY made it to the Century Club!!! Actually I was there a week ago, but wanted to make sure the scale didn't do the little "burp" thing and go back up. I am now down 102 lbs from when I started this journey. It seems that I have accomplished all that I had set out to accomplish. I wanted to irradicate the diabetes -- which I did, and I was hoping to lose approximately 100 lbs. Now that is done too.
Dr. Carey gave me a goal of 170 lbs - which he said would be super if I got there -- only 2 lbs away from that now.
He also said that he thought 160 lbs might be possible and that would be absolutely marvelous if I could get there. Lord only knows, 12 lbs doesn't sound that impossible. However, if this is where the old body wishes to remain, then I will be happy with that...If it decides to lose some more...then I will be simply ecstatic!!!
It seems to me that I have been one of the "slow losers" and I just want to encourage others who may feel the same way that it WILL happen...remember...this is not a race, let your body take the time it needs. I know that I still don't recognize the fact that 100+ lbs are now gone from my body. Mentally I know that I have dropped many sizes and it is easier to get around (when my back isn't all messed up), but when I look in the mirror, I do not see that much of a difference. Most people think I am crazy when I tell them this...they just don't get it. I guess this is one of those head games and my head will someday catch up to where it needs to be. I couldn't imagine what I would be thinking if it had only taken half the time to lose the weight...my brain might be even more messed up!! It is a good thing to trust your body -- it will do what it needs to do for YOU (even if your brain tries to tell you otherwise).
A big thanx to everyone that has been so supportive to me and I feel so honored to have met all of you wonderful people. This is just the greatest group that ever was!!!
Photos
November 28, 2004 |  |
Surgeon Info:
Surgeon: Charles A. Svendsen, M.D.
Dr. Svendsen is a wonderful, knowledgeable, excellent surgeon and a marvelous human being. He really seems to personally care about his patients and only wants what is the best for them. He has a way of making his patients feel comfortable with him and also has a great sense of humor. I had a leak post-op (someone has to make those darned stats don't they? LOL) and he was there to see me just about every day of the 20 days I was in the hospital. He was genuinely concerned for my well-being and took a very cautious course of action to make certain that I would have a great outcome. I have only good things to say about Dr. Svendsen and his surgical abilities and have told many people how highly I feel about him and how much confidence I have in him.
Insurer Info:
BCBC Blue Plus
