Allison Mupas

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7/2000
I am a 30 year old female. I had a gastric bypass with a bileopancreatic diversion aka/duodenal switch 1-9-97, I have lost 193 pounds. 
July 27, 2000 I had a panniculectomy. I have lost a few more pounds I think they took off about 5 lbs of flub. I think the recovery was rough, but I survived and I am glad I did it. I think it is really important to go into that surgery with NO EXPECTATIONS because having them really set me back a little bit. In a few months when it doesn't hurt anymore I am sure I will speak differently, but for now. 
It is October of 2002 and I have been post op for 5 years in January. I have had some regain over the past 6-9 months. Just as my doctor said I could have, up to 20% of the weight lost has been regained. I have struggled a bit with self esteem and failure issues but I still have to remember I am 133 lbs lighter than 5 years ago. I will never let myself go back up. I will have a revision first.
It is April 2003, 6 years and 3 months post op. I just got back from 5 weeks and 1 day in an eating disorder recovery treatment center. I only wish I would have done that 6 years ago, along with my surgery...It could have helped so much. I was reintroduced to the 12 steps of OA and realized god brought me full circle. I have a seriously life threatening disease, I am a die hard food addict. Even surgery couldn't change that. But it did make me thinner for a long period of time. It just didn't address any of the psychological reasons behind my eating nor did it give me a program of recovery. With what I got from the surgery and the new found fellowship I have found I feel I really have it all. 
I ended my relationship with the scale when I went into treatment. It is not a healthy relationship for me at all. When I had gone in I was up 67 pounds from my lowest weight of 170lbs. I know I have lost at least 2 dress sizes of that since I started treatment, but better than that I have my sanity today. I am sugar and flour free today and I am so grateful, that one day at a time I can be free from this horrible disease. I don't regret the surgery for a minute. I honestly don't think I would be where I am today if it wasn't all included in my recovery process. I am just thrilled where it has taken me now. Much love to all of you out there searching, may you find your way and your peace! Feel free to e-mail me if you have any questions or if you just need someone to talk to.
January 9, 2004 -
It is 7 years today since I had my surgery. Wow I cannot believe that much time has passed. I am a totally different person today than I was then. I am on a journey of recovery and every part of my life has been affected by the choices I have made. The surgery is a tool for physical recovery. That I understand clearly now. If one is a compulsive overeater such as myself I highly recommend recovery on three levels, spiritual, emotional and physical. I do not regret for one minute having had the surgery. I believe that it was an integral part of my growth process, and I wouldn't have gotten where I am today if I hadn't done it. But I do not think it is the "answer" to all my problems. It was seriously just a tool that because of my disease of compulsive overeating I abused for several years. All in the back of my mind hoping that I wouldn't regain the weight. What I realize now, that I didn't know then was that being thin wasn't the cure all or the answer. This problem for me is a spiritual and emotional one. I had to go from Allison who was permanently stuck at 9 years old and grow up to be the 33 year old woman I am today. By the grace of god and a lot of support from family and friends that is what I get to do today, one day at a time. Feel free to write me anytime with questions.
7-26-10
I am 13 and 1/2 years post op now and have returned to this board after a very long break. All the forums are really different and very interactive now. It was about 2003 when I had the first regain I thought I didn't need to be a diligent with my vitamins and iron because I thought with the regain that I was absorbing my vitamins...BIG MISTAKE!!! First off my surgeon only had me taking small doses of vitamins, 10,000 IU of A, 800 IU of D, 2000 mg of Calcium, 150-300mg of Iron.
In 2004 I started with Kaiser insurance. They have been telling me my blood work has been normal since then. I have been having weird symptoms like, bad memory loss, SEVERE muscle cramps and spasms, lack of concentration, double vision at night, and numbness and tingling in my feet/legs and hands/arms. The memory symptoms started first and my doc's just chalked it up to stress. Then came the muscle spasms, they chalked that up to anxiety and stress, same with all the other problems. It didn't occur to me or my doc's that it is my vitamin levels?
I have since gotten back onto Vitalady's recommended vitamins and am already feeling better. I have been increasing my protein and decreasing my carbs. I am considering a gastric sleeve revision to get off the rest of the weight, but I am going to take my time making that decision to see if I can do it on my own know that I have so much more knowledge. This info was not out there before. If your new PLEASE keep in mind...This surgery is no joke it requires life long ADVOCATING FOR YOURSELF! Among the vitamin and protein regimes which are critical to your long term health.
Luckily I caught myself before symptoms were awful, and most can be reversed by getting my levels back up. But I may not have been so lucky if I had kept going without consistent vitamin and protein supplementation at the right levels.

 
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