Susan G.
Yea! I gained 2 pounds this week!!
Aug 15, 2008
This is day four with no caffiene. It sucks! I am sick of drinking water only. Its soooo boring and I am soooo tired. I am also completely off wheat (actually gluten-free), chocolate and peanuts now.
The gluten-free is really hard. The hardest part is how much we relied on pre-packaged foods or fast food and eating out. I pretty much have to prepare everything now. Its definately more work now. I have to do more planning and have food in the pantry. I can't just stop at Subway or grab a grilled chicken sandwich anymore.
We made a trip to Whole Foods in Dallas and it was great. They have tons on gluten-free products. They even have gluten-free bakery products. I loved the store! However, its not going to be convenient to go there. It will be a once a month or less trip. I've found a few restaurants with gluten-free menus - Chilis and Carrabas, so far. I know there are more, but I am still searching. There is alot I can eat, but its just a matter of knowing what, where and how its prepared.
On Monday I had surgery to fix my anal fissure. It was some what painful but today it is alot less painful (4 days later). I feel much better now. Hopefully it will stay that way!
What??? Allergic to Chocolate, Wheat and Peanuts???
Aug 06, 2008
But its the wheat allergy that is the worse... there's the obvious.... bread, pasta, bagels, cake, cookies, pizza, hamburger bun, flour tortillas... no Subway sandwich ever again.... but then there's the not so obvious... wheat is hidden in alot of sauces like soy and teriyaki, even ketchup, salad dressings, mustard and mayonaise can have wheat (or corn starch) as a thickening agent.
UGH! I am so overwhelmed right now, I don't know what to do.
On top of this, I've lost 3 more pounds. He has put me on a lactose, wheat, dairy free protien supplement. And I am supposed to try to get off the wheat, peanuts and chocolate. Plus work on getting off caffeine - help, I can't take this!! Shoot me now!
Applied Kinesiologist
Jul 30, 2008
I had never heard of AK (applied kinesiology) before today.
Here is the basic definition from Wikpedia: Applied kinesiology is a system that evaluates structural, chemical, and mental aspects of health using manual muscle testing alongside conventional diagnostic methods. The essential premise of applied kinesiology that is not shared by mainstream medical theory is that every organ dysfunction is accompanied by a weakness in a specific corresponding muscle, the viscerosomatic relationship. Treatment modalities relied upon by practitioners include joint manipulation and mobilization, myofascial, cranial and meridian therapies, clinical nutrition, and dietary counseling. A manual muscle test in AK is conducted by having the patient resist using the target muscle or muscle group while the practitioner applies a force. A smooth response is sometimes referred to as 'a strong muscle' and a response that was not appropriate is sometimes called 'a weak response'. This is not a raw test of strength, but rather a subjective evaluation of tension in the muscle and smoothness of response, taken to be indicative of stresses and imbalances in the body. A weak muscle test is equated to dysfunction and chemical or structural imbalance or mental stress, indicative of a body dissatisfied with suboptimal functioning. The most common test is the arm-pull-down test, or "Delta test," where the patient resists as the practitioner exerts a downward force on an extended arm. Proper positioning is paramount to ensure that the muscle in question is the prime mover, minimizing interference from adjacent muscle groups. "Nutrient testing" is used to examine the response of various of a patient's muscles to assorted chemicals. Gustatory and olfactory stimulation are said to alter the outcome of a manual muscle test, with previously weak muscles being strengthened by application of the correct nutritional supplement, and previously strong muscles being weakened by exposure to harmful or imbalancing substances or allergens.
Apparently it is so controversial because it can't be proven to be effective in studies. However, after today, I am pretty convinced that there is something to it. It was fascinating. He would test the resistance of a group of muscles and then give me drops of B12 on my tongue. Then restest the resistance and the muscles that were weak, were much stronger. It was wild. In one test he tested the resistance, then had me press on my abdomen and tested again. The resistance was completely different. I cannot remember what he said that was related to, one of my organs. My head was spinning it was so much information. I wish my husband had been able to go with me. In another test, he was testing for different enzymes. He had three different jars that he had me smell, one at a time and again after each he would test my muscle strength. One was protein enzyme, the second was carb enzyme and I've forgotten what the third was. The only that improved my strength was the protein enzyme. So even though I get enough protein, my body needs help (with enzymes) to process the protein.
After all this he worked on some pressure points and did some adjustments and then would see how far I could get my arms over my head and behind my back. Before I we started I couldn't even raise them as high as my shoulders. By the time I left I had them above my head with out pain. It was incredible.
He thinks 120 would be a good weight for me, I just nodded and agreed with him. That weight terrifies me. But we will just see. I like the size of my body (size 2's and 4's). I like being petite. I don't know if I want to weigh 120. If I can weigh 120 because I put muscle back on that would be great.
Tomorrow I have to do a saliva test and mail that off. I return next week for urine and blood testing. He really thinks that he can help the pain in my arms. He gave me an enzyme that I am supposed to crush and take before I have protein, liquid vitamin D and liquid B12 drops to get started. Then we will know more next week after more testing.
Crap! 110 lbs!
Jul 25, 2008
UGH! I weighed this morning.... 110 lbs. I lost 3 lbs in one week. Shit. I tried even harder this to not lose weight. My appointment with the nutrional doctor can't be soon enough. This is insane.
110 is the least I can weigh for my height before I am underweight.
Neuropaphy
Jul 22, 2008
Now that I know that I am looking at a nerve disorder and not something related to degenerative disks, I have been paying more attention to the symptoms. I have noticed now the numbness in my feet and my legs up to my knees, including my knees. That part is not painful so I didn't notice it before. Its my arms that hurt so bad. The are so sensitive. I had on a 3/4 length shirt tonight and we went to the movies. It was a fitted baseball type t-shirt. The sleeves were driving me NUTS! I wanted to rip them off. My jewelry drives me crazy. I had to take my watch off. My rings bug me. My arms hurt constantly. The pain level is a constant 7 or higher. Then if I move or reach for something, I get shooting pains up to a 10. I can't even raise my arms over my head. I can't hook or unhook my bra anymore. I can't tuck in my shirt in the back. Its all very painful.
Its a catch 22... I take hydrocone for the pain, which barely takes the edge off. It makes me constipated... so I have to take a stool softener, that's not healthy... probably one of the reasons I can't stop losing weight and my body is malnurished. However with an anal fissure, I can't be constipated!
There are two really frustrating things about this.... the first is all the time I wasted chasing the wrong diagnosis. I had two epidural steriod injections and an MRI. The steriod injections are under anesthesia, so there is always a risk with that. All unecessary and costly.
The second frustration is that I have been taking my vitamins and getting my bloodwork done. There is this stigma in this WLS community that neuropaphy only happens to people who don't pay attention to their nutrition / vitamins / bloodwork. Well, I got news for everyone, that is NOT TRUE! I've had so much bloodwork done in the last year it is ridiculous. The only deficiencies I have ever shown are B12 and vitamin D. I've been doing B12 injections for 7 months and since then, my bloodwork has never shown a B12 deficiency. I have taken iron, multivitamin, calcium (the wrong calcium, but I have now switched), B complex since surgery. Now I also take vitamin D. I have paid attention to my vitamins and my bloodwork and my nutrition.
113 lbs - Can't stop losing weight and all my health problems
Jul 20, 2008
What a mess I am. I don't even know where to start. I have been to so many doctors' offices in the last 4 months that I think I have read every issue of people magazine cover to cover, something I never have time to do. I thought I would be feeling better, not worse! Actually, its nothing that I can directly blame on the bypass, so don't get me wrong. I just thought I would be on less medication by now, not more. I do feel better in that I am not carrying around and extra 100+ lbs. Mentally I feel better. My self-esteem is greatly improved, and I think I am more out going. I don't know if that is the right word. I think I am less people pleasing and more like screw 'em if they don't like this or that, its not worth trying to please 'em all! I like that about myself now. I stand up for myself more.
Physically.... UGH! Where to start? I guess I will start with my anal fissure. That started about 4 months ago, I guess. I thought is was really bad hemorrhoids, but when became so painful and I was bleeding, my regular doctor sent me to a proctologist. He said yes, I have hemorrhoids (have for 13 years since I was pregnant), but that is not what is causing the pain. The pain is from an anal fissure. That is a tear in the wall of the anal muscle. Sometimes they heal on their own, sometimes they don't. We have tried medications to see if would heal on its own because that is better than surgery, but it has been so painful. Every time you have a bowel movement it just gets irritated again. Sitting, standing, walking, can cause discomfort. So, we tried a botox injection. LOL! Can you believe? A botox injection in my a$$! I bet I am one of the very few poeple that have ever had botox in the head, ankle and a$$!!! Anyway, that was about 8 weeks ago and no improvement. So I have scheduled surgery. The problem is that I have to take a week, at least, off from work and with all these doctors appointments, I don't have much time off. Anyway, I have that scheduled for August 11th. I will have 3 days off, and then I can work from home 2 days. Hopefully that will be enough time off.
Is this related to gastric bypass? Who knows? No one has said that it is. Typically a fissure is caused by constipation or straining with constipation, but I have read that it can also be caused by prolonged diarrhea. Well, after bypass I was lactose intolerant and it took a while to figure that out. I had a lot of trouble with protein drinks because of this. So, yeah, I had a lot of diarrhea. However, since then, my bowels had seemed fine. Softer than pre-surgery, but not runny. Never constipated.
Well, anyway.... moving onto my next problem. My arms, shoulders and neck. In 2005, I was in a car wreck. We were rear-ended. It wasn't a huge wreck, barely hurt the car, but I had horrible pain in my left shoulder. An MRI uncovered degeneratve disk disease in my C1, C2, C6 and C7 vertabrae. After trying trigger point injections and physical therapy, my pain management doctor (I see her for migraines and arthritis in my ankle, pre-existing conditions.... LOL) sent me to a surgeon. I didn't have to have surgery, phew! He was able to do two epidural steriod injections last summer and I felt like a new person! So about the sametime the anal fissure started, my shoulder and arms started hurting again. Before it was only on the left side and this time it is both sides. It is really painful, but it started gradually - with mostly a sharp pain when I reached for something the wrong way or lifted something heavy. So, I headed back to the surgeon hoping we could knock it out again with the epidural injections. He did the two injections and made me have an MRI also since it had been a few years. He will do up to 3 injections per year. After the second one, I didn't feel any better and actually was much worse. I went to his office to discuss the MRI and whether or not to have a third injection. Looking at my films, he said that my disks where actually improved from my last MRI. That I no longer had any problem at C1 and C2 and that C6 and C7 looked significantly better. He also said that if I wasn't feeling any relief from the first two, then the third was pointless. He sent me back to my pain management doctor for an EMG/NCT - a nerve study.
If you have never had an EMG/NCT - oh my gosh! It is the most painful test I've ever had in my life! Lets just say that it involves electrical current, a big needle and you being wide awake! Its no fun and I had to have on both arms. The point of it is to find if I have a pinched nerve or nerve damage.
The thing is my pain management doctor knows me. I've been going to her for probably 6 years. The first thing she said when she saw me was that I've lost too much weight. "How much to did you weigh today?? You are malnurished." I tried to argue with her (because I didn't know my weight as the nurse didn't weigh me). I know I need to get in the gym and build some muscle but I can't even lift my arms over my head right now, and with the anal fissure, exercise is pretty much low on my priorities.
So I had to go get on the scale and I was expecting to weigh about 115, lower than I wanted, but I was actually 113. Now for my height (5'2") that is still a healthy weight, but she says just looking at my face that I look malnurished. I told her I always lose all my weight in my face. She said, no that's not it, that it has to do with my temporal lobe being indented or something. That is a sign of malnurishment! Now she has me completely freaked out.
I haven't been trying to lose weight. I've lost 10 lbs since my 1 year anniversary in April. I never expected to get below 120. I EAT! I eat alot. I eat three meals a day plus 2 or more snacks. I get plenty of protein. My hair and nails are healthy, I know that. My nails are stonger than they have ever been and even my hair stylist commented about how much improved my hair was. My bloodwork has always come back good - I was low on B12, so I do B12 injections monthly. My regular doctor ran my bloodwork again and included vit D b/c my bypass surgeon didn't test for D. I was low on D, so I have been taking D. Other than that, all my bloodwork has been normal.
Anyway... she did the EMG/NCT and didn't find anything wrong. She thinks I have some nutritional deffinciency or vitamin defficiency. So is sending me to another doctor that is really big on nutrition. She thinks the pain in my arms is actually from my body turning on itself and using the muscle because its not getting the nutrition or vitamins it needs!!!
When I got home, I started doing some research on the internet about bypass and malnurishment. I found a study from the Mayo Clinic that 16% of patients that have had bypass end up with neuropathy (nerve damage outside the brain and spinal cord) due to malnutrition!!! I never was told this was a possible side effect. I am totally freaking out because the pain in my arm, numbness in my hands... signs of neuropathy! It also can't be reversed or cured, but only treated and I am not sure how successfully. Some of the patients in the study ended up in wheel chairs, it was so bad. Like I said, I am freaking out. Well, my doctor was looking for nerve damage, but she didn't know the neropathy was a side effect of gastric bypass. She only looked at my arms. The nerve damage could be elsewhere (my neck) or the test could be different for neuropathy. She's a pain management doctor, no a neurologist. Yes, I am still freaking out. Did I say that already?
I have a neurologist that I saw a few weeks ago for migraines and I told her about my arms, but at that time we still thought that they were from the vertebrae. I wonder if she even knows that neuropathy is a possible side effect bypass. I hope that I can get back in to see her. It took 4 months to get the first appointment with her. Did I mention that I am freaking out? I see the doctor to help me with my diet on July 30th.
I am making sure I eat... I have added more healthy fats.... lots of nuts, more protein to my diet. But I really do eat a lot. When I saw the nutritionist in November, she pulled out a 4 oz tupperware container and said "this is how much you should be able to eat." Ha! I laughed. I could eat 3 times that much at most meals. I was terrified I'd never get to my goal weight because I was eating too much. An hour after lunch, I am hungry again, so I have a snack. I usually have 2 - 3 snacks between lunch and dinner. I eat lunch early (11:30) and then don't eat dinner until 7:00. I am making a very concious effort to make good choices, but I don't know why I keep losing weight.
My one year doctor visit
Apr 23, 2008
Good news, I lost another 3 lbs (not even trying) and I am now 12 lbs below goal. I am happy about that.
Susan
231/123/135
1 Year Anniversay
Apr 17, 2008
I don't have any more energy. I thought I'd be on less meds, but everytime I turn around a new med is being added, or a new vitamin. My migraines or worse than ever. The arthritis is my ankle is not any better. How come I've lost over 100 lbs, and my ankle hurts just as much? UGH! Oh, and now I have an anal fissure. That has to be the most painful thing I've ever experienced in my life. I hate to be so negative.
One good thing is that I am down from 60 mg of Cymbalta to 20mg. I am working towards getting off it completely. My regular doctor thinks alot of my symptoms are due to hormone imbalance, so I had a saliva test and I was low in progestrone. I started a cream that the pharmacist compounded, so we'll see if that will help.
Don't get me wrong, I don't regret having surgery. At least I look a lot better - in clothing. UGH the excess skin is awful. But I feel like I am never going to FEEL better, FEEL healthy.
Susan
231/126/135
100 lbs gone! 4 lbs below goal!!!
Feb 14, 2008
231/131/135
No longer OBESE!!!!
Oct 13, 2007
