BethR

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Wow. What an exciting ride this has really been so far!!! I've lost 128lbs since having my DS in October 2014. 128!!!!! It is just mind bogging!   I do have so much lose skin in my arms and my thighs, but my stomach and my butt seem to be doing well as far as no sagginess going on and still losing in those places  lol   When I started I was more than a size 28 in pants (I don't really know, since a few months before my surgery I just started wearing stretchy pants than I know were beyond a true size 28. My shirt size was a 3x-5x or 28 depending on the style & brand. My pant size now is a 22, jackets and shirts 18/20 or 1x/2x again depending on style. Even noticed my ring size went from a 7.5 to a 6 lol   MY feet don't hurt nearly as much, I don't have that fat hump on the back of my neck like I used to, and OMG what are these things called hip bones and collarbones? ;-) 

Only issues I seem to have are some hair loss (although my hair is so thick you wouldn't know it) and dealing with gas. omg. toxic, deadly, setting-off-my-CO2-detector kind of gas. It was so bad I was in the hospital for a night because the doctors thought I was having a heart attack. I am eating healthy, no soda, candy, more veggies and enough protein to choke a horse (not that I would ever subject poor horses to these protein shakes), I don't drink milk bc I know that will be bad news (Diamond Breeze Chocolate Almond milk is legit!), I just can't pinpoint what is causing my stanky flatulance other than maybe too much fat somewhere in my diet. I even feel like i get gas bubbles or like my stomach is turning over and rebelling against me. It gets quite embarrassing in quiet meetings lol

Other than that stinky issue, I don't regret having this surgery at all. Like most people say, I wish I had done it sooner!!  I do know that I need to start working out more, but with working 2 jobs almost both full-time, I am just exhausted! I feel good that I've cut coffee out, but omg some days it's tough and you just wanna grab that liquid energy...  Eventually I would like to run a half marathon - maybe this coming fall, I did sign up for my churches softball team, so we'll see how that goes lol   I'm planning on May 1st, going back to the gym to start swimming and taking it slow.  I worked out with a trainer before my surgery and he was amazing, but he's since left the gym I'm at to go back to school. So I signed up with another trainer back in January to get back into it (that was the first time back to the gym since my surgery) and I couldn't walk for a week and a half. I know good burn pain/pain and bad burn/pain and that was not a good burn. I guess my muscles have atrophied with the rapid weight-loss, and him not being versed in what was going on in my body didn't help either of us. So to say the least, I've been afraid to go back because it was such a horrible feeling not being able to walk, sit without looking stupid or get up out of a chair. Even trying to sit on the toilet was a challenge. The tops of my thighs were just hating me.

So anyway, all is going well, and excited to see where the next 6 months will bring me! Teachers at school that I don't really even talk to said that I was looking great! When I've told them how much I've lost since the beginning of the school year, they just respond, "Wow, we're not even going to recognize you come next school year!!"

So just got home from my 6 day hospital stay after having the duodenal switch surgery. So far I am doing ok, just took my first pain meds of the day (didn't take any on Saturday!) and now I'm just awake from crashing my my bed when i got home. So good to be in my bed.  So I have 6 small incisions my surgeon made with the Da Vinci robot, a sore throat and a sore on my nose healing from the drainage tube that went from my nose down into my stomach...Such a comfortable feeling....

I am excited for the future and still a little shocked that I finally had the surgery after years of trying to get to the right point mentally.

 

Well, here it is 2013. Still haven't had the surgery...however!!! I do have a surgery date! Oct 14 I will be having Duodenal switch surgery. I have since moved to Minnesota and after battling insurance companies that didn't want to cover it at my last job, I finally have support here in MN where it will only cost me a whopping $100 bucks!! I just can't wait to be finally healthier, more active and confident.

I started my WLS journey here in MN in the Fall of 2013 and was required to lose 25 lbs....no problem right? After I was doing so well with joining (and regularly going) to a gym, and a Weight-loss workout program with a personal trainer, Minnesota winter decided to welcome me to it's best friends...Bronchitis, pneumonia, and all it's sinus infection buddies. Prior to a sinus surgery, I was prescribed several doses of prednisone. Oh how I ballooned up - it took me FOREVER to finally drop some of that weight, I was so upset/pissed. My highest weight that I ever was was 416..416. I could not believe I had broken the 400 mark. I still teeter back and forth from high 390s to low 400s.  It's a HORRIBLE feeling. But I am not giving up, or losing hope

I've been doing a modified liquid diet per my nutritionist out here and meeting with her on a monthly basis. I'm not leaving anything to chance to get screwed up on my insurance end for having any breaks in my visits and them complaining about it. So I met with her (and the surgeon) last week, just for a check up on how I have been doing, and to push for a date. The next day I scheduled it and was just relieved. Maybe my journey for WLS will finally come to an end and I can just have it done already and get on with living life! :-)   I meet with her tomorrow as she's going to give me a more outlined nutrition guide for these next three months. So here we go! :)

 

How fitting that I decide to post on Thanksgiving. Anyway, what a crazy year. In December 06, I started my psych evals. all 6 of them. phew. anyway, in the mist of them, I realized that I just wasn't ready for this surgery. I mean, I knew I would be fine with eating right and exercising post-op, but I think it was more long term things that scared me. I do want to start a family eventually, and even though I know I can't do it as I am now, I was afraid that the deficiency would cause complications...probably why they say wait 1 year after the surgery b4 you try getting pregnant. Still, I was not mentally in the right mindset and between that, from not hearing back from the surgeons office after multiple messages left (which is weird, because they're usually pretty good about getting back), I took it as a sign and decided to not have the surgery.

So with no surgery in the near-future, I decided to hire a personal trainer at my gym (which was a new one for me; both the gym & pt idea). I love my gym - 24/7, pools, hot tub, spa, basketball court and every piece of cardio & exercise equipment you can think of. I lost a lot of inches on my waist and got down to 305 lbs in 3 months from 320, i even almost got rid of the rolls on my stomach! Pretty good right? hm. well. I somehow developed a painful ganglion cyst at the joint of one of my wrists that had to be surgically removed in May (right around Finals time..nice.). If I had left it in there, it would have ripped through the tendon and I would not be able to move my wrist. So not only did i have to postpone a class to finish this semester, but it completely knocked off my exercise routine. I couldn't afford to pay my trainer anymore (oy.) so i felt stuck. I tried doing what leg exercises I could and walked a lot, but I still managed to gain a good portion of everything back :( Towards the end of the summer, my wrist was sort of better (took a long time to heal..hmm, another medical complication?? and i'm not a diabetic...hm.) & i've decided to buy a Mtn bike and ride it on the boardwalk on the beach in long beach.. it helped a little, but just basically burned what i ate for that day.. so at least I didn't gain anything much.

Now that school has started up again & i'm away from long beach, it's been really tough. The office in Westchester was supposed to get back to me in regards to finding a WLS office that includes a nutritionist on Long Island, because 1) I can't afford or have the time to keep traveling up to Westchester everytime I need to get something done; and 2) my insurance won't cover one if it's a stand-alone nutritionist. That's another issue...my insurance. I lose all my benefits from my parents when I graduate in May. I mean, I should have an idea where I'm getting a teaching job by then, but I probably won't get any medical benefits. I need to go through all my pre-op tests again...lucky me. AND go through the 6-month nutritionist thing, which (if I get it an appt. in Dec.) I could have my surgery in May. All next semester I start student teaching & I'm taking 6 more graduate credits (2 classes on top of ST). This is going to be crazy..lol.

Anyway, thats my story for now. In summary, I'm upset I didn't go through with it in January, time is short w/ insurance, and I am just overall pissed at myself that I let myself gain what I had paid big bucks to lose (w/ the trainer). what are ya gonna do right? I am going to have this surgery. I'm sick of not being able to live the life I wanna live! I'm 23..I should be having a lot more fun than I am. ok. i'm off to bed.

Hope everyone had a happy & healthy Thanksgiving! :-D

ahh well... my psych consult was cancelled for monday, but rescheduled for next monday... what can you do right? life happens. Measurements tomorrow! off to bed now! haha :-)

I went for my monthly nutrition consult on Friday... one more left!! My last one is on Jan. 4. We set up a time frame of when I could possibly have the surgery...some where between Jan. 9 and Jan. 24. I know - it's a huge window of time, but I don't really care when I have it, as long as it is fairly soon & the insurance doesn't change their requirements to have the surgery (which I was told, could happen after January 1st...); I will not be a happy camper if that happens...

I finally have my psych consult all set up for monday. I had to jump thru hoops trying to get someone to 'take me in.' I got a lot of "oh I don't do that kind of counseling" and "oh sorry - we don't take your insurance any more." BS - but whatever. I finally found someone on Long Island to help me; his specialty isn't bariatrics, but he is willing to work with me to help me with my clearance for surgery. I'll let you all know how that goes when I get back on Monday.

So after that, then it's just the one Nutrition consult left. I'm getting really excited! haha - now I just have to tell work what I'm doing, which is probably going to be the hardest part...especially since I work in the athletic department... ay It's just hard to figure out how early I should tell my boss. I mean, I kinda make my own hours (still doing 25 hrs a week), and don't have any of my own sports going on now (I do golf & Baseball media), so I don't see missing a few days as too big a deal. Aside from the little travelling I do and running around doing game-day stuff once or twice a week (setting up interviews, getting 1/2 time stats to other SID's and radio stations, etc..) it's basically a desk job, so I don't anticipate missing any more than one week - but i'll plan for 1 and a 1/2 just in case. I guess sooner is always better. I just wanted to give him a definite date of when the surgery is, not a 3 week window...but even when the time does come for surgery, it could still change. I guess it would be tacky to let him know via his christmas card? haha - Here is your gift, card, and oh yeah, btw.. (i wouldn't do that) lol

Alrighty, more after the psych eval. :) I should probably do my measurements before I forget...and lose the measuring tape. haha

December 4, 2006:

I only found out about this GREAT Web site yesterday so I guess I will just back-track from here...

Starting weight: 349 (5/1/06)

Current weight: 320

Current BMI: 54.9

I have just about all of my pre-op consults done - just have to find a psych that works w/ my insurance & is close by! (not an easy feat!!) I also have 2 more nutrition appts for Dec. & January. Everything else is done!! Cardio & endocrine consults went well; I actually surprised the pulminologist by how well my lungs worked (thats what you get for being a clarinet player & swimmer for over 10 years!!). haha so after I get the psych done, I was told that Dr. Kaul's office can start working with my insurance to get a tentative date for the RNY surgery which is looking (if all goes well!) mid-January. :-)

I am so excited, especially after meeting people yesterday at the NY forum party who are clearly success stories, look marvelous & were a lot of help giving advice! :) Even looking at the before & after photos on here, it's almost surreal... I could be half my size in 8 months... I just can't wait to be able to work out more and do more sports that my weight is holding me back from!

Alrighty, I see Janet, my nutritionist on Friday, so more then! Good night!! :)