BlueGray

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tonitreadway 21 years, 11 months ago

Hi. My name is Toni and we were surgery date buddies. We are 8 1/2 months out now and I just wanted to check in with everyone to see how your progress is going! Hope you are healthier and happier and getting close to your goal. I am down 97 pounds, with 20 more to go to my goal weight of 130 (lap rny with Dr. Champion in Atlanta, Georgia). Life just keeps getting better and better!!! Best to you on your continued journey. Please keep in touch any time! Have a great one.

kylakae 22 years, 4 months ago

Ann, congratulations on your success to date! You're looking great and doing wonderfully! Keep up the good work!

BlueGray 22 years, 5 months ago

In two days, it will have been three months since my lap RNY. I started out at 292, and now I'm at 237. I've finally dropped a clothes size. At the time of surgery, I was a tight 26/28 - and until the past week or so, I had to continue wearing those clothes because even though the 26/28's were getting impossibly loose, I still couldn't fit into my old 22/24's. Well now I *can* fit into them! I have a lot of that size, fortunately. When I start losing out of their range, I'm going to have to do some serious shopping though - so I kind of hope I can wear these clothes through Christmas at least! About eating - I think I'm doing OK on that score. I've indulged myself a couple of times - I had a piece of pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving, and once a week or so I'll drink a hot cocoa. I've found that my perfect meal is sushi! A bowl of miso soup and a six-piece tekka-maki (tuna roll) is low in fat and carbs but high in protein, and fills me up without making me uncomfortable. I can cross my legs again, and I have so much more energy. My feet and ankles aren't swollen anymore. Anyway, just an update. Good luck to everyone, pre-op and post-op!

BlueGray 22 years, 6 months ago

Lord have mercy, it's been 7 weeks since my lap RNY. The time has gone by really fast. I started at 296, and now I'm at 256 - a good forty pounds! (I *thought* it was fifty pounds, but apparently my home scale is ten pounds off from my surgeon's.) The weight is coming off in clumps - for a week I'll lose a pound or two a day, then I'll go two weeks and barely lose anything. It's a bit frustrating, but during both of the two plateau periods I could feel my clothes getting looser, so it wasn't like nothing was happening at all. As far as eating goes, I have to count myself among the lucky ones in that I have never vomited once and I haven't had a dumping episode. I'm not craving unhealthy food - as long as I keep a little variety in my diet, I stay satisfied. Most things agree with me fine as long as I eat slowly and chew carefully. The one thing that did plague me more than usual is fatigue. I see posts on here about people who had the lap RNY going back to work like a week later, and I am absolutely amazed. I could barely make it through a part-time workday three weeks afterward, and I work at a desk job! Even the smallest tasks completely exhausted me: and aside from just being tired, I'd start getting headaches and my sides would ache. Every afternoon I took a good 3-hour nap. But thankfully the fatigue magically subsided at 5 weeks post, and I'm in my second week of full-time work. Because of the fatigue, I wasn't able to exercise much that first month, but now I'm taking a yoga class once a week and walking a mile and a quarter almost every day - and actually enjoying it. The things that made walking a misery for me pre-op - my swollen feet and general lack of energy overall - are completely gone. My feet haven't been swollen at all since the surgery, period, and my knees no longer hurt! I don't know whether it's due to the change in diet or whatever, but I sure am thankful, because the problems with my legs and feet were among the defining reasons I decided to have this surgery. Just an update! And I hope posts like these will give hope to newer post-ops who are starting to feel like they'll never be normal again. You will - sooner than you think! :)

Sandy W. 22 years, 7 months ago

H Ann, I read your post and wanted to say hello, it was refreshng to read your straight forward post, especially the pain part. I am in Marietta also. Hope this post finds you well. {{{{{{HUGS}}}}}

BlueGray 22 years, 7 months ago

I'm home now - got home yesterday. I want to thank everyone who posted their well wishes. It helkps a lot! Up until two days ago I was as weak as a kitten and in a good deal of pain. I'm a lot stronger now and each day I am better. Let's see, what were the interesting parts ... I didn't have to wait long at all for the surgery - everything and everyone were on time. Me and my family went to a private room and after getting into a hospital gown i got onto the gurney. One of my biggest fears (silly, I know) was getting the IV put in. Turns out it was no big deal at all. They gave me something to relax and then wheeled me to the OR. There, with some help, I shifted onto the table. Then the anaethesiologist's assistant told me he was going to give me something to relax me further and I was gone. I came to while still in the OR (but the procedure was finished, thank goodness) and I remember shifting back onto the gurney and being wheeled to the recovery area. I was sort of awake in recovery and I remember having the NG tube pulled out. I was in recovery for a long time (like 6 hours) before they got me in a room, but it was made a little easier because by chance I had my boyfriend's mother (and RN) taking care of me there. The next two days I was in a LOT of pain. No sugar-coating here, it really hurt, and I went through the phase of asking myself "What have I DONE?" At one point I cried like a small child, it hurt so much. It wasn't until day before yesterday that I was feeling well enough to even watch television. But, I kept telling myself it was temporary. Also it really, really is true when they say you have to get up and walk to heal. It's diffilcult, but each time gets easier. I forced myself to do it, and by yesterday morning I was doing laps down the hall and past the nurses' station and back. Here at home I am sleeping in our recliner and continuing to force myself to walk whenever I think of it.

RODEO CLOWNS S. 22 years, 8 months ago

I wish you all the best on your surgery. It is worth the wait, and the loss of weight!!

Kelly H. 22 years, 8 months ago

Ann, My thoughts and prayers are with you on your big day. It will be the best thing you could have done for your self. A new birthday of sorts.

M. N. 22 years, 8 months ago

Ann, I just wanted to take a moment to let you know that I will be praying to God that He guide your surgeon and his entire surgical team. I pray for a safe and sucessful surgery, along with a comfortable and speedy recovery. Congradulations on your big day and may God bless you and keep you safe.

issis 22 years, 8 months ago

Ann, my best for you for a safe surgery. My prayers will be with you/Irene