Allison P.

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It's been three years since my surgery!  I can barely believe it.  Most days I don't even think about it at all.  I still haven't lost as much weight as I would've liked, but I do keep losing slowly.  I think I lost about 10 pounds this past year.  I'm finally no longer obese!  And I'm the same weight as my driver's license, which wasn't even accurate when I got it 12 years ago...    Although I have not lost all of the weight, I have not gained any back, and I'm very proud of that. 

I've had a lot of hiccups in my weight loss journey over the past three years.  I started getting debilitating pain in my hips maybe 10 months after my WLS.  I ended up having to have surgery on both of my hips last year, six months apart.  I was on crutches for a month after each surgery.  Right after I got off the crutches the second time, I broke my foot.    I had to wear a boot type cast thing for almost two months, because it wasn't healing properly.  THEN, once my foot was healed and I could remove the boot, I started getting horrible back pain, to the point where I could barely walk.  I went to physical therapy and they told me that it was likely due to wearing the boot so long.  Ugh.  The physical therapy helped, but I was still having pain, so about a month ago I started doing Pilates and so far that seems to be doing the trick.  I feel stronger, I have better posture, and I don't have much back pain anymore.  Hopefully I can get back on track now and lose 15 to 20 more pounds. 

I'm currently a size 12 in pants and a M or L in tops.  Before my surgery, I was a size 24 pants and an XXL top.  So although I haven't lost half of my body weight, I have lost half of my size.    One day I hope to get plastic surgery, but so far it is not in the cards for me.  The extra skin is annoying, but I still wouldn't change my experience.   I'm able to do many things I could never have done before, and I don't even think about it.  I can fit in any chair, I can walk two blocks without feeling winded, I can cross my legs, and I can shop for clothes in regular stores.  My mom is even preparing to have WLS surgery now, in part because of my success with it.  I would never have the life I have, if not for it and I am so grateful.

I went to my two year check up on Wednesday.  For the past year, since I began having problems swallowing pills, I have been secretly worried that something was really wrong with me: an intestinal blockage, scar tissue, ulcers...  I had been going to a gastroenterologist and having tests run all year long but we could never figure out what was wrong with me.  Because nothing is wrong!  According to my surgeon, I just shouldn't be swallowing any big pills, only tiny ones.  But all of my symptoms sound normal to him.  Even the heartburn, and he thinks that will go away if I continue taking the medicine.  It was like a huge weight that I had been carrying around with me for a year had finally been lifted off my shoulders.  I was so relieved!

Of course, I did get some bad news the day before my appointment...  My foot had been very painful and swollen for a few weeks and it turns out I have a stress fracture in my foot...    I hadn't used it for a month while I was on crutches recovering from my hip surgery and then I guess I used it too much  too fast once I was off the crutches...  So now I have a removable cast that I have to wear for 4-6 weeks...  And so I still can't go back to the gym...  Oh well... 

The good news is that, according to my surgeon, I am fine!  So I am happy. 

Wow.  I know everyone says this, but I can hardly believe it's been two years since my surgery!  I remember leading up to it, I could barely think about anything else, and now, two years later, I hardly think about my surgery at all.  My mom had to remind me on Sunday of my 2 year surgiversary.  My experience has not been perfect, but I would still do it all again tomorrow if I had to.

I unfortunately have not lost as much weight as I would have liked due to some hip issues.  In the past nine months, I have had two hip surgeries, one on the right and one on the left.  These surgeries were for a previously existing genetic condition that I have been dealing with for the past 4 or 5 years.  About one month after I had my RNY, my hips started getting increasingly painful.  My doctor began by giving me cortisone injections, and when the injections did not work as planned, we did some MRIs and discovered the underlying condition.  I ended up having surgery on my left hip this past March, and had surgery on my right hip about a month and a half ago in September.  After each surgery I was on crutches for 4 to 5 weeks, and had physical therapy for about 6 weeks.  However, I went to my doctor last week for my 6 week check up and he said I graduated!    Barring any unforseen issues, I never have to see him again!  Which is amazing since I feel like I've been living in his office for the past 18 months...  It'll still be about 4 more months before I am clear to run or do any heavy aerobics, and I still have some pain and a limited range of motion, but I can start using the bike and the elliptical and some weights.  So next week I am back to the gym!  

Currently, I am about 175 pounds and a size 14.  I've lost around 130 pounds from my highest weight and 10 sizes (24 to 14).  According to my weight loss ticker, I've also lost 22.4 BMI points.  I'd like to lose about 25 pounds more and/or 4 more sizes.  I'd say my goal size is a 10.  I already have some serious loose skin issues, but plastic surgery is not on the horizon currently.  First of all, I'd still like to loose a bit more before I look into PS, and second of all, I'm still paying off my hip surgeries.  And I literally just finished paying off my WLS last month!  Anyway, I can deal with the skin.

I do have some surgery related issues.  I have reactive hypoglycemia, although I have not been diagnosed by a doctor.  After a particularly carby day or meal, I get very weak and dizzy, my hands will start shaking, and I can get rather irritable.  I eat something as soon as I notice it coming on, usually peanut butter or cheese, and I'm getting better at catching it before it gets too bad.  I have also been having problems swallowing pills and some minor pain in my abdomen.  About a year after my surgery, I stopped being able to swallow pills.  Every time I did so, I would vomit about an hour later.  Strangely, up to that point, I had been able to take handfulls of pills with minimal problems.  I have been visiting a gastroenterologist and have had a bunch of tests, but so far we have no answers.  I am going to see my surgeon next week, so I'll ask him if he has any ideas.  The only reason I haven't been seeing my surgeon for this issue from the beginning is that he is so far away.  However, I think I may have to follow up with him rather than the gastroenterologist from now on.  The result of this problem is that for the past year, I haven't been able to swallow any vitiamins.  I can only take chewables.  I am taking chewable multivitamins and calcuim, as well as sublingual B-12.  However, prior to this issue I was also taking vitamins A and D and Iron.  I cannot tolerate the Iron at all now, as I have tried liquid and it also made me very nauseated.  As to the A and D, I cannot find a cheap chewable option.  I am having bloodwork done every 6 months to monitor and if need be I will get an iron infusion, but so far the hematologist says there is no need.  Strangely enough, I also have acid reflux now.  I had it before the surgery as well, but it went away for a while and then came back.  The gastroenterologist prescribed some pills which I open up and put in yogurt.  I'm not sure why this is, as I though the reflux should have gone for good after my surgery, so this is something else I will be bringing up with my surgeon when I see him next week.

Honestly, even with these problems, I would do it again.  Everything is so much easier now.  Before the surgery, everything was an effort and I was constantly worrying about my size in my day to day life.  I went to Israel in February which I would never have done before the WLS.  In fact, I had the opportunity before the WLS and did not take it.  Before my surgery I worried about fitting into a plane seat, hiking, and even just keeping up with the others in my group.  When I went in February, I didn't worry at all about fitting in the plane seat or keeping up with the others in my group.  (I did still worry about the hikes a little...  )  Day to day, my body isn't a concern for me anymore, and it's getting harder and harder for me to remember the days when it was.  Seeing old pictures is shocking to me.  Intellectually, I remember that I was over 300 pounds and what that was like, and that I had weight loss surgery, but day to day, this isn't something I think about, so photographic evidence is surprising.  In fact, most of the people I know now never knew me as that 300+ pound person.  I am used to myself like this now.  Occassionally the scale will creep up a few pounds and I will go back to calorie counting until it gets back to where I was.  Hopefully though, now that I can start the gym again, I can get that number even a bit lower.  Overall, I am so grateful for my WLS.  I know that I would not have the quality of life that I now have without it and although certain aspects of my life have been changed forever by it, I would certainly do it again in a heartbeat.

Now I'm just regular obese! 

I uploaded 12 week pictures.  Unfortunately, I don't see much difference from 6 weeks.  I've only lost 13 pounds in the last 6 weeks which is kind of a bummer.  But I'm still happy with my progress.  And I can see a big difference when I compare to the pre-op pictures so that's something. 

I bought a pair of wide calf boots 3 years ago and they have never fit (how sad that they were wide calf but my calves were still wider...) but now they fit!!!!  I kept them all this time hoping they would fit someday (they were expensive!  I ordered them on ebay.)  Usually I would just donate something that doesn't fit but for some reason I held on to them and now they fit!  I am happy.  And I think my stall may be ending too.  Today is a good day.  I'd post a picture of me wearing them but I'm in my pajamas and my hair looks horrible so maybe another time.  But yay! 

I am nine weeks out and down 42 pounds!  And 2 pant sizes!!!!  My current pants are size 22 and all really baggy so I went to look at some new ones today (I'm currently very poor so I wasn't sure if I'd buy any yet or not) but I found a pair of size 18 pants on clearance for $7.  I figured I'd try them and even if they didn't fit, I'd probably still get them because they would hopefully fit soon.  And they fit!  Ok, they are a little tight but still, I had on size 18 pants and they totally buttoned and everything!  When is the last time I was a size 18?  Freshman year of college maybe?  I stood in the dressing room for like 7 minutes just staring at myself and smiling.  I haven't really had any wow moments yet so I am super excited.  I want to go put the pants on right now and look at myself wearing them again.  It made me very happy.

In other respects I am still doing great.  I had stalled for about 2 weeks (again!) so I started tracking my food again here on OH.  I'm making sure to get around 100 grams of protein a day and have added back in a protein shake for breakfast everyday.  So far it seems to be working.  Water is surprisingly getting a little harder for me.  I can get 45 ounces easily but the last 20 or so I can't seem to fit in.  I think it's because I can't gulp it.  Pre-op I could drink way more water in a day.  So I'm working on it.  Sitting here with a giant glass of water and ice that I have to finish before I go to sleep.  My one bad point is still exercise.  I was doing so well before all my hip problems and now I just can't seem to get back into it.

Overall though I am very happy with my progress.  I think my loss is pretty good even though sometimes I get depressed when I see people who are about my same surgery date and have lost more.  But I know there are also people further out who have lost less.  I have set small goals for myself and I met the first one which was to get below 250 pounds.  The next one is to have lost over 50 pounds.  I'm almost there!  I'm excited! 

I posted pre-op and 6 weeks pictures.  I knew I had lost the weight and I knew my clothes were fitting better and that my stomach was getting smaller but I am very excited to see the pictures next to each other.  It really shows me exactly how much I've done so far.  I'm very excited and I just had to share! 

Today is my 6 week surgiversary!  Super weird that after thinking about surgery and researching and waiting all that time, here I am 6 weeks post-op.  So far I've lost 32 lbs which is certainly awesome, but I just had a vision of it coming off so much faster.  I think the fact that I weigh myself everyday makes it seem like I'm losing slower because I keep seeing the same number over and over.  Oh well.  I'll deal with it.  I like weighing everyday.  I like to know whats going on.

I'm at the point now where I'm learning to eat regular foods and figure out what works for me.  So far I've been pretty lucky; I haven't had many problems with specific foods and I've never vomited (thankfully).  I am having problems figuring out how much food is too much.  Seriously more often than not when I'm eating lately I make myself overfull.  I am measuring but still sometimes it's too much and I'm having a hard time stopping before I get sick.  Sometimes I find myself trying to finish because the food is on my plate or because yesterday I was able to eat that amount.  I'm slowly learning to stop if I'm starting to feel full.  Which is not the old full of pre-op but I can kind of tell.  Unfortunately, the way I tell is that I get kind of bloaty and start burping...  Not something I enjoy doing.  So I still have to figure out how to stop before the bloaty and burping.  Oh well.  It's a process.  I am also not the best at chewing well.  I've gotten things stuck a few times, but the first time was definitely the worst.  I'm getting better each time.  When I start a meal, I have to count to 20 in my head for the first few bites and then it's kind of a habit for the rest of the meal.  I have only had to give two foods up so far and one I should never have eaten anyway: chicken and latkes.  Chicken I tried three times and it got stuck three times so I will be avoiding it until a later date.  Now latkes I know I shouldn't have eaten but it was Chanukkah and I really wanted one so I ate one with Fage and had bad cramping pain.  The next night I did it again, same pain.  I waited a few nights and tried it again, no luck, BUT at least this time I figured it out two bites into it and had very minimal pain instead of having the whole latke and then being sick the rest of the night.  It was still hard for me to stop eating even though it was making me sick.  I made my sister eat the rest so that I wouldn't want to.

Food problems aside, I am doing great on my protein.  I'm getting about 80 - 110 grams a day and I don't even supplement with shakes every day.  I'm just eating super high protein foods and adding low fat cheese onto most of it for extra protein.  So far it's working out.  I'm also doing well on my water.  I get at least 60 oz. a day and usually closer to 80.  Vitamins also have been good.  I get all my multi-vitamins, b-12, and iron, and most of my calcium.  I'm supposed to take 5 calcium a day but I usually only get 4 and sometimes only 3.  It's hard because you have to take them at least 2 hours apart and I don't always have enough hours in my day to take them all.

Bottom line, I know I'm only 6 weeks out but so far I would do it again.  Honestly this has been very easy for me and I've already lost 32 pounds.  I am extremely grateful and look forward to my continuing success. 

Today was day two back at work.  (Yay?)  I gotta say, yesterday was much more difficult than today.  I'm on my feet eight hours a day.  (I work at Target answering phones and putting away clothes.  Not what I intended to do with my Bachelor's in Architecture but what are you going to do?)  Yesterday morning two hours into my shift I swear I was going to pass out.  I was shaky, light headed, faint, weak.  After I took a break and ate some food I was a bit better though, and I ended up making it through the day.  Today was much better.  Still some dizziness and such but nowhere near as bad as yesterday.  I was really worried about going back so this is encouraging.

My hips are also getting better thankfully.  I was doing heavy duty heat, ice, and Tylenol the few days before I went back and I'm still doing the heat at nights.  The pain is lessening but I'm still limping strangely which is annoying.  I have to consciously focus my effort on not limping which then makes walking twice as hard and means I have to stop and take breaks every minute.  Sigh.

I'm also not losing weight for the past week or so but I'm actually not too concerned with that right now.  Right now I'm just focusing on work and getting through the day.  (Still no exercising.  I don't want to do any extra straining until my hips get back to normal.)  I know the people at work can tell what I've lost even though visually I really can't.  The only way I can tell is that my work pants are a bit looser.  One good thing though is that today at work there were all of these cookies and frosting and sprinkles in the break room (for decorating them) and I honestly didn't feel like eating them.  I really had to take a minute to examine how I was feeling because I'm not always sure I believe people who say they don't miss certain foods.  But I was Ok.  I mean, I love cookies and frosting.  A lot.  But I had my little containers of tofu and turkey meatballs and I really like them too.  So I was good.  I didn't feel sad about no cookies.  We'll see how long I can maintain that feeling.  For a long time I hope.