Mary D.

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I have not been on here in almost a year.  It has been a busy one with 2 kids graduating high school, a new grandbaby born and some health problems on my part.  STOP!!! They are not related to the WLS.  I have been having problems with my hip where on some days I can't even walk.  Typical me the procrastinator, Kept putting it of for fear of hearing that I would need surgery.  When I finally went in to get my referral to Orthopedics, that is exactly what the Dr. told me.  Praise God that the Orthopedic Dr. had better news, I just had to get a steroid injection into my hip.  That was done on Oct. 20th.  Now I am hoping I can gradually increase my exercise and restart my weight loss...no exercise meant no weight loss so I am still about where I was last December.  At least nutritionally I have been able to keep my protein levels at an acceptable range, that is a challenge when you have to get 85 grams a day....I know I am blessed because there are some people who have to get 120 or more each day.  I don't see how they do it.  I come to a point where I get sick of all the sweet flavored protien supplements and I just crave MEAT.  So hubby will take me for a steak once or twice a month.  I would still do this all over again.  I feel much better than I have in years and I am much happier than I have been in years.  I've lost over 100 pounds and I still have more to go, and I hope I can get a good portion of it off.  I hope I can be an encouragement to anyone out there looking into WLS or anyone who has recently gotten WLS.  I'll try to post more often, but forgive me if I don't, sometimes it's hard to pause LIFE long enough to document things on here.

Met with the nutritionist today.  Everything looks good, protien is a bit low and needs to be increased, but she didn't seem too concerned.  She gave me my goal of between 175 to 185, so I set it on here for 180.  If I lose more than that it is all bonus.  I'm feeling great and have absolutely no regrets.  Ready to start a new year!

Had my 3 month post op nutrition visit today.  Not too bad, my albumin was at 17 and they want it at 20, so I have to add a protien shake a day.  I have lost 60 pounds since my surgery in June!  I am so excited.  I have to start taking some extra vitamins and do some strength training but I can handle that.  My A1-C has gone down from 7.2 to 6.2.  My HDL is a bit low, but nothing is too bad. 

I am so thankful to Womack Bariatric and Dr. St. Jean for giving me this opportunity.  I feel so much better than I have in years.  I don't ache as much, reflux is gone, diabetes is gone, it keeps getting better every day!

I had my 6 week post op today.  Doc said I am right where I should be.  Wounds healed well, not losing food as often as I was before, learning when I need to stop eating.  I have much more energy than I have ever had.  I feel better each day and I am getting excited about what the future holds.

I had my post op nutrition class today.  In 2 days I will be a month out and I have lost 28 pounds.  I am learning what I can and cannot tolerate.  I am trying to find a protien drink I can tolerate.  The best I have found so far is Unjury.  I did get some nectars in today, but have not tried them yet.  4 more pounds and I will be below 300 pounds for the first time in 20 years!

I had my first post op visit today.  I have lost 20.5 pounds in two weeks.  I feel so much better.  My blood sugars have been in the 120's to 130's since surgery and my blood pressure was good today.  My surgical sites itch like crazy and the doc said it looked like I was having an allergic reaction to the sutures or the surgical glue, so I have to coat them with neosporin twice a day.  I go back in a month.  I am so pleased with everything so far. 

I finally had my gastric sleeve on June 16th, 2009.  I'm a week out and can already feel the difference with what little weight I have lost.  I feel like I am doing pretty well so far.  I go in for my post op follow up on the 29th of june and will see how much I have lost by then.  This time has been years in coming and I am so excited for what the future will bring!  This time next year I hope I can go parasailing, something I have always wanted to try but being too large to even consider it.  I'm tolerating most things well, still on the full liquid part of my diet.  I hate the gritty protien drinks, but for the amount of protien I can get from one drink, it is much better than the protien shots, those make me gag.  I've had some mild nausea and a bit of problems with pills getting stuck, but that is nothing compared to what I will gain from this surgery.

I had my hysterectomy  on Feb. 10th, 2009.  I didn't realize how bad I felt until I started feeling better!  I was in surgery 8.5 hours, supposed to have been 3 hours.  They thought my fibroid was 4 to 6 cm.  It turned out to be 12 cm and was quite difficult to remove.  Thank God my pathology came back clear.  I had my sleep study on April 24, 2009, and had to be put on cpap during the study.  Results are still days away but I am expecting to be put on cpap at home.  I have to get my iron up and I have to see the dietician one more time and hopefully soon I will be getting my surgery.

I have been a member of OH since 2002.  I have been denied wls twice.  I was referred to WAMC in Fayetteville nc.  in August or Sept. of 2008.  I have been attending their bariatric clinic since Oct. of 2008 and going through their pre op program.  At the same time I have been going to UNC Chapel Hill to be followed for uterine fibroids.  On 12/30 I met with the clinical psychologist at WAMC.  I have to get a mammogram, get results from a stress test done in August of 2008, finish a few last details for my wls.  I won't be able to have my wls until I get my hysterectomy at UNC and I finally heard from one of the docs there later in the day on the 30th.  So hoping for only 2 more visits at UNC before my hysterectomy and then to see how long WAMC docs want to wait to do the wls.  I am so hoping that everything works out this time.  I have UC (ulcerative colitis) and that has kept me from getting the surgery both times before as there just wasn't enough research or information on doing wls on colitis patients.  I did briefly get to speak to one of the surgeons at wamc regarding this issue and was told that they would have to review the severity of my colitis before a decision could be made.  I am not too concerned because my gastoenterologist said it wasn't very bad at all.  I always swore that after I had my hopes dashed the past 2 times that I wouldn't put myself in a position to be crushed again.  I am really hoping that it doesn't happen again.  I am sick of who I have become and want to start a NEW life.