vitalady
Distal gastric bypass 10/5/94
5'1", start wt 262, holding steady 112-115, lost 150
Husband Don, also, 10/24/95
6'1", start wt 285, holding steady 175, lost 110
Both done by Dr S Ross Fox, Tacoma, WA
Nov 1999-update. Don's still holding steady, lost a few lbs due to massive oral surgery. What do you know? Even WE can lose when we can't get any food at all!
For me, my staple line is disrupted. How did I know? I had a "scope" (EGD, endoscopy-nothing to fear). Why did I think I needed a scope? Pain. As the food has leaked into the lower stomach, it stimulated acid, which burns. It bubbled back up through the disruption, burning the pouch and feeding a new marginal ulcer, which means nausea. I have not gained weight as yet.
I WILL revise my surgery. I am choosing the same procedure AND the same doctor. I had the best I could get for 1994, and now I want the best I can get for 1999. The difference is that my lower stomach will now be removed (RE-sected). Not only WOULD I do it again, I AM doing it again. Am waiting for my insurance. In 1999, I have Anthem. I am still in waiting mode at this writing.
My revision was done successfully and easily 1/20/00 by Dr Fox. I am delighted with my progress so far (6 wks). I had regained a total of 12#. Usually regain is much greater. I attriubte my small gain to staying faithful to my protein supps and the "no milk, no sugar, no grazing, no drinking with meals" rules that have worked for years. I immediately dropped those 12# and am currently holding steady at 110 lbs. I had no complications, except for regular post-op fatigue. My brain was rarin' to go long before my body could catch up. Not that i paricularly enjoy the surgeries, but would not hesitate to do the same surgery with the same doc yet AGAIN if I had to. The results have been well worth it. Normal lungs, normal labs, normal looks, living long enough to enjoy my grandson--what more could anyone ask?
Update Jan 2001. We are still holding steady at our wts listed above. It has been 1 yr since my revision. Yep, I'd do it again if I had to. The only difference is that we were recently diagnosed with osteoporosis. This was a big surprise to us, as we had been enthusiastic milk drinkers before surgery and have steadiliy maintained our calcium intake with vit D. HOWEVER, we were using calcium carbonate, which is not only "not well absorbed", apparently it isn't absorbed AT ALL, by people without the function of the lower stomach! So, we have sadly learned that ONLY calcium citrate is even remotely possible as being helpful. We won't find out until 8/01 if our late efforts will have any effect on our bone mass. That said, I would not go backwards to where I was. I am still delighted with my surgery and my surgeon.
Update March 2003: weight still holding around 110-115. Don gained a little when he had an affair with sugar at work. He no longer works there, and the weight has come off as he's minimized his exposure to sugar. Don's bones are getting better. Mine are holding steady, however, I get little to no weight bearing exercise, and I think that plays a large part in the lack of forward progress. However, I am delighted in the NON-backward progress!
Update July 2008: Weights are still holding, as long as we stay away from sugar!
On the bones: Don has progressed back to normal, except for a few areas of osteopenia (thinning), only.
I'm still in osteoporosis, but have had a 5% improvement in the last 5 yrs. At the end of this year, I will have completed the 5 yrs course of Actonel. That's all there is. There isn't anything else they can do for me.
Don and I keep our vitamin D and calcium and PTH levels at "perfect". That's MY version of perfect, which is much picker than the medical professionals insist upon. We take ever increasing amounts of calcium citrate, dry form vitamin D3 and now adding vitamin K2 (mk7 form) and strontium.
We don't get dexascans now again until December, per our insurance.
Our other labs are all within my standard of optimal, not just "ok". That's quite an accomplishment for us with our radically distal RNY's.
Weight History
Before Surgery 262
6 months after surgery 174
12 months after surgery 129
18 months after surgery 112
24 months after surgery 112
fast forward...... weight has remained steady at around 112. I've had 3 regain & 3 "too much loss".
Regain #1: 5 yrs post-op, candy, 6#. took 2 weeks of sugar life to lose it again
Regain #2: 8 yrs post-op, fruit! 8#. took 8 weeks back to sugar free to lose itagain
Regain #3: 11 yrs post-op, fudge 13# this time, took 2 YEARS to get it off after going sugar free!
Too much loss #1, 1995: initial wt loss doesn't stop on a dime, but bounced for 6 months and settled at 112
#2, 2003, following foot surgery that caused an inner ear problem, which caused unrelenting nausea, dizzyness. It was fixed by a balance specialist and I went right back to 112, without changing my eating
#3, 2008, bad, bad things happened in my personal life and made me lose my appetite for much beyond a few bites
Important to note that regardless of where I was too up or too down or JUST right, I maintain 180g (or more!) protein in supplements, all my vites, no matter what. Only my water intake is not as perfect as I think it should be.
(edited 7/4/2009)
Weight Loss Survey Responses
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Surgeon Info:
Surgeon: S. Ross Fox M.D.
First impression: too smooth; salesman All other impressions: he cares/feels deeply for Our Kind Still think he has the best post-op nutrition plan and care available He spends a minimum of 4 hours addressing the hows & whys of obesity cause, treatment and consequences, as well as the risks associated with surgery itself, immediate post-op and long term. He is an Obesity Surgeon, not a surgeon who does a few obesity surgeries. He has spent a lot of time doing nutritional research, what works & what doesn't. His nutritional program seems excessive to others, but nothing that keeps me healthy is excessive to ME. He offers 5 choices of surgery, including the weight loss stats and risks associated with each. Tends to be a bit more optomistic than realistic, on occasion. Should I have to be revised, I would choose him again. He offers the procedure that I can live with and the aftercare that keeps me here. He does a comprehensive program to keep me healthy and thin.
Update: he is now semi-retired, only seeing people for non-surgical weight loss, band fills and follow up.
Dr. Ki H. Oh, Federal Way, WA assisted on both of our surgeries. He also did 2 non-WLS surgeries for Don. We have done most of our follow up care with him, because his office hours and location worked better for us.
But we do love them BOTH!
Insurer Info:
Principal Mutual, private
Covered our bypasses & TT great. Tried to leave WA state, but ins comm stopped 'em. Class Action Suit, so they're covering us on an odd policy that covers ONLY obesity related things. Currently, they are not covering our routine labs as being medically necessary. Not available in WA state now.
As of 2009, we have a very good local insurance, but it specifically excludes anything to do with ANY kind of weight loss at all. So far, we really have not had to worry about that.
About Me
Before & After
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