ObesityHelp

I am scheduled for an open RNY on April 30th.
New surgery date is March 12th.

I have an Angel- Debby Hawes

My journey started in October when I went to a seminar about the
RNY. I knew I wanted it, needed it. I made an appointment for

Dec. 14, 2000. I was impressed with how the office ran and the
surgeon. I also saw a nutritionist who talked about what my diet
will be like post op. I also talked with their counselor who had
went through the surgery a few years back. It was nice to talk to
someone who had been through it. I knew after the appt. that this
was definately what I wanted. I set up my psych eval for Jan. 15th
and that went fine. Waited about 2 weeks for the results. It was a
go!! Next, we waited for all my records from the other doctors to
reach them. Once all that was in place, they had to put my records
for approval at the hospital. Since my ins. co. no longer pre-approves
the surgery, the hospital had to make sure it was medically necessary.
They did and I got my date of April 30, 2001!!! Wow!!! Now the real
waiting begins. I was told that I might get an earlier date in April
as they are expecting a couple dates to open up!! Great- the sooner the
better!!!

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3-01-01
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WOOHOOO!!! My surgery date just got moved from April 30th to March
12!!!! one and a half weeks away!!! I am soooo excited and nervous
at the same time!!!

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3-3-01
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Well, here I am with only 9 days to go and I am almost sick to my stomach
scared!!! I have had 4 c-sections and never worried this much before!!!
I can't wait to get "to the other side". I have to still get my house in
order and such. I go for the pre admit testing on the 7th. I am nervous
about that, only cuz I hate being poked and prodded!! LOL My mom is going
to watch Andy from Tuesday night till Wednesday afternoon while I go for the
tests. I pray everything goes okay and I pass!!!

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3-5-01
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Aren't we there yet? LOL I am just waiting and waiting!! This time next
week I will be on the other side, a loser!!! I can't wait. It seems like
this will be the longest week. I have fears. I hope I come out of this okay.
I have 4 boys who need me around a looooong time. I keep thinking of all the
things I can do once I loose this other person I'm carrying around. My husband
loves to hike, backpack and camp. I will be able to go with him now, as a family.
I will be able to tie my shoes and breathe! I will not have to shop with a big sign
above my head telling the world I am a "PLUS" size. I can play with my boys.
I can begin to live again.
I keep thinking about my health. How will it improve? I have diabetes, hypertension,
high cholesterol, knee joint pain. Will all this be improved? I certainly hope so.
I think about my looks, and my self esteem. Will I actually be able to walk into a room
and know that I don't have to worry about being stared at or called a name?
I know this is the right road to go down. I just can't wait for the trip to be over!!

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3-7-01
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I had my preop testing today. First I had my pulmonary function which went fine, although
I needed a breathing treatment-my first ever!! Next I had an EKG. Then the nurse took my
history. After a urine test and having blood drawn(6 tubes!!), the Doctor gave me a physical
exam, nothing invasive. He answered more of my questions. I then watched a quick 5 min. video
on how to excercise my legs and lungs after surgery to cut down the risk of blood clots and Pneu-
nomia. After I had my chest xray, I was all set to go home and wait for my DAY!!! Only 5 more days
to go!! I can't wait till I am saying "5 days post op", lol.

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3-11-01
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Well, in less then 24 hours I will begin surgery.
I am excited and scared. I am more worried, at this point, about
my 4 sons and husband. I know that they will be okay but it will be
a little rough on them too. They don't realize all I do for them.
I really don't have much to say other than "Lets get on with it!!",
LOL.
I guess my next entry will be next week or so. Wish me luck and I
will update as soon as I am feeling up to it.
Bye for now!!!

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3-31-01
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Well, here I am almost 3 weeks post op. I have lost over 23 lbs
already. It has been a rough 3 weeks. This is NOT an easy thing!!

I got to the hospital and they had me change into the gown. I had
to have a heparin shot, stuff to settle my stomach, blah blah blah.
I was taken into the pre surgery room where an IV was started.
I was taken into the surgery room and they hooked me up to the heart
monitors and such. Next thing I remember is waking to the excrutiating
pain as they were getting me into my room. My husband was there and
a nurse. All I could say was "help me". I hurt soooooo bad!!
The nurse just said "you don't see this" and pushed the morphine
into me. I fell asleep and it didnt hurt quit so bad when woke again.
I don't remember much from that evening. The next day, I was very
thirsty but couldnt have anything. The nasal tube wasnt bad.
My surgery was on Monday and by Wednesday, they had to xray my stomach
to make sure it wasnt leaking before they took the nasal tube out.
That was VERY uncomfortable getting on the table and laying on my
side and such. Once I was back in the room, the nurse took the tube
out of my nose. It was uncomfortable but not painful. It hurt when
they took the drainage tube out. My shoulder hurt from the air getting
in or something.
I got to go home on Thursday. I was in a lot of pain. I had 4 c-sections
and none of them hurt as bad as this. I had to take pills crushed and
mixed with my protien drink or crystal lite or what ever. I got the dry
heaves trying to do this. I couldnt take my pain killers till the
doctor finally prescribed a nasal inhaler.
I went the following monday(19th) to my primary care doctor to get some
lab work done. He noticed my incision was too red and raised. He sent
me to the hospital where I was admitted till Friday, almost 5 days.
They gave me IV antibiotics. I am glad to be home now.
It is hard to get all my protien drink down. I have been experiencing
a lot of gas pain in my pouch. At this point I am questioning why
I did this to myself!!!!
But, I am glad that I can also realize that it will get better with time
and I am losing weight!!!
Hopefully my next entry will be more positive.

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5-12-01
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Well its been awhile since an update. I am now 2 months post op and still
cannot eat. I have extreme indigestion with all that I eat. I have tried
so many anti gas and other things. I am calling the doctor Monday and requesting
a scope of my new pouch. I feel something must be wrong. I have lost over
50 lbs. now and feeling good for the most part.

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5-17-01
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Wish I had called this doctor weeks ago!!! I went to the internal medicine
doc who does the pre-op testing for my surgeon. Well, I went to see him on
Monday the 14th. He ordered a scope to be done on Wednesday the 16th. Thank
god!!! I had it done yesterday and I had a blockage!! I have went through weeks
and weeks of painful eating and gas only to be told by the surgeon and dietician that
it was the way I was eating or that it would pass or even that it may be in my head!!!!
Well, they did a dialation and I will have to have another done in 2 weeks but now I can
eat!!!! I ate fajitas tonight!!!
The surgeon and dietician kept saying that if I had a blockage I'd be throwing up everything
I ate or drank. I have only thrown up 3x's so they are WRONG!!!!!
As of Monday, the 14th of May, I weighed 233 1/2 lbs. Down 56 lbs in 9 weeks!!

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6-6-01
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I go for another,my third, scope today. I had my second one May 30th and the doc opened
my blockage again. I had no relief after that so I called him Monday 6-4-01 and told him
I had no relief and I now have a knot between my ribs about where my pouch is. So, he is
doing another scope to see what is going on. I am getting frustrated. I know I would be
in a much worse place had I not had this surgery done, but enough is enough already. I have
no energy from not eating. I am averaging a few(literally) bites a day of food. I forget to
take my vitamins and forget the protien drinks. I am doing everything wrong but have no choice
as I can get anything down. I have thrown up a bit this past week since the second dialation.
Hmmmmmm......will this ever end?
I have not weighed myself so I have no idea how much I've lost. I am guessing somewhere in the
high 60 lb range. Last time I had weighed myself was memorial wknd and I lost about 63lbs.

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6-20-01
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Well, I went for my 3 month check up on the 14th. I have lost 74 lbs(now weigh 215). That is
61% of my excess weight. I guess I should be excited but I have not been able to eat and am
now surviving on Ensure. The doc and dietician say I am losing too fast. I go for my 4th dialation
today. I talked to the surgeon about how long this would all go on. He said he hasnt had but one
other case like mine and has got to consult with other bariatric surgeons. I told him I can't go on
like this much longer. He agreed and said that after the doctor who does the dialations has done all he
can, then we may have to discus reversal surgery. He is not ready to give up yet though as it has only
(only-geez, seems like forever for me)been 3 months. So, I just wait and see. Since I am not showing signs
of malnutrition and am basically still healthy, we will wait. Hmmmmmmmmmmm......that sucks!!!
He also said that the knot on my stomach is suture material that has not melted away yet. It should by 9 months
post op or he can do a simple(yeah right) procedure and open me up and remove it.

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7-18-01
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I went for my 5th dialation on July 11th. I have been having better luck eating and am feeling better. Since this 5th dialation, I have been having a bit more problems after eating but mainly if I forget to chew, chew, chew. I think my wt. loss is slowing down, but thats fine, as long as it continues to go down. My 1st goal is to get below 200 lbs, which should happen any day here. I am now at a 35 BMI which takes me out of Morbidly Obese and just Very overweight. I am down to a size 20 now, woo hoo, getting closer to that size 10!!!!
I do believe that food is losing its grip on me. I am not craving food as much as I was, thank god!!!
My goal wt. is 135(I think, lol).

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7-23-01
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Just had to update on the weight thing!! I reached my first weight loss goal. As of 7-22-01, I weighed in at 195 lbs. I am
now under the 200 mark and 6 lbs away from 100 lb. loss!! Woo hoo! I am sure the next entry will be saying that I've lost that
100 lbs!!! I go for my next dialation on August 8th, this will be the 6th one. I am doing a lot better.

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8-12-01
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Well, it is now been 5 months since surgery. I went for my 6th dialation. It went well(as expected, lol). I don't have to go back for 2 months, so in October. I am getting depressed cuz I have not really lost in the last 3 weeks. I am down to 194.5.
I was really hoping to have hit my 100 lbs mark this month. I am
trying to concentrate on just eating protien for now and increasing my water intake. I seem to be eating non stop. Not a
lot at a time, but kinda grazing. I ate an entire nutty butty bar(both in the package) last night, grrrrrr. It took me an hour
but I ate it. I feel guilty. I feel like I did before surgery. I hope that I have not stopped losing weight. I may have to start working for any loss now. I will update in a month, or if I lose anymore weight.

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8-16-01
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Just a weigh in update. Still not to my -100 lb goal but inching forward to it. I weighed 192 at my moms today. That is a loss of 97 lbs!!!!

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9-3-01
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Weigh in update. I weighed myself at my moms yesterday and weighed in at......woo hoo......183.5!!!! I have lost 105.5 lbs!
I am sooooo excited.

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9-22-01
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I went to the surgeons for my 6 month check up on the 20th. I have now lost a total of 109 lbs. I have lost 89% of my excess weight. I did not see the surgeon, as he was not there and they could not get ahold of me. I was told I could go in on any thursday and the doc will see me. I have a few lumps along the surgery line that I want him to check. Last time there was just one and he said it was suture material that should dissolve by 9 months post op. I hope so!!!
I can now eat(am allowed to, I should say) anything but rice and noodles. Due to having had and still needing dialations, the dietician felt rice and noodles might be hard to pass.
I will update in about a month with a weight update.

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10-5-01
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Weigh in update. Went to my pcp yesterday the 4th and weighed in at 172 lbs!! 117 lb loss in 6 months 3 weeks!!
I am into a 16 pants, but they are starting to get big!!!
Woo hoo. I go for a dialation next week wednesday oct. 10th.
This will be my 7th, I believe. I am doing much better. I just recently, within a week, started feeling the familiar pain of stricture again. But this time its been almost 2 months since my last dialation. I can eat most anything I want, just not very much at all. I can't handle greasy fried food. I weigh less than my husband for the first time since I met him!!!! WOO HOO!

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12-18-01
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Well I havent updated in a while. Been real busy preparing for christmas. I have now lost 122.5 lbs. Woo hoo. I went to my dh's christmas party. None of the guys recognized me!! They thought my dh brought a girlfriend!! LOL I am due for a dialation next month. I feel good!!


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5-21-03
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I thought I better update my profile, its been awhile.
I am doing well. I have lost a couple more pounds. I feel wonderful. I pretty much know what I can and can't eat now. Unfortunately I love sweets now and don't dump to badly. I can enjoy meals in restaurants, although I definately don't eat my moneys worth, lol.
Life is wonderful!!
I am a size 12-14. I would love to maybe have a tummy tuck and boob lift, but not for a year or so. I just don't feel like having any surgeries for awhile.
I am happy if I don't lose anymore weight.





Post op 289 lbs. 5'4"
2 weeks - 23 lbs (266 lbs)
2 months -56 lbs (233 lbs)
2.5 months -63 lbs (226 lbs)
3 months -74 lbs (215 lbs)
4 months -85 lbs (204 lbs)
4 months, 10 days -94 lbs (195 lbs)YES, UNDER 200!!!!!!!
5 months -94.5 lbs (194.5 lbs)
5 months, 4 days -97 lbs (192 lbs)
5 months, 21 days -105.5 (183.5 lbs)
6 months, 8 days -109(180 lbs)
6 months, 22 days -117 (172 lbs)
9 months, 4 days -122.5 (166.5 lbs)
2 years, 2 months -130 (159 lbs)
4 years, 7 months -144 (145 lbs)