beth75

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I haven't communicated since 2007.  There have been positive events in my life and negative events in my life.  My weight is normal and has been for several years and my sleep apnea and diabetes are cured.  I no longer suffer complications of obesity.  A short review of my history.  I first had an RNY which did not work for me.  I only lost about 25 lbs.  I then had a revision with a Duedenal Switch which has been very successful.  I no longer wear size 24, but am in size 8-10.  A year after the revision I had the need for a tummy tuck and had developed a hernia, so I had hernia repair and a tummy tuck and bladder suspension.  The surgery went well and I now have a flat stomach and bladder control.  I did have a GI work-up for chronic diarrhea with no real satisfactory control.  I now have some issues that I pretty much can attribute to my diet.  Dairy products totally destroy my GI system, also too much carbohydrates will cause an increase in gas and loose stools.  So it's kind of up to me to control my symptoms.  I have lost a total of 130# and I had hoped the change in weight would help my depression issues, but unfortunately, I'm suffering from fairly severe depression, and over the past 2 years I have been hospitalized several times and now in addition to medication I'm requiring frequent electroconvulsive therapy.  I had these problems when I was obese, and obviously that wasn't the cause, but I'm still very happy with the changes I have made in my life and would do it all again and would give support and encouragement to anyone that is researching or has made the decision.  I am a huge fan of weight loss surgery for certain people.  I'm exercising on a regular basis and it is very important to keep up with vitamin supplements as well as Calcium and adequate amounts of protein.  My general practitioner is very good about keeping up with my health.  I'm very lucky to have her.  Dr. Husted did my revision and I feel I had the best.  I would love to contact him and let him know how successful the surgery has been and how well I'm doing physically.  I'm not sure how to get in touch with him.  Maybe I will figure it out now that I'm back with ObesityHelp.
Beth

I've been having a lot of difficuluty wiith my bowels.  I finallu talked to Dr. Husted about it and he said it was not a normal side affect of t'he 'DS and recommemded a GI in Nashville.  I decided to go to my frend who is a GI and very good.,   H e did an exam and recommemded a colonoscopy, which I;;m having tomorrow.  I suspect it will be normal.  'flagyl is probably in my future,  but I would like to rule out anything else beforegoing that root.  I'll keep you informed.

Well, I'm still 155# give or take about 2#.  I fluctuate, but basically I'm at goal. I'm still wanting to lose some more weight.  I'd at least like to get down to 148# but no loss in the past month.
Bowels are still a problem and I go to the GI in 4 days.  I've only done soso as far as not eating carbs, and I'm taking the probiotics, but I'm going to keep the appointment anyway and see what he says.  He is a friend and it will be kind of embarrassing talking to him about this, but at least I know as a health professional that he will be talking to me as a professional and won't really think anything about it.  I don't  think about it when I do a pelvic exam on people I know.  Anyway, I hope there is a way to stop the diarrhea and especially the incontinence.
I was hoping to get my after pictures of my plastics when I saw the surgeon on Monday, but with the wound still open, they don't want to do it until it is totally healed.  I understand.  I just really want to see the befores again.  I accidently erased them from my camera and I forget how I used to look now.  I'd really like to see them again.  I need the encouragement.

I'm at my personal goal of 155# but now that I am here, I don't think I want to stop here.  I may have to move my personal goal down a few notches.  I think I'd rather be in the 140's.  I still feel too big.  My hernia repair is still sore and I have an area on my tt incision that is not healed, but I'm coming along well.  I have a flat tummy, but I still want to be thinner.  I hope I'm not setting myself up for disappointment.  Only time will tell.

I'm having some major GI problems and wil have to give up carbs for awhile and start on probiotics.  I also have an appointment in December with a GI doctor.  Hopefully, I can get this diarrhea under control.  I have to look for a bathroom every where I go.  It is ridiculous.  I hope I can stick to the elimination diet Dr. Husted recommended.  He said the probiotics may make things worse before they get better.  I'm afraid to take them when I have to go to work or out of the house.   I'll probably try them over Thanksgiving vacation when I don't have to work.

I'm 15 months out, I only have 3 months of losing left.  I hope I can make my new goal.  Time wil tell.

It's been a long road.  I'm getting there though.  I haven't been up to writing about this experience since my surgery on September 19, 2007.  I don't know how I would have done if I had a full tummy tuck, because the panniculectomy and hernia repair have been enough.  It was supposed to be outpatient, but I guess I'm a wimp, because I was in too much pain to go home the next a.m.  Fortunately, the dr. put me on a pain pump the first night because I was hurting, especially with having muscle spasms.  Then I couldn't pee, so they had to put in a catheter, but I went home in 2 days.  I lost a lot of blood and my hgb dropped to 8, so I felt really tired and inspite of all this, I returned to work in 12 days with 2 drains still in place and feeling like sh**.  I think things would have gone a lot smoother if I had taken the 3 weeks off that was recommended.  The drains stayed in longer than normal also, with one being pulled after 3 weeks and the other being pulled after 5 weeks and now I've developed a seroma, that was drained yesterday.  My depression reared it's ugly head during all this and my meds had to be adjusted plus I'm now on another med.  I've had an Fe infusion for the low blood and iron,  which has given me a real boost in stamina, so I'm feeling much better now.  My mood has improved and I've reached goal weight.  I'll be six weeks out tomorrow.  How about the results of surgery?  They are great.  It is so cool not having that hernia and all that extra skin.  The incision is healing well.  Would I do this again?  Absolutely.  It has been a rough road, but most people will tell you, platics is not for the weak, but well worth the effort.  My surgeon and his assistant have been great, and my pcp has been wonderful following the anemia and supporting me all the way.  I'm fortunate to be around good medical care.  My family has been very supportive also.  So, that is my story so far on my experience with plastics and the hernia repair which was done by a general surgeon ( the pain has been mostly from the hernia).  I still have some healing to do, and the seroma to deal with, but now I feel I'm going to survive this.

Surgery to repair the hernia and to do a Fluer de les panniculectomy is in five days, the 19th of September.  I'm soooo nervous this time for some reason.  I'm not worried about the outcome, I know everything will go well, I do hope I heal ok, that is always a concern with this type of plastics, but I plan on going back to monitoring my protein and making sure I get plenty, at least 90 to 100 gm/day.  I'm just nervous about the post-op pain.  I hate the waking up confused and hurting and he told me he doesn't use PCA pumps.  That means you have to depend on the nurses to bring you pain medicine which can take forever.  Also, I've had chronic back pain for years and take Lortab 5 for it on occassion, but after you take a pain medicine long enough your body builds a resistance to it, so I'm worried that it won't control my pain.  Maybe I'm worrying for nothing.  It's not like I'm going to change my mind.  I'm having this done!  The doctor promised to control my pain, so hopefully if I need stronger pain meds he will give them to me.  I need to relax.  I'll survive, better people than I have survived this and I have survived much bigger surgeries.  I'll do fine,  fortunately my husband is going to stay home with me for a few days, so I won't be alone this time.  I'll update as soon as I can.

My incisional hernia is growing by the day.  I bought pants yesterday, tried them on and they fit great.  Today, I tried them on and I couldn't button them.  That is how fast this thing is getting larger.  One month ago, when I saw the general surgeon about it, it was so small, it could only be felt standing up and when I was bearing down, now it sticks out while I'm lying down.  Fortunately, I have a follw-up appt. with my plastic surgeon on Friday so I'm going to talk to him about doing the surgery sooner.  I don't think I'm going to be able to wait until December.  The decision is... "is it too early to have the tt?"  I don't think so.  He told me earlier that it wouldn't make any difference if I lost 10 or 15#'s after surgery and I don't think I will lose anymore than that.  I'm going to get my DH to come to the appt. with me and help me decide how to proceed.  I really don't want to have two surgeries if I can help it, mainly because of time off from work.  I just started working again and fortuanately, my boss is super and getting a week or two off for surgery is not going to be a problem, but that makes me want to take as little time off as possible, because they are soo good to me, plus I'm the only nurse practitioner in the clinic, so when I'm not there, there is no-one there to see the  patients.
Anyway... I'm looking about five months pregnant these days with this hernia sticking out and it is very upsetting to me to have this thing sticking out and now it is starting to hurt.  I'll update after I see the surgeon and know what I'm going to do.
Bye for now...
Beth

I can't believe it is already July 1 and I'm on my way to the beach in the Outer Banks of NC.  The past 5 months since I last posted have been a whirl wind and I'm feeling and looking better than ever.  My energy level is wonderful.  I'm back working as a Nurse Practitioner after a five year hiatus and it feels so good to be working again and my job is wonderful.  The people I work with are great and the clients are great also.  After years of obesity and depression, I love life and enjoy every day.  I think it takes going through bad times to really appreciate the good times.  At least for me.  I've lost 80#'s since the revision and 108#'s total,  and I'm still losing.  It hasn't been a smooth journey.  I've had issues with diarrhea and hemorroids ( and butt pain), my weight loss has been in hills and valleys instead of  a smooth steady loss so there has been periods of frustration and feelings of this is not going to work like the RNY, but it does work, just everyone's body is different and you have to learn your own style and most of all not compare yourself to others.  What I have found is though I lost slower at first... A) I didn't have as much to lose as many, and B) 6 months out I was about the same place because others slowed down.  I didn't lose 100#s in six months but I didn't have 150 or more to lose.  I started the revision at 248 and I hope to get into the 150's, but if I stay in the 160's that will be ok.  I'm about to turn 50, I'm not expecting to look like a model, and I'm eating a diet I can live with.  I'm not starving or sacrificing a lot of foods I love.  I do have to be really careful of the white flour, that is the cause of my diarrhea, I've figured out, and I can control it with how I eat.  I'm wearing 12's and 14's and after my hernia repair and paniculectomy I'll be a size 12 and probably in the 150's.  I'm planning on surgery in December. I figure by then my weight loss should be stable.  I'm lucky, insurance is covering the surgery.  Now if I could figure out a way to pay for my boobs and arms to be restored I'd really be happy.  Maybe next year.  I'm going to go to the beach for the first time since surgery and maybe I won't feel like a beached whale this time.  I'm looking forward to it and I will post some pictures.  Life is good.  Until next time....
Beth

Feb. 5. 2007
yes, I'm a Colts fan and a DS fan.  January was full of wow moments. Where to begin.  I finished my masters degree. What a great feeling of accomplishment for someone dealing with clinical depression and complications of obesity including two obesity surgeries.  I can now where size 16 clothes comfortably and could probably where 14 if it weren't for the large panni.  I flew on an airplane and didn't have to ask for an extension for the seat belt, the table top could be lowered and not be blocked by my big stomach and I fit in the seat.  These were all really amazing to me and make me feel so normal and really lifted my spirits.  I'm no longer obese, just overweight.  I'm beginning to feel so normal again.  I've started to slowly go back into the working world after having to stop for the past five years due to the severity of my depression,  I teach childbirth classes one day a week and perform OB ultrasounds one day a week at a local OB office.  Getting back into the working world is a big boost to my self-esteem. When I take a bath, the water covers my stomach.  It is great to be able to take a bath and get all the way under the water.  There is so much more than a number on a scale.  Next week I'm going to spend the weekend with my close girl friends from Aflanta.  They've not seen me since surgery.  I bought a new bathing suit to go in the hot tub, I'm looking forward to showing the new me, not just physically, but how healthy I've become. They've been through so much with me over the last few years, I think they will enjoy my health as much as I am.  I'll update after my trip.
Beth 

January 3, 2007
What a great start to the New Year.  A totally guilt free holiday season.  The first one in years, and after fighting depression for years,  this unbelievable happiness is a great feeling.  Thankyou DS!!  The scale still moves slowly, but I've stopped being a slave to the numbers as I realize that they will move and I've found that the clothes move faster than the pounds.  Today I tried on a pair of size 16 jeans that were in my closet.  Last time I tried them on, I couldn't even pull them up over my hips and now I can close them.  They fit my hips, butt and legs fine, but are a lttle tight on the abdomen which is where I have a problem due to a panni from the weight and pregnancies.  I had the panni since I had the babies and it will get worse as I lose the weight.  Hopefully, I will be able to afford plastics in the future.  I will want a total body lift if I can figure a way to afford it.  If not, at least a lower body lift, but I really want my breasts lifted also.  Why is that the first place you lose weight ?  OK, I'm not complaining.  I'm so looking forward to the new year.  I will finish my masters degree in less than a week, and hopefully meet my goal weight.  My second daughter will graduate from high school and start college and my husband and I will celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary.  A lot of biggies this year.  Happy New Year!!!