Buckets
In 1987 I had vertical banded gastroplasty. My highest weight was 267. I only got down to 195. Since that time my weight has fluctuated as high as 244 and as low as 184. I could not keep the weight off permanently and had really given up on ever being healthy. I am 60 years old and felt like I had already had my chance with weight loss surgery and was doomed to be morbidly obese the rest of my life and it was looking to be a painful rest of my life.
I have rheumatoid & osteo arthritis and my stomach hurt most of the time and I had terrible GERD and frequent vomiting. I had slept in a recliner for most of the last year because of the night time reflux. My rheumatologist sent me to a gastroenterologist who gave me some hope for a better future for the first time in years. She discovered that I had a severe stomal stenosis from the VBG surgery and recommended bariatric surgery to cure my stomach & GERD issues and help me lose weight!
It was not as easy as it sounds - get an RNY and live happily ever after. My insurance had an exclusion for bariatric surgery. Finally after months of trying to get denied so I could appeal! I was told to go to the HR dept. of my husband's employer (I had insurance through his employer). I called them and within three days they agreed to cover the surgery if I met the insurance company's guidelines. Two months later my surgery was approved. my surgeon is out of the country and so my surgery will be 3 months from the approval.
I am anxiously awaiting that day. I am so blessed to have this second chance.
4/4/14
Made it through the first few days of my liquid pre-op diet!
I am getting very excited. I have my final pre op testing and meet with my surgeon and anesthesiologist a week from today. Surgery on April 16.
4-23-14
I got through my 2 week liquid diet fine (except for headaches). I managed to lose over 40 pounds pre-op from November through April 16. My laporascopic VBG to RNY revision surgery took 7 hours but everything went well. There was lots of scar tissue to remove. My surgeon thanked me for losing so much weight pre op. He said it made the surgery much easier.
i spent two nights in the hospital and then made the difficult 4 hour trip home.
I am still on pain meds and have only had some very minor complications - a little nausea and some fever. I am walking regularly. I am down 9 pounds since surgery (on day 8 post surgery). Feeling optimistic!
9/26/14
Today I weighed 150 pounds and reached my surgeon's goal weight. I would like to lose 10 more pounds. I am 5 months out and have lost 92 pounds in the last 10 months (42 pounds lost since surgery. My BMI is 26.
I walk 2 miles nearly every day, do 5K race/walks regularly (mostly walk - not lots of running). I am wearing size 10 pants (started in size 22).
I love life. I feel great. My arthritis is MUCH improved.