I_m_a_QT
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February 2004

I am 5'6 and weigh about 265 lbs. I was on the Depo Provera injection and gained about 60 lbs in the short time I was on it. Aside from the weight gain I've had other problems that I believe can be attributed to the Depo. I've been considering gastric bypass surgery for about 2 years. Last month I was diagnosed with Diabetes and that's when I made the final decision to have the surgery. I asked my PCP for a referral for the surgery.

My initial appointment wasn't at all what I expected. Instead of a one on one with a physician, it was a group of people, all considering WLS. We talked, got some information and had our names added to a waiting list. I think I was #153. I was told that it would be over a year before I made it to the top of the list. I have to meet certain requirements during that time. I have to attend the support meeting every month and meet with a dietician.

April 2004 My husband is in the Army and he came down on orders for Germany. We're supposed to be there in June but that's not enough notice so he got a one month extension. Hopefully, I'll be able to have my surgery done there.

275 lbs (my heaviest)

August 2004

I got a referral from my PCP and met with the surgeon. He's all for doing the surgery. I spoke with Tricare and was told that I had to have a 6 month documented history of exercise and nutrition counseling.

December 2004

I met with the dietician back in August and started an exercise program this month. I go to the gym 3 times a week. I used to use only the treadmill but lately I've started using the ellyptical. I really like it because there's no impact and it's not as hard as I thought it would be.

February 2005 250 lbs

I've continued going to the gym and meeting with the dietician. I work out 4-5 times a week now and I've changed my eating habits. It has really helped because I've lost 25 lbs.

August 2005

I've slacked off on going to the gym. I had surgery in June because of abdominal pain. The doctor thought I had a hernia but found out I have endometriosis.

(Brief lesson: Endometriosis is a condition in which the tissue that lines the inside of the uterus grows outside the uterus and attaches to other organs in the abdominal cavity such as the ovaries and fallopian tubes.)

This was a surprise to both me and the doctor because I had a hysterectomy over a year ago. He said it was a problem that started before the hysterectomy but was never discovered. I ended up having to go back into the hospital in July because my incision got infected. I had cellulitis, an infection of the skin and underlying tissues. Anyway, I couldn't go to the gym for a while after the surgery and just didn't get back into it.

You scored as Summer. You are SUMMER. Life is to be -lived-.. dance, sing, and make merry. Adversity is simply something to overcome. You embrace life with both arms, not only because you love it, but to squeeze out of it all that you can.

Summer

65%

Fall

55%

Spring

45%

Winter

45%

What Season Are You?
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October 2005

I turned in all of my paperwork to Tricare and found out the following week that my surgery was approved!! I met with my bariatric surgeon, the same one who'd diagnosed the endometriosis, and my surgery is scheduled for December 6th. I'll get admitted on the 5th. We live in Germany and they always admit you the day before the actual surgery.

November 23, 2005

I'm really upset! I received a call from Tricare and was told that although my surgery had been approved, the surgeon wasn't. He hadn't done enough gastric bypass surgeries to meet their requirements so I was referred to another surgeon who was a 2 hour drive away. It really pissed me off because I was scheduled to have surgery in less than 2 weeks!!

December 5, 2005

This is the day I was supposed to be admitted to have my surgery tomorrow but instead I met with Dr Weiner, my new surgeon. He asked when I wanted to have the surgery and I explained how I wanted to have it done before Christmas. Long story short, my new date is December 19th. I'll have my EGD, EKG and labs done on the 16th and get admitted on the 18th.

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My handsome husband

December 2005 - post op

Well everything went well. I was admitted on December 18th and had my surgery the next day. I had to drink 3 liters of a thick, salty laxative. I only got about 2 liters down and I couldn't drink anymore. That stuff was sooooo horrible!! I was the first surgery the next morning. The entire experience was uneventful, thank GOD. I started crying when they woke me up immediately after surgery because I was in a lot of pain from the 6 incisions on my abdomen. I went right back to sleep, or should I say I passed out, within a minute. The anesthesia was still working.

I spent 1 day in recovery, sleeping mostly, and was brought back to my room Tuesday morning. I was allowed to drink only tea for the first day. When I was allowed to have broth, you'd have thought I was eating a steak. It was delicious. I had 3 meals a day and with each meal, the food got a little thicker. I kept thinking that maybe the doctor forgot to staple my stomach while he was in there because I was able to eat everything on my tray. I never felt full. I spoke with another post-op on my ward and she was unable to finish even half of her food.

Overall, it wasn't a bad experience and I'd do it all again. Except for drinking that laxative. YUCK!

180 lbs

January 31 2006 231 lbs

On the day of my surgery, I weighed 260 lbs. I lost 10 lbs the first week. I've lost 29 lbs since my surgery 6 weeks ago. I go to the gym sometimes but not as much as I should. I've been able to tolerate everything. I drink soups and eat thin deli slices of turkey and cheese.

I had 2 bouts with dumping. One was when I drank some coffee. They gave me coffee in the hospital but I didn't realize it was decaffeinated. I had regular coffee at home and I started feeling dizzy and drunk. That feeling lasted about 30 minutes. The 2nd time was when I was drinking some soup. I've never felt full since the surgery so I have to be careful with my portions. While sipping the soup, I suddenly felt full. I put the mug down once I felt full, but it was too late. I felt really bad for about 40 minutes.

April 15 2006 199 lbs

It's been 4 months since my surgery and I've lost 61 lbs. I have been able to tolerate everything really well. I can pretty much eat whatever I want. I rarely ever feel full so I still have to watch how much I eat. I don't eat bread too often and when I do, it's about 2 small bites. The biggest thing for me is trying to get enough water everyday. Before surgery, if I had a glass of water a month, that was a lot for me. Now, water is pretty much all I drink. I carry around a 1 liter bottle and sip on that all day but as hard as I try, I rarely ever finish it. I found that I drink more if I have Crystal Light but I don't want to use that as a replacement for water.

I started going to the gym in February and lost 12 lbs. In March I went to the gym twice a day and lost 14 lbs. I've decided that working out 3 times a week is sufficient. I do 40 minutes on the ellyptical and then work out on the weights.

I was in a size 20-22 before surgery. Four weeks ago I bought a few outfits because everything in my closet is way too big. I bought size 14 pants and large shirts. The 14 pants are too big now. Good thing I got them at 75% off. I refuse to pay full price for anything right now because I know I won't be in that size for too long.

I can fit a size 12 and my clothes no longer have an "X" in the size and it feels great. I can also sit with my legs crossed. My goal weight is 170 lbs. I should be there in about 2-3 months.

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180 lbs 6 months and -80 lbs

June 22 2006 180 lbs

I've been in the states for a few weeks and the compliments have been flying. Only my Mom, best friend and sister-in-law knew that I'd had the surgery so no one expected me to be so much smaller. I did eventually tell my family that I'd had gastric bypass. I saw a couple of people who knew me in highschool and they say I'm smaller than I was back then. I remember being in a size 12/14 in highschool and now I can fit a 12 but a 14 is too big so I guess they're right.

July 18 2006 174 lbs 7 months post-op

I returned to Germany 3 weeks ago and the first time I went to the gym, it was hard. I usually do about 30-40 minutes on the ellyptical and then I use the weights. I was doing 300 lbs on the leg press but after 4 weeks off, I was struggling with 260 lbs. That time off made a huge difference. I was really sore for about 4 days after that work out.

I want to get a couple of things done in the way of cosmetic surgery. I'd love to have my breasts done and have the excess skin removed for my legs, arms and abdominal area. My abdomen really isn't that bad but that's the only area Tricare will pay for. I'd have to pay for everything else. It's only been 7 months since my surgery so I have to give it some time to see if the skin on my thighs and arms will go away without surgery. Going to the gym might be all that I need.

My highest weight was 275 lbs. Although I've lost 86 lbs since my surgery, I've lost a grand total of 101 lbs.

As for my eating habits, I can tolerate EVERYTHING. I made the mistake of trying junk food and found out it didn't cause dumping. The only thing I can't tolerate is sandwiches and hamburgers. The bread and meat trying to go down together is a battle. Three weeks ago I was in a size 12 and now I can fit a size 10 pants and medium tops. I have 4 lbs to go for my 170 lb goal.

I had an appointment with Prof Weiner on the day that I returned to Germany. He did my sonogram and commented on how tiny my waistline is. He asked what my goal was. At the time I was 180 lbs and I told him another 10 lbs. He said that once I reach my goal then I'll have to adjust my eating.

I'm really happy with the way I look. I want to get down to 170 lbs because I've heard about people gaining a little weight back sometimes. If I were to gain a little back, I'd still be happy as long as I get no where near 200lbs again. I go to the gym so I don't think that'll happen. It's great going shopping and being able to get the clothes you like because they sell it in your size.

Sept 20 2006 165 lbs 9 months post-op

Well I reached my 170 lb goal last month and I'm now 5 lbs below my goal. Before my surgery I was about 46% body fat and now I'm 29%. I've lost a total of about 64.5 inches from head to toe. Everything is great.

My B12 was really low a month after my injection so instead of getting it every 3 months I now get it every month. My husband said he'd like me to gain about 10 lbs. lol I was about 185 lbs when we got married over 14 years ago. I'm really happy with my size and weight. I don't want to lose anymore but I don't want to gain anything either.

I haven't been to the gym since last month. I used to go twice a day but then I was trying to lose weight. I'll start back up next week because now I need to tone up and maintain.

25 Mar 2009 169 lbs 3 years, 3 months post-op

I know, it's been a long time. Well, since my last update, we've moved back to the states. We lived in a hotel for 5 weeks and I gained 12 pounds. Over the next 7 months, I gained another 5 lbs. I went from 168 lbs to 185. I bought an ellyptical so I could work out at home.

I had my tummy tuck in April '08. I didn't have the tuck because of excess skin. I had a small apron, but I had a lot of abdominal pain because there was a mass of endometreosis in the lower left quadrant. They had to remove the mass and because it was located in the apron, they removed the apron, so I got a tummy tuck and I didn't have to pay for it! :-)

As for my eating habits, well, I can eat everythang. "E-very-thang?" E-VERY-THANG! (for those Katt Williams' fans)

I had my surgery over three years ago. My goal weight was 170 lbs and I went down to 165. I feel better at 167-170. With the exception of the weight I gained when we lived in a hotel (and have since lost) , I've done pretty good at maintaining my weight and figure. I weigh myself weekly. I don't work out too often. I'm in college now and between school and family, I don't have much time for it.

I have made a few small changes in my diet. I buy some lite food items like mayonnaise and syrup. I use I Can't Believe It's Not Butter. I haven't completely eliminated butter, but I have cut down on it a lot. I use Equal more than sugar. I limit my intake of fried foods. Don't get me wrong; I'm not a health nut. I still eat junk food and I drink water less than once a month. I know I'm not doing everything that I'm supposed to do, but I'm doing what works for me.