indykitty
I started dieting when I was 14 years old - so I have a 30 year history of weight loss and regain. I have tried just about every fad diet you can think of and I've taken quite a few 'supplements', including prescription appetite supressants. The most weight I ever lost at one time was losing 76 pounds in about 5 and a half months when I was 23. After that, I regained about 100 pounds. I haven't been under 200 pounds since that time, at age 23. I creeped up over 300 right around age 30. That year I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, and adult onset asthma and fatty liver. I was on a low fat diet when I was diagnosed with the fatty liver. (I also suffer from migraine, edema, stasis dermatitis, sleep apnea, and high blood pressure.) The only advice the doctor could give me was to cut back on carbohydrates. From 23 to 30 I probably only lost 20 to 30 pounds at a time. After 30 I once lost 50 pounds on the Protein Power Plan, but the holidays came and I put the weight back on. I've only be under 300 pounds 2 times since age 30. In April of 2008 I went to a free seminar on bariatric surgery at St. Vincent's. My husband went with me and we decided to start the process. We had to have a six month weight loss history for our insurance company. We started going to Dr. Brooks. In May I was diagnosed with multiple hepatic adenomas. The liver specialist knew about my surgery plans and did not seem concerned about it. I also was diagnosed with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. My husband and I continued our weight loss. I started out at about 322 pounds. In the first 4 1/2 months I lost down to about 270. Then it was harder and harder and i started to slip and put weight back on. At the end of 6 months I was back up to about 278. That was the last week of October. I am now at about 288 on December 1. My husband and I were both approved for surgery, but the liver specialist has decided I should wait 6 months to a year. I was devastated. In August the liver specialist told me the tumors were shrinking, but now he thinks we should wait to see if they shrink more. He sent me to a surgeon in June to see if they could resect the tumors, but he said there were too many and he couldn't help me. The tumors bleed and are fed by arterial blood. I asked him if he thought there would be a problem with gastric bypass, because they have to pull the liver back. He said "no." I asked if there was anything I could do to keep the tumors from bursting or there was anything to avoid that might cause them to burst. He said, "... there is nothing you can do or not do. Nothing short of a car accident would possibly make them burst." I am going for a second opinion on December 5. My surgery is scheduled for December 15, but everything hangs on what the second opinion liver specialist decides. My husband was scheduled for surgery December 18. He is not sure if he wants to have the surgery if I can't because of how difficult it would be to modify our lives. I thought that insurance would be the hardest part. Now, I see that that thought was a bit naive. I would not have been as disappointed if the liver specialist had just told me that this wasn't a good idea. Sadly, he isn't even doing anything for me, but waiting to see what happens. I am trying to go low carb pre-surgery, in case I am approved. It is supposed to help you get used to the diet, lose a few extra pounds, and shrink the body organs (liver included.) I am praying that we make the right decision. I don't want to do something to hurt myself, but I have failed so many times to keep the weight off on my own that I know I need major help.
