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 Good Day Everyone!!

I am now 8 weeks post op.  I haven't given you guys any updates so i figured I better or else you are gonna kick me off these boards.  I spent the last few weeks needing all kinds of attention from you guys asking lots and lots of questions.  You were all so gracious and helped me through so much. I am forever grateful.  I am sure I will continue to have more and more questions and concerns as i partake this incredible journey.

I tolerated the surgery well, I did have alot of adhesions from my c-sections so my incision extended about 3 inches below my belly button. total of 12 inches.  I did my best to sip, walk and rest.  I was extremely lucky to have my mother here the through out my recovery and she helped me so much. She tried everything in her power to get me to sip, drink protein and made me all kinds of soft foods.

I had severe "Buyers Remorse" post op. I cried and asked myself over and over, "what the &%*(
did you just do to yourself?' Thanks to an increase in my Prozac, a little ativan for the rough moments and everyone on this OH board, I made it through.  This will happen so get ready for it.  I will admit to anyone, It is sure not easy and a DS is not for the weak!!! People say you feel like you were run over by a mack truck and then he came back and gotcha again. I don't know if this is correct. I think he came to me a third and fourth time. 


I stayed in my recliner for the first few weeks then ventured to the bed.  The recliner was my best friend.  Pain was well controlled. Took dilaudid for like first week and then some tylenol periodically.

I was the queen of gas.  Not fart gas but rumbles. I  apparently swallow alot of air and it would settle in my new tummy. Was on carafate three times a day and i still take acidphex twice a day.
I still have rumbles but gas x is my friend.  Through trial and error, i am slightly lactose intolerant. If I  drink milk, I will have bad farting a few hours later.  

Protein...... Well, thanks to Major Mom, i discovered the vanilla cinnamon IDS. sometimes i add it to coffee and other times I just do 4 oz of lactaid and get it down in like 5 sips.  Early out i did well with deviled eggs. They are easy to get down and have little bit of fat.   I still keep stocked up on them for a quick grab and go.  I drink 2 shakes a day and the rest i try to get in with food. I am about 90 or slightly more grams per day.  i do not eat any bread or carbs except an occasional 3 wheat thins with like  tuna or cheese.  I can eat anything pretty much.  The only problem I have had was, I ate a chicken wing. The skin was nice and crunchy and i think i gobbled it way too fast and did not chew it good and BAM, it sat right in my new tummy like a brick. Had chest pain, i walked and walked,spit up a very small amount.  After 2 gas x, 1 tum and 45 minutes later I was fine.  Do not think I will eat a chicken wing for a while.

Bowels... They are fine.  Immediately post op they were just nice soft yellow guys. It is strange at first to see this kinda like baby poo colors.  Never had diarrhea!!  I would go about 5 am and maybe a second time an hour or so later and that would be it.  As I started my vitamin regime, I became very constipated, from the calcium, it was like white concrete. I ate more fat in my diet.  and that improved.  8 weeks out, I pretty much go once a day in am. occasionally again in after noon.  It does smell at times, but, I found some lovely "Odor Eliminator" spray from Yankee candle
that works pretty well. My farts smell if i have milk products.  This has me a little concerned once i get back to work.  I figured I could just go into a patients room who is not alert and fart in there and could always blame it on the patient. I could tell the other nurses, " ohhhh you better check Mr so and so I think he is in a mess"

Vitamins..... I drove myself and the members on this board CRAZY with the vitamins.  The type A that I am, I insisted that I must get all my vitamins in, yes, that big schedule that vitalady recommends.  Are you kidding me????? I would be full after one pill!!! So anyhow, I  started my vitamin regime with the centrum chewable and chewable calcium.  I soon found out that the sugar alcohols did not like me" Manitol". I switched to swallow kind and did fine.  When I took my pills , I would take a big gulp of fluid and swallow and then somehow i always took another baby sip.  Well, this put more air in my already air filled tummy.  I would feel this rock in my chest and then it would pass through. It didn"t get stuck just felt heavy.  This still happens occasionally.  So now at 8 weeks, I take the whole Vitalady schedule.I can swallow many vitamins at one time. Yippee.

Energy..... I was tired in the beginning.  I took it easy, slowly did things around the house. Laundry was my therapy.  I would get extremely tachycardia when ever i did stuff. Especially climbing stairs and after my shower.  I showered everyday and blew my hair. This too was therapy.  I tried to do as much as i could without getting over tired and then I rested.  New post ops, take your time, don't rush. Heal.  Now, my energy is so much better. I walk. go shopping, cook alot, go to the grocery store all the time, etc.  I am anxious to go back to work. I am a kidney dialysis nurse so i push very heavy equipment and patients around.  I am sure I will get tired but it will be great to get on with my routine.

Well, I think I have bored you all enough. I hope some of this information will be soothing to some Prue. post and just surfing people on this board.  This board is a wonderful place to learn and ask and vent.  Take away from it what you want or need. Some people are gentle as a lamb and others are like lions, but one thing they all have in common is that they want to share their experiences and want us all to do well. be happy and successful DS'ers and pay it forward.

Wows..... I have had little wows here and there. I feel great and I am ready to continue this incredible journey one day at a time.  My biggest wow is my new and closest friend right now, My switch sister, Lori,(ladychef), Lori came to NJ from Virginia to  have her RNY revision with Dr. Greenbaum. Not sure where I met her initially if it was here on OH or through the surgeons yahoo group. She came up alone for her pre op visit and had a few hour lag time for her appt with Dr. G. I told her I was coming to meet her and that she was not gonna sit alone for 4 hours ,we would get some "liquid" lunch somewhere. No, not that kind of liquid lunch.  We went to TGI Fridays and had french onion soup broth and coffee.  We were on the 2 week shake diet thing. We were scheduled for the same day. She was first. Here husband was only going to be with her for the surgery day.  I told her that my family and I would take care of her and make sure she has everything she needs.  We hit it off immediately!!!! Post op she was out of bed first and would come and check on me while she was running laps around the halls.  I had a little rougher time then her but i  tried to keep up. plus I have 10 years on her.  Every time she poked her head in my room I would say " you Little shit!" so that is her nick name now. Since then, we talk almost every day, we ask and support, we go on web cam, we have become great friends. I will miss her when I go back to work.  My whole point here with Lori is that, we are all in this together, if you can help or comfort another switch sister or brother, do it. It is a scary and complicated adventure and we can use all the love and support we can get.  Love ya Lori!!!

I hope this has helped anyone in some way. I know it was long, but it was from my heart and my experience. Have a great Day and see ya around.

Hugs 
Donna

Some of you already have heard me say that my mother was dead against any weight loss surgery.  She knew someone who had a daughter who had gastric bypass and has now gained 50% of the weight back she had lost.  This person had also been through extensive plastic surgery.  Long story short, I kept my surgery a secret from her until I was absolutely sure that I was going to have it done and have applied for insurance approval.  She is a wonderful supportive mother and just worries about me and doesnt want anything bad to happen to me. 

My point of this post is to recommend to all pre ops to DO YOUR HOMEWORK.  My  mother is also very opinionated and will def say whats on her mind.  I wanted to have all the answers for her when she began to criticise my desire for the Duodenal switch weifght loss surgery. About a month ago, I had my little bariatric surgery brochure, which showed all the possible weight loss surgeries and how altered your GI tract.  I got up my nerve and told her that I was going to have surgery in January.  I explained all the different types of WL surgery and then told her all about the DS.  I explained the good, the bad and the ulgly.  She did not say ANYTHING, but "OH!!". 

For a month or so, nothing more was ever said about the surgery.  She stays at the jersey shore right now so I did not see her much the past month but had talked to her.  I did not bring it up to her anymore either.

So, yesterday, I had spent the day with her.  In the morning while we were getting dressed for th day she says to me," Oh my Donna, you have very big boobs!"  I responded with " I have big everything and I am going to take care of that in January".
 This opened up the forum for us to talk openly about the surgery.  We talked about the surgery and expectations through out the day.  I was prepared, I was able to answer 99% of her questions  and I felt totally confident in my decision to have this surgery and its expectations it will have from me.  I respect this surgery  and was able to get that accross to my mother.
She told me that she could not come to the hospitql to see me after the surgery because she cannot stand to see my in that condition.  She did say she would take very good care of me once I got home. I know she will.
We went to atlantic city for the day and she was now telling all her friends, " Donna is going to have Weight loss surgery. It is something different then the bypass"  It made me very proud to be her daughter and to be able to have the Duadeneal switch. 

Just hoping and waiting now for my insurance approval and a date.

It is so important to know all about your surgery and its pros and cons.  Pick the best surgery for you!  Thank you all for all the knowledge you have given me about the DS and I was able to be informed and properly educate my mother on my surgery.  I feel confident that this is the right surgery for me and it will give me life long happiness.

"Total confidence, well some people have it and some people don't.  I know, for me, that as I walked down the hallway to the OR, I was still thinking in my head 'You know, you don't have to do this.  You could turn around and walk out.  Nobody's going to make you do this." but then I realized that if I did, I'd still be fat and dying the next day.  So I walked into the operating room, took off my gown, climbed my fat naked ass up onto the table and made my peace with the universe."

Ken and I went on an Alaskan cruise for our 25th Anniversary celebration,  What an eyeopener for myself and I am sure my husband as I had gained approx 30 more pounds since last year.  I will try not to be too winded and just post the facts of my adventures as a obese women as I think of them.  This will kinda give a small person a sense of how it feels to be big.

First of all I wondered if I was going to fit in the airplane seat or if I would need the belt extender.  Well, I just made the seat belt thing as the area below my tummy is the smallest.  I was in the middle seat and there was little area for my butt to roam I was pretty snug.  That was a long 5 hour flight feeling like a sausage.

Throughout the trip, I found myself looking at the bigger people and saying to myself that I know I feel so bad as a big person that they must feel that way too and I just felt sad for them all. I do know that not all obese people feel bad but I bet there is a great percent that do.  I had the sense that other people were looking at me and saying oh look how big that girl is.  It is a weird feeling because in my mind I don't feel big.  But let me look in the mirror, look at a photo or lay flat on my back, walk a distance, attempt a flight of stairs  etc etc.  I then feel very very fat.  I then say to myself, " how the heck did you get so big?"

Once we arrived on the ship and made our way to the first meal, I realized my boobs had gotten so big they stick way out and when I try to take a bite of food, I have to push the boobs in, wear a bib or just let the food drop down on this huge shelf under my chin that are my 42DDD's.

We are in Alaska and it is cold and raining all week.  I have my winter coat from last year on and a fleece jacket  underneath.  Well, the coat just fits and I feel like our little kids do when we bundle them up to go play in the snow with their snow suits and stuff.  I  now felt like a sausage in the big black coat in the rain.  So as we are out on the excursions or shopping in the ports,  there was lots and lots of walking.  I just could not keep up with my husband.  I was so short of breath, Sweating now under this darn coat, Wet from rain, wheezing, my  back and knees are now hurting  and frustrated to no end. This continued for 4 days of excursions and rain.

The trip too was very relaxing . However, whenever I would lay down my fat on my neck and the area above my boobs that is so fat, would fall onto my throat and I would feel like the skin was suffocating me. So needless to say, every time I laid down for a nap I had to use my CPAP so I wouldn't suffocate to death.

Oh and the chairs in the theaters and on the train ride to the White Pass in Skag way,Alaska, too small for a fat girl!!! But I managed.

The very large pretty nighty made me feel less then sexy. Forget the swim suit.  The pool was open because it had a large dome over it and you could swim or use the hot tub.  i got dressed up in a lovely black suit for the formal night. My husband said I looked really pretty, but once I saw a picture I went WHOOOOOOO. I will post some pictures from the trip.  These will be great pre op pictures.

So I felt pretty shitty the whole cruise because of my weight.  There was only one thing that is keeping me on top of the world and that is...... I am having my Duodenal Switch January 2010, god willing.

I thought alot about this surgery on the trip and what did it mean to me when I cruised next year. What changes I would be making, I would be eating all my protein first, will I feel deprived?  Well, I shouldn't at a almost 10 months out next Oct.  I should be down substantially in my weight.  I can walk the stairs to my cabin. And so much more. 

So this was just a brief description of some of the feeling I felt on my trip as a fat person.  This is the biggest I have ever been.  I now have 4 months until my surgery and I just cannot wait to begin my Journey. 

Thanks for reading and I hope my thoughts will help someone want to also get the DS.









 

Hello everyone,

I just wanted to tell anyone who will listen about my Pre op Journey. 
As of today, I am all done with all my pre approval stuff.  All my doctors are writing their letters and such and faxing to Dr. greenbaum's office.  I had second pulmonary visit for "Clearance" for surgery.  The first clearance appt and letter was not explicit enough.  So I went again. It had almost been a year anyhow.  So all my stuff is now currant. 

Now to the approval:  I believe that my approval is only good for 90 days once I get it. So.....
I have decided on having the Surgery January 2010.  I dread having to wait another 5 months but this is why.

1.  Celebrating my 25 Th Wedding anniversary in Sept with an Alaskan cruise.  I did not want to be a fresh post op and traveling.

2. Orig anally planned to have the Surgery Oct.  Well as many of you all ready know, our nursing union contract expires Oct 1st. If we decide to strike, I will not get any benefits.  This whole thing is very stressful in itself. Also, it would bring me into the holidays to recuperate and that would be stressful too.

3. My Boss said she would not approve an " Elective " procedure during the " Holidays".

So, It seems as if January would be the perfect time.  Everything will be settled with the contract, I will accumulate more off time. I want 8 weeks and I will get paid for it. The holidays will be over. What better way to star a brand new year then with brand new inners!!

So this means I will continue to be a pesty pre op for 5 more months and then I am hopping on that losers bench. So make room for ME!

I am feeling really lousy today and just need to rant so here goes.

I feel like shit everyday. My joints hurt, my back hurts, I feel big and swollen all the time, my energy is in the toilet, I look in the mirror and say to myself" you fat Ass, how did you do this to yourself and get so dam fat" and  " you are ugly". "look at your fat rolls" .  Sex is a chore, cleaning is a chore, existing is a chore!!!  Ok enough of that . Thanks for listening.

The bottom line, if I don't get this DS soon I am gonna go out of my mind.  I should be trying to lose weight now pre op but no ambition yet.  I just want that magic statement in my hand: YOUR APPROVED!!

So here is where I stand at this point.  I go to my PCP today. I wrote my letter to the insurance company for her and they just have to type it onto their letterhead and fax it to the Surgeons office.  Then July 30 I see my pulmonologist again.  Saw him in the fall when I was working the pre stuff for RNY.  He did not say on the his letter that I was " Medically cleared"  and ddid not write the results of the pulmonary function test on the letter of clearance. So I am going to see him again and straighten that out.  Thats ok  becaue I love Dr D as we call him at temple and could use the follow up appt for my sleep apnea and asthma . Just wish it was sooner .  Then off to the insurance approval step.

The last thing that has me in a tither is that our nursing union contract expires Oct. 1st, 2009. I sure hope that we don not stilke.  I am jsut greatful that  I have a job. One of the issues of course is heath insurance.  The bi weekly amt will double.  However I have great insuracne now so I would just pay the higher premium to keep things as they are.  We will be starting negotiations soon. Anyhow, not sure if I can continue to collect FMLA and my vacation and sick time for surgery if we are on strike. Does anyone know?  So should I try to have the surgery before the first or wait until we are sure about the contract or just bite the bullet and plan for early oct?? what a decision.  I go on my cruise Sept 5th and if I have the surgery end of Sept. I will have to start the pre op diet the day I return from my eating fest on the cruise.

My question is, Does life really get bettter.  Will I really feel better physically and mentally? Will I like myself again? Does the sex get better?  Will I have more energy?  Will I be able to figure all this vitamin and protein requirement out?  I want to do the best I can for myself. Will I be able to look in the mirror again and say " Donna, You rock!" 

Thanks everyone for reading and listening. It means alot to me

After my first visit with Dr. Greenbaum, I rushed home to tell all my OH friends about the visit and my stink-in internet was down. UGH!! So now it is 5 days later and I finally have internet. Yea!!  So here is all the details of the visit.

It took me 45 minutes to get there.  Very convenient.  The office staff was very pleasant and prompt.  I waited about 5 minutes.  They took me directly to the scale. 238 pounds. This is my highest ever.  Then they took my picture. 2 views.
As I was waiting for the Dr. My husband came in.  He made it. I was really happy. Wasn't sure if his meeting was going to be some in time.

Dr.Greenbaumcomes in, introduces himself, we introduce ourselves.  He asked me how I learned about him and I just said. " You are very hot on OH" he laughed.  Asked some questions, looked at my tummy and to the big conference room we go.

He blurted out many things that was in my medical record.  Impressed, he read my records before he came into the room to see me. I had told him I was interested in the switch and he commented that I was very knowledgeable of the types of surgeries available. He began talking about the three surgeries.  He said the lap band was not for me. Due tot he reflux. Explained the difference between the RNY and DS.  I listened and asked questions.  He was kind, knowledgeable, did not rush us. Explained everything.  I told him I had to ask the obvious, " How many of these have you done?" He sits back down. It is about 1200 RNY and about 150 DS. He does revisions too RNY to DS.  One person died. was a male. With a lot of problems.  It was not WLS related. 

The surgery would be OPEN.  He feels this is the safest for the DS because of 3 reasons.  The surgery is longer then RNY and he does not like to keep patients under anesthesia longer then necessary. Doing it via Lap would make it much longer.
Second, He staples and then hand sews the stomach to prevent any leaks.  I read about this  and this is a very good thing.
Third, There is less risk of problems post op because of something about the space in the abdomen and pockets that can be avoided easier or sewn up to keep the bowel from shifting after the weight loss. 

Hospitalization about 4 days.  He highly recommends the support groups and after care.  He follows you 1,2,3, 6,9,12,15,18,24 month and then yearly for as long as he is in practice.  He provides your PCP with literature and information on what to expect from labs and how to supplement properly.  He dictated a nice letter to my PCP after the talk.

We talked about when I should have this done. He said I could be fast tracked since I only need nutrition eval and Psyc. eval.  As he puts it, Just to make sure I am not crazy and understand the procedure. Maybe I am crazy.HaHa.  He also made the comment that I was not that BIG.  Was that a compliment?? But I am however Morbidly Obese.  I told him yes, I am considered a lightweight.  Anyhow, I am going on an Alaskan cruise Sept 6. I am concerned about being fairly new post op traveling so far.  He was cute and said " unless you take your surgeon with you"  I told him he could come, but had to get his own room.  So we decided on October. 

I left the office extremely excited. As I left the conference room, I saw another patient sitting an exam table. I was just so happy, I just waved at this person and gave her a great big smile.  She waved back.   I got into the car.  I talked to Paula.  She is my sister in law, whom I lost February 10th after a short battle with brain caner.  Any how, when she was sick and could barely talk, I told her about me wanting WLS and the by pass so that some day I will run a race in her honor for brain cancer.  All she could say was" Not Good, Auntie".  I think she brought Dr. Greenback to me, because this DS surgery seems to fit my situation and life style so much better then the RNY. I thanked her and home I went. 

My husband was very impressed and felt so much more at ease with my decision after meeting Dr. Greenback and hearing more about the procedure and after care.

That night when I went to bed, I cried myself to sleep.  Why you ask?  Because for the first time in a very very long time did I feel that there was a light at the end of the tunnel in my battle for good health and weight loss. 

This is my story.  I have terrible gastric reflux.  Not heart burn per say but alot of regurg.  some esophageal immotility. Asthma form the reflux. bronchial spasms from all the reflux irritation. I have severe sleep apnea. Cannot even take a little nap without stopping  breathing and gasping for air. Wearing the cpap has improved some of the symptoms of reflux. I have fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis mostly in my hands. Big family history of Diabetes.   Anyhow, I saw a surgeon back in September because I was thinking about having Gastric banding.  I cannot have it due to the bad reflux. RNY was his answer. Or fundoplication (anti reflux surgery) .  I didn't feel it.  I researched and thought hard and long and said to myself.  You don't need surgery to lose weight. you can do this.  I was nervous about the malabsorption stuff. Losing my hair etc etc etc.  Months went by.  Didn't go to weight watchers, didn't lose any weight. actually have gained.  So then I thought "Sleeve".  Well, sleeve is contraindicated in people with Reflux and the whole insurance issue of it being experimental.  I have a very good insurance I refuse to pay out of pocket. Iam I guess what they call a light weight. 100pounds over weight.

SOooooooooo. I went to see my gastroenterologist.  Told him what I want to do. He too said RNY is the cure for reflux but wants me to talk to this old time surgeon. Head of Surgery at Temple university in Philadelphia.  Wants him to suggest what would be best for my condition.  DS, gastrojejunostomy or RNY.  So I wait until May 8th for this appointment.  Until then I want to learn as much as I can about  all the surgeries. 

One big question... Does insurance cover DS without too mcuh fuss??

This is my first time to Rant.  So hold on to your seats here goes. I have a lot to say.

I have been on this board for 9 months reading reading and reading.  I am sooooo nervous. I need to make some kind of decision about weight loss and oh heck, I don't know.  Every one of you are an inspiration to me.  I say to myself, Am I Strong enough for this whole journey.  Do I want to have buyers remorse.  I already have such terrible depression especially PMS depression so will RNY make it much worse???However,.....

 I have 100 pounds to lose
I have sleep apnea
I have bad reflux, slow stomach emptying, poor esophageal motility

I have osteoarthritis in my hands and feet
Food is my crutch
back pain
swelling
high bp
Strong family history of Diabetes
Depression
Anxiety

I am out of my mind. Look at all these things I have, I could be dead in 10 years. Or a bigger fatty really not able to function.  Please Help.!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OK so, today I go to the Gastroenterologist for his opinion on all this and his recommendation.

Then tomorrow I go to see a new surgeon at Temple. Dr.Sorano.  I saw Dr. Meihlain about 6 months ago I really did not like him. However he is an Outstanding surgeon.  Shari that's your guy.  Then.... here is the biggest RANT   My mother is so against having any type of surgery.  She however has been fat , thin, average, fat, fat, fatter and now fattest.  She is 70 and now having trouble getting around, has bad heart and stuff.  I do not want to follow this pattern and I am so much like her that it is scary.  I know if I do not get this done, I will just get fatter.  I am very good at Weight Watchers but like everyone else I will gain it all back and many more.  Sooooo

Thanks everyone for listening I really needed this outlet. Glad I finally wrote something.

Like I said before, each one of you that reads this, you are all a inspiration and I applaud you for the risks you have taken and your sucesses. 

i am a hemodialyis  nurse and I love what I do.  I want to continue to be able to do this for many more years. so please pray for me and  that's all for now. thank you thank you thank you

Donna