Hey all! My name is Karla and I am now almost 5 years post-op! I was 272lbs pre-op, and am now 120! Grand total loss of 152 lbs! I know that it all sounds great, but it has been a long road and a long struggle! A few months after my surgery I started experiencing uncontrollable amounts of vomitting. Nothing was working to make it stop. Come to find out I had a gallstone, and got pancreatitus. The dr's took out my gallbladder (about 2 months after all this began). I still couldn't eat or drink, because I couldn't keep anything down, and I was in and out of hospitals. Everyone thought I was dying, and frankly, so did I. Come to find out, my hero surgeon was the person that I needed to go see to get fixed. He discovered that my intestine had closed off and needed to be ballooned back open. This was a 4 month ordeal, where I was unable to take care of myself (moved back home to moms!) I couldn't drive, hold my head up straight, do anything. But Dr. Steward saved my life and got me right back on track. I still experience dizziness and a sense that I'm way off balance, but I've learned to deal with it. 

I had plateaued about a year ago at 135, but I got an ulcer and dropped down to 120. Although I'm better now, I still can't seem to put any of that 15lbs back on. And honestly, I want it back. 

 Before WLS I was too fat, and now I'm too skinny. People always comment on how skinny I am, how I need to eat, and how I'm withering away to nothing. I used to think that these kinds of remarks would be great, but now I just have even more of a complex on how I look. I'm always wondering if I look too pale or thin, have to make sure that I eat, like REALLY eat, around certain people so that I don't get hassled about it. Hello! I had WLS so that I could be skinny and healthy! DUH! 

Although I am 5 years out, I still experience a lot of fatigue. I don't think that my vitamin levels are where they are supposed to be. I can eat pretty much whatever I want, whenever I want. Some days I can eat certain things, and somedays I can't even look at it. I find that I talk myself out of eating at times, which isn't a good thing but I do it. The foods that I find I really can't handle are some breads and milk, rice makes me bloated (but I still eat it, but not fried), and it just depends on the day on whether I can handle ice cream. 

If I eat cereal in the morning I find that my sugar is more likely to drop that day. That is another problem I have now...dumping syndrome. It wouldn't be so bad, but it comes on unexpectedly, whether I've eaten or not, and even if it was something healthy that I ate. It just hits, and then I feel like I could pass out, and then I'm drained for the rest of the day. So...cereal?? Not for me!  

People always ask me if I regret the surgery, some days I do and some days I don't. I find that I knew who I was more as a big girl than as I am now as a skinny girl. Also, when I had my surgery I was married, and he went to Iraq a few days later. When he came back, it was like we were both 2 completely different people, who had went through extreme situations all alone. I don't think either one of us knew who the other was anymore. We made it another 2 years before getting divorced. But we don't hate each other and we're still friends; we look at is as "We were young". None of this surgery was easy for me, except for the actual weight loss. I know that the weight loss is the goal, but it's only the surface goal of WLS. The GOALS are to be healthy and learn to live, and these are a few things I still struggle with. 

I haven't had any cosmetic surgery, but I would really like to. I would like a tummy tuck, boob job, and thigh lift. I weigh 125, and I still won't wear a bathing suit. I don't have a highly noticable amount of skin, (I'm a size 6 so it's not bad), but I know that it's there and it bothers me. But, after having so much difficulty after my WLS, I am definitely more cautious about any procedure done to me. I don't heal very well, or quickly, so I'm not planning on having anything done any time soon! But hey, I'm only 25, and there's still plenty of time!

About Me
Marhshall, MO
Location
19.4
BMI
RNY
Surgery
04/24/2003
Surgery Date
May 20, 2006
Member Since

Friends 4

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