LindyLoo
One Year Surgiversary!
Oct 11, 2007
wow...WOW...W O W !
That's the best I can do to sum up the last year of my life!
What an amazing journey. One year ago yesterday I was lying on that operating table in a foreign country. Fearful, apprehensive, yet resigned that I was doing the best thing for me and my family. One year ago today, I was sore and wanting OUT of the hospital!
Thanks to luck, research, the skill of my surgeon, and some divine help, all turned out better than I even dreamed.
What is so amazing to me is that ALL of my energies back then were on researching, making my decision, making travel plans, etc etc. I hardly had a chance to give post op life a thought, other than commit to myself to follow the rules regarding protein and supplements. This is totally understandable, but it makes me chuckle now to reflect on just how much happened that I didn't want to let myself expect. The weight loss, the wows, the comments from others...
I didn't feel great for the first several weeks, but was very blessed with the overall smooth recovery I had. The eating changes were EASY. Which is a kick because of all the diet struggles that came before. I LOVE the immediate negative feedback if I over-carb. And I quickly learned that overeating is not worth it. If I can't break a DS, nobody can!
The rush of getting on the scale those early months is still with me.
After a lifetime of MO, it's amazing to see a drop nearly EVERY day! Now of course the loss is slowing down, and I miss those rapid changes!
Yes, I've lost 1 1 1 pounds, and am sooooo happy. But even better than the pounds, the other things I have LOST are priceless:
I've LOST the guilt and shame that I used to feel as a MO person
I've LOST the fear that I won't survive another 5 years
and leave my kids without their Mommmy
I've LOST my inability to control my appetite or binges
I've LOST high blood pressure and high triglycerides
I've LOST my status as a potential liver transplant patient!!!
I've LOST my sweat glands!
I no longer pour and drip at the slightest effort.
I've LOST agonizing joint and back pain
I've LOST the word DIET. Never will again.
I've LOST a closet packed full of expensive plus-sized clothes. YAY!
Gimme thrift store stuff now! I look and feel better in them!
Preops, be warned. Your life can change so radically your head will spin. Take a peek at my before pic on my profile and see where I WAS. Go ahead! Look! The DS works!!! Look at the difference in 12 short months!
Postops, THANK YOU for your support and wisdom! Without you and this forum, I wouldn't have had the guts or knowledge to go for it!
Is everything PERFECT? No, of course not! I still fall victim to the sugar slut...I still smoke...I drink too many diet Cokes...I'm forming kidney stones the size of "boulders"...
But my labs are good, I've gone from a size 26 to a 14 ,my energy is ridiculous, my co-morbids are GONE (all except apnea). I feel so GOOD, it amazes me how BAD I felt before. The difference is stunning.
I L O V E M Y D S !!!!!!!
That's the best I can do to sum up the last year of my life!
What an amazing journey. One year ago yesterday I was lying on that operating table in a foreign country. Fearful, apprehensive, yet resigned that I was doing the best thing for me and my family. One year ago today, I was sore and wanting OUT of the hospital!
Thanks to luck, research, the skill of my surgeon, and some divine help, all turned out better than I even dreamed.
What is so amazing to me is that ALL of my energies back then were on researching, making my decision, making travel plans, etc etc. I hardly had a chance to give post op life a thought, other than commit to myself to follow the rules regarding protein and supplements. This is totally understandable, but it makes me chuckle now to reflect on just how much happened that I didn't want to let myself expect. The weight loss, the wows, the comments from others...
I didn't feel great for the first several weeks, but was very blessed with the overall smooth recovery I had. The eating changes were EASY. Which is a kick because of all the diet struggles that came before. I LOVE the immediate negative feedback if I over-carb. And I quickly learned that overeating is not worth it. If I can't break a DS, nobody can!
The rush of getting on the scale those early months is still with me.
After a lifetime of MO, it's amazing to see a drop nearly EVERY day! Now of course the loss is slowing down, and I miss those rapid changes!
Yes, I've lost 1 1 1 pounds, and am sooooo happy. But even better than the pounds, the other things I have LOST are priceless:
I've LOST the guilt and shame that I used to feel as a MO person
I've LOST the fear that I won't survive another 5 years
and leave my kids without their Mommmy
I've LOST my inability to control my appetite or binges
I've LOST high blood pressure and high triglycerides
I've LOST my status as a potential liver transplant patient!!!
I've LOST my sweat glands!
I no longer pour and drip at the slightest effort.
I've LOST agonizing joint and back pain
I've LOST the word DIET. Never will again.
I've LOST a closet packed full of expensive plus-sized clothes. YAY!
Gimme thrift store stuff now! I look and feel better in them!
Preops, be warned. Your life can change so radically your head will spin. Take a peek at my before pic on my profile and see where I WAS. Go ahead! Look! The DS works!!! Look at the difference in 12 short months!
Postops, THANK YOU for your support and wisdom! Without you and this forum, I wouldn't have had the guts or knowledge to go for it!
Is everything PERFECT? No, of course not! I still fall victim to the sugar slut...I still smoke...I drink too many diet Cokes...I'm forming kidney stones the size of "boulders"...
But my labs are good, I've gone from a size 26 to a 14 ,my energy is ridiculous, my co-morbids are GONE (all except apnea). I feel so GOOD, it amazes me how BAD I felt before. The difference is stunning.
I L O V E M Y D S !!!!!!!
The letter
Sep 28, 2007
Some time ago, I posted the letter I sent to my family telling them about my surgery plans. I felt it was important to let them know, but also to make it clear that it was a DONE DEAL, and that I wasn't asking for input. I'm sharing it again here in case anyone wants to use it to adapt for their own purposes:
Dear Sibs,
Uh oh! A Priority Mail letter starting out "Dear Sibs"...must be bad? No, not really, just weird!
As y'all are surely aware, my health has been so-so. I've had issues ever since the infertility treatments 10 plus years ago. Those combined with bad genes, bad habits, chronic depression, and some weird side effects from infertility has added almost 100 pounds to my never-skinny self.
Imagine how tired you are after a day of work/kids/life in general. Then imagine doing the same things while carrying around 2 or 3 bags of sand. That's how I feel on a good day. My body is not happy and has been letting me know it...I know have pre-diabetes, early high blood pressure, sleep apnea, migraines, super-high triglycerides, joint pain, and a damaged liver. Plus, it appears the very condition that contributed to my infertility (PCOS) is also a metabolic disorder. Lions and tigers and bears, Oh My!
After tons of research over the past 6 months, I have decided to have weight loss surgery. This is not a cure-all, rather a tool to help me regain my health. It will reduce my appetite, circumvent my poor metabolism, and hopefully reduce many of my co-morbidities.
The most commonly performed procedure in the US is the RNY (Roux-en-Y) Gastric Bypass. It has been successful for many...but there are also some serious downsides. The rate of regain is alarming (think Carnie Wilson), there are common icky side effects (think barfing without warning), and it is hard to be "normal" afterwards, as the stomach is reduced to a golf-ball-sized, 1 oz place with man-made valves in and out. I have elected NOT to have RNY Bypass.
The surgery I have chosen is the DS for short, otherwise known as Biliopancreatic Diversion with Duodenal Switch. It is much more commonly done in Europe, there are only 75 or so qualified surgeons who perform this in the US. There is some bad, mostly misinformed, press out there about the DS. If you care for more info, I attached 2 articles which are fact-filled, rather than being rumor-based as many seem to be.
Rather than staple off but leave unused stomach, the DS removes up to 90% of the stomach, leaving a 5-8 oz banana-shaped organ. The original pyloric valves in and out are maintained. The stomach will stretch out over time to approximate a smallish, normal organ. The removal is important...there is no blind remnant stomach left in the body...in RNY patients it is a continuous ulcer risk and cannot be scoped...only examined surgically. Also, researchers have found that the part of the stomach removed creates Ghrelin...a newly-discovered hormone which plays a big part in appetite and metabolism. In addition, the DS reroutes more of the intestines than the RNY to allow for greater malabsorption of foods eaten, resulting in permanent weight loss. The trade-off is that one has to make a life-long commitment to eat enough protein, to supplement with vitamins and minerals to avoid depletion, and to do regular blood tests to monitor things. I'll gladly trade all my meds for vitamins! The neatest thing about the DS is that it CURES Type II diabetes!
So, I imagine y'all reading this and thinking, gee, what a mess of medical mumbo jumbo. It is, but I feel so at peace with this decision... and wanted to share with you a bit of my journey. Rather than go on an on about the procedure, I recommend www.duodenalswitch.com and www.obesityhelp.com if you would like more data.
Please understand that the DS is a ray of hope for me, and the decision is made. I’d love your support! If by chance you disagree, that is fine, it is a controversial area of medicine for sure. But I'm staying on course. I need to have a better quality of life for me, for Jon, and certainly for the kids. I am considered a "lightweight" (haha first time ever!) for this surgery, but my internist and surgeon agree it is the best course of action for me. Should I lose too much weight, the intestinal portion is reversible. There is risk, for sure, but the benefits far outweigh (pun intended) the risks in my analysis.
OK, you all are reasonable people, and are so supportive...here is where I blow your socks off... again… you may want to sit down here... My insurance, while generally good, totally excludes any surgery for obesity. Many policies do, which I find reprehensible. It seems to me that "they" would rather pay for a liver transplant (a possibility if things don't turn around) than this surgery.
Before, I mentioned "qualified" surgeons. Statistics show that there is a sharp learning curve through a surgeon's first 200 procedures. After that magic 200 number, the death rate drops as low as .2%...on par with any other surgery. I had picked out an eminently qualified surgeon in Atlanta...until I found out the cost...$40,000 plus unlimited financial risk if extra hospital/ICU days were needed.
Sorry, I'd like to extend my life, but not at the cost of possible financial disaster! So then, with Jon's support, I made the next BIG leap. I have selected one of the top 3 surgeons...globally...and will have the DS performed by Dr. Antelmo in Vila Velha, Brazil on October 10th.
Yes, Brazil. Brazil offers one third the cost and an even better surgeon. He has had NO deaths in over 1500 procedures, and he is one of the few who do it Lap...meaning no big incision and scar with the added hernia risk. The hospital has a great reputation and lower infection rates than most US facilities. I have been in email contact with several of his past US patients, as well as the surgeon himself.
Yes, Brazil.
Are you still with me here?
I have had months to come to terms with this, so I apologize for the shock. To help minimize the weirdness, do know that my dear friend Lynn will be traveling with me for the first week. She will be there with me through surgery and to communicate with y'all at home. Jon is going to stay at home to keep things normal for the kids...and Mom and Dad are coming to visit and help out, too. This wouldn’t be possible without all their support!
I will be returning Oct 23, and will have email access while I'm gone. I'm sure Jon would appreciate your support, and I would love to be in your thoughts and prayers (whichever applies).
Life after the DS will be similar to any major surgery in that it will take me 4-6 weeks to recover fully. Diet-wise, I will have to concentrate on drinking enough water and getting in 70-100 grams of protein per day. This is a challenge, I hear, as the stomach needs to heal and appetite generally doesn't return for months. After several months, I will be able to eat "normally", albeit less. Most of my extra weight should come off within the first 12 months.
I'm looking forward to our family trip next summer! Hopefully, I'll have bunches more energy then, and I'll look and feel more like the Lindy Jon married so many years ago.
I love you all dearly. I have been so blessed to be a part of this family. I expect a positive outcome from this journey. But should something unforseen happen, please know that I made these decisions with the best of intentions and with the most research I could find. I do not fear death…my spirituality helps with this. But I do fear leaving loved ones behind and causing them pain. If that happens, please forgive me, and know that I’ll be waiting until we meet again in Heaven…
Dear Sibs,
Uh oh! A Priority Mail letter starting out "Dear Sibs"...must be bad? No, not really, just weird!
As y'all are surely aware, my health has been so-so. I've had issues ever since the infertility treatments 10 plus years ago. Those combined with bad genes, bad habits, chronic depression, and some weird side effects from infertility has added almost 100 pounds to my never-skinny self.
Imagine how tired you are after a day of work/kids/life in general. Then imagine doing the same things while carrying around 2 or 3 bags of sand. That's how I feel on a good day. My body is not happy and has been letting me know it...I know have pre-diabetes, early high blood pressure, sleep apnea, migraines, super-high triglycerides, joint pain, and a damaged liver. Plus, it appears the very condition that contributed to my infertility (PCOS) is also a metabolic disorder. Lions and tigers and bears, Oh My!
After tons of research over the past 6 months, I have decided to have weight loss surgery. This is not a cure-all, rather a tool to help me regain my health. It will reduce my appetite, circumvent my poor metabolism, and hopefully reduce many of my co-morbidities.
The most commonly performed procedure in the US is the RNY (Roux-en-Y) Gastric Bypass. It has been successful for many...but there are also some serious downsides. The rate of regain is alarming (think Carnie Wilson), there are common icky side effects (think barfing without warning), and it is hard to be "normal" afterwards, as the stomach is reduced to a golf-ball-sized, 1 oz place with man-made valves in and out. I have elected NOT to have RNY Bypass.
The surgery I have chosen is the DS for short, otherwise known as Biliopancreatic Diversion with Duodenal Switch. It is much more commonly done in Europe, there are only 75 or so qualified surgeons who perform this in the US. There is some bad, mostly misinformed, press out there about the DS. If you care for more info, I attached 2 articles which are fact-filled, rather than being rumor-based as many seem to be.
Rather than staple off but leave unused stomach, the DS removes up to 90% of the stomach, leaving a 5-8 oz banana-shaped organ. The original pyloric valves in and out are maintained. The stomach will stretch out over time to approximate a smallish, normal organ. The removal is important...there is no blind remnant stomach left in the body...in RNY patients it is a continuous ulcer risk and cannot be scoped...only examined surgically. Also, researchers have found that the part of the stomach removed creates Ghrelin...a newly-discovered hormone which plays a big part in appetite and metabolism. In addition, the DS reroutes more of the intestines than the RNY to allow for greater malabsorption of foods eaten, resulting in permanent weight loss. The trade-off is that one has to make a life-long commitment to eat enough protein, to supplement with vitamins and minerals to avoid depletion, and to do regular blood tests to monitor things. I'll gladly trade all my meds for vitamins! The neatest thing about the DS is that it CURES Type II diabetes!
So, I imagine y'all reading this and thinking, gee, what a mess of medical mumbo jumbo. It is, but I feel so at peace with this decision... and wanted to share with you a bit of my journey. Rather than go on an on about the procedure, I recommend www.duodenalswitch.com and www.obesityhelp.com if you would like more data.
Please understand that the DS is a ray of hope for me, and the decision is made. I’d love your support! If by chance you disagree, that is fine, it is a controversial area of medicine for sure. But I'm staying on course. I need to have a better quality of life for me, for Jon, and certainly for the kids. I am considered a "lightweight" (haha first time ever!) for this surgery, but my internist and surgeon agree it is the best course of action for me. Should I lose too much weight, the intestinal portion is reversible. There is risk, for sure, but the benefits far outweigh (pun intended) the risks in my analysis.
OK, you all are reasonable people, and are so supportive...here is where I blow your socks off... again… you may want to sit down here... My insurance, while generally good, totally excludes any surgery for obesity. Many policies do, which I find reprehensible. It seems to me that "they" would rather pay for a liver transplant (a possibility if things don't turn around) than this surgery.
Before, I mentioned "qualified" surgeons. Statistics show that there is a sharp learning curve through a surgeon's first 200 procedures. After that magic 200 number, the death rate drops as low as .2%...on par with any other surgery. I had picked out an eminently qualified surgeon in Atlanta...until I found out the cost...$40,000 plus unlimited financial risk if extra hospital/ICU days were needed.
Sorry, I'd like to extend my life, but not at the cost of possible financial disaster! So then, with Jon's support, I made the next BIG leap. I have selected one of the top 3 surgeons...globally...and will have the DS performed by Dr. Antelmo in Vila Velha, Brazil on October 10th.
Yes, Brazil. Brazil offers one third the cost and an even better surgeon. He has had NO deaths in over 1500 procedures, and he is one of the few who do it Lap...meaning no big incision and scar with the added hernia risk. The hospital has a great reputation and lower infection rates than most US facilities. I have been in email contact with several of his past US patients, as well as the surgeon himself.
Yes, Brazil.
Are you still with me here?
I have had months to come to terms with this, so I apologize for the shock. To help minimize the weirdness, do know that my dear friend Lynn will be traveling with me for the first week. She will be there with me through surgery and to communicate with y'all at home. Jon is going to stay at home to keep things normal for the kids...and Mom and Dad are coming to visit and help out, too. This wouldn’t be possible without all their support!
I will be returning Oct 23, and will have email access while I'm gone. I'm sure Jon would appreciate your support, and I would love to be in your thoughts and prayers (whichever applies).
Life after the DS will be similar to any major surgery in that it will take me 4-6 weeks to recover fully. Diet-wise, I will have to concentrate on drinking enough water and getting in 70-100 grams of protein per day. This is a challenge, I hear, as the stomach needs to heal and appetite generally doesn't return for months. After several months, I will be able to eat "normally", albeit less. Most of my extra weight should come off within the first 12 months.
I'm looking forward to our family trip next summer! Hopefully, I'll have bunches more energy then, and I'll look and feel more like the Lindy Jon married so many years ago.
I love you all dearly. I have been so blessed to be a part of this family. I expect a positive outcome from this journey. But should something unforseen happen, please know that I made these decisions with the best of intentions and with the most research I could find. I do not fear death…my spirituality helps with this. But I do fear leaving loved ones behind and causing them pain. If that happens, please forgive me, and know that I’ll be waiting until we meet again in Heaven…
I'm SO freakin' HAPPY!
Sep 28, 2007
MY ONE YEAR LABS JUST CAME IN AND THEY ARE P E R F E C T !!!
NOT HIGH OR LOW ON ANYTHING!
This took some tweaking at 6 and 9 months, but it's ALL good now!
The VERY best news is that for the FIRST time in T E N years, my liver enzymes are NORMAL. NORMAL! This means my NASH is a thing of history! There was no guarantee that the DS would "cure" my liver disease, just the hope that it would stop the progression of liver damage. So, I am OVER THE MOON happy. NOOOooo transplant needed now!
OMG OMG OMG. What a wonderful day!
THANK GOD FOR THE DS!!
I'll post more on/after the 10th for my anniversary, I just HAD to share this today!!
NOT HIGH OR LOW ON ANYTHING!
This took some tweaking at 6 and 9 months, but it's ALL good now!
The VERY best news is that for the FIRST time in T E N years, my liver enzymes are NORMAL. NORMAL! This means my NASH is a thing of history! There was no guarantee that the DS would "cure" my liver disease, just the hope that it would stop the progression of liver damage. So, I am OVER THE MOON happy. NOOOooo transplant needed now!
OMG OMG OMG. What a wonderful day!
THANK GOD FOR THE DS!!
I'll post more on/after the 10th for my anniversary, I just HAD to share this today!!
Living Life
Jul 22, 2007
Gee, time flies when you're busy living life! I'm sorry my posts stopped. In a nutshell, I made it through surgery FINE and was blessed to have NO complications. Well, just a big booboo on my BUTT. LOL. Seems I had so many adhesions, the surgery took over 5 hours instead of the usual 2, and I got a bedsore-like cut on my butt. A few weeks and it was gone. I'm 9 months postop npw, and life is GOOD!! Even though I'm bummed that I'm in a stall, I've seen ONEderland, and am close to getting my Century Card. 98 Pounds GONE!!!!
I'm in a size 16, and LOVE shopping at "normal" stores. My energy level is awesome! My comorbids are GONE: NO more prediabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol or joint pain. WOO HOO! And my BMI now is in the OVERWEIGHT category. How cool is that!? What a difference 9 months and a DS makes!
I'm in a size 16, and LOVE shopping at "normal" stores. My energy level is awesome! My comorbids are GONE: NO more prediabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol or joint pain. WOO HOO! And my BMI now is in the OVERWEIGHT category. How cool is that!? What a difference 9 months and a DS makes!
Addicition
Aug 20, 2006
Well, that trip to hell lasted less than a week...I'm smoking again and 5 pounds heavier. Man, I am sooo very addicted and just ran out of internal "no"s. I'll try again...about 5 weeks preop, so hopefully I'll have my surgery closer to keep me motivated. Many, many thanks for all those who supported me during my quit. Y'all are great! I'm sorry I let you down :chair: and will endeavor to do better NEXT time.
Clearing my schedule in October for surgery has been fun. (not). I'm trying to only let those I perceive to be supportive know ahead about my surgery, but it is hard to explain a three week absence! So far, all but one have been supportive. And that one made the "why don't you cut out sweets and walk more?" comment out of ignorance, not meaness.
My life is so tied into so many different people and places... I own a company, but work a limited schedule. My real interests are with local charities, so my absence affects several agencies who depend on me. Luckily it looks like my girl scout troop will be well covered by the other leaders, the big fundraiser for 8 charities will be over before I get on the plane, and the world won't stop without me. HA. I know I'm going to miss my family soooo much. Three weeks is such a long time to be away!!! I've already started filling up a drawer in my dresser with things to take on my trip. I plan to book the air later this week, then on to getting visas.
School has already started here, so the homework nightmare has restarted at home. Assignments that are meant to take a half an hour can take up to 3 hours for my daughter. We recently got an ADD diagnosis and are working on finding the right dosage of meds for her. She is smart...but keeping up with school work is a BIG challenge. Thank God for DH who handles most of it before I get home. But it's such a shame that it takes so much family time to just keep her caught up.
Anyway, my 41st birthday is later this week. I'm still in denial (have been since around 35 or so) and wonder when I will grow up? LOL.
Clearing my schedule in October for surgery has been fun. (not). I'm trying to only let those I perceive to be supportive know ahead about my surgery, but it is hard to explain a three week absence! So far, all but one have been supportive. And that one made the "why don't you cut out sweets and walk more?" comment out of ignorance, not meaness.
My life is so tied into so many different people and places... I own a company, but work a limited schedule. My real interests are with local charities, so my absence affects several agencies who depend on me. Luckily it looks like my girl scout troop will be well covered by the other leaders, the big fundraiser for 8 charities will be over before I get on the plane, and the world won't stop without me. HA. I know I'm going to miss my family soooo much. Three weeks is such a long time to be away!!! I've already started filling up a drawer in my dresser with things to take on my trip. I plan to book the air later this week, then on to getting visas.
School has already started here, so the homework nightmare has restarted at home. Assignments that are meant to take a half an hour can take up to 3 hours for my daughter. We recently got an ADD diagnosis and are working on finding the right dosage of meds for her. She is smart...but keeping up with school work is a BIG challenge. Thank God for DH who handles most of it before I get home. But it's such a shame that it takes so much family time to just keep her caught up.
Anyway, my 41st birthday is later this week. I'm still in denial (have been since around 35 or so) and wonder when I will grow up? LOL.
No Smoking
Jul 23, 2006
For the first time in years, I did NOT have a cigarette when I woke today! Quitting SUX. But, I am sure it's better than dying during surgery...or coughing up yucky stuff after surg...which I'm sure I'll still do!
Anyway, wish me luck, send a prayer, swing a chicken...all forms of support are GREATLY appreciated!
Anyway, wish me luck, send a prayer, swing a chicken...all forms of support are GREATLY appreciated!
