3 years out from my DS

Aug 29, 2010

Hi guys!!!

So, yeah, I'm really late with my 3 year update on my life after the DS.  I have to admit that it's been a busy summer and I fell into the depths of busy and haven't been around much since May.  I think about everyone ALL of the time, and keep up with many of you by pone or on Facebook which is hooked up to my phone and easier to navigate than the OH website when I'm on the go.  I'm making an effort to get myself over here more often, I feel so disconnected when I'm away from you all. 

Maintaining....

So, let's see...life is really pretty good as far as maintaining weight goes.  I had a small stint of time over winter where I had gained weight back up to 152 pounds and I had a little freak of sorts, got my shit together, and went back to LOW carbing and now easily maintain at 138-140 pounds.  I'm in a solid juniors size 7 or 9, and a women's size 6 in pants and dresses.  In addition to low carbing, I have started working out.  I have made a solid commitment since May to do pushups five days a week.  When I started I could barely do 3 at a time on my knees.  Started with 30 per day ,and I'm now doing 20-30 at a time, regular pushup style, and do 150-200 push ups a day.  With my short hair-do and ability to do push ups like this, I'm feelin' kinda G.I. Jane bad-ass like!  Lol!  I also try to walk or do the elliptical several times a week, and am also starting to work with free weights.  The pushups pissed me off in the beginning, jeez they are HARD...but now I love what they do for the toning effect of my arms, shoulders and even my abs. 

My diet at three year out.....

Earlier in the year, can't remember exactly when,  I came to the realization that glutens just were NOT working for my guts.  I had gone completely 100% whole wheat with everything in my diet, but I was still getting gas and even diarrhea from having gluten products. I bit the bullet and kicked gluten out of my life.  No more pizza, pasta, cookies, cake, bread, donuts, baked goods, rice, pretzels...NONE OF IT!!  It's been truly the most difficult phase of my journey eliminating these foods from my diet.  First I lost dairy from lactose intolerance, but then SO many other foods to my gluten intolerance.  I try not to dwell on it, but it does chap my ass from time to time.  I frickin' LOVE bakery foods, and cannot even eat a frickin' sandwich anymore.  BUT!  I have found many, many foods that I eat and love.  My diet is processed food-free, with the exception of my beloved Hershey's Hugs.  I eat...

Beef, chicken, seafood (I eat A LOT of seafood), pork (Mostly in the form of BACON!)
Eggs
Cheese
Nuts
Salads (no broccoli or cauliflower due to gas)
Fruit of all kinds
Asparagus is my only cooked veggie that I eat
Sweet potatoes with butter
Potatoes and potato chips that are gluten free
Chocolate (Usually only Hershey's Hugs...things that have caramel, peanut butter, pretzels, and so on in the center give me gas).
Protein shakes

Protein shakes are still the basis of my diet.  I start the day and end my day with protein shakes, and have no less than 2 in between those.  I feel with the work I'm doing on toning that my body needs the extra protein...not to mention that I have BEEN in protein malnutrition and will NOT go back there ever again.  EVER. (Well, not if I can help it).   I have gotten creative with my shakes and still covet my Champion Nutrition Pure Whey Stack in chocolate flavor.  I make an iced coffee protein shake that rivals an iced frap from Starbucks. 


Vitamins and Labwork....

I take my vitamins, all day, everyday.  Sometimes I get off schedule by a couple of hours, but I try not to miss a dose ever.  I just had my second yearly iron infusion a month ago and i'm feeling great again!  My iron levels stay around 100, but my ferritin drops into the 20's right around the year mark and I begin to feel like my batteries are dead.  A quick 8 hour INFED infusion and I'm right back up and ticking. 

Most of my labs are in range, some of them on the low end and in need of tweaking.  I'd paste them here but the format screws up all of my posts, so I will just say that I've upped my A, D, and Boron and have added Proferrin Forte to see if we can get my iron levels to stick a bit better after each infusion. 

General health at three years post op...

I am doing well healthwise, though I do still have a couple of issues as a post op that I believe are a direct result of my having had WLS.  I am still on Nexium once per day for severe reflux.  I also have to sleep at about a 45 degree angle to avoid horrid acid coming up my esophogus as I sleep.  I also have had something I've called "mystery pains" since the beginning of my journey.  The pains came every 4-6 weeks in the beginning and have spread out more over time.  They don't seem to be the direct cause of anything I've eaten, and though we've TRIED 15 some times to catch the pains on CT scans, we're always too late to see what is going on.  The pains are very seldom, but I do still get them and have had them twice in the past two weeks.  I have to take a sublingual pill  (Levsin or hycosamine) prescribed by my doctor that is meant to ease stomach cramps and to smooth the intestinal walls.  I also try to drink a huge glass of water to hydrate and get things moving.  I get a tad nauseated so drinking the water isn't always easy.  Once I've had the pill and drank the water, I try to get comfortable and sleep off the pain.  I sometime have to wake up and take a second Levsin, but have yet to have the pains last beyond 6 hours.  I have spoken to the PA at Dr. Inman's office and we agreed that the 8 hour mark should be when i admit myself to the ER.  What *I* believe is happening is that my bowels are slightly kinking, just enough to stop the flow of my bm's, and then it causes these intestinal cramps that are contraction-like.  The pains usually last from 2-6 hours and then disappear.  I'm left to believe that my body is working the kinks out.  So far I have avoided hospitalization for a bowel obstruction and hope that it never gets worse than it is now.   

Living amongst the normies....

I worked for the first time this summer since my oldest son was born nearly 13 years ago.  I was serving tables at an Italian restaurant on the Marina.  It's been the first real time that I didn't make my WLS part of my identity.  I did tell a couple of fellow servers who I'd gotten close with, but it was never made to be a big deal.  I felt NORMAL, really, really normal for the first time since...well, maybe ever!  I had to be diligent to eat every two hours up until I worked in the evenings because eating during the shift wasn't a possibility.  I did take my protein shakes and I'd shake one up, chug and go a couple of times each evening while swallowing a handful of vites, but it was hard to keep myself on task and remember my vites and protein all of the time.  I got pretty good at it, but I still forgot time to time.  It was so amazing to have tables compliment me on being a mother to three kids and being so "toned."  The restaurant also had an outside bar that was a real hot spot here in town so EVERYONE came there, and I got to meet a lot of people.  Guys and even girls would compliment me and tell me I was pretty, or fit, or whatever...and each compliment kinda just made me giggle and I wanted to blurt out, "Hahaha, you're kidding, right?"  I know that I don't see myself yet as others see me, as I still believe people are just patronizing me to be nice.  I dunno, I guess this is a journey that never ends.  Being treated as if I'm "normal" is simply wonderful. 

Here is a picture that was taken this summer at my work when the DSers were in town for the DS BBQ at my house. 

Renee, Lori, Marci, & Des


Renee stayed from Friday until Tuesday the weekend of the party and we simply had a blast!!



Relationships
...

I feel like people take me at face value now.  I feel as if people CARE about what I have to say.  It's nice not being so invisible, yanno?  It's helped some friendships reach a level that may not have been achieved had I not lost the weight.  Losing the layers definitely makes me feel more exposed, but I'm getting used to this new me.  I really love being social and I go out with friends as often as my schedule allows. 

As far as my marriage of 13 years, WLS has taken it's toll on us.  I love my husband, he's an amazing man.  However, my weight loss has put somewhat of a wedge between us.  When I lost my weight, he kept his.  At first he was hoping that just being with me that he'd naturally drop some of his own weight just by not snacking like we used to together.  But bad habits crept back in as they have for all of us on the quest to lose weight on our own, and as I've gotten smaller, I feel like it has really changed the very being of who the two of us are as a couple.  I don't really know how to word this properly, but as I have started taking better care of myself, it seems that he is letting himself go more.  I cannot make another person change how they feel about or treat their body, but if I thought I could, I surely would.  I realize that each persons journey is their own, and the only thing I can do for him is just to be here for him when he needs me.  I do think we'll get through this, but it has put a strain on us that I cannot really fully explain.

My relationship with my kids might be my favorite one post DS.  I am setting a good example to my children on how to live a healthy life.  They see me eating a good diet and exercising, and I'm working hard to teach them how to make good food choices, how to read nutritional info on packages, and how one serving size is enough.  They love to do pushups, dips, planks and curls with me, as well as go on family walks and bike rides.  My daughter seems to be the one that really sponges it all up, so I'm happy to teach her anything that I know health-wise.  Having them look up to me for the healthy choices I'm making is more rewarding than I can ever explain.

Overall....

I'm very pleased with my choice to have the DS and the success I've had losing and maintaining my weight.  Somedays I am reminded about my fucked up guts when I make a bad food choice, but after three years of trial and error, I'm getting pretty good at making sure I eat all the right foods.

Lori

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About Me
, IN
Location
20.2
BMI
DS
Surgery
07/11/2007
Surgery Date
Jan 07, 2007
Member Since

Before & After
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139lbs

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