stacy T.
I am 38. I have a family, my husband and my daughter who is 7. I have hip displaysia (just like a big dog ;) that has become worse as I have become more limited in my activities and gained weight. I feel like I am living a catch 22; exercise to loose weight to ease the load on your hips that hurt and dislocate all the time and keep you from exercising.....;-P
I have my pre approval letter from Aetna and have had my consult with Dr Rabkin of San Francisco. Surgery is planned for Oct 2000, at this point. I am on a wait list for cancellations and hoping to be done sooner. Now that I have decided to do this (took a year and a half) I want it DONE!!!!
I will be having a Distal Gastric Bypass / Duodenal Switch. I don't have a problem with sweets and I HATE throwing up, so I'm going to pay the extra and wait the longer time for a surgery date and have a more *ordinary* relationship with food after my surgery.
I want to play with my daughter, be active like I used to be, enjoy all the sweet and good things life has to offer with out feeling as if my body were a ball and chain that I am shackled too. I want my life back!!
My surgery was Nov.28th '00
I am 2 weeks post-op now and recovering normally. I am learning to eat in portions that suit my new tummy and I am able to eat whatever I feel like having. I concentrate on getting in the protein first and keeping my fluid intake up and so far, so good. Emotionally I am pretty stable these days, considering I am recovering from surgery and I am pleased with how fast I am healing. My energy levels are still low but the pain has reduced enough that I'm pretty much done with meds for it, and I get around pretty well. I even drove yesterday!
Feb 13th
At ten (or so) weeks I am feeling really good. I have been back to work since week 7 and every week finds me with more energy and fewer clothes in my closet.... The stack by the door is 4' high now as I discard stuff that doesn't fit cause it's TOO BIG!!!!
I'm down to 183 now so my BMI is 34.6, which makes me plain old * overweight* now, not even *obese*. Life is challenging. Food is difficult. I am happy. Not eating is sometimes easier than eating what's good for me (protein) and I get so sick of meat....and tofu.... and scrambled eggs... I had some caesar salad last week and really regretted it... lettuce is not my friend for some reason....
Shrimp are my latest fav food. They go down easy ;)
My scars have faded to hardly anything and sex is starting to be more fun now that moving doesn't hurt. Last weekend I was treated like a sexual being by a man who was not my husband ( he has always thought I was sexy, but it's kinda like yer mom saying you are pretty... it doesn't really count ;)
Boy did that bring back memories. My Spouse says he's gonna become a muslin and make me take that veil if this keeps happening! lololol!
I now walk faster than my daughter and she complains that I go *too much* now that my hips hurt less. It's all music to my ears!
March 5th
I am down 45lbs this week, which puts me at 175 and I continue to feel better each week. Lots of folks want details about the surgery and post op period, so reader beware; Small Amounts of Gore Ahead!
I was scheduled for 7am surgery. The night before I did the prep stuff. It was really difficult for me. I wasn't able to keep the Fleets down, and finally got ahold of my GP who sent my husband to the pharmacy to get a magnesium based oral enema. IT was massively disgusting, but it didn't hit my tummy and immediately flip back up, so I was relieved that I was able to keep it down. I was NOT able to do it twice, but I hadn't eaten much for the 2 days before, so I didn't figure there was much to get *cleaned out* anyhow…..My Husband took me to CPMC that morning. I felt pretty calm. The phlebotomist had a horrid time and couldn't get the iv line in. Finally the 3rd person was able to find a vein in the back of my hand at the wrist. Not a great location and I had bruises for weeks after at all the sites they attempted. I'm a hard stick on a good day and I think I was dehydrated from all the stuff I took the day before getting ready. I talked to the anestheioligst and told her my history of reaction for general anasthetic. She was really nice and did a great job. I walked to the OR and climbed up on the bench they do the surgery on. They started to strap me down and gave me a shot to begin the process. I was INSTANTLY drowning in spit and had huge waves of nausea rolling over me and I panicked. The nurse had me unstrapped and responded to my GET ME UP! Really fast. Lots of deep breathing and 5 minutes later I was ok again and laid back down. They told me it was a response to the shot. I chatted for a little bit with the OR staff and looked at the surgical instruments they use for lap surgery, then as I got groggy I wished them luck and nodded off.
After that things are pretty skechy…. I remember it hurting SO Bad and telling the Dr I wanted to get up. Some how I thought if I got out of the bed I could get away from the pain. Boy was I wrong……. 3 steps later and I was collapsing. I have another flash of my husband whispering to me "push the button if it hurts, push the button" but no matter how much I pushed it it didn't help. That was the morphine pump. Once I woke up a bit and my Daddy was sitting at the foot of the bed and I was so relieved to see him there. I highly recommend having someone with you ALWAYS until you are coherent. Things were so unreal and incoherent….and I hurt so bad. The good news is I don't remember anything more than that of the first 3 days. I was pretty much unconscious and missed it all. I had a bad reaction to the morphine and then they gave me something else to counteract it but it went the other way and for a while I guess I had no pain relief at all (when I crawled outta the bed, per my husband) because I was having respitory problems. They couldn't wake me up. At all. Not by shaking or yelling or anything. A mixed blessing……
So, 3 days after surgery is when my personal recall really begins. I missed the leak test and everything, it was all done while I was so out of it. I was thirsty and in pain when I woke up. The stuff on the hospital tray was disgusting. The bed was uncomfortable. Getting up hurt. Lying down hurt, moving hurt, not moving hurt. I walked anyway because everyone said it's the only thing that helps and they are right. It got the guts moving and gas going so I got a bit of relief. I had wimpy pain killers at that point because they were worried I'd have more problems. That sucked big time and at the time I was pissed they didn't give me anything that really helped. But I survived it and it's all over, so it's ok. I went home on day 4 so by my memory I was only there for a day. I felt bad at home too and the ride home was hard. I cried a lot I was so worn out from the pain.
Then the magic happened. 7 nights after the surgery the gas went away. I remember waking up at 1am and going to the bathroom and all of a sudden I thought "Ok, cool, I AM going to survive this!" The hard bloating in my belly was gone and the twisting pain in my gut was gone. That morning I felt SO MUCH BETTER! After days of propping on pillows, trying to kneel, every move hurting I was finally on my way to recovery. At that point the pain killers I had were enough to mask the pain and by the end of the week I was even getting out a little bit!
Some days have been better than others and there have been times when I felt pretty worn out. But in general, every day I am better than the day before and now I am up to full speed - plus some!
We are taking our first vacation in 9 years and our first trip to Paris EVER at the end of the month and I can HARDLY wait!
July '01
Wow, time is flying by!! I am down to 145 lbs now and have a bmi of 28 and am wearing a size 10. I have begun riding agin and am SO HAPPY!!! I had not been on a horse for 5 years beacuse of my weight and health. I feel great! My daughter, now 8 says to me "wait up mama, you go TOO fast!!!" never before did she say that, instead it was always "honey, slow down, mama can't go that fast...." What a world of difference this has made for me. She is taking up riding and we are going to enjoy it together, something I have dreamed about since her birth, but never thought would happen.... I continue to eat LOTS of protein and try to keep the carbs out of the picture somewhat. But I do NOT diet, I pretty much eat whatever I want ;) It's just that now what I "really" want is meat. Go figure ;-# (smiley with teeth...) on another front.....Sex is great again, now mind you it never went away..... but BOY is it more fun again!!! Next to marrying my wonderful husband, this surgery is the best thing I have ever done for myself. Really. I am so thankful that I have done this. The rewards are endless and life is filled with good things.
Sept. '01
Down to 133 now and walking a mile + every day to my daughters school for exercise. I flew to Palms Springs on business last week and fit into a tiny seat on an 18 seater comuter plane. The 2 ladies sitting behind me were both very m.o. (sisters)and needed seatbelt extenders. I felt so bad for them.....But I don't feel like it's appropriate to be preaching the word like a born again.... so I didn't say anything. I was starving and ate 3 bags of almonds and felt like *they must be thinking 'what a pig, and she's so skinny'*
I ate them anyway, cause a hungry Stacy is a crabby Stacy and that's all there was! We ate at a huge hotel brunch buffet and I just couldn't see paying 30 bucks for my 6 bites, so I ordered a side of bacon and nibbled a few bites from my friends plates. One california roll and a bite of roast beast, a nibble of biscut with gravey and I snitched a chocolate dipped strawberry for dessert. I feel like most of my meals out are buffets now. All my friends are well trained and offer me bites ;-) I hardly ever order. Just pass my bread plate around. Everyone is happy to split a meal with me cause they get *most* of it ;)
Two friends are getting ready to be switched this year and I am helping them along thru the process. I'm so happy to be able to share this with them!
January '02
Over a year out now! My weight loss seems to be tapering off, only down 2 lbs this month, and thats fine with me!
I havent ever been a size 4/6 before, I went straight from girls sizes to 10/12 womens when puberty hit, so this is a new experience for me.
Life is good, I am busy, the last year has been one of amazing change and now I am looking at the rest of my life laid out before me; possibilities seem endless ;)
December '02
I now seem to be always between 118 and 120 depending on the time of day and month. At 118 my size 4 jeans fit great and at 120 my size 6 jeans are the preferred choice. My daughter is 9 now and she and I are enjoying swimming and the climbing gym together these days.
My Husband and I are busy with work and life, but we make a point to spend time just the 2 of us as often as is practical. I had a funny experience a few days ago. When I was fat and anyone commented on my weight I just smiled and said 'yes but only on the outside' in regards to my being fat. Usually it was small children who didn't have any inhibitions about verbalizing what they thought.
The other day a friend walked up to me and said 'you are so skinny' and I replied, without even thinking about it 'yes but only on the outside' Isn't it funny that some things really change so little in the end. I am the same person I ever was, but more so, now that there is less of me ;-)
November 28th 2003
The third anniversary of my surgery
http://www.sonic.net/~veillady/amos/blkskirt.jpg
It's so funny that i celebrate the anniversary of my weightloss surgery on a day dedicated to over eating... The irony never ceases to amaze me!
It's been a good year... My daughter is growing so fast and I am enjoying her so much. That has been one of the biggest blessings of loosing weight.. I am able to do so much more with her!
My husband had his knees repaired last summer, and a month ago we were at a wedding where there was a wonderful band. With my hips so much better and his knees working again, well we danced all evening.. waltzes, foxtrots, polkas, mazurkas, swing.... it was SO much FUN! It had been maybe 10 years since we had been able to do that and we really enjoyed it immensly!
One sort of a good news bad news thing is I have developed a couple of small hernias which have given me a little trouble... So I am slated for surgery to repair them. The good news in all of this is that I am going to get my bladder tucked up and the uterus removed so that i won't be leaky and no more periods from hell... at 41 I just dont need it. As long as I'm gonna be opened up... I figured make it a full service stop! the abdominoplasty gets taken care of too at the same time. All in all it should be worth it. I wouldn't have done anything about the other problems, but the few times the hernias have bothered me they have been *very* painful and since i am going to be in surgery anyhow, it seems like it makes sense. I think it will go well and be worth it...
September 04
Wow... coming up on another anniversary in a few months. Hard to believe its been so long when it seems like just last week...
I am still holding comfortably at 118-122 and I eat what I want when I want.. and prolly more chocolate than I should *grin*
I take my vitamins and minerals every day (almost) and I get lots of calcium thru milk and cheese products. I have become something of a thrift shop clothes horse and am enjoying fashion more all the time. It's fun to dress up.. or down...
My daughter is solidly into puberty at 11, and is having her 2nd period right now. I can already see her body changing and I worry alot and try to help her stay fit and healthy, but if her body follows the family pattern and continues to get heavier I will be taking her to Dr Rabkin as soon as He says she is old enough to be treated. There's no reason on earth for her to wait until she is in her late 30's like I did! I hope she does not have to go thru what I did, but its looking like genes are running true. I am just grateful that she has options I didn't at that age. I think that 16 or 18 is the bottom end for the surgery, so we have a few years to go trying to find other ways to control her weight without giving her a complex about it.
it's a waiting game now...
Photos
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Weight Loss Survey Responses
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Surgeon Info:
Surgeon: Robert Rabkin, M.D.
He is a soft spoken, calm person with a dry sense of humour. He is NOT pretencious at all! His staff is full of caring and upbeat people, and when they say they will do something they have done it, and quickly. Dr Rabkin has an extensive pre AND post op care program. Monthly support meetings and ongoing education as well as follow up visits thru out your life are an important part of his practise. I have meet dozens of the patients he has worked on over many years, and not one of then hasd ever had a negative thing to say about him as a surgeon or doctor. A few of then don't get his brand of subtle humour, but feel he is sensitive and caring, none the less. Dr Rabkin makes clear the assorted riskes of this surgery and actually goes one step further. All of his patients must go thru a 2 hour educational session with a surgical nurse that explains ALL the assorted versions of Weight Loss Surgery. After that you take a test, to prove you were listening ;) Then you get to see the Doctor. I am extreamly happy with my experience thus far, and have every expectation of maintaining that high opinion of him throughout and beyond my surgery. The one thing that has been problimatic is the insurance and fees. Dr Rabkin has a retainer of 3k that covers the pre and post op care. I have an insurance deductible of 2k and after that am 100% covered. At this point it's not clear what i actually will have to pay, and i wish it was not quite so obcsure, but I have submitted my question about that and expect to know shortly what the situation is. Dr Rabkin has a very informative and well presented web page about his pracitse at http://www.pacificsurgery.com/index.htm Dr Rabkin is one of the few surgeons in the world who routinely does the Ds laparoscopically.
Insurer Info:
Aetna, PPO
They are reluctant to commit and my Dr said the pre approval letter is the lamest he has ever seen. I had a very extensive medical history and a life long history of my weight from age 8, and my Dr who recomended the surgery wrote an additional letter that said what they needed to hear, so they were pretty quick about it.