Donna W.
5 Month Anniversary!
Jan 08, 2007
Today is 5 months since my surgery! I have lost 70 pounds since the surgery, not including the 15 I lost before the surgery! I am feeling great! Just a few more pounds before I hit the 200 mark!
January 3, 2007 - Happy New Year!
Jan 03, 2007
Things are looking up....I am continuing to lose weight, although very slowly. On Jan. 7th it will be 5 months since my surgery. I have lost 67 pounds so far. I have had to buy a lot of new clothes. Even the new clothes are hanging off of me now.
I can now eat a lot more food than I could the last few months. To be honest it is a little bit scary, as I fear getting back into old habits. As long as I watch how much I eat in one sitting, and chew really good, I can tolerate most foods. I still have not had beef, except for an occasional bite or two of ground beef, which seems to go down well. Most meat seems very dry to me and forget about any leftover food. Reheated food is just too dry to eat.
I still have quite a ways to go, but I am very encouraged!
November 15, 2006
Nov 15, 2006
It has been very slow going......only have lost a few more pounds since the my last posting. It gets very discouraging at times. I seem to lose and gain back the same 2 or 3 pounds for a couple of weeks, and then the scale starts slowly dipping. I know I am doing everything right, so I don't understand why I seem to be different than most of the people who have had WLS. But I am trying to hang in there!
My old posts from 1/04/06 to 10/13/06
Oct 21, 2006
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I am in the first stages of the WLS process and I am very excited and very nervous. I have been overweight most of my life and I am finally getting tired of always being on a diet. I lose a lot of weight, and then put it right back on. Like almost everyone else on here, I have been on all the popular diets and weight loss meds, etc. My joints....and especially my feet hurt all the time. I have high blood pressure. All this will only get worse as I get older. I have done a lot of research on WLS and I have decided to go for it. I have never been much of a gambler....always going for the sure thing. But at this point in my life I am willing to take the risk and have the surgery. I think the benefits far out weigh the risks. I want to be "normal" again. I am trying not to dwell on the possible side effects.......I will deal with them when I need to. But for now I am just going to focus on the big picture of getting healthy and looking better!
I went to the community lecture at St. Josephs a few weeks ago and I was very impressed by their program and very inspired by the WLS patients that were there. It was good to hear from people who have actually experienced what I am about to go through. I have a consultation scheduled with my surgeon for tomorrow morning, May 24, 2006.
May 24, 2006
I had my consultation this morning with Dr. Johnsrud. I really liked him. He was very encouraging. Of course as soon as I left his office I thought of a ton more questions I should have asked him, but they will have to wait for now. I am very motivated now to make all my appointments and get the ball rolling here! He said I could possibly have my surgery in 4 to 6 weeks!
May 30, 2006
I had my consultation with the phychiatrist today. He is going to send in the paperwork saying that I am a good candidate for WLS surgery. I will begin attending pre-surgery group sessions as soon as they figure out where they are going to be held.
May 31, 2006
Had my appointment with the fitness people to get my RMR. Tomorrow I go back for an "exercise prescription"....they will teach me which muscles to work on, etc. I am working with a very nice trainer, Leo.
I have been on this site constantly - reading the WLS journals of many of the people that have had the surgery. I really cannot think of anything else lately but the surgery. I am so excited about the possibility of being thin again soon. Seeing everyone's 'before & after' photos is very inspiring.
June 6, 2006
Had my appointment with Kathleen, the Dietician. She was very nice and extremely informative about the process I will be going through to get the surgery. My letter, etc. will be submitted to the insurance company this week and with any luck we should have my approval within 2 weeks. If all goes according to plan I could be having my surgery in early August!
June 12, 2006
I was very surprised to hear from Taylor of Dr. Johnsrud's office today. I have already been approved! WOW! Now I'm getting nervous...things are really starting to happen! I meet her tomorrow morning to pick my surgery date, etc.
June 13, 2006
I got my surgery date today - it is AUGUST 7, 2006!!!
I have lots of tests/doctors appointments to be done prior to surgery. I've already got most of them scheduled, but waiting for a couple more authorizations to schedule the pulmonary and cardiac tests. Reality is really starting to set in now that I actually have a date. The doubts keep creeping up on me...."am I doing the right thing, etc...." It will be an interesting next couple of months! I called my family and told them...they are supportive, but I can hear the fear in their voices.
June 16, 2006
I went to my first "group therapy" session with SoCal Behavioral Health. It went "OK" I guess. They basically just talked about what would be discussed in the next 4 sessions - which seemed to me to be not very constructive time wise. I also discovered that I was not the only person who is not so thrilled with SoCal Behavorial Health. Apparently lots of people are dissatisifed, mainly because their office seems very unorganized - they don't return calls, say they left you messages when they did not, the doctor was late to the group session, they were not sure what room it was going to be in, etc.
Right now I am battling a new problem. When I went for my annual GYN checkup last week, the doctor discovered a little something on my breast. She said she did not think it was anything to worry about, but nevertheless is sending me for an ultrasound and a mammogram, and then to a breast doctor. Now I am very worried and it is frustrating that the imaging place could not fit me in for over a month! So finally it was bugging me so much yesterday that I called them back and pressed a little further....low and behold there is an opening next Friday!
So, right now the breast problem is first and foremost on my mind. I am worried that it could be worse than the doctor thought and ALSO that if there is a problem it could delay my WLS! I am trying to not dwell on it, but I cannot seem to get all this off my mind.
6/20/06....For some reason the imaging place rescheduled my mammo and ultrasound for today. I was there this morning and they said everything looked good! What a relief!
I also went to my first Support Group tonight. It was great! I really benefited a lot from hearing about everyone's experiences with WLS and I know that I will continue to go to them. I talked to a woman who is 7 months out and still goes to every single meeting. I was able to talk to a few people who had their surgery very recently, and others who are having it next week. It was great to learn so much about what happens in the hospital, etc. However, I do realize that everyone's experience with the actual surgery will be different.
I also met Heidi, the RN for the Bariatric Group, for the first time. She was great! When you go through something as serious as major surgery or a serious illness, it is so important to deal with caring and compassionate medical staff. I have found everyone that I have had to deal with in Dr. Johnsrud's office this way.
6/21/06
Still waiting for my authorizations for the EKG, cardiac tests, and pulmonary tests. Everything else is scheduled and moving right along. Oh....also received the results of the bone density test that I took last week. The results were "Normal".
7/17/06
Time for a short update. Three weeks and counting until my big day! I am so excited and I am looking forward to this big change in my life. I can only wonder what my life will be like after the surgery and how much better things will be. What does the future hold for me?
I have finally finished all my pre-op testing, except for the blood test which is to be done 2 weeks prior to surgery. I start the liquid diet next Monday...yuck! I am not looking forward to it. This week I go for my hospital orientation with Heidi and Kathleen. My mother will be going with me.
I have completed 3 of the 5 group therapy sessions. I do have to say that this psychiatric group seems a bit unorganized. Once again the doctor was 10 minutes late to the meeting. When he showed up he had no chalk/white board and had to find a scrap piece of paper to use as a sign-in sheet. We had to find another meeting room that had a white board. Not very professional, in my opinion.
8/3/06
WOW! Just a few more days to go! I am really excited. Not really nervous....just want to get it behind me. I'm just going to relax this weekend, do some meditating, take care of some last minute things. I am kinda bummed because there was another woman scheduled for surgery right after me, but unfortunately her surgery was cancelled due to some health issues. She is really upset about it - after going through so much to prepare for the big day, then a few days beforehand its gets cancelled. I feel very bad for her. I would be devastated if it was me. So now I guess I am the only one scheduled for sugery on Monday.
Tomorrow is obviously my last day of work for a while. My boss has been really good about it. He bought me a "get well gift" - a really nice down pillow and a great flannel pillowcase with cats all over it that his neighbor made. It is really nice! He has also offered to pay my insurance deductible for this surgery, which is quite a hefty amount! I am blessed with such a great friend and boss. I feel bad about leaving him for so many weeks to fend for himself, but I have tried to plan ahead and prepare him for things. I'm certain he'll be calling me alot.
The liquid diet is going good. It definitely got much better after the first several days. Although seeing photos of food, tv commercials, etc. are driving me crazy! I really long for some real food that I can chew....but I guess I better get used to this. This will be my life for a while.
Well, I'll probably post a little something on Sunday night, and send some "good luck" messages out to the other people on this site that are also having surgery on Monday.
August 7, 2006
Surgery Day! I am leaving for the hospital in about an hour. Couldn't sleep all night! Really beginning to get nervous....but hopefully it will all be over soon. Wish me luck!
August 14, 2006
Well, I am one week post op and officially on the losing side. However, it was quite an ordeal. Unfortunately, all did not go as planned in the hospital. The surgery seemed to go well, but that first night while in ICU I began vomiting blood. It got worse as the night continued. Dr. J thought I may have to go back into surgery to repair a leak, but by Tuesday evening the vomiting was less and they thought it was a staple leak on the inside of the pouch where it attaches to the intestine. He said it usually will repair itself. Wednesday morning they decided to send me for the leak test, which would not have been so bad had I not already been vomiting. It was really bad, but I passed the leak test. Thank God!
They were ready to send me out of ICU, which by the way was pure hell because of the noise level in there, down to a regular room, but at the last minute changed their minds because the vomitting started up again really bad. I had to have a blood transfusion on Wednesday night! The vomitting finally stopped around 10:00 Wed. night. The problem healed itself and luckily I did not have to have more surgery!
Finally on Thursday afternoon I went to a regular room and got my first food tray. All I really could eat was the broth, which by that time seemed like filet mignon - it was not that I was hungry, just needed some kind of nourishment.
I was released on Saturday and have been doing fine ever since. I get tired extremely easily and am taking it slow. I am really desiring something more than the liquid diet because I am so weak. One thing that has really helped is that instead of the canned broth, my mom was nice enough to make a big batch of her awesome chicken soup and then strain it for me. So I have been drinking that broth instead, which is great! Wednesday I go for my first post op class with the dietician and I am hoping that this is when I will get to actually chew something and get some protein in me! I also have my post op appointment with Dr. J and get my staples out!
Even with all the problems I have had, I don't regret the surgery. I know it was the right thing to do. More later!
August 27, 2006
Things are going fairly well. I've been on soft proteins for the last 2 weeks: yogurt, cottage cheese, beans, cheese, luncheon turkey and ham, lentil soup. I am very bored with all this and have been having a bit of pain when I eat. I am not certain if I am overeating (I don't really think I am) or if some foods are just not agreeing with me. Still trying to figure out how my new pouch is supposed to feel when I eat, etc. I've also been battling severe constipation. In the 20 days since the surgery I've lost 21 pounds...which is great news. I've been getting all my water in every day, but it hasn't been easy.
I get tired very easily. Seems like I have a burst of energy in the morning, which quickly goes away after doing one small activity, like take a shower, etc. Hopefully my energy level will improve soon. I'm thinking about going back to work right after Labor Day.
September 4, 2006
All is going quite well. I'm down 27 pounds since the surgery and 40 pounds since my first visit with the surgeon. I am going back to work tomorrow. I had one big problem last week which was a result of doing something really stupid. I was shopping at Costco and decided to try one of the samples of food that they give out. It was a slice of salami....and not a thin slice...it was kind of thick. Foolishly I ate it and boy was I sick. It just sat in my new pouch, causing me lots of pain as it tried to exit. I was vomiting for 2 hours until I finally got it up. It was pure hell! I will not make that stupid mistake again!
Other than that I am doing good with the food. I am learning exactly when to stop so that I do not get pain as a result of eating too much. I think it will be better once I go back to work as I will not be sitting at home dwelling on food. I need to keep busy. I have my one month post-op appointment with Dr. J on Wednesday and also with Kathleen. Hopefully, she is going to add a few more food choices to my diet.
September 15, 2006
Everything is going great! I went back to work on Sept. 5th and I have not had any problems. No real problems with food because I have learned how much food I can tolerate. As long as I don't take one bite too many, eat slow and chew good I do great.
Today I had another meeting with Kathleen the Nutrionist and she has added a few more items: eggs, tuna, canned chicken or salmon, imitation crab meat, and milk. I have to get 40 grams of protein in per day now.
I haven't lost any more weight in about a week...but I have decided to not worry about it and also to stop weighing myself everyday. I will now weigh myself once per week, although it will be difficult to resist.
September 26, 2006
Well...I am very DISCOURAGED! I have been on a pleateau for almost 3 weeks now! Have not lost a single pound. From what I have gathered here from others on the messageboard this is not so uncommon to hit a pleateau just one month out. I talked to several others who went through - or are going through - the same thing. Hopefully the scale will begin to move again soon, as this is really depressing me! I have been getting in all my water and protein, and going to the gym regularly.
October 14, 2006
The scale has finally started to move again. I am now down 43 pounds since the surgery and 56.5 since I started this WLS process. I lost an entire month being on that darn plateau....but there is no sense crying over spilt milk! At least it is moving again -even though it is a bit slow in my opinion.
It is great now that I can eat veggies and fruit, chicken, pork and fish. The possibilties are endless now! I have not had any major problems with the food, as long as I keep eating slowly, chewing really good and most importantly KNOW WHEN TO STOP. It is that one extra little bite that can make me feel miserable for hours.
My clothes are falling off of me and I am hesitant to buy anything new for a while. I still have a few things that I don't fit into yet...things that have been hanging in my closet for years that I will finally be able to wear soon. It is such a good feeling to have clothes be too loose, instead of too tight!
My only big issue right now is that I am finding it very difficult to find things to eat in restaurants. There is not much on the menus that I am willing to take a chance with, so I am trying to stay away from restaurants for the time being.
