Shar Pei Kay
1-16-06
I am interested in having WLS. I consulted a surgeon last March. At that point I weighed my all time high of 658 lbs. with a BMI of 116.5, and I was bedridden. He told me that at that weight the surgery was just too risky, that I needed to get down to 500 lbs. and also become ambulatory. He recommeded Optifast for presurgical weight loss. I did do Optifast for a while, but eventually moved to just counting calories. At this point I have lost 163 pounds and have broken the magic number, now weighing 495. (Whoo hoo!) While I am still in bed most of the time, my mobility has increased significantly. I am able to get around the house somewhat using a walker and am able to sit up in a chair, sometimes for a couple of hours at a time. In the next few months I hope to start having my various pre-op tests done. I also want to keep increasing my mobility and get my weight as low as possible before surgery.
Some might ask why I still want WLS when I seem to be having such success "on my own." The answer is that I am not living in the real world right now, with all it's temptations. I am dependant on family members to provide me with food, and while they give me pretty much anything I ask for, it is very different than facing reality out there. I see WLS as the light at the end of a very looooong dark tunnel that I have lived in my entire life. I hope that after surgery I can become a "normal" weight and live the life of a normal person.
Just a few facts about myself: I am a 45 year old widow. I have two children, 18 and 21. They both still live with me and are both in college. The three of us are currently displaced by Hurricane Rita and are living with my parents. Our home is being repaired and we hope to get back home in the next few months.
Our entire family has serious weight issues. In the past couple of years both my brother and sister have had RNY and have done wonderfully. My brother's surgery was almost two years ago and he is at goal. He had to have an open procedure and had a boatload of complications initially. He was in the hospital for almost a month, but has done well since. He is doing great. He got married a few months ago and is over the moon happy. My sister's surgery was a little over a year ago and she has lost 160 lbs. or so. She had it done lap. and has never had a single complication.
So here I am waiting and working towards my goal. I have lurked a bit, but have decided to come out of hiding. Typing is awkward for me to do in bed and my computer can be cranky, but I have decided to make the effort and join in.
3-26-06
I haven't updated for a while so I thought I would fill everyone in on where things stand. I am currently jumping steadily through my pre-op hoops.
Get weight below 500 lbs. - done, now 464
Become ambulatory - done/continuing to work on
Informational meeting - done
Appointment with new PCP - done
Psych consult - done
Bloodwork - done
Cardiac consult - done
Pulmonary consult - test scheduled for tomorrow
Abdominal/gallbladder ultrasound - scheduled for tomorrow
Nutritionist consult - waiting for a call back to schedule
Sleep study - I am trying to skip this - apnea seems to be gone
When I finish these last couple of these things, it is back to the surgeon to get scoped and hopefully set a date! I hoping that will be in the next few weeks. I hope that I will be able to have surgery by early summer. I want to return to school in August and I want plenty of time to recover first. I will update more as I have news.
4-9-06
Get weight below 500 lbs. - done, now 456.4
Become ambulatory - done/continuing to work on
Informational meeting - done
Appointment with new PCP - done
Psych consult - done
Bloodwork - done
Cardiac consult - done
Pulmonary consult - done
Abdominal/gallbladder ultrasound - done
Nutritionist consult - done
Sleep study - canceled - don't have to have
Back to surgeon to get scoped - April 20
April 20, 2006
Gastroscopy - done
Waiting on a date!!!!!
4-24-06
Two major WOWs:
1st - Surgery is scheduled for May 22, 2006!!!!!!!!
2nd - We moved back into our own house today, 7 months to the day since the hurricane!
5-26-06
Back home. Surgery was Monday, everything went great!!!!!
5-30-06
I am 8 days out and went in for my first post op check up today. I weigh 429, which is down 24 1/2 lbs. from my last pre-op appointment 2 weeks ago. I am doing great and they say everything is right on track. They are letting me move to pureed foods today, whoo hoo!
6-21-06
I will be one month out tomorrow. Everything is going well. I am down to 415, as of today. That makes 39 lbs. down since surgery and 243 lbs. total loss.
7-11-06
Check up today, all is good. Weight - 401.5, down 52 lbs. since surgery. (7 weeks out) I had really hoped to break 400 today... Oh well, it's still good. : )
7-31-06
I have a new name. I have changed from Kaycee to Shar Pei Kay. I will let you guess why. LOL
8-8-06
I was 11 weeks out yesterday. I had a check up with my surgeon today. I am down 19.5 more lbs. That brings me down to 382. I have finally, finally broken 400! It feels SOOOOOO wonderful to be living in Threederland! My BMI broke 70 too, finally. It is 67.7 now. : ) I am down 71.5 lbs. since surgery. Life is good...
9-27-06
I am a little over 4 months post-op now. I weighed in today at 362.4. I am down 92 lbs. since surgery. I was really hoping to have lost 100... Oh, well, this is good too... I am just a little disappointed. Last time I was down 19.5 lbs in 4 weeks, this time I am down 19.6 in 7 weeks... I was averaging over 4 lbs. a week, this is less than 3 lbs. a week... I really am happy... just not AS happy as I had hoped to be...
