dmiles111
Comments From Old Profile
Jan 29, 2007
Favorite Saying - "I'm just 5 or 6 plastic surgeries away from being somebody's trophy wife."
Second Favorite Saying - "I was born blonde and I will die blonde if it takes every penny I have!"
My Story: Here’s one you haven’t heard – I’ve been overweight all my life and I come from an obese family. I’ve tried many different diets and diet pills with some success, but regained all the weight plus more every time. I’ve been a bad yo-yo dieter over the last few years. Unbelievably, I had no co-morbidities other than some recent knee and shoulder pain. I felt like I was right on the border line for developing diabetes, HBP, sleep apnea, you name it. I never considered having WLS. I thought it sounded really scary and was just not for me at all. I always thought I could eventually lose the weight on my own. I first started looking into WLS for my brother’s benefit. Then I realized that a lot of people who weigh less than me have this surgery and a light bulb went on. Then I found out that my insurance would cover it if it was medically necessary so I started considering it for myself. Although I was undecided, I started going through the necessary steps for surgery. I kept reminding myself that I could back out at any time.
311/169/145
-142 pounds!!
09/03/03 - I attended my informational seminar and couldn’t believe how many interested people were there. From this meeting, my first consultation with the surgeon was scheduled.
10/06/03 - Initial Consultation – They weighed me on he biggest scale I had ever seen in my life. I think it went up to something like 900 pounds. I had gained 70 pounds over the last eight months. I couldn’t believe it. I was at an all-time high. Since I did not have any other comorbidities from the weight, I didn't know if I was a candidate for this surgery or not. I was surprised when Dr. Givens told me I was the ideal candidate and he could do it lap. He said as soon as they had the results of my psych exam, they would draft a letter and submit for insurance approval. One thing from this consultation did surprise me - Dr. Givens said to me, "You can't lose the weight on your own" as if surgery was my "only hope". I think I can lose the weight, I just can't keep it off and always gain back a lot more than I ever lost. I should add that I had a lot of faith in these surgeon's technical skills. They seem to have performed so many of these procedures that they have a really good handle on the possible complications to look for and take measures to prevent as many as possible.
10/14/03 - Psychological exam. This seemed like a big joke and a big waste of money to me. I answered about 150 true/false questions and the doctor asked me about my strengths, weaknesses and my family. The true/false questions seemed designed to find out if I was a pathologigal liar, or a drug or alcohol abuser. I didn't see what any of that had to do with my understanding or being ready for the surgery. BIG WASTE OF MONEY AND TIME!
10/21/03 - I found out I was approved. I was really surprised. I was prepared to have to appeal.
I spent the next couple of months eating and planning my last meals. Actually, I ate every meal like it was my last one.
01/05/04 – Pre-surgical tests and interview. I had gained 8 pounds since my initial consultation. My BMI was 53.5. This was the last time I was weighed prior to surgery.
01/09/04 - Had my vena cava filter placed. No complications and no noticeable scar. Dr. Givens did not mention my needing a vena cava filter at my initial consultation, so I was surprised when I got a call telling me I had been scheduled to get one. He did ask about my family history of blood clots and whether or not I had ever had one. I have no family history of blood clots and have never had one. The surgeon's office never explained why I needed one. After asking several people at support group meetings and calling the office a couple of times, I received answers ranging from "I think everybody gets a filter now" to "BMI's over 50 get them". No one ever gave me a definite answer. Prior to the procedure, I had learned a lot about vena cava filters from the internet and group meetings and felt like I was better off with it than without it. Having it in place now is pretty much a non-issue. After I had been prepped for the outpatient surgical procedure, Dr. Strickland stopped by to talk to me. He asked if I had been told all about the filter and was really surprised when I told him "no". He apologized for that several times and proceeded to tell me all about it. I felt really comfortable with him after that conversation. He also explained exactly what I could expect during the procedure since I would be awake. The simple procedure was done through the groin and I had no pain at all and no complications. The way I see it, I will still receive its protection from DVT after any future surgeries I may have. It is not supposed to cause any complications by being there at all. From what I've read, it seems like much of the controversy over filters came from complications that could arise during the placement and deployment. Fortunately, mine was placed without a hitch.
01/23/04 – surgery day – Spent 4 days / 3 nights in the hospital with NO complications. I do not remember being in recovery at all. The first thing I remember is waking up several times in my room and saying "I hurt - I feel sick" over and over. The first night I was made to get up and walk a little in the hall. I'm not usually a baby about these things, but the pain was SO bad I cried the whole time I was up. Later that night I found out my IV was infiltrating into my arm and the demerol was NOT getting into my system. That explained the excrutiating pain. Once your pain gets that bad, it is hard to get it under control again, so I ended up being in A LOT more pain all around that I had planned. Once the IV was removed and I was put on pain medication by mouth, I started feeling a lot better.
About 24 hours after surgery, I had the test done to check for leaks. I was taken down to the x-ray area. They stood me in front of this big metal plate and told me to drink sips of two different things while they x-rayed. I don't know which one was worse. I will always remember that test as the time I had to drink the NASTIEST things on earth. It was so nasty I wanted to hurl. As soon as I got back to my room, I just wanted to rinse my mouth out with water, but nobody would get me any water! The nurse kept looking for some mouthwash. I thought I was going to start screaming. I finally managed to make it to the sink and grab something that would hold water and rinse my mouth out. I felt SO much better.
The rest of my hospital stay was uneventful.
01/26/04 – The roads were very icy, but my husband managed to make it to the hospital to take me home. We had to stop on the way home to get my three prescriptions filled. They were for (1) pain, (2) acid reducer, (3) blood thinner, and (4) something that was supposed to coat my stomach to aid in healing. Got home from the hospital about 2:00 PM. Due to the severe ice storm, our power went out at about 2:20 PM and stayed out all night. This was NOT the homecoming I was expecting. I was feeling really down and in a lot of pain so I just took my pain meds and went to sleep. The house got colder and colder all night. I was so miserable.
01/27/04 – Woke up very cold and in pain. I had my husband start calling to get reservations so we could go to a hotel. Took pain meds – still feeling really down. THEN, the power came back on about 10:00 AM. THANK THE LORD!
I spent the next week or so wondering what I had done to myself. All I kept thinking was “Be careful what you ask for.” I was extremely weak, in pain, depressed and freezing all the time. I couldn’t find anything to smile about at all. I was dehydrated and was having trouble figuring out what I was supposed to be consuming. I wanted to eat really bad but couldn’t. It was terrible.
02/07/04 - At about my second week post-op, I started to feel better and less depressed. I was starting to figure out what I could eat or drink each day. Two weeks after surgery, I found this great web site! I really wish I had found it during the planning stages.
At my two week checkup, I had lost 21 pounds and was disappointed. Dr. Givens said I was right on track and my extreme fatigue was completely normal at this stage. He said it would improve. I remember telling Dr. Givens that I still didn't think the surgery was going to work and I'd lose only a little bit of weight. He gave me a funny look and I'm SURE he was thinking "If that's the way you feel, why on earth did you have surgery?"
02/16/04 – returned to work. By this time, three weeks out, I was feeling a lot better and enjoying not having any appetite. I felt like a great big science experiment at work.
03/11/04 - I haven’t been getting nearly enough exercise. My energy level has improved so much that I actually started walking on my treadmill again today! I am really excited about that.
03/14/04 – down 42 pounds. I have finally lost enough to be out of the size 26/28’s I could barely fit into before surgery. I am really feeling good lately and my energy level is way up. I find this really surprising because I am consuming only about 450 to 700 calories a day. I actually cleaned the refrigerator today. That was just out of the question before my surgery. I am really glad I had this surgery.
03/23/04 - 2 month anniversary - I have lost 47 pounds. I am disappointed. I was really hoping to lose 50 pounds in the first two months. I feel so much better though that I am still grateful for the 47 pound loss. People at work are starting to comment on how good I look. I think they're just trying to be nice because I'm still SO HUGE. I've been feeling bad with a sore throat for 4 days and went to my PCP today. BP was down to 120/64. Their scale is one of those LYING scales. It weighed me a few pounds more than mine at home so I ignored it. I found out I have tonsilitis. Now I am wondering if I will absorb enough of the anitbiotic to make a difference. I can only hope.
03/25/04 - The scale is stuck. I've been really good except for that Bojangles sausage biscuit I had three days ago. My totals for the day were still good though. I'm trying to weigh only once a week, but sometimes I just have to get on and see. I think I need to buy a new scale that DOES NOT LIE. I am SO impatient to get this weight off!!!
The weight I have lost seems to have come off only in certain places. I can tell a big difference in my face, neck, hands, forearms, around by ribs and feet. My lower belly and behind seem to be hanging on for dear life.
03/26/04 - This just was not a good week at all. The scale is still stuck and I'm all "migrainy" feeling. I've been kind of nauseated this week, was really busy at work all week and haven't been on the treadmill. BAD BAD BAD!!!
03/28/04 - FINALLY lost 2 more pounds and back on the treadmill! Planning a trip to a great cabin in the Smokey Mountains for week after next. Can't wait to go and get away from it all. Maybe I can make it to the top of Clingman's Dome without having a heart attack. We'll see.
03/31/04 - 50 POUNDS GONE!!!
04/14/04 - 54 pounds lost. We just returned from a trip to the Tennessee mountains. We drove to Clingmans Dome, which is the highest point in Tennessee, and I ACTUALLY MADE THE STEEP HALF MILE HIKE ALL THE WAY TO THE TOP!!! We've been there twice before and I've never been able to make it all the way up the trail to the top of the tower. It was a very clear day and the view was breathtaking in all directions. I never would have been able to do that without my recent weight loss. Even with all the UPHILL walking and stair climbing I did on this vacation, I barely lost a pound over the whole week. I brought all the necessary protein shakes, road trip turkey jerky and other special foods. I thought I was prepared, but surprisingly, I found it hard to be a WLS patient while on vacation. Over and over, I found myself thinking about all the really good things I would eat while away on vacation, then I remembered that I had these new restrictions. Everybody else was eating all the Krispy Kreme doughnuts they could hold and I had some pork rinds. Even though I was physically full, I really wanted to be able to eat more. Now that I'm back, I am VERY glad my tool did its job for me! Now I can see why I always gained weight on vacations in the past. I guess losing a pound while on vacation wasn't really that bad. Going on vacation after WLS was definitely a learning experience for me.
04/15/04 - 55 pounds gone!
04/30/04 - 61 pounds gone!!! I can't believe it!
I had a grilled chicken breast for lunch two days ago and felt really bad for the rest of the day and part of the next day. Then I remembered about three weeks ago I had part of a chicken breast and felt the same way for about 24 hours. I don't think I will have any more chicken for quite a while!
05/06/04 - 62 pounds gone. Here are some thoughts on how I've been doing and what I've been eating.
Right now I am TOTALLY shocked that I have lost 62 pounds. I know I don't get enough exercise (I spend too much time on this computer!) I also have trouble drinking enough water. I know I'm not getting in 64 oz. every day. Lately I've been drinking more Crystal Light and other flavored waters just for the variety. I really like AquaCal. I do get my protein in every day though. I tried a lot of protein powder samples and purchased three that I really like - Syntrax Nectar in Very Berry Cherry and Fuzzy Navel and Labrada Proplete Gold in Chocolate Peanutbutter. The next one I buy will probably be the Nectar Caribbean Cooler flavor. One tip - I found that I had to add two packets of Splenda to each shake to make it tolerable. I drink an Atkins ready made shake for breakfast every day and lately I've been getting the rest of my protein for the day from food. I typically eat sliced lunch meat (ham, turkey, etc), beef jerky, pork rinds, cottage cheese, co-jack and string cheese and sugar free popsicles every day. I track my daily intake of protein, carbs, calories, etc. in an Excel spreadsheet. I found FitDay.com to be awkward to use for this. My diet is not very exciting, but when the weight is coming off, I get happier and happier with it. I found recently that I was not taking in enough calories and wasn't losing any weight. I increased my calories from maybe 500-700 per day up to 900-1000 and started losing again. Whodathunkit?
Learning to eat and lose weight after WLS has been pretty much trial and error with me. I have found the OH messageboard to be a FABULOUS source of information and support. I definitely think it has helped me to lose more weight than I would have on my own.
05/23/04 - Today is my 4 month anniversary and I have lost 69 pounds!!!
06/04/04 - Well. I finally lost 2 or 3 more pounds for a total loss of 72 pounds down to 239. I've been on a stall and felt like I hadn't lost anything in nearly two weeks. Yesterday I didn't even record my food which is HIGHLY unusual. I ate part of a Frito Chili Pie and drank a reduced calorie cherry limeade from Sonic. Then last night I ate a very small piece of pizza, a small handful of sugar free Russell Stover M&M type things and some beef jerky. I was going to eat some almonds, but I couldn't find the can. I was so stuffed! I can't believe I had the nerve to get on the scale today, but Friday is the day I weigh so I got on. I couldn't believe I was down 3 pounds!!!!
06/05/04 - GEEZ!!! Down two more pounds since yesterday! YIPEE!! I'm planning a trip to Myrtle Beach in two weeks. I can't wait. I'll actually be tanning on the beach! I haven't been able to go to the beach in over ten years. It's so nice being able to go so many more places and in SO much more comfort.
06/09/04 - OK. I finally broke down and bought some actual whole flax seeds today. I couldn't remember how to get to this particular health food store that I had in mind so I ended up at the Fresh Market. I bought two little half pound bags at $4.99/pound. OUCH! Then I bought a little coffee grinder at Wal-Mart. They had two different ones, one for $12.99 and one for $19.99. I ground some up and all I could find to mix it in was cottage cheese. That was a mistake. I'll keep experimenting until I find something good to put it in.
Thanks to Tooter for educating us about the numerous benefits of fresh ground flax seed. I've been taking the capsuls, but now I'm really looking forward to experiencing the benefits of the fresh ground seed.
If I'm going to be shopping in health food stores, I'm going to have start wearing Birkenstocks! (Just kidding - I already wear Birkenstocks - but ONLY with pants!)
06/07/04 – My 4 ½ month check up with the surgeon was today. They didn’t do anything but weigh me and send me over to the hospital to have blood drawn. I have lost 75 pounds. Dr. Givens said I was doing very, very well. Then he made a strange comment that I just can’t believe. He said I could quite possibly be at my goal weight by Christmas. Gee, that’s ONLY 95 pounds away! How could I possibly lose 95 more pounds in only just under 7 months? I’ll believe that one when I see it. I asked him again how much small intestine was bypassed and he answered without looking at my chart. 120 centimeters. He said the size of the pouch was more important than the amount of intestine bypassed in your overall weight loss. We’ll see. He didn't ask to see my scars or anything. Luckily I haven't been having any problems and have been losing a good bit of weight because there was pretty much nothing to this check-up. I suppose if I need any nutritional advice, I am free to make an appointment with the nutritionist. (By the way, I was never required to meet with the nutritionist prior to surgery. I also asked for an angel and never got one.) I really feel like I'm on my own with this thing. I'm SO thankful for this site for advice!!! He handed me a slip and said I would be having some lab work done. He never said exactly what was being checked or when I would be given the results. The person at the front desk just shrugged her shoulders when I asked how long it took to get the results back. I had to pay for this office visit since it was not included in the surgeon’s fee for the aftercare. I noticed that a diagnosis of “vitamin b12 deficiency” was written on the form I gave to the front desk. Although nobody ever said so, that must have been put there so insurance would cover the visit, because my blood hadn't even been drawn yet. They scheduled me to come back in 6 more months. I went over to the hospital and had some blood drawn. No one there seemed to know anything about when I would get the results either.
Even though this surgeon has performed hundreds and hundreds of RNY's and I have had absolutely no complications, it would be nice to be with a group that has better aftercare and a little more patient involvement. There are support group meetings I can attend, but those are held only once a month. Again, I am so very thankful for the resources offered by the members of this site. I feel like the daily motivation and support I get here have been instrumental in my weight loss success so far.
06/14/04 - One week later and I have not heard anything from Dr. Givens' office about my labs. I've left a voicemail for his nurse, Joey. Maybe she will call me back. Update: I finally heard back from her and found out I have really low iron. I am now taking an iron supplement twice a day. I can't believe she told me that low iron is something completely different from anemia and low hemoglobin. Amazing. It least I have the internet and other sources for better medical advice.
06/24/04 - I JUST GOT BACK FROM M Y R T L E B E A C H!!! (Note the palm trees in my profile.) Myrtle Beach is not a tropical paradise by any stretch of the imagination, but is a "beach" nonetheless. It has to have been 13 years since I've been able to go to the beach. I have missed it SO much. When I was tanning on the beach, watching the clouds (and eye candy) go by and listening to the crashing waves, I WAS JUST IN HEAVEN. Nobody in my family understands why I was so excited to be on the beach, but I'm sure you all do! I can die happy now.
07/26/04 – This is long, but please read! My six month anniversary was last Thursday. As of today, I am down 88 pounds to 223. I would consider that about average for someone of my starting weight of 311.
My Job Situation - I found out that my job is being eliminated due to EVIL human resources outsourcing and was really stressing over it. I later found out that my job is safe until probably March of 2005 and have relaxed a LITTLE more about it now. I am just SO grateful that my surgery is behind me and I have lost enough weight that I can interview with more confidence without feeling like I shouldn’t have even bothered because of my weight.
My Little Stall - I was on a small stall over the last two weeks. I think this one was strictly my own fault. Because of stress (see My Job above) I think I’ve just been eating too many carbs in the form of crackers, and some fried foods and too many calories in general. I have found that I can drink beer and wine with no problem. Actually, there doesn’t seem to be anything I can’t eat or drink. Only too large of a quantity of something bothers me. I have never dumped, am rarely nauseated and have not thrown up once since my surgery. I refuse to eat anything larger than a drop or crumb size portion of something that I know has sugar. I think that if I ever just went and ate a regular old cookie or something, I would think I could get away with it on a regular basis and would completely sabotage my surgery. I had stopped keeping my daily food log too. A few days ago, I started back with my food log and went back to eating only what I knew I should and the weight started falling off again. My clothes are getting all loose again. My feet continue to shrink. I had to tighten the straps on the old Birkenstocks today.
Life At 6 Months Out - My life is so much better now than it was 88 pounds ago that sometimes it’s hard to believe I can actually lose MORE weight. I keep feeling complacent like I am finished although I am still 83 pounds from my goal of 140. I have NEVER really thought ANYTHING could get me close to my goal weight (other than some kind of serious, debilitating illness), so I still find it hard to believe that I might possibly get that small. Then I get really excited when more pounds disappear, like they did over the weekend and think, maybe there is something to this weight loss surgery thing! The most weight I ever lost before surgery was 85 pounds. Of course I gained it all back plus a lot more. I am very pleased that I have exceeded my previous personal weight loss record.
More Ramblings - I remember feeling so manic as a pre-op, wondering about how horrible life would be after surgery and whether or not I could deal with the changes I would have to make. I had always felt that weight loss surgery was just too radical and would never be something I would consider for myself. I didn’t make up my mind to go through with it until I had to go in for outpatient surgery to have my vena cava filter placed. Now that I am six months post-op, I would have to say that all that time I spent worrying was time wasted. I have been so free of complications and have lost so much weight, I now do not see why anyone would be scared to do it. Maybe I was in denial, but I never once felt like I might die on the operating table. I know the surgery is just not for everybody and I have to make a real effort NOT to recommend it to every obese person I see on the street. (I’ve never actually done that, but I think about it all the time!)
Any Regrets – I have only two regrets. 1) That I didn’t think to do it 5 years ago and 2) my success has not convinced my brother who desperately needs to lose weight to look into it. I served as a living guinea pig for him for Pete’s sake! He is the reason I now believe this surgery is good for a lot of people, but not for everybody. His whole life is eating. If he couldn’t eat large meals, I think he would just die from sadness. He is the type of person that would NEVER consider using antidepressants. I have no idea why he is satisfied to live like he does. His knees and back hurt so much that many times, I have to do his grocery shopping for him. He has congestive heart failure and pretty severe lymphedema with many open wounds on his legs. He was hospitalized about 3 years ago for several months for something very similar to Momma Angel, something that started like pneumonia where he was just filling up with fluid. He had to have a tracheostomy put in, which he still has. He acts like having it doesn’t bother him at all. He has to hook up a breathing machine to this thing to sleep every night. He can barely make it to work every day and I feel like it is just a matter of time before he loses his job and has to go on disability. Food is the love of his life. Why would he want to give up his one true love? Great, now I'm depressed!
I am working on getting an updated picture on my profile.
08/12/04 - Well, I finally squeeked out two more pounds and am down to 221 for a total loss of 90 pounds.
10/02/04 - I am down a total of 102 lbs. and finally have an updated picture.
10/17/04 - I am down to 202 pounds for a total loss of 109. I am no longer considered severely obese. I am just obese. Life is SO much better.
11/19/04 - Down to 197 - weight loss has definitely slowed down, but still happening. I think due to stress over my impending unemployment and a good job offer I had to turn down, I had gotten into a rut of consuming way too many calories in the form of wine and crackers over the last month or so. Wine bottles do not show the calorie or carb content on the label and I had convinced myself that it couldn't be all that bad. Then I looked it up on fitday.com and realized right away why I wasn't losing any more weight. As soon as I cut out the wine and went back to pretty much eating all protein and little to no carbs, I started losing again pretty quickly. I feel like I have gotten back on track as far as my carbs and calories, so I am hoping to lose 10 more pounds by this time next month.
I am actually considering getting on the dance floor at our company Christmas party which is in three weeks. However, my thighs are SO jiggly, I might knock somebody out. I guess I'll just have to bind my flab in black spandex and hope for the best.
I feel SO much better this holiday season than last year. I can tell such a difference just in the things I want to do. I can't wait to go out and shop and want to put up Christmas lights on EVERYTHING. The last few years, I've hated the idea of Christmas shopping and could barely even get a Christmas tree up in the house. This surgery has improved my life in SOOO many ways. I am thrilled!
04/19/2005 - I can't believe I haven't updated in so long! I am down to 176 for a total loss of 135 pounds. I still have not had any complications, my bloodwork is great and I am feeling better than I have in SO many years. I am now unemployed due to my position being eliminated two weeks ago. I am looking for another job, but also really enjoying my time off. I received a generous severance package which is allowing me to pursue a much needed full abdominoplasty and hopefully some help for my thighs. I have had a couple of consultations and am currently waiting for insurance approval.
At the beginning of my profile I said I dreamed of tanning in a tropical place with lots of palm trees. Well, I just returned from a FABULOUS trip to beautiful Key West. I went diving, snorkeling, boating and walked miles and miles every day. The weather was really good every day and there were tons of flowers and huge palm trees everywhere. I felt like I was in paradise. I will be adding a couple of photos from my trip shortly.
5/6/05 - Full abdominoplasty has been scheduled for 5/19. I can't wait! Insurance will not cover it, so I will be paying out of pocket ($5,700 - OUCH!!)
6/11/05 - My full abdominoplasty with muscle tightening was 3 weeks and 2 days ago and I am doing fine. I had no complications other than a good deal of bleeding from around the drain instead of through the tube. My single drain was removed after 7 days. Everything is TIGHT, TIGHT, TIGHT! I am really puffy and swolen right now too. At my three week check up, the PS considered going in with a needle and removing some of the fluid, but decided it would just go away on its own and scheduled me to come back in 4 more weeks. I am hoping that after a couple more weeks, a lot of this puffiness will have gone away.
I have definitely noticed that when eating, I get really uncomfortable after just a few bites. This feeling is worse when wearing my binder. I just ate about 4 Triscuits and feel sick. The PS said I didn't have to wear the binder after three weeks, but it feels a lot better on than off. He said that if you wear it for too long, it will cause unwanted weakening of the abdominal muscles, so I am just wearing it if I am up and moving around a good bit.
I am really surprised at how much intense soreness I still have after three whole weeks. All I am taking for the pain is Tylenol, which really doesn't help. I know Advil or Aleve would help a lot, but, of course, we can't take those! Of all the surgeries I have had (3 C-sections, placement of a vena cava filter, and lap RNY) this has by far been the most painful. I still can't stand up straight either. The PS said it was OK to straighten up, but everything is so nice and tight, I don't want to undo anything. HOWEVER, I am SOOOO glad to have that deformity gone from the front of me! After the swelling goes away, I am going to look really good!
I still weight the same as the day of my plastic surgery, even though I have been really good with my eating. I think it is still just fluid retention at this point.
