Jolee V.
This is my story. I am 40 years old (just barely). And I am 5'9'' tall. I have not been overweight all my life, but I thought I was because when I was in high school, my mother would wake me up at 5:30am so that I could exercise for an hour. She also regulated what and how much I ate. The only time I ate what I wanted was shen I was away from her. In 1989, I got pregnant with my daughter, I got married and moved away from home,. I gained a whopping 75 pounds while pregnant. After my daughter was born, my husband bribed me....if I lost the baby weight, he would buy me a new truck. Because he didn;t want to be married to a fat person. I lost all the weight and he got the new truck. Later that year, we divorced. Guess what, I had to move back in with my parents. Needless to say for the next several years I kept the weight off, thanks to the "mother diet". I also had a job that I walked alot. In 1995, I got pregnant with my son, he was born in 1996. I onlygained 19 pounds while pregnant with him. He weighed 10 lbs. 2 ozs. I was all baby. In 1998, my husband and I got married, I got to move away from the parents and live my own life. And did I live and eat and gain weight! I loved to cook for my family and I cooked the good fat kind of food. Over the next few years, I gained so much weight, but you could not tell me I was fat, my mother did, but I would argue with a fence post on the weight topic. I did not see my self as fat. So life went on and so did the pounds. My weight did not stop me from doing almost anything that I wanted to do, I just didn't do the things that my weight would not let me do, I would tell myself that I really didn't want to do it anyway. I considered my self an active person. Now I know that I was not. And I never weighed myself. No scales at the doctor's office or at home!
About 6 years ago, my husband and I attended a surgery seminar in Houston. I had to weigh, I weighrd 275. OMG. I listened to the doctor and thought that surgery would work for me and I could be skinney again. But as I found out my insurance would no way, no how, not in a million years, ever pay for this kind of surgery. So I wemt home and kept on living and gaining weight. So, In October 2009, after taking care of my mother in law for 4 months, she passed away. She left my husband and I a large amount of money. And after spending it on what we wanted and needed. My husband suggested that I look into the surgery again, since we knew we would have to pay cash for all of it, and we would probally never again have the money. I have many friends that have had the surgery and I talked to all of them and spent mant hours on the internet researching. I decided that I wanted the bypass, I didn't want the maintaince with the lap band. Especially since I would have to pay out of pocket for all the check ups and fills. So ByPass is was, and my weight loss story begins....
I choose to use Dr. Babineau, because many of the people I knew had used him. So I contacted his office for an appointment, had to wait about a month for an appointment. First visit with him was on 12/03/2009. My husband and I went to the appointment and this included a small informative talk on the surgery. I also saw the doctor and discussed all the prior surgery I ahd had and why I felt I needed the surgery. I also found out I had a BMI of 53.8 and I weighted a whopping 376!
OMG x's 10!
If the doctor said he would do the surgery the next day, I would have been there with bells on! But is was not to be. However, I did get a surgery date.....FEBUARY 1, 2010. (my mother's birthday, ironic, UH?) So waited........
01/29/10 - Today my family and friends took me out for a steak dinner, my "last meal" they jokingly called it. But for some reason, I didn't enjoy my meal and could hardly eat any of it. Nerves maybe?!?
01/30/10 - My whole family and my daughter's boyfriend went out to the movies and went out to eat again, same thing, didn't enjoy the meal at all. And was dreading the next day and being on nothing but clear liquids and most of all dreading having to drink that barium shit!
02/01/10 - SURGERY DAY! Boy am I excited! I arrive at the hospital at 9:30 am and was taken to my little surgery waiting area where I got to wear that cute little gown. I get all hooked up to the IV after the second try and then after about 30 minutes, was told that my surgery that was scheduled for 10:30 had been rescheduled for 2:30. What!!! 4 more hours of waiting...... and I was starving and I was so thirsty. So more TV watching and my loving husband did get to go to the cafeteria and eat. NOT me! Finally 2:30 came and I was taken into the operating room and then I remember waking up in recovery. They were awsome in there. The nurse was by my side feeding me small spoons of ice chips. I got into my hospital room about 7:30 all hooked up to the morphine pump and those damn leg boots. But I was feeling no pain. About 11pm the nurse pulled my catheter, which ment that I now had to get up to go to the restroom! And that was a chore, had to get out of those damn boots, and roll the IV pole pole with me. And every hour on the hour I had to go pee for the rest of the night, but I was MOVING! My poor husband! I could have made it thur without him! The next day about 9:30, my IV blew my vein and had to be removed, so then I was with out morphine. I then received only liquid tylenol. I also started having problems with sinus drainage, so I got liquid benadryl. The worst problem was the GAS!!! It hurt so bad to the point I begged my husband to "burp" me like a baby. That and walking got me thru. I wanted to go home! I did on Wednesday!
While in the hospital I only ate 3 or 4 bites of food. NOTHING tasted worth a crap! I survived on ice chips! When I got home, I weighed, but I know it was not accurate, because I was so swollen. So I went by my day of surgery weight and had lost 13 lbs! WOW! So the "fun" begins.....
My mother came and stayed for a week and she cooked for my husband and son. The smell of food made me sick. I could not even be in the house when she was cooking and they were eating. So I would sit outside or go get a bath with the exaust fan on high. Worked! I walked outside every day, down the lane and back, it felt good to be moving. I really had no pain when I came home form the hospital. The first night home, I slept on my stomach. As far as eating, I was drinking about 1/4 c of Carnation Instant b-fast (sugar free), and water, a half a sip at a time. I was wondering how in the hell am I supposed to dring 64 ozs a day at this rate! I also tried jello, pudding, runny malt o meal and such. YECK to all! But I kept on going. As the days went by, I felt like I was improving, but food no longer appealed to me! I had to force myself to eat and drink! At about 2 weeks I could start soft foods, pureed veggie soup, cream soups, mashed potatoes, refried beans and such. I thought I was doing good, I could tell the weight was coming off. At about 4 weeks, I could start trying more normal foods and meats. I tried a small piece and I do mean small of pork chop and pulled it off a string at a time and it was wonderful tasting, I also tried green beans and they were the greatest tasting food of all time. I tried tuna salad...no can do!!!! And the trial and error period started........
4 weeks post-op. I am eating! I have tried may brands of protien shakes, yeck, they all make me puke! I do add the power protien to the soups and malt o meal and such, so I am getting a litte protien, but not the 60 to 80 grams that I am supposed to. Still on soft like foods, have tried many thing and have thrown up pretty much everything I have tried, so I stick with what I know I can handle. But strangely I can eat almonds, and wheat thins with laughing cow fat free cheese. And I am still drinking the Carnation Instant B-fast. But my problem is the gas and the belching! It just hurts! Then I start throwing up everyday., reguardless of what I eat and It gets worse as the day goes on. I thought that I was getting sick because I was eating the wrong things and that maybe I was eating too fast! I tried EVERYTHING! I thought it was all normal!?!?! DUH! I let it go on for 2 weeks, finally on March 18, my husband MADE me call the doctor and I talked to his nurse and I told her what was happening.....she says well honey, you have a stricture........WHAT? Like I was supposed to know what that felt like. I had never had this surgery before or gone thru anything like I was going thru before, so how was I to know what was going on. Anyway, she scheduled me the procedure to stretch the stricture for the next day.
03/19/10 - Had procedure done, No problem. Was told to eat normal ( what the hell is normal after this kind of surgery). So my husband wanted mexican food, so I tried to eat a taco, only could force about 1/4 of it down. It tasted good! So I tried to eat over the weekend and I did ok on Saturday, but by Sunday afternoon, I could tell with out a doubt, the stricture was still there. I had my follow up appointment on Monday, 7 weeks after surgery, because of spring break. I went to my appointment and found out I had lost only 45 lbs. How depressing, I thought that the weight would just melt off! The nurse said that haveing the stricture and not taking in food caused my body to go into survial mode. So that did't help with the pounds coming off. So in regards to the stricture, she scheduled me an appointment for the following day to have the streching done againg and she told me that I needed to go on a liquid diet for 48 hours after the procedure. So that is what I did. And the procedure seem to have done some good this time, however I now feel like I have a hugh lump in my throat and it NEVER goes away. It does not stop me from eating and drinking, it just is very uncomfortable. Like someone has a finger at the base of my neck just pushing as hard as they can. But I can eat and drink now! No problems. I just want to drink, I want to take a bottle of water and just turn it up, no can do, two or three small swallows at time, I really hope it gets better with time.
8 weeks - The Lump is still there and is just as bothersome! We went to some friends house for supper and I tried a small small smal lettuce only salad, YUMMY! I don't really eat much meat, and I can not do chicken! I eat mostly beans and peas, veggie soup, piece of ham rolled with a piece of cheese dipped in mustard, wheat thins with fat free cream cheese or laughing cow, and almonds. I am only eating less than 1/4 cup about 3 times a day and I have to force myself to do that because I am sooooo scared of getting sick. Which I still do regularly. I am drinking alot better, still fighting to get to the 64 ozs. However, I have developed a new problem to go along with the lump, I get the most intense nauseated feeling after I eat anything.......Y Y Y am I having so many problems???? I just wanted to be healthy and I never really had health issues at all before the surgery, so why now?
9 weeks - Husband made me call the doctors office about the "lump" in my throat. The nurse said she had never heard of this problem and she would talk to the doctor and call me back in a couple of days............ a week and a half later she called me back. Doctor said that it was related to the stricture and it would go away! She told me the name of it... something like Gorman Hysplaisha... I know that is not it but its close. Sounds like Global Hysteria to me......LOL. I was also reading on this website and several people said they tried papaya emyzymes, so I am, It helps for about 30 minutes. Then, back to the lump in my throat. I am trying so hard to be positive,but I am getting very depressed. Right now if I could go back and not have the surgery, I would not have it done. I do not like what is going on with me and my body. I hate food, I dread eating and drinking.
Life goes on.......
04/26/10 - Today I am 12 weeks post-op. I still have the lump and the nauseaed fellings for about 30 to 45 minuted after I eat. I still regret having the surgery, but as time goes on and in a year I will probally be very grateful that I had it done and have no regrets. but it is not a year, it is NOW and I still get so nerverous about the thought of having to eat. I have thrown up more in the past three month than I have in the 40 years that I have been alive!!!!! I think I am getting all of my 64 ozs of fluids, I drink about 4 bottles or more of water. Can't do tap water, it tastes tooooo metallic and makes me belch and belch and belch, so I avoid it. Oh and my hair has started coming out, a handful last washing, just makes me more depressed. But I have lost 63 pounds!!!!! And you cant argue with that.
Wanted to share a quote that a friend of mine told me.............
I thought this surgery was supposed to make you healthier, not starve your ass to death.
that pretty much sums up my bypass experience so far. Until next time.
05/20/10 - 15 1/2 weeks post op. I have lost a whopping 75 lbs. Ya HOOOOO! I have not measured inches, but I know that a pair of pants that were toooo small before surgery, are now about 11 inches toooo BIG! All of my pants are to big, down to almost no pants to wear, am going to have to go get some alterations, just can't force myself to go buy new clothes when I know that I can only wear them a short time. I did buy a $7 shirt at walmart.
I still have the lump in my throat, sometimes it is much worst than it is all the time. I do not know what to do, I have tried so many things that I finally just gave up and pray that it will just go away the further post op I get. I also STILL get that sick nauseauted felling after I eat anything.....Y? Y? Y? I just don't eat and that is not what I should do. I am eating because I know I have too.
I do find that I have alot more energy, but I find that if I am really active for a couple of days, I do need a day of rest.
Well that's all for now, Take Care............
