Rick_SoCal
01/04/2010 I Month Follow-Up
Jan 04, 2011
Well I had my 1 month follow-up (again LOL) with Dr. Suh today and everything is going great. Dr. Suh was very pleased with my progress thus far and the best of all is HE REMOVED THAT STUPID G-TUBE. I understand why the tube was left there and am so greatful that Dr. Suh cares so much about his patients. Thankful, the precaution was never needed and he removed it today.
He allowed me to progress to solid proteins today which I am thankful for as well. Cottage Cheese and eggs were getting a little old LOL. Still will continue with the protocol and love my protien drinks. I lost another 7 pounds since my last visit which I think is awesome. I am 56 pounds below the weight when I graduated from High School. I am 44 pounds away from my personal goal now but not the doctors LOL. He cleared me to start riding my bike again as long as I am careful and should be able to go back to work in a few weeks........Thank God
Have a great day all..............Rick
Reversal and Revision is complete
Dec 13, 2010
Greetings all,
Well I had my surgery on 12/03/2010 and had my RnY reversed and had a revision to the VSG. Surgery went well and I spent 6 days in the hospital recovering. Doctor didnt want to take any chances on me leaving to soon. He has always had his patients best intrest at heart and the reason we all love this guy.
Left the hospital with a G-Tube as a precaution in case something went wrong (god forbid) LOL. Have experienced very little pain except for the G-Tube site. Other than that, I am tolerating all the liquids very well and hope to be placed on soft foods at my follow up on Tuesday 12/14/2010.
You know, its been 22 nonths since my first surgery and it is amazing how so much sticks with ya from the first one. I will admit, I have craved some foods in the past vple days but not real bad. So it has been so easy to follow the protocol of the surgeon and really know what to look for.
Anyway, just wanted to do a quick update and will post as much as I can and let everyone know the progress of the revison. This type of surgery is not done all that often so it might "Wilder than an 8 second ride"
Have a great day all...................rick
Well let the fun begin
Oct 25, 2010
10/25/2010
Greetings all....
Well its been a while since I posted so I thought I would just do a little update. I am still have severe issues with my glucose levels dropping to very dangerous levels (low 40's) and is happening very often now (2 -3 times per day) and there is no real nor reason.
Finally a decision has been made last week..... They think it would be in my best interest to have my R-n-Y Bypass reversed and be done immediately. I guess my body just cannot handle the mal-absorption issue any longer. So, I am just waiting on the medical group decision (this outta be good). They say it is going to be reviewed tomorrow 10/26/2010 and should have the decision. Hopefully the will not deny it again as I have my PCP and the director of the medical group on my side. They denied it once but did'nt have all the details and was over turned to get me back to Dr Suh. Now it's just the approval for surgery.
Only good thing of this entire mess is that Dr Suh will revise the surgery as well to a VSG so I still have a WLS procedure and still have a chance to get to my goal weight. I am very thankful for the new chance.
Anyway, will keep everyone posted on whats going on and when I have the surgery.
Have a great day all...........Rick
Wow it's been a long time
Sep 05, 2010
Greetings everyone,
Wow I cannot believe it has been almost 10 months since I have updated on my blog. Been very busy with a new job and trying to move down into the Riverside area.
Well, it has been a real adventure with my WLS. I have lost almost 180 pounds since my journey began. I love all my accomplishments that I have made since my journey began. Back in April, I went on my first amusement park ride in over 20 years......That feeling was AWESOME !! Being able to buy clothes off the rack is still the best for me, not needing seat belt extenders is an awesome feeling as well. Plus being able to exercise without being out of breath is great. I can still walk 2 miles plus without an issue.
I cant say there hasnt been any bumps along the way though. Having to have 2 foot surgeries has not been any fun but its the price we have to pay. My glucose levels are still dumping into the danger zones and that has all the doctors concerned. Unfortunately, now they are talking about reversing my RnY surgery and doing a revision to stop this issue. The ball is set in motion now and hopefully will hear something in the next week or so....... Does this mean I get a second new birthday LOL
With all the complications I have had I keep getting asked the same question..... Would you do it again? The answer is YES !!
Trying to function weighing nearly 500 pounds was insane. We all knew that if I didnt do something about my obesity, I would die real soon. I am thankfull everyday for the support I get from my surgeon (Dr. Suh), my PCP and my family. If it were not for them, I would have never made it this far.
Have a great day all............Rick
Being Successful in our Journey
Nov 21, 2009
A very important note:
Always follow your doctors guidelines and protocols. Every doctor is different as are all of us with our pouches. One of the biggest causes of failures after WLS is not following the doctors protocol.
This goes for everything.....Especially when you start an excerise routine. Nake sure you check with your doctor to make sure you can handle the type of exercise you wish to begin and remember to start SLOW at first and gradually increase as you go on.
Make healthy and good food choices when you do eat and keep up the protein intake to the peotocol. That is one of the biggest issues we have after WLS is the protein.
Together we all can succeed
Have a great day..............Rick
Just a quick update
Nov 10, 2009
11/10/2009
Well again its been over a month since I have posted anything here so I figured I would try and catch up.
The roller coaster ride continues and I seem to be plugging right along. I had to have some minor surgery on my foot / toe to correct an issue that I didnt even know I had until I lost all this weight. I am down 170 pounds as of right now and hopefully have broken the plateau that I was on for 7 weeks. I was a little concerned to tell the truth about the stall but I just kept at it as everyone has said and it finally broke.
I think one of the most amazing things so far was me realizing how much this 170 pounds lost means to me. I started with a BMI of 61 and now my BMI is 39. I have lost 1/3 of my body mass in just under 9 months. I was carrying in a 40 pound bag of dog food the other day and I thought to myself, you have lost 4 of these. I tried to pickj of three in the store the other day and I just couldnt do it and thought to myself "wow how did I carry all this weight".
I started a support group
http://www.obesityhelp.com/group/prep4success/
I completed my OH Support Group Leader training on 11/09/2010 and went live with the group today. If you want to join, just let me know. A good friend Katt from the California Forum has also got hers started as well. Looking forward to the success of her group.
Thats it for now ...........Have a great day
I keep moving forward
Sep 25, 2009
Well its been over a month so I figured we would do an update on the progress. I have only lost 12 pounds in the past month and a half. I have hit a major plateau but considering that I have lost 154 pounds since my jouney began, I can live with it. I went an entire month without losing an ounce, one week I even gained a pound (but I had surgery that week and with IV fluids and such I can accept it) but since have lost that pound.
I am still having the issue with my glucose levels spiking then plunging. My Primary Care Doctor sent me to a nutrionist to see what we could do to stablize my sugars. I have never been a diabetic and no issues with my glucose so this is all new to us. The nutrionist told me that I needed to increase my caloric intake up to 1800 to 2000 calories a day and eat 5 to 6 times per day. I asked how in the world was I suppose to get that much food in me in a day after having the Gastric Bypass Surgery and she could'nt give me any advice. I tried her way for a few weeks and thats when I hit this stall. So I am now back to basics hoping to get back on track.
One decision I did make was to become a Certified Wellness Coach and to specialize in the field of Bariatric Surgery (both pre and post-op). I am already a Licensed Vocational Nurse so I do have some medical background. In addition, having the bad experience with a few personal trainers, I am going to get my certification as a Personal Trainer and only work with Post-op Weight Loss Surgical Patients......Im really excited about doing this.
6 Month Surgeriversary update
Aug 04, 2009
08/04/2009
Well it will be 6 months since my surgery date on 08/06/2009 and I just wanted to show what has transpired for me and my new body so far. I was in total amazement when I posted the new picture as my Avatar and seen the 2 photos (before & after) side by side. I still have that image of me at 476 pounds just a short time ago. We see ourselves in the mirror everyday and it really doesnt sink in of what we look like to everyone else.
This journey has been AWESOME for me and the only regret that I have is that I did not do it sooner. I have gone from 476 pounds down to 334 pounds in just 6 short months and still have at least 8 more months of the honeymoon period according to the doctor. Have gone from a size 64 pants to a size 46-48 and from a 5x shirt down to a 2x shirt (although the wife likes me in the 3x). I am off all my blood pressure meds and have a feeling that my sleep apnea is not as bad as it use to be. For some reason I started to retain fluids again this week (must be from the heat here in So Cal) with my legs and hands really swollen for the past few days.
I never have had the hunger feeling up until lately and now it can be a bother at times but I think it is mostly head hunger. Found an easy way to deal with this....I went to Smart and Final and bought some of those 4 oz plastic cups and lids. I buy some Sugar Free Jello and make up 2 boxes at a time. Totally empty snack as it has no calories and no carbs but eliminates the hunger issue. I am still battling the low glucose levels once in a while which the doctors just dont understand since I never had an issue with diabetes or sugar levels.
I finally am getting up there in protein again. I found the Premier Protein Shakes at Costco and they taste good. I drink one for breakfast everyday and one for a mid-day snack. Each one has 30 grams of protein and only 1 gram of sugar and 5 carbs. I still eat all the high protein foods like fish, chicken, cheese etc. so I hope the protein is up to the 70 to 80 gram mark by the time I am done.
I joined LA Fitness and have yet go and start to work out. I really need to get in the water and swim for an hour or so everyday (well close to it) ans start to build the strength back in my arms and stomach........Just cant get motivated to do so LOL.
Well thats it for me....The journey continues and hopefully it will not be a short one. I look forward to every week to get my new weight to add to the California Message board Wacky Weigh-in Wed just to see how I progressed. This week will be bad since the fluid retention and being swollen from a minor surgical proceedure on my back a yesterday.......
Have a great day all
6 Month Follow up a little early
Jul 23, 2009
Well I had my 6 month follow up today all seems to be right on track. I ended up back in the hospital in last part of May do to an intestinal blockage. Dr. Suh is an AWESOME doctor. I was having an extremely hard time keeping anything down including fluids and finally my glucose crashed and it became a serious issue. Called Dr. Suh after hours and he immediately returned the call. He advised my wife to get me to the Emergency Room when we stabilized my sugar levels and have them call him as soon as I arrived. Nature finally took its course 2 days later and the blockage cleared. I cannot say enough good things about Dr. Suh and his staff. He is a geniune caring doctor and his patients are his number one priority.
Anyway, this journey has been an E-Ticket ride from the beginning. I had no idea that I would have progressed as far as I have this soon. I have lost a total of 137 pounds since this journey beagan (112 pounds since the day of my surgery). I can wear 2X shirts now (wife prefers I stay in the 3X) and my waist is down to a 46-48. I started at a 5X shirt (tight) and size 62-64 pants. My energy level is through the roof and I am off all my meds. I still have a long way to go (89 pounds to my goal weight). I think I need a new goal weight, Dr. Suh said I still have a year of weight loss although it will be slower but even at ten pounds a month thats in the low 200's.
I am still having issues with the protein intake. I got out of the habit of drinking the protein when I had the blockage as I could not tolerate the protein. I am now getting back in the habit and should see a dramatic change.
I just want to thank all the people that have helped and supported me on this journey so far. Have met a lot of nice people here on OH, at the support group meetings and while sitting at Dr. Suh's office. You all have been great and I will be here for you as you were for me.
3 month follow up........A little late
May 27, 2009
Well I went in to see Dr. Suh after realizing I didnt have my 3 month follow earlier this month (my bad). This journey has been an incredible ride so far. As of today, I have officially lost 91 pounds since my surgery and a total of 112 pounds since I began the journey.
The weight loss could be better if I just could excercise more than I am doing. But ever since the day I crashed and burned on my evil treadmill, my knee just wont let me excercise like I want / should. But it will get better in time.
