5 years out today - (crosspost)

[Guest guest]

 

 

As of today,  I am at that 5 year mark post DS. How the time has flown by ! Hard

to believe.

 

I come with good and bad news. Good news I have lost weight, approximately 112

pounds which has stayed away.   Bad news, I have an unusual amount of regain

(about 70 pounds or so depending on the day) , and YES I have followed the

rules. The most I lost in this process was 169 pounds at one point approximately

8 months out from surgery.  I was still about 30-35 pounds from normal at that

point.  I was pretty comfy there though.

 

I have learned that all the people who went to my doctor have had considerable

regain. Some have had revisions, only to learn that their original surgery was

not done properly (yup sort of scary to know this)  and it has now been

surgically corrected. They have each explained to me what was found in their

situation. Have  I gained enough back to do something about it ? You betcha, I

have ! I have gained about 70 pounds back which is way too much.  I knew “some

regain” happened…..but I am again obese and this will just will not fly.  I am

in the process of jumping thru the hoops for a revision.  I KNOW when the DS is

done properly by a GOOD/QUALIFIED surgeon the results are better and longer

lasting than mine.

 

I have been extremely disappointed with Dr Warden. I could not recommend him to

anyone. If you have specific questions please email… at

dolphins_n_shells@... . I will be happy to discuss/share.

 

In the meantime, I have consulted with another surgeon who has a stellar

reputation.. Dr Maguire. He spent a lot of time with me. He reviewed my

labs, my vitamins (which Dr Warden refused to do) We talked about my regain. We

talked about what I know about the other patient’s poor results as well as my

poor results. Granted I have lost over 100 pounds and kept it off.. but I am

still a GOOD 70 pounds or more overweight now. I do not want to live out my life

being obese.  He explained how he does his revisions. Of course, they are very

individualized depending on each person. He has to get back in there and see

what was done first.  Dr Maguire spent more time with me in one office than Dr

Warden ever spent with me in the past !

 

 I have checked with insurance and I have to jump thru the 6 month diet hoop,

get another psych evaluation and pray they approve me as my BMI is 38 and not

40….but I have a few co-morbidity’s returning so I think it will fly. I am told

I have to lose at least one pound a month for insurance to easily approve me..

so I pray I can do this as it seems like the scale just keeps going up, although

I did lose 2 pounds the first month.. PHEW !  

 

I do feel blessed that last year I was able to go to Brazil and have plastic

surgery with Dr Elias Kuster. Thank goodness I did this to get rid of the extra

skin. People tell me I do not look obese, but the scale states the fact VERY

CLEARLY…. DARN !    I have few clothes that fit at this moment. I have gained

evenly top to bottom, so hopefully with the revision I will lose evenly as well.

 I had hoped this would have been the summer to really clean out the closet of

the odd sizes, but it will not happen. Being I will have a revision I need to

keep the clothes I have that are too small as I hope to fit in them once again.

I had gotten down to 8’s and 10’s  so  I had a taste of it once and I want it

again. I am now into sizes (14, 16, a few 18) I flew by these sizes when losing

weight and never had bought them… so I have gone to several second hand shops

for summer clothes. I am short at 5’3”  and so the extra weight is just not a

good

thing.

 

Many of you maybe thinking…. Gesh… what a bummer… well I am sharing all of this

information as I want those who are out there researching about surgery to know

this can happen. My lesson… I should of picked a better qualified doctor, with a

longer track record than what I did. His initial track record seemed fine, but

he had no patient’s more than 1.5 years out at the time of my surgery.  I am not

beating myself up ….well at least not too bad J . When I had my first DS it was

a regional insurance policy, it is NOW  a national plan BUT with lots of

restrictions. Dr Maguire’s office does feel my surgery was done improperly, due

to history and extensive discussions on my history, along with the many other

patient’s who have had regain from Dr Warden.  

 

At this point I have one month on a supervised diet completed and only 5 more

months to go !  I pray the time flies by and I lose at least a pound a month !

It will make approval easier !  I can eat pretty normal overall and have normal

pre-DS stools, which is why Dr Maguire feels things are not properly done, as it

appears that I have very little mal-absorption anymore. My labs are pretty good,

although I do take a lot of calcium, but levels are up from previously. I was

borderline osteoporotic last fall… will have that rechecked this fall when the

time arrives.

 

That brings you up to date with me. I still try to skim the boards as I have

time, but summertime is really busy and I am trying to stay very active to keep

the weight off. It is always great to see the excitement of the new people’s

success with the DS.

Blessings,

Ginger <><