Good News Finally

[Guest guest]

OK so today I went to my monthly visit to the surgeon (which includes

him,nurse,dietician,psychologist and support group). Started out great as I

had lunch with a friend (also a veteran) talked about a million things and

ate Mexican food w/o guilt. Went to doc and found I had lost 2 lbs since I

was there 2 months ago...not bad...I wasn't at or over the 250 I so feared.

The nurse had hurt her back so there was a new one who spent a great deal of

time listening to my woes bout eating so much, being hungry so soon etc. She

started to tell me that the only thing it might be is overactive gastric

juices which are overproduced with stress (of course I haven't taken my tums

in 8 months and I have been under incredible stress all over the place for

all of the so far 99). She said she would write it all up for the doc but

recommended I take my Tums 1/2 hour after breakfast and dinner meals and a

Pepcid Ac when I woke up. The doc was unavailable (in surgery) but she said

they would make sure the new Doc that I had never met (went into practice

with my surgeon bout three months ago) would talk to me at the support group.

Saw dietitian who agreed something was wrong and said she would make sure

surgeon reviewed this. Last saw psychologist who in 5 mins had me in tears

sharing my feelings of failure and fears of being stuck here. She said she

wanted me to talk to the new surgeon feeling he was a bit more open to

discussions then my surgeon. OK then off to dinner...running late with

another friend (this one 9 months post op).

So by support group I was feeling better. In middle of support group office

manager called me out and I met for bout 20 mins with the other surgeon who

asked me in detail everything from eating habits, meds, sleeping, bowels you

name it. He said he felt that it was what the nurse had been discussing. He

explained that it was not uncommon for this to happen and an ulcer to form in

the excluded stomach so it was constantly mimicking hunger and (now bear with

me cause I may have this screwed up) keep the bowel and intestine pulling the

food through. He said this would most be affected by slow intake (of course

what is recommended). OK so he said he cant be sure but since my upper GI in

Jan showed no problem he wanted to try a course of treatment attacking this.

So its prilosec in morning and night and two tums after each meal. I said

damn ill hab=ve no stomach juices...joking....he said well the tums are

actually so there's something your eating soon after also...well I don't know

if this is it but I was heard. IM to call him in a week as he says I should

see diff by then...said to psychologist even if its a placebo (she assured me

he'd never do that) I felt better...at least not like I was just failing.

So, well see....

Actually smiling...

RNY 11/18/97

start 418 now 245.5