just checkin in!

[Guest guest]

Hi everyone,

I do not post very often because I am usually so busy with work, my son, and

church that I usually do not have time to breath! I would like to update on my

experience though and address a few concerns I have seen expressed on the list

lately.

I had surgery on 4/6/00 weighing in at 298 pounds the day of surgery. I was

experiencing back pain, pain in my right knee (have had surgery twice on it),

and hip pain. I was not able to get down on the floor to play with my two year

old son. I was not going to play softball last summer because I had gotten so

large that I could not move well enough to play third base. I was also ashamed

to run around the bases! (Can you picture a 300 pound woman running from home to

first?!) Anyway, life sucked to be blunt about it!

When I found Dr. R's website that January, I thought it was too good to be

true. I have always believed that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably

is. I had started my research because of Carny , but I knew there was no

way I was doing an open surgery. The thought of being cut open was just too

frightening for me. Here was this doctor in Durham (which is only 45 minutes

from where I live) who was doing the perfect weight loss surgery and people were

doing great and loosing alot of weight. To hear them talk they could really eat

real food and they did not feel deprived! I could not wait to get to this

doctor!

Anyway, to go on, I had my surgery. Just before it was time for me to go

into the holding area, I was starting to doubt my decision. Was this really

right for me? Was there anything else I could have done to loose this weight?

Was I taking too drastic a step? I was really frightened! Well I got to the

holding area and the anestheologist was very kind. She gave me what I call " I

don't give a s**t medicine " and of course all doubts were gone!! When I woke

from surgery I thought I was having a heart attack. The gas I had got trapped

right under my sternum. The nurses kept telling me to take deep breaths. I

kept thinking you have got to be kidding me! Here I am dying and they just want

me to breath deep! Well, as soon as I sat up, I let out a belch that would have

won any burping contest hands down! I felt so much better! That was the only

pain I had after surgery. As a matter of fact, the first week after surgery I

was beginning to think that Dr. R just stuck a few holes in me to make me scared

to eat and that was why I would loose weight! HA HA!

The first month was hard for me. I have a strong dislike of yougart now! I

was what I called head hungry. I wanted to eat because in my mind it would be

wonderful like it was before. The second month after surgery, I started on the

soft foods. Funny, it wasn't as great as I thought it would be. Yeah, I admit,

it was nice to have some texture to my food now, but the flavor seemed lacking

somehow. I moved quickly from soft foods to a more normal diet, but again

nothing tasted the same as I remembered it. It just was not as important to eat

anymore. My life used to revolve around what was I going eat for breakfast,

lunch, or supper. Now, I had to schedule myself to remember to eat.

I did not have any complications, no bile reflux, no throwing up, and

dumping only once. I have found that mayonaise makes me dump, so I avoid it. I

have not missed it so it really does not bother me. I am one of the fortunate of

unfortunate(which ever way you look at it) ones who can eat or try just about

anything without a problem. I do not like to eat chinese anymore. It just

makes me feel uncomfortable after eating it. I do not have to have a piece of

chocolate every day anymore. (I did before surgery). I have had a taste of some

sweet foods, but they just do not appeal to me like they used to.

Now seven months later, I have lost 103 pounds. I weigh 195. I never

thought I would see that weight again. I have been exercising which is

something I was too ashamed to do at 298 pounds. I feel great! I no longer

have sleep apnea, so I sleep better than I have in years! I am thankful that

God sent me down this path because I am healthier than I have been in ten years.

For those of you who are worried that you are eating too much or too little,

DON'T! I have found that your body lets you know what it needs, when it needs

it. That means sometimes you will eat more and sometimes you will eat less.

YOU WILL LOOSE WEIGHT THOUGH! I have found that my body craves more meats and

protiens during " that time of month " . I also tend to eat more during that

time. Any other time I am satisfied with very small amounts of food.

Well I know this is very looonnnngggg! I apologize, but I just wanted to

tell some of you pre-ops and new post-ops my story so maybe you will not worry

so much.

If anyone would like to e-mail me with any questions please feel free to do

so. It may take a few days for me to answer, but I try to get back to them as

soon as possible.

Your MGB family member,

298/195/140 starting weight/present weight/goal