Re: Questions, comments, reflections, etc., fairly long - ok very long!

[Guest guest]

hi Dawna, i read your post and thought i would respond. your story and mind

sound somewhat similar. in 1981 i had a gastric bypass at 525lbs. i lost

weight but ended defeating the surgery. i had a RNY in 1984 and my lowest

weight was 192.

i have been gaining weight steadily through the years and now weigh 315. i

go to the mall and walk 5-6 days a week and also walk on the treadmill after

work 4-5 days a week.

tomorrow, i have a consultation with Dr. Kane in Elk Grove Village, IL to

discuss a revision. i don't know if he will consider me because of past

surgeries.

two summers ago i was turned down by BTC as a candidate for weight loss

surgeries because of scar tissue from previous ops.

congratulations on your success and keep up the good work. exercise is so

important.

drop me a line if you feel like it. i would love to hear of your progress.

Rod

Questions, comments, reflections, etc., fairly

long - ok very long!

> Hi all,

>

> At six months postop, I almost feel as if I am beginning a new phase of my

> wls experience, and feel somewhat unprepared and am beginning to have more

> questions pertaining to the next six months.

>

> First, a little history, which most of you already know. I had a failed

> stomach stapling nearly 20 years prior to my DS. I lost less than 40

pounds,

> and then regained and continued to gain from there. Twenty years later, I

> was at a point where I felt I had nothing to lose by trying wls again, and

> honestly felt I had a very limited future without it. At 324 pounds, my

> weight was impacting every part of my life. Simply getting from point A

to

> point B was almost more than I could handle on most days. I had my DS

with

> Dr. Anthone on 04/20/01. The surgery took nearly 5 hours, because of

> adhesions and revision of the previous stomach surgery. For the first

eight

> weeks, I felt pretty much like I'd been hit by a bus. For someone who has

> undergone several surgeries, and heals faster than anyone ever expects, it

> was quite a challenge. This surgery and recovery were much harder than

> anything I had ever experienced. However, once I got past that magic 8

week

> point, things began to look up.

>

> My experience has been different than most. Rather than the runs that

most

> people experience, I've gone the other direction, and fight the

constipation

> monster. This seems to be getting slightly better at this point, for

which I

> am truly grateful! I had nausea at first, but after 10-12 weeks that was

> history. I really can eat whatever I want. I can also eat however much

fat

> I want. It really doesn't seem to impact anything at all. I can eat

fast.

> I can eat beyond comfortably full. I never throw up. I do still get

> heartburn, especially if I eat too much.

>

> Today I ate:

> 1/2 cheeseburger and a few sips of diet coke from Mcs

> about 10 mini crackers

> toast with melted cheese (ate about 3/4)

> about 1/3 of a restaurant portion of veal parmesan

> 3/4 of a boneless chicken breast half

> toast with peanut butter (ate about 4/5)

>

> This is about twice as much as I could eat two months ago.

>

> I still have trouble getting liquids down. At this point, I can drink

decaf

> coffee and tea, and occasionally watered down hot chocolate. Warm drinks

go

> down much better than anything cold. I try to drink a glass of milk

almost

> every day. Anything else fills me up after a few sips, or makes my

stomach

> feel " gurgly " (like those scientific terms?), or makes me gag. I can't

drink

> crystal light or my beloved diet snapple, even if I water them down.

>

> I exercise 3-5 times per week. I try for something aerobic, either water

> aerobics or the exercise bike, five days per week. I do strength training

3

> days per week. I am also trying to get more activity in during my daily

> activities. Walking at the mall, walking the dog, anything I can think of

to

> just be a little more active.

>

> I am seriously looking into returning to school. I am so bored with what

I

> do, and have felt trapped for years. All of a sudden, I don't feel so

> trapped. Before surgery, I could not have possibly worked and cared for

my

> children AND gone to school full time. Not a chance! But now, I really

> think I can do it. It is so incredible to have options again! For all

you

> nurses out there, any advice, info, etc., on the nursing profession and

the

> RN program, I would love any advice or info you would be willing to share.

> The plan is to complete the RN program, then work in nursing while

pursuing a

> degree in social work.

>

> I have lost 105 lb since surgery. I feel so good! I can walk. I can

even

> run a bit. I can tie my shoes. I can do...anything. That is the best

part.

> I can do anything. Everything in my life, pre-surgery, was filtered

through

> the " weight " issue. Could I fit? Could I physically do it? Would the

chair

> break? Would I fall? Everything. Now, I am FREE. I can do whatever I

need

> to do, WITHOUT having to run it through that filter.

>

> I have gone from a size 30/32 to a 1X and in some things even an XL or 18

in

> the " regular " sizes. My jeans are still a 22 though. I think the tummy

is

> here to stay, unfortunately. I have a hernia, and will eventually get a

> tummy tuck, which I hope will help.

>

> Okay, that was the long update, mostly for those preops and new postops

who

> are curious. I know I always want to hear how it really is for others.

>

> Now, on to the questions:

>

> I feel like I am entering a new stage here. It appears to me that alot of

> people have a real reduction in weight loss after six months, and that

> several have stopped losing altogether at nine months. For those of you

who

> are one to two years (and more) postop, how did this work for you? I have

> already had weeks where I maintain and even a few where I have gained a

few

> pounds. I think sodium intake and the constipation thing may have a bit

to

> do with that, in my case. I certainly know we are all different, but I

would

> love to have other people's experinces to compare.

>

> Also, for those few of us with the constipation issue rather than the

> reverse....are we really malabsorbing? Dr. A says I am malabsorbing, but

he

> is simply going by my weight loss. However, until recently, I really was

> eating very little, so I think it may reflect that more than any

> malabsorption going on. If everything I eat is sitting there for a week,

> wouldn't more of it be being absorbed?

>

> I think that because of my previous wls experience, I have fears that it

> " won't work " . I can't imagine re-gaining weight, or stopping losing.

That

> really would be too horrible to contemplate. Luckily, I feel that I am

> exercising well, and really am trying to eat well, so hopefully even if it

> somehow didn't work any more, maybe I wouldn't gain so much. Not sure

about

> that though!

>

> One of the nicest things I am hearing lately is that I look so much

younger.

> I am not sure if that comes from losing weight or just being happier! It

is

> hard to smile and be happy when everything hurts all the time and you can

> barely drag yourself through the day.

>

> I am grateful, every day, for this surgery.

>

> Dawna

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Dawna,

I loved your story! Thanks so much for the update.

Re: constipation. I'm relying on a 10+ year anatomy class, but here

goes: If it is " sitting there " , it is probably doing so in your

colon (lower/large intesting). Most of what is absorbed in the colon

is water, not nutrients. The nutrients (i.e., calories) are absorbed

in the small intestine, which is the part that was operated on.

Therefore, I don't think you are absorbing " too much " by being

constipated.

I wonder, since water is absorbed in the lower intestine, if part of

your problem is because you're absorbing too much water and/or not

getting enough in. You mentioned still having trouble with liquids.

Then again, I was constipated when I was on a *liquid* fast! I'm also

not sure exactly what the mechanics of it all are, but a very tall

glass of sugar-free metamucil once a day helped a LOT during that

time. It tastes like Tang, if you are old enough to remember the

days...

Good Luck!

At 9:35 PM -0800 11/19/01, DawnaJoy1@... wrote:

>Also, for those few of us with the constipation issue rather than the

>reverse....are we really malabsorbing? Dr. A says I am malabsorbing, but he

>is simply going by my weight loss. However, until recently, I really was

>eating very little, so I think it may reflect that more than any

>malabsorption going on. If everything I eat is sitting there for a week,

>wouldn't more of it be being absorbed?

>

--

K

pre-op Rabkin

Jan 28, 2002

YM: mariak415

ICQ: 129363427