1 Year, 150 Days Post Op

1 Year & and 150 Days post op

Medial Gastric Bypass Surgery 9/8/09

Dr Srikanth, Federal Way - WA

I saw my Naturopath a few days ago.  My highest recorded weight at her office was 275 pounds.  She was anxious to do an updated body composition.  The results: I weighed in at 146 pounds and my body fat is 28%.  Considering I am medium framed female who stands 5 foot 6 inches, these results are excellent and very healthy.

This may be a stretch, but I think obesity can be compared to hording.

• There are pounds of stored fuel in the body intended for use, but realistically it's just too much for one person
• Fuel is packed from skin to bone and its presence gives one embarrassment as well as comfort
• We struggle to let the pounds go, but in the end we just collect more

Most of my friends and family and even my primary care physician, did not share my enthusiasm for the Gastric Bypass Surgery option.  The idea was loosely accepted by most but few fully understood what I was doing, why I was doing it or the actual risks involved.

The largest point of contention for myself and others, was that I was able to loose 30 pound in six months, while preparing for surgery.  If I could do that, then I didn't need the surgery....right?

It's easy for the obese to loose 30 pounds.  It is not easy to keep it off.  It is harder to not gain an additional 15 pounds when it comes back on. The emotional toil this process puts a person is devastating and fuels the cycle. 

If I just had more willpower - If I had more determination - If I wasn't such a pig - If I exercised more - If I wasn't so unlovable - If I wasn't so lazy - If I was more organized - If I weren't so ugly - If I had more time in the day - If I stopped eating ice cream - If I......

In my opinion, most morbid obesity is caused by the addiction to food and/or the act of eating.  There are a some exceptions like Prader-Willi syndrome, but in general, the excuses we've told ourselves can not be blamed for the large number on the scale.  My excuses: being of Northern European decent and having a slow thyroid. 

After surgery, it became important for me to understand the reasons and motivations for I had for overeating.  I began being more conscience of when, where, why and what I ate.  I saw consistent unhealthy eating patterns that I was previously unaware of.  I decided to see a therapist to help me me get to the bottom of my food addiction.  

Everyone has their own path.  I hope you find yours.

-AAP

4 Months, 120 days post op

Time has flown by and every day I ease in to my new life a little bit more.  The scale said 181.5 three days ago.  At this time last year I weighed 270 pounds!  I feel really good.

I am working out with a personal trainer twice a week.  She keeps me motivated and has a great "treadmill" side manner.  I also started doing yoga again and forgot how much I love it.

I am still loosing a lot of hair and have increased my supplements of essential oils.  The low fat diet contributes to the hair loss as well as low protein.

These entries are short and sweet now, see you next month.

-Twickity

Three Months-90 days post op

Feeling good.  The scale said 194 yesterday.  I broke the 200 barrier!  Woo Hoo!

About 40 days ago I noticed the amount of hair I was losing in the shower had tripled.  This lasted for several weeks.  I thought the hair loss was due to the stress of surgery, and my delusions were quickly squashed after my 3 month post op appointment yesterday.  My labs overall looked good but my protein levels were low.  Hence, the hair loss.  I am at 6.1 and should be at 7. 

I've said this before, but taking the protein is much more difficult than I expected.  I am prescribed to take 4 shakes or 80-100 grams a day.  The protein that works best for me is BIOPLEX "plain".  I mix it with a low sugar juice or juice cut with water. The shakes have to be thick so very little liquid is used.  Sometimes I throw a raw egg in too.

The doctor would like me to start B12 shots once a week.  My labs don't show a serious deficiency and this is just a preventative measure.  I am also adding iron and continuing to take a high dose of vitamin D.

I can not stress how important it is to be diligent with your labs post surgery.  What you don't know can hurt you.  Follow your Doctors' orders.  It's much easier to keep your levels up with supplements than to bring them back up after they have fallen. 

We've started a gastric bypass support group at work.  Currently there are 3 of us that are post op, 3 that are pre op, and there are several gals who are interested in learning more, but have not committed to the process yet. 

If you're interested in attending a free seminar on Bariatric Surgery in the Pierce/King County area, check out: http://www.centerforweightlosssurgery.com/  

Till next month.

- Twickity

Two months/60 days post op

Feeling great! The scale said 202 this am.

My surgery was on Sept 9, 2009 and I weighed 239 at that time.  My weight-loss has slowed down considerably, and I hit my first plateau.  I was stuck at 209 for nearly two weeks!  The doctor says it's normal and to stop looking at the scale.  Today I am at 202 and can't remember the last time I weighed so little.

My energy has returned and I started doing Crossfit on Saturdays.  It's Monday now, and my gluts and quads are still sore...but good sore.

Protein has become much easier!  I am mixing 1/2 plain whey (Bioplex) and 1/2 flavored whey (Nectar Naturals) together and it's perfect for me!  I also found an amazing protein bar at Fred Meyer that is 20 grams protein and 2 sugars.  It is fantastic!

I have become very sensitive to the amount of hair that I see going down the drain.  I'm not sure, but I think I am losing a little more than usual. It's hard to tell though.  Fat and protein are staples in my diet, so it may just be my body responding to the stress of surgery.

What else?  Oh yea, I dumped.  I've been trying all kinds of food and another RNY friend told me that she can eat croissants when she wants bread.  BIG MISTAKE!  It only lasted for about 10 or 15 minutes, thank goodness, but I got the cramping, the diarrhea, and the cold/hot sweats.  No fun at all.

Several friends at work have signed up for the procedure, and I am so excited for them!  We are forming our own little support group at work.

TTFN.  See you next month.

-Twickity

Day 40 Post Op

Feeling good and almost back to normal.  The scale said 209 this morning.

To recap.
Jan 28, 2009 I weighed in at 269.  In six months I lost 30 pounds through diet and exercise.
Sept 8, 2009 I weighed in at 239.  In 40 days I lost 30 pounds due to weight loss surgery.

I have started eating very small portions of real food.  I spent a day or too in Vegas last week and had prime rib!  I took three bites off my friend's plate and was completely satisfied.  The portion served was so huge and I remember thinking that I could have eaten the whole thing before.  Our stretchable stomaches are a huge design flaw...sorry God, but why do we have the capacity to eat such huge portions, when we can survive on such little food?

As I am introducing real food back in to my diet I am struggling a bit with portion control.  I have eaten too much three or four times and it is not a pleasant experience.  One little bite will put me over the edge and I am slowly learning when I should stop eating by listening carefully to body.  When I have had too much, it feels like severe heart burn AND that there is something stuck in your esophagus.  It lasts for a minute or too and I never want to feel it again.

I'll be blogging monthly now, instead of weekly or bi-weekly.  Thanks all for reading my little blog, see you  next month :)

- Angela

Day 30 Post Op

I feel great!  Today is the last day of leisure for me and I return to work tomorrow.   The scale said 214 this morning.

The weather has been beautiful!  I love these early fall days when the sun is bright and the sky is blue, and the temperature is about 60 degrees.  I've been in heaven this week and spent the afternoons at the dog park getting the exercise prescribed by my doctor.  I let the dogs lead the way.  Today, Peeza spent a good deal of time in the brier searching out rabbits.  Weeman followed her, and he kept looking back, stopping to wait for me to catch up.  The park is a mile all the way around.  There are five benches scattered throughout the park and I am familiar with all of them.  I still struggle a bit with my stamina.

I have sworn off yogurt.  It is one of the things I can eat, but have recently determined that milk products are one of the things that tamper with my sinuses.  In the past I was plagued with painful sinus migraines and since my surgery I have only had one sinus headache.  Even my Esthetician noticed a difference in my sinuses.  I put the yogurt to the test and had several servings of yogurt three days ago.  The following day, I was congested and I began to feel sinus pressure. Good bye Yogurt.

-A

Day 21, 22, 23 24 post op

Day 24 Post op.  Getting strength back and feeling good.  The scale said 216.5 yesterday morning.

This life of leisure is NOT for me.  I am really looking forward to going back to work.

I am still dealing a bit with nausea and searching for the perfect protein.  My protein intake has been inconsistent because of this problem.  But I think I may have found the solution.  I tried Syntax Nectar Medical plain protein and it went down pretty well with some yogurt.

I have come to the conclusion that I can not have Peanut Butter any more.  I knew I was slightly alergic to peanuts in the past (per the alergy testing my Naturopath did) but I tolerated peanuts very well and never noticed any physical reaction to peanuts.  I'm sad because it is one of my favorite foods  Out with the Peanut Butter and in with Almond Butter.

That's it for now.

-Angela