12 years

[DSRIGGS]

Aww, thanks for all the sweet comments. At 12 years out and no significant issues (knock wook), and not being a particular carb-Nazi, I am grateful every day for the life I have. Paying It Forward is both an ethical requirement I made for myself, and also a one that gives back to me, in that I am reminded (and prodded) pretty much daily of my responsibility to take care of myself by giving others that advice.

My weight loss pattern was neither typical nor all that unusual. My highest weight I recall seeing was 293 - I may have grazed 300 once or twice, but didn't see/acknowledge it if I did. I was 285 on the day of surgery. I spent the majority of my adult life around 205, until a strenuous diet when I was 39 (got to 172) led to regain to 220 at 42, and then 235 by the time I remarried at 45. The next 5 years saw a 50+ lb gain - I'm not sure why - perimenopause, new marriage, cross-country move, working a lot, stress eating?

So I had my DS after exactly 5 years of morbid obesity, but was obese to severely obese the whole time before that since age 16. Exactly a year later, I was at 205 again, and stopped dead. I had not been really careful about carbs is probably a big part of that reason, but the freedom from dieting was worth it to me to not get lower. 2.5 years later, after shoulder surgery (but I have no idea if it was related), I started losing again, slowly, and then started working out with a trainer and by 6 years out, got to 169 for about 30 minutes. I had the first round of plastics - and had a very bad reaction to meds (I think Reglan) and gave up the idea of having more - I had to go on antidepressants and gained back 35 lbs very quickly - back to 205.

Over the last several months, I've lost 10 again, mostly from sloth and lack of appetite - so not a good way. But I will try to leverage this by working out more and see how things go.

Thanks Diana. So in reality you are really about the same weight you were when you hit your "normal weight" after surgery.


BTW, do you know you AL and CC Lengths? I have a feeling that once my AL is extended that carbs may cause weight gain for me like the rest of you. With my current DS carbs don't cause me to gain at all. The theory is because it is too short for my small bowel length that food moves through the AL before I really absorb much of anything.....so when extended I should absorb more carbs and some more protein (Dr K says that we do absorb some protein through the AL, just not as much as in the CC). I will be the test rabbit to validate this theory....LOL

Anyway, thanks and congrats ..I didn't mean to hijack your thread so sorry.

 

[DianaCox]

"So in reality you are really about the same weight you were when you hit your "normal weight" after surgery." Well, about 10 lbs less - And 195 is way way way less than 205, don'tcha know?

I just went to look at my surgery report to answer you question about my alimentary tract - but apparently the PDF was damaged in one of my computer crashes that happened without a backup file. I know my CC is 100 cm; my alimentary tract is I believe 250 total, so 150 upstream of the CC.

 

[DSRIGGS]

"So in reality you are really about the same weight you were when you hit your "normal weight" after surgery." Well, about 10 lbs less - And 195 is way way way less than 205, don'tcha know?

I just went to look at my surgery report to answer you question about my alimentary tract - but apparently the PDF was damaged in one of my computer crashes that happened without a backup file. I know my CC is 100 cm; my alimentary tract is I believe 250 total, so 150 upstream of the CC.

That sounds more in line with what Dr K would do with the 10%/40% rule. Rabkin was your surgeon, correct? Is he a Hess Method guy?

and hahahahhaahahaa ....sorry not to give you credit for the 10 pounds!

Thanks for the info!

 

[DianaCox]

I think John Rabkin is using the Hess method, plus his own knowledge for personalizing it to the patient. But when I had my DS, Robert Rabkin was my surgeon, and he was standardizing the surgery as I recall (100 cm CC/250 cm total alimentary tract/3-4 oz sleeve).

 

[DSRIGGS]

I think John Rabkin is using the Hess method, plus his own knowledge for personalizing it to the patient. But when I had my DS, Robert Rabkin was my surgeon, and he was standardizing the surgery as I recall (100 cm CC/250 cm total alimentary tract/3-4 oz sleeve).

Ahhh, didn't realize there were two Rabkin's. Are they brothers or cousins to your knowledge?

 

[DianaCox]

Brothers. Robert is significantly older than John, and retired about 7 years ago. Robert was the original DS surgeon; John is a liver surgeon who joined the practice and stayed; he still does both kinds of surgery.

 

[DSRIGGS]

Brothers. Robert is significantly older than John, and retired about 7 years ago. Robert was the original DS surgeon; John is a liver surgeon who joined the practice and stayed; he still does both kinds of surgery.

Country and Western?

Sorry I couldn't resist that old joke.

I have learned lots of things today....guess I can take a couple weeks off of this learning stuff.

 

[Munchkin]

Congrats Diana.

A question in general for those who are 5 years post DS. Without specifics of your weight then and now, I would be interested in knowing the net difference in weight from your 2 year post DS date and now (approximate). Just trying to get an idea of what type regain our group has had as an anecdotal proxy for what those of us not as far out might expect in our futures.

And nice picture!

Just happens there is a FB group for people more than 10 years postop. And I asked a similar question. How many of us still have a 'normal' BMI. I got twenty some responses after leaving the question up for a couple weeks. No one was underweight. And it looks like there is about a 30% chance of keeping a normal BMI 10+ years out. Most of us are still too heavy, to one degree or another.

 

[Munchkin]

Congrats to you! And me too!

 

[DianaCox]

The long term success rate is 75% average EWL. For some, that's enough to get out of the obese range, and land in the comfortably overweight (BMI under 30) and for many more, to be just obese BMI 30-35.

And happy 12th surgiversary to you too in a few days, my nearly surgery twin.

 

[DSRIGGS]

Just happens there is a FB group for people more than 10 years postop. And I asked a similar question. How many of us still have a 'normal' BMI. I got twenty some responses after leaving the question up for a couple weeks. No one was underweight. And it looks like there is about a 30% chance of keeping a normal BMI 10+ years out. Most of us are still too heavy, to one degree or another.

Thanks for that information Munchkin.

We all know the BMI is silly. I am a freaking bean pole now who needs a revision for protein deficiency reasons and my bmi is right around 23 I believe..25-30 is "overweight ".. So I always said if I end up happy and healthy (I know other things happen regardless of weight) that is good for me and I wouldn't care about BMI

Hopefully the fb group you sampled is meeting those criteria for the most part.

And to echo Diana, happy 12 year surgiversary!

 

[DianaCox]

I just got another copy of my surgery report from Rabkin's office - my recollection was pretty good.

My entire small intestine was 630 cm, so 100 cm CC plus 150 cm upstream alimentary limb = 250 which is almost exactly 40%. But - if using the Hess method, my CC "should" have been 63 cm of that, not 100 cm.

But frankly, I'd rather weigh 193 (this morning) at age almost 62, and have great labs, bones and teeth than be slimmer and be struggling with supplements and bathroom issues. (I'm either being sensible or claiming "sweet lemons.")

 

[DSRIGGS]

I just got another copy of my surgery report from Rabkin's office - my recollection was pretty good.

My entire small intestine was 630 cm, so 100 cm CC plus 150 cm upstream alimentary limb = 250 which is almost exactly 40%. But - if using the Hess method, my CC "should" have been 63 cm of that, not 100 cm.

But frankly, I'd rather weigh 193 (this morning) at age almost 62, and have great labs, bones and teeth than be slimmer and be struggling with supplements and bathroom issues. (I'm either being sensible or claiming "sweet lemons.")

Yeah if my small bowel is 800 cm that means the true Hess would mean 80 cm CC for me (I am 100 Dr k told me they go to the next 50 cm mark generally so prob why you are 100)) and 320 al (150 current). I have a feeling that Dr k will take the al to 300 if I am 800 cm total and maybe add 25 to CC. I don't want too much absorption but I also don't want too little so I am going to have good discussion in that regard with him.

Thanks

 

[KathrynK]

Just happens there is a FB group for people more than 10 years postop. And I asked a similar question. How many of us still have a 'normal' BMI. I got twenty some responses after leaving the question up for a couple weeks. No one was underweight. And it looks like there is about a 30% chance of keeping a normal BMI 10+ years out. Most of us are still too heavy, to one degree or another.

Can you tell me the name of the facebook group? For me, I started at 285, (100 cm CC) went to 132 (skeletal) and was told to gain 5-10 pounds. Got to 150 and stayed more or less there for 8 years. Then, lost 10 pounds without trying at year 8. Stuck there for the last 2 years. I discount the BMI for the formerly obese, since we have excess skin and heavier bones. I have a normal BMI, but my surgeon told me to stop losing weight. I don't know that surgical comparisons explain differences in results, since we differ in terms of metabolism, diet, endocrine status, exercise, lifestyle, age, previous abdominal surgery, and other medical conditions, not just the surgeon's choices. Ultimately, the DS scorecard can't be only about weight, it's also and more importantly about health and quality of life.

 

[DSRIGGS]

Hi Kathryn

I agree it is about health. I refer to the BMI for anybody, WLS or not, the Bullshit Mass Index.

Hey, do you you know your Alimentary Limb length? Dr K tells me he suspects my AL is too short at 150 CM with a 100 CM CC. I am having malnutrition issues and am on a huge does of CREON daily so I am getting revised on the 18th.