I am still around, trying to slow down, I wish !

[ginger]

Hi All,
checking in. I am now 2+ years post revision with Dr John Rabkin, and 12+ years original DS. Just returned from vacation. I had labs drawn before vacation and while I need to have my phone appt with Dr R yet, they look pretty good, although surprisingly my iron is high. Everything else is about mid range... WOOT for me !

While on vacation I did some clothes shopping as I was tired of shorts not staying up as it got a tad embarrassing.....drum roll ! I started trying on size 14, ended up with size 8 or 10 depending on the brand. Mediums in shirts and a couple of smalls that seemed to run large. At home after vacation I discovered I had lost another 3 lbs in 2 weeks.

I am still quite unhappy about my thighs, but time will tell with them. Will try a bit more exercise, might have to break down and consider plastics as I need larger pants just for the thighs to fit with most pants. I am waiting for the bounce back, but I just keep losing about 3-4 lbs a month at 2 years out. Not sure how much of that is stress, and how much is from the surgery. I focus on protein and have the typical bottomless pit days and tiny tummy days.

Still dealing with Dad's estate items, which has been extremely complicated for a long time. A few more months and that should be done at last... gesh, it's been a PIA.

Been very busy with work, just had a decent vacation, 2 funerals this week, one in town and one out of town, district convention next week and then hopefully home for awhile until a fall vacation. I really need to stay home and get things done here. I really want to keep up better online and hope to soon.

 

[southernlady]

Glad you checked in and Happy surgiversary. (late) Awesome that you are still losing.

 

[SJB41976]

Wow @ginger!! I'm pretty new here but it sounds like life is treating you well!!! I'm considering a revision from VSG. Thanks for the update!!

 

[newanatomy]

Glad to know you are doing so well!

 

[ginger]

Thank you everyone ! It's wonderful to feel so much better.

 

[JackieOnLine]

that's wonderful, congratulations!

 

[Will2014]

Ginger may I ask why you needed the revisions? What did they do? I'm almost 14 months post op DS and have lost all my excess weight and a tad more. I'm just curious about your experience! Glad you're doing well.

 

[ginger]

Thanks everyone... sorry I am slow to respond, I have been out of town again... Will... here is what I wrote about my revision right afterwards that will explain things easily. Will I had a lot of regain... I did not lose too much ! You will probably still have a bounce back.

Tomorrow afternoon I have a phone appt with Dr Rabkin to review my 2 year labs, can't wait, things look pretty goo to me...


Here is what Dr Rabkin found…. My common channel was supposed to be 100 cm and it was not. It was 125 cm. My bilio-limb had never been measured in the past OR reports and it was extremely long. He made my common channel 80 cm as I am short and I have orthopedic issues that I need to get the weight off. My alimentary channel is now 135 cm. He reduced the stomach to 95 cc’s or approximately 3.2 ounces. He found that it was about three times that size, even though in previous OR reports it was reported to being smaller. He performed the blue dye internal leak test and hmm, yes there was problem. Behind and sort of to the side was a fistula that had developed and it was reconnecting the bilio limb to the alimentary limb ! OH MY ! That is why I was absorbing more food and gaining weight ! He was also amazed at how great my labs results were pre-op as this showed him I was absorbing too much. Dr Rabkin believes the fistula was the biggest problem that was present inside of me. He repaired the hiatal hernia while he was in there as well. Even though it looked small on the Upper GI, he could get a whole finger thru the hole and he stitched it shut so there should be no more sensation of my stomach in my throat.


I am writing this, to demonstrate it is best that you go the best doctor with the most experience. You are risking improper measurements and results with non qualified docs. While I am only a few days post-op, I feel good, normal post surgical pains etc. If I had just gone to Dr Rabkin 10 years ago, I believe I would not be writing this today. Now in a few months I will let you know how my weight loss is coming along. Dr Rabkin believes I will lose without a problem now with all the items changed and / or fixed.