Checking in.....3 months and 10 days post-op

[Amey]

Hi Everybody!

I haven't checked in for awhile so I thought I would let you all know how I am doing, since I know you have been up at night wondering about me haha. I have been reading the posts but I haven't commented much because it's a pain on my phone and for some reason this site freezes my phone when I try to post.

Anywhoozle....I had DS surgery on June 10, 2016 with Dr. Simper in Salt Lake City, UT. I weighed 340 the day before surgery....and to be honest that was the highest weight I have ever seen. I was mortified!!! On Friday, September 16th I weighed 283.6 for a loss of 56.4 pounds in 14 weeks. I met my 3 month/25% of EWL goal with 3.6 pounds to spare (my goal is 140, I am 5'7")....so I would say I am on the right track. I have not had a stall (knocking on wood and throwing salt over my shoulder!!)

I have lost 2 pants sizes and am almost in a size 22. Before surgery I think I was a 28 or 30. I couldn't get my size 24 Gloria Vanderbilt Amanda jeans over my thighs and I had to buy stretchy Walmart 4X elastic waist pants that were not very loose. So I'm not really sure what size I was. I am wearing 24s now but I have to put them in the dryer (HUGE NSV - I have NEVER put jeans in the dryer!!!) or they fall off me and they are really loose after an hour of wearing them. BUT the 22s are still too tight to wear all day without fearing a busted thigh seam or a stomach ache. I'll get there.....

I have had my 3-month labs done and have got some of the results back. I will be posting my trends spreadsheet because I am concerned about some results....I think I need to double up on a couple things. BUT the biggest difference is that all my cholesterol levels are DOWN and my good cholesterol is UP. WHAT?!? My triglycerides have been decreased in half. I was shocked!!

AND my ferretin that was so low before surgery and I was trying to get an infusion (it was in the 40s) is now in the mid 70s. How does that even happen? I was taking 3 Proferrin a day....and they were going straight through me and giving me horrible diarrhea....I was cutting the pills and crushing them and I was still not absorbing them. So on a hunch I switched to Ferrofood on July 17th. The difference was immediate and amazing! No more greenish-black diarrhea, no stomach cramps.....I had normal tan-ish/gray poops for the first time since surgery and I even went through a week of constipation for the first time in my life (let's not do that again mmmkkkayyy!!) and after that everything was fine and I'm NORMAL for the first time in my life I have a predictable bathroom schedule. Going from IBS-D that kept me home from work at least a couple days a month to 1-2 times a day perfect poops is AMAZING!!!

I have had absolutely NO REGRETS!!! NONE!!! Sure, I miss some foods (like an alcoholic misses vodka)....but I would never trade a plate of garlic bread for everything that I have gained! I have more self-confidence, energy, my knees don't cry when I walk up the stairs at night!! And I actually want to get out of my house and do things (I didn't say exercise....let's not get crazy!!) like go for drives and go to a movie and put make-up on and do my hair. I didn't realize how totally exhausted I was .....I really didn't care about my appearance or if I left my house for anything but work and food. WOW!!! What a difference 3 months makes!!!

When I was going through hell with my insurance company and working with @DianaCox and @Larra to get approval I promised them that I would pay their kindness and hard work forward and that if I could help anyone else that I would. I can say that I am fulfilling that promise. I have a friend that has a failed RNY that is going through the process to get a revision to DS with Dr. Simper. My friend has been with me through the surgery and hormonal head spinning and levitating and for some reason he still wants to be my friend. He has medicare and of course they are giving him grief and has had to cancel the initial appt with Dr. Simper twice...but we are not giving up. If he gets a denial then I'll be sending him here to see if Diana and Larra can help him.

So.....that's my 3 month story.......and it has probably taken you that long to read this lol.

Thank you soooooo much for everyone's support and not letting me give up when I was trying to get approved. I LOVE MY DS!!!!

This picture is the day before my surgery and about 2 weeks ago......


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[Amey]

Well crap...the picture didn't post....you have to click on it....sorry for being a pain!

 

[newanatomy]

It is so fantastic to read about all your successes since surgery! We need to go to lunch again.

 

[Amey]

It is so fantastic to read about all your successes since surgery! We need to go to lunch again.

Definitely need to do lunch again!!! My son and I went back to O'Brady's last week for dinner. I ordered the same thing I did before....the chicken with mushrooms and melted swiss....I didn't even bother getting the salad or a side. I ate about 2 bites of the chicken with 1 mushroom split between the 2 bites and had to scrape the rest of the mushrooms off because I knew I wouldn't be able to eat as much chicken. I wound up eating about 1/3-1/2 of the chicken with the cheese. And I was completely full and happy! And the waitress asked if it was okay....lol....I remember when she asked you that! I just sat there thinking about how before I had eaten the whole salad and the chicken and a few fries and I didn't feel like I was eating a lot. Now I feel like I eat A LOT but I'm eating less than half of what I was.....it's a crazy mind game for sure!!!!

 

[newanatomy]

That was a tiny tummy day for me. I am a pretty big eater. Scares me, how much I can still eat. I just try hard to make sure it is DS friendly. Candy and fruit/sugary stuff is giving me grief right now. I have to scale it back.

 

[Amey]

That was a tiny tummy day for me. I am a pretty big eater. Scares me, how much I can still eat. I just try hard to make sure it is DS friendly. Candy and fruit/sugary stuff is giving me grief right now. I have to scale it back.

I did a BAD thing trying to get more fat...I was only getting about 30 grams a day.....and then I saw 7 layer bean dip at Albertson's and thought FAT!!!! but what will I eat it with? I know....let's try Fritos....bad bad bad idea!!! I can eat about 5 Frito scoops and I load the suckers with 7 layer bean dip. I get the fat but the Fritos KILL my carb count....runs me into the 60s if I'm not careful. But....Fritos only have 3 ingredients and have the lowest carbs of any dipper. That's my story and I'm sticking to it

 

[newanatomy]

It is the beans that would send me into convulsive fits! I don't limit carbs as much as I did during my first 18 months post-op so I would allow myself the few Fritos and I love bean dip but, it hates my ever-lovin' guts!!

 

[galaxygrrl]

Congrats on all the success. Great to read your story.

 

[Amey]

It is the beans that would send me into convulsive fits! I don't limit carbs as much as I did during my first 18 months post-op so I would allow myself the few Fritos and I love bean dip but, it hates my ever-lovin' guts!!

Refried beans don't bother me too much......they make me poop in the middle of the night but it's not diarrhea. Chili kills me!! Wendy's chili is NO GO for me lol

 

[DSRIGGS]

Refried beans don't bother me too much......they make me poop in the middle of the night but it's not diarrhea. Chili kills me!! Wendy's chili is NO GO for me lol

I am good with refried beans and chili. Try chili again in a few months. It might be just fine your gut them.

You are doing so well buy I already knew that since I see your FB posts.

Good job with your friend and hopefully he gets approved.

 

[Butterfly]

Yay, that's so awesome! Thanks for letting us know!

 

[Larra]

So good to see you posting again, and doing so well.
Your friend with the failed RNY may have a tough time getting insurance coverage. You already know how tough it can be, and for revisions of this type it's even harder. I hope he's successful, but if not, hopefully he has some kind of policy we can work with and is willing to fight the good fight.

 

[hilary1617]

Congratulations! I'm so happy for you! Welcome to a new future!!!!

 

[Amey]

So good to see you posting again, and doing so well.
Your friend with the failed RNY may have a tough time getting insurance coverage. You already know how tough it can be, and for revisions of this type it's even harder. I hope he's successful, but if not, hopefully he has some kind of policy we can work with and is willing to fight the good fight.

He has Medicare and they have approved his initial visit with Dr. Simper. He has a tracheostomy due to severe sleep apnea that no cpap can keep up with, and his blood sugars are all over the place and his heart is enlarged from the sleep apnea and his weight. We are hoping that the administrator of his Medicare won't be ass holes.....it's just a hurry up and wait game as I am well aware of....

 

[Larra]

His situation sounds desperate. I hope Dr. Simper will be able to help him and not feel he's too high risk. Please let us know what happens, and of course get him to come here and learn as much as possible about the DS as well. I'm sure you're helping him to get up to speed, but he will learn so much more by reading and researching himself as well.