unavidanueva
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jun 1, 2015
- Messages
- 78
Hello there,
I'm new here. I've read the responses to a couple of other introductory posts. I see that a little extra info about myself can be helpful, so I guess I'll just jump right in and hope you guys will catch me. You seem to have strong arms and hearts.
I am 49, and have been big my whole life -- or at least, all of my life that I can remember, beginning at age 3. I am 6'1", and when I went away to college I weighed 330 pounds. I have always tried to be active and eat well, and while I could never manage to lose more than 20-30 pounds (which would always return and bring friends with them), for most of my life I had no real health problems … until the past 15 years.
A marriage that wasn't what it was supposed to be, three kids, two c-sections, a knee injury, and off-the-charts stress. Three years ago, I'd finally had it, and took the kids and left. Began the process of discovering just how damaged my life, soul, and health had been. Changed docs, got everything tested. High blood pressure, early diabetes, weight that had ballooned from 383 to well over 400 and was still going up. Two years ago, I woke from sleep because my heart was jumping all over the place; went to the hospital and found I was in atrial fibrillation caused by undiagnosed sleep apnea.
Last May, I decided I had to change something or get ready for an early death. Joined a local bootcamp-y gym, and discovered that I weighed 460. I worked out with a trainer five days/week and by the end of August had lost almost 50 pounds, but then they started creeping back on. Quit the gym in December when my joints and wallet could not handle it anymore, and now I am back up to 445.
I had never considered WLS before. My ex tried a few times to push it on me and shame me into it, and I always told him there was no way I was going to mutilate myself for him. I'd heard horror stories of people dying, or finding ways to outmaneuver the surgery by eating stuff that would slip past the band until they ended up gaining everything back. I'd been though years of physical therapy on my gut, working to loosen the scars and adhesions and restrictions from my c-sections; the last thing I wanted was for someone to cut me open again. And I guess I also thought WLS would be cheating -- that I had made this problem for myself, and I had to clean up my own mess and not look for the easy way out.
And then, two months ago, I was talking with a friend. We'd been workout buddies at the gym last year, and the friendship had grown from there. She told me she'd had a lap band about 8 years ago, and showed me pictures of how big she used to be.
I was stunned. She'd had WLS and wasn't dead. Her body is nowhere near perfect, and she is technically still obese (probably wears a size 22/24), but she is mobile and active and happy.
Then I found two other women I used to know (I Facebook stalked them, actually!). Sisters who were my height and size or bigger, and now they are shadows of their former selves because they each had RNY about 8-10 years ago.
I started looking into things. I became convinced of the gastric sleeve, because again, I didn't want anyone messing in my c-section area. Did a lot of research on it, and also on Chicago-area surgeons. Dr. Prachand at the U of Chicago seemed to have the most experience operating on people of my size, so I made an appointment and had my first meeting with him and his team last week.
He strongly recommends that I do the DS. I came home with my mind blown and challenged, and started researching again. I've been reading for five days now. I know he is right. But I'm scared.
Have any of you had experience with gut re-routing after previous c-sections? Or with a-fib? And how long did it take for all the vitamin supplement info to make sense to you?
This post is long enough already. Thank you for starting this site, and for the time and work that you put toward helping the rest of us. It is much appreciated.
Candy
I'm new here. I've read the responses to a couple of other introductory posts. I see that a little extra info about myself can be helpful, so I guess I'll just jump right in and hope you guys will catch me. You seem to have strong arms and hearts.
I am 49, and have been big my whole life -- or at least, all of my life that I can remember, beginning at age 3. I am 6'1", and when I went away to college I weighed 330 pounds. I have always tried to be active and eat well, and while I could never manage to lose more than 20-30 pounds (which would always return and bring friends with them), for most of my life I had no real health problems … until the past 15 years.
A marriage that wasn't what it was supposed to be, three kids, two c-sections, a knee injury, and off-the-charts stress. Three years ago, I'd finally had it, and took the kids and left. Began the process of discovering just how damaged my life, soul, and health had been. Changed docs, got everything tested. High blood pressure, early diabetes, weight that had ballooned from 383 to well over 400 and was still going up. Two years ago, I woke from sleep because my heart was jumping all over the place; went to the hospital and found I was in atrial fibrillation caused by undiagnosed sleep apnea.
Last May, I decided I had to change something or get ready for an early death. Joined a local bootcamp-y gym, and discovered that I weighed 460. I worked out with a trainer five days/week and by the end of August had lost almost 50 pounds, but then they started creeping back on. Quit the gym in December when my joints and wallet could not handle it anymore, and now I am back up to 445.
I had never considered WLS before. My ex tried a few times to push it on me and shame me into it, and I always told him there was no way I was going to mutilate myself for him. I'd heard horror stories of people dying, or finding ways to outmaneuver the surgery by eating stuff that would slip past the band until they ended up gaining everything back. I'd been though years of physical therapy on my gut, working to loosen the scars and adhesions and restrictions from my c-sections; the last thing I wanted was for someone to cut me open again. And I guess I also thought WLS would be cheating -- that I had made this problem for myself, and I had to clean up my own mess and not look for the easy way out.
And then, two months ago, I was talking with a friend. We'd been workout buddies at the gym last year, and the friendship had grown from there. She told me she'd had a lap band about 8 years ago, and showed me pictures of how big she used to be.
I was stunned. She'd had WLS and wasn't dead. Her body is nowhere near perfect, and she is technically still obese (probably wears a size 22/24), but she is mobile and active and happy.
Then I found two other women I used to know (I Facebook stalked them, actually!). Sisters who were my height and size or bigger, and now they are shadows of their former selves because they each had RNY about 8-10 years ago.
I started looking into things. I became convinced of the gastric sleeve, because again, I didn't want anyone messing in my c-section area. Did a lot of research on it, and also on Chicago-area surgeons. Dr. Prachand at the U of Chicago seemed to have the most experience operating on people of my size, so I made an appointment and had my first meeting with him and his team last week.
He strongly recommends that I do the DS. I came home with my mind blown and challenged, and started researching again. I've been reading for five days now. I know he is right. But I'm scared.
Have any of you had experience with gut re-routing after previous c-sections? Or with a-fib? And how long did it take for all the vitamin supplement info to make sense to you?
This post is long enough already. Thank you for starting this site, and for the time and work that you put toward helping the rest of us. It is much appreciated.
Candy
