Introduce yourself

[shann]

Hey y'all!

shann is the handle I go by on most forums- I'm Shannon IRL. I had my DS July 2010 with Dr. Boyce here in Knoxville, TN.

I've lost way below my original goal weight and I have to say it's been pretty much a free ride so far (I keep expecting that to change.) I focus on getting in my protein and then eat whatever I want after that.
Since my DS, I've gone through a bunch of mid-life crisis/life changes- quit my job, dyed my hair lots of fun colors, and gone back to graduate school....again. I am currently working on another Master's degree in Information Sciences (Library Science) after having spent 14 years in an elementary classroom. We'll see if I finish this degree or find some other adventure! I've been married to my long-suffering wonderful hubby for 21 years and we have a 12 year old son and an almost 10 year old daughter.

OH was a life-line to me during my preop and early postop days (and Kirmy is my absolute idol!!) so I feel the need to remain present in forums in some way. I don't claim to know a thing, but I'm always around to cheerlead or share my experience.

 

[Paula]

I'm Paula...both in real life and here online.

My original surgery was an RNY that took place in 2000. My highest recorded weight was 526lbs, though I very well could have been even higher. Back then, I got the joy of being weighed on a laundry scale in the bowels of the hospital. Conveniently...or ironically...it was across the hall from the hospital morgue. Climbed (hauled?) myself onto the OR table at an über skinny 483lbs. Did okay for two years and then the RNY basically called it a day, told me I was on my own now, and slowly the weight started coming back on.

For 12 years, I lived with the guilt and shame of being a weight loss failure. I gained back all but 76lbs. I was getting back to where I was, only this time I wasn't just dragging myself down...I was dragging my child down with me. Thank God she was ready to ride a 2-wheeled bike pretty much on her own because I sure as hell couldn't keep up with her to do it. In 2010, my low point came when I suffered a pulmonary embolism that should have killed me in all actuality. It was THAT extensive and nearly blocked all blood flow to both lungs. Just 6 short days before her 6th birthday, my daughter nearly got a dead mom for a birthday gift. I spent her birthday in the ICU, unable to be with her on her special day because young children aren't allowed in ICUs. Something had to change because I knew at this point that I was on borrowed time once again.

I began researching revision possibilities. My RNY surgeon was doing StomaphyX. There was BOB (Band Over Bypass). But ultimately I kept coming back to the dilemma....why choose two things with pretty bad results to do to an RNY with clearly demonstrated bad results? And then the clouds parted, the sun streamed down, and maybe even an angel or two started to sing. I learned (from many of the very people here now) that I could have my RNY revised to a DS?!?!?!

I researched and learned for two years. In March 2012, the super awesome Dr. Simper from Rocky Mountain Associated Physicians in Salt Lake City, UT revised my RNY to a true DS. I finally got my life back and have done things that seem insignificant in the grand scheme, but are pretty damned monumental to me. I could play on playground equipment with my daughter, ride amusement park rides with her, and give her a chance to be a daughter to a mother who is very much alive and well.

On another personal note, I'm now 13 weeks pregnant with my second child. I'm engaged to be married for the first time in my life. And all of this I credit my DS with helping to make happen.

 

[SwitchedUp]

Well...hmm..
The name I've always went by is Leaha (pronounce just like Leah - Lee-ah), because my middle name is Illeaha (eye-lee-ah). I blame my mother. Anyway, I am scheduled to have the DS on 01/22/14. I'm excited and, of course, scared. I have a BMI of 62, so I have to do something drastic. Counting down the days!

Congrats on your date!!! How exciting!

 

[aaa]

Hi,

I'm aaa. I've been around for a while and am present on other boards as well.

I had the DS in 2005 at Weill Cornell with Doctors Pomp & Gagner.

Nice to see the folks I know & glad to meet new people as well.

 

[catecholamine]

Congrats on your date!!! How exciting!

Thanks It's so close now! I'm getting pretty scared and nervous. I hope they're willing to give me valium or something right before surgery or I'm going to be FREAKING OUT! I've never felt that way about the other surgeries I've had, but this one is different.

 

[SwitchedUp]

I was the same way. It is a strange mix of emotions, that's for sure! Be sure to keep in touch and let us know how things go!

 

[Munchkin]

Don't know why I chose Munchkin but I did. I've been around the boards for years, decades even, as some iteration of pattyl. Had my DS in 2003 and I'm still alive and kicking. My surgery was open, no complications or deficiencies, but I never did reach a normal BMI. So I do still diet all the time and try to lose more. I so wanted to be really skinny but that was not to be. I just look like a normal person for my age.

 

[andrea in the UK]

My excuse is I am a total newbie to this site, even thou i gave off some info on another thread, i thought i better do it right on here, so
Andrea is the name, I am from the UK. Had RNY 5 years ago, first 2 years went swimmingly, but then it came to a holt well before it should of. Went from 280lbs down to 177lb and stayed there for a while. but over this last year it is creeping back on and am now at 204lbs and feeling miserable. As previously stated on other threads, having surgery in the UK is a different approach then having it over in the US. The one thing I did not get, but felt i seriously needed was physological help. They operate on your body, but not the head!
Strange thing too is that some days I can eat "normal" foods and be okay and on others it gives me terrible dumping syndrome. I really cannot tolerate fats and creams etc but no problem at all with carbs and butter! Not so good at making protein my priority either. So do need to teach myself better!
Well thats about as honest as I've ever been. Oh and lastly, with my weight loss came the discovery of a inverted coxic, and I have been in constant pain with it for about 2.5 years now. Continually on pain killers (and that cannot be doing me good) i've had radiowaves injected into me, coxigeal injections, physio, accupuncture and taking codeine/paracetamol and gabapentum (which by the way cause weight gain! - like I needed that)
I would be very happy to have a target weight of 165lb this year, and it is my goal to do so.

 

[Kate]

Hello:

I'm Kate. Been lurking around on various boards since shortly before my weight loss surgery in 2010 and decided to de-lurk. I had a Lap DS in April of 2010 (egads!) with Dr. Srikanth. Met my goal weight in late December 2010 and now bounce around within a few pounds of it. I can absolutely say that the decision to have surgery was once of the most difficult I've made, but it turned out to be one of the best.

 

[Juliamy]

Hi y'all My name is Julia. I had a DS on 12/16/13. I had no complications and am healing nicely. I'm not always feeling so great (because I struggle to get enough protein & fluids), but it gets better each week. I'm nearly at 4 weeks, when I'll b able to eat almost all foods (yay!) and it will be time to return to work. I drive an 18 wheeler, but I work locally in our metroplex, so I get to come home every night. My partner & I have been together for 14 years and we have a cat (Sir Lancelot). Life is good.

Edited: You accidentally said 12/16/2014...

 

[southernlady]

LOL, Julie, you and my dh have the same surgery DAY...he is three years out tho now. But I still remember those early days for both of us (I was 5 weeks behind him)

 

[Band to DS]

Hello!

I've been known as Shelli, Shelli_5, & Band to DS on various WLS boards. I'm mostly on Facebook these days, but wanted to come over & support the new site. I hope this will end up being a great resource for new & "old" WLS patients.

I originally had lap band surgery in 2008, which was a huge mistake. I bought into the marketing hype about the lap band being "less invasive" and "equally effective" when compared to other weight loss surgery options. I had trouble swallowing fluids right after surgery & my issues persisted even though I followed all the rules and never had my band filled too tight. I lost 30 pounds during the first couple of months & I gained those back pretty quickly when I stopped being able to eat dense proteins & vegetables. Ironically, healthy food got "stuck" in my band, causing much discomfort, but junk food went down just fine. I felt extremely guilty and ashamed, which led me to stop seeing my surgeon after a year & avoid talking about my issues with anyone.

In 2011, I had a bit of an epiphany while I was on vacation. I realized that I was afraid to eat without having a glass of water available so I could use it to force down each bite of food into my stomach. It finally occurred to me that something was seriously wrong. I started reading about people who were not successful with the lap band & thought I might want to have a RNY revision. Thank goodness I also discovered that there were lots of people who were not successful with the RNY. Eventually, I noticed that the only folks who weren't posting about revisions were people who had a DS. Even though I was scared to death of such an "extreme" procedure, I decided to learn more about it.

Fortunately, there is a vetted DS surgeon within an hour's drive from my home. I scheduled an appointment with him & was diagnosed with esophageal dysmotility & "to and fro" motion. (Basically, the muscles in my esophagus weren't working right.) After documenting the problem, I had all of the fluid removed from my band & my swallowing issues improved. My new surgeon agreed that I was a good candidate for the DS & I began the process of getting insurance approval for my lap band to DS revision. I had no problem getting my insurance company to agree that it was medically necessary for my lap band to be removed, but they did not want to pay for a DS because my BMI was under 50. My surgeon tried to help by participating in a peer-to-peer review, but the insurance company wouldn't budge. I filed an appeal & got denied. In desperation, I hired a "patient advocate" who ended up using some really strange tactics & didn't make any progress. To say that I was stressed was an understatement.

At some point, I realized that I needed to do some serious work on my own if I wanted to get insurance approval. I delved into the medical literature to learn everything I could about the DS. I wrote a 15-page research paper detailing the problems I had with my lap band, why it was medically necessary for me to have a DS, and why my insurance company's BMI requirement was ridiculous. Diana & Larra were kind enough to review & edit my document as well as provide much-needed moral support. It took about a year & I had to go through a number of appeals, but I finally got approved for a lap band to DS revision.

I had that revision in 2012. The surgery itself went well, although my surgeon found a lot of scar tissue on my esophagus & stomach from the lap band. Unfortunately, this led to complications during my recovery. I had trouble swallowing again, I experienced very painful esophageal spasms, I had a lot of food intolerances, & I threw up quite often. I tried several different prescription medications, but nothing helped. I also went through a pretty severe episode of depression after surgery. I felt awful - both physically & mentally - for the first 8 months post-op. During this time, I lost 123 pounds & went from a size 26/28 to a size 12/14.

Around the 9th month after I had surgery, my physical & mental health started improving slowly. It's been an ongoing process, especially with the depression. I am finally able to appreciate my smaller body size & improved health. I haven't made it to a "normal" BMI & I doubt if I ever will, but I'm happy with where I've landed. I'm able to eat almost anything, but in much smaller portions than I did before the DS. When I'm full, I stay that way for hours. I usually poop once a day & I have to be careful to avoid constipation. I do have more gas now than I did before the DS, but it's manageable. I sometimes struggle with taking all my vitamins, but I'm working on that. I know how important it is to keep up with my protein & vitamin requirements. I strongly believe in "paying it forward" and am happy to help when I can.

That's my story & I'm sticking to it!

 

[BrianChesteen]

Hello,

My name is Brian Chesteen (sometimes known as Brantel on other forums). I am a brand new virgin DS patient as of 1/6/14. I came home on Thursday afternoon after having my surgery on Monday morning. First day I could not get any liquids in as nothing was going down. That costed me an extra nights stay. My surgeon is Dr. Stephen Boyce in Knoxville, TN. I have been learning by drinking from the fire hose from vets on many forms and FB groups. I feel like I know about 5% of what I need to so hopefully I can learn the rest from the vets here as my new life unfolds. My current focus is on staying hydrated first, keeping moving and getting in the right protein. I have also been following my Dr's recommendations on vits at this point. I already know and understand from the advice some of you have given elsewhere that his vits will never be successful long term and have already invested in 90+ days of the Vitalady DS regimen. I plan to slowly transition to that regimen and then modify as needed based on labs long term. Unfortunately I was a self-pay patient as my insurance excludes WLS of any kind for any reason. I want to give thanks to all the vets that give their time and knowledge to folks like me. Without you all, the DS would end up with way too many unnecessary complications associated with it.

 

[Taterweight]

Welcome and good luck to you, Brian!

 

[southernlady]

Welcome, Brian...and you are in for a heck of a ride. Same surgeon here...