Before & After RNY with Robbielee1976, down 135 pounds!
March 23, 2021Before & After RNY with Robbielee1976: My Journey
Before & After RNY with Robbielee1976: What led me to weight loss surgery at 44 years old? Early in 2019, I was suffering from GERD to the point that I was waking up in the middle of the night with vomit in my mouth. I made an appointment with a GI specialist, never imagining what a life-changing decision that would be. The doctor was young and kind, but before we even addressed what was going on with my GERD, he looked me up and down and asked, “have you ever considered weight loss surgery?”.
I felt my face turn bright red as I stammered out “am I really THAT overweight?” and he simply replied, “Yes”.
He told me he knew of an amazing surgeon and recommended that I made an appointment to see Dr. Jonathan Aranow. I had in the back of my mind considered looking into weight loss surgery for about two years before this, but always convincing myself that I wasn’t “that” heavy despite my weight and clothing size going in an upward direction…I was 5’ 7” and weighing in at over 280 pounds…reality set in…I really needed to make a serious change, and NOW.
Before & After RNY with Robbielee1976
ObesityHelp User Name: RobbieLee1976
Weight loss total: 135 pounds
Surgery Type: RNY
Surgery Date: 12/4/2019
Surgeon: Dr. Jonathan Aranow (Dr. A)
My Surgery and Post-Op Life
I went to the prerequisite seminar needed before I could make an appointment with the bariatric surgeon. Within 30 seconds of Dr. A speaking, I knew I was right where I needed to be. I made my consult appointment the next day and so I began the most fantastic journey of my life.
Working with Dr. A and his team has been such a positive and uplifting experience. Dr. A, his PA, and the nursing staff are compassionate and honest; the nutritionists are so informative, encouraging, and helpful. We decided from day 1 that RNY was the only option for me given my history with severe GERD.
Getting through the insurance requirements for surgery approval was a six-month process. When I initially found out it would be at least six months before I could have my surgery I was frustrated…I wanted to lose the weight NOW!! However, in the end, I was so grateful for the time to mentally and physically prepare myself for this major lifestyle change.
I took that six months to make steps towards my lifelong plan. I gave up diet soda and caffeine early on (something I NEVER imagined I could do!!), I started walking outdoors, I stopped drinking with my meals. I ate slowly and chewed thoroughly. All of these small steps taken helped me to get down to 244 pounds on surgery day and made it that much easier for me post-op as I had already established the good habits needed for success.
On December 4, 2019, I had my RNY and hernia repair. Those first few hours were rough pain-wise but I got out of bed and walked to get rid of the gas pains.
I was released the next day and later that same day went to a track to walk. The pain and nausea subsided in the first week and a half, thankfully. About two weeks post-op, just as I was ready to return to work the next day, I ran into a complication. I had eaten my Greek yogurt for breakfast, tiny bites, slowly, the way I knew to eat. I felt so full after, which surprised me. A few hours later, I still felt so full; I couldn’t drink water. I tried lying down, and I became nauseated and vomited white foam. I called the office, and they recommended going to the ER to see what was going on.
A little while and a few tests later we discovered I had an obstruction at the Y junction. I was so upset, worried I had done something wrong to cause this (thankfully I had not, it was just a very rare fluke). Dr. A scheduled me for surgery that evening.
The surgery went well, and I was feeling much better almost instantly. Two weeks later, I was finally ready to go back to work. My colleagues were so happy to see me and could already see a difference from the bit of weight loss.
Halfway into my workday, I started feeling short of breath and had chest pains (side note: I suffered a near-fatal heart attack five years previously and was scared that was what was happening again). My boss sent me to the ER, and they discovered I had multiple blood clots in both lungs. I was transported to the hospital and admitted for several days. Coumadin therapy for six months was ordered, and all seemed well.
Shortly before my first surgical anniversary, I went to the ER two times in one week for pain…the first time, they diagnosed me with kidney stones. When I went back three days later, they discovered blood clots in my lungs again and admitted me to the hospital. We have since determined that the blood clots were likely not surgery related but due to an unknown factor in my blood chemistry.
Here’s the thing, even if I had known ahead of time the complications I would face, I would still 100% choose to have weight loss surgery. These small setbacks are nothing compared to how far I have come.
A Special Milestone / Non-Scale Victory
My goal was to lose 100 pounds from my starting weight, bringing me to 180. I hit that goal four months post-op, and I was thrilled. Dr. A said, "great job, now your ultimate goal is to get into the 150s by around your 1st surgical anniversary." Ultimate goal??? 150s???? I figured NO way would ever happen.
With the surgical team’s encouragement, I kept plugging away, following the plan, visiting the nutritionist, and exercising. Two months later, I weighed in at 159.6. SIX months post-op, and I’d hit my “ultimate” goal!! So I promptly set another goal for myself: to get into and maintain in the 140s. On August 26, 2020, just shy of nine months post-op, I weighed in at 149.6. I am now one year plus post-op and maintain between 145 and 149 pounds.
My bloodwork shows that everything is exactly as it should be. I have gone from size 24W and 3X to size 4/6 and Small. I have gone from being very sedentary to hardly wanting to sit still; from barely being able to walk up and down the stairs due to knee pain to walking and jogging 3 plus miles a day (and I have a rack of medals to show for it!!); from always needing to sit in a chair to playing on the floor with my granddaughter (AND I’m able to hop right back up!!).
A moment that was pivotal in this journey and will always stand out for me happened over the summer. My six-year-old granddaughter and I were walking around my favorite spot by the shore. She thought she was funny and took off running and giggling figuring Meme would never catch her. The look on her face when I ran past her and stuck my tongue out at her was PRICELESS!!! She stopped dead in her tracks and said “Meme, you can RUN???”.
The awe and joy in her face still bring me to tears when I think of it. She has been one of the driving forces in my healthy lifestyle. She is so happy that I now have the ability and energy to play outside with her and kick around a ball, play tag, and just LIVE a healthy life with her! We are making memories together that will last a lifetime.
She loves to randomly tell strangers that her Meme doesn’t have a big belly anymore (she’s lucky she’s so cute!!), and she makes it a point to look to be sure that there is only “healthy” food in my home.
The equally important inspiration for my healthy lifestyle is my youngest child, my daughter, Andrea. She just turned 22 and keeps close track of how I am doing. She has been beside me with every setback and has celebrated every scale and non-scale victory with me. She has supported my decision from day one and has been my biggest cheerleader. She tells me every time she visits how proud she is of me and tells me to keep up the good work.
Having weight loss surgery has given me a life that I am so excited to live. I love the energy level I have now; I am healthier at almost 45 than I was at 25!
I love the ability to keep up with my very active granddaughter. I love the pride I see in my daughter’s eyes when we look at my before and after photos.
I have met some of the most amazing people during this weight loss journey. I am humbled and honored by the messages I receive from folks in the bariatric community telling me that my story has inspired them or asking for my help to motivate them in their journey.
The possibilities of what I can accomplish in this healthy body are endless. I am excited to continue to push myself and do things I never could have imagined doing in my pre-op life. I am forever grateful to Dr. Aranow and his team.
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