Before & After RNY with Lyle, losing 157 pounds!
May 7, 2019Why I Decided to Have WLS
Since time began, I have felt that anything worth doing was worth doing to the extreme. From drugs and alcohol to cigarettes, work, food, and the mother of them all - STRESS. Yes, I was truly a stress junkie. Of course, all the other addictions in my world only added to that one driving force. Since I became able to recognize this in myself, finding a place in the middle of the road has been my obsession. Swapping addictions became common over time. When my family started to grow, I quit smoking and threw myself into work. Of course, that lead me straight to a life of overeating and trying to manage a whole new level of stresses.
I was on a shoebox full of meds. I had been diagnosed with a list of obesity-related ailments including high blood pressure, diabetes, pulmonary edema, sleep apnea, gout, and congestive heart failure just to name a few of the highlights. I’d been on a dozen different diets over the years and had lost hundreds of pounds and always managed to put it right back on. All I ever needed was any form of justification to excuse bad behavior and off and running I went. I was a mess of problems and everything seemed to be a challenge. Putting on socks and shoes would literally knock the wind out of me. I would spend all of my leisure time planning my own funeral. I truly believed that this was going to kill me.
Before & After RNY with Lyle
OH Username: Misplacdcowboy
Total Weight Loss: 157 pounds
Surgery Type: RNY
Surgery Date: November 30th, 2015
Surgeon: Dr. Keith Scharf
My Surgery and Post-Op Life
I was blessed enough to be able to receive a gastric bypass on November 30, 2015, by Dr. Keith Scharf at Loma Linda Health. I have lost over 157 pounds since my surgery and I only take one prescription medication.
I did what I was told after my surgery but really didn’t know what I was getting into. The first few weeks were a blur. I had my shot glass full of water and an egg timer and all was good. My back was all out of whack. Dropping down to only carrying the equivalent weight of two bags of dog food around with you instead of three will wreak havoc on your spine. It took me about 9 months or so to drop the other two bags of feed and reach my goal weight. I was off all my meds and was able to get my spine back in alignment.
To be honest, I didn’t attend any support groups before my surgery. In fact, the few people that I had spoken with prior to my surgery that had a bariatric procedure were all pretty much bad examples. All I knew is that I needed to change my life. I went to my first support group meeting about 60 days after my surgery date and I knew then that I was in the right place.
This is where I first learned about ObesityHelp and all the resources that were out there for us. They have forums and resources that cover any issue imaginable, recipes for all sorts of bariatric-friendly, and more importantly, is the network of patients as well as professionals. I have formed dozens of friendships through different events.
A Special Milestone / Non-Scale Victory
Anyone that follows my Facebook page sees that I am definitely on the run. I feel that I am making up for all the lost time and the inability to do the things I always wished I could do. Some days I feel like “Yes” man. I jump at the opportunity to do all sorts of activities. As long as I get to walk, hike, bike, climb in a race car window, jump up and down at a concert, run up some stairs or just get to take a big deep breath of life I am fulfilled.
Share Your Before & After Success!
Celebrate your own Before & After WLS Success, milestones, non-scale victories, and inspire others! The OH team wants to hear from you to share your weight loss surgery journey. Visit our Before & After Submission page for details.
