Show of Hands Please

Hi Friends, indulge me in the following survey - I just want to gauge my own cir****tances against others who had the surgery the same time I did. The more people that respond, the better we will be able to help each other - knowledge is power! Thanks - please post your answers (yes or no) to the following:

1.  Do you still feel pouch restriction all of the time or nearly all of the time? (Yes/No)
2.  Do you still experience any discomfort (dumping syndrome) any time after you eat? (Always/Sometimes/Never)
3.  Do you make a conscious effort to eat only healthy foods? (Always/Sometimes/Never)
4.  Do you work out at least three times a week? (Yes/No)
5.  Do you work out (More Thank 3 Times a Week/Less Than 3 Times a Week/Never)
6.  How much weight have you gained back from your lowest weight post-surgery (5 lbs. or less/5-10 lbs./10-20 lbs./20-30 lbs./more than 30 lbs.)
7.  Do you follow the Pouch Rules (Yes/No/What are the Pouch Rules?)
8.  Do you have any medical issues related to the surgery, e.g., vitamin/nutrient deficiency, low blood sugar, blackouts, osteoporosis due to malabsorption of calcium/Vitamin D, etc. - if YES, please tell us about your issues
9.  Why did you have the surgery (e.g., to lose weight, to save my life, to improve the quality of my life through movement, better sex, etc.)
10.  Did your personal relationships improve after you lost the weight? (yes/no) - if no, please share to the extent you are comfortable what impact post-surgery life has had on your personal relationships.

Anything else you want to add - please, the more people that respond, the more supportive we are able to be to one another. Thanks. My next post is my response - Maureen

1.  No, never feel sense of restriction - in fact, feel a sense of a 'gaping hole' almost all the time.
2.  No, never feel discomfort after I eat or drink anything.
3.  Yes, almost always.
4.  Not any more, but I do try to work out. I've really lost my edge and desire to work out.
5.  Less than 3 times a week.
6.  I've gained back 23 lbs. from my lowest weight.
7.  Yes, I follow the pouch rules.
8.  I have calcium deficiency so that I am not officially peri-osteoporosis (I forget what it's called); I have regular episodes of extreme low blood sugar attacks, but my fault - from all the candy I eat. I am anemic.
9.  To save my life.
10.  No, my personal relationship with my husband got worse - or at least all the bad stuff came to the surface. We are headed for divorce but neither of us can seem to find the courage to leave the other. It's a very painful situation.

Please share. Thanks so much. Maureen

1.  Do you still feel pouch restriction all of the time or nearly all of the time? (Yes/No)

     seems like every other day alittle bit..one day I can eat a ton, the next alittle bit

2.  Do you still experience any discomfort (dumping syndrome) any time after you eat? (Always/Sometimes/Never)

      I have to this day...never dumped, unless you called getting sleepy dumping,,,then the answe is very rarely


3.  Do you make a conscious effort to eat only healthy foods? (Always/Sometimes/Never)

      Yes, pretty much always

4.  Do you work out at least three times a week? (Yes/No)

      Yes, usually its manual labor or walking

5.  Do you work out (More Thank 3 Times a Week/Less Than 3 Times a Week/Never)

     More, I do something everyday

6.  How much weight have you gained back from your lowest weight post-surgery (5 lbs. or less/5-10 lbs./10-20 lbs./20-30 lbs./more than 30 lbs.)

      5 or less

7.  Do you follow the Pouch Rules (Yes/No/What are the Pouch Rules?)

     Most the time....eat slow, and no drinking with meals, and always protein first

8.  Do you have any medical issues related to the surgery, e.g., vitamin/nutrient deficiency, low blood sugar, blackouts, osteoporosis due to malabsorption of calcium/Vitamin D, etc. - if YES, please tell us about your issues

   Had VERY low Vit D level...its under control now

9.  Why did you have the surgery (e.g., to lose weight, to save my life, to improve the quality of my life through movement, better sex, etc.)

   Cause I felt like to put it bluntly...CRAP...my self esteme was getting shot and my knees were starting to hurt so I said what the hell Im getting my life back on track.


10.  Did your personal relationships improve after you lost the weight? (yes/no) - if no, please share to the extent you are comfortable what impact post-surgery life has had on your personal relationships.

   My relationship stayed the same...well no actually alittle better cause I started to relive my life again. Back to being active, going out more, sex better, all around better....now if I could just get rid of all the other junk going on Ide be in paradise lol...that last line was said with a smirk lol

Here are my answers.

1.  Do you still feel pouch restriction all of the time or nearly all of the time? (Yes/No)
       I don't push the pouch. I stick to serverings. What I have found is if I eat more of a serving 
      then I am uncomfortable. So hey maybe the pouch is working! that plus to keep my Low 
     Blood sugar (which is NOT because of the surgery) under control I have to stick to what
     what I'm suppose to eat. The negative health feelings of not sticking to that pretty much
     help me decide which is right and which is wrong.
2.  Do you still experience any discomfort (dumping syndrome) any time after you eat? (Always/Sometimes/Never)
       If I over do it I dump. when I dump I get extremely sleepy uncomfortable in my stomach
      headache. I've never thrown up with it. I'm lucky that way.
3.  Do you make a conscious effort to eat only healthy foods? (Always/Sometimes/Never)
      YES
4.  Do you work out at least three times a week? (Yes/No)
      Yes
5.  Do you work out (More Thank 3 Times a Week/Less Than 3 Times a Week/Never)
       Yes
6.  How much weight have you gained back from your lowest weight post-surgery (5 lbs. or less/5-10 lbs./10-20 lbs./20-30 lbs./more than 30 lbs.)
      lowest weight was for a week. 157. the weight I maintained for longer than 4 years was
      165. I've gained 15 from the 165 so I'm at the 180 weight now. Over the past year I had gain
      an additonal 5 from having to eat every hour with the LBS. so my highest was at 185 But in
      the past 2 months I've gotten back down to 180. ALSO due to having meds now for     hypothryroidism. Which is NOT from the surgery. Just a medical condition that runs in my family.

7.    Do you follow the Pouch Rules (Yes/No/What are the Pouch Rules?)
        I do not drink with meals and nothing until 1 1/2 hours after.
       protein first
      I think I follow them pretty good.    
 
8.  Do you have any medical issues related to the surgery, e.g., vitamin/nutrient deficiency, low blood sugar, blackouts, osteoporosis due to malabsorption of calcium/Vitamin D, etc. - if YES, please tell us about your issues

      vitamin deficiency Yes D is low but then again I never had it tested before surgery so its 
      one of those difficult calls. If I assume that the surgery causes all mass health issues 
      than yup maybe ithe vitamin D was caused by that. But right now I'm reading an awful lot
     in health journals stateing that society as a whole is deficient in Vitamin D. Our young 
     children are deficincent possibly due to not getting enough sun light they sit inside watching
    tv and plyaing those video games. Now for me I'm allergic to too much sunlight and always
     have avoided it for most of my adult life. Since my early 30's I get sun poisining. So i take my
     suppliment and things are regularated. Might have had to have that suppliment for years 
     before the surgery so I don't think I can blame it on that.
      The low blood sugar I've had since the mid 30's too. nothing as bad as I had over the past 
      year but that was caused by my abusing laxatives on a daily basis for a month. What I was 
      told is that a good portion of surgery people do get low blood sugar but again not to the 
      extent of what i was experiencing. what I can say is that because i lost so much from
      weight from the surgery and felt so awesome that when i gained i had a major episode of
      nuttinest that made me not think clearing and would do anything to get back to what i had
      been. It took alot to get over those feelings of fear and horror that i had gained anything at all.
      And now to be able to look in the mirror and still see the 300+ pam when I'm really a normal
      sized everyday Pam that can blend in with all the other women who are my age (late 50"s)
      Plus look pretty darn good when added to the bunch! LOL
      B's are good. they are very good. I was told to keep up what I'm doing for them.
     Iron is wonderful. Which I' msurprised at cause I've always been enimic whenever
     I was tested before surgery. You know it sounds crazy but this is something that needs to be
    watched. You can be too good at Iron and get sick from that too.
9.  Why did you have the surgery (e.g., to lose weight, to save my life, to improve the quality of my life through movement, better sex, etc.)

      I had the surgery due to some issues with my knees. The doctors were talking replacements
      and I was terrified that I'd have to go to a rehab center becaue I could not imagine having
      to lug my body around on crutches. So I gave myself 2 years to lose the weight on my own
      and while I was doing that I also did all my research for surgery. Visited several doctors went
      to several hospitals visited a few support groups.  At the end of the 2 years I was at the 
      same weight and decided on the surgery with Dr A. The only thing I regret is not having done
      it sooner.
 
10.  Did your personal relationships improve after you lost the weight? (yes/no) - if no, please share to the extent you are comfortable what impact post-surgery life has had on your personal relationships.

      Personal relationships - after surgery I got engaged to the man that I had been dating for
      several years. I ended the engagement after a brief period. I believe that I gained strength
      and realized my worth from the surgery. He was a good man he was just not the man for
     me.
     I believe that sometimes the surgery makes the people around us who had been in the    picture for many years uncomfortable after our appearances change so drastically. That 
     alone can create so many problems. Especially if the relationship had issues to begin with.
     Counciling is the way to go.

Anything else you want to add - please, the more people that respond, the more supportive we are able to be to one another. Thanks. My next post is my response - Maureen
Dream as if you'll live forever, live as if you'll die today.

O forgot to add that since the weight loss I've not had to have my knees replaced! My hips ar doing good too I can sleep at night without pain meds and get a restful sleep (as long as work is going ok ahhaha)
I can go up and down my stairs too. that was a concern that i'd have to sell my condo because i coudln't go up and down the stairs with the way my hips and knees were.

Thanks Kim and Pam, for your thoughtful and thorough responses! This is good for me - it's good to remember that we're living, breathing human beings living life the best way we knowhow, and not just a small little avatar photo on this Board. Please touch base, folks. Maureen

1. Do you still feel pouch restriction all of the time or nearly all of the time? Nope, hardly ever. I don't eat as much as before, but, can still eat a whole sandwich.
2.  Do you still experience any discomfort (dumping syndrome) any time after you eat?
  Never of reagular foods, only real sweet stuff or too many carbs at one-time, will get the sweats.
3.  Do you make a conscious effort to eat only healthy foods? Try, but don't always succeed.

4.  Do you work out at least three times a week? Nope
5.  Do you work out NOpe
6.  How much weight have you gained back from your lowest weight post-surgery lbs. 30
     lose some of that, then gain it back.   
7.  Do you follow the Pouch Rules (Yes/No/What are the Pouch Rules?)Nope
8.  Do you have any medical issues related to the surgery, e.g., vitamin/nutrient deficiency, low blood sugar, blackouts, osteoporosis due to malabsorption of calcium/Vitamin D, etc. - if YES, please tell us about your issues. Still have high BP, Still on diabetis drugs, Anemic, but do not
have osteoperosis.
9.  Why did you have the surgery (e.g., to lose weight, to save my life, to improve the quality of my life through movement, better sex, etc.) Lose weight.
10.  Did your personal relationships improve after you lost the weight? (yes/no) - if no, please share to the extent you are comfortable what impact post-surgery life has had on your personal relationships.  This one always opens a big can o worms, so won't answer this one & no it did
not help the relationship I had when I had surgery, but, it does help the relationship I am in at
the moment.

Thanks Maureen, an interesting and thought-provoking post. Here's my take on the situation:


1.  I only feel pouch restriction occasionally.

2. My dumping consists of fatigue after too much sugar intake. In other words....mild to no dumping.

3.  Only sometimes

4.  My only exercise is walking and kayaking and swimming in season.

5.  See above

6.  More than 30 lbs.

7.  I do try to follow the pouch rules especially regarding liquid intake and proximity to eating. I never drink with meals for example.

8.  So far, (knocking wood) no medical issues as of my last full physical in May.

9.  All of the listed reasons.

10.  I feel that my personal relationships have improved. Despite my re-gain, I still like myself more than I previously did and this has translated into better relationships in general.


Mike

1. No, I never feel like I'm really full, but I never did eat a whole lot at one time , I just sort of grazed all day and part of the night!
2. I have never dumped. I didn't eat sugar till Dec. of 2004, but sugar or nothing else brothers me.
3. Sometimes.  Every bite I put in my mouth I think about it. Some days I do good other days I do BAD all day.
4.No I don't work out.
5.Less
6. More than 30 pounds
7. No I don't follow the rules
8. Yes, last year I had to have IV iron and l have low blood sugar some times.
9. To improve the uality of my life. It did improve for 2 years, but I'm back to where I was before surgery.
10.I still got the same wonderful people in my life I had before surgery.
I stay depressed most of the time because of the the weight gain. I start over every morning and try to do right.
I read  everything I can get my hands on about nutrition and what to eat. I'm an expert on it!! but I don't do it.

Oh well, tomorrow is a new day.

Love ya, Judy

Judy, as long as I have you here I will never give up either! I wake up every morning just like you - how about this? Let's start tomorrow out together! Do you want to buddy-it with me tomorrow? Anyone else want to join us? Judy, I will post to the board 1st thing tomorrow what I commit to eating tomorrow, and I will give it away to you and this Board. It will help me stay accountable. How about it, are you in with me? Love you, Reenie