I'm new to the website

Hi, my name is Yvonne and I had RNY surgery on 12/28/04. My beginning weight was 344 lbs and I had ALOT of health probs. I'm soooo grateful to my parents for draggin me to Dr. Spivak's conference. I made my appointment afterwards and 1 month later I had surgery. I look back at my older pics and think "How did I survive with all that weight on me for so long?" If I hadn't had surgery I was told I MIGHT have 5 yrs left. So "THANK YOU DR. SPIVAK!!!!!!!!!" I am soooooooooo grateful for what you did for me. Its taken a yr and a half to get down to the weight I wanted to be (which is 157 lbs). I know by the scales for my weight I'm suppose to be around 120 but for me I think that is to skinny cause I already have bones in places poking out and I don't want to look sick. So if anyone has any questions please feel free to email me anytime. I'm grateful to not really having any probs after surgery...well just maybe once or twice I've gotten sick from eating something that didn't agree with me and let me tell you I never ate that food again. I have to be very careful with diary products. Well take care everyone...I hope ya'll have a great day! Yvonne M.

What a nice journey you have had....Question why do you have to be careful with dairy products (sugar or fat levels?)?

Thanks for relplying to my post Debbie. To be honest I'm not sure why. I have to leave Milk alone (I use to love to eat cereal but I can't even eat sugar free or any kind cause everytime I've tried to eat cereal with skim milk or even lactose milk I've gotten deathly sick so I've stopped trying). Now I can tolerate some cheeses and I can stomach sour cream from time to time plus I can eat Ranch dressing on salads. Also from time to time I can eat some dairy products one day and if I go to eat it again sometimes it makes me sick so I guess I have a finicky stomach. I've thought about trying Soy milk but the ones I've looked at have way to much sugar so I won't touch them. I haven't looked at your profile yet but have you had surgery? If you have any other questions about anything please feel free to email me anytime. Thanks again for your reply and I hope to talk to you again. Take care and God bless you, Yvonne

Yvonne, I had my surgery back in June 2004. I am about 6 mos out from you. I have tried soy and its okay. I don't do much milk....makes me quesy sometimes. Not all the time. I do alot of yogurt and cottage cheese. I think I live off that stuff....Even at two years out can you believe that. Salads I don't do....I don't find them appealing anymore. I am not sure why....I don't like lettuce now...it hurts the pouch. I can eat almost anything else. Its funny how our digestive systems are all so different. I enjoy reading about other people's experiences with this surgery. Sometimes their journey helps me with mine! You take what you can from the experience. Thanks for sharing! Debbie

How much total weight have you lost Debbie if you don't mind me asking. Also have you had problems with any access skin? with my weight loss I have access skin in my tummy area plus my thighs and not to be crude but I've lost ALOT in my breasts...I went from a 54DD down to a 34DD..the only thing about losing so much in my chest is I can wear those little shirts with the spagetti straps that have the built in bra's....so I can stay cool in this hot TX weather. If ya ever what to share anything else or just need or want to talk please feel free to email me anytime. If I take a few days to reply its probably cause my hands are hurting (had surgery on left hand 6/14 and right hand 7/17...had Carpal Tunnel & had the tendon's in my thumbs repaired). Well take care, Yvonne