My OH speech (long post)
Ok, I've written my speech for the OH conference. The event is on the 19th so I got a week to practice!
Anyway, here is what I wrote (sorry it doesn't rhyme)
Good morning, my name is Tim Callahan
I had an open Roux-en-Y gastric bypass procedure in July of 2005 and have lost over 200 pounds.
People have weight loss surgery for many reasons. For me, the main reason was my health.
Pre-op I had high blood pressure, severe obstructive sleep apnea, an enlarged heart, edema in my legs and severe back and knee pain. I couldn't walk more than about 100 feet without getting out of breath and had to rest after one flight of stairs. I had lost up to 80 pounds at a time through diet and exercise but always gained it all back, and more. My primary care physician recommended I consider weight loss surgery 2 years before I actually had it but I was also afflicted with selective deafness.
In March of 2004 I had a suspected gall bladder attack I thought was my heart. I say suspected because the ultrasound was "inconclusive" due to my size and I was too heavy for any diagnostic machine. Fortunately it was NOT my heart.
That really woke me up. With a history of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes in my family I realized my future would be pretty short if I did not get my obesity under control. My doctor put me in contact with a weight loss surgery program at the hospital he was affiliated with and I was on my way.
It was at this time I discovered ObesityHelp.com. It turned out to be such a valuable source of information and support. I made a lot of new friends on the July 2005 surgery date message board. People who were going through the same thing I was. We grew very close and still support each other tremendously.
I was extremely fortunate to have Rochelle Gayeski as my patient representative. She is the absolute best. She took care of all my paperwork and got me approved in record time.
It wasn't until my first visit with my surgeon, Dr. Keith Marshall, that I found out how much I actually weighed. My doctors scale only went up to 350 pounds and I had topped that out years ago. I weighed in at 430 pounds and a BMI of 60.0. I was officially "super" obese.
After a thorough examination and consultation, Dr. Marshall determined I was at risk of developing post operative blood clots in my legs. A very serious and potentially fatal complication. He said I needed an IVC filter to protect me from this. The filter was put in 2 weeks before my gastric bypass as an outpatient procedure and took about an hour.
I arrived at the hospital on July 6th, 2005 for my surgery. A date I now consider my second birthday.
My surgery took about 2 hours as my surgeon also removed that pesky gall bladder that had given me so many problems earlier. I ended up spending 3 days in the hospital, with no real complications. A typical length of stay for an open RNY at that time.
At my one week post-op visit to the doctor I weighed in at 398 pounds. I had lost 32 pounds in my first week.
Post-op I was a bit sore. I needed a little help getting in and out of chairs and bed for the first 2 weeks. I spend 3 weeks staying with my sister. By then I was driving again and getting around well enough to go back home.
I started walking the very next day after my surgery, up and down the halls of the hospital ward. Every day going a little farther, a little faster. In a few weeks I was up to half a mile. Not too bad for a guy who could barely walk 100 feet a few weeks earlier.
I went back to work 6 weeks after my surgery. My coworkers were amazed at my progress. Little did they know I was just getting started.
I kept on walking a little farther every day. First it was a mile, and then 2 miles. By the end of summer I was doing a regular 3 mile circuit around my neighborhood. Now I do a regular 5 mile loop.
In just over 3 months I had lost an amazing 100 pounds. I kept on exercising and following my programs diet and nutrition guidelines. I was losing about 5 pounds a week. When the weather got too cool to walk outdoors I got a gym membership and worked with a personal trainer. My fear of exercise and sweat was definitely a thing of the past. Nothing motivates you like success and mine has been beyond my wildest dreams.
By the time my one year anniversary rolled around in July of 2006 I weighed in at 220 pounds. I had lost an incredible 210 pounds.
I celebrated my first re-birthday in Las Vegas with some of my friends from the Obesity Help July 2005 message board. It was so cool being able to sit comfortably in an airplane seat and not have to ask for that embarrassing seat belt extension. We had so much fun. These are people with whom I will always have a special bond.
After that my weight loss slowed dramatically. My lowest weight was, in September 2006, 205 pounds. A 225 pound weight loss. Since then I've actually gained about 10 pounds but my weight is stable and I feel great! In January of this year one of this events sponsor's, Dr. Sayeg, did a tummy tuck on me. I am really looking forward to this summer.
I have been so fortunate with my weight loss surgery experience. I had no real complications and my life has changed for the better in so many ways. Every time I tie my shoes, trim my toenails or go up a flight of stairs I am truly thankful. I went from a 4X shirt and 60" waist pants to medium shirts and 36" waist pants. The big and tall men's clothing store sends me letters wondering why I don't shop there any more.
All my medical problems have disappeared. I'm completely off all my medicines. My cholesterol is 125, my knees and back don't hurt any more, and I no longer needed my CPAP machine after 6 months.
My only regret is that I didn't listen to my doctor 2 years earlier. Weight loss surgery might not be the right choice for everybody, but it was the right choice for me.
Thank you.
THANK GOD FOR SPELL CHECK!
Tim
You did a great job writing that out. Our Tim is a celebrity!!
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