Hi ALL ! some issues.. WG, Anemic and such...

Hi All So now that we are close to our 4 year anniversary, I am wondering how every one is doing. Most of the time I feel hateful towards food. I almost never have that full feeling, but I only eat what is considered a portion ( IE 1/2 a bagel) Overall I feel good.... However I have had more than a few health problems * One totally unrelated to RNY, but the meds made me gain 25 pounds in less than two months. Now that I have stopped the meds the weight remains. * I am very anemic and have needed to have IV Iron infussions, * I still use www.fitday.com and record EVERYTING I eat every day, * I still will measure out portions. * Take a ton of vitiamns (B-12 injections, Folic Acid, Vit D Mag calciumn ) as well as the once a day centrum, * I still walk at least 4 hours a week. do a poliaties home routine 3 x a week ( for 45 mins) * I still have a hard time eating protien, * I still will vomit if I eat too much, or sometimes for no apparrent reason. * I have never had dumpping, but then I do not eat a lot of sweets. * I still can't drink COLD milk. * still meet with 2 dietritians.. reg and one for Dianeties Pre surgery I was......... Goal/lowest was...... Today.............. Weight : 202 125 / 130 158.8 Size 22 8 14 I can't help but feel depressed as clothes feel tight again, or as my knees hurt with the new weight, or get very frustrated and as some of my MD's tell me I have to loose weight ! Even the folks that know I have had the surgery ( I didn't tell a lot of folks, just my family) seem to feel it is their business to tell me how wrong I was for doing this. I am not sure how some of these folks even know! I sure didn't tell them. Sorry.. So How are you all doing ..REALLY ?????? Lisa RNY 8/04

Hi Lisa My name is also Lisa and I noticed no one has responded to you. Well, If it makes you feel any better I am on a weight gaining rollar coaster too. I went from 305 pounds to 156 pounds. It was the greatest month of my life. The reason I say that is beacuse I finally hit 156 in 12/06. Then on 12/31/06 I found out I was pregnant. Which was planned and made me very happy. I never thought that I would gain that much weight. How can I. I seemed to dump all the time even when I ate the right food. To make a long story short......I did well up until my 5 month only gaing 15 pounds, but then I started suffering from low blood sugar and needed to eat every 2 hours and usually ate cookies, donuts etc...to get my sugar up fast before passing out. They ended up taking my son 1 month early because I just could control the low sugar episodes and ended up gaining 49 pounds by the time it was over. Well, today....my son will be 2 in August I am 10 pounds lighter then when I gave birth. I was wearing a size 6 or 8 and now am a size 14 or 16. In pants anyway. I can still wear a med or lg in shirts, but depending on how tight the pants are my roll of a belly is showing.....So again I started wearing loose fitting shirts and looking larger then I really am. I don't now what to do. I do not exercise like you at all. (MY FAULT) I try eating the right foods lose a few pounds and thats where it sits for weeks. I lose maybe 5 pounds in 2 months. I get soooo dicouraged and end up eating everything in sight. The most I have lost since the baby is 12 pounds and that is right back on. I know I have to exercise, but I am so down I just can't. I bought so many beautiful clothes when I lost the weight and can't fit into any. I am so embarresed in front of my friends because they complemented me on how great I looked before, but now they say nothing. Thank god..I would probably feel twice as terrible. I know this is all my fault. I really am not trying like I should. I can't get back into the right frame of mind like before. Just wanted you to know you are not alone. If you need to talk email me anytime. Lisa

Hi Lisa, ! 

Sorry to hear of your weight issues! But I guess having a Healthy Baby is a great reward, no matter what.    Do you still see your WLS Surgeon?  My teams of MD's required a 5 year plan.  I just have my last visit with my MD in Aug.  It is a bit sad to say good - bye.  I Had a different MD for the surgery and then because of a move I was followed by a "friend" of my MD.  It feels like I  will be saying Good-bye to a close friend ( but being Military, you do that a lot) I DO HOPE I will get to see my surgeon when I am a back HOME this summer. The last visit home he was on vacation.  

Because of related health digestive issues, it seems I see my MD just about every 6 months, Both he and the gastro md I see, as wel as the diabetic MD I see all feel that I am a "great Success story!"  I know they mean this, but as I have gained close to 1/2 of what I lost, I do not feel like much of a success.   About 2 years ago I got a serious viral infection, leaving some nerve damage. The meds I had to take caused most of this weight gain.  I had been holding steady in a size 8 for close to three years before I got sick. Now I just bought a suit in a size 16, I guess it is still better than the size 22 my small 5 foot frame was wearing before WLS. 

I guess the question is.. DO we feel better ?  Yes in general I do. I am hoping that now that I have stopped taking the meds (meds for post infection nerve pain-- against MD's advice) I will be able to loose the weight at least 1/2  of the 36 pounds I re-gained   I stopped taking the meds about 6 months ago and I have not gained a pound since then! 

How is your Son Doing?  I bet he is the love and joy of your Life.  Try to enjoy your time with him as they grow up so fast.  My oldest is now 30, and has moved across the country. (yes Military as well) I miss him so much. My three other children are close to "home " for now but I know they too will be soon off on their own.

Maybe you could try walking with your baby.  Go out and Play with him. Lifting a  2 year old is a great work-out.   Try not to beat your-self up either.  Accept what you are doing and try to make small  changes to get "back on track"  Do you measure out portion sizes?  I stil do every so often.  I find it is so easy to take more than I realy need. ESP with Post Grape nuts!    I also try to keep my house free of foods that can sabatarge me.  No Chips, soda, cookies, candy and such.  I never thought I'd say this but I have even begun eating Yougurt ! On my grape nut with fresh fruit.   I have not managed to join a gym, and I do know this is a missing part for me.  Walking just does not seem to help.

Another suggestion is to sit down and write out the pro's and con's and your feelings about the weight gain.   I also just re-read your reply, and have you talked too your MD about post partum depression? Even a minor case of "baby-blues" can sabatarge you.    My "new MD" has a post WLS group, I went on a fairly reg basis until I got sick and then just about everything in my life came to a screatching hault.  When I felt better I also had gained so much weight I felt out of place in the meetings.  so I never went back. Now I am wondering if I should return and see how others are doing, as well as re-connect with other WLS folks close to me.    There is a shrink in the same medical clinic my MD is in, and she is begining a new therapy/ weight loss group.  It is a holistic approach, and I just might look into that instead. Who Knows.  

I do hope you can find some way to feel good about yourself and that  precious little boy.     As for the low bloos sugar -- Have you seen a diabetic specialist?  Yes Low blood sugars are related to diabeties.  I am  sure the dietician can give you a list of suitable options.  I know for me when my glucose levels are low, I also reach for something fast and tasty.    I still struggle with that.  I try to keep bananas or other fruit handy.  If I am out though --- it is usually the first thing I see, even if it is candy. 

ALso I know I say this over and over again, but lok into using www.fitday.com for me using the food diary for a few weeks really helps me get back on track ( of course that track is a bit rusty !)

Thanks for you reply.  As you see I do not get online very much, but I do check in here once in a while.  ( I tend to  KILL computers! so not may folks let me near their's  )  In fact this one just came back from the shop again.

Lisa

hi,
I also have very low iron and I am a very bad anemic.
I get iron infusion weekly and for the day I am so sick.I get them for about 4-6 weeks and then I get a break then the levels are tested again.I was told that my body does not absorb the iron.

I just recenly went from IV Infusions of Iron ( 3 x in one week once every 3 months for 4 years) to a strech of 6 months w/o needing one.  I have always been sensitive to IRON in any form but from food.  I have always been anemic as well, just not to the point after I had the surgery.    I also got sort of sick following each if the IV's.  and to be honset I have never really felt any different being anemic or not. I didn't see where the IV's made any differance. 

I DID learn that taking certain vitamins such as Vit D and others can decrease the amount if IRON you can asorbe even w/o WLS.  I also take a few meds for ulcers ( also pre WLS) and they also can keep my body from asorbing IRON from foods.

I learned all of this by seeing a hemotologist and endocronologist.  Between the two of them I learned a lot.  IT ALSO SURPRISED me that the WLS MD I see had not told me about this.  Smoetimes I think medicine has become too specialized.  I really wish I had just ONE MD. who knew ALL of my medical issues and knew how they all interacted.   

I have no suggestions about dealing with the sick feeling post the IV's  I have mine spread out to Wed, Fri, and then Mon.  I found this better for me than having them day after day.

I hope you feel better. 

Lisa

"..... Has anyone here experienced this tiredness and what have you done for it.  Also the rib pain, I am told it could be scar tissue.  ....." 

WOW So much of what you said seems to be me!   The MD's alsp told me it was mentaland not physical! Then  a simple blood test showed my ferritin levels were 5 ( normal I believe is over 60) This was very stange because the hemmaglobin and hematcrit were on the low side of normal.! Further testing showed very low Vit D and potassium levels!

I remember one day I had to go foos shopping. So I did a few short errands and then parked at the foodmart.  As I was aslking to the store, I felt an intence need to just lie downand go to sleep.. right there in the parking lot.  Went right home and slept for a few hours... NOW I have never been a person that needed a lot of sleep and almost never took naps.  My skin flet strange and my hair was falling out in clumps. 

I have a few problems witht he Iron IV's but  now I only need them once every 3 months alsong with B12 shots.   My MD is trying to keep my feritin above 100,  and so far so good.

RIB PAIN !!!! YES !!!!!!!!! I was told that ot was most likely due to adhessions, and the MD could do a laprascope surgey to see and treat, BUT that may cause MORE adhessions so now I just live with them.  Sometime just lying on my side will cause pain.!   I guess it is a smal price for the gains of WLS.

As for there being a cure.... Well when I tore my shoulde tendons, the PT I had included a massage therapist (the PT kind not pleasure) and she was able to help with some of the really deep massages targetted on the sore sports.  YES it hurt but truly did help in th elone run.

As for the weight gain, use a program and write down EVERYTHING you eat... ( I use www.fitday.com) ( I also heard www.sparkspeople.com was also good.)  I also weigh out my portions every few weeks or so just so they don't inch up to an x-l portions. 

Good luck

I had my surgery in December 2004.  I am 5' tall.  I got down to a well proportioned weight for my body.  I remained at the same weight for several years. Early in 2007 I began seeing my doctor for not feeling well.  I explained my symtoms of feeling tired all the time and inability to concentrate or sleep.  I went to 5 different doctors over 2 yrs giving my symtoms with adding a few more symtoms and all would say that I was depressed and prescribe antidepressants.  I would explain that I was not depressed and really had no issues I was just tired.  In 2009, I found a doctor that really listened and did proper testing.  I now have too many doctors and appointments but I found out that I am anemic, and receive IV Iron Infusions and I am hypoglycemic (low sugar).  Go figure I was tired. 
They began the iron infusions 3x the first week and 2x for 2wks and then 1x wk for the next few wks.  My feriton level was at 6 which is your iron storage. That was pretty low. I have not had iron in 2 months now and I can feel the difference.  I can guess that I need it again. When I receive the iron I am very tired that day.  Sometimes when they are giving it to me I can't handle the lights in the room and I get real dizzy.  
Once my iron levels started coming up I started getting better as in some of my strange symtoms that nobody could figure out started to go away such as,  I have not had migrains, bad muscle cramps, or hot flashes. I am told it is unrelated but I can tell you I had these symptoms for over 2 yrs and since Iron they have gotten better.
On another note I have gained weight. 
in 2006 I began to work out regularly and gained 5-7 pounds which I could not get rid of even after stopping the exercise routine.  I have gone on and off the exercisie routine.  Most times it was due to being so tired I could not keep it up or I was in terrible pain.  I began the iron in April 09 it is now July and I have exercised once or twice in this time period.  My ribs hurt often.  More than hurt they cause terrible pain and I now have a burn in my stomache as well as the tiredness.  I am not near as tired as I used to be and with iron was able to get some clarity and focus.  I have gained almost 10 more pounds since the iron.  I am wondering if it has anything to do with it.  I must admit my appetite has increased incredibly.
Has anyone here experienced this tiredness and what have you done for it.  Also the rib pain, I am told it could be scar tissue.  Is there a cure?  I would also take suggestions on weight gain.
Thanks a bunch for listening.