Introductions -- Old and New...

Alrighty guys and gals.  We have seen faces new and old here recently and although the Delaware Boards are not as active as many others let's say we give it our best shot to get to know one another.  Let's introduce ourselves.

I guess considering I posted it, I should start, huh?

My name is Kristi, but please call me Kris.  I am from Bear, DE and had Lap RNY on September 9, 2009.  I'm married to a wonderfully supportive man named Robb.  We have been married for 9 years this September 21st and have been together for 11 years.

I too was was heavy all of my life.  You could possibly say from birth, since I was nearly and 11 pound baby.  I struggled with weight all of my life, trying every diet known to man and more, all with the same results.  I would lose a small amount of weight, start to feel good about myself, hit a plateau, get frustrated, quit, and gain everything back I had lost and more. 

This started in elementary school and continued all the way through primary, middle, and high school and even college.  All of the weight issues were complicated with a dislocated hip and many subsequent complications my freshman year of high school and a another 18 years walking with the aid of either 1 or 2 crutches.  Through those years I continued to gain weight.  Finally in 2003, after years and years of doctors denying me a hip replacement due to either my age or my weight (mostly my weight) I had a doctor take a chance on me and did a total hip replacement at my highest weight of 394 pounds.  Over the course of the next 6 years I lost about 20 pounds landing at a solid weight of 376.  In 2006, just after my mom passed away I really started to consider the options of WLS.  My mom had struggled all of your life with medical issues and weight, just as I had, and it was complication from those issues that contributed to her death and I saw myself heading down that road .... and that was exactly where I didn't want to head.

I tried to start the process for WLS in 2008, but my insurance wouldn't cover the surgical fees, and unfortunately $6000.00 was way out of my budget for out of pocket so I continued to try to lose weight on my own, again failing miserably.  In early 2009 a friend of mine had the Lapband done and that's when i found out that my surgeon's office decided to go in network with my insurance .... which was my  dream com true.  At that time I started the procedure and five and a half months later I was taking the first step into my new life.

So now here I stand just over a year out from my surgery 137 pounds lighter than I was when I started the process.  The decision to have this surgery is the best decision I have ever made.  I am not quite where I want to be, but like everything it's a process and I will work hard to get there. 

Since the surgery I have had several complications (not related to the gastric bypass).  In March I had a revision of my total hip replacement and in June a left shoulder arthroscopy that are both still giving me some issues.  I'm not going to say that the road to get where I want to be isn't hard... it is.. but you have to take the bumps in the road to make it though to the other side ... so to speak.  But in light of all the complications I have managed to make a success of my weight loss with the help of my tool ... and I couldn't be happier about it.

Anyone who wished to can add me on Facebook, I'm under Kristi Adams Lyall.  So if you want to friend me feel free.  You can also reach me via email at [email protected] or via cell at 302-312-5412.

Hope to get to know everyone better very soon
Kris....

Just got on. Great story Kris. I added you as a friend on FB. I hope that you'll be at the support group on Tuesday night.  You are truely an inspiration for alot of us. You have written alot of my story. Lots of attempts at loosing over the years. YoYo diets. Frustration. Other issues.

The important thing to remember is to stay focused & positive. Way to gol.

((HUGS)) Elissa

*wave* Hi, Kris!

So, my story....

I'm 37, married to the love of my life for the last 10 years, and have always been heavy.  Until now, I guess...still wrapping my brain around that one.

I was average size until I was about 8 or 9.  I even took dance classes - but then my weight started to go up....and by 6th grade, I was 230#.  Was in "modified gym" classes due to my size to help me lose - to no avail.  High school - more of the same. By the time I got to college I was 260#.  I  never used to let it get to me, but as I got older, it bothered me more and more.

I met my hubby at 280#......he loves me regardless, and I'm blessed for that.  Back in 2001 I did weigh****chers, which brought me from 305 to 240#....that was the lightest I had ever been.  But it quickly came back on and by this time last year i was 361#.  The heaviest I had EVER been...and miserable. Jeff and I had been trying to get pregnant for 7 years, and with no luck.....the docs even said my weight was a big part of that (no pun intended).  With the infertility thing tucked in my brain and no inkling of hope, I decided to wave the white flag.  Then my MD came to my rescue.

Dr. Simpson had mentioned to me a couple times in the past about WLS, but I was so blinded by the infertility that I didn't hear her.  I decided last year "what the heck" and went to a seminar.  Dr. Irgau turned my mind around.....heard about the sleeve and never looked back.

I had the sleeve gastrectomy on January 25, 2010 and here I am 141# lighter!  I feel like a new woman and can't believe the difference.  I'm just upset I didn't hear Dr. Simpson sooner.  I'm so happy with my decision and wouldn't change a thing!

Thanks for listening!  I'm also on FB under Laurie Esken Scott; and I have a blog I keep laurot95.blogspot.com.  It's really helpful for my airing my thoughts.....I love it.

See you tonight at the meeting.  *hug*
Laurie  =)

Hi everyone, my name is Joe and I am three months out today. My RNY surgery was 6/21 at Christiana under Dr. Wynn. I live in Newark by the University and have been here for 3 years.

I weighed in at PMRI in January at 514 lbs. It was then I started a three month plus liquid diet with Optifast to try to get to 450 because that's where they wanted me for surgery. (I think it had something to do with the weight limit of the operating table)

Insurance was great. They covered pretty much everything and I had 5 weeks out of work of which 4 were paid by short term disability. I really was lucky.

On the day of surgery, I weighed 448 and change. That was a victory before I even got into the OR!

Basically I've had an ideal sort of three months. My last weigh in last month, I was under 400 for the first time in memory. I imagine I weigh even less than that, but my home scale only measures up to 350...so that's a pain in the butt. I just bought a new scale, though, so that should fix that problem.

The post-op road has been pretty easy for me. I got sick like three or four time the first month, but nothing really major and not much since then other than a little discomfort occasionally. It helped teach me how to go about things and what I tolerate.

Feel free to follow me on Twitter @inturnaround and I am Joe Coughlin in Delaware on Facebook. I'd love to friend you all. Hopefully I'll see some of you when I attend my first support group meeting at Christiana tonight. :)

ETA: Happy anniversary, Kris!

hi,

my name is robin and like most i was over weight all my life... always the FAT sister.. well no more... i had my surgery on april 2,2009 with Dr. Wynn.. i love it . i now weigh less than i ever had. went from a size 24 to a size 8. i have four wonderful grown boys who have no idea what to think of thier mother, all they have known me was a fat...  this is still an adjustment for me. but i feel great... i find myself hating food  but i eat ... i live in seaford...

HI!!!  I know I met some of you the other night at the support meeting  and i hope to see you all agian in the future.

I was always one of the bigger girls but i wasnt too bad until about age 22 then I just blew up.  I tried some diets and i paid for a perosoanl trainer.  I had always had really bad asthma and sometimes that would limit my physical activity.    I was trying and failing. I had  gone to an OBGYN with some concerns and didnt like her bed side manner so i switiched dr's.  MY BEST decision ever.  I found dr schubert and she diagnosed me clinically with PCOS.  Finally i had a reason for my physical issues.  The bad news was  there was no pill to fix it but they could help with some of the effects . I tried metformin but hat just dropped my blood sugar instead of the wieght ( i was not diabetic they use metformin aka glucophage to help women with pcos lose weight)  after this i became discouraged and i didnt eat horribly buti didnt eat well either.   I couldnt do my job at times i was in worse shape then the patients I would transport.

Dr shubert asks me if i considered weight loss surgery...I was surprised and kinda blew the idea off.  After I got over the shock I started looking into it a little bit. I met a local Dr and had a consult I wasnt impressed with him in the least and found out my ins had just stopped participating with them.  My parents offered me the money to have surgery if it would make me healthy I was unesy with this dr and so i said no .
 
About a a year or so later a guy from work told me about his wifes experience and her DR.  I looked them up and thought ok . I called then when they called back i didnt answer or call back for months.  I finally decided i had to put my fear aside and I called and made the consult apppointment.  I took a friend with me this time.  We both left with the theory that I had to do this so I could live again I was at my highest weight.  My consult was april 7 2008, my surgery was scheduled for june2 2008.   It was really happening.  i have factor five leiden too so i was relly afraid of throwing a clot and being a vegetable for the remaining part of my life.  But that morning my parents drove me to langhorn and I went in to OR ,  My dr hugged me before they put me out and said she would take good care of me . I was petrified but  i was there and that was that.  IT has been the best decision of my life.

This may sound wierd to you all but it was amazing the first time I was performing CPR on a someone and I didnt have to stop to take my inhaler. I was actually able to take care of pt without needing to treat myself.   I now very rarely need asthma meds and I plan on attempting a 5k with in the year.

I found OH about a month before surgery and I have valued its members and advice ever since

Thank you all for being a part of my life ---- a life I can actually live :)