3 year surgeversary

Hi all,   I haven't been on for a while but plan to change that . :)

I celebrated by biking outside 23 miles - just be cause I could and it finally warmed up around Cleveland.
A little ambitious for the start of my biking season but it made me happy. Thankful for my DS.....

Now the stats   DS with Phillip Schauer, 4/15/13 at the Cleveland clinic

                      Current weight : 229 in my socks this morning
                      Surgery weight : 464
                      High Weight  :  552
                      Age 57

Moving between 230 and 240 over the winter.  I haven't gotten my labs back from my
annual followup but I don't expect any issues.

Overall health - Feeling pretty darn good overall.
I seem to have my iron under control now, went from a little low to too high
but finally seem to be at a stable dose. I'm actually seeing a hematologist so I feel better that
someone knowledgeable is checking my labs even if I never need an iron transfusion(infusion?)

Hypothyroid - seems not DS related although I wonder if figuring out the right dosage of synthroid took 
a little longer due to the malabsprption.

Back on BP(lisinopril) meds and small dose of HCTZ (water pill). It turned out I was excreting excess protein from my kidney
and part of resolving that is to keep your BP low.  Also, when figuring this out the kidney Doc had me do a biopsy and ultra
sound. After almost 58 years they realized I had only one kidney - pretty amazing but if you had no reason I guess why
would you look?? The biopsy led the kidney Doc (Nephrologist) to think I had lost some functionality due to my years with
Diabetes. I would have bet that a problem with protein in the urine would be a DS diet issue but he says NOT.

Diabetes - still in remission. Last HbA1c was 4.6. I was one of the lucky ones and was off insulin leaving the hospital and off Metformin 2 weeks later. Pre-op I was at 1000 mg metformin twice a day and 90 units (55/45) insulin twice a day.

Foot ulcers - Mostly healed. I had one side open up when they changed my orthotics. It seems years of being overweight caused my bones to have a couple of pressure points that I need to always accommodate. I had an open would on my right foot for about 5 yeras pre-op with several infections, multiple casts, whatever they could think of to get it healed but mostly taking the weight off and the casts before that worked to keep pressure off. Yayyyyyyyyyyy. 

Such is the current state of health.  The DS didn't fix everything in my life but it certainly made everything easier to deal with.

Latest NSV - putting on a Large shirt this morning and realizing it was just a touch too big.

Anyway. That the latest. I'm planning on posting more regularly so more as it comes to me.

Pete

Congratulations Pete!  A great story to tell!

Happy surgiversary Pete. Your stats are amazing. Thanks for returning to pay it forward.

Happy surgiversary, Pete!  

Excellent job and news, Pete ..   you're rocking your DS like nobody I have seen in a long time on here, being a Triple Century Club member and all, and at 3 years out, no less ..       What an inspiration ..  

Hi Pete,

Congratulations! The amount of weight you have lost is an amazing accomplishment.

Like you, I have some pressure point foot issues, and I also get kidney stones which the doctor said is more common in WLS patients but otherwise things are good.

I also just started biking now that the weather is good, and appreciate the chance to peddle uphill without all the extra weight.

Thanks. I really hoped the pressure point thing would go completely away but I'm happy not to have any open wounds.

Hills are my personal obstacle. For some reason I can't get coordinated enough to stand and pedal at the same time so I end up working the gears a lot which mostly works but I could use some extra ooomph once in a while.

I can tell the difference between this year and last year when I first started back biking. Just a lot further along this year so I hope the hills become smaller as I get a little stronger.  :) It's a great way to get out and exercise.

Pete

Happy Surgiversary Pete!  Great update.  I totally forgot about mine yesterday - 8 yrs!

Congrats! Probably a good sign that you are living your life rather than still focused on the surgery. I'm still trying

to figure out the changes in my life. Maybe when I grow up - I'm only 57 - plenty of time.  :)

Pete