One Year Surgiversary...My thoughts...
It's long and I apologize in advance, but I couldn't stop typing....
A year ago today at this time, I weighed 557lbs, down from my starting 568lbs. I was in the recovery room or maybe even the ICU following my surgery. Apparently at that time I was not cooperating with my C-Pap and my oxygen saturations kept dropping, so they put me in the ICU overnight. I was having incredible pain and was so out of it. I remember regretting my decision and not knowing what I got myself into. I was scared that I would develop some complication and die. I spiked a fever that night and thought it was the beginning of the end for me. I hated my nurse. I wanted to get out of bed and start moving around to prevent any blood clots, but she wouldn’t let me. She didn’t understand and I was so frustrated with her. I went for my swallow test and got moved to the regular unit. All was well and they let me get out of bed. I walked a little and began with a little bit of fluids. I got discharged that night and went home. I was so happy to be home and see my little girls. I slept on the recliner part of the sofa for a couple days because going up the steps was a little too much for me. Lying flat in bed was a real pain too. Fast forward to my first post-op appointment, a week or so later. I am down 14lbs. Things are going well and I start with some pureed food. Thanksgiving is a couple days away and pureed turkey / gravy tastes great! I hate protein shakes more then words can describe. I try and try but just can’t find something I like. I start trying different foods and experimenting but I stick to a few staples that I know work for me. I go back to work light duty after two weeks and things are going great. I am down about 35lbs. I start back to regular duty at work and a week or two later, I start having some blood when I move my bowels. It starts off minor but starts getting worse. Back and forth I call my surgeon and tell him the problem. I’m feeling great but this can’t be normal. I ignore it but it starts to get bad. One night I am at work and it’s bad. I feel awful and become extremely week. I call my doctor and am told to come to the office first thing in the morning after I go for bloodwork. My hemoglobin is apparently very low and I am admitted to the hospital about a week or so before Christmas. Four units of blood, a colonoscopy and an endoscopy later, it is determined that I had an ulcer / area that wasn’t completely healed and I am sent home a few days later. I am feeling better but still very weak. My goal was to get below 500lbs by the end of the year and on 12/30/08, I am 498.5lbs. Wow! My first wow moment… Suddenly I am loving this surgery stuff!
Fast forward to the beginning of February. I am down 106.5 lbs since my surgery. All is going well and then….my ankle starts to hurt. Starts kind of mild and within a day I can’t even walk on it. I have gout. It seems that when you lose weight as quickly as I am and combine it with a high protein diet, your body doesn’t get rid of the uric acid like it should and you get gout. This sucks. I am in terrible pain and spend about a few days off my feet until I recover. A month later, you guessed it, gout again. Even worse than last time….in my knee, ankle and toe. I want to cut my leg off. A week in bed in the worst pain of my life. But the medications they gave me got it under control and all has been well since then. By the end of March, I am under 400lbs. Life is good. Other highlights in the first few months include throwing up countless times because I couldn’t remember to chew right and/or something didn’t quite work and me soiling myself at work because I dumped from something I ate, still not sure what though. Oh and I almost forgot about April. I did the March for Babies on the hottest day of the year and nearly passed out during the walk and threw up, etc. I think I was either dehyrdrated or my sugar dropped. I had done the walk with no problem the previous two years.
So why do I start out my little diatribe with my horror stories? Because regardless of all these speed bumps, I would do it all again in a heartbeat. This surgery is the best thing I have ever done for myself and for my family. I am incredibly thankful to the hospital, my surgeon, my family, my friends, my co-workers and all of you here at OH for the support you have given me. As I sit here right now, I weigh 281 lbs. That is 287lbs in one year. That is freakin’ crazy. I have lost more then I weigh. I have good eating days and bad eating days. It’s not even the number that makes it so worth while for me, it’s all the other stuff that goes with it. For example…
I am still self-conscious about my weight and wouldn’t tell anyone, I’d just give vague approximations. I was ashamed of how much it was, but you know what. I decided today that I don’t really care. Writing this has been therapeutic. So what now? Where can I improve for the next year?
And a few last bits of advice. If you are considering the surgery, remember it is a great tool but it is not a quick fix. I knew that going into, but sometimes I need to remind myself of that. You need to do the work. Also, I hear other people talk about concern over telling your co-workers and friends about the surgery. My friends and co-workers have been more supportive then I ever could have imagined. If you don’t tell them, you are losing a huge support group. Ok, well I have gone on long enough. Thanks for reading and supporting me along the way. I should have said that half way through because I know I would have stopped reading a page or so ago. Oh, and I am still a little embarrassed about my weight, so let’s keep it between us…
A year ago today at this time, I weighed 557lbs, down from my starting 568lbs. I was in the recovery room or maybe even the ICU following my surgery. Apparently at that time I was not cooperating with my C-Pap and my oxygen saturations kept dropping, so they put me in the ICU overnight. I was having incredible pain and was so out of it. I remember regretting my decision and not knowing what I got myself into. I was scared that I would develop some complication and die. I spiked a fever that night and thought it was the beginning of the end for me. I hated my nurse. I wanted to get out of bed and start moving around to prevent any blood clots, but she wouldn’t let me. She didn’t understand and I was so frustrated with her. I went for my swallow test and got moved to the regular unit. All was well and they let me get out of bed. I walked a little and began with a little bit of fluids. I got discharged that night and went home. I was so happy to be home and see my little girls. I slept on the recliner part of the sofa for a couple days because going up the steps was a little too much for me. Lying flat in bed was a real pain too. Fast forward to my first post-op appointment, a week or so later. I am down 14lbs. Things are going well and I start with some pureed food. Thanksgiving is a couple days away and pureed turkey / gravy tastes great! I hate protein shakes more then words can describe. I try and try but just can’t find something I like. I start trying different foods and experimenting but I stick to a few staples that I know work for me. I go back to work light duty after two weeks and things are going great. I am down about 35lbs. I start back to regular duty at work and a week or two later, I start having some blood when I move my bowels. It starts off minor but starts getting worse. Back and forth I call my surgeon and tell him the problem. I’m feeling great but this can’t be normal. I ignore it but it starts to get bad. One night I am at work and it’s bad. I feel awful and become extremely week. I call my doctor and am told to come to the office first thing in the morning after I go for bloodwork. My hemoglobin is apparently very low and I am admitted to the hospital about a week or so before Christmas. Four units of blood, a colonoscopy and an endoscopy later, it is determined that I had an ulcer / area that wasn’t completely healed and I am sent home a few days later. I am feeling better but still very weak. My goal was to get below 500lbs by the end of the year and on 12/30/08, I am 498.5lbs. Wow! My first wow moment… Suddenly I am loving this surgery stuff!
Fast forward to the beginning of February. I am down 106.5 lbs since my surgery. All is going well and then….my ankle starts to hurt. Starts kind of mild and within a day I can’t even walk on it. I have gout. It seems that when you lose weight as quickly as I am and combine it with a high protein diet, your body doesn’t get rid of the uric acid like it should and you get gout. This sucks. I am in terrible pain and spend about a few days off my feet until I recover. A month later, you guessed it, gout again. Even worse than last time….in my knee, ankle and toe. I want to cut my leg off. A week in bed in the worst pain of my life. But the medications they gave me got it under control and all has been well since then. By the end of March, I am under 400lbs. Life is good. Other highlights in the first few months include throwing up countless times because I couldn’t remember to chew right and/or something didn’t quite work and me soiling myself at work because I dumped from something I ate, still not sure what though. Oh and I almost forgot about April. I did the March for Babies on the hottest day of the year and nearly passed out during the walk and threw up, etc. I think I was either dehyrdrated or my sugar dropped. I had done the walk with no problem the previous two years.
So why do I start out my little diatribe with my horror stories? Because regardless of all these speed bumps, I would do it all again in a heartbeat. This surgery is the best thing I have ever done for myself and for my family. I am incredibly thankful to the hospital, my surgeon, my family, my friends, my co-workers and all of you here at OH for the support you have given me. As I sit here right now, I weigh 281 lbs. That is 287lbs in one year. That is freakin’ crazy. I have lost more then I weigh. I have good eating days and bad eating days. It’s not even the number that makes it so worth while for me, it’s all the other stuff that goes with it. For example…
- I can sit in a booth at a restaurant with my wife and kids.
- I can go to a baseball game and not be worried about the seats. Same goes for movies, etc…
- I choose to take the stairs and don’t get out of breath.
- I saw a t-shirt at the beach that I liked and I bought it. No concern if they had my size, they did.
- I can buy five pairs of jeans for the cost of one pair of fat jeans at the big and tall store. Oh and I don’t need to shop there anymore, I can buy clothes wherever the hell I want.
- I am a volunteer firefighter, I’ve been one for years. I never let my weight hinder me before, but I can do so much more now then I ever could. And now the young kids have to keep up with me sometimes.
- I have energy. I can run around with my kids and they get tired before I do.
- I have been flirted with by a few females and it felt pretty good, although I am slow and didn’t pick up on it at first. My wife cleared it up for me though. There might have even been a guy who flirted too!
- I can cross my legs like a girl, which could explain the guy hitting on me thing too.
- Seatbelts always fit me.
- My stomach doesn’t rub against the steering wheel when I drive.
- Sex was good before but it’s great now.
- If I hear someone laugh in a room, I don’t think they are laughing at my because of my weight anymore. Also I haven’t heard one little kid say to their parents, “That guy is fat."
- The list could go on and on………
I am still self-conscious about my weight and wouldn’t tell anyone, I’d just give vague approximations. I was ashamed of how much it was, but you know what. I decided today that I don’t really care. Writing this has been therapeutic. So what now? Where can I improve for the next year?
- Exercise. I gotta get better. I try to go twice a week but I have been slacking.
- Vitamins. I get some daily, but need to get them all in.
- Protein. I still hate the shakes but come hell or high water, I will find one I like.
- Eating. I think I need to eat more but when people tell you for years to only eat when you are hungry, it’s a hard thing to overcome.
And a few last bits of advice. If you are considering the surgery, remember it is a great tool but it is not a quick fix. I knew that going into, but sometimes I need to remind myself of that. You need to do the work. Also, I hear other people talk about concern over telling your co-workers and friends about the surgery. My friends and co-workers have been more supportive then I ever could have imagined. If you don’t tell them, you are losing a huge support group. Ok, well I have gone on long enough. Thanks for reading and supporting me along the way. I should have said that half way through because I know I would have stopped reading a page or so ago. Oh, and I am still a little embarrassed about my weight, so let’s keep it between us…
Thanks so much for sharing your journey with us. It is a hell of a ride and people going in need to realize that it is not all sunshine and lollipops.
You have done a great job so far and I know you will continue to do well. Keep your goals at your fingertips and work on them every day!
Keep on successing!! You are truly rocking that tool!
You have done a great job so far and I know you will continue to do well. Keep your goals at your fingertips and work on them every day!
Keep on successing!! You are truly rocking that tool!
My tracker
hers 
That was a PHENOMENAL post! Keep up the great work! There is always room for more successing, and it sounds like you have a plan to do so!!
Throughout all the trials and tribulations - you have proved that time and time again and no doubt will continue to do so!
Happy surgiversary and congratulations!
Pam
Instead of complaining that the rosebush has thorns, be happy that the thorn bush has roses. 
Wow! Thank you so much for sharing your story with us!!! You are truly an inspiration and your positive outlook is awesome!!! CONGRATS!!!!!! You are doing great and will continue to do so because you know where you are and know where you need to go in the future!!
Keep on successing!!!!!!
Much luv!!
Laura
Keep on successing!!!!!!
Much luv!!
Laura
Laura
"Two roads diverged in a wood..and I took the one less travelled by and that has made all the difference." -Robert Frost
Over 176+ lbs lost since surgery!! :-)
See my profile for my OH Blog!!
Wow! Your story gave me goosebumps! I'm only 5 months out, but you brought back memories. The first few weeks, I had buyer's remorse and wondered what I had done to myself, but now I'm happy with my decision, my improved health, and my life. I'm one of the people who chose not to tell their co-workers. Many of them have very definite ideas about weight loss surgery. It could have been an opportunity to teach them, but knowing this group that wouldn't have worked. Actually, 2 co-workers did know and have been supportive. But this isn't about me---it's about you and your amazing journey!!!! Awesome job!!!! You're a real inspiration to me---thank you!!!
Happy surgiversary!!!!
Happy surgiversary!!!!
Julia
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