Been around OH for awhile? Please share your WLS Journey

I'm with you and the carbs!  I've recently made much more of a focus on minimizing carbs and I feel so much better. 

 Good morning! I has RNY in October 2009, and. I lost about 130 pounds. I am a rule follower to a point......meaning I do cheat now and the, however my weight is stable. I gained 7 pounds back. My biggest success is keeping my weight off, I do not for a minute regret having surgery. I have trouble with my iron, no matter what I take or eat or do it does not absorb......... So I have had to have a few iron infusions.  I so not post as often as I did in the beginning but I read the forums and newsletter for support.

Melisa 

Big congrats to you for keeping your weight off. 

How are the iron infusions for you? 

Hello everyone! I had a duodenal switch in 2010, and thus far, I've lost 120 lbs. I went from 255 to 135 and overall, I'm very satisfied. The only issue has been trying to keep my iron levels normal. I've had 3 blood transfusions due to the surgery making my lifelong issues with anemia, worse. I do take supplements, but I never absorbed iron well. Anyway, I eat much better now and I'm more active and just happy! Now, I just need some reconstructive surgery for all this loose skin!

Congratulations on needing reconstructive surgery due to your DS success.  In a round-about way, that's a nice thing to have happen because it is due to your amazing weight loss! 

Hello.... I am a 6 year post opp rny lady...... lost 170 lbs.... was very successful..... have re gained about 25 lbs.... But only because of "cross addiction".... I turned into a alcoholic   because I was starving myself to maintain my lost weight..... worried all the time and still do because I never want to go back to the weight that I was. So I started drinking to again cover the things I worry about.... before it was food and now..... alcohol...

I am very embarrassed about hiding this addiction and am so alone with how to figure out how to get back on track..... If anyone out there has had this same situation, I would most appreciate any suggestions.....

Thank you!

Hi ,  my name is Latchmee, I am having all my Pre-op procedures done, tomorrow I have three appointments for that. But I am stuck on which procedure I want. I am struggling between RNY and Sleeve. I am currently 260 and would like to take advantage of this second chance I have been given to get my life back on track. any and all your advice is appreciated. thk u

I had the Vertical Sleeve and have never regretted the decision. I have gained about 25 lbs. but not the fault of my sleeve. I am overeating plain and simple. Taking one day at a time now and eating better/right. The tool works; I just need to do my part. I have never had a problem with dumping or not being able to eat certain foods. I lost my weight  in less than a year. I'm off of many of the medications I was taking. Since I was 64 at time of surgery I think I've done a really goo job. 

Good luck with whichever surgery you have. Follow your doctors plan and a new you will be just around the corner. Many blessings. Sandra

I joined OH in January of 2001 which was the day of my first consult.  My open RNY surgery was in March of 2001 so I'm 13 years out and have lost and maintained a 130 pound loss.   I didn't see another post-op for three years until the incredible event in Arlington, Texas in 2004 and it was like bariatric Disneyland!  I now volunteer full time giving support to the WLS community on my blog and Facebook page as Bariatric Girl.  I think I may possibly hold the record for attending the most OH events and I have pictures and video of them all.  I think I'll tell this story in a few pictures.

As I expected I had hundreds of pictures and it was hard to choose.  I have pictures from Arlington 2004, Oklahoma 2004, November 2005, July 2006,  California LA 2007, California Irvine 2007, November 2008, Houston 2008, September 2009, Vegas July 2007, San Antonio September 2007, Cincinnati August 2010, New York 2011 and many more.  Thanks Obesity Help for being there when no one else was when I started my journey.

Yvonne

Hello WLS family, the timing of this update is oh so special.  As of tomorrow I will be 13 years post op of RNY.  I started my journey at 327lbs and lost 157lbs, including my tummy tuck.  That brought me down to 170lbs.  About 4 months after my tummy tuck, we found out we were pregnant with our 3rd child.  That was a bit of a blow, but I was so gloriously happy with that pregnancy because it was the first pregnancy I had that I wasn't super morbidly obese. 

After the pregnancy I had gained about 20lbs and maintained that weight for 6 years.  I truly believe my maintenance was due to the support group I founded in Connecticut.  I was not only accountable to a few people, I was accountable to over 100 people.  It fueled my motivation, and kept me on track. But then we moved to Florida, and I no longer had the support group.  Everyone here knew me at the new weight and I could eat whatever without any eyes watching over me. I was no longer accountable. 

In the years since moving to Florida, I've gained and lost another 30-40 lbs a couple of times.  I even got back down to 190, at one point and was thrilled.  Although, once again, I lost track and didn't pay attention.  Finally, this past April a cousin of mine decided to have VSG and it opened my eyes to this gift of a tool that I had just been letting sit there, and not picked up.  I decided to get on the scale, see how much damage I had done, and start my journey again.  I was dreadfully shaken to reality when I got on the scale and saw that I had ballooned up to 254.8 lbs.  How could I have let this happened?  I remember thinking all the things I had thought of myself prior to my wls. Yet, I somehow mustered up enough courage to say, "no more!" 

I was eating way too many carbs, eating Bugles for snacks and have popcorn almost every night.  I decided that the only thing I would change was to cut those 2 items out of my diet first.  I started in March and the following month I had lost 5lbs.  I knew that if I did what I had to do I would lose weight again and it would come off like anyone else.  In April I went back to hard core no carb eating, basically following an Atkins type eating lifestyle.  I'm ecstatic to say that since March I have lost a total of 30lbs and am now at 224.  Still, what seems like a world away of the 170, I had been but I'm doing it.  Everyday, one day at a time, sometimes 1 hour at a time, but I'm doing it.  I've given myself a goal of losing 52 more pounds by my birthday next August, when I turn 45.  And I truly believe I can do it.  I have the same motivation, I had when I had my wls, because I've become accountable to people again.  I've posted my journey to all my friends/family on facebook, and plan to keep coming back to OH so that I have a place to feel supported.

This Monday I will be taking a 4 day cruise and I'm a little concerned about it, but I've been reading a lot about what one can do when they are cruising.  I plan to stay on track, by making better choices and prioritizing what I want to truly try on the ship, verses what I can eat at any other time. Planning and awareness of what I'm eating will be key, and I think I can get through this, and still have a fabulous time.

Thank you all for reading my long post.  It's been a long while since I've posted on OH and it feels really good to be back. 

Muah! Liza