I'm FIVE YEARS out! Weight loss, supplements, life... LONG!
Hi all! I missed doing my five-year post-op update a few weeks ago, since December has been so hectic. But on December 7, I celebrated my five year surgiversary!
And what a five years it has been! I had my surgery with Dr. Marchesini in Curitiba, Brazil. He is a wonderful surgeon; I have gotten together with other patients to celebrate his birthday and have a little mini-reunion twice since then on his trips to the States for the BCBS conference. I started at 289, and had a very successful weight loss journey! I never had any long plateaus, or any real DS-related health issues of any sort!
The lowest I ever got was 135, at I think 14 months post-op. Although that may seem way low to some of you, I am only 5'2", so 135 is the TOP of my "normal" BMI... So I never really got down to "normal" ... I've stayed in the "overweight" arena. But I was very happy there, ranging 135-139 for a few months. Then went on Boniva and gained 13 lbs over two months, went off of that due to many bad side-effects, and was never able to get below 140 again... settled between 142-145 for the next year.
At 2 1/2 years out, in June of 2008, I had plastics with Dr. Kuster in Vitoria, Brazil. I had an extended abdominoplasty with anchor cut, inner thigh lift, mons lift, silicone gel "gummy" breast implants, and liposuction in my lower back and outer thighs the first round, then days later had an extended brachioplasty (extended down to encompass my underarms and "bra overhang"), and breast tissue trim since the implants didn't fully fill up my current breast tissue (they had been inserted through the abdominal incision to try to avoid any actual breast incisions, but I didn't want bigger than C cups, which I had been prior to my weight loss, so he did some trimming around the areolae after all to make them look right). The surgeries were all very successful; I didn't have recovery issues. My scars all healed very well and are barely visible today, except one two-inch section at the top of my stomach that was irritated by the compression garment so is a little wider than the rest, but still not bad. The only thing I was disappointed in was the lipo of my "saddlebag" area ... I don't think he was nearly aggressive enough, as I still had pretty good saddlebags. Differences in Brazilian and American thoughts, I guess. Anyway, he removed 13 pounds of skin, so I thought I'd come back and be in the 130s again.... much to my disappointment, that didn't happen. (Well, I think I saw 139 once, in October of that year...) But I was ok with that... I had a flat stomach, and felt really good about myself physically for the first time in my life!
But then a few months after plastics, as I neared my three year anniversary, just as all the swelling was going away from plastics, I started GAINING weight. It was a very difficult emotional struggle, to see the scale going upward while I was not doing anything different than I had been, and even then changing my diet to eliminate the few carbs I was eating and focus on protein---- and the numbers still climbed. I got clear up to 160 by February of 2009... and believe me, I was panicking!!! I tried to not let myself get too down by it, because I KNEW from research that at three to five years out it was NORMAL to gain up to 20 pounds, as the body settled in to where it should be. But that put me nearly in the OBESE category again.... which I just couldn't handle. I was having a LOT of issues with it. Then boom, suddenly the gaining stopped, and I stabilized. For the past year and a half, I've ranged between 150-160. I'm much happier at 150 than 160, believe me! Ten pounds makes a HUGE difference anymore. I weigh myself almost every day, so that I can adjust and keep myself okay both mentally and physically.
I got my labs done every three months the first year, then every six months the second year, and then once a year since then. I have never had any major issues with bloodwork. I have been mildly anemic at times, and have increased my iron in response. Was in the lower end of Vit A once, so increased it and haven't had problems since. My blood calcium has been fine. My main health issue has been with my bones. I get a dexascan once a year, and have been officially osteopenic in my spine and osteoporotic in my hips since my one-year scan (which is why they put me on Boniva, but since it was so horrible and not recommended for someone of my age and cir****tances, I've managed it with calcium and D since then). I lost over 20% bone the first year, but then 7% the second year, 3% the third year, and last year maintained about the same. I have yet to get my results for my blood or dexascan this year, though. Hopefully I'm good still!
I know that a lot of times people want to know what supplements DS vets take, so I'll here's my list:
* Upon waking up, I take Omeprazole (generic Prilosec) 20 mg, and a Dietary Advantage Lactose Intolerance Supplement (I used to take Lactaid with everything, but after giving the Dietary Adv a try, I'll never go back! It works soooooo much better! And it's only one pill a day!)
* With breakfast, I take: Twinlab Daily One Caps (without Iron) multivitamin; Twinlab Allergy A & D (10,000 IU of dry A, 400 IU of dry D3; Country Life dry Vitamin K1 100 mcg; TwinLab Super E Caps Plus Selenium (400IU of dry E, 204 mcg selenium, which aids in the E absorption); Nature Made Super B-Complex; and an "Adrenal Stress End" supplement. I don't take calcium at breakfast because I drink coffee, have read that caffeine can affect calcium absorption, and noticed that I would get constipated when taking calcium near the same time I drank coffee.... So I take the other non-calcium related pills and one-a-days at breakfast, and do all my calcium and relateds at lunch and dinner.
* With lunch and dinner, I take: KAL Cal-Citrate+ (has 1,000 mg calcium citrate, 400 IU vit D3, 500 mg magnesium as mag oxide); Solaray Calcium Hydroxyapatite 1000 mg; KAL magnesium glycinate 400 mg; Country Life chelated magnesium oxide 250 mg; another Twinlab Allergy A & D; NOW dry Vit K2 (as menaquinone) 100 mcg (aids in bone calcium absorption); ProHealth D3 Extreme 50,000 IU; and another Adrenal.
* With the lunch dose only, I rotate a Twinlab manganese 10 mg, Twinlab copper 2mg, or Twinlab tri-boron 3mg every other day, so I end up with about two of each of those a week is all.
* Before dinner, I take another Omeprazole 20 mg. I get it by prescription now. Most people only need it for a few months after surgery, but I'm going to be a lifer, I guess. I was even having vocal cord issues due to acid reflux without knowing that's what was irritaing them. Since I started the evening dose a few months ago, the problem has almost completely cleared up.
* If I know I'm going to be up really late, I'll go ahead and take another calcium bunch in the evening, just to get some more in. But I always make sure I have at least two hours after the previous dose, and two hours before bedtime, if I do.
* At bedtime, I take one or two Twinlab chelated Iron (as ferrous fumarate) 18mg -- about the only iron I've tried that I don't have side effects from and is effective for me -- and a Twinlab C-Plus Citrus Bioflavanoid capsule (1000 mg Vit C, 650 mg Citrus Bioflavanoids Complex, 50 mg Rutin). I used to take just a plain Vit C with my iron, but since I started taking this, my iron levels have increased (I have had some iron testing done for other reasons in the past six months, so even though I wasn't monitoring this change, I was completely non-anemic with my last blood test, the first time I wasn't slightly or borderline anemic in years, and the only thing I've changed since the test before that one was the type of C!)
As you can tell, I REALLY like the Twinlab brand. I get almost everything I possibly can of that brand. I have a really sensitive system, so I have to have brands that are easy to assimilate or I get constipated. If something is not Twinlab, then it is almost always a "vegetarian" formulation (although I am not even close to being a vegetarian!) because they are most likely to be easiest on my body and absorb the best for me. I order almost everything through vitacost.com; they have really good prices and have been very reliable. Anything I can't get through Vitacost I get through Amazon, because even though they are then coming from a few different companies, I only have to pay one place and one shipping charge.
So.... that's enough of that. What else about life?
Well, I'm a teacher. I was a teacher before WLS, but since then I have gone on to get my master's degree, changed school districts, and am now working on my Ed Specialist degree in educational leadership (which gets me halfway toward a doctorate, which I plan on pursuing eventually, too!). I'll get a job as a principal after this degree, but eventually I hope to become a university professor. The only thing holding me back from going for that now is where I live... I am far away from a university town, and with the current economy I have been unable to sell my house. I tried for three years, but gave up temporarily. Eventually it will happen! Before WLS, I imagined myself being in the district I was in, teaching what I was teaching, for the rest of my life, because I didn't feel I'd be able to get a job anywhere else due to my weight. I was about 230 when I was hired at this district, which was bad enough, but at almost 300 lbs, I knew my options were highly limited. Now, the sky is the limit, and I can more fully follow my dreams ... dreams I didn't even know I had before!
The one thing I wouldn't have though possible before surgery is that I'm still single. I always thought guys didn't want me because of my weight, but there must be something else wrong with me instead. I have dated, had a couple of short relationships, but nothing really serious or long-term. So, yes, more dating since losing weight, but still nothing meaningful or lasting. I had hoped to marry and have a child if possible (I have non-DS related issues that make it a slim-to-none chance, but wanted at least the chance to try), but I'm 35 now, so that clock is no longer just ticking, it's almost done for. I don't know what the deal is, but screw it. I'm a good person, I live a good life, and I'm happy with the other areas of my life, so I'll just keep plugging along and doing the best I can. I have three nephews that I love a lot!
So, I have so much more I could write about the positives in my life since my DS, but this has gone on long enough. If anyone has questions, I'm happy to answer them, though. Good luck to all you pre-ops, you newbies, and the other long-termers out there!
And what a five years it has been! I had my surgery with Dr. Marchesini in Curitiba, Brazil. He is a wonderful surgeon; I have gotten together with other patients to celebrate his birthday and have a little mini-reunion twice since then on his trips to the States for the BCBS conference. I started at 289, and had a very successful weight loss journey! I never had any long plateaus, or any real DS-related health issues of any sort!
The lowest I ever got was 135, at I think 14 months post-op. Although that may seem way low to some of you, I am only 5'2", so 135 is the TOP of my "normal" BMI... So I never really got down to "normal" ... I've stayed in the "overweight" arena. But I was very happy there, ranging 135-139 for a few months. Then went on Boniva and gained 13 lbs over two months, went off of that due to many bad side-effects, and was never able to get below 140 again... settled between 142-145 for the next year.
At 2 1/2 years out, in June of 2008, I had plastics with Dr. Kuster in Vitoria, Brazil. I had an extended abdominoplasty with anchor cut, inner thigh lift, mons lift, silicone gel "gummy" breast implants, and liposuction in my lower back and outer thighs the first round, then days later had an extended brachioplasty (extended down to encompass my underarms and "bra overhang"), and breast tissue trim since the implants didn't fully fill up my current breast tissue (they had been inserted through the abdominal incision to try to avoid any actual breast incisions, but I didn't want bigger than C cups, which I had been prior to my weight loss, so he did some trimming around the areolae after all to make them look right). The surgeries were all very successful; I didn't have recovery issues. My scars all healed very well and are barely visible today, except one two-inch section at the top of my stomach that was irritated by the compression garment so is a little wider than the rest, but still not bad. The only thing I was disappointed in was the lipo of my "saddlebag" area ... I don't think he was nearly aggressive enough, as I still had pretty good saddlebags. Differences in Brazilian and American thoughts, I guess. Anyway, he removed 13 pounds of skin, so I thought I'd come back and be in the 130s again.... much to my disappointment, that didn't happen. (Well, I think I saw 139 once, in October of that year...) But I was ok with that... I had a flat stomach, and felt really good about myself physically for the first time in my life!
But then a few months after plastics, as I neared my three year anniversary, just as all the swelling was going away from plastics, I started GAINING weight. It was a very difficult emotional struggle, to see the scale going upward while I was not doing anything different than I had been, and even then changing my diet to eliminate the few carbs I was eating and focus on protein---- and the numbers still climbed. I got clear up to 160 by February of 2009... and believe me, I was panicking!!! I tried to not let myself get too down by it, because I KNEW from research that at three to five years out it was NORMAL to gain up to 20 pounds, as the body settled in to where it should be. But that put me nearly in the OBESE category again.... which I just couldn't handle. I was having a LOT of issues with it. Then boom, suddenly the gaining stopped, and I stabilized. For the past year and a half, I've ranged between 150-160. I'm much happier at 150 than 160, believe me! Ten pounds makes a HUGE difference anymore. I weigh myself almost every day, so that I can adjust and keep myself okay both mentally and physically.
I got my labs done every three months the first year, then every six months the second year, and then once a year since then. I have never had any major issues with bloodwork. I have been mildly anemic at times, and have increased my iron in response. Was in the lower end of Vit A once, so increased it and haven't had problems since. My blood calcium has been fine. My main health issue has been with my bones. I get a dexascan once a year, and have been officially osteopenic in my spine and osteoporotic in my hips since my one-year scan (which is why they put me on Boniva, but since it was so horrible and not recommended for someone of my age and cir****tances, I've managed it with calcium and D since then). I lost over 20% bone the first year, but then 7% the second year, 3% the third year, and last year maintained about the same. I have yet to get my results for my blood or dexascan this year, though. Hopefully I'm good still!
I know that a lot of times people want to know what supplements DS vets take, so I'll here's my list:
* Upon waking up, I take Omeprazole (generic Prilosec) 20 mg, and a Dietary Advantage Lactose Intolerance Supplement (I used to take Lactaid with everything, but after giving the Dietary Adv a try, I'll never go back! It works soooooo much better! And it's only one pill a day!)
* With breakfast, I take: Twinlab Daily One Caps (without Iron) multivitamin; Twinlab Allergy A & D (10,000 IU of dry A, 400 IU of dry D3; Country Life dry Vitamin K1 100 mcg; TwinLab Super E Caps Plus Selenium (400IU of dry E, 204 mcg selenium, which aids in the E absorption); Nature Made Super B-Complex; and an "Adrenal Stress End" supplement. I don't take calcium at breakfast because I drink coffee, have read that caffeine can affect calcium absorption, and noticed that I would get constipated when taking calcium near the same time I drank coffee.... So I take the other non-calcium related pills and one-a-days at breakfast, and do all my calcium and relateds at lunch and dinner.
* With lunch and dinner, I take: KAL Cal-Citrate+ (has 1,000 mg calcium citrate, 400 IU vit D3, 500 mg magnesium as mag oxide); Solaray Calcium Hydroxyapatite 1000 mg; KAL magnesium glycinate 400 mg; Country Life chelated magnesium oxide 250 mg; another Twinlab Allergy A & D; NOW dry Vit K2 (as menaquinone) 100 mcg (aids in bone calcium absorption); ProHealth D3 Extreme 50,000 IU; and another Adrenal.
* With the lunch dose only, I rotate a Twinlab manganese 10 mg, Twinlab copper 2mg, or Twinlab tri-boron 3mg every other day, so I end up with about two of each of those a week is all.
* Before dinner, I take another Omeprazole 20 mg. I get it by prescription now. Most people only need it for a few months after surgery, but I'm going to be a lifer, I guess. I was even having vocal cord issues due to acid reflux without knowing that's what was irritaing them. Since I started the evening dose a few months ago, the problem has almost completely cleared up.
* If I know I'm going to be up really late, I'll go ahead and take another calcium bunch in the evening, just to get some more in. But I always make sure I have at least two hours after the previous dose, and two hours before bedtime, if I do.
* At bedtime, I take one or two Twinlab chelated Iron (as ferrous fumarate) 18mg -- about the only iron I've tried that I don't have side effects from and is effective for me -- and a Twinlab C-Plus Citrus Bioflavanoid capsule (1000 mg Vit C, 650 mg Citrus Bioflavanoids Complex, 50 mg Rutin). I used to take just a plain Vit C with my iron, but since I started taking this, my iron levels have increased (I have had some iron testing done for other reasons in the past six months, so even though I wasn't monitoring this change, I was completely non-anemic with my last blood test, the first time I wasn't slightly or borderline anemic in years, and the only thing I've changed since the test before that one was the type of C!)
As you can tell, I REALLY like the Twinlab brand. I get almost everything I possibly can of that brand. I have a really sensitive system, so I have to have brands that are easy to assimilate or I get constipated. If something is not Twinlab, then it is almost always a "vegetarian" formulation (although I am not even close to being a vegetarian!) because they are most likely to be easiest on my body and absorb the best for me. I order almost everything through vitacost.com; they have really good prices and have been very reliable. Anything I can't get through Vitacost I get through Amazon, because even though they are then coming from a few different companies, I only have to pay one place and one shipping charge.
So.... that's enough of that. What else about life?
Well, I'm a teacher. I was a teacher before WLS, but since then I have gone on to get my master's degree, changed school districts, and am now working on my Ed Specialist degree in educational leadership (which gets me halfway toward a doctorate, which I plan on pursuing eventually, too!). I'll get a job as a principal after this degree, but eventually I hope to become a university professor. The only thing holding me back from going for that now is where I live... I am far away from a university town, and with the current economy I have been unable to sell my house. I tried for three years, but gave up temporarily. Eventually it will happen! Before WLS, I imagined myself being in the district I was in, teaching what I was teaching, for the rest of my life, because I didn't feel I'd be able to get a job anywhere else due to my weight. I was about 230 when I was hired at this district, which was bad enough, but at almost 300 lbs, I knew my options were highly limited. Now, the sky is the limit, and I can more fully follow my dreams ... dreams I didn't even know I had before!
The one thing I wouldn't have though possible before surgery is that I'm still single. I always thought guys didn't want me because of my weight, but there must be something else wrong with me instead. I have dated, had a couple of short relationships, but nothing really serious or long-term. So, yes, more dating since losing weight, but still nothing meaningful or lasting. I had hoped to marry and have a child if possible (I have non-DS related issues that make it a slim-to-none chance, but wanted at least the chance to try), but I'm 35 now, so that clock is no longer just ticking, it's almost done for. I don't know what the deal is, but screw it. I'm a good person, I live a good life, and I'm happy with the other areas of my life, so I'll just keep plugging along and doing the best I can. I have three nephews that I love a lot!
So, I have so much more I could write about the positives in my life since my DS, but this has gone on long enough. If anyone has questions, I'm happy to answer them, though. Good luck to all you pre-ops, you newbies, and the other long-termers out there!
Amanda in ID
DS ~ Dec. 7, 2005, with Dr. Marchesini in Curitiba, Brazil
sw289/lw135/gw137/cw150
PS ~ June 6 & 19, 2008, with Dr. Kuster, Vila Velha, Brazil
check out my website at http://myweb.cableone.net/aeller5/DS/default.htm
I really enjoyed reading your post. Congratulations on your accomplishments!
HW / SW / CW / GW 299 / 287 / 160 / 140 Feb '09 / Mar '09 / Dec '13 /Aug '10
Appendicitis/Bowel Obstruction Surgery 8/21/10
Beat Hodgkin's Lymphoma! 7/15/2011 - 1/26/2012 
Ran Half-Marathon 10/14/2012
First Pregnancy, Due 8/12/14 I LOVE MY DS!!!
Thank you so much for this very informative post! Your successes with the DS and professionally are great. I am sorry things haven't materialized yet to find a life partner and try to have a child. I remember in the past enjoying reading your profile and seeing your monthly pictures on your website, and I'm glad you came back to visit the forum. I know you have a busy life going on. I am on disability and single with no children, and have tons of time to read on this forum. I will definitely miss reading so much here if I can go back to work some time.
Amanda - so good to see you posting. You were always one of my DS mentors, as you were just ahead of me, and I followed your progress avidly. Like you, I'm a teacher too, and a very active one, as I teach general music and conduct choirs. There's no WAY I could have kept up the energy level required to teach this subject at my previous weight!
Your rebound weight gain pretty much falls right within the expected percentage - ten percent, so you are doing well there.
As to the single life? Hey, I was a single parent for eleven years before meeting and marrying my husband of almost two years. I live in a small town where the pickins are pretty slim, and I still found someone that rocks my world that I have lots of fun with. Don't give up hope - my sister didn't have her first baby till 41. Get yourself out there doing what you like to do, and you just never know who might come along. Jill (Kilaani) is another example of someone who met a wonderful man, post DS, later in life and just married a year or two ago, and I think she's my age or close to it (49)!
Don't make a stranger of yourself. You look great!
Your rebound weight gain pretty much falls right within the expected percentage - ten percent, so you are doing well there.
As to the single life? Hey, I was a single parent for eleven years before meeting and marrying my husband of almost two years. I live in a small town where the pickins are pretty slim, and I still found someone that rocks my world that I have lots of fun with. Don't give up hope - my sister didn't have her first baby till 41. Get yourself out there doing what you like to do, and you just never know who might come along. Jill (Kilaani) is another example of someone who met a wonderful man, post DS, later in life and just married a year or two ago, and I think she's my age or close to it (49)!
Don't make a stranger of yourself. You look great!
Julie R - Ludington, Michigan
Duodenal Switch 08/09/06 - Dr. Paul Kemmeter, Grand Rapids, Michigan
HW: 282 - 5'4"
SW: 268
GW: 135
CW: 125
Duodenal Switch 08/09/06 - Dr. Paul Kemmeter, Grand Rapids, Michigan
HW: 282 - 5'4"
SW: 268
GW: 135
CW: 125
Congrats on five years and thanks for sharing! Hearing from long-time vets is always great and provides a more personalized perspective on what life is like after surgery. It's incredibly helpful for me as a newbie pre-op.
Congrats on the master's as well! Hopefully 2011 will be a good year for achieving your goals.
Congrats on the master's as well! Hopefully 2011 will be a good year for achieving your goals.
Thank you for taking the time to give such a wonderful update! It's really important to see long term vets like yourself post and let us know how things are going. Congrats on all your success & happy surgiversary!
eta: forgot to mention, I take 80 mg of prilosec a day due to the very reasons you stated...I'll be a lifer too.
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