Three Years Out: Reflections

Hi, everyone.  Today is my 3 year surgiversary!  I thank God for bringing me this far.  I just wanted to stop by and share some of my story with people who are considering surgery, or have recently had it.  The vets are likely to empathize!

Backstory

I was a virgin DS with Dr. David Greenbaum in New Jersey in June 2010.  At that time, I was in my early 40's, and I weighed about 250 lbs.  My BMI was about 38, so I was considered a lightweight.  I chose to have the DS because I was very interested in keeping my weight off long term.  

Initially, I came to research weight loss surgery because so many of my friends were getting it.  At that time, I had about 50 lbs to lose.  I kept saying stupid stuff like, "I'm gonna gain 100 lbs so I can have surgery and take the weight off the easy way!"  Well, death and life are in the power of the tongue for sure.  I lost about 40 lbs., then gained about 60.

Most of my weight gain was caused from being diagnosed and treated for breast cancer.  Just the initial surgeries alone began to add weight to me, to the tune of 3 lbs per week for a while there.  I asked my doctors why that was happening, and they said that about 35% of women with breast cancer gain weight for no known reason.  Great...just fantastic.  I figured that after years of treatment, my weight would go down.  Well, it didn't.  In order to reduce my risk of a recurrence, I considered weight loss surgery.

On top of that, my mother went into two diabetic comas in two years.  We didn't know she had diabetes until after the second coma.  She had begun having strokes in her mid 40's, and high blood pressure in her early 20's.  With her health history, my own, and a crazy family tree, I felt strongly that WLS was the best preventative option for me.  Among the surgeries, only the DS measured up to the outcome that I wanted.  I did not want to be battling 30, 50 or 100 lbs of regain well into my 50s, 60s, 70s and beyond AFTER having surgery.

The Experience

I wrote this in a post at some point early after surgery:

"See, my original PLAN was to get up off the table, recover in two days, be back to my old self in like 6 weeks, take my vitamins, eat my food, lose a ton of weight and be happily healthy and energetic.  It hasn't quite worked out that smoothly.  When I knew I had problems, my contingency PLAN was to eat my way out of protein deficiency, but that's been a total bust.   Now I need to be mainlined--that was not in my PLAN!  Yikes!  The thought of things having gone further downhill from 3 months ago is plain scary to me.  I know that people run into all kinds of minor and major problems and come out just fine.  People live to tell the tale, to love their DS, to live full and exciting lives.  I'm hoping that this bump in the road for me will be just that, and that I'll be healthy and loving my DS very soon."

I am happy to report that this is the case now--I am getting a happily ever after, and I love my DS!  But the road has been rough...

• I had my DS surgery...and I had terrible complications​.  I had to stay in ICU for 8 days because of blood pressure and pulse fluctuations, and I had to be transfused.
• I had horrible nausea and vomiting for about 7 months, starting here:  http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/ds/4192920/Back-in-the-Sad dle-but-I-cant-eat-Please-help/#34359680
• Six months into it, I was reflecting on the good, the bad and the ugly of it all:  http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/DS/4285335/6-Month-Update- Long/
•  I had to have a PICC line put in, and be nourished via TPN (liquid nutrition in your veins).  Here's where it started:  http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/DS/4305399/Greenbaum-wants -me-on-a-PICC-line-stat-what-other-options/action,replies/to pic_id,4305399/page,2/
• After four months of TPN and eating by mouth, I was as good as new.  I didn't gain any weight while on TPN, and I started losing afterward.  Of course, with the new weight loss, my mind started playing tricks on me.  Here's one of my body dysmorphia posts from my most critical transition period--getting into a size 6:  http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/ds/4373667/Wheres-My-Diss- More-Fia-When-I-need-her-Venting/  I was about 10 months out then.  It's totally funny now, but at the time, I thought I was losing it!
• My one-year update summed things up very nicely.  I was traumatized, but I was not giving up!:  http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/ds/4396189/One-Year-Surgi- versary-Some-Regrets+Foe-Toe-Hoe-N/

I didn't post a two-year update, but at about 1 year, 2 months out I was below goal.  I am happy to report that my weight has stayed stable since then.

Now at three years, I still feel like a newbie.  I would like to be much better versed off-the-cuff in vitamin supplements and blood work results.  I know all about protein, though! :)  

I truly, finally love my DS.  I am maintaining below goal.  I can eat any and everything.  My body does what I want and need it to do, and I can keep up with the best of them, young and old.  The life of a skinny girl has its own challenges, but none of them is related to weight.

As a vet (who's a vet?  How "old" do I have to be?), I would encourage everyone to remember the basics:  lower carb, high protein, moderate/high fat, vitamins, fluids, and exercise.  If you are discouraged by challenges, get well-versed in your condition quickly, and be your own best advocate in the health care system.  If regain, slow losing or a lack of weight loss has you down, remember that everybody's body is different.  Be patient and forgiving with yourself.  Lean in for support, and accept it when it is offered.  Do what you can to stay on track or get back on if you're off, but try not to sweat it if the numbers are not moving as quickly as you would like.  I myself was a slow loser in the lightweight division, and it was discouraging, but eventually, I got here.

Thanks for listening!

Thank you for this wonderful post! You have truly fought the good fight and come out victorious.

And for anyone reading this who is pre-op and has someone in your life harping on how you are "taking the easy way out" - this is NOT the easy way out, as this story reflects. We do this because, for us, it is the only way out. And for those fresh post-ops still struggling, know that even serious complications can be overcome.

Larra

Thanks for posting you look great.

Beautiful!  Thank you.  I'm still a  newbie at 5-6 weeks, but since the nausea has dissipated, I can feel myself coming back to life.  I'm sorry you had such a hard time, but know that you give people like me so much hope!

Thank you for taking the time to post about your journey.  Your story touches me.  Motivates me.  I'm a slow looser also, but you proven that goal can still be achieved.

Thanks again.  Great effort to overcome the obstacles.

You are an amazing, beautiful woman.  I am just starting my journey, I pray it is different than yours but, I hope I have a similar destination.  Your post is inspiring because of your courage and humor.  Thank you!

Congrats on making it through!