Everyone check in and update!!!

Hey everyone! The board has been so slow lately and I've missed getting to know some of the newbies! I like to post this once in awhile and see if I can get some lurkers to come out and post updates. I know not everyone has time to hang around and post daily or even weekly, but I love to get to know where everyone is at in their journey! So, pre ops: Tell us a little about yourself and where you are in the process toward having surgery. Likely I don't know most of you pre-ops as I've not been around much lately. Post ops: How much have you lost, do you have any new pictures to share? What is going on in your life? Has wls changed anything for you? Share share share!!! Dina

Wanted to reply on this rather than put all my stuff in the first post. For those that don't know me, my name is Dina. I had my open rny surgery 19 months ago in Ensenada Mexico and went from 325 to 189 (before my pms 5 lb gain..ugh!) so far. I am done with my honeymoon phase and have been for quite some time, but I'm still working toward losing more. I want to get to 150 or 155 but will be happy if I see the 160's and then I'll have plastics. But I'm not going to wait forever for plastics. I'm close enough now that even if I did lose another 20 lbs later down the line it shouldn't compromise the results I would think. I have had a lot of back pain issues lately and have discovered (as many before me have) that the weight shift accompanied by hanging skin has uncovered a problem with degenerative disc disease. I found out I probably had the problem since I was at my high weight and it may have been caused by that, but now that I've lost weight I notice it more. I always had back problems, but it seems worse now. Anyway, I am seeing a physical therapist and working out in their gym to strengthen my back to try to pull me back into alignment. I have a bulge in my disc and have some degeneration going on, but no ruptures, so I can help this out quite a bit by strengthening. I have become quite the clothes horse lately and pretty much live at Ross. I love that I can find cute clothes in my size now....and they are cheap. So I've been spending a lot. I'm wearing mostly a size large right now, I ride the line between a size 14 and 16. 16's are usually a bit too big, but some 14's are too small. I have a couple of shirts I can wear that are mediums, but I'm not spending much time looking at those just yet. I like the fitted shirts so it's best I stick with large right now. One of the things that I LOVE about things now is that I have rediscovered my waist. I do have to get a tummy tuck...that is for sure. But I was always hourglass shaped when I was younger and I have found that again. I have a little waist....or at least it looks that way compared to my big butt. When I get a chance I will try to update my pictures. I haven't had any afters taken for awhile, and just have some up close pics that were taken recently for work. Oh - I did dye my hair dark though. My husband has been wanting me to do it for a long time now and I finally relented. This time I actually like it as I don't look so puffy and pallid like when I was heavy. In fact, one of the things that I've found when looking at many of us who've been through the wls is that it seems we are all changing our hair color! Those who were dark before are going blonde and those of us who were blonde before are going dark. Or red. I guess it's that Butterfly effect, huh? So that's pretty much it for me. I do have more stuff going on in my life, but that would take a whole new post to go into! Dina

Hi Dina, I don't post much on this board. Mostly I hang out on the Over 50 Message Board. I am 62, live in Monroe, which is about halfway between Corvallis and Eugene on Hwy 99, if y'all don't know! It's so small, you can miss it if you blink! I am just waiting to hear that I have final insurance approval for my surgery, which I think will be lap rny, by Dr. Emma Patterson at Legacy Good Samaritan in Portland. Hopefully, I will be hearing within the next week, as I have jumped through all hoops and everything is done but the waiting. I started out at 348 lbs. in May, and have lost 50 lbs. on my pre-op diet, which is great, but getting harder every day. If I was a successful dieter, I wouldn't be doing this! By the way, I have noticed the hair thing too. Mine is long, light brown, with a lot of gray. I have put some Loving Care on it, but am thinking about getting it cut and maybe doing a more permanent coloring. Thanks Dina. I always enjoy your posts. I do usually check in here every day or so to see what's new. Kath

Hi Dina. This is such a good idea. Hopefully, we will get to know one another better and post more often! I am 58 years old and moved to Tualatin from California last August with my husband of 3 years. I had my RNY lap surgery on June 27th of this year. My starting weight was 233 lbs. Being 5'1" tall, that's a lot of weight! I am now 168 lbs. and working my way toward 140. High blood pressure, sleep apnea, high cholestral and joint pain have all but disappeared. I think I am stuck with the arthritis, but life is so good! This has been an amazing journey for me. I have had no complications at all and feel so grateful!! I just hope that my hair stops falling out soon! I am also hoping to start making some new friends in my area. Best wishes to everyone here. Joy

Hi Dina. Thanks for taking the initiative to post. It's been 18 months since my first surgery, and about 2 1/2 months since my second one. Life is good, and I am very grateful to be here. I am adapting to the new pouch my doctor made after removing the rest of my stomach. (He removed 9/10 of it the first surgery-stomach cancer.) I am cancer-free and living life to the fullest. I'm down about 70 lbs from my highest weight, and I hope to reach the One-derlands one of these days. What a great website! What a bunch of caring people. Thanks! Peg

Hi Dina, I had gastric lab banding done on Sept 19th 2005. In North Bend/ Coos Bay by Dr. Tersigni. I was on protein drinks, oatmeal etc. things like for 4 weeks. The last 2 weeks have been eating solid foods. On Monday the 31st I will be driving back to North Bend with another lapband friend to get the band filled so i will have restriction. It will limit the amount that I eat. I have lost about 12 lbs sence surgery. Haven't firgure out yet how to put picture on or taken the time. Will have one of my daughters do it.

Well I started my journey back in Feb 05 by attending the Legacy Obesity Institute seminar. I got approval and was hoping to have surgery over the summer but due to some other health problems (I have ulcerative colitis) my surgery was delayed indefinitely until that was under control. I had my appendix out the end of september and I hadn't had any colitis symptoms since August so my GI doctor did another scope and my disease is much better and he cleared me for surgery. I see Dr. Hong again this week, Nov 2 and hopefully I can schedule my date for sometime in November. Thanks for starting this Dina.......I'm always looking for more people to talk with this about that live in Oregon.

Hello! My name is Deanna. I'm a 34 year old Stay at Home Mom and I live in Salem. I found out a couple months ago that our insurance will start covering RNY in 2006 so I've been researching it ever since (BCBSO for PEBB)! I am signed up to attend an information meeting at Legacy given by Dr. Hong ... I cannot wait! The guidelines for our insurance is that you must complete a 6-month workup that includes all the psych/nutritionist/testing plus you have to lose 5% of your weight in that 6-month timeframe. So that is where I am. I need to get the information class out of the way and start the process. It's so great getting to know all of you! Deanna

Thanks for getting people going with your post Dina! It is always so great to hear from you. I'm so happy that your surgery has been such a success! For those who don't know me....I am Patty. I am about to turn 44 this month. I had Lap-RNY 17 months ago. At my highest I was 330 - I was 320 the day of surgery. I have lost 170 pounds. If I exhale real hard tomorrow maybe I will see a number in the forties, but I am very happy to have made it thru the fifties. I have been pretty stable for quite a while (in the early months I averaged a loss of about 20 pounds a month). These days I see a pound lost here a pound there. I usually fluctuate 2-3 pounds. When I see the lower number several days in a row I say I "own it". I am happy to say that I have not so far had to give back a number I have owned. Does that make sense? I weigh myself every day (and against advice I have since the day I got home from the hospital) mostly to keep myself accountable. I experienced no complications. I had my surgery at Good Sam with Dr. Hong. I have recieved great follow-up from his office. My labs have all been excellent, a bone scan was normal, and I have been very healthy since my surgery date. I never have dumped before, and have thrown up about five times. Two of those were fairly recently, probably because I am not as careful as I was. I tolerate everything (believe me...I have checked). I have had to adapt to the "just because you can doesn't mean you should" thought process. I do experience a queasy feeling if I eat too much. Just enough to keep me mindful of what I eat. I was able to go forward with a hysterectomy that I needed before my WLS. To be in a hospital setting going through a surgery at a normal weight.....well I can't say it was FUN but it was so amazing to have so many nurses and others polking me and not have to feel self concious about being so big. I felt positively small in my bed. That was significant for me because at my highest weight I was really starting to avoid medical settings, and worried about if I ever had to go in an ambulance or something. When the blood pressure cuff no long fits, and they always have to get the extra big one, you do start worrying about it. At my highest I was wearing 3-4X stretch leggings only. I don't think a size 26 jeans would have been comfortable...I was afraid to try them on. I am wearing a size ten jeans now (some pants still feel better a twelve). The twelves are really too baggy, except for the area of my lower stomach where I am carrying a lot of excess skin. I think if that was removed I would be an easy eight. I am sure I could wear fitted shirts or tuck something in, but I am still not used to it and am reluctant to do so. I am probably fine in a medium top, but automatically get an X-large, then put it back and get a large. I still think to myself that no way will a medium fit. I really need advice on what I can wear now, because I do find myself still getting things too big. I am starting to realize that I look a lot bigger when my clothes are too big, but I really don't want to find myself wearing things too tight either. Guess I have some body image issues to work on, but don't get me wrong - my progress has been WONDERFUL!!!! Shopping is no longer an ordeal, and when I get back photos the feeling of distress and shame are gone. I need to update my picture on my profile but I am at the mercy of my son cause I don't know how. Below I have attached a picture of me and said son at the pumpkin patch last week. http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a376/djsizors/momandme3.jpg Although I would like to lose another ten pounds, I know I would have to make a much more concerted effort to do so. I consider my WLS a sucess even if I never lose another pound. I have entered the maintenance phase, exited the honeymoon phase. My appetite has returned, and eating feels much more like the wild wild west. It was easier for me when I was on a much more narrow path. I guess I am in the "in moderation" camp. I have yet to find a food that disagrees with me, and don't have any off limit foods. Of course I avoid fried foods, high fat items, and sweets. I don't measure food, count carbs or calories (I never have since the beginning). I get my protein only from foods (I used protein shakes and powder for about the first six weeks). Some things that I still do daily...take my supplements, drink 60 oz. of water (I don't drink anything anymore BU****er), don't drink with meals or for an hour after, make sure my meals have a good dose of protein. I snack more often these days. I never felt the need to in the first year. I try to be mindful of it, and keep a very close eye on the scale. I think I eat more than a lot of post ops. I observe that I usually eat about 1/2 of what everyone else eats. I would say that that is just about right, and it seems to work for me. My therapist tells me to enjoy my success, instead of being sure the other shoe is going to drop, the surgery will stop working, I am eating more way more than my peers. It's just when I read that someone three years out can MAYBE finish a half of a hamburger, and I have eaten a whole one and felt just fine....well I worry. I guess the big difference is how aware I am of my eating habits. I am so happy I had surgery and am thankful for the health I have gained! Patty

Patty, Thank you SO much for your post! I find your story to be very encouraging to me! You must feel absolutely fabulous! I have to tell you, I'm wearing a size 26 elastic waist jeans (tight) and I cannot wait for the day to get into a size 12. Thank you again ... you give me a lot of hope! Deanna