HI--I'M BRAND NEW to this WASHINGTON FORUM

Hi, I didn't even know THERE was a WASHINGTON FORUM until tonight when I was playing around with the buttons on the main page of the OH.  So I clicked on the Washington button and voila...here we are! HI ALL you Washatonians?  Where are you all from and What's YOUR story?  I'll start (I ccp'd this from a reply I made earlier to another NEWBIE here...hope you don't mind!

Hi, my name is Angie, I am NEW to THIS "Washington Board"; I live in Yakima, Washington.  I have been on the OH "DS" Forum for over a year and a half. 

* Due to NO INSURANCE, I self-paid for my Duodenal Switch Surgery that I had done in Brazil by Dr. Marchesini May 23, 2006.
* I have currently lost 134 lbs and am 23 lbs from goal (317 to 183 so far). 
* I no longer have any symptoms of diabetes.
* My blood pressure is normal (use to be high).  
* I no longer suffer from aches and pains brought on by obesity (now they are only from being 55 years old..  ...and THEN they are few and far between)!
** See my Profile for all of the things I am able to do NOW compared to before the surgery!

My daughter (29) had the DS surgery 10 months (July 2005) prior to my having it (May 23, 2006).  Witnessing her entire journey during the whole process; from RESEARCHING all kinds of WLS to choosing the DS, to having the surgery, and watching her recovery and the way she was able to eat and still lose SO MUCH WEIGHT (she has lost about 145 lbs so far), not to mention, she no longer suffers from PCOS. She has also had a baby since having had the surgery and she did phenomenally well and was much healthier than during her first two pregnancies pre-op.

Having had the Duodenal Switch (DS), I am now living like a NORMAL person and am treated as such. FINALLY!  I love having had this surgery, it has definitely changed my life.  I never feel deprived since I do not have to limit my choices of food and the surgery made the amount I am able to consume of a "normal" nature.  I eat pretty much the same kinds of foods I ate BEFORE my surgery, but LOTS SMALLER AMOUNTS and I get full, not to mention COMPLETELY SATISFIED!  No more Guilt, No more dieting!

I am truly loving my Duodenal Switch Surgery results and I thank my daughter for her courage in having it first and I thank GOD for working out every detail that made it possible for us BOTH to have it. 

HOPE to get to know many of you. Blessings to ya and have a great evening.

Hi Angie! I'm Shelley, a transplanted Washatonian I suppose.  The army brought us here the middle of August and we love it here!  My husband is set to retire in about 2 years and we plan on making this our home for awhile afterward, if not for good. I'm in the early stages of my journey, I have met my surgeon and am now going through the life class and soon the other appointments that follow.  As of right now, I'm 41 and feel like I'm coming apart at the seams.  I have high blood pressure, for the last 2 years, been obese for the past 20, doc says sleep apnea (testing end of month) and now just found out I am a type 2 diabetic.  So far just pills once a day.  Been researching RNY of the past 4 years and now that we have some non moving time and husband is in country, the time feels right and doc agreed.

I love hearing success stories, makes it seem like a realistic dream to know it can be done.  I know this is the tool I need if I want to live instead of just exsisting.  I want to be around to watch my kids (17 and 20) get married and give me grandbabies to play with, and I dont want to play with them from the couch or rocker. Nice to meet you!

 

Hi Shelley, Nice to meet you. You live in a beautiful part of Washington. Where I live, here in Yakima, is mostly a lot of sagebrush and bare mountains..but...IT's HOME and has been MY HOME since I was 14 (41 yrs ago...yikes...THAT was when YOU were born!,...hehe)  It's great that you are researching weight loss surgeries. Do you also belong to the RnY Forum here on the OH web site?  Have you done any research on the Duodenal Switch wls? That is the one I had done and I mean to tell ya...IT IS GREAT....it is not restrictive as the Rny...one of the main reasons I chose it!  My daughter, Darcy and her husband were in Tacoma about 4 years ago and she was planning on the RNY as her choice of wls, but as it turned out, they lost their insurance (husband got out of Army) and they moved back here to Yakima.  She then went on the OH site and found the DS Forum and did such extensive research on the Duodenal Switch and ultimately decided to go THAT ROUTE...boy am I glad she did...WHAT RESULTS and it is very different than the RnY...SHE TELLS HER STORY (in great detail and has LOADS of before and after pictures and TONS of INFORMATION abou the DS on her Profile...here is the link if you are interested-->  http://www.obesityhelp.com/member/darcy/  )   In fact I (the world's biggest skeptic!) was so impressed with everything that I had witnessed with her progress from the BEGINNING to the 6 month mark, that I decided to have the surgery myself and did so FOUR MONTHS LATER (10 mos after she had, had hers) at the age of 53. I am still so extremely happy with it. There is no restrictions like I have read about the Rny. I am not saying that the RnY is not as good as the DS, but I have a friend in my church who had it and we compare notes quite frequently...she talks about a pouch...I have a stomach, she talks about dumping...I have no such thing, she talks about the HUGE LIMITS of food choices that she cannot have...I can eat MOSTLY anything that I ate BEFORE I had my surgery (pasta, white flour products and rice are the only things that cause me problems and then THAT is only an increase in gas...hehe). I don't know if you have made up your mind about having the RnY, but if you are still in the LOOKING-to-make-a-decision-STAGE, you might like to check out the DS Forum on OH and visit with the many people there who have had the same surgery as I have had. THEY have vast amounts of INFORMATION and EXPERIENCES and are a great group to know...it is a much faster-paced Forum than the Washington Forum... here is the link to the DS FORUM  That is, if you are interested--> http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/ds/a,messageboard/board_id ,5357/    Also, here is a link to some information about the Duodenal Switch surgery--->  http://www.duodenalswitch.com/  .  Boy it sounds like I am a Duodenal Switch Advertisement...Please forgive me if I sound as though I am trying to push this DS surgery on you. I guess I just love to SHARE my happiness and excitement about the DS with anyone who will listen..YOU SHOULD SEE ME WHEN I GO SHOPPING...sales clerks who are familiar with me and have seen the change ask me how I did it (134 lbs is VERY NOTICEABLE)! I just tell them and they are shocked. People who watch me eat cannot believe that I have had wls. At my church, the gal I was telling you about who had, had the RnY is in total shock when we have dinners at the church and sees WHAT I am able to eat and the AMOUNT!  I just giggle as I am enjoying my roast beef, mashed potatoes & gravy, corn and choice of drink, while she is nursing her veggie plate (she said meat makes her throw up, all except hamburger). Well, like I said, I don't mean to be a walking...er um...TYPING advertisement for the DS...but IF you HAVEN'T fully decided on the RnY and are still looking at your options, check out the DS site http://www.duodenalswitch.com/   I meant to tell you earlier, when I mentioned my daughter...she had been looking on the OH web site and ended up in the RnY Forum, but some DSers came there periodically and invited her to the DS Forum and gave her information about the DS...THANK GOD, because THAT is how she found the wls that was BEST FOR HER and for me too! Sorry this is long...I just got done with day care (I have a home day care) and sat down at the computer and was so excited to see that someone had answered my post from last night.  Thanks. Have a great evening.

Hi, Angie - Welcome to the Washington board!  I've been on the site a few months, but only recently got involved in the messages boards.  I was so worried that my insurance would disapprove the surgery that I didn't want to get all involved only to be disappointed.  But on 10/18 the insurance company approved my surgery and I'm scheduled for the lap RNY November 27.  (I know you're the poster girl for DS, but I've chosen RNY!)    Sounds like you and your daughter both have done great - you're truly an inspiration to me!  I'm so hopeful that this surgery will be the thing that gets me on that loser's bench and back to a healthy weight! I have a very good friend who lives in Selah so I'm familiar with the Yakima area.  In fact, my husband likes to elk hunt over at Oak Creek in your neck of the woods.  But I'm a western Washington girl myself!  Eastern WA is nice to visit, but I love living on this side of the mountains!     A little about me - I was born and raised in the Tacoma area and currently live in NE Tacoma.  I'll be 51 in a couple days and have 2 grown kids.  My husband has 2 grown kids and 3 grandkids.  We've been married for just over 4 years.  I'm enjoying meeting new friends on the OH site! Take care.... Nancy

Hi Nancy, Thank you for the welcome. It is nice to meet you. Congratulations on your up and coming surgery. I know how excited you are! THIS Thanksgiving, you will surely have lots to be thankful about huh?  November 27th isn't too far away and will go by fast.  Are ya all packed and ready to go? I remember the last couple of weeks before my surgery, I made SURE that I had my favorite LAST MEAL...ok...I had SEVERAL of them...EVERY NIGHT, I either cooked or went out or my daughter cooked!  I never realized HOW MANY "favorites" I had!   I was packed and ready to go for nearly 2 weeks! (I had my surgery out of the country because I had no insurance and was self-pay...I went to Curitiba, Brazil and had Dr. Marchesini as my surgeon...brilliant doctor and OH MY what a difference in the hospitals! The staff treated me like I was a VIP and the hospitals are so extremely CLEAN..."sterile" comes to mind...EVEN THE CORNERS!)

  YOU said to me-->(I know you're the poster girl for DS, but I've chosen RNY!)   <--I'm sorry, Nancy, if I came on a little too thick...I've been known to do this when I get excited about things! Hope I didn't offend you by anything I have written!  You wait GIRLY, you too, will be so excited AFTER your surgery and will hardly be able to contain it. Being HEALTHY "is" the best reason, (I think) for having wls, regardless of the one a person chooses for themselves.  I have never felt healthier than I do now!  AND SO ALIVE AGAIN!  I hope your surgery is EVERYTHING you want it to be! Best wishes. Have a great day. Hope to talk to you again.  P.S. I have to agree with you about Western Washington. It truly is the most beautiful part of Washington. My youngest daughter and her family live over in Blaine, not far from Bellingham. The drive there from here is so beautiful. Though I hate driving the pass, once out of it, I am able to relax and enjoy the scenery. PICTURE PERFECT!  I love that area. So GREEN and Mountains with EVERGREENS!  SO beautiful over there!   I have a sister, brother and mother who all live in Selah. I love Selah. It is like a city within a city! My favorite of all of the outer towns in the Yakima Valley. Well have a great day.

Hi!  I've been here for a while (and Oregon, too) as well as the lap band forum.  I love my band and have no regrets in my choice, either. Lori

Hi Lori, nice to meet you.  Loving our choice of WLS is a very important factor in how it works for us huh? So glad you are loving yours. Vancouver? Beautiful area!  Seems many of the Washatonians on this board are in Western Washington...Over the river and through the woods...and of course through the pass to the most beautiful parts of Washington! Nice to meet you. Have a great day.

Hi Angie,  It's nice to see you here.  I wonder over from time to time too.   Laura

Hi Laura, Nice to see you here too.  I don't know why I never found "here" before. I guess because I have been on the DS Forum for a year and a half and, well, I guess I never thought about venturing out...hehe.