Forensikchic

I thought I would blog my journey so others could know what I went through and maybe it will be helpful to someone. Background info: I am 5'4" tall and 43 years old. I was sort of thick in high school. Not fat really but my thighs were a little heavy and I wore a size 9 to 11 jeans. I remember this well. I was a cheerleader and was the biggest one. In college, I lost a lot of weight because I was the mascot of my college and it is really hot in the suit! I was a size 5 then, for about 2 years or so. I joined the army and gained a little weight. I was back in a 9 or 11 for the next couple years. Then I got married and got pregnant. That was the beginning of the end. I gained 80 pounds with him and he was premature! I never lost all the weight. I was 210pounds when he was born. I got back to 175 and stayed there for a year. Then my second pregancy.... gained back to 210 and lost only to 190 the next year. I joined weight watchers in 1995 for the first time. It was an at work program. I lost 12 pounds over the summer and continued to loose til I got to 163. I thought I was done with weight watchers and quit. I was a perfect size 12 for two or three years (continuinig to go to WW later on). I was pretty happy with that. Then came my daughter. I gained back to 215. I lost some of that after her birth but was hovering around 200 for a year or so. I did WW again to try to loose the weight. I got a divorce soon after she was born and I managed to loose back to 170 but that is as far as I got. Then, I slowly gained and was in the 180's for several years. I did WW again and I lost 20 pounds or so and got back to 170. I did this 170 to 190 and back again about 3 more times in 5 years. In 2007, I met my husband and I weighed 170, still at weight watchers. We married in September and you guessed it, back to 190 before the wedding and had to get my dress let out! I felt very frustrated. We wanted to have children so I had a tubal reversal in December of 2007. I took a lot of hormones trying to conceive. I balooned up to 220. I tried WW again and lost 10 or 12 pounds. I couldnt seem to get under 200. Then I had a job transfer and moved all the way to Texas from Alabama. It was a huge stresser on our family to move from a house to an apartment. Nobody was happy about the move. My kids were mad and I couldnt sell our house. It took 9 months and we finally did sell it and buy a nice home here. During all of this, I gained to 235. My highest weight. My husband was not "particularly attracted" to me anymore and it left me in the worse depression I have ever experienced. He was heavy too and so I pointed that out and we both did WW for 6 months or so. He reached his goal in that time, loosing 60 pounds and I lost down to 210. I was depressed because it was just falling off of him and I was eating much less and not loosing very much at all. I gained it all back. We planned a trip to Brazil to see my exchange student get married. I had 6 months to loose some weight. I considered wls then in fall of 2010. I felt I could do the supervised diet and then have surgery when I returned in March. I did the diet and took the HCG and B12 shots every week until we left. I lost 20 pounds. I weighed about 215 when we left. I returned two weeks later at 230. I consulted a surgeon about wls again and I didnt like the staff at that Dr.s office. The medical assistants as they are called could not even spell and could not hold an intelligent conversation so I didnt feel I was in good hands. I gave up on that in May 2011. My husband got a new teaching job in July, his first since being in Texas! We were changing insurance in August. So July 29th, I decided to see if Humana was going to cover wls and what type of diet and stuff was I going to have to do to get it done. I saw that the surgeon my friend recommended to me was having a seminar the next day (Saturday, July 30th) and so I signed up. My husband and I went. We met nice people and I decided I wanted the sleeve. Its the same one I decided on the year before, but didnt follow through on. I made an appointment for Monday, August 1. Humana didnt cover the sleeve unless you have a bmi of 50 and mine was 40.2 so we were going to be self pay. We decided to get it over with before school started and scheduled the surgery for the NEXT Monday at 8 am. Wow! I had a date already! I went on a one week preop diet and lost 9 pounds. I was 225 when I had the surgery. I went back to work the following Monday. I was just weak and tired but not much pain or anything. I had a little trouble getting in the required fluids. Next chapter-- At the begining of my third week post op I developed a kidney stone because I was dehydrated. I was hospitalized for 5 days and had another surgery on my kidney to place a stent. I gained a lot of weight from the fluid they gave me. I got the stent removed last Wednesday and I am finally, at 5 weeks out, starting to feel like my old self again. I started walking this week and doing a little weight training. To date... I have lost 27 pounds. I weighed 206.9 this morning. Thats lower than I have been since the trying to conceive days about 3 or 4 years ago. I am doing better about drinking but have not reached 64 oz on any day yet. So in Summary: I have been a yo-yo dieter for 20 years and havent been under 170 in about 14 years. I want to be my college weight of about 135 pounds, a size 6. I could stand to be 125 but that is getting a little thin for my build. It has been forever but I at least have a reference point. I can visualize that but I still have a hard time believing that any thing will work to get me there. I am scared to believe that this is finally it for me! I hope I can do this and maintain it for my lifetime. At my highest weight, my feet and back ached all the time, I cant tie my shoes right. It hurts to lean over. I am miserably tired and have no energy to do anything. I starting thinking in terms of how far do I have to walk and are there any hills to climb before I would decide If I wanted to go to the zoo or any activity with my family. I was not living. I was slowly dying. I had to make a change for good. I am sorry this story is so long but I wanted to get it all out there. The truth, the facts... my story.

I am a certified firearms/toolmarks examiner. I testify whether or not the bullet or cartridge case was fired in a particular weapon... etc.... blah blah blah... lol. And yes, Its JUST like on CSI! NOT!! Its more like what you see on Forensic Files. That show and the New Detectives are true to life.

I just dont know what to think... Maybe nobody really knows what causes them?? My surgeon said it wasnt a side effect of the sleeve. They see it more in bypass. But Urologist, who did my kidney surgery said he sees it all the time with wls patients of all kinds and said I would be prone to them now that I have had one and because I am a wls patient. My pcp told me about the citrate and not to have it anymore. He was saying something about this binding to that etc.. No to sodas because of the phosphorous. Yes to lemonade cause it binds to the citrate and carries it out so it doesnt make a stone. Something like that. I was just passing the info on... I dont know who to believe anymore.. I guess we are just sitting ducks! What will be will be no matter what we try to do.

After four days of pain worse than natural childbirth, a surgery to place a stent in my kidney and its very painful removal plus lithotripsy only two weeks after being sleeved.... I will do what my pcp says and just take a few tums or viactiv. It doesnt absorb as well but that doesnt mean it doesnt absorb at all, plus I dont want to make any more kidney stones! He wasnt talking about the general public... just people who have had or are at risk to have them. My urologist said people who have wls tend to get them often from not drinking enough.. so keep drinking!!! Bottoms up!

My husband is 6'2" tall and weighs 212. I just passed him last week at 206.5! I was so thrilled! He wasnt that happy I dont think. He keeps weighing and saying...I was 209 last night... I said you are probably getting your period....LOL. He was not so amused. He wanted me to set this feat as my first goal and then worked as hard as he could to loose so I wouldnt catch him! I was so mad about this it made victory that much sweeter! He wont catch me now! No way.

BRAVO!!!!! I am so proud of you for doing something good for yourself! You will be so glad you did. I am happy you have a good supportive husband who will help out. Congratulations on your new life!

Thats so funny! Congrats on being a small lump! You are doing great!

They sell chicken livers at KFC in the southern states, especially Mississippi and Alabama, where I am originally from. I have not tried here in San Antonio. I love them and gizzards too! You could only hold one or two anyway so I dont think it would hurt to have them occassionally.

I had similar stresses with money, etc. I went ahead with mine and I am glad I did. There is never gonig to be a perfect time to have it. Something will always come up that will take precedence over us! Thats why we are fat. We are always taking care of other people and not ourselves. I understand all the drama but at some point you are going to have to say, I am just as important as everyone else and my health comes first. You have to love yourself before you can love others. Not doing what you need to do for you is crying out that you are still putting everyone else first. Things will work themselves out! They always do. Go through with it and in no time you will be recovered and be a good mom for your soon to be foster son.

I had surgery on Monday and was home Wednesday. I went back to work on Monday. I was tired but I sit at a desk too and I did okay. It wasnt easy the first few days but it wasnt due to pain, just very tired. I took it easy at work and that was helpful. I was back to my old self workwise by the end of the week. You can do this, as long as you dont have complicatons and you sip, sip, sip!

Sorry guys, I just found the thread.... I weight everyday so I know what I weighed saturday. My starting weight was 234, I was 225 at day of surgery and on Saturday I was 209. 25lbs so far! I have lost a couple this week already too so I am happy. I will check back in on Saturday.

Yes its lactose free.

Its so interesting to me how different everyone's experience is! Some have drains, catheters, some dont. Some have more pain than others. There are so many variables to consider. Its such a unique experience and this thread proves that! I didnt have a catheter but I wasnt up every 5 minutes peeing. I peed when I got up to walk about every couple hours but I slept most of the night and would only go pee when they came and did my vitals or gave me meds. I never vomited at all. I was more sore and kind of zonked at home. I had NO energy at all for the first few days after surgery. Just thought it was neat to hear the different experiences!

One of the reasons is to prevent kidney stones. It can happen if you dont drink enough.. I am living proof of that. I think its dangerous to get dehydrated and because some of us are gulpers, not sippers, its difficult. It was not difficult to swallow but its hard to remember to constantly drink!

Welcome! I am kinda new here too. I started lurking the week before surgery and I have been a regular poster since I had the sleeve on 8/8. I have enjoyed the forums too. We are all in this together and support each other. Everyone has a different tale to tell and their experience is different and we can learn from each other! Congrats on your surgery and good luck to you!

I would like to add that I didnt have a drain or a catheter. My surgeon didnt use a bougie device either and I had no leak test. My surgeon used the scope and checked for leaks during the surgery so no need for a bougie or a test after. Yay me! I was also given a medicine called emend before my surgery to prevent vomiting caused by anesthesia. I havent vomited at all since my surgery. I am careful to stop eating when I feel chest tightness. I hope this helps someone. I could eat 3 oz of lean meat and a nonstarchy vegetable for dinner on my preop...the rest was Protein drinks and clear liquids. Every doctor is different and has different reasons for having different diet plans, etc. Some use a bougie and some dont, etc...

This is my story exactly! I was tired when I went back to work day 8. I didnt stay home on day 9 though but I probably should have. For about 2-3 weeks, I was tired after showering and had to lay down for a minute before getting dressed. I was not staying hydrated like they told me. I got a kidney stone from that. Hospital again for a week but it helped me get hydrated again and I skipped the full liquid week almost entirely! I was still weak for week 4 but it was getting better every day. Now at week 5, I feel almost brand new! I dont have to rest after my shower. I still use a chair to sit and brush my teeth, hair, etc. I dont want to push it. I am feeling so much better now. Just be aware of how important drinking is! This post is the most true to my experience as I have found. I dont think kidney stones are common but I am proof they can happen if you dont drink! Good luck to everyone and just know that this too, shall pass, and soon you will be your old self again, just a lot less of you! I forgot to say that I struggled with head hunger for the weeks I was on liquids but that quieted down after I could eat soft food.

I tried using a straw to get down my protein shake. It was so thick that most of it stayed high in the straw and I didnt get much air. I was ok. I think if you drink thinner liquids you might get a lot of air especially if your drink fast and dont sip. I am only 5 weeks out and I cant gulp or drink more than a sip at a time.

I came in at lunch from a short walk around campus at work. I have to pass through another department to get to my office. As I turned the corner to go through the double doors toward my office, an aquantance called my name. I didnt hear her... she called again and I turned. She screamed "How much weight have you lost!!! you look amazing!" I was startled. I made the same old knee jerk reaction by telling her it was probably because my hair was pulled back that it looked like I had lost a lot of weight. Then I realized, Hey! I have lost 27 pounds so far! I told her it was 27 pounds and she was so excited for me! Then I was excited for me! I dont know why I try to play it off still, like I didnt really accomplish it. I need to get my head out of my butt and realize that I am doing this! This is really happening! Woohooo for people noticing your weight loss! I will take it!

Thanks!

When I was on weight watchers.. I gulped my Water at room temp. I could gulp down a 20 oz bottle a couple times a day no problem. Since I am a gulper and not a constant sipper.. its been sooooooooooooooooooooooo hard to change. I am trying but i find it very difficult to get in the habit of constantly sipping something. I will be so glad when I can take bigger drinks and gulp at least some. I am only 5 weeks out.

Im in the San Antonio area too and I was sleeved August 8th with Dr. Duperier.

I am five weeks out and this is definately hard for me as well. I cant eat anything that has any spice to it because I cant drink! makes me sad. lol. Maybe we will get used to it.