tashamitchell06

May 6th, 2016
 
Prior to my weight loss surgery (WLS), I took a year or two debating about whether or not I should have the surgery. I kept thinking “I'm young, I don't have any health conditions, I should be able to naturally loose this weight if I worked hard at it”. Problem was, it was my willpower preventing me from succeeding. I subconsciously knew that I needed to loose weight BEFORE I started having health complications related to obesity. I was making minor lifestyle changes such as limiting my pop intake to maybe once a month, incorporating salads into meals once a week, limiting my fast food intake to once a week (not aways successful), and quitting smoking. I also began playing rugby again! This was over a course of 2 years. Despite my efforts, I continued to gain weight. I started having trouble at work physically helping patients. For instance, kneeling on the floor and getting back up, I found myself needing to take a rest break. Once I started getting close to 300 pounds, that’s when I really started looking into WLS. I did hundreds of hours of research on people who underwent various WLS, blogs, and read multiple scholarly articles to determine the success-fulness of each surgery. For whatever reason, something clicked in my mind and I finally scheduled an appointment with True Results. I had multiple coworkers recommend them to me and my insurance required 4 visits over a period of 4 months before WLS.
 
I started my visits and had the opportunity to meet with somebody who has been through WLS, a nutritionist, psychologist (mental health evaluation for insurance), and of course the doctor. During this time I was able to determine the WLS that would work best for me. I knew the lap band was not drastic enough, but yet I didn't think I needed to get something as severe as the gastric bypass. So I ended up deciding upon the vertical sleeve gastrectomy. In simple terms, they cut out 80-90% of a persons stomach, thus limiting the quantity of food a person can eat in one sitting.
 
Luckily for me, I really did not need to loose a significant amount of weight before surgery. Other insurance companies require the patient to loose a set amount of weight to show that they are serious about weight loss and show compliance. I ended up loosing 3-4 pounds over the course of the 4 months. During that time, I had to go to my PCP to get medical clearance for surgery, put together a 6 year history of weight loss attempts, and a letter pleading my case. These were all requirements for my insurance company. This was all submitted to my insurance company for approval along with all of the information obtained from my True Results appointments. True Results were the ones who organized everything, told me what to do, and submitted the information.
 
After insurance approval, I had to meet with the surgeon for a pre-op visit and then have a EGD completed before surgery. The EGD was completed to take a look at my stomach and to see if I had any issues (I had a hernia). This allowed the surgeon to plan extra time to fix my hernia during surgery. Matter of fact, the EGD was so quick and painless that I ended up going to an ACDC concert that night.
 
Thus begins my pre-op diet 2 weeks before surgery. I was allowed to have 4 ounces of lean meat (chicken, fish, etc), 1 cup of vegetables, 1 cup of fruit, protein shakes, and very limited fats, carbs, and sugars. I lost 12 pounds in this 2 week period. This was to help prepare your body for surgery by reducing the size of your liver. I will admit that I was not always compliant with the pre-op diet. I had one McDonalds cheeseburger 2 days before surgery. It was my food funeral, knowing I wouldn't be able to eat one for a few months. During my pre-op diet, I would sneak bites here and there of things that I shouldn't be having. I then began having self doubts. “Hell, if I can't stick to a pre-op diet for two weeks, how am I going to behave for the rest of my life?” “Am I always going to cheat myself and sneak in special treats when nobody is looking?” “I'm a failure for not being able to stick to a simple diet for 2 weeks.” These were all very cruel thoughts bouncing around in my head during those two weeks. But deep down I knew I had to suppress those wicked thoughts and keep trudging through until my surgery date.
 
During this process leading up to my surgery, I decided that I would tell coworkers and family about my decision to have WLS. I knew I will need the extra support and encouragement to help me cope with this new life. The news spread like wildfire! People came out of the woodwork and told me about their weight loss surgery, such as my boss. Or people would say how happy they are for me! But of course, there are those who said I'm too young to have WLS and I just need to try harder. Those were the people I attempted to avoid discussing my WLS from that point forward. There will ALWAYS be plenty of people who want to give you their opinion, even if you didn't ask for it whether positive or negative. You will ALWAYS have a friend who knows somebody who had WLS and ended up gaining all their weight back or having surgery complications. I decided to keep my supporters closer to me. As for my family, my mother is a lifelong dieter. A person who will lose 30 pounds but gain it all back within a matter of months. She would have preferred me not to have surgery, 'try harder', and diet. But she knew I researched everything very well and knew I needed to make a change. She was willing to support me 100% of the way (which I was not expecting). As for my boyfriend Otis, he began making healthier decisions along with me. We both knew that if he didn't support my decision and my new changes, our relationship would fail. He has made many sacrifices and supports me with my endeavor.
 
SURGERY TIME!!! I was very nervous before my surgery. But it went a lot quicker than imagined. The recovery process the 24 hours after surgery was nothing I experienced before in regards to pain. (Please keep in mind that I have never given birth, which is a whole other level of pain). The surgeon has to inflate your abdomen during surgery in order to get a clear view of your stomach. The gas pressure afterwards was almost next to unbearable. I was on heavy medications and was encouraged to get up and walk often, which helped decrease the pain (along with a lot of vivid cursing words). lol Because of my insurance, I was able to spend the night in the hospital. I would NEVER advise anybody to go home the day of surgery. My boss had the same surgery as I did, went home the day of surgery, and went to the ER twice due to pain. Thank God I had pain medications and very tolerant nurses! The next morning after surgery, I had to complete a modified barium swallow test to ensure I didn't have any 'leaks' along my staple line in my stomach. The taste was horrible, but the results were good. I could now finally start drinking clear liquids and discharge from the hospital.
 
The first week at home was a little bit rough. I didn't have a lot of pain at the incision sites nor stomach pain, but I did have referred pain in my neck for a few days. I'm glad I had a heating pad and was prescribed Tylenol with codeine to help with the pain. I did have a little bit of nausea as well, but I had a sub lingual pill that worked very quickly. In addition, I really did not have a lot of energy the first week or two after surgery. I slept in every day and took 3 hours naps as well. I also tried to go for a daily 10-15 min walk. I was so exhausted after my first shower that I did not have a chance to brush my hair. I went directly to bed and took a 3 hour nap. Lol
 
However, my energy did improve over time. The first week after surgery was clear liquids, second week was thick liquids. It was very difficult at this time to distinguish head hunger and actual hunger. When Otis would leave his food in front of me and go into the bathroom, I would lick it. I don't know if this was out of spite or because I wanted a taste of real food. By the time I approached my third and forth weeks (puree foods), I had a lot more energy. I was able to go on a fast paced 30 min walk each day. When I got to my fifth and sixth weeks of soft foods, I was in Hawaii hiking, swimming, snorkeling, etc. Whenever I was switching phases of food, I would only try one new food each day. My stomach told my very quickly when I was full, and I better not dare fit in that last bite on the plate. Now, I'm able to tell very easily when I'm getting full. I'm only able to fit about 3 ounces of solid food (most of which is protein). No drinking 15 minutes before a meal and 30 minutes afterwards. This ensures you have plenty of room in your stomach to meet your protein needs and helps to not 'wash' it out of your stomach too soon. I also noticed that some foods are considered 'sliders'. Meaning, I'm able to eat 6 ounces of yogurt (in 30 min) and not have any issues (popcorn and ice cream too). Despite my limited quantity of intake, I only feel actual hunger pain 1-2 times each week. To be honest, I actually forget to eat sometimes (causing a problem with meeting my recommendations). My surgeon recommended 64 oz of fluid each day, and at least 60 ounces of protein. I still rely on 30 ounces of protein via shakes, powder, and/or drinks. Which is good because that also counts towards my fluid intake. In addition, I am required to take vitamin supplements for the rest of my life. I knew I needed to anyways regardless of the WLS.
 
As of now, I only work out once a week by going to rugby practice. To be honest, I really hate exercising, let alone driving 30 min just to get to a gym. Even if I wanted to work out, I believe my intake of 700 calories is not sufficient enough. By now I should be at the recommended 1200 calories each day. Perhaps, one day each week I meet that amount and that’s with poor eating choices. Otherwise, with approximately 700 calories, I meet my protein and fluid intake and find that I can have a fun size laffy taffy after a hard day at work. The laffy taffy is now my after work glass of wine. Lol I'm not suppose to drink alcohol for a few more months. Even if I tried, I believe my stomach would become very upset. I took liquid Tylenol for a cold, and the 6% alcohol in it made me nauseous. In addition, I will not be able to consume any carbonated drinks for a long time. The carbonation increases gas in your stomach causing great discomfort. Eventually I'll be able to tolerate a carbonated drink from time to time.
 
Whats different compared before surgery is the quantity of food I am able to consume in one sitting. I still find myself lamenting over not having a BIG steak with garlic bread. I have even attempted to eat more than I should which results in extreme stomach discomfort and the food feels like its in my throat. Ekk! I learned very quickly and was 'forced' to be compliant with my restrictions! I also make sure that I now chew my food very thoroughly. It helps with the digestion process but I can also savor the flavors a bit longer as well. :) Now that I can only have limited quantities, you bet your ass I'm having the few bites of the steak that are the best! At 9 weeks post-op, I can eat anything that I use too. But that does not mean I should. I find with having this surgery, not only am I physically forced to eat limited quantities, but mentally I find my willpower very strong. After going through everything above, I feel more willing to try harder to be compliant with the types of food I should be eating. In addition, when you are only able to eat a limited quantity and still manage to meet your requirements, you have to be precise with what you choose to eat.
 
I have lost a total of 53 pounds as of 8 weeks post op. I rarely weight myself as I don't want to be over obsessed with pounds but rather obtaining a new and healthier body. Every time I look in a mirror, I still can't believe the changes WLS had on my body. I don't have back folds anymore, I have more of a waist line, and my face is looking thin. I'm able to perform at work much better than before and not feel exhausted with the simplest of tasks. I've noticed an increase in confidence as my old 2-3 XL clothes don't fit anymore and I'm back to XL clothes that I've been staring at the past few years unable to wear. Until now! :) I'm CONSTANTLY having a mass flood of compliments on how good I look from friends, coworkers, and family.
 
Would I do all of this again? In a heartbeat!