My Weight Loss Surgery Journey!

[jennyanydots85 0]

My weight loss surgery journey started when I had LapBand done in 2004 at the age of 19. I weighed 330 pounds the day of surgery. At 7 months post-op, I had lost down to 215. That is when my problems with the LapBand started! My port was placed right on my waist-line...One day, I was sitting at work and leaned forward and heard and felt a "pop". The button on my jeans had snapped my port in half!!! I had the port replaced at 9 months post-op. That was the end of my weight loss... I had all kinds of problems over the next 9+ years. I couldn't eat if I was wearing a bra (I was a 42H at the time, so I NEVER left the house without a bra on!). One day I could eat ANYTHING, and everything, the next day I could only tolerate liquids. Most days, drinking anything would result in severe nausea. I had horrible GERD/reflux, even on meds, and also had Barrett's Esophagus . Fast forward to 2014....I had a colonoscopy and endoscopy (because of the GERD/reflux and chronic constipation). During the endoscopy, the doctor hit the side of my stomach right where the LapBand was and that caused it to slip. I suffered for over a week barely able to get 1 ounce of liquid an hour down. I averaged, at most, 10-15 ounces of liquid in a 24 hour period. I got my surgeon to agree to take it out, but I had to get to the hospital he works at, 3 hours from home. I borrowed money for gas and my best friend and I hit the road. Once I got to the ER at the hospital, I was SO dehydrated that 4 different nurses tried to get an IV on me and had no luck. They finally got an ultrasound machine and used it to get the IV started. After surgery the next day, I felt like a new woman! I could finally drink without getting nauseated! Even though I was recovering from surgery, I felt better than I had in months...maybe years!!!!! I could finally drink/eat without nausea. With the LapBand out, I wasn't able to stay on track and gained a lot of weight back. My highest recorded weight was 488, but I think I was probably closer to 500. In May 2015, I scheduled an appointment with the local bariatric surgeon in my hometown. After a 6 month waiting period (required by my insurance), I finally had the vertical sleeve gastrectomy on December 15, 2015, just 1 month before my 31st birthday. I was so ready to start losing weight again! After the VSG, my GERD/reflux got SOOOO much worse! I was taking Protonix 40mg 2 times a day and Zantac 300mg 2 times a day and it didn't touch the reflux. I always had Tums and some kind of hard candy with me, because that was the only way I could tolerate the reflux. My surgeon even attempted using Botox injections in my pylorus to stop the reflux. That didn't work, and after much discussion, my surgeon and I decided that the best thing that could be done was to do another surgery to convert to RNY gastric bypass. I was TERRIFIED! I didn't want the malabsorption problems that come with RNY. That is why I had previously chosen the LapBand and VSG. I really didn't have much choice but to have the revision to RNY because it was dangerous for me to continue to reflux because Barrett's Esophagus put you at a higher risk of having esophageal cancer in the future. I had the revision to RNY on February 28th, 2017, 1 month after my 32nd birthday. I am currently 19 months post-op from the VSG and 4 months post-op RNY revision and I have lost a total of 193 pounds! I am thrilled with my progress, but still have a LONG way too go!!!! I would like to lose another 80-100 pounds for a goal weight of around 180-220 pounds (I'm 6 feet tall). I have NO regrets after having WLS, except I just wish I'd had RNY in the first place when I started this journey 13 years ago. I just had my 3 month post-op labs done and they were perfect!!

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[Sherrie Scharbrough 311]

WOW, you sure have went thru some H***. But you have now come thru to the other side. Good for you!! The weight loss is AMAZING but to feel good is the true #1 issue. Congratulations!! KEEP ON KEEPING ON!!

[nana???? 5]

Wow you went through a lot ....I too had my gastric bypass surgery at 2004 was 348 lb went down to 147 in a year ...after i lost the weight.. I have twin girls and one son.. the year is 2017 and I've only gained 55 lb still seeing my doctor and still fighting to cut those pounds down you can do this.... 🙄

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[LetGoJo 27]

All that you went through was hard but also pioneering for others - I am
Happy to hear that things are now working out for yiu