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Surgeon: Dr Eduardo Gonzales, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Surgery Date: September 11, 2001
Pre-op weight/BMI: 368/54
Current weight/BMI: 186-196/28 (as of 9/11/03)

Most recent update: September 11, 2003

by Judy:

My story:
I was overweight…yes ‘chubby’ all my life. Pretty active as a child…playing outside, running, softball, gymnastics. Then after school came a more or less sedentary lifestyle. The pounds started to inch their way upwards. When I got pregnant with my daughter, I was 21yrs old and 220lbs. In total I gained to 275 lbs and lost all but 20 of that before I left the hospital after giving birth. Within the next few months, I regained all that weight…right back up to the 275lbs! And I sat there for quite some time. It seemed that my body was very comfortable here. Then life’s circumstances saw me gaining weight and losing weight. I would quit smoking, and gain some, start smoking and keep some, get on a diet, lose some, come off the diet, gain some. Can you say yo-yo?

The best diet I did was Nutri-System. I lost down to 250lbs and was feeling so great. When I came off of their food, I stuck to a diet and tried to exercise. But, the weight just kept coming back on…more and more and more. Then depression sets in because I am a failure. I can’t maintain my weight loss. I am in nursing school at this time, and also a single parent…so stress is relatively high. I gain up to 335. I have trouble sitting in some of the desks at school, or in the cafeteria.

In the past year, a very good friend of mine disclosed that she wanted to have gastric bypass. She was about the same amount overweight as I was…and quite frankly, I was shocked. I tried to talk her out of it…Saying things like “That is such a drastic move”, “you wont ever be able to eat normal again” “surgery is so risky for you”. (ok, so I have since repented). Luckily, she did not listen to me. Well, if she was going to go thru with this, I was going to investigate it with her! She was not going to do something risky if I had anything to do about it! Thus started my research on WLS. The more I discovered, the more I realized that this was for me too! That I was *not* a failure, that I needed a surgical cure for my disease of morbid obesity.

The research that I did, covered about 6mths of diligent research, made it clear to me that the Duodenal Switch was the procedure I wanted to have. I investigated a surgeon in my area, and couldn’t believe the fortune of having one so close by that did this procedure. My insurance company approved me without delay and I had a surgery date of Sept. 11, 2001!

A week before surgery, I wasn’t feeling good at work, so I took my blood pressure. I had always ran 120’s/70’s. Well today I was 168/96!! My legs were swollen and my ankles. I kept saying…please just let me hang in there another week!! My comorbidities were just asthma, back pain, knee pain, stress incontinence….but, I firmly believe I was on the brink of serious problems. Oh….and as for my best friend? The one who wanted the surgery in the first place? Her insurance denied her and she is STILL morbidly obese and still trying to find a solution! Damned insurance companies!

9/11…a day that will go down in history….not for my DS surgery, but for the Terrorist attacks on that date. It took me almost 2 weeks before I pieced together the time line of events that I missed that day. I did hear about a plane crashing into the World Trade Center while I was in the holding area, but I just put on my headphones, put on Enya, and told the nurse to give me some good drugs. I didn’t want to be influenced by upsetting or bad news, so I just tried to tune it all out.

I was in the hospital for 6 days. Had a relatively uneventful stay. No leaks, no problems. Came home and took a walk around the neighborhood first thing. It felt so good to be out and about. Then….I discovered I couldn’t drink water. It hurt! I would get a pain in the middle of my chest and it would hurt until I threw up. I could drink other things, but water was not going to happen. Food was no longer a comfort. I found no joy in eating, and it was depressing. I was mourning my friend, food. Two weeks later, I we readmitted to the hospital for what turned out to be dehydration. With a slight fever and a ‘hot belly’, I thought for sure it was a leak or abcess. But everything checked out ok, and after a few liters of fluid I went back home.

I affectionately call that first month, my ‘month from hell’. I had very little pain, but I was having a hard time with my ‘head’. Learning how to eat slow, how to breathe while eating, how not to overeat. My mind wanted one thing, but my body said “no way Jose’. The second month went by a bit better. I am starting to gain some strength, but still not able to get a protein supplement that I can stomach without gagging. I am finally getting my vitamins in now.

Week 8, I attempted to go back to work today….not a good thing. Came out of the shower and dry heaved, became shaky and nauseated. Called in to work and said, mark me out one more week…ugh. I just wasn’t ready. I had ordered some samples of protein from VitaLady (oh thank you Vitalady!!!) and actually found some that I liked!!!

Week 9 and I start back to work!! Yea!! I am getting in my vitamins, my protein and life is good! I feel great, more energy and everyone is commenting on how good I look. It makes me feel great too!

3 months out and my labs look great. My protein is a tad bit low but better than when I was readmitted. Being I hardly had any protein supplements my first 7weeks, this is not bad. Everything else looks good!

6 months: Well, here I am. 6mths post op and I am down 106lbs. And Ive survived a long plateau! woohooo! I feel great. Much better than 6mths ago. I can't believe some of the things I am able to do now. Sit in a movie theatre comfortably is the biggest change. (I love movies!) The plateau was a bit interesting. Actually, I gained 8 lbs and then lost them again over the past month so it came out even. I think it may have been water retention. I tried not to let it mess with my head too much. Thank goodness for other post op patients that have paved the way for me so I can realize that this is normal and it too shall pass. My eating capacity has gotten better. I can sometimes eat a whole sandwich without the crust. I still have an issue with bread and pasta. They just seem to take up too much room. My labs are all good too. PTH is a bit high, but Calcium and D are fine. Protein maintains slightly low. Seems like my hair has slowed down falling out too! I did get it cut though. Getting used to it being short.

8 months: Ok....what I would like to know is....What is up with this mental block I have against exercise??? I see where so many others say how much more energy they have and how much they aer doing and I just can't seem to get started. I used to be a very active person just a few years ago, so working out and being active are not something I do not know how to do. I don't get it. Hopefully in my next update I will have better news to pass along in this department. I am now 128lbs down! And it is warm and it feels so good to be able to wear clothes and not feel so sweaty and fat. I know I know...I used the 'f' word...but hey...Im allowed. At 240lbs I am still fat! My hair has bout stopped falling out. We must have a ton of hair cause I surely should be bald with all that I have lost, but noone else notices. Oh...another thing that I hardly ever see mentioned is being 'cold intolerant'. I am sooooo cold natured now and I never was before. I bring a jacket with me everywhere! My eating capacity is doing great now. i can basically eat about 1/2 of a full dinner plate. I get veggies in now too. Life is good!

ONE Year! 9/11/02:
Wow, yes, it is here! One year since surgery. I cant believe how fast time flows by. So much has changed in my life, and I’m not just talking about sizes...lol. Although, I have gone from a 30-32 to a 14-16. I surely cannot believe it. My extra skin is starting to bother me a bit, especially since I have a new man in my life. <eg> Mostly my belly and my thighs bother me the most, but look! Here comes winter.....lets hear it for long pants and long sleeves!! woohooo! Doesnt help much in bed, but hey....there is always the light switch!

Anyway, back to the 'other' changes. As a very good friend of mine would say: "Where is your head at". Right now, my head is probably the clearest it has ever been in my life. I have survived the mourning period of my best friend, food. I have discovered that I am not a bad person, I have feelings, I can hurt, I can love, I can trust. The fat wall is down and I am free.....vulnerable, but free. I have reached the point to where I can accept attention from those that would never have when I was heavy without resentment for their shortcomings. I have come to a peaceful acceptance of myself for who I am. I am not perfect, but I am not the failure that I believed myself to be either. Fat not only insulated me from the outside world in so many respects, but it also insulated the world from me. It was an easy excuse not to face many of lifes conflicts or responsibilities.

After one year, you would think that my journey is about over, but instead I feel that it has just begun. I cant even imagine what the next year may bring. My wish is for good health, happiness, and to experience things I have never done before. I am thankful for my surgeon, whose gifted skills gave me a path to walk, to my sister for her undying loyalty and friendship, to my daughter for her support and for being the best daughter one could ask for. I am thankful that I have gotten the opportunity to walk this path while others fight for it. Please dont ever give up your fight! It is oh so worth it!

As far as my post-op care, labs have been good, I have a set pending now, exercise is still not happening on a regular basis, vitamins are getting in and protein supps need to go up still a bit. I can eat anything, except the lactose intolerance is still there to a degree. My favorite foods are steak and shrimp. I am still classified as 'obese' but after 5 more pounds, I will just be 'overweight'. I think I will cry. Until then..........

Two Years: 9/11/03

Well, another year has passed. Physically I am still doing great. Labs are maintaining with protein levels still hovering on the low side. I must admit, protein supplements are not a regular thing for me, but I do eat a lot of protein. Vitamins are consistantly going in and my yearly labs show everything is ok except am going to increase my zinc and iron due to low range results there. Total cholesterol is 85! lol. BP runs on average 96/63. And I suppose the best news here is that exercise has found a way into my life.....via a new beau. He is a gym rat, so he inspires me. Actually, I must admit Ive always had the mind set to exercise...just never the motivation or determination or was it discipline? Probably a combination of all the above, but now I do cardio and resistance training 3-4times a week. I feel so much better. Weight has stayed within a 10lb range for the past 4mths or so..186-196. Classed as "Overweight" with a BMI of 28.

Again, my major problem seems to involve my brain. Ive suffered with body image problems more this past year. Seems the smaller you get, the more wrinkled you get, and the more 'flabby' you look. I was always a pretty solid person and this flabby, shaky skin really gets me in a funk sometimes. I still use food as an emotional crutch, and I still find myself binging at times. Its a good thing this surgery backs me up some, but I do think I am going to investigate Overeaters Anonymous to see if they have something to offer me.

My plans for this upcoming year are to continue exercising and to get some plastic surgery done on this skin. Those are my personal goals for right now. Will keep ya posted *wink*

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