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Surgeon: Dr. Oakley, Bowling Green Ohio Most recent update: November 2004
by Karen: January 23, 2002 I first looked into WLS about ten years ago and at the time wanted to go see Dr. Hess but didn't have the money or good insurance that would pay for it. About three months ago, I started talking to a girl at work who had WLS, and she had lost so much so fast it got me thinking again about WLS. I started checking into it and talking to my PCP she referred me to see a RNY doctor and before I went to see him I had started reading online about the different surgeries and found the DS site. After reading zillions of posts and comparing the surgeries I am for sure going the DS way. I went to see my PCP armed with information printed from online ready to convince her, but she gladly agreed to refer me to Dr. Hess. My initial consult was the end of November with Dr. Hess, and I left his office that day to start my preop testing. My insurance was approved in one month and my surgery date is February 4, 2002, less than two weeks from today. Sometimes I feel it has all happened so fast that I'm still not sure it's real so not scared yet -- give me time. I will be having surgery with Dr. Oakley as Dr. Hess is out of the office all of February and part of March(my original date was March 26). More to come! March 20, 2002: Surgery story I went in the hospital on 2/3 and had the clean out drink and the lovely enema that day and evening. I also had to take two showers with special soap to clean my stomach that day and another shower in the morning before surgery I had a really clean stomach. lol. Wasn't a bad day and after my husband and son spent about two hours there I told them they could go on home. That evening they gave me a sleeping pill which I was very thankful for as I hadn't slept the whole night before coming to the hospital I was pretty nervous about it all. The sleeping pill helped me greatly and I don't remember anything that night. The woke me up around 5:30 the next morning to get my other shower and so they could get me ready to go to surgery. My Mom and husband got to the hospital around 6:30 and we visited until they came to get me at 7. I wasn't nervous at this point and was just ready to get the show on the road. They wheeled me down the hall and I kissed my Mom and husband off I went. I get in the room and all I remember was a lot of activity and seemed as everybody knew what they were doing so it made me feel really comfortable with my decision. I do remember them poking me for my epidural but don't remember any pain and really it is all a huge blank after that. I WAS OUT. Waking up in recovery all I can remember is them trying to get me to move onto my bed and them saying what a great job I was doing and I wasn't going to need a lot of help if I was moving that good already. They got me to my room and all I remember is my Mom and husband and later that day I remember seeing my Aunt also. I slept pretty much that whole day on and off and don't remember any pain to speak of at all. That evening they came and helped me out of bed (at my request) I think I would've walked also but they told me for the first night just getting up was good. I was only allowed ice chips until I passed gas and that happened two days after surgery and than I got some lovely hot tea and jello and broth mmmmmmmmmmm yummy lol actually it was a nice change from those ice chips and I wasn't hungry at all being in the hospital. I had great care from all the nurses and they really impressed me with how great they were. The only annoyance I had that week was the itching I got from the epidural they had to keep giving me shots for my itching. They finally turned down the epidural and the itching wasn't as bad than. I just figured if I had the choice between itching and pain than itching wasn't all too bad. On Friday five days after surgery they came and took me for the leak test it was nice being rolled around the hospital a nice change of scenery I thought. Everything was fine so they took out the epidural and the catheter that day. I felt very free and happy about that. They covered up everything with plastic and let me take a shower that day and it felt great, showers always make me feel better when I'm sick or not feeling good. I came home exactly seven days after I was admitted and it was uneventful. I did have some great broth from some homemade chicken noodle soup my husband had made for me and it was the best thing I had ever tasted at that moment. Recovery at home was not bad. I took pain pills the first couple days just thinking I needed them but found when I didn't take them I didn't have any pain to speak of so I quit taking them. The first three weeks my doctor (Dr. Oakley) puts you on a total liquid diet and that was hard for me. I was nauseous all the time and I grew to hate ALL BROTH AND JELLOS but I tried my best to drink drink drink so I wouldn't end up dehydrated. I went back the following week to the doctors and got my staples out and a prescription for Compazine for the nausea. I found the Compazine knocked me out and I slept more but at least when I was sleeping I wasn't nauseous anymore. After the third week I started eating soft foods with an egg being my first real food and it went down and I had no problems. I did find I am lactose intolerant now and hope that changes in time for me. The hardest thing for me in these weeks of trial and error on what I should eat and not eat is learning I CAN'T EAT A LOT ANYMORE. It’ s just amazing to me to have four bites of something and be full already. I find that to be a big adjustment for me. I will have a bite on my fork and just know to put it down as that will be the one that pushes me over the limit of what my stomach can take. I never took any of my vitamins the first month as I was too nauseous but have been faithful since starting on them two and a half weeks ago and haven't missed any yet. I now find if I eat a little bit to start and than wait for a while I am able to eat a little bit more. I also find I eat only small amounts but every two hours I feel like eating again. I think I am doing good with my protein getting about 50 to 60 grams a day which I hope to increase as time goes by. I am very happy I chose the DS surgery as I know with how hard it is to have small amounts that I would have been very unhappy with a pouch eating a tablespoon of mushy food at a time. I had this surgery so at some point food will not be an issue for me and I will be eating normally for the first time in my life without the worry I will gain gain gain. I have had a few cookies since surgery and also small bites of birthday cake and that is great to me that I can, but I am focusing on getting my proteins in first and keeping up with my liquid intake (right now find sugar free koolaid to me my drink of choice). I do try and drink water but it seems to still sit very heavy in my stomach and the SF Kool-Aid does not fill me like that. I am down 36 pounds now and I am very happy about that and anxious to lose more and more with time and to see where this journey is going to take me. Update September 30, 2002 Well I'm almost 8 months out and today I reached the great Century Club minus 100 pounds woohoo My post op experience has been pretty uneventful with just a few minor annoyances. I had a couple of dizzy spells and passing out starting last May which my surgeon says is due to losing so much weight and loss of blood volume. I've had many tests concerning this and all come back fine. My blood work is also fine at 3 months and 6 month checks. About a month ago I had a problem with my fingernails starting to lift up from the nail bed so I went to my primary doctor and once again she checked my blood work and all was fine so she suggested taking Biotin for the nail problem and within a week or two they are fine again, maybe a bit weaker but least they are not lifting. So I have to say I'm very happy with my surgery and having it done I can walk easier with no pain in my knees each day and no swelling in my ankles. My sleep apnea is gone and I generally feel really great. I feel I still have quite a bit of time in my weight loss window so I'm hoping to get below 200 and it can't come soon enough for me but even at this weight I'm much more healthier and feel so much better. Hopefully at my year update I will be at or below 200. I know my weight loss has slowed down starting in my 6 month post op but that is fine I pretty much eat everything I want but after all the protein there is less room for all the carbs I love and I still find it amazing that I don't even want the breads/carbs as much as I used to. I did just start supplementing my protein with a protein shake once or twice a day depending on what I have ate during the day and it seems to have helped my weight loss move along once more. I generally get between 70 and 90 grams of protein a day. I'm religious about taking my vitamins and calcium supplements and so far as I said my blood work has all been fine.
I have lost since last December another 40 pounds, so there is definitely hope for those thinking at 2 years out from surgery you quit losing. My only concerns now are making sure I get in all of my vitamin supplements and taking protein drinks when I know I haven't ate enough during the day. I do the best I can on getting all my protein from food though. I'm very happy I had my surgery and am now able to get on the floor and play with my grandkids and go do things with them all the things I avoided when I was heavy, things I missed with my own kids because of my weight. I'm very thankful that I had the opportunity to get this chance at a second life. |
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My weight today is 150. I'm down 182 pounds since surgery, and of course I'm feeling great.