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Surgeon: Dr. Dennis Smith, Marietta, Georgia Most recent update: November 2005
by Susan: I was put on a weight-loss diet when I was 6 years old, with weekly diuretic shots. The shots made me very sick/dizzy though I did lose a lot of water weight. My Mom had to write down every morsel I ate. I remember being so hungry I could not sleep, and sneaking into the kitchen to steal a piece of bread. The weight problem continued throughout my childhood, though I was very active, loved to jump rope and such, but also loved to read all the time and play alone. I remember when I was about 12, I weighed 150. The doctor put me on 1000-calorie diet, but little or no weight was lost and eventually Mom, the doctor, and me gave up. As the years went on, I tried all sorts of diets but always regained any I lost plus more. A year after I was married, Weight Watchers came to our area and I joined (1971). In a little over a year, and extreme effort, I was able to lose down to a size 9/10, 127 lbs., but by eating much less than what they allowed (I still have my WW lifetime membership card.). But to maintain, all I could eat was salads, tuna and boiled eggs. If I ate anything extra, like a dessert, I gained immediately. But being small was an unreal wonderful experience that was never taken for granted, I was on cloud nine all the time. Then I got pregnant and gained 80 lbs. (207). It was not intentional and the doctor had a fit. I actually weighed more as I left the hospital (c-section 1976) 8 days later than I weighed when admitted (good hospital food)! Depression became the norm for me. Over the next year I lost about 20 lbs. of what I gained during pregnancy (187). Keep in mind, though, that my weight has never been "stable". I have always been gaining or losing, never staying the same. I had to have my leg varicose veins stripped due to severe pain that often made walking difficult a couple of years later (1977). Then I got pregnant the second time (c-section 1978) and gained again (210). I went through a severe depression, was put on Prozac. I went to a "diet" doctor who passed out black amphetamines and Pondamin to multiple people at a time, cash basis only, plus gave us shots that he wouldn't tell us what they were. I knew this was nuts, but desperation is a powerful motivator. Though I lost a little (190), the pills made me feel horrible, shaky, and hyper. The "doctor" was put in jail a few months later for his illegal drug pushing, and when the pills stopped the weight returned plus more (230). Over the next few years, I tried diet powder food replacements, Diet Control, Weight Watchers, Atkins, Hollywood Diet, hypnosis, Nutri-system, WeighDown diet, Slim Fast, Vegetable soup diet, Overeaters Anonymous, Richard Simmons Deal a Meal, and so many other "plans" I can't remember them all. Also, over the counter diet pills, which only made me shaky and nervous. I yo-yo'ed for years between 190-230. I started having lots of joint pain, back problems. I was sent to an arthritis specialist, then to an orthopedic surgeon, who told me that the weight was causing the problems, that my back was swayed. I tried again to lose, but the same story-lose a few, gain a few more back. In 1991, I had to have a hysterectomy due to severe bleeding. This seemed to help the back problems for a while so I was optimistic. In 1993, I was swimming in the ocean and a huge wave hit me and my knee popped. I was alone in the deep water, with my sister/husband sitting on the beach. It felt like my leg popped in two and the pain was so bad all I could do was try not to drown. I was repeatedly hit by more waves and pushed under, but was finally able to "wash" inland. I tried to get my family's attention, but they thought I was waving at them to be friendly (geez.), so I had to "wash" all the way up to the shoreline and lay there like a beached whale until they finally figured out something was wrong. I spent the day at the emergency room getting x-rays and they put a supporting thingie with metal bars on it on my leg, which by the way was the largest they had and would only meet about halfway around my leg. We drove the four hours that afternoon back home and I never went back to a doctor about the knee due to embarrassment as I knew the injury was caused by my being overweight and because the brace did not fit. It still pops out of socket now and then if I turn the wrong way. In 1994, I went to The Bariatric Clinic in Greenville, and with the help of Phen/Fen, extremely lowfat diet and a tremendous amount of exercise I lost 80 pounds. Phen/Fen was taken off the market -- I gained the weight back with a few extra, when I stopped the pills. My Mom died. Depression from the loss of my Mom and the weight problem caused me to seek help again with Prozac. By 1995, my back problems had increased to the point that my doctor sent me to a neurosurgeon. He did MRI's and said I had two spinal disks that were ruptured plus multiple spurs. He put me on Prednisone, which helped (but caused more weight gain). Later on down the road, and after trying the Prednisone for several other episodes, it got to the point where the steroid no longer worked. He performed a double spinal fusion (neck area), and spur removal was performed (1996). I was out of work four months, but the pain was relieved finally. Unfortunately, though, the back problems, depression, surgery, immobility before/after surgery resulted in my gaining to around 250. Over the next couple of years, I had several more episodes of back problems, returned to neurosurgeon, was put Predisone for a week and physical therapy was able to reduce the swelling and pain. Also, I received a device from physical therapy at a cost of over $500 that "stretches" the vertebrae to reduce the pressure on the disks, which also helped. My job in the lab, however, was physically demanding requiring lifting heavy fabrics, so problems continued to occur occasionally, where I had to miss work and stay in bed due to the pain. In 1999, I contracted salmonella poisoning and was in the hospital two different times in one month before they found the problem (2 weeks total). A colonoscopy was performed during this time to try to figure out the cause of the severe diarrhea and high fever. Polyps were found and removed. In early 2000, another severe back-pain episode sent me to the emergency room (first time in ER for me, I thought I would have heart failure as the pain was that bad). I had to go to another hospital and neurosurgeon, as my neurosurgeon was "booked up" for a month. My husband had to drive me from Greenville to Greenwood to be seen in ER. More MRI's, another herniated disk. Since I really did not want another spinal fusion if possible, the Dr. gave me another kind of steroid (since Prednisone did not work anymore). This made my immune system conk out and I was very sick with sinus infections and yeast infections, but the back pain improved. No more severe problems since then, fortunately. I am very careful, though, not to strain my back, lying down instead of sitting when watching TV to take the weight off my spine and using back supports in the car and at work when sitting. Unfortunately, the steroids added more weight. Depression added more weight. My daughter ran away from home; depression added more weight. My cholesterol skyrocketed as a result of the Atkins diet and my weight, resulting in my doctor putting me on Lipitor. I asked my doctor to let me try Meridia, but it had no effect on me at all. This March my husband and I took our first cruise, which a once in a lifetime trip, to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary. It was a two-week cruise to the Panama Canal and five other ports. The walking involved was so hard on my obese body that my feet swelled to the point that I could barely walk and none of my shoes would even begin to fit on my feet until after four days on diuretics after I got home. There were places that required climbing that I could not go at all. I had to return to the ship when docked at Key West as I could not walk at all anymore, but fortunately this was our last port. I also had to see the ship doctor due to painful hemorrhoids, which were aggravated by my excess weight. It was a wonderful trip, but the pain caused by my weight problems definitely clouded the experience. I was ashamed to wear a swimsuit and the photos of me during the cruise are horrific. I feel I am out of options. I am up to 300 lbs. now. I have a horrible time falling to sleep, as it usually takes hours. I have acid reflux. I experience shooting leg pains when I lie down and I feel like there is a heavy weight on my chest. I still have constant diarrhea; the only time it was relieved was when I ate nothing but meat/fats (while on the Atkins diet), but have l learned to live with it. I have zero self-esteem and have to force myself to go out of the house, to find a "tent" to wear to work and be seen in public. My husband does not have a clue how much I weigh or how much this hurts. He is wonderful to me. My sister and brother are both diabetic and I know it is only a matter of time before it gets me too. My grandmother/mother/sister all had breast cancer; I know weight increases this risk also. Sometimes I go through depression where I sleep for the whole weekend, day and night, in spite of the Prozac. Urinary incontinence is a problem, as is normal hygiene. My feet hurt all the time. My BMI is 46, I am 5'8" and fluctuate between 294-300 lbs at the moment (I seem to gain a pound or two every few months now). I have no more money to be spent on all of these diets or pills that I have been doing for the last forty-three years. I have researched weight loss surgery (WLS) on the internet, read WLS support group lists, and correspond regularly with post-op people who have had both BPD/DS and RNY and VBG surgery for weight loss. My research concerning the different types of WLS resulted in my learning about the laproscopic Biliopancreatic Diversion with duodenal switch (BPD/DS), and that this type operation obtains the best weight loss with the fewest side effects, and thus this is my choice for WLS. I have chosen Dr. Dennis Smith, Marietta, GA as my surgeon. I was fortunate to get insurance approval in less than five days, which I feel was due to the tons of records and information I provided to the insurance company, plus lots of follow-up with them to verify everything they needed was in their hands. I feel God led me to this path and I am so excited to have an opportunity to take this walk down the path that leads to a new healthy future. October 20, 2000: The surgery went well. I am feeling remarkably well. I had lap BPD/DS 10/11 (approved by Premier Health Systems insurance administrated by ManageMed), was doing well after surgery and the next day, then Friday afternoon things went south (understatement of the year). I started throwing up huge volumes of dark stuff (sorry for the picture, this stuff was bile from the liver, caused by my intestines being temporally paralyzed following surgery) and by the wee hours of Saturday morning, I was so weak I had to be taken by bed to this strange looking xray machine that they used to try to determine the source of the complications, making me drink stuff that seemed to be a cross between licorice and cowpoop and to use the xray to guide a NG tube from my nose into my stomach (horrible...). I just remember them telling me to sip through a straw and throwing up everything over and over all in my hair and being absolutely convinced something was terribly wrong and I was dying. There were lots of people all around me including my wonderful doctor Smith who must have been roused out of his bed before daybreak plus his assistants, the lights were out (I think...), lots of urgency and confusion like on an episode of ER and I just knew I was a goner. I was so upset that I had opted to do this to myself and had no one to blame but stupid me. I prayed to God to back up time to right before surgery and I would cancel it. I did not want to die. Anyway, I digress...This tube pumped out gallons of stuff over the next few days but gradually I started feeling better, with the best day being the morning I got up and sneezed (yes, sneezed~LOL) the NG tube completely out of my stomach/ throat/ nose! They finally decided that the cause of my problem was something called illieus (sp?). Here it is one week and 2 days from surgery now, and I am moving a little slow but feeling great. I had a great dinner of a tiny bowl of roasted garlic potato soup and crackers and a couple with peanut butter on top for dessert and I am fully satisfied and happy as a clam. Glad to be home. Glad to see my son and puppy and cats again. Glad to be switched. Grateful to be alive. Grateful for having such a wonderful doctor as Dr. Smith and for having a wonderful husband who stayed by my side every step of the way. Grateful for having this wonderful group to support me and cheer me on. Excited to see what the future holds for me. November 17, 2000: I am doing well, back to work half days (plan on going back full time after next week). I went from 300 to 275, but now I am stuck. Even though the scales have not shown any loss in the last few weeks, I was able to wear a pair of jeans today that would not even button last Friday, so something must be happening even though the scales seem to be stuck. I eat pretty much what I want, only very small amounts. If I eat too much or too fast, I throw up. I have problems with frequent, urgent, watery stools but am managing this pretty well. Please pray for the scales to unstick. That is the most frustrating thing I have going on right now... January 5, 2001: Today is my 50th birthday! The scales did eventually "unstick" but are moving soooo slooooooowly. I am down to 259 now – those jeans that I was able to get into at my last update are now getting baggy! Though it might take me longer than most people to get to my goal, I am confident that I WILL get there and I can't wait!! I am no longer having problems with diarrhea, and I am feeling wonderful. I am walking on my treadmill, and my energy level is vastly improved now at 3 months postop. January 22, 2001: I went through my closets this weekend, pulling out stuff that was now too big so I could take it to a newly postop friend of mine when I go to Atlanta in April for my first checkup with Dr Smith. I also ran across a few things that I had long long ago, probably 6-10 years ago. One was a burgundy paisley which had been one of my all-time favorite things. I knew it would be months and months before I could wear any of this stuff as I was at a much smaller weight back then, but I wanted to put these things in clear view for a "goal" to look at. This morning when I was getting dressed for work, I figured I'd try on this top just to see how many more inches I needed to lose before it would button. Lo and behold, it fits perfectly - I was in tears! Of course, I wore it to work today and I am so thrilled it is ridiculous. I wish I could keep this feeling forever! It is awesome to actually feel good about myself for a change, after all the years of feeling nothing but disgust and embarrassment. Wow, Mondays are not so bad after all, LOL!!! March 21, 2001: Well, the plateau lasted for two months but the scales finally moved! I am now down to 240, making a total of 60 lbs. lost now! I started water aerobics mid-February and I think this has helped the plateau to end and has increased my energy and flexibility. My three-month bloodwork results were great. I will be seeing Dr. Smith May 18 for my first postop visit. June 1, 2001: I am down to 225 now (75 total!), just bought a new pair of black Lee casual slacks in a size 18 and a size L top!! My 6 month bloodwork results were wonderful and my first checkup with Dr Smith was fun. He said I looked like a completely different person, was impressed with how well I had done and that my loss at this point was right on track. That was a relief, as I thought I was losing much too slowly. I am still doing water aerobics 3x/week (1 hr minimum each time) and am feeling super! I have to pinch myself to be sure I am not dreaming! September 3, 2001: I am down to 215 and just bought a pair of size 16 jeans and size 16 Lee Casuals yesterday, then went shopping for fall/winter clothes today as I have absolutely nothing that fits for cold weather. I now love shopping for clothes. I started weight training at the Y last week and am still going to water aerobics 3 times a week also. When I went to the beach last month, where my sister works at Ocean Lakes, Myrtle Beach, I put on my new size 14 swimsuit and tied my little coverup skirt around my waist, and walked over to see my sister - she looked straight at me and didn't recognize me, lol!! I am planning on taking my first plane trip next month, to visit my surgery "angel" in Massachusetts! I am so excited to finally meet her in person Would I have this surgery if I had this to do again? IN A HEARTBEAT!! November 2005: I can't believe it's been over 5 years now! Okay, here's where I am now. I've gained 15 or so pounds, am wearing a size 18 - the weight gain is totally my fault due to eating way too many carbs and sweets. I still have issues with gas - severe sometimes - and had to have one iron infusion a year ago. Last month's bloodwork results show my liver enzymes were high, as well as high PTH. Everything else, including my iron levels, were good. I had a liver ultrasound and everything looked normal, so I'm having the liver enzymes rechecked in a few months. I still get occasional emails from people reading my profile here and I am always happy to receive these and to answer any questions. It helps to remind me where I started and reminds me to count my blessings. I still have no regrets for having the DS and continue to have upmost respect for my surgeon, Dr Dennis Smith.
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