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Surgeon: Dr. Zahriya
Surgery date: September 8, 2003
Pre-op weight: 251
Current weight: 211 (as of November 17, 2003)

Most recent update: November 17, 2003

by Vikee:

my story is like many others. i was not fat all my life. i was really thin up through high school. i look at my graduation pictures and i looked great. as i went into college, i slowly started gaining weight. i tried every diet in the world. from liquids to excercise to everything else- i tried it.

i would feel good for a while after i had lost the weight, but then I would go back to my eating habits that got me fat in the first place. not only did i gain the weight back, but i gained on top of that. to make a long story short, i ended up being 251 pounds. my blood pressure went up, my heartrate went up, i had acid reflux, and i had back pain. i could not bend over without moaning and groaning. that was no way to be for a 34 year old. i was too young to be unhealthy.

i researched weight loss for about a year before i even saw my doctor about it. when i saw her, we went over the different types of WLS and i knew right away, the DS was for me. i immediately started my pre op testing, and made an appointment with who i think is a fabulous surgeon. from the first moment i met dr zahriya, i knew he was the best. the staff at his office are fabulous as well.

i had my consultation and then i waited while they tried to get me a surgery date. my ins denied me and i was heartbroken. i called the ins company and fought it. not too long after that, i recieved an email saying my surgery was set for sept 8th. i was so happy, i couldnt think of anything else. i think we all go through that and it is normal. i literally counted down the days.

finally sept 5th came around and i had to go register in the hospital and see Dr Zahriya one more time before surgery. i was so excited and ready to go.

Sept 8th- surgery was very successful. like i said, i had a great surgeon. i went in to the OR and i was so cold. i was moved on to the table and my arms were strapped down so they didnt flop around during surgery. i remember having a mask coming down onto my face and thats all i remembered. i was OUT. next thing i know, im awake and in serious pain. i was also nauseated. Dr Zahriya said to me , "your surgery was a success." Yay!! i did it. that whole day was a blur but i felt horrible. i had to walk and i didnt make it very far. i was queasy, and just very uncomfortable. the pain wasnt that bad though. in fact, after the third day, i didnt take any more pain pills. i just wasnt in a lot of pain. what i couldnt stand was the nausea. turns out, the nausea was from the morphine and the codein that i had taken orally after my morphine pump was gone.

sept 9-12- I was doing alot better and able to walk the halls in the hospital. i was not comfortable by any means. i couldnt sleep, and if i did finally fall asleep, i was awke again within minutes. i cant sleep in hospitals. the staff there was so wonderdul and i got the best care. i wanted to be home though so i could heal and recover.

by the time, i left the hospital, i was on liquids and able to take in 3 or 3 sips at a time. jello seemed to work really well for me. after the first night home, i was able to sleep through the night. we rented a recliner, and thats where i spent most of my time.

10-12- well tomorrow will be 5 weeks from the day i had surgery. im starting to feel better. i had a few bouts of awful nausea- the worst. it was my fault though- im still on soft foods and i was eating things like pretzels and other things that were not soft. big mistake. as soon as i went back on my soft foods, i was better within 24 hours. i tire easily and need a nap everyday, but i do feel a lot better. i look forward to being able to eat more so i can get in all my protein. i also want to be able to eat crunchy foods but i know i cant. i feel like i will never be able to because i get sick from them. in the back of my mind, i know that isnt true, and there is a reason my doctor has me on soft foods still.im not the most patient person in the world.

as of today, i have lost 25 pounds and i can really feel it in the way my clothes fit me. my heart rate has gone down and so has my blood pressure. although i have a lot more to lose, that 25 pounds made a difference in my health. I feel like Dr Zahriya has given me another chance in life, and to him i am forever grateful.

11/17/03
well its been 10 weeks and im down 40 pounds. although i still get tired, i am feeling much better. i can eat anything i want, but i eat my protein first. i stay away from sweets- i havent even craved any. is that weird or what? i still love my carbs but i dont eat as much of those either.

i am down 2 sizes and i am so happy. im still recovering, and i can still feel the after effects of the surgery, but i know i made the right choice, and i am already healthier because of it. im in the middle of a case of the "blues", but im dealing with it.

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