DLCoggin

Same for me Panda. I always tell folks that sometimes you lose quickly, sometimes slowly and sometimes not at all. As long as you stay focused on following the protocol, you will succeed. Congratulations!!

Congratulations Vamp!! So glad to hear you got over the plateau. I know how frustrating that can be!

Interesting article on WebMD says that BMI may be on the way out as the best way to assess body fat and associated health risks. The new kid on the block - height to weight ratio. "Researchers reviewed 31 studies of more than 300,000 men and women. They found that waist-to-height ratio was more accurate than BMI and than waist circumference alone at predicting certain health risks associated with being overweight or obese, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease." "Keeping your waist circumference to less than half your height can help increase life expectancy for every person in the world," �says researcher Margaret Ashwell, PhD, of Ashwell Associates, in Hertfordshire, England." http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20120511/better-way-assess-body-fat-health-risk?ecd=wnl_wlw_051612 Let's see now - 36" waist and 5' 9" tall. So 36/69 = 52%. Rats! Gotta lose another inch and a half around the waist. Off to walk I go!

Correction to my post - height to w a i s t ratio. Sorry!

Keurig makes the best coffee I have ever tasted and I've been drinking coffee a long time. Do you prefer light, medium or dark roast? Perhaps I can make a recommendation or two. I've been drinking decaf post-op which I was afraid would be terrible but they're actually quite good and they have a good selection.

Well guys, it was exactly one year ago today when I sat down for my first meeting with my RNY surgeon. I must say this year went by with blinding speed. When I look back on that first meeting it seems like it was five minutes ago. And what a journey it has been. One year ago today I was scared. My health was declining. I knew that my food addiction was shortening my life. And drastically reducing the quality of the time I had left. I wondered if I would ever see my grandson graduate high school, much less college and starting his own career and family. And yes, I was worried about the very scary decision to have major surgery to correct a disease that many would argue I should be able to do on my own. Was I risking my life on yet another attempt to beat obesity that was doomed to fail? What kind of pain would I have to endure? What about potential complications, some serious? What if the surgeon got in there and discovered she could not complete the surgery? What if the surgery just plain didn't work? Was I taking the "easy way out"? What would people say? What would people think? What if? What if? What if? One year ago today I was 5' 9" tall and 285 pounds with a BMI of 35. This morning I'm 182 pounds with a BMI of 27.0. I've lost 103 pounds in one year. I was hoping for 6' 2" but yes, I'm still 5' 9" tall. One year ago today I had recently been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and my doctor put me on Metformin to try to control it. The prognosis was not good and he warned me that if the Metformin didn't work, insulin would be the next step and the most viable treatment option - other than surgery. My RNY surgery was on October 20, 2011. Two weeks later my A1c was 5.6. And my doctor took me off the Metformin. One year ago today I had been on medication for hypertension for more than 20 years. Two weeks post-op, my doctor took me off all blood pressure meds. Yesterday, in his office, my blood pressure was 114/57. One year ago today I had chronic lower back and knee pain. A couple of hours of grocery shopping and I needed to sit down to rest the back. Last weekend my entire family, including my 2 1/2 year old grandson, spent ten hours of quality time at Disneyland. Walking, standing in line, riding the rides, shopping, laughing and loving a beautiful day. Not the slightest hint of back or knee pain. One year ago today shopping for clothes was an endless source of frustration. Options are limited when you have a 48" waist, 18 1/2" neck and XXL or XXXL is the order of the day. If Big and Tall or King Size didn't have it, I did without. Fast forward to a 36" waist, 16 1/2" neck and L and I can go into any store, anywhere, anytime and find my size in a rainbow of colors and styles and at a cost of 20% to 30% less than what I was paying before. One year ago today I was literally living (or dying) on fast food and pizza. I could eat a super sized double cheeseburger, large fries and a large soft drink and be hungry an hour later. With one exception, I haven't had fast food or a carbonated soft drink in well over a year. The exception - 6" turkey breast and black forest ham on flatbread from Subway - and I literally could not eat all of it. My diet is lots of fish, lots of turkey, lots of chicken, lots of veggies, lots of fruit, lots of nuts - and I am loving every second of it. Real food, healthy food, is actually quite enjoyable. Who knew? One year ago today my idea of exercise was a walk to the fridge. Today I walk a minimum of four days a week, more often when possible. I walk 2 1/2 to 3 miles and 45 to 55 minutes every time. I walk in a park near my home and enjoy the fresh air and sunshine more than words can describe. It took several months but at this point I'm literally addicted to walking. I have no explanation for it but if I go more than a day or two without walking, I can feel the difference - not only physically, but mentally as well. Maybe it has something to do with the unbridled joy I see in my black lab when we go for our walks. Maybe it's because I feel good about myself knowing that I'm doing the right thing for the right reasons for myself and my family. Or maybe it's the Universe giving me a pat on the back and a "Well done!" Like I said, I really don't have an explanation for it. One thing is certain - it is a delicious feeling. Some of you reading this may be contemplating this surgery or other surgical options. Some of you may have many of the same concerns and fears that I had. Some of you may be suffering from some of the same health issues that I had. Some of you may be caught on the same "what if" merry-go-round that I was on. On this, my one year anniversary, I can only say that this has been one of the most exciting, most rewarding, most life changing experiences of my life. It most certainly is based on science. But the results are undeniably magical. Persistence, along with absolute belief, can never be defeated.

Thank you Jen for the kind words. Is this a great forum or what?

Thank you all for your kind words. I have visited a lot of WLS forums over the past months and I must say that the group of folks on this forum are simply the best. It is an amazing gift to have a place where we can go and "talk" to others about our journey. Thank you all again and I'm looking forward to getting to know everyone!

I'd be surprised if all of us have not shared your pain at one time or another. I know I have and I still eat too fast every now and then. You'd think I would learn! The good news is that if you screw up enough times, you learn to spot the early signs and s l o w down!

Chew every bite 20-25 times. Every bite should be the consistency of yogurt before you swallow it. Takes some concentration but it really slows you down!

Alex I'd love to tell my story from the perspective of a male, parent, grandparent, and patient who formerly suffered from diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea, high cholesterol and heart disease. I'll be 30 weeks post-op tomorrow and have lost 106 pounds as of this morning.

RNY sure worked for my diabetes - off the meds and A1c was 5.6 at two weeks post-op. Amazing!!

Shoe gnawing is very low cal but limited pretein. LOL I was required to attend at least two meetings pre-op and I found them to be terrific. There were probably 40 to 50 folks at each meeting including pre-ops and post-ops with some as far as four years post-op. Great place to get answers to any question you could possibly have (that you don't mind asking in a public environment). Also very motivational to hear (and see) all of the success stories. I did not continue attending the meetings post-op but I have often thought of going back and sharing my own story with those preparing for the journey. Definitely have to do that soon. I'd recommend that you attend at least one or two meetings. Tons of nice people and everyone has at least one thing in common!!

O M G Bernie - no coffee? That's just wrong! LOL!!

Odiemom, for what it's worth my surgeon told me when I was approved for RNY that regardless of how much weight I lost pre-op, the insurance company could not reverse their decision - it is against the law. She didn't say if that law is federal or state (I'm in California) but since you've been approved, I think you can take that worry off your list!!

"You do you and I'll do me." Now those are words to live by. Way to go Vamp!!

Get well quickly ekelly! You hit a bump in the road on your journey but six months months from now I think you'll be glad you took the trip!!

Good morning Made! Most insurance companies seem to require a BMI of 40 or higher to qualify for RNY (or any bariatric surgery with the possible exception of the band) OR a BMI of 35 or higher with at least two "co-morbidities" such as sleep apnea, diabetes, hypertension, etc. So based on your BMI of 41, I don't think you would have a problem qualifying for RNY or the sleeve if you and your doctor decide to go that route. You must be a very special person indeed to have six children, four cats and a dog and still not have high blood pressure! LOL!! An observation if you will - you seem to be under the impression that RNY is a much more significant surgery that the sleeve. RNY is more "invasive" and takes somewhat longer to complete. But having said that, my surgery started at 7:35am and was completed shortly before 10:00am. I was out of recovery and in my room by noon and was up and walking by 2:00pm. I had virtually no pain (until the next afternoon and even then it was quite manageable) and went home on the second day. Keep in mind that we're all different and my experience is no guarantee that yours will be the same. But I encourage you to read others stories on the forum here and I think that you'll find that for most, not all but most, their story is similar. RNY has been performed for many years both in the U.S. and in other countries. There have been lots of changes and advancements over time. Based on my experience I have to say that they seem to have pretty well perfected!!

Good morning Made! Most insurance companies seem to require a BMI of 40 or higher to qualify for RNY (or any bariatric surgery with the possible exception of the band) OR a BMI of 35 or higher with at least two "co-morbidities" such as sleep apnea, diabetes, hypertension, etc. So based on your BMI of 41, I don't think you would have a problem qualifying for RNY or the sleeve if you and your doctor decide to go that route. You must be a very special person indeed to have six children, four cats and a dog and still not have high blood pressure! LOL!! An observation if you will - you seem to be under the impression that RNY is a much more significant surgery that the sleeve. RNY is more "invasive" and takes somewhat longer to complete. But having said that, my surgery started at 7:35am and was completed shortly before 10:00am. I was out of recovery and in my room by noon and was up and walking by 2:00pm. I had virtually no pain (until the next afternoon and even then it was quite manageable) and went home on the second day. Keep in mind that we're all different and my experience is no guarantee that yours will be the same. But I encourage you to read others stories on the forum here and I think that you'll find that for most, not all but most, their story is similar. RNY has been performed for many years both in the U.S. and in other countries. There have been lots of changes and advancements over time. Based on my experience I have to say that they seem to have it pretty well perfected!!

No offense taken law and I am sorry if I hit a nerve. I can see where it might seem ridiculous but there are many who would disagree. Quoting from the WebMD site that I linked in my previous post... "A sleeve gastrectomy is a simpler operation that allows them a lower-risk way to start losing weight. Afterwards, once they've lost weight and their health has improved -- usually after 12-18 months -- they can go on to have a second surgery, such as gastric bypass. In people with high BMIs, sleeve gastrectomies result in an average weight loss of 40% to 50% of excess weight after three years." From the National Institute of Health - http://win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/gastric.htm#whataresurg "VSG has been performed in the past mainly as the first stage of BPD-DS (discussed earlier) in patients who may be at high risk for problems from more extensive types of surgery. These patients' high risk levels are due to body weight or medical issues. However, more recent research indicates that some patients who have VSG can lose a lot of weight with VSG alone and avoid a second procedure. Researchers do not yet know how many patients who have VSG alone will need a second stage procedure." One more from the University of Maryland - http://www.umm.edu/weightloss/lap_sleeve_gastrectomy.htm "The laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy is a bariatric procedure in which the surgeon removes approximately 85% of the stomach, shaping the remaining stomach into a tube or “sleeve”. It can be used as a first stage operation prior to a gastric bypass or as a definite procedure." The same idea is stated repeatedly, there are situations where the "staged" approach involves less risk to the patient. Certainly a valid concern and one that I'm sure your doctor would take into account for patients who fall into the high risk category.

Everything I've read leads me to believe that the two surgeries (RNY and Sleeve) are roughly comparable with their own advantages and disadvantages. Sleeve is strictly restrictive. RNY uses restriction and malabsorption. Most studies seem to give RNY the nod for the most weight lost in the shortest time, and for the best long-term success rates, but not by huge margins. Although seldom done, RNY is theoretically reversible. The sleeve is not reversible since 75% to 85% of the stomach is removed. But the sleeve is relatively easily converted to RNY if the expected/desired weight loss is not achieved. The sleeve is often used as a "first stage" surgery for patients who are morbidly obese with the expectation that it will be revised to RNY with a second surgery at some point in the future. RNY changes the path that the food takes, bypassing a portion of the small intestine which results in some malabsorption and makes nutritional supplements absolutely imperative - for life. The sleeve does not alter the path of the food and does not bypass any part of the intestine and as a result, has a lower risk of malnutrition. Both surgeries appear to be equally safe but as noted, the sleeve is less invasive and can be completed more quickly than RNY. Also as noted, the sleeve is relatively new so there is much less data available regarding long-term effectiveness. RNY was first performed in Europe and was done there for many years prior to FDA approval in the U.S. RNY continues to be the most popular bariatric surgery worldwide - about 80% of all bariatric surgeries are RNY. There is an excellent article on WebMD that you can find at http://www.webmd.com/diet/weight-loss-surgery/your-options-in-weight-loss-surgery-making-the-choice for more information. When all is said and done, perhaps the best advice is talk to your doctor and the two of you make the decision based on your particular situation.

The pre-op diet is probably the most difficult part of the whole process for most folks. Just about any kind of exercise wil help curb your appetite. I also focused on keeping busy which makes the time fly by. It's not easy but you absolutely can do it and you'll find lots of support here. My surgeon told me that I had to lose 20 pounds (at least) pre-op - no weight loss, no surgery. Keep reminding yourself that they want to reduce the fat around the liver which reduces its size and makes the surgery much easier. Well worth the effort!!

I did the treadmill pre-op and for a short while post-op. Then changed to walking in the neighborhood for a while and then in a park near my home. Lots of squirrels, ducks, geese, dogs and other people. Much more fun than the treadmill and the park has more variety than the hood. Now I look forward to walking and so does my black lab.

Welcome Tina! I'm also in California. I'll be 30 weeks post-op on Thursday. Don't hesitate to post any questions you may have. Lots of great folks here!

Great job Barbiedoll and congratulations!! I had essentially the same experience. They told me that there would be very little pain but I was still shocked at how little there was. And that's just the beginning! Wait until you see how fast the pounds melt away. Just amazing!!