Mandy101011

I lost 75 lbs.

This is all very normal. Don't let it get you too upset because it will happen over and over again. I was so frustrated at first because I would plateau and at times gain a few lbs. Luckily, my niece was 6 months ahead of me and would encourage me because she had been there over and over. When I would plateau my nutritionist would say to up my protein & it would help. I can say that sometimes days hungrier than others & usually lose more on those days. You may plateau for 2-3 weeks then lose 12 lbs in a week. Write your weights down & it will encourage you!

I did cream of mushroom & loved it.

Fried rice was a hard lesson learned for me too. I wouldve thought I was having a heart attack, but knew it was RNY related. Terrible pain, never again!

My surgeon gave me pain pills and I did great.

I did that one time 1 & 1/2 months out from surgery. If I did not know any better, I would've thought I was having a heart attack. It lasted about 45 minutes and came in waves. I was at the mall and bought Papya Enzyme to help break down the protein, but nothing worked. Finally, I threw up and the pain stopped immediately. I think the food got stuck and the waves of pain was peristalsis.

I know what it is like to be afraid, to wonder if something will go wrong. This surgery is not for everyone. For me, it was the greatest choice I ever made. Before I had surgery I read a line from the poet, Rainer Maria Rilke, that changed my whole perspective on the procedure, "Our deepest fears are the dragons guarding from us our greatest treasures." I am glad to say I am a dragon slayer!

My nutritionist told me that having your gallbladder removed and having RNY GBP both caused dumping symptoms, more so in the beginning. Personally, I had a difficult time getting used to food again and began having pain when I ate(which was related to the ulcer, but I didn't know it at the time). They gave me Levsin, but changed it to Carafate for my ulcer later on. Rapid weight loss often precedes gall stones and eventual removal of gb. My niece transitioned easier after RNY than I did & said she had no problems after her RNY, but that her digestion issues came after the gall bladder was removed. I think it's a lot to take in and I just had to learn to listen to my body. Most people have a period of adjustment after gb removal that lasts about 6 months or so. Would I have them together again? Absolutely. One hospital stay, one little extra scar, one recovery period, no more pain. It was a win win for me

Stalls are something you just have to get used to. I stalled 3 weeks very early on and remember feeling like I was the one that would not lose after having this big surgery. I did learn to write down my weight and it was encouraging to see just how much you lose over time.

Post op I was put on Prilosec for 6 months. I took it great for a while, but eventually stopped taking it all together. Life happened and I got very busy. I wish they would've said, if you don't take it you WILL get an ulcer. Now I'm just waiting on it to heal, which takes 6 weeks. :/

I loved cream of mushroom

My name is Mandy and I am new to this site. My story begins almost 2 yrs ago when I found out that I had high bp. Ironically, I found this out at the gym when I went to start a fitness program. I had been on diet pills for 7 years, which had helped me control my weight for many years. The bad thing was that they eventually began to lose effectiveness on curbing my appetite. I was a yo-yo dieter... lose 10 gain back 20. With high blood pressure I stopped the pills and quit smoking. As you can imagine, the weight piled on. October 2010, I met a girl that had underwent RNY 2 yrs prior. She'd had no complications and looked great. She gave me her MD's name and I made the call to start my journey. I talked my niece into going with me & she had surgery 3/29/11. I had to weigh in 6 months and attend 12 support group classes. Twice a month I did this and was to have surgery May 2011. I had high bp & was on meds for that. However, my insurance co. wanted high bp even with meds (which I had), but it wasn't sent on the documentation. I was denied April 2011 & was devastated. All that work for this?! I decided to focus on getting a letter of medical necessity from my dr, sleep study, and any other info to help me. I was willing to wait another year if I had to. It just so happens that Feb 2011, I had started having pain in my abdomen and thought it was an ulcer. In June, it got so bad that I went to be checked. My gall bladder was not functioning & needed to be removed. I had obstructive sleep apnea with 50 periods of apnea in five hours. I submitted all the info and prayed. August 26,2011 I got my approval letter & was scheduled for surgery 10/10/11. I had my gallbladder removed at the same time, so my recovery was a little different than some. I can't remember much of the hospital stay except it hurt, but dilaudid was my friend I was switched to Lortab on day two and could function better. I had a drain tube & was doing light housework after a week. Looking back, I must say I overdid it some days & should've rested more. I should've taken the Prilosec as ordered too, but just got busy. Unfortunately, I have a stomach ulcer now because I did not do as I was told. Today, I have to take 6 pills a day to heal the ulcer, but that's ok. My starting weight was 219 lbs. in a size 16/18. June 10th will be 8 months and I am down to135 lbs & in a size 6! I love the new me!! I have had no complications (except the ulcer, but that was my fault). I would do this surgery 1,000 times over & don't regret a thing.