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Victoria Wank

Pre Op
  • Content Count

    51
  • Joined

  • Last visited

1 Follower

About Victoria Wank

  • Rank
    Senior Member
  • Birthday 12/29/1964

About Me

  • Biography
    I live in Catonsville, MD in Baltimore County. I was a Speech-Language Pathologist for 18 years until I was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma in 2017. I had a Roux-En-Y in January 2004. It worked until it didn’t. I had a revision in May.
  • Gender
    Female
  • Interests
    Needlework, Quilling, Pre—7th Century Re-creation, Crochet, Cats, Horses, Archery
  • Occupation
    Disabled. Previously a Speech-Language Pathologist
  • City
    Catonsville/Baltimore
  • State
    Maryland
  • Zip Code
    21228

Recent Profile Visitors

583 profile views
  1. Victoria Wank

    August 2023 Surgery Buddies!

    I suspect you feel the construction of the chair, because you have less padding. Buy some memory foam or gel cushions.
  2. Victoria Wank

    August 2023 Surgery Buddies!

    Maybe the fact that you are practically starving yourself is the problem. Even with the weight-loss, your body still needs enough calories, including protein, carbs, and fats to burn. That’s when you start (or continue) losing weight. When you start eating too few calories, your body reads that as famine. It holds onto whatever calories it can. Your best bet is to eat enough calories that you and your body don’t think you’re in a famine.
  3. Victoria Wank

    August 2023 Surgery Buddies!

    I know exactly how you’re feeling! I get the feeling of food being stuck in my stomach pouch. It’s very uncomfortable. The only thing that makes it feel better is throwing up. I’m okay with soft foods (mashed potatoes, oatmeal, Cream of Wheat, pudding, protein shakes). The only solid food that I’m confident in eating is Ritz Toasted Chips. I can stuff myself with those chips and dip and have no problems. Only recently have I been able to handle chicken, and even then, I have to be careful. Beef still gives me problems, although ground is better. I have to try the trick where you add water to ground beef.
  4. Victoria Wank

    August 2023 Surgery Buddies!

    I’ve been undergoing revision on my 2004 gastric bypass. I’ve noticed that my hair looks and feels thinner. I hadn’t connected it to the revision. Thank you!
  5. Victoria Wank

    August 2023 Surgery Buddies!

    You’ll stop losing weight at some point. Don’t freak out, but eventually the surgery stops working. Also, your body knows when to stop. Then you have to learn how to maintain without the help.
  6. Victoria Wank

    August 2023 Surgery Buddies!

    You’ll stop losing weight at some point. Don’t freak out, but eventually the surgery stops working. Also, your body knows when to stop. Then you have to learn how to maintain without the help.
  7. Victoria Wank

    Regrets

    I had problems with water, too. It was uncomfortable, just sitting in my stomach pouch. I found that if I added sugar free drink mix, I could get it down. Now there’s “Cirkul.” They’re flavor cartridges, with sugar free flavors. You get one of their bottles, plastic or stainless steel, and you screw in one of the cartridges. Put ice and water inside, and turn the dial until you get to the strength you want. It may help get the water down. Don’t gulp the water at first. Save that for later when your stomach can handle it.
  8. Victoria Wank

    Regrets

    I had that, too.
  9. Victoria Wank

    August 2023 Surgery Buddies!

    Oddly enough, I find it easier to eat grains than protein. There are low-carb cereals available on the internet, as well as some health foods supermarkets. There are also recipes for low-carb cereal. Don’t be afraid to try it.
  10. Victoria Wank

    August 2023 Surgery Buddies!

    I would doubt that any insurance company would cover all plastic surgery. It’s generally considered to be cosmetic.
  11. Victoria Wank

    August 2023 Surgery Buddies!

    It’s a very different situation. I had RNY back in 2004. I lost a lot of weight and maintained it for 18 months. Then it started creeping back on. When I was finally ready for a revision (somewhere around 2014-ish, different team), the team kept losing my endoscopy results. I finally lost interest. In the last few years, I’ve felt ready to try again. My insurance has changed, as have revision methods. My insurance approved a procedure called Endoscopy with Argon Plasma Coagulation. They make the opening to the stomach pouch smaller by zapping it and creating scar tissue, making it smaller. I had the first procedure in 2022. Unfortunately, the surgeon didn’t tell me that there were more to come. No one reached out to schedule the next procedure. I assumed that the revision consisted of that one procedure. That’s why I thought the revision wasn’t working for me. When I spoke with my surgeon, she was surprised that I had done as well as I had with just that one time, as well as the fact that no one had contacted me to schedule the next procedure. I’ve had the second procedure, and I have continued to lose weight. I know the stalls are maddening, and if it continues for more than a few weeks, talk to your surgeon.
  12. Victoria Wank

    August 2023 Surgery Buddies!

    Most, if not all, of us have experienced a stall in weight loss not long after having the surgery. Check your bowels; you may be constipated. Just stick with the program. Talk to your surgeon, if you don’t see progress. I did that and discovered that I had had only the first of several procedures in my revision surgery.
  13. Victoria Wank

    August 2023 Surgery Buddies!

    The major fatigue will get better. It’s a result of the surgery. As for the “3-week stall,” check your bowels. Have you had a bowel movement since the surgery? I ended up in the ER with severe constipation. The doctor prescribed Miralax and Lactulose.
  14. Victoria Wank

    August 2023 Surgery Buddies!

    Have you spoken to your primary care physician? Perhaps he/she could order some labs to see what your levels are. May be an answer there.
  15. Victoria Wank

    August 2023 Surgery Buddies!

    Check your constipation. I found that being backed up often accompanied a stall. You’re in the 3rd week, which means you’ve been consuming only liquids. You don’t have the fiber intake you used to.

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