Start here
Where are you in your journey?
Choose the path that fits today. We’ll take you to the most useful discussions.
- GLP-1 medication Zepbound, Wegovy, access, side effects, progress, and support.
- Before surgery Compare procedures, plan ahead, and get honest pre-op answers.
- Post-op Recovery, food stages, symptoms, and support.
- Long-term Regain, labs, habits, and life after the honeymoon.
- Revision Explore revision options, complications, and next steps.
How I got to where I am today
- Replies 23
- Views 2.2k
- Created
- Last Reply
Featured Replies
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.
As a kid, teenager and young adult I was very active. I did a lot of sports, track and field, figure skating, ballet and basketball. I even trained juniors in basketball. I had a lot of injuries, that finally led to the sad conclusion that I had to stop training so hard.
I started gaining weight, not too much in the beginning, but it added up. My Mom shows her love with food and sweets. I don't blame her, her Mom was the same way. My Mom still has no idea I had wls, because she hates any kind of surgery and I only told a few people. My hubby and Dad are supportive, so that's all I need. I will tell my Dads wife on Thursday, since we will be spending xmas with them.
I met my hubby when I was 21, so he has seen all my ups and downs, I'm a textbook example of a yo-yo dieter. I know what to do to lose weight, I just never mastered the maintenance phase.
I worked hard in my dream profession, I was an aviation specialist and very good at my job. It all came to a bitter end when I was 34. My arm stopped working in the middle of a phone call with an air traffic controller in Russia. I'm now on early retirement at 42.
I had 2 surgeries on both shoulders, because they were too loose. I regained mobility, but never really got my full strength back. 2 years later I was diagnosed with a rare syndrome, EDS, and found myself to be a part time wheelchair user. Try keeping your weight at a healthy level when your mobility is minimal? So I had a 9 month private pity party. Smart, right? I was mourning the loss of my former life and had to find my new path.
Today I counsel other patients, lecture about my syndrome and related issues and have an active role in my patient organization. I live my life happy. Still travel, go to concerts, do most things I want. My manual wheelchair is pink and my electric wheelchair is decorated for xmas, lights and all!
A year ago a went to see a nutritionist. I lost some weight again on a very strict diet on mostly frankenfoods. Yay! But when I started going back on real foods, my weight turned back up. This summer my nut asked if I have considered wls, that I would be a good candidate. Nope, never thought about it other than watching some shows on tv. I wanted some time to do research and told her that I would give her an answer the next time I saw her.
So sep 14th I said yes please and she said she would send my papers forward. That day I put myself on a 1300 cal low carb, high Protein diet. When I got my surgery date of nov 21st, I lowered my calories to 1200 cal. I also did a 4 week pre-op diet that was very similar, but more frankenfood and an 800 cal limit.
I had rny on nov 21st, as scheduled. I was wheeled to recovery to wait for my turn, second wls that day. I started having second thoughts... Do I really want to put my body thru this? Am i really sure i can't do it on my own? I didn't get very far with my thinking before they took me in. I remember that my last thought on the table was that I can still change my mind.
When I woke up in recovery I had the worst gas pain I ever experienced. Horrible! The meds didn't work for it at all! I regretted my desicion instantly. But when they asked if I wanted to go to the bathroom I was so happy to realize that all the stories of moving around to get rid of gas were true.
I had to stay 3 nights in the hospital due to drinking issues. I never had any other pain than gas pain, but boy was it painful before I was able to move around.
In total I had pain and took meds for about a week. Now, 13 days post-op, only a tiny bit of discomfort when laying down. And today I'm happy to report that my drinking issues seem to have gone away slightly!
My surgery weight was 228.8 lbs and today I'm 222.0 lbs (hw his summer was around 255 lbs, that I recall). I have been in a stall for 4 days now and I hope that the increase in liquids will help a lot with moving forward.
The only real post-op complication I had was that the heparin shots were too much for me. I was supposed to do them for 10 days at home, but had to stop half way thru. I started bleeding from my nose and other parts... I called the hospital and they agreed, no more heparin for me. The bleeding stopped the very next day.
My post-op diet allows food quite fast, I'm on soft foods right now. But the only solids, other than dairy products and puddings, have been cottage cheese and meatballs. I have tolerated everything I have tried, with the exeption of mashed potatoes. I got a 15 min dumping episode... But I have not thrown up even once and the regret went out the window the second I was able to stand up in recovery. I average 400 cal per day for now.
I will be posting more on this thread as time goes by, as a small journal to myself.
I hope everyone has as an easy journey as I have had with my wls, I think it's totally worth it. Just waiting for my stall to break...
Happy holidays to you all!
Nilla