My fellow old-timers, I've seen that when a new forum section is created that there is always a "roll call" for all the people to say "I'm here! Here's my story!" But I don't see one here in our forum yet! (Pause to thank John very very much for creating this subforum for us!)
So, if I may be so bold, I'd like to invite those of you who are long term post-WLS to say hi and share the bullet of your WLS journey here. Mostly so that current members, like me, and others who will come across TT at some point in the future will know who the forum participants that are further down the road after WLS because we are familiar with the different phases, stages, experiences and issues as the years go by. And I remember what drew me here when I first came to TT was that were long-termers. I always tried to hunt for the posts from people who were far out like me. Lisa was one of the first I got to know (hey woman!) and I believe that other people who find TT will do the same thing I did and look for the long-termers. For A LOT of reasons...
So can we have a roll call for those of us around or over four years post-op and see who's part of this new long term post-op subforum? I think our numbers are small, but maybe I just haven't yet met all of us long-termers yet, and there are more here than I realize. I sure hope so...
I'll start! I'm in the Phoenix, Arizona area and my surgeon is Dr. Allan Newhoff. According to Tricare, my insurance company at the time, who picked him over another surgeon I saw, he is the best in the west (back in 2002). I would have to agree
He had a lot of experience before he did me, and this was kind of at the beginning of the huge upswing of the WLS boom that has since occurred.
I didn't have the option of laparoscopic surgery, as he believed that OPEN RNY was the best option to, in his words, "get in there to see and get my hands on everything and make sure it's all wired properly for no complications post-op or EVER." He was right on the money, as I've had no complications like strictures, obstructions, twists, blockages, low levels of critical stuff in my body, or
any other issues related to the surgery. I am fortunate, and I give a lot of the credit for my success to Dr. Newhoff.
He paid me the highest compliment a couple of years ago when he said that I was one of his biggest success stories. I was surprised, because I assumed back then that it worked for everyone. Hearing him say that led me to start researching the current trends in WLS, and ultimately led me to reading Thinner Times. That's when I first realized the variances in success and the percentages of amount lost, etc. I hadn't been in any groups and didn't then know anyone else who had WLS.
A funny side-story about his skill: I went to see him after about 9 months I think, maybe a year, and complained that I saw Al Roker eating a hamburger and fries and I couldn't even eat a whole chicken thigh! Wah! I felt deprived and whiny then...was still in that stage. Ugh. Remember those good ol' days?
His reply was "So what? You'll never be fat again. So be happy with YOUR pouch size, it will serve you well, and ignore what Al Roker and Carnie Wilson can eat. Your body will not be obese again." I sighed and left, dejected, but to this day I chuckle at his words. He was right, of course, and today I CAN eat a whole thigh. I'll admit that during that visit I didn't confess I had started drinking coke pretty early after surgery (I was a coke junkie!) I told him later and he smiled and said I was fortunate that I
could drink it but that I should stop. I did for awhile....
Before you gasp and cluck-cluck about drinking coke, remember that some of the things that are "the gospel" about WLS
now were not as well known back then. But I also have to admit that I wasn't as educated back then as others are now, because I never went to support groups and there weren't any forums out there for self-education. I did all my research online and in the library by studying the procedures through the years and reading anything I could get my hands on. Kind of a self-study program. He had support groups I think, but I had my own way of doing things and was dealing with disabling pain that prevented me from getting out somewhat, and I was never really a "group" person. I've always done things on my own. (Yeah, that's an issue that's come up after shedding the weight.)
I tell the chicken thigh story because I think Dr. Newhoff must have done a spectacularly exceptional job in the pouch size and rewiring of my plumbing. And he's someone I will forever be grateful for. I'm glad my insurance company sent me to him instead of the guy I went to see for my consult after my referral from my pain doctor.
Ah...the pain doctor...that leads me to my reasons for WLS. I had a long list of them, which helped me get approved. My approval process wasn't quick, I didn't have a pre-op liquid diet (they didn't do those back then), and I had to wait a few months for the doc's schedule to get me in for surgery. During that wait time I did what the doc said: I quit eating when I was full AND I chewed all my food 12 times.
He said it was training for post-op and boy was he right. I dropped about 40 lbs. during the months I waited for surgery, and was at 245 when I had surgery. I was actually worried he'd refuse to operate, but it didn't matter. My co-morbids were more than enough to qualify me for surgery and he told me it was the only option I had unless I wanted to be in a wheelchair by the time I was forty.
The co-morbids were coupled with hitting an all-time high weight of 301 lbs. I'm 5'8" and one of those people that nobody could believe how much I weighed. My usual weight was around 225, then it became around 245. I maxed out at 300 because I'd taken different medications for my health issues. One of them packed on about 50 lbs. in just a few months.
Of course my eating a lot was the main reason, duh!, but coupled with medication that caused weight gain, I was basically screwed. Being in chronic pain and sedentary due to pain just packed on more pounds. Of course so did eating stuff like tons of Red Vines, boxes and boxes of fruit popsicles, bags of peaches, bags of popcorn, bags of chips, 2.5 portions of dinner, a rack of ribs at a sitting, big bowls of ice cream, and whatever other food of the week I shoved in my mouth as much as I possibly could for comfort and filling the void inside me and for many other reasons that have been things I've had to work through post-op. That'd be the psychological reasons for obesity...
A few of my conditions that made me choose WLS were:
I had bad knees and was told knee replacement was in my future if I stayed obese;
I had disabiling pain, was on disability, due to rotatory scoliosis (a moderate to severe curvature that rotates and cavitates the spine in toward the upper pelvic crest) and was told at age 32 that a wheelchair would be my future if I stayed obese;
I had a then 2 year-old hip replacement that would only have a half-life of effectiveness if I stayed obese;
I had developed Barrett's Esophagus with severe acid reflux. Barrett's is that condition that exists for awhile and studies have shown leads to cancer of the esophagus down the road;
My blood pressure kept creeping up, but wasn't on drugs for it (yet);
My left leg was swelling (the side of my implant) due to vein compression;
I had other things on my list...but don't remember them all now and this has gotten very long!
I'd say the biggest personal reason I had surgery was my then 11-year-old daughter that's a member of a family where every female is obese, on both sides of her family, and I was a role-model mother that had been obese ever since I gave birth (with one exception of the phen-fen diet). Boy did my surgery have an impact on her body image, diet and self-esteem!
I lost all my weight in under a year, hitting the doctor's goal of 145 quickly. I thought he was high when he said 135 was my optimal weight but that he figured the best I'd do was 145. I sat there at 300 lbs. and thought he was off his rocker saying that I should weigh 135. Seriously. I mean come on, I had a big bone structure! (I don't...I have a small frame actually but who would have known it under all that weight!)
I've fluctuated some over the years, with a low of 114 (skeletal and very bad-I went through a huge loss of my child) to a high of 165 (chubby with fat rolls, just like the boyfriend I had who I drank beers and ate big with). I'm around 132 now and would like to get to 140. I like that weight better-less saggy skin
I haven't had plastics but would really like to. Can't afford it. Some day I will though. I will I will I will! Bridget just told me about an LA plastic surgeon that gets insurance to pay, but I only have Medicare right now. May add employer's insurance if plastics is possible with BC/BS plan. If anyone knows, give me a head's up. I'd love ya forever!
I found TT about a year ago, and am glad to have found a few that are long-term post op. I came here because some of the brain surgery was in the works, the stuff that goes on after the body surgery. I liken it to one day I woke up thin. I realized "This is me." And it was somewhat strange. I became comfortable in my skin, saggy tits, thighs, tummy and all, but I'm not enamored with them obviously. Who would be? I love to see those of you who have had plastics, and will some day be able to post here my body shots of pre-op and post-op from a booby job, tummy job or lift. Don't know what it will be but I'm hoping I can avoid being cut open where my low back tattoo is. I got it right after that "day I woke up thin" and it's a beautiful fiery Phoenix. Tramp stamp with artistic class and passionate colors
I'll stop there...and I wrote so much of my story for the primary reason that there are going to be others who want to know about long-term people, and I'm here to share some of my experience gained by being years out from surgery. AND I'm here to find the other long-termers that are dealing with or have dealt with some of the same issues I have and still face, now that I'm reaching my six year anniversary.
Look forward to seeing who else raises their hand for roll call!
Phoenix
Long term WLS roll call!
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