New to the Group. My ramblings to follow. . .

Laiknee

Hi
My name is Helene and I am scheduled to have gastric bypass surgery in Oct. 13,2014. In the past j have tried to get lap band but was not allowed due to my nutcracker esophagus. I couldn't not have the sleeve either due to the same reason. I've had to think long and hard in order to come to this point.
I'm to be starting the liquid diet in Sept. 29,2014.
I'm hoping it won't be as daunting and my mind is telling me it will be.

I wonder if I should stop dating while I am on this weightloss journey.
I went on a date last night with this nice guy who is looking for a BBW.
I am thinking that next year this time I may not have this body type and
that's when a relationship will fail. Guys that I go out with like a certain body type.
At this point I have no idea what I may look like. I've never been an average weight as an adult.
Whether that has to do with me weight training in my 20s or not.

I am 5'4". At this time I am 289lbs. I was 303 when I first visited the bariatrician. I had always said when I was younger that if I was to ever to get to over 300 lbs. that I would have to do something drastic.

I had a density test done at the gym and the measuring tool said that I am 153 pounds of just muscle and bone. So it looks like my ideal weight would be somewhere around 185-200.

Still having hesitations about the surgery. I think it has something to do with my profession. I'm an Operating Room RN and I know what goes on after the patient is lights out. I joke with my friends that even if your having surgery on your knee. You will still be in the table naked. Some refer to this fear as Nurses Curse.

Well maybe I have rambled enough for to day. Nice to meet all of you.

kchaki

Hi Helene! Great to meet you! Forgive my question, what is a nutcracker esophagus? I had an episode last year with esophageol spasms. Honestly thought my overweight self was having the heart attack that I knew being obese would bring. I was hopitalized for 4 days with multiple tests and ultimately was told my heart was great. Was released and directed to follow up with my PCP and possibly a gastroenterologist. My PCP basically said that he would just wait and see how things turned out, since I don't have issues with heartburn or acid reflux. About 10 days later, I was on my way back to the ER for the same attack. This time they gave me a cocktail to numb my esophogus and after responding very quickly was diagnosed with GERD. I have only had 2 additional episodes, over a year ago and very mild compared to the first and second attack. I had planned on getting the VSG surgery, but was told that I may not be able to get it. That RNY may be my only option. I am so scared of ending up with deficiencies, that now I am not sure what I am gonna do. I just want the doctor to listen to me and do the VSG, but then when you think realistically that the sleeve is irreversible, am I willing to take the chance of dealing with acid reflux and vomiting for the rest of my life.

It's crazy, took me years to finally decide that I was not gonna be able to do this on my own, and keep it off. Finally ready to get the surgery to help. And now don't know what I should do.

Best of luck to you and your upcoming surgery. You'll rock this liquid diet out!!

Kelly

Laiknee

Well Kelly nice to meet you also, the nutcracker esophagus is an esophageal motility disorder. I went to the doctor what I wanted to have them let them back in 2011 and she informed me that I wouldn't be able to get the lap band because having that nutcracker esophagus it wouldn't work. I went on to take one of the most uncomfortable test I've ever taken in my entire life. This test is called a manometry test. You are awake, they squeeze some lidocaine jelly in your nostril which numbs it but before the numbing comes this blinding amount of burning pain, then they proceed to insert a tube down your nostril into your esophagus while you're sitting there looking at the doctor trying to force the metal bowl passed your nasal cavity. Wow that metal ball part of the tube is resting in your throat you feel as though you have a lump in your throat. They have you swallow 10 sips of water followed by 10 swallows of a jam substance. It is not the most pleasant us to have done to you. What they discovered is that food and even liquids like water in a normal person would take one minute to empty the esophagus into the stomach mind to take a bit longer it's like my esophagus was a bodybuilder. it holds on to food tightly and it takes it well before it empties into my stomach. So having a lap band would not have helped because I would have continued eating even though the pouch would've been full. They alerted me that I could not have the vertical sleeve because that is a high-pressure system and it wouldn't work with my Gerd nor my nutcracker esophagus. They told me that the RNY was the only surgery that can have for weight loss. I had to think about this long and hard because I am one of those people that are against anything permanent being dense my body. It was a struggle but I prayed on I talk to people and this is where my journey led.

pawoodhull

Ladies I found your postings very interesting. I had the sleeve 3 years ago. I have acid reflux, bad, and have had for years. My acid reflux actually caused asthma from inhaling the acid mist that the reflux causes. Keep the acid relfux under control and the asthma is also kept under control. My acid reflux is well controlled with Omaprozel (generic for Prilosec) and I can't tell you the last time I had an asthma attack. I was told that if the esophageal damage was too bad I wouldn't be able to get the sleeve. I told my doctor, sleeve or nothing. Turned out there was no real damage and I had my sleeve. I realize your situations are different, but don't be afraid to push for what you want. My understanding is that if sleeved and then the reflux isn't controllable, you can then get bypass. But you can't go the other way around.

Good luck to you both!!

Pat

brendanewstart2014

Hi Helene, welcome to the group! I am pretty new here as well, and has my gastric sleeve done on 9/17. The folks here have been very supportive, and give lots of good insight.

Brenda

guif

Hi Helena,

Funny that we both posted on the same day to say hi and have surgery scheduled for the same day, I found out yesterday. I get what you mean about hesitations. Last night I started getting really frustrated at everyone no body could do anything right. Luckily hubby knows me better than I know myself and pointed out it's OK to be of such a life changing event. We are embarking on a journey that will change almost every aspect of our life, not just our dress size, or morning breakfast routine. It's normal to have anxieties about the surgery, and life afterwards. I have found that by acknowledging I have truly tried to lose the weight and failing this is my best option.

I was raised around doctors and nurses and have heard everything from the mundane, humorous, and horrifying. I have an idea of your concerns for most of my life I have actively avoided surgery because of the horrors of surgical nightmare stories, and watching the old movie Coma with said family and friends. I waited till an ovarian cyst was cantaloupe size before I submitted to having it surgically removed. I have wanted and decided against body piercings because OR Staff would see them and judge me. I'm horribly paranoid about them judging me as I have heard of OR teams doing to others. Finally I have come to the conclusion as people age in our medically advanced society surgery as we age becomes almost inevitable. However, if I remain this obese they are going to be seeing my fat ugly body a hell of a lot more than they will if I'm trim and fit. Plus screw them if they are that judgmental of me trying to better myself. Not like I'm going in to get a EEE boob job. Out of all this though I have to remember that even if they have an onry sense of humor at the end of the day, no one maliciously says "here let me screw this up so we can mess up this one lady". I will bet my house that at the end of the day everyone is there because they want to help the patient just like you do and has a great big heart.

I hope this helps and am glad to find someone to walk this journey with.. Especially the pre-op diet. Do you start Monday or Tuesday?

Hope to hear from you soon,
Christal

Laiknee

Well originally the nutritionist told me that I had to do the full liquid diet for two weeks. At first my BMI was like 50.4. But I lost 14 pounds so now my BMI is 49.5. They told me at the pre-op visit that I only have to do the liquid diet for one week but I think that I am going to try for the whole two weeks. I should be starting this Monday, except I get to miss the Mac and Cheese fest on October 4. LOL.
I picked up some high protein boost today. I was reading some of the other articles and one big complaint was that the full liquid diet contains a lot of sweets. The protein drinks are all sweet, the sugar-free Jell-O yes it is sugar-free but it is also sweet, and Popsicles. My big idea that I am suggesting to the nutritionist, is that I buy some protein powder that is unflavored and added to a chicken broth or beef broth or even a vegetable broth. It would break up that cloying sweetness. The nurse practitioner that was performing my history and physical she was worried that it would be too many calories, but when I actually checked the can of chicken broth in the canopy brought the calorie range is about 10 to 25 cal therefore adding the proteins powder would add a small amount of calories.

Laiknee

Thank you so much

Dannadl

Hi Helene,

So don't let those muscle and lean mass numbers from your gym set your final weight. You will lose some muscle in this process and that's expected and okay. I had RNY in March of 2012. I'm 46 years old and female. My surgery went really well (next to gal bladder surgery it is the easiest recovery I've ever had) and I followed Dr's orders and have had good success.

I'm 5'7" tall, 46 years old (47 next month) Here are some stats that might help you get an idea of what to expect:

My starting weight was 347lbs

3/3/2012 (2 weeks post op) I was 330lbs, my lean body mass was 144lbs and my fat mass was 186lbs. I was at 56% body fat and a BMI of 52.5

5/12/2012 (2 months post op) I was 303.5lbs, Lean body mass was 142.51lbs and fat mass was161lbs, 53% body fat and BMI of 48.3

7/12/2012 (4 months post op) 276lbs, lean body mass 136lbs, fat mass 140lbs, 51% body fat, 43.9 BMI

9/11/2012 (6 months post op) 263lbs, lean body mass 128.51lbs, fat mass 128.51, 48.8% body fat, 41.8 BMI

3/13/2012 (1 year post op) 223lbs, lean body mass 127lbs, fat mass 96lbs, 43% body fat, 35.5 BMI

3/18/2014 (2 years post op) 182lbs, lean body mass 125lbs, fat mass 57lbs, 31% body fat, 28.9 BMI

Today 168lbs, 30% body fat.

Goal: 130-140lbs 18-20% body fat.

So I include these stats because when I was pre-op I would have liked to have an idea of what to expect. Also, our popular dieting culture has it out there that "losing muscle" is the be and end all of bad things. Here's the deal, you will lose some muscle and that's to be expected and is okay. You will be carrying around less weight on a day to day basis. I've lost about 19lbs of muscle, but I've lost 129lbs of fat. The rest has been water etc. To reach my goal weight, I expect I'll likely lose a few more pounds of muscle, though not a lot.

Looking back, the only things that I wish that I did differently are to track my food more diligently and to start exercising right away. I didn't start exercising at all until a year post op. I found that exercising didn't really accelerate my weight loss. As a matter of fact I've come to the realization that it is 90% what you eat and 10% exercise. But what exercise did was to make me feel great, and reshape my body to some degree. I've always been naturally big in the hips and thighs, exercise is helping to tame that a bit. If I had it to do over again I'd start the exercise much earlier.

Laiknee

The funny thing is that I've always liked to exercise. I've always been pretty strong. I don't want to loose that. But I'm going to do the best I possibly can to have a good outcome. Now I'm just developing an anxiety at about the loose skin.

Dannadl

Loose skin is a reality. I have loose skin on my arms, stomach and thighs, and my breasts have really deflated. I don't have any on my face or neck. My husband (who had RNY 2 months after me and lost about 180lbs) has loose skin on his face, neck and stomach. Depending on your age, genetics and amount of weight lost it is a fact of life. But, it's still so much better than the extra weight. Would I like to eventually have plastic surgery to remove the extra skin? Maybe. But honestly I'm not sure. Don't get me wrong, I don't love the extra skin, but I'm not sure it's bad enough to go through another surgery or more than one and the recovery time out of the gym for the end result.

Laiknee

That would be the kicker. Your husband. You're married and are lucky enought to have a life partner. I'm single. Still in the dating world. Lol. It'll be fine I'm sure.