4 month surgiversary

Good morning all!
Today is my 4 month surgiversary and I wanted to share a little info with anyone
on the board who may be considering WLS.
I am 5'6" and carried around 250 pounds for over a decade. I couldn't cross my
legs. I couldn't paint my toenails or even put on socks without getting out of
breath. My feet and knees ached when I walked. I couldn't get down on the
floor because I'd NEVER be able to get back up again! I was terrified of flying
for fear that I'd have to ask for an extension for the seat belt. Plus I barely
fit in the seat! I became more and more reclusive because I hated the way I
looked and the looks I got in public from the "normal" people. But I didn't
DARE diet because every time I lost 2 pounds, I'd gain back 3. That's how I got
to 250 in the first place!
I hated clothes shopping because even if they did make cute clothes in a size
2X, the wouldn't LOOK cute once I got them on.
Then my doctor told me that I was pre-diabetic. That was it. I had to do
something so I started to research weight loss surgery. My closest friend said
"I don't care what you do; I will support you 100%. Just do SOMETHING - I don't
want you to die."
Wow.
I talked to people who had WLS in the past to find out if they'd do it again.
Even though these ladies had not lost all the weight they wanted, they both said
it was the best thing they'd ever done for themselves.
I joined ObesityHelp and stalked the boards. I read everything I could find.
And I was blessed to find Dr. Aceves. The more I read about him, and about the
hospital in Mexicali, the more convinced I became that this was the right choice
for me.
I found out that small companies don't even have the OPTION of including
insurance coverage for WLS, and that no one in my family was in a position to
help me financially. But I was determined not to let that stand in my way. So
even though the interest rate was going to kill me, I decided I would put the
cost of the surgery on a credit card.
I booked my surgery date and used airline miles to pay for the trip. Then came
the hard part - telling my mom.
She had the reaction I expected - "Are you CRAZY?????!!!!"
Well, it took about 6 weeks of answering her questions, biting my tongue to
remain civil, and pointing her to the internet so she could do her own research,
but she finally decided that perhaps I WASN'T insane.
June 16th, 2010 changed my life forever.
Cut to today: I am now down to 195. I haven't been in "ONE-derland" in over a
decade! I can now shop in the MISSES section instead of the WOMEN'S section. I
can cross my legs. I can paint my toenails. I can get down on the floor AND
back up again! I can walk my dogs and go shopping with my girlfriends because
my feet and knees no longer ache! I no longer feel self-conscious in public. I
feel FANTASTIC. I can eat pretty much anything I want now. My new tummy (I
named her Tina - the tiny tummy) doesn't like some things but that's okay. This
is a re-learning process and if Tina doesn't like rice - so what? I can live
without it. My tastes HAVE changed - as I was told they would. I now crave
fish - used to barely tolerate it! I never crave fried foods anymore and they
were a staple in my diet. I am still learning to eat slower and chew more
thoroughly. I am excited about the rest of my journey as the weight continues
to melt away slowly but surely.
I have blood work scheduled for next week so I'll find out how I'm doing now
with my blood sugar, cholesterol, and vitamin levels but I feel SO GOOD I just
know I'm doing better.
So - to make a long story even longer - if you are sitting on the fence,
wondering if this is the right thing for you, I offer a resounding YES!!!
No matter the cost, no matter the hurdles, no matter the barriers you must crash
- save your life and do this for yourself! The only regret you will have is
that you didn't do it sooner.

Head hunger

I was "starving" after surgery. Dr. A explained to me that it was caused by
stomach acids. My tummy was still producing the same amount of acid it needed
when it was larger. He said it would take a while for it to "re-set" and make
less stomach acid.
Turns out he was right. At about the 6 week mark, the "hunger" went away.
Now I still get hungry, but only at normal meal times. If I forget to eat
lunch, I'll start to feel hungry. If I forget to eat dinner, I'll start to feel
hungry. But that's it. And it's not an "all consuming" hunger like I had
before. It's more like a gentle reminder "hey - you need to eat"
I found that SF popsicles and SF jello helped me alot when I "thought I was
starving". I guess because it gave the stomach acids something to do. And it
helped my head hunger because my mouth was doing something. The first 30 days are the hardest. But it gets easier every day.

To anyone considering sleeve surgery

To all of you about to go to Mexical - if you have not already done so, you
should join ObesityHelp.com. It's free but you'll find TONS of support and
info.
My username on there is "boernecheryl". Do a search for me, go to my "page" and
look for PHOTOS on the left side. I took pictures of the hotel room, the
hospital room, and the drive.
Here are a few things I would do differently if I could do it over again:
1) TRAVEL LITE!!!!! You do not need pj's or robe - they will give you a
hospital gown. You can ask for another one and slip in on like a robe. You can
wear home the clothes you worn in. Wear flip flops and you can wear those in
the hospital. All you need is your passport, some spending money, a toothbrush
and comb, clean underwear and a heating pad. Maybe a good book. Trust me - you
will NOT want to schlep a bag thru the airport after surgery. You can swipe the
shampoo from the hotel and use it at the hospital when they let you have your
shower. TRAVEL LITE but do NOT forget your heating pad!!!
2) I went alone but if I did it over, I would find someone to go with me. It
would have been so nice to have someone to wet a washcloth for me after surgery
so I could wipe my face; to pick up things I dropped; to help me in and out of
bed the first 2 days. This IS major surgery and getting up and down isn't fun
the first couple of days.
3) Arrange for 1st class for the return flight home. If your flight is already
booked, see if you can upgrade when you print out your boarding pass. Depends
on how full the flight is. Also arrange for a wheelchair to move you through
the airport(s). You'll be glad you did.
And don't worry about Mexicali. You are about to meet some of the nicest people
on the planet. Ernesto, who will pick you up from the airport, is a sleeve
patient himself and LOVES to show off his before picture. He's a wonderful man
and very funny. Be sure to tell him Cheryl said hello!
The anesthesiologist, Andres, is going to spend 30 minutes with you explaining
every single thing he is going to do, how he's going to do it, and why he does
it. You'll never find treatment like this in the states.
Dr. Aceves will talk to you about the procedure, and what you have to do to make
this tool work.
Then you will meet Dr. Campos. OHGosh! I am in love with this man. This is
the nicest, most compassionate doctor I've ever met. And he is outside your
door from 8AM to at least 6PM every day. You cannot ask for better care. He
also is a sleeve patient. Oh, and if you really want to see his face light up,
ask him about his new baby!
After surgery, be sure to ASK for pain meds; they aren't going to automatically
bring them or offer them. STAY AHEAD OF THE PAIN and ask for a pain pill at
least every 6 hours. It is not narcotic and not habit-forming and it won't make
you "stupid" so DON'T do without!
The day after surgery is brutal. You will NOT feel good. But you won't be in
pain unless you fail to ask for pain meds.
The next day you will feel SO much better it will amaze you. And each day after
that gets better than the day before.
Congratulations on your new life!

I did it!

I just had my sleeve with Dr. A one week ago today. He is wonderful and his
staff is AWESOME. Can't say enough nice things about them.
I posted photos of the hotel, my hospital room, and my trip home from Mexicali
on my ObesityHelp.com webpage. If you'd like to view them, just look me up -
BoerneCheryl is my screen name.

In trouble (again)

Well, I'm in trouble (again).  So what's new?
I told the maternal unit of my intentions.  She is NOT a happy camper.
You wouldn't believe the litany of "why's" I got. 
WHY would you consider something so severe?
WHY wouldn't you just go on a diet?  (HA!  Yeah, like THOSE work for me!)
WHY would you want to spend that kind of money?  (Hmmm, let's see...maybe there's not much of a price tag on regaining one's LIFE???)
WHY can't you just count calories like I did? (Hmmm, yeah, that's always been real successful for me also.  Sorry I'm not YOU.)
Then there are the "who's" and "how's"...
WHO is going to take care of your dogs while you're gone?  (Like I seriously didn't think about this????)
WHO is going to take care of YOU?  (Ditto to above comment)
HOW are you going to be able to afford this?  (Okay, I know you're my mom but my finances REALLY aren't anyone else's business - would you ask your friends this question?)
Then she starts (re-starts actually) sending me DIET ADVICE she finds on the web.  (Yea, she's been doing this off and on for the last 10 years -- goodness knows THAT has always been helpful!)
Well, she IS my mom, and I KNOW she loves me, and even though she makes me crazy as only a mother can do, I DO love her.
So I tried to put my feelings in an email, and tried to answer her questions as best I could and even tried NOT to be ugly about it (altho that was my first "knee jerk" reaction).  I'm HOPING that letting her know that my cardiologist okayed this is going to help her some.  But probably not.
(Gee, she was all in favor of her HUSBAND having weight loss surgery - he's 360 lbs - but now she's in panic over ME doing it...  Guess it's a mom thing.)
Reading her email made me feel like she thought this was totally elective and cosmetic  - like a face lift.  Which REALLY rubbed me the wrong way.  But then, not only am I ultra sensitive about my weight, I am ultra sensitive with any comments from HER.  Good old family dynamics...
I HOPE that my reply to her will help her - or at least win me some silence on the issue.  I haven't heard back from her about it and it's been a couple of days, so I'm taking that as good news.  Then again, it could be the silence before the storm.  Maybe she's just gathering ammunition.
Well, bring it on.  I've done my homework.  I researched this from top to bottom and am 100% comfortable with my decision.  Not that I won't get nervous the closer the day comes!  But thankfully, I have this wonderful community to lean on.
So here's to all the mothers in the world, and all the daughters who just seem to always find a way to get in trouble (again)...

I'm a chicken

I am hesitant to tell anyone about my decision for WLS. In my mind’s ear, I hear all these skinny, physically-fit people rolling their eyes with a look of disgust on their faces, thinking “Oh good grief – just push away from the table, fatty!” (These are the same people I see and hear in my mind saying “That’s disgusting” when they see me, which is why I never want to go anywhere.)


If only dieting were that easy.

There are statistics all over the internet showing that diets don’t work. I know they never have for me.

My earliest recollection of feeling fat was in 6th grade. My first diet attempt was in 9th grade when I was allowed to cook for myself. I remember living off of hot dogs and hamburger patties – the Atkins diet before Dr. Atkins! I was 5’ 6” tall and weighed 132 pounds. As I compared myself to the other girls in gym class, I was FAT. Pitiful, isn’t it?

Between age 14 and today, I have been on and off almost every diet published, including going to Mexico for diet pills (the ones you now hear of on the television asking you to join in the class action lawsuits for the all the health problems they caused). Weightwatchers, Jenny Craig, Nutrisystems, Atkins, South Beach, cabbage soup diet – been there, done that. And I did well! I always lost weight. The sad part was, for every pound I lost, I gained back a pound and a half. Lose 20 pounds , gain back 30. Lose those 30, gain back 45.

According to the National Weight Control Registry, “only a fifth of dieters with a history of obesity sustain a loss of 10% of their body weight for a year or more.”

Luckily for me, I do have one advocate in my court. My dear cousin – the smartest person I’ve ever met – went through WLS of her own years ago. So she not only understands but can offer me real life experience, advice, and a laundry list of questions to ask. Thank you Lord for Denise!

I am especially not looking forward to telling the maternal unit. While I love her to pieces, and I know she loves me and only wants the best for me in all situations, she is, by nature, a negative person. I need positive thinking and support through this process – not doom and gloom or negativity. And so, I will avoid THAT discussion as long as possible. (Yes, I have feathers and a beak! Color me a chicken!!!)

In the beginning...

Welcome to my journey.


I am on a quest – a quest for health. The maternal unit would be thrilled but dubious. Can’t say I blame her – it’s a first in my 52 years on the blue planet. But here I am.

52 years old, 100 pounds overweight, two years out from double bypass surgery, with high LDL, low HLD and on my way to being pre-diabetic (if one believes their physician). I can’t walk my dogs because my excess weight hurts my knees and feet. I get out of breath bending over to change their piddle pads. I’d love to get into showing my wonderful herd of chihuahuas but I’m too embarrassed by how I look to want to do anything in public.

After many years of trial and error, I have discovered what so many others already know – diets don’t work! I can’t afford another diet – everytime I go on a diet and lose any weight, I gain back twice as much as I lost. That’s how I went from 150 to 250 in a little over 10 years.

And so I have joined the ranks of those in search of assistance with this problem – also known as weight loss surgery (WLS).