Before and After Pictures and Numbers!!

HOLY COW...Check these out!!

 This picture was taken on my birthday in January of 2013.

This picture was taken in June of 2013, about 2 weeks before the initial surgery.

This picture was taken in San Diego in October of 2013. 

This is about 3 months post-op initial surgery.

This picture was taken on New Years Eve 2013. 

This is 4 weeks post-op revision surgery!

• At my heaviest weight, I was 222 lbs. I now weigh 125 lbs. and have a BMI of 19.5. 
• A BMI of 18.5 is considered underweight. 
• I wore a size L-XL shirt and a size 16 pants.  I now wear a size XS-S shirt and a size 4 pants. 
• My feet have lost a full shoe size. None of my rings fit. I had to have all my watches re-sized!
• I have lost 97 lbs. in 7 months. I think you can tell the most in my face!

Never in my wildest dreams did I think I could be this small. It never even crossed my mind that I would battle becoming underweight once I had this surgery.We expected weight loss, but not this much and this fast. The weight loss has been a blessing but at what cost and where do you draw the line?

I guess for now, we'll enjoy the shopping for new clothes and not so much all the pain that comes with!

5 Week Post-Op-Dr. Rasmussen

I go to see Dr. Rasmussen for my 5 week follow up. Things are not going as well as we both expected. I still get sick and have severe pain any time solid food hits my stomach. I am doing much better with liquids, which is an improvement from the initial surgery. I feel like I am falling into the same pattern as before in regards to doing well and then once food was re-introduced, the pain and sickness comes back. The only difference this time around is that I actually force myself to eat since I cannot afford to lose a single more pound. If I lose one more pound, the feeding tube will be placed again.

Dr. Rasmussen thinks that this may have turned into a case of "Goldilocks". The first surgery created an opening that was too small. The second surgery created an opening that may be too big. It may become an issue of finding an opening that is just right. The only issue is that since it has only been 5 weeks, it is too soon to know if this is the case. I need to heal more and re-gain my strength. So now I have been lumped into the waiting game category to see what the opening will do.

At this point, I can no longer muster any more courage and my brave face falls to pieces.  I lose it and have an emotional break down right in front of Dr. Rasmussen. Luckily, he is very caring and doesn't seem too bothered by my tears and tries to convince me that with time, things will turn out OK. It gets harder every day to stay positive and have a good attitude, but I am really trying. I don't know if there will ever be a light at the end of this tunnel and this is now the way my life has become. I also don't know if I am prepared to live this way if that is the case. He wants to see me in 4 weeks and to keep a food journal. The reason for the journal is to see if food in general is causing me pain or food choices are causing the pain. He also wants me to see Dr. Frech to see what he thinks about the healing process and sizes of the openings as well.

The more time that goes on, the worse the symptoms are getting. The pain becomes more intense every day and it is becoming harder to eat. The hard part this time around is now I actually want to eat. I do have more energy so that has also improved from the initial surgery. I haven't passed out either. But I still throw up when I eat, which is becoming a little worrisome. But all I can do now is wait and see what happens…again! 

Post-Op Progress One Month

I see Dr. Rasmussen a week after being discharged from the hospital. At this point, things seem to be going very well. I feel like I actually have some sort of energy and that I am not going to pass out every time I stand up. I am still on a liquid diet at this point and liquids go down just fine, which is a big improvement from the previous surgery.

We go over all the typical post-op questions and he seems pleased as well. He adds some medication called Protonix to help with the burning sensations I am having in my stomach. He also wants me to use a steroid cream for the rash since it looks worse. I get to move to Stage 3 of my new diet which includes soft protein foods. He also says that if I lose any more weight, he will put the feeding tube back in. I have lost 12 more pounds this time around. I am to see him again in 3 weeks.

I see Dr. Frech the following week to follow up with him as well. He is not happy about my weight loss and is not convinced the surgery will work. But he says I look good and we are being hopeful that all will continue to go well. He agrees with Dr. Rasmussen about the feeding tube as well. He wants me to take it easy with the foods and see him in a month to address my progress.

I spend the next weeks trying to advance my diet. I am to the point I can take all my vitamins now, which is also progress. However, the more time goes on, the more pain that starts to come back.

5 weeks post-op and I can only drink liquids without pain. Eating is very painful again but I try my best because I cannot afford to lose any more weight. I am officially 100 pounds lighter.