The Start

Most of you know I struggle with my weight. I have dieted on several different varieties of diets, all to no avail. I can lose a little, but I always plateau at a certain point. I am sick and tired of never getting beyond that point. I don't want to look like this anymore.
Well, I went on Friday to see the Endocrinologist. I have seen one before, but since it has been awhile, they made me start all over with someone new. The new someone is AWESOME! He is funny, he listens and he really seems to want to help me. I am at the beginning of the process for bypass surgery. Yes, you heard correctly, I am going to try and have the surgery! I wanted to do it the last time I went there, but they kept telling me that other than my being overweight, I was perfectly healthy. Well, this new doctor says that even though I am still mostly healthy, that because of my asthma and my joint problems, I may qualify now! YEAH! I am happy and scared at the same time!
It is a long road to get there, it can be a three to six month process. I have to do some testing, both on blood and urine. I have to go to a bunch of educational sessions and be seen by a psychologist. I also have to have a dietician follow with me regularly. Once I do all of that, I meet with the surgeon who makes the final call. Then its the paperwork run around with the insurance company. Then I can have the surgery.
I figure if all goes well and we hit no bumps in the road, I should have surgery in June or July. Hopefully sooner rather than later. It cannot be before Mark's wedding due to the tight scheduling we are working with. We are looking at doing the Roux-en-Y version of the surgery vs. the two other methods(lap band and duodenal switch). It is the most successful version as far as good results. No matter which version you do, there is a learning curve. I basically will have to learn how to eat all over again. I start out on a strict schedule of foods starting with a liquid diet and gradually working back to solid foods. I'll only be able to eat about a 1/4 cup(2 ounces) to begin with, but I can gradually work up to about 1 cup at a time. I have to chew foods very well and wait a few minutes between bites to give my stomach time to register the fact that food is there. I have to stay away from most fatty or sweet foods or I'll get sick from them. I can only drink water based beverages. In order to help my skin keep keep its elasticity, I will be working out quite a bit too once I recover. The doctor says because I am younger, my skin should not have too much trouble returning to its original shape. I will still follow up with a dietician and I'll have to have monthly Vitamin B12 shots in addition to taking a multivitamin regimen. Due to decreased absorption of foods, vitamins will be very important.
The surgery will not be easy, the first couple of weeks will be pretty miserable as the body tries to cope with what happened. And I have to be careful not to overdo or it will make me sick too. They won't be cutting my abdominal wall, they go in through my belly button and make a few other small incisions. So the recovery from that part shouldn't be too bad. It is the adjustment my stomach has to make that will be the toughest. Any surgery has risk, but I believe I will do just fine.
My doctor has faith in me and is working to make this happen. That is the best part. I really hope things transition smoothly. I can hardly wait!
I'll keep you posted as things progress.
Thanks for checking on me!