GASTRIC BYPASS
This is the story of my Gastric Bypass operation.
In 2005 I decided that I wanted to lose weight, so on the 1st
of January I started a diet which involved better control of both what and how
much I ate of each food group, combined with lots of exercise in the form of
walking.
With the help of my wife we decided that the best way to do
this way to follow the diabetics diet, as my wife is a diabetic she knows a lot
about the method below.
I followed this plan for 6 months and lost
26 kg !!!!!!!!!!!!
But I was unable to mentally keep myself on this diet. And my
weight came back again.
After having injured my knee a couple of times at work I
decided to speak to my doctor about what options I had to help me lose weight.
He suggested a Gastric Bypass operation.
On the 29th of February 2008 I went to the local hospital to
attend an information meeting explaining the pro's and con's of the operation,
and how my life will be after the operation.
After many conversations with my wife and our children
about the operation and life afterwards I decided I would put my self on the
waiting list.
I was still unsure whether I would definitely go ahead with
the operation but as the waiting list is so long I decided that it would be
better if I put my name down.
My final decision to go ahead with the operation came
whilst I was on holiday with my wife and son in England. We were at an
amusement park and had been on all the rides for my son and we felt that it
was time to go on some more adult rides, my brother-in-law and I queued to
go on the ride which took quite a lot of people at once. Eventually it was
our turn and we sat down and started to pull down the safety harness which
was no problem. The problem started when I saw that there was a second
device that needed to be fastened (it looked a little like a seatbelt from a
car) I tried to fasten it but it was too short and it wouldn't reach, this
was seen by one of the workers at the ride who came over to try to help me
but it was no use my stomach was in the way. Unfortunately this meant that i
was unable to continue with the ride and I have to get off.
The exit was naturally placed on the opposite side from
where we were sat so I had to walk around almost all of the ride to get to
the exit, which was to say the least embarrassing.
This was the first time in my entire life that I had been
refused to do something that I wanted to do as a direct result of my weight
and that to me was when I made the decision that I was going to go ahead
with the operation.
On the 10th of December attended a meeting at Gällivare
hospital to meet a doctor to hear all he had to say about the operation.
Whilst there I had to undergo a series of tests e.g.
weight, height, EKG and blood pressure.
With these all done I could return home and wait for the
new year and the letter with the date of my operation.
This is the chart that I will be using after the operation
the top row will be my starting measurements.
| DATE |
NECK |
ARM |
CHEST |
WAIST |
BOTTOM |
THIGH |
KNEE |
CALF |
WEIGHT KG |
| 14-02-09 |
46 |
44 |
142 |
150 |
124 |
72,5 |
47 |
48 |
146,2 |
| 21-02-09 |
45 |
44 |
139 |
148 |
121 |
72 |
47 |
47 |
142,2 |
| 28-02-09 |
45 |
42 |
138,5 |
147 |
120,5 |
72 |
47 |
47 |
138,6 |
| 08-03-09 |
44,5 |
40,5 |
135 |
142,5 |
118 |
70 |
46,5 |
44,5 |
132,2 |
| 14-03-09 |
44 |
40,5 |
133 |
140,5 |
117 |
70 |
46 |
44,5 |
131,1 |
| 22-03-09 |
44 |
39,5 |
132,5 |
140 |
116 |
70 |
45 |
44,5 |
130,4 |
| 28-03-09 |
43 |
39 |
131 |
138,5 |
113,5 |
67,5 |
44,5 |
44,5 |
129,0 |
| 04-04-09 |
43 |
38 |
131 |
137 |
112,5 |
66 |
44,5 |
44,5 |
127,2 |
| 11-04-09 |
42,5 |
38 |
129 |
137 |
112 |
65,5 |
43 |
44,5 |
125,5 |
| 18-04-09 |
42,5 |
37 |
128 |
136 |
112 |
65,5 |
43 |
44 |
124,3 |
| 25-04-09 |
42,5 |
36,5 |
127 |
134,5 |
111 |
64 |
43 |
44 |
122,7 |
| 02-05-09 |
42 |
36,5 |
127 |
133 |
111 |
64 |
43 |
44 |
120,9 |
| 09-05-09 |
42 |
36 |
126 |
130,5 |
110 |
63,5 |
43 |
43,5 |
119,6 |
| 16-05-09 |
42 |
36 |
124 |
130 |
110 |
63 |
42 |
43 |
117,6 |
| 23-05-09 |
42 |
36 |
122,5 |
128 |
109 |
63 |
42 |
43 |
115,6 |
| 30-05-09 |
42 |
35 |
122 |
128 |
108,5 |
62,5 |
42 |
43 |
114,1 |
| 06-06-09 |
42 |
35 |
121 |
127 |
107,5 |
61,5 |
42 |
42,5 |
112,9 |
| 14-06-09 |
42 |
34,5 |
120 |
125 |
106 |
60,5 |
42 |
42 |
109,6 |
| 28-06-09 |
41,5 |
34 |
117,5 |
123 |
106 |
60,5 |
42 |
42 |
107,4 |
| 05-07-09 |
40,5 |
34 |
116,5 |
122 |
105 |
59 |
41,5 |
42 |
107 |
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As I stated on the start page I would be having my surgery,
so I will need to prepare for this by undergoing a so called VLCD (very low
calorie diet) for at least 2 weeks prior to the operation.
I will be starting the VLCD on the 15th of February 2009
What does a VLCD entail?
A vlcd entails that i have to eat a very low calorie diet
in order for my liver to shrink so that the surgeons can gain access to the
areas needed to perform the operation.
My diet consisted of a chocolate shake 5 times a day @ 100
calories per shake so in total 500 calories per day. As a complement to this i
have to drink a minimum of 2 liters of water.
THE BIG DAY
The day has now arrived for me and my family to get on the
train and make our way north to the hospital where i would be having my surgery,
Sunday the 1st of march i was admitted and settled in to the ward.
Day 1 my operation was scheduled for 07.30 Monday the 2nd. As
far as i am aware everything went fine and i eventually woke up to start my new
life.
Day 2 I got to drink for the first time since Sunday
evening and what a great feeling ice cold water!!! At this point i am only
allowed to drink using a teaspoon and not too much at anyone time.
Exercise is a key factor at the moment i have to get up and
move around as much as possible to allow my "plumbing" to get started.
Day 3 I am allowed to start the day with a yoghurt being
careful not to "go mad" with the sweet taste and eat too much as i found out it
hurts!!!!
Day 4 I am on my way back home now so after a 3 hour train
ride and 1 hour on a bus i am home but exhausted.
I would like to add a very big thank you to all the staff at
avd 6 at Gällivare sjukhus for taking care of me while i was there.
Day 5 00:00 My wife rang for an ambulance to rush
me to hospital as i have sat on the toilet and started to bleed apparently i
have developed a crack between my new stomach and my intestine which has
started to bleed. After 36 hours in the hospital i am allowed home as the
bleeding has stopped and i feel fine again.
Now i am home and doing fine i have started to eat "solid"
food again and doing well.
Every meal time is an adventure as i get to try food to see
what i can eat and what i will react to and "dump" a condition very similar to a
diabetic that gets "high" when they have too much sugar symptoms include :-
-
Tiredness
-
Heart racing
-
Dizziness
-
Sweating
-
Pain in stomach
-
Diarrhea
As yet i have not had any of the symptoms.
50-07-09
This week i have started to go to the local gym and started to
use several of the machines there so i am hoping to be able to tone some of the
loose skin that i now have around my arms and stomach as well as get a better
general physical condition.
