Greetings from Virginia Beach, VA !!!
I weighed 525lbs in 1978!
On Friday, 13th of July, 1979 after my 36th birthday in April of that year, I underwent gastric bypass surgery in Moline, Illinois. The following Tuesday, I was able to eat "ground beef". I went home the following Saturday. Incidentally, I was in room 413 when they took me into surgery.
My doctor, told me that he made my stomach pouch somewhat smaller, than usual, to make sure that it worked for me (he was part of the medical team, that researched the loss of weight by patients with stomach ulcers in the early 60's at the University of Iowa Medical Research Center).
I dropped weight dramatically. I weighed less than 180lbs. in September, 1980. Since surgery, I have been living with the "results" of messing with "mother nature". I have to supplement my daily diet with prescription Iron (constant anemia) and Micro-K {prescription potassium supplement}. I have been on Xanax for over 12 years now. I weigh in at 170lbs. now.
I had polyps develop in my colon and after a colonoscopy in December, 1998 I went through surgery in January of 1999, lab results confirmed cancer cells present, but had not penetrated the colon wall. I was able to keep about 10" of colon so am not using colostomy bag. However from this surgery, I had developed several leaks within the abdominal cavity (abdominal fistulas) and had 2 unsuccessful surgical procedures performed to correct them (December, 1999 and April, 2000). I then was recommended to another surgeon, and he has been following me with this problem. He was the first doctor to be at the fistulagram procedure, and he was able to find 3 leaks (2 in the small intestine and 1 in the bottom of my stomach), in November of 2000. His prognosis, is after the time that has passed, that I will need surgery to correct, however as of this last month's follow-up, my stomach wall has not healed satisfactorily for him to operate. So to this day, since the "onset" in September, 1999 I just keep changing dressings and looking forward to getting this corrected.
Just wanted to touch base with you to let you know, that I am one of those "survivors" of RGB procedures and apart from the daily dietary supplements: vitamin E, multi-vitamin, Micro-K, Iron and B-12 injections weekly, am doing fine. I have NOT recommended surgery to another overweight person..
Sincerely,
Bob Miedema
Bob had a website but it was taken down.