I keep loosing, despite Chanukah dinner celebration!

I must have planned very well for my Chanukah family celebration last Thursday; I actually lost 2.5 pounds last week. Of course, I only ate ONE potato pancake (fried in a deep layer of oil). Also I did eat two of my high protein cottage cheese pancakes and one chicken thigh (skin removed before I put it on my plate) and a small spoonful of green beans. It didn't hurt that on earlier that day I had Pro-Complex for both breakfast and lunch before indulging for my Chanukah dinner.

I find that when I have a family sit-down meal, especially when my brother is there (he seems to watch out for me) I can just concentrate on the nice company, and I can eat slowly, and only the small portion that I serve up for myself. However, Thursday, when he was with us for dinner, he was surprised that I was able to eat so much. The last time he had dinner with us was for my birthday last August, I was only 2 months post op, and I think I only ate half as much as I ate for Chanukah dinner.

Other patients have said that it is normal to be able to eat larger quantities of food now. I still need to chew each bite thoroughly, so each meal is eaten slowly, but they say that by the time I eat the last bite, some of the food has already passed out of my tummy ("pouch" is the term we use for the smaller sized area of the stomach after surgery) and into the rest of my digestive track. But I do get overfilled quickly if I don't chew the solid food thoroughly, and I have gotten sick from eating too fast. But, when I get overfilled, I sometimes just throw up the excess, and I feel fine again. Not exactly bulemia, because I don't do it on purpose; also, I really don't like this, so I just need to keep remembering to eat S-L-O-W-L-Y!

I will be seeing one of the surgeons from Pacific Bariatrics on Monday for my 6 month follow-up. I hope it goes well. We will review my lab results. But I already spoke to my Kaiser PCP, and he is very pleased with the lab results.

--Sandi H. (Citrus Heights)
Surgery by Dr. Leo Murphy - 6/03/04 (Pacific Bariatrics in San Diego)
weighed 315 at orientation (May '03) -- BMI 60
252 at surgery --BMI 46.1
last weighed at 186.5 (12/11/04) --BMI 35.2
(I've lost a total of 128.5 pounds!!!! 65.5 pounds since surgery.)