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Weight Issues?

Location
Kirkwood,
:Flower: Hello everyone! I'm curious to know if any of you fellow stoma buddies still have a case of the "kinda skinnies." I'm a bit over a year out from surgery, and really have no issues other than dehydration sometimes. I eat whatever and whenever I want--and I am still totally amazed that I am not sick! I have gained about 12 pounds since surgery. I anticipated gaining more but I'm fine with my body---but people seem to constantly comment about my "bones sticking out!" Just curious if anyone else has issues with weight gain or lack there of! Thanks! By the way, I'm making cookie bars tomorrow and will be enjoying eating a ton of cookie dough! LOL
:rof: Dana
 

Nyx

Moderator
I've gained about 30 pounds since my surgery 3 yrs ago. I'm good with it though, i was very underweight prior to that. I also eat whatever I want, whenever I want...that's probably why I gained the weight...lol
 
I've gained a fair bit of weight since my proctocolectomy. That was 13 years ago and I was extremely skinny beforehand (40kg/88lb 5'6''). It took time for me to put on weight and now I am happy with where I am.
 

Terriernut

Moderator
I guess I'm still 'skinny' according to some people. But..my mama always said "If you watch the first 5lbs you never have to worry about the rest" Good advice mom. So, when people say I'm "skinny" 5'1" 105lbs, I have to wonder...while I'm looking at their rather large selves...what is skinny to them? I'm NORMAL...usually they are NOT.

So...consider the source of who says you are 'skinny'.
 
Location
Kirkwood,
:ylol: LOL Misty you crackin me up! Yep, I try to "consider the source." I've had comments like "Gosh I wish I could have Crohn's for a while to lose weight." REALLY??????!!!!!! Aren't people funny? 9 times out of 10 I try to believe that they really don't intend to hurt you or be ridiculous--but it sure is hard sometimes! :ybatty: Dana
 
I got to the stage where I could only lose weight if I was ill. So I kind of wished I could stay ill for a bit longer to drop a few pounds. Messed up, isn't it????

I don't think like that anymore. Plus I put on about 15 pounds after my op. But then again the op made me lose 10 in the first place! I am losing it slowly but surely now! At least you can eat what you like without getting huge? lol
 

annawato

Moderator
Staff member
I've put on 10 kilos (22lbs I think) just since July - which is partly pred (i hope) and partly TPN while still being allowed to eat. :( I've lost about 3kilos since surgery but I REALLY need to cos my weight had been slowly creeping up even before the last 10 kilos.
Misty your comments made me smile. I've been super skinny all my life until the last few and I have definitely noticed that my definition of skinny has changed the fatter i've got! I suggested to my daughter recently that she was getting too thin, but considering shes 5'6 and 58 kilos (120lbs?) she really is quite healthy and heavier than I ever was!
I find I am always hungry with an ileo and wondered if thats cos everything moves thru your system faster so you never feel full? Pity it leaves behind all the calories though - well for me anyway.............
 
Went from 210 to 140 at my lowest (I was very sick, perforated large intestine). After my emergency surgery I went to the Hershey Factory and bought 60 dollars worth off Chocolate. It began my road to weight gain. I think it took 8-10 months before I was back up to 190. I am now back to 210 and want to lose 20 pounds. (I have an ileostomy).

Robb
 
Location
Keller,
I was 109 after my proctocolectomy and didn't think I would get it back but now I'm 119. Most I've weighed in years! Woo hoo!
It's strange when your excited about gaining 10 lbs.
 

Terriernut

Moderator
Went from 210 to 140 at my lowest (I was very sick, perforated large intestine). After my emergency surgery I went to the Hershey Factory and bought 60 dollars worth off Chocolate. It began my road to weight gain. I think it took 8-10 months before I was back up to 190. I am now back to 210 and want to lose 20 pounds. (I have an ileostomy).

Robb
Robb (pie guy)....MORE PIES!!! :thumleft:
 
Location
Finland
I probably am about the same weight as when I got my ostomy in 2008. In 2010 operation of removing my large intestine as a whole and having some problems resulting in a long hospital stay I lost weight and since then I have gained about 4kg (10 pounds I think). Trying to get 2 kg (5 pounds) more. I am normal size.. well just on the underweight line.

Also I have weight 58kg most my life.. I am now 56 kg. But with all that gut removed I gues I basically still am the same weight.. since the gut weighs some too right. (Im 177cm tall)
 
I'm 78.5kg just now and my total proctocolectomy and end ileostomy is booked for 20th Feb 2013. Maybe I'll weigh myself before and after surgery to see how much my colon weighed!

Long term I'm hoping to maintain about 80kg since this is about right for my height.
 

annawato

Moderator
Staff member
Sanni you made me laugh, how much does the colon weigh? Maybe you've actually put on weight!
Minionaire make sure you do weigh before and after so we can all know!
:)
 
Location
Finland
I think they said it weighed a couple kg. They do actually measure all that since it goes to a patologist but I dont think patience often get those info unless asked for. Its not like its that relevant for your recovery. But I do have a picture of my removed large intestine and I have to say its interesting. Have had a habit of asking my surgeons to take pictures of whatever they remove so I can see if its really been worth removing. So have photos of 4-5 surgeries I think. lol

And no I am not crazy. ;)
 
Sanni, are the surgeons happy to take pics? I don't quite know how I'd ask, though I'd love to see what comes out of me...
 
Location
Finland
Well.. I think the first time I asked was my operatio of -95 (my second operation) and the conversation was something like "I want to see what you take out of me. Can I have it in a jar". lol Well.. I could not have it in a jar but she managed to get polaroid pictures from it. It was 2 smalll 5-10 cm pieces of small intestine.

The next time I asked was in 2003 my 4th operation. The surgeon said if they can get ahold of the units camera they would take pictures. This was an interesting one since they took out 80cm of my small intestine in that one and it had strictures every 5-10 cm apart. You can see every one of them in the cut open intestine. Also he took pictures of the stricturoplastia he had made nad this was vool cus now I actually know what it meas when they say cut it this way and sew it that way. :) But this surgeaon was quite ok about taking pictures. He even ask to use them as material to show in teaching.

The next on in 2006 was interesting too. I think the surgeon thought I was wacko to ask it, but once I said his boss did it some years back and I have lots of them he was ok. This time he asked me to bring in a camera for them to use. Nothing special of the operation there, but I dont think he quite understood what I wanted so there is a picture of my opened up stomach with the spreader metals in it. That was a bit of a shock to me, but once I got over it it was interesting.

The last one of the 2010 removal of the large intestine again I think the surgeon though me to be a bit crazy or sick in the head. However shee took very nice pictures (with my camera) of the large intestine as it was removed and split open. She even placed it on the table in the shape it should be in so you can see where the turns right and left and what ever parts of the colon there are.

So I think My collection is done. No more pics (and hopefully no more operations too).

If there is interest I can put up an album in my profile with the pictures?
 

Terriernut

Moderator
Yes, I think it would be good to see the pictures. Very few of us get a chance to really see what all the 'fuss' is about!
 
Location
Finland
My cousin is a theatre nurse and she described vividly to me what happens. :eek:
It is quite grousome. I have heard. Explains why the stomach is so tender for days and days.

I will make an album with pictures that all are welcome to have a look at. ;)
 
I told her that I felt like a herd of elephants had been stomping all over my intestines and she explained why. :eek:
 

Terriernut

Moderator
:yfaint::pale: Yup...my surgeon explained the process too. I almost vomited.

But do they have to be so rough in handling our insides? There are videos on the web showing some of these surgeries. Not for the weak stomach (pardon the pun) to watch.
 
Location
Finland
I gues just to spread the skin is what makes it so tender. If you think they have to make a 15cm cut streach to well.. a lot bigger then 15 cm. For me thats what they explained the kindof a wave like burning feeling was caused from. Just the skin recovering from the streaching.
 
Location
Finland
I have made an album in my prifile named "surgery" the pictures should be visible to all who want to see them. If not let me know and I will try and sort it out.
 
Excellent pictures, sanni! Thanks for posting those!!!

I have video from a couple of my gyn surgeries that are way cool and have seen pictures from colectomy, but the colectomy pictures I have here at home are only black and white photocopies of what the doc has in his office and aren't very clear.
 
Location
Finland
For me it was really important to see what it was they where taking out of me. I wanted to know if it was really that sick. I am happy to have the pictures cus they really help understand why I was so sick and that that part of me needed to be taken out and nothing else would have helped but the surgery. Like the one they took 80cm of intestine.. I would have had a fit if I had not seen it really was that bad. Once I had the idea of what it was they did I stopped asking for photos untill the one with the removal of the large intestine becayse that was again something different.

To be honest i think people shold have the option to have photos taken. I mean we have all seen colonoscopy pics. its not much worce then that to see these.
 

Dukeis

Dynastic Overlord
When I had my gallbladder removed the surgeon gave me a video of the surgery from the Laproscope. A few weeks later I decided I would have a look at my insides. Well the whole tape was just white noise. I asked the surgeon if he was watching the movie Pologist in my abdomen. He assured me it never looked like that doing surgery. Late he told me he had the tape they keep as a record checked and it was the same thing.
 
Went from 210 to 140 at my lowest (I was very sick, perforated large intestine). After my emergency surgery I went to the Hershey Factory and bought 60 dollars worth off Chocolate. It began my road to weight gain. I think it took 8-10 months before I was back up to 190. I am now back to 210 and want to lose 20 pounds. (I have an ileostomy).

Robb
I know this is an older thread but this made me laugh $60 worth of chocolate thats a good bit. I was hoping I wouldnt be lactosse intolerant any longer so I could pork out on chocolate milkshakes. :)
 
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