A life-changing decision

There’s a new photo accompanying this column and, if I do say so myself, it looks just a little different.

Over the past five months, I’ve lost more than 100 pounds since undergoing weight loss surgery in November.

I haven’t spoken much about this outside of family and friends, although I haven’t tried to keep it a secret, either. I’m sharing the news today not because I want or expect congratulations or pats on the back, but because there may very well be at least one reader out there who can benefit from hearing about my experience I’ve struggled with my weight for my entire adult life, although it was never an issue for me growing up. As a child, I could eat whatever I wanted and it never caused me to become overweight. As a high school junior, I lost 15 pounds, down to 145, and my mom was so concerned she took me to see a doctor. As it turned out, she had no need to worry.

Things started to change during my senior year. I still vividly remember the first time someone called me “Fatty.” It was in the middle of a baseball game. I can even tell you the guy’s name.

By the end of my freshman year in college, I weighed 190 pounds. Still, I didn’t feel as if my weight was a big issue. I worked a very hard, physical job in the summer, stacking 40-pound bales of crushed aluminum cans at a recycling plant. We called the bales “biscuits.” One day the baling machine began malfunctioning, spitting out double-sized biscuits — 80 pounds. I went to the office and asked the boss what I should do. His response was succinct: “Stack ’em.” And I did, without any trouble. I was young and strong, and a few extra pounds wasn’t holding me back.

As I got older, though, my weight continued to creep up at the rate of about five pounds a year. And those extra pounds began to take their toll. I injured one knee when I stepped in a hole while mowing the yard one day about 20 years ago. It didn’t hurt that much, but it just wouldn’t get better. I wound up having surgery to repair a torn meniscus, but that didn’t seem to help. Within a few years, I had developed osteoarthritis in both knees. By the time I moved to Carroll County in 2014, I had no cartilage in either knee — bone rubbing bone with every step. To make matters worse, I injured a tendon moving into a new place in 2016. My left knee, which had been my “good” one, became the “bad” one. I still walk with a bit of a limp.

Along with my knee issues, I also developed chronic kidney disease. That runs in my family — my mom suffered from a rare kidney disorder and was on dialysis the last two years of her life. I started taking blood pressure medicine 20 years ago and last summer my doctor added a second medication to try to keep it under control.

I had tried to get my weight under control with diet and exercise. At one point, I lost 73 pounds. But then I regained 68. Then I was able to lose about 30 pounds from that point and keep it off, but I couldn’t seem to get much lower than that. I was losing mobility, I didn’t feel well, I was tired all the time. I have a very busy life, and I never allowed my weight to define me, but it was taking its toll.

Finally, enough was enough. I’m blessed that my wife’s employer provides a generous health insurance plan. After a little investigation, I found that it covered weight loss surgery.

I had my first appointment last August at the Roller Weight Loss Clinic in Fayetteville. I met with a doctor and a dietitian, underwent a battery of tests to make sure I was healthy enough for surgery and decided which procedure I wanted: a relatively new surgery called a “bilopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch.”

After two more monthly appointments where I met with dietitians, my surgery was scheduled for Nov. 10.

I had my “pre-op” appointment on Nov. 2 and was instructed to begin preparing for surgery the next day by drinking clear liquids with one small meal for the next six days. On the seventh day, the day before surgery, I was to have only clear liquids.

After I left my “pre-op” appointment, I had one last big meal: a burger, fries and a large Coke from Whataburger. That might sound gluttonous — heck, it WAS gluttonous — but it was intentional. I knew that after that, there was no looking back.

The week of pre-op wasn’t too tough. I drank protein shakes that were flavored like a peanut butter cookie, drank lots of water and ate lean protein once a day. When I checked into Northwest Medical Center in Bentonville on my surgery date of Nov. 10, I asked if they could check my weight. I was down 18 pounds in eight days.

My surgeon was Dr. Yong Kwon, and I cannot say enough wonderful things about him. He met with me before the surgery and prayed for a successful outcome. I was a bit nervous but I was never frightened, and Dr. Kwon was a big reason for that.

The surgery itself sounds daunting: Dr. Kwon removed about 80 percent of my stomach, then surgically altered my intestine to bypass a significant portion of it. From my perspective, though, the surgery was amazingly easy. I was shocked when I woke up in the recovery room and the nurse said it was done.

I had very, very little pain. I was walking in the hospital hallway just a few hours after surgery and went home the next day (with a stop halfway for more walking).

The first two weeks after surgery were the toughest, but that was simply because my diet consisted almost entirely of two protein shakes daily, plus water and other liquid. You don’t realize how good chicken broth is until it becomes your daily “treat.”

After two weeks, my weight was down 25 pounds from my pre-op appointment and I was cleared to begin eating soft food with a focus on lean protein. At six weeks, I had lost 45 pounds and at three months, I was down 80 pounds. I was given “textures” back, which meant I could have protein bars. That’s now my breakfast every morning.

Today, I’m just past five months and my weight loss is somewhere between 105 and 110 pounds. I’ve already met my weight-loss goal for my six-month appointment, which is scheduled for May 4. At that appointment, I should be cleared to have small amounts of carbohydrates and maybe even fruit.

The end result of the surgery is that I can now eat much less and what I do eat isn’t completely absorbed. The tradeoff is that I don’t get as many nutrients from food, so I have to take a variety of vitamins each day. But that beats the heck out of blood pressure medication.

I feel about 1,000 times better. My blood pressure is under control, my kidney function has improved and my energy level is through the roof. My knees don’t hurt as much, and I can keep up with my wife when we go thrift-store shopping (which comes in very handy when you have to replace your entire wardrobe).

I’m still about 30 pounds from the total weight-loss goal that the clinic set for me. My personal goal is 15 pounds lower than that. My weight loss has slowed down some, but I suppose that’s to be expected. I believe I’ll lose the last 45 pounds, even if it takes me a few months.

It’s not always easy. There are lots of temptations. But I try to follow doctor’s orders as much as possible and I have no doubt that I would not have been able to do this on my own.

No, I don’t get to stuff my face with French fries (I haven’t had a single one since that trip to Whataburger). Carbonated beverages are off the table, for life. I haven’t had a bite of real pasta in months. No more Little Debbies.

But I’m lighter than I’ve been since before my oldest son was born more than 30 years ago. I can carry the groceries in the house without having to take a break between trips. I can go into a restaurant and not have to ask for a table rather than a booth. My blood pressure is under control. My kidney function has improved. I’m optimistic that I’ll be around to meet my great-grandchildren. And all of that tastes pretty sweet.

I tell you all of that, to tell you this: If I can do it, you can too. It’s not easy, but it’s certainly worth it. It will change your life.

••• Scott Loftis is editor and publisher of the Carroll County News. His email address is SLoftis@CarrollCoNews.com.