ObesityHelp.com: Making the Journey Together
 
Photos

Mine (27)
I'm in (0)
Member Interests
I'm Jennie, from S. California.  I've been looking at gastric bypass for a long time, and used watch the surgical weightloss commericals and wish that I could have something done to help me lose this weight. 
I'm a Kaiser patient, and have gone through the Options program in Fontana.  I so much appreciate Dave and Jeannie for what they taught us.  I also appreciate that I have a really good PCP who supports WLS.

AbidinginHIM's Blog



January 31 - 1 year Post OP
on January 31, 2008 6:08 pm
Today, my mind is so full of thoughts and memories of this past year.  One year ago today, I entered Scripps Mercy Hospital in San Diego for my RNY gastric bypass surgery.  What a year it has been!  So many wonderful things have happened to me - at times I cannot believe that this is truly my life.

My dear, amazing husband has been so wonderful and encouraging to me.  He lets me know that he is proud of me, and that he admires me for doing this.  I am so blessed by him.  I sit in amazement when my skinny friends tell me of their husbands comments about their weight and size and how heartless and thoughtless those men must be.  John never once in our lives together has made a comment regarding my weight in a negative way.  I just wanted to say thanks honey for being there for me each step of the way.  For being my strength and guidance, my help and my rock.

Also, dear OH friends, I want to thank each of you for your encouragement and love.  The accountability here is great, and this BMI over 50 board is amazing and wonderful.  Thanks for being there for each of us going through this process.  Thanks for being my "hidden" help and strength.  A place where I could come and read and get info, be encouraged, and find people that truly understand.  Thanks for inspiring me to post my exercise, and allowing me to vent and rejoice.

Happy 1st anniversary to me - and to many more years of good health and plenty of activity!

Oh, I did update my photos.  Take a look at the "through the months" album to see how I've changed, and the 1 year album to see more from this mornings photo shoot with my dd photographer.

Oh, and yesterday was a WONDERFUL WOW moment!  I was at Kaiser and 2 receptionists commented on what a beautiful, trim figure I had, and wondered how I did that after having 3 children and being in my 40's.  They both said that I was beautiful.  I kept trying to see who they were talking about.  I blew away my ob/gyn who last saw me 13 months ago.  She was shocked.  Also, I have a plastics consult on Feb. 12th, and my 1 year post op visit next week in San Diego.  

Today, I feel on top of the world!
Be the first to leave a comment.

Shopping
on December 13, 2007 6:13 am
It's an amazing feeling to know that you can walk into any store and find something to wear!  In the past, my clothes came from a catalog, and today, I can walk into any department store and find something to wear.  Shopping has become fun, and I don't have to risk ordering something and wondering if it will fit.  While shopping is fun, it is still a scary experience for me, and I'm not sure why.  I often do not know if something looks good on me, or if it fits correctly or what size to pick out to try on.  I know this sounds crazy, but it is hard to shop without knowing the size rules.  I wish that women's sizes were closer to men's -- that a size 14 or 12 will be the same size across the styles/brands/stores.  

Currently, I am able to wear a size 12/14 pants (once my extra tummy skin is gone, I will fit into a much smaller size around my waist!), and a medium/large t-shirt and a large (12/14) button down blouse.  My shoes, which have always been a 2E or 4E width are now way too wide.  I might be able to actually wear a dressy type shoe again -- NO promises though!

As of this morning, I am below 205lbs, which is GREAT, and I have anywear from 9.4 - 19.4lbs to goal.  My surgeon wants me to be between 185-195 for plastic surgery.  I have LOTS of extra tummy skin, and my thighs are *interesting* to say the least.  My PCP wants to see me next month to begin the referral lprocess for plastic surgery.  It would be great to have that done and healed before my daughters wedding next September.

As I think about all the changes I've been through in this past year, it is hard to believe how hard my life was when I was so overweight.  At the time, I really didn't want to see that fact, but today, I know that my life was really a struggle each and every day.  Today, I find myself running UP the stairs to get something, I rarely take a nap -- except on Sunday afternoons!  I can move so freely, and have so much energy and strength.  I am no longer out of breath doing basic tasks, and can walk forever without my feet/legs hurting.  I am also able to sleep soundly without snoring, and wake up feeling very rested.  

I am very much looking forward to being under 200lbs, and for the first time EVER weighing less than my wonderful husband.  I am only 4.7lbs away from being under 200lbs, and 7.4lbs away from weighing less than John!  The last time that I dipped under 200lbs was way back in 1981 when I would starve myself and workout for hours on end each day.  I didn't stay under 200 long, and eventually worked my way to 375+lbs over the past 26 years.

My biggest struggles right now are:
1. Staying WARM!  Dr. Tanaka says I will always be cold, and that I should ask my husband to buy me a fur coat!  He can have such a sense of humor once he knows you better, and feels like you are being successful at losing the weight.  
2.  Keeping the weight demons out of my head!  At times, I still feel really fat and unfit.  I have to remind myself that I have not reach perfection, but I could live my life at this weight/size and be fine.  I am very healthy and doing well. It is still so discouraging at times for a health professional to see my current weight and make some smart ass comment about how I really need to get into shape.  If they knew my, and knew my body fat % instead of just the raw weight, they might keep their mouth shut!
3.Keeping in mind that the scale isn't my god and I don't worship it!

I feel that I'm at a point in my life where I have so MUCH to look forward to, and I'm glad that I'm now free of my weight to be able to enjoy my future.

2 comments | Click here to leave a comment.

Old Navy
on August 18, 2007 2:33 pm
This past week, my daughter Amanda took me to Old Navy to buy some clothes.  I found that I could wear a size LARGE top, and size 18 pants -- with no W in the size!  This was a HUGE moment for me.  I feel so much closer to normal all the time.  I've also moved into the size 14 speedo bathing suits, and soon will toss the 18's.  YAY for me!
Be the first to leave a comment.

Fitness Instructor?!?!
on August 4, 2007 10:59 am
This past week, I started training as a water aerobics instructor.  I love my water aerobics class!  I have gotten so much stronger and more fit by going.  The exercise has really helped my weight loss, and I feel so much better by exercising!  I tend to go 6 - 9 times per week, and when I was asked about training to become a teacher, I thought WHY NOT!  I'm here anyway, why not get paid for coming to class!  I also get a free membership at my Y for teaching.  I'm excited!  It's hard for me to believe that at this time last year, I was 375lbs  and having a hard time moving around, and now, I'm teaching a water aerobics class!  What a HUGE difference.

This past week, I crossed the 100lbs lost since surgery, and a total of 132.4 lbs lost since last summer.  I cannot believe how different I look and feel.  

Currently, my biggest struggle is to get my vitamin B1 level up.  I'm increasing my vitamins, adding a B complex to my 3per day Bariatric Advantage chewables and 2 B1 tablets.  I hope that will help.  Vitamin deficiancies has been my biggest fear with this surgery!  My B1 was at 7 at my 3 month labs, and now it is 8.  I've already added 2 B1 pills per day for the past 3 months with minimal results.  My doctor will retest in 1 month, and then decide from there how best to treat me if those levels are still low.

Be the first to leave a comment.

Off the Shelf!
on June 21, 2007 6:37 am
A HUGE WOW for me yesterday!  We were at Sam's Club, and I happened to see the bathingsuits.  My bathingsuits for water aerobics are getting a bit "thread bare" meaning the chlorine is damaging them and they need to be replaced.  Women's swimsuits are expensive, and I need to have several to "trade off" with during the week.  I began looking at the Speedo ones at Sams and thinking (hoping) that sometime soon I'll be able to buy one there for $21 instead of needing to get suits at Catherines or Avenue or some where else that cost so much more.  I pick up the 18 and think that I might be able to wear it.  So I pick out one of the suits and toss it into my cart.  I was afraide to try it once I got home -- but IT FIT, and it is even a bit on the bigger side - I think the 16 (no W) would be a better fit.  I'm so happy about that!  I can actually buy something to wear in a regular size at a regular store at a regular price!  Amazing!  

Another WOW happened to me at church last night.  For so long, I've had to sit on the aisle and let part of my hip/butt hang off so that I fit on my seat.  Last night, I could finally fit on my seat, without hanging my butt into the aisle and without hanging over on to the seat next to me.  I cannot remember a time when I didn't have to worry about that!  I cannot even begin to tell you how HUGE that was for me.  I'm finding that I'm not as space orientated as before, and I'm not as claustrophobic as before.  I feel like I've made HUGE progress in this area.  I also feel like I'm fitting in as a normal sized person and not as a huge standout because of my size.  I feel really free about this.

Praise the Lord for all He is doing in me today!  I feel like I'm a person again and not just a blob.
Be the first to leave a comment.

Browse pages: next >



Archive

My Story

I have been overweight ever since I can remember.  I was 7 when I went to my first Weight Watcher's meeting, and I weighed 63 lbs.  I've been on so many diets so many times that I can no longer count them.  I've been able to lose some weight here or there, but have always gained it back and then some.  After the birth of my second child, I was diagnosed with a hypothroidsim, and thought that I would be able to easily lose weight once I was on meds.  Well, it was easier, but not easy!  Also, it still didn't stay off.  I was over 300lbs at the birth of my 3rd child, and have not been below 300lbs in the past 17 years.

I'm very blessed to be married to a wonderful man who says that he truly doesn't see my weight.  When I told him that I was applying for this surgery, he wondered why since I really wasn't that overweight!  I'm glad that he sees the me that is inside instead of the weight!

Three years ago, my doctor asked me to consider WLS. At that time, I was 384lbs, and thought that I would "try again" on another plan.  Over the next 11 months, I did lose 70lbs by eating lots of lean protein and veggies as well as lots of exercise.  I had gained back 50 of those pounds when I asked my doctor about WLS in February of 2006. 

I have only told a handfull of people about my plans because I don't want to hear their advice or all of their horror stories, and quite frankly, it's not their business.

I had my surgery on January 31, 2007.  Everything went well with no complications.  The day before I was to go home, my IV infiltrated causing phelibitis and making me stay in the hospital an extra day.   It was wonderful to arrive home early Sunday, Feb. 4. 

When I had my official weight taken for surgery, I was 344.  Here is my weight loss since surgery.  I did lose 31lbs before surgery.  These are recorded each Monday. 

Feb 5: 326.2   amount lost: 17.8 lbs 

Feb 12: 322.4  -3.8  total amount lost: 21.6 lbs

Feb. 19: 320.6  -1.8  total amount lost:  23.4lbs

Feb. 26: 315.6  - 5   total amount lost:  28.4 lbs

March 5: 312   - 3.6 total amount lost:  32 lbs

March 12: 307.4 - 4.6  total amount lost: 36.6

March 19: 304  - 3.4  total amount lost:  40

March 25: 298.6 - 5.6 total amount lost: 45.6 I will be out of town on Monday, so this is Sunday's weight.

April 2: 296.6 - 2lbs a week of no exercise will slow you down! Total amount lost: 47.6

April 9: 293.2 -3.4 total amount lost: 51lbs

April 16: 288.8 -4.4 total amount lost: 55.4

April 23: 283.2 - 5.6 total amount lost: 61lbs

May 22: 271.2 - 12  total amount lost: 73lbs

May 28: 269.2 - 2  total amount lost: 75lbs

June 4:  267.4 - 1.8lbs and whatever my stupid cast weighs

July 24: 249.4 -- I've been gone so much that I haven't been updating!

July 30: 246.4  Total amount lost - 97.6

August 13: 240.2  Total amount lost since surgery 103.8 -- grand total lost: 134.8

August 27: 233 Total lost  since surgery 111, grand total 142

September 17: 224 Total lost since surgery 120, grand total 151

 

 


Copyright © 2008 ObesityHelp.com. All Rights Reserved.
Technical problems? Report them here.