ObesityHelp

Wow I can't believe it's been a year. I have lost 101 lbs. I can't believe it! I still feel like I have a ways to go, but as I was uploading photos tonight I realized just how far I've come! This has been an amazing ride. I don't regret one moment of it. I only wish I would have done it sooner.

Wow I guess I haven't updated this in awhile.

Surgery went really well. I was in the hospital for less than 24 hours. I was up and walking a few hours after surgery.

I have dumped a couple of times, but I guess that goes with trying new things, or thinking you can eat the old things.

Some sugars really get me. I haven't really tried much bread. I try to stick with protein and veggies. Cheese is a staple though.

I am still trying to get in all of my fluids. This is the biggest challenge for me.

I am so glad that I finally did this. I only wish I would have done it 6 years ago when I first started looking into it!

Well after a six month set back my iron is up, and I am scheduled for surgery. I have been doing iron infusions for the past 3 weeks. I have two left. I was hoping to have them all done prior to surgery, but my date was moved up a week, so I will finish my last treatment 3 days after surgery. I'll still need to take iron supplements, but hopefully it will stay high enough so that I don't have to keep doing the infusions. But we'll take that as it comes.

I don't know if I wasn't ready back in August or not, but now I am so ready for this part of my life. Its like starting over in a way! I'll update more after surgery.

After about two years of working with my insurance plan I was finally approved for surgery on July 31st. My surgery date was to be August 29th. 
I can't even begin to tell you how excited I was to finally be there.

On August 23rd I went in for my pre-op appointment and expected everything to be fine. I was counting down the days until the 29th, and was just over 2 weeks into the liquid diet.

The next day I received a call from the nurse, she told me that my hemoglobin was too low for surgery. It was 8.2 and needed to be at least 10 for surgery. 

I have been struggling with low iron for a number of years. In 2004 after being hospitalized with a blood clot I found out that I have Thalassemia. This is genetic blood disorder. 

I went in Monday for a pelvic ultrasound to rule out a cause there for the low iron. The results came back fine, which I could have told them that they would without going through that.

So now my doctor has me taking iron supplememts again, and wants me to be rechecked in 3 weeks.

I have been doing research on Thalassemia, and everything that I have found says that I shouldn't be taking iron supplements. 

I do have an appointment with a Hemotoligist later in September, so I am hoping that they can shed more light on this thing.