Barbara C.

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I have had issues with food comas, where you feel awful, then get sleepy and literally sleep off the effects of the food you consumed. I've dealt with foamies when you eat something that gets stuck. I've eaten too much, too fast and felt awful and thrown up, but I've never, ever had THIS happen. I had a little less than 1/4 cup of coarsely chopped walnuts and OMG!!! I started feeling uncomfortable, it went from uncomfortable to awful. I was at an ATM machine and nearly passed out. I got to the restroom just in time. I never thought I'd die, but I was clammy, shakey, cramping, and having terrible diareah. From start to finish, it was about 45 minutes, but the really rough ride was about 15 to 20 minutes. Afterwards, I was really tired, but started to feel more 'normal.'

Nuts have been a staple for me, a common snack that I've had several times a week. I normally have peanuts, almonds, pecans or once in a while walnuts, but I've never had anything like this happen. It may be a while before I try them again. I'm not sure why this was a problem. I had higher fat items before and I've had a higher sugar items before without incident. I have to say that it was pretty un-nerving. I would have understood it better if I had been messing around with candy or something else more treacherous. I guess this requires a really long-term learning curve and when you think you've got it down, you just might be surprised.

My health issues such as type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, and sleep apnea have resolved,

I have the endurance to do the things I want to do... I was able to do all of the flowers for my son's wedding (with a bit of help), set them up, and still dance the night away with some energy to spare.

I can shop anywhere my pocketbook can afford... I am no longer limited by what will fit, but by what I can afford. It's incredible to be able to walk into any store (except plus size only stores) and be able to find more clothes to try on than they allow in the dressing room at one time.

My choices in life are no longer limited by my size... I used to decide what I was going to based on my endurance and whether I would 'fit'. This is no longer an issue for me so deciding what I want to is easier... for example, flying is no longer uncomfortable since I easily fit into an airline seat,

I can eat whatever I want in moderation... I was worried when I had my WLS that I would have to give up all of the things that I loved to eat. I have been very fortunate and have found that I am able to have almost anything in moderation. For me moderation is the key and one that I hadn't found before. The size of my pouch helps me to practice moderation, as do some rules I set for myself which require that I always have at least 2 ounces of lean protien, followed by complex carbs ... I can have whatever else I want in the room I have left over ... a couple of bites of this or that is usually all I can handle. It allows me to enjoy, without deprevation or going overboard.

I have realized that being accountable for my actions will allow me to sustain and maintain the incredible losses and gains that I've realized with my WLS. In order for me to make sure that I'm being true to myself, I weigh myself everyday ... not because I'm obessive, but because I want to be sure that I don't develop ostrich syndrome that was a factor in my getting where I'd been before. I also log what I eat ... the good, bad and ugly. No one else sees my log. I don't post it publically so I am absolutely honest with myself. This allows me to see when I'm making questionable choices and make corrections so that I can continue to enjoy the successes related to my weightloss.

It has affected my family in positive ways beyond my on weight loss. My daughter is has lost weight weight and is learning to control her own weight. My husband has lost weight and is going to undergo WLS to complete his own transformation... My family will be healthier, living longer and better because of the decisions that I have made and the impact my decisions have had on their own decisions to care for themselves. 

I brought my daughter to NY for a follow-up appointment with her surgeon. Great news there! Even after a bad fall because the other leg failed, which caused a great deal of soreness and swelling in the leg that was operated on, she is doing just wonderfully!

After Sarah's appointment we set off to do some back to school shopping for her and I decided to get a few things for myself. While shopping I was very aware of the fit of things and found that I was buying things a little on the 'big' side, so that when I gain weight, they will still fit. There is this part of me that is absolutely convinced that I will experience some regain of 7 to 15 lbs. I 'can' wear a size 4 or 6 in most of my slacks, but I bought size 6 and 8's because I don't know/believe that I'll be able wear them in few months. They are okay now, but a little loose. I figure if I gain some back, they'll be okay and/or a little bit tight. The clothes I bought will probably sustain that regain, if it happens...

I know that I've been concerned about continued weight loss that was occuring last month and that has stopped, but my the things and amount I've been eating to get my weight loss to stop makes me more than just a little bit nervous. I eat everything and anything. I've been trying to gain and pulled out all the stops to stop the weight loss that was occuring last month... and it's worked, but it also scares me and I'm afraid that I'll start gaining uncontrollably, like all of the times in the past.

I haven't been journaling my food like I had before, so I've decided to try doing that again and Sarah and I will see about going to the gym after I pick her up from school. I'm hoping that these actions will help me maintain the bulk, if not all of my weight loss.

Many of you know that my best friend, aka Dear Husband, aka Ben has been in the process of applying to Duke for his own WLS. We had been told by his insurer that his employer had a specific exclusion to anything related to weight loss, including any WLS. We were disappointed, but he has Medicare so we knew that they would pay because he more than meets the criteria, but required a 6 month medically supervised weight loss attempt. When that was done, it wasn't done 'properly' and Ben has been in the process of doing it again. As long as he had to submit to the primary carrier and have them deny the surgery to submit it to Medicare, we decided to move forward and have Duke submit the package to UHC so that they could deny it due to the exclusion so that Ben would be ready for submission to Medicare. Wellllll, guess what?! His primary, UHC sent Ben a letter that he received yesterday indicating that he's been 'APPROVED' for surgery. Now, he needs to contact Duke to get a surgery date.

WOW!!! What a wonderful week this is turning out to be! Full of new beginnings.

Thanks to all who have rallied their support and concern as we have navigated the sometimes bumpy road to insurance approval. I know that there is still a lot of 'work' to be done, but honestly, it feels like it's downhill from here! We'll let you know when he gets a date.

Terri R who posts on the RNY board often lives in a suburb of the San Francisco Bay Area near where I'm staying. I was just delighted to have the opportunity to meet her in person and enjoy a lovely lunch with her. She looks just fabulous and seems to feel as good as she looks. She's recovering beautifully from her plastic surgery and wearing it well.

It was so nice to be able to sit a talk for a couple of hours. She's about 2.5 yrs post op and I really appreciated her experiences and perspective. I have continued to lose weight despite uping my calorie intake, upping my carb percentage, etc... It was actually good to spend some time with someone who has been where I am now and could give me some perspective and tips on how and what to do. Like Terri, I eat MUCH more than many post ops report. It has really worried me, but I feel a bit more settled now. I'll continue to weigh myself daily, pay attention to what and how much I eat, and my activity levels. I hope to be as successful at my weight maintenance as Terri has been.

One of the things that Terri and I talked about is the fact that we can eat just about anything and generally seem to eat about as much as a 'normal' woman our size eats. I thought that after the surgery, I'd always have to eat like a bird, but I haven't found that to be the case. Like Terri, I eat in excess of 2000 calories a day. I pay attention to what I'm eating and how much. To be honest, it amazes me that I'm able to eat so much and not gain weight. I understand that I may stop losing and even regain some eventually. Right now, I'm still working hard to keep my weight from dropping anymore ... I'm down to 135.