ObesityHelp

My name is Linda, I live in Ohio. I have actually been "over weight" most of my life. I have a wonderful husband whom I have been married to for 29+ yrs. I have two great kids my daughter who is the oldest is 27 and my youngest is a son and he is 24. I have obviously tried a lot of ways to lose this weight. In 1999 I was diagnosed as a Type 2 diabetic. I began to walk and then eventually take Jazzersize and did loose a lot of weight, then I let them put me on insulin to control my numbers. That seem to go well until I decided to go to work, with the schedule I was on I was no longer able to do the Jazz and wasn't eating right and therefore put some of the weight back on. I then tried a 6 month weight management program and only lost 8 lbs. I was devistated and over the course of the next several months put that weight and much more on from boredum mostly, but in any case that leads me here today. My daughter has been trying to talk me into this surgery for yrs but I always thought I could do it myself. Well enough is enough and I have decided after a lot of research and talking to my PCP that this is what I need and want to do. I am 48 and that is the same age my Mom was when she passed and I don't want to leave my family now when there is so much more to do and see.

I am now 2 short months out and I have lost a total of 57 lbs. 20 before and 37 after. I have a pretty "easy" transition since my surgery. I haven't had any problems other than some itching and rash that seem to come and go now but have not kept me from the journey I so freely have found myself on. The change in food has been ok, I haven't had any trouble with the foods I have chosen to eat albeit what is in my "bible" that the clinic gave me when I met for my pre-op. It has recipes and things that are ok to eat. I have been active with a support group and that has helped, there are people who are just ahead of me in dates and some who had it several yrs ago and they have been great in telling me what to expect and what they have been able to eat. My family has been very supportive and I have just started telling people about my wls and have run into absolute support! I was fearful that people would think I had taken the "easy" way out and now know what people mean when they say there is nothing easy about this journey. But it was a very necessary on for me!

April 6, 2007

Three months out now 77 lbs down (20 b4 surg).  I am feeling pretty good.   I work out all the time it seems and I am looking into going back to Jazzercise.  I do water aerobics now.  I have my three month ck up this week (12th) I had my blood work done here at home (had wls in MI I live in OH) my dr here was very happy with all the results!  I am keeping my fingers crossed my surg is just as happy. 

June 15, 2007

I am out 5 1/2 months, I have lost 107 lbs!   I feel amazing!  I move so much better, I can stand for longer than 5 minutes and my back doesn't hurt.  
I am working out 5 days a week doing water aroebics.  
I started a part-time job about a month ago and I am not sure if it is the working, working out at different times or needing to do something differe
nt, I seem to have stopped losing as much as I was.  I know this sometimes happens so I am going to give it a few more weeks to see if I can't break the stall I seem to have hit.  I haven't gained so that is a plus.
I am also at this point in time losing my hair, but I figure if this is all that happens then I am still blessed.
My family are still my biggest fans!  I don't know what I would do without them. My daughter is helping me with new clothing, I tell her I am 49 and have to wear clothes appropriate to that, she tells me she isn't trying to get me out of my MOM clothes she is trying to get me out of my MARM clothes!  So that is what we are doing.  My DH is amazing, he still goes to support group with me because they are a lot of fun he says!
So I still take it one day at a time and I am enjoying the journey and hope to do so for a very long time!


Nov. 25, 2007

I am ten months out and 165 (20 b4wls) I am 15 lbs short of 200 lbs.  I think the last time I weighed below 200 was 30 yrs ago when I got married.  I really haven't thought about a goal just figured when my body was done losing then I would go into maintain mode.  

I  went to my "yr" check up, but because my surgeon was leaving the clinic I wanted to make sure I saw him and he saw me.  This man is my hero, I realize I have done "the work" but I had never had anyone believe in me, other than my family and even they had to think things were never going to change, Dr Kam told me that this was something I could do and I was ready and was able to get to where I am.  He says I am doing well all my labs are great, I am down on a lot of my meds as well as off insulin all together.