07/15/04
Okay it's been almost two months since I put anything in my journal here. Naughty me! I'm always telling everyone to write, write, write!
So yesterday was my one year anniversary. Wow it's so hard to believe. I AM SO happy that I had this surgery. My life has changed so much for the better. I'm actually (starting) to have a difficult time remembering how it "felt" to be 330 pounds. My head still thinks I'm that big. I still find myself thinking oh. I can't do that or I won't fit into that. Then I remember YES YOU WILL!!
Last week we were at our family lake home and I was able to go out with my 15-year-old daughter and ride the go-carts. These mind you, where not powered by engines, but by legs. I haven't had that much fun in years! We laughed so hard going around the course.
I had my 1 year check up yesterday with the my nurse Barb (who is just simply the best). According to their records I'm down 162 pounds and have lost 22 inches from my waste and 22 inches from my hips. Wow that's almost two feet around!! Now I have a different amount, I have an additional 14 pounds or so that there records don't show. So this morning on my scale I was 149 that in total for me is 181 pounds gone. That's more than one person!
As I mentioned, we were on vacation at my husbands parents lake home. In one our closet my mother in law had her full-length mink. Now mind you, my Mother in law is a size 10 or so. So for fun I tried it on. IT FIT! I really thought for a minute it wouldn't, just because it is hard to comprehend some days. So I walked out to the living room with it on. I thought my mother-in-law was going to start crying. She was so excited; she thought she should give it to me. I said no, BUT I might want to borrow it sometime. Gee what a feeling that was.
In the midst of all this fun, there is also lost. We all lost Paula, AKA Momma Angel. I can't express how emotionally upset I was when I learned that she had gone home to be with the Lord. She was the first person to post on my page and she was my support pre-opt and post opt. There will never be anyone like her again. It was because of her kindness and love that I knew I needed to give back to others as she had given to me. So thank you Paula I know that Jesus' shining face is upon you and you heard well done my faithful servant.
I think my daughter is getting better with the weight loss. At first it was a change for her. Especially when I was in her closet looking for clothes. Yippee. She has cute clothes I bought most of them for her!
Tim is doing great. He has lost probably 80 pounds since May 7. I hate men! Why can they loose so fast? No seriously, I'm very proud and excited for him. You can already see a huge change in him!
I saw my dietician last month and she said I didn't have to come back anymore, "you are doing well, call if you need me." Then she said, you know we need to start thinking about if you begin to loose too much. I said LOOSE TOO MUCH! NO way. You know after being 200 pounds over weight, loosing too much just doesn't compute in my head. How could I loose too much? So after I stopped laughing, she said seriously, you shouldn't go below 120. Yeah right, like if I'm going to get there! Well maybe.....I will. I continue to be surprised everyday how this surgery has changed my life.
Okay so the weight loss is slowing down. Since my last post I only lost 12 pounds. Then I think ONLY!! Are you nuts, that a lot? Sometimes I struggled for months to loose even 5 pounds. But compared to 30 a month -- well I'm happy I don't have to loose that much anymore!
It is so fun to run into people who haven't seen me in awhile. I had a family wedding in May and some of my relatives who hadn't seen me in over a year didn't know me. They came up saying... gee we didn't recognize you! You look great. Today, I was at an association meeting where most people hadn't seen me for a year or so, many of them looked right past me, until I said HI! Then it was OH MY GOD, you look great. My first thing out of mouth is I HAD SURGERY!! I want people to know that the surgery was instrumental in my success. Yes I worked hard but without it I would not be here today.
So, life is good. I feel great. I wouldn't change anything. I have a wonderful supportive family and of course have all my AMOS friends. I couldn't do it without you. And I can't leave without thanking and giving praise to Jesus for all HE has done for me. Thank you Lord for your faithfullness.
Here's to the next year... let's see what it will bring.
Denice
330/149
-181
07-14-03
Dr. Svendsen
Park Nicollet/Methodist Hospital