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  • Username: fhgt48
  • Location: Caldwell, ID, USA
  • Member Since: 6/2/2007
  • BMI: 20.7
  • Learning about surgery
  • Surgery Type: RNY (08/07/07)
  • Surgeon: Jim Valentine, M.D.
Before & After

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Goals

See a surgeon about surgery

1 Person
 in progress, 
1 Person
 achieved this

Lose 110 lbs and keep it off

8 People
 in progress, 
1 Person
 achieved this

Be able to walk through a store without pain

1 Person
 in progress, 
0 People
 achieved this

Fit comfortably in any seat I choose (lawnchair, movie theater, airplane etc.)

525 People
 in progress, 
343 People
 achieved this

Buy clothes at a regular store...not a plus size store.

791 People
 in progress, 
591 People
 achieved this
View The Goals Page
Surgeon Testimonial

Jim Valentine, M.D.
Good Dr. he gives good and through explanations. Friendly yet serious when appropriate. rnHe told me up front and in detail what my risks were and what were the chances of dying from the surgery.rnHis office staff is great. His PA is concerned, friendly, and very supportive. The rest of the staff is efficient and friendly. rnSo far I like Dr. Valentine and his staff.
Member Interests
  • Hiking - At least I used to. We used to go on one or 2 packpack trips a year
  • Gardening - I am an avid gardner and I grow orchids
  • Artist/Muralist - I do China painting, some Oil painting and I make jewelry especially silver clay
  • Home School Parents - Home Schooled 4 of my 5 children

Latest Surgery Support Comments

  • Comment by Donna S. on 8/7/07 3:09 pm
    Hope you have a uneventfully surgery, I will be praying for you and cheering for you when you return. May you have a fast recovery. Hugsss Donna
  • Comment by jenstime on 8/6/07 6:12 pm
    I wish you the best on your Surgery tomorrow! You will be in my prayers...see you when you get on the losing side!! Your new friend Jen
  • Comment by treiser on 8/6/07 5:48 pm
    Congratulations on your upcoming surgery - you will be in my thoughts and prayers! Tanya
Click here for the surgery support page
Hi, let me introduce myself. I have a BS degree in Microbiology and Chemistry. I spent a year in a Medical Technology intership. I worked in a hospital lab from 1967 to 1998. I now work at home designing houses. Figure that one out. It works. I have about 15 builders that I do regular work for many private individuals that come to me. My husband spent over 40 years in the Army; retired as a Colonel as well as an E7. He was older when he went to OCS at Ft Benning Georgia. He then went to ranger training. He had been logging when he went into this training so he was really tough already. He has served as a Tac officer, taught small arms fire, hand to hand combat, and Artillary.  He has been wounded twice. He has been through 8 1/2 years of combat. He joined in 1956 so you can figure out where he spent a lot of time. All I can say is that he was one of those early advisers. He still will not talk much about his experiences. It brings up images he doesn't like to relive. He last worked in Army research. He helped develope the tank simulator training and he set up the first internet based courses. This was before the internet was readily avaliable. Some of his men have told me that he is the meanest SOB they have ever known, but would follow him anywhere.  We have 5 children ages 20 to 38. We also have 6 grandcildren. Ages 10 mo to 16 years. All are boys except 1.  And just for the record I am much younger than my Husband.
fhgt48's Blog
fhgt48's Blog


3 month update
on November 11, 2007 4:05 pm
I am not good at updating as you can see. 
Surgery went well. It was less painful than I feared. I was really dizzy after and had a very hard time walking. I finally pushed a wheelchair around the nurses station 3 times so I could go home. I could hardly see anything and everyone sounded funny, but I did it. I had really bad diarhea for the whole time I was in the hospital. I was also bleeding GI. I bleed for about a week. I always do. It isn't bad enough to get too excited about, so I do fine. 
I had to take salt tablets for a while because I was so depleted from all the water and so little food and of course it isn't salty food. I was soo glad to get off of the liquids and taste real food. 
I was doing really well and getting about 45 min of bike riding a day until I had my fall. I was bleeding from my left ear, I broke my right arm. (radial head fracture), cracked my right femur just above my knee, broke 3 teeth and got 7 stitches in my chin. earlier this summer I had 4 stitches in the same spot. I am a clutz. 
I just got a trainer that turns my bike into a stationary bike and is wishper quiet. I can't exercize outside in the cold because of my lungs. So, I am good for the winter. My fall has been more painfull and a longer recovery than my surgery. I still cannot yawn without pain all the way up my ear and I can't chew anything hard. My arm is still sore and my knee still hurts some. Now I need 4 new crowns on my teeth. 2 of them are urgent. Yep, the ones from the accident. The one is broken down to the root. 
I have lost 46 lbs so far. It isn't the fastest, but when I realize that I am getting close to halfway, It sounds darn good to me. I feel better and I am off blood pressure meds. In fact, I can't tollerate them. My blood pressure was dropping way too low. 
I am working way too hard and way too many hours and not getting paid nearly enough. I have to find a solution because I can't keep up this pace. I am working 14 hours a day 6 days a week. That doesn't leave time for anything else. Obviously I am not charging enough and I am giving too much away. 
That is pretty much it for now.
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My Story

June 10, 2007
I'm sure that my story is nothing new. I was skinny until 16 when my thyroid went out on me. I have struggled with my weight ever since. I have been the classic yo-yo. I have lost weight with every pregnancy. While pregnant I could eat all I wanted. I had to eat constantly to keep it down. Empty stomach meant I would start throwing up and that would last for days. I had cravings for things like chocolate, which I don't usually like. I couldn't eat a lot of vegetables or fish, but pile on the pasta, potatoes, rice and dessert. Yet I lost weight. But my weight always came back on and then some. 
I eat a very healthy diet. I eat lots of vegies most of which I have grown myself. I love fruit of most amy kind. Right now my strawberries  are on and so I eat lots of them. Without sugar. I mostly just go out in the garden and eat them there. Peas are also on. I eat lots of salad with my homemade fat free dressing. (no sugar either) Rasberries come on next. I eat whole grains. Old fashioned oatmeal, cracked wheat cereal, Whole wheat breads, raw nuts, etc. I don't eat much candy (almost never) We don't have desserts around. I just eat plain old good homecooked food. I am now eating about 1/2 of what I did 5 years ago. Yet I am still gaining weight. I know I don't eat over about 1800 cal per day. I should be able to at least maintain at that, according to my nutrition books. 
My 83 year old father eats more than 3,000 cal per day just trying to keep from losing weight. He is skin and bones. He has always had to eat vast quantities of food. I used to pack his lunches and help with dinner, so I know how he eats. I can't even begin to get down all the food he eats. We are just different. He is going to have a cow when I tell him about surgery. He thinks it is stupid that people have to have an operation to do what they can do themselves. Like he would know???
This is sure a good place to vent. It feels good and I know that anyone reading this will understand and not just judge me. I have had so many people say "Well, I watch my weight."  As if I don't. I can do things they can't even think of doing. All of us have our strenghts and our weaknesses. We should never judge. We should just love one another and treat others as we want to be treated. There I have said a mouthfull. I will write more later.