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Goals

Move my body pain free

Category: Health   
1 Person
 in progress, 
0 People
 achieved this

Not worry about fitting in movie seats, booths, seat belts in cars or airplanes

Category: Emotional Wellbeing   
2 People
 in progress, 
0 People
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not worry about fitting on amusement park rides

Category: Hobbies & Interest   
6 People
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4 People
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Buy clothes at a regular store...not a plus size store.

Category: Emotional Wellbeing   
369 People
 in progress, 
81 People
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walk 3 miles a day

Category: Health   
3 People
 in progress, 
0 People
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View The Goals Page
Surgeon Testimonial

Michael A. Schweitzer M.D.
I am happy to say that Dr. Michael Schweitzer is my surgeon. I first met Dr. Schweitzer on July 2, 2007 at my consult with him. Even before I met him, I had done so much research I knew that I could not be in better hands. I found him to be easy to talk with. What I liked the most about him was the direct eye contact he made as he spoke to me. It gave me a real sense of confidence and that he was truely connecting with me as an individual. My impression of Dr. Schweitzer only got better over time. His office staff were extremely helpful and cooperative. Pat Jordan is outstanding as his NP and Alice as his surgical scheduler always had time for what I needed. In addition, the staff at his Green Spring office location were top notch. I never had to wait. Dr. Schweitzer was extremely concerned that each of his patients understood the risks of all the different types of weight loss surgery. It is important to him and to Pat that you be an informed consumer of this gigantic step you are about to take. To do this, there is an excellent web site associated with Dr. Schweitzer as well as the entire bariatric program at Bayview that gives you a vast amount of pertinent information. Over all I would rate Dr. Schweitzer as outstanding. I would trust him with my life anytime just as I did this time. My outcome speaks for itself. A 2 nite stay for DS Lap with no complications!
Member Interests
  • Books & Literature - I love to read
  • Dogs - I love Victoria Ann and Snoopy. I love doggies
  • Cards - Love to play cards and wish I could find a card group to belong to
  • BMI over 50 - Yep I sure am

Weight Loss Survey Responses

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Latest Surgery Support Comments

  • Comment by LeaAnn on 8/14/07 8:18 pm
    Thinking of you today, SwitchSistah, and savin' your seat! You are gonna LOVE your DS and your new life! Write soon!
  • Comment by Samaro .. on 8/14/07 10:19 am
    Hey sweetie, swingin' chickens for you. Hope your surgery is flawlessly textbook and your recovery is speedy. Hugs, Sandy
  • Comment by Sara S. on 8/13/07 8:14 pm
    Jo, I'm saying a prayer for you. Don't be afraid to hit that pain pump! Sara
Click here for the surgery support page
THE TIME FOR ME HAS COME......
joteddie's Blog



I blew up 180 million tons of rock!!
on July 7, 2008 12:14 pm

July 7, 2008

My husband and I visited my son Michael the first week in June. He is a mining engineer at Hibbing Taconite in Hibbing MN. The mine iron ore in the largest open pit in the world. Hibbing is 1.5 hours northwest of Duluth. We had a fabulous time. Of the many highlights the very best and exciting was that I was able to set off the blast that Michael planned. It was incredible. I have attached the pictures of it but it really doesn't do it justice. One of the things I am most proud of it that I was able to keep up on a tour of the plant. My husband counted and said I walked up 659 steps. They were the open steps and on the tour were male students around 20-22 years old and I kept up with them!!! Yes I was at the end but it didn't matter. My son was in the lead and periodically he would stop and look through the steps to make sure I was alright and was coming with him. I know he was so proud. If I had not had this surgery I would not have been able to do this.

Other amazing WOW's-I did not have to use a seatbelt extender on the plane. I was able to walk down the isle without having to turn sideways and I sat in the middle seat and kept the arm rest down!!!

The other WOW-I rolled up my pants, took off my shoes and socks and ran down the beach to wade into Lake Superior when we were in Duluth. Pictures of that included too!!!!

Here we are on the beach-
http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg211/joteddie/Visiting%20Michael/HibbingPictures001.jpg

http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg211/joteddie/Visiting%20Michael/HibbingPictures002.jpg

Here I am sitting climbing up one of the big trucks with my new 2X while jacket that I had to buy cause it was so darn cold up there-
http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg211/joteddie/Visiting%20Michael/HibbingPictures030.jpg
http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg211/joteddie/Visiting%20Michael/HibbingPictures031.jpg

Here I am getting ready and understanding how to set off the blast!-
http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg211/joteddie/Visiting%20Michael/HibbingPictures029.jpg
http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg211/joteddie/Visiting%20Michael/HibbingPictures041.jpg
http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg211/joteddie/Visiting%20Michael/HibbingPictures032.jpg
http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg211/joteddie/Visiting%20Michael/HibbingPictures037.jpg
http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg211/joteddie/Visiting%20Michael/HibbingPictures036.jpg
http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg211/joteddie/Visiting%20Michael/HibbingPictures042.jpg
http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg211/joteddie/Visiting%20Michael/HibbingPictures034.jpg
Finally the before, the blast and the aftermath-
http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg211/joteddie/Visiting%20Michael/HibbingPictures039.jpg
http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg211/joteddie/Visiting%20Michael/HibbingPictures045.jpg
http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg211/joteddie/Visiting%20Michael/HibbingPictures046.jpg
http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg211/joteddie/Visiting%20Michael/HibbingPictures047.jpg
http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg211/joteddie/Visiting%20Michael/HibbingPictures048.jpg

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You skinny BITCH!!!
on July 7, 2008 11:41 am
July 7, 2008

I went to a wedding of a daughter of childhood friends in Buffalo over the Memorial weekend. My son Michael flew in from MN. I had not see him since Thanksgiving. I met his plane. He looked around for me and went right past me and kept looking. I ran over to him and hugged him. He got real stiff because he thought I was a stranger. I started laughing and he then knew it was me. He pushed me away and looked me up and down and he could not believe his eyes.

I was wearing a size 20W fancy dress and 2-1/4 inch skinny heeled sandles with straps around my ankles and sequinces on them. I have not wore shoes like that in a hundred years. Anyway my neice is up on the stage and looks out at me at the reception and yells out aunt Jo those are the sexiest shoes I ever saw, you skinny bitch!!! That just made my week. We got formal pictures taken because no one could believe how great I looked. Most of these people I had not seen since before surgery. WOW!!!
Here are the shoes and dress-
 http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg211/joteddie/Wedding%20in%20Buffalo/KristenHowardsWedding001-1.jpg

Here is me in a close up-
http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg211/joteddie/Wedding%20in%20Buffalo/KristenHowardsWedding005.jpg

Here is me and my son-
http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg211/joteddie/Wedding%20in%20Buffalo/KristenHowardsWedding007.jpg
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Finally time to catch up
on July 7, 2008 11:01 am
July 7, 2008

I hardly know where to begin. It has been close to two months since I wrote. The biggest reason is that I have been very, very tired and everything felt that it was too much of an effort. 

As great as I was feeling all of a sudden I took a real plunge and have been very tired. Turns out that my iron, iron transferance, red blood cells, HCT etc all all below normal. Also my pre-albumin dipped below normal as well. It is amazing how tired that can make you. Everything seemed to be a challenge to do and way too much of an effort. I tried to take repliva but the pills were way to big for me to swallow and splitting them did not work because of once the coating is off you can taste the iron and I still was unable to swallow them. I thought I was going to have to go to get an IV iron treatment, but one of the physicians here at the hospital suggested I try the polysaccride-iron complex capsules 3 times a day. He said they are usually well tolerated. Turns out he was right and I am doing fine with them. I have been taking them for around a month now. I am just amazed at  how tired it can make you. The down side which I am attributing to the iron because I really have not changed anything else, is more frequent bowel movements. I easily go 4 times a day and sometimes they are urgent. However, that is about what I did prior to surgery, so no big deal in that respect. It just was only 2 times prior to the iron. I am glad though not to be constipated from the iron which I think would be worse.  I have begun paying really close attention to my body so when it is time to go, I go. 

I also got a very big unhappy surprise with my teeth. All of a sudden they started to have these big dark discolored spots. My dietician reviewed how I was taking my calcium. She suggested some changes. However I still saw the discoloration spots continue so I made an appointment with my dentist. The funny thing is that I was just at the dentist the end of March for a cleaning and the spots were not there. I was relieved because the dentist said that is was just external staining because I use chewable vitamins. Where ever there is slight pitting of the enamal the discoloration can happen.
After 30 minutes in the chair, my teeth never looked better. All the stains are gone. He recommended that I come in every 3 months instead of 6 months for a teeth cleaning. I am happy to do that and very happy to hear my teeth are doing great no problems.
My hair is falling out a few strands at a time when I wash it and comb it in the morning. I believe that is because I can't seem to get my pre-albumin levels up. I try to ensure that I eat as much protein as I can. I found a couple of things from Carb smart to help me increase my protein intake such as Dixie Carb Counters Skinni Spaghetti AngelHair Pasta which has 26 grams of protein a 2oz serving and only 2 carbs. I really like it. I made chicken noodleSo I also ordered their mashed potatoes, bread mix, donut mix!!!, and cake mix. All have really high protein, very low carbs and no sugar alcohol which is the product of the devil. The sugar alcohol and fiber is now killing me these days. If I eat something with too much fiber that uses that to lower the carb count I could just die from the gas pains. 

Still I am very happy that I did the surgery and feel very luck that these are the only downsides if you can call them that. I am down 146 pounds and very happy. I am wearing size 18 dresses, skirt suits as well as tops and 26W pants look good but I can also do 24W as well. I have some wonderful wows that have happened and will put them into a seperate post.

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Another Flood
on May 18, 2008 5:57 pm
May 18, 2008

Can you believe it, we had another flood in our basement. It rained like crazy out here and it has not stopped. What a mess. We had to take up the carpet and rip up the padding AGAIN. It was really icky doing that as it is glued down. The glue mixed with the water yuck. The padding was slopping wet, I could not believe it. Well the waterproofing people came. They had to dig down to the footers and foundation. They said it was soak and wet. They dug around the entire part of the basement below grade and put in drainage and weepers to ensure drainage of the block foundation. And then put in stone and back filled with concrete. They finished on Thursday and guess what, we have a dry basement eventhough it has been raining like crazy. It takes 28 days for the concrete to cure. Once that happens we can get the padding replaced and keep our fingers crossed that we will be able to keep our carpet. I can only hope that this is the end of our water problems.
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9 Month Update
on May 18, 2008 4:56 pm
May 18, 2008

I am 9 months out from surgery and down 112 pounds-I lost 7 this month and all together from the start I have lost 135 pounds. I am wearing 20 W dresses and 26W pants or 2X's. I am very happy. I am wearing high heels and actually saw a pair of really strappy high heels for a wedding I am going to attend May 31. The dress I am wearing is black with short sleeves and sequints on the top. I saw a lot of really pretty dresses but the majority were sleevless with straps and I just wasn't sure if my arms could take it. So in the cafeteria I was sitting with my bowling buddies. I was wearing a pant suit with a sleevless scoop neck shell underneath. I took off the jacket in preparation to asking them about my arms. Half-way from taking my jacket off I start to hear whisles and cat calls. I turned around and noticed that in the cafeteria there was a table of the facility guys, a table of dietary staff and a table of housekeeping staff and only one visitor. So I turned around and thought to myself, okay I will play. So I start laughing and take my jacket off the rest of the way. I go around the room and say, hey, I wanted to wear sleeveless, what to you guys think? Well the guys started cheering and the rest of the tables started to applaud and screamed out how proud they were of me. And a couple of the guys said, I'll take you, you are looking mighty fine to me. Boy what a boost to the ego. And a great WOW. I am so glad I had this surgery!

Here is my updated photobucket with a link to my weightloss progression to include my 9th month pictures.  
http://s249.photobucket.com/albums/gg211/joteddie/My%20weight%20loss%20progression/?action=view¤t=660ff9fd.pbr
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My Story

I WAS ALWAYS FAT AS A CHILD. BUT MY COUSINS WERE NOT AND I WAS ALWAYS COMPARED UNFAVORABLY TO THEM. IT BOTHERED ME THEN AND IT TOOK A VERY LONG TIME FOR IT TO STOP BOTHERING ME. BUT BY THEN I WAS USING FOOD AS A CRUTCH TO TEMPER MY EMOTIONS WHETHER THEY WERE GOOD OR BAD. IN MY ADULT LIFE I ONCE LOST 125 POUNDS WITH WEIGHT WATCHERS AND GOT DOWN TO 170 POUNDS AND ACTUALLY WORE A SIZE 10 DRESS. I WANTED TO CUT THE TAG OUT AND SEW IT ON THE OUTSIDE. HOWEVER, DURING THIS SAME TIME PERIOD MY HUSBAND AND I WERE DIVORICED.

I MET MY CURRENT HUSBAND AND MANAGED TO GAIN ALL OF IT BACK...AND MORE. NOW I WEIGH AROUND 360 POUNDS AND AM 5'4".

I JUST RETURNED FROM A WEEK LONG BUSINESS TRIP THAT HAD ME FLYING ON 6 DIFFERENT PLANES, 5 OF THEM WERE 2 SEATS ON EITHER SIDE AND ONE OF THEM WAS 3 AND 3. WALKING THROUGH THE DIFFERENT AIRPORTS WITH MY LAPTOP BACK PACK I HAD TO STOP A ZILLION TIMES TO CATCH MY BREATH. I WANT MY WLS RIGHT NOW!!!

I STARTED OFF THINKING I WOULD JUST GET THE LAP BAND.  BUT I TOOK MY DOCTORS ADVISE AND STARTED DOING RESEARCH. I AM CONVINCED DS IS THE WAY TO GO CONSIDERING THE AMOUNT OF WEIGHT I NEED TO LOSE. I AM NOT REALLY SCARED OF THE SURGERY THOUGH I AM SURE I WILL BE NERVOUS WHEN THE TIME COMES. I AM CERTAIN I WILL HAVE A VERY SHORT LIFE SPAN IF I DON'T DO IT. I AM 53 NOW. MORE I AM WORRIED IF I WILL HAVE TERRIBLE GAS AND THE RUNS AND IF IT WILL SMELL HORRIBLE. I AM AROUND PEOPLE ALL DAY AND ALTHOUGH I HAVE MY OWN OFFICE, PEOPLE ARE IN AND OUT ALL THE TIME.  SO I HAVE BEEN INVESTIGATING PRODUCTS TO BE PREPARED.

AND I HAVE BEEN ASKING OTHER DS AND RNY WHO WERE AS LARGE AS I AM, WHY THEY CHOSE THE PROCEDURE THAT THEY CHOSE.

I HAVE MY CONSULT WITH MY SURGERON ON JULY 2, 2007.

I DON'T INVISION HAVING INSURANCE DIFFICULTIES. MY EMPLOYER IS SELF INSURED AND IT IS COVERED AND MY BOSS HAS BEEN EXTREMELY SUPPORTIVE WITH MY DECISION TO HAVE WLS.

MY LIFE IS GOOD HOWEVER BEING SMO IS JUST KILLING ME WITH ALL THE THINGS IT EFFECTS LIKE CHAIRS TO SIT IN, SEAT BELTS, ETC. AND I KNOW IT EFFECTS MY HUSBAND WHO WORRIES ABOUT ME AT THIS SIZE ALL THE TIME.

I AM HAPPY TO BE ABLE TO REACH OUT TO SUCH A SUPPORTIVE GROUP.

 

 

 

 

 


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