Once again it's been awhile. Now YEARS since I checked in here. I have not been to my local support group in quite some time either.

So I developed suspected NIPHS (non insulemic pancreatagenous hypoglycemia syndrome) and went through an awful time where every time I ate, even if it was solid protein, I had a terrible blood sugar crash within a couple of hours. I ended up seeing an endocrinologist at UAB who specalizes in metabolic disorders, and he has been awesome. I was afraid for awhile there that I would have to stop driving! Passing out in the car is not good, and I did that once, though it was just after I had parked the car. Still...

That may be old news. I haven't looked back to see where I actually left off but that was diagnosed in 2007. It's been a very long, slow process of relearing my body and my metabolism, and to some extent, retraining my body. After WLS they tell you that "grazing" is a sure fire way to gain your lost weight back. Of course, the prescribed way of eating for my blood sugar is what amounts to GRAZING in the WLS world. I struggled with making good choices several times a day. And some of my choices were fear-driven. I had to work my head around that. If I had the slightest inkling that my blood sugar was dropping, I'd go for sugar or carbs to keep it up. This choice might make me feel better quicker, but over and over got me back up to 240 pounds.

My WLS surgeon, much as love him, really kind of pissed me off by being so dismissive of my blood sugar problems as "late dumping" or "reactive hypoglycemia." I didn't feel right about his response, and neither did my primary care doctor, who read up on NIPHS and referred me for more complete diagnosis and treatment. Even after my diagnosis, my WLS surgeon completely dismisses the whole thing. WHATEVAH.

My father died in 2008, and the year leading up to his death was one of the most awful of my entire life, maybe the worst. He was supposed to have a minor procedure and be out of the hospital in a day or two, but an unfortunate series of events landed him on life support, and he clung there for several months. He'd been taking care of my mother, so I basically moved to Atlanta to care for mom and dad, while trying to do my job, and deal with my mother in law who freaked out about me abandoning my own husband.

It was a rough time.

Then I sold a house, bought a house, and had 2 car wrecks in which I injured my neck.  So the stresses were high, and the pain from my neck injury added to that, and interfered with exercise. In getting the neck injuries attended to, I learned that I have a severe degenerative condition in my neck, and right down my spine, and out into my hips and knees. I am covered up with bone spurs, and will probably develop rhuematoid arthritis, or so they tell me, given that the marker shows up in my bloodwork.

Gah. I didn't like that news about my spine condtion, there's nothing they can do about it, so I just pretend I didn't get that bad  news. Until I develop any issues from it that CAN be treated I guess.

LIfe just kind of piled up on me for awhile there, and the pounds came right along with it!

In May of last year, 2009, I saw 250 coming way too damned fast. My endocrinologist was also watching the pounds pile on, and he referred me to the EAT RIGHT program at UAB. They have been awesome to basically design a post-op support program for me. I have bi-weekly appointments, one is just a weigh-in, the other is a weigh-in PLUS visit with the nutritionist, exercise physiologist, and the doctor who runs the program, Dr. Ard.

I'm supposed to keep a food journal and.....I don't. But other than that, I have worked hard to retrain myself once again and to change my life habits. I go over my food choices with the nutritionist and tweak things here and there. I went from using 2% milk to fat-free and since I am still drinking at least one Unjury protein shake a day, plus home-made SF latte shakes every day, that actually helped. I moved my computer from the breakfast bar in the kitchen to the living room or my office - and what a difference that made!

I am still totally involved in sports car driving with the 1988 Porsche 911 that I got in July 2008. I compete in Autocros with SCCA, and I also do High Performance Driver's Education events at Barber Motorsports Park with the Porsche Club, National Autosport Association, and some other clubs.

My latest exercise obsession is ZUMBA. I love to dance, and it is a seriously good workout. I hate getting in the floor to do ab work, and come to find out, you can work your abs just fine standing up. WHO KNEW. I started going to Zumba in May of last year, thinking I'd get back into the habit of doing SOMETHING 3-4 days a week, then get back into the gym and get serious. Well, here I am almost a year later, still with the Zumba! Mainly because it's fun, and it works.

As of today, I'm working my way back down, currently at 217. My goal now is to get back under 200 pounds, and then I am making my appointment with the plastic surgeon and finally getting this size 5X flap of belly skin taken OFF OFF OFF!

I don't check in here much - best way to be in touch if you want to be is email kathycha@bellsoiuth.net. And I'm still posting photos here http://www.flickr.com/photos/kathycha and will eventually figure out how to link them here.

I don't look all hat much different from my "after" picture here, EXCEPT I quit dying my hair and it's almost solid white!