Cindi Spurgeon
3/12/02. I'm finally going to meet with Dr. Overcash on April 4, 2002. I have been putting off doing anything about the surgery because of my Lupus and other health issues that I wanted to be sure are in control. I'm really ready for this surgery and looking forward to it. My husband, his brother and sister-in-law have all had the surgery done by Dr. Overcash with great results so I have great confidence in him.
4/4/02 Weighed in at Dr. Overcash's office at 354
4/5/02 I met with Dr. Overcash yesterday. I have all my paperwork turned in, including three letters from different doctors. His staff were so helpful, especially Patrice. Now I just have to wait for approval and then a date. Dr. Overcash was very thorough in explaining things to me. I have several health issues which make me higher risk, especially my Lupus and history of DVT (blood clots). Dr. Overcash stated that he would install a filter in my artery to prevent blood clots from passing through, so that allayed some of my fears. I just can't wait to get the surgery. I want to be able to walk around like a normal person not having to worry about my legs swelling so much and getting so tired. My biggest personal goal is to be able to get up on a horse again, which is something I haven't been able to do in 20 years!
4/5/02 After I posted that last comment I spoke to Dr. Overcash's assistant, Patrice. I got approved!!! My surgery is scheduled for April 22, 2002. I can't wait!!!!
4/19/02 Only three more days! I'm getting excited.
4/28/02 Well I'm almost one week post op and I can say I feel pretty good. I got out of the hospital a couple of days ago. The surgery went really well. The worse part was having the tube in my nose and down my throat for four days. Once that tube was out I felt 100% better. I spent a lot of the time at the hospital walking the halls or rocking in a rocking chair. This really helped in releasing the "gas" pressure. Since I have been home I have been trying to keep active and not lay around too much. So far I have been eating the clear liquids - jello, broth, popsicles, crystal light and lots and lots of water (really important to drink lots of water, otherwise my throat feels so dry!). When I had the surgery they inserted a vena cava filter through the vein in my neck to help filter blood clots. I don't even know it's there other than the little incision in my neck. Speaking of my incision, mine is pretty small only about 4 1/2 inches. I have no regrets about getting this surgery and am looking forward to losing. I go to see Dr. Overcash on May 6th to get my staples removed and my first weigh in.
5/6/02 Two weeks post op weight 332 down 22 pounds! I saw Dr. Overcash today and got my staples out and got weighed in. It didn't hurt too much when the staples came out. He says everything looks good. The top half inch or so of my incision is still a little gummy but Dr. Overcash's assistant said that it will heal up on in no time.
5/30/02 I am now 5 1/2 weeks post op and have started eating a little solid food. I have been eating small amounts and chewing alot. I tried turkey the other day and it was the only thing that has made me sick so far. I have been eating chicken, imitation crab and a little shrimp. The best thing I have been able to tolerate so far has been cheese. I don't want to look at another bowl of soup or cottage cheese again :) I'm looking forward to weighing in next week and hope I'm getting close to breaking the 300 pound mark.
6/5/02 6 1/2 weeks post op - I weighed in at 312 - I'm down 42 pounds whoo hooo!
6/17/02 8 weeks post op - I met with Dr. Overcash today and weighed in at 300 pounds - I'm down 54 pounds! This is the first time since 1985 that I have been down to 300, it's a downward slide from here :) I have been feeling great, my energy level is good, no hair loss and I'm learning day by day what I can tolerate. I'm pretty much eating chicken, fish or dairy products at this point. I can't tolerate beef or pork and don't plan on trying anymore for a couple of months. The one time I tried bacon, it caused me to dump, and the same with a few bites of pork ribs I tried. I have been taking water aerobics for a couple of weeks and it really feels good to get some exercise. I still can't tolerate walking. I have lupus and osteo arthritis in my legs and spine and it causes me a lot of pain. Hopefully as I lose more weight, I will be able to tolerate other forms of exercise.
8/1/02 I'm a little over 3 months post op and now weigh 284, which means I am down 70 pounds whoo hooo!!! I have joined Curves, a fitness center for women and work out three times a week. I'm actually enjoying getting exercise for the first time in my life. Eating has been good. I'm still eating only about 1/2 cup at a time. I get my protein from eating chicken, fish, yogurt, and cheese and I don't seem to be having a problem getting enough protein in. I still stay away from beef and pork. I have started to eat a little fruit and vegetables. I have to say I feel pretty good right now. I had a Lupus flare a couple of weeks ago but it only lasted me a couple of days. I only dump occasionally. The biggest thing I have learned is to eat very slow. That was the key for me to prevent dumping. I have been doing pretty good in not grazing, but I must admit I do it sometimes. When I do it's usually to have some popcorn.
9/1/02 Four months post op I weigh 274. I'm now down 80 pounds. I've been working out a month now and I'm still enjoying it. I didn't lose as much weight this month as I would have liked to, but I think it might be slowing down because of the exercise, but I'm still very happy. Two more weeks and I go to see Dr. Overcash.
9/17/02 I'm almost five months post op. I went and saw Dr. Overcash today and I now weigh 268, I'm down 86 pounds. I'm trying to push myself to eat more protein and drink more water.
10/22/02 Today is my six month anniversary. I can't believe how fast it's going. I weighed at Publix last night and I weigh 252, down 102 pounds!!!! My eating has been going real well. I'm finally getting enough fluids in and I'm eating more of a variety of foods. I've started being able to eat pork, even bacon occasionally. I only eat bacon at home where I can control the amount of fat. Ham has been good too. I'm still staying away from hot dogs, brats and hamburgers. In reflecting on the last six months, I have no regrets. I'm enjoying working out, buying new clothes and I'm finally getting used to not being a super-sized bbw.
11/20/02 I'm now almost 7 months post op. I went to the doctor today and weigh 240, down 114 pounds!!! I have started to take protein drinks twice a day to boost my proteins because I'm afraid I wasn't getting in enough protein. Now I'm taking in between 80 and 100 grams of protein a day. I'm still watching my carbohydrates and fat pretty good, but have noticed that my appetite is starting to come back, I'm starting to enjoy food again and can eat more, so I really need to watch myself. I have been going down sizes in clothing very rapidly too. It seems like I'm changing size about once every 6 weeks. When I started this out I was in a 4x - 5x, now I'm in 1x - 2x. I have not had the hair loss that some others have experienced. I think this may because I have been in the hospital several times in the last couple of years and been under anesthesia, so my body is probably used to the shock.
12/17/2002 I weighed in at my surgeon's office today. I weighed 230, down 124 pounds! Dr. Overcash says everything looks good, he wants me to lose about 60 more pounds which would put me at 170 pounds. My personal goal is 160. 30 more pounds and I'm going to go horse back riding on the beach! This will be the first time in 20 years I have been on a horse. This week was full of holiday parties and I did real well on the eating. I stuck to the protein first and ate real slow so I was able to enjoy myself with out over doing it. I'm still working out at Curves 3 times a week and have lost over 30 inches since I joined there 5 months ago.
1/22/2003 It's my 9 months anniversary today! I weighed myself at Publix and I weighed 225, I'm down 129 pounds. My weight loss has slowed down a bit, its probably because I have been eating more carbs, especially popcorn. I also did not work out as much in the last few weeks because of the holidays and then I had a Lupus flair. I'm back on track with my exercise program. Now I just have to cut back down on the carbs and increase my water intake. The rest of my food intake is going well. I'm continuing to have two protein shakes a day - one for breakfast and one in the evening when I take my pills. I get the protein powder Just Whey which has only 100 calories but has 26 grams of protein. I add it to Crystal Lite and stick it in the blender.
2/22/2003 Weight 219, down 135 pounds!!! Ten months post op. I'm still struggling with the carbs but it is getting better.
3/20/2003 Weight 214, down 140 pounds. I'm almost 11 months post op. I finally broke my plateau. The big key was cutting way down on my carbs. I quit eating popcorn and bread, increased my water again, and started working out on a regular basis again. I'm going home to Minnesota for the first time in 2 1/2 years and I'm hoping to be down to 200 by then. I will be going Memorial Day weekend. Right now I'm wearing a size 14/16 for the first time since Junior High.
4/22/2003 Weight 209, down 145 pounds!!!! Today is my first anniversary. I can't believe how much my life has changed in the last year. I have so much more energy and I feel healthier than I ever has. I hardly ever get sick anymore yeah!!!!
5/28/2003 Weight 204, down 150 pounds!!!!! I went home to Minnesota for the first time in 3 years and my own family didn't recognize me. What a funny thing :)
8/26/2003 Weight 191, down 163 pounds!!!! Today was kind of bittersweet for me. I met with Dr. Overcash for the last time. I'm so grateful to him for giving me another chance on life. He only wants me to lose another 10 pounds or so. It's hard to believe in 16 short months how far I have come. When I think of how long I carried my 300+ pounds it amazes me. I turned 40 years old yesterday and I feel so much younger than I did when I turned 30. My body doesn't feel like that of an old woman anymore. If there is any advise I can give anybody contemplating this surgery, is weigh the quality of your life and follow your heart.
11/7/2003 Weight 184, down 170 pounds!!!! It's been awhile since I've updated my profile. I think I've pretty much reached the weight my body wants me to be at. I would love to get down another 20 or so pounds, but I'm not going to cry if I don't. I worked with a personal trainer for 6 weeks to help me develop a good workout plan to help tone me up. I also tracked my calorie intake and it has been averaging about 1000 calories a day. This seems to be a comfortable level for me, because it seems if I eat any more it is too much. I'm trying to get in between 80 - 100 grams of protein a day and keep my carbs below 40-50. I went horse back riding for the first time in 20 years. This was a dream come true for me, because I used to love riding, but once I hit 250 I quit. I also have started working as a volunteer for Freedom Ride, a therapeutic horse back riding stables for disabled children. I get to muck stalls, groom the horses and act as a horse handler during classes. I feel so blessed!!!!!
1/11/04 Happy New Year! My weight hasn't changed, but I have gone down another size. I fit into a 12/14 for the first time! I had some issues with hypoglycemia. I have found that if I eat several small meals a day it helps. I have to also remember to eat after I have been working out or when I am done at the stables because I seem to burn up alot. I did my first 5K on Thanksgiving Day. I walked it in a little over 1 hour. I plan on doing another one later this month. I never thought I would get to this point. My sister had the surgery in Minnesota back in June and she is doing so well! She is Stephanie Ehlers of St. Paul, Minnesota if you want to check out her profile. Right now we both weigh about the same, but she is 4 inches shorter than me. I'm so proud of her!
2/25/05 It's been over a year since I updated my profile. I have gained some of my weight back. However, I know what I have been doing wrong and I am fixing it. For starters, I'm cutting down on the carbs again. I had started to eat bread. I cut out the bread and the sweets and dropped six pounds in a week. I had also stopped working out. I'm not going to make excuses for that because the last few monthes have been horrendous. My mother in law passed away and hubby and I have moved in with his father so I have been too busy worrying about moving and putting in over-time at work to work out. I have started walking at the mall 2 - 3 times a week and walking 3 miles at a time so that is helping me. Don't let anyone ever tell you that getting the surgery is the easy way out, because you're still going to have to work on it the rest of your life and if you don't change your bad habits that made you fat in the first place, you can easily gain weight.
10/2/2005 My weight is up to 232 lbs. It's been a difficult year for our whole family. My biggest issue is my lupus is out of remission and it is effecting all aspects of my life. I want to work out but I'm in pain all the time so it discourages me from working out. I'm suffering from depression so I eat. I'm tired and lethargic all the time. I've had some others issues with pre-cancerous cells appearing that I've been scared about it. What it boils down to is I'm a mess emotionally and physically. I'm working with my primary doctor to get my pain under control. She has me doing stretching exercises that should help and low dose pain medication. I'm trying to get myself back into a routine at the gym. I'm going to Contours now and walking at the mall. I'm just going to take it one day at time and not beat myself up. I'm back to drinking more water and got rid of my diet soda addiction. Listen to your Doctor. Don't ever start up on sodas again, they are evil. I'm going try and keep a journal of everything I eat and how I'm feeling when I do so, maybe I can figure out what triggers me and only eat the three meals a day, but if I have to snack stick to fruit or veggies.
About Me
Before & After
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