Michelle T.

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Last Friday, I passed my 11 week post-op mark. Well yesterday 10/20/09, I had my first appt with my personal physician. I hadn't seen her since before surgery. Boy, was she surprised and happy to see less of me! She kept saying what a great job I was doing. During, the course of the appointment, we went over my blood tests and my current medications. She was very happy that all my test results were well within the normal ranges. So she tells me, well we are just going to have to take you off all your medications! I was like..."What?" I think I actually heard the chains fall off my body! I AM FREE!! I haven't been this free of medications (prescribed), in longer than I can remember! I am estatic! I am feeling so much better, too. I just completed my third 5k walk, on 10/18. I am actually thinking of upping my game to do a 10k. I know a lot of people run, but I have heard that wreaks havoc on your knees. I have survived this long without having problems, I don't want to chance it. I will stick to the walks and what they call brisk walking. Which is very cardio. I would have never believed you if you told me even 6 months ago, that I would be entering 5k's of my own free will, and doing so well with losing the weight. I am so in love with this tool I have been given and my second chance at living my life.

Today marks 8 weeks since I had the surgery that changed my life. Boy, what a ride it has been. I am down 40.5 pounds. I went to 8 week follow-up 4 days ago. The surgeon told me that he would have liked to have seen me 10 pounds lighter. I was a little discouraged. I see him again in 2 months, and he wants me below 200. I have a problem with my protein. I have definately been doing better with my water and exercise. I need to up my protein intake as well as my calories. If I don't my body will go into starvation mode and not lose anything. I did have two WOW moments recently. The first one is that I entered and finished my first 5k walk!! I was so proud of myself. I did it in 63 minutes. My legs were sore for 2 days after, but it was so worth it! I had to prove to myself that I could do it and I did!! The second is when I had on a pair of pants that were too big, everybody kept telling me that I needed to get rid of them. We went back to Rhonda's house, and Becky said she had a pair of size 16 that I could wear. I was like no way, I would never be able to fit into those! Lo, and behold I did!!! Tight as hell, but I did it!! I fit comfortably into size 18, but I went from a 26/28 to 24 to 22 skipped 20 and went into a 18!  I am working on a 16 and hopefully dare I even think a 14?!!

I guess I should let everyone know my story. I have been on this site since December of 2008, and had my surgery July 31, 2009. I have been heavy most of my life, since around age 11. I have battled various ways to lose my weight. I tried watching what I eat, weight watchers, Adkins diet, pills, fade diets all to no avail. I wanted to have wls for quite a while, but the people that I knew that had it, failed their "tool". So I naturally believed that I would too. So last year when I turned 40, I thought to myself I want to claim my life back. I don't want to die at 50. So I started really looking into wls. I asked my pcp, and she agreed to refer me to the bariatric program at Kaiser. I went through the mandatory 24 weeks class (6 months). I lost and gained during the course of the class. I had a couple of setbacks, but I made it through. I "graduated" on May 11, 2009. I had my surgeon consult on July 2, 2009, and was approved. As of today, Aug 18, 2009, I am down 21.3 lbs. In the 2 1/2 weeks post surgery. I have a couple of problems with my water, I did get a minor infection of one of my incisions. I have a follow up with my surgeon on Wednesday, August 19, 2009.