Clarissa G.

Send Message

Block

Add Friend

Hey everyone!

Just wanted to do a quick update. I was 3 months out on Thanksgiving day (11-27-08). I had my doctor's appt on 12-1-08 and he said I am doing great. I was diagnosed with an ulcer on 11-11-08 but thank goodness for some good but EXPENSIVE meds!

I started this journey at 284 and I am so very HAPPY to say that I now weigh 225.8 as of yesterday morning. I'm down from a 24 (TIGHT) pants and a 3X shirt to ....

16/18 pants
XL (some L) shirts!!

WOOHOO!!! I've lost almost 58lbs.  which I think is going a lil slow but according to my dr. yesterday, he said I was right on target. I am past 1/3 of the way to his ideal goal weight of 128....omg...I only have 97lbs to go to get there!  I say ONLY b/c It's alot better than 155 lbs...LOL

I know I can do this. Sometimes I find myself eating bad carbs and I have tried to watch them...(I cheat some) but I really try to eat my protein.

Anyway! LIFE IS GREAT!!! I'll post some pics soon.

Thanks for everyone's support and encouragement and prayers!!

Hey everyone. Just thought I would do a quick update. I am down 47lbs total now. Yesterday was my 2 month surgiversary.  My weight loss is going a little slower than I expected but I'm ok with it .. now...haha

I am down 2-3 sizes in pants and 2 size in tops! AND..wow...where are my boobs??!! LOL I've lost one cup size already and gone down 2 sizes around....WOOHOO!

Gotta Run...TTYL 

Hello everyone! Thank you all for your well wishes, good lucks and definitely the prayers!

Surgery day...I wasn't scared at all, to my surprise. The only time I cried or got upset was when I was talking to my son on the phone. Other than that, I was SO READY! I wasn't ready for the pain I would be in after the surgery. My mom said Dr. Pender fixed my hernia and I have a spot on my left side that they looked around for to see what it was....CAN WE SAY OUCH! Everyone at the hospital kept telling me the reason I was in so much pain was b/c of the hernia repair. It was obviously worse than expected and just losing weight wouldn't take care of it...dang it!

I came home on Friday. I have been dealing with that terrible burning in my left side. I have some terrible bruising at the two sites on my left side, that's from the exploring and repairing! It's getting better now, that's why I haven't been able to send out any updates. 

Well, it's official, I'm a LOSER! Starting at the beginning my highest weight was 284. I lost down to 280 then did the liquid (sorta) diet and my pre-surgery weight at the hospital was 272.9. I got home and weighed and had, of course, gained 6lbs.  Sunday morning was my first official day of being a loser, 1.1 lbs! I get up today and weighed and wow!... 4.7 lbs gone forever 268.2! It's worth it to see numbers like that again!

I haven't, KNOCK ON WOOD!, had any problems yet and praying that I continue on this path.

Again, THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR PRAYERS!

CYA soon!

Well, it's Friday afternoon! It's been a long but short week if that makes any sense. I will have having my surgery on Wednesday of next week! Surprisingly, I am not that nervous about the surgery, just everything else that I have to take care of before surgery! Preoccupied, anxious, overwhelmed! and the OMG it's really happening feeling but at the same time, thoughts in the back of my mind (something will happen, come up or something that I can't have my surgery) so I am not counting my chickens before they hatch! I have a positive outlook on what my life will be like after surgery and I can't wait! I know it'll be a long road to get to where I want to be but OH so worth it!!!

Well, I just wanted to blab a bit, waste some time or what have you to make the time pass. I will try to write again before my surgery but if not, I'll see you on the loser's bench REALLY SOON!!!

Well I went for my history and physical yesterday, Aug 5th. Everything went fine...but good grief did they take blood! I am just waiting for the time to pass! Wow does this ever get nerve racking?! I am excited, ready and just about as anxious as one can get. I find myself not being able to sit still...foot always moving, fingers fiddling or something. There's just no telling what I'll be like as time draws closer.

I did get most of my "food" needs for pre-op and post-op. ECU has a post-op diet now that they recommend and you don't have to use the protein powders to get in your protein during that time as well as most of the vitamins. I was told to not take the Opti-source vitamins until I came in for my 2 week check up. YEAH for me!

Just thought I would take a minute and blog out...haha!

21 days to go!   

Okay, so I have done everything and the past two weeks have been absolutely nerve racking! I went to my decision visit on July 21st. All went well with that and I got my "tentative" surgery date last week. OMG AUG 27th. I am so excited! I have to do the liquid diet 2 weeks prior to surgery so as of right now, I have 10 days of my "old way" of eating.

This is 2 and a half years in the making for me. I have successfully QUIT smoking! By the time I have surgery it will be over 5 months of no smoking for me. WOW that's a HUGE accomplishment for me! I was truly addicted to those things. I chickened out and couldn't quit smoking the first time around. So, I had to do all the tests over!

I think waiting this long has given me the opportunity to REALLY research, watch and learn more about the bypass. I don't think I was mentally ready for the challenges of this surgery but I AM NOW!

I CAN'T WAIT!!! 23 DAYS AND COUNTING!

Okay, so I was scared to death after seeing the message board posts about Dr. Pender. But I got there, spoke to the nurse first of course and then waited nervously for him to walk in. He knocked on the door, my heart sank to the floor, but he walked in, extended his hand with a smile and I returned the hand shake and smile. From there, it was a piece of cake. He stayed and chatted with me for close to 30 minutes probably. I asked him TONS of questions and kept apologizing for keeping him and he would always smile and say, "that's what I am here for...ask away". I walked out of there feeling great and very excited. 

Now I have met with both Chapman and Pender and at this point, I would say that Pender is more personable than Chapman but I like them both.

Okay...enough of that SO..

Had my consult and that same morning they sent me for my AB Gas, EKG & X-ray! WOW...3 of the 7 tests...DONE!!!! (again) haha Everything went great except for the AB Gas.....OMG OUCH!!! I have had one done before and know it can be done without much pain but let me tell ya....OUCH!!! If the person that is doing yours does NOT look like they know what they are doing...THEY PROBABLY DON'T!  I knew almost instantly that she was going to hurt me and she DID! I am not a wuss to pain ( or at least I don't think so) but OUCH!!

The ones I have left to do are:

Upper GI
Ultrasound
Pysc
Nutrition

WOOHOO....oh and today makes:

4 weeks SMOKE FREE!!!

Meet with Dr. Pender for consultation on April 21st