Jean N.
My Story
Aug 30, 2009
Hello, My name is Jean, I am in the beginning stages of hopefully having surgery. I have had my consult with Dr. Colquitt. I have had my pysch eval and ultrasound. My blood work has been completed. All I lack now is the over night sleep study. I am currently waiting to find out the scheduled date for that. I had begun to notice a lot of joint pain, especially in my hip. And a lot of back and neck pain. I cannot climb stairs easily at all anymore. I finally decided it was time to take action! I have a friend that has had this done, and she highly recommends it. We'll see what happens. Stay tuned...
~~May 01, 2006~~
Well, I had my sleep study last night. Let's just say that it was a total disaster! For the first time in a very LONG time I could not go to sleep. I tried and I tried to no avail. Teresa (lady that helped with my study) advised that if she was going to be putting the mask on me that she would probably be in by 2:00 am, well guess what...I was still awake at 2am. Yes, still awake! Then once I did get to sleep I could not stay that way, at one point I just about gave up and decided to go home. But I managed the full time required. Was NOT easy though. I asked when she came in the next morning if she got a n y good info on me at all? She said that she did the last half of the night but not the first. So not too sure what that is going to mean. She could not give me the results said that they will be mailed to the Dr. So now I wait/weight. LOL! I go to the diatary class on Wednesday morning. Am actually looking forward to that, should be very helpful. Be back soon.
~~May 3, 2006~~
Okay, I went to the diatary class this morning at the hospital as directed. I was told that it would be held on the fourth floor, at no cost to me, so I got there 15 minutes early and went up to the fourth floor. But, when I arrived where I thought I should be, there was no one there. So naturally I asked someone, I was told that I needed to go to first floor to out-patient registration. Thus, I did. Went through the whole process of registering (which turned out to be a waste of time), only to be directed back up to the fourth floor where I was orginally. Only now, I am 15 minutes late for the class. But, all turned out well. I asked why I had to go through all that, and was advised that I did not have to go through registration. Just another case of people not communicating very well on the job. So, I now have everything completed that Dr. Colquitt had required me to do, so now it is on to the Big Bad Insurance Company! Keep your fingers crossed for me that it goes smoothly. Be back soon. :)
~~May 15, 2006~~
I called Dr. Colquitt's office to talk with the Bariatric Coordinator, Jeanie. I asked her did they get all my results yet, she checked, came back, advised that they had all my results and that she would get everything together with my predetermination letter for the insurance company and get it sent out this week. I was happy to hear that news. I will check back later in the week. Also let me note, that on May 4th I started drinking at least 64 ounces a water a day, and on May 5th started taking two Flinstones Complete chewable vitamins everyday. The diatician suggested starting the vitamins now. The water thing is getting easier as time goes by. Well, hopefully I will get approved soon and be on my merry little way. Be back soon. :)
~~May 23, 2006~~
Good morning all, I just wanted to say that I was pleasantly awakened this morning with a phone call from Jeanie at Dr. Colquitt's office letting me know that she has gotten all my paperwork faxed to the insurance company. Yee-ha. She had called them to make sure they had received it and they advised they had it. So now I wait/weight. I pray that the insurance company has enough to make their determination and will just simply approve it... and quickly would be good too...Still doing good on my water intake. Getting easier (somewhat) everyday. Be back soon. :)
~~May 30, 2006~~
Okay...Jeanie from Dr. Colquitt's office called to let me know we heard something back from the insurance company. No, it was not an approval, it was however, that they are requesting more infomation. I now have to do a 3 month Dr. supervised diet and they are requesting a pulmonary evaluation for surgery clearance. I also have to have a nutrition evaluation. So I will get started on all that and carry on, but will not be discouraged. I will do whatever they require and/or ask to get this accomplished. This has become VERY important to me. I called my PCP and got an appoinment for tomorrow to start my 3 month diet. In the meantime I will get the pulmonary eval done as well as the nutrition eval, and then we will re-submit at the end of July. So once again I patiently wait. All is good! Be back later.
~~June 16, 2006~~
Hello all, I went and had my nutrition evaluation yesterday: June 15, with Angie Stewart, she is simply the sweetest person. It went very well. I took my daughter, Nichole, with me so she could possibly help me to remember everything. But it was mostly things that I had already learned and/or read, with a few exceptions. My next visit with my PCP is on June 28, and the pulmonary eval is set up for June 30th. Will update more after those visits are complete.
~~July 5, 2006~~
Hi, I went to my PCP on the 28th for my 2nd visit of the 3 month Dr. supervised diet, well... only lost 5 pounds, but the Dr said that it was progress. (Not much, but some, I guess). My next visit with him is July 22nd. Then on Friday June 30, I went to the pulmonoligist who did the usual chest x-rays and all the breathing tests. She was very pleased and advised that she would be happy to give me surgery clearance. Said that she would get the paperwork fixed up and sent to Dr. Colquitt's office by Monday. So now I just have the one more visit with my PCP, then we have to submit all the paperwork to the insurance company again. And hopefully they will approve it then. Still waiting/weighting patiently. But on a happier note, on Saturday we had a big cookout/birthday/bonfire party for my daughter who turned 21! Yee-ha. She is finally 21. We had an all nighter and it was great! Drank way too much (well, maybe not). Had great company, and everyone had a good time. I also figured that it would be my last "BIG" one before surgery. And the 4th was a blast too. We went on a nice long motorcycle ride with some friends. Got a little sun burned but that's okay too. Love this great United States of America!!! I will admit, however, we went through a town, that was of course, all closed down for the fourth, but as we rode through the town I looked over into the storefront windows and could actually see what I looked like on this Kawasaki 600 bike and it was not a pretty site! I am soooooo looking forward to next year when I can ride and be much more in proportion with my bike. Know what I mean?! Be back soon. :)
~~July 25, 2006~~
Hello, I went to the last of the three month diet visits on Saturday (yes my Doctor's office is open on Saturdays.) All went well there, I advised that we needed to get all the paperwork to Dr. Colquitt's office right away, he said that he would have it to them by Monday. So yesterday I called Dr. Colquitt's office to see if they had the paperwork, well, yes and no. The notes of the first visit were not there, so I called my PCP back...anyway they had them there by today. So Jeanie at Dr. Colquitt's office got all the paperwork faxed into the insurance company A G A I N! So I'm back to the waiting/weighting game again. But no worries, all will be fine. So hopefully I will be updating in about a week or so with an "I Have A Date" Keep your fingers crossed. Till then. Be back soon. :)
~~Aug. 11, 2006~~
Hello everyone, just a real quick update. On Aug the 8th I decided to call Jeanie to check and see if she had heard anything yet from the insurance company. She advised that she has not heard anything at all. So the next day Aug 9, I decided to call the insurance company just for kicks. Well, I am so glad that I did that! They advised that they had absolutely nothing at all new from the Dr.'s office. Said that I would need to have the Dr.'s office to call. What a let down :( So I called Jeanie back and told her what they had said. So, she called and had verified the fax # once again, and faxed everything to them all over again. So the last two weeks was valuable time wasted. Oh well, just one of lifes ups and downs. Anyway, I called the insurance today to confirm that they had my file, and she advised that they did have it this time. I will check back with them in about a week. So until later... Be back soon. :)
~~Sept 4, 2006~~
Hello, just want to add a quick update, there have been a few developments. First of all, I called the Dr's office on Aug. 17, and Jeanie advised that she had not heard anything. So on Aug. 19, I called the insurance company to check the status and talked to Gwen, she said that it was denied. (Again). I asked why, she transferred me to one of the nurses in the medical department. I talked to Marsha, she said that the medical director had noted non-recommendation on Aug. 11. (Two days after we resubmitted). She said that it could not be determined that it was medically necessary. After talking with her in length, she advised that if I would have my PCP call and do a peer to peer, that it M A Y help. She gave me all the information for this. Then on Saturday, Aug. 19, I received the paperwork in the mail. I really didn't do anything all the next week as I had out of state company all week. So on Monday, Aug. 28, I called Teresa at my PCP's office, explained to her what I needed. She said that she would see if she could get him to do that for me, and that she would call me and let me know. On Aug. 29, I called them again, talked to Darlene, she said that she was trying to get it set up for a peer to peer and she will call me once it has been taken care of. Aug. 30, Darlene called from my PCP, she said that he did the peer to peer and that he was in there all of 2 minutes, that they asked him 2 questions, then told my PCP that I was cleared! I could not beleive it!! On Aug. 31, I called Jeanie at Dr. Colquitt's office, told her the situation, she said that we would have to wait for the official letter, to let her know as soon as I hear anything. It seems to take about a week for mail correspondence. So I figure I should hear something by Sept. 7 or 8, given the holiday. Cross your fingers! Be back soon. :)
~~Sept. 14, 2006~~
Hello everyone, I need to update, (finally) I have great news! I received my approval letter on Tuesday Sept. 5th, however, my letters don't state approved or denied they state non-recommended or recommended, so I wasn't absolutely certain it meant approved. But I went with that. So, I called Jeanie but guess what, she was on vacation. So Kim at the office said for me to fax over the letter that I had and she would put it on Jeanie's desk for her return. I did that, so on Monday Sept. 11th I called and kept getting Jeanie's voicemail, I left her a message to call me back. As it happens my husband and I were on our way to mountains that afternoon and happened to go by their office, so I stopped in to talk with Jeanie. She was not certain on the letter either so she advised that she would call the insurance company to confirm and then she would call me with dates for my appointments for the surgeon and the hospital. Well, so be it, in just a bit she called me back and I HAVE A DATE!!!! October 16, 2006! Finally! So my husband and I go meet with Dr. Colquitt on the 27th of Sept. to go over all the details. So I will update after that appointment. Congratulations me! Be back soon! :)
~~Sept. 30, 2006~~
Howdy, I hope you all are well. Short update...Sept. 27, was a busy day for me. I started out at the hospital at 9:00 am for a nutrician class I was scheduled for. I met a lady that will be having the surgery the same day as I, with the same Dr. also. Best of luck Barb! Then from there I went and took a tour of the wellness center, where we get a free three month membership after surgery. Very nice facility. Then, my husband and I met with Dr. Colquitt at 3:15. He went over everything one last time. Answered what questions we had, did a brief exam and advised that I must loose 10 more pounds by the 12th. I am working diligently on that! Next step is pre-op testing at the hospital on Oct. 12th. Then on to surgery the 16th! Getting very close now. I am soooo ready for this! Well, that is all for now. Chow! Be back soon. :)
~~Oct. 14, 2006~~
Hi again, one last short update before surgery on Monday. Oct. 12th I was at the hospital by 8:30 am for all my pre-op testing. I had to go upstairs to Same Day Surgery and they got all my pertinent information. Then, they sent me downstairs to have lab work done, took 3 vials of blood and did a pregnancy test. Then, sent me over to radiology, took two chest x-rays, then, on to cardiology, had an EKG, then a lady came out and gave me the breathing apparatice to take home and practice. Then, back upstairs to SDS to talk with the anesthesiologist, he explained everything. And then they gave me all the info for Monday's events. I must be there by 8:00 am and surgery is scheduled for 10:00 am. After I left there at 12:30, I went over to Dr. Colquitt's office to be weighed. I weighed in at 298.0 from 309.5 on the 27th. I did it, I lost the 10 pounds plus 1.5 more. After that, I went right straight to Red Lobster and had a wonderful lunch with some friends and my lovely daughter! Hey, I hadn't eaten in two weeks, I WAS hungry. Well, next update will be after surgery! Until then, take care everyone! Be back soon :)
~~October 26, 2006~~
I am so glad to say hello to everyone on this glorious day! Why, because that means that I am now post-op! Let me fill you all in, best I can. I got to the hospital at 8:00 am on October 16, as instructed, my surgery was scheduled for 10:00 am, which started (believe it or not) at 10:00 am. I was in my room by 2:00 pm. My surgery was a complete success. Dr. Colquitt did a fantastic job. My recovery from the get go has been wildly enough exceptionally well. Everyone cannot believe how great things are going. Including me. I have had absolutely no problems. No nausea, no vomitting, the pain has not been all that intense. I was up and going right away. I just can't say enough. I can say, however, that the itching was intense. I presume that was from the pain meds or the anesthesia I'm not sure which. It liked to have drove me nuts! Thank God for my daughter and her long nails. I was off the oxygen by Tuesday mid morning. All my stats were good the whole time I was in the hospital. When I left the hospital around 1:00 on Wednesday I weighed 305.1. Now, let me touch on a few other topics I'd like to mention. My WONDERFUL sister and angel, Kim, was with me from the day before surgery all through my hospital stay and then till the following Sunday. And all I can say about that is, THANK GOD for her. If all of you could be blessed enough to have such a great sister as I, then you would know how precious a gift that is! Kim, I thank you from the bottom of my heart! And my daughter and my husband were also very helpful and did all they could to help me through this process. I am so greatful for family. Now then, I won't go into such a long speech about the hospital. I will do that in my hospital survey. But let me say this. I cannot say enough good about Blount Memorial Hospital!!! I thank the Lord that Dr. Colquitt operates there. The hospital and staff were absolutely fantastic. But, I am home for a little over a week now and doing just great! I actually got my 64 oz. of water in yesterday. I am not even bothered with the liguid diet still yet. Only because I'm not hungry and not eating very much I suppose. I just pray that I continue to do as well as this first week and a half. Oh, and by the way, I went back to Dr. Colquitt yesterday (one day early) thought there might be a problem with the drain, turns out it was just fine. Anyway he took out my drain and was pleased with my progress. And my weight there was 282.5. So that's about it for now. I will update again soon. Good luck to everyone who is trying for the surgery or for those who have had it and might be having a few difficulties. May God bless us all! Be back soon :)
~~Nov. 7, 2006~~
Hi everyone, just thought that is was about time that I update a little. Not a lot to tell...Everything is going really well so far, thank goodness. I haven't lost any weight for a while but that is okay too. My current weight as of this morning was 275.6. So far I have no change in taste as I've read some do. I'm doing good on my water and protein intake. A minimum of 60 grams on the protein (not including what little bit of food I eat) and anywhere from 51 to 65 ounces of liguid a day. I say liguid only because sometimes it's water, other times it may be decaf coffee; tea; or crystal light. I have no hunger pains but then again, I have no feeling of fullness yet either. I have had no food issues yet, thank God. I have not experienced dumping yet. I did get some scrambled eggs stuck Oct. 31st and it was not a good thing. Hated it!!! It hurt, wouldn't go down, and it felt as though it was right between my breast bone. After the 30 minute wait I drank a warm cup of coffee and it helped. But til then I walked a lot which seemed to help also. I am trying to walk as much as I can. I did go to Sears and buy a cheap tread mill last Saturday, but cannot pick it up til this Friday. It was out of stock. But my daughter and I walk when we can. We walked around the mall last weekend and she wore my butt out! She has been just wonderful. She definately is a God send. I go for my lab work on the 14th then back for my one month visit on the 21st to Dr. Colquitt. I am having a little constipation, but other than that all is well. My incision where the last drain came out is still draining so must keep it covered yet. And my skin is rather a mess around the sites (due to all the tape) but nothing I can't deal with. That's about all that I can think of right now. Any questions please feel free to email me. Until next time...Be back soon. :)
~~Nov. 29, 2006~~
Good afternoon everyone, I am doing just wonderful these days. I feel really good, have not had any problems at all. However, I still cannot burp, don't quite understand this, but whatever...Well, let me do an update of sorts. I went for my labs on Nov. 14 then went for my one month check up on Nov. 21st. All went well, I weighed in at 273.5 according to their scales, mine said 270.4. I liked mine better needless to say, but what is 3 pounds one way or another when your this much overweight. By the way-according to my scales this morning I weighed 266.8. Anyway, back to the matter at hand, the Dr.'s office advised me to continue on as I am doing. She said that she really could not coach me on anything right now, that I was doing just fine so far. I seem to be able to eat most everything that I am allowed. I had a small problem with eggs for a short time but seem to have gotten over it. I finally tried some skim milk and it did fine, I don't drink a lot of it due to the fact that it doesn't count toward my water intake and I try to keep that at the minimun or better. I am doing three protein shakes a day at least. Plus whatever food intake I have. I drink at least 60 - 64 oz. plus water a day. Oh and by the way...On Nov. 17th I had no more draining from the drain tube I came home with. Took a long time and I was glad no more bandages after that. My poor skin was looking and feeling aweful! My bowel movements have been pretty normal, I need a little help from time to time but it is rare. They are not nearly as often as they used to be, but that is okay too. I have used my Bariatric card in restuarants a few times with no problems. I am taking my vitamins every day like I have been advised. I take no more Diabetes meds, but I am still on 5mg Lisinipril and 10mg Lovastatin (Cholesterol). My vitamins are Flinstones Complete 2 a day, B-12 2 sublingual M-W-F, and calcium tablets 4 a day. Other than that, all is good! I had a great Thanksgiving, I did cook and had no problem with the foods that I could not have. I ate fairly well anyway. I did enjoy the smoked turkey, very much. As far as excercise...well, lets just say that I must improve in that area. I was doing really good but then Thanksgiving came and I went out of town and got out of the routine. But I WILL get back at it, as I was, I promise. So, until next time, you all keep up the good work. Be back later. :)
~~Dec. 7, 2006~~
Hello everyone, and Happy Holidays! I just wanted to do a quick and short update. I really have no new news to share about my WLS. I can let you all know that I am finally going back to work on Monday. I have very mixed feelings about it. I love staying home, but I like getting a pay check also. It will be a very good job for me though. And I am still loosing weight rather slowly. I am down to 264.8 as of this morning. And I finally started my menstral cycle on Monday Dec 4th. I hadn't had one since Oct. 12. I figured it was due to surgery and possibly my age. I reckon things are slowing down a bit for me. My eating is going very well. No immediate issues with food right now. I am doing really well on all my other things, vitamins, water all of that. Still need work on the excercise department. But I made a promise to get on the treadmill today, and I did actually! So to just let you all know, all is going great! And I want to wish my very "Special Angel" a most blessed Christmas, I love you dearly! I wish everyone the best holiday season and a most prosperous New Year! Be back soon. :)
~~Jan. 01, 2007~~
Happy New Year everyone! I hope all had a safe and happy new years eve. I just thought that I would give a short update. Not much to report, however. All is still (Thank God) going well. Still no food issues. I seem to be able to handle about any new food I try. And yes I have been known to cheat some. I have tried a bite or two here and there of something starchy, but I still try and keep to the regimen. But I am pretty basic, so food is pretty simple for me. I am still eating a lot of cottage cheese. It really does well. I am down to 255.2 as of yesterday morning. Doing good, slow, but good. My family is very proud of me, actually I am too. I go for my labs on the 10th, and to Dr. Colquitt on the 14th. Anxious to go see him this time. And of course I will update after that visit. Otherwise, my new job is going well. I really think I am going to like it, once I know all the ins and outs. And we all had a fantastic Christmas here at our house. I hope all your's was just as good! Take care, til next time. Be back soon :)
~~Jan. 28, 2007~~
Good evening all. I hope everyone is well. I am doing wonderfully. I am sorry I have not updated since my last Dr. appointment which was on Jan. 17, but I will do so now. My visit went very well. All My lab work was good. My levels were all okay. Which I was glad to know. My weight was at 247.5 according to their scales. He told me that I was at 35%, (not sure what this means) but he said that I should be between 30 - 40% with my weight loss so I was right on target. He had no new advice for me said that everything was going fine and for me to come back in April. So all is good. I am starting to eat on average two meals a day now. Still sometimes only one, but I am getting hungry more and more. I am still doing good on the water and the protein. Am doing fairly well on the treadmill. My daughter and I are going to check into Curves this week, get all the info and then decide about that. My neck is starting to have some wrinkling and I don't like that, but if it doesn't get too much worse I can live with it. My face looks so much smaller now. I am going to take more photos at 4 months out. I am doing pictures every two months. One day I may get them posted on here but that will come later. Everything else in my life is going great, I have no complaints at this point. I still have no food issues, I'm still going to the support meetings and calling the nutritionist as often as needed. I take my vitamins everyday, have been a very good girl in that area. That is really about all that I can think of other than my wonderful husband has actually told me that he is proud of me and that I am doing really good. That is a blessing in it's self. That is very nice to hear! I have the most supportive family all the way around. Thank God! I'm sure that has made things easier somehow. But I will go for now. Til next time...:)
~~March 04, 2007~~
Hello, hello, how is everyone doing these days? I hope everyone is enjoying this beautiful Sunday as much as I am. I really don't have an update just thought that I might add some thoughts this time around. I am doing beautifully. Everything is going so well. I am so happy that I decided to have this surgery. I am 4 1/2 months out and so far I can actually say that this has been one of the best decisions I have ever made. I feel great and am looking better all the time. With the help of my precious daughter we took pictures at 4 months and there is a big difference from just before surgery untill now. And it is very nice to see. I can finally go into a store and buy clothes off the rack. The coolest thing I have experienced is when I went into Walmart and bought a pair of jeans and they fit. No more buying clothes from a catalog! That is the greatest! There for a bit I was buying clothes that were too big for me only because I didn't know any better. I thought that they were the right size then after wearing them I realized that they were too big. How cool is that? I am now into a size 24 pants but think I could get into a 22, if not I will very soon. By the way as of yesterday I am down 80 lbs. Isn't that cool!!? I was thinking the other day "I wonder how much more weight I will loose." I can remember being this size but I can't remember being any smaller than this. So anything more is just going to be pure pleasure! I do feel so much better though. Still not having any problems with food. All seems to agree with me. That is good. I did eat a couple bites of a biscuit the other day with honey on it and it made me very ill. Not throwing up or diarrhea but just a very yucky feeling for about half an hour. Not sure if I had over eaten or if it was the honey. Or maybe a combination of both. Either way... won't do that again anytime soon. Not doing very well on the excercise. Looking forward to spring so we can walk at work on breaks and during our lunch. The curves thing is pretty expensive so we're still considering that but no decision made as of yet. I am very much looking forward to this spring and summer. I'm actually looking forward to riding my motorcycle. Won't feel like such a tubalard on it. Know what I mean? All I can say is that "Life is good!" I am so very blessed in my life, in my family, friends, work, the Lord watching out for me and mine. Like I said "Life is good!" You all take care, I hope that all is going just as well for you. If anyone would like to chat, has any questions, please feel free to email me anytime. Have a wonderful evening. Be back soon :)
~~May 28, 2007~~
Hello, hello! Happy Memorial Day and God bless our military men and women and their families! May the Lord continue to bless each and every one of them! Well, here we are, finally getting around to an update. And I do truly apologize for not doing this any sooner. Please forgive me. As you can guess there has been so much going on the last couple of months. It started back on April 2nd, when my dear Grandmother passed away. I had to go to Michigan to her funeral. She will be missed terribly! I love and miss you grandma!... I did go for my 6 month check-up on April 18th with Dr. Colquitt. All was well. He said that my labs were all right where they should be and that I was right where I ought to be with my weight loss. He said that I didn't have to come back for another 6 months, but that I still need to have my labs done in 3 months. So everything was great! I was very pleased with that visit. I just can't tell you all how wonderful all this has been. The things that I can't remember: such as, how I actually have a chin line. It really feels good to follow my chin line and know that it's there and not buried under all that fat. It's the coolest thing! I know this seems so minor, but to me, it is really a big thing! And to know and feel that I actually have shoulders and upper arms. It's just an unbelievable thing going through all this. I would never have imagined all the changes that I would endure. But this is one fabulous ride baby! I feel fantastic! I wish everyone could have such a great experience as I have had. I actually had a pair of size (18), yes 18 jeans on the other day! That was such a WOW moment. Yes, they were a little tight but who the heck cares? Not me! I loved it! Oh and by the way... for the best news so far, are you ready for this????!!!! I am down 100.4 pounds!!!!!!! Yea, me! Isn't that the coolest? I was sooooo happy to see that 100 pounds lost mark. It truly is a great feeling, knowing that you have lost 100 pounds! I have actually been riding my Kawasaki, and even went out and bought myself a leather vest to wear when I ride. Next thing, to someday get, is a cool pair of chaps and actually be able to wear them! Looking forward to that milestone! And I will get there. Just a matter of time. I really need to figure out how to get some pictures added to this site. I need to update some pics. We'll see if we can't work on that. My angel is going to try and do that for me. I wouldn't have a clue as to how to do that. And my daughter and I have been walking at work on our breaks and at lunch when we can. Can't always walk at lunch but sometimes we can. I have been so very busy the last couple weeks that it has taken me all 3 days off to just get semi caught up on things around here. This being one of them. I am wearing a 22/24 top and about size 20 slacks now. That is a long way from size 28/30 to 30/32 top and 28 pants in the beginning. I have gone from a 44D bra to about a 38-40C. Not too sure I like that part, but if it must be, then it must be. There's always stuffing, ha-ha! I really am very pleased with my progress. I still have no food issues. I do watch what I eat, still eat a lot of cottage cheese and still do my protein drinks, take all my vitamins and do all my water. Water is anywhere from 72 ounces a day to 105 ounces. So that is good! Otherwise everything is going wonderfully! I am very happy about all this. And feeling great! So, for now I will go and let your eyes rest a while. I will be back, however! So until then, have a wonderful life. Be back soon :)
~~July 15, 2007~~
Good evening everyone! I truly hope that your summer is going great! Just thought I'd add a few lines this evening. Just a short update, since I really don't have a lot to add. But I did want to share, that as of this Saturday morning, my weight is at 200.0. Any more lost and I will no longer be in the 200 pound range. I will be LESS THAN 200 pounds! How cool is that! I can't wait, however I will not weigh until Saturday morning. As I weigh every Saturday, only. And I'm not sure if I had mentioned this previously or not, but I now do the chewable calcium, I chew the Citracal, three of them a day. I actually like them. And I am not having as much problem with constipation, as I add Fibersure to my protein drink every morning. I also stopped all my meds (which was only Lisinipril and Lovastatin) about the middle of May. I go for my lab work Saturday morning, July 21st, and I will be anxious to see the results to decide if I will go back on the meds or not. I didn't feel that I still needed to take them, and when I talked to my PCP about it his answer was that, "their not going to hurt you." Well, yeah, they will if their not needed. Why take a medicine if you really don't have to, you know? I am still only eating two meals a day and drinking two protein shakes a day. My daughter and I still attend the support meetings. Which I still find very helpful. So, do attend the meetings if you can at all. And on a yuckier note...as I have read, the smelly gas is not as bad as it has been, but can still knock ya down sometimes. But yes, it is getting better. Other than that I don't have much to add. All is going so very well, and I am so thankful! I have been so very blessed! I will update again soon, in the meantime everyone take care and enjoy your summer! Be back soon. :)
~~August 18,2007~~
Hello, hello. I am so sorry that I have not been here for a while. But, I have had some computer problems. AGAIN! But that has all been taken care of. Thank goodness. I just hate to be without my computer. It really un-nerves me to not be able to get online. Well, enough complaining. I have made it!! I am officially under 200 pounds! Yes... I am at 194.4 as of this morning. And this past Thursday was my 10 month anniversary. I did go have my labs done last month, and everything was just fine. Everything still looks good. So, for now I will continue to remain off the meds. I will, however, still keep a check on my stats. And, if need be in the future get back on them. But really don't think that will be a problem. I am now in a size 18/20 top, and a 16 pants. And yes, I absolutely love it! I saw an old friend just today, that when I spoke to her, she said that she did not recognize me, that she would not have spoken to me. She thought that I looked so good. That was very nice to hear. I know that I feel so much better. Now, I am at the stage where I do wonder how much I will loose all together. My loss is very slow anymore, but hey, that is perfectly okay with me. I am still loosing and that is the key! My sister will be here next week for vacation and I am so looking forward to seeing her. I am trying to come up with things that we can do while she is here. But, if we just sat around she would be perfectly happy with it. Well, I think that is all for now. I can't think of anything that I am fogetting. And if so, I can always come back and add it. You all take care, and keep up the good work. Be back soon :)
~~October 06, 2007~~
Good afternoon all! Just a quick follow up, since it has been a while. I know, the longer one is out from surgery the less they frequent this site usually. However, I would like to think that I will continue to update for a while yet, but not too often that I get boring or just say the same ole thing over and over. Anyway if you all get tired of my story just stop reading I suppose. LOL. I go to the Dr. the 17th of this month. Which will be my one year anniversary. I went on Sept. 27th and had my labs done. Everything looks great! I was very curious about my labs since I've not taken any meds since May. My cholesterol was at 154, triglycerides 75, HDL 53, LDL 86, my glucose 106, B-12 345, everything else was within the normal range. So I was very happy about all that. My weight as of this morning is 187.8. Two more pounds and I will be 185 pounds. That is just too cool! I am feeling wonderful. We went to Dollywood all day last Saturday and had a fantastic time. Rode a bunch of rides, which was awesome. Had a really good time just runnin' around and checking everything out! I just can't say enough good about all this. I am so happy to have made this decision! I thank the Lord up above that he has blessed me so very much. Because If it's one thing I do know, is that none of this would have gone this way without his guidance. I am eating more these days and that does scare me somewhat. I have been doing some snacking also. Yes, I know, that is bad, very bad! I am still walking everyday at work. Don't do much of it on the weekends around here at the house, but I figure with all the house work and laundry and all, I get some excercise. Not to mention the Walmart thing, ALL THE TIME, seems like I live there part time. I am into a size 14/16 in Cato's tops for the most part. I actually could use a size 17, that would be perfect, but since that's not possible there, I either get a 14/16 or an 18. My 16 pants are still doing okay. Some are starting to get a little loose but nothing major. Can't wait till I can wear a 14. That would just be the bomb! I will get there, though. Well, enough for one day. I will update after my Dr. appointment on the 17th. I have several questions for him at that time. But am very curious to see where I truly am in my progress as far as he is concerned. But until then take care, love one another and be good. Be back soon :)
~~Nov. 3, 2007~~
Good evening everyone. I truly hope everyone is doing well tonight. I am doing very well. Thought that I owed everyone an update since my 1 year follow-up visit with the doctor. I went on the 17th of Oct. and all was well. I weighed in at 189.0, he said that my labs looked good. I had changed my calcium and had gotten the wrong kind so he instructed me to get the correct kind. I have taken care of that already. But otherwise all was good. He said that I didn't have to come back for 6 months. He did say that I was looking good. We discussed where I want to end up, as far as weight. I advised that I would like to get down to about 150 lbs, (personally I don't see that happening) he said that it could be done that it would take a lot of work on my part, but that it could be done. Frankly, if I didn't loose another pound I would be perfectly happy. As of this morning I was down to 183.0 so that would only leave 33 more pounds to loose. But as we all know that is a lot...I am just so happy with everything right now. It just keeps getting better all the time. I talked with my darling Angel/Sister tonight and we had a reminiscing session over the last year. That was good! We both had a lot to ponder about over the last year. But one of the most important was that she has been there with me through it all. She will never know how truly greatful I am for that. She is certainly a God send. And I am so blessed that she has come into our lives. I love her dearly! I just hope and pray that everything continues as well over the next year of my journey. I just feel soooo much better. Now it is at the point where I say, like for instance today, just one more pound and I will have lost 130 pounds. That is just awesome and almost unbelievable. Even to me, and I'm living it. There have just been so many changes over the last year. It has truly been amazing. Just amazing! And my sister got all my updated pictures on here. I am very happy for that also. I really don't know what else to say. Other than I am here to help others, any way that I can. And that if your looking to have this surgery I wish you all the best and I will ask that you please do your research first. It is so important. Learn all you can and keep learning. It will only help, I promise. Keep the faith, trust that all will be fine. God bless you all! :)
~~March 02, 2008~~
Good Sunday afternoon everyone! How is everybody doing these days? I am just wonderful! I feel great and I am just loving life. It is wonderful! I don't really have a lot to write about. Just read over my story and thought that I might add a note or two. I am doing very well with the WLS. I now weigh 171.0 as of yesterday. That is just awesome to me. And I am in a size 14 pants, a 14-16 blouse, a size 8 shoe, which I used to wear a 9 prior to surgery. And of course all my jewelry has gotten too large. Will eventually have some of it sized hopefully. My eating is still going well, by that I mean still no food issues. Other than the fact I still don't eat bread. That doesn't settle very well, very small portions every once in awhile is about all. I am still doing all my vitamins, calcuim, B-12, protein supplements (once daily) and water. I go back to the surgeon in April. Looking forward to that visit! I will go to my PCP prior and get my labs done, will need those at my surgeon visit. Very curious about those as well. But, I figure that will all be good. Should be anyway. No reason not to be. I get a lot of compliments these days, that is very nice. What woman doesn't like to hear nice things about herself. We all do! :) My job is going great! I really like my job and the people I work with. They are a great group, and everyone seems to get along so well. Not like other jobs I've had. Well, I can't really think of anything else right now. I will, however, update after my next Dr. visit. I wish you all the best in your journeys and nothing but great success! God bless us one and all! Be back soon! :)
~~May 05, 2008~~
Good morning everyone! How is the world treating each of you? I do hope that all is great in your little neck of the woods. Well, I had my 18 month check up with Dr. Colquitt on April 16 and we were both very pleased with my progress. He said that all my labs were just fine. Didn't advise me to change a thing. So I must be doing good on all my vitamins and suppliments. He said that I had lost 75.3 % of my excess body weight. That was music to my ears. What is it they say you loose...70 to 80 %? So I was very pleased with that. He said that I look good. That was nice. My weight was at 172.0 pounds. He wants to see me back in 6 more months. I am at a plateau, so now I figure is the resting place (I like to call it) for my weight. Oh, I suppose I could loose more if I worked very, very hard at it. But I am pretty satisfied where I am right now. You notice I said right now. This may very well change in the near future. I am catching myself doing some of the old habits that we all do from time to time. But everyday I mention that to myself because I know what I'm doing at times is wrong. I like the new and IMPROVED me so I will stay right around here. I have been so Blessed throughout this whole journey that I just couldn't imagine it going sooooo well. And I am truely thankful for that, not only to MY God, but also my Doctor. For I needed them both to get me through all this! I did change my calcuim citrate to the Building Block brand cause they quit making the Citrical chewables (I'm sad) I really liked those chewables. But the Building Block brand is not bad at all. And they too are chewable. Orange and chocolate flavored. But otherwise all is great! I do hope that everyone reading this is having a wonderful journey. And I wish all, nothing but complete success! Have a great week. Email me if I can be of any assistance in any way. My email address is [email protected] :)
~~June 11, 2008~~
Good evening all! How are you on this fine day? I am doing wonderfully. I just wanted to leave a short update. Nothing new really. Just wanted to say hello and share a few little tidbits with you. First of all I am still doing great! Thank God. No problems at all. I have finally reached the size 12 in pants and 12 to 14 in tops. I am so glad about that. I really never thought that I would be in a size 12. Actually I really never thought about that at all. I did wish for a 14, so the 12 is an added bonus. But even one better than that...I went shopping at Kohls one day and tried on some jeans they had. They are the Croft and Barrow brand. Let me tell you, they were a size 10, yes I said 10. And they fit. I bought all they had in those. And better yet they were all on sale. So I have 3 pair of size 10 jeans that I can wear. Plus I got my sister a pair. Now, they are made a bit large I guess, otherwise I couldn't wear them, but hey, I don't care how they're made the tag says size 10. How cool is that? I love it! And people are saying the nicest things to me. They are really making me feel good about myself. My very dear friend, who is known to me as Shithead, told me the other day that he is very proud of my weight loss that I have done a very good job, but, that it is time to stop loosing now. He is so very sweet! I assured him that I was pretty much at a stand still for the time being. But I never would have thought I'd ever hear someone say that I was small enough. I had another very, very dear friend (M.K.A.) refer to me as "little" as well. After going through this weight loss journey you hear all the comments like that. It's like we have radar hearing for neat things like that. One of the coolest things I think I've heard so far is, when my baby sister saw me after a long duration, she looked at me and said where are your legs? That was the greatest thing I could have ever heard! She had no idea how good that made me feel. She had no idea what a compliment that was. Like I said radar hearing. It has most definately been fantastic! I hope this ride never ends. I want to stay here for a very long time. I surely hope everyone can have it as good as I have. God bless us all! :)
~~October 04, 2008~~
Good afternoon everyone! I hope everyone has been doing fantastic. I thought it was time that I updated my page due to the fact that it has now been two years since my surgery. Can you beleive it, two years already. That just doesn't seem possible. I am so thankful for the past two years. They have been wonderful to me in more ways than I can count! Everytning is still going beautifully for me. I am at a steady weight now of 170 to 172. I went for my two year check up last week. And everything was good, all my labs were good, nothing to report out of the ordinary. Dr. Colquitt as well as myself was pleased. He simply said that he would see me back in a year. I talked with a very dear friend of mine this morning that has gone through all the requirements to have the lap band surgery, only to have gotten fired from her job. She had 30 days to get the surgery before her insurance lapsed and it did not happen. So everyone keep her in your prayers that she will get her surgery somehow, someway. She has not given up on it thank goodness. She will find a way! I must be honest in saying that I am scared that I will gain the weight back. That thought is always there (always) in the back of my mind. I am finding that some of the old eating habits do creep back in so we have to be very mindful of these little devils. It does get harder the longer out we are. That part is true! I do keep up my vitamins like clock work. And I do my liguid, not so much plain water everyday but I do get plenty of liquids everyday. And still VERY little caffeine. The only caffeine I get is if I have a glass of tea out in a restaurant. Otherwise it's decaf tea and coffee. I still do one protein drink every morning on the way to work. I am not walking like I should be either. So, as I said it does get harder and takes a lot of work. But I am so happy about all this and expect I always will be. So for now I will go. I wish everyone the very best that life has to offer. And to add, keep up the good work. I will stop in from time to time to say hello, if nothing else. If anyone would like they may email me anytime. My email address is [email protected]. Until next time take care and God bless us all :)
