Jim Christian

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119 Pounds
That is up from my low of 110 pounds. I now wear boys size pants and a 29 inch belt along with small shirts. That is quite a change from 52 inch waist and XXXL shirts which I couldn't fit into.

I have had two surgeries withing a month. One to put in a feeding tube to try to gain weight, that didn't work because I was in pain all the time from the tube. The tube fell out three weeks later and I told my wife and the doctor that it was not going back in. A week later, I had the most severe pain twenty minutes after eating. I was put into the hospital again and had so much blood drawn that I thought they were going to give me a unit back. The doctor was ready to discharge me the next morning as the pain was gone but suggested that I have breakfast prior to leaving for home, after being npo for a day.

After eating the pain was back and the morphine was being pumped into my IV. Two days later I had surgery and the found a couple of hernias which the intestines were being caught in. This was corrected, and the pain started going away after a week.

I now feel like my old self, have gained six pounds and am holding around 119  after my morning shower. I weigh in at 125 with street clothes on which makes almost everyone happy. That is everyone except my wife. She wants me up around 140 but that is not going to happen. All my tests show that I am healthy and that is where I want to stay.

Did you know that boys pants are about four dollars cheaper than men's. See, I am saving money. Boys belts are two for eight dollars at Wall-Mart. What a savings.

 I MADE IT

This morning I hit my goal of 150 pounds. What a day. It has been six months and four days since my RNY. Now the next goal is to keep it at 150 and don't go any lower or higher.

It is 5:30 AM and my next stop is the gym. I received two sets of weights  yesterday by UPS so I can do some workouts here at home in the afternoon.  It has just been too hot to go to the gym n the afternoon. Yesterday at 3PM it hit 107 degrees and today it is supposed to be even hotter. The gym opens at 5AM during the week and at seven on weekends and holidays. So today it's seven.

I would like to give my thanks to everyone who has given me support in this journey and I pray that I will be there for anyone else who needs support.

Tomorrow is Sunday, the day to gather together with others in the Church for praise and thanksgiving. I pray you will take time to worship with the church of your choice as we all lift our voices together. All believers are members of the Universal Church with Jesus as the Head of the Church.

Praise God for all He has done.

This is the new me at 152 pounds. I have uploaded some new photos, two from August 4, 2004 on our 40th anniversary. And three from today, July 4, 2010 self portraits. I just must learn to smile. I'm not really as sad as I look.

I have had a pair of 34 inch waist pants sitting by the bed for over a month and as my 36 inch pants were falling off with no more room to go down on my belt, I tried them on today.

They fit!!!! I wore them to the gym today and they felt comfortable. Now the only other thing I must do is get a smaller belt. A trip is required to the thrift store to get some more clothes. From a 50 inch tight pair to a 34 is wonderful.

Even though I am 66, I feel at least in my mid thirty's. Praise God.

I just made the century mark and do I feel great. Even this cold that I have is not going to keep me down, My BMI is now 25.1, only a few pounds above the normal category. What a day. I just need to remember to move the beam scale back up after weighing so my wife doesn't know. She says I should not loose any more so I have been moving it back up for the last two weeks.

This Friday she will be leaving to go back east, so I will be able to spend more time at the Gym working out. I really need to get a new picture to replace the one I am using but have been unable to get one.

I found some sport coats in the closet which are almost 40 years old and the fit fine. That must mean I am back in my twenty's except that was during Vietnam and I don't think I want to go back to that time.

I think I will fix some chicken  chili later today and celebrate, just no cake or ice cream on the menu.

I would like to thank everyone for their support on this journey, only six pounds to go to reach my goal than to maintain the weight for the rest of my life.

God bless every one, praise Him daily for all he has done.

Today gave me a total loss of 70 pounds. Only forty more to go to get to my ideal BMI but my surgeon said he would be happy for fifteen more. I just can not see doing second best at this time.

We had a car care ministry at the church today where we do oil changes, filters, inspection and cleaning for seniors and others who can't afford to have it done at a shop. We do not charge but accept donations if they can. Well, I saw at least eight people there today who hadn't seen me for between four and six months. You talk about surprises, two of them said they knew the voice but could not place me. What more could you ask for. This trip has been nothing but a blessing for me with results that I could not of even dreamed about.

Praise God.

I started over a week ago going to the gym at the Naval Air Station for a workout on their equipment. It has really done a lot of good. I spend at least an hour there every day using the cardio machines and doing weights.

I had been at a standstill as far as weight loss went for a week and a half, since going there the weight has been coming off again. I had been using the stationary bicycle which we have at home along with some light weights but the energy output was not the same. The equipment they have there adjusts automatically to keep the heart rate at the proper point.

Now I am down to a size 38 pants, a whole dollar at the Navy Thrift store, but should have also picked up a pair of 36's. I'll stop by there tomorrow after the gym.

I finally went below 200 pounds for the fist time in about twenty years. I feel great and the energy is getting higher and higher with each passing day. Only fifty more to go.

Yesterday I applied for a job at the local hospital for an open position of Bio-Medical Electronics Technician. I have a degree in Bio-Medical and am looking forward towards the interview. This will be the first real job I have looked into in the past ten years.I hope they will be open to a 66 year old going back to work.

I have also applied for the Grand Jury for the year 2010 to 2011. California has a Grand Jury which looks into all aspects of Government in the County. This is not a criminal Grand Jury and works five days a week. The pay is $15.00 a day which can add up to a fair paycheck.

As I have not worked for ten years I am looking forward to either position and will be thankful which ever comes about..

It is a wonderful day and as Dianna Shore used to sing "every thing is going my way". For those who do know her, she had a program on TV in the early 1950's. Now I am really telling my age.

Here it is,one month post RNY. A lot of things have happened in the last month which as made the start of my journey a true blessing.

Prior to surgery, anytime I needed to go shopping I used my electric scooter or if it was a short distance, at least a cane. My scooter is still on the trailer in back of my motorcycle and the cane has been put in storage. For the first time in fifteen years I am able to walk without any assistance. I have a long way to go but it is so wonderful to be able to walk without any assistance.

I have had pain in my right knee for years, even though both knees have been replaced, but the pain is getting less and less. I am feeling better than I can remember in years. If it keeps up this way I might revert back to my forties, but that does not do away with the gray hair.

I have shaved my beard and cut my hair just to get a new outlook on life.

Still have difficultly eating more than a few bites of meat but that will come with time. Eggs do not sit too well but that also will take time. Every thing is looking up. I saw the dietician at the base yesterday and was advised to eat some whole wheat bread or rolls. I am trying to add that to the diet.

I spent today digging up an irrigation line in the back of the house to install an additional valve for the drip irrigation. I only had to go down three feet to come to the main lines. When I put something in I do not want it to be hit by anything else later. At least I did plan ahead enough to put in some extra control lines so it should not take to long after I find the main feeder. Where we live, if you do not irrigate, nothing grows. In fact they will be cutting the grass tomorrow. I also have tomatoes and strawberries to get in. We should be having about a weeks worth of rain starting Saturday. So far this year we have just had a little over six inches, our normal for the year is about eleven.

I thank God daily for the new life which I am enjoying.

I feel better now than I have in a long time. There was no discomfort or pain following the surgery.The weight is starting to fall off and I have more energy now than before the surgery For the first time in many years, I am now sleeping through the night.

I am walking more now and most of it without a cane. Thursday we went to the commissary and I walked the store without a cane. I do not think I am ready for the 500, maybe I'll just work up to it.