Katesheart
7/24/03 - I AM THREE MONTHS OUT AND I HAVE LOST 78 LBS.!!!! WOW!!! I can't believe it! And I have PICS NOW!!!! I couldn't believe it until I saw the pictures! Hopefully they will show up on this site soon. It's AMAZING!!!! This is the best thing I ever did for myself and I have had NO problems at all! I am so excited and I would love to chat with anyone that needs some reassurance! Dr. Hitchcock is my doctor and he is the BEST EVER, not to mention his team!!! I am in the Kansas City area! Please feel free to e-mail me or I can give you a call.
My e-mail address is [email protected]
8/13/03 - 84 1/2 lbs. down now!!!! It just keeps getting better and better. I get a little down on myself however because I am unable to excerise as much as I would like. I have never been highly dedicated to anything, expecially exercise! It will be an effort that is for sure. I have Fibromyalgia so it makes things difficult. I do too much and I suffer the next day. Swimming is the best, it's just a matter of getting there after work. I KNOW, I KNOW EXCUSES!!! It's another challenge I will have to work on, just like the weight challenge. I am managing to work on the weight very well so I can work on this too!
8/27/03 - 90 lbs. down now!!! 1/2 WAY TO GOAL!!! YESSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!! I can't believe it!!! I am buying clothes off the rack at WALMART!! HOLY MOLY!!! UNREAL!!! This is by far the BEST choice for myself I have ever made. Like I have said before, it takes a positive attitude and will but it can be done. If anyone wants to contact me directly, please feel free. My e-mail is [email protected].
9/11/03 - 96 1/2 lbs. down!!!! Almost to 100 lbs. loss!!! I can't believe it. I am really working on getting my protein in and all the vitamins. I have started taking amino acids as well, in hopes that I won't loose my hair! I have been feeling great and I am wearing 1X now. I will be taking my 6 month picture before I know it.
10/14/03 - 108 lbs. down at my 6 month mark!!!!! UNBELIEVABLE!!!! It's been a totally wonderful experience. I feel and look sooooooooooo much better and I can't believe I am wearing size 18/20!!! I hold up the clothes and can't believe they are for me. Most importantly I can't believe how food is no longer the main focus in my life. I don't panic anymore when it comes time to meals. I have truly been given a second chance at life!! Check out my new picture!!!!
11/4/03 - 114 lbs. now! Just keeps getting better and better!
WHAT A BLESSING! THANK GOD FOR DR. HITCHCOCK AND HIS TEAM!!!
11/24/03 - I AM IN SHOCK!!! 121 LBS.!!!!! I ONLY HAVE 59 LBS. TO GET TO MY GOAL WEIGHT OF 180 LBS.!!!! It's just wonderful, and I feel so blessed that I had a second chance at life due to the wonderful and caring people of not only my family but the wonderful medical staff of Dr. Hitchcock!! I am going through clothes like crazy but GOSH IT'S FUN!!! I just want to go to a mountain top and scream "LOOK AT ME NOW!!!" If anyone out there just needs to talk or has questions PLEASE feel free to contact me and I'll get back with you. God Bless to all!
12/19/03 - MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ME!!!! 123 LBS. DOWN!!! It's going to be a GREAT YEAR!!!! Merry Christmas to all my friends here and God Bless each and every one of you!!!
1/11/04 - HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!! It has been a great new year so far. Didn't gain anything over the holidays and food was NO BIG DEAL!!! YES! I can't believe how wonderful this has all been. I am now down 129 lbs. and it's about time for my 9th month picture update! Going to see Dr. Hitchcock this week and I can't wait! 52 lbs. to goal and I hope to be there by April!
3/2/04 - Well we are well into the new year and I am almost at my anniversary date - April 14th - I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! What a wonderful year it has been!!! I have lost a total of 137 lbs. and I FEEL GREAT!!! I have gone from a size 5X (32) to an 18!!!!! Old Navy doesn't know what hit them!! I can wear XL shirts and some even a large! It's incredible!!! Although the weight loss has slowed down it's still going great and I am enjoying my new LIFE!!!!! THANK GOD FOR THIS PROCEDURE AND THANK GOD FOR DR. HITCHCOCK AND HIS STAFF!!!
3/31/04 - FINALLY, after what seemed to be forever I have lost more weight. I stopped there for a bit but I am happy to say that I stuck it out and I am loosing again! I have lost another 4 lbs. and now I can officially say I have lost 140 lbs. I wanted to be below 200 by my one year anniversary, which is April 14th but OH WELL I THINK I HAVE DONE GREAT!!! As long as I am still loosing and NOT gaining I am GREAT!!!! It's been just wonderful and I will continue to eat the protein, protein, protein and I know I will continue to do well! I can't tell you how great it is to not have food be the #1 thing in my life, MY HEAVENS I WAS MISSING A LOT IN LIFE!!! Life is GREAT and I plan to make the BEST of it!!! God Bless to you all!
4/27/04 - I have just returned from a trip to Canada to see my bestfriends and I can't begin to tell you how wonderful it was! For the first time in years I was able to GO GO GO!! We walked and walked in downtown Vancouver and I just had a blast! I was afraid that my Fibromyalgia would act up after walking all that way but it was not an issue! My friends were delighted to see me after all the weight loss and everyone said how wonderful I looked. It was all and all a WONDERFUL feeling and I feel so blessed to have gone through this and to have Dr. Hitchock's team behind me. I am bound and determined to get to my goal of 180 lbs. and I am happy to report that after my trip I lost weight!!! I am now down to 216 lbs., only 36 lbs. to go! I have lost a total of 145 lbs. in a little over a year and I found out today my cholesterol is 154!! WOW!!! I am enjoying the new me and I can't wait to get into my shorts!!!!! It is truly a new life!
7/16/04 - Well it's been awhile since I have written but I have been so busy with my new life it's unreal! Since my last entry I have lost more weight, however not much as I am 15 months post-op and it has slowed down but I am down to 212 and feeling GREAT!!!! SIZE 16??? I never dreamed I would see that again in my life time. That is a total of 149 lbs. in 15 months. Could it be better?? SURE, will it be?? YOU BET!! I am just taking my time getting to my goal of 180 lbs. but I WILL get there. I also bought a new car SMALLER car! I had an SUV which I had to buy because I couldn't get into anything else. I came to hate it so I said "No Woman, NEW CAR!" I bought a 2004 Toyota Matrix and it's GREAT! I feel "sexy" in it and YES I have even gotten some looks! hehe. My motto when I started my journey was "Katie at 180" so I got a license plate that says "K8IE180"! Now all I have to do it GET to 180! 32 lbs. NOT A PROBLEM! I also got a new job and I am working from home and it's great! I have so much more self confidence since losing the weight that I am eventually going to be traveling and standing up infront of people TEACHING! I never thought I would be able to do that weighing 361 but it was always a dream. I recently attened Dr. Hitchcock and Dr. Hoehn's support group and I can't tell you how wonderful it was to look around at everyone and see the wonderful smiles on their faces. It's a wonderful feeling to know that there are so many people out there that have been given a second chance at life! Those that were just starting the journey came for our support and I feel so special that I am able to offer any help I can give. I know that in time they too will be writing about how wonderful life can be! I thank everyone in return for giving me the support I need as well, you are all truly a blessing!
8/20/04 - Believe it or not I have lost MORE weight! Although it is slowing down at 16 months post-op I am still sticking to my protein, protein, protein and doing good. I am now down to 208 lbs. so that is a total of 153 lbs. in 16 months! UNREAL! I am wearing a size 16 now and Cold Water Creek doesn't know what hit them!!!!! This has truly been a wonderful experience, not only physically, but mentally and spiritually as well. I am a new person and enjoying every day that I have been given a second chance to live! THANK YOU GOD, AND THANK YOU DR. HITCHOCK AND STAFF!!!!
10/12/04 - Well it's been a couple of months and I am still losing although very slowly but HEY that's OK I am still LOSING!!! I am 18 months out now and still enjoying life to the fullest! I am in a size 14-16 and I am down to 205 1/2 lbs. for a total weight loss of 155.50!!! I am about 24 lbs. away from my goal and I suppose it is going to take hard work and exercise :( I have Fibromyalgia so that makes it tough but I am working on a "plan" so we will see. I am NOT giving up and one day I WILL reach my goal. In the mean time, LIFE IS GREAT!!! I AM ALIVE AND KICKING!!!
1/2/05 - HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!! This is going to be the best year of my life I just know it!!! The end of 2004 did not come easy as I missed Christmas because I obviously thought it was more important to be in the hospital for 8 days. On December 20th I was taken to the emergency room with intense pain in my abdominal area. I had NO IDEA what was going on and it scared me to death. Being almost 2 years out I just couldn't believe it had anything to do with my gastric bypass surgery. Upon being admitted into the hospital and of course having to tell them I had gastric bypass it was discovered that I had some type of a blockage and OF COURSE it was blamed on my surgery! NOT THE CASE!!! As it turned out (to make a long story short) I had a BEZORE. A bezore is a blockage that can be caused from a few things. It can be a blockage of hair which would occur in those suffering with a mental problem where they eat their own hair. It can be a blockage from coated medicines OR it can be a blockage from FOOD! This was my case, it was vegetables! Over the last year I have been able to have pizza (combo), one slice or at the most two. Well it would appear that the veggies on the combo and the fake cheese they use did not go through my intestines and caused a blockage. This can happen to anyone on the street REGARDLESS if you had gastric by-pass or not I found out. I was treated with beef broth and meat tenderizer of all things and THANK THE LORD ABOVE the Bezore passed on it's own. HOWEVER Dr. Hitchcock was very concerned and was afraid I would have to have surgery to remove it which is very very serious. With the help of all the prayers from my family and church family, God was with me and it's over. I do have to watch what I eat for a while and have basically gone back to the beginning of surgery, HOWEVER the good news is I have LOST MORE WEIGHT!!! I am down to 193lbs. and I am only 13lbs. away from my goal weight of 180!!!!! I suppose what I want to caution anyone the most is this.....WATCH OUT FOR VEGGIES that are little on a pizza and may not be cooked good. Also watch out for fake cheeses GOOEY! I didn't even think about it, just thought, OH cheese = PROTEIN! ALSO, I am having to fight my insurance company now because they denied my claims because they say it was caused by the gastric by-pass surgery. So if you ever have a problem and you KNOW it is NOT related to your surgery, BE SURE they do not submit it that way or you will be denied. For ALL the gastric by-pass patients out there I am going to fight my insurance company to the fullest extent of the law! Anyway, I am alive and back in action and looking forward to loosing the last 13lbs.!!!! I hope you all have a wonderful 2005!!!!
7/7/05 - Well it's been awhile since I have checked in but it's been a busy 2005! I survived my Bezore ordeal and have been busy working which involves a lot of traveling. After being in the hospital for 8 days on nothing but fluids I did loose more weight however some of it came back. I am now maintaining at about 204 lbs. after two years post-op. I still have the last 20 lbs. to go, but I just haven't buckled down to get there. I am having so much fun enjoying the 160 lbs. weight loss that I haven't really tried to get down and "diet" to loose the last 20 lbs.! Life is still GREAT and I would do this surgery again in a heart beat! I am still amazed at all the energy I have and how happy my life has become. I just went to a support group meeting tonight and I was so happy to see all the wonderful people there that are pre-op! I know deep in my heart that they will all be as happy as I am and that brings great joy to my heart. For all of those that are pre-op and those that are post-op that just want to talk, please don't hesitate to contact me. I do have spam control on my e-mail but send a request and I will add you to my address book and I'll write you back. Thanks so much to all those that offer GREAT support at the meetings, it helps more than you know, even at over 2 years out!
1/20/06 - WOW where does time go??? I have been so busy with my job, flying here and there, I feel so out of touch! Just thought I would check in with everyone and say "Hello" and let you know that I am still doing good. Well I guess that isn't entirely true, as I have gained a little weight after Christmas. I can't believe that in April it will be 3 years for me post-op! AMAZING!!! I have only gained about 10 lbs. but it's my own fault. It's been a real adjustment for me working from my home and then flying out of town all the time. When I do get home I just want to SIT SIT SIT and I have to re-coop or my Fibromyalgia will go nuts. All the sitting and not eating right SUCKS!!! I have found that one of the side effects to this whole thing is that I don't want to even think about food! My husband has been doing all of the cooking! I just want to grab something quick and be done with it. Unfortunately all the "quick" stuff is not good for me! Just the thought of preparing a can of Tuna right now bothers me! It's one of those things that I KNOW is not right, and I KNOW I should do better but you just don't for whatever reason! Sort of like my smoking! YEAH YEAH YEAH it's not healthy!!! DUH!!! Who doesn't know that?? But does that make me want to quit? NOPE! Anyway, I am finding that just writing this and admitting my faults is helping! I haven't been able to get to the support groups or speak at the seminars because of my traveling schedule and I can tell it's affected me! So I have a request from my friends out there.....could you e-mail me with some words of encouragement??? The best e-mail for me is [email protected] that way you won't go into my "spam" file. I am finding that I am really getting depressed and angry with myself because of the weight gain. It's like going on one of those DIETS again and FAILING!!! I just hate that feeling! Hope to hear from you all soon and I miss you!
