marion6366
1 Year Surgiversary
May 27, 2010
Wow, I can't believe it's been 1 year already!! It has really flown by (though it didn't seem like it at the time). So here I am 1 year and 87 lbs lighter! I'm still 3 lbs away from my 2nd goal and I have a feeling I might not make it....I haven't lost anything in about a month. I guess this might just be the weight my body is comfortable with.
I went and had my 1 year check-up with Dr. Kelly yesterday. That was as quick and uneventful as I thought it would be. Take my weight, take my "after" photo, take my waist & hip measurements and that was about it. My vitamin/mineral levels are all still great, so nothing to worry about there. My bust-waist-hip measurements are now 38-31-36.
I'm now fitting into anywhere from a size 6 to a 10 - it all depends on the item. I will be happy if I can stay where I'm at!! Of course I don't like my excess skin (who does?) I have a sharpei puppy on my abdomen and inner thighs!! But as long as I'm not in a swim suit, you can't tell. I doubt I'll ever have enough money for plastics - that would just be a pipe dream.
I still have to work on my self confidence. Some days I think I look good and skinny and other days I still feel that I look fat. I guess we're always a work in project and just because my body has changed it's taking my mind a little while to catch up! My new paranoid is gaining the weight back - - scary thought! I really need to start working out regularly! I've been getting in a walk here and there, but I know that's not enough in the long run. If I don't start up with a routine, I'm sure it will only be a matter of time before the weight starts creeping back up. Now that I have a new smaller wardrobe I don't want to have to give it up again!
~Marion
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I went and had my 1 year check-up with Dr. Kelly yesterday. That was as quick and uneventful as I thought it would be. Take my weight, take my "after" photo, take my waist & hip measurements and that was about it. My vitamin/mineral levels are all still great, so nothing to worry about there. My bust-waist-hip measurements are now 38-31-36.
I'm now fitting into anywhere from a size 6 to a 10 - it all depends on the item. I will be happy if I can stay where I'm at!! Of course I don't like my excess skin (who does?) I have a sharpei puppy on my abdomen and inner thighs!! But as long as I'm not in a swim suit, you can't tell. I doubt I'll ever have enough money for plastics - that would just be a pipe dream.
I still have to work on my self confidence. Some days I think I look good and skinny and other days I still feel that I look fat. I guess we're always a work in project and just because my body has changed it's taking my mind a little while to catch up! My new paranoid is gaining the weight back - - scary thought! I really need to start working out regularly! I've been getting in a walk here and there, but I know that's not enough in the long run. If I don't start up with a routine, I'm sure it will only be a matter of time before the weight starts creeping back up. Now that I have a new smaller wardrobe I don't want to have to give it up again!
~Marion
2nd Dumping
Apr 05, 2010
Well, I guess I have to say that only dumping twice in 10 1/2 months is not too bad. It was truly my own fault. Yesterday I was really good at Easter brunch. While my entire family was chowing on skiers french toast, ham, bacon, potatoes and cake all I had was one small piece of ham, a couple forkfuls of potatoes and 1/2 a deviled egg. I thought I did very well - and that french toast looked AWESOME----hmmm....so what happened? I came home that night and wasn't hungry for a full meal but just a snack. So I got out a glass of milk and the animal crackers that are my sweet treat. (less than 8 gms of sugar).
I have finally figured out that I MUST measure out what I'm eating if it comes out of a box or bag!! It is too easy to keep eating and not really know how much you've had. I don't know if I ate too much or if I ate it too fast but the result was the same! I was sick for an hour, and that was after I threw up twice!
I'm okay now, but that is a terrible feeling.
~ Marion
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I have finally figured out that I MUST measure out what I'm eating if it comes out of a box or bag!! It is too easy to keep eating and not really know how much you've had. I don't know if I ate too much or if I ate it too fast but the result was the same! I was sick for an hour, and that was after I threw up twice!
I'm okay now, but that is a terrible feeling.~ Marion
10 month Dr check-up
Mar 29, 2010
I had my 10 month check-up with the nutritionist. It went how I figured it would - fast. It only took about 10 minutes. She asked me if I would be happy if I were not to loose another pound. I told her I would be okay with it, though I would like to lose about 5-10 more pounds. She did tell me that the Doctor would be very happy when I come in for my 1 year appt in May because my BMI is now at 23 which she said was totally normal.
We just got back from a weekend at Wisconsin Dells and I have to tell you that this was the first time I've been in my swimsuit (for HOURS at a time) and I did not feel embarrassed about it! It was soo nice. To just feel "normal." I wasn't the skinniest person there (there's always someone who will be skinnier than you are) but I was not even close to being the largest! YEAH!!
Now, I've been really careful about not drinking any alcohol since the surgery. Well, I had a couple this past weekend. I had a Bloody Mary Friday night - I am really careful about not wanting a drink that is full of sugar, as I don't eat sugar at all. Then I had Bloody Mary for dinner Saturday night and then we went to a dance club. I had a vodka cranberry and was feeling good so we had a shot of Patron. Hmmm, that was interesting. I've read that alcohol can sometimes go right into our systems after having RNY - it sure did! I've never felt like that in my life! I didn't get sick, but I was suddenly so drunk that if I hadn't been on a chair I probably would have fallen over. That feeling lasted about 15 minutes and then I just felt really, really buzzed for the rest of the night. Much dancing ensued and all I had was a heck of a headache Sunday morning. So I would just advise everyone that has had a RNY to be CAREFUL before you have a shot!! It goes straight into your blood! Even though I had a good time, I won't be doing that again anytime soon!
After a weekend away, I'm actually craving some veggies - go figure! Have a good week! ~ Marion
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We just got back from a weekend at Wisconsin Dells and I have to tell you that this was the first time I've been in my swimsuit (for HOURS at a time) and I did not feel embarrassed about it! It was soo nice. To just feel "normal." I wasn't the skinniest person there (there's always someone who will be skinnier than you are) but I was not even close to being the largest! YEAH!!
Now, I've been really careful about not drinking any alcohol since the surgery. Well, I had a couple this past weekend. I had a Bloody Mary Friday night - I am really careful about not wanting a drink that is full of sugar, as I don't eat sugar at all. Then I had Bloody Mary for dinner Saturday night and then we went to a dance club. I had a vodka cranberry and was feeling good so we had a shot of Patron. Hmmm, that was interesting. I've read that alcohol can sometimes go right into our systems after having RNY - it sure did! I've never felt like that in my life! I didn't get sick, but I was suddenly so drunk that if I hadn't been on a chair I probably would have fallen over. That feeling lasted about 15 minutes and then I just felt really, really buzzed for the rest of the night. Much dancing ensued and all I had was a heck of a headache Sunday morning. So I would just advise everyone that has had a RNY to be CAREFUL before you have a shot!! It goes straight into your blood! Even though I had a good time, I won't be doing that again anytime soon!
After a weekend away, I'm actually craving some veggies - go figure! Have a good week! ~ Marion
Surprises
Feb 21, 2010
Shopping never ceases to amaze me these days. I went shopping on Friday and I went to Express to get a new pair of simple black dress pants. So I've been wearing a size 10 pretty regularly and I grabbed a 10. Holy cow!! They were too big! The sales lady had to get me a size 8 which fit perfectly! I have not been this small since......high school? I believe (if I can remember correctly) that I wore a size 7 jeans my senior year of high school, some 20 YEARS ago!
It is still a bit challenging when my families eating pizza or we're at a birthday party and everyone is eating cake and ice cream. I don't have any. I'm afraid if I were to start I wouldn't know when to stop, so I just don't start. I treat sugar like a bad drug addiction - JUST DON'T DO IT! Is my motto! Well, I get my sweats with sugar free fudgsicles every once and a while or sugar free jello and sugar free cool whip - YUM!
I still don't like getting my picture taken. But that will probably take a long time before I ever like that again! lol Now if I could just tone up some of this excess skin!! Still workin on that! At least I can hide it under clothes! Might be a bit harder when summer comes though.
~ Marion
Shopping is fun again!
Feb 08, 2010
I have a holiday party to go to this Saturday night (I know, a little late isn't it?) and I decided I wanted something new and fun to wear. So I went shopping last Friday and how much fun is that!! I still can't get used to the fact that I can't shop at Layne Bryant anymore (which is where I ALWAYS shopped before)! I went to Express and just started picking out lots of stuff to try on. I'm still amazed I can even shop at those types of stores. The biggest surprise of the night was when I tried on a bright blue tank dress (very cute) and I had grabbed a large. Even when I was thinner I've never been smaller than a large - - the large was too big!! They grabbed me a medium and it fit perfectly! It was just soo much fun.
My jeans are too big for me again, so this time I went to a used clothing store and found some really cute jeans that only cost about $12.00 a piece instead of $60+ and I'm fitting into size 9's now. I got into a weird mood Saturday and went through and tried on everything in my closet and loaded up 5 bags of clothes that are too big for me. I gave them to a friend of mine. Some things I really like and it was hard to part with, but I just have to realize that just because I like a shirt, doesn't mean I look good in it! And I'm not going to keep any of them around because I vow NEVER to go back to those sizes again! When summer comes I will have nothing to wear - oh well, that's a good excuse for shopping right? Husband can't complain because I literally have NOTHING that fits!
So things are going pretty good. I have my 9 month check-up with the nutritionist coming up - I'm sure it will be pretty routine. Going to start hitting the treadmill now, hopefully that will jump start my weight loss since I've been stuck in a rut lately.
See ya, Marion
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My jeans are too big for me again, so this time I went to a used clothing store and found some really cute jeans that only cost about $12.00 a piece instead of $60+ and I'm fitting into size 9's now. I got into a weird mood Saturday and went through and tried on everything in my closet and loaded up 5 bags of clothes that are too big for me. I gave them to a friend of mine. Some things I really like and it was hard to part with, but I just have to realize that just because I like a shirt, doesn't mean I look good in it! And I'm not going to keep any of them around because I vow NEVER to go back to those sizes again! When summer comes I will have nothing to wear - oh well, that's a good excuse for shopping right? Husband can't complain because I literally have NOTHING that fits!
So things are going pretty good. I have my 9 month check-up with the nutritionist coming up - I'm sure it will be pretty routine. Going to start hitting the treadmill now, hopefully that will jump start my weight loss since I've been stuck in a rut lately.
See ya, Marion
Gift to Myself for Hitting Goal
Jan 19, 2010
Well, I hit my goal just after New Year's and I told myself that when I hit goal my treat to myself was going to be getting a new tattoo! I had two already (upper middle of my back & on my right shoulder). So even though I am terrified of needles and HATE pain and went and got one last night!! I'm one of those people that just because I'm scared doesn't mean I won't do it - I just go ahead and do it and get it over with!! I am soo happy with it! I went to Tatt's By Zapp in Stillwater, MN, and Billy, who did it, was great! I hardly felt anything! I'll post pictures of it when I get home tonight.
Thank you Sarah G - - I got the inspiration for my tattoo from pictures of yours! I love your tattoo's (I wish I had the guts to get the one on your side!), so I brought in a picture of your shoulder tattoo and told them that is what I wanted. It is not exact, but it's got the same "vibe"!
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Thank you Sarah G - - I got the inspiration for my tattoo from pictures of yours! I love your tattoo's (I wish I had the guts to get the one on your side!), so I brought in a picture of your shoulder tattoo and told them that is what I wanted. It is not exact, but it's got the same "vibe"!
ALMOST There!
Dec 22, 2009
I can't believe it! I am ALMOST to my goal of losing 75 lbs! My goal was to weigh 150lbs by Christmas, but I don't think I'm quite going to make it. Christmas is only 3 days away and I'm at 153. Still - not too shabby! I wonder when I will stop losing? I'm sure it will be pretty soon. I really can't imagine getting smaller than I am right now. Not that I would mind!! But I really can't put my mind around it. When I was in high school I was 5'6" and 125 and I could eat ANYTHING I wanted. But I know that's not realistic after having 2 kids! Some places on my body will never be the same!
I had to go swimsuit shopping this past weekend at the Mall of America. We're staying at a hotel for New Year's Eve and the kids want me to go swimming with them. Let me tell you - shopping for a suit in December is NOT easy! Hello, don't they realize that people take vacations?? So I finally found one that I liked and I got a size 12 (I've noticed that the more expensive the clothes, the smaller their sizes are!) I got a tankini (which is what I wore before). The top is stripped navy blue & white (YES, horizontal stripes and they look great) and the bottoms are a navy blue skirt-type. I still have to wear the skirt-type becuase after losing this weight the place where I show it the most (have the excess skin that is) is on my inner thighs. So as long as a wear a bottom that has the little skirt on it you can't see it and noone is the wiser! And I think they look cute!! So I've been tanning and now I can't wait to show off my new suit to my family!
I hope everyone has a Happy Holiday! ~ Marion
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I had to go swimsuit shopping this past weekend at the Mall of America. We're staying at a hotel for New Year's Eve and the kids want me to go swimming with them. Let me tell you - shopping for a suit in December is NOT easy! Hello, don't they realize that people take vacations?? So I finally found one that I liked and I got a size 12 (I've noticed that the more expensive the clothes, the smaller their sizes are!) I got a tankini (which is what I wore before). The top is stripped navy blue & white (YES, horizontal stripes and they look great) and the bottoms are a navy blue skirt-type. I still have to wear the skirt-type becuase after losing this weight the place where I show it the most (have the excess skin that is) is on my inner thighs. So as long as a wear a bottom that has the little skirt on it you can't see it and noone is the wiser! And I think they look cute!! So I've been tanning and now I can't wait to show off my new suit to my family!
I hope everyone has a Happy Holiday! ~ Marion
6 Mon Dr Appt
Nov 20, 2009
I had my 6 month check-up yesterday with Dr. Kelly's office. My blood work was great! The dietitian said my protein levels, Vit D, Vit B12, thyroid levels-everything was excellent. She said my cholesterol (both good & bad) levels were really low, but she doesn't know of a doctor around that wants to increase your cholesterol! I'm happy that I don't have to start B12 shots-yeah! I had one liver test that was off, but only by a couple of points, so it is nothing to worry about. She actually asked me if I was taking a separate Vit D supplement - which I'm not. She said my levels are so high that my intestines must really soak up the Vit D whenever it comes along. Okay, sounds good-I think!
The dietitian actually told me that at a weight loss of 65 lbs, I have exceeded their prediction for me. They had only predicted that I would loose 50 lbs!! I'm glad they didn't tell me that before hand or I would have been a bit upset. My personal goal is to lose AT LEAST 10 more pounds, which she said shouldn't be a problem. My BMI has gone down 10 pts and is now at 26.5 (that can be improved) and my heart rate went from 100 to 75. She also said my hair loss should be slowing down and that I am taking in enough protein. Whew! Happy to hear that.
Now I just keep doing what I'm doing and I go back to see her in 3 months and then I see Dr. Kelly again at my 1 year appt.
~ Marion
25 Weeks Post-Op
Nov 17, 2009
Wow! I can't believe I've made it 6 months already! The time has flown by. It doesn't seem like it's been that long! I've lost a total of 65 lbs so far. I am only 10 lbs away from my goal!! 
My plan is to make it by X-mas - I hope I do!
I have an interview tomorrow, so I needed a new suit. The last suit I had from last year is a size 18 - much to large for me now. You couldn't believe how nice it felt to walk into Macy's, pick out a size 12 suit right off the rack and have it fit perfectly!! Man I love that! I don't think that feeling will EVER get old for me! It's so weird, I will look at myself (like after a shower) and it's like "Who's body is this? I don't recognize it!"
The only places I have really noticed any excess skin is my inner thighs (& who likes that area anyway?) and right below my butt cheeks. Hopefully with time and exercise that will get better - but it's not like anyone really sees that anyway!! I think because of those two areas, I will still always buy a swimsuit that has the little skirt. Either that or I'll always have to wear the skirt cover-up. Considering though, it's not too bad!
My only other real problem is the hair loss. I can really notice it now. I hope that stops soon! Even my husband said he could tell that I'm thinning out. I've tried to up my protein, but it doesn't seem to help.
Catch Ya Later, Marion
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My plan is to make it by X-mas - I hope I do! I have an interview tomorrow, so I needed a new suit. The last suit I had from last year is a size 18 - much to large for me now. You couldn't believe how nice it felt to walk into Macy's, pick out a size 12 suit right off the rack and have it fit perfectly!! Man I love that! I don't think that feeling will EVER get old for me! It's so weird, I will look at myself (like after a shower) and it's like "Who's body is this? I don't recognize it!"
The only places I have really noticed any excess skin is my inner thighs (& who likes that area anyway?) and right below my butt cheeks. Hopefully with time and exercise that will get better - but it's not like anyone really sees that anyway!! I think because of those two areas, I will still always buy a swimsuit that has the little skirt. Either that or I'll always have to wear the skirt cover-up. Considering though, it's not too bad!
My only other real problem is the hair loss. I can really notice it now. I hope that stops soon! Even my husband said he could tell that I'm thinning out. I've tried to up my protein, but it doesn't seem to help.
Catch Ya Later, Marion
Blood Test
Nov 08, 2009
I have my 6 month check-up coming up on Nov 19, so I went in this past Friday morning (11/6/09) to get my blood work taken. The surgeons office said I needed to get the blood work done 2 weeks before the appt because apparently they send some of the blood to California for testing. So I couldn't take any vitamins or supplements for 24 hours prior to the test and I had to fast for 12 hours prior so I scheduled the blood work to be done at 9:00 A.M. I can handle not eating from 9pm the following evening. So I get to the clinic at 9am, they are running late so I don't even get to the lab until about 9:30, but this time I'm getting very hungry. I'm used to having my morning protein shake by 8:00 A.M. Then it turns out the lab has never seen 1/2 of the tests I have to have before so it takes them about 45 minutes to figure out what the codes are for the tests and to figure out how many vials of blood they have to take. Some of the blood had to be frozen and some of it even had to be protected from the light!
So it's about 10:30 now and they decide they are ready to take my blood. 1.) I am REALLY hungry now, 2.) I HATE needles and tend to get woozy, 3.) My veins are really hard to find. I tell the lab tech they usually have better luck going for the top of my hand with a butterfly, but she insists they have to use a regular needle at the inside of my elbow because they need to take so much blood. No kidding - I think they took about 10 vials of blood. By about the 8th vial the needle really starts to hurt in my arm, they've taken a ton of blood and I start getting really hot and woozy. Sure enough, they finish and I'm about to pass out! I feel like I'm going to throw up and they get me some fruit juice to drink, they think I"m sick since they took so much blood and I wasn't able to eat. Then I'm freaking out because I'm worried the fruit juice will have too much sugar in it and it might make me sick! What an ordeal. They end up putting me in a wheelchair and getting me to lie down on a bed for awhile. I'm glad that's over and I don't want to EVER go through THAT again!
On a brighter note, I had to go shopping again on Friday!! I just went jean shopping about 1 month ago and the pants are falling off me! My husband was like "Didn't we just buy you those?" Sorry - I can't help it! So this time I bought one pair of 12's and one size 10!!!! I can't believe it! I bought a couple of shirts and they had to be size L, cause now the XL's are too big! I'm down 63lbs to 162 and I just can't believe it. I had one dress that I wore about 8 years ago that was my goal dress. I wanted to someday fit back into that dress. I tried it on Friday night - it FIT!!! It is a size 12 and I couldn't believe it fit with some extra room!!!
Even though I know I have lost weight, I still don't feel like I look any thinner when I see pictures of myself. I guess it's because my face and neck are still chubby and that's what has always bothered me the most. And of course that is the first thing I see in a photo is my neck and face! I think I might have to come to the realization that my face/neck might ALWAYS be a bit chubby. So even though I am really happy with being at a size 12, I still hope to make it to my own personal goal of 75 lbs lost which would put me at 150. Only 12 more to go - I don't think that's unattainable. Only time will tell.
I still say WLS was the best thing that has happened to me in a long, long time!!
Marion
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So it's about 10:30 now and they decide they are ready to take my blood. 1.) I am REALLY hungry now, 2.) I HATE needles and tend to get woozy, 3.) My veins are really hard to find. I tell the lab tech they usually have better luck going for the top of my hand with a butterfly, but she insists they have to use a regular needle at the inside of my elbow because they need to take so much blood. No kidding - I think they took about 10 vials of blood. By about the 8th vial the needle really starts to hurt in my arm, they've taken a ton of blood and I start getting really hot and woozy. Sure enough, they finish and I'm about to pass out! I feel like I'm going to throw up and they get me some fruit juice to drink, they think I"m sick since they took so much blood and I wasn't able to eat. Then I'm freaking out because I'm worried the fruit juice will have too much sugar in it and it might make me sick! What an ordeal. They end up putting me in a wheelchair and getting me to lie down on a bed for awhile. I'm glad that's over and I don't want to EVER go through THAT again!
On a brighter note, I had to go shopping again on Friday!! I just went jean shopping about 1 month ago and the pants are falling off me! My husband was like "Didn't we just buy you those?" Sorry - I can't help it! So this time I bought one pair of 12's and one size 10!!!! I can't believe it! I bought a couple of shirts and they had to be size L, cause now the XL's are too big! I'm down 63lbs to 162 and I just can't believe it. I had one dress that I wore about 8 years ago that was my goal dress. I wanted to someday fit back into that dress. I tried it on Friday night - it FIT!!! It is a size 12 and I couldn't believe it fit with some extra room!!!
Even though I know I have lost weight, I still don't feel like I look any thinner when I see pictures of myself. I guess it's because my face and neck are still chubby and that's what has always bothered me the most. And of course that is the first thing I see in a photo is my neck and face! I think I might have to come to the realization that my face/neck might ALWAYS be a bit chubby. So even though I am really happy with being at a size 12, I still hope to make it to my own personal goal of 75 lbs lost which would put me at 150. Only 12 more to go - I don't think that's unattainable. Only time will tell.
I still say WLS was the best thing that has happened to me in a long, long time!!
Marion
About Me
Hammond, WI
Location
23.2
BMI
Surgery
05/26/2009
Surgery Date
Mar 11, 2009
Member Since
