rissatoo
The story starts at the bottom...
11-21-2004 -240.5 lbs!!! I've lost more than my last driver's license claimed I weighed!!
I'm quite embarrassed that I haven't gotten online and updated this page since February. I even missed my 2 year anniversary! (Bad Kelly, bad, bad, bad!) Things have been fabulous, though! I have gotten 2 promotions at work, the last one just on of the first of Nov. Not much prestige, nor much more money, but hey! it's sooooooo good for the ego!
I am now wearing size 16 jeans (not 16W, though, as I found when I bought a pair without trying them on, got them home & they were HUGE on me!) Just a normal size 16. How cool is that?!? I remember wearing this size around 10th grade. And for shirts, I seem most comfy in 16's or XL's. And after trying on about 2 dozen different sizes and styles of bras, I guess I'm a 40D.
I am still having problems with being consistent with my vitamins & calcium. I am good for a week or two, then slack off. This definitely showed in my 2 year labs, because I was low on Vitamins A and D. So I am trying to be better, and taking chewable ADEK's. The biggest problem I've had because of the low Vit.A is that my hair is very, very thin again. Not quite as bad as when I was around 3 months, but bad enough! I have simply got to find a way to be more consistent with the vits!!
I had a great summer. The heat and humidity of So Cal was never too much for me to bear this year. We never even ran the a/c, just fans! And I went to Sea World and Universal Studios and was able to not only walk all over the parks, but FIT IN ALL THE RIDES!! I had a great time, and am looking forward to more amusement parks and many more roller-coaster rides! (Now I just have to talk my friends into it... hubby & sis don't do coasters... *sigh*)
I'm really looking forward to the holidays this year. I am finally really happy with 'me'. (OK, I'm really happy with the 'fully-dressed me'. The nekkid 'me' is a saggy, baggy sight!) If hubby & I didn't desire kids, I'd probably have talked myself into getting the tummy tuck/panniculectomy & boob job by now. But I'd rather wait... don't want all the pain & expense to get the tummy flat, just to stretch it out again with pregnancy! (Plus I'm still chicken when I think about another surgery!) I am only 4 pounds from the goal that Dr.K and I agreed on. That's just amazing to me. I don't think I really ever truly expected to get below 200 lbs, much less reach that goal, and it's just within my reach! Dr.K said that when I do get the tt/panni done, I will probably lose up to 20 lbs, between the flesh removed and the way I'll eat a little less with the tightening of my tummy muscles, etc. Which would get me closer to my "dream" weight, which I don't even admit out loud! :)
Well, I hope everyone has a great holiday season! I know I will! :)
2-5-04 -215 lbs!!! I am now less than half the person I was before the DS! (But hubby says I'm twice the woman! LOL!) I should have gotten on here last week and posted when I got to my 1/2 way point, but too busy with work and life. And now, just over a week later, I've dropped a couple more pounds. It's so wonderful! Job is great, I'm walking around 5 miles or so a day (used a pedometer a couple days, to see). My knees are giving me hell, but I can live with it for now. I have been told that as soon as they hire a new runner I will be 'promoted' to a different position. Most of me is happy about the coming change, but there is a small part that likes the fact that I've been forced to walk (exercise) so much and will miss being a runner. Not that the job I will be going to is sedentary, though! I will still be doing a heck of a lot more moving around than this body used to get! :) My clothes are all falling off me, and I would go do some serious shopping, if it weren't for major problems with my car and my hubby's, both. *sigh* I am still kicking myself for never taking measurements before surgery, so that I could see exactly how many inches I've lost, and where. It's great to see the sizes going down, but I'll bet my inches lost would be a huge number! (So, if you are still pre-op, GET YOUR MEASUREMENTS NOW!! You can thank me later... LOL!) Sadly, the inches I'm losing still include in the bust. My new bras that I was so happy to get are too big now, too. I am certain I'm now a D cup... am wearing DD... and that was all the way down from H! My problem now is fan folding the sad, saggy things so they 'point' the proper direction! (Otherwise my boobs look like Marty Feldman... hee hee!) Well, that's all I have time to update on right now... Because of work I'll be missing this month's support group meeting again. *double sigh* But I've already told them I'm going next month, so there! Keep watching this space... my next big personal goal is to weigh something that starts with a "1"... only 10 pounds to get to that point, and I wanna do it NOW! :)
1-18-04 -211.5!!! One more pound and I will have lost OVER HALF OF ME! Well, I didn't get to go to the support group meeting, *sigh*, but for a GREAT reason -- I've got a job! And though it's not the best job in the world, it's a "toe-in-the-door" to better things, and it's just amazing that I can do it. What is it? I am a "runner". Yep, just a glorified errand girl, at a post-production house in Burbank. But the irony is, until I had my DS surgery, I was barely a "walker"! How's that for fabulous? Gone from practically housebound 6/02, to walking 8 hours (minus breaks, of course) a day 1/04. Yes, my knees hate me. Yes, my feet hurt. Yes, I am so proud that I can do this, that I am about to burst! :) I am taking OTC pain relievers and wearing knee braces, so I can live with this. And after the first 2 weeks of work, I can honestly say I am working my A** off, as I lost all the holiday pounds I had packed on, plus some. I do hope to get promoted to another position soon, because in the long term this could be detrimental to my knees. But for right now, I am really happy. I probably will have to miss the next support meeting or two, too, as I am still within that first 90 day period. But that's ok. I have online support to take up the slack. Thank goodness for the internet! :) I will miss actually seeing all my 'switch-siblings' "in-the-flesh". It is really an uplifting thing, to get together each month, to gossip, commiserate, question, rejoice and eat. Hmmm... maybe if I make a doctor's appt. for the day of the meeting, I can have a suitable "excuse" to miss work? :p I know that even when the 90 days are up, I won't be able to go every month anymore. *sigh* I guess I'm at the point in my weight loss/life, that I shouldn't need to go every month. But I do, I do! It's comfort and unconditional love and acceptance and I crave it. Well, maybe every other month will feed my support group need. :) New Year's Eve was great. Hubby and I (as usual), camped out on the Rose Parade route. (OK, I held the spot during the day, and after midnight, I slept in the nice warm apt, while he froze on the route!) I was out there for the countdown, and the whole street was a cacophony with the horns, yells, whistles, etc., for at least 10 mins. (Not everyone's watches agreed on the time!) I had two glasses of champagne (the small plastic kind), and I was a teensy bit tipsy! Gosh, I'm a 'lightweight' now! :) It was great that I was able to walk back and forth to the apartment with no problem... just two years ago, I had to carry a folding chair with me, and take 2-3 breaks on the way... and the apt. is only the 3rd building down the street! I apologize that I have still not gotten around to taking a new picture. I am the queen of procrastination. I need to get my butt in gear and do it, as I definitely have improved with the 60lbs I've lost since the last photo! This month, I promise I'll try! :) Have a great month everyone! :)
12-09-03 -208.5 lbs!!!!! The flu is not fun... but I don't mind what the scales did! About the only thing I kept up with last week was my water. I hate being sick. On the bright side, I am no longer "severly obese", now I am merely "obese"! Too funny. Anyone who's never had a weight problem would be appalled at being called obese, and here I am, revelling in it! Another 4.5lbs, and I will have lost over HALF of me! I may add more to this update after the support meeting today. Gosh, I am in a GOOD mood now! :) later that same day... Yep, the scale at the Dr's confirmed it! I have lost 208.5 lbs! And my body's Fat% is less than 4% from the "Desirable" range! Woohoo ~ I'm almost desirable! *giggle* I had a great time at the support meeting. Sharon, who is 2 years post-op, told her story, complete with visual aids (like before and after pictures, and her old 'fave' jeans and t-shirt... that looked like two of her could fit in now!). Dr. K also told us a couple reasons he had for choosing to be a Bariatric surgeon. It was quite cute, because one of the big plusses to him is that the surgery itself is "Cool". He also likes the positive aspects of making a real difference, truly improving the quality of people's lives. Every month, I am more and more glad, not only in choosing the DS surgery, but in choosing THIS particular surgeon. He saved my life. ...see ya'll next month! Hope everyone has a very MERRY CHRISTMAS!!
12-01-03 -203.5 lbs!! Gosh I love the DS!! I even lost 1.5 lbs over Thanksgiving weekend, and I ate like food was going out of style! I made 4 batches of pumpkin-pecan muffins, 4 pies, and my 'getting famous' Goat Cheese & Chorizo Stuffing. (We had dinner at a friends' house, so I didn't have to do the whole spread. Hooray!) I ate muffins, pumkin pie, pecan-pumpkin pie, flan, cheesecake and all the regular Turkey Day fare from Wednesday through Sunday. I didn't deny myself anything I wanted, but did listen when my tummy said "enough". I know I could have done better with my water intake, so that's something I'm going to be more careful about, especially the next holiday. But on the whole, I am very happy. On an "exercise" note... my sis and I went shopping on Friday... yep, we are both insane... who would voluntarily go to a mall (and Walmart, etc.) on the biggest shopping day of the year, when everyone and their cousin is out shopping the sales? We're nuts. But, I walked around (and around and around) like I haven't been able to do in more years than I care to admit to. And boy, did it feel good! (Until that night, when my knees complained, but 2 ibuprofen, and I was ok. Such a change from the handfuls of pain killers I used to consume.) I hope you all had as great a weekend as I did! :)
11-11-03 -202 lbs!! I can't believe that with all the Halloween candy I consumed I haven't gained any weight this month. I purely thought I would... was kinda worried to step on the scale, to tell the truth. But I guess I'm a fatalist or something, because I did it. And surprise, haven't gained anything! (In fact, considering that at home I weigh myself at the best possible time - you know, nekkid and after the morning potty routine... well, when I weigh myself at the meeting, I've eaten a lot, drunk a lot, etc., and usually the scale will read up to 5 lbs more than at home. This time only 1.5 lbs more. So... maybe I'm doing better than I thought?) I've been a little concerned about my water intake. Now that summer is over, I find that I have not always drank at least 2 litres of water before bedtime. And I've also not been paying as close attention to my protein. So I made the decision to add a protein shake in the morning, and make a more concerted effort to get that water in. Perhaps that's why the scale didn't go up? I've also been much better at getting my vitamins in. I'm embarrassed that I've been so lax about them, and if anything bad happen were to happen in the future, it is completely my own fault for not being compliant with Dr. K's guidelines. I am pretty tired of looking like sharpei-girl... all this excess skin is no fun! I don't look too bad when I'm clothed, but undressed? YUK. I hate the insides of my thighs and my chin the most. But the batwings, saggy tatas and my "overlap" are icky, too. Of course, losing the weight has been worth all this excess skin, I'd never give up the one for the other. I just hope someday to have the means to get it all lifted. *sigh* I wonder if I can come up with the new "pet rock"... you know, something completely ridiculous and cheap to make, that everybody wants and buys, putting me in a much higher financial bracket?! OK... a gal has to dream. Heck, I've even begun buying Super Lotto tickets. I figure why not? I could be the winner, as much as anyone else, right? And I know exactly what I'd do with the windfall -- get everything that's fallen lifted! :) I've set a new goal for myself. I'm not gonna beat myself up if I don't make it, but I'd really, really, really like to lose another 10 lbs by Christmas... that way I will have lost half of me... and wouldn't that be a fantabulous present to myself? It may be difficult, since the scale hasn't moved down much the last couple months, but if I am good with water, protein and (urk! that two 4-letter words put together) EXER-CISE, I should be able to do it, right? Wish me luck! 44 days and counting... :) Oh yes... I am wearing some size 18 pants now, and 1X tops. it's too cool for words!!
10-14-03 -202 lbs! I didn't get to go to the support group meeting, but by my home scale, I've lost another pound this month. I haven't noticed any major changes, but am continuing to feel GREAT! Thank goodness for the DS surgery, and the most fabulous surgeon on this planet, Dr. Keshishian! There's almost nothing I can't do now, and compared to where I started, that's almost unbelievable. :) See ya next month!
9-22-03 -201 lbs!!!!! In case you missed that, let me repeat: -201 lbs!!!!! Oh my goodness, I've lost OVER 200 POUNDS!! I can't believe it! It's only been 15 1/2 months since my DS surgery! I am practically dancing in my seat, I'm so happy! And if that weren't enough, I am now wearing size 20 jeans and some 1x tops!! When I started this journey, I weighed 424.5 lbs, this morning I weigh 223.5 lbs. (When I stepped on the scale and saw 223.5, I didn't really believe it, so I leaned this way and that, shifting my body, as sometimes it will stabilize a pound or two higher than the first number. But no, it stayed, so I've really lost it!) If I'm dreaming, nobody pinch me, and don't you dare wake me up, I'm too happy! :) Now I just need to get a decent "after" photo taken so I can show off... LOL!
9-9-03 -195 lbs! Yep, haven't lost any more weight since the last 'update', but turns out I've lost a lot of fat. Last month, my Fat % was 38.7%... this month it's 26.6%!! Wowza! (So I celebrated by sharing a humongous ice cream sundae with a couple friends after the support meeting! LOL, I'm so-o-o-o bad!) Lately, I've been thinking about a lot of the things I'm starting to take for granted (in a good way)... limitations I had that are gone now, and all over again, I'm so happy I finally had this surgery. I no longer worry if I can't get one of the handicapped spaces in a parking lot, nor have to sit around and wait if the store's electric carts are not available. I can babysit my nephews and niece (4 & 2 and 3 & 2) which was an impossibility before, because I couldn't walk much, nor pick them up unless I was sitting. When I'm staying somewhere away from home, taking a shower is not a worry anymore, since I don't need a shower chair. I went car shopping with my hubby (ok, more like window-shopping, since we weren't looking to buy a car that day, just looking), and I walked all over that car lot for almost an hour (amazing!!) I fit in booths with nary a problem, can go to movie theatres that don't have movable armrests, don't have to worry that seatbelts in cars won't be long enough, etc., etc., etc. When I think of all the things I couldn't do before that I can do now, I realize the weight is not the only burden I've shed. I've also lost most of the worrying and stress that the weight put me through. Losing the mental turmoil is almost a better feeling than the weight loss itself, if that makes any sense. :) Life would be almost complete if I could just find a Plastic Surgeon Fairy that would wave a magic wand and make all my flab and excess skin go away (and make my ta-tas perky at the same time)! Yes, I'll need p/s sometime in the future, no doubt about it, but not ready for it yet, both physically and financially. But a gal can dream, can't she? :p I am decidedly tired of what I've started calling my "overlap"... that is the part of my tummy that a good tt/panniculectomy would remove, that just puddles on my legs when I sit... 'overlapping' onto my lap. Since hubby and I want a family, I've decided to put off a tt/panni until after kids, as I feel it would be silly to tighten that area up and then stretch it out again with pregnancy. And I hate girdle panties! *sigh* Well, that's the update for now... hope you are having as great a day as I am!!
8-19-03 -195 lbs!! (I decided to weigh myself at home, and hooray!) Even though my weight hadn't changed in the last month, this morning I weighed 229.5 lbs! So that's another 5 lbs gone forever. :) Hmmm... I know they call it the "century club" when you lose 100 lbs... does this mean I'm only 5 lbs from joining the "bicentennial club"? LOL!
8-12-03 -190 lbs (no change in weight this month) However, there WAS a change in clothing sizes! :) I am now wearing size 22s and 2x, down from tight 30/32s and 5x! And my bra size, which was 54H, is now 42DD! I am not at all upset about not losing pounds, either. You see, when I go to the support group meetings, I weigh on the doctor's Tanita scale, which not only gives weight, but also your BMI, Fat %, Fat Mass (lbs), FFM (Fat Free Mass? lbs), BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate? The amount of calories required to maintain that particular weight -- so less calories than that = weight loss), and your "desirable range" for both Fat % and Fat Mass. Well, I may not have lost weight pounds this month, but my Fat Mass went down 9 lbs! So yes, that means my FFM went up (more muscle, less fat). I guess the trips I've been making to the gym for water aerobics have really paid off! :) The job situation is looking up, too... I've got two potential jobs in the works (cross your fingers for me), and several fabulous gals have enriched my wardrobe considerably, so I have the nice clothes for interviews/job. I'm having virtually no problems with my diet, with the notable exception of movie theatre buttered popcorn. *sniffle* I went to the movies with my sis the other night, and we shared a popcorn. And the next day I paid for it! Kinda upset tummy, lotsa rumbling down there, and let's just say, some bathroom issues. It didn't help that I hadn't eaten dinner, so I ate a LOT of popcorn. I think I'll either forgo the popcorn from now on, or just limit it to a few handfuls. As far as amount of food I eat, I went out with a friend to a restaurant I haven't been to since a couple months before surgery, and I ordered the same (huge) Cobb salad that I always have loved. It comes with a huge muffin. Well, I ate a bite of the muffin, and almost 1/2 the salad and was stuffed! Pre-op, I not only ate ALL the muffin and salad, I usually got an appetizer! I can't believe what I used to be able to put away! Anyway, the "up" side of this is, because I had the DS surgery, I can and do eat a "normal" amount of food... not so little that it looks as if I'm ill or I didn't like the food, and not so much that I need a forklift to get me out of the restaurant! What freedom! I tell ya, I feel like a DS missionary sometimes... ready to proselytize about the DS surgery at the drop of a hat! :) I hope everyone is enjoying their summer as much as I am! See ya next month!
7-8-03 -190 lbs! (ok, I rounded up just 1/2 lb again) What can I say? Life is good. If I never lost another pound, I could be happy. And yet I know I will continue to lose. That is one of the most free-ing parts of the DS surgery. Knowing that the weight will come off, without me needing to diet. I spent 20 years of my life on one diet or another, wasted so much time, energy and money, and for what? I would lose 5 lbs to gain 10 (or 20 or more). And now, without dieting, I am losing my excess weight and I know IT WILL NEVER COME BACK!! I am being more active, in fact it's still amazing to me that I can go grocery shopping without using the electric carts. I am doing more around the house, fulfilling my 'housewifely' duties better (thank goodness... Love my hubby, but housework AIN'T his thing!). I definitely need to get a new photo up. I'm wearing 22/24 clothes now (24s fit, but not 22s, yet), down from tight 30/32s before surgery. I haven't worn this size since, oh, I don't know, maybe 1988? 1987? Too long. Thank goodness for the generous people at our support group meetings who bring clothes to exchange, since I don't have the money for a new wardrobe! Yes, I need to get a job, so I can afford to indulge myself with a couple shopping expeditions! :) Getting a job is the one place that I am still having trouble with. Not so much the getting of the job, but of looking for one. Making that first step. I have been out of work for 7 years, first to take care of my grandmother, then because of health. And now, because of my knees, I can't do the "fall back" job of sales/cashier that I always had. I never had a true career. And I am still afraid of rejection. But I'm going to have to do something and do it soon. Say a little prayer for me... I truly need all the help I can get. (Things are very tight here, as hubby was laid off almost 1 1/2 years ago, and now savings are depleted. *sigh*) Well, let me end this update on a happier note: A friend got married just over a week ago, and I saw a couple I hadn't seen since spring of 2002, about 3 months before I had surgery. And they said that if I hadn't been with my hubby, they would never have recognized me! :) They said it was more than the weight loss, too... it was the attitude... the new confidence I showed. Well, heck ya! I'm not carrying the equivalent of **19** 10lb bags of potatoes around on my carcass anymore! That should be enough of a reason for my attitude to have 'lightened', dontcha think? :) See ya next month!
6-10-03 -185 lbs in ONE YEAR!! This has been one SUPER-FANTABULOUS YEAR! I can't believe how much better I feel, how much freedom I have compared to where I was a year ago. I am not worried that I will reach my goal... I am certain I will! :) I would like to be losing more than 5 lbs per month, but I guess I'll have to get off my lazy butt and do the "e" word. (I don't care what they say, exercise IS a four-letter word... or maybe it's just so bad because it's 2 four-letter words! LOL)
5-13-03 -180 lbs!!! (ok... I rounded up! LOL) (And how cool is this, I am 'only' severly obese now, no more "morbidly"!) Well, I've been very, very bad about keeping this updated. I got a bit discouraged in March when I weighed in at the support group meeting and found I had actually gained a couple pounds. I was very unhappy. Not surprised though, since my diet had been so terrible... too many carbs and not enough water. When I weighed myself at home the next week, I'd lost that couple pounds plus some more, but because it wasn't my "official" weigh-in, I didn't update. Then life conspired to make me have to miss the April meeting, and even though I can (and do) weigh myself at home now, I still didn't feel like I had much to update. Forgive me! I know how much I enjoyed and learned from peoples' updates when I was a pre-op (and still do, truth be told), so I should've just done it. But I didn't really feel like I had that much positive to say. Not that there's been anything wrong with me physically (unless saggy, baggy, sharpei-like skin counts, LOL), just haven't been interested in sitting in front of a computer. So here I am. I can hardly believe I've lost so much weight in so short a time. It's amazing to me. Physically i am more able to move, walk, stand, etc. My knees still hurt me terribly, but they will until I have surgery (when I'm closer to my goal weight, so that excess weight won't re-injure them while I'm healing). My lower back and sciatica (sp?) do not send shooting pains anymore. I seem to sleep better, so even though I haven't done another sleep study, I know my apnea is improved. (I used to snore VERY LOUDLY, and sit up/wake up all night long, even though I slept all propped up by pillows to help my airway. Now hubby says that I don't snore, and I rarely wake at night.) My blood pressure was on the high side before surgery, and now it's normal. I can (and do) eat anything I want to, (even those dastardly carbs!), and I eat a "normal" amount. Probably half or less than I did pre-op, but not the teensy meals of the first 6 months or so, either. I still crave protein most, and make sure I get 80+ grams per day. I drink at least 2 liters of water (plus other liquids) every day. I do need to work on my calcium and vitamin intake. I am NOT very vigilant about them... I know, I know, that's BAD. Well, I'm trying to be better! Everyone says I have a much better attitude. Sometimes I think "hey, was I an ogre before??", because I thought I was always a happy, friendly person. But my hubby and sisters have commented about it a bit, and heaven knows, they always got to see the "real" me, not just the face I wore in public. I am thinking very strongly that there will be LOTS and LOTS of plastic surgery in my future. *sigh* Not only the panniculectomy (tummy-tuck), but also my breasts, batwings and thighs. I may even see about a face-lift, as the skin from my several chins is just yucky to me. What else can I say? Life is good, good, GOOD! And the best thing is, I can see it's only going to get better. I am so happy I had this surgery! I thank God, my family and my surgeon (and his team) for all the many blessings I have in my life now. And yes, I *DO* have a life now! Yay me! :)
2-22-03 -157.5 lbs!! I can't believe the scale keeps on going down! I was certain, even more than usual, that this time when I stepped on the scales I wouldn't see a difference. I mean heck, it had only been a week since I'd last weighed myself (on my 8 month anniversary). So I was actually unprepared for seeing it stop at **267!** That's another -6.5 lbs! This is so amazing to me. I am having trouble coming to terms with the weight dropping so fast. I get scared that any time it will stop and I won't lose another ounce, or even worse, I will start to gain again. But then I realize that I chose the one way that should never happen again... WLS. This is not like the multitude of diets I tried for over 20 years, where I'd lose a couple pounds and then they'd come back (plus more). And all the studies done on the DS show it has the least chance of late weight regain of any WLS. But it's still hard to wrap the brain around the fact that this time the weight is going to come off and stay off. I'm trying to do more... get out of the house... clean the house... even have a job interview next week. (Eek! A job?!? I haven't had one of those since 1996!!) Things just keep getting better and better. Now if only someone would invent a pill to make all the saggy, baggy skin disappear, I'd be in heaven! LOL! As it is, I'm on a slow, inexorable slide towards looking like a sharpei! I don't know if I'll EVER be able to wear a sleeveless top out of the house again! Oh well... small price to pay to be healthy, doncha think? :)
2-4-03 -151 lbs in 8 short months!! Well, it's my 8 month anniversary, and I can't believe the changes. I've taken a new picture that should be posted soon. My sister came by this weekend to help me weed out my closet. Guess she got tired of seeing me wear stuff that was TOO BIG! :) I couldn't help it... a lot of that stuff was my favorite comfy clothes. But hubby agreed, so out they went... 3 HUGE black garbage bags full! Thank goodness I have a friend who had surgery 6 months before me, or I'd have nothing to wear! I found some clothes from before I married my husband, and they fit!! So that means I'm smaller than I've been in over 7 years! I wish my knees were back in the shape they were then... *sigh* I can really tell I'm doing better, because I actually applied for a job! Wowza! I've not worked for a salary since Dec 1996, when I quit my job to take care of my grandmother, so this is a big step. I don't even know what I want to "be"... I just know that I want to do something! This job I applied for isn't any great shakes... but I'm glad I got motivated enough to fill out an application and make up a new resume. Unlike before in my life though, I'm not going to stress the job hunt. I'm just going to do what feels right. I think that's a good thing for me! (((((Huggles)))))
1-11-03 -144.5 lbs!! It's kinda funny. I know I'm doing so much more than I was able to last year. Yet I find I don't know what to say in an update. Maybe because the things that make me happy I can do aren't that earth-shaking wonderful? For instance: I cleaned my bathroom... I mean really cleaned my bathroom. Down on my hands and knees, scrubbing out the tub and the floor, etc. It's been more than a year since I was the one to clean my bathroom, because I just couldn't get down to do it. But this time I did it! I even got up and down off the floor a dozen times! That's 11 more times than I've gotten off the floor in the past year! (because I just wouldn't get down ON the floor, LOL) Yes, my knees were a bit unhappy with me for a couple days, but the thing is, I DID IT!! As long as this keeps on, little happys, I'll be VERY happy! ((((Huggles))))
1-1-03 HAPPY NEW YEAR! I think this is the first new year in a long time that I've looked at optimistically. So many wonderful changes in my life in the last 7 months have made it possible for me to be positive about my future. Heck, have given me a future. When I look at where my life was last New Year's, I am so sad for the person I was. I was so limited in what I could do. I was 1 step from being completely housebound. The only places I ever went were stores with electric carts. And if I couldn't also get the handicapped spaces right in front, forget it. This Xmas season, I didn't do that! I parked where I could find a spot. I shopped where I wanted to shop. (Before I posted about mall shopping. But I forgot I also went to IKEA. Now that was a workout! LOL) I can hardly wait to see what the next year brings! I'll keep you posted! (((Huggles)))
12-25-02 -141.5 lbs!! What a FABULOUS Christmas present to me! I wasn't going to do it... I've been really good about not doing it... but I couldn't help myself! I held a little internal debate about whether I should chance it: ("...you've eaten a lot of Xmas treats" "...yes, but my clothes fit better" "...remember the Almond Roca tin you helped demolish?" "...but hubby says I look thinner" "...if there's no difference, I can always claim the scale at home is wrong"), and in the end, I had to do it... I stepped on the scale this morning and I'd lost another 8 lbs in only 2 more weeks! (That's 1/3 of my total pre-surgery weight that I've lost!) Gosh!! Imagine if I'd started exercising? LOL! I actually have been doing more. I visited my sister and 2 of the cutest nephews in the world for a week, and of course, with a 3 year old and a 1 1/2 year old, I got LOTS of running around. And when I got home, I did a lot more running around. Including going shopping in the mall!! This is the first time I've shopped in a mall without a wheelchair. Yes, I did have to sit on the benches and rest a lot. But the important thing is, I DID IT! My other high point was when I went to buy a new bra. I've been putting off buying a new one for way too long. Heck, I hadn't bought any new ones for over a year before surgery, because I "knew" I was going to have surgery "any time", and "it would be a waste to spend the money on something I wouldn't get much use out of"... Silly me. Before surgery, I was wearing (are you sittin down?) a 54H. I walked out of that bra shop wearing a *44H*. I have gone down 5 sizes!! I wish the cup size had shrunk a bit, too. Guess I'll have to think very strongly about breast-reduction surgery someday, if I ever want to fit into Victoria's Secret! I am also loving digging through the boxes of clothes I couldn't fit anymore. I'm definitely not a 30/32 anymore! I'm having a hard time saying 'goodbye' to the old clothes though. I guess it's because every other time I've lost weight, if enough came off to make a difference in clothing size, I'd usually regain that and some extra and I'd need all the old clothes. Well, hubby won't let me out of the house in some of the larger stuff, so that will help me whittle away the too big things. :) Hope everyone has/had a wonderful holiday! :) See ya next year!
12-10-02 -133.5 lbs in 6 months! Even after Thanksgiving my weight went down! (Sorry for such a short update. I'd written a longer one, but it seems it never posted. *sigh* Just imagine I've written something terrible amusing and wonderfully informative about the month, and you won't be too wrong... really! LOL)
11-12-02 -126 lbs in 23 weeks!! I weigh less than 300 lbs!! I can hardly believe it! And that even includes a week of bad eating (road trip, so lots of fast food and restaurants) and also Halloween. I know I must've had 15-20 of those mini candy bars, until I wised up on Sunday and took the big ol' bag of leftover candy (what hadn't gotten passed out) and gave it to the teenagers next door! :) I didn't quite make my "goal" of getting under 300 by my birthday, but I was close... only took me 10 more days, LOL. But I'm so happy! ...I'm ecstatic! I have now lost 52% of my excess weight. I am really doing better with walking and standing, but have still been ultra-lazy about exercise. I really should start! My PCP doesn't want to send me to an orthopedist until I'm much closer to my goal weight, since she knows they'll want to do knee surgery, and I really am too heavy for that right now. She has been very supportive of me, ever since I first broached the subject of WLS. I had my first blood work done since surgery. Everything was perfect. I am so enjoying all the compliments I am getting from family, friends and acquaintances. My hair is still coming out, though not as much as before. Thank goodness, since I don't HAVE as much as before! I got some Nioxin shampoo, conditioner, hair spray and hair vitamins today. I guess it won't hurt try this stuff. Cross you fingers for me! If this doesn't help, I may just have to buy a wig! :p Hope everyone else is having as good a day as I am!! :)
10-8-02 -111 lbs in 18 weeks!! It keeps going, and going and going... LOL! I was so certain I wouldn't have lost anything this month. I felt I'd been "bad" quite a bit, eating more carbs than usual. (Can we say PMS?) And so, on the drive up to the support meeting, I'd decided I wouldn't weigh in, and when I got home I'd tell my hubby that "I forgot." Yeah, right... like I'd forget! But once I got there, and started talking to others, I realized it would hurt no one but me to not know. And so I decided "what the heck" and did it. woohoo! Another 11 lbs down the drain! :) I have already passed my first goal which was to lose 100 lbs by my birthday (11/2, or about 5 months after surgery), so I had made a new tentative goal to get below 300 lbs by then. I'm 14 lbs from that goal, but I don't know if I can make it in just over 3 weeks. However, I'm not gonna beat myself up to do it, or if I don't make it. Everything is just so fabulous now! I'm getting around better, have more energy... hubby, family and friends say they can see what a difference it's made to my attitude (not to mention my face & body!) :) I can't say enough good things about the DS and my surgeon, Dr Keshishian. What lifesavers! This month, I'm down to only one "complaint." My hair is still falling out at a rate that alarms me. I feel like I have less than 1/2 the hair I had before. I know it will grow back, but will the "great fall-out" stop before I'm forced to wear a scarf or wig? LOL I can hardly wait until it starts coming back in... At least that small drainage spot in my incision healed! :) See ya'll next month!
9-10-02 -100lbs in 14 weeks!!! This surgery is AMAZING! I simply can't believe that I have lost 100 pounds in just over 3 months! The only thing I can 'complain' about is that my little pinhole is still draining. I whined to Dr. K (at the support meeting) about it being sooooooo long, and he said, "at least it's not 6 months!" *gulp* Oh no! It can last 6 months?! But he said it would probably close up soon. Yay! And he told me that I can cover the area with an 'op-site' (the clear tape patch usually put over an i.v. -- waterproof!) So now I will FINALLY be able to go to the spa and do some water aerobics! I have to admit I have not exercised like I should. Even with the 100 lbs gone, my knees and lower back still hurt. But it's getting better! :) And once I get in the pool, it'll get better faster! I had been worried that I wouldn't have lost much weight, since I feel like I can eat a LOT. The only things that seem to give me trouble are veggies (I miss big salads!) and carbs (I can eat some carbs, but if the meal isn't mostly protein, carbs give me uncomfortable internal gas.) I can eat an entire Lean Cuisine for dinner now, so my capacity has approximately doubled since surgery. Oh! I just remembered my other "complaint"... My hair has started falling out! Handfuls in the brush every time. If it keeps up at this rate, I'll be bald by my birthday! LOL! Of course, I'd much rather be bald and normal sized, than to have kept super-morbidly obese with full hair! And heck, it'll grow back! Well, that seems to be all the update for this month! Keep watching this space! LOL!
8-21-02 -86lbs I started feeling a little tenderness just above my navel, so I went back to see the Dr. There's a chance it may be a hernia, but nothing conclusive, even after an ultrasound. I am supposed to keep an eye on things, let them know if it turns red, if I get a fever/nausea/vomiting, if it starts to really hurt, etc. I'm hoping that it turns out to be mere fluid build-up, and that putting heat on the area will help. Maybe if it is, it will find it's way to my little drain hole. Got the "Q-tip treatment" and silver nitrate(?) on the spot again. Dr. said it's not unusual, especially for someone of my size to still be draining at this point, as it's better for the liquid to drain out. *sigh*
8-13-02 -82.5 lbs Was all ready to be depressed over the teensy bit of weight loss, but got told that my body is still recouperating from the amazing amount I lost the first month. OK, I can live with that. :) I'm still on track for my revised 1st big goal: to get below 300 lbs by my birthday Nov 2. (Original goal was to lose 100 lbs in that 5 months, but that seems too tame... I want to push it more! So now I have 11 weeks to lose 42 lbs. I will do it!)
7-30-02 -80.5 lbs :) I was almost unhappy that I hadn't lost more than 9.5 lbs in 3 weeks, but then I realized my body probably needed to play "catch-up" after my amazing 5 week total. I wasn't "supposed" to get weighed yet, the next support meeting isn't until August 13, but I had a pain behind my incision, which turned out to be some fluid build up. It's a pretty normal occurance, and really didn't hurt so much as ache a little. I wanted to be "better safe than sorry", so I decided to go see Dr. K. (And indeed, two days later, even the ache was pretty much gone.) I can't say enough good stuff about this surgery. I can eat anything I want, I just eat smaller portions. I have noticed that I do gravitate towards the proteins first, then veggies and carbs, which is completely opposite my pre-surgery habits. My exercise is still only walking. When this little pin-hole drainage spot heals up I will be able to go in the pool... I can hardly wait!
7-11-02 Only 5 weeks post-op and -71 lbs!! Oh my goodness! I could hardly believe my eyes when I stepped on the scale in Dr. K's office! I last weighed myself 2 1/2 weeks ago, when I got my retaining stitches removed, and at that point I had lost 38 lbs. So I'm sure you can imagine my surprise and excitement. :) Things are going so great for me. I eat what I want, just small portions that (amazingly) are very satisfying. I have had no nausea, vomiting or dumping-type reactions to anything. The only things about eating that have surprised me? 1)If it tastes good today, doesn't mean I'll like it tomorrow, and 2)Things I loved before surgery (i.e. Krab salad) now taste HORRID, and things I wouldn't eat before (i.e. peanut butter) are pretty good now. What a crazy thing! :)I haven't really done any exercise other than just walking around. The heat just saps any energy I have. Sadly, the air conditioners were a bust. The wiring in our old house won't take 'em. *sigh* So I figure that part of that terrific weight loss so far must be because I'm melting. LOL! The DS surgery is the best thing in the world. Dr. K has given me the best gift... the gift of life! And I will cherish it!
6-19-02 Well, just over two weeks post-op, and feeling better than I expected. I am surprised that I am not having trouble getting *enough* water in... the trouble is the FLAVOR of the water! It's yucky! So I have to add a little Crystal Light. I am also eating a variety of foods... tuna, eggs, canned chicken, yogurt, sharp cheddar cheese, crackers, cream of wheat, applesauce, filet mignon, deli ham, Morningstar Farms' breakfast sausage, etc... you get the idea. I go back to see Dr. K in two days to see about getting my retaining stitches removed (The staples and jp drains came out a week ago, but he wanted these to stay in longer.) I hope he does remove 'em, cuz they are a little tender. I hate to admit that I am not walking as much as I know I should. I can only blame the awful heat, and our lack of air conditioning. I will no longer have that as an excuse, however, as I bought 2 air conditioners this evening. One for the bedroom and one (multi-room) for the rest of the house! *sigh* I should have done THAT a long, long time ago! I will update more after the stitches come out.
Pre-op
After fighting with the Evil Insurance company, I will be self-pay.
I will be having the GR/DS (Gastric Reduction with Duodenal Switch also known as the DGB/DS - Distal Gastric Bypass w/Duodenal Switch, or the BPD/DS - Biliopancreatic Diversion w/Duodenal Switch, or simply the DS.) ...The Cliff's Notes version of my story is: Always weighed too much. Tried almost every diet known to man. Saw any weight I lost come back, plus more, to boot. Became very depressed. Injured knee, which led to back problems. I can barely stand, much less walk more than 10 yards. Turn red, sweat profusely and get out of breath. No matter how much I sleep, I never feel rested. (Now I know I have sleep apnea.) Finally came to the realization that the only way I will lose THIS much weight will be through WLS. I searched and researched and chose the DS as the best WLS choice for me. At first, Dr Gary Anthone of USC was my choice for surgeon. I waited 4 1/2 months for my consult with Dr A! But because of medical group/insurance problems, I have had to make a change, and I am now working towards having the surgery with Dr. Keshishian. Things are looking good so far, but cross your fingers for me! 8-)
About Me
Before & After
rollover to see after photo
