Ruthie D.

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I have been so busy with life that I have not checked into OH in over 2 years!  Just stopping by to briefly say that life is good.  Surgery was a good idea.  Things in general are going great!  As a side note... I bottomed out at 104 in April or May of 2012... a full 120 lbs. gone, over half my weight.  Slowly, I have regained 26 lbs and am stable at 130.  It takes work... sticking to my plan even today (as much as possible since I now team drive cross country in a big rig with my husband).  I still dump if I eat sugar or fats...  I still get the sneezes if I eat one bite too many.  I still have extra skin but I look like a million bucks in clothes.  :-)  I have not had the foamies or retched up a "hairball" of meat in almost 2 years.  I learned how to chew, what not to eat, and what not to eat too much of!  I still do protein shakes, take my vitamins, eat cheese sticks, beef jerky, and yogurt with protein powder.  I still ask for a "to go" box to be brought with my meal so I can divide it before I take the 1st bite even.  I don't drink coffee protein shakes anymore and I don't have to take an acid reducer pill near as often... go figure.  I still try to get in my water... my downfall is non-carbonated energy drinks while I'm driving on my shift... but it could be worse.  My husband, who was my 3rd husband and I remarried him after my 4th husband passed away, loves me and loves that I'm this shape, this attractive, and in this good of health for 60 years of age.  He is 51.  I hope the state of the world does not change so drastically that we all can't get our vitamins and protein powders etc...  I suspect it will ... but I hope not while we are alive.  So... that's it for now and I hope to come back again and compare my new update with this report.  LOL  Take care and hope you are well too!!

 

Holy macaroni, has it been that long already?  Wow.  Actually, I'm about 6 days past 8 months but here's the basics from what I came up with last week when I took my measurements:

8 months post-op:
           I've lost 92 lbs. since my high weight  (7 since last month)
           I've lost 72 inches total so far  (5.5 since last month)
           My bodyfat is 36.8%  (a 22.2% loss since start)
           My BMI is 24.1 and at the high end of the Normal designation - YIPPEEEE

I'm so enjoying life with this newfound body and energy (which still comes in spurts). 

I have no regrets, nor do I expect to have any.  The Power of Positive Thinking is very much alive in my world.  LOL

Well, at 6 months I hit 80 lbs. lost and then the floor dropped out.  I sat there and sat there and the scale did not move except for one miraculous time it dropped to 139 and then climbed back up again. 

I'm going to run with that 139 though and claim 5 lbs lost this past month!!  BECAUSE total inches lost this past month is 8.25!!!!  THAT is why the scale hasn't been moving as much!  The ol' bod has been doing that "adjusting & shifting" thing! 

Hence, at 7 months post-op:
           I've lost 85 lbs. since my high weight
           I've lost 66.5 inches total so far
           My bodyfat is 38%
           My BMI is 25.42 and at the very low end of the Overweight designation

It's all still working and I'm trying hard to keep up the exercise and NIX the carb snacking.  For the most part I do okay.  I could always do better though.  But, who couldn't?   ;-)

The thing that matters is all the things I can DO today!!  It's a miracle.  Life is good.  I feel very blessed.   And overnight, I lost one more pound so I'm 18 lbs. from goal.  That's freaking amazing.  I can't wait to buy the "I'm a Surgically Modified Freak!" t-shirt! 

I'll be taking my measurements in about 6 days and I expect it will indicate I'm still on an average of 2.5 lb per week decline.  That works for me.  My skin has not turned extremely flabby... I'm using food grade virgin coconut oil for a nighttime moisturizer and I think it's helping the elasticity.  Plus, the slower loss than I have seen in some other folks is a contributing factor, in my opinion.  I don't want to have to consider plastic surgery later so, even though a few things my droop, I'm hoping there won't be much sagging skin to worry about. 

At any rate, I'm feeling great even though energy comes and goes, but isn't that normal?  With 67 lbs gone, I no longer have hip pain, I can climb up and down things as long as I have something to hang on to.  I'm horseback riding regularly.  I'm quad riding regularly, on challenging terrain, which is an upper body workout all its own.  I have a large container garden for the first time in probably 30 years, my house is decluttered and relatively clean, my paperwork is more manageable than it has been in many years, and so on an so forth.  Everything has gotten better because of my weight loss.  I still have no regrets. :-)

I find I'm not as focused on my intake of protein, supplements, water, and food as I was at first... and have vowed to be more in tune an habitual.  The malabsorption factor is too important to ignore and it just could be the reason behind my energy fluctuations.   I'm also busy enough during the daytime that I have not been conscientiously using my Wii Fit Plus program like I want to be.  That also must change, especially because it will not be long before I lose enough that I'm down to that last 10 or 20 lbs. that they say are hard to get off.  When I finish losing weight is when I will start focusing strongly on weight training.  I do some now, but not enough to think I'm going into a stall because I'm retaining muscle rather than losing.  I want the fat gone first... right or wrong, that's how I feel.  I'll continue to do yoga, balance, aerobics and some weight training with my Wii.

I am not in the percentile of people who've had RNY surgery who dump on sugar.  I feel very blessed that the compulsion to binge on sugar was lifted immediately and also am glad that, if I have a bite of sugar, it does not put me down.  I'm hoping to go back to work within the next couple of months and I can't be incapacited at the fast and furious type of work I do in a construction office... especially not with the boss I have to keep up with (or ahead of!)  LOL

So, all is well and we'll see what the new numbers show next week!

Cya!

It's all about 3's I guess.    Total Lost:

Pounds:   43  (23 actual post op)

Inches:     33

% Fat:       13

YAY.  Progress.  I'm diggin' it.

Today, with 4 days to go to 2 months out from surgery, I went horseback riding again!  It's been so many years and I've cried many tears over being too heavy and not limber enough to ride without getting horrible leg/hip cramping on the left side.  Well, thank goodness for things that my husband has purchased for us.  Two things helped me achieve this.  The Wii that we bought 10 days ago had me doing shaky yoga poses that still stretched muscles I hadn't used in forever, and, Keith asking me to try riding double on his Quad.  There were no footpegs so, once we got on a straightaway, I wrapped my legs around his waist and put my feet on the gas tank.  I had no idea that was going to stretch my hip and inner thigh muscle in a really good way!  I realized that I was pretty much stretched out in the same shape I would be as if I was on the back of a horse... and it wasn't very painful at all.  Wow.  What a miracle.   After thinking about it, yesterday I stopped by the local stable and the lady wrangler there is heavier than I am and said, "Sugar, our horses will carry you easy.  I say you need to jump in the pool to see if you sink or swim!"  I made a reservation for the next day.... today!

Anyway, just like riding a bicycle... I had no doubt about the riding ability part because it was my concern over my body's possible reactions that had me going.  None of the bad happened and all of the good came to pass.  Trail Ride is no longer a dirty word to me.  LOL 

It was such an awesome day and I can't wait to go again.  Bless DH for committing to pay for me to go every two weeks.  That gesture tells me for sure he knows how much it meant to me.  Thank you Keith!  <3    This alone makes the surgery worth it to me!  What fun to know that it's not the only victory I'll have or goal that I'll meet.  I'm starting to feel the magic of the journey.  :-))

I'm losing weight slowly and am eating and drinking so well that it almost makes me think that something is wrong.  lol  I'm told I'm doing great and right on track, so I'll go with that. 

Had to order liquid adult dosage Tylenol (generic) on line so that I could get it back in my system and control my hip pain.  I hadn't been walking because of it.  Now, I'm wearing my pedometer and walking loops around the park to up my steps for the day.  It's easier than walking to the post office because of less traffic and more even ground.  My goal is to walk 10,000 steps every day (which I'm thinking is a mile) and I'm doing over 5000 and raising it a little every day.  Still have to figure out the PlayStation3 so I can fire up my Zumba program and start learning to dance Latino.  haha!

Brought a bunch of items from the storeroom today and got my covered porch set up for summer, minus a few windchimes and bird feeders still in boxes, and minus my farmed out plants that I will pick up at the end of this month.  I'm very jazzed because it will be so nice for just chillin' or for neighbors and friends who want to come up the ramp and visit.  A very special sanctuary with a great fountain and gliders... ahhhhhh...

Life is good.  I'm down 32 lbs since my high weight.  12 lbs. since surgery in 24 days...  I'm guessing that's okay!

Sunday 2/13/11  2:38 PM

Rested most of yesterday but today went out for a long walk.  Counted 4 laps of 450 "steps", so 1800 steps.  Am going back to bed for a while.  :-)


Saturday 2/12/11  5:42 AM

Hi All!  Quick-like before I go back to bed.  Trip home was bumpy but uneventful.  I don't think I've ever ridden in the back seat of my truck so I practiced my back seat driving just to hone the infrequently used skills.   heh heh

Got everything unloaded, made Keith dinner, prepared my little one ounce cups of jello and home-made duck broth, realized my hips were hurting from all the sprints around the football field, and went to bed at 7:30PM.  I think I may be resting today instead of doing laps. 

Otherwise all is well except that I'm really tired.  Thanks for your love, prayers, and support!  Off to bed before I nod off on ya here (again).  I've had to delete my double rows of d's 3 times already…

dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd  ;-)  

Talk to you soon.  Luff & Later, Ruthie

Thursday 2/10/11  7:15PM

Hi Everybody, 

Surgeon just came by and concurred that Ruthie is a candidate for early discharge tomorrow A.M about 10.   Very cool.   She's done really good.

Just figured out her total steps on her longest walk comes to 1700. That's probably 1700 feet or 575 yards or so.  Pretty good huh?  Wonder how many loops around the park it will take to add up to that.  Gonna be hard to tell since I'll keep losing count.  Everybody stops to talk to everybody there.

The next update will be from Home.

Take care!

Ruthie & Keith

Wednesday 2/9/11 3:15PM

Ruthie in room she is really groggy but has stoodup by the bed once without tripping over all the wires and stuff.  May walk to the door later when ansthesia wars off and she is not dizzy.  Surgeon pleased.  She made it back from lala land and asked if she was a size 10 already.  haha

 

Keith

I've copied his post so that I can be reminded to do this for myself, and because he was so honest about the life changes and the value of the OH board in his life.  I have surgery in 6 days and will return here to review this particular post around 6 months for me... in August.

***************************************************************
Post Date: 2/2/11 1:27 pm
Today I am six months out from RNY surgery. My pics are below. I wanted to share some of the best and worst of this process for me. Good and bad, I would do it again in a heartbeat and wish I had gotten up the courage to do it earlier. These sorts of posts were incredibly helpful to me when I was researching and getting my mind around having surgery. I hope this can do the same for some of the others

The good:

Down 134 lbs since I started the program and 102 since surgery
No longer morbidly obese, and heading toward just being overweight
Comorbidities gone: BP normal, blood sugar normal, sleeping normally (most of the time)
Not out of breath when I walk, climb stairs or do everyday activities
Playing with my nieces and nephew is a pleasure
Wearing XL shirts instead of 3XL
Wearing 36 pants instead of 48s
Shopping for clothes anywhere I want
Flying with ease and fitting in the airplane seat
No longer taking up 2 seats on the bus
Booths
A new appreciation for food and really good tasting food in small portions
Not feeling hungry
No issues with any foods so far and no dumping
A newfound sense of empowerment
The most supportive friends in the world
OH and the kindness of strangers

The bad:

Loose skin (the turkey waddle is getting really bad)
Keeping up with lots of vitamins
Remembering to eat (I never thought that would ever be on a list of mine)
A disconnect between what I see in the mirror and what I feel in my head
No longer having the last empty seat being the one next to me
Having to actually think about whether I should eat that instead of shoving it in my mouth
The foamies (only happened 3 times early on but yuck)
Hormones going nutty
The inability to self-medicate stress, anxiety and sadness with food
The fact that the surgery fixes our bodies and not our heads

The ugly:

A recent bout of major depression caused, at least in part, by the convergence of all these changes all at once with lots of other things going on in my life (now controlled by medication and therapy.)


Sometimes people on here look at others and compare themselves. People worry if they are lacking because they slip up or miss vitamins or eat the wrong thing. We are all humans made up of the sum of the good, the bad and the ugly. I wi**** had all been roses for me but it hasn't because it is life. It has still been very good overall.

I think OH has so many amazing people who give their time, energy and love to strangers. At the depth of my depression when I couldn't connect with people, I knew that my friends were out there for me, whatever was happening. I also knew that the people on OH were out there as well. I read posts even when I could not get up the energy to respond. And I knew I was part of this community that had been so supportive during this journey. I feel lucky to have found OH.

As I said at the beginning, I wouldn't trade my RNY for anything. I believe it saved and extended my life. But even if I could know that I would not live one additional second because of surgery I would have done it again. I wish the depression hadn't happened but it did, and it has helped me continue my journey to better myself. To the pre-ops who will read this, you can't know what life will throw at you, but getting WLS is one of the best gifts you can give to yourself, even if it is not a perfect gift. When I was pre-op, all I thought about was getting to surgery. But surgery is really just the beginning of a new chapter in your life. Despite the ugly, my quality of life has been better since surgery than it has been for years. I feel very lucky. What a gift!