ObesityHelp

I had a Gastroplasty in 1983, I now weigh 70 lbs more. I have tried and lost weight on every diet and then gained back more. I am a registered nurse and mother of four daughters and one granddaughter. I want to live a long time and figure this is my best shot. I am scheduled for surgery on 12-1-99. I am 49 years old and happily married to the most supportive man in the world.
November 28, 1999: It is three days before my surgery date. Last night I was in the emergency room because of a high fever. I never get sick! They started me on antibiotics and I have been forcing fluids but I am afraid they won't let me have my surgery. I was told that if I still have a fever Tuesday (today is Sunday) they will cancel me. This morning my temperature was 100.9. I am so upset.

Tuesday Afternoon: I haven't had a fever for 48 hours!! I am going to have my surgery tomorrow. I am so excited. I don't know what to do with myself. I will post again when I get out of the hospital. --Nancy

December 4, 1999: I just got home from the hospital. Everything went better than I expected. I am not suffering. I take pain medication every 5 - 6 hours. I take Carnation Instant Breakfast every six hours and juice inbetween. I can have babyfood fruit which I haven't tried yet but plan to try soon. I weighed myself everytime I went by a scale in the hospital. I haven't weighed myself for years. I haven't loss any weight yet. Love, Nancy

December 27, 1999: It has been 27 days since my surgery.
I am not eating well. Everything tastes different and I
lose interest in eating after the first bite. I have more
pain than I think I should. I wish I had never done this.
I hope I feel differently soon. I have lost about 30 pounds.
I see my surgeon this week I hope he takes out the Gastric Tube.
Maybe I will feel better without the tube in. Maybe I will never
feel good again. I am sick of having constant nausea and no
desire to eat or drink.

January 16, 2000: I finally feel better. It has been 6 1/2
weeks from surgery. I am back to work. I am eating and I am no
longer nauseated. My weight loss seems to have slowed down.
I have only loss about 35 pounds and I don't eat much. Maybe
now that I am more active things will get better.

February 8, 2000: It has been 10 weeks since surgery and I am
finally fully recovered. I have my energy back. I don't hurt
any more, I don't get nauseated. I can eat anything I want.
I can't eat a lot of anything. I am taking in about 900 calories
a day. I haven't been losing very fast, but I am still losing.
I have lost about 40 lbs so far. I feel much better. I fit
in chairs I didn't fit into before and I feel better about myself.
I still weigh too much.

March 7, 2000: I feel great and filled with energy. I need to
exersize more. I have lost 50 lbs. I weigh less than 200 lbs
for the first time in years. I don't have to shop in "fat lady
departments." I still have a ways to go, but I feel like the
whole discomfort of the surgery was worth it.

May 9, 2000: I continue to lose weight and feel great. I have
lost about 70 pounds. I eat anything I want and I take my
vitamins everyday. For a while after surgery I didn't take
vitamins because I din't really believe in them. Now I have
started losing lots of hair. I still have plenty left and no
one can tell, but I leave hair everywhere. I updated my picture.
I look better then the picture. I didn't dress for the picture.
I have to do the pictures at my sister's house because she has
the digital camera. I have also noticed that strangers are
nicer to me. I no longer have to worry about not fitting were
other people fit, like ailes.