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Angel R.
Post Op - BMI: 48.1
Surgery Type: RNY
Member ID: R1041210274
Surgeon: John Dietrick M.D.

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Clixk Play to hear "Come On Eileen"





This my story and im sticking to it.....
My name is Arleen and i have always been the happy go lucky girl. In high school i ran track, indoor track, and spring track. I usually weighted about 150. After high school i was a lifeguard until i moved from Maine to Florida when i was 21. Of course it was for a guy. P.S. Scott if you ever read this.. call me.. In my twenties i was busy being super girl. I completed the police academy, corrections acedemy, the fire academy, emergency medical tech, while working as a corrections officer in a male state prison. I was free and single girl ruling the world. I did not just like to keep up with the boys i like to be tougher. I still averaged 155-165. Mostly muscle. I have always been really strong physically. In 1996 while i was working as a full time police officer i found out i was pregnant. I kept it a secret for five months until i could hide it no longer. I was like the prom mom that give birth at the dance. Well all the stress of being a single prego girl and eating to keep from throwing up on the job i packed on about 90lbs. My chief at the time was a total A-hole that threatned my job the whole time. I worked as the front desk officer after six months and a records keeper at night to save time up for maternity time. I went on leave 2 days before popping. I gave birth to a big beautiful 10lb 3 0z baby girl. After they said i probally had gestation diabeties. They never said that before. After that i continued to gain about 5 or so a year.
I quit being a fulltime cop and switched to professional firefighter. Im still a reserve cop though and still have all those powers and stuff. Firefighting is physically harder but there is down time to relax and the guys are not macho a-holes like the coppers.



So ive been thinking about this operation for about 5 years but did not know how to make it real. A friend of mine from the department also was looking into it. We have the same insurance which sucks. Health Care Partnerships (Brown and Brown) and they have this as an exclusion rule. So i have to find a way to pay for this. I finally made the first step on




June 18, 2004 and had my first appointment at the wish center.
I actually have no problems there and have my cut date on Aug 11, 2004. Im putting everything on the line for this. My life (literally), my house (refinaced to pay for this), my job (what if there are complications and i cant work), everything. Its very scary. So my journey begins. My friend has already had his surgery and is doing great. I hope im going to be as lucky.
I will be i hope posting on a regular basis. Ive be inspired by so many profiles.

Angel


June 30, 2004
Only 42 days till i get the cut and begin my trip back to "normal" life again. So much to do. I did a will kit on line, made appointment for womenly stuff to get updated. I need to pay hospital and get chest x-ray. Im trying to get all my life insurance and important paper together just in case. That is a scary thought since i support my mom and daughter. Who would taker care of them...... One of my sister would hopefully come down and sell the house and furniture and bank the money for bailey. Bailey would have to live with my sister Kathy in Maine and my mom im sure would move in with my sister Maureen in Maine. Bailey would be so so so so soso so sad. ........She would never adjust although my sister is a great mom she works so much and nobody could replace her real mommmmmyyyyy... sad when you think about it that im taking such a huge risk with hugh consquances.. but the exact same thing could happen tomorrow on a fire or a heart attack from over exertion on a scene. So same diff. Its for the best I think approves otherwise he would not have freed up some funds for me... I hope..



July 6, 2004
Today I went to my doctors to get the required updated womenly stuff done and got a chest x-ray. My regular doctor (Carol St James) said she had two other patients who have had the gastric bi pass and they had severe dehydration problems. She hopes that does not happen to me.. me too.
So whats now is that i have to get my result back and get them to the wish center and then pay them...
One step closer.



7/6/04
35 days till cut day. Boy i hate my profile. I wish i had a cool one like everybody else. Im very grouchy today. Im at work and the stupid guys im in charge of are very lazy and it seems they cant accomplish anything. I have to do it myself if i want it done right. Is it just me or are men useless?
ar



7/9/04
The county down is like 32 days till the day. Today i had to go to my daughters school to get her uniforms fitted. I looked around and thought i wonder what i will look like when i see these people again in Sept. Most people lose like what 20-30 lbs in the first month. That has gotta show. I just sewed up two bra's that are following apart at the seams. I think the most rewarding thing after surgery will be feeling my uniforms feel baggy. It would be great to get my bunker gear to fit comfortable again. It seems every year i have to get new gear. It fits for awhile and then it gets tight and then i wear it all stretched until i cant get it on and then the process starts again. Its gonna be so cool to do it in reverse. I just got two new pairs of BDU pants for Tech Rescue 3x. I am not going to where them or take of the tag so i can return them after the surgery. Its only a month away. I read the mermorial page today. That was very, very, very, sad. I was bawling. Its becasue when i think of people dying from this surgery i think of old people or people with lots of complications health problems. But those people on the site were not those things they were 20 and 30 year olds. They were mothers like me starting out at the same weight. It hit home and was scary. I just have to keep the faith in God and hope what happens happens and that my daughter will be taken care of. B i hope this does not ruin your life. I love you.. mommy




This so cool i got my new profile with angel's on it and i love black and pink. I just wish there was music. I will not whine becasue i appreaciate it. Thank you. Profile angels. I got my chest x-ray results from the doc today and faxed it to the Wish Center. Now im waiting on my pap and breast exam to send and im waiting on the Wish Center to send my Familey medical Act papers back to me. Monday i need to get the checks to send. Then i have to wait....
Angel



7/13/04
Just less then a month left!!!!!!!!!!oh my God. Sunday was like the worse day. THIEVES SUCK! My daughter B and I were at the movies with a friends. When it was over it was raining and we got to the car and LOSER USLESS PATHETIC SCUMBAG(S) broke out my car window and stole my purse. It had my wallet, credit cards, cell phone, tech rescue pager, and police bag and id in it. I was so mad at myself for being so stupid but i was late and though nobody can see in my truck because of the tinted window. So the last 3 days ive been calling everyone and cancelling everything. Tommorow i have to get a new license and pick up a new window for my truck. Poor truck. Then wait and wonder who is trying to steal my identity and is opening accounts everywhere. It sucks. Oh well it could have be worse. It could have been closer to my surgery and then i would not be able to get my money out.





7/14/04
26 day till the big day. It still doesnt seem real. I got music on my profile! Thanks you profile angels. Your great. I waited at the DMV for 2 hours to get my new license. Yuck picture. I just though of the funnest thing. My daughter Bailey and i took some before pic of me in my bathing suit (gag). That camara was in the purse they stole. I hope they develope it and go blind. hahahhahahahaha. That would be funny. I have to call Dr carol St James tomorrow for my results of my test and go to bank and get checks, and call Wish Center and make sure they sent out my Familey Medical Act sheet or im screwed. I need that now. Ive called them like 3 times over it. I even put in a self stamped envelope. The stupid Nissan dealer said my window would be in on wed and now it wont be in till Fri. I got my new Nextel today. Now i have to reprogram all my numbers in it. OH well could have been worse. They could have cleaned out all my accounts and i would not have been able to pay for the surgery. I better get those checks tommorow before something happens.
ar




7/16/04
Today i called the Wish Center and got the run around about where my "Medical Act" form is. That was fustrating. Then nobody new where i am suppose to send the check. I want to take care of that now. I faxed all my medical info. Oh ya. I went to my regular doc to pick up my physical paper and it said on it that pt smoke 3 cig a day. WHAT THE HELL IS THAT! I have not smoked since 1996. What kinda crap it that. When i asked the nurse what that was she said that it was becasue she saw in the past i had smoked and so she assumed that i still did. So she assumed for 8 years that i smoked when i havent. That is such a load of crap that i forgot i had to write a hot letter of to that doctor about her incomptant staff. The reason this is such a big deal is that i signed an affidavit in 1998 that i was and will be tobbacco free becasue i am a firefighter and covered under the heart and lung bill. I have to go because im gonna write that letter.
ar



7/21/04
The last couple days have been pretty good. I finished tying up the account things. I got new lic, new credit cards, my window is fixed. I got all the certified checks out for the Wish center, the hospital, and the anstig. I hope they all get there safetly. I sent them certified mail. I went and got all the account info. on everything for my mom. B and I went to the beach today and had a really good time. I got to relax alot becasue the waves were really tiny and she stayed on the shore line with a friend. Usually i cant even look at my book because im on "lifeguard" duty waiting for her to be swept away by a undertoe. I did go play in the waves with her for awhile and guess what happens. Knowing that i live in Florida and only the one in a million things happen to me....something bites my foot. You guessed it a shark. NO JUST KIDDING. But it was a big crab and it cut my toe on both sides and the blood could have attracted a shark. That was funny. It was a beautiful day. We were there about 5 hours and it was bright and sunny. We even saw a dolphin swim by. That was nice. Tomorrow i have training at the fire department. I dont dread the training i dread that we have to wear are dress uniforms and mine is currently to tight. I have to decide whether to wear it and be miserable and embarrased or get a write up for not wearing it. Last month i tricked the training Lt that is there by walking past him with it on and then taking it off before class. I received my summer uniform the other day from the police department. The shorts are 48 waist. I wonder what they will be after surgery? I cant wait to find out. I remember when i started at the firedepartment (life before Bailey). I wore a 33 waist pant and though i was fat. I remember when i went to 34 and thought it was the end of the world. Now i would die to just get back into a 38. Forget that 42 sound good. I will be so happy. My biggest fears besides dying of course is that i will either it wont work on me and i only lose like 50lbs (which is not enough) or that i lose to my goal (160-130) and then gain it back. Those are totally my biggest fears. Look at Carney Wilson is she like 2 years post op and was doing fine. Was i was a pic of her and she is like back up to 190 or so from like 135 ish. That is what i fear. I was going through my clothes yesterday making piles of what fits now. What almost fits that i can wear after and what wont fit for a while. I cant wait to get rid of all of those clothes. Its not about fashion when your fat its what fits. I dont even look at styles anymore at stores i go to the 3x and she whats there for choices. Yuck yuck adn yuck. Ok i gotta go to bed for work.
bye




7/25/04
oH mY GOD. Its only 14 days till the day.
This is freaking me out becasue it really is close now. Im having dreams and getting the nervous stomach. I have had a jaw surgery before that the recover was extremely painful for the first week. Waking up after the surgery i had a really bad time bacasue my jaw was wired. I cant believe how close it is now. I have to finish getting things prepared. Like where Bailey is going and who is going to take care of her and get a real lawyer to look over my will. My airconditioner broke over yesterday. It was so hot and miserable. Bailey and I slept with ice packs on our necks. I took a shower before i went to bed and had to take a shower when i woke up. Yuck talk about a sticky yucky sweat. I thank God that it was not a huge repair bill. I had a friends of a friend look at it while i was at work and it had only tripped the fuse init. He thinks becasue of the dirty filter. I clean it i guess not ofter enough. So thank you God for the favor of not making it a huge repair job at the worst time ever. My friend J called and he has lost a whopping 75lb in like 7 weeks. That is super great. I could only hope to lose half that in that time. Well its late i gotta go potty. Goodbye my friends goodbye.

Angel



7/30/04
Well i cant believe how close its getting now. Its like 9 days before i leave to Tampa and 11 days till cut day. OH MY GOD> Its just hard to believe. Its freaking me out. Well today i got off work at 7Am and got home about 9ish. Bailey and i played around for a while but i had to get to Deland to take care of some work issues. I did what i had to do and then Bailey and i spent the day at Deleon Springs till like 6PM. We swan and played all day. It was a good time. Well on the way home we stopped at the West side Walmart (we never go to that one) and ran into a old friend. This girl i was very tight with when i was a correction officer. I also know her husband who is a deputy (we went to the police academy together). Well i saw her and said hi and gave her a hug. The first words out of her mouth were "well i see you have not been on a diet". I replied well its funny you say that, its becasue of people like you that im spending 23, 000 and getting gastric bi-pass in 11 days". Then she said "well all you have to do it exercise more and eat less and you coudld save yourself alot of money". I have not seen this supposedly "friend" for 5 years and she goes on a immediate attack of my weight. What happened to how are you? or how is your familey or job or life. No all she carried about is how fat i am. I suppose i dont even need to mention that she is 5feet tall and 105lbs. She gave me a number to reach her (work not home) ya right. Do you think ill be ringing that any time soon. Ha. Of course she went on to tell me of all the people she know who had the surgery how it did not work for. F-off midget.
People need to shut there f-en mouth if they dont have anything positive to say.
Then i went to all can you eat buffet and drowned my depression in chicken pot pie.
ar




8/5/04
Oh my God! Today is Thursday and i have to work my last shift tomorrow, thats Friday. Then there is Saturday and Sunday. On Monday i leave to go to Tampa (3hrs drive). On Tuesday i have my last appointment, on Wed i get cut and start the slippery slope to weight loss.. Am i nervous no not really. I have been pigging out lately saying goodbye to food. I went to Sapporro to say good bye to Japenese food tonight but it was to much of a wait. So we went to the Oyster Pub and got a hamburg. My head wanted to eat all of it but i could only eat half. I want to get a last taste to all the food im addicated to so i will never have it again. God i hope i follow all the rules and have a successful weight loss. The doctor predict 70% of your excess which they say is around 170. That would be okay but i would like to be my pre baby weight of 155. A to even dream of anything lower then that would be heaven. Heaven. I know im gonna need a tire removal after i lose becasue i already have a big hanging waist now. I told my Daddy about the surgery tonight. He acted suprised but i know his wife must have told him. I really did not care what he thought because i was doing it anyway. Oh well i gotta go to bed. Lova ya ar




8/9/4
Well is'nt this exciting. Im leaving for Tampa today to start my jorney. The next time i sit at this very computer i will be in pain. Just kidding i will be crossed over to the losing side. I hope im not crossed over to the other world. So today is MOnday and im driving the hell ride to Tampa and Tuesday i have my last appointment at the Wish and Wed is cut day. I not totally nervous yet but i bet im will be on Tue and Wed. NOt sure yet. I had a jaw surgery a few years ago and did not get nervous until the pre-op room and then i wasnt nervous i was scared. I dont think this surgery will hurt as much as that one. That one was hell. Nothing like having your face swelled up like a balloon. Well i did lose 30 pounds on it. Of course gained it all back. I gotta remeber to take more before pics becasue these could be my highest weight ever today and tommorow. Maybe then i would be comforable revealing it. I gotta take measurement to. I went to the firehouse to pick something up the other day and a volly said some really nice things and i hardley new him. It kinda gave me hope that things would return to how i was on top of my game like in the old days. He said that he was on his job site and his boss saw the firetruck go by and said there was a girl driving it. The volly said "yes and she is a LT and i would follow her in a fire anyday". I thought that was so nice. Back in the day when i was in my 20 i was tough chick and had the respect but lately i just have not been performing up to par at training we had a hell day that was really, really, really, hard and i had a diffucult time. I felt like a slacker even though i completed everything and some guys dropped out. I dont like being subpar and that is what i feel like right now. If you are going to be a firefighter you have to be in shape and im not right now. Im strong as a ox. I can leg press over 425lb but i cant run a mile. I could a few years and 50 lbs ago. With the combo of having bone spurs in my feet and cardio i cant. If i did i would probally have a heart attack. Its amazing how hard ff have to work sometimes. You go from resting to totally out in minutes. If you cant hack it one day it could be a life or death situation and i will die or someone else would and i could not live with that. I want to continue being a ff unil i can retire in 16 years and this is why im having the surgery. SURVIVAL.....
Plus i wanna look good. Ha ha.
Oh well i gotta go pack im leaving today at 2pm. So good bye me friends till Sat.
Love ya
Arleen Angel Redmond



8/10/4
Its now one day to go. Suprisingly enough i am not freaking out. You will never guess where i am right now. Im at the wish center waiting on the doctor for my last appointment. He is in surgery. I hope who ever he is operation on is doing okay. So today is my all liquid day. Not bad so far becasue i usually dont eat yet anyhow. The hotel we picked because it is closest to the hospital is pretty dumpy and a little scary. Alot of scummy people looking around. NOt what i expected. Well tomorrow is the big day.. I wonder how that is going to go. Im not looking forward to not feeling well. But i am looking forward to losing weight instead of gaining it. I had my fairwell meal at Olive Garden and it was good. I had probally 5 bread sticks. They were gooooodddd. I ordered desert but could not finish it. Now its to late i will never finish it. Oh well I want to post before the doc comes in. Till Saturday.
Angel




Today is August 15, 2004 Sunday.
Boy do i have alot to catch yall up on.
Well first the last post i was waiting in the doctors office waiting for me final appointment. Boy i did not know what was gonna happen. I saw all of the girls, the phyco doc, the phyical ed girl, terry the medical nurse, the finacial girl and the dietician girl. Well she was not so happy with me. Becasue i did not get enough meals in. Well i could have lied on those paper and should have. What am i suppose to do if i have a call at night and sleep the next day. I was suppose to wake up four times for snack for the practice diet? Well i guess that is what i was suppose to do. The doctor comes in and is all buisness per usual. I did not hire him for his personallity only his surgical skills. He basically told me that i failed that part of the goals list and he was gonna extend the practice diet part. After i have surgery scheduled for tommorow. My face dropped all of its blood. That has only happened one other time in my life and its not a good feeling. I basically plead with him that i would be a good canadate and will do everything by the rules and he finally decied that we would have the surgery. I should have lied on those papers and put what they wanted to hear like so many other people i know have. Im gonna have to cont later. i need nap. Will talk later wiped out.

Angel



Okay im back. It still 8/15/04. I only got like a 10 minute nap when the insurance company called. Ill fill you in on that later.
8/10/04 BACK CATCHING YOU UP TO THE DAY BEFOR SURGERY/ The doc and dietician went hard core on me and get a wicked lecture but deceided that i was a go. It bummed me out all that night because i wanted this to be smooth sailing and a happy experience and i feel like they ruined it but i know they were just doing their job. I needed to be scared but i did not want to hear it. But i really did not do that bad of job on that diet. I guess its the way i eat. I will only eat like two times a day but large amounts. When they want me to eat 6-8 times a day small amounts. Anyhow lets move on .
8/11/04. Its here the big day. I go to the hospital at 4:35am. Im the first there because i did not want to rush. I get checked in and the preop nurse was super super nice and got me gowned up and iv started and stuff. The anistesoligist (spelling) came in and was very nice, even Dr. Dietrick came in and was very nice. Everything was good. I had my mommy say a prayer. The next thing i knew was gagging i could not breath. That must have been after surgery when they pulled the tube out. Then i had some pain in my chest that i could not cough out. I did not have my eyes open but there was a very very very nice i think respitority therpthy guy names Randy helping me figure it out. He was great. Really great he pounded on my back and helped me alot. When i got situated in my room i was really in no major pain. I had my friend the morphine pump. It was great push the button and be out for an hour or so. The nurses were great. All of them. From the ones taking blood (no pain no second pokes). They were asome. I got up about 4 or 5 and started walking. I needed assistance getting out of bed but after that i was pretty good. They day of surgery i walked about 3 laps around the halls. Pretty good. That night i could not sleep through the night. I only slept with the morphines help a few hours at a time. The cathortor (sp) was a huge pain. The thing that holds it was alway falling down. I got irrated a few times when my bum was hanging out becasue of the gown and there were a thousand people in the halls visiting and my urine cath was hanging down. That was great. The lady in the room next to me had no exageration 15-20 visitors. Enough already. Well i made it through the night.
Go to Thursday 8/12/04 the day after surgey.
Guess what two hurricanes heading my way were are they predicting they are going to land? Tampa. Where am i? Tampa. I figure im in a hospital im safe. Ya right. About 1pm the doctor comes in. I was feeling great. I probally had extra morphine. I had been walking the halls all day. Being the great patient. The doctor say they are evacating the hospital becasue we are in a flood zone and they are evacating across the memorial bridge toward the ocean (this makes no sense). To make it worse my mother does not know Tampa and can not really drive my truck forget about in weather. Doctor says they probally will not let non-residence over the bridge. Great so what is my mother going to do. Sleep in the truck in the evacated hosptial. My god. So he said the other option was to release me. That sounded good at the moment because i felt good. Neededly to take into consideration that im on a iv and cath with pain meds. So that is going to be what we are doing, getting released. That was like 1pm. The nurse still had to give me calcium and we waited forever for it. Im like time is money and we need to get out of here prior to the weather hitting since all of Tampa was now evacuating and we would be stuck in traffic forever. Well we finally got realease. I was feeling ok. We drove that night to Orlando till we could not handle it any longer on I-4. We tried a Holiday Inn and they said that they had only one room of one night. My card got declined for unknown reason (yet). That is all i need. My mother locks herself in the truck and cant find the unlock button. Just what i need. Luckly the clerk was really nice and gave me a cash break and said "why do you look so sad" He was a forgien dude but very nice. I almost started bawling. I had surgery yesterday but we got evacated and cant get home but have to stay next to Tampa just in case something goes wrong with me." I bet he was sorry he asked. This was the closest i came to crying yet. Well the hotel and room was very nice. Although on the second floor. Ouch. My poor mother had to bring all the bags and stuff up. She is like 68 years old and walked up and back those stairs ten times. She did a good job. I was very proud of her. But could not express it then. I was at a pain level of about a 7. If it would have gone up any more i would have definetely called for an ambulance and gone to the closest hospital. I would not have cared if i would have been in debt at that point. I took some of the liquid pain med and that helped to a miserable four. The next day we got up early and tried to beat the hurricane and traffic out of Orlando for home. We could not get a room in Orlando and could not go to Tampa. So home it was. Its was very very stressfull. My mom is not a good driver to start and does not drive on the interstate, forget about crazy hurrican evacuating people traffic, and having a injured daughter in the car. It sucked i was in another zone totally. I was on constant pain med but i could not sleep to help her find her was home. It was a welcome relief to be home but not very comforable. My poor mother had to get the outside of the house ready as best she could moving stuff under cover. My friends were suppose to come help but never showed.. They were helping there familey and friends. I cant blame them.. Well that night the HURRICANE CHARLIE hits. We lisened all night long. Luckly my daughter was at her fathers becasue i could not take care of her yet. It was a ruff nights.
8/13/04 .. The day after the storm. Every day im feeling loads better. The pain today is at a steady 3-5.. Assesting the damage.. We lost the car port, some of the roof shingles, the back fence, and some other damage. THANK YOU JESUS IT WAS NOT WORSE OR THE A/C AND POWER DID NOT GO OFF. All my neighbors have damage and no power so it is a total miracle that i have power. THANK YOU JESUS. I would not survive without a/c. My daughter comes home today. Im so happy to see her and she is so happy to see me. It takes her a littel while to know the boundry on where she can touch me and when i need to rest i need silence. Im on starting the liquid diet this day and can not get everything in but get the supplements.
8/15/04 NOW WE ARE UP TO DATE. Well today is Sunday and feeling loads better. There is no way in hell i should have been release for that hosptial. What an ordeal. Today im doing great on my liqued diet. Doc will be proud. I looked at my stomach today. The heprin shots are making huge bruises. The scar is healing nicely. It is ooozing alitte. I have to call tons of people tomorow to get estimates on the damage and call the hosptial to get a refund. Bailey is being a little defient brat i have to retrain her now after a week with daddy. She does not have school for another two days. They cancelled it. I took a walk around the block and felt pretty good. There was no humidity so that helped alot. I was not reall in any pain. I have not taken any pain meds today. Did not get a nap either.
So now im caught up i have to see how everyone else is.
Later.
Angel




8/18/04
Well i have had some really bad emotional days since my last post and i dont really think they have helped me. Let me tell you i called Town and Country Hospital on the Monday after release all excited to see how much money i was getting back. After all i was release due to the hurricane like 36 hours after surgery and i paid in advance for my own money $12,500 for Wed thur Sat care. I was shocked, disapointed, devestaved, to hear that they were taking the position of saying that was a flat fee and it did not matter when i was getting release that was it. NO prorate of anything. I cried and cried like a baby then i got angry. Iam not a crier at all. I brought it up the next step to the admisistrator Tammy and she was nice and said she would take it up with the CEO Seward. Well she calls later and tells me he says no becasue i got release like that was the plan of something. Im pissed off i call the radio station and get on and gripe and they agree i got jiped. The bottom line is would i have been release the day after surgery if the hospital was not being evacuated? NO. Dr. Dietrick was even talking the day before on how i have to make arangement to stay in town through as late as Tuesday. When i told him i had to get my daughter to school on Monday he agreed when i got discharged on SAT i only had to stay in town one more day. Okay so he goes from saying that about staying in TAmpa from Sat, sun , mon, tue, wed, thu, fri, sat, Sun, to have surgery on Wed leave on Thu good luck. Ya right. It is obvious that it was an emergency there was an evacuation notice for Town and Country hosptial and that is why i was discharged. Well i raised alittle hell. Everyone i polled said i was right.
on 8/17/04 Dr. D calls me and basically gives me hell for start trouble. He obviously read the email i sent the CEO of the hosptial becasue he was quoting from it. He said i made the decision to release you because you were doing fine and you could have gone to the hosptial with the other patience. Ya except he talked up out of it saying that it was over a bridge that my mother could not go with me. Well Wish center is the one who required me to have a support person with me not there saying that. Its giving me an ulcuer. He went on to say crap like i knew i should have not give you the surgery, you couldnt follow the direction of the pre-diet. Dude i missed like 2 days. I told him very clearly that i have been doing exactly what he said to do after surgery like i said i would to the T. I have not deviated from my liquid at all. I explained my side alot on how i thought i did not get the full benifet of care that i would have if ther was not a hurricane making me get release. He said i thought you wanted to go. Ya i wanted to suffer on I-4 for hours and hours and stay in a hotel room in total pain. Just to think about it depresses me. He really let me have it. I told him okay how does a billing dispute with the hosptial have to due with him? He said becasue it was his decision to release me. This whole thing makes me ill. I have to deciede whether to drop it or go after what right. It depresses the hell out of me.
Well if it any consulation im one week out and have lost 17lbs. This should make me happy but all this doom and gloom makes me sad. I guess i will be happy when i feel it in my clothes or someone says something. Today i have to work on contractors getting the house fixed from the hurrican.
ar
8/22/04
Well i had been doing really good with the liquid diet and exercising everyday. Now i think the rapid weight lose is catching up with me as of today i have lost 27lbs in 11 days. My body needs to catch up. I feel really weak. I have trying to exercise in the mall or just walking around walmart and felt to weak had to go home. Today was the first day i slept alot. Usually i cant get to sleep at all. I making sure i get all my supplement drink in to regain so engery. I have my 2 week appointment Wed. NOt looking forward to see the doctor but looking forward to getting my engery back.
ar
8/23/04
Still feeling alittle shakey. Weight today is down 29lbs form 8/11. Isnt that crazy. The guys came over and tore down the carport and hauled it off. Thanks guys.
8/29/04
Im not even really sure of the date. I had my two week appointment on 8/25/04. I dreaded driving there but was so looking forward to getting of the liquid diet. I lost 30lbs in two weeks. Doctor D. was actually nice this time. He said the big change in engery is expected and that the few days of extra engery that i had was probally the last of my reserve from before surgery. I have been pretty weak lately. I am getting a little better everyday but not much. I get out of the house at least once a day to pick up my daughter from school. I feel good in the car with the a/c going and everything, but if i have to go to a store or somewhere i get sweaty and not feeling so good. Like shaky inside and i know i want out. Probally a 5 or 6 on the "gonna pass out scale" . I went to the movie yesterday with B. I know this i hard on her too. We cant do any of the things she was used to doing with me. Some times she is understanding and sometimes she is not. I am not 100% sure that i have not made a mistake but there is nothing i can do about it now but look forward. I worry about getting my strength back for work. But i gotta remember i just had major surgery and that i rember the guys i know who had surgerys they were not recovered until like 1 month or 5 weeks out either so i should be on track. So i try not to sweat it to much. I should be sleeping while everyone is gone but i can. I think i lay in bed way to much now anyhow. I can sleep all night though so im very tired. My mom has been making me mini meals all the time. Just a table spoon of this or that. I need to get my protein shakes in but im so sick of them i may switch to the vitamins. We will see. My goal now is just get some engery up. I have no appetiete at all. Thats good in a way but i know i need food to live. They were not kidding when they said "before you lived to eat and now you eat to live"
ar
9/1/04
Well today im offically 3 weeks post op and im down 34lbs, thats better then i expected but i dont SEE the difference. My pants are bagger in the rear but not in the stomach. I think my face is a little thinner. I guess i judge myself on how people see me and i have seen people from work and no one has said "oh my god you look thinner". So thats what im waiting for. Yesterday i had my first ot oh momement. I bought Bailey a personal pan pizza and i know i did it becasue i wanted a bite. Sometimes i think i can eat anything like the old days. I took a goowey bite of cheese and almost threw up. It was like kinda stuck and felt like i was gonna puke. I layed down and left better. But i did have like 3 bites of a bread stick and that was the first bread i really had and it put me right to sleep. It was weriod. I cant sleep at night still. I wake up to turn because my back hurts and its like i sleep very light. I have alot on my mind with the new hurricane coming. Its projected to hit Daytona. Im worried. I cant decied were to evacute to. It could go anywhere and what to take, Photos, computer, clothes, cars. It is alot for me to worry about right now.
So much on my mind.
Ar
9/7/04
Well i evacuated to Jacksonville for this Hurricane (Francis). What a pain in the bootie. I was gone for 4 days. The hotel was nice but we started really getting on each others nerves. Im glad to be home but have roof damage. Another problem to worry about. I am waiting to check my weight tomorrow morning. I have not weighted my self in a week. I hope it says 248lbs but it will probally say 252lbs. This week i had to eat alot of different stuff. I did not really eat any thing bad. Alot of peanut butter crackers. I probally had to much bread then i should i have to get strick on that and taking the vitamin or having the protein drink. I have my engery back but not my stamina. I have been trying to do alot around the outside of the house/ Picking up the debris and stuff. Good exersise but i only have a month left and alot to acomplish so i need to get busy. My goals are get in a healthy eating plan, get on a reg vitamin routine, and lose weight. haha.
ar
9/8/04
IT SAID 255 BUMMER
9/9/04
I lost a pound today 254. Im gonna try not to be a scale hound but its hard. I busted my butt today cleaning the yard of branches and doing stuff outside. I really worked up a sweat. I had my protein drink too. My mom and bailey got there cable back i did not .. bummer. I gave back some fat clothes a friend let me borrow (i never wore them).
ONE MONTH OUT NOW. -35 LBS. Pretty dang good. I have to get busy soon. I have a class i am teaching in OCT and Nov so i have to start preparing for. I need to make sure everything is set. I only have 3 weeks left before the rat race starts again. I go back to work like 10\20 ish. I can pull down my where to tight shorts down without unbuttoning them now. Thats cool. I got find my original measurement and compare for month ann. and pics.
ar
9/28/04
Well its been awhile and 2 more hurricanes. Can you belive that crap. Well i finally broke my plateau. I am now 245. So looking back at 9/1/04 i was down -34 that would be 255. So about 30 days later im down -43. So give or take 10lbs in a month. I cant complain thats better then i could ever have done on my own. I have been seriously working out 5 days a week. I have been taking the hose up 5 flights of stairs and then do a 400 lap and then stair, lap, stairs, lap, stairs. For a mile. I get the heart rate way up. Trying to get in shape for my adgility test coming up soon. I thing 10/14 ish. I feel great and am eating good. I have gotten nausaus after a few things and you learn not to eat those again. Like anything fried. I have a protein shake for breakfast, got work out, have like tuna scoop for lunch, then some peaunuts for snack, and usually chicken and a little mash for dinner. Usually a popsicle snack adn tons of water. I think im doing okay. but noone is really noticing yet. I have dropped 2 clothes sizes but im still really big. I guess my face must not show becasue no one is saying "wow you lost weight" bummer. but i can tell for sure.
Im happy.
10/12/04
Well i had my 2 month anniversary. I now weight 236lbs. Im down 53lbs. I happy with that. People still really dont have the reaction that i expect. I want people to go "oh my god you have lost so much weight". Instead they kinda go "how do you feel" "are you doing okay". I would be really pissed if i lost all this weight with out surgery and nobody noticed. I would probally give up and be discourgaged. I had my physical adgility test yesterday to come back to work. I am disappointed in my time. I have been working out for 3 weeks in preparation to it but i could not lift over 20 pounds until the night before. So that did not help. I passed good enough to go back to work but i thought i was gonna get a real good time. I got like the same time i got prior to the surgery and i know im in alot better shape. The doc said that i would lose alot of strength becasue i was not feeding my muscle like i was before. Before they had tons of food and protien and now they dont. Oh well im gonna keep working out. I am a little timid about lifting really heavy things (like over 100lbs) due to the hynia scare. I wear a weight belt when im gonna do anything like that. I do have a kinda pain under my right rib that feels like a muscle problem. I have seen it may times on the web site that other people have this to and it has something to do with the muscle they pull back to do the surgery. I worry it might be my gallbladder sometimes. I took my monthly measurements. I wish my belly and waist would go down more. In time. I want now. I am thrilled to be at this weight. It was probally 3 or 4 years ago when i had my jaw wired after a jaw surgery that i was temperarly was this weight and it was only for a short time. I remember my regular weight was 255lbs and i went down to 233. I feel good. I dont feel "skinny" now but i love the feeling of lose clothes. I was so ashamed to put on my police uniform and my dress uniform for fire dept becasue the buttons were stressed and i looked gross. I mean really gross. I had to work the other day at a trooper funeral and i had my police uniform on. I had to dig out pants that were two sizes smaller to wear. Of course i had those becasue i have a varity of sizes. I wore that size once. I got hired at the fd i weighted 210lb and wore size 42 guys pants. Now i am 236lbs and size 46/44 pants. I think you lose like a size every 25lbs. I want to clean all the crappy clothes out of my closet. I just lost my hall closet because im got a new central air conditioner instead of putting it in the attic its in the closet.
So i really have to down size the millions of clothes that i never, never, wear. Im strickly a shorts and t shirt gal. But i have discovered as i get smaller that im looking for clothes from the past that i just couldnt wear before and they make me feel better. Oh well it like 5AM. I went to bed really early (tired due to adgility) and got up early. I go back to work on the 10/20. My birthday is 10/15 i will be 37. Buy me a gift! No cake this year.
10/31/04
Happy Halloween. Well i went back to work and am teaching a corrections class, and i worked bike week for the police department. So needless to say im back to a full schedule. My exercise regiment has suffered alittle because of i know dont have all that free time. I need to get back into the groove. I got a little fatigued at an extrication class the other day but not to bad. We were in full gear for 3 1/2 hours in florida sun working hard. I was using the high pressure jack (lots of efford) when i felt a slight pain in my abs that i had not felt in a couple of weeks. Now it a few days later and i feel it again every once in awhile but not like before. I can definately eat more but i try to keep it under control. I have never pigged out or anything. Before i would have a couple of bite and that it now i can finish a small healthy choice dinner. I put a bowl or organge slices and grapes out on the counter if i need to snack. I hope that okay. I am trying to keep away from anything bad. I need to get away from crackers and bread. I do eat a peanutbutter cracker when im starving and have not eaten. I need to find my nitch. I told B i was gonna start cooking for her at home and get her away from fast foods. She needs that. I wish i could get my mother to do the same for her. She is going donw the same patch i am taught by my mother. Who by the way wont eat fast food but has no problem buying it for the others.
Well i weight 228lbs this moring. According to this site that means i lost... hold on.
start 289 8/11/04 size 26 or 48 pants
262 8/23/04
259 8/25/04
255 9/01/04
255 9/07/04
254 9/09/04
1 m 254 9/11/04 down 35lbs (35 for month)
245 9/28/04
2 m 236 10/12/04 down 50 (15 for month)size 44
228 10/31/04
3 m 223 11/11/04 down 68 (13 for month)
4 m 215 12/11/04 down 74 (8 for month) size 42
5 m 199 01/11/05 down 90 (16 for the month) size 40
6 m 192 02/11/05 down 98 (7 for month) size 40 still
7 m 183 03/15/05 down 106 (9 for month) size 38 work pants
8 m 174 04/12/05 down 115 (9 for month) size 38 work pants
9 m 170 05/11/05 down 119 (4 for month) size 38 work pants
10m 166 05/12/05 down 123 (4 for month) size 36\35 work pants
11M 164 06/12/05 down 125 (2 for month) size 12/14 35 w/p
12m 164 08/12/05 down 125 (o for month) size 12/14 35 w/p
13m 161 09/06/05 down 128 (3 for month) size 12/14 35 w/p
17m 158 01/18/06 down 131 size 12/14 34 w/9
I'll keep this little chart up to gauge things. Im super happy with my loss so far. I have not seen this weight for about 6 years. Soon at about 210 ill be at the weight i was hired at the fd at in 1998. At about 230lbs i was nine months prego with b. So i was 155 when i got p and 230 nine months later. lets we if i can work that in reverse.
ar
On 11/11/04 i had my 3 month appointment. I weighted 223lbs, that is down 68lbs from the begining. The appointment went well. Dr. D said that he now predicates that i will get down closer to my "ideal" weight of 136 then the predicated 170 before. Cool beans. I need to get more protein in im losing some hair. I need to measure my food more carefully. I know im not pigging out but i need to get in the habit of only eating what will fit in the little 1/2 cup. I really am doing good but its the little rules that help you stick with it for life. I now can eat alot of stuff that i wish i could not. I have not done more then have a bite of a dorito but even knowing that i can eat the bad stuff without getting sick is a danger to me and my weight lose. Obviously i do not make good choices or i would not have ended up so heavy but i need to stick to the plan or end up in the same place again. Im doing good on my water and have been exersicing about 3 times a week. I need to make more time at work for exercising. I enjoy doing it but i never have time. I need to make time. I have been practicing the combat challenge all the time w/ my friend kerry. Im getting stronger but it still sucks. In general i feel great. I did have a cold for a week but so did every one else. I dont get that pain in my side anymore. Everything is good but the weight lose is slowing down. I have gone from a guys 48 (maxed out) to a guys 42. My work boots have gone down a full size. My t-shirts have gone from a xxx3 to a xl. I love it. I love shrinking. I got my hair cut. I dont think anyone likes it. I like it. It was a long time coming. Its alot easier to handle. I just got to find the right niche of styling it. My long hair was getting all over the place. Every time i pulled my pony tail out i would lose like 13 stands of hair. Now that it is shorter i dont mess with it as much and hence dont pull on it.
Oh well. Im at work and gotta go.
bye
angel
12/25/04 I was work and today is Chrismas day. I work today and tommorow on over time. I had a great x-mas eve with my familey so im happy. There is not a better gift in the world then losing weight. I love it. I did really good yesterday with not snacking and eating small amounts. It really sucks now that i discovered i can eat choclote without getting sick. Im trying to control it but today i had a few pieces of this Choclate covered cracker stuff somone dropped off at the station. I threw it away so i would not have anymore. Its so weirod that i got sick at Disney for eating a 4 inch piece of pretzel but i can eat choclate. Go figure. It really bumms me out becasue it puts the pressure back on me for making food decisions and i make bad desisions (hense being obese). Its like im back in the same boat as the begining except that i cant eat as much. Im gonna keep it in control i swear i will.
I wear a size 42 pants now and am getting rid of tons and tons of clothes that i just bought becasue they could fit when i was x3 not becaue of any style. So its fun to get rid of the past.
Well im gonna try to keep up more often.
Angel
1/11/05
199lbs is what i weighted at the YMCA today.. I did a 18minutes mile. At least i did it. Im closing in on a size 40 pants. Down from 48. Not bad. I have 50lbs left to lose. Lets go girl. Ill toot my own horn. Everyone know makes comments. You look good etc. Except at Bailey's school for some reason. Maybe because i always look like a slob becasue im on the way to the gym. I dont know. My goals are to keep on the exercise and stick to the rules. Im doing good with the protein shakes but i need to pic up the water. I gotta go handle things.
bye
angel
1/13/05
I am so happy. I have my big physical adgility test and got a great time. Before the surgery i got 9:30 after the surgery i got 9:30 and now 3 more month later my strength caught up with my cardio and i got 7 minutes. Im only like 40 seconds from super fit firefighter. I would have been if they were using last years time. I m so happy.
yippppi. To top it off i was at a store and saw some good prices on shorts. So i bought a couple pairs in a lower size for this summer. On a lark i tried them on and they fit fine. Not even tight. So im in a size 18 now. ONe more size before im in my pre baby size. One size and 40lbs. Yipppi. and a lot of skin. I feel fit.
Im happyyyyy.
Arleen
2/11/05 6 months out. Well i only lost 7 pounds this month. Bummer. I have been exercising alot but i can eat more now too. Not good but i have not been horrible. I have been taking arobic and spin classes like 1-3 times aweek and they can kick your ass. I have been keeping up learning the moves. At first i was the retard in the back that was always on the wrong foot. Now im just slightly off. Im getting there. I can definatley feel like im in better shape. I tried on bathing suits the other day at Bells. They were on $60.00 (on sale %30.00 off). I tried on a 16. They were the type that squish everything in (or suppose to). Two of them actually did not look bad but they did nothing for the boobs. I need a bathingsuit that not only hold the gut in but the boobies up. That would probally cost a million dollars. Ill start saving now. I bought a leather coat the other day that is just like the one i had pre-bailey. If kinda was cool becasue i loved that jacket but though i would never fit in it again so i sold it and regretted it ever since. Now i have one small in size that looks just like it. I got new copper uniforms the other day. It felt really good trading the old 48 in for girls 18. Actually the 18 fit but they must think girl cops are builts like barbie because the waist was super small compared to the hips. My mom put a little piece of material in it so i could be comfy. Im bumming if the weight is gonna realllllly slow down now. I need to be more cautious of snacking and stuff. I eat alot of peanuts. Actually i just thought of something usually i lose weight right after my period and that has not happened yet so maybe ill get some numbers yet. If i go by the YMCA scale i weight 190. I like that better. 170 is the doc orginal goal. Mine is 155. His second revised goal is 135 (ya right).
Okay i gotta find my measurement book.
Arleen
3/17/05 Well im down to 181 on the ymca scale on my scale it says 184ish. So i put 183 on the chart. Ive been really busy with work stuff so i have been to the gym as much as last month but still 2 a week to power arobics. They are killer. I went on a 2 day search and rescue mission and my stamina was great. I power walked through thick woods for like 12 hours for 2 days. I need to clean up my eating a little. If there is a snack around i will sample. Im addicted and it cant be around me. Im trying to get my little girl straight by cooking at home. We eat out way to much and i dont want to her going down the same path as me. She does have the fat gene in her. She is 90lbs at 8 1/2 yoa. I dont want her to go down the horrible patch i did. Its so fustrating.
Poor kids. She sees the skinny kids eating anything they want and its not fair.
I got check on a web site and she what is right for her age.
Angel
4/12/05
Im grouch about things at work but still estatic about my weight loss. My work newsletter is going to do a article about Jay and I weight lose. That should be cool. I lost another 9 lbs. I have been exersicing but not as regular as i should. its hard with work. I have been pretty good with water. I can eat a lot more volume then i used to and have been bad with some cookies and ice cream. I dont seem to dump any more. That sucks.
Well 4 lbs to go with the doctors first goal. Then 30lbs to go with his second goal.
hippi.
Angel
5/11/05
down four pounds this month. Thats not so great. My weight lose is slowing down. I need to pick up the water more and not snack and get back into the protein habit. I do my protein shakes 3 times a week but if i dont do them every day i need to get the vitaims going. Im gonna get on the site now and get exactly what vitamins i need. I dont want to screw this up with 30lbs to go.
Yippi
Angel
6/12/05
another 4 lbs for this month. i guess that is better then gaining. Im in class all month for work. I was doing really good with running every night with bailey. I was up to a mile and half with no problem. It sucks now because im getting home at 7-8pm and not being able to exercise but i sweat doing vehicle extrication all day.
I wanna lose at least another 20lbls.
write later
angel
7/12/5
Im in Maine right now on vacation. I am doing good and bad. I have been exercising everyday at this lodge at the ski resort. I have been running a mile a day and lifting weights. Plus there are tons of mountains here and just hiking around all day is great exercise. The bad part is i have been eating like crap. Snacking on wheat thins and popcorn and tortilla chips. Crap that two weeks ago i would never have had. Let me think what i ate yesterday. Breakfast -poptart (ihavent had one of those in 2 years), then at 10:00 1/2 bagel w/ strawberry cream cheese (my old favorite), lunch a ham and cheese sanwhich, snacked on popcorn and wheat thins, dinner- 1/2 pork chop- acouple pieces of steak, a couple bites of pototoe, snack a small ice cream cone.
that is horrible ... i have never eat that much in since the surgery.... am i just doing this becasue im on vacation...can i get back to my old good ways... this would probally explain the reason i only lost 2 pounds this month... i need to get away from the bad influences and get prepared with my could so i dont need to get quick food and eat bad... i need my grapes and good snack food handy and pick back up on my water intake ... when i get back to florida i need to get new protein shake and get back on that in the mornings to...
well i gotta go run now that i depressed my self.
angel
9/6/05
I didnt update on my year. I dont know why because it was something i looked forward for so long. Maybe that why I avoided it. Too much pressure. I am very happy with my year progress. If i had to guess at what i was going to be a year for surgury date and how i feel i would have been estatic to be at 180. Im at 161 now. I have been losing very, very, very slow for 3 months now. I have definately increased my work out routing. I have great leg and arm muscles. Great stamina. I kick ass at my arobic classes. Im still regaining some of my bench press but that will come. Unfortunately i can eat almost anything now. I have not gotting really bad but i can say i have wanted to. I dont dump on anything any more ... that sucks. I have been pretty good. I need to cut out the snacks and drink more water. I should probally do better protion control. I eat about what a small child can eat. I still dont finish like a mcdonalds hamburger (no i dont eat those often) but i have finished a peanut butter and jelly once. I eat alot of subway Chicken wraps. Usually 1/2 at a time but in a couple hours i finish the other half. I need to go to the gym now and work out and get bailey from school. Got to go to work tomorrow.
I hope to lose another 15 pounds and no regain any. i have alot of skin on my abdomen and upper gut that needs to be cut away but i cant afford that right now.... maybe some day. I could use a boob lift. My arms are okay and legs are great. Hard as a rock.
No men yet... what are they waiting for. but i know the firefighters wifes are getting leary of me even though im not doing anything except looking better.
oh well
angel
1/18/06
I know, I know, Im a huge slacker. I have not posted in so long.. I guess after you start looking normal you stop obsessing about your weight and hanging on every pound. Speaking of pounds i have not lost any real weight in about 6 months but i have changed my body signicantly.
I have been working our regilously four/five times a week for at least 6 months. Before that i was like three times a week. I have increaded my cardio alot. I do the power cut arobic and run. I can run a mile in 10:20 now. I can bench press 105. I could do 125 before surgery.
I did my combat challege the other day and got 5:12!!!
My best time ever and I got fit firefighter. Im so proud. I kicked booty.
I need to bring up my water intake and bring down my portion control. I can eat child size now. Sometime it scares me how much i can eat compared to before. Ive got b on an excercise program. so that even increase my work outs. We walk the bridge and climb the rocks. Then we do sit up and push ups. She is at 100 sit up when we started she could not do 10. Im pround of her. The only modification to her diet is less sweet and less eating out.
Ill try to stay in touch more. I love clothes now. but i have skin issues. I wonder if i can ever afford to have that taken care of.
angle





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