ObesityHelp

Weight Loss Surgery Directory

By Location By Map

Latarsha B.
Orlando, FL, USA
Post Op - BMI: 46.4
Member ID: b1083967379
Surgeon: Barry Haicken, M.D.

Click here for Latarsha's surgery support page
Click here to print Latarsha's cards
(You can print your own cards, and if you're good at it,
you can help print cards for your friends as well!)

Click here to view latarsha’s friends.

First of all my goal is to loose 150lbs!!! Now a little bit about myself, I am a 31 year young, single parent of 2. I have struggled with my weight since the age of about 12/13. Before that I was actually a skinny kid. I had hip surgery when I was 12yrs. old and the pounds started coming on and didn't stop. I've tried every type of fad diet and diet pill on the market to only loose 20-30 pounds and gain it back plus more! The most I lost at one time was 80lbs, I just knew that I would keep it off and then one day I looked in the mirror and I had gained it all back and more (we all know that's not how it really works, but that's what it seemed like). I was so dicussed with my weight and after stressing that to my PCP, he tried me on a low calorie diet, Xenical diet pills and prozac (for depression and appettite surpressant). Well long story short that did not work either. I advise him that I was interested in the weightloss surgery I had been reading about and seeing advertisement for, so he advise me that thought I would be a good canidate and gave me a referral to a Dr. that he knew of that preformed the surgery and stated that he was a really good surgeon. I made an appointment, love the staff, met the doctor and the rest is history!

2004

07/22/04-I really wish I would have started this journal as soon as I had the surgery. I donot know a lot about computers (I'm learning, slowly but surely) and did not think I was doing it right, anywhoo- I had my surgery (Open RNY) 03/15/04 I do have a chart below with weightloss. I still have issue with it because I think that I'm what some will call a slow loser, I was hoping to be one, that lost like 50 lbs the first month (wrong) I really don't know many people personally that had the surgery all i can do is compare my result with what i read in the profiles. I have lost 70lbs so far (per the scale at Publix and I am 4 mos and 7 days post-op as of today(Is that good or bad?) anyway now that I know what I'm doing, I will be updating my profile, keeping anyone who's interested in my progress up to date. I'm hoping to be in the century club at 6 mos. out (I guess I better be getting to the gym huh?) take care AMOS family-Latarsha

07/24/04-well I weighted in this morning 240lbs! that's a total of 75lbs!!!!!!! That's all i wanted to say (I'm getting excited!)-Latarsha

07/26/04-hello all, well today is a good day so far. I woke up this morning to get dress for work and decided to try on a pair of pants that I just knew was too small and guess what? They Fit! I was so excited I wore them to work ( really didn't have a shirt to match them but i didn't care I wore them anyway that makes me officially in a size 16! (from wearing 22's) that's an awesome feeling. I can admit honestly, I'm not the best eater in the world ( I try to stay a way from potato chips because it's true what the commercials say, "no one can eat just one".) and I'm pretty good at getting my protein in daily but need to work on no snacking (well maybe occasionally) and try to drink more water. If i do that the weight will probably come off faster. I really need to get back to the gym my goal is to atleast walk a mile a day on the treadmill the rest of the week with the acception of tommorrow (have to get my car fixed early in the morning then go straight to work. well I will update soon-Latarsha

07/30/04-Well, I didn't exercise like I said and today is Friday (I'm so bad) I'm hoping to start, this coming week off right! I use to be able to drink water with no problem water but now I have to force myself to drink it. I hope this feeling goes away and I can get back my old water drinking habit really soon. My goal is to loose atleast 5 lbs by 08/06. That's almost a pound a day, think I can do it? We will see (I will actually weight myself 08/07). My other goal is to be at 225lbs by my Birthday which is 08/19 and my last short goal is to be in the century club by my 6 mos. checkup (which is 09/15/04)!!!! this is going to be interesting. I hope I'm not disappointed with the outcome, I change that, I need to make it happen!!-Latarsha

08/04/04-Hello all, I have been PMSing since friday and to add to that, I have not been to the gym. I want to weigh myself just to see what the scale would say but I thought that would put me in a worse mood so I decided to wait til Saturday or Sunday, by that time no more PMS and I won't feel bloated, at this point I will be happy with a 1 lb lost since I haven't done anything I said I was going to do (who I'm I kidding I will still be dissatisfied) anywhoo- I'm going to a bridal shower Friday and a wedding Saturday, so I guess I will be weighting myself Saturday morning so I'm not to disappointed on Sunday because I'm definately going to eat (I will not over do it though). I know that I'm hard on myself sometimes but I feel sometimes, not hard enough cause if I was, I would be at the gym atleast 3 times a week, so I constantly beat myself up and always complaining about not losing enough weight or saying that it's just not going to work for me. I keep thinking one day I'm going to wake up and no more weight lost I will just stop! and the doctor will say " your body just won't allow up to be thin (sounds crazy right?)As you can see I think too much! Sometimes I do think postive and say when is the last time you lost 75lbs Latarsha? and I have my days were I feel thin, but that fat person feeling continues to come back (I read that alot of people feel that way even after losing the weight from WLS) so I fell a little bit better that I'm not the only one. I hope that one day I look back on my journal and laugh about how I felt (hopefully when I'm at my goal weight!) pray for me, because I believe that all things are possible through christ and prayer definately works! I guess I better get busy and talk to the big guy because it's long over due. Anybody that has any encouraging words feel free to email me or even with some suggestions on changing my way of thinking to something more positive. I here alot of stories about people having an Angel, what is an angel? and what do they do? As you can see I donot have one so if anyone's reading this knows what an angel is and any suggestion on how to get one let me know. Well til next up date..........latarsha

08/19/04-Well today is my Birthday! (Happy Birthday to me!) I am commented to having a great day today although I'm at work, but I'm off tomorrow (which is Friday) all weekend and Monday so I will definately make up for it. I said that I refuse to be depressed or upset on my birthday so I decided that i will not weight myself til after Monday (although I don't feel any thinner this week anyway) I know that I need to get on the ball I just can't stay dedicated, to the comment I set for myself! maybe I'm not trying hard enough? I don't really know but It doesnot look like I will be hitting the century club by my 6 month goal and I have no one to blame but myself. I can look at carbs and gain weight (well that's what it feels like) although I feel the way that I do, I do not regret having this surgery at all! it's the best thing that has happen for me in a very long time and I am starting to do things and go places that i would not have gone, for fear of people judging or looking at me funny because of my weight or me not wanting to walk because I know that I would get tired fast and the people I would be with will feel obligated to stop and wait for me to rest instead of going on without me, so as you see I may be complaining, because I know I can do better, but I'm still thankful for this surgery and to the good lord for allowing me strength and better health after surgery, well thanks AMOS family for listening and I will update soon-Latarsha

08/24/04-Well, today I returned back to work since my birthday, I had lots of fun! ( I think I drunk a little too much giggle juice and ate too much birthday cake) because I had a tummy ache you wouldn't believe! think I learned my listen? No. I just lied down for about an hour and when I felt better I was drinking more giggle juice but skipped the cake and I was fine. I also got lots of compliments on how good I looked (which really made me feel good because I didn't feel any thinner, but I do look at myself everyday and that part of my family doesn't see me everyday)I still will not dare weight myself this week (I'm too scared that I will let it depress me). I can look at carbs and gain weight, so why torture myself this week. So far today I had a protein shake. I think I will eat some left over grilled meat for lunch and another protein shake for dinner. I will try to do mostly liquids for the rest of the week because I go in for my 6 mos check up 09/09 and would like to have lost atleast 85lbs,then I will set my next short term goal to lose 15 pounds over the next month so that I could atleast be in the century club by my 7 month anniversary. Talk to you all next month!-Latarsha

08/31/04-Hey all, I'm in a very good mood today because as of yesterday, I am down to...(drum roll please)227lbs! That's a total of 88 pounds gone! when I last updated I told you all that I was going to try to stick to mainly fluids,(of course protein shakes, meat and water) til I go to the doctor well, not only have I been doing that but I've been going to the gym! total I've walked about 7 miles (not alot total since my last entry but every bit counts to me!) I will try to go every other day to do some cardio til my doctors appt. Alot of the weight may have been water but I don't care that 10lbs gone! I even feel lighter this week, it's amazing how the scale won't move and then all of a sudden it jumps! I have already exceeded what I want to lose for my 6 month check up so I have changed it to 95lbs that I would like to have gone and I will have to think of another short term goal once I have my doctors appt.

09/17/04-Hi everyone, my doctors appointment went very good i went to the doctor yesterday instead of last week, had to postpone do to lab work not being done. I have lost, according to my physican's scale a total of 92lbs! that is not 100lbs yet but it's still good to me, going to the gym doing cardio really jump starts your system. Well i will update later gotta go-Latarsha.

09/21/04-Hi all i went to see my PCP yesterday due to having lower back and shoulder pains he ordered some xrays and also stated that he thinks that my shoulders maybe hurting so much and get tried fast, (when holding them up) from all the extra skin on them. He seems to think I have about 10lbs of skin hanging on each arm! that's a lot, I'm hoping that the insurance company will pay for and arm lift and a tummy tuck but i don't think my stomach hangs down far enough for that to be cover may be if they pay for the arms I can finance the tummy, we will see, I'm gonna wait til I get the results for the xrays and his printed documents of what he thinks the pain is coming from b efore seeing the surgeon. I'm gonna also take some pictures of the loose skin to have that part ready. Please keep me in your prayers, I'm sure I will need it. Oh yeah how could I forget I also was weighted in and have lost 2 more pounds! I'm now at 221lbs!!!! totaling 94lbs gone! I don't believe it will now be a problem to hit 100lbs by 7 mos which is 10/15/04 (maybe even more)! I can't wait to set another goal so I will work on reaching the 100lb goal diligently. Thanks for listening AMOS family-Latarsha.

10/11/04-Hi all, getting close to my appointment with my PCP (on 10/25/04 to get my results from xray and a written report) and go see the plastic surgeon (10/26/04 to see if he thinks that my insurance will pay for any of it and he will also make a report) please, please keep me in your prayers AMOS family and guess what??? I'm offically in the century club!!!!! I weighed in this morning and i now weigh, drum roll please......213lbs!!!!!! That's 102lbs so far! I go see my PCP in exactly 14 days and the plastic surgeon in 15 days think I can weigh in at 205lbs??? I don't know but that is the goal that i am setting for myself I know that's lots of protein and lots of water drinking but I have faith in me (atleast right now) hopefully I will take a picture by the weekend to send to up date my profile. I can't wait to see them side by side to see if I see a big difference, well thanks again for listening i will update after my next appointments, bye all-Latarsha

10/19/04-Hey all, I know I said that i will update after I go to the doctor but i just had to let you all know that i now weighed in at 211lbs!! ok that's all I wanted to say i will update after my appointment(for real this time)-Latarsha

12/06/04-Hey AMOS family. sorry it has been a whils since I updated, I still have not got word from the plastic surgeon on if my insurance will pay or not but he did say it can take8-10 weeks for a response. I weighed in today at 198lbs!!!! that's 117lbs gone. I must admit that I have not been exercising lately and I praying that i get back on the right track with that since it does work so well for me and I have slacke off on my water intake and will work on getting better with that but I feel great!i hope to be at 185lbs by Christmas that is my next goal, so i got 13lbs to go and I have 19 days. I know the only way I'm gonna do it is by increasing my water and getting back to the gym so i will try harder to get back on track. My skin is so lose on my arms (all over really,but that is the part of my body that I am really very self conscious about) I can't wait for the day that i feel comfortable wearin short sleeve shirts! Well I will update soon, take care-Latarsha.
Future Update

10/28/05-hey all! It has been a long time since I have updated my profile. I have relocated to the Orlando area, about 10 months ago, don't know how I like it yet. I transfered with the job that I have been on for 5 years now. Not alot has changed sinse I last updated I am still what I consider to be a slowwww loser I currently weight 170lbs, I have been told that I look smaller than that but I think about 20lbs of it is lose skin!!! I wear size 10 in jeans!!!! never though I would see that day. I really do not want to get smaller than a size 8. I have been in the plus sizes for sooo long that I think I would weird smaller than an 8. I became a little depressed about the loose skin on the arms it just looks very abnormal to me but i am dealing with it, it looks as though I will have to save my money and have the skin removed on my own, The insurance company states that it is cosmetic (even with the issues I have with the pain in my arms)! I just think they are being cheap! but I am determined to have it done next year sometime, I have not come this far for nothing ( i will wear short sleeve or tank tops one day and feel comfortable)! I have to believe that and stay focused on that goal. i have not taking any pictures lately but after looking at my profile and seeing my before picture all I can say is WOW!!! I look sooo different so I will make sure that I update a picture really soon thank you AMOS family I promise not to stay away so long this time-Latarsha
Future Update

Future Update

WLS RESOURCES

American Sleep Apnea Association
What is Sleep Apnea?

Surgery for obesity:
What is it and is it for you?

FITDAY.COM

Alternative Therapies: Part I. Depression, Diabetes, Obesity

Acid Reflux and Obesity

www.drhaicken.com

Page Spruced up by 8-19-04
If you'd like your profile spruced up
write to one of the HTML Volunteer’s here:

Weightloss Chart:
-2004-
03/15- 315(weird how the numbers match huh?)
03/23- 295 1/2 (-19 1/2lb)
03/25- 294 (-21lb)
04/08- 282 1/2 (-32 1/21b)
04/12- 280 (-35lb)
05/04- 275 (-40lb)
05/09- 273 1/2(-41 1/2lb)
05/11- 273 (-42lb)
05/15- 270 (-45lb)
05/22- 268 (-47lb)
05/29- 264 (-51lb)
06/05- 258 1/2 (-57 1/2lb)
06/12- 258 (-57lb)
06/19- 253 (-62lb)
07/17- 248 (-67lb)
07/21- 245 (-70lb)
07/24- 240 (-75lb)
08/16- 237 (-78LB) LONGEST PLATEAU YET!
08/30- 227 (-88lb)
09/16- 223 (-92lb)
09/20- 221 (-94lb)
09/23- 218 (-97lb)
10/11- 213 (-102lb) I made it to the century club!!!!!!!!!!
10/19- 211 (-104lb)
10/22- 207 1/2 (-107 1/2lb)
-2005-
10/28- 170 (-145lbs)

Photos

Surgeon Info:
Surgeon: Barry Haicken, M.D.