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The most current activity is at the top. To start my journey from the beginning scroll down to the bottom and work your way up.

I met with Dr. Faulkenberry today and he went over the details of the surgery. The surgery is scheduled for Dec 15 at 10am at Seton NW hospital. I'll be kept overnight.

11/10/06 

I  found out today that I have to have my thyroid out. I have multiple nodules in both lobes of the thyroid. Most of the nodules are too small to biopsy or to do a radioactive scan so the only 100% way to know that they are not cancerous is to remove them.

The good news is that the same surgeon who did my WLS is going to do this. I meet with him next week to discuss the surgery. I'll keep everyone updated as I get more information.

09/10/06

Here is a picture of my newest canine baby, Penny


She is a black and tan miniature Dachshund. She is 4 months old.


Here are my two girls snuggling:



For a reference, here is my preop photo:



Here are the most current photos of me (9/06/06)



I am 110lbs down. My BMI went from 66 to 47!

I didn't realize it until I saw the photos that my clothes are TOO BIG. Isn't it funny how you can think something fits well until you see it in a picture. These are not the best photos of me, but since it is all I have they will have to do. If I had better fitting clothes you could really see the difference in my size.

I've been going to Curves 3x a week now for 2 months. Next Wednesday (Sept 13) I'll get weighed and measured again. My first month at Curves I lost 4.5 lbs and NINE inches! I lost 3" in my abdomen, 2 in my hips, one in each arm and one in each leg. Whoo Hoo!

Since my last update in February I have been diagnosed with reactive hypoglycemia. I think it is under control now. I eat more protein more frequently. I take cheese sticks with me to work. I'll eat one every 2 hours or so just to keep my blood sugar level.

When it drops low enough for me to get the symptoms I get so scared. I get dizzy, shaky, anxious, sweaty, fuzzy thinking. Once it happened after skipping breakfast and lunch... bad idea. Twice it happened within 2 hours of eating a very good (balanced) breakfast. Once it happened 1.5 hours after having a DR PEPPER (no more full sugar sodas for me). As a matter of fact, no more sugar. I'm once again sugar free!

These episodes are scary because it feels like I'm going to pass out. Luckily I had something nearby that I could eat and after about 30 mintues it passed.

I asked my Dr for a blood glucose meter, which he prompty approved. I've been testing my BS for a couple of weeks now and it has not been below the normal range since I changed the way I eat.

The one good thing about reactive hypoglycemia is that it is forcing me to stay on my surgeon's diet protocol. Thank God. Knowing my personality, and that I tend to eat emotionally, I really need the extra incentive and accountability the RH brings to my life.



02/21/06

Here is the most recent picture of me. Shortly after this was taken I cut my hair short. I am still stalled at between 96 and 99.5lbs lost. I have lost inches though so I'm hoping that the stall will break soon!




02/06/06

I just ordered my dream bicycle. I should get in in 7 to 10 days. I can't wait!




01/24/06





Here is a picture of me preop (7/20/05) at 384 and one taken today (01/24/06) at 289 ...down 95lbs. My BMI has gone from 66 to 49. I am no longer SUPER OBESE. I am now Extreemly Obese. Whoo Hooo!



01/11/06

I'm now down 91.5 lbs. I want desperately to be down 100lbs by my 6 mo anniversary which is Jan 28. Think I'll make it. I really would like to be there by Satuday, the 14th. This may be pushing it but I'm hoping!



12/30/05

I finally broke the stall I was on since Dec 5. I'm now down 89lbs (84 since surgery). My BMI went from a 66 to a 50 in just 5 short months. 11 lbs to go to hit 100lbs lost.


Christmas Eve 2005

Here is a picture of my tree. I collect Wedgwood, Lenox, and Waterford ornaments.



12/20/05



-84.5 lbs

12/10/05



I went to the Central Texas dinner tonight. Here is a group picture. I had a blast!

12/05/05

I am now NOT 300+ lbs. I weighed in at 299.5 today. That is a total loss of 84.5 lbs! Yippee! My BMI is now 51 (down from 66)


11/21/05


-80lbs


11/18/05

My BMI has now gone down to 52... that is 13 points from where I started at 66.

I am 7 lbs away from meeting my 1 major weight goal of being under 300lbs.

11/09/05

I have lost 65.5 lbs since surgery 15 weeks ago and 70.5 since my first consultation. My BMI has gone from 65 to 53.


10/14

- 53.5 lbs total! I lost 50 lbs in the first 6 weeks. Then for the next 5 weeks I would go down one, up two, down 2, up one. It was frustrating but I knew that this is to be expected. This reminds me, I'm going to post my thing about stalls here for all to see:

***What every PreOp needs to know……. about weight loss.

You will lose weight in cycles. For a period of time you’ll lose pounds and this will be very satisfying as you see the scale move lower and lower. Then a period of time will come when you will not lose any weight. You will probably get some typical negative thoughts such as “The surgery failed”, “I messed up my pouch”, “I’m the only person this surgery will not work for” or a hundred other negative thoughts.

This time is called a stall. The stall may last a couple of days, a week, or more than one week. Your body will stop losing weight to “catch up” with itself. You’ll lose inches during the stall. Whether you lose inches or weight....it is still a loss. You’ll feel your clothes get looser. You may even notice that during a stall that you’ve dropped a size (or two).

If you will keep a daily record of your weight loss and a weekly record of your measurements -especially during your stall period - it will help confirm what I just said.

The single best piece of advice I can give you is: Do not compare yourself with others. Every person loses weight at their own speed.

The first 12 weeks post op for me:
• Weeks 1 and 2 I lost a pound per day.
• Week 3 I didn’t lose anything
• Week 4 I averaged 2.5 lbs loss per day (with a total loss of 42lbs the first month).
• Weeks 5 - 7 I lost a total of 3 lbs (ONE lb per week avg).
• Week 8 came and it looked like I broke the stall.. I lost 4 lbs.
• Week 9 – 11 I gained and lost that same 4lbs over and over.
Was I frustrated? YES, but did I panic? NO. I knew it wouldn’t last forever even though it felt like it would.
• Week 12 came and the stall FINALLY broke. I have now lost 10.5 lbs in the last week for a total loss of 59lbs since surgery.


One more thing to note: Before my stall I was disappointed because no one noticed I had lost weight. Then the day the stall broke I had two people tell me that they noticed! The scale will tell YOU that you've lost weight...the stall will tell others!

When you hit a stall…. DON’T PANIC! This is normal and should be expected.

If you’re like me, and you probably are, your first reaction will be to get depressed, get stressed, and try to turn to food for comfort. This is the worst thing you can do. Someone stated on this message board recently “Most dreams are lost by giving up what we want MOST for what we want at the MOMENT”. Don’t succumb to this! You’re stronger than you realize.

Best wishes on your journey to health. Keep this one thought in the back of your mind……………………....Stalls Happen!



9/24/05

WHOO! I've lost 50 lbs since surgery 8 weeks and 2 days ago! That is a total of 55lbs since I started this journey. My BMI has gone from 66 to 56 ... AMAZING!!!!

9/15/05

Time for some pictures

Pre Op 379 lbs (7/22/05)



Down 25lbs (8/21/05)



Down 44 lbs (9/15/05)


And now, the cutest of all pictures...
This is Eenie Weenie, my mini Dachshund.


8/31/05 Down 42lbs

8/29 - One month and one day post op and I've lost 40lbs since surgery.

8/26/05
So far I have not had any complications, no food adversions, no sickness, tons of energy. My only problem at this point is that I get very very sleepy after I eat. This isn't so much of a problem right now when I am home recouperating but it will be a problem when I go back to work.

To date I've lost 34 lbs since surgery and 39 total. From Jan 04 to July 04 I was doing Weight Watchers and lost a total of 21lbs. In SIX months... and in just 29 days since surgery I've lost 34. My BMI has gone from 65 to 59! This surgery works! Amazing!

8/16/05
I am now 19 days post op. I had my first postop appt today. I have lost 18lbs since surgery and 23 total including the 5lbs lost during the preop diet. This surgery is amazing!

6/26/05

I have removed my profile. I had someone contact me at home after seeing my name on this website and looking up my phone number and address on Google. I have since changed the name to Call Me Tinker so that my full name is off this site.