TraceyB-LV

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I guess its been awhile since I've updated this page.  I had my nine months check up last month in August ... and according to the doctor's scale, I'm still only down 100#.  I think its more like 120#.  My clothes feel awesomely loose, and I've had to buy new ones, as my old ones just don't fit anymore.

I'm doing well physically, I have forgotten to go to the gym, but after my foot heals up (had some minor foot surgery the other day to remove a plantars wart), I'm going to start again next week on the treadmill and start swimming again. 

I'm trying to get back into the swing of things with my portion sizes and cut out those darn carbs -- which I think is slowing my progress.  I've told the doctors I'm always seeming to be hungry.  They've encouraged me to eat more fruit and veggies, and not just the protein... as the fruit and veggies have fiber to fill you up ... especially after drinking tons of water.

I've been attempting to get my p/t business back up and running, and have been working on a 'myspace' page and  blog for my writing... Here are those two links:

http://www.myspace.com/traceyb_lv
http://atransformedlife.blogspot.com/

Please check them out and let me know what you think about them!

Still hanging around.  Blessings to all.

 Tracey

Well, it's been another two months since my last post.  Although I've lost the 100#, which is terrific... I guess I'm at a plateau.

I've started going to the YMCA about two-three times a week.  I'm currently taking a beginner's swim class on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and I do try to make it to the treadmill and the hand/foot pedal bike on one other day.  I have one more week of the swimming classes, and I will probably join another intermediate one real soon.  I love being able to swim again, with the proper strokes and kicking. It sure does give me a work out for my entire body!  It is so much easier working out in the pool than in normal gravity! 

Like I said, although I haven't seemed to lose any more pounds I have noticed my clothes are fitting much looser, and baggier, which is always a good sign. 

I had my wedding ring fall off because now it is too big, so my husband, (what a great guy), and I went to Penny's the other day and he bought me a new ring - emeralds and diamonds - in a size 7!  I've worn a size 10 for so long, I had no idea I would ever be in a smaller size.  I was truly amazed that this ring fit my hand. It is a little tight, but with time, it too will have to be resized!

Another goal has been met from the ones below.  I am now able to fit in those white plastic patio chairs.  It is a  tight fit, but I am not afraid of breaking them anymore!  This is such a blessing for me, with this surgery and it has made it possible for me to live this life, in the quality of life I have only dreamt about.

  

Progress of Goals in my last 6 months

In November 2006 I posted the Top 10 reasons I wanted to have weight loss surgery.  As I was going over them, I found that some of these I have already met - finished and a goal is a goal!

So here is a recap of the list and the ones I've been able to do since losing 100 pounds (I have about 150 more to go!).

 

Top 10 Reasons for WLS
Originally written on November 13, 2006 12:00 pm

 

Top 10 Reasons I Need to Have WLS

10.  Being able to sit in those small, white plastic patio chairs and not breaking them, and fitting in them with room to spare.

09.  I am very worried, that if there were a fire in my office building and since my cubicle is on the fourth floor, I would have a tremendously difficult time getting down the stairs at all, with my oxygen tank and other personal items.

*** NOTE -- Although I can climb down stairs now, I can make it down two flights of stairs. The stairs in the building are fairly steep, and keep going around in circles, so I get a vertigo/dizzy feeling when I use the stairs.   GOAL MET:  No longer have to use oxygen during the day, so NO MORE OXYGEN TANK! ****

08.  I worry about getting into car accidents, or having a slip & fall, and not being able to get up on my own; I worry about the size of the ambulance bed being too small, and I’d be too heavy for the ambulance drivers to maneuver in and out of their truck.  I worry due to driving in the car, and having an accident, with the air bags so close to my face, the steering wheel is in my lap, and having worse injuries due to being so close to the dashboard.

*** NOTE -- I still worry about getting in car accidents, due in part to the bad drivers who are on the streets the same time I am.  I still worry about the airbags, but as a GOAL MET - I can move the steering wheel down from the top position, all the way down to normal, and still have about 3 inches between the steering wheel and my belly. ****

07.  I’d like to be able to go shopping without my husband pushing me in my wheelchair, with me pushing the shopping cart; but being able to walk around the entire store, and not being tired, or in pain. Also, not worrying about what other people think about the types of food I have
in my cart.

*** NOTE -- GOAL MET -- Not only can I walk the entire store by myself, I can actually carry most of my purchases into the house when I get home, put them away and not be totally exhausted.  Sometimes the only thing that stops me when I go shopping is having an "Out-of-money" experience! ***

06.   I would love to be able to go to the pool or the lake and not worry about people laughing, staring or making fun of the "fat lady".

05.   I want to be able to use the restroom and not have to use the handicap  stall. To be able to fit in the tiniest stall and being able to turn around  without the toilet paper holder (and other attached items) not scratching my legs.
                                                     -- and --
04.  I want to be able to take care of personal hygiene issues.

*** NOTE -- GOALS PARTIALLY MET  -- I have been able to use other stalls in the restroom other than the handicap stalls. I'm able to take care of my personal hygiene much better, and the feeling of not having to wait for the handicap stall is such a relief (in more ways than one!!) ***

03.  Being more active in my church activities and worship leading.

*** NOTE -- GOAL MET -- I recently organized, set up and arranged for a women's banquet, doing a lot of the necessary preparations, and being the 'life' of the party on the date it occurred, instead of hiding.  ****

02.  Being more attractive to my husband and being able to be more helpful around the house (chores, cooking, cleaning).

*** NOTE -- GOAL PARTIALLY MET -- I have always been attractive to my husband. I have been able to do more cleaning up in the kitchen and bathrooms, dusting, rearranging furniture, doing some laundry, and some dish washing.  I still have difficulty when it comes to bending down to pick up things off the floor, or reaching into the dishwasher, but those will come along as well. ***

And the #1 reason that I want/need have this surgery -
tool is:

01.  To become more healthy and not be in so much pain all the time. Walking  with out stopping at each step for a breath or due to knee or back pain. Also,  not having to use oxygen 24/7, during sleeping and every waking hour to go to the restroom.

*** NOTE -- GOAL PARTIALLY MET -- See note in question 7 -- also, most of my pain in my legs and hips are gone. The only thing that really bothers me now is my left knee.  No more sciatic pain, no more pain in my feet on a daily basis, no more back or hip pain. I can nearly sleep through the night without hourly trips to the restroom; I only use the oxygen at night to sleep, and that may end in October 2007.  I still get some feet pain after walking a lot, but that too will pass soon enough.  ****

Sorry I haven't been online in awhile, basically because my computer died. I was in the process of getting  a new one, when it died too!  I haven't been able to use my computer at work like I would like to, but today seems to be going alright.

My new computer is fixed and I'll be updating here more often, plus uploading my six-month progress pictures, along with pictures of some side effects I've had along the way.

Well, to let you know -- I've lost over 100# in 5 ½ months.  I started going to the YMCA last Friday, to help start to tone up. I have a lot of loose, hanging skin around my belly area, which is the pits, because I'm getting heat rashes almost every day.  

The worst thing about this whole thing though, is grazing.  Now that I'm all healed up from my surgery, I seem like I can eat more than my allowed three meals a day.  I think that when I start exercising more, that need will go away and I can focus my energies on that instead of food.

I've had a lot of changes going on inside me ... maybe they are hormonal as well as the physical change.  I haven't had a period since January (which, for one I'm not complaining tooo much!), my hair is thinning on my head (as everytime I brush my hair, it seems as though there is always more hair on the brush, and the counter, and my shoulders, than in my head). 

I've had a problem in Feb/March with a awful skin breakout on my face -- where it looked like my whole face was sunburned and it started to peel. Then my face got extremely pale, when I used to have naturally rosy cheeks.  But now both of those seemed to be cleared up.  I still get chapped lips almost every week even though I drink a TON of water everyday.

I was able to get off all my diabetic medications, one asthma medication,
the use of oxygen during the day, and I no longer need to use a wheelchair everywhere I go.  I am able to walk about 3/4 of mile before tiring, although my feet start hurting before I get tired. 

For awhile I seemed not to lose any weight at all, but I know that plateaus come and stay around for awhile, even if I did every thing correctly.  I know I just have to stay the course and keep my eyes on the goal of my weight loss, my healthy new lifestyle, my fitness level improving, and quality of my life being a reward, than to focus on the negatives all the time ... like the hanging skin and losing hair. 

I've also been looking into getting a personal 
fitness coach to help me and guide me into
the right type of weight and aerobic training to help me meet my goals and firm up some of my flabby skin! A co-worker friend of mine has a fitness coaching business and I'm going to check with her how much everything costs and such.  I always like to have someone to 
accountable with for these goals.

Well, today I had great news. After being at a plateau for a few weeks, the scale went down again.  From a starting point of 404# one month prior to surgery, and now my three month check-in post-surgery, I now weigh 332!  Yipee ! 

A 72 pound drop.

The last time I lost over 60 pounds I used "Diet Center" and it took over six months to do it --this time, almost 22 pounds each month - and they are gone forever.        

Stay tuned for more losing developments!

The last time I lost over 60 pounds I used "Diet Center" and it took over six months to do it --this time, almost 22 pounds each month - and they are gone forever.

I'm a very happy gal today. 

4:30 a.m.  February 13, 2007

Hi all,
I have had the worse couple of weeks. First thing is I started having trouble keeping solid foods down. At first, I thought it was because maybe the food was too high in fat. But then even foods I could eat previously were becoming more difficult to eat, and I started having pain in my pouch, and then up it would come. Then last weekend (Feb 3 & 4th), nothing would stay down .. except water and broths, and even they hurt. I started throwing up the 'foamies' or even the solid foods. I called my surgeon's office last Tuesday, and they scheduled me for an endoscopy the next day (last Wednesday). Thankfully they did find an obstructing little piece of 'mucosa' blocking the way to my pouch, and was able to dilate it out of the way. After having the procedure done, they said to expect a sore throat and maybe coughing.

Well not only did I get the sore throat and coughing, but now I have a rotten cold! I haven't slept in two nights, due to having coughing fits, post nasal drip that would choke a horse (me!), and just not being able to lay down at all, without coughing and blowing my nose. And now, this morning (it's 4:30 a.m.), I have tried going to bed, but as soon as I start to drift off, the phlegm starts to choke me and I have to get up and throw it up ... making me have even a worse sore throat.

I have a follow-up appointment with the surgeon this Thursday for my 3-month check up.

For any of you who have had the EGD done ... did you get a cold too or am I just the unlucky one?

At 10:00 p.m. - Same Day
Well, I went to Quick Care this morning, and the doctor told me it is a reaction to going under general anesthesia, being that I am an asthmatic, my lungs are having broncho-spasms, and just overproducing mucus and liquid basically 'lubing' it up. My lungs are really tight, and no air is moving at all so she prescribe a steroid shot, predisone tablets, and a new nebulizer medication to help me being able to breathe better. So basically I was having an bad asthmatic attack from my EGD last week.

So, other than the same sore throat and hacking cough, I am feeling better. I was able to get a little rest this afternoon and eat a little something. So on the one hand, I don't have a cold, and on the other, I've got asthma problems.

I go for the my 3-month check in on Thurdsay. We'll get the full report then.

All in all the EGD procedure went well, and I came out of the anesthesia well that day ... I guess it just needed to open up all my breathing passages to get that medication expelled.

So, I'm still at home. I'll probably miss one more day of work. 

Thanks for all your comments and well wishes - I appreciate everyones support here.

I contacted my surgeon's office on Thursday 1-25-07 and they advised me to go off both meds (Protonix & the Urso Forte) for a week and note the results.  Well, it's now Monday, 1-30-07, and the red spots are now gone - and I really think it is related to the Urso Forte.  I still have the dry and itchy skin, but I'm sure the moisturizers will help, plus all the extra water I'm drinking.  They also encouraged me to take Vitamin E or Omega-3 Fatty Acid supplements - which all help with skin problems.  

I think its probably a combination of a lot of factors -- cutting down the fat in my diet, drinking less water since it is winter time, and my vitamin/mineral intake is different from before the surgery.  

I will know by Friday what the total results are from not being on these two medications.

I also have noticed since stopping the use of the Protonix, I am having difficulty keeping things down - if anything is too dry - it will come right back up.  Sunday was really bad. We went to church, and I had eaten about an ounce of thin sliced cheddar cheese. It would not sit well, and then I had about four bouts of 'foamies' or throwing it all up - saliva mostly - but it was not fun.  

So, since yesterday, I'm eating mostly soft foods and soups/broths 
for now, until my stomach settles down a bit.  

I also posted this on my surgeon's website/support group and here are some people's responses to the problem:

«» When you are in the beginning stages of weight loss your body dumps a lot of hormones and they may be causing the skin reaction.

«» Dry is probably due to the amount of water you're drinking (or not drinking). I drink minimum 4 - (16.9) bottles a day usually 6 and sometimes as many as 9. Also might want to try a vitamin called hair, skin & nails... (pink box, purple, I think, writing) worked for me. I take lots of vitamins including an additional biotin (5000mg) for hair, a fruit and a veggie (whole food cold process capsule so they don't lose the nutrients and I get the stuff I need w/o eating veggies). 

«» 7 year veteran - Part of the problem, my personal belief, is that we are no longer ingesting the amount of fat that we did before surgery.
Personally I used to add a jar of mayo a month to my food on top of eating the skin on chicken, the charred fat on steak, ( thank you Atkins diet ) lots of ham sausage bacon, you name it , I had a "fat" tooth. I now have to put essential oils and lotion on my skin all the time. Take essential fatty acids like linseed in capsules to replace as soon as you
can stomach them. And if you're having 3 ounces of salad, you can have salad dressing with olive oil. Or get one of those olive oil sprays and spray your veggies with a light coat. One of the salad dressing companies is now making spray on salad dressing that you can use on veggies too!

So, its now to add more fats to my diet and also a supplement on the Omega-3 fatty acids to beautify my skin - drink more fluids, and also moisturize the dry skin. 

I should be a really skinny, smoothed skin beauty in the long run.

Since my surgery 11-21-06; and being on two new medications
 - Protonix and Urso Forte, I've noticed a big problem with
my skin on my face. First off, my forehead is extremely dry,
skin peeling, redness. My lips are extremely dry, cracked, and
peeling. Now in the last few days, I've been getting little
red spots under my eyes, around my cheeks and nose, and
traveling up to my forehead again. 

Nothing else has changed  -- same shampoo, same moisturizer
(although, I've been going through it like gang busters ..
because of the dry skin). I've increased my water intake,
drinking water and herbal teas, have been taking my vitamins.

I have always had pure, white skin, baby soft, and no problems
with pimples or acne.  I'm at a complete loss to what may be
causing this.  I am 43 years old and female. 

I've heard of hair loss (and thankfully, haven't experienced
this), but not to the extent of skin problems.

Anyone have any ideas, or should I call the my surgeon's or
PCP's office? 

I'm getting to the point that I'm thinking I'm developing lupus, or
rosaeca, or some skin disease.

I went to my primary care doctor on Friday, and when I was there, I was able to weigh myself on the doctor's scale (old fashioned, stand on it and not fall off the small area).  I was down to 342# ! Hooray.  I started at 404 on October 4, 2006 and down 62 pounds!  Can't say that for any other diet!  That's nearly 20# a month!  


We went over my past blood test results and everything is good, including my diabetes/blood sugar levels - which were great - I am no longer considered diabetic  - and she took me off all my diabetic medications! Yippee!  The only level she found was my magnesium level.  I had low magnesium prior to the surgery and had been taking a tablet form. But with my surgery, and swallowing large tablets are difficult, I found a liquid supplement on-line from a company called Life Force.  

Their supplement, Osteo Pro Care:
➤ Provides 1200 mg of calcium per 1-oz serving– A highly bio-available form of calcium can support health in many ways. 
➤ Includes numerous support factors for improved utilization of calcium, including:
• 600 mg of magnesium per ounce
• Vitamin D
• Zinc
• Copper
• Manganese
• Boron

➤ Includes over 60 macro, micro and ultra trace minerals and nutrients.
➤ Support bone strength.
➤ Support healthy teeth.
➤ Improve muscular function.
➤ Includes glucosamine, which supports joint flexibility
➤ Includes chondroitin, which supports cartilage structure.
➤ Contribute to alkalizing the body’s pH.

All of which she really liked that not only did it have magnesium, but the calcium, and glucosomine & chondroitin, to help me with my arthritis -- all found in this supplement.  I purchase it directly from their website: http://www.lifeforce.net/ 

Life Force also has a liquid multi-vitamin/multi-mineral supplement that both my husband and I use - called Body Balance.  It's really good, and tastes like black cherry.  It is sweetened with honey, but the sugar level is so low (only 2 grams) in the 2 ounces, that it does not make me sick, and only 10 calories.

Thankfully she approved of both supplements.  Dr. Kim is astonished at how well am doing, and that she can really see the weight dropping off of me.  I'm totally off my oxygen during the day, use it only at night to sleep and no longer diabetic.  What more can I say?  This is terrific.

My only setbacks in the last month -- is eating too much, too fast, and getting sick.  But I'm glad I have this 'trigger', so it helps me and teaches me to slow down, chew thoroughly, and take smaller bites.

I read somewhere that the capacity of my mouth is larger than the capacity of my stomach, so I really got to watch how big my bite of food is and make sure I don't fill my mouth, and swallow before everything is chewed.  

Take care in your journies,

Tracey

Well, for the first time in a long time, I was able to go shopping at Albertsons, with my husband, and without me being in a wheelchair!  I was tempted to use the store's electric cart, and my husband said, just go as far as you can, and if you need to go back to the car you can. 

So we did the entire store from Produce to Dairy and my legs, nor my hips ever started hurting.  Although my feet were going numb by the end - I was so ecstatic!  Because for close to a year, I could not go into any store without being in a wheelchair, because my hips and knees would kill me just walking from the car to the store.  

I'm so happy this is going well.  This has allowed me to go to Big Lots on my own for the first time - and do the majority of the store without pain .. or getting tired.   The only thing that stopped me was money!  

Thank God for this miracle of weight loss!