Cheri C.

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WOW!  What else can I say.  It's been more than 2 years since surgery.  This morning I weighed 118.  I've maintained my weight for more than a year.  I'm feeling good (except I have bad arthritis in my neck which is painful most days).  I'm working two jobs; have 3 great kids; a wonderful future daughter-in-law and a boyfriend who loves me. 

Weight loss surgery is the best thing I ever did for myself.  I have had problems along the way but like others who have gone before me have said, "I'd do it again in a heartbeat." 

My life is full and busy with work.  I hike and climb mountains now that I'd only dreamed of climbing before.  I did a hike to a cabin that I'd done when I was heavy.  I barely made it before; in fact, I kissed the cabin when I got there because I didn't think I'd make it.  This time, I breezed right up the trail with no problem.  What a difference.  I'm wearing size 4 in most things.  It's hard to find the right size.  I used to have this problem but it would be because I couldn't find clothes big enough!!!

My second job is at a grocery store.  I get compliments all the time about how good I look.  I have guys giving me their phone number and asking if I'm married on a regular basis.  It is flattering and something I've never experienced before.

For anyone reading this who is considering surgery - know this - my first 6 months were hell.  I felt really bad, sick a lot of the time.  But since then, it has been one heck of a ride.  I'm 48 years old.  I feel like I'm 30.  Some people guess I'm 35.  Life is the best its ever been.  JUST DO IT!  You'll be glad you did.

It's been a month since I posted.  Time is going so fast.  I'm doing ok on the weight loss - down to 158.5  I'm wearing size 12 jeans now and still medium shirts.  I've gotten loads of comments lately from just about everyone I see.  It feels really good.

I've been to the doctor a few times here in the last couple weeks.  I've had really bad diarrhea since October 10th (I remember the date because I had a hearing starting the next morning and I was worried about getting through the hearing feeing the way I did).  I've also been having bad cramps and the other day I had some rectal bleeding.  My 4-month labs showed that my TIBC level was very low.  

I've also been having trouble when I swallow.  I had a barium swallow done last week.  It showed a hiatal hernia and "considerable mucosal edema" in my pouch.  It also showed that the opening from my pouch is very narrow.  My surgeon and my PCP have been in contact (my surgeon is a 2.5 hour plane ride away) with each other.  They are scheduling an endoscopy and colonoscopy for me.

I'm trying not to think of what could be the problem with the lower end.  The upper end I'm not too worried about as it sounds like that can be fixed with Previcid and a roto rooter treatment.

I'll post when I know what's up.

I hope everyone is doing well.  I have been traveling a lot lately for my job and feel totally disconnected with the boards.  It's good to be back. 

I'm down to 166.5 pounds.  Wearing mostly size 14 pants and medium shirts.  I went to buy a shirt the other day and I almost got large because medium looked too small.  I had to tell myself that I've bought medium before and they fit just fine.  I bought a medium, and yes, it fit just fine.

I've been feeling really good but starting to worry some about my lack of vitamins.  I notice my eyesight and memory are not as good as they were a few months ago.  I found some liquid calcium at Costco so now that I don't have to take so many pills for vitamins, I have no excuse.

I've been doing really good with working out.  I still try to do about 30 minutes every morning or at least 5 mornings per week.  

I posted some pictures that Mia took of me while she was here.  She is my son's girlfriend who lives in Germany.  Mia, if you're reading this, I enjoy it so much when you visit and can't wait until Christmas when you're with us again.  :)

I hope everyone is doing well.  I'll try to update more often.  I'm liking the new website changes.  It sure is easier to post pictures now.

Remember those size 16 pants I mentioned on September 3 (16 days ago!). 
Well, I wore a pair of them to work yesterday!!!  I can't believe it. 
I cleaned out my closet a bit tonight.  I have a stack of clothes to
take to the consignment shop this weekend.  I've lost 8 inches off my
hips and 5 inches from my waist.  I've lost 63 pounds since my highest, 46
since I started my pre-op liquid diet and 36 since sugery.  I guess I'm
coming along ok.  I have increased my protein to 90 g's per day.  Since
then I've lost about 1/2 a pound per day.  I alternate between the
Worldwide Pure Protein shake in the can and the New-Whey in the vials.  I
travel a lot for my job and the vials are great to travel with.

I will get a new picture taken tomorrow.  Hopefully I can figure out
how to get it on my profile!!

Time is going by fast.  I'm still losing slowly.  Down to 180 now.  32
pounds since surgery.  43 counting my pre-op liquid diet and 59 since
my highest in February.

I'm feeling pretty good now.  I've lost a lot of inches and am able to
wear my favorite pair of old jeans.  I think they're size 18 but the
size is worn off the tag so I'm not sure. 

I can get into my size 16 work pants but they're a bit too tight to
wear yet.  Not long though. 

I'm still working out on my treadmill every day.  Usually between 20-30
minutes at 2.7-2.9 miles per hour.

I'm still not taking my vitamins like I'm supposed to be.  No good
reason other than I don't like taking pills.  I get my labs done for the
first time in October so I need to get going before that so the levels
have time to get to where they need to be.  I think my doc requires a lot
more vitamins than any other that I've heard of .  I have to take 14 a
day.  That seems like a lot.  Oh well, I just need to do it.

I can't believe how much better I'm feeling than I was at one month
out.  Then I had the "what have I done to myself" real bad.  Now, I'm
starting to feel really glad I did this.  I do wish the weight would come
off faster though.  Not sure what to do to speed things up. 

I did order and receive some profect-type protein in the tubes.  It
tastes a lot like the Isopure liquid in the bottles (40 g of protein in 20
oz).  I can drink down the profect in one big gulp so it goes down
pretty quick.  I'll see in a few days if it starts to speed things up.

I'm getting in all of my water now and between the protein drinks and
my food I probably get about 70 g of protein per day.  Maybe I'll try to
up that a bit and see if it helps.

I hope everyone is doing well.  I'll try to get a new picture on here
before long. 

WOW!  It's been a month since I've updated.  I've just been pluggin'
along.  It has been a struggle to get in my protein but I've finally
found a ready-to-drink protein that I can keep down quite well.  I drink
one each morning (30 g) then eat a small can of tuna around lunchtime
which is 20 g.  Between that and the rest of what I eat, I manage to get
in about 60 g per day.

My water is up to about 48 oz. per day.  I haven't gotten my vitamin
regimen going yet.  I keep trying but have a hard time keeping them down. 
Today I will try again.

I have lost 25.5 pounds as of today.  I had really hoped to lose 20
pounds per month but that was probably unrealistic.  I didn't lose hardly
anything while I wasn't getting in protein so hopefully I'll make up
for lost time.  I have lost a lot of inches.  About 5 in my waist, 6 in
my hips, and (unfortunately, 4 in my chest!!)

I tried on my brown jeans this morning and they fit!!!  I'm wearing
them now.  I love these jeans..don't know why but I do.  It will be a
bittersweet day when they are too big.  I don't think they've ever been too
big!!!

Summer, if you can call it that - been raining here since forever, is
almost over.  My daughter heads back to school week after next. 

Life goes on. 

I haven't updated for awhile.  It's been a rough few weeks.  I only
drink about 3 cups of liquid per day.  I haven't taken any of my vitamins
or had a protein drink in 2 weeks.  I simply cannot gag them down. 
They come back up.

Last Friday I was waiting at my PCP's when they opened.  I didn't have
an appointment but they took one look at me and got me right in.  He
gave me a bag of IV fluid and took some blood.  The blood work came out
alright but he said if I don't start getting fluids in he will put me
back in the hospital for a few days with IV.  I'm still dehydrated but
I'm trying. 

I started eating soft food about 10 days before I was supposed to.  I
couldn't help it.  I had to get something in me.  Everything I've eaten
so far has stayed down ok.  But everything tastes the same.  And I
always have this awful taste in my mouth.  Oh, it is sooo gross. 

I gained 4 pounds the day I had the bag of IV fluid and I'm still 2
pounds up from when I had it.  I am almost 4 weeks out so maybe I'm
plateauing like people on OH say.  I'm not too worried about it because I
know it will start coming off again.  As of today, I've lost 15.5 pounds
since my surgery weight.  Pretty slow for almost 4 weeks but again, I'm
not worried.

I worked all day yesterday and today.  The first time since surgery.  I
am really tired when I get home but I don't feel too bad throughout the
day.  I have taken over some new departments at work so will be much
busier with much more travel.  That's ok. 

I hope things level out and that I'm soon able to get in more liquids. 
I received some samples from UNJURY in the mail today.  I will try that
in the morning.  I realllly hope I can drink it.  Then in a week or so,
I'll try my vitamins again.  I need to get that on track.

Until next time.

Two weeks out today.  Everything is going ok.  My incisions are still a
bit sore so it is hard wearing any pants where the waistband rubs the
incisions.  My stomach is still a little bloated from the gas and such
but the gas pains have mostly gone away.

I am still on liquids and it is getting very difficult.  I don't know
how I will go 17 more days without any real food to speak of.  I live on
Crystal Lite and Protein drinks for the most part with an occasional
broth, jello or popsicle thrown in. 

I have lost 10 pounds from what I was the day I checked in to the
hospital.  It took me until the 23rd to lose the 22 pounds I gained while I
was in the hospital.  So basically, I've lost 10 pounds since the 23rd
- in 6 days.  I can live with that. 

My husband said this morning that he could tell already.  He said I was
shrinking right before his very eyes and that he could really notice it
in my face.  I can tell some but I think we're both comparing me now to
the bloated me from the hospital.  I've lost 32 pounds in 2 weeks
counting all the water weight so yeah, it's probably noticeable!!!

I'll update as I progress.  I go back to work tomorrow afternoon.  I
hope that goes well.  Still pretty tired but it is only for 3 1/2 hours
tomorrow.  More later.

I'm a loser.  Here is the short version of my hospital experience as
written to my son's girlfriend in Germany with a few minor edits for
clarification.

I went to the hospital at 5:30 in the morning June 13, 2006.  Andy, my
brother and sister were there.  The hospital staff got me ready for
surgery and took me to the operating room around 7:30 I think.  Surgery
took 4 hours.  It was only supposed to take 2 1/2 - 3 but I had lots of
scar tissue from a previous operation that my surgeon had to work around
as he wanted to keep from having to revert to an open procedure.

Not long after surgery they made me get up and walk to help avoid blood
clots as I've had one in my lungs before following surgery.  I don't
really remember much from the first day as I was pretty loopy from the
pain killers.  My husband, Andy, said that when he first walked in the
room I said Hellllllooooo Baby....sounding like I was pretty drunk.  My
brother asked my sister the nurse if I was supposed to be that way (I
haven't drank in 23 years and he was worried!!!)

The doctor became concerned late the first day because my blood level
started dropping.  This meant I was bleeding internally.  They did a
bunch of tests on me (I don't remember which day - Friday I think) - cat
scans of my abdomen and lungs, lung x-ray, and Doppler scan of my legs
checking for clots.  the sugeon did another EGD scope (which I woke up
in the middle of but didn't really have any sense of anything other than
this thing in my mouth.  Even with having claustrophobia it wasn't a
problem.  Enough drugs I guess). 

They couldn't find the source of the bleeding.  He said part of the
reason my blood count was dropping was because my blood was being so
diluted from all the fluids.  I was retaining too much (thus the 22 pound
weight gain in 5 days) so he put me on diuretics.  He said that alone
would not cause the blood level to drop so much.  There was also lots of
blood in my stools and urine. 

I had been on blood thinners to prevent blood clots so they stopped
those immediately. 

My blood count got so low, they decided they may have to give me a
blood transfusion.  I had to sign a consent that said I would or would not
accept the blood or I would only accept if the doctor ordered it or I
would only accept it in an emergency.  I signed for only in an
emergency.

The doctor soon came to me and said it was time.  I had lost enough
blood that without a transfusion, I would not be able to make it on my
own.  It would take months for me to heal and replace the blood I had
lost.  They had to give me couagulants to help clot my blood before they
could give me a transfusion.  So here I have gone from taking blood
thinners to taking blood thickeners all in the same day.  They gave me 2
units of blood that took more than 8 hours to get into my body.  They
would do a blood test 1 hour after giving me the blood and if giving me the
blood did not stabilize my blood count the doctor would have done
another operation to find out where I was bleeding from.  The blood worked
and I did not need another operation.

While I was receiving the blood, I had a reaction to it.  I started
shaking uncontrollable and was freezing.  My temperature started climbing. 
The shaking went on for more than an hour but soon subsided. 

After I received the blood, I started to feel better.  I had to stay in
the hospital for 24 more hours after the transfusion and have my blood
level checked every 3 hours.  It kept going up.  When they transfused
me it was at 21.  When I checked out of the hospital on Monday it was
33.  I had it checked yesterday at my family doctor's and it was 38. 

I have 7 small incisions in different places on my abdomen.  The
longest is about 1 inch, the shortest just a dot.  There are lots of bruises
where the incisions are.   I also have a LARGE bruise on each side by
my waist. 

During the operation the doctor cut my stomach into 2 separate
stomachs.  The one I use for eating is 15 cc in size (about 1/2 ounce).  It is
totally separated from the rest of my stomach.  Then the doctor took my
small intestine and cut it about 60 inches away from my stomach.  He
then connected the new, cut end of my small intestine to my new stomach
pouch and connected the other cut end to a lower portion of my small
intestine.  That way the stomach juices that still form in my old large
stomach can drain into my intestine.  All this intestine stuff has made
it so, according to my surgeon, I no longer absorb oils or fats from
food.

There have been times since surgery when I was feeling really bad that
I have thought - what have I done to myself...but those thoughts don't
last very long.  Most days I feel ok now although I still walk pretty
slowly and my stomach still is sore.  I know that all this will be worth
it to lose the weight that keeps me from doing the things I want to do
and from being healthy.

Andy was with me nearly every minute in the hospital.  He did
everything for me.  He slept in a recliner chair for 4 nights right beside my
hospital bed.  When I needed him he was there and hardly ever a harsh
word from him.  I couldn't have done this without him by my side - and
I've told him so.  He did admit that he was quite worried there for
awhile. 

I gained 22 pounds when I was in the hospital and as of this moment
(noon AK time 6/23, yes, it's coming off by the hour!!!) I have lost 21 of
it since I got out on Monday. 

Am I hungry - I look at food and everything looks good and I could very
easily take a bite.  But I don't think it is real hunger - more
emotional hunger because I haven't eaten since June 4.  Now I can have sugar
free Jell-O, popsicles, broth, water, protein drinks and my vitamins.  I
can also have diet V8 splash drink, crystal light powder mix that you
mix with water.  On July 15 I can start having soft food...the doctor
said to pretend you don't have teeth - anything you can eat without teeth
I can have...like fish, pudding, eggs, cottage cheese, etc.  I am
realllly looking forward to that.  Then on July 29 I can start adding one
new food at a time to see how I do with it.  At each meal, I will be
eating 1 to 1 1/2 ounces of food.  I will eat 5-6 meals like this per day
until I reach my goal weight. 

Today I am having my first protein drink and starting my vitamins.  I
went to Vitalady's when I was in Washington and got some great chocolate
protein mix.  Unfortunately the day I went there, I taste-tested too
much and was VERY miserable the rest of the day.  In fact that night, at
the airport it was a decision whether to call an ambulance or get on
the plane.  After my husband convinced me to take some pain medicine (I'm
a recovering alcoholic and drug addict and the pain medicine is
oxycodin) I felt better. 

So I'm taking baby sips of my protein drink, and trying to get in my
water.  I haven't managed to get in nearly the minimum of 64 oz per day
(in fact, the most so far is 16 oz) but each day I get in more and more. 

It's been a long week but I feel I am finally on the road to recovery
and that soon, very soon, I'll start seeing the fruits of my labor.

My weight chart so far: Such a trip this water weight gain.  I just had
to track it.
Feb 06    239 - highest weight ever
6/13/06  211.5 day we left Juneau
6/15/06  212 check in at hospital w/clothes on
6/18/06  224 in hospital
6/19/06  234 in hospital
6/22/06  223 when I arrived home in Juneau 1 a.m.
6/22/06  221 in doctor's office in the afternoon
6/22/06  219 late afternoon
6/22/06  215 bedtime - yes 8 pounds in one day - all liquid
6/23/06  213.5 a.m.
6/23/06  212 1p.m. back to hospital check in weight - not counting the
difference in scales.  From here on out - its the real thing!!

Happy Birthday to my Mother.  She would have been 72.
Surgery is ON!!!  I leave tomorrow on the plane with my DH at 3:29p.m.
Alaska time.  I have my pre-op appointment with my surgeon at 2:30 on
Wednesday and I have to be at the hospital at 5:30a.m. Thursday morning. 
I am first in line that day.  Thank you to everyone who has supported
and allowed me to get to this point.  We are taking the computer with us
so I'll update when I can.  So far, there are no nerves.  Only
excitement.  I can't believe I'm actually at this point.  It seems like so long
ago I started seriously looking into WLS - but actually it was only
last September.  Time has gone by really fast since I made my decision to
go forward.  And I haven't doubted my decision for a minute. 

I am going in to this operation knowing the risks, knowing the possible
complications, including death, knowing the limitations I will face
post-op as far as eating is concerned; knowing that for every day for the
rest of my life I will have to take massive amounts of vitamins;
knowing that if I don't have this surgery I will end up not being able to
walk more than 10 feet at a time; knowing that without this operation I
will keep yo-yo dieting and end up weighing more than I ever have before;
knowing that without this operation I could die a very early death
because of my weight; I also go into this operation knowing that if I work
my tool the way my doctor tells me to, I can live a healthy, active,
exciting life that up to this point I've only watched pass me by.

I am ready.  I will post again from the loser's bench.  Let's hear it
for the Loooosers!!!