Alisa W.

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One Year Later

 

Wow I can not believe all that the last year has brought to my life.

One year ago today, I was in the hospital, just having had my surgery, not able to do more than sip an ounce or two every 15 minutes.  I had 2 daughters living at home and had a good job with a company I had been with for years.  I NEVER would have thought this is where I would be a year later.

1.  Today I weigh 145lbs less.  I feel so healthy.  I feel awesome.  I do not regret my surgery at all.  I never really thought I would loose so much weight.  I am smaller now than when I graduated from high school.  I feel awesome!

2.  I went through some really miserable times with my oldest daughter for a while, but now she is doing great.  She turned 19 yesterday and I am so happy for her and her path she is on.  She is going to beauty school and is a bold young woman.  However she will always be my little girl.

3.  My youngest really had a rough year and then had an awesome summer.  I saw her grow SO much this summer.  I was so proud of her choices and how she was maturing.  Now that school has started back up she is really struggling again and she is making some poor choices, but I am so thankful I am healthy enough to deal with it all now.  I know she can overcome these rough times. 

4.  I lost my job in March and was off work for 5 months.  What a trial for me a times.  AND what a blessing too!!!!  I have never had so much time off from work.  I was able to spend some extra time with my Mom in Ks helping her out.  I enjoyed all the extra time with my younger daughter being home so much.  It was  a nice time.  I am working again and I think it is a really nice job.  It is less money, but I am home more.  I usually get off work on time and that is VERY nice.  I am home earlier too which is great too.

5.  I realized that even though I have changed so much on the outside I still need to change on the inside.  I realized I still am making poor choices in the guy area, I finally got smart and am single again.  I hope that in the future I stay smart in this area.  Why do I fall for the men who can not keep a job and who lie to me is beyond me.  I hope that I can grow up and realize that I deserve a man who will support me (and I do not mean money only here).  I just want a nice goofy guy who takes responsibility for life.

6.  I have many goals for the next year and I hope that I can stay true to the course and continue to enjoy my new path in life. 

I am scared at times that I will gain my weight back and that this is all temporary.  I think in a way that is good for me.  As long as I stay aware of where I have been and what I need to do to stay where I am at now, then I think I will have a higher chance of meeting my goals.  As I am learning right now with my finances, I need a plan in order to make my goals.

Hello everyone. I thought I would post an update. I have been back to work for 2 weeks and I am doing AWESOME! I was worried about going back to work and how my energy level would be, I did great. My energy came back the day I went back to work. Great Timing!
The gout has not been bothering me, but for a couple days and it was VERY light, I hardly limped.
I am starting to get some exercise in as well. I need to be more focused in this area. I joined a 24 hour access gym a couple days ago and will start using it this week.
I have done a couple things I would not have been able to do at all prior to this surgery.
1. Last weekend the girls and I went with the Pages to a Pumpkin farm. We walked all over a corn maze for a little over an hour, it was a challenge for me, but it was fun. We picked punkins, went on 2 hayrides and we rode on a barrel ride. I actually climbed in (and fit) in the barrel. I really had a LOT of fun and so did the girls.
2. Today after I picked up Julie from Clark's, she said she wanted to go roller skating. Allison's girls were with us and we decided what the heck...why not. I thought I would just read my new book while they roller skated. As we pulled up to the rink, I joked and said I should skate too. The kids loved the idea and so..........
For the first time in 20 years I went roller skating!!! I was so wobbly at first and then it did get better. I am pleased to announce I did not fall at all and I am still in one piece. I had a great time.
That is why I had this surgery was to be able to do more things with my kids. I am so happy that I am already starting to be able to do more with them. Julie was so happy that I participated. It was so much better than reading my book.
I am down 64 lbs since the first of August and 49 lbs since my surgery date. I am in my first stall in losing weight since my surgery. I have read many places that it happens and my body just needs to catch up with the weight loss. So I know that I will continue loosing the weight. I was surprised that my head started messing with me when I stalled, because I had read so much to prepare myself for this. My head started telling me that my surgery was going to fail and why did I think I could really loose this weight, since I have never lost this much before. I realized that I do need to work on my mind some more to realize I am going to acheive this and I deserve it as well. It is hard to teach an ole gal new tricks, however I am going to win.
Today I pulled out my size 24 jeans and 3 of the 4 pairs fit. YEAH!!!
I was size 26 and 28 before my surgery, so I am shrinking!!!! Yeah!!!!
It was a long post this time, but I had many thoughts to share.
One last thought to share---
Allison Page is an awesome supportive friend. If her and her family were not a part of my life I would have missed out on something amazing. You are a big part of helping me to be successful in this new journey. Allison--Thank you for all you do and for all you mean to me.

So first the good news.  I am under 300 for the first time in 11 years!!!!!

Now the bad news.  I am not doing good on soft foods and Dr asked me to go back to pureed for a week.  Nausea and vomiting.  YUCK!

I landed in the ER room yesterday for 5-6 hours.  MY gout attack was hitting both feet and one knee so hard I could not handle the pain any longer.  I was is such HORRIBLE pain.  I was so week from not getting my liquids in, that I was almost useless in helping getmyself out of the house.  Almost had to call 911.  All through it I kept thinking to myself...this will be the LAST time I am to fat to help myself when I joint hurts!  I hope the gout attacks leave and never come back, but if they do at least I know I will weigh less for now on adn I will be able to help myself more.  Still hurts today andI am still on crutches, but it is much better than it was. 

I came home yesterday.  I am having a VERy hard time getting my liquids in.  I am full all the time.  I threw up my milk in the hospital and had to stay an extra day.  I kept 2 oz of milk down today, But I was not able to get but about 28 ounces in total today.  I am excited but scared a bit too.  I do not want to throw up. (I hate that!) and I know I need to get more fluids in.  So I keep adding more each day.  Gotta keep the drain in til thursday, it is a nusince (sp).  Never knew it could take me 10-15 minutes to eat a vitimin and could actually enjoy it.  lol.
My Gout is starting up again and that is really starting to hurt.  I do not know if I can take my gout medicine or not, so I will try to tuff it out for a day and maybe it will get better on its own.
Dont feel like talking much. So am going to bed for now.
Night all.  I can not wait for the next week or 2 to be done with.
Alisa

I went to my first big group nutrition class this evening.  I walked into the room and looked around......and saw that I was in a room full of strangers.  I did not know a soul there  .  I quietly took a chair thinking oh this is going to be a long 2 hours.  Then a lady  said...Hey wern't we in the same nutrition class in July?  Sure enough I had sat next to her and we had a great talk in July.  We reintroduced ourselves to each other and started chatting.   And guess what.......We are both having surgery on monday..with the same Dr.  Her surgery is 9:30 and I am the next one at 12 noon.    We were both so excited!!!!!!!  We exhanged numbers and we are going to talk again this weekend as we will be sharing the experience of cleansing our bowels, liquid diet on sunday and just the general nerves before surgery!  
There was no formal speaker tonight, instead we broke up into groups based on where we are at.  I was in the pre-op to 3 mths after group.  It was amazing.  We all introduced our selves and then we just started talking. and talking and talking .  I t was great to ask some of the questions I have been holding on to.  Everyone was great and gave us all so much info.   I feel like I know more of what to expect.  My surgeon always leaves the drain in until my first post op visit and I will have  a catheter in until a day after surgery (and they said it does not hurt to take it out ).   After a while people started moving around to other groups and i got to talk to some great people who are a few years post op too.  I am so excited for monday to happen!!!!!
I found out yesterday that my Mom is coming out for the surgery and then she has to leave the day I get out of the hospital.  So I am glad she can make it out.  She will get here on Saturday, then we are all going out to dinner at Maggianos to celebrate my oldest daughter turning 18!  Her birthday is Sunday, but of course I will be only liquids that day, so we are celebrating a day early.
We I better stop for now and get headed for bed.
Good night all!

I went Friday for all my pre-op testing.  I am 100% ready to go.  Now I am getting excited.  I mean giggly excited.  I think I am really believing this is going to happen.  It was alwasy to far off adn to many things to do.  Still seems like tons to do. I need to get my house spic and span, cook a few extra meals for the freezer for my kids and all that.  BUT this is for real!!!!!
I am so excited.  Work has been just horrible this week.  But I finally decided to let it go and told my boss yesterday that I would transder to another branch as she is requesting.  It will be closer to my Dr's appointments and my new boss is a great boss ( I have worked with him before).  So I decided it was time to just take the plunge and go for it.  I have been rereading all my stuff and the drain after surgery kinda scares me a bit, but everyone else does it, so I guess it will be ok. 

My surgery date is set!!!!
Sept 17th
woohoo!
I just need to get rid of my gout attack I am having and then I will be ready to go!

I heard from my Dr's office today I am approved!!!!!!!!
I am so excited, tomorrow we schedule a surgery date!!!