andreasimmons
Holy Crap, I can run three miles!
Sep 04, 2009
Holy crap, I can run two miles!
Aug 30, 2009
September 16Th will mark my 6 month anniversary. Last I weighted I was down 84 lbs. (this is my official weigh in day but I am not at work and that is my official scale). I was having a conversation with one of my best friends and she said "it looks like our friendship has survived the food thing" as we were going out to lunch buddies for years. She asked me if I missed food and I honestly answered no. She said she thinks that that would be the worst thing for her. I told her I can't imagine a thing that I could eat that I would trade for how I feel right now, and I have about 20 more pounds to go. I spent some time with my folks this last week and my dad is a picture nut. I have always managed to avoid his photography or at least hid behind my 15 year old. It was just me visiting this time so no one to hide behind, but when I looked at the pictures I couldn't believe it was me. It was the me who can now run two miles without stopping.
There is nothing, absolutely nothing I regret. I can cross my legs, I am not afraid that I won't fit in chairs. I will wear a watch (I never did before as I thought my arms were to fat and it made them look like sausages). In fact, I wear jewelry now. I wouldn't before, except for earrings. I always thought people would just see the fat girl wearing it. Silly, I know, but true. I love to shop for clothes at my favorite store, The Salvation Army. I bought a pair of size 12 mid rise Levis there earlier this summer. I couldn't get into them but put them in my closet and called them my "dream jeans". I thought that if I could get into them I would finally feel that I had made this whole thing work. Well, this weekend I put them on and have worn them non stop since. I love them. I love how I feel in them. I love how I feel period.
I saw the dietitian this last week. Not enough protein, I know. My hair is falling out regularly in the sink. I have made an effort to drink at least one supplement, Nectar is all I can stand. I mix it with ice and some crystal light and blend it in my magic bullet. I found some protein bars at Sam's Club called "Twisted" and they have 15 grams of protein and they are okay. So I am working on that. Got the vitamin thing down too.
My husband and son went on a little trip to tour the John Deere factory in Iowa and have my camera. When they come back I will post some up dated pictures.
Three months out and almost 60 lbs down.
Jun 14, 2009
June Update
Jun 03, 2009
It was brought to my attention by someone near and dear to me that I didn't write a blog entry for May. Wow, it went by so fast. So here is my June entry. Lets see....
I am down 54 lbs as of today. I have had stalls, not sure how long they have lasted as I don't weigh everyday. I was cleaning out underneath the bed in the spare bedroom yesterday and found a scale that I forgot we had (can you tell how much I must have used it preop?) So I got on and compared it to my scale at work today (which is exact to my official scale at the gym). They were the same so now I am afraid that I will start to compulsively weigh myself now that I know there is a scale in the house. During the stalls of course I would get frustrated, but then I remind myself that I have lost all this weight basically since the middle of March. What is to get upset about?
I am really enjoying people noticing my loss. The other day I was at Meijer and one of the cashiers that I have "known" from shopping there for so long told me I was looking like I lost weight which was nice. I am very open with most people about the fact that I had surgery. I am finding that almost everyone is very supportive and also very interested in my story.
Food has lost a lot of its importance in my life. I realized this the other day when my family wanted pizza and I felt like I really didn't want any. Imagine, me not wanting pizza. I will wander through the grocery store looking for things to take in my lunch and nothing really looks good. My friend Maria said that she thinks this would be absolutely terrible. I think it is absolutely wonderful. It is so nice to have not have food be the center of my universe. When I was working nights, I would get up about 3 or 3:30 in the afternoon and walk immediately to the kitchen and eat anything I could get my hands on, all the while thinking about when I was going to eat again. I would eat pizza, and instead of enjoying the piece I was eating, I would already be reaching for the next one. It is amazing how this surgery has set me free from that. I love it!
I also love the fact that when I am walking with my co-workers back to work after lunch I don't panic when one of them suggest we take the stairs. I am no longer embarrassed by how short of breath I am by walking up a flight of stairs. I wear surgical scrubs and am down two sizes from what I wore last winter and think I it may be time to try the next smaller size which is just a plain large! I can cross my legs now too. The list goes on and on.
I have felt great all along. There have been a few instances of the foamies, and yes I have even vomited twice. I have learned what my full signal is and now I respect it. I used to think I could take another bite or two but after that intense pressure and just terrible feeling I have learned to push the food away. (something I never did before, ever. I was a card carrying member of the clean plate club!).
I love to shop at the Salvation Army and the NuWay Thrift store. I am even more excited about the wardrobe possibilities as I continue to loose weight. I go to the gym frequently, and walk whenever I can.
All in all my life is so much better and I am a happier person. I love that I have two wonderful friends that have gone through this with me and we can compare notes and share victories. The other day I was at a restaurant that refused to let me order off of the children's menu. I told them that was fine, but I would not be back, I would not bring my family back and my friend (whom I was having lunch with ) and I would find somewhere else to meet that would honor the card from my surgeon. A few minutes later that waitress was back with a children's menu in hand and said the district manager was there that day and instructed the manager to let anyone with a card from their surgeon order from the children's menu. Maybe I can change the world, maybe I can't....but I am changing myself into a much happier and healthier person and I wouldn't trade that for the world.
Progress
Apr 22, 2009
I am down about 35 pounds....I did have a 2 pound weight gain this week...I have no idea how that can be as I am eating less in a day then I did at one meal prior to surgery. I know the body does funny things when it doesn't get the food it is used to. I am not going to get upset as I have read on the boards that that is a normal part of this whole process. I have decided NOT to buy a scale as I know I would be on it non stop. Instead, I have decided to weigh myself once a week on Sunday at the gym. Hopefully Sunday will find me with a nice loss and this "stall" will be over. I know I am making an effort to do what I need to, so I know it will come off. I put on a pair of jeans today I bought quite a while ago assuming they would fit me (they didn't). They have been in my closet for quite sometime. Today I wore them. So I know that I am making progress.
I have decided that this is a full time job. The vitamins alone are an all day affair to get down. I bought a pill box thing where each day comes apart. Each morning I put that day in my purse and work all day at getting them all down. I guess I am vitamin D deficient so that is one more I have to take. Then there is the challenge of getting the water in. Sometimes I do, and sometimes I don't. I work at it everyday though. And then there is the protein. I do pretty good most days. I do try to have at least one Nectar protein drink each day. I like the "Roadside Lemonade" flavor and just ordered some "Crystal Sky". I got so sick of milk based drinks during the pre and immediate post op phase that the Nectar is a welcome change. It has 23gm of protein per scoop. Not too bad...no carbs and only 90 calories.
I have had a few incidences of food getting stuck..always when I am eating too fast. I am working on breaking a life time habit of eating very quickly. I have never had such an uncomfortable feeling as I do when that food gets stuck. Feels like a golf ball in my chest. I have learned the warning signs finally and try to slow down at every meal. Old habits are very hard to break.
Today my surgery buddies Elaine and Marci and I went to the Salvation Army because in honor of earth day all clothing was half off. We had a lot of fun buying smaller sizes and also buying clothes we hope to wear this summer. I got two bags of clothes and two pairs of shoes for $34.00. Not too bad. Could have spent that on one pair of pants at a regular store.
I feel great and would have this surgery over again in a minute. I love being the person who can only eat a half a slice of pizza and not the girl who hates herself after eating 4-5 pieces. Marci and I were talking about that at lunch today. We split an entree at Appleby's and had food to take home. Imagine that...before surgery I would have eaten the whole thing myself. The changes in my diet and in my attitude are amazing. I am actually looking forward to the summer, not dreading it and wondering how I can come up with yet another excuse so I don't have to go to South Haven when my husbands whole family goes.
I love mashed potatoes!
Mar 24, 2009
I went to my 1 week Dr. appointment today. Everything is great. They released me to go back to work Monday. (I will be doing the desk job part of my job for two weeks so it should be no problem). I feel really good. The best news is is that I have lost 27 pounds since my presurgery dietitian visit (per her scale). Of course I am struggling with the protein just like everyone else is, but it will get better. I am exercising, went 1.5 miles on the Tread mil yesterday. Looking forward to my water aerobic class. However, I can't get in the pool for at least another week.
Starting to tell some people
Mar 21, 2009
This afternoon the weather was wonderful so our family went out to my in laws farm. There is a mile trail around the cornfield that we love to take our dogs on as they can run off their leashes. When we came around the bend by my sister in laws house, several of my husbands siblings were there and we got invited to stay for hamburgers. I hadn't told anyone in my husbands family (we are surrounded by them) except my in laws, as my mother in law has been feeding my family pretty regularly. I figured people would wonder why I wasn't eating so I told both of my sister in laws who were there. They were both very supportive and asked a lot of questions. They both (who don't have any weight problems) seemed genuinely glad for me and I was pleased I told them.
So today was great on the activity front, but poor on the intake front. My son raises pigs for 4H and we went today and picked them out. They will come home at the end of April. But I always know spring is coming when we pick out the pigs. I am actually looking forward to this warm weather season. Normally I hate having to come out from under all of my sweatshirts and sweaters. This year is going to be different and I can't wait!
Home
Mar 18, 2009
Tomorrow is the day!
Mar 15, 2009
Impact, shimpact
Mar 10, 2009
All I can say is I can't wait until Monday so I can stop drinking this nasty Impact Drink
I have mixed it with milk and other thing and then have to use a straw to get it down in three gulps. I can taste it all day and smell it in the kitchen. My friend Elaine had me already grossed out as she referred to it as tube feeding (she is currently a critical care nurse and am a former one...and that is a nasty reference). So six more days......
Elaine had her surgery yesterday and reports that she is doing well. Was up walking yesterday before she even left the recovery room. She said the gas pain was bad but that is getting better this morning. Her leak test was okay and now she said she is trying to eat some ice, which is hard because "you just don't want anything".
Off to heat up some chicken broth.
