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Here I sit thinking of Easter Weekend yet a year later than the last time I sat and thought about Easter Weekend. I noticed in my blog last year about this time that I was wondering what the following Easter would bring...well now I know.  I am now 86 pounds lighter than I was last year at this time. I feel 86 times better than I did last year at this time and I'm sure I've done at least 86 things much easier than I did last year at this time. I'm still thinking about down hill skiing and that may be a journey I set out to do next winter. I have found many new friends to journey with.  I'm heading back down to Utica next week for my 9 month appointment and looking forward to getting a couple of new pairs of pants. I've hit my 70% and have about 9 pounds left to go to reach my final goal. I think it's safe to buy a new pair of pants. I'm looking forward to shopping and that's a change from last year at this time. I still have to figure out my figure!! Not sure how everything should fit or what size to start at. It's a new challange. Looking forward to the summer and trying on some shorts for a change. I've only worn shorts one summer over the last 20 or more years. They have been in the same drawer as the bathing suits!! That might just be another shopping trip!

Well here I am again writing a blog...I've only a short time to write so here goes. Halloween has come and gone and so has my excess weight. Whoot Whoot! I'm really only twenty pounds from the 70% excess weight goal., a successful weight loss surgery. My goal weight would be an extra ten pounds. I feel better about myself but still see myself as overweight. I can shop almost anywhere now but haven't caught the clothes shopping bug yet. Perhaps Christmas would be a good time for a new outfit. No regrets, just looking forward to new challanges.

Well here I am and I'm alive!  I had surgery on Canada Day, July the first and things have been going well. I'm counting my blessings as having been fortunate to have WLS friends to talk to, I realise just how lucky I am. I was able to eat steak just a couple of weeks after my seven week dietary schedule. I have only been sick three or four times. Most of these events were of my own fault.....eating too fast. I am still struggling with taking pills. I don't know if it's in my head or if there really is a change making this such a difficult task. I used to be able to take advil or tylenol without water. What on earth is my problem??? I went to Utica and had the scope done which assured me all was well and had gone as expected. There was no reason for me to have this problem. I guess I've just a different set of problems. I have no problem with food, just pills. Count my blessings...count my blessings...count my blessings!  I'm down 42 pounds which is almost half of my excess weight. and I feel great so I'm not complaining. Life has been a bit of a challenge in making time for myself these last few weeks. I need to get back to the gym and practice saying NO! All in all my journey so far has been very successful, what the future will bring I can only dream but I do know it's so much better than what it would have been had I not had my surgery.

Having trouble swollowing my pills...nothing else just the pills...Dr Graber did a scope and all is well..can't figure out the problem...I've tried cutting the pills in half and last night into quarters...I could only get so far until they felt stuck...hoping that the challange will overcome itself....My scales and the clinics scales are not cooperating..I'll have to skip down to my doctor's office to see how far off my scales actually are. we headed out to Utica at three in the morning for the 7:30 appointment..it was clear sailing..however coming home around three was a little slow at the border..The eating is good...so far everything I've tried has agreed with me....love those turkey sausages...lol..Week eight and a life time of eating....speaking of eating..cant miss breakfast...gotta go

The surgery went well. I've just started my 5th week after surgery and the food is good! I guess I need to back up a bit. I've been a little out of the loop since my computer crashed...neglecting my duties to report to OH. Cant wait to get back on track or should I say back on the track.!!??
Not eating for days before surgery was easier than I thought it would be, it was the ole head games I had to beware of, not the stomach! Standing in my mother's kitchen looking at a huge bowl of fresh ripe strawberries, my favourite fruit next to blueberries I might add, I nearly popped one into my mouth..old habits, not thinking,,,it was at that point that I decided the kitchen to be someone else's domain! I'm otta here! That was a smart move for the first couple of weeks.

I had my surgery on Jyly 1st Happy Canada Day to me..! Everything went well, as expected. I couldn't have asked for better care! I went into the operating room early in the morning and was up and walking early in the evening. I was released to the hotel room on the Friday then a quick phone call from the hotel room to Dr. Graber and it was homeward bound on Saturday. Happy 4th of July to them...I already felt lighter .. lighter in body, lighter in spirit, and lighter emotionally.It was the beginning of a new day, a new life...

Week 1 post of went well..Still being on fluids was easu on me in the kitchen however it was the only place in the house where I felt out of place. I learned early it was not the place for me to be. I already had a close call with strawberries and I was not willing to compromise my WLS journey for old habits.

The second week rolled around very quickly and mmmmm those potatoes were good! Cottage cheese mixed in with warm potatoes...better than you'd think.
Apple sauce was a good twist to the cottage cheese for a change. At this point these few foods tasted just as good, if not better than a t-bone steak. Now..semi-solids...that was a new concept.

The third week brought a new meaning to potato. A bit of mayo, a bit of mustard, salt, pepper, tuna, cottage cheese and scrambled egg was a new recipe for potato salad. I'm still eating it that way believe it or not. It's very tasty and really hits the spot. Lots of protien and a real new tummy filler. It was my grandson's birthday BBQ. I wasn't the only on eating that potato salad either, and I not alone taking a scoop out of the bowl in the fridge at lunch time.

Week four brings me back to the strawberries I so almost ate in the  days of clear liquids only...before surgery. Yikes! Strawberries well worth waiting for...I enjoyed adding fruit and vegetables to my diet. Who would have thought I would miss my vegetables? Week four also brought a visit to Dr Fitzer's office.

MY office visit was like old home week. I was greeted at the window like an old firend...Maybe I shouldn't use the work old, We're only as old as we feel and I feel like I've added a few more years to my life..I feel younger already. I presently have more energy and drive than I did four weeks ago. I can't wait to see what awaits me down this road. I know I've only just begun but with a successful office visit, it's a good start. I lost 19 pounds according to the day I weighed in at surgery however that does't count the four I lost pre op on the liquid diet. That's 20% of my excess weight, I'm happy with that. Dr.Fitzer is happy with that. I'm on target! Bloodwork was pretty much perfect. I'm just starting week 5 and so far just one incredibly terrible experience. I have learned not to take my pills right after I eat, there just isn't enough room for both. Thank goodness it only happened once..once is enough.!Onward..
I'm looking forward to coffee club this week. I get to sit beside some of the nicest people I've been fortunate to meet while beginning my WLS journey. I am now spending time sitting on the most awesome looser's bench with the most awesome loosers...Move on over peoples..I'm joining the ranks...stay tuned..

Here I sit and wait...thinking about Easter Weekend and wondering what next Easter will bring after my WLS. Looking forward to it but scared. It's a big step and even bigger commitment. I look back at my younger years and still wonder what went so terriblly wrong. I was born at 5 pounds 4 ounces. I was tiny for a very long time. When highschool came,  I was pretty good at loosing the weight ,but not good at keeping it off. I was even better at gaining it back and adding a few more pounds too boot. I work in a school setting so sitting on the floor with the kids is a bit of a trick. Loosing this weight means more to me than just my self esteem, but maybe taking a risk to do some things I was always self conscious of doing.. I have the opportunity to go on ski trips with the school but have never ventured out on a set of skis. How could someone over weight ever ski?? At least that's what I thought. I'm overwhelmed with the thoughts that just keep shining through. I've been amazed by the amount of support I have received from friends and family. I know several people now who have chosen the same journey and I can't wait to get on the road with them...just hanging out and sitting here waiting. 

I woke up Wednesday morning  with the fogginess of a left over migraine. Having been in bed unexpectedly the night
before left me exactly half an hour to get packed, dressed and on my way to Utica. That would be because I invited my mother to come with me, (mother, daughter bonding time)... my mother decided we needed to leave by 9 am to get to Utica for a 4:30
appointment. I love her dearly but we are so very opposite in our ways !  She loves me too...when I'm sleeping..her famous
quote!! With my procrastination we didn't leave Ontario until 11 and I still had plenty of time to visit a friend at St Luke's hospital, who was already recovering from by pass surgery and to check into the Holiday Inn before meeting Dr.Fitzer.
I was very apprehensive about my decision . I wasn't sure if a gastric bypass was what I really wanted to do. I knew it was
a life time commitment...sort of like my marriage! I wanted to be sure it was the route I wanted to take. I attended the seminar with a number of candidates of which almost half were Canadian.  I met Michelle and Kayla. They took time to introduce themselves, answer any questions we had and just chat. Dr Fitzer came in a gave a very informative chat about weight
loss surgery choices. I knew what my choices were and now what I wanted to do, however I was still uncertain as to the
huge commitment I was about to embark upon. I was afraid of entering back into the world without that weight watchers
support group. I was afraid of being on my own to battle the weight monster and that's what it has been for a great deal of
my life, a monster lurking behind my self esteem, complicating my social life and being plain nasty with the attitudes of some
of the people around me.I spent some more time visiting my friend at the hospital who was very very excited with the results of the surgery, amazingly up and moving around and in a great frame of mind even after 5 days without solids.I went back to my hotel room and slept on it after eating pizza with my mother and daughter, dealing with yet another migraine headache and visualizing the pizza I ate being in my stomach. It was pretty easy to visualize after doctor Fitzer used the imagery in his informative talk. Did you know a normal stomach can hold half a medium pizza? Me neither, and I thought I was the only one who could do that ! In waking up the next morning, I was excited to be able to mix business with pleasure. Applebees, St Michael's, Walmart, then eucher back in the hotel room with my daughter, my friend Sarah and her spooning father Fred. I had the opportunity to read all through Sarah's gastric bypass binder before I went into the office the next day.I was 70% sure I was going to commit to a life style change but meeting with Dr, Graber and Dr. Fitzer's  team cinched it ! I realized I would not be alone on my journey. I knew I had a caring and supportive team to help me. There were support groups in Canada close to where I live and an amazing website. Just like weight watchers, true friends to share in my journey, in my successes and to help me over the hurdles along the way. This is a decision  to  prolong my life, to live in good health and long enough to support my children through their disappointments and successes in their lives. It is a decision, where I'm putting myself first for a change!