Amanda S.

Send Message

Block

Add Friend

I had a visit with my NUT yesterday. She is very pleased with my weight loss but said I need to get in more calories. I have not been able to do protein shakes post op so those are out. I had no idea how I was going to eat more calories throughtout the day, so she suggested just slowly trying to increase calories while adding 16oz of 1% milk daily. I hope this covers it, how can I eat more and still get all my fluids in? I feel like I eat all day already. It's definately a balancing act. I do well with food and fluid at work, but on days off I'm horrible with both. At work it's a set schedule and it's easy to get in the groove and just do it. On day's off, i'm running around all over the place and always forget to eat and drink. It's kind of weird...I NEVER thought anyone would be telling me to eat MORE. LOL

Happy New Year!!! I decided that the new year presented me with a great excuse for setting my newest goal. I have 20 pounds left to lose (surgeon says 15, I say 25, I'm compromising on 20) so I'd like to lose them by my birthday. So that's about 20 pounds in 20 weeks. Totally doable! 
Starting Weight: 162.8

Date set: 01/01/08

Deadline: 05/30/08

Date accomplished: Ok so I'm late but it's June 13th and I weigh 143 so I'm 1 pound shy!!! Darn it!!!!

03/31/08- ok so I'm 2 months shy of my deadline and it's not looking good! :(   I fluxuate between 151 and 156. 

I feel like I've come home.  My home being OH. I hadn't been on the boards in a while because I just knew I couldn't be myself. Ireally didn't have the energy or inclination to try to be myself, and didn't want people to think I had suddenly become this mean irritable apathetic person. So I stayed away. The other day I posted for the first time and OMG the reaction! I got so many PM'S and emails and it was such a shock! I didn't realize I was missed LOL it was really wonderful and heart warming. I've been posting regularly for a few days now and it feels like i'm home. Just thought I'd share.

Thanks so much to everyone and their hearty welcome backs! :)

I had my 6 month post op appt today. It went well. His goal for me after 1 year was to be 160 pounds and I'm already at 167. I told him I want to end up around 139 (to stick it to those people who said I am "too big boned" to be 140) he said that I'd get there but be unhappy. He thinks I will be happier and healthier at 145 or so. He also wrote me a script for some cream for yeast. He said that if I have to be treated twice for it, insurance will typically pay for plastic surgery.

 I haven't gotten my labs back yet so I don't know if they have improved.

The bad news is he said the depression could last 6 more months if it is caused by the surgery....

Well this ever present black cloud is still hanging over my head. I'm ready for the depression to go away. Some days are great, I laugh I smile I have a good day. Other days it's so very bad. I have heard that about 6 months out you go back to "normal". Well 6 months for me is next week so this has to end soon right? I feel bad that I have been absent from the boards, but I just can't be the positive, cheery, happy Amanda that everyone knows. I thought it best to stay away while I'm feeling this way. I hope to be back to posting and encouraging soon! My 6th month visit is the 10th, hopefully my iron comes back much better. I still don't have hunger, but the need to eat emotionally is soooo back and it sucks! I would like to go back to about 2 months post op when I was healthy, happy, and had no desire to eat LOL.

My BMI Is in the 20's!!!!!! After only 5 months! I'm so happy! When I started this journey my BMI was 43.1 and at my heaviest it was 46! Holy smokes I'm so excited!!!!!!!!!!! 

I'm not morbidly obese
I'm not even obese
I'm just overweight!!!!!!!!

Ok, first of all... STOP TELLING ME HOW PALE I AM!!! I KNOW i'm pale, if I could fix it I would! Ok now that I've gotten that out of the way....
 My fatigue is as bad as it's ever been. My flippin Iron is "critically" low, and the pills I have to take for it are making me so sick. I told them I know you want me to take these specific pills but they make me sick so I'm going to try others. Some Iron is better than none right? I've tried 2 kinds they both make me sick. I get so tired (more than normal) my vision starts to get all blurry and unfocused and I get really sick to my stomach. Fun huh? I have to do this 3 times a day. Not to mention, how are you supposed to get all these vitamins in? You can't take iron with calcium, you can't take calcium with your multi, and you can't take your multi with iron. I'm so confused! They tell you to take it with something in your stomach, but you can't eat and drink at the same time. Then you have to wait 30 minutes after taking it before you can drink which means I'm behind in my fluids. UGH!!!! Not to mention I'm usually so sick after taking it that I can't get fluids in for a few hours. I need a good cry
  The NUT said "when your that low on iron you feel like the walking dead" no kidding! It's exactly how I feel. I'm kind of glad she said it though, it validated my feelings and now I know i'm not overreacting. 
It could be worse and will get better. I just wish it was sooner rather than later.

I had my 3 month follow up on Monday. The surgeon said for the first 6 weeks he was very worried about how quickly I was dropping weight, now I am ahead of where I "should" be, but out of the danger zone. whoo hooo!!! I got my lab results back and my B12 is good (thanks to the vitamins) but my iron is very low. It is 27 the normal range is 40-160. This could be the reason I am still a bit fatigued. (and pale, people keep telling me how pale I am, hopefully getting some iron in will help!) I was able to get on the boards for a bit today and I'm so glad. It has been too long and I missed everyone.

Just giving an update. After trying several B12's and not being able to tolerate any  of them, (man they were nasty!) PK recommended one from walmart, MUCH cheaper ($3.64 for 250!) and they actually taste good! I've been taking them for about 10 days and I'm starting to feel less fatigue. I'm not bouncing with energy  yet, but I feel much much better. I went into this journey fully expecting small bumps in the road, no one can change their anatomy without some sort of reprecussion,  and I'm very pleased with how small my bumps have been, and that they have smoothed out fairly quickly. They seem so awful at the time, but compared to others  I have had a relatively smooth journey thus far and I'm super grateful.

I am so lucky! I have such wonderful friends. People are very good to me and I am so grateful to those people in my life. Some are "cyber" friends, like here on OH (some of them can really crack me up!!! ) others are in my everyday life. I am surrounded by people who are thoughtful and display random acts of kindness and it really warms my heart. So thank you to all my friends, cyber and otherwise, you really can make a difference in how my day is going :)
Big fat bear hugs, 
Amanda