calvoso
This has been a long trip. I started looking into this surgery over 2 years ago. I finally have my surgery date of Feb 11, 2003. I am extremely excited and anxious to be on the other side.
1-27-03 15 DAYS AND COUNTING. THIS SURGERY CAN'T GET HERE FAST ENOUGH. I HAVE MY PRE-OPS ON THE 30TH. I JUST HOPE THAT ALL GOES WELL THERE SO I CAN CONCENTRATE ON THE SURGERY.
2-3-03 Preop went great with no problems. EKG and everything turned out fine. Looks like everything is set. My next post will be from the other side. Wish me luck.
3-03-03 Everything went great. No problems. Not nearly the pain I was expecting from the surgery. I am finally on the other side. I am a looser and proud of it. I went in for my first post op visit and stepped on the scale and I lost 73lbs. I was floored. This is great. My knees have stopped hurting and I started walking a mile a day last week. This is the best thing I have ever done for me. I will check back in three weeks after my next doctors appointment.
3-24-03 How discouraging. I only lost 13 lbs in 3 weeks. I could have done that without the surgery. I guess I need to concentrate on the good things. I feel good and I'm excersising 4 days a week. I'm swimming 3 miles a day and I'm eating right so the weight will come off. Right? I don't weigh in again for six weeks and I hope the weight will catch up a little.
4-24-03 What a difference a month has made. Excersising and loveing it. Who would have thought that. I lost exactely 50lbs. this month for a total of 145 lbs in ten weeks. I don't have any problems eating any types of foods except pasta. I haven't had the dumping syndrome that everyone talks about, and most importantly for me is I don't feel like I'm depriving myself of anything. I try to eat right, but food just tastes different now. It's hard to explain. I don't get that emotional rush from eating food anymore. This is without a doubt the best decision I ever made. I know there will be rocky roads ahead and I will get discouraged from time to time, but this was the right choice for me. I will check back in in a month. If anyone thinking of doing this has any questions you can contact me at [email protected] and I would be glad to help you in any way.
5-12-03 It's hard to believe it's been 3 monthes since the surgery. Time flies when you're loosing weight. I'm down 154 lbs now. A long way to go for me yet, but for the first time in my life I feel like I'm actually going to do it. I'm already started seeing all the loose skin. Small price to pay though and I knew going in I'd have to have plastic surgery to remove it so it wasn't unexpected. People are starting to notice the weight loss which is really cool. So many positives are happening now and I can't really say there have been any negatives. I can eat anything I want, but I just don't want very much anymore.
I was a food junkie and the hardest thing for me to believe when I was looking into this surgery is that my addiction would ever go away. I couldn't believe that just because my stomach was smaller I wouldn't still having the hunger pains and the cravings, but I don't. I still have head hunger once in a while, but that is something I will have for the rest of my life, but I can say that in 3 months I have never been hungry. If only I could fast forward 9 monthes and 200 more pounds. All in good time.
6-11-03 4 MONTHES POST OP. Feeling great with no problems. I'm down 174.5 pounds. I hit a plateau for about 10 days but I finally shook that so I hope I can pick up the pace a little. I did tear a muscle in my stomach last month from lifting weights. Anyone who starts lifting weights be very carefull. It set me back three monthes. Other than that life is getting better. People are noticing the difference in me and it's not just the weight loss, my attitude in general is so much better. Long way to go, but at least now I know I'll make it. Good luck to all.
7-12-03 5 monthes post op. Just missed the double century mark before my 5 month anniversary. Officially 198 lbs gone forever. Still a long way to go, but I'm past the halfway point now. What a difference five monthes has made. I'm really liking life again and I'm getting out and enjoying it. I made my list of 30 things I want to do when I get to my goal weight. I can't wait to get started on this list. No problems tolerating any food except for the fact that I don't want to eat anymore. Really strange. I have to force myself to eat sometimes. Concentrating on protein and water. I guess I am one of the fortunate ones of this surgery. I haven't had one purging episode and I'm haven't lost any hair yet. I hope I can still say that in 5 more monthes.
8-11-03 six month mark. I'm down 211 lbs. A little slow in the weight loss this month. I'm still loosing inches though. I've lost 88 1/2 inches so far and feeling a lot better in health and about life in general. People are noticing now and commenting on the weight loss more. I'm still swimming 4 days a week and drinking my water so I'm not sure why the weight loss slowed. Maybe I just hit a plateau. We'll see what happens next month.
9-11-03 I can't beleive it's been 7 monthes aleady. Had a good month and I'm really starting to loose inches. I've went from a 7X shirt to a 3X shirt. I'm down 228 lbs now and I've lost a total of 98.5 inches so far. It's hard to describe this feeling to all my friends who have never been obese. I'm finally getting out in public again and trying to start life over again. All the little things in life that most people take for granted are like a daily gift to me. Just little things like mowing my own lawn again or sitting behind the wheel of a car again without my stomach touching the wheel is so emotionally uplifting. It's great. I would do this again in a second.
10-12-03 8 monthes and 251 lbs and 105 inches. Unbelievable. I am feeling great and starting to really feel good about life again. People I haven't seen since before the surgery can't beleive it and neither can I. Through all the positives I must admit that I still have the food addiction I've always had. I've noticed in the past month the cravings coming back. I have been able to control them or satisfy them with better choices than I've made in the past. I guess this is something I will always fight in my life. I had my first dumping incident. I tried some fried food for the first time since the surgery. I'm kind of glad it affected me that way because now I know I have to stay away from the fried foods which aren't good for me anyway. All in all great month with a 23 pound loss.
11-12-03 9 incredible monthes. I've lost 270 lbs and 113 inches. Still exercising like a mad man. I really enjoy swimming everyday. It gives me a great start to the day and I can see the muscles building which makes me feel good. I took some new after pictures and I'll try to post them soon and although I can really see the loss in these pictures I still see the same fat man in the mirror everyday. I try not be hard on myself that I'm doing better I still have a hard time with perception of myself. 19 lbs this month so it was a good month for me and the loose skin is getting pretty bad, but I don't want to get it removed until I've lost all my weight although my doctor is reccomending that I get the skin removed now. I think I'll wait and do it all at once. I can live with the loose skin for six more monthes. Loose skin is better than full skin.
12-24-03 Only 9 lbs this month, but 8 more inches. I can actually shop at a regular store now although it's still in the big and tall section. I am wearing 2x shirts down from 8x. So although this month was slow in weight loss I still think it was a positive month.
1-12-04 Well 13 pounds this month. Not to bad through the holidays. I'm getting worried that I won't make my goal. I've only got basically four more months and I still have 90 lbs to go to my personal goal. WE'll see how close we get and I guess there's no reason I can't continue to loose after the first 15 monthes after the surgery. I fit into my first 46 pair of pants since I was a freshman in High School. I was able to buy it at Target instead of a big and tall shop. That's a great feeling and so much cheaper. I actually like shopping for clothes now. Yes ladies I am straight and I like to shop for clothes. That is a new experience for me. I have always hated doing any clothes shopping because it was a reminder of how overweight I was. Well anyway, good month and next month will be my one year anniversary.
2-12-04 It's hard to believe it's been 1 year since the surgery. What a great year. I look back on who I was just a year ago and all I can do is shake my head because that was no way to live. I felt no hope. This surgery gave me hope. I know I've still got a long way to go at 335 lbs, but the doctor said I have about 40 pounds of excess skin on me now so I would be happy if I could loose another 80 lbs or so before my second surgery. I've lost 276 lbs so far and still loosing. Lately I've had quite a few people who are thinking about doing this surgery coming up and asking me if I would do it again. I would in a second. I don't think this surgery is something that anyone should be talked into. This is a decision that each of us must make, but for me there was no other choice. I was so out of control that I needed something to help me get my hands around my weight problem. This surgery gave me the tools I needed so that food doesn't control my life anymore. Don't get me wrong I still love food, but I'm making better choices and eating less. For the first time in longer than I can remember I am really looking excited to see what the new year will hold. For my anniversary gift to myself I went out and bought a brand new red mustang convertible. I have always dreamed of owning a convertible, but I could never fit into one. Of course it is only 10 degrees here in Spokane Washington so it's a little cold with the top down now.(HAHA) Well I don't know if anybody but me reads this, but thanks to all of you for your help and support in my first year.
3-29-04 Well I forgot to post this month. Well I've lost 17 lbs since the last post for a total of 293 lbs so far. I'd stll like to lose another 50 lbs or so before the second surgery to get the excess skin removed. I did see the surgeon about the excess skin and he figures I've got between 40 and 50 bls of skin that he can remove. What a year this has been. I think the hardest thing for me now is getting back out in the dating world. I am so clueless when it comes to women after all this time I think they would pretty much have to come out and tell me they were interested before I would know it. I've got to work on that confidence thing that women find attractive. I definentaly am lacking in that aspect yet. It must be the obese man in me lurking and waiting to be rejected again. I am loving the mustang convertible though now that the weather is getting warmer. I will try to post a new picture of me and the mustang as soon as I can. I have been getting quite a few emails from new pre-ops and all I can say is keep them coming. Any help I can give to any pre-ops or post-ops I figure it's the least I can do for all the help you've all given me. Thanks to everyone for your help.
5-10-04 Where did the last 15 months go. What a great year it's been. I passed the triple century mark for a total of 302 lbs gone so far. 9 more this month. The loss has slowed, but it is steady now which is all I can ask for at this point. Still checking on the skin removal surgery. I will have to self pay again for my insurance company won't help me with that part either. On a great side note a nice woman from this site emailed me and told me I was handsome. That is the first time in my life I've ever been called that. What a great shot to the ego. Thanks to all of you for the encouragement and great emails.
6-22-04 Well only 3 pounds this month for a total of 305 lbs, but all in all a great month. I lost five more inches which makes it over 10 feet I've lost off my body. Some great things going on in my life. I met a great woman a few weeks ago. If only she didn't live so far away, but I do enjoy talking with her. My next book is coming out in 4 weeks or so. I just received confirmation today from the publishing company. The name of the book is "Live On". It's a western and I can't wait to see it in print. It's been a long time since my last book and it was something I promised myself I was going to get published again after the surgery. I am checking into my second surgery, but I'd like to loose another twenty to thirty pounds before I do it. We'll see what happens. I just fit into my first pair of 38 jeans since 5th grade. When I started this whole process my goal pants were 38's, but now I know I'll go lower yet. Life just keeps getting better. I've been getting quite a few posts from pre-ops and the emails mean a lot to me and I'm glad to answer any questions I can. I know pre-op I had so many questions for all of you post-ops I probably drove you crazy. But talking to people that have had this surgery done really put my mind at ease.
7-12-04 Well 4.5 lbs this month. Slow and steady now seems to be the story of my weight loss. It's still going down, but I guess I got spoiled by all the months in the 20-30 lb range. I ended up in the hospital 2 weeks ago. A piece of hamburger got stuck in my intestines and wouldn't clear. Luckily it passed before they opened me up. They were talking about doing surgery before it worked it's way out. Spent some time in Vegas this month. Mostly work, but got in a little fun. I walked the strip for the first time. I was able to walk the whole strip in one day. I felt pretty good about that. It's been 17 months since my surgery now and although I'm not as low as I would have liked to have gotten, I am very pleased with the results. I am healthier now than I've been in my entire life. I feel better than I did when I was 19 years old. When I have my second surgery done in October or November I should be pretty close to goal so I just have to be patient.
8-1-04 Well I need to get back to basics. I kind of went away from what has been working for me. This tool is only as good as the work I put into it. I went to Vegas about a month ago and I went off my regiment. Since I got back I've been on and off my workout regiment and I put back on 3 pounds this month. Starting today I am working out again and trying a low carb plan. I am going to Tennessee next month to meet someone that has become very special to me and I'd like to loose 10 pounds before I do, but 5 might be more realistic. I hope someone can help keep me on track this month.
8-16-04 Well a good week since I got back to the basics. I lost 8 pounds this week. for a total of 315 lbs since the surgery. I decided to try the Atkins diet for 3 weeks after some pursuading from someone to kick start my weight loss. The first weeks was very good, but I sure miss my watermellon. Thank you Michelle for helping me get back to the basics. I've lost 11 and 1/2 feet off my body. Things in my life just continue to look better. Thank you WLS for giving me my life back.
9-7-04 A total of 15 pounds in the last three weeks. The Atkins Diet really did the trick for me. I had really leveled off the last 3 months and I needed to do something that would kick start the process for me. I know Michelle wants to hear me say this again. "You were right Michelle and I was wrong. The Atkins diet does work." I went on vacation to visit a very special lady in Nashville this weekend and still lost 2 pounds. I had such a great time and it was better than I could have ever imagined. I keep loosing inches too which is great. I am now wearing 38 jeans down from 72's. My shirts are 2X, but I know I'll be in L or at least XL after the doc takes off the 50 lbs of skin he is estimating from the plastics.
9-21-04
Well the last 2 weeks haven't been good in the weight department. After loosing 15 lbs the three weeks before I gained 3 pounds. I haven't been watching myself and I was eating a lot of very rich foods. As of today I'm going back on a diet to get myself back on track. My girlfriend who is a lapbander(See Lapbanders and RNYers can co-exist) has challenged us both to loose 12 lbs by halloween. I can't let her win so I'm going to try very hard to get there. On a personal note I have never been so happy in my life as I am to have found my special lapbander. She came out to see me this week and Michelle posted a link to our pictures below. We couldn't be happier and I can't wait until she is with me in Washington.
pics of me and my girl
10-21-04 Well I've lost back the 3 pounds I gained in the last post for a total of 323 lbs lost so far. Kind of going up and down in the last month. My BMI started at 88.1 and is now at 31.61 so not to bad. On a great note I got approved for my plastic surgery. They are going to cover it all. Go figure, my last insurance group wouldn't even cover the WLS surgery, but this company will help cover the plastics afterwards. I am scheduled for Feb 7 but I'm hoping to move that date forward to get this done. I'm going to Tennessee next week to see my lapband girl and meet her parents. It's going to be a great time, I hope they like me. I'm going to go back to counting calories to see if I can't start the weight loss. I have to keep in mind that once I get my plastics are done I will be below goal so anything else I can loose with be a bonus.
11-15-04 What a month this has been. I started out the month in Tennessee with Michelle which was great. My work is keeping me way to busy putting in some lonnnnnnnnng days. I need to get caught up before I spend Thanksgiving in Nashville. It will be our first holiday together. I can't wait. When I get back from Nashville I go in the next day for my plastic surgery for my stomach and chest. I will get the rest of my work done in February. I can't wait to get the plastics done. I won't ever feel like I've moved onto the next phase until I am finished with this. Then I can be at a point I've always dreamed of being at. I wanted to be at a point I just needed to maintain or diet like everyone else if I wanted to loose weight. I've had such a yo yo month. I dropped to my lowest weight since grade school until last week. I was dehydrated last week and drank over a 150 oz of water for four straight days until I felt better. The bad part is I put 10 lbs on. I've lost six of that back and the rest will follow soon. I've been on a low cal diet again and I've been resisting temptation. I had some cousins in town this weekend so all sorts of goodies and temptations, but I did very well so I've still got my eye on the prize. I should hit my goal by february. Keeping my fingers crossed.
12-20-04 Well I'm back up and feeling well since my plastic surgery. Seems weird to have a flat stomach now. I will always be a big man, but I'm happy with the results. They told me they took 19.5 lbs of skin, but I'm sure not seeing that on the scale. Maybe the fluids will go away as the swelling goes down. It's been 3 weeks since the surgery and I'm feeling pretty good considering. On a personal note Michelle is coming out to Spokane for Xmas in 2 days so I can't wait for christmas morning this year. Not only will it be my birthday, it will be my best christmas yet.
1-3-05 My best holidays ever. I had michelle here for the holidays and I got to introduce her to my family and friends. Of course they all loved her so she had a good time. The weight is dropping off now that the swelling of my surgery is going away. I was at my lowest weight this morning of 281. I'm down 335 lbs since the surgery. I went on a shopping spree after christmas for new shirts and I was able to buy some large shirts. That is the first time I can ever remember buying something that didn't have a big X in front of it. What a Non Scale Victory for me. Some of the shirts were still XL, it just depended on the company. I was floored that the larges fit. I am on cloud nine right now. I'm not sure how life could get any better than mine is right now.
pics of from thanksgiving and christmas
my website for my book
1-11-05
It was so much fun dressing in a tux and taking my girl to a formal event. My first time in a tix in a dozen years or so. I dropped to my all time low weight of 277 here in these pictures. That's a total of 339 lbs since the surgery. My second plastic surgery got moved to February 8th. Had a little problem with an infection from the last surgery, but it's getting better. Still feel good, but I just have to be patient.
pics of us from michelles winter banquet
1-18-05 Well I've had a tough go of it here. I have an infection from my Plastics. I had a whole the size of my fist in my stomach. It is very slow to heal and it stinks. They tell me it is healing okay, but it is so slow. I feel weak and I have no energy. I started walking on the treadmill this morning. I am going to try this everyday for the next few weeks and see if I can't start to build my strength up again. The doctor approved it so I'm going to do it. I don't like this feeling. I'm used to having so much energy these days, but now I sure am missing that. My muscles are sagging and I can see it in my skin. It is drooping some and my clothes are tighter although the scale still shows my lowest weight. Go figure.
3-21-05 Still trying to get over the plastics problems. I've got a problem with my leg now and it won't heal right. Other than that things are going great for me. My girlfriend is moving out here from Tennessee in 10 days. Oh that's right she isn't my girlfriend anymore, she is my fiance. I asked Michelle to marry me on Friday and she said yes. I am so lucky to have found her. It makes everything else I go through so much easier. Just hit an all time low of 273 this morning. Just 23 pounds to go until I hit my goal.
4-17-05 Well I'm not sure what is going on, but my weight is dropping like a rock. I am down 12 pounds in the last 3 weeks for an all time low of 261. I have watched what I eat more and started excersising again and it seems to be doing the trick. Michelle has a lot to do with that since she has been doing most of the cooking for us since she is a great cook. She is cooking healthier meals than I used to eat and I am watching my portion control. I am only 11 pounds from my original goal of 250. I am so close I can taste it.
5-12-05 I DID IT. I'm below goal. I am at 248 LBS. I've lost 368 LBS in 2 years. What an incredible difference in my life. I don't know why I keep loosing, but that was another 13 LBS this last month. Incredible. I can't beleive I did it. When I had this surgery all I wanted was to be healthy and live a normal life. Well that didn't happen. So many wonderful things have happened to me in the last two years. I am healthy, I am excersising, and I am engaged to the most wonderful woman who had the WLS like me. Life couldn't be better. Anyone thinking of having this surgery stop thinking about it and do it. I wouldn't change the last 2 years for anything.
11-3-05 Wow it's been a long time since I updated. A lot has happened since I updated last. Turns out the electronic scale I was using was a piece of junk and I wasn't even close to goal. I think I knew it deep down inside, but I so wanted it to be true. So it's back to work for me and I'm trying, but it is hard. So many of the old habits want to creep back into my life that I have to be carefull that I watch myself everyday. It has gotten better and I'm back on the right track so we'll see how the next few months go. Michelle and I are going on a trip in 2 weeks to Washington DC to see her grandparents and do a little sightseeing. When we get back we will be moving into our new dream home. It is going to be a very busy holiday season. I will try to update more often.
3-22-06 Well it's been 4 months since I updated again. I am getting married on July 1st and I'd like to loose 30 lbs by then. I've lost 6 so far this month, but it hasn't been easy. I have been working out at the gym. Who would have thought that I would like to exercise. I made a lot of mistakes after this surgery that I'm paying for now. To all the newbies. Stick to the program. Don't ever pick up that first piece of candy or whatever. If you don't remember what you are missing it is so much easier. I had so much to loose that I did take the occasional bad item and I kept loosing. I still consider my surgery a huge success because I have lost almost 300 pounds and I feel so much better. I do think though if I hadn't indulged that I would be at goal. My own fault and so now I must work. Diet, exercise, and water are the order of the day for me.
9-13-06 Wow Almost six months since I updated last. I have been married for almost 3 months now and I couldn't be happier. My weight has been pretty stable and I'm pretty happy about it. I still work out a couple a days a week, but I need to up that a bit. Overall still very happy with the results and everything in my life. Still a big advocate of this surgery and all the great benefits. I never did reach my goal yet, and I stress yet. I will get there someday, but I'm one of the ones that it will be a slow process. I love food to much and it is something I will always strugle and fight my whole life. No matter what else changes, there it is. The food demons. I control it now with better choices and I have my wife and support system which helps out a lot. Gotta go for now. Life is so much fuller now, but a lot busier also. Sometimes I long for the days of being able to relax on the couch. Well at least one day would be nice.
3-18-09 Does time fly. After my lowest point for my weight loss I gained about 85 pounds back and I was getting dangerously close to topping the 400 lb mark and it really scared me for it is such a slippery slope. So I started in October to start watching what I was eating and making better choices and the weight started coming off again slowly. Last month I went back to measuring my foods, cutting out all sugars and diet pop. In the last 3 weeks I have started to notice some amazing thing. This tool still works even after all this time. Four ounces of protein and 5 ounces of vegables does actually fill me up. I have lost 14 pounds in the last 2 weeks and 35 lbs since I started. I will fight this weight all my life but I'm heading in the right direction. If any pre-ops or recent post ops read this I can only offer one piece of advice. I have lost 300 lbs but I still want to loose another 100 to get to a healthy weight. Even though you are dropping a lot of weight quickly don't take that first drink of pop or chip. I thought well I'm 9 months out and still loosing 20 lbs a month a drink of pop won't hurt or 1 chip won't hurt me. Well it did. Once you have that first chip, the second is a lot easier. The people that are the most successful with this are the ones that don't make that first bad choice. Is this surgery worth it? Absolutely. It has given me my life back. I ride my bike in the summer for 3 to 4 hours without a second thought. Exercise and like it. I even met my wife because of this surgery. I wouldn't trade it for anything but if I had it to do over again I would stop myself from making those first bad decisions and I truly I would already be at goal. Someday I hope but now I will struggle.
Photos
 616 Enough is enough. |
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 294 -322 and waiting on plastic surgery. |
