Carlie

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 It's hard to believe that it's been 2 years since WLS.  I started at 245 and now weight 125.  I was in a size 22 and now am in a size 2.  If anyone would have told me i would have this degree of success I would never have believed them.  I was sure that I would be the only one that WLS wouldn't work for.  I still have a fear of gaining the weight back.  My husband would like me to gain 10 lbs, but I fear that if I start to gain I won't stop and I'll end up like I was before.  It's a fear I'm sure most WL pts have.  I've been fortunate to have had plastic surgery to remove the excess skin.  I feel so good about myself, I used to be so ashamed.  Eating is not problem free (occasional stuck food, nausea) but it is worth every ounce of these minor problems to be so free.  This is the best decision I have ever made for myself.   I would do it again in a heart beat.  It has given me my life back.  

 It's been awhile since I last posted.  My weight loss seems to have finally stabilized.  For a while I was a bit concerned that I wasn't leveling off, but kept losing.  I weigh approx 120 lbs but sometimes fall to 118.  This is pretty thin for me and I can't afford to lose anymore weight, but like I said I seem to have stabilized.  I NEVER thought I'd say I can't afford to lose any more weight; what a change.  I used to have problems finding clothes big enough in the store, now I have problems finding things small enough.  I wear a 0 pants/skirt and a small top.  I could stand to weigh a bit more than I do, but I am afraid of gaining anything for fear I don't stop.  I'm sure this is a struggle everyone has, who has battled obesity for so long.  I feel great.  I am healthy and I thank God for this wonderful gift.  I eat all the time, grazing I guess they call it; because I can't eat a lot at a time.  When I travel for work it was hard at first because I was limited as to what I could eat, but now I can eat a large variety of food and it's easier to not lose weight when I travel.  What an incredible journey it's been.  I feel so blessed to have been able to have RNY.  

 It's just a few days past my one year anniversary of my RNY surgery.  It is like I am a new person.  I have lost 115 pounds and feel terrific.  I wear a size 2 and if anyone would have ever told me this would happen to me I would have laughed at them.  I am trying not to lose any more weight.  I just came back from a 2 week visit to Germany for work and lost a couple of pounds because of the difference in food and what my pouch would tolerate.  I figure I will gain that back pretty quick.  Going through Customs both in Germany and the US, the agents questioned my passport photo and I explained that was me 115 pounds ago.  They congratulated me and all suggested I get an updated photo. :)  I need to update my drivers license pic too.  What a wonderful confirmation of the changes that have taken place in my life over the past year.  My only regret is I didn't have this surgery years ago!  

It has been almost 4 weeks since my PS.  I am healing better than normal according to my DR.  My stomach and face in front of my ears and under my chin are still numb.  My incisions are healing very well.  My arms have been the most tender, maybe because I use them so much.  I have lost some additional weight, most likely what they removed during surgery.  The swelling seems to be almost gone.  I am pretty much a size small on top and a 4/6 in pants.  I lost a cup size with the breast lift (C now) which is proportionate for my size, but I miss the girls.  I have been big busted most of my adult life.  That is an adjustment too.  LOL
Had anyone ever told me I would be this size I would NEVER have believed it.  My husband says I'm tiny (LOL) but I don't see it in the mirror.  I am definately smaller but the mind still has yet to catch up with my body.  I do not want to lose any more weight.  I am 61 (62 in June) and can't afford to look like a twig - that's for the young.  I need to build a butt and define my waist.  My but looks like a deflated balloon so when I get the okay to start exercising I need to do lots of squats.  My waist is pretty straight, I'd like to thin that down a bit.  I am short waisted so I don't know how much I can do about that. 
Regardless of any improvements I would like to make, I am thrilled with where I am right now with my weight loss and my surgical outcome.  Both of my  DRs did a great job. 
It's hard to believe I am at goal, when I started I thought I would be the only one that WLS wouldn't work for.  I have been very fortunate to lose weight steadily and I don't take for granted the gift I have been given.  I don't ever want to go back to where I was 8 months ago.      

Surgery was 7 hours with 2 docs. Don't really remember the day or night.
Day 1 - I spent the night in the hospital and went home a little before noon the next day.  I was surprised at the small amount of discomfort I had.  Mostly tightness in my face.  Mouth like cotton!  Have to keep my head and chest elevated, so I am sleeping (sitting, etc) in a recliner.  Walking pretty hunched over due to tension in the abdomen.  Doc took the 2 drains out of my face before I left the hospital.  I have a gauze wrapped around my face  and upper arms and a sleeveless body stocking on the rest of me.  Not much discomfort, just tightness in my face due to swelling that will last up to 3 weeks.  On prophylactic antibiotics.  Mouth like cotton!  Ride home in the car wasn't too bad (30 min).
Day 2 - Had to take the gauze off my face, too itchy and it was loose.  Walking hunched over, living in recliner.   Can't take a shower till Sunday!  My hair is plastered to my head.  Face is numb in area in front of ears and under chin (normal).  Eating okay. Constipated (TMI).  Cotton feeling has finally left my mouth. 
Day 3 - Able to walk abit straighter.  Tougher day, my rear is so sore from sitting.  No pain or discomfort elsewhere.  Face still puffy and tight.  I see the doc on Monday for my follow up. 
Day 4 - Much better day today.  Able to move around more and walk more upright.  There is minimal drainage in the tube in my abdomen.  I expect them to take that out Monday.  One more day till I can shower and wash my hair.  I can't wait.  Face still numb and puffy (but swelling is going down).  A tiny bit of itching at my suture site in my arms and some tenderness in my hip area suture cause I pulled the area when I slipped, but nothing to really speak of.  I'm very surprised at the minimal amount of discomfort. My DH has been absolutely wonderful, couldn't do very well without help.

I've reached my goal!  Woo Hoo!  It's been 8 months and I've lost 101 lbs.  I don't want to lose any more weight (I NEVER thought I say that).  I am soooo happy, words can't even express the gratitude I feel.  I've gone from a size 24 top to a medium (10 - 12) and a 22 bottom to a small (6 - 8).  Even my shoe size is smaller - from an 11 to a 9 1/2!  LOL!

The only way to describe it is I feel like I have been given my life back.  I have more energy and feel terrific.  I want to do things and socialize, before I just wanted to lay around and avoid people.  I was so ashamed of myself and too discouraged to try to lose weight again.  I felt defeated before I began because I've lost before and regained it all plus some.  When my daughter had RNY and did so well I felt like there was hope for me.  This is one of the best decisions I have ever made for myself and one of the most rewarding too.  I used to buy clothes to try to hide what I looked like, but now I buy things because I like the way they look on me.  I'm thin but not skinny (that's for the young gals).  Now I'm on to the next leg of my journey - plastic surgery.

I look like a raisin under my clothes and if I couldn't get PS I would still be thrilled with where I am now, but this is the icing on the cake.  I was going to wait a bit longer but my job situation has changed and it's now or not for a year or more.  If things don't pick up at work I may be looking for a new job so that means I definately will not be able to take time off for a while and at 61 yrs old I want to put my best foot forward if I have to look for work.  On March 16th, I am going to have a lower face lift to get rid of my turkey neck & jowls, a breast lift to put the girls back where they started from (no implants at my age), upper arm lift to get rid of the batwings and a tummy tuck.  My plastic surgeon and his partner will work on me.  It takes about 7 hours and $21,000 for both the doc & the hospital.  Thanks to Care Credit I can do this now.  I should be able to return to work in 2 wks but no heavy lifting for 6 wks.  I plan on writing about my PS experience because reading what others have said has really helped me.  Everyone is different, but hearing from others has helped to prepare me and I have appreciated their input.  A co-worker said "What you aren't hot enough now?", I just lauged, I haven't been called hot in over 20 years.  But this isn't about being hot, this is about me and finishing what I started.  Someone I hadn't seen in a while told me it was my voice and laugh, but she wouldn't have recognized me by looks.  I have to admit that was fun to hear.  My DH has been so very supportive every step of the way and I am so blessed to have him at my side.

I am writting this entry to hopefully help others (who have the patience to read it).  If you are on the fence about weight loss surgery or struggling, I hope I can be an encouragement .  If you are curious about PS I hope my experience will offer you some answers. 

It's hard to believe that 6 months have gone by since surgery.  I have been fortunate to continue to lose weight steadily without any real plateaus. My weight loss is about 1 lbs a week; which makes me very happy.  I am down 83 lbs since surgery (245 now 162).  I find I don't have much of an appetite any more and food does not give me the enjoyment it once did.  All of which are good things.  I feel sooooo much better.  I'm not tired all the time, I don't huff and puff walking around.  I no longer have high blood pressure, sleep apnea and GI reflux.  I feel like this surgery has given me my life back.  I would do it again in a heart beat!
I find it hard to believe I wear a size 8 jeans, I was in a tight 22.  My tops were 3x and now they are mediums or large depending on the knit.  Yes, I have loose skin - I've developed a turkey neck and jelly rolls around my waist.  My arms flap in the breeze and my boobs aren't where they used to be, but all that is a small price to pay for how much better I look and feel.  The price to fix my body won't be small, but I've decided that I've gone this far to make a change, I might as well finish the job.  I've seen a plastic surgeon and have a tentive date in June (1 yr surgiversary month) to have my body repair.  I figure I should stabilize about 9 months and have 3 months to make sure my body has reached its normal size.  I'm saving my money as my insurance won't cover anything.  I'm uptight about all the procedures being done at once (face lift, breast lift, upper arm reduction and panni) but it's less expensive that way and all the pain is in one shot.  Two surgeons and 6 hrs hopefully will make everything look good again. 
It's weird looking in the mirror and seeing myself small.  I sometimes have a hard time picking out sizes because I always gravitate to larger ones.  It's so nice to go into most any store and know I can buy clothes there, but sometimes I feel like I don't belong there.  People will talk about obesity and I have to remind myself that I'm not anymore.
It's an interesting journey and a wonderful one.

Well its been 15 weeks since my surgery and I am down 64 pounds.  I feel great and have pretty well settled into what I can eat.  I still have some problem with meat and it getting stuck.  I think I may not chew it well enough.  I am down from a size 22/24 to a 14.  I can shop in regular stores now, I have plenty of room sitting in a coach seat in an airplane.  I had to adjust the seat and steering wheel of my car to fit the smaller me.  I have given away a ton of clothes and my closet remains bare.  Had to buy a winter coat cause the ones I had hung on me and had to get my rings resized because they were too loose. I can wear heels again without my knees killing me.   I have wowed a couple of friends who have not seen me in a while, they commented so much I started to get embarassed. 
I feel like I have been given my life back.  I'm not so tired all the time and have energy to do things.  It is still hard for me to believe I can fit in smaller sizes.  The mind is a powerful thing to overcome in some ways.  I'm losing some hair but not tons yet.  No more sleep apnea, no more high blood pressure, no more acid reflux and I'm off anti-depressants so far.  I'll see how that continues to go, because I know that there's more to depression than just losing weight.  I'm not ashamed anymore when I am out in public. 
The skin is starting to hang in all those places I knew it would, but surgery can fix that.  I still want to munch some at night but that is head hunger and I will continue to work on that.  At least when I munch its very little compared to what I used to take in. I need to start going to the gym.  I joined one and just bought some work out clothes to wear, now I need to go.
Overall the change in my life has been wonderful.  This has been the best thing I've ever done for myself.                                    I WOULD TO THIS AGAIN IN A HEARTBEAT!!!!!!!!!

Well, it's 11 weeks today and I am down 53 lbs.  It is hard to believe.  I have cleaned out my closet and donated a TON of clothes to Salvation Army.  My poor closet is so empty it echos!  I am under 200 lbs now - I think they call that Onederland.  I am in regular size clothing, no more plus sizes.  I feel great physically.  I need to take new pictures and change my avatar.  This has been the best decision I have ever made for myself.  I can eat about 3/4 cup of food at a time.  Still need to work on getting in my water.  Still have to fight the night time munchies.  Trying to make good choices about what I eat at night (fruit mostly).  I need to start exercising but find it hard to get the motivation to do that because of a nagging discouragement that seems to haunt me.   I find that something quitely nags at me that I am 61 years old and beyond being attractive.   Like I'm an old fool for wanting that.  It's just a nagging feeling that keeps me from really grabbing hold of this new lifestyle and enjoying it. Funny how strange some of the hurdles are.