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It's been a long time since I posted here. Seems life get's in the way and I get side tracked and then forget to catch up on my OH life.  I want to get back on track with my OH family and continue to share my experiences in hopes it will help others with the weight loss journey as well as learn from others on this site. 

I have kept the weight off and my health is good. I have some medical issues but none due to the weight loss surgery. In fact since my surgery and loss of 250 pounds I have resolved my sleep apnea (no C-PAP machine for me!), high  blood pressure, diabetes all gone!  

It seems like my biggest adjustment would be having my brain catch up to my reality. To remember I can now shop in "regular" clothes stores or I definitely should NOT instinctively reach for the extra large sizes.   When I walk into a restaurant not give a second thought to if we will get a booth and will I fit into it!?!

One other REALLY huge adjustment is the way people treat me now that I have lost the weight. No longer morbidly obese, I find that people treat me with much more respect.  Sad but true, people open doors for me, smile and make conversation, actually make an effort to get to know me.  I am no longer a non-person.....no longer hearing snide remarks, seeing heads shake and people looking @ me with disgust due to my size.  

On the other side of the coin, when I tell people that I had a gastric bypass and I do tell people in hopes I can help even just one person who is struggling with the decision of wether or not to have weight loss surgery, it really upsets me when they say I took the easy way out.  That couldn't be further from the truth! I will say that while it wasn't the easy way out and its a one day @ a time process, it absolutely saved my life and is worth all the hard work.  I have never regretted the decision to have RNY. 

I hope your journey is a positive one and if I can be of any assistance please don't hesitate to contact me.

 

So here I am, almost 6 years out and I am still shouting from the rooftops that my RNY, Gastric Bypass was the BEST THING I have ever done for myself!!! I won't tell you it has always been easy. I have had medical problems, ranging from Gallbladder, Kidney, and Joint issues. Gone through one hip and knee replacement and a bowel obstruction. Bottom line is, I am HAPPY TO BE ALIVE!!

I can honestly say that at 424 lbs. I was never really happy, and I sure wasn't healthy.  Without this surgery, I am sure I wouldn't be alive now and I know I wouldn't be happy if I was still around at that weight.. 

Last year, I dropped down to 145 pounds, and  now back up to 165. I am going to try to find a happy medium and shooting for 155 lbs. I hope to have plastic surgery in the future to get rid of some extra skin and that will bring me down to where I should be at the scale. 

 I am now five years out and can tell you that I have never felt better about myself. I can honestly say that life is great and I am healthier and happier then I have ever been.  
It still amazes me when I walk into a store and try on size 6 clothes and they fit !!  Oh how much fun shopping is now...lol.
On the serious side, this saved my Life!!
 I only wish I had decided to have the surgery sooner.  That is my only regret. 
To anyone thinking of having weight loss surgery or who has just had surgery and are depressed about the progress or adjustments in eating habits........Life gets better every day!! I promise you that...and if you want to chat or have any questions you feel I could help you with then please drop me a line.

Good Luck everyone!!! I'm off living my life.....happy and healthy!

Today is Monday, July 19Th, 2010 and life is FANTASTIC! I have lost over 260 pounds and have kept it off! I am about to enter another chapter of my journey on August 5Th, 2010. I will be having a total hip replacement and then after I heal
I will be getting two brand new knees!  The reason for all this is not because of the weight I carried for so many years, although I am certain it did not help matters.  Apparently the fact that I have Osteoarthritis and no cartilage in my knees and right hip is because it is hereditary. I will say that while I am not happy to have this condition, I do consider myself lucky that it isn't anything more serious and that it can be corrected with surgery.  I am so excited at the prospect of becoming more mobile and best of all being pain free for the first time in over a decade! I have been working with my doctor for pain management but the thought of not needing pain medication daily is monumental!! Not to mention the money I'll save!!

Having the gastric bypass four years ago has not only changed my life, it saved my life. I have no doubt in my mind that if I had not had a gastric bypass and lost the weight that I would more then likely lost my life. I used to have diabetes, sleep apnea, high blood pressure, congestive heart failure, COPD, and was on more then 20 medications a month. I now take only four medications a month and have resolved all of the above listed medical conditions. I feel better today at 50 then I did 20 years ago and my life is amazing! 

Now that the weight is off, people treat me differently. I am treated with dignity and respect by strangers and I can assure you that it wasn't like that before I lost the weight.

My only regret is not doing this sooner. I have finally put myself first and invested in myself! It wasn't easy to do, as my entire life I always put my wants and needs last.  I was able to walk my daughter down the aisle last August, something I never would have been able to do and since her father wasn't able, I was given the honor and pleasure. Before having surgery, I could barely walk from the car to the house without gasping for air much less walk my daughter through a courtyard to marry the man of her dreams. If you read my profile you will find that my daughter and I had a gastric bypass together, on the same day, by the same surgeon! It has changed her life as well, and I will be posting new pictures in the near future of both of us together on her wedding day.

Life is good...no actually life is GREAT!  I have the hip and knee surgeries coming up and an umbilical hernia that needs repair,  but I am taking it one step at a time and looking forward to resolving each issue and moving on. I have never had such a positive outlook on life nor have I had so much fun getting here. I am not telling anyone that this is or was easy, but I am telling you it is worth every second of every minute, of every hour of pain and rehabilitation.
Don't be afraid to make an investment in yourself. If you are morbidly obese and have the opportunity to have weight loss surgery, don't put it off or let anyone talk you out of it. The hard work and struggle is well worth it!

I promise to update my progress more often and keep my pictures current.
Good luck to anyone taking this journey and remember, support is vital. Support from family, friends, medical personnel, and support groups! 
Take care...........until later.........Deeanne

It has been almost two years! Wow.....it has been an amazing journey. I am happier now then I have been in decades!

I am down 225 pounds and have only 39 pounds to reach my goal weight. I have had some bumps in the road but nothing compared to what life would have been like without the surgery.

I just had problems with kidney stones last week.....no fun. Last year I had to have my gallbladder removed...but overall.....I am FANTASTIC!

I am doing so well in my work and striving for a promotion...I never would have had a chance before the surgery, heck if I had not had the surgery, I am sure I wouldn't even be able to work now much less strive for a promotion.

I have met a wonderful man.....who knew?...I had resolved myself to a lonely life of solitude and now....I have someone wonderful to share my life with!! I never imagined things could be so wonderul. I used to kid myself and think I was happy....boy was I wrong. I go where I want, when I want...don't have to worry about if there will be a parking space close by. Don't have to worry if I will have a place to sit that I would fit in or not break from my weight. I am happy and healthy and have a chance now for a long and wonderful life!!!

I guess I just had to make the decission to finally do something for myself and not always look to please or help everyone else. If you don't take care of yourself and love yourself...then how can anyone else?

I know I haven't been on here as often but that is because I have so much to do now and enjoy. I will try to be better at updating on here and hope that anyone who is considering doing this goes ahead with it...as I feel it is the BEST THING I HAVE EVER DONE FOR MYSELF!!

6-30-2008.....I now have a life!

I know it's been a long time since I posted anything, but I have to say that I have been enjoying life so much that going on line is not my first priority. I now have my life back! 

I am down over 200 pounds, I am healthier then I have been in decades, I shop at stores for "Normal" size people and I am dating again!  Life is wonderful! I am feeling great! Work is much easier and I can't tell you enough how going through with this surgery was not only the best thing I could have done but it REALLY saved my life!

I no longer have sleep apnea, high blood pressure, diabetes...and have stopped taking more then 15 medications! Yes, I still have to get knee replacements, and I didn't snap back like my daughter in her 20's who had RNY the same day with me,  but that's ok.....I have not felt this good in ...well, so long I cannot remember. I look forward to every day and every new experience with a whole new outlook and Yes....I AM LOVING LIFE!

Today is a wonderful day....in fact they are all wonderful! I never thought I could or would feel this great! I forgot how much fun life could be after being trapped in a super mobidly obese body  for the better part of my life. Don't get me wrong, I am no super model,  I weigh 265 pounds, but when you look back on the past 9 months.....I am healthier and happier than I can ever remember and each day gets better. I am doing things I never thought I would ever do again. Simple things like...bending over to tie my own shoes, going out  and not worrying where I will find a parking space and how far I will have to walk when I get there. Going to a restaurant and sitting in a booth, not having people stare at me because of my size.  Going to work and doing everything I need to do without feeling like I was hit by a bus when it was time to go home.  I see how differently people treat me now that I have lost 160 pounds. 

 I think its horrible that people can be so insensitive to overweight people but on the other hand I love the change and the respect I get now. When people ask me what I am doing, how did I lose the weight? I tell them....I had gastic bypass. I am not ashamed nor do I feel I took the easy way out. I took the only way out!  I know that this was my only chance at life and I took it. I grabbed for the brass ring and I am holding on to it forever!

My outlook on life has taken a complete 180 degree turn. Just have a conversation with me and you will hear the excitement in my voice.  Watch me and see the spring in my step, even with the use of my cane.

Yes, life it great and it just keeps getting better! Don't be afraid to grab the brass ring...it will be worth it, I promise!!!!

Today I went to the mall....sounds like a normal thing to do for normal people right? Well, it is the first time in years that I was able to walk the mall and shop! Life is full of so many firsts now that I have lost 153 pounds! The weight of a whole person...gone forever!! I am doing so much better with each passing day. I never thought it could be so great, I spent so many years in the prison of fat that I carried that I guess I got used to the way things were. How sad is that? I settled....and I am not going to settle any longer. I still have a long way to go to get to where I want to be...but.....I am really enjoying the trip getting there. I am now buying clothes in regular stores...I am going places, and doing things I NEVER could before and I am loving it !!

Looking forward to many more wonderful changes in my life!

As of today, I am down 145 pounds! I have enjoyed so many "Wow" Moments since surgery and I just want to share them with you. 

I Just returned from a week vacation in Atlanta, Georgia. Yes, I went on a vacation out of state for the first time in 20 years and flew on an airplane without the use of a seatbelt extender. I fit comfortably in the seat and  walked through the airports without losing my breath! I really enjoyed the time I spent with with dear friends. 

I have gone out to dinner and didn't have to ask for a table because I knew I wouldn't fit in a booth.

 I have gone to the movies and not had to wait for the movie to come out on Video because I was to miserable to walk from the car to the movie theater or scared I wouldn't fit in the seat.  

I have been going to get manicures and pedicures because I can now get in and out of the  chairs comfortably and not feel like I am being stared at because of my size. 

I went swimming in the pool at my development for the first time in 7 years because I could actually walk to the pool now that I have lost the size of a regular size person....lol. 

Yes, I have a lot more weight to lose and I am looking forward to many more wow moments....The best part is, the more I lose....the more wow moments I have and the more I know that this surgery was the best thing I have ever done for myself and my family!  If I hadn't had this surgery, I would have become disabled and a burden to my daughter. Now, I am enjoying life and can participate in life instead of watching it pass me by.

Life is grand! I am now down 139 pounds and doing things I haven't done in years! I have gone to the movies, gone out to dinner and sat comfortably in a booth, gone swimming for the first time in 6 years, and am heading to Georgia on vacation May 5th, on an  airplane for the first time in over 20 years!  I thank God every day for this surgery and my only regret is not having it done sooner!  I still have over 100 pounds to go and still need knee replacement surgery but...and I repeat BUT....Life is WONDERFUL! I can walk without getting out of breath and every day things become easier. I find myself actually wanting to look in a mirror instead of avoiding them. I put make up on before going to work, I don't dread looking for something to wear because I am worried it will be to tight. Instead  the problem is, will it be too big? That kind of problem I can live with...lol. I would tell anyone who is considering this surgery to do whatever you have to do to get it done. If your insurance won't pay then consider self pay. I did it and it was the best $23,000 I ever invested. I invested in my life. For the first time in a very long time, I put my needs above everyone else. It wasn't easy but it was worth it. I am getting my life back and you can't put a price tag on that!