Didi
from old profile
Oct 16, 2006
I've been contemplating WLS for more than 10 years, waiting for insurance that would cover it and so on and so on. I've waited long enough and I now have enough credit cards to go ahead and have it done and not worry about the insurance (just paying the cards off). I haven't picked a Dr. yet but have been reading all the posts and profiles garnering information. I live outside Grand Junction so will have to go to the Front Range or to Salt Lake. My daughter just moved to St. Augustine, Florida and wants me there for the surgery so she can take care of me after. I would really appreciate hearing from anyone who has had to travel long distances for their surgery, how long they had to stay, how soon they could make the trek home, etc.
I live in an Earthship (a passive solar off grid house designed by Michael Reynolds) built by my husband and myself with a little help from our friends on the edge of a remote mountain canyon. One of the great things about it in addition to it being a handcrafted work of art is that we basically have no utility bills. We spend about $150.00 per year on propane. The sun provides our electricity and heat. We have two adult children and a grandson. We have two dogs, one a lab-chow mix, the other (left by our daughter when she moved to Florida) a rotweiler-dingo mix, and a gray cat.
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October 17, 2005
Just back from a trip to the front range to meet with Dr. Chae and attend Kelly's Bariatric Nutrition class. My surgery is scheduled for Nov. 7. It has been changed to November 8 due to me not thinking about the prep.
November 13, 2005
Well folks, I'm back home again after the surgery. Dr. Chae was wonderful and so were the folks at Sky Ridge Hospital. I have been very surprised at how not bad this has been. My hysterctomy, gall bladder surgery, and tonsillectomy were all more painful. Because of the minor sleep apnea and the asthma, the anesthesiologist said that he was going to take out the breathing tube after I regained consciousness but I have absolutely no memory of it at all. They did not get me up walk the first day but the second day I kept bugging the nurses about it and did get to start walking as soon as they removed the catheter. So, I wandered the halls with my IV. One of the evenings, I'm not sure if it was Wednesday or Thursday, Lori T. who I met on Obesity Help came to visit along with her husband and brought a gorgeous plant, a magazine, a card, and most of all their insights into the process. Lori's surgery was only a week before mine but she looked healthy and beautiful. I'm hoping to keep in touch with her because she has really been a good friend in the short time I've known her.
I go back to see the doc on the 19th and get rid of this drain. TTFN
November 30
When I went to Denver on the 19th I had lost 18 lbs. I had a really weird cramp when the drain was pulled out but at least it is gone. Everything has been really busy since then because Thanksgiving is my holiday. We had a very small gathering this year because of the surgery, only 18 people. Because we live so remotely both my folks and in-laws spent the night as well as my sister and her dh and our dear friend Becky.
I don't own a scale so I'll see how much I've lost on Dec. 6 when I go to my pcp (who was against this surgery). I'm hoping it will be good. The knee has been too bad for walking not to mention that we've had lows down in the single digits. I've done a little on the stationary bike but am really looking forward to next week when I can start swimming laps again.
December 6, 2005
Went to see my pcp today. My surgeon had called her and she was feeling much better about my surgery and glad to see I was looking healthy. She did veto me starting swimming and doing weights, though, for the next two weeks. Seems somewhere along the line (before she was my doctor) something got into my records that I had hernias. Anyway she is a great although very cautious doc so I'll bide my time . This is exactly 4 weeks since my surgery and I was down to 241.
December 14, 2005
Went swimming at 6:30 this morning. It was wonderful. Weight down to 233.
December 28, 2005
Stalled. Still at 233. Last week though I was wearing my size 20 jeans (down from 22) and they were hanging off of me so badly I stepped on the hem and they fell right off. Went to Target on the way to Denver and my dr. appt. and bought a pair of size 18 slacks. Seems that jeans were a big Christmas item this year as all they had left in 18s were low rise which doesn't work for me.
January 28, 2006
A Wow week!
A little over a week ago I headed out to San Antonio for the American Library Association mid-winter meeting. It was a wonderful 5 days seeing some of my dearest friends in the whole world. Some of the committee work is very intensive, especially awards committees and committees that select books for important lists. You end up spending long days every day with your committtee during the 5 days or so and they become like family. I had tons and tons of compliments. One person said I looked like a teenager from the back. Another friend seemed to be ignoring me until she found out I wasn't thinner because I was dying from some deadly disease or something. The biggest wow, however, was that I was able to enjoy myself. Yes, my knee and back did hurt, but they didn't lay me out like they did last summer when the ALA annual meeting was in Chicago and I had to miss my 20 year graduate school reunion because I just couldn't leave the hotel room. My big wow was realizing that at the conference in San Antonio I felt better and more energetic than I had in at least the last 5 years.
March 16, 2006
Feeling more energetic all the time. Danced at my brother's wedding last weekend. Saw my surgeon on Friday and I was down a total of 66 lbs. Finally got a goal. I should be between 150 and 179 so I'm only about 25lbs. from upper end of goal weight. Was told if I dropped down below 150 they would want me to start gaining weight again. Dr. said my results were more typical for someone 6 months out rather than only the 4 months I was.
April 5, 2006
Hit onederland finally. 199 lbs. I feel great. Wearing size 14 jeans. Been swimming 3 miles a week.
April 20, 2006
192 today for a total loss of 80lbs. I feel wonderful (except for the left knee, ouch). I'm more energetic than I've been in 30 years.
May 22, 2006
189 lbs. I'm now able to walk quite a bit and have been swimming 3 miles a week. I'm wearing size 12 slacks; still need a size 16 up top but that is due to the size of my rib cage. I think the best I can hope for is to hit a 14 since that is pretty much what I wore when I was just over 100 lbs. as a young teenager.
July 2, 2006
Kittcat mom posted a great sarcastic post today and it was followed by wonderful discussion on the topic of WLS being the easy way out. Following is my reply to the post.
WLS was the easy way out for me. After battling my weight for 30 years, doing every diet known to humanity and exercising my poor fat body to death I was dying. 90% of those 30 years I stuck with 800 calories a day. My problem was too much will power, and I still did not lose. I did lose with OptiFast and would have been happy to stay on it for life (which would have been the only way to keep the weight off) but the hospital shut down the program. $3,500.00 down the drain. I did Weight Watchers 30 years ago and more recently. Both times it worked the same. The first week I would lose about 4 lbs. the second week, 2 lbs, the third week 1 lb. the fourth week I would gain a pound or two and that would continue until I quit WW (faithfully following their plan) and return to my 800 calories a day just so I could maintain whatever weight I had gained at WW. Then there were the times we would move or my Dr. would retire and the new doc would require me to stop my thyroid meds for 6 weeks to make sure I needed them. Oops 6 weeks and 35 lbs. later I would have a new prescription.
My WLS has saved my life which I agree is easier than starving to death in a huge mal-nourished body. I haven't had any complications as a result and can eat pretty much anything. I'm now eating about twice as much (volume wise) now as before WLS but I crave healthy foods. At 800 calories a day I craved Dr. Pepper which would give my starving body the instant energy to do something but did nothing to substain life.
Sorry for the long rant. I've been fortunate that people close to me finally realized that this was not the easy way; it was the ONLY way.
July 28, 2006 -- weight 175 just 3 more pounds to the century mark. Loss has been slow lately but that is ok. I'm feeling terrific with more energy than I've had in years. I honestly don't think I've felt this good since I was in my teens. I'm wearing size 10 pants and bought a size medium sun dress at Sams's Club last week. A big change from the size 22s and XXLs.
September 2006. -- Weight 172. That is a total loss of 100 lbs.!!!! Life is good.
October 2006. -- Weight 170. Pants size 10. Top size medium. Life is good. I'm full of energy and feeling great. My goal was between 150 and 175 so I'm there. I wouldn't mind losing a few more pounds. I do think I'm doing a good job of converting fat to muscle. My daughter gave me a fat % scale for my birthday. The beginning of February I was over 50% fat now it is down to 34%.
Begining weight - 272 date of surgery - 268 BMI 42
Surgery day 11/08/2005
December 25, 2005
February 20, 2006
June 2006
After swimming at South Beach 
Photos
I live in an Earthship (a passive solar off grid house designed by Michael Reynolds) built by my husband and myself with a little help from our friends on the edge of a remote mountain canyon. One of the great things about it in addition to it being a handcrafted work of art is that we basically have no utility bills. We spend about $150.00 per year on propane. The sun provides our electricity and heat. We have two adult children and a grandson. We have two dogs, one a lab-chow mix, the other (left by our daughter when she moved to Florida) a rotweiler-dingo mix, and a gray cat.
.
October 17, 2005
Just back from a trip to the front range to meet with Dr. Chae and attend Kelly's Bariatric Nutrition class. My surgery is scheduled for Nov. 7. It has been changed to November 8 due to me not thinking about the prep.
November 13, 2005
Well folks, I'm back home again after the surgery. Dr. Chae was wonderful and so were the folks at Sky Ridge Hospital. I have been very surprised at how not bad this has been. My hysterctomy, gall bladder surgery, and tonsillectomy were all more painful. Because of the minor sleep apnea and the asthma, the anesthesiologist said that he was going to take out the breathing tube after I regained consciousness but I have absolutely no memory of it at all. They did not get me up walk the first day but the second day I kept bugging the nurses about it and did get to start walking as soon as they removed the catheter. So, I wandered the halls with my IV. One of the evenings, I'm not sure if it was Wednesday or Thursday, Lori T. who I met on Obesity Help came to visit along with her husband and brought a gorgeous plant, a magazine, a card, and most of all their insights into the process. Lori's surgery was only a week before mine but she looked healthy and beautiful. I'm hoping to keep in touch with her because she has really been a good friend in the short time I've known her.
I go back to see the doc on the 19th and get rid of this drain. TTFN
November 30
When I went to Denver on the 19th I had lost 18 lbs. I had a really weird cramp when the drain was pulled out but at least it is gone. Everything has been really busy since then because Thanksgiving is my holiday. We had a very small gathering this year because of the surgery, only 18 people. Because we live so remotely both my folks and in-laws spent the night as well as my sister and her dh and our dear friend Becky.
I don't own a scale so I'll see how much I've lost on Dec. 6 when I go to my pcp (who was against this surgery). I'm hoping it will be good. The knee has been too bad for walking not to mention that we've had lows down in the single digits. I've done a little on the stationary bike but am really looking forward to next week when I can start swimming laps again.
December 6, 2005
Went to see my pcp today. My surgeon had called her and she was feeling much better about my surgery and glad to see I was looking healthy. She did veto me starting swimming and doing weights, though, for the next two weeks. Seems somewhere along the line (before she was my doctor) something got into my records that I had hernias. Anyway she is a great although very cautious doc so I'll bide my time . This is exactly 4 weeks since my surgery and I was down to 241.
December 14, 2005
Went swimming at 6:30 this morning. It was wonderful. Weight down to 233.
December 28, 2005
Stalled. Still at 233. Last week though I was wearing my size 20 jeans (down from 22) and they were hanging off of me so badly I stepped on the hem and they fell right off. Went to Target on the way to Denver and my dr. appt. and bought a pair of size 18 slacks. Seems that jeans were a big Christmas item this year as all they had left in 18s were low rise which doesn't work for me.
January 28, 2006
A Wow week!
A little over a week ago I headed out to San Antonio for the American Library Association mid-winter meeting. It was a wonderful 5 days seeing some of my dearest friends in the whole world. Some of the committee work is very intensive, especially awards committees and committees that select books for important lists. You end up spending long days every day with your committtee during the 5 days or so and they become like family. I had tons and tons of compliments. One person said I looked like a teenager from the back. Another friend seemed to be ignoring me until she found out I wasn't thinner because I was dying from some deadly disease or something. The biggest wow, however, was that I was able to enjoy myself. Yes, my knee and back did hurt, but they didn't lay me out like they did last summer when the ALA annual meeting was in Chicago and I had to miss my 20 year graduate school reunion because I just couldn't leave the hotel room. My big wow was realizing that at the conference in San Antonio I felt better and more energetic than I had in at least the last 5 years.
March 16, 2006
Feeling more energetic all the time. Danced at my brother's wedding last weekend. Saw my surgeon on Friday and I was down a total of 66 lbs. Finally got a goal. I should be between 150 and 179 so I'm only about 25lbs. from upper end of goal weight. Was told if I dropped down below 150 they would want me to start gaining weight again. Dr. said my results were more typical for someone 6 months out rather than only the 4 months I was.
April 5, 2006
Hit onederland finally. 199 lbs. I feel great. Wearing size 14 jeans. Been swimming 3 miles a week.
April 20, 2006
192 today for a total loss of 80lbs. I feel wonderful (except for the left knee, ouch). I'm more energetic than I've been in 30 years.
May 22, 2006
189 lbs. I'm now able to walk quite a bit and have been swimming 3 miles a week. I'm wearing size 12 slacks; still need a size 16 up top but that is due to the size of my rib cage. I think the best I can hope for is to hit a 14 since that is pretty much what I wore when I was just over 100 lbs. as a young teenager.
July 2, 2006
Kittcat mom posted a great sarcastic post today and it was followed by wonderful discussion on the topic of WLS being the easy way out. Following is my reply to the post.
WLS was the easy way out for me. After battling my weight for 30 years, doing every diet known to humanity and exercising my poor fat body to death I was dying. 90% of those 30 years I stuck with 800 calories a day. My problem was too much will power, and I still did not lose. I did lose with OptiFast and would have been happy to stay on it for life (which would have been the only way to keep the weight off) but the hospital shut down the program. $3,500.00 down the drain. I did Weight Watchers 30 years ago and more recently. Both times it worked the same. The first week I would lose about 4 lbs. the second week, 2 lbs, the third week 1 lb. the fourth week I would gain a pound or two and that would continue until I quit WW (faithfully following their plan) and return to my 800 calories a day just so I could maintain whatever weight I had gained at WW. Then there were the times we would move or my Dr. would retire and the new doc would require me to stop my thyroid meds for 6 weeks to make sure I needed them. Oops 6 weeks and 35 lbs. later I would have a new prescription.
My WLS has saved my life which I agree is easier than starving to death in a huge mal-nourished body. I haven't had any complications as a result and can eat pretty much anything. I'm now eating about twice as much (volume wise) now as before WLS but I crave healthy foods. At 800 calories a day I craved Dr. Pepper which would give my starving body the instant energy to do something but did nothing to substain life.
Sorry for the long rant. I've been fortunate that people close to me finally realized that this was not the easy way; it was the ONLY way.
July 28, 2006 -- weight 175 just 3 more pounds to the century mark. Loss has been slow lately but that is ok. I'm feeling terrific with more energy than I've had in years. I honestly don't think I've felt this good since I was in my teens. I'm wearing size 10 pants and bought a size medium sun dress at Sams's Club last week. A big change from the size 22s and XXLs.
September 2006. -- Weight 172. That is a total loss of 100 lbs.!!!! Life is good.
October 2006. -- Weight 170. Pants size 10. Top size medium. Life is good. I'm full of energy and feeling great. My goal was between 150 and 175 so I'm there. I wouldn't mind losing a few more pounds. I do think I'm doing a good job of converting fat to muscle. My daughter gave me a fat % scale for my birthday. The beginning of February I was over 50% fat now it is down to 34%.
Begining weight - 272 date of surgery - 268 BMI 42
Surgery day 11/08/2005
December 25, 2005
February 20, 2006
June 2006
After swimming at South Beach Photos
 272 September 2005 |
 |
 175 August 2006 |
