Darlene E.

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November 10th, I'll be 2 years post op.
I have lost countless inches, and 157 lbs.
I feel like a new person. I look like a new person.
I have done things I thought I'd never do. Things only thin people could do.
I'm living the dream and making the most of every day.

This has to be the worst week that followed the best one.
We just had a great vacation in Jamaica. Usually I'm done my Christmas shopping by Dec 1, but planning a tropical trip hardly put me in the mood so I thought I'd get to it when we got back.
The 3 days that followed our return was spent getting our home back together after it had been painted (while we were gone), catching up on laundry, cleaning the house, and getting up all the Christmas decorations. I had planned on getting to the shopping next.
Little did I know I was to have my second major gall bladder attack in 3 weeks. This time I couldn't mistake it for dumping syndrome.  I ended up in the ER and they kept me for the night. The next day they sent a surgeon in to see me and he admitted me and ordered an ultrasound and an CT scan.  Friday they took my gall bladder out laparoscopicly and I finally came home Saturday.
Today is Sunday and I'm having a pitty party.
They didn't give me pain meds, so I'm uncomfortable, can't sleep so I'm tired and exhausted, I'm full of the Co2 gas, my shopping isn't started and there's only 10 shopping days left.... with no shopping for me in sight, and somehow I'm up 11 lbs.
Everyone says it's from the fluids and the gas and that I'll lose it in a few days. Somehow that doesn't make me feel better. I had only clear fuids the whole time I was in the hospital, and for the first 2 days I had to beg for that. The rest of the time I was always making sure they gave me sugar free "foods". I was always sending stuff back. I hated being a pain, but I didn't need to dump on top of everything else.

So, here I am, at 4am blogging my frustrations.  Oh what a Christmas this will be

Well I made it 1 year, and what a year it's been. I've lost 144 lbs (in total) 136 since surgery. A whole person!
I'm no longer in a size 28, but in a 14. I've been on a plane with no extender and on rollercoasters. I'm able to jump up the bleachers at the arenas rather then crawl up them.  My life is wonderful.
I have so much confidence and self esteem. I'm still 30 lbs away from my goal, but I'm ok where I'm at today.
I'm definitly more social then I was before. My husband and I go out more and he and I have gotten closer. He doesn't say much about my weight loss. He says he's reserving judgment. He has always been a jealous person, and I know it's gotten worse, but he's hiding it well.
I'm looking forward to having plastic surgery sometime in the future. I want a tummy tuck, breast lift and aug, my arms, lower body lift and thighs.  I've seen a surgeon and he said if I had the surgeries today, I'd be at my goal. Since I can't afford it right now, I continue working hard to get that last 30 lbs off.

I'm a little nervous. Next week we leave for Jamaica and I'm worried about being away from all my comfortable surroundings when it comes to my food.  I know I'm going to do the best I can, but my GP advised me to stay way from salads which is a big part of my diet.  I'm just afraid to come back up a few pounds. Scares the hell out of me.



This is me 3 days before my surgiversary at a Red Wing game.

All I can say is I really love living. I love getting up each day and trying something new. I'm really living for the very first time.

Boy has my life changed in a 10 months.

I went from a size 26 to a 14 and still dropping.  Last week I was on roller coasters! I went to a water park and walked around in a bathing suit.  Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought I'd do any of those things.

I feel healthier and more energetic. I don't nap all the time and I feel good about myself.

My food is pretty much the same as it was post-op. Chicken and I are on better terms then we use to be, but bread and I still don't get along so well LOL.

I'm just loving life.... a life that was always waiting for me but I could never quite grasp. It's all mine and I'm making the most of it.

As of yesterday, I'm 9 months out. I've lost 120 lbs, plus 8 from the week before for a total of 128 lbs. I was a whopping 333 lbs, which was my highest weight ever.
I have been on a plateau for the past 3 weeks or so and it's wearing on my nerves.  Today I took out my old "bible", the book they gave me post-op. I read it cover to cover looking for ideas on how to break this plateau.
It seems I've gotten lax in recent weeks.  Not weighing and measuring my food, or logging it in.  I may even be guilty of drinking to soon after eating. These are all little things that mean so much, and that will soon be changing.  I want this tool to work to it's fullest. 
I can see this plateau is causing some stinkin thinkin which is an old habit that led to bad behavior. I must break through those bad habits. I know plateaus happen, but I don't want me to be the cause.  I really think I'm doing this one to myself.
As of right now... (forget tomorrow or the good old Monday), I'm writing my food down and weighing and measuring for accuracy. No more guessing. I'm going back to the basics.
Rules are rules and I'm not letting this gift go, so I'll follow the rules.

Life has been busy as usual. Soccer has ended, but baseball is another month or so yet.  Always on the move.
I finally got out on my new bike, and I really enjoyed it.  I think roller blades are next. I've always wanted to try it.
I'm also considering purchasing a WII Fit.  It seems all the rage, and everyone doing it seems to have lots of fun.

I've lost a total of 116 lbs, which is on target with my average 10 lbs a month I seem to be losing now.

I have no idea how many inches I've lost. I had my measurements taken at the gym 1 month before surgery, and I think maybe I'll have them redo them at 10 months.

My food hasn't been as strict as it should be, but my estimates are pretty accurate. When I do pull out my measuring cups and scale to verify, I'm pretty much right on target, and my pouch  is too. By that I mean that measured quantity fills me up. I don't feel the need for more.  So although I'm not always measuring, my pouch seems accurate. .... I do verify about every 10 days or so, just to be sure.

I tolerate most foods, and stay away from those I know bother me.  Bread is no longer my friend, but I have had the occasional grilled cheese or toasted tomato sandwich...... crust cut off.  I just have to be very careful. I never know which bite will bite me back so I take it very slow.

I'm still getting lots of comments about how good I look.  It can be rather embarrassing, but I try to stay positive and accept the compliment graciously.

Well, that's about all for now.

I just thought I'd post my latest wow moment.
I was hoping it would happen, and today it did. My youngest put her arms around me today to give me a hug, and she said "Mommy, I can put my arms around you now. I couldn't do that before".  I felt like I was on cloud nine.  I great wow moment for me.

It's been 7 months since my surgery, and I've lost 106 lbs since that cold day in November. I was a size 26, and that was tight. I am now somewhere between an 18 and a 16.  I still weigh 221 lbs, and want to lose about 60 more, but we'll see what happens as I approch that number.
I find this past month there have been many changes. First of all, I haven't fit into an 18 since I was 18, and I don't remember wearing a 16 ever.
I'm feeling good about my loss, and really good about how I look.
I can now breath easier and .... I can cross my legs. It may be something small, but to me it's huge.
I'm enjoying shopping for new clothes... all the time LOL.
I have enough capris to get me through the summer, but come the fall, I'll be heading back to the stores to get new jeans. Mine are all to big. As I out grow them, I pass them on to my mom.
Today I did the silliest thing. I bought 3 bikini tops. LOLOL. They fit me, but Lord knows I'll never wear them where human eyes can see. It'll be in my back yard after dark. But the point is, I COULD get one on. I don't think I'll ever be a bikini wearer LOL.

I've also decided in the fall I'm going to have my vericos viens fixed. I don't want them done now because I don't want to have to wear the stockings during the summer.
Another decision I've made is to have my arms done. I'll wait till I stop losing before making that move. Once that is done, I may see someone about either a tummy tuck or a lower body lift. I'll need to see how that goes.

I'm losing about 10 lbs a month now. I'm happy with that. I figure at that rate, by the time the kids go back to school I could be down another 20 or so lbs,   I could be in onderland.

Everyone asks me about my surgery. They all want to know how I live day to day and how my life has changed. I belong to another site, a diet site, and I keep a journal there. I document my journey  so others can see what it's like to have surgery through my eyes.

After 7 months, I still say this is the best thing I have ever done.

I haven't logged in, in so long. So much has changed.

I'm 6 and a half months out, and I'm down 99.5 lbs.  I've gone from pushing a size 28 pants, and a 5x top, to a 2x top and 18-20 jeans.  I've  very happy with my progress so far.
The weight has definitly slowed down, but that's ok, it'll come off.

I get so many compliments that it's getting to the point I'me sick of it.  It was nice... very nice, at first, but now it's 4 and 5 times a day. I wonder if anyone else feels that way?

I was going to the gym 3 times a week, but I haven't been back in a month.... for no particular reason. Monday morning I'm starting back to my 5am routine,

I got a new bike for Mothers day... still haven't been on it.  I really want to get going on this. I asked for the bike. I think I may ask for roller blades for my b-day in Aug.

Anyway, that's life now a days in a nutshell

I gotta get with the program and start posting regularly.

Tomorrow I'll be 5 months out, and so far I'm down 82lbs.

My weight loss slowed down while we were away in the Dominican Republic, but still came back with a loss.

My mom has mentioned she's really considering the surgery.  She's struggled with her weight for as long as I can remember too, but not sure if she's ready for this.  She will really have to come to terms with the fact that this a life change and there is not cheating. If she can't give up the food, she can't have the surgery. That's where she's at right now, deciding if she can give it up or not.

I've had some wow moments too.
Last weekend, I bought a jacket that was a size 18. I nearly cried. I haven't worn anything size 18 since I was 18.  Now mind you, I can't wear anything else 18, but hey, it's a start.
I am finally able to see my weight loss.  After all the weight I've lost in the past (90 & 104) this is the first time I can actually see it on me. I think I'm starting to lose some of my fat head too.

Well, I hope to be back to post a bit more... and more often too.