Jasmine130

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Here it is October 2010; I am now a little over 3 years out from my gastric bypass on September 24, 2010.  I am continuing to do really well.

I am keeping my weight stable, I have a great deal of energy.  I am keeping a vigilance over my compulsive overeating by attending meetings of Overeaters Anonymous, and fully "working the steps" :). 

I've had plastic surgery and am really pleased with the results.

I am filled with gratitude for this huge, positive change in my life.  I find it is very very helpful for me to look back on my journey by reading my blog here and by being involved with others, especially those just beginning the process.

Here's to another year of health!

Wow it's been a very long time since I've posted on my blog here.  Like so many others, once I reached my goal, I became very caught up in my new life and didn't visit this site so much.

It's my intention to change that and even though I may not blog here so often, or participate in the forums as much, I think it's important for myself and for others on the journey that I do just that.

In September of this year, 2010, I will be 3 years out from my gastric bypass surgery.  Every day when I roll out of bed, I am aware of my new, healthy, slim body.  I am sitting here, below goal, wearing a medium t-shirt and size 4 pants.  Size 4! 

I am so very grateful for having been able to have my gastric bypass surgery, not to mention the reconstructive surgery to remove all the excess skin.

2009 was a big year of surgery for me:

March:  gallbladder removed.
May:  tummy tuck and lower body lift.  The surgeon removed almost 250 square inches of excess skin from around my lower body.  It only weighed 5 pounds though because there was basically no fat in there.
October:  upper arm lift and breast lift with augmentation.

So that's 6 surgeries in 8 months.  Whew!  But I'm feeling great and loving life.

If anyone is reading this and wondering if such results are possible, they really are.  I am no one special, I have no extraordinary powers :).  I hope that my experience can give you hope for your own situation.

Key to maintaining my weight loss is my ongoing efforts at eating right.  For me, this means that I am involved in Overeaters Anonymous.  I "work the steps", including attending OA meetings 2-3 times per week, sponsoring others and having a sponsor.  As part of my pre-surgical evaluation, I was diagnosed with binge-eating disorder (not really a surprise there!) and was warned that if I did not address this, I would either not reach my target weight, or would manage to reach it but re-gain it.  As a compulsive overeater, I know that if I let down my guard, that is exactly what would happen.

So here I am -- continuing the hard work and reaping the benefits each and every day.  Life is good and I am grateful!!!

If there's any word or theme that is common to my blog, it is "grateful".  Or maybe, "relief".

I am grateful for relief!

I'm relieved to no longer be chokingly, dangerously, super morbidly obese. 
Relieved to have found a reversal for my health problems.
I'm relieved of the constant feelings of defeat and failure as a person unable to overcome my obesity.
Relieved to have found a means of recovery from my compulsive overeating through Overeaters Anonymous.
I'm relieved from worry that a chair won't hold me, a space will be too small for me to pass through.
Relieved to no longer be an object of disdain and judgment because of my size.
I'm relieved to no longer be the largest person in a room and just be normal, maybe even attractive.

And now that I've begun my reconstructive surgery phase, I am especially grateful that I have the means for plastics, and plenty of medical time off work.  Following my lower body lift, I am relieved of the bother and irritation of excess skin, both from a physical standpoint and an aesthetics standpoint.  Later on this year, I plan to have my arms and breasts done.

I continue to track my intake every day to ensure I get in the appropriate number of calories and grams of protein.  My pouch still "works"  and really speaks up when I eat dense protein such as chicken or ground beef.  I experience dumping if I eat too much sugar, e.g., last night when I ate watermelon and experienced some unpleasant, though not drastic symptoms.

I attend OA meetings twice a week and have completed my first 3 steps and am working on my 4th step.  I am now qualified to be a sponsor and am looking forward to helping someone else in their journey (and as they say in "program" -- service makes you slender).

Blessed.  Relieved.  Grateful!

I'm three weeks out today from my lower body lift on May 11, 2009.  The time has gone by very quickly and recovery has been easier than I anticipated.  I am sure that's because of the loving prayers and support of friends and family.  And even my cats who stayed by my side :).

I am in no pain, and the incision looks great.  There is still some swelling, but that's normal and expected.  I am back to work today and a little tired but otherwise fine.  I am very pleased with the results thus far!

Well, here I am 10 days out from my lower body lift on May 11, 2009.  My bandages are off, my 4 JP drains are out, the swelling's going down and I can see my new shape emerging already.  The incision looks great, no infection, no bruising.  Doc wants me to wear a Spanxx-type garment for a little while and to apply a vitamin-E cream to soften the incision.

I'm off my vicodin as of yesterday and just had a couple of tylenol today.  No pain to speak of, just an odd, tight feeling like I have an inflatable corset.  

I am so, so grateful to have been able to start on my plastics and am thinking of having my arms/breasts done in September.
Life is good and I am blessed beyond expectation.

It hardly seems real, but I'm just 5 days, counting today, from my lower body lift on Monday May 11th 2009.  I've been running around like crazy the last couple of weeks with my pre-op appointments, and getting all my ducks in a row at home and at work in anticipation.  I've done my labs and EKG, pre-op with my PCP, with my plastic surgeon, and then early this morning I had a pre-op orientation at the surgery center at the hospital where I'll have my belt lipectomy. 

It's hard to think of anything else! But I am trying to concentrate.  This Saturday, DH and I are going to San Jose to pick up a rental lift chair/recliner for my convalescence period at home.  We'll set it up in the living room as I would feel to isolated if I had to stay in my bedroom at the back of the house.  I'll be able to sleep in this recliner too as it lies flat back.

I have always viewed plastic surgery as part of my weight loss journey and my fight to regain my health and self-esteem.  In some ways I'm still pinching myself as if I were dreaming.  Have I really lost over 214 pounds?  Am I really going in for phase one of my reconstructive surgeries?  I am!  It's for real! 

Grateful, grateful.

My upcoming LBL on May 11, 2009 is so much on my mind these days.  I'm so excited!
Today I called BCBS as I had not received my authorization letter for their coverage of the panniculectomy part of my surgery.  The representative confirmed the approval but indicated the surgeon's office needed to call in with my rescheduled date of surgery; then they will send a letter out to me, and to the surgeon's office, furnishing the approval.

I ordered a lift chair rental so I can camp out in my living room during the initial part of my recovery.  The recliner will lie flat so I can sleep, and will lift me up to a standing position when it's time to get up and move around.

I'm lining up help, first with my husband, then a dear friend, then will ask the neighbors to look in on me from time to time.  I'm drinking lots of water and getting in more protein than usual.  I feel really well following my gallbladder removal on 03/27/2009 and am geared up for this surgery!  I am looking forward so much to getting the excess skin folds and drapes removed, and my tummy muscles cinched up.  I know I won't have a perfect body, but I think I can reasonably expect to fit much better in my clothes, be relieved of the skinfold rashes as well as the self-consciousness when I look at my naked self.

I am very, very grateful to have had my RNY, to have reached my goal weight, and now to be able to start on my reconstructive surgery.

Well, yesterday was the day I was SUPPOSED to have my lower body lift.  But no....it was pre-empted by surgery to remove my gallbladder.  My gallstone attacks were becoming more frequent and more painful and it was just time to get that thing out already.  That surgery was on 03/27/2009 and I feel so much better. 

I have rescheduled my LBL to May 11, 2009.  I am so excited about it I can hardly stand it!

Well, I've finished all my interviews and decision-making processes and I'm excited to say that I have scheduled the first phase of reconstructive surgery for this coming April 9th.  I'll be having a belt lipectomy -- a lower body lift.  Involved are a tummy tuck; lateral thigh lift and buns lift.  The incision will go all around my waistline. 

The date is coming up quickly and I'm doing all my prep work both in terms of tests and surgical clearances, as well as in my personal and professional life. 

I am sooooooooooo excited about this next part of this wonderful journey, and again, so full of gratitude.

This morning I had a bone density scan (post-menopausal baseline) and while I was on the table I asked about the information I saw in the reception area regarding body composition scans.

Now I know my insurance wouldn't cover a body composition scan, so imagine how delighted I was to find out I could get the scan done for $49, right then while I was still at the densiometry center.

"Let's DO it!" says I.  Several minutes later I had my results and I am so pleased!  I have dropped over 208 lbs in about 17 months and have been curious to know how much fat remains and also wanted to know about my lean muscle mass.  I want to be thin....but not weak! 

So:  my percentage of body fat is 18.7.  WOW!!!!  I didn't have a scan before I started this journey, wish I had but definitely I was at least 50% before surgery.

The ACE sets forth these desciptions for percentage body fat for men and women. 

Description	Women	Men
Essential fat	12–15%	2–5%
Athletes	16–20%	6–13%
Fitness	21–24%	14–17%
Acceptable	25–31%	18–25%
Obese	32%+	25%+

I have the same percentage body fat as an athlete!!!! 

Please folks, if you are just beginning this journey and are wondering if you can ever lose your excess weight and be healthy, know that I am only one example of how you can get your life back through weight loss surgery. 

It is hard work to be sure, but as I sit here in my size 6 pants, down from a tight 30/32, I can tell you that for me every bit of effort has been and continues to pale in light of the joy I am feeling now to have lost this excess weight. 

Make no mistake, it is difficult, and in many ways my journey has just begun.  Now I'm doing the hard, hard work on the mental, spiritual and emotional aspects of my compulsive overeating.

-Jasmine