Jeanne B.

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September 26

I just realized that I hadn't updated this in a long time.   The summer just flew by.

The newest pictures were taken on my 60th birthday.  Oh should I admit to that!   I'm sorry that I haven't posted a thank you to all who wished me Happy Birthday.  I've just been incredibly busy for the last two weeks.

My surgeon had a appreciation picnic on the 15th, and another bariatric friend and I rode our bikes 7 miles in a head wind to the park.  I wouldn't have done that 18 months ago!

Then on my birthday, the 16th another friend and I went to Frankenmuth, MI to hit the outlet mall at Birch Run and Bronner's Christmas store.  I spent way too much money but I have a new wardrobe for the fall.  It's not everyday that one turns 60.

Amid working for the last week, attending TOASTMASTER speech contests, going out to dinner a couple of times I had to squeeze in writing a lecture for the pathology residents at work.  That's done I presented it Monday.  It went over well, and now I volunteered to do another in a couple of weeks.  Am I a glutten for punishment?

We have been really busy at work and it's been very stressful.  The group lead quit a couple of weeks ago, we got approval for another tech, and another whose been on medical leave won't be coming back.  Essentially we are working 3 techs short and everyone's tempers are reaching the frustration level.  And our workload has increased by at least 50%.

The summer just flew by, I can't believe that it's the end of September.  My weight loss seems to have stabilized, and I hope that it hasn't ended.  I haven't been real good watching what I eat lately, and I know that I'll have to be careful for the rest of my life.  I go back to the surgeon on the 19th of October.  I should find out more about the hernia surgery then.  I probably won't have that until after the first of the year, though.   Our short term disability changed this year to a 30 day policy and we couldn't pay extra for the 14 day that I had last year.   Word from benefits is that it will return next year.

I guess I'd better call it a night, it's been a long day.

July 15, 2007

Friday I had two appointments.

One to have my eyes checked for new glasses.  When I got to the optical shop and was trying on the glasses, I had two that I really couldn't decide on.  I put one on and it blended into my face, the second didn't.  The tech said that she liked the second pair better, they didn't blend in.  She liked them bette:r because my face was so long andtt narrow.    Never have I been told that my face was long and certainly never narrow.  I looked and it was true.


The second was with my internist.  I was a little nervous because my weight loss has really slowed down and it seems like I been this same weight (183/84) since February or March.   Much to my surprise I had lost 9 lbs since my last visit in April. 
Now never much of one to offer compliments, the doc came in and said "Well, you know I always have to talk about the surgery.  I have another patient who had the surgery almost 2 years ago and has lost  only 9 lbs."  Now what was that supposed to mean.   He said some people it works for and some it doesn't.  "She likes bread too much." he said.

Now the not so wow moment.  I went out to dinner with some of my Toastmaster friends last night.  After dinner we were sitting around the table discussing plans for the Friday night fun night at our Fall conference.   They decided to do a "Gong" type show.   Well, right about that time my stomach started it's rumbling and grumbling.  Everyone asked whose stomach that was.  I admitted it was mine.  They thought it would be great if I could do it on demand with a mike infront of it for one of the inbetween acts on the "Gong" show.     Good thing I can't do it on demand. 

 May 21, 2007

Here is a very good interview with my surgeon on bariatric surgery

http://www.dptv.org/ondemand/abj/abjvod.shtml

I am still doing well at keeping the weight off, altough I seem to be losing at the rate of about a pound/month.   I continue to do water aerobics and swim laps two to three times a week.  Now that the weather is better I should begin walking again.  I do have neighbors that will walk with me.  However, usually one or the other of us is gone.

I will be going to the OH Seminar in Detroit this weekend and I'm  forward to meeting some of the people I correspond with on the Michigan Board and other boards.   My Dad was supposed to come down this weekend to demonstrate his mircomounting at a Gem and Mineral show in Allen Park.   I recieved an e-mail from him that he is not coming due to Rob's Problem.  Rob is my middle brother 3 years younger than I am.  His "problem" is either Hodgkins disease or Lymphoma.  Now that is a much bigger problem that he has never had to deal with before.   Rob is not married and lives with my 87 year old father, 170 miles from me so it's a little hard for me at this time.   I feel bad that it has to happen, but I know that most lymphomas are pretty curable and hopefully they caught it early.   He has a biopsy scheduled for next Tuesday and then we will know better what we are dealing with.

I feel bad for my Dad as he nursed my mother through her final days with Breast Cancer.  It will be tough on him.
Rob did call me tonight to tell me that he had seen the surgeon who will do the biopsy today.  I'll ask at work tomorrow for an Oncologist in Grand Rapids who treats lymphoma.

On the brighter side I made reservations tonight for Rochester NY for the Regional Toastmasters convention.  My friend, Nancy is going with me and we will meet our friend, Donna, from Albany there.  Nancy and Donna will have a good time sharing stories etc while I attend the meetings.

April 16, 2007

 I had my one year follow up on Friday. I was never given a goal weight. When he asked what weight I wanted to be at I said 150 and he said that was a good weight. Although I think that he would like it a little lower.

Officially I started at 277 and was at 193 so I have at least 35 lbs more to lose. He won't do the hernia surgery until I'm closer to 150 so they can do the tummy tuck at the same time.  I've lost 85 lbs since the surgery. The hernia has been hurting a bit so I will get another surgical binder.  :clap: :clap:

I also need to get more water in. I have a problem at work because I can't have water with me and they cut our allotted break time to 30 for lunch and 15 minutes for break. He's going to write a letter stating that I need 40 minutes for lunch and break. Of course, those extra 20 miutes a day will be FMLA and use up my vacation time.

I have to see the nutritionist later this week with a log of my food. I have been gaining and losing the same 4 lbs since January. I need to break this plateau.

 April 23, 2007

I had several WOW moments this weekend.   On Friday I went to see my orthopedic doctor for a six months check up.  Every thing was well, and the cortizone shot that I had in September has helped my knee so much.  He did say that both he and I know that the right knee will eventually need to be replaced, but there are still some non-surgical options that I still have.  Those are the 5 week series of hyalgen injections.  I'm not ready for those yet.  Although there are days that I feel I need them.  Especially, when I stand and have to wait for the knee cap to slide into place before I can walk.

I then went to visit the nutritionist, Darci, at Dr. Wood's office.  She said that I was doing well with my nutrition but I should try not to eat so much protein.  That and the amount of water I'm getting (less than 32 ounces a day) may be why my BUN was high on my last set of tests.  The additional test that Dr. Wood ordered came back.  Vitamin A normal and Vitamin B6 was 90, which is about 3 times as high as normal.  I don'l know how that happened.  He also ordered a Vitamin D test, but that hasn't been run yet, inspite of me calling the lab and the office asking them to order it.  I know that it probably was against the HIPPA laws for me to look at the results, everyone still does.  

Oh, that reminds me, I lost 5 lbs last week, breaking the long plateau I've been fighting since January.  I kept gaining and losing the same 4 or 5 lbs.  I weighed 186 on Dr. Wood's scale, so that means I've officially lost 91 lbs.  I still have about 25 lbs before I can have the hernia surgery. 

April 24, 2007

Well I didn't do much today.  I was off, so I got up at 8 and went to Water Aerobics from 9-10.

Then I met my girlfriend and we went to brunch.  Had to go to the DME to pick up a new surgical binder.   When I was at the Doc for my one year check up, I asked about a binder to help with the hernia.   I can't say that it actually hurts, but it gets really sore if I stand too long.  The surgeon asked if I had one from my original surgery.  I said yes but it was way too big.  I'd already taking about 3 inches of tucks in it.

Tonight I had my Toastmasters meeting and then hosted my sleep apnea chat until 11.

Now, about my weekend it was great!!!!
  
I went to the Spring Conference for my Toastmasters district.  I had two important things to do there one was chair the first timers committee and the other elections.  i was running for a division governor.  I didn't realize how dirty the politics could tt was a close election,  134 votes cast,  I got 61, he got 73.  I really couldn't believe the good comments I got, from people.  More complements than he recieved congratulations.   And there were several heads that turned, for  my outfit that day.  A printed green skirt (size 14) and black blouse.

I wasn't done yet, for the night was still young and there was the formal dinner dance.   I had my new pink/mauve dress to wear (pictures are in my profile).  I thought that heads turned in the morning even more turned when I walked in in that dress.   I'd eaten a little too much and my pouch was grumbling so I didn't really enjoy the dinner.  Then as I was contemplating going to bed, the pouch perked up and stopped hurting.

I was able to dance the cotton eye joe, and the window washer song for the first time since I'd been coming to these conventions.  I could even pivot on my bad leg and I hadn't done that in several years.  Maybe I can go back to Square Dancing this summer.  I at least want to try.
At the very end of the night the DJ decided to play a game with a hula hoop.  Picture this, 20 people in a circle with hands joined, a hula hoop over the arms of one couple.  The object of the game was to pass the hoop over your body and onto the next, if the music stopped and you had the hoop on your body you were out.   Well, I must really be getting more flexible ( did the water aerobics do that?) for it ended up that I was one of the last 3 in the circle!!!!!

All in all it was a good weekend and I had fun.  The WOW moments continue to WOW me.

I posted this on the "Over 50's Board" today.  I thought it might help others in their decision for WLS.

The Tamoxifen won't be a problem for the WLS.  I'd been on it preventably for 3 years before my surgery last April.  I stopped taking it a couple of days before surgery and restarted it about a month after.  Like all estrogen like drugs it has an increased potential for blood clots, but as long as your surgeon knows about it you should be OK.

Now as for the doctors who don't know about using Tamoxifen preventably, there are several large studies that show Tamoxifen and Evista have an effect for delaying the onset of breast cancer in high risk patients.

I have been in the STAR study ( the most recent study) for 3 and a half years of a 5 year study.  My mother lost her 20 year battle with breast cancer in Mar of 2004.   Tamoxifen allowed her at least 5 years after her first reoccurance.  Then a couple of other drugs gave her another 5 years.  She lived a good live until her last year.   She even  went camping with my Dad in the summer of 2003.

The STAR study was a double blind study but it was unblinded last June because of it's great success.  I now know that I was on Tamoxifen at the time of my surgery.  I still have another year in the study.  The star study was designed to follow 5,000 high risk patients for 5 years.

Now why am I high risk.....     
            Obesity
            First degree relative (mother, sister, grandmother, aunt) with breast cancer.  (I think that my maternal grandmother probably died of it too.  She died in 1942 of an unknown female cancer.)
            No child bearing

14 February 2007

How time flies.  I just realized that I haven't updated this is a long time.
It's Valentines Day and, of course I got no Valentines.

I guess I've been a little lax about this blog or maybe a  little depressed.  I haven't lost any pounds since before Christmas.  I've been hovering between 187 and 191 pounds.   I have to watch what I eat more carefully.

I have been excercising.... water aerobics 2-4 times a week.

My sizes have changed.  I've got some medium sized shirts and sweaters.  And a couple of size 12 pants.  Mostly I'm in a 14 or 16.
 
I went to the support group tonight and Darci calculated my percentage of weight lost at 73%.   That's good for being 9 months out.  I can't believe that at this time last year I was anticipating the surgery.  Now I'm anticipating another surgery, to fix the hernia and perhaps a tummy tuck.  Now if I could just break this stall.

1 December 2006

I stopped on the bariatric floor to see my angelette, Karen G who had her surgery yesterday for a few minutes.  She is doing well, except that the epidural didn't work and the morphine was  working but not effectively.,

I've been going to my friend, Nancy, every night this week making Christmas presents for the family.  They are all done now, but I still have a tie and a jacket to make this week.   Can you believe that I am interested in sewing again?  It was an experience to take a pattern and actually  use the next to smallest size on the pattern (16) and not have to add into the seam lines of the largest size.

I'm into size 18 fitted pants, 16 with elastic and large tops.  I even tried on a size 14W dress and had to walk out of the store because I wanted it so badly.  I don't really have a place to wear a slinky black velvet dress.

Here's my weight loss update.  I'll post more later today.

10 December 2006

Today is my 8 month surgery anniversary.   I've lost a total of 94 lbs from my surgery evaluation weight. 

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11/02/2006

Here's a little thing to show my progress:



Tonight, I went with my friend to the All Souls Service aou t her church.  Her mother died in September so it was a little hard on her.  After church, I went to her house dresses in tow, to select which one I should wear to the semi-formal dinner on Saturday night.  I'm co chair of this conference so I'll be sitting at the head table.  I also needed to get an escort.   I asked a friend and fellow Toastmaster and he said yes.  Now my escort will be a big winner (not just of me) of Who Wants to Be A Millionaire.  Hopefully, it will be a good conference.

Now do I wear the Red, the Blue (someone else who might be there has the same dress) or the Coppery Brown?  The purple that I really wanted to wear is still just too small.  I can't believe that I was that small in 1974 when I made the dress and went on a cruise.
You might be asking why I still have that dress.......it's because I made and slaved for hours over the Vogue pattern.   There is another conference in the spring so maybe then.

11/07/2006

The second of my big conferences this fall is over.  And the one that I co-chaired was a success.  I heard very few negative comments and many many positive comments.  That's a nice feeling to have been involved in something successful.

I got my haircut Friday morning and I'm still adjusting to it.  The comments I get from everyone are very positive.  I had so many people comment on how great I looked at the conference I lost count of them.  I'm learning to accept the compliements that are coming every day now.  I'll have to get a new picture taken with my new haircut.
 
I wore the blue dress, had lots of fun at the dance.  Even though I didn't dance that much.  I tried but I'm still afraid to do too much of it because of my knee.  The DJ they hire for this conferences is great has a good mix of music and will teach people line dances.

After the committee meeting on Sunday morning, I went to Great Lakes Crossings to met with the Michigan Board Walkers.  I was a little late (about an hour and a half) but I did manage to find Linda Ton and Tammy C.  Tammy and I walked another circuit.  After that I did some Christmas shopping.  I need to stop going there it's hurting my pocket book (g).  By 4 PM I could barely walk and left.  My heel was hurting and I don't know why.  Maybe I irritated the heel spur there.

Yesterday, I went to my foot doctor, and asked about the heel pain.  He feels that I may have a stress fracture in the heel bone.  Probably caused by hitting the pool to hard in water aerobics.   Why is that every time I find an excercise that I like something happens?  My  knee is aggrevated or now my heel.  I have to go back to the foot doctor on Monday so he can see how the heel is doing and then he may order a bone scan and treat it.  I don't want to think of what the treatment is, cast and rest.  He didn't say to stop the aerobics, just that I should wear water shoes when doing them.    Anyone know  where to find water shoes in November in Michigan?

11/10/2006

I found my water shoes, called water socks at Sports Authority.  My feet felt so much better when I did the aerobics last night.

I was chatting with some of  the other chat hosts from Talk About Sleep last night about the conference we had in Minneapolis.  My boss, Tracy, said Oh "Did I tell you how beautiful you were andis that your taste in clothes is wonderful?"   She loved the outfits I brought with me from my shopping spree at Cold Water Creek.

I got on the scales today and was very surprised to see that I was finally below 200 lbs.



Now my next goal is to get a Century club card.  It might be a couple of months yet, but I will get it.  I'm going to my friends tonight to get her to take some 7 month pictures.

This weekend I attended the First National Patient Sleep Conference in Minneapolis and I had a couple of Wow moments.

The first was sitting in the airplane with the seatbelt fastened comfortably with a couple inches to spare

Friday night at dinner was talking with a sleep doc about sleep apnea.  In the course of the conversation about OSA and RLS, he said that I wasn't "all" that overweight.

I walked the Mall of America and also a trail at the Minnesota Wildlife Refuge that had a pretty steep downhill, and of course what g  oes down must come up.  I was a little winded but that was the steepest hill I've been down in many years.  And my knee didn't even twitch.

My new autocpap is wonderful and the pressure is much lower than what I was at with my bipap.  I don't know that I'll be successful at getting rid of the CPAP like many of you.  I had it at 150lbs although that doc didn't want to treat it then.

I had a great time this weekend and met many of my friends from another Sleep Apnea board.

Today ends the open enrollment for benefits for the next year.  It looks like I'll have to fight the insurance company if I want to have a tummy tuck with my hernia surgery.  That is if I can ever get the 100 lb weight loss.  Seems that plastic surgery is NOT a benefit, just like the gastric bypass was when first applied for it.  The new benefit package doesn't mention the RNY coverage either so I wonder if they made it not a benefit again.