JodyRNY
I had lap RNY surgery on Jan. 23rd 2006.
February 2013
7 years 1 month post op
I did it! I ran my first HALF MARATHON!!!! Feb 9th 2013 was seven years post op and happened to be my 35th birthday. I trained for 8 months and finally can say I've come full circle in my journey! I ran 13.1 miles in 2 hours and 28 minutes! It was the most physically and mentally challenging thing I've ever willingly done since surgery! There aren't enough words to describe the sense of accomplishment I have and I owe this to having gastric bypass. I am the healthiest I've ever been and I HAVE BEATEN OBESITY!!!!
I am still maintaining 144 pounds and working out daily. I'm running, hiking, being a gym rat and I'm addicted to Zumba. I continue to track calories and firmly have a grip on my life right now :) I am a SUCCESS!!!!
September 2012
6 years 8 months post op
Not a huge update this time but Ive finally reached my previous goal weight. Ive been able to lose 22 pounds in the past 5 months and I am at my original goal of 145 pounds. I exercise 1-2 hours a day without fail and I consume no more than 1200 calories a day. I have been following my bypass rules still by taking supplements, drinking my water, eating protien first etc. but I had to find a balance between being normal and being a bypass patient so counting calories AND following my bypass rules helps me. I keep a food journal and track calories using an application on my iphone. Its also available at www.myfitnesspal.com if you dont have an iphone. Its an amazing tool.
I also just redrew all my labs and none of the auto immune antibodies I had from my implants are present. This is pure proof to me that my breast implants were causing the health issues I had (see my blog below.) I am totally healthy, all blood work is perfect and I feel great. I feel I have come full circle but I also realize I need to stay active in the bariatric community. I attend monthly support groups still almost seven years post op and I also speak monthly at seminars alongside my surgeon to potential patients seeking bariatric surgery. I feel finally that I have got a firm grip on my health and who I really am. The journey is not over....but I have been true to myself and obesity will never own me again!!! I am a SUCCESS!!
June 19 2012
6 years 5 months post op
Well I haven't been here in quite some time! Since last I updated my health took a turn. After nearly five years of mild symptoms my body began fighting back against my saline breast implants. I had worsening arthritis for years and finally went to the doctor with a list of other strange and rapidly growing health issues. Among them were the horrid, all over joint pain. This arthritis type pain was affecting all my large joints and had for some number of years but suddenly it began in all my small joints from my jaw to my vertebrae and the small joints in my hands and feet. I also had worsening muscle pain, chronic mouth ulcers, eye pain, daily headaches, bouts of fatigue that would force me to call family to care for my two kids for the day and an over all sense that something was very wrong. I fell into some depression in 2011 between these issues and my husband being deployed to the middle east.
In July of 2011 I had blood drawn and it came back showing three types of antibodies in my blood. They told me to consult a rhuematologist and we feared I had Lupus. I was shortly after diagnosed with an auto immune disease called Sjogrens Syndrome. I sought help and three different opinons but was told all we could do was treat symptoms. I was given pain killers at 120 per bottle and sent home to wait for something else to treat! I began doing my own research, looking into my past for possible answers etc. I came across hundreds of women with my symptoms and progression.
On Oct 10th 2011 I chose to have my breast implants removed in hopes I'd see some improvement. Four days after surgery my pain vanished almost over night. I was very skeptical but hopeful I'd found an answer. Two months later in December we retested my blood and all three antibodies were negative. My diagnosis of Sjogrens Syndrome was officially reversed! It has been eight months and I am off all medication and 100% pain free.
The last three months I have woken up and realized the scale was creeping upward. My lack of mobility for the previous year due to so much pain coupled with depression caused me to emotional eat. I needed to get about 15 pounds off! I began tracking my calories with the help of an app on my iPhone and I began a strict exercise routine that has me working out 2 hours per day. In three months I have exceeded my goal and have lost 20 pounds. I currently weigh 148 pounds which is 3 pounds from my original goal weight :D I am hiking 3 miles up a nearby mountain about twice a week, biking pulling my two boys (who are amazingly 3 and four years old now) 14 miles, roller skating 12 miles, working out at the gym for two hours at a time and I'm running. I am amazed at the endurance I've gained. I can run at a pace of 5.0 for thirty minutes without stopping....it's about 2.5 miles. I have entered a 5k race coming this October. It's a mud race and I will get very dirty! I'm super excited to do something so fun and have a group of friends and my husband on my team. I refused to let weight get out of control, failure was NOT an option....and yet again I've won.
I am beyond grateful for my health and well being and feel blessed to have had the smarts to do my own research in order to get answers. Many doctors told me there was no correlation between implants and auto immune disease but I am living proof it's true!
I am still a stay home Mommy and my amazing husband is still in the US Navy as a submariner. This year he goes over 12 years of service and our oldest son will enter Kindergarten :) I am happy, healthy and thank God for what I have every day!!
Jan 26th 2010
I am officially FIVE YEARS post op lap. gastric bypass! I am still maintaining a weight of 150 and I am 100% healthy. I have been remarried for going on four years and my children are now 3 years old and 1 1/2 years old. There is not a day that goes by that I am not thankful for my surgery and Id do it over again in heart beat. I continue to attend lectures that my surgeon Dr. Julie Ellner gives to potential patients. I enjoy getting up and telling my story to the crowds of people considering surgery. Its amazing that I can stand in the front of the room with the very people who I watched tell their stories when I was the obese person in the potential patient chair! Its amazing to get up and stand beside those people now and be among the healthy, happy and normal sized! Life is juuust about as perfect as it can get. Im happy, healthy, totally and 100% in love with my husband and I adore and cherish my beautiful children.
I still dump fairly easy on greasey and sugary foods but its not as intense now that I am five years post op, so I am learning to use some more restraint. I can eat normal sized meals and its amazing but I feel that I can eat just as normally as anyone else! It is scary to me thinking back on the eating habits I used to have. I think back to the days when I could eat an entire pizza by myself and its just mind boggling! I will never forget what it was like to be obese, I will always be obese in my head even though the mirror shows me something different now. Im loving life and living it to the fullest!! Oh, I also finally over came a huge fear of mine...this year I obtained my motorcylce license :) I couldve never done it weighing 300 pounds!! :D
May 6th 2010
I am 4.5 years of out gastric bypass and still maintaining my weight at 150 pounds. My children are 2.5 and 1 now!!! Im still happily married to the love of my life and we just bought our first home in December. Its much harder to keep my weight stable and much easier to gain now but I refuse to regain my weight! I am the happiest Ive ever been and if I die tomorrow I will have had more life in the past 4.5 years than in all my 32! Im just.....happy :) Life is grand!
September 9th 2009
Well just a fast update! My second post op baby JONATHAN was born on May 20th 2009 weighing 7lbs 2oz and he was 20in long! He was born via c-section because he was breech. The tummy tuck I had following my weight loss prevented him from turning head down, my muscles were too tight! I have lost all 35 pounds I gained during pregnancy and you'd never know I was ever pregnant looking at me. My tummy tuck held up very nice and is still as flat and tight as before I got pregnant, my boobs look great still too lol. As of now my two post op babies are 23 months old and 3.5 months old and they are the most beautiful things Ive ever seen. Every year the struggle to maintain my weight loss gets a bit harder but I am determined to stay on track! In the past three years Ive had gastric bypass, lost 165 pounds, had three rounds of plastic surgery and have had two children!!! I am finally done having kids (tied my tubes on the operating table) and now I am excited to really focus on enjoying the new body I have. I got pregnant with my first at just 12 months out of surgery so my body has been put through hell. I am looking forward to not having to go under the knife by choice ever again!!! Life is good...I am blessed...and I am above all else, I am HEALTHY!! WLS gave me this life, my husband and my children and I am forever grateful for it and the strength within myself to have made the choice to have it!!! Im a loser!!! :)
December 4th 2008
Well, still trucking along in pregnancy. We found out two weeks ago we are having another BOY!!! We are VERY excited about giving our little Joshua a baby brother...I am just on cloud nine! I have only gained one pound so far and I am now 4 months along. I lost about 6 because my morning sickness was so bad...I had to repeat the fluid infusions for hydration just like in my last pregnancy, my hypoglycemia is semi out of control most days just like last time, and I dump on everything 10 times worse being pregnant...just like last time! Pregnancy after wls is definately a bigger challenge! But, its going to be worth it in the end :) I can hardly wait to hold my newborn Son!!!
Sept. 30th 2008
We just found out we are six weeks pregnant with baby number two!!! Our son Joshua is 11 months old which means the kids will be about 20 months apart. I am exstatic that we got pregnant within the first month of trying and I am just so blessed in life all around. I am hoping this pregnancy is not has hard as the first one as far as my sugar levels go. I have learned a lot in the past year about how to keep sugar levels stable with protien so I am hoping that being more informed saves me the troubles of feeling as bad as I did when I was pregnant with Joshua. For now...I have a love hate relationship with pregnancy, I am elated that I am pregnant, pissed at the morning sickness...but when it comes down to it, feeling like crap means everything is fine with my baby. Until next time.....muah!
May 31, 2008
Well I am FINALLY on the other side of my journey and I am PROUD AS HELL to say I BEAT OBESITY!!!!!
I am 3 1/2 weeks post op from my breast lift/enlargement and arm lift. I am totally healed, the bruises are fading very fast and I look FABULOUS!!! I thought I had worked out all my self esteem issues already but I realize now that I only made half of that progress. Getting rid of all that skin and putting my breasts back where they belong has given me a brand new body and a brand set of issues to work on. The hardest part right now is looking past the scars. I am the only one who can see most of them but the scars on my arms show if I move them right. I finally just realized how far I have come and figured WHO CARES!!! I am starting to wear tank tops and shirts with spaghetti straps. I think the only real problem strangers really have is how stark white I am lol.
I am so blessed to have been given the chance to have these operations. I have tried several times to thank my parents for paying for it but when I do, I just melt into tears. I am sure that says enough though. Most of the questions I get are #1 Did it hurt a lot? No its a sore surgery but not painful. You just have to stay on top of meds. #2 How much was it? For those of you wondering my tummy tuck was 9,000 and my arms/breasts were 13,000 together. My wls was near 29,000 if you add in the extra blood work costs that were not covered in my cash package. Soooo I am at least worth a hummer!!! LOL I thank God I was so lucky to have been able to have this all done. It might seem like a lot of money but when you add in the amount of LIFE I have been given the numbers seem to shrink a little.
So, here I am.....complete....healthy......alive.....and finally, BEAUTIFUL!!!!! :o)
May 2nd. 2008
Okay I have healed from the tummy tuck!! I had a minor flaw in the healing. I had to go back in because one of the drain sites got a little puffy and sore. I had a small infection but was just put on antibiotics for another two weeks. I am totally healed now, just numb from the belly button to my scar line. That should go away and I should get my feeling back over the next year or so. But, when a tummy looks this nice who cares if you cant feel it LOL.
I go in for my next surgery in FIVE DAYS!!! I am having my breasts lifted, reconstructed and implants are being put in as I dont have enough tissue left of my own after they chop em all up lol. I am also having my arms done, getting rid of the extra skin there is the most anticipated surgery out of them all. Isnt it strange that my tummy looked the worst but it was always my arms I couldnt live with. I am a bit nervous as I will be put under for 6 or more hours for this one. I have a wonderful dr. though....DR. Robert Pollack of Alvarado in San Diego CA. He is a God sent and a wonderful surgeon so I trust him beyond anything. I am super excited to wake up with elephants on my chest and my bat wings gone forever!!! I told my husband to watch out, cuz I am going SHOPPING!!! Here I come victora's secret :)
I will post before and afters as I have them.
March 16, 2008
I am officially post op tummy tuck!!!! My experience was much less painful than I thought it would be and my belly looks AMAZING. For anyone looking into this reconstructive surgery I hightly recommend it. I am scheduled for surgery on my arms and breasts in mid May....I am so close to being done with my journey and I am so so so proud of the accomplishments I have made for myself. I HAVE FINALLY BEATEN OBESITY!!!!!
Feb. 2008
I am 2 years and 2 months post op. Next month (March 11th 2008) I am having my tummy tuck!!!! A couple months later I am doing my arms and breasts. I have to wait for those because I just finished nursing my son. I am totally excited to finish the journey I started two years ago. I am going to be one HOT MOMMA!!!!! Bye Bye obesity....hello water parks!!!!! I cant wait to take my son to the river and wear a bathing suit....I cant wait to finally let my husband touch my stomach.....I cant wait to get rid of this damn skin!!! I will post before and after shots so check back next month!!!!
Jan. 13 2008
This month I will be TWO YEARS post op!! I am still at my goal weight of 145 even after my son was born 3 months ago. I cant believe how fast time flies!!! I am planning a consult this month with a plastic surgeon to remove skin from my tummy and arms, and I am having my breasts lifted with implants (I dont have enough tissue left not to.) I am a bit scared now that the surgery is a reality for me (I can finally pay for it now) because with my son here now I have a lot more to lose if something goes wrong. It is something I have to do for myself though because as much as life has given back to me in these past two years....I still owe it to myself to finish this journey I started for ME!!!!
MY SON IS BORN!!!!!
Finally he is here! Joshua Alan Green made his was into the world on Oct. 16th 2007 at 2:04pm =)
My water broke in the middle of the night and 14 hours later I was holding him in my arms....I am totally in love. Life has given me the most precious gift in the world and I truly owe it all to the benefits of wls. Had I not had gastric bypass I would have never gotten my life back and I am certain of that. I am doing well, I have lost most of the baby weight already and I am surprised to find that all my blood sugar issues during pregnancy are long gone! My pouch seems to have bounced back too, I was eating pretty large meals during pregnancy but I guess now that the hormone levels are reduced it is not stretching out anymore to allow bigger quantities in. I have no doubt I will lose all 26 pounds I gained and I have more energy now than I have in 9 months. Life is great....I have never been so in love in my entire life!
39 weeks prego! 10 days till birth....or less!
Well I have been in early labor for a week now....if my son is not born by wednesday Oct. 17th 2007 I am being induced on Oct. 24th at 4 am!!! I am miserable....I have been having contractions for a week and I am ready to get him out so I can have my body back. I am hoping all sugar issues resolve themselves and I am also hoping my tolerance for dumping resumes its normalacy!! I have only gained 26 pounds.....they say that is perfect so I hope to lose all the baby poundage fast! Other than that....no new news...just sitting around waiting to be a Mommy finally!!!
1yr 8months post op......34 weeks prego!
38 days till we meet our son.....I have gained 17 pounds thus far.....my pregnancy though not fun is going good, baby is healthy and I am not getting too fat lol. Life is perfect...Nick and I just got married 3 weeks ago and the only thing in life that will top that day is the day we hold our newborn son. Gastric bypass is the sole reason I have been given my life back and I encourage anyone reading my story to do your research and never rule out the possibilities the surgery has to offer you. Not a day goes by that I regret my choice.
26 WEEKS PREGO! 18 MONTHS POST OP!
Not much is new, so far I have gained 13 pounds is all...wohooo. Nick and I have 32 days till our wedding and 95 till the baby is due...we are on cloud nine. Thats it for now.......
22 WEEKS PREGO! 17 MONTHS POST OP!
Well not much new to report.....still truckin along with the super duper fetus....he is perfect and kicking like mad! I have only gained 11 pounds in five and a half months with the pregnancy, which is right on considering I am allowed up to 15 by this point! I have no doubt I will be back in my "non-stretchy tummy" jeans a few weeks after my son arrives!
I cant believe how far I have come, how much my life has improved, and how blissfully happy I am. Looking back on my life I now know why I had to bare all the stuggles I did......they were needed in order to be able to fully enjoy what was ultimatly in store for ME!!! Gastric bypass surgery not only saved my life, it gave it back to me...and I dont intend on wasting one single day of it. Cheers to me and my hard work....if your reading this and are pre-op.....life is waiting for you too! Until next time......
18 WEEKS PREGO!
Well I made it...I am almost half way through my pregnancy...my AFP test results have not called, which is a good thing...if they dont call by tomarrow my baby is 97% certain not to have spina bifida and downs syndrome. The next hurdle is reaching that all important "age of viability" which is 26 weeks. I am still struggling with sugar crashes and have lost another pound but the doctor says not to worry. I am right on target with the wieght gain, actually a bit under the normal. I am beginning to get a belly but I am pretty certain that at this point the only thing keeping me at a good "baby gain" wieght is the gastric bypass.
I know that without this sugery I wouldnt be able to control my wieght. Heck without the surgery I wouldnt have gotten pregnant in the first place! I am still a bit freaked out about gaining though...I didnt have long at all to adjust to my thinner body before this happened. I have had to adjust very quickly to major changes in life this past year! I went from 300 pounds to 145 pounds to pregnant and growing at an alarming rate in just 14 months! I also went from married to divorced to engaged to pregnant really really fast too!!! I am blessed to have been able to move through the process quickly and with little stress though. I am embracing my new life and awaiting the birth of my son on pins and needles. If there is one thing I am NOT it is patient....this pregnancy is giving me a crash course in "theres not a damn thing you can do about it!" If ever higher powers have tested me...this is the ultimate test!! Until next time.......
Almost 4 months prego now!!!
This will be a short post....I found out last week we are having a SON!!! I got a 4d sonogram....it made all the illness worth while to see that Nick and I created a perfect living human...and hes alive and well inside me!!! Way cool. I still am growing, but not gaining too much wieght...I am tired of eating so often, it scares me a lot! I have a bit more energy the past two weeks or so though and I hope it continues. I still dump at the drop of a hat...hopefully I go back to my normal tolerance of food when the baby is out.....ahhh yes, I have a son! :)
15 MONTHS OUT and 3 MONTHS PREGNANT.
Well time is flying!! I have gained 6 pounds in these last 3 months which is scary but the dr. says it is right on target. I can no longer fit into any of my "skinny jeans" and most of the shirts I wore at my thinnest are snug in the belly. I seem to have thickened around my middle and it scares me to be going the other way. I know it is going to happen but after losing 160 pounds its very frightening!
I have been extremly sick for the past couple months. So much so that I had to quit my job teaching. I have been going to an infusion center about twice a week since I got pregnant....when I am there they give me bags of fluid that usually take 4 to 5 hours to get in. I am in a constant battle to keep my blood sugar stable and I struggle with keeping hydrated. I have had horrid morning sickness and I am very weak. It seems that all the pregnancy related "issues" that one person can get...I have! The baby is taking everything I put in before I can recharge myself so I am running on empty most of the time while the baby is just peachy! I have been told to eat hourly and it scares the heck out of me because we all know snacking leads to weight gain!
I am now in my 2nd trimester though and things seem to be leveling out again. I am hoping to return to work part time in the next few weeks....sitting at home is getting boring! I have been told these symptoms might fade but I know in my heart (and belly) that it will be a 9 month long battle! I am ready to fight though as long as my baby is healthy. I refuse to gain more than the 25 to 30 recommended pounds....and I swear I will lose it all after the baby is born....I have come too far not to!
13 MONTHS OUT!!
WOW WOW WOW!!! I sit here today a new woman in so many ways! This past year has given me so many struggles, so much heartache, a devistating loss of friends I thought were true...and so much happiness all rolled into one. I have lost 161 pounds, My Dad died, I got divorced, I got promoted to "boss" at work, My brother walked back into my life after 18 years..sober!, I met a man I never thought I would be lucky enough to find, and now I sit here six weeks pregnant with his baby! I am still reeling in the newness of my life, and my body...I can only explain the many doors swinging open one after another as a path that I was set on by some higher power...I am not a religious person but I think God is having his way with me!
I am doing SO well...this surgery has given me new life. Not a life that I didnt have before...but one I never EVER dreamt I could have. I am confident in who I am and I am strong enough to make choices that require major strength. I am thin, beautiful, healthy, empowered, self assured and so in love with Nick and my unborn baby! Nick fell into my life and although its been an extremely short amount of time I know its going to be a lasting love. I always had this dream of the ideal mate..someone who was all those wonderful things all at once, I never thought I would ever find that person...but I did. I am in shock that I am pregnant, we werent trying and I thought I couldnt get pregnant after trying without success for so many years....I guess it happens when you least expect it and all I can do now is do whats right by my baby....I am elated and excited and...Im a Mom!!!
Again my only regret is the loss of a close friend...and more importantly the loss of contact of her son who I loved like my own....Melinda...if you are reading this and you ever considered yourself my friend, or Dante my family....be woman enough to call and stand up to what you did to me.
I will update soon.....Gosh, I hope I dont get fat again lol.
(11 MONTHS EXACTLY)
It is amazing how much can change in 11 months! I cant believe in just 30 more days I will be a whole year out of weight loss surgery. I figured by now I would be well adjusted to this new body and all the emotional things that came with it, but I was wrong and I am just now beginning to get a grip on it all. I have decided to not make any major moves and to just live each day as it comes. I continue to lose inches and the weight is still dropping off but much slower. I am working, about to start school and just moving forward. My brother should be here by the end of next week, I am so excited...we have not been together in the same state since we were kids and I think the healing process of losing my Father can begin for both of us once he is here with me. I am excited to learn more about my Dad through my brother and I cant wait to be able to look at him and see my Dads features. Nothing really new to update in this note, but it is 11 months so I had write something. Tomorrow is Christmas I will be spending it at my Moms.....it is funny how you dont look forward to the food anymore as much! That wont stop me from that ham though lol. Bye for now.
(10 months and 3 weeks out)
Well today I am sitting here in a size 2 jeans. I am in size 7-8 in jrs. and a 2 in womens. I wear medium shirts most of the time and I have now lost 152 pounds. I started this journey weighing 290 pounds and as of today I weigh an amazing 138. At this point I am averaging about 7 pounds lost per month. I have been asked to do some commercials, newspaper articles, and some pamphlets that promote my surgeons bariatric program, it is a great honor. I continue to speak at her seminars and I take comfort in knowing I might be the guiding light for someone who is considering wls. Just getting up and telling my story is great, I get more out of helping others than I do getting compliments on how wel I have done.
Life has definatly thrown some tough curve balls my way. I have made very poor choices and some pretty hasty ones too. On the same note I have made choices that are selfish! Some may think that is a bad thing but for someone like me who never put herself first its a good thing. I am learning to live in a new body with a new frame of mind and it is very difficult. My only regret is that the people in my life who I once considered my close friends have not stood by me. I am naming one inparticular and she is fond of checking this site and updating everyone on my progress so I hope you are reading this Melinda because YOU are the friend I am refering to. It is a shame that through your trials and hardships I was the one who was there for you ready to hold you up, and yet when I needed someone to trust in and to confide in you betrayed me. The worst part is that you are not woman enough to even return a phone call....jealousy is a killer!!! It is too bad that the things you tried to tear me down with were previously known and you did no damage because I have been honest from the beginning with those who I needed to be. Next time you try sheding a bad light on someone, look in the mirror and youll see you dont shine very bright either! Good riddens, your the worst type of friend a person could have, its just a shame youll be my sister in law soon and we cant even enjoy it.
Other than that....I continue on my road....as bumpy as it is. My brother should be here within a matter of days and then I will know that I truly have 2 best friends again. Tracy I love you to death, thank you for pushing me, advising me, comforting me, and allowing me to trust you with my life if need be. You are a prime example of the word FRIEND. I love you.
Ta Ta for now!
(9 1/2 months today)
Today I learned a big lesson. I have been dealing with major issues in life for months now.....today I went to arbys to and thought I would be okay eating the meat out of a roast beef sandwich and ignoring the fries....I have been struggling with lifes issues today, and the death of my Dad is fresh. I pulled out of the drive thru and starting shoving the fries in. I didnt really even think about it until my pouch started screaming STOP!!!! It was then that I realized that I was using the fries to numb my feelings, I wasnt even thinking...just shoveling them in. I stopped and thought for a second and realized that I really am one of those people who used food to cover emotions. I always thought that was bogus, just an excuse obese people used to eat. But I understand it now and I recognized it...its taken me nine and a half months but it was a shinning moment, a reminder that my obese habbits werent habbits...but addictions. Life is much tougher when you have a pouch to make you deal with emotions on a different level. It kinda sucks but I thank God I have this tool to help me. Too bad they out lawed labotamies tho!!!! (if I even spelled that right lol) So...all I have to say for today is..........ONWARD!!!! Ps. I didnt eat anymore fries and only ate half the roast beef with NO bun :)
(9 months out today
Today I am officially nine months out!!! Wow how time seems to speed by when you least expect it. I am in a size 4 jean and have lost 141 pounds. I am losing slowly...I am told one will lose 10% of their excess weight per month and since I have only about 20 pounds left to lose I am only losing about 2 pounds per month. I have a plastic surgery consult in two weeks and I am very excited. Eating is easy now but I have to watch myself because snacking is way too easy!!! I will never be fat again!!!!
(8 1/2 months out)
Well life goes on...Dad has been gone two full months now. Not much more to report....I am in size 4 jeans now! I continue to try and lose that last 20 pounds!! Its tough!
Check me out on my surgeons website at www.ellnerbariatric.com under the "see the patients" link.
(8 months Post Op.)
Today is eight months, I cant believe it! I am so elated with the progress I have made. I have lost just under 140 pounds in such a short amount of time. I never thought this surgery would work for me but it has. It is a lifetime tool and a lifetime change for me, I will never again be the obese person I was.
Dad has been gone six weeks today...I bought a new truck....and things seem to be on the mend in so many ways. As far as eating goes...my emotional snacking seems to have come to an end finally. I am able to sleep at night and my mind is not so restless. I can pretty much eat anything and it is scary to me still, my portions are a bit bigger but some days I can hardly get four or five bites in. I still dump at the drop of a hat but I love it, it holds me accountable! Life is great and things will continue to get better....they have no choice they have been shitty for so long now!!!
BY THE WAY DID I MENTION I AM IN SIZE 6 JEANS!!!!!! :)
(-132 pounds)
Well tomorrow is one month since my Dad passed away. I have struggled with sleep and emotional eating this month but I am still losing. I have realized this month that the surgery does not fix all the old habbits you have and your brain is a powerful tool that needs to be used with the tool of wls.
I now weigh 158 and I cant remember ever being in the 150s. I am a bit scared this month because it seems all the sudden I can eat much more. The amounts I eat are still tiny compared to "normal" people but it is a constant fear that I might gain my weight back. For me this is not an option so it wont happen but the fear it still there.
I am almost in a size 6 jeans and I am melting away before my own eyes. Plastic surgery is on the horizon, maybe in another year or so. I would like to have my tummy, arms and breasts done, I have gone this far...why not perfect the change right? Look for me soon on my surgeons website..... www.ellnerbariatric.com
(A HORRIBLE WEEK)
Four days ago I found out my Father who is only 55 years old died of a massive heart attack on the side of the freeway. My weight loss is still going good though....I am extremly sad that my Father never got to see me in person with my weight gone and even more sad that he never got to hug the new thinner me. All I can say to those who are reading this is...call your parents now and tell them how much you love them. You always hear people say "when they are gone its too late" and we never heed that warning...as a 28 year old daughter of a 55 year old perfectly healthy man...trust me the advice isnt said or followed near enough. Call your parents and loved ones and let them know.
(SIZE 8 JEANS TODAY)
Today I went to the mall looking for some new pants...I cant believe how long it takes now because I have no clue what size I am in. Last week I bought a pair of my first 10's and they are baggy already now that the newness has worn away. I grabbed a size 8 and thought they would never go over my fat butt! I put them on and I cried...I havent been in a size 8 pants since probably 6th grade! Life is good, it is great to be able to shop without thinking people are staring at the fat chick in the "normal people" section.
(6 MONTHS POST OP)
Well here I am six months out! I have had not one complication from surgery. I can eat a bit more but I cant tolerate ANY sugar, which is a good thing for me. I am officially in a size ten as of this week and I can buy regular medium shirts!! My life is changed forever, for the better, and there is NO going back!
(4 1/2 MONTH UPDATE)
Well I am now four months out and down an amazing 100 pounds. I have gone from a size 26 to a size 14 pants and the 12s are on the horizon...I can get in em, just cant wear them out yet lol.
This week I went to a theme park and got on every ride I could. A couple weeks prior to wls I got kicked off a couple rides and getting back on a roller coaster was my first set goal. I waited until I lost 100 pounds to do it because I had to be sure I wouldnt get kicked off again. The first ride I went on was the best, I got into the set and had a smile glued to my face. When we went down the first drop I yelled "A HUNDRED POUNDS GONE BABY." It was a shinning moment I never thought I would have.
I am doing fantastic and life could not get any better. People always ask me if I regret this surgery...or if it was worth it and the answer is yes. If I had to I would walk into the operating room this second and do it all over. If I die in my sleep tonight I will have died happy and knowing what life is like in a normal sized body. I am so thankful to be able to walk among "normal" people and not feel as though I am the monster in the crowd...I thank God for my surgeon, my mother, and the blessings I have been given.
By the way, did I mention that I can no longer sit on concrete without my ass bones killing me :)
(2 MONTHS POST OP)
Well today is March 26, 06 and I am now two months out of rny wls. My life has changed so much in the past two months that I just really dont know where to start. The things that stick out in my mind happen everyday. They are magic moments that I never thought would happen to me again because I was always so FAT. Among others are finding collar bones, hip bones, ankle bones...and just bones period!! I can fit into those white plastic patio chairs again, my bath tub, an airplane seat and bathroom, and I can even buckle a seat belt on a plane. I can reach the floor board of a car even with a seat belt on, I have dropped four pant sizes, my rings from high school fit again, I can climb two or three flights of stairs if I want now, I have started to buy girly shoes and things that never made me feel girly when I was at my heaviest. I look people in the eye, I dont make fat jokes about myself anymore, I bought roller skates and can actually lace them all the way up.....oh so many more things could be listed but what a bore it would be, you get the idea.
I think the most important change has been within myself. The people I have met on this site give me great comfort. I feel like they understand me when my own family and friends cant and the friendships and bonds I have found in these short two months will last a lifetime. I am down 60 pounds now and I cant wait to become the person I really am, the one that has hidden beind this mask of wieght for 15 years now! I thank my mother for paying for my surgery, she has given life to me twice and without her I would probably be much closer to death! I love you Mom youre the greatest! I also thank my surgeon Dr. Julie Ellner and the Lord above for this blessing...this new path that has given me hope again.
About Me
Before & After
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