It has been a year already!

Dec 31, 2010

Well this time last year I was in hospital one day post op! This year I am down to 143lb, size 4 pants and medium tops!! Wow! What a difference a year makes!
It has been a blast watching my body transform! My cholesterol has improved and my labs are pretty good...working on those that are average! I am vigilant about taking my supplements and getting my protein in.
One thing I am ever working on is my relationship with food. I am learning to not use it for the wrong reasons. That has been tough!
For Christmas I asked for the Zumba DVDs and my DH got them for me along with some cute workout clothes! I love doing Zumba!! I feel great!
The downside to this whole journey is that I sometimes get a bit gassy. Not stinky but noisy! Can be rather embarrassing!
Anyway, so thankful for my RNY. I have had very few issues. Had to have my gallbladder removed 6 months into the journey and I sometimes get food stuck but that is always my own fault!
Here's to a happy healthy 2011! Happy New Year everyone!


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Food Demons!!!

Jul 07, 2010

This journey is so hard. Recently I have been snacking on things I shouldn't. I do not dump. I may in the future but for now it is dangerous. Last night I got all the ingredients out for s'mores that we forgot to have July 4th! I took one look at it all and made myself one!! The finished off the choccy bar, then drank a little milk to wash it down. I have never broken the drinking with eating rule and have had a Little choccy every now and then, not a whole bar!! I was so mad at myself as I had every intention to not bother with the s'mores for myself. I went to bed depressed and disappointed in myself. Unfortunately, due to the amount of chocolate in my systemm also didn't get to sleep until very late!!

Today is a new day. I still dragged myself out of bed at 6am to go for my walk. I have tracked my food and fluids all day so far. I had been getting lazy with that. Today I feel empowered and I know that I can fail my RNY if I am not careful. I have done so great this last 6 months and I am back on track now!!

I needed this reminder that I am always going to have issues with food and have to be on guard. Protein first. Always. I needed this wake up call for me to be more compliant again. It is a tough journey but I can do it and will do it!!

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Gallbladder be gone!

Jul 06, 2010

It will be next week. I have had some pains, and tests, and apparently it is not pumping like it should be. Stupid GB! So I get to have it removed. Lucky for me it will be outpatient (fingers crossed) so I don't have to stay in the hospital overnight again! (See my bypass surgery blog entry for why I do not want THAT!)
I hope this gets rid of the pain and doesn't give me a set of different problems! Wish me luck!
(I wonder how much a GB weighs???!!)

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6 months!

Jul 01, 2010

I had my RNY surgery 6 months ago yesterday! I started at 232lb with high cholesterol and am now 164lb with good cholesterol! I am deficient in iron so am taking extra to try to combat this and more vitamin D3 (dry!) to help with that being a little low. I need to get more labs taken as the list I had done were not comprehensive enough!

I am feeling great. My food demons are creeping back in though and I am going to make an appointment with a therapist I saw pre-surgery to deal with this before it gets out of hand. I am losing approx. 2lb a week which is slow and steady for me.

I have been very bad about exercise. I am great with excuses, one of which is the weather in St. Louis. Heat and humidity are not my thing being from England but I have started to push the excuses aside and just do it! I love to walk (hate gyms!) and have started walking at 6 am and even got me some cute exercise clothes!! I am determined to get into this habit and make it stick as I know I want to reach my goal weight and maintain it! I also want to have a healthy heart!

Wow moments for me have been:

Fitting into my 12 year old's clothes!
Buying clothes in the misses section!
Looking at myself in a swimsuit and not cringing!
Trying on some old Laura Ashely dresses from my 20's and them fitting!!
Wearing a size 10 and it getting too loose!!

This has been hard work but worth it! I am grateful to OH and the support it has given me!! It is a wealth of info!





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Surgery was four days ago...

Jan 03, 2010

Well I did it despite being very nervous!!!

30th December I awoke to pretty snow again! We (my DH and daughter) left to make it to the hospital for 9am. We waited for a while then they took me back to a teeny weeny room to prep me for everything. While there a nurse informed me that Dr De La Torre was 2 hours behind schedule!!!  I was nervous enough without hearing that!

Somehow that time flew by and just as Troy and Liz had gone to the cafeteria to grab a bite, they came in and said they were ready for me!  I wasn't able to even say goodbye to my family!

The next thing I remember after putting a pretty blue hat on was waking up in pain and feeling as if I had been hit by a truck!! I stayed in the recovery area for about 1 hour and was slipping in and out of it.

Then they took me to my room which was not as teensy as the prep one but not much bigger either!!! I was shown my magic button which didn't do that much magic really! Oh and my period kicked in!! Yay...NOT! So even though I had a catheter I was dealing with a very heavy flow too. Once the catheter was out I was able to at least use a tampon but that was the next day after many accidents. Very embarrassing!

So the next day I had my nasty drink and xray test..passed! Then my nasty blue chip test..passed! Then the catheter was out! Yay!!! Tampax heaven!!!

Later that day the pain kicked into high gear. Long story short. Told the nurse I was in so much pain I could barely breathe, she said no more pain meds yet, stop crying and shut the door on me!! I was crying in agony when my DH phoned me and heard the whole thing. He then called the nurses station (this was 8:30 pm) and told this nurse off. She came back into my room saying why did I phone my DH??? Huh?! Anyway she kept saying over and over "I didn't hear you say you couldn't breathe" She was very defensive and not very apologetic at first! Then the charge nurse came and suggested it was my "accent" HUH???!! Everyone else could understand me so far but this one!

My DH had her call the doctor to ask for different pain meds and she did that. I eventually got morphine that got me through the night.

The next day all they seemed to want to do is get me home and even though i was still in agony that is all I wanted to do!!! By about 1pm I was on my way home feeling every bump and lump in the road.

I have been home for 2 days now and almost immediately felt a bit better!! The pain has been manageable and I am slowly increasing my fluids and proteins. I love being home.

Now to get this JP drain out on Wednesday. Phew.

Thanks for reading it all!

Happy New Year to me and all of you too!
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Had my pre op class and have a date!

Nov 25, 2009

Oh my goodness! What a LOOOOOONG day. I got to the WLI at 7am and left to come home at 4:30!! Lots of info and lots of long waiting around!
Met with Dr De La Torre and he made a joke about my accent! (he pretended it was from Alabama when it is English!). He seems very friendly but most importantly, great at what he does. I feel less nervous after today.
I was weighed (232 lb) and did all the lab work (I have bad veins so that took forever) and EKG and all that good stuff. Learned about nutrition, exercise, the hospital stay and beyond. Did I mention there was lots of long waiting times? I wish I had brought my book!!
So my date is December 30th. It was the 16th but I swapped with another lady to the 30th as my DH has surgery on the 10th and he needs time to recover so he can pamper me!! ;) :D
So the best news of all?! No pre op diet for me!!!! I was in shock as I had prepared the whole family that I was going to be a witch for those two weeks. Needless to say the family is very relieved!!
How excited am I?! Very! Can't wait to be on that loser's bench by the end of the year! Thanks to all you who have been cyber friends going through all this. I love the internet!!


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Got my pre-op class date!!

Nov 08, 2009

I just called my surgeons office as my approval letter finally came on Friday. I was able to get the last spot in the November 25th class. The day before Thanksgiving!! I get my surgery date on that day also and meet the doctor...finally!
I am so ready to lose this extra weight that I have carried around with me for so long. 230 lb's is too much for me and the heaviest I have ever been. I am looking forward to not snoring all night and keeping my dh awake. I am looking forward to buying clothes in regular sizes!! I am looking forward to the aches and pains going away. I am hoping my cholesterol will stay down without medicinal help! I am ready for a healthier me!
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APPROVED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nov 01, 2009

I phoned United Healthcare this morning (Nov 2nd 2009)and they said that I am approved for surgery and that my letter was mailed out Friday (today is Monday!). Whoo who!!!! I am nervous, excited and happy!
As soon as the Weight Loss Institute gets the letter they can set up the rest!
Now I have to search for a recliner on Craigslist and I will be good to go!
I can't believe it is really happening. I have been thinking about it for so long and am so shocked that my journey is pogressing. Can't wait to get healthier and lose this weight!
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Had my psych eval and was cleared!

Sep 29, 2009

Had my eval. on Monday and was cleared...yay!! I was quite nervous and was worried that she was think I was off my head talking nonsense as I do that when nerves hit me!! She gave me one stipulation; that I get a counsellor to talk to about my binge eating. That was what I wanted anyway so that is great! :)
So now I wait for the next step on this journey!
Met some people in the waiting room at the WL Institute. One looked fantastic. She had her RNY done in 2007 and I think is the support group leader here in St Louis. I plan on going to the support groups and she def. inspired me. You know how some who have had WLS you can tell by the tell tale sagging skin. She didn't have any as far as I could tell! That would be my dream but I know I will have some as it trys to sag already! ;)
That is my news anyway! Just a step closer to my WLS goal!
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I want this yesterday!!!

Sep 05, 2009

I want this so much and am (im)patiently waiting for my psych eval. My biggest fear is that the psychologist will say "you  have too many issues with food lady. Sorry! No can do!"
OR the insurance company will say no or something, or something! I tend to be a worrier...one of the many traits I inherited from my dad!

Anyway so here I sit, reading everyone's experiences good and bad and wait for my turn to join in properly! I hope it won't take too long!!
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About Me
saint peters, MO
Location
22.4
BMI
RNY
Surgery
12/30/2009
Surgery Date
Apr 10, 2009
Member Since

Friends 37

Latest Blog 11

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