KittyKatt

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Time had flown by! It's almost 17 years since my RNY surgery and I have managed to keep ALL the weight off!!! Preop I was 244lbs and today I am 117 lbs. I stay between 110-117 lbs now. No one who meets me now believes me if I decide to tell them that I had WLS. 
This surgery really gave me a 2nd chance at life! I firmly believe that it works, as a tool, to help with weight loss. I went to school and became a surgical tech, so that I could help the surgeons who perform the surgery! I didn't stop there. I went back to school and became a nurse too! It's important to me to be that patient advocate, regardless of the situation. 
I have become know at my hospital for the wild color streaks in my hair sometimes and the numerous ear piercings and how everything I have must match perfectly! I never had that confidence before WLS. 

It has been along time since I last updated my profile. I have earned 2 more degrees and I have gotten another job working as a Certified Surgical Tech at another hospital. I am still maintaining my weight loss at almost 10 years post op. In fact, November will be 10 years for me. I am currently 122 lbs. I am very healthy and happy. I just had vaser liposuction done on my saddlebags a week ago. There were some complications from that due to the extra skin. I don't have a lot of skin but it did cause a little bit of a problem but I am bbeginning to heal very nicely now and my surgeon even took care of the celluitle on the back of my legs!!!!!I am still sore. And it will be awhile before I have more work done but it was worth it. Just wanted to check in and let everyone know how i was doing so far out now.

So had another photo shoot last month and posted just a couple of pix on here from it.  Had so much fun! I am doing pretty well. Classes started last month so I'm studying everyday too. I graduate with another degree in May while waiting to finish my nursing degree. Since January I have lost 8 lbs without even trying but I think that is due to getting a treadmill and just walking on it 2-3 times a week for 20-30 minutes. I can't believe that it is going to be 8 years since my surgery in November! I am just so grateful and thankful for it and I am doing my best to use this opportunity to really do something. I am just blessed with a second chance and a husband that has supposrted me thur everything.

Well, good news and bad news all in the same week. Good news is that a month ago I got a new Gold's Gym treadmill and I was only using it about 10 -15 minutes 2 times a week because I was in so much pain all over but after a month I was down 6 lbs to 114 lbs and I wasn't even trying to lose weight, just to stay healthy, but I will take it!  Bad news is, I have been seeing my PCM and was referred to internal medicne for the pain and 12 vials of blood were drawn trying to fine what was going on to cause all the pain. I do have arthritis already at 35 years old but everyone including me was concerned it could be more. After several exams and being drained of blood and everything,  and explaining my what has been going on I have been diagnosed w/fibromyalgia also. The doctor took the time to explain what it is, and what it isn't. Some of it fits and some of it doesn't. But I guess no disease fits one person perfectly either. I am taking muscle relaxers as needed because I am allergic to so many narcotics and NSAIDS do not work for this disease and no antidepressants, I don't do well w/those. Yes, I am difficult. I go back in a month. It has been 4 days seen I saw the doctor and I can saw the meds make me sleepy if I take 2 at a time but I can control when I take them and how many I take but they help, I don't feel as much pain, so that helps. I am hoping things look up for me from here because the last 4 months have been so painful I would not wish that on anyone. I have gotten on the treadmill for 30 minutes each day the last 3 days and no pain, so I am hoping. I will update later.

I do not update nearly as often as I used to but there just isn't as much to tell as in the beginning.  I am making an appointment to is my doctor to have a bone scan done to see if my osteopenia has gotten any worse in the last 2 years.  I have started getting really bad pain in my joints of my knees, ankles, shoulders and wrists. It can't be blamed on weight, I  weigh 120 lbs some days, other days I don't even weigh that much. I am finishing up my last 2 pre-req classes for nursing school and then I will be on the waiting list and while I am doing that I will be taking the other courses that I can for the BSN portion so that when I transfer to a university it won't take as long to finish my degree. Well, will updatre when I have my bone scan and doctor appointment. I keep putting it off because I feel like doctors never listen really.

Wow, along time since I last updated my blog. Well, I am almost finished w/pre-req's for nursing school and then nursing school itself! (yea!!) I have been holding steady w/my weight. I stay at about 120 lbs completely dressed or just under that and I am satisifed. My thyriod seems to have a mind of its own, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. It has been over 7 years since I had the lap gastric bypass but I am so happy w/my decision to have the surgery. When I first had the surgery i used to recommend it to everyone but I have witness about half the people I know who have had it actually fail. It wasn't the surgry that failed, it was that the person didn't have the inforamtion before the surgery about what to expect afterwards and the support afterwards, or the willingness to comply with the strict guldelines afterwards. Right after surgery it seems so hard to change everything but it does get easier, now 7 years out it is just normal for me and I don't feel like I miss anything.

Still working and still in school. My son is playing fall ball and pitching and doing pretty well! I can't believe Halloween is almost here. I am getting ready for a much deserved vacation in Novmber and then let the shopping begin! I was in my physiology class I volunteered to do the EKG in class and 6 years ago I took one before my WLS and it was fine but the toher day in class it was abnormal and now I am trying to get into see my PMP to get a referral for another EKG, it has me worried, I mean I am only 34. Other then that my labs have been fine and I am weigh 114 lbs completely dressed with shoes on. Well, when I go in and there is more to report I will update. ntil then I hope everyone is doing well on their journey. 

I am just about 2 1/2 weeks out from a hysterectomy. I am doing okay. I am getting my energy back and the pain is gone for the most part and no more pain meds. I have gotten down to 111 lbs too. I am ok with that too. I go back to work in about 2 weeks. I don't mind the work, just some of the people of work with. They REALLY, I mean REALLY bother me. I would look for another job but I am starting back to college for nursing school too, so I work 3 12 hour days a week at the hospital as a certified surgical tech and go to school 3/4 time which is 2 full days a week which leaves me 2 days a week to grocery shop, clean and do all the other stuff I have to do and I still have a husband and a 10 year old son to take care of. My husband is going to have surgery on the 19th of this month, the day I go back to work, do you think I get to go with him? Not a chance. I am scheduled to work that day and I am the only tech on that day! Other than that I have been doing great, I feel good, I live like a normal person. I meet people and sometimes confide in them that I had the gastric by pass and since we are military and move every so often most people never believe that I once was almost 250 lbs and they have to see pictures to believe it and they are just amazed and then immediately they start asking about plastics for skin and when I tell them I haven't had a tummy tuck or thigh lift they just look at me and they are really surprised and for awhile they watch me a little more closely to see what I eat and how much and then things go back to normal. I am talking to 2 women who are considering the surgery -possibly either the lapband or the RNY but I am blunt with them, I tell them everything I went thur, the good and the bad times that it took to get where I am at today and it didn't happen over night. I think that was the hardest part for me. The waiting for the surgery then having it and then waking up to find that I was the same as when I went under, I mean I knew I would be but I wanted to be thinner, healthier.  Anyway, until next time something worht writing about comes along, I hope everyone is doing well on their journeys whever you maybe .

It has been almost a whole year since I have updated! Time does fly! Well, last time I wrote I was up to 135 lbs but I am glad to say I am back down to 116 lbs now. I am watching what I eat and how much I eat and doing well. I am happy. My labs are pretty well too except for the osteopenia which is on the border of being osteoporsis, but I walk and try to get in all the calcium that I can. I lose the weight and now I have people saying taht I look so thin. Everyday I show up to work they ask if I have lost more. I have not and I am not trying to. I am happy where I am at.  They all think I look too thin and do not eat much but I actually eat very well, just not what they do. I am hoping to go to nursing scgool starting next year. I really do not like my job right now but with the way the economy is I am staying put even though it just makes me ill to go to work and it just drags me down on my days off to even think about going back to work. I have never felt like this before. I have worked at several hospitals before, my husband is military so we move around sometimes, and I just don't know. I am unhappy there but I am counting down until September 2010 when I can quit and attend school full time for a better career to help other people. I would love to have a tummy tuck done but I just don't see that happening at the naval hospital. I was denied at teh last naval station we were at and it is so busy here and they are so backed up I doubt they would make time to do a tummy tuck on me. Other than that things are well. Spring is finally here and i can be outside more. We just did the Woof Walk to encourage owners and their pets to get out and walk and we will do the Coronado Bay Bridge Run/Walk next month too again. I am looking forward to that. Well, hopefully it won't be another year before I update again.

Well, I made it thur the 4 mile walk/run. It ended up actually being about 7 miles and my legs were feeling it. I am looking forward to next year's walk/run too. I have been working so much (like 92 hours every 2 weeks) and honestly I do not eat like I should and I just grab whatever I can and then just go home and fall asleep.  I am up to 135 lbs and I so hate it. I really want to be at 110 lbs.  I work with 3 plastic surgeons and I can get a nice deal on a tummy tuck and some lipo too and they do some really awesome wortk, but I need to work for a little while longer, I have only been there for 3 months.  I have been having some pain on my left side right below my ribs after I eat. it can be from anything like meat or salad and it lasts for like 30-45 minutes then goes away. I had a referral to see a GI doc but I can't get off from work to actually make an appointment and go. I am sure they will want to do a scope. You know, it bothers me that some people say that I look fat in clothes now. I wear a size 4-6! It is like they are so jealous that I lost the weight and anytime they can say something bad about me and my weight they try.  Since I have lost the weight I have felt better about myself and I keep my hair done and a pedicure and go to the tanning bed and the same certain people say that I have changed and that I am not the same person I used to be and stuff. Whatever. I am so busy with sports and church and all kinds of things that I barely have time to sit down but it still bothers me that some people just cannot be happy for the positive changes that have been made in my life since I have lost weight.