ladykatdancer14830

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It was two years ago last friday since i had my surgery.  Weight has increased a little since the last time i posted but guess that is to be expected.  It has been an emotional rollercoaster the last couple of weeks with my father in law being sick and when i get worried or depressed I still run to food for shelter.  I have been trying to work out more with my Wii Fit Plus and taking the dog for walks but I does not t seem to work all the time.  Also just passed the 10 year mark of losing my mom and it hit me harder this year then anytime before.    I am taking a course in medicalt transcription so maybe that will help me focus on something besides snacking.  Hope the week goes better than last week. 

It has been almost a year since I was last logged on here.  I checked my weight at that time and it is the same as it is today.  171.  It hasn't gone up (thankfully) but it seems stuck at this point.  I have been trying to eat less and excercise more.  I walk the dog at least two times a day and I got a Wii  and Wii fit plus for christmas and have been using it diligently since then.  I had to have a vericose vein fixed in my leg and that prevented me from doing a lot of aerobics and other excersices for 3 weeks but now I can get back to it.

My problem is I have not found one food that bothers me.  I can eat all the same stuff that I could eat prior to my surgery. It is almost  like I didn't have the surgery although all I have to do is look in the mirror to know that I have lost weight.    I have not had any dumping incidents that I can think of. It i  I am careful about what I eat but find myself falling back to the old ways at times even though I can't eat as much.  I try to avoid sugar but on the ocassions that I have had something with sugar in it it has not casued any problems.  This leads to a false sense of security in a way.  Not drinking while eating is still a problem.  Usually I am pretty good at separating the two but when I am out I always get a glass of water and sip it with my meal. 

Overall I feel great.  I can do so much more now than I could 21 months ago. 

Weight loss seems to have slowed down to a c-r-a-w-l.  Probably because we have not been able to get out and walk as much as we did before the winter weather came.  I have been doing other things to supplement but not having much luck.  Other than that things are going very good.  Buying clothes is awesome because I can now get into a size medium top  (used to be 24/26) and large pants.  I just bought a size 16 dress----16!!!--- the last time I bought a dress it was a size 24-26!!!!  Trying to get used to that has been  interesting.  I still look in the large size clothing.  It will take some time.  Looking back at the last 9 months it has been a wonderful journey,  one that I am glad I took. 

It has been 5 months and 5 days since my surgery and I am feeling great. Weigh in today was 198.  A total of 61 pounds gone.  I have been talking to several people who are considering having the surgery done.  I tell them that it is a very personal decision to make but that if they chose to have it done they won't regret it.  I think of what I was like 6 months ago and and can't believe the difference.  I am walking more now than in all of my 45 years of life.  I enjoy it now.  I am trying to get bills paid off so we can join our local YMCA and get in more exercise.  Walking our dog Harley is great but he likes to stop every 3 seconds to sniff the ground or eat something so you can't really get a good cardio workout going with him.   He gave me my first real scare as a dog parent  last night as we came home and he had gotten my camera off my desk and took the batteries out of it and one of them was missing.   I called the vet and they said he really should have an x-ray to see if he did swallow it.  If he had he would have had to hve surgery because it was something that wouldn't pass on it's own and could cause serious problems if he had punctured the casing and it was leaking into his system.  We took him down to the vet at 10:00 last night.  Thank God he didn't swallow the battery (AA) and I have since found it hidden under my recliner in the fabric that keeps stuff from falling onto the carpet underneath.   He is a great dog but he likes to chew everything he can get his lips on.  Now that I know he can get up onto my desk I will have to be more careful about putting things there that I don't want him to get.  After we came home I found myself wanting to eat something as this is how I used to handle stress.  The only thing I had was a small glass of skim milk to take my pills with and that was it. Guess I had better get breakfast and take halrey for his morning walk.  Hope everyone has a blessed day. 

Doesn't seem like a lot but what a difference it has made.  I didn't think I would notice a big change in how I feel but I have.  I can walk my dog now without getting winded and I have started doing hills.  It has been great.  I feel more energized and able to get things done...I don't  want to come home from work and just sit in front of the tv all night like before.  We are looking into getting some of our bills paid off so we can get a membership to the gym so we can go swimming and use the weight training equipment  and other stuff.  Then I know I will be losing more.  Clothes are becoming a bit of a problem.  I am going to have to go shopping this weekend and try to figure out what size I am in now so I can  get some pants and stuff like that.  I missed the summer items so I'll have to get fall/winter items now.  Of course if I want to go swimming I'd better find a bathing suit...

I am now 2 months and 17 days post surgery and am down to 213.  It has been a great success so far.  I haven't really had any trouble with food.  I watch what I eat and only try new things when I know I will be home for a period of time if I do have a problem.  My potassium level was low but otherwise all my vitamin levels are good.  I am taking Biotin but I have noticed my hair does come out when I wash it.  I am hoping to update my picture soon.  My measurements are starting to show decreases:

6/21/09:              4/11/09: (3 days before surgery)
Waist:  44"                  (51 1/2")
Hips:  50"                    (52 1/8")
Thighs:  21"                (22 3/4")
Bust:  48 1/2               (54")
Neck:  16 5/8"             (18 3/4")

I am slowly having to replace my clothing.  I am keeping an outfit for posterity to remind me of the times when I was heavy and wishing I could be thinner.  My energy level has slipped a bit but I think it is because of the potassium issue.  I am eating lots of cantalope and other potassium rich foods.  The only problem I have been having is constipation.  I am taking a fiber supplement now and hopefully that will help. 

I can't believe it has been 5 weeks today that I had my surgery.  So far so good.  I khavne't had any of the problems that I thought I would.  When I have intorduced various foods, I have had success with them.  I am down to 230 pounds so that is good.  My energy level is increasing and I am able to get out more and walk.  I have a bicycle that I am going to drag out of the shed and get cleaned up and try to ride to work. 

Life is finally becoming better and I can't wait to tackle it head on, without the use of food.  

ladykatdancer

It is Monday the 27th.  I can't believe my surgery was two weeks ago tomorrow.  I have been feeling pretty good but very tired.  I have been walking and trying to do more activity but some days it is really tough to get going.  I haven't really thought about food but I am starting to think about what I will be able to eat once I can go back to regular food.  I am afraid I will slide back into bad habits and old ways of eating.  Today I was bored and I caught myself looking for something to eat.  I had some water and then went for a walk.  If I can keep doing that maybe I will win the battle.  I think I may still be feeling some effects from the anesthesia but am not sure.  Sometimes I feel like my mind is clouded and I feel ...I don't know how to describe it.    I am trying to get caught up on school work.  Maybe I am just tired.  Sleep ok at night but wake up often then have trouble falling asleep.   Go to see my surgeon this thursday. 

I haven't had a chance to write about my experience with gastric by-pass surgery.  Everything did go well except for some unexpected bleeding complications that made it necessary for me to stay in the hospital a few days longer than normal.  No one was sure what was going on but I guess they had to take me back into surgery a few hours after I had come out to check for the bleeding and cauterize whatever they found in there.  It wasn't from the surgery, I guess it was from the tube they put down your throat to help you breathe.  Luckily they got it taken care of and after of few nights in ICU, I was sent to my room.  Trying to get comfortable in a hospital bed after surgery is impossible.  Mine was more difficult because I had strained my rib cage from all the wretching so trying to cough or breath was horribly painful.  I had wonderful nursing care from everyone I encounterd in the ICU and on 2B at Arnot Ogden Medical Center in Elmira, NY.   I had to stay in the hospital because my swallow study done on the day after surgey and 3 days following were not good.  Monday the 20th I had another one done and that came out grat so what ever was casuing the problems was gone.  I had to stay that night just to make sure I was able to tolerate the broth and jello and skim milk and the next day I was released---exactly on week later.  
 
What a couple of days it has been since coming home.  I am still very tired and feel like I am in a fog most of the time.  I weighed myself yesterday morning to have a base weight since the surgery.  It was 247.  I am not sure just how much I have lost since the first consult apt in December but I believe it would be 10 lbs.  I am finding it hard to sleep in my bed or even in my recliner for that matter.  It hurts to lie down and if I sit for any length of time, my tailbone area starts hurting and it gets very uncomfortable.  I am also trying very hard not to be bothered by the fact that all I can eat right now is broth, sf jello water and juice.  I think about the stuff I can't have but it doesn't consume me. I fixed a sandwich for my husband today and just looked at it like "Man that is a big sandwhich, how did I ever eat something like that before?"  I hope I can continue on with good thoughts. 

Guess I had better get going and to the store and stuff. 

My surgery is done and I am moving on. After some complications I am on the mend.  I will post more about my adventure in awhile.