lelesmith
I hit my 50 pound goal!
Aug 17, 2010
My surgery was April 15. Yesterday,I made my 50 pound goal. What a way to start a Monday. lol It has not been a hard ride, just one of committment and perseverance. These last few months have flown by since my surgery and I am happy to say that I enrolled back in college last month to continue pursuing my BSN degree. I have also taken on the position of event coordinator for a large breast cancer fundraiser that is a huge annual event in our local biker community.
This lifechanging event has given me so much confidence! I have changed my hair and have shrunk out of everything I own. I want all new clothes but know as soon as I buy something, it seems I shrink out of it. So, I keep myself in medical scrubs for work mostly, keep a few "forgiving" cute dresses for casual wear and one good pair of blue jeans for when I ride my Harley. I'm finally becoming that "hot biker chick" I always wanted to be. lol
I have nothing but joy to spread. My coworkers are always so complimentary and say they like to be around someone who is genuinely happy. I am.
I am so happy that I made this lifechanging decision. It might not be for everyone, but I was definatly for me. When people ask me if I would do it again, my enthusiastic answer is alway YES, in a hearbeat!
My post-op visit
Apr 30, 2010
I was quite pleased when the nurse reported to me that my blood pressure was 112/70. That's lower than it's been in months! Secondly, I was even more pleased when she announced that I have lost 16 pounds! I was absolutely thrilled. I have yet to purchase a home scale and told myself that I would wait until my post-op visit to weigh....I''m so glad I did. So today after my appointment I went off to Target and bought myself an uber digital scale for my reward!
The only real problem I have been having has been really bad heartburn first thing in the morning and that started this past Monday. When I told the doc about it, he said that the reflux usually subsides within 3-6 months. He added a small dose of reglan to my medication regimine and told me that would help with gastric emptying and that I probably would'nt have to use it for very long. So that's it. No pain, gaining my strength back every day. Have time off at work so I will take another week off just for some R&R before I go back to the grind.
The best thing is that I have been discovering old smaller sized clothing in the "pit" that is my closet and they are starting to fit! YAY! My last few days off will be spent reorganizing my wardrobe and decluttering some other parts of my life. I am so thrilled with the way things are going. I'ts like a new lease on life and I'm going to take full advantage of every little thing!
GOD IS GOOD!
Four days out.....
Apr 16, 2010
Physically, my incision sites are doing well. They are somewhat bruised and swollen and so is my belly. Internally, my little pouch sounds like a little toilet "flushing" when it's processing fluids I have taken in. Because of the previous N/V and the surgery in general my pouch is inflamed and its taking a while to get the fluids worked through. My surgeon and his PA, Ron have been very supportive thus far and I know they are only a phone call away if I should need anything. Every day seems to be somewhat easier.
All in all, this has not been so easy for me. Basically I have felt tired, weak, uncomfortable and unsettled since arriving home from the hospital. I need to quit worring so much about what is going on inside and divert my attention to other things.
I do, however, continue to put my faith in the good Lord above because with Him ALL things are possible.
Starting My Journey
Apr 08, 2010
You know how God always seems to work in His mysterious ways....
My journey for weight loss success started years ago probably as young as age 13. I was always a chubby kid and chunky teenager and then on to chunky young adult and then outright obese after the birth of my only daughter at the age of 20. I have been weighing between 190-250 my entire adult life and have tried every diet plan out there (that I could afford) without much luck....maybe 30 pound loss at the very most a couple of times just to regain plus extra. Only being 5'3" tall doesn't help matters much either. After I had a partial hysterectomy 5 years ago, I have managed to put on this last 20 pounds that just won't budge and I am just miserable. I have continued to try diets without success. According to my doctor, the yo-yo dieting has really damaged my metabolism and has therefore caused my body to be downright stubborn about losing the weight.
For several years, I have been looking into weight loss surgeries--banding and bypass--but could never really get encouraged about either one due to the foreign body/high maintenance of the band and the drastic internal physical changes of the bypass. I knew there would be a lot of research on my part and coming to terms with certain issues in my life before I ever truly got serious about making my decision.
Fast forward to February 2010. I was blessed with a new and wonderful co-worker Christi, that I instantly bonded with. I guess I must have mentioned in passing that I was considering WLS but didn't even know of an experienced physician in my area to even seek a consult with. (This is the part where God works in mysterious ways.....) Christi proceeded to share with me the experience she had with her husband as he went through gastric bypass about 1 year ago with Betterlife Bariactrics / Dr. Dean McDaniel in Victoria, TX and she told me about how wonderful the doctor, his staff, and the hospital were and the phenomenal success her husband has had thus far. It was at this point that Christi invited me to one of the support group meetings. I happily attended and now I am on my way.
From the night that I attended that meeting in early March, I scheduled my WLS consult for that very week. From there I had decided that VSG was the surgery for me. I am so fortunate that my husband has insurance that will cover this procedure (as many still don't). The insurance criteria were very easy to meet, and Vicki his precert nurse, had everything squared away for me in a matter of days. I called to inquire about surgery on a Monday 04/05/10 and have been scheduled for Tuesday 04/13/10!
I went for my preop today and am ready to show up on Tuesday for my surgery. This is the beginning of the beginning!
Was I a nervous wreck trying to make my decision? Yes. Was I freaking out about a permanent change to my anatomy? Yes. Am I apprehensive about changing my eating habits forever? Yes. Do I have faith in God that he will see me through? ABSOLUTELY!!
So like I mentioned before...this is the beginning of the beginning...of a healthier life! I have totally come to terms with my decision and have a great inner peace that this life-changing decision will work in my favor. I'm getting a new tool and I fully intend to use it to the fullest extent!
I will be back next week to let you guys know how everything went! :)
Today my BMI was 41.5 and my weight was 237.5.
