Lisa Friday

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As of Friday, December 11, 2009, I am officially under the terrible 2's... GONE are the days of being +200 ugly pounds... I was barely under 200, just 199.8 on my scale, BUT,  the first number was not a "2" for the first time since lower back surgery number 3.... So, on Saturday, Sunday and again today... My scale did not begin with a terrible two, it read:  199.6 lbs.... YEAH!!!

I cannot wait for it to read 195... that is my NEW "short-term" GOAL!!!

Today I go to my Spine Doctor and Chronic Pain Care Specialist, Dr. Spruill, to tell him about my RNY/WLS and my NEW Cushings Syndrome diagnosis... I cannot wait to hear what he has to say about these two exciting events...

This is a list of MY FAVORITE THINGS:
       (I am six weeks post-op RNY)

*  JASON "thin to THICK" Pure Natural and Organic Shampoo and Conditioner
    I bought this at my local health food store
    They are packaged in a small, royal blue bottle with a white top and white writing
    Their web site is:  www.jason-natural.com
    I absolutely LOVE this shampoo and conditioner... I am so afraid that my hair is
    going to fall out and thin out in a few weeks, that I am babying my hair these days.
    I have been taking extra BIOTIN vitamins since my surgery and shampooing only every
    other day... and leaving the conditioner on for a minimum of two full minutes before rinsing.

*  The Magic Bullet Blender
    I paid $59.99 at Sears.
    BEST single serving blender EVER!
    Clean Up is amazingly FAST...
    You can drink directly from the container that you mix it in... WOW!!!
    Perfect for all of the protein smoothies we have to make each day...

*  DaVinci Gourmet Sugar-FREE Syrups
   $6.99 per 24oz bottle
   Make sure you buy the extra $2.50 'spout' for each bottle you purchase...makes it so easy!
   Shipping is FREE if your order totals $50... (I think that was the amount)
   My 6 flavors are all lined up like soldiers on my counter...It looks like a Smoothie Store!
   I LOVE these Sugar FREE syrups:
   vanilla (of course)
   cherry
   pineapple
   strawberry
   coconut (at the moment, I am addicted to this mixed w/Decaf Iced Tea... YUMMY)

*  Hormel Turkey Pepperoni
   17 slices per serving
   (I put 17 slices in separate snack bags, so, I can grab one as I am running out the door!)
   70 cal/ 35 cal from fat/ O sugar/ 9 g protein
   YUMMY...finally, meat with a little spice...

*  Eggbeaters
    1/4 cup= 30 cal/ 6 g protein
    I add a tiny amount of full fat (sorry) mozzerella cheese, salt and pepper...
    DELICIOUS... I am not able to eat all of this at one sitting...very filling! YUM!

*  Kellogs Protein Snack Bars
    170 cal/ 10 g protein per bar
    I LOVE the peanut crunch, the double chocolate, and I think it's called Chocolate Chip
    I keep these in my purse just in case my stomach growls... 
    I feel like I am having a candy bar... YUM!

*  Tylenol PM
    I have INSOMNIA...Can't you tell... (it is 1:05 am right now),
    Anyway,
    I take 2 every other night...

I hope you have gotten a few ideas from my list...Take care YOU LOSERS...Goodnight! 

I posted this on the MAIN BOARD's FORUM tonight... I wanted to keep a copy for my personal journal...

Well, tonight my husband and I drove his white 1964 Cheverloet Step-Side Truck... (pulling an old, rusty trailer) in Tuscaloosa Alabama's annual Christmas Parade... It was decorated SOOOOOOOOOOO cute!
FUN! FUN! FUN!
When I saw a man selling light up wands, necklaces and COTTON CANDY, I went absolutely CRAZY!
I dug through Paul's wallet, grabbed $2, jumped out of the truck, and ran to the man selling my favorite food item on the planet... COTTON CANDY!!!!

I have heard that SUGAR is the ENEMY after RNY, so, thus far, I have been very apprehensive about eating large amounts of sugar.

Well, I ate it.... THEN, I waited (thinking "Dumping" was coming any minute...) and I waited... I waited some more... still, nothing... WHY? 

Many POST OP RNY people have told me that they can't handle sugar... they "Dump" BIG TIME!
These RNYers tell me the number of grams they can handle at one time (at THE MOST) is: 6 to 12 grams...

WELL? How was I able to eat half the bag of this DELICIOUS Cotton Candy with absolutely NO side effects... ? 

Will this last forever, or is this still the HoneyMoon Period that RNYers talk about?
OR-
Am I one of those RARE people that CAN EAT SUGAR after RNY...?

I am not sure if I am happy about this because I thought that getting sick off sugar would help me keep my weight down and under control...
If I can eat sugar with no problems I am scared to death that I will cheat, cheat, cheat...

So, I am going to have to learn how to just "taste" the sugary food... NOT eat 'until my heart is content'...
Please pray for me... SUGAR and I go 'hand and hand'... I need self-control...

Well, I 'crashed' the Alabama OH Christmas Party at Logan's Roadhouse in B'ham yesterday afternoon, and I am soooo glad that I did!

I met the most amazing, kind and welcoming people. Everyone was so willing to give advice and they asked all the 'right' questions to get me to ask them even better questions...

I met Karla and Loretta from Tuscaloosa and they invited me to the Tusca'loosers' who meet the first Thursday of every month... In Jan. they meet at Jason's Deli at 5:30... I will not miss it!

Carmen and John were the sweetest couple who sat to my right. Judy and her friend, Sue, sat across from me. Linda was at the end of the table and she was really informative! Stephanie and Sue 'ran' the party and Miss Mary was there with her son, Shannon...his ornament broke and I felt terrible for him, but the glass angel on the inside of the ball was unharmed...yeah! DeShanna and Stacey were at one end of my table. DeShanna had her surgery Nov. 6th or 7th, so, she was the 'baby' of the group... I really liked her too! A beautiful girl, named Theresa, and her husband were there too- she has lost 266 lbs. OMG! She was so nice...she has two young sons and is so glad she had the WLS (so she can really 'play' with them)...
In fact, everyone there was happy they did it!

I wrote down a lot of names and got a few phone numbers, and I plan on using them.

This group is going on their fourth annual WLS Cruise with OH to the Bahamas February 20-25, 2010... I really wish I could go. Having limited funds right now may keep me from going, but, if I could sell some dolls soon, maybe I could figure out a way to do it!

I am so glad that I read about their Christmas party and went. It would have been my 'loss' if I hadn't gotten to meet all of these fabulous people!

We had an ornament swap and I got a FUN, cartoon-like angel-she is SO cute...I love it! It will look great hanging on Waverly's pink tree!

Jackie had responded to a post I had put on the Cancer and Obesity Forum page a couple of weeks ago...she is 2 yrs post op and due to stress has gained back 50 of her +/- 100 lb loss (she lost that in the first 6 months post op).
I responded what follows to her immediately-
(I just wanted this to be in my BLOG for my WLS Journey notes...)

Jackie,
I feel for you about your weight gain... it truly is so disheartening when you are really trying to play by the rules, yet to continue to gain weight... that has been my life for the past 4 years. My other symptoms are so many, but, here are the worst ones...

*My hair has changed texture... it is wavy now (was dead straight), more coarse (was fine), thinner (was very thick), and falls out (way before RNY).
*Hair on my body where I do not want it: My neck and face, my inner thighs and about 10 hairs per breast... yeah...
*Skin tags, moles on neck and chest...
*Strange raise mole-looking rash on my feet/ankles/lower calves...pretty huh?
*Totally exhausted with zero energy, and extremely depressed... More fun huh?
*Buffalo hump on the back of my neck (fat on top of my shoulders) THIS is one of the tell-tale cushing's signs...
*Trunkal Obesity is what the Cushings Experts call my stomach! It is hard as a rock and looks exactly like I am 7-8months pregnant.
*I bruise so easily...do not touch me too hard, or you will see it tomorrow.
*It takes forever for a scrape, bug bite, wound, etc. to heal...
*My eyesight is definitely changing for the worst.
*The skin on my hands is definitely thinning...oh, and the age spots on my hands are totally gross...they look like old lady hands, not 39 yr. old hands!!! Lovely.
*I feel like I need to urinate, but, I barely have anything come out!
*My face is so red (on cheeks) I look like I am on FIRE...and most of the time I sweat when no one else in the room is even remotely hot! Ridiculous!
*MOON FACE-another Cushing Term... I always had a round shaped face, but, I just look like I could POP! I really look like a monster compared to what I looked like a few years back!
*My lower back and body is very prone to fractures and brittle bones...
*My skin is so dry, and I have 'cotton mouth' all day long.
          (I could go on, but, I think these are the major symptoms that I have been dealing with)

There are only 3 other symptoms that I do NOT have that are common with Cushing's:
*Irregular/weird periods
*Acne
*Horrible stretch marks across abdomen/ breasts and outer upper thighs...

I hope this helps...

Jackie, PLEASE DO NOT give up even if every doctor tells you that you are crazy, and that you are just FAT!!!
I cannot believe that I was one of the 15 in a million that get diagnosed in a year!

I really wish I had pushed harder to find out if I had Cushings before I had the Gastric and changed my entire life...but, I think the RNY will be beneficial in the long run...
 
Good luck, God bless and keep me updated on your journey!

Lisa                             

I copied this today so I would have it in my WLS notes...

Just some helpful information I hope it helps

Hint: Keep your measureing utensils on your Stove.  they don't work if you don't use them.   If they are out of sight out of mind.

Ounce	Grams	Cups	Tbsp
0.50	16		1 Tbsp
1.00	28		2 Tbsp
1.25	36
1.50	42		3 Tbsp
1.75	50
2.00	56	1/4 cup	4 Tbsp
2.50	70
3.00	85	1/3 cup	6 Tbsp
3.50	98
4.00	112	1/2 cup	8 Tbsp
4.50	126
5.00	140
5.50	154
6.00	168
6.50	182
7.00	196
7.50	210
8.00	224	1 cup
8.50	238
9.00	252
9.50	266
10.00	280	1 1/4 cup
10.50	294
11.00	308
11.50	322
12.00	336	1 1/2 cup
12.50	350
13.00	364
13.50	378
14.00	392	1 3/4 cup
14.50	406
15.00	420
15.50	434
16.00	448	2 cup

I posted this topic on the Main Board Forum today in response to a woman who wondered if her 'boob' on the back of her shoulders would go away when she lost her weight...

YOUR "BUFFALO HUMP" on the back of your neck (between your shoulders)...

IT MAY BE CUSHINGS SYNDROME!!!!

Please, everyone who thinks they may have a 'Buffalo Hump' (which that is exactly what it is called in the medical profession), PLEASE google info about Cushings... They say it is rare (10 in one million), but, I was just diagnosed with it...

Many other (obesity related/similar) symptoms...
including the "Buffalo Hump" are:

'Trunkal Obesity' with relatively thin arms and legs
'Moon Face' (round face/cheeks)
Facial/Neck/Inner Thigh (for women) unwanted hair
Red Stretch marks on breasts/abdomen/thighs
Acne/Red Faced
Depression/irritability/mood swings
Skin thins and bruises easily and takes a cut a long time to heal
Extreme Fatigue
Muscle Weakness and Bone Fractures

I could go on and on and on... Have a screening...urine tests sometimes come back normal...So, insist on the Dexamethasome Supression Test (an overnight blood test)...

I think a lot more people have Cushings than is ever reported because our physicians believe it to be so RARE and that we have these symptoms because we are FAT!

Even though I pray none of you have it... the 'Buffalo Hump' is one of the top 3 Cushings Syndrome/Disease Symptoms...                       

I hope this might help even just ONE person who has wondered:
"Why do I feel so terrible? I look like a pregnant monster, and I seem to be getting worse and worse by the day..."
(That is exactly how I have felt for the past 3 years!!!)

P.S.- This is usually a disease that affects women ages 30-50.                         Lisa Friday 
                     RNY 10-23-09
       Age 39  5'6":SW230/CW203.8/GW150
         "May ALL your DREAMS come TRUE"
    

I must thank Yvonne McCarthy for this, she posted it earlier on the Main Board, but I wanted a copy................

YOU KNOW YOU HAD WLS (weight loss surgery) IF..................

"I have a date" does not mean your going out.
You have baby food in the house and no baby.
"I'm a loser" is a good thing.
All of your silverware says Gerber.
A wooden spoon isn't just for cooking.
"Welcome to the other side" doesn't include death.
New clothes fall off in a week.
You get excited about hand me downs.
The scale at Wal-Mart no longer says "one at a time please".
Going bald and getting wrinkles is a good thing.
"Just water for me please".
Hitting the "Century Mark" is actually a good thing.
You can be touched by an angel and still not be considered crazy.
Whjen your rear end no longer looks like a mudslide.
When you get excited that your incision was "only 6 inches".
When the word lap has nothing to do with a strip club.
Other women are calling you "bitch" behind your back.
When you are glared at in the plus size department because you don't "belong there".
When you really don't have a thing to wear.
You have to prove you are the person on the drivers licence.
You start being in the pictures not behind the camera.
You want to hug everyone fat and hand them your surgeons card.
You are never parted from a bottle of water
When you order a doggy bag at the same time as your meal.
Being too small for your britches.
When the only way your nipples are where they belong is to roll them up, position them with your bra and secure with a ponytail holder.
When you go pick up your child at school and all the other kids say WOW you're mom is hot.
When you got to the mall a take the first available space instead of circling 20 minutes for one closer to the door.
You truly are a "cheap date".
When one drink makes you flipping floozy!
When you run to the door and don't hear a flapping sound.
You flip your shirt to show complete strangers your scar
Vitamins feel like a meal.
You go from a 56DDDD to 32AAA in a year and didn't have a breast reduction.
You've just lost 100 lbs and run into a high school friend who asks "did you change your hair?"
You can cross your legs... both of them
Instead of a Wonder Bra you need a Wonder Where They Went Bra
When your obsession from food turns to your scale
They no longer call 911 for the Jaws of life to extricate you from a turnstile.
No more velcro shoes
"Checking for leaks" no longer includes your panties
When your stairmaster is no longer used for drying yur fine washables
You mother says "You don't eat enough"
When your doctor looks you in the eye and says "I know you will have sucess with this."
Having sex your husband complains that your hip bones are poking him.
You can wear corderoy pants without igniting a fire
When you wave and your upper arms wave back
You safety pin your underwear
Someone phones and thinks you husband is sneaking around with some skinny mistress
Cannot blame the cat for shedding
Cancel your Lane Bryant Credit Card
3 Lean Cuisines a week and thats your total grocery purchase
The kids wonder what happened to the cake and cookie god..did he die???
 

Update: 
Jan. 4, 2009

(NOTE:  I stopped taking the laxatives I mentioned below after I finished the first and only bottle of pills I ever bought...they really did not help me in the least!)

I went to see Dr. Bilton last week and discussed my constipation issue.
He told me I needed to up my daily fiber intake to a minimum of 25g/day...
I have discovered that this is going to be very hard to do if you do not like beans and you follow the number one rule of Post Op WLS: PROTEIN FIRST!

I really pray that adding more fiber to my diet works...
Because Constipation sucks!!!
I will update this soon...

"Constipation" was NEVER a word that described me 6 weeks ago (prior to my RNY surgery)... In fact, I was the "Diarehea Queen"! Now, I take 3 Phillips brand Laxative's on Saturday and Tuesday evenings. Then, I wake up and push on my stomach to help me have an extremely painful bowel movement! I, obviously, also have a fissure that tears each time which makes me bleed! This is sooooo NOT fun!!!

I think all of the cheese I am eating for protein is making this problem worse. I eat a lot of cottage cheese because it has 12 g of protein and 90 cal in 1/2 cup and I add mozzerella cheese to my eggbeaters for 7 more g's of protein. I eat string cheese when I am in a hurry and want a few more low calorie protein grams.

So far the side effects of Gastric RNY have been a lot more 'harsh' than I was told/warned or ever expected. Who knew?

I am soooo close to "ONEderland", I can 'taste' it.... Today, I am 204.2 lbs!!! At this rate, I will be under 200 lbs in 2 weeks! That will mean it took me 8 weeks to lose 30 lbs.

I should be totally stoked (I am) BUT, so many people in my monthly support group and here on OH seem to have lost their first 30 lbs in the first month!!!

I know that I started out 'lighter' than most RNY patients, but, I still wanted to pull those huge numbers that I keep hearing/reading!

Anyway, I am really excited that I will start out 2010 under 200 lbs!

My biggest GOAL has been: To NOT be FAT AND FORTY!!!

My 40th Birthday is July 24, 2010! 

I am pretty certain my GOAL will be REACHED!