Elizabeth L.

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Yea!!!!  Just stepped on the scale, and I have officially lost a grand total of 100 lbs!  I am now almost at 7 months post op, and for the past month have had a very long plateau - it's been kind of discouraging.  I was stuck between 168-166 lbs for the whole month, but I've finaly broken it; I'm at 165 now.  I can't believe how much I've lost & how quickly it has come off overall.  It just doesn't even seem real yet.  I'm fitting into size 14/Large comfortably, and even bought a top recently at Old Navy that was a Medium.  Have to admit, that felt pretty damn good! 

I feel well physically also -- blood pressure is still great, no back/knee pain -- can walk and stand as long as I want & don't need to rest.  I'm trying to exercise more, but have had trouble getting motivated to get to the gym.  Once I'm there I'm fine, it's just the getting started part that has me stuck.  I'm sure that if I could get moving with the exercise on a more regular basis, I'd feel even better and get past this plateau.  I'm still losing hair, and it shows no signs of slowing down as of yet.  I'm still worried about it, and do not like the thinness of my hair.  Thinking about getting it cut shorter, maybe this will help it not look as thin and stringy. 

Eating is going pretty well - I still have times where I think I'm eating too fast or a little too much, and my heart rate goes up and I feel crappy for 10-15 minutes.  Have not had any issues with dumping so far, and am thankful for that.  I can eat steak and nuts and citrus fruit all with no trouble at this point.  I've had some whole grains like bread and pasta and even a little thin crust pizza (what a treat!).  The only problem I've had was with salad -- the lettuce was not digested well, and I had frequent diahrrea from it.  Which is too bad, because I like salad and do crave it.  I've also had some wine a few times, which has been fine.  I am definately a light weight -- felt "buzzed" after 1 glass, and felt pretty drunk after 2.  So I know that is my limit & I have not tried anything other than white wine at this point.

So, I've got 20 more lbs left to lose to reach my revised goal of 145 lbs.  I know that this leg of the journey will be hard, and things are going to move much slower, but I think I can do it!

It's been almost 5 months since my RNY procedure, and my BMI is now under 30 - which means I am no longer classified as "obese" - yay!  Now I'm just "Overweight".  Love it! 

Had my 5 month check-up at my surgeons office yesterday, and all of the nurses were so nice - giving me compliments on how good I looked, and how wonderful I have been doing.  It was a really good feeling to hear those things from my surgeon's office - I knew I was doing well, but guess I needed to hear it from them. 

So, I've lost a total of 86 lbs at this point; not too shabby.  My original goal weight was to be 160 lbs, which is only 18 lbs away now.  I am considering lowering my goal weight to maybe 145?  I think I want to have a little "wiggle room" in case at some point down the line I rebound a little, which I've read happens commonly - even among those who follow their diets correctly.  I hope it won't happen to me - but I want to take advantage of this fast losing stage in the first year as much as I can.  My weight loss has been slowing down a bit - noticed that I've lost an average of 2 lbs per week for the past couple of weeks - where prior to that, I was losing more like 3 1/2 - 4 lbs per week.  Maybe it's just a little stall.  Hopefully it will pick back up - but I've been told that it may not, since I'm getting smaller, the weight will come off slower.  As long as the scale is moving in the right direction, I'll be happy! 

One issue that I am NOT happy about is that I'm losing a lot of hair.  It comes out by the handful in the shower, and when brushing it.  I'm constantly picking hair off of my clothes, and from around the house.  Cooking is becoming hazardous - as my step-daughter found a piece of my hair in her food the other day.  She was grossed out.  I even had it tied back in a pony tail.  So, I've started taking 5mg of Biotin, and have added a B Complex vitamin to the B1 & Multi I was already taking.  That should help with the regrowth -- but I need it to stop falling out before I go bald!  I already had some thinning in the front and top due to PCOS issues - now if I don't part it in just the right spot -- I can see a lot of my scalp in the front.  I feel like I'm doing a comb-over or something. 

Hopefully the holidays won't be too hard food-wise.  We are having a couple of family get togethers - one I'm cooking for, and another I'll bring a dish to pass so I'm sure there will be something I can eat.  Then the day after Christmas, we will be traveling to visit my family in Phoenix.  I come from a family of gourmet home cooks - so I may have to make some separate meals for myself.  I can't expect them to tailor the menus just to accommodate me.  It'll work out though, I'm sure.  My Phoenix family has not seen me in over a year, so they will be surprised at how much I've shrunk! 

Just stepped on the scale this morning, and was amazed to see 198.  It's been a long time since I've been under 200 lbs, and when I did manage to get there in the past, I sure didn't stay there long.  This time will be different -- I'm saying "bye bye" to the 200's for good.  Man, does that feel good!  

It's been 3 months since my RNY GBP, and I'm happy to report that I've lost a grand total of 60 lbs!!!  I am really starting to feel it, too.  I have been able to walk (at a moderate pace) for 2 miles without feeling too winded or needing to rest at all.  My lower back and knees have felt A LOT better already, too.  Just had a check-up & my labs are all normal, and my BP is still looking good.  It's amazing how quickly these changes are occurring.  I think somewhere in the back of my brain, I was afraid that I still would not lose weight, even after the surgery.  I know that's a silly thing to think, but I've been so used to failing at weight loss for so many years... it's not an easy thing to stop thinking. 

We have a Halloween party to go to next weekend, and I'll be seeing friends that I have not seen since before the surgery.  I'm a little excited and a little apprehensive all at the same time.  I've had a couple of instances where people have asked me a lot of questions about why I had the surgery, why I made such a "drastic" choice, what was done for the surgery, why can't I eat certain things?.....etc....etc... I know that they did not mean harm, and were probably just curious.  But it has been a little hard for me to know what to say to them.  I certainly do not owe anyone an explanation, and my medical history/ information really is not their business.  But still, I find myself explaining more than I intended to, and feeling like I need to defend myself.  It's also very uncomfortable for me to have so much attention focused on my body & my size.

On the positive side, it's been nice to fit into smaller clothes -- I have not bought anything new yet, but I had quite a bit of clothing saved that was in smaller sizes.  Before the surgery, at 264 lbs, my pants were a size 24W.  The ones I've been wearing recently are a size 20W, and they are starting to fall off my a$$ already!  I have been wearing a belt to keep them up & I even have a pair of 18W jeans that fit at this point.  It will be fun to shop when I get closer to my goal, but for right now, I'm trying not to spend anything if I can help it.  Yesterday, my husband helped me take a bunch of my too-large clothing to a resale shop.  Hopefully I'll make some money from that stuff -- which can help me buy new when I'm ready. 

I've made it to my two month surgi-versary!  Things have started to get better for me.  I have been on the potassium supplement for the past month, and that has made such a huge impact on how I feel -- a complete turn around, really.  I actually have enough energy to do a little walking, and go to the store, etc...  So that is a really big relief.  My blood pressure and heart rate have stabilized, too.  I'm no longer on either of my 2 B/P meds, which is nice.  I'm finally sleeping better, too.  Since my potassium issue was discovered, I was taken off of my diuretic, so I'm still retaining a lot of fluid.  The nutritionist has changed my diet, because I was not getting in enough calories for my body to function - I am now eating a 2 oz meal every 3 hours.  So, it's about 5 meals a day -- which is fine, but now I don't seem to have time left in the day to get in all of my fluids.  It's such a balancing act -- between the fluids, meals, protein, and supplements....  I feel like I should have the hang of it better by now.  My weight loss has slowed down, and I don't even mind.  I'm just so happy that I am feeling better at this point.  My diet is still only the soft solids -- eggs, refried beans, melted cheese, tuna, cottage cheese, canned peaches, and soft cooked veggies.  I think my surgeon's office has one of the most strict diet plans I've seen.  This week I will have my 2 month appt. at the surgeon's office, and I'll then be able to add a couple of new foods to my diet - chicken, turkey, and solid cheese.  As for the weight loss -- I've lost a total of 45 lbs (including the 10 lbs I lost prior to surgery).  The only bad thing about the weight loss has been the subsequent loss of my boobs!  I have already gone down a whole cup size!  On the bright side, I've been able to start weeding out my closet, as quite a few things in size 22/24 are too big -- and others that were really too tight before (even though I was wearing them anyway) are now fitting much better.  I think it's about time to pull out my big bin of size 18/20's that I have saved in the basement - that's pretty exciting!

Whew -- this has been a crazy past couple of days.... On Monday I saw my primary doctor for a blood pressure recheck, and my heart rate was up -- in the 115-120's.  I have still been feeling very weak/shaky/dizzy as well.  She decided to run labs -- So, then on Monday night at 9:00 PM - an on call Dr. from the clinic called me at home to tell me that my potassium was too low -- and told me to go to the ER.  So, I was there from 10:00 PM Monday night until 2:00 PM Tuesday afternoon.  My potassium had dropped to 2.7  -- which is apparently quite low.  (The foods that I am allowed to eat have very little potassium content, and I have actually been concerned about this exact issue for awhile.)  In the ER, they gave me potassium both orally and through the IV, as well as some IV fluids.  My B/P and pulse were both high the whole time I was there - which they were not completely sure of the reason why.  They also did a Stress/Echo test (the one where you walk on a treadmill while they monitor your heart/BP) which turned out normal -- thank God.  So -- now I am taking a potassium powder supplement daily, and will be going back to the lab later today to have it re-checked.  Also, I was told that my urine shows "signs of starvation" -- I have elevated bilirubin and ketones, and there is protein in my urine (this is bad).  This really scares the s**t out of me.  My primary Dr. has told me to eat more solids, get more protein, and get more fluids in.  I have been trying hard to do everything I'm supposed to, but I feel like I've done nothing but struggle.  I honestly have been wondering if I made the right choice to have the surgery.  On top of all this, I've had really bad insomnia, and I have a bladder infection.  lol... I guess when it rains it pours, right?  I am feeling a bit better since all of the potassium, and I hope I will continue to feel that way.  (Fingers crossed).

Well, It's been one month since my RNY -- and I have now lost 25 lbs since the surgery (& a total of 36 lbs since the pre-op diet).  I'm still not sure which number to use as my official one... lol...  I am finally starting to see it in the mirror -- especially in my face.  My husband says he also sees it in my arms and legs and butt.  The one place I most want to see the loss is in my tummy though.... but I'll get there.  I am still struggling to get in all of my protein and fluids.  I don't know why this has been so damn hard for me.  I thought for sure that I would have no trouble complying with this, as I fully understand how crucial it is.  On the days when I do better with my intake, I definitely feel better.  But I am still having those days of extreme exhaustion, weakness, and shakiness.  One of the biggest physical obstacles has been taking a stupid shower -- I have needed my husband to stand by the shower, and sometimes help wash my hair, because when I raise my arms up to do this, I get so lightheaded, I'm afraid I'm going to pass out.  He is very sweet and helpful with everything, and I cannot imagine going through this without his love and support.  I appreciate this man so much!  I also cannot believe that I have not even driven yet since surgery -- because of the lightheaded/pass out worry.  I'm going to try it tomorrow, as I have an appointment while Eric is at work.  I plan on giving myself a lot of extra time, so I can stop and rest if I need to.  And I don't have far to go -- just a couple of miles, so I think I will be fine.  My one month follow-up appointment with the surgeon is next week; hopefully they will tell me I can advance my diet a little.  I'm getting so tired of fish and beans and eggs.  I need some variety!

Whooo hooo!  I just noticed that my BMI is under 40!  That's pretty exciting.  I think I've figured out that when I feel so tired, weak, faint, and shaky - it has to be from a lack of protein.  Yesterday I got in 58 grams, and I felt a lot better than I have on other days.  So, my new big priority (besides getting in 64 oz of fluids) is to get a minimum 60 g of protein every single day -- no exceptions.  It's been hard, as the protein supplement I have tastes pretty nasty -- but I'll choke the crap down if it means not feeling so exhausted and weak all of the time.  lol...  I have got to find some other brands of egg protein powders to try.

Well, it's been almost 3 weeks since my surgery.  I have not been very active on OH - I guess because I have not felt very positive about all of the issues that my body has been dealing with so far.  Some days are better than others, and I can put a smile on my face and say that I am feeling better - then other days, not so much.  Don't get me wrong - my surgery was successful, and there were no surgical complications -- and of that I am extremely grateful.  However, my day to day quality of life is definitely lower than it was pre-op.  I know it will get better as time goes on and my body adjusts, but it is disconcerting as I thought I was having this surgery to get rid of medical problems, not to gain more of them. 

Some of the issues I've had were an allergic reaction to a medication post-op -- I  had blurred vision for a week, that was scary.  Then there is my blood pressure - I have been on 3 meds to control it pre-op.  It has been a challenge for my PCP to regulate it now - it has been really high, and it has been really low - but at this point, thankfully, it seems to be leveling out.  Then there is the diarrhea.  Wow, has this been horrible.  Post-op weeks 1 and 2 I was going 10-13 times per day.  Unbelievable.  So we switched the Whey protein supplement (which caused this same reaction pre-op for me) with an Egg protein (not too tasty) -- with little improvement.  Then we stopped all dairy -- and this has helped quite a bit, even though I was not lactose intolerant prior to surgery.  However, I am still having diarrhea approx. 3 times per day.  The crappy thing is (no pun intended) according to my surgeon, that I cannot take anything to stop it - due to risk of a bowel obstruction.  I was a huge fan of Imodium pre-op and used it on a regular basis for my IBS.  Now, I guess I just have to live with this.  Pre-op the surgeon told me that I would most likely have constipation after the surgery -- but I guess I am one of those exceptions who does not.  Lucky me.  I unemployed right now - but when I get back into the workforce I don't know how I'll deal with this issue.  So, with all of the diarrhea, dehydration has also been a problem.  I have been to the hospital for outpatient IV therapy - and that helped.  I have also been extremely weak and tired -- all of the time.  Any time I stand up/walk around for a couple of minutes, I feel weak, shaky, and faint - and it feels like my heart beats harder.  Sometimes my pulse is high, but not always.  I still need help in the shower because of this, and still have not driven for fear of passing out on the road.  My glucose has been tested, and it is normal.  Apparently, my kidney function is a little low, and will be re-checked this week.  Then, there is the insomnia -- I've had a really tough time falling asleep, and staying asleep.  I have taken Lunesta, and it does not seem to help much.  There are also many nights I've woken up with what I'm pretty sure is an anxiety attack, so now I have a prescription for that, too.  The last thing I have to complain about are the headaches.  They have been really bad - every day.  I can, of course, no longer take any NSAIDS - so I'm left with good old Tylenol.  Which does not always work for me.  Some of my headaches have lasted 2 days straight --and then I have nausea to boot.  I have an Rx migraine med to take as well - but I do not like to take it regularly.  Pills, pills, pills -- waaaay too many pills.

On the positive side, I am now getting in my goal of 64 oz of fluids daily, and am taking all of my supplements.  I've regularly been getting in around 40-70 grams of protein daily, and my goal is 60 grams every day by next week.  My small meals have gone well - cream soups, refried beans, mashed tuna have all worked nicely.  Eggs felt fine going down - but were not agreeable at the other end of things - so to speak.  Luckily, I have never vomited, and my nausea usually only comes from my headaches.  Sometimes water makes me nauseous too.  Weird. 

Oh, and the weight loss -- the whole point of all of this madness, how can I forget?  I've lost 17 lbs since surgery, and 28 lbs since the pre-op diet.  I'm not sure which one to count as my "official" number.

Hopefully, the next time I post, I'll be feeling more positive.  Things can only get better.  I have to believe that.  

Well, here I am - enduring my last pre-op day of liquid diet.  I've actually lost 11 lbs in the 2 weeks of my pre-op diet.  Tomorrow morning, I'll be having my surgery and on my way to becoming a healthier, thinner, happier me.  I'm actually feeling fairly calm at this point, but I don't know if I'll sleep that well tonight anyway.  My sweet husband is helping me do some last minute cleaning around the house, then one more trip to the grocery store tonight, and I'll be ready.  I feel that I am fairly well prepared for what is to come, (at least as well as I can be) and I have the utmost confidence in my surgeon and her team.  All of the endless research, reading, questions, and weighing of the options has paid off, and now my time is here.  ;)
Wish me luck, and say a prayer for me!