margaret odom

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JANUARY 28, 2007

           Yesterday was my one year out since WLS and boy what a year I tell ya. One of my girls even sent me flowers. Wasnt that sweet? The family knows it was a major date for me. Truly cant even begin to say what its been like. I started out at 397lbs the day I sent the picture in to my Dr with the application. Mind you now, I had been eatting right for a week before that. So.... Im sure I was hitting the scale at around a good 400lbs or more. I sit here today and weigh in at 205. I am sounding like a boxer aint it? But in a way it is like boxing. You fight all the way to be healthy. I have been very good about what I eat and drink. I havent had sugar or fried food in a year. And I try not to go overboard on carbs. I needed this surgery so badly till I try my all time best to not blow it. I am a food addict and I dont know what that means to others out there but If theres something I really love to eat around It is an all time struggle for me not to eat it. I have to even talk to myself. So see.... Surgery doesnt change everything. I have went from an all time high size of 34W and I mean tight there when I say all time high to an 16 jeans, lose now and an xl shirt in alot of clothing. I can walk by a store window or see the reflection from somewhere else and I dont even know who that is. Where did the huge person with a head go??? I dont know if the head games will ever catch up with the body changes. I still go into stores and start for the largest sizes, I still look at the furniture when I go into a restaurant or a house to see if they will hold me. As you see, I have been 400lbs for so many years till I dont know any other life.... Maybe one day..... I couldnt hardly clean, cook, or any other daily ordinary things that other people take for granit before surgery. It was a struggle to just keep myself clean. I would take a bath and would be wiped out by the time the clothing was to be put on. I started out at a high BMI of like 68 and am now 35. I can clean my house upstairs and down in one day including the washing if needed and cook for the husband and still have the energy to run shop if have to. I have gotten out and done so much more with the grandchildren. I have went to movies, soccer games, chucky cheese (several times) and parks and just play with them outside. If there is anything I remember the most about being so heavy is the loneliness. I wouldnt go anywhere at all. If could get someone to go for me, well all the better. I didnt want to have to get out among others so they could stare. And boy did they. I was a round short body with a head. Now I still look when I go up town to see if anyone is looking. See, still have the feelings. And when it comes to compliments..... That is a whole new thing there. Its hard to take them. I never got them when so heavy except for my decorating or cooking lol... So I joke about whatever they say or just want to crawl in a hole.... But in the end it sure is nice....I will have to get a newer pic of me on the profile this week so yall out there in OH land can see the new and improved Marge lol.... yep, I said newer and improved and boy am I. I have also met some of the best people on this website I tell ya. We all have a common bond and its life. We all want to live longer and be healthier. I would be  a liar if said thinnner didnt play a part but cant be thinner if not healthier. huh? So for all of you out there that have been there for me thru all this first year and before.... Thanks. And for now as Paul Harvey says... The rest of the story..................

January 1, 2007

     Boy that will take some time getting used to. 2007... What a year it has been. As i sit here today I have changed so much in all directions. I was sitting here a year ago weighing almost four hundred pounds and so misserable. I couldnt hardly move to do anything but was counting down till surgery. I wasnt scared or anything. Being very calm in fact. I in no way would have changed my mind. Not even on my worse day would I have not had this surgery. I can look back and say it has been the best for me. I was wearing a size 5x mans shirt because they were longer than womens and wearing the largest jogging pants you could get in jms. Now I can almost wear any xl shirt, have went from a 56dd bra to a 40dd bra. I have also started wearing jeans. I have went years without wearing jeans and it is so nice to be able to walk into a normal store and purchase them. I will never go back to Catherines again. It took all I could do to afford the specialty stores that cater to large people and not to mention they are mostly older looking clothes and not my age to me. And what was, was so expensive you couldnt afford it. So now I can walk into Walmart and buy jeans. Leon and the kids got me jeans for Christmas and were size 16"s. I ran into the bathroom to try them on and OMG they fit. So now I am in 16's. I havent wore that size since was in high school. It is still hard for the mind to catch up. I still feel inside the way I have always have. But when I look in a mirror or walk by and see my reflection its like who is that. I dont take compliments very well either. I get so embarressed when people carry on. Maybe one day Ill except the changes but for now I am just so happy and feel so much better. I weighed today and was 211. That in itself is amazing. My one year surgery anniversary is coming up soon. The 27th of this month. I would love to be at 200 but if not thats ok to. I havent set any goals for myself. I think after all the years of goal setting I am just taking it one day at a time. So I am excited to see what the new year brings .... Happy New Year!!

December, 30,2006

            I can't believe I have finally gotten back to filling out my profile. Thanks to my son in law lol... I am the reason they wrote computers for dummies books lol... So alot has went on since the September posting of the profile. I personally cant remember it all so will just start with now I guess.... We went to the airport and picked up the youngest daughter last tuesday that flew in from San Antonio Tx. We get to see her about twice a year now that she is in school there and all. She will be coming back down for her wedding shower for the 21st of April. Anywho while she was here she broke out all over her body and even her eyes were just about shut with something. We had to take her to the emergency room twice over the holidays ugh.... poor thing. Then the oldest daughter came in with her hubby a few days later from Quitman Ms. We had alot of fun and sitting up late at night and of corse when ya aint used to that you feel like a mack truck has hit ya. lol... Christmas was so nice and layed back. Christmas eve is when we opened gifts over here with the kids and grand kids. I had made all kinds of finger foods. Of corse the majority of them I couldnt eat but that was fine with me. I have started looking at food different now that wls has come into my life. Other words, dont sweat it if cant have it lol... And not to mention the rewards are the best!! This is the first year on record that I didnt get one thing for the house. Always all my life being so huge noone knew what to get me clothes wise but omg this year... I got so many nice clothes.. My first pair of 16 jeans too!! After all was said and done I ran in the bathroom and they fit!!! I cant tell ya what that was like... OMG... I havent wore a 16 since I graduated high school. I do know that this year has been the year of blessings for sure and look forward to many more to come......

Well today is such a monumental day for me.... I have officially hit the 150 pound losing mark.... who hoo!! I weighed this morning when I got up and was 247. I cant even to begin to explain what that feeling was like. So much of my old life has been left behind. Im not saying that WLS changes all things but when it came to me living again it sure did. A very small example is like yesterday. I told my grandson to the movies. So many people take that for granite but when you have lead such a huge part of your life being so overweight, getting around other people so they can stare and snicker is the last thing I would have done. I have become the person that actually does things... I have so much more energy now and dont begin to cleaning my house by first resting. I absolutely couldnt do it anymore. I would have to sit in between even cooking small meals because of all the pain in my body. Now I can shop all day, come home and put away whatever it is I bought, cook a nice meal, and even do the dishes without even thinking about it. So I just hope I continue to do well and lose this extra weight I still have on my frame so can be healthier and be here on earth for my family longer......

Well today is a very big milestone for me. I have offically gotten to the 140 pound weight loss. I look at it small range. I dont venture out to far at a time. I now weigh 257. I started out at 397 when I sent in my picture to Dr. Duncans office. And aint gonna lie. That was after a week of eatting right ok? So no telling what it was before. I have had a bad few weeks with urinary trac infection and has been like having a baby I tell ya. I finally got in to the PCP office and hope this medicine will work. If not im like so going back. Its to painful I tell ya. But other wise, life is good. Nothing major going on. I did have to give a urine sample at the dr's office and I actually could do it without the drama. lol... If never been there with a huge belly trying to stick hands where it needs to go..... Lets just say, aint good. Small things are so amazing in itself. I am still finding bones I didnt even know I had. I can actually clean my whole house up and down stairs in one day if want to and dont feel like im fixing to pass out. I aint asking for alot. Just to be healthier. I never thought I Margaret Odom could go without sugar and junk food for this long without flapping like a fish on the floor.LOL But its like a cleansing feeling in a way. I try to eat all the things I can that help the body but like I tell Tanja, I dont miss the sugar. I dont even get sweet tooths as they say. I think because I eat fruit and thats all the sugar I need I guess. Have learned alot about what I need and dont. I still have head issues where you want something so badly but doesnt hang there that long. I was saying yesterday that I have always let everyone see my weakness all my life. I was truely addicted to food and it showed big time. Everywhere I went you could see the weight on my body and so yes..... the weakness showed.

Today is my offical SIX MONTHS SURGIVERSARY!!! I cant amagine where I would be at today if I hadnt had this surgery. I can say that I wouldnt be far. I had gotten to where I couldnt even walk hardly, clean house, or breathe for that matter. And forget doing the small details that needed doing for just myself. It had become a chore to just get out of bed for the day. I can say that I have never been so healthy in my life. I turned 46 yesterday and not one time did it bother me age wise. It has become a number anyway and I look and feel so much better. It will take a long time for the head games to catch up if they ever do. But as I sit here weighing 272 today... life is good. I dont have a set goal out there and seems like goals were always my downfall. I dont have the need to put pressure on me for that. It would be nice to be below 200 and if that happens so be it and WHOHOO huh? But I take it one day at a time and whatever I end up at is ok to. I have never set out to be a runway model. Just want to live longer and be healthier for my family. So life is good......... Happy anniversary to me..... lol

Anyway this week I made it to the 120lb lost mark. That was awesome in itself. I got up this morning and weighed 275. I just can remember weighing that and has been a very long long time.And when I did weigh that I wasnt there but like ten minutes to enjoy it. I always gained right on back up and then some. I went thru my closet today and got rid of alot of the to big a closes and I was telling tanja how weird that was. I always got rid of clothes but not because they were to big lol... So this is also a major WOW moment today. I see clothes hanging in my closet and doesnt even register that I should be even wearing that size. So things change day to day and I find lil things different that I hadnt ever noticed and so its fun.... Bones for one. I have a collar bone? Who knew.. And a breast bone?? Who knew then either. I told tanja it was like a lump between my chest lol.... And lets not forget the hands and fingers. Like I said. Lil things that most people take for granite.....

Well, we got back from the beach yesterday and had a great time. Everybody in my family went but the youngest daughter which lives in Texas. The weather couldnt have been any nicer and the water was unreal. We went to Mexico Beach Florida... We always go every year and I had gotten so huge and in bad health till last year I didnt even walk down to the beach area. I watched everybody from the balcony... I think back on it now and its very sad. It was my grand daughters first time going last year and I didnt even get to enjoy it with her. So this year was very different. I made sand castles with her and took her out into the water and played on a boogie board with my grandson. I feel so much better this time around. Its alot of walking and I didnt give out of breath like I always had. We had fresh oysters, shrimp and fish. I didnt gain any weight or lose any. I am the same as when I left the house lol...282. I didnt get alot of protein in the five days we were gone but I tryed. Oh well, usually I would have ate from the time I got in the truck till the time I got back lol.. Alot has changed. I did get my water intake in though. I have to say, it was a great time.....

Here is a picture of me and my identical twin, Martha (I'm on the left)

Well today is the start of another chapter I guess im my profile. I got on here last week and had lost half of my journal on here. Go figure. It was devistating to because I didnt have a back up one. So have officially lost all my material from November to now. But nothing I can do about it now except start fresh where it left off at. Today is my five months out of surgery and figured this would be a good a time to start as any. I have been so much more active and all. I have taken my grandchildren to the park, we have played outside in the pool, and even took the oldest one (david 5) to the movies. And to some thats not a huge deal but let me tell you..... I havent been to a movie since Richard Gere was busting out and getting all popular in American Gigilo lol. So yes, thats major. I have lost 114lbs so far and feel so much better and healthier. I still have issues with what I can tolerate to eat and what I cant but thats trial and error there I guess. Some days things agree with me and some days dont and thats something I can live with. I havent had anything with sugar or grease or oil so you know thats major for me. Im from the South where EVERYTHING is fried. lol... I am going on vacation this Friday to the beach with my family and thats also a major deal. I went last year and didnt even let the sand hit my feet. I had gotten so unhealthy till couldnt hardly even walk that far and so didnt even get to enjoy my grandaughters first time at the beach... There are sad sad things about being so large and I dont wish them on anyone. It is a lonely life or was for me. I am still big but the difference is amazing. The reason for me having this major of a life change and WLS was to be there for my family and see all the upcoming changes. So alot of wow moments are beginning to happen to me now and its hard for the head to catch up with the change. I see small things changing alot like BONES for one. Heck, I didnt know there was bones under all this insulation called skin. lol So life goes on and I am grateful everyday that I have been blessed to have had this chance in life for a new beginning.....

The first picture was the one I sent into the Surgeon; the picture in the green dress is from Easter.