CJ Triplett

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1-18-07 Sooner than the last... :-) Well I am it has been 19 days since I QUIT smoking... I have been very successful in my quest to cut out the smoking and amazingly enough I have severly cut back the drinking more than I ever thought that I could do.  What this means to me is that I was just lacking the committment to beging something that I was in the past aftraid of failing... Over the years prior to the surgery, I was constantly failing, failing at dieting, failing at the not smoking, failing at not going to the gym, failing at my marriage, failing in MY MIND at so many things..  But one of the great things about this surgery to me was the sense that I with the right tools was not a failure and if I set my mind to something I could succeed at it.  That is proving to be true right now.  Since My entry on the 1st of January, I have not had a cigarette, I have SEVERELY cut my drinking down, and I have started working out at home and getting my mind ready for going back to the gym.  I am very proud of myself, because I realized that I CAN DO WHATEVER I WANT TO DO IF I SET MY MIND TO IT! And so can you.  You just have to direct your mind to the position that you are heading in order to get you there.  My husband still smokes.. and I miss the time that we use to have when we would smoke in the garage together, or take breaks in between shows, but I FEEL so much better now, I wake up earlier again, I don't have such labored breaths when I sleep any more, so I wake up refreshed.. I plan on starting the actual gym on Monday, I have been working out everyday at home and am now ready to commit to going 4-5 days a week at the gym.. or running on my treadmill.  I have also decided to participate in Bob Green's The Best Life Diet... Yes it is a "diet" but it is also a way of life.. at almost 4 years out, I am at more of a normal diet regimine than I was before, and this program is about not just the body, but the mind, and I am anxious to try this new style of LIVING out... I am going on vacation in May... a little over 3 months from now and want to see what I can do....I have also decided to run in the Asperagus Festival in April.. So here we go... Do you want to come and join me?  Looking good, feeling good, smoke and alchohol free?  Drop me an email and let me know!  So I have these coasters at home that say all these reall cool things, and one of them has become my favorite...I only wish that my parents had set this one for me..The quote says" Prepare the CHILD for the PATH, not the PATH for the CHILD" Although I am grown up, my childhood path was not set in a fashion in which I could be successful.  As an adult I have had to create my own path, and prepare my children by teaching them healthy living and exercise habits that my parents never taught me.. I am still struggling with the path that was laid out but never explained to me.. so When you are drinking, to much, or smoking to much, or eating the wrong foods, or just not being a good person... just remember that you are preparing a path that your children will follow, unless you prepare THEM otherwise... Later!

CJ~ 

1/1/07 Wow.... I can't believe that is has already been 6 months since my last entry... time does fly past. There are so many things that I have learned over the past year... One is that addictions change.. I am no longer a food addict, but how many of us including myself have become additcted to something else? That is the question that we have to ask. I have become addicted to alchoho, and smoking, and although they may seem like New Years Resolutions... I am giving both of them up TODAY... I have come to the realization that although I have tackeled so many hurdles in my life I am still an addictive person, and that in itself is hard not only to realize, but most importantly to admit. I have to say that I drink almost every night, I smoke a pack a day.. and although I smoked before surgery I had "reasons" as to why I was doing it... I don't have any reasons any more. So today the 1st of January 2007 I am committing to do a couple of things, first I am committing to stop drinking, 2nd stop smoking, 3rd to be more diligent in writing here where I was able to get so much support before, 4th to continue to do what I do to help not only myself but others, just by being me... Yes that may sound weird, conceited or whatever, but WE are people and every day of our lives, we have the ability to contribute not only to our own lives but to people that know us and those that don't, so if writing in this log more frequently helps someone then that is what I have to do! There are so many things that I still learn from day to day life that could help someone else like me that I am convinced that if I don't pass that information forward then I am not any better than the fatty foods that we ALL use to eat... So... I am not going to say that I "can't" work out, or I "can't" stop drinking, or I "can't" take the few minutes to sit down and write here, because I CAN... I have a my space account, and I was reading all the cool tag lines that every one has on there myspace, and I came up with one that I had no idea would eventually be my montra... My tag line is, "Can't is a word, used by those that don't want to do" I don't know where that came from.. but it must be the real me inside trying to come out and not use anything or any one as an excuse anymore... So GO AND DO, because YOU CAN!

CJ
6/30/06 doo doo doo doo Today's my Birthday doo doo doo doo Happy Birthday to me! 40 YEARS YOUNG!!! and I am feeling like a 21 year old... I can't believe that 3.5 years after surgery I am still feeling like this! There are just some days (like today) When I know that I am truly blessed to have had this surgery. My quality of life continues to improve with each and every day that passes. I keep experiencing the joy of talking about this wonderful Journey! And that to me is one of the best things that has happened to me since the surgery. I just got back from Washington DC again to talk about the advantages of Medical Technologies, specifically in my case about how the the laporscopic gastric bypass has changed my life and how my life could have been if I did not have the surgery. I was a wonderful event. The event was on Capitol Hill, and I was able to meet so many great people, Bonnie Blair the Olympic Speed Skater, and Minnesota Timberwolves Basketball Player Fred Hoiberg, each having their own battle that medical technologies helped them with... There were other people there just like "us" normal people that something tragic had happened to and I began feeling like "what am I doing here" and I was reminded that obesity kills and unlike some things like a heart attack or an anurism, obesity is a slow and sometimes painful death, and although I felt as though I should not have been there with these people that had suffered tragidy, I had to realize that my life prior to gastric bypass was somewhat of a tragidy. Being that much over weight and being alive, but not living a life is horrible too, So to end with one of my analogies... " I was a prisoner and it was a slow death sentance... all I can say is that I am glad that I am on PAROL!(Given a chance) It is up to me to check in with my parol officer (my Doctor), it is up to me not to gain any more strikes (Pounds), and my responsibility to be REFORMED (change my lifestyle) and do what ever community services (helping others) that I can!" Obesity is something that we can beat but you have to put in the time and effort to do so! The Website for the AvaMed Washington DC site is:

http://www.progressyoucansee.org/profiles/cj-triplett/

4-4-06 GOOD GOOGLY MOOGLY!! It has been a long time since I updated! I just looked and can't believe that is has been this long...Well what is going on with me... I have just had my 3 year anniversary, Well on January 29th, and am still doing great. I have been very busy working, new company that I ABSOLUTELY LOVE, I have been here since September of last year... In fact just a couple of weeks after my last post! Well, I have been doing a lot of "Side Work" in relations to Gastric Bypass. I was in A Coffee Table Book for Dr.s offices, then on the BariatricEdge Website... I feel sooo good about being able to share how wonderful the surgery has been for me to others... The LATEST AND GREATEST is that I was just recently in a commercial that just started airing on most of the major cable channels... you know like Oxegyn, USA, TLC, Discovery Heath, Fox News... ones like that.. again it is for the BariatricEdge which is a great website that gives a lot of information for patients that are thinking about the surgery. It's all very weird for me to be doing something that 1, is fun and 2 helps sooo many people. Up to this date almost 3 and a half years after surgery, I still have not had a single Migrain Headache, I have not had one problem with the joints in my knees (even the bad one) and I am still maintaining my weight loss within 5-8lbs. Everyday, it seems as though life is flying by much faster for me than ever before, I and I guess that is because the good things always go by faster than the bad things... I guess what I am saying is that my life is so full of wonderful things now that it seems like it is just passing by, where as before when I was 280lbs, everyday was a struggle and EVERYDAY seemed to drag! My family is doing wonderfully, and I just love my husband... HE is basically our kids trainer and they are FIT LOL, he has them running 3 miles 3 times a week and the other day, they called me all excited because they ran 5 miles.. Hey the ONLY way that I am running 5 miles is if I am dreaming LOL. They were so proud of themselves, and believe me I am proud of them too.. They just don't know how much it means to me to see that they have a strong foundation to a healthy life...Now I am not saying that they don't complain, but they do JUST DO IT! Anyone whoever reads these knows that I like to end with a quote or some sort of words of wisdom... Well, the other day I was talking to my daughter and she was telling me about a girl at school that asked her why she ran 3 times a week... (we have a sticker on our refridgerator that says what my little girl told her school mate) "I keep running because it makes me feel ready, I'm not exactly sure what I am going to be ready for... But whatever comes along... Boy do I feel prepared" I guess my thought on my daughter telling her friend this, is that if you see something everyday and you start believing it good or bad, so don't look at the negative, look at the positive and Boy will you be Prepared for WHATEVER comes your way!..
~Cj~
Here I am With The Ethicon Book... Look Ma I'm a STAR!


8-12-05, HELLO! Time sure flies when you are having fun! I can't believe that it has been over 5 months since I last wrote. Everything in my life is going well, we packed up and relocated to North Stockton, and I love it there. I am still pretty much maintaining my weight loss however I am trying to quit smoking AGAIN, and I have put on a couple of pounds. I am trying to put myself back on my month one diet in order to keep the affects of the quitting of smoking so we will see how that goes. I am still in love with my job, and that is always a great thing. Big changes this summer, I realized that I don't own 1 one piece bathing suit! LOL, only 2 piece ones! That I would have to say is a big accomplishment. I never thought that I would see the day, when I would have a bikini for every day of the week LOL. I have been trying to go on vacation for 2 years and still haven't found time to go with My husband yet, but we are now trying for October. Kids are doing great, and loving the new schools and such. Gonna Run, but I must leave with a quote for the day. This quote comes from one of the United States most influential leaders..... P DIDDY:-), "One must remember no matter what ... to PRESERVE YOUR SEXY" I would say that those are words to live by, so go out and buy a bikini for every day of the week! :-) Take care!

CJ

3-5-05 Ok, so a little bit of time has passed since my last update. Well one thing that I have learned is that there is life after surgery. I have moved on in my life which I find to be quite healthy. I have been working hard at something I love, and doing something that I have wanted to do my entire life, but never had the courage to do because I felt as though I didn't look the part. Well, here I am, over 2 years later, and things couldn't be better. I am adding my 2 year anniversary picture, and I have to say that it still shocks me that the person in the picture is me. I am still working out, but not nearly as much as I use to, and I am still maintaining my weight. I gain about 5 pounds when it is about time for me to have what use to be a period, but other than that I am doing very well. I hope that every one is doing well. I am no longer doing the support group as many of you know, but there comes a time when you have so many new things in your life you have to start weining yourself from the surgery related things. The only thing that I am really doing activly in regards to surgery is the Johnson & Johnson Endo Surgery Web site, you can find it on the web, and it is under weightloss surgery, and then patient stories. As I am fast approaching fourty, I am realizing that the later part of the rest of my life will be filled with family picture that I won't regret looking at. My dad took on on my 2 year annivesary as mentioned, and I tell, you I could look at it all day and still not believe it's me. When i received the picture from my dad, I opened it up and said to my husband, "Do I really look like that?" and his response was, " yes, CJ you do, to everyone but yourself".... So I guess that means that 2 years and 115 pounds later, my head still hasn't caught up. But that is ok, because I believe that it still keeps me working hard at watching what I eat, and not feeling too comfortable about where I am in regards to my weight loss. Well, with that said, todays quote is one that my husband often uses on me and that is...~ The worst critic that you have... Is you, you need to see what everyone else is seeing, and if you can't see it, at least know that those closest to you would not lie, and believe them~ Take care and catch you the next time.

CJs Daytime Costume for Work
Then there is the Night Time Costume!


10-18-04 Wow! It has been a month since my breast reduction! I can't believe how fast time wizzes by! Well, let me break it down for you! I LOVE MY NEW BOOBIES!! They are beautiful! I little bit on the Frankinboob side still, but ultimately beautiful! I feel like a weight has been taken off of me, and I guess that it really has! I was a 38dd, and now I am a 36 b/c depending on the bra! I can buy CUTE LITTLE bras from anywhere that I choose! Dr. Hoyt was great, and continues to be great. I do have to admit that it is really an odd thing when you look at them a couple of days after, You are really not sure exactly what to do with yourself. In fact it is quite frightning. You look all slashed up and bandaged up. I was a little nervous at first, but I recovered by going back to work! I had my surgery on Monday the 13th, and went back to work on Friday the 17th. So because I didn't have the implants my recovery time was very quick! There is definately some getting use to to it still going on at this point, but it is little things like being able to wear a tank top at home without having to wear a bra. I can't believe the difference though. My clothes fit better, and people say that I look thinner. I feel as though that is true. I have noticed that when I wear certain things sometimes I feel as though they might be too small, but I figure I will try out the itty bitties, for a while and if I want to upgrade I will do it at a later time. I can't tell you what a beautiful feeling it is... they don't swing any more they JIGGLE!! YEAH BABY :-) I guess more big news is that I reached my personal goal weight! I always said, that I just wanted to touch 165lbs, we I have touched it and Now I think that I want to live here! :-0, I can't believe that I made it the weird part is that I wasn't even trying to get here. I am just getting nervous because this time last year I gain 10 pounds and I don't want to go there again. It was a lot of work to get it off...but I feel as though, because I am prepared for it I am in control of not letting it happen again...I am in control of my own destiny, as all of you are so remember that! You are in control of your desitiny. Oh one other funny thing... so I guess this would be the quote I usually end with...it's from my daughter and it was couple of days after I got home from having the reduction done, my daughter was helping me with my bandages...and suddenly got a terrified look on her face....I asked her what was wrong and she stared at my boobs and said"MOMMY!!!! THEY ARE POKING OUT!!!"" I could barely hold in the laughter when I finally told her, "Baby they are suppose to POKE OUT" Well it just goes to show you that she thought big ole, draggin', saggin', boobies were what they are suppose to look like...But Not any more! Have a great Day, I am going to go and jiggle my way to lunch!

9-9-04 Time does fly when you are having gastric bypass! LOL, I know that wasn't funny, but it made me smile. I am sooooo close to having the breasts thing done. MONDAY is the big (or small) day for me. I had my pre op appointment yesterday and it went very well. He (Dr. Hoyt) in Modesto is a really nice guy and I am really looking forward to getting this last thing done! It will be good to have no more surgeries to look forward to! Well I went to my 20 year reunion and I can't tell you how happy it made me to have gone. It was like wiping the slate clean of 20 years of memories that weren't great! I felt wonderful, and I would have to say that I didn't look bad either! :-) I wore a strappy little number that was to die for. It was great having everone say how different I looked. It was even better being the only on at the park the night before when we all met up and I was the only one of us that climbed the rock wall (4 times) Someone asked if I was always that adventurous, and then someone else said, "look at her arms they're guns, of course she is!" It was great. I just know that if nothing else I felt a sense of accomplishment, we all know that as we get older we tend to let ourselves go, it was great to go to the reunion and to know that I am better outside than I was in high school...but even more important to know that I am still the same person inside, but to once let those people that were in high school that didn't notice the chubby funny girl, noticed the "pretty in shape" girl with the guns and got to experience a little of the person on the inside that they missed out on in high school. Did that makes sense? Well everyone knows I like to end with a quote, but this one came from an unusual place/person.....my husband...I never really take to much of what he says to heart :-), but this kind of stuck out and definately fit the reunion occasion....Julius says,"You have people that peak in High School, you know what I mean, and then when you see them later you realize all the good stuff was used up in high school...well I guess You just peaked late!" This is dedicated to all of us LATE PEAKers! Have a good one!
~CJ~
20 Year Reunion Pic!

8/25/04 2 months out and doing just great. I went to the support group last night and it was amazing to see how everyone is progressing. It is a great thing when you don't see people for a couple of months and when you do you don't even recognize them! I am getting ready for the next 2 big adventures of my life, and that would be my reunion and the breast reduction/lift! I can't believe that the reunion is this week...20 years have passed since high school, and I look and feel better than I ever did when I was in high school... And as far as the reduction goes, I just can't wait. I am a little nervous, having been at least a 38d my entire life, I am a little nervous that I will feel like an amputee, but I will be fine...I will learn to love the "little" girls and most of all the thought of being able to wear a t-shirt with NO BRA is just an amazing thought for me! I am doing great after the tummy tuck, there are very few days that I have the swelling any more, and that is a good thing. I have started back at the gym and have REALLY cut Carbs from my life! (Well this has only been going on for the last week or so) But I have dropped a 5 unwanted pounds that I gained after having surgery. I shouldn't be surprised, but I am at how much of a diffrence the committment of cutting out carbs makes with the weight loss. I know that we have been told that over and over but unless I REALLY do it, I don't lose weight. I lost 4 pounds and it hasn't even been a week. Originally I wanted to lose about 3 pounds before the reunion, but since that went so quickly I am shooting for another 3...My son plays football and I have been asked to be a conditioning coach to help a couple of the players meet the weight requirements. CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? ME a conditioning coach. It cracks me up just to think that I was even asked...let's think back about a year or so ago? It woul have never happened. You all know exactly what I mean. I was asked last night why I really hadn't been at the support groups in a long time, and I realized that there are things that I have wanted to do for many years and haven't been able to do until now, like being a coach with my son's team. Those things take time, and being finally being able to do those things are important to me. After all one of the main reasons that I had gastric bypass was to be more involved with my family and my kids. So here I am, and I am in 110% Well, I will update after the Boobies are picked up from the ground! Today's quote....I am going to relate to our desire for carbs and wanting to cut them out of our lives....I actually told one of the kids on the football team this yesterday when he said that,"he couldn't run the entire lap" and that is >>>> there is a difference between can't and not wanting to do something...you CAN do anything that you set your mind to...So if you are saying that you just can't cut the carbs out of your life you CAN you just don't want to yet...Does that make sense...Now that I want to cut them out of my life...they are and I now know that I can! Have a great day! ~CJ~

6/22/04 Well I am 6 days post op...got some things that needed to be taken care of taken care of and also had my tummy tuck! I can't believe how good I am feeling today. I just saw Dr. McNemar this morning and he said that I am doing wonderfully..he is very happy not only with my recovery, but the results of the tummy tuck. I am not kidding when I say that yesterday I could see the line down the center of my stomach...you know the beginning of the six pack, and was about floored...so when I saw the Dr. today I asked him was I just wishing that I saw that? He told me that what I was seeing was real. First of all let me tell you that he removed 4 POUNDS OF SKIN, I was shocked at that number because quite frankly, I didn't think that there was 4 pounds of skin on my stomach to be removed...During my pre op Dr. M drew a line pretty much under my boobs and when I asked what was it...he said that that was my new bikini line! YIKES!!! and the scary part is that he was not kidding. The stretch marks that were under my boobs are now the ones that are coming out of my panty line! LOL..There is still quite a bit of swelling in the evenings, I am doing my best to keep myself moving, but being bent over like a number 7 is pretty hard on the knees and the back...I have more pain in my back and knees that I do where my incision is. I am not saying that there is no pain, it is a major surgery and I think that a lot of people forget that it is because it is "cosmetic" but hey...when you have a incision that goes from one hip all the way around to the other hip it is pretty major. Then there is the the drain that is basically stuck in the "V" of your pube...well actually two drains that have to stay in for about a week. I had one removed today, and hopefully the other will be removed on Thursday whenI go back to see the Dr. I tell you...right now YOU CAN BOUNCE A QUARTER ON MY STOMACH AND MAKE CHANGE! And that is still with all of the swelling. I have read that you really don't get the full result for up to a year! That sucks...but as long as I keep getting these wow moments I will be just fine. I have my appointment with Dr. Hoyt (through Kaiser) next Tuesday, he will be doing the breast reduction/lift. So I will definitely let you konw more about that as it unfolds...(kind of like my boobs when I take them out of my bra...unfold) LOL Well, I keep saying that I am going to put up some new pictures, maybe I will email some to Shelly today and see if she can help me..?? I will definitely put up some of the before Plastic surgery stomach pics and then add the afters later. Take care and the Quote for Today is the Tag line from the US Marines...." Pain is weakness leaving the body" I just can't think of anything more true than that today! Take care and will update soon!
CJ

6/8/04 almost a year and half post op, and getting ready to have my tummy tuck done NEXT WEDNESDAY, I can't believe it! It has been such a journey for me. I have had some health issues (not related to gastric bypass in anyway) and so the end result will be that I am going to have my tummy tuck done LONG STORY. I have been doing great, feeling great, enjoying life and trying to adapt to all that has come my way in the past year or so. This has been such a wild and crazy ride for me and many of you as well. I am getting ready to take my state test for my real estate license...hoping that I will pass the first time, but if not I will try try try again! I am having my Tummy Tuck done by Dr. McNemar, and he is a wonderful guy, I can't believe that this is really happening to me. Before gastric bypass I never thought of having plastic surgery of any kind and now that is all I can think about :-) I am counting the days...and there are only 7 left. Dianne Diaz is my inspiration! She is doing great after her surgery and YOU CAN BOUNCE A QUARTER off her stomach! NO JOKE! I am so proud of her and what she has gone through, believe me this is not an easy thing to do.. and she is a trooper! I have learned alot from her that I had not read, things like after tummy tuck...fitting in your clothes is a little harder for a while.. didn't know that..but there is swelling.. She is just great.. .she is guiding me through this.. I told her that she is my guinea pig... we are going to be doing this just one month apart from eachother which is very helpful...Well, I am going to run. I am going to put up some before and after pictures after I get home. Believe me the before's are not pretty! Let's just sya that I call the boobs bat wings! Well I am about choose to do something that will cause me great pain...am I crazy? maybe, but as I always say... You have to make short time sacrifices for the long term goals! And that is what I am about to do! OH MY GOSH! I almost forgot! Kaiser is going to pay for my brast reduction/lift! I couldn't believe it! I guess that is going to happen sometime in September..I couldn't believe how easy it was...shocked yes...happy yes... 20 YEAR REUNION IN about 3 months! LOOK OUT! :-)

3/13/04 Yeah Yeah I know! It has been quite a while since I have updated, so I thought that I would do it today! I guess better late than never! :-) Things are rolling along, my one year has come and gone and I still feel better than I ever have in my life. I am doing more now than when I was 21 LOL, and that says a lot. I have been doing the B93 Fat to Fit which came about because Shape Magazine said that Modesto is the most unfit city in the Nation and I thought that it would be a good motivator for me to get myself fit. I feel great doing things that I have not been able to do in years. I have gone wakeboarding in the Ice Cold waters of February, and many other things, today's big adventure is playing tennis. It literaly has been since High school since I have played. Not that I am any good, but I love the thought of playing. I play a lot! Family life is family life, I have been "through it" a little bit lately, but I am back on track. I have started going to Real Estate School, and am loving it. That is something that I have wanted to do since I was young, but never thought that I looked the part, you all know what I mean. It is not that I necessarily feel as though I look the part now, but I feel so much better about myself that I know that this is something that I can do and not have to worry about what people are thinking about in regards to my weight. I am going to have someone help me put more pics up, the ones that I have up now are soooo outdated, but that really hasn't been a priority for me lately..And I guess that is good. Of course I am loving the weather and enjoying wearing cute clothes and what not, but let me tell you, I AM GOING TO HAVE TO GET THESE BOOBS TAKEN CARE OF!! Just the other night, my husband rolled over in bed and I screamed...he said what are you doing way over here? I told him I wasn't....JUST MY BOOBS WERE! :-) I would say that that is my bigges (well saggiest) complaint right now. When I don't have a bra on from the side I look like a boy, my boobs are so empty that from the side it looks as though I am flat chested and that is something that I have never had before. Of course I don't think that the insurance is going to cover a boob lift or implants which is what I am going to need, but I have been getting rashed on my boobs because they are all wrinkled up in my bra and with the weather getting warmer I can only imagine that this problem is going to get worse. I am going to see the Doctor soon to see what they suggest, this is the one thing that I am going to have to take care of and soon. So if there is anyone out there with any ideas on how to pay for this, I am all ears. I feel like starting a website and charging $1 for everyone to join...then as we all lose weight we could just use the money from the pool in order to have our plastic surgery! :-) One thing I do know is that I am going to do whatever it takes to do this, because it is something that I feel as though will complete the circle for me. Well, gonna run, but before I go you know I have to leave with a quote...Todays quote is from Carlos Canteneda ~"We eigther make ourselves miserable or we make OURSELVES strong. The amount of work is the same" So my advise to all of us is to work on making OURSELVES strong whether it is physically or mentally or both, but it is our responsibilty to make ourselves feel good, no one can do it for us...we have to do it for ourselves and not look to others to confirm this...we have to be comfortable in ourselves...and I get a more comfortable with each and every day that passes....TAKE CARE OF YOU! :-) CJ

1/5/04 WOW, I can't believe that I am now moving quickly toward my one year anniversary... I can't believe how fast the time has whizzed by, but at the same time, I am glad that it has. Well, I have gained about 10lbs, I don't know why, and can't really say that I truly understand it, I HAVE FINALLY QUIT SMOKING, and I am hoping that that has something to do with it. I have talked to Sonja in Dr. Coirins office and there are many factors as to why I could have gained the weight. I have been working out harder that ever, I have just quit smoking and then of course we have had the holidays, in which I will honestly admit that the CARBOSAURUS monster was definitely in my house and in full attack mode! As much as it scares me to know that I have gained the 10lbs, I am really not that concerened, because my clothes still fit just fine, in fact some of them are looser than they were before. So I know I am not gaining inches, but just the thought of the scale moving up is something that I really don't care to see. We will look at this in a month and see what is going on then...but wait...today is only Monday and I am hoping for one hell of a POOP on Wednesday! :-) LOL. Well, I just wanted to update, since I just realized that I hadn't done so in about a month. I am finally going to send new pics in to have added to my profile, I have to say that I think I look pretty different than I looked in the last ones that I had posted. I have my Plastic Surgeon appointment on my anniversary date, and I can't wait to find out what he is going to recommned. I am definitely thinking about lifting the boobs and removing some skin from my stomach. I am not sure if I am going to have the muscles in my stomach done, because I can see them through the loose skin that I have, and I am hoping that they are strong enough that I can just have the skin removed and not have to have the muscles cut. My boobs however are a hazard, I swear the other day I was getting out of the shower and I stepped on a NIPPLE! ;-) So with that said, I will leave you with today's quote from the famous striptease artist Gypsy Rose Lee ~ "I have everything now that I had 20 years ago - except now, it is a lot LOWER!" Take care and I will update on my anniversary! YIPPEE

12/1/2003 Well for those of you that don’t know I have heard from Fear Factor, I received a message from them last week and have called them back to do a phone interview. I am really excited, and am hoping that this goes all the way. As far as Thanksgiving went, I had a wonderful time; I had Thanksgiving dinner at my house, with my family, and my mom and dad. We had a great time. I did most of the cooking which was really hard because I could not really taste anything, I was worried that the food wouldn’t taste right because I couldn’t taste it, but once dinner was done and I was able to taste it, I realized that it was fine. I did however make a conscious choice to have a piece of lemon pie. Well, I waited until the end of the evening, when the company was getting ready to leave. Then, I cut myself a slice of Lemon pie! I don’t mean a sliver, I mean a Nation’s Hamburger sized slice…...almost. I ate it slowly enjoying every mouthwatering bite. The reason that made this choice is because this is a family tradition I have had this lemon pie every Thanksgiving, since I got teeth! ….Well about ¼ of the way through it, I started feeling a little flush, then my heart began racing, I felt like it was going to jump out of my chest, I was dumping! I had never really dumped, but I knew when I made the choice to have the pie that dumping was not far behind. I lay on the sofa, and fell asleep within minutes having the pie. When I woke the next morning, my husband asked me, “Why did you do that” I merely told him because I wanted the piece of pie. There are times in life after surgery that we are going to step over the line; the important thing to remember is not to make it the norm, not to make crossing the line a habit. I am glad that I did have the pie. Yes, I did feel like crap, but that was the choice that I made. I won’t be having another slice of pie for about a year, and that is fine with me…...there is a Spanish saying, that says, “To shine you must suffer” I would have to say that that was true, in my case on Thanksgiving…I was shining from the sweat pouring down my face, and boy did I suffer. I Hope you all had a wonderful Turkey Day, I sure did.

11/20/03 Today is another day! I am still at the same weight that I was that I was the last entry and that is ok. This is the part that I have to work at. I am over 80% of what the "surgery was suppose to do" and now the rest is up to me! I can do this....I am not going to be satisfied with 80%, I am going for the 100% and that means that I have to do the work myself, that means that I have to do more than what "the surgery" can do, and I am ready to do it. I am still smoking, but Dr. Coirin gave me a prescription of Welbutrin to help me quit...I really want to quit, that is my last vice and quite frankly I don't want anymore vises. All is well on the job front. I have been working for Dr. C. and also found a full time job working in Modesto, that I do enjoy. I do like my boss, and of course as most of you already know I am working with Dr. Coirin also. So I guess what I am trying to say is that I am doing well, and this has been a great month. Today's Quote: from Cartoonist Nicole Hoallander, in her comic strip Syliva: "Can you imagine a world without men? No Crime and lots of happy fat women" Well....we all know that being Fat does not make us happen, because if we were listening to Nicole Hollander, we would all have to tell her that in the real world, we ALL know that the women judge us the hardest, well.....that is aside from how hard we judge ourselves... bye for now

10/22/03 Well, I usually don't write this close together as far as days go, but today something happened that I could have never imagined! I was called a name..not any ordiary name, but a name that I could never imagine someone using to decribe me. Well, here is what happened. I went into a gas station to get some gas. I was looking for a flavored water drink called propel, which I sometimes have. I noticed that they did not have any so I said to the clerk, "darn, you all don't have anything diet for me to drink" She said, "We have diet coke and Pepsi" I told her that I could not drink carbonated soda's and when she asked me why, I explained that I had had the surgery and that I could not drink carbonated sodas for that reason...She looked at me and said, "But you are SO TINY!!!" She actually called ME Tiny! I couldn't believe my ears! I was in shock, I immediately called a friend and told her and she could appreciate what I was telling her because she also has had weight loss surgery! I guess the reason that I am still shocked is because as most of you know I don't see MY loss like everyone else does, and this along with the fact that I have worn size 8 pants for two consecutive days, and the fact that I realized that MY entire body fits behind my 9 year old daughters, I guess really really just hit home for me. So today's quote really fits, it is from Merrill Markoe the writer, she says,"...Remember this important truth: Mirrors lie. We are much better looking in 3-D" I guess I am finally beginning to see what everyone else see, but a little bit at a time!






10/19/03 Hello! I am doing great 104lbs down! I have been to Disneyland and let me tell you it was truly the greatest place on earth for me. It was amazing feeling like there was nothing that I could not do! I went on every ride that I wanted to and didn't feel as though the mechinism that was meant to hold me into the ride was going to give way and send me crashing to my death! LOL! It was soooo cool running around and having my kids and my husband begging to go back to the hotel, because I had worn them out! I had the worst cold while I was there and am still trying to get over it, but I didn't let that slow me down one bit! I just kept going and couldn't believe the energy that I had, neither could Julius and the kids! My sister came to meet us while we were there, her and I have a "different" relationship, and so we have not seen eachother in about 4 years! Well of course she walked right by me when she came into the park, because she didn't recognize me...then once we did all the welcoming stuff, she had to find something negative to say to me (this is what I mean about a different relationship, nothing positive really comes from her to me) but anyway, after saying that she couldn't believe that I could have lost so much weight, she said, "THE ONLY PROBLEM NOW IS THAT YOUR HEAD IS TOO BIG FOR YOUR BODY" Needless to say, at that point I wish that I had all 104lbs back on my body so that I could have squished her flat, but I just looked at her and said,"well, I am going for the Maria Schriver look" There are always going to be people in our lives that cannot accept that we have done something great with our lives, and that we are not going to take the same things that we took before we "crossed over" We just have to remember that we are good people and we can't let the negative things that people say get us down. I consider those things little tests, and I would like to say that I can pass one of those tests any day! I was truly tempted to say something realy nasty to my sister about what she had said to me, but then in a split second I realized that she wasn't worth it, it was because she would always find something negative to say about me and saying what she said about my HEAD was really quite funny, because she had to use that because there was nothing else that she could find to pick on me about. Speaking of temptation, today's quote is from the Wonderful Actress Mae West, who said,"I generally avoid temptation...unless I can't resist it." I am glad that I was able to resist the temptation of flattening my sister! Take care! :-)

9/27/03 100 POUNDS!!!!!! I have finally broke the CENTURY MARK, I can't believe it, it has taken a while, and I was really beginning to think that it would never happen....not really but it sure felt like it :-) It really feels good to reach such a major milestone! I have really been trying to keep on track and I guess that this is proof that being on track is what really promotes our loss. I just keep thinking that this is the ground work for what I have to do the rest of my life, and that is what really helps. Knowing that when I really want to do something (lose weight)now, that with all the hard work and sacrifice that there will actually be a result! That is a feeling that before surgery that I really didn't have. I am now only 7 pounds from actually being in my "goal" weight range, you know the one that says if you are such and such height you should weigh this...well, even with the 7 pounds I will still be at the top of that range but that is something that I never thought that I would see. Currently I am 177, and for those of you that know me or have read my little life experiences, you know that when I graduated from 8th grade I weighed 180 pounds, so right now I am totally jazzed. I bumped into an old neigbor the other day, and I said,"hi" to her, she looked at me with a dumbfounded look and she didn't know who I was, I said ,"it's me, CJ!" she looked at me and still didn't know who I was.. I said,"you know I lived 2 doors down, our kids played together, I have twins, and a daughter!" She finally looked at me and her eyes grew wide, and said,"CJ?!" I said, "Yes" She said,"I can't believe that it's you! I didn't recognize you at all, even when you said,'CJ' I couldn't put CJ together with CJ, the only thing that reminded me who you were was when you said that you had twins!" I couldn't believe it. It has been about a year since I saw her last and her and her children and I use to talk all the time, neigther her or her girls recognized me! I guess when I look at things, it is hard to realize how different I must look to people compared to before, and that makes me sad that I didn't have this surgery much sooner, not because of how I look now, but because I know how much weight I was carrying to look so different and that is something that is just plain sad to me. Well I am going to run, but today's quote is, from Lilly Tomlin the comedianne, "I always wanted to be somebody, but I guess I should have been more specific! Later~

9/22/03 It has been a good week and that is a good feeling. My plateau finally broke and I can't tell you how good that feels. It is really hard to have such a long plateau, but I thank all of you that sent emails of support during my little "problem" I don't think that I am going to make my goal of getting to the century mark by the 23rd of this month (tomorrow)but I have definitely made progress by getting back to the basics. I am sending yet another fear factor packet out tomorrow, they don't know it yet, but they are going to have to call me in order for me to stop sending them packets. I am just getting ready to do my video! I want to be on that show so bad that I can taste it (maybe I shouldn't use that analogy :-) But like all things that are truly worth it in life, I will be patient and persistant...hey I guess that works because that is how I have gotten this far in my journey! I am looking for a job, and that really sucks there aren't many things going on around here in the central valley, but I have faith that I will find the right thing soon! My family and I are going to Disneyland next month and I can't wait, I will actually be able to fit on the rides and that is something that I truly can't wait for! I won't have to worry that the bar doesn't go all the way down on my chest...speaking of chest...that is about what I have now! My boobs are non existant! That sucks but, I actually made an appointment to see a plastic surgeon about getting them lifted. I made my appointment for the 29th of January, my anniversary date! I thought that would be a perfect anniversary present for myself! YIPPEE!!! Well, gonna run, it's late and I have to get this video done for Fear Factor! Talk to you all soon, and be strong..you all know that you are more than welcome to email me anytime if you need anything.. Todays Quote is from the great actress Lauren Bacall.... "I am not a has-been, I am a will be" and I will be at my goal weight as long as I keep on track! Later~

9/5/03 Hey, well I am officially 7 months out and feeling better than ever. I am still toying with 90-95lbs, but truly that is ok. I have realized that there comes a time when you realize that getting to an even lower number than this is not as important than what I thought, because considering where I was JUST 7 months ago, I have made HUGE progress. There is work that needs to be done in order for me to get to 160lbs (which is my personal goal)I have re-evaluated my eating habits and basically gone back to month one to "JUMP START" my system again. Sometimes you have to go back to the basics and remember what you have done in the past to get to this point. The water, the exercising, and the no snacking rules are all things that have helped me to get to this point and are all things that I have kept doing, but not with the intensity that I had done previously. With that said, since my realization of this fact I have actually gotten to a firm 95lbs and am hoping to be at my century mark by the 23rd of this month. Some may say that setting goals like that are unhealthy, but there is nothing in life that a person can want, that they don't have to plan for, and if you don't set goals for yourself then basically you don't have a plan as to how to get there. Goals...reasonable goals are always ok, you just have to keep things in perspective and remember to keep your goals in a reasonable range. It is much easier to set a reasonable goal that can be achieved than to set one that is comepletly out of range. To quote the GREAT OPRAH WINFREY, "I don't believe in failure. It is not failure if you enjoyed the proecess." And believe me this is one journey that I am truly enjoying! Take care and talk to you later!

7/28/03 Hello, I just wanted to update and let everyone know of the latest in my WLS journey! Today I mailed off my packet/application to Fear Factor! YES Fear Factor the T.V. show. I have wanted to be on the show since the very first episode, and now that I am in the physical shape to actually send a full body shot! :-) I finally did it. I am hoping that this will happen. It would be such a great step in my weight loss journey. I am still currently around 87-92 lbs lost, I just wish the scale would make up it's mind and just go ahead and give me the darned 92lbs so that I can move on! Things are still going great, I feel as though this is the beginning to an even better life than I already had. There are so many other things that I will be doing that I have always wanted to do. The next big thing will be skydiving! I have always wanted to skydive, but you had to pay $1 extra for every pound over 200 that you are, so as you all know it was going to be very expensive for me! LOL.. I have finally sent the before and after pictues to the photo girls here on obesityhelp, and can't wait until they are posted. I have to admit, I WAS SHOCKED at the difference, and I am only 6 months post op at this time. I can't even imagine where I will end up on this journey, but I can't wait to get there. I really want to thank so many of you for the kind words that you all send. It really helps to hear the positive reinforcement that I have found those pre/post opers are so willing to give. Maybe in our lives as overweight women/men if more people had been so supportive, we would have all lived much happier lives. Just a thought...so if we have friends that are in our current/past situation, take the time to give them incouragement that we have all lacked, pay it forward, when someone gives you a compliment give it to someone else that you know will need it, and I am sure that it will make a difference in their lives. Well that is pretty much it for now. Talk to you all soon!
CJ

7/6/03 Hello again, I was just sitting here thinking that this past week I have probably broken every gastric bypass rule there was...and that it is ok...not because I am going to keep doing it, but because today, I will get myself back on track! Everyone has moments when you just want to break out of the new lifestyle that we have chosen for ourselves, and even though you do, you just have to remember all the reasons that you chose to have this lifestyle and that when you fall you get back up and start all over. It felt good to let it go for a minute. But it feels better knowing that I can and will grab it back, because I have respect for what I have done, and would not want to lose all of the gains that I have made over the past five months. Life is better now, and there is nothing in the world that I would do to give up the Good feelings that I have gained since surgery...There is a song by a group called Luce they sing a song called "Pretty Good Day" The song basically says that it's a pretty good day and I'm looking forward to tomorrow...I guess that would explain my feelings today! I am looking forward to tomorrow.

7/02/03 My birthday has come and gone and there is nothing like turning 37 and being smaller than I was when I was 17! I celebrated with my husband and some friends and I actually bought a really "cute" outfit. It was very strange buying something that was cute and not with that grandma tone to it! I have never felt better about being in a store to shop in my life! Trying on clothes in the dressing room, and having to keep going back out because I kept picking up sizes that were too big was also an experience that I will never forget. Shopping in a "regular" store, shopping off the rack, and not having a X anywhere in the size is a GREAT feeling....I can only hope that those of you that haven't had your surgeries yet, can remember to stop and "smell the roses" and if you do, you aren't going to get anywhere because I have found that since surgery roses are everywhere! A bit of advice...learn to take compliments well, you will receive a lot of them. Learn to let someon open the door for you, because they will. Learn that when people tell you how great you look now, they are not trying to say that you were horrible before, only that they are happy for you now. Learn that by following whatever plan that your doctors gives you, if you follow it you will be happier than you could ever imagine. Learn that you can be happy, even on a "bad" day because after surgery....not everything is bad! Have a great day, and see you on the flip side!
CJ

6/24/03 Well I have DONE IT, I am under 200lbs. I haven't been under 200 in about 22 years! I personally can't think of a better birtday present to have given myself, I feel like the surgery for me has been the gift of life. I guess this year my birthday will be my re-birthday. Everyday is full of wonderment and new beginnings. I took my measurements the other day, I hadn't taken them since February 5th and was shocked to see how many inches were gone! 10 off of my waist, 7 from each thigh, 3 from each arm and unfortunately for my husband it has been confirmed, 10 from my boobs! LOL I think I know what my first post op surgical procedure will be :-) Well that is it for today. I never thought that I could do this, I never thought that it would work on me, and I NEVER thought that I would be as happy as I am everyday!

6/7/03 I am so close to a major milestone for myself, I am only 3 pounds away from breaking 200! I can't believe it. It has LITERALLY been decades since I was under 200#. I am so close and I have to admit it is very hard not be be strapped to the scale when I am so close to breaking that number. I guess I am going to have to follow Dianne's advice and put the scale somewhere that it would be hard to get to. This way I won't be so apt to stand on it everytime I go to the bathroom. I feel really good today, but then again, I have felt really good almost everyday since I had the surgery. Thursday I bought a dress in a size 12! It must be a large 12, but a 12 none the less. I can actually fit it. Cheryl (our clinical coordinator) always use to say to me when I would say,"it's a large 14." not to cheat myself, because it was not long before that I could not have fit into ANY size 14...I guess I will have to remember that in this case too! It has been beautiful outside as everyone knows and it is so nice to wear pretty clothes and not feel like I am buldging all over the place. I actually have a VICTORIA SECRETS Bra! And it fits! I have gone down in bra sizes as well, I don't know how happy my husband is about that, but it is nice to be in a pretty bra instead of steel belted radial..I am sure you all know what I mean. My birthday is this month and I will be turning 37 and feeling better than when I turned 21! And what a better birtday present than to be under 200# right now I can't think of one! Hmm what a thought! Well, I guess that's it for today, hopefully I will be back soon to say that I have crossed over to the one hundreds! Good luck in all of your endeavours!

6/1/03 Well time to update! I am four months post op and I feel better than ever. Everyday is a new day for me and I look forward to faceing whatever the day has in store for me. I would have to say that Friday was the best day that I have had since I had my surgery. My kids' last day of school was Friday, and I was one of the parent volunteers in my daughters class. When it came time to go for outside play, all of my daughter's friends were wanting me to come and play all of these games with them. At first I was just going to sit down with all of the other mom's and dad's, but my daughter kept asking..finally I decided that I was going to play with them I had the best day! I played on the monkey bars, the climbing dome, and then I was asked to go down the slide...my heart absolutely sank when the girls asked me to slide down the slide. I hadn't done that in YEARS..I finally got the nerve up and I went down the slide with my daughter! It was soooo coool to be the only mom on they play ground actually running around and playing. My daughter told me later how "cool" all of her friends thought that I was. If I had not had the surgery, there is no way that I would have ever even thought of doing any of what I did on Friday. As far as weight loss goes, I am down to 205 (72lbs) and I feel great! My job is going great and I know that the reason that I am doing so well is because I have a new self confidence that was lacking for many, many years. All I can say is that IT'S A VERY GOOD DAY, AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO TOMORROW!!

5/3/03 I have been overweight all of my life. I was always the one with the "pretty face" and "great personality" I graduated from Jr.High school at a whopping 180#. Funny how things change I would be amazed if I weighed that now. Well after time I only gained more weight, at my wedding I was at 220. I was bigger than my husband and we all know how that feels. I gained about 15# then got pregnant with my first child only to gain more weight, not much with her, but when I got pregnant again when she was only 6mos and with twins I gained from the point that I was at the day I gave birth to her. Well I eventually topped out at 277# and said that that was enough. I really didn't want all of the health issues that have plagued my mother for years so I had the Surgery on January 29, 2003. I am 3mos post op and I have lost 62lbs. (we joke at home because my twins each weigh 62lbs.) All is going well, I have really not had any side affects and everyday is like a new beginning because of the difference in me. My husband is very supportive and that makes life that much easier. To this day, I believe that other than the days that my children were born, the day I had my surgery was the best day of my life!


Photos

260 This wasn't even my higest weight, I was 277 before WLS

165 2 Year Anniversary And Feeling Better now than at 21!! And I am almost 40!

About Me

Before & After
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This wasn't even my higest weight, I was 277 before WLS

260lbs

5 Year RE-Birthday!! Holding Steady

189lbs

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