missoulamiss

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I am delighted to report that I've lost 116 lbs...after a few months of losing 1 pound a month, it suddenly jumped down this month by 4 pounds.  This has been pretty true post-op for me...I've lost in "chunks".  Don't know why, it's just how it is.  I did step up how much protein I've been having, so maybe related, maybe not.  Nonetheless, I am now 211, and smell Onederland around the corner!  That would be too amazing to me.  The last time I recall seeing a "1" as the first digit of my weight was sixth grade when I was mortified to have my weight of 186 announced in front of the class!

I am down 107 lbs.  I find the tough work begins now...I lose slower, and really must balance what I'm eating with exercise.  I do know that if I exercise, my food automatically cleans up.  I can eat a lot more now than in the beginning, and can eat waaaay too much of refined carbos like chips, etc.  I do feel crappy afterwards, thank goodness, so that is helping me from completely backsliding.  I am 220 now, and I still really want to see a 1 at the beginning of my weight.  For now I must take baby steps, and look toward the second digit becoming a 1!  I feel terrific overall, and am in a size 18.  I find people who have not seen me for 6 months or more do not recognize me until they hear me speak.  I am delighted to report I took a wonderful 2 week vacation recently, where not once did I have to worry at all about whether I would fit in the plane seat, break the gangplank getting into a small tour boat, and even the robes supplied by the cruise ship fit beautifully.  I am truly grateful for all this, and more. 

Woohoo!  Next goal is to lose 28 pounds so I can see a "1" at the beginning of my weight...that would be soooo amazing...the last time I remember being 1anything was 186 in the 6th grade!

86 post-op plus 11 pre-op.  I'm losing slowly...that's how it feels when I see there's only a 3 pound change in 10 days...but when I look at the big picture I've never lost so much.  I have been never below 250 in my adult life...right now I'm 230.  At the end of this month I will be 7 months out...86 (or whatever else by then) in 7 months really is great. I just have to not compare my loss to others...I'm 49, I've yo-yoed a lot...it all comes into play. 

I am 4 1/2 months post-op, and have lost 73 pounds since WLS.  Adding the 11 I lost preparing for surgery, I've lost 84 pounds total so far!  I currently weigh 243 - that's less than I have weighed in my adult life...the lowest I ever got was 250.  I am currently wearing an 18/20 top...that's unbelievable to me...I don't know when I last had a "teen" in my size.  My slacks are a 22...also 1 size smaller than I ever recall wearing.  I am amazed.

I feel well again...I have gone back to the gym, and am back to my regular hours at work (unfortunately...I work too many hours!).  I love seeing myself in the mirror now, though I don't always see the changes, I confess.  I'm totally shocked when I accidentally catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror or a window.  My first reaction is usually "Odd...that woman is dressed just like me!".  

My followup CT scan showed "100% resolution" of the abscess, and my bloodwork was good as well.  I do suffer from constipation.  I've switched to Niferex iron, which has colase in it.  I do get in my 64 oz of water most days, but rarely more than that.  I'm also taking 2 Benefiber chewables daily.  

All in all, I'm doing well and, in spite of the horrible complications I went through, glad I had this surgery.

I ended up having major complications - an abcess developed below my diaphragm on the left side...after 2 1/2 weeks of keeping track of it through CT scans, etc. I ended up in the emergency room on 11/9, and was finally released from the hospital on 12/3!!!  They tried to drain the abcess, which was not successful.  I still don't know if it was a result of them perforating the diaphragm when trying to insert the drain, but I ultimately ended up with a severely hampered left lung that ultimately required surgery the day before Thanksgiving.  Immediately following the lung operation where they removed a rind off the lung and drained the fluid from around the lung, then Dr. Dakin did another laparoscopic surgery to drain the abcess.  I was really sick for a while there, and finally very depressed.  I told him I regretted having the WLS.  They had to do a full open chest surgery for the lung, so now in addition to the other scars, I've got a very long crescent shaped scar across my left side. 

Once I finally got home, I still had to continue administering the antibiotic intravenously, so I came home with a PICC line in my arm and gave myself antibiotics every 4 hours for 2 weeks.  That's been done for 2 weeks now, for which I'm very grateful.   

I was shocked how much muscle tone I lost while in the hospital.  I am now able to walk several blocks.  Some days I'm more tired than others.  I also find stairs a real challenge...so I'm practising walking up the internal stairs here in our co-op.  It's a little better each time, but again, I'm shocked how compromised I am.

However, I am getting better, and I hope to resume work on Jan. 4th.  Fortunately my job has been very understanding, and has also offered to allow me to telecommute a couple of days a week if I find full weeks too tough in the beginnning.  Mostly I dread the subway ride...I have 3 flights up to my station.  

My spirits are starting to come back, and I just pray that when I have my followup CT scan mid-January that all looks well and the abcess has not started to grow again.  

I am very happy with my weight loss - that took a real back seat until I started to feel better.  Now that I feel like getting dressed, looking in a mirror, etc., I can really see the loss - I've gone from 316 to 258 since 9/9.  I'm pleased with that.  I even had a WOW moment this weekend when I found my size 24 jeans fit again.  I'm down from a 32.

Had my 1st post-op checkup yesterday.  My nutritionist is happy with my progress, though due to 2 minor foaming episodes is on the watch for strictures.  Tomorrow I can advance to a more solid diet - yippee!  My weight is down to 298.7...according to the surgeon's records they're calling me down by 29.7 pounds!  But I did weigh 316 the morning of the operation...so that means 17.3 in 20 days.  Wow. 

I feel mostly very good - once in a while my energy just drains out of me, but every day is better.  I'm getting in my protein and my water.  I can now sleep through the night in bed - and even slept on my stomach for the first time last night!  That's a big help to me...I've always fallen asleep on my stomach or side, and found it miserable trying to fall asleep on my back.

So far my only real complication has been my upper left incision became infected.   It finally burst early this week - boy, was that shocking!  It POURED out.  Yesterday my surgeon cleaned it out a tiny bit, but mostly it had already taken care of itself. 

I go back to work next week - I'm going to need to set reminders to eat and drink, I can tell.  Once I'm concentrating on something other than my recovery, I can tell it will be very easy to forget.  So far I am very pleased, and do not regret having the surgery at all.  I've been very lucky.