Deb B.

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Well my iron transfusions did the trick and my levels are high enough to finally undergo permanant remedy of my anemia. 
I will have my hysterectomy surgery this Friday...yea!  Actually looking forward to it and everyone I have talked to is so glad they finally got it done. 
My hubby will be off for a little over a week to help me out.  Can't wait to feel better again!!!

Well it took care of my fat a**, my acid reflux, my high blood pressure, liver functions etc... but the rediculously heavy cycles have actually gotten worse and unfortunately that means the anemia is worse.  I went in last week for my hysterectomy preop only to discover that my blood count is too low to even proceed any further until my blood count is increased soooo...
I will start iron transfussions weekly for a month and am on hormones to stop my cycle until we can get the blood count up high enough for the doc and anethesiologist to feel it's safe to do surgery without requiring a blood transfussion.  FUN!

I start the iron transfussions Friday.  Hoping my count rises enough to keep my St Patty's day surgery date.  :-) 

2 weeks late but my 1 year is tomorrow. 
Curious to see what my labs are going to look like.
My iron is low I think :(
Will update tomorrow sometime.
 

OMG!  I found my biggest (most comfortable) jeans from when I was a size 20 and was I shocked.  I can't fathom being that big ....... how insane is that?  My head never 'felt' that big......guess that's why i just kept getting bigger.  But I was able to put both legs in one side which is so bizarre because just like I didnt feel that big........I dont feel that small if that makes any sense at all.  I look at jeans I wear and think there is no way.   My  hubby was folding laundry the other day and couldn't believe that my daughter and I are so close in size that he could not separate our clothes.  She's 10.  I am trying to put off new pics until my 1 year mark in just a couple weeks!  WOW what a wild ride wooooowhoooooo!

I am on my hubbies dream vacation right now (about mid way) and am posting my new after pic.  I never thought I would ever feel as good as I do or look as good as my hubby deserves his wife to look.  Thank you Dr. Chu!!!!!
We have flown a lot and fitting in a seat rocks!  I am having a ball getting lots of Giants autographs :-)

I am 8 months out this month. 
Fluxuating around 142.5 - 145.  Wearing a size 4 and some 6's pants and S/M tops
My goal was 130 but I'm feeling great at this weight.  Not sure If 130 is too skinny of a goal for me now or not.
So far no real food intollerances or dumping, vomitting or severe reactions to anything.  Some things just make me feel *icky* like mayo based protein salads (chicken salad etc.), high sugar stuff and eating too much.
I have stayed away from alcohol entirely.  I drink coffee daily.
My labs are good with the exception of borderline low iron which I'm working on.  I was actually able to reduce some of my supplements.  My supplement regime is currently:
6 Calcium
2 multis
1 D3 5k  IU
1 biotin 5k mcg
1 Vitamin A
1 Super B Complex 3x wk
1 B12 subling 1x week 2500 mcg
4 Carbonyl Iron 50 mg ea - For now- trying to boost my iron and ferritin levels
I also take Colace just to keep things moving in the right direction.
I will be redoing my labs for iron in a couple of weeks to see if the iron is working.  I still find myself forgetting at times to take the iron. 

To date I have lost around 103.5 lbs.   I remember shortly after surgery thinking I wasn't losing as quickly as I had hoped I would.  Others talk of losing 60lbs in a couple months or so.  But as a 'lightweight' having only around 100lbs to lose, I am thrilled with my progress to date.  So far I bob back and forth within 3 pounds then drop a few lbs again.  I dont consistently just drop a pound a week....probably why I dont participate in Wacky Weigh Ins but I weigh daily so I kbow daily fluxuations are not out of the ordinary for me.

I need to work on cutting down the coffee and upping the water.  I know this is what contributes to my need for Colace.
I also want to boost my protein to 125 gram p/day.  I had been trying to get in 60-80 but have been learning a lot about the benefits of keeping your protein up.  I hope to have some plastics in the future and I want to ensure good healing and results.  I don't want to get too skinny or sunken although you cant control where you lose it.  If I could I would stop my face losing and boost the tummy and thighs :o)

I am so happy I made this decision.  I am still making huge adjustments.  I can't look at a pair of pants and say "that's about my size".  I don't see how small I am in a mirror just as I could not see how big I was in a mirror.  Does that make any sense?  But when I hold up a size 4 I am shocked that they fit me and fit me well.  My husband is still adjusting to the smaller woman.  It's still me but doesn't look like me...sounds like me....bitches like me but definate and drastic changes in looks, attitude, confidence are messing with his mind a bit.  :-)  But we are having fun....not letting it become a division between us.  Now if the weather in Sunny California (HA!) would cooperate......I could wear some really cute stuff I bought before it's too big!  So in closing this Blog all I can say is Thank God for Goodwill!  They are having 50% off apparel on Monday.........might be time to take a drive to the ones in the ritzy SF Bay area :o)......anyone game for an outing???


 

Totally off WLS Topic.......

We breed Springers and my girl Storm had her first litter of 9 puppies.  5 girls and 4 boys!  She is such a good Momma :-)

Wow.   Just a few months ago I would have laughed at the thought of wasting any time worrying about losing too much weight!  When I follow the rules of the pouch, vitamins, water, 60-80 grams of protein, small high protein portions - the weight loss is steady and almost effortless and my mind wanders to saving up for plastics.   On busy days or when I realize I haven't eaten much, I turn to a shake and try to keep calories around 900-1200, not difficult most days.  My 6 mos labs came back and my doctor lowered my B complex (thiamin) vitamin to every other day, the B12 sublingual to 1x a week and lowered my D to 5k a day as I was pretty high in all of those areas.  I added an A (non betacarotene) and increased my iron......mainly because i hadn't been taking it consistently.  We are double dosing it until June and will assess where my levels go. 

I remember at around 3 mos out I thought I should have lost more weight than I had, a common lightweight thing.  But in looking at 6.5 months out from surgery and 10 mos from the start of this entire process I am more than content with my numbers today.  To  have lost almost 100 lbs is unreal to me.  To be wearing a Medium top is unreal to me.  To pull on a size 6 jeans without a muffin top is unfathomable to me.  But here I am.   Everyone here has been crucial to my success and health so far.  There is so much support and loads of information here that has been instrumental in arriving where I am today.  Thank You All (especially Elizabeth, Barb, all of the Norcal group and Andrea and her Vita-preachin').....

My goal was 130 but I think that may be too low now.  I am content where I am but I do want to make the Century Club for good measure :-)!

4 months goes by much quicker than you realize!  Since I began this journey in May I have lost a bit over 80 lbs.  I don't even think I completely wrap my mind around that statement.  I am in a size 8 - 10 depending on the brand and a sm/med top.  I've never worn a small ever in my life.  I can see how some develop shopping addictions when things actually begin to look good and fit right!  Thank God for Goodwill and Ross!  I've been an at home mom for 23 years and am actually considering going to work just to pay for clothes ;-P

My hubby and I joined a gym last night.  We have our orientation tonight and I am so motivated to firm up this flabby bod.
I know I need to organize my time and attitude to accomodate my hubby if I want him to be healthy too.  He wanted this gym in particular so he could go after work......I was thinking my workout time would be first thing in the morning after I dropped off my daughter for school. But I know he would like to go together.  While he wont fully admit it I think he is apprehensive about me working out alone.  We've known many who divorced after big weight losses.  I think I need to step up my assertions that no one can hold a candle to him in my world.  We were dressed up one night to go out and he said to me "you look so good you're making me look bad" and I said "No honey....l'm making you look good!"  He laughed but I know these are big changes for him too.  But I want him to know he has no reason to worry.    Having him join in changes my time to get dinner ready, running after school errands etc....  But I need to do it so....load that Itunes song,.."you got to make that change (man in the mirror, i think)" and get over it Deb.

Gyms have come a really long way.  This one is more like a country club!  My daughter is, at age 10, considered a member so if i want to drop her off for 2 hours, no problem. I'm not even required to be at the facility for her to be there.  Though I  would never just drop her off......it's  no longer just babysitting...the kids can work out too when they hit 13 or swim and play basketball at younger ages.  They even have tutoring afterschool by teachers.  It should be no problem to incorporate what this club has to offer into our new lifestyle.  So it's time to build some muscle and tone this jiggling body up!

Hope everyone else is doing well!
Take those vitamins........and keep up the protein!

Deb

I'm starting to put my expectations aside and concentrate on learning more about supplementation (thank you Andrea) and paying attention to what my new body is saying.   I am almost out of the 170's and I can't believe it.  I haven't weighed that low since my late highschool years.  Of course I was pregnant with my first son in high school but that's life....Im over it.

I think my hubby is catching on to my weekly trips to Goodwill to see what size I'm at now.  I just can't go shopping anymore because its too expensive to keep piling stuff in the ebay pile after just a couple weeks.  I did buy a pair of Chico's brown slacks today though.  I now fit into a size 10 in most brands.  That is shocking to me ....so shocking that when I got home today I put on Sugarland and danced for an hour!!  :)

Gonna put my tree up tonight and probably dance a little more!  Hope everyone is having a great December!
Keep dancin'!
Deb