Celia S.

Send Message

Block

Add Friend

Baby BOY! I honestly thought we had another girl on board, and I was hoping a little for a girl, but I'm thrilled to be having a son :) Now hubby and I will have one of each!

Our son looks perfect and is very healthy. He was moving so much during the ultrasound that it prompted the tech to ask me what I had to drink this morning! LOL Honestly I had only had water and two bites of banana beforehand.

The pregnancy is going very smoothly. Just wish my tumultuous life would follow suit.

Eight months ago, while preparing for my surgery, I remember the urge to have that "last meal." The need to taste all the fare that I would never enjoy again. The need to eat "normally" for the final time before my surgery. I'm sure you felt that way, too, before surgery or are feeling that way if you're still pre-op. The thing is, that "last meal" idea has no merit at all. Why, you may ask?

Because you WILL eat normally again.

If you are successful, your diet will change. But if you are crafty, you can make just a few changes that will greatly improve the nutrition value of your current meals. Truth is, I currently eat many of the same meals I ate before surgery. But (at least before baby) I used fat only sparingly by switching to skim milk, using lower fat spread on my toast, low-fat orr fat free mayonnaise and dressings, low-fat and fat free cheeses, etc. Small changes that had a huge impact on my fat intake. I switched to whole grain breads and pasta and limited sweets so that I only got "good" carbs. And yes, I still have sweets every now and then and still occasionally make some unhealthy food choices.

Your tool will NOT help control what you put in your mouth, but it will help you control how much you put in your pouch. It won't choose to stay away from fat and sweets for you, but it may remind you later why eating those things is a bad idea. I'll admit, it usually takes a lot to get me to dump, but I definitely don't want to cross that line.

Point is, that if you're thinking you'll never eat normally again, you're wrong. My family members were worried that they would feel guilty eating around me because I can't eat much. In the beginning, when I was on liquids and soft foods, that may have been the case. But now.... I honestly don't think they even notice it anymore. There's no difference usually in what they are eating vs. what I am eating. I'm just eating LESS of it!

Not sure if that little rant will help anyone, but it crossed my mind earlier and I thought it was a great idea for a blog post.

Now on to my update: I'm doing well. I'm currently just shy of 16 weeks pregnant, even though I already feel like I've been pregnant for forever! I had a checkup with my doctor last Tuesday (6/12) and everything looks good. I'm still losing weight, although at a much slower pace than I have been, which is a little more comforting to me. I'd like to stop losing altogether and just maintain, but I don't see that happening. So far I'm down 28 pounds from the first day of my last period to my weigh in this week, also on Tuesday. We finally got to hear our little baby's heart beat. He found baby in no time flat, which is a big change from my last pregnancy. At 350 pounds, my doctor had a terrible time finding my daughter's heart beat until I was much further along. This time, he felt around to locate my uterus, seemed to pinpoint baby's possible location, placed the Doppler and voila! He said the heart rate was somewhere in the 160's.

My mommy instincts are telling me we have another little girl on board, but we'll hopefully find out for sure at our anatomy scan on July 10th. I can't wait to know if our daughter is going to have a little brother or little sister :) That is also the day of my next OB appointment, so it's going to be a very busy day, but a great one!

I've been going through a fair amount of stress lately. (Unsuccessfully) Trying to find a job, car problems, an aunt having a heart attack, my mother in law breaking her hip... all on top of some MASSIVE financial stress. It's definitely been difficult to stay as calm as possible in the best interest of the little one growing in my womb, but somehow I've been able to manage with few breakdowns. I'm continuing to pray that things get better (SOON!)

Well, that's where I'm at right now. Hope you all are well and that you're making the best of your journies and enjoying the ride :)
God bless!

With my first pregnancy I was so bummed that no one could tell that I was pregnant just by looking at me. My mother in law seriously told me a ways down the road that she never believed I was pregnant because I didn't look it! That kinda hurt a little bit. Anyway, it's been my dream to have a baby post WLS and have a real baby bump after losing my weight. When I got pregnant still weighing 260-some pounds, I wasn't sure if that dream was going to come to fruition...

BUT... The other night, I took my 13-week belly shot and could see my tummy starting to pop out. I'm having some mixed emotions with this. On one hand, I feel like this is confirmation that I will indeed look the part of expectant mother this time around, but on the other hand it's kind of hard seeing the belly grow when I've spent the last year working my booty off to get it to shrink! I find comfort only in the fact that this belly will go away quickly after baby is born.

Anyway, here is a comparison pic of me at 8 weeks pregnant and then at 13 weeks pregnant. I chose these pics to compare b/c I'm wearing similar clothes - sweat pants, sports bra, and the same style tank top. Definitely helps me see the difference. I have my next appointment with my OB in two weeks and I can't wait! Should for sure hear the baby's heart beat on the doppler this time! :)

Hi guys! This week seems to be a lot better in terms of symptoms, my morning sickness is definitely easing up. I'm not sick every day anymore, thank goodness! I'm not quite as exhausted as I have been over the past couple of months, boobs don't hurt as bad, etc.

I had my first doctor's appointment this week on Tuesday and everything went well. It was mostly routine stuff - pap, breast exam, blood work, and all that fun stuff. We did listen for the baby's heart beat with the doppler, but weren't lucky enough this time to pick it up. 12 weeks is when most women are able to pick up baby's heart beat with the doppler, so I knew going into it that it may still be early and wasn't too bummed when we didn't hear it. We did get an earful of my own pulse coming from the placenta which I took as reassuring. Healthy placenta is one key ingredient to a healthy baby, afterall. I was also scheduled for my dating ultrasound and I was very lucky to not have to wait long! It was scheduled for the next day at 3pm.

Ultrasound went very well. :) Baby was doing all kinds of acrobatics in my uterus, had a great heart beat at 173bpm, and is measuring right on target to where my pregnancy is based on my last period. Actually, a little ahead. LOL Baby was measuring at 11weeks and 3-4 days when I was 11 weeks 1day on Wednesday during the ultrasound. Because the measurements differ only by a couple of days, my doctor will keep my original due date. He only changes it if it's off by more than a week compared to the measurements. I got some great pics of my little baby, too. Even though I've known I was pregnant for a while now, it just all seems that much more real after seeing the little one growing in my womb. I'm so in love.

Here are some pics :)

Hello all. I realized it's been a couple weeks since my last update. So here I am.

Everything seems to be going okay. Morning sickness has continued to plague me and has made vitamin taking and eating very challenging if not impossible at times. It seems like it's getting a little better, though, so that's good. I'm 9 weeks pregnant now and my baby is supposedly the size of a grape. It's amazing how much he or she has grown in the last few weeks!

School is officially done!!! Woo Hoo!!! Okay, so not quite officially, although all that is left are three tests, so I couldn't be happier about that. :) However, it may not end up being the relaxing summer I thought it would be. DH and I have run into some financial struggles and it's looking like I may have to get a part time job for the summer. I've already started putting in applications, but not feeling very hopeful about getting hired on anywhere. I've been down this road before -- looking for a new job while being pregnant -- and discovered many people aren't very willing to hire on a pregnant woman. Highly illegal, yes. But also very difficult if not impossible to prove that it's the sole reason for them passing you up for the job. We'll see what happens and either way I have faith that God will provide.

As for my first appointment that I have been counting down the days to for the last month and 1/2... It got pushed back... :( Apparently my doctor had some emergency come up for next week and will be out of the office all week, so my appoinment got pushed to the 15th. Not too bad... I only have to wait 5 days longer than my original appointment. I will be exactly 11 weeks that day, so hopefully that means a better chance at hearing that joyous sound of the baby's heartbeat on the Doppler. That's also my birthday, so it would be a fantastic birthday gift if I did get to hear it! :)

That's pretty much it. Haven't had a lot of time to waste online lately, so I've had to catch up on a lot when I do have a moment to log in! I'm not sure when I'll have another opportunity to update, but for sure I'll be back on after my first appointment (and ultrasound, depending on when it is.) Take care, all!

Hi guys! It's been a few weeks so I thought I would update you all.

As of tomorrow I will be 26 weeks post-op and 7 weeks pregnant. Everything is going pretty well, though my symptoms have all settled in hardcore in the last week and 1/2. Sore boobs (which I've had solidly pretty much since I found out I was pregnant), morning sickness, cramps, bloat, constipation, emotional rollercoaster, pregnancy brain lol... you know ALL the joys of early pregnancy. At this point I am just so ready to see that second trimester so I start feeling a little bit better.

Everything regarding my surgery continues to go smoothly and I'm still losing weight despite the pregnancy. As of yesterday (my weigh in day) I stand at 253.6 pounds which is -131.4 from my highest weight and 87.5 pounds down since my surgery date. Looking at the big picture, I really am shocked at how far I've come in the last year. I started my weight loss journey with my 3 month supervised diet on May 6, 2011 and since then have lost over 130 pounds! That's my husband! It boggles my mind to think that just 11.5 months ago I needed to lose 230 pounds and now I have under 100 to go til I reach my goal weight! Craziness!!!

I'm very excited that school is almost done for the semester! I'm so looking forward to 3 months off! Just have the rest of this week and then 2 more weeks before finals! Woo Hoo!!! I'll be happy when I have the opportunity for more sleep. I'm also excited b/c the last day of finals is my first OB appointment. :)

I'm really hoping with all the weight that I've lost, that I'll be able to hear this baby's heartbeat in the 10th week. I wasn't able to hear my daughter's heartbeat on the doppler until 14 weeks, so like I said, I'm hoping the weight loss makes a difference. If not, I've been told my my doctor that he'll be ordering an ultrasound for soon after my first appointment, so if we don't hear it on the doppler, we'll be sure to see/hear it on the ultrasound.

That's about all that I have to update on for now. I'll be back in a few weeks (For sure after my first appointment/ultrasound!) :)

Hi folks!

I'm now officially 23 weeks post-op and I got some happy/scary/wonderful/surprising news today: I am pregnant! It's still extremely early. I'm only 4 weeks into it as of today. It is also extremely early in my journey to be going through this already. They recommend waiting 12-18 months or until you're done losing weight before becoming pregnant. Well, throw in my troubles with birth control (you can go back and read about that if you haven't already), an oops moment, and a computer program used to track my cycles that said I ovulated  earlier in the month than what I actually did and lead me to falsely believe that I didn't need to get Plan B and here I am.

I've already spoken to my PCP who confirmed the pregnancy and gave me prenatals and What to Expect When You're Expecting, and my surgeon's office who told me to up my protein to 70g/day (which I already do most days), drink at least 80oz of water (which I need to work on), and to continue my current vitamin regimen (which I already was planning to do). I have my first prenatal appointment with my OB/PCP on May 10 (I'll be 10 weeks and they'll be able to hear baby's heartbeat) and an appointment with my NUT on Wednesday to discuss vitamins and nutrition further.

So I'm a little bit nervous about this pregnancy. Even though it's not my first rodeo, as they say, it's my first pregnancy post WLS and circumstances being what they are I'm just concerned about a number of things at this point. I am a believer in Jesus Christ, though, and I know the Lord never gives us more than we can handle. Obviously this was His plan and I have to have faith that all will be okay. All this being said, I am very happy about this news. Having a baby after my RNY was always in my plans. It's just happening a little sooner than I planned/expected.

I will be keeping you all posted! :)

In the summer of 1998, I was out riding my bike around my apartment complex when a couple of jerk face kids drove by and yelled "Fat A**" out of their car window. Being 14 at the time and having a hard enough time coming to grips with who I was, I was deeply hurt. So hurt, in fact, that I immediately dismounted my bicycle, walked it home, and then failed to lock it up, knowing very well that bikes frequently were stolen from my apartment complex. The next morning, as I had hoped, my bike was gone.

That was nearly 14 years ago and I haven't been on a bicycle since.

Until two days ago.

On Monday, 3/12/12, I finally decided it was time to give bike riding another try. So DH and I went and purchased new bikes. It was emotional and a little stressful, but I chose a beach cruiser - bright pink with flowers (so me) - and bought a helmet and brought them home. I feared that I had indeed forgotten how to ride a bike, even though the old adage claims it isn't possible. Thank goodness for DH who believed in me even when I didn't believe in myself. I was scared and he gave me the encouragement to try it out. Well, I got on... and guess what?

The old adage is true... It was just like well.... riding a bike. lol For the first time in a long time I felt free. DH could literally see the joy on my face as I rode my new bicycle. I have rediscovered an old love for bike riding.

Yesterday DH, my sister, the kids and I all made a 9.1 mile trek across town to visit my MIL. Talk about empowering. Talk about truly seeing for the first time just how much my life has changed in the last year. A 9.1 mile bike ride... Wow!

Most importantly, this step has allowed me to make peace with the painful event from my past and start the healing process. No longer will I be that person who allowed other people to rule over how I felt and what I thought about myself. I know now that I am a person of value and I am worth other people's love. If they don't want to give their time and love to me or if they want to judge me based on something as superficial as my weight then it's their loss, not mine.

Just another reason why I LOVE my gastric bypass surgery and would do it all again in a split second.

My journey continues to be amazing and almost too good to be true. My weight loss has slowed a bit, but I'm still losing about 10-14 pounds per month, so I'm not complaining. I am losing hair by the handfuls, which is depressing, but I find comfort in the knowledge that it is only temporary. My poor breasts are essentially empty skin bags at this point and hang way too low for a young woman of only 27. All these "negatives" aside, this remains to be the best decision I have ever made for myself. I am now 75.5 pounds down since my surgery date 19 weeks ago, and down about 120 from my highest weight! I'm in a size 20 jeans from a size 30/32 and in a loose 18/20 top from a tight 26/28. I feel truly confident for the first time in my entire life and it's wonderful! :)

In other news, I had my first pregnancy scare this week as AF was 5 days late. She did show up, though, which is good because as much as I want another baby, I  know it's really too soon to put my body through that.

I find it amazing I'm just a little more than a month away from having been smoke free for a whole year! No turning back ever!!!

Finally I'll leave you with an NSV. A year ago, I would have killed to be my sister's size. She's not thin. She's obese, actually, but in my mind where she was was so much better than where I was at. Well, I am now the same size (or maybe even a bit smaller) than my sister. I can wear her clothes and vice versa. The only thing now is that my perspective has changed and I'm not okay with this being the final result of my weight loss efforts. haha. But just goes to show how far I've come since the beginning of 2011.

So right before I reached my 3 month mark, I started noticing an increase in the amount of hair that I lost when I took a shower or brushed my hair. I'm now about a month in to the hair loss phase and I'm starting to get scared. I lose so much hair now I want to cry every time I shower. I'm almost scared to shower at all, though I know doing that won't stop the loss...

My nut started me on Biotin, but I'm not very hopeful that it'll do anything at all. Basically I'm just really hoping right now that this phase doesn't last very long or I'll have to start learning how to rock a scarf. :/