mybell32135
Starting weight 300 Ht -5'6 Starting BMI= 44.9
6-8-03 I am very interested in having this surgery and have finally scheduled an appt. with my PCP on July 3rd. Hoping he will start the ball rolling. I have 4 great kids who need a healthy Mom and right now I'm failing in that department. Luckily I haven't got any real health problems(yet) but my energy level isn't what it needs to be at this weight. Pray for me:)
6-21-03 I am a little down today since I learned the surgeon I want to do my surgery has a waiting list of 6 or more months. I am hoping it will speed up some(I know wishful thinking) I just know I want the sugery and have absolutely no patience. I have read so many great profiles and most of you are so like me when it comes to how you felt or places you didn't go when you were at your heaviest weights(like outside). I feel trapped most days because I hate to go places with all 4 of my kids not because they are horribly behaved but because my energy is so low that I just can't seem to keep up with them. I feel such guilt because we don't go all the time. I want all that to change. I want to feel and look healthy again. I want to get up in the morning and not have my feet hurt. I want people to see me and not see through me( like they are embarassed for me, for being so heavy). Didn't mean to be so ....honest.I have been dieting and walking the last two weeks and have lost nothing! I am so tired of working and never getting results. Oh well, now that I've vented I feel much better!
7-3-03 well had my dr. appt today and my PCP is very supportive. I have alot of Lab work to do tomorrow, I have a dietician appt on Monday so the ball is rolling.Yeah!
7-8-03 I had all my lab work done this morning, It feels odd to have actually started the process. I am actually looking forward to seeing the dietician( wow, never said that before).After I see her I will be scheduled for my Psych consult and then onward and upward to a consult with the surgeon. I originally intented to go with a Military Hospital and Doc but the one Dr. I was interested in is on deployment right now so I am looking at MUSC in Charleston, SC. Dr. Byrnes seems to have a very good reputation and I will continue to research all the profiles here of people who have used him.I haven't lost the first pound in the last few months but since I have started looking into WLS I actually feel like I'm in control again and it feels good!
7-13-03 I have a consult with a surgeon on July 30th! I never expected to do be doing this so soon. Usually the military wheels roll slow. I'm pleasently surprised. I talked to a friend from High School who has had the surgery and has lost over 170 pounds in the last 7 months. She was very helpful and firmed my resolve to continue on this path.Oh, I also got my labwork results back and my cholesterol is only 164 but triglycerides is high at 327.Have to get it rechecked in a month or two. Change in plans on Dr. Dr. Frizzi will be the Dr. I will see On July 30th he is at Ft. Gordon GA. I'm hoping he feels I am a good candidate for surgery.
7-16-03 Well Iwent to my Dietiucian appt. and she gave me some tips and pointers on thigs to expect food wise after surgery. I have completely cut out sodas and fried foods and no more sweets and I've changed to white wheat bread too.I am trying to learn all I can about what to expect after the surgery and so far all the great people I've bugged and annoyed have been such a help to me.Thanks and ((((((HUGS )))))))))To all.
8-1-03 I had my consult with the Doc on Wednesday. It went very well. I now have to do another Dietician appt and Psychology appt. and then we can set a date for surgery.Dorothy who is the Bariatric patient coordinator was great, she told me the good with the bad and was very helpful. She said that once I get everything taken care of(appt. wise) it should only take about 2 months to have surgery. So hopefully by the end of September or beginning of October I will have surgery! I have a dietician appt on 8-14-03. I can tell she isn't much for the surgery but that's ok. everyone is entitled to their opinion. I just need her to counsel me on the post-op diet not her opinions.Hopefully I will get a call from the psych dr. with an appointment date for that in the next week. I have a feeling things will go quicker than I thought they would. I'm stilll nervous but sure this is what I want. I need to be healthy again. I'm tired of hurting and being miserable in my own body.I hope everyone who is traveling down this path is doing well.(((((HUGS))))
This is one of my favorite qoutes, in fact it's my reasoning behind this surgery because I'm done dieting to lose weight!
" If at first you don't succeed, try again. Then quit. There's no use being a damn fool about it."
-- W.C. Fields
8/13/03
Had my first support group meeting last night and it was great. I learned alot and met some really nice folks who to me are just walking miracles and I'm so happy for them.
8/14/03
Had my dietician consult today. It went well, she seemed very supportive this time around.Ok so maybe I judged her too fast. It just seems like when you tell some people they have a tendency to think and act like you really shouldn't do this surgery. This time she was very helpful and really seemed to support my decision, which was greatly appreciated cause I'm doing it! I still have a few lingering fears but I am even more frightened to just let my weight get higher and higher. I am determined to make this surgery work and work well. I got up this morning and my feet hurt so bad I had to hold on to furniture to get around and all I could do was cry. I made up my mind right then that since there is something I can do to help my physical problems I'm gonna do it.I feel very confident that all will go great.(((((((HUGS)))))))) 
9-24-03 I haven't posted in awhile. I am all done with my psych appt. and now am just waiting on a pre-op date and surgery date. I am so excited and scared all at the same time. Please keep me in your prayers.
10-09-03 I have my pre-op date 10-22-03. I will find out my surgery date then. I am dealing with a military hospital so things run a little differently. I should be having surgery on either the 27th of this month or the 3rd of Nov. Just pray that all goes well!
10-25-03 I have my surgery date scheduled for November 4th. I don't know the exact time yet as The OR schedule doesn't get posted til 1pm the day before surgery.I am very excited and am getting everything ready for while I'm in the hospital. Hopefully all will go smoothly.
10-27-03 I am remarkably calm being so close to surgery. I have had dreams at night that have been very reassuring I'm hoping this is the Lord's way of letting me know to be at peace with my decision. I just hate the wait....it feels like your in limbo and I don't have the motivation to get anything done( ok maybe I'm just being lazy)LOL I have so much to do because I have to get everything organized for my kids( my Dad will be taking care of them while I'm in the hospital)I want to make it all as easy as possible to make sure teh house runs smoothly while I'm gone.Hubby will try to help at night when he comes home but most nights that's about 10 pm so the kids are already in the bed and most work has been done.I know all will be well, the house will continue to run without me.....how could that be possible?LOLI will try to post again before surgery((((((((HUGS)))))))))))
11-01-03 Just 3 days and a wake up! I am so close, starting to feel very excited. Luckily hubby has beeen given the day off to go with me.This helps me so much cause I would have really gotten anxious if I'd had to go by myself.He helps to keep me focused( He was a great labor coach!) I'll write again before Monday night.
12-2 I know it's been awhile. I am feeling so good, I've lost 32 pounds so far since my surgery on 11/4/03 , I can't really see a difference yet but I certainly feel os much better. I've had no complications and no problems. I relate this to the fact that I had surgery in a military hospital and they do things a little different. I have a 90 cc pouch ( a little bigger than most, so I've had no Vomiting) a bigger opening into my pouch( so nothing has gotten stuck so far)I also had a gastric tube for the first 3 weeks( to make sure you don't become dehydrated in case you can't get your fluids in) I've had no real food issues yet but I stay away from fats, sugars anything I feel might cause my pouch to become upset. The first few weeks were tough cause the pureed diet is less than appetizing to me but hey it was worth it. I am now on more regular food, maybe not exactly like the rest of my family but it has been better that I thought it would be and I'm so thankful I followed through on my desire to have this surgery. I will be update again soon!
1-4-04 Well 2 months post-op today! I am down 70 lbs and I feel great. I started at 300 lbs and today I weighed in at 230. I have no foot pain now, no real back pain and my menstrual cycle has not been the monster it usually is. Food has not been a problem for me....I am able to eat most meats and veggies,I stay away from sugars and most carbs period! I have been so very blessed to have this surgery and for everything going so smoothly. I will update again soon!
1-15 Ok I seem to be stuck at 70lbs but i'm not complaining cause I feel great.I also seem to be losing inches right now though, I can squeeze an 18-20 now and it feels so good. I love getting up in the morning and just getting dressed cause everything fits comfortably and I don't feel like a sausage!More later!
1-20I'm hoping to meet my next goal of 210lbs by Valentines Day. I'm not going tobe upset if I don't make it, but it gives me something to work toward and it's reasonable.18 lbs and I'm there! I'll be pleased if I lose about 10 lbs between now and then but boy would 18 lbs be great!Last month I lost about 15 lbs so I'm hoping that will be kinda the average each month. Then i could reasonably hit my goal weight by July.Hopefully by July 4th ( it can be my own personal Independence Day) It will also be my 8 month anniversary. Here's hoping.I'll update again next week.
1/23/04
I weighed this morniing and I'm down 5 lbs since last week! I stayed off the scales all week,I'm so proud of me( it's tempting to weigh everyday but that would make me OC).I have managed to get about 200 extra calories in a day this past week too and I think that's why I lost about 1.5 lbs more this week. I knwo it's not much but eating that extra 200 cals a day is so hard, I just never feel hungry so when i eat I feel like I'm eating too much> Wow what a difference 11 weeks can make. I am 221 lbs just 2 more lbs and I will weigh what I did on my wedding day 11 yrs ago. Only 22 lbs and I'll have a weight that starts with 1! I haven't had that since I was 18. I'm feeling great and have so much more energy.I love it!I just hope that my tummy skin continues to be elastic!Update a gain next week. My goal for Feb 14 th just might be obtainable!!!!!!
2/18/04 Ok, I didn't hit my goal of 210 by the 14th but I did get within 5 lbs of it. I'm very happy with my progress so far.I am currently starting up my own Tupperware business( an effort to get out there and meet people)This is really helpful in rebuiding my self-esteem. I even set up my own website( those who know me, know how computer illiterate I am) LOL
http://my.tupperware.com/site/frames_preview.html here's my link! ((((((HUGS))))))))) to all!
2/25/04 Hey, well I weigh 211 as of last Tuesday and I feel great, I can actually get into a sz 16/18 and I am even wearing a pair of 14/16 sweat pants! Wow I just never thought it was possible. I have tough days when Head hunger is an issue but most days it's pretty easy , I forget to eat some days. I am fighting a demon though, I want carbonation and did give n the other day and drank a few sips of a caffeine free, calorie free clear fruit drink( man it was good) I drank it on an empty stomach and it didn't hurt but i am not making a habit of it. I believe that moderation will be key in everything from now on so I refuse to absolutely deprive myself of everything I enjoy. I obviously avoid sugars cause it will cause me a great deal of discomfort.I am also staying away from carbs too,no cheap fill when what I really need is protein.Food will always have to be handled carefully. Well back to the couch where I'm recuperating from a slight chill , I don't want to be sick hubby is getting ready for a little vacation time finally! (((((((((HUGS))))))))))))) to all!
3/14/04 Well down a few more pounds at 206 and am able to wear a size 14/16 on occasion but staying mainly in 16/18 which is fine cause I know I will get to my goal eventually and I feel so good now, we went to Charleston yesterday and went on the USS Yorktown and they take pics of you before you do the tour, I didn't mind having it taken and even liked them enough to buy them! That's saying alot, I hated having my pic taken before the weight loss. Hoping to be down 15 lbs by this time next month. We'll see. I set goals just to give me something to work towards but it's funny cause I don't get upset if I fall short of it. When I was dieting and wouldn't hit my goals I would be so depressed. Sometimes I think this surgery may only be on my tummy but it has helped my head too.(((((((((HUGS))))))))) to all
3/21/04 Well down another 5 lbs. I am sick with the flu and really having to work on getting the fluids in. I have set a new goal, just 10 pounds a month(this seems realistic) if I can maintain this goal I should hit goal by October. This sounds good to me!
3/22/04 As of this morning I am officially under 200 lbs!!!! I weigh 198 lbs. I am of course giving credit where credit is due "thanks to the flue" without you I certainly could not have achieved this goal overnight! I have now lost 102 lbs and am loving life again.
4/5/04 Still at 198( it's hard to be patient, I want to lose it now!) I am a work in progress, with patience, food but I am getting better. I can eat more now which really scares me but I am learning to limit what I eat by putting a very small amount on my plate and always leaving at least 2 bites of food on the plate when i'm done.This is hard cause I'm from the clean plate club from way back.Well hope everyone else is doing as well as me when it comes to feeling good!((((HUGS))))
4/13/04 well down to 195 and this is after spending a few days out of town with family(all that easter candy and it didn't bother me a bit) I did have a piece of Sugar Free candy and enjoyed just one ,that's never happened before!
4/18/04 down to 193 , Enjoying the energy level and the beautiful weather. Having to work with my head hunger lately, not too bad but some days..............argh!
7/6/04 down to 188, have been for 2 months. I'm liquid protein bound for a couple of days, hoping to break this plateau. Head hunger is a nightmare now but at least I feel more equipped to handle it since I have lost the majority of my weight so I am prepared to work harder to maintain and continue to lose.
8/10/04 down to 185......I am such a slow loser. But I am a loser!!! Never thought I'd be proud of that:) Going to the gym 3x week and that helps me stay motivated in other words it keeps me from the carb overload I could so easily do if i don't stay focused. I hate carbs...............it is a daily struggle but luckily so far I am winning for a change. I feel so wonderful and still have had no problems but i still worry about little aches and pains( before I would never even think about them) I know that they have nothing to do with my WLS but it still catches my attention faster now and I do a mental checklist( thsi maybe a good thing since I am more aware of my body and it's needs for a change)Anyway Just wanted to check in for my 9 month check up so to speak:)
11/3/04 Wow tomorrow is a year! I have lost 115 pounds and hope to lose 30 more but hey, even if I don't I feel great, look better than I have in years and can get my body into a size 12/14 so i'm in a great place right now. I do have issues with head hunger and really have to work at staying busy so I'm not tempted. I'll get through it one day at a time. The surgery is definitely not a fix all, be prepared to work on the reasons why you got obese in the
first place and there are reasons. Mine were control issues stemming back to a rough relationship with my mom. Now I am enjoying a much better relatioship with myself cause I'm putting me first. My kids are enjoying the side effects of my weightloss...mom can actually run around and play with them! I love that. I am going to teh Marine Corps Ball on saturday in a dress taht last year would have burst iof I had even attempted to put it on, I'm not at goal but I'm so happy where I am, I thank God everyday for getting me through my journey safely and no problems at all. I will update my pic soon. Love and (((((((HUGS)))))))) to all!
3/22/05 ok, it's been a while! I am still dealing with food issues,guess I always will.I have been able to maintain tho, am stuck on a plateau from hell,it seems for the last 6 months.Trying some new things to see if it helps.Less cals more exercise.I am going tomorro wto find out about my breast reduction chances.My back hurts so much every day and it's time.We only hav e1 more yr here at our present duty station so I need to get the ball rolling now.Pray for me to get approved! Hope anyone who is thinking of having the surgery really thinks it thru and that all goes well!
4/3/05 well I will get my breast reduction surgery later this summer but first I have to get a hernia repaired ! I knew it might be but wasn't sure,it's small but there so it has to be fixed...good news I will also get a tummy tuck!!!! I am wanting to lose another 20 lbs before the tuck so I have til July and then the Doc fixes,wish me luck!
3/25/06 Well tummy tuck and hernia repair was done last Sept. Boy howdy was that not fun! No problems just very painful! No more hernia or tummy roll though! My Breast reduction and lift was done last month and I'm loving it. No more back pain! I am feeling wonderful ,still sitting at 185 would like to lose another 20 lbs but am fighting food demons daily....holding ground though!Heading back to Japan next month so maybe the move will jumpstart a new patch of weightloss!
Best of luck to ya'll!!!
2/28/07 I gained 15 lbs this past year due to my 2 surgeries and being very anemic(not able to get out and exercise) I finally went to the dr and went on Iron and now feel great and have manged to lose teh 15 plus another 3 so i feel wonderfula nd now weigh 181 lbs........total weight lost~ 119 lbs!!!!!! Ultimately I would like to lose another 27 lbs. If I can I would like to hit 154 eventually....I would have a normal BMI
