I can't believe it has been soooo long ~ 8 1/2 months out

Jun 05, 2008

I must first apologize for not keeping up these posts.  Life really does fly by when you are thinner.  You CAN do more things so I have been spending time doing them.  Geez, where do I start?  I am 8 1/2 months out and have lost 119 pounds.  I have become a gym rat and have become a lifelong advocate for WLS. I would have this surgery again in a heartbeat.  Is it easy?  Hell no, but it is so worth it.  Sure there are things that I miss but I am not willing to have them in order to be happy or to have the possibility that I will go back to 310 pounds.  

This is definitely a life commitment and one that I must work at every single day for the rest of my life.  I have not had any complications at all with the exception of one or two dumping episodes.    I am going to be going to Semester at Sea for four months on a cruise ship around the world with 750 undergraduate college students from August 25-December 14, which I would not have been able to do in my prior "fat" life.  I cannot wait for this life-altering experience.  I will have a blog page for those travels while I am gone if you want to follow me on my voyage
www.nancysas.blogspot.com.  

Hope everyone out there in WLS land is doing great and living your life to the fullest extent.  If you need anything from me at all please do not hesitate to ask.

OMG 50 Pounds Gone Forever!

Nov 19, 2007

I literally cried this morning when I got on the scales to see that 50 pounds, yes half of 100 pounds were gone in two months, one week, and one day!  This is an amazing tool and with it being Thanksgiving this week I wanted to say how thankful I am that I have been blessed with this new life.  Here's to looking at the next 50 pounds going away

2 Month Surgiversary

Nov 12, 2007

I cannot believe it has been two months since my surgery.  I feel GREAT, FANTASTIC, and most importantly alive again!  I have lost 46.5 pounds since the morning of surgery :)  Everything is becoming very surreal to me now seeing the weight just melt off.  I have not been sick once and can tolerate everything that I eat so far, however I am not eating anything that I am not supposed to.  Don't want to test the waters......we all know what happens when we do that.  

Anyways, life is good!  I will update my profile once a month on my surgiversary date with some new pics. I truly do not know what I would do without the support of this website. 

2 Month Surgiversary

Nov 12, 2007

I can't believe that it has been two months since my surgery!  What can I say?  I feel,

2 weeks post-op

Sep 26, 2007

I know it has been awhile since I posted and I will try to do better at it.  Been at home recovering from the surgery.  Everything went very well.  I was scheduled to be there at 10 and surgery at 12 and they called me upstairs not long after I got there.  They prepped me up while my Mom and my daughter were in the room with me.  They said I was really funny and making everyone laugh.  I was not scared at all - just very ready to get it done.  After they did all the prepping they wheeled me in the OR after I said my goodbyes to Mom and Jessica.  I don't remember going into the OR so they must have given me a little juice to make me not care :) The next thing I remember is waking up in the recovery room. They told me I did just fine.  The surgery took 3 1/2 hours.  Doc said my fat pad kept getting in his way.  Well hello - that is why I am having this surgery LOL.  When I woke up I remember feeling the affects of the surgery.  I would not say it was knife-like, just a really bad beating.  They took me to my room and hooked me up to my morphine pump which I began to use.  Of course the only thing you can put in your mouth are the ice chips which were so, so good at that point.  The next morning I was sent downstairs for my leak test.  OMG that was awful!  They made me gulp the stuff and it hurt really bad but I did not have a leak.  So, not long after I got back upstairs I was allowed to have like 1 tablespoon of broth and 1 tablespoon of jello.  Felt kinda weird going down.  I could definitely tell that something was different inside.  The next morning I got oatmeal and jello and then got to go home.  The first week was rough going with it being painful going from the laying down to sitting up position, or even going from sitting to standing.  But now everything seems to be quite normal.  I can go up and down my stairs, walk normally, sit normally and even get out of bed by myself.  I am exactly 2 weeks post-op today and have lost 23 pounds!  I can't believe it but I know this is the start of the wild ride that I signed up for. I go for my postoperative checkup with Dr. Schirmer next Thursday.  Can't wait to see him again.   He is awesome.  Well that is about all for now.  Ta ta for now.  

Tomorrow is THE big day

Sep 10, 2007

Well it is finally here, my new life.  I cannot believe that it is really going to happen.  The wait has been long but will be well worth any amount of time that it would have taken to get here.  I started my bowel prep yesterday and man oh man  - lets just say it is not a pretty sight.  Have to do it again today but there cannot be anything left in me.  I really have not felt too hungry being on only liquids.  I have everything in order with work and the house. I am not nervous or scared just ready.  Have been preparing for this long enough.  The only thing that is uncertain is the "unknown" of how I am going to feel etc. since every person is different in their recovery.  I will be of work until October 8th.  The doctor's office will call me today after 2:00 to let me know what time to arrive at the hospital tomorrow.   I am supposed to be the second case so I am thinking that my surgery will be 11-12 ish.   Thanks to everyone on OH!! I don't know what I would do without this tool and these people everyday.   Love ya'll and see ya on the other side.

I have a new birthday !

Aug 25, 2007

 September 12th is the day that will change my life forever!  My preop day was very fullfilled with numerous appointments and tests but I am done and on my way to the OR.  I could not be happier.  Dr. Schirmer said to plan to be off for three weeks so I will plan on going back to work on October 8th.  For those other preop who are reading this I can only tell you that the road to getting to this point is very long and requires alot of patience but if you want it bad enough you are willing to jump through whatever hoops is necessary to get there.  The entire process for me has been six months from the day of the PCP referral to the actual surgery date.  People ask me if I am scared or nervous.  I have been a little along the way but now I am not at all - just very excited and happy that I am on my way to a healthier, normal life.

Yucky Monday

Aug 20, 2007

I realized that I have been so busy reading everyone elses posts and researching that I forgot to update my own!  Let's see - I had my endoscopy on 8/14.  Dr. Schirmer actually performed this himself.  He says he wants to see first-handed what he will be working with.  He found a small hiatal hernia and a little inflammation of my esophagus but said it was nothing to get in the way of my surgery.  On the way home from the endoscopy the Sleep Lab called to say that my results from the sleep study were in and I have moderate obstructive sleep apnea...SO I have to get a CPAP machine.  Will go for that second sleep study and get my machine this Wednesday night.  Not looking forward to it but I know that my WLS will help me to get rid of that nasty thing in the future.  THEN...Thursday morning I go for the rest of my preop tests.  I have ultrasound, arterial blood gas test and then my actual preop with Dr. Schirmer and his surgical team.  I will get my surgery date then!!  Yay!!  Finally.  I am so ready for this and for my new life.  I bought a really cute personal blender this weekend at Kroger.  It is made by Hamilton Beach and was only $17!  Fits perfectly in the corner on my counter.  I will update on  Thursday after my preop appointments so that I can tell ya'll the date. 

Tests, Tests, and Preop

Aug 01, 2007

Happy August 1st.  I can't believe where the time goes.  I got my series of tests and preop scheduled:

August 2nd - Sleep study to see if I have sleep apnea
August 14th - Endoscopy
August 23rd - Ultrasound, arterial blood gasses, pulmonary function testing and then I get to see the doctor and his surgical team!!!  YAY!!!  I will get a surgery date at that time.  

I am more than ready.  Getting everything I need for post-op. 

I am approved!

Jul 13, 2007

Well I had to calm my butt down quite a bit before I could update this.  Yesterday around 1:30 Mike from Dr. Schirmer's office emailed me to let me know that I was approved!  It literally only took less than 24 hours.  Mary from the docs office called me to schedule the next steps and the doc wants me to have a sleep apnea test.  She said that is all I have to have.  I really am still on cloud 9 and just can't believe that it will be happening soon.  Watch out world here I come!

About Me
Charlottesville, VA
Location
26.0
BMI
RNY
Surgery
09/12/2007
Surgery Date
Apr 12, 2007
Member Since

Friends 52

Latest Blog 14
I can't believe it has been soooo long ~ 8 1/2 months out
OMG 50 Pounds Gone Forever!
2 Month Surgiversary
2 Month Surgiversary
2 weeks post-op
Tomorrow is THE big day
I have a new birthday !
Yucky Monday
Tests, Tests, and Preop
I am approved!

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