pamkb

Send Message

Block

Add Friend

I used to very active here on the forum but I got over confident, stepped away from a valuable support tool and WHAM, Life Happened! 

 

Injury and then grief put me back on the sidelines I swore I would never sit on again.  13 months later, I am battling a 20 pound weight gain and a sedentary lifestyle.  So I beat myself up for a little while and then decided to celebrate that this time I put the brakes on this destructive train ride at 20 pounds rather than the 125 overweight I allowed myself before RNY November 2010.  Went back and read my journals to remind myself of what was in my 'toolbox' when I was at the top of my game.  So here I am again. 

Have started a beginner's runner program with plans to be running 5k's by the spring.  I am going back to the basics:  quality protein first, limited (if any) processed carbs and LOTS of water. 

Has it really been 2 months already?  So hard to believe it is possible, it still seems like yesterday.

I am sticking to my plan of weighing just once a week - on my surgery day and today I am down 41 pounds from surgery weight.  Do I wish it were more?  Well sure but I will take a 5 pound weekly average loss and be happy about it.  Still 28 pounds from that first goal of ONEderland.  I cannot wait until my weight no longer starts with a 2!

I am feeling great.  I am 8 weeks out and I am eating good, sleeping good, & pooping good.  Not much else I can ask for at this point.  I get my protein, fluids, & supplements in 5-6 days a week.  At least one day over the weekend, time seems to get away from me and I usually fall a little short on one thing or another.

People are starting to notice and complement and that makes me feel good.  However, I am also getting a regular comment from a co-worker about how tired and pale I look so I worry about that even though I know she has one of those caustic personalities that cloaks an insult with pretend concern but it still stings when I am feeling so good about my progress and success with foods.  8 weeks out and still not one occasion of foamies, nausea, or vomiting.  Now there have been a few foods that by the second bite I know it is not for me and I push it away and put it on my "wait and see" list.

I am rocking my exercise the past few days.  Sunday was an hour of dancing to an old Richard Simmons Sweatin' to the Oldies tapes, Monday was a zumba class and tonight I walked at 5k loop on the treadmill on an incline at a clip that is pretty quick for me.  Since picking up my exercise, I sure sleep good at night.

On a down note, I have developed a "crush" on a guy in my motorcycle club and the past few weeks we had enjoyed several laughs and he has "managed" to always get a seat next to me.  He has now become all gaga over the beautiful new rider who joined and I am back to being the invisible fat girl.  I so cannot wait until I no longer qualify for that role.

It’s been 3 weeks since surgery and I feel great in the mornings but run out of energy at the end of the day. Monday was my first day back to work. I barely made it till noon, Tuesday made it till mid-afternoon and today (Wednesday) I made it all day. But each day I came home and hit the couch, getting up only to refill water bottle and to pee. I am so tired at the end of the day, I just cry. This week I have struggled getting all my protein and all my fluids in. I need to work on that. I also have not walked since Sunday. There has been an incredible cold snap here in the Florida panhandle, so walking in the morning is out and I just have not been able to muster the energy to make it the Y to exercise inside after work. I really wish I could have used another week at home before returning to work but did not have the time built up. Food has no appeal for me. I just have no desire to eat but do so when the clock says it is time. I have had no nausea and have not thrown up any since surgery. Food looks good, smells good, but having a plate of it in front of me brings me no pleasure. I think that’s good. This week I did try roast chicken breast for the first time. My first try at it was in the form of a chicken salad made by a good friend. It was delicious and tasted good. Tonight I took a baked chicken breast out of the freezer and cut a small piece off of it. Shredded the chicken, topped with marina and shredded mozzarella and heated under the broiler. It tasted good and I ate about half of it. Right now, I think I am going to be ok with chicken. I still haven’t gotten on the scale yet. Part of me wants to and the other part is afraid that I will be disappointed. I am in this for the long run and I want to focus on healing and meeting all the nutritional requirements that my body needs before I worry about a number on the scale. Goal until next week: 1.       Meet all fluid and protein requirements every day. 2.       Walk at least 30 minutes every day.

Yay, had an update with my regular physician today and we are already lowering the dosage on my blood pressure med.  Can't believe that is happening already!

I feel good but very tired in the afternoons.  I am supposed to go back to work next week but am going to be one cranky baby when I can't take my afternoon nap.  Still have had no nausea and am not having any problems getting my protein and liquids in on a daily basis.  My only hiccup is I don't want any food and am having to force myself to eat my 3 meals a day and haven't done a good job of doing that.  The food smells good, tastes good but just has no appeal to me.

Well, the question we all know will come has come and keeps coming. "how much weight have you lost?'
I get a "c'mon?!" look when I tell them I don't know.  I truly have not stepped on my scale at home since leaving for the hospital.  I took the battery out of it because I know once I start, then I will become psycho about it.  I also have a fear that it won't move and that I won't be one of those who gets to post big numbers at 4, 6, & 8 weeks.  I know everyone loses at different rates and I know that scale will move if I follow all the rules and use my pouch as the tool it was intended.  I KNOW all this but I know me and I am not ready to become a slave to the number on the scale yet.

2 weeks out and I have not experienced "buyer's remorse" yet.  I'm hoping that stays away but I am ready for it to rear its head and am prepared for it.

Am loving the fact that my blood pressure is actually close to being too low; I have been on BP meds since mid 20's.

Yay - it felt so good to what into Dr. Lord's office without pain and feeling good.  2 other women were there who had surgery same day and day after.  They aren't doing so well - one is still in alot of pain and the other is struggling with nausea. 

Everything looks good and is he is pleased with how my punch (my words) holes look.  Talked about my walking and is allowing me to step up the pace when I have the strength to but still kept the 15 pound lift limit for 30 days.

Only not-the-best news is he will not give me a date to get back on my motorcycle.  My pretty red baby looks so lonely sitting in the garage unridden.    He says I just have to wait and be patient.  Patience - blech!!

Oh yeah - the scale moved more than I could imagine. WOOT!!!

8 days post op and I still haven't had my first twinge of Buyer's Remorse yet - but I know and am prepared that it can sneak up on me.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day and I have much to be thankful for!

I believe my recovery since surgery has been textbook.    I have not had any nausea, no extreme gas pains and am able to eat from the modified Stage 3 diet since leaving the hospital 2 days after surgery. Haven’t taken anything for pain since Friday and feel good. I am walking every day; walked 1 mile in several stages, the day after surgery and am now up to ½ mile 3x a day. I am even pooping! Aren’t I “such a good big girl.” Said in the most condescending cooing adult voice to a young child.  Yea, Gold Star for me! 

One day I had some gas pain in my shoulder and side but several walks while massaging the areas quickly dissipated the gas bubble.

I am feeling great, eating 3 meals a day. Granted, they are about 1 ½ oz but it is still food in my mouth. Have not missed on my protein and liquids on any day and so looking forward to healing so I can get on to reclaiming my health. That is the hard part right now – because I do feel so good, I am having to remind myself that I am still newly post-op and need to take it easy.

I have not gotten on the scale yet. Not going to do it until my follow up with Dr. Lord on Wednesday, November 24.

I am so going to rock this and embrace my new life!

I was on a business trip last week and as I pulled out my own seatbelt extension on the puddle jumper flight, I had  to blink back tears as I realized that this was the last trip that I would need it.

As an obese person who has to travel for work, 2 things fill me with dread like almost nothing else:   the site of a turnstile and airplane seatbelts that don't fit around my belly.  Several years ago, I was on a smaller aircraft and the seatbelt would not buckle. I refused to ask for an extension in front of several of my co-workers so I did not fasten my seatbelt.  When I got home, I ordered my own online and always have it in my carryon and have used it several times over the years.

But not anymore. In 5 weeks I will have the surgery that will change my life and the beginning of the end of my fear of turnstiles and airplane seatbelts kicks off.

Anyone need a seatbelt extension?

and it doesn't even include a movie or dinner!

I found out today my date:  November 16 is when my life will change and when it comes to my health, I will get a clean slate to make the right choices for my health and how my body works.

Had been thinking about gastric bypass for a few years now but attended an informational seminar in February and got serious about it.  Thanks to a tight package put together by Dr. Lord's wonderful staff, it  only took BCBS of Florida 3 days to approve.

Now it seems very real that this is going to happen for me! Me?!

I have a date and do not even have to worry about what I am going to wear or how my hair looks.

I really have a date!!!!!

Is it possible?  Is it really going to happen?  I think it is.  Dr. Lord's office submitted to the BCBS-FL on August 25.  On September 7, I just couldn't stand it anymore and I called the insurance company.  Gaylen said I was approved. 

Me - "uh, can you say that again please?"

Gaylen - "The approval for Gastric Bypass is approved.  The approval is good for one procedure between August 28, 2010 and August 27, 2011."

He then asked if there was anything else he could do for me and I said "No, you've already made my day.  thank you so much" and hung up.  I then had to call back to find out when the approval letter will be sent because my file won't go to surgery schedule until then.

Somehow it still doesn't seem real until I have that official document in my hand.