Danielle K.

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So, it's February of 2011. That makes me 20months out from surgery. In a matter of year, I had lost MOST of my weight I had wanted to. Was still losing every so slowly. Well, In April of 2010 I met the man of my dreams. We got engaged June 9, 2010, a year and a day after my surgery. This man is amazing. He is my soul mate I feel like. He makes me soooo happy. And then, bam, in September I find out I'm pregnant. Not quite 18months out from surgery like my surgeon made me promise to wait. But I figured I was close enough, and since I've always wanted to be a mommy, I wasn't willing to give up on my pregnancy for a few months of possibly losing a few more pounds. So, at my lowest (which actually occured about 8 weeks into pregnancy) I had lost a total of 150lbs. Half of the person I was when I started the whole ordeal. I am absolutely amazed at myself for being able to do something of such significance. I worked my tool, and I changed my life for the better.
So now I'm 21 weeks pregnant, with TWINS at that. We are having girls. Journie Londyn Kimbrough and Drailyn Drew Macie Kimbrough. And I'm getting married in 2 weeks. No, not so much a shotgun-holy-shit-I'm-pregnant kinda wedding. Remember I said we've been engaged since June of last year. Just seems like the right thing to do now that we have two baby girls on the way, and since we were already planning on getting married, we're just doing it the quick way for now (at the courthouse) and then next year when we can afford more, we'll have a ceremony and reception and all that.

Life is great. I have complaints of course. Like I wish I didn't have to work while pregnant, I wish I had a LOT more money to prepare for these two little monsters growing inside of me, I wish I had more time to spend with my fiancee, I wish my family lived a lot closer than 1500+ miles away. But all in all, I am extremely happy with how things in my life have turned out. My life goals were to be healthy (check), be a nurse (check), get engaged, married and have my first child before i'm 30 (check in progress) and just be happy (check). When I attempt to look at my life from an outsiders view, I think it actually looks pretty good considering all things that could have happened or gone wrong.

Just wanted to give anyone who may view this profile, which I'm sure is not many at all, something new to read. Not that it's information that most of you reading it didn't already know. But I figured since I come on this webiste practically on a daily basis to check out the pregnancy after wls forum, I figured I could start to update this part of it as well. I don't have people to talk to about being a wls graduate and pregnant, and i really don't have close enough friends that I feel comfortable with sharing all my thoughts. so maybe if i just put them down here, and vent through a blog, I might feel better. Maybe someone reading this might feel better too, by relating or just having something new to think about. who knows.
anyways, enjoy.

Been on OH for over a year now, and realizing I've only posted 2 blogs. How pathetic am I?
For a quick update: I had surgery on June 8th. Been on the recovery road ever since. FINALLY starting to have periods of feeling a little better. I didn't take pain medication at home but twice, so it's not ever been a pain issue. Just new and unfamiliar grounds with not being hungry, yet having to force myself to drink, get in liquid protein, take my vitamins, and walk. May have already made a few mistakes with overdoing it. Letting head hunger get to me. Being a bad girl and eating something. Even though I chewed the tiniest bites into oblivion, i still never should have done it. My first time walking, i walked to long and paid for it that night. I'm getting on track with my vitamins though. (Even though I'm not using chewables like doc asked, I got a bariatric regimen that is easier for post-op pts to digest). All in all, things are starting to look up. I am already scale-obsessed and I can see this is going to be a problem. Don't know how not to check like every freakin day. Pre-op highest weight ever seen was 294. Pre-op check in was 279. Left the hospital at 283.5. and am now down to 268.6. Not bad. But clearly, I shouldn't be concerned about that already. right?
I'm willing to take any advice from post-oppers who have already been through this phase as to what they may have done wrong but found out the hard way, so i don't make the same mistake!
Any and all communication is welcome too. I love to chat back and forth with people. The more the merrier!

So, the way I found out I was approved for surgery was when my surgeon's receptionist called me up one Thursday afternoon in March and asked if I could have surgery that following Monday. I said, "I don't even know if I'm approved yet". To which she replied that I was and she had an opening and if I would like it, I could take it. The rush of emotions was overwhelming. I was so excited and bummed at the same time because I knew I couldn't afford to take off of work so soon. Heck I hadn't even told many people at work, let alone my boss, that I was trying to have the surgery done at this time. So, I was super excited I was approved, but had to deny that surgery date. Then she gave me May 4th. I was totally okay with it. Until my boss said that since it was an elective surgery, I would have to post-pone the surgery until the beginning of the next schedule (which turned out to be May 18th). So I called up the surgeon's office, and once again told Amelia, the receptionist, that I couldn't take May 4th as my date. Before I even got a call back from Amelia telling me when my NEW date would be, the unit scheduler told me that it didn't matter when I took off of work, they would be screwed either way. So I called Amelia back AGAIN and asked her not to change the date and she said she already had. My new and permanent date was Monday, May 18th. I was extremely excited. At this point in time, it was early April, so I had about 4.5 weeks until surgery. I continued on as normal, secretly counting down the days and telling basically everyone at work that I talked to that I was having the surgery. Damn, why do so many people have to be against people losing weight? Besides a few of my closest 'friends' at work, I got a lot of "Why don't you just do it the natural way?" and "You are so beautiful, you don't need to have surgery. What's wrong with the way you are now? Can't you just eat healthier and exercise?" Ugh, seriously people?
Anyways, so I've been counting down the days to my surgery, going out to breakfast for my last "meal" with co-workers and everything about 3 weeks in advance of surgery so I could start a high-protein, mostly liquid diet to help shrink my liver pre-op (even though my surgeon doesn't require it). Then it happened. Last Thursday, April 31st, Amelia calls me up and gives me bad news. Dr. Ben-David has to reschedule my surgery date. My heart sank. When was it going to be now? How much longer would I have to wait now? June 9th she says. Over 5 weeks away. Practically the biggest letdown of my life, or so it seems. Amelia says that Dr. Ben-David has to do something with his mother, and she was very apologetic. There's nothing I can do about it but wait it out. So that's what I'm doing. Waiting. For the next 5 weeks.
The coutdown has begun, again. 
 

So, I finally decided that I wanted to get surgery for real. This was back in October. And with that decision, I also decided it was time to change my eating habits and actually use the gym membership I'd been paying for every month. Starting October 6th, I weighed 294.8lbs. As of December 6th, I have lost a total of 17 lbs, weighing in at 277.8lbs. I'm happy, but also bummed at the same time cuz we all know that fat people don't typically keep off the weight they lose and usually gain all back plus more (without surgical intervention). So I finally made it to weight loss seminar. It was on Tuesday. Then today I called the receptionist and made my appointment to see the surgeon as soon as possible, which isn't until January 29th. But I have work to do in between now and then. I have to find surgical records of when I had my gallbladder taken out, and get my PCP official referral letter, but the last time I went to her she acted like she really wasn't supportive. So I'm going to see her one more time and try again, and if I'm unsuccessful I will switch to a PCP that does support my decision to move forward with WLS. Wish me luck, and I'll update soon with either more good news about weight loss or wait until I go see Dr. Ben-David at Shands.