Wanda R.

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I now weigh 139!  My weight is coming off slowly now which is good.  Three more pounds and my BMI will be in the normal weight range. If I never lost another pound I would be happy with the way I look and feel right now. I have so many clothes to wear at this weight. Some on the clothes I wore to Bonaire the end of March are a little big. If I lose about ten more pounds I will have nothing to wear. I have not been in the 130s in about 10 years and then I only kept it off for a few months.

I had my six month checkup on April 24th. I have lost 55 pounds. Dr. Champion said that was close to a 75% weight loss and at 6 month I should only be at about a 50 % weight loss.  However, all of my blood work looked good. He told me I could expect to lose another 25 pounds. That would make me weigh around 120 and I would be under weight. That is inconceivable to me.  He wants me to eat a protein bar each day in addition to my regular meals to help slow the weight loss. I feel wonderful and my energy level is high. I am so glad I had this surgery.

Today I weighed 149.5.  I am heading for a dive trip to the island of Bonaire at the end of this month. Today I got out summer clothes that I could not fit into for the past two years. Everything fits me!  I have so many clothes to wear, tropical dresses, capris, summer pants and shorts. I will need some new sandals though. Bonaire is shore diving heaven. It takes so much more energy and strength to carry all of your gear in and out of the ocean that just jumping off a boat. It would have been such a struggle if I were still carrying around the 45+ pounds I have lost so far.

My trip will be a big celebration
When I do my first dive in Bonaire I will be making my 900th dive.
March 30th is George and my 4th anniversary.
April 2nd is my 8th year anniversary as a certified diver.
I weigh less now than I did when I visited this island in 2001.
I feel better and stronger than I have in years!

January 24, 2008

Today I had my 3 month checkup at Dr. Champion's office.  I have lost 34 pounds in 3 months. In the past few months as I have read about how much weight other WLS patients are losing I often felt I was not doing such a good job. I was surprised when Dr. Champion told me he was concerned that I was losing too fast. He explained that you could not go by pounds you had to go by percentage of weight lost. I have already lost over 40% of the weight I need to lose in 3 months and he said that was close to what he would expect at 6 months. I felt a lot better about myself when I viewed it that way. I guess I should be worried but I can not see the danger of that because losing too much weight is something I can not truly comprehend. I am often afraid that I will not lose anymore weight ever and that I eat too much. I am always full now and that feels so unnatural like I am doing something wrong. I can not imagine eating more than I am now. I just have no room for anymore and food is no longer the magical pill it used to be.

Today is January 1, 2008. I stepped on the scales and weighed 169.5!!!!  
I was so excited. I have been in Orlando the last three days. We did lots of walking. I only got sick once eating while I was on vacation. We had to hurry back to the room to pack before check out and I think I ate to fast. I had to lay down for about 30 mins and let it pass then I was absolutely fine again. I did some exotic eating while I was away. We dinned at Nine Dragons in China while visiting the World Showcase at Epcot. We did our dive in The Living Sea Exhibit right before that and I was starving. The next day I ate at a buffet in Africa in Animal Kingdom. I used my gastric Bypass Card that Dr. Champion's office gave me and they only charged me a child's meal price.  I am sure I ate much less than a child. Everything was delicious and went down nicely. My New Years resolution is to do everything it takes to be successful as I continue on this incredible journey to my new and exciting life.

Thursday I had my three week check. I had lost 14 pounds. Dr. Champion said I was right on track.  He cleared me for all activities so I immediately signed up to do a dive on Monday. 

I dived in Tropical Diver for 81 minutes. I didn't have to go into the men's locker room to find a wetsuit I could fit into. The woman's size large was tight but I squeezed into it and wore it for my first dive in my new life.  I had no problems at all. My adrenalin was really pumping by the time I left the aquarium. I felt great. 

By the time I got home I was so exhausted I thought something must be wrong with me.  I took a long nap and reminded myself that I had just had major surgery. Since Thursday I have lost two more pounds!  This feels like magic.

Today is November 1st. I am nine days out of surgery. I can not believe how easy  it was. I have had no problems at all and I have already lost 8 pounds. The day of surgery I was so worried about being late that I arrive at the hospital an hour early. That would be 4:00 AM. No one was in admissions so we had to wait. The presurgery drills went smooth except for having to be stuck four times in different places trying to get an IV in. I Kissed George goodbye around 6:30 AM and was wheeled into the OR. I remember asking, "Am I going to sleep now?" and then I woke up in recovery. Dr. Champion did an incredible job. One of the nurses said she would like fo him to do surgery on her sister so I feel that I had the best. Besides, he is the only doctor that practices there that lets you drink out of a straw. Northside Hospital was also incredible.  Two weeks earlier I had spent the night with a friend of mine in a different hospital. It was terrible. Someone came into her room every 15 min all night long.  I know that vitals etc are important but the night shift made a strong effort to get as much done at one time as possible. I got several quality hours of sleep each night.  My favorite nurse was Pennie. She was so personable and delightful to be around. Of course the person I am the most thankful for is George. He stayed with me every minute I was there and took care of my every need. Only he could fluff my pillows just right. He encouraged me and cheered for my ever sucess. I love him so much. He had to go out of town on a job a week after my surgery. Before he left he fixed all the meals I have to eat until he gets back. I have to eat six meals a day. This week even though I have been alone has been so easy. I am indeed a lucky person.

   This whole weekend was one humiliation after another.  Yesterday at the Tennessee Aquarium I was totally out of breath just trying to get my body into my wet suit.  I am having to get more and more help getting in and out of the water. I know my dive team must wonder why I keep doing this.  I still go through these struggles and the humiliations because when I get into the water I am weightless, free of the bondage of my obesity.   
  Today I did my last dive before my rebirth. I did a maintenance dive in the Wall Of Fish exhibit at the Georgia Aquarium. This is not my favorite tank to dive. I have to climb up a 10 foot ladder in my gear to reach the ledge where the entry point for the exhibit is. There are no ladders to get into the tank. As hard as it is dropping my body into the tank getting out is my worse nightmare.  
   After I had been down an hour Rick called down on the communication system to report that they were having to evacuate the aquarium. I thought he was kidding. When my head broke the surface I could hear the alarms going off. The DPIC Chris C. was alreadyon the ledge with Rick. Chris helped with my gear as Rick litterly dragged me get out of the water and on to the ledge. We all carefully climbed down the ladder and hurried out of the building.  Thankfully the weather was not too cold. I was only slightly cold in my dripping wetsuit standing outside while we waited for the all clear to return to the building.  It appears that there was a problem with an air condition unit on top of the building.  I want to be stronger and healthier. I could not have gotten out of that exhibit without help. Tomorrow I only have one week left!

October 8, 2007
Tomorow it will be only two more weeks until my surgery. I am so excited. I reorganized my closet today to make room for my winter clothes. I had a wow moment. As I folded some of my shorts I realized that most likely I will never wear them again. Still I did not throw them away. It was just too unreal. I can only dream that In the near future I will try them on and they will fall off my body onto the floor. I think I will need that reality to let go of my fears.

August 15th 2007
 I faxed in all of my information. I have a BMI of 35. I was worried that I would not qualify for the surgery. I just found out that because of my high blood pressure I do.  I feel like I have won the lottery!  However my health insurance will not pay for my surgery. 
So ................ I am now going to be a very poor lottery winner.  I have my appointment August 23rd.
Poor Lottery Winner...That's an oxymoron isn't it.


AUGUST 23rd 2007
I arrived at my appointment so sick I threw up in the bathroom and had to lay down in a back office before I could drive myself home. My new appointment is for September 13th. I was on antibiotics for a bladder infection. I ran a fever of 104 that night.

September 13th 2007
I have a surgery date! October 23rd 2007. I was so afraid I would not qualify. I am two inches shorter than I thought I was. I have degenerative disc disease so I guess that explains it.  My BMI was 37. I am so excited!