Purple Passion

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Well, I had my lower body lift on October 6th.  I'm now 3 weeks out of surgery and up until now I've had a smooth recovery and no complications.  Until now.

I just got back from my appt. with the surgeon.  Good thing I had an appt. because I was going to call him anyway.  I was getting pain in my left vaginal area right below my incision, like there was a big boil forming under there.  In the center of my abdomen, right above the incision, it's red and hard.  I was also concerned with the amount of swelling on either side of the redness.

Surgeon takes one look and says "Yup, you have a little infection.  You also have some areas of fluid and blood buildup."

Great!  He numbs me up with a couple of shots, which is no big deal as I'm mostly numb there anyway.  He opens up the incision and starts cutting away infected tissue from my incision area and belly button.  Blood is oozing all over the place and I feel instant relief.  It honestly looked like someone had been murdered in that room.  He continues to clean out the areas and suction out some blood and fluid.  He packed my wounds and I have to go back tomorrow and Friday so I can learn how to do it. 

Ahhh....the price I'm willing to pay for a chance at a normal body.

Well, the whole ordeal has exhausted me.  I'm going to give my pain meds a few minutes to work and I'm heading upstairs for a nice, long nap.

I'm almost 20 months post op RNY.

I feel good and I feel healthy.  I've been working out at the gym 4 days a week.  I can feel my body getting stronger and my stamina has greatly increased.  I'm an average woman for the first time in my life.  My weight fluctuates between 148 - 152.  I used to freak out when it went up a little, but I've realized that I'm not going to gain 3 lbs. overnight and there are alot of factors involved.  Everyone's weight fluctuates...so what.  As long as I continue to eat healthy and be active, I pretty much stay in this range.  I will continue to weigh myself and keep any eye on my weight.  I'm quiet aware that I'm still early out and I need to continue my good habits if I'm to remain healthy and not gain weight back.

It's funny, when I reached a size 14, I thought that was where I would stay.  I was comfortable there and it was a size I had gotten down to once before.  I looked pretty good at that size and I was ok with that.  My goal was never to be skinny...it was to be healthy.  My skin still fit me at a size 14.  But I kept losing and I am now in a size 10.  WOW!  I love it and I feel "normal".  But my skin no longer fits.  I have hanging skin all around my midsection.  I was always an apple shape...I carry all my weight in my middle, so that's where my skin issues are.  It bothers me alot and it makes me very uncomfortable.  I feel disgusting.  I don't even want my wife to touch me.  The site of all this loose skin is really gross to me.  I can't wait to have it cut off.

I'm scheduled for a lower body lift on October 8...that's only 6 months away.  I'm very excited and I can't wait.  I'm sure the nerves will come later, but for now I'm just plain excited.

This is my vitamin schedule.  I've just added the iron at bedtime in addition to my iron in the morning because my ferritin and other labs were dropping.  I added this myself since none of the Dr.s seemed to be concerned with this.  I keep a spreadsheet with my lab results so I can keep track.  When I see something on a downward trend, I adjust my supplements.

I'm also back on a low dose of Lipitor.  I tried being off of it, but my cholesterol went up a little.  It was normal for a normal person, but with my heart disease I need to have it really low. 

Meds - baby aspirin (I need to be on aspirin due to heart disease)
Lipitor -  20 mg
4 Vitalady Tender Iron (100 mg total)
1 Vitamin E - 400 mg
1 Sublingual B12 (1000 mg)
1 Fish oil capsule
1 Vitamin C - 500 mg
1 Dry Vitamin D - 1000 mg

2 hours later
1 Bariatric Advantage Calcium (400 mg, 2000 mg total for day)
1 Bariatric Advantage Multi

2 hours later
1 Bariatric Advantage Calcium (400 mg)

2 hours later
1 Bariatric Advantage Calcium (400 mg)

2 hours later
1 Bariatric Advantage Calcium (400 mg)

2 hours later
1 Bariatric Advantage Calcium (400 mg)
1 Bariatric Advantage Multi

Bedtime
Polysaccharide Iron - 150 mg

Meds - baby aspirin (I need to be on aspirin due to heart disease)
4 Vitalady Tender Iron (100 mg total)
1 Vitamin E - 400 mg
1 Sublingual B12 (1000 mg)
1 Fish oil capsule
1 Vitamin C - 500 mg
1 Dry Vitamin D - 1000 mg

2 hours later
1 Bariatric Advantage Calcium (400 mg, 2000 mg total for day)
1 Bariatric Advantage Multi

2 hours later
1 Bariatric Advantage Calcium (400 mg)

2 hours later
1 Bariatric Advantage Calcium (400 mg)

2 hours later
1 Bariatric Advantage Calcium (400 mg)

2 hours later
1 Bariatric Advantage Calcium (400 mg)
1 Bariatric Advantage Multi

I'm a ditz sometimes, so I've altered my vitamin intake again because I didnt' read correctly.

Upon waking
Meds - Cholesterol medication and baby aspirin (I need to be on aspirin due to heart disease)
4 Vitalady Tender Iron (100 mg total)
1 Vitamin E with C
1 Sublingual B12 (1000 mg)
1 Fish oil capsule

2 hours later
1 Bariatric Advantage Calcium (400 mg, 2000 mg total for day)
1 Bariatric Advantage Multi

2 hours later
1 Bariatric Advantage Calcium (400 mg)

2 hours later
1 Bariatric Advantage Calcium (400 mg)

2 hours later
1 Bariatric Advantage Calcium (400 mg)

2 hours later
1 Bariatric Advantage Calcium (400 mg)
1 Bariatric Advantage Multi

I've changed my supplements a bit. Here is my new schedule after realizing I wasn't getting as much calcium as I thought.

Upon waking
Meds - Cholesterol medication and baby aspirin (I need to be on aspirin due to heart disease)
4 Vitalady Tender Iron (100 mg total)
1 Vitamin C
1 Sublingual B12 (1000 mg)
1 Fish oil capsule

2 hours later
2 Bariatric Advantage Calcium (400 mg, 2000 mg total for day)
1 Bariatric Advantage Multi

2 hours later
2 Bariatric Advantage Calcium (400 mg)

2 hours later
2 Bariatric Advantage Calcium (400 mg)

2 hours later
2 Bariatric Advantage Calcium (400 mg)

2 hours later
2 Bariatric Advantage Calcium (400 mg)
1 Bariatric Advantage Multi

Well, the weight loss has REALLY slowed down. A pound here and there is all I can really get off right now. I've kicked up the exercise a lot and I'm hoping that this gets things moving in the right direction. I would like to at least make it an even 100 lbs. lost by my year surgiversary....I'm at 98 lbs. lost now, so I'm really working for it. That said, I am the lowest weight I can ever remember being...159. I am 9 lbs. away from having a normal BMI.

Alot of people have been questioning vitamin schedules lately, so I thought I would post mine.

This is my basic schedule for my vitamins. It becomes habit after awhile and is not as daunting as it originally seems.

Upon waking
Meds - Cholesterol medication and baby aspirin (I am now off of my heart medication)
4 Bariatric Advantage iron
1 Vitamin C
1 Sublingual B12

2 hours later
1 Bariatric Advantage Calcium
1 Bariatric Advantage Multi

2 hours later
1 Bariatric Advantage Calcium

2 hours later
1 Bariatric Advantage Calcium

2 hours later
1 Bariatric Advantage Calcium

2 hours later
1 Bariatric Advantage Calcium
1 Bariatric Advantage Multi

I really like the Bariatric Advantage Calcium and I look at them as a treat as I suck on them. I have the wild cherry, chocolate and the cinnamon..yummy.

Well, May was a total bust. I was pretty much at a stall all month and only lost 1 lb. June pick up a bit and I lost 6 lbs. in June. I'm finding that I need to add more carbs in order to lose more. I think I have more energy with carbs and can therefore burn more calories with activity. This is just my theory and what I find is working for me. At least I'm losing again. I wasn't ready to stop yet. I'm almost 11 months out and 11 lbs. from my first goal of 150. I want to see how I feel there and I'll reassess my goal. I may want to go a little lower (my secret goal is 135).

2 weeks Preop 12
August 14.5
September 12
October 11
November 9.5
December 7
January 6
February 7
March 5
April 3.5
May 1
June 6

I feel like I haven't updated in forever. I'm nearly 9 months out and down 89 lbs. to date. While it has been slowly coming off, it is still coming off. I never really had a plateau...just slow and steady. I finally started exercising...hopefully I will keep it up. Like the commercial says...Just do it!

I've been feeling great, although there are times I seem to get extremely tired. I started tracking again on FitDay so I can see if there is any connection to my eating patterns.

My losses by month
2 weeks Preop 12
August 14.5
September 12
October 11
November 9.5
December 7
January 6
February 7
March 5
April 3.5

Happy New Year. I'm a little discouraged lately. I really feel like I should be doing better. I know exercise is the key, but I don't know what is holding me back. I have excuse after excuse. I keep saying that the Spring will be easier because I can do things outside, but again, that's an excuse. Well, I guess that needs to be my New Year's Resolution...to get exercise in as part of my daily life. So that's it....My promise to myself is to exercise 4 days a week for a minimum of 20 minutes. It's time to picture myself on the treadmill or Total Trainer and working my body and getting it healthy and see myself in smaller sizes.

Here's a total by month of what I have lost. I will be 5 months out on 1/6. I am down 66 lbs. so far. 41 lbs. to go.

Total loss by Month
2 weeks Preop 12
August 14.5
September 12
October 11
November 9.5
December 7
Total 66

I've been experiencing alot of depression lately. I've made an appointment to meet with a Psychiatrist. I really think this will be the beginning of my change. I need to deal with my depression, family issues and my eating disorder (bingeing).

I am currently 20 weeks post op and I have lost 65.5 lbs. so far. That averages out to about 3 lbs. a week (I had to add in 2 weeks for the preop liquid diet - I lost 12 lbs. on that). I am thrilled. I feel better than I have in years.