Cher B.

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I met another milestone.  My total weight loss now equals 100 pounds!  It kind of blows my mind. That is my loss since my highest weight last Jan. Since surgery it has been 89 pounds. I don't think I ever had a good concept about my size and that has become even more confusing for me. Although I know I have lost all of this weight...it hasn't quite sunk in.  I'm hoping to reach go by the end of the summer. My current weight is lower than it has been in over 15 years.  I also made it to Onderland and I am not sure if I wrote about that on here or not.

I went to see my surgeon for my 9 month follow-up last week. He is the best!  I didn't have much in the way of questions at this point.  I feel pretty good about my food choices and finally started going to the dang gym...still don't love it but I don't hate it as much as I used to.

I've been stressed about some career decsions lately. I took a work at home position and feel like that was a bad choice in terms of being challenged and skill development and utilization.  I'm trying to sort that out to make the best decision overall.

Not only can I sit comfortably in the seats at Fenway... I can sit comfortably in the seats at the Garden.  I found that out when I went to a Bruins game this past weekend.  Ah the luxuries of no longer being SMO!

Happy New Year everyone.  Last New Year's Day I was clocking in at my highest weight ever.  I had lived it up during the holidays and then started to get serious on the first of the year.  My surgery consult was scheduled for mid January and I lost four lbs before the consult.

This New Year's Day, I am at my lowest weight since some where in the early 90's.  I am also about 25 lbs less than when I graduated high school. Of course that doesn't mean I am at goal yet....in fact, I haven't even made it the the elusive Onderland yet. I'm about 6-8 lbs away depending on which way the scale is fluctuating in the morning.

The holidays were still a bit tough in terms of managing what I eat but nothing like what they had been in the past. I was able to stay away from the pies, cakes, cookies and candy that kept popping up all over the place.  I did have some no added sugar desserts that I made to bring to some holiday events.  I really enjoyed them but that needs to stop now.  I feel like that kind of thing remains a trigger food for me and adds calories that I am better off without.  I also need to step away from the carbs!  I was still pretty limited with them over the holidays but noticed as a few crackers and a bit of bread snuck their way in, I was craving more.  Outside of some fruit and occassional oatmeal...no mas!

I am feeling good and do not regret my decision one bit.  There is hard work to come but I have to make this work.  Some days, I feel like I haven't lost and ounce but overall I am so grateful that I can now be comfortable in the seats at Fenway or on an airplane.

Ok...so things I want to focus on in 2008.  I don't want to call them resolutions but I figure documenting them here is a good way to commit to the changes I want to make.

- Excercise, exercise, exercise...it is vital I know...gotta do it and be consistent
-reduce debt and save money
-stop falling asleep on the couch (random, I know) If I am that tired, I need to go to bed instead of falling asleep from 11pm until 1 or 2 am on the couch

For months I have been telling myself that I need to update my profile.  Today I looked over at the calendar and realized today is my six month surgiversary.

In terms of weight loss...I have lost 68 lbs since surgey and 79 since my highest.  I think I am considered a 'slow loser' but I have managed to keep myself from being impatient for the most part.   Most importantly, I have felt good and do pretty well with most foods.  I have been good at staying away from sugar and limit the carbs.  Early on I had problems with fish and chicken but that no longer is the case.

Losing this much weight seems kind of abstract to me. I know I have lost and wear a smaller size etc but in many ways my mind has not caught up with that.  I haven't set a formal goal weight. I have an idea in my head but I think it will be tough to know what the healthiest weight for me will be until I get close. 

Oh yeah...my bum now fits comfortably in the seats at Fenway!

Well, I have meaning to put an update on here since I got  home from surgery.  Everything went really well.  I didn't sleep the night before but kept pretty calm overall.  The staff at the hospital were great. I went home on the third day and was off the pain medication at that point.  I think the toughest part for me was not being allowed to drink water after my surgery (only sponges of water to swab my mouth)  When they let me have ice chips the next morning, I was soooo happy.

The first month has gone pretty well.  I have been able to tolerate the things that I have tried.  The blended diet got old fast and I was glad to advance to solid food yesterday.  There are a couple of times that I think I ate a little too fast and had some pain as a result.  

In terms of weight loss, I am down 23 pounds since surgery and 34 from my highest.  The first 18 came off fast...the past 5 were very sloooooow in coming off.

I'm back to work now. I came back two days a week after 3 weeks off and will be back full time on Monday.  So far, being back to work has been ok.  

The time since surgery has been work and there is definitely a learning curve but I'm getting through it.

I'll be finally claiming my seat on the losers' bench.  This is definitely an exciting time and I have been managing to keep my head straight and not get freaked out. Things have been busy and I still have a ton of things to get done.  Why do I feel like I need to get my oil changed before my Dad gets in town?  Goodness.  Leaving work for 5 weeks was definitely a weird feeling.  I haven't had that much time off from work since 96!  Although, I do think sipping water, eating and walking is going to be a full time job.
  My surgeon and the rest of the staff in his office are teriffic.  That is a great comfort going into this.  I have met so many wonderful people who have had this surgery.  I am so grateful for the help and encouragement of all of you.  So many of you have been a huge inspiration and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.  I'd list names but I do not want to run the risk that I might miss someone.  Ya'll know who you are! 
 Let's have a party on that losers' bench sometime soon.  To anyone waiting for surgery...the time flies...it will be here before you know it.

Well the time has been flying by and my surgery is only about 2 1/2 weeks away.  I am hyped up right now so I might as well update my profile because I know I am not ready to try and sleep.

I am really excited to have my surgery and  to have the benefit of this tool for the very first time to help with this very long struggle with my weight.  I have been keeping busy which is important because I don't want to get a crazy set of nerves setting in. Historically, I am a big baby even for things like having a wisdom tooth out.  If I can be a 'big girl' about surgery that will be an accomplishment in itself.  I have never even stayed in a hospital before let alone had major surgery!  Thankfuly my parents will be there and I know they will be great support and set me straight if I need to settle down.

There are very few people that I have shared my surgery plans with...3 friends and some of my family...that's it outside of the OH world.  Work only knows that I am having surgery and some of my close friends don't even know that.  I'm crossing my fingers that they don't get e-mail me at work and get an out of office that I will be out for a month plus. I'll have to answer some qustions on that one!  After the surgery, I might feel more comfortable sharing .  It probably won't take much for my co-workers to do the math after I start losing weight.

Everything I do these days makes me think of how it will be different after surgery.  I was at Fenway on Patriots Day and I realized that pizza and beer at the park aren't likely to be an option after surgery.  On the upside of that...it seems like a fair trade to being able to fit my ace in the seats and many more years on my life.  Ok...goodbye $7 Bud Light at Fenway!!  We had a good run.

Now that I got myself on the topic of the Sox...I'm addicted to the Red Sox.  I was able to get Monster seats today for the Sox/Yankee game on Friday night.  I've never been on the Monster and I am so excited I can't even stand it!!  My ticket buying addiction probably won't count as a transfer addiction since I am already addicted to looking for and buying Sox tix.  I will only buy them for face and I'll be saving lots on money not drinking the $7 beers so maybe it isn't so bad!

I'm trying to eat right and hopefully that will make my liver good in preparation for surgery.  I need to get out there walking too.  Maybe the sun will finally be here soon and that will be some good motivation to get out there.

My surgery date came in the mail today.  I am so excited.  Of course scared will probably settle in at some point too but I do believe this is the right choice for me.

Well the New Year has rolled around and my decision to move forward with RNY with Dr. Gazmuri at NWH is solid.  My 4 hour appointment is scheduled for 01.17.07  I scheduled it several months back and felt ok waiting for the appointment rather than moving it up while I gave myself time to make sure I was committed to this approach and I am!  I never did go to the info session at the Brigham...I am sure it is a good program but something about the place is overwhelming to me. 

Going public about the decsion to friends and co-workers is going to be tough.  Although I am outgoing...I am super private when it comes to talking about weight and health issues.  I'm going to wait until everything is approved and my date is scheduled to tell them.  My parents have been in the loop since I started seriously considering wls.  Hopefully all goes well with the insurance process.

Happy New Year everyone!

Went to the info session at Newton Wellesley last night.  I've done so much research online that there wasn't really anything that I found surprising. 

My appointment with them for the whole approval process is scheduled for January.  My PCP is affiliated with Brigham and Women's so I am going to their info session in Nov and then I will decide which of the two programs/surgeons I wish to move forward with.  As much as I like the idea of picking a surgeon that my PCP is familiar with, I really think that NWH make a lot more sense for me.  I had to go to the Brigham for a test couple of year's ago and felt really overwhelmed by the place...it is huge.  I called them and they wouldn't even schedule me for an appointment until after I go to the info session.  I can see having to attend before the appointment but before they even schedule it?  I've decided that the RNY (rather than the lapband) is the better choice for me.