Dena W.

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Seriously -- I haven't updated in a year???  I'm blaming it on Face Book and You Tube!  

I'm still maintaining my weight ... although, I have exciting news!  I had a tummy tuck on 7/12/2010.  They removed 4 lb 12 oz of skin, and my insurance covered it!  Woohoo! 

I have tons of pics on Face Book and videos on You Tube that you can look at if you're interested.  If you have any questions, that's the easiest place to find me!  Face book name is Dena Waskiewicz.  You Tube Name is LiLtinee.  See ya around!

Well, it's been around 4 months since I've updated.  I don't come on OH as often as I used to.  I had been told that that happens as you get further out from surgery, and I guess it has happened to me. 

I'm doing well, still maintaining, still feeling great.  I have not regretted having had WLS, and I would still do it all over again!  Still complication-free. 

I checked on my preop goals a few minutes ago, and I have achieved all of them except exercising on a regular basis.  That's not because I can't, mind you.  That's totally a choice, and I haven't chosen it.  I did buy a bicycle this week, and took it out yesterday.  No excuses for not taking it out for a ride today.  None for tomorrow, either.  I hope I remember that tomorrow!

Since I was here last, I've had my 42nd birthday.  Woohoo!  

I'll try to do another update soon, maybe next month!

Time flies, y'all -- it really does!  I cannot believe how long it took me to get approved for surgery, the hoops I had to jump through, and how quickly the last 2 years have now gone by since surgery. 

I am happy and healthy!  I have had a complication-free course.  I would do this all over again, in a heartbeat.  NO REGRETS! 

I had my 2-year postop/annual visit with my surgeon and nutritionist in the last 2 weeks.  My labs all came back normal.  I owe my success to their fantastic followup and the program they have in place.  My nutritionist & surgeon both told me in the beginning of this process that their patients who are most successful long-term have kept their follow-up appointments and followed their recommendations.  So, I set myself up for success by doing the same.  I intend to continue to do the same.  I take all of my recommended vitamin supplements and continue to take in the recommended amounts of fluids & protein daily.  I do not advocate doing this any other way!  They are the experts, after all.  And I am living proof that following the rules works! 

You can follow my progress by watching my You Tube videos.  I post topics related to weight loss surgery and my progress.  You can see me in the before, during, and since stages of my journey.  My name on You Tube is "LiLtinee". 

Until next time ... I wish y'all well!

I had a checkup with Dr. Bauman today.  All good news, he is happy with my weight loss results and I'm healthy, and that's the main thing we were hoping for with this process anyway! 

I'm looking forward to the Walk from Obesity in Concord, NC on 9/20.  I did the walk last year and it was a blast, and this year will be even better since I'll tolerate the walk even better.  I hope you're walking somewhere -- if you're interested, check out "walkfromobesity.com" for more information to find a local group to walk with. 

Talk to you soon!  I'm having computer issues but once that's resolved I'll be back as usual.

I'm going to Carowind's with my family and my sister's family today!  I can't wait to see the difference in how I fit into a roller coaster seat/harness/etc..  This is the first time I've been to a theme park since before weight loss surgery, so I'm also curious at how I'll tolerate walking around the park, the heat, etc.  I'm taking the camera and plan to take a lot of pictures, so be on the lookout for those coming up soon!  

I weighed in at 138 pounds this morning, so off went another pound.  I still consider myself to be maintaining, though.  I did try on a size 12 last night and that fit just fine.  The 14's are too loose and the 12's are just right, I guess.  If I had lower body lift, I'm certain I'd drop a few more sizes.  But that's a future thing, not something I have to do now or ever.  I'm finally comfortable in my own skin for once in my life, even if it's sagging!

I turned 41 years old today.  Very happy birthday!  I am still weighing in at 139 pounds, so total lost is 158 pounds.  I guess I'd call that maintaining!  I did a You Tube video update today.  It's short -- pop over to You Tube and watch that.  Here's the link:  http://youtube.com/watch?v=GtlYBriqRv4

Well, yesterday and this morning I weighed 139 -- that makes me 6 lb below goal now.  I'm still wearing a medium.  The size 14's are getting too big, but I need some of them to be a size 14 just to cover the extra skin left behind.  I did some research today with my insurance company (Cigna), and it looks like they still don't cover plastic surgery for weight loss surgery patients.  We are supposed to be switching to Medcost, and I have heard (through rumors) that they DO pay for plastic surgery for WLS patients.  That won't happen until our next open enrollment period, but I have that to hope for.  By then, I will have been maintaining my weight for a while, too, which is probably a requirement.  I can't find any Medcost info yet to support the rumor I heard, though.  I guess that info will be forthcoming at open enrollment.  Anyone reading this with Medcost insurance that has been through plastics?  I'd appreciate any comments.   

Okay, so now, 5 days since my last post, I'm 3 pounds BELOW goal.  How'd that happen?  Beats me.  I'll take it!  

I went to the neurologist today to follow up on an odd set of symptoms I had last month.  I had some facial numbness/tingling, arm heaviness/weakness, and chest pain.  It was all on the right side of my body.  After scans and a complete cardiac and blood workup, the neurologist has diagnosed it as migraine.  I have a history of migraine headaches, but this time didn't have the typical headache.  He said it had to do with the part of the brain that the migraine originated in.  I had NO idea it was migraine at all since it was so unlike anything else I have ever experienced.  I'm so happy that it has nothing to do with my heart, and nothing to do with my gastric bypass.  Because you know people want to blame every symptom you have once you're postop on your bypass!  So, anyway ... I'm just as healthy as ever.  In fact, when I was in the hospital overnight being worked up for cardiac to make sure it wasn't my heart, I was able to exercise over 9 minutes on a treadill and they said that that was EXCELLENT!  I could not have done that before this bypass.  Thank God I had this surgery!

I'm glad to report that after 14 1/2 months, I have hit GOAL!!!  Yes, a revised goal but I'm there!  Look at this ticker: 
I am so happy, I cannot tell you!  I am tickled to report a weight of 145 pounds today!  

I'm working a lot but hope to have time to do a new You Tube video update in the next few days.  Twelve-hour shifts and getting home at 8 p.m. don't really make me feel like vlogging in the evenings, and I'm working five 12-hr days in a row this week so it may have to wait til Tuesday (when I'm off work) to do a video update, but look for it soon! 

Dena

Well, the grand total now is 148 lb lost, and I weigh 149 lb!  Finally below the 150 lb mark.  The surgeon's office said that a "healthy weight range" for me was in the 140's.  So, I'm finally there!  I was so excited when I stepped on the scale yesterday morning to see that 150 gone.  

Things are going well.  I feel great and am loving life.  No complications, I'm glad to report!  

Don't forget to check out my You Tube video updates.  I have the same user name there as I do here on OH (waskiewiczrn).  

Love y'all! 
Dena