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5-ish years!
I never did do a 5-yr anniversary post (which was like 3 months ago, oopsies).
Here is a reply I made to someone's thread about being newly sleeved. I had alot of fun composing it - despite it going off an a total tangent - and thought it had a five-year-sleeve-anniversary type of feel to it so I'm putting it here!
Am also adding my requisite swim suit shot, but this one is from vacay last month, and its NOT a full body shot, AND I'm half in the water, lol.
Its too cold around here for me to change into one now and take a pic. Plus I'm lazy.
So i give you: "5+ YEARS IN 1000 WORDS OR LESS":
#### Begin ####
Day 0: YES!! I'm alive!
Weeks 1-2: Ouch, this kinda hurts. I detest all food and water! I'm sooo effing tired, im just gonna lay down here and be found in 3 weeks, half-eaten by wild dogs.
Weeks 3-4: Oh wow, I LOVE water! Eating is such a chore. I don't want to do it. I lost HOW MUCH weight?? Whoa, this thing is gonna actually work! LET'S DO THIS! Those dogs will be very disappointed in eating me.
Months 2-4: Am I ever going to eat like a normal person?? It taking me for-EVAH to eat my tiny cup of food. I am sick of people commenting on how I eat. Exercise is so much funner/easier when I'm not so big! Let me sign up for EVERYTHING! I LOVE new clothes! I am losing my hair! Who knew salad is my favourite thing on earth?
Months 5-7: If one more person tells me to stop losing weight or asks if i have a disease I'm going to sic my wild dogs on them. I guess this is life now: eating tiny bits of food all day long...I guess I can do that, small price to pay for looking HAWT and feeling A-MAY-ZING. I wonder if anyone knows how full of myself I really am....
Months 8-10: OMG.I CAN'T POSSIBLY UP MY CALORIES TO MAINTENANCE LEVEL! HOW AM I GOING TO STOP LOSING WEIGHT! I AM GOING TO WITHER AWAY AND DIE!
Month 11: Oh. So THAT's my maintenance calorie level. That's not so hard. I'm not going to die after all. Ok, Ok, I'll just take this ONE cigarette from you, handsome Italian guy in Italy...even though I quit cold turkey 10 years ago...it can't hurt, right?
Month 14: Plastic. Surgery.
Month 15: *cries*
Month 16: Whoa, I'm looking even HAWT-er than before. How is this even possible? I wonder if anyone has ever exploded from being so full of themselves....
Month 17: Why hello carbs, I've missed you. bread, Pasta, Rice, we shall never be parted again! Oh, nice to meet you for the first time COVID! How long are you staying?
Month 18-21: All skinny and plastic-ed up and no where to go. Eff you COVID. I guess I'll just do a little online shopping for stuff to wear when I am finally allowed out of the house. Sure, I'll have that martini for Breakfast. Hey, my hair is back to normal...and its even nicer than before. Go figure.
Years 3-5: Huh. I stayed below goal weight this entire time and I am the picture of satisfactory health...does that make me awesome? I dunno...my closet is bursting with clothes...most of which I've worn maybe once or not at all. How am I still smoking??? It was only supposed to be one cigarette!!! I think I may have developed high-functioning alcoholism? Food intolerances? Who me? Nah, I can eat anything and everything, EXCEPT large amounts of sugar at one time cuz, you know, I may pass out on the couch. I may not eat as much as everyone around me, but I don't want to anyway, so there! But let me cook for you, bake for you, make copious amounts of food for you! And no, i AM NOT finished reading this menu in it's entirety...I'm about to order enough food for 5 people...you better be hungry!
Today I take no medications other than for my acid reflux (which unfortunately came on due to my sleeve surgery). I eat carbs and (small amounts) of Desserts, I drink alcohol. My last physical/labs 6 months ago produced no concerns - other than an abnormal thickening of my uterine lining, but that has since resolved. I have ridiculous amounts of energy, I rarely fight with my husband, I handle stress and annoyance like a grown up. I'm digging life. Oh, and I still look HAWT.
*mic drop*
P.S. i also finally quit smoking 5 months and 14 days ago. yay me! hopefully I don't meet another handsome Italian with an extra cigarette in the future.
Edited to add:
P.P.S. sorry..i meant to just reply about the first few weeks after my sleeve surgery and food progression, but my fingers got a life of their own as I typed out my reply. plus it was kinda fun writing this. I may cut and paste this into a more appropriate thread if I find one
Good Luck! ❤️
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Made it to the 1 year mark and then some!
Howdy y'all!
Happy 2022! So it did it end up being a solid 6+ months for me to get myself back on here. The thought even crossed my mind to do a 1 year exactly post and then I got distracted and here I am like 3ish weeks late. Whatever, I digress. So 12 months have passed and with it I have shed 116lbs(that was the total about a month ago at the 1 year surgeon's check up). He is very happy with my progress however I know I can do better. Remember how I said 6 months ago sugar was an issue? Yeah, still is. More so since I got covid back in August and lost my taste/smell--it's back mostly but it has changed flavors and most of it isn't for the better. I can't stomach tomato based foods, I can't explain what it tastes/smells like but it is not good. Cooking garlic makes me gag but I can eat it okay which makes zero sense to me and then of course sugar based foods (especially candy) is almost normal-I suspect is why I have continued to gravitate to it so hard these last few months. Anyway, I decided tonight after posting in the forums for some help and some tough love/encouragement that I would sign myself up for the box of the month from the BariatricPal store--let me try lots of high protein/lower calorie snacks/foods without just blindly spending money on products that are nasty. Figure I'll try it out for a few months and see what it yields, I need to add in some new products to my repertoire.
My water intake is back to around 100+oz a day most days. I made it a HUGE priority when the plasma center opened up in my town since my dog is looking to meet at least another two of the specialty departments at the local specialty vet in the next 6 weeks. I take a insulated mug with a straw, fill with ice cubes and I have a 50oz water bottle I fill and put in flavoring (my taste buds settled on the more 'tart' flavors like strawberry lemonade/cherry etc) and make it a point to drink at least 2 of the water bottles a day. I have had zero issues donating both with hydration and iron(hematocrit) numbers. Iron is always on the forefront of my mind since I went into this surgery already on once daily iron tablets due to low grade anemia I got from my mom and she got from her mom. I had tested at 38 which is the absolute lowest you can be at and still donate the first 3 times but today after I had upped my iron tablets to 2 a day as well as my normal 2 Flintstones the last 10-14 days I tested at 44 today! I obviously don't want it skyrocketing since you can actually have it to high so I will go to every other day 2 tablets and see if I can hold my iron steady in the low to mid 40s.
I have ZERO regrets from this surgery and look forward to FLYING to see my dad over Father's day weekend, my goal is to be at or below my surgeon's goal for me (193lbs)-still sitting at 225lbs so not an overwhelming amount of weight to lose in 6ish months.
I did buy myself a solidly decent treadmill that I have started using several times a week-I enjoy my 'treadmill shows' like The Witcher or Game of Thrones- shows I really enjoy but can only watch if I am up on the treadmill-gives me motivation to lace up the sneakers and go for a power walk. That said, I do plan on finding a chiropractor to do a consult with because my hips and back aches after only a few minutes of going at a solid pace, I assume it's from everything shifting and hope I can get adjusted and/or get some stretching exercises I can do to help get things aligned and make moving much more comfortable than it is currently.
I am still in school but maybe just maybe work seems to finally have eased some and we have a new CSR starting in mid-January so I don't feel so exhausted and overwhelmed as I did 6ish months ago. I finally feel like I have the time to get things I want and need to get done, done. My ADD still makes focusing hard sometimes but my annual physical is in February and I plan on discussing ideas/strategies with my PCP. My goal right now is to buy myself a 6-18 month planner that will help me keep track of schoolwork deadlines I want to make for myself, work scheduling, personal/off time to make sure I don't waste my days off wandering around going "I know there is stuff I need to do but I don't remember what it was" or alternatively doing things like starting to clean out my closet-doing that for 4 hours then getting distracted by something else or ending up napping when the cat comes and lays next to me while I am looking through boxes(that's happened more than I'd like to admit).
Anyway, moving along. Long story short here, I am very happy with my progress but know I have a lot left to learn and more weight to lose. I think when I hit Onederland and I have the funds, I will seek out beginner Krav Maga classes for fitness but also I haven't been below 200lbs as an adult and self-defense is something I've always assumed my weight would help with and now I won't have it. Maybe a solid firearm handling class and getting my concealed carry license as well.
That's all I've got at this point, can't wait to see where I am and what thoughts I have in a few months!
Keep on trucking everyone, we've got this!!
-Amanda
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Kidney Stone .... you suck!
Oh Kidney Stone .... how I hate thee. And really, there aren't many people or things I hate in life as that's just negativity. I mean, I hate one person to pieces (but you'd have to know the entire story to understand) but this ..... this stone takes the cake. At the last ultrasound I had for my stone - I was told it was 10.5mm .... which I proudly told them I would be happy to pass. However, apparently it's too big, and I'm awaiting a consult with Urology - which will happen in September. Today though, it's been bugging me and I truly don't think I'll be waiting that long to have it removed, I think it'll start to cause more issues before then.
But what this stone is doing is affecting my day to day living .... I'm finding myself getting slightly annoyed more at things. I'm more snappy with my family because I feel irritated with it. And I don't feel like eating, which is throwing a wrench into my wanting to lose this 10 pounds. I'm trying to get all my water in, however, with that comes lots of peeing and a bit more pain as it swooshes around in my kidney. I've been desperately trying to get all of my work done in the event I have to take some time off, add it to having iron deficiency anemia and I feel like a mess.
However, if that's all that is bothering me, I can work thru it. I legit am so scared of having the stone removed. I pray they can blast it to small pieces and I will be happy to pass whatever remnants that are left. But I pray that there is no going to grab it and extracting it. I'm such a private person that this puts me into a completely new anxiety level I've never had before. So here is hoping. And here is hoping that if it's going to come out, it comes out soon. I wouldn't mind enjoying my summer.
Happy Monday everyone - I hope everyone enjoyed Canada Day and the Fourth of July!
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Three years later on my Journey to walk again
Hi Everyone
It has been 3 years since I last posted. During that time I had 3 more Plastic Surgeries despite the fact that I never got to my goal weight. The Dr felt that with all the excess skin from having lost 280 pounds it was best to get it off and see if maybe I would be able to walk again. So in May of 2018, I had an extended Brachioplasty. Within 1 hour of waking up, I was sent home and within less than an hour of being home, I was rushed back to the hospital as I had blood pouring out of my left upper arm. The Surgeon's assistant was called when I got to the hospital at about 9 pm. He came right away and said I had a baseball size hematoma and c would have to go back into surgery. No room was available until 4 a.m. so I remained in the ER until an Operating Room was available. I remained in the hospital for 3 days and almost have to have a blood transfusion. I was released but was told I immediately had to go to the PS office. As I was being loaded into the van my arm started bleeding again. The Dr greeting me at the door and I was immediately taken into a room. I remember him saying I looked like death warmed over. He called insurance and they approved for a nurse to come every other day to clean and rewrap my left arm. It took me 10 weeks to recover from that surgery. I must say I am glad I had the surgery but even though he took off 7 inches of skin from each arm he could have taken off more. I have Micheline Tire Baby Syndrome and the excess skin removal did not take all the rings away. I still have one roll on each arm and some excess skin as my arms are 14 inches instead of 21. To this day I still cannot wear sleeveless shirts and added sleeves to my bathing suits. Insurance will probably never approve another surgery on my arms. After this surgery and complications, I had two more.
In early Dec of 2018, I had my panniculectomy and a second hernia was repaired. I had no complications with this surgery and was thrilled to get 10 pounds of skin off my tummy and not have the huge overhang any more. Wearing the binder was not fun as it kept riding either up or down my butt. By the end of January, I was able to buy my first compression garment and was back to work 2 weeks later. Despite the 10 pounds being gone I still was not able to walk without a cane or a walker. All this excess skin being removed is not helping my 6 herniated discs, yet there is one more surgery and this I am told this one may be the one that allows me to walk.
In late May of 2019, I had a belt lipectomy. The first week was very painful but by week 3 I was doing great. Two days I had terrible pain on the V spot on my back all the way around to my left groin incision. I was in terrible pain, my skin was hot and I had become so swollen I could not sleep on my left side and I had developed a blister. The Dr had been called the weekend I had terrible pain and felt so sick but I was not able to see him until Wednesday. He Popped the blister and over 5 Emesis Basin of fluid came out. He sent it for testing and 2 days later I was told I had to go to an Infectious Disease Doctor. The Doctor had no appointments on Friday and by Sunday 2 more blisters developed and I was so scared I went to the ER. It was determined I had MRSA and was in the hospital in an isolated room for 5 days. I had to have a MIdline put in as my veins were collapsing. OMGod that procedure hurt like you cannot believe, I was told I had rolling veins and it took them over 40 minutes to get that midline in. To make matters worse I still had a lot of excess skin in the area they wanted to put the midline. I could not move my arm for at least 2 hours after that procedure. For the next 8 weeks, I had 2 hours of IV Vancomycin 2 times a day. Finally Mid August I was well enough to return to work. This surgery did not help my ability to walk any better. I started going to a pain management clinic and he tried all kinds of procedures I can not even remember what they all were.
By January 2020 the pain management Doctor thought that radiofrequency ablation might work. So in late February, he stuck me 4 times on each side of my back with the heat probe that cuts the nerve. I knew within weeks I had not worked and then Covid19 hit us all and I was in South East Florida a very bad hot spot. Even today as I wrote this we are still under phrase one. With my body the way it is I am afraid to go anywhere. My last day of work in the office was March 12th. I have been out of the house 3 times since that day. Thank God I can do remote Zoom lessons with my blind clients otherwise I would be homeless.
So where do I go from here? I do not think the pain management Doctor who I went to for over 6 months is someone I would want to return to. In Jan I will be 65 years old and even though I have been on a Medicare advantage plan since 2008 I could change insurance companies and get all new Doctors. The only problem is I have no idea what kind of a Doctor to go to or whether or not these Florida Doctors would do anything for me. I am still obese despite having lost 250 pounds and have another 80 pounds to lose. I am over 4 years post-op for my sleeve surgery and barely manage to lose 5 to 8 pounds a month if I am 100% on plan. I was hoping to be walking by my 65th birthday but it does not look like it will happen. I wish I could say losing all this weight was the cure to my being able to walk but it was not. I am so totally disappointed that it did not happen. But I suppose when you have 6 herniated discs losing weight is not going to help them. Yes, I am thinner but am still in a great deal of pain and cannot do anything without a walker or a scooter. Some Golden Years I will be having. Am so tired of being like this. Jan 2021 will be 27 years since I was so badly injured at the Quiet Waters Park Kiss Country Chili and Band Competition. I wish I had never gone it was the ruination of my life.
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Advice on gastric sleeve surgery after
What to expect with symptoms
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New Year - New Amy
It was an exciting 2019. After 20 years of considering WLS, I finally had my appointment with a surgeon in May when I weighed the heaviest that I ever have weighed at 230 pounds. At my height of 5'1", this placed me at a BMI of 43.5. During my 6-month pre-op-required nutrition intervention, I got myself down to 205 pounds. A 25-pound weight loss is not bad! But, it is not something I haven't done before. After all, I have been on a diet off-and-on since the age of 13. I am really good at losing weight, but I am even better at gaining it all back plus some every time I have any significant success. I suspect I have lost close to 560 pounds in the past 33 years. With all the ups and down of my weight, my metabolism is surely a mess.
My gastric bypass surgery was December 11th. I am so thankful that it went smoothly and complication-free. Yes, I had significant gas-related abdominal pain and, yes, I was sore and uncomfortable at my surgical sites for about 2 weeks, but it was nothing I couldn't handle. Since my surgery three weeks ago, I have lost 16 pounds. Of course, this is mostly due to my liquid-only diet during the first 2 weeks pre-op. At 189 pounds, I now weigh close to the weight I was before my first son was conceived - a weight that I haven't weighed in 16 years!! As I get ready to watch the ball drop on 2020, I am so excited for all the weight that I will lose in the upcoming year. I am even more excited to re-set my metabolism so that I can maintain my weight loss. However, I am most excited to get healthy for perhaps the first time in my adult life.
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Latest Entry
2020 No buy resolution
I feel so guilty about the amount of clothes that im getting rid of, that Im making 2020 my No Buy Year!
Im only 3/4 done with cleaning out all my old clothes, and I am absolutely disgusted with myself. I bought not only doubles of everything, not tripples but five times as much clothes for my highest weight! I was so scared that I would never be able to find pants and shirts that I liked that fit me, so apparently I hoarded as much as I could. So much so that I was hiding it from myself.
You see in Sweden (and much of Europe) in normal circles, there arent many people who are as heavy as I was and being heavy is really looked down upon MUCH more than in the US where everything is supersize this and that. So even buying clothes online took me forever. So basically I just bought clothes when I was in the States and brought home mammoth amounts of pants etc...especially one or two types of cargo pants. In fact i had so many that I lost track of how many I had and just squirreled them away and forgot about them. Then when I went back to visit my family in the States, I bought new stuff again. This went on for years!
So now, Im making a massive pause in my retail therapy and am going to try a No Buy Year! I do have some caveats, but only big purchases that Ive been thinking about for over a year. It should be interesting to see how my fingers itch to buy stuff online.
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2008 to 2019
Hello to anyone out there who is reading this. it has been 11 years since my gastric bypass and wow! I was reading my past entries things have certainly changed for me.
I had the weight problem, lost about 90lbs, became an alcoholic, got divorced, remarried, moved to Houston, then back to Atlanta, became born again, through the peace and grace of Jesus Christ!, traveled monthly to RI to check on my parents, lost my brother and father in 2019, relapsed with alcohol several times, as of today I have been sober for 2 years!~~~~WHEW!
So now I am married to Michael White, someone I have loved for over 30 years, I am living sober, grieving the loss of my brother, Chip 01/09/2019 and my Dad, Ray 09/06/2019. As for the weight, I am now 208lbs and not really happy at this weight, but Thank God it's not 275! The most important part of my journey is that I became a Christian, I would have been dead by now if I had not done that.
I feel okay today, some days are difficult because I do not drink alcohol anymore, so I have to depend on God through everything...opps gotta run....
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Please support National Obesity Care Week!
I am excited to announce our participation in the 5th Annual National Obesity Care Week (NOCW) which takes place September 15th to 21st and I am honored that our office is considered a Champion supporting this powerful national awareness campaign dedicated to making sure access to comprehensive obesity care is available for anyone affected by obesity. Today, more than 93 million adult Americans are living with obesity. Many do not know obesity is a disease and that their healthcare provider can help them with weight-loss and maintenance. Others do not have insurance coverage to help them pay for these healthcare options or they have to FIGHT just to access coverage they paid premiums to have! Now, more than ever, people affected by obesity as well as healthcare professionals and policy makers and all persons who care about this injustice must pledge their support for ACCESS TO CARE WITHOUT BARRIERS. Alongside the founding partners – the Obesity Action Coalition (OAC), the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS), the Obesity Medicine Association (OMA), The Obesity Society (TOS), and Strategies to Overcome and Prevent Obesity Alliance (STOP) – Lindstrom Obesity Advocacy believes that everyone should have access to obesity care that is not limited by a person’s size, weight or economic status and we've been fighting for this cause for over 23 years! Please visit ObesityCareWeek.org/Action to pledge your support as well.
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April 2019 Update
Still here, still queer! Anyway...
I'm disappointed that I didn't make my goal of 200lbs by today. I'm 3.8lbs shy but I know why 😬. Overall I am happy. I weight in a 255 on my surgery on 1/15/19. Today I'm 203. That's 51.2lbs in a little over 2 months!😀 I restarted my whole journey on 6/7/18 weighing in at 280. So altogether I've lost 76.2lbs! 😍
I lost my preop weight doing IF. I tried doing in for a while after my sx. It isn't compatible while my stomach is so restriving. Besides I eat so few calories (around 600 a day) I don't need IF yet. Now when I start upping my calories after 6 - 9 months I'll definitely be back to IF!
I lift weight 3 to 4 days a week. I don't do cardio. 😞 I need to hop on the elliptical regularly. Once spring actually sticks around I'll try my feet at jogging!
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It will be life changing.
I started the program with my doctor back in March of 2018 and now I have my surgery date of Jan 7th 2019. I am excited, nervous and scared all at the same time. Frightening because I am the basic bread winner so i am praying all goes well. I have battled with my weight my whole life. Am currently at one of my heaviest points at 320. I go to the gym regularly eat right but my digestive is extremely slow plus having a desk job doesn't always serve me well. I am praying that this will help reduce my weight. Since starting the program I haven't lost but maybe a couple pounds which was expected. I drink what I am supposed to. I eat what I am supposed too, don't drink or smoke. I am hoping that once I start my liquid diet prior to surgery that I will start to show some downward movement. I only eat what I am to eat measure and weigh everything and exercise. So I am hoping wishing praying that this works cause I have tried everything else for years so this is my last hope that I can finally lose weight. I am having the sleeve surgery it's less evasive than gastric bypass.
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Help, I think I have an eating disorder!
Meet Diane*. She had struggled with her eating and body image as far back as she can remember. Having been on every diet under the sun, she still couldn't keep the weight off. In fact, she had dieted herself up to her highest weight ever. When her doctor suggested bariatric surgery she decided it was her only hope.
Fast forward to a year after surgery, and Diane has started regaining the weight she lost. There was an initial "honeymoon" period during which she lost weight relatively easily, but now it's creeping back on. She finds herself grazing on food throughout the day, and notes that her stomach holds more food than it did a few months before.
Diane cancels her upcoming appointment with her surgeon because she doesn't want to face the embarrassment of getting on the scale and fears ridicule from the surgeon over what she's been doing with her eating. So she avoids in order to save face. (And who can blame her, right?).
Time goes on, and eventually Diane is back at her pre-surgery weight. She's devastated. And ashamed. And mad at herself. "I failed again. I'm such a loser," she thinks to herself.
But the truth is - SHE DID NOT FAIL. And she certainly isn't a loser. Diane was suffering from an eating disorder.
How is this possible? How come nobody told her? Didn't her surgeon see it? Had she done this to herself?
Despite efforts to screen people for eating disorders prior to surgery, they often go undiagnosed. Studies suggest that roughly 30% of people seeking bariatric surgery actually have an eating disorder - with binge eating disorder (BED) being the most common one.
Realizing you have an eating disorder after bariatric surgery can be a shock. Many times, people don't realize it until they have regained some or all of the weight they lost. The eating disorder finds ways to have you eat "around" your surgery.
As a dietitian who specializes in BED, I have treated tons of people who have an eating disorder after bariatric surgery. And what I can tell you is that recovery is possible. You are not alone, and there are people out there who can help.
If you think you might have an eating disorder, click here and start healing your relationship with food today. You deserve it.
*Name and certain details have been changed for privacy.
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Latest Entry
How much to drink, getting cramps
I'm 5 days out and I'm getting a mild cramp when I drink water. Jello, broth, yogurt ect. go down well. I'm drinking slowly and taking small sips, but still get the cramp and a little bit of gas/air comes up. How long does this last? Am I taking in too much? No nausea yet so I've been lucky. Pureed food is looking really good about now but I'm following the plan. I've had absolutely no hunger or maybe I can't tell due to the abdominal pain.
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Moving right along.....
The other day, I had my appointment with the NUT and my psych evaluation.
I absolutely loved the NUT. She was SO thorough with explaining everything the Dr. wanted for me to do and then she added in her own additional thoughts on everything as well. We also discussed the things that I am to start changing immediately to get into some better habits.
Well the biggies are not drinking 30 minutes before or after a meal or during. I had actually started that this week anyway. The other is not drinking my breakfast and to drink my morning shake as my mid afternoon snack instead. And then the thing that I never in a million years thought I would have a problem with....not drinking with a straw. Holy crap is this hard!!!!!!
I have a 32 oz mug at work and a 24 oz mug at home. At work, I fill my mug 4 times during the day. At home I fill it once or twice in the evening. So i do drink alot of water. Boy did I struggle to "sip" water and not gulp it down. Who would have ever thought that at 48 years old, I am learning how to drink again????? It really does suck though.
Anyway, the psych eval went good too with her saying she was sending in her thumbs up.
I guess the only things left will be the pre-op and I don't want to get any of that done until after the beginning of the year.- Read more...
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Too much, too soon.
Changing HOW I eat is so hard. I mean, I knew it would be hard, but now I'm actually IN it.
I should have been working on it earlier, this frantic eating. Whenever I have food in front of me, it's like I haven't eaten in days, I just frantically shovel food into my mouth. Now that I'm doing purees (and starting soft foods), the same thing is applying - I go into a frenzy when there's food around! It is taking almost everything in me to slow down. In fact, I have had two soft food meals so far in which I over-stuffed myself because I wasn't eating slowly enough. Ugh, that feeling, nauseated and uncomfortable, but also just so so "hungry". In fact, I am still feeling the effects over 24 hours later. I know that it's not real hunger, it's just an automatic reaction to having food around, but it feels so real and keeps me shoving food in my mouth even when I don't want to. I am hoping that I can improve in this area, that I can quiet my food desperation and appetite, but I know it's going to take work and willpower on my side - something I've always had trouble summoning on my behalf.
I have not been doing well with hydration. My skin is dry and flaking and my mouth and eyes are dry. But it's hard to drink water because I feel nauseated and it still kinda hurts my stomach. Waiting 30 minutes before and after food is NOT working out for me - I just can't seem to get enough fluid in! I don't know what to do.
Exercise is also something I'm failing at. I haven't done any form of exercise since I got back from the hospital. Like, what am I thinking? I know this is an important part of my new lifestyle, but I forget (because it wasn't a part of my previous lifestyle) or I just keep telling myself I'm healing and I'm too exhausted from not eating. Or my skating rink is closed, as if that's my only option for exercise. So many excuses.
Other than these things, I do seem to be doing well. My incisions are healing nicely, I really haven't had any intolerances to anything. I'm just falling behind on things and being a bad bariatric patient. I'm working on it, I need to put more into my efforts.
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The Beginning of a New Life
So tomorrow is the first day of the rest of my life. Yes, it is Surgery Day! I am absolutely giddy today, mostly just because I am so excited, but maybe a little nervous, too. I can't even say that it seems like it's taken forever to get to this point because I only started the whole process on August 8th. But still, it seems like it's taken forever!
I have a really strong support system, especially in my Mom & Step-Dad. I will be staying with them for at least the first week when I come home, possibly even two weeks. We will see how well I am doing at that point. I know that my kitty, Portia Lin will be anxiously awaiting for my return home.
I suppose that is all for now. I need to finish getting ready for my big day tomorrow! Any prayers would be greatly appreciated!
Blessings to you all!
~Precious~
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A Little History
I'm a 46 year-old mother/wife with four children. The youngest turning 7 this year. I suffered from gestational diabetes during that pregnancy, but none of the others. Maybe being 39 at the time had something to do with it. I've been struggling with weight gain since 2011. Although, I haven't really done anything about it. Mostly complain and avoid my reflection. Over time with everyday stresses from work and home, I have been taking Zoloft. I had been considered pre-diabetic for several years, but about a year ago was finally put on diabetic medication: Metformin. Only taking one per day.
Taking it didn't make me feel any different and being in denial, I guess, I felt like I didn't need it. Along with the weight gain, diabetes diagnosis, I've also been dealing with pre-menopausal stuff (maybe?) and my vision seems to be deteriorating. I've gone from occasionally using reading glasses to actually needing them to read more and more. I was also recently diagnosed with IBS, which has become more of a consistent issue that I have to deal with on an almost daily basis. With the increased stress of declining health, Wellbutrin is now part of my medicinal arsenal.
I started looking into and considering bariatric surgery in October 2017 and have finally decided the surgery is needed as part of my determination to get healthy again.
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Very tough week
Just not feeling "it" this week. I'm exhausted, not sleeping well, feeling really run down, drained. I feel fat. I know I'm not anywhere near as fat as I was, but... I feel fat this week. Bloated, gross, fat fat fat fat fat.
My sleep **SUCKS** not sure if it's the weight loss changing my CPAP pressure requirements, or something else all together. I don't want to have to get another sleep study, because they blow, but I know I need some follow up. Not looking forward to yet another medical bill.Work sucks this week too, a shop of 5, reduced to 2. really 1 and a half since it's just me and my team lead, and my team lead has to do all the leadership / team lead stuff... so, It's just me, supporting just under 3000 users, on over 2000 computer systems, in 20-30 buildings spread out over all of RI, parts of Mass and CT. Fun stuff.
I've been in and out of stalls for almost a month now, more in than out of at this point. Between Monday and today I'm up 2 lbs... not sure why exactly. All intake is right where it should be and I've been in the gym daily. Not going today, just not feeling it. Way too tired and drained to even care really.
Growing tired of this forum again as well. Which sucks because, well, I do enjoy helping folks out. Just getting to the point where every question has been answered over and over again, yet almost no one bothers to use the search function first.
So that's it really... Not a happy Matt at all this week. - 14
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The Journey Continues
Its been soo long since ive done an entry. I think I actually missed my entries and I think that I will continue to blog with the hopes of healing myself and maybe helping someone. so here is a little back story. I had the lapband in 2011 and in 2014 it slipped and I had the gastric sleeve. I developed really bad GERD and in 5/1/2018 I had the gastric bypass. I am still happily married and we actually added a new member to the family I had my daughter 12/26/13 and lord does she keep me on my toes. I have started my own business and which I have opened two stores in one year.
Now that I have had the gastric bypass I will say that I think this is the best surgery I have had. I will admit I still have to work on the program the dr. has in place for me. I just feel that I have so much to focus on that the plan is like a final exam that I have to continue to work on. I will say I am committed to losing the weight and finally reaching my goal and come my 7Th wedding anniversary next year I will be on a beach and proud of the body and the person I have become thought out this journey.
Unit tomorrow
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VSG It's almost been a year!
I haven't posted here since the beginning, just starting to come back here to see what is up. It's been a busy year for me. I've been pretty focused on work and my life changes. I feel so blessed, my surgery went well and my results so far are fantastic. I have lost 120 pounds and I have 16 to go to hit my personal goal....I will still keep up my eating plan and exercise so if it goes lower than that so be it. I have not had any complications so far, no hair loss... The weight has been steadily coming off with a few stalls here and there.
I think the key to my success thus far has been realizing that while this surgery is helping me, its still up to me. It's taken sticking to the plan, getting the right foods in and exercising pretty much daily. I know that is something that I will have to do the rest of my life and if it keeps me feeling as fantastic as I feel right now...that will never be an issue for me. I don't ever want to go back to the way things were before.
I'm so thankful that I was able to get this surgery, I wish that it was available to all who need it...it has literally saved my life.
Cheers!
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Hot for Hubby?
Yesterday I had an appointment for a fill. The last one I had 1/2 cc was 8 weeks ago after a 2 year hiatus. At this time, I have 3.6, I had been told that 2 ccs were already in band when I started . Twice, twice, I got it up to 3ccs and had to take everything out and start all over. Yesterday hubby came with me, and Dr. would ask me questions and talk to me but all the whole while looking at my hubby. He felt that my band was restricting and that I just had to change my diet habits to accommodate. Talking about diets, and showing him the diagrams of the stomach. I even said at one point,touched my husband's arm and said I like how you are looking at him, since he is the cook. he kind of chuckled but still kept looking at husband. I had gone alone before and it was fine, but it was soo weird. I'm hispanic hubby anglo, My cousin thought maybe I looked like the little submissive wife or something. So no more fills for me for awhile and hubby has a new admirer?
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First month
These are my first notes after bariatric sleeve surgery.
I had my surgery just about a month ago. I generally feel very good. It takes some time to learn how to eat again. Small meals, more often. Eat slow. Eat little. Don't force yourself. If you eat too fast, or are not careful, or you don't think while you eat, you can get in trouble (you'll get reflux, feel like throwing up, but just walk around for a few minutes and it will go away as you digest.)
The first few days after the surgery were tough. Hard to eat, hard to drink. Now it's a lot better. It took probably a week to get to a satisfactory level and feel normal. Just bear with it because it gets a lot better.
If I can give a suggestion to those of you who are going to go through the surgery, is one: be very rested. I made the mistake of sleeping only 3-4 hours the night before the surgery, and after the surgery I felt awful. In addition, the hospital did not have a room for me, and I spent overnight in the recovery room. That did not help. I had to stay at the hospital a second night because of that. Make sure you are rested and you have a room. You need to rest after surgery.
Since the surgery, I have lost an average of 1 lb per day. Fantastic! I have not exercised a lot yet, but I started doing something the past couple of weeks. I am sure as I shed more weight I will start working out more seriously, or at least move. Just walking every day for half hour would be enough for the first few months.
Good luck to you all. Believe in it! Don't get discouraged. I can see why everyone told me that it would change my life. I can already see it as I am wearing 2-size smaller jeans today.
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2nd Verse, Same As The First...
10 years ago I started my Journey......and it continues....
I had a lap band done July 2008, I was 255 lbs. I was a single mother with a 7 year old daughter. I was so excited that this option was available to me! Something that wasn't crazy as a gastric bypass (don't get me wrong I have been in the medical field for over 20 years, so I researched this immensely. I thought this was the best option). Something that would hold me accountable for the food I put in my mouth and the amount. At first, that's exactly what happened. I could hardly eat anything, let alone drink. I had found my tool that I had been needing my whole life! Just an FYI, I ramble, start to think about something else and then want to put it down! I apologize in advance if my thoughts roam! My lap band was more an emotional battle then anything, it's crazy to think that really this whole overeating and what we eat really comes from our brain (at least for me this is what it is!). I lost weight, it was great, I was getting healthier and getting to a smaller size! 2 years into my band journey I met my now husband and was under 200 pounds. I went in for my fills and could never get to that sweet spot. Just never felt the restriction like I thought I would have with it. About 4 years in I started to have severe issues with reflux, couldn't even lay down at night it would come up through my nose and BURN! Not good. I ended up going to another surgeon as I had moved and he immediately emptied my band and made sure there wasn't any damage done. We tried to go from ground zero refilling back up but never worked. It failed. I took it as I had failed yet again!!! I still have the band in and it still has a fill, but there is no restriction. Just certain foods don't go down well and I vomit still a lot. So done of having this in my body.
I am now back to my pre lap band weight and so frustrated.
My insurance has finally changed to Federal BCBS and am excited that I have the opportunity to get the lap band out and go forward with a revision to a Gastric Sleeve. I am super anxious about this, I am now 10 years older and just want to be healthy and be able to live the life that I want and deserve to!
Right now just waiting on my approval. The office said 2-3 weeks, today is 3 weeks plus 1 day. I am ready. Planned my out of pocket, ready to get work off. Just ready to move on.
Bring on the liquid diet!!! At least I know what's going to be coming with this. What protein shakes are ok (never great) and which ones are absolutely undrinkable! Stocking up on my broth and sugar free popsicles!
Any encouragement or anyone who has been through what I have and had a revision to the sleeve I would love to hear your comments! Am I making the right choice this time??? This WILL be the last gastric surgery I have so it BETTER work! LOL (kinda laughing manically..... :o) I know what I am getting into emotionally and have faith in my Heavenly Father, so I am prepared!
Go with God!
2nd Verse, Same as the First
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VSG Post Surgery Day #4
Surgery was harder than I expected. My IV was a problem, and due to this, I was not getting my pain meds correctly for the afternoon following surgery. My evening nurse figured it out at the start of of her shift when she did the once-over. The pain before that was significant, so much so that I just didn't interact with any of my visitors. I literally just laid in bed with my eyes closed and listened to everyone talk.
Once everyone left, and the new nurse took over, she put in a new IV and that first dose of morphine made my eyes roll back in my head. I was allowed to have it about every hour, but only required morphine doses about every 3 hours. Had surgery Wednesday morning, was home by Friday evening. Today is Sunday, and I feel pretty good today. I didn't have a BM from Tuesday until today. That really sucked for sure. I don't like dealing with constipation, but it is a common side effect.
I am having a hard time getting all my food in. I just am not hungry. I am enjoying the soups, though, really enjoying them and also the yogurt. I am getting my water in just fine, though. Time for dinner. I need to upload my before pics.
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