Katcloudshepherd

Goddardgo, The surgery was physically challenging--the mental part for me has been brutal. Yes I'm happier but I don't want you to get the impression that it's ALL butterfly kisses and unicorn farts. For some of us, there is very hard mental work to be done after the physical healing has taken place. There was nothing anyone could have said to me to prepare me for the mental part of the trip down the "loser's highway". All that being said---I'm so much better off now than I was before December 11, 2013. If I had to undergo it again to keep the weight off, I'd be HAPPY to do it again---in a heartbeat. Kathleen

fred2014, I think you're courageous!! It take a lot of courage to admit what you have on this forum. Like other wise posters have said ---get back in the saddle and you CAN DO THIS. Blessings to you, Kathleen

I am so with you on your comment!!!!!! That is where I'm at too. Kathleen

natalie_christin, I see you are in San Antonio. I was fortunate that after my surgery, my surgeons office partnered with HealthLink. I got a 3 month membership at a good rate. I went to the one off of 281 and Bitters. They offer a personal trainer that IS NOT some young twenty-something that doesn't have a clue about health problems. I went there for few months because I wanted a personalized program for someone like me that has severe joint problems. I am very blessed in that I can work out in a pool and have a membership to a gym with an excellent pool. I went to HealthLink because they gave me a personalized program where I could work out on machines to build strength without any impact to my joints. I found the program they designed for me to be very effective. I hope you can afford to go there--they helped me and I hope they will be able to help you too. Kathleen

PRINCESSM, They probably were not even remotely mindful of how their statements were impacting you. People often say things only thinking of themselves without taking others into consideration. We all need to remember where we came from and have compassion for those that still suffer. I remember hearing that in all the Overeater's Anonymous, (OA), meetings I went to--have compassion for those that still suffer. I don't think people who have never been overweight or obese have any clue as to how deep that suffering goes. Not just the physical pain and suffering but the emotional pain and suffering that overweight/obese people endure. People unjustly judge you to have serious character flaws when you are "fluffy". I hope your surgery goes well and you have an easy recovery. Blessings, Kathleen

BlondeBanshee, I have days where I'm just so damned tired! Don't know why. I'm 49 and I'm menopausal. Why do things that cause women so much aggravation start with "men"? I take all my supplements, exercise, eat what I'm supposed to and yet no huge burst of energy, What the heck? I remember about 2 weeks after surgery I felt so good and had so much energy and then all of a sudden--BOOM! The absolute tiredness settled in. Working full time and running a household has been really kicking my rear end lately. Kathleen

JanetPRN, I also come to this forum because the people here know what it's like to go through the surgery and all the physical and intensely emotional changes it brings. In my humble opinion, after the healing of the actual surgery, the emotional changes are much more difficult than the physical ones. I'll be traveling to Michigan in July. I'll be seeing family members who haven't seen me since 2009. I'm very much trying to mentally prepare myself. I know I'm going to be pounded with questions by family members who don't know I've had WLS. I've been thinking about what I'm going to say to them. I REALLY don't want to tell them just how much I've lost--don't want to provide ammunition for being even more judgmental. The good thing is, after a few days, I'll come home to Texas and leave it all behind. I think that's the best way to look at it--this too shall pass. Kathleen

SullysRants, I've got severe joint problems so the only way I can work out is in a pool. My usual workout: I do a 2 lap warmup and then alternate with swim/jog/cross country ski for 30 minutes. After that, I use resistance buoys to do arm/abdominal and back muscle work. I finish with thorough stretching that I learned attending Water aerobics classes. Went to water aerobics for several years before I had the surgery and I think it REALLY paid off. I had more strength and my surgeon was extremely pleased with how quickly I recovered from surgery. Kathleen

PRINCESSM, Sometimes you have to put yourself FIRST. I told very few people at work because like another poster said: most people have no frackin' clue how hard it is to loose weight for someone like me. I'm in this for ME. It's high time I think of myself first and foremost--and i think you should do the same. I hope you have an easy, uneventful surgery and easy recovery. Blessings, Kathleen

Like anywhere else, a lot of Texas is a safe and friendly state. It's just so much bigger--maybe that's the difference-more real estate to be safe and friendly? Yes, people do exercise their second amendment right and there's lots of country where you might need a fire-arm to deal with varmints--the animal type not necessarily human kind . People often actually pull onto a paved shoulder to let you pass if are wanting to go faster. Of course I've come across some Texas UN-friendly drivers as well as the Texas Friendly ones! Kathleen

I hope someone finds this information useful. Yesterday, on my way home from after a long day of work, a gentleman in a pickup truck pulled along side and got my attention. He said he almost hit me because my brake lights weren't working. Got home and with my husband's help, found out--yes my brake lights weren't working. My turn signals and running lights were working. My first thought was a fuse. Dug out the owner's manual from the glove box and found the fuse. Fuse appeared to be OK. Drove to Lavernia, small South Texas town and found all automotive places closed. Drove to closest larger town, Floresville and went to auto parts store. Even though they were very busy, the nice gentleman explained that if your turn signals and running lights are working--probably not the fuse but the bulb. He said even if just one goes out--often they both won't work. He showed me how to get the light fixtures off and I used their screw driver to do so. He had the bulbs in stock and suggested "bulb grease" to prevent it from happening again. It's just a little inexpensive packet of grease that you put on the ends of the bulbs before you install them. He even applied the bulb grease and put the new bulbs in for me. I put the light fixtures back on and all is well. Just wanted to let everyone know if your brake lights don't work but your turn signals and everything else works--could be your bulbs. Glad to have them working again! We're actually going to get a rare meteorological event in South Texas today--RAIN. Blessings, Kathleen

Hey Y'all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, I work in San Antonio, live in Lavernia, (36 miles SE of San Antonio). Just a shout-out to everyone. Take Care, GO SPURS!!!!!!!!!GO!!!!!!!

PdxMan, Just re-read your original post after I had initially responded to it. It's as if I didn't see that last line before. This time I started to tear up at: "Take care and don't forget to love yourself." I don't think I was ever taught to love myself. Probably the reason I ended up needing weight loss surgery to begin with. I needed to be reminded of the need to love myself today and frankly, everyday. Love the quip about Type A personalities . Thank you again for the post. Kathleen

KrinstinaRnY, I had a "shotgun" wedding--not because I was pregnant but because we were both in the Army and if we didn't get married we would have been stationed in different states. I was in Korea and Lewis was at Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio, Texas. I had bought the wedding dress at a clearance sale before I went to Korea. We had originally planned to wait until I got back from Korea but the Army was sending me everywhere BUT Fort Sam Houston. We were married in a strip mall at "The Little Wedding Chapel" in San Antonio, TX in 1992. Lewis and I are still married but "The Little Wedding Chapel" has long since closed. He had to arrange everything. The Little Wedding Chapel made it so easy because it was beautifully decorated and had a recommendation for a photographer. We had a very small wedding and the reception was pot-luck at his cousin's house. Lewis even sent me an invitation to may own wedding! He joked that "he wanted to make sure I'd show up" I flew in on a Tuesday and we married the following Saturday. To top it off--he had a herniated disc in his neck fused the month before. The bride had jet lag, (Korea is opposite time of day from South Texas) and the groom was wearing a cervical collar. Large opulent weddings are over-rated. I'd love to know how many of the marriages from over-the-top weddings taking months of planning and stress lasted. I'm all for a small, no fuss wedding. Blessings, Kathleen

cryss, Thank you! What a fantastic idea. I find it fascinating how small things can be utilized to create large successes. I hope and pray you have an easy surgery and an even easier recovery. Blessings, Kathleen

Hello everyone, I mostly shop at Goodwill. I can't afford to spend too much on clothes that won't be the right size for long. That is such a GOOD THING. It is still a thrill to find clothes I can fit in that are smaller than I've been in decades. I'm going to have to be carefull not to transfer that obsession I had with food to something else. Kathleen

The Laughing Cat, Well said. I have to constantly remind myself--I'm in this for MYSELF. Everyone else is primarily concerned about themselves--so I need to focus on myself too! It's not what other people think about me that matters--It's how much I value myself. Overcomming decades of bad programming however, is a daunting task--I must admit. Blessings to you, Kathleen

WhoKnows, I know every doctor is different. As soon as I passed the leak test, my doc had me taking my synthroid tablet and most importantly, my Zoloft tablet before I was discharged from the hospital. I wasn't cleared for capsule type Vitamins until I was a month or two out. I had to take chewables until then. I've read several posts about taking double the dose of children's chewable vitiamins. I'm not a medical professional but makes sense to me as a layperson. I wish you the best. Kathleen

Terribj, I've printed out your response and I'm going to memorize it. I'll be traveling to my home state of Michigan in July to attend my nieces wedding. I haven't visited there since 2009. The only family members I have told about the surgery were my two sisters. I don't know what to expect but I want to be prepared for someone making that utterly ignorant statement--"the easy way out". I hope I live to see the day where obesity is understood to be a life-threatening disease just like cancer or heart disease. I surely hope I live to see the day when people can see that it certainly is NOT lack of willpower, lazyness or lack of discipline that brought me to the point of having WLS. Obesity is just as fatal as cancer or heart disease or any of a myriad of others. In many instances, it just takes longer to kill you. Kathleen

I heartily concur with Texasgrandma. It has only been within the last few days that I am getting back to having MORE energy than pre-surgery. Only recently have I been getting into the "routine" of doing what I need to do. For me, decades of bad habits DO NOT pass easily or quickly . I recently went through several weeks of "mourning" for my old friend, food. Food was ALWAYS there for me, ready to soothe my frazzled nerves, sedate me with the sleepyness of overconsumption. Always readily available, on every corner, for the taking. Whispering seductively into my ear "you'll feel so better if you eat me." Another thing I think people forget: If you were a prime athlete and had any type of surgery recovery would be much easier. THIS NEXT STATEMENT IS NOT, I REPEAT NOT A FORM OF JUDGING US: Most of us come into this surgery totally out of shape, with no exercise habits pre-surgey. Our bodies are totally unfit, so our out of shape bodies are dealing with MAJOR surgery with no stamina and thus recovery is a much longer and daunting task. All I can say is HANG IN THERE. This trip down the loser's highway isn't all fairy dust and unicorn farts for sure! Anyone who thinks it's "easy" can kiss my ever shrinking rear end!!!!! Kathleen

I took myself off of Zoloft. My doctor's were NOT HAPPY. I'm really struggling right now to manage the depression without medication. However, I felt the Zoloft just wasn't working anymore and I DO NOT want to take medication for depression for the rest of my life.

RJ's/beginning, I hope to lose over 100 pounds. I'm very fortunate in that I'm 6 feet tall so I carry the extra weight very well. Most humans seem to have a bulit in need to compare themselves with other humans. Whether it's looks, height, weight, type of vehicle you drive, house you live in, and on and on and on. Back in the caveman days, probably fights broke out over who's cave was better? I think that's why I love my four legged "children" so much. They don't care what I look like, what kind of car I drive or what kind of house we live in. I provide the shelter, food, Water, vet care and they provide the unconditional love. Kathleen

PdxMan, You are so correct. I see my job as this: One day at a time I am to drink the liquid I need to drink, consume the Protein I need to consume and be as active as I can possibly be. Keeping track of the weight loss and everything else is MY DOCTOR'S JOB. I do keep a graph of what I weigh at my follow-up visits--to me that's all I need. I am to do what I am responsible for one day at a time. I cannot compare myself to others--different mamas and daddies--different DNA--different lives. Kathleen

RJ'S/beginning, I'm so happy for you!!!!!!!!! My hubbby just keeps saying: "You're lookin' good babe!". Feels good. Kathleen