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okelly44

Gastric Sleeve Patients
  • Content Count

    44
  • Joined

  • Last visited

4 Followers

About okelly44

  • Rank
    Advanced Member
  • Birthday 09/07/1965

About Me

  • Biography
    Happily married mom of 2 who wants to once again be as active as her 3 guys, as well as live to see them all old and grey.
  • Gender
    Female
  • Interests
    Movies, Seminole football, travel, Chile, foreign languages, anything French,
  • Occupation
    University researcher and instructor
  • City
    Tally
  • State
    Florida
  • Zip Code
    32312

Recent Profile Visitors

1,603 profile views
I've been overweight most of my life, with varying degrees of success taking it off now and then. But my weight has steadliy climbed since I quit playing sports and had kids. I'm not a binge or emotional eater as far as stress or anxiety goes, I seem to just really enjoy food as a reward - a real foodie whose portion sizes were much too big. I finally got to a point at 349 where it was getting hard to shave, find comfy seats in theatres, and move around in general.

I've always been athletic and fairly comfortable at a bigger size, but this was way over the top. When I didn't even feel in control of my own limbs or balance anymore, I knew I had to do something. I started our area's bariatric program in 2012 and in about 10 months lost 60 pounds. Basically I was eating 1,200 calories a day and going back to the gym 5 days a week. At first it was easy and I thought I had it all figured out. I was very active again, went hiking, white water rafting, etc. with the family and felt the old me coming back. But I began to rest on my laurels.

I started letting Saturday be a free day where I didn't have to police myself (so tiring!). Then I added Sunday, then Friday night, and for most of 2013 I was just in a holding pattern -no gain no loss. But then.... ugh.. my few days of going easy on myself turned into 6 weeks over the holidays and I came out in 2014 with 20 pounds back on. That was a huge reminder to me that this fight is NEVER done.

I started looking at it from an addicts perspective after finding that I could most identify and relate to the issues and mindsets of friends who are struggling with sobriety or addiction issues. Many of their mantras such as "one day at a time" really made sense to me. I came to grips with the fact that food is my addiciton of sorts, and it will be a forever fight. Once I accepted that, I began to see surgery as a tool rather than a cop-out. In fact my one alcoholic friend said "if there was a surgery to help me stay sober you can bet I'd be on the table in a flash!" So I decided to have teh surgery, but didn't tell hardly anyone. Part of me still felt weak for having to take this drastic step. yet, I felt like I proved with the 60 pound loss that I could do it. The forced restriction of the sleeve would just make it easier - a tool as they say.

I got the sleeve 6 weeks ago and really hope it will provide the extra boundary I need to make a diffrence in my weight for the long term this time. I'm finding myself in an unusual position - scared. Scared to fail once again, scared it won't make much difference, scared I'll stretch it our over time. But i hear these are common fears. I hear you lose a certain percentage of the excess weight (as opposed to all of it?) so I just hope I can make this tool work for me to the fullest extent possible. Nervous but really hopeful.

Age: 58
Height: 5 feet 4 inches
Weight Lost: 114 lbs
BMI: 40.3
Surgery: Gastric Sleeve
Surgery Status: Post Surgery
First Dr. Visit:
Surgery Date: 07/23/2014
Hospital Stay: 3 Days
Surgery Funding: Insurance
Insurance Outcome: 1st Letter Approval
okelly44's Bariatric Surgeon
Tallahassee, Florida 32308

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