songsmith

195.4 for me!

Thanks for adding me!

198.4 today!

Thank you. I'm glad to hear there's light at the end of the tunnel.

I had a boot for my other leg when I broke it, but it disappeared in a move. TBH I'd feel better if he put me in something that protects the tendon. I scared myself when I read it could lead to a fallen arch.

Anyone ever develop posterior tibialitis?

Sleeved 2/15. I'm having one heck of a time getting exercise in. First I had pleural effusion, which made it impossible to breathe much less work out for nearly 8 weeks. Now there's something else.

My ankle actually began hurting back in October. It didn't always hurt, so I attributed the pain to working out after many years away. Over the months it became gradually worse to the point it aches all the time. Finally saw my primary about it. She told me it's the tendon that goes around the inside part of your ankle.

Bad thing is that it attaches to your arch. You can develop flat feet if you don't take care of it. So, I'm back to no real cardio for now. I am going to start swimming laps once I replace the swimsuit that's falling off of me.

But so frustrated. And worried. I do not want flat feet! Anyone else had this? What did you do?

199.0 today!

First time I've been below 200 in 30 years.

(FYI, I'm not on the list. I didn't see the post until June 1 and signed up then--post 154.)

Me, me, me, me, me!

SW is 200.4

GW: 189

201.6!

202.4

I think it's a bit of ignorance and in many instances a dash of envy. Sometimes there's even a bit of judgment tossed in (it's always okay to bash the fat person). We're a diet/thin crazy society. People who don't understand how WLS works think, "Well, hell, ~I~ could have surgery and eat whatever I want, too! They took the easy way out!"

Only, WLS doesn't work like that. It's hard work. You don't hear or see media talking about that aspect, so people remain ignorant and retain their false beliefs. They also fail to acknowledge (or even realize) that WLS is major surgery. They don't see the health aspect; they see cosmetics. That opens up another can of worms. I bet a lot of the people who comment don't judge plastic surgery (or may even have had it themselves) but do something for your health via weight loss and you're cheating! Sheesh.

I won't even get into the mindset that the obese are stupid and lazy and got that way from sitting on their butts eating ding dongs and chips all day. People who think that naturally believe that WLS is but another "lazy" solution. Most of them won't admit that to your face (they make snide comments through the anonymity of the internet) so you can't usually call them on it.

I believe the best thing you can do is 1) ignore them or 2) educate them If you choose solution 2 you might be beating your head against a brick wall, Then again, you might just break through and stop at least one person from making those comments ever again. . It depends on what suits you best. In the end their opinions don't matter (the only opinion that matters is yours).

Morning! 206.4 today.

208.2 for me

209!

Oops. Forgot to post yesterday.

210.6

Now for the story. I've been slowly weaning myself off of the "weigh every day" kick. Last week I was at 211. I weight myself on Wed. and I was at 213.6! Hadn't changed my diet/exercise--nothing. Saturday I was down a pound. I thought for sure I wouldn't hit my previous weight, much less surpass it. (Can you surpass something that's growing less?) Imagine my surprise when I stepped on the scale yesterday.

And this is why you shouldn't weight yourself every day. Maddening.

211

216.4 as of today!

CaridadM, you are strong, stronger than you know. I understand the depression and feeling of isolation. I remember sitting in the hospital (did I mention it was right before Christmas?) and wondering if I'd get home in time for the Holiday and, if I did, if I'd have the shunt-thing in my stomach forever. I realized how isolated patients who face prolonged stays in the hospital are. It's very depressing. It made me understand a little better why they sent in the disgustingly chipper volunteer to cheer me up!

Have faith. I don't know how long it will take you to recover, but you will recover. Hopefully, this last fix will take. There's something demoralizing about that feeding tube. Talk to your clergy. There's another bariatric site, obesity health? You might sign up and see if you can connect with others who have gone (or are going through) what you're experiencing. I know it's difficult to think of how you'll be after this passes, but make lists of how you plan to get through the stages, think of what you want to prepare, how you'll approach your new life once you're released from hospital. Look forward.

I don't have a store per se as I do a desire. I want to take advantage of all those rare, highly discounted sales that the high end stores I can't afford have...for regular sizes. I want to walk in someplace and be able to try on clothes without some clerk side-eyeing me because their store "doesn't carry fat people clothes."

Heck, I've been this big for 30 years now. I want to discover my style and not the style that the plus size clothing industry has foisted on me!

I'm in.

CW = 223.8

GW = 203.8

Hopefully, they'll clear up the Water on my lungs and I will finally be able to move my body!

223.8 today. Diagnosed with a complication which might be affecting my weight loss (certainly has my ability to move!).

I'm bummed. I'm down 15 pounds. Found out Friday (after my primary made me go to the ER) that the symptoms my surgeon's PA insisted were "muscle strain due to your body rearranging itself) are actually a pleural effusion (Water on the lungs). I go in tomorrow to have it drained. My left lung is nearly completely obstructed, so I imagine that might explain the stall I'm on. It also doesn't help that I can't breathe deeply at all which makes any exertion, even walking, difficult since I get out of breath after walking about 25 steps.

It's not the weight loss (or the amount) that has me bummed so much as a complication which I feel is impacting my progress. Other than that, I feel fine, am getting in my Protein and Water. I've gone down 2 pants sizes.

OMG I feel for you. Back in 2014 I had complications (couldn't swallow) after they removed my thyroid. I couldn't drink or eat. My veins kept blowing from all the IVs. They finally decided to give me a feeding tube.

The. Absolutely. WORST. Experience of my life! Once it was in, it was bearable, but the process of inserting it? I don't know about you, but they don't give you anything to make it easier. You can feel it and I don't think the tech who put in mine had much experience. I was crying because of the pain and gagging, snotting up, peeing myself from stress incontinence (TMI) not able to breathe--did I mention pain?

Then, after they did it, the damn thing kept want to wriggle it's way back up. I think my body was saying, "Oh HELL no!" Then they started talking about putting some sort of tube/shunt (I can't remember the word) directly into my stomach). It was depressing as hell. I was lucky and turned the corner (possibly from fear of another procedure).

I'm sorry you are having so many problems. Right now I'm waiting for a pleural effusion (Water on the lungs) to be drained and tested. It's pretty much preventing me from exercising, etc., not to mention difficulty breathing. But what I have pales in comparison to what you've gone through. May you also "round the corner" soon.

You'll feel like a new person after the thoracentesis. I don't have personal experience, but as a nursing student I did a rotation in the ER and witnessed this procedure.

That is good to hear. The doctor told me it should ease my breathing and the pain. Kind of kicking myself for not seeing someone about it earlier. The bariatric P.A. didn't seem to think it was a big deal, and I had convinced myself the symptoms were from different causes.

I am a thyroid cancer survivor. Have you read about that particular type? If you're going to get cancer, then get thyroid cancer. 99% of the time it does not spread.

They removed my thyroid (my little "butterfly" had grown to a 9-inch "Mothra"). I've been fine ever since. They didn't even have me undergo treatment. The endocrinologist keeps my synthroid high to discourage any attempt of leftover cells to grow back. It's been about a year and a half now, and she's going to lower the dosage. I feel so much better now that it's gone. I had all the classic symptoms of thyroid problems, but it took a determined primary to push the ENTs to listen to me. All they saw was a fat woman wondering why she couldn't lose weight (i.e., an excuse).

Try not to worry (silly to tell you that, I know).

Sleeved 2/15. Two weeks after my sleeve (surgery went fine) I developed on my left back that radiated around to the side. I thought I had strained a muscle because I'd spent 5 hours sitting on a bleacher for our State caucus. The pain steadily grew worse, but did not improve. I developed an occasional cough. I'd had a cold during my surgery and thought the cough was from allergies or maybe my cold finally trying to clear itself out.

The pain became so bad that I couldn't lie on my back. The cough grew worse. Finally, I phoned my surgeon's office and was told by one of the Physician's Assistants that it didn't sound like anything to worry about but to see my primary just in case I had an infection. That was before Spring break (middle of March). My kid was home from college. I decided to wait until she went back to school because I didn't think the symptoms meant anything.

Could not get in to see my doctor until this past Friday. By now the pain had spread up my back to just below my shoulder blade and around the front of my chest. My cough had gotten a lot more frequent, but I couldn't cough as deeply as I'd like because of the pain. I also couldn't breathe normally at all because (I thought) of the sore muscles. I'm prone to sinus infections and attributed the cough to that.

Well, my PCP (bless her) is the type who digs. She listened to my chest, gave a lesson to the nurse practitioner she's training about symptoms and said, "No, I can hear something not right. She's still within the window from her surgery. Let's do a chest X-ray." Imagine my surprise when she asked me to come see my x-ray. About 3/4 of my left lung was shaded white. Even as a lay person I knew that wasn't good. She said, "Off to the ER for you. It's probably liquid, but I can't tell from this." She called the specialists ahead of my arrival and I was seen right away (for the ER). I got a CT scan and was admitted late on a Friday evening to the hospital.

The lung doctor came and spoke to me Saturday morning. I have pleural effusion, probably a complication from my surgery. This is one of those times where my high threshhold of pain bit me in the butt. I wish I had had myself checked out a lot sooner. Monday I return to the hospital to have a needle jabbed into my lung so they can aspirate the Fluid and run tests to determine what's causing it. The surgeon is 99% sure it's a surgery complication, but can't rule other things out (including the Big C).

Other experiences with this very rare complication? I'm not sure what to expect.

Oops! Forgot!

CW 222.8