6 Months Later...

Well, it's been awhile. Time sure does fly! Oct marked my 6 month anniversary since my gastric bypass and I am down to 162lbs!!!! Yeah me!!!! I feel great! My goal is 150 and I am almost there. I easily fit into size 12 clothing now. I am so amazed with the new bones I have found...2 in my butt, my spine, my collarbone. All the fat had them hid before.

I am also amazed at people's reactions to me. I saw Dr. Martha at church today and she had not seen me in awhile. She was totally amazed and said she was going to recommend the surgery to some of her patients. God has totally used me and this surgery to help others! All the ladies want to know what my secret is. All the men just look at me really funny and never say anything. I think they think I would feel insulted if I thought that they thought I was once fat.

No real problems other than the occasional overeating event that comes back to haunt me about 30 min later, followed by annoying hiccups. The strangest thing is that I stay cold all the time. I guess my insulation is gone and nobody told my body about it. My feet feel like blocks of ice even with thick wool socks on.

The good things are....normal BP, a better conplexion and skin condition, less allergies, normal blood sugar, normal cholesterol, no more snoring or sleep apnea (in fact, I am sleeping better than I ever have), increased energy and stamina, less worry and better self esteem, and my body feels so healthy!

I went to Florida about a month ago and was not ashamed to wear a bathing suit. I really felt very sorry for many overweight people there struggling in that 95 degree weather. I know how they felt and am so very grateful that I was not there still feeling that pain.

Would I do it over if I had too? YES, YES,YES! It has totally been so worth it. I feel like I have been set free from by ball and chain (my body). I actually feel like I might live a long and normal life. I will occasionally post new pics of myself and hope to be at the 150 mark pretty soon.

NOTE: My children made me do the silly poses. :o)

Praise God!

M

Weight Loss Pics-168lbs.

I've Lost 80 lbs!!!!

Well, it's been awhile. I have been so busy this summer, but it feels great to be able to be active and not be worn out or constantly out of breath. I am at 170lbs. and still loosing. I comfortably wear a size 14 and even a 12 in some things. I have even lost weight in my feet and have gotten down to a size 8 shoe. It is amazing how my body has changed.
I have had a troublesome complication...hair loss. From what I hear, that is common and can happen to anyone after a surgery of any kind. I feel like I am doing well in the area of protein intake and my labs state that, so I am not worried anymore, and the hair loss has just about quit...after about 4 weeks. I am eating just about anything that I want. Which is not much! If I want something sweet, I eat it but it is rare. It is wild how my taste for food has changed. Eating something greasy makes me almost feel like I am drunk. Speaking of drinking...I have tried a little bit of alcohol and it made me very tipsy after just 2 sips. I have never been a drinker anyway. Anything with big seeds hurts my pouch, for example, zuccuni, squash, tomatoes. Stringy meats also bother me a little (BBQ, pot roast) I am still a huge fan of popsicles. Sugar free of course. But I am on a normal diet now.
As far as exercise, I climb two flights of stairs to my office 5 days/week about a dozen times a day and live a very active lifestyle. One of the greatest accomplishments for me so far is to be able to finally get on my horse, by myself. She does not run from me anymore! I am going to Disney in a few weeks and look forward to getting into a bathing suit that will not be "dresslike" or make other people wonder if I am pregnant.
I will post a few pics this week.
Thanks for reading my ongoing saga,
Mechelle

Post Op Visit & Down 10 More!

Howdy everybody...it has been almost a month since my last blog, and I broke the 189 mark! That is 60 lbs lost since April 4, 2009! I am really happy with that. Even better is the inches that I have lost. I am wearing size 14 now! I had to buy some new clothes, because I have lost so much that when my old clothes are taken up, they just don't look right. I got into a bathing suit for the first time since our cruise in Jan 2008, and it swallowed me whole! It was hanging off me. I still have problem spots that I have to work on like my arms, stomach and hips, but I am finally beginning to feel slimmer.

I went to my 2nd post op visit on July 2. Amber and Dr. Jeff were off, but Amber emailed me later the next week to check on me, and Dr. Jeff called me at home and we chatted for about 30 min. All my labs came back great (just a little low on Vitamin D), and Dr. McNatt seemed very pleased with me. He seems to think that I will only loose about 30 more lbs. I will be tickled pink if I can do that. It is comming off much more slowly right now. And they tell me this is normal. If I kept up my pace, it would get scary. I will be honest in saying that I don't exercise "formally". My exercise comes in climbing the steps to my office a dozen times a day, messing around with my horses and walking to the barn, and the occasional game of tennis with the kids. But, I know that I will have to work on the problem areas soon. My appetite has increased a little, but the hunger is a rare thing. I eat a protein bar (I love Pure Protein Chocolate Chip from Walmart), and I drink chocolate muscle milk. Then I always make sure that I eat either beans or meat with my other meals. I absolutely love G2 Gatorade. I really hate sweet drinks now. Unsweet tea with Splenda does the trick. If I eat too fast, I still get sick. I have also noticed that my hunger switch does not always work properly....meaning that by the time I eat too much, it is too late and I am sick. Eating slowly is the key. That has been a major change in my life, because I always ate on the run. Now I have to take my time. I still have to drink a little with my meals, especially chicken meals. But not much at all. I eat pretty much anything I want. Pasta's and anything with MSG kills me. I am handling salads much better now. I really don't have a craving for anything. I love veggie chips and occasionally I want a little popcorn. It truly amazes me to eat out and see how much people can cram down their throats. I don't know how I ever did it. I did get a card, that Amber sent to me, that explained that I have had surgery for weight loss and asks that I be able to order a small or child's portion. That helps me keep from explaining it over and over. Some people are really nice about it, and others seem indifferent and charge me full price. I just don't eat at the latter anymore. A side effect of this is that my hubby seems to be gaining a little weight (don't tell him I ratted him out), because he cleans my plate now!

I am only going to blog about once a month, as things are not changing as often for me. I will keep posting pics so you can see my progress and I can have a record of it. It has DEFINATELY been worth it so far!

Later...Peace Out,

M

Time To Celebrate!

Well, it has been awhile....I have been so very busy. I have truly neglected my blog, but I think subconsciously I was waiting to report back in when I broke that magical 200lb mark. Well, I did it! Officially 198 today. YEEEE HAAAAAWWWW! Numbers are numbers, but those are the ones I have been waiting to see for such a long time. It has been over 9 years since I have been below 200lbs. I feel fantastic! I even sent some clothes over to moms to be altered. I have been going to the thrift store shopping and have bought 2 pairs of size 16 pants and 1 pair of size 14. Many of my clothes that I was wearing just 3 short months ago literally fall to the floor when I put them on! Now that is exciting stuff! I have decreased in bra size also. My waist has been amazing to me. It has shrunk so fast. I still have the smaller "upper intertube" to get rid of and the larger "lower intertube". That will take more time and exercise. Speaking of which, I went to play tennis with my kids this past weekend. It was so awesome to be able to play again without getting totally worn out and winded. I feel like I gain more and more energy each week. It is incredible to realize how carrying 51 extra pounds around really takes a serious toll on your body. I got a new haircut too, and everybody tells me that it makes me look younger and slimmer.
As far as the food intake goes, I have my days that I struggle with getting the protein consumption, but for the most part it is becoming a part of the daily routine. I eat a protein bar for breakfast (I nibble on it for several hours), and I make sure that I eat some type of meat (preferably fish or turkey) and some beans for lunch and supper. I also have nutritious snacks that have protein such as soy nuts for my snacks. I love G2 Gatorade. I have indulged a couple of times on a small amount of dessert, but found it unsatisfying and it left me feeling something that I have not felt much of since surgery...cravings for more sugar. I can see how my body used sugar as a type of drug. You take a little, and it turns that ugly addiction back on again. It turns on that "bottomless pit" feeling. I can eat anything I want to eat, so I don't feel like I am depriving myself of anything...I just tell myself "why" and most of the time I leave it alone. One of the things I really love to eat is greens, but they do bother me somewhat. I guess they are hard to digest. Cole slaw tends to be not worth the pain.
Enought rambling...here are my pics...Later!

Bought New Clothes!

Well, my pics tell the story. I am inching up to the 45lbs lost mark. I am helping Andy lay tile. That is a very physical job, so plenty of exercise. My energy level is back up. I am still sleeping well and my body is really changing. I went to the consignment shop and bought some new (to me) pants. My others are falling off me! That is so awesome! People are really starting to tell me how dramatically I am changing. I am a melting mama. I am eating more or less what I want to eat. Trying to focus on the protein. By the way, the Nectar shakes were horrible! I have been using the powder a little and mostly protein bars or Muscle Milk Lite shakes. I am doing well with the vitamins, but not so well with the gall bladder pills. No need to lie about it...I take about 1 or2 a week. I am loving G2 Gatorade. Still addicted to the sf popsicles. I ate a tiny bite of mom's coconut creme pie. It was good, but I could have lived without it. Still no cravings. I feel very blessed about that. I did a bad this week...I got in a tight spot and ended up drinking a sip of a carbonated beverage. It made my pouch growl at me. I don't think I will be doing a bonehead thing like that anytime soon. I have decided to have 3 celebrations; first will be when I weigh less than Andy...give me another week. 2nd will be when I go below 200lbs, that will be about 2 weeks away and 3rd will be when I reach my goal weight of 160. I am currently 206lbs.

Still hanging out at 40lbs.

I am still hovering around that 40 lb mark. That is ok with me, because I tend to think I have lost it too fast anyway. My clothes are fitting very well. That is really more important than the number of lbs lost...to me anyway. I tried the cherry nectar shake. It was ok. I am still lovin the soy chips. Tonight I had some tenderized steak for supper with some fried taters. I made some fresh squeezed lemonade with splenda. Yummy! I had to chase somebody at work today...boy did that ever wear me out! Well, at least I got my exercise in today. One deputy got there before me and one after me. I am not naming names-but at least I did not come in last! At least I should sleep well tonight.
I want to thank everybody for their support and most importantly God for making all this happen for me and for taking care of me! I am not going to write daily anymore because it will just become too repetative. I will write every few days and will keep the pics coming.

Picture Day

Well, I am approaching the 40 lb mark. It feels great! As you can tell by my picture, I am either going to have to go to the tailor or go shopping. My pants are very loose on me. I am also getting in the mood for a new hair do. I went to a lunch meeting today, that was catered, and everyone kept saying "is that all you are going to eat?" I just eat a little bit and I am full. I had a small taste of salad, some spaghetti and a little toast. I have been doing better with my protein as of late. I got my samples of Nectar from Vitalady and I tried my first one, which was cherry. I mixed it with 1/4 cup of water and I crushed some ice and added it. It was "interesting" tasting. It was not bad, but not great either. I think it was something that will grow on me. I have other exciting flavor samples to try that probably sound better than they actually are. Such as, Caribbean Cooler, Fuzzy Navel, and Apple Ecstacy.

On another note, Dr. McNatt's nurse called and told me that he is calling in some Vitamin D for me to my pharmacy. I have no idea as to why?? I did not have labs since my surgery, so why it is all the sudden a need for Vitamin D is a mystery. But, I will do what they say to do.

The exercise program is good. I walked to the barn yesterday and lifted a few hay bales. I hope to have time to go riding on a nice long trail ride very soon!

Fri, Sat, Sun

I have been really busy this weekend and just catching up on the blog. I am trying to stay very active and even though I am tired, I feel like I am regaining my energy. I think the exercise is helping. I have really been focusing on the protein too. The Dr. and Amber told me that not getting enough protein slows the progress of weight loss. Since I have been getting the protein in, I am loosing again. I am pushing the 40 lb mark! Awesome! I am trying new foods and so far so good. Mexican food is going down really well and I am loving the soy. I just got my samples of the Nectar in and have not tried them yet, but I am going to make a smoothie in the morning. I only have one more of those nasty Lean Body shakes from GNC left and Janie/Rob got me a supply of lite Muscle Milk. I really like those.
The best news of all is that my clothes are not fitting at all now. I wore a pair of jeans to church today that I had to keep pulling up because they were about to fall off! Just 2 months ago, I had to lay on the bed to get them zipped up. I have a waist again! I still have the upper and lower intertube, but at least they are not joined now! It is amazing to feel the weight melting off. I am thinking about trying some swimming this week. We have a very busy week, so we will see how it goes. I am going to have to start some toning exercises. I have "wings" beginning to develp under my biceps. Thing are looking up! This week will be 6 weeks post surgery.

BBQ

I went to the athletic banquet last night and I tried BBQ for the first time. I did not eat much of it, but I was happily suprised that it went down really well. I had to chew it lots. I worry about "string" foods like that. I had to endure the constant "is that all you are going to eat" from about 10 people. I am getting use to it now. I also ate a little bit of pizza yesterday.
My Revival soy package came in the mail too. I ordered a sample pack of soy nuts and soy chips. They are delicious! Caleb likes the nuts too and Kallie likes the chips. Andy does not like any of it. Oh well, more for me! I doubt very seriously that I will be ordering much of that. It is way too expensive. 15 of the small bags of chips (which are about the size of what you would get at Subway) cost $18 + shipping. Amber just raved about how healthy they are, but I just can't justify the price. It is nice to have something crunchy plus they have lots of protein. I am still trying to polish off those Lean Body shakes that I got from GNC. I am going to Janie and Rob's this weekend for a Preakness party and they got me some of those Muscle Milk Lite shakes. They taste much better. Weight loss is hovering about the same. 37-38 lbs loss. Clothes are fitting dramatically better. I am still trying to get more exercise.

Official Exercise Program Begins Today

Today is picture day-(heck if I know what was going on with my hair???)! I am 5 weeks post surgery and I am feeling better every day. Kallie and I began our walking program today. We walked the fence around the farm..up and down the hills. I found that I did not get winded at all, just tired. My muscles just seem to give out on me. I have very little stamina. I am sure that the exercise is good for me. Especially after sitting in court all day...I am getting to dread court days. I hate being tied down all day. I guess that is just part of the job...you can't love every aspect of every job. I had some wonderful tasting Pollock from Brown's Restaurant today. Along with a few baked apples. I ate slowly and it went down really well. Along with some unsweet tea. I have adjusted to it. I think sweet tea would be too sweet now. Andy made us some great pintos for supper. It is nice to be able to eat "regular" food again.

I did it again!

Another rainy day at work had me feeling blah and weary, and Andy had his trip to the VA today, so that meant no one at home to watch The Price Is Right during lunch. Shane and Staci had brought their lunch, so I thought...what the heck...I will get some Chinese takeout. I went to the local eatery and ordered a very small box of shrimp lo mein. I got two small bites down and I was sick as a dog! I have no idea why, because I ate the very same thing about 2 weeks ago at PF Chang. Unless, they fix it differently I have no idea. But I was sooooo sick. It came back up and kept coming until there was nothing but the dry heaves. It gave me a killer headache. I ended up going to mom's house and taking a short nap. It just wipes me out to get sick like that.
Later, for supper, I was able to eat a small bit of chicken casserole and some baked peaches and raspberries. It went down well. I am also enjoying the change of eating protein bars instead of shakes or yougart with protein added. I was given a sample of a new type of soy chip from Revival Soy. I loved it! I have so been wanting something crunchy. I ordered some today along with some yogurt covered soy nuts. I will see how that works out. Boy, is it expensive! I hope it will be worth it! I am at 37.5 lbs of weight loss 5 weeks out. Best of all, my clothes are very loose.

Dry Chicken is a No No

I have recently learned of the "revenge of the dry chicken". Me and dry chicken don't get along very well. It likes to try to crawl back up on me. Fish goes down the best of anything. I ate 1/2/ of a chicken finger last night and I was sick again. I did not hurl, but it was unpleasant. I am trying to drink those nasty protein shakes-yuck! I am listening to the Dr. and Amber. I did order some samples of a new type of shake called "Nectar " from vitalady.com. I thought I would try them out before committing to a huge thing of it and then not liking it. Good ol' vitalady will send you some samples. Dr. Jeff told me about her.
We went to Wendy's today on our way back with the new horse, and I amazed my Dad at how little I eat. I got a jr. cheezeburger - plain, took it off the bun and ate less than 1/2 of it. I got him turned on to unsweet tea today. That was worth the trip, cause good ole poppy needs to drop a few lbs too! He could not believe how good it was with sweet and low. It tastes like real sweet tea! Nothing other to report than that right now. Energy still low...trying to get more exercise. I might ride the new horse today or tomorrow. Dr. said I could.

First Post Op Dr. Visit

Andy and I took off this morning for my first visit to Dr. McNatt since my surgery. My weight loss is just a hair over 35lbs in one month...I was excited to be going so he could see how well I have done. Well, low and behold, all I got was fussed at. Protein, protein, protein was all I heard. Amber did most of the fussing at me. I also heard the word "exercise" about 20 times. People...I have had surgery only 4 weeks ago. I am working full time and I am tired! Dr. McNatt said "working does not count". He ought to try living a day in my life! I also heard that the average one month post surgery loss is 25lbs. I am 10 above that. I say "yeah for me", they say that is too rapid. I got a swift and stern lecture about better quality vitamins and Rolaids don't count as calcuim. It has to be "calcium citrate". Amber mentioned such things as heart failure, liver damage and loss of limbs. It was like my own person horror movie! I think they are over-reacting a bit. I feel good...except for tiredness. And, Dr. McNatt says my incisions are looking great! Best of all, he told me I can eat anything I want to eat (within reason). That means salads and fruits are back in my life! I even get to try a little bit of steak! To celebrate, Andy and I went to Chick fil a' and I had one of those wonderful fruit and grilled chicken salads with with berry vinegrette dressing. It will probably take me several days to finish it, but it was great! I also love their diet lemonade.
I took heed of all that was said to me today. I forgot to mention Dr. Jeff...he is the psychologist. You get one of those when you go thru something like this. It is part of the package deal. He talked more to Andy about his food guilt than he did me and that is ok, because poor Andy hates to eat in front of me. I think he helped put it in perspective with him when he told him that while he eats in front of me, it has about the appeal of a cardboard box. That seemed to ease poor Andy's mind.
I also found out that I have HUNDREDS...yes HUNDREDS of staples in me. Dr. McNatt said it is like sewing a shirt up. I thought that was pretty darn cool! I think me and my pouch are doing just great and we are learning to live in peace with one another.

One Month Post Surgery!

Today makes one month since surgery. I think I have done really well! 35lbs loss to date! Even better than that number is the fact that my clothes are fitting loosely now. My underwear is almost to the point of falling off-HOW EXCITING! I know, that might be too much info. But before, they were tight on me and leaving red marks around my waist. I ate some fish Andy fried today and it gave me a little indigestion. I also ate a tiny bit of pizza for lunch. It was great! I am still drinking my water with Crystal Lite. My treats are still sugar free popsicles. I have adopted eating low fat/low cal fruit yogurt with protein powder added for my breakfast. I really despise Carnation sugar free Instant Breakfast. I hate the shakes too, so this is an alternative for me. It takes me about 2-3 hours to get that one little cup of yogurt down. I really miss my salads and fruits that have seeds like strawberries. I hope Dr. McNatt will let me start eating that stuff soon. We will see on Thursday. By the way, I got my EOB's from Baptist Hospital. The total surgery/hosptial stay cost $41,000. Unbelievable! My part was $2,100. I figure my life/health was well worth that amount of $. Some people spend their tax refund on vacations-I opt for surgery...go figure. I am just happy that the Lord blessed me with a job and insurance that allowed me to take this leap. It truly has been a blessing and a faith builder.

Feeling Tired

I did not realize how that trip to Charlotte really took the wind out of me. I have been dragging all day. Work was particularly difficult today with many office visits and a lot going on. I bet I walked up the stairs at least a dozen times today, and my legs felt like they could not go any further. I did get to eat a little bit of home baked pizza that I made for Andy and the kids. It was really good and this was my first attempt at eating a little bread. It went down really good, and it tasted great. I am still doing the Crystal Lite and I added a new flavor today-Raspberry Lemonade. It was good. I am still doing the Trop 50 and of course, the sugar free popsicles. Tomorrow is picture day.

3lb Loss in One Day!

We went to our yard sale in Charlotte yesterday treasure hunting. And boy, did it wear me out! We got up at 6AM and headed out, reaching Davis Lake at 7:30. There were probably 70 houses having sales. I ran into all my buddies there so it is a social event also. There was lots of getting in and out of the truck and lots of walking. I will bet that I walked several miles yesterday and it was up and down hills. I got more than my share of exercise. After the sale, we went to PF Changs and I got to eat some of the lettuce wrap (without the lettuce) and some lo mein noodles. It was the best thing I have eaten since my surgery! I was really proud of myself and did not overeat. I felt that point of being full and stopped. They had some of the most wonderful unsweet tea that also. It was flavored with something sugarfree called raspberry sangria. It was worth the trip alone! Afterward, there was more walking because Kallie (being the teenager that she is) had to go to her favorite stops at the mall. You see, yard sales don't do it for her, she has to pay full price for Hollister and Aeropostale. It's her money so what do you do? One day she will learn the value of a value. All in all, an awesome day, finishing it off with an awesome KY Derby. You gotta love a Cinderella story!
Today has been a day of church and rest. The scales showed my hard day yesterday with a 3 lb loss! The Lord is just way too good to me!

Doin' Better

I did not really have that much to write about yesterday and I worked the night shift so I did not have time to post. Today, I ate some new foods and they were great! I got a chicken biscuit from Bojangles and ate about 3 bites of the chicken only. It was fabulous. Tonight I ate 2 shrimp at the Mexican Restaurant and had some of that marvelous unsweet tea with splenda. It was just perfect! It is weird going into a restaurant and not ordering anything. They look at you kinda funny. I emailed Amber today and she gave me permission to have some lo mein at PF Changs. That is my favorite place to eat! I am going to be really careful not to overdo it.
Tomorrow we go to one of my favorite events of the year-the Davis Lake Yard Sale in Charlotte. I get the coolest stuff there. This year will be particluarly exciting because I get to buy clothes for me-smaller ones! Yeah! Those folks sell designer clothes for nothing! My current clothes are getting too big for me -yeah again! I am going to get tons of exercise. I am sure it will totally wear me out. Tomorrow is Derby Day too, so I look forward to coming home with all my treasures and watching the race. My picks are: Win-Pioneer of the Nile Place: I Want Revenge Show: General Quarters. General Quarters could be the Cinderella story and pull of the upset!

Old Habits Die Hard

My addiction sprung it's ugly head up today and I broke 2 cardinal rules:
1. Don't eat more than you can hold.
2. Don't eat too fast
What an idiot I am! I chugged down some rotisserie chicken breast that was too much for me-about the size of my palm or less. Then, in my infinate wisdom, I added a rolaids to top it off. (I eat 3 rolaids/day to get my calcium) It was the worst feeling ever! I almost committed bariatric suicide (I think???). I began having sharp pains in my chest and back, then I got to shaking and got really pale and thought I was going to pass out. Then I started feeling the feel that this chicken is making a return visit. Yep...I barfed 6 times! It was not your normal barf. I compare it to a man passing a kidney stone. You see, the opening to my "pouch" is the size of a dime. NOT GOOD! It was an ugly scene (my poor hostas). I don't know if I will ever be able to eat chicken again! Most of the time when you throw up, once you finally do it, most of the time you feel better. NOT TRUE ANYMORE! I was really sick for about an hour. What a bonehead! Worst of all, when I go back to my first visit to Dr. McNat, post surgery, I will not be able to report that I am still their "poster child", and must tell the truth about my overeating bonehead move! I am so disappointed in myself. It was so uncalled for. I guess the good news is that I lost 1.5lbs today and I wore a shirt that I have not been able to wear for over 2 years! I still give the Lord all the credit for this! He has taken such good care of me...now I need to do the same.

New Things Today!

I had to work court all day today-did not get home until 6PM. I worked my butt off all day! It was a very busy day and I am very tired. I discovered some new things that I liked and could have today. I took my son to the Mexican Restaurant and I was able to eat a small amount of ground beef with some cheese on it! I have been trying to drink that nasty unsweet tea because I am getting tired of the water/crystal lite. I have tried Splenda in the past, and thought it to be disgusting. But I decided to use it today and it was the bomb! I almost tasted like the real thing! It was so much better than that nasty bitter plain tea. I also went to the grocery store to get more of my beloved sugar free popsicles and cruised the OJ asile. To my amazement that have a new product called Trop 50. It is a very unsweetened version of real OJ! OMG-it was like heaven! There was no way to describe how awesome it was! It is very low in sugar (about like my protein shakes) has 50 calories in an 8 oz glass (would take me all day to drink 8 oz), and was very high in posassium (which I have been needing!). The only downfall was the lack of protein. Things are looking up! I was having trouble living with the fact that I could no longer drink my most favorite thing ever-OJ! PRe surgery I would drink about 2 gallons/week. This was always how I explained my good health and lack of colds/flu. OJ-you are back in my life baaaabeeee!
Clothes are still getting looser, but no weight loss to record for today.

Back to Work Full Time

I started back to work FT today. It made me very tired. It will take a while to get back into the swing of things. I have been very tempted today to eat things I know I can't have right now. Specifically a salad. I want one so bad. I munched on a few slices of tomato today. I would just love some sweet tea, but I know that is what helped get me overweight to start with. I got most of my shake down today. Popsicles are still the bomb!
Weight loss is around the same. 30+ lbs. What was great was I saw a bunch of people that I had not seen in a while, when I was waiting in line at the funeral home and they all made comments about how much weight I lost and how I looked good. That felt great! Too bad it had to happen at such a depressing place. Please pray for my friend Jay, who lost his dad. May God Bless!

Starting to Believe

I got so busy planting flowers yesterday, I did not have time to write. I got lots of exercise yesterday and I can tell it today. I am wiped out! We went to church this morning and I got so many comments about how much weight I am loosing. That felt great! After so many years of defeat, it is still hard to get thru my thick skull that this is the real thing! Finally something with some real possibilities vs. empty promises and failure. This will work, if I don't screw it up. I am trying really hard, but I am going to have to eat more than just those sugar free popsicles. I did chew up some hamburger yesterday and it was very filling. I also ate just a couple of bites of cheese and burger off Andy's pizza. That was good too! The only thing that I really want right now that I can't have is sweet tea. I tried unsweet and it just gave me a headache. I will just stick with diluted juice and crystal lite. My clothes are starting to get big on me. That feels awesome! I am over 30lbs. total weight loss in less than 3 weeks. I think that is really cool! I actually have a waist now!Kallie took this pic of me Friday evening.

Feeling Better

What can I say...Colace is my friend...it literally saved my a_ _. Sorry-I had to put that pun in. The Dr. warned me this might be a problem. Likey it is from all the iron I have to take. The last few days have not been fun. I am making it part of my pill regime daily. Hopefully after I get to eat more fiber I can manage without it. I know this is not the most pleasant topic, but the truth is the truth. I know how those poor Baboons feel now.
Enough of that, I got my fiber in and my vitamins. I have really pushed the liquids today. I have been fighting off dry mouth and this helps. I really dread going back to work FT next week. I think it will really wear me out. I am having my friend Lauren over on Sunday and she is going to work my young horses. That takes a big load off my mind. Some people actually told me that I am looking like I am really loosing weight today. That felt great! I spoke with a friend today about my surgery so he can make an informed decision about it. I really think I did the right thing. It gets easier every day! I am quickly approaching 30lbs of weight loss (that is like 6 bags of sugar!!!)

Felling Bad Today

Today has found me to be very weak. I don't really know why. I have been sleeping really well. I guess too much action for the week. Maybe I am not at tough as I thought I was??? I sure am happy that tomorrow is Friday. I am excited about going to the horse auction in Mt. Airy with my friends Roger and Lauren. Kallie and I went down today and messed around with some of the young horses. Boy that let me know quickly how weak that I am. I am doing well with the protein. I am having trouble keeping my body moving (if you know what I mean). They Dr. warned me that this would become a problem. Still...no regrets. I went to Brown's Restaurant today and ordered a very small cup of pinto beans. I ate about 3 spoonfulls. It filled me up. Well...at least eating out is very cheap now! I tried to drink a Muscle Milk (that was not lite) because they don't have the lite variety in town. That was a mistake. Even though it had only 6 grams of sugar, I could tell that it totally messed up my blood sugar. I got dizzy and nausea set in. I went to Lowes Foods and spoke with the manager, Kenneth. He is going to try to get the lite ones for me. This is truly a learning experience. Total weight loss to date-28lbs!

Day 15 & 16

I did not do a post yesterday, because there was not too much to write about. I did get my protein in. I did work 1/2 day. I had a 3/4 of a meatball from Subway for lunch. Staci says I won't have dumping if I could eat that meatball. It was delicious. The drain hole is filling in, but still hurts a little. I have still not lost anymore weight and that concerned me, so I spoke with Amber and she told me not to get on that scale but once a week. She said I will go 5 days without any loss and some days I might loose up to 7lbs. The biggest difference I can tell is in my clothes. Some are getting too big for me. :). So, even though I am not loosing weight, I am loosing inches. My body is rapidly changing. I have lost a lot of my hips and rear. My legs and arms are getting skinner. But the abdomen is still swelled and big. The bruises are still there. The incisions are healing nicely. I believe that I am on the mend. The only issue is some strange pain in the left side, just below the rib cage. This is weird and new. It is a stabbing pain. I hope it goes away soon.

DAy 14-I Am An Addict!

I did something really stupid today....I tried to smush up a small piece of a chicken tender and I smushed out the center of a french fry and I ate it. Stupid, stupid, stupid! I got really nauseated and dizzy. What happened was I went to my Strengthening Families class that I teach on Monday's, and they always feed the families at catered meal. They brought in the most wonderful smelling fried chicken tenders and I convinced myself that I could try just a bite. It was like a vampire smelling fresh blood! This is the first realization that I truly am a food addict! Having a career as a Substance Abuse Counselor, I am well acquainted with the 12 steps. And tonight I begin at step #1: Admit. I admit it, I am a food addict! To me food addiction is worse than any drug or alcohol addiction out there. Because it is in your face every day! It is something you must have to live. It is like I have a love/hate relationship with my food! Well, believe me, I learned the hard way today! I don't think I will be doing something that stupid again (at least for awhile). I know that I am human and make mistakes, but hopefully it will be awhile until another. I will just stick with my good ole smashed chili beans!

I also went back to work today. That was good. I went to pick up my bullet proof vest in Kernersville today, that I was fitted for in December. It did not fit! It was too big! Praise the Lord! (This pic was taken yesterday-I can see a little difference)

Day 13- Peaches & Church

Today started out great! It was my fav day of the week-Sunday! We went to church and I was able to sit thru the entire service (unlike last week). No pain at all. It was great to see our friends. It was also great to hear lots of encouragement. I had several people tell me that they could tell I have lost weight. Richard and Dr. Martha (internal med doc at Duke) were there. She gave me a wake up call about the protein (which I am not getting enough of). I know that I am going to have to do better. She was also concerned about my rapid weight loss 25lbs in less than two weeks. I am slowing down now though. I was loosing up to 5-6 lbs./day to just loosing about .5 or one a day now. I know that all that fluid they pumped into my veins had to come out. I really appreciate all her advice. She gave me so much reassurance before the surgery. As far as sleeping, I am getting 6-7 hrs/day. That is about what I was getting before surgery, That darn little drain hole feels funny. It is not painful, but uncomfortable when I lay down. I still have some bruises, but my glue has come off my incisions and they look good. I ate some smushed peaches for lunch and I got a little ticked off when I went for my fav (chili beans) for supper and someone had raided the jar! Andy made more for me and he sneaked in deer meat, but I was cool with that. It tasted awesome. I have dared anyone to touch my beans! I would likely fight over them. (Just kidding). I am really looking forward to being able to eat a scrambled egg with cheese on Tuesday. That is one of the recipies that Amber gave to me. I am still not hungry. I just have the emotional hunger.
Tomorrow I head back to work for 1/2 days this week. I am looking forward to that. I also teach my class at Whitetop tomorrow night. I am sad that I have to miss Kallie's track meet. But she has another on Tuesday. I can't wait to head in to work tomorrow and see how far behind I am. Praise God that I have a job and my health!

Day 12-What a Beautiful Day!!!!

Today almost made it into the 80's so I got outside and worked some. Kallie and I took a walk all the way to the barn and gave the horses and rabbits some much needed love. I got a little tired walking back up, but it was good for me. Had more chili beans again. I just can't get enough of them! It is not so much the taste, it is the texture and that little hint of spice. Andy smoked some boston butts today and made a fresh batch of BBQ. I had no desire for it. Now that is totally not me! My clothes are fitting better and the kids pitched in and we got the house cleaned. I felt very productive today. I topped the day off with the last orange popsicle.

Day 11-Chilli Beans

Today was beautiful day and I got lots of exercise. I almost feel normal again. Still some pulling and feelings of hardness in the abdominal area. I had one of those 45g protein bullets today. Blaahhhggggg! It was disgusting, but I got my protein shot in. I got permission to eat ground up foods today, by Amber. So, I took a can of chicken noodle soup and ground it up in the blender. It looked like baby poop! I could not stomach it. Later for dinner, Andy fixed some homemade chili beans and I ate some (ground up of course). Boy did those beans make my belly growl. I had 3 tsp of them and that was way too much. That has been the best thing that I have eaten so far. I am still grieving the social "eat", as we usually go out to eat on Friday or Sat. evenings. I am just gonna eat my chili beans all weekend. There is enough left over to feed me for the rest of the year! No more weight loss today, but I can feel the inches falling off my body. I was able to cross my legs today without a struggle. Wow-that was cool!

Day 10-My 1st Restaurant Experience

Today has been a better day for me. Less pain around the incisions and I am really liking the "muscle milk light" that Janie turned me on to. I got up and did a little housecleaning and later went to Kallie's track meet in Elkin. I did really well and I think the exercise gave me an energy boost. After the meet, Andy wanted to go to Cracker Barrel. He was all worried that this would be hard for me and I think he was feeling guilty. The guilt has been there for awhile, as I have noticed that he will go and hide to eat his meals. I told him that I was excited about getting a cup of soup. I really wanted the veggie soup, but I asked and it had sugar in it, so I got the creme of broccoli. I just ate the creamy part of it (about 2 spoonfulls) and drank water. It was so thick feeling that I had to get up and walk around to allow it to go down. It sat well on my tummy, but my tummy made really loud noises. I would be lying if I said that their food did not bother me a little. Caleb's expecially. He had fried shrimp and at a biscuit. The smell did not bother me and I was not at all hungry. It was just the visual appeal. Oh well, I got thru it ok.
Then we went to GNC to search for some protein shakes and vitamins. They have to be sugar free and be loaded with protein. The lady was especially helpful and I fund a new shake and a "protein bullet fruit drink". I unfortunately did not find chewable iron or the chewable calcium citrate. I am giving up on that and will just order some online from the Celebrate Vitamins website. I was very proud of myself for getting more protein in today. Weight loss to date is 22lbs!

Feeling Weird

I have felt very wierd today. Not a painful feeling, but around my big incision, it is getting very hard. I guess that is from the healing. I have those nice bruises around each incision and at my IV holes and they have turned from blue to green. I have felt very tired today. A friend told me that she had a type of "body rejection" that occured between week one and two. Maybe that is what I am going thru. The mood is good. I just feel like lying around today. I already got my vitamins down. Just have to work on the protein. I had two spoonfuls of low sodium tomato soup. Yuck! What a waste. Still not hungry, praise the Lord! I am going to get off my rear and try to walk some today. This is the first day that I have not exercised any.

One Week Later...

Well it has been one week since I had my GBP. I feel like I am doing amazingly well. Just a little tired and more of a weird feeling, vs. pain or soreness. Get this.....weight loss in one week. 19 POUNDS!!!!!!!! How incredible is that? I am now learning how to eat. It is difficult to get down 55 grams of protein daily along with all those vitamins and other pills. I eat 1/2 of one of those small, sugar free pudding cups (protein powder mixed in) and I am feeling stuffed. Hunger is still not there. I did do a booboo...I smashed up a few raspberries and ate them. Then I called my Nutritionalist (Amber). She said that was a no, no due to the seeds. I sure hope that does not cause any problems. I can acutally feel my body fat "melting" away every day. I even had one day that I lost 5lbs. As promised, here is a picture of me taken yesterday. I still have a long way to go, but I am getting there fast. Werewolf nose is still there, but not as bad. Sleeping about 5 hrs/night and napping some during the day. I still feel swelled up some in my abdomen. The mood is good. Praise God!!!!

Day 7- Grief and Laying Down

Last night was the first time that I experienced food grief. I wanted to try eating egg drop soup (only God knows why-I hated the stuff in the past), so he stopped by the local Chinese place to get some for me (it was like the best thing I have eaten so far-go figure???) and while he was there he got some shrimp lo mein and some fried rice for them. Even though the small was gaggworthy, just the look and imagining the texture of those wonderful noodles made me sad. I almost even cried! How stupid! You see, my "drug of choice" has always been breads, pasta, noodles, and Coca Cola. I am not a big dessert eater and I really never liked chocolate. There is a misconception that people who are overweight pig out on sweets. Not the case. Even when eating my drugs of choice, I rarely ever ate in excess. I am a carb junkie. Well anyway, I lived thru it and enjoyed my egg drop. Later in the evening, I was happy that I got to lay down for the first time. I have been sleeping propped up on the sofa with pillows. It felt weird to lay down and just hurt a little. I had a prop a pillow under my belly and I did not turn over but once last night. Which is very weird for me.
Today, my boss called and needed some paperwork, so I made a trip up to the office and saw Shane and Staci. It was good to get out and see them. I miss work. I am going to go back next week. I will probably ease back in with 1/2 days. This was also the first day that I drove the car. It has been 2 entire days with no Tylenol now. The most exciting thing is my rapid weight loss. Andy says he can almost see it melting off me. So far, I am down to 233 today. THAT IS 16 LBS IN LESS THAN A WEEK!!!!! Now that is exciting stuff! It would take me about 3 months to loose that much on the diet pills. Tomorrow is exactly one week since surgery and I will post pics.
I also want to mention that without GOD, none of this is possible. In my haste to get this blog caught up, I have not mentioned his name enough. This is all Him.
I am heading out to Whitetop this evening to teach my 2 hr Strengthening Families class and I look forward to seeing my good friend Jackie.

Day 6-Easter Sunday

Today was my first official outing. I went to church today. Rob told me not to go, because I would be as weak as a kitten, but I went anyway. It was Easter! I left without any pain meds on board. Praise God! I did get a little shaky and got too hot, but it was well worth it. They had a big breakfast there and the smell just gagged me out. The pain in minimal today. I plan to go teach my Strengthening Families class tomorrow night. I am getting in a much better mood. I still do feel a little "detatched" from my own body. It still feels very weird in there. I can still feel where they did everything. I introduced pudding today and made myself a smoothie for breakfast. It is a beautiful day!

Day 5 -2nd day at home.

Hey...I am starting to pull out of this thing. The Tylenol is being taken less and less. I even rode to the store with Andy for a few minutes. I got on the scales and I am down to 239. Amazing! I just want to take a moment to thank all the wonderful people in my life. My family, friends and Church family. They have all been so nice and supportive. Also my team at Baptist, most importantly my Dr. and my nutritionialist, Amber.
OK, my brother and his family are in from Raleigh, since it is Easter weekend. It was good to have company today. I also had a visit from Rob and Janie. Rob brought me his info from when he had the surgery 2 years ago. That was invaluable! It tells you step by step what you will be eating, feeling, doing, etc. They also brought me some muscle milk. That is one thing that I would recommend to anyone doing this...arm yourself with plenty of resources.
Another weird thing is I have the smelling powers of a werwolf. I can smell everything! When mom put lotion on (in the bathroom), I could smell it all the way in the living room and actually tasted it in my mouth! Weird! I smell every little thing. I was even able to detect that Andy stopped by BK and got him a burger the day before. Nothing gets by this supercharged nose.

Day 4 - At home

I honestly felt like I had been hit by a truck. My entire body ached. Still, I was refusing the Vicodan and taking the Tylenol. I questioned if they did surgery out on I-40 and let a few vehicles run over me during the process. I know...I should have given in to the opiates. I got to take a shower yesterday and today. That was awesome! Just 4 little holes in me. (Except for the big drain "bullet" hole. Today I continued on my applejuice, water, and I began my protein. My favorite thing in the world is popcicles (sugar free). They are the bomb! Still, I eat and drink very little. I am on a purely liquid diet. Some friendly church members brought in some wonderful comfort food for Andy and the kids. Chicken casserole, mashed potates, and corn. Yuck! The smell almost gagged me. I wanted no part of it. It was pretty, but it just turned my stomach to think about it. Which I am grateful for. That would be misery to be hungry for something that you cannot have. Dr. McNatt was right. No desire to eat. I am getting around somewhat better today and my head is clearing. Back and shoulder hurt..probably from holding up my big old head so much. I can't lay down.

Day 3 - Hospital Discharge

Dr. McNatt came by this morning and told us that he was going to let me go today, if I wanted to go. I was like, are you kidding? No, keep me here and sick me more and torture me just a little more. I put my foot down about the opiates and refused them all today and went on Tylenol. Probably not the greatest decision in the world. My friend Rob told me that his worst moment came when they removed his drain tube, and today was my day. I shared my concerns of this with the entourage of interns that come by and tell me about how I am the "poster child" daily. They said and I quote "I is a weird feeling, but does not hurt", "You don't need anestesia for this", "It only last just a few seconds and it is a feeling of pressure not pain". They are ALL LIARS!!!!!! I almost punched the intern in the face when she started yanking on all 18 inches of that thing. Her only comment was "oops, that one must have been stuck". I could not wait for her to leave. I really wanted to beat her down. The best way to describe it was someone pulling a large bullet backwards from your inner core to your left side, backwards attached to a string.
Well anyway, I lived thru that lie and made it to discharge about 5PM. I got home and we crushed up Tylenol and I ate it all night long. Every chance I got. I did not sleep much. Maybe 4 hrs.

April 8 Day after D-Day

Day #2 post surgery:

I kept poor mom up about all night. I was in pain and could not sleep. The catheter came out before I woke up in the recovery room so doing #1 was all up to me. When they are putting bags upon bag of that stuff into your IV, you have to go about 10 times a day. I, with all my infinate wisdom-after working in a drug rehab, made the choice to not take any opiate drugs (Morphine, Lortab, Vicodan, Oxycontin, etc.), because I just knew that they would make me feel out of my head and I would have to detox off them. So therefore, I decided that Torodal was my best friend. Bad choice. I only got one of those every 6 hrs, and the pain come on after about 2. They finally talked me into so Morphine later in the day. And yep, it made me feel crappy, but it did take the pain edge away. I was already trying to get over the anestesia, and this did not help. All the while, the Dr.s and nurses were saying I was doing fantastic. Andy stayed with me that night and we did get some sleep. As soon as you get asleep in the hospital, you get woke up from blood pressure takers, temp takers, vampires and the such. Why the heck do they draw blood at 3AM?

April 7, 2009 D-Day

This picture was taken a few weeks before my surgery.

Disgusting! Even poor Rascal can't believe it! If I fell on the poor guy, I would have probably killed him. I was at my all time high of 249lbs. I went on a pre-surgery diet and lost a few pounds.

The day finally arrived to have the surgery (which I had been waiting on for the last 7 weeks, but could not do because of Probation training). We arrived at Baptist Hospital at around 6AM. Boy was I nervous. They let Andy come back with me for a little while and the Dr. came in and wheeled me away. The last thing I remember after taking a very awesome drug called Versed, was telling the Dr. to bring his "A Game" to the table and giving him orders to cut really well. I looked up at those big lights and I was out for the next 5 hrs. (3 for surgery and 2 for recovery). I woke up in the recovery room with a very bossy nurse telling me to be still and go back to sleep. I was trying to tell the woman that I had a cramp in my shoulder, but she just would not listen. They finally took me to my room in the Stich Center where I would remain for the next 3 days. Andy and mom were waiting on me. Mom immediately got me up out of the bed because I was in so much pain from the gas (gastric bypass is done laproscopicly) that was under my ribs. Every breath was extremely painful. They told me walking would relieve it. I could imagine how funny it looked for mom and Andy trying to drag me around the room with my head flopping around because I was still under some anestesia. They said I was talking about some pretty wild stuff, but I don't remember it. I spent the day just trying to get my senses back and get rid of that horrible shoulder and neck pain. The Dr. said I was doing good and he tested me for leaks in the OR and found none. He just encouraged me to walk as much as possible to prevent blood clots. I had come this far and darn it, I was not going to die from a blood clot! So we walked. I had nothing to eat this day and DID NOT WANT ANYTHING TO EAT!

How the Heck did I get here?

How did a 5'4" athletic mother of two end up getting into weight issues? Well, it was a combo. First, I have been a very active person and could eat whatever I wanted...that was until I had babies. My metabolism went totally bonkers on me. Secondly, there is the issue of heredity. That coupled with my poor food choices were a recipe for disaster. So from the time I graduated HS at a weight of 125lbs, until two kids, 20 years and a hysterectomy later I am at 249lbs. I really got angry that little skinny people can eat twice what I ate and not gain an ounce, but I could just eat a kids meal hamburger and gain 5lbs. That was a bummer! I tried every possible way to loose weight and failed every single time. I did Weight Watchers (3X), Nutrisystem, The Weight Loss Clinic, and numerous Rx diets and pills loaded with Phentermine (for 6 years). The pills produced my greatest weight loss success at 32 lbs over a 6 month period, but I just could not take them and sleep. I had to use Benedryl for that. Also, after a period of several months, they begin to loose their potency and you slowly get hungry again. So, therefore you have to go off them for several months and then try again. Thus, you get the yo yo effect. Exercise was not an issue for me, like it is for most. Life on a farm takes care of that for you along with training horses and 2 very active kids. I even worked at Nautilus and worked out 4X/week with a personal trainer (thanks Mick!), but to no avail. In Nov 2008, my weight had gone from 225 to 233 and Christmas was not even here yet. I had just accepted a new job as a Probation Officer and I did not think I could do the job to the best of my ability unless I loose some weight. Also, life was beginning to get harder for me. My back hurt, I snored so badly that my hubby had to get up and sleep on the couch, my feet hurt, my cholesterol was high, I could not find clothes to fit, and the final straw came when I was unable to pull myself up on my horse by myself! I said to myself then that something had to happen and happen soon. I also had gestational diabetes with my last child and was at risk of developing diabetes. With the new job of working for the State of NC, came the opportunity to finally afford this surgery. With the guidance of two great people in my life, who had already been brave enough to do this, I made the decision to move forward. Thanks Staci and Rob! I am so sure that this is going to work for me, that I have begun this blog to show you my metamorphesis.