Da Shrinking Dawg Ramon

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Some of you may know that I was trying to meet the 200 pound overall loss by Christmas.. Well, that didn’t happen.. I did finally make it on Jan. 1st.. I am a little behind schedule but like I have posted before it is 200 pounds gone..

On that day I also reached another important goal in my life.. I made it to 10 years of sobriety.. I am so lucky to have people that have helped me with these goals..

My six month appointment will on the 5th which is actually two days short of the actual date.. I hope to be down 150 since the surgery.. But if not, I know I am healthier.. Thank God for this surgery..

I also need say “My Bad” to some of the people that I am supposed to be helping with their journey.. I know I have neglected some of you and I apologize. There are a lot of new pre-ops that we, as a whole, need to be giving our attention.. I have also been trying to answer my email as I get it but that hasn’t happened either.. But I will hopefully get better..

I know that I am trying to exercise daily now.. I made a resolution to try and do something everyday now.. If nothing major at least something.. I had been doing so good but with my grandfather’s death and the holidays that was shot all to kingdom come.. I have done well so far two days in a row.. LOL..

Also I want to address some of the stuff that I have been seeing going on with the board.. I hate to see all the bickering.. Please remember that we are all here for a common reason to help others with the crazy journey we call WLS.. Please let’s all try to get along better.. I know that I have a lot better things to do with my life than sit here and see all that..

Please know that I care about all of you, and I wish you all nothing but the best.. Pre-ops ask as many questions as you feel you need to and do your research because this isn’t an easy fix.. And post-ops take your vitamins and get your water in.. Thank you all for all your help..

PEACE

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I know it has been a long time since I posted but things have been going pretty crappy for me in my personal life.. My grandfather died and my grandmother is in the hospital.. I thought I would come in and post my weight and this poem the talks about how I feel right now..

I am at 279 pounds, which is my lowest since the 8th grade.. I feel so much better I am able to walk and do things that I haven't done in ages. In fact, I am jogging a little now.. My nephew and I go and jog the straightaways and walk the curves on a mile every other day.. I know it isn't much but do you know how long it has been since I jogged.. I love every minute of this new life..

I do have one great story to tell you all.. I took my grandmother in to see my grandfather the day that he passed away.. He looked up and saw me and said "Jr. se mira bein." That means that I looked good.. He was on his death bed and he made a comment about me.. I know that he has touched my life in a lot of ways but those words will forever be in my heart.. 

RIP

FRANCISCO "PANCHO" GALINDO

PEACE

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Who Will Cry for the Little Boy

by Antwone Fisher

"Who will cry for the little boy, lost and all alone?

Who will cry for the little boy, abandoned without his own?

Who will cry for the little boy? He cried himself to sleep.

Who will cry for the little boy? He never had for keeps.

Who will cry for the little boy? He walked the burning sand.

Who will cry for the little boy? The boy inside the man.

Who will cry for the little boy? Who knows well hurt and pain.

Who will cry for the little boy? He died and died again.

Who will cry for the little boy? A good boy he tried to be.

Who will cry for the little boy, who cries inside of me?"

Down 111 post-op and 165 total..

Wow it has been way to long since I updated.. My bad.. So much has happened in my life but the big news today is.... I know it has been a long time coming but I am out of the 300's.. I went today and in spite of all the walking I have done the stupid scales just moved one pound, but that pound put me under 300 for the first time in about 20 + years.. I want to thank all of you from the TMB and OH that have helped me in my struggles.. I have such special friends here.. I love each and everyone of you.. I hope God blesses each one of you as much as he did me when he gave me your friendships..

PEACE

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Hello there Fellow OH members.. I had another WLS moment last night.. Well after the football game we went to go eat at a local fast food place (they ate I drank water) well I didn’t know this but they had changed most of their tables to booths.. Well all the tables were taken leaving only the booths and so since they had already ordered their food I didn’t want to cancel so I told them what the hell lets try setting in a booth well lo and behold I fit! ! That was such a great feeling since I haven’t been in a booth since like forever.. I know that I have been depressed about the loss slowing down lately but stuff like that makes it worth while..

I have upped my morning walking to 2 1/4 miles for this week and plan on adding another 1/4 mile next week.. We have a 5K here on the 4th and I hope to walk in it.. I know that is 3.1 miles but I walked an hour straight yesterday.. My dominatrix (Holly) has been walking my butt off.. The other day we walked 2 1/4 miles in 44:41 I know that isn’t world record time but not too bad for a big boy like me.. I am up to about 80 minutes of exercise a day..

I read a post about a post-op complaining that she was never told that she had to exercise. I can not believe that she read profiles and did research and never did it say she had to exercise.. Well pre-ops that are reading this you will not be able to use my profile as an excuse because you HAVE TO EXERCISE.. There I said it.. LOL.. I was walking an hour a day three days after I got out of the hospital.. I have a lot to look forward to so I try and work hard. I get compliments daily and it makes it a lot easier.

I thank God daily for this wonderful surgery.. And for all the people that have made this possible..

Have a great weekend..

PEACE

464/346/215

weight 348- 61 since surgery and 116 overall

Jamie, Ramon and Leilani

Group from the first dinner

I have added some pics on photobucket.com and there should be a link on the www part of the my profile. I am down 61 pounds for a total of 116 since my journey began. I spent a wonderful time Saturday night at the DFW dinner in Grapevine. Thanks, Jenny K. for hosting the dinner. Pre-ops if you ever get a chance to attend something like this please do.. I know I felt out of place when I first went but OH people will make you feel at home. I met several great people at the OH convention and plus I have attended several smaller events and I can honestly say I have never had a bad time. If you have a chance to attend one of these near you please go..

PEACE

Wow, I can’t believe that it has been a month since I had my surgery.. I can not begin to try and explain how lucky I am to have had this life saving tool.. There are so many things to be thankful for, 1. I didn’t have to fight the insurance company. I see so many people that get depressed and quit trying to fight for the surgery because of the insurance companies.. When are the insurance companies going to realize how much this surgery will save them in the long run? You would think that they would gladly pay $35,000 for a surgery that take people off medications and reduces the chances for heart attacks, high blood pressure, diabetes and many other problems associated with morbid obesity.. 2. I am thankful for the friends that I have made while taking my WLS journey.. I would try and name them but there are so many.. I am just so blessed to know each and every one of you.. 3. I am thankful for my family.. They have had to put up with me.. Rita has done so well to listen to me gripe and moan about stuff bothering me.. The kids have had to put up with Uncle Ramon not being his nice cheery self.. LOL 4. I am thankful for my dominatrix or walking partner as you all call her.. LOL Holly M. I owe you and Della a lot.. 5. I am thankful the God saw the need to bless me by allowing the insurance company to approve me and allowed me to come out of the surgery with no complications.. 6.. I am thankful for the wonderful people at Scott and White Hospital in Temple.. Kathy, Karen, Paulette and the other people that I have seen up there that I didn’t get their names.. And of course, Dr. Richard Symmonds, my surgeon who took the time to remove my gall bladder because I had told him my insurance was expiring.. He showed great skill doing both surgeries laproscopically..

As far as how I am doing, I am doing great.. I have lost 55 pounds as of Friday the 6th which was actually one day short of a month. I haven’t had any major problems other than making myself sick a few times. I do have to talk to the pre-ops about the depression. That has been the hardest part for me. You see as a big person I used food as my best friend. But once you have the surgery it is like food is a bad person and your doctor won’t let you play with him anymore.. LOL.. Well if you lose your best friend you feel sad and that is where the depression sits in for a while. I have to tell you that sometimes it still bothers me but not as much any more.

The pain was another thing. I will tell you this the second day was by far my worse day. They have this great thing called a morphine pump. It is there for a reason.. USE IT! ! ! When you go home they send you with some other pain meds that work just fine. The key to making this thing work is to move around.. The more you move the faster you will get better.. I walked at the hospital about 7 hours after I got of surgery. I walked about 3 laps around the nurse’s station. But the best time I had walking was my last day because I had three great women walking with me, Rachel , Rita and Yvonne. WOW! ! What a group. I told the nurses that all three of them were my girlfriends.. LOL. I think I had a dream like that once. But back to reality, I was released on Friday, Saturday I walked 15 minutes Sunday 20 and on the Monday I was walking a full hour although I was talking about four 15 minute walks I still got my hour walked. I am now walking any where from and hour and ten minutes to an hour and a half a day. I went to the track and measured the other night and I walked a mile and a half in 31 minutes, so I figure I am getting anywhere from 2 1/2 to three miles a day.

Pre-ops try to get in as much exercise as you can so you can be used to it when you have the operation. And for you posties make sure and take your vitamins, drink your water and get some exercise.. Feel free to email me any questions I will write more soon.. PEACE 464-354-215

Well it finally happened.. I had my first real WLS moments.. I mean I have had women tell me that I was cute and all but they were from the board and online or friends of mine.. But today while shopping I had my first WLS moments..

My niece and I were shopping for a book bag when this lady approached the salesman that was helping me and asked him where the laminators were, well he sent her down the aisle but she was unable to find what she needed.. So she came back to the man, who was still helping me, and said “ sir, when you are through helping that sexy man there will you help me look for the plastic.. Well I looked at her and she smiled and winked at me.. I looked around and since there was no one there I just smiled and said who me?? Well she just smiled and winked and said yes you..

Well needless to say my niece loved it.. As we walked away and laughed saying uncle Ramon that lady called you a sexy man.. I bet you are happy.. Well she was right because I had a huge grin on my face..

Well I was pretty happy but when we went to J.C. Penney’s it only got better.. I went to get a backpack and as I was checking out the checker was smiling and she kept staring at me.. My niece was like dude she is checking you out.. Now I know what it means to flirt and this lady was flirting.. It was so cool because my niece loved seeing her uncle as the different person that I am slowly becoming..

I want to thank everyone from the TMB that has helped me in my short WLS journey.. I would also like to thank my family and friends for all the thoughts and prayers.. I know that you all have helped make this journey a fun one..

PEACE

Picture of my surgery scar


Holly. Megen, Kirby and I the day after surgery

My two angels Yvonne and Rachel three days after surgery

Sign outside the place I worked.

7-6-04 WOW ! ! ! I can’t believe it.. My surgery is tomorrow.. I want to thank everyone that has made this thing possible.. All my buddies from the Texas Message Board, Crow, Bo and all the OH family.. As I look back on my life in the past 9 months I am amazed on how much it has changed.. Not including the weight loss but all the friends that I have made and all the stuff I have learned..

I have decided that I want to be a champion for the cause too, like Yvonne McCarthy, the first person I talked to from OH. From the first email we exchanged I could tell Y was a special lady.. I had been considering the surgery but after exchanging emails with her and discussing the surgery I knew I had made the right decision to continue with the surgery.. At least that is how I feel today, tomorrow and next couple of weeks I may not love her as much but I know in the long run she will be the object of my love again.. LOL..

Another special lady that I have to talk about is my Angel, TX Rachel, as you can see in the above pic I am well taken care of by her.. When I posted that I needed an angel she stepped right up and took on the challenge. We kept trying to set up a date to meet and since my brother lives like 10 miles from her I thought it would be easy just to go see her when I visited my brother.. Well as fate would have it we never could get together so she suggested I go to Arlington and meet her there.. I was reluctant because I was Pre-Op and I sort of stood out from all the others. ( can you say 400 lb bald-headed Mexican) I have to say that me going to Arlington was one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life. Not only did I meet my Angel but also I met several people that have had a major influence in my life. I still go back to my meeting with Crow.. What an awesome man, he has lost as much as I weighed.. I can not imagine walking around with me on his back all the time.. And Bo what can you say about this guy?

I was so amazed that for once in my life I felt normal and not like some freak. The people from OH had walked a mile in my shoes and they knew exactly how I felt and I can’t wait to go back next year and share my story with all the newbies and Pre-Ops..

I also want to thank all the men who's wives have had WLS that allow me to call their wives and discuss my upcoming surgery with them.. It takes a special man to allow another man to call his wife at anytime when something comes up..

I know I have only mentioned a few people on here but believe me when I say you all have played an important part in my future and I thank you for that.. Please keep my family and me in your prayers.. As I go into the surgery I feel at peace with the decision I have made and I hope to become a loser just like you all.. I Love You All..

PEACE

My angel Rachel taking care of her angelette.. I promise that I do have more than one shirt, it's just that this one is my favorite.