LIZA B.
05/02 - 07/02
May 10, 2011
5/31/02Our son Taylor had to have surgery today for an umbilical hernia. He is just 3.5 years old. I have to say medical science is amazing!! The procedure started at 9am. By 12:30pm we were getting our walking papers. Besides a little soreness, Taylor seems okay. Doc says he should be able to have a bath by Sunday night. He's snoozin' right now, but before that he was already beggin' for McDonald's.
We just want to thank all you guys for your kind words and well wishes. Here's some pics of the whole grizzly scene. My DH, John, went into the operating room until they got Taylor knocked out, hence the gown. 6/2/02 4:30pm
Today marks my 10 month anniversary of this journey. As The Grateful Dead once said "What a long strange trip it's been." Most of what has happend in the last 10 months has been utterly wonderful, but for the last 8 weeks or so I had been feeling very depressed and slipping into old eating patterns.
This slip has been mostly due to personal financial problems and other things, not really related to the weight, but like any addict, I went to my crutch to solve my problems, which doesn't work. It only creates bigger problems. I also started to isolate myself and stay away from the people and things that I know are good for me, because I had so much shame.
Almost 2 weeks ago I decided enough is enough and as much as I hated it, I came back to the places I knew could help me and sought out the help of those who I knew could give me unconditional love and support. I picked myself up by the boot straps, kicked my ass and started the journey again. I went back to basics food wise and with other issues in my life. Somehow with all my eating slips this month, I still managed to squeeze off another 5 lbs. Thank God for this surgery, because other wise it would have been a gain, instead of a loss.
All that being said, I still feel awesome about my weight loss. I want to get down another 55 lbs to get to 150. I don't know if that will happen, but I want to get as close to it as I can. I have had to readjust what my body image is. After having this surgery you get a little greedy about the weight loss, wanting more, more, more. Now, I'm becoming a little more comfortable with myself. I don't have to be a twig to feel like I'm beautiful, sexy and healthy looking. I pretty much feel those things already. I think once I'm able to get this belly taken off with some abdominoplasty (tummy tuck), I will feel better.
I had a nurse at the pediatrician's office ask me "when is the new baby due?" I was crushed. Here I've lost all this weight, but someone still thinks I look pregnant. My darling husband, John, explained to me the reason she asked is because I've lost sooo much weight in my limbs, that the only thing on me that looks chubby is my tummy. I'll take that reasoning. =)
The support group I've started has grown so much. This has become my 3rd child. I'm trying to nurture it into a wonderful resource and support for all that are going through this journey. I am in the midst of doing the paperwork to make us a Non-Profit Organization. Let me tell you it's not easy and I don't have the bucks for a lawyer to help, so I'm learning to do this on my own. I have to be careful, because if it's not done correctly, I have to wait a long time before I can apply again.
A local hospital has asked us to have meetins hosted by their hospital. The want me to run the group and increase the meetings to weekly. We will soon now be having 2 chapters of my group. The one at the hospital and the one at my home. There will be some other chapters coming on board soon. My hopes are to make the group international. There will be a group in every city in the United States. Am I aiming high or what? Lol. I once heard someone say (I'm paraphrasing here) "When you reach for the moon, at the very least you get the stars." That's my philosophy with this. Why not reach for the best the group can be.
I guess that's all for now. I will try not to be a stranger and keep you updated more often. 6/20/02 6:28pm
Oh my God!! I just got an email from Saint Rapheal's BETTER HEALTH Magazine. A freelance writer for them interviewed me for an article a few months ago, on wls. The email is asking me when would be a good time to get together for a photo shoot. They want to include picture of me for their magazine. I'm so hyped over this. I have to lose some more weight by then...LOL. =)
I HAVE NOTHING TO WEAR!!! YIKES!!
6/26/02 7:17am
I don't usually write this early in the morning, anymore, but I was so excited I just had to write this down for all the world to see. I've lost 4 lbs this week!!! It's been so hard losing lately, I was feeling lost. But I got back to basics and down 4 lbs. The best part is I'm only 2lbs away from being under 200lbs!!! I'm so thrilled. I've wanted to be under 200 for so long now and it just seemed like my body wanted to hold onto that #2 forever. I'm still in it but so very close.
My bmi is 34.5, which means there is no way I would qualify for this surgeyr anymore. I would actually have to gain weight in order to be able to qualify. That means so very much to me.
I'm hoping to be under 200 by my 11 month anniversary, but if not, I know I will be there by the time I have the photo shoot with St. Raphaels BETTER HEALTH Magazine. I can do it, I can do it!!!
6/27/02 7:14am
Down another pound to 200lbs. Just 1 lb away from being 199 Can I get there by 7/2/02? I CAN DO IT, I CAN DO IT, I CAN DO IT!!!! 6/30/02 11:27pm
I'm grateful, I'm grateful, I'm sooo, soooo, soooo very grateful!!! Oh, did anyone hear...I'm grateful. What for, you ask? I'll tell ya. John and I took the kids to the beach today. Simple enough, right? Not when I use to weigh 327.5 lbs. Today, we went to this beach we had never been to. We parked and decided to walk to find a good spot...We walked and walked and walked and walked. Normally, looking for a spot would have been walking 20 paces, losing my breath and that's where we stopped.
We found a beautiful spot, that wasn't too overly crowded and set up shop. I had bought a new bathing suit yesterday, size 18 not 4x and I have to say I looked damn good. John just kept telling me how sexy I looked. I ate it up. I went into the water with the kids and played with them for an hour. Then sat on the beach to soak up some sun, without one fear that someone would mistakenly harpoon me.
Finally it was time to go and I remembered how much we had walked to find that spot. Momentarily I thought, "I'll never make it back." Wouldn't you know, I made it back with out batting an eye. I felt good, strong, healthy and for the first time in the longest, truly sexy. So for this, the opportunity to enjoy life, not worry about a thing, play with my children, spend quality time with my husband and to feel like a real human being, I am ever so very grateful!! For any of you who flauder about whether this surgery truly changes your life, I am living proof that it does.
7/27/02 9:37am
Hi everybody!! Oh my God!!! I'm 6 days away from being 1 year postop. (official day 8/2...send cards to [email protected])I can't believe where the year has gone. Here I sit now, working on getting my abdominoplasty the rollercoaster starts again.
I'm thinking about what I want to post about the events of this last year. There are so many I have no clue where to start. My mind and heart are so overwhelmed with the good that has happend. How do you actually express,that your heart feels like it's going to explode from happiness, joy, relief, love. How do you explain to someone what it feels like to be virtually dead and being resurrected?
I look in the mirror and I don't see that fat face anymore and it is so overwhelming. I often have to do a double take. I don't recognize that woman. Who is she? Is this a dream? Will I wake up from this only to find out that this whole year has only been some poorly written night time drama and none of this really has happend? (DALLAS reference there...lol)It's just so very surreal.MUAH! My doctor's office submitted the paperwork for approval of my hernia & abdominoplasty, Tuesday 8/6. I'm told by the insurance company it could take 1 - 2 months for an approval. YIKES!!!! I don't think I'll have a problem with qualifying as I have all the conditions, with the extended belly, my hernia and this gross rash. I've got a surgery date of September 30th, so I'm praying with all my might it will be approved by then. Love and peace to all on this journey. MUAH!!!
0 Comments
About Me
GARNER, NC
Location
38.9
BMI
Surgery
08/02/2001
Surgery Date
Oct 09, 2001
Member Since
Before & After
rollover to see after photo
Day of surgery
327.5lbs
20months post-op ~150lbs
177lbs
