So as most of you know I had surgery and have been adjusting to it for the last year.  It is very hard to get it all in. Not only the vitamin, minerals, protein, but water and food as well. It feels like I am constantly putting something in my mouth! I was never this obsessed with food/eating before. I find it hard to get in enough water so I am slightly dehydrated all the time. I have trouble keeping my D & B levels in the normal ranges.  I am taking B shots, and 50,000 mg of D every week to help it stay up. Other than that I seem to be doing very well with my vitamin and minerals levels. I still have my knee length hair intack so I guess I have been doing well with protein. It has never tested low. Considering what my girlfriend looked like after a year on the wrong protein, I feel fortunite. She looked like a cemo survivor because she was drink the wrong protein. I hadn't talk to her in a few years, and we didn't know that we were both getting WLS at about the same time. I had you all to help me find my way and she had nothing but problems without OH for help. I am greatful too you all for everything!

When I went to NY for my surgery I volunteered for a couple research studies. A cognitive study and a body composition study. In the cognitive study I just do a lot of memory and hand eye stuff. The body comp. I have my weight, measurements check in many ways. I have a full body bone dex scan, and a full body MRI. I really did this for the MRI. I figure if there is anything wrong with me the MRI will tell us. They found gallstones. I knew I had them before the surgery but my doctor said if it wasn't giving me trouble I should leave it alone. Of course I think it is giving me trouble now, but I found that after drinking flax seed ice tea w/ lemon for a couple of days they went away!

My doctor says I am right on target and keep doing what I have been doing. Ok so I haven't changed my eating habits at all and I am still losing weight. I eat whatever I want. I don't eat a lot of it, but I eat what I want and am losing weight as fast everyone else. I do feel hungry all the time though. I don't know if it is because of  the water, or if it is the carbs that make me hungry all the time. I know everyone say do low carb, but I didn't and my body and doctor say that I am doing great so please don't give me a hard time about fessing up to you guys here. I thought long and hard about keeping it from you all, but I felt it was unfair to not tell everyone about it so they could make their own judgements about it for themselves. I don't know if it would work the same for anyone else, and I am not suggesting that anyone else do what I am. I am just saying that I didn't do low carb. I was going to and I had every intention of doing it but I just kept proscrastinating and proscrastinating, but I was still losing. I just decided that I would wait till I stopped losing as fast as everyone else and start on low carb. Well that never happened. I know that is not what most of you have experienced, but it is what happen with me.

I do have problems with gas, Oh boy do I, but that is because of the carbs. Yes I have the worst gas, and do get bouts of diarrhea when I eat something my body can't handle...ie... tomato sauce, too much fat or oil. I just live and learn. My husband laughs his butt off at the gas. We joke that the baby is talking because he can hear my stomach gargle across the room! It is so funny because strangers out in public can hear it too and they just look at me and say boy you should go eat something, little did they know that it was gas! LOL

I was in Walmart the other day and saw they had Miley Cyrus low rise jeans on the clearance rack for $7 so I bought myself a pair of 15s. I though I might get into them in a month or two, but when I got home I tried them on and they went all the way up! I was like holycrap! I picked them because when ever I buy pants the waist usually go all the way up to my boobs because my waist is so short. I hate that. I figured that they were low rise but they wouldn't be too low because she a disney kid. They went to just under my belly button. Perfect! I have been wearing them for the last three days showing them off to everyone! I even went back and bought a smaller pair for next month! I have the lines from this song going through my head as I walk around in them...

I look up to the sky
And now the World is mine
Ive known it all my life
I made it, I made it!
I used to dream about, the life I'm living now
I know that there's no doubt.
I made it, I made it!

Staring at you from the top of the game man
I might drop the World if I change hands
Uh it feel good to be here, Weezy in the building got this b-tch rebuilt     



Everybody says I look younger. My waist was 120.8 and is now 96.7 , my hips were 150.3 and now 115.2 My body mass index was 51.7 and is now 32.7.

Fat weight: was 183.3 and is now 85.6
Lean weight: was 123.6 and is now 107.8
Total weight: was 306.8 and is now 193.3 at my one year anniversary!

I see I have lost some of my lean muscle so I need to work harder on my working out to keep my muscle mass up.  I am doing the belly dancing workouts on fit TV, the show call Shimmy. I am sore after but it is fun, and I am learning belly dancing moves! I have membership to a gym, and they have a cardo room that show movies on a big screen in th dark. I spend an hour in there when ever I get the time. I must admit that is not a lot, but I am trying which I wouldn't have done a year ago.

 I have lost...
 

After some considerable looking I found a page where you can build your century club cards http://swords.cc/ohcc/oh_card.html I am posting this in my blog so everyone will have another way to come up with this info. I hope this helps :)

So I finally lost a 100lbs and I can fit into normal size. Normal meaning not plus sizes. I went to look for some pants because all of mine now are too big. Even the spandex leggings. I went into ever store, and look all over the mall. I went to target, and walmart and nothing! Every thing is spandex or jeans!!! I don't want to wear spandex any more! I had to wear it the for the 20 years of my life, and I don't want to buy jeans till I can fit into a size that my butt will looks skinny in! That is not a size 16. So I came home as disappointed as when I used to when I was fatter and couldn't find anything that fit that looked good! :$ I wanted something like those satin cargo pants. I guess I will have to shop on line and hope for the best! Wish me happy hunting. 

We had our big Nov. event last weekend and lots of people were telling me how good I was looking. Lots of gushing from the friends. I guess the 30 lbs I lost in the last 2 months made the difference for them to notice. I was able to get around a lot better and work longer hours during this event, but I got tried fast. I was very bad about keeping up with my shakes, both protein and vitamins. I was just really busy and kept for getting to eat. The first day I was setting up and almost blacked out while bending down and straightening back up too quickly. The second day I was good, but the third day was the day I had the most work to do. I had to cook a meal for 70 people, most of which was pre cooked at home, frozen then thawed out there and re heated. The vegan stuff I had to make fresh there. I started cooking at 1pm and didn't stop till 6pm. I was so tired by the end of it I was ready for bed right then and there, but I had a long night ahead of me so I made myself a protein shake and vitamin shake with extra emergency C in it. It got me through the night. The next day I took my shakes the way I was supposed to, and took the day to slowly break down camp, and relax a bit.

It was nice to have so many people say that I looked good, because I had hit a stall that has lasted for longer than a month. I have been losing and gain the same 5 lbs for last month and a half! Needless to say it has been frustrating, and scary. When this happens I can't stop myself from panicking that "this is all I am going to lose". You know what it is like when you have dieted, and gained and dieted. You think you are never going to be a success, and be the weight you are supposed to be! You just keep expecting the rug to be pulled out from under you. I have not told too many people about my surgery because I don't want them to know and look at me like I am a failure if don't lose the weight. This way they will just see more of the same, or look at me like WOW you look amazing. I have started to tell a few people because now it is hard to keep it a secret with the pace I am losing. I am still unsure if it is the pace I am supposed to lose at. I have lost 82 lbs since June. I guess I am not going to worry too much as long as I keep losing.

I don't think I will be over the moon happy till I get down to a size pants that I haven't in, in years. I need to go down 2 more sizes for that to happen. That or I hit onederland, under 200 lbs.     

Well our camping/vegas trip went well. We spent a week camping out in the desert and I think I did well getting hydrated, vits, and protein in. I had myself tested before we left for our trip and found out that all my efforts to hydrate was working. I was only low on B and D, so I went and got a liquid/ sublingual B complex and a calcuim with extra D to add to what I have already been taking. I also got a B shot before I left and I am due to go back and get another shot every week till my levels are back to normal.

When camping out in the desert it is hard to eat right, so I was very proud that I was able to keep up my vits, protien and water levels. I even started pushing my liquid B, vits, and protien on my camp mates when they started to complain about being tried and run down. They loved it. I think they never thought to bring vits and protien to help counteract all the partying.

I had an RV so if the need for a bathroom came on I had it right there. I wasn't about to go walking two blocks in the middle of the night or early morning just to use the bathroom. I do have to admit the there wasn't a lot of peeing going on. I was drink a gallon and a half a day and still only peeing about a 1/2 a cup, even in Vegas. Once we got to Vegas it was about a cup worth. I am now back to normal. Man is it hard to keep hydrated in NV.

As for the eating situation I am able to pretty much eat whatever I want, but tomato. I am not able to have any kind of tomato sauce without some serious bathroom issues. I call them butt facials, because they leave my butt feeling silky soft, even if it burns coming out. "oil slicks" What is it in tomatos???

We went to the TOP OF the WORLD restaurant at the Stratosphere Tower Las Vegas. We go every year for our anniversary because we love the food and the view! We shared a Filet Mignon! I like mine a little more cooked than my husband does so we cut the edges off his for me. It was delicious! They always give a desert to people who are celebrating, so we had one. They have new deserts that are tiny bite size trios, so I was able to have half of the chocolate turtle one and my husband had the rest.

I also had pork potstickers off the Monti Carlo room service menu one night which were amazing! Tastey, with ginger and pork in side theses tiny bite size dumplings. OOH and we love the Grand Lux at the Venetian Hotel!! The Menu I couldn't resist having the...

Pasta Carbonara
A classic Italian favorite. Spaghettini in a butter cream sauce with a touch of white wine, applewood smoked bacon, peas, garlic, romano and parmesan cheeses.

and my husband had...

Short Rib Sloppy Joe
A Sloppy Joe made with Premium Short Ribs and Certified Angus Ground Beef on a Butter-Grilled New England Style Bun. Served with Fries.

then I remembered that we had something that we loved last year so I asked for the menu and found it and order it as well.

Double Stuffed Potato Spring Rolls^®
Creamy Mashed Potatoes with a Touch of Green Onion, Rolled in Crispy Asian Wrappers Topped with Melted Cheddar, Applewood Smoked Bacon and
Green Onion. Served with Sour Cream

We knew we wouldn't beable to eat it, but I was like I am going to take it home. I will take it on the plane and eat it when we get home the next day! Which we did! We saved the leftovers from our dinners and the potato spring rolls and flew with them home and I eat the rest of my husband's and he eat mine. SOOO good! 

Sorry about the food orgy!!

We also went to see the Peep Show starring Holly Madison (from the girls nextdoor)!  It was really good, I wasn't expecting it to be but it was! It had a really great male singer in it. WOW his voice was amazing. It had up to date music in it and a good story line, good laughs, and bare boobies.

All in all it was a great trip with few problems. I have now tested myself to a point where I think I can pretty much go anywhere and do anything without any problems. I mean a five hour flight there and back as well as camping in the desert with no feeling of OMG I need to a bathroom now. So far so good. I am not saying that I am back to normal but I do know when and what to eat to make it so I can take long trips without  feeling scared I might need to stink out the whole airplane! Which was my main worry when we started out on this trip.

I have excepted my alter ego, which I call farty Mc farterton from Farts ville USA! Yes I do eat more carbs than I should, but who can help eating carbs on vacation/anniversary? I am still losing at a good rate. I lost 9 pounds in 15 days while on this trip. Altogether in three months I am down 60lbs, I think that is good. Do you?

 

So am sure most of you saw my posts on not doing low carb, and all of the attitude I received from it. I told someone I would post this when I figured out to copy it from Acrobat. I am sure you will get a good laugh, rant, whatever out of it. To be fair after seeing this you can understand my questions and problems with low carbs.


Dietary Guidelines for 4 Weeks Post-op BPD-DS

Food (servings/day)	Good choices	Try later or Avoid (Mostly due to high sugar or fat)
Beverages (6-8 cups)	Water, flat diet soda, diet/sugar free drinks (Crystal Lite, Tang, Snapple), herbal/decaf teas	All juices, sweetened teas, carbonated beverages, alcoholic beverages, caffeinated beverages
Meats/Meat substitutes (5-6) 1 oz = 1 svg. unless specified	Lean ground beef/poultry, meatloaf, canned chicken/chicken sausage, meat/turkey balls, chicken/turkey legs/thighs w/o skin, baked fish, crab/scallops/shrimp, scrambled eggs (1 egg), omelets/soufflés (1egg or 2 whites), tofu (1/4 c), low fat cheese, cottage cheese (1/4 c), canned beans (1/4 c), peanut butter (2 Tbsp)	Fried meats/fish/poultry, fatty sausages, fried eggs, nuts/ seeds, red meat that is not ground, white meat chicken (breast)
Dairy (2-3) 1 c = 1 svg. unless specified	Low fat or non fat milk (or Lactaid)- should be mixed w/ protein powder, low fat-no added sugar soy milk, artificially sweetened or plain yogurt (4 oz), artificially sweetened frozen yogurt	Whole milk, cream, yogurt w/added sugars, ice cream, frozen yogurt that is not artificially sweetened,
Fruits (1-2)	Cooked/canned fruit (1/2 c), banana(1/2 med), melon (cubed,1/2 c), avocado (1/8 of whole)	Canned fruit in syrup, coconut, other raw fruits, fruits w/membranes (grapefruit, orange),skin/peel of fruits (especially grapes, apples), dried fruit
Vegetables (aim for 2)	Cooked/canned vegetables (1/4-1/2 c), fresh lettuce and tomato (peeled)(1/2 c), mashed potatoes (1/4-1/2 c), baked/boiled potato (peeled) (1 sm), vegetable soup (1/2 c)	Other raw vegetables, “tough” vegetables (broccoli stalks, corn), any fried vegetables
Grains (2-3)	Oatmeal (1/2 c), low sugar ready to eat cereals (1/2-3/4 c), toasted bread (1/2-1 slice), toasted English muffin (1/2), crackers (4-6), toasted low fat waffles (1/2-1 waffle)	Breads or cereals with: coconut, dried fruits, nuts, or seeds, untoasted breads/rolls, rice, pasta, sweetened cereals, doughnuts/Danishes
Fats (2-3)	Butter/margarine/oil (1 tsp), salad dressing (2 tsp), low-cal mayonnaise (1 T), low-cal salad dressing (2 T), sour cream (2 T), cream cheese (1 T)
Sweets	Limit all;

Things to keep in mind:

• If you can tolerate most foods on the “good choices” list, try gradually introducing items in bold.
• Adding meat tenderizer to meat/poultry can improve tolerance.
• Seafood and fish are easier to tolerate than beef and poultry.
• The most difficult foods to “stomach” at this stage are red meat, white meat chicken, untoasted bread, rice, pasta, and raw vegetables.
• Everyone progresses at a different pace; if you are doing well and have no food intolerances, try adding new foods to your diet slowly .

Recently, in large French city, a poster featuring a young, thin and tan woman appeared in the window of a gym. It said:

"THIS SUMMER DO YOU WANT TO BE A MERMAID OR A WHALE?"

A middle aged woman, whose physical characteristics did not match those of the woman on the poster, responded publicly to the question posed by the gym.

To Whom It May Concern:

Whales are always surrounded by friends (dolphins, sea lions, curious humans). They have an active sex life, they get pregnant and have adorable baby whales. They have a wonderful time with dolphins stuffing themselves with shrimp. They play and swim in the seas, seeing wonderful places like Patagonia, the Barren Sea and the coral reefs of Polynesia . Whales are wonderful singers and have even recorded CDs. They are incredible creatures and virtually have no predators other than humans. They are loved, protected and admired by almost everyone in the world.

Mermaids don't exist. If they did exist, they would be lining up outside the offices of Argentinean psychoanalysts due to identity crisis. Fish or human? They don't have a sex life because they kill men who get close to them not to mention how could they have sex? Therefore they don't have kids either. Not to mention who wants to get close to a girl who smells like a fish store?
The choice is perfectly clear to me; I want to be a whale.

MY MOTTO: We are in an age when media puts into our heads the idea that only skinny people are beautiful, but I prefer to enjoy an ice cream with my kids, a good dinner with a man who makes me shiver and a coffee with my friends. With time we gain weight because we accumulate so much information and wisdom in our heads that when there is no more room it distributes out to the rest of our bodies. So we aren't heavy, we are enormously cultured, educated and happy. Beginning today, when I look at my butt in the mirror I will think, Good gosh, look how smart I am.

I am ready to start feeling better!! I went yet again last night to the ER to get three more IV fluids, as well as Zofran and an anti inflammatory in the IV.  Yet I am still having extreem nausea!! My blood presure was 138 when I was triaged, my husband now wants to get me a heart monitor.

I went to dinner and promtly threw up after smelling the garbage we had to walk by to get to our truck. That being said I had the same problem last night when I smelled food in the ER, so I took a pregnancy test and of course it was Neg. So I am back to WHY am I having extreem nausea??  I am now not dehydrated,  so where is the nausea coming from???? Lets not forget all the problems. I am having to get up every two hours out of a dead sleep to go to the bathroom. How am I supposed to get this all straight if I can't get anything down??? I did make myself drink some of my pre natal vits with 3oz of juice today and I had about 2oz of food at dinner. The day before yesterday I thought it was getting better, I was able to drink a whole liter and have a protein shake (27 grams) with an add of double does of calcium to it. Then yesterday I was sooo that I was only able to get 3oz of water in, which I took some Zofran with. Other than that I couldn't take anything, so I went to the ER. I am sick of being sick!! I am ready to get on with get it off and eating right!!

Everytime I eat it feels like the food has to push past air bubbles to get down, and it hurts. I have the gurgling stomach 24/7, and I am famished 24/7!! I have the worse heart burn and have been chewing tums when I am not taking calcium. I am thinking of put one of the Scop patches on to see if that makes it better. I am not sure I should because of the vision problems I had when taking that and the Zofran last time. I guess I could go with out being able to see my computer screen for a few days in order to get in more sustenance.

I don't know if you have seen my posts of late with the pics of my belly and all the problems I been having. The yeast or bacterial infection, and I am still having problems getting more than a liter of water in. I am ashamed to say that I have given up on getting my protein in and am down to random vits intake because of the meds I have to take for the yeast or bacterial infection, whatever it is, I have to take liquid Batrim and it turns my stomach. I have had extreem nausea. I had extreem nausea right after surgery and they had to send me home with two anti nausea meds, and I have been taking them to counter act the Batrim, yet I am still having problems getting all I need down.

I have lost 28 pounds without even trying. I am eating whatever will go down even carbs. I have resorted to spegitto O's with hotdogs, and most thing with mash potatos or lots of mayo. Yes I have the farts from hell after the carbs but at least they are staying down some of the time.

All of this being said I just told Stormy D that I feel fortunate in my recovery because my wounds are healed and I didn't have to have an open DS with all the drains and stuff that come with it. I read my posts and I think that I sound whiny, but I am not whining. I am just keeping everyone updated. I really do have a good attitude about it all. I feel it is like a comdey of really stupid ailments and gota laugh at it. I am still itching and now I itch all over arms, legs, between my shoulder blades which is the worst. I use a butter knife to itch it, or a door jam! I think it is due to dry skin, but there are hives on my arms as well. I am breaking out on my chest with pimples, whatever that is from. I am weaker than a one week old kitten, and have to sit in the bottom of the shower when I take a shower. I just washed my hair for the first time in a week because I can't keep my arms raised long enough to wash it and my husband hasn't been able to find the time to wash it for me like he usually does.

I am up till dawn trying to get as much water in as I can, yet it is still only about a half liter. I was told to start drinking juice by my NUT and Dr Pomp if I can't get the other stuff down. They also said don't worry about the carbs or vits just make sure to chew my Flintstones to make sure I get in my B vits in. The NUT said that the B's depleats quick and you need to make sure you get them in. It has been about a week since I have had any protein shakes because of the nausea, but I do get in some protein in food but not much.  It is my hope that after I finsh the Batrim I will be rid of the nausea. Even with the Zofran I still have nausea which I am sure in part is due to the dehyration. I guess if it doesn't get better in a couple of days I will go and get more IV fluids from the Hospital again. Oh well such is the way of my life right now. I would indure another whole month of this rather than have any of the other complications I could have!! Leaks, open DS, drains, infected wounds! I am ok with all of this, as long as I don't have any leaks, or bad infections, I would call this an ok recovery.

I don't know if you all seen my update on the other post, so i will repost it for you all. I went to the ER last night and had them check it out and they think it is either a bacterial infection, or yeast infection. They gave me both Diflucan and Bactrim to treat both. They took samples of my belly button drainage, but won't get it back for three days. They looked at it and said that it seems to be closed like the rest so they don't think the drainage is an infection. They gave me two bags of IV fluids and my heart rate was up over 110 when I went in and when they let me out it was at about 100 to 105. I am not in pain, I just itch like heck! I am still working on getting more than a liter a day in. I have been getting the shakes, but I have found that if I take my liquid minerals with some of my water the shakes go away, I think it is the iron in it.

I did send an email to Dr. Pomp with the pictures and an up date on what they said in the RE and he said that he agreed and I sould take the meds they said. He told me to try and eat more frozen stuff to help with getting more fluids. All of this from his black berry this morning at 7am. Then just a few mins ago Liz his/my NUT called me and talked to me about my concerns about my vits, mins, and protein. As well as getting my fluids in. She was great, real helpful. I am still itching like hell and using the Emla to numb it so I don't want to tear at my stomach! It leaves it only mildly itchy. I will be happy when this stop itching!! I am not worrying about carbs and they told me not to. I am just working on getting my water intake up, and I was told to make sure I am taking my B's, or chewing on my flintstones. The B's is why they want us to do the flintstones till we can get our regular vits down. I left some of my liquids in NY, my prenatals and B's so I am going to go to the health food store to get more ASAP. Not much else to tell.

PS If you haven't seen the pics in my last post take a look and make sure you remember what it looks like. I knew it was an infection because I wasn't hurting, I didn't have a temp of 101 or higher. It the wounds looked well healed. It was just on the surface of my skin, red little blister, welts, and itched like hell. TAHT is an reaction of some sort.