kellyinbigd

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I've been a little absent on the boards.... but I wanted to be sure to post an update.   I need to post some more current photos!

I thought this might be an encouragement to those pre-ops or newly out of surgery folks.    I was a relatively low BMI-er.... started at 36.2  - 5'4" and 211.   Major (diagnosed) Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and on a cocktail of anti-depressant meds (high doses) for depression I've had since college (about 20 years).

I'm about to turn 39 in May.  Sweet husband, 2 cute boys, 7 and 5, and my older son has (now pretty mild) autism.   

I've been losing verrrry slowly, but consistently, and I'm feeling great!   Still off all depression meds (a miracle!) and Chronic Fatigue is still not back.   I'm feeling a little more fatigue than during the first 5 or 6 months post-op, but still SO much better.  Yea!

Wearing a size 10 comfortably, and no longer think about my size/weight when with other people.   So glad to get out of my own way!!!

God is so good - after marrying my husband and having kids, this might have been the BEST thing I've ever done for myself!   I'm so grateful my hubby was willing to cash-pay for this - $12k - because it changed my life.  I LOVE my doctor - Dr. Davidson in Dallas - he's VERY experienced, and knows what to do if things go wrong.  Which is important!  :)

I'm losing on average about a pound a week.  But over time, that's a LOT!   My goal is 135 lbs., but my doctor wants to see me at no more than 130.  Isn't that crazy?!?!?   I haven't weighed that little in a lonnnnnnnnnng time!!    I'm not putting pressure on myself.  We'll just see what my body decides to do.

It's been relatively easy for me.  No post-op complications, no weird health issues, LOVING my new smaller appetite.   I haven't had any weird eating episodes (sliming, throw-ups, etc.) - just eating less and getting full much more quickly.   My big vice I have to stay away from is crunchy carb-y snacky things like chips, crackers, etc.   I can have some sometimes, I just have to watch the portions.   I get a handful out and then put the bag back.    Still doing protein first - always - and that actually is what I WANT to eat now.   Not great about getting in all my liquids - still a challenge.    Every day is a new day.

It cracks me up, because I can so remember being SO heavy and hearing little skinny people say "I just eat a little ___ for lunch and then I'm just not hungry any more!"   Makes me laugh, b/c I'm that way too now.   I still have some hunger, but not the panicky kind - just the "I need to eat" kind.    

I eat a lot of protein bars now..... sort of an alternative to shakes for me.   I do a lower-sugar, high protein one, and it's a great way to get in my protein and not fall for the fast food gross-ness that my kids sometimes eat on the run.     And to think my favorite food used to be McDonalds!!!    

It's so crazy and weird and good how this surgery has changed my tastes.   Loving things like grilled fish now.  Who would have thought!!!!    Seriously - I used to be a junk food junkie, and those foods just really don't taste that great any more.  I have a bite here and there, but it tastes a little greasy and more than a few bites makes me feel gross.   Hooray!!!

Still don't do dairy - but I'd stopped that before the surgery b/c I found out I was sensitive to it.   I'm so used to not having it, so that cuts down on calories a lot too.

I go to bed at night excited that I'll get to wake up to my yummy morning coffee..... I use soy creamer and some of that sugar-free pumpkin pie syrup from DaVinci.  Yummy!   It really fills me up 'til mid-morning when I have  a protein bar, and it's creamy and YUM in the morning when I'm groggy.  :)

Going to need a boob lift and a tummy tuck - but that's from a combo of being heavy before, having BIG boobs before, and having 2 sweet babies.   Probably do that this summer or maybe next fall.    Got a little bit of the "bat wings'" going under my underarms, but nothing awful.   I can't wait to wear dresses this summer that show my arms!!!  They're not perfect - haven't been working out - but they're slender and pretty cute now!

Love shopping now - have to be careful to evaluate whether or not something is really CUTE on me, or if I'm just buying it b/c it FITS!   I have a whole new standard now!

Next up - getting on a regular workout routine.  I've been much more active with my kids lately, but I'm noticing that I'm not quite as "firm" as I'd like to be!!!  HA!   Plus, it's just a good, healthy habit, and it would help my weight loss too. 

Anyway, that's about it.   I need to post some pics.   Gone from about a 20/22 to a 10 (and my jeans are 8s!), feeling and looking like a new person.   My cute husband is super supportive and loves how I look (saggy tummy/boobs and all!) and I feel great!

So it's been a little more than 7 weeks out, and I was losing quickly in the beginning, but it's gotten slowwwwwwer.  I'm losing between one and two pounds a week.   I'll take it though, it's AWESOME having this tiny little stomach and getting full so quickly!!

Soo...... I'm at 178 today!!!!!   That's down 33 pounds!!!   (Including the 15 I lost pre-op), so yea, me!!!

That puts my BMI at 30.6, so 4 more pounds to simply OVERWEIGHT!!!

I had my (aack!) 20 year high school reunion today, and although I'm bigger than I was then, I'm not THAT much bigger and I felt pretty cute!   And more importantly, I didn't feel ashamed, which has been a big thing for me.

I LOVE my sleeve - and I'm sooooo thankful for my sweet sweet life!!  (bumps and all!) 

I'm SO excited.  After having trouble sipping the nasty watered-down protein drink yesterday, and only getting maybe 1/4 of one down (about 5 grams of protein, maybe??) I had a MUCH better morning!

I just had a WHOLE packet of my favorite Jay Robb Egg White Chocolate Protein Powder!   I mixed it with a lot of ice and a little water in my Magic Bullet, and VOILA!  It tasted delicious and I was able to drink the whole thing in about 15 minutes.  Yea!!

I was so worried I wasn't going to be able to get in all my protein.... and I know from reading everyone's postings how important getting in protein is - so one more shake this afternoon and I'm at target!

I had a much easier time with fluids yesterday, so I don't see that being an issue.

YEA!!   I'm turning the corner!!!!

 Wow.   So I'm a little groggy, so I hope this post isn't all over the place. :)

Wednesday morning I had my last protein shake, and drank the bottle of Magnesium Citrate.  That was GROSS.   Diarrhea all afternoon and evening.   By the time I arrived at the hospital the next morning, My 10lb weight loss had turned to 15 lbs!!  Of course all scales are different, and I'm sure I was totally dehydrated, etc. but that was a shocker.

Waited about 2 hours in the gown for surgery, and finally it was time.  Hooray!   Everything went fine, and I woke up from anesthesia and it took a while to get myself together.    I always hate waking up from anesthesia.    So then up to my room, felt sore but okay, and ended up only with 3 incisions!     Recovered that afternoon and evening.  Didn't sleep well b/c of those leg compression things, but all was fine.

Woke up the next day, and at 8 am they brought me down to do the flouro xray leak check thing.   It was a different doctor instead of mine interpreting the results.   I drank the cup of nasty stuff and it hurt a little going down since everything's so tight, and then we watched it go down.  They were a little quiet, and then I went up to my room.

That doctor came up and said that it looked like I had a leak  and that my doctor was on the way to the hospital.   Scary, to say the least.  So my doc came up there and said, from looking at the films, that it may or may not be a leak, but that he didn't want to take any chances.... and they wheeled me directly to the OR, bumped someone else's surgery, my Dr. cleared his schedule for Friday morning, and they opened me back up to check.

My doctor said it wasn't a leak, but he felt better having checked.   I did too.   I did end up with 2 more incisions and a drain.    2 surgeries in 2 days is a LOT!!  Ugh.   It was a rough afternoon and I was worried.

Yesterday morning, my doctor wanted to come himself and watch the flouro test, so I had it at 11am yesterday.   Keep in mind, I haven't eaten or drank anything since Wednesday morning!!  At least I wasn't hungry or thirsty.  ;)

They did 2 flouro checks in a row (gave me lots more diarrhea - nice) and gave me the big thumbs up.   Hooray!!   What a relief.

I felt very safe w/ my doctor the whole time - he was very concerned and treated it very seriously. 
I really thing the other doctor was in error, but I was glad they opened me up to be sure, even though it was traumatic.

So here I am.... home, sore, but safe and sound.   Finding it really hard to choke down fluids and protein, but doing my best.  

I'll be sooooooo glad to be a week out, a month out, etc.

And I'm so thankful that I'd read all the stories on this board about how people had regrets right after surgery - thinking "what have I done to my body?? - but now that I'm feeling better, I have a much better perspective.

I'm just going to keep sipping fluids and protein, keep taking my Tylenol and Gas-X and Prilosec, and lay low.  

I'm all puffy from the IV fluids, and actually weigh 5 lbs more than I did when I entered the hospital, but i know that's just water weight.   

Just thought I'd share my story - because I know it's only going to be good from here!!

I wonder how long it'll be before I can drink more comfortably?   I know it's b/c of sweling, aside from the real restriction, so I think it'll help once the swelling goes down.

Thanks again for all the support!!  I know it'll all be worth it in the end.

Okay - I'm just so so so excited.  And a little anxious.   And as much as I LOVE my two sweet boys, I'm also really looking forward to 2 days and nights alone!  :)     I'm hoping that 2nd night maybe I'll get some good sleep before I head home.

So far, the Mag Citrate was worse than the pre-op diet!!    I suddenly have new empathy for my babies when they had diaper rash.  OUCH!!!!!    I ended up with the spray diaper rash stuff and that helped a little.    Sorry - TMI!!!!

Anyway, I'm off!!   I love that Dr. Davidson is a Christian, so he'll pray for all of us before we go in.

Bye for now - next time I log on, I'll be SLEEVED!!!!!

-Kel 

Oh my goodness..... I'm just SO SO excited, and not a bit scared.   Is that bad?

On the Dr's scales, I started at 210, but I was 207 (first thing in the a.m., no pajamas to weigh me down... HA!)  on my scales.

And....... this morning, on my scales, I weighed 199.8!!   Wahoo!!!    

It's a bummer that that will register (since I'll be clothed!) 202 at the Dr.'s office, but I'm so glad to only have 2-3 lbs left to make it the 10 I was supposed to lose pre-op.     :)

I know I wouldn't be getting this surgery if it wasn't for all the encouraging success stories (and unvarnished truth) here on the OH boards, so thank you thank you.....THANK YOU!!!

Don't get me wrong... I know it will be hard, painful, uncomfortable and a BIG adjustment.

It's just going to be so great to at least stack the odds more in my favor and have this awesome tool to help!!

I'm pretty sure I'm driving my husband crazy talking about it all the time, and thanking him (since I'm self-pay, which is actually sweet husband-pay!!).      

And now I have 2 sleeve sisters - one even in Dallas - thanks 140forlife! - so things are great.

I'm so SO grateful.  

Hugs to all of you out there - I know it'll get worse before it gets better, but I couldn't be more thrilled today.

Best,
Kelly
 

 Hello all - here I am in Dallas.   I'm 38, happily married, mom of 2 sweet boys, ages 6 1/2 and 4.   

I have been diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and my sweet older son has autism.

So those have been my excuses for being fat.  :)      "I'm too drained from my journey w/ autism" and "I'm just too tired to work out."     

My weight has fluctuated through the years, but this is the heaviest I've been (except pregnancy).  UGH!

I have a strong faith in Christ, and God has been so good to me and my precious family..... I just want to be able to physically MOVE better and come out of my shell.

I've been hibernating a little - just doing what I need to do for my kids, and neglecting myself, which is SO unhealthy!

I know the VSG won't "cure" my chronic fatigue, but I do believe being this heavy makes it worse!    I was able to exercise before I got so big, even with the Chronic Fatigue, but now when I try, I'm down for a week, exhausted.

I have my seminar and consult (it's a LONG afternoon!) w/ Dr. James Davidson in Dallas on July 7th, and I'll be self pay, since my BMI is about 36 and I don't have any health issues related to weight..... except being BIG and TIRED!!

I've trolled the boards here for a while, and it's been sooooo helpful to hear others' stories - thank you to all of you who've shared your journey!

I'm just so excited to think about the transformation that's possible!!

Warmest Regards,
Kelly

210 - Current Weight 7/1/09:  
155 - "I look pretty good" Weight  (probably size 10)
135 - "Oh my goodness" ideal Weight  (what I weighed when I married my sweet husband! - size 8 or even 6!!)