Crystal D.
12/8/02 -- The journey begins on my quest to be healthy
Hi. I have been reading so much on this site and decided it was time to post my own. I'm just starting this whole process and am excited. I've been overweight forever! Literally since about the 1st grade. I remember in high school being a size 16 when my friends were a 6. Boy, I thought that was the worst! Little did I know that as I got older my weight would continue to rise. I have found a physician in Arkansas who accepts self-pays for a reasonable rate. I have contacted their office and am currently waiting for a confirmed eval date. I anticipate posting my entire experience as I go. I know I'm in for a long haul, but ya know, I've been hauling alot lately. lol Wish me luck and I'll post after I get things rolling!
Here's a pre-op pic - my wedding pic. I love Mickey Mouse.
3/1/03 -- Things are starting to look up! I was able to obtain the money I needed to self-pay. My consult is a little less than 2 wks away! I am so excited. A bit scared if the truth be known. The "after" will be great.. the "before" is nerve-racking... the "during" will be un-fun. But, overall I am ready to do this. I hope the doctor isn't too far out in scheduling. The nurse stated that since I was self-pay it could be as little as 2 or 3 wks from my consult. But she also said it could be up to 8 wks depending on his schedule. Grrrr At least I don't have to wait on insurance. I did the virtual model thing and gee... what a difference this will make. I'm going to try to add the before and after virtual pics as it's pretty close to what I look like now. I'll post more after my consult is completed. Good luck to all!
3/14/03-- I went for the seminar with Dr. Gibbs today. What a long drive that was. 5 hours one way. Whew... Not easy on a fat girl. lol The meeting started by everyone getting in line. We had to weigh (what was awful) then s/w the nurse regarding the type of surgery we were interested in, then move on to the insurance gal (I got to skip this as I am self pay) and then to the info. girl to receive our packets and turn in our paperwork. The seminar was great. Dr. Gibbs was very informative. He provided slides, stories, examples, and his personal statistics on surgery. He provided much more information than I had anticipated. Before the seminar I was excited about the surgery but did have doubts. After speaking with Dr. Gibbs and reading all the information he provided, I am confident. I have no hestitations. Since I am self pay I get to schedule right away. The nurse was out this afternoon and couldn't do any scheduling so I will have to wait until the middle of next week to find out the date. I can't even imagine. I'm only waiting on the date. Woo Hoo Also, since I am traveling from out of town, they schedule my pre-ops the day before surgery to avoid another trip. So, I'm going to wait until Wed. of next week and if I have not heard from Dr. Gibbs' office, I'll call to see if there is any progress in scheduling. The nurse stated today that they have a few openings in April but will probably be May before I can get scheduled. Ugh. I guess I've waited this long, a few more weeks won't hurt. I'll update more as things progress.
3/19/03 -- I have a date! Next Wednesday, 3/26/03. Can you believe it? Dr. Gibbs' office called today and told me they had an opening if I could make it. I go to pre-op testing tomorrow. I'm so excited. A bit scared. My nerves are all jittery. Thank goodness my husband could get off of work w/ short notice. I have all these thoughts going through my mind right now. I'm so ready to do this. I feel strong and pray there won't be any complications. I've written a letter for my husband "just in case" and given him all of our financial information as he doesn't do our financing. I'm technically prepared now. Just emotionally on a roller-coaster. Oh well, I'm going to update the rest of my things and take care of some travel arrangements for next week. I hope to post again before I leave for the hospital! Thanks for your support and take care!
3/20/03 -- I went for my pre-ops today. What fun. I just love needles. After my pre-ops were done, I had my final consult with Dr. Gibbs. I think I love that man! He took so much time w/ me today. He went over the whole thing again and then he took time to answer ALL my questions. Each time I meet him I become more confident! I truly think I'm going to do great! I have made my hotel reservations for the night before, filled out my LOA papers for work, and this weekend I'll Spring clean the house so I'll be good when I come home. My sister is going to keep my son so he won't miss any school. My hubby is off work and will be with me the whole time. Things are looking up! I'm so excited now. The fear won't set it until I'm in that little pre-op room waiting to be wheeled away. I have to be at the hospital at 5:30 a.m. and surgery is sched for 7:30 a.m. Woo Hoo Well, I'm going to go for now! I would like to say thanks to everyone for all the support you have given me! I'll be posting again before I leave on Tuesday for the big day! Take care!
3/24/03 -- Well, this is my last post before my surgery. I have to work part of the day tomorrow and then I leave for Little Rock. I have done everything I can to prepare for this surgery. I'm very excited and ready to lose some of this weight. Everyone is very supportive. I just keep thinking positive thoughts and I'm sure I'll be just fine. Thanks to everyone who sent words of encouragement. You are appreciated! I am supposed to get out of the hospital on Saturday if all goes as planned. I'm so looking forward to it being this time next week. I want to be home recovering already. I will try to post as soon as I am able. If not, I'll ask my husband to post for me so everyone will know how I'm doing. Wish me luck! Take care!
3/30/03 --I am home. Completely worn out! Surgery went just fine w/ no complications. I had an epidural and it wasn't working right so I had to have it taken out on Friday, two days after surgery. That is the worse. I'm not gonna lie. My pain was a 20 on a scale of 1 to 10. Then my IV port went bad and just had to start getting shots in my hips for pain. I technically could have went home yesterday but wasn't up for the ride just yet. But, I made it today. I'm kinda just spacing out. Kinda in awe. I'll post more when I feel better.
3/31/03 -- Okay. I'm up and feeling better today. I just have pain internally at the incision site and my arm where the vein blew out and it is red and swollen. I haven't eaten much. Pretty much living on popcicles. I'll try to describe my whole hospital experience. My husband and I left on Tuesday the 25th to drive to Little Rock. We arrived late and went straight to bed. I had to get up at 4:45 to ensure I was at the hospital by 5:30. I was a bit emotional and couldn't quit crying. My husband was great and was very supportive. I love him so much! I woke up from surgery and had to wait a bit before being put into my room. I had a private room so my hubby could stay w/ me. I was hurting pretty much all day and didn't do too much talking. I slept a lot this date. I do remember my mouth being so dry I couldn't stand it. I also had asked the dr to remove the catheter while I was in recovery as they give me the hibbee gibbees. So, I had to get up quite a bit to go to the bathroom. The next day, I think my epidural wasn't working right as I had much pain. I had a pretty okay day this date. My hubby helped me walk about 6 times this date and he also made sure I did my breathing exercises to get my lung capacity back to normal. Friday, woke up and the epidural was leaking so they took it out. They also took me off IV meds. My IV port was swollen and took a long time to get pain meds in. Pain was significant on this day. I did get to take a shower but I didn't feel much better afterwards. Saturday, they had to remove my IV port as it was very red and swollen and causing a lot of pain. Pain was not too bad on this day and I just kept on walking, walking, walking. They told me I could go home this date but I was not up to it. I got a sleeping pill on Saturday night w/ pain meds. I slept almost all night and was very refreshed on Sunday. We got up, packed our stuff, got dismissal permission and left around 9:15.
Overall, the hospital was good and responsive. I am a bit upset over the epidural not working and the IV port going bad. That caused more complications than I really needed. Ugh. Oh well, I'm home and very glad about it. More later.
4/8/03 -- Okay, I went to my 2 wk f/u today. I'm doing okay. I feel better each day. I have lost 16# according to the dr scales today. Not too bad... 16# in 13 days. Today is Tuesday and starting last Sunday, I have started feeling better by leaps and bounds! I can't wait to be back to normal. I can do most anything I want but my stomach is still tender and I have to move slower than I like to. I have tried eating several soft foods and have had no problems so far. I've had refried beans, mac & cheese, cheeze it crackers, snack mix, mashed potatoes, a small bit of thin crusted pizza, homemade noodles, fries w/ brown gravy and several different drinks. I cannot tolerate sugar for the most part. Too much orange juice makes me feel icky. I have tried diet pop but it's way too sweet to enjoy. I now love unsweetened tea, which I hated before. I can also tolerate Special K cereal w/ skim milk. All that food for 2 wks post op isn't really that bad. I just eat really slow and take baby bites. So far, so good. My incision is healing well and is actually very thin. It's as thin as using a pen to write down my belly. Drs did a great job of closing my incision. The doctor told me I am doing great! He advised I can now take any pills I need, such as Tylenol and/or Advil. He also told me the swelling in my belly & the bruises would be gone in a couple of weeks. I'm on a lifting restriction of no more than 20# until I hit 6 wks post op. I am returning to work on Monday the 14th. That makes 2 1/2 wks off work. Since I have an office job, I should be okay. This post is very long but I wanted to make sure I was including everything for those of you pre-ops who may be reading. Again, I love my doctor and would recommend him to anyone. He is a great surgeon and a wonderful person. I have a appt. in October for my 6 month f/u. I hope to say I've lost 60 lbs. by then. That would be an average of 10# monthly. I will post more later. Thanks for all the support!!
See, I wasn't kidding, I've always been fluffy.. I'm the budgy faced little blonde
4/18/03 -- I am a little over 3 wks post op! Things are going well. I weighed on the 21st day and I had lost 21 lbs. I quit weighing everyday as I was becomming obsessed. I will start weighing on Mondays only. That will be hard. I started back to work on 4/14/03. I was off work for 2 1/2 wks after surgery. Not too bad. I was a little tired when I returned to work but now my energy is coming back. I haven't had any problems with food and haven't been sick one time. I did start getting a terrible pain when I ate and had to call the doctor. They gave me an rx to take before eating that helps tremendously! I haven't had any problems since. Things are going great. I can only tell I've lost in my face but others say I've lost in my belly. I'm took a pic at 2 wks post op and will take another at 1 month out. I'll take them each month til I can start to tell a difference. I just wanted to drop a line and let you know things couldn't be better... well... they could if I had lost more weight, but that will come w/ time. Thanks for the support.
5/4/03 -- Well I'm a little over 5 wks post op. I have lost 25#. I would like to say I have lost more, but it just didn't happen. Things are going well. I have not had any problems w/ food and no longer taking the rx before I eat to avoid pain. I have tried just about anything I have wanted to eat. I have not been sick yet, which is pretty amazing if you ask me. I have tried sugar... I just had to know. I can have a bite or two of something sugary and/or a drink or two of Dr. Pepper. After those 2 bites, I don't want it anymore, it's just too sweet. I haven't tried to eat anymore sugar than that because I just don't crave it like I used to. I have tried many different diet sodas but they too are sweet and I only take a couple of drinks. I have been drinking water like it's going out of style. I drink about 4 or 5 bottles of water a day. I used to struggle w/ water but now it just tastes good. I also drink unsweetened tea a lot. I like the sweetener "Splenda". My sister introduced me to that & it's much better than others I have found. Right now I'm only eating lunch and dinner because I'm just not hungry in the mornings. I drink protein shakes ocassionally to ensure I'm getting my quota. I can eat any meats I have tried. As long as I eat slow and chew good, I have no pain. I would like to try steak, but just haven't done it. I mostly eat chicken and rice, fish, egg rolls, and other simple foods. I'm now losing between 2 and 3 #s a week. I wish it were like 5# a week, but I guess losing slower will be healthier and let me skin adapt so maybe it won't be so saggy when I meet my goal. Oh yeah, my goal... My doctor never gave me a specific weight as everyone is different. My goal is to lose 100# exactly. That would put me well below the 200# mark. That would allow me to be on the scale and have it say 100 and something instead of 200 and a lot! I think I would be a comfortable size 12 or 14 if I lost 100#. So... I'm 1/4 of the way there. I'm determined and I'm gonna do this!! This is the fun part- my husband got a new motorcyle a few weeks ago and I swore I wouldn't go riding until I lost more weight. But... I did go riding with him and got addicted. I plan on getting my own bike within the next week or so. Even though I haven't lost that much weight, I would have never considered getting my own bike before surgery. I have more confidence now because I know where I'm going. I know this weight won't come back. I know I'll be looking good before long. I also started tanning. Tan chicks look smaller. lol I wanted to be tan while I was riding on the bike. It gets me out of the house more, more fun, more exercise. Just what the doctor ordered. I think I'm gonna like losing this weight. More later! I'll update at my 2 month mark for sure!
5/25/03 -- Well, I'm now 8 1/2 wks post op. I have lost 35#. That's a little slow if you ask me. The past few weeks I have been losing about 3 lbs a week. That is good if you look at the overall, but I'd like to lose about 5 lbs. a week. So far I haven't had any plateaus. Woo Hoo My incision is completely healed and is a very thin line. I've been tanning which kinda helps. I can tell a difference in my clothing now. Some clothes that were a bit too snug before are loose and could be classified as "big". I haven't had any problems w/ anything I have eaten. I have not been sick or vomitted one time. Horray!! I'm very thankful that I haven't had any complications. I'm am at a point now where I am very glad I did this and even though I haven't lost a lot of weight yet, I know that what I have lost will never return. My husband has been very supportive and I just love him. He told me the other day that at first it was hard to tell I had lost because he sees me everyday but states he can now tell a difference. I have taken pics at 2 wks, 4 wks, and 8 wks post-op. I can see a little difference but I'm just waiting to see my 6 mo. post-op picture. I'm sure by then I'll have really lost weight. My husband's family reunion is the last week in July so I have about 8 wks to really lose some weight. I'd like to see if any of them notice. In 8 wks I can probably lose 20# if I work on it. Well, not much else going on... I'll post again in a few weeks.
5/26/03 -- Well, it's not been two weeks but I had something exciting happen so I thought I'd post. Today while eating lunch I rcvd terrible pain in my chest and it felt like I had eaten too fast. The feeling never passed and I actually made myself throw up to relief the pressure. What a mistake. I then continued to vomit every 10 to 15 minutes due to extreme pain in my chest. I just knew I had got something stuck in my pouch. So, about 4 hours after it all started, me and my hubby went to the ER as I was having trouble catching my breath. After several little tests, they decided to do an endoscopy to see if something was in my esophogus and/or pouch connection. I was hurting so bad I didn't care what they did to make it stop. Soo... off to the test room I go. They put me out, put a scope down my throat and what do you know... I had a large piece of food stuck in my esophogus and even more food in my pouch that wasn't passing through. The doctor said the esophogus had food stuck in it for either 4 days or 4 wks, I don't remember which. I got pictures of all the views, the blocked passage, the very very old food stuck in my pouch too. That was the most disgusting thing I have ever seen. I won't go into detail as I don't want to gross anyone out too much. Anyway, when I woke up, I felt 100% better w/ no pain. It's like it never even happened. I have learned my lessen for sure. No large bites and to eat very very slowly. He wants me to come back in a few days and have another scope so he can get the rest of the food out. But I think I'll call my surgeon and tell him what happened to see if it's necessary. I think the can give me an rx to get rid of that food without another scope. I was a self pay patient for the original surgery, but since this was food stuck in the esophogus (unrelated) they may cover for this stuff. I sure hope so anyway, can't afford these types of uh-ohs. Well, I'm home 6 hours later and I'm ready for bed. I have pictures of my scope if anyone is interested in seeing what happens if you aren't careful. Take care-- more later.
6/3/03 -- Well, today I am 10 wks post op. Yippee!! I have lost 39 pounds so far. Wish it were more, but it will happen. I haven't had anymore problems since my last note where I had such a lovely trip to the ER. I saw a pre-op picture of myself yesterday and I could really tell a difference. The picture was taken about 2 months before surgery and I sure looked puffy. I can't wait until my 6 month post op.. that will be nice. Not much else going on, just thought I'd make an entry on my 10 wks and update my BMI too. More later.
6/18/03 -- Hello everyone. I am 12 wks post op today! I can't believe it's been that long. I weighed today and it was only a 41# loss. It's that lovely time of the month and I'm sure I'm retaining water which doesn't help. I feel great!! I have noticed over the past few weeks that I am craving healthier foods. I eat a salad almost every day. I just started eating cottage cheese to help w/ protein intake. It's not the best but it only takes a little to get full. Since I'm 12 wks out I thought I'd track some of the things I can eat in a day to help others compare their intake. Today, for example, I had 1/2 cup cottage cheese for breakfast, side salad and cottage cheese for lunch, and 1 egg roll for dinner. For snacks today I had some beef jerky (protein) and a healthy choice sherbert bar. That's it. That's my food intake. Somedays I have a protein shake for breakfast instead. Other days I have popcorn chicken for dinner. I stay away from fried foods when I can because I feel they "weigh" me down. I don't feel as good if I eat too much. Still just drinking water and tea. Mostly water. I may have a sip or two of regular or diet soda but it's so sweet I don't want much more than that. I have learned I can eat bread but it must be very slowly. I do very well with Subway bread. :) But most bread just balls up and hurts too much to enjoy. My ring size has almost gone down 2 sizes. Had to put my wedding bands away until I reach goal and then have them resized. I tried on some of my jeans just for fun. The pair I used to refuse to wear because they were WAY too tight in the waist look like clown pants. Most of my clothes are baggy and I almost feel funny wearing them but not ready to buy new clothes just yet. I took a 12 wk post op pic today and compared it to the 4 wk pic and I can tell a difference. My face is thin. My neck, shoulders and legs have shrunk too. I know my waist and belly are smaller by the way my clothes fit, but couldn't see much of a difference in the picture. Over the past week I have started to get "oh you are losing so much" and "you are looking great" quite a bit. I'm still losing about 3 pounds a week. Sometimes 2. It is slow, slower than most who are under 6 months out, but at least I'm not gaining. If I can lose another 41 pounds, I'll be happy. I have 9 more months to do that, so I'm sure I'll meet my goal. I cannot imagine getting on the scale and having it say I'm in the 100's. Too weird. It will happen.... even if I have to cut off my leg to do it. lol I'm determined to make this work. I'm sure if I were exercising regularly I would lose a lot more, but I just haven't done it. I do walk a lot at work. I have more energy now and find myself constantly moving, doing something. It may not be exercise, but at least it's not sitting on the couch. Well, enough for now... I'll post again at 16 wks out.... Toodles...
7/17/03 -- Well, I was 16 wks post op yesterday. Total loss of 51#. That's not too bad but I wish it were more. It will come w/ time. I have noticed a big difference in my clothes and even bought a few new things as some of my other clothes were looking a bit tacky on my. Nothing much going on. I'm doing fine w/ eating and haven't had any complications. I feel tons better. It's amazing how 51# can make you feel so different. I can't imagine how I'll feel when I lose another 50. My goal is to have lost 60# at my f/u the first week of October. Since it's mid July I'm almost sure I can meet that goal. It has started to slow down a bit but I'm still no eating too much. I'd like to keep losing about 2# a week. That would put me at a loss of 71# at my 6 month f/u. I won't get my hopes up just yet. I know I am losing a lot slower than a lot of people on this site. That is the discouraging part. Yes, 51# is a lot of weight. I was kinda a lightweight when I started, but my friend is 6 months post right now and has lost 97#. Oh well, it's better than gaining weight any day. Well, I'm off for now. I'll post again at 20 wks post op. I wish everyone well and feel free to contact me w/ any questions.
8/13/03 -- Well today is 20 wks. Actually that translates into 4 1/2 months. I have lost 59#s. I almost hit 60# on weigh day but not quite. Oh well, I can handle that. But now I'm confident I'll be hitting over 60# at my 6 month f/u. I am feeling good. Eating good. I actually am to the point where I am eating what I think is a regular meal. I know it's much less because my friends joke about how little I eat. I can eat bread now w/out any problems. Not that bread is good for you but it makes me feel more normal. I can eat all but about 2 bites of a whole sandwich without the crust. But then I'm done.. no more... That sounds like a lot but when I think about what I used to eat it would be a whole sandwich,loaded w/ stuff and then chips and a candy bar.. then I'd be eating again w/in a short time period. Right now I eat breakfast (usually) and then lunch. I may have a snack in the afternoon and then dinner around 7:00. Much better than I used to. I also drink a lot of tea and Diet Dr. Pepper. I love that stuff. At first carbonated beverages didn't work so well, but now they don't cause a problem. I have also noticed that the smaller you are, the more noticeable the "little weight losses" are. Before I could lose 10# and you couldn't even tell. Now if I lose 10# I can tell in my clothes and others notice too. That part is kinda nice. Well.. off I go... will post at 24 wks post...
9/13/03-- Well it's a few days past my 24 wk post-op date. That translates into 5 1/2 months. That was on the 10th. I have currently lost 68 pounds!! Woo Hoo!! This is a wonderful thing!! I have changed clothing sizes and now can wear an 18 R (Regular-- NO "W" on the end!!) and if I squeeeeeze I can get into a 16 R. My shirts are a size XL and fit great!! It's the first time I've shopped in the "normal size" department in forever. Honestly, I cannot tell you the last time I was in that department. I remember going from 16Husky girl clothing right into the plus sizes. Now when I do laundry and go to fold my clothes, I just can't believe my fat ol body will fit into those little clothes. Yes, I still see myself as I did before... I can notice in my face and other areas but the picture as a whole I still see very overweight. No problems with food at all this month. I can eat about anything, just not much of it. I've been taking my daily vitamins and have tons of energy. I think I have the courage to post my acutal pictures on here now. I have the one from this week and one about 2 months before surgery (oh my). Well, I guess I'm off to update my BMI stats now.. it's so great to see them in the 30's and soon I'll be moving to the 20's. AMAZING!! Take care everyone!!
10/8/03 -- Well, today makes 28 weeks post-op. I had my 6-month (actually 2 wks late) follow-up w/ the dr.yesterday. I have lost 75#!!! Woo Hoo. I am 3/4 of the way there. My goal is to lose 100 pounds. Anything after that is a bonus. My doctor said I looked great, was proud of the weight loss, and confirmed that I have no hernias. I also had to do bloodwork, but don't have the results yet. They will call when they come in to let me know how things were. I've been doing great lately and loving life. I have now tried rice again (it previously caused major pain) and I did okay with it. I'm still loving shopping in the "regular" size department. I am wearing 18 Regular w/ no problems and even wearing a few 16s. Shirts are still a size XL. But that's perfectly okay w/ me. Today I'll be taking another picture, but probably won't post it as it'll be close to the one I posted last month. I also joined a gym this month. Ugh. I am not really into physical activity, however, I know I need to do it. I go 3 times a week w/ my husband. He's really goes for the gusto, and I just do the bikes and some basic muscle toning. It's not a lot but definately more that I used to do. We'll see how this goes.. :) Well, not much else going on now. I'll post again at 30 wks out... Good luck to all!
11/13/03-- Yesterday made 32 wks post op. That is about 7 1/2 months. I am at a loss of 83#. That's only 8 lbs last month, ugh! I know it's partly from the fact that I'm over the 6 month mark and things are slowing down and partly due to my exercise routine. I've been working out now for a bit and can see my body toning up. I'm gaining some muscle and losing the flab. Arms are still not too pretty, but the rest of me is okay. My stomach appears to be doing okay and no sagging skin to speak of, thank goodness. I haven't had any problems with eating and things are going great. I'm totally thrilled I've had this done. I'm wearing a size 16R in most things and the XL shirts are starting to get roomy. Not much else to report. I'm almost confident that I'll be able to achieve the 100# loss by my 1 year anniversary in 3/04. I have 17# to go to join the century club.... I can hardly wait. I'll update more in 4 wks or so.
12/3/03 -- Well, today is 36 wks. That is 8 1/2 months post op. It's starting to slow down... I'm down 88# now... only 5# last month, ugh.... I only have 12# til my goal... then I'll be in the century club. Size hasn't changed, imagine that. I've gotten so many compliments lately. My best friend's mother didn't even recognize me the other day. I hadn't see her in about 4 months. That makes you feel good. I'm overall happy w/ my body. My arms still need a little help and now I can start to notice that my thighs are needing more attention. It's weird that when I look in the mirror I see a fat chick starring back but then when I catch a glimpse in the glass at work or something I can't believe it's really me. I'm still going to the gym 3xs a week. What fun. Not much else to report. I'll update again at the end of the month.
1/1/04 -- Well, let's see, I'm about 9 1/2 months post-op and I truly know what a plateau is now. lol I'm down 91# as of 3 wks ago and still holding. Grrr Nothing exciting to report this time. I'm wearing size 16R and some 14s. My size XL shirts are roomy, but not too big as of yet. I've been asked several times when I'm going to stop losing because many think I've lost enough. I just need to squeeze 9 more pounds out and I'll be satisfied. I was hoping I'd be more like a size 12 when all was done, however, a 14 (or 16) might have to do. Still, just shopping in the regular department is a dream come true. I'm still working out at the gym 3 times a week. Oh how I love it, lol. It needs to be done for sure. I'll be posting again in another 4 wks. I hope I'm off the plateau by then. lol
2/22/04 Well, it's been a while since I updated. I'm now 11 months post op. I'm down 103# so far! Woo Hoo. My ultimate goal was to lose 100# by my year post op appt and I have achieved that with a month to go. It's a beautiful thing. I just can't believe it. I'm wearing size L shirts and size 14 pants. It's so weird to look at the clothes I wear and think they belong to me. I still feel as if people are looking at me and wondering what I'm doing shopping in the regular size department. I still feel big. My wedding ring went from a size 7.5 to a size 5. I've always had little fingers, but a size 5 on my wedding ring? Unreal. My shoe size changed a bit too. I used to wear 8.5 or 9 and now I'm an 8 with room to spare. I have noticed within the last few weeks that my hips have slimmed down. I used to have huge hips... they are still there, but not nearly as prominent. Well, not much else to report. I'm loving life and so glad I did this. I'll update more at my 1 year.
3/27/04 Well, 1yr and 1 day post op!! I can't believe it! I've lost 108#, kinda at a stand still. My size has went from a 26 to a 12/14. Amazing!! It's a beautiful thing. I'm going to take my picture today and update my page. I feel great, I'm healthy, and I'm loving life! Take care!
7/29/04 Well, I'm 1 year and 4 months post op!! I've lost 117# (118 on a good day). Not too bad. I'm pretty sure the honeymoon is over as I haven't lost anything in quite some time. I'm wearing size M and L in shirts and 12 in pants. A size 12? Is that possible? Who would have thought. That rocks!! I feel great and all is good. No issues w/ food. I can still eat a little sugar, but haven't tried too much as I just don't want it. I can eat more now. I can eat a whole sandwich (or almost) without problem and I'm feeling full. If I eat a hamburger patty, I can do about 3/4 of it with maybe a bite of salad or something. I know I can eat much more than at 6 mo. out, but still very little compared to the average person. Nothing else exciting to report. I feel great, my bloodwork was normal, and I am almost "average" weight. My BMI is just decimals away from exiting the "overweight" category. Whoa!! Well, not much else going on.... Take care!!
10/12/04 Well, I'm 1 1/2 year post-op (and a few extra days). I have lost 125# (and 127# on a good day). I'm in a size M shirt but I still buy larges as I'm not used to the form fitting thing just yet. I'm wearing size 10 jeans. I just read my last post and I was estatic about wearing 12s. Can't believe I squeezed another size out of this deal. I feel great! I've thought about a tummy tuck and a breast lift, but those are just thoughts. I haven't had much problem w/ excess skin, but now that I'm smaller I want to look firm. I've lost quite a bit in bra size too. I just want to put them back where they belong, lol. Not much else to report. I'm happy, not having any problems, and so thankful for the opportunity. Wishing you well--
12/27/04 Well, I haven't updated in a couple of months and was just hanging around so I thought I'd update. I'm doing great. I've lost 131 pounds. A pound here and there, but that's about it. I can't believe I'll be 2 years post-op in March... time just flies by. I'm wearing a size 10 in pants and M or L in shirts. I'm loving life. I love to update my BMI on here... I never thought I'd see it in the 20's. We just had family portraits done and I had one taken by myself. I bet the photographer thought I was nuts but I wanted an updated picture. I'm going to send it in and hopefully get my pic updated on here. Nothing else to report. Take care.
4/3/05 Well, I missed posting on my 2 year anniversary. Oops. Well I'm holding at 133-135 lost. Scale moves up a couple of pounds every now and then. Grrr. Well, I wear size 10 and some size 8's. I actually even bought a size 6, but the tag must have been wrong, lol. My shirts are a medium and some smalls. Love it!! I'm doing well and have no great updates. It's been worth it and I'd do it again (but my hubby says he wouldn't, lol). Seriously, it's been great even w/ all the stuck food and learning what I can and cannot tolerate. You learn and try again.... Take care!
My Shih Tzu - Scooby Sue!
5/4/06 -- Oh my... didn't realize how long it had been since I updated my profile. Things are going great!! Loving life! My weight varies by about 5 - 10 pounds... but overall I stay about 8 pounds from my lowest weight. Things can be challenging as I know I can physically eat more now, and the portions almost seem "normal" size. Some days I can eat quite a bit and others, I am stuffed in just a couple of bites. This is truly a tool - and you must use it correctly - the weight can come back if you allow yourself to "revert back" to pre-op habits. I just keep my chin up - think positive - and always remember how hard I have worked to get where I am. Life is good!!!
6-06 I went on vacation this month - It's been 6 years since I've seen some of my family! It was a great trip. In regard to the WLS - things are going great! Still having no problems - feeling good - taking my vitamins. Life is grand... The pic below is a tradition w/ me and my cousin -- we always have to have a pose like this -- this makes about 5 or 6 of them now over the years... sigh... wish we were closer.
3/26/2008 -- 5 years!!! 5 years!!! 5 years!!! Who knew? I just can't believe it. Sometimes it feels just like yesterday and sometimes I almost forget my pre-op self. Some days I truly feel small and other days I feel so fat. Yes, we still have our "fat days". This is a mental change and not just a physical change. Ultimately, it's the best thing I've ever done for myself. Life is great! I'm doing well health-wise and haven't had any complications at all (other than an occassional day of illness due to eating the wrong food). I've maintained my weight loss. It can be struggle because some days I feel like I can eat so much more that I should be able to - and then I have days that I hardly eat at all. I've been taking my vitamins faithfully. I should be doing my post-op bloodwork annually, but I depend on the blood results from when I donate blood at work. My results have always been w/in normal limits. I still maintain my energy and feel so much "younger"... weird, I'm really 5 years older that when I had surgery, but I physically feel so much younger. I've not had any cosmetic surgery - although I'm keeping the tummy tuck and breast lift in the back of my mind. I was blessed not to have an excess of skin, but the thought of having abs and elevated ta-ta's is exciting. Maybe someday I'll do it, like when I win the lottery, lol. Thanks to all for your congrats and well-wishes. Take care!!
About Me
Before & After
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