The number astounds me... 87.
Eighty-seven pounds--GONE. That means I am officially past the 1/2 way mark in my journey and it has not yet been four months.
I am SO grateful.
A couple days ago, I was in the Philadelphia airport dashing to make a flight. I was able to walk very quickly (almost a run, but not quite--I'm not dilusional) from one end of the F terminal to the other and arrived not feeling like I was going to have a heart attack!
My seatbelt extender, given to me by one of my favorite flight attendants, has been my constant companion until now. Now my extender will be given back to said flight attendant; it is no longer needed.
Yesterday I was walking with my husband into Walmart. I cannot describe it to you adequately, but my legs felt powerful and lithe. I know they aren't fully lithe yet, but it was the first time I have ever felt that. Strong, in control, powerful, and WELL. Golly it felt great.
Yeah, my clothes are falling off me. I went bra shopping and went from a size 46 to a size 40. That is FOUR SIZES down. Yay, me!
It's starting to mean something to me. It's starting to feel "real" for lack of a better, more prosaic term. And what a heady experience that is.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Yesterday I went and saw both my physician and my surgeon for my 3-month post-op checkup.
However, my umbilical hernia is back. :( I need to have that repaired within the next 3 months no exceptions. I know it is for my benefit, but I dread telling my boss that I need to take 2 more weeks off work after being off just 3 months ago for 12 weeks. ACK.
OH and here is something I would like to pass on to people (I didn't know it, and find it fascinating). Earlier in December, I wrote that my legs were horribly swollen. So swollen, in fact, that I couldn't flex my ankles. They put me on a water pill which helped, but I wanted to find out why.
At that time, I hadn't yet tried Inspire or BElieve*. I was NOT getting my protein in--not even remotely close. Well that is why my legs swelled up! Both my physician and my surgeon (2 separate visits) told me that not getting adequate protein will make your legs swell because if protein cannot be found in the blood stream, it goes to tissue to find it. So if you are reading this and you are new to the process, make a commitment that no matter what you will get in as much protein as you are able. I do NOT have circulatory problems, which was my biggest concern (or that I was in kidney failure--I'm not, thank goodness).
Since that time, however, I've been taking Inspire and/or BElieve (I tried lots of proteins out there, and these are perfect for me). I don't have the problem anymore--not even when flying.
Speaking of flying, I don't need my seatbelt extender anymore! That is a huge NSV for me!Oh and I went and bought my first new bra after my dr's appts... I went from a 46 to a *40*!!! Can't get over it!!
(NOTE: BElieve and Inspire are products from www.bariatriceating.com . They are proteins specifically made for bariatric patients--out of the best whey protein isolates. If you have happened across this website and are exploring bariatric surgery options OR are post surgery and looking for a protein that your new pouch will like, I suggest you give this website a look-see. This is the only protein I will now ever use because I tolerate it well and it is not too much to drink. Our pouches are tiny and swollen after surgery. We need lots of protein but don't have lots of room!)
- All in all it was a great report...I'm down 84 lbs.
- My blood pressure is normal
- Sleep apnea gone
- GURD is gone
- My feet are drastically improved
However, my umbilical hernia is back. :( I need to have that repaired within the next 3 months no exceptions. I know it is for my benefit, but I dread telling my boss that I need to take 2 more weeks off work after being off just 3 months ago for 12 weeks. ACK.
OH and here is something I would like to pass on to people (I didn't know it, and find it fascinating). Earlier in December, I wrote that my legs were horribly swollen. So swollen, in fact, that I couldn't flex my ankles. They put me on a water pill which helped, but I wanted to find out why.
At that time, I hadn't yet tried Inspire or BElieve*. I was NOT getting my protein in--not even remotely close. Well that is why my legs swelled up! Both my physician and my surgeon (2 separate visits) told me that not getting adequate protein will make your legs swell because if protein cannot be found in the blood stream, it goes to tissue to find it. So if you are reading this and you are new to the process, make a commitment that no matter what you will get in as much protein as you are able. I do NOT have circulatory problems, which was my biggest concern (or that I was in kidney failure--I'm not, thank goodness).
Since that time, however, I've been taking Inspire and/or BElieve (I tried lots of proteins out there, and these are perfect for me). I don't have the problem anymore--not even when flying.
Speaking of flying, I don't need my seatbelt extender anymore! That is a huge NSV for me!Oh and I went and bought my first new bra after my dr's appts... I went from a 46 to a *40*!!! Can't get over it!!
(NOTE: BElieve and Inspire are products from www.bariatriceating.com . They are proteins specifically made for bariatric patients--out of the best whey protein isolates. If you have happened across this website and are exploring bariatric surgery options OR are post surgery and looking for a protein that your new pouch will like, I suggest you give this website a look-see. This is the only protein I will now ever use because I tolerate it well and it is not too much to drink. Our pouches are tiny and swollen after surgery. We need lots of protein but don't have lots of room!)
Thursday, January 20, 2011
This one's for you, Michael
So it's been 11 days since the last time I posted. I ought to put in an entry. Michael (my friend) said it's about time!
I am going to the doctor on Tuesday. They called me this morning telling me there was a problem with my blood results. Oops. When I finally got ahold of the nurse, I found out that my potassium is scary low. They were so concerned they made me go back today and have it re-drawn again!
I have since heard from the doc's office and now my potassium is in the low normal range. Great. I just bought grapefruit and bananas and had a baked potato (ok, well 5 bites of a baked potato) for lunch. I *am* going to enjoy eating that grapefruit though!
Today finds me down 83 lbs. I am happy to see the scale move again. I am anxious to see what the next 2 weeks off will bring. I have a feeling travel messes with my weight loss. I'm anxious to see what the doctor and my wonderful surgeon have to say about my progress.
We have a lot of drama going on in our home. I have refrained from mentioning a lot of it here in this blog, but it is something that is quite "big" (not in a good sense) in our lives. It involves a custody battle with my husband's youngest (17 y/o) daughter.
I can't wait until she's 18. I can't wait until she is gone. My family members that read this probably will feel bad or upset that I feel this way, but I do. She had an unthinkable act committed against her by her ALLEGED "mother" and she wants to go live there... and she's bound and determined to be a BITCH until she leaves. So I'm anxious for her to be gone.
Ah well. Life has never been promised to be a joy ride. Onward and upward... and counting down the days until the 18th birthday...
I am going to the doctor on Tuesday. They called me this morning telling me there was a problem with my blood results. Oops. When I finally got ahold of the nurse, I found out that my potassium is scary low. They were so concerned they made me go back today and have it re-drawn again!
I have since heard from the doc's office and now my potassium is in the low normal range. Great. I just bought grapefruit and bananas and had a baked potato (ok, well 5 bites of a baked potato) for lunch. I *am* going to enjoy eating that grapefruit though!
Today finds me down 83 lbs. I am happy to see the scale move again. I am anxious to see what the next 2 weeks off will bring. I have a feeling travel messes with my weight loss. I'm anxious to see what the doctor and my wonderful surgeon have to say about my progress.
We have a lot of drama going on in our home. I have refrained from mentioning a lot of it here in this blog, but it is something that is quite "big" (not in a good sense) in our lives. It involves a custody battle with my husband's youngest (17 y/o) daughter.
I can't wait until she's 18. I can't wait until she is gone. My family members that read this probably will feel bad or upset that I feel this way, but I do. She had an unthinkable act committed against her by her ALLEGED "mother" and she wants to go live there... and she's bound and determined to be a BITCH until she leaves. So I'm anxious for her to be gone.
Ah well. Life has never been promised to be a joy ride. Onward and upward... and counting down the days until the 18th birthday...
Sunday, January 9, 2011
So much has happened, so little time...
As of my last entry, I was having trouble eating. I still am, but it's not as bad as it was a couple months ago.
I have found that I cannot eat "dry" food. Pork chops, baked chicken, eggs (gack), etc., are all things Miss Grouchy Pouch does not like. But I'm learning... and that's made my life a LOT easier. Eating things that go down easily make me able to eat more and that makes me happy.
I started out with Chicken Noodle Soup. If the food is wet, drenched in sauce, soupy, I can eat it.
I also supplement with protein that my pouch actually likes. It's from Bariatric Eating.com and it's called Inspire. They also have Believe--a bottled version of a protein drink (think Starbucks' Frappucino in the cute bottles). That helps me get my protein in.
I have some sort of problem with swelling in my legs. For 13 weeks during my medical leave, I had NONE, and now all of a sudden my legs have swollen more severely than at any time before my surgery. A call to my beloved physician got me a prescription and I started losing weight again and going to the bathroom--a LOT. My ankles are now much better, but I will be seeing my doc in 2 weeks to find out WHY this has happened in the first place.
As of today... 3 months and 2 days... I have lost 80 lbs.
Here are some pictures to show the difference. I had such a great experience... yesterday I went to Walmart and wanted a new pair of jeans/leggings. I skipped a size and went all the way down to an 18-20... pretty heady feeling! The first picture is of me the day before my surgery. Second picture is 2 months out, and 3rd picture is 3 months out... before I lost 20 lbs this past 2 weeks. LOL.
And here's me, today, in my new jeans. Barry took the picture, so the angle is odd, but you get the idea :)
I have found that I cannot eat "dry" food. Pork chops, baked chicken, eggs (gack), etc., are all things Miss Grouchy Pouch does not like. But I'm learning... and that's made my life a LOT easier. Eating things that go down easily make me able to eat more and that makes me happy.
I started out with Chicken Noodle Soup. If the food is wet, drenched in sauce, soupy, I can eat it.
I also supplement with protein that my pouch actually likes. It's from Bariatric Eating.com and it's called Inspire. They also have Believe--a bottled version of a protein drink (think Starbucks' Frappucino in the cute bottles). That helps me get my protein in.
I have some sort of problem with swelling in my legs. For 13 weeks during my medical leave, I had NONE, and now all of a sudden my legs have swollen more severely than at any time before my surgery. A call to my beloved physician got me a prescription and I started losing weight again and going to the bathroom--a LOT. My ankles are now much better, but I will be seeing my doc in 2 weeks to find out WHY this has happened in the first place.
As of today... 3 months and 2 days... I have lost 80 lbs.
Here are some pictures to show the difference. I had such a great experience... yesterday I went to Walmart and wanted a new pair of jeans/leggings. I skipped a size and went all the way down to an 18-20... pretty heady feeling! The first picture is of me the day before my surgery. Second picture is 2 months out, and 3rd picture is 3 months out... before I lost 20 lbs this past 2 weeks. LOL.
And here's me, today, in my new jeans. Barry took the picture, so the angle is odd, but you get the idea :)
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