Queen Kelly and Her Weight Loss Journey

Hopefully Back on The Losing Track

2010-02-18T20:15:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted anything since November as there hasn't been anything new to report. No weight loss. Since August I have been going up as high as 203 lbs and then back down to 195 lbs. It's been a very frustrating process. I feel like I am not eating that much so why am I not losing weight?? I can understand putting on a little weight with the holidays etc. After Christmas I got back on track and have really been trying to watch what I have been eating, still no weight loss. I read on another person's weight loss blog how to calculate how many calories you should be eating for your height, weight etc and according to that I should only be eating 1070 calories. Holy Crap!! that's not that many calories. So for the past 9 days I have been trying to stay in the 1100 calorie range and make sure I am drinking my water and moving my body in some way every day! I signed up with sparkpeople.com, it's a free sight and I can track my food and water daily which helps to see how much I am eating and drinking and helps hold me accountable. Which I have found that I do need, it's so easy to mindlessly go around just eating and not keeping track but that method is not good for weight loss. Since I have been tracking over the past 9 days I have lost 8 lbs!! I hope it continues to work and I keep up the weight loss, I need to lose around 40 more lbs. I am going to continue with what I am currently doing as it seems to be working! I will take one day at time and keep working at this weight loss journey I am on!
Mark and I at our daughter Nickole's 21st Birthday Celebration!

13 months post-op

2009-11-20T20:05:00.000-08:00

I didn't lose any weight this month, still the same weight as last month. I did lose some inches and have gotten in to some clothes that didn't previously fit. I am between a size 14 and 16 in jeans. Some styles I wear 16 and others I can wear a 14, I am wearing large and x-large in shirts and coats. Yeah! It feels good! I went to my one year check-up with the nutritionist, the physical therapist and the psychiatrist and they all said I am doing great and right on schedule for where I should be for one year and the weight loss I have achieved. So I will keep up what I have been doing and hopefully will have some more weight loss. I was told by the doctor that I probably have about 30 lbs of skin in my abdomen area and I will have to start going to my regular doctor to complain about it so that I can get the insurance to pay for it's removal which they usually don't do till you are 2 years out, I guess to make sure you can keep the weight off. and I plan on keeping the weight off!! I am going forward, I don't want to go back to that old Kelly!

One year Later

2009-10-20T16:51:00.001-07:00

Hard to believe that one year ago today I was in the hospital recovering from having a gastric bypass done. And here I am one year later and 106 lbs lighter. It's been an amazing journey, it's had it's ups and downs but in the end it has all been worth it. I am now losing about a pound a week but at least it still is weight loss. The swine flu hit our house and I am on day 12 and finally feeling better just have a cough left and feeling tired.

11 months post-op

2009-09-21T12:39:00.001-07:00

I am now 11 months post-op. I now weigh 197 lbs. I only lost 2 pounds this month, which sounds kind of depressing when I say it but I am trying to be positive and at least I lost 2 lbs that is 1/2 lb a week so it's better than no weight loss. I have slowed down considerably with the weight loss but I have other bypass patients that I talk to and some of them are having some of the same issues of slower weight loss so it's not just me and if I look at the overall picture I am down a total of 103 lbs and have lost 45 inches off of my body and that's great!! I am happy with the results that I have gotten and am glad that I had the surgery done. It has worked for me and I would do it again!

This is me 100 lbs lighter!!

2009-09-12T20:21:00.001-07:00

This is the "New" me, 100 lbs lighter and then the picture from last year in October 2008, the last time we did 4 generation pictures!! Sometimes people who are around me all the time don't notice the difference as much but when you see the pictures together you can really see the changes in me

Four Generations

2009-09-12T20:14:00.000-07:00

I went with my Mom and my daughter Jody and Isabella to get 4 generation pictures done today. They turned out great! Here is a comparison picture of last years pictures 10 1/2 months ago. The difference is amazing!!

10 months post-op and 199.8 lbs

2009-08-20T13:44:00.001-07:00

Today I am 10 months post-op and I got on the scale this morning and I finally hit the 199 mark, 199.8 to be exact so I am officially in the 100's and it feels great! and the capri's I am wearing in the pictures are a size 14! I am all healed up from the hernia surgery and still feeling really good! Life is good!

100 lbs..............Gone!!

2009-08-18T11:05:00.000-07:00

I finally hit the 200 lbs mark this morning!! Yeah! So since I started this whole process I have now lost 100 lbs!! 100 lbs gone forever..........Amazing!! I am so thrilled!! 100's here I come!!

Letting go

2009-08-16T11:34:00.001-07:00

It is part of the process of losing weight~ letting go of my "fat" lady clothes. It has been hard for me as most people who have struggled with their weight know, you know you are going to need those clothes again because even if you have lost some weight you are going to put the weight back on plus some so you will be back in the clothes. I have had to work thru that and now tell myself I am not going to wear those clothes ever again and I don't need them! So good-bye "fat" lady clothes. So I put them in bins and had a garage sale with my kids and my friend Kim and I did sell quite a bit of my clothes. I still have alot left and I am going to donate them to some of the nursing homes in the area for people who may need them! So good-bye and good riddance! It's been a long time and you served me well but I just don't need you anymore!

I Love to ride my Bicycle!

2009-08-13T23:27:00.001-07:00

I have been enjoying the lovely summer evenings we have been having and I have been going on nightly bike rides. I love to ride my Bicycle! Nothing like riding your bike on a warm summer evening as the sun is going down. The wind in your hair, ah the freedom and a great way to get some exercise. I will miss my bike riding when we start with the rainy days but at least I have a couple of months of bike riding left to enjoy!

So close and yet so far

2009-08-01T15:20:00.000-07:00

I am so damn close to the under 200 lb mark, I can feel it, taste it and smell it!!!
As of this morning I weigh 201.8 I can't wait to be at the 199 mark. Yes I know that is still pretty heavy for a 5 ft 3 and 1/2 inch woman but for me it is HUGE!!! The 199 mark means that I will have lost 101 lbs off of my body (which is about the size of a small woman) and I haven't weighed that much since 1985 ~ 24 years ago!! that's a long time! I am only about 50 lbs from the what I weighed when I married Mark, 26 years ago on September 3rd. And when I married Mark I thought I was fat, I will love to be that "fat" again!! I can't wait!!!

Ephedrine??

2009-07-31T20:18:00.000-07:00

Because Dr Raum (the endocrinologist I see at the weight loss clinic) thinks I am not losing weight fast enough, he wants to put me on Ephedrine to speed up my metabolism. He said that you only have to take it for 6-9 months but after researching on the internet I am not sure that I want to take it. Ephedrine is a stimulant drug used to treat asthma and nasal congestion it has been around since the 1970's. You can now only get it in Oregon by prescription because the tweakers use it to make Meth. It usually makes you feel jittery and can make your heart race. By looking on the internet I found that you can use green tea and cayenne pepper as a natural way of speeding up your metabolism. So I started drinking the recommended 5 cups a day of green tea about 3 weeks ago and today went to New Seasons and actually got capsules of green tea and cayenne pepper that you take 3 times a day with food, so I am going to try that for the next 3 months and see how it goes and then decide from there if I want to take the Ephedrine or not.

Follow up with the Surgeon

2009-07-30T15:05:00.000-07:00

I went this morning to see Dr Patterson so she could do a follow up visit after my hernia repair. She said everything looks great! I have one incision that is having a hard time healing up as it is right at my waistline where my fat folds over and where my pants hit my waist, so I have been putting some medicated gauze and a band-aid on it every day and that seems to be helping. Dr Patterson said there is only a 1% chance that I would need to get the hernia repair done again, so lets hope that is true!!

9 months post-op

2009-07-20T22:06:00.000-07:00

Today is 9 months post-op. It has been 3 weeks since I had the hernia repair surgery done. Each week the pain gets less and less. The next day after surgery I weighed myself and had put on 8 lbs due to the trauma to my body and the swelling from the surgery. Even though I know the reason for the weight gain it is still a shock. I have lost that 8 lbs so I am back where I was a month ago, so no new weight loss just the same 8 lbs I had already lost, but I have to accept those things that I can't change and this is one of those things. I am still feeling really good and I am down 95 lbs, all good things to be happy about!

4th of July

2009-07-04T23:46:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th of July! Since I had surgery last monday, we had a very scaled down version of what we usually do on the 4th. It was just Mark and I and our kids and my parents stopped by. We bbq'd and ate and then played one game of apples to apples till it got dark and then did some fireworks out in our cul-de-sac and now it's over and I am ready for bed!

Update

2009-07-03T20:32:00.000-07:00

I am still having pain but it is more manageable today, I am still taking pain medication but not as much and not as often as the first day, so it is getting better. I am trying to rest, which if you know me that is very hard for me to do. I am always doing something, so it's hard to make myself do nothing. Been doing a lot of reading, so I guess that's a good thing and catching up on phone calls with friends and family
Sometimes we just need to be reminded to slow down

A Long Nite!

2009-06-30T12:30:00.000-07:00

I had a long nite! Mark and I had only gotten a couple of hours of sleep last nite. So we went to bed about 9 pm. I woke up about 11 pm and decided that I was hungry and needed a snack. I had tried to eat earlier but nothing tasted good. Went back to bed about midnite. Then all of that IV fluid they had given me and the water I drank decided it needed to exit my body by waking me up every hour on the hour starting at 12:30 am till 11:30 am this morning to pee, which with abdominal surgery involves quite a bit of pain and cussing getting up out of the bed and then laying back down in the bed. That was something like 24 times up and down, so it was a very long nite for me!! and I lost 8 lbs peeing all of that fluid out! hopefully I sleep better tonite

Flowers

2009-06-29T23:43:00.000-07:00

I got these beautiful flowers from Mom and Tony and my friend Kim. They all stopped by to see me when I got home from the hospital as well as my kids and the grandbaby.

Pain

2009-06-29T23:37:00.000-07:00

These are my I am in pain and my gut hurts like hell so I can't stand up straight face!! Hopefully the pain gets better soon!

Surgery Update

2009-06-29T18:12:00.000-07:00

The surgery went well and the doctor repaired about a 2 inch round tear behind my belly button. These pictures are before surgery, when I looked happy and wasn't in pain. Mark went with me, I couldn't do it without him, he's a huge support and so good to me! The surgery lasted about 1 and 1/2 hours. I wasn't as groggy as I was after the gastric bypass. Last time I don't remember anything until I got back to my room. This time I woke up in the recovery room. Originally I was to stay the nite but before the surgery Dr Patterson came in and said I could most likely go home. Thank god! It's always so nice to go home and sleep in your own bed. When I got back to the short stay unit both Mark and my mom were there waiting for me. I didn't get discharged from the hospital until almost 4pm. I could have gotten out of there earlier but I couldn't pee and they don't let you out till you do. So they gave me 2 bags of IV fluid and I drank like 7 glasses of water and walked up and down the hall with Mark and finally I peed at 3:30pm and they let me out!! The nurse said most likely I was a little dehydrated and they do empty your bladder during surgery via a catheter, needless to say it was a little frustrating, both Mark and I were tired and ready to go home. I am having quite a bit of pain, not as painful as the gastric bypass but still pain. Thank god for pain medication!

Another Surgery

2009-06-29T04:07:00.000-07:00

Well it is way to early, but I am up getting ready to go Good Sam to have surgery today. During my gastric bypass operation the doctor found a hernia behind my belly button. At that time it was plugged with fat but she told me that in about 6 months I should get it repaired. I put it off but decided about a month ago that I needed to get it taken care of. There can be complications if you don't get it repaired. I know of someone who didn't know they had a hernia after gastric bypass surgery and their intestines got strangulated and they almost died and ended up in the ICU for 2 weeks, I want to avoid any problems like that so even though I am not looking forward to another surgery, here we are at this ungodly hour getting ready to go to the hospital!

8 months post-op

2009-06-20T10:23:00.000-07:00

Today I am 8 months post-op and I am down 88 lbs since surgery for a total of 95 lbs since I started this entire process. Only 6 more pounds and I will be under 200 lbs. I can't wait!! I haven't been under 200 lbs since I got pregnant with Jody, so a long time ago! I have lost a total of 42 and 1/2 inches off of my body, that's alot of inches!! I will be having the hernia repaired (that they found during the gastric bypass operation)on Monday June 29th. It's a day surgery

and they may let me go home the same day or possibly I might have to stay one nite. Not looking forward to another surgery but need to get it taken care of.

7 months post-op

2009-05-20T17:06:00.000-07:00

Well today is 7 months since surgery and I am now down 83 lbs since surgery for a total of 90 lbs!! Amazing!! I feel great! I recently had to buy some new shirts. I am wearing X-Large. I continue to purchase clothes on clearance, I found some shirts at old navy for only $1.97-great price and I also shop at the thrift stores. Since I continue to lose weight I don't want to spend too much on clothes. You can actually find some cute clothes for a cheap price at thrift stores!

I hit the 90 lb mark and Jody got married!!

2009-05-16T21:45:00.000-07:00

I finally hit the 90 lbs mark and my daughter Jody got married today!! It was a happy day!!

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-10T19:24:00.001-07:00

Hope all you mother's had a wonderful Mother's Day! I had a awesome Mother's Day, I got to sleep in and then Mark made me a skinny peppermint mocha and then I went out to lunch at a local mexican restaurant with my 3 children and my grandbaby, Isabella. Then Ryan watched Bella and the girls and I got to do a little shopping and we got some cool sunglasses for $2.25 a pair, what a bargain. Then on the way back home we stopped at TCBY and got a free ice cream because it's Mother's Day. I had a sugar free Blackberry ice cream cone and it was yummy!! Love my children and they are what made me a Mother! So I am reflecting on my 23 years as a mother and thinking about what a journey it has been. Motherhood is one of the hardest, but most rewarding jobs I have ever done! But I am so glad that the hard part is over and they are all grown up (18 and older) I did it!! I raised 3 wonderful children that I am very proud of!! As Jody said today everyday should be Mother's Day!!

Inches Lost!!!

2009-04-27T23:10:00.000-07:00

I measured myself today and I have lost another 4 inches from my body. 2 inches in my hip area, so now I know why my pants are getting baggy in my butt! So even though I only lost 3 pounds for the month, I am still losing inches and most likely adding muscle, which weighs more.

6 months post-op

2009-04-20T14:15:00.001-07:00

I am now 6 months post op. I only lost 3 lbs this month but I am still losing inches. I feel awesome! When we went to the outlet stores yesterday I went into Lane Bryant and found the jeans I am wearing in these pictures. I have a terrible time finding pants that fit as if I buy them to fit my waist then they are huge in the butt and thighs. The saleslady told me about these jeans, they are their classic fit and they fit me great and I love them!! It's the first time I have had some zip up jeans that actually fit me!! I bought a size 20, which is amazing to me as I couldn't wear zip up pants when I was 285 lbs for the same above reasons, I don't think they made them big enough to fit my waist so I haven't worn zip up pants in over 20 years so that's why I am so excited about it!! I am wearing size 16 in the stretch type jeans and pants. I am now wearing size XL shirts, so cool! I went into Old Navy the other day and was able to buy a shirt there, I have never done that! It feels good!

Do these Jeans make my butt look big??

Tulips and My Birthday

2009-04-19T20:08:00.000-07:00

I had a wonderful birthday! Went to Red Robin with my family to celebrate and then came back to the house and had my favorite, carrot cake. Ryan made it for me. Then today we went out to Woodburn and went to the outlet stores for some shopping and then on to the tulip festival. Had a awesome and busy weekend with my family!

Short and Sassy and Happy Birthday!

2009-04-17T14:12:00.000-07:00

Today is my 46th birthday! I decided since I have lost 81 lbs that I needed a new look. So I went to the hair salon and told the girl I needed a new do because I had lost 81 lbs so she said what you need is something "short and sassy" so that's what I got. Then I came home and did my own dye job, gotta cover all that gray hair I am getting! So today I am feeling, Lighter and short and sassy!! I think that pretty much describes me!

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T23:17:00.000-07:00

We had a busy and fun weekend to celebrate the Easter Holiday. I took Bella to get her picture taken with the Easter Bunny, but she wasn't too happy about it. On Saturday Jody, Mark and I took Bella to a Easter Egg hunt where the Easter Bunny came down in a helicopter. It was so cool! Bella got the hang of finding the Easter Eggs pretty quickly. We then took her back to see the Easter Bunny and she did much better this time and we even got a picture with her smiling. On Easter I made strawberry waffles and sausage for the kids for brunch. Then I also made a Ham dinner in the evening for the whole family.I made a yummy dessert called Angel Lush! So I was busy all day cooking and cleaning up. Since it was raining we had our Easter Egg hunt inside the house for Bella. Then we played the game Apples to Apples. It was a really good, really full Easter weekend. Especially full of the thing we love best: family.

6 Month Check-up

2009-04-07T18:53:00.000-07:00

I went to the Obesity Clinic today for my 6 month check-up. I saw the Physical Therapist first. She just wanted to check in and see what my activity level is and how the exercise is going. I told her my activity level has gone way up since my last check-up as I am watching my 18 month old granddaughter, four days a week for 12 hours a day, so yeah I am active!! And I am still walking and doing strengthening exercises.
Then I saw the Dietitian and she went over how the eating is going and what I am eating and if I am eating enough protein and getting enough water. For the most part I do get both in every day but have some days I don't, which is normal as no one is perfect!! Then I saw the psychologist and he talked to me about the mental part of the weight loss. It sometimes takes awhile for your brain to catch up with your body. Part of what I am working on right now, is that I am having a hard time parting with my "Fat" clothes as most people with any kind of weight problem have several sizes of clothes that you never get rid of because you never know when you might be in that size again but I really need to get rid of them and say I AM NEVER GOING TO WEAR THOSE CLOTHES AGAIN!! and believe it!!
Then I saw Dr. Raum and he is concerned that I am not losing weight fast enough but my metabolic rate was a little low but not low enough to warrant putting me on the ephidrine so for now we are going to do nothing. I need to keep up the exercise and watch what I eat so see even if you have the surgery you still have to watch what you eat and exercise, so No it isn't the easy way out!!I will go back and see him in about 6 weeks. Anyway needless to say it was a very long day at Good Samaritan Hospital. It was an all day event, I left the house at 10am and didn't return until after 4pm. I only have left, the 9 month check-up and then the 1 year check-up and then it will only be once a year after that!

New Bras and Undies

2009-03-25T19:51:00.001-07:00

My daughter Jody and I went to the Troutdale outlet mall yesterday and my other daughter, Nickole was working at the Jockey store and we went in to say Hi to her and she looks at me and said Mom you need some new bras, have you bought any new ones since you've lost weight?? and I am like no, I am still wearing my 44D's. So she pushed me into a dressing room and had me try on some bras and I do have to say she was right, I needed some new bras. I bought 2 new ones in a size 38C. It makes quite a difference to be wearing the correct size bra and while I was at it I got some new undies in a smaller size as well. I am now wearing 4 size smaller underwear than when I started this journey. Yeah! Go Me! As they say It's the small things in Life that are important, like the right size bras and undies! Thanks Nickole! wouldn't have done it without you!

5 months since surgery

2009-03-20T12:27:00.000-07:00

Today it has been 5 months since I had my surgery. I am down 74 lbs since surgery and 81 lbs since I was my highest weight. I have lost a total of 35 and 1/2 inches off of my body, 10 inches of that off of my waist alone!! amazing!! Still feeling really great. It's fun getting to buy some smaller clothes. The thrift store is a great place to find clothes that don't break the bank as I will continue to need smaller clothes.

Happy St. Paddy's Day!

2009-03-17T20:04:00.000-07:00

Didn't do much for St Patrick's day. Hung out at home and Mark had to go to work but I got him to wear a green shirt under his uniform and Ryan stayed home as he wasn't feeling too well. I had on my green shirt and my button said everybody loves a Irish girl! I am working on more walking and doing floor exercises and using weights to try and tighten up my muscles. I hate to exercise but it is one of those necessary evils!

My Zip up the front Pants!

2009-03-14T23:33:00.001-07:00

So yesterday I tried on a pair of jeans that I don't think I have ever worn, as they didn't fit. I think somebody gave them to me and they were in a box out in the garage of clothes that were too small. It is the first time I have worn a pair of actual zip up the front pair pants in at least 20 years. The last time I remember wearing a pair of pants that zipped up the front was when Nickole was a baby and she is 20. I am down a total of 77 pounds, the weight loss has slowed down but I am still losing inches. I am happy with the weight loss I have had so far. I was excited that I could put on these pants and zip them up, so thought I would share it!
I still have about 100 lbs to go as far as the weight charts say what you should weigh, but I will wait and see what feels comfortable for me and my body. Thanks to my son Ryan for taking my pictures whenever I ask you too! you are great!

Metabolic resting rate test

2009-03-02T23:31:00.000-08:00

I had to go this morning and have a metabolic resting rate test, as the doctor is concerned that I am not losing weight as fast as I should be. So he wanted them to test my metabolic resting rate. I had to go to the sleep clinic lab and you lay down on a bed and they put this clear bubble over your head and it measures your metabolic rate it takes 10-20 minutes and they put all the info in a computer and then fax it over to the doctor. Then I expect he will either call me or I have an appointment the beginning of next month, If my metabolic rate is low they will prescribe ephidrine for me to help rev up my metabolism. It usually is taken for 6-9 months. It is very common for overweight people to have a slow metabolism especially if you have done the yo-yo dieting, which I did in my younger years. So bad for your body! and metabolism! So there is some truth to it when people say my metabolism is slow.

A New Background

2009-03-01T18:19:00.000-08:00

I am still learning new things about having a blog and I just figured out that you can change the background and found a site where you can get them for free. So as I am changing, so will my blog. I like the pink, brown and green together.

4 months since surgery

2009-02-21T19:46:00.000-08:00

Hard to believe that 4 months have gone by since I had surgery. I got on the scale this morning and I am down another 4 lbs. That is a total of 68 lbs since surgery and 75 lbs since I weighed my heaviest this last summer. I am in the 220's, I haven't seen those in 20 years! It Feels Good!

New Jammies

2009-02-20T10:00:00.000-08:00

The other day my daughter Jody was over and she looked at me in my old size 3x jammies and said Mom! you need some new jammies, those are way to big on you. I guess when your daughter tells you, you need new jammies and as you are walking around the house they are falling off your ass then it's time to get some new jammies. So I went to wal-mart yesterday and they had there valentine's jammies marked down to $2.50, cheaper than the thrift store. So I got myself 3 new pairs of jammies and I bought size XL!!! I haven't worn that size in over 20 years. It felt so good to be able to buy what is somewhat deemed a "Normal" size. It won't be long and I won't be buying any thing from the fat ladies section!! I can't wait!

Doctor Visit

2009-02-17T14:45:00.000-08:00

I went to see Dr Raum today. I have lost 64 lbs since surgery, which is a good thing. I have lost 5 lbs in the last month but he says I am not losing as fast as I should be. So he wants me to get my resting metabolic rate tested and start taking L-Carnitine(a natural supplement) that tells your body to burn your fat. I am burning some fat and some muscle, which is not good. so the L-carnitine tells your body to burn the fat. It's common in overweight people to have a slow metabolic rate, which my family doctor has been telling me that he thought something was going on metabolically with me. So I am not crazy after all! Finally some proof that I really haven't been able to lose weight even when I am doing all the right things. If your metabolic resting rate is too low they put you on ephidrine for 6-9 months to rev up your metabolism. I hope this all works and helps with the weight loss.

Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T23:17:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day! Mark and I spent the day together and then had dinner with our kids and granddaughter. I made cool cupcakes and chicken enchiladas with beans and rice for dinner. yummy! I got a great card from Mark and 2 heather bushes to plant in my yard. they are a beautiful purple color.
I have had a bad cold/flu for over a week now and I am sick of being sick!! hope I am feeling better soon. So hope you all had a sweet valentine's day!

Appointment with Surgeon

2009-02-06T10:27:00.000-08:00

I went to the surgeon yesterday afternoon for my 3 month check-up. She said that I am doing awesome and right on track with the weight loss I have had so far. I will have to have my hernia that she found during surgery, repaired in the next 3 months, so yet another surgery. Not really looking forward to it but it is a necessary thing that needs to be repaired as there are many issues that can arise from having a hernia, don't want to go there. Still feeling really good!! I got laid off from my job on January 15th. I am on unemployment, looking for a job and watching my granddaughter, Isabella. Life is good!

Dietician and Physical Therapist

2009-01-29T13:20:00.000-08:00

I had my 3 month check-up with the dietician and physical therapist this morning. They both said that I am doing great! The dietician goes over what you have been eating. They want to make sure you are eating enough grams of protein and drinking enough water, which I am doing both. She said I am the model of what a good example of how well this surgery can be for overweight people! I am down 64lbs since surgery day and a total of 71 lbs from my highest weight back in July. I think that's about the size of a 10 year old. I have lost one 10 year old in weight so far, woo-hoo! lol Also I have lost a total of 27 and 1/2 inches from my body. My cholesterol is 142 with no medication, before medication it was 233. My triglycerides have been as high as 421 but today they are 162. Ideal is below 150, so I am very close. my HgA1c was 7.0 but has been as high as 8.9, this is how they check how your diabetes is doing. anything below a 6.0 is considered a normal blood sugar range and no diabetes. I am still taking one form of oral medication for this. My fasting blood sugar was 121 but has been as high as 280 before surgery. My Iron and Potassium levels were a little low,so I need to make sure I am taking my iron pills daily and for the potassium I need to eat more foods with potassium like bananas and cantaloupe. The Dietician gave me a list of foods that are higher in potassium. I will be working on those two issues.
The physical therapist goes over how you are feeling and if you are getting exercise. I am feeling great and am doing exercise, just need to work on doing it for longer and do some strengthening exercises. She suggested a exercise ball to strengthen my core muscles, which is the middle of your body and spine. My back has been hurting and she said it is probably because my core muscles are out of wack with the weight loss, they are not used to having less weight to carry around, which for me was in the front, so I need to strength them so they know where our "New" core is without the 71 lbs. Will be working on that as well. I see the surgeon next thursday for my 3 month check-up with her.

3 months since surgery

2009-01-20T18:13:00.000-08:00

Today is 3 months since I had my gastric bypass surgery. I am down 59 lbs and 25 inches. I am still feeling great! and adjusting to my way of having to eat, lots of protein. I have to drink lots of water on a daily basis and take alot of vitamins. Some days I do better than others but I start each day with the goal to get all of my grams of protein in for the day and drink my water and take all my vitamins. I went to the zoo yesterday with my 3 kids and my grandbaby, Isabella and we walked all over the zoo and I didn't get tired or out of breath, it was wonderful. I go to the doctor at the end of the month for my 3 month check-up. Will let you know how that goes

New Clothes

2009-01-03T23:54:00.000-08:00

I went shopping today as most all of the stores are having killer clearance sales. I bought myself 4 size smaller shirts and 3 size smaller pants. I didn't buy too many as I expect to be in a smaller size soon.I got 4 shirts at kohl's for $15.00. I have lost 20 inches from my body, along with the weight loss, no wonder I need some new clothes!

Happy New Year!!

2009-01-01T12:20:00.000-08:00

Happy New year! It's a new year, a fresh start, continuing on my path of weight loss!
We had a get together with some of our family and friends for new year's eve. We had a good time, visting, playing guitar hero and eating and drinking!

50 lbs!

2008-12-31T07:36:00.000-08:00

I am so excited, I hit the 50 lb mark this morning. It feels great to have 50 lbs off of my body. can't wait for the next 50 lbs!

Christmas

2008-12-25T21:00:00.000-08:00

Eating Christmas Dinner with Bella

Merry Christmas! we had a nice day with our kids and grandbaby! They came over and had breakfast with us and and we opened presents. Bella liked opening the presents but she wanted to play with everything and not open the next gift. Then we all had dinner later in the afternoon as Mark had to work last nite and needed to get some sleep. He has to go to work tonite too. I am adjusting well to my new way of eating. It's a learning experience. Found out that I can't eat chinese food, not sure why maybe it's what they cook it with. We got 19 inches of snow so had a white christmas! sometimes we get a dusting of snow on christmas but not since I can remember have we had this much on christmas. It was nice to have the snow in the beginning but when it interferes with daily life, that's when it gets old and I am done with the winter weather. The parking structures at Jody and Noel's apartments collapsed due to too much snow on top of them. It hit Jody's car, so she will need to get that repaired. It was a nice, relaxing family day for us! I really enjoyed it!

2 months since surgery

2008-12-21T10:35:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe that it has been 2 months already! I am down 45 lbs and have lost 20 inches. As I have added more foods the weight loss has been slower which is to be expected. Some weeks I don't lose any weight but then I will measure myself and have lost inches. I am feeling really good and glad to be off all the medications. I had to quit wearing my rings as they kept falling off, so Mark has promised me a new wedding ring when I get to the size I want to be. He likes to tease me and says, sometimes I wake up and look over and wonder who that skinnier woman in my bed is. Well it's me! I finally had to buy some new underwear as they were falling off and I am wearing 3 size smaller pants and 2 size smaller shirts. As most fat woman do I have several size clothes in my closet, so for now I had smaller stuff that I am currently wearing. will have to shop when I get to the next size.

Day 44

2008-12-03T22:40:00.000-08:00

I am still at a 39 lb weight loss. I have a couple of people I talk to that have also had gastric bypass and I was telling one of them that I hadn't lost any weight this week and she said that my body is catching up with the weight I have lost over the past 45 days. plus I am eating more foods so that slows down weight loss also. Then she told me to measure my body which I hadn't done since the nite before surgery. I have lost 4 inches from my waist, 3 inches from my bust, 3 inches from my hips, 2 inches from my upper thigh and 1 1/2 inches from my upper arm. That's a total of 13 and 1/2 inches from my body, wow!! She also told me to be patient and not to panic! good advice. I have had a couple of people tell me that they think I am losing inches even if I am not losing weight, so I guess I need to quit worrying about it and keep up what I have been doing, eating right, exercising, drinking water and taking my vitamins. I did buy 3 size smaller pants and 2 size smaller shirts last week and that felt great!

Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T22:32:00.000-08:00

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We had a nice dinner with our children, and the girl's boyfriends and our granddaughter, Isabella. I am at a 39 lb weight loss. This is my plate for thanksgiving dinner and a picture of our family.

Day 31

2008-11-20T08:03:00.000-08:00

I am down 37 lbs and feeling great!

2008-11-14T11:53:00.001-08:00

Mammogram and Flu shot

2008-11-14T11:29:00.000-08:00

I went this morning before work and had a mammogram and then in the same office went to my drs office and had a flu shot. I asked the medical assistant if she could take my blood pressure. She took it and says oh it's normal and I am like what's the number and she says 124/72, I am like woo-hoo. As she is looking at me like I am crazy I explain to her about my gastric bypass and that I had previously been on high blood pressure meds for the past 5 years and this blood pressure is no meds!! The last time I took my high blood pressure medication was the morning of surgery and I haven't taken it since. I am down from 6 medications total for high blood pressure, high cholesterol and type 2 diabetes to one medication for the diabetes and I expect to be off that soon. And I had three different pain medications for different pains and I am taking none of that. Due to the stomach I can now only take tylenol which I have only taken a couple of times for stomach pain. I have greatly reduced back pain and I no longer have hip pain or the pain from the sciatica, some of that is from the weight loss and I think some of it is because they found I was low on vitamin D and I have been on that the past 4 months and being low on that vitamin can cause aches in your bones and joints. It all is great news and I am so happy about it!

One Month Check-up

2008-11-14T11:16:00.000-08:00

I had my one month check-up yesterday. I am down 33lbs!! I saw the surgeon, Dr Emma Patterson. She said my incisions looked really good and they are healed up. She said that the surgery went really well but I do have a hernia which I will have to have repaired in late spring, early summer. right now it is plugged with fat but as I lose weight it will become unplugged and may bother me. I also got all of my prescriptions for the vitamins and meds I must take, very important. I then went and had a visit with the dietician. I have been keeping track of everything I have been eating. I have been on pureed foods, yuck! She said I can start on soft foods. So I went to trader joe's and got some egg salad for lunch and it tasted so good! I haven't eaten any type of solid food for a month, so the first real food was heaven. And I had a egg for dinner and it was good too and agreed with my stomach. Then I was ok'd to sit in the hot tub so I got in the hot tub. My first time since the day of surgery and I have really missed that, so that was nice as I have for the past year sat in the hot tub every nite, it's my relaxation! Had a great day yesterday! I feel good!

Revelation

2008-11-12T11:53:00.000-08:00

I was driving down the road and I had a revelation, My children have never known me or seen me as a thin person. Wow! that is huge! I actually got very emotional about it. No matter what my weight I have always been a good mother to my children. It's been one of my greatest accomplishments, to have raised three wonderful kids. It was one of my hardest jobs but also one of the most rewarding and one of my favorites! and as Jody said to me "Mom it didn't matter, I never thought of you as my fat mother, you were just my mother" so for kids it really doesn't matter as long as you were there for them. But what is important is that I am now going to be a thinner person and my children will get to see that and I will be a healthier person and have a chance at a longer life and my granddaughter, Isabella will get to see me as a thinner person and that's the only way she will know me!

3 weeks post-op

2008-11-10T10:36:00.000-08:00

I am down 31 lbs as of today! yeah! and it feels great! I remember struggling for months to lose 10 pounds, so it is truly amazing to have 31 lbs off in only 21 days!!
My rings are falling off and my clothes are getting loose. I am almost into the next size clothes that I have in my closet from when I lost 40 lbs about 3 years ago and then after those get too big, I will have to go and get some new clothes. My friends and family are telling me that my face and upperbody is getting skinnier and changing. The swelling I used to have in my legs and feet is gone. My feet actually are a normal size. I feel great!

Back to Work

2008-11-04T13:37:00.000-08:00

I went back to work, yesterday. worked from 9am to 3:30pm I got tired in the afternoon so decided to go home. Still having some minimal pain but for the most part it is gone. I am down 27 lbs as of today. yeah! will probably go home a little early today too. getting back to the normal happenings in my life.

23 lbs gone!!

2008-11-02T16:34:00.000-08:00

These pics were taken on Halloween when I was down 20 lbs. I am now down 23 lbs and feeling pretty good. The pain is now pretty minimal, only if I turn wrong or bend down. I have slept in my bed the past two nites, which has been great. I am back to work tomorrow.

Day 11

2008-10-31T09:25:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween! Hard to believe that today is my last day off from work, it has actually gone by fast. I am down 20 lbs as of today! yeah! Sometimes it is hard to tell on a 290 lb person that they have lost 20 lbs as it is kind of a drop in the bucket but I can tell my clothes are fitting looser and I am just generally feel better. I am not having swelling in my feet. I am down to one medication for the type 2 diabetes. I haven't had to take any blood pressure medication since the day of surgery as it has been in the normal range. It has all been worth the long process and the pain I have gone thru these past 11 days and it will continue to be worth it as I lose the weight. I am going to go trick or treating with my granddaughter Isabella and I am looking forward to that. so whatever you do on halloween, hope it is Happy!

Day 9

2008-10-29T22:20:00.000-07:00

Today is 9 days post-op I am feeling pretty good, still some soreness on the left side but much better than the first day. I got up and took a shower and did my hair and makeup and when my daughter Nickole got home she said "She's alive, Mom's alive" I guess I didn't look alive with out my makeup and my hair done, lol. It has actually been so nice not to have to do my hair and makeup or have to go somewhere. I am just enjoying being at home and doing nothing. It's been nice. I ended up taking Ryan to the chiropractor for an appt as he has been having some back and groin pain and his left leg has been going numb. So it was a good thing I got up and did my hair and makeup. So it was my first day out and my first day of driving. Ryan got an adjustment and he is feeling better. This past week he has been to our regular doctor and the emergency room for this same problem, so glad we have figured out what is going on and getting it resolved. Then Jody drove me down to good sam so I could attend my first support group meeting for gastric bypass patients, they have it once a month. They have people from my 9 days out to 2 years there so lots of good information and support. A couple of the ladies were surprised that I was there only 9 days post-op. I felt good enough to go. So I had a busy day and tonite I am tired. Ready for some sleep. Thanks for all of your calls and visits it has been great!

One Week

2008-10-27T11:03:00.000-07:00

It has been on week since the surgery.According to my scale I have lost 10 pounds so far. It has gone by fast. I am tired today. I had quite a few vistors yesterday, which was so great to see, Nancy, Connie, J, Nolan and Kim. Keeps me from going stir crazy. I haven't had that yet as I am really enjoying just being home, not getting dressed or having to do my hair or make-up. I am having problems drinking and sometimes keeping down the protein shake but I keep trying and I keep drinking other things, like yogurt,soup, water, got to keep hydrated and get the protein down.

5 days post-op

2008-10-25T17:12:00.000-07:00

Well I didn't post yesterday, I had a rough day yesterday, vomited twice and part of the day just didn't feel that good. feeling better today. Still quite a bit of pain on the left upperside of my stomach. I am still sleeping in the recliner. I try to get a shower everyday, have to have some assistance from Mark, He has been fabulous!! and then I sip on my protein shake, yogurt, water, soup.thru out the day, it's small amounts and very slow.I get up and go out for a walk out my driveway and in the cul-de-sac several times a day. I nap and have vistors and talk on the phone. I am catching up on some reading and watching shows that I DVR'd. It's hard to be "Lazy" but I know I must and it is part of my recovery and I have a wonderful family that is taking care of everything for me, so it's good for me to just relax and take time for myself.

Day Two at home

2008-10-23T05:31:00.000-07:00

Thank god for pain medication! I had heard that most people have to sleep in a recliner for the first 3-4 days. I did try to get in my temperpedic bed but it just wasn't that comfortable on my stomach, so Mark helped me get out of the bed and then he got a recliner out of Ryan's room and put it in the living room and I spent the nite there. It's pretty comfortable to sleep in but difficult to get out of. Both Mark and Ryan have to help me get up. My lower back really hurts also, I think because I am using those muscles more to compensate for the sore stomach. I am using my corn bags, heated up on my back. that feels good.So I am up early starting on the drinking of fluids. you are supposed to only drink 1oz per every 15 minutes and you need to get 60g of protein down plus 2 liters of water per day, so I spend most of the day and nite sipping. so I better get back to my sipping. thanks for all your good thoughts, and phone calls, they have been great!

Me In My Recliner!

I am Home!

2008-10-22T11:47:00.000-07:00

I am home! glad to be home. the surgery went well but I am in quite a bit of pain. I have been on liquid vicodin since yesterday and will start on some liquid percocet this afternoon. My stomach feels like I was ran over by a big truck. I have been drinking fluids in small increments and doing well with that. Thanks for all your thoughts, prayers and supportive words, it has been great and it's carrying me along.

Post Surgery Update

2008-10-20T21:55:00.000-07:00

After Surgery

Pre-Surgery
This is Jody, just posting an update on my moms condition. She is doing well right now, sore and uncomfortable, but overall the surgery went great and she will be starting a liquid diet tomorrow. She went in at 7:30 for the procedure and she was done by 10:10am. We didn't get to see her for almost 2 1/2 more hours because she was in the recovery unit waking up from anesthesia. She made it to her room at around 1pm, and was very sleepy and in alot of pain. She has a pain pump so she can administer her pain meds when she needs them! Overall, she did AWESOME!

Today's the day!

2008-10-20T03:32:00.000-07:00

I am up at o dark thirty. It is 3:30am, gonna sit in the hot tub one last time because I won't be able to for about a month. I didn't sleep much. tried going to bed around 11:30pm but mostly tossed and turned and looked at the clock. I have had a couple small melt downs, telling my kids, husband and niece and nephew that I love them and just wanted them to know that. My parents and brother Dan and his girlfriend Marilyn came over tonite to see me. I also spoke on the phone to my brother James and alot of my friends. My friend Kim came over and gave me a super soft pink robe for the hospital and my mom gave me a heart shaped necklace. Both gifts were so nice to recieve. I am loved!! :) So I am currently tired and feeling a little anxiety about the whole surgery but still happy I am at the end of my process of getting the surgery, then it's a whole new process later. It will all be a big change, but a good one!

4 more days!!

2008-10-16T16:25:00.000-07:00

Called the Doctor's office this morning to find out my time for surgery. I have to be at the hospital at 5:45 am and Surgery will be around 8:00am. I am the first surgery for the day! I am happy about that. They had an article in The Oregonian, last month saying they did a study on surgery and found that people who had their surgery first had a much more successful surgery! I start on the clear liquid diet tomorrow, on that till midnite on sunday. No food! just clear liquids, jello and broth.

Last appointments before my surgery date

2008-10-07T11:52:00.000-07:00

I went to the last of my appointments, yesterday! The last things I had to do before surgery on the 20th. I agreed to be in a research study at O.H.S.U. they do blood work (this girl did a much better job than the girl from last week, thank god!)and they measure your neck and waist, they weigh you and check your body fat. You fill out a really long survey with all kinds of questions about your history and weight etc. Then they check your heart rate and blood pressure and you do a 1/4 mile walk then they check your heart rate again. I walked my quarter mile in about 6 minutes. She said you walk pretty fast. I said yeah I move pretty fast for a Big Girl!! She kind of chuckled. I am not sure if people know how to take me when I make jokes like that. It's so sterotypical that people assume because you are fat, that you can't move or walk fast and that most likely you eat tons of food, which may be true in some people's cases but is not in my case!! Then I had to go to Good Samaritan hospital to meet with the nurse practioner to have a final check-up and go over my blood work. Some good news, back in June my liver enzyme was considered high , the #'s were 38 and 24 and now they are 19 and 14 back in the normal range. It just means that with the weight loss I have already achieved, has reduced my liver. When you do lose weight, you lose it in your liver first and they want the liver to be smaller for the surgery. So I was happy about that piece of news. They then give you your prescriptions for pain medication and any of your current medications in liquid form as you can't get them down after surgery and some drugs taste really nasty crushed. Then they have a 2 hour pre-op class where they basically go over everything. they go over the same thing at your first appointment, but go over it more extensively from the surgery aspect and what will be happening before, during and after the surgery. I met two other people having the gastric bypass, also. One is having his this thursday and the other person is scheduled for the 15th. they are both in their 60's, choosing to do this. From what I have read and heard from other people, I am glad I have chosen to get the gastric bypass. It seems like a lot of people with the lap band, it just doesn't work for them and they come and get it re-done or else they come back and later get the gastric bypass done, so I think it is a good choice for me! 13 more days! Thanks for your continued love, support and comments. I love it!! I can feel the love!!

2008-09-30T21:11:00.000-07:00

Didn't really want to do this but decided I should, to have pictures to show my progress. I usually don't have full body pictures of myself and as I look at these, I remember why, so here I am in my full glory at 290 lbs!! Damn that was hard to do! As most women know we never ever reveal our true weight so this is especially hard for me to put my weight where everyone can see it, but it is part of my process in this weight loss journey I started. If Karina can do it, I to can do it!

2008-09-30T21:01:00.001-07:00

2008-09-30T21:00:00.001-07:00

One Step Closer

2008-09-30T13:03:00.000-07:00

So today is another step closer to my surgery, only 20 more days!! till my surgery. I went today for some final lab work. The lady who drew my blood did a horrible job, I know it hurts a little bit and those who know me know I have low pain tolerance but I do get my blood drawn every 3 months for a diabetes check-up, anyway it really stung and made me cry, I think she felt bad but it really did hurt. And then I had a check-up appt with the technician about my cpap machine. I hate that thing with a passion and don't know if I will ever get used to it. When wearing it, I don't sleep much so I am only wearing it 1-3 hours a nite as I do have to get some sleep, since I work full-time. Supposedly you will get used to it where you will be wearing it all nite long, fat chance! but I keep trying it every nite and today at the appt he gave me a smaller size mask to try. Most people who have a cpap just wear a nose thing similiar to when you have oxygen on but since I am a mouth breather I have to have the full on mask that covers your nose and mouth, why do I have to be a mouth breather????? So I look like something out of I don't know.....star wars,Mark was calling me darth vader, thanks Honey! he just likes to give me some shit, he has been very supportive of this whole process. I am thankful for him and my kids and my granddaughter, they are my life! so one more appointment, next week and then surgery!

Kelly is blog retarded

2008-09-19T16:51:00.000-07:00

I am not sure why but it keeps posting my bulletins under the same date? I posted the last one today. not sure how to fix it. well it is my first time blogging, so excuse me if I don't know what I am doing, I am blog retarded. do they a have a blogging for dummies???

Not an Easy way out

2008-09-19T15:31:00.000-07:00

Well I have had some response from people about this, most are supportive, some are questioning if I am taking an "Easy way out" let me be the first to tell you this is not the easy way out. it is quite a process to get to this point, I will give you a run down.
1. called our new insurance carrier blue cross/blue shield to see if they cover gastric bypass surgery, they do. you have to have a BMI higher than 40 and have what they call co-morbidity issues such as hyper tension, diabetes type 2. which I happen to have all three, woo lucky me!
2. you call to get an appt at the oregon obesity institute and you are told you need to come to an
information seminar that lasts 2 and 1/2 hours, which i did on april 15th, 2008 and if you decide to proceed you fill your paperwork and hand it in, then you wait for them to call you with an appt.
3. received the call in May to set up my appts.
4. saw a 60 minutes show , they had people on that had the gastric bypass procedure done. at
first I was leaning towards getting the lap band done but after seeing this show I decided on a
gastric bypass, as they have found that people who get the gastric bypass and have type 2
diabetes, it goes it to remission within about a week. one lady on the show was taking 8 insulin
shots per day and was off of them I am not currently on insulin, just taking oral medication. so
that was the the final factor that pushed me towards the gastric bypass
5. June 16, 2008-first set of appts. you go to the lab in the a.m. and get blood drawn, then over
to the obesity institute(in a different building) at the Good Samaritan hospital campus. then
I was weighed and measured. blood pressure taken. they took a picture of me, I guess as
a starting point to see how fat you really are. then they did a ekg t checkout my heart. then
they took me and 4 others who had just had the same above things done to them into a room
for some psychological testing,(gotta make sure you aren't crazy, i guess) I am crazy but in a
good way!! lol. I took a mmpi-2 and an eating inventory test. total it's about 700 questions. all
of the above took from 7:30 am- noon. oh yeah almost forgot they also do a body fat measure-
ment test with a cool machine that just takes a couple of minutes. I was telling the medical
assistant, god I hope I am not like 100% fat. it was close I was like 50% fat, I am embarassed
to say. but that is why I am here, making this choice
6.July 1, 2008-second set of appts. this was an appt that was from 1:00pm-5:00pm, it involved
a medical evaluation with a nurse practioner. she goes over your medical history and all of
your blood work. they found that I am low in Vitamin D (good ol oregon, not enough sunshine)
so I have to take a high dose vitamin D, once a week. and my liver enzyme was high, which
means that I have a fatty liver. so I have to lose some weight so that it reduces the liver as
that is the first place you lose weight. She referred me to their on staff endrocrinologist. Then
I had a psychological evaluation, then a physical therapy evaluation and finally a nutritonal
evaluation.
7. Jul 23, 2008- went to see Dr Raum, the endrocinologist and he wants me to start on a liquid
protein diet. they sell it in the office, it is called nutri-med it costs about $1.00 per serving.
I am to drink 4 shakes a day, eat a yogurt and one healthy choice meal. He said I had a little
bit of a heart murmur which is common in overweight people as your heart has to pump
harder.
same day went and saw Dr.Leng ( since it is on nw 22nd try to schedule several appts together
to save on gas and time) he is in the sleep disorders clinic. they make you get a sleep study
done as 70-75% of overweight people have sleep apnea and are undiagnosed. except for the
weight, I don't fit the criteria, no snoring, stopping breathing in my sleep, neck circumference
17 inches or larger, etc. so they scheduled me a sleep study
8. August 1, 2008- had to be at the sleep study center at good samaritan hospital by 8pm
I was the last patient to arrive. they hook you up to what seems like a million wires, they put
this goopy shit on electrodes and hook them to your head, legs chest, neck and then it has all
wires attached. and you have to wear a device under your nose to register your breathing.
anyway basically a big pain in the ass! I didn't sleep well, in a different bed ( missed my
tempurpedic bed) it was hot in the room, they finally brought me a fan after I complained.
I can't help it if I am a hot-blooded woman!! and then they wake you up at o dark thirty ie
6am and unhook and kick you out! I went home and took a nap in my own bed! glad it was
over! one step closer!
9. August 18, 2008-got a call from Dr. Leng, the sleep study did find that I have sleep apnea
I had 22 times per hour of some kind of incidence that i was woken up, stopped breathing,etc.
I was actually very surprised. I have to get a cpap machine
10. August 27, 2008-picked up cpap machine, had a appt. with Dr Raum, returned the liquid diet
because I had tried it for a couple of weeks and it gave me the shits!! I mean living in the
bathroom kind of shits, and my stomach hurt, it was terrible. I work full-time and I just
can't live in the bathroom. Usually they don't let people return the nutri-med but I had
called and spoke with them about it, so they said since I was a "special circumstance," they
would return the product and give me my money back, I did lose 8 lbs , which is a good thing!
So then went to Trader Joe's and got some soy protein powder to try and see if my stomach
can take that. I am lactose intolerant and I told him that from the beginning. he said it doesn't
have the milk protein in it but maybe I am allergic to the milk sugar or one of the other
numerous ingriedients, to hard to narrow down
11. September 4, 2008- had an appointment with the surgeon, Dr. Emma Patterson, I met with
her assistant , first then they have a research assistant come in and ask if you will be a part of
different research studies. I agreed to be in one. Finally get to met Dr Emma Patterson-she
is the one who gives the first original seminar. they have 3 doctors in this office and you get
to pick the doctor you want. I picked her. She kept staring at my stomach and she says I am
sorry I keep staring at your stomach but it's big, I'll need some muscle to cut thru your
stomach. that's why they want me to lose some weight to loosen up my stomach, because
they do the surgery laparoscopically they have to blow your stomach up to see what they
are doing. She said around here we like big buts versus big guts, I said well sorry I am a Big
Gut Girl!! since most of my weight is around my middle, the worst kind as they say, the apple
shape, highest risk for heart disease.
so I guess my point of all of this is to show you that it isn't the easy way out, there is alot involved and from the first information seminar to surgery date is 6 months. and there are alot of things that I have had to do and will have to continue to do so it's by far the "Easy Way Out"
thanks for all who love and support me, I really appreciate it!

Surgery Date

2008-09-18T11:00:00.000-07:00

got the call from the dr's office this morning. my surgery is scheduled for monday, October 20th.
32 days away! They had orginally told me that it could take 4-6 weeks for pre-authorization, in reality it only took 2 weeks, exactly. which is good and I am happy about. Sometimes these insurances can be a pain in the butt. I could have had the surgery as early as the 8th but still have some weight to lose, as the dr requested. I had tried their liquid diet, nutri-med but it gave me the shits! so I finally called and said I can't do this anymore. I have to work full time and can't live in the bathroom, thank you very much. So I went back in and saw the dr. usually they don't let you return that stuff but they did me because they said it was special circumstances. They said that noone else had any problems with it. So not sure if that's the truth or if people are just suffering with the shits! I am lactose intolerant so I am now trying a soy protein powder that I found at Trader Joe's that seems to be agreeing with my system ie no shits!!Thank God! I saw my friend Kim this morning and she said she can tell that I have lost some weight, so glad to hear that. Thanks Kim, you're the best! So I am feeling excited, happy and nervous all at once. It's the end of this journey, getting to the surgery part and the start of a new journey..........some serious weight loss. I know their's a Hot, Sexy woman, waiting to get out!! Can't wait to see her!!

Meeting the doctor

2008-09-15T16:31:00.000-07:00

so last week on the 4th I met with the surgeon to hopefully set a date for the gastric bypass surgery. I got to meet her, Dr Emma Patterson and her assistant. she wants me to lose another 10lbs I have already lost 8 lbs so another 10 on top of that. My favorite, dieting!! One thing I can say about me is that I am the Queen of Dieting!! I know how to diet but I just can't seem to get the weight off or keep it off, it has been a struggle for me for the past 30 years, since I was 15 years old. It's time to give up the fight of trying to lose weight and keep it off. I hope this surgery will be a tool that I can use to fight that fight and win!! So I am now waiting for a pre-approval from my insurance company and then they will schedule the date, should be around the end of october or first of november. I am nervous and excited at the same time! It will be a new journey in my life.