Nancy Rivers
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Everything posted by Nancy Rivers
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Still Obese - But Blood Tests Say I'm 100% Normal!
Nancy Rivers posted a topic in Weight Loss Surgery Success Stories
I haven't been on here for a while - just been really busy with life (work, school, boyfriend - yes, I actually have one now!). I had my VSG surgery on July 12, 2011. On Wednesday, October 4, 2012 I had a checkup and just got my blood test results back from it and had to share with you. Every single blood test result they were monitoring is now 100% NORMAL - without medication! Prior to my surgery I was diabetic with an A1C of 8.8 - that is now 6.0 with no medication since surgery. My cholesterol is the best it has ever been. My Vitamin D has always been very low - is now in the normal range. No, I'm not taking the supplements like I'm supposed to - but it is still in the normal range. I'm getting it through my normal diet. Yes, my weight has not come off like I have wanted. I am a SLOW looser. My starting weight was 288.8. My current weight: 216.6. My BMI is now 37. Do I care about this? NO. Why? Because I am feeling the best I have EVER felt in my life health wise and my blood work is finally 100% normal (also, probably for the first time in my adult life). As far as I am concerned the VSG is a HUGE success. I have regained my health over and above my wildest dreams. My weight on the scale does not matter. I did this surgery to get my life back - to get my health back. I have! The weight will take care of itself. I will stick with the program of course, but the scale does not rule me. Would I choose to spend the money out of my pocket for this surgery again knowing what I know now? OH HECK YES!!!! It has easily been the best investment I have ever made.- 1 reply
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I was wondering if anyone used the Leslie Sansone DVD's? Are they worth it? I'm just starting out and need something "gentle" at first. With the heat and humidity, I can't walk outside and absolutely HATE the malls. I know I need to start walking more, and was thinking of trying these.
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5 Month Post Gastric Sleeve Surgery Update With Pictures!
Nancy Rivers posted a topic in Weight Loss Surgery Success Stories
So, 5 months after my surgery, I am down 40 pounds from the weight that I was the day of surgery (50 pounds down from a year ago). Last year and this year I was Santa's elf at a local Christmas program. The picture shows me last year and this year. The top is the same one, but obviously, I had to get new pants. -
I had my surgery on July 12. Today is November 5, so I am almost 4 months post-op. I started my journey at 288.8 and now I am at 246.6. Sadly, I have been at this weight (in the 240's) for the last 6 weeks. I'm hoping that breaks soon. I started out in size 28W pants and 3x/4x tops. Today, I am wearing size 22W pants and L/XL tops. Actually, I did try a size 20W pants on and while they do fit, they are very tight - so I am hopeful that they soon won't be so tight. My A1C (measure of blood sugar over a period of 2-3 months) was 8.8 in May. It is now a 6.6. I am completely off my diabetes medications. My cholesterol has become healthier with the HDL at 39 (was 34 5 months ago) and LDL is now below 100 (was over 120 5 months ago). My triglycerides are now in the normal range as well. My blood pressure is now normal instead of borderline high to high. My back still pains me, but my knees are not as painful or sore. I can now stand for a full hour while I do my job. I have not been able to do that in years. I can walk for about 3 miles (prior to surgery it was about 100 feet). I have more energy now than I did before the surgery. I am working out at the gym several times a week and absolutely LOVING it! I never in a million years would have thought that I would ever say that. I actually miss working out when I cannot make it to the gym. No way would I have ever imagined that for me either. Just the other day, I caught a glimpse of myself in a mirror as I was passing by and I did a double take. I recognized myself, but at the same time I did not recognize myself. I am still me - I still look like myself. However, the reflection was not the same person I remember from 4 months ago. It was a very strange feeling, but I liked it. My biggest hurdle so far has been my own head. I had no complications after the surgery. I have not had any issues with eating food. I have been able to eat anything that I have wanted. That in many ways is exacerbating my head hunger problem. I wish I did have some problems with eating some food - if eating a food would make me ill, then maybe my head would finally learn. My problem is making the healthy choices rather than the unhealthy ones that was making prior to surgery. I can eat at a restaurant - typically bringing about 70-80% of my meal home for additional meals (a restaurant meal that I would have eaten before surgery in one sitting now lasts me about 4 or 5 meals). It has been almost 4 months and I have come a long ways. I have an even longer journey still ahead of me. However, I realized today that I am NOT the same person I was 4 months ago. I am still not the person I want to be, but I'm no longer the person who was eating herself to an early grave. Am I happy that I had the surgery? Yes. Would I make the same decision today as I had back in May to have the surgery? Oh heck yes!
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Almost 4 months post-op
Nancy Rivers replied to Nancy Rivers's topic in Weight Loss Surgery Success Stories
Babyt - I spent 1 night in the hospital. When I wasn't sleeping, I was up walking around after getting my head cleared from the anesthesia. I had a little bit of pain that started in my left shoulder from the gas - but I did some shoulder exercises (rotating my arm in different ways) and the pain went away and never came back. I also made sure to give myself a pain shot before getting out of bed each time. As a result, I really didn't have too much pain. I had no nausea and had no problems getting the liquids down once I was allowed to have them. I was given a prescription for pain medication and another for nausea. I never filled the pain prescription and only took 1 pill of the nausea medication and that was primarily so I could sleep through the night after not sleeping well for the previous 4 nights at home. After waking up so groggy after taking the one pill, I vowed I would not take another unless it was absolutely necessary (which it wasn't). I was very lucky in that regard. I did not take anything but my cell phone with me to the hospital as I needed to call my ride when they were to release me. I was glad of that since I really didn't feel like doing anything else. I wore home the same clothes that I wore to the hospital (which were relatively loose fitting around the waist). -
One of my favorite authors, Terry Goodkind, is releasing a new book in a couple of weeks. His publishers have designed a couple of contests for his fan base. Well, I entered of course. Tonight, I received a phone call from one of the people that works with Terry and was informed that I was one of 3 second place winners in today's drawing! The prize package included an Amazon Kindle and couple of e-books. Well, I already had a kindle, so instead they are giving me a "store credit" to get some other merchandise from the Terry Goodkind store! I can't believe I won! I'm so excited!
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Just got home from Mercy Healthplex Fairfield where I worked out on every machine that Anthony Reed has instructed me on. I also did 10 leg lifts and 10 full situps with the 4 pound weight. All of that after working 12 hours today. I still have a good 2 hours of reading/studying for class tomorrow night to do tonight too. I wonder if I'll sleep well? LOL
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On September 31st, 2011 Facebook will start charging you for your account. To avoid this, you MUST get NAKED, use a PERMANENT marker pen and write on your forehead the word S-U-C-K-E-R, and then stand on your dining room table and do the Macarena, all the while singing ”I Will Survive”. After filming and posting it to your Facebook wall and YouTube, then, and only then, will Mark Zuckerberg come down your chimney to tell you that your account will stay free
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Did my workout today. I did all the machines that Anthony Reed said I should work on plus 2 more from the week before. Then I spent about 45 minutes in the therapy pool doing kicks and arm exercises. I can actually float better now than I ever have before! I had always sunk like a rock before. Now floating is fairly easy as long as I'm holding the side of the pool.
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I'm really getting annoyed with the upstairs neighbor. She caused yet ANOTHER leak of her air conditioner, so once again, I have a wet furnace/wall. Now, the music is louder than my TV.
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Good workout today. Anthony Reed properly chastised me for not working out more often last week.
Today I did some stretches and about 15 minutes of gentle workout on the Nu-Step before my training session. We did different exercises today and then afterwards, I jumped in the pool and worked out there for a bit before hitting the whirlpool for a few minutes. -
Standard def on a high def TV really stinks. I wish the CW Cincinnati would go high def.
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ATTENTION.....Please do me a favor and move your mouse over my name here, wait for the box to load and then move your mouse over the "Subscribe" link. Then uncheck the "Comments and Likes". I would really rather that my comments on friends and families posts not be made public, thank You! Then re-post this if you don't want your every single move posted on the right side in the "Ticker Box" for everyone to see.
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Looks like FB listened to us - I now see an option to see the recent stories at the top of the news feed on the right side.
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Had my first Computer Structure & Logic class tonight. Yup, it will be VERY easy for me. In fact the teacher has asked that I help her with class. However, I did finally learn how to convert from decimal to binary to hexadecimal! I've always really struggled with it before, but now it makes sense!
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Well, class last night was about what I expected. I actually ended up teaching the instructor something.
But I got all but 1 thing caught up from last week. Tonight is the Computer Structure and Logic class. This has the potential to be interesting, but I bet it's not. Last night I met a couple of people who will be in tonight's class and found out how much I missed last week. Geesh... -
KEEP THIS TRUCK MOVING AND SHOW OUR DISLIKE!!!─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ▄ ▌ ▐ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▌─ ─ ─ ▄ ▄ █ █ ▌ █ ░ ♥ ░ CHANGE OUR FACE BOOK BACK ░░ ♥░♥░▐▄ ▄ ▄ ▌ ▐ █ █ ▌ █ ░ ♥ ░ WE DON'T LIKE THIS LOOK ░░░ ░ ♥░ ♥ ░▐█ █ █ █ █ █ █ ▌ █ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▌▀ (@) ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ (@)(@) ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ (@) ▀ ▘TO ALL THOSE WHO HATE THIS NEW FACE BOOK...PLEASE REPOST
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Ughh... Facebook now insists on showing top stories instead of recent stories in the news feed. Why did they have to change that? I want the old way back!
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Looking over my books and DVD's that are for my classes that I start tomorrow. One class looks to be preparing for A+ Certification. I first got my A+ back in 2002 and then again in 2007. The other class looks to be an orientation class. This should be an easy term.
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Did a "dry run" from work to ITT Tech tonight and it took exactly 30 minutes like I thought it would. I didn't have to be there tonight, but do on Wed and Thurs, so it's nice to know how long it will take during rush hour. I think I'll do another tomorrow, but taking a slightly different route and see if that might be any quicker.
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Gotta love my sleeve. On Saturday I stopped at Firehouse Grill and got a salad for lunch. I've now had 3 meals off of that salad and still have 1/2 of it left! (No dressing on the salad so the lettuce doesn't get yucky - just a little when I eat.)