mezanne1401

If you have ever had kidney pain, you can immediately tell the difference between back pain and kidney pain. I have suffered from both in the past and I would take back pain any day over kidney pain. Aside from a bone marrow biopsy, kidney stones gave me the worst pain I've had in my entire life. It is relentless.

Seems to be a popular topic today! I was hospitalized about a month after surgery with bilateral kidney stones. I had a history of them in the past. Because my fluid intake dropped so dramatically, the stone nailed me hard time. I had three surgeries afterwards and have not had a single problem since.

I was also hospitalized with bilateral kidney stones shortly after surgery. I have a history of them anyway, but I wasn't getting enough Water, but thought I was doing pretty good. Mine were also calcium stones. I had to have a ureteroscopic stone extraction under general anesthesia to get the stone that had stuck to my ureter and ended up having bilateral ESWL's to get rid of them completely. I has been about 11 months since that adventure and I haven't had any problems since. If they offer the bilateral ESWL, I highly recommend you do it as it should get the little fragments out for good. I wish I would have done that the first time they offered it. Good luck!!!

It has been a very long time since I've posted mainly because I couldn't log in with my password, but that is definitely not the point here. Just thought I should explain the absence!!! A little history of me! I started preop on Halloween last year and had my surgery on November 12, 2012. To date, I have lost 135 pounds!!!! I went from 327 to 192. I was a size 26 jeans, 4X shirt. I am now in a size 12 jeans and an XL shirt (the "girls" haven't shrunk hardly at all, unfortunately!!!). I've even had to get my wedding ring sized down two sizes and probably needed to go down one more. My feet are smaller too and I now wear my beloved "hooker heels" simply because I can!!! I had been working from home for the past 5 years because I couldn't physically handle my nursing job anymore. I am now in the process of getting my nursing license reactivated so I can get back out in the real world. I never knew life could be so good! When I met my husband when I was a senior in high school 13 years ago, I weighed 208 pounds. Even he has never known me this size! I made a surprise visit to my surgeon's office last week. Unfortunately he was not in hype office, but my coordinator was and she was thrilled with my progress! She asked me if I would be willing to come back to town (we've since moved 3 hours away) to be a guest speaker on my success at my surgeon's seminar he is hosting in December. I accepted and now am trying to write my journey down on paper. I sure wish I would have kept a journal. Fat the first time in my entire life, two people have told me that it was time for me to stop losing weight. If I keep losing too much, I won't look healthy. Never did I ever think I would hear those words. So, I present my latest progress pics!!!!

Best decision ever!!! Had surgery on 11/12/12!!!

I am certainly not the poster child for the sleeve. I was very noncompliant with my Vitamins because they either made me itch uncontrollably or made my mouth of numb. I finally quit with the chewables and gummies and went with the pill version. Much better now. I haven't exercised by going to the gym, but I do walk a lot with my dogs, go swimming and take the stairs instead of the elevator at my apartment. While I haven't exercised, I have been active. I'm no longer sedentary. Now the reason I haven't been sedentary isn't because I'm thinking "I need to get up and do something". It is because I have so much more energy that I don't like just sitting at home any more! I get bored easily now and like to go out and do stuff. I'm not embarrassed to be seen any more. I haven't been a calorie counter or fat tracker in my diet. I eat what I want, but with severe limitation. I am still limited to about 4 ounces per meal. I do throw up quite a bit considering I am so far out, but it is mainly because there is something in my food that has a stupid hidden onion in it!!! Onions are definitely my kryptonite. We eat out more than we should by any standard, so I don't know their recipe or anything like that. We go to Waffle House every Sunday morning for our family Breakfast and I would get some hashbrowns and an egg. Because they cook the hashbrowns on the same grill as the onions, I would throw up every time. I thought for a while that maybe I was eating too much or too fast or whatever deadly sin a sleever has, but when it dawned on me, it was a true epiphany. I finally ordered just a chicken breast. It is cooked on the meat grill where no onions are cooked and I kept it down like a champ. Now all of the waitresses know me and know what I want so I really can't deviate as they are looking out for me too!!! The best thing in the world that I eat and tolerate like a pro is fresh crab (which we have an abundance of here in the Gulf), so I do use that as an excuse to eat a lot of steamed crab!!! I can think of worse things!!!! So, again, I'm by no means perfect in this process. Oh, and the biggest thing that I have done to date is NO SODAS!!!! I haven't had a soda in almost a year. I know some have gotten back to diet soda, but I will never put another sip in my mouth. I have taken a taste (a couple of times by mistake, but a couple of times just to see what I was so obsessed with) and I absolutely find them revolting!!!! That is one huge thing about my sleeve that I am most grateful for!!! I do attribute that to a lot of my weight loss in that I have cut out God knows how many calories by giving those up!! I remember reading the success stories when I was about to have surgery and I thought I would never get there. I would never know what it would be like a year out. I have no will power at all, but that doesn't really matter when you can't do something. When you are forced to eat smaller portions, you will get to a year out. This has been the most amazing year though it has been filled with many trials and tribulations. It has been a fast year!!! I can't believe I'm almost a year out and almost to goal!!!! I never in a million years would have ever thought that this would be the new me. I never knew life was beautiful. I never knew I was beautiful. I never knew surgery scars were beautiful. One last pic that kind of shocked me too...

These are the exact words that came pouring out of my niece's mouth when she saw me last weekend!!! Mind you, I am not SMALL by any stretch of the imagination, but since she has only known me fat, I guess I do look quite different! I haven't posted on here in a while since I'm back in the real world again. I was such a hermit when I weighed 300+ pounds. I quit working from home and now have an amazing job! I'm enjoying my life again and I didn't think that was possible. I have officially lost...drum roll please...113 pounds!!!!!! People look me in the eyes now! I didn't realize how invisible I had become. I notice that now I look people in the eyes. I was hidden underneath an enormous layer of fat and shame. The world is different now. The world is beautiful. I am beautiful. I like to take pics with my husband. I like compliments. The nickname at work is "Smiley"! At first they thought I was "another fake department head just sitting on their ass". I was recently told this by a co-worker. I held my head up and explained that nobody up there understood why I was so happy and if they would ask me, I would tell them that I have lost 100+ pounds and I have nothing to be sad about anymore! I bust my butt at work and it shows! They see me walking and moving around all day and not just sitting there. They like me now (which on a human level does make me feel better), but they like me because I can help put a smile on their face with my stories. They like me because I live my life. They like me because I like me! This has been the most physically demanding job I have ever had, but because of my weight loss, I can do my job and do it well! I started this job a month ago this week and I have lost an additional 20 pounds since I started! I've been working my butt off, quite literally! So, to all the "rookies", keep your head up! I'm 8 months out today and this has been the best 8 months I can remember and also the most difficult and worth every bit of it!!!! Here is the most recent pic of my sweet little family!

I was a HUGE soda addict. I haven't had a soda since before surgery in November. I accidentally (and it really was an accident) took a big swig of my mom's root beer from McDonalds because I thought it was my tea. It was disgusting!!!! Over the moths, I thought about the root beer and tried a very small sip of a few different old favorites of mine and they were terrible. I never thought anything could fix that addiction, but it has! I drink nothing but tea and love it! I did try a Coke Icee and even the small amount of carbonation really made me gassy and uncomfortable. I don't miss them even a little bitty bit. I used to drink literally 6-12 Pepsi's per day before surgery and I know that is part of what made me so huge! No thank you! I'd like to keep this weight off!

So heartbreaking! My prayers and thoughts for his family and friends. It is so easy to take this whole thing for granted if one has not had any complications! My heart is saddened at this news.

My feel good moments are when my mom walks behind me and starts laughing at my droopy pants when they used to fit even a week before! I'm no longer asked if I prefer a booth or table when we go out to eat and they sit us in a booth. Then while in the booth, I can turn sideways in it to talk to my husband face to face. My feel good moment is to hear someone say "I'm so proud of you!" My feel good moment is being able to help my husband load up our old couch and lift it over my head without any pain or struggle! No more back pain! It is truly amazing!! And my biggest, happiest moment is when I took a before and during pic of my progress at 70 pounds lost (and I'm down 83 pounds today!!!)

It really does get better! I was the same way for the better part of a month. With the weight loss comes a flood of hormones that were stored in the fat and that doesn't help even a smidge! Plus, everyone else was normal and I wasn't, so I felt like an outsider in my own family. I tried to be normal and made myself sick all of the time. I would cry because of that. I would cry because I couldn't pick a restaurant to eat at because I had no cravings. I would cry because I couldn't see the progress. I would cry because my husband would make a non-hurtful joke. Hell, I would cry because he said my name differently! I was a mess. Then about a month later, I chilled out and calmed down. My father told me on my birthday in January (I was sleeved 11/12/12) "Go bake yourself a birthday cake and look at it!" I could finally laugh at jokes again and I could even crack a few good ones myself at my own expense. Hang in there and just keep the Kleenex handy!

I was sleeved 11/12/12 and am down a total of 83 pounds including 17 pounds on 10-day preop diet. I lost like 20 pounds per month and then from January to February, I lost like 12 pounds. I knew for a fact that my surgeon would be disappointed with my loss. I told him just that and he told me to basically shut up!!! He said I was doing just fine and from Feb to March, I lost another 11-12 pounds. My surgeon said "How long has it been since you lost 10 pounds in a month and didn't gain 10 pounds in a month?" So, you're fine!!! Quit that damned whining and get back to losin'!!!! ;-P

Guys, stay clear! Ladies (and the guys who read beyond the first sentence), I apologize for the TMI, but I need to vent and can't do so on FB. Since we've all talked about sex, bowel movements and wounds, I figure I'm safe here! I have never had regular periods. Even when I was a teenager, I would go two or three months without one, but since I was a virgin until I was 18 and have only been with one man, my husband, I never worried about being pregnant like others normally would! So, the bigger/heavier I got, the fewer periods I would have. I haven't had a period in probably a year now and I started yesterday. I'm wondering now if I will start to be regular since I've lost weight. I weighed 215 pounds in high school and right now I am 245 (down 82 pounds!!!!), so I've never been at a healthy weight to see if a normal weight would have me regular. With that little bit of my personal history aside, I've never been quite so happy to start!!!! Maybe one day I will be healthy enough to finally have a baby!!!! I'm 31 now and have been married for 11 years (12 in April) and my husband would love to have a child. I've always played the "We can't afford a child" or "I'm not quite ready yet" cards, but secretly I was scared because I knew deep in my heart that I could not add another 30-50 pounds to my 327 pounds. I knew I wouldn't be able to pick up my child out of their crib because of my debilitating back pain. Now, my back pain is GONE!!! I lifted a couch over my head with my husband to load it into his truck. I will be able to pick up my baby and play with my baby!!!! I am now excited about getting to goal because of more than just getting to goal! We can start trying for a baby soon!!! I'm over half way to goal, so it may be here sooner than I thought. My mom will finally get her first grandbaby (I'm an only child). My only living grandparent, my grandma, will finally get her great grandbaby (I'm the only grandchild). My husband is the only son without a baby and we get treated very differently by his side of the family because we haven't given his mother a grandbaby and maybe that will stop! I think I'm almost ready for a baby!!!! I haven't told anyone about these feelings as they have just sort of exploded from me as I'm writing this! I've gone off on a tangent since I've just had an epiphany with this post. What I originally meant to post about was being on my period after WLS and wanting to eat everything in site! OMG!!! I have been sucking on suckers to ease the sweets cravings and munching on peanuts like crazy! I know these are not healthy at all and I know I will get bashed for that, but the need to munch and snack is insatiable! I never thought about this before surgery because I was so irregular, but at this moment, I could go to Golden Corral and stick my head under the chocolate waterfall thingy and not feel an ounce of regret!!!! Only five days left and I will be so glad when I'm back to my new old self!!!! Sorry for the super long post! I think it was a little therapeutic!!!

Ahhh, yes...the dreaded "3-week stall"! Basically, what happens is your body goes into "survival mode". Because we lose so quickly, the body will frak out so to speak. Your body will think that it will die because you are starving yourself and it will grab on to any fat reserves to keep you alive, even though you are perfectly healthy. You will hit a few stalls. It is aggravating, but don't be a scale ***** (like I am). I used to weigh almost daily. Between Jan 16 and Feb 18, I stalled a few times and only lost 12 pounds, where had been losing 20 per month. I got really bummed about it and quit weighing. I'm out of that stall now, thankfully!!! Scales are evil now! Just stay off of them!!! Good luck!

I've been looking at some old pics of myself lately. I have been looking at my old clothing too. I notice little things like having to move my car seat up because I couldn't reach the steering wheel and not having to sit in the big chairs when we go to play bingo. These are all inspiring, but makes me a little sad at the same time. It makes me sad because before losing this weight, I didn't see myself as being as big as I really was. I knew I wasn't a little obese, but I never thought I looked like I weighed 327 pounds. I thought I carried it well. I wish I wouldn't have been so blind to the problem so I could have fixed it years ago! I can't believe I let myself get to that point. Just thought I would not down my little thought for the day! Have a good week everyone!!!

What you are feeling is completely normal. I was concerned also that I would still want to eat as much as I did before surgery, but after surgery was a whole different story. I have very little desire to eat most of the time. I do not have near as many cravings as I did before surgery. That for me is the best part in that I am not craving unhealthy foods. The day of my surgery, I went into the operating room starving to death. I had been on a two shake a day diet for two weeks and was ready to gnaw my own arm off to satisfy the hunger. Thankfully, I restrained and still have both of my limbs. When I was back in my room after surgery, I realized quickly that I wasn't hungry. For the rest of the day, I expected to be hungry as I normally would be, and I never was. The next day, same thing. I had my surgery on November 12, and even now I am not hungry most of the time. Sometimes, when I do feel hunger, it is strangely enough heartburn. I take some Gaviscon liquid and the hunger goes anyway. Many days, I have to force myself to eat something. There are days however when I do feel hungry quite a bit. I will take a couple of bites of a protein of some sort, and the hunger will go away and usually will stay away with the more protein that I eat. So, what you are feeling is a normal fear. Keep your head up and good luck with your surgery at the end of the month.

I couldn't see the difference my family raved about...until today when I did a side-by-side comparison! 70 pounds lost forever!!!

Thank you all so much! The cheesy posing pic is a celebration because the pants are a size 18 (was a 24)!!!! I was so excited! I have more of me jumping around in excitement, but they were too blurry!!!

My niece and I spent the day together yesterday. We had such a great time together!! She is 21, 5'7", 230 lbs although she looks bigger than that to me, but I'm certainly not one to judge. She was so excited for me when I had my surgery! Yesterday I took her to Long John Silvers, one of her favorites. I got the popcorn shrimp and she got a huge platter. I ate three pieces of shrimp and was full and I sat there while she finished her platter. She said after I finished that she wished she could get the surgery so she could eat as much as I do now. I told her that the surgery should be her last resort, but I feel like such a hypocrite. It was my last resort. I know my niece. We share everything and I just don't see her changing her lifestyle enough to have the surgery. I told her about the sodas and mental aspects of it. She says she would give it all up, but I honestly don't see it. I think she is seeing this as a miracle cure and super easy. My weight loss has been amazing (down 65 pounds since Oct 31), but it hasn't been "easy"! This surgery to me has been a mind screw! I've had to battle my brain more than anything else. I know she wants a quick resolve and I don't know how to tell her that it isn't a good idea for her right now. I would support anyone wanting this, but I can't get behind her on this quite yet. I'm so aggravated at myself for not supporting her on wanting this, but I know she thinks this is the easy way out and I know we can all attest that it is not at all. The good thing though is that she has no insurance and no way at all to pay for it herself, so I am putting the horse before the cart, but I don't want her to say screw the diets, I'll just eat what I want until I can get the surgery!

Yay!!! I love asparagus and was hoping that it was okay. I'm off to the grocery store now!!!

I had surgery on Nov. 12. Can I now have asparagus??? I don't have another appointment with my surgeon until Tuesday and asparagus sounds delicious tonight!

I know it sounds like I am being mean by not wanting her to do this right now, but I know her, probably better than her own parents. I do know that she is not mature enough for this journey. Good Lord, she just stopped sucking her thumb 2 years ago and still watches SpongeBob!!! That's more of an inside joke between the two of us, but she has been pampered and spoiled all of her life. Instead of working for something, she has had it handed to her on a tarnished silver platter. I'm sure you can all say that you are working on the weight loss as the sleeve "is just a tool". She thinks the weight loss will come to her easily, that she won't have to work at this. As previously mentioned, I have told her about the preop diet of Protein shakes where I lost17 pounds in 2 weeks. Then I told her about the high protein, low/no carbs, low/no salt and Water. Her response...."I hate water!" Also, the fast food, stupid idea, I know. That is a no brainer, but it happened and it's done with. I'm still working on the mental aspects of social eating. That being said and in my defense, I always pay for her when we eat and she was talking Outback, Red Lobster or Olive Garden and I didn't have time for a long sit down meal and didn't want to spend that much money. If she does have the surgery or make up her mind to have it, then I will support her 150%!!! I know how hard this has been for me. I don't want to see her miserable or sick and of course, I'm worried of the complications she may face either with the surgery or the complications from noncompliance. I love that kid like she was my own and I have always had a special place in my heart since the first time we were introduced when my husband and I were just dating 13 years ago. I can see so much of me in her even with no blood relation. I was in no way, shape or form responsible/mature enough for this. I wish I would have done it when I was 25, when my back first began to hurt and my weight skyrocketed. Thanks for all the great advice!!

It is no secret now that my mother paid for my sleeve in November. I told her that I would consider that my birthday and Christmas presents for the rest of my life. I need nothing and want for nothing too. I have a great husband, my mother lives with me and I know she is safe from the abusive ex-husband, I'm getting my health back as we speak and I have a new confidence that I never thought I could possess. We had to go to Best Buy because her co,purer died on her and while we were there, she and my husband bought me a new iPad 4 for my birthday!!! I've been on a Facebook boycott and finally decided to start again and found some pics of me before surgery. OMG!!!! I can't believe I had gotten that big and didn't realize it!!!

If I'm not hungry, I will get a glass of water. If I am hungry, I find out what my mom or husband is going to get and I will not order. I will get a little plate and take a very small portion of their plate. They don't mind at all because I can't eat enough to really take most of their food. Sometimes my mom will ask me what I'm in the mood for and I'll tell her (like at Red Lobster) that I wanted the grilled salmon. She will find a plate that has the salmon on it or do the create your own feast. Other times I will ordering the children's menu. It is totally psychological, but sometimes I miss ordering and receiving food. Strange, I know. That's when I normally order on the children's menu.

From what I understood from my doc is no carbonated drinks. I get where you're coming from. When I get a stomach bug, the first thing I grab is ginger ale and my doc said absolutely not. I'm still a sleeve freshman at two months out, so I might be wrong. Just what I got from my doc. Hope you get to feeling better!!!