mindyb

so, i've been dealing with weight issues from the earliest memory i have. whether or not i was actually overweight, i always thought i was because of what my family told me. now that i look at pictures of myself back then, i say, "what were they talking about?". growing up like that, i guess i started to eat more because i think it's a form of control. "no one is going to tell me what to do!", that's right! all the way up to 270 pounds (at 5'4") with hypertension, ridiculous cholesterol, probably had a heart attack based on my ekg that has shown a left bundle branch block for the last 6 years, sleep apnea, and a variety of other things that have prevented me from a lot of life experiences. i had also been a smoker since childhood (not kidding) and smoked newports - at times in my life, 2-3 packs a day. WHAT A MESS I WAS!

well, last june i quit smoking . . . finally! with no problem, no cravings after the 2nd day was over. couldn't believe it! i quit because i really wanted to have the sleeve, and they told me i had to quit to have the surgery. now i've been told a thousand times that i have to quit smoking for one thing or another, but i never did it. i also know lots of people that have quit a week before the surgery, and then they go back to smoking after the surgery, i didn't want to be one of those people.

i am a kaiser patient, so i had to do the 12 week class, and i did it, followed their 1400 calorie diet, lost 13 % of my weight and i was really happy! i had to now wait to get an appointment with the surgeon . . . i waited, and waited . . . and while waiting, i gained like 15 pounds back! argh!!!!! i met the surgeon finally in november, and he said DO NOT GAIN WEIGHT! and he would even like it if i lost an extra 10 pounds in order to make lifting the liver easier. i was given a surgery date of february 10, 2011! awesome! that's a really long time away . . . so of course i gained another 20 pounds . . . ok, so the next thing i know it's christmas . . . my job announces a competition for weight loss . . . couldn't have come at a better time! i'm very competitive. it started on 1/3/11, and so did i! by the time i went to my surgery appt. i was down 7 from when i went to the surgeon originally! i made it! i was worried, because i knew my surgeon had sent someone home for a 12 pound weight gain.

anyway, here i am today, having lost 19 pounds since 2/10/11, and it's not quite a month yet. they say they average from 15-30 pound weight loss in the first month. i would have preferred to be in the 30 pound range, but i guess i should be happy with what i have! i am still 9 months out from not smoking, and i have lost 47 pounds all together from my highest weight at christmas. i still have 93 pounds to go, and i think i'll get there. just not tomorrow!

the best part of all this, is that i can already do things i couldn't do before. i can get on the floor and play with my son, i can drop something and not leave it there until i can get someone to pick it up. i can get up and down with less pain. i am no longer taking any medications for blood pressure, or cholesterol or for anything else! i'm only taking vitamins and prilosec with antibiotics to get rid of this h pyloric ulcer i found out i had! not too bad. i still need to sleep with the sleep apnea machine, but i don't because i'm too lazy to call them to get a new mask that fits me! it's too big and leaks now!

my life partner had the surgery this past thursday. we are on an adventure now. we really want to live a long time . . . look what love can do! i can't wait to do the next chapter with her!

that's about it about me.