Katcloudshepherd

Hey Y'all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, I work in San Antonio, live in Lavernia, (36 miles SE of San Antonio). Just a shout-out to everyone. Take Care, GO SPURS!!!!!!!!!GO!!!!!!!

PdxMan, Just re-read your original post after I had initially responded to it. It's as if I didn't see that last line before. This time I started to tear up at: "Take care and don't forget to love yourself." I don't think I was ever taught to love myself. Probably the reason I ended up needing weight loss surgery to begin with. I needed to be reminded of the need to love myself today and frankly, everyday. Love the quip about Type A personalities . Thank you again for the post. Kathleen

KrinstinaRnY, I had a "shotgun" wedding--not because I was pregnant but because we were both in the Army and if we didn't get married we would have been stationed in different states. I was in Korea and Lewis was at Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio, Texas. I had bought the wedding dress at a clearance sale before I went to Korea. We had originally planned to wait until I got back from Korea but the Army was sending me everywhere BUT Fort Sam Houston. We were married in a strip mall at "The Little Wedding Chapel" in San Antonio, TX in 1992. Lewis and I are still married but "The Little Wedding Chapel" has long since closed. He had to arrange everything. The Little Wedding Chapel made it so easy because it was beautifully decorated and had a recommendation for a photographer. We had a very small wedding and the reception was pot-luck at his cousin's house. Lewis even sent me an invitation to may own wedding! He joked that "he wanted to make sure I'd show up" I flew in on a Tuesday and we married the following Saturday. To top it off--he had a herniated disc in his neck fused the month before. The bride had jet lag, (Korea is opposite time of day from South Texas) and the groom was wearing a cervical collar. Large opulent weddings are over-rated. I'd love to know how many of the marriages from over-the-top weddings taking months of planning and stress lasted. I'm all for a small, no fuss wedding. Blessings, Kathleen

cryss, Thank you! What a fantastic idea. I find it fascinating how small things can be utilized to create large successes. I hope and pray you have an easy surgery and an even easier recovery. Blessings, Kathleen

Hello everyone, I mostly shop at Goodwill. I can't afford to spend too much on clothes that won't be the right size for long. That is such a GOOD THING. It is still a thrill to find clothes I can fit in that are smaller than I've been in decades. I'm going to have to be carefull not to transfer that obsession I had with food to something else. Kathleen

The Laughing Cat, Well said. I have to constantly remind myself--I'm in this for MYSELF. Everyone else is primarily concerned about themselves--so I need to focus on myself too! It's not what other people think about me that matters--It's how much I value myself. Overcomming decades of bad programming however, is a daunting task--I must admit. Blessings to you, Kathleen

WhoKnows, I know every doctor is different. As soon as I passed the leak test, my doc had me taking my synthroid tablet and most importantly, my Zoloft tablet before I was discharged from the hospital. I wasn't cleared for capsule type Vitamins until I was a month or two out. I had to take chewables until then. I've read several posts about taking double the dose of children's chewable vitiamins. I'm not a medical professional but makes sense to me as a layperson. I wish you the best. Kathleen

Terribj, I've printed out your response and I'm going to memorize it. I'll be traveling to my home state of Michigan in July to attend my nieces wedding. I haven't visited there since 2009. The only family members I have told about the surgery were my two sisters. I don't know what to expect but I want to be prepared for someone making that utterly ignorant statement--"the easy way out". I hope I live to see the day where obesity is understood to be a life-threatening disease just like cancer or heart disease. I surely hope I live to see the day when people can see that it certainly is NOT lack of willpower, lazyness or lack of discipline that brought me to the point of having WLS. Obesity is just as fatal as cancer or heart disease or any of a myriad of others. In many instances, it just takes longer to kill you. Kathleen

I heartily concur with Texasgrandma. It has only been within the last few days that I am getting back to having MORE energy than pre-surgery. Only recently have I been getting into the "routine" of doing what I need to do. For me, decades of bad habits DO NOT pass easily or quickly . I recently went through several weeks of "mourning" for my old friend, food. Food was ALWAYS there for me, ready to soothe my frazzled nerves, sedate me with the sleepyness of overconsumption. Always readily available, on every corner, for the taking. Whispering seductively into my ear "you'll feel so better if you eat me." Another thing I think people forget: If you were a prime athlete and had any type of surgery recovery would be much easier. THIS NEXT STATEMENT IS NOT, I REPEAT NOT A FORM OF JUDGING US: Most of us come into this surgery totally out of shape, with no exercise habits pre-surgey. Our bodies are totally unfit, so our out of shape bodies are dealing with MAJOR surgery with no stamina and thus recovery is a much longer and daunting task. All I can say is HANG IN THERE. This trip down the loser's highway isn't all fairy dust and unicorn farts for sure! Anyone who thinks it's "easy" can kiss my ever shrinking rear end!!!!! Kathleen

I took myself off of Zoloft. My doctor's were NOT HAPPY. I'm really struggling right now to manage the depression without medication. However, I felt the Zoloft just wasn't working anymore and I DO NOT want to take medication for depression for the rest of my life.

RJ's/beginning, I hope to lose over 100 pounds. I'm very fortunate in that I'm 6 feet tall so I carry the extra weight very well. Most humans seem to have a bulit in need to compare themselves with other humans. Whether it's looks, height, weight, type of vehicle you drive, house you live in, and on and on and on. Back in the caveman days, probably fights broke out over who's cave was better? I think that's why I love my four legged "children" so much. They don't care what I look like, what kind of car I drive or what kind of house we live in. I provide the shelter, food, Water, vet care and they provide the unconditional love. Kathleen

PdxMan, You are so correct. I see my job as this: One day at a time I am to drink the liquid I need to drink, consume the Protein I need to consume and be as active as I can possibly be. Keeping track of the weight loss and everything else is MY DOCTOR'S JOB. I do keep a graph of what I weigh at my follow-up visits--to me that's all I need. I am to do what I am responsible for one day at a time. I cannot compare myself to others--different mamas and daddies--different DNA--different lives. Kathleen

RJ'S/beginning, I'm so happy for you!!!!!!!!! My hubbby just keeps saying: "You're lookin' good babe!". Feels good. Kathleen

Congratulations, You're very fortunte. I have Humana PPO, under the Federal Employee benefits program. I had to pay $600.00 for the two night hospital stay, $1,187.00 for surgeon's fees and a portion of the pre-srugery lab work, can't remember how much. Welcome to the loser's bench! Kathleen

Recycled, Congratulations on your weight loss. You're doing great. For me, dealing with the mental issues has been a daunting task as of late. Without the food to numb me and stuff the emotions down, I've had to DEAL with the emotional issues that brought me to WLS. I agree about proding yourself to work out. I want to blow it off every darn time. I exercise after work, since I am in San Antonio for work and live in the next county over, (Wilson county). That is why I pack my work out gear the night before and have it in my vehicle. Gives me less of an excuse to blow it off. I tell myself: "you've got the gear in the car--get your butt to the gym." I can only do one day at time. Something that really stuck with me during my time attending Overeaters Anonymous meetings--seriously thinking about going back to them. It would help me spiritually. The one thing about the meetings I remember was the absolute acceptance I felt at those meetings. No one judged me and I was accepted for who I was. Kathleen

Holy frazzoli!!!!!!!!!!!! Congratulations on your weight loss!!!!!! I hope your lower body lift goes well and you have an easy recovery from the surgery. Blessings, Kathleen

proudgrammy, Good for you! I've been getting Botox for a long time. Just had some neck tightening done yesterday. The procedure I underwent uses radio waves to tighten the skin. I am doing this on my neck and face. The Botox helps with the wrinkles. Several years ago I had a filler-not Juvaderm, starts with an "A"-Artifill? The filler I used lasts several years. Juvaderm lasts one year. I'm goling to continue to use as many non-surgical techniques, (Botox, fillers, radio wave tigtening, etc.) for as long as I can. Plastic surgery only lasts so many years. That's why you see those celebrities with the distorted faces. They start having plastic surgery, it runs it's course and is no longer effective and they have another one.... and on and on until they look freakish. I wish you luck. My advice would be to research non-surgical techniques--they have given me the most bang for the buck. Blessings, Kathleen

Ivowtodoit, I wish you the very best of luck with which ever surgery you have. I visit this site so often because only those of us who have undergone WLS can truly understand and emphathize with each other. Which ever surgery you end up with, walk, walk, and walk as much as you can to get rid of the CO2 and also so important once they allow you to---sip, sip, sip. I have found so much support through this computer screen and truly wish I could meet people from this site face to face to thank them for their words of wisdom. Blessings, Kathleen

jennynoblemiller, Is it "normal" to question undergoing major surgery to treat an ongoing health problem? Is it "normal" to question removing a viable body organ? Is it "normal" to have doubts and fears about undergoing major surgery? Well YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'd say VERY NORMAL. IF you didn't question your desire for surgery--that wouldn't be normal. If you didn't have doubts, fears or anxiety--that wouldn't be normal either. I hope you have an uneventfull, sucuessful surgery and easy recovery. Blessings, Kathleen pbucks, I understand your trepidation about changing your eating habits. I think the mental part of this trip down the losers road is so much tougher than the physical part. That being said, I wouldn't change my decision at all. I am so much better off without 80% of my stomach and the problems that stuffing it with food brought me. I hope your surgery goes well and you have an easy recovery, Blessings, Kathleen

leeann71, I'd say the root cause of my obesity was the sexual abuse in my childhood. Only happened once but what a profound, deep scar it imbeded on my spirit. I turned to food to soothe me in my alcoholic, dysfuntional home. Food was my friend and was AlWAYS there for me. It never turned away from me, called me names, made me feel unloved or inadequate. It was readily and easily available. Overeating put me in a stupor and buried those emotions I didn't want to deal with. I think food was the way I survived my "childhood". I put it in quotes because at times, it wasn't much of one. One of the results of this is I live in South Texas, a few thousand miles from my family. I'm going to Michigan in July to attend a wedding. I'm actually not looking forward to being in that environment again. I wish there was some kind of "brain cleaner" so I could flush those memories out. God, why is it so hard to put the past IN THE PAST and just move on? What I wouldn't give to flip a switch and just get on with my life without the past. I guess I need to see the flipside and realize--that very past which was so difficult at the time, has made me the strong, independent woman I am today. It also gave me the absolute determination to loose 75 pounds and join the Army so I could leave that small town and get an education, in both the world and at college. Got out of the Army and quit smoking--weight came back with an absolute vengence. That's what brought me to weight loss surgery. Took the same determination to escape that small town I had in my twenties and applied it to the surgery. Now here I am, strong, independent and a smaller size to boot! Clothes are falling off and a regular thrift store shopper--out of sheer necessity. Sorry to go so long and off on a tangent. Blessings, Kathleen

I'm right there with y'all. Had my surgery 12/11/13 and my hair has been coming out by the handfull. I'll start saving it and putting it on my roses. My scalp seems to be drier than before too, very itchy. I try my best to stretch out the time between washing and use a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner AND a leave in conditioner. I'll be glad when I'm through this phase. Kathleen

Ladies, I alas am also an "L" in the ta-ta area. I guess my big belly was in the way before? Now they hang down low, travel to a fro--if I'm now wearing a bra ; >-- Well, I wouldn't trade my two "L's" for what I had before any day! Have a good one. Kathleen

Welcome to the losers bench! I was a fat child and was teased all through school. Lost about 75 pounds to join the Army. Spent seven years and a few months in the Army and as soon as I got out and quit smoking--weight came back with a vengence. Just a tiny suggestion, please turn the Caps Lock off on your keyboard. Text that is all capitalized is the equivelant of shouting when you're posting. Like I said, just a tiny suggestion because I know you want to shout about your positive turn! Blessings, Kathleen