istytehcrawk

I joined a gym last night for the first time in my life. Right now I'm only joining for the pool/water aerobics, but who knows what the future holds!

Three months post-op today and I'm down 54 pounds. My A1C, which was 10.8 a month prior to surgery, is now at 5.5! Plus, I have gone from a 5x to a 2x  Just broke the 250 mark, and can't wait to get to Onederland!

Today I hit 299. Feels really good to be below 3 bills!

Down another three pounds and had my one-month post-surgery follow-up (although its actually be 7 weeks tomorrow, their scheduling sucks). The nurse practitioner was pleased with my weight loss (36 pounds in 7 weeks) and told me I was cleared to go back to water aerobics and whatever else I would like to pursue exercise wise. Now to find a new pair of tennis shoes

Uh oh! Something happened to Matty this week. I was in a local Wawa (think east coast convenience store) and a gorgeous girl ran smack into me while I was grabbing a grape Propel - just couldn't deal with anymore water today. She was texting and walking ... okay, yeah, this missed me as Gen X'er. Well she looked up at me and flashed me one helluva smile. I was feeling pretty good that day so it was time to bring out some game, "So you know I can't let a gorgeous girl who crashes into me go without getting her phone number." LOL! She turned beet red, asked for my phone and sent herself a text message from mine. She said, "Because you men never call ..." I don't know quite what I was thinking but figured it would be one heck of a ride. What is it with me and short girls? I seem to attract them and I don't honestly care about height. She's all of 5'4". I knew she was young but it didn't occur to me how young. What did I just get myself into?
I told myself no dating until the scale reads 190 but this new me is feeling sexually driven like I have never been before. Well, she's right I wasn't really planning on calling her so she called me. So I told her my age (41) and was shocked to hear that she generally goes for men older than 35. We must've talked on the phone close to 3 hours. You're going to think I am lying when I tell you she's a 3rd year med student and is interested in training to be a bariatric surgeon. The stars might've just aligned but I want to go slow and told her that I had weight loss surgery. She's totally my type - the professional, highly educated, and ambitious woman. That's what frightens me, because in the past, this has lead to unhealthy relationships. Well, I've got a date lined up for Saturday and I just want to have some fun. I needed money in order to make this happen so I sold a bunch of old computer equipment and managed to raise some capital for this adventure. I know I won't be drinking alcohol but that's okay.

Started transitioning into vegetarianism. First day has gone good so far!

Finally made it below 350 pounds and am exactly 80 pounds down from my highest weight!

Good morning, everyone. I know I've been gone for a bit but I am doing so much better now. It seems as if I am healing right up. The nausea is completely gone and the only time I get an upset stomach is if I eat too quickly. Alas, this is still something of a learning curve. On the upshot, I am ready to return to work and I am going back to tractor trailer driving because it's the best path to make a decent living given my skill set. On July 3rd, I will be starting for Schneider. It's been a few years since I've been behind the wheel of such a big vehicle so I chose the free training (and I don't have to sign an agreement either) offered by Schneider. The particular driving that I got hired for is all Mid-West lanes dedicated to Home Depot so there is no East Coast and no West Coast. In fact, just four states ... CO, NE, MO, and KS. The job is 3 weeks on/1 week off and they fly me between my home in Philadelphia and Kansas City. All in all not a bad deal.

One month check-in: Down 27 pounds and 16 inches! Love that I've had to buy some new clothes already

Cooked refried beans in the Instant Pot and got some 2-ounce containers ready for pureed phase on Friday! Pics in my personal thread  

Sorry I've been missing for a while! I've been swamped with work and other responsibilities. Just know I love all the supportive messages and comments <3 You guys are the best! I recently found out I was accepted to a film preservation school this fall so I've been getting ready to move to Rochester, NY!

20 days out from surgery and I've dropped 20 pounds (in addition to the 10 pounds I gained while in hospital and lost within a week of returning home). 

Thank you @Frustr8, @Creekimp13, and @FluffyChix for all the concern and well-wishes. Here is the update. I have a stomach ulcer infected with H. Pylori. This isn't good news because it needs to get treated with a pretty serious course of antibiotics. The upshot is we know what's going on. The downside is that I am looking at 6-8 weeks of antibiotics to fight this little b*stard off. I will also need another endoscopy in a month to make certain that the course of antibiotics is working. H. Pylori is a nasty little phucker ... it has been known to cause stomach cancer according to the Mayo Clinic. It's going to take a bazooka to kill me though. LOL!

Three months post-op as of today!

Three months post-op as of today!

As of this morning, I have officially hit 50 pounds down since surgery! That means I'm averaging 20 pounds per month. Even though it seems slow week to week, I can't argue with that!

For the first time in 8 years, I was below 300 pounds!!!! I weigh 299.8 this morning, 9 days after surgery. Wonder how long it will take me to get to my next goal of 275?

I have reached a new level of ridiculous, even for me. This morning I downloaded an app to help me track my bowel movements to make sure I'm not at risk of constipation/an obstruction. It will alert me if I haven't gone #2 in 36 hours. 

I have reached a new level of ridiculous, even for me. This morning I downloaded an app to help me track my bowel movements to make sure I'm not at risk of constipation/an obstruction. It will alert me if I haven't gone #2 in 36 hours. 

I have reached a new level of ridiculous, even for me. This morning I downloaded an app to help me track my bowel movements to make sure I'm not at risk of constipation/an obstruction. It will alert me if I haven't gone #2 in 36 hours. 

I have reached a new level of ridiculous, even for me. This morning I downloaded an app to help me track my bowel movements to make sure I'm not at risk of constipation/an obstruction. It will alert me if I haven't gone #2 in 36 hours. 

My tailbone is not happy with my weight loss. I have to reposition SO OFTEN at my work desk because it starts hurting if I sit one way for too long. This has never been a problem for me before!

As of this morning, I have officially hit 50 pounds down since surgery! That means I'm averaging 20 pounds per month. Even though it seems slow week to week, I can't argue with that!

My body is not liking anything I attempt to consume this afternoon, food or liquid. Major foamies/slimes. Blech.

Less than 24 hours until my WLS! I'm excited, but I need to focus long enough to pack a bag LOL