Helen the Cat

My Story
 
I am 42 years old, 5’5” and weigh 243 lbs. I wear size 20/22 pants and 2X tops.
 
I never really thought about my weight one way or another until I wanted to join the military (18 years old). When I went to check out all the branches I actually choose the Navy because I had to lose the least amount of weight – 30 lbs (I was 180 at the time). I put myself on a crazy crash diet and exercise program to lose the weight as fast as possible. I could only get to 25 lbs down and the day before I had to weigh in I took a bunch of laxatives (NEVER AGAIN!). I was over my weigh in by 2 lbs but they gave me a waiver and I joined the Navy for 5 years. The good thing about the military is that they give you a PT test and weigh in every six months so I kept myself within my weight range (not easily but I did it for five years). The moment I left the military and restrictions of weighing in and exercising came off I started a progression of gaining weight. Getting married, moving, new job, college, graduate school, and an uncertain future helped add more weight on.
 
I work very hard to not let my weight interfere with my life. We live in a coastal region so summer clothes and swimsuits are a staple. My husband (not overweight) loves the water and I love my husband so I am good about not letting my weight become an issue in our marriage (which means even if I feel uncomfortable in my 22 size bathing suit I fake my enthusiasm for spending the day on the water).
 
I never thought about WLS until my sister had lapband surgery a few years in Mexico. She actually had a bad situation with her band slipping and had to go into emergency surgery and now she is battling the insurance company to cover the emergency surgery. Up until then I hadn’t know about medical tourism or about the many WLS options.
 
This past fall I started to research different WLS surgeries. I have to lose 100 lbs and that is beyond overwhelming to me. The most I lost was 30 lbs on WW but gained that back and more.
 
I liked the sleeve option better then gastic bypass. My insurance does not cover it so I knew I was going to be self pay. My husband isn’t very chatty and I he said if that is something I wanted to do then fine but he is fine either way (I married an easy going guy). He won’t be going with me….no sense in both of us going if he’ll be bored. I am not telling anyone about the surgery. I don’t want to be talked out of it (it is enough to keep myself from talking myself out of it!).
 
I think I am a good candidate for surgery. My health is very good (minus the 100 excess pounds). My weight related ailments include – lack of energy, knees that bother me, and snoring. Our only son is married and serving in the military (so no small children). I am on temporary assignment outside of the classroom this year so I don’t have the crazy and stressful teacher schedule (which will make recovery easier for me).
 
I am mentally preparing for a rough few months after surgery (I am not a complainer and can tough out a lot). I am worried about the normal things – complications, insurance not covering complications, dying, long term ramifications, dealing with my eat out friends. However I am looking forward to buying clothes in normal sizes, fitting into airplane seats, crossing my legs, having more energy, enjoying being outdoors.
 
My surgery is on March 28th.

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I haven't posted anything on my blog for a while, because I always have to sit and get my thoughts organized and think about what I want to say. And quite truthfully, I have been to lazy to organize my thoughts and try to put them down in any coherant manner! But today I am taking a few minutes to sit and rest (have been cleaning house and baking all day long, preparing to go to work) and I thought, I really need to write down how I am thinking, doing, feeling, etc.
 
It is Friday, and it is my weekend to work. Have to work tonight at 7:00 PM till 7:30 AM tomorrow morning, and again tomorrow night and Sunday night. So my weekend will be totally taken up with work. Will get off Monday morning at 7:30 AM, and have a couple of days off.
 
I always get frantic before I have to work 3 or 4 nights in a row, trying to get my house clean, my laundry caught up, everything done that I know needs to be done, so that I don't have to worry about it while I am working, and think about getting it done when I get home. (I sleep at the hospital where I work when I work consecutive nights like this weekend. So won't even be home again till sometime Monday morning.)
 
Today I weighed myself and saw that I am still gaining and losing the same 2 or 3 pounds that I have gained and lost a gazillion times since the beginning of December. And I asked myself "WHEN am I going to get serious and really TRY to make it past this stall that I have been in for almost three months now?"
 
It is so easy to try "just a bite" of whatever is handy, or whatever I am baking, etc. And before I know it, I have eaten a couple hundred calories, just "trying a bite"! Today, I have decided that I need to get serious. I know, I have said this before, but today I mean it. I am starting to get concerned that I will never reach goal if I don't REALLY get serious about this whole weight loss thing. I mean, for YEARS and YEARS I have played the weight loss game. Lose a few pounds and then eat something that I know I shouldn't, and start the deadly weight gain again.
 
So today, I went to the (dreaded, filthy, overcluttered, badly needing to be cleaned out) basement, and hauled my treadmill and exercise bike upstairs, where I would have to see them EVERYDAY that I am home, and get on them and do something good for myself!
 
I just last week finished re-painting and decorating our bedroom, and there is now room for both of them in our bedroom. So I am placing them there, and going to MAKE myself get on each of them every day I am here at home.
 
Furthermore, I am also going to start a log, and keep track of how much time I put in on each. I used to have a boss that always said "that which gets measured gets done", meaning the things that are important to you to accomplish need to be measured to make sure you are making progress toward getting them done.
 
So fellow sleevers, wish me well! I need encouragement to get this thing accomplished. I REALLY WANT to make it to goal! I want to make a permanent change in my lifestyle and be healthier and happier. I just need to get off my behind and get serious, and get busy.
 
That's it for today. Hope you all have a great weekend!
 
(P.S. The baking I mentioned is for my daughter. I don't bake much for us anymore, cause I tend to eat it. I made pastries for her card party tonight, but they are ones that don't taste good till after they are baked, so I didn't even try them! Good for me!)

I haven't posted anything on my blog for a while, because I always have to sit and get my thoughts organized and think about what I want to say. And quite truthfully, I have been to lazy to organize my thoughts and try to put them down in any coherant manner! But today I am taking a few minutes to sit and rest (have been cleaning house and baking all day long, preparing to go to work) and I thought, I really need to write down how I am thinking, doing, feeling, etc.
 
It is Friday, and it is my weekend to work. Have to work tonight at 7:00 PM till 7:30 AM tomorrow morning, and again tomorrow night and Sunday night. So my weekend will be totally taken up with work. Will get off Monday morning at 7:30 AM, and have a couple of days off.
 
I always get frantic before I have to work 3 or 4 nights in a row, trying to get my house clean, my laundry caught up, everything done that I know needs to be done, so that I don't have to worry about it while I am working, and think about getting it done when I get home. (I sleep at the hospital where I work when I work consecutive nights like this weekend. So won't even be home again till sometime Monday morning.)
 
Today I weighed myself and saw that I am still gaining and losing the same 2 or 3 pounds that I have gained and lost a gazillion times since the beginning of December. And I asked myself "WHEN am I going to get serious and really TRY to make it past this stall that I have been in for almost three months now?"
 
It is so easy to try "just a bite" of whatever is handy, or whatever I am baking, etc. And before I know it, I have eaten a couple hundred calories, just "trying a bite"! Today, I have decided that I need to get serious. I know, I have said this before, but today I mean it. I am starting to get concerned that I will never reach goal if I don't REALLY get serious about this whole weight loss thing. I mean, for YEARS and YEARS I have played the weight loss game. Lose a few pounds and then eat something that I know I shouldn't, and start the deadly weight gain again.
 
So today, I went to the (dreaded, filthy, overcluttered, badly needing to be cleaned out) basement, and hauled my treadmill and exercise bike upstairs, where I would have to see them EVERYDAY that I am home, and get on them and do something good for myself!
 
I just last week finished re-painting and decorating our bedroom, and there is now room for both of them in our bedroom. So I am placing them there, and going to MAKE myself get on each of them every day I am here at home.
 
Furthermore, I am also going to start a log, and keep track of how much time I put in on each. I used to have a boss that always said "that which gets measured gets done", meaning the things that are important to you to accomplish need to be measured to make sure you are making progress toward getting them done.
 
So fellow sleevers, wish me well! I need encouragement to get this thing accomplished. I REALLY WANT to make it to goal! I want to make a permanent change in my lifestyle and be healthier and happier. I just need to get off my behind and get serious, and get busy.
 
That's it for today. Hope you all have a great weekend!
 
(P.S. The baking I mentioned is for my daughter. I don't bake much for us anymore, cause I tend to eat it. I made pastries for her card party tonight, but they are ones that don't taste good till after they are baked, so I didn't even try them! Good for me!)

I'm almost 8 months post op now, and you would think that I would have this Head Hunger thing under control by now! But it seems that I still am controlled by the Head Hunger, and not the other way around.
 
I have been dreaming all day of Brown Sugar Cookies. So I finally made a batch. Then felt guilty, so I bagged them up and took them down the street to my neighbor who is getting over a total knee replacement surgery. He said he didn't need them either, but I told him better him than me!
 
I do OK when I have to work. I work night shift, and sleep days, and don't really have time to overeat when I am working. But this week, I have four days off in a row. And I spend my days, all day long, thinking "what can I eat?", "how soon is it time to eat?". It is driving me crazy.
 
I have lost 100 pounds, and am so proud of my weight loss, but I am scared to Death that I will stretch out my pouch and re-gain the weight I have lost. What will I do for clothes then? I have given away all my fat clothes. And I'm not a pretty sight naked!
 
I am trying to eat reasonably. I am trying to eat in a Healthful manner. But this craving for stuff I don't need/shouldn't eat is driving me crazy, today especially. I keep thinking about Twinkies, Ding Dongs, Cheetos, Ice Cream, etc. It is going to drive me NUTS!

ok so after last week i was really excited, but this week just hasn't been good for me.. so here are my stats
5'7"
hw: 265
gw:250
dos: 238.1
cw: 203.6
 
 
so here goes, today is week 8 for me and i only lost 3 lbs from last week.. and i know thats not really terrible except for the fact that before i left for vegas on 2-2-12 i was down to 202.1 which means i gained weight! OK OK i know.. it is definitely my own damn fault cuz i partied like a rock star in vegas.. not really eatting things that i shouldn't, but because of the alcohol.. total empty calories.. it is officially the price that i pay!
 
I guess tho it has been buggin me because even before i left i realized that i hit a miniature stall.. and normally i don't worry if the number on the scale doesn't change a bit, because i work out so much that im sure that i gain muscle which is much more dense than fat meaning at some point yes im going to stall on the weight loss i guess i just didnt figure it would come soooo soon.
 
Now i really need to get back on the band wagon with my workouts and cardio, so that i can break this stall that i seem to be in.
 
On a good note tho!!!! I HAD AN AMAZING TIME IN VEGAS bought clothes, went to go see a show (beatles love w. cirque du soleil) it was freaking amazing!!!!!!! and we got vip treatment the entire trip! so thats good.. i've included some pics..
 

Well, I just had to write a few words about what happened today when I went to see my primary care physician. Let me tell you a little background first.
 
I am seven and a half months post op. I had my surgery June 18 in Tijuana, MX. And I am thrilled to no end with my results so far. Have lost right around 98 pounds. (It varies depending on the day.)
 
I was living and working in California when I decided that I wanted to have the surgery. I am a travel nurse, but my home is in Iowa. I traveled home to Iowa in June for a couple weeks off, then my husband and I were going to fly to San Diego and travel on to Tijuana for the surgery. I went to see my PCP the day before we flew to San Diego to get my meds refilled. I hadn't seen him again till today, so hadn't been in his office since June of 2011.
 
When the nurse called my name today, I got up to follow her to the exam room. As usual, she led me to the scale on the way to the exam room. In the past, I have frequently declined to get weighed, as I didn't want/need to be depressed by what it said. But in my new, current life, I am not afraid of the scale anymore. So I hopped up on the scale to see what it would say. (I had already weighed myself at home this morning and was 160 lbs without a stitch on!)
 
The digital readout of the doctor's scale said 162, which is about right, since I had a pair of jeans on and a pair of boots. The nurse went to write it down, and said "hold on a minute! What is your name again? What is your birthdate? When were you here last?" I told her my name, birthdate and that I was last seen there in June of 2011. She then replied "well who ever weighed you that day is an idiot! They wrote the wrong weight down. They wrote that you weighed 260 pounds!!!! I need to change that!"
 
 
I laughed and told her there was nothing wrong with the weight in the chart, that I had lost almost 100 pounds in the last 7 1/2 months. She was amazed and had all kinds of questions. When I told her that I had undergone a Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy she didn't know what it was. So I gave her a short course on VSG.
 
Anyway, I guess I can count this as one of my NSV!
 
P.S. the doctor told me I looked amazing, and was SO encouraging. He thought I made the right decision and told me to keep at it.

Well, I just had to write a few words about what happened today when I went to see my primary care physician. Let me tell you a little background first.
 
I am seven and a half months post op. I had my surgery June 18 in Tijuana, MX. And I am thrilled to no end with my results so far. Have lost right around 98 pounds. (It varies depending on the day.)
 
I was living and working in California when I decided that I wanted to have the surgery. I am a travel nurse, but my home is in Iowa. I traveled home to Iowa in June for a couple weeks off, then my husband and I were going to fly to San Diego and travel on to Tijuana for the surgery. I went to see my PCP the day before we flew to San Diego to get my meds refilled. I hadn't seen him again till today, so hadn't been in his office since June of 2011.
 
When the nurse called my name today, I got up to follow her to the exam room. As usual, she led me to the scale on the way to the exam room. In the past, I have frequently declined to get weighed, as I didn't want/need to be depressed by what it said. But in my new, current life, I am not afraid of the scale anymore. So I hopped up on the scale to see what it would say. (I had already weighed myself at home this morning and was 160 lbs without a stitch on!)
 
The digital readout of the doctor's scale said 162, which is about right, since I had a pair of jeans on and a pair of boots. The nurse went to write it down, and said "hold on a minute! What is your name again? What is your birthdate? When were you here last?" I told her my name, birthdate and that I was last seen there in June of 2011. She then replied "well who ever weighed you that day is an idiot! They wrote the wrong weight down. They wrote that you weighed 260 pounds!!!! I need to change that!"
 
 
I laughed and told her there was nothing wrong with the weight in the chart, that I had lost almost 100 pounds in the last 7 1/2 months. She was amazed and had all kinds of questions. When I told her that I had undergone a Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy she didn't know what it was. So I gave her a short course on VSG.
 
Anyway, I guess I can count this as one of my NSV!
 
P.S. the doctor told me I looked amazing, and was SO encouraging. He thought I made the right decision and told me to keep at it.

Well, I just had to write a few words about what happened today when I went to see my primary care physician. Let me tell you a little background first.
 
I am seven and a half months post op. I had my surgery June 18 in Tijuana, MX. And I am thrilled to no end with my results so far. Have lost right around 98 pounds. (It varies depending on the day.)
 
I was living and working in California when I decided that I wanted to have the surgery. I am a travel nurse, but my home is in Iowa. I traveled home to Iowa in June for a couple weeks off, then my husband and I were going to fly to San Diego and travel on to Tijuana for the surgery. I went to see my PCP the day before we flew to San Diego to get my meds refilled. I hadn't seen him again till today, so hadn't been in his office since June of 2011.
 
When the nurse called my name today, I got up to follow her to the exam room. As usual, she led me to the scale on the way to the exam room. In the past, I have frequently declined to get weighed, as I didn't want/need to be depressed by what it said. But in my new, current life, I am not afraid of the scale anymore. So I hopped up on the scale to see what it would say. (I had already weighed myself at home this morning and was 160 lbs without a stitch on!)
 
The digital readout of the doctor's scale said 162, which is about right, since I had a pair of jeans on and a pair of boots. The nurse went to write it down, and said "hold on a minute! What is your name again? What is your birthdate? When were you here last?" I told her my name, birthdate and that I was last seen there in June of 2011. She then replied "well who ever weighed you that day is an idiot! They wrote the wrong weight down. They wrote that you weighed 260 pounds!!!! I need to change that!"
 
 
I laughed and told her there was nothing wrong with the weight in the chart, that I had lost almost 100 pounds in the last 7 1/2 months. She was amazed and had all kinds of questions. When I told her that I had undergone a Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy she didn't know what it was. So I gave her a short course on VSG.
 
Anyway, I guess I can count this as one of my NSV!
 
P.S. the doctor told me I looked amazing, and was SO encouraging. He thought I made the right decision and told me to keep at it.

Well, I just had to write a few words about what happened today when I went to see my primary care physician. Let me tell you a little background first.
 
I am seven and a half months post op. I had my surgery June 18 in Tijuana, MX. And I am thrilled to no end with my results so far. Have lost right around 98 pounds. (It varies depending on the day.)
 
I was living and working in California when I decided that I wanted to have the surgery. I am a travel nurse, but my home is in Iowa. I traveled home to Iowa in June for a couple weeks off, then my husband and I were going to fly to San Diego and travel on to Tijuana for the surgery. I went to see my PCP the day before we flew to San Diego to get my meds refilled. I hadn't seen him again till today, so hadn't been in his office since June of 2011.
 
When the nurse called my name today, I got up to follow her to the exam room. As usual, she led me to the scale on the way to the exam room. In the past, I have frequently declined to get weighed, as I didn't want/need to be depressed by what it said. But in my new, current life, I am not afraid of the scale anymore. So I hopped up on the scale to see what it would say. (I had already weighed myself at home this morning and was 160 lbs without a stitch on!)
 
The digital readout of the doctor's scale said 162, which is about right, since I had a pair of jeans on and a pair of boots. The nurse went to write it down, and said "hold on a minute! What is your name again? What is your birthdate? When were you here last?" I told her my name, birthdate and that I was last seen there in June of 2011. She then replied "well who ever weighed you that day is an idiot! They wrote the wrong weight down. They wrote that you weighed 260 pounds!!!! I need to change that!"
 
 
I laughed and told her there was nothing wrong with the weight in the chart, that I had lost almost 100 pounds in the last 7 1/2 months. She was amazed and had all kinds of questions. When I told her that I had undergone a Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy she didn't know what it was. So I gave her a short course on VSG.
 
Anyway, I guess I can count this as one of my NSV!
 
P.S. the doctor told me I looked amazing, and was SO encouraging. He thought I made the right decision and told me to keep at it.

Well, I just had to write a few words about what happened today when I went to see my primary care physician. Let me tell you a little background first.
 
I am seven and a half months post op. I had my surgery June 18 in Tijuana, MX. And I am thrilled to no end with my results so far. Have lost right around 98 pounds. (It varies depending on the day.)
 
I was living and working in California when I decided that I wanted to have the surgery. I am a travel nurse, but my home is in Iowa. I traveled home to Iowa in June for a couple weeks off, then my husband and I were going to fly to San Diego and travel on to Tijuana for the surgery. I went to see my PCP the day before we flew to San Diego to get my meds refilled. I hadn't seen him again till today, so hadn't been in his office since June of 2011.
 
When the nurse called my name today, I got up to follow her to the exam room. As usual, she led me to the scale on the way to the exam room. In the past, I have frequently declined to get weighed, as I didn't want/need to be depressed by what it said. But in my new, current life, I am not afraid of the scale anymore. So I hopped up on the scale to see what it would say. (I had already weighed myself at home this morning and was 160 lbs without a stitch on!)
 
The digital readout of the doctor's scale said 162, which is about right, since I had a pair of jeans on and a pair of boots. The nurse went to write it down, and said "hold on a minute! What is your name again? What is your birthdate? When were you here last?" I told her my name, birthdate and that I was last seen there in June of 2011. She then replied "well who ever weighed you that day is an idiot! They wrote the wrong weight down. They wrote that you weighed 260 pounds!!!! I need to change that!"
 
 
I laughed and told her there was nothing wrong with the weight in the chart, that I had lost almost 100 pounds in the last 7 1/2 months. She was amazed and had all kinds of questions. When I told her that I had undergone a Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy she didn't know what it was. So I gave her a short course on VSG.
 
Anyway, I guess I can count this as one of my NSV!
 
P.S. the doctor told me I looked amazing, and was SO encouraging. He thought I made the right decision and told me to keep at it.

Soooo I'm set to be sleeved tomorrow at 7:30am!! I'm excited but as the days wound down Im getting very nervous!! Ive lost somewhere around 15lbs since I started this 2 week pre-op liquid diet! So far the weight loss is the only thing keeping me on the right path.
 
My brain is on overload or withdrawals or something!! I feel like I'm breaking up with food, FOREVER!! I know this might seem stupid, but I really am kinda sad!! In my head I know there is nothing but good things to come out of this and I KNOW I will get over this!! I suppose I'm mourning the loss of my old ways, my old life. I was so comfortable and felt secure with the way I ate. Food has become a best friend, a confidante. On the other hand, it is what's made me unhappy for so long! I KNOW having surgery IS the best thing for me. I'm just having a hard time dealing with the mental right now!
 
Did any of you guys go through this??
 
I need some encouraging words!!

5 years ago I found myself 24 years old, 322 pounds, and minserable! I decided to have the lap band surgery with the help and support of my family. I successfully lost 90 pounds and my GERD, but couldnt keep up with the frequent and expensive band fills and eventually gained back 25 pounds and the GERD returned. I became demotivated and couldnt stick to a diet long enough to make much progress. Then, last year by eldest brother had the sleeve gastrectomy and went from being 280 pounds and unhappy, to an active marathon runner and happier than I can ever remember seeing him. Not to mention how handsome he looks! Needless to say, that inspired me to do my homeowork on revision surgery and reach out to my "family bariatric surgeon" Dr. James A Davidson (he complete my mother, father, brother and my surgeries).
I was concerned that after my emergency gall bladder surgery 3 weeks ago that I would have to push back my surgery due to the weight loss as a side effect of the gall bladder illness. I started a protein shake diet to boost my health and it worked, Dr Davidson approved my bloodwork results and I had surgery on January 13th!
The surgery was slightly longer and a bit more invasive since he had to first remove the lap band equipment, so it feels more painful than I remembered.
On the bright side, the staff at Forest Park Hospital (Dallas, TX) were very compassionate and informative and the hospital itself is beautiful. I left feeling prepared to handle any issues that might arise and very optimistic.
Its only 3 days post-op and I am feeling better everyday! I cannot wait to see my progess in a few weeks, months and especially in a year.
I am also starting to put together an action plan. I want to participate in a marathon, learn to scuba dive, buy a bicycle and join a gym! All the things that I was either too embarrassed by my size or just too overweight to do!

Well hard to believe that it's been 2 years since my VSG. Life really does become normal again. I've done fairly well, but have developed a few bad habits since surgery. I snack on candy which I never used to do prior to surgery. I am working on doing better at it. I've gained a few pounds as a result and really have to watch closely.
 
I can pretty much still eat anything I want without problems. I am able to consume more than I could right after surgery but still not able to eat large quantities of anything. Which is great! I no longer have to sip my water. I can take regular drinks like I used to. I remember right after surgery and for a few months I really had to take baby sips of my drinks.
 
In two weeks I will be having plastic surgery. YAH!!! I'm having a breast lift with Augmentation. A tummy tuck and arm lift. They will be doing all 3 surgeries at once. I knew eventually I would need to have plastics. I have lots of hanging skin that never bounced back. Partially due to my age and just my genetics.
 
I'll try to post before and after pictures once I've recovered.
 
This journey has been so worth it. It saved my life!

Well I'm 5 weeks out, recently started soft diet. Glad to be able to eat "solid" foods and not pureed everything. Of course my first outing is to Red Lobster with out of town family. It was a victory for me. After waiting an hour I was actually hungry,, which is not usually the case. I shared a bowl of clam chowder with my hubby. No drinking during meal is still hard but getting used to it. Its funny telling the waiter.. no thanks nothing to drink for me.. not even water. For diner, I thought to eat from hubby's plate (he's good and lets me do that), but I really wanted grilled shrimp, so I ordered the grilled shrimp and brocolli. Cut up each shrimp into little small pieces and enjoyed!!.. Then becuase we waited so long for a table the manager gave us deserrts on the house. Most deserts in RedLobster is a la mode, so I had a few spoonfuls of icecream and I was totally satisfied and had shrimp for lunch the next few days. I had a great time with family, friends and my sleeve!!

I can hardly believe it, I am only 9 pounds from goal now! I am six months and 13 days post op, and have lost a total of 99 pounds! (I need to update my weight loss ticker!) I almost broke my husband's ear drums this morning when I got on the scale. He was in the shower and I came into the bathroom to step on the scale before I got dressed and fixed breakfast. When I saw that I had lost three pounds this week, I let out a yell that scared him to death and almost broke his eardrums! He told me he thought someone was attacking me!
 
I have been so gratified lately to see that I now fit perfectly into a size 8! My size goal was a 10 or 12, so when I hit Size 8 I almost lost it completely! ANd now my 8s are getting big on me! Hurray!!!
 
I told my sister that I am going to have to find thinner friends and realtives. I have been giving my clothes to her and to one really good friend as they get to big for me. Have given away 9 or 10 pair of jeans that were hardly worn, as I changed sizes so quickly. And now am getting close to being a size 6! WooHoo!
 
How Sweet it is!!!

Here it is, November 15 already. My work contract is done here the 30th of November, so I will be moving home in just two weeks. I have such mixed feelings about moving home. I miss my hubbie terribly, but on the other hand, I have enjoyed being independant, doing what I wanted, when I wanted, etc. It will be different when I have to consider his wants and needs again. I have been living and working here in California for over a year, and now am moving home again, And this time when I move home I weigh 90 pounds less than I did when I last lived at home. My whole life style has changed! Although I still love to cook and bake, I can't eat like I used to, and the things that I fix are more health geared than ever before. How will my family react to this?

Have spent the day baking. I was supposed to be packing up my household stuff, in anticipation of my move back home the end of this month, but I just CAN'T get into packing. I keep thinking "what if I need this before I move, I 'll just have to unpack it and then pack it again". So I don't pack it to begin with.
 
My husband arrives in three days, (To help me move home) and he is going to be disappointed that I am not farther along than I am. I am a travel nurse and have been living in California for the past 13 months, and now am moving home to the frozen tundras of Iowa for the winter. YUCK! I hate Iowa in the winter. But he is so lonely and wants me to come home. So what can I do?
 
So to kill the day, I spent the entire day baking. I made three different kinds of cookies, and a puff pastry creation know (in Iowa) as Dutch Letters. They are a puff pastry with sweet almond filling. And to make matters worse, I sampled some of each one! Here I am, trying my best to reach my weight goal, and I am baking like a fiend! I have GOT to quit baking and eating! The Dutch Letters by the way were fantastic. They are labor intensive, and I don't make them very often, but today seemed the day to do it! (At least when I got done baking, I took the cookies and Dutch Letters to the hospital where I am working and left them in the break room for everyone to eat. There is NO way I could eat all that stuff, although some days I think I might give it a try.)
 
Anyway, I was so gratified to get on the scale this morning and see that I have lost four pounds this week. I am within 19 pounds of my original goal weight. But now am thinking of revising my goal down another 10-20 pounds. Is that crazy? I am five months post op, as of yesterday, and as I get closer to my goal, I think about being thinner than I originally planned. I am down from a size 26-28 to a size 12, and size 10 is getting closer all the time. In fact I can get a size 10 on, it is just tight. Of course if I keep baking and eating I can kiss size ten goodbye for good.
 
Some days the "Head Hunger" just gets to me. I think that is what today was all about. I was hungry and I didn't know what I was hungry for. So I just started baking and sampling what I had baked. And to top it all off, I re-watched "Julia and Julie" on DVD while I was baking. That doesn't do a lot to encourage me not to eat!
 
Enough of my ramblings about baking, food and watching TV. I am going to bed. Happy weekend all you VSGs!

Here it is, November 15 already. My work contract is done here the 30th of November, so I will be moving home in just two weeks. I have such mixed feelings about moving home. I miss my hubbie terribly, but on the other hand, I have enjoyed being independant, doing what I wanted, when I wanted, etc. It will be different when I have to consider his wants and needs again. I have been living and working here in California for over a year, and now am moving home again, And this time when I move home I weigh 90 pounds less than I did when I last lived at home. My whole life style has changed! Although I still love to cook and bake, I can't eat like I used to, and the things that I fix are more health geared than ever before. How will my family react to this?

Well, I have to say, the post op doctor's visit was ...... well, it was different. Since I had my surgery in Mexico, and paid for it myself, there have been NO post op visits with the surgeon. His office did call me once, and I talked with his staff person about my exercising, but haven't seen a doctor since the week after my surgery. (I was running a fever for a few days starting on day 4 after my surgery. So went to see my PCP at home, and get on an antibiotic. He couldn't find the source of the infection, but after $500 worth of lab and x-ray put me on an antibiotic, and the problem was resolved. Then I flew back to California to go back to work, and haven't see any physician since.) My PCP told me when I saw him at four days post op that I should have a cholesterol level done in 2-3 months, to determine if I needed to go back on my anti-cholesterol medication. So I finally found a physician I felt comfortable with and made an appointment. (BTW, WHO KNEW IT WOULD TAKE ME 2 MONTHS TO GET IN TO SEE A DOCTOR FOR A NON EMERGENCY APPOINTMENT?)
 
But this past Tuesday morning I hauled my rear end out of bed at 6:00 AM (I am NOT a morning person!!!), showered, did the hair and makeup thing and took my fasting body to the doctor. I came prepared with a list of my current medications (all two of them!), a copy of my op report for her to put in my chart, a copy of my weight loss chart to show that I have been losing, a list of questions, etc. And guess what I forgot? MY INSURANCE CARD!!! How stupid can I be, I mean, REALLY! Since they wouldn't see me without it, or without my offering to pay for the entire appointment IN CASH, I turned around and drove the 15 miles back to my apartment and rumaged around and found the card. Drive back to the doctor's office, and wait.
 
Finally got past the waiting room, got weighed (OH HAPPY DAY! 170 lbs!) and in to see the doctor. After all the BP and Temperature, pulse, talk about the surgery, etc, she asked me "now what is your plan when you reach your goal, especially if you can't stop losing weght?"
 
Wow! Talk about a profound question!!! I hadn't even thought about that scenario! I mean, I have always, Always, ALWAYS been the fat girl, never the one who was TOO skinny! What do I do if I am at goal and still loosing? I didn't have an answer for her, and thought about it all day after the appointment. I finally came up with the answer. I will switch from Venti SKINNY Iced Carmel Machiatos at Starbucks to Regulars! I know, it's not that funny, but hey, like I said, that has NEVER been the problem before! I simply can't wrap my mind around the problem of what if I lose to much, or can't quit losing. I guess I will have to start eating empty calories again if that happens. No, really, I guess I will add another protein drink to my diet, or something, or something like that. But hey, that would be a wonderful problem in my book!
 
Anyway, after the appointment concluded, I went to the lab and had 9, Yep that's right, NINE tubes of blood drawn, and went on my merry way. Am still mulling over her question. I am 20 pounds from goal, so I guess it is one that I need to give some thought to, and maybe make a plan in case to much weight loss is a problem. (Again, five days after the appointment, I STILL can't wrap my head around loosing to much weight!) For years, whenever my (fat) friends and I would talk about somebody who had an eating disorder (loosing too much, Not to little) we would jokingly say "I just want to be bulimic (or anorexic) till I get down to 20 or 30 pounds BELOW my ideal weight, then I will eat my way back up to perfect!" And we would laugh and laugh, as we sat there eating our calorie laden munchies! But now, comtemplating it as a REAL problem blows my mind.
 
So anyway, that is my post op visit in a nutshell. I am still waiting to get my blood work results. But am thankful every day for my sleeve and the wonderful results I have had so far post op! Thanks to each of you who have posted problems, fears, joys, NSVs etc, as you encourage me daily, help me to continue on this path, and light the way with your experiences for those of us who are right behind you in our journey! Have a GREAT weekend. Later.......

OK, this is the LAST time I am going to try and update my blog! I have written this three times, and each time when I hit the "Post" button, it disappears! If it doesn't work this time, forget about it.
 
I have been saving my loose change since Christmas, and took it to the bank last week in anticipation of flying home earlier this week. ($320.00!!!) As soon as hubbie picked me up at the airport, I told him I wanted to go to The Blond Genius. It is a retail store in West Des Moines, IA that specializes in fitting anybody in jeans and making them look good with a great fit. They are pricey, but they always look good. Their slogan is "We Can Fit ANY Body!"
 
So we headed to West Des Moines, and I went in ready to spend my cash. I told the sales clerk I had lost about 80 pounds recently, and didn't know what size to try on, but maybe to start with a size 16 or 14. She brought four or five pair into the fitting room and I started to try on jeans. She asked to see each pair, and finally she said "these are all to big on you, let's try something else." She brought back a bunch of jeans and I tried on size 12s! I thought "never, no way, no how". But guess what? They zipped up easily and looked GREAT! I was so thrilled, I had to sit down right there in the dressing room and cry for joy! (Am sure the sales clerk thought I was Crazy, Nuts!) I don't think I have ever worn a size 12. I went from children's sizes to a size 16 womens with no pause in between for smaller sizes! A 12, I can't believe it! How great is that! I am thinking of making a sign that says "I wear a Size 12 now!" and hanging it on my back just so the world will know!
 
When my husband came to pick me up at the airport, he drove right by me, he didn't recognize me at first! Had to back up the car when he realised it was me. I have to say, my sleeve is the best thing I have EVER done for ME! Anyway, all you VGSers who are in a stall or not loosing as fast as you want, hang in there, the (NSV) rewards are SO worth it!

OK, this is the LAST time I am going to try and update my blog! I have written this three times, and each time when I hit the "Post" button, it disappears! If it doesn't work this time, forget about it.
 
I have been saving my loose change since Christmas, and took it to the bank last week in anticipation of flying home earlier this week. ($320.00!!!) As soon as hubbie picked me up at the airport, I told him I wanted to go to The Blond Genius. It is a retail store in West Des Moines, IA that specializes in fitting anybody in jeans and making them look good with a great fit. They are pricey, but they always look good. Their slogan is "We Can Fit ANY Body!"
 
So we headed to West Des Moines, and I went in ready to spend my cash. I told the sales clerk I had lost about 80 pounds recently, and didn't know what size to try on, but maybe to start with a size 16 or 14. She brought four or five pair into the fitting room and I started to try on jeans. She asked to see each pair, and finally she said "these are all to big on you, let's try something else." She brought back a bunch of jeans and I tried on size 12s! I thought "never, no way, no how". But guess what? They zipped up easily and looked GREAT! I was so thrilled, I had to sit down right there in the dressing room and cry for joy! (Am sure the sales clerk thought I was Crazy, Nuts!) I don't think I have ever worn a size 12. I went from children's sizes to a size 16 womens with no pause in between for smaller sizes! A 12, I can't believe it! How great is that! I am thinking of making a sign that says "I wear a Size 12 now!" and hanging it on my back just so the world will know!
 
When my husband came to pick me up at the airport, he drove right by me, he didn't recognize me at first! Had to back up the car when he realised it was me. I have to say, my sleeve is the best thing I have EVER done for ME! Anyway, all you VGSers who are in a stall or not loosing as fast as you want, hang in there, the (NSV) rewards are SO worth it!

OK, this is the LAST time I am going to try and update my blog! I have written this three times, and each time when I hit the "Post" button, it disappears! If it doesn't work this time, forget about it.
 
I have been saving my loose change since Christmas, and took it to the bank last week in anticipation of flying home earlier this week. ($320.00!!!) As soon as hubbie picked me up at the airport, I told him I wanted to go to The Blond Genius. It is a retail store in West Des Moines, IA that specializes in fitting anybody in jeans and making them look good with a great fit. They are pricey, but they always look good. Their slogan is "We Can Fit ANY Body!"
 
So we headed to West Des Moines, and I went in ready to spend my cash. I told the sales clerk I had lost about 80 pounds recently, and didn't know what size to try on, but maybe to start with a size 16 or 14. She brought four or five pair into the fitting room and I started to try on jeans. She asked to see each pair, and finally she said "these are all to big on you, let's try something else." She brought back a bunch of jeans and I tried on size 12s! I thought "never, no way, no how". But guess what? They zipped up easily and looked GREAT! I was so thrilled, I had to sit down right there in the dressing room and cry for joy! (Am sure the sales clerk thought I was Crazy, Nuts!) I don't think I have ever worn a size 12. I went from children's sizes to a size 16 womens with no pause in between for smaller sizes! A 12, I can't believe it! How great is that! I am thinking of making a sign that says "I wear a Size 12 now!" and hanging it on my back just so the world will know!
 
When my husband came to pick me up at the airport, he drove right by me, he didn't recognize me at first! Had to back up the car when he realised it was me. I have to say, my sleeve is the best thing I have EVER done for ME! Anyway, all you VGSers who are in a stall or not loosing as fast as you want, hang in there, the (NSV) rewards are SO worth it!