Site hosted by Angelfire.com: Build your free website today!
Lisa's WLS Story

Lisa's Weight Loss Surgery Journal



Sunday, June 11, 2000

So sorry it has taken me this long to post my surgery experience! I am now 3 weeks and two days post-op, "on the other side", and it feels great!

I had to arrive at the hospital at 6 am on the morning of my surgery. We waited for awhile, then I was taken back to surgery prep where they weighed me (hey, I weighed 299#!! Apparently I lost 7-10 pounds within the last few weeks!) and took my blood pressure. The nurse took me to a little room where I donned the lovely hospital johnny and a pair of TED hose (tight white hose that went up to my knees - they help with blood circulation). Next, I had my first shot of Lovenox - which is a blood thinner, sort of like Heparin! It didn't hurt a bit. It stung a little bit after the medicine was in, but certainly was no big deal. I will get one of these shots every day while I'm in the hospital, and then I'll have to give myself a shot each day for 4-5 days after I get home!

Shortly after that, my family and my angel "Susan" got to come into the room to wait with me. One of the other girls from the support group, Jan, was having her surgery the same day, so I talked to her for a bit. She is such a sweetie! The anesthesiologist came in and talked to me for a bit, and then we waited some more. My doctor was about 1/2 hour late getting to the hospital, but I really could have cared less. My stomach was a nervous wreck, but I was being brave! When the nurse finally came to get me, I hugged my husband, daughter, Mom and Dad. My Mom looked like she was choking back tears (I know I was, too!) and my Dad told me they would be praying for me. So - I took a deep breath and followed the nurse back to the surgery area. She gave me a lovely hat (bonnet?) to cover my hair, then got me a stool so I could get up onto the operating table. It was tall!

I noticed as I was getting up on the table, that the anesthesiologist had pictures of her kids taped to the anesthesia machine. That was kind of neat! :)

The anesthesiologist got my IV in on the first try - she put it in my left hand. We talked for a little bit while she was working, and she asked how I got my sunburn. I told her about my trip to Vegas, and we talked about Vegas and how beautiful the desert is. Then she started feeding the "juice" in from my IV line. I barely remember my surgeon, Dr. Inman, finally coming in... she leaned over me and said "HI, Ms. Price - sorry I was late! The traffic was horrible!" I mumbled, "OH, no problem"... then I noticed that the lights over me were starting to sort of blur and spin. I closed my eyes and thought, "OK - I know everyone is praying for me right now. God - please let this surgery go well!" Then I was out.

I remember briefly dreaming about Rena and I driving around in the desert (??) and then all of a sudden all I could think was OHHHHHH!!!!! The PAIN!!!! I was lying on my back in the recovery room (I figured that's where I was, b/c I could hear other people around me all kind of moaning). My incision/tummy area hurt and felt traumatized, but the main thing was this horrible pain in my shoulder! Oh, boy... that was rough. It hurt every time I breathed in! Everyone kept telling me it was from gas that they used to inflate my insides - but I'm not sure that's what it was. I think it was the way my drainage tubes were placed, because when they were messed with, my pain would flare up BIG TIME.

At any rate, I was soon taken to the ICU. I had a very sweet nurse whose name I can't remember for the life of me! But she was a good one. She showed me how the morphine pump worked, and then my family was filing in to see me. They all kissed me, and I was thinking "OH geez, I really don't feel like having any company right now!" (LOL). I remember my husband rubbing my legs in a very comforting way - and I was just dozing off in between complaints about my shoulder hurting. My family stayed for a few minutes and then left again, as per ICU visitation rules, and I drifted off to sleep again.

The next time I woke up, the nurse asked if I would like to get up! I said "sure, I'm brave..." and I got up and sat in a chair. It seemed to make my shoulder feel better. My family came in again, and they were amazed to see me "up"! I had even taken a little short walk around the room with the nurses. It wasn't so bad.

Before long, I realized I was going to start vomiting. Someone found me a little container, and I let go. It was nothing but blood, of course, and a very small amount - about 2 ounces. I guess that's because that's all my new "stomach" (pouch) can hold! A different nurse came in and we told her I had gotten sick. She said, "Well, you want to avoid doing that at all costs because it will really hurt!" (Can you say, DUH???)

I had lots of visitors while I was in ICU, including my ex mother-in-law (who I've stayed friends with over the years) and it's amazing that I can remember that. The nurses told me that the morphine pump could be pushed every 6 minutes, and it seems like that's about how often I "came to" and needed to push it. I don't know how many of my visitors I barfed in front of, but now that I think about it - I was getting sick about every time I got out of bed.

My Mom and Dad went home, but Bob and Lacy continued to come in and see me as long as they were allowed. They are so sweet - they went out and bought me some little gifts, like an Eeyore, and a book to read, and a "Mankind" (WWF wrestler) video game. I am NUTS about this one wrestler, Mick Foley (Cactus Jack, Dude Love, Mankind) because he looks almost EXACTLY like my husband! So I got a good laugh out of that. Finally, Bob and Lacy went home for the night and I was on my own in the ICU. It was a night of pushing the morphine button, and getting up to go for little walks around the nurses station (I felt so WEIRD! Not really in pain, but weak and odd, like I was flying)... and more vomiting. At least the shoulder pain was dimming a little bit. The nurse changed the dressing on my incision, and I took a look. I was amazed to see that the incision was only about 4 1/2 inches long! I expected to be cut all the way down to my bellybutton, but nope! And, there were no staples or stitches, so my scar will be very minimal. On one side of the incision (my left) I had two drainage tubes inserted. They had these big "grenade" looking bulbs at the bottom of the tubes, which hit me at about groin level. I joked about them being like testicles! They were always in the way. On the other side of the incision (my right) I had a G-tube. This tube was inserted into the old part of my stomach. There was a bag attached to the G-tube, and it was draining a lot of ugly black stuff! Gross.

The next morning was Saturday morning, and instead of my surgeon checking on me, her colleague Dr. Hughes was on call. He came in to take out my NG tube. He told me, "Lots of people gag when this tube comes out, but the secret is that you can NOT gag if your eyes are open! So, pick a spot on the ceiling and stare at it, and don't close your eyes, and I'll pull out the tube." Well - that's what I did, and the tube was out quickly. Yes, it felt very odd. I was just glad to be rid of it!

Next thing I knew, the nurse was telling me it was time to go to my room! I had been sprung from ICU. We gathered up my things and walked - yes, walked, with all my "testicles" and IV and G-tube pouch! - to my nice, private room which wasn't too far away. I remember thinking I was doing such a great job walking! I wouldn't have been able to make it that far before surgery without my back hurting - but my back didn't hurt at all! I was just tired and weak. Must have been all the pain meds!

I had lots of visitors while I was in the hospital, and lots of phone calls. I loved it! I really felt pretty good, considering. We figured out in a day or so that it was the morphine making me vomit (!) so they gave me a different medication, called Lortab. It worked great! The first few times, they took a syringe and squirted it in through my g-tube, which felt kind of odd.

I had some very nice nurses, I really can't complain about my "treatment" while I was in the hospital. I actually got more rest than I expected. I guess I was doing well, so they left me alone. The main bummer was that my doctor "forgot" to visit me one day, and I ended up being in the hospital a day longer than I needed to. I spent that whole day waiting for her, because they had thought I might be sent home! But she never showed. I was supposed to have been started on the full liquid diet on Monday, but I didn't get it until Tuesday afternoon. So - I went 4 days without eating anything - just ice chips and an ounce or so of grape juice every four hours! That Monday was a really bad day. I was very tearful and depressed, and spent a lot of the day thinking "What have I done? My doctor doesn't even care about me!" Bob didn't know what to do. We kept asking the nurses and they kept telling us, "OH! Dr. Inman would NEVER forget a patient... she will be here!" Well, she never showed up. She did send her intern to check on me earlier in the day, but the intern told me that the doctor would be in later and that the doctor would have to be the one to give orders to start me on the liquid diet.

OH well. I got through it. Dr. Inman came in the next morning (while I was buck naked giving myself a sponge bath! LOL) and said I looked good and we would start me on the liquid diet today, then go home tomorrow. Sounded excellent to me!

They brought some "food" in, and it tasted so good. It was just two little tiny one-ounce cups, one with vanilla pudding and one with cherry jell-o, but it was like nectar from heaven! LOL! I was amazed when I couldn't finish it.

I had an interesting nurse one of those nights... I don't remember his name, but he was a hoot. He had a shaved head and a red goatee, and he was quite a character. I asked him if he could unhook me from the IV so I could go to the bathroom, and he said, "OK here's the deal: I unhook you, you give me pee-pee!" I said, "Well! I think you're going to get the short end of the deal if THAT is what you want!" LOL - he said, "But you don't understand,.... ME LOVE PEE-PEE!"

OK, so I aim to please! I made some pee-pee to make the guy happy, then went for a walk around the ward. He was amazed that I was getting around so well, and he told me that he could tell I was going to do great with this surgery because I have a good attitude. That made me feel good! :) I swallowed down my pain meds and had a very good nights sleep.

I went home the next afternoon, after the doctor took out my two drainage tubes (another weird feeling!). I am pretty sure the shoulder pain was caused by the drainage tubes, because as soon as they were out - the shoulder pain stopped totally!

It was difficult sleeping the first week or so. I slept in a recliner for the first few days, and then after that I got the idea to sleep with my binder on. That helped a little bit, but it wasn't good "quality" sleep for about a week or so. Now, at three weeks post-op, I am sleeping in bed just fine. I sleep like a log! And, it seems like I need about a 3 hour nap every day. Also, I have been having THE most vivid and bizarre dreams, which I guess is an after-effect of the anesthesia! Verrrrry interesting.

We moved into our new house just three days after I got home from the hospital! Not that I could do much more than "supervise"! LOL. Bob took off two weeks from work, and we got quite a bit done, but there is still a lot more unpacking to do. Lacy has a couple more weeks of school, so she's staying with my Mom in our old neighborhood to finish up. She is here on the weekends, but I still miss her.

All in all, at this point, I must say that I am excited about what the future holds. I have already lost about 25#... I have already noticed a BIG difference in my ability to stand and walk - I am doing TONS better with that than I was before surgery! I even managed to go into the video store on my birthday (yes, I turned 35 in the midst of all this!) and take my time picking out a video! That's something I had NOT been able to do pre-op. My back would start to hurt almost as soon as I walked through the door! I go back to work in two weeks, and I think I'll be ready by then. Right now, I'm still kind of weak and tired and needing those naps, but I know that it's going to get better.

Also, I've had trouble sticking to the full liquid diet, and I admit I've cheated. I ate pizza, chicken quesadilla, and french fries this weekend - bad girl! But I'm getting better about NOT doing things I'm not supposed to. The quesadilla gave me heartburn, and all of the above made me feel kind of gross. So, I'm trying. I've got to be on this liquid diet for three more weeks *sigh*. I was given the OK to eat crackers occasionally if I want to, so I'll try to stick to that. The protein drinks are kind of rough on me - probably because of the milk. I think I'm becoming lactose-intolerant, but we'll see.

I'll write more later, as things unfold! Thanks to everyone who is reading my story. I hope it has been helpful to you! OH - I have a new email address (again)... L.price1@home.com

Talk to you soon!

Sunday, June 18, 2000
Great news... I weighed myself at Mom and Dad's last night, and I am down to 277! So, I've lost 32# from my highest weight in the hospital! How cool is THAT??? I've been able to go into stores and walk around for decent periods of time instead of having to endure excruciating back pain - which is WONDERFUL! And, best of all, I've been able to get my wedding rings back on!

Bob took some "after" pictures of me this weekend... click here to see:

"After!"

Friday, June 30, 2000
Well, here I am at 6 weeks post op!! I haven't yet weighed for the week, but last week I was 273#, which is a loss of 36#! I don't really feel like I've lost much this week, but I don't know yet.

I was able to fit into a size 26/28 button-up top (thank you, Kat!) today! It has been hanging in my closet for a few months, and it was waaaay too tight when I first got it. I couldn't get it buttoned! I think it's at LEAST 3-4 sizes smaller than I was comfortable in, pre-op. I've had a blast trying on clothes that have been waiting for me... I even fit into my 3x Winnie the pooh shirt! :):) It's fun to think, Wow... I've only just begun! :):)

The NOT so good news today is that Bob's Mom is in the hospital. She broke her hip, and they've found suspicious masses on her lungs. :( I'll let you know the outcome of that.

Hope everyone has a very safe and FUN holiday weekend!

Wednesday, July 5, 2000

Hello! Well, the 4 day weekend was awfully nice, but now here I am back at work. :)

I had my 6 week appointment with the surgeon and dietician this past Monday. I'm still at 273# - my first plateau! I'll drink my water and do my walking, and I know it will be over soon.

I did find out that I've officially lost 7 inches off my waist! I started at 63, and am currently at 56 inches! If I could find my darn tape measure, I'd measure all the other things I measured before surgery.

Bob's Mom had her hip surgery, and she's doing fine. She had some "confusion" directly after the operation, due to the drugs... in the recovery room, she started cussing like a sailor and removed all of her clothes! She stripped out her IV line and catheter, and punched two nurses in the face! They ended up having to put her in restraints. When she woke up in her room later in the afternoon, she didn't know why the restraints were on! We didn't tell her. She is doing very well now, and she's back to her old self. The spots on her lungs turned out to be scarring from a previous bout with pneumonia - no cancer! :)

That's about all the news I have at the moment. It's been quiet around here lately, thank GOD!

I do want to wish my friend Stacie the very best... she is going in tomorrow for her surgey! GO, STACIE!

Monday, July 10, 1999
I visited Stacie in the hospital on Saturday (in Louisville, KY - about a 2 hour drive) - she looked great! Her doctor (Dr. Shina) stopped during the time I was there and told her she would probably be going home Monday evening. Go, Stacie!

After visiting Stacie, we decided to go to Denny's for lunch. I ordered Eggs Benedict, and took a few bites of basically just poached egg with a bit of ham. Welllll... it didn't want to stay down. I've eaten poached eggs at home, AND ham, and never had a problem! I'm discovering more and more that I almost always end up vomiting when I go OUT to eat! Even if it's a food I regularly eat at home with no problem! Anyway, the egg and I did not get along Saturday. I threw up about 4 times at the restaurant, and had to pull over to the side of the road as I was driving back to Indianapolis!

On a happier note... I got on the zoo scales today and it read 268! Which is 41# gone forever! Woohooooo! Only 9 more pounds til I reach my first goal of 50# lost. I want to get a new tattoo, to commemorate the occasion! LOL!

Bob's mother is still in the hospital. Well... actually she is in a nursing home (rehab center). It is the most depressing place. She is extremely depressed and not wanting to really do anything to help herself! It's sad. We may end up trying to find a different place for her. She is not cooperating with the physical therapists, and she won't get out of there until she DOES. *sigh* I feel bad for her, but we can't help her other than to keep visiting and encouraging her. I would appreciate any and all thoughts and prayers to go her direction - she really needs 'em!

Thursday, July 14, 2000

Two more pounds gone - I now weigh 266#! :) Only 7 more pounds... I better be saving my pennies for that tattoo! *grins*

I've not been feeling too great lately. I mean, I feel good and I have plenty of energy, but I've been doing a LOT of vomiting after eating solid food. Ever since the incident at Denny's last Saturday. And any time I swallow food or drink, I get this "rotten/decayed food" taste in my mouth! Last night, I had more pain in the ribcage area, and ended up taking some LorTab. SO... I'm waiting for my surgeon's nurse to call and talk to me. I will keep you posted!

Monday, July 24, 2000

Well! I ended up taking off work for over a week! Turns out I had some scar tissue built up over the outlet from my pouch to my intestines, and had to go in for an endoscopy last Friday. The doctor dilated the opening into my intestines using a balloon. The opening was 8mm, and it is SUPPOSED to be 10-12mm! So he stretched it to 18mm, because it will close back up some. I have been feeling SO much better since I had this done! And the procedure itself was quite painless. They put an IV in my arm, and gave me Demerol and Versed while they did the procedure. I really don't remember anything about it at all, it was as if I was "asleep" for the whole thing. I was kind of dizzy and sleepy for the rest of the day, but it was no big deal at all! They gave me these neat color pictures... I'll try to get them posted soon on my picture page!

In other news... Bob and I have been trying to buy a Harley this past couple of weeks. He wants to trade in his truck. We are waiting to see if the financing will go through for the bike. It's BEAUTIFUL - a 2000 Road King with only about 1,700 miles on it! Keep your fingers crossed!

Other than that... I'm feeling GREAT GREAT GREAT and I've lost about 47-48# so far! I am so glad I was able to have this surgery. It is awesome to be able to go out and walk around the entire block with no pain! I am ecstatic with the results thus far. Everything else is just icing on the cake!

Now, I wonder how long it will take me to look good in a pair of sexy leather pants...!

Friday, July 28, 2000

Today I am officially 10 weeks post-op! It is amazing to me how my life has changed in just 2 1/2 short months!

A note on food, and eating...

At first, the mind hunger REALLY had a hold on me! I found it nearly impossible to stick to the 6 weeks of full liquids, and to be honest - I didn't do well with that AT ALL. After 6 weeks, when I progressed to the "pureed" stage, it was much, much better. I am now able to eat just about anything I want to, as long as I chew it very, very well.

I am staying away from carbs as much as possible because I feel that I will lose weight faster that way - but I find myself needing them every now and then. I really don't "deprive" myself of anything - I just make better choices! This surgery has finally made that possible. Instead of munching on potato chips when I am craving a salty snack, I have learned that 3-4 reduced fat Wheat Thins, or a handful of smokehouse almonds will satisfy me. If I want something sweet, I eat a few sugar free "gummy fruit slice" candies, and the sweet craving is gone!

For breakfast, I usually have 1/2 container (about 3 oz) of fat free, sugar free yogurt along with my chewable vitamin, Viactiv calcium chew, and Zoloft. I eat that at home in the morning as I'm getting ready for work.

I take two 33.8 oz. bottles of something to drink to work with me each day - usually one bottle of water and one bottle of "Clear American" sugar free sparkling soda. They have the BEST flavors! I drink the contents of both of them throughout the entire day, as I'm sitting at my desk. And speaking of drinking... people have talked about how they can only "sip" fluids, rather than drink like they used to? That hasn't really been my experience at all. I can't guzzle a bottle of water like I used to, but I can take 3-4 good sized gulps at a time. I really prefer my drinks with ice... they are so refreshing, I could drink all day!

For lunch, I usually bring a little "Lunchables" pack to work with me. I get the ones that have sliced meat, cheese, and crackers - no cookies or fruit drinks or anything like that. I usually can't eat it all, but sometimes I can! I make little sandwiches out of the cheese and meat, and try to get THOSE down before I treat myself to any crackers. I usually have crackers left over, which I take home and give to my birds as treats.

If I haven't brought anything to work with me, I will go out and get something at a drive thru - usually a grilled chicken breast sandwich. I take a bite or two with the bread, then I'll take off the bread and eat about half of the chicken breast. The problem is, I don't do well with leftovers! I don't know if it's because they dry out, or what... but my husband is getting bigger and bigger because he usually takes care of the leftovers!

COOKING: It has been weird getting used to cooking for the entire family. My husband is the cook in the family, thank heavens! I bought a George Foreman grill, and I will grill some chicken breasts on it and keep them in the fridge. I really don't eat much food at home that is warm, now that I think about it! I eat lots of tuna salad, cheese and crackers, cottage cheese, yogurt, sliced cold chicken breast, sliced ham/turkey from the deli, etc. I do enjoy those little Jeno's Pizza Rolls (cheese)... every now and then I'll eat 4 of them as a meal. Maybe occasionally I'll heat up a bowl of soup, or oatmeal or something, but I'm not much into hot food these days I guess! EATING OUT: here is what I have tried, that has worked well... I don't eat out very often, but if I have to, I try to make decent choices and not go overboard. If we are eating at a "sit-down" kind of place, I'll usually get a bowl of soup and then snarf off of everyone else's plate. *grins*

* Taco Bell: nachos, chicken enchiritos, etc.

* Arby's, Wendy's, etc. - baked potatoes with cheese, sour cream and bacon bits - I can eat about 1/2 of one.

* Burger King: Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger - I can eat about half of one, and I give the rest to my dog.

* White Castle: I get two white castle hamburgers, take off the top buns, put mustard on the beef patties, and put one on top of the other. I can eat about 3/4 of the little sandwich and 3-4 french fries. Again, my dog looks forward to my visits at White Castle.

* Pizza King - very, VERY thin cheese pizza, YUM! I can eat 2-3 squares, (the squares are about 3"x 2")

* Chinese buffets: I like the variety you get at a chinese buffet, and so far I've been able to convince them to let me eat at the "child's plate" cost! :) A typical meal for me would be one piece of sweet/sour chicken, one piece of General Tso's chicken, a few bites of an egg roll, a couple of tablespoonfuls of salad, a crab rangoon (I tear off the crunchy pointed edges), 2-3 pineapple chunks, a bite or two of a sweet biscuit, a few slices of water chestnut, a bite of baby corn, and a fortune cookie. If I eat all that, I feel SO STUFFED! But when you look at it compared to how I used to eat - I'm eating like a mouse! :)

* Mexican restaurants: I love chips and salsa, but I limit myself to about 6 of them. I can usually finish off an entire taco (made w/ground beef mixed with beans) and about 6 chips/salsa. Again, I don't eat this much USUALLY! But it sounds so funny to think that one taco and a few chips is an excessive amount of food! LOL!

SNACKS: Since snacking is a "no-no" to WLS patients, I really do try not to do it. BUT... sometimes you just have to! I have found lots of healthy alternatives, that take care of the craving with very little intake...here are some ideas...

* Sugar free popsicles - the ones made my Dole and Welch's are soooo good!

* Sugar free ice cream treats - there are several out there. I try to only eat half of one, because they do taste so sinfully good!

* "Smart Ones" eclairs by Weight Watchers - oh man. These are so good! I will eat one of these when I am really, really hurting for something outrageous. But not very often!

* Nuts - almonds, macadamia nuts, soy nuts, etc. * Fresh fruit - especially green grapes and Bing cherries - my favorite! * Beef jerky - nice and salty, and it takes a long time to chew! A strip about 2 inches long usually satisfies me.

* Crackers - I try to get reduced fat ones, and I try to keep my consumption of these to a minimum since they are pure carbohydrate! But I love Wheat Thins, Cheese-its, and especially Sea Salt flavored Bagel Chips! * Rice Cakes/Popcorn Cakes - lots of yummy flavors to experiment with!

* Popcorn - air popped, of course. I like it sprinkled with a little bit of Parmesan cheese.

* Sugar free candies

PROTEIN: I just try to do the best I can! I don't tolerate milk very well, but I have found some protein powders that I actually like that don't have to be mixed with milk! I like ProScore 100 (chocolate) the best - you can order it from Michelle at www.vitalady.com

I have also tried several different protein bars, and sometimes I will eat 1/2 of one for breakfast (usually on the weekends). They do have some sugar in them, but my doctor told me that WLS patients can probably tolerate up to 12 grams of sugar without dumping. Some people can tolerate it better than others. I, unfortunately, seem to be able to tolerate sugar VERY well. I would rather be on the other side of the fence, I think - but that's OK. So, I look for the ones that have lots of protein and as little sugar as possible. My favorite ones are the Protein Revolution bars, also available from Vitalady.com.

FOODS I HAVE TRIED THAT I DON'T LIKE: It seems like my taste buds have a condom on them or something, anymore. So many things that I used to LOVE just don't taste very flavorful anymore. It's like the taste buds are shocked, almost like it would be if you had been sucking on a hot cinnamon candy for a long time! I don't much care for french fries anymore, or anything deep fried for that matter. I don't much care for very spicy things anymore, either. It's actually kind of hard to find things that are appetizing, actually! I tried some little salad shrimp the other day, and EEEW! Yuck! The things that taste the best to me are simple foods, like fresh fruits/veggies, cold salads, cold drinks, and thin crackers. It is really interesting how your tastes change. Food is rapidly becoming less and less important to me! Eating is truly becoming something that I need to do, like brush my teeth, rather than the most important thing in the day (like it used to be). It is a little scary, because I am sure there must be some emotional issues tying me to food... but at the same time, I feel empowered and I have control over IT, rather than it having control over ME. It's a great feeling!

DUMPING: I have not dumped, but I did develop an annoying headache and got really, really tired after eating a couple of pieces of candy that my daughter had. I guess that would be considered mild dumping? All I know is, I didn't feel too great and had to go to bed! I do pretty good at staying away from sugar, but I do eat a piece of candy or a cookie every now and then. I just try to stay within the 12 gram limit, and not do it every day! For someone who had a horrendous sweet-tooth pre-op, I'd say I'm doing pretty darn good at controlling my sweet craving! :) It is so liberating when I can take ONE BITE of my husband's cheesecake, or eat 1/2 of a brownie when someone brings them in to work, and be satisfied! I think if I tried to stay away from sweets totally, I'd want them more - so by not depriving myself of a bite or two when I really think I want it, I keep it in moderation. What a blessing this surgery has been!

Sorry to get so long-winded today, but lots of people have been asking me about how I am "keeping it together" through all this. It has been very therapeutic to write this all down!

Wednesday, August 9, 2000
Hi! It has been a couple of weeks since I've posted, so I thought I'd better pop in and let you know that things are still going very, very well!

I now weigh 255, according to the scales here in the vet hospital. That's about 56# gone forever! :) My BMI was 56.7 to start with, and it is now 46.6! I am still in the "morbidly obese" category, but once I reach 192# I will move up to the next category of "very overweight"! :) That's about 63 more pounds, so I'm halfway there. My ideal weight is about 140, according to the BMI scale, and I have no idea if I'll ever make it there, but it's something to shoot for! All I know is, the least I remember weighing is about 175 or so... so I'll be thrilled to get there!

As far as eating and throwing up goes... well, I was doing really well up til today. I threw up for the first time since my endoscopy today! But I think it was because I was eating leftover pizza. I don't do well with leftovers... plus, I think I was eating too fast! After they dilated me, I was able to eat quite a bit - but I was very careful not to overdo it. It is so much easier now to recognize when I have had enough food! Thank God for this surgery that gives you a built in tool to help you say "no thanks" to that "little extra"! Don't get me wrong... it is STILL a lot of work! Sometimes I sit here and crave things I know aren't good for me... but I have found that if I allow myself to eat just a little of it, I am satisfied. I was practicaly DROOLING over some home-baked chocolate chip cookies Lacy and I made a couple of weeks ago... I splurged big time and ate two of them (no dumping yet, darn it) and felt incredibly guilty. But then I realized... before I had this operation, I would have probably polished off at least a half dozen of them, along with a big old glass of ice cold milk! So I quit beating myself up, and grabbed a bottle of water, and took a nice walk around the block with my doggies. :)

Those walks are becoming fewer and farther between, though... I still have the energy, but I just haven't been making myself do it! I've been thinking about getting up 1/2 hour earlier in the mornings and taking a walk around the block w/one of the dogs, then walking at lunch, then taking another walk in the evening. I'll let you know how close I get to that goal! LOL! I have good intentions, though.

OH - by the way, we did not end up getting our Harley. We just weren't able to get the financing for it. And, that's probably a good thing right now, as much as I hate to admit it. We really need to get our truck and a few smaller, nagging bills paid off and THEN maybe we'll be in a position to buy! I'm hoping so.

We are in the process of adopting yet another dog... a Siberian Husky this time! That way Rob (the border collie) will have someone more his size to play with and romp with in the backyard. Bob had a beautiful Siberian when we first met, but we weren't able to find an apartment complex that would let us have a dog that large. :( Now that we have a house, we're in business! We are working with the Central Illinois Siberian Husky Rescue Organization to get this one. Keep your fingers crossed! The dog we have chosen, "Myah", is a gorgeous black and white girl with bright blue eyes!

In other news... the zoo's 2nd baby elephant was born! This one is a male, and he weighed 252# at birth. He is a cutie! We also had three new tiger cubs born around the same time! So, it has been quite an exciting time at work lately.

That's all for now... talk to you soon!

"BACK TO THE MAIN PAGE"