Would You Do It All Again?

My One year surgery anniversary came and went on October 7, 2010.  I saw my general physician the day after my anniversary, and he was very happy about my progress.  His big question for me was, knowing what I now know, would I have the surgery again?  Without hesitation, I said, "absolutely!"  Yes, the road has been long and the journey hard, but it has been worth every ache, pain, and doctor's appointment.  Today I am 120 pounds lighter and it has made a huge difference in my life.  I've listed the major changes that I've noticed in this post.  One new thing I've noticed is that on most days, I wake up refreshed!  I open my eyes, stretch, and actually have energy!  It is amazing what getting rid of sleep apnea will do for you.

If you are at a point in your life where you are considering bariatric surgery, the best advice I can give you is to do your research.  Be a well informed patient.  Be sure that you make your surgical inquiries at a Center Of Bariatric Excellence.  I chose St. Vincent Charity Hospital's Center For Bariatric Surgery in Cleveland, Ohio.
Ask a lot of questions.  Don't rush into your decision.  It took me a full year to make mine.  Realize that this is a process that takes between 6 months to a year.  Before you can have surgery, you need to be educated.  If you go to a Center Of Bariatric Excellence, you will attend classes to learn what to expect, what to eat, how to set your weight loss goal, and others. You will also be required to see a psychiatrist to make sure that you are in the right frame of mind to deal with the changes and stress this surgery brings.  It is a huge life change and the education is very necessary to be successful.  You cannot go into this surgery thinking you can eat doritos when you wake up the next morning!

Would I do it all again?  A thousand times YES!

This is Zoë's drawing of her new, thinner Mommy!  She has me sitting in a chair.  She made my day with this picture.

Comparison Time

I think it's time for me to post some comparison photos.

Me & Zoë, May 2009

Me (-115 lbs.)  & Zoë  September, 2010

I know I used to be 115 pounds heavier.  But seeing the difference here just blows my mind. 
How did I live like this for nearly twenty years?

11 Months and 115 Pounds Lighter...

Backyard camping with Zoë (& Bob.)




• I can wear fitted t-shirts and still be able to breathe.
• I can walk for long distances without really thinking about it.
• I want to be more active.
• I AM more active.
• My asthma has improved.
• I can keep up with my 4 year old daughter, at least for a little while!
• If I put something in my mouth and it doesn't taste amazing, I stop eating it.
• I really need to go and buy some new clothes for fall.  Everything I own is now hanging off of me.
• I have energy.  Pure, wonderful energy!
• I am not obsessing about my being "fat" anymore.
• I have passed the halfway mark to my goal weight.
• I am very comfortable behind the wheel of my car.
• I can comfortably sit in a booth at a restaurant.
• I feel like a new and improved version of my old, happy self.
• I am beginning to contemplate plastic surgery to remove extra skin down the line.
• I am determined to grow healthier as I grow older, instead of growing sicker with age.
• I am still trying to retrain my brain to make the correct food choices, especially when it comes to portions.  (I tend to take too much food, though I can't possibly eat it all.)  baby steps, baby steps...
• I see endless possibilities ahead of me.



115 pounds thinner.




• The quality of our family time improves every day, because I am no longer a spectator on a regular basis.

Me, in a tent! NEVER would have tried that 115 pounds ago.

My one year surgical anniversary is coming up on October 7th, 2010.  It's hard to believe it's almost been a year.  I can't wait to see what happens in year two!

Hernia Surgery

After a long surgery and a longer than expected stay in the hospital,  I returned home late in the afternoon on Friday.  Thank you for all of your encouragement.  This has been a surprisingly painful operation.  The Dilaudid I am taking for the pain just manages to take the edge off for about 1 1/2 hours.  When it wears off, it is really rough.  When I woke up from the surgery, my doctor told me the pain would be terrible.  I could expect to have muscle spasms along with the searing pain.

 When he began the operation, he was surprised to find 3 hernias and tons of scar tissue. (The scar tissue makes sense.  This is my 3rd abdominal surgery in the last 10 months.)  He removed the scar tissue and repaired the hernias, placing a 10 x 12 inch sheet of mesh in my abdomen to prevent hernias in the future.

He was not kidding about the pain!  Worse than the contractions I endured when Zoë was born, honestly!  I guess it is going to be a long, slow recovery.  I am mostly sleeping, walking (helps relieve the pain temporarily), and sipping on tea, juice, and water.  I can't really handle solid foods right now, but that's fine by me.  I'm hoping to see a good weight loss after my body settles itself down.  I'm currently up 10 lbs. because of the fluids, etc.  I expected that, as it seems to happen every time I have surgery.  My true weight should show in a couple of weeks.

I'm starting to fade, so I'm going to sign off.  I'm hoping to be well enough to attend a party for my fellow Class of 1985 graduates this Friday, but right now, things look "iffy" at best.  In the meantime, thanks again for your messages of hope and encouragement!

Until Next Time,

Nancy

Tiny Pouch VS. Sunday Brunch

• Keep reading after my post for details on The Eggface Birthday Giveaway!!!

My daughter and I took my husband to brunch at Pickwick & Frolic for Father's Day, yesterday morning.  My parents met us there, which was really nice.  With brunch costing $30.00 per person (except for Zoë, who was free) I knew I would not get my money's worth out of the food.  But we had a good time.  I started with a nice, hot cup of tea.  While everyone ate their first course, I enjoyed my Earl Grey with lemon very much.  After waiting for 15 minutes, I went up to the bar and got a western omelet with tomatoes.  The girl making the omelet must have been new, because what I really got was scrambled eggs with ham, cheese, peppers, onions, and tomatoes.  I also grabbed a mini banana nut muffin, a mini cheese danish, some rotisserie pork, and a piece of bacon.  (Yes, it's a lot of food.  No, I didn't plan to eat it all.)

I sat down across from Zoë, who was eyeing the chocolate fountain.  I very slowly ate 1/3 of my "omelet" and 3 bites of pork. (which was cold, but still yummy.)  Then I ate my mini muffin, and took one bite of the danish, making sure to get the cheese part.  The bacon was just way too greasy, so after one bite, I gave up.  I must have left over 2/3 of what I took (or rather, what was given to me) on my plate.  I did go back for 3 tiny pieces of watermelon and a mini cappuccino cheesecake, of which I had one very tiny bite. (I literally dipped the tip of my spoon into the tiny cheesecake bite, then handed the rest to Bob.)  Oh, and I did dip one strawberry in the chocolate fountain and ate a couple of bites.  That was heavenly!  The chocolate was more dark than milk, and super melty, which was just right for my tastes.

The whole experience was very interesting because I really wanted to eat a bit more, but absolutely could not.   Zoë is the only one who ate less than me...she eats hardly anything.  (1 1/2 rolls, and a marshmallow.)  This is such a different way of life, and I'm still getting used to it.  These days, my pouch can hold 1/2 c- 1 1/2 c of food, depending on the type of food.  Protein fills me up fastest, and that's good.  I don't drink with my meals, because that washes the food through the pouch and then one can eat more than one should.  That's why I had my tea before I ate.

The waiter probably didn't know what to make of me, because he never tried to take my plate, even though it sat untouched for over an hour.  I finally had to tell him I was finished.  What I've learned is that in America, we are expected to be big eaters.  It is the norm.  Now that I am no longer a big eater, I draw concerned looks from waiters at restaurants who think I don't like my food.  Sometimes, I will explain my situation, and sometimes I won't.  Yesterday, I did not.  I simply paid the man, left him a big tip (hey, he did crawl under the table to retrieve the lipstick I dropped) and left feeling satisfied, but not bloated and uncomfortable.  Pretty cool, if you ask me!

Oh...the other thing I've learned is that most of the time, I'll be eating cold food, because I take too darn long to eat!!!  LOL!

And on second thought I DID get my money's worth of food, because everything I ate, I enjoyed very much.

Me, Bob, & Zoë at Pickwick & Frolic.

Zoë at the chocolate fountain.

Father & Daughter.

 ONE MORE THING:  Shelly, who is know to us "losers" as Eggface, is having a fantastic giveaway in honor of the 4 year anniversary of her gastric bypass and her birthday.  For a chance to win an awesome ice cream maker, go to www.theworldaccordingtoeggface.com and leave a comment by June 27, 2010.  While you're there, do yourself a favor and read her story.  If she doesn't inspire you, no one will.  Happy Anniversary & Birthday, Shelly!

And So It Begins

The Honeymoon is over.  The hunger is back.  The cravings are back.  This is to be expected, but still, it was nice when I wasn't hungry.  There are other factors at play here, and most of them involve medications.  I take a variety of prescription drugs that increase appetite and cravings.  Lately, all I want to eat are carbs.  The weight loss surgery mantra is "protein first."  I am going to be chanting that a lot in the weeks to come!

The actual weight loss is still going well.  I am down 95 lbs., but won't be happy until I hit the 100 lb. mark.  I'm so close.  One of the benefits of losing 95 lbs. is that I am much more active now.  I can keep up with my 4 year old daughter, most of the time!  Where as I used to sit around the house and watch her play, now I throw her in the car and we go everywhere.  We walk around the mall, the grocery store, anywhere we can walk, we go.  It is incredibly liberating to be able to move!

Mentally, I've been getting a bit panicky.  The old tapes are starting to play again, and I am afraid that I will not lose anymore weight.  My therapist felt that I was ready to be on my own, so I haven't seen anyone to discuss this for a couple of months.  I think I need to return to therapy with a new therapist.  Does anyone know of a good therapist in Strongsville or nearby?  I'm taking suggestions!

Until next time,

Nancy