One Year Out!

It has been over a year since my first surgery date, and only a year and 4 days since I was discharged from the hospital and really began to lose weight like I should have right after the surgery. As of today I have officially lost 82 pounds.

My strength is coming back and I am getting closer to doing almost all the things that I had done prior to the surgery. I did speak with my bariatric doctor about still having pain and issues in my side and how long it is taking to fully heal. He informed me that I need to still be careful not to lift things that are too heavy or I could herniate my side. The best way I could describe what he told me is that where my fistula was that it closed partially by mending with my side and that is why I have sensitivity right there close to my skin. He also informed me to be more aware that I need to be careful of my food choices in case it will increase my chances of having a bowel instruction due to the fact the way my fistula healed.

I am thankful to know this information in advance so I can do what is needed in my diet to prevent these things from happening the best way I can. 

Life is looking good and I feel much healthier than I did a year ago and most of all I feel happier with myself and my diabetes has been non existence since I was released from the hospital.

Kidney Stone update

Well, here is it May 18th and I am still having issues with those blasted kidney stones. It has put a bit of a damper on me being able to exercise and do things as they begin acting up so easily. I finally get to see the Urologist this coming Friday, May 23rd and I hoping it will not be too much longer after that I am to return to have something more done about it.

This past week has been one where I have had to use my pain medicine and the bladder medicine as well as taking antibiotics to prevent bladder or kidney infection.

As for my weight, I have hit a stand still and I stuck at 158-163 pounds, It just goes up and down. I know what I need to get it moving again and that is exercise, but not feeling very well has prevented me from doing what I need to do, not only in exercising for weight loss, but also just getting things done around the house. I can feel it within my body that I am not as healthy as I was before I had the gastric bypass surgery. I am hoping after the Kidney stone issue is taken care of that I will begin to feel normal like I did before the surgery.

Lately I have been questioning if I made the right decision, yes, I am thinner, yes, my blood sugar is in control and I am not longer diabetic since it is in remission, but I wonder, did I extend my life or shorten it with constant other health problems. I guess only time will tell.

Kidney Stones

Sorry for the long delay in posting. It wasn't but a few days after we returned home from Hawaii that I began to have episodes with Kidney stones and then ended up in the hospital for 4 nights.

I have yet to pass the large stone, but I am thankful for the pain to have dissappeared. I read that this surgery can cause kidney stones for some people. I really hope I am not one of those people.

My weight loss is continuing to drop off at a much slower rate, but still losing none the less. I am more than 60% of the way to my goal weight now, and I look forward to finally reaching my goal.

Home From Hawaii

Well, I am back home from Hawaii and happy to be so. Most people think of Hawaii as a land of paradise, maybe it is at a local hotel resort where you do not go out onto the island and see the real Hawaii.

Anyhow, after getting sick while there, I am still getting over this awful cold I caught now. I thought for sure I would have gained a lot of weight while there since we ate out at almost every meal for 12 days. Luckily when I arrived home I had actually dropped 1.4 pounds. What a surprise.

Now, I just need to get back into my daily routine and keep working on my weight loss. I still have 49.4 pounds to go to reach my goal. It is getting so close I can almost touch it. I cannot slow down now!

My Hair is Growing Back In!

Well, I must say, I am quite surprised to know that my hair is growing back in already. I had read where it can take up to 9 months post-op before your hair will stop falling out and begin growing back.

It dawned on me the other day that my hair was no longer falling out, and it hasn't been for the past month when I really think about it. Then, I noticed all these little hairs sticking up everywhere on my head. Yikes, my hair look hideous! It is poking through all the very thin hair that is left and I look ridiculous. I look like a bald man with a bad comb-over (ugh!).

So, I went and got my hair cut. Thank goodness I have a wonderful hair stylist from New York who can cut my hair. She was surprised to see how much my hair has grown in since the middle of December when I went to have her cut it while it was falling out. She was also surprised to see that I was looking so much thinner as well. In fact, today I weighed in at 166.2.  It can only get better from here!

I am happy to have my hair growing back and this is the hairstyle I chose and I think Brittany made me look great! Now, I am not embarrassed for people to look at my head.

Happy Valentine's Day! - Half way to goal.

As of today I am down 64.8 pounds with only 52.8 pounds to go to reach my goal weight.

To my pleasant surprise this morning, I pulled out a pair of smaller jeans I had in the closet and they fit. I can wear a size 14 now. I haven't been able to fit into a 14 again. The only bad news, the zipper was broke on the jeans so I had to toss them. Oh well, on to smaller sizes soon enough.

Another real surprise to me was when I picked up a shirt for the summer yesterday at the local Target store. I debated between getting a large and a medium. I finally tossed the medium into the shopping cart expecting it would be skin tight and I will need to slim down a bit more, but by summer I should be wear it. Well, when I came home and tried it on out of curiosity to see how tight it is and about how much more I will need to lose to fit the shirt properly, I was amazed it actually fit.

Here is a picture my 7 year old took of me with it on. She isn't the best photographer, and of course the tag is still on it.You can still see a pouch where my belly is still large, but after all the swelling I am surprised it is down that small.

On a bright note, my hair has stopped falling out and is beginning to grow back and I am using my treadmill everyday and it is going well.

Finally weighed in at 169 pounds

I have finally weighed in at 169.6 pounds today. I am very happy with the weight loss. I did not expect to have lost anything this week. I have been walking at least 20 minutes a day on my treadmill and after the first couple of days, I put on 2 pounds. I assumed it was due to building back some muscle and I did not expect to lose back down for a couple more weeks.

If feels good psychologically to weigh 169.6 even though my weight loss for the week was only .6 ounces. It does something to you mentally when you break each 10 pound marker. I look much better in my clothes now, but I am a long way from wearing any kind of bathing suit. I tried one on last week in preparations of going Hawaii next month, but when I saw how awful I looked in it, I made the decision to buy some capri type spandex work out pants and a spandex tank top to wear at the beach and in the water instead. This way I can still be out in the water in my daughter and not scare off all the people on the beach. On the bright side, by covering up, I will not have to worry about getting a spray tan to cover up how white I have gotten over the years.