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My Tate 1984 Classmate Contact & Reunion Page

 Before Surgery   After Surgery:    2002    2003    2004    2005 and After

08/24/2001:     Well, had LAP surgery on the 21st. Went great. Out of hospital by yesterday, the 23rd, and walked the mall today for exercise. Did not go fast, but I walked. No pain, just soreness. Small complications in hospital (I.V., catheter'd the whole time, vomited after leak test, fluid build up bad, etc). The 1st day I couldn't wake up after surgery, so I slept, in and out till late that night. 2nd day, up from 6 a.m. till 10 p.m. that night. No pain meds since surgery for anything from the surgery. (I did have to because of my Fibromyalgia, it was bad). But I am home & adjusting to eating again & doing great!

09/01/2001:     As of yesterday, per Surgeon's office, 11 days post-op, I am down -19 lbs. I was shocked. I was hoping for 10. Yippee!! I have been eating regular foods, overdoing a few times, now learned not to do that! Regular foods have helped, I couldn't do liquids without feeling like I was starving all of the time. Drinking tons of water all day, carry a jug everywhere. Walking too. Not a lot, but a lot more than before, which was never. Thanks to everyone, this site helped get me here.

09/23/2001:     I feel wonderful. This is truly amazing. It does not come without my co-operation & work (I don't call it hard work compared to before it is not hard for me). I have more head hunger after surgery than I ever had before, or knew I had. My head wants me to eat more than I should. That is the hardest part of this, but still, well worth it. I have to trick myself to thinking I am eating all the time, sometimes. I have found low fat, low sugar snacks that I can munch on. Just so my mouth is occupied & my hands are occupied. Wal-Mart Animal Crackers, Bran Flakes Cereal (actually quite good dry, as a snack), stuff like that. I break everything into small pieces, it takes longer to eat, lasts longer. I am not getting in enough protein, working on that, and can't stomach the chewable calcium citrate, working on that. I found that I need TWO chewable vitamins a day to keep my energy level up, but I am going like a normal person, awake during the day. Not like before when I barely made it through work to come home & collapse, spending every weekend laying down & resting, because I was so tired I could not even shower without being exhausted & out of breath. I have lost 29 lbs in this first month, for a total of 49 lbs. so far. (I lost 20 right before surgery). I can sure tell a difference. Can see parts of my body shrinking, clothes baggy, skin loosening up. And that is actually a good feeling. I was so swollen before, I looked like my skin was about to POP! I overeat sometimes or eat too fast, and I dump. But I don't mind. It keeps me within limits. Otherwise I would be right back where I was before. Thank you for this tool & the ability to lose what I never could have before! Thank you for a 2nd chance at life, one that will now be good because of this. I am under 300 lbs. for the first time in years, never to see it again. I have not been exercising, other than be so much more physically active & running around alot or up/down halls at work, where before I would sit all day & not hardly move. I am trying to motivate myself to start walking. Will figure something out soon. Good luck to all those looking at having surgery. Listen to your body & do what you feel is right. This is a good thing that will lead you. All you have to do is follow & be smart. Life is good again!

10/21/2001:     Well, today is my 2 month anniversary of my surgery. I am doing VERY WELL! I feel SO healthy, and I am now exercising for the last two weeks. I feel great. No complications, eating is pretty easy. I mess up every once in a while & get sick, but it is SO worth it. I have not done well with protein intake or my calcium pills. Can't stomach either one. But I am concentrating on the protein now & doing a little better. One thing at a time. I will tackle the calcium in a week or two. I joined the Hoover Rec Center & that has helped SO much. I really like it and have been going 4-5 times a week for at least some exercise. I am up to a mile a day or a half mile & some racquetball. I have gone from sizes 5x & 7x that were tight, to a 3x that is comfy & loose & a snug 2x. What an unbelievable difference. I really enjoy the support group meetings, they are very important to both the pre-op & post-op patients. Hooray to my friend/angel, Denise for doing so well too. We both loved our surgeons and think they are great. My thoughts are with Michelle Hagan & Laura Colley & wish you the best and a speedy recovery. We await the day you can return to the meetings. We love you. Wishing every pre-op success on their journey & congrats to every post-op on their progress.

11/25/2001:     I have not been getting much water in each day & my weight loss has slowed down... I was walking about 4-5 days a week, and have been so busy that has only become 2-3, so I have to work on that too.... I am still very happy with my weight loss & I continue to feel wonderful every day... I can get into a size 22 (some 20's), which I have not seen for years. I have so much energy now compared to before... My skin is getting saggy, but I don't care... It is so much better than before. I can tell that I can eat more than before.. That started a week or two ago.. Not tons of food, just about 3 oz. instead of 1 or 2 oz... That should help me get my protein in... I had a hard time with calcium too, can't stand the chewables... Get the calcium citrate pills & cut them in 1/2 and take them four times a day instead... Go for my 3 month B-12 this week. I have lost 60 lbs. since surgery & 80 lbs total. Boy what a difference this makes in your life... I wish everyone as much as I have right now. I have made some wonderful friends through this, and that was an added bonus to all the great things you already get...

12/09/2001:     I have to say that life is good now. I am happy & healthy & couldn't ask for any more right now. I am doing well since surgery. I can eat a major variety of foods & I rarely get sick (unless I eat too much, and that doesn't happen often, and isn't very bad). I bought a size 20 pair of jeans today, and a new shirt & size 9 shoes (down from 10 1/2 & 11's), and my son was so pleased when he saw me. I have worn big baggy clothes for so many years now & always looked like a blimp... He said "mom, you look like a normal person now). That meant so much to me, and you could tell he was so proud of me. My hubby doesn't say much, but you can tell. He "hung out" around me in the kitchen for awhile when I got home & kept "feeling" of my jeans. I think he was shocked too. I know I was. I want to say that I have really enjoyed the last two days with Cecelia & Denise, and we had our Christmas Party/Get-Together today, and it was nice to sit & chat & see everyone... I love seeing people lose weight, & for Carla, it was so nice to have you... I am looking forward to seeing you again & being your angel when you have surgery. It's not so far away now. You guys keep up the hard work, it is worth it. Me & Jillena are going to walk our butts off this week! Want to lose 6 more pounds by Christmas, to get under 250. Happy Holidays to all!

12/15/2001:     My blood pressure went up this week. It is work. So I have to hurry up & find another job. Not going to let it affect my health, AGAIN! I am back on medication now, bummer, but not for long! I hope to find something right after the first of the year. Will make it through the holidays & be very aggressive in my searching. -- I feel very lucky otherwise. I love my husband & my son, dearly. They mean the world to me. I have always been a very strong, self confident person. But I find myself feeling even more self confident & better about myself these days. I guess because my health is better & life is better & I can function like a normal person again. I will be 36 years old in January & I feel younger than I have in years. Last year I felt like I was 65 and dying. What a difference this surgery & a few months can make. I owe everything to this surgery, my doctors & the wonderful supportive people I have met during my journey. I have a new lease on life and I plan on taking advantage of every minute of it. Here's to a long, wonderful, healthier life.

12/30/2001:     At my 3 month check up, the Surgeon's office told me to change from my Chewables to an adult one a day vitamin with minerals, etc. in it.  They said that the chewables didn't have everything in it that I need.  So I started comparing, and there were things missing that come in adult vitamins, so I compared the adult ones to get the ones with the most of everything in it. I found Centrum Performance, and it is basically double everything else.  They are pretty expensive; I shopped around, got them from Wal-Mart I think.  I have been taking them daily, breaking them in 1/2 because they are big.  I can't tell that I feel any better or notice a difference, other than I think I had more energy on the chewables, twice a day.  I am not sure I am absorbing them; I put them in a glass like Denise taught me, and it took them 20 minutes to break up, but the little bits still seems pretty compact.  The reason my Blood Pressure kept going on on my meds was because stupid me was taking capsules.  They did not dissolve after even an hour in water, once I checked them.  So doc put me on ace inhibitors & beta blockers (regular tablets) and they work fine, and sometimes too good. My pressure dropped low after them, so I monitor my pressure & only take so much depending on what it is.  My health is good (except for this crappy head cold) and I am starting to look for another job now.  I only walked two nights this last week, because I was getting sick & was weak.  I really like walking with Jillena. We have a lot of fun together.  Because I was sick, I missed out on exercising with friends yesterday, and I was really looking forward to it... But they went on without me & had a great time...  We are going to try & get a group thing going soon in January & I hope to meet/see some of the ones I have not seen before or in a great while.  Now that I have my web page up and going again, I will try to post more often.   I lost 4 more lbs. this week, so I am -76 since surgery & -96 total.  Four more pounds and I will have lost 100 lbs. since July.  That is more than I ever could have hoped for before.