"If you think you can or can't, you are right"
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"If you think you can or can't, you are right" |
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Before Surgery After Surgery: 2001 2002 2003 2004
2005 September 21, 2005: Wow, it is been SO SO long since I updated! I looked tonight & saw that I had not even started a 2005 page & the year is almost over & was shocked! I am so sorry, but life has been unbelievably busy, and so many things have changed. But for the good mostly. I have a new job that is totally wonderful. To work with such great people and to love to go to work now and really enjoy what I do. I get to use my creativity in creating PowerPoint presentations, managing a great staff that works together, and to have a great boss that treats you with respect and appreciates your work. It's awesome! My son is in Iraq now, he left on August 28th, gone 3 weeks now. He's doing fine and hopefully will come home in April for a couple weeks & is considering going back for another tour (once he's there long enough to make sure that's what he wants first, I hope). And as of last Friday, my divorce was final. Yes, I got divorced. Not going to air it all on here, but suffice it to say that I realized how unhappy I had been for so long, and just not willing to face it. And by the time it all surfaced, it was way too late to go back. He was a good guy and I wish him happiness, we just weren't meant to be together. I am glad that he & my son still talk and are friends. I still run a Weight Loss Support Group down in Shelby County. Meeting information is listed on the "support meeting dates" page above on the site menu. I update it monthly usually sometime the week before the meeting. As far as my weight goes, I have gained some back, which is normal, but am still at goal weight. I don't like my clothes too tight, but can't complain a bit. I need to exercise and cut out the breads & pastas & I would lose. I hope to change that soon & work on that part. Otherwise, my weight is great, staying around 155 lbs (size 10's & some 12's when sizes run small). I will see about getting an updated picture to post, but basically I look the same. Life is good now. I am happy. Surgery was a great gift. I have life again & am not going to waste it. Best wishes to all & thanks to all that email me. I know it takes me awhile, but I will write back when I can. I see so many that can benefit from this surgery & wish they could do the same. I hate the restrictions that insurance has put on this surgery, as it will hurt those who really need this surgery for their health, and the wait may prohibit many from getting surgery while their health can hold up. It's a shame that some surgeons have milked it & made it a business, and so many patients have abused it by gaining weight to have surgery or padding themselves with coins to "just make it" to the surgery table. This surgery is too serious. Aftercare is so important. You exchange one set of health problems for another if you don't take proper care of yourself after. Those are the kinds of things we learn/teach at the meetings. 2006 November 24, 2006: And yet, it's been another year. Unbelievable. Where do I start? My son has been to Iraq and back in March for one tour, and leaves again in February 2007. He got married on October 30, 2006 to a girl named Meghan. She's really sweet and they seem very happy together. We wish the them the best! Congrats to the newlyweds! He is a Corporal and is working on Sgt. around January or February 2007. He is home this weekend. He's been coming home every few weeks for awhile now. My work is always busy, but still a great place to work. I just moved our office, which was a big job, but our offices are really nice, and we got a state of the art phone system, been upgrading things, selling stuff to buy new furnishings, etc. I am the office manager, and have a great office staff. We work 4 & 1/2 day work weeks, and having plenty of allotted time to take off when I need or want. I've been working a lot of hours, because it's our busy time of year, but now that things are slacking up, I hope to be able to take off some soon and do some other things over the next few months. Going to be building some web pages. Going to do one for a local restaurant, which is cool. Social life is great, very happy! Still running the support group down that we hold at Shelby Baptist Hospital. We've moved the meetings to Saturday's because they work out better for all concerned. We may do a few Monday night meetings so we can schedule some speakers, like plastic surgeon's, etc., but on Saturdays, people have more time to travel into town and attend. We've been visiting as many people as we can as they have surgery, and it is so rewarding to see them come through the surgery, and finally get what they've strived for, for so long. Some wonder what they've gotten themselves into, but once they make it through the first couple days, use the knowledge we teach them and that they have learned along the way, and take it day by day, as each day does get better. Then two weeks later, after that first check in with the surgeon, to see how much they've lost, how much they are feeling better, then they see the difference, It's so cool. My weight... well, it goes up & down depending on me... I developed some internal problems around November of last year that were minor in pain, and just tolerated it, not knowing it was much until around early January 2006 when the lower abdominal pain, like where my female organs are, got so bad, I went to a doc-in-the-box for pain meds. There is no obvious trigger for the pain, it just came on every day by noon and got worse as the day went on, becoming unbearable by days end. Well by March, I had been to 4-5 specialists, gone through an abundance of tests, $1300 of flex benefits, and just now am getting all of the unpaid medical bills paid off... and still have no diagnosis. Basically, it's most likely adhesions/scar tissue/muscle disorder in my abdominal organs and maybe some endometriosis, but not sure unless they go in laproscopically. All we know is if I lift anything or exert myself physically then the pain sets in internally down there really bad and the only thing that helps is really strong pain killers and muscle relaxers. Anything else doesn't even touch the pain. So I have had to hold off on really doing anything with any more medical doctors until my flex benefits kicks in January 1st again, and I cam upping it this next year so more is covered, so if I have to have surgery, I have more $, and also, it covers more prescriptions. It is pre-taxed, so it helps out both ways and being direct deposited, I get it back really quick, so it helps a lot! Then if I do have to have surgery, I might be able to work a tummy tuck into it, and get all my excess tummy skin removed too. That pulling on that area doesn't help either, and would not only help in that area, but also will help me drop a size and I won't have to buy clothes a size or two bigger just because of my skin. Because of the pain problems, I can't exercise, so I gained back some, in addition to eating more carbs. I gained back, as we all do after 5 years of surgery, but am still a good size. I got up to a size 14, which I didn't like, but have lost back down some... got up to 178 when was in a 14..... last weigh in was 158.... back in size 10..... last few weeks noticed some clothes falling off of me, and people at work saying I've lost alot of weight and I even got back in an old pair of pants I couldn't get into.... so I am probably right back around the 155 range.... which is my original goal weight set for me..... which would be 135 as a normal person that had never been obese, because of all the excess skin and bone density.... we weigh more than we look because of that... if we try to get to light on the scales we look anorexic... so remember that guys and gals! All in all, life is great. I know I don't update often enough. I will try to do more often and keep you guys posted. I'm still alive and kicking. Just working and busy, but still here if you email me... just give me time to respond! Take care! 2007 August 31, 2007: Looks like I am in the habit of updating once a year. Not very good, huh? Well, let's see what has happened since last posting. I have to read back it's been so long. I totally changed my eating habits, to start losing weight. Figured out a few things that "worked for me" and did those things. Cut out the carbs, and now basically this is what I do: *Do not do this is you are not doing to be smart, hydrate yourself well with 60-100 oz of water per day, take tons of vitamins, use common sense, consult your physician for routine tests to monitor yourself for health reasons, and take care of yourself!) I go through McDonald's every weekday morning and get 2 large sweet teas and 1 coffee. No breakfast. I drink those all day. I don't snack. The coffee curbs my appetite, the tea keeps me hydrated all day. I drink all day long, keeping them on my desk at work. For dinner, I eat whatever I want, since over a period of time, your pouch "shrinks" after no eating so much, and you can't hold as much anymore, and you eat less.... I do not drink with my meals, but I do get an ice water just in case I need a sip. I eat my protein from my meals first, to fill up on meat first. I usually order a burger & fries... or a steak & salad..... and take the rest home..... if I get something with bread, I get the bread toasted dark, eat a couple bites of the bread & the rest of the bread goes away.... get rid of it... take it off and throw it away.... don't eat it.... eat the meat alone..... I never eat my sandwiches with the bread on it.... and always dark grill the bread. Always portion off what I am going to eat first, and put the rest in a to-go box.... never sit there and eat on it till I am "over-full". Rarely ever order dessert, hardly ever. Then I have to have someone with me that's going to eat the rest after I get my one or two bites. I never eat more than that. Just a taste or I will be sick. I make myself stop. I know better. I now have self control. I know it's worth it, that I can do it, so I do. I know what is more important to me. Those size 4-6 jeans! And feeling better. Boy do I feel SO much better. We are tanning again, and we do feel better when we tan. Just a "thing". We look better, so we feel better. * P.S. We drink approximately 60-100 oz of bottled water per day to keep hydrated/urinate enough to lose the weight. This is a must if you are going to drink coffee/caffeine. Keep the bottles with you, keep the fridge full, the freezer, keep them by the bed at night. We buy them by the case at Sam's, 2 cased per week f/ under $5 per case. NO carbonated drinks! A multitude of fruit is included in our diet. It's full of fluids, natural sugars, which are ok for your snacks, and (We take prescription potassium also to replenish that in our bodies). We are both lactose intolerant, so we don't drink milk, so that helps with sugar content. We can cook with milk, or eat lots of cheese, which is a great protein source though. I still have all my skin. The thinner I am, the easier it is to "tuck" it and hide it. My arms, I just wear 3/4 length or long sleeves year round, which is fine, as I am cold year round... My tummy has two sections, lower panni and one section above my naval.... my legs have the "elephant" skin all the way down to my knees... which I just don't wear shorts, I wear capris (totally fine with me!..... I look totally normal in clothes.... I buy clothes that fit my body, tuck my skin well..... jeans with 2% spandex that are low cut in the waist work so much better, as I don't have to fit the pants up OVER the skin. The I just wear a shirt long enough to cover the tummy skin. And I slide my tummy skin down into the pants and around my side & back and it works. Sounds funny, I know, but hey, it works. For the boobs, well, that's a different story. There aren't any. So we have to make them up to. A really good push up bra from Fredericks of Hollywood or even Kmart had a couple good ones before. Then I found these GREAT silicone looking "boob" insert pads for about $12.99-$14.99 that are clear.... and they lift you up even more.... you get them at Hancock Fabricks of all places! They are like $40+ at the stores in the mall..... I can tell you hilirious stories about the time I thought I left my "boobs" at the tanning bed... (but they were in my purse! Then honey, you look like you got boobs like the stars! Just tighten the shoulder straps on your bra up to pull your boobs up higher, insert pads, and Wha-Lah!!!! Fredrick's bras actually have a "pocket" that your "boob inserts" fit into, so they won't fall out! Then our "rocks in socks" are not "rocks in socks" no more! See girls, it can be done! Look, I am 41 years old this year (I had to think about that, as I don't keep up with my age, and I can't remember how old I am)... and I feel great, and am having the time of my life. Yes, we work hard still, never have enough money, always paying bills, but life is still good. I have a life... I should have been dead a year ago. Now, we rent a boat in our spare time and we go fishing all day!!!! I've seen my son get married, go to Iraq twice, and he's coming home to the States in a couple weeks!!!! One day he'll have grandkids, and I will get to see that. He's my pride and joy. I have a wonderful man who is meant for me and I am meant for him. We both have good jobs. We have a future. 5 years ago, the future was that I was to die soon, a miserable death. This surgery changed that for me. It gave me back my life! 2008 February 14, 2008: Wow, how time flies! Well, thankfully, a doctor who in about 10 minutes figured out "yank that uterus out"! So hopefully in March, I will be having only the uterus removed (a partial hysterectomy), as she wants to leave the ovaries, as otherwise it would throw me directly into menopause otherwise. If she can leave the ovaries, then it won't. Also, I would suffer earlier bone deterioration, and being a bypass patient that has problems taking calcium, that is not a preferred thing! Sooooo, now we have gone to the plastic surgeon to see about an abdomnioplasty at the same time, to have all of this excess skin removed. We've been pulling together letters from other docs, pictures of documentation from over the years, etc., and now have to have it submitted to see if we can get approval, as they will work together to do both surgeries at the same time. He also says he thinks that I am a good candidate for approval for my breasts to be done since they are so bad (nothing there) and that insurance might approve having them fixed. He does not do the breast and abdomnioplasty same day, so I would have to do breasts one day, then the hysterectomy/abdomnioplasty the second day. Fingers crossed for insurance approval. If not, then we will just be doing the hysterectomy. He also said my arms and legs need to be done, obviously. Until this morning, I never considered my legs, but I have broken out profusely with boils and blisters on both legs inside. Couldn't find the camera. I've been having such bad blistering and itching and breakouts down there lately it is awful. Different note, migraines are worse. PCP increased my Topomax to 200 mg a day and gave me Imatrex in addition to that if they get worse during day. That has helped tremendously. They run in my family really badly. My mom & sister suffer from them awful. Guess older I get they get worse, and bypass may not be cause of it, unless there is a deficiency of some kind that may contribute to it??? Dunno, but the increase in medication helps so much and keeps me off Excedrin Migraine which is an NSAID. After the hysteractomy I can finally get off of the pain meds that also cause migraines. Been on them for going on 3 years now while no other doc could figure out my problems. Ridiculous, but had to. Only relief. Pain is awful. Lots of scar tissue built up in uterus she thinks. She is sending me to another specialist, as she thinks I have another condition I can't pronounce "IC".... which also causes that pain and is why I have this condition they've never been able to find cause of for like 8 years or so..... "gross benign hematuria" and she says there is a condition, which is this "IC"... I LOVE HER!!!!!!!! She is Dr. Ashley Duke down at Shelby Baptist and she is the first OBGYN that has known what she is doing out of all of the dang different specialists I have gone to over the last 3 years and the thousands of dollars I have spent, she didn't have to run any tests, just look at my history of records.... that's what I have been looking for for years!!!!!!! I would not go to any other Plastic Surgeon but Dr. Clement Cotter, Jr. at Shelby Plastic Surgery in Alabaster. He is awesome. There is a link on my Support Meeting Page. I will have before & after pictures if it gets approved. More soon. I have lots to update. Still doing the support meetings. Just not at the hospital anymore. Became a certified support leader with Obesityhelp.com which is very cool. Be back soon!!!!! Hope all are well. Miss you guys! :)
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