Hello all. It's been a while since I've updated. I had to do some profile changes as well. I'm down to 220, now and enjoying life much more. I have taken advantage of the Spring Weather, when it does decide to be a Spring Day. Nature Hikes are so much more fun than they used to be. :)
Have a great day today!
I had my appts with the dietitian and the gastric bypass surgeon on Friday. On the Tuesday before I had an appt. with my plastic surgeon. So let's cover each one in sequence. ;-) :-D
The plastic surgeon has given me a clean bill of health, seven weeks post op from the final surgery, which removed the "apron" of skin. He's allowing me to go back to doing abdominal weights. I'm also still working out at the "Y". I've hit 151 lbs, so far. :-D He's looking forward to seeing me again... yeah I know it's $$ that helps urge him to get me back in his office, but he's also very sincere about helping improve my "saggy skin." I so look forward to my breasts being brought back up to where they need to be.
My dietitian was cool. She's thrilled with the progress I've made, and of course so am I! lol... She doesn't want me to increase the 6 oz. of food unless I seem to be craving a snack more often. Then I can increase it an ounce at a time. I wasn't taking enough of my B-12, so now I am. *blushes* I'm to continue what I'm doing and she puts my goal weight at 150-160. Also I'm going back on Wednesday to do an interview and sit with a focus group for the hospital's newest promotional commercial. :-D No guarantee, but I get paid 75.00 just for showing up and being interviewed!
My surgeon is also very happy with how things are going. She ordered my yearly blood work, so I have to have that done 2 weeks before my anniversary appt. in October. She says a goal of 180....
so... I'm going for 170. :-D
I must tell you about my afternoon yesterday. My morning sucked, so let's just skip that and move on to the afternoon. My mail came and there was a pamphlet in my LAKES magazine. This pamphlet talked about a new Nature Preserve a small drive away from us. I thought it would be good to go to it, so suggested it to the spouse, who agreed.
I wasn't sure what we'd do when we got there. lol.... I knew there was a waterfall but I didn't know what type of trails there would be. The pamphlet wasn't real detailed. So anywhoooo we still went.
We got to the preserve, parked the car and began to walk our trail. As we walked I thought back to when my family last went walking on a nature trail. . .
It was just before my surgery and I weighed over 400lbs. I walked the entire trail with them at that time, though it hurt and I couldn't breathe and we had to stop and let me rest at every bench along the way. I walked down the (I don't know how many) steps to view the waterfall and I walked back up them, stopping every 10 to rest and catch my breath. On the way back to our van during that trip... each bench was a goal to me, because it meant I could sit and rest. My family waited with me. The girls getting to the benches first and cheering me on. 
Yesterday's walk. . .
I began my walk without really thinking much of it, except enjoying the beauty of this new preserve. As we walked though I thought back and I chuckled. . .This was so much harder when I was over 400 lbs. Then as we walked further, I realized I could breathe. I could talk and walk. I could stay caught up with everyone. I even was faster than my second daughter, though she does have a cold and was on drowsy inducing medicines. But, I was still faster than a sick 12 year old! 
. . . I walked up and down the hills, one was quite steep. I walked all the way to the end of the trail and then back to where it split to another. We then took the other trail and walked it too! I broke a sweat, but you know what, the only time I had to stop was to get a rock out of my shoe. There were two benches on the trail. I never needed to use them. I got back to the van and I wasn't out of breath at all. If it hadn't been for the trails being over, (they have several more in the works) . . . I could have walked more! 
The picture you see before you is how far I've come since my Gastric Bypass Surgery on October 24, 2006. In the blue sweater I weighed 403 lbs. One week prior to surgery. In the other picture, I weight 259 lbs as of yesterday July 13, 2007. I can see the difference in so many ways, but the pictures just really put it into a visual perspective.
Have a beautiful day. . .I am, because I'm going to be living longer!!
Tuesday afternoon I had an appt. with my surgeon and he removed the 77 staples across my abdomen and the drain tube and bulb. I am so glad! I am still sore, bruises and swelling still litter across my stomach so I'm not completely pain free. *sigh*
I'm down 141 lbs. so I weigh in at 262 . Quite the come down from 403!!
I'm selling a couple stories to a relatively new ebook publishing company. When they become available I'll be sure to set up links. :-D
For the most part I am doing well. I do become exhausted quite easily sometimes, which annoys the begeebies out of me.
It has been a while; hasn't it. A lot has happened since my last post, which I believe was sometime in March.
Just to catch you all up on things... I am now down 125lbs. *big smile* This puts me at 278lbs. I know that's still a lot, but not like it was. I feel great, well... let me rephrase that. I feel great about the weight loss. I physically don't feel that great at the moment, then again once I explain why, you'll understand.
On May 2nd, I had what was supposed to be a routine surgery. It was to be an in and out procedure of the removal of my left ovary and fallopian tube. The doctor did that, as well as removing some excess scar tissue. I was discharged that following Friday, but went back in on Sunday late afternoon with a fever of 102.6.
At the hospital they admitted me and on that Tuesday evening I was under the knife again. They reopened the incision and cleaned it out, then left the wound open because the work wasn't done yet. *sigh*
The infection had manifested into a flesh eating bacteria. It ate through the entire bottom layer of skin, which the plastic surgeon replaced with some manufactured/donated skin. Some of my abdominal muscles were also eaten away. *sad face* The surgery to repair all that was done two days later at another hospital, where I stayed for another five days.
Eventually I was released from the hospital. My spouse and my mom have been caring for the open wound, packing it with gauze and saline solution. On the 8th of June, I will be going under the knife again. This time to finish up everything... I'm not sure what to expect. The surgeon is going to remove the "apron" I have of loose skin and fat. A tummy tuck. *shivers* I really don't know what to expect. I am worried both because of the unknown, but also fear of infection again. The surgeon believes I may be a natural carrier of this bacteria. If I am then that means every surgery is a risk. *sad face*
I do hope all goes well. I hope you all have a great week. *kiss*
