Barbara G.

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It really makes you think, there was one lady who had her surgery and about two months later she was killed in a car wreck.   

I just want to say that I believe God has His Hand on me and that this surgery is His Will for me.  But I am human and subject to error.  I may have missed His Voice but I have His Heart... I am ready to go, I know that my sins are forgiven and that His Holy Spirit lives in my heart and by His Grace and Mercy I am a child of God... there is no fear of what may happen or where I may wake up.  :-D  So if I get to Heaven  before any of you, I will watch for you and welcome you where Everyone is a size 6  and healthy:)   
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I have done a whale of a bunch of reading profiles here at OH  :)   I love the profiles, makes you feel like you really Know these people.  Anyway... one thing I have noticed is that this surgery thing is a bit like Christmas... you plan and prepare and plan and prepare and them WHOP it's over and then what????!!!  So I have done a lot of thinking and have come up with some short and long term goals for After surgery to help me to cope with 1. No Food and 2. No Food and 3. A new Way of Life
So!  One of my goals (short term) is to get into the next smaller size clothes.  According to how fast others lost weight (learned from their profiles) this can happen anywhere from the first week to the first two weeks after surgery.  My Second goal is for 6-7 weeks after surgery- we are going to take a small trip somewhere.  :)   At this point I am thinking about Gettysburg, PA.   They fought a battle there and I will have just fought a battle and I will have Won!  We can take the camper and go for two nites and ride in an air-conditioned tour bus or a double decker and just relax and reward myself.  To me that sounds like something to focus on instead of no food, no food, sip, sip, sip,  :)  Anyway just thought I would share that, maybe it will help someone else.  It could be just a night away even or Going on a Date with your Significant Other... all dressed up and like your first date.... just something to focus and work toward.  
I'm drinking the first Phospho-Soda and it is not the easiest but it is do-able.  Later.

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Well, it is after nine pm here in hot Ohio and my surgery is 7:30 am tomorrow.  We will have to leave by 4 am to get by 6 so it is early to bed and early to rise .... makes a woman healthy-- ha ha ha

It is really sinking in that this is REAL now.   My mother in law stopped by this evening, my sister called from Texas as well as my nephew.  That was nice.   I shaved my legs... want to look my best as I am skipping down the hall after surgery ;-p   lol   I cannot, absolutely cannot, think of one other thing to do to get ready except to just DO IT!  So here is Barbara Anne signing off.... hoping to come back a member of  'Loserville'.  

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  I'm Baaaccckkk!  Yes and it is Barbara G. the newest (well maybe not now){ok one of the newest citizens of Loserville.... * imagine happy music playing*
And how does it feel in Loserville???  It hurts.  Not as bad as that first walk did though!   Man!  I was NOT at ALL prepared for that First Walk.  whew!   So here is my first advice post-op- get your courage up and KNOW that the first walk is the Toughest Point of the Battle and from then on it has been all down hill.  :)   It is sorta kinda a little like the last pushing pain of having a baby.... maybe.... not that you feel it there, just that it is a pain you Feel and will remember.  :D 

This is my first day home... they kept me an extra day... tell you about that later.  I am tired and sore and not able to concentrate on writing a lot.  

But this one thing I have to say.... I told Everybody about the Wonderful People at Obesity Help  :)  And I had my surgery pages (yes, there were 2 :D  ) tacked up on my bulletin board in my room.    And I felt you there.... yes, I did, I felt you and Jesus and the angels.
Thank you so much for your kindnesses,
Barbara G.

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Yesterday was my two week anniversary into Loserville.  As of Sunday I have lost 16 lbs but I am not going to check it every day as I had been.  Got to be a little stressful, especially after reading posts of others who are losing faster.... someday I will win the battle over comparing myself to others. :(  But for now, once a week weighing is good. 
Things were progressing pretty well until about 4 pm Tuesday. 

[Then the new pain started... it Really Hurt. 

Couldn't sleep that night, suffered through the next morning (not one of my brighter days) and then I realized THis was something to call the Doc about.  Kinda scared me at first... my nurse thought it might be chest pain - a blood clot, perhaps,- and we got ready to make the trip to the ER.... then she called back and we talked some more.... where it was exactly.... what it felt like when I breathed in and out.... was I shortwinded. etc .etc etc... then she talked to the Doc and we all agreed it is a muscle.... but boy, it hurts.  Still hurt thru last night and most of today.  It is a little better now, I took  a pain pill and hopefully I'll sleep. 

Still no problem with food.  Actually I'm getting kind of creative with this magic bullet and blended foods.  I tried on some of the clothes (from the thrift stores) on Monday and again today and I can wear a size 16 top very easily :-D  WOW  but my bottom is still .... NOT a 16!  I can't wait .....  I can wear a size 18 dress easily, not too shabby since I was a 22/24 and before the six month diet a 26/28. 
Tomorrow I go to see my PCP for the first time since surgery and Wednesday I see Dr. Ben-Meir for my 1st post op visit. 

I haven't had any of the depression or 'blues', thank the Lord for that.   But I am having a hard time getting all the fluid in.   I never really was much of a beverage person.   Except back when I smoked.  But since I quit six years ago... I just don't drink much of anything.  sip sip sip    Went out to eat twice so far... once we went to Eat & Park I got chicken broth and decaf (I was still on liquids) and sugar free ice-cream.   And since I have been on blended -purreed my husband and I had to go to calling hours for a friend of ours mother and I got mashed potatoes and gravy and cottage cheese and sugar free jello.... It is so amazing that three or four bites of each thing and I am satisfied.  When I eat, I use a  timer to make sure I'm not eating too fast... I set my spoon down. A bite a minute or so. And after I'm done eating, I reset the timer to 30-60 minutes [varied when I was on liquids versus purreed)  and when I goes off I know I can drink.  So I get busy with my hands until the timer goes off.  :)  Maybe that will help someone else down the road.

 I'm not having a problem waiting to drink 30-60 minutes after the meal.  It is kind of a head thing... not a thirst thing.  :-)   If it wasn't for the muscle pain I would be doing great.   

Well, the pain pill is kicking in and I'd better go nitey-nite.

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Good Morning! Well I slept better last nite, thank the Lord.  I go to my PCP this morning and since his scale Always makes me heavier than mine, I figured I better weigh myself so I'm not too disappointed.  whoa!  Big, giant, huge, enormous mistake!  I am exactly the same weight I was Sunday.  What am I doing wrong????? ok, now I am officially discouraged.  The only day I missed walking was yesterday because of the pain.... I just don't understand it.  

I'm not cheating.  How in the world can you cheat on 2 to 4 ounces of food?????!!  I'll post this question and see if I get any answers.  Seems lately like there is not a lot of posting going on.

I then got dressed and weighed myself again and my clothes and shoes added 4 pounds. So we'll see what the Doc's scales say.
I am really trying hard to keep my chin up and to come up with as many reasons for this as possible...  later.

You know I always wondered why so many keep their profile up until about 4-6 weeks after surgery.... NOW I KNOW!!!  It's because their life changes so much that their focus is on Living  :-D  Isn't that a wonderful thought.   Yesterday in many respects was my Best Day Yet!  #1 I am down now to 231 pounds.  When I think of the fact that I was 280 (or 281) when I first heard about RNY gastric bypass surgery and that I am 50 POUNDS LIGHTER.... I can get really excited!  #2  I CROSSED MY LEGS!!!!   Whoa!! It has been YEARS since I could cross my legs.... and it took NO EFFORT to cross or to KEEP THEM CROSSED.   YIPPEEEEEEE.....  # 3 I washed walls.... ok, ok, that might not seem real high on the list (and I only washed what I could easily reach from a standing position-i'm only 4.5 weeks out) BUT when you REALIZE that up to now, I had no where enough ENERGY to even WANT to wash my own walls.... I had someone else do it!!! PLUS I wasn't tired when I finished.... AND # 4  I walked well over a mile yesterday....... on a beautiful outdoor track, I went swinging on the swings (and I fit, it did not pinch my hips or thighs!!) with my 11 year old son and climbed up on the jungle gym thing  WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  :-D   #5  I am a size 16 top and depending on the skirt I can wear an 18-20 EASY!....  and I slept good last nite to boot!  Finally I really feel like I am seeing and experiencing the benefits of this surgery.   I must also tell you that on Saturday my mother, my son and I went to a huge, outdoor outlet shopping center.... we are talking easy two miles of walking .... and I walked and shopped for a good three hours and NO PAIN!  Not in my feet, not in my knees.... NO Pain Anywhere.... Now that is a Miracle, I have not walked like that with no pain in probably almost 20 years (give or take a year or so)!!

 I just want to stop and Praise God that He brought the information about this surgery to me ( we have no television or radio) and worked it all out so that I could have this... and He has been walking beside me every day.  Thank you Jesus!

Today is my first day back to work in the office.  I have been going up and down the stairs easily and with no pain.  And I am wearing a very cute XL navy blue jumper with pretty pink, maroon and light blue flowers and a very cute pink size medium top with it... YEAH!! Both of which I got at a thrift shop for next to nothing, and the jumper still had its original tags... it had never been worn!
(I like the neckline of my tops close to my neck, and it takes a smaller size to achieve that.... BUT this top is not too small at all, I could wear it over a skirt just as easy :-D 
isn't that tremendous???) 

The only thing that I feel I should mention, just in case someone who hasn't had the surgery might read this.... Food just isn't the same.   I really think eventually I might just not care one whit whether I ever eat or not.   The things I used to like either don't taste the same... or they don't feel good in my little pouch.  Or they are too dry to eat they way I used too... or something.  Of course this has a Wonderful Positive Side.... It will be soooo much easier to stick to what I should eat.  :-)   You never have a negative without Some Positive.  You really have to re-program yourself and your recreation times, to not focus AT ALL on food.  We used to just LOVE to go out to eat... now I am trying to get my mind just as excited about window-shopping or looking at antiques, or picking a new place for my mile walk.   My husband is Very Happy with my weight loss and has been 100 % supportive!!

'till next time!!

Today is January 3, 2007 and I am just so excited about my new life!  I am currently 187 pounds and wearing size medium tops and size large bottoms... unless it is more fitting then the bottoms are usually a 16 or 18.   I don't wear pants or jeans, so I have no idea what size I would wear in those.  For Christmas eve I wore a beautiful black dress that was a size 10 and it was not one bit too tight!  Isn't that amazing???  I am going thru sizes about every three weeks.  My husband puts it this way... today it is a little snug, next week it is just right and the week after it is too loose.  :-D  It is like Christmas all the time!!  I have been buying most of my clothing at second hand or thrift shops.  Except of course for undies, those I buy new.    I have sooooo much energy now.  I had two Christmas dinners and both times I cooked for 10 and never even got tired. WOW!  What a change from last year.   I also made the complete dinner bariatric and no one knew the difference!  They loved it! 

I am averaging losing 2-4 pounds per week.  I go to Curves and take vitamins, proteins and sometimes a nutritious drink.  I have not yet reached 1200 calories regularly.  I have not ever dumped, I watch the sugar and fat VERY carefully.  I have not ever vomited.  I do have trouble with most meat, it is heavy and just not comfortable in my pouch.  I eat a lot of vegetables and some meat.  A little bit of fruit now and then.   So I still take the protein drink, at least until I can tolerate meat and eggs better.  :)   My doctor wants his patients off of the protein drink eventually and get all their protein from eating, so that is a future goal.   I am working full time, I am even more involved in my church and my son and I do a lot more together. 

I cannot really tell you how happy I am.  Sunday evening we went to a Watch Night Service (that is a religious service to Watch the old year out and the new in, in a spirit of prayer).  Most of the people there have known me since I was 12 or 14 years old, and you would not believe how many did not recognize me!!!!!  Until they saw my husband, they didn't know me.  THAT is how much WEIGHT I have lost!!!  I really need to update with pictures.   I will try to do that soon.   My life has really taken off... I hoped this would happen.... I dreamed this would happen.... and now it HAS!  I really, truly thank the Lord Jesus that He showed me this (we don't have TV or radio) and helped me to get approved and has given me such a good and easy time of it.   I also thank Everyone who has been such a wonderful support from OH.  The cards and letters have been wonderful. 

I AM SO HAPPY!!!    
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