BillyIdle
(10-07-03) My start will be rough, but I know my struggles will be worth it.
(10-24-04) 1 yr out, tough year. My marriage dissolved, I relocated back to Boston, and took a new consulting position...and oh yeah lost 278 lbs. Oh my gawd! Talking with my doc last week, he asked. If I could've guaranteed that you would have lost 278 in 1yr would you have been happy? ahhhhh that is a big YES... so wonderful, what a blessing, I still have some more work to do but I’m on my way to reaching my goal. I've never been healthier as an adult and that may not be just physical :)
I'll check back in 6 months !
(03-24-05) Well 17 months out and I just hit another milestone. -300 lbs, can you imagine, I've lost 300 lbs...
I would've never dreamed of it, now I'm living.
thanks for all the support
Bill
(07-05-05) Well another 4 months go by I'm now out 20 months out and I've now lost -311 lbs. My plastic surgery has been put on hold because I'm getting a 'revision' My valve connecting my pouch with my esophagus will be tightened up endoscopicly (because sever acid reflux) and while they're in there they will tighten up the pouch a wee bit as they found during the endoscopic evaluation they noted the pouch was on the large size. These two things should kick start another weight loss so we will let that run its course and when it slows down we'll revisit plastic surgery. OF course this is all good news, on top of that I'll be relocating to NYC this month, right downtown and this is another change in a line of big changes in my life over the past few years. Wish me luck.
(7-15-05) Ok, big news. I'm leaving Boston. I've accepted a position in NYC. This is a huge move for me. I'll be taking a really great Mgmt position for a healthcare company smack square in Midtown Manhattan. I will be moving into the Midtown area as well. I'll need to find a new support group and support friends to help me cope with losing touch with so many great ones from Boston. If you're in NYC say hello! Wish me luck
(8-29-05) So I'm here in New York City! I love it here. The city that never sleeps. I've found a pretty cool apartment in the MidtownWest area, (less than 1minute commute to my new office), my endoscopic surgery went well (what a way to spend my birthday) My stomach ulcers were gone (thanks Prevacid), Dr. Christopher Thompson did a great job tightening up the valve from the pouch to the lower intestine to keep the bile from coming back causing the acid reflux. (yuck) Having the 2weeks of no solid food and the limited diet since has kicked started a nice little loss. Now I've lost -328lbs!!! Some more jogging and gym appointments at NY sports club should help this continue
Some of my recent accomplishments
* Bought Khakis off the rack at Old Navy
* Went to my first Broadway show on Broadway in a middle seat
* Road the subway last week and someone sat down next to me
I'm looking for a support group here in NYC if you know of one for a post op please send along a note I'll keep you posted, thanks Bill
(1-12-06) Down a total of -342lbs as of late Decemeber 05.
Well I made it thru my first holiday season in NYC. I have found a new doctor and support group over at Dr. Roslin @ Lennox Hill Hospital wonderful guy, great support group.
Some of the latest accomplishments:
Acting class, yes I'm doing the acting thing. I have my first audition in a few weeks.
Jogging on the streets of NYC, who would've ever thunk it!
My dog has had more exercise in the last 3 months then the previous 6yrs...poor guy.
Coed Bowling League...yes bowling, kind of fun I might add, very social non-competitive...just making new friends. Planning on some tennis maybe in a few months.
(5-17-06) Down a total of -364lbs as of mid May 2006
So on March 29th I had some plastic surgery, this will most likely be the first of 3 plastic surgeries over the next year or two. I had interviewed 3 plastic surgeons and I ended up being lucky enough to work with Dr. Robert Jetter of NYC. The surgery was performed at Lennox Hill Hospital in NYC as well. I was there a total of 6 days (3 extra as I had some issues with my blood levels being out of whack)
So what did I have done?
Corrective Diastasis Recti
Diastasis recti is where the rectus abdominis muscles (muscles on the right and left sides of the abdomen that extend vertically from the groin to the ribs) become separated from each other at the middle. Imagine a large obese man wearing suspenders. These suspenders are the abdominis muscles and because of my extended obesity these muscles where severly stretched out. Dr. Jetter tightened these up and also sutured them together. Initialy this was as very strange feeling as it felt as though I had a rope tied tight from my chest to my waist. Over the first week or so it seemeed to relax and today it seems fine.
Panelectomy – Extended Abdominolplasty
An incision was made from hip to hip (about 60% around) just above the pubic area with extensions into the thighs (front) and flanks (back). Another incision was made to free the navel from the surrounding skin. The skin was detached from the abdominal wall to reveal the muscles to be tightened (Diastasis Recti see above). These muscles were tightened with sutures. The skin flap was reattached with 21lbs of extra skin & fat tissue being removed. A new hole for the navel was made and stitched into place. All stitches were dressed and all the excess fluid from the site was draining into to two external drains.
Revision/Correction of previous bariatric scar
Basically from my original open Roux-en-Y GBP surgery performed by Dr. Lautz he left me with an incredibly small 3-4 inch scar. Since the top stitch ripped open a few times the scar had been left with a bump or keloid. During the plastic surgery Dr. Jetter was able to remove that scar and I was left with a 2-inch and much thinner and finer scar running up from my new belly button
So I was told to plan on 4-6 weeks for recovery. Thinking that I was in very good physical shape and the GBP recovery was very short and simple I was optimistically thinking 3weeks. I then screwed around and didn’t rest and stay still enough and with this disrespect I had my drains in for 3weeks, and continued fluid retention, swelling, and just feeling under the weather for 6weeks. I did see Dr. Jetter this week and he finally gave me the two thumbs up and said I can start exercising and anything physical (with moderation of course). This is wonderful as I’ve been a bit stir crazy laying around at home alone with my dog. I did some long walks this week and a little bit of jogging (just a few blocks) and there was no pain. I did notice the missing overhanging stomach, which use to flop around making it uncomfortable to jog. I feel cosmetically I look good. I put on a pair of my pants which I have always wore around my stomach just below my belly button and it’s weird because in the past there was 12-16inches of stomach below the belly button. Now there is 1 inch then a drop down to my waist. I need to buy new pants and start wearing them around my waist, which is about 4inches or so smaller than my gut. The scar is still irritated easily so for now I will keep them hiked up but its funny because now when they fall off since there is only 1 inch of gut below the new belly button.
Things are looking good, the summer is just around the corner. I’m very excited about the challenge of losing the rest of my excess weight thru exercise and continued healthy eating. Stay tuned and I’ll post some post-op plastic surgery photos now revealing a wasteline
(11-10-06) Down a total of -372 lbs as of today (yes I bought a scale...and a cool one at that)
So whats new. Had a quiet summer, had a couple of abdominal infections , couple days of fever, chills, being tired...500mg Keflex and its all gone in 2 days. Hopefully the last one is behind me. Acting class is back in session and that continues to be a lot of fun, exercise has been ok, food has been good, and I've been doing good. I got to play some golf in Phoenix and look at that smile. I might not have played well, but I had a great time. Holidays are here and I'm planning a long overdue vacation over the Christmas vacation down to Zihuatenajo.
Holidays 2007, things are going pretty well. I'm healthy and thats a good thing. I've pretty much reached a plateau at around -370lbs and its going to take me some serious committment to the gym if I want to lose 400lbs. If it happens wonderful, if not as long as I'm healthy. Mentally I'm getting into a groove, things are getting better every day, my focus, clarity, personal happiness is all going well.
Have a great holiday season!
Bill
