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Sewing maching back in action!   Also had a chance to check my mom's closet and she sent me home with two bags of size 16,18, & 1x .  Some things had tags on them and as she watched me try them on, she said to check some other closets in the house.  Mom has early Alheimers adn COPD so she doesn't get out much now, so most of these clothes were bought years ago.  I don't have to shop for any other summer things now!  I am all set for my Hawaii trip.

Went shopping yesterday to find some things to wear to work and for our vacation in June.  At Dillards, I found some size 20's dress pants that fit - wow that was a surprise!  Then went to Macy's and pick out a Duner outfit, but though I'd try on the 18's to see how close I was to that size and to my biggest surprise - THEY FIT!  Size 18's - haven seen you in 20 years!

Have been taking in my last years summer outfits that were 24's and hoping that this will work to save some money.  Got all the light colored things done, changed the thread to do the darker things and now the sewing machine is messed up.  I don't know where the instructions are, and I think I may have passed the thread  through the loops wrong!  Crap! I was doing so good till then.  Need to find that instruction book!

Well I finally got a WOW moment that certainly was a surprise to me.  Last summer we were in Hilton Head and I tried to ride a bike.  They got me a 3 wheeler first and it was hard to ride because the paths were uneven and it would throw me off center.  My family said to try a regular bike, but after 15 minutes of frustration because my belly was in the way when I pedeled, I gave up.  And to add to that I was scared I was going to fall off or run into someone!  I keep telling myself that it was ok that I couldn't ride a bike - I was 63 and 140 lbs overweight!.   Well my family is planning a vacation in Hawaii in June and they want to do the bike trip down from Haleakalua Crater (30 miles) and my kids want me to try it.  So does my surgeon and my psychologist!  So my dh says we need to practice and for weeks I have been dreading it.  But I put on a brave front and yesterday we rented some bikes and went into the Metro parks in Summit county and after 15 seconds, I was riding a bike.  Just hopped on and went riding.  My dh was worried that I wouldn't be able to do it, but we went 5.5 miles in 45 minutes.  Up and down hills, narrow paths (scarey), wind, rain temperature at 49 degrees --but it was WONDERFUL!.  I couldn't believe it!  I am down about 65 lbs from last year, 56 since surgery.  But it was a great moment!  We are going to do this every weekend from now to our trip and hopefully I will be able to do the Hawaii bike ride!  By the was - anyone here from Hawaii - I need to find a place to pick up protein bars so I don' t have to fill my suitcase up.  They are charging $25 for the second bag on some airlines, so I need to lighten mine a bit!

Haven't posted in a while, but had to give an update. I just got back from the surgeon's office - had my 4month visit (can't believe that it has been 16 weeks tomarrow that I had RNY). I was worried that I didn't lose enought (I have been at a slow lose level since the begining).  But the good news is that he was ok with my 52 lb loss.  I got a new pedometer that downloads on your computer and I took a print out of my exercise that shows the number of steps and this thing shows the aerobic exercise as well. He said my loss was at 30%.  I have been having some mild pain in my left upper chest area (similar to the pain we get if food is stuck) that he is concerned with. Has something to do with the nerve in the surgical area, but he put me back on nexium because I had significant esophageal erosion preop and thinks this might help.  He also thinks we may do a scope sometime in the late summer.  My ventral hernia, repaired during the RNY is back, so we'll look at having that redone when I have lost more weight.  My Vit D was very low, so I am going to do the calcium with D.  All other tests were normal or near normal. ( A1c was 6.1, cholesterol 137).  I then saw my nut and she did a %body fat with a neat little machine hooked up to my right wrist and right foot.  My preop % of body fat was 48% and now I am at 40%. Number of pounds of fat went from 133 to 92 and my lean body mass went from 52% to 60%.  She was very happy with the results and said I was doing great.  In June, I am having a respiratory test to see if I can get off the oxygen that I use with my CPAP.  I know it will be a while before the CPAP can be discontinued, but I'd like to get off the oxygen before I go to Hawaii in the middle of June.  I don't think I want to rent a O2 machine while I am on 3 different islands!  I am so glad this part is behind me. And since my family is going to Hawaii, I have started to prepare for the climb up Diamondhead.  I have been doing the strairs at the hospital where I work from the basement to the second floor at least twice a day.  I think there are 99 steps up Diamondhead and I want to be able to do that without a problem.  I may also consider riding the bike down Haleaukala (spelling?) on Maui - I am hoping to practice riding a bike again.  Last summer I tried to ride on Hilton Head, but got really scared.  But now I am doing better - I just need to quit comparing my weight loss with others.  I am 63 and have done this weight loss stuff alot of years and my body works differently that my younger friends who have lost 2x as much.  I should be more comfortable with myself - but you all know that is one of the hard parts of process.  Thaks to all of OH member for the great support and information.  Love this site!

Had my labs done and they look pretty good.  Cholesterol is 137, HA1c is 6.3,  Have been off all BP, cholesterol  meds since surgery and my diabetes meds gone at 3 weeks post surgery.   I recently send about 8 lg bags of clothing to Goodwill and continue to find clothes that are way to big.  I had a problem with getting rid of them.  I guess that after so many attempts to lose weight and fail, I was afraid it would happen again - so I wanted to hang on to them in case.  But my good friends at OH have convinced me that this time I will succeed and I won't need them again.  I found about 8 outfits that I had packed away about 11 years ago, so I got them drycleaned and they are 1-2 sizes smaller.  So I have some carry over outfits to wear before I have to buy anything.  My 24W sizes are gone! My weight this moring was 233.5. I am down 46 lbs according to my scale.  The stall I was in still creeps back now and then, but once I realized it doen't last a real long time, I felt more confident about losing again.

I  saw my PCP yesterday and he was happy for the labs results and my loss.  Said when I come in to see him in 6 months he won't recognize me.  I don't see the surgeon until 4/1/08 so I am working on getting down some more so that he doesn't  tell me I am still losing too slow.  I checked out my graft at thinnerself.com and I am in the "low expectation loss" category.  My friends said not to be concerned, just stick to the rules and as long as there is loss - I will be fine.  I really want to speed this up, but my body had lost weight so many times that it just won't cooperate.  So I think I am in for alot of stalls in my journey.  I wish that it was better, but I can only do what I can do.  I am happy for the journey I have achieved so far.

I had two different bouts of vomiting over the last two weeks.  One was just a few swallows of protein drink first thing in the morning and it came back up at me so fast.  Then last week, I had a bowl of cherrios and a cup of milk and felt fine.  30 minutes later I was at the grocery store and had to find the restroom fast!  5 times I had to run there with the dry heaves, foamies and nothing came up.  I don't know what was with the whole thing.  When I eat fast or don't chew enought I get the foamies and really bad pain - but this was different.  No problems since then so it was probably a bad pouch day which everyone on OH talks about.  Other than that I feel great.

Got a new pedometer - lost about 3 of them (thank goodness they were either free or cheap).  My psy guy told me about the study they are doing with all the newbies in our WL center.  They are getting a great little pedometer that keeps track of the exercise and steps that can be downloaded to your PC.  It's really cool, so I bought one.  I can't believe that it even tells when you are doing aerobic exercise.  I haven't download yet, but can't wait to see how it goes.  The treadmill has been hard this past week with a sore knee - so 15 minutes was all I did for several days.  I added weights for my arms, but I got a sore neck that has lasted for days.  I probably need to be more careful!  I'll post the stuff when I get some data to download.

Just checking in to update:  Not much going on but finally got out of a stall.  I didn't move the scale for over two weeks and I was really getting worried that this wasn't going to work for me!  Everyone said it would pass, and on 2/6 it finally moved a few pounds.  I have become obsessive about getting on the scale everyday which is probably not a good idea.  I just want to see those lbs roll off before my next physician check in about  8 weeks.  His goal for me was to lose 29 lbs more by then.  I am behind on loss already so I am concerned it won't happen.

I did have a few more vomiting events - none are similar, so there is no pattern.  Some days food doesn't feel right and the pain is so bad that I have to get it out.  I am getting better at knowing the early signs.  For me it is a vague pressure feeling in my left chest right above my breast at the level of my axilla.  If I stop eating then, I will avoid the severe pain in my chest and left arm, shoulder and neck.  I really don't want to do this again, but some old habits of not paying attention to what I am doing when I eat still crop up time to time.  I am improving slightly and trying to measure out what I can handle.

A few weeks ago I meet some of the OHio OH ladies for lunch and it was so nice to spend time with people that have gone through the same issues.  Can't wait to see them again soon.

About a week before my six week check up I had another of those days where nothing would stay down.  This time it was chicken that got me.  I am really trying to pay attention when I eat and do all the things you are supposed to do - chewing, eating slow etc.  We talked about it a support group meeting.  Everyone had a story and they agreed that sometimes its eating left overs!  In both of my cases of  having food not sitting well were left overs.  So I am trying to be more careful.

The weight loss has slowed down - I think I am in a stall - it started about at 4 weeks and not moving.  Up a pound - down a pound.  I have tried more protein, more water and nothing yet.

I went for my 6 week checkup on 1/24/07 and was I disappointed.  Surgeon said I only lost 24 lbs and that I had only lost 16% when I should have been at 18-20%.  Bummer - I have even uped my treadmill to 2.6 for 20-30 minutes.  This is how I lost weight with all the other weight loss regimes.  I don't want this to happen!  His goal is 29 more pounds off by my 12 week check up.  I was feeling really depressed about all of this and I took my measurements and they are down - my coworkers all say they can see the loss.  Many from the OH forum say that stalls are normal and it will pass.  I am impatient and want it to move fast again - this is my window of opportunity.  Lets get it moving!  Other than that I feel good and have a good amount of energy.

I was also taken off of the protein drinks, yogurt and cottage cheese.  Doctor wants me to eat steak!  I don't know how I can get 70 gms of protein in 3 meals and a snack if I don't use a protein supplement.  I will have to get creative.  I can't hold more that a 2oz piece of meat in there, but I will try.  I really liked getting 30 gms of protein in a 8 oz drink.  But there are many things I need to try out - still waiting for the salads to be ok - a few more weeks!

One more thing - my blood sugars have been going down every week.  I have been off the Glucophage since 1/7/08 and have seen a downword  trend which is really a good thing.  The surgeon was happy with that!

Finished my first few days of work and things went well.  My coworkers were surprised to see me at work so soon and all commented that they could see some weight loss.  I don't see it but it was kind of them to say so.  I jumped right in and it is like I never left, but lots to make up so I will be working hard to get it all done.  Nice to be back - but I miss those days of just hanging out at home with my cat and my dh.

What a bad day!  Started off with my usual protein shake.  No problems - then came lunch - had a piece of leftover haddack, but no sooner did I finish it when my chest felt really bad.  It felt like I was having a giant contraction in my chest, then the pain went into my neck, and lf. shoulder and then rt. shoulder.  I got the dreaded foamies and finally had to get a drink of water and then it came up.  Several times it came up!  I tried some eggbeaters later on and it came up.  Then my popcicle, icee, tea and water and any other liquid came back for the rest of the day.  The surgeon happened to call me in the middle of  this  to give me the results of my ultrasound (which was normal) and he said just do liquids for now and if I was dehydrated, I would have to come in for an IV and see about a being scoped.  The next day was better, so I don't  want to do that again!  I just have be be on guard and take it easy so that I don't get something stuck again!

Had my checkup with the surgeon.  He said that I only lost 12 lbs - don't know what numbers he used, but the dietitian said I lost 18lbs.  My scale says 20, but it was close.  THe soreness in my lower rt side incision is normal as is the swelling.  I was told that I am passed the time of concern for a blood clot or a leak, so I was glad about that.  They only thing to worry about now is a possible stricture!  I was told I could start onthe treadmill for 10 mins at 2.4mph.  ALso I can finally advance to some soft foods. Yea!  The protein powders are starting to get old.  Can't get released until next week to go back to work.  He also wanted me to get a pelvic ultrasound on Friday.  Just want to make sure everything is looking ok.  Yikes!  I have to drink 32oz 1-2 hours before going for the test.  I will never be able to drink that much and then my bladder will freak out!  Well it went ok and I survived so on to the next situation.  I am going to go out to the store and get some foods that will carry well to work!  Then enjoy the last few days before getting back into the rat race.