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Three years already?!
Um, how has it been three years? And how on earth have I not updated in the past year? Probably because there’s not too much new going on, hahaha!
First, I’d like to thank each and every one of you who has come across my story and then actually read it, and actually checked out the pictures. If I have helped even just a handful of you, it makes it worth it to spill my guts and my story. ????
Secondly, the update on what’s new. And the answer is.....not much. Still in maintenance, which is great. I did gain a tiny bit back (from around 130-ish, to around 138-ish), but after a travel adventure last month, I’m back down to 133. Still trying to emphasize a protein-heavy diet but it can be so hard, something I’m sure we can all relate to. Milk, Greek yogurt, chicken, cheese sticks, and peanut butter are my primary sources of high protein these days, with maybe a protein shake or two thrown in each week. It’s not the best, but it’s working.
The doctor did not clear me last year when I went for my follow-up. He did commend me for continuing to do so well and for my hard work, but at the end of the appointment, he was like ‘okay, talk to you next year’. So I have an appointment in July. Fingers crossed that I get cleared this time? I have a feeling they’re going to follow me for five years, though. Oh well. I’m still doing well, so it’s not like I’ll be doing the walk of shame or anything.
Last month, I went out to California to be the medical attendant for a good friend from my Air Force days who was getting sleeved. It was interesting to see how different the protocols were between her surgical team and mine, especially considering they were both done through the VA. I honestly was not impressed with the way her team handled things. They did her a huge injustice, in my opinion. It made me so thankful for the super conservative protocols that my surgeon has as far as hospital stay, medications, and post-op diet. Grateful I live on the East Coast and not the West! But before her surgery, we had a blast hitting up Los Angeles and then driving to see the giant sequoias in the Sequoia National Park. One of our friends from when we were in our training school who we hadn’t seen in 14 years was able to fly out and spend the weekend before surgery with us, so that was super awesome. Then a few days after surgery, my friend and I went to a real Hollywood premiere and our tickets were upgraded from being in the balcony to being down on the floor amongst the production team, stars, and executives. It was for the second season of Santa Clarita Diet (a great show!) and we were only a couple rows away from Drew Barrymore, so that was totally awesome. We couldn’t bring any phones or cameras with us, so that was disappointing but still one of the neatest experiences I’ve ever had. While my friend was in the hospital, I got to stay on the hospital campus in a gorgeous home for families and friends of veterans undergoing treatment. It was seriously a mansion and I didn’t want to ever leave. But it was a little bit of a hike between the house and the part of the hospital where she was so I definitely got my daily exercise goal in. All told, in the week we were in California, I walked/hiked/hustled (had to run a couple times!) over 35 miles. That’s way more than I do in a month, probably. Probably a huge part of the weight loss I had from the trip, hahaha. Also, I was often too busy (or too tired) to eat regularly. I also just didn’t feel hungry most of the time. Too much fun and excitement, I guess. When I did eat, it was usually a cup of tomato soup from Panera or a Greek yogurt parfait from McDonald’s or Chick-fil-a. I did eat the most amazing grilled cheese sandwich when we ended up stuck in the ER for twelve hours the day we were supposed to fly back out (a huge part of my dissatisfaction with my friend’s care; I feel like if she had been treated as I was, the post-op complications she experienced would NOT have happened). Thanks to The Spot Cafe (if you’re ever in Long Beach definitely go there!) and Grub Hub for delivering to us in the ER! My friend had Chicken Noodless Soup (how great is that for a newly sleeved person?! No noodles!) and she said it was heavenly and reminded her of her mom’s soup. That was the only bright spot of that day.
In other news, being thin has cost me some pain. In February I drove eight hours to PA to pick up a puppy for my brother’s family (long story) and the next day drove eight hours back. Needless to say, I was exhausted and decided to stay the night there. Well, while getting she was giving the youngest a bath, my sister in law noticed that the puppy was about to pee on the carpet upstairs so she started carrying him downstairs to take outside quickly. I met her halfway and grabbed the dog to take him out since he knew me better (and I had his leash). I turned around and started going back down the steps, and I’m still unclear on exactly what happened but I guess I lost my footing and I tripped and slipped down the stairs (all while staying upright and holding the puppy tucked like a football in my arms). By the time I was at the bottom, I was pitching forward at an angle, and slammed onto the hardwood floors on my left side, and slid across the entryway until my face collided with the wall and the wainscoting. I blacked out for just a moment, and my sister in law came running down the steps to check on us, I slightly rolled over, and she was like ‘oh god, you’re bleeding’. My oldest niece got some paper towels to hold down on my face, but they soaked through, so she got my brother to get a dish cloth to press down while my brother was like ‘I’m calling 911’ My sister in law at first was like ‘no you don’t need to do that’ but I was like ‘yes, please’, because I knew that in addition to the gash on my forehead, I had done some damage to my hip. So, the ambulance came and took me away. I’ll spare you the details of the lack of concern they had for me and sum up that while I didn’t have any badly broken bones or a concussion, I did manage to get a bone bruise on my upper left femur, as well as an impaction fracture near my surgically repaired shoulder (something which was only discovered in the last couple weeks because nobody thought to x-ray my shoulder since it didn’t hurt). So, yeah, that hurt...a lot...and if I had my old fat cushioning me, I’d have been a-ok (aside from my new Harry Potter scar). But it’s been almost eight weeks and while the external bruising is gone, the area near my hip where the bone became bruised is still slightly swollen and tender to the touch. I was told it can take close to a year for something like that to fully heal. Joy. At least I can walk mostly normal now.
And so, that’s how things stand. No significant weight changes since I lost what I had gained, no complications have popped up from the sleeve, I’ve had a few adventures, some fun and some not so much, and so I soldier on.
First, I’d like to thank each and every one of you who has come across my story and then actually read it, and actually checked out the pictures. If I have helped even just a handful of you, it makes it worth it to spill my guts and my story. ????
Secondly, the update on what’s new. And the answer is.....not much. Still in maintenance, which is great. I did gain a tiny bit back (from around 130-ish, to around 138-ish), but after a travel adventure last month, I’m back down to 133. Still trying to emphasize a protein-heavy diet but it can be so hard, something I’m sure we can all relate to. Milk, Greek yogurt, chicken, cheese sticks, and peanut butter are my primary sources of high protein these days, with maybe a protein shake or two thrown in each week. It’s not the best, but it’s working.
The doctor did not clear me last year when I went for my follow-up. He did commend me for continuing to do so well and for my hard work, but at the end of the appointment, he was like ‘okay, talk to you next year’. So I have an appointment in July. Fingers crossed that I get cleared this time? I have a feeling they’re going to follow me for five years, though. Oh well. I’m still doing well, so it’s not like I’ll be doing the walk of shame or anything.
Last month, I went out to California to be the medical attendant for a good friend from my Air Force days who was getting sleeved. It was interesting to see how different the protocols were between her surgical team and mine, especially considering they were both done through the VA. I honestly was not impressed with the way her team handled things. They did her a huge injustice, in my opinion. It made me so thankful for the super conservative protocols that my surgeon has as far as hospital stay, medications, and post-op diet. Grateful I live on the East Coast and not the West! But before her surgery, we had a blast hitting up Los Angeles and then driving to see the giant sequoias in the Sequoia National Park. One of our friends from when we were in our training school who we hadn’t seen in 14 years was able to fly out and spend the weekend before surgery with us, so that was super awesome. Then a few days after surgery, my friend and I went to a real Hollywood premiere and our tickets were upgraded from being in the balcony to being down on the floor amongst the production team, stars, and executives. It was for the second season of Santa Clarita Diet (a great show!) and we were only a couple rows away from Drew Barrymore, so that was totally awesome. We couldn’t bring any phones or cameras with us, so that was disappointing but still one of the neatest experiences I’ve ever had. While my friend was in the hospital, I got to stay on the hospital campus in a gorgeous home for families and friends of veterans undergoing treatment. It was seriously a mansion and I didn’t want to ever leave. But it was a little bit of a hike between the house and the part of the hospital where she was so I definitely got my daily exercise goal in. All told, in the week we were in California, I walked/hiked/hustled (had to run a couple times!) over 35 miles. That’s way more than I do in a month, probably. Probably a huge part of the weight loss I had from the trip, hahaha. Also, I was often too busy (or too tired) to eat regularly. I also just didn’t feel hungry most of the time. Too much fun and excitement, I guess. When I did eat, it was usually a cup of tomato soup from Panera or a Greek yogurt parfait from McDonald’s or Chick-fil-a. I did eat the most amazing grilled cheese sandwich when we ended up stuck in the ER for twelve hours the day we were supposed to fly back out (a huge part of my dissatisfaction with my friend’s care; I feel like if she had been treated as I was, the post-op complications she experienced would NOT have happened). Thanks to The Spot Cafe (if you’re ever in Long Beach definitely go there!) and Grub Hub for delivering to us in the ER! My friend had Chicken Noodless Soup (how great is that for a newly sleeved person?! No noodles!) and she said it was heavenly and reminded her of her mom’s soup. That was the only bright spot of that day.
In other news, being thin has cost me some pain. In February I drove eight hours to PA to pick up a puppy for my brother’s family (long story) and the next day drove eight hours back. Needless to say, I was exhausted and decided to stay the night there. Well, while getting she was giving the youngest a bath, my sister in law noticed that the puppy was about to pee on the carpet upstairs so she started carrying him downstairs to take outside quickly. I met her halfway and grabbed the dog to take him out since he knew me better (and I had his leash). I turned around and started going back down the steps, and I’m still unclear on exactly what happened but I guess I lost my footing and I tripped and slipped down the stairs (all while staying upright and holding the puppy tucked like a football in my arms). By the time I was at the bottom, I was pitching forward at an angle, and slammed onto the hardwood floors on my left side, and slid across the entryway until my face collided with the wall and the wainscoting. I blacked out for just a moment, and my sister in law came running down the steps to check on us, I slightly rolled over, and she was like ‘oh god, you’re bleeding’. My oldest niece got some paper towels to hold down on my face, but they soaked through, so she got my brother to get a dish cloth to press down while my brother was like ‘I’m calling 911’ My sister in law at first was like ‘no you don’t need to do that’ but I was like ‘yes, please’, because I knew that in addition to the gash on my forehead, I had done some damage to my hip. So, the ambulance came and took me away. I’ll spare you the details of the lack of concern they had for me and sum up that while I didn’t have any badly broken bones or a concussion, I did manage to get a bone bruise on my upper left femur, as well as an impaction fracture near my surgically repaired shoulder (something which was only discovered in the last couple weeks because nobody thought to x-ray my shoulder since it didn’t hurt). So, yeah, that hurt...a lot...and if I had my old fat cushioning me, I’d have been a-ok (aside from my new Harry Potter scar). But it’s been almost eight weeks and while the external bruising is gone, the area near my hip where the bone became bruised is still slightly swollen and tender to the touch. I was told it can take close to a year for something like that to fully heal. Joy. At least I can walk mostly normal now.
And so, that’s how things stand. No significant weight changes since I lost what I had gained, no complications have popped up from the sleeve, I’ve had a few adventures, some fun and some not so much, and so I soldier on.
2 years
Man, has it been two years already? Sure enough! Actually two years and two months. I'm a little delinquent, I know.
I haven't updated much over the past year because there hasn't been much to update. I'm pretty much holding steady on the weight front. Maintaining at about 130 pounds give or take a couple pounds here and there. Health issues are also holding steady so I'm not sure if that's a good thing or bad, hahaha. I'd like it if they had gone away with the extra weight!
I struggle with regulating my body temperature now. I get cold really easily but then when I bundle up or adjust the thermostat I get really hot. My fingers are almost always like little blocks of ice. Poor circulation, it seems, probably related to my ongoing low blood pressure problems.
Thankfully as I've maintained weight, the drain on my checking account from having to buy new clothes has drastically slowed. I still can't be trusted by myself in Old Navy or Target or Victoria's Secret but I no longer *need* to buy new clothes. It's just a want, hahaha!
I'll post again after my follow up with my surgeon which is supposed to happen sometime this month or possibly next month since I am having surgery to fix my shoulder next week and I probably won't be up for driving 500 miles round trip to the office for a bit. If all goes well, I think that will be my last bariatric follow-up (based on what I was told last year). He said then that he's never released a patient so quickly but he thought that I'd be the first if I kept it up and I think I have!
I've included some pictures of me from the past several months. Enjoy!
I haven't updated much over the past year because there hasn't been much to update. I'm pretty much holding steady on the weight front. Maintaining at about 130 pounds give or take a couple pounds here and there. Health issues are also holding steady so I'm not sure if that's a good thing or bad, hahaha. I'd like it if they had gone away with the extra weight!
I struggle with regulating my body temperature now. I get cold really easily but then when I bundle up or adjust the thermostat I get really hot. My fingers are almost always like little blocks of ice. Poor circulation, it seems, probably related to my ongoing low blood pressure problems.
Thankfully as I've maintained weight, the drain on my checking account from having to buy new clothes has drastically slowed. I still can't be trusted by myself in Old Navy or Target or Victoria's Secret but I no longer *need* to buy new clothes. It's just a want, hahaha!
I'll post again after my follow up with my surgeon which is supposed to happen sometime this month or possibly next month since I am having surgery to fix my shoulder next week and I probably won't be up for driving 500 miles round trip to the office for a bit. If all goes well, I think that will be my last bariatric follow-up (based on what I was told last year). He said then that he's never released a patient so quickly but he thought that I'd be the first if I kept it up and I think I have!
I've included some pictures of me from the past several months. Enjoy!
Figured out a cure for a stall....
....but it's not pretty or pleasant.
Pretty much since February, I've been stalled on the weight loss. I fluctuated up or down a few pounds but always stayed in the same range of between 137-142. This was just a little frustrating since I had set my (totally arbitrary) target at 135. Being so close yet never getting there was getting old. So Friday morning, when I stepped on the scale and was 139, I finally gave up. I figured this is the weight my body is happiest at (considering it held steady for six months), and it's still a healthy weight for my height, so I was okay with it. Less than 12 hours later, I was having my brother take me to the ER because I was violently ill. I had gone to 136.8 from 139.2 in less than half a day, all from being so extremely ill. I'll spare you the graphic details of my illness, only to say that it was one of the most unpleasant experiences of my life and that one of my outstanding questions regarding my hiatal hernia repair surgery from November (partial Dor fundoplication) was answered resoundingly (yes, I am able to vomit and yes, it is exceedingly painful). The ER doc fixed me up with two liters of IV fluids, 2 injections of IV Zofran, and one injection of IV Dilaudid. Less than 24 hours after I first got sick, I was back to almost feeling normal. So much so that Saturday evening, I even chanced eating some Chick fil A chicken nuggets and had no problem with them. Sunday (yesterday), I weighed myself and was down to 135.6. Well, hey!! I made my target weight!! Yay! Still was a bit weak and tired feeling so I took it kind of easy and didn't do much beyond stripping my bed and remaking it. So, imagine my surprise to find my weight today to be 133.6---after I've eaten brunch?! Like what would it have been before I ate? Probably not too much of a difference but still! How on earth did I lose almost two more pounds essentially laying in bed? I wasn't sick anymore yesterday. The only thing I figure is that fighting off this bug has jumped my metabolic rate up quite a bit. That and I'm probably peeing away all the IV fluids they gave me in the wee hours of Saturday morning so I'm finally learning the true effects of the very short but very nasty illness.
So, long story short, my six month long stall was broken by a bout of viral gastroenteritis. Naturally, I don't recommend anyone experiencing a stall go out and find such germs, as it is most definitely not a fun or healthy way to lose weight, but if it happens to you and you get to relieve some of that stall frustration, well then there's a silver lining to every cloud, right?
HW: 249
SW: 249
GW1: 169
GW2: 149
GW3: 135
CW: 133.6 (as you see, my doctors and I had to keep adjusting my goal weight as I kept busting those targets! Don't think I'm going to set a new one, though. I'm happy with this weight, and I really don't want to keep buying all new clothes, lol).
Pretty much since February, I've been stalled on the weight loss. I fluctuated up or down a few pounds but always stayed in the same range of between 137-142. This was just a little frustrating since I had set my (totally arbitrary) target at 135. Being so close yet never getting there was getting old. So Friday morning, when I stepped on the scale and was 139, I finally gave up. I figured this is the weight my body is happiest at (considering it held steady for six months), and it's still a healthy weight for my height, so I was okay with it. Less than 12 hours later, I was having my brother take me to the ER because I was violently ill. I had gone to 136.8 from 139.2 in less than half a day, all from being so extremely ill. I'll spare you the graphic details of my illness, only to say that it was one of the most unpleasant experiences of my life and that one of my outstanding questions regarding my hiatal hernia repair surgery from November (partial Dor fundoplication) was answered resoundingly (yes, I am able to vomit and yes, it is exceedingly painful). The ER doc fixed me up with two liters of IV fluids, 2 injections of IV Zofran, and one injection of IV Dilaudid. Less than 24 hours after I first got sick, I was back to almost feeling normal. So much so that Saturday evening, I even chanced eating some Chick fil A chicken nuggets and had no problem with them. Sunday (yesterday), I weighed myself and was down to 135.6. Well, hey!! I made my target weight!! Yay! Still was a bit weak and tired feeling so I took it kind of easy and didn't do much beyond stripping my bed and remaking it. So, imagine my surprise to find my weight today to be 133.6---after I've eaten brunch?! Like what would it have been before I ate? Probably not too much of a difference but still! How on earth did I lose almost two more pounds essentially laying in bed? I wasn't sick anymore yesterday. The only thing I figure is that fighting off this bug has jumped my metabolic rate up quite a bit. That and I'm probably peeing away all the IV fluids they gave me in the wee hours of Saturday morning so I'm finally learning the true effects of the very short but very nasty illness.
So, long story short, my six month long stall was broken by a bout of viral gastroenteritis. Naturally, I don't recommend anyone experiencing a stall go out and find such germs, as it is most definitely not a fun or healthy way to lose weight, but if it happens to you and you get to relieve some of that stall frustration, well then there's a silver lining to every cloud, right?
HW: 249
SW: 249
GW1: 169
GW2: 149
GW3: 135
CW: 133.6 (as you see, my doctors and I had to keep adjusting my goal weight as I kept busting those targets! Don't think I'm going to set a new one, though. I'm happy with this weight, and I really don't want to keep buying all new clothes, lol).
Provider Review
Awesome. I met Dr Nease the day of the procedure (I mainly meet with Dr Canterbury as the VA doctor) and he immediately put me at ease. Excellent bedside manner. When I developed my complications, Dr Canterbury has been diligent about following up.