One-derland!

I have reached One-derland!

That's weight-loss surgery talk for losing 100#.

One-derland came early for me.  Sooner than most.  I have had such a touchy stomach and still struggle to eat 600 calories a day. When I eat meat, I can only do 1/2 ounce.  So, for all that struggling, I get One-derland!
My surgeon would be happy.  He believes in suffering to achieve your goals.  LOL  A little sadistic he is.

As you can see, once again, I lack "selfie" skills. And my eyes always look closed in these pictures.  I think I am squinting trying to see what I am doing with the camera.
But you get the idea.  It's me, minus 100.  :)

I can't think of anything else to say.   It's been 4 months, 3 weeks since surgery.  I go back to the surgeon in January to check labs.  I need new clothes but can't spend money on something I'll need to replace in a couple of weeks.  In this picture I am wearing mom's shirt and dad's vest.  LOL  They are my teeth, though.  Just wanna be clear on that.

Diana

The Honeymooner

3 months and 3 weeks tomorrow...

I am proud and happy to announce I am now in the honeymoon phase!  
Wooot!  / \ ˚. ★ *˛ ˚♥* ✰。

It took 3.5 months, to be exact, but I got there!  The main misery seems to be over, someone better be knocking on wood.  No vomiting.  No pain.  ★ℒℴѵℯ★

Down 80#.  Let's take a moment and focus on that, shall we?  
♥✿´¯`*•.¸¸✿♥✿´¯`*•.¸¸✿♥✿´¯`*•.¸¸✿♥✿´¯`*•.¸¸✿♥    

Okay moment is over.  LOL  But seriously, 80#!  I have dropped a 3rd grader, or possibly 4th, can't remember.  Makes it much easier to move I must say.  Going to the Y and working out now.  Most surprising?  I actually like it!  °♥ ˚

Clothes are fun.  Everything I own is too big now.  There are no more smaller sizes to move into.  But it's great to put something on and see it hanging loose.  Broke down and bought 2 shirts to wear for meetings and occasions. Will need to add more soon to the wardrobe.  I am down 3 or 4 sizes.  Into the sizes you can just walk in any store and find.  

Wooot!   / \ ˚. ★ *˛ ˚♥* ✰。

Which brings us to the new joy in my life.  Shopping!  Boy is Bob worried.  I have no cute pictures to depict "worried" so I am just gonna do this.......((((((hugs for Bob))))))

It is so cool to be able to walk in stores and look at things without pain.  Focus on what you are there for......spending $$$!  LOL  I am trying hard to focus on Christmas and others, but I did end up with 2 new purses this month.  Oops.  ღ˛° 。* °♥ ˚ • ★ *˚ .ღ 。

So life is getting better in major ways.  Happy.  Thanks again for all the support!  It has been stellar!
Helps in ways you will only understand if you have been through something traumatic and life-changing. Okay most of you probably know that feeling.  That explains why you are SO good at it!  * ♥ ˚

Want to leave you with some pictures of my new quilt!  If you are a FB reader you have already seen this.  My cousin Judy Dallinger, along with John and Tim, surprised me with this gorgeous, unbelievable quilt that is a work of art!  She explained that since I can no longer eat the treats and comfort foods, she put them in a comfort quilt for me.  I absolutely love it!  I feel so humbled that she would put all of that thought, time and skill into creating this for me.  Thank you Judy!  

  ★ℒℴѵℯ★ℒℴѵℯ★ℒℴѵℯ★ℒℴѵℯ★ℒℴѵℯ ★ℒℴѵℯ★ℒℴѵℯ★ℒℴѵℯ★ℒℴѵℯ★ℒℴѵℯ★ℒℴѵℯ★ℒℴѵℯ★

Nice teeth!

As you can see I am not good with pictures!  This is me, 3 months from surgery, down 70#.  Gotta say I feel MUCH better.  Would I recommend this to others?  No way. You have to be knocking on desperation's door to do this.  I had stumbled halfway through the door, so I think it was right for me.  But if you have any other way to do this, do it that way.  This is not pretty.  It's filled with frustration, pain, vomiting, misery and more frustration.  I look and feel like I've been drug through it.  Choose another way.  That's my advice.

On the positive side, I can walk more every day.  I join a wellness program @ the YMCA in Peru Friday.  The IVCH physical therapists work with you and develop an exercise plan, teach you how to use the machines and what to do in the therapy pool.  All it takes is permission from the doctor and $27/month.  Thank you Jolene for the tip!  I think exercise is the key to keeping the weight off.  It is scary how many people go through all this misery only to regain the weight.  Not happening to me!  No way.

Bob says I'm looking more like myself again.  And Shelby tells me how pretty I am.  LOL  She is so well trained, isn't she?  :)  She took the picture on the bottom and the top is a self portrait, like the kids do!  I only put it on because my teeth look so good.  LOL

Diana  <3

Anyone have legwarmers I can borrow?

Saw the surgeon today for 2 month check-up.

Weight loss 53#

This week I am eating a little easier.  I can actually eat meat now, which feels really good.  Something to chew.  It's hard to describe the feeling of trying to eat something, chewing, and it just doesn't feel right.  Well now it's feeling right.  Almost normal.

Get to stop taking another pill today.  It's the little things I'm telling ya.

Having the swelling gone has made all the difference in the world.  Walking over to grama's house seems so easy now.  A few months ago I could not do it.  I can breathe again!  No shortness of breath.  I can ride 2 hours in the car without swelling up and being miserable.  I can drive without pain.  It's a life changer.

Have a gigantic tub ready for Goodwill.  Probably 3 large garbage bags full with more to follow!  Now that's fun.  I wore a shirt one day and the next day it was too big.  Kinda crazy.  Wearing some jeans I haven't seen in years.  Nightgowns are all falling off me.  

Bob is going to bring up the Rubbermaids of old clothes from the basement.  These date back to the 1980s, some 1970s, so if you see me rocking some weird look that'll be why.  I think I threw away my legwarmers that go with my leotard though.  Dang.

Feeling pretty good overall.  Getting there.

Diana  :)

Top Ten

Top 10 Reasons To Not Have Weight Loss Surgery:
10. It's not easy
9.  Even if you have rarely vomited in your entire life, now you vomit....a little too easily....
8.  It's difficult
7.  No one wants to hear you say how hard it is when the weight drops off so quickly
6.  Once you do it, there is no going back.......no deciding it's not that much fun and stopping
5.  You really miss the satisfaction of just eating
4.  Did I mention it's mentally challenging?
3.  One of the vitamins you must take daily stinks to high heavens and tastes even worse
2.  Wrinkles will show up that weren't there before
1.  IT'S HARD!

Top 10 Reasons To Get Weight Loss Surgery:
10. You lose weight!
9.   You can't change your mind or just stop
8.  You can walk more than a few feet without pain
7.  When you look in the mirror you recognize yourself again
6.  You can move in ways you haven't since 1994
5.  Finally....you're a water drinker
4.  Cooking is a breeze
3.  Dishes are tiny and quicker to wash
2.  Bringing fun back into your life
1.  It's not easy but IT'S WORTH IT!

6 weeks = 47 #
Lots of ups and downs.  Feel good one minute, pain and vomiting the next.  Still in the initial healing phase. The meds are part of the problem.  Once I figure out how to take them without causing problems life will get better.  They say be patient, in another month I will be very happy.
Diana

PS  The mega-gallon Goodwill bin is almost full!  :)

Lucky 22 strikes again!

22 has been my lucky number since 8th grade English class when Jerry Healy sat next to me in the back of the room and he kept trying to hold my hand.  I wouldn't let him, well probably for numerous reasons, but mostly because I had warts on my hands.  So eventually he realized this and started to count them.  Quietly, we were in the middle of English after all.  There were 22!  A unique beginning to a lucky # but I swear it has popped up in my life at the most interesting times since then, and has always been lucky for me.

So today on the 1 month anniversary of my surgery, I have lost 22 pounds!  Seems like a sign of luck and good fortune to me!  Made me happy.

Overall I am doing much better.  Definitely more energetic now that the excess fluid is coming off.  Feel like I have lost more than 22#, so I know we are heading in the right direction.  Stomach is still very choosy and I have to be oh so careful with what I eat (eat being a distance memory here, I am still on pureed/liquid foods). Sometime in the next 2 to 4 weeks I will be chewing actual food again.  Exciting and scary at the same time!  LOL

I have realized something through this process.  I am a chicken!!!!!
Everything I put in my stomach scares me!  I called the pharmacist yesterday because today I get to stop crushing all my medicine.  I was like "Okay, so you're sure I can just start putting them in there whole? Should I do it gradually?  Try one first to see how it goes?"   She thought I was nuts.  She was like "just take the pills."   LOL  Chicken, I tell ya.

So today feels like a good day.  Happy.

Pregnant with triplets

Went to the surgeon today for a checkup.  He said I have abdominal wall edema.  I could have told him that!  Walking around feeling 10 months pregnant with triplets is how I described it.
So my body was clinging to the extra fluids.  He said to slowly start up diuretics today.  
2 hours after taking 1/2 dose I have lost 5 pounds!  LOL  Woohoo!
Finally the scale moves!

Feeling much better.
Everything else is good.
A little more energy every day.
Back to work on Monday.

Diana