Carly ~
5 Month Progress
Nov 30, 2011
It's been awhile since I posted on here, I am 5 months out from being sleeved!
I feel fantastic! I am down 82 lbs, taking me into the 200s!!! I've lost 86 inches overall.
I'm not noticing a big difference in clothing sizes yet, but I was so far out of the largest plus size clothes it took losing at least 50 lbs to get into size 28s again. I've lost over two sizes in shoes, used to wear a men's 10 for width to accommodate the swelling/fat, now a woman's 9.5.
I wear some size 24s, some size 22s, some 2x and 3x. It's all over the place, and fit into an XL stretch work out pant from Old Navy!! First time I could ever wear clothes from a regular store, even if it's their high end sizes! Clothing is so frustrating, because sizing is so vastly inconsistent. Even within the same store, sizing is crazy different.
My body will definitely have issues with saggy tummy and saggy bewbies, but I honestly don't care at this moment. It bothers me sometimes when trying on pants, because they're too big in the arse and legs, for what size I need to accommodate my stomach.
I have so much more energy, I don't have the pain and poor mobility. The seatbelt in my car fits, and I can sit in booths in restaurants, and smaller chairs with arms.
I'm losing quite a bit of hair, and getting in all the protein I need most days. I'm thinking about a shorter haircut, but not sure how that will work. For now, I think because I have naturally curly hair, it helps to mask the hair loss. I'm scared if I go shorter, I'll have to straighten it to style it so it doesn't look like an afro, and then you'll see how thin it really is. I can clip up my entire hair in a small little girl clip. I will be buying some biotin soon, for sure... if it's not too late to start.
I'm not hardcore and do not boycott carbs. I do my best to get protein in first most meals, and most days I get 60g of protein in. My calories range from 600 to 800 daily.
I do allow myself a treat from time to time, but my tastes and tolerances have so drastically changed. Things that used to be my food addiction, I can not tolerate, or can't stand the smell of.
I still have issues with seeing the difference in weight loss. When I look in the mirror, it's all fucky. I see myself the same as I was at my highest weight. When I look at side by side photos, I can see a difference.
I still pick up clothes size 5x, and think in my head that it won't go near me. I pick up clothes that I'm wearing now, and think I brought in the wrong load of laundry from the laundry room, and have someone else's clothes instead of mine. I don't know when my head will ever catch up with the changes my body is having.
I just saw my surgeon for a follow-up appointment. He said at this point, I've lost 20% of my excess weight loss. He considers 30% excess weight loss a success, and that will be another 40 lbs to reach that point. I don't want this to end at 30%. Hearing him say that rattled me a bit. He explained that from a medical standpoint, with losing 30% excess weight, I would have drastically reduced my chance of getting another disease associated with obesity. From his medical standpoint, that would be considered a success.
I'm there, and I guess once I'm at that point where my health has tremendously been improved, the vanity will kick in and I'll want to lose more weight to become closer to an average size person. I'll keep you posted on how that plays out : )
I love my sleeve, and my surgeon and his team for giving me my life back.
Pre-op December 2010 and 3 months post-op
5 Months Post Op - November 2011
0 comments
I feel fantastic! I am down 82 lbs, taking me into the 200s!!! I've lost 86 inches overall.
I'm not noticing a big difference in clothing sizes yet, but I was so far out of the largest plus size clothes it took losing at least 50 lbs to get into size 28s again. I've lost over two sizes in shoes, used to wear a men's 10 for width to accommodate the swelling/fat, now a woman's 9.5.
I wear some size 24s, some size 22s, some 2x and 3x. It's all over the place, and fit into an XL stretch work out pant from Old Navy!! First time I could ever wear clothes from a regular store, even if it's their high end sizes! Clothing is so frustrating, because sizing is so vastly inconsistent. Even within the same store, sizing is crazy different.
My body will definitely have issues with saggy tummy and saggy bewbies, but I honestly don't care at this moment. It bothers me sometimes when trying on pants, because they're too big in the arse and legs, for what size I need to accommodate my stomach.
I have so much more energy, I don't have the pain and poor mobility. The seatbelt in my car fits, and I can sit in booths in restaurants, and smaller chairs with arms.
I'm losing quite a bit of hair, and getting in all the protein I need most days. I'm thinking about a shorter haircut, but not sure how that will work. For now, I think because I have naturally curly hair, it helps to mask the hair loss. I'm scared if I go shorter, I'll have to straighten it to style it so it doesn't look like an afro, and then you'll see how thin it really is. I can clip up my entire hair in a small little girl clip. I will be buying some biotin soon, for sure... if it's not too late to start.
I'm not hardcore and do not boycott carbs. I do my best to get protein in first most meals, and most days I get 60g of protein in. My calories range from 600 to 800 daily.
I do allow myself a treat from time to time, but my tastes and tolerances have so drastically changed. Things that used to be my food addiction, I can not tolerate, or can't stand the smell of.
I still have issues with seeing the difference in weight loss. When I look in the mirror, it's all fucky. I see myself the same as I was at my highest weight. When I look at side by side photos, I can see a difference.
I still pick up clothes size 5x, and think in my head that it won't go near me. I pick up clothes that I'm wearing now, and think I brought in the wrong load of laundry from the laundry room, and have someone else's clothes instead of mine. I don't know when my head will ever catch up with the changes my body is having.
I just saw my surgeon for a follow-up appointment. He said at this point, I've lost 20% of my excess weight loss. He considers 30% excess weight loss a success, and that will be another 40 lbs to reach that point. I don't want this to end at 30%. Hearing him say that rattled me a bit. He explained that from a medical standpoint, with losing 30% excess weight, I would have drastically reduced my chance of getting another disease associated with obesity. From his medical standpoint, that would be considered a success.
I'm there, and I guess once I'm at that point where my health has tremendously been improved, the vanity will kick in and I'll want to lose more weight to become closer to an average size person. I'll keep you posted on how that plays out : )
I love my sleeve, and my surgeon and his team for giving me my life back.
Pre-op December 2010 and 3 months post-op
5 Months Post Op - November 2011
I've been sleeved... sexy beshes!
Jun 29, 2011
I've been sleeved! June 23rd, 2011 was my surgery date and I continued on this journey to a healthier me!
I've been on a waiting list for WLS since 1999 in Halifax, my hometown. I was told last year that I would never reach the primary list for operation because they sort by co-morbitities and I don't have any. I would remain forever on the secondary list.
I felt abandoned and neglected by my own health care system. I waited long enough. I had to be pro-active with my health, and take care of me. I chose to relocate to another province, where my specialist had also sent a referral a few years prior.
I relocated to NB in the summer of 2010 to receive Medicare coverage to be treated there. I've been commuting between NB and Halifax since last summer. I met Dr. Savoie in late August 2010. He was informative, knowledgable, professional and caring. He was also good looking and a really sweet guy. His staff is A1 -- the absolute best. You get immediate response for concerns or questions. Dr. Savoie explained the different procedures, and which he thought was best for me. He asked me to come back in two months, after deciding on which surgery I wanted.
October 2010 - I went for my 2nd consult with Dr. Savoie. I got the green light for surgery, and I chose the Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy because of Dr. Savoie's recommendation. I signed all the consent forms for surgery, and now waiting for my date.
April 2011 - I went for pre-op testing. Pulmonary, Arterial Blood Gas, Chest Xray, ECG, Blood labs & swabs. Everything checked out fine.
June 9th 2011 - I went on the two week pre-op liquid diet: 4 diabetic boost, water and crystal light only.
June 14th 2011 - I went for pre-op testing that was manditory to be done two weeks prior to surgery. Some was a repeat of what was done in April.
June 23rd, 2011 -- I arrived for surgery. Went to the pre-surgical clinic -- got weighed in, blood pressure, blood work. I got gowned and ready for surgery. They put on those air-inflated leg things to increase circulation and decrease chances of blood clots. I met with the anaestetiologist who explained I had a very small opening of my throat. He had decided to use conscious intubation. It sounds horrifying, and the thought of it is horrifying. Here's a video showing it: http://youtube-anaesthesia.blogspot.com/2007/06/conscious-intubation.html Thankfully, they also give you drug-induced amnesia!
I met with the surgeon pre-op and he would be using a 34F bougie for the size of my new stomach. I had difficulty in recovery, and an expected 1 hour recovery time turned into 5 1/2 hours recovery time. I had a hard time staying awake and was incoherent. They knew this about me long before surgery, and just had to wait a little while longer for me to come around.
There was a complication during surgery, the lining of my discarded stomach was ruptured as they were removing it through the small laproscopic opening. This caused some fluid to leak back into my abdominal cavity, which is toxic. They removed it, and cleaned the area really well. I was on IV antibiotics as a preventive measure for 4 days post op.
I was in a continued care, step down room for the duration of my stay in hospital. I was released on June 27th, 2011 at noon.
I don't regret one single minute. I'm so happy to be on the mend, and beginning to have my life back again. It's been a long journey to this point, but I know things are going to work out wonderfully from this point on!
0 comments
I've been on a waiting list for WLS since 1999 in Halifax, my hometown. I was told last year that I would never reach the primary list for operation because they sort by co-morbitities and I don't have any. I would remain forever on the secondary list.
I felt abandoned and neglected by my own health care system. I waited long enough. I had to be pro-active with my health, and take care of me. I chose to relocate to another province, where my specialist had also sent a referral a few years prior.
I relocated to NB in the summer of 2010 to receive Medicare coverage to be treated there. I've been commuting between NB and Halifax since last summer. I met Dr. Savoie in late August 2010. He was informative, knowledgable, professional and caring. He was also good looking and a really sweet guy. His staff is A1 -- the absolute best. You get immediate response for concerns or questions. Dr. Savoie explained the different procedures, and which he thought was best for me. He asked me to come back in two months, after deciding on which surgery I wanted.
October 2010 - I went for my 2nd consult with Dr. Savoie. I got the green light for surgery, and I chose the Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy because of Dr. Savoie's recommendation. I signed all the consent forms for surgery, and now waiting for my date.
April 2011 - I went for pre-op testing. Pulmonary, Arterial Blood Gas, Chest Xray, ECG, Blood labs & swabs. Everything checked out fine.
June 9th 2011 - I went on the two week pre-op liquid diet: 4 diabetic boost, water and crystal light only.
June 14th 2011 - I went for pre-op testing that was manditory to be done two weeks prior to surgery. Some was a repeat of what was done in April.
June 23rd, 2011 -- I arrived for surgery. Went to the pre-surgical clinic -- got weighed in, blood pressure, blood work. I got gowned and ready for surgery. They put on those air-inflated leg things to increase circulation and decrease chances of blood clots. I met with the anaestetiologist who explained I had a very small opening of my throat. He had decided to use conscious intubation. It sounds horrifying, and the thought of it is horrifying. Here's a video showing it: http://youtube-anaesthesia.blogspot.com/2007/06/conscious-intubation.html Thankfully, they also give you drug-induced amnesia!
I met with the surgeon pre-op and he would be using a 34F bougie for the size of my new stomach. I had difficulty in recovery, and an expected 1 hour recovery time turned into 5 1/2 hours recovery time. I had a hard time staying awake and was incoherent. They knew this about me long before surgery, and just had to wait a little while longer for me to come around.
There was a complication during surgery, the lining of my discarded stomach was ruptured as they were removing it through the small laproscopic opening. This caused some fluid to leak back into my abdominal cavity, which is toxic. They removed it, and cleaned the area really well. I was on IV antibiotics as a preventive measure for 4 days post op.
I was in a continued care, step down room for the duration of my stay in hospital. I was released on June 27th, 2011 at noon.
I don't regret one single minute. I'm so happy to be on the mend, and beginning to have my life back again. It's been a long journey to this point, but I know things are going to work out wonderfully from this point on!
