carrie23

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This part is going to be hard for me because I've never put this out in a public place.  The only people who know how much I weigh are myself, my doctors and my husband....and he is not by choice, he was just right there when I stepped on the scale for some of my doctor appointments.  OK - so here goes nothing - I'm putting it out there for everyone to see.  I guess we're all in the same boat, but I also know that my weight was/is higher than many others who have had this surgery.

Here's my history:  I was 354 pounds on the scale at Dr. Eibes' office 3 days before my surgery - yikes!!!  The doctor appointment just a few days before Jacob was born (March '06) I was over 350 pounds.  Their scale didn't go any higher so I guess I'll just use the 354 as my highest ever.  We'll go backwards in history and then I'll come back to where I am now.

September 2006 - 340
July 2006 - 330 (this was my 1st consultation with Dr. Eibes)  As you can see I gained 24 pounds from here until I had my surgery.  I was so tired of dieting and seeing little to no results I guess I just gave up.  I tried not to have the attitude of "I'm having surgery so who cares what happens between now and then" but apparently I didn't try hard enough because I gained 24 pounds during this time.

May 2006 - 322 - this was my 6 week post partum check up after Jacob was born

September 2005 - 315 - this was my 1st OB appointment when pregnant with Jacob.  Probably about 10 weeks pregnant.

December 2004 - 306 - 6 week post partum check up after Skylar was born

April 2004 - 288 - 1st OB appt when @ 10 wks pregnant w/Skylar

November 2003 - 275  - my weight at the time we got married

June 2003 - 287

I have some old Weight Watchers materials that show some prior history but I haven' t dug those out yet.  I guess bottom line is this will give me some mini-goals and I'll be very excited when I hit that 275 mark which will be my lowest weight in over 3 years!

Ok, since then I am down to 313 as of yesterday - 2/14/07.  I've pretty much been stuck at that weight for about 10 days now, which is getting me a little down.  Of course then we can talk about the doctor's scale and on 2/9 it said I was at 324 but the total weight loss still equates to what my scale shows for total weight loss so that's what's important.

I ordered the "Walk Away the Pounds" DVD's because it's too darn cold to get out and walk and I'm just itching to exercise.  Not sure I'm ready for the elliptical  - I have one at home but besides not being sure if I can use it yet, it's kind of in a place where it can't get unfolded and used.  Too much baby equipment in our house at this time.  :)

I'm frustrated that I'm already hitting a plateau - I really didn't think it would happen for awhile longer and more weight lost.  I know once I start doing my walking DVD's it should start to come off again - at least that's what I'm hoping for.

Today I have on this top that I wear to work quite often.  It's kind of a 2 in 1 - it looks like a jacket over a shirt but it's actually just 1 piece.  Anyway, I've never been able to button the jacket part.  Today I was in the bathroom at work and looking in the mirror and I decided to try to button the jacket.  It actually buttons, but it's still a little snug so I can't wear it like that but it did show me I'm making some progress!!!  Getting things around my hips & tummy are the issue.

I'm totally addicted to this website!  It probably doesn't help that I really don't like my job so I find myself spending more time here than I should.  But I guess it's slow here at work so it's not like I'm slacking a whole lot.  I'm hoping this spring or summer to start looking for another job.  I'll have taken off some weight so I can fit into some of my good interview clothes or maybe even have to buy smaller sizes!!!  And I'll have so much more confidence in myself.  I'm just torn - I really don't like my job all that much......however it's so nice because I live about 5 blocks from work, my kids are at the sitter right across the street so this is really good in terms of my family.  On the other hand, I'm not happy here so I feel I can be a better wife and mom if I was happy in my job, even if it means spending another hour or so away from my family every day.

Ok.....mental note to self - don't give this website out to my co-workers or boss now that I'm talking about how much I hate my job on here - ha!

I really don't want to try to think up a title for every post I do on here.  I also hate that I have to put something in the subject line every time I send someone a message.  Oh well, just a couple of those little annoyances of life!   :)  

This past Friday (2/9) I had my one month post op appointment with Dr. Eibes.  I'm down 30 pounds so we're all happy about that.  We discussed my "gas problems" and after discussing my diet and other things we don't need to get specific about he suggested to stop drinking my Isopure to see if that helps, thinking that maybe I need to get more of my protein naturally.  Good news/bad news.  It's a double edged sword.  I haven't had an Isopure since Thursday and the problem has seemed to get better.  However, now that's 40 gram of protein I need to make up for.  Before, I didn't even count the grams because I knew just after a few days I was getting enough with the Isopure.  But now I'm counting them just to be sure.  I seem to be doing ok getting enough protein I just have to be more aware of it now.

One more week and I'll be off my 10 pound lifting restriction.  I know my husband will be very happy about that!  Now I can go back to doing things for my kids, carrying the laundry up & down the stairs, etc.  I'm actually looking forward to it too.  I hate not being able to pick up my kids, though they've adjusted very well and have become quite the daddy's boy and girl.  

I almost forgot to mention my 1st restaurant experience.  It went well, without any problems.  My friend and I met at Boston's and I ordered a turkey wrap.  It was cut in half and I ate about 1/4 of the whole thing and a little bit of pasta salad.  Needless to say I had leftovers for the next 3 meals but I'm getting used to that.  I didn't even try to order off the kids' menu but I might try that sometime in the future if they have good choices.

Last but not least I'll mention again how anxious I am for spring and being able to get outside and walk.  I guess I could bundle up and walk now but I'm not that much of a trooper!  Not to mention I tend to be kind of clutzy so I'm afraid I'll fall on the snow & ice.  Sounds like we've got another round of snowstorms lurking and we'll be getting piled on again tonight.  Yee haw!

I forgot in my last post to mention that I started eating "normal" food last Friday.  This is taking some getting used to.  I have puked a couple times because I either ate too fast or didn't chew things up well enough.  That feeling of something getting stuck down there isn't fun.  But it's getting better each time so I'll just have to keep working on taking my time.  I've always been so busy and on the run I guess I never really made time to enjoy and savor my meals.

The other issue with eating is I'm having trouble getting enough water in daily with having to wait so long after meals to drink.  I'm sure that will also get better as I get more used to my schedule.

Tomorrow will be my 1st restaurant experience.  I'm meeting a friend for lunch after my doctor appointment.  I don't know where we're going yet but hopefully I can find something that will work out for me.

I came back to work this past Monday, 4 weeks post op.  There's been times this week that I think maybe I came back too soon.  Other times I feel great.  The two problems I've been having are nasea and major gas pains.  I did figure out that anything with sugar alcohol gives me the gas pains so I don't ingest that anymore.  But they are still there, it just hits me at random times during the day and night and all I can do is double over and hope to force out a belch.  I take chewable Mylanta and that helps sometimes.  I had the same problem after both of my kids were delivered by c-section so I'm hoping that it's just something that affects me after surgery and will go away soon.

The nausea has been less frequent so it's not a big problem.  But I'll mention both when I go for my follow up appointment with Dr. Eibes tomorrow.  I'll know my "official" weight loss # then but at this point according to my scale it was close to 30 lbs.  Since the weight loss has slowed down I have quickly learned not to weigh myself so often.

I went to support group last Saturday and really enjoyed myself again.  This time I was on the other side of the coin, I had a few ladies asking me about my experience since I had just recently had my surgery.

The weather is still bitterly cold so I haven't been able to get out and walk.  I do move around more now that I'm back to work but I'm really anxious to be able to exercise.  I have an elliptical trainer we bought after Skylar was born but the living room has been overtaken by baby "stuff" so now it's in the dining room all put up in a corner.  I have an idea how I can rearrange so we can use it again.  Our house isn't very big so we're limited on our options but I think I can make it work.

The 1st 25 pounds just seemed to melt off.  However the last few days, things have really slowed down.  In about 4 days I had only lost 1 pound.  I called Janelle, the dietician to be sure I wasn't doing anything wrong or if I needed to change things up and she said that's normal.  Which was good to know I'm not doing anything wrong, but also frustrating that it's slowing down already.  But it does give me more incentive to stay off the scale so often.  It will be too frustrating which will set me up for failure which I can't afford.

I'm really anxious to be able to start exercising.  It's been so darn cold I can't even get out and walk so I'm getting pretty much no activity.  I know if I could even just do some walking it would help.  We have gotten out a couple times and went to the mall to walk but since we don't live in Des Moines, it's not like I can do that every day.

Tomorrow I get to start "normal" food.  I'm so looking forward to that just to get some variety in my diet.  I dreamt last night that I had a margarita!  I just now remembered that as I am typing.  I was drinking it and all of the sudden I remembered that I shouldn't be drinking it because it has way too much sugar and I would probably be hammered instantly so I stopped drinking it.  How strange!!  :)

I'm going back to work on Monday which I'm looking forward to.  I've been pretty bored around home and I'm anxious to get life back to normal.  I'll still have my 10 pound lifting restriction for 2 weeks so my mother-in-law is on call to pick up the kids in case my husband doesn't get home on time to pick them up.  That's the thing I'm looking most forward to is being able to pick my kids up again.  I feel so helpless sometimes but at least they're little enough they won't remember this when they're older.  At least that's what I'm hoping - that I haven't scarred them for life!  :)

I finally finished my Harry Potter books.  I had the last one to read but I had been working on it for a REALLY LONG TIME!  So I actually went back to the 5th book and read it for a refresher and read both of them in record time.  At least record time for me anyway.  I used to read so much, now I hardly ever find time for it with work, family, etc.  So I've been using this time to catch up on my reading.

Now that I'm finally done with Harry Potter, I need some more books to read.  I do have some here at home that I haven't opened yet, but I'm actually looking for some good books about life after WLS.  I looked up some on the recommended list from Dr. Eibes and I'm going to see if my local library can get some of them.  Any recommendations on really good, helpful books?

On another subject, I have another week & a half on the pureed diet.  I was getting tired of it because I wasn't creative in what I was eating.  I have tried some beef veggie stew and some chili and that has really helped.  

I'm trying not to weigh myself so often.  Dr. Eibes scolded me for getting on the scale daily.  :)  I'm weining myself off so I'm trying every other day for now and hopefully will put some more time in between as I progress.  "Hi, my name is Carrie and I'm a scaleaholic."    Is there help for this anywhere?  :)

I had my follow up visit with Dr. Eibes & staff today.  I'm down 18 lbs so I'm very excited about that!  My scale showed I was down 15 lbs so I guess for the 1st time in my life I prefer the doctor's scale.  :)

I got the staples out which I had been really looking forward to not having those anymore.  The metal has been irritating my skin a little.

I did manage to walk through Hobby Lobby today before we came home to pick up some scrapbooking supplies.  We wanted to stop at Walmart but I was fighting several bouts of nausea so my husband brought me home and went back for the errands at Walmart.  The old white car needed to get out since it hasn't been driven much lately so it worked out for him to switch vehicles anyway.

The kids are at the sitter's today so I'm enjoying a day of quiet.  We don't get that very often around here needless to say.  I wish I felt better so I could get some things done but I guess I can't change how I feel.  I guess the car ride was enough for me.

He has such a bad cold and he won't take a bedtime bottle, in fact won't take hardly any bottles during the day or night.  We gave him some pedialite today as we're afraid he'll get dehydrated since his wet diapers have been fewer.  Then he doesn't sleep well at night.  Normally we'll take turns with him on nights like this but now Scott has to do it all.  I'm feeling guity about that but I guess that's how it goes.   I guess I need to remember I've had my fair share of nights up with the kids one the days when Scott had to get up way earlier than I did for work.  I tended to get up more often so now I guess it's just his time.

I've been really nautious the last couple of days.  Not sure why yet.  I might be over doing it getting up & around, who knows?  I'm going to rest more tonight and maybe just do some chicken broth for supper - I don't feel like any pureed anything tonight. 

It's not the pain, it's not the eating, it's not the supplements and medicine.  I'm having a really hard time with my kids right now.  Jacob is not so bad, he's getting to really be a daddy's boy and I guess that's a good thing.  I just hope that he'll want to cuddle and play with me when the time comes that I can.  It's Skylar who is having a bad time with this.  She wants some juice, so I say "let's go into the kitchen and get some."  She wants up - she wants me to carry her.  I tell her I can't that I have an owie and she can hold my hand and we'll walk together.  She throws a screaming fit and it lasts long enough that I really think she forgets what she was upset about in the 1st place.  Last night she woke up crying so I thought I would just go in and try to console her because Scott had already been up with Jacob twice.  She wanted to rock.  I though, ok, I can handle this.  I'll sit on the rocker, she can climb up and we'll rock then she can walk back to bed.  YEAH RIGHT!  She did come to the rocker (once she realized I was there and wasn't getting up to pick her up.)  We rocked for a few minutes and then I said, "ok, it's time to go back to bed now, get down and get in bed."  Another fit ensued.  She cried, I cried and within 30 seconds Scott & Jacob were up too.

Needless to say it was kind of a long night.  Scott is really being a trooper with all of this.  He has to do pretty much everything for the kids.  My mom & dad are coming down for awhile today and I told him I want him to just go out for awhile and get a little time to himself.  I think he's going to to go GNC and get me some Isopure.  I love that stuff!  I've been doing the Body Fortress Chocolate Protein Powder but I'm not liking that so much.  We decided that even though the Isopure is more expensive, I only have to drink one a day and since I'm hardly putting a dent into our grocery budget with my eating we can spluge on my protein.