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WOW! I can't believe it has been an entire year since I have posted anything here. Time flies!!!!  Taryn will be 1 year old tomorrow! It is totally unbelieveable.

It has been quite a year of ups and downs.  My immediate family started to grow with the birth of my daughter, I lost my Grandmother in January and my Mother in July. :o(    Taryn is turning 1 tomorrow and her birthday party with the family will be Sunday, Aug 9th  - I am definitely going to miss my mom's presence.

June was my 2 year surgiversary. I dropped a quick (3-4 months) 50-60lbs after Taryn was born and have maintained ever since. I would like to lose more - but I admit I am not trying very hard. If I tried I am sure I would be able to lose more pretty easily. 

I have had no complications. I do have a good sized hernia, and I had an appointment with a plastic surgeon in June to see about a tummy tuck/hernia repair combination - So far, I haven't heard anything back from them so not sure where that is at.  With Taryn still being so little, I am not really in a hurry for more surgeries yet.

I am able to eat a normal size meal and have that "stuffed" feeling you get after gorging on Thanksgiving dinner. :o)  I don't have issues with any foods anymore really.... I used to have a little trouble with bleu cheese and not throughly cooked brocolli.

All in all, life is good and hopefully keeps getting better!

Taryn Elizabeth Hull was born on Thursday, August 7th, 2008 @ 9:12am

She is 6lbs 1oz; 18 inches long and as adorable as can be!!!

11 Months would be May 21st. I have been so busy I missed it!

I haven't been weighing as regularly - I have been a bit discouraged and trying not to pay attention since the weight keeps bouncing around due to baby. I did hit -130lbs mark, but then it started bouncing again.

Since I am in the third- trimester, I expect to see a slight gain as the baby begins to really pick up gaining weight as well. So far, everything is going great and I go for my 1 year blood work tomorrow!

I will post how everything comes out late next week after I get the results from Dr. A.

Well, I really can't believe it, but I just passed the 10 month mark.  The scale has moved very little, but I can officially say that I can wear size 18's!  The last time I was able to squeeeeeeeze into an 18 I was a freshman/sophomore in High School.

So, while the scale has not been moving much from the 275ish mark, my size has dropped considerably....

However, now the fun part is starting and my belly is starting to pop out again with the baby starting to grow and pick up size. We tried to find out the sex a couple of weeks ago, but the baby was not in a good position - so that was a no-go.  I have another dr. appointment next week -so maybe we will have another ultrasound scheduled soon and find out then. 

The baby is doing well, and kicking like crazy. Murv is sure it is a boy. :o)

The last two weeks have worn me out as well since I have been traveling for work. First I spent a week in New Mexico, and this week I am in KS. I will be back home for one week, and then have to head back to KS again for a week. Then, hopefully I can stay home and relax for a while.   Despite being tired, my energy level has finally started to increase somewhat. Since I have been traveling, last weekend specially, I did notice that the scale dropped another 5lbs. It will be interesting to see where it is at when I get back home this week.  It would be great to get into the 250's before the baby is born - then once baby and fluids are gone it may be a little less as well.

My dr. decided to have me start taking extra Vitamin D, since last checkup everything but my but Vitamin D were good (see previous post). So, she started me on 1000 units of Vitamine D a day in additional to the vitamin D that is included with my 4 calcium pills (2 in the morning, 2 at night). So, 2600 units total a day. We will recheck it again in June and see how it is going and up it more at that time as needed.  Sounded like a good plan to me..and a careful approach to ensure I am not over medicating and causing damage that could be caused by the increased dosage - both to myself and the baby.

I did ask in the forums and was told that 10,000 units should be fine and was told that I should be taking 50,000 unities. But I can't see medicating myself for things I don't need. It also only makes sense to add dosages gradually to find out if you really NEEED 10,000 unitis a day. 

Since Dr. A does our common channel etc. slightly differently, which many of Dr. A's patience have spoken up and posted that they don't necessarily need to take ALL the things everyone else does because we actually absorb some vitamins etc. better than other DSers. Therefore, it may not be necessary to take so much "just because I think so". I would rather be safe than sorry - and with the baby involved that thought process is quadrupled!  

It doesn't seem necessary to start taking things your body may not need because it is absorbing it just fine. If you find out you need it, because you aren't absorbing it...then by all means starting taking it  If your dr. sucks then it is up to you. But if you trust your drs and know they are monitoring all levels etc. and will treat as necessary - then I feel confident in my doctors and will trust them to up dosages only as needed. 

Despite what is said, there is a TON of research that has been done, and super large quantities of Vit D can cause damage! (yes, I realize the research was done on NORMAL people that absorb "normally")...

Will it hurt DSers...not if they are not absorbing Vit D appropriately. CAN it hurt DSers, I would say YES, ABSOLUTELY. ESPECIALLY, if you are already absorbing Vitamin D at a normal level and you start taking super mega doses. Vitamin D helps the absorption of calcuim. If you over absorb calcuim, you can cause organ damage - including to your heart. 

My calcium levels were PERFECT!  So, if my calcium levels are fine, and I start taking LARGE quantities of Vitamin D and over absorbing calcium---well... I would rather not risk it!!!!

So, I am playing it safe and following my drs orders. We are starting with additional 1000 units of Vit D a day, and will increase it as necessary to ensure the levels remain in the "normal" range. If it ends up being 10,000 or even 50,000 units a day...so be it. But, I will feel confident in saying that it is because I NEED to take it....not because I just decided to unnecessarily over medicate myself.

*Steps down off my soapbox*

Friday, 3/21/08, was the 9 month mark. Down -120lbs. The scale is moving slower, but to be expected since I should actually be gaining weight right now and not losing it. So far, it seems to be a rough 10lbs per month.  And even though the scale has not moved - I have lost inches and sizes. 

My size 20's are loose. I haven't purchased any maternity clothes as of yet - because with all the loose skin/rolls there is still no baby belly showing. Since I am still losing all my clothes still fit or are too big - so not sure what size to even look for in maternity clothes. I figure if and when i start getting the baby belly popping out - I can go figure it out then.
I have met with Dr. A, and my blood work came back great. I had my PCP check my thryoid and all my vitamin levels as well. Everything came back normal with the exclusion of my Vitamin D levels, which seem to be low. The nurse called and said to get some over-the-counter- Vit D at the drug store. However, she said it comes in 5,000 and 10,000 units. IT DOESN'T..... The recommended daily allowance of Vit D is 400. I checked with my pharmacist and they said it only comes in such does as a presecription and then  he has never seen it advised to be taken daily - only weekly. 

SOooo, I placed a call back in to my PCP to have her call me directly for clarification. I don't want to take too much because Vit. D has some nasty side effects too.  My PCP also prescribed an additional prenatal. So along with the one I am taking from Dr. Anthone (in the morning), I am now taking Primacare (before bed). The Primacare has the extra omega3 etc. in it - so with malabsorbtion and the baby- it couldn't hurt. 

Baby is doing good. We finally heard the heartbeat last week. I have started feeling the baby move ever so slightly in the last couple of days. We have another ultrasound coming up and plan on finding out if its a boy or girl!!! 

Other than that life has been moving along. Still dealing with the normal crazy grind at work. I completed my Finance class (WITH A B-)!! THANK GOD! After this semester I have two classes left!

I will be preparing for some traveling coming up in the next couple of weeks. I will have two weeks back to back of being out of the office for work - 1 week in Topeka, KS; and 1 week in Albuquerque, NM.  I am sure I will be officially worn out by the time I return!

Yesterday was my 8th month mark. Time has REALLY flown by. It seems like it should have only been 3 or 4 months ago - not 8.  The scale has not been moving much lately except to continually bounce around.  However, the last couple of days it has seemed to start dropping again. 

The official loss is -118lbs. I figured up what I have lost since the beginning of Nov (when the baby was conceived) and today and I have still lost around 30lbs.  Still pretty good.  I am still apprehensive about not being able to lose the rest that I wanted (in my mind, I have another 82lbs. to go).  With the way the scale was bouncing around the last month, I had a bad feeling I was done; but this morning it was down again. So, I am hoping it was a nice long plateau and the numbers will continue to move again. 

Despite the numbers not moving, my body has changed and decreased in size in other ways - so that is also encouraging.

On the baby front: The baby is healthy and growing well according to the ultrasounds I have had about every two weeks since finding out I was pregnant. The baby should arrive around August 13th (due date). While that seems a ways off, that time too, is going quickly!!!  

I have three classes left to finish my double Masters - one of which will start in another 2 weeks. I am hoping that my energy starts to pick up and I can run through this next class without any issues. The class should take me through June. At which time I will start the next to last course in June and continue with it through the time the baby is born - this should be an interesting challenge...

Otherwise, I have my 9 month check up with Dr. Anthone on March 19th, and hoping everything continues to look "perfect" as far as blood work is concerned.  I am also a little worried that with the pregnancy, and continued weight loss, that my thyroid may be off yet again. I will find that out next month as well.  If that is the case, it has definitely contributed to the tiredness and loss of energy that comes with the first tri-mester of pregnancy!

Well, it is slightly past my 7 month mark.  (1 week and 4 days to be exact). The scale has been bouncing around quite a bit. While I have seen a stead 277lbs one day; it has been popping back up into the 280's. So the current total loss is -113lbs.  

My bet is that it will drop again this weekend as my weight loss seems to have slowed a bit to about 10-15lbs a month.  I am also carrying more water weight around during the week due to the baby. So, I am sure all the hormonal changes in the first trimester are having an impact too. 

However, if the 10-15lbs a month trend continues, i will be approximately 40lbs from goal when the baby arrives in August. I am hoping that once the tiredness goes away, and engery levels start to increase during the 2nd trimester I will be able to kick start it a bit more.

Other changes:  

I have noticed that depending on what it is, I can eat more in one setting.  At times, it still isn't a great amount so I end up eating over a longer period of time. Other times it seems I can inhale things. 

With the pregnancy, I do seem to have more issues in the evening than in the morning. The morning routine hasn't changed much (get up, bathroom, shower, get dressed, take supplements w/ a glass of milk). In the evening though, if I eat too fast, get overheated, or food does set well - I have been getting sick.  The majority of nights are uneventful - but then there will be a couple nights in a row that nothing sits well.   So far, I have chalked it up partly to "morning sickness" that is appearing at night, and a combination of eating too fast or waiting to long to eat.  Still no definite rhyme or reason to it though.

To date, all of my bloodwork has been great. There were issues with low progestrone levels for the pregnancy in December, but with an additional supplement that has stablized.  I have my 9month check coming up in March and will check my thyroid and all other blood levels then.  In the meantime, my OB/GYN has been checking up with me about every 2 weeks so far to ensure everything is going okay. So far, I have 2 sets of "baby pictures" and next week will gain a 3rd. Amazing to see the differences in just the two - so I am looking forward to seeing the difference in the third. 

While I think it is hormonal as well, my craving for sweet things has increased. This is unusual for me since I never really had a big sweet tooth prior to surgery - or up until the last month or so.  While a piece of chocolate seems to curtail the cravings, it also isn't something that seems to set well and within an hour or two my stomach can be upset.  Yesterday, a chocolate malt (while it sounded heavenly) caused a short trip to the restroom at work to get rid of it.  Again, I am not sure if this is pregnancy related ( I am pretty sure the cravings are) or not. Since I have never had a big sweet tooth it may be that my body just doesn't handle it the same........ I will probably never know.

So, my husband and I have taken to calling the baby "the bean" since the first description that was mentioned about the size of the baby we read referred to a kidney bean.

We had an ultrasound Monday (12/31/07) as I have had a lot of spotting and a few blood clots.. not good. Everything looked okay I guess though and we got to see the baby's heart beating. We were told we are about 7 1/2 weeks along and my "due date"  is August 13, 2008.   They said they found some "bleeds" in the ultrasound, but the nurse didn't sound to worried.  I plan on calling and getting more information - the nurse that I spoke too was NOT informative at all (she actually said she wasn't sure what she was supposed to tell me!)

Other than that, I have dropped another 10lbs, which makes the new total 112lbs lost  (8lbs shy of the 120lbs lost goal by Christmas). Not too bad!  

So far, other than the spotting and worrying, I feel great, but am really tired. Hopefully, the tiredness will pass in a few weeks and I will get to feel some of the great extra energy I should have after losing 100lbs!  I haven't had any real morning sickness, at least that I can notice. I still get kind of nauseous if I don't eat every 2-3 hours - so I have been blaming that on my new tummy and being hungry more than "morning sickness". 

Well, this week has turned out very interesting, exciting and a bit overwhelming and the week isn't over yet!

I had my 6 month follow-up with Dr. Anthone yesterday. My blood work is perfect. I weighed in at 96 lbs lost on their scale.  I received a copy of my blood work and the numbers for protein counts, calcium etc. have increased since 6/28. (My surgery was 6/21) 

He also said my loss is very good. Over 35% loss of excess body weight, and for my starting BMI 50% EWL would be considered successful.  I weighed in at 96lbs lost on their scale. A bit disappointing since I have already seen the -103lb lost mark; but the scale has been jumping around this week quite a bit. 

Even with the scale jumping around this week - I have noticed a drop in inches. I am now able to wear a size 20. My husband bought me a new size 20 outfit for a Christmas present - it felt great!

Now for the more interesting. exciting, yet overwhelming part of my week:  

On Tuesday, December  18th, it was confirmed that I am definitely pregnant!!!!

This is my first pregnancy and while I am VERY, EXTREMELY excited, I am also worried on multiple levels.  We are guessing that I am around 8-9 weeks along. 

First and foremost, I am/was worried about nutritional issues and the baby being healthy.  On the next level...this is a complete surprise and very unexpected. I planned to utilize my year + window to the best of my ability. I still have a goal of losing another 100lbs. So, my concern is about messing up the entire reason I had surgery in the first place.

My OB/GYN did their best to reassure me that everything will be fine even if I continue to lose weight throughout the pregnancy (and that they expect me to keep losing).   luckliy, my OB/GYN has dealt with may weight loss surgery patience. 

Dr. Anthone also reassured me that it would still be possible to lose during or even after the baby is born. While he did say he has seen all senarious - the possibility is there.  He also reassured me that they have seen multiple pregnancies and all babies have been very healthy. 
 
Soooo...this year next time......I am going to be a MOM. Unbelievable!

Well, it took a couple extra days, but today I have officially lost 100 lbs.  Actually, 100.5 to be exact. 

It will be interesting to see if I can meet the goal of -120/-125 by Christmas time (12/25). 

100lbs down, and 100lbs more to go. 

Hopefully, the next 100lbs will come off as easy. So far, my weightloss has been a very steady 5+ pounds a week. I have only had one stall, back in September which lasted for 2 weeks. *Knock on wood*

So far, the weightloss journey has been interesting. Every once in a while I still get a weird uncomfortable/not quite painful twinge in my right side. I haven't been able to track down what is causing it yet. I thought at first maybe it was from not eating enough - blew that theory. Then I thought maybe it was from not drinking enough - blew that one too.  So, will be talking to Dr. Anthone about it when I see him on 12/14 for my 6 month follow-up.  I have blood work scheduled next monday on 12/10 as well. 

Other than that, I haven't had too many issues. Every so often, if I don't eat frequently enough I do catch myself eating quicker than I should - which in turn causes me to be uncomfortable for 30 minutes to an hour. 

My energy is MUCH higher than it has been in years. I can wear clothes I have kept since high school. Today I pulled out a sweater I had as a FRESHMAN in high school and it fits perfectly, actually a little loose.  The weight loss must be showing a little more now - as today alone a number of people have commented on the lose (other than they can really tell in my face).

Eating has gotten easier and easier. I have noticed in the last couple of weeks that I CAN eat more in one sitting than I previously could. Although, there are days when things don't sit well, so I don't eat as much. There are also other days where it feels like I am eating anything and everything in front of me. While this may be the case, it is still not even 1/2 of what I would have been eating prior to surgery. So, it all balances out in the end. 

I am watching carbs.. on an average day I get around 50-70 grams of carbs in. Protein is around 80 without trying. I am trying to get it up higher though and keep it up around 100-120. But it is still a struggle to get to the 100-120 mark (those are the days I feel like all I have done is eat). 

Eating is becoming less of a chore though, and I am finally getting the feeling of wanting to eat back slightly. Previously, I wasn't hungry and had to force myself to eat because I knew I had to. Now, I have to remind myself to eat, but every so often I catch myself thinking "hmmm...I don't feel so good, I'm hungry".  So "hunger" had changed.  If I haven't eaten, I do start feeling sick to my stomach and it wakes me up to the fact I need to eat.  The "sick" feeling seems to come and go every 2-3 hours or so.

Hmm, I can't think of anything else that is really big to note. I will probably list more after my 6month time period. 

TTFN