JennyA
9/03 - Just in the exploratory process right now. I haven't even really discussed this with my spouse. Jane Brody's column today got me thinking about it again.
10/29/04 - More serious now. I have come to the realization that this may be the only way to get it off and keep it off.
11/24/04 - Attending a couple of info meetings with surgeons in December. From reading profiles and posts, this process is going to take longer than I thought. That's for the best tho. I suppose it weeds out the less serious, quick-fix candidates.
12/15/04 - Sent the packet in to Park Nicollet today. I asked my husband Mark if he was sure and he said he still was. Felt a little trepidation as I slid it into the mailbox, but once the lid slammed shut, a feeling of certainty came over me.
12/31/04 - Bummer. Was supposed to meet with the nurse at Park Nicollet yesterday, but instead sprained my ankle. PN was understanding and rescheduled me for 1/6. I have to say that this accident is one of my worst fat nightmares. First, because I feel like I am fat and clumsy (even tho it was icy). Second, because I am paranoid that my 291 lbs. will break the crutches. Dammit.
1/6/05 - Happy New Year! I met with Dorothy today. Alot of the stuff she reviewed was repeat, but it never hurts to hear it again. I got my "homework" assignment of taking a vitamin, drinking more water, eating more protein and exercising. This is me pre-op training! I scheduled my MMPI for tomorrow and the follow-up appointment for a week from today 1/13. I then see the psychologist again on 2/1. All of a sudden this seems to be going VERY fast. On the down side, I did manage to gain 8 lbs. over the holidays. Oh well, it's not like I was trying very hard not to. I have had some unsure moments over the last few weeks - am I crazy to do this? am I messing with nature? will I have complications? I'm glad that the process is long, so that I can be absolutely certain that I am doing the right thing.
1/13/05 - Whew! Had the four hour appointment with PT, dietician, MD and psychologist today. Great team in place at PN. I have homework assignments - drink water, identify protein sources, add exercise five days a week. I am so ready. I wish I could get in to see the psychologist NOW for that second appointment. Alas, she didn't have an opening until 2/1.
1/19/05 - Damn. I think I jinxed myself by saying that things were moving quickly. Last I dreamed that I was denied approval by my insurance. Then today, my boss (who I told about the surgery) asked if I had any say over the date. One of my co-workers may be leaving and since we are a small office, it would be difficult for me to be out two weeks until the summer. Then I get home to find that I have to call the sleep center to schedule a sleep overnight and the first available appointment is MARCH 2. I asked to be put on the cancellation list, so we'll see if that gets bumped up. But I feel really blue because I am so ready to just get it done! OK, to use the optimist in me - maybe Bobbi won't get the other job; if she does, maybe I can have it done over spring break at the end of March (I work in a school); maybe the sleep study will get moved up. Maybe ....
2/2/05 - Had my second psych appointment yesterday. I guess I "passed" the MMPI. The psychologist (Laura) brought up several things that I already knew about myself - I will follow doctors orders, I tend to dismiss pain/symptoms until they are farther along, I talk about pain with humor while inside worrying about it, I need to find new ways to deal with emotions since eating them will not be an option, I have to be careful not to substitute eating with another compulsive behavior (i.e. shopping, etc). Overall it was an OK appointment. Let's keep it moving along.
3/4/05 - APPROVED!!! Finally. I called Health Partners today for my every-other-day check-in call and the girl said "looks like you're approved." I thought my head was going to explode!
Just have to hear from Dorothy at PN so I can schedule my surgeon consult. I had my sleep study two days ago. Kind of a waste of time in my opinion. The doc didn't even need to see me in the morning before I left, so I am assuming that I'm all clear. Just to update on earlier posts. My co-worker did leave and because of the delays with submitting the insurance stuff, I'm not going to be able to do the surgery over Spring Break. The hiring process is slow around here, so we haven't filled the position yet, but I think it will be all wrapped up next week. As far as scheduling surgery - damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead. I will have enough notice about the surgery date that I will be able to get things set before I am out. I can also be reached at home, if need be and if I'm feeling well enough, I can work part-time the second week. I am so darn excited I can hardly type.
3/7/05 - Scheduled a date for the pre-op class & a meeting with Dr. Svendson for 3/23. I am still so calm about this. Am I normal? The biggest bummer came three days ago when I found out the results of my sleep study. I do have sleep apnea and the doctor prescribed a "long term" CPAP for me. I am kind of freaked out by it. I thought I could just use it periodically, but apparently it has recording machinery in it that monitors the use. Ugh.
3/10/05 - OK, so in reviewing my past posts I realized I have not said much about who I am. Who am I? Hmmmm .... let's take care of the easy stuff first. I am a 40 year-old (41 in April) wife and mother of a 14 year-old boy and a 12 year-old girl. I have been married for nearly 15 years (to the same guy). I was born and raised in St. Paul (Macalester-Groveland). Went through 12 years of Catholic school and graduated from college with a degree in advertising and public relations. Everything should be great right? Smart, funny (or at least I amuse myself), "pretty face", great kids, supportive understanding husband, job I love. What could be wrong?
I have been overweight since age 10. Looking back at pictures from high school, I get so angry, because I was not that fat (5'7 and running between 170-180) but boy was I made to think so. This was the late 70s-early 80s when ultra thin was in. In some ways I think that the pressure to be super thin is not there now. I see so many high school girls (I work in an all-girls high school) who seem so much more comfortable with their not so flat tummies and I am jealous. Anyway....
I ballooned in college. I had a boyfriend (my first) junior & senior year who was also overweight and who loooovvvveeeed to eat. Late night runs for sandwich fixins, huge meals out, eating to the point of exploding and I was along for every mile of that ride. It was a mentally abusive and exhausting relationship that I was unable to break off until I graduated (at 230 lbs) and moved back to MN and he moved back to MO. I dieted and exercised myself back to 180 and I felt great!
Met my husband-to-be and we dated for three years before marrying in 1990. Unfortunately we didn't really have a lot of married with no kids time, because I gave birth to the world's first "4 month premature" 8 lb. 12 oz. baby boy five months after we married. One year after we married, we moved to CT for the next eight years. This was a huge yo-yo time for me. I was staying home with my kids (#2 joined us in 1993), lonely for my family back in MN, having marital ups and downs and drowning it all in food. When we did move back to MN in December of 1999 (with me at 250), I thought it would be my big chance to finally get my weight and eating back in control because my life was now perfect. Yeah right.
Long story short. Since 2000 I have gained another 40 lbs, tried many more ways to take it off (and did take some off, but I always can) and finally came to the WLS decision. I am still struggling with getting exercise in and I am not really watching what I am eating. I think that I am on one long "last supper". Now that my appt with the doc is two weeks away, I am working harder on getting myself in shape for the surgery. The better condition I am in before, the easier the recovery. Instead of training for a marathon (which I would love to run someday) I am in training for surgery.
Thanks for reading my story.
3/21/05 - I see Dr. Svendson in 2 days! Went through some reexamination of my decision this weekend. A friend since junior high died suddenly last week just days away from delivering her sixth child. Pulmonary embolism, no way it could have been predicted or prevented. There are so many questions for me surrounding this, the greatest one being WHY? Doesn't God have enough mothers in heaven that he couldn't leave this one here to raise her children? The other big one for me is "am I making the right decision with this surgery?" I could die, I could have serious complications requiring months of hospitalization, the loss of my job, etc. My friend Marnie brought me back tho and reminded me that by keeping on this path of greater and greater obesity, am I not headed for those things anyway? True. I also saw my sister this weekend who has lost 40# since September by, get this, eating less and exercising more. She absolutely does not hold herself up to me as an example of "look what you can do if you set you mind to it". She has been one of my biggest supporters through the WLS process. Anyhoo ... I am back on track mentally and looking forward to scheduling surgery and living my life to the best of my ability.
3/27/05 - Happy Easter! Got a date - May 20, 2005. That is 54 days from now. Went to the Y 3x last week, plus walked 1/2 hour yesterday and did stretches today. My philosophy right now is get in the exercise, don't sweat the food. I have been working on not drinking with meals and the water and vitamins are going well.
Here's something stupid. What is one of my big concerns about post-op life? Will I like what I look like, will I look old cuz the fat has plumped out my wrinkles. Kind of lame, but that is the thought of the day.
4/21/05 - Whew. It's been a while since I've updated. Only 29 days! Saw the dietician yesterday. I'm her star patient. She was impressed by my research and grasp of what I will need to do. Makes me feel good. Saw Dr. Carey at UST yesterday too. Boy am I glad I did. According to the underwater weighing, my lean mass is 154.8 lbs and my fat mass is 131.2 lbs. I had a goal in mind of 140 - 150 lbs. Obviously not realistic. I will lose some of the lean mass, but not enough for that goal. I will go back and do it again around 200 lbs for a more accurate measurement. As of yesterday, he said that a good, sensible goal would be 160-170. My BMR is 1890. It will be interesting to track that change as well.
Still working on getting the exercise in. That's going so-so. I'm getting more than I was, so I'll guess I should count that as a success.
Oh yeah. There was an article in the Star Tribune last Sunday (my 41st b-day!) about the increase in the number of surgeons and hospitals doing WLS in the Twin Cities. It was actually a positive news story about WLS. There was a picture of moi and quotes from yours truly! The link to the article is (http://ww)w.startribune.com/stories/1556/5352311.html. The text of the article is:
Metro hospitals see brisk trade in obesity
David Phelps and Maura Lerner, Star Tribune
Inside the new bariatric clinic at St. Joseph's Hospital in St. Paul, the doors are one-third wider than usual and the chairs support up to 800 pounds. The walls are the color of soft gold and the message of hope is almost spiritual.
This is the new look of weight-loss therapy. And Twin Cities hospitals are tripping over one another to offer the surgery that can help patients shed hundreds of pounds.
In the past two years, at least three Twin Cities hospitals have gone into the gastric bypass business, known as bariatrics, joining six others. In the past five years, the number of surgeries in the Twin Cities has grown five-fold to more than 3,500 last year.
There's good reason hospitals are piling in: The business makes money. Meanwhile, insurers -- which pay for almost all the procedures -- are looking on in alarm at the mounting bills for obesity surgery.
In a handful of states, some big insurers have cut off coverage of the procedure. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Wisconsin is one of them.
While no major Minnesota insurer has followed, they are clamping down on who can get the surgery, as well as where their members can go.
There's no denying the procedure has immense appeal.
After a lifetime of failed diets, Jane McAleese-Schrupp, 42, of Woodbury signed up to become one of the first patients at St. Joseph's bariatric center last year. At the time, the 5-foot, 3-inch bookkeeper weighed 231 pounds. It wasn't just the weight that worried her, she said, but the fear of its complications, as she struggled with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, borderline diabetes and sleep apnea.
By last year, she said, she was willing to jump through whatever hurdles were placed in her way, including battling her insurance company. "You have to stick to your guns," she said.
Last June, she had one of the most common procedures, called Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery, which ties off a portion of the stomach and intestines to restrict food intake. Ten months later, she's down to her goal, 140 pounds, and her medical complications are gone.
She's not alone. Nationally, obesity has hit epidemic levels. By one national study, 65 percent of Americans are either overweight or dangerously obese, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"It's a public health menace that is overtaking tobacco usage as a health problem," said Frank Mishek, president of United Hospital in St. Paul. "We're seeing a dramatic increase in demand for the service."
In 1999, surgeons performed about 700 gastric bypass surgeries in all of Minnesota. Last year, Fairview-University Medical Center in Minneapolis alone did that many procedures, as did Unity Hospital in Fridley.
Hospitals say they're helping to battle the obesity epidemic, with its accompanying emotional and psychological issues. "There's a lot of silent discrimination that goes on for my patients," said Denice Hinrichs, director of the bariatric program at St. Joseph's. "Morbid obesity is a disease. It is not a character flaw."
But insurers and others point out there's another reason: profits.
"Hospitals have to figure out new ways to fill beds," said Steve Parente, a health care economist at the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management. Plus, obesity surgery is "a high-margin business," said Ann Robinow, vice president and general manager of PatientChoice, a division of the health insurer Medica.
Most hospitals are reluctant to say how much they make on the procedure. United Hospital's Mishek, for example, will only say: "You wouldn't see everyone getting into this if it weren't for the bottom line."
What hospitals will divulge is that the surgery costs between $20,000 and $30,000 or higher if there are complications. Insurers, which typically negotiate a discount, reimburse hospitals between $14,000 and $17,000.
The HealthEast Bariatric Clinic at St. Joseph's Hospital in downtown St. Paul was the only one to put a number on how much it actually costs them to do the surgery: $10,000. That's before doctor's fees, which typically run about $2,100, according to Medica. Medica reimburses hospitals and doctors $16,000 on average for bariatric surgery, so that makes the margin for St. Joseph about $3,900 per procedure.
In its first year in the bariatrics business, which began last March, HealthEast did 45 surgeries. It expects that number to rise to 200 surgeries annually for the next three to five years.
Other hospitals said they sometimes make money and sometimes lose money on the procedure. "It's pretty much cost-neutral," said Janet Rudlong, bariatrics program manager of Unity Hospital in Fridley. "The hospital makes some profit."
Can cut health costs
For the most part, insurers have agreed to pay because the surgery can cut the health costs of the severely obese by reducing joint and muscle problems, diabetes and heart disease and even depression.
Yet as more players get into the game, some big insurers are taking steps to limit where patients go for the surgery.
The largest health plans in Minnesota are adopting what they call "centers of excellence" programs, which require clinics to pass a series of tests to prove their expertise in the field.
Those clinics that don't -- or can't -- make the cut will be off limits to many Minnesotans, unless they're willing to pay extra to go there.
HealthPartners has operated in a similar way since 2001, allowing only a limited number of surgeons to perform the operation. Starting in September, Medica will shift its business to a select group of weight-loss surgery centers, which have yet to be identified. And Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota is considering the same thing by early next year, according to Dr. Keith Folkert, the medical director.
Health plan executives say it's a way to ensure quality in a booming field. But it's clear they're also worried about rising costs. By 2003, Blue Cross spent $15 million on weight-loss surgeries in Minnesota, second only to hip and knee replacements in total costs.
In 2001, when HealthPartners started covering weight-loss surgery, it decided to set some ground rules on who would perform the surgery, as well as who would receive it. "If we were going to provide this for members, we wanted to make sure it was safe," said Dr. George Isham, HealthPartners' Medical Director.
Nationally, the "centers of excellence" program was created by the American Society of Bariatric Surgery, which was founded in 1983, to help standardize care in the emerging field.
To qualify under the society's rules, clinics must follow a strict set of guidelines for screening, counseling and treating patients before, during, and after surgery. The centers must have specialized staff, equipment, and even furniture "suitable for morbidly obese patients." They must agree to keep track of their successes and failures, and report them to a national registry.
And they have to show proof of experience: Their surgeons are expected to have performed at least 125 of these operations, including 50 in the past year. The clinics themselves are expected to do a minimum of 125 a year.
The premise is that those with more experience "frequently have better outcomes," said Folkert, of Blue Cross.
At HealthPartners, officials say its "centers of excellence" program has paid off, both in healthier patients and lower costs. Nationally, the death rate from the surgery is about 1 percent. But in four years, none of the more than 1,900 HealthPartners patients who had the surgery has died or suffered serious complications, said Isham.
At Medica, officials have given clinics until September to earn the "center of excellence" certification. They say they haven't quite figured out how to deal with the ones that don't make it. But patients are likely to have a financial incentive to avoid them. In general, going "out of network" costs Medica members five to 25 times more than usual.
For patients, "it may be a little less convenient," said Dr. Charles Fazio, Medica's chief medical officer. Although he doesn't expect people to have to wait longer for the surgery, "they may have to travel."
But even if it did mean longer waiting lines, Isham said, "it will be a wait for quality."
Jennifer A. of Eagan, a HealthPartners member, doesn't mind the wait. She's scheduled to have the surgery in May after nearly six months of preparations, including psychological tests and diet and exercise counseling. "I'm kind of glad for that," said A., 41, who hopes to lose "about half of myself" through the surgery. "It gives you an opportunity to really think about it and make sure it is what you want to do. So you don't have buyer's remorse from acting too hastily."
5/10/05 - Started the liquid diet today. Suddenly it seems real to me. The past five months have flown by. I remember in December that I hoped I could have the surgery by the end of March. Anything past that was so far away. Guess what - it's here! I have not lost or gained weight over the past five months, but then again I haven't tried. I have been focused on getting more exercise in because that is the part that I know I will find the hardest. It must be paying off though. I did a 25 mile bike ride with my sister three days ago and I felt good. I thought I could maybe do 15, but when we got to the 15 mile mark and I rested a little, I knew I could go on. The only change I will make next time is gel shorts. They do make for a more confortable ride (and the days after). The day after the ride I spent a few hours gardening and I still felt great. Wow. Anyway ... off to drink more CIB. Yum yum.
5/19/05 - A wake-up away. Finally, I feel nervous. Still confident, but nervous. The Mag Citrate been, so far, the most horrible part of this entire process. The liquid diet was actually not difficult for me. I did manage to lose 15# over the last 10 days. Too bad I couldn't live that way for another few months. Oh well, no more posts until I'm on the other side.
5/25/05 – Five days post-op. Surgery went great. I am still in sort of a daze that it is all over. Even right up until I went out in the OR it didn’t feel like it was here. Even after I was in my room after surgery it still seemed unreal. Anyway … I was up and moving the night of surgery (at least to the bathroom and slightly down the hall). Stopped the morphine about 7:30 pm cuz that was really messing with my head. Next morning I felt really good. Not much pain and I had been sipping water through the night, plus getting up to pee. I walked several times during the day, dozed on and off, had broth for lunch and generally felt great. The hospital was pretty boring and I was itching to go home. Had to wait for that final step though – the waking of the bowels. That night I took something to help me sleep and it really helped. Sunday up and walking, IVs out and finally – movement. Dr. Svendson pulled the drain and I was on my way. At home, things are still going great. I’m comfortable, the pain is more like a combination of a gas bubble and too many sit-ups. I get to go the full liquids tomorrow. I am so excited for 2 tablespoons of Cream of Wheat in the morning! As of today, I am down 18.7 lbs since April 20. Most of that is from the 10 day liquid diet pre-op, but I’ll take it. So far this is the best thing I ever did.
6/6/05 - 17 days post-op and I hit my first goal. I have now lost 10% of my original weight. Down 29 pounds since May 10 (start of the liquids). I can't belive the energy I have. I don't feel the need to nap at midafternoon. I worked out at the Y yesterday, then came home and did yardwork for 2 hours. I though I would drop off as soon as my head hit the pillow last night, but I had a hard time getting to sleep. Back at work full-time today. I have not had ANY complications - no dumping, no barfing, no pain, no trouble with fluids or food. Pessimist that I am I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop and something to go wrong. The only thing that is concerning me is how few calories I am eating. I started entering my food intake on fitday.com and over the past 3 days I have averaged only 389 calories per day. Concerned that my body my go into famine mode and shut the old metabolism down. Going to the Park Nicollet support meeting Wednesday and hope to get some answers there. Overall, I FEEL GREAT.
6/20/05 - One month post-op. I can't believe it. I am down 38.5 pounds since May 10! I am wearing a 1X vs. a 3X top and a 20 shorts vs. a 24! My BMI has gone from 47.1 to 40.8. I feel so damn good. I am cleared to eat solid food, which has presented a challenge. I need to slow down. With the pureeds, I could eat more and eat faster. Three days ago, I had a slice of deli turkey and was reading while I was eating. Wow, I either ate too fast or took big bites, because all of a sudden I had such pain in the middle of my sternum. I could have thrown up, but I didn't. The pain lasted about 10 minutes and then I laid down for an hour. It helped, but it was sore for the rest of the day. Took measurements and my one month photos.
Weight: 253.5 (-38.5)
BMI: 40.8
Tale of the Tape: -13.75"
Right Bicep: -1"
Chest: -2.5"
Waist: -5"
Hips: -3.5"
Thigh: -1.25"
Calf: -.5"
I am getting lots of compliments and I can see it myself. So far so great!
7/22/05 - Two months out! I am down 53 pounds, my BMI is 38.6 (I wouldn't "automatically" qualify for WLS) and I am still feeling good. I have learned a lot this month about eating, what not to eat, etc. Carbs in the form of bread, crackers, etc are not my friends. I had about 3 days a few weeks ago when I thought "OK, time to try crackers." Not a good idea. They are such a trigger. I just wanted to eat more & more. Plus that week, I only lost 1 pound. Back to the protein-focused way for me. I also REALLY need to pay attention to smaller bites and eating more slowly. Sausage, brats and frozen pizza are also not setting to well (not that I will miss them).
There have been a few instances of lapsing back into old binging behaviors. I have eaten just to eat a few times and gotten to the point of being uncomfortable. What do I do when I am at that point? Why I eat some more. This is going to be my biggest challenge.
I have been able to resist sugar and guess what? I don't really miss it that much. I can look at the brownie bites on the counter and the ice cream in the fridge and they just don't call to me like they used to. That has been a pleasant realization.
Clothes are starting to become a problem. I am muddling through the rest of the summer with what I have and supplementing where I need to from the consignment store and super bargain shopping. Come fall when the work dress rules tighten up again, I will be in trouble. Oh well, that's the kind of trouble I can handle.
Now for all the statistics junkies out there (totals are cumulative):
Weight: 239.5 (-52.5)
BMI: 38.6
Tale of the Tape: -21.75"
Chest: -4.5
Waist: -7
Hips: -5
Bicep: -2.25
Thigh: -2.5
Calf: -.5
I also am taking part in a study at the University of St. Thomas and as part of that I am weighed underwater to assess fat mass and lean mass. The first time I weighed was one month pre-op and the second time was at two months post-op. I will test again at 8 months post-op and at 14 months post-op. Thus far:
1 Month Pre-op
Weight: 292
BMI: 47.1
Lean Mass: 154.8
Fat Mass: 137.2
Lean/Fat: 53%/47%
2 Months Post-Op
Weight: 239 (-53)
BMI: 38.6
Lean Mass: 135.2 (-19.6)
Fat Mass: 103.8 (-33.4)
Lean/Fat: 57%/43%
Thanks for following my progress.
9/8/05 - Oops. I guess I missed my three month check in. I'm going to keep it brief and do a longer post at 4 months. Here's the 3 month scoop for the numbers watchers.
Weight: 225.5 (-66.5)
BMI: 36.3
Tale of the Tape: -27.75"
Chest: -6
Waist: -8
Hips: -8
Bicep: -2.25
Thigh: -2.5
Calf: -1
As of this week, I am down to 219 (one pound less than my driver's license). More in a few weeks.
9/28/05 - Four months out and feeling fine! I have had no complications. Unfortunately, I don't have an adverse reaction to sugar. One of my biggest challenges has been snacking. I realized that I can't just have a smoothie for a meal. My pouch needs something that stays put for a while.
Exercise continues to go well. My workplace has established teams for a step program. Lucky (or maybe unlucky) for me, I am on a fairly competitive team. In order to add steps to my otherwise desk-bound day, I take the long way back to my desk, I walk to see people rather than call or e-mail them. I even jog in place or run around the couch while I'm watching TV just to get my step count up. I go to the Y about three times a week for strength and cardio. I really like it too!
Believe it or not, it has become tiresome to hear compliments. I work in a school, so most people hadn't seen me since right before surgery, so the change for them was pretty profound. I am glad to have people pulling for me though. I am just so grateful that I had the strength and courage to go through with the surgery. There are very few things that have had such a life-altering effect on me.
4 months post-op
Weight: 214.5 (-77.5)
BMI: 34.5
Tale of the Tape: -38"
Chest: -9
Waist: -10
Hips: -10
Bicep: -3
Thigh: -4.5
Calf: -1.5
10/24/05 - 5 months already! It has gone so fast. One year ago this week, I posted that I was "more serious now". No kidding. I can not believe how much my life has changed. I think that a year ago I was at "rock bottom". Since I made that realization, I believe that I looked up, saw that light and knew there was a way up. As with anything else, projecting into the future was frustating, daunting and seemed so far away. I had to stop "projecting" and as Bill W. says, take it one day at a time. For all pre-ops who may have read this far, it will come and you will not regret it. For anyone who has followed me, thank you. Whether you have e-mailed, responded to or met me, I could not have gotten through this without you. Thank you.
OK, enough of the mushy stuff, get to the numbers.
5 months post-op
Weight: 206 (-86)
BMI: 33.2
Tale of the Tape: -40.5"
Chest: -9
Waist: -11.5
Hips: -11
Bicep: -3.25
Thigh: -3.5 (up an inch from last month?)
Calf: -2.25
Happy Halloween!
11/23/05 - 6 months? A half year? Unbelievable. Feeling great. Snacking has been an issue, but I am dealing with it. Food apathy has also been difficult. I don't really plan meals and don't really care what I eat. I am so not into cooking. My husband takes care of dinner most weeknights, so that helps. My hair loss has finally slowed down. Fortunately I had a lot of hair to begin with, so it isn't really noticeable. I am at the point where people ask if I'm done losing. No way. I figure about 30-40 more pounds, but I'm not really setting a goal until I am weighed underwater again in January. I am loving life!
Stats for 6 months out:
Weight: 200 (-92)
BMI: 32.3
Tale of the Tape: -43.5"
Chest: -9.5
Waist: -12
Hips: -12
Bicep: -3.75
Thigh: -4.25
Calf: -2
Happy Thanksgiving!
2/23/06 - 9 months?! Sure doesn't feel like it has been that long. Overall, I am fantastic. I have still had no complications and I feel great. I am struggling a bit with what I am eating. Unfortunately, I can eat pretty mych anything with no adverse reaction. I find myself looking for sweets like a heat-seeking missile. I get lax on my protein requirements. Par example, this morning I had a giant poppyseed muffin and a skim chai latte. Should feel rotten in the pouch right? Wrong. I feel full, but not sick. STOP IT. This is going to be my struggle.
As of this Saturday, I will be the mother of two teenagers. PJ turned 15 on 2/13 and Megan will be 13 on 2/25. I'm not old enough!
Now for the good news, I am down a total of 104 pounds and they are good pounds. I went underwater weighing this morning and he was very impressed with my progress. My body fat percentage is now 29% down from 47%. Of the weight I have lost 80% has been fat and 20% has been lean. In talking goal weight with Dr. Carey, he said 160 would be a reasonable, but a little tough to reach. He estimates that at that weight, I would be 21.4% body fat. If I keep up the weight training and the jogging, I should be able to get there. My BMR is also in the normal range - 1650. That means that if I do nothing but lay in bed all day and eat 1,650 calories, I will maintain my weight. For all you numbers junkies out there, here they are:
Weight: 188 (-104)
BMI: 30.3
Tale of the Tape: -51.25"
Chest: -10.5
Waist: -14.5
Hips: -14.5
Bicep: -3.75
Thigh: -5.5
Calf: -2.5
1 Month Pre-op
Weight: 292
BMI: 47.1
Lean Mass: 154.8
Fat Mass: 137.2
Lean/Fat: 53%/47%
Basal Metabolic Rate: 1890
2 Months Post-Op
Weight: 239 (-53)
BMI: 38.6
Lean Mass: 135.2 (-19.6)
Fat Mass: 103.8 (-33.4)
Lean/Fat: 57%/43%
BMR: 1755
3 Months 188 (-104)
BMI: 30.3
Lean Mass: 132.9 (-21.9)
Fat Mass: 55.1 (-82.1)
Lean/Fat: 71%/29%
BMR: 1650
Thanks to all on this board for your support and sharing your stories. You have been my most valuable resource in this journey. Peace.
2/27/06 - I never would have done this a year ago. I signed up for the Breast Cancer 3-Day. 60 miles in 3 days! I am beginning a training program. I have been pretty good about working out, but now I have something specific to train for.
My grandmother died of breast cancer in 1969. My mom's two sisters are breast cancer survivors. That's a lot stacked against me genetically.
If you need something to shoot for with your workout, see if there is one in your area. Me personal page is www.the3day.org/TwinCities06/jennya1964
8/14/06 - I know I have been MIA, but I have been checking in periodically. It helps to know that the issues I am struggling with are not unique to me. Thanks to all of you who have been loyal posters. Your consistency and willingness to share help more than you know.
The first 100 pounds came off in the first seven months and I have been waffling between 188 & 192 for the past eight months. I have been participating in a Back on Track class through my surgeon's office for the past three weeks. It has forced me to do the thing I hate the most - self-examination.
I have now proven to myself that I am a carb addict. I had been adhering to the recommended food program from the Back on Track class all week and feeling in contraol and great. Friday night I deviated and had some fried food and a stout at Irish Fair. Saturday was OK, but fell off the wagon that night. Sunday morning I had Life cereal and 3 PB cookies for breakfast and was in full-blown binge mode by 9 am. By 10 I felt lousy and had to go back to bed. Followed that up with a good case of the trots and some lovely gas all day. Still, all I wanted to do was eat.
Like an alcoholic, I am approaching this one day at a time. I had yogurt and Kashi Go-Lean Crunch for breakfast. I have packed tuna and cottage cheese for lunch and I have a supply of cheese sticks for snacks. Steak and veggies for dinner.
I need to reread my BOT materials again tonight and be ready for class tomorrow. 15 months out and most is well. These demons are not haunting me alone. I know there are more of you out there. Hang in there and stop them before they take you over.
The 3-Day is this Friday! All that training is going to pay off.
