justamy

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I just am busy.....and I love it that I can move enough to be busy!!! I am currently at 164 lbs. I still need to lose 14 before plastics. I am looking into that-plastics. I need plastics-evrywhere. I cannot wear a short sleeved shirt or a swimsuit because it just looks gross. I also need it because my butt hurts from sitting for like 2 minutes. I won't go into dtails, but it is a skin issue and my buttbone.i am not complaining. If I were to never get plastics, i would still do it all over again. I went Christmas shopping last WE and i thought the mall was small!! This was the mall that i could not shop at  3 years ago at all because of painful joints. i just need to get to my PCP and get her to say that my surgery is medically necessary-at least some of it which she will do I think. God is so good!!I am off of disability and am looking for a job. no more depression or the meds that go with it. I love God and (to a lesser degree but still) I love my DS!!!

Merry Christmas all

amy

Hi guys!! I have not added to my blog in awhile and I since my 1st anniversary of the switch part of my two part surgery is in a few days I thought i should sit down and write.  I am so busy and that is amazing to me. Two years ago I could not walk across the room without pain and today I can barely find time to sit down at my computer. Amazing!!

i went to my doc abut a month ago fo my yearly check-up (surgeon) and at that time I weighed in at 181lbs. Last week I weighed 174  so I have lost a total of 248lbs. My Doctor said he would have never recognized me if not for my chart. I barely recognize myself, but it is not the way I look, but the things I can do and how i feel that are so different for me. Here are just a few changes.

Before I wore a size 36W Now I wear a 12-14 in JEANS which I never wore before.
Before I worried if i would fit or how I would look doing things Now i do what I like and could care less what people think.
Before I could not play ball or anything with my kids now they have to ask me to slow down and wear out before I do!!
Before I never walked anywhere now I walk everywhere.
Before I hated to be seen by old friends now I love it.
Before I did not work now I am going to be working in a daycare!!

What is really strange is that as I try to think of things to write i find it really hard because i just live now and there are so many changes that I barely recognize the person I used to be. I am still me inside, but I am so much happier and more confident because my body is not holding me back. 

I am planning on losing 25 moe lbs and then having plastics as I need them to get rid of a lot of extra skin.  Then I will see where I am and go from there.

I give God the glory for this because it is Him that keeps me and enables me to do anything I do.

I do love my DS and i hope that anyone reading this that is living in a body that has become a prison reasearches this surgery and honesly considers having it as it will change your life. Hugs to all my friends and all of you that i am yet to meet-amy

Merry christmas!! I am doing well and thought i should updaye. I will be 6 months out from stage 2 on December 27th. I have lost right at half of myself. I was 213 a few days ago and will be there at 211. I am amzed that people still stop me to ask if I have lost weight. What do you say when you have lost 210lbs and they are just now noticing?? Its still nice though to hear people tell me how good I look and I just answer politely. I am so busy with the work I do at my church for Jesus. I love working with the little ones there and being able to keep up!! I did have my first vitamen panel a few months ago and was def in A and zinc. I still have a bit of a breakout problem on my chin, but its just a matter of getting the vitamins right. All is well. Hugs-Amy

Hi-I am three months out from the second half of my surgery in 2 days, so I thought I should blog and update everything. Thefirst thing I need to do is get some new pics, but I am so bad about that. Today, I reached a new milestone. I ONLY have 100lbs lef to lose. Tha sounds so anticlimatic except that I have lost 192lbs so far and know that it is just a matter of time. As of today I weighed 230lbs. At 211, I will be exactly half of the woman I used to be, and that is hard to imagine. I am still losing well. I have lost at least 35lbs since my 2nd surgery and am happy with that. The bathroom issues that were really a problem at first have been resolved (unless i eat potatoes or white flour), and I can go and do anything I want. I now wear a 1X -2X or a size 20(in button and zip jeans even!!). I am even borrowing some of my daughters clothes. I am looking forward to getting the rest of the weight off, but I am not consumed with it. Right now, I am just serving God in the church by helping with ministries and just loving people. I can enjoy my family and an just living a great life.  I know its just a matter of time until the weight comes off and then I get plastics.  See you all later. I don't see my doc until Nov 5th(yes the day after the election in Chicago-LOL)

and i am not even looking at a scale because it is near TOM and I ALWAYS gain a ton, so I will post that later. I had lost 16 lbs after the first 3 weeks though and people are noticing. The last month has been challenging but great. The DS issues I most feared are not a problem for me for te most part and I keep feeling better and am learning how my body works now. I am getting probiotics at the local health store soon and expect good things from taking them. I was not a protein girl, but am learning how to get it in and not get bored. I love the full DS!! I don't have to run from any food, but choose to stay away from some most of the time. I feel awesome and am going back to teaching my3-5 year olds next week at church. Believe me-this takes energy!! This is also one of the things i could not have done prior to my 2 stage DS. Life is good!!! Hugs to all-Amy

Hi all!! I'm back and totally switched!! Today marks my 2 week surgiversary from part 2 of my 2 part DS. I am down 11lbs and 170 overall. The surgery went great and this stage was sooooo much easier than stage 1 as far as healing goes. I was playing frisbee at day 6 and went to the zoo on day 8 after my surgery. I feel great for the most part and am looking forward to losing the rest of my excess weight.

The most difficult thing? Getting used to my new plumbing and the number of times I have to go potty per day some days. Everyone says that will get better with time. I have to say it is not as bad as some (very few) warned. I do have control and have not had an accident yet even when my stools were very loose after surgery. It will take time and a bit of getting used to as well as some probiotics a little later, but it is so worth it.

I thank God for my smooth recovery thus far because He is the Great Physician and I know He is my healer as well.

Thank You all for supporting me through this-even my freaks!!! Now just for plastics!!

At 263 lbs I am starting off to Chicago this afternoon to finish the surgery that was started a little over a year ago. I am getting the actual switch part of my surgery done. Am I nervous? Not about the surgery. My surgeon is awesome and God will be there with me to comfort me. I am more unsure of life afterward with the new plumbing and all, but I know that it will all work out. Pray for me that I stay strong in my faith and for my family that they will be peaceful while I am in surgery. This is what I have been waiting for, but it is quite a change in my life. I AM very happy and fortunate to have this chance-I've just danced this dance before and I know the next few weeks will be a challenge. After that-its cake-LOL-Hugs-Amy

Well not much has changed since the last post. I have lost just 1 lb in the last month. I am happy with that though. My doc said that this would and should happen right before the time for the second stage of my DS. 

The last year has been awesome though!! 
*I went from 422lbs to 265. A size 36 to a size 24.
*I have no evidence of sleep apnea.
*I have absolutely no joint pain.
*God healed me from depression and I no longer have to take depression medication-after taking them for 11 years.
*I can stand and play and run even!!
*I can ride to Chicago in an airplane!!
*I hiked down a huge hill and got back up (about a mile each way)
*I can be a mom again in the way I want to be. 
*I can work for God in my church through teaching 3-5 year olds and actually keep up with them!!
*Most importantly I love life!! I do love my VSG, but I am ready for my switch on June 27th (only 5 weeks from now!!).

I give God all the glory for all of this because without Him I would not be able to even stand. He is my strength.

I have lost 6 lbs since the last time I wrote. I finally broke thoe 150 lbs lost mark with 3 lbs to spare!! I went to the Doctor in March and they were so impressed that I had lost this much weight with the sleeve alone. It far exceeded their expectations. My labs came back and everything is good. My vit A is boderline though and since I will malabsorb it after the second part of my surgery, they want me to start taking some dry A. My blood pressure was 113/73. Everything seems great!!

This is the coolest part though. My 2 kids are getting ready for summer softball(11 year old girl) and baseball(5 year old boy) and I am going to go out and play with them to help them practice!!!! Last year I tried but could not even play catch for more than 3-5 minutes because of back pain. Now I can stand literally for hours (i have done it at outreaches with my church)!!! I love being a mom and feeling like a real person again that has no limits in my life.

My Second stage is scheduled for June 27th. I have to do it in the summer because I live 550 miles from Chicago and my kids have to go to school. The doc said I am a low risk this time!!!!I was high the first time. I will have no filter in my neck, no CPAP machine as my sleep apnea has already been resolved ( I had a sleep study-no evidence of sleep apnea!!!), and I have no joint pain so the post surgery walks should be much, much easier, and I will walk into the hospital-I will not have to be wheeled in in the biggest wheelchair they can find!!! Life is Good!! God is better!!! It is only through Him that all of this is possible. I love Him so much!!!

I have had a great month!! I have lost 17lbs since the first of the month!! I am now finally below the 50 BMI and over halfway to my goal weight. I also got my date for the second half of my DS so I will be heading to University of Chicago Hospital on the 26th of June and having my surgery the 27th. I am the first case which is always good. I am not looking forward to the surgery part of this, but I m so looking forward to being totally switched!!! 

I cannot believe the difference in my life in the last 10 months. I had to be wheeled into the University Hospital on the day of my surgery because I could not walk more than 50 feet. Now I teach 3-5 year olds in children's church and sing all those songs where you bend down and touch the ground and jump and everything. I feel alive again!! 

I am also now into a size 24 jeans down from a tight 34/36(and those were stretchy pants). I wish my chest would go away a bit but I think plastics will have to help that out a bit. That is the worst part of the weight loss-everything is saggy, but I would rather be jiggly than unable to walk any day!!! I will have plastics after I am done with the weight loss and then I will just have scars that only me and hubby will see. 

Well I guess thats it for now.  My HW was 422, my currents is 275, and my goal is 130 post plastics. I can't wait!!!