MommaBird
Starting BMI: 45.5
I am 26 years old and have been overweight my whole life. I have tried dieting alone, and with a buddy. I have tried the gym, walking and numerous programs. Most everything worked, for a while. I'm happy with the me on the inside, but the me on the outside is getting in the way of my life. I'm not scared at all to have this surgery. Last year, in June 2001, I had brain surgery. I had a tumor removed from my pituitary gland. After that, I can stand anything. Anything but this weight. My mom had her WLS on 02/26/01 with Dr. Aslam. She has had 1 complication (lesions in her intestines) but I see how wonderful she looks and feels. Our whole family is riddled with diseases that are only made worse by obesity. Why should I have to be my mom's age, taking 4 different medications, and feel completely miserable with my whole life to take a step like this? I shouldn't. And I'm not.
05/10/02
Ok... now I realize how horribly negative I sound. I'm not really. Just fat as a hog and need to lose a ton of weight! lol I have my first meeting at Dr. A's office on July 3rd, and I'm psyched! I called my insurance company (CignaHMO) and found that they will cover the psychologist appt and the nutritionist appt(up to 3 w/o referral), so that was a relief. I'm going to see if I can get those 2 appts "out of the way" before July 3rd. I haven't checked w/ Dr. A's office on that yet, but keeping my fingers crossed! It amazes me everyday how many beautiful people are out there, but that the world doesn't see because of their weight. But then I see how much brighter they shine when the lose that other person that's been following them around!! Here's to no longer being followed by myself!!
06/20/02
Had my psych eval today. 567 questions later, I came out cross-eyed, but feeling good. I saw Dr. Lester, in Augusta, and I thought he seemed nice. (However, Mom was right, he does sound like Woody Allen on the answering machine!) We chatted for a litte bit, then I took my test. He said that he had to send it in to be "scored", which could take from 3 days to 2 weeks. :-S He also said that he might need to see me again after he gets the results, but if not, he just goes over them and then sends his findings to Dr. Aslam! I have my nutritionist appt on July 3rd, 3 hours after my appt w/ Jeanie! Busy busy day!! I hope this doesn't take long, cause work isn't looking real certain right now, and I wouldn't be able to self-pay if I were laid off. Such is the life of an Outsourcer!! But my family and friends are great. I'm getting a lot of support. Even my brother, who doesn't agree with my decision, just wants whatever will make me happy. I am truly blessed to have such an extensive support system.
I love reading all the profiles, and hearing everyone's success stories. I am especially thankful for the people who don't have it "so easy" but still share their lives. I believe in being fully aware of what you're going into and the consequences of your actions. Good luck to everyone on your journey!
07/03/02
Had my consult with Jeanie today. It went well, and I did get some new info about how Dr. Aslam works. I had read that some people needed revisions because their Dr. only bypassed 50 cm. Jeanie said that Dr. A wouldn't think of only taking 50 cm because he knows that just isn't enough for substantial weight loss. *phew* After Jeanie, I had my consult with Jill Young. She was great!! My gallbladder ultra sound isn't until 08/20, but after that, everything should be all set to send to Cigna.
07/29/02
Finally heard from Dr's office today in reguards to my psyche eval and my nutritionist eval. They're in! I'm hoping that means that they covered everything that needed to be. The nurse who left the message for me didn't say anything otherwise, so I'm going to hope that "no news is good news". August 20th can't get here soon enough!!
08/09/02
OMG!! I have a date!! I didn't even know that my info had been submitted to insurance yet! Holy Crap!! September 11th is my big day. My new life starts on the 1 year anniversary of so many people losing theirs. I came to work today, and had an email message to call my Dr's office. I called, and Lisa said,"I have some dates for you." I thought, cool, they're going to move up my ultrasound. Nope. H&P is on 09/05, Pre-op is 09/09 and Surgery date is scheduled for 09/11. Good thing I was in a room by myself when I called, cause after I hung up, I cried like a baby! So many emotions all at once. Thank God, my mom just started working here today, so I went down and told her as soon as I'd composed myself. She was soo excited! I haven't told many people still, and don't know how many I will pre-op. I know most people are against WLS, and I already have a good support system, so why listen to stuff that will bring me down? So much to do and soo little time......
08/21/02
So I had my gall bladder ultrasound yesterday. No stones. Am I the only one in the world with sensitive ribs?? The pain is what we called as kids a "lasting hurt". They push so hard so that they can see everything, and I'm squirmin' on the table, trying not to look like the world's biggest wuss! Oh well. I'm still in shock over getting approved, and can't believe that my surgery date is in 3 weeks!!
09/02/02
It's finally starting to hit me. And I'm getting nervous. Not nervous that something is going to happen in surgery, or that post op I'll be miserable. I'm worried that something is going to happen to prevent me from having surgery. I've been having nightmares over it. Things like, I'm in a car accident, and get a concussion. Because of it, they won't let me have surgery because of the anesthesia, and not wanting to put me under. Or I slip in the shower and hit my head. It's a million different things that I'm worrying about. It's just that I'm finally soo close, I don't want anything to go wrong. I want to just trust in God, knowing that He'll get me through all of this safely, but... It's just a really scary time for me right now. Relationships have been tested, and boundaries pushed right to the edge, but all is well. I've been under so much stress, worrying about making it to surgery, that I just want to sleep until the 11th! But day by day, I'm sure I'll make it through.
09/05/02
I had my H&P today with Dr. Aslam. I think there must have been a scheduling mix up, because I waited for about 45 minutes before the PA took me to his office to get my history. His name was John, and he was very nice, making small talk and not treating me like a number. That is one thing that I have NEVER gotten from Dr. Aslam or his staff. They treat you with respect and like a human being. You are not a case number or a surgery date to them. Can't wait til the 11th!!
09/10/02
I had to take the Phospho-soda tonight.... Urgh! I thought I was going to throw up, and 3 hours later I can still taste it in my mouth! But tomorrow's the big day... and yea, I'm nervous. I got some cards and a plant from my co-workers today, which was totally unexpected. Not that their uncarring, you just never think about that sort of thing, unless you're doing it for someone else. My best friend is going to be spamming my other friends after I get out of surgery, and I think my angel will be posting on my surgery page for everyone else. Wish me luck!!
09/15/02
Well, I'm back. I actually got back yesterday, but forgot about updating my profile until today! Surgery only took 3 hours. Apparently, they gave me so much pain med in surgery, that my breathing wasn't what it should have been in recovery, even though I was still in an enormous amount of pain. Due to my breathing, they wouldn't give me more morphine, but because of the pain, I couldn't breathe!!! Urgh! Well, finally that got straightened out, and I got to my room and got that wonderful little button for self-administering morphine... ahh.. the drug enduced bliss!! LOL I was a little, ok a lot, fuzzy the second day, but feeling lots better. I got up and was walking on my own, and giving myself water through my feeding tube on my own as well. On the third day, Friday, I saw Dr. Aslam (and remembered it!) and he told me that I could either go home that night or the next morning. Hmmm... One more night in an adjustable bed, with no cats jumping up and landing on my tummy, bathroom 3 feet away, friendly nurses.... Yeaaaa, I stayed. All of the staff would comment on how well I was doing while I was up and walking around, telling me how much better I looked than the previous days, and how fast I was moving! I came home Saturday morning, a little before noon and mixed some SF CIB w/ water to see how I would handle it. No problem! My dad got me some Gatorade for my 90cc per hour, and all was good. When my mom and I went to town today to get my pain meds, we got a flat before we picked up the prescription, and my uncle came to get us. By the time we got back, I was a hurtin' unit. Mom went back to town, only 10 minutes away, and picked it up for me. What a doll! I took the allowed dose, and after about 10-15, the pain was almost gone. Man, someone remind me that I am NOT made of steel! Well, I certainly am glad that I did this, and am having NO second thoughts. I can't even imagine what a smaller me will look like. But I love surprises!
01/12/03
Happy New Year to All!! It's been so long since I've updated this, that I'll try to add more in, a little at a time. For all of you who've been buggin me to update, HERE YA GO!! HA! I was 4 months out yesterday, and down 70 lbs! I haven't measured in a while, but should be able to update those stats soon. I feel great. I'm down from a size 24 to an 18. Down from a 44D to a 38D. People are always telling me how great I look, and it's so wonderful. I don't do everything that I should, like the consistent exercise, but I do try to get in my vitamins every day. It's hard, but I know that it's worth it for the long haul. I don't have any regrets, and when people ask me how I lost weight, I have no qualms about telling them right out that I had surgery. I'm not ashamed, or want to hide it, like some people I know who've also had surgery. People are much more accepting than we give them credit for.
03/14/03
Happy 6 months to me!! At my last checkup, Dr Aslam was very pleased with my weight loss. I'm at 82 lbs as of the other day. :) Things are going so wonderful for me now. I have a new job, working in a call center doing in-bound sales. I'm a Customer Service girl to the core, so this is new to me, but I'm managing. And I may have just found me a nice man to spend some time with. Hehehehe Makes me so excited just to think about him. And I just want to thank everyone reading this, who was there for me from the beginning, for all of your wonderful support. I couldn't have made it through this without all of you. I should be adding an 'after' pic pretty soon, so you all can see how good I look and feel now.
04/05/03
Woo Hoo!! I finally went under 200 a week or so ago!! OMG, it's been over 12 years since there was a "1" at the beginning of my weight! I can't even begin to explain the freedom that I feel. I have been having some dizzy spells, and getting VERY tired mid-afternoon, but I talked to a woman I work with who is 1 yr post-op, same Dr, and she said she went through the same thing, but that it goes away. So for now, I just up my vitamins and protien intake, and tough it out. My hair loss seems to be almost stopped, and I'm noticing new growth which makes me VERY happy! :) And that man I found?? He's wonderful. Tells me how proud he is of me and what a wonderful person I am. *sigh* If it hadn't been for the tool I've been granted, I wouldn't be the 'me' that I am today. And I like ME!
06/18/03
Been a while since I've updated this thing. A LOT has happened since April. I'm now down to 184, and balancing between a 14 & 16. I'm in a wedding in 3 days, it's an off-the-rack 14, and it fits without alterations!! And my biggest and best news of all? I'm gonna be a Momma!! :D I'm 9 months post-op and a little over 7 weeks pregnant. It was such a surprise, but we're both very happy and excited. And since we've gotten tired of referring to the baby as Baby X, we've decided to call it Bocephus until we find out the sex. He's very concerned about the baby, and me, because of my surgery. But I've reassured him that I'm taking every precaution to ensure that we'll both be fine. I have my first OB/GYN appt on the 23rd. Wish me luck!
08/11/03
Well, here's my 11 month update. I had an OB appt on Friday, and found that I was down to 175. That's down 3 lbs since my last appt, and 108 lbs total!!. I worry a lot about not getting in enough nutrition for the baby, but everyone tells me everything's fine. To just eat as I normally would, and continue to take my vitamins. I did have a scare on Saturday night. I felt like I had a UTI, and when I went to the bathroom, there was a small amount of blood. So I called the dr's office and went to the ER. I did have a UTI, and that's what was causing the bleeding. The dr did a 'quick' ultrasound and I got to see my baby!! It's such an amazing thing, to think of how drastically my life has changed in the past year. I am so thankful for the decisions I have made, and the path that my life has taken because of them.
12/16/03
15 months out, and doing great! I'm 33 weeks pregnant today, and the baby is growing and developing fine. I haven't had any problems with any of my vitamin levels. My skin, hair and nails have never been better, even with the malabsorption from surgery. I now weigh 183, which is 100 lbs less than my highest weight, and only 9 lbs higher than my lowest weight of 174. I also measured my waist the other day. I'd measured a couple of months ago, before I really started showing, and it was at 35". Now, it's at 38". And you know, it's ok! People have asked if I'm worried about stretch marks. I tell them, I already had stretch marks, what's a few more?!? :D But I haven't had a pannic, so I don't really think stretch marks will be an issue. I'm just making use of what I had 'hanging around'.
5/16/04
On February 6th, I gave birth to a happy, healthy baby girl. Madeline Hope. She is the light of my life. And I really believe that her life will be better because of my surgery. Mainly because I will be around longer. I will be more able to participate in her life. I now weigh 170 and am a size 14 at 19 months post-op. My quality of life is still leaps and bounds above what it was pre-op. I don't mind parking at the far end of the parking lot at the supermarket. When it's hot out, I wear tank tops. When Madeline's father tells me that he thinks I'm beautiful, saggy boobs and all, I believe him. I am truly living a blessed life.
12/22/04
Three days before Christmas. I'm over 2 years out now and I'm still having no problems. Although I do still see myself as a 'fat chick', I don't wander through the plus sizes in stores. It's pretty cool to look at a 12 and wonder if it will fit.... or if it's too big. :D Madeline is healthy and wonderful and exceptionally smart. Maybe I'm biased, but wouldn't you be if your daughter was walking at 9 months?? Best wishes to everyone on their journey, no matter where you are on it!
02/18/05
My wonderful man made it official today. We're engaged! It's going to be so weird hearing "Mrs. Shorey" and not have it be directed at his mom! I'm now a solid size 12, and fluctuate between 165-170, depending on how much salt I have, or what holiday is close! However, I still have a problem with sugar, whole milk products and breads. Other than that, all is well.
09/16/07
Wow. It's REALLY been 5 years! My health is fantastic. And when I'm not pregnant, my energy level is great too! We're expecting our second child on Nov 8th. Finally, a little boy! We got married on July 29, 2006, and I felt like a queen. It was amazing. As you can see, my weight is up a bit during this pregnancy (220 at 7 months), but before that, I was staying around 180. I think that's where I'll be, and I'm ok with that. I still have a problem with sugar and breads and milk fat. I don't think that will ever go away, but I'm ok with that. It's a SMALL price to pay! I haven't yet had a tummy tuck, as I wanted to wait until we were done having children. Why tuck it all in if you're just going to stretch it back out?? But this appears to be our last baby, so maybe next year. Good luck to everyone! ~Mander
**Measurements**
...........9/10/02.....1/23/03......5/16/04
Neck.........16".......14.5".........13"
Upper Arms...17.75".....14"..........12.5"
Breasts......53"........45"..........42"
Waist........45"........40"..........35.5"
Hips.........55".......45.5".........41.5"
Thighs.......32".......28.5".........23"
Calves.......19"........17"..........15.5
Total Lost....0.........25"..........54.75"