DawnG.
Ok, so where do I start.... I know...My stats! I'm 5 foot 7, 325 lb. My last birthday I turned 40. I am also lucky enough to be the wife of an amazing man who I love VERY, VERY much! And am Mom to an even more amazing eight year old little boy. My family is my life! There... that was a good place to jump in. So far my story is probably pretty close to most everyone's here. I'm very overweight. I'm sick and tired of it (literally). I believe, with all my heart that WLS is my only hope to better health. Believe me I have not come to the decision to have WLS surgery easily. My history with diets is also probably similar to yours...dieted and gained, dieted and gained, dieted and gained and gained and gained some more... to many diets to list! A few...Jenny Craig, Opti-Fast, Nutri systems, Weight Watchers, Richard Simmons, Michael Thurmmon, hypnotism, Blood type diet, Cabbage soup diet, Egg diet, Atkins, Body Type Diet, South beach, The Zone, many, many of my own invented diets, shakes, pills, Dr. supervised diets including the shady Dr. diets where they give you some secret hormone shot...pregnant women urine? or horse urine...I don't know?!? The only diet I haven't tried is the chili cheese diet by Der Wienerschnitzel, maybe the Wiener Dude knows something I don't!?! It's all been pretty desperate and definitely crazy. WLS is not to be taken lightly. No pun intended... I really have questioned myself on this. WLS seems to be a wonderful tool, a tool to use for the rest of my life to keep my weight and health under control. I wasn't always heavy, although I have always been a healthy size girl. Meaning not waif-ish... Weight has always been easy for me to hold onto. All through high school I seemed to maintain my weight of 125. Not until after high school did I really start to gain and not stop. I am just about the shortest (my Mom's the shortest) AND heaviest person in my family...lucky me! Some of my family members carry an extra 50 pounds around but nothing compared to me at an extra 180 pounds. I have been researching WLS for at least 4 years now. I wanted to make sure it was really necessary for me. I think it is... I've been denied twice from insurance carriers because I wasn't heavy enough...ummm...yea...whatever.... Finally my insurer (Kasier) finally said yes in the spring of 2005. It seems my medical chart had me taller than I really am just by an inch. I guess an inch really can make all the difference! Who knew! Anyway, I have completed a 24 week course Kaiser requires before you can go see the surgeon. They out source their weightloss surgeries. My surgeon will be Dr. David Suh based out of Wildomar, Ca. *Dec. 19 2005... DONE!!!! My classes are finally over! As big of a drag going to the classes were (about an hours drive, that is if there weren't any problems on the freeways) I did learn alot and met some wonderful people, who are going through the same emotions, having some of the same issues/questions and fears I am. Now to finish up my tests and blood work and get through the holidays without gaining too much weight! *Jan. 10, 2006... Things are really moving fast for some of my classmates. More than half of them have their consultation appointments scheduled with the surgeon...Dr. Suh. I don't have my appointment yet, but I'm sure my day IS coming! *Jan. 25, 2006 Well a friend and Kaiser WLS classmatee (hugs for Robin) of mine had her WLS surgery today, now she is officially a loser... we are seeing the same Dr. In the middle of my thoughts about her today I get a phone call, when I pick up and say hello, I hear...Hello Dawn? This is Michelle calling from Dr. Sah's office. I'm calling to schedule your 1 on 1 consultation appointment. Is Monday Feb. 13th ok for you? Are you kidding? Is it ever? YES!!! YES!!! YES!!! *Feb. 24, 2006... I got my date.... March 22, 2006!!! My surgeon wants me on a very low carb diet till surgery to shrink my fatty assed liver. I had no idea how most of my meals are centered around a starch, not the protein I had thought was the main focus of my meals. I do love that devil, demon bread! Starches are definately my personal nemesis! The funny thing is once I go for awhile with out starches in my diet I don't miss bread or sugar. I had been on a low carb diet a few years ago and once I stopped eating breads, sugars and dairy I felt amazing and the weight dropped off. But of course once I began eating these foods again, I must be allergic to cuz when I eat them I swell up...BIG...lol... the weight returned with a vengeance. Well March 16th I go for all my blood work and pre register in the hospital....like I said before... Here I gooooo! *Mar. 19, 2006... This Wednesday at 9:30 AM my surgery is planned. I am feeling so many things right now. But mostly anticipation, hope and joy...wish me luck and please say a prayer... I'll write more soon. God bless... ________________________________________________________________ POST OP... *3/28/06... Well. I am 6 days past my surgery. All I'd like to say is OU"freakin"CH! Ummm, I always thought I was on the high end of tolerance on the pain curve. But this proved Miss Dawn wrong! I can't tell if the surgery was the part that jacked me up the most or the morphine. Not a fan, I think that made me feel worse. I'm happy the surgery is behind me, would I have done it again? To soon to tell. We have to see how this all works out. I go for my post op visit on Thursday and of course I am ready to eat a little something and see if I've lost anything. *3/30/06... LOST 21 pounds in my post op week! Wow! Thats 26 pounds all together! Yippeee! *4/24/06... Welp, I am a little over a month out. Looks like I'm going to be a slower loser. Only 33 pounds lost. I guess thats ok with me (I have no choice...lol...) just as long as I keep losing. I am not having too much issues with vomiting, every once in a great while something doesn't sit well and up it comes. Or I over stuff my pouch (I need to work on recognizing when I'm full) I will vomit then too. For the most part no pain in my tummy and the nausea is gone. I really have to work on getting more fluids in....you have to stay hydrated, thats hard for me. And I plan on joining Curves this week. *5/19/06... I joined Curves, that seems to be the kick in the pants I needed to get the scale a movin! I am down 45 pounds and I'm not even 2 months post op yet! So far I'm feeling great! My energy seems to be coming back and then some. Now it seems to take longer to relax at bedtime, I have so much extra energy, but once I'm out...I'm out for the entire night! In one of my last entries I said it looked like I was going to be a slow loser. I don't think that's true anymore. Yes there are people who lost 75 pounds in 2 months. But I can't compare myself to them, and I shouldn't. I'm down 45 pounds and it's just barley been 8 weeks, that's FANTASTIC! *6/21/06... Well, yes it's true I guess it's human nature to not stay up on posting here. Once you start losing the weight and feeling better you just don't feel like sitting in front of a computer anymore. I had my 3 month check up yesterday and scale said I had lost 57 pounds. Woke up this morning and lost another pound bringing it to 59 on my scale. I am A-OK with that! The Dr. told me I can FINALLY start having salads (raw veggies). Man have I missed them. Everything seems to be going really well, I am into a size 22/24 but more on the 22 side. This has been such a blessing. I am so excited to start each new day. Theres so many things to look forward too now, too many to count! *07/09/06... Kinda bummed lately, I belong to Curves and they have a rule "which I understand" no kids allowed. Well since school has been let out for summer vacation, I am not getting to the gym to work out like I have been. This seems to be slowing down my weight loss. I have to get creative and incorporate exercise into my daily life without HAVING to go to a gym. *07/29/06... I guess the working out problem hasn't stopped me from losing, but I do have to get my butt in gear and start moving again. I noticed the other day my arms are starting to feel like over ripe tomatoes. Not what I want my arms to feel like or resemble in any way. I am in the middle of fighting nausea and keeping certain foods down again. That is the part that gets real old, real fast! Enough with the sicky feelings already! But on the bright side, I am having fewer and fewer of those days. And more of the able to tolerate most foods better and better days. YAY! *9/30/06... I can't even believe I've made my first weight loss goal. It's taken me about a week for it to sink into my head that I am 100 pounds down from my highest weight!!! I went to my Dr.'s 6 month check up appointment and all my blood work came back GREAT! So far so good! In the back of my head I was kind of worried about all that. Now it's time for me to set my second goal, which is to just to get under 200 pounds. So that's only 26 pounds from what I weigh now. These truly are some exciting times my friends! ________________________________________________________________ *11/06/06... I'm about 12 pounds away from my second goal (getting to under 200 pounds). Still taking one day at a time. I'm finding I am getting more of an appetite back. But still not able to eat very much (thank goodness). My glasses are getting too big for my shrinking head. I can't wear my prescription sunglasses anymore, they're just to darned big, they keep falling off. HA! Awesome! Everyday I'm still seeing the effects of my weight and how it made me the person I was/am. From shaving my legs to how I view myself. Everyday is an adventure I look forward to and not so much of the chore I used to see it as. Thanks agian Dr, Suh! *12/23/06... Ok, so I have no idea what I'm feeling right now. I met my next goal of getting under 200 pounds. I can't remember the last time I was under the 200's. I do know on my 21st birthday I was 205. I'll let you do the math on that one. Really I can't remember being 135 to 205. Where was I? When was it? Who knows...Who cares? I’m in the now! *12/28/06... Ok new weight loss goals... to be at 175 by my first year anniversary of my WLS surgery which will be at the end of March. That will put me at a total weight loss in a year at 150 pounds. I can soooo do this! Then my last weight loss goal of getting to 150 by the end of June. Making my total weight loss by the end of June at 175 pounds. Sheesh! What a great tool this surgery has been so far. I love it! Personal goals for 2007? I'm not sure, I know I want to celebrate my new physical freedom. Not being limited or afraid to participate in social activities with friends and family, getting out there and participating more in life!!!! I've always wanted to hike down to the Havasupi Falls in the Grand Canyon, I think I will try that in the fall around my birthday. That's a big one, it's been a personal goal of mine ever since I was 20. *02/2007... But as far as the BMI scale is considered, it says I'm still overweight. My personal goal of reaching a "NORMAL" BMI weight range is finally within reach. I can see the goal line from where I'm at. Why would I or should I have come so far in my weight loss, to stop just a hair short of my goal of me getting to a normal, healthy weight range? Why choose to still be overweight if I don't have to be? I know the people who are telling me to stop losing the weight are doing so because they are so pleased with where I have come from to where I'm at now. Of course they could be just worried about how I look. Saying things like "You don't want to get too skinny and look weird". I've said from the beginning of this journey...for me, it has never been about how I look. I felt ok looking when I was heavy. It's always been about my struggle to be a healthier person. To move easier, to breath easier, to feel more alive and better over all! It just seems stupid to tell a woman who is 190 pounds (that’s when I first started being told to stop losing) to stop losing weight. Sure it's a lot healthier than from where I came from, but it's not where I want to be. My goal of 155 seems reasonable and totally doable for me, and gives me a couple of pounds to play with so I'm not teetering on the BMI scales edge of my height/body frame range. I'm sticking to my goals darn it! Oh and I've finally gotten around to adding some of my before pictures, I still need to get over my hang ups about being photographed. So many years of running away from a camera is a hard habit to break. As soon as I can I'll post a more current picture of myself. Lost 140 pounds and only 30 more to goal!!!! Started at 325 and I'm at 185 now! BEYOND THRILLED! *2/20/07... *3/7/07... Pre/Current/Goal 325/190/155 ___________________________________________________________________________ Day of surgery... ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 04/30/06: 291 - 29 lbs. 1 Month Post Op 05/31/06: 276 - 15 lbs. 2 Months Post Op 06/30/06: 262 - 14 lbs. 3 Months Post Op 07/12/06: 247 - 15 lbs. 4 Months Post Op 08/28/06: 235 - 12 lbs. 5 Months Post Op 09/30/06: 225 - 10 lbs. 6 Months Post Op 10/08/06: 220 - 5 lbs. 7 Months Post Op ------------------------------- Member Interests: 
And WOW!
Congratulations ME!!!!
*2/28/10...
Yep....Almost 3 years has passed since my last post. A LOT has happened.
I was about a month pregnant when I found out posted last.
A few months later I delivered a healthy 7 pound baby boy.
It took me awhile to adjust to the idea of being pregnant again.
I had to have fertility treatments to get pregnant the first time with my oldest son.
I had tried to get pregnant again after I had him and it just wasn't happening so I figured it was only one baby for my husband and I.
Plus after WLS I was completely in weight loss mode.
I could see my goal in plain sight. Then to get slammed with a baby and not be allowed to lose any more weight was really hard.
And I went through a major depression, plus I was very afraid that he wasn't getting everything nutritionally he needed from me to be a healthy baby.
I was not a happy camper, that is, until I felt him move inside me, then the idea of a baby wasn't so abstract anymore. REALITY CHECK!
There was a new little love coming and I had better get used to the idea.
So I adjusted my frame of mind and have been on cloud nine ever since.
After my son got here, my husband and I decided to have another one.
I only gained 29 pounds with the pregnancy and lost every bit of it 7 days
after I delivered him. Plus lost another 10 pounds by three months after his delivery.
That was a total of 156 pounds lost after surgery I decided to try for another baby.
Based on my age (42) we needed to do it fast.
SO I got pregnant again when my son was 3 months old.
I got pregnant the first month we tried. I guess no more fertility problems.
And delivered a healthy 9 pound 3 ounce baby girl in the fall of 2008.
I gained 50 pounds with her.
I tried to be careful, but this time around watching my weight was a bit harder.
I lost 30 pounds after she was born, easy peasy... but the rest?
And to be prerfectly honest getting to my pre pregnancy weight hasn't been a
big priority of mine. 2 babies has been quite a challenge.
An amazing gift I never thought I'd have, but a huge challenge.
And has change me in ways that I'll never realize.
These have been the hardest 3 years of my life.
The best and hardest all at the same time. And saying I'm thankful isn't enough.
There isn't a word that can describe how thankful I am for my WLS and the changes it's brought to my life.
It's made my husband and I even closer (if that was possible), we've been together since high school, he's loved me through fat and thin times. He's loved me through all the times I didn't or couldn't love myself. It's given me the chance to make my oldest son a big brother.
Something he really wanted but never thought was going to happen.
And he is a great brother.
My little girl is now 16 months old and it's time for me to get serous and focused on my weight. I weigh 190 pounds and 155 is still in my reach. I can't lose site of it now.
Dawn's weight goals...
03/22/06: 320 - 5 lbs
