Tag Archives: Surgery

Gaining a New Life with Gastric Bypass Surgery!

Me 2Good evening!

I have had so much going on the past week, that I really had no idea where to start. ..

So, to keep things simple, I have decided to share my weight loss update this evening!! But, I realized that since I changed from my old blog to this one, this is going to be a new story for most of you!! 🙂

I have lived most of my adult life heavy…
and teen life…
and part of my childhood…
well, I think you get the idea!!

I did not have one single solitary day of my 20’s under 285 pounds, and by the time I hit 30 I was 300 plus pounds! One day, I woke up and realized that I was 36 years old, 330 pounds, unhappy, unhealthy, and seriously heading to a quickly approaching early grave! I realized I had wasted my 20’s and now that I was heading to 40 (AKA middle age AAAACK!!!!), I decided that I didn’t want to greet my 40’s on my way to 400 pounds! I just couldn’t do it! and seriously as bad as my health was getting I wasn’t sure I was going to make it even if I wanted to!

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By that time, I had sleep apnea… I snored like nobodies business, and I couldn’t sleep through the night without waking up with a horrendous blood pressure headache! Now, I realize I was literally starving for oxygen while I was trying to sleep! I was a breath away from diabetes, I had high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and had constant pain in my knees, ankles, feet, and back!! I knew I was in real trouble.

In April of 2012, I had made the decision, along with my awesomely loving husband, that we would both start the process to have gastric bypass surgery. Now mind you, this decision was not made lightly, and not without a lot of trying a whole lot of other ways to lose weight first, none of which worked for very long.

Fast forward to September 4, 2012, my husband had already had his gastric bypass surgery 6 weeks prior to mine, and he had already lost weight like gangbusters!!! As scared as I was going into the surgery preparation, I knew I was ready for this, and that this would be the start of my new life. There was no way in HELL I was going to waste this opportunity!! So, with my sweetie, and my two baby sisters at my side, the surgical team wheeled me away, and I got the chance to start my new life.

Today, and every Monday I go into the clinic for a weigh-in. This is my own personal way of holding myself accountable! My weight loss has been much slower than my husband’s, of course! Him being a man and all!! 😉 But, I have slowly but surely been shrinking. So, tonight I will share with you my weight loss progress as of today!

Weight Loss Update

  • Total pounds lost from highest weight: 102.4
  • Total pounds lost since starting the Bariatric program in April 2012: 92.2
  • Total pounds lost since surgery: 56.5
  • Total inches lost (measuring my neck, underbust, waist, hips, thigh, calf, bicep, and forearm): 43.5

Life is good! I am not yet to where I want to be. My one year follow up appointment is in September, and my Surgeon’s goal for me is to lose another 40 pounds. She has told me, that since my weight is coming off so slowly, even with the weight loss surgery, that I am going to have to fight tooth and nail for every single pound that comes off from here on out, and I know she is right, but I also know that this life is worth it! I am worth it!!!

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If anyone one you know is interested in gastric bypass surgery, or if you are just curious and have questions, please feel free to either comment on this post, or you can e-mail me at thisartsylife [at] yahoo [dot] com. I would be more than happy to answer any questions you might have!! 🙂

In the meantime…

Here is to a FABULOUSLY ARTSY evening!! 😉

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If you want to have a different life, you have to live differently!!

What’s Going On?

Good evening!

I realize it has been a while since I have last posted. The only reason I can seem to muster is I have been MIA because I have been so focused on getting ready for my gastric bypass surgery! So, I thought it would be a good time to give you all on update on what’s going on! Well, my day of surgery is quickly coming, it is in exactly 2 point something days, to be exact!!!

I am excited, and nervous, and excited, and scared, and excited, and oh so READY!!!

I am not actually afraid of the surgery, or all that entails; I am more worried about my hospital stay, even though it will only be for two nights. I am also worried about work while I am gone. (I am on family medical leave for at least the next month). I don’t feel that I am a workaholic at all, but I am not sure I can put it out of my mind for the next month. I can hear all of you already, oh suck it up, you big baby – we would LOVE to have a month off of work!! Yes, yes, I hear you! I know you are right, but it is really an odd way to get a vacation!!! LOL! 😉

Anyway, I have been on my liquid diet for the past 12 days, and out of all the hoops I had to jump through to get to my surgery, I can honestly say that this has been the hardest!! I am allowed to have sugar free pudding, yogurt, sugar free popsicles, smooth soups, sugar decaffeinated drinks of all kinds, skim milk, and a few different kinds of protein drinks. So, I do have a lot of options, but I just wasn’t prepared for the serious cravings that I have been dealing with! I have been craving, barbecue, steak, beef, ribs, meat, essentially, yeah meat!!! I am not a chips kind of girl, and I can walk away from most cookies, cakes, and other desserts, but a really great cooked piece of steak really makes me happy!!! SO, that might be the hardest thing that I have had to deal with since being on this liquid diet!

My struggle was made even more difficult when some friends of ours asked us to go out to dinner with them this evening, and they had decided on a steak house. I sat there with my protein drink while one ate a steak, another had ribs, and my sweetie a really yummy piece of grilled chicken! But I am happy to report that I MADE IT!!! WHEW!!! I had to squeeze my sweetie’s hand a couple of times under the table for moral support, and before I knew it, dinner was over, and I was back at home having some creamy pea soup! (My favorite soup, by the way!!)

Well, my surgery is on Tuesday at 2:30 PM and I will be checking into the hospital around noon that day! I really can’t wait! I just want to get it done and over with, and be heading back home to start my new life with my sweetie. It will be easier when he and I are on the same page food-wise; he is 6 weeks ahead of me after all, but I know that in a flash 6 weeks will have passed and we both will be well on our way to our new fit-selves, and lifestyles! THAT MAKES ALL OF THIS WORTH IT!! That, and the 50 pounds I have lost so far!! WHOO!!! HOO!!!! 😉

Anyway, it is getting late, and I have some reading to get done before I hit the hay this evening, off I go!!

Here is to a FABULOUS evening! ;-)

 If you want to have a different life, you have to live differently!