It's 9:30 in the morning and I've already gone on two walks totalling 50 minutes. Dr. PeopleSkills is never impressed, so he would say I didn't do enough. He wants me to walk an *hour* a day, not 50 minutes. heh-heh.

What a difference a year makes!

I'm a day early, but we're going to call it close enough: One year ago, I met with my primary care provider (my PCP) to discuss being referred to a bariatric surgeon. So much has happened since then. In no particular order, here's a sampling of my last year:


**Went to (if I remember right) 26 pre-op appointments: 11 group therapies, 2 individual therapy appts, 1 exercise physiologist appt, 2 neuropsychologist appts, 4 surgeon appts, 4 nutritionist appts, 2 internal medicine appts

**Gone to 6 post-op appointments so far: 3 surgeon appts, 2 nutritionist appts, 1 group therapy

**Survived multiple Christmas celebrations while eating only a couple ounces of pureed foods.

**Have lost 60 pounds, post-op.

**Found that learning to eat post-op was a full time job for the first couple weeks.

**Allowed my picture to be taken.

**Bought a pedometer.

**Wore dresses, by my choice.

**Stayed in the hospital for five days and four nights, which was the first hospital stay since I was a toddler.

**Began swimming again and I love it.

**Joined a gym.

**Tried an exercise video.

**Involuntarily vomited after eating.

**Learned to listen to my body about whether it's hungry, how hungry it really is, and, if it's not hungry, why my brain wants me to eat.

**Started a blog.

**Considered taking a trip that involved a plane...and those dreaded plane seats.

**Had a barium swallow (bring a toothbrush and paste if you're going to have one!)

**Had my stomach tickled from the inside.

**Wore a size 30, 28, 26, 24, and 22.

**Found that people think that what I write is interesting.

**Received my first stitch.

**Lost 28 lbs, pre-op, by tracking what I was eating and making modifications.

**Gained 8 lbs of those pre-op pounds back (before surgery).

**Began making conscious food choices, instead of mindless choices.

**Smiled more.

**Had a serious case of cabin fever.

**My tummy turned purple, like a blueberry, from Heprin bruises.

**Lost 28 lbs, pre-op, by tracking what I was eating and making modifications.

**Amazed myself with my new-found ambition.

**Started walking.

**Walked more than 11,000 steps in a day.

**Nearly got rid of all my asthma issues.

**Stopped squeaking when I sleep.

**Realized that struggles don't have to be a totally private fight.

**Made some great friends.

**Tucked my shirt in without cringing at the view in the mirror.

**Had less back pain.

**Picked up heavy things that I would have had Travis take care of in the past.

**Learned how to cook a little.

**Moved my body more.

**Crossed my legs without realizing it.

**Loaded up tons of clothes that are too big.

**Enjoyed food without inhaling it.

**Realized that I do, in fact, have a collar bone.

**Found out that it's very hard to find an adult liquid pain reliever.

**Admitted that it was hard to give up my "big" clothes, because I'm afraid I'll gain the weight back.

**Took 3 months and 60 pounds, post op, for ME to truly be able to see the lost weight, but it has finally happened.

**Began drawing again.

**Bought an iPod for working out and walking.

**Physical movements became easier.

**My feet became skinnier.

**Had to give up wearing my engagement ring, when it became way too big.

**Lost a good portion of my double chin.

3 months post-op and life's good

Been a good few days...

Thursday, March 15th, was my 3 month surg-iversary. Still no complications, I'm losing weight, and feeling good.

Friday, March 16th, I saw Dr. PeopleSkills for another post-op check up. Must have beed a Stepford or Pod version of him, because he didn't once call me or my stomach "big" and he said I was doing great. Yes, he said something positive! I like Pod Dr. PeopleSkills. :)

Also, Friday night, my mom and I went to see Bill Engvall, the comedian, at Eau Claire's State Theater. Very funny show. We had a great time.

Today, March 17th, I weighed myself at work and found that I've lost more than two pounds, putting me at 77+ pounds lost total. I'd been sitting at just under 75 pounds for a little while and it was so nice to blow past that. Woohoo!


And, just because I like happy thoughts:
Live, because it's more exciting. Laugh, because it's contagious. Love, because it's always worth it!

Monday Mash Up (rambles)

I ran into another post-oper tonight. She had her surgery four years ago and was someone I'd contacted prior to going into the pre-op program.

We were talking and I mentioned how I call my/our surgeon "Dr. PeopleSkills" because he doesn't have any. I feel validated, because she agreed! She said she dreads going to see him. I'm glad it's not just me, though I hate that he treats others that way.


I know I already mentioned that I went swimming on Saturday, but I forgot to say that I must be getting a lot of loose skin from losing quickly, because I could really feel stuff move when I was jogging. That is NOT a pleasant feeling. Weird is probably the best description.

I didn't like it at all until I thought about the fact that that skin use to be packed with fat. It's loose because I lost. That's not a bad thing and it'll shrink up.


Unrelated to my health journey... I think my cat is getting another UTI. She's pretty needy right now and yells a lot. It's been a year since the last one, so I can't complain too much. It use to be a quarterly occurrence.

Now, I have to try to get a urine sample from her. That’s an exercise in futility. That cat holds urine like a camel holds water. I’ve been trying for four years to get one. The closest I came was when she peed on the vet’s floor. <--I laughed. The vet didn't.

I would seriously pay someone to do this for me! I know I'll spend my three days off of work trying to keep her locked in a room with an empty litter box. Problem is, I feel bad for her and let her out too soon.

My Meds

Due to my own laziness/apathy/exhaustion, I've been really bad about taking my thyroid pill, anti-anxiety med, and my vitamins. Not taking the thyroid med slows down my system--metabolism, my heart, my body temp, and my mental functions (to a point)--making me more lazy, apathetic, and exhausted. It's a vicious circle.

I've been amazingly good off my anxiety med. Normally, off the med, I am high strung, waiting for something bad to happen. I never know what, but I'm primed and nervous waiting for it to happen. Since going off it, I've been moody (quickly going from happy to annoyed), but my anxiety hasn't been massive. It's there, but not overwhelming.

However, when I told my surgeon that I went off my Paxil because I'm having trouble remembering and splitting it in half to take it was making it foam in my stomach (made me feel awful), he said that right now is not the time to wean myself off. I probably won't need as much later, when I have the extra weight off and life has returned to somewhat normal, but, for now, he'd like me to keep taking it and just to swallow it whole. Fiiiine. lol

Today, I picked up my thyroid refill. I went to Walmart on a Sunday afternoon. God must have felt sorry for me, because, by some miracle, no one made me feel homicidal, which is my usual reaction to going to Walmart (especially when dealing with the pharmacy staff).

I'm determined to get myself back on track with all of my pills, so I took both my Paxil and my thyroid med as soon as I got home. I just had my first meal after midnight and took both of my multivitamins. Next several meals each get a calcium chewable. Nummy. :/

The plan is to make this all very routine. I need to create a habit of taking the multivitamins and the calcium before each meal and my Paxil and Synthroid before bed. Sounds easy enough, right? We shall see!



I'm writing this with a big, two day headache. Please forgive me if it's boring, random, or written poorly. The little man chipping away at my right temple is distracting me from quality writing.