Results

Here I am super early in the morning on the day of my surgery (Oct. 19th).

This is me yesterday (3-28-11), 5 1/2 months later and down 90 lbs.

I am having trouble finding shirts that fit, so I am wearing a lot of Mike's t-shirts :) They would have never fit before, so I was excited to find they fit now. Yesterday was the first time I tried those pants on too that they fit. I bought them a little while ago on sale knowing I would be in them eventually, and now I am!! Yeah!! Now I look forward to these being too big on me too :)

I'm not done yet obviously, I still have a bit over 60 lbs to go. That seems far less daunting to me though as the thought of losing 150 lbs was just down right depressing. I do feel so much better! I can do things like cross my legs again (which I am finding my back is not thrilled about that one though), it is easier to walk, I have greater stamina, and overall I know that I am just healthier! It has been fun every week or so to have the girls put their arms around me to see how far they can go. When this all began they couldn't reach all the way around me. Lucy can now grab her wrist of the opposite hand and Clara can clasp her hands. Things like that just thrill me!!

I go back to the surgeon in a couple of weeks (which I need to change because my appt is currently after the 15th and we probably will not have insurance then....), but at my 3 month check up I was averaging 12 lbs a month and all my blood work came back well within normal. I was concerned about my calcium levels as I am having difficulty taking the calcium supplements, but that too was perfect, thank God! I have no problem taking my multi vitamin---in fact I really like it! Changes I thought would be really hard (like sugar) have not been difficult at all. I am learning how to eat and cook, and have really been enjoying cooking which is a blessing! It has been fun to watch the changes with my family as well, as Mike has lost 20 lbs and Lucy has lost about 8 lbs. Clara hasn't lost, and couldn't or she would disappear :) I know we are all healthier as we are eating so much better now!

As for negatives---the only things I can say is that I am not losing my hair. They say that is to be expected at month 3 and is temporary. I know it isn't just from gastric bypass, but other major surgeries as well. Mine didn't start coming out until about month 4 and so far it is dispersed throughout and I can't notice it. If it stays like this I will be relieved. Of course, I did have the bad first month with the strictures and all the throwing up and I seriously wondered what I had done to myself----but even through all of that, getting on the scale kept me motivated. This is the first time that I have tried really hard to lose weight, and am actually seeing real results!!! What a blessing!! They told me before surgery that there is a metabolic change that takes place from gastric bypass which is the whole reason I chose to go that route and not LapBand. I have no doubt that something definitely changes and I thank God for the opportunity He has given me for this!!

I thank God for Dr. Long, for St. Vincent's East, for BCBS and AAii, and for leading us to Alabama! If this was the only reason we were to be here in Alabama, that was worth it!! We got so much more out of Alabama though, and will truly miss it!!