One Week Left!

258 lbs - 28 lbs lost!

This past week has been a whirlwind of appointments and I expect this coming week to go fast.  I had my final pre-op appointment with the weight loss center last Friday and got the all clear.  I went to see my PCP (primary care physician) today to get clearance for surgery and she gave me the green light as well.  In fact, she was so impressed with my blood pressure and cholesterol levels that she said I would probably be going off them for good very soon.  Yay!  The only reason she didn't take me off of the blood pressure medicine today is because I also take it as a migraine preventative.  But, since my blood pressure was way down, she'll probably adjust the dosage on it.  Amazing!  I've only lost 28 pounds so far, but I'm already seeing the positive effects on my health.

Age 10

On Wednesday, I'm going to the hospital to finish my pre-op and registration for surgery next Monday.  On Thursday, I will be seeing a counselor at my doctor's office for an intake appointment.  When I had seen the psychologist, he recommended that I see a counselor once or twice after surgery.  My PCP said she's really hard to get an appointment with, so she is having me do the intake this week, before surgery, so I can see her soon after.  So, I mentioned that I have now lost 28 pounds.  This is only 2 pounds away from my personal pre-surgery goal!  My surgeon never set one for me, but I wanted to do this.  After the first month, I didn't think it was going to be possible.  But, I'm almost there! 

1997 - 2 Years after graduating high school.  About 180lb

It really is a sense of accomplishment.  I know I'm not yet thin, by any means, but 258 is a lot different from 286.   I was a normal weight when I was a little girl.  I didn't really start putting on weight until junior high.  When I graduated high school, I weighed about 175 and wore a size 16.  

2000 - About 220 lbs

2002 - 244 lbs

I really packed on the pounds after high school while working in a few different bakeries.  I learned how to decorate cakes in high school, and it turned into a career for the first part of my adult life.  I made birthday cakes and wedding cakes, and was just around sweets all day long.  It was so easy to grab a cookie for a snack. 

2003 - 172 lbs

When my husband and I were married, I weighed 244.  Shortly before our wedding is when I started getting serious about weight loss.  I joined Curves and started watching what I ate.  I wore a size 20 wedding dress.  I hated being a fat bride. 

After my first daughter was born, I weighed about 172.  I achieved the weight loss with the help of a nutritionist, who put me on a low carb diet.  It worked, but it was hard.  I got pregnant again shortly after losing all the weight, and I gained back 114 lbs.

2008 - 276 lbs

I'm a little teapot, short and stout.  But, not for long!

 

I started looking into weight loss surgery in 2006.  I was at my wit's end and knew something had to be done.  I kept losing and then regaining.  But, every time I regained, I put even more on.  It was so frustrating!  At that time, the closest place I could have the surgery would have been in Chicago, so that really put me off.  Chicago is about a 5-6 hour drive from here, and I did not want to leave my kids and go that far away.  Plus, at the time, the sleeve was not an option and I kept reading a lot of horror stories about RNY Gastric Bypass.  It really scared me.  Fast forward to 2009, a local hospital opened a bariatric center.  I attended the seminar and started my 6 month doctor supervised diet.  While I was doing the supervised diet, the surgeon was let go due to inappropriate relationship with a patient as well as prescription abuse.  I gave up at that time.  Then, I learned last summer that there was a new surgeon, and everyone was singing his praises.  I attended yet another info session in August 2010.  I got my first appointment on October 29, 2010 and here I am, five years later and finally just a week away from my surgery!