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kitticat27

The beginning.

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kitticat27
, 05-30-2014 at 09:19 PM (874 Views)
So I've decided to document my journey and this site seems to be a pretty good place to do so

I have been overweight my whole life, and obese as long as I can really remember. My mom is obese, suffers from diabetes, high blood pressure, has had two major heart attacks and is in pain all the time from the stress on her joints. Did I mention she is only 54?

I do not want to go my whole life suffering from lower back pain, ankle and knee pain. I want to be able to walk my dog to the park and not feel like crying by the time I get home. I do not want to make compromises in what I do or places I go because of my weight. I am tired of having to spend double the money on clothes just to get something that fits well. I am done feeling like food controls me. I am ready to make a big time change and commitment.

In February of 2013 I got a rude awakening when I went to the doctor and found that my weight had gotten to a high of 310 and I had pre-diabetes and borderline high blood pressure. I went home and decided that I would make a change for the better and I lose the pounds and never see 300 on a scale again.

It took me a full year of counting calories, walking in the morning and making healthier choices but I managed to lose 20 pounds and get to 290 by the time I switched insurance providers to Kaiser this April. In talking with my new PCP she went over all my efforts to lose weight and determined that from all I was doing I really should have lost more than I had. She then prescribed me Phentermine which I used for a month and lost 10 pounds but the day I stopped taking it I was absolutely miserable, not worth it in my opinion. In the two weeks between stopping Phentermine and going back to my PCP I gained 5 pounds back Bummer and proof that the meds were definitely not worth the little loss if I was just going to gain it back.

I asked my PCP what else there is that may help me as I am in pain every day and I have done every diet out there in my attempts to better myself. We talked about the benefits of WLS and she told me that she would send me a referral to the Bariatric department and told me to research the different methods. I have actually thought about WLS for years but had never heard of the sleeve, as soon as I learned more I knew that the sleeve was for me.

I have my orientation appointment this coming Tuesday and I am so very excited! I have already gone over what the process looks like and if all goes smoothly I will have my surgery sometime before October, that is so quick but I am ready.

I have already changed my diet and way of eating. The most difficult thing for me has been slowing down and chewing more but I am getting there. I have given up soda and carbonation (that was a little tough but I had already cut back a ton) and the only caffeine I get is from an occasional cup of iced tea. I had been doing smoothies for breakfast for a couple months and so I decided to see how replacing two meals a day worked and I am feeling pretty good at my lowest weight in years at 279! I am very happy to have found the Isopure powders, I tried the dutch chocolate and creamy vanilla and they are both soooo good!

Anywho, this has been a pretty long first entry but thanks for reading. I plan on documenting every step of the way for my own knowledge and so that others may see how it goes

Thanks!

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  1. Sarasjourney's Avatar
    I'm glad you're here! I haven't had my surgery yet either but I know that this is the right decision in the end. We'll feel wonderful for having done it and our bodies will thank us! Good luck to you and your journey.
  2. lil_lisa's Avatar
    Well sounds like you have a good start on change, let us know how it all goes for you. Good luck.
  3. janetm's Avatar
    First I want to say welcome. You are off to a great start - congratulations.

    Have you shared your decision with your mom yet? I am 61 years old and had the surgery last November. I made the decision because of some health issues including arthritis (have had a knee replaced and an ankle fused). I wanted to suffer less pain and have my replaced knee last as long as possible. Anyway, I thought I'd just chime in to say - it's never too late. Your mom might benefit, as I have, from sleeve surgery. I've lost 88 lbs. and am way more comfortable than I used to be. I've spent this past week building new cupboard doors for my kitchen! This is a project I wouldn't even have considered undertaking last autumn.

    Good luck to you and again ... welcome ... I can tell you are going to be successful with this WLS!
  4. lmdee73's Avatar
    Congrats on your decision! Never an easy one, but I'm betting, like myself, you will decide it was the best decision you've ever made!!! Good luck!
  5. Oklahomom's Avatar
    Welcome! ! We have similar stories. Looks like you've put a lot of thought and practice into all of it. You're going to do great!
  6. thenewmetoday's Avatar
    I am so happy to hear that you are taking a positive stand. Your poor mom. I was 70 when I had surg. I was in pretty good health but had a lot of the usual issues. Maybe she will consider this surg. Best to you.
  7. kitticat27's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by janetm
    First I want to say welcome. You are off to a great start - congratulations.

    Have you shared your decision with your mom yet? I am 61 years old and had the surgery last November. I made the decision because of some health issues including arthritis (have had a knee replaced and an ankle fused). I wanted to suffer less pain and have my replaced knee last as long as possible. Anyway, I thought I'd just chime in to say - it's never too late. Your mom might benefit, as I have, from sleeve surgery. I've lost 88 lbs. and am way more comfortable than I used to be. I've spent this past week building new cupboard doors for my kitchen! This is a project I wouldn't even have considered undertaking last autumn.

    Good luck to you and again ... welcome ... I can tell you are going to be successful with this WLS!
    I have shared it with my mom, unfortunately she is not thrilled. I had thought that she of all people would understand how painful it it to be so heavy but she seems to think it is the "easy way out" and that since I am young I should do it the old fashioned way. I am not going to let her negativity get me down. I am doing this for me and am hoping that next year when I am healthier she may change her mindset
  8. RubbityDub's Avatar
    I think that in her heart of hearts your Mother knows full well that you have made a sensible choice and that it is indeed not the easy way out. You will find this out for yourself in the fullness of time. I would venture a guess and say that your mother would probably like to have the surgery herself but is probably finding it difficult to commit to such a life changing decision. Maybe she will view it differently when she sees how your life improves after surgery. I am 65 and am less than 3 months out from surgery. I have lost 41 pounds and cannot begin to tell you what a difference it has made. My knees and legs are so much better and I no longer get puffed out walking from the bus stop to the office or walking up small hills. People tell me that they can notice how much faster I am moving and my best friend told me last night that he can't get over the difference in my movement now as the way I was moving before the surgery was more like a 90 year old than a 65 year old and he is right. Before the op I dreaded having to stand up from my chair because of the pain it would cause me to do so. I can now tie my shoe laces!!!! and pick things up off the floor!!!!!! There are so many things that normal weight people take for granted but which are a big hard deal for us obese folk but as I regain the ability to achieve each of those daily functions, I am more and more grateful for having found out about the gastric sleeve and being in a position to have the surgery required.

    You will mourn for your food and it is very hard to come to terms with the fact that you can never have a full meal on a big plate again. But it does get easier with time and the results are well worth the effort a million percent.

    Good luck to you and to your mother as well. We look forwad to following your progress.
  9. janetm's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by kitticat27
    I have shared it with my mom, unfortunately she is not thrilled. I had thought that she of all people would understand how painful it it to be so heavy but she seems to think it is the "easy way out" and that since I am young I should do it the old fashioned way. I am not going to let her negativity get me down. I am doing this for me and am hoping that next year when I am healthier she may change her mindset
    She just might change her mind - good luck to you.