Over the last week or two there has been a lot of talk about the latest Biggest Loser winner and I'd like to address that here in my weight loss blog! You know in society you get looked at like a three headed calf if your too fat at 325 pounds I was laughed at, and looked at funny when I went out shopping or to eat say it isn't so please say it isn't so because if you say it isn't so I'll tell you, you are clueless my friends! Everyone seems to be the "authority" on how others should look, what they should weight, and how they should be. But at the end of the day if I was a healthy, happy 325 pound woman and as long as you aren't paying my bills or doing anything for me then who are you to say what I should or shouldn't do? Well let's look at the other end of this spectrum Rachel Frederickson from this seasons Biggest Loser the grand prize winner! She weighed in at 105 pounds and is 5 foot 4 inches. People in society yet again judging and being the "authority" on what is healthy and what is right for someone else! At this weight and her height her BMI is 18.0 which does put her a tad but underweight to be at a "healthy BMI" she'd only have to have it at 18.6 so really what is the big deal? It's her body if she is happy and healthy then who are any of us to try to shame her? I mean as a big girl I have felt shamed ...but everyone going around saying she looks anorexic or she has issues here's a rude awakening folks YOU DO NOT KNOW what is going on with Rachel she could have lost all this weight through diet and exercise why does she have to be "anorexic"? Just because she doesn't fit in a nice little box created by an ugly society? I say to her you go girlfriend as long as you are happy and healthy you enjoy life you celebrate your great victory! I celebrate every pound I lose, every step till I reach that point where I'm happy with how I am and who I am I wont let society tell me what I should or shouldn't be they are not the authority on me or my life just like they aren't the authority on anyone else's life! For me my goal is to be 150-160 pounds but that's where I will feel healthy and happy...someone else might want to be smaller 120-130 and that is their prerogative to each their own. Well now that I'm done ranting about this here is my weight update since I haven't done a blog in a bit:
Start weight: 325
Day of Surgery: 288
Today: 218That is a grand total of 107 pounds gone forever!! Only 19 more pounds to ONEderland and only 58 till my goal weight I got this! I can now wear a size 12 jeans and a medium shirt! I started out in size 26 jeans and 3x Shirts! So proud of all my accomplishments enjoying the new me and I refuse to allow anyone to tell me I'm too anything anymore I'm just right ;-) the way I am and the way I'm headed! Y'all have a great night and thanks for reading! <3 Me
Hello my wonderful readers! So today I'm blogging over something I saw on TV yesterday as I sat with my daughter waiting on her doctors appointment. The Joy Fit Club on the Today show was on. And before I go any further let me just say I APPLAUD anyone who loses any weight small, big, massive amounts of weight if they did it on their own or if they had weight loss surgery like myself and many of my friends to each their own you get healthy the best way you can my friends you do what's right for you! However I am just going to start my rant right now! As they introduced each of these wonderful weight loss winners they made it a point to announce they did it WITHOUT surgery .... really who cares what they did it with? I mean they should be applauded for just doing it period no matter how they did it! Just as me and my weight loss surgery friends did it and are doing it the way we are! Please let me tell you this right now and get it off my chest and out of my mind WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY IS NOT the easy way out! For those who think it is walk a day in my shoes or any of my weight loss surgery sisters or brothers! We have to think think think nutrition every time we open our mouths and put food in it. we have to make sure our protein levels, vitamin levels, iron levels are on point even more so than someone who is doing it without the surgery! We have to change our lifestyle and keep it changed it isn't a diet and it should never be called a diet not even by those who are "doing it on their own". It's about changing BAD habits and choices with GOOD habits and choices and if you don't get that idea in your head with or without the surgery you will fail! We also have to exercise just like those I did it on my own folks! But it seems like those who are in the wellness and fitness world love to look down on us who have Gastric Bypass or am I just being overly sensitive? I don't think I am why should they be like oh we did it without surgery well good for you it isn't something that should be pointed out every single time I take nothing away from people who do it on their own but I and many others needed this extra tool to help us lose what we had to lose! I tried for years to lose weight on my own I have battled my body for years only to hit brick wall after brick wall! In all my desperation to lose weight I auditioned for Biggest Loser even. After years of trying I had to finally admit that PCOS wasn't going to allow my body to do this "on my own" and after going through months of weight management, classes, psych evals, all other sorts of testing and jumping through hoops I finally got approved for my surgery and to date from the day I started working on this journey in March of 2013 I have lost well gotten rid of lost implies that I might want it back lol and I don't I've gotten rid of 102 pounds and I wouldn't change a thing about my choice well maybe I'd decide to get it done sooner rather than later but that's about all I'd change! This was an awesome choice as I sit here down to 223 pounds when I use to weight 325 pounds (probably there were times I was up in the 330's I just didn't weigh myself because I had given up hope) But seriously people like this who have to seemingly demean us who did opt to have a tool added to our toolbox of weight loss need to stop and they need to educate their selves and the rest of the world that we aren't lazy we did NOT pick an easy way out we struggle and fight for our pounds lost just as much as the next guy and our victories are just as sweet as those who do it on their own! It had me so fumed that I actually emailed the show and I never do stuff like that just like I never do stuff like this here is the email address if you want to email the show yourself if your a weight loss surgery patient and let them know we work just as hard as those who do it on their own! Y'all have a great and blessed day!
questions@joybauer.com
Hi friends!!!! Welcome to 2014 I hope this year is an awesome year for us all! 2013 certainly was a very emotional and crazy year for me that is for sure! Lots of good things and a few bad things sprinkled through out the year I guess a little something to keep me grounded and remind me how fragile life truly is! This morning I woke up and did my weigh in and I am so happy to report to my awesome friends and family who read my blog that I left 101 pounds of me way back in 2013! I am super happy and excited about that! I am thankful that I decided to have the RNY Gastric Bypass it was the best choice I have made for myself in a very long time I have not one regret on my decision I have never been able to lose much on my own due to my lovely PCOS! In March 2013 I started out on this task to get my approval for my surgery weighing 325 pounds by the day I had my surgery on August 19th I was down to 288 I sit here right now blogging away to y'all at 224 pounds and I have not be this size in 20 YEARS!!!!!!!! It is unreal to me! Today I updated my pictures did a comparison picture which you can see right here at the top of my blog and it's still unreal to me! I am definitely happy with the changes, and I'm super excited about what 2014 holds for me! I hope by this time next year I'll be blogging and telling you all that I made my final goal which is roughly 75 pounds away seems doable knowing that I have lost 101 already! My next small goal is to shed 25 more pounds and make it to ONEderland...somewhere I haven't been in an extremely long time! But I know it'll be here sooner than I think and I can't wait! Next week I will be starting to go to the gym on base excited about that intimidated a bit too but hey one foot in front of the other ;-) I'd rather go to a gym in town but can't afford those monthly fees. Honestly loved the YMCA when I had a membership there but really can't afford the family membership package but hey that's life, can't have it all where would you put it? :-) I have to admit something...I am proud of myself and that's not something I normally say but I have a tremendous amount of pride in myself these days, I feel better about me, happier and more confident though I have a ways to go. In more weight loss news I have my check up with my surgeon on Friday at 10AM more blood work yay me praying that my protein and iron levels are back up and that nothing else is going on or wrong! My energy level has picked up some here lately with I am totally stoked about that been getting stuff done around here like a mad woman took today off though but tomorrow it's back to it! Want to finish cleaning and organizing before my classes start back on January 13th!! Well y'all that is about all I have for you for tonight! I'll catch up with y'all later! Good night and God Bless! <3 Me
Yeah I know I have gotten slack in my blogging lately my apologies, things have been pretty rough personally around here and I have been in a funk since we've dealt with 2 funerals, a broke down truck, and moving my eldest back in and other bits of drama that I will not and do not care to share on here and let's face it, that just isn't needed. All of this drama and other bits are in God's hands now and it's time to talk about weight loss! Monday I was 16 weeks post op woo hoo!! I lost 4 pounds this past week yay!!! Which brought me to 232!!!!!! I am now 7 pounds away from my first big goal of 100 pounds gone forever!!! I am 7 points from being considered overweight and not obese bigger woo hooo I have been obese FOREVER so it seems so the day I get to just overweight it will be a major accomplishment for me! So I started out in March at 325, date of surgery I was 288 and now I am 232 for a total of 93 pounds lost since March and 56 of that lost since August 19th! I am wearing size 16 jeans when I started out I was in 26/24's I am now in xl/large tops when I started out I was in 3X tops! Of course there are things about the new me I don't like the skin on my neck lol and my sagging upper arms but hey I'd rather deal with that than be the 325 pound woman I was before starting this journey! I have no regrets about this surgery at all! I'm doing decent with my eating I can tolerate more things, and I hope to get into the gym this coming week after we get all this moving stuff settled down, but it seems every time I plan on starting at the gym something throws a monkey wrench into the deal so I am praying that I can get there! :-) Well that's all I have for now I hope you all are doing well and have a wonderful and Merry Christmas!!!
So hello friends I am behind on blogging and I apologize but my family and I have had two weeks of unimaginable pain and grieving heaped upon us. Last week I lost my Granny so it was run home to NC for her funeral total sadness even though we knew it was going to happen. I miss her dearly she meant a lot to me to say the very least. Then this week my older three's grandpa died so it was back to NC for his funeral which was yesterday, what a sad couple of day's it has been, so hard to watch my older three go through this hard to watch my ex husband and his family go through this, hard for me as well he was my father in law for 12 years and was always good to me, because well that's just who he was even after my ex husband and I divorced he still treated me like family and I'm going to miss seeing him around ever so often. So as you see these couple of weeks have been rough! So I'm sorry I have gotten behind on my blogging. I did have fun last weekend though got to spend time with three awesome friends, did some shopping with them and Diana was awesome and brought me some clothes she has shrunk out of yay!
In weight loss news today I said goodbye to the 240's and now I'm in the 230's woo hoo!! I am now down 87 pounds since March but have lost 50 of that since August 19th that is 50 pounds in THREE MONTHS wow!!!! Unbelievable!!!! I am so happy because in times past of dieting and exercising I have only made it to 250 so when I made it to the 240's I was happy now that I'm in the 230's I feel over the moon happy like I can truly do this! I have no regrets about my choice of Gastric Bypass only that I wish I had done it sooner but that's okay I'll be fit and fabulous by 40! ;-) Going to enjoy my life because it's short and we are not promised tomorrow so I'm going to make the most out of my right now!
Other special achievements:
1. I can cross my legs like a lady ;-)
2. I now have visible collar bones
3. The Iron they put me on is starting to make me feel better energy wise.
4. I can put on a large shirt though it's still snug on me so I wont wear it in public lol
5. I have a neck now!
So that's the scoop y'all! I hope everyone out there is doing well! I'll catch up with y'all later!
<3 Me
Hello everyone!! My blog is a few day's late sorry bout that started painting in the house this week trying to get stuff ready so eventually we can sale the house! So this week I lost 2 more pounds I am praising God I haven't had a stall yet every week I've lost something be it a pound or more and I have been thankful! Over the the left is a picture of me when I started this journey in March and over to the left is me now! I am down 79 pounds since that picture to the right was taken and I have a NECK now! I'm 42 pounds down since August 19th, and yesterday I tried on a size 16 jeans and they fit you can see those in the picture on the right along with my XL Sons of Anarchy shirt my sweet hubby bought me! <3 Now however I will be wearing my 18's for awhile longer as I have but one pair of 16's lol but that's okay I have a friend who is donating to my cause (cause I'm running out of clothes lol) I am enjoying losing weight and I am thrilled that things are going well. However I still see the girl over to the left of the picture when I look in the mirror I mean the first time I saw a full body shot the other week a friend took for me with my hubby and 2 of my kids I had to pull my 16 year old in the room and ask her do I really look like that? Kinda funny yet kinda of sad I know many people struggle with the girl they see in the mirror no matter how much weight they lose. I hope one day my view of myself changes, and that girl over there to the left will quit jumping out in front of me when I look at myself in the mirror. I mean I do feel a little but more confidant these days but still... I did have my check up last week and the doctor was pleased with my progress thus far so yay! I'm waiting to hear back on my lab work praying all my vitamins and etc are doing well! Oh another couple of realizations for me this weigh in:
1. 21 more pounds and I will have lost 100 pounds yay!!!
2. 47 more pounds and I will be in ONDERLAND I'd love to reach that by Christmas but I don't think I will it would be amazing however I just don't see it happening it's November already but I think I"ll be really close though!
Well that's all I have for this week friends chat with you later take care and God Bless you all! <3
Well good morning y'all! Today I am officially 9 weeks post op!! I am down 2 more pounds this week which puts me at 250 I had honestly thought I'd be under 250 this week but hey I'll take those 2 pounds I lost happily cause that puts me at 75 pounds total since March and a total of 38 since August 19th! I have a check up on the 23rd with my surgeon so I am hoping that by then I'll be under 250, I'll update y'all after my appointment! In other news as always life is stressful, please keep me in your prayers as I really really need them and truly appreciate them! I'm going to start painting the house (inside this week) so we can get the show on the road the goal is to have the house market ready by the first of the year and hopefully it will sale quickly and me and the kiddos can move to Beaufort to be with Wayne in a new place all together that would be awesome! Well until later y'all! <3 Me
Hello friend's another blog why? Because I can of course! While pondering how far I have come and how far I have left to go I realize that I'm only 52 pounds away from what many obese/overweight people strive for and that is blessed ONEDERLAND!! I have not weighed under 200 pounds probably since elementary school. I am super excited considering I have lost 73 pounds already 52 seems just like a drop in the bucket so to speak! Though I'm sure there will be stalls between me and the next 52 pounds but I can't wait till I get on the scale and see a ONE instead of a TWO! I can't possibly explain that excited me of just thinking about my goals being attainable now when once they were no where near attainable! Life get's better day by day even on day's when some foods give me issues! Also I went on a most lovely hike with my husband yesterday we had such fun he and I don't get much alone time but a little alone time and some exercise is a great way to spend the morning! Well that is all I have for now have a grrrreat day! <3 Me
Me hiking yesterday :-)
Well I think blogger is finally going to allow me to post I guess it must have been something to do with hubby's computer! So here I am 7 weeks post op well that was Monday today is Friday! Well Monday I weighed in at 256 pounds so that gave me a 4 pound loss for week 7! I started out in March at 325 and now I'm at 256 that's a total of 69 pounds gone since then!! But day of surgery I was 288 so that puts me down 32 pounds in 7 weeks to me that is awesome! I have lost more this week as well but I have been sick to so I haven't been able to eat like I should! I have truly been struggling to get in all my protein and water y'all pray for me to get this right I don't want to have any other health issues because I can't manage my food and water! My size 20's are getting a little roomy but still not small enough for my 18's just yet but I imagine I'll be in them in another week or two it's crazy cause after that I'll be out of clothes lol I'll have to find some cash somewhere to hit up the Goodwill store yes Goodwill cause I'm not entertaining investing in brand new clothes till I'm done losing weight that is my treat for reaching my goal weight which is somewhere between 160-150 pounds and I have about 90-100 pounds left to go sounds like a lot but heck I'm down 69 right now so to me I have accomplished a lot already and I will continue to do so! After next Monday I'll be 8 weeks post op and I should be able to lift and do what I like! I think my sense of being hungry is finally coming back now if I can get the sense of being full to kick in so I don't over do it I'm keeping it small amounts though. Well that's about all I have to update on currently I'll see y'all on Monday and I'm so glad I got this account working I was dreading transferring all my stuff over to another blog area. So have a great weekend take care and God Bless! <3 Me
Hello friends and family! I hope that you all are doing well today! I am so sorry for not updating my blog but life has been busy really busy and really stressful with Wayne working away and me being mommy and daddy at home, moving my oldest and her husband out and trying to stay on top of school yes I have been stressed I still am! Please keep us in your prayers that we get this house together and sold I did purchase some of the paint I need to get started on painting the inside of the house so I will hopefully do some of that this coming week as my classes are coming to a close which I am thrilled about! Anyways on week 5 I lost a pound then week 6 I lost another pound this past Monday was week six which brought me to 28 pounds gone since surgery and a total of 65 gone since march and I was weighing 260 pounds yesterday! Well I did my measurements and I was down 7 inches this time woo hooo and my BMI when I started was 52.5 and now it is 42 so that is down 10 points, granted I'm still considered "obese" but I'm getting there! Well most of you know I am a scale junkie I try and try to break the habit but alas no success in that area well I hopped on my good old trusty scale and low and behold I was down 2 more pounds today I am out of the 260's here's where it's going to get interesting I have been down to 250 before and couldn't lose anymore so here it is if I lose past 250 I shall do the happy happy dance and cartwheels or handstands so since this mornings weigh in lol I am down 30 pounds since August 19th, and 67 pounds since March! I am super excited I hope the rate of weight loss stays the same as it is so far this week but if I only lose those two pounds I'll take them because that's 2 pounds less that I have to worry about ever again! In other news I got to walk with a good online friend of mine today finally got to meet Lydia after years of chatting on facebook she is such a sweetie and is doing pretty darn awesome herself!!! She looks amazing! Other than that the government shut down is effecting us a little we still haven't seen Wayne's retirement yet though they say we will get it others have got their retirement pay I guess we will wait it out and see and trust in the Lord he always provides away for us and for that I am thankful God has held our hands so many times when we have faced hard times and I'm sure he will continue to do so! Well I hope you all are doing well but that's all I got for now! <3 Me
Well last week I spent the week gaining and losing the same pound which was really annoying me. But today when I did my officially down 4 more pounds this week bringing my total the last 4 weeks to 26 pounds gone forever! I am at 262 just a few more pounds and I'll be in the 250's woo hooo! But I have lost a total of 63 pounds since March of this year so from 325 to 262 awesomeness! Can't wait to see how much I can lose by Christmas!!
In other news I bought myself a pretty Orange Bicycle today woo hoo gonna race around the neighborhood so the dogs want chase me down the street ha ha ha! Also about to invest in some new shoes or a new hair do who knows! Got my medical ID bracelet ordered and some unflavored protein to see how I like that think I'll get me some fresh berries and what not and hook myself on up and have something a little different! So that's my news for this week I hope you all are doing well! <3
Well here I sit three weeks post op today, and I am pleased to report I lost 5 pounds this past week! No it's not the 17 pounds I lost last week but every week can't be big number weeks! I'm thankful for every pound that is gone forever! So that puts me at 266 today out of the 270's and I am praying next week will find me out of the 260's! I have lost a total of 22 pounds since my surgery and a grand total of 59 pounds since I started my weight management in March woo hoo! I am so happy, I find myself feeling better, less depressed, I do my hair and make up more and I feel better about myself. Also I am now out of my size 22 jeans they will be rehomed this week! And I actually put on a 1x shirt yesterday and it FIT!!! If I could have done cartwheels I would have! I am so looking forward to each week and what it can hold, I know there will be weeks coming up where the weight loss will stall I'm prepared for that mentally because I know what to expect thanks to great friends who have informed me and encouraged me. Although I am sure I'll pout a little but hey I know it'll get started up again! I need to focus on getting my walking in more and more this past week has been busy so I didn't do as much as I should have so this week no excuses I will get in at least one good walk a day if not two. I don't care how much work I have to do! Speaking of work I have papers I need to do today because I did other work that was due for my classes last night and I got too sleepy so my morning/afternoon will be spent on my computer working away but hey after that I can breath easy!! Well that's my update I hope you all are doing well!!
<3 Me
Hello friends!!! Hope you are all doing well!!! Well today makes 2 weeks since my surgery I am feeling lots better hardly no soreness maybe a twinge ever so often. I do get tired faster than I normally would Doctor said it was the effects of that anesthesia and it would wear off in time and I'd get my ability to not tire so quickly back. Although last week I was bursting at the seams with energy but couldn't do much with it lol, my post op check up went great I have another appt on Sept 11th he was pleased with what I had lost and when I saw him I had only lost 10 pounds since surgery but as of right now since last Monday when I got back to my pre-op weight I am down from 288 to 271 for 17 pounds gone in a week! But a grand total of 54 pounds gone forever since March of this year yay me!!! I know this week probably will not yield 17 pounds but I am thankful for the 17 that are gone forever now just as I'll be thankful for whatever I lose this week! I know there will be stalls but I know they will end and pass unlike my epic 4-5 mth stalls I had when I was working on weight loss before! And on another note I was allowed to have mushy food and I have been able to tolerate everything I have tried so far so that is awesome, hopefully this will continue to be how it works! I guess that is pretty much all the news I currently have!! Just figured I'd do a small update! Hope you all have a great day!! <3 Me
Hello everyone!! Well today I'm one week and one day post op!! I am doing well my left side is a wee bit sore but that's because that is where most of the work is done it's manageable but still at moments feels like a donkey kicked me in the ribs but this too shall pass and I will get stronger and better everyday! I made it back to my pre-op weight yesterday so woot woot I was 288 Monday morning when I stepped on the scale but I stepped on the scale today and I had lost about 4 more pounds putting me at 284 how exciting! Remembering I started this journey out in March weighing 325 pounds I am like 9 pounds away from the first 50 pounds being gone how awesome is that???? I will do a comparison picture the day I loose my first 50 and I think that's how I will roll every 50 pounds or maybe 25 depending on my mood but right now with my first 50 being just a hand grab away I'll wait for those 9 pounds to say adios to me. It's amazing how much life can change going from saying you'll never do this to actually doing it. I never saw the surgery as a cop out or an easy way out trust me on that one I just didn't know that I could commit to it because let me tell you there is not one thing easy about this no sir, no mam and if you think it is perhaps you should study up on what we have to do forever and ever Amen in order for our tool to work or maybe you should ask someone to explain how food has to be measured, how we have to stay on top of our vitamins and etc, how we do have to work out and we do have to make right food choices for ourselves.Only after spending about 34-35 years of my life being overweight/obese did I make this choice at the age of 39 to do this, part of me wishes I didn't wait now but the logical part of me says Lori, all things in God's time he had to prepare my mind and me to be ready for this big of a commitment. Make no mistake about it when I decided to go through with this I did so seeking God's wisdom for me and seeking his mercy and grace to get me through it and he indeed did. I will admit at the end of the waiting game when my best friends and pastor had prayed with me and they were getting ready to leave cause they were going to wheel me away fear sat in I almost cried because of that fear of what if I didn't wake up what about my babies and my husband but I remembered that God was with me and that I sought him through out this journey to RNY Gastric Bypass, I remembered that he would never leave me or forsake me and most of all my key scripture that I have applied to my life over the last year Jeremiah 29:11-13. The only things I can recall after thinking all of that is making it to the OR scooting over to the operating bed, being strapped down and breathing in the lovely stuff they put you to sleep with a few hours later I woke up to quadrupedal vision lol seemed like there was four of the nurse and clock across from me ha! I did well with no issues and I have tolerated everything I have been allowed to eat thus far I am looking forward though to being able to have some pureed foods soon man this full liquid diet is getting old but I'm working on getting in all my fluids and all my protein that is needed and I'm getting there day by day it's an adjustment. I have started taking small walks, learning to get use to my nasty breath which let me warn y'all who are thinking about the surgery with scope there is hope lol!!! Please don't breath on your friends, family, pets or other small animals you may encounter cause whew wee! But this is known as ketosis when your body is burning off all that fat so that's why the breath is kickin'! Well I should be writing several papers so I'm going to close this blog out for now have my check up on Friday morning at 10:30 who knows maybe I'll get to add food wouldn't that be awesome some pureed foods yay Lori all things in time though! I'm thankful for this opportunity and I am thankful for all that God does for me and my family and all he will continue to do God is good....all the time!
Well today is Saturday I am now 6 day's post op I did well with my surgery. I was at 288 pounds pre-op came home Wednesday I came home from the hospital and weighed myself and I weighed 305 pounds post op and I knew that was going to happen due to the IV fluids, gasses and etc. Today I'm back down to 295 pounds so not too far from my pre-op weight! Boy I am so thankful I had friends who had this done and warned me ahead of time or I would be depressed right about now lol!! The only things that has me feeling bad right now is I am sick of soup!!!! The taste and texture of it blah! Friday is my follow up appt I'm praying he tells me I can try other stuff! But hey it is what it is and this is just a short period of time and better days are coming! :-) I am so thankful for the wonderful friends I have care pages from Melissa, then Lydia & Diana! Then Judy and Heather brought my mama here to help take care of my babies and then they took me to the hospital and stayed with me until I was released those are some great friends and family right there y'all I am blessed!! I love them and appreciate everyone who helped me out in the past week! I really am not hungry I make myself eat even though I don't want to eat which is a new experience. Well I am going to get off of here and rest a bit just wanted to shoot an update! Hope you all are doing great!!! <3 y'all!
Haven't updated my blog in a bit not since I got the big news sorry! I know most of you who are reading this are on my facebook so you already know but those who aren't on my facebook here is the big news! My insurance has been approved to see my surgeon and my surgeons referral for surgery has been approved! Now I am a mixture of nervous and excited! Ready to get this started and see the awesome results from the surgery and my hard work cause yep some people do live with the misconception that this is the easy way out but it's not I still have to put forth effort I still have to choose to eat right, I still have to choose to exercise the weight doesn't lose itself! This is just a tool to add to what I have been trying to do since forever! If you see from my lovely diagram that I have posted this will help so many issues I have or don't have already but I have a few of these already and I'm ready to be rid of them! I do realize the surgery comes with risk potential but so does staying the way that I am. I have asked God to guide and lead me if this is his will for my life. There was only one stumbling block put in my way and it was easily removed. So I'm going into this knowing that God has made my way to this point and that he holds me and my future in his hands and he will allow nothing to touch me that hasn't gone through him first! So August 2nd at 9:30AM I have my pre-op appt and on August 5th I start my extremely low carb diet only 20 grams of carbs a day (pray for me pray for those around me) and on August 19th at 1pm is my date and time for surgery! Wayne will be away working at his new job kinda nervous not having him there with me but I have friends who will be there for me and I am grateful for them. This is a big season of changes for our family please keep us all in your prayers. <3
So after all is said and done, after all the being upset. I finally found out just what was wrong and why my PCM referral wasn't going through, and wouldn't you know it just as soon as I got that fixed boom my surgery was approved! Wow this just became really real! All the appointments, I have been through the last five months paid off! I finally came that close and grabbed that golden ring so to speak, after a life time of almost but not quite you know..it feels weird I was extremely happy when I saw both referrals go through yet now I feel really nervous about the surgery, it is major surgery I suppose this is a normal feeling to be having, second guesses...but I know I have asked God for his favor in this and I have sought him and I trust in him to continue to lead me through this process. I asked for his will not my own, though I did fight for it a little by seeing to my referral being put in properly. I have a surgeon that doesn't just put me in his hands but he puts me in God's hands and you know that to me is very reassuring and comforting to know my doctor though he went to medical school and though he practices medicine and does all these surgery's still talks to the almighty, the one true God and trust him with me as well as him. My life is fixing to change big time and I'm praying it is for the good! That all will go smoothly and that I'll recover and lose the weight I need to and live the life with my family that I want to live! I'm tired of aches and pains I want to be free, I want to be happy, I don't want to feel other people's judgmental stairs most of all I want to increase my quality and length of life to be able to enjoy my babies and hopefully one day grand-babies(not anytime soon though). I don't want anything to cut my time here short because I want to see them grow, be happy and healthy productive adults and I'd like to enjoy the rest of my years with my husband till we are old and gray and cranky geezers threatening each other with our walking canes lol! Please friends continue to keep me and my family in your prayers in the days and weeks that lay ahead through the 2 week diet of no more than 20 grams of carbs that will have me turning into some evil woman lol and the crankiness from feeling rough after surgery. Please pray that God's hand guides my surgeons hand and that I go through this with no major complications. Also my husband is seeking employment as well currently he is on terminal leave from the USAF he will be officially retired as of Sept.1st I know God has a plan for us! Well I am going to close for now I need sleep as tomorrow is Sunday and our final day of VBS been a great week with the kids and my church family I love them so much and I enjoy working with the kids at Wise Drive! Well good night and God Bless you all!!
So sorry I haven't blogged in awhile things had been going smoothly however we have hit an hiccup and I'm not happy about it I am kinda angry! By the way feel free to share this blog because quite honestly I'm going to be very real, very open, very honest and very blunt with my feelings on the insurance industry and a few other aspects of this process and I want it to really reach out there! I'm done being the one that get's pushed around, sat aside and treated like a number like nothing more than just another person. I refuse to sit by and watch others live their lives yet not live my fully the way God intended it to be lived. I refuse to take no for an answer and I will not back down nor will I swallow the costs of my appts thus far. So you see somewhere along the line my PCM failed to put in my referral with Tri Care like a good PCM, we all goof but this goof is going to cost me money out of pocket to cover my appts thus far with the weight loss clinic if it don't get fixed and if it don't get approved then my surgery wont get approved! I did not make the choice to have RNY gastric bypass lightly this took me YEARS and yes I mean YEARS to finally commit myself to this! And when I commit myself to something I don't let go of it easily! I almost let this defeat me I almost let go and almost gave up but you know what...not this one sorry! I am sick of how the average perception of the average obese person! We aren't all lazy slobs sorry I know many obese brothers and sisters and they are not either lazy or slobs! Sometimes we have things wrong with us that contribute to our weight gain issues. So the insurance companies like to complain that us obese people cost them more and more money for our medication, well then dear insurance company how about you give us a freaking hand when we are asking for help to lose the weight instead of making it hard to get the help some of us might require????? Why put us through so much stress do you not realize stress contributes to weight gain as well??? So my PCM attempted to right her wrong and put in the referral and well Tri Care rejected it cause they want more information okay game on Tri Care challenged accepted! I will get this I will make it happen I will not give into defeat, I will not let them tell me no not without a fight! So they wanted more information that is why they denied my request so I have an appt with my doctor my PCM tomorrow morning and I have compiled quite the list as to why I should be seen at the weight loss clinic once that get's done then the weight loss clinic can resubmit my information granted I am kinda furious with the mishandling of them not ensuring they had the referral I assumed since they made my appts and knew what insurance I had they had approval for it, also I assumed that since they checked my records four times that they had it cause they didn't mention that being missing. They will hear about my thoughts about their poor office management at a later time first things first! Here is my list of health issues that aren't helped by my obesity and why I need to lose weight and why I DESERVE the help I want and am requesting!
To whom it may concern please find a list of past, present and possible future health issues that can be linked to my morbid obesity in no certain order:
1. Diagnosed with PCOS in 2008 while living in the UK was sent to an endocrinologist when I couldn't lose anymore weight. There should be a referral back in Tri Care somewhere as I was referred to an off base provider. I was told by that Endocrinologist that I had PCOS and that I'd never loose all the weight I needed to lose without weight loss surgery but yet I told him nah I wasn't buying that because I was not ready to commit myself to that drastic of measures, though now after years of trying and failing I am more than ready willing and able.
2. My hands, feet and ankle have sever swelling.
3. Major joint pain in my knees, hip,feet and also my back as well as numbness in my feet.
4. I have had on two different occasions cellulitus first case in 2002 latest case in 2012 which left me hospitalized for a whole week at Toumey hospital here in Sumter,SC the attending physican told me that if I'd lose some weight that it would lessen my chances of yet another occurrence.
5. 2001-2013 I have battled mild depression due to my obesity I am not happy and to be honest I have probably been depressed the vast majority of my life due to my weight but I have been medicated for it off and on between 2001-2013.
6. Feb 2012 I had kidney stones which it has been proven in studies that obesity doesn't help that issue either.
7. My family medical history alone should convince anyone that I need help before it get's worse than it has been both parents are diabetics, both parents have high blood pressure, high cholesterol and heart disease. This is my future should I not get help which will cost my insurance company dearly in medication and possible hospital stays should I not get the help I need and deserve!
8. 2012 I had my gallbladder my weight could have contributed to that as well.
9. I have really bad acid reflux/gerd water even gives me reflux.
10. I currently have a hiatal hernia as well which can be associated with obesity from what I have read online.
11. I have tried many many times to lose weight on my own, I could, and probably should write a book with all the knowledge I have gained through lots of reading, research and trying different things to lose weight.
12. My BMI is around 48.4 (that should say it all right there)
13. My thyroid has nodules and obesity has been linked to the cause of nodules top that with the fact I have a family medical history of hypo and hyperthyroidism.
14. Irregular menstrual cycles (which can be linked to the PCOS)
15.Vitamin D deficiency which can also cause some weight gain.
16. Fatty Liver awhile back I had bloodwork and my bilirubin was a little off and I was given and ultrasound which showed some fat around my liver.
17. Pre-cancerous cervical cells were found in 2001 and I was treated succesfully but that is even linked to obesity as well.
So many reason's that I should be approved...good valid reasons! I wont give up they are going to get so sick of me I remember the old adage the squeaky wheel get's the grease...I don't like complaining and I don't like having to fight but I will do what I have to do to ensure things go this way because I see it as a way to add years to my life, time with my husband, time with my children and my future grandchildren. I see it as my opportunity to live my life for a change I have hid almost 40 years behind this body, I have felt not accepted, not good enough, unworthy and I refuse to carry that another 40 years. People fail to see the real person underneath the fat...they don't see or know the tears I have cried because I didn't feel accepted or acceptable. They don't know how bad it hurt to be picked last because you were fat and all that drama that goes along with it. For once I want to know what it feels like to be just a normal person in a normal body and not looked at like a side show freak. This is my chance to make my life better and I wont let any stupid insurance company or any stupid error on the part of my PCM or on the part of the clinic stand in my way! I am going after what I deserve with a bull dog tenacity. I hope that if you are reading this and you ever find yourself in my position that you NEVER give up NEVER back down and don't take NO for an answer.
