I wish I could come and spend a few months in Arizona and take care of you! It's so incredibly good to see your smiling face again. Otherwise, I'm speechless -- doesn't happen often --  in the face what you're going through. Hugs to you, dear friend. Maureen

And I'm home!  I see that several others are as well.  That's great.

I also see that some of you have sent e-mails via OH.  I don't know why I didn't see them in my regular in box, but I missed them.  So quickly, where I've been and why.

I'm not sure where we left off, but my anemia was out of control and my first scheduled surgery was canceled.  Since October or so, life has been a series of work, sleep and medical stuff.  Lather, rinse, repeat.  Lather, rinse, repeat.  I didn't so much fall asleep as pass out at the end of the day.  And then my hands left the building. 

Every morning the rest of me woke up and my hands continued to sleep for hours.  I don't know how to explain it other than imagine your foot falling asleep and then imagine that painful tingling times 100 - for hours.  Three of the disks in my neck had ruptured and two were firmly settled on my spinal cord.  It took a awhile to get me healthy enough to have surgery, but we finally did.  Actually surgery was almost canceled at the last minute because another kidney infection reared its ugly head.  I would have posted before now, but it was just too painful to type and I spent every waking moment asleep.  No, that wasn't a typo. I've fallen asleep driving home more times than I care to admit.  The dog started following me around and barking at me if I fell asleep sitting up or standing somewhere. 

I don't remember if I told you guys, but I was trying to shuck 7 ears of corn one night.  I was standing in front of the garbage can shucking corn and the next thing I know, I'm standing at the sink with the dog barking at me and an ear of corn in my hand.  The other 6 ears were missing. I found an ear in the silverware holder of my dishwasher, some in the food cupboard, some jammed down in glasses in the glass cupboard.  What a mess.  Welcome to extreme anemia.

So disks in my neck are now gone, the morning after surgery, my hands woke up with the rest of me.  Woohoo!.  This time, my kidneys didn't wake up so I blew up like a Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade float and the swelling ripped the stitches in my throat.  So get this... The surgeon went in through my throat  and moved my vocal cords, carotid artery, and everything else in there out of the way to get to my spine.  Then he removed the disks, put in some cadaver bone and slapped on a titanium plate.  The crazy part is every time I swallow, I get a stabbing pain in my back, but hopefully that will go away.  Because some of the stitches on my throat split, tissue pressed through the hole and it looks like I have a nipple on my throat.   BUT I CAN FEEL MY HANDS! 

I'm off work for a while so I'll try to catch up on the board.  I'm going to have to get much stronger and healthier to get my low back surgery done.   For now, I get to keep wearing my neck brace (thank God it's not summer) and using a walker.

Big Hug!
Connie

Hello Gorgeous! So good to see you again. Kelley, I'd like to hear more about your bleeding ulcer, do you mind sharing? When did this happen and what were your symptoms? How has it been treated - did you have to have more surgery to correct? Also, the severe anemia - pretty common this far out for alot of RNYers - what are you doing to correct this problem? Finally, how are you getting the regain off? No matter what I do, I can't seem to lose this regained weight (about 25 lbs. this a.m. from my lowest weight) - I hate the way I feel and would give anything to get this off again - what are you doing? Great to hear from you. Maureen

Hey Everyone,

It's been so long since I've been on here and did any kind of updating, so I figured now was the time.. I can't believe we are all almost 6 years post op already. Does it seem that long to you guys because it doesn't to me?? Well, almost 6 years later and I guess I could say things have gone pretty well, I've gained a few pounds here and there but luckily I've been able to get them back off again. Maintaining the weightloss is the hardest part, its a daily fight for me and let me tell you I'm not always the winner in the fight, I get my ass kicked a lot but I've learned to take a beaten and get back up and fight harder.... Another thing I'm fighting is severe anemia which a lot is caused by a bleeding ulcer but that seems to be getting better with the meds I'm on and all the iron I have to take. So besides all that, things are ok. I've had a lot of ups and downs these past 6 years but with all the good and bad I'd do it all over again! Well I'm happy to be back here and hope everyone else is doing Good!!!

Kelley
264lbs/140lbs

Awesome!  My club is offering Tai Chi lessons and while I haven't been able to partake in it, I have heard from some who have and done it correctly that they have gotten a great work out.  And this is really my point, it isn't what you do so much as that you do something.  Again, back to my playing days, we used to carry a section of surgial tubing with us on the bus.  It was amazing what kind of light workout you could do while traveling down the road.   You can do simple things, just do something.

Again, I really don't want to be the one who is gone for so long only to pop back on scene and preach.  My point is that I went being over 500 pounds when excepted for surgery down to a low of 239, and have gone past the three bills number only to drop it down again.  I haven't set my goal to get back to 239, rather I have set my goal to get back to the level of fitness I had at 239.  If in four months I can run under a 10 min mile for three miles and I'm at 260, it won't be an issue as I'll just keep working. For me it becomes a mind set.  I eat better because I'm  working out.  I drink more water because I'm eating better and I'm working out.  I walk taller because I'm being sucessful in staying on track. 

I know there are limitations due to finances, injuries etc but you just have to look.  I live in a city of 80,000, and even we have a community pool which offers water classes.  Water classes can be great if you are having load bearing issues or you have problems walking.   But again,  I believe that if you are having problems and you are concerned about it, some kind of excercise is a key element in your plans to feel better.  I realize that hanging out in a gym or health club isn't great for everybody.  I love my club it has everything including a great juice and coffee bar.  But, my sister for lots of reasons couldn't stand the thought of going to a gym despite having all kinds of knee problems and being told she needed to lose weight to avoid have two total knee replacements.  She started Sweating to the Eighties on DVD and lost 80 pounds from home. 

As I told my wife last night after I got out of the shower having returned from a workout.  Sometimes it is a pain to go, but I have yet to say I wish I hadn't gone, but I have said I wish I had gone.  Plus, it was damn nice to slide into bed at 11:00, still feeling the natural high of a workout, clean and sleepy. 

For the rest of you reading this.  Please take this as encouragement for making positive change.   Like almost all of us, I was on the freeway of wieght loss.  Some took an exit to a side road and have done just fine over there.  I crashed and burned.  I got back on the freeway only to crash again.  I then got a bit lost in town, but now have gotten back on the entrance to the freeway.  I'm sure I'll hit some bumps, but I know the freeway is the only way for me and I am the one responsible for keeping me there.   I wish you all the best of luck.