Hi everyone,, Well been up down up down and up and seem to be crusing at 164 so up 2 pounds but I been trying to speed up my metabolism and exercising more. I been really busy with bradon and katies run for reason  that is being held next sat. for SUDC Awareness and benifit . Plus doing my skills testing and continued education for emt. I hope to return to work for a local ambulance  company by next fall. I am concentrating on firming up and building muscle, Feels good to be back at the gym. I love how i shock people with my new looks. I am ahving my breast augumentation april 29. Oh my kids are having a field day on this one. One son is walking around showing off his big boobies. My daughter kept saying what r u teaching the boys by having bigger boobies and I said well u know they can have big boobies if they want 2.. Just gonna be werid showing up with new head lights. I will be going into hiding for about a month tell the new girls settle down and swelling goes down,
hope everyone is having a good week, the heat is comming suppose to be 101 tommorrow
Lisa

Nice weather here too Shar, it's about time.
As for me, Im 135.5 today
Still on IV's, not eating, pain..........same old story.
I do go see a specialist on Thursday so maybe I can finally get some answers.
Wish me luck.
Have a great week everyone.
Cindy

Two years ago today….

Two years ago today, I was uncertain if I’d make it through the day. I wasn’t imagining my life after surgery, I wasn’t thinking how many children I would have, I didn’t wonder what my next exciting moment would be….   Because as far as I was concerned, none of that was even an option.   I was going to die.  And I had accepted it.   My only option was to have surgery.  I woke up, gathered my things, waited for my mom to come and pick me up to take me to Barix.  The ride over was almost unbearable.  No one really spoke too much.  I was a complete bundle of nerves.  I walked in the doors of Barix, silently, and my incredible journey and life finally began.
         It wasn’t easy.   It WAS hard.  It WAS an adjustment.  And it was all worth it.  I made this change to myself, and I was willing to work my ass off to reap the benefits.  I didn’t wonder when the next time I could have a burger, or some M&M’s would be…   but rather how hard I was going to push myself in the gym that week.  I exercised my butt off.   Literally. 
 I lost the first hundred pounds fast.  Three months in!  No one really noticed though, which was discouraging.  I guess at 400 lbs, it’s not as noticeable.  I got a lot of “Hey did you get your hair cut?"  or “is that a new outfit?"   But I had the support of all my new-found friends very early out.  It was so exciting to step on the scale every week and see a 5-10-15 lb loss! 
 The weight kept coming off, and people noticed me more, which forced me to fall into some sort of crazy depression/resentment phase.  I was angry.  I was still the same person I had been all along.  Only my outsides had changed.  Thankfully, I had many many people help me through this part of my journey.  I also had a very hard time learning my new body.  I didn’t recognize myself at all, and couldn’t see what other people saw.  To this day I still have a hard time…  but I’m coming into myself slowly :)
 I did so many amazing things over these past two years.  Shaving my legs without having to become a contortionist…   riding roller-coasters at Dorney park…  fitting into booth seats…  shopping at normal stores..   Buying my absolutely amazingly beautiful wedding dress….    Watching my brother’s fiance give birth to my niece (the most perfect baby in the world by the way!)  fitting in with a crowd of people and feeling “normal"…wearing shorts…  having a normal BMI…  Comparing my weight to bags of sand…Crossing my legs….buying cute bras that didn’t look like over-sized slingshots….and the most important of them being me allowing myself to open up, and meet my best friend in the entire world, and soul mate, Norm. 
 Today, I sit here…    154 pounds…   I lost a total of 261 pounds.  I went from wearing a 4x shirt to a S/M.  and a size 34w Jeans, to an 8.  I have not had any sugar intentionally in 2 years…   I have planned my meals every day for the past 2 YEARS! I will never forget where I came from.  I hold it dear to my heart, and will NEVER take it for granted.   I will work hard every day to make sure I eat the right foods, and make sure my choices are wise.  I will continue to exercise, because I know that I owe this to myself.  I owe it to all of you as well…..   I have done all of this. Me. I have accomplished my goals.    (and every once and a while, Norm kicks my ass into gear when I’m slacking)
 Today I sit here knowing that I’m getting married to the most amazing person in the entire world in a little over 2 months.   That we WILL have children, and that I will be alive to see them grow, and see their children grow.   I will have an excellent, and amazing healthy life with Norm, and all of our friends……   I WILL have a future and it will be because I made this decision to live.  It’s been amazing 2 years, and I look forward to every day in the future with you all!
Thank you all for believing, encouraging, and pushing me over the past two years.  I couldn’t have made it through this without all of you.

Much love....

Well, before surgery I was down about 158 lbs from my highest but I had massive abdominal hernias. Not quite Babette, but pretty big. They figured they'd need to do mesh to secure everything but I actually had good muscle tissue, it just was too much and out of place.

So they cut me from side to side and peeled back the abdominal skin and got the hernia fixed, removed my belly button (I didn't want it anyway), and cut off 8.6 lbs of excess skin. The surgery was about 5 hours long and I really did well.

I did have to stay at the hospital a second night because I was NOT ready to be home after just 24 hours. However, by about 36 hours I was ready to rock and roll out of there. I had surgery on Wednesday morning and was home from the hospital around 2:00 pm on Friday.

Saturday & Sunday were fairly quiet days spent mostly in bed except when I went to the bathroom. However, Sunday night I started having problems with one of my drains -- fluid was gushing out around the drain site and the tube wasn't holding a suction.

Monday was spent pretty much in bed because every time I stood up, the drain port was leaking all down my leg. Not fun. I'd get up to go to the bathroom and then get right back in bed.

Today I saw the surgeon. He removed the left drain and we're hoping we've gotten the right drain back to suctioning, though there is a vacuum leak somewhere because I keep getting air in the tubing. I'm taking it easy today so that that gaping hole where the tubing was can heal over.

Pain hasn't been bad at all. I had Lortab Elixir (I'm allergic to demerol and pure codeine) and took it every 4 hours until Sunday evening. Then I switched to Tylenol on Monday. I hadn't taken anything before the doctor took out the tube, but I just took 500 mg of Tylenol because it was starting to ache and hurt.

I'm hoping to get out to get my hair washed again this afternoon because I still can't shower -- just monkey bath. Won't be able to take a full shower until next Tuesday when the other drain comes out. I can only wal****il May 20th when I can then start exercising again. I also have a wonderful midriff binder to wear. Such a JOY in Texas in Spring/Summer.

How are you doing?

At home being bored to death while recovering from hernia repair, tummy tuck, and panniculectomy.

But my stomach is flat! and I have no belly button.

Susan
knocking on the door to ONEderland!!!