It's Been A While....Long While

Hey all, it's been a while since I was here.  I apologize.  I guess I got busy doing nothing.  Well okay, the truth of it is, my mom introduced me to facebook.com and it went downhill from there.  Seriously, LOL.  I have like 600 unread emails in my emails and I think my poor neopet died. 

But I didn't realize it had been that long until recently, and I was like OMG it's been like 3 months or so since I posted.  So here I am. 

I'm still doing physical therapy twice a week.  I am still getting my social security check, but last week I got a letter stating that I had to go before a hearing on Jan 13 at 9:30 am and that if I want to go through my records, to be there 30 minutes early.  I'm gonna be there as soon as the doors open, I don't think half hour is sufficient time for me to go through whatever it is they have on me since 2002. 

My 1 year labs were all okay except Vit D which was like 9.  Dr. Baker put me on 100,000 IU weekly (50,000 IU twice weekly) but I remember Susan saying something about a better way to get Vit D in at the Walk From Obesity, so if you read this, message me.  Cause I am not sure the liquid gel pills are working.  I read that low Vit D can cause pain and aches and I wonder if that is a lot of my back and hip pain?  My mom was diagnosed with low Vit D same time I was, and hers was lower than mine, and she is on less IU than me, hmmm.  

I finally got under 200lbs, for a total weightloss of 210lbs so far (currently weigh in at 190lbs).  I have pretty much teeter-tottered at this same weight, and wonder if this is the end of my weightloss?  Not that I don't mind, because losing almost 200lbs in 12 months, plus a few extra since then is a big achievement.  I figure that I have some heavy skin and excess fat on my body (mainly stomach/hips area and thighs) and that I will weigh far less once that is removed, if it is removed.  I have had no rashes or skin problems what so ever, so getting Medicare to pay for any skin removal isn't going to happen.  

Anyhow, I will add a few new pics soon.  I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner felt much better than last year (when I was only eating tablespoons).  I felt like I was eating like a normal healthy person.  I got to sample a little of everything, but stayed away from the starches and breads, and I won't lie I indulged on a little bit of sweets.  I can tolerate sugars way to easily, sadly, so I mus****ch myself, which I do. 

I can finally eat wheat bread, or whole grain breads, a little.  I can enjoy half a sandwhich and I like that, but must be sure to chew chew chew and take my time eating.  I'm still doing my protein shakes, still taking my Vitamins and Minerals, as well as my normal medicines.  Still wearing my cpap machine and oxygen when needed. 

I am walking everywhere, more so than ever in my life.  I can buy clothes in a store.  My top is smaller than my bottom (I can wear 14/16 tops, but 18W bottoms, sometimes 20 depending on brand).

Well I have written all I can think of for now.  Again, I am sorry I haven't posted in a while, and I do hope I did not worry anyone.  I really do love all you guys!!

Welcome back stranger!!!

I have wondered and thought of you often, not know how to find you otherwise.  200 pounds in 12 months is AWESOME!!!  We have missed you and your fur babies.

We have all had a tough year as you will see and you muddle thru all our posts.  We have some great new folks, even 2 men who venture out and are brave enough to hang out w/all us women!!!! BRAVE men!!!

Glad all is well, come back and see us and please post new pics!!!

Hugs,
Rhonda D.

I am SOOOO GLAD that you posted.  I was just thinking about you the other day and checked your profile to see if you had done any updates THERE maybe instead of posting here.  No cigar.  In any event, I'm glad to see you and hope you start stopping in regularly again. 

About the vitamin D...
Dr. Baker's weekly liquid gel cap DID work for me to get my vitamin D back up to where it should be.  HOWEVER, I do not take it whole like it is.  Since the oil inside it is pretty much tasteless, I bite down on it while it's in my mouth to ensure that all the oil (and vitamin D) are out before I swallow it.  I always heard that the coating on gelcaps takes too long for us to fully break down to GET to whatever is inside the gelcap.  I've heard of post-ops poking holes in gelcaps with a needle, then taking them, etc.  But since it's tasteless (just tastes like a TINY TINY taste of oil...  I mean, it's really nothing), I just bite down on mine to ensure all the vitamin inside squirts out.  Then I don't worry about whether or not I can break down the gelcap coating.
Also, I take Citracal Plus (2 pills 4 x per day).  This has added vitamin D in it.  So I'm sure that helps with my levels too. 
I was vitamin D deficient as a pre-op.  (Over 75% of the American population is and that percentage is higher among those that are overweight, obese, etc.)  About a month or so post-op (I think that's about the time it started.), I started getting hip pain and complained to Dr. Baker about it.  He checked my pre-op labs and they showed that I was vitamin D deficient pre-op, so he didn't even check my levels again.  He just put me on the Rx vitamin D gelcap. 
Bone pain IS a symptom of vitamin D deficiency.  My hip pain stopped after I started the vitamin D.  (I don't remember how long it took to stop, but it wasn't long.)  So I hope yours stops too.

OMG - the one-derland milestone!!!  CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  You have GOT to post updated pics!!!  My mom (*****cently had RNY a couple of months back) has also reached one-derland!  Doesn't it feel great!!!  I am so proud of you!  Good job! 

Well, great minds work alike!  Seems we've all been thinking about you the last few days.  So happy to see you here. What does facebook have that we don't????
I'm so proud and happy for your success. Sure hope you're able to come to a support group meeting soon, we'd love to see you.

Good luck with the SSA when you have your meeting. We'll be anxious to hear.

Take care and don't be such a stranger. We miss you!

I'm so proud for you!!! I know how awesome it feels to finally be in onederland! I keep thinking I may run into you sometime in Searcy but I'm not sure I'd even recognize you anymore - that's awesome! You may want to do a little research on the burn center in Memphis. I had a friend who went through this process and she had said that they will do surgery to eliminate the excess skin in return for the skin - they need it to help the burn victims. I've not had to look into it for myself, but you may want to check into it. I hope you continue to do great and I wish you all the best with all you endeavor to accomplish! AT