9 Month Post-Op Update

Highest Weight:  340 pounds (July 2014)

Initial Consult: 327.8 pounds (Feb 24, 2015)

Surgery Date: 296 pounds (May 11, 2015) (weigh-in at hospital)

Today's Weight: 206.4 (Feb 11, 2016)

Clothes Sizes (Pre Surgery):  30 pants/ 4X Shirts

Current Sizes: 16 jeans/ XL Shirt

Exercise (pre-surgery)------HAHAHAHAHAHA! What exercise? I could barely walk 100 yards without something hurting....

Current Regiment:  UJam 4 days a week, Body Pump 2 days a week, Elliptical (use it as a warmup) weight machines. 

Getting ready to stop my HBP meds (they are weaning me off slowly due to a reaction I had when they cut me off cold turkey right after surgery). And even better new is that my Fibroid tumors have shrunk in the last 3 months so I may not have to have a hysterectomy!

Have I had issues? Heck yeah! Every pound I lose is hard won due to PCOS. Constipation is an issue due to the iron tablets I have to take (hopefully will be off them soon). The Food Demon still rears its' ugly head now and then. Christmas time was by far the hardest time for me to deal with it. But I chose not to look at it as a "failure" and beat myself up for it. I instead looked at it as a reminder that I still have a ways to go. Learning from mistakes rather than mentally whipping myself is a lot more freeing. 

So for those just beginning your WLS journey or just having your surgery, just realize this--This isn't a magic bullet. It takes A LOT of hard work, both mentally and physically, but.....

IT IS SO WORTH IT.... and so are you!  

Next goal---Onederland.... just 6.6 pounds away... WOOT! 

You are doing great!

Why do you think you soon can stop the iron pills?  

My numbers had jumped back up at my 6 month labs... When I get the results back for my 9 month, they will let me stop them if the numbers are still good. My surgeon didn't want me on them for long term as it's not good for you. 

Say what? We need iron.  Most of us can't absorb much.  I had to have iron infusions because my body can't absorb and hold enough.. . 

What are your numbers? Iron panel and ferritin? If he is not testing ferritin ...then you may be still losing iron even if other numbers are improving. 

With ferritin below 50 some people get iron deficiencies symptoms.   

High ferrun are not good...but high is way over 100.. Below that you may really face low iron... 

I agree with Hala. A lot of folks do fine for the first year or two, and their iron tanks after that. Keep a close eye on it. You can always bring your numbers here so others can share their experiences.

My iron numbers were very good. Not too high, but on the high end of normal. Then I got a bleeding ulcer in early December. My iron bottomed out, and I needed a transfusion. If my iron was low normal to begin with, instead of high, it could have killed me.