hi...

Well, during the past few days it seems as if I have been a lurker. I have been reading posts, but not responding. I haven't really felt like posting either. Things have been going wonderful. My recovery went incredibly well as I have discussed. My post-op life has been pretty good too. I know that everybody is always interested in statistics...so here are my most recent. In May of 2005...I weighed in at 340 or a little more. On my surgery day on August 22nd....I weighed in at 307. Well, as of Monday of this week, I have hit 197 lbs. I still don't have a goal weight (will find that out at the end of this month when I go to the doctor). I do know, though...when I hit 183 pounds... I will weigh what I was as a senior in high school in 1984. When it comes to clothes, I have gone from 3x shirts to mediums...from size 56 pants to size 36. In reality, I did some measuring and I have lost over 47 inches. Is it exciting... Definitely!!! Do I regret it... Not at all!!! Do I get depressed...YUP!!!! Right now, I am pretty down about clothes. When I was heavier, I made sure that I was always neat and presentable. I had an incredible wardrobe. Now, however, I have five pair of pants (of which four are hand-me-downs from my room-mate.) I have about ten shirts. I get so angry that I have nothing to wear!!! Last weekend, I splurged!!! I went to Walmart and bought from their clearance racks...a pair of black jeans and a black/gray fleece shirt (always cold). That is my new weekend uniform. I just miss my clothes... I miss the diversity of styles and what I had access to. Sadly my only issue with this whole process has been related to the private aspect of bathroom issues. I no longer have the opportunity to read magazines like I used to. My potty time has greatly decreased. That isn't a big deal at all...except for the fact that going potty is a very painful experience. The iron supplement has really done a job to me. Softeners don't help... Milk of Magnesium is something that do use...but the situation has caused other issues.. Needless to say, this has definitely become a pain in the @$$. Well, keep simling everybody. Keep posting everybody. Most important, keep remembering how wonderful you are!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Daniel Congrats to you on how far you have come. How exciting that has got to be for you. I know how you feel about the potty thing. I have had the most horriable time with it. Somedays it makes me cry. I have also tried the MOM, stool softner, apple juice, cranberry juice. Nothing seemed like it wanted to work. Then, I talked to my doc's nurse. She suggested I take a fiber supp. But, she warned me ahead of time that I would need to drink lots of water behind it. So, I started taking the fiber pill along with the stool softner. Sometimes it helps, other times it doesnt. Just thought I would share that with you. Melissa

Hi Daniel, Congratulations on all your progress. I have had the opposite problem than you. Everytime I eat, it goes right through me. I am seeing the surgeon tomorrow and will ask her about that. When I first got out of the hospital, however, I could'nt take a bowl movement to save my life. I sent my honey out for some glycerin suppositories, poped one in, and within a half hour, I was liberated of my load (pun intended). If you haven't tried that, maybe it will help. Now I have the other problem. A girl just can't win sometimes! Hang in there babe. Rosa

Daniel, I am glad, for the most part, you are doing well. I am happy to see you progressing in your weight loss so successfully. I have 2 pairs of pants that fit, and maybe 6 tops that fit. I was lucky that my friend preceeded me by 7 months for the surgery, and passed on some clothes. So I feel your pain, but if that is the only closet problem I have, I feel I am doing OK. Maureen

Hello from a fellow on-again, off-again lurker...heehee One way I help the bathroom issue is fruit. My partner and I have both had the surgery--she is 10 months out and I am 7. What we do about once a week is get a cantaloupe, a honeydew melon, a bunch of grapes, and some pineapple (fresh not canned). We cut it up, store it in the fridge and snack on it all week. Regular fruit=regular bathroom time. Also, watermelon does wonders too. I hear you about the clothing thing. I have to wear a uniform at work because I am on an ambulance. In our employee handbook it states that we are only allowed one uniform change per year--after a 50 lb documented weight loss (ha!) my partner and I work at the same company. We drove them crazy with begging for new clothes. I was a 46 waist and she was a 44. We are down to a 32 and a 30 respectively. We finally learned the tactic of "well, we really are not presenting a neat image for the company when we show up for calls with clothes that are falling off..." As for everyday clothes...it was hard and depressing. Luckily, our families came through for Christmas...we told everyone just to give us gift cards. That worked out really well. My hardest problem is figuring out how to dress...I'm not a guy, so I don't know if it's different (please forgive my naivete!), but for a lesbian gal with some femme tendencies it was hard "finding my place." It's easier now to fit in the women's clothing stores...and I did get some things from there, but now I am finding myself back in the men's dept. at Wal-mart and other stores.... By the way....I just found some really nice shirts on clearance (button down and knit) at Wal-mart--maybe check it out... Good luck to you...Isn't it great to know that your size will be in stock? Take care! -Cheri