I'm Still Here 😄

Hello BOTT friends!!!! It's been since late July since I last posted I think but I have been managing to read everyone's posts. You have kept me motivated, thank you! A special thanks to Sheila, Tess, Iris, and H.a.l.a. for your frequent posts, humor, advice, and positive attitudes. Welcome to all who've joined recently!

I've continued to do really well with my "for life" eating plan. Still losing so I'm still keeping calories around 1200, eating 5 mini meals a day, focusing on protein and non-starchy veggies, a daily fruit, and an occassional high-fiber carb. I try to drink a minimum of 100 ounces of water or decaf, sugar-free beverages a day and take all my vitamins. I recently had to add potassium and magnesium for leg cramps and muscle spasms.

I've had to become and I've learned to enjoy morning exercise. It's great to have it done so life doesn't get in the way, and it doesn't take time away from my young ones. Speaking of them, they just turned 5 and 3 a couple of weeks ago -- they were born 2 years 1 day apart. My son started kindergarten and my daughter started preschool. We've been adjusting to starting our day an hour earlier, and we are working through the separation issues (aka sobbing when I leave them at school, which breaks my heart). Anyway, I go to Zumba Monday and Friday mornings, Zumba Circuit Wednesday and Saturday mornings, get up at 5:00am to do 50 minutes on the treadmill on Tuesdays and Thursdays, treadmill again Saturday and Sunday. I now find I miss it if I can't do it for some reason.

I hit my goal, so I decided to go for another 13 pounds. I was 258 at my highest, hit 155 after RNY in 2006 ( surgeon thought 145 was ideal but my body stuck at 155). Then the fertility treatments, three pregnancies, two babies via c-section, and frankly not following all the rules and not exercising frequently or hard enough and the regain crept up. The regain is gone, I'm back to 155 (5' 5 1/2'') so since I'm still losing and feeling great, I'll see if my body will continue to lose down to 145 (I have no desire to go any lower).

Also, it's a very long story but I am scheduled for surgery on October 24 but with a general surgeon and plastic surgeon 1.5 hours away instead of locally. The general surgeon will repair the hernia I've had for over 5 years since late in pregnancy with my son, take care of adhesions, and look for one or two other possible hernias. Both surgeons will attempt to remove the mesh from a previous hernia repair and fix an unknown bulge at the top of my abs under my breasts (likely the fascia is extremely weak). The PS is very experienced with WLS patients and he was able to get part of it paid by insurance. So I'll be having a full tummy tuck (it's in bad shape after 8 abdominal surgeries), a breast lift (too much weight loss and three years of breast feeding; I was once a DD and all that's left on the inside is about a B's worth) and arms. No lipo needed but he'll remove about four pounds of skin. Good-bye rashes and sharpei skin suit.

I've had many great days, some tough days, some really stressful days, but I've realized that that's just life and I deal with it. Eating poorly never helps. If I eat chocolate or something else, it needs to be a CHOICE, I enjoyi it, it's just a food like any other, and then I continue on. I think I get it.

Anyway, if you made it through this long post, sorry for any typos and thanks so much for reading. I hope to be back to posting daily on Tess' C&C starting tomorrow. After all, what day will if be????? Hump day!

Jenn

Well hello there, stranger!!!!  LOLOL!  So glad to hear from you again, and what a message!  You are doing GREAT!! and congrats on reaching goal!  Congrats on having your PS scheduled, and getting your insurance to pay for a portion.  That is a feat in itself.  Looks like you do "get it", and I admire your discipline.  Your workout week is full, to say the least.  I know getting the babes in school and being apart is difficult at first, but believe me, you will come to enjoy that time for yourself, and it will become second nature to them :)

Looking forward to hearing from you frequently again.  Your post has inspired me to continue to work diligently towards my goal.  Great post, and welcome back!

Thanks, Sheila. Way to go on sticking with your eating plan and hitting your exercise bike so hard! I hope you finally find some answers and relief for your back from your recent test. You need to be able to get out fishing again! Oh, and you are SO tempting me to try turkey bacon.

LOL!  The bacon is better than the pork bacon to me now, but it's still a processed meat, and I need to steer clear (or at least eat less of it).  I'm quite smitten, but then I've been quite smitten with candy bars and pasta in my past.  Gave those up, so I guess the turkey bacon will have to go too....eventually (a girl's gotta have SOME-thing, and since I can't afford diamonds, then turkey bacon is my next choice :)

Thanks for the compliments and well wishes.

 

Hi Jenn, so good to see your post. You are doing great....wow... So many things going on... And the major surgery.... You are going to be so happy after all heals ... And since you are so active - you muscles are strong and that should help with recovery....story like yours are really inspiring ... Great job...

Thanks, H.a.l.a. It's really helped seeing your posts, especially on on RH and vitamins...I really gain a lot from you.

Woo Hoo!!!! You are remarkable. Sounds like life has really come together for you. I'm impressed. Isn't it amazing?

Please, please, please make sure you take the time to heal after your surgery...it would be really easy to push yourself too hard too soon with that schedule and those babies (even if they don't think they're babies anymore).

Post as often as you can.

- Iris

Aw, thanks Iris, how sweet! It feels both awesome and unreal. I promise I will take care and not push myself. I tend to think I can do more than I should and it can get me into trouble, but I will not do so this time. Too much is at stake. My mom will be staying with us for a couple of weeks so she can get the kids up and off to school in the morning (my husband has a long commute and leaves before 6:00 am) and she'll take care of me during the day. I've arranged to be off up to 6 weeks if necessary or work at home later in recovery if cleared to work but I just don't feel up to it. I know I will be unable to resume exercise, except walking, for 6-8 weeks, and the surgeons already told me they will write out what they mean by how much walking I can and should do after surgery

Also - with small babies - make sure you have a pillow on your belly at ALL time while sitting or laying down. I don't have kids - but my 8 lb cat bouncing on my belly would be too much. Protect the area at all time... Specially first few weeks. Beside a binder I also had a small pillow stuck under my shirt... Just in case I bumped into something... BTW my cat would not stay off me - I think it was her way showing that she was healing me.

Jenn, Jenn, Jenn.  So good to hear from you!  You have and are doing awesome!  So excited about your upcoming surgery.  I will tell you that my surgeon and ps surgeon could not remove my mesh so they moved it deeper into my abdomen so I should not have any other issues with that particular hernia ever.  We are all so proud of you for what you have accomplished and thank you for sharing this with us.  I look forward from hearing from you daily.  Also, any PS questions you have, hop over to the PS board.  I am over there daily reading and answering any questions that I can share with folks about my previous ps surgeries.  Happy Hump Day!