mfryar
February 10 2006
Oct 15, 2006
February 10, 2006 TGIF!! Today is my one week new birthday! I think I am doing good. Still feeling like a whipped pup kinda light and weak but the pain is so much better and my new tummy and I are starting to bond well. My hubby weighed me on Monday just to keep track of a range of loss. Our scales aren't correct with the Dr. at my current weight but the needle keeps good track of actual pounds lost. We decided I should weigh each Friday and see how I am doing. As of this morning......drum roll please.......I am down 15 pounds! I was really shocked! I don't see Dr till March 8th but at least this will give me a good idea how I am doing. It feels really good to be a LOSER!! It is a huge adjustment but gradually it seems to be running smoother. Earlier this week I really struggled with getting my fluids and protein in and I could really tell a difference the next day. I could hardly go...so I learned it is sooooo important to drink no matter how frustrating it gets and to get all the protein I can each day. I am looking forward to getting back some of my energy.......right now I am a woose! :o) but...I am a smaller Woose! :o)
February 7th, 2006
Oct 15, 2006
February 7th, 2006
Well I am now 4 days post op and doing wonderful! I can't believe I am thru the surgery and feeling this good. My surgery went well and the Dr. said it was smooth, fast and had no complications. I loved the surgical team! They were awesome! We were cracking jokes until I went under and I remember telling them the first thing I wanted to hear in recovery was "My she looks thinner already" LOL I did have some problems from the morphine pump such as headache, nausea and the dry heaves every time I went for a walk. As soon as they got me on the liquid pain killer I started to feel quite human again. :o) I had surgery Friday morning and went home Sunday morning. It was sooooooo good to get in my own bed and be at home. I am eating my 3, 2oz meals each day and drinking all the liquids I can in between. I am not quite up to my protein levels yet but I know that will come with time. I LOVE my mashed potatoes and cottage cheese. My wonderful husband has been fantastic taking care of me. He has been fixing all my meals and puts the food in little 1oz cups and serves them to me on a little plate with my baby spoon. When he makes my instant mashed potatoes, he uses chicken broth instead of water and they are absolutely out of this world delicious!! I am never really feeling hungry but I eat my 3 meals as scheduled and am getting so I look forward to the taste. For my protein suppliment I use the carb countdown chocolate milk and mix 4 cups of this to 1 cup powdered dry milk and it tastes Yummy! I have been so blessed in that I have not had any throwing up of any my foods or liquids. I space them out and eat and sip very slowly. When I eat or drink in little amounts I can not really tell that anything is different from how I remember it felt before. The only time I feel different is when I take a capsule and it feels like it sits in my throat a little hard, and then goes down. I am still bloated from surgery and that has been the worst pain of all. My Dr. Recomended I take a laxative yesterday and that really helped. My incisions look great! The 3 upper torso look like someone took a dinner knife and just dipped it into me. Very small and neat and not painful at all. There are 3 larger incision at my waistline. One right in my belly button and one on each side. There obviously were more the work area incisions. The left waist is really sore and quite painful right after surgery. I asked Doc what ever did he do to my left waist as it was killing me....lol He explained that there is a long metal tube about the size of a broom stick that is pushed thru that opening to transport the stapler and other equipment in for the operation. It goes thru muscle and that is where alot of the pain comes from. I got very lucky in that they did not have to put a drain in me. I was really please about that. A little trick I learned form one of the ladies on this messageboard was to wear a soft ribbed tank top over my skin and have my binder on over that. It makes it so much more comfortable! My husband reminds me to keep active and walk...walk...walk.....:o) I am still a little tired feeling but all in all I feel great. I know in a few weeks my energy level will increase and I hope to be in great form when I return to work. I really miss my co-workers, but I am enjoying the rest and relaxation while I am recovering at home. For those of you who wonder about giving yourself the blood thinner shots after coming home, they really do not hurt and are easy to administer. :o) That is all for now! I will update more later.........Keep Blooming!
Well I am now 4 days post op and doing wonderful! I can't believe I am thru the surgery and feeling this good. My surgery went well and the Dr. said it was smooth, fast and had no complications. I loved the surgical team! They were awesome! We were cracking jokes until I went under and I remember telling them the first thing I wanted to hear in recovery was "My she looks thinner already" LOL I did have some problems from the morphine pump such as headache, nausea and the dry heaves every time I went for a walk. As soon as they got me on the liquid pain killer I started to feel quite human again. :o) I had surgery Friday morning and went home Sunday morning. It was sooooooo good to get in my own bed and be at home. I am eating my 3, 2oz meals each day and drinking all the liquids I can in between. I am not quite up to my protein levels yet but I know that will come with time. I LOVE my mashed potatoes and cottage cheese. My wonderful husband has been fantastic taking care of me. He has been fixing all my meals and puts the food in little 1oz cups and serves them to me on a little plate with my baby spoon. When he makes my instant mashed potatoes, he uses chicken broth instead of water and they are absolutely out of this world delicious!! I am never really feeling hungry but I eat my 3 meals as scheduled and am getting so I look forward to the taste. For my protein suppliment I use the carb countdown chocolate milk and mix 4 cups of this to 1 cup powdered dry milk and it tastes Yummy! I have been so blessed in that I have not had any throwing up of any my foods or liquids. I space them out and eat and sip very slowly. When I eat or drink in little amounts I can not really tell that anything is different from how I remember it felt before. The only time I feel different is when I take a capsule and it feels like it sits in my throat a little hard, and then goes down. I am still bloated from surgery and that has been the worst pain of all. My Dr. Recomended I take a laxative yesterday and that really helped. My incisions look great! The 3 upper torso look like someone took a dinner knife and just dipped it into me. Very small and neat and not painful at all. There are 3 larger incision at my waistline. One right in my belly button and one on each side. There obviously were more the work area incisions. The left waist is really sore and quite painful right after surgery. I asked Doc what ever did he do to my left waist as it was killing me....lol He explained that there is a long metal tube about the size of a broom stick that is pushed thru that opening to transport the stapler and other equipment in for the operation. It goes thru muscle and that is where alot of the pain comes from. I got very lucky in that they did not have to put a drain in me. I was really please about that. A little trick I learned form one of the ladies on this messageboard was to wear a soft ribbed tank top over my skin and have my binder on over that. It makes it so much more comfortable! My husband reminds me to keep active and walk...walk...walk.....:o) I am still a little tired feeling but all in all I feel great. I know in a few weeks my energy level will increase and I hope to be in great form when I return to work. I really miss my co-workers, but I am enjoying the rest and relaxation while I am recovering at home. For those of you who wonder about giving yourself the blood thinner shots after coming home, they really do not hurt and are easy to administer. :o) That is all for now! I will update more later.........Keep Blooming!
In the Beginning.....January 2006
Oct 15, 2006
Greetings! To tell you a little of myself, I am a 49 year old female. I am 6 feet tall and my consultation weight was 392. My pre surgery BMI is 53.2. I am married to a wonderful man who is so supportive of my having this surgery. We have 3 grown children who are now on their own and we are now living our lives to the fullest. I have a wonderful job and have the most awesome supportive co-workers!! They have all been so positive and happy to support me thru this and that means alot!I have always been a BBW and for the most part a SSBBW. I am a firm believer in the motto "Bloom Where You Are Planted" I have been big my whole life and have always had a positive and upbeat personality. I believe true beauty comes from the inside to the outside and your Joy is the most important ingredient in your life. I really consider myself a well adjusted BBW, I have been healthy with no real health concerns as far as Blood Pressure, Cholesterol, Sugar and all...... Now as I near 50, I have to deal with a severe arthritic knee disease which my weight makes much worse. My Ortho Dr. tried to talk to me over 2 years ago about doing this type of surgery....well I said I would never do it....now....after dealing with a new foot and knee injury I realized that the few pounds I have lost over the past 4 years are not enough to enable me with the quality of life I desire. My left knee needs a complete replacement and at my present size and weight, they would not even consider doing it.....they say I would never make it out of rehab...so......after much thought, prayer and research I decided to be open minded and consider this as an alternative. Well.....What was I so hesitant about!! For goodness sake!! This surgery is a total win win situation for me. When I think of the mobility I will be gaining I just about burst with Joy! Ever since I made my mind up to do this, I have been so positive and so excited! I went to my Dr. Consultation with Dr. Huse on December 6th. His office submitted my paperwork while the insurance company was closed for the holidays. The insurance processers returned on the 3rd of January and today...the 4th of January I got my letter of approval! WOW! I figure I must hold some type of record for approval! :o) I am thrilled! I will get called this Friday to complete my Nutrition Class, schedule my lab tests, and get a date for my surgery. So I feel like I can truly say as my New Year Resolution that I am claiming 2006 as MY YEAR FOR SUCCESS!! As for any hobbies I have......I started in January of 2005 as a seller on Ebay. I started out selling some of my larger clothing that I had downsized from and I was an overnight sensation! :o) My husband says I have a cult following! lol Actually, my listings are for some really cool clothes that have attitude and let each BBW feel like the Sexy Goddess she was meant to be. I have met some really wonderful women all over the world and I love being a positive influence to them. I believe we all need to Bloom daily at what ever place we are in. So many BBW's have been put down for years and have been made to feel badly about themselves that they have forgotten they are truly beautiful and deserve to shine! Even though I am having this wonderful surgery to help me achieve a better quality of life physically, I will always be a BBW. I am 6 feet tall and very large boned. Even at my smallest size I was a BBW. The thing I liked best about the before and after pictures of this procedure is that, you don't see large people getting skinny.....you see Before Bigger People who After are Normal looking. That to me is reality and so wonderful. I will keep you posted as to my journey. As for those of you out there who have forgotten to bloom.....rise up...greet each day...and be the very best you can be that day! I love the quote..."Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take ....but rather by the moments in life that take our breath away!" So....lets all get going and really enjoy the beautiful life we have been given!
Keep Blooming!!
To follow along with my pictorial journey, click the link below.
January 6, 2006
Today I got my surgery date! I will start my journey 4 weeks from today...February 3, 2006..there is alot to get done in the meantime so I am so happy and excited! The people I have met on here are AWESOME!! Thank you all so much for making me feel so welcome and at home! Life is Good!!!
January 18, 2006
Greetings! I have now completed my pre op tests and my nutrition classes. I was really glad to get the pre op tests all done in one day! not the most pleasant to go thru but...it is over now :o) I had Dracula the terrible as my blood sucker who blew my vein but....alll in all the lab gals were really nice. I was suprised how hard the breathing part was......I still find it difficult to make time to practice with my breathing machine......I always felt I had pretty good lung air but....I admit sometimes it is a struggle to get the meter up to the range. The pulminary gal was really fun...I giggled so much it is no wonder I was out of breath so much! :o) The nutrition class was so informative and so much fun. I drug my poor hubby with me and he was very gracious and didn't seem to mind my having him there for support. I believe having his support and him having the same nutritional information will help me make the right decisions when I am home recouperating. With my surgery day coming up so soon I still have lots to do around home getting ready. I am getting excited now about the physical perks of this surgery. Primarily, the medical issue for my knees has been the key factor...but now...I have started shopping the sale racks for some wonderfully delicious item in a size 18/20 for my "Hope Closet" :o) I ordered 3 pair of jeans in a size 26, 24, and 22 to work my way down.....Yes the excitement is really starting to build and I am so glad I have choosen to do this for me. Life is Wonderful!!
January 26, 2006
Well I am still on my path to surgery....I have been so afraid of catching the cold symptoms that seem to be all around me :o) I have been taking nyquil at night and sudafed each morning to keep my symptoms to a minimum. I am really getting excited about my day coming up! I am really getting into thinking of my new wardrobe! :o) I do so love to look good!! I have been so amazed at just how much support I have gotten for this. I have not had one person say anyting negative to me about my decision. I did so much research and spent so many hours on here reading the journeys of so many others. I have gained such an insight and am so greatful to all who have posted their journeys. I find myself sitting on the computer absorbed in another's profile and read so many thoughts that mirror my own is seems so uncanny. I find such comfort in reading all I can. It is like knowing what someone has gone thru, will educate me and even if I don't have a similar experience I am so glad the knowledge is there for my peace of mind. I wonder at times if I am odd in that I don't feel scared about facing surgery. I have every confidence in Dr. Huse and know that he is truly the best in this field. My 2 daughters, aged 22, and 24 have some fears seeing me go thru this as they lost their father almost 6 years ago. They feel like I am their only link left. I told them both if I felt that something would happen to me I would never consider it. I find peace in knowing that all things are done in God's timing and his timing is perfect. I do not belive it is near my time to go and feel there is much left for me to do on this earth. I look at this as a tool to help me live a life with a much better physical quality. It brings me joy just thinking of how much better I will be for this. The daily message boards on this site have been such a blessing to me. It is amazing the connection you can have with people you hardly even know! The Indy Melting Ladies have been Awesome for me! Thank you all for your warmth, humor and support!! 7 more days to go........:o)
Keep Blooming!!
January 6, 2006
Today I got my surgery date! I will start my journey 4 weeks from today...February 3, 2006..there is alot to get done in the meantime so I am so happy and excited! The people I have met on here are AWESOME!! Thank you all so much for making me feel so welcome and at home! Life is Good!!!
January 18, 2006
Greetings! I have now completed my pre op tests and my nutrition classes. I was really glad to get the pre op tests all done in one day! not the most pleasant to go thru but...it is over now :o) I had Dracula the terrible as my blood sucker who blew my vein but....alll in all the lab gals were really nice. I was suprised how hard the breathing part was......I still find it difficult to make time to practice with my breathing machine......I always felt I had pretty good lung air but....I admit sometimes it is a struggle to get the meter up to the range. The pulminary gal was really fun...I giggled so much it is no wonder I was out of breath so much! :o) The nutrition class was so informative and so much fun. I drug my poor hubby with me and he was very gracious and didn't seem to mind my having him there for support. I believe having his support and him having the same nutritional information will help me make the right decisions when I am home recouperating. With my surgery day coming up so soon I still have lots to do around home getting ready. I am getting excited now about the physical perks of this surgery. Primarily, the medical issue for my knees has been the key factor...but now...I have started shopping the sale racks for some wonderfully delicious item in a size 18/20 for my "Hope Closet" :o) I ordered 3 pair of jeans in a size 26, 24, and 22 to work my way down.....Yes the excitement is really starting to build and I am so glad I have choosen to do this for me. Life is Wonderful!!
January 26, 2006
Well I am still on my path to surgery....I have been so afraid of catching the cold symptoms that seem to be all around me :o) I have been taking nyquil at night and sudafed each morning to keep my symptoms to a minimum. I am really getting excited about my day coming up! I am really getting into thinking of my new wardrobe! :o) I do so love to look good!! I have been so amazed at just how much support I have gotten for this. I have not had one person say anyting negative to me about my decision. I did so much research and spent so many hours on here reading the journeys of so many others. I have gained such an insight and am so greatful to all who have posted their journeys. I find myself sitting on the computer absorbed in another's profile and read so many thoughts that mirror my own is seems so uncanny. I find such comfort in reading all I can. It is like knowing what someone has gone thru, will educate me and even if I don't have a similar experience I am so glad the knowledge is there for my peace of mind. I wonder at times if I am odd in that I don't feel scared about facing surgery. I have every confidence in Dr. Huse and know that he is truly the best in this field. My 2 daughters, aged 22, and 24 have some fears seeing me go thru this as they lost their father almost 6 years ago. They feel like I am their only link left. I told them both if I felt that something would happen to me I would never consider it. I find peace in knowing that all things are done in God's timing and his timing is perfect. I do not belive it is near my time to go and feel there is much left for me to do on this earth. I look at this as a tool to help me live a life with a much better physical quality. It brings me joy just thinking of how much better I will be for this. The daily message boards on this site have been such a blessing to me. It is amazing the connection you can have with people you hardly even know! The Indy Melting Ladies have been Awesome for me! Thank you all for your warmth, humor and support!! 7 more days to go........:o)
About Me
New Whiteland, IN
Location
37.7
BMI
Surgery
02/03/2006
Surgery Date
Jan 04, 2006
Member Since
