6 Month Update

Last month, I was stuck. In the days following my gallbladder surgery, the weight fell off and it did so very quickly. I'm not really sure why I stalled. Maybe it had something to do with the introduction of running into my routine? Maybe my muscles were retaining fluid due to the shock of being used? Who knows...

My gallbladder surgery was a breeze. I feel so much better! I am so grateful for my highly skilled surgeon. The pain I experienced was very minimal when compared to the sleeve surgery. It just felt like I had done a lot of sit-ups. I had no complications and I was able to return to light duty work after 5 days.

I had to take 5 weeks off from my 5k training because of the surgery but I started up again last week. The image below is of the progress I've made since I first attempted training. I love seeing progress. Even though my pace is still extremely slow, it's faster than when I started and that is so encouraging to see. The running intervals are getting easier and I'm recovering faster during the walking intervals.  With each week, the running intervals are lengthened and the walking intervals are shortened. I've repeated Week 1 about 3 times. I'm almost ready to move on to Week 2. I'm using the "Ease into 5K" App on my iPhone which alerts me to when I need to run/walk.  I can also listen to music during the run. This is nice because it distracts me from my huffing and puffing.

 

So here's the weight loss stats:

I've lost 70lbs so far which is about 45% of my excess weight. (22% of my starting weight.) I would like to lose at least 85% of my excess weight which would put my weight loss goal at 135lbs total. It seems like a lot but I am already over halfway there. 

 

I am so grateful for the progress I've made.  I am also grateful for the support I still see from my friends, family, and most of all, Tyler. Not only have I had to make a lot of changes, but so has he.  He encourages me to be a better person, to accomplish my goals, and to be the best I can be. I am so lucky to have such an amazing best friend and husband. This surgery has forced me to change and for that I am so glad.  I could continue sitting on my butt, gaining weight, and wondering why I feel awful. But instead, I decided to change my life. I made the sacrifice to remove 80% of my stomach to become a healthier person and a better mother in the future.

 

I hardly took any pictures this year. I realized this after my MIL asked for a few of my favorites for a calendar she was making. So, I've made extra effort to take more pictures this past month. Here's some of my favorites.

Love this guy!

Christmas with Grandma & Grandpa Keables

Our goofy family picture

In front of the Enloe tree

 

Happy New Year!

 

Natalie

 

I Declare War

That's right. I am declaring war...against my scale. My scale has been stuck at the same number for almost three weeks now. I guess it sensed how excited I was to be at 258 and thought, "Hey, let's hang out here for a few weeks." Not cool.

Here's what I'm doing to get it moving in the right direction again:

• I'm tracking EVERYTHING I eat on MyFitnessPal. Before, I just tracked my protein to make sure I was getting enough and I didn't really care about the other stuff. So now, everything that goes in, is put on record. I'm keeping my caloric intake to 900/day. (MD recommended)
• I upped my exercise last week. Instead of just walking, I'm starting to jog. I'm using the "Ease into 5K" app to interval train and get my endurance up. I'm doing this three to four times a week.
• I'm drinking at least 2 liters of water every day.

I will not quit! The scale is goin' down....(literally)

On another note, I'm having my gallbladder removed this Friday. So that may prolong my war with the scale, but that's okay. It has to be done. Gallstones are pesty, painful little bastards and I will be so glad to be rid of them for good.


Natalie

FOUR MONTHS ALREADY?

So tomorrow marks four months since I had surgery.  I know I keep saying this, but time really has flown by. It's amazing how much my outlook on life has changed just in this past month alone. I am finally getting my energy back... like my real energy. Energy that's been in hiding for 5 years. I actually feel like going on walks and outings.  I'm not afraid to go to work anymore. I used to fear going to work because being on my feet for 12 hours was torture when I was 311lbs (my peak weight). I mean, 12 hrs is still very hard, but it's much more manageable now at 258lbs. I'm not embarrassed to be seen in public. I don't wonder if people are talking about me when I walk by.  My bike is still my enemy though. I don't know if it's because I've lost some cushion to my butt, but wow, riding hurts!

I am so incredibly happy that I made the decision to have the sleeve.  My first goal is set at 199lbs.  I'm a few pounds shy of getting halfway there!

I just took this picture today to honor my milestone of getting into the 250's!

-Natalie

I LOVE OCTOBER!

October is the BEST! I feel like the world and I are on the same page in October. The weather is perfect. I can leave my windows open whenever I want to. I can wear shorts and a t-shirt during the day and then I can wear yoga pants and a sweatshirt at night.  And the colors! I love fall colors. The burnt orange, the deep reds, browns, and greens. All my favorites. For some reason, I just feel more complete in October. Weird? Yeah, maybe...

Opie and his pumpkins.

We cheated and used stencils.



We're just a little goofy.
 

 

I had a gallbladder ultrasound today because I started having some issues last week.  I was having an intense burning feeling in my mid-right rib cage that radiated to my right shoulder. It happened after I ate and lasted about 20 minutes. It was pretty awful! The ultrasound showed that I have gallstones. It's quite common to develop gallstones during weight loss, especially quick weight loss. So there's a strong possibility that I will have to go under again to have my gallbladder removed. I have no idea when. I'll hear from my surgeon when he's back from vacation next Wednesday. Boo.

 

I still love October!

12 Weeks

Sorry it's been so long since I've updated!

 

A couple things that are just way too exciting not to mention are:

 

• Janae and Cody had their baby! Sweet Emma is already a month old and is adorable as ever.

 

  

 

 

• Tyler is back in school with the goal of becoming a social worker. I'm so proud of him for setting his goal and going for it.

•  I FINALLY painted the master bathroom. I have been meaning to paint it since we bought our house last September. It was the only unfinished room and it's finally done. With the help of my awesome father-in-law, him and Tyler installed a shower door for it too.

 On the weight loss front...

Things are going great except that I've been slacking on my protein intake. When I met with my nutritionist, she said I need to be taking in 80 grams of protein from shakes. Yuck! I have not been a fan of protein shakes lately. I have found though that 1 cup light chocolate soy milk, unflavored protein powder and half a frozen banana makes for a pretty tasty shake with 25 grams of protein. If you're looking for a good, non-grainy protein powder, UNJURY is definitely the way to go. It's expensive but it's so worth it. My meal size nowadays is between 1/4-1/2 cup. I still serve myself too much food and Tyler ends up eating my leftovers.  I don't think he minds though...

I'm losing about 2-3lbs a week depending on how much I work. Being on my feet for 12 hrs straight really helps the pounds disappear. As you can see from my Ticker at the top of my page, I've lost 43 pounds! I don't really see anything different when I look in the mirror. My scrubs are huge on me now. Shorts that I couldn't even button last summer are getting too big.  It's a good problem to have :)

I just took my measurements and I am absolutely delighted by how many inches I've lost all over my body...a whopping 24 inches! This is crazy exciting for me. Anyways, thanks for reading!

6 Weeks

Time for an update! These past 6 weeks have flown by so fast. I've finally graduated to real food! It was so difficult to live on protein shakes, yogurt, and cream of wheat for 4 weeks. The taste and textures were starting to make me gag.

Honestly, the first couple weeks after surgery I experienced some regret. Mainly because of the pain I was feeling from my incisions and the muscles beneath them. But now that I am pain free and am able to eat regular food, I am adjusting to the changes much better. I am so happy that I made the decision to have surgery. It hasn't been easy at all. The lifestyle changes that I thought would become second nature, have taken a lot of mental retraining on my part. So for anyone who thinks WLS is taking the easy way out, you have been misinformed. Ha!

So, I'm headed back to work this week and my scrubs are feeling quite a bit looser than they were 6 weeks ago! Also I'm celebrating my 27th birthday tomorrow and I'm celebrating it being 28lbs lighter. Yay, me!

I am so incredibly grateful for the amazing support and encouragement I've received from my friends, family, and coworkers so far. Especially my husband, Tyler, who helped me heal quickly and took such good care of me even though I was such a pain in the butt. I think he can testify to the validity of the saying, "nurses make the worst patients."

Successfully Sleeved!

"Where are you going on your vacation?" Asked the anesthesiologist as he pressed the mask against my face.
"Somewhere near the beach...maybe Hawwwaaaaiiii or...." Then I was asleep.

The next thing I remembered, I was waking up in my room on the third floor. My pain wasn't too bad. Except my stomach looked like someone beat me with a baseball bat. I stayed one night in the hospital. Tyler got to stay overnight with me on the fold out couch. I had no problems getting my fluids in and keeping them down. I passed my leak test Tuesday morning and got the okay to be discharged later that afternoon as long as I was able to meet my hydration needs.

Really the whole thing is still a blur. I remember walking the halls feeling stoned from the morphine.  I remember thinking I was at home when I was really still in the hospital. I guess that's what happens when you work there.  My RN's and CNA's were so sweet to me. I hope I didn't cause them too much trouble. I got myself in trouble for going into areas that are for Employees only. Like the linen room and pantry. When I got caught, I was all "but I am an employee!" lol Bad patient. It was a weird feeling being the patient instead of the nurse.

I wish Tyler would have hidden my cell phone from me for the first two nights. I was sending some bizarre texts to my friends and family. My vision was blurry from the Scopolamine patch so I couldn't proof read anything before I sent it. The blurry vision coupled with autocorrect on my iPhone made for some hilarious texts that made absolutely no sense. Now I know why everyone I texted kept telling me to get some sleep.

As far as my diet goes, I am drinking 2oz of protein drink over 30 mins and 2oz of water over 30 mins. Unless I'm sleeping, I need to constantly be sipping on water or protein. I have a follow up appointment with my surgeon on July 3rd and hopefully at that point he'll advance me to pureed foods.  The coolest thing so far is that I am not hungry! That's all for now. Tootles!


Natalie

Willpower. Testing, Testing, 1-2-3-4---10

Liquids, liquids, and more liquids!
This is only day 2 of the 10 day liquid diet.
I am so uncomfortable!
I am so hungry!
I am so grumpy!
I feel so bad for my hubby...

Shopping at Costco yesterday was scary. Not for me, but scary for the customers who would stop right in front of me, leave their cart in the middle of the isle, and go to the sample stand. I had to fight the urge to run them over! I was so angry with them for getting in my way. Angry for leaving their fat cart in my way when all I wanted to do was buy my sugar free jello and my protein drinks and get the heck out of there! It was so frustrating to be stalled by these people. The not hungry version of Natalie would have patiently waited in line behind them and moved along when my turn came. Hungry Natalie is a completely different person. My glare seared through their chomping faces as I passed them by. They were my enemy. Tempting me to veer from my predetermined path. I survived Costco and so did the unsuspecting, evil sample eating jerks...I mean customers. That was yesterday.

Today was a little easier. I was still annoyed by every little thing this morning but I managed to change my attitude after some quality time with my mom. I'm beginning to realize that being uncomfortable is okay and that I will live through it.  I got this fat by comforting myself with food and by avoiding activities that made me uncomfortable.

1. I'm uncomfortable at church. This is why I haven't gone in a while. Disclaimer: This is purely me. This does not reflect on anyone at church at all. Whenever I go, I am always welcomed with open arms.
2. I'm uncomfortable at work (this is why I request LC's all the time). Working 12 hour shifts caring for the ill, as a morbidly obese girl is freaking back-breaking.
3. I'm uncomfortable going out. It's just embarrassing.

What am I going to do about it? I don't know yet. But I certainly hope that I can form a healthy relationship with all three of these things that I used to enjoy. Tyler is speaking in Sacrament meeting tomorrow so I am going to muster up some courage, put on the one skirt that fits me, and listen to my adorable husband speak.

I stumbled across this online today. It's good.

say what?

So umm, did I say I was deactivating my Facebook account? I don't remember that. I was told not to make any serious, life changing, or financial decisions for 24 hours after having my EGD because of the Fentanyl and Versed lingering in my system. Oops! They should add deleting social networking memberships to their list of things to be mindful of until the drugs wear off. Haha! Sorry for disappearing, Facebook friends. But no worries, I'm back on.

By the way, June 24th is my surgery day! I just found out today. So excited! And nervous. But mostly excited. The 10 day pre-op liquid diet begins on June 14th. I've been told the first three days are really difficult but then it gets better. The purpose of the liquid diet is to shrink the liver and reduce abdominal pressure. This reduces the risk of having to convert to an open procedure.
Here's a look of what this next month looks like for me:

June 10th: Pre-op blood work and chest x-ray
June 14th: Begin 10 day liquid diet
June 20th: Pre-op appointment with my surgeon
June 24th: Surgery
June 26th: Home
July 3th:    Post-op appointment

Did I mention that there are about a half a dozen birthdays in the family during my liquid diet phase? This may be a bit tricky.

Well, that's all for now. Tootles.


Natalie

Little Epiphanies

Sim-pli-fy a) to reduce to basic essentials  b) to diminish in scope or complexity: streamline  c) to make more intelligible.

I'm going back to the basics. Uncluttering. Simplifying my life. And I'm starting with things I waste time doing. Things like Facebook and watching too much TV.

I spend way  too much time fooling around on Facebook so I deactivated my account yesterday.  I love hearing from my friends and family and I feel I'd rather use more personal forms of communication to do so.

Sitting on my fluffy butt watching TV for hours in a day is unhealthy.  I need to find a better way to fill my time. In the past, and even more recently, I've used TV as an escape from real life. A way to ignore what is really happening around me and instead dive into something where I can become emotionally disconnected.

Those are my little epiphanies this week. :)

P.S: I will be setting an official surgery date soon. Right now, it's unofficially June 21st. I'm still waiting for insurance approval to come back...


Natalie

Learning Lots

I learned a little bit about myself today at my psych eval. And I learned a lot of stuff during the nutrition part of the eval, too.

To sum up my psych eval, most of my problems with food stem from the age of 11-12 and involve poor coping skills in reaction to my parent's nasty divorce and the emotional chasm between this event and my religious beliefs. Wow, that was a loaded sentence. Did that even make sense? Any who, this knowledge isn't really all that new to me, but it has never made more sense than it does now.

The nutrition eval was super informative. She taught me what to expect pre-op, post-op, and the weeks/months following. The main piece of information I came away with was protein. 80 milligrams of it per day. Also, advancing my diet from liquids, puree, soft, to regular over a six month period. I learned a lot of other cool stuff but it's probably only cool to me.

I should hear back from the insurance company within 7-10 days for my approval. Then surgery could be scheduled three weeks (ish) from my approval. So, I could possibly have my surgery in a little over a month.

My EGD is scheduled for May 28th. EGD = Esophagogastroduodenoscopy. A procedure where a camera scope looks at the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum. Sounds like fun, right? So grateful sedatives will be involved to get me through it!


Natalie

Psych Eval & Before/After Picture Criteria

This is gonna be fun! As part of authorization from the health insurance company, I have the great privilege of having a psychological evaluation. Can't wait! Actually, I am kind of excited about it because it means I'm one step closer to scheduling my surgery.  Along with the shrink eval I'll have a nutrition eval.  These are scheduled for May 14th  :)
On another note...
I've observed something interesting in my research. Before and after pictures of folks who have had bariatric surgery are pretty dang hilarious. I know my sense of humor is a little twisted so bare with me. I just wonder what goes through their minds when this "before" photo is chosen. I've come to this conclusion:

Criteria for choosing a Before picture:
1. You must be wearing sweatpants or pajamas (preferably with cartoons on them).
       OR
2. You must be wearing only your underwear.
3. You must not smile.

Now don't get too excited, I'm not taking any pictures of myself in my underwear. Sorry.

Criteria for choosing an After picture:
1. You must be wearing skin tight clothes.
2. You must show an excessive and unflattering amount of cleavage.
3. You must be posing in the mirror and snapping the photo with your cell phone camera.

My before/after pictures are going to be awesome and I will not be following this criteria :)

big decisions...

My WLS seminar and consultation with Dr. Ludwig went great yesterday . I have decided to pursue having surgery . The surgery I have chosen is the Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy .  It would most likely happen around August-ish. :)

So, until then, I'll be doing all I can to get ready . Lots of work, mental prep, and saving . Very excited!  Enloe Bariatric Program

Is WLS for me?

Three years ago, my doctor recommended I have weight loss surgery. I was shocked! My pride told me she was stupid and didn't know me very well.  How could I need surgery to lose weight? What does she know? I went into total defense mode.  Well, looking back, I think she knew me better than I thought. She has seen me cycle up and down since junior high. Lose it and then gain it back...then gain some more. Weight loss surgery has been on my mind ever since she recommended it. I've tried Weight Watchers (multiple times), Physician's Plan with Dr. Powell twice, and not to mention the dozen attempts to lose it on my own.

This morning I made the call to Dr. Ludwig's office. I will be attending a WLS seminar this Wednesday and meeting with Dr. Ludwig shortly after for a consultation to see what my options are.