WLS update

The Losers Bench is a wonderful place to be :) My beginning weight in March was 347 .... My weight on the day of surgery was 314.4 ... My wait today just 5 weeks later is 289.6 ... Total loss since surgery is 24.8 pounds and that makes a grand total of 57.4 pounds lost :)
And I feel GREAT !!!! I highly recommend RNY Gastric Bypass Surgery for anyone that is dealing with life long weight issues and related health issues. It's a second chance at a healthy life .. It's a miracle
Praise God
Traci

anxiety, panic attacks, agoraphobia and more

Several of my friends and family have made comment about this surgery curing my anxiety/ panic attack and agoraphobia disorders. Like it's all caused from being fat . They don't have a clue what hell it is that I go through with these issues. It's not the being over weight .... For one they are conditions and disorders that run in my family. My mother, my grandmother, myself and my 2 beautiful daughters. This is something that I have always had but through several traumatic experiences over the years it has continued to progress to the point it is now. It's not something that will go away. It's something that I take meds to help control and I try to find other ways of limiting the distress that it all causes. I have a service animal that helps with in the home and during travel ( long distance travel ) ... she is still in training and I hope that someday I will be able to take her with me more. But for now she is still a puppy and does puppy like things that would add stress in public. I also avoid places during there busy times of the day. My darling husband is always with me when I do venture out. I usually end up leaving him in the store in the check out line as a rush to the safety of our van. My husband and children are a huge support to me and I am thankful for that.
And it's not just one thing that sets off the panic attacks... It's when the volume is to loud, it's crowds, it's being under pressure, it's small spaces, it's my mother inlaw's visits, it's dealing with my three children's special needs, it's general stress, it's unpaid bills, it's so many more things than I can list. And it's so frustrating when people patrenise you, when they don't get it and do things or make insesitive comments that make it worse.
Now don't get me wrong I love my inlaws but she is so disrepectful of me and our home. The rules of of home and our wishes in regards to our children. I wish she would GET IT and that we could have visits without the stress. This last visit it took me several weeks to work passed it all. I just thank God for my huband and our children. I our dream is to someday move some where remote and peaceful. With fresh air, wide open spaces, tons of trees and wildlife as nature is so soothing .
Thank you for allowing me to rant
Venting is good for the sole.
God bless all who read this
Traci

11 days Post -op

Hello,
Sorry that I have not been writing as much as I should. I finally had my surgery on Sept. 2nd 2009 and everything went great. In fact it was the best hospital stay I have ever experienced or been witness too. The staff was amazing and took excellent care of me and my family as well.
Sean ( my darling husband ) and my youngest daughter both stayed all night with me.
My stay was 24 hours and I was released ... My family has been so helpful and loving through out my recovery.
And I am happy to say that the numbers on the scale are beginning to move :)
I will post soon about my numbers but want to wait until I am 2 - 3 weeks out ... As not much happened the first week.
Other then getting tired easily I feel great ! And that should keep improving over the next week or 2.

I'm also excited ... about the scholarship we received for the new Kroc Center .... It's going to be great for the whole family and an incredible tool to use for my weight loss Journey

That's about it for now
Thanks for reading my ramblings and thoughts
God Bless
Traci

The all liquid diet ...

In some ways not as bad as I thought it would be but ... I thought I would lose a bit faster for some reason ..LOL I guess because you are more hungry but it's the same amount of calories 1000 per day and 95 grams pf protein. But I seem stuck :( hoping I will drop a few over the weekend.
Traci

Pre-Op Appointment Update

Today was my pre-op appointment with Dr. Pennings of Surgial Bariatrics Northwest.
He finally gave me the thumbs up today :) Yea !!!!! My surgery is officially scheduled for Weds. Sept. 2nd and 12:30 pm . He will also be removing my gallbladder and any scare tissue from my 2 c-sections. I should be released to go home the following day :)
I am doing well on my all liquid diet ... It has not been as hard as I had thought it would be.

It is an odd feeling to my excited and terrified about something at the same time. But it will add years to my life ... and allow me to see my children grow, marry and have grand babies :)
So it's well worth it !
Traci

Down 30 pounds ... and posted new videos to you tube

Just a quick up date ... I am down 30 pounds ... 17 more to go by August 31 .
I have posted picture slide shows and a new video to my video blog http://www.youtube.com/user/kualakuddlebear2

Excercised all day ...LOL

Today was so packed with exercise .... our family is on a mission :)
First thing this morning my daring husband & I took a walk ... Now keep in mind some might find our choice of places to walk odd . But I have agoraphobia and a panic disorder. So today we walked through the cities oldest and largest cemetery. It was a nice walk ... quiet and lots of trees and flowers ... then we came home packed up the 2 little ones and of to the beach for a swim in the river. We had a great time ( missed Shay not being there ... but Teenagers have their own plans ) We are going back to swim again tomorrow ( the whole family and maybe some friends )
Next we took our kids and headed to the mall about an hour before closing... Made 4 loops around the mall .... took the kids home and when our oldest got home ... we took a romantic walk on the lake.
Overall a very nice and productive day :)

This mornings weight in was 221 ( down 8.5 pounds in 6 days ... Yay )

Thank you Julie

First off thank you Julie for subscribing :)
Hugs
Traci

Uping my exercise efforts

The entire family has been so great about being supportive. This has really turned into a family effort to get healthier. In March I began personal weight training through my surgeons office. That's nice because is one on one ( no one else in the room ) I can't do crowds so public gyms are out. I suffer from panic attacks in public places ( the noisier , more crowded the worse it is ) Therefore it has taken some creative thinking to get my exercise in .
Some examples that we have found so far are as follows....

Walking 2 to 3 times a day : We have found a quiet park where no one ever goes with a beautiful relaxing atmosphere. The Mall 30 minutes before closing .... in this economy these hardly anyone there. Our local neighborhood , this beautiful quite ( well kept secret ) trails and pine trees with a great swimming hole ... We are planning to start swimming at least once a week at this new place.

I have really found that the walking is the key ... I have lost 7.1 pounds in just the last 5 days.
That makes a total weight loss of 25.1 pounds :)

Other options for workout are: playing wii with the kids, using our in home work out equipment

And we are still looking for more options to mix it up a bit .

I bought a pedometer today so I can measure how far I am walking each time ( guessing sucks )

Pre-op appointment / another obsticle

July 29 2009
I went to my scheduled pre-op appointment . Now keep i n mind I had been denied several time and was currently trying to prove a fail weight loss attempt when I won my appeal.
I was only down 18 pounds from the first time I met with my surgeon. He had asked me to lose 30. I figured that I would lose the rest on the 14 day all liquid diet he puts everyone on prior to surgery.
But no ... I got that I was not trying and if he was going to do this he wanted to be sure that I was committed ... So he postponed my surgery again :( And has asked me to lose 30 more pounds in 31 days. I am working so very hard ... to do just like he asked. My surgery is scheduled for August 31st ...

The beginning of my Journey

I began my gastric bypass jounrey on March 18th 2009... My weight 347 pounds :( I was asked by my surgeion to lose 30 pounds ... I was doing great !!! Surgery was scheduled for May 18th ... and my weight was down to 322.
Then my insurance company denied my claim for pre-authorization. I was told I could appeal and in the mean time sigh up for their $2400 weight loss program or do a medically supervised diet through my regular doctor. The insurance company wanted more proof of a medically supervised diet. I knew I had enough proof and that their denial was wrong. So I appealed and began a medically supervised diet through my personal doctor.
The first appeal was up held and it went to another department for a third option. These were huge blows for me .. I suffer from the following disorders ( anxiety, stress, agoraphobia and panic attacks ) So needless to say all of this added to my stress. I was turned down again... and I admit at this point I was not doing so good. I bounced up and down a bit. My case was sent to Maximus federal services ( they over see medicare ) and I was told that my surgions office has never had this agency overturn a denial. So I was thinking okay it's going to be denied again. Then I will reaply in September and prove the 6 month failed diet that medicare was saying they needed.
Then.... I got a HUGE surprise ! I won my appeal .... See next blog for more details :)