The good news

Hey guys this is Jill.

I just wanted to tell everyone Toni's good news.

She could do it,

but I think I'm soooooooooooooooooo

much more excited than she is!

She weighs less than 200 pounds!!!

She weighed last week, on Tuesday, and weighed 197!!!!

I'm very proud!!! She really is going to be skinny! And HEALTHY!!!

You guys have no idea.... everything about her is different.

So if you haven't seen her recently, you need to come see her!

She's even smaller in person than she is in the photos!

A Few Updates

As you can see I'm not too good at this blogging stuff. For one thing there is only so much I can say about my weight loss. I feel like I'm braggin if I talk too much about it and I never want to be vain. I am amazed at how well I feel. That is the best part of this whole journey. Being able to wear smaller clothes and shop in regular sizes when I've been in plus sizes for I don't even know how many years is also an great feeling. I went to Pampa Friday to visit Mom and we had so much fun going to Bealls and trying on clothes. I think she's my biggest fan!! She is so proud of me and that makes me feel wonderful.

Just to give you a few statistics....when I started all this I weighed 252 lbs. I haven't weighed in a few weeks but the last time I did I was down to 202. My waist measurement was a 42 and it is now a 34. At last measurement (about 4 weeks ago) I had lost a total of 29 1/2 inches overall. I was wearing women's size 20, down to a 14 and in men's jeans I was in a size 40 and can now wear 34's. I can't even remember the last time I was this size. I actually have knee caps too!! I don't remember ever being able to see my knee caps. I am anxious to see what the next 8 months brings. They say your body levels out after about a year.

Here a few pictures from Thanksgiving Day. Thanks again for all the support and concern.

More Pictures!!

85 Days Out

It's hard to believe it's almost been 3 months since my surgery. Seems like on the average I am losing a pound every 2 days. I am at 40lbs now. It's amazing the difference 40 lbs can make. I feel so much better already even though I still have a ways to go.

I am down from a women's size 20 to a size 16 and in Levi's I am down from a 40 to a 36....comfortably!!! I finally broke down and bought a few pair of pants that fit. I was getting made fun of for my baggy a** pants. I must say, it didn't hurt my feelings. Jill took some pictures of me last night. I was feeling fat and was thinking I didin't look much better. She told me I don't even look like the same person. Of course I didn't believe her until she put the pictures side by side of some she took in June. Good grief!!!! I never felt as big as I am in those photos. See for yourself.

More Pictures

I had Jill take some more pictures. I wanted some with the same clothes that I had on in my pre-surgery pictures. Even I'm amazed at my self!! I also went to try on clothes yesterday. That was fun!!!! I am 2 sizes smaller already!! I could wear a size I haven't worn in 10 years!!!!!!!! I will divulge sizes at a later date-not quite ready for that yet.

First comparison pictures

Here are some of my first comparison pictures. Sometimes I don't feel like I am doing very good but when I look at these, I can truly see a new me forming. I'm not weighing again until October 6th so I will update the weight loss then. I think Jill did an awesome job putting my photographs together!! (she is available for photo shoots if anyone is interested)

I don't have much new to write about. I have lost a total of 30 lbs now as of last Sunday. I feel so much better already!! I am actually amazed how easy this new "lifestyle" has been. I haven't craved any foods that I'm not supposed to have, I haven't been tempted to test myself by eating something wrong (not even Kathy's homemade brownies that she has made not once but twice since I've been back to work). I get aggravated sometimes because I feel like I am so hungry and I will sit down to enjoy a meal and can only hold 3 or 4 bites. But I guess that's a good thing and the reason the surgery works so well.
I promise to post new pictures soon. People tell me they can see a huge difference in me already but of course I don't see it. I do know my clothes are getting baggy and that makes me feel good.

TWENTY-TWO

I saw my doctor today and got released to return to work tomorrow. But more importantly, I have lost a total of 22 lbs. in 26 days!!! I also measured this morning and overall I have lost 16 1/2 inches. My clothes are fitting like they are supposed to instead of looking like I'm stuffed in them.......and soon, I will have to start buying new sizes. Darn!

I couldn't wait

Yesterday I took Jill to the Dr. It was an endocrinologist, the same one I used right before my surgery. All the ladies in the office told me that I had to check in with them at least once a month to watch my progress. Well yesterday when I was there with Jill they all remembered me and insisted I weigh. Of course they didn't have to twist my arm very hard. So, I did it, I let her weigh me and guess what????? I have lost 17 lbs. in 21 days!!! That is just crazy to me but makes me very happy. I will be weighed again on Tuesday and we will do my measurements too so I will let you know of any changes.

3 week mark

I can't believe it has been 3 weeks since I had surgery. And, I'm still here to talk about it!! I am actually doing really well. My diet pretty much consists of protein drinks (at least 2 a day), mashed potatoes (yummy), I've had tuna twice and chicken twice. I also eat a can of cream of chicken or potato soup now and then. I can make 3 meals out of one order of mashed potatoes!! Talk about a cheap date.

I haven't weighed yet, not until I go to the doctor next Tuesday. I have had opportunities to weigh but for some reason I just don't want to. This has never really been about the weight part. It's obvious I will lose so I'm not really concerned how much is coming off. In fact I would really like to lose it slower than I'm going to because the saggy skin part really has me freaked. I am hoping it won't be too bad. I am walking everyday and I'm going to re-join Curves, hopefully next week. Anybody want to join me? Jill tried Curves with me before but really didn't like it so she won't be joining me this time. I am way excited to get started though!

Also, thanks to Kathy and Toni and Ladonna for calling and checking on me regularly and to Dineke for coming to see me and bringing her precious boys, Tyler and Grady!!!


Till next week........................

13 days out....

It's hard to believe it has been almost 2 weeks since my surgery. I never thought it would get here and now I can't believe I have actually gone through it. I am now doing great. Friday and Saturday I thought it was the end of me, or at least that's how bad I felt. But it's amazing what a little protein will do for the body! The Dr. I used in Houston has a whole different diet plan than the previous Dr. I saw here when I first started this journey. I am now following the first Dr.'s plan and it is working much better for me. I have learned that your body can not go without protein. I wasn't able to sleep more than an hour and a half and would wake up with a terrible headache. I would have to get up and drink water or broth and stay up about an hour and go through the whole process again. I would do pretty good in the mornings but by mid-afternoon I would start feeling really weak and bad. Jill called my mentor Michele that has gone through this same surgery in the last year and she told us what we needed to do.

I haven't weighed yet but I did measure my waist just so I could see if anything is happening with my body and guess what????????????? I have already lost 4 inches off my waist. That's crazy to me but I like it!

I don't know when I will weigh, mainly because we don't have scales. I go to the Dr. on the 26th so I might just wait until then. I don't know why I am so nervous to weigh. Maybe because I have failed at losing weight so many times in the past that I don't want to be disappointed. Of course I didn't do all this just to have bragging rights about my weight loss, I did it to be healthier, feel better, and hopefully prolong my life, or at least make the best of what is left of it!

I wish I could start back to work but I still have 2 weeks to go. I don't do well staying at home. I am feeling better though and I'm able to get out and do some stuff but it makes me pretty tired.

Jill got us moved over the weekend with the help of her family, our friend Chris and my oldest son. It was so hard for me to sit back and not work and it made me feel so guilty. But, I have been able to put up stuff and get us partly organized.


I guess that is a good enough update for now. Will add more as I can.

Six days down....

Well, I made it through the surgery. It wasn't horrible but not a walk in the park either. I am just so thankful that Jill was able to be with me through the whole thing. She was amazing. The hospital I stayed in looks like a 5 star Hotel but the care had a lot to be desired. the day of my surgery my nurse never came in my room unless Jill called her for something. The PCA's (patient care assistant) were great and did their job of checking my vitals but that is it. The nurses never checked back to see if my pain medication was working or if I was having any adverse reactions. We were not impressed. the last night I was in I finally got a nurse, Terrence, that was wonderful. He spent time with me making sure I was okay, printed out papers on my meds so I could better understand what I was getting and made sure I was comfortable.

I still haven't been hungry and it has been 6 days. I am drinking lots of Propel, that I have grown to love, chicken and beef broth and Jello. I also drink regular water too but prefer the Propel. It makes me feel good for some reason. I started walking the halls of the hospital the day of my surgery. I have had some problems sleeping so I would wake Jill up at midnight or 1:00 am and make her go walk with me. But during the day I would set in the recliner and let her take naps in my bed to make up for it. I am walking about 1/2 mile in the mornings since I've been home and I am going to try to start doing the same thing in the evenings if I feel up to it.

I'm still having problems sleeping. The longest stretch of sleep I have had since my surgery is 5 hours and that was morphine induced. Now I sleep 1 to 2 hours and wake up with a horrendous headache and have to get up for a while. That's the only complaint I have from all this so I guess that isn't too bad. I have one (of the 5) incisions that still hurts a little but I have stopped my pain medication and have done really well all day.

Friday I get to start on soft foods so I'm kind of looking forward to that. Not that I'm hungry but at least it will be different tastes for me.

My days are pretty lonely but the kids will be back from their dads tomorrow evening so I will be entertained.
Poor Jill is trying to get us moved to our new house. I feel so bad that I can't help her but hopefully the people that have promised to help out will follow through. We should be staying at the new place Friday night.

I guess that's all for now. Will keep you posted as I can.


Thanks for all the prayers and concern. I am really blessed by all of you and especially blessed by having Jill in my life. She is an amazing woman.

Saturday

Hey guys, this is Jill again.


I so just typed like for 30 minutes and when I went to format the page, everything erased! GRRRR!


Toni is doing great! I guess I'll wait till later to retype all of the details... that sooooo sucks!


Thanks for your prayers and all of your good thoughts! She did great during the surgery and is doing better and better each day.



We are in the hotel now, and both sooo much more comfortable!


... more details to come....

Surgery

Hi guys, this is Jill....


Surgery is scheduled for 9 am tomorrow (Thursday).


I was going to fly down on Friday, but I changed my flight to today. I'll be there at 9:30 pm tonight.


I don't think I'll have access to internet while down there, but if so I'll update on here.


Say some prayers!

Two more days

I can't believe it is finally here!!! I fly to Houston tomorrow and have my surgery on Thursday. I have rearranged everything in my life so many times just to have my surgery cancelled that this time, I'm just going. I will be off work until at least August 25th and I have left my work load pretty light for the guy that is going to do it for me while I'm out. Jill is the one I worry about. She has to finish packing our house and getting us moved. I just hope she gets some help from our family and friends. (hint, hint)!!
I will return on Monday the 4th and will let everyone know how it went as soon as I can.

I appreciate all your support and especially your prayers, just keep them going!!

How my journey started....

I am about to start a new journey in my life. Hopefully, it is one that will change a lot about me and about my future.


I have always been overweight, or should I say almost always. I started gaining weight when I was about 11. I wasn't gross, just heavy. I have always been very athletic and active so my weight never really concerned me. I was never made fun of, never had any problems in the dating area, and was extremely healthy.


The first time I got my heart broke I was 19. I was so devastated that I lost 50 lbs. in a month because I couldn't eat and if I ate it never stayed down. I got down to a size 7. Back then all I ever wore was Wrangler cowboy cut jeans and I wore a size 7. The smallest I had ever been in my life!!!! I stayed small until I was 25 when I got pregnant with Stephen. I gained 60lbs!!! I did lose after I had him but I was never back down to a size 7. Four years later I was pregnant again with Chris and gained 50 lbs. It was even harder to get the extra weight off then so it was a constant struggle. Three years later I had to have a hysterectomy and I have continuously gained since then. I have dieted, exercised, dieted more, gone without food, exercised more.....Yes, I could lose 20 to 50 lbs but the problem is I would gain back 30 to 70 lbs. It's crazy what we do to ourselves. I didn't want to be obese but I didn't have the will power to stick with a life change.


I had to start seeing a cardiologist a few years ago and the first thing he would always say to me when I went in was 'You have to get some weight off" I would try for a few weeks and be right back to my old habits. Then last October when I went to see him, he got real with me. He said, you are considered "MORBIDLY OBESE" and you really need to consider weight loss surgery. I was totally offended. How could he say that to ME?? My dad and brother were both very obese and died from complications due to that but I dang sure didn't look like them. HOW COULD HE SAY THAT TO ME?????


But, I thought okay-he is the doctor and I do have high blood pressure and a mitral valve problem and Jody and dad did have congestive heart failure and Type 2 Diabetes and I don't want to go through that they way they had to, I will check this out. There was a Bariatric support meeting scheduled that he told me about so I asked Jill if she would go with me and see what they had to say. We got all the booklets and listened to the Dr. speak. I wasn't interested. I was scared. I was appalled.


We took the information home and I forgot about it for a while. Then one day I ask Jill where the booklets were and she said she had thrown them away since I had no desire to have the procedure. I felt a pull to do more research. God was telling me I needed to do this.


Thus, my journey started.


I went to another meeting and found out what all I needed to do to get going and get approved by the Dr. and my insurance company. Boy has it been a rollercoaster.


I had to get a Psych evaluation, see a nutritionist, go to a Pulmonologist, more cardiologist tests, go to support group meetings. I did all this and rather quickly got approved and got my surgery scheduled for December 10th. I got a call from my Dr. on December 5th telling me that he couldn't do my surgery, due to reasons beyond his control and too much to share on here, December 7th was the last time he was allowed to do any surgery in Amarillo, TX. (not because of anything he did-just more of the idiotic, close minded, bible belt, political crap mentality in the Panhandle of Texas).


I was asked to be patient, that I should be able to have my surgery by March at the latest. March came and went....April....May.......June.......


But now, due to God answering my and lot of other people's prayers, I am scheduled for surgery July 31st in Houston.


I fly down on Wednesday, July 30th, have surgery the 31st and return home on August 4th. I am so ready and excited and have been blessed to have been sent to one of the best groups of Dr's. in the state. I thought I was going to have to be there alone and was a little concerned but thanks to the generosity and love and concern of a dear friend of mine, Jill is going to be able to be with me.


I am going to do my best to update at least once a week. I want to share my journey, my concerns, my accomplishments and my downfalls (hopefully those will be few).

Right now I am a size 20.

I cannot wait for the day I can say I'm a 16, then a 14, 12, 10.... I just really want to be healthy.

Thanks for coming on this journey with me!!