My Weight Loss Journey

As promised here is the day of surgery, after surgery, staple removal we counted 178 along with stiches didn't count those way to many, and a swollen at home after picture.

MORNING OF SURGERY

MORNING OF SURGERY DR NEEDED TO PRACTICE DRAWING ON ME. LOL!! OF COARSE THE BLACK LINES IS WHERE HE WOULD BE CUTTING THAT IS WHEN MY EYES GOT BIG AND HEART STARTED RACING AND AT THAT POINT IS WHEN THE NERVES HIT!!

THE ONES WHO HAVE ALWAYS BEEN THERE FOR ME DURING THIS JOURNEY!! LOVE THEM BOTH MORE THAN THEY WILL EVER KNOW!!

YES THE HOLE IS MY BELLY BUTTON AND THEY DID PUT IT BACK ON ME

SIZE 13 SHOE

AFTER SURGERY

MY LOVE BY MY SIDE ABSOLUTELY LOVE HIM!!

AFTER SURGERY

5AM PIC BEFORE 1ST SURGERY

EVERYBODY SAYS LOOK IT LOOKS LIKE A LONGHORN THAT IS ACTUALLY UPSIDE DOWN BUT THEY HAD NURSES HOLD IT UP FOR PICUTRES.

AWEFULL JP DRAINS HAD 4 OF THEM FOR 4 WEEKS IF YOU INCLUDE THE HOSPITAL TIME.

BEFORE 2ND SURGERY

THE FOLLOWING ARE MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY WHO DROVE ALL THE WAY TO WICHITA FALLS TO SEE ME AFTER SURGERY!!

MY DRAINS AND ABOUT TO REMOVE HALF THE STAPLES

AFTER I GOT THE JP DRAINS OUT FINALLY JEANS BUT MAN THEY ARE NOT THAT COMFORTABLE WITH MY INCISIONS BUT SWEATS ARE JUST GETTING OLD REMEMBER IT WILL BE AT LEAST 6 MONTHS BEFORE ALL THE SWELLING IS GONE.

AND TADA ME IN A SHORT SHIRT AND SKINNY JEANS WITH NO EXCESS SKIN TO HOLD ME BACK!!

Hello everyone!! WOW SORRY IT HAS BEEN SO LONG, LIFE GOT CRAZY BUSY THERE FOR A WHILE AS I AM SURE IT WILL HAPPEN AGAIN!!

THE PICTURES ARE GRAPHIC BUT REAL!! I AM NOT EMBARRASSED ANYMORE!! I WANT TO GROW FROM THIS AND IN THE PROCESS GET REAL AND HELP OTHERS AND HELP MYSELF HEAL FROM YEARS OF HORRIBLE NAME CALLING FROM SCHOOL ALL THE WAY TO ADULT HOOD. DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY ABOUT CLOTHES AND SHOPPING FOR THEM. THE EVERYDAY STRUGGLES WITH FOOD BECAUSE THAT IS GOING TO BE THE BATTLE EVERYDAY WHY?...I LOVE FOOD AND WHATS WORSE LOVE TO COOK AND I AM GOOD AT IT!!

SO ARE YOU READY FOR THE UPDATES I HAVE FOR YOU I HOPE YOU ARE BECAUSE THEY ARE DOWN RIGHT AMAZING IF I MAY SAY SO MYSELF!! FROM MY HUSBAND, MY FAMILY, MY FRIENDS AND EVEN ACQUAINTANCES CAN'T BELIEVE I WAS AS BIG AS THE PICTURES SHOW!! BUT I WAS AND MY BODY TOLD ME EVERYDAY. I STILL DON'T KNOW HOW I LET MYSELF GET SO BIG BUT LIFE HAPPENED AND THERE I WAS 311 POUNDS OF BIG GIRL. NOW I WILL SAY THIS AGAIN I WORKED AT MY WEIGHT LOSS AND IT WILL BE SOMETHING I WORK AT EVERYDAY BECAUSE THE LAP BAND ISN'T A MAGIC DEVICE THAT YOU JUST SIT BACK AND IT FALLS OFF YOU HAVE TO WANT TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE AND WORK AT IT. SO HERE IT GOES THE LATEST LONG OVERDUE UPDATE....

     I have officially lost like my ticker says 171 pounds!! I am currently at 140 pounds I have had the skin removal surgery called the Fleur De Lis Surgery, Not a normal tummy tuck (insurance covered) and I am in the recovery process. I am swollen, my incisions are healing well.  Sore most days but I have my good days where I am not as sore. I didn't just have a normal tummy tuck, I formed a hematoma after surgery and I had to have 2 pints of blood and I went back into surgery. I am now almost exactly 4 weeks out from surgery I had it October 21, 2013 and I wouldn't change my choice to have the surgery.
     The absolute worst part of surgery was the 4 JP drains I had which I just got removed a week ago had those babies in for 3 and half weeks only could wear sweats, couldn't sleep on my side, my back hurt because that is the position I was able to sleep and I am not a back sleeper. And despite that my hold by my decision to have the skin removal surgery.
     The pros to the surgery already are my clothes (the few I have) fit better already. I am no longer embarrassed about my skin and the way it looks shoved into my pants. I am more confident. I can share clothes with people NEVER could do that before.
     People who I haven't seen in a long time sometimes walk right past me and I laugh and say "you are not going to say hi or acknowledge me?" and the look of who are you? on their face still makes me chuckle and smile inside maybe more inside than I am on the outside. Heck even my dad walked right passed me in Walmart after looking right at me and I had to say DAD! and he said its bad when he can't recognize his own daughter. This incident was before I lost all the weight and hit my goal. Just the other day I was at a garage sale and my sister rode past on her motorcycle and I waved she just looked at me. Later I found out she didn't recognize me either. My mom owns a bar and when I went out this weekend I had several people say lets go to the taco truck I said why do I need to go? They said you need to eat some tacos. That made me laugh because little do they know I would of loved a taco but the tortilla and the meat is a bad combination for a band patient, and let me tell you I loved the taco truck tacos.

     The doctor who did my skin surgery said it will take 5-6 months just to heal and all the swelling to go down. Lifting heavy objects are still out of the question for a while to him having to go back in the second time. However he has been in the bariatric field for over 30 years and he personally told me he has never seen a Lap Band Patient have my success he made me cry in his office the first time I went to see him. He is a great man, modest, and even prayed with me before both surgeries. Dr. Warnock in Wichita Falls, Texas in case you are wondering. He not a plastic surgeon but is a general surgeon that is how my insurance covered the procedure, no plastic surgeon will deem it medically necessary to remove the skin. Dr. Eldridge in OKC at St. Anthony's did my Band surgery. More pictures will come as the swelling goes down.
ALL OF THE FOLLOWING PICTURES ARE BEFORE MY SKIN SURGERY THOSE WILL COM SHORTLY!!