• entries
    36
  • comments
    345
  • views
    1,941

About this blog

Romans 12:2  "And be not conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your soul that you may experience what is that good and well pleasing and perfect will of God."

Entries in this blog

My first year SURGIVERSARY

My first year SURGIVERSARY

Transforming CJ……did I realize last year when I set up the name of my blog, just how MUCH I would be transformed in one year?  No, there was no way I could imagine what I would look like just 365 days later, after all I hadn’t seen myself smaller in decades!  I knew I would be different, otherwise why would I agree to have the surgery in the first place, but I had no idea the profound effect it would have on me.  Not just my anatomy, but my mentality as well!  How did an entire year fly by
CheeringCJ

CheeringCJ

14
 

11 months.....

So I hit 11 months this week...and it is a surreal feeling.  For some reason (probably because I am motivated by results!) I am very driven by my 1 yr surgiversary....and I am not thinking that is a good thing!  I guess it goes back to my dieting days where you needed to lose a certain amount of weight by a certain function (reunion/wedding/vacation/etc) and when you were drawing closer but not making it, you gave up knowing “it’s never going to happen so why keep trying?”. I have that very feel
CheeringCJ

CheeringCJ

11
10 months and counting....

10 months and counting....

It is amazing to me that I am ten months out!!!  How did that 10 months go flying by so quickly? But then again,  sometimes I think being heavy was a LIFETIME ago, not only 10 months ago!  How blessed I still feel for being able to have the surgery! This month wasn’t a big weight loss month again (eating out, going away twice, fresh Jersey peaches (so worth it!) and then  finding it hard to get back on track after vacation (but I am mostly there now).  I went up 2-3# in Aug but went back do
CheeringCJ

CheeringCJ

15
 

Month nine

I thought I'd better get this posted before it's my tenth month!!!   Here's my 9 month pictures and update. I wasn't sure I could believe Jenn when she kept saying that little weight losses mean big inch losses at this point. I mean I believed it for HER because it was obvious but that could never happen to ME!! Until this month. It's so happening!  I haven't really changed pant sizes mostly because I haven't tried plus I've been wearing dresses more since they can be a little big and
CheeringCJ

CheeringCJ

14
 

I gave blood today and had two great things happen...

First of all, the lady who was taking information said to me “how much to you weigh?” And for once I didnt’ have to whisper (or lie!) and I just said 166 like I was “normal people” and then later I got a free T-shirt and she asked me what size and I said large,  she said “that is going to be huge on you, you look much smaller than a large!”  WHAT???  You are my new BFF, lady!!!  Never leave my side and just keep reminding me that I am MUCH SMALLER!!! I think that is my weird  thing I am de
CheeringCJ

CheeringCJ

19
My 8th month surgiversary (on time for once!)

My 8th month surgiversary (on time for once!)

Another month?!?  I can’t believe how fast time flies. Sometimes it feels that I recently had surgery but sometimes it feels my sleeve has been part of my life for years!  Honestly I’m glad it’s part of my life and will be with me forever!  Before my surgery I remember wondering would I regret my choice to barbarically have the majority of my stomach severed off and stapled back up just to be thinner?  Of course in my research I found it was not all that barbaric and most people are fine with it
CheeringCJ

CheeringCJ

16
My 7th month surgiversary (a little late)

My 7th month surgiversary (a little late)

It's been absolutely a break neck speed I've been functioning at for the past few weeks. Our oldest daughter had a new baby (our 5th grandchild!) and I got to be there for the birth again, one of our sons graduated, my husband's car died which left  us scrambling for a few days searching the web for a good deal that we could pay cash for and we found a terrific car for only $7K, my husband is having his ordination service this weekend and I am hosting a party/reception for 150 ppl afterwards, th
CheeringCJ

CheeringCJ

4
 

My 6th Month Surgiversary!!!

I can not believe it has been a half year as of today!!!  It's been a whirlwind year and it is only half over!  I have gone through so many changes that I literally don't recognize myself! I eat about 700 cals/day, get all my vits in (I've only missed a few), get my protein in 98% of the time and usually get my water in but not as often (maybe 80% of the time it is over 120 oz).  I haven't been losing weight like I was and it is frustrating BUT it is still waaaaaay more weight than I have E
CheeringCJ

CheeringCJ

13
 

An update.....and my new job

So, I haven't been here much (nor will I be able to during the day)....as I started my NEW JOB this week! I love it and I love the extra money/perks/benefits/PTO (which I didn't get when I had my surgery!).  Better than that, I love being at a place they didn't know me as morbidly obese....afterall, my current BMI is 30, down from 42!!!!  I love dressing in real clothes and not hating my new ID pic bc of my double (triple) chin!  I love fitting in ONLY my side of the seat on the train....and not
CheeringCJ

CheeringCJ

10
 

My 5th Month Surgiversary!!!

My Month 5 Surgiversary!!!   Month 5 was a big struggle for me.  I wasn’t losing much weight at all (4# total! Ugh!) I was very discouraged.  I changed my eating a bit (eating more keto than what I was) and I wasn’t dropping the weight or sizes.  I decided to go back to what I was eating…tomorrow afternoon, I am making up a bunch of stuff like I used to when I was losing.  But I also started walking a lot this month.  All week I have walked between 3-6 miles a day.  I went away for a f
CheeringCJ

CheeringCJ

18
 

My 4th Month Surgiversary!!! (belated)

Ok, so it is nearly my 5th month surgiversary but I still have my 4th month entry sitting on my computer, waiting for me to take pics of my "ribbons" and I decided to just post it and be done with it! ha!  (I will get around to the ribbons, I promise, I have just been so busy lately it is nuts).  Anyway, here is my entry from weeks ago:   My 4th month surgiversary!!! I can’t believe it has been 4th months….wasn’t it just last month I said I can’t believe it had been 3 months?!?!?!
CheeringCJ

CheeringCJ

1
 

My Three Month Surgiversary!!!

Month 3?!?! I can hardly believe it has been 3 months since I had my surgery!  I still have yet to experience one second of regret!  I am down 47# (which is great but I was secretly hoping to be at 50# at 3 months but I am totally happy w/ 47….can’t remember the last time I lost that much…or if I even have!) I have been this weight before…it isn’t that I am tiny or light, but it just feels so different because it happened so fast that I barely can adjust! I forgot to measure myself thi
CheeringCJ

CheeringCJ

20
 

My Two Month Surgiversary!!!

(ok, so it took me 2 days to get this compiled!) 2 months...it flew by and I am loving every second of it! I am having fun with clothes again…it’s been a long time since that has happened.  Nothing is tight anymore and I feel so much more confident and I am mixing and matching and accessorizing and just loving it…and I haven’t spent a dime yet!!!  WHY didn’t I have this surgery 10 years ago when I was determined to get to my goal weight and never made it (despite paying hundreds of dol
CheeringCJ

CheeringCJ

5
 

8 weeks out!

8 weeks already?!?! First of all, I can’t believe I have reached 8 weeks, where did the time go?  I have no pain, and haven’t for weeks so that is great I don’t even have pain when I eat or anything.  I did have an issue with my incision (the bigger one that had the stomach pulled through)…it had a “piece of suture” sticking through it at my last surgeon’s visit (12/8) and it occasionally bleeds in the center but it hasn’t for a few weeks.  However, I woke up the other day and it was bloody
CheeringCJ

CheeringCJ

9
 

HALFWAY to GOAL (#1!)

So, today I stepped on the scale and it had gone down (after a week of nothing, which I am coming to grips with that being the normal journey!).  When I put it in my weight loss tracker, I see that I am halfway to my goal weight already!  That is AMAZING to me since it has only been 7.5 wks!  (actually I could say just under 10 wks since starting my presurgery liquid diet).  And yes, I know there are tenths of a pound, but I decided to let @Kioinfluence me to not count them today! haha!.  So, I
CheeringCJ

CheeringCJ

7
 

Tomorrow I go back to work....

I probably took off longer than anyone here....and though my first few weeks were a blur I tried to make every moment of the last few days.....tho, sadly they flew by I am not ready to go back....just baby fears I guess....like will I get enough fluid in?  how will I respond if anyone in the teacher's lounge asks why I am eating so little?  what will I say when they say "where were you?"  or "what kind of surgery did you have?"  Funny thing is I am down 30#....enough to notice if you are pa
CheeringCJ

CheeringCJ

10
 

My HOLY MOLY Moment!!!

So I took my measurements this morning and was going to tack them on yesterday's entry but I was so stunned that I thought they needed a post all their own!!! Remember when I posted about the ribbons I was doing to take my measurements? well, here is the STUNNING difference when I took them today! I was so shocked!  This explains why my clothes aren't tight anymore!!!     And my total inches went down 15.25" in 6 weeks ....the best being my abdomen which literally
CheeringCJ

CheeringCJ

10
 

My One Month Surgerversary!

Well, I can hardly believe it was one month ago today that I "went under the knife" as they say.  Not a second of regret, not when it hurt so bad, not when the room spun for 2 days, not when I threw up for the first time and thought I split an incision, not when I couldn't walk without dragging IVs all over with me, not when I got home and tried my hardest not to sneeze or laugh which was so painful, not when I couldn't sleep in my own bed but had to position myself just so on the recliner, not
CheeringCJ

CheeringCJ

8
 

Revelations at the Salvation Army today...

Well, first of all, I am on week three and doing fine with purees. I have another 4 days left of them until I can move on, but I am fine where I am at as long as I have so many flavors and choices of things I can puree!  It didn't start off as easy the things even on my list from my NUT were too thick!  She said the consistency of applesauce BUT nothing was.  I tried refried beans....nope, they were too thick and just sat in my tiny new stomach (which really just feels like it is in the middle o
CheeringCJ

CheeringCJ

10
 

2 weeks post-op!!!! I made it to PUREED foods!

So today is my 14 day post op...I made it to 2 wks....which means 4 weeks total of my liquid diet and just proving it to me was a great feeling.  I know we are all on different paths and have different doctors and NUTs and stuff.  And some of you have been able to have soft foods prior to 2 wks post op, so I know I COULD have had foods sooner and survived, but I needed to follow my plan for the fact I need to prove to myself that I CAN do it and CAN follow my "rules"....and I DID  So since 10/23
CheeringCJ

CheeringCJ

2
 

It's been 12 days already?!?!

So, I can not believe it has already been 12 days since my surgery!  I am feeling stronger with each day.  Yesterday I had a lot of nausea and was frustrated about it but today it is gone (whew!).  I am anxious to reach Monday because that marks two weeks and I feel like my pain around the two biggest incisions will be gone and I won't even need the Tylenol through out the day  (I tried to skip it yesterday when I was nauseous, but it had been about 8 hrs and I was really feeling it (not si
CheeringCJ

CheeringCJ

13
 

my surgical week....

I know I have given some info here and there, but I wanted to put it all in one place.   I can't remember what I posted  in my morpheine induced fog.  So here's what went on during the surgery.  The night before my husband was out at church running a kids program that I didn't want to go to (too many germs and I wanted to be prepared mentally for the surgery) and our DD and her BF were with him.  He took them to Denny's afterwards (since I never cook anymore...maybe twice since 10/23!)
CheeringCJ

CheeringCJ

10
 

Moving on

It's been a relatively long time since I had my surgery (almost 72 hrs!) and I'm still in the hospital. Turns out that the surgery's stress on my body caused my vertigo to flare (I've had it a few times in the past but not recently but evidently that can be triggered with an infection, illness, surgery or stress. My meds were responsible for the nausea and vomitting, but not the room spinning.  Today that has subsided so I'm breaking out! So much for my "is it Tuesday yet" t-shirt!!!! Haha!
CheeringCJ

CheeringCJ

3
 

A bit of a rough start but doing better

I came out of surgery ok (1:00 pm) but ended up in the recovery room until 10:30 pm as they didn't have a room (how rude! I asked them if they had a stable out back for me after a few hours...haha!). Turned out good though Bc I got more 1:1 care. I had a lot of nausea and dizziness, more that I realized I would. The dr said it was a combo of my anesthesia meds and pain meds (morpheine.....which reminds to advise: never become a druggie, it wasn't that fun!) despite having the endoscopy last
CheeringCJ

CheeringCJ

20
 

I'm in surgery!!!!!

posting from the OR....how freaky is that???   bet I am the first on TT that has done THAT!!! hahaha! (seriously though, I am just scheduling this to be posted when I am in ) I'll see you on the other side, but MOVE OVER BENCH SITTERS, I am coming over!!!!
CheeringCJ

CheeringCJ

12