Body Transformed
A Journey of Surgical Weight Loss

Making the Decision
July 14, 2001

Today I read a Reader's Digest article about Carnie Wilson. She had a new type of stomach stapling called Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery. Apparently it's a different type of surgery than has been performed in years past. She's lost a lot of weight and looks great. I'm going to do some research. Maybe this surgery is the answer for me, too.

July 22, 2001
I've been a busy girl! Researching gastric bypass surgery has taken over my life. I've learned a lot about how the surgery is different from the stomach stapling procedures performed back in the 1980s. Because part of the small intestine is sectioned off and reattached to the newly created "pouch," fewer calories (and less nutrition) from the small amount of food eaten actually ends up being absorbed by the body. Apparently this surgery is pretty new and the risks associated with it are high. About two people out of 100 die either during the surgery or from problems that occur shortly afterward. That's a scary percentage.

Aug. 4, 2001
I talked to my therapist, Emily, today about gastric bypass surgery. Not surprisingly, she was against it. As a psychologist who also deals with an eating disorder herself (anorexia and bulimia), Emily believes that we have to deal with the emotional reasons behind our eating problems, rather than focusing on the physical results of those food issues.

I know that the eating problems are the cause, but the results are beginning to cause health problems that need to be dealt with. My blood pressure is high, so I take medication to manage it. I had insulin-dependant gestational diabetes with all three of my pregnancies, and both my father and paternal grandparents developed type 2 diabetes in their later years, so I'm bound to end up pushing insulin again some day. I've used a CPAP device when I sleep due to severe sleep apnea. Which of these issues will take my life much too soon?

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Making the Decision

07/14/01: Making the Decision

08/23/01: Leaving Bill

09/18/01: No Job

09/20/01: Just That Quick

The Family and Friends Plan

09/19/02: Why Not Me?

12/26/02: Comparisons

03/22/03: Jumping on the Bandwagon

05/20/03: How I Met Ed

08/18/03: The Big Squeeze

11/06/03: New Body, New Husband

Seeking Approval

02/04/04: Time to Get Approved

03/12/04: Journey Begins

04/26/04: I'm Approved

06/13/04: Pre-Op Testing

06/20/04: In the Waiting Line

Making the Cut

07/10/04: Saying Goodbye

07/11/04: Sleepless Night

07/15/04: The Surgery

Strange Changes

07/22/04: Yummy Water

07/30/04: Smaller Tummy

08/16/04: 37 Pounds Down

09/07/04: My First 50 Pounds

10/31/04: Different Food, Same Love

New Body Countdown

11/07/04: 67 Down and Counting

11/12/04: Melting Away - 73 down

11/20/04: Breaking 200

11/26/04: Giving Thanks - 83 pounds

Holiday Madness

12/08/04: Slowing Down

12/15/04: Fortune 100, and Counting

12/27/04: Weight GAIN?

Quiet Rewards

01/06/05: Jeans Older Than My Kids

01/19/05: No Lap, But I'll Take the Luxury

01/28/05: A Most Unusual Revelation

02/07/05: Body and Sole

02/14/05: Flowers in the Mirror

Ready for Summer

03/31/05: Batwings and Tummy-Tucks

A New Life

12/15/05: Finally