Body Transformed
A Journey of Surgical Weight Loss

Breaking 200
November 20, 2004

Weight: 199 pounds
Loss: 78 pounds

I did it! I am finally below 200 pounds for the first time since 1984. Hitting this milestone has been so important to me. Somehow, in my mind, when my weight went above 200 pounds, it was a sign that I'd crossed over a line - a line between the "normal women" and the "fat chicks." It was when I hit the 200 pound mark that I had to leave the misses department and start buying my clothes in the plus size department. How strange it is to be on the other side of that line again.

What else has changed? Well, for starters, my face has changed. When I wash my face in the morning and again at night, I smooth on plenty of rich moisturizing cream. Knowing that I'm losing the fat in my face means facing the probability of wrinkles and sagging skin. As I wash and moisturize, I can feel the shape of my face changing. I now have cheekbones where before I only had puffiness. I'm developing a jaw line and losing the extra chins that have pressed against my windpipe causing it to collapse as I sleep.

Many obese people suffer from obstructive sleep apnea, including me. Since 1996 I have slept with the mask from a Continuous Positive Air Pressure device (CPAP) blowing a steady stream of air through my nose and down my breathing passageway in order to be able to sleep. Before being fitted with the device I was an extremely loud snorer. The soft tissue of my throat would literally collapse under the weight of my chin and chest, causing my sleep to be disrupted over and over again as I struggled to breathe, staying on the edge of deep sleep.

Exhaustion was such a normal state of being for me that I had no idea the way I felt was not normal. Once I got the CPAP device and actually slept for a full 8 hours without waking, I was amazed at the energy I felt. One day I hope the leave the CPAP behind. Most gastric bypass patients with sleep apnea find that they no longer need the CPAP after losing a sufficient amount of weight. I'm beginning to feel pressure from the CPAP. I can't wait for the day when I can crawl into bed and just go to sleep without strapping on what my husband calls my "scuba gear."

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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