Mar 14
About
My name is Russell and I live in Plano, TX. I am, however, and always will be, a Californian. I am 35 years old. I am married and have 1 daughter. I am morbidly obese, standing 6′1″ tall and weighing in at over 400 lbs. On Monday, March 31st, 2008, I will undergo a Gastric Bypass Procedure to help me lose weight. My weight loss goal is 220 lbs. I want to get down to 180 lbs. and stay at that weight.
I intend this blog to be a public journal of my bariatric bypass surgery journey.
I will periodically update this page with pictures and more information about myself as time goes on.
April 8th, 2008 at 8:55 pm
Hello Russell - it’s Michele from San Luis Obispo - ring any bells? Your mom & I are cousins. I’ve been keeping up with your mom regarding your surgery. I hope all is going well and am pleased you made this choice for surgery now while you are relatively young. Your choice has inspired me to start Weight Watchers (again) I have 100 pounds to loose - make that 94.5 as of yesterday. So thanks for the inspiration & I’ll be watching your progress. Do you remember our cousing Vereeta that passed away in her early 40’s? Wish she would have had the opportunity for this surgery. How much do you think is genetics?
April 8th, 2008 at 9:18 pm
Oh wow! Hi Michelle, of course I remember you! Red Hair…I remember that. I think the last time I saw you was when Austin had his car accident. God, that must have been around 1993? 15 years ago! I am so glad you left a comment here. I am hanging in there…it’s been tough, but I have very good support in my wife and good motivation in my beautiful little 3-year old daughter, Soledad. It’s hard to imagine that I have been a source of inspiration regarding weight loss, but I guess we have to take it anywhere we can get it! I am glad to hear that you have started up Weight Watchers. Hopefully we can stay in touch and inspire each other! My weight loss goal was 220 lbs. So far I’ve lost almost 40 pounds since I started my pre-op diet. My goal is 180; this is definitely not achievable solely through diet, I am going to have to exercise to get there and that has been a big focus for me, even if it’s only walking around the block, I am trying to get out there at least 2 or 3 times per day.
I do remember Vereeta. I think the last time I saw her we were living in Incline Village, Nevada and Kelly was about 1 or 2 years old. I too wish she could have had this opportunity. It seems that many in our family have battled with their weight; it’s hard to ignore genetics. I am trying to put that behind me and just focus on small achievable goals.
I look forward to keeping in touch and thanks so much for leaving a comment, it was such a pleasant surprise! I don’t know if my mom or Kelly have shared any pictures of my daughter Soledad, but I will email you one in a couple minutes…
April 16th, 2008 at 12:25 pm
CONGRATULATIONS! Glad to see you are making such great progress. It is so hard for me to motivate my self to exercise…..with the exception of swimming & aqua aerobics I hate it! A gym I used to belong to called a couple of days ago & offered to reinstate my membership with no extra fees, and a free month….I’m still thinking about it. I have quit wasting gas looking for the closest parking space, which is a first step.
Keep up the good work, changing one habit is difficult, but three at the same time is monumental. Keep up the good work and the great attitude. I am proud of you and you should be proud of you too.
April 16th, 2008 at 1:01 pm
Thanks, Michelle!
May 5th, 2008 at 1:22 pm
Sorry to hear that you are having such a tough time, but quit second guessing the dicision to have this surgery. Perhaps a new doctor or facility is in order - one with more time for his/her patients. The infection is definitely scary & questioning if errors were made is certainly understandable.
In no way am I discounting your anger, frustration and suffering, but remember that the results of not taking this step were far more predictable than the complications of the surgery.
The goal hasn’t changed and is just as important as it was prior to the surgery.
I hope you can re-capture the optimistic attitude you started out with, but be your own advocate for the care and monitoring you need and deserve. If that requires finding a new doctor or facility, so be it. Be loud and clear - become a real pain in the ass for them until they meet your needs, call them even if a fart doesn’t smell (or sound) right, and everytime you have a question or suspect that something is not right, night or day.
You deserve the best care available - demand it so the healing can continue.
May 5th, 2008 at 1:57 pm
Thanks, Michelle. Very good…and wise…advice. I have been hearing the same thing from my wife, about recapturing the enthusiasm, and I know I need to figure out a way to do this…
It’s difficult; I’ve been feeling so lousy. No energy, feeling nauseous most of the time, alot of discomfort. I will be on the intravenous anti-biotics they’ve got me on for a few more days. We’ll have to see what happens after that. I know I need to change my attitude to a more positive one and will make that my priority. I had the surgery and there’s no changing that, so there’s no point in wasting energy wishing I hadn’t had it, I just have to figure out a way to move forward and make this work for me.
Thanks again, Michelle.
May 6th, 2008 at 12:55 pm
You can do it! When you are finally off the anti-biotics you will most likely feel better - if you don’t, let’s find out why. Remember that the surgery was only weeks ago and give your body time to adjust & heal. I had my first surgery last September - complete hysterectomy - am just beginning to feel normal again, my doctor tells me it is very common that the adjustments the body needs to make take a year. Hang in there!
May 14th, 2008 at 1:46 pm
Glad to hear you are back in good spirits and feeling better. I love it when I can fit back in to old clothes…..even when I can’t breath, zipping up an old favorite is always a thrill and inspiration. Keep it up!