Discovering my Xiphoid Process?

Well, nearly a year after gastric bypass.  Still learning what that means.  Like finding a sharp, pointed bone just under the skin at the bottom of my breastbone.  Thought it was growing there, but the Doc tells me it has been there all along.  And as I continue to lose weight, it becomes more obvious.  A year ago, it was cloaked in blubber, but now it projects outward like an emerging arrowhead.  Doc tells me it's my  Xiphoid Process.  Who knew?

11 Months after Gastric Bypass

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Here I am, 11 months after surgery, 97 pounds lighter!  I'm a believer!

Photos taken before bariatric surgery

Last April 19, 2011, wife Virginia snapped these gross shots of me before I went in for my gastric bypass.  In a day or so, I'll post the ones that show me nearly 11 months later, and 97 pounds lighter.  But first, the Fluffy Me: 

February, a Ten Month Report

Ten Months after Gastric Bypass surgery, the weight loss has slowed to a crawl, but still crawling in the right direction.  This morning the scale read 177, reflecting a 97-pound weight loss.

Gave away a few more of my old 2XL sweatsuits.  And last night, shopping at Wal-mart, I bought the first set of X-Free sweats.  Both the pants and the top bore a single "L."  I'm 70 years old and this is the first time in my life I've done that.  And they fit, too!

Continuing my workout classes at St. Vincent's under the tutelage of physician assistant Brooke Perlik.  Now it's not exactly news that I'm working out.  Been doing that for decades, but doing the same things at the same intensity so I never improved over time.  What's different now is that I trust Mrs. P to ramp things up so that I see improvement from one session to the next.  She has me doing five sets on each machine, up from three,  And increasing my hiking speed on the treadmill from 2.8 mph to 3.1, and then to 3.5.  Thanks!

Mid-month ups and downs

When last I visited a diabetes specialist, he gave me a rosy report.  HbA1c was an excellent 6.1, and he recommended that I stop my last oral medication, Januvia.  But this morning, my first glucose check of the new year came through at around 200!  So I'm going to restart the Januvia until I see him again in March.

I'm a bit bummed, though.  Had my gastric bypass to "cure" my diabetes, and it certainly seemed to be doing that.  It's brought me many good results, including a 95-lb weight loss so far, and I hate to give in to Old Devil Diabetes.

On a brighter note, I bought a smaller dress shirt and it fits just fine.  First shirt of my adult life that is only 16/16.5.  For decades I wore 17-1/2, then over the past six years upgraded to 18 or larger.  Now all of those "fluffy" shirts have been donated, and this week I'm giving away 6 of the 17-1/2s.  I'm feeling good about my clothing makeover.  Last week I took in a pair of suit pants that were too tight to wear until August or September, and had the pants taken in an extra three inches!

Nine Months after Surgery

After Thanksgiving, I joined a workout class at St Vincent's, where my surgery was done last April 20.  Called "Pre Gym Prep," the class is taught by Brooke Perlik two nights each week.  It's been doing wonders for me.  The group is small, usually five or so, and Brooke works us steadily.  Some cardio, but about half the class time is devoted to strength exercises, primarily on exercise machines.  Love it!

Dieting didn't go particularly well during the Holidays.  Lots of munchies around the house, and I sort of wallowed in the sweets.  Cookies, cakes, cookies, pies, other goodies.  Did I mention the cookies?  So I was glad to see New Year's fade in the rear-view mirror.  And when I weighed myself last week, the magic number was 179.  The lightest I've ever been in my adult life.  I'm guessing I'd have to go back to the age of 13 or 14  in the Great Weight Log of Life to find a smaller number.

I started this program at 274, so I've now lost 95 pounds.  And I'd still like to lose another 15 or so.

One last gloat:  When I started, I was wearing slacks with 46 and 48-in. waists.  Dropped  over the first few months to 44, then 42.  Then in full flush of insanity, I bought a pair of dockers in size 36.  When I can wear those, I will be happy, I said.  And this last Monday, I did.  And I am.