2/28/01 2 Year Update

[Guest guest]

Well, where does one start concerning their two year update….oh, the

numbers first!

Surgery Date: 02/28/01 (Age 46)

Weight Before: 360 (Time of my packet) 1/15/01

342 (Morning of surgery) 2/28/01

There was two months difference between sending my packet and

surgery. I also look at my weight loss from the point of my heaviest

weight.

Current Weight: 165

This is base on my weight last Christmas, due to the fact I'm in

Europe and have no access to a scale so I'll have to use that as my

official two year weight loss.

Lost: Total 195, since surgery 177

Dress Size 32.5 to 14 (size medium)

Pant Size 5X to 12 petite

Now for the harder part, how has life been changed in the two years

since my dance with Dr.Rutledge? Many, many ways. Too many to cover

them all, but I'll cover the most important.

Well, first and foremost, I must admit I considered any weight loss

better than none. I definitely lost weight slower than my

littermates and most of the MGB post op patients in the Washington DC

area but I was never discouraged. Now, two years out I've lost more

than any of them with a total of 195 pounds off!! Accomplishment!!!

My wish was to be between 160 and 180 pounds, well I made it. There

is that part of me that would love to be below 160 so I could

actually say I've lost 200 pounds but I'm not pushing it and if it

happens, I'm ok with that but if not I'm more than happy with 195

pounds off.

I did experience a prolonged plateau of 8 months (month 11-19) where

I had stopped at the weight lost of 143 pounds putting my at weight

of 217 pounds. Boy, I found that elusive 200 pound mark hard to get

pass and nothing I did made me move any further down the scale. But

in the last 5 months I dropped from 217 to 165, so that's 52 pounds

in the last four and half months. So take courage when you're in

long plateaus, I'll never know what triggers the additional weight

loss. For me the trigger was some plastic surgery followed by a new

job assignment in Geneva, Switzerland (I dropped almost 20 pounds the

first three weeks on assignment) where the change in food triggering

the additional weight lost.

Major change since dancing with Dr. Rutledge, my health. When my

medical problems were resolved with the first 75 pounds lost at six

months out, I was thrilled. The diabetes, sleep apnea, high blood

pressure, asthma, and my inability to do anything for over 10 years

due to chronic pain in my hips and legs were remarkably gone. At

this point I made my doctor of 12 years a believer in the MGB! It

took me some real convincing to win him over to my side and have him

support my decision of having a MGB but now he's referring of

patients to Dr Rutledge. At my six month follow-up with Dr. Rutledge

in September 2001, I total him, that if I didn't lose anymore weight

I was at the point I was totally satisfied with the surgery and any

additional weight lost would be icing on the cake. All my medical

problems were gone. Imagine my surprise now that I've lost 195

pounds. I've never enjoyed such good health. I'm as health as a

horse. I'm the only personal on a project team of 30 that didn't

come down with the flu in January and February and I'm working 16

hour days. The years before surgery I was out an average of 4-6

weeks a year and that almost cost me my job. That was one of many

reasons why I pursued the MGB in the first place.

I do more now than I have ever in my entire life. And for the first

time I really and truly like myself and I think I look great.

Any regrets? Well, yes two! First, Dr Rutledge where were you 25

plus years ago? How much different life would have been after

college in a male dominated business world and especially in my

chosen profession of Information Technology dealing with financial

systems. I grew up in the business! Coming from college where we

keyed at punch card machine then waited three days for print outs,

then to slowly have huge dumb terminals on our desks to today's small

computers. I was right in the middle of the action in California's

Silicon Valley. I worked more than twice as hard as my business

counterparts not only to prove myself in a man's world but to beat

the discrimination of being obese. Oh, how much easier life would

have been if Dr Rutledge had his wonderful surgery 25 plus years

ago? But that life made me what I am today and I am not only a very

successful business woman, and now I finally I look the part! My

confidence now is far greater than it has ever been and according to

my friends I'm even more outgoing before.

My second regret. Oh, the clothes budget over the last two years!

Going from a size 32.5 to petite 12! I've made a lot of women in

states of West Virginia and land extremely happy with my hand-me-

downs (which most were new and only wore a couple of times). Being a

professional and having to dress the best I could didn't help the

budget. Although it got easier when I could walk into any store and

now find and wear a size. Thank you Dr. Rutledge for the opportunity

NOT to have to buy all my clothes through catalog shopping! Clothes

were only a small part of it. But it's everything! Shoes from 9.5

to 7.5, jewelry from size 9 to 6.5, underwear, bras, coats, sweaters,

pants, tops, dresses, and evening wear. Oh, how I hated to part with

my Christmas 2001 Evening Grown which I purchased and wore to Dr

Rutledge's 2001 Christmas Party. I had lost 75 pounds then and I had

never owed such a beautiful elegant evening dress and I felt like a

million bucks and that was 100 pounds heavier than I am now….Now, my

one goal to go find a wedding dress of my dreams! Not that I'm

getting married but I have never had the opportunity to even try one

on. Since I'm in Europe on assignment for another year and a half,

maybe I'll find it Paris! Or maybe I'll have to travel the world to

find it.

Travel, never dreamed I would be able to take an assignment in

Europe. Before my MGB surgery, I couldn't fly anymore since I did

not fit in the sit on the airplane. I had been refused a sit on an

airplane which raised problems with one of consulting assignments

when I couldn't reach an out of town client. I couldn't travel to

see my family, which live on the opposite side of the country since I

couldn't fly or drive. I couldn't sit in a car to travel long hours

or even the days to reach them left alone have the vacation time to

travel across the country. I was finally able to travel by air about

5 months after surgery but I stilled needed a belt extension but I

was able to lower the tray table and that I had been the first time

in 20 years. Then three and a half months ago when I departed for my

job assignment, not only did I fit in the seat I didn't need an

extension and I was very comfortable for all 28 hours of travel

time. Unbelievable and remarkable!

I am grateful that with the MGB, I didn't have to excessively

exercise in order to lose weight. After the MGB I started just

walking from the house to the corner and added more distance as my

chronic pain deceased. I have only done two forms or exercise,

walking (spring, summer & fall) and water aerobics (winter, although

this winter I've been walking everywhere in Geneva, Switzerland where

the temperature is an average of 10-15 degrees without wind chill).

With every other diet I had to work out 7-8 hours a day, 7 days a

week in order to lose weight. But with the MGB, I just walk. I walk

an average of 5 miles a day now for at least 6 days a week. I enjoy

walking outdoors mostly on walking trails out in nature. Walking has

been extremely helpful since I'm in Europe on assignment without a

car and must walk everywhere. Additionally, I love all the

opportunities I have to go sight seeing throughout Europe and I don't

even have to give it a second thought.

I find it quite thrilling to be a body size now that is smaller than

I was in the fourth grade almost 40 years ago. I could go on and

on. But having the MGB the the best thing that could ever happen to

me. Thank you Dr Rutledge for giving me the tools I needed to have

my life back.

Moira

2/28/01 360 165 Dr R