I hope all is well with you,

2.  18th Dec 06
Hello, Dr. Kriplani,

I just received this picture today. It was taken at a private party I played on 7th Dec 06. You will notice I am wearing a red dress. This is only the second dress I have bought myself in the last twenty years and the first red dress I remember owning. It is a size 16 down from a size 24. I now weigh 193.2 lbs, having lost about 64 lbs since my gastric bypass  on 14th Sept). I only rarely have mild discomfort in my knees, allowing me to take longer walks around this pretty little town. I’m able to do many of my errands on foot. My water aerobics class is between sessions now, so I am relying on the walking and Tai Chi for exercise. Restaurants and holiday parties featuring food are presenting some challenges as to my food intake. I usually am able to find offerings that work, but always take a backup meal just in case there is nothing I can eat. I find that eating on schedule is very helpful in keeping my energy and alertness. My food capacity and intake are still quite low. I can comfortably take about a cup of food at a meal. I am emphasizing proteins, with some fruits and vegetables. I am keeping starches to a minimum and still have not gone back to eating bread. I strongly suspect that several of the unpleasant symptoms that no longer plague me, may have been yeast related. I am continuing to take daily multivitamins and calcium as well as my Fluoxetine and the Ursodiol, which is the form of Actigal Dr. Habbis prescribed. Dr. Habbis is very happy with my progress as is Dr. Baeza, my chiropractor. My dental work is now complete and can be seen in the photo. I am no longer shy of mirrors and cameras. I have even started wearing a little make-up on special occasions. Although I have always enjoyed social situations, I now approach them with much more confidence. On Wednesday, I will go back to Arizona for the first time since my surgery and visit with my children and grandchildren. While I have spoken with them regularly, I have not seen them or sent them pictures of me. I am looking forward to surprising them with the “new me”.

I hope all is well with you. Please convey my greetings to the kind folks at Apollo Hospital.

Thank you so much,

3.   3rd Jan 07
Hello, Dr. Kriplani,

I hope your 2007 is off to a good start. I am attaching a photo of me with my two sisters, Peggy & Nancy. My parents made this Santa cutout when we were little girls. Every year we would take photos in front of it, and this year was no exception. I was always the ‘chubby” one and my sisters know better than anyone, how long and how hard I have struggled to control my weight. They have both been very supportive, although Peggy, on the left, was very uneasy about my traveling so far for surgery. They are thrilled with the change in me.

I went back to Arizona for a week over Christmas. My children were surprised and pleased with how well I’m doing. My daughter was unloading my laundry from the machine, when she held up my new slacks and said “Mom, they’re so small!” We had several holiday adventures, including a trip to Zoo Lights that required a lot of walking. My knees did very well on those occasions. I did receive two lovely clothing gifts in my former size 24. I’m currently somewhere between a size 16 & 14, weighing 185lbs (257 lbs in Sept before bypass), so I have some sewing to do.

There is a great deal of interest in my surgery. I am very comfortable talking about the process and sing the praises of your team and your hospital when the subject comes up. My two friends are interested in coming to Apollo for surgery. One needs to get past her daughter’s spring wedding, and the other has property that must be sold before they can make the trip. I gave them and my kids the photos I took while on my trip. With my knees feeling so much better, it is possible that I can delay my knee surgery until Donna & Jean are ready to make it a threesome.

Holiday food did not offer as many challenges as I feared. I always seem to be able to find something on the table I can eat, even if it’s just lettuce or a chicken wing. I am still not eating bread, and still have had no yeast problems. As much as I have always loved eating and baking bread, I feel so much better that I think I’ll leave that off the menu. I have found several brands of sugar free/fat free hard candy that satisfy my sweet tooth with very few calories. I am continuing my exercise, taking long walks in this pretty little town. Tomorrow, I meet with a personal trainer to begin a month of three one hour a week workouts under his supervision. This should be very instructive and will replace the water aerobics class that restarts in February.

My 5th grandchild is due on February 1st and I will be in Arizona to help my daughter. After that, I go to Colorado for a 4 day workshop in Neurologic Music Therapy. I have also enrolled in a program to become a Certified Music Practitioner. Both programs are very exciting for me, as they represent a return to my first love, music therapy. I have always enjoyed teaching, but I feel that the therapeutic use of music has so much to offer so many.

Wishing you and all the folks at Apollo the best in the Yew Year,

4.  22nd Jan 07
Hello, Dr. Kripani,

Wednesday was my 59th birthday. I celebrated with a one hour workout with my personal trainer, a manicure, pedicure and bone density test. All went very well. The technician on my bone density test said I have the “bones of a 20 year old”. I now weigh 175 lbs. My knees are much more comfortable and I’m enjoying taking walks in the neighborhood. On the 29th, I fly to Arizona for the birth, by Cesarean, of my fifth grandchild. The surgery is a worry, but my daughter is feeling well and looking forward to meeting her new child. I am able to eat most foods, but still avoid fats, sugars and breads. I am still taking the Actigal, Prozac, vitamins, calcium and have added Omega 3. My dental work is complete now. Between the weight loss and pretty teeth, I am much more confident socially.

Thank you so much.

5.  5th March 07
Hello, Dr. Kriplani,

I have attached a photo taken during last month’s visit to Arizona. I was there to welcome my fourth grandchild, Carmen Isabella, born on January 30. I did pick up a respiratory virus, which hit everyone in the family, except my daughter who was recovering from her Cesarean delivery. We are all doing fine now. This was my first bout of illness since my surgery, though, so I guess I was due for something. Other than that, I’ve feeling great.  I am back at my water aerobics four days a week and taking long walks on the other days. My left knee has been a little uncomfortable lately, but nowhere near as badly as before my weight loss. I am so much more flexible now. Friends, family and colleagues are all very excited with the change in me. I have been enjoying clothes again and feel much more confident. I had a visit with Dr. Habbis this week and he is very pleased with my progress. My weight loss seems to have slowed down some, but it has been so fast this far, that I am not worried about that. I now weigh 158 lbs (Down 99 lbs since my gastric bypass on 14th Sept). My face and belly seem to be sagging very little. My legs and arms have more sag. None of the sagging tissue is interfering with my movement or causing other medical or functional problems. I am so much more confident now, and feel 20 years younger than I did last summer. I am so grateful for the wonderful care I got from you and the rest of the Apollo team. Please convey my greetings to them.

Best,

7. 7th March 07
Dear Dr. Kriplani,

My appetite does seem to be returning. My portion size seems to be pretty stable. I tend to be able to handle slightly larger portions at home. When I’m dining socially, I still have very small portions, possibly because I am a little worried about the unpleasant effect of overfilling and therefore, more tense. I have only had three vomiting episodes, all after restaurant dining. I think perhaps I don’t pace myself quite as well in a social setting. I am aware of two kinds of hunger now – the “empty stomach” and the “body needs fuel”. With empty stomach sensation, I have to consciously remind myself that it takes a lot less food to address that, or I tend to go into “old hungry” mode and overdo.

When my old swimsuit got silly looking a classmate at the college gave me a two piece she couldn’t wear any more. I have lost enough weight that on Monday that suit threatening to go swimming by itself, so it was time to go shopping. Since I am doing water aerobics four days a week, having two swimsuits is really convenient. I found a couple of reasonably priced suits at Walmart and marched right into the fitting room to try them on. Nine months ago, I would have preferred a root canal to trying on swimsuits in a store. This was my first swimsuit purchase since 1986! Today is the premier of the one with the leopard spots. Tomorrow, I wear the black one with the orchid print.

Thank you for a great shopping experience – and so much more.