Recovering from trauma that's left me at 300lbs...

mrsmocknbyrd1
mrsmocknbyrd1 Posts: 22
in Introduce Yourself
So, I'm 21 and live in Alabama. I teach voice and my husband is a butcher. I had my daughter last January and my doctor said, I quote, "You really should never conceive again. You might not survive."

The story: I've been overweight for a while. Mostly hovering around 150 - 180 in my teen years, with my highest being 220, which is when I got pregnant. It was the worst 9 months of my life and I know a lot of people can say that, but I mean it. I had three nearly-miscarriages, ending in a strict, pee-only bed rest lasting nearly 3 months. I gained 100 lbs in all and ended up being induced because of pre-eclampsia. THAT ended in a particularly nasty c-section, thanks to the severe edema in my lower abdomen.

After having her, I weighed around 330, but dropped 50 lbs of water weight in the first week after I had her. After that, I was rushed to the ER and had to be reopened on the table, without warning OR sedative. I ended up having to have nurses come and pack my wound from February to May of 2012. After that, I STILL wasn't healed - I didn't end up healing until July or so.


I am currently floating around 280 - 290. I've just joined a gym, because I was not OK'd to do anything but walk until my daughter's first birthday. Not only do I have a lot of weight to lose, I also have a lot of extra skin from the edema and dropping 50 lbs in a week. I have ZERO muscle mass and my BMI is a whopping FIFTY SIX. Worst part of all this is that I've had to literally sit by idly as this happened to me. I'm so relieved to get to work out!

I'm beyond couch potato or lazy person status, lol. I am at below ground zero, if that's even possible, and I know the first several months of this process is going to be hell. I'm sure I could use some support.


I'd also like to represent the UNDEREATERS among us. Most people see someone as large as me and assume I chomp away on greasy, fatty food all day. Not so. I rarely eat, because I haven't had an appetite since I had my daughter (that's over a year, folks!). So I'm also having to learn to actually EAT throughout the day and eat WELL.



So. Hello. Tell me about yourself and let's be fitness buddies! :)

Replies

  • huntress86
    huntress86 Posts: 7 Member
    feel free to add me. I lost 60lbs and got married then gained 30lbs back and now i'm back to losing. Its been a hard and long road for me to get down to where I'm at but its been worth it. Before I lost the 60 I was at 234 and now im back to 202. I hit the gym again and it felt awesome. hope you can have great success.
  • mrsmocknbyrd1
    mrsmocknbyrd1 Posts: 22
    I added you! thanks! :)
  • Cinabean
    Cinabean Posts: 44 Member
    Please add me if you'd like. I'll leave it to you in case there is something in my profile that doesn't strike the right chord with you.

    I'm sorry about everything you've had to go through, but admire your determination to tackle it head-on now that you have been cleared to do so. It's always so easy to say "oh, I have a condition" and never do anything again.

    AMEN to your comment about undereating. That was the first thing I noticed when I started recording on here a couple weeks ago. I really don't eat as much as I should, and have been working VERY hard to eat breakfast especially. Blech. Don't like eating in the morning. With my thyroid out of whack, I don't have to overeat to pack it on. I'm finding I have to be pretty daggone picky and eat the right stuff.

    SO...you go, girl! I think you're amazing!
  • audra0831
    audra0831 Posts: 244
    Hi, sending friend request your way! :happy:
  • ShaunDen
    ShaunDen Posts: 16 Member
    AWW SORRY TO HEAR THAT HUN!!!!!! FEEL FREE TO ADD ME:)
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,409 Member
    Your body is an incredible machine. You will be surprised at its abililty to heal.


    That said, it doesn't have to happen all-at-once. Start with light exercise.

    You can eat a lot less than most people. You need to lose this weight.

    Take care of you. Listen to the doctors. You will come out of this! Be tough, but be patient.
  • 1Babyface
    1Babyface Posts: 3
    u know i hate to hear all that you have gone through i have been through some rough things that have left me quite overweight...and yep people assume because u r that thick that u do eat all day or so lazy or dont care.. i care about myself just as u do... i dont even eat alot never have i think i was eating the wrong thing at times and yep i am an under eater and very picky... i can offer support and friendship if u like.... be encouraged and woohoo wtg on the road to weight loss for all of us going through this journey......
  • Rodamort
    Rodamort Posts: 171 Member
    Well I didn't give birth to a kid, but I have put on "sympathy weight" with each one of our kids. I started at 330 pounds last July and around 51-52% body fat. I am now down around 242 pounds and just recently fell outside the "morbidly obese" category! You can do this. If I can do it, anyone can!!! Take it slow at first. Don't push yourself to far as you don't want to set yourself back with injuries. Try to stay within your daily calorie goals, but EAT!!! I use to see how close I could get to my calorie goals without going over. And enjoy the food that you eat, especially at first. Don't eat stuff that you can't maintain eating the rest of your life or you won't stick with it! Just stay within your limits! If you need to, eat back some of the exercise calories you burn. I tried not to do it unless I really went overboard on exercise during the day. Feel free to add me as a friend. Been logging well over 200 days straight now. Good luck to you!! You can do this!!!
  • gfiorine
    gfiorine Posts: 40 Member
    Wow, sounds like you've gone through the worst of the worst...glad you made it through. Feel free to add me
  • southernmom3
    southernmom3 Posts: 181 Member
    please feel free to add me. I am new on here and could use the support too!
  • mrsmocknbyrd1
    mrsmocknbyrd1 Posts: 22
    I sent requests to everyone! Thanks a lot.


    I have to tell y'all that I did go through a lot of "why me" and "why bother" before getting to this place, but I like it BETTER here, so this is where I stay. :)
  • AJinBirmingham
    AJinBirmingham Posts: 497
    Wow. CONGRATULATIONS on getting through so much, and with your determination to take care of your health in tact!

    I also gained a lot of weight having my two children, although under much easier and more ordinary circumstances - I tend to overeat and over-exercise - but I'm in Alabama so might be nearby, and I'm happy to accept a friend request if you'd like my support.
  • mrsmocknbyrd1
    mrsmocknbyrd1 Posts: 22
    Your body is an incredible machine. You will be surprised at its abililty to heal.


    That said, it doesn't have to happen all-at-once. Start with light exercise.

    You can eat a lot less than most people. You need to lose this weight.

    Take care of you. Listen to the doctors. You will come out of this! Be tough, but be patient.


    Thanks! I am awed daily, especially considering that this time last year, I had a gaping wound in my abdomen. :P
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,409 Member
    Your body is an incredible machine. You will be surprised at its abililty to heal.


    That said, it doesn't have to happen all-at-once. Start with light exercise.

    You can eat a lot less than most people. You need to lose this weight.

    Take care of you. Listen to the doctors. You will come out of this! Be tough, but be patient.


    Thanks! I am awed daily, especially considering that this time last year, I had a gaping wound in my abdomen. :P

    ...and a year has passed. How much better do you feel? This time next year, you will have lost the weight you want to lose. You will have fully recovered, and you will be at a beach somewhere playing with your child.

    Just like that your life turns around.
  • staceyw73
    staceyw73 Posts: 49
    Hi you can add me as a friend . I know basicly what you are going threw kinda. I weight 230 lbs. I am a disabled vet that hurt my back in 2003 then in 2008 had to have a spinal fusion on my L4/L5 and over the last 8 years I have gained about 85 lbs and alot is because of not being able to work out and not eat enough so like you my body stored it. then I started to feel better back in aug and focusing on lossing my weight I ended up having a second fusion of my T9 thru L2 because of a ATV wreak I was in back on sept 1st. I didnt have the surgery until mid Nov. and just final got out of my back brace 2 weeks ago. I need some friends that can help keep me going also I live in Cincinnati,oh and dont know anyone here but my boyfriend and some of his co workers. so right now I am tiring to ajust my eating ways and figure out what my body will let me do. also I kinda know what you ment about taking awail for a insion to heal I was traked for about 2 weeks and then they took it out and the doctor said it would be closed up in a couple days but it too almost 3 months to heal. and the first 3 weeks after they took it out I ended up in a rehab because I lost all my streath and could not get my self to look at the hole to clean it. and finaly after 2 1/2 weeks i had no choice to look at it and learn to clean it if i wanted to go back home. in that time spent in the hospital and rehab i lost some weight but then doctor put me on meds to help me sleep and I ended up stop taking it because all I wanted to do was eat and gained that weight back. I hope you didnt mind me telling my story but I wanted to let you know your not alone about having things to over come becuase things dont go as planed in life.
    Stacey
  • happydispatcher
    happydispatcher Posts: 56 Member
    Feel free to add me as well. Although I did not have such a tramatic ordeal when I had my son 5 years ago I did go through a c-section and at the time I was over 150lbs over weight and over 40 years old. I also just recently joined MFP having tried to do it on my own. Good Luck!
  • BellaBumbles
    BellaBumbles Posts: 35
    I went through some rough health stuff too. Nothing like your story, but still nothing that I'm too happy about. I under-eat often too, always have. One, maybe two meals a day is all I end up consuming. Its been difficult to figure out how to fit extra, clean calories into my day. Feel free to add me! Good luck!

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