Cymbalta and Stuff

Yesterday was the first day on the increased dose of Cymbalta. I started at 30 mgs and raised it yesterday to 60 mgs. I guess it took several hours to be effective. I didn't notice anything for awhile but by evening I was feeling a little sedated and lethargic. I didn't really feel like going out to dinner or grocery shopping but I did anyway. I dressed comfortably and didn't spend as much time as usual on my makeup. I also felt too tired to walk around Walmart but I made myself do it. I made it for about an hour and then I needed to stop and rest a bit. Thankfully, I stayed together enough mentally to be able to get everything we needed for food this week and also the last items for Thanksgiving. I was a little drowsy etc when I started the 30 mgs last week and that wore off after a couple of days, so I'm assuming that a few days from now I wont notice the side effects so much.

One good thing so far, my appetite has decreased since I started the Cymbalta and my stall is broken. In fact, the weight is coming off pretty fast again. I've lost 5 pounds in the last 5 days. I cant say I'm unhappy about that. I was worried there for a while that I was done with losing. It is a relief to know I'm not. I weighed in at 192 today. The only negative thing is that my new rings are now starting to slide off.

Anyway, I just thought I would update on my progress with the new meds. I will see the nurse at Dr. Gyurik's on Tuesday to get a new script. That will be a fun day. Clear liquids and cleanout for my colonoscopy on Wednesday. Have you had a colonoscopy lately? You really should give it a try. :)

Sunshine

Odd and Ends

I have a few things to report. The best thing being that I am no longer obese. I am now in the overweight category. I weighed in at 196 this morning. One more milestone reached. I feel good about but I do have to say that the loss has slowed down enough to make me wonder if I will be able to get to my goal. It wont be the end of the world if I dont. I would like to be at a normal weight, but many people in my life have told me that I look great now. I'm going to keep plugging away and see where I fall in the end.

Yesterday, I had my second session with my new therapist. Her name is Kristin, if I havent mentioned it before. It was a very interesting session and I'm really pleased with her and the way things are going. It feels really good to have a support system in place as I struggle with this depression. Dr. Gyurik has been wonderful too. I have high hopes for the Cymbalta.

More later.

Sunshine

Psych Visit

I meant to post an update on Thursday when I saw Dr. Gyurik, but things just got so busy I didn't think about it. Anyway, here is the latest news in that department. She agrees that maybe it is time to try something newer than Prozac. Besides the annoying sexual side effects, the Prozac no longer seems to be relieving my depression. After researching the newer ones, I found that Cymbalta seems to have the least percentage of sexual side effects. Only about 3% of patients have this issue. I decided it was worth a try and so I asked Dr. Gyurik about that one specifically. She gave me some samples. I started on Thursday after I left her office. I am taking 30 mgs for this first week, along with my regular dose of 20 mgs of Prozac. Next Thursday, I will go up to 60 mgs of Cymbalta and decrease my Prozac to 10 mgs. When the two weeks are up, I will go in to see the nurse and discuss how things are going. Assuming things are going well, she will give me a script to fill. I will probably be able to completely stop the Prozac at that point. The difference between the two drugs is this: Prozac works exclusively with seratonin levels while Cymbalta works with both setatonin and norepinephrin levels. I am hoping this added action with help get me stable again.

I have only taken my 3rd dose as of this morning and I'm sure it is too soon to tell a major difference but I have noticed that the last two mornings, I've wakened more easily and feel more rested than I have in quite a while. I still feel the need to nap in the afternoon. This has been going on for a while and it is my understanding that initially, Cymbalta can cause some drowsiness. In my experience with antidepressants though, the initial side effects wear off in a couple of weeks. I will give it at least that much time before I become concerned. I have high hopes that this will cause an imrpovement.

One concern I have is that Cymbalta comes only in a delayed release capsule. Some people say that these types of drugs wont be effective after gastric bypass. Others say that even after surgery, Cymbalta works well for them. I am going to give a try and see what happens.

So, that's my current news. More later.

Happy Veteran's Day...and Thanks!

I just wanted to post today and say Thanks and Blessings to those who are bravely serving in our armed forces. I have two family members I would like to mention on this day. My cousin Mitch will be leaving in February for yet another tour in Iraq. This will be his 4th tour, I think. He is a wonderful brave soldier and his family makes many sacrifices so that he can serve. I wish he and his family all the good things the world has to offer.

Also, my nephew, Evan is serving in Washington State in the Navy. He is in intelligence training there and I dont know what the future will hold for him when his training is done. He and his new wife are now very far from Tennessee and we wont be able to see them for about 2 years. I wish them both well and pray God's blessings upon them.

Thanks so much to all to have served, or are serving now. All of your dedication and sacrifice is greatly appreciated.

Sunshine

New Therapist

I mentioned a few months ago that when I lost my insurance, I would also lose the therapist I had been seeing for the last couple of years. I have new insurance now but Diana isnt covered because she doesnt have her LCSW license yet. As soon as my new insurance kicked in, I requested counseling at Peninsula, the outpatient clinic where my psychiatrist works. This is the same place I saw Diana but instead of continuing with her I would see the therapist who works with the private insurance patients. All this was requested back in August and I've been waiting since then for them to get me set up with someone. I've called repeatedly and left messages. No response at all. My psychiatrist has made the referral for me several times and no one has done anything about it. So, I got tired of waiting and called another therapy facility. As I was looking at the list of providers, I recognized a name. She was a lady I saw for a while during my senior year of high school shortly after an intentional overdose. I was pretty troubled back then. Her name is Kristin and I absolutely adored her. She is smart lady and very understanding. Well, I called her last week and though she doesnt remember me, she set up an appointment for this evening. It was wonderful. We have a good rapport already and I am so relieved to be back in therapy. She is just like I remember and she listens intently and asks only relevant questions. She is willing to work with me regularly and I am thrilled. I will be seeing her again next Monday evening. I cant tell you how much this means to me. I havent blogged much lately but I'm at this point struggling to stay on track. As the depression has set in this fall, my determination to stick to the plan and stay active has slipped. I don't want to see this continue. I know when it is time to get outside help. This is it. So, it begins again, hopefully with good results.

9 Months Out - Before and After Photos

Surgery Day February 5, 2009. 306 pounds



9 Months Out November 5, 2009. 198 pounds

Surgery Day Side View February 5, 2009. 306 pounds

9 Months Out November 5, 2009. 198 pounds

Things are going remarkably well. They weight loss has slowed down significantly but it is still coming off steadily and I cant complain. I am very happy being under 200 pounds. I feel good. I look much better than before and I am able to DO so much more. I have no regrets about my RNY. I only wish I had been ready sooner than age 45 to do it. So many wasted years, when I could have been healthier and more active. I cant feel too bad about it though because I simply wasnt mentally ready to try surgery. I have a lot to be thankful for these days. There have been so many changes that it is difficult for my mind to keep up. Just looking at before photos and photos of me now is amazing to me. I dont look or feel like the same person I was then. I am down a total of 125 pounds. I have 38 pounds still to go to get to my goal. I've lost a total of 64.5 inches from my waist, hips, bust, thighs, upper arms, and neck. I gone from a size 38 women's to a size 18 pants and a size 16 tops. I still have a way to go, but I feel I have madea good start and I'm looking forward to moving on.

More later.

Sunshine

A Lovely Day

It's that time of year again. Today was my 46th birthday. It has been a wonderful day and I thoroughly enjoyed it, even if I did have to get another year older. I spent the morning sleeping in and then later in the afternoon, Dail took me shopping at The Dress Barn, my favorite store at this point in my life. I got a new pair of black dress slacks. They look really good. I got a maroon stretch lace blouse with a camisole already sewn in. I got a purple satin jacket/blouse with a separate camisole. I will take photos later in the week for my 9th month surgiversary and post them then. I also got some matching jewelry and a new purple handbag to go with all my purple outfits. Love it all! Dail made it a very special day.


We had to nix our trip to Atlanta for financial concerns. I'm really disappointed but I agree that it would really put us in a bind. So, no trip. However, Dail will be taking me to my surgeon's support group meeting on Friday evening so at least I will be able to get together in real life with some other weight loss surgery people. That will be a real treat.


We had a small family Halloween Party last night. Just Nick and Dail and I. Bethany and Brandon had too much to do to be able to make it out here and Kailee was working. Nick and Dail chickened out of dressing up but I still put on my full costume for the Trick or Treaters. We have a lot and they were all well-behaved and polite kids. This is a great neighborhood for this kind of thing. Lots of people in the holiday spirit. I have a couple of photos to share.

I'm not smiling because Nick was taking forever to snap the shots and I was getting impatient. I had cookies in the oven.

Had some wow moments at The Dress Barn. I've gone down more sizes than I realized. It was very pleasurable to be able to buy the smallest sizes I've worn since high school. I bought size 18 pants and size 16 shirts. I find it unbelievable that they actually fit and look nice. I'm so thankful for my RNY.

Getting late so I'm going to stop now. I will try to update more soon.

Sunshine