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Well it's official. I have lost 80 pounds now! Let me talk about my family.... I have two sisters. I am the oldest. It's my little sister I am so worried about. Alex is 21 years old. When she was 7 she started throwing up all the time and we found out that she had a brain tumor in her brainstem. She has had multiple surgeries and when she was 11 they were able to remove all of the tumor but it left her with alot of nerve damage. She can't walk. She can't roll over. She can use the computer and move her left side pretty well. She can feed herself and she knows when she has to go to the bathroom. She is fine mentally. She graduated high school and now works at Goodwill PT. She lives at home with my mom and step dad. Her weight is out of control. I blame my mom partly. Her excuse is "Amanda, food is all she's got". I don't see it that way. She is getting so big that my mom is not going to be able to lift her anymore. My mom gets up under her underarm. They count 1, 2, 3 and with my mom lifting, Alex stands. When someone supports her weight she can move one foot in front of the other and they can "walk" short distances - like 5 - 8 feet to the toilett. Anyways my mom is 5'4" about 220 lbs and she is 48. She can't keep doing this forever. Especially since Alex is probably getting around 300 pounds or more now. We don't know what she weighs because we can't weigh her. All I know is that she was wearing 20's and 22's and I called the other day and told my mom I had some 24's I needed to give to Alex and my mom said she couldnt wear them. She said they went to Wal-Mart and she tried on 24's and 26's and they wouldnt fit and Wal-Mart doesnt get bigger than that. It makes me so sad. :( My mom knows I am losing and has asked me to "write her a diet and she will do it". Well I know my mom. Every time she goes to the casino she swears to me "I will never go to that place again!" but she does over and over. She has no willpower. Alex needs a strong influence and I can just see my mom de-railing her. Alex can't cook for herself so she will have to eat whatever my mom makes her and I don't see my mom being diciplined enough for Atkins. I just don't want my sister to die or have to go bed ridden in a home. When my mom passes away or gets too old to take care of her Alex will be my responsibility and I am not putting her in a nursing home. My mom is not emotionally stable. She has called me before crying telling me I had to take Alex - that she couldnt handle it anymore. I'm just scared. I can't even lift Alex at this point. Her weight problem is handicapping her even more than she was. All I know is to give them the information and hope that they can do it. I know the scale inspires me daily. I can weigh each day or week and know I am making progress. Alex won't even have the scale for motivation. Okay this is super long but I am worried about her.
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208.0 lb
Lost so far: 80.0 lb.
Still to go: 53.0 lb.
Diet followed reasonably well.
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losing 7.0 lb a week
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 Comments
Amanda, I am so sorry to hear about your sister and the conflicts you are having with your mother regarding her. I know you must feel so torn between wanting to comfort and wanting whats best for her. Unfortunately there is nothing you can do to force this upon them. Just lead by example. And make sure she understands that yes, there are struggles along the way but how you have managed. Inspire them Amanda. 80 pounds is amazing. Be proud! I know I am.
14 Oct 10 by member: kmartin
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congrats on your weight loss so far, that is so wonderful, you make me think I can do this..blessings on you and on your family.
14 Oct 10 by member: Brenda Groth
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I am going to try and type them up a simple plan they can follow. I just hope that they try, REALLY try. Oh an update on my hitting the cow story. I went to small claims yesterday and filed the paperwork for small claims court. I will go November 4th 10 am. I got an estimate from a body shop for the damages to my car that come to well over $10k and my car only cost about 2900 so it is definately totalled. I went to the guys place - they weren't home but I asked last week if I could come take pics and they said yes. Let me tell you, that fence is BAD. HORRIBLE - A SHAME. It is a one strand electric fence with the posts about 40 feet or more apart. It is sagging in alot of places and on the ground in some places. It is hot because I could hear it popping. It is wrapped around trees, draped over water troughs and some of the poles are leaning and about to fall over. I got alot of good pictures. Unfortunately the cows weren't up when I took the photos. I am going to keep watching for the cows to come up and get a pic with them up by the fence.
14 Oct 10 by member: amanda123
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amanda i so understand exactly where you are at honey you really need to push the diet it is not taking some thing from your sister it is giving her some thing! and another thing i might mention is there is a machine . it is called a sit to stand if your sister gets medicaid or medicare she will qualify for one in her home if the doctor writes a perscription for one, which shouldn't be a problem. it rolls up to the side of the bed your mom them puts a belt under her arms like she was going to help but then a motor lifts you sister up on to a pedastal and your mom can roll her to the bathroom!
14 Oct 10 by member: restlesshope
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Hmmmm... She has a lift, but she is afraid of it so it sits in the corner of the kitchen unused. :( She is really afraid of falling. The thing she has looks like a mini crane sortof. She sits in it and someone cranks a handle and it lifts her. Is that what your talking about?
14 Oct 10 by member: amanda123
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Amanda, I would explain to your mom that if your sister doesn't get her weight under control she WILL have to go to a facility. There is just no way that you can take care of someone that large. You will end up hurt. I am so sorry that this is happening to you and to your sister. Congratulations on your loss. Awesome!!!
14 Oct 10 by member: ctlss
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I love her so much. We took her with us last May when we went rented a cabin and I really couldn't do her then. My other sister had to do most of the lifting. She is even bigger now. I have lost 80 and she has probably gained 30. I am going to go see them before school today and maybe I can talk them into trying Atkins or SOMETHING.
14 Oct 10 by member: amanda123
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good luck with your struggles, I hope you can help your sister, she really needs you
14 Oct 10 by member: feeling fatter
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I am so sorry you're facing this. Your mom and sister are truly lucky to have another family member care for their health so much. There may be resources available in either your hospital, clinic, or agencies for the disabled that may be able to help by talking to your mother and/or suggesting ways to make the moving of your sister easier - and safer! Most have some sort of outreach and can do home visits, making recommendations for safety. I know the urge to help can be overwhelming, and it just shows what a loving heart you have. But you must take care that you don't over-exert yourself in trying to lift Alex, even if you're helping someone else do it. You have your own health to consider, esp. with 3 kids, and you already know that straining may have contributed to your most recent medical issue. Incorrect procedures used to lift and/or assist patients have left even health professionals with lifelong injuries and disabilities.
15 Oct 10 by member: Sandy701
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