Another year

So this is what I looked like last year:

 

Here is what I look like this year.

One noticeable difference is my pose. My laptop is crapped and doesn't take photos anymore. All I had was my apple device which takes pictures instantly. Or I don't know how to set a delay is a better way to put it. So I had to hold the ipad and touch the button with my tongue to capture the pic. This has the benefit of obscuring my face though.

I currently weigh at 156, 9 lbs lighter than last year.

Stay off drugs kids.

A year or so in pictures and Effexor withdrawal

February 2010 I took my last doses of Effexor and risperdal. Things were, of course, lousy and I decided that I should try to get in better shape, that having a motivation of some sort would help with the withdrawal. In order to track my progress, I took pictures of myself. This is what I looked like in April of 2010. After many years on Drugs I was overweight. Weight = ~235

 

My exercise plan failed because I injured myself. The injury and w/d did not mix, in fact the injury was probably a form of w/d. After hurting myself, I got on a benzo and by summer I had stabilized from most of the worst of my w/d symptoms.

I took to eating well. I wanted to lose the Drug weight though I could not exercise due to injury concern. Anyway, by October 1, 2010 I had lost about 45 pounds and was no longer overweight, though I wasn't all that 'fit'.

Here is the October pic, the "stable, healthy" pic. Weight = ~190

In February 2011 I made a change to my benzo cocktail. 8 days later I was in the emergency room. I had temporarily lost vision in my left eye (later diagnosed by neurologist as a TIA or mini-stroke). The nigh I lost vision, I did not take my benzos because I was afraid they would further lower my blood pressure causing a permanent loss of vision in the left eye.

This was almost surely a mistake. Over the next four days symptoms worsened and on the evening of the fourth day I suffered a violent vomiting episode. I didn't recover. Over the next several weeks I developed more GI problems, specifically weight loss, bloating, pain, acid reflux, constipation, anorexia, others.

After gaining about ten pounds over Thanksgiving and Christmas, I have since lost 35 pounds. I've lost ~30 lbs in the last 9 weeks -- since the night of the vomiting.

I have just started a potent digestive enzyme. Digestive enzyme is helping with bloating, eating, digestion but causing many problems as well. I took this picture May 4, 2011. Weight = ~165

 

Ok. Good night.Stay off Drugs.