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Let's do this!
 

First attempt at smoothie 3-16-13

So last night my hubby and I stayed up watching sleevers on YouTube and it got me excited, scared, but excited I bought a bunch of 'goodies' on Thursday. It's amazing how 'goodies' have changed I bought fresh sweet Kale, protein powder, coconut milk, greek yogurt and ground flaxseed. My hubby bought me the Ninja for Christmas in preparation of the is day coming so I thought no time like the present I put two leaves of Kale, 4 fresh strawberries, 1/2 banana, three spoonfuls of greek yogurt, one scoop protein powder, a handful of blueberries, some coconut milk and ice cubes. All I can say is YUCK!!!!!!!! I don't know if it's the whey powder, the Kale or let's be honest just the whole thing but it SUCKED!!! I'll try a new one on Monday
JennJitters

JennJitters

6
Let's do this!
 

Up to now

Wow, so many emotions going on right now. For six months I have been preparing for this and now it is two weeks away and I am equal parts excited and freaking out In October of 2012 I went in to see Dr. Fuller to discuss my desire to get the lap band. I decided with my husband that the lap band was the best choice for us and our family, my husband wasn't all together too excited about the prospect of me getting the sleeve done. So, while I am meeting with my future surgeon he basically wants to let me know that he feels the sleeve is a better choice for me. I tell him my husband isn't altogether on board with this. Then, he totally offends me, he says 'well it's your body what do you want?' Not too offensive, right? Well I was appalled! I told him I have a husband and children to consider and if something happens to me because of my selfish decision it would kill me. BUT he got me thinking.......I went home and told my husband what Dr. Fuller said and that I was offended. My husband is insightful and questioned if I was offended or intrigued. I was intrigued. My husband started doing a TON of research, that's what he does So, after a couple days of research he felt knowledgeable enough to agree that the sleeve was a better option! So I meet with the dietician and the psychologist and I'm pumped! My tag line seems to be that I'm healthy as a horse I'm just fat. That said my insurance wouldn't cover my choice, my BMI was 38, I wasn't diabetic and didn't suffer from a slew of other things that would have instantly qualified me for the procedure. So, I did what any totally sane fat woman wanting to be thin would do, I GAINED weight. Now my BMI is 40-41 just at the limit to be approved by my insurance, after 6 consecutive months of visits with my primary physician. I got word on Tuesday of this month that my surgeon's office got approval for my surgery. She gave me dates, we (my husband and I) decided on a date, my husband requested time off, I wrote the schedule for our store (we own a children's resale store) and ensured I had extra child care coverage (we have twin 3 y/o). I called her to confirm the time and well first snafu, the date wasn't actually available. During this conversation it actually comes to light that she had requested approval for the lap band with my insurance company and NOT the sleeve!!!!!!! To say the least I'm totally frustrated and disheartened. By Thursday all was back to being right in my world though. My surgery date is April 2nd and everything else has fallen into place
JennJitters

JennJitters

1
TheDissh's Blog
 

Another week down ...

Another week down...   Well I finally called my doctor this week after getting my approval letter for a fill. Its so strange ... I'm excited, but so nervous at the same time Its been three years since my last fill... and if you read my profile ... you know why this is a little nerve racking. I scheduled my appointment for Thursday afternoon, but I hope this will be a better experience   On the bright side this week... I am down another 3 lbs.. but I really had to work for it. I really enjoy zumba and hip hop ... with the aid of my sweat belt. I worked out three times this week. I would like to increase it ... pending everyday life crisises.   Things I still need to work on:   - drinking more water - increase protein - less carbs - monitor sodium (makes me balloon up)   Thought for the week ... Rather than aiming for being perfect, just aim to be little bit better today than you were yesterday.
TheDissh

TheDissh

2
Chaparra's Blog
 

1 month follow up appointment

So, I had my 1 month follow up appointment today with my doctor. It wasn't a good visit, in my opinion. He didn't understand why I haven't lost any weight since my last visit 3 weeks ago. I told him that I had the same concern. I explained that I had in fact gained weight and just lost that weight this last week. It was really a depressing visit and I just wanted to cry while talking to him. I know he didn't mean to, but he really made me feel like I'm failing at this. I'm trying my hardest. I still can't eat more than 600 to 700 calories a day, I don't snack more than once or twice a day, and I get most of my protein in. I try to get all my fluids in, but it's been hard. I have even given up coffee (which has been really hard for me) because I know that if I drink coffee, I won't drink water as I tend to sip my coffee most of the day. Sometimes I feel like I'm crazy the way I read every damn nutrition label making sure that I don't eat something that has too much of the wrong things in it and choose something that has all of the right things. He kept talking about liquid calories and I just wanted to yell and tell him to shut up about that because the only liquid I even drink is water. I miss juices and I can't stand adding those crystal light flavors to my water because of the after taste I get from them. I know he wasn't trying to be cruel, but after this visit, I just felt so defeated. I had to fight my own thoughts. I kept thinking about going out and buying the most unhealthy, greasy, fattening thing I could from a fast food restaurant on the way home, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. Of course, the one thing I have always had my entire life is wheel power of not eating what I know I shouldn't be eating, so I didn't stop. I just went straight home and started working again. I'm just really worried that the weight won't come off.
Chaparra

Chaparra

4
Magic Mini Mushroom
 

Putt-putt-puttering Along

Reality has set back in. For the first seven days after my last adjustment (first one in 6 months) I was in paradise. Scale kept dropping close to a lb per day. Yay! Thanks, Santa, that's just what I always wanted! Then there was the aberration of a 1 lb gain that I knew had to be bs, so I ignored it, checked my food log, and chalked it down to sodium. Since it was almost all off the next day, that's still my story and I'm sticking to it. Today, the scale just stayed still, so I'm exerting a lot of energy reminding myself that as long as I AVERAGE 1-2 lbs per week down, it's all good. I'm good. Everything is fine.   Can y'all hear me chanting, "Ohhhhhmmmmmmmmmmmm?"   I know I can't expect any weight loss to be smooth and perfect and steady downward every time I get near a scale (but, oh, wouldn't that be wonderful?), but it's tough to remember that when my inner toddler is whining, "Are we there yet?" every five minutes. It also doesn't help when my inner b***h can't stop pointing out that if I hadn't taken all those months off and regained, I wouldn't now be facing the extreme frustration of trying to lose 10 lbs I had already lost. She's so annoying sometimes. Still, I am what and who I am and where I am, and I can't change that by looking backward, only by moving forward.   Went shopping today to stock up on lean protein and make sure I had enough variety in the house to keep from getting bored and cranky, which makes me want to break rules. No rule breaking here, just good healthy food and lots of protein (good thing I love chicken).   I know I can do this, especially since I have another appointment coming up in 5 days with the promise of another fill if I need it (oh, I do, I do, I swear I do!). I can no question hold out until then. And after that fill, I will be able to hold out until the next one. If I weren't strong enough for that, I wouldn't have come back with my tail between my legs a week ago. I'm here, I can do this, and I'm too danged stubborn and cussed to give up now.   So there!
morelgirl

morelgirl

1
Amberlydw8's Blog
 

My surgery in Mexico!

Hey all...   Well, I am home safe and sound and SLEEVED!!! I promised all of you a detailed update of how everything went for me in Mexico. From as much as I can tell, everything is going great. I am progressing normally for post surgery and am working through all the crazy feelings and thoughts..lol   So to start off I chose to schedule my surgery with Dr Ortiz at the Obesity Control Center in Tijuana Mexico. I got to meet Dr Ortiz before my surgery and he was very nice. He spoke to me allot of what dietary changes I would be making post op and he talked to me about what to eat to have long term success with the surgery. Because as all of us know it is a tool to use to help us achieve our goal. Its not going to do it for us   PS. This is going to be kinda long, I have a few friends who wanted to know EVERYTHING that happened.   I flew in a day early (on Sunday) because I didn't want to deal with travel and surgery all in one day. When we got to the airport I got a text from my driver Joel (very nice guy). He told me where to wait for him, that he was driving a gold colored van and that my name was in the window. He unfortunately was running a little late because the boarder was backed up (which is understandable) but he would be there soon. After he picked me and my sister up we drove around to pick up another lady. Loren (Ren) my new bestie and her husband Tom were waiting at another airline. We were all driven to the border together and had a great time talking to each other about ourselves and our goals for after surgery.   At the border we had to get out of the van and walk through customs. Piece of cake... They didn't even want to see our passports. Just X-ray the bags and we were through (not sure if this is how it is all the time but it was really easy for us) Once we walked out the door on the other side our driver was waiting for us and drove us the rest of the way to our hotel. Apparently they don't care who comes into Mexico, just who leaves...lol We had a nice night just relaxing by the pool, having dinner in the restaurant. Yes... I had soup, but I did splurge and have the last piece of bread I will probably have for quite a while...   Monday morning we were up by 5:30am. Showered, dressed and fasting for a 6:40am pick up. We drove to the hospital and were there by 7am. There were a total of 5 people having surgery that day and we all just waited in the waiting room. One by one we were brought back to start our pre op testing. I unfortunately got to go last... yay! Oh well... Pre op testing included; blood work, ekg, dental check up (not kidding... i even got a tooth fixed before surgery! awesome!) and a interview with the nutritionist Dr. Miranda (who is supper nice! ).   I went in for surgery at about 3:30pm The different thing about the OCC is that you walk into surgery yourself and lay down on the table. Kinda strange and just a little scary, but I was knocked out pretty quick after that. I woke up in my hospital bed with my sisters there. Between 4pm-6pm all visitors have to leave and go back to the hotel for the night,. The night nurse was really great and got me extra pillows and more pain meds when ever I needed them. I did have a rather unnerving drain hanging from my side when I woke up. I hear that it is quite common. Its dose not hurt at all, its just really disturbing to think about..lol.. I was up and down all night not sleeping very well, but I guess its good to keep walking. It helps move the gas around and out. I didn't have any bad gas pain till day 3.   Tuesday morning we were up and discharged by 9am. We got some prescriptions to take with us. I would suggest bringing some extra pain pills like extra strength Tylenol or something stronger if you have it, just for back up. We were driven back to the hotel for the day. I laid out by the pool for just about an hour and got the perfect sun burn. (You know, the kind that looks bad and red but never hurts and turns into a good tan Then at dinner time I had a couple ounces of chicken broth. The hotel makes if fresh, but it seemed to be really strong (salty) so i diluted it in half with water. I think I might have had about 2 oz and was done. I drank the rest an hour later... The hotel also has something called "green juice" its so great! It is fresh juiced fruit and veggies and tastes great!   Wednesday; We were all picked up again at about 9am and taken back to the hospital for a check up. We again waited in the lobby till they were ready for each of us. Loren and I both hopped that they would take out the drain but no luck. That was for tomorrow. When I was called back in for my check up. The nurse weighed me, I had gained 7lbs after surgery because of all the fluids they pump into you during surgery. I think its a good thing too because you really don't drink allot the first couple days. She took me and checked all my incisions changed the bandage around my drain tube, emptied out what had collected in the drain (SO GROSS!) and took my blood pressure.   After my appointment I took a short nap and felt good enough to take a walk so my sisters and I went shopping. We took a cab over to Revolution Ave and got some cool things to take home. After that I was exhausted and went back to the hotel.   Later that night a friend of mine Kasey (from the forum) had just gotten back from her surgery and was ready for a visit, so we spent the evening chatting in her room till we were both to tired to keep talking... Love you Kasey   Thursday morning I was back to the hospital again about 9am for my last check up. They took out the drain (which didn't hurt, it just felt like something moving inside me for a moment, totally nasty) Changed my bandage again and took my vitals. After that I was on my way.   We (Me my sisters, Loren and her husband) were picked up and drove to the border where we had to get out again to walk across. The only difference is on this side of the border, there are like 1000-2000 people in line waiting to get into the states. It takes hours! So our very smart driver pulled out a wheal chair and said... One of you in the chair and look very sick. The rest of you go with and help push and carry the bags. You can go all the way to the front of the line and get through stay together!. Well apparently this worked EVERY time, except for us. We somehow got Mr Ass Hat patrol guard who who was on some power testosterone trip and made us split up and only Me (i was in the chair) and one person pushing me was allowed to go through... He was a major jerk! Well, once we were on the other side we were able to find a higher ranking guard and he was very kind and helped us get everyone else across.   From there it was smooth sailing to the airport and home! I really hope this helps some of you. I know that another lady laid out all the details for me before I left and it helped me so much!!! Thank you Shelley And I wanted to pass it on for those of you who were going after me. You are welcome to ask me any questions. I would be happy to share anything else that I may have left out.   Also, I am proud to say that 5 days out I have lost all the water weight from surgery and am down 1lb from pre surgery weight! Oh ya... I am on my way   Love you guys! Best of luck to you all on your journey. Remember! You deserve it!
Amberlydw8

Amberlydw8

3
My journey
 

Stalled already?; Very irritable today; Eating mushy food

After dropping 20 lbs in total from the pre op diet and first few days after surgery, I've weighed exactly 254.7 for the past 3 days. A stall during the first week post op? A bit discouraging. I spent a couple hours last night reading these forums about people's stalls. I guess I need to not obsess about the scale, and let things happen in their own time. I believe it's physically impossible not to lose weight with the small amount of calories I've been taking in.   I am very moody and irritable today, even getting annoyed if my kids try to talk to me. I'm not sure what that's about, that's not my normal. I guess I'll attribute it to the diet.   I've progressed to the stage 2 of the the post op diet, mushy or puréed foods. I went to the grocery store to pick up some things that sounded good from the list - low fat cream soups, instant grits. I also went to GNC and picked up a case of the Isopure bottles. Expensive, but I like them better than the powdered shakes which seem too sickeningly sweet to me now. 40 g of Protein and 20 oz of liquid simultaneously? Win-win. I got the Alpine Punch flavor, really only because it was the only one there was a full case of, and it's not bad. There are some other flavors I'd like to try also. My first mushy food was the instant grits. I only was able to eat 4 spoonfuls, and I put the rest into a container for another time. I will probably try a soup at dinner time. I'm finding it very difficult to eat and drink enough, especially since I can't drink for 15 minutes before, or 45 minutes after eating something. That takes 3 hours out of the day where I can't drink anything. I was more thirsty than hungry at lunchtime, even after taking a couple hours to drink the 20 oz Isopure. So I drank instead of eating.
BigDaddyJoe

BigDaddyJoe

5
jkevhack's Blog
 

TIRED OF MIND GAMES

HAVEN'T POSTED FOR AWHILE, WAS BANDED 11-8-12, HAVE HAD SEVERAL FILLS I FEEL LIKE I AM IN THE GREEN ZONE AS OF 3-13-13. I HAVE 6 CC IN A 10CC BAND. STARTED AT 225 NOW 200, HAVE HAD BOTH KNEES TOTALLY REPLACED 3 YRS AGO AND LEAD A VERY BUSY LIFE RAISING 2 GRANDSONS. I AM ALSO SOON GOING TO BE 52 YRS OLD.   I RESEARCHED THE BAND AND KNOW IT IS A TOOL NOT A CURE FOR BEING OVERWEIGHT, I ALSO REALIZE LOSING THE WEIGHT IS UP TO ME. THE HARD PART IS THE MIND GAMES I DEAL WITH.   FOOD IS ALWAYS ON MY MIND AND I FIND MYSELF FALLING INTO OLD HABITS. I AM A GRAIZER AND UNDER ALOT OF STRESS DAILY. EVEN THOUGH I AM NOT HUNGRY AT ALL MY MIND FEELS LIKE I WANT FOOD. THIS IS THE HARDEST THING FOR ME TO DEAL WITH AT THIS POINT. THERE ARE TIMES I WANT TO GIVE UP,SO TIRED OF DEALING WITH THIS FOR SO LONG (30) YEARS , THERE ARE TIMES I GET UP AND SAY TO MYSELF , TODAY IS A NEW DAY AND I WILL NOT LET MY MIND (HEAD HUNGER) GET IN THE WAY BUT IT NEVER FAILS I GIVE IN. I HAVE A HUGE SUPPORT SYSTEM AT HOME AND WORK. HOW IN THE WORLD OR WHEN DOES THE "HEAD HUNGER" EVER GET EASIER TO DEAL WITH???   NOT GIVING UP BUT TIRED OF FIGHTING WITH THIS. YOU LONG TIME BANDERS, HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS FOR ME, WOULD APPRECIATE IT . THANKS
jkevhack

jkevhack

7
Shelleymb's Blog
 

So Scared...

I've never had surgery before and I'm terrified. I don't understand how anesthetic works and that scares me. I'm ready to be home. That's all. Mumford and Sons playing to keep me calm, and it's working.
Shelleymb

Shelleymb

1
@DomLorenVSG
 

7 Months Post Op- Before & After Pics

So it's 2 days before my 7 month sleeve anniversary- and it's blowing my mind... I remember thinking, I'm losing to slow, etc. But wow- the before and afters are speaking for themselves. Today I'm weighing in at 153.9 lbs from my heighest pre-op weight of 216 for a total loss of -62.1 lbs and I'm -18.9 lbs away from my ultimate goal of 135, and I'm only a few pounds for my second optimal goal of 145 (doctors original goal for me).   A lot of the reason I haven't posted in my blog lately is this funny thing called life. I've been living it. I wasn't before. Plain and simple. I hid behind my computer, I was socially done- I had no motivation to go out, or even go shopping. I had to force myself to interact and get dressed up. Well, a few months ago a met a nice guy, and we started casually dating. In January he asked me to make it official the day before his parents flew in for a visit so he could properly introduce me as his girlfriend. Life has been amazing ever since. He moved a couple of weeks ago and now we are doing the long distance thing while I finish my PhD for the next year or so. I'm getting back on the wagon and tracking my calories and carbs and protein like crazy on Myfitnesspal.com (screen name DLMeekie if you want to follow me). It's only been 7 months since my surgery, but it already feels like a life time ago. I can't believe I will be at goal or near it at my 1 year surgiversary. I'm so happy now, that I struggle thinking it could get any better.   My weight loss has slowed down tremendously, but I'm okay with that as long as I know I'm doing my best to eat right and work out. Since I stopped swimming last semester I joined a women's only gym with onsite daycare and I've been going at least 3 days a week, and walking at a steep incline for 3 miles, then I rotate the weight machines (upper body versus lower body) for at least an hour. So basically, I'm in the gym 3 days a week for 2 hours.I miss swimming a lot, and I don't enjoy the gym as much, BUT I'm getting it done. And it's not nearly as hard as it use to be. It fits into my schedule and my life with my son.   My only regret still remains. I wish I would have done this surgery sooner. I wish I could go back and reclaim my 20's. But I can't. So I must embrace my 30's when they arrive in 6 months or so.... Life is good.   Height: 5'9   Highest (Surgery) Weight: 216   1st Primary Goal Weight: 169 (Achieved 11/27) 2nd Optimal Goal Weight: 145   Sleeve Journey: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 8/17/12- PreOp/Surgery Day w/Pics Posted in Blog Week 1 (8/24): 204.8 (-11.2) Week 2 (8/31): 200.6 (-4.2) Week 3 (9/7): 196.8 (-3.8) Week 4 (9/14): 193.5 (-3.3) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 9/17/12- 1 Month Anniversary w/Pics Posted in Blog (-22.5 lbs) Week 5 (9/21): 191.6 (-1.9) Week 6 (9/28): 190.1 (-1.5) Week 7 (10/5): 187.0 (-3.1) Week 8 (10/12): 181.9 (-5.1) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 10/17/12- 2 Month Anniversary w/Pics Posted in Blog (-11.6 lbs) Week 9 (10/19): 181.4 (-.5) Week 10 (10/26): 177.9 (-3.5) Week 11 (11/02): 176.8 (-1.1) Week 12 (11/09): 174.7 (-2.1) Week 13 (11/16): 173.3 (-1.4) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 11/17/12- 3 Month Anniversary w/Pics Posted in Blog (-8.6 lbs) Week 14 (11/23): 173.1 (-.2) Week 15 (11/30): 167.3 (-5.8) Week 16 (12/7): 168.1 (+.8) Week 17 (12/14): 164.6 (-3.5) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 12/17/12- 4 Month Anniversary (-8.7 lbs) Week 18 (12/21): Holiday Break/Vacation- No Scale Available Week 19 (12/28): Holiday Break/Vacation- No Scale Available Week 20 (1/4/13): 164.5 (-.1) Week 21 (1/11): 161.5 (-3.0) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 01/17/13- 5 Month Anniversary (-3.1 lbs) Week 22 (1/18): 161.7 (+.2) Week 23 (1/25): 158.7 (-3.0) Week 24 (2/1): Out of town- No scale Available .2Week 25 (2/8): 157.2 (-1.5) Week 26 (2/15): 157.2 ( .0) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 02/17/13- 6 Month Anniversary 157.2 (-3.3 lbs) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 03/17/13- 7 Month Anniversary 153.9 (-3.3 lbs) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 04/17/13- 8 Month Anniversary ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 05/17/13- 9 Month Anniversary ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 06/17/13- 10 Month Anniversary ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 07/17/13- 11 Month Anniversary   ONE YEAR SURGERY ANNIVERSARY~~~> 08/17/13- 12 Month Anniversary
@DomLorenVSG

@DomLorenVSG

13
Jim1967's Blog
 

Since my last fill..wow!!

I was going to wait on making a blog entry until next month as April 16 is my one year mark of my surgery. Today I stepped on the scale and I was 321. I had a sudden realization of how thing have changed in just a short month and a half. I'll explain shortly.   Since I was banded in April of 2012 I always had this thought that weight would slide off seeing that I was so big and typically big people lose quicker. As time went on I realize that is not how it works and I begun to accept that. Even though I understood slow and gradual movements on the scale I never seemed quite pleased. Now before you scoff or judge me because yes I have lost a ton of weight in a short time it still didn't seem quite right. It seemed I would lose two pounds then the scale wouldn't budge sometimes for like 3 weeks. Sometimes even longer. I often times got really frustrated in the beginning but slowly I adjusted to it.   So going back to today. Today I weighed in at 321 and when I got my last fill on Jan 29 I was 341. I have lost 20lbs since my January appointment. My food intake changed drastically as did my attitude. Eating a cup of food is more of a chore then ever as of late. I thought before this latest fill I was in the green zone but as I crept closer to January not so much. Now since this last .5cc I am actually there and for the first time I am seeing the weight move like I originally expected. I am hoping it keeps up for a little while but I know the more I lose the slower it will become.   So take it from someone who is someday hoping to become an actual veteran bandster that the green zone can be very allusive but once you find it...WOW.   Missy (Mis73) told me time and time again that .5, yes a just half of cc can make a whole world of difference. She wasn't kidding!!   I hope the downward trend continues and I hope you're all losers....just like me.   Have a wonderful healthy day and weekend!   -Jim
Jim1967

Jim1967

7
Kime-lou's Blog
 

Sweet Success!!

I had my 9 month post op yesterday (one week before my actual 9th month - 22nd). My doc was very happy. We determined I did not need a fill at this time and I am in the elusive sweet spot. However, she did tell me that as I contiue to lose I may need a tweak here and there.   I questioned the fact that I feel like my weight loss as almost come to a stop. I was at one point losing 7 lbs a month, from Dec. until now I have only lost 7. This makes me feel like I am failing. I was told that this is totally common. Almost every bander in the 1st year will hit a 3-4 month spell were the weight loss is almost at a stand still, but just keep doing what we are suppose to and the weight loss will start again.   The next bit of encouragement came when I told her I felt like I wasn't doing as well as other banders. I was told that at 9 months post op I have lost 50% of my excess body weight. Doctor consider patients successful if at 1 year they have lost 40% so I am above the curve and they consider me an exordiary success. This made me feel great.   Then the discussion turned to continue loss. I told her I was burning around 2100-2300 calories a day, according to my fitbit and walking around 7000-10000 steps a day. She said this was awesome. But, I needed to keep in mind that at this point my daily calorie deficit should only be 500 calories. If I was at a deficit of more than 500 the body would store.   I told her that in a couple weeks I was flying to Florida for a week Disney Vacay and I ask about flying effects on the band. I was told that a small percent of patient experience tightness when flying, but most of the time it is only mild and they can still get liquid down and it disapates within 12 hours. To my surprise she said while at Disney not to refuse to enjoy eating. To stick to my alloted amounts, but to enjoy. The fact that I will be burning a lot of calories walking around Disney, I will need the increased calorie intake. So enjoy within reason.   I totally love my medical team!! They continue to encourage me. The best thing she told me was that I was the type patient that makes her want to come to work each day. She has patient who refuse to do what they are told from the get go they will have to do and they aren't successful and blame the team. But, the fact that I am doing great and have taken the time to understand my band and body makes what she does worth it. This was a nice compliment.   I am so glad I went through with being banded and I am very thankful for the wonderful medical team I have. Biggest advice- Chose a medical team who you feel comfortable with and who is experienced with bands.
Kime-lou

Kime-lou

2
DebDUtah's Blog
 

Early Morning Meeting......Life Changing

Every day presents new challenges and why would I hope that yesterday would be any different. Perhaps it is because I have the day off I thought maybe just maybe that it would be just a tad less challenging. HA! who was I kidding.   So I get up at 630am to get to the doctor's office by 745am, I walk in and pay my visit fee. At this point, the cheery little receptionist (who I note is overly so for this this hour of the morning) hands me a clipboard filled with 20-30 papers and proceeds to explain what each "group" of papers are. Now that I have my personal history papers in my hand, I head to the area I have been directed which holds several tables lined up classroom style and begin filing out my paperwork.   Now I have gotten no further than verifying the information that is preprinted when they called my name! Really? But I haven't even started on the blank papers not to mention that psych paperwork (which I put on the bottom of the pile!). Eagerly I go in and I am immediately told to take off my shoes and step on the scale.   It is interesting I used to dread the scale, but now, I kinda look foward to it to see if perhaps I have lost even the least little bit. I say this because I am trying (althought to some it may not seem like much) by cutting down on soda I will have quit before surgery so I don't miss it, eating less and not so late in the day. To my surprise every time I have stepped on the scale a little less of me is there (small victories). After the standard height and weight, I am taken into an exam room and told the nutritionist will be right with me. Wow, they work fast I don't see how this will be a four hour appointment, it isn't even 15 mins into my appointment and i am already meeting one of the 4 people I am scheduled to meet, pays to be on time.   Now, as you can see I am quite happy how things are going until I realize exactly what is a metabolic rate test is. For those of you who have no idea it is something like this. You are handed an apparatus that is similar to a mini speaker or a really big cell phone (you know the old fashioned brick kind) with a mouthpiece attached to one side. I am told to place the mouthpiece as far back in my mouth as possible and close my lips around it tight. I am told that I will need to breath thru this for 5 minutes continuous. Oh and don't forget to put this really strong nose clip on your nose so you have no choice to do anything but breath thru your mouth. This should be easy right? Wrong! You see I am not one who can sit still, I have to be doing something, I get stir crazy easily. But come on its early and this should be easy. I was given strick instructions to sit there and just breath. Ok easy, well yeah until I started drooling because I couldn't swallow with that mouth piece in. Now all I can think about is how nice it would be to have a towel or a tissue from across the room. But remember I cannot move, all i can do is breath. So there I sit, breathing like I am Darth Vader (and yes that is the first thing that came to mind the minute I started doing this) and drooling like I have been in a dentist chair for hours. The five minutes finally passes and beep......in comes the nutritionist and says "opps I forgot to give you a tissue, I am sorry"!! It was funny then but at about 2.5 minutes I didn't find it too funny at all.   With that down, I am then told now we are going to test you for H Pylori. She hands me a bag and says blow into it and seal it. That was easy, but am I done, oh no, I am told that I will have to drink about 3 ozs of flavored water. Now let me preface this with the statement that I hate 7up, Sprite or any lemon lime drink. It makes me gag, and if I have to drink any amount of it, chances are greater than not that I will vomit on the spot. And guess what it was lemon-lime flavor, oh joy! Now if I could have taken the shot and downed it while holding my nose, I would have been good, but oh no I had to drink it thru a straw!! Is this let's throw every obstacle at Debbie day (everytime I use a straw I get the hiccups)? I focus, and remember why I am doing this and it takes me a couple minutes to literally gag this stuff down. Now please do not get discouraged if you have not done this, just know that this flavor makes me go into full body dry heaves). After I have completed this fluid I am then told that I will need to blow up the second bag 15 mins later.   Now I am sent back to the "classroom" and told I can continue to work on my papers during the presentation. Now I am completely confused, presentation but hey I am here to jump thru every hoop necessary. This presentation is just like the informational meeting only more condensed and taught by a WLS patient of 12 yrs. It was interesting but I wanted to talk to my doctor, I had questions.   Once the presentation is over we are taken to individual exam rooms and wait for each discipline to come in, patiently waiting my turn. First is the doctor, who answers every question I have with a confidence that put me at ease instantly. He spoke of my medical history like he had lived it along side with me. It was almost like he could sense what I was going to ask before I asked it. He gave me the time I needed and more.   With the confidence in my surgeon, I felt I could take on any hoop, bring it on. The psychologist comes in and it is the briefest most anti-climatic meeting I have had so far. A handful of questions and I was told you will only hear from me if there is an issue, so no news is good news. I haven't heard a peep from her so I passed!   Now the nutritionist comes in (remember her the one who gave me the darth vader mask!!), and we start talking diet. My fears, what to expect and to remember I am not perfect. She was wonderful. She handed me my pre-op diet went over the dos and dont's the if and whens. Next to my surgeon she was my next favorite.   Last was the insurance specialist, and she was thorough but helpful. She told me what to expect what my insurance would require and what they would accept and wouldn't. I walked away finding the latest hoop, giving them 3 yrs or medical records showing my weight at each visit. Uh oh, if you have been reading my blog, I don't go to the doctor, I do not have any co-morbidities. How am I going to come up with this. I have an idea and it will take some digging, keeping my fingers crossed. Other than that and 3 months more of supervised diet by my primary care doctor and I am a green light for surgery.   Well I walked out of there in 3.5 hours and yes I was drained, mentally emotionally and was more concerned about finding my medical history for the last 3 yrs than I was how much it would cost if I didn't. But I was encouraged hopeful and so optimistic that everything will fall into place.   I know I was having anxiety about this meeting, and now after I am feeling relief. I have the information and information is my power. I have to keep learning and gathering more and more information to be at my strongest.   So my one bit of advice, get a tissue for your metobolic testing!!
DebDUtah

DebDUtah

1
dylanmiles23's Blog
 

support groups

tonight I had my support group. They had a sleep doctor and she talked about the different kinds of sleep and how having the surgery does change people sleep. I know I sleep much better and hub said I don't snore anymore. Also, I no longer take 2 hour afternoon naps. Next meeting we are having a tasting party with new products. I will let everyone know about the new items. Then in May is a cooking demo. ​Most people in the crowd have not had any surgery yet. Some couldn't decide what they wanted. So being me and talkative I said the band is the best. One man had bypass a few years ago and loves it and he was with his sister who is scheduled for the sleeve. Another man, no surgery yet, said his brother had the by pass and never smoked. He now is a chain smoker and said the by pass causes addiction. I don't know anything about that. Interesting. I really enjoy the meetings and listening to other people's stories, pros and cons. Do all of you go to your meetings? My hospital is 5 miles from my house, which makes a big difference. I told the director of the office about this site and that she would learn a lot about people's thoughts. Enjoy your evening everyone.
dylanmiles23

dylanmiles23

1
Making My Own History
 

"Well-behaved women rarely make history"

Cleopatra, Lady Godiva, Joan of Arc, Amelia Earhart....women of history. Now calm yourselves! I don't expect to be remembered at the level they are; but one thing I have learned as a historian is that we ALL have a history. No matter how unimportant you think your life is, you have lived through historical events and you have impacted others' lives. You have the choice to what level you will participate in history. You have the choice as to what YOUR STORY will be.   After much soul searching and failed dieting, I had decided I was just going to live with being heavy. I can be happy with it. The truth was, I was actually trying to convince myself. My body is getting larger. My health is getting worse. And one night at the mall, I could no longer keep up with my family at a regular pace. I was out of breath and had to stop for a moment. We hadn't even walked that far! I was so ashamed and humiliated as my boys looked at me with concern and confusion. It was supposed to be a happy evening, and I swallowed my shame and brushed it off. The night have been ruined for me, but I wasn't going to ruin it for my loved ones.   The next day, I looked up surgery options. I had looked into the local hospital's program, but was denied so I didn't really care. That was a few months and 15 lbs ago. Today, I no longer cared about the stigma of bariatric surgery. As I was looking, my doctor called. My B12 level was still low (not a surprise to me), but now so is my D levels. She also had concerns that I was showing signs of adult onset diabetes. Last night my right cheek (SLAP!), and now my left (SLAP!) WAAAAAAAAAKEEE UUUUUUUUUUUUP!!!!!!!!   So, that was that. I contacted My Bariatric Solutions and started asking questions. As if the stars aligned, mom called and she and dad had talked about my health issues. They were concerned because I am too young to be having my problems. I agreed. They suggested surgery and how to cover the costs. I felt like a minion...WHAAAAAAAA????!   I am making my own history. I am taking decisive action to show that I am in control of me. I do not have to be content with who I am. This is my journal to keep myself reminded that history is not made in a moment. There are always events and decisions leading up to the event.   Now....how to stay patient until surgery for the next 2.5 months......?
Museum-Mama

Museum-Mama

2
Jenhort's Blog
 

One year ago

A year ago this week I started my two week pre op diet....I was so scared that I couldnt do it! It was tough! But my mnd was right and I knew that I needed to get healthy. Now as I look back, I am proud of how far I have made it. It is a journey and it has been slow going the last 6 months but I have always moved forward and it is a process of lifestyle change. Almost 35 years of bad habits are hard to change and break. I had always thought that this was an impossible dream and I have never had success with something this hard. I have and advanced degree and THAT was hard work but school was not that hard for me and I had no doubts I could do this. When I started this weight loss journey I had so many doubts and had always failed before. This tool that was provided for me helped me, but I have never worked so hard at something like this. It is life changing in so many ways. I knew going into this that this is a lifetime battle. I will always have to fight this. It feels good to have some kind of victory though! Keep moving forward....slow but sure...I can do this!
Jenhort

Jenhort

1
Selfesteem, Love, & Awareness
 

If I could talk to the old me, I would say???..

If I could talk to the old me, I would say………..     Amanda you are beautiful, but beauty is more than appearance. You have a strong heart and a strong mind and that is what makes you beautiful. The reality of the situation is, you are Morbidly Obese and at 277 pounds you could have some real heath issues if you don’t make a change. I promise you that once you start exercising you will love it, I know I do. The amount of stress that is release during a run or power walk will relax your mind and strengthen your heart. All of the negative energy and emotions that you are holding on to will be sweated out and literally washed down the shower drain. You kids will be impressed and encouraged by your strength, discipline, and the positive changes they see you making every day. Oh, and they will love all the cooking your doing. Others will be inspired by your pictures and your story, and one day you will complete a 5k run and it will be the best feeling you have experienced other than the birth of your children. I know your confidence is lower (hell, its non-existent) but you will slowly build it back up when you see changes happening in your body. What I’m saying is “You will have to get smaller, to become bigger.” Look in the mirror everyday and say I’m strong, I’m a survivor, and I’m me. Love ya!   What would you say?
Amanda1982

Amanda1982

0
My journey
 

I can sleep on my side!; The bad breath returns; new CPAP machine

I can honestly say today that I feel almost like I never even had surgery. The tightness in my belly is basically gone. Still a tiny bit in the first step out of bed or off the couch, or when I twist a certain way. But other than that, I feel back to normal. I was actually able to sleep on my side for a bit last night. This is a huge milestone for me! I hate being confined to my back. I might normally end up on my back at times throughout the night, but not being able to change positions was hard, and made sleeping for any length of time hard.   Wow, has the bad breath returned with a vengeance. I had it appear around day 4 or 5 of he pre-op diet, and now it is back. My wife can smell it from halfway across the room as I talk. I asked the doctor about it yesterday afternoon, and he seemed surprised by my question and asked if I was having reflux. I told him that I thought it was from ketosis, and he said it would probably go away once I am able to expand my diet some. We'll see. Returning to work on Monday will be embarrassing if people can smell it just by coming into my office.   I had a nurse come to my house yesterday afternoon with a new CPAP machine. I think this is going to be much easier than the last one I had. I gave it a shot last night, and it started out well. The mask I picked is just a nasal pillow mask with one strap, as opposed to the torture device I used to have, that covered my mouth and nose and had multiple straps and always left a red line on my forehead. I lasted 4.5-5 hours with it, which is longer than I ever lasted with the old one. I woke around 2:30 am and felt like someone punched me in the nose, so not sure what that's about. The nurse said not to try overdoing it at first, do it as long as you can then try again the next night. She said not to get discouraged and give up on it like a lot of people do. Hopefully I will lose weight and not need it anymore.
BigDaddyJoe

BigDaddyJoe

2
Selfesteem, Love, & Awareness
 

Had my first real date last night since being banded 2 years ago!! Yay

Okay ladies I was worried about this one since he wanted to go to dinner. I was actually going to say "No” but I'm glad I didn't because I had an amazing time. Any of you who read my profile know that I was in an abusive relationship for over 9 years. So to have a man treat me like a Queen was wonderful. I was worried because "what if I ate to fast" or "what if I had a stuck episode"? But I prepared myself by looking at the menu online before meeting him at the restaurant so I already knew what was on the menu and what I would order. And during dinner I just remembered to take small bites and chew, chew, chew, and chew some more lol. Things went perfect. Although I didn't finish my meal, so I hope he doesn't think I was wasteful but all in all it was a great night!!!! Loving the new me!!!!
Amanda1982

Amanda1982

3
ajtexas's Blog
 

Note to self: MOVE IT!!!!

Get your ass moving AJ! You have been slacking on this. The Fitbit doesn't lie. It shows that your daily steps are way down, no where near the 10,000 step per day goal. And what happened to taking the stairs at work???? Slacking there too!   Vacation is over! First tine tomorrow you will get moving. Tomorrow, hell, what is wrong with right now?   Stop typing and get moving! NOW!!!!   Will do, just as soon as this video is over. OK, as long as you dance during the video!!!  
♕ajtexas♕

♕ajtexas♕

5
Chaparra's Blog
 

1 month out

I'm sure other people are feeling this way, but I'm so tired of not feeling good after eating. This morning, I scrambled one egg, couldn't eat anything else afterwards. For lunch, I had egg salad (1 egg and 1 tbsp light mayo), a cheese stick, and 2 crackers. I just feel so bad after eating that it takes away from the satisfaction of enjoying my foods. This has been going on for about a week now. I have a check up appointment with my doctor on Friday, but sure wish that this feeling would go away so I can get to feeling normal again.
Chaparra

Chaparra

11

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