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Twistie's Travels
 

First Day Post Op

So I am up and ready to go. Dr. Ortiz's mom picks us up and takes us back to the hotel. I drink the juice from the care package they gave me but later that day, my husband and I walk down to the grocery store (about a 1/2 mile each way) to get more liquids... lots of CLight the equivilant of crystal light. A driver takes us back to the airport and we fly home... no complications.
cnicholl

cnicholl

1
Twistie's Travels
 

My Experience in TJ for Surgery

So my husband and I fly down to San Diego where a driver picks us up and drives us to the beautiful Hotel Lucerna where we will stay for most of our trip. On the 14th, Dr. Ortiz's mom picks us up and drives us to the MD's office for labwork and a cardiology check, as well as to discuss diet with the dietition. While there, Dr. Ortiz calls in and asks if I want to do my surgery today instead of tomorrow. Ok, guess so... So we drive over to the hospital which is in a huge commercial center, many stories high. I get into my private room and watch little people driving around in golf carts on the golf course that I see from my window. The nurse comes in and gives me something under my tongue to calm me down and then I get an IV drip bag... Dr Ortiz comes in and chats with me for a while, explaining everything they plan on doing. Finally, they bring me to the surgery room, and I look around, nothing out of the ordinary... I lay down, and I am out like a light. Next thing you know, I am in my room again, and ready to walk around... its only been about an hour... I get up and start walking around for about 5 hours, finally the nurse comes in and gives me a sleeping pill... I guess I was annoying them. Next morning, I am up, out of bed and ready to go back to the hotel.
cnicholl

cnicholl

1
Twistie's Travels
 

Next Option for Surgery

So I decide to look into who else does the surgery. I found out that Dr. Ortiz in Tijuana actually taught Dr. Atkinson how to do the surgery. Hmmm... very interesting. And its 6 grand cheaper... Even better. So I call up his office and they set me up for September 15th for surgery.
cnicholl

cnicholl

1
Twistie's Travels
 

My first Choice for Surgery

So with Lapband as my surgery of choice, I decided to go to one of those seminars on WLS. Dr. Atkinson here in Vegas had a presentation. I went... everything seemed fine to me, I did my labs and went in to speak with their pyschologist. She wouldn't let me do the surgery. She says I have issues with my mother that need to be fixed before I should undertake the procedure. Basically, I put my mother's needs before my own. In theory, this could be a bad thing. But my mom puts my needs before hers too, so we are both looking out for each other. Anyway, the shrink says 6 months of therapy and then I can petition for reevaluation. Excuse me but 6 months of therapy won't change something I don't want to change... so I have to look for other options.
cnicholl

cnicholl

4
Twistie's Travels
 

Synopsis of Me before Surgery

Ok, I am 29 years old. Married, no kids, 2 great danes, and a cat. I started gaining weight back in 6th grade... I was wearing size 16. By the time I was a Senior in high school I weighed over 210. I am 5 ft 8 inches tall. I play tennis competitively and I love being active, but I still gained weight. By the time I turned 29 last May, I weight 285. I have been dieting since I was in the 6th grade too... Being that close to 300 scared me to death. I started looking into WLS and the band was my best choice.
cnicholl

cnicholl

1
mousecrazy's Journal
 

1/21//06

Saturdays...I remember when Saturdays meant sleeping late and hanging out, just waiting on Saturday night's excitement. Now, it still means sleeping late (well, anything later than 4:45 AM is late to me!) but the hanging out has pretty much disappeared. Now, there's laundry, and cleaning, and errands...there are bills to pay, activities to organize, and transportation to arrange (these last two are related to DD!) Saturday night excitement means my FIL is coming for dinner. Strangely, not always but 90% of the time, I'm not bitter about these changes; to the contrary, I rather like them. Living "on the edge" had its moments...my crazy younger days certainly hold their charm, even today. But just thinking about the uncertainties, the headaches, and the forgotten drives home are enough to make me thankful, not bitter. I'm one of the lucky ones, who found the right man at the right time, and we now have a normal, regular, happy little family. I laugh when I think that in days gone by, I wanted nothing whatsoever to do with "normal" or "boring". Now, I consider a boring day, a GOOD day! It's nice to remind myself of that when I've spent yet another Saturday organizing our lives to get through the next week. I still can't believe I'M the mother...you'd think at 50, I would think of myself as an adult, and I do, but maybe an adult in the 30-something range! I'm grateful for my funny little puppy that always makes me laugh...especially his yodel! I'm grateful for Saturdays, and the chance to be at home. I love my new Royal Elastics red and white shoes...they are so cute! To be continued....
mousecrazy

mousecrazy

1
Penni60's Journal
 

Jan 21

Jan 21, 06 -- Saw Dr. Billy on Thursday and he gave me the all clear. He and I discussed what I was doing now opposed to what I was NOT doing with the band. I am doing the Nutrisystem meals and counting my calories like mad. I am ever so gradually getting back into my exercise routine. He also wants me to start two lists. SIGH!! One list is of the "thing" that are keeping me from losing weight. Something like eating after 8p, or eating too many calories, etc. Then state how I can correct that issue. Make a plan on how to correct the behavior. The second list is of all the foods I love to eat. Once I have exhausted my pea brain of the items, he wants me to begin with the first item and learn everything I can about that food. He wants me to take a picture of the food per the serving. If chicken is my first item then get a pic of a serving (4 oz) both cooked and uncooked. Learn what the calorie and protein values are of that serving. Take the pic and the info and put it into a folder or notebook so I can refer to it. Do that with all the foods I list. Pic one food a week to learn all I can about it. This will be an exercise in diligence. And consistency as well. SIGH!! OH If I had just done this while I was banded. All in all he was very pleased with my progress while on Nutrisystem. He wants to see me in about 8 weeks. We did not even discuss my options post band removal. I guess it really is too soon to discuss that. In the meantime, I have just completed my Video for the Biggest Loser. YIPPEE!!! I will get that mailed off in the next couple of days. I wanna tweak it some.
Penni60

Penni60

1
porclndoll's Journal
 

Jan 21

EWE IM CRANKY TODAY! I dunno why, PMS perhaps, I dunno but I am ugly today~~ I just wanna eat today and thats making me feel worse~ i am feeling NO restriction today. I gotta go to the doctor on Thursday and he will more than likely want to fill me....but Im scared of that~ I just got to a point where EVERYTHING isn't getting stuck. Ah just tooo much to think about right now. We will see what happens when I get there :mad:
porclndoll

porclndoll

1
luvlif's Journal
 

MESSAGE BOARDS

BTW = By the way CUL8R = See you later CYA ( cya ) = See Ya CYA = Cover Your Arse (In addition to "See Ya Later") DB = Darling Brother, Dear Brother or whatever “D” word depending on mood DD = Darling Daughter, Dear Daugher or whatever “D” word depending on mood DH = Darling Husband, Dear Husband or whatever “D” word depending on mood DS = Darling Son, Dear Son or Darling Sister, Dear Sister or whatever “D” word depending on mood DS = Duodenal Switch DW = Darling Wife, Dear Wife or whatever “D” word depending on mood FAQ = Frequently asked questions. FWIW = For What It's Worth FYI = For your information. HTH = Hope this helps. or Hope that helps. IMHO ( imho ) = In My Honest Opinion, In My Humble Opinion IMO ( imo ) = In My Opinion IT = Information Technology. KISS = Keep It Simple Stupid. LAP = Laparoscopic Procedure L8TR ( l8tr ) = Later ( Like see ya later ) LMAO = Laughing My A$$ Off LOL ( lol ) = Laugh Out Loud MB = Message Board. NEWBEE ( newbee, newbie ) = New user of Internet and or computer. NICK ( nick ) = Name used by people ( Individual ) on the Internet. NSV = non scale victory (a change other than the scale…something suddenly fits, others notice your weight loss, etc.) OMG = Oh My God, Oh My Gosh OP = Original Poster OT = Off Topic, used on message boards when the post is not on the threads subject.. PB = Productive Burp (quick vomit without the stomach acid since it is just the food in your pouch) PIC ( pic ) = Picture PPL ( ppl ) = People PS = Plastic Surgery RTFP = read the fine print RNY = Roux En Y (Gastric Bypass Surgery) ROFL ( rofl ) = Rolling On Floor Laughing ROFLMAO = Rolling on floor laughing my a** off SLIME- an overproduction of saliva that occurs in an attempt to force an obstructed piece of food down SNAFU = situation normal, all fouled up SV = scale victory (when the numbers on the scale actually show a change) SWEET SPOT= when you're losing 1-2 lbs/week on average over time and your sensible meals are making you full, so you don’t get physically hungry again for a good 3 to 4 hours TT = Tummy Tuck TTFN = Ta Ta For Now TTYL = Talk to you later TYFS = Thank you for sharing URL ( url ) = Uniform Resource Locater, Internet address of a web page ( http://sitename ) YMMV = Your Mileage May Vary WTF ( wtf ) = What the Freak or your other favorite explicative WLS = Weight Loss Surgery ZZZZZZ ( zzzzz ) = Sleeping or Bored
luvlif

luvlif

1
luvlif's Journal
 

1/21/06

:mad: Ok here we go again...245 in am.GOAL 235LBS BY 2/1/06 walked 20 mins in am ...was sooo tired last night went to bed @ 8pm no walk & woke up @ 6.30am had a cup of tea, 2 crackers 30 cals 1 1/2 slice of ff cheese 30 = 60cals, 1egg = 70 total = 160 snack cheese & crackers 100 cals= 260 lunch 4 links,200 cals 1/4 c pot100 cals, toast 100 cals, egg whites 50cals total 450 + 260= 710. will walk in p.m. dinner:4 egg white omlette = 60 I MUST WEIGH 235LBS BY FEB 1 06
luvlif

luvlif

1
julieplunk's Journal
 

Banded 01/19/2006

I began my new life today. I am now free from prison and I am able to spread my wings and fly. As I was being transported to the OR I was already making plans for my new life. Thinking of things that I wanted to do, and places I wanted to see.. I am now able to get out and visit old friends that I haven't seen in years.. It feels good to be able to move about and breathe clearly and know that it is all up hill from this moment on. Since my banding I have lost 9 more pounds in just a few days. I am seeing the light now and I know that I can do this with lots of determination and will power. I would like to thank everyone who has stood beside me and supported as I have struggled through this journey. I think I am on the right path now and I can't wait to see what the future holds for me as I continue climbing this mountian to reach my goal..
julieplunk

julieplunk

1
lianna's Journal
 

NSV

This will be the first post in my new journal. I find that I am a slow loser. Sucks. I was banded Oct. 27 and am only down 16 lbs. About half of that was in the first 2 weeks on the clear/full liquids. I have been exercising the past month though and can tell the difference in the way my clothes fit. I have some pants that are just flat too big now. The janitor at my school told me I looked thinner today......there is hope.
lianna

lianna

1
mousecrazy's Journal
 

1/20/06

People say it is good to get back to your routine. I think that is true, because life is for the living and life does go on. One of the saddest parts of my day is my drive to work. I have a long commute, 40 miles, which takes close to an hour. Each morning on my way to work, I would call my mom...she was always up early, and it was our time to visit. She lived between my town and the town where I work...so we lived close to each other, too. She knew all my friends, all the people I work with (and the ones I used to work with but don't now). She knew everything about my DD, because she took care of her from infancy until she started kindergarten. There was not one topic I could talk about that she didn't know all the details, and we could hash over everything. Now, I'm not saying we agreed on everything; we didn't. Over the years, I made some "right turns" and found myself squarely in the conservative mindset, while my mom became, if anything, more liberal. We clashed on political topics to the point I refused to discuss them with her, especially after the 2004 elections. We agreed to disagree on that. There is not one single morning that I don't physically ache to talk to her. My dad, kind man that he is, calls me every morning while I am driving...and I know he does it because mom and I used to. I enjoy our talks, too, but it's not the same, of course. Not many people know how hard it is, just to get to work each day. I wonder how many people notice the tears...I suppose most people are so busy thinking about their own stuff, there's no way anyone would see and wonder what is causing that lady to be so sad. Funny, sometimes I look at the other drivers and wonder what's on their minds? Are they missing someone, too? Are they worried about a sick family member? I guess that's kind of weird; but I know this: until you have experienced it, there is no way you will ever, ever understand what losing a parent actually means in the way of sadness. I know I can never be nice and helpful enough to any friend who loses a parent in the future. I am grateful for a dear friend I work with who has been there for me without fail, and knows how hard my morning drive is. I am grateful for this journal space. I am grateful for my compassionate DH, who has the patience of Job. Until tomorrow...
mousecrazy

mousecrazy

2
porclndoll's Journal
 

Jan 20

I finished my first week of work....It went pretty good. I dunno if I will ever get the hang of it, but it will come. I dont like change too much. Thats what these last few months have been about though, change. I gotta get on some sort of exercise program. I know thats whats going to make the difference for me. I have slowed down so much on weight loss that I dont know if I will meet my goals within a year. I dunno. We will see. I gotta get back on some tract. I know with work, I have been on more of a routine and thats always good... :mad:
porclndoll

porclndoll

1
beautifultina's Journal
 

Fresh Starts

I love how we have the oppertunity to make any day a day for a fresh start. It doesn't have to be january 1 or even our birthday or anniversary. It can be a wednesday or a saturday or tomorrow or in 5 minutes. I have decided to take a fresh start with my weight loss. I am losing too slowly and it is due to my own lack of measureing my food and total lack of exercising. I can hardly believe how much in debt I am and I am still slacking aabout losing weight It is not that I dont want to lose weight ..I think I may be self sabotogoeing. Am I afraid to be thinner? Am I afraid to be healthy? What is it that won't let me lose? I try to tell myself that if harry wont go to thte gym with me that i shouldnt go but I NEED to go. I need to do this for myself. I need to make a difference in my own life before I can expect to in anyone else's. We are having a clothes swap tomorrow and I am scared as hell to get rid of my big clothes. What if i gain the weight back and I need them again? Then I will have to spend more money and get more clothes. Then part of me is excited to get rid of them so i can see my own progression. I started out in a size 26/28 now i am swimming in my 24's. My 22s fit but they have been tight as of late. I am frightened to try them on again. What if they are still too tight? What if I can never get into them? I need a fill. I am glad I am getting one on monday. I want to be so tight that i am restricted to liquids for at least two weeks. I need to stay on liquids for as long as I can after this fill. I want to catch up to a lady in my support group who had the surgery one day after me and she has already lost 67 pounds. I feel that i am getting left in the dirt. maybe that feeling of humiliation will motivate me to work out and eat less. i pray that God will provide that for me.
beautifultina

beautifultina

1
Denise H.'s Journal
 

Friday, January 20, 2006

I have signed up now for the discussion board and filled in all my information. I am going to see about having the lap-band surgery done but I am waiting on my insurance to approve of the surgery first. I am scared of having the surgery because I know it is not normally reversed, yet I am ready to lose weight! I am truly addicted to Dr Pepper and I love to eat for entertainment purposes. I will have to adjust rather quickly to this diet and see what I can do to turn my thinking around. I am nervous, but I know I can do it!!!
Denise H.

Denise H.

1
luvlif's Journal
 

what do you need to let go of?

"Even though you may want to move forward in your life, you may have one foot on the brakes. In order to be free, we must learn how to let go. Release the hurt. Release the fear. Refuse to entertain your old pain. The energy it takes to hang onto the past is holding you back from a new life. What is it you would let go of today?" - Mary Manin
luvlif

luvlif

1
luvlif's Journal
 

be willing

Be Willing.   For anything worth having, anything of value, there is a price to pay. If there were no price, there would be no value. The price is not arbitrarily imposed on the thing of value. The price is in fact a big part of what gives it the value.   If diamonds were scattered around on the ground everywhere, they would be worth no more than pieces of gravel. The rarity of diamonds, and the resulting price that must be paid to obtain them, are what make them so valuable.   Trying to obtain something of value without paying the price will only lead to frustration and disappointment. Much of the misery in the world today is the result of such misguided quests.   For anything of value, be willing to pay the price. Be grateful and enthusiastic about paying the price. Because without the price to pay, there is nothing of value.
luvlif

luvlif

1
luvlif's Journal
 

Your weight loss =

How Much Weight Have You Lost? Your weight loss =   1 pound = a Guinea Pig 1.5 pounds = a dozen Krispy Kreme glazed donuts 2 pounds = a rack of baby back ribs 3 pounds = an average human brain 4 pounds = an ostrich egg 5 pounds = a Chihuahua 6 pounds = a human skin 7.5 pounds = an average newborn 8 pounds = a human head 10 pounds= chemical additives an American consumes each year 11 pounds = an average housecat 12 pounds = a Bald Eagle 15 pounds = 10 dozen large eggs 16 pounds = a sperm whale’s brain 20 pounds = an automobile tire 23 pounds = amount of pizza an average American eats in a year 24 pounds = a 3-gallon tub of super premium ice cream 25 pounds = an average 2 year old 30 pounds = amount of cheese an average American eats in a year 33 pounds = a cinder block 36 pounds = a mid-size microwave 40 pounds = a 5-gallon bottle of water or an average human leg 44 pounds = an elephant’s heart 50 pounds = a small bale of hay 55 pounds = a 5000 BTU air conditioner 60 pounds = an elephant’s penis 66 pounds = fats and oils an average American eats in a year 70 pounds = an Irish Setter 77 pounds = a gold brick 80 pounds = the World’s Largest Ball of Tape 90 pounds = a newborn calf 100 pounds = a 2 month old horse 111 pounds = red meat an average American eats in a year 117 pounds = an average fashion model (and she’s 5’11”!) 118 pounds = the complete Encyclopedia Britannica 120 pounds = amount of trash you throw away in a month 130 pounds = a newborn giraffe 138 pounds = potatoes an average American eats in a year 140 pounds = refined sugar an average American eats in a year 144 pounds = an average adult woman (and she’s 5’4”) 150 pounds = the complete Oxford English Dictionary 187 pounds = an average adult man 200 pounds = 2 Bloodhounds 235 pounds = Arnold Schwarzenegger 300 pounds = an average football lineman 400 pounds = a Welsh pony   For example, a loss of 128 pounds means you’ve lost “almost a newborn giraffe”, or: (10) dozen large eggs (4) dozen Krispy Kreme glazed donuts (2) Chihuahuas (2) Guinea pigs (1) elephant penis (1) average 2-year-old (1) human head (1) rack baby back ribs   and one final statistic: the average person laughs 15 times a day. I hope I’ve done my part to keep that count up!
luvlif

luvlif

1

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