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Hollyrock's Blog
 

Dreams

I finally went to a support group meeting last night. I had this crazy dream that I was just released from the hospital and I felt great. So great I didn't realize that I had the surgery and I ate something.... I wasn't suppose to and got a huge leak, that was when woke up. Oh no! What do I do now? So, talking about it with the support group really helped. The people were so warm and friendly. Unfortunately, when I told Banner that I was going to Scottsdale Healthcare support group meetings they were not happy. I promised that I would attend a Banner support group at least once a month. How I am going to be able to do this, I don't know. It's crunch time. Dec 7 I have an EGD, Dec 12 will be doing my Pre- op labs/EKG etc... Dec 19 will be the education class and I will just need the surgical consent from the primary MD and I can schedule my surgery. Wow. I think I need to see someone to talk about why I am so scared about changing my life, because my life will forever be changed. Is it a fear of the unknown? A fear that I won't be invisable? Fear of change itself? Or, what if I am beautiful? What will happen then? Yep, I need to talk to someone.
Hollyrock100

Hollyrock100

2
My Weightloss Journey- 11/19/12
 

Weighing In

I weighed myself again today just for the fun of it... NOT a good idea. I gained a pound and now today I want to eat anything and everything.... of course I'm not doing that, but I WANT TO! I'm trying not to get down about "gaining." I hope it disappears and takes some more weight with it!   I'm still trying to exercise more, but am having a hard time just making myself do it. I don't know what my problem is... Any recommendations to get my butt in gear?!
blessedw2

blessedw2

2
The Weight Loss Journey of VegasBusby
 

Made It Through Thanksgiving!

Well Fellow Sleevers, I have made it through my first major holiday and have to say I did pretty darn good!!! I was a little worried going into Thanksgiving because it is one of my favorite holidays in which to overeat. I was worried I would be a Grumpy Guss because I couldn't, but you know what...I was able to enjoy all the foods that I normally would! I had turkey, stuffing, potatoes, cranberries, rolls, pumpkin pie, etc. I just ate a WHOLE LOT less of it. I didn't feel deprived or anything. All in all I had a wonderful holiday and felt so good that even with the holiday I was still losing weight!!! That is a first for me. I am really looking forward to Christmas now that I know I can get through it successfully!!! P.S. for those of you following my blog, I'd also like to add that in spite of the typical holiday stress, my anxiety is still steadily improving!!!!
phoenixgen2

phoenixgen2

1
Momonanomo's Blog
 

Pre-Op; First Blog Entry & It's Super Long

I’ve made my decision. I just got my referral, and I’m signed up for my first seminar with the surgeon in 2 weeks. I’ve been addicted to VST for about a month, and I am a sponge absorbing everyone’s pre and post op stories. God bless the people of VST   I’ve had a weight problem all my life it seems, whether real or perceived. I’m tall, and I was always the biggest kid in the class in elementary school. I wasn’t an overweight child really. My older sister had a more petite frame, and I think in some ways just the fact that she was smaller made me identify with being a Big Girl before I ever really was. But when adolescence hit, I did indeed become overweight. I’ve always been hungry. My mom talks about how even as an infant still in the hospital, the nurses would have to bring me in for feeding well ahead of my scheduled feeding time – mom would get a call from the nurse’s station and could hear me shrieking in the back ground. We have discussed recently how interesting it was to have two daughters being raised the same way who had fundamentally different feelings about food.   I have a very clear memory of saying to myself at age 15 “If I don’t get control of my weight right now, I never will”. And I never really did, imagine that! I went up and down the next 25+ years! I actually look back at pictures of when I was 15, and think damn I was cute – I don’t look anywhere as big as I felt. I was 5’10” by 8th grade, and I felt that I was huge compared to my classmates. By the time I graduated high school though, I weighed 200 lbs. Still, looking back and comparing to where I am now, I wasn’t so bad off. Through college I went up and down between 170 and maybe 220. I was a SERIOUS yo-yo dieter. By age 24, out in the professional world and having a failed romantic life, I got tired of being 235 lbs and joined Weight Watchers. And man, I was good at it! I got down to 160. But ya know, I was motivated by a failed romance, a situation in which I felt “if only I wasn’t overweight, I would be desirable”. With age comes wisdom, and I now know that the guy was just a total loser ANYways, I attended WW under the guise of adhering to their program, but in reality I just severely restricted my calories for almost a year. I lost weight, but I wasn’t exercising, so no doubt I harmed my metabolism BIG TIME. I was so successful that WW asked me to work for them as a group leader. I wish I hadn’t. It actually is a really good program; it teaches balanced eating habits and a healthy lifestyle in a very livable way. It works for SO many people long term. It just didn’t stick with me long term. The weight came back, and a bunch more. Same old story that so many of us had lived.   Then I discovered diet pills! Hoorah! I was able to go from about 250 to 185, and I lost a bit of my sanity as well – because it is essentially speed. Very bad scene for me. And again, no exercise, just severe caloric restriction. So when I stopped, back came the weight. And the beginnings of other health problems. In my early thirties, I moved to Hawaii. Hit 279. Yikes! Desperate, I went back to diet pills.   I got down to 206 and met the man who would become my husband. As we got to know each other, I learned that he actually prefers women who are not stick figure skinny. He told me early on that I was his “dream girl” in mind, spirit, and body. How lucky am I?!? He seems attracted to me no matter what. He loves how I am now, loved how I was then, and has expressed appreciation for photos of me when I was 100 lbs smaller. He loves me no matter what! So I dropped the pills (he never knew about), and the weight crept up. Even as I’ve gained weight, he’s still chased me around like that little cartoon skunk on Looney Tunes, and (lucky me!) he tells me how gorgeous and sexy I am every chance he gets even all these years later. He’s fine with the fact that I will never be ‘petite’. He is, however, extremely athletic, and as the years have gone by and my weight has crept back up he misses me going on hikes and paddle boarding with him. He still thinks I’m sexy-as-hell, but he loses an awful lot of sleep because of my snoring. We both wish I had more energy and confidence. I love him dearly, and I love that he loves my voluptuousness, but he also loves me enough to want me to feel good. I tried medi-fast. That one was really was bad for me – maybe I lost about 20 lbs, but then I would go crazy with hunger and undo all the good I’d done. Three years after we met, I got to 282. OMG, it sucked. Tired, sick, sleepy – no way to live a good life. Apnea while awake and just watching TV! I contemplated WLS. I shared this with DH, and he encouraged me to research it and committed his support with whatever I chose. What an angel.   Well at that time several years ago – RNY and the band were pretty much it, and I didn’t like either choice. I won’t go into my concerns with those 2 procedures here, but I decided if that’s what WLS was, it wasn’t for me. DH has said many MANY times since then how GLAD he was that I didn’t opt for surgery….   So I joined <national prepackaged meals diet program>. I lost 40 lbs within a few months. It’s another great program that works for a lot of people. A family member of mine in fact has lost 70 lbs and kept it off! But…..it didn’t stick for me. I’m still going all these years later, but in the last year I’ve gained back 20 of the 40 lbs I had lost. Never even got down anywhere close to goal. I’m just SO been-there-done-that. I get too freaking hungry. I cheat the program. I feel like a huge failure. I comfort those feelings with food. More eating leads to even more hunger because of blood sugar swings, and more feelings of failure. I set myself up for failure with the old “Last Supper Syndrome”, you know the one – where you tell yourself you’ll get back on track tomorrow, so you may as well absolutely make the most of it tonight…and then tomorrow never comes.   So here I am today: 260, feeling a fool, kinda half-arsed doing <national prepackaged meals diet program>, exhausted, sore and tired of it all. A month ago, I saw a new doctor (because surely this can all be fixed with the right medication, right?) and he – unsolicited- advocated WLS. I was like “No, I don’t want surgery. My husband wouldn’t want me to have surgery.” So the doctor ordered a battery of tests – you know, all the blood work, fasting and then with the sugar drink. Man that day was hard – afterward I was cold and shakey and had to take a 3 hour snap. Apparently I don’t handle a super-dose of carbs very well!   What this doctor had brought up interested me. Over the next month, I again researched WLS. This time, I discovered the sleeve. I devoured every bit of info I could find on it. And….everything that was a turn-off for me about the other WLS options was resolved when it comes to the sleeve. I learned about grehlin, the hunger hormone in the lining of the stomach, and realized that’s what has driven me since birth to be so hungry! The thing is, once you become overweight and then obese, the problems just snowball and your body chemistry gets farther away from normal. I do take responsibility for it having gotten out of control. But I feel validated knowing I had this challenge from the beginning whereas people like my sister, and DH, didn’t. I have discussed all this with DH and we have agreed that he just doesn’t understand what it’s like to have a weight problem.   …So when I brought up WLS with DH this time, his immediate reaction was “I’m against it.” At that point I had already fully gotten on board with the idea myself, and was so excited and so hopeful for a healthy life, that when DH shut me down like that, I felt almost as though he had signed my death sentence. I know I’m being dramatic, but I also know many of you reading this will understand where I’m coming from. So I went and researched some more. I found VST – awesome! I’m so grateful for VST! More educated, I approached DH again, and was again shut down. He 1) doesn’t believe my weight is that big of a problem and 2) believes if I just eat less and move more I can overcome this. He seems to think It’s a moral and strength-of-character issue. You all know that line of thinking. But, I’m convinced that if he had been along for the ride with me all of the past 30 some-odd years that I've struggled with this, he would understand better.   We enjoy a spectacularly healthy relationship and approach life as a team – this is one thing though, that we don’t come at from the same place. So the problem here is twofold – not only is it something we don’t see eye to eye on, but it is so rare that we don’t see eye to eye, that to not to is additionally disturbing! We do have a relationship of equality too – reading the last paragraph one might not think that. Truth is, I can do what I want, but what I ultimately want is for us to be on the same page with it. I need his support.   After Thanksgiving at my parents’ house, we came home and DH said out of the blue “See, if you had WLS, you’d never enjoy Thanksgiving again.” And thus opened a long and detailed discussion about WLS and the sleeve in particular—what it is, what it does, how one lives a sleeved life. And by the end of our conversation, you know what? He said he’ll support me. Woo HOO!   So I’ve been to the doctor again for the results of the tests, and I’m prediabetic. If I stay this weight and just get older, I will become diabetic. If I gain weight any time soon, I will become diabetic sooner. My BMI is like 38.5. I’m worried because my insurance says approval is for BMI of >40 or 35+ with comorbidities. The rest of my bloodwork is fine. The doctor is sending me for a sleep test for apnea and feels that will suffice for comorbidity. Pretty sure I have it, but what if I don’t? He's also putting me on (can’t remember the name) the medicine that Type II and prediabetics take to help regulate blood sugar, and it does often cause *some* weight loss.   DH asked last night (with a tone that was, to me, antagonistic) “What if, while you’re out for surgery, the doctor decides to also perform liposuction?” And I was like WTF are you talking about? that’s as absurd as him giving me a nose job during WLS! Well, I guess I was a little too vehement in my reply, because he got offended. And adheres to the belief that these two surgeries are absolutely along the same lines. He reiterated that he doesn’t want me to have WLS (although he will support me).   I can tell by his relating liposuction to WLS that he *still* REALLY doesn’t understand what this surgery is about. Seriously! He’s a really intelligent guy, my DH. Extremely intelligent, actually. But I thought this was pretty ridiculous. Part of me thinks he really needs to be made aware of how vastly different these two surgeries are, not only on a surgical level, but also in motivation, intent and result. Not to mention -- my surgeon wouldn’t do anything I hadn’t signed off on, even if he was trained in cosmetic surgery and had a lipo wand on hand in case the spirit moved him. (Yes, sarcasm)   So, is it necessary to try to educate DH more on this? To make sure he knows this is not a cosmetic/vanity surgery (like when his ex a decade ago got breast implants)? Or would it be advantageous to just let him think it is more along the lines of a boob job or lipo, so that he doesn’t grow overly concerned about the seriousness of WLS and go back to saying he absolutely won’t support it? No, I think it better to be straight forward as we have always been with each other. I so whole-heartedly believe that this is the right thing for me, and that I am an excellent candidate.   Thanks to all those sharing their stories. Hope I can pay it forward someday. My blog entries should be of more reasonable length in the future
Momonanomo

Momonanomo

3
AJPeezy's Blog
 

Last Visit!

so on december 18th i go for my last visit. my pcp has to fax over everything to insurance. god i hope i get approved! she says it usually takes a week IF that! im super excited. i go for my lab work on january 4th so im hoping i have my surgery date before then.   my surgeon requires a 5 day liquid diet. i wonder why its just five days? i dont even care. thats better than 2 weeks!
AJPeezy

AJPeezy

0
AJPeezy's Blog
 

Last Visit!

so on december 18th i go for my last visit. my pcp has to fax over everything to insurance. god i hope i get approved! she says it usually takes a week IF that! im super excited. i go for my lab work on january 4th so im hoping i have my surgery date before then.   my surgeon requires a 5 day liquid diet. i wonder why its just five days? i dont even care. thats better than 2 weeks!
AJPeezy

AJPeezy

0
Learning to be a Type A-
 

Headed To The Nut And A Blog

Today I have my 5th month apt (out of my 6 month pre-op process).  I am more than nervous.  I didn't over do it on Thanksgiving but still I worry I have not lost enough weight.    I read a blog post that said people really only gain about 5 lbs. over the holidays but most of us tend to think we gained more.  That's me.  I am so worried that I gained and/or didn't lose enough to qualify.  I mean I have 1 more month before I can be submitted for approval and well Christmas is in that month.    I'm trying not to stress out (I'm known to do that around highly important events).  I also have to submit my food diary, questionnaire (why I want surgery and what my lifestyle is like), 1 day of meals post-op, and 1 day worth of meals during the puree stage.  Looking back, this has been a long frustrating journey.    Every time I am ready to have a pitty party or get frustrated I think about the blog 300poundsdown.com.  Holly is a true inspiration.  She is someone who has a story to tell.  While sure our stories and challenges are different, I can count on her posts to help me realize that no matter where you start, it is worth it to keep going to goal.   One thing about me...I've never been a crier (at least not a sappy one - pain sure okay).  I watch movies and when the person dies, falls in love, rides off into the sunset...yup I'm in the wow, s/he can act camp.  But cry and feel a sudden sense of loss...nope, it is just not me.  Same goes when reading high charged emotional books, stories, etc.    That being said, I have to say, I've never met Holly but feel like I know her.  Her posts can bring anyone (yes even me) to tears.  Her determination and sheer positivity is amazing.  Her blog is my go-to when I'm ready to get down on myself for not losing enough, making a bad choice, thinking of giving up, not having progressed in this process enough, etc.    I realized a few minutes ago when reading her post over lunch that I have made her my unofficial WLS hero.  She will never know this but I say this to encourage anyone else out there that feels frustrated during this pre-op process:  Go on over to Holly's site and check out her story.  You'll find she will really inspire you to just keep on going.
TwinsMama

TwinsMama

1
Kime-lou's Blog
 

Why The 'tude Dude?

I have been on this site for 5 months and have noticed that post can sometimes get a little heated. I sometime get heated - when someone tells me I am doing wrong.   Well, if I am doing wrong them it's because my surgeon told me to. I have met with and emailed my nutrtionist with every question I have had to make sure I am on track. I go to my surgeon monthly for a fill and discussion about my progress.   From June 22, 2012 until Dec. 2, 2012 I have gone from 244 lbs to 199! I have gone from wearing a 20/22 to a 14/16. Obviously, I am not do that much wrong because I am losing lbs and inches. I eat healthy, good foods - do I ever eat something that would be considered unhealthy- yes, but not daily and not even weekly. I talked it over with my doctor and nutritionist and both said do not totally deprive myself, but limit. Guess what I want to lose so I limit!!!! When I am dying for a cupcake when I am pmsing I go get ONE cupcake and eat it- no more, some times it's only 2 bits and the hubs finishes it. It took my craving away and did not drive me to ruin.   I appreciate all the hard core banders who can preach ya da ya da is the end all be all and if you aren't living banded this way then you are wrong. I am sorry, but get off your high hourse and build a bridge, if you are not a bariatric specialist then do not tell me how I should live banded life. When I answer questions I answer from my perspective, from what my doctor has told me, I do not tell people they must take my advice I just put it out there rather than trying to choke them on it.   I have an excellent line of communication going with my team doctors (family doc and surgeon) and my nutritionist to make sure I am doing what I am suppose to and getting the right result in a healthy way. Last month I hit a plateau and didn't move for a month. My surgeon sat me down and told me to calm down, the month before I had lost 8lbs, he said likely my body was taking a break, that unless the plateau last 3 months to just breath and stick to the plan. Well in a few days I was headed down and hit 199.   Bottom line is we are all on a journey, each journey will present with different pot holes, curves and hills - it is up to us to seek guidance from our professional team to know how we need to navaigate those issues. On here people need support and need to know how your journey is going - the way you got around your curve may be different from who someone else gets around theres.   Tough love is needed- if a person admits to eating crap and gaining the yes it is there fault they are gaining. But until the facts are known please do not just down a person throat.
Kime-lou

Kime-lou

4
desertmom's Blog
 

Exercise And Calories

Since I've stepped up the exercise again I am stalled and I want more food.I dont know if I am hungry but somehow I want to eat more often.   Tonight the grils made Indian food.Popadoms and kadhai chicken.i had to eat some.I did not eat the chapati or rice but I had 2 popadoms and about 3oz of the chicken.It is super spicy so I had some fatfree cream fresh with it.The only thing about Indian food is they use a lot of oil.But I dont think I ate too much as I am not too full,just full.   See,this freaks me out about where I am at with the eating at the moment.I still eat like a bird but now I also lose weight like a bird,ounces instead of pounds at a time...lol   Maybe I should quit worrying about losing more in the next few weeks and focus on eating to not gain as we are going abroad for christmas and maintaining during the holiday is super important to me.   Anyway,183.3 is ok but boy would I have loved it to be under 180 before we leave on the 18th.I just dont know what to do to get there in 2 weeks.   Ugg,how do I speed up the weight loss?If I had to go by calories in calories out I would lose 1 pound every 3 days but it just isnt the way it works.      
desertmom

desertmom

0
amy_agatha's Blog
 

Ok Few Days And Then.... Not A Very Good Day

So the last few days have been good. Had our Christmas Pagent and the Market that goes with it. My Relay for Life team had a stall there and we managed to raise a bit of money.   Stayed over a friends that night and was attacked by her kitten all night. lol the little thing (his name is Sox or Socks (not sure how they spell it, I've never asked) I'll just use Sox) has just gotten big enough to jump onto the bed by himself and decided he wanted to attack my legs all night and when he wasn't doing that he was trying to chew the phone charger cord. He was very annoying that night but I can't be mad at him, he's too cute. lol Then in the morning Sox and Jaffa (my friends 3 yr old cat) were play fightning on my legs as I was trying to get a few more minutes sleep. of course, when I told them off they gave me the cute kitty look and I couldn't be mad no more. lol.   Got told yesterday by two different people that I looked like I'd lost weight, which was nice, though according to the scales I haven't (but I didn't say that.) It was nice that they thought that I had.   Got an AWESOME lightning show last friday night. Not much thunder that we could hear but lots and lots of lightning. I wish I had my camera charged, I would have gotten photos. but was awesome none the less.   Ok now the bad news...   It's not confirmed yet but the doctors think my grandfather may have liver cancer.... Just wish Cancer would (insert bad word here) off. It really needs to dissapear. hope they find a cure soon. I hope that the doctor is wrong and they are trying to get him in for testing before christmas but not sure if they will be able to. I'm hoping its not Cancer but who knows. UPDATE: It's confirmed   Well thats all for now   Take care Amy
amy_agatha

amy_agatha

0
jackjones' Blog
 

L'or De No?l

Noël est ici, mais pour ceux qui ont acheté lourdement dans un système d'échange de l'or controversé, il va probablement être une question difficile. C'est parce que non seulement a la Bank Negara estimé que ce régime insoutenable, mais il a également confisqué la médaille d'or. la prime de noel Le Bull Run sur prix de l'or est en cours depuis plus d'une décennie sans précédent et il est prévu de tirer passé 2.000 dollars l'once l'année prochaine, avant le retour des ours. La frénésie est compréhensible si l'on considère que le prix de l'once d'or en 1968 n'était que de 35 $ US! Déjà 60.000 personnes auraient acheté environ RM10 milliards de dollars d'or de Genneva Malaisie Sdn Bhd, ce qui donne une moyenne de RM150, 000. C'est beaucoup d'argent, c'est l'équivalent de 400.000 logements à faible coût à RM25, 000 chacun! Ou pour acheter des condominiums haut de gamme coûtant 25.000 RM400, 000. Mais leur argent est bloqué à présent que la banque centrale a perquisitionné les bureaux Genneva et confisqué l'or et de l'argent. Je sais l'angoisse des acheteurs d'or est réel et insupportable car j'ai des amis proches, dont l'argent sont maintenant coincés et ils sont en difficulté. Mais Noël est un moment de joie et de paix d'esprit. C'est censé être de cette façon et a toujours été. Donc, ce Noël, quelle que soit notre inquiétude, il ya de l'espoir. Mais où allons-nous commencer à chercher un espoir? Il est louable que les personnes concernées ne sont pas en attente de quelqu'un pour résoudre leurs problèmes. Ils ont commencé leur propre groupe de soutien à http://www.facebook.com/GennevaMalaysiaSupporters. «Nous sommes les partisans de Genneva Malaisie Sdn Bhd, trader l'or du monde la plus innovante qui s'occupe des gens de toutes les communautés et de tous les horizons de la vie. C'est là que 1Malaysia est. Famille Genneva prêche par l'exemple." Non seulement cela, ils ont même commencé une famille dédiée Genneva Prière mur Demande: Appel à la famille Genneva et les partisans de jeûner et de prier ensemble du pays pour une intervention divine. Nous croyons fermement en la puissance de la prière et surtout dans la puissance de la prière de la communauté avec un seul cœur et d'esprit. Marchons par la foi, non par la vue ensemble comme une famille Genneva. Priez sans cesse. Nous vous recommandons tout le monde à se joindre à nos frères et sœurs musulmans en prière quand nous entendons l'appel à la prière cinq fois par jour. bricolage de noel enfant Alors même que j'écris ces lignes, cette ligne dans un chant de louange composé par le pasteur Ng Wah Lok vient à l'esprit: «Chaque fois que je prie, je déplacer la main de Dieu / Ma prière fait les choses / Mes mains ne peuvent pas le faire." La prière est transcendantale - il nous amène à une réalité plus grand que notre crise actuelle, quelque chose de plus grand que nous.
jackjones

jackjones

0
AmySays' Blog
 

The Adventure Begins

Once Upon a Time...   there was a girl. And let me tell you, this girl was awesome. Incredibly funny, kind-hearted, full of energy, beautiful and ready to tackle the world! This girl had four amazing children and loved them so incredibly much that she kept the biggest souvenir she could from each pregnancy. So after 10 years of having these amazing children, this awesome, funny, kind-hearted, full of energy, beautiful girl was.... fat.   But that was really ok, because she was still the same person she always was.   The End.   Ok... so there's that fairy tale. And there's a lot of truth there, really. I gained weight with each pregnancy, tried and failed to lose it, only to gain it back again and again. Same old story. After I had my 4th child, I hired a personal trainer and with his help, lost 60 pounds and felt terrific! Then we moved. No support system, new gym, you know the excuses. About 20 pounds crept back on, but I was still proud of myself. Then we moved again, this time out of state where we knew NO ONE. I made some friends, ate out a LOT, drank my fair share of Bud Light Lime & Twisted Tea, stopped going to the gym altogether and the weight came back, full force, plus 40 pounds.   I think I was born with some sort of self-confidence gene that most people don't have. I was always confident in exactly who I was, no matter what my body looked like at the time. I remember the very first time I ever had a crack in that confidence... it was about 6 years ago when I had lost that 60 pounds. I was at a womens' retreat with church and had accomplished a tremendous feat. They have this hill that goes from the lake up to the campsites and I swear to you, it has to be about a 65* angle. It felt like I was walking straight up a wall. But I made it. And I didn't just walk up the hill, I RAN up that hill. I felt like Bella scaling that wall when she smelled human blood the first time she went hunting after she turned. I digress... I made it up the side of that mountain and just collapsed at the top, chest heaving, pulse racing, heart about to burst. And oddly enough, in what should have been a time of great joy, all I felt was sadness. I couldn't believe that I had lived my life on the sidelines for so long. I was disparaged that the Lord had given me this body and I had wasted it.   I never thought I'd go back to "that place" but I did. I gained all the weight back, and then some. And now I'm at a point where I don't want to let myself down anymore. I'm still that awesome girl with a great husband and four amazing kids. I STILL don't have any real negative body image issues (although I also know I SHOULD), but I know I'm ready for a change. I'm ready to set a good example and be healthy for GOOD. I'm ready to be around for my kids, I'm ready to jump on trampolines & go on rides at amusement parks without a second thought as to whether I'll fit. I'm ready to sit in the bathtub without having to shift to one side to let the water drain out. I'm ready to get naked in front of my husband of 11 years! I'm just READY.   My surgery is scheduled for 12/12/12. Sounds like a good day to start my new life to me.
AmySays

AmySays

4
Robyn's Journey
 

7 Day Update

I have never blogged before but I thought I would try this to help me stay on track and stay motivated. Like most of us on this site, I have struggled with weight for a long time. I was really proud of myself because I lost over 60 pounds on my own over a 5 year period but I got to a place where I could not get below 232 pounds. I finally decided to make a huge decision that will affect me the rest of my life and I feel so blessed that I finally made that decision. I spent the last 3 months going through my pre-program and I am so happy that they make you do that because to be honest, I probably would not have done that on my own. I learned a lot. I joined the Centennial Medical Center-Nashville program in June 2012. It is such an outstanding program giving you support, assistance, education and in the most organized fashion. Dr. Doug Olsen is my surgeon. By far he does not accept any excuses. He shows his support but you always knows where he stands - he wants you to succeed.   I finally had my surgery on 11/26/12 and today I am 7 days out. I am so proud of myself. I have followed everything 100%. I learn new things every day. I am nervous that I may be missing something but I am staying so focused, My post op pain has been very well controlled. I have had no pain medication since last Friday. Remarkable! I went to church with my daughter yesterday and enjoyed the time so much. Today I drove for the first time and had no problems. My main concern is making sure that I am getting all of my protein. Everyday it gets easier and I really do not mind it at all. I really like Unjury better than the Nectar product.   For 7 days out I am so pumped. I have lost 14 pounds thus far. Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers as I move forward on this jourey.
resorns

resorns

1
Mission Slimpossible
 

Run Down...

Been feeling so run down lately. Lots of restless sleep tossing & turning & tossing & turning. Soooo frustrating.   My eyes actually wanted to close on my commute to work this morning. I don't think I've EVER had that happen before. I had to literally fight the urge to go to sleep.   I don't know if I'm trying to fight something off, or if life's stress is finally starting to take a toll on me physically. What's going on here?
Domika03

Domika03

1
JennieDK's Blog
 

Liquid Diet Day Seven (The Woes Of Travel, And Other Stories)

It’s day seven of my liquid diet, and today was the first time I really struggled.   First, let me say that today was a great day in many respects. My husband and I took our oldest on a college visit today where he and other students auditioned and interviewed for theater scholarships. I’m not just saying this because I’m his mom—my son did great! Some of the professors even told me so afterwards. He had such a great experience today (this was our second visit), that he decided to commit to the school, which is a huge load off of all of our minds. My son really shined today, and I’m excited about this new chapter in his life. He's going to do amazing things!   Okay, now here’s the crabby part. This, as many of you already know, is just a really hard time of year to be on a liquid diet. (Though I'm sure every time of the year has its own unique challenges.) While on campus today, we were treated to lunch in a recently updated dining hall that truly is more like a collection of restaurants. It puts my old college’s microwave eggs and frozen pizzas to shame! And it was a social lunch, one that was stretched out for an hour so that we could talk to the faculty and visit with other prospective students. I felt a little self-conscious about my tiny bowl of soup (which probably wasn’t even technically on my list) as people went back for seconds. Then, we were enthusiastically encouraged to hit the icecream bar. I got another diet soda—a no-no, I know, but at least it wasn’t the icecream bar, and it made me feel like I was having a treat.   After a very long two hour drive, we got back into town right around supper time and stopped to pick up my two younger kids from my mom’s house. When we got there, my kids showed off the frosted Christmas sugar cookies they made and everyone endulged—except me. Now, I can see this as a small victory, and I do, but I felt bad because my 3 year old daughter didn’t entirely understand why I wasn’t eating her special cookies. And I felt like my mom was disappointed in me too. Maybe it was in my head, but she kept looking at me like, “Come on, Jennie, just eat one, for your kids.” Then Mom continued to talk about how excited that she was that her favorite pizza place was moving back into our neighborhood. I got out of there as quickly as I could.   As soon as I got home, my phone was ringing. My little sis, who lives 3 hours away, is hosting a girls weekend at her place this weekend. It’s the first time she’s had many of the girls of the family down to visit since she moved there, and she’s especially excited because she has a beautiful new home and it’s all decked out for the holidays. Plus, she’s newly pregnant. If you haven’t noticed already—backing out of the trip is simply not a possibility. She is really supportive of what I’m doing, but in her defense, she’s been planning this weekend for a while, and certainly not just for me. So on the agenda for the weekend: a winery (and I LOVE wine—it’s kinda my thing), a local festival of fresh baked goods and Christmas crafts (the crafts should be cool), and then out on the town for dinner in Kansas City. Sigh. This is going to be a tough week, I can tell.   But, here it is: I have 7 days left, and A LOT to do. I have to get sub plans ready for the 9 days I’ll miss work, and I pretty much need to have Christmas shopping and wrapping done before I leave town Friday. I teach a college night class, and the grades for that are due next week, and I have to take my student group out to buy gifts for ten area needy kids that we “adopted” for Christmas. I’m hoping that I’m so busy, I won’t have time to lament the loss of real food. Though this weekend will be tough. I’ll just have to keep focused on my surgery. It will be here before I know it.   Writing this all down has really helped me get my head around where I am emotionally today. Maybe I wanted to eat more today because, even though it’s a really wonderful milestone, there’s something very bittersweet in my son’s final selection of a college. This is exactly the kind of thing that I would have celebrated by going out for a nice, high calorie dinner! And maybe it’s bothering me that I don’t feel as supported by my extended family as I wish I was. But on the other hand, I’m never going to change them, and I love them how they are. I’m sure I drive them nuts from time to time. And my husband has been amazing. He’s passing on food all the time just so that he’s not eating in front of me. He is even making all of the dinners for the kids right now, which allows me to make my shake/soup/yogurt/whatever and go sit and unwind a minute alone at the end of the day. So I have a lot to stay positive about—I’ve having the surgery, afterall. I’m only days away from something I’ve wanted for almost two years. So I just need to stay positive. Stay positive.
JennieDK

JennieDK

2
LeeLee76's Blog
 

Revision Surgery Scheduled For Next Week

Its been a very long time since I have been on.. I went through all of the hoops and finally got authorization to do the lap band to RNY revision surgery and I'm scheduled for next Wednesday. My new surgeon said if he had seen me original he never would have suggested the band for me. I'm nervous yet excited at the same time. I hear recovery is a bit longer so I'm expecting that. I hear different opions on the success rate. Anyone have any thoughts or know of anyone that has had the revision surgery, how they are doing and wait loss after the revision? I know everyone is different, all bodies are different but I'm sure hoping I have more success this time around.   Hope all is well!
LeeLee76

LeeLee76

0
jkevhack's Blog
 

Craving Popcorn, Is It Ok To Eat ???

We are raising 2 of our grandson's ( have been for about 10 years ) the 11 year old has Down Syndrome and we are both hooked on popcorn. He asks me every night if its "popcorn time" lol. I tell him not for a few more days. I will be one month out on Dec 8th and almost down 20 pounds. Is popcorn ok if eaten slowly and not to much??? Has anyone ever had a problem with eating it??? My PA said its ok to eat but curious if anyone has had any problems. My grandson is a joy in our lives and he really wants POPCORN
jkevhack

jkevhack

4
My Weightloss Journey- 11/19/12
 

2 Weeks Post-Op Update

I am 2 weeks post-op today. I'm feeling pretty good. I am starting to want to try new foods, but am scared to. I will wait until next week when I see my doctor for my post-op visit.   I weighed myself this morning and have lost 14 pounds since surgery. I'm happy with this amount, but of course always wish it was more. A pound a day... can't complain. I also have lost over 5 inches.   I have lost a total of 38 pounds since dieting and surgery... I still can't really tell that I've lost any weight other than my face is getting a little thinner and pants are getting a little looser than normal by the end of the day. That part is still so frustrating to me. For crying out loud, I just lost the same amount and my daughter weighs! A whole human being!   I'm not going to allow myself to become discouraged. I always remind myself that it took me 24 years to gain the weight, so I need to be patient and know that it won't al fall off overnight. I can't wait until things really start changing though!   I can finally pick up my kids. I LOVE it!!! They are the sweetest kids ever! They are my everything!   Things with my husband and I have gotten better (although they were never bad). He was so concerned about me going through with the surgery, but very encouraging. He is an excellent cheerleader and has helped to keep me on track a couple times that I wanted to stray. We went for a nice walk this afternoon and it was nice to just be together. I'm VERY blessed to have the most amazing family ever!   Life is good.
blessedw2

blessedw2

2
Lauracat's Blog
 

Working Out

i get asked all the time about working out so i thought that i tell you my story with it. i am uncoordinated and can not balance ( i am much better now) even as a child i hated gym class. I was always the last picked but i loved to dance i would go to dance class all the time. Well till 13 when my dance teacher told me "i need to learn my place in life and it no were near the dance floor" that ended my love with dance.. I went to feeling like i could not. I joined a gym because my husband worked there Then i picked up body pump something about the music I worked out with Dave a trainer for 2 years however i never lost weight and never rely loved it. I bought the Zumba videos I was not a fan at frist. I thought i never were those silly paints. But the more time i did them the more i kind of liked it.   I started taking body pump on Sunday and the teacher was also a zumba teacher she invited me to stay. I SUCKED. I would not have come back if penny did not tell me it would get better i get better. The next week it did get a little better and it keeped getting better till i loved it. Then i was hocked and those silly paints with the but strings i own 7 pairs   So why do i love Zumba well it dose not matter if your fat thin green black old young one leg in a wheel chair you can do it. They have a zumba for everyone. I love to dance and I just get lost in the music. I get asked all the time for my best advice. So here it is     My Mottos: If you think you can't you can if you can you will if you will you must if you must you do!!   I wear a neck less it was a gift from my zumba mentor. it has 3 charms 1. dance like no one watching - to me this means let go feel the music if you not doing a step right and trust me i even mess them up it dose not matter were all going to have fun. 2. a tiger eye for strength if you no this lap band journey you need this to have go though surgery fill change you eating habits it more than just pure muscle strength it about being strong enough to change your life. The 3rd is a butterfly it the transmutation a butterfly starts out a a caterpillar and then go though a change into a butterfat is in all of us.   Dance, walk move just be free to do what you like, Be Strong and in the end Become the butterfly that lies with in each one of us
Lauracat

Lauracat

2
slojo's Blog
 

3 Months Out And Down 44 Lbs!

3 months out, haven't blogged in a while been very busy working. I've been riding the motorcycle some, doing good with that. Rode into a small town sat. by myself for a sheriff's inspection so I can license it. Didn't have any trouble but was pretty scared. I just have 12 lbs to go to goal so feeling awesome about that. The hairloss has slowed down some (thank God). Feel tired alot lately...Not much else to write, thanks for reading my jumbled thoughts...
slojo

slojo

1
Snookimz's Blog
 

Emotions

Boy am I an emotional basket case today! I have so much going on and am starting the liquid diet tomorrow. I think it is all starting to sink in that this is real and happening really fast! I thought it was good timing to have the surgery but now I'm getting all these invites for holiday parties and christmas and FOOD. think i'm feeling a little resentful about it... But my desire to not feel soo exhausted and miserable is far more important to me than any frickin food!
Snookimz

Snookimz

1
A funny thing happend while I was loosing weight
 

The High Price Of Gas

Today we are going to talk about the high price of gas. Not the kind you buy at the pump, but the kind we expel from our bodies. Don't pretend like you don't fart...we all do. And, if you've had WLS, you are probably like me and have more gas now than you have EVER had in your life. I am not sure if it's the extra vitamins, the fiber, or just the fact of the surgery, but my gas and bloating has increased 1000xs. If you don't believe me, you can ask my husband...and my chiropractor (more on that later).   Now, I grew up in a home where farts weren't something that were hidden. I mean we learned to have some respect about them. Don't do it in public, or in front of company, and if you can, leave the room before you release your gas out of respect to the others in the room. We also learned that it was something that EVERYONE does. Except my sister....but I still swear she's lying through her beautiful teeth. It's not something to be ashamed of, but you still shouldn't just let one rip in the middle of a restaurant or a store. Or even worse, be one of those people who does the silent by deadly ones and then acts like it's someone else's and complains about about the smell (yes, I'm talking about you, oh hubby of mine)   After surgery, we all learn the need to expel the gas in our bodies any way we can. It helps with the healing process and we're told it's a good thing. Also, after surgery, they don't really stink so no matter how loud or silent. That is no longer the case.   After almost eight months, I have learned that no matter what, I am now a fart machine. I can no longer hold then like I could before surgery. Hell, sometimes I don't even know they are looking for a way out until POOF....and there I stand or sit looking just as shocked as everyone else. I fart in public, even when I try so hard not to. I fart in my sleep. I fart in the morning, afternoon, and evening. And, to make it worse, I no longer have those no smell farts. Nope, now I have the ones that should be bottled and sold to the US military as a gas agent. It's worse than mustard gas. I know, I made some once...not on purpose. My cat peed outside the litter box and I thought the best way to deal with it was to pour bleach on it and then wipe it up. WRONG. My eyes began to burn, my throat became itchy and tight, I even became light headed. I literately had to leave and wait for about an hour before I could return to finish cleaning.......YES, that is now what I can produce off 10 oz of food a day at most. And since I know there is no way I am alone here, I decided to tell you a few funny stories.   1. The Best Alarm Clock Ever Made   The other night, my husband fell asleep on the couch. This is nothing new as he seems to think that the T.V. + couch =sleep. So, I continued to watch the movie that I had on. Around an hour and half after he dozed off, I felt it. The need to let some gas out. I knew I had been lucky all day and they had not been foul smelling so i figured that since he was asleep, I would not leave the room (which I do try to do since I had surgery). So, Poof....there it is. And within seconds, I smell it. It was the worst smelling fart of my life. It didn't just say hello and leave. No, it became an unwelcome guest and decided to stay and watch the show with me. Now, to make matters worse, my husbands head was closer to my backside than my front side. Our couches are in an L shape and I was leaning the other way. Therefore, this fart was a dead bulls-eye for my husbands face. "Stay asleep, Stay asleep" I kept thinking over and over. Then I saw it. The twitch of his nose, the squint of his eyes....the toss and turn....and BAM, he's awake. Now, I didn't say anything at first. But after about 2mins, he says, "I am so sorry i must have been really gassy in my sleep. It stunk so bad it woke me up from a dream!" Now, I have an out. Do I take it and tell him it's alright and it happens to all of us? NOPE. I fess up. His response, "Oh thank goodness, I was wondering when my farts became so deadly!!" Yes, that's right, I out farted a man and even he admitted that my fart was worse than ANY he had ever had. I hate to agree with him, but I think he's right.         2. The Chiropractor (the day after the alarm clock fart)   So, as you can imagine, I'm still gasy and they still smell horrible. But, i still went to my chiropractic appointment becasue to be honest, I needed a really good crack. Now, before I went back, the doctor, receptionist and I were chatting and I tell a story about when I let out a small toot in my old chiropractor's office (no smell) and how embarrassed I was. I must have said I'm sorry a million times. We all got a good laugh and when I was called back, I told myself that no matter what, i was not allowed to let gas out any hole...no matter what!!! So, we do the adjustment and she goes to put these blocks under my thighs (they help alignment) and right then, poooooffff. It was silent and that scared me to death. So, i knew I had to fess up. I mean come on, if it was even half of what the one yesterday was like then they wouldn't be able to use that room for days. So, I told her. I turned red. I told her about waking up my husband and that if it stinks, I am SOOOOOO Sorry. She laughed and finished up with me and even thanked me for my honestly. Apparently most people don't even say anything.....like she won't know it was them. LOL. Well, I thought I was off the hook. i thought for sure it was odorless. So as I was grabbing my keys and phone, I hear my doctor say this, "So-and-So, can you please go spray down that room once Trish leaves?" i am not sure how I managed to make it out of there with any dignity. Lucky for me I have a very good doctor with a wonderful sense of humor. That is the only reason I'm not looking for a new doc to crack my back now.     So, I have finally given in to the fact that I am a gassy woman. No matter how hard I try, i can no longer be lady like all the time. I know I can't be the only one of us out there with stories like this....so what's your most embarrassing gas story since surgery? I would love to know...or else I'm just going to feel like an all alone fart queen. And, that's one title NO woman wants.....EVER!!!!  
tmorgan813

tmorgan813

3

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