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Scutles' Blog
 

4 Hours Post Op

I am 4 hours post op and just got to my room. I am VERY VERY tired. pain wise I am doing good.. i am sore but it is not as bad as I thought it was going to be. I have a REALLY dry throat so I am munching on some crushed ice.. Thanks for all of the prayers and well wishes now to start this lifelong journey
Scutles

Scutles

1
Scutles' Blog
 

4 Hours Post Op

I am 4 hours post op and just got to my room. I am VERY VERY tired. pain wise I am doing good.. i am sore but it is not as bad as I thought it was going to be. I have a REALLY dry throat so I am munching on some crushed ice.. Thanks for all of the prayers and well wishes now to start this lifelong journey
Scutles

Scutles

4
Izuri's Blog
 

The Holiday Season

Life has been crazy lately. With everything going on, I feel like I'm struggling just to keep my head above water, though part of that is my fault.   I don't enjoy the holiday season. It's not that I mind Christmas or Thanksgiving and being with family - it's nice to see them. But I don't like the stress that the holiday season brings along with it. The stress of finals, the stress of having no money and wanting to get the people I love nice gifts, the stress of work, the stress of not having time off, the stress of hearing the same five to ten Christmas songs over and over everywhere I go.   I want to be in the spirit of the season. I would love to spend a bunch of time shopping and get the people on my list some really neat things. I just can't afford it. I can't work full time because of school, and I can barely afford gas money to get to see my boyfriend on the weekends. And then right after the holiday season comes car insurance time. I just wish I had a bit of extra cash so that I could stop freaking out about money.   I have not been losing weight as consistently as before. I hit a couple of weeks of plateau where I thought maybe weight loss was done. I haven't gotten to working out as much as I'd have liked. I have been walking a lot more though. This week I had a bit of a nice drop though and have now fallen into the 230's, weighing in at 239.6 - what a great number to see. That means I'm just over 15 pounds away from 100 lost and I'm a little over four months out from surgery.   My boyfriend told me that he can really see the weight loss now. If you're looking at my back above my hips/butt, I actually look a normal weight. I wish my body would let me lose more from my lower abdomen and hips. I suppose it will come eventually.   Well, I didn't start this entry with the idea of complaining the whole way through, so I'm gonna head off and try and be more positive. Mostly I just wanted to document my weight and my feelings, especially since they took away my outside ticker so I've lost my graph that recorded all my weights. I will have to figure out how to set one up on my computer in excel or something. I know Alex said they'd work on it, but I am missing out on recording a number of weights while I wait for them to fix the tickers on this site.   I hope everyone is doing well!
Izuri

Izuri

1
Kime-lou's Blog
 

Lapband Reality

I was banded June 22, 2012. I have lost 45 lbs, as of Sunday morning Dec. 2nd I have reached my first major goal- 199!!! Onederland!!! I can't believe it!   I had be stuck on 201 for most of November and felt like I would never get below 200. I had a fill on Thursday that I feel like got me to the green zone. My band had major restriction, I really have to pay attention to how I eat now. I don't get hungry often and it takes a cup or LESS to get me full- WOW!   When I hit 199 I was so excited, I got on the scales 5 or 6 times just to be sure. Yep, 199.2. This morning my husband ask me what my next major goal was, since this had been my goal since surgery. I was at a loss, in my dream I wanted to get to the 140's, but was never really sure I'd reach that. Now that I have hit my first major goal, my mind is reeling- where do I go from here. What is possible? I feel more confident now that the 140's is possible, but realistically it's far off, so my next goal is 175!   This journey isn't always easy, but it is always worth it. Having people tell me I look great. Finally being below 200, which I don't really remember being ever. I feel fairly sure I was childhood, but never during my teens was I below 200.   With my last feel getting me to retriction and my finally hitting 199 I am feeling renewed and motivated to kick this journey into the next gear.   Never in my life have I so enjoyed laying my fork down before my plate is clean- now that is a satisfied feeling!
Kime-lou

Kime-lou

3
4ALongerLife's Blog
 

Updated Story

Well.......... let's see ...... not sure where I've left off in my story of gastric sleeve. Yet I've had more update as of 11/14, I had a CAT scan as per my bariatric dr's orders to see what was going on.   I was complaining of not being able to sleep lying flat, feeling like I was drowning, choking up my lungs each time I tried to lie down. So I resorted to sleeping in a chair or sitting at a 90 degree angle in bed. Not comfortable. Not to mention that I would cough and almost choke myself in the midst of the night, so sleeping was sporadic. Was doing Vicks vapor rub to breathe better and Robitussin but nothing was working. Dr. said let's do a CAT scan, which I did on the 11/14 date - at 1 pm. My dr. called me at 3:45 pm (um hello? that's a bit quick, so uh oh)... he says you have to go to the hospital Stephanie, something's wrong. It appears that I had another staple open up and leak more out into my cavity, which has penetrated my lungs and diaphragm, where I have a slight hole in my diaphragm. I also have a gastric fistula that connects my tummy to my lung and to my diaphragm. My left lower lobe is collapsed on my lung so it's harder to breathe than it should be.   So I went and got admitted on 11/14. I went at 8 pm as per the dr.'s request, after the 7 pm nurse shift change. My son and my hubs went with me to the ER and waited with me, thinking we wouldn't be too long in the ER and would get to a room relatively quickly. Um, no. It was 1 am before we got to a room. My poor child was sleeping in a chair in the ER. Let me tell you too, IDK what the heck anyone that works in the ER thinks they know. This last visit to Baylor Carrollton worries me about ever going to the ER. The "dr." (Muniz I think was his name) was such a moron that he thought my dr. was a podiatrist. I personally think that mr. great looking dr. was too busy checking out my very attractive but yet super biatchy nurse. Whatever. I have had my moments in the ER on several occassions and let me tell you, if something goes wrong, you're better off trying to wait to go to your dr. rather than the ER in the midst of the night. At least so has been my experience.   Anyways, got admitted and eventually had a chest tube placed. It was placed in my back, in an attempt to drain my lungs out. I also had revision surgery to my sleeve, again, on 11/20. My dr. stapled it again, sewed it and glued it. And attempted to clean out what he could of the fistula. The cardiac thoracic surgeon that was consulted was called away to an extreme medical emergency so he couldn't complete the bronchoscopy that he had planned. He originally thought that it might need to be an open surgery, which thankfully the chest tube extracted more than they hoped, so the CT surgeon thought only a bronchoscopy was neeed. He was called away, so they believe that high doses of IV antibiotics will help address any residual crap that remains in my lungs.   So I'm home now, the day after thanksgiving I got released. Can I tell you how bad it sucked to have yet give ANOTHER holiday to this mess of my gastric sleeve experience? I am so sick and tired of complications taking my holidays and my time with my family. Not to mention, yet again, I am on a liquid diet but limited to 4 oz at a time. Except now.... I drink something and choke it up through my lungs somehow I think. IDK what's going on, I just know a sip of something and it goes down and I begin coughing. IDK if it's the fistula still there but I am going to call my dr. tomorrow morning to see if we can plan a CAT scan, chest xray, another leak test before the end of the year (since my deductible is met) to see where we are and what steps are next. I don't believe all of my issues are done yet and I want to know what my options are going forward to get this all addressed.   The only problem now is ... my husband got laid off on friday. He had been at his job 10.5 years and they call it a RIF or reduction in force. It's when they decide they don't need as many workers as they needed before. Except I am freaking out now, or did. It's just one more stressor that I don't need. I'm trying to deal with it, but it's scary. I've worked out the numbers to know that I can almost make everything on my salary (thank God) but he's luckily got 1 week of severance with every year of service. So that will get us a bit more than 2 months of pay, yay (thank you God). Let's just hope that he can find another tester position in IT soon.   So anyone that might read my blog, that's where I'm at.   EVERYONE always says how positive I am, what an inspiration I am.... and I hate to tell you, but my light is lost right now. I feel like God has forsaken me or is angry with me for having done this surgery in the first place. And that has to be why I've had so many issues.   I made a list today of all of the things that I miss......... and just eating with my family is the hardest one. I did this to live longer for my son and now I can't have much quality with him. I've lost so much weight that I now fit into a size 4, but it's not a celebratory experience. I am too skinny now. At 5'7", I don't need to be 132.5 lbs. I need to be at the smallest, 135. I know it's not much, but do you realize how hard it is to get quality calories in to keep weight on? So I've said "screw it" and I'm doing chocolate bars, baskin robbins milk shakes, whatever I can think of to up up up my daily caloric intake. I don't feel like eating nor drinking, especially once I do I choke myself to almost the point of vomiting on myself. It sucks, totally. And I am sagging in places I don't wish to sag and it worries me. If my body's reacted this poorly to gastric sleeve, how could I ever consider another surgery? (and the boobs ... well let's just say that's always been a dream but ESPECIALLY now, and with what i just mentioned, guess that dream's gone)   The weird thing is my hubs still says he loves me. He loves everything about me, he supports me, he reminds me that I did the best thing that I thought at the time and he reminds me you can't go back in time. God I love that man. Sometimes I forget that, I hate to admit that, but after 23 years together, it happens unfortunately.   The best thing was that at least we could fly his mom over to help whenever I was in the hospital. We left his car for her and I wrote out directions to my son's school and the hospital. And kudos to her, she actually drove here to those places. Driving here in any capacity scares the heebie jeebies out of her. The smaller town that we are from is much slower than here so I can understand. God bless her, she was a huge help (although everyone does laundry different, thankfully at least she helped keep up the house in any way possible and spent quality time with my son).   So where should I leave off? As I cough more crap up out of my lungs and it tastes like the protein shake that I drank two and a half hours ago, IDK. I am scared. I don't want to have issues from this surgery for years of my life moving forward. We went to the Grapevine Mills mall today and I barely made it, but I did make a lap at the mall. Granted I stopped about 4-6 times to sit for at least 5 mins a time, but I made it. I am wiped out and tired, but I made it.   I pray that I stop coughing every time that it seems like I drink. I pray that my PICC line doesn't get infected (it started bleeding last night as I think the shirt I had on yesterday pulled on it). I pray that my left shoulder pain doesn't come back (as it felt like it came back tonight). I pray that the pus pocket that is in my back, that was attempting to poke out of my body (no lie, they said that's why I had that egg of pus on my back), that it goes away. I pray that these home i.v. antibiotics get me to 100% capacity. And I pray that my dr.'s have the knowledge to address any residual effects and that I get to the right one to do so.   And I pray for a longer life for my son. I pray that I can be "normal" again and accept lunch dates w/o restrictions on my diet or special considerations. I pray to be able to schedule a vacation and not worry about when and where based on my health status. I pray more than anything that I get my positive back and that I feel the hand of God in my life, guiding me because I think I've lost that right now in all of my fears and I miss His presence with me whenever no one else is around (as I cough up my guts at 3, 5 and 6 am, praying for relief). God forgive me for my weakness, but it is what it is.   More than anything, I wish I had had an "easy" gastric sleeve surgery and I wonder why my experience has been the one that I've had.   I've got to go do another round of I.V. antibiotics and so that I can get to bed... hope if anyone reads this, that it might help you and that you are doing well. xx
4ALongerLife

4ALongerLife

6
GoldyGirl's Blog
 

The Start Of A New Journey

I remember it like it was yesterday, I was around 10 yrs. old, standing in front of the refrigerator on a scale, and it was a Sunday Night. There is still a picture in my parent’s photo album. The last day before MY FIRST DIET. The Diet would Start on Monday morning. I was gonna LOSE weight!   That was about 29 years ago, and I AM A FAILURES! Still bright eyes as the 10 yr. old wanting and wishing it to happen but it NEVER does….. I lose 30 gain 35, lose 20 gain 29….and on and on it goes…. I am a FAILURE at this point the GAME of Weight LOSS.
GoldyGirl

GoldyGirl

1
Browneyedbandit's Blog
 

Finally!

After what seems like forever, I have finally been approved for my surgery and have a date set! I will be banded on January 15,2013!! Super excited and nervous already . I meet with my surgeon again on Dec.27 to discuss the 2 week liquid diet-- so notttt looking forward to that part! I would appreciate any suggestions on things to eat during that phase and the post surgery phase as well. Also, what things should I take with me to the hospital and what do I need to buy to be prepared for recovering at home?
Browneyedbandit

Browneyedbandit

2
tarakuk's Blog
 

My First Update, 5 Months Out.

So, this is my first blog ever! I've been a member of this site since for several months and as of today I am 5 months post-op with a total weight loss of 112.6 lbs. I'm super excited about the results, and wonder if I'm average, behind or ahead in my weight loss. I know it's not good to compare with others, because we're all different, but I still wonder. I am sloooooooowly incorporating new foods into my diet and I still get an upset stomach most of the time when I do. Honestly, I stick with soup, oatmeal, fresh veggies, protein bars and protein shakes. Beef is a definite no-no, turkey and chicken are okay in super small survings and I haven't attempted pork. I miss my diet coke terribly, but Crystal Light is my new best friend.   I love it that my patient's notice the difference (I work in out-patient radiology) and I have the absolute best support system in my co-workers. My family is pretty supportive, but there are always issues with family...   I love feeling better in general, not getting winded walking up a flight of stairs, wearing my car seatbelt without choking, fitting in a restaurant booth comfortably and seeing my waist and collarbones again. I was always overweight, but I actually weigh less now than I did when I graduated high school 21 years ago!   I just wanted to drop a little note tonight to my fellow sleevers. We're all in this together and, from what I read, most of us are overjoyed with our surgical decisions. Keep up the good work everyone!
tarakuk

tarakuk

0
Saltmistrose's Journey
 

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It's Off To Surgery I Go!

Well on Monday, November 26th, 2012, Federal Blue Cross Blue Shield Overseas, agreed to cover the cost of my gastric sleeve surgery. Surgery was scheduled for Thursday, November 29th, 2012. God is good and wonders never cease! For months I have had to call everyone involved in this process and see what was needed, what was sent, what was recieved, and what still needed to be done. It was like hearding cats! I was sure it would crash and burn, but yet it didn't.   On Thursday, I showed up at Ascot Hospital for my surgery as planned! I was delighted. I wasn't worried in the least. I guess was practiced enough at surgeries, but the time I arrived. My last surgery was only about 10 weeks ber fore the gastric sleeve surgery. I had a huge hernia repair down earlier at Auckland City Hospital under the public medical scheme. This surgery had to done under the private pay scheme, because I was too old to be put on the public scheme list (over the age of 50). Thank God I kept my private health insurance, even after I became a New Zealand resident.   I came to my WLS through the back door for sure. Less than 2 years ago, I had an emergency removal of my gallbladder and a golf balls sized gallstone. Upon awakening from surgery I sneezed. I felt something pop, like a suture pulling. I was told that I was wrong about what I thought had happened. However, in December, while sitting on the toilet, my resulting hernia made it's first appearance. I named her Helen. Helen developed into a nasty b***h! My bowel was pinching more and more through the ever growing hole in my muscle wall.   I did a lot of research into hernia repair surgery. Low and behold, I found out that post operative hernias were very common place. Additionally, I became convinced that I would have a very poor prognosis of having the hernia repaired long term, if I did not loose weight and the pressure behind the repair would reopen the repair. LIght bulb moment went off during this time. I am 56, have been overweight forever, didn't have diabetes "yet" or high blood pressure "yet". Diabetes on both sides of the family, large polycystic ovary syndrome women in my gene pool, and an overweight younger sister (like me). Knew I was unable to do the very hard work it would take to loose even a small amount of weight, and keep it off. Had givien up talking about and thinking about ever being able to loose weight. Had suffered believing that WLS was the easy "cheater's" way out of a problem I had made for myself, because I was lazy. Blamed myself almost to death. Somehow relized that if ever I was going to do this at a time without all the complications that were looking me straight in the face, it was going to be now. It might me my last chance at a good quality remainder of my life. I took the plunge on this "ah ha" moment.   I was never more sure that I had made a good decision in my life, than I was when I made this one. However, I had to prove that I was a "good candidate" for this surgery to my surgeon of choice. I have clinical depression as well. I had to improve my very poor mood and make a go at a trial diet (Optifast), develope and exercise plan (cross trainer 5X week for 30 min.) and develope a mental health support plan that worked. I did it. I got the consent of the surgeon to operate on me. He did my hernia repair 1st. 10 weeks later I had my gastric sleeve surgery on November 29th, 2012.   I just got home from the hospital today, December 3rd, 2012. I am doing very well. Amazingly well. Decided to start this blog off today. So this is my first entry. I will come back again to tell you about how my first 4 days post op have gone. I have been keeping a diary and some photos too. I have a lot of thoughts about how big a deal ths surgery is going to be for me. Maybe I will process this with blog.   Stay strong and be well.   Saltmistrose
Saltmistrose

Saltmistrose

2
ajtexas's Blog
 

How To Preserve A Husband

Be careful in your selection do not choose too young and take only such as have been reared in a good moral atmosphere. Some wives insist on keeping husbands in a pickle, while others put them in hot water. This only makes them sour, hard, and sometimes bitter. Even poor varieties may be made sweet and good by garnishing them with patience, well-sweetened with smiles and flavored with kisses to taste. Keep warm in a steady fire of domestic devotion and serve with peaches and cream. When thus preserved, they will keep for years.   This is from Carla Emery’s book The Encyclopedia of Country Living.
♕ajtexas♕

♕ajtexas♕

2
Pink Butterfly's Blog
 

Day 18 Rambling

Well I am almost at 3 weeks. Everyday I feel new emotions. I worry will this really work? Everyone I read about has no desire to eat I still think about food all the time. I also read that most people can only eat a bite or two I seem to be able to eat more. I ate a whole egg no problem. I actually have not had any problems and am very thankful. I am already on my first stall I feel like seriously? Already!! I know I lose weight slower then other people I am only 11 pounds down post op feel like I should be more.   Thinking I will go back to work on Thursday not sure if I am ready but...gotta go back sometime.   Have been feeling a little down. Wish there was a group near me or I had a freind who I was going through this with. I am obessed about my new sleeve but who really wants to hear about it all the time? I guess I just have to take it day by day~ If anyone wants a weightloss cyber buddy let me know
Pink Butterfly

Pink Butterfly

2
SerendipityHappens' Blog
 

My Last Day Of Eating For A Long Time!

Well today is the last day I will eat for a very long time. I'm doing 90 days VLCD prior to my surgery in March. I'm hoping to lose 30-40 pounds during the next three months to make my surgery go smoother and have fewer worries. Today I did eat more than usual, but I didn't "pig out" so I'm quite pleased with myself.   I ate some of the things that I've been wanting for a WHILE but had been telling myself I could have later. I knew if I didn't eat them now, it would be bothering me for the next several months. So I ate an order of 5 small chicken wing pieces (not five whole wings, but 5 of the little half wing pieces) I could have eaten two dozen of them, but I figured I'd try to exercise some moderation. I had a HUGE salad with tons of fresh vegetables. A few cookies that we started carrying in the store two weeks ago that I had been resisting., a 50 cent bag of Doritos, a large coffee and a half pack of mini donettes (so that's three mini doughnuts for those of you keeping track), a big juicy granny smith apple, two oranges, a 40 calorie slim jim, and a a fun size Charleston chew. .. Now that I say it all it sounds like a LOT, but trust me, I could have done far FAR worse. .... I really REALLY want to go to the pizza place and order two orders of garlic knots and just eat them all myself, BUT I'm going to resist because I know that that will just make me feel really REALLY sick so Instead I'll have another salad for dinner and call it a day.....   Tomorrow starts an 800 calorie liquid diet for three and a half months, then surgery, then post op diet. Starting the VLCD tomorrow really makes this whole thing finally seem real!
SerendipityHappens

SerendipityHappens

1
lovealways' Blog
 

Crushed. Lost. Exhausted. Scared. Hopeless.

o for the past few days, well weeks, I've been nonstop thinking about what's wrong with me medically and thinking about how this is the worst time to not know...because it's going to hold up surgery next month. I've been crying and unable to stop thinking about everything. I feel forgotten about. It was 3 weeks ago that I was told I was bleeding internally. I was told to have a colonscopy. My referring doctor, the hematologist, was to fax over a script before I can schedule the procedure. My hematologist will not fax over a script without first talking to the GI doctor before scheduling the procedure. I don't know what's so important that he needs to speak with him. There's a reason why though. He's looking for something in particular. So the doctors have been going back and forth and playing phonetag for 3 weeks and unable to get each other on the phone, while I sit here and wait not knowing wtf is going on and not knowing what becomes of the surgery in a few weeks. At this point I'm like just let me please fucking schedule the procedure...please. I don't have much time between now and surgery...nor do I have much time in my schedule as it is to set up this procedure with interning and graduate school and all the other crap I have going on. I just don't want to wait anymore. I'm scared one minute, then I'm not, then the next I'm terrified to think I'll be stuck in this shit body for longer than longer than January.   Here's the shitty part too...   My surgeon's office is faxing my file to insurance to be approved or denied this week. I could be approved fairly quick (which at this point, I hope it doesn't go quick) and then I'll receive a surgery date. I NEED A COLONOSCOPY and some ANSWERS between now and the proposed date, which will probably be in the first few weeks of January before I can GET this surgery. I will probably go to pre-surgical testing ANYWAY and fail the blood tests miserably...which in turn will put off the surgery...which is turn will make my insurance approval EXPIRE causing me to have to explain this to the surgeon's office and again RESUBMIT and wait LONGER for a date or at least wait until this whoel colonscopy thing is resolved...which at this point, seems like the doctors will never fucking get in touch with each other and stop dicking around.   So that's where I stand. The stupid amount of money on vitamins and herbs and supplements I've bought and will be taking will probably mean nothing in terms of effecting my blood results.   So really...insurance will have my file this week, and yet I can't do anything until this stupid colonoscopy is scheduled, which at this rate, will be in 2014.   I can't explain how I feel. I feel crushed. I feel like giving up. I feel lost in this. I want some answers. I'm exhausted all the time. I'm losing blood quick enough that I'm a step away from anemia...and yet no one knows why.   Still this post doesn't even begin to do any amount of justice for what I'm feeling.   I'm so close to getting the surgery...done with 8 months of everything...and now this happens? How? I just can't...
lovealways

lovealways

2
Kathy Tyler's Blog
 

26 Days Out, And Can't Eat Much Food At A Time, And Not Much Of An Appetite Either!

OK, so I'm 26 days post op, and I'm finding that I can't eat very much before I feel full, and I don't have much of an appetite either! I think I must be going through another healing stage, or something? Water goes down great, but anything else I try to eat, I can only eat like one egg with cheese, or a small amount of soup. Did anybody else go through this at about a month out? Also my weight has slowed down too! I was losing 1 pound a DAY for the first two weeks, now it's like I'm staying the same. I know I'm not suppose to weigh everyday, but I'm so anxious to get my weight off! My husband's Christmas party for his shop is on the 15th, and I want to be down as much as possible. I can't wait until I'm like 6 months out, so I'll be passed all these food issues, or at least I hope I will. I have Celiac, so I have that to deal with too. I have to stay away from anything with gluten in it, or man do I get sick!
NewBeginningsForMe2012

NewBeginningsForMe2012

5
amy_agatha's Blog
 

My Story So Far...

Well I'm new at this. I haven't really ever done a blog before. I tried once but only ended up doing one entry. So thought I'd give it a go here. I thought I'd start with my story.   My name is Amy, I am 24 and live in South Australia, Australia. I have been big all my life. I have photos of me as a baby and I was a chubby little thing. I have always loved all the junk food and hated most of the healthy food. I was a fussy eater as a child and still am today. I used to dress up as Fat Cat as a 4 year old, until one day my Mum says I was teased and never wore the costume again.   Growing up, chocolate, chips, cakes, soft drinks and all those bad things were favourites of mine. I loved fast food and didn't do much sport. I did do Netball for 3 years in Primary School but never did enough to actually loose any weight. I gave that up when I entered high school. I did Archery for a year in grade 10 but gave that up as well.   I tried a lot of different diets through high school but could never stick to them. I lacked the motivation, something I'm still struggling with today. All my friends would say I didn't need to loose wight, that I looked fine how I was.   In 2008 my Mum got lap band surgery and in 6 months she had lost 60kg. I wished I could do that but knew that even if I could get the surgery done that I'd never be able to loose weight as fast as her. Mum's problem wasn't that she liked junk food and not healthy food, she loves all food and is rarely fussy, her problem was the amount she ate. I knew it'd take longer for me if I ever got it done.   In 2008 my great Aunt came to visit, she had had lap band as well. She offered to pay for me to have the surgery and told me to think about it and have a look into it to see if it was something I'd like to do. I researched for a few months and asked my mum, great aunt and uncle (who also had it done) about it. In the end I decided I'd like to do it but knew I wouldn't be able to afford the 12 months health insurance that'd I'd need to go through the private system. So I told my Aunt and she said she'd pay the insurance if I really wanted it done and I agreed.   In late 2009 we got some bad news. My Dad had been diagnosed with Lung Cancer. The doctors weren't sure he would make it to Christmas but thankfully he did.   In March 2010 I had the surgery. I stayed 3 days in hospital and then went home. It was really hard at first but I slowly made my way through the liquid and mushy stages. I managed to get down to 82kg (from a starting weight of 118kg) by June 2011.   August 2010 I moved to Brisbane, QLD, Australia, hoping to find some work as I was unemployed. Unfortunantely I was unable to and was planing to move back to South Australia in late September, but by May I just wanted to go home. I booked a flight for June 21st 2011 as I wanted to be home for my birthday the next day, but because of a volcanic ash cloud my flight was cancelled and I had to get the plane the next day on my birthday instead.   During my time in Brisbane, I found out my Nana also had Lung Cancer but had decided to forego treatment as doctors had told her that other health issues she had would take her first.   I will always be thankful that I went home when I did, instead of late september like I had planned to. I got to spend those last few months with my Dad before he passed away on 12 September 2011. On the Saturday night (10 September, Dad had been rushed to hospital earlier that day) we got a call from Mum saying that the doctors didn't think Dad would survive the night. So my brother and I went to stay with him and Mum for the night. Thankfully he did survive the night and my sister (who was visiting her boyfriend in another town 2 hours away) was able to come see him on Sunday, 11 September. I will also be thankfull that on that day, Monday 12 September, I had a kickboxing class and my brother insisted that I drop him off to visit Dad on the way to my class and pick him up after. I visisted my Dad after the class, though the original plan was for my brother and I to visit him the next day (Tuesday 13th September), as I got to see and speak to him one last time. My Dad passed away that night just after 10pm, unfortunantely it wasn't a case of him falling asleep and not waking up, Mum says the doctors were shocked at how violent it was. He had gotten pneumonia and had burst a vessel in his lung and was coughing up blood for the three days before he passed on (sorry for the details).   The next few months weren't much better. We had just lost Dad and the doctors had found another cancer in Nana just behind her stomache and she was getting worse as the days passed.   On 15 March 2012 Nana lost her battle with the Cancers. doctors say the second cancer accelerated the Lung Cancer which is was took her. She passed away in her sleep.   I will always love them and miss them both but they are no longer suffering or in any pain. I wish they were still here and healthy but I know that will not happen.   Since then I have had trouble once again with junk food and soft drink. I am slowly getting back on track. I have great friends and family that help me and also Canteen (The Australian Organisation for Young People Living with Cancer) have helped lots. I have put on 20kg but I am working to get that back off now.   Well that's about it I think.   Take care all Amy   My Dad and Nana   Some before and after photos   This was taken about a week ago
amy_agatha

amy_agatha

3
Lila S' Blog
 

The Stupid Things I Have Done :)

Hello fellow sleevers,   I hope this blog finds you all well. I am almost 7 weeks out since my leak was confirmed to have healed. Yay. I should get clearance from my surgeon soon to start going to the gym which I think will help with my over fitness (or more to the point, lack thereof). Generally things continue to improve. I still struggle (some days more than others) with a faintly sick feeling and a gurgling in my tummy. This usually means I am not eating quite enough or regularly enough. The less I eat at a meal, the more frequently I have to eat - and that depends on the day.   So this blog is about the stupid things I have done, repeatedly, since going back on normal foods. In no particular order (I decided not to rank my stupidity as these are all, quite frankly, ridiculous) are:   Drinking soft drinks (soda): Okay so this is mostly my several attempts to drink soda water. I've had a little lemonade and coke but it's so sweet I only did this a few times before deciding it wasn't worth it. What I have been slower in giving up is soda water (sparkling water). I keep stupidly thinking something would change and it would be okay to drink soda water but I've finally realised (after several uncomfortable and frankly painful experiences) that I should leave it well enough alone. Duh.   Eating Bread (of any kind): So being the genius that I am, I decided to try bread. I always feel kinda ill afterwards. And yet I continued to try it. White, multigrain, soft grains, wholemeal, sourdough...always left with the same feeling of discomfort and just generally a bit yuck. Thank goodness I have finally decided to LEAVE IT ALONE.   Eggs: Oh little eggies, how I loved you before surgery. I could have eaten half a dozen of you little buggers preferably poached, although I wasn't all that choosy. Now you have turned on me and make me very VERY ill. I no longer try to come to some kind of understanding with you...sometimes when you love something, you must set it free. Bye little eggies...you will be missed.   Milk: Another before surgery love. Now, to highlight my stupidity, I need to give a teensy bit of background - I am Lactose Intolerant. Have been for years. And depsite this, I would guzzle a 750mL Iced Coffee three times a day. Yes I'd get the runs. Yes, I'd feel pretty darn sick. But I'd still do it. Post-surgery, I am lucky to be able to have the lactose free milk on my cereal for breakfast. Milk (of any kind) makes me sick. As does icecream which is just wrong. No more yummy iced coffee's or frappe's. Gone for good...   Although it is taking me a while to work out what my sleeve needs, I feel I am making progress. It's slow. But I am learning to listen to what my body is telling me.   Quick weight update - I am 40 kg down from my surgery weight And this Monday (03.12.12) is offically 3 months since the initial surgery date. I am really happy with my weight loss so far and hope to lose another 5kg before Christmas.   Hope this finds you all well, sleevers! Talk soon, Lila
Lissa_S

Lissa_S

8
ajtexas's Blog
 

Is It Worth It?

Yesterday my husband & I were at an extended family gathering and a few of the relatives commented on my weight loss (they had not seen me since my surgery).   I was sitting at a table with one of the cousins and she was asking me about it. I told her I had the Lap Band surgery and she said her daughter was thinking about doing that. Her daughter was also at the table and said either that or the sleeve. We started talking about WLS and I expressed that it didn’t matter which WLS a person does, they have to change their eating habits in order to be successful. They have to eat a lot of protein and veggies, no junk food, etc. She said oh I don’t know if weight loss is worth all that……. WHAT??????   Is losing almost 75 pounds in 9 months’ worth it? YES   Is going down 6 pant sizes worth it? YES   Is being off all prescription medicines for high blood pressure worth it? YES   Is not being pre-diabetic worth it? YES   Is being able to walk up the stairs to the 8th floor of my office building every morning worth it? YES   Is being able to push the lawn mower around my house worth it? YES   Is hearing friends & family say how wonderful I look worth it? YES   IS IT WORTH IT? HELL YES!!!!!
♕ajtexas♕

♕ajtexas♕

5
Weekly Updates
 

Week 14 And 15 Progress - Swim Suit Photo Update

So last week (week of Thanksgiving) was a crazy week because I went home to Arkansas to spend time with family...   First off it was super fun...My daugther is having my first glam-baby and I got a chance to see my glam-baby on the ultrasound. We also had the baby shower the Saturday following Thanksgiving and it was fab as well..Okay I could go on and on about that because I am so happy but that is for another blog..   Well it was the first time any of my family had seen me since surgery and only my mom and daughter knew I had surgery...For the most part everyone had good things to say...My aunt and cousin jokingly called me a "crackhead" or a "cancer patient" as they said I was so small...They aint seen small yet...I got more pounds to lose before hitting my goal...As many of us VSG folk probably was, I was nervous about how I would be around so much food...good southern homemade food....Not to mention all the eateries that are my "have" to go to list when I am home...Admittedly, I did eat more carbs and sweets overall than I have eaten on any day since surgery. However, it was in such small quantity that I did not beat myself up about it. Instead, I just was more conscious about my calorie burn. I do not recall if I mentioned previously but I renewed my subscription to the bodybugg again. I am amazed of how much more efficient my body has become on a reduced calorie diet and less weight. Before the surgery and without any exercise I would burn 2500 calories a day doing just normal activity. Now, I am at 2000 calories a day...While in Arkansas I made sure to hit 2500 mark so I could burn off the extra calories I took on by indulging in cake and dips. In the end I only lost 0.8lbs te week of Thanksgiving. It is actually more than I had on my projected weight loss chart. I said I would lose nothing so I count it as a victory.   Things have bounced back this week and I lost 2lbs. I am happy with that but I would like to get my weekly loss up to about 3lbs a week. I am going to get back on my workout regime as I fell all the way off these past 3 weeks. If I am to be running ( I mean running...now walking) a half marathon on June 1st, I need to be in the full swing of daily running like yesterday...   And for the not so good...I have had some awesome victories since having my sleeve...My best NSV when I was in Arkansas is I wore my daughter size Large Monkey Suit (Onesie). I have wanted one of those for about two years but could not find one big enough...Well now I can wear a Junior Large...I also bought a Junior Large pair of Yoga pants from Kohls during after Thanskgiving sale...Another big moment...I wish I would have taken a pic with them on because even I must say I think I looked "skinny"..a relative term indeed but it was a skinny moment for me...And the oh girl you are gorgeous...girl you fine comments are coming...oh how I love my sleeve...I guess the best part is not the comments themselves but I actually feel pretty again...   But oh back to the bad...My hair has started coming out in chunks...It is so thin...I am wearing hair make-up every day to color in my sides and I have to wear full and half wigs as my hair is so thin in the front. I have been wanting to cut it short anyway but I wanted to do that on my own time...Now entire otherwise healthy strings are hair is just all over the bathroom floor and sink with the slightest comb or brushing...I keep telling myself my doctor has said there are no bald weight loss patients...It will come back and I guess the good thing is when it comes back all the relaxer will be off and I can go naturally curly and short as I wanted to do anyways...   I have an Ormin body fat monitor and previous to surgery it said my body fat (bf) was very high about 40.8%..I notice a couple of weeks ago, it now simply says high and now I am 34% bf. That and with some inspiration from my sleeve buddy I decided my next big goal was to get to a healthy bf and bmi. For my height that is 164lbs for a healthy BMI...Hopefully, with the workouts the bf comes on down as well...In the meantime, my interim goal is to be 175lb by Christmas...Gotta put in work to make it happen.   I am posting some swim suit progress shots against my better judgement given this is the internet..but I want to give an honest reflection of me...Its hard to hide the flab in a two piece... Beware the photos are horrible but they are becoming less horrible as the months pass. Excuse the blur in the photo and that the distance the photos were taken were not exactly the same but I still think they reflect the 45lb weight loss...   Until next week all....   HW 232 & SW 227 (VSG 08/17/12 & 5'8) LW 188.8 Week 14 Weight - 188.2 CW 186.2 [Total Weight Loss 43.2lbs] GW 155 [31.2lbs until Goal]  
helgaready

helgaready

1
dylanmiles23's Blog
 

The Doctor

I went to the doctor Thursday for my second fill. He is a very important person in my life. I told him all about this wonderful support site and great people I have met. He thinks it great. I also asked about how big my band is and how many cc's he puts in and he asked why and I told him people on this site people talk about it. He didn't think it was necessary to tell me. Should I have pressed him for this? Being on a liquid diet after the fill, I have lost a lot of weight since Thursday, around 5 pounds!   Last night I saw my new grandson, Max. He is very cute for a new born. Max is my 3rd grandson, no girls, yet. It is snowing lightly in Boston-ugh! I hate snow and winter. Have a great Saturday, all.
dylanmiles23

dylanmiles23

3
Darkkyss' Blog
 

210Lb At Doctors 3 Month Follow Up

I went to the doctor yesterday and I weighed 210, 53lbs down!!! so I did not make the 200 the nurse thought I would be by now but she said I am doing better then normal and I have lost what I would have lost with the lapband in 1 year!!   I am getting my protein in but I should be eating more fruits and vegs, My labs looked good...... She wants me to start taking 1 extra vitamin D with winter here.   Went shopping yesterday, after doctors appointment. In the old days when Ryan was younger it was all about his clothes and things he wanted. It felt weird not shopping for him, I did not buy much for myself due to the fact I am still losing and I don't want want to waste money on clothes that wont fit long.   I still have that scared feeling I will not lose anymore from the old diet days! I keep thinking how small do I want to get, I know 175lb goal is still over weight but If I dont have to high of goal I wont be so disappointment if I cant reach it........ Does that make since???   In high school I weighed 135lb that would soooooooooo great to be that size again but honestly do not expect to be that low again!   Have a good weekend!
Darkkyss

Darkkyss

4
Japandii's Blog
 

Approved!

Finally, my insurance approved my surgery! Pre-Op diet starts Wednesday December 5, 2012 and surgery date is schedules December 17, 2012.   Im very excited, but also super nervous and maybe just a little scared. Im not scared or nervous for the surgery. I know this will all go very good, but i'm afraid once I start losing weight that I am not going to know what to with myself. Will I even know how to act as my body changes?   My starting weight when I made the decision to look in to lap band was 240lbs, the most I have ever been in my life. I am 25 years old and finally realized I was tired of living my life the way I was. After the month diet for insurance purposes I lost 20 lbs and now weigh 216 lbs. I am hoping i lose the 16lbs during the pre-op diet so i am that much closer to my goal weight 135.   I can't wait!
Japandii

Japandii

4
My Weightloss Journey- 11/19/12
 

Stage 2 Food And 11 Days Post-Op

I'm getting sooo sick of stage 2 food. SO, tonight, I took some of my husbands tomato juice and added some chili powder to it, warmed it up and YUM!!!!!!!! It was a really really nice change. Healthy too! I normally do not like tomato juice, so getting the nutrients from it.   I gulped milk accidentally today. Not recommended... OUCH!   I am 11 days post op and have lost 14 pounds since surgery (38 total) and have met my first goal! I'm not sure about rewarding myself... I think my reward is that I am losing weight and feeling better!   I can tell I'm losing weight in my waist, but my top seems to be staying the same. I'm impatiently waiting to start changing sizes.   Today I signed up to become a member of the new Anytime Fitness that is going to open in my town next week. We got a good deal and I can't wait to take full advantage of it! I just hope my excitement doesn't wear off as quick as it has in the past.   I found out that the liquid omeperzole they gave me to take can be taken in the pill form. I think it is horribly cruel that they gave my a prescription for the liquid. I do NOT recommend it unless you are having a really hard time swallowing anything. I didn't have any problems and wish I would have known. I could not choke that stuff down. It is the nastiest medicine I've ever tasted in my life! To top it off, you have to "sip" it so it fills your mouth with its grossness about 5 times. I couldn't do it! I was told the Prilosec OTC can in a capsule and if you broke the capsule open it had a pill that was small enough to swallow whole. I got Prilosec OTC and it didn't have a picture on the box so I assumed it was the capsule... it wasn't. I just broke it in half and had no problems at all. Totally love it!!! I threw away the $30 bottle of liquid. Sucked to waste sooo much money, but my tummy needs to be protected!
blessedw2

blessedw2

4

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