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New Beginnings
 

Week Six Post - Op

So I’ve been feeling a bit … I don’t know … down, disheartened, unsuccessful…. I don’t know what the word should be… For one thing, I’ve been really sick for the last ten days with a combo cold/allergy thing. I’m finally feeling better physically and mentally, so here I am.   Another reason for my “mood” is that when I went for my last dr visit, at my four-week mark, I had only lost 5 lbs. This was so disappointing after my huge second week loss. I had to remember that I had been storing a huge amount of fluid for almost two years so that was the first thing to come off. Needless to say, I was a bit anxious about my doctors appointment yesterday.   I had decided that I needed to take a chill pill and give myself a bit of credit. I’ve on this challenge and have been pretty successful with the huge change in my life. I’ve kept my protein intake up and am (aside from the cold from hell) feeling pretty fantastic. I also reminded myself that it took a long time, for the most part, to get here and it will take a while to take it all off and as long as I continue to go down, even if its one pound at a time, it’s an improvement.   So with this pep talk under my figurative belt, I bravely (cough) went to my doctor’s appointment yesterday. This was my family doctor who I last saw the day before my surgery so I actually was pretty stoked to show him my success to this point. Actually, it was the first time I’ve been happy to be weighed in at his office in the last two years. Prior to this, I had been gaining every time I would go in. It was frustrating for me but also to my doctor because we could not stop whatever was going on. Last time I saw him, I had a raging case of cellulitis on my left leg, not to mention that the same leg was twice (at least) the size of my right leg.   Thank goodness that my anxiety was short-lived!! I had lost 8 lbs and that officially put me under 300 lbs!! This is the first time in almost two years that I have seen that! This brings my official weight loss to 45 lbs in six weeks! Yeah me!! My doctor was also very pleased with my progress. Not only had I lost a lot of weight but I no longer had cellulitis and the swelling is gone from my legs. And even though I’m still sneezing, my O2 stat was at 89, and I’m still not feeling 100%, he (and I) were so excited that my lungs were totally clear!! You have to understand that prior to this, every single time I would get a cold it would mean weeks of recovery, antibiotics, and a general miserable existence until it would clear up. Not only did this not happen this time BUT I really didn’t even have to increase my medications (nebulizer etc) this time. Very little wheezing, huffin’ & puffin’, etc… Yeah! I’m loving this new life!!   So, with my usual positive outlook back in order (and great drugs keeping the nose under control!) I decided to take inventory of what I am able to do now that I could not do six weeks ago or for the last two years, for that matter. Now I understand that if you have never been large then you may not realize what a huge accomplishment these things are but if you have walked in my shoes at all…. you get it!! So here we go…..   The first thing I noticed, of course, was that I could breath. I know I have mentioned this in previous entries but when you feel like you are suffocating 24/7, it is pretty major. Of course, with this obstacle pushed somewhat to the side, I am now able to walk without feeling like I’m going to have a heart attack or pass out at any moment. I can put on my bra by myself. I know, you are thinking “What?” well I could not reach around behind my back and hook my bra so my dear hubby had to do it for me. I think he kinda feels left out now! lol I can take a shower without having to sit down as soon as I get out AND I can shave my legs with ease!! I can fix my hair win half the time that it was taking me. I also have not heard my husband ask me “Why are you breathing so hard?” for a while now. (Yeah!!) There are a lot of other things but the latest two things just happened in the last week or two…. I put on and tied my own tennis shoes with the bow ON TOP and I painted my toenails this morning! I even got a compliment from one of my bosses… she thought I had gotten a pedicure!! Again YEAH!!   So with this happy evalutation, I am now looking forward and will hopefully keep the negativity at bay. Happy journey and Hugs!!!
Leslie Hudson-Couch

Leslie Hudson-Couch

3
Amanda's Rambles
 

Meet The Surgeon

Let me give you the important stuff first, when I weighed myself this morning I had lost 3 lbs from the day before (Monday). So you could imagine my excitement this morning. My boss decided it would be an excellent idea to cook bacon wrapped pork loin in the office today. It was absolutely torturous sitting at my desk smelling it cook ALL day, who doesn't love the smell of bacon cooking? I am happy to report that I managed to fight off my growling stomach and only have my shakes at work. I also managed to stay on the diet all day. Woo hoo!   With that being said, I met the surgeon today. I had done some research and had a pretty good idea that it wouldn't be a one on one appointment but more of a group situation. I was correct, there were about 12 people there to meet the surgeon. Well about 8 patients there were some spouses/support people. It was very weird to look around the room and be the skinniest and youngest person in the room. I was also surprised that it was equally split between men and women in the room. I am glad I didnt wait until I was in my mid 40's-early 60's to have this done.   Dr. Hollis is very nice, easy to talk to, and seems very knowledgeable. I liked that if things weren't perfect going into surgery he wouldn't proceed. Made me feel good to know that he wasn't operating a "surgery mill." I asked several questions, but anyone who knows me, knows I had a lot of questions, some I didn't want to ask in front of the group so I plan on emailing the office tomorrow. I asked about my nightly headaches, he said it was from not drinking enough water. I've been drinking 6-8 bottles of water a day. Any more and I am going to just have to sleep in the bathroom or get a catheter. But I will increase and see if they go away.   Anyways they went over the diet again and all of the do's and don'ts and the what to expect nexts. It was nice to be one of the only people in the group who already had their surgery date. Dr. Hollis' stressed the importance of the pre-op diet and how beneficial it is for your liver to shrink. Apparently if the liver doesn't shrink enough and get out of the way it opens up the potential to cut the liver during the procedure and cause bleeding. Dr. Hollis said that usually when he gets in there if he finds this situation he will close up. This has provided extra motivation to maintain on my diet. I am not going to make it all the way to the operating table and not end up with the band.   Went to the grocery store to stock up on some fresh fruit tonight, I am supposed to have 1 cup a day. I didn't have that hard of a time looking at all of the food as I thought I would. I went with my mother-inlaw for moral support/basket patrol. But I did end up with a banana in my basket (she didnt see it). I really miss them. They are too high in sugar for me to have but they taste so good though. It is sitting on my counter, lets see if I can manage to keep my will power and not eat it.   So that is where I stand. It was odd to just leave the doctors office this afternoon without making another appointment or a lot of direction. Next stop is my pre-op appointment at the hospital on September 6th. I am also to go back to the surgeon's office that day to do my official pre-surgery weigh. Oh and I made the appointment for my first fill which is October 9th, same date as my post-op appointment.   Anyways, here's to avoiding the banana staring at me on the counter. And yes I know its all my fault its sitting there.   Until tomorrow,   Amanda
Duhs9919

Duhs9919

0
cadezma77's Blog
 

Don't Feel Like My Doctor Is 100% On Board For Revision To Sleeve

I had my appointment today and dr said according to the Upper GI the band looks good. Too bad it doesn't feel so great to me!! I am still having the nausea, though not as horrible as before....still have the weird pain on the left side. She asked me "so are you pretty much done with the band?" My response was YES! She asked if I wanted all the fluid removed today...I said NO, it's not too restricted right now, I have been much tighter before. I obviously don't want to remove it all and wait for them "to build their case for insurance"! Honestly, what's a little more vomitting here and there for another month??!! I once again explained that I know my water retention plays a huge roll in the restriction and inconsistancies. If I don't take my HCTZ until later on in the day, I can forget about trying to eat a "normal" meal (normal according to band) I don't think she believes me on this one!! Like I stated before, I really think this dr thinks that I am just telling her these things because I want the sleeve, which is far from the case. I really like this doc but when I feel like she's not taking me seriously it really pisses me off! So the "plan of action" if you can call it that is for me to meet with a dietician (that right there tells me she thinks the weight gain is my fault) which she is right to a point, because any bandster who has struggled with being too tight knows you find what works and eat that! It's not my fault raw veggies, fruits, & Salad dont work for me! After meeting with the dietician I will then meet with dr. I did ask what exactly medically necessary mean and her response was that they need something concrete that the band isn't working. it just blows my mind that constantly vomitting and nausea etc isn't concrete enough. Not to mention previous slips and dilations that weren't diagnosed by xray. I understand they are helping me by building a case and I spose' they know more about insurance than I do but it would be nice if the dr would say I AGREE with you, you should get the sleeve, but she doesn't seem to be on my side on this one! sooooo frustrating!
cadezma77

cadezma77

1
Isobella's Blog
 

[3] Personal Trainer

After 3 days off of work and having finished watching one full season of The Biggest Loser, I couldn't help myself but sign up for a personal trainer at my local gym. I've officially signed up for 20 sessions with a personal trainer, my first session starting next Tuesday at 6 AM. Although I haven't met this person just yet, the mystery of it is keeping me so excited. Also keeping me excited are my aspirations and expectations of myself once I hit the gym.   I plan to hit this endeavor with full force. Throwing myself fully behind something I believe in is a specialty of mine; remaining in that same geared frame of mind for longer than two months is another thing altogether. It has been my downfall in the past. I have a repertoire full of failed diet and exercise schemes.   I feel different this time though. I feel like it will work this time--all that effort I will be placing in the gym won't be in vain like it has been so many times before. I truly feel that yo-yo dieting is a thing of the past for me.   I have to do this. I can do this. I will do this!  
Isobella

Isobella

0
AJPeezy's Blog
 

The Weirdest Dream!

so last night i dreamed that i was packing my overnight bag for the hospital to have surgery. i woke up thinking it was real. it FELT so real. am i that anxious to get my sleeve? lol   i just pray to god that all goes well when the time does come. i know this is what i want but i keep asking myself "are u really ready for this?"   its the small things that count. the other day i bought a dress in a size xl just because i know im gonna be able to fit it in a few months   i work at a hospital and we have to wear isolation gowns for some of our patients. the gown wont fasten on me but i told mself "girl, this wont be a problem soon"
AJPeezy

AJPeezy

2
AJPeezy's Blog
 

Crohnes Disease?

do people with crohnes disease qualify to have the sleeve?? my mom has crohnes disease as well as diabetes. she said after i get my sleeve she is going to look into it. i know some doctors will do it and some doctors wont.
AJPeezy

AJPeezy

0
Thyckness718's Blog
 

Update(Venting) Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Ok, I am a little frustrated so let me just try to calm down first....................................ok here goes. So I went to my PCP to get my clearance from him and of course there was a problem. He couldn't clear me without seeing all my test results. So I call the hospital I am having the surgery at and of course no one is there but the receptionist because it is after 5:00pm. She was very helpful though and told the doctor that in the morning she will let them know that they have to fax my results over to him.   Not that I don't trust her but I wrote out everything that has to be done and as soon as I get to work in the morning I am faxing it over myself, I know you guys do not blame me right? So, as of now the surgery is still*HOPEFULLY* on for the 5th. My pcp saw me getting upset and was like no stay positive. As soon as they fax him the paperwork he will fax them the clearance. So I am keeping my fingers crossed for that. But I am sure that shouldn't be a problem. I just wished the hospital had let me know the procedure because I thought I was going to get the clearance today.   Next who else is tired of going to appts after appts. I have went to so many appts from May to now that I don't know what to do and am honestly just worn out and tired. The only high light of it all is that I did loss 8 pounds on my pre-op so far. Thanks for letting me vent, sorry this was a long one.
Thyckness718

Thyckness718

5
Izuri's Blog
 

Stall Day 19 - Acceptance?

Today is day 19 of my week 3 stall and I'm trying hard not to let it drive me nuts - which is difficult because my hormones are going insane. I have not felt this moody is a long time. It doesn't help that my period has come at least three times this month for a few days each time and I think this is my second full period since surgery. There are also things going on in my life that are just not conducive to feeling good. I don't really feel like getting into them, but it's just friend stuff.   I thought that getting a new scale that had a few weeks delivery that it would be long enough that my body would finally lose, but my new scale arrived over the weekend and I'm still in this stall, so I think I gave up today and put the scale away. It just makes me feel like I'm that one person who will never lose a significant amount of weight - which I logically know is nonsense. I'm sure that the added stress of it is making me retain even more weight, so at this point it's a why bother thing.   I am trying my best to stay positive, but I think I need to ask my psychiatrist if I can increase my medication for a while. With all these crazy hormones I just feel like I need something more. She said that we definitely could post-surgery. She also said that I can start an antidepressant if I need to at some point, but I don't think that's necessary yet. I'm hoping a few weeks and I'll get back into school and things will level out a bit. I think it's combining with my anxiety about the school year starting.   I had my first day back at work on Sunday night and it was awful. I couldn't get in any water and since we do not get any kind of break, I could barely get anything in. It was so ridiculously busy and every customer was mad. I started to get pretty painful on my side and so I took some tylenol liquid and then I think my blood sugar plummeted because I felt really light headed. I grabbed some muscle milk, which we thankfully carry and got a few sips in, which helped a little. I wish that in customer service people actually realized that we're human too. Sometimes I feel like they expect me to be a robot.   I haven't felt like eating today. I know I haven't gotten even close to enough of anything in. I think I might just get in another protein shake and head to bed for the night. Maybe if I just let today be bad and get it in my head that tomorrow will be a good day, I will feel better when I wake up.   TOMORROW WILL BE BETTER! I will end my rant now, but it feels good to get it off my chest.
Izuri

Izuri

0
Lauracat's Blog
 

Dear Stop And Shop

dear stop and shop,   i would like to thank you for putting invidilal sized suvering oh red velvet cake in the main illil of the store and putting red velevet wooopie next to it. This used to be an issue for me as i would eat them and maybe by a seond or 3 for my ride home . But now i love my self more than i love red veltet. This took alot of work for me to be able to say it. So thank you for giving me this opertutiey to be able to say that. I also like to tell you that the water bottle is mighter then the cake. As I always make sure that i bring that with me and i know cake and water do not mix   sinceerly   Laura
Lauracat

Lauracat

2
Rachdreamz
 

Received My Surgery Date This Morning: Sept 4Th!

I just posted an entry last night so I'll keep this short and sweet. I am just excited to finally have a date! I was lucky that I didn't have a program to go through first so it happened in a couple of months, but it still felt like forever to me. I have been out of work for some time (in school) and do not want to start back until this surgery is behind me, but I am ready to go back so a surgery date is awesome news!   Any other September surgeries should connect so we can share info throughout this process. :wub:  
Sleevedreamz

Sleevedreamz

3
Melissa's Blog
 

Hospitalized Last Week.... The Story And More

First and foremost, I want to thank ALL of my VSG friends and family last week for your prayers and support during this rough time. I am writing this blog to update you on what happened and am hoping to receive advice since I am and will be facing a long recovery.   For roughly 2.5 weeks, I have been very weak and have had symptoms of dizziness, fatigue, zero hunger, etc. Additionally, each morning I would wake up and run to the bathroom to dry-heave froth/foam at least once every morning. A week ago today was the worst and I just couldn't take it anymore, running to urgent care immediately after work. They had me pee in a cup and drew some blood to find that my levels were everywhere- they couldn't tell if it was from an internal infection secondary to surgery or what. I was sent to the ER the next day (Wednesday) to have a CT scan done which came back negative, in addition to some x-rays. Overall, I think everything is going well with Mr. Sleevie; however, I do fear popping a stitch or staple with the consistent day-to-day episodes of dry heaving/throwing up phlem. I learned from leaving the hospital that I had a "significant" UTI and while there are many unknowns, they believe this is what is causing the fatigue, nausea, etc. I arrived home Wednesday and started my meds on Thursday, taking a turn for the worse. The meds made me extremely ill and dehydrated, which I was then admitted to the hospital Thursday evening until Sunday for dehydration and malnutrition. The IVs helped much but now that I'm home I'm still having difficulty eating and such since I have NO appetite, easily get sick, and find that certain smells (i.e., chicken broth) makes me sick to my stomach. Even taking meds are becoming more and more difficult-- I place the pill on my tongue and start gagging. I'm not getting in the amount of liquids that I should either :/   I was asked at the hospital if something were to happen and CPR was necessary to bring me back, would I want it and I actually said "no". I am extremely depressed and have no idea what to do or even how to get better. I'm normally happy and never full of drama but part of me just wants to die and move on since I am beyond done with everything. I have no idea how to get better from here. Protein intake is one thing I have failed to do and something I need to but now that I need it, I gag on the smell and thickness. It has to be with water since milk isn't proving well. I'm going to purchase EAS from Walmart/Target soon. I'm not a fan but I was able to sip it prior to surgery and sips count- better than nothing. I have NO idea what to eat since everything I have has dairy and that seems to upset the stomach more than anything. Smelling soup broth makes me nauseous. I nibbled a cracker just to see what would happen and that led me to dry heaving as well. Suggestions?   Thanks again for the support and for reading. I need as much help as I can get.
~*~ Melissa ~*~

~*~ Melissa ~*~

7
HeavenSent's Blog
 

Mr Telephone Man......something Wrong With My Line?

It's been a week today and my phone hasn't rung (well with the Approval from my Insurance). My anticipation is through the roof. I can't help but daydream of the outcome of beginning a new life. It's taken me awhile to get here, but I don't want to stop. I've gotten to the point were I feel as if I'm losing me along the way. I don't feel as if I'm very attractive lately. At one point, you could not say I was beautiful and I wouldn't agree. But with weight, comes the burdens of not finding cute and attractive clothing. Wearing knits so they can stretch...or most importantly....not being able to play with your son with out being out of breathe. My my my..... I can only imagine the fun we could have. Mommy swimming with him without feeling are the looking at this BIG lady in a swim suit or being able to go down the slide with him. I know it may seem like I'm beating up on my self but certainly someone feels my pain. I guess to a point, I've been holding these emotions..........mmmmmmm Lastly, I want him to put his arms around me...fully around me and hold me (the man I've been waiting for). Mr. Telephone please ring......
HeavenSent

HeavenSent

4
prettysleeved1's Blog
 

5 Weeks Post-Op: The Stall Is Over

Today I am 5w 1d post-op. I'm feeling great and am back to full activity. There are no more aches and pains and I've finally managed to regularly get in over 90g of protein without reliance on protein shakes.   At three weeks, I hit the dreaded stall but continued to lose inches. It was a little disconcerting for me to be in that position. Of course, inches are great but when I go to the doctor, they don't measure my waist, they weigh me to see if I'm on track. Nonetheless, I was prepared for it and had already made up my mind what I would do when it came.   The stall broke today so for 15 days, I was at the same weight. In those 15 days: I increased my protein to between 90-115g per day.
I increased my water to at least 84oz. per day.
I increased the length and intensity of my workouts.
My total calories increased to around 850.
I increased my intake of carbohydrates.
As I said, I'm doing a good job of weaning myself off of protein shakes. Some would say that it's too soon but I'd rather get my protein through food than a shake. I've found myself in a predicament where I have to eat something every three hours anyway so I just get the protein in at each small meal (about 5 per day). My go-to sources are chicken, fish, shrimp, very lean ground beef, ground turkey, and low-fat cheeses.   Increasing my water was the hardest part because water temporarily fills me up so it takes longer than I'd like to get all my water in (and I'm past the sipping stage). However, if we jump into the Way Back Machine and go back to high school physiology class, we remember that we need water to metabolize stored fat. On top of my workouts, dehydration wasn't going to do anything for weight loss so I had to get in more. Some surgeons tell their patients that protein shakes count towards their water totals and since water is in the shake, it makes sense but I believe (and have always believed) that regular water is the best to meet water needs.   My workouts started off slow because my surgeon has a sort of vesting schedule for workouts. At two weeks, she only allows walking. At three, speed walking, and it progresses from there. At three weeks, I felt fine. I had no more aches and pains so I went ahead full speed. Pre-op, I was a runner and frequently used HIIT training. I transitioned back into those forms of exercise. I gave myself about 4 days to adapt and then increased the running by about 15-20 extra minutes (about another 1.5 miles). I also reintegrated strength training.   The increase in my workouts warranted the increase in my total calories. I was never given a calorie level to maintain by the NUT. In fact, she said not to count calories but to just eat according to the sleeve. The 450-500 calories I had been getting just is not conducive to long-term functionality and it was causing me to retain water. Over the course of a week or so, I increased my calories in a number of ways. For example, for breakfast, I would have a serving of turkey sausage crumbles. I started to add one serving of shredded mozzarella to it for an additional 80 calories and 6g of protein.   Lastly, I increased carbs. On my plan, I cannot have raw fruit or vegetables until 6 weeks out. I can, have canned veggies and fruit though. I found some "No Sugar Added" canned fruit that has 30 calories and 6 grams of carbs per serving (1/2 can). I started eating a few slices of the fruit (because I can't manage a 1/2 can) with my protein at lunch. I'm not 100% certain about the science behind this but since our bodies need glycogen and the need to glycogen is one reason that stalls happen, I figured introducing some carbohydrates through food would help my body get what it needs without prolonging the stall. I just started doing this over the last week and apparently it worked because I lost 1.2 pounds between yesterday morning and this morning.   As a final note, my surgeon's nurse practitioner explained that with the sleeve, they usually see stair step weight loss. She noted that most people will lose a large amount of weight and then level off for a week or two and then lose another lump of weight throughout the process. Although I'd like to see a weekly decrease in weight consistently, I'll take the alternative as long as my total body composition is changing.   My NSV (inspite of the stall), is that I'm back at The GAP! Here's to a fashionable fall.
prettysleeved1

prettysleeved1

3
zil's Blog
 

Green Zone / Red Zone

H-E-L-L-O. I have been away from the site for awhile. Really no excuse except that May, June and July are my really busy time where I work.   Things have been going well until this past week. I reached the green zone on January, but with the weight loss I had to get a few fills in July & August. Did good until last one, when I asked for just a tweak, say maybe a .10 in my band, but she insisted that would not do a thing and ended up giving me more, which put me over the edge. Took me 10 days to realize I was in the red zone (I thought I was eating too big of bites, or not chewing enough, but even when I made sure to take my time, have small bites and did chew, chew, chew), the food would just sit on my band.   So, yesterday I went in and had some fluid removed. Feel soooo much better now, but I also think she took too much out because now I noticed that I am hungry. So, guess I will be getting a couple of small fills over the next few weeks and I am going to insist the doc listens to me ... after all, I know my body much better than she does,.   Very discouraging to have to have fluid taken out, but I will chalk it up to a new experience. I am sure some of you have been there, too.   Well, I will continue to tell you that I love my band, it was the best money I have ever spent. And after 40 more pounds are gone, I am getting a tummy tuck and if my hubby keeps complaining about that cost, I may get a butt lift, my arms done as well as my thighs. My boobs look perky in my genie bra (ain't nobody fooling with my nips) LOL.   So, that is it in a nutshell., Hope you are all doing well.
zil

zil

0
SleevedNSweet's Blog
 

Hurry Up And Wait!

Anxious— that is how I would describe my mood these past couple of days! I had my final medically supervised diet visit this past Friday and I believe that all of my documents were submitted to the insurance company for review today! My surgeon’s office seems to think there is no reason for me to be worried about approval, but for whatever reason I can’t stop thinking that an insurance adjuster/claim reviewer could hinder me from getting a new lease on life… Crazy how this insurance stuff works, but there is really no reason to fret or dwell on the situation because it is totally out of my hands  I know that my God is bigger than any insurance company and I have given the worry over to Him… I hope this approval comes quickly    Do not be anxious about anything but in every situation by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving present your requests to God and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7
SleevedNSweet

SleevedNSweet

2
Angela777's Blog
 

Snore-A-Saures Rex Oh To Sleep Sound Again!

I am so excited for the night that I sleep thought the night! I am a snore box, bad, and I wake myself up all of the time. I didn't sleep worth a poo last night because my snoring kept me up. I am really looking forward to losing weight and being able to sleep on my back without the SNORE!
Angela777

Angela777

2
Rachdreamz
 

This Is Really Going To Happen...

I began this journey 3 years ago and walked away because I wasn't ready. I wanted to try one more time to lose this weight without surgery. I lost 50lbs and as soon as stress returned to my life, I gained it all back plus 10lbs. It was then that I knew surgery was necessary, not because I couldn't lose weight, but because I couldn't lose it and keep it off long term. I am 30 years old, 5'2 and weigh 238lbs which is 10lbs over my highest weight ever. I grew up thin and was thin for half of my twenties and then I hit a road bump in my life that caused some depression and my weight went from a comfortable 110lbs up to 200 over the next year. After that I gained 3-5 lbs here and there until I reached 228. That is where I stayed for the last 4 years until I lost the 50 at the end of the last year and then gained back 60...thus here we are now. I miss my old body (which I feel is permanently ruined due to the loose skin I'm sure to face) and I miss the old me in general. My outgoing personality seemed to die little by little as my weight increased. I no longer felt charismatic and beautiful...I just felt like I was trapped in someone else's body, which is not a fun thing to endure as I'm sure many of you know.   All that said, I went back to the surgeon in June and I diligently completed all of the requirements necessary to gain medical approval. Fortunately for me, we have changed insurance and my new insurance does not require a waiting period. As of today, I have been approved for surgery. An array of emotions came over me as I realized this is really going to happen. I have never had any type of surgery, EVER. So, there is certainly some fear involved there as I have no idea what to expect pain wise. The only idea I have about surgery is a recent dream I had where I had been through surgery and woke up feeling so much pain in my abdomen that I couldn't breathe (I woke up physically feeling this which tells me how amazing the mind/body is as a combination)...I am desperately hoping this was just that, a dream, because it was awful.
I also worry that I won't be able to lose all of my weight. Even knowing mysef and knowing that I will follow the rules and exercise, I have concerns that it will somehow fail which will in turn make my decision a failure.
And, lastly, I worry that something will go wrong and my family will be left without me because I couldn't settle for my current quality of life.
Oh, and HAIR LOSS. This terrifies me. I have long pretty hair, although it is very fine) and I can't fathom having to cut it or lose it to the point that it is not pretty anymore. This really bums me out.
My plan is to have the surgery next week sometime. I am excited and scared, but ready to get this show on the road. I'd love to hear some positive stories or words of encouragement as I gear up for this day. I have made the choice to only share this decision with my husband and mother as I have heard some of the horror stories from other people regarding reactions, etc. The reality is that this is something I am doing for my physical and mental health and having negativity attached to that in any way by people in my life would grossly take away from my experience and I have decided it is not worth it at this time. Perhaps I'll change my mind later on, but I seriously doubt it.   Thanks for stopping by. I hope to post more in the future.
Sleevedreamz

Sleevedreamz

4
samanthaalexa195's Blog
 

Some Tips To Help Save Money On Wedding Costs

Today, one of my customer thanked me for our gorgeous wedding dresses with good quality and we chatted a lot. During the chat, she asked me how can she save money on the wedding costs as her family has no much money. I worked at an online shop company and we made thousands of cheap wedding dresses and occasion dresses every day. I live and breathe all day at the wedding industry. As a married woman, I give her some tips and I think I should share it to you all! 1.Cut down on flowers, the catering, open bars, photography, etc. A wedding should be a simple ceremony that focuses on the union and not a big Disney-like production in my opinion. Focs on the union and your bride and you’ll realize what’s important and what’s not. The cost-cutting will sort itself out. Best of luck to you both! 2.Friday weddings are thousands of dollars cheaper than a Saturday wedding. 3. Instead of hiring a wedding planner, look for a husband and wife team for your DJ. In all likelihood, the wife can perform most of the duties of a wedding planner on the day of the event. 4.The most expensive part of the wedding is the reception. Do your best to find a hall that allows you to bring your own liquor and food. Organizing the liquor and food contractors takes a little extra work, but you will save thousands of dollars. 5.People get caught up in spending way too much money on flowers! Here is what people remember: How beautiful the brides dress and ring were as well as how much fun they had at the reception. 90% of the people that come to your wedding will forget what flowers you had sitting in the corner of the room. So only get enough flowers to create a wedding atmosphere. 6.Trade your skills for theirs. Ask your vendors if there’s anything they need that you can do. If you’re a whiz at web design, check out your vendors’ sites and offer to revamp them if needed. If you’re good with accounting, offer to balance their books. Use your imagination here. 7.Wedding Programs: There are thousands of templates online. Go find some elegant paper and shop around for some affordable printers. 8.Instead of spending a lot of money on a wedding planner, rally up the troops! If you have access to family members locally, don’t be afraid to delegate some of the planning. Hope it will help you also!
samanthaalexa195

samanthaalexa195

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Amanda's Rambles
 

Day 1 In The Bag (Pre-Op Diet)

When I originally started the pre-op diet back on August 1st I had a hard time concentrating on anything but food. I felt like the world was going to end if I couldn't shove things in my mouth. However, today was much easier. I don't know if it was easier because I knew what to expect or if it was the fact that I have a surgery date and there is no wiggle room.   The dietitian called today to remind me to fill out my food tracker, set up some appointments to come in and weigh. Oh and surprise, I have more paperwork and videos to complete. Anyways, she sounded very annoyed when she asked what date I started the diet on. I explained that I was on it but had gotten off the diet and had started back today. I didn't have the energy to explain why I had stopped, which I should have because she got a major attitude with me. She informed me that I had to stay on it and that there could be no cheating because if on the day of surgery my liver wasn't small enough the surgeon would close me back up and I wouldn't have surgery. Either way, I am not going to let her bother me, I know that I can do this, and that my liver will be appropriate size on the day of surgery.   I can say that I did manage to go all day without cheating. I had a grilled chicken salad for dinner tonight, but did have about 10 potato chips. All and all a good day. Tomorrow I am definitely going to have some coffee, which is allowed, just without real cream and sugar, I will suffer through it though to avoid another major headache like this. I did drink no less than 6 bottles of water today, which means I will be a zombie tonight making my many trips to the bathroom in the wee hours of the morning.   I might have lied last night when I mentioned that I would post my before pics today and my beginning weight today. It seems that I have chickened out, they are some really bad pictures and whats more personal than my actual weight?! I've decided to wait and post my pictures when I have something to post with them, showing a loss. And I will also report the weight as soon as I have a loss, (fingers crossed that will be tomorrow). Hope that is a suitable compromise.   Anyways, tomorrow I will have lots of info to report after my appointment with Dr. Hollis. I need to get more protein powder, so my mental debate between now and then will be do I buy the high priced stuff from his office or just use the regular old whey protein you can purchase at Wal-Mart. Either way, "food" for thought.   Until tomorrow,   Amanda
Duhs9919

Duhs9919

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Amanda's Rambles
 

Tomorrow Starts My Journey Down The Yellow Brick Road

Seeing as how this is my first blog, I thought that I would spend a little bit explaining who I am and why I and doing this. But seeing as how it took me an hour to set this dang thing up, that has eaten into my rambling time for this evening. So I will give you a BRIEF overview of the who, what, wheres, and whys.   I am a 31 year old married woman who currently resides in the Houston, Texas area. I decided in February of this year that I was going to start a journey, I was going to stop fighting the battle of the bulge once and for all and get the Lap-Band surgery. I was a normal sized kid, a chubby pre-teen, and then a skinny competitive swimming teenager in high school. After high school, I stopped swimming, however didn't change my eating habits. When one stops being active 4-5 hours a day they must watch what they eat. Anyways, the pounds over the past 10-12 years have just crept on. It should be tattooed somewhere, "A minute on the lips is a life time on the hips," because its true it goes on a lot easier than it comes off.   After seeing several TV commercials and doing some research on a place called True Results, I decided to go online and fill out their online form to see if I had any insurance coverage. After waiting a week I decided that since I hadnt' heard from them that I did not have any insurance coverage and that this surgery was out of the question. However, I called anyways and found out that I did have coverage!!   I scheduled my first appointment for mid February to come in and find out the details. Long story short, I had coverage but my insurance required me to do 6 weight loss visits and a whole lot of other crap before I could have the surgery. Feeling a little deflated that I couldn't get the surgery the following week, (not a patient person) I started the process. Six long months went by of me faithfully going to my monthly appointment, getting on the dreaded scale and meeting with a dietitian. Finally on July 26th I had completed all of my weight loss visits and the other required items and was ready to submit all of my hard work to the insurance company for final approval.   Do to some insurance hiccups I didn't get my final insurance approval until August 10th. But I finally had it!! Woo hoo!! I figured that it would be smooth sailing and I would get a surgery date immediately. Nope. Not the case, I had to patiently wait for my chart to be sent from True Results to the surgeon's office and for them to review my information, schedule me for an appointment, and make me fill out another mountain of paperwork. However, I have my first appointment with my surgeon, Dr. Ken Hollis on this Tuesday, August 28th!! I had originally hoped to have surgery on August 23rd, however this was now clearly not going to happen.   Last week I got an email from one of the very helpful staff members at my surgeon's office, sending me information on some videos I had to watch prior to my surgery day. Later that afternoon, I received another email from them with my surgery date!!! I was over the moon because I was under the impression that I would not be getting my surgery date until at least my appointment on August 28th. My surgery was scheduled for Monday, September 10th.   Having the surgery date just finally made the surgery seem real. Like there really was a light at the end of the tunnel, that this was within my reach. I had originally started my pre-surgery diet on August 1st. But when it quickly became apparent that surgery was no where in my near future I got off the diet in mid August. In case you are not aware, the pre-surgery diet is very strict. True Results had told me the diet was 1 protein shake for breakfast, 1 protein shake for lunch, and a small dinner consisting of a healthy meat, a green veggie, and a serving of fruit. I will tell you that this is one of the hardest things ever, we are so used to chewing that not "eating" food is soooo hard.   Well now having a surgery plan I am to start my diet again tomorrow, August 27th, which is exactly 2 weeks prior to surgery!! This time I will be having 3 shakes a day and a small meal at dinner. I think the extra shake will really make a difference in making it seem less impossible (that and a large package of sugar free gum) I did the diet before for a week and I thought I was going to start eating my co-workers. I've been told its a genetic trait in my family, that missing meal time causes extreme grumpiness. YIKES!!   I did a "Farewell Food Tour" the end of July, getting all the really horrible bad foods I have enjoyed over the years out of my system. I feel satisfied that the tour took away the "I wish I would haves...," for later, since many of the items on the tour are things I won't be able to enjoy after surgery. Since getting off the diet earlier this month, I haven't been horrible with my food choices, just mostly eating larger portions than I should. However, tomorrow really starts my journey on the yellow brick road on my way to Oz. There is no extra week of cushion to allow for my cheats, the surgery date is written on the calendar, it is go time.   Tomorrow morning I will weigh and get my official "starting" weight. I have to lose 10 lbs between now and surgery. Earlier in the month I lost 9 lbs in 6 days and I had some cheats. So I think this will be easy to accomplish, well the numbers on the scale part anyways...I may end up with a few less co-workers if they don't leave me alone. I'll post the numbers and my "before" pictures tomorrow.   Finally the reality that my journey is really starting has kicked in. I would be lying to say that I am not a little bit nervous but not because I don't think I won't be successful after surgery. I just hope that after surgery, I won't be wishing I had some ruby slippers so I could go home, just the natural fear of the unknown. I have come to far and want this too bad to turn around now. This yellow brick road only goes one direction to Oz...I have a date with the man behind the curtain. I'm off to see the wizard....   Until tomorrow,   Amanda
Duhs9919

Duhs9919

0
Angela777's Blog
 

Secret Or Not? What To Do!

Hi I am Angela! I was banded in September 2009. Started out at 320 pounds and am currently at 280. Most of my weight loss was from pre-op, so needless to say I have NOT been successful. I am having a band removal on September 7th and I am very happy to have this band OUT. I have been struggling with the band and feel like a failure. I believe that I have made up my mind that I want to have the sleeve procedure! BUT I want to keep it a secret! I have been such a big failure that I am not sure I want to tell anyone that I am doing it, not even my mom! I wonder if I am the the only one who feels this way? It seems that everyone is so happy to share their journey with friends and family. I want to tell my husband and my best friend, that's it. I am so sick and tired of feeling like i'm being judged that maybe it's the best thing to do, not sure. I should be so excited about my new journey instead of keeping it a secret!!!
Angela777

Angela777

14

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