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Dig It Dog
 

Still

Just took a big sigh before starting this blog. I'm at a loss for words to describe how frustrated i am at myself, the world, the people in the world, and at my band.   When i first thought of having this surgery i was like 16 and i had images of getting the band and being best friends with it, holding hands and running on the beach-type of images. If i had only known the massive headache I would have with the band, i would have taken more time then 'the 3 month supervised diet' to make an informed decision. When i had the surgery, i did not even get the band that i wanted. I had researched different brands and sizes, what their results were, their ratings and comments. Day of surgery my surgeon did not even entertain the notion of a choice. Now i'm 9 months out, with a constant headache, stomach ache, achy-aches and not a remarkable weight loss. ALL of my doctors (general, specialist, dental, vision, etc) have told me that i need a revision since i have not lost a dime's worth of my weight. They see it as a joke since i have had no success, my family sees me as a joke since i have had no success. I am the butt of most jokes, the surgery and band have become the butt of all insults with my sister constantly telling me to have another lap-band surgery my parents telling me I've taken the easy way out...   And yet I find myself thinking that I'd do it all again. I have not only lost myself, but also found out more about myself in these last couple of months than I have previously. I have had many epiphanies and made many goals. Some accomplished, some still categorized as dreams. I have made friends and lost others. Found new interests and rid myself of self destructive behaviors. I have gone both long and far, stayed on this path and gotten lost on this journey to and beyond the magical place we all call BandLand. I wish in the purest way possible that this journey had taken me on a more direct path to my destination. That the literal pain and anguish suffered had been worth it, but alas, i could have taken a shortcut around those parts. Now that I have to consider a revision, its not much of a consideration at all. I Have to do it. I honestly thought that having the band surgery done was the LAST resort, the one that would save my life from being overweight, unhealthy and unhappy. But that was pure and utter nonsense. Without the revision i'd be stuck with aches and pains ( of which I am having right now both at the top of my pouch and at the bottom of my stomach), With the ridicule (mostly of myself, mostly) of failure, and Stuck at an unhappy-unmoving part of my life.   I wish things were easier. But easy has never been all that easy.
Tanya_cotto

Tanya_cotto

2
AnnMarie49930's Blog
 

She Said She's Proud Of Me

I have been a single mom for many years. Yes, I have a boyfriend but have done the child rearing on my own for about 13 years. My daughter will be 16 in August. My son just turned 15 on the 5th.   As I stated in an earlier post I have always been on the heavy side. This is the longest I have actually cared about what I eat, how many grams of protein, how many calories.   Tonight while cleaning up from dinner I was talking to myself about how instead of eating the left over cookie dough I put the bowl in the sink. My daughter looked at me and said " Mom, you've actually been doing good on what you eat and it shows. You haven't smoked in a while too. I'm really proud of you." While I really wanted to cry because no one tells me they are proud, i just smiled and said "Thank you Becca"   P.S. I did eat one small cookie. I figured I would eat one and that would be it instead of looking, fighting it for a hour or two and give in and eat half the plate! Self control!!!!
AnnMarie49930

AnnMarie49930

3
tindy's Blog
 

Jordan's Scoring Title

We have things for your service and retrospective LeBron and Durant, in the course of last season to find the end of the court battle, or a little to the left after walking shoes. We are sure will be very surprised Nike basketball does not have a taste of some kind of champion of King James, the dinar to get this consolation prize to celebrate the number of Wholesale Jordans Shoes, 4 scoring titles, 35 lock for the third consecutive year honored. Dozen Nike Zoom, the KD four scoring titles, the latest views and we jump to celebrate the calendar on July 21, they will arrive at premium retailers.   Jordan as its release date approaches and more, just keep the sports shoes. The level of excitement is increasing, the latest development is that of the wild design of the heel clip crazy signs point to all the different modes at the zoo graphics lend them to design escape the revelation of the bit in this version. Oh, release date to speak, we have fixed, and Jordan will arrive in the retailer-July 7. And let us know if you give priority to this Jordan 7 www.800-shoes.com site as a must have summer shoes of the beast lens.
tindy

tindy

0
Melissa's Blog
 

Sooo Many Questions.... No Answers :(

Hey everyone!   Seeing the success of my last blog, I thought I would post another to help get answers I'm failing to find online. The company I'm having my procedure with had a liasion leave and it's been hard to get emails answered and phone calls returned, which is a bit scary since I'm doing this alone. I would appreciate your help and expertise on the following questions. Thanks in advance!!   1. Since my BMI is over 50, I plan to complete a 14-day liquid diet before my procedure on the 19th of July. I have a basic understanding of what I'm allowed to have based on the packet received; however, there is one thing I am confused about-- where do protein drinks come in??? Am I supposed to drink these pre-op, post-op, or both?? Suggestions on brands and flavors would be greatly appreciated as well   2. I know I have to follow a post-op diet starting with clear liquids, then moving to puree and eventually regular food... but I have yet to hear of any "new" limits, specifically carbs. I am particularly interested now since I have free time and want to get all the facts before going in. I think my biggest fear is not knowing a limit with carbs and stretching out my sleeve. Is there a limit on how many carbs sleeved patients are allowed per day post-op??   3. Last but not least, do you recommend any books or online websites in addition to verticalsleevetalk.com that will help answer questions someone like myself may have both before and after the procedure? Has anyone read "The Success Habits of Weight Loss Surgery Patients" by Colleen Cook?? A forum and group mentioned the book and it seemed legit. Will probably order tonight.           Have a wonderful week!   ~*~ Melissa ~*~
~*~ Melissa ~*~

~*~ Melissa ~*~

3
Wisdom2KnowTheDifference's Blog
 

My First Blog Entry

Hey everyone!   My name is Meredith and I am at the beginning of this journey. So far I have attended the info session and thats about it, lol! Well, I also submitted my insurance information (United Healthcare) to my surgeon's office so hopefully they will be calling me soon to set up my initial consultation.   When I called my insurance company the other day they told me that weight loss surgery is not covered under my plan, but that my doctor could submit a preauthorization letter. I am trying not to be too discouraged by this information as at this point I am hopeful and determined, and willing to do whatever it takes to make this happen. My doctor also feels that I am an excellent candidate for this procedure, which is encouraging.   I have tried pretty much every non-surgical program out there and failed. Programs I have tried include Nutrisystem (twice), Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers (can't even count how many times), Atkins, South Beach, Xenadrine, Alli, Healthy Trim, HCG drops, and two medically supervised programs: Medi Weight Loss and Optifast (twice). On each of these programs I had some success, but short term, and I eventually gained back all the weight and more. I'm sure many, if not all of you, can relate.   I am happy to have found this community and look forward to learning and sharing more about this experience <3
saramatos11's Blog
 

I Feel Like I'm Starving!!! Help Fellow Bansters

I am starving… or at least I feel like I am. I am weighing my food as instructed by the nutritionist and after I eat, I still feel hungry! Although I refrain from putting any additional food in my mouth, I feel like I can eat more but I don’t. Are there any foods that will make me feel fuller, longer?
saramatos11

saramatos11

9
What had happened was...
 

Bittersweet

I found out this past Friday that I won't be having surgery on July 27 as I am scheduled. I won't be doing a preop diet or my EGD in the next few weeks as planned. Instead I'm scheduling my first OB visit. This was a total surprise for us! My husband and I had started trying to get pregnant back in November and had not had any luck. I talked with my OB who told me that he thought my weight could be an issue. I asked what he thought about WLS and he was all for it. He thought that would probably be my best bet. He hasn't had any patients who have had WLS that have had any problems through pregnancy so I met with a surgeon. He also said that he had no WLS patients who had problems with pregnancy after having surgery so we decided to proceed. My surgeon has a policy that you must use protection other than OCPs for at least 6 weeks before and after surgery to help to reduce the risk of blood clots. Well, he didn't say anything about EIGHT WEEKS before surgery to reduce the risk of babies!!! (ha ha ha) I'm planning on calling him tomorrow to find out how long after delivery that I can have surgery. If I could have surgery while I'm off on maternity leave that would be amazing! I'll find out and go from there. I may end up and have to wait until next summer and if I do then I'll do that too. Right now we are letting family and friends know our change in plans. For any of you that read my last blog entry you know that my mom was trying anything she could to get me to change my mind about surgery. Come to find out my mom, dad and aunts have been praying hard and apparently this miracle was the answer to their prayers LOL! What a special blessing we have been given. I know God has His plan and it is far better than my own. He sure does have a sense of humor! Until next time, best of luck on this journey that is our life!   Jeremiah 29:11
Ready! Set!'s Blog
 

5 Days Post Op

Ok, I was sleeved Wednesday June 20th.   IF I could have found Marty and Doc on June the 21st, I would have figured out how to power the 1.21 jigawatts the flux capacitor needed and would have time traveled back 48 hours and RAN LIKE HELL (as much as a fat chick can) in my UGLY shoes AWAY from the hospital.   As it was, I didn't find them and here I am................so very glad I couldn't.   Back to Wednesday.....   My surgery was scheduled for 12, so I was my usual self until the surgeon's office called saying I'd neglected to make my final payment arrangements........so we rushed out the door to pay the surgeon and on to the hospital. Hey, surgeons don't work for free. They got mouths to feed and I asked him to do this to me. I just forgot about final payments, that's all. It's all good.   So, I get to the hospital, anticipating a 2 hour wait when I get the call from the OR nurse......as we are parking, saying they are ahead of schedule today and let's do this.   I'm high on emotion.....I STRUT my 255 pound self into pre-op (dressed in jeans and leopard print top with marvelous brown/gold flip flops), complete with little twirlie at the end and say "I'm here, let's get this thing on!"........   5 hours later.......   I have a NEW, EXCITED, EXUBERANT nurse ( I am a RN 25 years in practice) in my face telling me I have to get up and walk - (and she's calling me dear and sweetie. Those who know me realize I am dear to only those who love me and I am never ever described as sweet). I'm trying to figure out where I am and this very excited, young, so-happy-to-be-here chickie won't get outta my face!!!! Then, the radiology transport person arrives telling me I've got to get up, into a wheelchair, go to radiology to have an contrast upper GI to be sure the sleeve isn't leaking. I finally figured out I was in a room.....a very small room with no sofa. I say "No" and youngster tells me "You HAVE to!!" I was saying no to this impossibly small room with no sofa.......not her fault......she couldn't read my drug deluded mind. So, Miss Energetic is in my face telling me to get up, the radiology transport looks confused and I say..........to Miss Thing......"You have got to STOP TALKING to me and get outta my way. HE'S here (indicating the hubby)" Once she got the point to shut up.........I was up.......in the chair.......to radiology.......swallowed 1 swallow of the contrast, got a good picture.........the ALL IS CLEAR.......and back to my room.   The night shift nurse was awesome!! A grown up nurse. Thank GOD. I did get up.......all thru the night walking because this isn't my first rodeo. I've had a C-section and a total vaginal hysterectomy. The key to overcoming any surgery is walking.....soon and often. If you have to have pain medication to do it, fine ask for it and as soon as the pain is at a point you can stand and shuffle your feet.........get to shuffling........and shuffle I did - 4 times on night shift........humming to myself "every day I'm shufflin, shufflin"   Later on in the shift, I asked if CUTIE PIE was back in the AM because I was requesting another nurse. The old wise one just chuckled and said......."I'd already figured that out and it is handled. You wont' have to work with her." I was so grateful!!!!   So, the only other thing that stunk was.......I was unable to urinate post surgery. It happens sometimes. The body and mind wake up from the anesthesia and the bladder is still sleeping.......thankfully, I don't wet the bed in my sleep.......but this was to the extreme. So, my urethra became a 4 lane highway with all the frequent catheterizations to drain my sleepy, lazy bladder. Finally, about 48 hours post procedure, the bladder woke up and I got to come home!!!!   What if my bladder had stayed on vacation? Well, the doctors's plan was I'd just learn to self-cath and head on home until it woke up. One doctor, a urologist friend of mine, laughingly said....."it's like putting a tampoon in, the first hole south of the pole." Well the last time I put a tampoon in, my guts had not just been re-configured!!!!   I haven't had a hard time with nausea.....and I've figured out that painful, cramping twisting motion in my gut means I'm hungry and should eat. I've developed a love for chicken broth and apple sauce. I had yogurt this morning. I've also figured out, gotta eat very slow. 2 teaspoons, pain, means stop and come back in about 5 minutes. I'm mixing UnJury Protein in my Crystal Light to get the protein needs met and sipping, sipping......all the time.   Today, 5 days out........I am happy I didn't go "Back In Time"......think I've spent enough time there as it is.
Ready?Going..

Ready?Going..

7
smilinginside's Blog
 

Getting Back On Track

well, last few weeks have been rough i had a death in the family and without knowing it i slipped back into old habits, i ate what i wanted i dident care and i dident excersize, when i stepped on the scale, i physically felt sick, how could i let my emotions take me over and ruin all the great progress ive had. Apparently thats something i need to work on i was only 9 pounds away from wonderland almost 4 weeks ago, i gained almost 5 pounds, now that i have worked those off, and am back on track 7 more pounds to go then onderland is mine. i started at 320 pounds down to 207 my bmi was over 54 down to 33 i was wearing a size 24 now size 14 i would never go out in public without a sweater, something had to cover my arms, last week wore a tshirt out for the first time As hard as it is to stay positive sometimes, i know it is all worth it in the end, i just dont want last months failure to repeat itsself.
smilinginside

smilinginside

0
sexymomma001's Blog
 

Short And Sweet

There is a little more work to be done on love handles and abs, but if felt darn good to go into the store and try on a medium and look good in it. 6 months post op.....and still kicking!
sexymomma001

sexymomma001

3
lunabella007's Blog
 

Surgery Video

The camera starts when he starts freeing the stomach from the fatty tissue, and continues filming all the way through to them blowing up my stomach with air to check for leaks. It's 26 minutes long from start to finish--that fast!   I had such a curiosity to see what my insides look like! I'm glad I got to see it! My liver is really a gorgeous shade of mauve, and my fat is orange, and my stomach is red/grey, and the film over my diaphram is silvery. I thought pretty much everything inside was pink or red.   Anyway, after he freed the stomach, he cut off one lobe of it using some kind of a sonic cutter, then the bougie (the guide for my new stomach shape) came down my esophagus and he started cutting/cauterizing/stapling my stomach as he went from the bottom of my stomach to the top, getting tighter and tighter as he worked upward. This is to create a lot of restriction to help me to eat less, and to help food get funneled downward.   My surgeon said my surgery was pretty routine, with the exception of perhaps a little more bleeding than is usual (which was pretty easy to get under control). Oh, except one funny thing, when he got close to the top of the stomach nearest my diaphram I got the WORST case of chain hickups I've ever seen! It's all on video!   There's so many motions that go on inside--I saw the peristalsis of my intestine, I saw my heartbeat in the vibration of the walls of my abdomen, and I saw hickups from the inside! How weird is that?   If anyone is interested in seeing the video to see what happens, just send me a message! It's kind of a big file, so maybe I can get it up on Youtube 'cause its too big to send in email.
lunabella007

lunabella007

7
LLCoolNoe's Blog
 

Day 6 Preop

Today was a pretty good day. I made my turkey chili and it wasn't bad at all. I was pretty scared of it cuz...well....ground turkey sure isn't ground beef, but it turned out okay. Incredients: ground turkey, black beans, onion, minced garlic, tomato, chile powder, one of those chile seasoning mixes (I forget the brand), bell peppers, corn, salt, pepper, oregano, and hot sauce. It was pretty good! It was really heavy too, so I decided to get a little work out in after. Didn't feel like going to the gym so I just hopped on the kinect and played my Zumba Fitness demo and man oh man, do I really need to work on my merengue pump...lol! After, I decided to have a quick snack and grabbed a yogurt. Just for fun, I checked out the back of the label after the fact, and I had no idea how much sugar/carbs was in that little cup of yoplait (strawberry something or other). Needless to say, I'll be back to no snacking. We're all entitled to a little slip, so I'm not concerned. It's fight night - time to watch Ortiz v Lopez!
LLCoolNoe

LLCoolNoe

4
This is it....
 

First Day....

First day home from the hospital and things are going well. Trying to get more and more water down. Sips are hard! My inclination is to down the water but heavens knows that would not go well at all! I'm really taking a liking to Ensure's Clear Protein Blueberry and Pomegranate drink. Very tasty! I can't help but feel hungry though...everything sounds delicious...I can't wait to start eating again, hence my need for the surgery!
lisachristine13

lisachristine13

3
lunabella007's Blog
 

Day 15 Post-Op

Another ok day! I'm still dealing with my lady time, but I weighed myself anyway at my mother in law's (something I would never do during lady time before--too depressing!). It turns out that even though I've retained a bunch of water, I'm STILL losing weight!   Two pounds in two days! For real!   It's kinda hard right now. It's been a stressful few days. My mother in law seems to be suffering now from dementia, and it is making it harder to care for her since she is forgetting to drink water and forgetting to take her pills (the only two real responsibilities she has left, we do everything else.)   That, and my husband just came down with something--bronchitis or pneumonia, I don't know. He's got a cough, and he has a pretty high fever of 102.5 tonight. I'm keeping a watchful eye on him. If he still has a high fever in the morning, we'll go to the VA. He had shaking chills earlier, and that was pretty scary. Now he's taken all those blankets off himself, so it's slightly less scary. I hope he gets a good night's sleep because he hasn't been sleeping well lately, worrying about his mother.   Just as I'm starting to feel better, everyone else falls apart!   This is what I was preparing for by having WLS--needing to be on the top of my game to care for my family. I knew it would be hard, but I didn't know it would happen so quickly.   Yet, so many blessings! I must continue to be grateful!
lunabella007

lunabella007

0
ChaChaBurch's Blog
 

3 Months Post-Op

Yesterday was exactly 3 months since my surgery. The whole process seems so surreal! I can't believe that I'm down 55lbs now. I haven't been this size in over 15 years! I went from a size 24W to a size 16 so far. The changes in how I feel are amazing and seem like a miracle. I feel great, and everyone tells me that I look amazing. My diet has seen some really big changes. I now eat primarily fresh foods, and very rarely eat processed foods. When I do eat out, I'm am extremely cautious on what I choose. Since I hold so much less, I would much rather put in good quality food, than a bunch of junk. Yes, we still eat out about twice a week, but we choose restaurants that have a better quality menu than fast food places do. Also, I drink water all day. I walk 3 miles 5 days a week, and have recently started a Beginner's Yoga CD and really enjoying it. The fact that I weigh less, helps me try things that I haven't tried in 15 years, and I'm thinking about trying bicycling. I really don't want to buy one - they can get pretty expensive - until I know it's worth the investment.   Looking back, it seems like a dream. All the worry, all the liquids and protein drinks, all the preparation was so worth it. Even the post-op diet seems to have passed so quickly - although at the time it seemed to take forever. I thought about the sleeve 24/7, and now it's just a normal part of life,   It's been the best decision I've ever made regarding my health, and I have no regrets. I read some of the posts of others who haven't made their decision yet, and all I want to do is shake them and tell them to just do it! However, everyone is different and just because it's been a great experience for me, doesn't mean it will be the right one for them.   At first, I was very vague about how I was losing weight. When folks would ask me, I would just tell them that I'm eating a lot less. Now I'm much more vocal about the surgery. If someone asks, I tell them that I got the sleeve. So far, no one has been negative about it, and if they are, I'll just tell them to mind their own business. My immediate family has known about it from Day 1 and been extremely supportive.   This forum has been a life saver for me. All the friendships, support, and feedback has been fantastic, and I wouldn't be healthier today if it wasn't for this website.
ChaChaBurch

ChaChaBurch

4
Lapband LaLa
 

Unbanded June 20, 2012

On June 20th, 2012, I was unbanded in am emergency procedure. My band had eroded and I had an infection. The erosion caused a hole in my stomach that had to be repaired as well. I am now home and dealing with the physical healing as well as some emotional issues that really frighten me.   http://youtu.be/GEGJ2geOW_g   Lapbandlala@gmail.com www.facebook.com/LapbandLaLa http://lapbandlala.wordpress.com/
Lapband LaLa

Lapband LaLa

4
Discordya's Fairytale
 

Worried Sick

Well, not directly. I'm worried about BEING sick. I've been sick since Wednesday and trying to be careful on what kind of medication I take. I have only taken acetominophen which is NOT an NSAID which is advised against pre-op. It's the only medicine I've taken except a small 25 mg allergy pill to help with a tiny bit of congestion. My problem is mostly a sore throat. It could be strep but I wouldn't know. I don't have the money for a PCP right now because all of our funds went to the surgeon that we had extra right now and I don't have insurance at this time. I mean who would have thought this would even happen anyway?   So I'm just worrying, because my throat does not hurt anymore but it is still swollen. I can see it. It's huge in there. I don't have trouble breathing or anything and it's not painful to swallow. I'm just worried it won't be better by surgery time and I don't know what else to do to try to get this swelling down. :/
Failure

Failure

3
Lisa Curry's Blog
 

High Liver Enzymes 2 Days Until Surgery Will It Be Cancelled?

. So, I did all my Pre-op blood work and it turns out my liver enzymes are high. (Again). My primary doc called me in and said he will clear me for surgery but to drink lots of Gatorade until then. So I was worried about them cancelling my surgery but was sure my primary's clearance will avoid that Then yesterday I get a call from the hospital to tell me the time I'm going in for surgery (Noon on Monday) and the nurse said you need to come in 2 hours earlier so they can check my liver enzymes again!!   Now I'm worried that my surgery may be cancelled !!   My liver enzymes are high due to the pain meds I take for my back. I have tapered down drastically to the point where I am in pain but I am dealing hoping that it will lower my enzymes before Monday.   Will elevated liver enzymes stop my surgery??   I'm so nervous. Please advise
Lisa Curry

Lisa Curry

0
desertmom's Blog
 

By Our Own Choices...

we will live and die!   As I am losing weight my life is getting better and worse.Isnt that just crazy?   How different could life have been if I was just able to get thin 15 years ago?What use is feeling like this anyway?   What I do know is I never would have allowed myself to be in the situation I am in now.Then the question of did I need to stay fat to keep myself "good" to be here comes up all the time?Which isnt useful either, I know.That I should have taken responsibility for my own life years ago is a fact though.   Mind you,my delightful youngest came in now and made me realize again that there is purpose in everything.I cannot even think what life without her would have been like.   On the upside,all this has excelerated my weightloss remarkably and I am so close to 100kg's now its unreal.It i ao atrange that I lost weight ao slowly while I was still weighing and measuring and counting carbs and cals but when I became preoccupied with life itself and didnt have the mental energy to do that anymore,the weight started dropping off.   Upwards and onwards christian soldiers!When I have lost 60 pounds I will post pics.
desertmom

desertmom

0

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