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VACookey's Blog
 

3-Month Checkup

Got all my blood work done and the nurse says I'm doing AWESOME! Incredible weight loss, all my vitamins are good, protein levels are good, no deficiencies at all. In fact, my protein is so good that I can eliminate one of the protein shakes. Thank god for that. I'm actually getting sick of them.   The only thing I need to work on is getting my good cholesterol up (it's a tad low). That prompted a discussion on good oils. I use olive oil for everything because it's supposed to be so healthy. She said NO! That's just marketing. I should be using canola oil. Color me surprised! So I'll make that switch and see if it helps bring my good cholesterol up.   So in 3.5 months, I'm down 74 pounds and I've gone from a 26/28 to a 14/16...and I was able to do it without destroying my health. Holy crap! I never thought this would be possible. Best. Decision. EVER!
VACookey

VACookey

5
Shelleymb's Blog
 

Feelin' Better With Progress

I've lost 4 pounds in 2 days by not eating any carbs through out the day until dinner. It made me so happy to see the numbers on the scale go down this morning, I can keep this up! Short little blip today. Hope everyone is having a great day.   ~Shels
Shelleymb

Shelleymb

4
sweetness2005's Blog
 

Up Date

It has been a while since i was on here last.. I would like to just give an update on my progress. Have my surgery 10-31-11 and as of today i have lost 79lbs. Putting my down to 176lbs. My goals is 145lbs to 140lbs. So i really hope to be there by my one year mark. This was the best thing i could have done for my self i would never take it back..
sweetness2005

sweetness2005

0
goal_will_be_met's Blog
 

Dear Food, You Annoy Me

I realize that just because I had surgery that my struggles with food would not come to an end. I am so tired of my issues with food. Its supposed to be fuel for the body!...so why do I think about food all the time!? I am not sure how to get thru this. I started seeing a therapist but nothing seems to help. Willpower needs to kick in high gear and even then I give in and say oh I'll start tomorrow. So tell me why do I do that when I want this so much I could scream? do I not want it that bad? These are questions that I constantly play in my head. I can't answer them and if I do I get pumped up for a few mins and then its gone. I am frustrated because I am at a loss. I am not giving up tho. I am very determined to do this. I just have to struggle with all that on top of it that it weighs down. Lately I am exhausted and use that as an excuse to not work out but when I do work out I fell great...I don't get it. Yesterday I had to go in to the doc's to have fluid removed because I got super sick on Monday causing me to vomit in turn swell so in order for me to even get water down they had to remove fluid. I go back in a few weeks to have it put back but still I sit here hungry...even tho I am on a liquid diet due to the issue for today and back to normal tomorrow I just know that once "let" lose I'll be like do I really want that Sure why not and gobble gobble. I don't mean to sound like poor me poor me...I realize its all me...I just don't get how I want it so much to just fail... well thats my vent for the day...hope everyone else is doing awesome :wub:
goal_will_be_met

goal_will_be_met

4
angellic16's Blog
 

Better Day

So my blood pressure is back to normal. Thank goodness!!! I am feeling pretty good. This is my 4th week post op. The weight is coming down slowly. I still find it hard to get all the protein and liquids in but I am trying really hard.   On to the next week...
angellic16

angellic16

1
lizzyshade's Blog
 

4Th Week Post-Op

4th week post-op visit went well, my weight was 235 lbs, heaviest at 269 lbs. So far I have lost 16 lbs since surgery and a total of 34 lbs from my first pre-op visit. I'm finally feeling less nauseated, have begun eating soft foods, am walking each day and am infection free. Emotions are up and down, but more up than down compared to the firs 3 weeks so that's progress I'll take. The best thing that happened was finding out my jeans were loose and wearing a shirt that didn't fit last month!
lizzyshade

lizzyshade

2
Felicity's Blog
 

Getting Sleeved July 9Th

Well the time is coming up soon! 17 more days before im sleeved. I am 17 years old and I have been overweight all my life. I am 283 pounds and ready to change my life.I have tryed everything in the book. I also have been researching the sleeve for about a year. I am going to be a seinor in high school and plan for it to be an amazing year. I need to know what i should bring for my surgery. And also could anyone tell me somethings I should know. And has anyone had surgery with Dr. pleatman.. Please help me out im kinda freaking out now since its coming close to the date.
Felicity

Felicity

2
Circles
 

Post Surgery Day 1

The surgery itself went well; unfortunately, I was held hostage until I could pee on my own   My surgery was at 10:30 AM Monday. Really the pain was light and I was only dimly aware of the pain from the incisions in the recovery room. What bothered me in recovery was a very sore throat and dry mouth; the nurses on Dr on staff made sure that I was given something to help me with it right away. I didn't get transfered to the floor until late (around 9:30 PM ). Walking was easy, I took a walk around the recovery room and then later before I went to sleep I took a spin around the bariatric ward. It was easier each time I walked, but I did take the wrong corner on my Tuesday morning walk and met a number of office workers. Poor people I was not a pretty sight!   I experienced a problem with the iv drip on the bariatric ward. Unlike the recovery room, the bariatric ward combines the pain killer and the fluids with one drip. I did have a hard time with the dual iv-it made my fingers swell and the pain killers didn't numb that pain. My night nurse was sympathetic and helped me by switching the iv to another hand. My day nurse was another story (I swear why do people who lack empathy go into medicine?) I was part of the Nurse Cynthia show! I'll stop right there because I'm praying for an answer about how to handle her. But in a nutshell, I had had my swallow test and had passed i; I don't know why she waited to get permission to get the iv taken out; I was in pain for hours longer than I needed to be and it wasn't because she couldn't find a doctor. Being on fluids and the iv just made matters worse. By the time she finally asked the Dr on duty my hands had swollen to the point where I couldn't hold my cell.The more liquid that went in me the bigger my hands got.   Once the iv was out and I was only on the fluids the swelling in my hands gradually went down. Everytime, I eliminated the swelling got better although it did take over 24 hours. My hands were not normal until around 7PM. That's the one thing I hadn't read about on the site; all of my experience (except wicked Cynthia) were described by someone else. So maybe my sharing will help a future sleever.   I'm on percocet at home; it works fine, but I'm determined to only take it at night. I have a huge fear of being adicted so I can't wait until I pour the pills in the toilet. I praise God for a successful procedure and I look forward to getting stronger each day. Cheers!
Marisa46

Marisa46

0
babydumplin1968's Blog
 

All Smiles

School is out.... summer time is just wonderful. love the kiddos but I so needed a break. I decided to do a little cleaning. As I sorted through some of my clothes, I noticed that most of them were too big. So what's a girl to do? What else is there but to shop!!! I went into the store to try on a few things and WOW... A size 14 regular pant suit... It fit perfectly even the jacket... Although I have only lost 25 pounds the inches are really melthing away... I am thanking and praising God for the little things!!!
babydumplin1968

babydumplin1968

0
DuranFan1969's Blog
 

Happy Weekiversary To Me!

One week ago today I woke up from surgery with my new gogo gadget tummy in me and haven't regretted it one itty bitty bit. I am so excited for the success this is going to bring me and I'm so excited for every story I read here on the VSG forums, knowing that everyone here will finally get the weight loss success we have all longed for most of our lives. We're finally going to be "normal". I can't wait until the day comes where I don't find myself looking around a room wondering if I'm the heaviest in it (and usually I am). It will be fantastic not to walk into a place and hope the seats aren't too small to sit in and the sheer embarrassment that is felt when you sit in a seat that you are not only crammed into, but have to worry about how to wedge your way gracefully out of it in front of a room full of people who will stare and judge you if you stand up and any part of that chair stands up with you. Those days will be gone!!!   I've noticed during my first week of full liquids that I have found myself wondering if I'm doing something wrong, because I have not felt stuffed at all by anything I've consumed. I've not felt hungry and when I start to, it's usually time for a meal or snack. I think it dawned on me shortly before I started writing this entry what exactly what happening - I was eating normal. Normal people don't eat until they are stuffed every meal - they don't fill a plate and eat it until it's gone - they eat until they are full and put the rest away. I didn't feel stuffed, because hello!!!! this is what satisfied felt like. How the heck did I get this long and not know what that felt like? Here I thought I was doing something wrong and doubting I was doing it right, just because my tummy wasn't begging for mercy. Wow, the mentality I let myself get into.   I am however and oh so thankfully happy to say, I am on the last night of my full liquid diet - tomorrow is soft foods!!! I've done fairly well on the full liquids as my doctor allowed a fair bit of goodies that helped me get through the week. I've had to consume 3 protein shakes a day (ugh, so tired of those after 3 weeks), but I could also have 2 snacks a day consisting of SF jello, SF pudding, SF popsicles, instant mashed potatoes, 98% FF cream soups, Cream of Wheat (tried it, don't recommend it for a few weeks ... the sleeve did NOT approve), Oatmeal and yeah, that's pretty much it. It wasn't horrible since I had 3 shakes and 2 snacks a day. I did find that I enjoyed combining 98% FF Cream of Chicken Soup with the instant mashed potatoes for a potato/gravy feel and I think it helped the potatoes go down easier and gave me some flavor.   So, farewell my faithful full liquids - you were good to me, but it's time we part ways. It's on to softer and mushier foods for me! I've scoured the interwebs for various ideas and recipes for mushy stages and have found a fair bit that I think will keep me somewhat entertained for the next phase which will last me 2 weeks. Wow, only 2 more weeks and I'm back to solid foods.
DuranFan1969

DuranFan1969

0
becky444's Blog
 

3 Days Post...

So I got sleeved on Monday, the 18th. What a whirlwind of emotions!I remember thinking as they were prepping me "maybe this isn't such a good idea", then I woke up in recovery...too late! Since then I have felt proud that I went through with it, I have thought (Many times) "what did I do to myself?" but mostly I have felt surreal that it's done and cannot ever be undone. I wish I could say that more of my feelings have been positive, but I think that will change as I start feeling physically better.   Day 2 was the worst. My pain button was gone, which was good because it meant I passed my x-ray contrast study, but it also meant I went on pain meds every 4 hours instead of when I wanted them. I felt so much nausea and pain yesterday! Forced myself to get up and walk to help the gas move along. BTW, kudos to the wise people on this board who recommended Gas-X strips!!! I never would have survived without them! They were "contraband" at my hospital, but I took them anyways...what a difference! I stopped needing them today when my body started dealing with the gas in its own way.   I'm home now, and I wish I could say I have some relaxation ahead of me. I start training at my internship tomorrow. They know I'm coming off surgery, but it's still 7 long hours tomorrow and Friday. Saturday cannot come soon enough. I have to go study now before I take my next pain meds...talk to you all soon with (hopefully) a more positive outlook!
becky444

becky444

2
Stae's journey
 

Got My Date

Well it finally happened and so quickly. I got a call yesterday that my surgery is going to be a week away. All of a sudden this is so real. I immediately turned to all of the blogs and posts to put my mind at ease. The funny thing is that my surgery will be on the same day that my daughter gets her braces off. I have never in my life had any kind of surgery. Don't get me wrong. I am totally ready for my life to start. My mom is awesome. She is going to come with me to my pre-op appointment. She will be there to take care of me afterwards as well. I am so lucky that she is here to support me. I will post my weight and everything after my appointment. Any tips on protein shakes. I am having a hard time drinking those things. YUCK!!!   Wish me luck... more later.....
Stae

Stae

0
Taking Those First Steps
 

Darn You, Pinterest!

I've become addicted to Pinterest lately, but all of the recipes I'm drooling over are ones that I wouldn't dare eat!! Pizza casserole, Bacon-wrapped Chicken, Chicken Taco Chili....and the desserts, oh my goodness, Smores Cookies?! Cookie dough/Peanut Butter Cup/Brownie batter baked together in a cupcake pan?! It's too much! I think to myself - I could just make this for my husband and his work friends to eat on, but the temptation is too real for the desserts. The inner fat girl is screaming for some carb-loading!!   So instead, I save all of the pins about workouts and easy healthy snacks. Booo
jen_1381

jen_1381

2
So Confused, schedulded my Surgery for July 6th but am very nervous
 

Help... Am I Ready????

Ok, So I had my consultation today to discuss and get details on the surgery. How I went from that to booking my surgery for July 6th is beyond me. I want the ugly truth.. the good, the bad, the challenges. What foods are the worst for you? Can I drink coffee? Wine? The Dr. said I would probably have trouble eating rice and bread... is this true? I want to hear from fellow bandees because Drs want to get paid so they will give you the pros and cons but I want to hear it from those that have been there. Thanks.
trujiyi

trujiyi

3
The Chronicles of LeeLee
 

I Ate Potato Soup! :o

Hello everyone. This is my first blog entry here on LapBandTalk. This forum has actually helped me out tremendously since I made my decision to pursue surgery. I love everyone here!   Well, I had surgery on June 15th, so I'm on Day 5 postop. My appetite is back, and man oh man, I miss real food. I'm supposed to be on clear liquids, but I'm probably gonna bump it up to full liquids here soon because my tummy can't handle all the grumbling anymore.   I tried my first "full" liquid today. Honestly, it was more of a mushie, so I feel a little guilty. I had some potato soup. Yup, full of carbs, but my stomach was killing me and I had a headache out of this world. Yup, yup, no excuses... I haven't thrown up or anything, and I actually got hungry again a couple of hours later. That seems to be my pattern right now. Eat a little, get super crazy hunger, eat a little more, super crazy hungry again. Yeah, this is getting old real quick.   I had a big ol' unsweet tea that I put some Splenda it to sweeten it up with and I was sipping on that before my demon cat Vivi spilled it all over my carpet. Guys, I tell you, I can't wait to get back to work so I can separate myself from this little girl. She likes to pounce on my tummy and play with her toys directly on top of me. I love her death, but jeez, I can only take so much.   I have another blog at BlogSpot that I update more often. I could really use more followers, especially if you haven't had surgery yet. I'm not a seasoned Bandster yet, but I want to track my progress and give hope/advice/grueling details about my recovery and weight loss journey.   Drop by My Lap Band Adventure to cheer me on.   Once again, I love this place, and all of you guys.
uiwleelee

uiwleelee

0
lunabella007's Blog
 

Day 12 Post-Op-- Heavy Duty Cleaning! Tossin' My Big Old Clothes!

Wow! Today was the most physically demanding day I've had since surgery!   I cleaned out the walk-in closet, and sorted through the bags of items that were piling up in the living room from our garage sale expeditions. My LORD did I throw out a lot of clothes. I feel like I didn't jump the gun on this--lots of the stuff is 24/26 or 22/24 anyway, and that doesn't fit me anymore. But my goodness--all the clothes I kept just because they fit! About 60% of my closet was old lady handmedowns (not that there's anything wrong with handmedowns obviously!) But there was so much in there that didn't suit my style, looked like it belonged in a retirement community, or was just kinda ugly but I kept it because the size was ok.   Not anymore!   Out goes the ugly orange shorts, and the hideous knit sleeveless tops, the stripey clown pants--the lot!   That feels really good!   I finally got around to watching the video of my surgery, which I'll write about in detail later. Does everybody's surgeon make a video of their VSG procedure, or is mine just weird? lol It's amazing that that happened inside me, and I'm feeling pretty darn normal!
lunabella007

lunabella007

1
Shelleymb's Blog
 

Ball Is Back In My Court!

After a depressing day yesterday, I woke up this morning feeling a lot better. I think my exact words in the car to Ty were, “Today is so much better than yesterday. The sun is out, the birds are chirping, and my pants fit.” I feel a lot better about myself when I’m not worrying so much about what I look like. I’ve also decided to do something about it while I wait to be banded…   At first, I thought about no carbs. I remember doing the south beach diet and I lost weight doing it… but I also remember gaining the weight back when I couldn’t handle the cravings anymore. So then I got the brilliant idea of no carbs (bread, pasta, rice, potatoes) at work. Now this is something that I can do. So for the last two days I only eat fruits, veggies, meat, and cheese at work, with A LOT of water. And then eat a normal dinner. I need baby steps to change, which I think we all do. So this is how I’m going to take off (hopefully) a few pounds in the waiting.   Other than that, not much happened today. Going to the bank today with Ty to open a joint account so that we can both have allotments come out of our check to save for the surgery.   (before anyone tries to tell me not to get a joint account with a boyfriend, I promise you, as you continue to read about me through the years **if you stay with me that long** that we will be married. I’m very smart with my money and assets, and I wouldn’t do something like this if I didn’t trust them 300%)   Have a great evening everyone!!
Shelleymb

Shelleymb

1
What had happened was...
 

I Love My Mom... But Really!?!?!?!

So, I have amazing parents. And I love my mom and my dad like crazy. They have been married for 40 years as of this past March. They are an amazing example of what a marriage should be and what it can be. My dad is a little goofy. He LOVES telling people in public that my mom is off her meds and he just can't do anything with her. My mom, everytime, looks shocked and offended but then he gets her to laugh and then the laughter just contagious. My mom, bless her heart (yes, we are from the south!), is not excited about my upcoming surgery. For years she has been against diet pills. A few weeks ago, she was telling me about a new diet pill that is out that she would like me to try. Two weeks ago it was raspberry ketones that she wanted me to look into. Today, she told me the best one yet. She told me she wants me to get "one of those band things". Now, I think she means a lap band which I have looked into and decided it's just not for me. But, NO! Before I could tell her about my research on the lap band, she continues. She now wants me to go to Home Depot and get one of "those band things" that people use as back support when they are doing heavy lifting. She wants me to wrap it around my upper belly so that it will restrict how much I can eat! She thinks that this will help me get an idea of what my post-op will be like. I laughed so hard that I cried! Her thought process is that when she wears a pair of tight jeans she doesn't want to eat as much because it is so uncomfortable. Again, laughing uncontrollably! She ended our conversation by saying "I just had to get that out there." I thanked her and told her I appreciate her advice but I won't be going to buy a back support for my belly. I'm going to stick to my pre-op diet when it starts and go from there. I'm so excited about my surgery on July 27th and I hope she can find some excitement for me too
A funny thing happend while I was loosing weight
 

How Did A Bull Dog Get Between My Legs?

I try to stay away from full frontal naked mirror shots of myself. I think this is something we learn to do as we get bigger and bigger. I can't tell you the last time I stood buck A@@ naked in front a mirror on purpose......then again, why else would I stand in front of one? But today, I did.   Back story to how this finally came to be. I was laying out at the pool today and I looked down at my legs and I thought, "Hummmm, is that just weight loss or is it skin? is it a little of both." I then tried to ignore it, but ended up in the water doing leg lifts and any other leg work out I could do to help "tighten" the area. So, after a 1/2 hour of trying to work the area, I decided to just relax and enjoy the sun and fun.   Now, anyone who knows me knows that once I get something in my head, I can't let it go. I do obsess sometimes....ok, most of the time....my husband is laughing and saying, "you mean ALLLLLL the time.". ANYWAY......lol So, I decided to pack up and come home. As soon as I came in, I took off my bathing suit and went to stand in front of the only full length mirror in our home. Remember, fat people don't like full length mirrors...they are the enemy. I haven't had a full length mirror in my home for over 10 years. The only reason I have one now is that it's the door to one of the closets in the house. As you can imagine, I didn't pick that door out.   At first I couldn't look at my whole body. I stayed focused on my boobs and up. I am used to seeing this section of my body before or after a shower so I knew what to expect. My chin is a normal one chin, my face had thinned out, my collar bone is beginning to show itself and my boobs are hanging a little low. SIDE BAR: Every time I look at my boobs (even before surgery) I sing this tune, "Do my boobs hang low? Do they wobble to and fro? Can I tie them in a knot? Can I tie them a Bow? Can I throw them over my shoulder like a continental solder? Do my boobs hang low." So far I haven't been able to make a knot or throw them anywhere except in a bra to push them up. Now you all know that song is stuck in your head right now....don't lie. LOL   Ok, so they looked the same. The boobs were hanging a little more and my "wings" are a little more wing like. I take a deep breath. I slowly allow my eyes to move down my naked body. The tummy area is looking smaller. There is some possible loose skin but only time will tell for sure about that. My hour glass figure is starting to show itself again (my husband is in heaven about that) and for where I should be right now after surgery, everything looks like it should. Now, I don't plan to run out and buy a bikini to show off my six pack abs. I may go by a six pack of beer to show off since I can't really drink it. LOL   Finally, I look to my my legs. Now, before I explain what I saw, you have to understand that prior to my back issues, I was always active. I was never"thin" but I was toned and tight. My legs were very muscular and I always hated how bulky they were. Then today as I forced myself to look at the area I was scared to death to face thigh to eye (a little word play LOL) , I realized I was no longer 25. I still have muscle but much less. Then I saw it or should I say THEM. The jowls. Right between my thighs in the upper part of my legs under my special lady place. They just hung there, all wrinkled up and looking like they should begin slobbering soon I was expecting to find the rest of the bull dog but thankfully that didn't happen. I was shocked. When did this happen? Was it before surgery and is now worse due to the weight loss? Then I looked at my thighs to my knees? Yeap, there is all is. It all made perfect sense. I have lost so much weight so quickly that my legs already need a lift and I'm just half way done with my weight loss. By the time I am ready to have any reconstructive plastic surgery, I will be tying things in bows and throwing them over my shoulder.   Then It all really hit me. Once I am done losing the weight, I will be thin but I will have the body of a ninety year old. How can I feel sexy wearing all that skin? I can see it now, "Honey, just throw that left boob over my right shoulder and then you separate the jowls between my legs to look for the "area"." Yeah, that's a real turn on. Lucky for me, I have a great husband and someday soon I will have a great plastic surgeon. My new song after I get my jowls removed and my stomach tucked and my breasts filled and lifted will be, "They don't hang low, or wobble to and fro, the surgeon cut em off becasue they were hanging to floor.......I'll have to work more on the song but you get the idea.
tmorgan813

tmorgan813

10
tjloser's Blog
 

Moving Forward Quickly!

The last time I posted I just had my psych visit. Well I've since received my date of July 10th for surgery, YAY, and have had my pre-op exam on June 19th. I am so excited and ready to get this journey on its way. I have my visit with the surgeon and the nut on June 26 and I have a lot of questions to ask, already written down. My surgery is approaching fast and although I say I'm prepared, I know that there are things that I still don't know an won't know until after surgery when I go through them. I am thankful for this sight because I have learned so much here and will continue to look here as I continue on my journey and maybe one day I will be of help to someone else just starting out. Thanks to all who have gone before me and who took the time to help me (us) out as we follow you through this journey.
tjloser

tjloser

2

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