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Shelleymb's Blog
 

Ugggg.... Jean Shopping

Im sitting in the dressing room at Macy's feeling defeated. All I needed was a pair of jeans for work.... I wear yoga pants at home because I'm so fat, but I work on a shipyard and I have tO wear jeans.   You know the moment when you pull the jeans up to your knees and you instantly know they aren't going to fit? Or when you finally find a pair that you can pull up the whole way and manage to button up and you're working wIth muffin top, camel toe, or they are so wide in the leg you can't see your feet? I pretty much hate myself right now. I hate buying jeans based on how long it will take me to tailor them to my body. Good thing I'm a good seamstress I guess.   The next six months can't fly by fast enough.
Shelleymb

Shelleymb

8
juny's Blog
 

Fell Off Again

So I've hit the 6 week mark on the diet and here I am not following through on my own plans. I've lost a bit of weight but for whatever reason, this weekend I've gone off the rails again. This is always where it happens. The weight stalls and I get sick of looking at my body fiddling around w/ the same 3 pounds for a few weeks. Skipped lunch. Didn't wait for dinner had a cup of oberweiss chocolate milk (its a regional thing, they come in the old glass bottles, hormone free, all the good stuff....) and ate half a pb&j (i made strawberry jam this weekend). I know I'm being ridiculous. I think this is the part where I once again realize I need this surgery to stop being famished. I also need to get myself back on track. ok...i think it's safe to turn off my vent now.
juny

juny

6
rcz1966's Blog
 

In Yellow Zone Or Green Zone???

Hello everyone. Have you ever felt like you don't know what is going on??? I was banded Nov. 23, 2011. Since that time I have lost only 12 pounds. Anyways my trouble is that I was not really feeling restriction. When I got up to 8cc in my band my doctor sent me for a band fill under flouroscopy. Now here comes the questions. He added 1cc and I later noticed some restriction. He did try 1.5cc but we could see on screen that the fluid was not going through though I did not feel like it was coming up. Anyways I went home and was not satisfied with results and got another .5 fill so now I am up to 9.5. I do feel some restriction but it is inconsistent. I am worried that I am not cueing into it well. Since I did have a fill under flouroscopy is it possible that I still need a fill-I personally think I do. Has anyone had anything similar happen? Also does your band get looser in the weeks following a fill? Thanks for any responses.
rcz1966

rcz1966

3
Peeling Off the Layers
 

Let The Countdown Begin!! T Minus 62.5 Hours

Hello All   As you can probably guess, I'm a little over 2 days away from my surgery. I'm very excited to share that I have lost a total of 13lbs on my pre op diet with 2 days left! The pre op diet has been mostly learning how to eat sparingly and making the right choices. I have experimented with several different kinds of protein drinks, my absolute favorite is ISOPURE. I picked it up at Hi-Health here in AZ. Not cheap, $4 a bottle but it has 40 grams of protein and I can sip on it throughout the day. Much better than the milky type shakes. Those are sickeningly sweet to me. I have had every experience from birthday parties to now Father's Day. Believe me, eating less in a party environment is hard. I showed monumental will power yesterday, I made brownies, from scratch at home for my Dad. I was told they were to die for. If I can make it through not tasting that, and chocolate is my weakness (and cheese), then I can make it through anything. I am just down to the next few days and I'm sure they will fly by.   I don't know if other people have felt this way or not but I'm just kind of indifferent about the whole thing. I'm excited, yes, but not like I think I should be. I'm not nervous. I had my tonsils out only 9 months ago, again outpatient, without any complications. I don't like needles but I can tolerate them. I can give blood without any real problems. And I've had two tattoos done so I'm not averse to pain. I think I'll be ok.   I'm not even all that excited about the 13lbs that I've lost. All I can think of is, "this is nothing! Only 13 small little pounds. I need to lose 13 times that!" But I guess I'm doing good on this. I have to remind myself that when I did Weight Watchers (WW), it took me 3 weeks to achieve a 13lb loss, sometimes more. Ang this has only been 12 days. That's a pound a day! I like those numbers.   On another note, I've been thinking about what I want to name my band. Any Suggestions?
BikiniBodby30

BikiniBodby30

4
AnnMarie49930's Blog
 

Sleep Study Tonight

I have my second sleep study tonight. Yes, I said my second. I did one last year and did one at home about 4 or 5 months ago. Yet, I have to do it again. I'm not looking forward to it. I don't like sleeping somewhere besides my own bed and the fact that my two teen age children will be alone for the night doesn't really do anything to help matters. Oh, well. It's just another step in the process I guess. I realized something today. Its been about 2 weeks of the high protein, low fat, low carb diet and while eating dinner i ate the protein, then some vegetable and took maybe two bites of the scalloped potatoes ( which i would normally pig out on) and said "I'm full yet again!). Proud of myself for not eating everything that was in front of me. It's taking time but the way I eat is changing. My daughter, who will be 16 in August said it looks like I am already loosing weight. I have no idea as I haven't been weighed in a week. I hate the scale. It is NOT my friend but one day will be! I am eating my small meals as told. I now eat breakfast, something I haven't done in years and snack on string cheese, yogurt,or peanut butter. Baby steps... and I will succeed!
AnnMarie49930

AnnMarie49930

0
sissy12's Blog
 

Two Days Away...

I go in for surgery Wednesday morning, I've had a few OMG!! moments, but that's to be expected.   I think I'm ready, I got the call from the nurse this morning, I gave her the list of medicine I take, she told me what I should bring, so I'm set. This is REALLY happening.
sissy12

sissy12

2
Eric Sagel's Blog
 

Mini Bananas

My Doctor's handbook has suggested menus and they suggest things like a 1/4 of a banana. I did not want to do that because the rest of the banana would brown, etc. Wal-Mart was my savior on that one when I found they sold miniature bananas that come in at around 2 oz.   WooHoo!
Eric RGS

Eric RGS

2
A funny thing happend while I was loosing weight
 

There's A Rabbit In My Colon

I have always been very "normal" when it comes to going number 2. Ok, stop laughing. Yes, I am going to talk about bowel movements. I have always said I would be honest and open and this is something EVERYONE does. There is no need to be ashamed or shocked. If you feel uncomfortable reading about this, move on to another blog. I won't take it personal.   Ok, now that I've told everyone what's coming down the pipe (pun intended) we should all be ready for an open and frank discussion about poop. It's something that everyone does and after surgery, I have found that I do it much less than before. I used to go once or even twice a day. There were times where after a good poop (you know the kind I am talking about....the ones where when you're done you feel like you've lost five to ten pounds) I would feel lighter and have a little more energy. Now, I barely go. Then, to top it off, it's never easy. I can't just get the feeling and go sit on the toilet for five or ten minutes. Nope, I get the feeling and end up spending a half an hour in there listening to "plop, plop,plop." It's never a nice S shape poop that you hear Dr. Oz always talk about. It's more like there is a very large rabbit in my colon. And, I have the poop to prove it. Well, I don't have it sitting next to me in a bowl or anything. That would just be gross. I just mean that when I do poop it comes out in small little nuggets. I have tried everything. I have added fiber to my drinks, taken stool softeners, and even laxatives. The only change is that the little things come out a little easier.   Now, the reason I am writing about this is to see if anyone else is having this issue and if so how are you dealing with it. Also, is this normal and does it get better over time. I will be honest, I don't think I can live with a rabbit in my colon for the rest of my life....I don't care how thin I am. Wait, I take that back. I used to say I would do anything to be thin....I guess little nugget poop is my "anything".
tmorgan813

tmorgan813

3
Taking Those First Steps
 

Dissapointment

Well I really let myself down this weekend.   I was doing SO good, following the diet to the letter, and then the weekend hit. Started off with a little road trip to see my family on the coast. I did fine that morning, at some turkey for breakfast. For lunch, we took my nephews to the local pizza place and I ate about 1/3 of a taco salad (minus the chips, onions, tomatoes). Took the rest home and got about 4 bites in, and I felt full. I thought I would take one last bite (it was so tastey) and I was in PAIN. Horrible indigestion feeling. I pressed my luck and lost. So the rest of the evening I was too full and mad at myself to eat anything else.   Sunday, we all went out to breakfast and I had about half of an egg white and turkey omlet. Ate the other half for lunch, and this time I listened to my full signal and stopped immediately. Then came the big family BBQ which is where I feel like I slipped into old habits. I found myself crusing by the snack table - granted I ate only healthy, soft foods, but I ate slowly enough and spaced out enough, I ate more than I should have.   I stepped on the scale this morning, and have gained back 4 pounds. Saturday night I had gone on a 4 mile jog and was considerably sore the next day, plus I had forgotten to take my diuretic BP pill all weekend and am feeling bloated, but still, FOUR POUNDS!   I'm back on track today, I know I cannot do this to myself again. Not only did I feel crummy while eating, but I feel horrible today. I work hard to lose every ounce, and my mindless eating overtook a whole week of being good. I get a fill tomorrow, hopefully that will help, but I definitely learned my lesson.
jen_1381

jen_1381

2
Dibley Dawn's Blog
 

Starting From Where I Am

This is officially my first blog. I don't really know what to say, so I'll just recap my journey so far.   I had my surgery May 4,2011. Since then, I have lost 100 pounds, dropped from size 28/ 30 to a size 16/18 in most things, I can wear L and XL t-shirts instead of XXXL and XXXXL t-shirts. I still have a long way to go in my journey, but everyday is new and exciting.   Now that I've lost a substantial amount of weight, I'm ready to step up my exercise game. I recently started working with a running coach. I have had 2 runs (well, honestly more of a walk/jog/crawl than an actual run) and I have my 3rd tomorrow. The first time I ran this past Tuesday, I almost cried because for a split second I thought I could almost fly. It felt soooo amazing. Of course, the soreness took over for the next two days and I kinda wanted to die , but all in all, I'm feeling so much more energetic and ready to take on more and more.   I'm so happy with my decision up to this point, and even with a minor set back a few weeks ago of having to have a revision done due to a flipped port, I am back on track. I hope to lose another 100 pounds when this is all said and done, but I'm in no rush to get there. I am so happy where I am, and where I am is a place I thought a year ago that I could never be again (if that makes sense), so it's all good. I'm just going to keep on taking this one day at a time, enjoying life to the fullest, and enjoying each non scale victory as it comes my way.
Dibley Dawn

Dibley Dawn

1
ForMyfamily's Blog
 

Nut Follow Up.

Well skipped some days as we had a death in the family and had to travell up to New York for a couple of weeks. My lovely Neice passed after 20 days in a coma from a terrible car wreck. Only 15, had her whole life ahead of her. Anyways, I met with the Nut and had some eye opening experiences. Of course weight was expected to be where it normally is, only lost a couple pounds. But here is the kicker, i have been 6'2 all my life and she measured my height and it only said 6 foot. Huh!!! Well long story short, not only is my spine compressing but because the weight from my belly is pulling on it the spine is curving. Oh come on now!!! I can accept I am overweight but to lose height, I was shocked!
ForMyfamily

ForMyfamily

1
It's a New Day's Blog
 

Tomorrow Is The Day - 9/19/12

Well today is bag packing and getting ready day. Tomorrow is the big day of my surgery!!   I don't know what I feel...excitement and wonder I think. This is my first surgery EVER...so I really have no clue what to fear. I choose not to fear the unknown because in its own time, life always works out in the best way for me. I am ready to get this change underway. I am embracing this, and I am very thankful for this opportunity to unveil the "me" that has been hidden inside for years.   Wish me luck and say a prayer for me...9am Central Time tomorrow ..My New Life Begins!!!!
It's a New Day

It's a New Day

4
Lauracat's Blog
 

Doing Something About It

I had my frist fill an i am in what they call bandester hell. I can eat what everi want i never vomit any more and i can get it all down i have no resrtion with my 1 CC fill to make it worst i can't get another fill untill september. So i am going to do something about it. I could wine and complan that i have nothing i went though a sugery for nothing i am hurgery and can eat what ever i want. I guess i just did that Or i could say Okay it time to do something about it you lost 30lb and maybe you can do something with nothing. So i did something drastic i joined weight watchers again. yes I did same again I done weight watchers meny times before i quit each and every time. But this time I need to do it or i be back were i started sugery or no sugery. If the band can only help me a little and at this point nothing then maybe i can do it with extra help
Lauracat

Lauracat

1
Changing Lanes
 

Mommy, That Was A Good Fart! I'm Proud!

I like to play with colors but I don't know how to color code a fart..unless it becomes a skid mark!   Soooo, I am 4 days post-op and feeling a little out of it. I feel dizzy, naseaus, and bloated! However, I am happy to report that I was not in as much pain as i would have thought. My nerves had me worked up more than necessary. Surprise! My only pain really came from the gas. I have been walking at all hours of the day and night to get of some gas. My 10 year DAUGHTER heard me pass gas earlier and gave me kudos!   I was a little more calm than i anticipated and sat through 4 attempts at an IV and a collapsed vein until the doctor finally came in and put it in my neck. eeek! The anesthesia made me feel super drunk...until it was lights out! i had a private room with a fold out couch and they let my 10 year old spend both nights there with me! The staff was great and the hospital was nice but everyone who came to visit grabbed the tv remote and I wanted to poke their eyes out! The sound of the t.v. irritated me!   Neeext...I was not tolerating my liquids! If you think it hurts to throw up when you are not post-op then you do NOT want to experience almost 24 hours of throwing up with a stapled stomach. I firmly believe I was being given too much Morphine. I didn't have the pump but they were coming in like every 2 hours and sticking more in my neck! You could have drawn a chalk outline of my body when they hit me with morphine because I did not move when it hit my vein!   I refused any other pain meds and have not taken any since then. Nor have I thrown up. I was kept an extra night to monitor liquid in-take. Now the gas? Wow! That was painful when it got into my chest and shoulders. I am still walking and walking and...you get the point.   I am ready to get past the clear liquids for now.
angelakay2

angelakay2

3
Shelleymb's Blog
 

I Need To Get This Down On Lock

I need something to do while waiting for surgery... I keep gaining!! I just don't know what to do anymore. Any time I get dressed or eat or something, I feel like bursting into tears. Ty told me today he has lost 5 pounds since he stop drinking diet soda.... I NEVER DRINK SODA!! It isn't fair!! I'm over this!   I hope everyone has a good week.   ~Shells
Shelleymb

Shelleymb

1
Circles
 

Monday Morning Sleeve

This is actually the first day that I've been aprehensive and scared about having the surgery. It's strange but there it is. I asked myself if I wanted to call it off. My answer to myself from my heart was that I won't live my life without. Honestly, I feel like all of this fat is burying me. I don't want to live my life in bed and that seems to be where I'm headed if I don't have the surgery. I know I'm going to have physical pain. I know that my emotions are probably going to see saw. I know that the alternative to the surgery is much worse than the pain. I expect the pain to be gone in a few weeks. I place myself in my Lord's hands; I know that the surgery is the right choice and it's just the prospect of pain that frightens me. I know that I'm not going to walk this path alone. I am thankful for God's grace.   Robin a friend sent me this prayer. Saying it gives me such a sense of peace. I'd like to share it:   Father, we come in the name of our Savior Jesus the Christ, first of all to thank you for this beautiful day that you have made that we will rejoice and be glad in. Thank you for being an all powerful, ever present, all knowing God who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we can think or ask. Thank you also for being a God who heals and delivers. Father we ask that right now you would touch my body with your healing hands and that your healing power would be at work before during and after my surgery. We ask that you would begin to prepare my body for the upcoming surgery even now. Father, we ask that you would give me your peace, your calm, your comfort, and your assurance. We ask that you would even now begin to regulate my bodily functions so that all will be well and in working order during the procedure. We ask that you begin to prepare the surgeons, nurses, anesthesiologists, and every medical professional who will contribute to her care on Monday. Give them clarity of thought. Please bring all of the necessary medical knowledge to their remembrance so that they will know exactly what to do during my procedure. Please let my recovery be a smooth and uncomplicated one. May I be back on myfeet in no time and be ready to continue taking on the world and honoring you with my life. God, we thank you that you are a faithful God who hears and answers prayers and we’re believing for all the best for Monday. We love you and we honor you. In Jesus’ name we pray and thank you. Amen.
Marisa46

Marisa46

3
AnnMarie49930's Blog
 

Me...

I have always been a "plus sided" lady. Actually, I don't like the term "plus sized". I'm fat! Being a short 5'3" tall and over 300 lbs.. I'm fat. When younger I have tried the fad diets. The cabbage soup diet. The boiled hot dog diet. Done Richard Simmmons "sweating to the Oldies". I would loose a few pounds, get discouraged and give up. Giving up has gotten me to where I am today. A morbidly obese woman. The past year I have put on at least 50 more pounds. And Man on man do I feel it! While I am upset with myself for getting this way I know only I can change the way I look, act and feel. I talked to my PCP about 2 months ago about the surgery. I need the extra help. I know that the odds of me doing this on my own at my age (41) would take forever and would not be as easy. In the past week I have seen the surgeon for the initial consult,saw the dietitian, had my psych evaluation and tomorrow night go for a sleep study. The dietitian said to cut back BIG time on carbs ( I love bread, crackers and pasta! Cheez Its call my name! ). I need to eat 4-5 small "meals" a day and each meal should contain approximately 25 grams of protein. Which to me is hard because I don't eat that much during the day. Night time is my pig out time. When my two children are in bed and my boyfriend goes to work ( he works third shift) I binge like there is no tomorrow. There have been nights I have actually eaten so much that I have gotten sick. I am not proud of this but did admit it to my boyfriend and the dietitian. I have been doing the high protein meals now for about two weeks. Today I kind of shocked myself. While eating dinner i ate half of the fish and said " I cant eat anymore. I'm full.". I never thought those words would come out of my mouth. So, the journey for me to be healthier has begun. I'm excited, scared, anxious and ready!
AnnMarie49930

AnnMarie49930

0
lizzyshade's Blog
 

Learning The Hard Way

I can't ever seem to do things the easy way, yesterday I went to dinner with my husband and ordered cream chicken soup. While we were talking, I was spooning in soup until I realized that the last swallow did not feel right. I overate for the first time since my sleeve. I probably ate 3.5 oz before I realized what I had done and up till then the most I've ate is 2 oz at one time. I was in so much discomfort, full to almost pain for a few hours. I bought some plastic 2 oz cups today and from now on I'm going to take those with me and pre-measure my food. Today was another learning lesson, my husband & son got fresh strawberry milkshakes on our way to a Father's Day dinner and I decided to have some, probably had 1.5 oz. Within a half hour of getting to the party, I felt flushed, sweaty, had twisting gas pain, and finally diarrhea. Classic dumping syndrome. So this weekend has been about learning lessons the hard way.
lizzyshade

lizzyshade

0
kwickklip's Blog
 

Need Surgeon Recommendations In The Houston, Tx Area

Well, after about 8 yrs of considering the bariatric surgery for WL..... I am finally going to DO IT!!! I have diabetes, acute sleep apnea, hypertension, osteoarthritis, and generally no entergy. SOOO I would like some input into a great surgeon for the verticule sleeve in the Houston area that is in the BCBS network. Anyone know one?
kwickklip

kwickklip

8
Lyra's Canto
 

What Happened Behind The Eclair Case?!?

Inches Lost! Huzzah!   From 4/23/12 Waist: 5.5" Under Breasts: 4" Neck: 0.75" Forearms: 0.75" Upper arms: 1.25" (stupid bat wings!) Upper thighs: 3" (woot! Thunder thighs are being defeated!) Calf: 1.5"     Wow. Looking back on that it's amazing! I'm glad that I've kept a journal of my measurements because my body has really, really hated getting out of the 230's. It keeps flirting with 229 before mischeviously gaining another pound then losing it, then gaining...my fat cells have a nasty sense of humor! Yet looking back on this really shows me how far I've come in a little less than 2 months. I mean, seriously, I started out at 280 and now I'm at 231ish. Not bad, says I!   Father's Day kicked my rapidly diminishing butt today! Granted the bakery isn't as busy as it is on Mother's Day but in my (stupidity) I made this cake that looked like a grill with hamburgers and hotdogs on it and everybody and their sister wanted one for today! It's not that they're difficult to make, but that they're time consuming. Also, the Powers That Be (managers) decided that today would be a great day for there to be only one decorator. Which is total and complete crap. I seriously made 30 cakes today and people were buying them out of my hands. Ah well.   So as my weight loss has slowed to a crawl I've decided I need to step up my A Game. If my name was Stella I would definitely have to be getting my grove back! Yeah, ya'll heard it here first, ladies and gents, but Lyra is going baaaaaaaaack to Zumba. Hopefully my hips will be able to better shake my thang than they were almost 50 pounds ago.   Okay, another thing, I really really need a boyfriend. I'm about to molest a customer with how haywire my hormones are. I can picture it now....the innocent (and sexy) unaware male customer coming in to buy a cupcake....he stops and his head goes up as he looks around, sensing danger on the savannah....the wildly beautiful and slinky lioness (moi!) slowly tracks her prey that she plans to cull from the herd for nefarious purpases....she crouches...LEAPS...and pulls Mr Sexy down behind the Eclair case to have her way with him....aaaand black censor boxes go up as this is a PG rated crowd....*shakes herself* Okay, yeah, maybe I shouldn't be daydreaming while writing on the VSG website....   Growl. *grin*
Lyra

Lyra

0
Ready! Set!'s Blog
 

Am I Ready For This?

Today is 3 days prior to surgery. I feel confident......and apprehensive. I'd be a fool to not be apprehensive. Seriously, I am venturing into uncharted waters. I am making a permanent change to my body. About time!!!   Today is Father's Day, so I called my Dad. He's scared......and for good reason. This is an extreme measure. I am paying cash, out of pocket...no insurance coverage for me. Dad asks, "Isn't there any other way? How many ways have you tried?" My reply, " Dad, if there was another way, don't you think after 20 years I'd have done it? Seriously, I am paying over $10,000 out of my pocket to have someone cut my stomach out." If there had been another way, I'd have damn sure done it.   And then, I'm scared. What if I do this and fail......oh dear God. That would be the ultimate failure. I mean really. To pay $$$$$$$ and still be fat. OMG!!! I think I am more apprehensive about failing post surgery than I am the misery and discomfort. I know the misery, discomfort and learning to be the new me will pass. But failure, that doesn't pass. That **** hangs around to haunt you.....and taunt you. I should know. I've been failing at weight management all of my life.   But the question is, am I ready for this?   And the answer is .......oh yeah!!!   Probably the first time in my life I've actually been ready for the change......well, maybe not, but typically changes come to me whether I'm ready or not. I know this will be challenging. I won't say hard. I've been fat for 20 years. That was hard. And I wonder if I will ever understand why I stayed fat, even though it was hard. Maybe......maybe not. Does it matter?   So, enough with the fear/apprehension/doubt. Let's talk about my vision for this. It is honestly like giving birth. You've got to prep, talk yourself up, or in the heat of it all, you just wimp out. I'm ready. There is a prize at the end of this road.......the prize will be me!!! A me who can shop in normal sizes, walk without exhaustion, do yoga and reach my toes, or not.....but my belly won't be in the way!!! My feet will get a break.......and hopefully give me a break so I can wear heels again. God I miss high heels. Not even the 6 inch things......just the 4 inch ones. I miss f#ck m# shoes. You know the ones that are good for about 20 feet of walking/strutting/dancing? Yeah, I miss those things. I'm so sick of fat chick shoes.   So, am I having surgery so I can wear stripper heels?............maybe.   No really, I am doing this cause I've spent the past 25 years raising 4 awesome kids and it is about time I make a HUGE change and concentrate on what I need. The kids are mostly grown, and doing their own thing. I've moved from manager to consultant in their lives........which is sooooo AWESOME. They are fantastic people and are excited for me to do this. They don't have a memory of me when I was normal sized. They are kinda excited to meet that me. I am too!   Not to mention, the hubby of 27 years, is excited. He is such a wonderful guy. He has loved me, despite what size me was. Ain't that grand? The man loves me.......no matter the packaging. And he's excited.......and scared. But not afraid of failure, he just wants me to be ok. So do I........but a successful OK!!!!   So, here we go.........I give birth to me June 20, 2012.   Just had another thought. When a mother gives birth to an infant, we start with the birth weight and measure their health, in part, by watching their weight increase. So, when this mother gives birth to herself........we will measure my health by watching my weight decrease.   I hope as they are rolling me down the hall to the surgery suite, I am singing "Happy birthday to me, Happy birthday to me....."   or maybe Brahm's lullaby?
Ready?Going..

Ready?Going..

1

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