Jump to content
×
Are you looking for the BariatricPal Store? Go now!
$99 Yearly Supply Alert! 🎉 "1 per Day!" Bariatric Multivitamins

Blogs

Banded and Pregnant
 

Welcome

Hello Band Family,   Welcome to the Blog, I wanted to start this blog for Band Patients that are now pregnant. There are a lot of "rumors" going around about the Band and Pregnancy. Please share your stor with Pics and any advice you have.   I have just found out that I am pregnant and I had the Lap Band surgery 01/15/2007. I felt what better place to receive advice and stories than from my Lap Band family...   Congratulations to everyone that has had the surgery and I know that it is work but WE ARE WORTH IT!!!!!!     Thank you
Diva77

Diva77

1
Carmy's Blog
 

I Am Back And In Full Force

Well its been a while since i have been on here so i thought I would catch up and ask for some help/support.   So yesterday was 1 year since my surgery and I am down about 75 lbs. its a lot but i always think it could be more.   I have been on a stall for over 4 months now, not sure what i can do to get back on track and get loosing again - who wants to help me?????   i am up for all suggestions comments good or bad bring it on. Lets do this!!!!!
Carmy

Carmy

2
LeeLee76's Blog
 

Hello Hello.. Its Been A While

Hello everyone and Happy New Year to all!   So, I've started a kickboxing class this week and boy is it really hard but to my surprise I absolutely love it. Its much more fun than the bootcamp I did so I have a feeling I'm going to be doing it a lot and I think the different routines will really help..   I have a couple of questions for my fellow bandsters. All the exercise I'm doing, I'm not really noticing much of a difference in my upper body yet I seem to be slimming down quite a bit on the bottom ( not exactly happy about this). Normally when I lose weight it comes off from the top and then down. I'm wondering if this is something to do with having the band? any thoughts?   Also, I'm noticing that even 6 months after my surger my scar sites will start to get really irritated and puffy at the oddest times and they really hurt sometimes is this normal?   Hope everyone is well and have a great weekend!
LeeLee76

LeeLee76

0
Teresa's VSG Blog!
 

Omg ....

The day is getting closer, Monday is almost here. I'm ready to do this, but I'm scared about the surgery and pray I don't have any complications. My Dr has me starting my liquid diet 2 days before surgery, and then continues for 10 days after surgery. I also have to start the "wonderful" experience of Bowl Prep one day before surgery: Magnesium citrate... OH JOY LOL .... So, anyway that's about it. I want to thank everyone on this forum for sharing your journey, it's so helpful and everyone one of you is just such a great support to me.   Thank you and make it a great day I'll check in again before surgery.
Tcali

Tcali

0
Pooh plus size's Blog
 

Band Life For Me

Okay it's been awhile my laptop is down now I have an iPad yes lol well anyway I was banded on 10/7/11 and for the most part I was I was really upset and sometimes I still get that way I am down 27lbs which is better than ever but I should be less according to my Dr. I don't indulge in all that bad stuff but I wonder what am I doing so wrong. Plz help me out.
Pooh plus size

Pooh plus size

3
Is that a Fat Joke?
 

Three Days Out!

So Im not sure if its my type A personality or that Im a nurse thats pissing me off more. Ive never had "major" SURGERY! HOWEVER i had NO idea i would be this tired and no energy. I have vowed not to weigh myself until my Dr. Aapt. Monday. Overall feeling good, just cant wait to be "back to my crazy self!"
mags2u

mags2u

5
Soon to be me's Blog
 

My Protein Shake Brings All The Boys To The Yard..lol!

Well, I gotta say, Im way over choking down the nasty whey protein. There has to be something more enjoyable out there. I had a packet of the strawberry sorbet by unjury..I was not impressed. So I have been reluctant to try anything else from them. I have milk chocolate and vanilla by EAS right now. Its cheap, and meets my requirements. My husband lifts heavy weights, and this is what he has always used. During my pre op diet, i was completely satisfied with that product. strange that im not now. SOO VSG family, whats your fav flav? Is there anything you add to your shakes that makes all the difference?
Soon to be me

Soon to be me

10
I'm in control now.
 

A Little More Backstory- Afraid Of Hunger.

When I was a kid, I really didn't know we were poor. Most kids don't. I had a mother, father and siblings. We ate just fine, usually what was brought home from the restaurant mom worked at (that seemed like a treat, really), or whatever Dad had hunted (again, never a complaint there - still love wild game). I remember when I started kindergarden, I used to go to the neighbors to wait for the bus because both of my parents left for work early. My dad left for work at like 5 am. I can remember him waking me up at about 4:30 to brush my hair and put me back to bed. I had really long curly hair and my little arms couldn't reach that far. He'd brush my hair and wrap it in a towel so it would stay nice. My mother hated my hair and refused to brush it, so my dad did it. I remember sitting there and trying to hide the sound of my stomach growling. The neighbors, who also were our "daycare" during the summer and after school are actually now my step-grandparents. Well, Grandpa could hear my stomach growling one morning and made me an egg and a piece of toast. I'd never had an egg like that! I'd never sopped up the yolk with my toast like he did! This was cool! And I felt better! Lunch of course was at school and dinner with the family. My mother never thought to feed her 5 year old breakfast. She never forgot to eat herself, though. After a few years, my parents divorced and we kids were left with our mother. My mother's first act of vengeance against my father was to take me to a hair stylist and cut off all my hair. She even said "let's see what he thinks of his little girl now". I cried. She spanked me. My dad cried too. I grabbed some of my hair and shoved it in my pocket as it fell from my head. He still to this day has that lock of my hair from that haircut. As time went on, my mother still didn't provide breakfast. There wasn't really food in the house. We usually sustained on rice, instant mashed potatoes made with water instead of milk, and popcorn. All 3 of which I still don't eat to this day. She worked at a restaurant, so she ate there. Many times, she'd come home and take my sisters out to dinner, leaving me at home. I remember coming home sick from school one day. I had thrown up all over the place after lunch. My grandpa took me home and I went in the shower and he went to get me a change of clothes. He asked me where all my clothes were. I told him I didn't really have any. He called his wife (she worked at the department store in town) and told her. She came home with underwear and socks and some shirts and pants for me. Boy was my mom mad at me.   I started babysitting for the lady down the road when I was about 11. She used to feed me and even gave me some clothes. She would just happen to have stuff that wouldn't fit her (she was a larger lady) but she was sure that would fit me. Amazingly it did. I didn't realize it then, but she was going out and buying things and hanging them in her closet and would ask me to help her clean her closet. Pretty much whatever money I made babysitting, my mother would take. She said she needed it. Just like when she would send me to beg my dad for the child support check. I was in my ratty hand-me-down clothes. But she had a new outfit to go out in that night with her friends. My sisters found their ways out. One sister went to stay with my dad. I wasn't allowed to go anywhere. I wasn't allowed to talk to anyone. I wasn't old enough to decide.   My other sister pretty much ran away. She had older friends and she was always with them. Sometimes they would take me too and get me something to eat and make me feel like I was wanted. I was sick a lot, mostly from being malnourished, but I also had medical problems that weren't attended to. My sister's friend used to wrap me in blankets on their couch and sing to me until I fell asleep. That lasted for a little while - by 14 my sister was pregnant.   I remember my mother dragging me out of bed at 3am on a school night to go find my sister at some random guys' house. She was a wildchild and who knew where we might find her. My mother would drive and I would have to go knock on doors at 3am and drag my sister out of strange mens beds. All she was looking for was a warm meal and some comfort. My sister got pregnant. I got grounded. The day my mother found out my sister was pregnant (she was 7 months along and hiding it from no one but my mother - everyone knew) I got grounded and my sister went to a party. She was in a car accident and nearly killed herself AND the baby.   I knew at this point I had to get out of there for my own survival. When I was babysitting one night, I used the phone there to call my dad. I told him EVERYTHING. He told me to go home and not say anything to my mom, he was going to think of something. He came and saw me at school a couple days later and told me to pack my things and he would pick me up from school and take me home the next day. I did what he said and packed my bookbag and a paper grocery bag - that was all of my belongings. He told my mother he was taking me and she could try to sue him but he'd turn her in for child abuse and neglect. She still tried to fight him.   I went and stayed with another family (my best friend) while this was going on. They're still my family today. Eventually I went to stay with my dad. I was in shock really. There was always food in the house. I ate everything I could see. I wasn't sure how long the food was going to be there so I tried to take in as much as I could. I gained a lot of weight. After some time, I did come to the realization that the food would just always be there, so I didn't binge anymore. That was my battle with food.   Living at my dad's house was a dream compared to my mothers - but it still wasn't an ideal situation. My step-mom, who, is only 9 years older than me had a very hard time coming to terms with having teenage daughters. She's a very selfish person - admittedly so - and that's why she never had children of her own. Over the years, my sisters have caused some pretty serious upheavals in the family - leaving me kindof as collateral damage. It is what it is - but I would love to have my family back whole. I've worked on that a lot - and I've made a lot of headway   I remember a lot of mornings I would be so very nauseous and I would vomit. My stepmom thought I was faking - or was trying bulimia. She'd search my room for laxatives and of course find nothing - well - once she found cigarettes *oops* She was convinced I was on drugs. I never did drugs. Anyway - we butted heads, but we see pretty eye-to-eye these days. I moved out the day before graduation from high school. I was on my own and never looked back.   Over the years, I battled my weight a bit - my doctor told me that the malnourishment as a child into puberty really wreaked havoc on my endocrine system. But its also why I wasn't diagnosed with Wilsons Disease until I was 30. Myst people are dead by 30 if undiagnosed. But because half of my life I wasn't getting what for most would be proper nutrition, my liver never built up enough copper to show symptoms. Probably all in all a good thing, because I wouldn't have received medical attention in my mothers "care". I always came out on top in the weight battle - at least until I was diagnosed with Wilson's. Then I was battling steroids and being pretty much bed-ridden.   I'm totally afraid of being hungry - all those thoughts from when I was a kid come back. I've been able to diet before, where, sure I felt hungry, but I knew I could eat more. My sisters both have that fear as well - when they had kids, they bought so much baby food, they ended up giving literally hundreds of jars to the food bank each after their kids were out of the baby food stage. They never wanted their kids to go hungry. When I found out I couldn't have kids, I was more relieved than sad. I was afraid that I might be a monster like my mother was. I know that we all control our own behavior, but it was still a fear inside me. I never thought I was cut out to be a parent - at least not of a young child. I have a very thin patience level - not so much with kids - at least not with my nieces and nephews, godchildren, etc. But its a fear, nonetheless.   I still have a relationship with my mother. I've forgiven, but not forgotten those things. She doesn't quite remember the past that way - she thinks she was a "pretty good mom". I just stay silent. Its not going to do any good to bring it up to her now. She's pretty much put herself one foot in the grave. I've come to terms with that and with her.   But the fear of being hungry is still in the back of my mind. I believe that I could lose all this weight after having the adrenal tumors removed without surgery. But It would be so damned hard to be so damned hungry all the time, I'm not sure what it would do to me psychologically. I don't ever want to have that kind of hunger again. I still remember what it feels like. I see some pictures of me as a little girl and my eyes are so sunken in. I'm emaciated and just....sad.   That's part of the reason I gained so much weight. Along with the steroids packing on the pounds, they increased the feeling of hunger. I totally felt exactly like I did as a little kid and ate everything in sight.   I didn't help my already negative situation. I added to it. I increased the amount of weight i gained because I was afraid of feeling that feeling I did as a kid. I don't wanna do that again.   The sleeve is my tool. Its the tool I've chosen to not have to go through that again. Its not necessarily the food that has the power over me, but part of my past. I know food is an issue because of the hunger, but its about making the right choices and not letting the past get to me.   I'm working on that every day. I never really talked about this much until after I met my husband. We talked about it and then I've talked about it since. My sisters and I have talked to eachother about what happened when we were kids too.
circa

circa

2
The Sweet Spot
 

1/13/12 Friday The 13Th...blog Update

Hey peeps! I can't believe I've been away so long! The holidays were just SO busy this year and I was off enjoying every minute with my family (gained a couple of pounds, but still under goal, no worries, it's 'NORMAL' LOL). Hope you're all having a wonderful new year! Things are back to normal now, and I'm back to writing and finding ways to 'paying it forward' (like here). Here's the last few blogs (come visit me at my site and keep in touch!) -BG, (Lap) BAND GROUPIE http://bandgroupieth...t.blogspot.com/   Headline News!   Did you watch the Today Show today?   No, I'm going to gloss right over the fact that Hostess has filed for bankruptcy.   OK, Yes, I know what just flashed in your mind…How quickly can I get to my local grocery store before the run on the Hostess section leaves the shelves completely bare? Quickly followed by…What did they say the shelf-life of a Twinkie is? OK, My third thought was...I haven't even experience the Deep Fried Twinkie yet!!!   Personally, in my early obesity years, I had a decade of addiction to these:   Followed by these:   Which one is your fav?   OK, I know…Enough of the food porn! There are hungry people out here!   All right, let me fix this…   I'm not even sure Hostess makes food, do they? It doesn't look like food, does it? Would your great-grandma think so?   Does a Twinkie even have a real food products in the ingredients?   I once saw a science museum experiment where they placed a piece of homemade cake under a sealed glass dome, and under a second dome was a Twinkie. You could barely see the slimy remains of the cake through the mold covering the inside of the first glass dome. The Twinkie? Looked as good as the day it was born. Hey, I wonder if all those preservatives I ate will keep me 'well preserved'.   Don't believe it? Here's an NPR story about a teacher who has a 30 year old Twinkie: "The Shelf Life of a Vintage Twinkie"http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4780900   And if you still don't believe that calorie restriction is the best way to control your weight, have you heard of the Twinkie Diet? A (not obese) nutrition professor lost 27 pounds in two months by eating a Hostess treat every three hours instead of meals and restricting his caloric intake from 2,600 to 1,800. He (and I) are not recommending this (you know how I feel about diets)! http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/08/twinkie.diet.professor/index.html   *shhh…and I didn't tell you this…Hostess promises that no matter who acquires the company, the Twinkie will live on*   Now, back to the REAL headline segment.   Today Show; Today's Consumer Segment, Elizabeth Mayhew, Editor-In-Chief, "Woman's Day Magazine"   My overview:   Due to consumer confidence last year was at an all time low, many items are coming down in price this year. 3D TV's, Tablet Computers, E-Readers, GPS Units, Sports Tickets, Cameras, Furniture, and one more item…   Wine experts are calling this 'The year of the buyer.' People were not spending money on the $30+ last year bottles, so those prices are coming down. You'll see sales at merchants everywhere here. Look for Rhone wines/France, Tuscan wines/Italy, and Rioja wines/Spain. The only exception is Bordeaux (because there haven't been good vintages lately). In general, European wines (because of the Euro), and S. American wines as well.   You can watch the segment here: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/45970790#null Reminder...Everything in moderation.     Stock up peeps (no, not on Twinkies!)!   Unless they're these...   You're welcome.   ------------------------------------------------ It's All How You Look At It  I was updating my WL/Maintenance spreadsheet/chart and not for the first time noticed that it looks like the Himalayas…it might scare more than a few people about maintenance, not to mention unfills. I was thinking about how regular slow and steady beginners ski jump my WL phase chart looks compared to it (well, not the 6 mo. Pre-op, but the post-surgery). Then I got curious as to how many weeks both of these spanned? How many weeks has it been since the first time I reached goal (my Maintenance Chart starts there)? I was surprised to see that my WL Chart covered 81 weeks, and My Maintenance Chart covered 83...interesting! I wonder what the Maintenance Chart would look like if I gave it the same horizontal/vertical axis range as my WL Chart?     So, to compare them equally, I chopped the last two weeks off my Maintenance Chart and both horizontal axis are now 81 weeks. I then expanded the Maintenance vertical axis to cover a 105 pounds range, with gridline intervals every 5 pounds (the same as my WL Chart). Wow…now Maintenance isn't anything to fear!   You can clearly see that I had a partial unfill just a few weeks after reaching goal…but after the long awaited refill and making my way back down…well, things are pretty darn steady! Maintenance is nothing to be afraid of!   Losing the Band…yep, we can all be afraid of that, because it means not having the help we all desperately need to finally get/keep the weight off (just look at my instant march upward and then white knuckling the wait)…but another thing this shows me is that unfills are nothing to be totally afraid of either. Yeah, gaining and losing it again isn't any fun, but as long as a refill is coming and I'll have the help of the Band again, I'll now know I'll be fine (remind me I said that at the next unfill)!   I wish that I'd expected to have unfills along the way…maybe it wouldn't have seemed so traumatic. I think the Doc's should actually tell us to expect them! Unfills are a result of our personal learning process with the Band/operator error (dry meat and not enough chewing in my case), the complicated process of getting to just the right level of restriction at the same time we're losing internal fat, our Doc's approach to fill levels, and let’s face it…a little luck, and a dose of 'fickle' factor thrown in.   Maintenance, unfills,…it's all how you look at it!  
Band_Groupie

Band_Groupie

0
Blog
 

The Woes Of The Scale...

Every morning when I wake up, I weigh myself. When I'm home from the gym and about to get in the shower, I do it again. Sometimes after my classes are over, I'll do it for a third time. Without fail, I do it before bedtime too. That's four times on the scale every day. If I didn't weigh myself in the morning, I would feel anxious all day thinking that I might have missed a new low weight. I kept telling myself that this would be the last time and that after this, I wouldn't weigh myself for another week. It never worked like that. I felt drawn to it. I had to weigh myself.   For the record, I'm in the last semester of my bachelor's degree in Biology. I know that body weight fluctuates every hour of the day for reasons other than fat. Even still, if the number was up from the day or hours before, I was devastated. My life was so centered on the scale that last night, I finally cracked. I had eaten an (extremely) high sodium meal for lunch today, so obviously my weight went up. (2 pounds, for the record) When I saw that number, I immediately started making plans to do a pouch test because OBVIOUSLY, my sleeve wasn't working. For once, my rational thoughts won over and I did what I should have done a long time ago. I reached down for the scale, and removed the batteries.   It wont be forever, but it is definitely what I needed to do for my own sanity. I'm going to only weigh myself on Monday mornings and on the 11th of the month. It's high time that I start giving myself a break and admit that I've been incredibly successful so far, and that my self confidence should not revolve around the number on that scale. It is merely a tool to make sure that I'm making the decisions that will promote success with my sleeve, and health for the rest of my life.
Bitties

Bitties

3
I'm in control now.
 

2 Weeks!

I'm only 2 weeks away from my sleeve! The last week was kinda weird - It was a rough week - didn't sleep much, ate fairly well, a couple slips, but I'm still well within my doctor's requirements, since he only requires a 5 day liquid diet. I'm doing the rest of it by my choice - mainly because its healthier for me to do so, and I'm proving to myself that I can. I'm also using this time to come up with altered recipes for my favorite foods to fit into my new lifestyle. Its working out FABULOUSLY! I've not worked protein shakes in yet - that'll be next week. I'm kindof "stepping down" into a liquid diet for the preop and its making this so much easier than just doing it "cold turkey"   I'm so excited to get this done. I'm not looking forward to the plane ride - I've not been on a plane in 4 years and I wasn't obese then. I took the comforting step of buying an extra seat and pre-selecting our seats. That way we don't have to worry about it. If I don't need the extra seat, they'll refund it. Which is great. I also booked the same for the flight home, but also with stretch seating, so I can be more comfortable- I don't know how I'm going to feel on the way home, so I just want to make it as comfortable a 2 hour plane ride as possible   I'm trying to get all my stuff together - My hubby will take his laptop, but I probably won't take mine - we really don't need two. I'll have my phone and my kindle with me. Basic toiletries and a few necessary clothing items. I shouldn't need anything more than that! I found a pair of nice slip-on shoes for the trip - I don't normally wear slip-ons other than pumps, and well...I'm not walking around in heels just after surgery haha   I'm just ready to get this going. I wish it was today!
circa

circa

0
Soon to be me's Blog
 

Im Feeling So Disappointed...

I know this surgery isn't some miracle thing..I know its a tool in my weight loss trade..but seriously?? I can't help to feel like i put myself, and family, through SO much..I took such huge risks, but im not reaping the benefits. I was 247 DOS 12-19-11 and today I am 231. yesterday i was 229.(yeah, i lose a lb or two, then i gain it) 16-17 lbs sounds good in three weeks, until you realize that most of that was in the first week. I do what I suppose to..except not expecting this weight to come off. I'm so scared that I did this all for nothing.
Soon to be me

Soon to be me

6
Char60's Blog
 

1 Month Post-Op

Today marks 1 month to date Dec 12 - Jan 12, and I have lost 43lbs(337/298) and 9.75 inches.   The last time I took any of my daily medicine (10 pills and 1 shot) was the day before surgery. The purple pill included (Nexium).   I love reading what everyone else is going through because it does help me and some of it I can relate to. Thank you all for your important input sincerely.       I am so thankful for all of you and your comments on this site. May God keep and bless you on your path to weight loss.   Char
Charlotte

Charlotte

0
CAMMYD's Blog
 

Sugar Is Not My Friend Anymore !

Why after 6 months am I having this insatiable desire for sweet stuff? I have so many conversations with myself about this nasty desire for Chocolate!!!!! GRRRRR I am working out hard , I am losing inches , and the scales arent budging. I've just given myself a new challenge to say goodbye to 10lbs by the end of February , so when you read this post , please send me a message and ask me what I am doing to reach that short term goal, I need to be accountable , challenge me my fellow VSG'rs . I am going to post new front , side and back views this weekend , I have been remiss with the holidays so time to get back on track!!!!!! I know I can, I know I can .... I can!!!!   Side note: I tried Hot Yoga , I loved it!!!! However next time I go I can't do my Jazzercise and then back to back this class , my blood sugar dropped and I almost fainted !!!! It was 95 degrees in that room !   I'll be back to update you , much success this week to everyone!!!!!   Two fingers, One Love!!!!   CAMMYD*:-)
CAMMYD

CAMMYD

1
AmberDawn's Blog
 

1 Month Post Op, A Cold & Stomach Virus

So today was 1 month post op for me.   All last week i had an awful cold, i'm still getting over it actually. So i think that slowed my progress a bit. Since the 28th of December i've dropped 5.5lbs. Then on Tuesday afternoon I came down with a nasty stomach virus, between Tuesday and Wednesday i dropped 4 pounds and had a really hard time staying hydrated. Still not feeling 100% today but definitely better and have been able to get almost back on track with my fluid intake.   I had an early stall from December 21st till December 28th. Glad that's over with.   Now I seem to be getting back to the .5lb a day loss. Not bad I guess.   I've been doing great with food, still sticking to mushy things or making something mushy if it wasnt already. I have yet to throw up or slime. A couple times i did get uncomfortable because i over did it.   I find i can eat about 2-3oz now before i get a weird kind of full burpy feeling but I can drink about 6-8oz in 15 minutes now.   I can also now take regular size swallows without any weird feelings.   Since there were a few times where i just couldnt take the 30 minutes to eat i've gotten pretty good at knowing how many bites it takes to get me full but not overly.   Speaking of no time, we also took a 3 hour plane ride up north for a wedding last weekend and for the first time in i dont know how long i didnt need the extender but on one of the 4 planes(since they dont seem to have any standard belt length on planes.) Granted it was still a tight fit but it was a great feeling not needing it.   Now that we're done with holidays/family visiting/traveling i'm going to finally be able to get in my much needed walking.   Weight lost so far since preop diet, 35.5lbs
AmberDawn

AmberDawn

0
Tesse's Blog
 

Hi

Hello all,   I ran across this site and thought it would be a great idea for me to get some support and talk about my journey...I had my surgery on December 21st 2011...so im about 3 weeks in and starting to feel like myself again (kinda) I started the journey some time ago, my insurance required a 6 month long process before they would even consider me for the surgery...i was 222lbs in May, I freaked out a little after i signed up for the program, I guess I thought I might never eat again cause I went crazy and gained 7 lbs in June...ugg, I lost it over the next 5 months and weighed 222 again on December 1st...thats where the real story begins...I started the no fat no sugar 1000 calorie diet about the 4th of Dec not knowing if my insurance would even cover the procedure. I had been told over and over again that the two weeks prior to surgery were very important to shrink the liver to get it out of the way...so not hearing anything back from my Dr. i figured i'd probably have to wait till after the new year...well I got a call on the 14th letting me know I was approved, i was so very excited, then the bomb, if you want to do this before January we have to do it on the 22nd...what??? thats only a week away!! I had to scramble to get it together and call work but I figured what the heck...so I went to my pre op appt with my dr the next day and bomb # 2...we want to do it Monday...What??? thats crazy that 4 days from now...OK well go to the hospital and get all your pre op done...while there I found out they couldn't do it Monday but scheduled it for Wednesday...OMG they have know idea how stressed out I am...so Wednessday the 21st of December was the first day of the rest of my life.   My son came home from college for break so he was there the whole time with me, we live about 1.5 hrs from the hospital so i got him a hotel since i was in the hospital for 3 days. The first day was a breeze, i thought to myself, no way is it going to be this easy...nope. That first night i was introduced to nausia, oh noooo, i did not want to throw up, i thought it was the worst thing iv ever been through, but it wasnt...they had to take me off the pain drip i was on cause thats what was causing the nausia, they put me on a liquid pain killer which seemed to work just fine. Day two, up an walking around, this doesnt seem so bad, i actually felt "hungry" and got the broth down they gave me...that night was hard, i had a drain in my side and it felt like it was stabbing me...Friday, gona go home today, yeah I can handle this...oh by the way, they want to keep this drain in you till you get back in to see your dr...ok when will that be? well it is christmas vacation and all, prob wont be able to see your dr till Wednesday...What??? i have to drain this thing in my side for 6 days...that doesnt seem right. the day is dragging on and i notice this dull stabbing pain is all of a sudden the sharpest most painful thing I have ever felt and I'v had a baby...the nurse gives me some pain meds and I go to sleep...a bout an hour later she comes in to drain this thing and OMG it was so painful i was crying very loudly and holding my breath almost screaming, they had to call my dr who said they could take it out...what the??? it can be taken out??? then why oh why would you ever make someone go home for 6 days with it? I dont care cause the min they took that 12 inch tube out of my side the pain went away and all was good in the world. I get to go home...yeah me!   Ok Im home, the 1.5 hr drive wasnt too bad even though my 18 year old was driving lol. all is well untill that evening when i have the dreded nausia again, please God no... my poor son, he hasnt ever had to see me this way, thank god he was there though, im thowing up thinking my stomach was comming un stiched the entire time...ugg. call the on call dr. who prescribed me some anti nausia meds to help, too bad it's now the day before christmas and my pharmacy is closed and the only one open is so busy they didn't even bother to fill it...lucky for me i only had the nausia that first night, and i had a fantastic support person to help me through it.   So thats the jist of my beginings. Im 3 weeks post op as of yesterday and Im doing pretty good. I got to start thicker foods yesterday...I think the hardest part was the two weeks of broth, jello and juice...i'm trying to get all my protien in, which is hard but im figuring it out...I'm 199 lbs which is fantastic...I havent been in the 100's for 3 years...so im very happy right about now.   Im going through some emotional times, like thinking Im going to be the first person who doesnt loose weight after having major surgery, but Iv talke with some ppl who said they thought the same thing. I guess after loosing like a pound a day for two weeks to nothing in a week just gets to you sometimes...but I know it's a work in progress.   Thanks for reading my story. I'll try to keep you all updated as much a possible.   Tesse
Tesse

Tesse

1
Msfotobug's Blog
 

Test Results Are In

Well the test results are in... my surgeon said your primary doctor had extensive testing done on you... pretty much everything under the sun, (urine, blood work, x-ray, cat scan, mamogram, sinus test, the works) and every single test came back NORMAL - the only thing they could find wrong was that I was severely dehydrated. Okay... I know what your thinking, we'll praise the Lord right? Of course I did, BUT I'm still having the pressure on the left side of my head. Guess what the doctor think it is? SINUS... can you believe it??? I said even though the sinus test came back normal, he said yes - we live in Cincinnati where most people have sinus problems (though I never had in the past) My dad agrees w/ the doctor as he has sinus problems and said yes, it's worse than a migraine and yes you can feel it behind your left eye socket into your jaw line, left side of the back of my head, severe pressure and pain. Sooooo, even though I'm not totally convinced (yet) I am going to buy the sudifed and sinus rinse the doctor told me to get over the counter and see what happens. He didn't seem too concern that I'm still not able to eat really a lot of solid foods (surgery was Dec. 14th w/ 2 hernia repairs) Liquids and mushy goes down okay but solids 90% of the time I throw back up. He said I'm still very swollen and says it's acting like a "fill" even though they took all of my fill out a week ago because I was severely dehydrated only drinking 4-6oz of liquid a day. Now I can definately get the water in and my doc seemed pleased about that. He said your where most people want to be... he said don't worry, soon enough you'll be starving and eating everything in sight (as he didn't put my fill back in yet since the swelling is acting like a fill) So I just wanted to thank you all for the many prayers you said for me. I must admit, I was beginning to get VERY worried... crazy thoughts of what "could" be wrong were going thru my mind. Hopefully it IS just sinus and I can clear it up soon. Doc did tell me I could start my daily walking of 30 mins. a day which he said would help w/ the swelling and said it would make me feel better.
Msfotobug

Msfotobug

2
Banded Bunny Blog
 

Scary Toes

So today I was so excited I got on the scale and it said 220.5 I my journey started at 256 so after a few days stuck at 222-224. I was down to 220 today. I was so excited I took a picture of the scale. My sister was so excited too, except text back not to take another picture of the scale until I had a pedicure. My toes were scary. So tommorow I off to get a pedicure, I had had time to get one in the last...ok I can't remember my last one, but September? Between going to Nursing school, studying, and then in October I sort of cut through my two fingers instead of pumpkin. My hand surgery actually said it was more come than one would think, slippery pumpkins. So once my fingers and tendons were sewn back together, I could drive til the week of my lapband in December. Now that my hand is working again and can see my toes again- I guess it time to go for that pedicure. I feel really good now, so far so good. I had my first post op visit on the 5th, but nofill til Feb. That was disappointing, but I'm doing ok now that kids are back in school and I have been keeping busy. Got a few things stuck. chicken, and something else I can't remember that I didn't chew enough. Not a fun feeling. I have lost 15 pounds since my surgery on Dec 19th. This week I have been going through my clothes. My friend is making me try things on so I can see them hang there and then toss into the goodwill bag. Today I actually got a pair of new jeans on ....Size 16! I got them zip and on, they were a bit tight but I was still excited. Ididn't wear them long, But it was still cool. I gladly put my 22's and 20's into the goodwill bag after that!. We dropped off all the bags at good will. I can't wait to go shopping when I get smaller. Trying not to buy too much too soon. But My pants kept falling off so I got a pair of 18 and one 16 to work towards. Now wearing my leggings and workout pants that I can adjust waist. Ok that's all for now. Good luck to all of you! Off for my pedicure! Suzi
suzbuni

suzbuni

3
Godsgirlnky's Blog
 

1St Post-Op Appointment

Well, I had my first post-op appointment yesterday and all went well. Dr. Snow told me that I am healing up nicely and doing good. I mentioned that my weight loss had stopped after going on mushies and he asked how much I was eating. Told him 1/2 cup for breakfast, and same for lunch and dinner. Liquids in between. I am not hungry between meals--though I have no restriction yet. He told me I could actually be eating a little bit more than that and showed me a plate in his office that is marked with the different food groups.   I went to Bed, Bath, and Beyond and purchased 3 plates of the same size, along with a few cocktail forks....but they were out of the small spoons, so I will still be using baby spoons until they get some more in......oh well..... I am keeping a sense of humor about it. I also have a few baby plates that are sectioned too..........but I won't be using those while company is present.... haha   I go back in another two weeks for my first adjustment (Jan 25th), so I am pretty excited about that.   I really like Dr. Snow, as he seems to be interested in all aspects of how I am doing with the band--mentally/psychologically as well as physically.   I am really glad that I did my homework before actually having the lap-band surgery. It has made this journey so much easier so far........  
godsgirlnky

godsgirlnky

7
insanejane's Blog
 

Down Another 4

hi again just had to shout out loud I lost another 4 pounds this week had a fill last thurs. and went on liquides for 2 and half days then mushies and I lost 4 pounds thats a total of about 37 pds in 2 months I am loving my band chow for now
insanejane

insanejane

8
manda05's Blog
 

6 Months .. 20 Lbs

I have to lose 20 pounds in my 6 month supervised diet. I know I can do it and I am ready to make some positive changes! Starting my road to success TODAY!!!
manda05

manda05

3
CVWillis' Blog
 

I Feel Great!

Thank you all for the prayers. I am not hungry at all and the doughnut craving passed last night.   Tomorrow is my day!!!!!!!   WHOOOO HOOOO!!!!!!!  
CVWillis

CVWillis

1

PatchAid Vitamin Patches

Bariatric Forums

For Patients

Health Professionals

Search Surgeons

Bariatric Surgeons: Want to research a weight loss surgery surgeon? Enter their last name below to start!

×