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Kelly

A blog by raising3monkeys in General

  • Entries

    22

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    7

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About this blog

LOTS of hoops to jump through before surgery!

Entries in this blog

Today I feel in control

If you're like me, you play these little games with yourself - where when you're doing well on losing weight, you tell yourself that you can "afford" something that's not supposed to be on your plan.  Maybe it's a piece of chocolate - something in-control that seems worth it.  For me though, it's not those little tiny things.  It's stuff like deciding to have my morning coffee - which is laden with real sugar and flavored (sugared) creamer.  God I love that stuff.  Yes, I have tried artificial s

The in-between place

I'm in that in-between place that can be frustrating - my food intake is drastically different (in both size, frequency and food choices), and I feel like I'm getting nowhere fast.  My last weigh in at 3 weeks post surgery was EXACTLY the same as the one 6 days post op.  How frustrating!  My doctor seemed to brush it off.  I voiced that when you're giving up a lot, you want to see progress!  He assured me that even though I was down only 5 lbs. from the morning of surgery, and 12 lbs. from the w

Had my first fill today (and it doesn't sound anything like what others here have had done)

Today is 3 weeks post-op since my Lap-Band.  It's four weeks since my pre-op visit when I started a no carb/no veggie diet in prep for surgery.  I am the same weight today as I was 6 days after surgery - that's dissappointing!  I do realize that a lot of that weight loss may have been from being on a liquid diet, for 6 days, too.  So I'm still 12 lbs. down from my visit one week pre-surgery.  I should just be happy.  But I've been working VERY hard, and doing pretty well, and I want to see more

OMG, I just weighen in in the 200's for the first time in years!

So this past week has been tough, if you've seen any of my earlier blog posts.  I've been hungry, food has consumed my thoughts, and some days I haven't done as well as I felt I should have.  Still though - I did WAY better than a typical day prior to my pre-surgical consumption.  So I SHOULD be seeing some loss, even if it's slow.  I had lost 12 lbs. in the first 12 days since my no-carb diet started 7 days prior to surgery.  That was my last visit to my surgeon's office.  I have a scale in my

Getting my first fill tomorrow!

Yesterday I blogged about how I didn't feel that my band was offering me much in the way of hunger reduction, and how I am very eager to get my first fill on Dec. 19th, but that I was losing steam with eating right due to all the hunger.  So I reached out to my doctor, and told him what I'm dealing with - and how well I'm doing otherwise.  He said he saw no reason to continue waiting, and to come in tomorrow for a fill!  Yesssss!  So tomorrow afternoon I'll have my first fill, and hopefully I'll

Hard food day yesterday

I was fully aware when I started down this path that bariactric surgery wasn't a magic bullet.  That it would reduce the size of my stomach, but not my cravings, or how much of a change healthy eating would be for me.  What I didn't anticipate was that I wouldn't feel like I had any difference in my stomach size (still haven't had my first band fill), and that I would feel like I was starving all the dang time.  My stomach doesn't seem restricted whatsoever by the band yet, and I have been eatin

Meal planning / list making

It's Tuesday, but I'm already working on my shopping list for this coming Saturday.  We shop every two weeks (paydays for us) for 2 weeks of groceries.  So it's a large undertaking with a larger family.  The way it seemed to work best in the past took lots of time, but was worth it.  I've just gotten lazy over the years.  And I know that when I was successful losing weight in the past, it was partly because I planned out my meals ahead of time and made the subsequent shopping list.  So,.... here

One week post op today on band

Well, I'm officially one week out.  I feel really great!  I went to the doc two days ago, and weighed in at 12 lbs. less than I had 12 days earlier, at my appointment one week pre op.  I'm thrilled with that!  I don't expect to continue at this pace - that'd be unreasonable.  But I'm on a roll!  It's amazing how much easier it is to keep going than it is to start.  Once you see results, you're inspired to keep at it.  Pretty soon it's gonna start showing.  I really do feel like my pants are alre

Today's my first post-op visit

I'm off to the doctor in about 15 minutes.  FIrst post-op at 6 days.  Had the surgery Friday - today's Wed.  I'm hoping he'll put me back on solids.  Lord knows I've tried a few things already with zero issues.  I'm hungry!  Lol. I can't wait to see how much weight I've already lost since my pre-op diet started nearly two weeks ago now.  I do feel like I'm losing.  I'm just not sure how much.  It's been up and down due to swelling, mostly.  I'm going to guess 8 lbs., hoping it's more.  That

I'm 3 days post op on the lap band

Welp, I'm on the other side of the dreaded surgery.  Not too bad, really!  The worst part was my shoulders aching due to them filling my belly with air for the surgery, and the air bubbles migrating to my shoulders.  The actual wounds never hurt much beyond day 2.  I haven't taken pain meds since day 2 post op.  I do feel mightily bloated, but that's just uncomfortable - not painful, per se. I've been eating liquids only.  Soups, home-made smoothies, yogurt, jello, pudding, popsicles.  Real

Tomorrow's my Lap-Band Surgery!!!

I'm super excited!  I mean, not to have surgery, per se.  This will be my ninth surgery in the past 25 years, and I'm a pro at them.  I think the part I hate most is getting up so freaking early to get to the hospital, getting the IV in my hand, and having a super dry mouth afterwards.  I can usually handle the rest.  Lol.  I'm slightly nervous about the pain, but I've had bigger surgeries before (including a complete knee replacement), so I'm confident I can handle it.  This is a different pain

Today I'm all about the positive results I'm going to experience

Right now I'm 320 lbs.  The last time I had weight loss success was with WW when I started at 250 lbs. and reached 225 lbs. a few months later.  I felt and looked WONDERFUL.  I'm remembering today how different I felt about my appearance and some of the differences I experienced that made that time period so enjoyable.  One was that I was getting exercise daily.  I was walking to and from the train to my job, which was about 1.25 miles each way - twice a day.  I remember starting out lagging beh

Eating

I'm about 15 minutes from going into an all-day training (complete with catered lunch), and I'M PREPARED!  Yay me!  My pre-surgical diet is super restrictive, but I'm over halfway done already, and I can definitely make it a few more days.  But it's amazing how the environment can sabotage you if you're not strong.  After a good 6 months of my high rise building's lobby being closed, it's re-open today after construction, and there are free donuts and goodies for one and all.  Nope!  Just kept w

My relationship with food is already changing

Two days ago, I went to see my surgeon for the last time prior to surgery.  He gave me a whole packet of information, including the one-week pre surgical diet.  It's very restrictive!  Here's what's allowed: Meats (beef, pork, chicken and turkey Fish and shellfish (not breaded) Cheese and cottage cheese eggs, nuts, seeds and nut butters (such as peanut butter) Tuna, chicken, or egg salad Luncheon Meats Here's what I CAN'T have: EVERYTHING

Pre-surgical visit with my surgeon today

Today I meet with my bariatric surgeon for my pre-surgical visit.  My surgery is one week from today.  Today I got up and at a super low carb breakfast of eggs and bacon and milk.  Weird for me not to have my coffee laden with sugar and cream.  But the hearty breakfast took my mind off of it.  I didn't even remember the coffee until just now. I'm about to shower and head over to the surgeon's office.  I have so many questions, and I hope he's patient with my answers. I got my last doct

My surgery is officially booked!

It's booked for Nov. 10th - 9 days from today!  I can hardly believe it's going to be so soon! I meet with my primary care physician tomorrow to get surgical clearance and to get one more blood test (for clotting).  Then Friday I see the bariatric surgeon - and start on my no carb diet.  I'll get more info at that time too about what to expect. Here are the questions I have for my surgeon on Friday: What brand of Lap-Band is this? What time is my surgery scheduled for?

My surgery's been approved!!!!

OMG - my surgery's been approved by my insurance!!!  Oh.My.God!!!  I have one more pre-surgical thing to do, which is to get my primary care's clearance for surgery.  I have that visit scheduled for the day after tomorrow.  So I thought my surgeon wouldn't be putting in the submitall of all info to my insurance company until after that.  I was looking to hear from them in another 2 weeks or so.  They still do need my PCP's surgical clearance, and I guess I'm missing a blood test called PT/PTT, w

Head work

Does anyone read these?  Because I feel like this is more of a diary than anything else.  Which is okay.  It helps me have a place to pour things out and organize my thoughts. Today I went and got my Upper GI with double contrast.  First time I've had that test, and hopefully, the last.  Actually, it wasn't THAT bad.  But barium isn't exactly pleasant stuff to drink.  But the results were good - everything was fine.  That's my LAST test for pre-qualifying.  I have to meet with my primary ca

Questioning which surgery is right for me

I know quite a bit about the different bariatric surgeries - the healing, the side-effects, the challenges, the upside.  As is usual, sometimes the things with the most upside also has the biggest side effects.  And vice versa - the thing with the least side effect sometimes doesn't have the biggest bang when it comes to results.  It's all about what you can handle and what you can't/don't want to. Yesterday I was chatting with an online friend of 20 years.  I mentioned that I'm currently c

I have a few answers

Today I talked to my surgeon's office - making sure they're receiving all the reports and clearances from my other various doctors/tests.  Some came to them - others did not.  I will need to chase down the EKG/release from the cardiologist, and the report/release from the pulmonologist, and my pap smear results.  I have my Upper GI scheduled, and I'll need that report to get over to the surgeon afterward, too.  Then I'll need to make an appointment to see my primary care physician, and get his c

My mind is whirring away......

For the past few days I've been all about questions.  BIG ones - like how I intend to embrace lifestyle changes, how that will change my life outside of the weight loss (like the "hobby" of eating being gone), etc.  Today continues along that theme, but different.  My mind doesn't seem to be getting more answers as much as more questions.  That's typical of me - it means I've gotten past the initial phase of researching, and arrived at the "I've decided I want this" phase, and I'm trying to prep

Lots of Questions

The closer I get to completing the hurdles before surgery, the more I start to wonder about the rest of my life after I have the surgery.  What am I going to be eating?  Will I need to do a complete lifestyle change, or just build on the lap band as a kick in the ass?  Will I have to re-vamp my entire eating practices, or will the reduction in caloric intake from a much smaller stomach push my weight loss ahead until I'm ready to be more serious?  I don't mean to imply that I'm NOT serious about

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