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Abdominoplasty Consultation

Well, as I discussed in my blog about my 6th 7th fill my doc said that he felt I was ready for tummy tuck. As you may recall I was shocked. At the time I was 307lbs. I am 293 2 weeks later and still what I feel is way to heavy for an adominoplasty. But I went to the consultation and my doc said that I'm an ideal candidate. He said I would be a bit happier with the results if I lost another 20 lbs of so but that either way I would be very happy. He is going to start the process of gathering all the paperwork for insurance approval which he beleives will cover it. My doc said that insurance covers panniculectomy and not abdominoplasty - he says he does not do just a panniculectomy he always does an abdominoplasty because its about the looks for him and he wouldn't do that to a patient. He will bill for a panniculectomy and do an abdominoplasty. He said the surgery should take out about 10 -15 lbs worth of skin and fat! Yay! I expressed to him my concern about scarring ( I keloid) - he said that he will put quite a bit of focus on making sure the skin heals properly and though he can not guarantee that it will not scar he will take great efforts including special cortizone tape and different creams that he feels will substantially control the scarring. So I'm a happy camper. He said we're gonna shoot for about 3-4 months from now because I have different business trips I need to take in April and May so we're gonna go for late May, early June! I hope late MAY! That will give me 3-4 months to lose about 20 lbs. In 3 months I hope to be able to lose closer to 30 or even 40. Every little bit helps. We'll get together and set the date in about a month!   I'm excited and keep trying to imagine my body without this pannus! I need to start saving up now - the insurance won't cover the whole new wardrobe I'll need! :thumbup::rolleyes2:
PrincesaJenE

PrincesaJenE

4
 

My First UNfill

Well I had my first unfill. Since my last fill on 2/10/10 where I got .4 ccs in my band - I've been STRUGGLING. I would go for days where I could barely keep anything down. At first it was mostly just the morning and early afternoon - but usually by late evening I could eat. I figured I was just getting used the the band and I was losing weight like CRAZY! My thought process was, losing weigh so quickly my band would quickly become loose and thus I just need to wait out the tightness of the band. I tried to just stick to soups, Hot tea, water, but it got to the point where I could keep down nothing and was throwing up 5 to sometimes 9 or 10 times a day. I started waking up in the middle of the night coughing up stomach acid. I read about throwing up so much causing acid reflux - with this information and going 4 straight days not keep ANYTHING down I knew that I needed an unfil :-( . So I called my doc. He got me in this past Saturday. In just over 2 weeks I had lost 14 lbs ! I lose about 5-8 lbs a month so I was floored with the 14 lbs. My doc unfilled me 6 whole CC's - to put this in perspective my last two fills I got .4 ccs each time. 6 CCS removed takes me back down to about 6 months post surgery and since thens I've lost like 40 lbs so that impacts it as well. My doc said that I needed to rest a bit - he said I will be able to eat like normal so I need to be careful.   I dread gaining any of these 14 lbs loss - I needed that burst! It brought me under 300 lbs which was definitely a milestone. He's going to have me back in in 9 days for a fill and I can't imagine gaining too much in those few days - but the idea of water weight scares me. I will be okay with no more than 4 lbs - I'll be sad for any more than that. Don't want to get back to over 300 - NEVER AGAIN. I ate pretty sparingly today and yesterday. I did kinda test my band today and was happy with the result - I can't eat like "normal". I ate 1/2 of a burger - and a little dessert. Normal would have been to eat the whole burger, and all of the dessert plus 3-4 glasses of strawberry lemonade (I had water :rolleyes2:).   It was interesting though - I've become used to eating so little food that I forgot about how heavy your stomach feels after eating. A cup or so of food does not feel heavy but 2 or 3 cups can really weigh right on your midsection - never really noticed that before. So, we'll see how this goes :thumbup:. Wish me luck!
PrincesaJenE

PrincesaJenE

2
 

Happy Bandiversary to ME!

Well, today makes one year! Yay! I remember just getting out of surgery thinking you just gotta make it through the hard part - like a year from now, everything will be good. Just keep thinking about a year from now!   Well here we are - one year later. Let's chat about what has transpired over the last year.   Well as of a few minutes ago I've lost 69 lbs! Yay! Now had you asked me how much i would have lost a year ago - I would have said at least 100 lbs or more. I must say - though I am very happy with my weight loss - I am a little dissapointed. I had hoped to lose a lot more - a lot faster. I remember being 2 months out - having lost 20 lbs and well on my way to that 100 lb year end goal - reading blogs of people who had lost 100 lbs in 10 months thinking that's gonna be me soon! It has not been me.   I feel like I'm just in the transition from feeling circus freak obese (I'm sure I'm not circus freak obese), but I am quite large and on top of that I'm 5'11 - which just makes me an unusually large woman. So, I've transitioned from feeling circus freak huge to just normal fat. Which has been great. I still weigh just over 300 lbs - 303 to be exact. It would be nice on my bandiversary to say that I'm under 300 - that would be a nice benchmark.   Anyhoo, some other changes. Am going to the gym regularly a minimum of 3x a week. Minimum - often 4 x and sometimes 5x. Its become a total habit.   My clothes have changed - though there are no clothes that I just absoultely positively CAN'T wear anymore - they are definitely way too loose on me. I have clothes that I started out a year ago and could not squeeze in to at all - that are now too big for me. That's awesome. I've raided the too small for me clothes box in the garage and many of those are now too big as well.   I feel better, have more energy etc., etc. I'm currently awaiting an appt to consult with my Plastic Surgeon for a tummy tuck - that's awesome. Things are well. Things are good! Things are very good.   I must say this is, thus far, the best decision I've ever made. Just imagine how I'll feel in another year! :confused:
PrincesaJenE

PrincesaJenE

4
 

Another Fill - Plus the Unexpected

Well I went in for my sixth, no wait, seventh . . . heck I've lost count. I went in for a fill today. I have had som much trouble with the doc finding the port and it coming out and all that business. Today, he slid it right in in 2 seconds FLAT! No I could attribute this to the heavy praying I did right before that it would go smoothly but I'd really like to attribute it to my weight lost. Anyhoo, he put another .4ccs in and we were done! Like that - Whole thing to maybe 3 minutes. Crazy happy! The doc then starts feeling around my hips and waist and upper thighs. He says, "I can feel your bone." He then says, "I think you're ready for an abdominoplasty". I was like really? He was like "yeah".   I was SHOCKED :w00t:! I said, because I ws quite positive that I was misunderstanding something, "how much more weight would I have to lose before I did that". He says, " you're ready now. The Plastic surgeon may ask that you lose another 20 at the most, but I think you're ready now." I said, " I thought I needed to be near or at my goal weight to have that done." He said, "No, you're ready now, we want to go ahead and get rid of that. Its mostly skin, with some fat, but we should do it all now, even your hips."   I was floored. Now, I honestly haven't lost that much weight. Between me and you, I'm really dissapointed with my weight loss. I have my bandiversary coming up in about a week and I had really hoped to have lost closer to 100 lbs. I'm only at about 66lbs now. :w00t: I know I should be happy - and beleive me I AM! I just had expected more. But I know that slow and steady wins the race :smile: Anyhoo, I'm still over 300 lbs (305 to be exact). I just can't beleive they would do an abdominoplasty at 300lbs.   Now I am a tall girl 5'11 and I've always carried my weight quite well. I am trimming down very nicely, very nicely. My thighs, arms, waist, etc. . But my belly is not seeing a significant difference. If anything my pannus just keeps getting lower and lower cause its losing the bulk so it hangs more. No real rash, just kind itchy sometime. I must say that it can get in the way of exercise - I always feel like it has to catch up to my rhythym. So I can only go as fast as my pannus will. Its always a beat behind me which often gets up both off synch. :tongue_smilie:   Anyhoo, so the prospect of this is incredible! That would probably take off at least 20 lbs. 20 lbs! Wowsahs. Also, it would make exercise easier. And most importantly it will remove what has been the bane of my existence since age 14! I wouldn't know what to do with out that! Man, can you imagine all the things I can do better. Exercise, dress, sit, stand, and . . . .I'm a little embarassed to say this but what must sex be like, SANS PANNUS! Wowsahs! Ummmm, eerrrrr, I mean - its will just make so many things better.   I'm now just a light with anticipation. I can't wait to get the appt from the Plastic Surgeon - I'm ready NOW! Just kidding - well I am - with the right information of course. I just, I never expected this when I went in this morning. This could be game changing. So I wait - in anticipation, trepidation, and just pure fear. What if I've gotten all excited about this prospect and then the plastic surgeon says - absolutely not. There is no way my doc could be THAT wrong though right? Right?   Well, I'm excited - I know its major surgery but I've had like 30 surgeries in my life due to an accident I had as a small child that has plagued me my whole life - so I'm a surgery pro.   Wow - game changing!
PrincesaJenE

PrincesaJenE

3
 

Been a while

Its been a while since I posted so I decided to jot down a few lines. Well the dress I blogged about is getting to big! Doesn't fit the same - I've lost 60+ lbs now But I've worked my butt off for the last 20. I've been working out 3x a week (which I really enjoy). I've been eating better - making healthier choices and staying away from the cookies, cakes, brownies, that do me in. October I was super sucessful, lost 15 lbs. In November I didn't lose ANYTHING! I'd like to think that all the working out gained me some lbs in muscle. So far this month 3 lbs. I'm creeping towards my bandiversary and I'd really like o have lots 100lbs. This may not be possible as I need to lose 40 lbs in two months. Maybe I'll take advantage of the New Year's gusto and really spend that 6 weeks with the pedal to the medal. Increase my work out from an hr to and hr and a half or maybe 2 and go 5 times a week. Alsom really watch what I eat. If I can't do 100 - I'd like to come damn close. Wish me luck! :tongue2:
PrincesaJenE

PrincesaJenE

2
 

Skkkkkiiiiiinnnnnnnyyyyy ddddaaaaayyyyy

Today I had a SKINNY DAY! My first REAL GENUINE SKINNY DAY! I bough a dress 3 months ago that I COULD NOT fit into. First I could barely pull it down over my belly. About a month later - I could SQUEEZE into it - but could not sit! This morning I went to my closet and pulled out a shirt that I wear every now and again and it fit TOTALLY different on me. I stood in the mirror and thought - OH this is how this shirt is SUPPOSED to look on me. I thought to myself - WOW! I've REALLY lost weight! I crept over to the closet and pulled out the dress. I was thinking that this was just another "try on". Just to guage my progress. I didn't think it would fit - I REALLY didn't think it would FIT! Really!   I didn't think it would fit so much that when I put it on I actually said - hmmm, couple of more weeks maybe! Then I looked again - it was fitting. There were some parts that were actually TOO lose. I sat down - no problem! IT FIT! IT FIT!   I wore the dress today! And it was BEAUTIFUL! I got so many compliments! I was so excited all day.   Yeah, I've pulled some things out of the garage that I had packed away because they were now to small and can now fit. But I guess it was just odd that I COULD NOT fit this dress and now I CAN! AWESOME! And its only been 40lbs!   Here's to many more SKINNY DAYS!
PrincesaJenE

PrincesaJenE

2
 

My 2nd Fill - 5/14/09

I got my second fill on Thursday May 14th. It was 2 days before I went on a week long vacation. I wish I had written beforehand but I didn't find the time. The fill went pretty well. The doc struggled a little more than last time to get the needle in the port and it again came out - but overall it was not that bad. He put in an additional 3 CCs for a total of 7 CCs in my 14 CC band.   The good news is that all week I've been feeling very energetic. I attributed it to being on vacation and being well rested. I ate my BUTT off this week! Stuffed myself with lots of good food from fancy restaurants. I expected to scale explode! But, I just weighed myself and I lost about 5lbs this week! Yay! I've been fluntuating between the same 5lbs for 2 months now and FINALLY I've broken the 25lbs ceiling! I'm so excited. I'm expecting good things for this week since I'm back on the routine!   I'm so excited. Now, if I can just start getting my fills on a regular basis! Wish me luck!:thumbup:
PrincesaJenE

PrincesaJenE

1
 

Pre - Fill Thoughts

I have a doc's appt tomorrow and I think I'm gonna get a fill. I think I lost some restriction this past week. I was eating and I realized that I ate a whole sandwhich. I went from eating about a cup to and cup and a half 2 weeks ago to eating probably 2-3 cups this week. I have been hungrier after 2-3 hours as opposed to 3-4. Think I'm ready for a fill. Haven't gotten on the scale yet this week so don't know if I've lost any this week.   Hopefully I'll have a fill tomorrow, even though I'm a little nervous because I've spent the week hearing about PBing and sliming, etc, etc. I don't want those experiences. I think I'm lucky because I've ALWAYS eaten slow. Before the band I was always the last to finish my food - people would always comment on how slow I eat. I chew my food really well already and take fairly small sized bites - so I haven't had a problem thus far with the band and haven't had to make adjustments to the way I eat my food.   We'll see how I feel tomorrow. One thing I noticed this week is that I don't feel the energy that I felt the first 6 weeks. Admittedly though I've had a VERY stressful work week. I am proud of myself because I am better monitoring stress eating. Before the band I think I would have left every day this week and gotten some type of chocolaty fix - I only splurged one day this week and had a 1 scoop sundae for baskin robbins which was very satisfying. I used to get the 3 scoop sundae. What's funny is that it takes me the same amount of time yo eat the one scoop sundae as I would have taken to eat the 3 scoop. One thing I noticed is that I was often before the band consumed with food. Now, I'll start to eat something, set it aside, come back an hour later, and think - I didn't finish this and into the trash it will go.   Today I went out to eat and left my doggie bag sitting on the table. Before I would have ran back to get it knowing that an hr or two from now I was gonna scarf it down. Today I didn't even bother going back.   Wish me luck on my fill - no PBing or sliming or any of the that crap! Just smooth sailing! :thumbup:
PrincesaJenE

PrincesaJenE

3
 

No Fill - 4/11/09 Appointment

Ugggghhhh, I'm a little frustrated. I went to the Doc yesterday for what I thought would be a fill. My Doc wasn't in and I had to see another Doc. He wouldn't give me a fill! I lost 3 lbs in 2 weeks. THREE POUNDS! My goal is to lose 3-5 lbs each week. The doc asked me how much I was eating each meal - I said 1-1 1/2 cups of food. He said that's perfect. If I can eat a half a sandwhich and be full then that's exactly where I need to be. He asked how long before I felt hungry. I said I feel full for 3-4 hrs. He again said great! He didn't want to fill me and I start to vomit and feel sick and then have to unfill me. He said that things seem good and we shouldn't mess with it.   The thing is - everything he said sounded right but my weight has been yo yoing over the last month and I've lost no weight this month really. After a month I was at 20 lbs lost. 6 weeks out I was at 16 lbs lost (gained 4), 7 weeks out 25 lbs lost (lost 9 in a week), and now I'm right back to 20 lbs lost (gained 5 in a week). I don't get it. Though I expect there to be weeks where I lost nothing I did not expect there to be weeks that I GAINED.   I'm a little frustrated - okay a lot. But I'm trying to tell myself that its gonna be okay. I just need to see some progress soon. Well honestly - there are things I can do to improve. I REALLY need to incorporate exercise. I have for walks and stuff but no real exercise. One thing these past 20 lbs has given me is energy and I feelt antsy. I'm going to go renew my gym membership on Monday. GOAL 3lbs this week!!!!!
PrincesaJenE

PrincesaJenE

1
 

After The Fill

AFTER THE FILL I'm not sure what everyone means by "restriction". I don't know that I feel "restricted". I do feel like I get a fuller a little faster and have eaten a little less since my fill. Still feel like its a good amount of food and when I eat with friends and family it takes me more time to eat my food than to eat their food. I feel proud of how little food is on my plate rather than embarrassed about how MUCH food is on my plate.   There's been nothing that I can't eat yet. I have tried to stay away from the doughy stuff just cause I've heard horror stories. I'm not that big of a fan of bread anyway.   So, its' been 7 weeks and I'm 24 lbs lighter - YAY! I probably would have lost more if I would have gotten filled the first time around. I've never vomited, I've not felt miserable, since the first few days - I feel fabulous. Nothing has ever gotten "stuck" nor have I ever had to "dislodge" anything. Those words are scary to me and blessedly I'm not exactly sure what they even mean. I am very pleased with the results thus far. For the most part, I don't even feel like I have the band - just that I eat less, have more energy and my snug fitting clothes now fit like they're supposed to.   No one other than the few people I've told - fam and a couple of friends - have commented about my weight loss. I can't wait til my coworkers say - hey you're loosing weight! I'm fighting the urge to run out to my garage and pull out those 2 boxes of my favorite clothes that I had to pack up because they were too tight! I'm gonna wait until I've lost at least 40 lbs to do that! I can't wait - I had some cute stuff!   The one thing that I haven't yet incorporated is exercise. I do get up and get moving more - around the office and at home. I've walked to a nearby park and played around there a couple of times. I also bought a stretch band that I use for arm exercises as I watch tv. However, I need to incorporate a full exercise plan that includes 30 minutes of exercise at least 5 days a week.   WEIGHT LOSS Well I've made up for the 4 lb weight gain - I'm down to 347 for a total of 25 lbs. Woo hoo. I did this week stop drinking juice. I was probably drinking 300 calories a day in juice. Now Ice Tea and I are friends! I don't know why I didn't think of that sooner. I also bought some of these new Sobe/Lifewater drinks that have zero cals. My Fav is the apple pear.   So far - I couldn't be HAPPIER. I feel FABULOUS! :wub:
PrincesaJenE

PrincesaJenE

3
 

My SECOND First Fill

After the debacle with my FIRST first fill I was VERY nervous. I had my scheduled appt which was now six week after I my surgery and 2 weeks after the failed fill attempt scheduled in my blackberry. Every time I looked at my phone for about 5 days there the appt was looming. Even the nurse when I first walked in gave me a pitiful look and gave me some encouraging words.   This time I went in - the doctor reassured me. He layed me down and voila - in less than 30 seconds her was in - sans all the pushing and prodding. He said he mapped it the last time so he knew right where to go. He began to fill me as I drank the water - small gulp - nothing, small gulp -nothing. He kept asking if I could swallow and I was like of course I can. Eventually he told me to start taking big gulps. So I did. Big gulp - nothing, another big gulp - nothing. Finally - the gulp couldn't go down. It felt as if water was back up from my stomach, all the way up my esophagus right to where I could feel it at the back of my throat.   He was like great - and then - the needle came out! YIKES! I was sitting up as he did the fill so he put me back down real quick. He pushed and prodded on my stomach and finally found the port. It took him about 5 mins this time get the needle back in. The whole time I'm laying tilted back - my head almost upside down feel suffocated by the water that's at the back of my throat. Once he got the needle back in - instant relief - the water went right down.   So there I was with my first 4cc fill out of the way. My doc did admit that he got a little scared for a moment when the needle came out - which actually made me feel good - I thought I was the only one.   So now I am 7 weeks post op (one week after my second first fill) and my home scale if fluctuating between 3-5 pounds lost. That makes a total of 23 -25 pounds 7 weeks post op.
PrincesaJenE

PrincesaJenE

1
 

My First Fill

My 1st fill was a little scary. My doctor had told me after surgery that due to some scar tissue they had to implant the band a little deeper than usual which would make it harder to fill. I was scheduled for my first fill 4 weeks after being banded.   Again the scar tissue is the biggest culprit in this debacle. I have quite a bit and its a little painful to touch. Sometimes just sleeping on my stomach can be uncomfortable. Well as you fellow banders know - the doctor has to push on your stomach quite a bit to find your band. Well the doctor was pushing and prodding and he couldn't quite locate my port. Once he did find it he had a hard time getting the needle in. He kept moving me around. He had me laying flat, tiltle backwards almost upside down, for a while he had me sit up and then even stand up. He kept calling the nurse for a longer needle. After like the 4th needle she came back and said - we have no longer needles. That's when the nurse got in on the action. She gloved up and was pushing and prodding to trying to get a solid hold on my port. They must have stuck me at least 10 times. I was a little scared and all the pushing on my scar tissue was painful. Every time they get a hole of the port I could feel it inside me which was making me a little nauseus. Despite this, I was okay until I saw the Dr's hands covered in blood. I started to cry - when my doctor noticed I was crying he called the game. Said that he had put me through to much - this whole process was atleast 30 mins. He said we'll try again in 2 weeks. I left the office and cried on the phone to my sister in the parking lot.
PrincesaJenE

PrincesaJenE

2
 

My First Blog

I wish I had discovered this website before my surgery. I've been wanting a way to document this process . . .journey if you will, and now I have it. So, here goes.   I had my surgery on february 13th, 2009. I weighed 372 lbs and had a BMI over 50. I'm 5'11 so my height tempers some of my weight. I'm 29 years old and felt that I needed to do something before I turned 30. Weightloss surgery had been on my mind for the last 6 or 7 years.   Though heavy - I've always felt good. It wasn't until I was about 25. I had lost 65 lbs on the low carb diet. Within a year and a half I had gained it all back plus some. After experiencing what it was like to be smaller and have more energy made it very hard to gain the weight and lose the energy. I felt every pound now. Saw how more difficult it was to get around.   I've been miserable for the last 2 years or so as the weight has packed on even more. I knew I had to do something. So, fast forward the whole first visit to the doctor, approval process, preop appointments, etc. etc.   THE SURGERY Of course I was nervous about the surgery. My biggest fear was that I would fail. The surgery that was to take 1hr ended up taking 3 due to some scar tissue I had. My doctor told me he had to place the band a little deeper than usual due to the scar tissue. I was in recovery for about an hour and whisked home. I live about 2 hrs from the surgery center - I slept all the way home. All I remember was that it had snowed earlier in the day so as we were going through the mountains I would wake up and see how beautiful it all looked but need to immediately close my eyes because I was so nauseous.   POST OP The first day I slept. All I ate that evening was a popsicle and some water with my meds. I didn't have an appetite. By the second day I was in a little pain but decided to go off of my meds so that I wouldn't be so loopy. Took some alleve instead. My stomach hurt all the time that first 3 days and I couldn't figure out why. Turns out it was gas. One day I let out a big burp and felt relief. That same day I picked up some gas x, and stopped eating the sugar free pudding and popsicles and haven't had a problem since. The first 3-5 days were the hardest simply because I was tired, restless, and sore I'm not used to being at home all the time. I lived off of broth, sug free jello, sug free popsicles and water. On Vday my sis made me jello shaped into a heart - how sweet!   The first 3 days was clear liquids - I tended to be hungry all the time and questioned whether this was working because I thought the point was this would make you feel full - I later realized this was because my band was open and all liquids just went straight through. I was so scared to take a big gulp of water because I thought it would instantly fill and stretch my pouch. I moved on to full liquids for 1 week. I had a protien shake that contains about 35 grams per serving that I drank with milik. I made it through the liquid phase by living on yogurt whick I would slowly eat for 30 mins. I often didn't even get through 1/2 of the 6oz container.   After the first week I moved on to the soft diet phase. Srambled eggs were my saving grace. I could also eat pureed foods - I pureed some chicken soup that had noodles and chicken. I ate a couple of bites but just couldn't do it. I decided to forego the pureed foods and just stuck to yogurt, cream of wheat, and soup.Occasionally I threw in things like cottage cheese, mashed potatoes, and sweet potatoes - which went down very well.   When I got to to 4th week I was ready to do solid foods. For 4 days in a row atleast one of my meals was Broiled Salmon, brussels sprouts, mashed potatoes, and a salad - yummy! Pretty much just a tablesppon or so of each. All together about a cup of food. I ate it all on a small plate and had a lot left on my plate. I was however surprised at how much I could eat. But was happy because they seemed like reasonable portions. I did not feel deprived at all.     Another thing I was surprised about was how consumed with food I was. Every activity in my life revolved around FOOD. "We're going over Mom's house tonight - Let's pick up something to eat", "Let's pick up a movie - And order a pizza too", Let's stay in - grab some snacks". I would open my mouth to say these things and realize I can't do that anymore. I physically can't. It didn't make the experience any less though.   My first real "come to Jesus" moment was when at a work conference I was confronted by a buffet about 5 weeks after being banded. As I stood in line I found it amusing because usually when present with a buffet my thoughts would be "how do I put as much food as possible on my plate without people noticing how high my plate is stacked". I would look at other people's plates to see if anyone else was eating a lot. As I would eat I would think about seconds, or dessert, or thirds, or what I couldn't fit on my plate. This time I had to think about how do I get to enjoy the BEST things in the buffet in the little amount of food I could actually eat. It was a sandwich bar - so I opted for HALF a sandwich instead of a whole. Didn't SAMPLE all the salads there but just took a small spoonful of what I thought I'd enjoy most. For dessest - 1 cookie - not a handful. I ended up splitting the cookie with a friend. It was that moment that I knew the LAP-BAND® and I were gonna be good friends. It wasn't just a physical change - its was changing the way I thought mentally and my approach to food.   The 5th and 6th week I even had sushi (no rice - sashimi). Salmon and Tuna and the inside of a spicy tuna roll. The spice didn't bother me at all. I must admit - I have had a fry here, and a spoonful of ice cream there. All in moderation though. For example - before the surgery I could easily eat a handful of 6 or 7 cookies. I ate a cookie the other day and nibbled on it for over an hour before I threw about 1/2 of it away. I felt so good - before I would have eaten the cookies just to eat them.   WEIGHT LOSS At my first post op appt 2 wks after my surgery I had lost 10 lbs. 4 weeks - I had lost 20 (Was supposed to get filled but couldn't - see my next post) 6 weeks I had gained 4 (YIKES) (My doctor said it was because my band was still open - got filled this week)     WEIGHT LOSS At my first post op appt 2 wks after my surgery I had lost 10 lbs. 2 Weeks later, another 10 for a total of 20. YAY!
PrincesaJenE

PrincesaJenE

1
 

My First Blog

I wish I had discovered this website before my surgery. I've been wanting a way to document this process . . .journey if you will and now I have it. So, here goes.   I had my surgery on february 13th, 2009. I weighed 372 lbs and had a BMI over 50. I'm 5'11 so my height tempers some of my weight. I'm 29 years old and felt that I needed to do something before I turned 30. Weightloss surgery had been on my mind for the last 6 or 7 years.   Though heavy - I've always felt good. It wasn't until I was about 25. I had lost 65 lbs on the low carb diet. Within a year and a half I had gained it all back plus some. After experiencing what it was like to be smaller and have more energy made it very hard. I felt every pound now. Saw how more difficult it was to get around.   I've been miserable for the last 2 years or so as the weight has packed on even more. I knew I had to do something. So, fast forward the whole first visit to the doctor, approval process, preop appointments, etc. etc.   THE SURGERY Of course I was nervous about the surgery. My biggest fear was that I would fail. The surgery that was to take 1hr ended up taking 3 due to some scar tissue I had. My doctor told me he had to place the band a little deeper than usual due to the scar tissue. I was in recovery for about an hour and whisked home. I live about 2 hrs from the surgery center - I slept all the way home. All I remember was that it had snowed earlier in the day so as we were going through the mountains I would wake up and see how beautiful it all looked but need to immediately close my eyes because I was so nauseous.   POST OP The first day I slept. All I ate that evening was a popsicle and some water with my meds. I didn't have an appetite. By the second day I was in a little pain but decided to go off of my meds so that I wouldn't be so loopy. Took some alleve instead. My stomach hurt all the time that first 3 days and I couldn't figure out why. Turns out it was gas. One day I let out a big burp and felt relief. That same day I picked up some gas x, and stopped eating the sugar free pudding and popsicles and haven't had a problem since. The first 3-5 days were the hardest. I lived off of broth, soup at hand, pudding, and yogurt (mostly yogurt). I didn't really have an appetite.   The first 3 days was clear liquids - I tended to be hungry all the time and questions whether this was working because I thought the point was this would make you feel full - I later realized this was because my band was open and all liquids just went straight through. I was so scared to take a big gulp of water because I thought it would instantly fill and stretch my pouch. I moved on to full liquids for 1 week. I had a protien shake that contains about 35 grams per serving that I drank with milik. I made it through the liquid phase by living on yogurt whick I would slowly eat for 30 mins. I often didn't even get through 1/2 of the 6oz container.   After the first week I moved on to the soft diet phase. Srambled eggs were my saving grace. I could also eat pureed foods - I pureed some chicken soup that had noodles and chicken. I ate a couple of bites but just couldn't do it. I decided to forego the pureed foods and just stuck to yogurt, cream of wheat, and soup.Occasionally I threw in things like cottage cheese, mashed potatoes, and sweet potatoes - which went down very well.   When I got to to 4th week I was ready to do solid foods. For 4 days in a row atleast one of my meals was Broiled Salmon, brussels sprouts, mashed potatoes, and a salad. I ate it all on a small plate and had a lot left on my plate. I was however surprise at how much I could eat. I've felt like this is what a normal person would eat.   Another thing I was surprised about was how consumed with food I was. Every activity in my life revolved around FOOD. "We're going over Mom's house tonight - Let's pick up something to eat", "Let's pick up a movie - And order a pizza too", Let's stay in - grab some snacks". I would open my mouth to say these things and realize I can't do that anymore. I physically can't. I didn't make the experience any less though.   My first real "come to Jesus" moment was when at a work conference I was confronted by a buffet about 5 weeks after being banded. As I stood in line I found it amusing because usually when present with a buffet my thoughts would be "how do I put as much food as possible on my plate without people noticing how high my plate is stacked". I would look at other people's plates to see if anyone else was eating a lot. As I would eat I would think about seconds, or dessert, or thirds, or what I couldn't fit on my plate. This time I had to think about how do I get to enjoy the BEST things in the buffet in the little amount of food I could actually eat. It was a sandwich bar - so I opted for HALF a sandwich instead of a whole. Didn't SAMPLE all the salads there but just took a small spoonful of what I thought I'd enjoy most. For dessest - 1 cookie - not a handful. I ended up splitting the cookie with a friend. It was that moment that I knew the lap band and I were gonna be good friends. It wasn't just a physical change - its was changing the way I thought mentally and my approach to food.   WEIGHT LOSS At my first post op appt 2 wks after my surgery I had lost 10 lbs. 4 weeks - I had lost 20 (Was supposed to get banded but couldn't - see my next post) 6 weeks still at 20 (My doctor said it was because my band was still open - got filled this week)
PrincesaJenE

PrincesaJenE

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