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ChaChaBurch

LAP-BAND Patients

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Blog Entries posted by ChaChaBurch

  1. So I lost 2 lbs in 1 day on the liquid diet. I think it was mostly fluid . . . seeing as how that's all I'm taking in (LOL). Wasn't too bad yesterday, and this morning I've had coffee with ff creamer. Will eat some oatmeal soon. That's the strange thing on this pre-surgery liquid diet . . . I'm allowed oatmeal, cream of wheat, cottage cheese and yogurt too. The Post-surgery liquid diet (which I'll do for the day 4-8), doesn't allow for the oatmeal, etc. Today I have a ton of errands to run and I'm a little worried that I will get too hungry along the way. I plan on taking a protein shake with me, but frankly I have a hard time drinking them unless they're super cold, so I guess I'll have to find one of the small coolers and take it with me. I have my sleep study tonight, and I've been warned that it will be unpleasant. Apparently they put a lot of goop in your hair. In the morning, after the study, I get my pre-op bloodwork done. These are the last 2 things that I need to do prior to my surgery. I'm still looking forward to getting the surgery done and over with, and moving forward to new things!

  2. Starting Gate

    · ChaChaBurch · 03/13/2012 23:20

    How did I get here? Today is my first day of pre-surgery liquid diet. I had a lapband in Jan. 2007 and lost about 50 lbs. Since then the band has been a love/hate relationship. Mostly I hate it, and it loves to make my life miserable. Between fills and unfills, I've gained every pound back. Plus, I get "stuck" on a daily basis, and I just can't take having the issues with the band, and not getting any results. So I'm having my band removed and the sleeve done on 3/22/12. I've been in a sort of "dream like" trance since attending the seminar. The various different tests (psychologist, pulmonary, etc), have been interesting, but I really didn't start getting excited until my insurance BCBS Anthem approved the surger. Apparently my doctor has had zero success with insurance companies until me. I'm using Dr. Ron Kaler in Hot Springs, AR. He's an experienced general surgeon who has been doing bariatric surgeries for years. My goal is to blog at least once a week regarding my experiences in hopes of helping others like me.

  3. 7 Weeks Post Op

    · ChaChaBurch · 05/11/2012 11:19

    I had my 2nd follow-up with my surgeon on Wednesday 5/09. He was just thrilled with my weight loss so far. He said I was doing great and to just keep on doing what I'm doing. He told me I had no restrictions on my activities from here on out, so whatever I feel like doing, to go right ahead (Zumba, here I come)! He wants me to come back in 2 months to do some follow-up bloodwork.
     
    Different foods I've tried this past week are:
    Artisan Pizza (from Dominoes) - 1 slice of Chicken & Bacon Carbonara - No problems, just ate super slow and chewed, chewed, chewed!
    Veggie Burger (MorningStar Farms) - Really good and had no problem with a thin bun.
    Rib-Eye Steak - pan seared & served with Blue Cheese Butter (Better than a 5 star restaurant)
    Asparagus - sauteed in olive oil, garlic, and served with Parmesan cheese
     
    I'm so thankful that my sleeve has tolerated all these foods with zero issues. I just make sure that I chew, chew, chew!
     
    This next week is super busy, each and every day is filled with obligations, so I'm planning ahead and making sure I have plenty of protein bars, fruit, etc., to get me through it. Just because I can now tolerate most foods, is not permission to go out and eat them all! I had this surgery so that I could lose weight, get healthy, and still enjoy my life. While I enjoy a few of the "no-no foods", that's a rarity, and at least now when I eat pizza, it's just 1 slice, and then that's it. No desire to eat another bite!
     
    I've been walking 3 miles (4 times a week) with a friend, and I think that next week we'll try to push it to 3.5, and see how we tolerate it.

  4. Family Doctor Visit

    · ChaChaBurch · 04/30/2012 22:20

    Today I went to see my family doctor - the first time since the surgery - and according to his scales I had lost 34lbs - the same as what mine said. They did all my blood work and it came back fine. My cholesterol was 125, my HDL and LDL were within normal ranges, B12/Iron/Folic Acid - again, all normal. The only thing I'm waiting on is my TSH - we'll get that back tomorrow. I figure with the weight loss, they will have to change my dosage. I had to have my thyroid, and one of my parathyroids removed back in 2005, and getting my TSH checked regularly is pretty important. OH - and my Calcium and Vitamin D were great too!!!
     
    I go for my 2nd follow-up with the surgeon on May 9th, and I'm really looking forward to that. I still have a few questions for him too.
  5. Our church has a Food Bank that is open once a month. As the Director of the Food Bank, it's my responsibility to ensure there is enough food to provide several day's worth of meals for those who come in. Normally, we are able to receive food from a non-profit organization that provides about 50% of our food for free, however, this month, they were booked solid and were not able to assist. So i spent all day yesterday out shopping for food, and putting it in the Food Bank. Thankfully, I had a friend who went with me to help. What i wasn't really paying attention to was how very little I ate, and also how many pounds of food that I handled. Putting food in the cart, placing it on the check-out belt, then sacking it, then taking it to the truck, then taking it out of the truck, and then carrying into the Food Bank, then placing it on the shelves. It is such a tremendous blessing to be able to be involved in this ministry, that I just wasn't really paying a lot of attention to what I was doing physically, as well as the amount of food I was consuming. For my food yesterday, my intake was a cup of coffee, a slim-fast shake, a few bites of refried beans, a few bites of chicken fajita meat, and that was it!! I don't know why I didn't think more abut eating. I just wasn't hungry, and I was having such a great time being able to purchase food for those in need, that I just didn't THINK!
     
    So when I got up this morning, I felt really bad. No energy, sore and achy. I decided to step on the scale, and I had lost 1.2lbs since yesterday! I don't think it's a good idea to lose that much in one day - and I would strongly recommend that no one else do it. I can tell you that it sure as heck doesn't feel good. Even though today is my 4 week "Surgiversary", I have learned that I'm not as far along the healing journey as I thought I was. I am not invincible (although some days I feel it), and that I need to pay closer attention to what I'm doing, and what I'm eating. Lesson Learned!

  6. Weekend 4/15/12

    · ChaChaBurch · 04/15/2012 23:29

    Saturday, my DH and I hooked up our trailer, loaded our zero-turn mower, and headed to the church. I mowed while he did the weed-eating, and picked up trash around the property. Afterwards, I couldn't stop talking! I had the most energy that I've had in a month, and I think because of being outside, and the physical activity, it got some endorphins bouncing around inside. He was laughing because he said he hadn't seen me this "pumped up" in a while, and he was glad to see it. - He always knows what to say, and that's why he's a happily married man -- go ahead and ask him
     
    Today, Sunday, church was wonderful, and after we got home, we both laid back and chilled. That is until the storm was blowing in. So it was a quick run out to the barn to put up all the animals, when suddenly the 70mph winds hit. Thankfully we had just gotten everyone inside, so we hung out with the chickens, goats, and ducks, until the unbelievable downpour slowed enough.
     
    I guess this means that I'm going to have to mow our yard this week. Thankfully, I am up to the task!
     
    My energy level is better than ever, and I'm really looking forward to what this next week brings.
  7. Wow, I can't believe I've made it to this point. I'm still sticking with the diet. Only one slip back on Day 2. I weighed this morning, and didn't lose any more, but that's really not surprising. I think because my calorie intake has dropped so dramatically on this diet, that my body has gone into "starvation" mode and is hanging on to what I currently have. That's okay, as my surgery in in less than 48 hours. So I'm sure that will shock my system in to letting go of some more fat.
     
    I have so enjoyed this website. It has everything! Good, bad, and ugly. It helps me to stay "real", if you know what I mean. And the support out there is phenomenal! I've met so many wonderful people, and have really enjoyed their input. I'm looking forward to all the support and "pearls of wisdom" that I will get after the surgery. No one very close to me has had this surgery, so the support from this website is vastly needed. Even though my DH and family are supportive, no one will truly understand what I will be going through.
  8. Today is Day 7 of my pre-surgery liquid diet. So far I've lost 6.3 lbs (as of this morning). The weekend was tough, even though DH did everything he could to be supportive. He even at the FF cream soups that I ate. I had to apologize to several family members for my attitude. I know I'm sounding more than just grumpy. Why is it that it seems no one can have a conversation without food being a part of it? And the commercials on TV . . . . almost all food. I know that this is part of what I'm going through, and soon this won't be so bad, but right now it just flat-out sucks!!!!
     
    However, with all that said, I can't believe it's only 3 days until my surgery! I am still looking forward to it, and it just doesn't seem real yet. I probably won't believe it, until the night before, when I won't be able to sleep .
     
    Looking around on this website has been very educational, and the encouragement from other's is amazing! I really appreciate everyone being so supportive, and sharing their experiences!

  9. Sleep Study Done!

    · ChaChaBurch · 03/16/2012 00:41

    So I had my sleep study last night. When they came in to talk with me, they asked, "Why did the Doctor order this? You don't have any issues". I explained it was required for the type of surgery I was having. They said I didn't snore, or have apnea, or any type of sleeping issues! I sure am thankful! I then went over and had my blood drawn for the pre-op work up. That was the last thing I needed to do prior to surgery. I left the hospital around 9am, and spent the rest of the day running errands. Needless to say, I was caught without any type of protein drinks, or anything. So I went to Starbucks and got a skinny vanilla latte, and then spent the rest of the day drinking bottled water. I got home around 5pm, and then had to go put up all the chickens, ducks, and goats that we have. After that, I had fat-free broccoli and cheese soup (made with fat-free) milk. I think it was about the best thing I've ever eaten! Before I got to bed tonight, I'm going to have a protein shake.
     
    One of the things I bought while I was out on errands was a small collapsible cooler, that I can take with me from now on. I'll make sure to have my liquids with me from now on!
     
    Oh, by the way . . . . my surgery is one week from today!!!!! :D

  10. End Of Day 2

    · ChaChaBurch · 03/15/2012 01:59

    Okay, so for my 2nd day of pre-op liquids, I really ended up not doing too well. I stuck to it until about 2pm. I'd been out on errands all day, and noticed that I was STARVING!!!! I couldn't really think of what to do, so I ended up at Burger King . . . yep, that was definitly the wrong choice. I got a Whopper, Jr., and a unsweet tea. Ate half the burger and then drank all the tea. I feel like such an idiot! I have got to plan better when I know I'm going to be gone all day. Now I'm at the hospital for my sleep study, waiting for the folks to come in and "hook" me up. I brought liquids for breakfast, and they put them in their fridge. This place is pretty cool. Looks like a little hotel room with my own bathroom and everything! I really don't expect to sleep too well. I usually can't sleep good when I'm away from home or my DH. Oh well . . . we'll see how it goes!

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