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Shelleymb

LAP-BAND Patients
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Blog Entries posted by Shelleymb

  1. Shelleymb
    And it was only a seminar! After a slightly stressful drive over there, because GoogleMaps is the worst, thank god for my iPhone.... Ty and I arrived about 10 mintues late. I had this image in my head of them turning us away because we were late and I was so scared that I would have to wait a month to go to the next one, but they let us right in, lol.
     
    It was amazing to see and hear all the facts about obesity in America, I was shocked by some of it. The doctor running the seminar kept calling it a disease, that obesity is the fastest spreading emidemic in America and that we should consider it a disease. I'm not sure how I feel about that. I know that due to genetics, some people are more proned to being overweight then others, but I really feel like it's more of a culture issue. Our portion sizes in America are out of this world. When I first arrived to Japan in January I honestly thought I was going to have to order two of everything when we went out to eat beacuse the portions were so small there, but after about 2 weeks I found that I could "survive" off the portions that they served just fine, that it was indeed, enough food.
     
    We learned about the 4 different types of surgeries that they offer, and all the pros and cons. Then they had three lovely ladies come up who had had the surgery and give their story. That was actually pretty cool, until the audience started focusing more on succes stories, then having important questions answered. That was the frustrating part. I thought that people there would be more prepared like I was, with a list of important questions and ready to just open fire while the surgen was there. And when did raising your hand to ask a question go out of style? My arm got so tired while being raised and having to wait because people were just blurting out questions that I had to rest it on Ty for support. (I don't wan to sound like a b*tch and say that no one should have been asking questions but me, lol, it was just a lot of questions were about clothes and such, and before and after pictures. I just wanted to tell everyone about this site and say "go there! They have awesome b & a pics! but please, I need to know some things first!" but I didn't )
     
    So, as we were walking out, I was eager to set up the next appointments for Ty and me and when I spoke to the lady in charge of that, she asked why we hadn't filled out the insurance sheet (where she calls and checks with our insurance for free) and I told her that I had called about 2 weeks ago and that our insurance didn't cover the band because our employer has decided to exclude it from our coverage. ( I was proud that I could tell her verbatim what was told to me 2 weeks ago) (and I also thought this was something she must hear everyday) She asked if they covered any other WLS and I said yes, gastro bypass and she said she wanted our information, because it's almost illegal for them to cover one but not the other, because the band is FDA approved. So that is what I am doing today, filling out the insurance forms for Ty and myself to fax in. If we can save 30,000 by not self-paying, I'm sure I can find it in my heart to wait a bit longer to have the surgery, plus 30,000 can buy me the new boobs that I've always wanted, or at least some jeans that fit right after I lose weight. lol
     
    Sorry this was so long, I was just so excited about last night, I would have posted last night if the drive home wasn't 2 hours long, but luckily for all you folks, it's time for me to get ready for work and finish my last day of training. Hopefully I passed the test yesterday so that I'm not going to training today for nothing.
     
    Happy Friday!
     
    ~Shelley
  2. Shelleymb
    ....I'm getting the band tomorrow, and I'm just going in for a seminar. Ty just told me that he is confused on why we are going, he says that with all my research I should have all the information. But I have a Million questions that I need answered! This is normal right? ....It feels like Christmas Eve right now... I don't even know how I'm going to get through work tomorrow. I'll need to figure out a way to stay focused... I have a career altering test tomorrow afternoon. Game on.
     
     
    Have a great night and an awesome day tomorrow.
     
     
    ~Shelley
  3. Shelleymb
    About a week ago, my boyfriend and I decided that this is our option and choice, Lap-Band surgery. The path that we will take to better our lives and selves before getting married and having children. I have tried so many ways to lose weight, but what ever small amount I lose, I always gain back, and now I am at my heaviest. I blame myself though and my lack of self control. I was in Japan for the first two months of the year and I went without a vast variety of foods that we take for granted, so when I came home from Japan I ate everything I didn't have for two months. So now I'm 275 pounds, almost pullin 3 bills, and it makes me sick. Tyler says that he is the heaviest that he has ever been, over 300 pounds, but he refuses to exercise, he's lazy that way. He thinks it's all about his portions, and that with Lap-band that will be the jump start he needs. I believe him, I feel like if he knew that he had a helping hand that it would be what he needed. Same for me too.
     
    We are planning on getting the surgery in December (Tyler is going on a 6 month trip to San Diego for work and will be home close to Christmas). We are self-paying so I want to save up as much as we can so that we don't have to finance the whole thing.
     
    My biggest issue right now is that I know for sure this is what we want to do, now I just have to wait 6 months, but it's completely changed my thought process. Now when I'm working out ( I do Crossfit, extreme cardio and weight lifting) it feels so hard and difficult and I find myself saying, "This shouldn't be so hard." And when I am making meal choices for me and Tyler, I sometimes go with the unhealthy choice with the back thought, my life will start anew in December. I need to get out of this mind set. I know that eating healthy and working out I'm not going to lose enough weight to not need the surgery in december, My goal weight is 165. Tyler says his is 200. These I feel are good goal, and obtainable once the surgery is complete. We shall see.
  4. Shelleymb
    It's been so long since I've even signed on to this site, I didn't like the change. But I kept changing myself! I am down 73 pounds and at a bit of a road block... because I'm PREGNANT! I'm 17 weeks pregnant and now my weight is creeping up a little bit. I had to have a cc removed from my band because I was so sick in the first trimester. It's crazy, it's been 11 months and I don't know what to write. ANY questions for me? I need to get into the flow of things again!
     
    Shelley
  5. Shelleymb
    It was interesting....
     
    It was most definitely a PINCH... A long pinch. I found out that I have a 10cc band, and after surgery I had 4cc in it. They added another 1cc today. I'm nervous because my band is now half full and I have only just beginning my journey.....
     
    Well, bed time. Up to swim in the early am.
     
    Oh! I got weighed today. I'm 265! Good enough loss for me.
     
    Happy losing everyone and the weekend is close on us!
  6. Shelleymb

    Check Point

    By Shelleymb,

    Just a check point post...
     
    The last few days have been pretty frustrating. I felt out of control with my eating, craving foods that I know I shouldn't have been eating, and things that I have been doing fine without... but I could not get enough chocolate. And the internal and external arguments that I had with myself were getting old. But sadly I ate things I know I shouldn't be eating unless on a special occasion. But I would make myself work out harder and more often, which I think is an eating disorder on it's own, but whatevs. I figured out what was wrong last night, it was the week before my TOM and I got it last night before working out. For some reason I guess I convinced myself that that issue would go away after getting lapband. I'm an idiot.
     
    But as the day has been going on today, I don't crave chocolate nearly as much, which is a good thing.
     
    Been doing well on working out, swimming 3 times a week. 2 aqua boot camps a week. 3 crossfit work outs a week and a zumba class or 2 and then it's Sunday and I lay around and watch tv. Love it.
     
    Measured myself at my month post op and I have lost a total of 9 3/8 inches overall. I still haven't weighed myself yet. I'll find that out on the 25th when I go in for my first fill, which I need desperately. It's taking more and more food to make myself feel satisfied, and it's only holding me over for a max of 3 hours before I start having to barging with myself. "If you wait 30 more minutes, you can have a granola bar.' "you're not going to die" but then it sounds like there is a pod of whales in my stomach and I normally give in at that point.
     
    But that's about it for now, other than that, not much going on... just living the dream I guess.
     
    Happy losing everyone.
    Shell
  7. Shelleymb

    And So It Begins

    By Shelleymb,

    Woke up this morning and went swimming with my sister and my cousin. It felt good to be back in the water, even if I felt like a dying whale. I just hope that I improve fast and get back into the swing of things. And at 4:30 in the morning, it is nice to know that I have two other people to hold me accountable... but I found out this morning after we swam and were getting dressed that it is an equal trifecta of accountability... we all got up to go because we knew the other was. I feel like if one had faulted in not coming the rest of us would have stayed in bed. Not going to lie, I had to give myself a 5 minute pep talk to get out of bed. Which went something like this,
    "Get up get up get up get up." <-- Me
    "Get up." <--Ty
    "Awe! Thanks for the motivation!" <--Me
    "It's not motivation, it's a request. You're annoying me." <--Ty
    So I got up and left. Rude boys.
     
    So the plan for right now is swimming 3 times a week M-W-F and Zumba in the evenings 5 days a week and an Ab workout on Saturday, and Sunday, if I haven't skipped any days to rest my booty.
     
    Have a great week everyone! Happy losing!
    Shells
  8. Shelleymb
    I am a creature of habit, keeping my schedule at work is what saves me when it is the weekend and everything gets messed up. During the work week, I eat my breakfast at the same time, everyday. 7:00 Breakfast 9:30 a babybel cheese 11:30 Lunch 3:00 cucumbers then dinner whenever I get home, normally around 5:00. So this morning, due to an award ceremony, everything got messed up, and I wasn't able to eat my breakfast. Now as I sit down finally able to eat, I had to plan the rest of my meals accordingly. So I just ate my lunch at 8:45 in the morning, to insure that I stay full until after my training at 12:00 starts. Talk about First World Problems. :/
  9. Shelleymb
    They said that they should *hopefully* know if I'm approved by tomorrow, but they want me to go through the motions as if I am already approved... So that means I start my liquid pre-op diet on Friday. I know I'm going to get through this pre-op diet with no problem....while I'm at work. It's the weekend that is going to kill me. But luckily I get to knock it out early on in the week.
     
    My mom told me that I need to "see" it, when I told her that I was unsure of my approval. Not see my approval, see myself already banded and healthy. So I had a 20 minute pep talk in my car on my way to my best friends house. So here is what I know, what's see.
     
    1. I will be banded in 9 days.
    2. I'm going to be able to run a 5k without feeling like I'm dying in August.
    3. I will be 100+ lighter on my wedding day.
    4. I'm going to be a healthy wife. I. Going to be a healthy mom.
    5. I'm going to ride a roller coaster without the fear of not fitting.
    6. I'm going skydiving.
    7. I'm going to love myself wholeheartedly.
    8. My band date is March 15, 2013
     
    Lets hope this works!
  10. Shelleymb
    I just have to first start by letting you know that I am commiting my guilty pleasure... Listening to a song on repeat.... I am a huge music fanatic. I don't like a particular genre, I like what I like. Sometimes, it's the beat or the hook that makes me fall in love with a song, or even a voice. Or a duo.... I'm IN LOVE with the soundtrack from Pitch Perfect (if you haven't seen this movie, stop what you are doing right now and go get it, if you don't fall in love, or at least like it, I will personally buy your copy from you) Everytime Ty and I watch it (which is at least once a week... I know, I'm a geek) Ty has to remind me that the character "Fat Amy" was supposed to be my star role.
    The song that that I'm jamming to is Since U Been Gone, sung by Ester Dean and Skylar Astin.
    ***side note.... If you want a good booty shakin song to; workout to, dance/party to, get yourself happy to, make yourself feel incredible and sexy to, download Drop It Low by Ester Dean ft. Chris Brown*** *warning, there are swear words... So cop the edit version cause even for you ladies and gents that keep it clean you'll still want to shake it to this song (and I commend you on keepin it clean, but you can argue dancing! ~unless you're from Bomont ~ )
    But this duo from Pitch Perfect is soooo good. (lol I switched to Drop It Low for a sec cause it got me wantin to hear it)
    As you can see I am most certainly distracted from waiting for my final appointments. The time is passing by nicely. There were a few days that I became a little obsessed with researching people being approved on my same insurance and I have yet to find anyone anywhere who was denied, but I still have it in my head that I'm going to have to fight the first decision. This is what I get for working for the government for the last 7 years, I have doubt in everything now.
    12 days until my last appointments, ad luckily I have been keeping myself occupied pretty well.... MUSIC! And riding my bike. I'm such a nerd.... Oh well!!
    Sorry I was so random on this blog... I'm just HAPPY! So! A three day weekend is coming up for most of us, I hope no one has to work, cause that will give you time to:
    -go rent or buy (you'll wish you bought it of you rent) Pitch Perfect and if you have already seen it.... Watch it again!
    -hit up iTunes and download songs from the soundtrack, they'll make you happy.
    - then either download or look up on YouTube Drop It Low and shake that booty! You know you wanna!
    Happy losing to everyone!!
  11. Shelleymb
    When I'm smaller. Instead of worrying about laying in an uncomfortable position to make sure my rolls, chins, big boobs, and other things don't create unwanted tan lines. I can't wait until I am able to just lay down and not worry about it. This is just one of my many non scale victories.
     
    Tomorrow I am going to start swimming laps, and walking or biking to work. And Ty is going to start walking home from work to get in his 30+ minutes of exercise for the day. I just need it to be the end of the month.
     
    Happy losing everyone! Have a great week!
     
    Shelley
  12. Shelleymb
    That will happen affect being banded;
    - no more waking up in the middle of the night feeling sick to my stomach or having "a heavy tummy" because I made the wrong choices st dinner
    - no laying awake after going pee in the middle of the night, an able to fall back asleep because of Ty's sleep apnea and snoring
     
    That's about it for now... Lol, it's 1am and Ty won't stop snoring.
  13. Shelleymb
    Of the week, and month, and the next two months to be over so that I can move on with the next part of my life. The last few days have felt to long. Starting my Zumba regimen today, excited about that. Not much after that.
  14. Shelleymb
    I haven't posted in a hot minute, but I have a good reason for that. I have been TDY in Everett for the last week on 12 hour days. It takes a lot of you... and week has kinda blurred together. But I go home on Monday (tomorrow). Which I'm pretty happy about. Ty is also here TDY too and on the same schedule and that adds to the stress and draining feeling. Don't get me wrong, I love that boy, but it's a lot to be around eachother at every waking moment.
     
    So, on Thursday, November 28th, I started my supervised diet, so hopefully surgery will happen in the begining of March. So right now my goal for the month is to start eating more protien at breakfast and to start getting 30 minutes of excerise 2 days a week. It's all about small changes to make a big lifestyle change. My next appointment is Decmeber 20th.
     
    I got my camera! So stay tuned for my vlog! I'll let ya know!
     
    Time for bed, work in the morning! Yippy.
     
    Night!
  15. Shelleymb

    A Quick Blip Before Bed

    By Shelleymb,

    I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I sure did! It was a little out of my ordinary, but a wonderful holiday and a day off from work. Woke up and watched a bit of tv, waiting for Ty to wake up. Then we had breakfast and went and saw an early movie. We saw Red Dawn.... it was fantastic!!! I couldn't believe it! Then we drove back to Ty's hotel and when we got there we realized we had nothing to do and nothing was really open for us to do anything... so we decided to see another movie! We had lunch then headed back to the theater... to see... Pitch Perfect. Again! Another hit! It was awesome! Then after the movie we laid around the hotel for a bit, then decided to go see my family for a bit and maybe get a free dinner out of it... so we drove over to Seattle and saw a small bit of my family. Dinner was awesome and then we played a few games. I was able to tell my mom that I am about to start my Lap-Band journey, and she is pretty excited for me. Then I said goodbye to Ty (since he is TDY in Everett) and I went and barely caught the ferry home. And now, I am ready for bed and ready to get tomorrow at work out of my way... lol we shall see if I have to work on Saturday. I just want it to be Wednesday soooo bad!!
     
    Well, have a great night everyone!
  16. Shelleymb
    So I have set up the first 4 appointments needed to start everything! And I'm so happy about it!
     
    1st appointment: Novemeber 28th (nutritionist)
    2nd appointment: Novemeber 30th (doctor for recommendation letter)
    3rd appointment: Decemeber 20th (nutritionist <--- this one is tentative because of work, but I'm surveillance be able to go)
    4th appointment: January 25th (nutritionist)
     
    I may have another appointment after that, but I won't know until my first appointment on Wednesday, I have already seen this nutritionist, but it was in July and the person I was talking to to make all these appointments wasn't able to tell me if it would count. I hope it does. If it were to count then I could possibly be banded at the end of February, if not.... Then march. Which I'm ok with, because this is all happening about a month and a half faster than I though it would happen. Eeep!
     
    Well I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!
     
     
     
  18. Shelleymb
    It's taken me a few days to even look at LBT let alone my blog. Thank you to everyone for your kind words and prayers. It was an emotional weekend for me, dealing with the idea of not being able to get Lap Band until next year and with having to pack Ty up to leave for Diego for 6 months.
     
    I took Ty to the airport this morning, and on the drive home I decided I wasn't going to let this get me. I'm not going to feel sorry for myself. I was denied by Care Credit because of the mistakes I made in the years past. I can't blame anyone but myself. It just sucks that I make enough money to make the payments, just can't get the whole 16000. So I started more research. (I swear... I should work in a college... I'm good at figuring things out) I figured out that I qualify for No Patients Left Behind. ( nopatientsleftbehind.com ) It is a program that helps those of us who have less than perfect credit get the medical loan we need. You just have to be able to put a downpayment down. Which I can do. Which Ty can do also. I think I found my solution. So now I wait for their phone call. I have a half hour before I need to go to work. ( I took half a day off to take Ty and to collect myself before work)
     
    I hope everyone has a glorious Monday. And thank you again to all my "family" here on LBT
    Shells
  19. Shelleymb
    I’m so excited! Hope is the greatest thing in life. It keeps you going, allows you to believe that things are possible! I’m still researching this (my hopeful outcome) and I need to speak with my surgeon about it too, but I think I have found a way to get Banded in December and still get to go to Japan in 2013! There is a facility that does Lap-band and other plastic surgeries and WLS and seems like a great place. I emailed them with some questions, and now I’m waiting for a response, but this has given me hope! Going to Japan was going to give Ty and I the money to pay off the Care Credit card in just a few months instead of the 48 or 60 months or whatever we decided in December. I’m just glad that I’m getting to have my cake and eat it too… hehe
  20. Shelleymb
    Ty is the best man for me!
    Today after we both had to work 10 hour overtime shifts at work (yuck, but the money is to good to not go in) wehad to drive to a near by city to drop is car off for work. It was about an hour and 15 minute car ride, so we had time to talk on the way home, and I asked him what he wanted me to do with the appointments. And he asked me what I wanted, and I told him the truth, that I wanted to keep the appointments and for him to come home in december and for us to get banded in December like we originally planned. And then he said no matter what, we would be banded in December! He said that if he gets extended, he'll just fly home and take a bit of time off, then fly back. My night has been made. I know that this is short, but I'm just so happy!
     
    Have a great rest of the weekend everyone!!
  21. Shelleymb
    Does everyone else panic a little when the website is down? My first thought was, "What am I going to read about all day at work?" I checked frequently through out the day. Anyway...
     
    Today I filled out my medical history for the surgeon. Each step forward makes me smile bigger. I just need to make sure Ty fills out his.
     
    I think I have made the decision to not travel for at least a year after I have the band put in december, which breaks my heart because I was most likely going to Japan for 4 months at the begining of the year, and I love Japan. I just doesn't make any sense for me to leave for 4 months after having surgery. I won't be able to get any fills and what if there is a complication? It just makes me sad because that was how we were going to pay off the care credit card, I would have made 16000 in perdiem. Tears me up.
     
    Anyway, I'm almost off work, better pack up. Until next time.
     
    ~Shells
  22. Shelleymb
    Today at my company's golf tourney, I broke the news to my best friend about Ty and me getting Lap-Band. ( We had been drinking most of the morning and she just got done telling me that the reason why we were best friends was because we were completely honest... how could I not tell her at the point?)
    She seems shocked at first. Then told me she didn't think that I needed, that I looked fine. I told her that I weigh more than people think I weigh and she asked how much, when I told her that I weighed 275 she was even more shocked. I've always known that I hold my weight evenly all over my body and that I am naturally a thick girl, but I know that I'm not at a healthy weight. She was very interested on how we came to this conclusion, and if I felt that I was doing it just because Ty was, and I'm not. After she had all the facts she was ok with everything. She's supportive of the things that I need in life, so it's going to be good I feel.
     
    In the seminar last week, the women that came up to talk about their success stories told us that you learn who your true friends are after Lap-Band. I told my friend this, and I can pretty much peg who is going to have a problem with me loosing weight, and it won't be her. She told me that she isn't my friend because I'm overweight, and she won't be my friend just because I'm skinny, she's my friend because she just is. That is comforting to know.
     
    Well, I need to head to bed, I just wanted to get that out on print before the week starts. I hope everyone has a productive week this week. Until next time.
     
    Shells
     
    P.S. Attached is me at the golf tourney today goofing around.... giving clear evidence on my I need Lap-Band... it's terrible.
  23. Shelleymb

    A Struggle...

    By Shelleymb,

    Last night, while crunching numbers with Ty, he asked if maybe we should wait until I came home from Japan (May 2013) to have the surgery done instead of at Christmas time, since by then we would have all the money saved up, instead of 10 grand and financing the rest, then paying off the credit card with my per diem from Japan. It only took me a moment to answer, and I knew it wasn't a good idea. If I have to wait for a year to have the surgery done, then I wouldn't get it. I'm already in the wrong mind set now, "why work out when I know that I'll have the band in 6 months?" "No it's ok, we can eat out tonight, in December is when we will get strict with food." I know that I should still be taking the healthier steps in life, but it's growing more difficult to do when I know that the surgery is actually going to happen. I would probably gain a hundred pounds if I waited a year for the surgery.
     
    On the topic of Japan, I have the thought in the back of my head that it might be a bad idea for me to leave a few weeks after getting the surgery. I'm worried Ty won't be able to stay on the strict diet by himself and that he will need some sort of support system close... instead of me being in Japan, face-timing him when we have the chance. I hope that I am just not giving him enough credit and that he will be fine. He just isn't as open about it as I am. I'm addicted to saving money and researching as much as I can, and he thinks I'm being silly. But I know that if I don't do it then it won't get done. Hopefully everything just works out as it should. I'm getting excited about the upcoming seminar in two days, hopefully that will make it more real for Ty and he will get more involved. He likes looking at everyone's Before and After pictures on this site with me, but not reading the forums. (He's more visual then withthe written). Well, these were just some of my thoughts that I had from today. I'm in four days of training, so I have a lot of time with my thoughts.
     
    I'm getting my Nuclear Qualification for work... and if you don't know anything about Nuclear work, I'll tell you right now, it's not as dangerous as one may think.... it's almost boring once you learn how it works. Nothing really special.
     
    Good night LBT.com, I hope everyone finds themselves happy in the morning.
     
    ~Shel
  24. Shelleymb
    I just looked over my post from last night, I was pretty much delirious from exhuastion and it seems I have a lot of random thoughts in it. I had just gotten done with a softball game. I didn't have as much fun last night as the first game I played because it didn't start until 9:00 pm... that’s my bed time.
     
    Softball, along with other team sports is kind of a difficult concept for me. I'm a great "team player" in the morale department, but when it comes to other people depending on me that's when it becomes nerve racking. In jounior high and high school the only sport I "played" was swimming. I swam year round, and I was in the best shape of my life. I miss not having the ability to swim on a club team now as an adult. The great thing about a club swim team is that everything is individual, there really isn't anyone depending on you to help their race. Besides cheering someone on you couldn't help them physically. I feel like that is how anyone's Lap-Band journey is. Besides cheering on my boyfriend, I'm not going to be able to 'force' him to lose weight.
     
    I think that is why Ty suggested that we do it together, to support eachother and to have something to share together for the rest of our lives, and I like that idea. I just wish we didn't have to wait 6 months to get everything going.

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