Des0520

Ok so I've posted on the past and the fun stuff, now time for a current update.
 
I'm 20 months post-op. I've been stalled at my weight for probably 4 to 5 months. Sucks I know, but I have no one to blame but me. Bottom line I got lazy and some bad habits came creeping back in. I haven't gained which makes me so happy, but I haven't lost either .
 
So what are these bad habits you ask....
 
Not eating enough protein, eating unhealthy foods, drinking while eating, not drinking enough water, not exercising regularly, and not sleeping enough.
 
So to be fair to myself I have a crazy schedule. I work full time and go to school full time. I don't have children, but I am the one that cleans and cooks and keeps our house in order. My husband isn't lazy I just have OCD when it comes to cleaning and he can't cook to save his life. Still that is no excuse to eat crappy, skip the protein, and not exercise. I should be able to work all that in. I just let myself be lazy.
 
So now I am correcting all of that. We I've been increasing my water intake and setting alarms for when I can drink after I eat and working out. That's been for the past couple of weeks. I caught myself the other day sipping while eating and someone shared the applesauce video with me. I haven't done that since lol.
 
I have this great fear that I will stretch out my stomach, so I constantly test myself with water. I can hold 6 oz of water. My dr says that is perfect and exactly where I should be. So I haven't stretched it. Whew!
 
I haven't gone up in inches either or clothing size. I've maintained it even through my laziness. The biggest change has been my hair.
 
Yes, my hair started falling out after surgery and yes, it has all grown back. Only now....it's textured (technical term from my stylist). Meaning somewhere between straight and curly. Just enough that if I brush it with a brush it frizzes. It's annoying to have to figure out how to take care of my hair now that it's different. Lots of trial and error.
 
Also, I hit that magic 18 month time for when I can start adding to our family. My surgeon gave me a go and my other Dr is happy with my weight and my blood work. So the good old fashioned way of having kids didn't work. That was step one. Now we are on step two, Clomid round one. Hopefully soon I'll have updates of future sleepless nights, but for now I have no such thing. I'm just happy that I can try.
 
Lesson's I have learned:

It's a journey that is long and slow.
 
Take it one step at a time.
 
Don't get discouraged and don't give up.

I didn't become fat overnight and I won't become a size 2 overnight. :wub:

As I'm getting ready to head out to a concert tonight I was going through my checklist of items to take with me and thought it might be helpful to share the tricks I've learned for surviving a concert. Let's be honest, no matter how far from surgery you are, concert food is not good for you. I have no desire for beer, sticky frozen drinks, nachos, or anything else they can come up with. I'm talking the typical venue, not the nice House of Blues style with an attached restaurant. I'm heading to an outdoor concert and will be there for a good 4 hours. That means I'll need to eat at some point. You can't bring in outside food or drink, which is fine because they say nothing about powder.
 
I generally take two baggies of protein powder (always have a backup). I carry a purse so it is easy for me to carry them. I will buy water and make my shakes while I'm there. I also take those water flavor packet things so that I can have something a little more refreshing if I get tempted to go get a soda.
 
If you are lucky enough to go to a venue that will let you bring a cooler, you are golden and can put all kinds of goodies in there. Some venues will also let you bring in food if you have a card from your doctor (I've never seen said card, but I am told they exist and can be used to get smaller meals at restaurants).
 
It isn't much of a tip, but not something people will typically think about. I learned when I went to my first concert post-op and was miserable. I was still on mushy food at that time.

So for a quick catch up on things from previous forum entries, I have my first post about me, my return home, the drain removal, and a quick update. This is all the stuff I posted about at the time and didn't remember until I read them again. Comments made on those post from today are in purple.
 
From Sept 16, 2010: Starting to Freak Out
 
My name is Desiree and I set my surgery date for October 4th yesterday. I've been on a journey of working to lose weight for a couple of years now. It all began a few years ago when I destroyed the cartridge in my knee and had to have surgery that put me on crutches for 6 weeks and I couldn't put any kind of weight on my leg. I decided to seriously work to lose weight then and was at my heaviest which was 342. I recovered from surgery and starting working with a personal trainer and following a strict diet. I lost several inches in 3 months, but not enough to count on the scale. While working with my trainer I once again tore up the same knee, only a different injury. This time it the cartilage on my femur and had a hole 1-2 inches in diameter torn into it. This equaled another surgery and this time 8 weeks on crutches with no weight allowed.
I had considered the bypass and band off and on for several years but was always uncomfortable with rerouting nature's plumbing and having something plastic that required upkeep in my body. That all changed after learning about my stupid knee injury. While waiting for my 2nd knee surgery I went to a seminar for surgery. I found out all the requirements for my insurance company and started working on them. I found success with a non surgical doctor in the same office and put off the surgery part. Due to recovery time I had a stall in my dr visits and had to start over three months later. I had gained back most of my weight while recovering but over the next several months of starting back up I had dropped 30 lbs. I was happy and all was going well until the pain in my knee came back and I couldn't work out. I was told I have stress fractures in my knee caused by my weight and the thinner cartridge in my knee. The doctor said I need to lose weight more quickly so he recommended surgery. I consulted with my weight loss doctor and next thing I know I'm waiting on insurance approval. It was fairly easy because I'd already had the dietician visits and the psych evaluation.
My surgery date is less than three weeks away and on Monday I start a two week diet of no fat, low fat, no meat. I'm starting to freak out and trying to find answers to all of these questions that are suddenly popping in my head and I do not like what I have found online so far. Then I found this site. I'm looking forward to sharing my journey with everyone and putting to rest some of my fears. I was scared for nothing!
 
From October 6, 2010: Just Got Home
Just got home today from my surgery. I was sleeved on Monday and other than the 4 hour delay it went great. I went in so hungry and still have yet to get hungry. The gas pains have not been bad but the soreness is bad. How long should I expect to be sore? Did anyone else pull their pain ball thing out at home? Did it hurt? And one last question, did anyone else have problems eating cold stuff like the popsicles? FYI Cold stuff doesn't bother me as much now but something warm makes me check to see if I spilled it on myself every single time.
 
My original Drain Removal post was like everyone else's, me asking if it was going to hurt because I was freaked out by it.
From October 14, 2010: Reply to my original post after having the drain removed.
It didn't hurt at all. It felt like a suction cup being removed by my stomach and a little weird feeling when it made its way out but no pain!! Other than that the visit was fast and easy and he was pleased with how I am doing. Thank you again for all the help
 
From February 22, 2011: Long Overdue Update
This is long over due, but I think it's about time. I'm now almost 5 months post op and I've lost 62 lbs. I think I've hit my first plateau but I think that's because of the working out. I've been doing great and still amazing myself with foods I now like. I'm down 5 sizes which is such a great feeling, I can wear my prom dresses from high school again. I am struggling with hair loss, and I always get in my protein and take my vitamins, but I was told it's expected. My husband and I are planning our first vacation ever and after 6 years I think it's time. Little nervous about wearing a swim suit on the beach and flying on a plane, I've avoided that from fear of not fitting in the seat. I'll get some pictures and measurements posted soon. This was my last update and I never posted my measurements lol.

Hello.
 
I don't know if anyone will really read this or not, but on the off chance that someone out there finds me interesting, I thought I'd be polite and say hi.
 
A blog is something I've wanted to do for quite a while. I need a place where I can vent and just let it all go. I can vent to my husband, but there are just some things he doesn't get.
 
You can expect to see entries about the sleeve journey, my work, my school, my selfish friends, my struggles, my success, things I've tried, and things I've learned. I hope you'll find me not too dry and boring and that you'll enjoy reading.
 
The first few entries will be catch up for stuff I should have put into a blog and didn't.
 
Thanks for taking the time to read :wub: