less-of-me

Well after getting to goal weight a year and a half ago I was doing quite well. Then life hit and slowely I have gained 27 pounds back after losing over 100. Before the new year my band was way too tight that all I could eat was ice cream and shakes. well needless to say that waasnt the best for me, but im 2 1/2 hours away from my fill dr and they only do band fills 2 a month. well I schedualed to have it unfilled but that day in dec it snowed really heavy and closed down the only hwy to get there. so, I decided I could wait a little longer (I had been really tight for 4 months), but one day out of the blue m stomach swelled and it hurt and I couldnt drink. By that night I was in excrusiating pain and couldnt swallow. I called and made an emergancy appointment. They took all the fluid out but my stomach still stayed swollen. For a couple days I could finally drink smothing and then after about a week I could move to mushies. It probably took about a month for all the swelling to go down and eat normal. Well.... since not being able to eat real food for so many months I maybe enjoyed a little too much. I didnt go crazy but I did crave a lot of sweets and carbs. well last saturday night I weighed myself and I was 27 pounds up from my lowest (goal weight). so i put a plan together. sunday I drank a protein shake for every meal and nothing else, monday I did the same, tuesday I received a fill and had 2 protein shakes and dinner two eggs blended with mayo into mush, then this morning a protein shake...and so far with just doing this I am down 7 pounds. I know a good portion of that is water weight but now Im only 20 pounds till I am back at goal weight. I also am motivated because I will be going on a cruise with my husband to purto rico in august and want to be back in good condition. Not to mention I run a lot of 1/2 marathons (in 2 years ive ran 10 1/2 marathons) and with the extra weight it is making it much more difficult to run and in January Im doing my first full marathon 26.2 miles so I need to be in peak condition. I know Im rambling but for some reason putting my goals and journey out there keeps me more accountable and I always seem to have better success. How are the rest of the may banditos doing to date?

How you felt when you decided to pursue WLS? excited to start the journey How you felt just before surgery?excited to start the journey...oddly I was never nervous and I was banded in Mexico How you felt just after surgery? greatful that I had the oppertunity to do this with my husbands support How you felt 6 months after surgery? overjoyed at the progress of how much I had lost 6 months into it...I think I had lost about 80 lbs How you felt a year after surgery? extatic ...I had lost 110 pounds and was schedualed for a tummy tuck How you felt 2 years after surgery? great but need too remember the basics because in have gained back 10 lbs How you feel right now? good but want to do better!

How you felt when you decided to pursue WLS? excited to start the journey How you felt just before surgery?excited to start the journey...oddly I was never nervous and I was banded in Mexico How you felt just after surgery? greatful that I had the oppertunity to do this with my husbands support How you felt 6 months after surgery? overjoyed at the progress of how much I had lost 6 months into it...I think I had lost about 80 lbs How you felt a year after surgery? extatic ...I had lost 110 pounds and was schedualed for a tummy tuck How you felt 2 years after surgery? great but need too remember the basics because in have gained back 10 lbs How you feel right now? good but want to do better!

wow its so good to see evryone coming back and checking in. You all have helped me get to my goal now I just need help maintaining my goal weight. Ann thankyou for your continued prayers for my daughter it means a lot. Im very sorry to hear that some are struggling with wieght or health. I pray that we stick together and be there as we were at the start of this journey. keep up the strength to always fight on. just because we lost the weight doesnt mean the battle is over. just keep moving forward! till next time... Take care all Denverlee

well, Im still around. I have had a lot of struggles with gaining 10-15 pounds. I havent been running over the summer due to the extream heat in Phoenix. So, I have lost a lot of muscle. I got a fill recently aand pretty much can only eat strained soup and ice cream. Doesnt make for a great diet but I cant afford to go back right now and I know I can make it work if I try. Most of you know ive been battling with my now 5 year old who was diagnosed with Leukemia 12 months ago. she is still in treatments for another 1 1/2 years but is doing extreamly well. I just need to go back and focus on myself and how good it felt to have those pounds off me. I miss talking to you all. Keep in touch. Denverlee

wow, I havent been on here in a long time. Just thought I would give a quick update. My little girl is still fighting strong. She is doing well and her hair is starting to grow. she still has 2 years of treatment and then a life time of tests, not to mention all the other surgeries she will have from losing her breast due to the leukemia and the reconstructive surgery too. BUt I am doing better in her respect. as for my weight Im having a hard time. I recently got so busy I couldnt run much and I was eating as if I was. then there was an issue with my band so they had to open it up all the way. Needless to say I gained. I gained about 16 pounds and knew I was but seemed like I couldnt help myself. well recently I got a little fill and trying to get my running regimend back up. I have lost about 3 pounds but still find myself hungry. I know im an emotional eater and maybe im eating for all the emotions I will no longer let myself feel. I feel like after all this time with my daughters illness that I need to be strong and suck it up. People have moved on but im still living this day in and day out. Im forever changed and a little broken and I feel like I have to hid that and put on the strong front. Plus now I feel people expect more out of me. Im being pulled in so many ways that I just want to lay down and sleep....but i wont let myself. Im happy but im sad deep down and nobody knows that. I hate drama and I refuse to be around it but some people (FAMILY) always seems to bring it around. I guess I have so many mixed emotions that I need to sort out but Im affraid to because if I open those emotional gates I dont know how long it will take to close them again. Im sorry to ramble but it helps that I can just express myself with out the guilt of feeling not being strong for my family. Thanks for listening!

hello everyone, Just a quick update. I am continuing running. I can't believe how much it has helped me to have an outlet for stress and a goal to keep the weight off. My daughter is doing good. Thankfully, her body is responding well to all the chemo treatments. Sometimes its scary to really think about how much chemo is is truely on. She goes in every week and they inject several types into a port they surgically inserted. At least she knows mommy has a port too so she feels like we are bonded that way. The chemo even though its helping by killing the leukemia cells it also kills her good cells. Every week they have to test her blood counts to make sure she has enough to withstand another treatment...well this last thursday he counts were dangerously low. They couldnt give her the chemo schedualed and I was told to keep her away from people because it had killed all her white germ/infection fighting cells and she was very suseptable to getting sick, and if she got sick she wouldnt be able to fight it off on her own and would be back in the hospital. So, we canceled our plans too go out of town for Christmas... she was sad, but it was a wonderful Christmas. Were truely appriciated the more meaningful thing in life this holiday...its not presents...its family ! I am doing good most days...but when my daughter has a bad day I am able to keep it together long enough till her bed time then I lose it. Let me tell yoou its horrable when you have a major breakdown in walmart!! I had just had a bad day at the doctor with her and needed to go shopping...so my mother in law was able to come watch the kids at about 9pm and my husband and I went to walmart for groceries. The moment I stepped in there I couldnt think...I felt over whelmed...I had a list but it was like the things I wrote down I had never heard of before!?! So, I ended up balling in the middle of the store and we left (my husband though not crying was mentally as bad off as I was). But since day by day we got better and stronger and are functioning again. I pray so for my baby girl all the time and I thank those of you who pray for her as well. God does hear and hes answering my prayers. Well thankyou for letting me vent again. Sometimes its nice just to put into words what im feeling or going through. I also love hearing from you all. It is such an encouragement to hear all the kind words of encouragement. Hope everyone out there is doing well in losing or maintaining their weightloss! Thankyou Denverlee

Well, I havent been on here for awhile. Life comes at you fast and learning to deal with the ups and downs has been a struggle. I hit goal weight back in may. I then had a tummy Tuck in may. It definatly waas not as bad as people had told me or I expected. I am thrilled with the results! But in August I went on a cruise with my husband (actually we were on the splendor ship which has been on the news for breacking down during a cruise). the day we got off the ship we headed home because wee found out our 4 year old daughter who was staying with grandma was running a fever. We got home at 11pm that night. I took one look at my daughter knew something was wrong. I rushed her to urgent care. SHe had a bad wound on her nipple. Urgent care wanted to call an abulance. I took her to the hospital. after a bit of blood work they admitted her. By early the next morning a doctor came in and told me my daughter Had Leukemia! I started uncontrollably crying and iM NOT SURE WHEN i STOPPED. She had no platlets or red or white blood cells. she almost died. Immediatly gave her blood transfusions and plasma. Chemo started that day. Since then she is responding well. There has been a lot of issues. Her chemo was so bad the mesquito wond on her nipple grew to a massive 2 inch diamiter wound and an inch deep. she lost her breast bud so she will never develope on that side and she is left with a large scare and later a nipple will have to be constructed. But she is here with me...Thank you Lord!!! But chemo will continue for 2 1/2 years to rid all her bone marrow of the cancer. As you can imagine this has been very difficult and will continue to be. she gets spinal taps often (it was weekly) to put chemo in her spinal Fluid so the cancer doesnt spread to her brain. Please pray for her! But through all of this my foods of choice stink. I dont eat the right foods all the time. But what has helped is staying active. Running has been my stress outlet. I run 3-5 miles a day. I have completed 4 1/2 marathons (13.1 miles) since january, and I have another in vegas on dec. 5th...then im doing the full 26.2 marathon here in january. It keeps me focused and helps so I dont go backward and gain back the weight. well I apoligise for rambling...but i felt like I needed to. Thank you for listening. Also her school is putting on a 5k run for her in feb. to help with medical bills. check out the website! Dakota's Run - FCA Phoenix ActiveGiving.com Donations

well, I did not weigh in todaay but I am up 3 pounds. I think it has to do with going from working out like a mad woman to not being able to work out at all the last 4 1/2 weeks (due to healing from a tummy tuck)! But I have been doing a lot of walking...I just need to eat better foods. I also think I need a fill. I have not had a fill since october. I am at my original goal weight but now being here I might want 10 more pounds gone! Im a size 8-10 but cant wear jeans yet because im still swollen and sore from the tummy tuck. I hope everyone has a great weekend...AND HAPPY FATHERS DAY TO ALL THE DADS!!!!!!!

Im the same weight this week. Its good i guess since I still cant workout because of recovering from a tummy tuck. I just have to wait another 4 weeks till im able to run again. Hopefully I will be ready for the next 1/2 marathon in DisneyLand on Septmeber 5th! Like everyone else I hope people keep checking in and giving support!

well Im 3 1/2 weeks post-op on my tt surgery. I feel great I went to the mall all day yesterday and this morning and I am going to another one after my kids take their nap. Right now the only exercise I can do is walking so I want to do a lot of it. I miss running soooo very much and because I havent run in weeks im losing all my muscle! I still have 5 weeks till I can begin running again....I cant wait!!! But Im also really excited next month is my 10 year reunion back home and we are doing some of the activities at the lake and then in auguest for my 9 year anniveersary my hubby is taking me on a 7 day cruise...so this afternoon im going swim suit shopping. Its weird to say that im very excited to see what I am able to wear after losing 106 pounds and getting my tummy tuck!!! Im still not brave enough yet to put up before and after pictures. I dont want to scare people away...lol! have a great thursday everyone!