dirttrackdiva

Just a heads up for everyone, I'm following BG's lead and moving to blogspot. Here's the link: www.dirttrackdiva.blogspot.com My family members and friends that know I've had surgery weren't able to see these posts since they aren't members of the site. So I thought I'd make it available for everyone to see. There are some posts on there that aren't totally related to surgery, but it's my new home. Hope you all follow me there. I'll leave the light on for you. :biggrin:

Just a heads up for everyone, I'm following BG's lead and moving to blogspot. Here's the link: www.dirttrackdiva.blogspot.com My family members and friends that know I've had surgery weren't able to see these posts since they aren't members of the site. So I thought I'd make it available for everyone to see. There are some posts on there that aren't totally related to surgery, but it's my new home. Hope you all follow me there. I'll leave the light on for you. :thumbup:

Wow, talk about hitting home! I've had a few of those moments myself. Right now I'm in the process of getting rid of some of the things that used to be too small and are now too big. However, I'm keeping one pair to be my before pants.

I had the SIL as well. I was banded in Columbia Missouri at the University Hospital. Also a teaching hospital. That seems to be the common denominator, if you were banded at a teaching hospital. My port is right to the left of my belly button. I can feel it. It's literally right under my skin. The upside, fills are a breeze. My doc said that it depends on your age, how many children you've had and how much scar tissue you would have in abdomen form various things. I have no kids and have only had one abdominal surgery and it was laproscopic, so he told me in my consult I was excellent candidate for the SIL. I have the incision in my belly button, the one (literally less than half an inch long) on my upper abdomen where I'm sure is where he inserted the band. I was banded on June 16th 2009. I'm down 45 pounds and seemed to have reached a plateau, but hopefully I'll start losing again soon.

just discovered your blog.....i'm a june bandster too. june 16th to be exact. i've seen a lot of your comments on bg's blog. i just love her. i sent you a friend request, hopefully we can be bandster buddies together. great job taking control of your own destiny, which i think all of us have done in getting the band.

I titled my blog this today because yesterday my band and I were not on the same page. By any stretch of the imagination. I don't even know if we were both reading the same book! :smile2: Does anyone else seem to have issues with pork? I've tried it twice since I've been banded and both times had disasterous results. Last night I was eating some left over pork loin, prepared for it to be a little dry I added some extra bbq sauce to my plate for the purpose of dipping and allowing the meat to go down easier. Took about four bites and WHAM! Stuck. I immideatly got in the shower. Sometimes it helps me to take a cool shower and get cooled off. It helps. Don't know why, could be all in my head, but it helps just the same. After about 45 minutes of slime slime and more slime I'd had enough. I did the cardinal sin of bandsters and stuck my finger down my throat. Finally all better. Needless to say I was on liquids for the rest of the day. The upside to my little improptu liquid diet is I lost two more pounds. A total of 42 pounds lost and 5 pounds from onederland. :huh2: Happy dance for my being 5 pounds from onederland. On the wierder side of life (yes it gets wierder) caught my dog dragging her butt across the carpet the other night......called the vet right away of course. Asked them what the probability was that she had worms. Vet said pretty good chance. WELL SHIT! :cool: Things just keep getting better. So I ask the vet what I can do to kill off the worms that won't cost me an arm and a leg. They said they could give me two pills, give them to her at the same time, cost less than 20 bux. :thumbup: To the vet I went. Got home, gave the dog the pills and no more butt dragging, that I've seen. She's figured out what makes me scream at her I think so she just leaves the room to do it. Kinda like a kid. Only my dog is the kid in class that is allergic to EVERYTHING and eats the glue. :thanks: Why me? Oh well, she keeps life interesting I guess. She's a beagle if anyone is wondering. And I guess beagles are pretty suseptible, just like kids to test what things will travel through their digestive tract. Preparing me for a child I guess. If I ever have one. Well, that's what's been going on in my little world the last few days. Have a great day bandsters. Talk to you all soon.

I titled my blog this today because yesterday my band and I were not on the same page. By any stretch of the imagination. I don't even know if we were both reading the same book! :confused: Does anyone else seem to have issues with pork? I've tried it twice since I've been banded and both times had disasterous results. Last night I was eating some left over pork loin, prepared for it to be a little dry I added some extra bbq sauce to my plate for the purpose of dipping and allowing the meat to go down easier. Took about four bites and WHAM! Stuck. I immideatly got in the shower. Sometimes it helps me to take a cool shower and get cooled off. It helps. Don't know why, could be all in my head, but it helps just the same. After about 45 minutes of slime slime and more slime I'd had enough. I did the cardinal sin of bandsters and stuck my finger down my throat. Finally all better. Needless to say I was on liquids for the rest of the day. The upside to my little improptu liquid diet is I lost two more pounds. A total of 42 pounds lost and 5 pounds from onederland. :confused: Happy dance for my being 5 pounds from onederland. On the wierder side of life (yes it gets wierder) caught my dog dragging her butt across the carpet the other night......called the vet right away of course. Asked them what the probability was that she had worms. Vet said pretty good chance. WELL SHIT! :thumbup: Things just keep getting better. So I ask the vet what I can do to kill off the worms that won't cost me an arm and a leg. They said they could give me two pills, give them to her at the same time, cost less than 20 bux. :redface: To the vet I went. Got home, gave the dog the pills and no more butt dragging, that I've seen. She's figured out what makes me scream at her I think so she just leaves the room to do it. Kinda like a kid. Only my dog is the kid in class that is allergic to EVERYTHING and eats the glue. :thumbup: Why me? Oh well, she keeps life interesting I guess. She's a beagle if anyone is wondering. And I guess beagles are pretty suseptible, just like kids to test what things will travel through their digestive tract. Preparing me for a child I guess. If I ever have one. Well, that's what's been going on in my little world the last few days. Have a great day bandsters. Talk to you all soon.

I was banded on June 16, 2009 and I had to do a full liquid diet for two weeks before and two weeks after surgery. The first three days were absolute hell. Then, after that, it was like someone flipped a switch. Food didn't really matter to me because I knew what was coming after all this would be so much better than anything I'd every experienced. This works, keep your chin up and remember that things are not always what they seem. This site is amazing and people have talked me off the edge many times. I did not cheat on my liquid diet. It's easier if you don't cook though. I'm not a cook, don't know how, have literally burnt water. lol My hubby is a chef though, that's why I don't need/want to cook. That's part of what made it so much easier for me is that I don't cook. If you do cook, ask someone else to do it while you're starting your journey. And tell them making your favorites are off limits. That's what I did and it worked for me.

It's actually very common to gain up to five pounds in the few days after surgery. Happened to me too. Remember this......you've been on liquids for a long time. Liquid is very heavy. Just water alone weighs eight pounds per gallon. So if you've drank a gallon of water in a day and not peed it all out, it's going to make a difference in your weight. Also, they blow your abdomen up with gas during the surgery so they can work around without hurting you and bumping in to other stuff. That counts for a little bit as well. And of course your "monthly visitor" can make you retain water and gain weight. I usually gain between five and ten pounds during that time. All of it from bloating or water retention. Keep your head up my friend. The band works. If it works for me it will work for anyone. I got banded on June 16th, weighing 247, and as of right now I weigh 207. It's a great blessing. Just remember all the things that are someatimes catalysts of gaining weight that have nothing to do with food.

I used the Happy Weight Calculator and it says my goal weight is 129, about 5 pounds less thant he goal I set for myself. My labband doc didn't set a goal weight, but my back surgeon did. I have three herniated disks in my back and he said I would need to lose 100 pounds before I tried to get pregnant. Before surgery I was 247, now I'm 206. Getting there.....I too set mini goals of 10 pounds. I am at my sweet spot, I can eat a few bites of most things and then I'm done. As long as it follows the high protein guidelines. If it's not high protein and a slider my "inner fat chick" comes out and I eat too much and still never feel full. I'm with you xavier, single digit sizes, here we come.

The PBing pumpkin. Priceless. I've always loved the puking pumpkin, never seems to get old, always thought they were funny. However, like the rest of you, it totally has a different meaning now. LOVING IT!

:wink: Aaaaahhhhh.....this is great. Hubby is working today and the neighbors aren't fighting (yet) so I thought I'd enjoy the peace and quiet today. There are so many other things I could be doing right now, but why? :smile2: Spent last evening at my mother in laws house, with her picking apart everything I did and said. :boink: I could use a peaceful day today. Still slow and steady on the weight loss. Wearing a pair of jeans today that I couldn't even get pulled up over my ass 6 weeks ago. They're even kinda loose. Way cool. I really need to get rid of some clothes. If anyone is a size 22-18 and want me to send you some of my old clothes that don't fit anymore, please let me know. Send me a private message with your address and I'll send them to you. I don't need them and I want to donate them to people that I know can use them. And in this economy, who can afford to go shopping for new clothes? Even if they are a need. Well that's all for now bandsters. Hope you all are having a great day.

WELCOME! You'll love the site and everyone on it. This site has talked me off the ledge many times. Welcome home. To answer your questions......we can eat sweet potatoes, they actually want us to eat those rather than regular potatoes cuz they're better for us. Champagne, don't know about that one. Each doctor and each patient are totally different. Some docs (mine for instance) say no carbonated drinks, others give you a waiting period. That just depends on what they tell you. You could eat chocolate and pizza I suppose if you wanted to. You might find it hard to eat bread, some bandsters have issues with it some don't. My mom is banded as well and she can eat bread. I can't. I can't even eat anything that resembles bread (ie, cake, very soft cookies, muffins, doghnuts, tortillas, you get the idea). Just remember that the goal of the band is make it work with you, not for you. You'll eventually get to the point you can eat almost anything you want, just in moderation. I think vacations are more worth it now with the band. I look better, feel better, and have so much more energy to do stuff. Instead of loping around the hotell all day when I can do that at home. For free. lol When people ask you why you're losing weight you can be honest with them if you want. They'll find out soon enough anyway. However, I didn't tell most of my family untill I had already done it. Didn't want them to try to talk me out of having it. Which wouldn't have happened, but could have caused tension so I just skipped it all together. There will come a time when people are much more interested in what/how much you're eating and how much weight you've lost than they should be. Tell them not to do that. In my opinion it creates a stigma about us (bandsters) that I don't like and is untrue. Tell them you're the same person you've always been, just healthier. The band works if you let it. If you listen to it and your doctors and if you trust it to help you. I was banded on June 16th of this year and I've lost 40 pounds. I never have, nor will I ever regret it. It's changed my life. Hope this helps, sorry it was so long. Feel free to get in touch with me, we're all friends here. Good luck.

:huh2: Aaaaahhhhh.....this is great. Hubby is working today and the neighbors aren't fighting (yet) so I thought I'd enjoy the peace and quiet today. There are so many other things I could be doing right now, but why? Spent last evening at my mother in laws house, with her picking apart everything I did and said. I could use a peaceful day today. Still slow and steady on the weight loss. Wearing a pair of jeans today that I couldn't even get pulled up over my ass 6 weeks ago. They're even kinda loose. Way cool. I really need to get rid of some clothes. If anyone is a size 22-18 and want me to send you some of my old clothes that don't fit anymore, please let me know. Send me a private message with your address and I'll send them to you. I don't need them and I want to donate them to people that I know can use them. And in this economy, who can afford to go shopping for new clothes? Even if they are a need. Well that's all for now bandsters. Hope you all are having a great day.

good for you girl!!! it always helps to feel better when someone gives you a cool gift. even if you're not sick. hope you're back to cheery, beautiful self soon.

i'm sorry you feel so crappy. not a fan of the flu shot myself......last time i got one i had to sit on the toilet with a trash can infront of me. bad, bad things happened that week. not even sure if i remember all of them. 8) i guess i'm just one of those people that the flu shot reacts really funny with. i hope you get better soon and we're all thinking about you and wish you well. *hugs for bg, don't worry, i'm wearing my pig sickness surgical mask* ;p hope to hear from you again soon.

happy bandiversary!!!! i'm so happy for you. keep up the great work.

Wow, it's been a while since I've posted anything. I've been so busy with my new job and so much other crap it's been insane. I feel like I've been on a vacation (too long of one) from the site. Sorry to all (if any) loyal readers of my blog. Thanx heaps for your loyalty if there are any. So many things have happened since I posted last. Where do I start. Had a Birthday on the 26th of September, the big 29, had some issues with it. So I got a tattoo.....on the top of my foot. (see profile pic) The words say "Pa Norm" and "Pa Jim" for my grandpas. In my opinion memorial tattoos are super cool, if done properly. Two of only three men I'd ever think of getting their names tattooed anywhere on my body. Daddy being the other of course. Went to the races the weekend after my birthday. The NASCAR race at Kansas Speedway. Needed to narrow it down, saying I went to the races is like saying Kyle Busch got pissed off and spun someone into the wall. (happens a lot for you non race fans out there) Always a good time. Did really well. I was very proud of myself. Usually there's some pretty good tailgate fare at the track. None of it bandster friendly. Came out of it two pounds lighter than going in. HOT DAMN! :Banane25: In other news the new job is great. Loving it. It's refreshing to work for a company that cares about its employees. Been there a little over a month and can actually see myself retiring from there if they'll have me after I finally graduate from college. Hubby has finally come around about this. Took him long enough. lol He's noticed the huge (or maybe not so huge :huh2:) difference in me since surgery. I can wear stuff he's never seen me wear that's been laying around the house. He's been begging me to get rid of most of the stuff I can wear now. Why do we do that ladies? Keep clothes around that without a small miracle (LAP-BAND®®®®®® in our case) will never fit us again in a million lightyears? Any suggestions? Went back to get my third fill. Pretty much at my sweet spot I think. I lost 6 pounds last month so I'm getting there. Slow and steady wins the race people. I'm up to 40 total pounds lost. My goal is 100 so I'm 10 pounds from half way there. That's the huge goal to meet right now. Since I never thought I'd get here. Figured out I can't have ANY TYPE OF BREAD. Tortillas, cookies, cake, bread, anything that you can ball up and throw at someone basically. Forget it. Had a VERY bad experience with a half a biscuit a couple weeks ago. :puke:NOT MY IDEA OF A GOOD TIME! However, never once have I eaten too much and made myself sick. That was my biggest fear going into this. It's amazing how my quality of life has went up. I'm actually writing this after reading all of my previous blogs from starting my journey. Holy cow how far I've come. I do notice though that I never waivered on my choice to do this. Never will. I'd do it again, in a heartbeat. Still sticking to an Atkins based structure. Pretty much high protein all the way for me. A lot of people ask me how much I've lost. When I talk to or see people I don't spend much time with that's the first thing they ask me. As if that's the only way they see me. I've told them to stop asking. I appreciate their concern for my well being and progress, but it creates a stigma about me and my LAP-BAND®®®®®® brothers and sisters that I don't like. I'm the same Erika I've been all my life, just skinnier. In my opinion it creates a worse relationship with food than I had before. They're constantly watching what/how much I'm eating. Not for me. Makes me nervous. I don't want them making special menus or only going to restaurants that serve fish (my protein of choice) when I go out to dinner with them. No. That's not what this is about nor is it why I did it. I've become weirdly shy about certain things as I've gotten older.......Maybe shy isn't the right word. Adult. Conservative. Discreet. Whatever, I don't want to be the one that puts the wrench in everyone elses plans. If I can't eat where the majority of people want to go, I'll sip my ice tea in peace and enjoy the pleasure of everyone's company, then eat when I get home. I want them to see me as the Erika I've always been, only skinnier, as I said. This has changed my life. It's amazing the difference it's made. There are no words to describe it. This site has saved me from the brink a few times. You guys are awesome. Keep up your great losses everyone. Talk to you all later.

Wow, it's been a while since I've posted anything. I've been so busy with my new job and so much other crap it's been insane. I feel like I've been on a vacation (too long of one) from the site. Sorry to all (if any) loyal readers of my blog. Thanx heaps for your loyalty if there are any. So many things have happened since I posted last. Where do I start. Had a Birthday on the 26th of September, the big 29, had some issues with it. So I got a tattoo.....on the top of my foot. (see profile pic) The words say "Pa Norm" and "Pa Jim" for my grandpas. In my opinion memorial tattoos are super cool, if done properly. Two of only three men I'd ever think of getting their names tattooed anywhere on my body. Daddy being the other of course. Went to the races the weekend after my birthday. The NASCAR race at Kansas Speedway. Needed to narrow it down, saying I went to the races is like saying Kyle Busch got pissed off and spun someone into the wall. (happens a lot for you non race fans out there) Always a good time. Did really well. I was very proud of myself. Usually there's some pretty good tailgate fare at the track. None of it bandster friendly. Came out of it two pounds lighter than going in. HOT DAMN! :Banane25: In other news the new job is great. Loving it. It's refreshing to work for a company that cares about its employees. Been there a little over a month and can actually see myself retiring from there if they'll have me after I finally graduate from college. Hubby has finally come around about this. Took him long enough. lol He's noticed the huge (or maybe not so huge :huh2:) difference in me since surgery. I can wear stuff he's never seen me wear that's been laying around the house. He's been begging me to get rid of most of the stuff I can wear now. Why do we do that ladies? Keep clothes around that without a small miracle (LAP-BAND®®®®®® in our case) will never fit us again in a million lightyears? Any suggestions? Went back to get my third fill. Pretty much at my sweet spot I think. I lost 6 pounds last month so I'm getting there. Slow and steady wins the race people. I'm up to 40 total pounds lost. My goal is 100 so I'm 10 pounds from half way there. That's the huge goal to meet right now. Since I never thought I'd get here. Figured out I can't have ANY TYPE OF BREAD. Tortillas, cookies, cake, bread, anything that you can ball up and throw at someone basically. Forget it. Had a VERY bad experience with a half a biscuit a couple weeks ago. :puke:NOT MY IDEA OF A GOOD TIME! However, never once have I eaten too much and made myself sick. That was my biggest fear going into this. It's amazing how my quality of life has went up. I'm actually writing this after reading all of my previous blogs from starting my journey. Holy cow how far I've come. I do notice though that I never waivered on my choice to do this. Never will. I'd do it again, in a heartbeat. Still sticking to an Atkins based structure. Pretty much high protein all the way for me. A lot of people ask me how much I've lost. When I talk to or see people I don't spend much time with that's the first thing they ask me. As if that's the only way they see me. I've told them to stop asking. I appreciate their concern for my well being and progress, but it creates a stigma about me and my LAP-BAND®®®®®® brothers and sisters that I don't like. I'm the same Erika I've been all my life, just skinnier. In my opinion it creates a worse relationship with food than I had before. They're constantly watching what/how much I'm eating. Not for me. Makes me nervous. I don't want them making special menus or only going to restaurants that serve fish (my protein of choice) when I go out to dinner with them. No. That's not what this is about nor is it why I did it. I've become weirdly shy about certain things as I've gotten older.......Maybe shy isn't the right word. Adult. Conservative. Discreet. Whatever, I don't want to be the one that puts the wrench in everyone elses plans. If I can't eat where the majority of people want to go, I'll sip my ice tea in peace and enjoy the pleasure of everyone's company, then eat when I get home. I want them to see me as the Erika I've always been, only skinnier, as I said. This has changed my life. It's amazing the difference it's made. There are no words to describe it. This site has saved me from the brink a few times. You guys are awesome. Keep up your great losses everyone. Talk to you all later.