tonya66

Wow, what an inspiration you are. Self image is somthing that we always will have to work on, so keep working on it. ONe thing that helps me is looking at my before pics, and comparing them to a recent pic. Try it, you will be happy with how far you've come.

When they make that comment, simply reply "I have to disagree with you, it is not easy for me to get out and workout 4 and 5 hours a week, nor is it easy for me to stick to low carb, however, I chose to do it." If it was easy for me to lose weight at 31, I would have not needed my little helper. Congratulations on your success by the way, your doing great and don't let those comments get your down.

Get back to the basics, follow the rules. Don't get discourage if you are a slow loser. I was a very fast loser the first 6 months, but the past year, it takes everything I have in me to lose 1 lbs. Stay on top of your fills. Make sure you are at your sweet spot, stick to lean Proteins, eat them first. and DON'T DRINK AND EAT. Drink Water right up until time to eat, then stop. I know its easier said than done, but you can do it. The thing about the band is it is very forgiving, it is still with you,now you just have to start using it as a tool and it will help you. Best wishes. PS - Your not a failure, you haven't quit, so chin up and get back to the basics.

Congratulations and I look forward to watching your journey. I don't know many docs who have the band, but have read on here where a lot of nurses have the band.

When you say your weight is 100lbs? Are you stating 100lbs overweight? As previous posters have stated, make sure you do lots of research, there are many changes that you will have to make FOR LIFE. Something you might want to read: Rules of the Road What you need to know about living with the band By Robin McCoy When you begin the decision-making process to have Weight Loss Surgery (WLS), and specifically Lap Band® Surgery, it is vital that you fully understand the changes you must make in your lifestyle. WLS is not a magic pill. Weight loss is something that you must work at to be successful. There are several rules and circumstances that someone who has undergone Lap Band® Surgery, a “Bandster,” must follow and understand to see success and have a high quality banded life. Drinking Before and After Meals Not drinking during meals is, by far, one of the most important things to learn and is vital to your weight loss success. It is also one of the most challenging. Stop drinking all liquids at least 30 minutes before your meal. This allows all that is in your pouch to drain through to the lower stomach. Therefore your pouch is empty when you eat allowing the food to fill you up properly. Forgo all beverages during your meals. Drinking during a meal flushes the food through your band and the band is unable to function properly. Most people will have 2, 3 or even 4 glasses of liquid with meals. Servers in restaurants, trained to keep customers happy, will keep beverage glasses full throughout the meal. This is unhealthy for bandsters and sabotages their success. State firmly and clearly that you do not want a beverage. From personal experience, I know the often bewildered looks that follow the statement: “nothing to drink for me,” but diligence is the key. Like most changes required after the Lap Band® procedure, not drinking with meals gets much easier with time. Having now lost over 100 pounds, I no longer have difficulty asking my server not to bring me a beverage! Do not drink for an hour after a meal.The main reason is the same as drinking during your meal. Liquids wash the food through the band defeating its purpose. Another reason not to drink after a meal is if your pouch is full the beverage might not have anywhere to go…except backwards resulting in a spit-up. Suffice it to say that food and liquids making a return visit is not satisfying. By starting this practice immediately, at the next meal, you will be well on your way to a successful banding experience. Smaller Bites. More Chewing. Slower Eating. Begin to recognize and understand what a Bandster Bite is. At your next meal look at your bite size. Look at the amount of food on your fork and remember it. Now, cut that bite in half. This is the Bandster bite size after surgery. Now, cut that bite in half. This is the size of a Bandster bite after the first fill or adjustment. After each fill the bite size will get smaller until the bandster is eating toddler-sized bites. The reason for this is so the bite can be chewed completely to a liquid before swallowing. The next point is chewing. It is very important that food is completely chewed. Before swallowing ensure the food is a liquid. As the weight loss progresses the opening from the pouch to the lower stomach will be getting smaller. Therefore the food needs to be chewed more thoroughly. If a piece of food is too big to go through the stoma, or opening, it will get "stuck". This can be very painful. Slower eating becomes inevitable. Eating too fast encourages bigger bites. The bigger bite means the food isn’t chewed properly and it can get stuck. As a Bandster with over 18 months in, I still find myself falling into this trap. I get excited, chatting with friends and just forget to pay attention. A Bandster’s Eating Order Lap Band patients have a specific order in which to eat their food. It is important that there is enough Protein in the diet to keep the bodies moving properly. Therefore, the protein should be eaten first. WLS patients need 40-60 grams of protein every day. This can come in a variety of ways. Protein shakes, cheese, fish, beef, chicken, soy. The challenge comes when only certain foods can be tolerated. Also, it is important that the protein is a “hard” protein (chicken, beef, and fish) if possible. It shouldn’t all come from protein shakes and cheese. The vegetables should be eaten second, and carbohydrates/starches last (if there is room). Proteins last longer in the pouch and take longer to process through the band allowing you to feel full sooner and maintain satiety longer. Hard proteins are the most difficult for a Bandster to consume. The hard proteins need to be more moist, more tender and chewed more completely than any other type of food. Generally speaking, proteins are the foods that get “stuck” most often and cause spit ups. This happens because the bite isn’t small enough and/or, because the protein hasn’t been chewed sufficiently before swallowing. For the record, beef is generally the most difficult food for Bandsters to eat. Beef is one of the most difficult foods for humans to digest. It can take several days for a piece of steak to actually work its way through the digestive track. And that’s on an un-banded person! So, if you eat a piece of steak and it isn’t chewed it up completely, it can sit in the pouch for an extended amount of time. Further, the stomach acids that help an un-banded person process beef are not present in the pouch and therefore are not there to help the body break the beef down. Remember each and every person is different so you will have to test your own waters. Some Bandsters have no trouble with beef whatsoever; others won’t go near it. From personal experience I know that each Bandster will figure out what he or she can or cannot tolerate through trial and error. Trust me when I say that tolerances change; one day ground beef is fine and the next you realize it isn’t any longer. You must be willing and able to adapt to sudden changes in your body’s ability to process certain foods. The Constant Quest for Restriction; Not enough vs. too much Restriction.No one can really describe it but everyone wants it. You have restriction when your band is adjusted to the point where you can eat 3-5 bites of well-chewed food and you are full. When this happens you have what is called good restriction. You are too loose, or open, if you don’t feel full after just a few bites.You are able to eat more on a consistent basis than before. Maybe your weight loss has slowed or stopped. This is when it is time for a fill, or adjustment, in your band. You are too tight when you can eat very little solid food or worse—none at all. If you are so tight that only liquids go through your band or you are spitting up too often this is too tight. If you can’t keep liquids down this is a medical issue and you must get some removed. You run the risk of becoming dehydrated. Being too tight is not a good thing! Not only are you not getting the nutrition your body needs to function properly but it can also bring on a slippage in your band. If this happens you will require minor surgery to repair it. Now that you know a little about what restriction is, let’s get a little deeper. There are three points to learn: 1. The first thing to understand is that every banded person feels restriction differently. So to compare yourself to others is difficult. 2. Also the amount of Fluid in the band and the stomach’s reaction, or restriction, to it is a varied as the Bandsters reading this now. Everyone’s stomach is a different size and reacts to the band differently. It is fine to compare fluid levels but don’t get too caught up in “I have this and they have that”. 3. Finally, your level of restriction can change day to day. It can change meal to meal in some cases. You are now asking, “How in the heck do I deal with that?” My answer is trial and error and learning about your band. Let us go back to the beginning. Immediately after surgery you will feel restriction. The surgeon usually doesn’t put any fluid in your band during the surgery. The restriction you feel is the swelling of your stomach and it’s adjustment to the band that has suddenly been wrapped around it. You won’t get your first fill until 4-6 weeks after surgery. You will be on Clear Liquids and they will fill you up quickly for the first few days. Then they will stop filling you up you will begin to feel hungry. About this time you will be allowed to eat mushy foods like mashed potatoes, creamy Soups, etc. You will find that you eat just a few bites and you are full. This is great! Who knew a ¼ can of Soup would be enough? This is going to be a piece of cake. It isn’t going to last. Shortly this won’t satisfy and you will be moving on to solid food. That feeling of restriction comes back. A slice of turkey and you are stuffed! This doesn’t last either. At about 4 weeks, sometimes earlier, you will start to feel hunger again. You feel like you are eating everything. Your weight loss has slowed or stopped. You start to freak out. “Where is my restriction?!” you cry. This is a difficult time but one that every Bandster gets through.Just be patient and let yourself finish the healing process. Watch what you eat and know that you are not eating anywhere near what you were pre-band. The unfilled band supplies a certain amount of restriction and you won’t hurt your progress. Your first fill will bring you back to the restriction point right after surgery. You will eat a few bites and feel full. You will start losing weight pretty quickly. You want to make sure you are eating your protein first, vegetables second and any starches last. This will ensure satiety. This fill will usually last several weeks. Then it starts to loosen up. Your second fill is the one that usually kicks a Bandster in the butt. This is where they learn what not chewing thoroughly and taking bites that are too large can do. And so it goes. Some Bandsters need one fill others need more. I had 4 over the course of the first year. I heard of one woman that lost 80 pounds on her first fill. This is why I stress not comparing yourself to your banded friends. It brings on frustration and we have spent enough time in our lives comparing ourselves to others. Now is the time to stop. One of the largest environmental factors that make our band feel tighter is stress. I never truly understood what Bandsters were talking about when they said stress was tightening their band. That is until I started the process of buying a house. The stress of the pending inspection and what they might find had my band so tight I was barely eating. My band was so tight I cancelled my fill appointment. Let me say right now that I learned from this experience and you need to make sure you are getting the right Vitamins in to ensure your health. I wasn’t in any danger but I was very tired and was bruising like crazy! Well, the inspection went well. I got my house and my band opened back up. Food started going through more smoothly and I started eating better. Other environmental factors can be tiredness, excitement, sadness, or just the fact that it is morning. Many Bandsters find they can’t eat until after 11 AM every day. I don’t know if this satisfies your curiosity of what restriction is or what you are to do with it. I do hope you understand that everyone is different and it is a learning process. You will learn what it feels like for you to have good restriction and when your band is talking to you. Being “stuck” and “spitting up” As WLS patients we have a few fun words we use. Some are nice and some are not. You will hear “PB” which means “Productive Burp”. I prefer the simple term “spit up”. What does “stuck” mean?Stuck means that what you have eaten won’t go through the opening between your pouch and lower stomach. This is called your “stoma”. The bite is too big to go through (meaning you didn’t chew it enough), it isn’t something that moves smoothly through the band (lettuce), or you just ate too darn much. When a bite of food goes through your esophagus and hits your pouch it has one of two places to go…through the band or back. If all is well it will go through with no problem either now or later. If it can’t make it to the pouch or through the stoma it will result in a spit up. Understand that this is something that will happen to you and to every bandster out there. Call it a side-effect or whatever you like but it will happen. The questions are what causes a spit-up, what it feels like, what to do when it happens, and how to avoid them. Remember, things can change day-to-day, heck even meal to meal. This is the nature of the beast. Frustrating? Yes. Small price to pay? I think so. What causes a spit up is easy.The bite it too big, you took one or two too many bites, you didn’t chew properly, or it is simply a food that you can’t tolerate right now. It is up to you to determine which of the above it true. Trust me… you will learn to determine this. What does if feel like?You will know. The best way I can find to describe the feeling is when you drink a big gulp of Water and it goes down with air. You get this pain in your chest that makes you feel like something is going to bust out. That is what it feels like when something is stuck. It can be minor or it can hurt like a son-of-a-gun. Some bandsters say their bodies tell them when they are finished eating and need to stop. Some Bandsters start to salivate which is their body’s way of washing the food through. Some, me included, get a heavy sigh or exhale; this tells us we are full. Don’t worry; you too will learn to read what your body is telling you…even if you don’t now. What should you do when it happens? Stop eating is the first thing. It doesn’t matter if it is your first bite or your fifth. A spit up is your body’s way of telling you that you are full. This is your band in full-alert. It is telling you that you are done and to put the fork down. Many times you can stop eating and just wait it out. Until you are used to it you might get the “deer in the headlight” look. Soon you will just adjust. If it doesn’t go away then you need to deal with it. Dealing with it means excusing yourself and heading to the bathroom. A spit up is just that. I compare it to a baby spit up. It should never be what you classify as vomiting. This is hazardous for a Bandster and should be avoided as it can cause slippage. There is a very large difference in spit ups and vomiting. How to avoid them?Well, that comes with experience and a willingness to acknowledge when your “food police” tells you to stop. Very quickly you should learn when your band tells you to stop. I found that after my 2nd fill my band was at attention and told me when I was full. This is when I experienced my first spit ups and found foods that I could no longer tolerate. One of the most difficult things to get your mind around is just how little you will be eating. Your band tells you that you are full but your brain engages and says, “You haven’t eaten nearly enough!” So you take that extra bite or two. Then there it is…the feeling in your chest…your eyes get big…and saliva fills your mouth. The biggest point I want to get across to you is that, while normal, spitting up is not necessarily a good thing. You don’t want to be doing it every day and certainly not every meal. If this is happening you need to take a good look at what you are eating, how big your bites are, how much you are eating and to what level you are chewing. Be aware at the beginning and it will become more of a habit soon enough. Surgery Is Not a Magic Pill Surgery is not the magic pill we have all been waiting for. You will not wake up thin. You must be willing to meet the band half way. You will lose weight at a different pace than your friends. You must change your behavior for this to work. It is a tool—and nothing more. An electric mixer is easier than mixing by hand but you still have to follow the recipe for the cake to taste good. Right now you should be asking yourself one question—“Am I ready to go the distance?” It can be a joyful journey with the highest of highs. Moments that are so thrilling and uplifting that you don’t think you will ever come down. It is also a frightening journey as we venture into unfamiliar territory of who we are and where we are going. You are not going down this path alone. There are many Bandsters ahead of you on this path that are ready to help you along the way and take you with them to the next level. So I ask, “Are you ready to go the distance?”

I did pretty good this weekend with my eating, plan on going to check out a new gym tonight. I got a 1 week free membership and I hear they have an awesome, surround sound cardio room with a huge plasma tv. I went out to eat on Friday night and stuck to my plan, except ended up having a margarrita. yum yum it was good. Didn't weigh on Saturday or Sunday. Just focussed on eating clean. Wt 169.0 - I think I'm holding a little water, TOM is due. Now, my goal for the week is GET TO THE GYM and do 5 hours of exercise this week!

I did pretty good this weekend with my eating, plan on going to check out a new gym tonight. I got a 1 week free membership and I hear they have an awesome, surround sound cardio room with a huge plasma tv. I went out to eat on Friday night and stuck to my plan, except ended up having a margarrita. yum yum it was good. Didn't weigh on Saturday or Sunday. Just focussed on eating clean. Wt 169.0 - I think I'm holding a little water, TOM is due. Now, my goal for the week is GET TO THE GYM and do 5 hours of exercise this week!

ditto to the previous post. I will say the closer you get to goal, even though its hard to lose a pound, every pound makes a huge different. 2 or 3 lbs can sometimes make me go into a whole size downward. Remember when it took 10 to 20 pounds to go down a size? So keep you head up, even though it takes longer to lose lbs, it makes a bigger difference now. We're about the same size I think, not sure how tall you are, but I'm 5'5 1/2 and weighing in at 167. Last night I was at Bass Pro Shop and decided to try on these pants, guess what size I fit into - 8!!!!! This was the first time I fit into an 8!!!!! Most of my clothes I buy I have to take a 10. But I believe another 5 lbs I will be buying a size 8! You will have to tweak your diet too, and up the exercise. Again, best wishes to you.

I was feeling the same way, and finally my daughter told me that a lady at church said something to her. She asked her if I had lost weight, she said she was scared to say anything or didn't want to hurt my feelings by asking. I think a lot of people just feel like it would bring attention to the fact that we were "big" and don't say anything. Trust me, THEY NOTICE. You notice, so don't feel bad and keep going to goal.

This is very common, some people cannot eat anything in the mornings, and have to wait until afternoon to eat anything at all. Its one of the side effects with the band I believe. Not sure why there is more restriction, but I know its common. When you get a fill, I suspect you may be one of the ones that will not be able to eat in the am but perhaps you could have a Protein shake? Best wishes.

Thanks michellelei, I think you should keep track of your weight, but I also think month to month pics are important too. Sometimes the scales don't show much, however, inches do and your pictures will show the difference when the scales do not. Best wishes to you and congratulations on your surgery.

Consultation with Doc 11/24/06 - 248.9 Surgery Date 1/18/07 - 226 1 mo post op (Feb 18)- 206.8 2 mo post op (March 18) - 198 3 mo post op (April 18th)- 193 4 mo post op (May 18th)- 184.2 5 mo post op (June 18th(- 178 6 mo post op (July 18th)– 174 7 mo post op (Aug 18th)- 178 - went on vacation and ate big (7 day cruise) 8 mo post op (Sept 18th)- 174 9 mo post op (Oct 18th)- 170 10 mo post op (Nov 18th) - 167 11 mo post op (Dec 18th) - 170 - haven’t even been trying 12 mo post op (Jan 18th 2008)- 174 - again, not trying. But finally refocused - exactly where I was at 6 mos post op – so basically no weight loss in the past 6 mos 13 mo post op (Feb 18th) - 183 - Ouch! started taking steroids and made my weight go up, along with not eating right and no exercise! 14 mo post op (March 18th)- 185 - grrrrr 15 mo post op (April 18th)- 180 - weight is finally going down, but inches are actually coming off faster since I've been exercising a lot. 16 mo post op (May 18th)- 178 17 mo post op (June 18th)- 175 18 mo post op (July 18th)- 179- still not focussed:sad: 19 mo post op -(Aug 18th) - 178 - focussed again - This time I am committed to getting to goal and will not stray! I do not ever want to see the 180's again! 20 mo post op (Sept. 18) - 171 - :cool: 21 mo post op (Oct 18) - 168 22 mo post op (Nov 18) - 169 - I am focussed and doing good, but need to get back to exercising. I want to hit 160 by year end.

Consultation with Doc 11/24/06 - 248.9 Surgery Date 1/18/07 - 226 1 mo post op (Feb 18)- 206.8 2 mo post op (March 18) - 198 3 mo post op (April 18th)- 193 4 mo post op (May 18th)- 184.2 5 mo post op (June 18th(- 178 6 mo post op (July 18th)– 174 7 mo post op (Aug 18th)- 178 - went on vacation and ate big (7 day cruise) 8 mo post op (Sept 18th)- 174 9 mo post op (Oct 18th)- 170 10 mo post op (Nov 18th) - 167 11 mo post op (Dec 18th) - 170 - haven’t even been trying 12 mo post op (Jan 18th 2008)- 174 - again, not trying. But finally refocused - exactly where I was at 6 mos post op – so basically no weight loss in the past 6 mos 13 mo post op (Feb 18th) - 183 - Ouch! started taking steroids and made my weight go up, along with not eating right and no exercise! 14 mo post op (March 18th)- 185 - grrrrr 15 mo post op (April 18th)- 180 - weight is finally going down, but inches are actually coming off faster since I've been exercising a lot. 16 mo post op (May 18th)- 178 17 mo post op (June 18th)- 175 18 mo post op (July 18th)- 179- still not focussed:sad: 19 mo post op -(Aug 18th) - 178 - focussed again - This time I am committed to getting to goal and will not stray! I do not ever want to see the 180's again! 20 mo post op (Sept. 18) - 171 - :willy_nilly: 21 mo post op (Oct 18) - 168 22 mo post op (Nov 18) - 169 - I am focussed and doing good, but need to get back to exercising. I want to hit 160 by year end.

Scales are movimg down again! Yay! I have eaten clean all week, now if I could just make it to the gym, I would be a lot better! We're going out to eat tonight, and I've already decided what I'm going to eat, so I can be good and eat clean. Its hard too when your going to go eat Mexican. I have decided I will eat 5 chips and salsa, and order the chicken fahitas - which I will split with my hubby or daughter. And I'll get double beans. No flour tortias. wt - 169.1

Scales are movimg down again! Yay! I have eaten clean all week, now if I could just make it to the gym, I would be a lot better! We're going out to eat tonight, and I've already decided what I'm going to eat, so I can be good and eat clean. Its hard too when your going to go eat Mexican. I have decided I will eat 5 chips and salsa, and order the chicken fahitas - which I will split with my hubby or daughter. And I'll get double beans. No flour tortias. wt - 169.1

Thanks Shawn - my dad is doing great. He might get to go home this weekend. He said he feels like a new man. I've done soooo good at eating this week. I am actually proud of myself. Clean eating all the way even thru my stress. Now, if I could just get my rear to the gym! Have a good weekend everyone!

Wow, everyone is doing good. I am still holding steady, but I am hoping to break my plateau soon! I'm trying to switch up my diet and really focus on nothing but clean eating.

I really don't eat that differently, just healthier and not as much. I will tell you, people will begin to suspect you have had surgery, just by your weightloss. The fact is, very few people are able to diet and keep the wieght off long term. So when someone loses a lot of weight, no matter how slow it is, people start to suspect it, and thats what has happened to me. I was prepared to answer the question "how are you losing weight", however, I was never prepared to answer the questions "did you get the lap band?". I have been asked that several times, and I asked why did you? and walk away. I have decided the next time someone ask me that, I'm going to ask How much do you make a year? I am going to put them on the spot and just show them how rude their question is! If I wanted you to know, I would tell you. I think its rude for someone to ask about your medical history and anything too about your medical proceedures. Again there is a law called HIPAA for a reason. Everyone and I mean everyone has a right to keep their medical history private. Its our right. Its also your right to tell if you chose.

I always just order water and drink until my meal comes, then quit. No one has ever noticed yet that I am not drinking with my meal. Of course, some docs want you not to drink 30 min before meal, however, my doc said I can drink right up until I start eating. Then don't drink for 1 hour afterwards.

Congratulations! Good job!

Life has been fast paced, haven't had much time to post. I'm focussing on eating more, but eating the right stuff. I think I haven't been eating enough calories. I'm also focussing on eating LOW CARB, Low fat, and lower calories. I either don't eat enought on days, or I eat all the bad stuff. I'm focussing on CLEAN eating. Wt - 170.1

Life has been fast paced, haven't had much time to post. I'm focussing on eating more, but eating the right stuff. I think I haven't been eating enough calories. I'm also focussing on eating LOW CARB, Low fat, and lower calories. I either don't eat enought on days, or I eat all the bad stuff. I'm focussing on CLEAN eating. Wt - 170.1

Well, my life has been so stressed out lately, however, I HAVE NOT TURNED TO food. I'm done good with my eating and trying to make sure I make good choices. I'm focussing right now on Low carb, low calorie and measuring my food. My dad had been sick for awhile, turns out he had 99% blockage in his main artery, (the one they call the widow maker) and an aneursym. The aneursym was about to burst, and if it did, you have a 3% chance of survival. Well they couldn't fix the anerusym because his he would die of a heart attack on the operating table the doc said. They couldn't do a bypass because he would need blood thinners and the blood thinners would make the aneurysm bleed out (it was already leaking at this point). We were racing against time on Tuesday. So what they did was do a balloon to clear out as much of his blockage as possible, and the surgery was successful, they needed to do bypass or at least a stint, but can't do it until the aneurysm is fixed, but they said they would temp fix his heart. Well, then come Wednesday (yesterday) they did his aneurysm surgery. They said he only had 30% chance of survival, and when they got in there to fix it, they realized he was bleeding in there, as well as it was about to burst. They did the surgery not a second too soon. The doc said he was so lucky and most people would have been dead. First, with that must blockage (99%), he should have had a massive heart attack and second, with the aneurysm leaking, it should have burst. He said someone was watching over him. Every doc and nurse that has come to see him has told him he is lucky to be alive. So, as you can see, I've been so worried about my dad, then I go get my yearly exam, and I find out my uterus is basically about to fall out of me. Its pushing on my bladder and it could push it down. I'm having an ultra sound next week (Monday the 24th) and that will determine if I need a full blown hysterectomy (sp). So, I'm ready for some calmness in my life. I'm ready for Thanksgiving so I can have 4 days off of work and I plan on doing NOTHING!

Yes yes yes, we want to see the puppy pics. I wish I could smell them. lol. I'm weird, but I love puppy breath, everyone thinks that is weird, but I wish they could bottle puppy breath. lol Well, my life has been so stressed out lately, however, I HAVE NOT TURNED TO food. I'm done good with my eating and trying to make sure I make good choices. I'm focussing right now on Low carb, low calorie and measuring my food. My dad had been sick for awhile, turns out he had 99% blockage in his main artery, (the one they call the widow maker) and an aneursym. The aneursym was about to burst, and if it did, you have a 3% chance of survival. Well they couldn't fix the anerusym because his he would die of a heart attack on the operating table the doc said. They couldn't do a bypass because he would need blood thinners and the blood thinners would make the aneurysm bleed out (it was already leaking at this point). We were racing against time on Tuesday. So what they did was do a balloon to clear out as much of his blockage as possible, and the surgery was successful, they needed to do bypass or at least a stint, but can't do it until the aneurysm is fixed, but they said they would temp fix his heart. Well, then come Wednesday (yesterday) they did his aneurysm surgery. They said he only had 30% chance of survival, and when they got in there to fix it, they realized he was bleeding in there, as well as it was about to burst. They did the surgery not a second too soon. The doc said he was so lucky and most people would have been dead. First, with that must blockage (99%), he should have had a massive heart attack and second, with the aneurysm leaking, it should have burst. He said someone was watching over him. Every doc and nurse that has come to see him has told him he is lucky to be alive. So, as you can see, I've been so worried about my dad, then I go get my yearly exam, and I find out my uterus is basically about to fall our of me. Its pushing on my bladder and it could push it down. I'm having an ultra sound next week (Monday the 24th) and that will determine if I need a full blown hysterectomy (sp). So, I'm ready for some calmness in my life.

Have I told you guys lately how much I HATE THOSE DAMN SCALES? I swear, I want to just kick the living H-E-L-L out of those scales. I swear, I think they have a mind of their own and just wants to taunt me at times. I REFUSE, let me say it again, I REFUSE to stay at where I'm at. I don't care, I will not quit at 170 or 165, I MUST get to my goal. I did not have this surgery to lose just 80% of my excess weight, I had the surgery to lose all 100% of it and thats what I intend to do, no matter HOW LONG it takes. So I will beat those darned stubborn scales, I will do it, they will NOT win. Last week I weighed in at 167, this week I'm at a freaken 4 lb gain, what in the world? I did have a lot of sodium this weekend, so i'm hoping if I drink lots of water it will flush the water weight out. I think I need to throw the darned scales away if they aren't going to be nice to me! Kity - sorry your feeling bad, hope you have a speedy recovery!