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bbbanded chronicles
 

Nobody told me..

That shedding 100 pounds wouldn't make me feel good. Once the glory of fitting into size 14 jeans and large tops wears off there is really nothing to be happy about. I was just as healthy, if not more considering before there were no foreign objects in my abdomen and no slits on my torso, as I am now, but my brain feels exactly the same.   I used to cry because I thought being thinnER would make me so happy, and would change everything, when in reality the only thing is changed is what I'm crying about. Now I cry because I did so much to get here and my heart and my brain both ache just the same.   Take a look a look under that silver lining.
bbbanded

bbbanded

8
newmeIowa's Blog
 

One week away! 6 lbs down

Thanks to everyone for their kind words and encouragement. I've lost 6 lbs on the liquid diet and I'm still 7 days away from surgery. I made it through the graduation and party without 'cheating' but it was the leftovers yesterday when it was just my immediate family that did me in - a snuck a bit of walking taco, potato salad and of course cake. AND it showed on the scale today! I'm forgiving myself and starting new today. It's surprisingly hard to get 1200 calories in a day with just liquid. I'm thrilled with myself, honestly, who knew I actually had WILL POWER! My family was feeling sorry for me, but I don't feel sorry for myself at all - I'm just so darn excited about the new me that is taking over! This time next week I'll be done with surgery and hopefully out of recovery, in my room (NOT dry-heaving) and looking forward to my new life as a healthy person.
newmeIowa

newmeIowa

3
Lirri's Blog
 

Up and at 'em!

Just a quick blog post while I have this on my mind.   I need to drink more water. My goal today is to drink all the water I need to when I am supposed to. I have 12 oz down so far this morning.   I woke up a few times last night to use the restroom and to re-up my pain pills, but then I went right back to sleep. I got out of bed at 8:30 and started drinking water. One of the things I've been religious about is taking a shower. I feel so much better after my showers. Completely energized.   What do I plan on doing today? I think first thing is I'm going to get out and do some walking this morning. I will try to get three sessions of walking in today.   My mobility is a lot better today. I sat up out of bed without my stomach muscles screaming at me. And I had to pick up a towel off of the floor this morning without any pain. All good things!
lirri

lirri

0
Kulita's Recipes
 

Homemade Whey and Homemade Cottage Cheese

For those who are looking for an alternative to the powdered whey or just want something a bit more natural, this recipe is for you!   Prep Time:10 min Cook Time: 30 min Inactive Prep Time: 3-4 hours   Ingredients:   1 Gal Pasteurized 2% Milk (grass fed is best) 1/2 cup white vinegar or fresh lemon juice 1 ½ tsp salt (for the curds) ½ cup of half & half Kitchen or tea towel Any flavoring or spices you want     Directions:   Get your milk to slowly heat up on med to low heat. Watch for this so it doesn't get too hot. Heat to 120 degrees F.   When you notice a lot of bubbles around the rim of the sauce pan gently add the vinegar or lemon juice and stir it around. The mixture should separate pretty quickly into curds and whey within 2 minutes. If it doesn't separate just add a little more vinegar or lemon juice a Tbsp at a time waiting 2 minutes between each Tbsp until it begins to separate.   Remove from the heat once they start to seperate. The curds are the solid looking things and the whey is the liquid. Cover the pot and allow it to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.   Get a strainer and place a tea towel/kitchen towel in it. Below the strainer place a bowl or other container that will allow you to catch the whey and keep it separate from the curds. Allow to drain for 10 minutes.   Gather up the edges of the cloth and rinse under cold water for 5 minutes, squeezing and moving the mixture the entire time. Once it has cooled, squeeze the cheese into the cloth as dry as possible and put into a mixing bowl. Combine the salt and break down the curds into bite sized pieces. Add the half & half and store in a tight lid container in the fridge.     Place the whey in a tight lid container in the fridge. Once it has completely cooled add any flavoring ingredients. Some suggestions for flavoring: Nutmeg, cinnamon, honey, chocolate… just test it out and see what works for you. The taste is a little different for some people, and it can be diluted with water, or juice. It has a slight tang to it and many who enjoy yogurt, kefir, and buttermilk will mostly enjoy the fresh whey. Additionally, this can be used to make mashed potatoes.   These are the same products many of us buy in the store except the whey is not dehydrated and both the whey and cheese won’t have any weird additives in it.   Yields about 13 cup of whey and about 3 cup of curds   Whey is about 3.3 grams of protein per oz Curds is 2 grams of protein per oz.
kulita

kulita

3
NeverBeTheSameAgain's Blog
 

MY 521LB LIFE part 4

I hope this will be the last part...lol Me: Really, u cant know who this is. Him: Yes, I do I dont giving my # 2 all kinds of women Me: Y me? Him: I dont kno, I was just lead 2. Me: um hum, game Him: no, seriously..I was walking by & I saw u, I thought she's beautiful but u looked so sad & I said 2 myself I would really like 2 make her day, so I did. Me: yea ok. So we talked for what seemed like hrs. Time flew by & it was time 2 go get my son, so I packed up my baby, got in the truck, picked up my son all while on the phone with HIM. I couldnt believe that I was talking 2 another man but his accent intrigued me & I just wanted 2 know more & more. Well, once I got home Josh was sitting on the couch in his usual spot, he asked me where I had been all day..I told him at my mom's & he said so u just dont give a damn if I dont have a way 2 get around or nothing 2 eat? I said no its not like that but in my head I was think hell no I dont care, I had reached my boiling point with him. We started a routine, as soon as I got in the house with the kids he would grab the keys from me & be gone until 2-3 in the morning, in my heart I knew we were done. While he was doing his dirt as he had been for 7yrs, I was developing a friendship with the "kroger's dude"...lol It wasnt about anything but convo, we would talk about my marriage, our kids, his baby moma & just life period. He was awesome, he was actually concerned about me & who I was, he would tell me if I ever needed 2 tlk I could call him, he would tell me how unhealthy my situation was..he never judged me for sticking around so long...he was my friend. One night, Josh called me & said that he wasnt coming home until the next day because of whatever reason he was giving, I was like ok um hum thats fine..I didnt put up a fight & ask 1000 ?'s like I normally would. My focus was changing. He said, whats wrong with u & I said nothing just used 2 ur lies & drama. He said, whatever bye. So after we hung up, I called HIM & he asked how I was doing, the usual stuff & this time I told him exactly how I felt, my marriage was over & I deserve better for me & my boys ect. He said, yea u do but u have 2 make sure that this is wht u want & ur not acting off of anger, I said, Im done. Josh came home the next morning, i grabbed the keys & left with the boys, dropped me oldest at school & this time I went 2 visit HIM. When I got there, I sat in the car for what seemed like hrs before I called 2 tell him I was outside, because I went back & forth in my head about, Im doing the same thing Josh done 2 me & so what he gets what he deserves. Finally, I called HIM & told him I was there, he came outside..we tlked for hrs, I had the baby with me & he asked could he hold him, I said yes & my baby was content in his arms. It was weird but he was. On the way 2 my son's school, I felt bad like I was taking it 2 far, Josh is my husband, what about my kids, everything was going thru my head. Once, I got home as usual Josh was out the door but he said, " I know u tlking 2 another man but u not bold enough 2 do nothing else." I looked at him & all that doubt/fear in my head went away & I was sure about my next move. The next morning Josh came home, I left & once again I went 2 see HIM...that also became apart of the routine before I knew it, we had spent a whole 30 days 2gether & it was wonderful. One saturday I came home, I handed the keys 2 Josh & he said, "im not going anywhere 2day, so lets tlk." I said, about wht? He said," the man u tlking 2" I said, I dont know what ur tlking about" He said, I see how rushed u are 2 leave every morning, how u give me the keys at night with no hesitation, how u hide ur phone now, how u smiling when u get a txt message, u in love with him?" I said, I dont know wht ur tlking about", he got up & he punched me in my stomach, he slapped me, he cursed me out, he pushed me on the floor all while the kids were right there watching, he told me 2 call him & tell him it was over or he would kill me & the boys. So because I feared what he might do, I called HIM & told him it was over & I was going 2 work it out with my husband..HE said,"Wow ok if thats what u got 2 do" then he hung up. I was crying but it was because, I felt like I was going 2 loose my best friend forever. Josh took my phone, he deleted HIS #, messages anything that came from HIM. That night I told Josh EVRYTHING, I told him that I didnt need him & he was I was worth more than what he thought, I even said, "u aint the only man that wants me"...I told him how I loved HIM..how he cared about me & didnt judge me, how he made me feel needed & wanted at the same time, how he held my hand for hrs & just listened 2 me...I know yall thinkin that was crazy because Josh was abusive but I didnt care, all those yrs that he made me feel unloved, unworthy, guilty, ugly, fat, like nobody wanted me but him, like I wasnt good enough for real love..I had 2 tell him why & I was ready for the fight that came with it...I didnt care. The rest of that night was queit, after I put the boys 2 bed & got in the bed..he came in the room & sat in a chair by the foot of the bed. I tired 2 stay awake becuase I didnt know what he was going 2 do but I couldnt & I actually slept the best I ever had in yrs...its crazy because he sat there watching me ALL night crying. Can u believe that he was crying, as if he had never done anything 2 push me 2 this, as if I hurt him, as if he was faithful all those yrs while I cheated, as if all those feeliings I felt he now feels...2 be honest with yall I hoped he felt the way I did for the past 7yrs. 3 days later, we had an eviction letter on the door..he left that morning then he called me around 11 saying he got a place...I said,"ok when can we move in"..he said, "I guess u didnt hear me, I got a place". I said, "what about the boys?" he said, "oh yall will find something soon." I know that we having problems but how could he turn his back on his son's & not care if they had a place 2 live? Although, I found out over the yrs who this man was, it still amazed me that he was done with his son's too. I called HIM as soon as Josh hung up & I explained 2 him what happened & y I called him 2 tell him it was over. He said, " u hurt me, I have feelings for u that I never felt for anybody else, I didnt kno if he hurt yall or what, I called ur phone, u didnt answer, I txted & no response, I cant believe that u hurt me"...I started 2 cry & tell him how sorry I was & that I had all of those same feelings for him, he told me 2 come see him but I couldnt go with the bruises on my arms & neck, so I said no..he told me that he needed 2 see me. So all that night I put ice on me, creams anything that would lighten up those marks..I didnt own any make up, so I couldnt use that. The next morning, I got up took my son 2 school & I went 2 see HIM. As soon as he seen me he started 2 cry which was so odd 2 me but he said, "I thought that I would never see u again, & then 2 see u with these bruises from him hurting u, & I was not there 2 protect u" then he grabbed me & hugged me, he wouldnt let go..he went 2 the back seat where the baby was & he got him out & held him so tight. This man must really love us, but I had no idea about what real love was so I didnt say anything, I didnt kno what 2 say. On March 26, 2009 I was moving out of that old apt 2 my sisters house until I could get things in order. While I was in the house, Josh came over...I didnt know he was coming, I didnt even know how he got there. He said he was coming 2 get the rest of his things, so I let him & I didnt say a word 2 him. When I was in the bathroom, getting things from under te cabinet..he came in & locked the door, he started choking me..he punched me & then he rapped me! All I could hear was my kids scratching & crying at the door..the worst part was I was on my cycle. He didnt care, when he was done he told me that I was still his wife & whenever he wanted me he could have me no matter where I'm at, then he left. I was disgusted & I didnt know what 2 do...I was confused & lost, he was crazy but I didnt know how crazy until then. I got 2 my sisters house, I moved all of my stuff in, within a few days I found a job, me & HIM were getting much closer..finally things were starting 2 look up in my life. Me & the boys were happy & safe. Josh called me one day & asked me could I help him get his lights back on because he was in the dark with no food. Keep in mind he didnt want me 2 know where he was staying, that same place he got & wouldnt let my boys come 2, I told him dont ever call me again, I know who u are & it took me a long time 2 get here but I'm here & I aint turning around. Over the next 7 months he called me EVERYDAY, asking can we fix our marriage & saying how he will never hurt me again ect. I told him no & I kept living my life. I am now in my own place, & have been for the last 4yrs...I havent broken NO lease, I am at a full time GOOD job, my lights have never been off, my kids are in a Private Christian Academy,me & HIM are 2gether, Im getting sleeved June 3rd., we are planning 2 buy a house next year...life is GOOD. Josh, has 5 kids with 4 different mothers, has a girlfriend that has miscarried 2 times, 2 babies 5 days apart by the same girl mentioned in part 3 Keisha & Keturah, he is currently cheating on his girlfriend with those same girls. He has had his clothes burned, been put in jail for assault of 1 of them, no car, no job & no contact with his kids, he doesnt call, help out NOTHING. I tlked 2 his girlfriend the other day & she stood out there while he was in jail, tlking 2 me about why he was in there BUT what stood out the most is that she defended him & said how she loved him so much & at that moment I saw what I looked like after all those yrs. & I told her I feel sorry for u...oh yea, I know u didnt read anything about a divorce but thats because for the last 4 yrs he wouldnt sign the papers because he said when he's done doing all this he is coming back 2 his family. Anyway, we will be in court getting divorced June 26th rather he shows up or not! It tookn alot 2 get 2 this point but I lived thru all of that for whatever reason & it was sad, it was hard, it hurt ect but WE MADE IT & thats all that matters. I needed 2 get this out before I started my NEW life, I didnt want 2 take this with me in the O.R. when I started this process I still carried this burden but 2day, I leave it all behind! (HIM :wub: ) (my babies )
Kime-lou's Blog
 

Embarrishment

When my hubs ask his mom what her Mother's Day/Birthday Wish was, her answer was come up and see me.   My MIL lives in Ohio and we see her about once, sometimes twice a year. She is a sweet little lady and I want to make her happy. But, with my insane work issues these days, it has been hard for the hubs and I to set a date to go. Which seemed to make the MIL very sad, but she didn't say anything.   After some time and getting some training dates and such I figured out when I could manage to get a few days off work. So last night we called her and told her we were looking at the weekend of July 27th and wanted to make sure that would work for her. She was elated and said that she would make it okay, if that was the only time it would work for us. So date said, headed north that weekend.   My MIL cheerfully continued to talk a bit and ask how much had I lost now. I turned red faced! When she was here in November she took me shopping for new clothes, at that time I had lost right at 50 lbs. Now it is 6 months later and I am only 8 more lbs down. So I lied a touch- I told her I was down 60 lbs and I am only down 58- so not to bad. My MIL had a friend who lost 100 lbs in a year. I am afraid she is going to be disappointed when she sees me.   I know it shouldn't bother me and I should be happy with the results so far, but I want her to see me as a success not a failure.   For some odd reason I always feel a need to impress my MIL. When I first started see my hubs it took her a long time to warm up to me. I am 7 almost 8 years younger than my honey. While she didn't say anything to him, she ask mutual friends if they thought I was just going for him for his money or if I really love him. Of course that was a LOL because I had seen his bank statement and if I was in it for money I would have quickly broken up with him. Anyway, she was still not getting the warm and fuzzys when we married, she told me on our wedding day - "make my son happy and don't leave him". Her tone was one of if you hurt him I will hurt you! My husband's first wife walked out on him just said she didn't love him maybe never did. He was messed up from this for a while.   When I got pregnant the MIL was all of a sudden so happy that I was in his life. After all I was going to give her a grandbaby. Then we had to call her a few weeks later and tell her we had lost the baby- this killed me - I hated to hear the disappointment in her voice, but she was very sweet to me. Since that time she and I have gotten along very well.   All I want to do is please her, which is nuts. Hopefully, getting on the Vit D will help my weight start heading down- maybe I will be at the 60 mark by July! I hope so.
Kime-lou

Kime-lou

3
LosingToGive's Blog
 

Stagnant weight - break out the tape measure

It occurred to me today that my weight has been stagnant for 10 days... I remember when I thought holding the same weight for 10 days was some amazing accomplishment now it's some sort of curse and I'm growing impatient.   A good friend of mine gave me some advice that when the scale stalls bust out the tape measure. Woo - hoo Motivation. Inches decreased all over my body! What great advice!!! So I'm back to feeling positive and trying to remember that my body just dropped 50 lbs in 2.5 months it may need some recovery time.   My appetite is funny, some days I can only stand a few bites and other days I'm eating a decent amount. The crazy part is I seem to lose on the days I eat more. I know I know - the body needs fuel but I can only put in what I can stand.   Does anyone else have some advice for when weight gets stagnant?
LosingToGive

LosingToGive

0
KristyM's Blog
 

Help, Ladies! Yeast infections since surgery! OMG, TMI!

This is TMI, I know, but something has got to give!! Ok, I know this is not something we ladies like to discuss and being a private person makes this very uncomfortable, but I HAVE GOT TO HAVE SOME INPUT AND HELP! Since my surgery, I have had a yeast infection every month, without fail. Has anyone else experienced this???? If so, besides the normal medications/creams, what else did you do to help it? I have done some research on other sites, and a few folks have had this same issue. One said taking a probiotic helped, one said eating yogurt alot helps (and I do eat Greek yogurt at least 2 times a week), etc. I wonder if my body is in "shock" from all of the rapid changes and for some reason it is reacting this way???? Could it be a vitamin imbalance??? The first one started right after I came home, and I just marked it up to the catheter and antibiotics that I was given in the hospital---as we all know, it is totally normal to get a yeast infection from taking antibiotics, no big deal. But, the infections are returning with a vengence each month, and each one is worse than the month before. Any suggestions, similar experiences??? Signed, ON FIRE IN ALABAMA, AND NOT IN A GOOD WAY.
KristyM

KristyM

7
JACKIEO85's Blog
 

Compassion Lost...

I like to think that If someone is in pain I feel Empathy for that person and will do all I can to help. Since being Banded in 09 I've researched allot online and gone to numerous sites that promote forums for the Band. But the Thing that occurs consistently is the Lack of compassion for others If your going through a tough time, or went through it, SHARE your experience, research, or humor ( it goes along way to heal) about that experience. The people needing help don't always know the right thing to do, or questions to ask. Maybe their Doctor wasn't "the Best", and who's to judge? Do any of us really know all their is about our Health care professionals, or about the band? No, I think Not.   NO ONE PERSON has ALL the answers to LIFE or surgery   Negativity only breeds MORE Negativity. If someone said, you may only post FACTS, your experience is then irrelevant, and Thus, there is No need for forums like this, because we would only be able to view "The Facts" as presented by the manufactures, doctors, scientists, and researchers and then must take that as Fact. I personally believe Life experiences are more fact based at times than anything else but that is just my opinion ( and Yes I know we all have one )   Unfortunately, it's not only online that compassion has been lost, society as a whole seems lacking as well.. I guess I'll continue to listen to the little voice inside that keeps saying "If you can't say anything nice Don't say anything at all" Because I don't know everything, ( I've yet to meet someone that does) and I surely don't know what the Other person is going through right now..so I wish them, and You Well......
JACKIEO85

JACKIEO85

6
Pammers Johnson's Blog
 

Two Weeks Post Op & Soft Foods

I started some soft foods about day 11 instead of day 14. I've had ground turkey, canned chicken and tuna. As well as continuing my protein drinks and some chobani yogurt. Tonite I had a full meal for dinner. Some canned chicken, a small bit of yams, sppon of peas, 1/4 cup of cottage cheese and 1/4 of avocado. My daughter got me some small plates for Mothers Day. So it looks like lots of food. I wasn't able to finish my chicken tonite, I'm kind of tired of it I think. I also didnt have a protein drink this morning. I scrambled me an egg with Velveta cheese in it. I'm tired of the protein drinks. My daily protein has ranged from 41-72. I don't know when I will reach 80-90g of protein the dr recommended. I will try to get a protein drink down before bed.  
Pammers Johnson

Pammers Johnson

3
California Girl's Blog
 

Sleeved on May 21st, 2013

Hello Everyone,   Here is my VSG journey. I used a company called, A Lighter Me. I read their website and like what I read, so I made the call to find out if I was eligible. The girl who talked with me was very friendly and supportive. I was eligible and we started to plan when I could have it done. I live in Northern California, so flying down to Tijuana was easy. I chose Dr. Lopez to do my surgery. He was outstanding. Everything went very smoothly from start to finish. I had never been to San Diego Airport before. I made my way to baggage claim and then went outside and called my contact. I told him where I was standing and what colors I was wearing. He sent the driver over and he picked me up and took me to the Tijuana Marriott. He stayed with me while I got checked in. Then later, he brought the coordinator to see me and explain what time we would be going to Mi Doctor Hospital in the morning.   There were 3 other girls having surgery that day, so we all went together. We had a few tests to get through. Then we got our rooms. I put on the hospital gown and laid down in the bed. All the doctors who were going to be working on me came in and talked with me. We also got weighed prior to surgery. I was the 2nd one to have the surgery, about 10 am. I remember the doctor saying he was going to put something in my IV to make me go to sleep, and sleep I did! I was very groggy coming out of the anesthetic. I used the bed pan a couple of times and the 3rd time I asked for it, they made me get up and use the bathroom. My voice was soft and scratchy the first day. My stomach felt like I had done about 10,000 crunches. And I felt like I had hunger pangs. The first 24 hours are the hardest. I got very little sleep the first night. The next morning, the nurses want you to get up and take a shower, and you can put on your own clothes. I did take a shower, did my hair and put some makeup on and felt 100% better. They changed the dressing on the drain after the shower.Then I alternated resting and walking in the hall for exercise. We still had IV's in, that we had to roll around with us. My right shoulder was killing me the first day. But it faded away on the second day. Yea! On Thurs, May 23rd, we left the hospital about 11:30 am. Our coordinator took us on a little shopping excursion to Revolution St. That was fun. We did not have to walk much. And there were chairs to sit in if we wanted to sit. Then he stopped at a vendor and let us get a gelato type of ice. It was very good. Then we went back to the hotel. At the hotel I had chicken broth, and tomato soup and bottled water. Friday was a very restful day. Dr. Lopez came by and removed my drain and told me how to take care of myself. I felt really good. No trouble keeping liquids down, and the soreness was getting better and better each day.   On Saturday, we were taken back to the San Diego Airport to catch our various flights back to start our new life. I am feeling fine now. I am able to drink 2 protein drinks a day for 60 grams of protein, and I made some soup. I got a can of Progresso Beef and Barley, and a jar of baby food beef and mixed those 2 together, warmed it up and blended it smooth. I could eat about 5 tlbs at a time, so it lasted me 2 days. And I am drinking as much water as I can get down. Hope you enjoyed my story!
California Girl

California Girl

2
Lirri's Blog
 

First full day home

I'm writing this entry a bit early today. It's my first full day at home. I attached a screenshot of my MyFitnessPal progress for the day. I'm using MFP to ensure I'm getting all the protein I need while staying under the sugars and fats for the day.   I didn't sleep well at all last night. I'm hoping that the sleep gets better. I was able to get a few hours of sleep in from 2 to 5 am this morning before I finally got up. I didn't end up following the food schedule I wanted to today. Mainly because my sleep was all messed up. I'll try again tomorrow. I took all the meds and my multi-vitamin I was supposed to take and had a BM finally. I was worried about not having one. I had a little bit of help though, because I took a suppository.   One of the food suggestions during this phase for me is cream of wheat with a scoop of protein powder. I use chocolate light muscle milk to mix in and it tastes so good! My worry is that I don't have the ability to feel full yet so I'm eating it very slowly. Cream of wheat changes its texture very quickly to hard and dry once it's out too long. So I got two good bites in before it got hard and I couldn't eat anymore. Anyone with any suggestions would be nice. It's one only thicker consistency things I can eat right now and the taste is so lovely.   For dinner I decided to try some fat-free yogurt with the unflavored Unjury protein powder. I found is that once I mix the powder in to the yogurt, the yogurt is a little too watery. Probably the temperature causing that. And though it says it's unflavored, I could still taste there was something different about the yogurt. It's sort of the same reason I don't do those unflavored mix ins for fiber or drink miralax in water. I can always taste the change and it makes me not want to finish whatever it is I'm eating.   I decided to try out one of the trazodones that I had left over from last year when I stopped taking them to see if I could sleep this afternoon. I took a 50 mg tablet and it worked almost instantly. I slept for a little over 3.5 hours. Waking back up felt so nice.   My best friend made dinner for the family today. Spaghetti with italian sausage and some garlic bread. I snuck a small bit of the garlic bread and immediately felt icky. I chewed it up until the point where there was hardly anything in my mouth and swallowed. Then for about 10 minutes I felt like it was lodged inside my esophagus. That was a stupid move, one I won't make again.   I had 76 grams of protein today from the small amount of muscle milk I had in my cream of wheat, premium protein chocolate shakes - I had two to make up for not eating much at breakfast, and the unjury protein packet for dinner with my yogurt.   I'm getting tired of the current set of meal choices. I'll have to change some things up tomorrow to keep things interesting.   My mood today started on the sad side. But after waking up from my nap this afternoon I felt a little better. I need to get a little bit of walking in tonight before it gets much darker. I weighed myself and I'm close to losing all of the water weight gain from my time in the hospital. I peed so frequently yesterday that I dropped 6 pounds from morning until about 5pm. By tomorrow morning I should be back to my weight I was at before going into surgery.
lirri

lirri

2
dylanmiles23's Blog
 

my pool is opened for the season

Happy Memorial Day to everyone and thank you to all who have served us to protect us. So today I went dreaded swim suit shopping. My condo has a pool that just opened, too cold in Boston right now but Thursday- Saturday it will be 90 out. I like the 2 piece type, shorts and a top that hangs over. I tried on about 12 tops at JCPenney and about 4 bottoms. The bottoms were great but the tops looked like sh*t. So then I went to Macy's and tried on just 2 there and bought a suit. The bottom is pants with an over skirt, looks great, never tried one on before. The top is the type I like. MIL was very sweet and bought it for me. I usually don't spend a lot on swim suits especially when losing weight but this should fit the whole summer unless I have massive weight loss. The past 2 years I have been buying on line from Swimsuitsforall. Their prices are great and they have a large assortment of styles and sizes. I have even bought cover ups from them. When I looked in the mirror, OMG!, my thighs are so flabby. I told hub, I need a thigh /body lift. I like to wear shorts in the hot summer, too, so he suggested shorts that come to the knees. I don't do carpi, pants at all. I hope you all have a great swim suit buying day of a smaller size with a smile on your face, men, too. Arlene
dylanmiles23

dylanmiles23

2
Beli's Thoughts
 

It's harder than I imagined...

I had my surgery on May 23rd and today is my 4th day post-op. I was extremely calm before the surgery. I wasn't feeling any anxiety or fear at all but ooh boy, then it hit. After I was sitting home trying to gulp down my disgusting protein shake, I just started to sob. What have I done? I love food and now I can't touch it. Will it ever get better? Logically I know that it will but when I get like this I feel so helpless. Then of course my mind starts to wonder - I'm 30 years old, single, no love prospects. I broke it off with my boyfriend on my 30th birthday because I was tired of the drama yet here I am, wondering if I dial him with my caller ID off will he know it's me? So ridiculous! It's amazing how the beginning of this journey is bringing so many emotions that I thought I wouldn't have to deal with. I just want to say that reading the forums has been a tremendous help. You guys are some of the most positive people I have ever come across and you're truly an inspiration. I know you don't know me from Adam but you've been a tremendous help. And for that, I thank you.
beli

beli

5
Chaparra's Blog
 

3 month follow up visit

Had my 3 month appointment on 05/17/13. My doctor says I'm losing weight a little faster than expected, averaging about 3 1/2 pounds a week. I thought WTF? Don't get me wrong, I'm happy with that, but I thought it was a little slower than a lot of people. I know I shouldn't compare myself to others, but it's hard not to wonder why others are losing so much more than I am.   I went shopping over the weekend because I'm just tired of wearing clothes that don't fit right. What a frustrating experience. I'm still in the plus size section, but just can't seem to find anything that isn't ugly, to my at least. Of course, I'm shopping at stores that the clothes cost a little less because I know I won't be in them long and don't want to spend a lot of money on something that I will grow out of fast.   The other issues I'm having is although I look at myself in clothes and can't believe how skinny I look in them, when I take pictures, I still see that "bigger" woman that I was last year. It's hard to get those thoughts out of my mind.   I did go dancing on Saturday night, which I hadn't done in about 2 or 3 years and it felt so good to be able to dance through 3 or 4 songs without my ankles hurting or getting tired.
Chaparra

Chaparra

3
lellow's Blog
 

Hanging out for my next fill, I miss the green zone!

See, unlike a new bander, I know how good the green zone is to me. It's like those first few weeks after surgery when you don't feel hungry, have no desire to eat, can't imagine eating. That's what my green zone is like.   But I also know it took ages to get there the first time. I got to 8.5cc in a 10cc band to get to that point. At 4cc, which is what I have in my band now, I felt nothing. I feel nothing now.   I know my surgeon doesn't want to go too fast with the fills. He put in 2cc the last fill and I know that's aggressive, and I understand that it's a sensible thing to do to go slowly. It's a new band, I may have a different green zone, so he doesn't want to just throw 7cc in like they did after my body lift.   But it's killing me, the hunger. It's so freaking pervasive.   And doesn't it now make complete sense that I used to be big? My boyfriend eats the same amount as me and 2 hours later I'm hungry while he's still coasting. This ISN'T my head. I know better. I lived in my green zone for 3 years. Unless I eat to the brim I'm going to be hungry 2 hours later. So I used to eat way too much to feel as 'full' as my boyfriend does and for as long as he does on half the food.   In the green zone, I ate 1/3 what he eats and it lasted 4 hours at least.   I'm eating healthy and am exercising to maintain my weight now but it's HARD. No wonder people fall off wagon. It's bloody miserable! It wasn't this hard before.   This is why I love being banded. I know it works and works well once you have the right fill level in your band. I miss that feeling so much and I am hanging out to get there!
lellow

lellow

7
Lirri's Blog
 

First Blog Entry 3 days post-op

So here's my first blog post on the site. I just had my surgery on Friday, May 24, 2013 at OHSU in Portland, Oregon. The surgeon told my boyfriend, Will, that the surgery was textbook, and everything went very well. I woke up with a foley catheter and no drains, which I was very happy about. My pain has been manageable as long as I take my pain meds on a regular basis. I'm on liquid Tylenol and oxycodone for my pain. I was lucky in that my surgeon was able to call in a prescription for the tylenol to my local pharmacy so that I didn't have to buy a bunch of the smaller bottles over the counter.   A little background on what I went through leading up to surgery. I made the decision to get WLS in November 2013 after a second endoscopy showed that while my ulcers in my stomach and esophagus were healing, I had a hiatal hernia and needed surgery to fix it. Oh and I needed to lose weight, which would help with the acid reflux. I was at the point where I would wake up in the middle of the night choking on stomach acid that I was aspirating into my lungs. By December I was at OHSU going through their WLS orientation. It didn't take long for me to get all the testing done. I needed a pap and a parathyroid hormone test, and I had already had all the other tests completed in the last 3 months, my PCP just needed to send over the results to OHSU. I also completed a psych review.   One of the requirements from my insurance company before they would approve surgery is that I needed 3 consecutive months of visits to a dietician. I was travelling for work and ended up missing out on my February appointment and had to start over in March, April and May. My last appointment was on May 1st which is when OHSU submitted for approval. We heard back on the approval in a week and I was scheduled for surgery for May 24th. I think my journey from when I made the decision to have the surgery to my surgery date was a relatively short period of time with few hassles.   I had to make a lot of changes in a short amount of time including quitting smoking, soft drinks, and becoming more mindful of what I ate. I think the hardest thing for me was to slow down my eating. I am used to quickly eating and moving on to something else. I didn't like the idea of chewing for long periods of time and really didn't enjoy what the texture of food in my mouth after chewing it for a long time.   I have two kids, Brieanna is 15 -- she turns 16 in another month and Sylar, who is 11. I was lucky to have my children when I did because right after I had Sylar in 2001, I went menopausal.   Brie is a typical teenage girl who has ups and downs almost hourly. It's a roller coaster ride with her at times. She's finally figured out that her grades in high school are very important and has turned herself around academically. Sylar is very different from her sister, but just as smart and enjoys being athletic. I'm sure I'll mention the girls a lot if I continue blogging.   Let's see, I also have two cats. Mr. Mushy face is a lynx point himi and Zim is a black domestic short hair. I love my cats so much. I never thought of myself as a cat person yet four years ago my best friend suggested that I get a cat as a pet since I live in an apartment. I got both cats at the same time and they were such a welcome addition to my family.   I have a boyfriend, Will. We've been dating for a little over a year. We've had a lot of drama since we started dating. Brie really doesn't like the fact that I am dating again. I chose to stop dating in 2008 and focus on my children. Before that I was in serial relationships from the time I was a teenager. It was a good period of time for my family. Just me and the girls. When I decided to start dating again after 4 years of being single, Brie took it very hard. Every day we still are having to work through her passive aggressive tendencies with regards to Will. Though she's improved greatly over the year we've been dating. I'm just taking it one day at a time right now with the relationship. I don't know if it will last, but I'm going to give it my all while I have the chance.   I got home from the hospital around 11 am yesterday morning. I was really looking forward to being able to sleep through the night in my own bed. Yet here I am writing my first blog entry. Since it's Memorial Day weekend, I'm going to have to wait until Tuesday to call my PCP and get a follow-up appointment made for after the surgery. If I'm still having trouble sleeping, I'll bring it up with my PCP.   My anxiety level has dropped significantly since the surgery. Most of the things I was worried about were the unknown aspects of the surgery. What was my pain level going to be? Would I be able to tolerate anything in my pouch after the surgery? What about drains? Luckily I didn't have any drains when I woke up and I'm tolerating everything I've tried so far. I haven't had any nausea to date. Though I did get a little spell of it after I had some liquid colace (a stool softener) at the hospital. The surgeon was quick to change out the stool softener to senna after that.   I'm going to give blogging a try for a bit to see if it helps me organize my thoughts for the day in addition to chronicling my post-op experiences.
lirri

lirri

0
v4victory's Update
 

Doing much better now

I did some serious reading in my textbook "Emotional First Aid," which brought me back on track from my eating frenzy. Now that I've reached 60+ days post-op, I'm allowed Stage 5: 4 oz. Regular Diet. I had trouble eating previously because I was trying to eat regular foods. My stomach pouch won't tolerate fried foods (like bacon or chicken), rice, beef stroganoff, or baked chicken breast (too dry). I will follow the bariatric diet, take it slowly, and see what works best for my digestive system. Also I am learning what it feels like when my pouch is becoming full, so I can avoid overload which causes discomfort and dumping.
v4victory

v4victory

0
Post-Op Blog
 

Hello Everyone

Hey Everyone, I have not been on in a while and just wanted to see how everyone else was doing! I have lost 50 pounds thus far and I will 3 months post-op tomorrow...Feeling good but still a work in progress. I am working hard. Next week I will be starting a couch to half marathon and looking forward to this! Well I want to wish everyone good luck on their journey!!!
Garlandfam

Garlandfam

2
lizrox's Blog
 

First entry post op

It is official, 85 percent of my stomach is gone. It's hard to wrap my mind around that. To walk through some some events of my hospital stay. 5/22 I went and got a new haircut and my legs and brows waxed. Then went home and drank the horrible bowel cleaning drink and waited. I felt bad the rest of the day and received a call that my surgery time had moved up, I needed to check in at 5:30 am. I fell asleep easily and my parents drove me to the hospital on time. Checked in, was weighted in, answered some questions and the IV was started. I met a slew of nurses, doctors, my surgeon and quickly enough I was in the operating room. I remember only a sliver of that room then I was waking up. I just said pain and nausea and quickly feel asleep again. I guess my potassium levels were too low and they started potassium through the IV. It still burns just thinking about it. Then I fully woke up and remember everything around 1pm. I got to my room, it was private thank goodness. My parents were in there worrying about the delay. My mom is a nurse and has seen it all, but just the potassium was holding me up. Then quickly the nausea set in. Horrible, listless feeling I wouldn't wish on enemies. I didn't realize the nausea the directly linked to my pain meds. I rarely take any pain meds and just couldn't handle them. My husband visited that night and I remember him just holding my hand while I drifted off to sleep to soothing music. I really love that man! Next day more potassium burning, nausea, a change of pain meds, and swallow test. When my nurse walked in and said I didn't have any leaks I lost it and started balling. I had no clue how worried I was about that. I just felt like I had too much nausea not to have a leak, so to hear I would be taken off of IV pain meds and some of the machines I was so releaved. One more step closer to freedom! That night my IV site was burning that I rang my light at 3am asking for a new one. By 4am and a few tries I had a new far less painful site. They gave me some benedryl to sleep and let me go to 9am! All that was left was the need to pass gas, then I could go home! And I woke up and tooted, again happiness. I told the nurses immediately and they were pumped for me. Unfortunately my blood work came back with low magnesium and potassium. Fortunately I only needed the magnesium through the IV and to drink the horrible potassium. I kept telling myself this was better then a burning vein and powered through. By 3:30 my mom was taking me home.   I want to tell others that your pain meds may be linked to the nausea. Walk as soon as possible. I was up and moving as soon as I hit my private room. The gas will come out far more quickly.   This is the first time I have had the mind and focus to read, go online, watch tv or even talk. It took a lot out of me, but if it helps me get this damn weight off it will be worth it. The memories of pain are quickly fading. I really hope to see the scale move down fast!
lizrox

lizrox

3
LaBelle509's Blog
 

IT'S BEEN A YEAR! PICTURE UPDATE:)

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO ME!!!! ( Picking up mic) I want to take moment and thank God.... LOL!!! No seriously THANK YOU GOD ALMIGHTY!!! I was so worried about complications, infections, leaks and most of all FAILING!! To be at this point right now in my journey, I can safely say I DID IT!!!! I have been the same weight for the past six weeks or so. Going up and down two pounds. But strangely enough I don't care. The scale doesn't bother me. I am content with the way I feel, the way I look and life and general.   I WAS OFFERED A NEW POSITION AT WORK AND I AM LOOKING INTO GOING BACK TO SCHOOL!!!   Life is great and amazing and I am living again....   next goal: A BABY   PS. 1st Pic: on the left was taken Dec 2011. Picture on the right was taken 5/24/13 2nd Pic: Left was taken hours post surgery. Right was taken 5/25/13
LaBelle509

LaBelle509

29
pink grace's Blog
 

3 days and 4 sleeps

feeling really happy and positive, just 3 days and then up early on thursday, to be there for 7.30 am, i am really believing that this will happen now, at last. I have so many people praying for me, and i am trusting in the Lord, just dont want to receive a phone call from my team, i will be sat waiting and wont move till im sleeved, lol. I have great support and all the people who have had their op is rooting for me, and will visit me too. I met my surgeon for the first time last week and he is very friendly and answered my daft questions with much patience. I am still wanting to eat a big sweet pudding, but not cheating, this means so much to me. A lady came with a few items of clothing that she has shrunk out off for me, i was really touched, very nice maxi dress, cant wait to shrink into it this summer. I have no idea what i can expect to loose, but will follow all the rules and do as much as i can to work with my new smaller stomach. I am so ready for this new beginning, not scared or worried, just peaceful and excited. Thats it for now, bedtime for me,xx
pink grace

pink grace

0
ajtexas's Blog
 

Don?t wanna play anymore!

I am so sick of playing by the band rules; I just want to break one or two of them. Eat a big huge meal, take big bites, or wolf food down in ten minutes flat.   Wish I could have a break and not think about my food choices, my portion size, how I eat, my water intake, and exercise, ugh….   Calgon take me away!   Do you feel that way some days? I’m sure we all do. So how do we get past this?   There are some who have reached their goal and have been maintaining for years. They say they think like a thin person. They never think of food.   Will I ever be like that?   I reached my goal in December and have been maintaining since then.   Has it been easy? NO.   It has been the most difficult part of my journey so far. But, I won’t give up because I look in the mirror and I really like the person that looks back at me.   So, I will continue to play the game. I will make health food choices, take small bites (hubby calls them band-bites), drink water and exercise. I will do this for the rest of my life because I am worth it!
♕ajtexas♕

♕ajtexas♕

7

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