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I am reclaiming my success!
 

My knees!

My knees hurt really badly I couldn't work out today, and my body was exhausted. But tomorrow is another day. Off to bed!!! :-) ps: that time of the month too so warding off cravings. It's good not to have any unhealthy food in the house so it is not an alternative.
Htallgirl

Htallgirl

0
4me4them's Blog
 

Why Wait?

So this morning I did a radical thing...at least for me it was radical...I actually got out of bed when the alarm went off (0515), put on some clothes and shoes and headed out the door for a walk. To understand why this was radical I have to back up to 16 June.   I attended my WLS Seminar with Dr. Galvani on 16 June. I'd been lurking on this site for about a month, and finally approached my PCP for a referral...which he supported. I've also talked with a couple of Dr. G's patients so I thought I had the sequence of events down Everything was as I expected, right until the "3 month supervised diet" slide came up. See previous patients said that he wasn't really concerned about how much you lost during your 3 month diet time...he just didn't want you to gain. Check, I can do that. But the slide said "5% Reduction"...What.The.Heck.   So I left that seminar determined not to pay attention to my nutrition and exercise because hey, I had to lose 5% AFTER my initial apt with the NUT and Dr on 07 July...I don't need to be an overachiever. I wont say I went hog wild...but I will say it was piglet wild.   But the something unexpected happened. I don't really want to eat poorly anymore and my joints are kinda protesting the whole not moving anymore thing. And then yesterday I kinda had a DOH I'm committing to a HUGE life change here...and I'm going to wait until someone is watching to take care of myself?   So, out the door I went...for exactly 1 mile (which for me was about 2,500 steps according to my fitbit). It wasn't pretty, but it was done. I have an opportunity the next couple of weeks to learn how to use my fitbit, make my knees and hips feel better and perhaps....just perhaps feel better all at the same time. It no longer matters whether someone is tracking or whether I "get credit". As the name says...this one is 4me. Beth
4me4them

4me4them

0
sectrusts' Blog
 

hopeful and energetic

6/23/14 Today I am feeling so much better that I am loving life. It is still weird to have to drink and eat protein shakes when I'd rather do neither, but I am getting 'er done! I am feeling encouraged and excited to see what the future is going to hold for me. I'm glad I had the operation!
sectrusts

sectrusts

0
Fat Girl Slim
 

My Miracle

My company specifically wrote out Bariatric Surgery from my plan. I have worked for the same company for five years and each year I would pray that they would change their minds and allow WLS. Nothing happened. In 2012 my father passed away from a heart attack, he was only 63. At that point my obesity was making me so uncomfortable I thought that I could be the next one to go. If I lay on my back at night to go to sleep I would wake up with panic attacks that I couldn't breathe. I literally had thoughts that I would go to sleep and not wake up. I kept saying to myself, when you get your WLS your life will change but at the same time I kept eating.   Finally, on November 30th 2013, I began praying the St. Andrew Christmas Novena. For those who aren't Catholic or religious, a novena is a prayer that you say so many times a day or for a number of consecutive days. I am not in the habit of asking God for things for myself. I usually pray for my friends and my family or in thanksgiving for what I have already been blessed with. This time though, after I prayed the novena prayer I asked God to work a miracle in my life that I would be able to afford WLS. I had no savings to speak of, especially not $13400. I prayed the novena faithfully through advent and up to Christmas Eve, each day asking God for intercession in my life. Some days I felt very guilty because my Aunt was dying of lung cancer and I shouldn't be asking for something for myself but for her.   Christmas came and went and my prayer wasn't answered but I was determined that I would get my surgery somehow but I had other things to focus on, like my aunt. My Aunt passed away on January 18th. I delved into the planning of her funeral services which would be held on February 1st. I also decided that I would enter the medically supervised weight loss plan offered by my WLS office. I had my consultation with them, did the H-Pylori testing, and scheduled a time for my first follow up appointment for when I started the diet. I was going to start the diet on 2/3/14.   The day of my Aunt's funeral came. The service was very nice, I was able to sing the Psalm without being too overwhelmed and gave her Eulogy since her own children were so devastated by her loss.   My Dad's side of the family came to the funeral to pay their respects. Afterward my grandfather asked to speak to me and my brothers. What came next was the shock of my life. My sweet Grandpa who loved us all very much and would send us small tokens of $20 in birthday cards, seemingly out of the blue, gifted my brothers and myself with $14,000 each. There is no question in my mind that this was the answer to my Novena prayer, that Grandpa was inspired by God to gift us a portion of our inheritance so that he could see us enjoy it while he was alive. I cried. It was just enough to have my surgery. It was the most profound feeling, God had heard me, He listened to my prayer, He said yes!   I started the iMetabolic Diet as scheduled with a new found vigor as I knew that I would be getting my surgery. I lost 23lbs by my 1st appointment 17 days later. I scheduled my surgery for March 12th, 2014. The day of surgery I had lost 38lbs. Since surgery I am down 60 more. Every day I am driven by thankfulness, to my grandfather for his gift, but even more so to our Heavenly Father for his intervention in my life.   I know there are skeptics who would think that this is just coincidental, and I say believe what you will. And I will continue to recognize God's intervention in my life.
MissME

MissME

4
I am reclaiming my success!
 

It's a good night!

Went shopping at whole foods and it was a good experience. Lost half my raw shrimp as I was trying to clean it. Went down the disposal and even if I was able to retrieve it, too much of a germaphobe to eat it. Ate whole stevia sweetened chocolate bar I picked up at whole foods. Why do I even buy this stuff? Good news is that it was only a total of 360 calories so not a complete distraction. Guided meditation complete and lookig forward to tomorrow's workout which will make 2/4 of my week's goal.
Htallgirl

Htallgirl

0
Forsythia's Blog
 

"Congratulations on your Lap-Band!"

So I play Words With Friends. I have a game going with my cousin Sharon. She starts a chat with me saying "Congratulations on your Lap-Band" OMG WTF?! First off, I did not have a lap band. I had a VSG, but whatevs. Second of all, since my cousin Sharon knows, this means that my mother told her sister (my aunt) who told her (and who knows else.. I'm sure my cousins Tina, Debbie, Mark and Nate Jr. all know by now as well). Great. My mom told my private business to her sister. She has no right to tell my business to anyone. I am not ready to deal with my extended family knowing all of my business. And they all will know my business. That would be like me telling my mom I was pregnant and her telling the family before I announced it. So I'm a bit miffed at my mom. What is funny is that I had to be badgered to tell my parents about it. Initially I was not going to. BECAUSE OF EXACTLY THIS HAPPENING. Why is my private business okay for the entire family to know about? I would never tell everyone in my family about some other family member's private medical procedure. "Oh hey Suzie, I told cousin Jeannie that you had an STD. Hope that is okay." It's not okay. Not one bit of okay.
Forsythia

Forsythia

0
I am reclaiming my success!
 

I kicked butt!

Day 1 here we are. I kicked butt at Crossfit like butt has never been kicked before!!! Lol. At least in my standards. Proud of myself. I've decided to kick dairy from my diet and try almost milk instead. By the way I had my sleeve done in September 2012. Revision from the band. I can do this!!!! :-)
Htallgirl

Htallgirl

0
Cmstewart's Blog
 

1st blog

This is my first blog, so glad I found this place. I am so glad to have freedom again. I love to ride rides like at 6 flags and Disney world. I have not been able to do this in years and years. I cant wait! Im 59yrs old and I know I will be able to see my grandchildren grow up and be a active part of their lives.   I had gastric sleeve surgery on May 13,2013. When I started this journey I weighed 302. I lost 60 pounds before surgery. Today is June 22 and I have lost a total of 65 p. I was discouraged at first but I realized I was not eating enough protein or liquid. When I increased this the weight started coming off. I don't think I am eating enough. When I eat chicken I get full very quickly. I still drink a protein drink for breakfast and a protein bar around 12 noon. This gives me 50 grams of protein. I use fitness pal to help keep track of me carbs and protein. I have went from a size mens 4x t-shirt and now I am almost in a 2x and have went down 3 sizes in pants. I have to go shopping very soon.   Im still tired a lot, I have arthritis in my knees. It is better but it hinders my exercising. I sit and do sitting exercise and standing without moving my knees to much. The pool is the best.
Cmstewart

Cmstewart

0
I am reclaiming my success!
 

The first day of the rest of my life

Starting today, I will make no excuses. I must be accountable for my decisions, for where I currently am in my weight-loss & sleeve journey. I owe this to my body, I owe this to my experiences, I owe this to my loved ones and I owe this wholeheartedly to my whole being. In order to do that, I will set simple goals and accomplish them. No more lofty goals. Weekly goals because I get bored easily. My goal for the next 1 week, starting tomorrow, Sunday June 22nd through Saturday June 28th, my goal is to workout 4 times this week and post on my blog, daily. Here's to week one!!!   As of this morning I weigh 242.8lbs. At point of surgery I was slightly over 300lbs. I am currently a size 16 (tight). Beyond health my vision is to be a slender size 10 (slender for me as I am 6ft tall.)
Htallgirl

Htallgirl

0
4me4them's Blog
 

The name says it all...

So after lurking on this awesome site for about a month, I finally took the plunge and joined. I thought I would explain my screen name because it kind of sums up my approach to this whole endeavor.   As I was working through the decision to pursue WLS I spent some time thinking about WHY and more specifically WHY NOW? I will turn 50 in August and that is certainly part of the WHY NOW, but I also have this amazing granddaughter and I want to be able to play with her, see her grow up and be a part of her life. I'm also starting to see the light at the end of the work tunnel that is retirement, and although it is just a pinpoint right now if I want to enjoy it I need to get my weight off.   So the "4me" part is obvious and is my declaration that first and foremost I'm doing this so I can have the future I want. the "4them" is all the people in my life that I want to spend time with, laugh with and play with...granddaughter, husband, kids, friends...   I'm sure that like the other journeys in my life, it wont be a straight, flat route, but I believe that the opportunity WLS provides is one that will ultimately lead me to my desired location and I'll have a wild ride along the way. Wanna come along?
4me4them

4me4them

0
Short and Chunky's Blog
 

8 weeks w/o the Band

Well, I am now eight weeks post op/revision. I must say, I physically feel better. But that is where the good news ends. I have managed to eat my way up 12 pounds and climbing. I have walked (3-4 miles) every day, worked out 3 days per week, journaled my in take and still gained. I am eating larger portions and yes, I am eating CRAP. I can't make myself stop. I went on the detox and did fine, then got down when the scale went up and had a cookie..It has been non-stop since then.   My naval still hurts and so does my mid-section. The doctor says I am just healing and to relax. Don't stress about the discomfort nor the weight gain. It will calm down and this is expected. Posh, Posh, Poo, Poo. The B-12 shots have my thighs bruised and I have had enough of those. Weight gain is weight gain is weight gain any way you want to look at it. I can't control myself and as much as I hate to admit it..I almost don't care at this point. My band is gone..there is no alternative on the horizon except "self-control" and we all know how well that works - that's why we had WLS in the first place. I have met with the NUT and a dietician..my GYN and my PCP...no luck, they all say, you look great, you can do this, just say NO...HAHA..They are skinny and haven't dealt with obesity their entire life. There is an evil gene inside me and it wants to be fed..the little sucker was alseep for 2 1/2 years - the band had choked the life out of it...but as soon as the band was gone - surprise - here it came again. I know I still have the plication but that is not the same...I need that tiny little pouch that sent the burping message to me to "put the fork down and walk away". I had a good relationship with my band - the slippage was not my fault - I want it back. The surgeon says I can't have it back because my stoma had formed scar tissue around the top and therefore it can't be put back. OK fine, I am intelligent, I understand...but what can I put in it's place????????????? How about "fat gene removal"???   As hard as I try to focus on something else..anything else..it call comes back to FOOD..For those of you reading this, you now think I am a "head case" and only a shrink will help me..well, maybe so, but in the mean time..I am snacking and munching my way back to being "chunky" all over again. I am still in contact with the doctor and I think he realizes that I am on a downward spiral...I hope he can help me out of this funk before I gain anymore poundage. I have little faith there.   Have a great weekend to all..I hope you don't mind that I had to vent..I had to vent somewhere and this blog seemed like the best place. One thing for sure...many of you understand where I am coming from..you have been there and have the T-shirt to prove it.   Melinda in Florida
Short and Chunky

Short and Chunky

1
Forsythia's Blog
 

Almost 40lbs down..

I'm down 36.5 lbs since the surgery. This morning I was under 270. Yay! I seem to be losing faster since I edged my way up near 1200 calories. I was very much stalled after that initial 30 lbs fell off. Once all the swelling and fluid came off, I was like.. What now? I think my body just said "look Andrea, give me some more to eat, especially since you insist on burning off at least 300 calories every other day at the gym." Guess the body knows what it wants. Since I go to the gym after work, its nice to have a little something in the tank so that I'm not so tired. I've been lucky in that I do not get nauseated if I go longer than four hours without food. But sometimes I think that trigger would be helpful, so that I remember to eat something. Half a lean cuisine, some cheese.. something. I have lunch at 12:30 (scheduled because my job sucks). I get off work at 5:30. If I'm lucky, I get to the gym by 7. So that half of a lean cuisine at 5pm is helpful.   Speaking of the gym, I'm going to need new work out clothes. Everything I wear to the gym is too big - especially the tops. I think it would be most unfortunate if my pants fell down while on the treadmill. Gonna have to put out feelers for cheap cute but still plus size workout clothes that are not from Old Navy (because what they have on line is not that cute right now...)
Forsythia

Forsythia

8
A Journey to Me
 

Where did that Month Go?

One Month Post OP Weight: 279.4 Weight Lost: -6.9 (two wks) Total Weight Lost: -25.5 BMI: 44.2     Wow, a month really flew by quickly! It does not seem like it has been that long.   For the most part I am feeling good. I still get heartburn when I eat most of the time. I saw the doctor yesterday and he that it could either be that I am eating too fast still or it could be actual heartburn. I honestly do not know how I could possibly be eating too fast. I feel like I eat extremely slowly. I even downloaded an app called “Eat Slower”. You set the time intervals and it chimes at you when it is time to take a bite. But the doctor said that my sleeve is still swollen from surgery. It takes 6-8 weeks for the swelling to completely go down. So heartburn is not an issue until my 3 month visit. If I am still experiencing heartburn then he will have to order an upper GI. Here’s to hoping that the heartburn goes away. He also gave me a prescription to help with it for now.   One concern that I did have for the doctor was the rate of my weight loss. It seems like a lot of people that had their surgery at the same time or after I did have lost more weight. He said that my rate of weight loss is good and that I have nothing to worry about. At 6 months is when it would be time to worry if I am losing weight too slowly. That was encouraging. I feel like that once I get back to work in a week and a half that I will start losing faster. 1) I am on my feet moving all day long and 2) the gym that I belong to is right by where I work. These two things will definitely help. I am still not exercising as much as I really should.   Tomorrow I am going to Denver. I am super excited. I have never been and am looking forward to it. I am still on my pureed diet however, which puts a small damper on the trip. But I think getting out of the house and exploring Denver will be a good thing for me. Get me ready to go back to work and kick start activity.   The last thing that I am still have trouble with is getting all my liquid in. Still not hitting that 64oz target. The dietician said that as long as I am getting to at least 50oz right now I am doing well. But I really want to get that 640z.   Thanks again to all who are reading. I appreciate the support and hope that my journey can help someone with theirs.
yllwrose

yllwrose

1
Switching it Up
 

The Medical Reasons I'm Going to Do This

I'm a planner. I'm a researcher. I'm a worrier. Those three things aren't bad on their own, but when put together it becomes fun. What it means for me is that I'm constantly in a state of flux between being incredibly excited and incredibly terrified about the journey ahead of me. I know this will continue from now until they start the anesthesia and I'm okay with that, as long as it doesn't make me change my mind (unlikely) or make me drag my feet (much more likely).   So I've started making mental lists of things like NSV's I can't wait to have, weight milestones I'm excited to meet, things I want to make sure I do with my kids, ways I want to celebrate and so many other things to keep my outlook as positive as possible. This entry isn't dedicated to the fun stuff, though. This entry is dedicated to the nitty, gritty, sometimes embarrassing medical and physical reasons I NEED to have this done.   So here we go.   Let's start with the list of medications I have to take daily. 6 Aleve 300mg of Labetalol 25mg of Hydrochlorothiazide 300mg of Wellbutrin 2000mg of Metformin XR   All in total that equals out to 15 pills per day. Don't get me wrong - I understand that I will be taking a large number of vitamins and supplements after surgery, but I'm okay with that. I'm not okay with needing this many prescription medications at age 33.   Now the underlying conditions:   - Hypertension: I've had high blood pressure since I was a pre-teen. That's an extremely long time. I didn't become good about taking my medication until I was late teens or early 20's, but even so that puts me at over 10 years of being on blood pressure medications of varying strengths. High blood pressure, even when it's treated, does nasty things to the body. It's part of the reason that, when I'm pregnant, I always test positive for protein in my urine. Usually that's a sign of impending pre-eclampsia, but for me it's 'normal' ... which isn't good. I want to be 50 with a set of working kidneys, thank you very much.   - Enlarged Heart: When you're classified as "Super Morbidly Obese" and have never been just Obese or overweight in over 20 years, your body has to work harder to do things. That includes things like walking, standing and moving blood from one place to another. I was first diagnosed with an enlarged heart about 4-5 years ago I think. It wasn't anything they were horribly worried about, but it's certainly not ideal. Again, I'd like to reach 50 (or 60 or 70) with a working heart.   - Sleep Apnea: So, don't get me wrong - I absolutely adore my machine and the fact that for the first time in quite a few years I can get a good night's sleep. I don't wake up with headaches all the time (well, unless I'm congested), I usually have energy if I've been able to get a decent night's sleep and I just feel better. That said, I'd love to not have to go to sleep looking like someone preparing to walk through a gas cloud or to worry about where my hose is. I'd love to not have to worry about packing it and never being able to spontaneously stay at a hotel or sleep somewhere other than at home because I don't need my machine. Right now that's just not possible. No matter what, I need that mask to sleep otherwise I feel it the next morning. Granted, getting rid of sleep apnea isn't a guarantee, but at least if I do lose weight I'll know I did what I could.     - PCOS: So first, being overweight doesn't cause PCOS but PCOS can contribute to you being overweight. It's all about hormonal imbalances and hormonal imbalances don't just affect things like mood or fertility. They also affect weight and how your body metabolizes food. Insulin is a hormone and at the root of PCOS is usually some sort of issue with how your body deals with insulin. I know this and I've proven it to myself in the past. I've fixed it in the past as well - it's how I wound up with two beautiful children. That said, I don't want it to be fixed for a little while only to come back with a vengeance anymore. For me, PCOS is a downward spiral of symptoms that all conglomerate into me being one big mess. I know that losing weight will help, but I know that being able to actually keep that weight off will get me to a point where it's 'fixed'. I don't necessarily want more kids, but I'd like my body to work right, y'know?   - Depression / Social Anxiety: So yes, this is a surgery that's meant to fix my stomach, but I'm also hoping that it will also help fix my head just a little. I'm hoping that as I approach a more normal size it might be easier for me to interact with other people without feeling like I'm about to walk across fire. I'm hoping that by losing weight and being able to exercise and be more active it will help with my depression. Because exercise releases endorphins and endorphins make you happy and happy people don't murder their husbands. Beyond that I just want to feel normal and not freak out so much about having to interact with other Mom's at my son's school because I'm the biggest one there.   - Chronic Pain / Arthritis: Extra weight on the joints is bound to cause more pain than normal, but I'm at a point where I am in constant pain. From the time I wake up in the morning until I go to bed I have achy, stabbing and throbbing pain in most parts of my body. Right now as I'm writing thisI have sharp pains in my neck, my shoulders and middle back are burning, my lower back is achy, my feet are stiff and sore and I know that when I get up there will be additional aches in my hips and a sharp, shooting pain in my lower back when I try to pick up my 8 month old daughter. Again, I know that losing weight may not (and probably won't) "fix" all of these problems. I've done what I'm guessing is irreversible damage to my lower back and neck. I've broken both of my ankles 3 times. I've had whiplash 3 or 4 times. Those problems are with me forever. What I do know I'll get from weight loss is less pain. Maybe I won't have to take 6 Aleve a day just to be able to function. Perhaps I'll be able to wake up in the morning and not need to immediately jump into a hot shower so I can move. Hopefully I'll be able to get up and down from playing with my kids and not have to groan in pain because something is hurting.   Overall, if you're looking just at my physical state, I've got a pretty darned low quality of life right now. I realize that it could be so much worse and i'm thankful every day that it's not, but the point is that at my age it shouldn't be where it is. Not only that, but if I keep going the way I am, it's only a matter of time until things do start getting worse.   I've got way too much to live for to let that happen. I've got a husband, a 4 year old boy and an 8 month old little girl that I want to be able to enjoy and right now I just can't.   So that's my list of medical reasons. I'm sure I'll be coming back to this in the coming weeks while I'm trudging my way through my Surgeon's pre-op diet (1 week low carb/high protein, 1 week clear liquids, rinse and repeat), going through all of my tests and ultimately preparing for surgery. I'm going to need these reminders and it's a lot harder to brush them off when they're right there in front of you in black and white.   16 days until my appointment.
Lexibelle

Lexibelle

2
Forsythia's Blog
 

Non-scale victory, and a scale one

My in-laws came to town this weekend, so before they got here, I decided to buy some new clothes. I went to the suburbs and went to the mall. Ended up getting a pair of cargo capri pants and a mint green hooded top with kangaroo pockets. The top was in a size 2x (18/20), down from a 3x(22/24), and the capris were in a 24, down from a 26. Yay for that.   This weekend the scale also decided to go down, after two weeks of just mocking me and staying at 274. Down to 270 now. I am hoping to be in the 260s for my follow up visit with my nutritionist next Tuesday (because their scale weighs in at 4lbs more than mine does, And I don't want to hear them say 272 or something when mine says 268. It's all mental, I know.).   I've been trying to mix up my cardio at the gym lately. Doing the treadmill on an incline, trying to walk at a 3.5 mph pace (I am a really really slow walker. My dad and my brother are also this way - and my brother is not remotely fat. I think it is just inherent to being a Diggs. LOL). Some days I will get on the Ellipitical as well. But I will always get on the bike as a sort of cardio cool down because it is much easier to keep my heart rate at a lower, but still fast burning appropriate level. Also, it has been six weeks, Tuesday when I go to the gym I am free to lift weights.
Forsythia

Forsythia

0
Switching it Up
 

Starting Again

This journey really began about 3 years ago when my husband and I first looked into WLS. We were both super morbidly obese and despite our best efforts we were having a hard time doing it in our own. We picked our surgeon, went to the seminar, got all the info and started scheduling our tests. Then, about a month into the process my husband lost his job and with it our WLS coverage. My insurance excluded it.   It sucked. I cried and got angry. Then I moved on with a renewed determination to do it on my own. It would take almost three years, but I did manage to lose around 60lbs on my own. It required a special diet, intense exercise and no cheating. Then I got pregnant, got morning sickness and the only foods that I could keep down were the ones that I had to avoid. The good news is that despite that I only gained back 15lbs. The bad news is after my daughter was born I gained another 15 on top of that.   Despite my best efforts I need help doing this. I need to be able to not have to exercise 2 hours a day to get the weight to come off. I need a longer term solution that will help with me stuck to those healthy food choices because I won't have room for the other ones. Sweets aren't my problem, volume is. I need something that will help me get faster results so I can exercise and not be in constant pain.   So when I started my new job and saw that my benefits included WLS coverage I started mentioning it to my husband. Then he got his job which also offered coverage. It felt like it was time.   I contacted the surgeon we had originally picked because of his expertise and the fact that he performs the DS surgery. Waiting for them to verify my insurance coverage was the longest week ever but I finally got the email.   On July 3rd, 2014, I'm hopefully taking the first step on a journey that's going to help change and extend my life. Fingers crossed that it all works out this time.
Lexibelle

Lexibelle

5
My Journey to Skinny
 

Things I learned while traveling with my sleeve

Well, it's been a few weeks since I've posted, due to me being out of town, and then adjusting back to work... but here I am, almost 6 weeks since my surgery, and feeling way more normal than I did last time I posted. Not to say that I am not still having challenges, but I'm definitely well on my way to recovery.   About three weeks ago, my husband Dan and I headed up north to visit relatives. For this we flew. Now I have to give kudos to those of you who were sleeved (or banded, or had RNY) in Mexico, and flew home a few days after surgery, because my flight north was not a fun experience. My tiny tummy definitely did not like the changes in altitude. So, first lesson of my trip: Sit in an aisle seat on the plane. I did, in fact have an aisle seat, but even so, I still got to use my barf-bag on a plane for the first time ever! I never threw up, but I was doing a ton of spitting up into it, just praying for the fasten seat belts light to go out so I could run into the bathroom and upchuck my protein shake. Of course by the time that we were free to move about the cabin, I felt way better, and never actually had to vomit. Still, not my finest moment.   So, after a three hour flight, we arrived at my in-law's home where, while my husband's immediate family knew that I had just had surgery, his visiting cousins didn't. That made for some weird mealtimes... I actually sat in a separate room from everyone else during dinner, claiming it was too crowded in the main room. Fortunately, Dan's cousins are vegans, so they really weren't eating the same foods as the rest of us, so maybe didn't notice that neither was I...   I was on soft foods at this point, and had told my mother in-law that I could eat eggs... so she made me a quiche. Yeah, I threw that up into her hedge. It was a super-awkward time for me. Basically at this point, I hadn't really kept anything other than protein shakes down in days, so I was pretty much destined to vomit up almost anything else that I ate. Yet at the same time, I don't want to offend anyone, since they were going out of their way to make foods that I'd be able to eat. So, yeah, I took a lot of long walks around in Dan's parent's back yard, and in the woods behind my brother in-law's house while I was there.   Next, Dan, myself, and my in-laws made the four hour road trip to where my parents live. Second lesson I learned on my trip: Riding in the back seat of a car may cause motion sickness. Now, I'm not going to say that my in-laws are not good drivers... but riding in the back of their van for four hours was torture for me. I have literally never gotten carsick in my entire life, but there I was, fighting off waves of nausea. I again, had only had a protein shake in the morning before we left, and spent almost the entire trip spitting up into a water bottle. Finally, about 3 hours in, Dan asked me if it would help if we cracked a window. After about 10 minutes of fumbling around in the front seat to figure out how to turn off the child-protective locks on the windows, my window was opened about two inches. Those two inches felt like freedom to me. They felt like life pouring back into my lungs. I spent the rest of the trip with my nose stuck out the window like a dog... but I got there in one piece, and perhaps more importantly, with my protein shake still in my stomach!   So, we arrived in New York just in time for my mother's Memorial Day picnic. I think I've mentioned before that my family likes to eat. Here, it was a little different because everyone at the picnic knew that I'd had this surgery. Just nobody cared. Although my mom has had weight loss surgery, and knows what a soft diet looks like, I was presented with grilled chicken, pasta salad, watermelon, chips, buffalo chicken dip, and chocolate chip cookies. I ate about four bites of grilled chicken. I tried to wet it with BBQ sauce. I threw it up in my mother's bathroom. When I got back to the table, my mom said "Is your stomach empty now?" I lied and said no, just to not give her the satisfaction. I then ate about two bites of the pasta salad, which thankfully did stay down. When we left her house for my dad's, where we were staying, my mother presented me with a plastic baggy with three hard boiled eggs in it. "I thought you could eat these." "Uh, yeah. Why didn't you give them to me before I barfed up your chicken." (That's what I wanted to say. I didn't though.)   Now, while I preferred staying at my Dad's house because the bed is comfier, and I love his dog, this presented it's own challenges, in that he does not cook. Not unless you count hot dogs or toast. He literally eats out seven days a week. And he lives at least a half hour from anywhere. So we spent a lot of time in the car. Here's my next lesson for when you're traveling with your sleeve: Full tummy and riding in a car do not mix. The first day I spent with my dad, I literally threw up everything that I attempted to eat. Threw up my protein shake at the restaurant where he, Dan, and the in-laws were eating breakfast. Threw up the quiche that I ordered for lunch (in a super-fancy hotel, I might add). Threw up the two bites of a chicken dumpling I tried to eat for dinner in my dad's truck!   It did get better after Dan's parents went home to Massachusetts, and we picked up our rental car. Next Lesson: If you must ride in a car, better to be the driver. Not always a perfect solution, but it did cut back on the throwing up in the car episodes.   The problems that I had for the rest of the trip were mainly just from me trying to be accommodating to everyone else, instead of the other way around. So, my final lesson is this: If you can, try and eat what you know you can tolerate, and on your own schedule, not everyone else's. Not always easy to do, especially when you're a guest in someone else's home, but when I look back on the ten days that I spent traveling, I know I would have been a lot more comfortable if I'd just said "You know what, I need fifteen or twenty minutes to just sit here and digest before we can go anywhere." more often.
butterfyeffect

butterfyeffect

2
Forsythia's Blog
 

Water water everywhere...

I have an old navy water bottle that holds 25 oz of liquid. I take this thing everywhere. It fits neatly in my backpack. Fits in all the water bottle slots on the equipment at the gym. It's convenient. My goal is to have 25 oz down by my lunch hour (12:30 - so by noon). That way I can drink the other 25 oz by the time I go to bed (10pm-ish). So that is 50 oz of water. Plus my two 11 oz protein shakes, that puts me at 72 oz of water a day. Sadly, I often fall short of this. I'm just not that thirsty. LOL. I'm going to have to have some kind of water challenge. Right now, at 11:49am CDT I have maybe 6 oz of water left in the bottle. I've already had one of my protein shakes. So I'm ahead of the game.   I'm also re-introducing fiber to my diet. Initially, when I got out of the hospital I was doing fiber supplements in my water and metformin and well, lets just say that it was a gastrointestinal disaster. I would not wish that on my worst enemy. So on my surgeon's advise, he told me to stop taking the metformin (since my blood sugar was in the low 70s or 60s even when I was on it). I also stopped the fiber, since even off the metformin I was having the same explosive issues, as it were. But this week, I've opted to reintroduce the fiber slowly. Only one scoop in my water bottle for now. Next week, a little more, and the week after that, even more.   Lastly, my in-laws are coming this weekend. I wonder if they will notice I've lost over 30 lbs? I hope so. My parent's did when I saw them last month. But then again I see my parents much more frequently than my in-laws (Don't get me wrong, they are lovely people, but they are in Iowa and my parents are much closer - only 60 miles away in NW Indiana) I also hope they don't drag me to Blues Fest. Chicago loves a summer festival. But festivals are full of people. I just want to go to the gym work out, and go on about my business without having my routine disorganized too much. But, it will be nice to see them, I just find socializing exhausting at times!
Forsythia

Forsythia

2
hectorduran's Blog
 

First Entry of This Journey

Hello I am Hector!   I stumbled upon this really informative website and I thought that I should sign up and talk to people that have experienced the things that I might experience when I get the surgery done. I am planning to get the gastric bypass but I still have a few things left to do before surgery. I barely finished doing all the requirements for my insurance so now I am waiting to see if I get approved. I also have to take the Pre-Op class in about two weeks (06/24/2014). I guess I'm still a newbie since I started the whole process around April but we all gotta start somewhere right? Well I guess I don't have any other updates but I would be sure to write everything that I am doing that is weight related.   HD
hectorduran

hectorduran

2
Banded Wendi's Journey
 

3 Days Into Pre-op Diet

Well I am now on day 3 of pre-op diet for the lap band. I am hungry and cranky but I am surviving. I have my EGD tomorrow morning. My mother-in-law was supposed to take me but there was apparantly some miscommunication between her and my husband. So after stressing and scrambiling around all night, my sister will take me. I feel so bad for her because she has 3 kids that she has to find babysitters for to keep them over night and to get one of them to summer school. But she is an angel for taking me. Do to the traffic and construction out that way we will have to leave really early tomorrow morning. My husband has me stressed out as well because him and his guy friends are riding their motorcycles to the Biker Ralley in Austin tomorrow. I am trying to convince them to leave tonight because we are supposed to have some pretty severe weather go thru the metroplex tomorrow and the last thing I want is to be put to sleep worrying about him making it safely to Austin. AAAUUGGHH MEN, they think they are invinsible. I had a protein shake for breakfast and dinner yesterday and had a can of soup for lunch. I felt like I was more hungry during the day by eating the can of soup during the day rather than having the soup so I am going to back to having the shake breakfast and lunch and soup tonight. I am still needing the couple of almonds here and there to hold me over too. Welp, back to work. Hope my EGD goes well and pray for them finding a hernia so it will be cheaper on me and my insurance will cover the hernia repair. Fingers crossed.... (I know that sounds very wrong).
BandedSwords

BandedSwords

0
Forsythia's Blog
 

Pants

I need new pants. All of my pants are size 26W, save for a couple of pairs that are 24Ws. The 26Ws are all giant and fall down which is comical when you see me walking down the street hiking them up every five seconds (I know, I know.. get a belt and call it a day. I don't like belts). The pants I have that are 24s can all now be buttoned, but they are a touch too muffin toppy in my estimation. Bu then again, that could all be me and my head. Even when I was a size 18W in my head I was still a 26W. I do have one pencil skirt in a size 24 that looks awesome now. It's kind of fancy for my casual office though. But I suppose I should wear it while I can, before I shrink out of it.   Still at 274, total of 32 lbs down post surgery. Am steadily doing around 40 minutes of cardio at the gym. Only one more week until I can lift weights again. I own you, next week. LOL. I'm going to be all about the DOMS and whining about said DOMS to my husband.
Forsythia

Forsythia

0
dylanmiles23's Blog
 

new NSV

A new small NSV for me. I needed a white belt for my summer white jeans and shorts. Being that I had a massive huge waist I bought an xl. Too big and they didn't have a smaller size, so took it and had holes made. Was in Kohl's the other day and bought 2 size large belts and they fit and past the first hole. My weight has not changed in about 1 year but I guess inches are changing which is wonderful for me. Yesterday I wore a size large maxi skirt from Gap and I looked great. I don't know how to down load pictures, that is why you never see any of me. Needed to share. Thanks for listening. Arlene
dylanmiles23

dylanmiles23

0

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