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desertmom's Blog
 

2 years!

Today 2 years ago I had the sleeve.The best gift I ever gave myself.   Its been 2 years of the biggest ups and downs EVER.Sometimes when I read back what I wrote I know its been the hardest and the best 2 years of my life.   After surgery I found out that my happy little family wasnt so happy after all.I developed neuropathy on top of going into menopause and at any other time,my life would have fallen apart.   But having this new lease on life has given me the strength to deal with everything life has thrown my way.My little kid is weight restored,I have in the process dealt with my own eating disorder and life is really good today.   I have been maintaining my weight for the past +- 15 months and I look and feel great.My weight sometimes goes up 5 pounds and then I focus on proteins and bring it down again.I can eat anything and dont take PPI anymore.Of course my capacity is a bit bigger but I am vigilant all the time.I do eat little bits of everything and try not to snack too often.   Sometimes I do still consider plastics (ugg the arms is a big issue) but time and logistics remains a huge problem.And the fact that I am scared..lol   All in all life is great.I will keep posting at least once a year.And should I hit a bump in the road,I will come back to the site and get right back on track again.
desertmom

desertmom

0
Mission Slimpossible
 

Things I'm learning about my sleeve

I'll be 8 weeks post-op tomorrow, and here's what I've learned about my sleeve thus far. Note to self: Alas, my eyes are still (literally) bigger than my stomach!
I should take what I think I can eat, and cut it IN HALF
I've learned that my stomach cannot handle a lot of protein when it comes from any meat. For example, I can barely eat 2-3 oz of pork, chicken or steak (even with a sauce so it's not dry). I can, however, seem to be able to eat ground beef / turkey & pork. Hummm?!?!
Since I'm not meeting my daily protein requirement, I think I'm going to change my focus to more dense protein (yogurts, cottage cheese, egg whites, beans, lentils, quinoa, flounder, ricotta cheese, and, of course protein drinks / bars, etc...). Protein isn't something you should take lightly. It's important to the overall success of our health. See my note below.
I've noticed it helps me get more fluids in when I drink a 16.9 oz bottle of Propel first thing in the morning. I start drinking it on my commute to work & finish it off within 2 hours. Yes, it takes me that long. I still struggle getting in all my fluids for the day, so drinking a bottle of Propel flavored water in the morning helps me move along.
I've never been one to eat many veggies, but I discovered that I really enjoy eating spinach. I found a spinach souffle in the freezer section that I split in 1/2 as a serving. I then cook an egg with it & have it for breakfast or lunch.
Note to newbies: Please make sure you meet those protein & fluid requirements. If you don't, you're taking a chance of getting light-headed, and feeling faint from time to time. Yes, this happens to me more often than not. That's why I blog & talk about it; so I can keep track of what I need to do, and to help others. Weight loss is GREAT, but it's nothing if you can't stay healthy.
Domika03

Domika03

0
BlueMoon~T's Blog
 

YouTube...You Rant

Last night I got the wild idea that I would look up Lab Band Vlogs on YouTube. Big MISTAKE. HUGE! The first 20 or so results were all negative. The first lady I watched to understand why she hated the Lap Band and seemed to make it her personal mission in life to discourage the world from this evil thing called the lap band. As I listened I heard excuse after excuse as to why her band failed. She said she threw up everyday and that nobody told her about PB's. Then she went on to say later that she never got restriction and could eat a plate full of food. Two things. 1)If you over eat you are going to get sick.2) If you're having PB's you have some sort of restriction. She talked about never having restriction again, then told a story of how she almost died (rolling eyes) because she was over filled and couldn't swallow her own saliva. Ok... so we can all conclude she had restriction. She also confesses she's a binge eater. Another red flag. You have to commit to eating smaller portions and having the will power to stop eating when you're full. In my most humble newbie opinion this lady was either not educated on how the Lap Band works, and if that's the case shame on her surgeon, or she just thought it was going to fix all her eating issues. She also kept using air quotations when she said the Lap Band was a "tool". She said she hated when people said that. MY GOD WOMANIT IS A TOOL. NOT A MIRACLE CURE!   I was so sad to see all the comments of gratitude for her being so brave to post such an honest video. Uhm... that was not an honest video that was an angry woman who failed to follow band 101 rules. It actually made me angry. I considered the video an EPIC FAIL. She made broad sweeping generalizations saying that the only people that the band works for were people who replaced one vice for another. She used the example of transference of food binging for exercise. They just swapped one for the other.   I have to say that I realize that there are risk of complications with the band and that it doesn't work for everyone. But, from what I've read most of the time if people are truly honest they failed the band the band didn't fail them. AND... If you're band isn't working talk to your doctor be persistent there could be something mechanically wrong with your band... but you have to be diligent in taking care of your band. It's high maintenance, but I have to tell you, knowing that every month I have to go in and see my Dr. and be accountable for my weight loss and how I've been treating my band makes me mind my P's and Q's.   I've been stuck at 230 for two weeks...but... I've lost another jeans size so my body is losing inches. I love my band. If I was brave enough I would start my own Vlog on YouTube.   Just a side note. I always here the soup Nazi's voice in my head from Seinfeld when I want something I shouldn't have. He says, "No cookies or cupcakes for you!".   Happy Hump Day, Ya'll!
BlueMoon~T

BlueMoon~T

2
The Lardy Duchess
 

1 Week Post Op and VICTORY

Hello there,   Ugh, it's SNOWING AGAIN here in Ontario Canada. Oh well, I can't fix that.   Today is my one week surgiversary and I'm pleased to say that I've lost 5 more pounds this past week. I'm very pleased with that.   The day before yesterday I started taking lessTylenol for pain - and being lazy I hadn't gotten any more after I ran out.   Yesterday I walked the longest yet - too long in fact for being 6 days out. Over an hour and almost four miles. I staggered home and was exhausted by bed time yesterday. I woke up around 2am in a lot of pain, and at last the pharmacy has just opened and I've returned from buying the tylenol and taking my double dose.   During the night I tried taking 2 tylenol pills. That was pretty awful, and while they didn't come up, I'm not certain they ever went down. I'm really sore today. I'll stay with the children tylenol double dose for as long as needed and today I'll take it easier, though I can still use the treadmill downstairs for a short stint.   I like the walking, and was so pleased I found out how far I could go, although next time outside walking, I doubt I'll try for an hour or more. I have a tendency to overdoing it, to pushing myself, and it's one way that I'm not nice to myself. All things in good time Nancy is what I think.   Tomorrow I get to move to more 'foods'. I cannot wait as I'm truly sick of shakes.   Thanks to all of you for your support!   Nancy  
NancyintheNorth

NancyintheNorth

2
raeych75's Blog
 

I'm happy to not eat - my body isn't liking it though

I am 3 wks post op and have lost 27lbs. The first week went ok but when I started on pureed foods and protein shakes it became very difficult to keep up with it. I spent the day in bed yesterday and almost passed out in the shower this morning. I'm having a hard time forcing the protein shakes and barely getting in 250 calories a day. The most protein I have had in a day so far has been about 40g. As silly as I thought it sounded in the beginning, I have set the alarm on my phone to go off every 15 minutes and I have an oz. or two of water, I am hoping this helps. I am deathly afraid of losing my hair from the lack of protein ... hopefully that will motivate me to have more. As far as pureed foods ... I attempted chicken but all I can get down is a teaspoonful before I start to feel sick. I was able to eat an egg last week but when attempted since can only manage 1/2. Even with these issues I do not regret the surgery, AT ALL. I am very happy with the weightloss so far and I am sure things will get better but does anyone have any suggestions, recipes etc??
raeych75

raeych75

4
Mission Slimpossible
 

Weight loss, a never-ending challenge

7 1/2 weeks post op, and I'm at the point where I'm trying different foods here & there to see what my tummy can handle, and determine what will work. This weekend, I did some research & was determined to find things that would be healthier for me.   I seem to eat eggs, in some form or another, more often than I'd like. While I try to have egg whites instead of regular eggs whenever possible, it still gets old. Plus, I worry about my cholesterol getting high as a result.   While grocery shopping this weekend, I noticed that Dannon Lite Greek yogurts had a few new flavors so I bought a few in hopes of giving those a whirl for breakfast on their own, or adding them to protein drinks so I can get my protein requirement up (something I still seem to struggle with). I also found a greek yogurt with strawberry preserves and chia seeds that had 17 grams of protein. I ate 1/2 of it today, but did have to add splenda because the yogurt was a bit... IDK, tart tasting I guess. I also went ahead & bought several different flavors of Quest protein bars. I think they have about 21 grams of protein. Another way to hopefully get my protein up.   We also went to Trader Joe's to see what all the hoopla was about since opening their stores in CO. I have to say, it's OK, nothing really impressive overall. However, with that said, I found something called spinach & kale balls. A serving of four balls (yes, I thought that sounded funny too, LOL), has about 6 grams of protein & about 140 calories. I thought it was tasty, and made a good snack.   My 3 month blood work is scheduled in the next month, and I have to admit I'm a little anxious about what the results will say. My concern is that I'm not getting enough protein, and that, while I'm at a healthier weight, and feel better than I did with my extra 100+ pounds, my health isn't as optimal as it should be. No regrets on having WLS, but I must say weight loss is a never-ending challenge. I need to work smarter, not harder.
Domika03

Domika03

3
Gastric Sleeve Surgery - An Unexpected Journey
 

The EndoBarrier or How You Too Can Line Your Intestines with a Trash Bag

Just saw the article on this new device today. I'm thinking with enough determination I could install a Hefty bag in my colon all by myself! :-P       Printed from: Boston Herald (http://bostonherald.com)   Device aids weight loss Saturday, March 8, 2014 -- Anonymous (not verified)       Replaces surgery by lowering blood sugars Healthcare Sections: Sunday, March 9, 2014 Author(s):   Marie Szaniszlo       Doctors at three Massachusetts hospitals are recruiting people battling Type 2 diabetes and obesity for a clinical trial of a medical device that has been approved in other countries to reduce blood sugar and body weight without the need for the kind of weight-loss surgery that more than 200,000 Americans undergo each year.   Made by Lexington-based GI Dynamics, the EndoBarrier is a thin, flexible, tube-shaped liner placed via the mouth during a brief endoscopic procedure and inserted in the duodenum, the first section of the small intestine, just beyond the stomach, said Dr. Lee M. Kaplan, the trial’s lead investigator and director of the Obesity, Metabolism and Nutrition Institute at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School.   “The food you eat goes down the middle of the tube,” Kaplan said, “but the tube blocks interactions between the food and hormone secretions,” which can affect insulin sensitivity, glucose metabolism, satiety and food intake.   In commercial use outside the U.S., the device has been shown to achieve as much as a 30 percent reduction in glucose levels within the first week and a 10 percent to 20 percent body-weight loss within the 12-month period for which it has been approved for use in countries including England, France, Germany and Australia, said Stuart Randle, GI Dynamics’ president and CEO.   “No one yet knows why, when you bypass the first section of the intestine, these hormones change so dramatically and so immediately,” Randle said.   The U.S. trial, which currently is enrolling people at 22 sites, including MGH, Boston Medical Center and UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, will end in two years and, if it shows that the EndoBarrier is safe and effective, the Food and Drug Administration could approve the device in about a year.   If it does, the EndoBarrier could offer new hope to the 26 million people who have been diagnosed with diabetes in this country, including approximately 360,000 adults in Massachusetts, where the disease each week causes an average of 22 deaths, 38 lower-leg amputations, 13 new cases of end-stage renal disease and five new 
cases of blindness, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.   “Obesity and diabetes are twin epidemics that remain out of control, and while we have good medical therapies for diabetes and some good therapies for obesity, they don’t always work,” Kaplan said. “For those patients who need additional therapy, this device may provide a valuable new option. But testing it is critical.”     Source URL: http://bostonherald.com/business/healthcare/2014/03/device_aids_weight_loss
joatsaint

joatsaint

0
toodlelooz's Blog
 

Day 3 of post-op

I woke up this morning hurting. I think it's more because I slept the night flat on my back. I like to sleep on my sides a good bit so it makes sense why my back might be hurting. I also still feel the pressure in my middle chest from the gas bubble. I'd like to know when that is going to finally end. My port incision is very tender and sore and hurts. Today I take a shower....yeah! The bloating seems to be going down from the surgery. My tummy doesn't feel quite as hard as surgery date. I'm so tempted to get on the scales to see if I've lost any, but what I've read from previous other blogs, I think I want to wait. I went in to this knowing that the best method for me is to lose weight slowly...maybe 1 lb a week. It's hard not to get excited and think I've lost more. I was soooo happy when I weighed in before surgery and found that I was down to 228 lbs from 235 lbs. I haven't lost that kind of weight in awhile so it's hard not to get excited.   I have found that the broth soups seem to be enough to keep me full. I ate a total of 4 cups throughout the day yesterday. It would get cold but it tasted good enough when I would feel hungry. My boyfriend would eat his food and I have to admit that I really wanted to snack on some of his chips & salsa BUT I realized it was out of habit more than actually being hungry. THAT is what this journey will help me with....hopefully to get my emotional eating under control for the first time in my life.   It's so strange to me to be talking about my actual weight in public, but this is a safe website (right?) to do just that. All of you understand my apprehension, right? I'm so SICK of being this heavy, but I've made a choice to do something GOOD. I feel hope for the first time in I don't know how long that I can actually lose the weight that I've been dreaming about for what seems like forever. Now I have a "tool" that will help me to lose it and keep it off for the rest of my life IF I choose to do the legwork. That means no liquid calories...binge eating ice cream, heavy laden soups filled with cream and dairy that I don't need (just to name a few). I feel hopeful that I'm finally going to be able to bend down to pick something up off the ground and not be out of breath in the process of embarrassed for someone to see me struggle to do so. I'm so looking forward to the day that I can look in the mirror in the morning when I've finished dressing for work and instead of seeing the bulging checks and neckline filled with fat that I will see healthy lean face. There may be sagging skin...I'm keeping my fingers crossed it won't be too bad, but that will be better than all this fat covering me now. I want to wear a blouse that I don't see my tummy folds pressed against the fabric and then have to walk away knowing that I'm too fat to look any different. Sure, I can keep buying bigger and bigger tops, but they just make me look like a fat woman that needs something to cover up with. Not a curvaceous woman, but a FAT woman that has no choice but to wear FAT clothes.   Today I live with hope that one day in the near future, I will look in the mirror and smile, a genuine smile because I actually "like" what I'm seeing. Amen!
toodlelooz

toodlelooz

1
The Lardy Duchess
 

Drugs and Walking

So as it turned out the prescription drugs I was prescribed for pain were absolutely useless. I didn't sleep for nearly 48 hours and had tons of anxiety and quite a bit of pain. After talking to the Doctor and the nurse I went to liquid children's tylenol. I had reservations about this working, but in face, it does. I doubled the dose as told to and it works. I'm now trying to take less of it. I have since spoken to others who have had the same problem. Once I started the tylenol I was able to sleep with ease.   I'm now able to spend a least a small portion of time on my sides which I couldn't tolerate at first.   Yesterday I was out and decided to push myself to walk the full 30 minutes. I was so pleased with myself when I finished and really it wasn't all that bad. Today I'll repeat that. I have a dog that loves to walk, and this week I'm dog sitting another dog.   I'm trying to up my protein by continuing with the shakes and chicken broth.   Rhodywoman sent me information on a book called "The Binge Eating and Compulsive Overeating Workbook" I recommend the book too. I'm interested in discovering the psychology of binge eating and compulsive overeating and why I have lived with those for so long.   It's a beautiful bright sunny cold day here in Ontario. I wish you all happiness today.  
NancyintheNorth

NancyintheNorth

1
Running From Cupcakes
 

New beginnings

I started this blog to inspire others and also provide them with a good laugh. I learned a lot through other peoples blogs and I wanted to be able to provide that experience for others. My real blog can be found at:   http://runningfromcupcakes.blogspot.com/   I had the Sleeve performed on March 4th of 2014 and have just started this blog. Please read it and share it with others. Thanks!
auroralee

auroralee

0
toodlelooz's Blog
 

Surgery Day - March 7, 2014

The first new day of the rest of my life began yesterday. My appointment to be at the surgery center was 9:00 Am...I got there at 8:32 Am, hungry, nervous, anxious, excited for the future...all the norm (so I was told). Everyone from Susie the front desk assistant to the pre-op nurse, Natissa (I think that was her name), to Julie-OP nurse, surgeon Dr. Shawn Stevenson (very nice and comforting), the Anesthesiologist (I want to say Ted but can't remember....was a funny guy) to Carrie my post-surgery nurse....ALL were very comforting and made me feel like I was very special the whole way out the door. Hah! Everything went accordingly. I woke up with a really sore throat and a huge gas bubble in the middle of my chest (which I was forewarned could happen). Those were the things I noticed the most and then I felt the pain of the incisions, so Carrie asked if I needed pain meds/drip and I said YES PLEASE! So she loaded me up with Demerol which helped, but that darn gas bubble was the worse. All I could think about was letting out one great big huge BELCH but nothing, nadda, zip, nuel, zero. Ugh! So I continued on.   Carrie told me I could get up whenever I felt like it. I told her I wanted to do it then so off to the bathroom we went. Thank goodness she accompanied, I felt like a little baby needing to get dressed. I probably should have waited a bit longer, but in all the information/tons of reading done pre-op, I had it in my mind that they want you up and moving ASAP. I was bound and determined to be superwoman....for about a minute!   By then my beautiful daughter was by my bedside asking me how I was. I think I told her okay/fine or something of the sort OR I may have vocalized rather loudly how much I just wanted to BELCH. She laughed. Since I must have been impressive in my superwoman state of mind, Carried started preparing me to leave. She removed my IV and made sure I had plenty of sipping water for the bubble pressure. She checked all my vitals and then said I was good to go if I wanted to leave. That's when the nausea kicked in BIGTIME! Unfortunately since she had already removed the IV, I had to wait to take the meds that I thankfully had filled the night before and brought with me. So my daughter left to pull up to the exit and Carrie wheeled me to the car, helped me and waved good bye telling me to make sure to take my meds right away and call if I had any problems. My daughter immediately stopped at the first convenient store and got me some water for my meds. I took them immediately and I believe the nausea went away shortly afterward. I wasn't thinking right because I forgot that the nausea meds were dissolving tablets that melted on your tongue. Oh well...it helped.   Homeward bound in the middle of noon-rush hr traffic...one hour later we arrived home. First thing I did was get my GAS-X strips and took one for the intensely insane gas issue. It really hurt and my throat felt like I had strep or something similar. Water was my best friend beside the Gas-X. Eventually I let out a little "urrp" enough for my daughter to laugh at me. She's usually the one that does the loud burping and I'm constantly after her to use her manners (best she can) to be as lady-like possible. But now I know when you got one of the bubbles in the midst....LET IT OUT! Of course I burp...everyone does, but it feels SOOOO goood. Matter of fact - as I'm writing this one just came out...yippee!   So the rest of the day pretty much was a blend of trying to lay down, but getting back up, doing some walking, doing the lung thingie, taking meds, back to bed, walk a little more, do another round of lung exercizing, try to belch again & again, sip some water to ease the throat soreness, etc., etc., etc. I also took a vitamin C and Fish Oil caplet to get some nutrients in since I'll be living off of broth for the next week. I was very careful to take them each slowly. Was successful, felt no pressure/pain in swallowing them.   I thought for sure I'd want to sleep all day & night, but I had the worst insomnia bout...I just couldn't get to sleep. I didn't feel so much the pain of the incisions as the gas pressure as it started to move under my left breast and back area. It's still with me today; not as bad but it's there.   Today - my incisions hurt and I feel stiff and groggy/sleepy. I finally went to bed about 6:00 AM (I think) when I finally fell asleep until about 10:00 AM. While laying there waking up, I thought I don't feel any pain (nothing excruciating) so maybe I could forego the pain/nausea meds until later when I truly needed them. But as I got up to pee...my body immediately told me I wasn't SILLY for thinking I didn't need to take my meds FIRST THING! I'm also hungry...enough to start the broth thingie. So I took my meds, regular meds (Nature Throid for hypothyroidism) and my daily multi-vits/supplements. I'm a big naturopathic healthcare nut when it comes to vits/supps. I've never been able to do well at following a good healthy eating plan, so the vits/sups help as back-up. I see a Naturopathic Doc (ND) regularly which was part of my reason to finally do something about my weight. She's been wanting me to lose weight for the 5+ years I've been seeing her and although I've lost weight at times, I never kept it off. Sadly, I'm heavier today than I was when I first started seeing her. Ugh! But that will be another blog for another day. I'm getting tired and my broth is getting cold, so off to bed I go, hoping to get some much needed rest. I will check back in with you later. Thanks for stopping by. Nighty nite....
toodlelooz

toodlelooz

0
Jen's VSG Journey
 

Day 3 of Pre Op Diet

Hello everyone! Today is day 3 of my pre op diet. Well...first let me give you my daily menu: breakfast: 1 scoop protein powder and 8oz milk morning snack: sugar free jello lunch: 1 scoop protein powder afternoon snack: sugar free jello dinner: 3 oz chicken, turkey, or fish with 2 cups salad or 1 cup cooked veggies. 1TB of dressing or oil and water.....water.....water......did I say water?   So its the third day, I have had a headache now for three days to match. I think its the lack of carbs, maybe a carb withdrawl. Im not supposed to have caffeine, today I just poured a cup of coffee, and used a dash of my milk that was for my protein shake...I need to rid myself of the headaches, I cant deal with it all day. Im a bit tired and my brain is foggy. Ive read this happens on Atkin type diets from lack of carbs, and supposedly passes. PLEASE PASS QUICKLY.   Once you get over the idea that you aren't going to eat you start to forget about it. All doctors have differet preps prior to surgery. What are yours? What about post op? Post op I am a week of the same diet I am on now and then followed by two weeks of pureed foods, then gradually into regular foods.   When I did my pre op diet for the band it was similar to this, but no dinner, only liquids and one "cream of.." soup, strained a day. I dont remember being this lethargic or the headaches.   I had my pre op appointment on Tuesday. I lost four lbs, which was nice. I also met with the exercise physiologist, who gave me post op instructions, the nutrionist, who gave me 4 one ounce cups to show me what I will be drinking/eating (4 cups is the total quanity to equal a half cup, for each is 1 oz) we practiced how I should sip after surgery, take a sip, breathe out, swallow slowly. The reason for this is to expel any gas from the tummy. Otherwise you get painful gas, and have to be BURPED, OMG! They also gave me a spoon, to remind me of the size bites I should eat..funny, my 7 month old has the same one!   I met with my surgeon, he is awesome, he went over the procedure from the moment I am checked into the hosptial. Reassuring me of statistics and my safety. We discussed the dreaded drain that is used after surgery, the good news is, its taken out before I leave "phew" the bad news is...OMG THEY PULL IT OUT WHILE YOURE AWAKE!   Finally I met with the nurse who showed me how I will inject my Heparin, 3 shots a day for two weeks, to avoid any clots. Yikes. I hate needles but I definitely dont want to suffer a stroke, embolism, or DVT. So, I will comply. I left with my prescriptions, my shopping list...and here I am today.   I will keep you posted! I have to schedule my pre surgical clearance appt with my primary care doctor, and get some blood work too. Report back later. Take care!   Jen
jeninpink

jeninpink

0
The Lardy Duchess
 

The day of surgery

Yesterday I had my lap band put in.   But before all of that, I want to back up and tell you about the last days of the pre-op diet. I have to say that I battled head hunger and maybe real hunger the entire time. I actually looked forward to SlimTime. Some days were very tough, and others seemed to sail by and that was great. I weighed myself at home using my scale because I won't always be weighing myself on their scale and I'm so pleased to say that I lost 15 pounds on the SlimTime, I was ecstatic. In any case - onto surgery   I had my surgery at Smart Shape or otherwise known as the Surgical Weight loss center in Mississauga, ON on March 5th.   I was in a tiny panic as traffic was absolutely awful, and I thought I'd built in travel time, but as it turns out - no. I was 10 minutes late, and the team was thankfully very gracious about it. I still waited probably 1/2 an hour. The staff there are the best, so caring, thorough and wonderful. I was taken into a room that had a heated comforter for me to be under, and I changed into the gown. I met with the nurse, we went over my medications, took my blood pressure and weight. Then I met the dietician and my care coordinator, both who are inspirational and very kind.   Dr. Cobourn came in and we shared a laugh or two, and then the anesthesiologist came in, and we went through allergies and I told him how much I hate needles. He had a look at my veins and was hoping to put the iv in my hand. I told him that in previous surgeries that had been tried with no success he asked to try it anyway and I said yes.   I was then led into the surgery room, and really, I never ever look around the room, I never ask questions, I just closed my eyes and spoke only when I had to speak.   After trying my hand he gave up and used my arm. He gave me a relaxant of some type, and then told me it was time to go to sleep. He asked me to take two deep breaths after putting the mask on me, and next thing I knew I was awake in recovery.   I had no nausea - YAYYYY and everything went as planned. I could hear the nurse talking on the phone to my beloved. I was eventually sat up in the bed, then asked to dangle my feet over the side, and then asked to get dressed. They had a hard time finding someone to go down with me to find hubby as the nurse couldn't leave as another patient was in the recovery room.   I don't really remember the ride home. I slept most of yesterday but did get up and watched tv last night with hubby. I had a hard time sleeping last night. Maybe because I'd slept all day.   Today I'm okay. I've walked a bit and will walk more. I want to feel better quicker and I know for me that as soon as I get out of a chair and moving a bit that that will help.   I wish I could call all of you and thank you individually for all of the support I've received on this website. I'm truly grateful. I had a far better idea of how I would feel, of what to expect because of you!   Nancy  
NancyintheNorth

NancyintheNorth

3
ann22's Blog
 

Soon to be sleeved

Hi . I am from N.S.W and my operation is on the 28th March .I know it's the wright decision for me, but finding I don't want to tell people as I am sick of being told I can do it on my own.starting to feel lonely.
ann22

ann22

3
Mission Slimpossible
 

Didn't recognize my own reflection, nice!

We're in a new office building & have see-through windows in conference rooms, with the exception of a frosted window strip going through the middle of the window walls so you can't see the people when they're sitting down around the table.   So, I'm walking down the hall, passing one of the conference rooms & check out the reflection of a thin figure going by. I actually stopped myself in my own tracks realizing, "Holy shi*, that's ME!!!!!!!!!!!"   I don't mean to sound conceited in any way, shape or form, but I actually looked nice. I can't believe I didn't even recognize my own reflection.   It's taken me 1 1/2 years to get here, but guess what, I AM FINALLY HERE!!!
Domika03

Domika03

2
Leepers' Blog
 

The Land of Healthy

This weight loss site/forum is a living and evolving place. You have your lurkers. You have your new people that ask a question and never come back. You have your new people that visit and post often and try to absorb all of the info and support offered. You have your people in between that are in the stages of losing. And then you have your veterans who maybe only need to lose 10-20 pounds or have reached their goal.   When I got a lapband, I didn't really do a lot of research on the other surgeries. RNY was totally out for me as it seemed too radical. I didn't consider the sleeve because I didn't like the idea of cutting my stomach. I felt the band was reversible, it was a chance I was willing to take. Now, I DO NOT feel there is anything wrong with having the first two surgeries. They just weren't for me. Looking back, if I knew I would end up being as committed to this journey as I am, I may have considered the sleeve more seriously.   If you read up on the lapband, it says that the majority of patients will lose 60% of their excess weight. Meaning, if you're 100 pounds overweight, you could expect to lose 60 pounds. Leaving you 40 pounds overweight.   BUT...there are plenty of people who reach or closely reach their goal weights.   What is the difference between those who don't lose hardly any weight, those who only lose about 50-60% of excess weight, and those who reach a healthy, suggested weight for their height and build?   We all know why some people don't lose weight. Or lose weight and gain it back. They eat around the band. They make very poor food choices. They either were never really committed or lost their commitment somewhere along the way.   Those who lose 50-60% of excess weight. What causes them to stop losing at that point and not continue on? I imagine there are many reasons. But I suspect that these may be the people who depended solely on the band to do all of the work for them. Those who did not commit to eating healthier as a habit and did not commit to exercise. They depended on the band to make them eat less, but still eat high calorie foods with low nutritional value. (Now, this is just speculation, but I'm probably close to the mark.)   And the veterans? The people who have almost or have already reached their goal? Don't you see the common theme among them here on the forum? THEY USED THE BAND AS A TOOL TO HELP THEM MAKE A CHANGE IN THEIR DIET AND EXERCISE. These people are not the ones on here saying, "I feel like such a failure because I ate a double helping of chicken alfredo with breadsticks followed by a piece of chocolate cake." NO...these are the people on here saying, "I make healthy food choices every day. I watch my portions. I listen to my band. I exercise 4-5 days a week. I may have a piece of chocolate cake, every now and then. But it's more then than now. And I only eat a small piece, and then I'm back on track."   Those are the people who inspire me. I have lived most of my 40 years on this earth eating mindlessly. Not caring about what I have been putting into my only vessel on this earth. I have lived an eating life based on convienience and overeating. I do not want to do this to myself any longer! This is MY body! I have to take care of this gift. I need to fill this body with the fuel it needs to exist and be healthy.   I'm just trying to point out, to you and myself, that success depends on committing to a new way of living and eating. We cannot continue on the same path we had been on before. We have to take the new path. It is not the easiest path. We will get roughed up along the way. But I believe it leads to a place of beauty. A place where our bodies and our minds can live in harmony. This place is called, "Healthy."   I hope we see each other there.
Leepers

Leepers

5
Jen's VSG Journey
 

Welcome

Hello, Thank you for visiting my blog. It is my hope that sharing my journey with you will help along yours. I have an amazing surgical team, nutritionist, & exercise physiologist, but I would have loved to have a "go to" person to answer any of my questions and address any concerns. I hope to be that person for you.   A little background about myself. I am a married mother of two children. I have been overweight, obese, and morbidly obese for as long as I remember. I was a yo yo dieter, a fad dieter, a "I WILL DO ANYTHING" dieter, and yet here I am still overweight. My weight has gone up from its highest at 264lbs to its lowest at 170lbs. I underwent Lap Band© in November 2008. I had what all the doctors would consider success, I felt successful. I went from 264lbs to about 175lbs through the course of 2 years. I felt amazing, I was exercising and really enjoying life. I had a few fills here and there trying to find that "sweet spot" we hear so much of. All at once, about four years into my band things started to go sour. I had difficulty eating pretty much anything that wasn't a slip food. By slip food I mean something that would go right through my band, with ZERO difficulty. Slip foods are usually horrilbe foods, ice cream, candy...you know the healthy stuff (sarcasm). If I ate regular food, healthy food, pretty much everything at somepoint came back up. I would be in the bathroom throwing up food that didn't pass through the band, or did pass and...well..it was not pleasant and certainly was getting to be too much.   I saw a surgeon after I had my second child because I decided at 33 years old, I couldn't live like this, something had to be done. My surgeon and his staff are AMAZING. After my first visit Dr. said that he would like to do an Upper GI barium swallow in flouroscopy. He saw that I had a hiatal hernia, he then drained my band. That was on Christmas eve. On Feb 10, I had an EGD, it was painless, and quick, I remember pretty much nothing. The dr. did find that my band was so tight he had difficulty passing the camera into the stoma. Yikes! It was empty! No wonder. On the 21st of Feb I had my follow up with the surgeon. We deteremined that I was going to remove the band, and convert to sleeve. After 3 short days insurance approved both procedures at once! I have my pre-op appointment tomorrow at noon. It will last 3 hours. It is there I will learn exactly what will be done, I will be taught how to inject heparin into myself (OMG HELP ME---IM DREADING IT!) my liquid diet etc. I will keep you all posted.   I am excited to enter this new stage of my life. I feel like I am a thin person in hiding, I cant wait to come out! Please feel free to share your thoughts, your feelings etc. If you have been there, done that I would love to hear as well! Stay tuned....
jeninpink

jeninpink

0
drinnawetzu's Blog
 

How to content market like a Hollywood movie marketing team

Content marketing is everywhere these days, not just on the web. In fact, we’ve been viewing content marketing for years, we just didn’t know it. Hollywood has produced some of the most successful marketing campaigns in history because they realize what sells: entertainment. People who are entertained by advertisements are less likely to ignore them. Notice how television ads aren’t so much about communicating information anymore, they spend at least as much time putting on a show as they do marketing their product.   Tell a compelling story   The trick, according to iMediaConnection.com contributor David Zaleski, is that Hollywood producers are experts in the art of storytelling. Case in point: the recent Super Bowl commercial people are still talking about featured the unlikely friendship between a dog and a horse. The commercial told a story, seeming to just incidentally mention that the horse pulled a Budweiser buggy.   Another brand which has mastered storytelling: Coca-Cola. One of their commercials which aired during primetime Olympics coverage was a love story with no dialogue. It presented a couple who went through courtship sharing Coca-Cola beverages with each other. Again, the focus was more on their relationship than what they drank, but viewers couldn’t possibly miss that iconic Coca-Cola logo and bottle shape.   Christy Tanner, the SVP and General Manager of CBS Interactive Media, told Zaleski that “the line between content and advertising is already blurred” and the reason entertainment marketers have such success if because “[they] are marketing products that people actually want to learn about. They create compelling narratives in their marketing strategies.”   Convert viewers into advocates   Another secret to entertainment marketers’ success is their ability to convert casual viewers into passionate advocates. People who see and enjoy movie trailers are more likely to share their views with their friends. A similar effect could be had if other types of brands can make such positive connections with their consumers.   After all, said Zaleski, “There’s no doubt among marketers that the most powerful form of marketing is word-of-mouth. Achieving word-of-mouth marketing is the goal in Hollywood and should be the goal of content marketers in every industry.” The issue some people have with this notion is that businesses want customers, not fans. Zaleski contradicts this idea, however, saying, “If you create a fan base (whether they buy from you or not), you are creating walking advertisements for your brand’s message.”   Treat your fans well   Thus, the takeaway message is treating your fans well, whether they buy from you initially or not, is like investing in the future. You never know what kind of ripples effect enthusiastic fans will have on their friends’ and neighbors’ pocketbooks.   Marketing News brought to you by PayPerCallMarket.com   Source: socialmediaexaminer.com/engagement-create-loyal-audience/imediaconnection.com/content/36055.asp#multiview
drinnawetzu

drinnawetzu

0
Onederful Opportunity
 

Origins of Overeating

Many of you can probably relate to the seemingly never ending yo-yo dieting of a fat person. As I sit here and get pretty retrospective as I await my first introductory meeting at the surgeons I can't help but thinking about the journey before this journey. The many attempts at losing weight over the years and I've learned a few things about myself in the process.   From when I was twelve years old I have a memory that I won't likely forget. I was putting on a little weight and I had to go to the doctor for my annual physical. After they weighed me and took my vitals I had to bring my physical paper and chart to the next room. On it was 148 lbs and the notation "grossly overweight."   Grossly overweight. It was bad enough that gross was already a term with negative connotation having it used in the 80's made it worse. Gross was a Valley Girl slang term that was as overused as "twerk" and "YOLO" are overused today. When I saw it my heart hit the floor. I had to hand this paper to a doctor and he will also know my totally gross status. I wanted to crawl in a hole and die. I didn't crawl into a hole and I didn't die. I did, however, crawl into a bag of cookies and gorged. That moment may just be the very first time I took a negative situation that gave me a bad feeling and numbed it out with cookies. It wouldn't be the last.   Using food as a coping strategy only made matters worse when the general population likes to celebrate with food. So now food is great if I'm happy, sad, angry, mad, or any other emotion. So then food became not a fuel source but an anchor. An anchor that has weighed me down -- literally -- for 30 years.   I know that I'm not going to be successful with any form of weight loss until I change my attitude toward food and last year I purchased a book titled: The Binge Eating and Compulsive Overeating Workbook - An Integrative Approach to Overcoming Disordered Eating. I started to read it and answer the questions and then I put it down. I probably told myself I was too busy (I wasn't) but honestly I didn't enjoy uncovering all the emotion behind WHY I eat. I put it on a shelf for several months.   Picking it up again when I decided that I was going to look into surgery it really hit me that my problem is more that I tend not to feel my feelings because I fear I may be ruled by them so instead I tend to swallow them... usually chased with ice cream. Like I said earlier until I understand my eating and the emotions from my eating this will be another trip on the yo-yo train and I'm not going to have a major surgery, redesign my insides, and then go back to my old habits. It's time. I'm not twelve anymore but I am truly grossly overweight and I'm sick of it. It's time to do the work.   QUESTION: Do you eat your feelings? If you did would exploring it further have helped you on this journey after surgery?
rhodywoman

rhodywoman

3
Johnny99's Blog
 

Clothes Woes

Welcome back! It's time for more girthy grins from your formerly portly preacher. So let's get right into it and see what's happening in the world of Johnny. Frankly, I'm dealing with another debacle. Last week, I finally got around to finally moving my old suits into storage. Did I say finally? I have been slowly paring my old wardrobe from my closet. It has not been easy. It's not the actual moving of clothes that's hard, it's the sorting of the clothes that's the killer. What to throw away and what to keep. It's a mess of epic proportions. After all, I am dealing with about 5 levels of clothing. To clear it up for our new readers, a "level" of clothes is / was the particular items I had that fit me in various stages of rotundness. At my worst, I was busting out of my Level 3 wardrobe. That consisted of several pairs of slacks and a couple of over sized shirts. God forbid if I ever had to invoke Level 4 emergency protocols! That was just a moo moo and a pair of furry bunny slippers. The world was not ready for that. As I have lost weight, I have moved rapidly through Level 2 (comfortable fitting FAT wardrobe), Level 1 (loose fitting fat wardrobe and some trousers and shirts from an old closet, circa 1995), a new transitional Level A wardrobe (some new clothes and a myriad of FAT clothes that were taken in), Level B wardrobe which consists of all new transitional clothes and some old shirts that have been severely altered. Needless to say the the move downward through the levels requires me to set up shop in my closet and endlessly try on pants and shirts. Discarding the "absolutely don't fits", keeping the" fits OKs" and waffling on the "in-betweeners". Because this chore is not related to work, sports or sex, paying attention for any length of time is quite cumbersome. So after about an hour, I got bored and just keep the items I hadn't gotten to yet. This caused a little bit of a logjam. But I FINALLY got it done. After last weeks wardrobe purge, my closet looks pretty empty. Now I have discovered I have only a handful of pants that fit, a few jeans and three Jos. A Banks Sunday go-to-meetin' outfits. I'm in trouble here! I may have to invoke reverse Level C emergency protocols, if I don't get some new trousers in a hurry! I have taken the new pants I bought back in November to Giovanni the "crack tailor" to get taken in. I call him the "crack tailor" because it seems like I am there every week with a fistful of cash to get my fix. I hope these pantalones hold me for another month or so. I really don't want to buy new slacks because I am right on the edge of another downward move in the waist size. Giovanni hopes I continue the tailoring route. I also learned that even if your tailor tells you he can take 9 inches out of your waist, that doesn't mean the pants are going to look right. I may have started a new fashion trend ... 3 belt loops in the back about an inch apart from each other. We'll see if it catches on. Truth be told, I made a few wardrobe mistakes along the way. First, I got way too many slacks, suits and sport coats altered after the first 30 pounds or so. My body was changing so fast that I never even had a chance to wear most of the items. Secondly, I took about 20 shirts in and had those taken in as well. Giovanni can take in the sides, but he can't redo the neck. So I ended up with a bunch of dress shirts with big necks. And the sport coats? He took in the sides, but he couldn't move the shoulders. So I ended up looking like a character from Miami Vice. Big wide collars and shoulder pads. I had to say good bye. I am just ranting about this because it's aggravating and time consuming. But we have to put this in the "good problem to have" column. Yup. It sure beats going the other way. I suppose it's rewarding to see the new clothes I bought in the fall hanging off me already. With another 25 pounds to go, I'm certain I'll being doing at least a couple more wardrobe purges. Only this time it won't be fancy custom suits made by my former haberdasher. You know him? Omar the Tent Maker. If you go see him, tell him Johnny sent you. And also tell him I am no longer in need of his services. SOOOO LOOONG FOR NOW! JT Fat Fanatics! Email your comments and questions to: mccgolfer99@gmail.com I will answer all questions and, who knows, your pithy comments might make the blog!
Johnny99

Johnny99

2
BlueMoon~T's Blog
 

Feeling Retrospective

As February is winding down I've started looking back at myself last year at this time. If you've read my story you know last March I had serious medical issues and was in the hospital for over a month, on dialysis and heavier than I'd ever been. Its INSANE!!   The good thing about that negative situation is the positive changes that have taken place in my life since last year. I'm on my way to looking like I feel on the inside. I feel so much more healthy on the inside and can't wait until people can see what I see when I look in the mirror. I've lost tons and some days I even feel thin at a size 16 now. It's all relative. Some of you may not feel like sz 16 is thin but coming from where I was, believe me... its a big- noticeable change! My daughters told me last week that I no longer had MOM butt. I guess my arse is no longer flat and long. It's got some shape. That's high praise coming from them. LOL!   I'm now looking forward to my trip to Vegas in April. Girls Trip! Woot! Gotta lose 9 more lbs to reach the smaller goal I set for myself when I had my surgery in September before I go... but, I'm sure I'll do it! I'm knocking on wood here because I haven't met my goal yet... but, my journey has been great. My weight loss has been constant and after making it through "band hell" I've never grumbled at my band. Instead, my band has been the best investment I've made in myself... EVER!   Finally, It's true what they say. If Mama Ain't Happy. Ain't Nobody Happy! My entire family has been impacted in a positive way due to my WLS. Without sounding like a complete cliché. I'm a better Me!   Happy Thursday, Peeps!
BlueMoon~T

BlueMoon~T

0
The Lardy Duchess
 

Days 6 & 7

I sort of thought that as time went on, this liquid pre-op would get easier. In some ways it does and in other ways it bites.   I'm tired of just liquid and vegetables. Ah, I'll soldier on. I keep reminding myself that once I hear what I've lost during this pre-op phase that I'll be happy with myself.   I do far better earlier in the day, as the day wanes on from about 4pm onwards I'm out of energy and interest. I'm working on making that a positive. I find myself pretty reflective as I work through emotional issues. If I don't work through some of those issues I don't feel I'll be successful because we all do this to ourselves for some reason.   On Tuesday when I left my therapist I wanted donuts. In a former life I'd stop, go in the drive through, and buy two donuts and eat them in a huge hurry because I was on my way home. But after leaving her office, I wondered why I wanted them. Sure, there is their great taste, but I know it's beyond just how they taste. I think part of it sugar addiction. I've often wondered if Skippy dog food had a sugar variety if I'd eat that too.   I wanted to feel full. I could finally name that. I wanted to feel full. Full of what? Warmth spreading from within me when I eat, enveloped in sugar love. So I really examined that, really thought about it and of course, didn't buy the donuts, which not long after I got home I'd forgotten about them anyway.   Can food be love? You can surely love food, but isn't there something 'right' or correct about loving what well balanced food can do for you as a tool. Making you feel better, making your body work for you (me), filling it with nutrition. I can love food, and do but I think an important distinction is that I abuse food. I eat unhealthy food, I consume it in great quantities, I use it maybe to remind myself that I'm not all that great, not all that loved. **** that's awful.   Just free thinking here.   6 days until surgery  
NancyintheNorth

NancyintheNorth

2
Christian Zaccone's Blog
 

Im at around 215 and happy!

Well i am basically at goal. I am done really trying to lose weight because im under high school weight. I have raised my calories to around 1200-1400 per day. I do work out 6 days per week faithfully and have lowered my cardio to 35 minutes per day from 50 so i can concentrate on lifting weights and abdominal work. That is working out fine. I actually just got home from a 12 day mexico tip and hit the gym 11 out of the 12 days. Its a good habit now that wont be broken. I figure i am going to maybe gain 5-10 lbs of muscle but get leaner though i am in a 34 inch waist and large shirt now. Im fine with all of this. My weight will probably fluctuate from 215-225 but that is all fine with me. I am happy and thin..... Chris
Christian Zaccone

Christian Zaccone

0

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