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Old habits are easy to find !!!

I tell you, it is so easy to fall into old habits. Now chewing or eating fast.....I thought quitting cigarettes was tough....OMG this is tough.   I am 4-5 lbs below goal @ 216 and holding. I still find it hard to eat slow and chew. Once in a while the band reminds me to slow down and chew. The hardest to digest remains lamb. Otherwise, I can eat just about anything. Usually 1.5 cups of food.   It is nice to shop off the racks and every store has my size. No need to try on clothes either.
John337

John337

2
 

Don't get the Flu !!!!!!!

I've been maintaining for the last couple of months. However, just after Thanksgiving I got the flu. Went to the Doctor and was advised since it has been 36 hours with the flu, the medication would not work other to shorten my time that I'm sick by one day so he didn't give it to me.   Well - I was down for the count for 7 days. Lost 8-9 lbs in one week. Becaquse I wasn't drinking fluids ( never mind food) I picked up a bladder infection that almost put me in the hospital.   Went to my LB Doc and had an unfill so I can gain back the weight I lost from being sick. ( Got down to 214....but really looked bad).   Gained back my weight and will have a fill on 1/14/2010 to maintain. What a month......   Went thru the holidays without one cocktail.........Still on antibiotics for the bladder infection.   That's OK - Still happy to be 220-223..........:mad:
John337

John337

1
 

Finding The Sweet Spot After A Port Revision

Went back to the Doc's office yesterday and I was right. The new port which is smaller has less capacity therefore I need less fluid to get me back to the ("sweet spot") level I was previously enjoying.   Removed .6cc's. The end result was adding .4cc - new level 5.4cc's brought me to the same level I was at with the old port ( 6.15 cc).   Was able to eat last night. ( First time in two days).....Felt sooooooo good.   Back on track and feel great. WHAT A JOURNEY !!:smile2:
John337

John337

1
 

Needed a Port Revision

Well here I am, losing weight and seeing this port starting to stick out. Well, went in on 10/26/09 for a Port Revision. All went well. Went home and dealt with the pain as I didn't take the pain meds that were given to me. ( The same one gave me a bad reaction for the lap band surgery) So I just dealt with it for a few days, then worked out of the house for the remainder of the week.   On 11/2/09, I went i to the Doc for a post op visit and found that I was down to 5 cc. Lost 1.45 cc due to the revision. I had a 1.3 fill and couldn't even drink water. The NP removed .3 cc and I felt better. HOWEVER< when I got to the office and had soup......my trouble began.....I was sliming soup just after 3 oz.....Same for dinner. Had chicken broth and after 3 oz I was sliming. Caled the Doc's office and am scheduled for an unfill this afternoon. Probably .5cc -.7 cc. Need to find that sweet spot again. I need to maintain now. Lost 114 lbs. Down to 223 which is where I wanted to be.   I think what happened ( just guessing) was the new port is alot smaller so to fill me up to my old restriction would really require less volume to give me the same effect. In other words with a smaller port, 5.5cc would get me to the sweet spot.   We shall see...........
John337

John337

3
 

8/25/09 Adjustment

Went in for another adjustment yesterday. Gaspar (N.P.) put in .5 cc. When I drank water in the office, it went down ok.   WELL - When I got home and had soup, oh boy, was I in for a surprise. I started to hiccup and slime for 1 1/2 hours. It wasn't pretty. I tried an ice pop 3 hours later and after sucking on it for five minutes, the same thing happened. Then I went to bwed and it was trying to come up all night. Didn't sleep well at all.   So first thing this morning I show up in the Doc's office and Gaspar removed .25cc's and thank the lord all is good. I'm tight but I can drink and eat .   It's hard to believe that after almost a month the adjustment was only .25. My total is now 6.45 cc.
John337

John337

3
 

Back from vacation

Took two weeks of vacation between 7/30/09 and 8/14/09. Fire Island,NY and Wildwood, New Jersey......Walked on the beach ALOT !   Lost 7 lbs in the process. Down to 248. It's hard to believe. Just came across my "before" picture. I can't believe it's the same person....   I feel great and only have 25 lbs to go.....
John337

John337

1
 

My Fifth Fill - 7/28/09

Went in today for another adjustment. The NP added .5cc. Total 6.2cc out of 10cc. Feel good.   What's really nice is that we were away on vacation for a week and I still managed to lose a few lbs. Down 79 lbs. Buying large shirts and size 38 pants. Feels great. Trying to get in my walking every day.   I did notice with all the weight loss the port is starting to protrude. If it becomes an issue, they'll move it deeper under the stomach muscle. It's a wait and see approach but I do not want it to protrude.
John337

John337

1
 

7/10/09 unfill

My 7/8 adjustment of 1 cc was too tight. Went back this am and the NP took out .3cc which gave relief but still restricted.   I could only eat one to two oz of food and 10-12 oz of fluid for the day yesterday so I knew it was tight. Thought of not going back but riding it out and hope it would loosen up but then I said to myself why are you doing this??? I'm in it for the long haul so why starve myself. Weighed in and the weight confirmed that I wasn't eating or drinking enough as in two days I lost 4 lbs......Too much in two days.......:biggrin:   Now I'm drinking more and feeling restricted but not strangled......
John337

John337

1
 

4th Fill on 7/8/09

Since my last fill on 6/25/09, ( as of Monday) I didn't lose one pound. Weighed in today at the Doc's office and lost 2 lbs. This is crazy....   Dr. Fielding said my body is adjusting to the weight loss and this type of weight lose is expected.   Restriction was gone, so Dr. Fielding added 1 cc for a total of 7.25 cc's. Now I'm really restricted. Took me an hour to drink an 11 oz. protein drink.
John337

John337

1
 

First "Stuck Episode" on Sunday 6/28/09

CHEW...CHEW...CHEW.... That's what I must remember. I Was eating a chicken thigh when all of a sudden I had this pain in my chest and nothing else would go down. Went into the bathroom and up came the food. :cool:   First the food that followed the chicken which came up easily. Then I thought that was it. Still had the pain in my chest and I could hear gurgling. I was still stuck. :smile2: Then I threw up (lightly) and the piece of chicken came up and immediately felt better. I didn't chew it well enough........Lesson learned the hard way!.
John337

John337

2
 

3rd Fill on 6/25/09

Since my last post, I stopped feeling restricted and was starting to get hungry within 5 hours of a meal. It was explained to me that as I lose weight, my stomach shrinks and the Band gets loose. Very Common, like tightening up your belt a notch. So I got another .5 cc's put in today and got that restricted feeling back again. Did lose 2 more lbs since last Friday . Total lost 66 lbs. :crying:   My next appointment is scheduled for 7/8/09.
John337

John337

1
 

Weigh-In on 6/19/09

Weighed in at 273. Down 3 lbs last week. Total lost 64 lbs and feel good. Restriction still there so I think I will not be getting an additional fill this week.   My XL shirts are loose. My son Steve got me for Father's Day two large shirts that fit pretty good. Once I lose another 10 lbs, they'll fit perfect. I need to go find size 40 pants as the 42's are too loose as well.   This is what I call fun shopping, especially for me since I hate shopping.
John337

John337

1
 

Second Fill 6/18/09

Since my first fill on 6/11/09, I still could eat anything without restriction and was not losing weight. I called my surgeon's office and got another appt for 6/18/09 to get another fill. 2.5 cc's were put in but I couldn't drink water and have it go down. I was too tight. Now I know what too tight means. I didn't like that at all. .75cc's were backed out and I could actually feel the water moving down to my stomach as he was removing some of the fluid. So in total, I have 5.75 cc's in a 10 cc band.   Now I have good restriction. :thumbup: Had Tuna for lunch and one large meatball for dinner. Eachone filled me up on 4 oz and held me satisfied for 5-6 hours. Feels great.   Today I had a V-8 drink for breakfast alongf with a protein drink. Lunch was 4 oz of meatloaf and a few oz's of mashed potatoe.   Sipping water this afternoon and feel good. Can't wait to weigh in tomorrow. :tt1:
John337

John337

1
 

First fill was on June 11th, 2009

Had my first fill and it took all of 5 minutes. Laid down on the table, got stuck and 4cc's were put into my empty band. It was explained that 3 cc's probably went to the tube ad a little to the actual band. Still do not feel restricted. Can eat almost anything but I'm watching calories and quantity. Trying to stay at 1200 calories and 90 grams of protein. Walking 30 minutes per day at least 4 days during the week. The weekends, I'm busy with things around the house.   I have a call into the Doc's office to see if I can step up my next appt.
John337

John337

3
 

Went shopping for clothes

I start traveling to work on Tuesday.( 2 hr 20 min commute -one way). I am not looking forward to the commute. The god news is I'm in the office Tuesday/Thursday and working from home Wednesday/Friday. I need to break in slowly to my crazy commute. :thumbup:   I CLEANED OUT MY CLOSET. Brought over two doz pants, shirts, 4 suits, shorts etc to Good Will. Had to go shopping. Went down 3-4 sizes. My pants were a 46-48. Now I'm a 42 with room to spare. My shirts were XXL now XL. Went to a normal store in the mall for clothes. FEELS GOOD   Still eating mushies. Trying to eat slow. That is very difficult.
John337

John337

2
 

One week BANDEDversary

I can't beleive I'm post op -one week.Feel pretty good. Can't wait till Friday when I can get off the liquids and start eating real food. The only mistake I made was not taken a stool softener even though I showed no systoms of needing one. In the end ( no pun intended) I should of taken it. I almost ended up in the ER . I think I ripped my insides apart. The weekend was so bad , I needed to take the lortab to get by. Pain has now subsided and I'm getting back to normal. I should of listened to my gut.....   Anyway, my post op visit with Dr. Fielding in NYC is tomorrow. All appears good. The sterile strips are falling off.   Can't believe I need to go shopping on Friday for clothes. Need pants and shirts for work. It will be interesting. I don't know what size to buy until I try a few pants on.
John337

John337

3
 

Surgery was Monday, May 11th,2009

Well, I did it.......:ohmy:   Since we live 2 hrs away, my wife and I left the house on the 8am train to arrive in NYC @ 10am. Walked over to NYU and was there in time. They called me in at 10:30 am , then we sat and sat and sat. I didn't go into the operating room until 1:30pm and was given a " Happy Drug" and the next thing I know, I was in recovery. I did have alot of swelling and chest pain. They were quick to do an EKG which was normal. It felt like someone was sitting on my chest. Not only did I have a lapband but the Dr. removed my gallbladder, whcih he told my wife was a mess. That's why I think I have a lot of pain today not from the gas but from the pulling and pushing, etc in getting the gallbladder out. Feels like I went 10 rounds with a boxer hitting nothing else but my stomach and I got the crap kicked out of me.   Stayed in the hospital overnight. The nurses and aides were great. They were quick with the morphine whenever I needed it. I left the hospital with hydrococodine which eliviates the pain but adds to the constipation. Took a while in the hospitial to pee, but finally did. Alot better today. Just went for a walk down the block. Wasn't too bad. My stomach is really, really sore. Trying to eat soup but not taking in much.   In a little while, I'll try and drink a protein drink although I'm not really hunger.
John337

John337

2
 

Tomorrow Is Surgery day

Well - It's here. The waiting , Anxiety, excitement, all of it....The pre-op diet wasn't too bad. The weight watchers soup Rose made really helped take the edge off.   Ready for tomorrow. Will be on the 8:05 train to NYC. Need to be at the hospital by 10:30am.   All systems are go :biggrin:
John337

John337

1
 

One week down, One to go - Pre-op Diet

So far so good. It hasn't been too bad. The last 7 days on liquids included soup and or lett,tom & cucumber salad with fat free dressing. ( very little). The weekend was the roughest. I was starving on Saturday afternoon so instead of thinking about food, I waxed my son's 18 foot fishing boat. My work - His benefit.......that's ok , the urge to eat the trailer tire passed and all was good again.   I find I need to keep busy. If not, I start thinking about food......and that's not good.   However, I'm determined..........
John337

John337

3
 

Thankful for the support

I think family and friends just to the conclusion that we're having Gastric Bypass Surgery. I found that most of my inner circle of friends and family were supportive once I sat down and explained that procedure and that this is not the " Magic Bullet" people think. This is a way to control appetite and the amount we will be able to eat and be satisfied. We need to exercise and take care of ourselves. Once explained to friends and family, I found no one that wasn't supportive and if I did, I would just zone them out.....   People don't understand the struggle most of us have with losing weight. Sure - losing weight is easy, but gaining it back is even easier...........I can see my own relationship with food changing, and changing for the better.
John337

John337

1
 

Finally Approved

I tell ya - Aetna does not make it easy. They will not put you through to the case worker handling your claim. They keep advising to check with your Doc. Your Doc says - "Everything has been submitted and we're waiting for an answer"......   Finally, Yesterday I was approved :thumbup:. Just got back from the hospital and took care of my pre-admitting tests - EKG, Chest X-Ray, Blood Work and met the anestheologist.   GOOD TO GO FOR 5/11/09. Continue on the pre-op liquid diet. Not too bad ( Yet). My Rosie Girl made me an awesome weight watchwers vegetable soup....SO GOOD :biggrin:
John337

John337

2
 

Now I wait..................

All my paperwork has been submitted to Aetna for approval. Tomorrow will be a week and I haven't heard from them or my Doctor's office.I need to hear soon :thumbup: as I have a pre-surgical appt for Thursday at NYU Medical Center.
John337

John337

1
 

The liquid diet

Well today I started the 14 day liquid diet and it really starts to hit you how real the whole process has become.....I've been doing a modified protein diet over the last week so this shouldn't be too bad.
John337

John337

1
 

Let the Journey Begin

It seems as though you really need to hit rock bottom before you can make life changing decisions. This is obviously one of them. I started out in January weighing 337 and feeling lousy both physically and mentally. I made the decision to get help and beat the beast within that allows me to overeat. Currently weigh 310 with a BMI of about 41.5   What's really upsetting is the fact that my wife is so supportive and is a weight watcher graduate ( lost 65 lbs 4 yrs ago), cooks well balanced meals and I STILL over eat at home and at work. I have been fustrated for years but January 2009 really, really got to me. I am ready for a heart attack and would really like to see future grand children graduate college. Keep this up and there's no way that will happen.   So the journey begins .................:thumbdown:   I went to NYU and attended a seminar with Dr. Fielding as the speaker. What really impressed me about him was the fact that he is not only the surgeon but a patient as well. He wa banded 9 years ago and looks great.   Aetna makes you jump through hoops to get approved but that's ok. I realize that this is a life changing event and must be taken seriously. I'm on the 3 month pre-surgical regime. I see the psychologist, nutritionist, personal trainer and primary every month for 3 months. The last appts are coming up in two weeks.   I have my surgery date of 5/11/09 and due to gallstones, my gallbladder will be removed as well. If all goes well, I start my liquid diet ( two weeks) on 4/27/09 and go for pre-op testing 4/30/09.   To me, the hardest part is going to be to take small bits and eat slowly..........
John337

John337

1
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