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1st

This is my first entry on my blog. Will anyone actually read it, I wonder? Probably not.   My surgery is in exactly 2 weeks from today. I'm so nervous. I've never had anything done before, have neever been cut open or stayed the night at the hospital. The closest I think was when I had stitches from when I sliced my ankle when I was younger. Or maybe when I had to do a sleep study for my sleep apnea - but that doesn't count..I think.   In other news, some chick name Erika Dutra is kissing and telling about her night with Robert Pattinson (the most beautiful man, my Edward, my one free pass..sigh..) while in Cannes. If you get a chance to hook up with the man, you should keep your mouth shut and enjoy it! Maybe he'll call you again when he's back in town? Now he's just going to think you're nothing but an opportunist slut!   Until the next blog, toodles.
thebandinmarie

thebandinmarie

8
 

Vitamins

So my surgery is in exacly 9 days! I've been feeling somewhat calm up until today when I talked to the hospital about confirming the exact time when I'm supposed to have my surgery. It's sinking in! This is really going to happen! Wow!   I'm starting to go through my checklist and I still have to get my chewable vitamins and protein shakes. I keep putting it off because I guess my surgery date didn't feel real yet. Anyway, what are the best protein shakes to buy for this? I don't want to buy a bunch of one kind, so I want to know what everyone likes the most and I'll get a combination of all. As far as vitamins go, I like the gummi kind. I recently got children's gummy multi vitamin and take double dosage. Is this OK? I prefer gummi Vs. the cheawables like the Flintstones vitamins, I hate the way they feel and taste.   Your response is appreciated!     Toodles!
thebandinmarie

thebandinmarie

4
 

Over 30 lbs lighter!

Long time no blog. Things have been going great. I am going to the gym 4x a week for about an hour a day and I walk 2 miles per day, 3x per week. I am still consuming about 1200 calories per day, haven't cheated with bad foods but I have eaten more than I should on a couple of occassions.   I thought after my first fill I would start eating less but by dinner time, I'm ready to eat a regular sized meal. Of course it's a lot less than what I have eaten in the past, but after reading the thousand and thousands of post on this forum, I thought I'd be eating much less for dinner than what I've been.   Still, my diet is not too bad considering I'm still sticking with 1200 calories per day. I am hungry in the morning and at lunch, but I can stop eating pretty easily. For breakfast, I normally have cream of wheat and some banana. I've eaten oatmeal with bananas too. Or I will have one half of english muffin with 2 egg white scrambled. For lunch, I would have about 3 oz of grilled salmon and maybe 3 bites of brown rice and however much bok choy I can eat. I've also eaten 1/2 of a turkey sandwich for lunch which has turkey, tomato and lettuce only and sometimes pickles.   Come dinner time, I'm famished! I'll eat some chicken and rice but my portions are still big. Again, it's smaller than what I've eaten before being banded, but I think it's too big for someone with a band. Anyway, my next fill is not until next month, hopefully my appetite will change a bit after.   My progress is excellent so not too much of a complaint, I'm just worried that one of these days I will get something stuck since I have yet to experience that .   I went to a support group the other day and I think it's wonderful that there are such groups. It's nice to meet other people with the band and to see how successful it's been for them. It's inspiring and I hope one day I can speak at these support groups and tell my success story! Some day....   I posted some pictures with the latest being at 27 lbs lost. I'm proud to announce that I have passed the 30 lbs mark and have lost a total of 32 lbs so far. I love it! It's great feeling to have lost weight, it's a great feeling to breathe easier and to get a period for 2 months in a row! The up and the down side is that I need new clothes. I'm practically swimming in some of my pants, so I definitely need to get some new ones and a belt!
thebandinmarie

thebandinmarie

3
 

2nd fill and Port area ouchy

I had my 2nd follow-up with my doctor yesterday and he is very proud of my weightloss so far! Nice!   The other day, I sat down and turned a certain way when all of the sudden I felt a sharp but very quick ripping sensation in my port area. It was sore for the rest of the evening and from that point on, when I bend over a certain way or lay on my right side, I can feel the pain all over again. It's a slight burning feeling, similar to how I felt right after my surgery but not as extreme.   Anyway, I was so scared that I flipped it or tilted it, or damaged it someway so I called the nurse. She said that I should see my doctor if I'm in a lot of pain or if I'm really that worried about it. Otherwise, she said it doesn't sound like it's anything to be alarmed about. She said I must have torn a scar tissue which can happen since I'm still healing from all of the stitches they had done.   I wasn't in enough pain to come in, plus my follow-up appointment was just a week away. So I told her that if the pain worsens or if that area swells up, I will come right in. None of that happened, it was just the occassional pain when I moved a certain way, as I mentioned earlier.   So my doctor examined my port, he said it looks fine and it felt OK. He said that I probably tore one of the stitches which had pulled from my muscle, so that is why I'm sore. He said it could take a few months for me to be completely healed but the good news is, my port has not flipped. In fact, they said in order for me to flip my port or even tilt it, would mean all four of my very strong hold stitches would be detached then would have to manage to flip on it's own. I would be in even more pain and my doctor wouldn't have been able to find my port to give me another fill. Which he did, by the way. I got another fill yesterday which was a much needed one. I was starting to get hungry, he said it happens as I lose the weight I will need further adjustment.   All good in my hood and very happy that there are answers to my questions. Which brings me to this, when in doubt, ask your doctor and don't guess or rely on this forum! This forum is SO helpful and very informative and fantastic for support BUT, each person's situation is different and each doctor's method is different. We should not self-diagnose and freak ourselves out by comparing ourselves to what others have gone through. Make sure to see your doctor right away or at the very least, talk to him over the phone if you have any questions. It might be something so simple and there would have been no need to freak out.
thebandinmarie

thebandinmarie

2
 

45 down.. a lot more to go!

I've past the 40 lb lost mark and I'm now down 45 lbs! Very happy about this accomplishment. I feel great, more energy than ever before and I'm a lot more active than ever before as well.   I did have a bit of a slow down last month due to the nasty cold I caught. I didn't work out for a good 3 weeks. I felt awful during that time. I felt useless, plus I ate a little more than usual. i haven't fallen off the wagon with eating better foods for me though. I ate more of what I would normally eat. For example, I would get seconds of oatmeal or a little more salmon than normal. Still, those are added fat and calories I shouldn't be adding to my diet. I was sick, and for some reason it made me more hungry.   I'm pretty sure I'm due for another fill. Have had 2 so far, and I will be going back in this week for my 3rd. That should set my diet back on track.   I'm proud to say that since my cold/flu have gone away, I've gone back to working out. I've even upped it from 4 days a week to 5 days plus I walk on the weekends. I am also taking a Zumba class. If you don't know what it is, it's a cross between salsa and hip hop dancing. It's a lot of fun and it really makes you sweat! I reccommend for all to take this! You can go at any age or fitness level because you can move at your own pace.   That's the latest....
thebandinmarie

thebandinmarie

2
 

Mmmmmmmmushy in 3 Days!

I'm almost at my mushy stage and I cannot wait! I think I've eaten (drank) every broth or clear liquids known to man, I'm SO ready for some mushies!   So my clinic's suggestion for the mushies are eggs, fish, tofu, mashed or soft cooked potatoes, beans, crackers, and hot cereals. I was wondering if any of you can recommend any other types of foods that I'm allowed at this stage. I'd even love it if it was something that I can prepare and cook, so that it would seem like a special meal, rather than something I took out of the fridge/cupboard and heated up in the microwave.   Also, aside from fish, can I have any other types of "meat" during this stage. I love fish, but I'd like a variety so I don't get too bored with this stage.   And, when does the aching from the incision fully go away. I would say I'm about 80% healed, comparing to how much it ached last week, but I find myself having a hard time getting in and out of a chair sometimes. The biggest incision I have is where it hurts the most. I'm assuming this is where my port is? It doesn't hurt all the time, but yesterday I sneezed and I didn't have enough time to hold a pillow to my stomach so that area ached so much after. It really felt like I strained a muscle or something. And I still can't bend over all the way. I walk my dog and when I try to p/u my dog's poop, I feel like there's something in the way in my stomach from getting down low enough. Is this just a part of healing or will I always feel that now?
thebandinmarie

thebandinmarie

2
 

A little over a month, a little under 20 pounds lighter..

I'm 5 weeks postop and have been just a tad bit hungry. Nothing unmanageable but I did feel the difference in between meals, and even more right before a meal my stomach would growl like crazy! It's quite embarassing sometimes. LOL Like I said though, it's nothing I can't manage but it was a little uncomfortable.   I've also continued to walk every night for 45 minutes or more. On weekends, Imake it a point to get out of the house and just keep moving. My girlfriends were visiting last weekend and we went EVERYWHERE! We sunbathed, walked, shopped, sight seeing, etc. I think I burned at least 500 - 800 calories with just walking last weekend. Fun and tiring but am very proud to keep moving like that! BTW, I took my friends to Katsuya in LA and ran into McDream himself - Patrick Dempsey. So dreamy for sure!   I've kept my meals at under 1200 calories per day and even though I get hungry sometimes, I've been able to control myself and not snack. I'm very proud to be able to eat 3-good portioned, healthy meals per day. VERY proud of that.   The greatest part of this month is how some people react to my transformation so far. It's a slight change, at least I think so, but for some people that don't see me everyday they think it's a major change. They commented on how small my face and neck are getting. I just wish my lower half would get even smaller though. I feel like my lower half needs to catch up! My boobs are shrinking but not my thighs.. In time...   I saw my doctor yesterday for my post-op visit and he said I'm right on track. Nothing seem to bothering me right now, so it was a short visit. But, he did give me my first fill. What a weird sensation! When he injected the saline, it felt like butterflies were in my tummy. So strange! Anyway, I was to be on liquids for 12 hours and I can start eating normally again, but even smaller bites for a day or two, making sure I chew even longer than normal. I feel great today. My stomach didn't growl as loud as usual, so that's a good change. I'll be scheduling another appointment for next month, and I bet I will need a fill then too.
thebandinmarie

thebandinmarie

3
 

Banded yesterday (6/17) and now I'm home

It went by so fast. The last thing I remember was kissing my husband goodbye while sobbing like a little baby. Then I woke up. My throat was raw and I could barely speak, but I think I asked, "Am I dead?". They laughed and said no, you're at the hospital and you just got your Lap Band.   I'm feeling a little better today but I am still very sore and very gassy. I stayed at the hospital overnight and while I'm glad I did, I'm just frustrated with how little I got to sleep and how sore I was. It was difficult to go the bathroom, to get in and out of bed and to walk the halls like my doctor asked me to do.   Last night I had a little bit of tea, some jello, juice and a ton of ice chips. My mouth was so dry! I couldn't have anything else between midnight last night until about noon today since I had to do my upper GI. After that was done, I had some broth, jello, juice and water.   I got home around 5:00pm and had some creamed soup, water and a protein drink. I also took all my meds (pain, multi vitamins, Gas-X, Pepcid and dairy supplement). I'm surprised it all went down since I've been reading how people can't keep anything down at first.   Anyway, I haven't had a bowel movement since Tuesday, I know it's common but just thought I'd share that. Also, I want to cough but it hurts too much. I hope tomorrow will be better.   BTW, I' not hungry, I have no hunger pains and I don't have a headache. I was scared of all of these things considering I knew how little I would be eating. I feel fine. Again, really sore, but I feel just fine....today at least.
thebandinmarie

thebandinmarie

4
 

More soup?!? Ugh!

So I'm sure you've read on this forum that during their 2 weeks of liquids post-op, people tend to get sick of soup and are frustrated. Well, I think I've hit that mark. I don't know how many other soups, broths, flavored waters I can take - I am so souped out!   I called my doctor's office just to chat with the nurse to ask about what other patients do. Really, there's nothing that can be done but to try different liquids to keep it interesting and to hang in there. She's right (of course) but it's a bit frustrating. I know that after these 2 weeks are up and I'm on to my mushy stage, I will feel much better.   I feel bad for my hubby, well kinda. I feel bad that he's had to hide in the office, bedroom or outside just to eat his meal but what else is he going to do, right? I mean, if he started eating chinese food in front me while I'm feeling this way, I might pull a Chris Brown on him. Sorry, bad joke. Haha?   Anyway, he's been nothing but supportive but I'm so jealous that he can have real food and I can't.   Alright, I guess I'll go and eat soup now.
thebandinmarie

thebandinmarie

5
 

Happy mushy 2 weeks to me! Yay!

I'm 2 weeks post-op today! SO happy! I'm practically not a "newbie" anymore. Haha!   I'm also starting mushies today, so that's even more exciting. I've already had tea this morning and some apple juice, so now I'm going to make some malt-o-meal and maybe a scrambled egg as well. Yay!   I've been going on 20 minute walks this past week, I'm going to up it to 30-45 minutes daily! Hopefully, in 2 weeks I can add more to my workout regime!
thebandinmarie

thebandinmarie

3
 

Number Two

Aahhhhh! What a relief! For a second there, I thought I would never be able to have a BM again. I just had a BM after 4 days and I'm grateful! It's weird, but any type of normalcy in all of this, I can be really grateful for.   So, today is 3 days post-op. I think you count the day after your surgery, right? If I had my surgery on Wednesday, and today is Saturday, then I'm 3 days post-op? Anyway, the soreness is slowly going away. I am still having some pain getting in and out of the bed and sofa, but the pain is much less than my first night home, which was on Thursday night. Thursday night was brutal. My wounds felt like it was burning everytime I moved. I hardly slept! I needed my hubby's help with any type of movement, but now, I can pretty much do it on my own. It takes me a few minutes, but at least I can do it on my own!   I've been tracking everythng that I'm consuming, just what the doctor ordered. I'm doing fine with getting 40-45 grams of protein and at least 60 ounces of fluids. I'm still not that hungry, although I hear my tummy rumbling sometimes and I think it's telling me that it's time to eat. This morning around 4:30am, I had rumblings in my tummy and there was a small squeeze that I felt too. Usually when I'm starving (before being banded), I would get the same sensation but 100x worse, so I knew it was because I needed a little something in me. I went ahead and warmed up some broth, and that calmed my stomach instantly.   I've read a ton of posts on this forum on how they pretty much weigh themselves everyday and I've decided not to do that. I think I'm going to find out how much I weigh at my doctor visits. I don't want to drive myself crazy with thoughts of not losing enough or losing too much, etc. I think as long as I do what my doctor tells me, I don't need to know how much I weigh on a daily basis. Plus, if I wait until my doctor visits, it's an incentive to keep meeting with my doctor on a regular basis. My first post-op is on 7/15 - exactly 4 weeks from my surgery date. I'm also attending a support group right after, which reminds me, I don't read a lot of support groups activities on some of the posts that I've read on this forum. I'm wondering if it's a common thing to go or not. I'm actually excited to go these support groups. Mainly because I want to compare my recovery with theirs and I would love it if there was someone that I can physically talk to about what I'm going through, should there come a time that I'm frustrated and need really good advice.   I'll be posting some pics from the hospital soon. I will also post some pictures on my transformation on a monthly basis. I can't wait for those!
thebandinmarie

thebandinmarie

3
 

"Thump, thump, thump!" said my head this morning!

Morning! I'm not sure how I'm even awake this morning as I do not think I slept at all! I think it's time to do another sleep test and get a new prescription for my CPAP machine. I'm supposed to feel refreshed and energized, but all I feel today is...poop.   Does anyone know if my sleep apnea will go away after I've lost all my weight? I blame being fat for my sleep apnea, I can't imagine skinny girls needing a Darth Vader mask to sleep at night. I can't wait to finally be able to sleep anywhere without needing my mask. Sigh...   In other news, I heard on Ryan Seacrest's radhio show this morning that major cat fights are happening on the taping of The Hills! Apparently, bad girl Laguna Beach alum has taken over Lauren Conrad's show and has already been in a physical fight with Audrina! Claws all out!   BTW, did any of you Twilight fans see these pics of MY EDWARD yesterday? http://www.robsessedpattinson.com/2009/05/whole-scene-shirtless-robward.html Yum! Seriously, yum!   Until the next blog, toodles.
thebandinmarie

thebandinmarie

2
 

OMG, it's almost here!

My surgery is this Wednesday! Wow, I can't believe it's almost here!   I'm on my 1st day pre-op 2-day liquid diet and I was dyiiing this morning. I'm feeling a lot better this afternoon but I know it's going to start all over again tomorrow. Ugh! Thank goodness it's only for 2 days.   I hope my liquid diet post-op isn't as horrible. Man, I'm scared. I don't want to cheat and make myself sick!   I have so many worries about this and I don't know why I'm panicking so much. I'm just so afraid that I'm going to fail at this. Or what if the band slips or what if I have a defected one and I have to have it removed?! Can I really go through the emotion of losing my band...losing all hope on changing my life? Aaah!! I don't ever get deep but there are so many what ifs in my head. One thing I know for sure is that I want to go through with this, but WHAT IF I fail? WHAT IF it fails me.
thebandinmarie

thebandinmarie

3
 

Total weightloss.....so far

OK, so I said that I wouldn't weigh myself until my next doctor' appointment but I got curious because my wedding ring magically got looser and my face looks a bit smaller than before...a bit, probably not even noticeable to anyone else but me.   Anyway, I guess I lost 14lbs from the liquid diet. I'm not surprised and I'm not that excited over it since I'm aware that I'm eating way less than what the norm was for me before 2 weeks ago - probably around 700 calories. BTW, I say I'm not as excited because I count real pounds lost when i lose during my final stage of eating real and solid foods.   I want to work hard for my weight loss. I know I have a long road ahead of me filled with challenges after challenges, but I think that's what will make me feel more fulfilled. A lifelong battle that I'm hoping to accomplish with hard work, patience and a real sense of reality.   I can't wait!
thebandinmarie

thebandinmarie

5
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