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About this blog

My personal experience with Lap Band. Hopefully informative and occasionally witty.

Entries in this blog

 

Here We Go - First Post Op Visit

Current Mood: Lighter :cool2:   Had my first pre-op visit yesterday. Down a total of 20 lbs (they count from the consultation and with clothes on!!) so far. It was more but in the last few days I added a couple of pounds from PMS and once again, the dread of high protein diets.... constipation.   After a quick check of my incisions, which are pretty much healed, and a measurement of my waist (huh? they didn't do that before and I didn't see what it measured anyway), the PA asked questions: Are you hungry? RAVENOUS. Do you feel any resistance? NONE What can you eat? Everything. Etc, etc. On the chart that shows too tight all the way on the left and not tight enough to the right, I put myself about 8" off the chart to the right. I am so hungry.   Next steps: The PA says it is time for a fully solid food diet. No more mushy stuff, no gravy, no condiments....protein, veg, fruit and good carbs and that's it. She wants to see how I do on solids for a week and then I'm getting a fill - just 3 weeks after surgery! I'm kind of excited about a fill because I feel like my new tool will finally be put to use. It's still shiny and new but don't we all appreciate something when it's a little more broken in and used?   I celebrated the move to solid food with meat last night - lamb, two bites of naan bread and lots of curried onions. I ate too much and would have been uncomfortable if I hadn't had the 1/2 mile walk home to move things along.   And boy, did it move along! The Benefiber supplement finally kicked in. I'm thinking I am down a couple more pounds today. Phew.   Next test, Thanksgiving, which will be interesting because we're not going anywhere and no one is coming over. I told my husband to get the smallest fresh turkey he could find at the market. He came home and proudly presented me with an 8 lb Purdue Oven Stuffer Roaster. He is right -- it doesn't actually say chicken anywhere on the package but come on!!!! This is what I get for asking a Brit to buy the Thanksgiving turkey. If I can't get a fresh bird today then we're having chicken. But..absolutely NO GRAVY! Per the PA it lubricates the food and makes it slide through the stoma faster. Maybe just a dab.   Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Remember, don't gobble gobble.
BarbaraWM

BarbaraWM

2
 

Happy/Happy/Sad/Sad/Happy?

I weigh what I weighed when I met my husband 12 years ago! That would be 60 lbs less than my consultation weight in September '09. (HAPPY - :thumbup:)   My jeans are sliding down and yesterday while I was rolling around on the floor giggling and playing with my daughter, my boob fell right out of my bra because the cup was too loose when I was upside down. She had such a good laugh over Mommy's booby suddenly appearing that I may hang onto that bra for parties! LOL (HAPPY - :tt2:)   Seriously, I am feeling very slender (for me) but it has come with a price. I don't feel good. I mentioned in my last entry that I thought I wasn't getting enough food but the doctor thought I was doing ok on 2 oz. per meal. BUT....I don't have any energy. I'm tired. My muscles seem to be shrinking. I feel every morsel that goes into my stomach and not in a good way. I haven't had a meal in a month that was actually easy or even enjoyable. I have discomfort from liquids even.... (SAD - :thumbup:)   So, since the doctor didn't want to unfill, even a little, I've added to my diet. I'm having a protein shake at least once a day. I'm also adding a bit more fat to my diet with half n half in my coffee and starting to think of high calorie foods that will go down easily. (SAD - :glare:)     My next appointment is in 3.5 weeks on 3/31. If I lose more than 15 lbs by then, I am definitely getting an unfill so I can feel eat a little more and feel better. (HAPPY - )   Now that THAT's all worked out, if I could just sleep.....
BarbaraWM

BarbaraWM

1
 

Good news for the new year!

Current Mood: Hopeful:thumbup:   My last blog entry was about how much I drank (and ate) over the holidays and the fear of getting on the scale. After New Year's I went back on the program and finally screwed up the courage to get on the scale on Monday, 1/4. As the title says, it was some very unexpected good news!   I'd previously suspected about a 4 pound gain but I was wrong. Instead, I have lost about 15 pounds since my fill on 12/3. Wow! 15 pounds over the holidays and I wasn't actually following the plan very closely. I still think I eat too much in one sitting but I definitely feel some restriction and if I eat too fast (usually bread) I get a horrible pain that takes a minute or two to go away. At least when that happens, I have to stop eating.   For the new year, my resolution is to make better food choices, avoid too much alcohol and finally get to the YMCA to sign up for the free (for members) personal fitness program.   Other thoughts:   1) I got back in touch with a friend from 25 years ago via Facebook. Hopefully by the time I see her again,I will weigh less than I did in 1984.   2) My skin is squishy already. Man am I going to need some serious plastic surgery after this.   3) I love cooking and am considering it as a new career which is sort of funny for someone who has food and weight issues. I realized the reason I love cooking is the appreciation of those eating my good food not because I want to eat it all myself. As Martha Stewart would say, "this is a good thing."   4) I wonder how much weight I need to lose to go down one size in pants. I have been wearing the same size (even when they were so tight I could barely move) for the last 31 lbs and they are getting loose, finally.   5) If I could just win Mega Millions...
BarbaraWM

BarbaraWM

3
 

God I suck!

Current Mood: Very Frustrated :wink2:   So last week I went back for the check up and everything was looking good so they told me to eat solid food for a week and come back for a fill today. Yesterday morning I ate two slices of apple with my breakfast and it did me in. I had a feeling indigestion for the whole day and decided to have soup for dinner and drink as much fluid as I could to "loosen up."   This morning, I could feel some pressure in the same place but it seemed to dissipate a little after a coffee. Breakfast went down fine - 2 scrambled eggs - but after I ate lunch the clogged feeling returned. I can only describe it as similar to the feeling I had the week after surgery when I was still swollen and tried semi solid food. Uncomfortable but not really painful.   So, being the honest woman that I am, I told the PA about it and she asked a few other questions and decided I shouldn't get the fill and instead I should go back to liquids for a couple of days and then call the doctor on Thursday. If the feeling hadn't gone away by then, they would probably want to get another upper GI series.   I am so disappointed! I gained two pounds. I have no restriction. I can eat and drink anything without any real restriction and then this set back. On top of this, I suffer from PMDD and my period is 4 days late (I attribute this to the stress of the surgery) - my OB/Gyn says the later the period, the worse the PMS/PMDD. I am depressed, sad, angry, feeling like a total failure and embarrassed that I acted like a total f'ing baby at the doctor's office today.   So, feeling like crap emotionally, and on the verge of tears, I leave the office and run into my surgeon on the street. He asks me what's wrong and I warn him that his PA is going to tell him what a baby I am.   I feel like such a failure. I go through a major alteration to my body to lose weight and I feel like this journey that everyone writes about just won't start for me. It's like I'm seated in coach, in a middle seat, on the runway for 9 hours and they won't let anyone get up or take the damn plane back to the gate.   I know it took me a long time to get this fat and it will take time to lose the weight...I just want to START.
BarbaraWM

BarbaraWM

3
 

Frustrated - Time to Vent

Current Mood: The title says it all   Here I am 12 days post op, having made bets on how much weight I would lose by the time of my first post op doctor visit, and I'm stalled.... already!   Ok, I get that the first 5 pounds just dropped off from being on liquids for a couple of days, then the next 5-6 were probably from this very low calorie soft food diet and not being able to eat much as a result of swelling. Now, however, the swelling is down and I don't feel any restriction. I am trying to make the right choices and I'm walking around hungry most of the time but the scale has not budged since Tuesday except to go up or down the same 2 lbs.   Restriction: My doctor put 3ccs in my band when he put it in 12 days ago. Last night I ate the inside of a calzone (ricotta, mozarella, mushrooms and a bit of ham). I chewed, I made it last, I swallowed small bits at a time and did not drink. I still managed to eat all of it which was more than the 4 oz my pouch is supposed to hold...it was more like 8 oz and I just couldn't stop myself!   I know the band is only a tool and it will take a lot of work and self control on my part but I thought one of the major functions of this tool was to make is very unpleasant to eat too much. It's not doing that for me yet. I guess that's why it takes 5-6 fills to get it right.   Also, I'm disappointed with myself for lacking control. I've just gone through this physically painful ordeal, subjected myself to surgery and anesthesia, taken off work and put my family through some major machinations yet I couldn't even make it through 2 weeks of the prescribed diet! I am weak.   And, to make things even worse, I am so constipated from this high protein diet with practically no fiber from vegetables and fruit. I remember one of my many past diets was Atkins - I felt the same way then and got very corked up and cranky. I just went off that diet and everything normalized. That's no longer an option.   To top it all off, I'm pre-menstrual and this is my "ravenous hunger" week. I dreamed of pizza!   That's certainly enough bitching and moaning for one post. If you've made it this far, I apologize for you having read my crankiness. I will try to think and act positively.   Positive: My pants were definitely sliding down my hips yesterday and I am no longer short of breath.
BarbaraWM

BarbaraWM

4
 

Food, glorious food! And, I was right - 5.3 lbs gone.

CURRENT MOOD: Surprised :mad2:   After yesterday's fiasco with too much coffee, I poured myself half a cup this morning and took it so slowly that I couldn't finish the last couple mouthfuls because it was so cold. The good news is....no pain!   Today is my first "mushy" day and it was so good to have something with texture finally. Breakfast was 1 cup of skim milk, 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder and 1/4 cup of strawberries thrown in the food processor with a couple of ice cubes. It was surprisingly good but I couldn't finish it. I took a nap through lunch time but walked to the store to get some fresh cauliflower. What? Cauliflower. I usually hate it but I looked up a few recipes and thought I might as well try it. Again, SURPRISE! Mashed cauliflower with some margarine, a bit of chicken stock, a splash of milk, salt & pepper and then chopped up .75 ounces of smoked Gouda and threw it in the microwave to heat through and melt the cheese. Oh my it was good. I guess I'm excited about food since I hadn't had anything solid since 11/7. Of course, the house stinks of cauliflower   Fill, really? My surgeon filled my band with 3ccs when he put it in on Monday. I've been reading a lot of blogs and it seems like most people start with an empty band. So, Surprise #3, I've already got restriction.   All in, a good day. Three more days at home and then back to work - that will be a challenge.
BarbaraWM

BarbaraWM

2
 

First Fill - How Can I Tell If I Have Restriction?

Current Mood: Tired :thumbup:   I finally got the first fill yesterday just in time for my company holiday party! Woohoo. After the last fiasco on Tuesday, I went back the doctor after 2 days on liquids and my weight was up another pound. Amazing considering how starved I felt.   The good news was that I finally got that elusive fill. I am trying to figure out if I have some restriction but it's not easy when you're limited to fluids initially and then if you're unwilling to eat too much to test it. After the fill, which was pretty painless and only took a minute or less, I drank 1/2 cup of water and thought it pretty much went down but I did feel a sort of cool pooling sensation at the base of my throat. Later I had some hummus and guacamole, licked off vegetables at a party and fluids seemed to go down just fine too. By the time I got home, I was ridiculously hungry so I ate about a cup of chili. No problem at all.   When I woke this morning I had the feeling I'm beginning to associate with mornings in general...a tightness or indigestion feeling that stays until I get up and have something to drink. After coffee and water and waiting an hour or so, I had 2 eggs and cut a banana in half. After the eggs and a bite of banana, I suddenly thought I'd better stop. It was just sort of a feeling, not pain or anything. For lunch, I ate a 3 oz. hamburger. I felt like I could keep going but made myself stop. I had some flat Diet Coke after lunch and that provoked a bit of a full feeling but nothing I couldn't handle.   Just now, about 4 hours after lunch, while I was making turkey salad (yes leftovers), I snacked on some stuffing and that did it....I think I feel restricted or, it could just be that it was bread. Not sure.   I am going to get a good night's sleep and then start tomorrow on plan and following all the rules and see how I do. It will be hard because there is yet another party tomorrow, but I can't keep using parties as an excuse to test my limits. Maybe I just picked a bad time of year to get this band. Oh well, it's there now.
BarbaraWM

BarbaraWM

1
 

Day 3 post surgery and I think I've lost 5 lbs!

CURRENT MOOD: :confused:   My neck is feeling better after getting some percocet last night. I still have no idea what they did to it - maybe some vigorous adjustments when they put in the breathing tube?   I did something wrong today. I'm not sure exactly what it was but probably coffee and vitamins at the same time. I took my time drinking the coffee and had only chewable bariatric vitamins...didn't matter. I got pain like really bad indigestion and it lasted and lasted. Finally after a couple of hours I decided to try a little yogurt and that seems to have worked to cut the acid.   I've just come back from a walk and think it may be the cure for gas. Had the best burp while out walking and felt instant relief. But, maybe I didn't take the surgery thing seriously enough - got a bit winded and sweaty and now feel more tired than I should from only walking a mile slowly.   Hoping tomorrow will be better when I get to start the day with some food. It would be nice to poop again some day too.
BarbaraWM

BarbaraWM

1
 

By jove I think she's got it! Down 9 lbs in 5 days.

Current Mood: Pleased and Relieved:cool2:   The fill worked! I have been very tempted to shove food in my mouth and/or keep eating when I think I've had enough and I've been able to stop when I needed to stop! To a certain extent, I think it is mental. I'm just too afraid of pain and vomiting to push it. But then again, maybe I'm just beginning to recognize the signs of a band that is properly restrictive.   I just came back from lunch with a colleague and brought at least 2/3 of it back. It was delicious - chicken breast, mushrooms w/ goat cheese and roasted potatoes - and I could have kept on going but once I hiccuped, I decided that was enough and hoped my body was trying to send me a signal. I had the food removed from the table and wrapped immediately so I wouldn't keep snacking. I brought it back to the office and gave it to someone who was quite pleased. It's working.   Since my first fill last Thursday - 3ccs - (admittedly after soup and about a quart of water and while having my period) I have lost 9 lbs. I think the fluids and water weight I was holding probably accounted for 4-5 lbs so I'm feeling pretty good about my loss because I figure it's 4-5 lbs of NOT WATER. I make my total weight loss since consultation to be 26 lbs. I'm on target to lose the 30, and maybe more, I'd hoped for by Christmas.   Setting Mini Goals: How do you determine what your mini goals are? I think mine are related to where I was in my life when something specific was happening rather than a particular number on the scale. Here are my mini goals:   1) The low after my daughter was born in 2003 - 9 lbs away 2) When I quit smoking in April - 24 lbs to go 3) When I met my husband - 44 lbs to go 4) When I started my career - 60 lbs to go 5) When I graduated from high school - 80 lbs to go (must also lose 2" of height! haha)   If I get that far, I'll have to set some new goals based on pants size because although I can remember what I weighed when I was in 8th grade, I am 4" taller and a lot older so it's actually lower than my ultimate goal.
BarbaraWM

BarbaraWM

3
 

Booze and bad choices!

Current Mood: Festive :cursing:   I think I have gained 4 lbs since the beginning of December. I say "I think" because it was 3 lbs last time I got on the scale and my behavior has actually gotten worse rather than better so I haven't gotten back on.   I entered the holiday season with too much bravado and confidence for a fat person trying to lose weight. I thought, "I can't eat too much - I have some restriction - so I'll be ok." Not only did I make some seriously bad choices about what food to eat, but I also drank, and drank, and drank without regard to the calories. And, my habits suffered as well. I took the bus instead of walking because walking with a hangover was painful. I drank fluids with my meals because I was dehydrated from the wine the night before. I felt starved....And so on.   I do not have a drinking problem. I do have problems with self control related directly to food -- thus the lap band decision. But, just as when I quit smoking, I find myself replacing one bad habit with another - this time it's red wine. I apparently forgot that the health benefits of one glass of red wine per day DO NOT extend to 4 glasses twice a week. The calories from 4 glasses, which now make me quite tipsy because of the lower volume of food, add up and fast. And, then when I have a few drinks, I feel a bit peckish and need a snack when I'm not supposed to be eating. It's a vicious cycle so, my new year's resolution is to avoid drinking alcohol. I'm not saying I won't enjoy a day-ending glass of red as a wind down, I just have to get out the recent holiday habit of downing booze at parties and dinners because I'm not eating.   So, tomorrow evening, Christmas Eve, I have already invited over friends and family for mulled wine and cheese! Oh well, hindsight is 20/20 and this was my husband's idea more than 2 weeks ago when I still thought I had some control. We'll see how I do.   In the meantime, my jeans are looser, I walked miles in the snow over the weekend and I actually got down in the snow with my kid to play and was able to get back up without a forklift. The scale may not be moving but I do feel better overall. January is my buckle down month...and then February...and then March, etc, etc, etc!   Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and successfully avoids the more caloric niceties of the season. Best of luck and Happy New Year to all!   B
BarbaraWM

BarbaraWM

2
 

Approaching the Century Mark!

Looking over my blog entries since my banding last November, I came to the conclusion that this "journey" is really a roller coaster ride. I've been up, down, sideways and all over the map emotionally and physically and I find that as I approach my one year anniversary of banding, I'm pretty much where I hoped and expected to be when they strapped me in and put the bar down. There are so many other changes that I hadn't anticipated. Some are simple, some are complicated but I'm rolling with it. A few observations - simple first:   1) It's a lot easier to wear heels when you're 100 pounds lighter. Besides having giant feet and not being able to find cute comfortable shoes, the pressure on the soles of your feet is geometrically related to how high the heel is and how much you weigh. (Science lesson for the day). The more you weigh, the higher the heel, the greater the pressure. That much less weight means that much more height in comfort. And, wedges are the best.   2) Exercise really does work. Although I did not lose much weight this summer, I dropped at least one pants size. My band was loose and I was eating too much but I was pretty much able to maintain my work out regimen and it paid off. Those CK jeans I mentioned a blog or so ago -- too big now -- and my underwear is so big it's bunching under everything. I'm reticent to buy too much because I feel another big weight loss surge coming on after my re-fill so... check out Macy's clearance online. Got a Michael Kors dress for $23.88 and it's totally adorable.   3) Here's where it gets complicated - emotionally, I am still a giant fat woman. It is really taking a lot of time for me to wrap my head around the fact that I am merely overweight and not circus-fat-lady fat anymore. Every time I walk by a store window that shows my reflection, I find I'm looking to make sure I'm not as big as I sometimes think I am. And some days, I'm convinced I am - body dysmorphic disorder at work or just difficulty adjusting to someone I haven't seen in 30 years -- myself? I may seek some help with this one.   So, here I am, 1 day shy of 10 months since my banding. 95 lbs down. Wearing a size 18/20 (I'm 5'10" and started at a size 32). Working out 3x per week. Having more energy and joi de vivre than I ever remember having in my whole life.   Was it worth the ups and downs? You bet your much smaller ass it was! Next posting to announce the 100lb mark! Look for it.   :smile:
BarbaraWM

BarbaraWM

5
 

Another Fill and Back on Track!

I went for a fill today and I'm feeling pretty good and back on track a bit. Last blog entry was about how I gained weight after a massive unfill. This time, I can say I'm back to where I was before the lap band vacation. I'd gained 6 lbs as of 4/3. Today, 17 days later, I'm back down those 6 lbs and got another 1cc added to my band. Here's how I got to where I am now:   At surgery: 3ccs First fill: +3ccs = 6 Second fill: +1.5ccs = 7.5ccs Unfill: -2.5ccs = 5ccs Third fill: +1cc = 6ccs Fourth fill: +1cc = 7ccs   I am really hoping that this is it. 7.5ccs was too much and resulted in vomiting, discomfort and weakness. 6ccs made a slight difference but I still managed way too much food and felt hunger. If 7 isn't right, they will start adding in smaller increments so I don't go overfilled again.   With my fill and renewed attitude, I've also decided to set a new mini goal: I am going to the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Montreal on June 11th. Last time I went to this race, I was wedged into my husband in 95 degree heat and humidity because the seats were bench style and I didn't want to overlap onto someone I didn't know. It wasn't comfortable, I got cranky and trying to leave the race in the slow moving crowds nearly killed me. My goal for this Grand Prix is to walk over the bridge to the race track rather than take the subway. It is a little over 7 weeks away so I would like to lose another 20 lbs by then.   One last thing - I went out with a girlfriend the night before Easter to do karaoke at a local bar and I must be looking good because I am surely not a good singer!! Someone actually tried to pick me up!!!!! It was the first time a man had taken that kind of an interest in me in years. Of course, I nicely let him down -- I am happily married -- but boy that put some pep in my step for a few days! Can't wait for the next guy to try to pick me up so I can brag about that too!
BarbaraWM

BarbaraWM

2
 

Am I Going To Die? and Salad for the price of a cookie.

I had my 3rd post surgical appointment yesterday, one week shy of 4 months banded. I was glad to finally be seeing the doctor because I've had some digestive issues since my last fill -- vomiting, sliming, discomfort...you name it. And then, about a week ago, I felt a lump in my abdomen, just inside my hip bone. It was tender to the touch and seemed to move when I changed position. I thought maybe it was a hernia I'd never noticed because of all the fat on my gut before but definitely wanted to have it checked out.   So, I'm sitting in the exam room waiting for the doctor and reading the informative poster about the digestive system which, as we know, ends in the colon and rectum. How delightful to read the symptoms of colo-rectal cancer while I've got a lump I'm worried about. Here's my thought process: "Let's see, hmmm, change in bowel habits - check, pain or tenderness in the abdomen - check, other TMI symptoms - check, check, check.... OMG, I HAVE COLON CANCER! Great! Isn't this just ironic that here I am, finally losing weight so I can live a healthier life and now I'm going to die from colon cancer anyway. I shouldn't have smoked. I shouldn't have drunk too much. I shouldn't have had a high fat diet. I shouldn't have.....oh, here comes the doctor."   So, when the doctor asks me how I am, I blurt out, "I have a lump in my abdomen and at first I thought it might be a hernia but after reading THAT, I'm a little worried it's colon cancer." He sort of laughs and says, "If you had colon cancer and could feel a lump through your stomach, you'd be f'n dead already." Well, I do like him for being blunt. So, he feels around and says it's a hematoma and asks if I had an injection recently. I did not and, I can't think of any incident where I got poked or fell on something..... So, chalk it up to all the swimming I did in Mexico - probably a small tear in my muscle. Phew. Thank goodness these hypochondria moments don't last too long.   So, now that I know I'm not going to die (from this particular ailment), I mention that I might need a slight unfill because I'm concerned I'm not getting enough food since the last fill on 1/27. I've been trying to do about 1/2 cup of food but find I get very full just at a little over 1/4 cup down and begin to feel uncomfortable, get slimy and..as I mentioned above, vomit. The doctor says I don't need an unfill and that 2 ounces of solid food at a sitting is just about right. So, no fill, no unfill.   But, you know, I really miss eating even though I take longer to do it now and can eat almost anything - just not much of it. I miss everything about cleaning my plate, the feel of the food in my mouth, having more than one course.....dessert!   Today I went to the cafeteria to get some lunch. I got a small soup (less than half filled) and put 1 hard boiled egg, one slice of cucumber and a few carrot shreds in the smallest salad container they had. When I took it to the cashier, it wouldn't weigh -- it was too light for the scale so she charged me for a cookie (!!!) -- all of $.50. I got a packet of mayo and made myself a little egg salad and had some on a saltine. It tasted good. I could have licked the container but I was too full. I couldn't even eat the 2nd saltine.   I signed up for this knowing the band was a tool and that I had to do the heavy lifting. It's working, I'm working. I'm vomiting, it's working. I'm sliming, it's working. I've lost 58 lbs, it's working. It's working, it's working.
BarbaraWM

BarbaraWM

5
 

Almost 6 months out and 70lbs down.

Sunday will be the 6-month (semi) anniversary of my surgery. As of this morning, I am 70 lbs down from my consultation weight. And, amazingly enough, I've even started a Personal Fitness Program and am now looking forward to getting to the YMCA every other day instead of dreading it. I am still dreading the elliptical which has nearly killed me several times!   I got another fill on April 20th and I think that was the one that really did the trick. I'm finally at the sweet spot with 7ccs in my 12cc band. I am not hungry (most of the time), I can eat about 3-4 ounces at the most and if I do have one bite too many, I can feel it immediately. This last fill also gave me limitations I hadn't had previously: Bread, cake, greasy food - nope! And, if I have a soda or chew gum, I get terrible chest gas that requires Gas-X strips immediately. Can't do them anymore without severe discomfort. So, I've learned in the last two weeks what to avoid and how the band actually works.   Yesterday I felt practically slim - I was wearing jeans a size too big, platform sandals and a nicely cut (cleavage revealing) shirt. Two friends said I looked "skinny." I know they meant skinny for me and not actually skinny but boy did I feel good. The only problem -- my underpants kept falling down! Guess it's time for new drawers.   I have a few questions for fellow banders today:   1) How do you feel about your body? After years of being obese and of a certain age, my skin is not retracting at all. I've gotten super jiggly and wiggly and I really don't like how it looks or feels. I know I have a lot farther to go (another 60 lbs) but I'm already appalled by what I see. I suppose I should start saving for cosmetic surgery now.   2) Who do you tell about your band? I have told my very good friends, family and a few work colleagues but there is one guy I can't stand at work who keeps asking me what my secret is. He's not asking because he needs to lose weight, he's just being nosy. This same guy and his partner had a baby last November and the mother has got to be at least 48 years old. Last time he started trying to get info about my weight loss I nearly blurted out, "Hey, I don't ask how you got a baby out of 50-year old woman, do I?"   3) How long do I have to wait to get my neck/chin sucked out and tightened? I didn't have that big of a double chin to start but in the last 15 lbs or so, it's gotten sort of jiggly without the fat to fill it out. I will definitely need a neck lift and was thinking about going for a consultation now to find out what the surgeon thinks. Has anyone else had this surgery before they got to goal weight?   Please open your books and begin your essays now. Put your books face down on the desk when you have completed answering the questions. Thank you and good luck.   Barbara
BarbaraWM

BarbaraWM

3
 

A Slip Reverses Itself - It's a Lapband Miracle!

There I was, plugging along with 6.5ccs in my band. Good restriction, had just reached the 100 pound mark and then I did it. I sat in front of a tub of food I took out of the fridge with a fork and ate right out of the container. I had already had dinner, but I felt like having a little something and I was PMSing so why not a couple of forkfuls of the delicious papardelle with lamb ragu? I'll tell you why... I ate too much and then it happened. I felt horrible, like I had a burp stuck and it wouldn't move and it was painful and uncomfortable and awful. Then my mouth started to water and I knew what was coming - this wasn't a PB - it was a full on, gut wrenching, up from the core puke! After I threw up, I felt a bit better. Then I threw up again and felt much better but when I went to take some water after, it burned going down and I got a horrible pain across my stomach. Irritation, I figured. It will be better in the morning.   Next morning, I took a Prilosec with a sip of water and it feels like acid going down my throat. I tried sipping warm water and coffee but couldn't even get through half a cup. Yogurt...one mouthful and I was in pain! So I thought I'd really done a number on my stomach and I'd better follow the rules until it felt better. 4 days later, I still couldn't eat without pain so I called the doctor and they told me to come right in. The PA took 0.2 ccs out and told me to continue taking the Prilosec daily and stick to the program and the irritation would fade. It didn't. For almost a week, I could barely get an ounce of food in at a time and liquids were not going down right either. I woke up in the night vomiting in my sleep and gagging -- all liquid -- for 4 days in a row. I was starting to feel weak.   Monday I called and they scheduled me to come in this morning. Monday was the same... hard to eat or drink anything but I kept taking the Prilosec and tried to stay hydrated. On Tuesday, I got up and had 1/2 a cup of coffee before I realized it didn't hurt and that it went down...so I finished it. I then had 1/4 cup of yogurt and that was fine too. Hmmmmm.... At work, I had an iced coffee and 16 oz. Crystal Light again, no problem whatsoever. Went out to lunch and had some buffalo mozzarella, a slice of tomato and two seafood raviolis... yep. All good. It seemed I was cured but I wanted to keep the appointment anyway to discuss what had happened.   Today, after telling the doctor my story he said it sounded as if my band had slipped with the retching and that 0.2ccs was not enough out of the band to correct a slip. Because I was so diligent though, the swelling went down and the band slipped back into place itself. Wow! I'm still on tender proteins, nothing too hard, and taking the Prilosec for a few more days but the doctor said we didn't have to take out anymore fluid and that I should continue doing what I am doing because now I'm down 106 lbs! Oh, and, he wanted to know who made the appointment because when you have the level of pain I had and the inability to hydrate, it is an emergency and I shouldn't have been told to wait until today.   So, moral of the story. Slips suck! I'm back on track with 6.3 ccs in my band, feeling fine and looking forward to losing even more.
BarbaraWM

BarbaraWM

4
 

A Quick One....

CURRENT MOOD: Ecstatic :biggrin:   Just had to post what I ate for dinner because it was sooooooooo good after liquid and mushy food for over a week.   I made a 3 ounce extra lean turkey burger (140 calories) with one slice of Kraft deli deluxe American cheese (70 calories), 1/2 tsp mayonnaise (15 calories) and 1 tsp ketchup (5 calories) and 4 thin slices of Claussen deli pickle (3 calories...if that much since a whole one is 5).   I ate it over the course of 30 minutes, cutting a small piece for each bite and putting the knife and fork down while I chewed.   OMG! It was so good to have flavor and texture all in one. And, it went down great. Not even a burp.   The best part about this is that I know I can stomach something that I really enjoy, is satisfying and is on the plan...and, it had 25 grams of protein. YAY!
BarbaraWM

BarbaraWM

1
 

100 Pounds Gone -- I Love My LapBand

As of this morning, I have lost 100 pounds! That's 10 months and 4 days since surgery. Right on schedule.   When I started this process last summer by going to the information session, I had already decided that if I could lose 100 pounds, I would consider the decision to have Lapband surgery a success. My attitude changed the day I made the decision -- I became optimistic and hopeful because I was finally deciding to do something about my weight/health/life rather than continuing to sit around complaining about being fat.   By the time I had my consultation in September and then the actual surgery in November I was sure this was the way to go. I was right!   Having LapBand surgery was one of the best decisions I have ever made (and believe me, I've made quite a few bad ones). My life has changed and continues to get better every day. Even with all the accompanying issues and problems I've run into over the last ten months, I would not change a thing except possibly to have done it sooner!   I am going to continue to work my band so I can lose more weight, continue to live a healthy lifestyle and live a lot longer.   BIKINI BODY, BABY! That's the new goal!   :thumbup:
BarbaraWM

BarbaraWM

10
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