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Oatmeal: The New Steak Dinner..err..Breakfast!

Who knew oatmeal could taste so good?! Today is my first day of mushies and I started the day with a nice bowl of oatmeal. Then I had a protein shake for a snack to complete that portion of protein I needed this morning. For lunch I'm going to have tuna and mashed potatoes. Strange combo, but what is "normal" at this point? Ha!   I'm in basically no pain (besides a little tenderness at the port site), so I feel up to working out today. Nothing too strenuous, but definitely the treadmill and bike...maybe some arms weights. We'll see how that feels.   Last night I had what I THINK was gas pain in my shoulder. Either that or I strained it somehow. But I hadn't had any gas pain up to this point. Anyway, I took some GasEx just in case and some liquid Tylenol and went to bed. Felt like a million bucks this morning, so that did the trick.   So, not much else to report today so far! How is everyone else doing today? I hope you are all well!!   xo
maggs79

maggs79

4
 

Back to work!

Today I went back to work! Only for about 4 hours, but I was photographing the whole time! It was a bit different today because it was really just for a model search. The girls were all older, so I didn't have to kneel and make funny noises! LOL But I was surprised, frankly, that I had the stamina to stand and shoot for 4 hours straight! It was a blast! :laugh:   So, still sore at the port incision, but better today than yesterday. Everyday gets a little better. :smile: Started to feel a bit hungry today. I haven't really felt hungry since last Sunday before my surgery! Luckily a protein shake hit the spot!   I'm gonna go test drive a car today. Not sure if I am going to buy it, but I need to start looking for a new car. Tired of driving around a little Chevy. :smile2:   Blessings, all!   Maggs xo
maggs79

maggs79

1
 

1st follow up--and great news! (not band related)

I had my follow up with my surgeon today. He said everything looks great! I've lost 4 pounds since Monday, not including the 4 pounds I gained in swelling and lost by Wednesday. So, yay for that! He said everything looks good and that my surgery was very straight forward and easy.   My first fill is scheduled for July 12th and I get to start on mushies on Monday! Woo!!   On to my "great news!"   K, so I am a photographer--mainly children, seniors and families--and every year my company has a contest for what they call the "Chairman's Award." Basically that's a fancy title for photographer of the year. The prize is $25,000!! That's right, 25k! Last year I was a finalist and placed 4th. Still really cool to have been a finalist. This year the competition is a LOT tougher!! We've moved from in-studio sessions only to on-location photography as well. About 1,300 people entered this year (as opposed to the 460 last year) and......I'm one of the 8 finalists again!!! PLUS one of my images is up for top prize in its category!! :confused: (And I'm the only finalist that has been a finalist before! If I don't win, I'm going to call myself Susan Lucci! LOL)   I am just SO excited and I had to share this news!! I got the call as I was driving to my doctor's appointment today. It made for a very good visit to the doctor! LOL   So that leads me to a question. I am scheduled to have my fill on July 12th. The meeting/awards ceremony is July 15th and they always serve dinner and drinks, etc. Should I just wait an extra week for my fill since I'll have to be on liquids during my time up there if I don't wait?   What do you think?
maggs79

maggs79

7
 

Lots of sleep...

Last night I felt tired, so I thought I'd take a "nap" around 7:30. Welllll, I woke around 4am! And I figured there was no point in being awake at 4am! So I took some liquid Tylenol (I've stopped taking the Vicadin already), had some water, walked around for a few minutes, then went back to bed! Slept till about 8am! I suppose my body needed it, though. I feel a lot better today!   My port incision is still sore and a bit swollen, but it's getting better everyday. Never did have any gas pains. *yay!* And last night I sort of got to sleep on my side a little bit with some pillows behind me. Much more comfortable!   I went out briefly yesterday. Just drove to Walgreens a few blocks away for the previously mentioned liquid Tylenol. (Crushed pills are so gross!) Just that little drive took a lot out of me! Not sure I was really ready for that. Perhaps that's why I ended up being so tired so early.   Today I am staying in, besides a walk outside. Tomorrow I have to drive over an hour into the city for my follow-up. I hope I've lost something, but if not, I won't stress too much. I'm still swollen and healing. There is plenty of time for losing later.   This is still the best decision I think I've ever made regarding my health! I'm so excited to see where this goes!   Blessings!   xo
maggs79

maggs79

3
 

Day 3 post op - Full Liquids!!

I am SO glad to be able to have a protein shake!! It makes me feel so much better than drinking water, V8 Splash and jello could ever do!   My swelling is going down too, I can tell. The pain is also I think reduced quite a bit. I woke up at 4 am a little thirsty. Had some V8 juice and some tylenol and that did the trick to let me get back to sleep.   Still using an icepack, but just for comfort alone. And STILL no gas pains! I think I may have gotten really lucky with that. We'll see!   I had gained 4 pounds from the swelling and water retention from surgery, but I've lost that now. Let's hope the weight continues to go DOWN. Though right now I'm not as concerned with that I am with just healing and feeling 100% again.   This hasn't been as bad as I had imagined it, to be honest. I only hope it continues to be a blessing and not a curse.   Thanks again for all the feedback! You have no idea (well, you probably do have an idea, actually) how much it means to me to hear from all of you. :tt1:   Have a great day everyone!   xo   Maggs
maggs79

maggs79

4
 

My BFF...

...is currently an ice pack. Ha!! I can hold it perfectly with my left arm against my belly while I type on the computer. Couldn't have planned it better myself. :tt1:   Still doing ok--no gas or nausea to speak of. Just sore and a little tired, but that's fine with me! Oh, and today I really want a piece of pizza. Haha! Not gonna happen of course, but living in Chicago, it's like a LAW to always be up for pizza. LOL   Full liquids tomorrow! And that protein shake is calling my name! (I never thought I'd ever be saying that sentence in my lifetime!)   My follow up is Friday! I hope my doc thinks I'm doing ok.   I took a shower today--best feeling!! I just stood there like....yeah...   Ok, this blog was kinda random. And I haven't even had any vicadin yet!! Haha! I think I'll keep it short tonight.   Hope everyone else out there is doing well!!   xo
maggs79

maggs79

3
 

I'm alive! ALIVE!!! *muwahahahaaa!!*

And officially a Bandster!!   This will be long, I apologize in advance. :tt1:   Surgery went REALLY well. I went to Day One Health in Chicago and everyone there is phenomenal!   I got there are 5:00am (half hour earlier than scheduled) and NO ONE was there! The place was dark! Ha! But not for long. We got let in a few minutes later and completed the rest of the paperwork, then went back to prep for surgery. Again, I cannot stress how awesome everyone is there! I think I am going to get them a thank you card and bring it Friday for my follow-up.   ANYWHO--once they wheeled me back into the O.R., another nurse came in singing a Michael Jackson song-- "You are not alone...I am here with you." I said, oh that's good! They started to "strap" my arms onto the boards and I said "and this the part when I'm asking myself 'what the heck am I doing here?'" My anesthesiologist (sp?) said "one time I actually had someone jump off the table and say 'forget this' and leave!" That made me laugh. Then he gave me something to "relax" and I woke up in recovery!   I was very sore, but asked for some pain meds and that was NICE. Once I got the thing out of my nose, I decided to walk--a LOT. And this really does help! I lapped the area countless times. Started very slowly, but was jogging a while late. J/K! Yeah right! But I was walking at nearly "normal" speed. Everytime I would pass the nurse's station they would ask if I was ok and if I was nauseous. I NEVER got nauseous (yay!) and haven't had any gas pains yet either. (Hopefully I can avoid the majority of that.)   Didn't get to leave until about 2:30 because I was waiting for the doctor to do my swallow test--which tastes like butt, by the way! Ha! They gave me a little can of apple juice to get the taste out of my mouth. That juice could have been a steak dinner! It was amazing!!   Got back home around 4 and had a little chicken broth, SF popsicle and liquid Vicadin. Called my parents and they were really surprised how good I sounded. I may have talked their ears off. LOL But my dad is considering the surgery as well, so I talked in depth about everything! Finally took a nap from about 6:30 till 9. Will go back to bed soon, but was able to have a jello cup and TWO cups of hot tea (no milk!) And some Vicadin for dessert!   Who knows how I will feel tomorrow, but I do not regret this so far! Even with the pain in the incisions. That will pass and I'll be on my way to a new life.   The name of the clinic is very fitting...Day One. I feel like it's my birthday!!   Thanks again for everyone's thoughts and well wishes! I will post again tomorrow--hopefully as upbeat as I am right now!   xoxo   Maggs
maggs79

maggs79

8
 

Good morning!!

And it is!   Yesterday was my surgery and although there was some pain all day, it was manageable. I had a nice night's sleep and had some hot tea and more jello this morning. Took some Vicadin again too--not going to try to be a hero at this point in the game.   Good news, though--still no nausea or gas pains! I really hope this lasts! Seems too good to be true!   I'm a bit more swollen today, but the icepacks help with that. All in all, not feeling too bad! :tt1:   I'm going to take it easy today and for the next few days, but I'm very optimistic about my healing process!   There is this TINY irrational bit of me, though, that does worry this won't work for me. Has anyone else ever had those worries? I'll feel better when I see and feel some results down the road, I am sure.   Thanks for any advice and encouragement!   Have a great day everyone!   Maggs
maggs79

maggs79

4
 

What to wear, what to wear...

I'm spending the night at my friend's who is taking me to the clinic tomorrow morning and I just had to pack my clothes and other essential supplies to stay over there.   The nurse said wear something comfortable and loose, so I have a cute black cotton dress and black flipflops--EASY outfit. And YES, I said the outfit is cute! I refuse to not be semi-stylish just because I'm having surgery! *flipping hair back* :frown: LOL j/k Ok, really I just picked it because it's easy to put on. :mad2: Ha!   4 more hours to eat--err--drink anything! I might call it a super early night since we have to hit the road by 4am.   Anyway, this was just a quick, nonsensical blog for no real reason. I just like this site and felt I should post one last time PRE-op! In about 16 hours I will officially be a Bandster!   Blessings!   xo
maggs79

maggs79

4
 

Early Sunday Morning

I'm not sure why I woke up so early on a Sunday, but I was wide awake by 6:30am.   AGH! In less than 24 hours I will be in surgery! :frown: Maybe that's why I woke up so early! My body knows I have a heck of a lot of stuff to do today! I want to make sure my place is really nice and clean before I go, plus I've had a lot of good suggestions from people on here that I want to do to beforehand.   First things first, maybe I'll head to church since I'm actually up in time today!   xo
maggs79

maggs79

6
 

Final weekend without the band!

48 hours from now I will officially be a Bandster!! I'm nervous, but SO excited! I can't tell you how many times I have read and reread the instructions the doctor and dietician have given me about everything post-op.   Part of me has felt like I've "cheated" by deciding to get the Lap Band, but it's more work than so many think! And at the end of the day, I'm proud I finally took the steps to get this done! I'm changing my life for the better! And there is no greater choice I could have made when it comes to my health.   I realize I've been super positive going into this surgery--I'm just hoping these positive feelings continue AFTER I have the surgery! I know the first few days might be rough!! But it'll get better, I am sure.   Anyway!! I was going to go swimming tonight, but I think I might do some upper body workout instead since I won't be doing that for a while! Plus, I dyed my hair again yesterday--more red! So it looks like the profile pic I have posted once again. So I don't think chlorine and new hair color will mix TOO well...a nice workout will be fine instead.   OMG! Every time I get on here to write something "short" it turns out like this! If only I was this talkative in person!! Ha!   Ok, off for now! Thanks again for your support, everyone!!   Blessings! xo
maggs79

maggs79

1
 

Quickie

Just a quick blog tonight.   Worked out this afternoon, but it was cut short because my friend that I went with had to pick up her daughters. Still got in about 45 minutes, though.   Yesterday I was hungry for fried chicken. Today I am hungry for a hotdog! Ugh! I can't wait to get the band so I won't be as hungry. Liquid diet is getting old. Ha! At least DanActive is pretty tasty for a nice snack.   My photography session for next Thursday (3 days post op) has rescheduled for a couple weeks from now--yay! I don't have to worry about pushing myself too much too soon! I am working from home for the rest of the month besides a couple trips to the studio, so I have plenty of time now to heal. :bored:   Off to watch So You Think You Can Dance! I want to dance someday once I'm a smaller size.   Blessings! xo
maggs79

maggs79

2
 

4 more days till my "b" day!!

I've still been doing pretty well with the liquid diet, praise God! I wasn't sure how I was going to get through the two weeks of liquids only!! But it hasn't been horrible.   I'm going to the gym today again. Going to kick my butt for another hour this afternoon! the other day I went swimming afterwards and somehow I think that helped to avoid any muscle aches the next day! (Might be a good idea to try that today as well if I have time.)   I've been working on this project for work--writing a photography guide for on-location work. I have set my goal to have it DONE by tomorrow even though it's technically not due till next week. Frankly, I don't want to have to worry about work stuff right away after surgery! As it is, next Thursday I've been asked to shoot a lady in a bunch of vintage dresses. We'll see if I'm up to it...I'm really not sure how I will feel next week.   Thankfully I am able to stay with a friend the night of the procedure and then come home the next day. I've also gotten some EXCELLENT advice from some people that have gone thru the procedure.   So back to work...I have to get this guide done before the weekend so I can relax (and clean my place more) before Monday--my "b" day!   Blessings!   xo :bored:
maggs79

maggs79

5
 

Preppy!

Not something I've ever been called! But I am taking this week to PREP my apartment. I don't want to have to worry about ANYTHING next week after the surgery except healing. Unfortunately I have a lot to do to prep!   I just got back from Minnesota a little over a week ago. (Was up there for 5 weeks for work.) And I've been so busy since then that I've let my place get the better of me. So, what's on my to-do list...   Laundry Vacuum Dishes General tidy up   Ok, I think I can tackle all that. Ha! It's not that bad when I write it out!   Liquid diet is still going ok. Though I slipped up and had a bit of the bread they gave me with my soup yesterday. YIKES! But I think I'll be ok. I was just a bit too hungry for broth-only soup. I need to start bringing those shakes or something with me when I'm out all day.   5 more days!! Woot!   The anticipation is the worst!   xo :eek:
maggs79

maggs79

3
 

Working Out

I will probably regret this in the morning, but I worked out for an hour in the gym at my apartment complex! Treadmill, bike and weights! I have to admit, I'm pretty proud of myself. Just listened to the Glee soundtrack and forgot (slightly) that I was working out and sweating! Ha!   It was only day one of doing a proper workout, but I have to start somewhere. I want this band to work for me when I get it and I'm determined to do everything I can to make it work.   Ohmigosh! Can I even imagine if I were to lose 100 pounds over the next year? I'm not sure that I can! (Imagine it, that is.)   Golly.   I went swimming tonight too, so it was a pretty active day! And I haven't felt so good in so long. Tomorrow I'm going downtown (Chicago) to walk around for a while and have a nice day out with a friend and her two little girls. I'll count all that walking around as my exercise for tomorrow!!   6 days till surgery! :eek:
maggs79

maggs79

1
 

Liquids...fun!

Can you sense the sarcasm?   It's not that bad, I guess. I'm not nearly as hungry as I thought I would be...and it's been one week since I started this diet. One week till my surgery! Woot!   I sure wish I could chew on SOMETHING, though. I've been chomping on some sugarfree gum to tie my over till I can eventually eat food again.   Today I had Lipton Cup of Soup, tomato flavor. I was pleasantly surprised!! It was really good and it filled me up as well.   I'm feeling full of energy for some strange reason and I might head over to my apartment's really small gym to work out for just a little bit! I hope no one is in there. :thumbup:   I am very optimistic for my future--for the first time in a while! Just can't wait to be done with this stinkin' liquid diet! Haha!
maggs79

maggs79

3
 

T-Minus one week and counting...

Today was my pre-op...everything went really well. I've lost another 5 pounds, so I'm down to 250! It's the lowest I've been in a few years I think!! Now, to wait a week, plus a couple days, till the surgery!   I'm inspired by looking at all the pictures of before and after on here! I feel like I can maybe do it to...   To be honest, I can't imagine being a "normal" size...weird. But I think I will like it!!   I do wish I had someone close to me that has gone through this that I could talk to. But I'll be ok. I'm glad I found this site at least! :smile2:
maggs79

maggs79

0
 

6th Fill was an UNfill

I decided to get some fluid taken out of my band today. Just a 1/2 cc. The stress of the last 4-6 weeks has worked against me with losing weight. I didn't lose a single pound since my last visit.   Ok, well, I actually gained 4 or 5 pounds over Christmas, lost all that right away when I got back from vacation because I was sick! Then gained 3 and lost those too. But now I'm stuck where I was before my last fill...and I've been STUCK literally as well. Even throwing up sometimes. It's worst in the morning, but it can happen at any time. I think taking some fluid out of the band was the best plan I could have. Now, to see if it will work!   I have been working out about 3 times a week at the gym. I really need to ramp that up as well, but this week has been rough. It's negative 7 degrees outside with a windchill of negative 25. I don't feel like getting out of my PJ's except to go to work...and that takes some convincing. Plus, an old colleague is in town and we've been hanging out in the evenings. Soo, no gym so far this week...but Saturday evening for sure, if not sooner!   I will hopefully find out soon if this unfill has helped. I am close to what I was when I lost 9 pounds back in October. I hope this lets me move forward with my weight loss...another 20 pounds by May 26th (my birthday) is my goal...to bring into ONE-derland!!
maggs79

maggs79

0
 

Shopping list done!!

My doctor recommended several things I might want to have on hand before the surgery. Today was my last day to really go shopping before my B-Day, so off I went!   Sam's Club had a great big bag of vanilla protein powder for $28. (Is that cheap or expensive? I have no idea--bought it anyway.) Also stocked up on more gummy vitamins and some fat free feta cheese! (Yum!) Then to the regular grocery store for some more SF popsicles, chicken breasts, ground turkey, packs of tuna, cottage cheese and skim milk. Then to Walgreens for some GasEx strips (I've read these come in VERY handy!) and found a heating pad for only $17, so got that just in case I need it.   I'm shopped out! I think I'm good for now on food and beverages.   Spending the night at a friend's house tomorrow night. She's picking me up so I won't have to drive after the surgery. I can't believe we have to leave her house at 4am to get to the clinic! Blech!!   Anyway, marching forward to a new life!   xo
maggs79

maggs79

0
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