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a journery to a healther me

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Week One: Updated My Facebook Page: Banded Bunny Exposed

Week One: Hello all. I am one week post op from my Gastric Banding surgery. I had my band placed laproscopically last Monday. They kept me over night which was a surprise to me. I was planning on going home, but since my surgery got pushed to later in the day, I got to stay. It was the best thing to stay overnight. One more night without my three small children,snuggling me was actually a very good idea. Mommy was home from hospital by time thy got home from school and daycare. They were very excited. On the morning of my surgery I dropped into my daughter's class room to give her a kiss. As I was leaving I overheard her tell her second grade class," my mommy's having tummy surgery so she can can get healthy and play with me for the rest of my life." Sweet. Now a week later, I am doing really well. I feel really good. I’m not at all hungry. Recovering nicely, incisions almost healed. Still need to watch what I do. Careful not to bend at waist, no lifting for a couple weeks. Somehow these are hard things for me to remember. The sudden pain or soreness usually reminds me, along with Steve, my husband, who is always there to scold me and lift heavy things. hristmas day was the toughest day. I was really tired by the end of the day. I did too much. So took some pain meds and and went to sleep. Hardest thing for me is to actually get enough liquid down. Today I actually had to go to dentist and get a crown replaced so I really don't want to eat anything. Right now I’m on a total liquid diet for another week, then soft mushy food for a couple weeks until I can eat real food again by end of month. I have lost a total of 27 pounds starting from my liquid diet two weeks prior to surgery and continuing now. More importantly my blood pressure has been normal for the last week without my hypertension medication, I have more energy and my BMI has drop down 3% already. I am so excited to be starting this chapter of my life. I planned to have my surgery this week, since I am in nursing school and on break til beginning of Feb. That way i would have enough time to heal and figure things out before I had to start back at classes and clinicals. I am a little worried over the fills and the restriction or lack of it. Right now I don't feel any restriction.I try to make sure I sip. But I have glupped a time or two. It didn't hurt ot bother me. So I am a little worried that I my eat(or drink) more than i should before my first fill. I am a little obsessed with my scale. I seem to hop on it every time I pass by it. Not the best idea. your weight changes through out the day and can be mental annoying when it jumps up a pound when you haven't eaten anything. So for all you newly banded, I knew it really cool to see your weight come off in the first week, it can also consume you. So try to weigh yourself once a day at most and at the same time. otherwise you will drive yourself crazy.   Facebook Updated: So today I took a big mental step: I changed my facebook status and let everyone knew I had surgery. Many people have different thoughts on bariatric surgery, which is why I didn’t write about it at first. I was afraid what they may think of me. Maybe I was trying the "easy way" out- which we all knew this is not! My classmates at nursing school knew, family friends, strangers. So why is it scary to put on facebook? Maybe it the high school reunion effect. You have all those "friends" from high school or college, a lifetime ago, you haven't seen in years,who you really didn't talk to much than maybe, but they knew you before you were heavy. Somehow, as they have been looking at your facebook pages over the last year or so they were see you as you were 25 years before and haven't noticed that you are 100 pounds heavier. So if you actually put it in writing -that you are obese they may have the rose cover glasses removed and see you for who you are today. Or was it more that I would be accoutable now to my facebook friends? I let the cat out of the bag. They would be watching for the results. I realized I was afraid of failing publicily. So the more I thought about the more a realized what an amazing person I am. I am proud of my life so far and my choice to have Gastric banding done. They want to watch me on my journery than I would be more likely to follow a truer road. I decided that letting my facebook friends know would help push me along and keep me honest. I had a similar plan for my nursing school success. I started posting my exam grades early on so that I have to do well, since everyone was expecting me to post my grade. It hurt having to post a B instead of an A sometimes. I soon realized that I going public made me try even harder. I did get all A's after I posted that one B. So now that this banded bunny is out there, lets see how well we can do together!
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Week 2 Done: Advise And Observations

So I am on my last day of my first two weeks post op with my band. I started out at 256 when my journey began. I was 235.5 going into surgery and I am now 226.6( In the morning that is not in afternoon or evening or any of the other times I get on the scale like a crazy compulsive woman- I always a pound or two higher then).   My first gem of advise is this- stay away from the scale: Ok, it exciting seeing the weight come off, but weighing yourself 3, 4 or 12 times a day isn't going to speed it up. It will just drive you crazy. I have been back an forth at 226/228 range for last few days. I get upset if it goes up a touch here and then get crazy about.   So here is gem number 2: Drink your water like you should. I was trying to figure out why wasn't loosing, and realize I'm not drinking enough water. Not drinking at meals is making it very hard for me. I use to drink a glass or two with meals and a glass or two after. So now I'm actually drinking less then normally. I really need to work on that now.   Gem number 3: Maybe you all are smarter then me. But for some reason I thought it would be ok to schedule my dental appt one week after my lapband. So here I am only drinking liquids and I go and have a crown fitted. I had a temp crown put on two weeks before surgery and this was follow up So Dentist put crown on without numbing me totally cause was only going to be a "little sensitive" she said. The shot to roof of mouth may hurt more. Whole cow was that awful. It was like brainfree on full force. And didn't go away for a day. I had stopped my pain meds form surgery but took them the next two day for my tooth. I wish I had the shot! So dentist then tells me I may be a "little sensitive" to temputure for next 4-6 weeks and should have anything to cold or too hot.Great. So luke warm seems to work. If I have something too cold or too hot and it makes it way to back of my mouth and new crown- instant headache. So allready only on liquids, now just warmish liquids. great idea Suzi. If you need dental work done get finish well before surgery. Don't make life harder then needs to be.   Now I get to start mushy phase. I just made split pea soup. A lot of split pea soup. 2 1/2 galloon- it seems. I also added other beans to it to pump up the protein. It is good to be prepared so next gem of advise: Before you cook a ton of food, make sure you have enough containers to store it in. I just ran out and got a much of rubbermaid single serving containers and now have 18 cups of soup ready to go. just the size I need. Going to put some in the freezer.   I got thru Christmas no problem. By the time New Years eve came around,I was on my fourth week of liquids and going a little crazy. I wanted to eat everything last night. Things I don't even like, just to chew something I think. I was mostly good. But, I did sneak a couple little mini pigs in blankets, chewed, and chewed them and was surprised that they went down so easily. But I felt really guilty and bad afterwards. I found myself tasting things last night. I little nibble here and one there. I would even spit it out after trying, but it was crazy.   Today I total goofed up. My kids were eating lo mein, and I was making my protein shake and reached over and grabed a piece of chicken from my son's lo mein he didn't eat. It was very thinnly sliced and not breaded or anything. I popped it into my mouth without thinking. I chewed it up a bit- and swallowed. I had gotten the little pigs in blankets down no problem, night before: but not the case this time. This was my first experience with something get stuck. It was scary and I did not like it at all. I felt like I was almost choking, but I could still breath. It was a tightening of my throat and lower. I was panicky, I didn't know what to do. Still have no idea what to do. What I suppose to try to get it to go down or back up. I was so afraid that I screw up eveything. I drank some water, at first it didn't help. Kept trying to burp or cough,anything to get it loose. It took a few minutes for feeling to go away. I drank my shake once I was settle down again. Won't be doing that again any time soon.   Otherwise doing well, trying to walk a bit every day. Today did 65 minutes on treadmill, yesturday walk the high school track with kids for a mile. They were getting bored with it quicker than mommy. Today I wore a pair of pants I couldn't even button morning of surgery- Not even close to closing. My husband laughs, cause my new favorite thing today was sliding these pants down over my hips and off without unbuttoning them. " Honey, look, look what I can do! Isn't that cool" He's response " yes sweetie, just don't show that off to everyone, they might not all understand like I do"   I go see my doctor on the 5th for first post op check up. Wish me luck. Suzi
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This Bunny Is Off Her Meds!- Non Scale Victory Time!!

So, I haven't posted in a while. I am crazy busy with Nursing school, and would normally blame it on that. ( I really should be studying right now) But I think I need to look deeper inside to the truth. I had nothing to report. I was BUMMED. I was at a stand still for a month or so. I lost 40 pounds in first two months then nothing for almost 2 more. Hovering at 212 forever. I had my 3rd fill a few weeks ago again and it has start to come off again, Slowly, but still going downward. I'm at 203 now, teasingly close to under 200, for the last week or two. So I was a bit down that nothing was happening. I want to be under 200 so bad. I am so stressed with school and kids and life. I was stressing over not lossing more recently. Stressing over the scale, I not suppose to get on everyday, and really not suppose get on every few hours, just to check...the numbers were not being nice to me. Then I got some great news today. New numbers that were dropping...   So this morning, I had a doctors appointment, I only wrote my doctor's name in my calander so when i showed up for my annual physical with my 8 year old in tow, after we just had breakfast, they were surprised, but saw me anyway, just need to go back for blood work now. I thought it was an appointment for my blood pressure screening for my hypertension-I been going every few months to recheck see if more medication was needed or if it was still working ok at controlling my Blood Pressure.   I started on Blood pressure meds only this past fall. Prior to this my blood pressure was alway low. My blood pressue shot up the day after my 41st birthday. : 164/94. I was really scared. I had chest pain and could feel my heart beating out of my chest- ended up in ER and they kept me over night.- no heart attack- just the starft of hypertension. After a lot of tests they put me on blood pressure mediacitons to lower my BP to a normal level. So when My doctor started me on meds, in september I was 256 pounds and had a average BP of 150/85. I was all ready in the process of getting my preop stuff for my lapband surgery completed. I was scared, I waited too long to get a hold of my weight and I wasn't going to be around for my kids whe they got older if I kept on this heavy path.   Today I saw my primary care doctor for the first time since my surgery. He was very excited over how well I was doing, my BP was 124/70, my EKG was normal, my weight was 53 pounds lighter. SInce I didn't know I was having a full physical today I ate breakfast, so I going back in a few weeks to recheck my BP after being off medications, and do my blood panel. I am so excited to be off my Blood Pressure medication.   So remember, just because the scale is not moving in the right direction all the time, doesn't mean you not getting healthier everyday.   Let look at our non scale victories: I was banded the Dec 16 2011. In four mouths I have gone down 53 pounds, am now free of BP medications, my four year old can get on my back for piggyback ride and his little legs fit around to front, I wearing a size 14 not a size 22 anymore, ( I actually got a pair of 12's on, they were on and zipped but it really wasn't pretty.- I bought them of course- they with fit better soon enough!), and my feet got smaller, had to go down a size. who knew my feet were fat too? I can shop at victoria secrets now.   So celebrate they little things in your life that are really HUGE. STOP getting so upset if we stall in our scale numbers, it happens to everyone. Usually at about 3 -4 months from what I have notices and been told from others who gone throught it all ready. It normal. Your body is going through some big changes and sometime needs to take a break and caught up on the inside to how your looking on the outisde, and vice versa, before it starts lossing again. So don't stress. These non scale successes are what it all about!!!! ( You of course know I will so be posting when I get under 200, however long it takes-still a big milestone for me)   What non scale victory do you have to share? Here's my other new one...my husband's can't accidently put on my jeans...too small now, His are too big for me.
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Scary Toes

So today I was so excited I got on the scale and it said 220.5 I my journey started at 256 so after a few days stuck at 222-224. I was down to 220 today. I was so excited I took a picture of the scale. My sister was so excited too, except text back not to take another picture of the scale until I had a pedicure. My toes were scary. So tommorow I off to get a pedicure, I had had time to get one in the last...ok I can't remember my last one, but September? Between going to Nursing school, studying, and then in October I sort of cut through my two fingers instead of pumpkin. My hand surgery actually said it was more come than one would think, slippery pumpkins. So once my fingers and tendons were sewn back together, I could drive til the week of my lapband in December. Now that my hand is working again and can see my toes again- I guess it time to go for that pedicure. I feel really good now, so far so good. I had my first post op visit on the 5th, but nofill til Feb. That was disappointing, but I'm doing ok now that kids are back in school and I have been keeping busy. Got a few things stuck. chicken, and something else I can't remember that I didn't chew enough. Not a fun feeling. I have lost 15 pounds since my surgery on Dec 19th. This week I have been going through my clothes. My friend is making me try things on so I can see them hang there and then toss into the goodwill bag. Today I actually got a pair of new jeans on ....Size 16! I got them zip and on, they were a bit tight but I was still excited. Ididn't wear them long, But it was still cool. I gladly put my 22's and 20's into the goodwill bag after that!. We dropped off all the bags at good will. I can't wait to go shopping when I get smaller. Trying not to buy too much too soon. But My pants kept falling off so I got a pair of 18 and one 16 to work towards. Now wearing my leggings and workout pants that I can adjust waist. Ok that's all for now. Good luck to all of you! Off for my pedicure! Suzi
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Milestone Hit:my Hubby Will Kill Me

Ok, my husband will probably kill me if he read this. Today for the First time I can rememberin my married life: I weighed less then my husband. Three pounds lighter. I was so excited. I felt so good. He laughed at how happy I was. Most skinny woman are smaller then their husbands,this is a new thing for me. I know I should be so happy but it was like christmas all over again.
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Just Over A Month Ago...

So it's been just over a month since my Band surgery. I'm down to 218. That's 17 pounds since surgery. For a total of 38 since start of my journey. I have been stalled for the last week or so since last blog at 220 and finally start to slide down this past weekend. No real change in what I was doing just had a pause in weight lost. I DID fit into a pair of size 16 jeans, on the 11th. I couldn't breath, but they were on for a few minutes. By this weekend I was wearing those 16's and breathing just fine. Had to go to a Boyscout event with my son this Saturday and saw a few parents I had hadn't seen in a few weeks. One mom came up and said, " Well hello Skinny! You look great" I had some real tough time this past week. Tuesday night my daughter comes in to kitchen while I starting dinner and says on of the scariest things I ever heard from a 7 year old. " Mommy, my heart hurts". So after listening to her chest, her rapid heart beat and taking her pulses, ran her to ER, than followed up with a cardiologist friday. She told him it happens all the time, especially after gym class...Great sweetie. She is now on a heart monitor for next month, all other test came back normal. Hopefully we will know more if we can catch something on the monitor. Thursday I had to put my baby cat to sleep. She was almost 18 years old and on her way to kidney failure. Poor little Roo. Then I had to tell the kids, not easy. All of this stress, and I stay on track and lost a pound. I have been in the past an emotional eater. I would have made a chocolate cake to morn the cat or grabbed some crap to eat at hospital, while waiting in ER all night in past. So even though it was stressful , it was a good indicator of my progress mentally. I don't get a fill til mid Feb. I start back to school for Spring term of Nursing school next Monday. I am very exicited to start back up and to not look like the stay puff marshmellow man in my uniform now. I still have a long journery to go to a healther BMI and me, But I know I can do it and I' on my way.
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Bunny Is Losing Hare..

So I total excited because yesturday I got on scale and the number stared with 1... I was 199.5, I almost cried. Of course this would have been total awesome if I hadn't notice all my hair was falling out the day before. Yes, it happens to banders too. You can lose your hair. I lose so much hair this week, or maybe I just noticed it. So be aware that is can happen and make sure you are getting your protein in and B vitimans. My sister and my friend who both also experienced( about 4- 5 months out) it said it does come back, but it is scary I won't lie to you. Still really happy I'm under 200 for the first time since, I can remember, Think I was under 200, before my first child who will be 10 this next week. so it's been a long time since I seen any number starting with 1.
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Blurry Eyed After Surgery

So Just want tell my experience with surgery. I have had few surgeries prior to being banded. So when I came out of surgery I was a little alarmed that my vision was blurry. At first it didn't concern me too much. I did have a lot of meds flowing around inside me. I was kept over night and my husband took home my purse with my reading glasses. I soon realized I couldn't read a thing without them. Before surgery I used my readers when I did a lot of reading and my eyes go tired. I could usually see if I held the object at arms lenght. But I got really scared that night in the hospital- I couldn't even see who was call on my cell phone. I couldn't text. I felt totally cut off until I got my glasses. Very frustrating. But what was scarier was it didn't go away. My eyesight was blurry until Christmas eve.(6 days later) It slowly got better over the first week. My friend's husband is an anestisologist and she said that it is common effect. Also it can linger on for a few weeks. I felt better after knowing that, but still pretty wierd. Just want to let any of you know- I was pretty alarmed myself so hopefully knowing about in advance may make it easier if it happens to you. I had no other issues with surgery and everything when great. I doing very well I think. Happy New year.
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Banded Bunny On The Run- The Racing Rabbit.

Today I did something I haven't been able to for years. I ran. Actually ran TWO MILES, It wasn't fast by any account. In fact- it was more then double the time it took me to run the same distant in high school-28 minutes. I also twice as old.   I loved to run in high school. It was my ME time. I felt free and happy when I ran. I was a track and cross country star. Captain, MVP, All County, all conference,all state blah blah blah. I lived to run- I ran 6 days a week over 35 miles a week on average. From 7th grade thru high school,part of college. BUT that was over 25 years ago and I was 17. After college, marriage and three kids, and doubling my high school weight running wasn't so good or happy. I tried to run after my kids and it hurt my knees way too much. I had gain too much weight and it put too much pressure on my knees. There I was too fat to run, without causing more health problems. I was depressed when i got on the treadmill and could only run for a few seconds before my knees hurt, so stopped trying. My kids found this box of running trophes, metals and awards in basement. They wanted to know who's they were. They were very surprised when I told them they were mine. In fact they didn't believe me until they read the engraved awards.   So after losing almost 65 pounds, I decided to try it again. Ok I didn't really decide, as in ok I going to go run now. I actually just went up to the track to walk, put on the IndigoGirls and U2 in my iPhone ,and started to move. Music was too up beat to just walk so i started to run, and started my timer for a baseline. I really didn't think i would make it around the curve let alone a full loop on track. But... My knees didn't hurt. So after the first lap, I was like, wow, let see if I can do it again. I walked half a lap between the first mile and the second. I was tired and sweaty and had a cramp in my side when i was done, but I ran it. and then walk another 1/2 mile after to cool down. I may be a bit sore tommorrow, but I enjoyed myself, and it felt good to know I could do it. I have been doing Dance party with kids and walking, swimming and stuff. But this was the first time I tried to run.     Last time I ran- it was the Marine Corp Marathon 14 years ago- and that was the first race i had run since college 5 years prior, I did it in over 5 1/2 hours, When I finished the race, I was glad i did it but set a new goal of doing it again only in under 5 hours before I turned 50. I was about 175 pounds at the time( 20 pounds lighter then now). I remember going to the store to get a new running bra, I was a 38DD, size 16 ish, at time and I hear the women behind me snicker when I was talking about running the marathon with saleswoman. " she's running a marathon?,haha, how, why" pissed me off big time. So I turn and told her, "Yes, I am. I put one foot in front of the other, and just keep going,because I can."   So it was good realize today that I can do it. I it was a good feeling running again. Only 8 more years til I turn 50. I guess I need to start get myself marathon ready. Baby steps. First you walk, then you run, then you run a litle bit longer...it not out of reach.
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Banded Bunny Got Filled

So, I was suppose to get my first fill last week. I was on the way to the doctor's office when they called to say he was stuck in surgery and posponed until this week. I was bummed. I was getting hungry, had no restriction and didn't feel full after my small meals. I was still doing well I am down 41 pounds as of this morning. I haven't lost any for a few weeks. This morning after having a egg for breakfast I went off to my surgeon's office. Their computers were on the fritz. Nothing was working. I was worried they were going to cancel again. The office was full and it was slow process to get into exam room. It is amazing how much we rely on computers to get through the day. My surgeon was in good spirits despite the craziness in the office. He numbed me upo a bit and put in 3 1/2 cc into my port. No pain at all. I had to drink some water then wait a few minutes. All was good and I got to go. On liquids for 2 days and then he told me to come back next week if fill wasn't restricting enough. So far so good. Suzie
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Banded Bunny Bmi Below The Bar

So I was figuring out my BMI and realized something cool. I no longer qualify for WLS, if I were to go in today. My BMI went from 45 to 34.8 in 5 months. So I'm no longer extremely obese- just obese. So where as before I had a BMI over 40 and a few comorbities which would have had me ok for surgery with a BMI of 35, now after my last doctor check. My blood Pressure was normal 123/72, not the crazy 169/90 it was running before. I am off all my hypertension medications, EKG normal, and my blood sugar is normal where it was on the line of being scary before. It is amazing how much better I feel getting the first 57 pounds off. Now I am almost half to my goal weight-another 64 pounds to be at a normal BMI. Glad I got my band.
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Are Those My Cheek Bones I See? Things I Discovered This Week..

So after a bit of a stall in weight loss, I hit a milestone today. I am now down a total of 40 pounds from my start weight. The last two pounds took their sweet time comng off but today I was so excited when I got off the scale I was jumping up and down -naked, in my dining room. Thank god my kids were still asleep. Now only 80 lbs more to go. I am third of the way to my goal and I'm use over a month post op. This week I made some discoveries I want to share:   First- If I'm going have any money left to buy nice clothes by the time I reach my goal weight I need need to figure out how to get clothing now for my change body that doesn't break the bank but I still feel good in. I bought a pair of size 18 jeans two weeks ago-$25 on sale - too big now. All my other jeans too big to wear out of house cause if I move around too much they fall down, or they look too frumpy because too big. So...I found a new second hand store that had just open near by a friend of mine took me too on Wednesday. It was nicer then most and had some really nice clothing for cheap. I got three pairs of designer jeans-one still had original price tag of $65 -size 16, all for under $20 TOTAL! - They were really tight on Wednesday, had to lie down to get zipped, but not so bad today. I actually got them on and up while standing up with no problem.   Second- Oikos Key Lime Greek Yogurt-If you crumble up a small bit of graham cracker on top, It tastes very much like a Real Key Lime Pie. 11 grams of protein and 150 calories. I felt like I was being so bad but I wasn't.   Third- When I was putting makeup, to go to meeting at kids new school, on this morning I noticed I had cheek bones again!!! So cool. I actually skipped to my friends car in my new not too tight jeans.   Take care everyone.
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