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About this blog

My weight-loss journey through the use of a lap band.

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McDreamy

Here is it Thursday - the 4th of July! I was so excited about my visit to see my surgeon on Tuesday but it was really no big deal. There were seven other people in the room who are getting their surgery the same day. Hello assembly line... Here are the highlights: They went over the "Eight Golden Rules" of lap band success
Eat three or less small meals a day
Do not eat anything between meals (this will be difficult)
Eat slowly and stop when no longer hungry
Focus on nutritional foods
Avoid calorie containing liquids
Exercise for at least 30 minutes a day
Be active throughout each day
Always be in contact with support staff (go in for monthly adjustments)
[*]We got our prescriptions for pain relief and an anti-nausea suppository (good times) [*]My surgery time is 9:15 - and I need to be there two hours early and it's an hour+ drive. [*]We got a video to watch at home. Jason watched with me so that he can see what I need to do and how he can support me.   Once our patient advocate left the room everyone talked about how they cheated on the pre-op diet! I have been so good and hadn't cheated at all (notice how I used past tense). So when I left there I came home and made my lunch. I nibbled on little naughty things here and there like it was no big deal. I was sabotaged by the strangers in the room and the conversation with our surgeon. He told us that a lot of doctors around the world don't put their patients on a pre-op diet to shrink their livers. He said he does it with all of his patients because one time he had a patient that had binged before surgery eating all of his "one last time" foods. His liver was so big and fat that the doctor couldn't put the band on. So the guy went through surgery and recovery, but didn't get a band. That is sad. So I really left feeling like the diet wasn't as big of a deal as I thought it was. I wish I'd never gone to that stupid meeting - pre-op is now harder than ever.     My surgeon is cute - something about doctors is handsome in general. So I had a private meeting with my handsome doctor to ask him if my ginormous boobs would be a problem during the operation or during recovery. That was fun. : / He smiled and said it wouldn't be a problem. I feel a little uncomfortable with a handsome doctor opening me up. Not sure I want an unattractive doctor doing it either.     Happy Fourth of July to everybody!.  
Banded Jen

Banded Jen

5
 

Do I NEED weight loss surgery?

I started my pre-op diet (Atkins - no more than 20 grams of carbs a day) last Tuesday. It's been relatively easy. I've only had a few times that it was truly difficult. The first time was the s'mores on vacation, the other was cutting the Bluebonnet Cafe pancakes for my son, and the third was the banana bread from yesterday. I overcame all of these events because I didn't want to jeopardize my surgery.   Today I weighed myself on my fancy new Weight Watchers scale and I have lost 8 pounds since starting the pre-op diet! While this is good news...it's made me question whether I should go through with surgery. Maybe I should just stick it out and keep working on it...But I know myself. Honestly and thoroughly...I know myself. I can sustain a program for a while, but as soon as I get off of it...I GO WAY OFF. The band will help me monitor myself.   I go in to meet my surgeon tomorrow. I really hope they weigh me and are excited about my loss so far. If this loss continues, at the end of next week I should be back to where I was before I jumped off of Weight Watchers in May.   I am looking at everyone's before and after surgery pictures. It is very inspiring, but I have a hard time imagining myself under 200 lbs again. A REALLY hard time. It's seemed so out of reach for so long, it feels like a fantasy to let myself think about it. Like I should be laughing at myself for thinking that far ahead.   In OTHER good news, a friend of mine that blogs a lot is going to work with me to fancy up my page and help me make it look more appealing. I had blog envy yesterday when I looked around at a lot of other blogs. I thought this blog was going to be helping me so that I didn't talk about weight loss, weight loss surgery, or the things I'm going to do after surgery during every waking hour. To the unspoken dismay of my friends and family...it has started working yet. I'm still blabbing away!   I can't wait to post about tomorrow!
Banded Jen

Banded Jen

5
 

Pre-op Scoop

Okay, so I told you all about me, now I want to give you some background knowledge of what has happened since my decision to have the band:   First off, I did not go with gastric bypass or sleeve because those two surgeries scare the crap out of me. Stapling parts, removing parts, then gaining it back? No thank you! I like the adjustability of the lap band and the minimally invasiveness of the procedure. It feels safer.   Once I decided what I wanted, I asked around and talked to people that had gone through the procedure. Two people recommended True Results in Austin, TX. They both have had success and only regretted that they did not do it sooner. So I called and set up a free consultation. I think their job was to convince me that I should do it, but I went in there ready to schedule! Since I teach, I wanted to get it done as soon as possible in the summer. I met with a patient advocate who has lost 120 pounds himself and looks great. He talked with me, we discussed financing (my insurance won't cover it so it is $10K out of my pocket) and I was able to secure it through CareCredit. It was painless.   From there I went in to meet with my nurse practitioner. She is basically my case manager and will help me along after I am banded. I love going to that office because all of the chairs are HUGE! It makes me feel so tiny and petite! I met with my PA again and we scheduled all of my tests, appointments, and surgery. I went home super excited but a little scared.   My feelings have been up and down about this whole thing. Sometimes I feel excited and confident and other times I am scared that I won't be able to follow through. After all, I've never been successful at losing weight beyond 30 lbs, so why would I be successful this time? It's hard to break that feeling.   I met with my nutritionist two weeks ago and we discussed my pre-op diet and my post-op diet. I started my pre-op diet while on a family vacation. I thought it would stink to be on a diet during vacation, but my family was REALLY supportive and I think it made it easier to stay on track with so much accountability. This first phase is Atkins. Lots of meat, no fruit, sugar, bread, nuts, legumes. I can essentially have fat, meat, cheese to an extent, and vegetables. I can't exceed 20grams of carbs a day. A couple of times I have struggled, but I have not been off track. I've been going to Chick-Fil-A and getting a cup of grilled nuggets and a side salad. The full fat ranch dressing only has one gram of carbs, so I put that in too. There is also a lot of water drinking going on.   Some people have posted that they have to do a liquid diet for two weeks prior to surgery. Thank goodness that is not me!! Every time I feel sad about no carbs...I remember it could be MUCH worse! I made banana bread for my kids this morning and I thought I might die if I didn't have a bite. It smelled so wonderful. There were small bites of uneaten bread laying on plates that were literally calling my name to "just have a little taste". I refused and eventually they gave up. I struggled again when I sliced the extra loaves to put in bags and then in the freezer. I had to ask my husband to come in from weed eating to watch me so that I wouldn't sneak a bite.   So I meet my surgeon on Tuesday and get specifics about surgery. Woo woo!
Banded Jen

Banded Jen

0
 

It's a band new me!

Hello Lap Band Talk!   Here is my story: I am 37 years old, I am married to an absolute dream of a man (seriously, I ask myself all the time how I landed him :wub:), I am a mother to a ten year old daughter and a soon to be three year old son. My son keeps me on my toes most of the time. I love him to the ends of the earth, but he drives me crazy. I also teach elementary school in Texas, so for 9 months of the year, my life is complete chaos. Also, I teach math, so don't judge me for any grammatical mistakes! It is crazy hot here right now and the idea of exercising 30 minutes a day sounds like sheer torture.   I am generally a pretty personable person and I am outgoing. Sometimes I wonder if I am so outgoing to cover my insecurities about my weight. That's a topic for another day and possibly a paid psychiatrist. I am having lap band surgery not because I want to change my life, but because I want to prolong the good thing I've got going here.   Weight wise...I'm not sure when or how I went down the hill of no return. I was never a small girl, but I was always involved in sports so I think it kept my eating in check. When I went to college and ate dorm food and drank too much of beverages that were not water, is when I started gaining steadily. Multiple breakups were also to blame only making the problem worse. I finally met "the one" and then we ate almost as sport because we were happy and eating was celebratory. Dieting= punishment mentality. I've still stayed pretty confident about my appearance. I guess enough people told me I was pretty along the way to sustain my "anti-anorexia goggles." When I say I am "anti-anorexic", this means that instead of looking in the mirror and seeing a morbidly obese person, I see only my good features and ignore the bad. "Dang Girl, you're looking good." Sounds conceited but it's my coping mechanism I think. Again...paid shrink.   I really committed to losing weight this year. I joined Weight Watchers and I followed it faithfully for about 8 months. I had trouble at Christmas but I was able to lose 30 lbs. in all. THEN my father-in-law passed away and a week later my Grandmother passed away. Those were tough times to stay on a diet...so I didn't. I've gained about 1/2 of it back. I've never been able to break that 30 pound barrier. I am currently 268 lbs. I was 269 earlier but I am doing the preop diet and I have been weighing myself like crazy and now I am 268. I carry about a 1/4 of that weight in my bra. "bigger than yo' head" is how I frequently describe the girls. I am sooooo looking forward to some of that disappearing. I've finished nursing my kids, so I am about done with lugging these things around all the time! I sure wish I could donate to the needy. Could be a nice tax break...something to think about.   Anyway, I am having surgery on July 9, 2013. This day will surely change my life and help me break my relationship with food. I was sort of sad about no longer being able to overeat anymore even though I know it's what needs to happen. It's like an abusive relationship! It's so bad for me, but I can't stay away! It's time to break up with food because food has been doing me wrong for so many years. I need to immerse my time into something else. Hmmm....housecleaning? Ugh - I think I just threw up a little at the thought. I am excited and anxious about the surgery. Not looking forward to pain, but excited to get it behind me. I've had two c-sections so I keep thinking it will be somewhat similar. I am looking forward to logging my journey - the good and the bad. I want to get and give support and I am so excited that I found this forum! This means there are people on the other side that have been successful with LapBand and can help me get through this.
Banded Jen

Banded Jen

4
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