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I ran into my patient advocate, Paul, at True Results today. The patient advocate is the first person you meet with and they walk you through all the pre-op stuff. Once you have the surgery you don’t see the patient advocate. Anyway, I ran into Paul and he about fell over when he saw me. (btw, Paul has been banded for 7 years – lost 120lbs) We sat down and chatted a bit. He said he remembers our first meeting and how I cried because I was so unhappy. And now I glow (his words). He said not only do I look great from the weight loss but my face glows with happiness. He said I was a walking Lap-band billboard. Me? Wow. It was so cool hearing that. I just had to share it. Now I just have to figure out how I’m going to get this big head through the doorway. lol

Yep, it's been a while... a crazy month but here I am... almost a month since my last post and a full week post-op! So, I'm going to try to give the short version of my month because I'll be up typing all night if I don't (it's currently midnight!). In my last blog, I believe everything had just been submitted... I got denied twice! Yep you read it right... twice! I guess those idiots didn't know who they were saying no to! They tried to tell me that I wasn't sick enough and that I didn't do my nutrition... blah blah blah... at one point I actually cited Maryland law which requires them to cover the procedure based on my issues . I am known as the queen of arguing but they didn't know that... neither did the chic from my doc's office that kept givin me the run around til I emailed her boss LOL. Long story short... I was sleeved on the 16th even with two denials! So... after my approval... I tried to do my pre-op diet... really I did, but I had less than two weeks between approval and surgery and I seriously worked over 80 hours a week to make sure everything I was responsible for was done before I went out and the stress of that combined with no food caused major migraines so I ate. I ate significantly less, but I ate. One week to the day before surgery, I had a miscarriage... I didn't know I was pregnant until I lost it (I have an IUD so this was not supposed to happen)... I also didn't know you could mourn a child you didn't know you were pregnant with (I learned several things that week)... A visit to the ER explained that my IUD slipped out (it's in but out so not providing protection which is how I got pregnant) and I have a major fibroid . The miscarriage only caused minor problems with my sugery (the anesthesiologist refused to move forward due to my positive preg test from the week prior even after I explained the miscarriage - the staff OB/GYN cleared me for surgery and we moved on). I was terribly stressed prior to surgery due to some of the things people have posted on here... I cried all through pre-surg prep b/c of this. Apparently my surgery was text book despite my having failed miserably at the pre-op diet... do not use this as your idicator though... I believe I got lucky (God feeling I've had a bad enough month)... I did not get a pain pump post-op and the first nurse was being stingy with drugs. Also, my body does not like to pee after anesthesia so I could not go without pushing which was not fun... especially with limited pain meds. I also kept getting horrible hiccups that made me want to die but I survived the night. I didn't sleep much yet the time passed. I left the hospital the next day around 3 p.m. My post-op diet involved 2 days of clears and now I'm on full liquids. I've been healing well so I'm tolerating shakes, yogurt, soups, and I'm hungry pretty quick. From posting and reading, I know this is normal but that doesn't make it suck any less . As for the TMI section of this... farting post op was really hard to do! It really helped to walk to move the gas and to get on all fours if it wouldn't pass (sounds weird but I found this on google when it was hurting bad and it worked LOL). I'm a week out and I still haven't done anything beyond pee in the toilet... tonight I drank a laxative tea and am hoping it works... I know I'm putting stuff in there but I'm wondering what's happening to it . Last thing and I'm signing off... It's 12:20 now so I'm doing awesome! I know I've lost weight... I've weighed myself and I've already seen one physical change. I have my first official post op appointment tomorrow though so I'm going to wait until then to update my weight on here so stay tuned. I'm also hoping to get to move on to mushies early tomorrow since I'm starving and tolerating things so well (he said it was a possibility before the sugery). Good night fellow sleevers and those lurking as I once was .

My name is AJ and I’m a scale-a-holic. I have lied to my LBT friends, it wasn’t intentional… I don’t know how it got so out of control. You see in the beginning I only weigh myself once a week, but back then I was seeing my doctor every week or two. Now I go every 4-6 weeks and that will get stretched out more. When I weigh in at my doctor’s office, that is my ‘official’ weight, I update my profile based on that. So when I weigh at home it doesn’t officially count…. Like I said I started weighting once a week, I even had a set day (Sunday morning). Then I started ‘just checking’ on Wednesdays, then Fridays too and before I knew it I was weighting every day. Then it was twice a day, once in the morning & once in the evening (just to see if there was a difference). It wasn’t my ‘official weight’ so what harm is there….. Well my scale died last night. Yep after ten plus years it went kaput. My beloved scale was no more. Panic set in, how am I going to weigh myself in the morning? Where can I get a new scale and fast…. Boy was I in a panic! I searched on line all evening, need to find a good scale and fast. Thankfully, I go to the doctors tomorrow and will get an ‘official’ weight. But in the mean time I realize that I have an addiction that I need to manage. The first step in the detoxing is cold turkey. I found the scale I want on Amazon, ordered it & selected Super Saving Shipping (It wound get here till next week). Next, if I have to I’ll have my husband lock it up….hopefully that won’t be necessary. lol

I'm pretty much at the very beginning of my adventure...Had my first appointment last week, and have my psych. evaluation scheduled for next week. On Friday I received a letter in the mail, from the Company that I work for, stating that they will be changing insurance providers from Aetna to Blue Cross Blue Shield. This becomes effective January 1, 2013. Yikes!!! I'm honestly spazzing a little bit. Just when I finally get to a place where I can get it done (job stability, decent insurance, and a made up mind), this happens. I called my insurance coordinator at the Dr.'s office and she suggested that I call BCBS and see if they cover WLS. So I call them and they say that it's not listed in the plan, or at least the description that he saw on his screen. Now I have to speak with my Company's Benefits Administrator. Shall we pray!!!!!!! The Coordinator at the Dr.'s office told me that even if they say "no", there's a way around it. I wonder what that's about. Anywhoooo, I know I need to stay positive, so I'm going to try not to stress.

Hey There all!! I am having surgery November 15 and I am currently still in school. Surgery will be close to the end of the semester, however, I will still have a few weeks of school left. All those who have had surgery any advise for me? What can I expect? I'm kind of nervous, and I really don't like pain. I was thinking about taking a week off to heal. This has been a long time coming. I finally decided to take control of my life and invest in myself. I'm going to document this so you all can see my journey. Life can be relatively hard being a large person. I feel as though my weight holds me back from doing a lot of the things I want in life. Things like being able to run and do activities for a period of time with out getting tired quickly. Have you ever wished that instead of being behind the pack you could run up front or alongside of them? I do all the time. How bout looking in the mirror while trying on a really cute dress you like only to realize it doesn't look as cute on you as it did on the manikin? Yup. The real reason as to why i'm doing this isn't just to look better or to run faster, but more so to feel better about myself. I need a change in my life. I couldn't keep doing the same thing and feeling the same way. I was going insane. Hopefully, this journey will give me the courage to do the things i've always wanted and to be the person i've always wanted to be. I feel that by taking this plung, I will be giving myself options that i never had before. Wish me luck! Can't wait to hear all of your feedback!! Toodles.

Well, it looks like there's a chance I could get referred to surgery sooner than I expected!!! I had been planning on having surgery at the beginning of next year, but I saw my doctor today and he said he was going to submit the referral this week and see what they say! My insurance requires a 3 month supervised diet, but my MD doesn't have a scale that can weigh me, so he's gonna see if we can bypass that requirement and get me referred now. If not, I only have another 5 weeks until my 3 months would be up anyway, so it's not that far off if it gets rejected. He said I shouldn't have a problem at the 3 month point, but he'll see what he can do to speed it up. :D :D Oh em gee! I still don't know exactly what happens next. I guess I'll find out, though. This is getting kinda exciting! Ever since I left the Drs office, I've been daydreaming. A friend of mine is going to a Halloween party tonight and I was invited to this party but declined. I don't have the self confidence to meet strangers anymore, much less the confidence to put on a costume and let people look at me! But this time next year could be totally different! EEEEEEEEEKKKKKK!! I'll let ya know if the referral goes through! Wish me luck!

this week,in prep for our looooong weekend in a hotel,I started adding a bit of carbs to my diet again. Am only on about 60 now but boy does it make a difference.Not a positive one either...lol The bags under my eyes are back,I am sluggish and dont feel like exercising.My weight is up 2 pounds whixh I know is water as my cals were still 800.But it had to be done now. It is not unhealthy carbs either but about 30 more than usual.Edamame beans for one.And more tea with milk.Well,that seems to account for most eccept the breaded (light) chicken I had twice which would be a lot of the carbs I suppose. At the hotel I will not be able to stay carb less,I know that.I do not eat eggs (just dont sit right in my tum) but add protein powder to it and fibre and it works.I want to be able to relax and not make an issue out of the eating this coming week.Just be for a few days but I dont want to get back 5 pounds heavier.I not be taking a scale and maybe the hotel will not have one. I dont know why I am so afraid of this holiday.I have done so well on all the others but for some reason tis has been bugging me a lot.Maybe because my food choices when eating out recently wasnt the greatest.And maybe because I know it.And maybe because sometimes I feel like not making great choices ALL the time.But I will just have to pull myself toward myself and get on with it.And maybe going to the gym when Im there is a good idea to just burn some cals before flopping down for the day! And maybe it is because I want to lose as much as possible before the big one in December when all the critical family will see me.Who knows! But I want to enjoy getting away from it all and I want to feel in control,something I havent ever felt faced with buffets before the sleeve. So taking some protein powder along is a good idea.I might even be able to ask the chef to make me some pancakes as I really love them and they keep me full for hours and hours.And some edamame to snack on while everyone else eats rubbish. I now fit properly into a size 16 and even bought a new bathing suite. Anyway,tmorrow I will read this again and remind myself of all the good things about the sleeve.And the fact that no matter what,it is a good fight I am fighting here.

Since the 13th I have lost another 3 pounds for which I am very happy. But today I had a fat day.Where I am not satisfied with my weight loss so far and I wished I could just enjoy anything I ate like I did before the sleeve.Silly really as I would allow myself "anything" if only I knew what that was. I dont find pleasure in food anymore.It is not fun to eat anymore.But then my little kid tells me that eating is not fun.It is nice to eat good food but it is not fun.Fun is stuff that you do,like swimming or dancing or playing a game...lol.And she is right. And maybe I feel like this because Im getting a cold again OR Or maybe it is because of this skinny woman at my kid's gymnastics who never speaks to me, that for some reason tonight, decided to loudly and in front of everybody say,O you've lost so much weight.I can even see it in your face now.Are you following a specific diet? To which I answered,yes very specific...lol Whereupon she said, o its very hard but its got to be done! In front of everybody!!! And goodness knows why that got to me so badly.of course everyone comments on the weight loss but this was just embarrassing for some reason.The be-atch in me wanted to say to her and maybe if you changed that horrid hairstyle of yours you would look so much better too.Its very hard,but its got to be done! But I didnt.and I have never been too sensitive about what others would say,goodness as a fatty Ive had to bite my tongue a few time in my life when people would make comments.So whats up with me now? Crazy thing is whereas I was just thinking about food today,I came home and actually had a packet of weight watchers crisps which I dont even like.So Ive been thinking of how I need to get over myself and toughen up a bit.I cannot let peoples comments get to me.Since we have this big family reunion in December (my housemate's family not mine) and boy are they a bunch of rattlesnakes (hehehe...she doesnt want to go if we dont go with her) of course they will make their snarky comments.I can bet top dollar that the extra skin on my arms will be mentioned a few times and my eating this little will be critized now,I have to not allow myself to eat "away" what I feel.Maybe,just maybe I should for once say these quick comebacks that come up in my head out loud.That might just shut people up.But I wont,because I am not like them. I suppose this is life and a good nite's sleep might just give me back my perspective.And tomorrow I might have a thinner day!

Tomorrow is my last appointment and then I will have a consultation with the doctor and set a surgery date. I am still nervous and very scared. It doesn't seem real, but I know that when it's really close I am most likely going to start freaking out, haha. I am very excited when I start to think about all the positives in my new life to come. But I am still pretty nervous when the thought of surgery comes up. I think the main reason is because I have never had surgery before and change scares me.

One of my old, old set points was 225 or so. I was stuck there for just over two weeks, but I knew this would also fall in time. I finally broke through a couple of days ago, and weighed 219.9 this morning! I tend to think in 10-pound increments, so 210 is in my sights! Like many others have said, I think my body was readjusting things, because I had a LOT of people I know tell me I was getting skinny, even as I was stalled. I am SO HAPPY with the sleeve! We celebrated a couple of birthdays on Saturday (mine included!) and a family friend made some wonderful pizza from scratch and an imitation of 'sausage peppers rustica' from Olive Garden. I had been working on a car all day and was physically hungry, so I had two skinny slices of the pizza, one of each flavor. When I sat down for the pasta dish, I could only eat 1/4 of what I served myself! I had to exclaim, "Wow! This is EXACTLY how this is supposed to work! This is tasty and I want more, but I am SO FULL!"