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WonderWmn

LAP-BAND Patients
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Blog Entries posted by WonderWmn

  1. WonderWmn
    Well I said to myself when I started this blog that I would keep up with it and I just realized it's been a few months... well here are some updates...
     
    I moved to Houston a few months ago and having fun getting to know this new city. San Antonio is not a small town but it sure feels like it compared to Houston. Thank God for GPS, I'm loving Google Maps on my IPhone so much... have only been lost a couple of times, lol...
     
    So I've had a total of 3 fills now and I think I'm at a good place for now... I am tight in the mornings and can only get down my protein shakes so I'll have coffee but usually hot cocoa to be able to have food for lunch. So far I have not gotten sick although I have had a few close calls if I forget to chew, chew, chew before swallowing. I am trying to get in all my water although I have to remind myself all the time. Other than that, I'm feeling good and healthier everyday.
     
    I've lost a total of 45 lbs and went from a size 47 waist to 40 today but not ready to go shopping just yet. I have plenty of old clothes that I can fit into again so I'm glad I didn't throw those out. But as soon as I get into size 12/14, it's off the the mall
     
    I am also looking for a new job here in Houston and that's going well so far. Luckily, I have the best boyfriend and he wants me to not take the first thing I'm offered unless it's an awesome job. I'm lucky to be able to weigh out all my options before jumping into anything right away...
     
    So other than that, everything is going well, I'm enjoying my new city and I'll have more time now to stay in tough on this site :thumbup:
  2. WonderWmn
    Hola... I finally got my date yesterday and now I"m just getting through the pre-op diet... I've tried Slimfast in the past so shakes are not hard for me, now getting home after driving past all my fave fast food places (there's a Taco Cabana on the corner) will be tough, but I know I can do it.
     
    I have BCBS of Illinois and didn't find out until last month that back in July they changed their requirement from 6 month to only 3 months... my surgery center didn't notify me until my last weight loss appt last month so I was pretty upset and thought that I could have already had it done and been recovered. But I figure everything happens for a reason so I'm not going to be upset anymore and just try to be patient for 12 more days :thumbdown:
  3. WonderWmn

    First fill...

    By WonderWmn,

    So this week I had my first fill and it was virtually pain free... I only felt a pin prick when the lidocaine was inserted but no burning at all from the med. Then the PA made sure to go into the same tunnel she had created and I only felt a little pressure but no pain at all... I wasn't sure what to expect but I'm glad it went so well.
     
    Now I'm starting to eat 'real foods' and a little scared to eat something and it get stuck... still eating mushy foods but I'm going to try something more solid for dinner today.
  4. WonderWmn
    So I am 2 wks post-op and started the mushy food today. A few months ago I was shopping for dinner (I miss cooking real food) and noticed something called Bacon Salt in the seasoning aisle. So last week I was buying my baby food type foods for my week 2 and remember the bacon salt for my mashed potatoes. It is fantastic! The one I found has no calories and is low in salt and gluten free. I have been sprinkling it on everything, my cream of chicken soup, baby food, and today in my refried beans. Being Hispanic I know that the only way to make authentic refried beans is to use bacon fat. Well of course that's a no-no now so the bacon salt added a great authentic flavor. Unfortunately I got full so quickly and couldn't even finish my 1/3 cup serving. So now I'm looking forward to eating the rest for dinner.
     
    Now I'm trying to figure out how to make a bacon protein shake, lol. I am so sick of protein shakes already but I know it's a quick protein boost. I found one at Costco that has 30 grams so I have two a day and I get my required 60 grams and everything else is bonus :thumbup:
     
    I'm going to have to get the unflavored protein powder soon because I'm sick of sweet shakes. My problem was never craving sweets but fatty foods so I would rather add protein to my foods than have to drink more candy, yuck!
     
    And the vitamins and pills are getting tedious as well but they don't bother me when I think of how much better I will feel as I lose weight. I don't miss eating food, even when I had to smell my bf's steak cooking and watch him chew it, God how I miss chewing food... I was okay with my mashed potatoes because I figure that in my lifetime I've had more than my share of steaks, pizza, burgers, and everything else that helped me get to this size. I am fine with having to give it up for now because at this point in my life I'd rather look and feel good than have my food taste good. A lesson learned the hard way...
  5. WonderWmn
    So I am totally surprised that I'm feeling much better than I expected... but the stomach growling is keeping me up at night because I live alone and thought someone or something was in my house lol.
     
    My surgeon suggested I start taking Gas-X strips as soon as I got discharged and I think that's helped with the gas pains because they haven't been too bad. I just take one every 4-6 hours and no pain.
     
    I am still sore from the incisions but I was expecting it to be as bad as when I had my gallbladder out but it's not at all... the only thing I worry about is getting back in the swing of things, work and school, and having the energy to do it all on the calories I'm getting on this clear liquid diet... my car's in the shop so I can't drive for now anyway.
     
    The only time I think 'what was I thinking' is when I drink my meals and have to be so conscious to not drink too much or too fast... no regrets at all but now I see that I have to pay attention to eating when before I didn't even think about it... obviously that's why I'm fat lol...
     
    For now I'm hating jello, never liked it but at least I get to chew something but I'm loving my sugar free popsicles and even the chicken broth. I put lemon juice in it and it tastes great... well I got myself into this so I can't complain now... it will all be in the past soon...
  6. WonderWmn
    Today is my last day of work and I'll be off the rest of the week recovering... I hope it's enough time but I think if I need more time I can ask for it, we'll see.
     
    I've had a checklist of things to do before the day and all that's left is to have my last meal, having my last protein shake now, then take my test in class right after work, then start the bowel prep and that's when the fun really starts, lol.
     
    I'll be at the outpatient surgery center tomorrow at 8am and surgery is scheduled for 10am. I can't wait to get this over with... my diabetes really gave me a scare this weekend. I was driving to Houston like I usually do on weekends to go see my sweetie and I had a low blood sugar crisis... since I have been on a low-carb diet it might have been a good idea to stop taking my Metformin, something my doctor forgot to mention... anyway I had the worst feeling and blurred vision that set off my vertigo... it was a scary drive... then yesterday I had to drive back and it was okay at first, then the blurry vision set off my vertigo again and I basically cried and prayed the last 60 miles before I made it home... I knew God wouldn't fail me but it was so scary...
     
    So these last few weeks as I've been preparing and telling my co-workers and kept hearing "you don't need that" or "you're not that big" I started to wonder if maybe I didn't need the LAP-BAND®, but after this weekend's episode of what will continue to be my life if I stay on diabetes meds I've been reassured that I do need this! I know I can't do it alone, call me weak, I really don't care... it's my life and body and I know what I have to do for me... I just think of it as getting some will-power installed, lol...
     
    I'll try to blog tomorrow evening if I'm not too woozy from the drugs... but then again woozy if nice, hehe
     
    TTFN,
    Jen :huh2:
  7. WonderWmn

    Can hardly wait...

    By WonderWmn,

    So yesterday I found some old photo albums with high school pics and realized that I will be back at that weight soon and got so excited... back then though, I thought I was huge but now that I look at those pics I see that I looked great...
     
    I just feel so hopeful that I will look and most importantly feel better... I was just diagnosed as diabetic and with high cholesterol last month but I'm sure I have been for a while. I kept putting off going to the doctor and my lab work because I suspected something was wrong with my glucose. But now I have another motivating factor... to lose the weight and flush the new medications down the toilet, lol. I don't plan on taking them after my surgery so I won't refill them...
     
    The high protein/low carb diet is getting easier each day and I know it will all be worth it... I have to much to live for and too much to still do... I started crying last night when I was looking through those pics because I thought of all the years I have been overweight and had low self-esteem... I have been a confident woman for the last few years at my size but I can't wait to see the thinner Jenny again... :thumbdown:
  8. WonderWmn

    It's been a while...

    By WonderWmn,

    Well I have been so busy with work and school that I have not had time to post in a few months...
     
    I have already completed just about all of my pre-op stuff and my last appointment at True Results is Aug 21st! After that, they will submit my paperwork and get me scheduled for surgery. I am so excited and can't believe it is so close... I thought the day would never come...
     
    I've already lost about 25lbs on the pre-op diet plan and have posted new pics... can't wait to post my post-op pics :wink:
  9. WonderWmn
    After reading Band Groupies comment to my last blog (thanks and I posted some answers on your blog on how to add the background and make it pretty... I am such a girlie girl :cursing: anyway, she mentioned that maybe I was too young to member the show... not true. I love that show and Wonder Woman! I dressed up like her for a few Halloweens when I was a kid... my mom made me the costume and even used gold candy foil for the headpiece and wrist thingees. It might have been chafa (spanish getto word for cheap :thumbup: but I loved it! I had long black hair like her and everyone said I looked just like her... well that's when I was convinced that I could do anything she could.
     
    Okay so I don't have an invisible jet and boy do I wish I had the lasso of truth with the men I've dated in my past, haha... but I am all into Girl Power and she was one of the first strong women I was ever introduced to.
     
    This weekend I told my boyfriend that one of my weight loss goals has to do with WW and for Halloween 2010 I want to dress like her. Of course I could've done it this year, but I didn't want to be the fat WW... I did find the plus size costume and sorry but it was a little to revealing especially when you have a lot to hide, hehe... well I was thinking this morning on my way to work that maybe that was silly, but then I got a confirmation at lunchtime. One of my co-workers got me a WW notebook that she said she had to get when she came across it as the store this weekend... so I take that as a sign that I will be a not-so-fat version of WW by 2010.
     
    Then I'll just need to get that jet and lasso and I'll be set... Ebay maybe?
  10. WonderWmn

    Where to start...

    By WonderWmn,

    Well here it goes... I have to do my six month medically supervised program and can't think of a better way to pass the time than to blog my thoughts and progress on this journey...
     
    First a little about me... I'm not married, but I have been in a very happy relationship with a great man for about a year and a half! I am 36 and have no kids, although I do have 2 beautiful nieces and an awesome nephew... I call them my babies from anotha motha :w00t: I'm not really sure if I want any of my own and realistically time is running out for me, but God will give me what I need so I'm not worried. I work at an advertising agency in the finance department and I love it here! I've decided to go back to school for a degree in Marketing so I'm doing that at night and have finally gotten into the swing of things.
     
    I've always been chubby, chunky, and eventually fat, yes I said it, I know I'm fat and I'm okay with it. I did lose about 75 lbs over 10 yrs ago but gained it all back within a few years and haven't been able to lose it as I've gotten older. I have never had a problem with my size and don't really care what others think of me, but I've had to look at my health and I know what lies ahead if I don't do something about it now. Being Hispanic is awesome and I love my heritage, but it's also a whammie when it comes to genetics. My parents are both diabetic and heart disease runs in my family so I know it's only a matter of time before I get it. :sneaky:
     
    So after much thought and research I'm taking the big plunge and getting lap band surgery. I chose True Results because Dr Gonzalez did my gallbladder removal a few years ago and I was happy with his care. So then it came time to see what my insurance covered and what I would be responsible for. I have BCBS of Illinois and I'm super happy with the plan my employer has chosen. The WLS is covered 100% and I have no deductible!!! I can't believe how lucky I am, I love my job :tt1: I did notice that my company is pretty big on staying healthy, we have free gym memberships at Spectrum Clubs and there aren't too many overweight people working here... So yeah, I'm the fat girl at the office, but I won't be for long, hehe.
     
    Well I do have to pay for the nutrionist that is required but that's not too much. And so I've already had most of my appts scheduled and will post my progress as I move along the requirements. My boyfriend is also having the procedure done so I have a band-buddy already But I am a lil jealous cause he only has to do a 3 months of weight loss program, but then he has a deductible so it evens out... He'll lose weight sooner, but I'll have more shopping money :tt2:
     
    Well I guess that's all for now and if you've made it this far, I hope I've kept you entertained. I'm always up for hearing others people stories or sharing mine so don't be afraid to leave comments...
     
    TTFN,
    Jen

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