Veggestyle

Well...I had my first PB and it was just as awful as everyone has described it to be... :think However, I am glad that I had that knowledge so I was prepared for what it would be like and it was totally all my fault... It all happened after I came home from work yesterday and I was just starving. My plan was to have a snack of hummus and pita chips, and I am always so careful, but I think that my hunger got the best of me and I must have been eating too fast, and too big of bites. I felt the food get stuck in my lower esophogus, it felt like my esophogus was "filled" and I knew that the food was going to come up, but it was stuck and that is what was so terrible. My eyes starting tearing, I felt like I could hardly breath (even though I really could out of my nose) and I panicked. I was all alone and I calmed myself down. In just a few minutes the food came up and all was well. So...chew chew chew, slowly slowly slowly....

Well...I had my first PB and it was just as awful as everyone has described it to be... :think However, I am glad that I had that knowledge so I was prepared for what it would be like... It all happened after I came home from work yesterday and I was just starving. My plan was to have a snack of hummus and pita chips, and I am always so careful, but I think that my hunger got the best of me and I must have been eating too fast, and too big of bites. I felt the food get stuck in my lower esophogus, it felt like my esophogus was "filled" and I knew that the food was going to come up, but it was stuck and that is what was so terrible. My eyes starting tearing, I felt like I could hardly breath (even though I really could out of my nose) and I panicked. I was all alone and I calmed myself down. In just a few minutes the food came up and all was well. So...chew chew chew, slowly slowly slowly.... Along with feeling bad for not being careful enough and having my first PB, I am having an issue with potato chips.... Um...yeah...my boyfriend loves potato chips, Dorritos, Sour Cream and Onion, Cheese and Sour Cream, etc, etc etc....well, and I really like them too and for sooo long they have been in the house and I have not touched them...They have been "calling" me from the kitchen cabinet and I ate and ate and ate....they went down so well and tasted sooo good and I felt sooooo terrible... :cry I cannot even bring myself to tell my boyfriend about it, not that I need to, but I usually confide in him and I am too ashamed too. I suppose that I can ask Joe to take them out of the house and he would with no problem...but why should that be necessary??? I should just be able to not give in. Well, this has happenend two days in a row now and after it happens I feel so full on the few handfuls of chips that I have that I cannot fit anything else. Therefore, I dont eat the nutritional food that I had planned on eating....it is so embarassing...:paranoid I had this surgery, have gone through so much...and now I am doing this...I really cant believe it...:angry I am so disapointed in myself:(

I had a snow day today...so I didnt have to go into work and it is Friday, but why I am feeling so so down? I think that not being able to resort to my old eating habits is really starting to "crack" me. I feel very down and sort of lost... it is actually really pathetic...why has food meant this much to me? WTF!!! Since my boyfriend and I and all of my good neighbor friends had a snow day we all hung out together...again...something I really like to do and people I love to spend time with...so why am I feeling so down?? Well they were all drinking and eating yummy snacks, which I can not do...sometimes I hate this band that restricts me, I hate the fact that I put my body through this and I cannot do what I want even though it is unhealthy. I get so mad...I feel like no one around me understands, they dont understand the pain...

Hello Everyone! I hope that you are all having a great start to your Monday. Through reading some of your posts though, I know that you are having a difficult time. :phanvan This is a very very difficult time and dont feel bad for your struggles, we are all going through major major changes, but at this time we are not physically seeing them. It will happen though. We will lose weight. Even after our failures at other weight loss attempts, we will lose weight through this tool. I know it is hard, I am right there along with you all, but try to stay positive and we will be here to help you pick yourself up. Have a great day!

I had a snow day today...so I didnt have to go into work and it is Friday, but why I am feeling so so down? I think that not being able to resort to my old eating habits is really starting to "crack" me. I feel very down and sort of lost... it is actually really pathetic...why has food meant this much to me? WTF!!! Since my boyfriend and I and all of my good neighbor friends had a snow day we all hung out together...again...something I really like to do and people I love to spend time with...so why am I feeling so down?? Well they were all drinking and eating yummy snacks, which I can not do...sometimes I hate this band that restricts me, I hate the fact that I put my body through this and I cannot do what I want even though it is unhealthy. I get so mad...I feel like no one around me understands, they dont understand the pain...

Some of these dips sound so goood and I love hummus...but what can we put it on??? Or do you guys just eat tiny spoonfuls of it? thank you!!! I start my mushies in just three days..yes yes yes!!

Well, I went on Tuesday for my one week check up and everything is look great! The surgeon took all of the bandages off which hurt at first, but truly was a relief! I am really really surprised at how tiny the port incision is. The doc. stitched me up real good I guess! So everything is going well, I am feeling pretty good, I just cant wait to be over with this liquid diet!!! Even though I'll probably start gaining some weight back as soon as I begin eating food again, especially since I am not working out...which I really really need to start doing...:nervous My parents are actually going to give me their treadmill that they do not use anymore and so I will have that to work out on!!! I just need to make the room for it!

Well, I went on Tuesday for my one week check up and everything is look great! The surgeon took all of the bandages off which hurt at first, but truly was a relief! I am really really surprised at how tiny the port incision is. The doc. stitched me up real good I guess! So everything is going well, I am feeling pretty good, I just cant wait to be over with this liquid diet!!! Even though I'll probably start gaining some weight back as soon as I begin eating food again, especially since I am not working out...which I really really need to start doing...:nervous My parents are actually going to give me their treadmill that they do not use anymore and so I will have that to work out on!!! I just need to make the room for it!

Hello Everyone!!! So we are supposed to get a big snow storm out here in Chicago today!!! Yikes, about 10 inches of snow or so...at least that is what the weather people are claiming! I need to bust a move out of work today! Well, only a few days left of the liquid diet and then onto mushies yay!!! I think I may start one day early and have eggs for breakfast on Sunday! Have a great day!

Angela--I am very sorry to hear that your MS symptoms are resurfacing b/c of the surgery. Was this something that you were prepared for to happen? Sorry to hear that you are feeling blue, this will all be worth it though! Chris--Thank you for your entry, it was very inspirational and oh so true! I think that we all really needed to hear it! It is so difficult when you have gone through so much and still do not see any changes, but you are so right about the healing phase! Everyone-- Chin up! This will all be worth it! We havent put so much work into this darn thing for nothing, it is medically proven that we WILL lose weight! We can do it despite the slip up here and there! I hope that you all have a great day! :high5: :cheer2:

Dani--My doctor did prescribe me Darvocet and Compazine. The Darvocet is a "heavy-duty" pill form pain killer, and the Compazine is another "heavy-duty" nausea preventor. The doc. also prescribed a "sea sickness" patch ( I forgot the name of it!) that I wore before I went to bed the night before the surgery. Thankfully, I did have little to no nausea, but I could feel it "bubbling" up so I am very happy that I had those meds. However, the heavy duty meds. really affected me, and I am very used to pain meds. being a chronic pain sufferer, but they left me feeling very very out of it. I also purchased liquid tyenol, but have not even cracked the seal yet. The dissolvable Gas X strip helped at times too! Good luck on your trip, figuratively and literally! I hope all goes very smoothly for you!

Thank you for setting this all up Heather! I am really excited!

I love fairies, especially Nene Thomas and Amy Brown fairy art, and all things sparkly I am really into nailpolish (reds, pinks, purples, especially OPI), and pampering myself once in a while, such as in bath and body products. I love vanilla and floral scents (especially gardenia, rose, sweet pea)! I am a teacher and I love my dachshund, I am also starting out in my first home! Colors of house: My bedroom is purple and gold, my main living area and kitchen is green and yellow, I have a whimsical/garden type theme going I wouldnt mind personal or christmas type items, but I am really not into Santa Claus... Christmas Items: I love snowflakes, angels, penguins, berries, snowmen, and remember I love glitter!!! I am really excited about this!

Hello All! I am feeling quite odd right now. For the past few days I have felt in a hazey hazey daze, which makes me feel like I am walking in a fog, and also like my vision is blurry. This is really irritating to me! Luckily it hasnt kept me down in spirits or otherwise! Today my mom and I went Black Friday shopping for a few hours and I was able to hold up for that long, I was happy and proud. I even got to go to Starbucks with her and they made me a special drink (well I suppose not special for me, but to me!) that was low in sugar, cals, carbs and fat. I was so excited to be able to actually "eat" something out, I havent in weeks!!! So even though I am in this hindering fog, I am now hyped up on caffeine (which I normally dont have) it is a very odd combo. I have officially lost 20lbs and I feel very proud of that. I dont think the weightloss is too obvious, but you can tell it a bit in my face and upper stomach. Well, I also measured myself today and I have lost three inches around my waist and 1/2 an inch around my upper arm, yay!!! Its working, I am finally not failing....not that I really can that much, but it is still so amazing to see! I am planning on going back to work on Monday. I have to admit that I am rather nervous about this. I am a teacher so my job is pretty active with bending over, sitting, standing, walking, reaching, even lifting...I hope that all goes well with this and if for some reason I am starting to feel pretty terrible I live an hour away from my work....I am determined to go in on Monday but if it does not go successfully Ill have no regrets about taking off Tuesday just to rest a bit. Well now after X-mas shopping with my mom (it is a tradition for her and I to go shopping on Black Friday and I am SOO happy that I didnt have to miss it this year) I am totally in the holiday mood! My BF and I are going to go look for our first Christmas tree together!!! Take Care!!!

Hello Everyone! I hope that you all had a great Thanksgiving!!! I am trying to relax this evening before I return to work tomorrow as my first day back at work after being banded! I am feeling pretty good, but am just nervous as to how an entire day of teaching will go! Wish me luck! Have a great night!

Misty--You sound really creative! I love the sound of what you did with your dip bowls, you should post a picture of them! What are you going to college for, if I may ask?

Good Luck to Everyone that is being banded soon! I know that the wait is difficult but that will seem like a distant memory soon as you move onto BandLand!!! My thoughts are with you! :gluck: :bolt: :eek:

Betty--Your Halloween party sounds awesome!!! Are there any special activities that you do at your party? I love Halloween! :bolt: Cindy--Happy Belated Birthday!!! :happybday: I hope that everyone has a good week after our crazy holiday weekend and such! Tomorrow is the first day back at work for me, wish me luck!!! Have a great night!

La Madam--How do I participate in the secret Santa??? I would love to sign up!

My BF and I bought our first tree together! We put it up on Friday night and it is so pretty!!! We even bought a beautiful angel to put on top of the tree who is wearing a glamorous sparkly red dress! I am so excited to have my first Christmas in my own house! I cant wait to decorate the outside! I hope everyone is having a great weekend!

My general doctor, PCP, requested to see me since I was considering WLS and asking her to send in medical info. to my insurance company. I was a little nervous going in today since her nurse did not specifically state why she wanted to see me, but I had some idea. It is not terribly easy talking with my doc about the WLS since she is a very "traditional, old school" doctor and has very little experience with WLS. Usually, my doc. is rather understanding and supportive, but during our discussion today about WLS she was rather distant. I think it is time to find a new PCP, especially since I moved quite a bit away from the doc. and it would be nice to have a doc. that knows more about WLS, since it is a life long change. I shared with her info. that I received from the hospital I would be getting my surgery at. All she really had to say was how she was concerned about the risks, and really did not say, but the risks of being obese....She checked my thryoid too since that is a big concern since my sister having thyroid cancer, all seemed to be well there. I shared with her my dieting history and problems that my fat is causing me, which at this point is mostly emotional, and some joint aches. Truly, I am concerned about the long term risks and effects of my excess weight. She wants me to get some blood work done before she writes a letter to the insurance company for me. She said that she wants to check my blood sugar and thyroid levels along with my cholesteral. At the end of the appt. she said that she will help me through it. The doctor also shared with me that perhaps the Paxil that I am on could be causing me to gain weight. We looked through the records have I have gained nearly 40 lbs in a year since I have been taking Paxil, eeeek! However, i can't go off of Paxil, so I guess we wont really know, unless there is another anxiety medicine I can take. :rolleyes

I finally got up the courage...and the patience to call my insurance company and see if they cover the lapband surgery. After waiting on hold for about fifteen minutes, surprisingly, a very friendly voice answered...I get very discouraged when I am calling about such personal information and the person on the other line sounds like they cannot be bothered. However, unfortunately, the insurance representative said that my insurance company shows that it neither includes or excludes the procedure. After all that I have read and researched (mostly on this board, thank you!) I am assuming that means that it depends on my medical history, current stats. and weight loss attempts. So that answer is in limbo, which I guess is better than just a "no" it does not. :mad: As soon as I got off the phone with the insurance company, I called up my doctor who I have been seeing for about seven years now. The hang up there is that I recently moved about 1 hour and a half away from her location...I left a message with the receptionist, hoping that the doc. would consider discussing this with me over the phone....Well, we'll see. ...It is therapeutic for me to write about it in this journal and I hope that detailing my journey is helping someone out there

NJCHICK---Wow! Six weeks off! That would be so wonderful! What type of work do you do? Actually, it is interesting b/c three other women at my work have been banded. We all have been supporting eachother at work and so that is wonderful. Other than that no one really knows. However, I assume that the other teachers I work with think something is going on since I havent been eating anything for quite sometime and I am a reknowned chocaholic around the office! Oh well...rumors are going to go around either way, I am more worried about myself than what they are thinking.

Randi--Thank you for the links, I really appreciate it! I never got a chance to look at the Inamed Patient Handbook, it was great to see that my doctor is right on target with it! So....what OTC pain meds. are safe to take as a bandster? I saw the list of what is not good, but what meds. are ok...? Thank you!

Hello All! I am feeling quite odd right now. For the past few days I have felt in a hazey hazey daze, which makes me feel like I am walking in a fog, and also like my vision is blurry. This is really irritating to me! Luckily it hasnt kept me down in spirits or otherwise! Today my mom and I went Black Friday shopping for a few hours and I was able to hold up for that long, I was happy and proud. I even got to go to Starbucks with her and they made me a special drink (well I suppose not special for me, but to me!) that was low in sugar, cals, carbs and fat. I was so excited to be able to actually "eat" something out, I havent in weeks!!! So even though I am in this hindering fog, I am now hyped up on caffeine (which I normally dont have) it is a very odd combo. I have officially lost 20lbs and I feel very proud of that. I dont think the weightloss is too obvious, but you can tell it a bit in my face and upper stomach. Well, I also measured myself today and I have lost three inches around my waist and 1/2 an inch around my upper arm, yay!!! Its working, I am finally not failing....not that I really can that much, but it is still so amazing to see! I am planning on going back to work on Monday. I have to admit that I am rather nervous about this. I am a teacher so my job is pretty active with bending over, sitting, standing, walking, reaching, even lifting...I hope that all goes well with this and if for some reason I am starting to feel pretty terrible I live an hour away from my work....I am determined to go in on Monday but if it does not go successfully Ill have no regrets about taking off Tuesday just to rest a bit. Well now after X-mas shopping with my mom (it is a tradition for her and I to go shopping on Black Friday and I am SOO happy that I didnt have to miss it this year) I am totally in the holiday mood! My BF and I are going to go look for our first Christmas tree together!!! Take Care!!!