kcweir

One side of my family has a Pre-Thanksgiving dinner every year the Saturday before Thanksgiving. I was really looking forward to it because I was able to fit comfortably in my second shelf pants (size 16) and was thinking I would get a little attention for it. Nobody noticed. Although I’m disappointed, I’m also a bit happy because maybe nobody noticed when I was barely squeezing in to my 18Ws. I think I became expert at hiding fat, this just shows me how good I was at it. Another disturbing thing happened this weekend. I had my first PB. Mind you, this is the first time I’ve vomited since my honeymoon in 1997. Through two pregnancies, one prolonged labor, two c-sections, a couple of surgeries, and one very bad bought of stomach flu, I have kept it all down. 12 ½ years, not too shabby. Here’s what happened: I was out shopping with my daughter when it got to be time for lunch. She asked for Bakers. If you don’t live in Southern California you don’t know the bliss that is Bakers. Fries better than McDonalds, with fabulous hamburgers or any delicious Mexican food, like tacos and burritos. We decide to eat inside and I ordered our meal while DD got us a booth. I ordered one taco, knowing that would be enough for me. DD got a burrito and fries. Apparently I completely forgot that I had the band. When I was getting DD’s food ready for her, I grabbed a few fried and popped them in my mouth. Next came the bite of taco, that’s when I knew I was in trouble. The pain was breathtaking. I’ve felt that pain before and it has always just gone away after a minute or so. This was not going away, and to make things worse my mouth was filling with horrible thick mucus. Obviously I couldn’t spit it out, so I just sat there trying to swallow it on top of my food. Desperate for relief, I grabbed DD’s Sprite and took a sip. Worst thing I could have done. A wave of nausea came over me and I fled to the bathroom. Lucky for me nobody was in there. Everything came up but the pain and mucus stayed for quite some time. I found myself spitting in the parking lot, in a very unladylike manner. Dinner last night was pretty uncomfortable so I only had a few bites and gave up. Today I have a fill appt at 1:00, I’m not sure if I need one/should have one given the circumstances. Before my PB episode, I was really looking forward to the fill because I didn’t stay satisfied for more than 3 hours after a meal.

Great gingerbread house! I remember my sister and I trying to make one when we were in college, it ended up being held together with some decidedly inedible rubber cement. Clearly your children have more talent than we did.

One side of my family has a Pre-Thanksgiving dinner every year the Saturday before Thanksgiving. I was really looking forward to it because I was able to fit comfortably in my second shelf pants (size 16) and was thinking I would get a little attention for it. Nobody noticed. Although I’m disappointed, I’m also a bit happy because maybe nobody noticed when I was barely squeezing in to my 18Ws. I think I became expert at hiding fat, this just shows me how good I was at it. Another disturbing thing happened this weekend. I had my first PB. Mind you, this is the first time I’ve vomited since my honeymoon in 1997. Through two pregnancies, one prolonged labor, two c-sections, a couple of surgeries, and one very bad bought of stomach flu, I have kept it all down. 12 ½ years, not too shabby. Here’s what happened: I was out shopping with my daughter when it got to be time for lunch. She asked for Bakers. If you don’t live in Southern California you don’t know the bliss that is Bakers. Fries better than McDonalds, with fabulous hamburgers or any delicious Mexican food, like tacos and burritos. We decide to eat inside and I ordered our meal while DD got us a booth. I ordered one taco, knowing that would be enough for me. DD got a burrito and fries. Apparently I completely forgot that I had the band. When I was getting DD’s food ready for her, I grabbed a few fried and popped them in my mouth. Next came the bite of taco, that’s when I knew I was in trouble. The pain was breathtaking. I’ve felt that pain before and it has always just gone away after a minute or so. This was not going away, and to make things worse my mouth was filling with horrible thick mucus. Obviously I couldn’t spit it out, so I just sat there trying to swallow it on top of my food. Desperate for relief, I grabbed DD’s Sprite and took a sip. Worst thing I could have done. A wave of nausea came over me and I fled to the bathroom. Lucky for me nobody was in there. Everything came up but the pain and mucus stayed for quite some time. I found myself spitting in the parking lot, in a very unladylike manner. Dinner last night was pretty uncomfortable so I only had a few bites and gave up. Today I have a fill appt at 1:00, I’m not sure if I need one/should have one given the circumstances. Before my PB episode, I was really looking forward to the fill because I didn’t stay satisfied for more than 3 hours after a meal.

Good for you! I agree, exercise is a necessary evil. BTW, I have that Poor Man's Plastic Surgery magnet on my refrigerator. Love it!

Don't forget, you have the option of drinking gallons of water and wearing ankle weights when you weigh in. I was a little shy of the 40bmi, since I had no comorbidities, my doctor's office let me weigh while I had my purse on my shoulder. I carry a big purse.

My relationship with my band has gotten much better since the second fill. It’s amazing how much less hungry I feel during the day. I struggle to get enough protein in, so I’ve been drinking an Isopure zero carb every morning before breakfast to give me a head start. A few of the most recent developments for me: I noticed yesterday that I can pull my jeans up and down without using the button or zipper. I have several pairs of size 16 jeans on my skinnier shelf in the closet, but they are all still too tight. Maybe in a week or two I’ll be able to wear them again. I had some goal pants from that same second shelf that I wanted to wear next weekend to a family gathering. They look brand new, I’m not even sure when I bought them. They are Dockers size 16 and I’ve been in 16W and 18s for a long time. Well, today I’m wearing them to work! I signed up for a 5k on December 6th. I’ve been walking on the treadmill but not with enough regularity, so I thought this would motivate me to get on and walk/run every day. Less than three weeks to go! I told DS about it and he said that was the craziest thing I’ve ever done. DD said she wanted me to win, I assured her there was no chance of that happening, so she was very disappointed in me. I told the kids that my goal was to not come in last and they need to cheer me on at the finish line. They seem pretty excited about it now. I’m down to 217.8 today, solidly 5 pounds lighter than DH. Kimberly Surgery Date 9/23/09

My relationship with my band has gotten much better since the second fill. It’s amazing how much less hungry I feel during the day. I struggle to get enough protein in, so I’ve been drinking an Isopure zero carb every morning before breakfast to give me a head start. A few of the most recent developments for me: I noticed yesterday that I can pull my jeans up and down without using the button or zipper. I have several pairs of size 16 jeans on my skinnier shelf in the closet, but they are all still too tight. Maybe in a week or two I’ll be able to wear them again. I had some goal pants from that same second shelf that I wanted to wear next weekend to a family gathering. They look brand new, I’m not even sure when I bought them. They are Dockers size 16 and I’ve been in 16W and 18s for a long time. Well, today I’m wearing them to work! I signed up for a 5k on December 6th. I’ve been walking on the treadmill but not with enough regularity, so I thought this would motivate me to get on and walk/run every day. Less than three weeks to go! I told DS about it and he said that was the craziest thing I’ve ever done. DD said she wanted me to win, I assured her there was no chance of that happening, so she was very disappointed in me. I told the kids that my goal was to not come in last and they need to cheer me on at the finish line. They seem pretty excited about it now. I’m down to 217.8 today, solidly 5 pounds lighter than DH. Kimberly Surgery Date 9/23/09

Fill number two was yesterday. I got to see the surgeon instead of the PA this time. I just love my doctor! He spent a good amount of time with me listening to how disappointed I've been, and that I can hardly tell I have the band at all. He said that I didn't have a lot of abdominal fat (I've got it other places!) and that the band was loose on my stomach when he put it on, that's why there were 4ccs in the band on the day of surgery. He put in another 1.5ccs for a total of 6.5. Holy Moly, I can feel it now. I have hope again that this is really going to work for me. We also talked about carbonation for a bit. I confessed to drinking two beers over the weekend on my trip to Santa Barbara. I see conflicting reports on carbonation ranging from being something that will stretch your pouch or cause the band to slip to being completely innocuous. Dr. Oliak said that the idea that it could stretch the pouch was "ridiculous" but that he's heard that many times before. He said most people don't like it because we can't burp normally with our bands and that means there is extra gas trapped in the body. Moderation is the key.

My surgeon say in moderation it's fine. I used to drink 6-8 diet Dr. Peppers a day. Gave it all up before surgery, now only have one once in a while (maybe one per week).

Mine says liquids the rest of the day and ease in to food the next day. After my first fill I didn't feel any difference at all. Just chew very well and be careful.

Fill number two was yesterday. I got to see the surgeon instead of the PA this time. I just love my doctor! He spent a good amount of time with me listening to how disappointed I've been, and that I can hardly tell I have the band at all. He said that I didn't have a lot of abdominal fat (I've got it other places!) and that the band was loose on my stomach when he put it on, that's why there were 4ccs in the band on the day of surgery. He put in another 1.5ccs for a total of 6.5. Holy Moly, I can feel it now. I have hope again that this is really going to work for me. We also talked about carbonation for a bit. I confessed to drinking two beers over the weekend on my trip to Santa Barbara. I see conflicting reports on carbonation ranging from being something that will stretch your pouch or cause the band to slip to being completely innocuous. Dr. Oliak said that the idea that it could stretch the pouch was "ridiculous" but that he's heard that many times before. He said most people don't like it because we can't burp normally with our bands and that means there is extra gas trapped in the body. Moderation is the key.

My doctor charged a $300 program fee that coverers the psych evaluation, nutritianist, support group meetings, etc. He is wonderful, I highly recommend him. My insurance paid for the rest of the surgery in full. His name is Dr. David Oliak. He has a very low complication rate and great staff. His main office just moved to Brea, but he still maintains his old office near Chapman Medical Center in Orange. I had my surgery at Chapman Medical Center, I can't say enough about how well they treated me. David Oliak, M.D. : Weight Loss Surgery in Orange County Let us know what you decide to do.

I'm sick to death of this liquid diet. I feel weak and tired and I want it to stop! I get hungry, but not crazy hungry so that's a plus. I can't wait until my Monday nutritian class, hopefully I can start on mushies then. The thing that's frustrating me is that my weight has barely changed in three days. I can't understand how I can drink slimfast three times a day and not see a difference on the scale every morning. Meanwhile, my "weigh less than hubby" goal got stolen away when he didn't eat much for the past two days and dropped FIVE POUNDS. How wrong is that?! I've been looking through success stories on this site and trying to picture the long term benefits, not just this last few days. I'm still frustrated, and just overall feeling yucky. :thumbup:

We have the same surgery date, and I got 5cc in my 10cc band during my first fill. I don't think I know what restriction feels like yet, I don't have to eat slowly and can eat anything I want with no problems. Next appt Nov 8th, hopefully I'll learn about restriction then. Doctor said be patient, it may take 2 or 3 fills to find restriction.

I have told absolutely no one but DH, and he’s sworn to secrecy. I told my boss that I was going to have a “female” procedure because I had to have a D&C 18 months ago so I knew he would buy me having to have it done again. I do wish that I had said it was a hernia surgery though, because that wouldn’t have been a lie and it would have made sense that I’d need a little more time off than with the D&C. I had surgery on Wednesday and came back to work on Friday. I think a hernia surgery could have bought me that extra day pretty easily. As far as eating in front of people, I haven’t had any problem with that yet. I realized that people don’t really pay too much attention to how much you are eating as long as you are chewing in front of them they seem to be satisfied. If anyone would ask why I’m not eating a lot I’d say that I’m trying to be healthier with my nutrition, but honestly nobody has even noticed. Depending on your surgery date, you may still be on liquids during Thanksgiving. That would be difficult to cover up if you are all sitting around a table. If you have your meal more casually, you could get some food on your plate and walk around with it pushing the food around with your fork. I think you’ll be surprised how nobody notices if you don’t call attention to it.

I'm right there with you. I haven't lost any weight since my first week of liquids. No weight loss on second liquid week, and I was getting ready to chew my own arm off. After that, I spent two weeks "transitioning" to solid food but the truth is I didn't have to transition at all. I could eat absolutely anything, chug water, take pills, not chew enough, eat fast and eat lots it I wanted. The one good thing has been that the band does make me feel full faster and keeps my hunger away for longer than normal. I also had my first fill on Friday. I was shocked when they pulled out 4ccs from my 10cc band. She put in 5cc total and I went home. I was warned that things would be very different now, but that hasn't been true. I don't know what restriction is supposed to feel like, but I can't have it if I can eat everything and as fast as I can. I'm trying hard to work with my will power and hopefully the next fill in two weeks will do the trick. Good luck to you, you are not alone. I'm guessing we'll both look back at this time six months from now and we will have forgotten how frustrating this was at the beginning.

I'm so inspired by the posts I see on this site. I especially love reading about people who are six, nine, or 12 months post-op. They give me reason to hope. I know I shouldn't weigh myself every day but I'm compelled to do so. It makes me so frustrated sometimes, and makes my day other times. I'm only 2 weeks 2 days post op but I haven't seen that scale move in the right direction in a week now. Yesterday, I ate a total of 750 calories, 60 grams of protein, and walked off 300 of those calories on the treadmill. What's my reward? I gained a half a pound. How is that physically possible? I know that I just need to stay the course and the weight will come off, I just want to fast forward to a year from now to see if that is actually true. Sometimes it feels like I'm destined to be fat and there's nothing I can do to change it. Kimberly

I'm so inspired by the posts I see on this site. I especially love reading about people who are six, nine, or 12 months post-op. They give me reason to hope. I know I shouldn't weigh myself every day but I'm compelled to do so. It makes me so frustrated sometimes, and makes my day other times. I'm only 2 weeks 2 days post op but I haven't seen that scale move in the right direction in a week now. Yesterday, I ate a total of 750 calories, 60 grams of protein, and walked off 300 of those calories on the treadmill. What's my reward? I gained a half a pound. How is that physically possible? I know that I just need to stay the course and the weight will come off, I just want to fast forward to a year from now to see if that is actually true. Sometimes it feels like I'm destined to be fat and there's nothing I can do to change it. Kimberly

Welcome back, I missed your blog while you were gone. Congratulations on actually losing weight on vacation, that's quite a feat!

You really should see your GP. I had the same problem almost immediately after surgery, I also have asthma and get bronchitis at the drop of a hat. My GP said it was important for me not to be coughing right now, so I don't hurt the new hardware. You probably need antibiotics and cough medicine.

Monday I went to my “transition” class at the surgeon’s office to learn how to move from the liquid diet to mushy foods and beyond. There were only four other patients there with me, we were all banded on the same day. I was so excited to get away from drinking those shakes finally! The PA went over what our typical meal should look like and had lots of great suggestions about how to prepare it or order it. She had fake rubber food in the right portion sizes so we had a good idea what a portion actually looked like. I expected the portions to look tiny, but they were actually not too bad. She went over nutrition information on packaged foods and made some suggestions for healthy choices. She told us the most important thing to remember is getting the required amount of protein in every day, 60-80 grams. We were told that these next two weeks were not so much for losing weight but for getting back to eating real foods. After two weeks is over, we should be able to eat anything we want and then it will be time for our first fill. The hardest part of the class was when she passed out menus from various restaurants and we had to order something that was healthy from them. I got the Jonny Rocket’s Restaurant, which is a hamburger joint. I ordered a Chicken Caesar Salad with the dressing substituted with vinaigrette, on the side. A for me! When I got home I tried several things for dinner. My husband had ordered pizza to eat while watching Monday Night Football and I was able to eat a sliver sized slice of it. IT WAS SO GOOD! I find that the band does not restrict my eating at all so far, but it does curb my appetite and definitely makes me satisfied earlier. Yesterday for lunch I had a Starkist Tuna Lunch to Go and wasn’t hungry for the next five hours. My problem has always been snacking during the day while I’m at work. I am committed to not snack anymore and I know I can do it with the help of my band. I need to work on getting that protein in, so I’m going to go to GNC on my break today and get some protein water to try it out. If it tastes good and isn’t too expensive, I think that would be a great thing to incorporate in my new daily diet plan. Kimberly

Monday I went to my “transition” class at the surgeon’s office to learn how to move from the liquid diet to mushy foods and beyond. There were only four other patients there with me, we were all banded on the same day. I was so excited to get away from drinking those shakes finally! The PA went over what our typical meal should look like and had lots of great suggestions about how to prepare it or order it. She had fake rubber food in the right portion sizes so we had a good idea what a portion actually looked like. I expected the portions to look tiny, but they were actually not too bad. She went over nutrition information on packaged foods and made some suggestions for healthy choices. She told us the most important thing to remember is getting the required amount of protein in every day, 60-80 grams. We were told that these next two weeks were not so much for losing weight but for getting back to eating real foods. After two weeks is over, we should be able to eat anything we want and then it will be time for our first fill. The hardest part of the class was when she passed out menus from various restaurants and we had to order something that was healthy from them. I got the Jonny Rocket’s Restaurant, which is a hamburger joint. I ordered a Chicken Caesar Salad with the dressing substituted with vinaigrette, on the side. A for me! When I got home I tried several things for dinner. My husband had ordered pizza to eat while watching Monday Night Football and I was able to eat a sliver sized slice of it. IT WAS SO GOOD! I find that the band does not restrict my eating at all so far, but it does curb my appetite and definitely makes me satisfied earlier. Yesterday for lunch I had a Starkist Tuna Lunch to Go and wasn’t hungry for the next five hours. My problem has always been snacking during the day while I’m at work. I am committed to not snack anymore and I know I can do it with the help of my band. I need to work on getting that protein in, so I’m going to go to GNC on my break today and get some protein water to try it out. If it tastes good and isn’t too expensive, I think that would be a great thing to incorporate in my new daily diet plan. Kimberly