maggs79

I haven't posted in a long time...first, I was busy with the crazy holiday season at work. Then I went to England for Christmas. I actually got a fill the day before I was flying overseas! Not recommended, by the way! I hardly ate anything before I got on the plane and not quite half the (awful) meal on the plane. Mainly drank water the whole time. But it wasn't until after I landed that I really felt the restriction! I got to my in-laws' house and my husband's mom had prepared this huge meal! Ugh!! Roast chicken, veggies, mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes...I ate some of the chicken and some of the veggies...and then had to throw up! It was awful. I was so tight from the pressure on the plane, I guess. It was just that one day, but wow...rough at first! Well, I lie...it was rough food-wise the whole time! His mom cooks the most rich food you can imagine!! And even though my portions were smaller, it was packed full of fat (I'm sure) and carbs and generally good-tastin' stuff! Ha! I gained about 4 pounds in the 2 weeks I was there! When I got home, though, I had the WORST cold/flu I've ever had and lost it all in 3 days. On the 3rd day after I got home, I got a text message from my husband's mom saying Mark (my husband) was in the hospital with a chest infection. (He still lives there because we are waiting for his greencard.) So I called the hospital the next morning to find out how he was. He had taken a BIG turn for the worse and was in the ICU, sedated and ventilated. They advised me to come over as quickly as I could. So I booked a ticket BACK to England and flew out the next afternoon. Crazy. I was so sick, coughing, sniffling and trying not to eat much (because of my last experience) all at 36,000 feet above the Atlantic. It was hard trip! But it was harder once I got there. Mark's mom was in tears when she saw me. We drove straight to the hospital where he had been sedated for 3 days at that point. Tests found he had swine flu of all things! He had cancer a few years ago and now has a lot of lung problems. Anytime he gets an infection or virus, it sits in his lungs and he can't clear it. So it developed into pneumonia. Now, nearly 4 weeks after getting the initial call that he was in the hospital, he is STILL in ICU over there. I came back after about 10 days over there. But there were a few times while I was there that we were very close to losing him. He developed other infections while they were trying to clear the H1N1. He had to go on dialysis because his kidneys were failing. His heart rate was 125bpm and his temp was 104. We watched other patients in the ward DIE of this while I was there. SO hard! Thank God he started to improve a little bit before I left. He's had a few bad days since, but more ok, than bad. They had to do a trach and they finally stopped his sedation a couple days ago. Now it's a matter of his waking up...though he it still on a ventilator. So...between the stress, the trips back and forth to England and super rich food over there, I haven't lost a flippin' pound since my fill in December! Well, I did gain 4, lost 4, gained 3, lost 3...now I'm stuck. And I am frustrated. But I am also finding that I'm literally getting "stuck" a bit too often. So, I might not get a fill on Wednesday when I go in...or I might even have a slight UNfill...ugh. It's just been a really crappy month. And I am mad at myself for eating "junk." Even though I HAVE been going to the gym every other day. I am still not losing much. And I'm still worried about Mark. Oh sheesh...sorry to ramble on and on... ~ Maggs P.S. Attached is a photo of me, Mark and our niece, Freya from our trip up to Scotland right after Christmas.

I'm not sure how much is in there, to be honest. When I go to the doc on Wednesday, I might have a little taken out. from October to November, I lost NINE pounds. So I think I did better with less fluid in the band. Since being banded in June (excluding the pre-op diet) I have lost just shy of 40 pounds. I'm a slow loser. But at least I have lost this much! My goal is to lose 20 more pounds by my birthday. (May 26) I hope I can do it!

Thank you for the prayers! And I do think an unfill is the best idea at this point.

I did not get a fill this morning. I didn't think I needed one and that was confirmed! I've lost 9 lbs this past month! That's the best weight loss I have experienced in only a month thus far!! My PA was ecstatic!! Maybe even more excited than I am. Ha! I'm hoping I'm in the green zone for a while and continue to shed the weight. I'm sure I could have lost even more had I actually gone to the gym as much as I probably COULD have. (Ok, my gym is 24 hours...I seriously have no excuse! LOL) But I have been TRYING to go more regularly. Work is just exhausting me! Anyway, I still feel pretty tight in the mornings, so breakfast is the most difficult meal to get down, but the rest of the day I normally eat around a cup or so of food...pretty good over all. This morning after my appointment I had half a souffle from Panera (that's all I could eat!) and a fruit cup. I'm sitting in Panera right now, watching the clock for 30 minutes so I can drink my coffee! :smile: Not drinking with meals is sometimes still a challenge as well. But I am DETERMINED to overcome all these challenges! Anyway, that was my quicky update of the day. I'll try to blog a bit more often like I did when I first got the band. Work keeps me going all day! But I enjoy reading all the blogs on here and I SHOULD contribute more often. :redface: Hope you are all well!! xo Maggs

Tomorrow is my 4th fill...but to be honest, I'm not sure I need one! I've lost about 8 pounds (I think) since my last fill a month ago. I'm happy with that! At least the numbers are going DOWN!! Obviously I'd like to lose 100 lbs over night, but that's just not going to happen! Ha!! I've had quite a bit of trouble at first with my last 2 fills. I had a hard time keeping things down and a lot of pain eating solids for the first meal of the day. But I've gotten used to eating slower and taking smaller bites and STOPPING when I'm full. (That last bit is sometimes the hardest when I'm out with friends!) I have also found that if I don't eat very much in a day, I won't lose very much that day. I have to have a decent amount of calories or my body goes into starvation mode or something. Weird thing. So, 5 months with the band and I'm still learning. Eventually I'll get it figured out, I'm sure. I have been going to the gym when I can, but we're extra busy at the studio now with everyone wanting holiday portraits, so my ME time is somewhat limited until January. I tell myself that I'm doing a LOT of extra running around at work, so that will help a bit. And there's little time for snacking! Ha! Planning my trip to England for Christmas. I'm interested to see how that goes, food-wise. I'll just eat what I know I can eat--no matter how much his mother tries to put on my plate! :bored: I will let you know if I get any extra in my band tomorrow...but I might be getting to a good place with it! Yay! :thumbup: Blessings, Maggs xo

What kind of snacks are you keeping in your purse?? I really need to do that. I work in a mall and mall food is just so terrible! And I'm getting tired of the kids meals from Chipotle! Ha!!

It really depends how much you're filled with, but you SHOULD feel some restriction within a couple days. I have had 3 fills so far and I can tell you that for me, day TWO after the fill I feel more restriction than the day I actually get the fill. Weird. Anyway, stay in touch!!! Add me!

It's been a LONG time! Well, a month at least. I'm settled into my place in Minneapolis, just got back from vacation in Disney World last night and have one more day of vacation to rest at home before going back to work on Friday. I got a second fill about 2 1/2 weeks ago. Haven't lost much weight since then, but I also was eating a lot of not-so-healthy foods while in Florida. At least I walked about 10 miles a day in the 90 degree heat! I can most certainly feel a difference in the amount of food I can eat. It has taken some getting used to, that's for sure. More than once I ate too fast and paid the price, but I've gotten the hang of it! Just have to make better choices now that vacation is over! Ha!! I'm down another pants size! I will get new pics soon...I actually have an appointment for a photography shoot in about 3 weeks! My sister, whom I have not seen in 2 years, is coming into town for a few days and we're getting pics together!! I cannot wait! :smile2: I've been volunteering at the theater here in Minneapolis. Got to see Wicked for free 4 times! Woo! I think I'm going to be a volunteer captain because I used to volunteer at the theater in Cincinnati as well. It's pretty fun and a great way to see shows without paying anything! I'm going to Target House in Memphis next Thursday to photograph the kids and their families at St. Jude's hospital. I'm looking forward to it, but nervous at the same time. I'm not sure how I'm going to handle it emotionally. I'm a very emotional being, especially when it comes to sick kids. I'm positive I'll be excusing myself to the restroom several times to cry. :frown: But it's all going to be worth it to be able to give these families the gift of portraits. That is something they will have no matter what. Well, I will try to get on here more often. :smile: How is everyone else doing out there?? xo ~ M

I called a LAP-BAND® doctor here that takes out of town patients and he has some BIG restrictions for post-op rules! Not like my doc. My surgery was June 14th and I had my first fill on July 19th. His requirement is no first fill for 8 weeks after surgery, so a second fill can't be for at least 90 days after the surgery date. That means the earliest I could get in would be the day before I'm supposed to go on vacation to Florida! They went on to say there is no way I could fly with any liquid in my band. I've never heard THAT before! In fact, my doc in Chicago said I could fly 24 hours after a fill. Who to believe...I think I'll believe the doctor that I KNOW and TRUST already. So, I called another place up here in the Minneapolis area. It's actually a bit closer to me anyway. They require a meeting with a dietician to assess where I am at this point, but I could get in this week! I scheduled an appointment for next Monday afternoon. We'll see what they say, but I already like how much more helpful they were than the other place. I would really hate to have to drive 6 or 7 hours back to Chicago for a fill at the end of the month, but I can not wait until OCTOBER for a second fill! Sheesh! I want to start losing more weight, for cryin' out loud. I've only lost about 5 pounds since my fill. (Right, "only" can be excluded, I know. At least the pounds are going DOWN, not up.) But I also haven't been able to work out at a gym with the move going on. I plan on joining the gym in the next week or so. Waiting for payday! :thumbup: So, loving Minnesota so far! Not looking forward to winter, but I'm prepared as much as I can be for it! Haha! How is everyone else doing out there?? ~ M

...to Minnesota, that is! In fact, the movers are here as we speak. They were supposed to be here yesterday...no tip for them! 3 nights of sleeping on the floor bites...just sayin'. So, lots of stress and having to eat out for the last 4 days (since my kitchen was packed up!) means I haven't lost any more weight! So I'm down 4 pounds since my first fill. I have to call the local doc today to try to get in for a second fill at the end of the month. On that note, I got my op report and fille report from my surgeon back in Chicago and it was a very interesting read!! Kinda weird how they described in detail everything they did during the surgery...pulling back the liver, cuting here or there...seems unreal! Good thing I'm not too squeamish about that kind of stuff! Ha! Oh, I also found out that since my first fill, I have 3cc in a 10cc band. Good to know! Ok, this was just an "I'm still alive, just busy!" blog. :smile: Now that I'm starting to settle in, I'll be able to get online more often. Blessings, all! xo ~ M :tt2:

I've had one fill, just this past Monday. And I've been pretty much on soft foods (besides 2 days of liquids following the fill) since then. Had some chicken and mashed potatoes last night with no problems. Though I was making sure to chew everything a LOT! So, this being said, I haven't felt much restriction. I am getting a bit hungry between meals and I don't like that! My doc did say, however, that if that is the case, to come back within two weeks for a bit more fill. I'm trying to establish if I'm actually hungry or bored. I'm so used to eating for boredom that it's sometimes hard to tell the difference. It's a paradigm shift, that's for sure! Oh, I have also learned what PB-ing is! Ha! For some strange reason, I'm glad to have found this out first hand. It tells me that the band IS working! I ate half a toasted Weight Watchers pita with fat free butter and got stuck-ish. Maybe I ate too fast or swallowed a bite too big. But the stuck feeling didn't last too long, at least! Sipped some Papaya juice. Not sure that really helped, but a little burp and it was over. Though I am not eating again till dinner! Ha!! I have lost 3 pounds since Monday! K, that's not like a size down or something, but I'm celebrating the small things. Hopefully one day I'll BE a small thing! xo

Well, I didn't win photographer of the year, but I was second runner up, so I received $2,500! Better than nothing!!! And I'm pretty proud to be number 3 in a company of over 15,000 photographers!! :rolleyes2: Very happy! Next year...$25,000!!! :bye: Tomorrow is my first fill! I'm driving back from Minnesota as we speak. Stopped somewhere in Wisconsin for the night. Probably have about 4 hours to go till I'm back in Chicago. Then two weeks to pack and move!! Busy busy! But I love every moment of it. How have you all been?? xo

I had my first fill yesterday! I wasn't too sure what to expect, but I was warned to not look! And that I would hear a "pop" noise at the needle went into the port. So, I stared at the wall and heard the pop, drank some barium and was out the door in a little under a minute! it did pinch a bit, but it wasn't too bad. I have no idea how many CC's he put in, but they did tell me that if I am not feeling much restirction, get hungry between meals or am not losing weight, to come back within 2 weeks for another fill! I thought that was different from what I've read on here...and I like it! So, if this doesn't work as well as I want it to at first, I'll have another visit to the clinic before I move to Minnesota in two weeks! I'm on liquids till tomorrow afternoon, so I'm thinking that's why I'm able to "eat" more than 4oz. Just taking my time drinking an 11oz protein shake. Last night, I hadn't eaten in like 8 or 9 hours and was SO hungry after the fill. So I had half a bowl of soup at Fridays and about 5 bites of mashed potatoes that I let get extra mushy before I swallowed. That satisfied my hunger, so I suppose that is some restriction. But I think I'll know more once I eat regular food. I know that all that was more than 4oz! I've lost 17 pounds total so far. Can't tell much from looking at me, though. But a couple pairs of my jeans are starting to get really loose! So that's a good sign! (And good excuse to go shopping! Ha!) Anyway, back to work! I'm just taking a quick break, but I hear a whining child in the camera room...better go see if she needs some help to photograph him! Blessings! xo ~ M

So, this has been a productive week! I found a place to live in Minnesota, signed my lease on Tuesday and found a local gym! Called...wait for it.......the Gym. LOL Really original, eh? Hulk Hogan was apparently one of it's very first members in 1979! Crazy! Anyway, it's definitely in my budget--cheap in fact! So as soon as I move up here in 3 weeks, I'm joining! The owner gave me a tour and it's just such a down to earth place. He's also going to set me up for two workouts with a personal trainer! Sweetness! My first fill is this coming Monday! I cannot wait to have some restriction and start losing some weight! I really hope this band works for me. I still have a part of me that says it won't work. I know that I have to work for it too, but, well, ya know. I want to be bragging about some crazy weightloss in a few months! Wish me luck! Tomorrow begins our 3-day summer meeting for work! And I'm up for photographer of the year and the top prize of $25,000! I don't think I'll win it, BUT 2nd or 3rd place would be ok...still get a couple thousand with that! So, if you're the praying type, PRAY that I win! Heading to bed...it's going to be a long day tomorrow! xo

Well, I've been offline for a few days looking for a place to live in the Minneapolis area. And I found a really great place about 12 minutes from where I will be working! SO happy about that!! Right now I drive about 45 minutes to work. Bleh. Done with it! My first fill is a week from tomorrow!! I am excited! A bit nervous, but looking forward to some real restriction and (hopefully) seeing some weight come off. This weekend is D-DAY! It's the awards ceremony at work...I hope I win SOME money! Even 3rd place gets $2,500...that would be a tremendous help. But that $25,000 is still my ultimate dream!! *praying!* I'm up against some ridiculously awesome photographers, so we'll see! It's a tough one. I still have 3 more days scheduled up here to looks for a place! What on earth am I going to do with my time! I think I'll go out to some parks and take a walk or something. Maybe walk my friend's dog for her. :rolleyes2: Anyway, it's been a while, so I just wanted to post SOMETHING to let people know I'm still here! Blessings, all! xo

Liquids, that is. Right, ok, I tried to go back to liquids only! Try to re-kickstart some more weightloss before my 1st fill. It worked till lunch. Ha!! I tried, I did! But then I was just too hungry. How on earth did I do this before the surgery for 2 weeks?? Crazy. But anyway, I had some chicken from the Chinese restaurant in the mall and felt SO much better with actual food in me. I'll be walking a lot tonight and a LOT tomorrow in the heat, so that should also help me to lose a pound or too. I have decided to eat till I'm not hungry--not stuffing myself, but just not starve myself! What a silly idea that was. I just have to make good choices. I have unfortunately missed the chance to go to the gym the past few days, so after this weekend I am going to hit it hard! Then next weekend I'm driving up to Minneapolis to look for a place to live! No gym up there. But I am sure I'll be walking much more than 30 minutes per day! And in the evening I'll walk with my friend when she takes her dog out. Every apartment I am looking at has a fitness center in the community! This has to be a MUST for me! I won't be able to do this without constantly working out! Anyway, thank you for your support! I really needed to hear some encouragement today! Have a great weekend all! xo

That is terrible and I am in tears for you that your own father would say such a thing--I can't even imagine how hurt you were by that. I just want to give you a huge hug right now. As much as it said to stay positive, I know that it can be very difficult. The only thing I can say is that at least you recognize your weight was/is a problem and have taken a HUGE step in the right direction to change that. The LapBand will work for you in time. And 18 pounds is not too shabby a start, no matter if you can't "see" the results quite yet. You will. You are a beautiful, strong woman and I believe a year from now you're going to look back and this will be a distant memory. xo ~ Maggs