July 2006 Band Crew

[hippmom 2]

hey just checking to say i missed my b'day goal by 5 days i wanted to be at 235 on april 22 and i was at 238 but today 235 showed up YEA!! i just a slow loser, but after i got my leaking port fixed the weight has begun to come off. maybe some day i'll get to where i want to be. mine next goal is 230 by may 31.

[ericsmom 2]

Yeah Susan!! Congrats on making your mini goal! And happy belated Birthday!

[Baylor Mom 0]

Don't worry there is no way I can only eat 500 calories a day. I ususally eat around 1000 and that is if I am good. I think I might get a fill so I won't be able to eat as much. I don't know yet. I tried to drink some Cyrstal Light tonight but it just doesn't do it for me. I like my diet Sprite. I don't really know much tonight but I just wanted to let you guys know you don't have to worry about the 500 calories. I don't know about the meds yet but I am thinking about it. I just get real hungry especially at night. Well I guess I should go. I am so proud of all you that are doing good. And Sherri I don't think I would get an unfill usless you really think you need it. You have been at this point before. Just a thought. I miss your emails. GOd bless you all. Hugs

[beachgirl 2]

I've thought and went back and forth and back and forth on what to do. I mean I've not lost a pound in a couple of months and I track every single morsel I eat on fitday and it has been ranging this week from 300 to 400 calories a day and no weightloss. I know people probably don't believe me but it's the truth. I emailed Dr. Curry and he said I definitely need a slight unfill. I feel so stupid. This will be my second unfill. I just can't seem to get it right. But, really, I couldn't even get ice cream down until 5pm this afternoon. I eat 1/2 cup and that is all I had all day until now and it's 11pm and I eat 1/4 cup of tuna fish and it went down okay. Maybe it is not enough calories to loose weight, I have no clue. Wish me luck. I miss your emails too. When you get time email me sometime. I'll do the same. I know your busy but I love hearing from you.

Hope you all have a great week and pray I have a safe journey. Last trip I almost got in a wreck on the interstate. I was doing about 78 behind a diesel and he slammed on his brakes for some reason and I was going to rearend him and slammed on my brakes and they are the anti whatevers but I still started sliding and almost hit a bridge concrete thing.

Will let you all know how the unfill goes. I am going to feel like such a idiot getting it but I know I need it.

Love you all,

[edieparks 2]

Beachgirl,

I honestly don't know how you are standing! 300 to 400 calories per day.

I am shocked.

I think you have your body in that starvation mode.

Thinking of you,

edie

[Baylor Mom 0]

Sherri what all do you eat to be only eating 300 to 400 calories a day. I can't imagine that little amount. I am starving all the time and I try to stay at 1000 or so. I think I might need a fill but not sure. I haven't lost any weight since the first of the year. Sad so sad. I don't know what else to do. I am not going to starve myself though. I am getting in all my Protein and then I have little calories left for anything else. Well I did go to the store today and got some cheese that I am going to try. I just got through eat my salty snack for the day (about four or five Combos) and I don't think that they are going to stay down so I guess I better go. Everytime I throw up my hubby asks me what am I doing and I tell him I am doing what I do best. LOL

[NatesMomm 0]

Whats up guys?

Well as for me I have been having a good week so far. I think my problem was i was trying to get 3 meals in a day. I know thats what they say your suppost to do , but I need to just have a few little meals a day and it works a lot better. ive also managed to walk every day this week. It has been hard work LOL Sorry to hear about your docotrs visit Stephanie, its hard to feel like just another number and not a pearson. Well i hope we all get threw this crappy plateu together. Thinking about ya all!!!

[beachgirl 2]

Hey guys,

Well to get to 3 and 400 calories a day all I did was drink Water, unsweetned tea, and one slimfast and would try to eat 1/2 cup vegetables per day.

I went yesterday for my slight unfill. You guys aren't going to believe this. They checked my fitday and sure enough I was averaging 348 calories a day for almost 2 weeks. This had to be the one of the worst days of my life. I got there and Dr. Curry was busy so Lisa, his pa, who has done fills for a year and is very good decided to do my unfill. She poked the first time and it was like usual, not too bad, then the second, getting worse and finally after the forth I was in tears, and broke out in a sweat and starting trying to pass out. She went and got Dr. Curry and he didn't hit it the first time but said he would try one more time and if he didn't hit it we would go over to the hospital and do fluro, Thank God, he hit it the second time, he is such a fabulous Doctor. I just absolutely love him. It wasn't their fault, my port is the mini, lowprofile and since I've lost the almost 70 pounds and 50 inches it's just hard to get too. Well, to make a long story short. I walked out to my car and cried from the pain for about 30 min. and when I caught my breath I drove straight to the hotel and went to bed. I got up later and guess what, I could eat, mushies, but I ate about 1/2 cup. Got up this morning and they told me to stick with mushies and I ate 1/4 scrambled egg with gravy on it and had already drank some orange juice when I woke up. lunch, I went to cracker barrel and ate applesauce, mashed potatoes and some corn. Went down fine but after 1/2 cup I was stuffed. Make the long drive home and I know it's too soon to tell but after 5 weeks of weighing 222, I had gained those 4, anyway, I weighed 220 at home. That's the first loss in 5 weeks. What have I learned, that it is possible after living on 3 and 400 calories to not loose, how I don't know but I'm living proof and now that I'm probably up to 1000 calories after I eat supper am losing again.

BTW, I had 3cc's in my 4cc's band and Dr. Curry took out .3 so now I'm at 2.7cc's and it feels so much better.

Would you believe I am still so sore today that I can't bend over very well and am just bad sore. I guess that stomach muscle hurts.

Just wanted to let everyone know.

Have a great week everyone.

[ericsmom 2]

OMG! I can't believe you were in so much pain! Don't they numb the area with a local anesthetic? I do, and I don't feel a thing...I would go through the roof if they didn't use that.

I think your body was in starvation mode getting so little calories...you should do better now that you can eat more

I have GREAT news...I saw the knee surgeon this morning for my consultation and I am on his calendar for June 15th for TWO total knee replacements! We're doing the minimally invasive procedure where they don't cut the quad muscle and they use an epidural to manage the pain. My DH and son are leaving on the 17th for Boy Scout camp for a week and I don't want them to miss that, so when they release me on the 19th, I'm going to go to a rehab center for the week while they are gone. The recovery time is much quicker. I have almost 10 weeks off in the summer, so I am using this time to rehab myself 24/7...

He was impressed with my weight loss and happy to hear of the success with the band. I want to be down another 10 lbs before the surgery, so I'm going to do shakes for Breakfast and dinner and have only lunch and a snack at work.

I am nervous and excited all at once. I can't wait and I know it will be here before I know it. The middle schoolers are done with school June 8th and I work until June 14th and then I go in the next day so I'll have the maximum amount of time to recoup before going back on August 27th. I have a lot of friends who also work for the school district and have the summer off, so there are plenty of people that can drive me to my appts so my DH doesn't have to take time off of work.

On a sad note - my dad was diagnosed with cancer last week. Boy, it's so hard to say that...

My dad has Stage 2 Low Grade Follicular Lymphoma Cancer. It is NOT in his blood or bone marrow (he had to go through a VERY painful bone marrow harvest to check it) and it is very treatable. He started chemo yesterday. He'll do 6 cycles of 3 weeks each, but they will do another CT scan after the first two cycles to make sure the 10 centimeter (4") mass is shrinking like they expect it will. After it shrinks, then they will do radiation as it's too close to the intestine and pancreas right now to go with radiation right away. It is NOT in the pancreas. It is under the right lung in whatever 2 or 3 lymph nodes are there.

He originally went back to the doctor to see them again about the persistent cough he's been having...they still haven't figured out why he has it, but it is a symptom of this lymphoma, so it could be related. When they didn't see anything wrong with his lungs they moved the CT scan lower and scanned his upper stomach and intestinal area and that is where they found the soft tissue mass. They did find two little nodules in his right lung that they are going to just keep an eye on, but they aren't worried about them...they said his lungs looks good. So they did a biopsy of the mass first and then did the blood and bone marrow tests to make sure it hasn't spread. They say it has been slowly growing for about 2 years and had he not gone in with the cough they wouldn't have found it because he feels totally fine otherwise.

He says he's a tough Norweigan and we're gonna kick this thing. He said the testing has been going on about a month, but they got the final results on this past Friday. They are extremely optimistic and he is going to the Hubert H. Humphrey Cancer Center in the Twin Cities, so he's in good hands. If you could add my dad (Ralph Ross) to your prayers, I would be grateful.

That's my VERY BUSY up and down weekend.

Thanks for listening, my friends!

[beachgirl 2]

No anethestic,

It was soooooo painful. He has this spray he sprays but she forgot to spray it after the first poke and that would have helped. Do you think it's normal for me to be so sore 24 hours later. I guess it's all the pokes.

Steph,

I'm so sorry to hear about your dad but I'm proud it's treatable and tell him to never give up hope. My Mom was diagnosed 2 yrs. ago stage 4 non-hodkins lymphoma and was not suppose to make it and here she is cancer free right now. She has a lot of breathing problems but it is from the aggressive chemo she had. It was new but really good, it's called, ritucksin *sp*.

I will keep him in my thoughts and prayers and you too. Keep your chin up. Congrats on your upcoming knee surgery. I know you were sure hoping to be able to get them done. I hope for you a unadventful, successful surgery.

[DonnaMarie 0]

Hey gang.. thought I would check in. I am in a kinda slump. I don't know if I should go on shakes for a bit to jump start things again. I have had an appetite and think I need a fill. I go a week from Friday to see the doc as I had to reschedule the last visit. GRR I sure hope that I lose a few more lbs in the next few weeks. I have been bad at eating lately and have had the munchies but I have been praying and God has been answering and is taking the cravings away.

I am going to start exercising again too. I was doing so good and it is crazy to just give up! I am glad I could let it all out.. *grin*

That is all for now. Just working and waiting on May 27th when I fly to Vegas to become a Mrs. I am very excited and cannot wait!

hugs,

~DonnaMarie~

[KariK 0]

Ohhh Stephanie! Congratulations, that is wonderful news! With all the success you've acheived with your limited ability to exercise.. you are gonna do awesome with new knees!!! I can hardly wait

Sherri Jo, sorry to hear about your pokes. ouchers!

Donna Marie, take baby steps on exercising if you need to. Even if you just get up in front of your TV for 20 minutes and dance everyday for 5 days in a row to start with. I know you paid for gym membership, but if its too much for you to do right now with your anemia & all you are facing don't beat yourself up about it!! Im proud of you. Keep your chin up woman. Dump the slump and regrets ok? Forgive yourself immediately for the days you haven't went to the gym and just start doing something.. anything.. and feel proud.. I Mean PROUD even if you aren't doing the gym it doesn't matter. really it doesn't matter. When you're ready, physically, emotionally and all that you'll go back to the gym. Maybe you'll be ready tomorrow, maybe next week or next month.. but in the mean time just take a baby step everyday and try to be proud about it. lol ok I hope this helps you.. now if I can just apply it to myself lol..

[NatesMomm 0]

WOW You guys are all doing soooo good! Beach Girl i know how you feel ive been there and done that! Its only happned once before but it hurt and man oh man was i black and blue. I feel your pain girl. Give it a few days it will be better. Seph, Im soo happy to hear about your knee surgery your gonna be a whole new woman! And as for Donna What no invite for your Lap Band girls?? Naww Im playing I hpe its all you ever dreamed of.

[ready2bthin 2]

Well, I'm almost to 50 lbs. now, but I'm a little concerned and so hoping that my fill isn't too tight. I keep saying to myself "be careful what you wish for..." I had told Dr. Stephanie about my January fill not being enough and the doc not "tweeking", and so I was pretty wide open and she gave me a good fill. It was under fluro and all seemed well (the barium drink went through okay), but I am having some problems. So, today, I am going to go on liquids again cuz I'm sure I've irritated things. I notice that in the morning I've very restricted, so I'm drinking hot tea (not a coffee drinker) and then my Protein Shake. I know that yesterday I didn't get proper nutrition, so I will just go ahead today and drink 3 shakes along with other Soups and liquids. I will do this for a couple days and then gradually try and go to mushies, then solids again. If after the weekend, I'm stilling having trouble, I will bite the bullet and go to a local doc to have some taken out. I want to lose, but not like this. I may actually have more in my band than I initially thought.

Looks like you've lost some more Kari...yayyy!! Steph, being that I'm a phys. ther. asst., I've worked with a lot of orthopedic patients with new knees, and I'm so happy for you. The extra time at the rehab will help, too and get you going more for going home. So sorry to hear about your dad. You know that I just went through stuff with my dad and he fought for over 3 years, with most of that time living and doing what he wanted. My prayers are with you and your family. Sherri Jo: you're a trooper...hang in there and hopefully that sorness is diminishing by now. Donna Marie: glad you are doing better and we all want to see a wedding pic when you get back. Edie: you are going to fade away girl....I see you are under goal....are you making a new goal? Nate's mom: the exercise you are doing should really help...I did my bike for 30 minutes last week...but that's it...besides working with patients and nearly collapsing with knee pain the next day (lifting, etc.). Keep it up!!

[beachgirl 2]

Hope you get your fill worked out Mary, I feel you there girl. Yes, the soreness is so much better. Still black and blue and man, I've had 6 fills and 2 unfills and I am so gunshy now that I will be really ready for a fill before I get another. I think when you have something to go so bad like that it really scares you.

Don't stay too tight like me. I wasted 2 solid months now losing a pound. I should have known better but when your fill doctor is so far away and you have almost 20 grand in it I think your constantly second guessing yourself.

Good luck and keep us informed and hope your loosening up a little.

Hope everyone is having a great week.