April 2006 Bandits' March Challenge

[DeltaDawn 0]

Boo... we are thinking of you!!!

Dawn

[waterlily1072 5]

Thanks for the welcome everyone :eek:

Boo please tell us how you are. We are worried and want to know if you are ok!

[Boo 3]

Thanks!...what a day!

I PB'd on Thursday from a salad/chicken dinner that I wasn't ready for. I still don't have the eating in public thing down. I only picked and ate a little, but probably the wrong thing. Since then, I have had trouble with liquids. I thought that maybe the band was just tightening from the fill. Yesterday, I was miserable, but didn't want to miss church, so I thought another liquid day would calm things down. It took the entire day to down 20 oz. of Water. During the night, heartburn kicked in. (I've read enough on this board to be afraid of that.) At 4:30 a.m. I got up and decided to start driving to Mexico. (The surgeon is so amazing to take calls at anytime!)

I am so glad I did!!! When I was 30 minutes north of SanDiego, I had to pull off the road and majorly vomit...blood (sorry for the graphic detail, but this might be of value to someone that reads.) I was scared.

He met me at the surgery center and looked under flouro. I had an obstruction sitting above the band. The bleeding was coming from the swollen banded area...NO SLIP :clap2: He took out all of the saline in the band and will not fill it again for three weeks. (All this and he only charged me $30)

So now, I am on liquids for another two days and just have to heal and be careful.

NOW I KNOW WHY I HAVE BEEN SO SCARED OF PB'S!

I called my husband and told him I have never felt so grateful to be able to swallow Water and keep it down. An experience like that sure makes me appreciate the "small" things.

Thanks for your concern. Let's hope no one else has a scare like that.

[Kat817 19]

Wow Boo---I am so glad you took care of it quickly. I am so far away from my surgeon, also in MX, even my fill Dr. is a 5-6 hour drive, that when I was planning the surgery, I was able to connect with my old oncologist, who agreed to do emergency treatment if I needed my port accessed for an emergency unfill. I am glad to hear you had no slip, and that it will heal so quickly! Scary stuff!!!!

Molly---welcome---and Hi again!!! This group is such a great bunch of women, they support you no matter what level of activity you are at!!! I too have health issues that will not allow me to run ( bone tumor), but they let me do what I can to keep moving! We look forward to having you!!! We are doing our best to mentor the April 2007 bandsters, so you can work right along with them, as they begin their exercise programs---it'll be fun!

Dawn, my scale budged a tiny 1 pound finally!!! However when they measured my body fat percentage, it had dropped drastically!!! Enough so that I had them check it again 2 days later! I know my pant size has dropped down to a 14--but the scale hadn't moved til the other day, it has stayed with the one pound down now for 3 days so I guess it is officially gone! yea! 3 more and I will be dancing!

Anyone heard from Roberta? Ceparano---Did I miss it? I can't scroll back without losing my post, so will look back when I finish!!

Ok I opened another window, and looked, and we have not heard from her since 2/20---back when Kinsey was so sick. She made a quick post over that and hoping our little group would all soon be well, and then nothing! I will shoot her an email and see if I get anything---worries me with the luck we have all been having!

Blue---how goes the healing? How is the woodwork?

Julie---your new pics look awesome girl!!!!

Ok I am going to go do the email before I get sidetracked.

Hugs to all!

Kat

[JulieNYC 4]

Boo, I'm so thankful you're ok. Cudos for acting on your instincts so quickly. Is your doctor worried about the blood, or is the unfill likely to allow it to heal up just like new? I'm so glad you got an unfill so quickly. Pshew! Are you on liquids now for a couple of days? Bland foods, so as to not irritate any open stomach wounds?

Waterlily, We're so glad you're with us! Feel free to set your own challenge and meet it -- it doesn't have to be the main challenge -- any goal that you set and strive for is just perfect.

Kat, You're so right -- we haven't heard from Roberta. I sure hope everything is ok with her asthma. I'm sure she's fine but I'd love to know how she's doing.

I had a good day workout wise. I met with my trainer and got a good workout. Tomorrow I'm running on the treadmill, then no more running because I'm doing another race this coming weekend. I wanted to get in one more before my surgery and there's a 5 miler I think I'm up for in Central Park this Saturday, so I signed up before I could chicken out. I'll have to walk some of it (the first 2 miles are uphill!) but I think I can finish. I don't care so much about the time, just finishing, so I should be fine.

Onederland is still as illusive as ever. Grrrrr.

[Boo 3]

Kat, good for checking on Roberta. I wonder how Susan is, also.

Hey Julie, Onederland IS coming. And it will be so worth it because you have had to fight with all your might to get there. You have fought off over 150 pounds! Three little ones are hanging on for dear life, but too bad. They are about to disappear and never be seen again. Your body is changing every day by the consistency of your workout. The scale will follow! Have faith, have hope!

I've needed to slow down for a bit. With very little fluids I did not want to risk the dehydration. Hopefully by Wednesday I can workout again.

[guysis 0]

Boo - Thank goodness you are OK!!!! Scared us all! You were so right to head right to your doctor.

Off tomorrow to the surgeon with Alan - hopefully we'll know soon when he'll be having surgery.

[waterlily1072 5]

Boo I am so glad that you are ok! I am always so scared that something is going to go wrong with our bands. I guess that's only natural. I do have a rule that I follow very strictly ever since my baby PB (I call it that now that I have had one really horrible one) I ablosutely will not eat chicken at any restaurant or from any deli. My biggest fear is sliming in public or worse a PB in public! In the meantime pamper yourself with liquid calories:D hehe I am so bad.

[guysis 0]

We don't have long to wait - Alan's surgery is scheduled for Monday - the 19th! I'm relieved (I want him to be over with it), but I think this really hit him today when the surgeon said "How about Monday"...................he turned a bit "blue in the gills". They discovered that the aortic valve problem was at 89% (shown on the angiogram) instead of the original 68% (shown on the echo)...............so, the surgeon said it was wise for us not to wait! Kat - how long was Rick in the hospital? This surgeon said 5-9 days.

Boo, hope you are fine???? Bluefield - are you home?

[Kat817 19]

Rick come home on day 4!!! It was not appreciated by OUR surgeon, but it was an associate, seeing patients over the weekend, and he discharged him! When he found out, and he called up early on Monday, and was really irritable, that we had not been told to at least stay in ABQ. But we weren't, so we drove home almost 300 miles! If Alan is going to be in the car much at all, buy some of those heavy clips (made to hang on the fridge, with a magnet) they work really well to hold the seatbelt a bit loose, so it doesn't go snug across the chest, and the incisions. But it is not so strong so as to interfere with the safety aspect of the seatbelt. We also ran into a problem, with his prescriptions, with them releasing him on Sunday---and then us having a 4 hour drive.....the pharmacy was going to be closed. If my DD hadn't called her boss, our PCP, who got things arranged for us, it could have been awful, so see if his Dr. will give you his Rx's the day before, so you can have them waiting.

Well I heard from Roberta, she was not feeling like she could keep up, and her asthma had been troubling her, so she opted not to post.

Kinsey and I spent the afternoon in the yard, having a bubble blowing contest....now not only did I win, I ate a lot less bubbles!!! Little goof ball kept insisting on putting the wand right ON her lips!!!

I just love to here her giggle with abandon like that!

Tonight Rick and I are headed to a musical of Urban Cowboy---so I guess I better get showered and ready to meet him for dinner.

Everyone take care----

Kat

[Boo 3]

Betty, many thoughts and prayers for you and Alan! (and for your surgeon's hands, too!)

I'm okay. I keep going, but am weak.

[TracyinKS 7]

Prayers go out to your hubby Betty!

Boo.. I'm glad your ok! WOW what a wakeup call for me to think that pb'ng was a normal part of banding.... guess I'll have to really watch what I eat AND that I chew, chew, chew.

Julie: You look so great! I saw your latest pics over on the main pic thread, and wowza.. what a nice curvy bod you have!

Kat: AS Always.. thank you so much for posting your wisdom and help.. and I did like the idea for the food saver.

Hopefully I didn't miss anyone, cause I sure do like tagging along in this thread

[JulieNYC 4]

Betty, I'm with you -- moving Alan up is a good thing. The sooner this is behind you and he's on the mend, the better for you both. Let us know if there is anything we can do for either of you. Think -- this time next week, the worst will be behind you.

I got my run in today. Probably taking tomorrow off -- going to Lincoln Center for a concert. Not sure what concert -- I'm tagging along with a friend.

Nite.

[JulieNYC 4]

Well, the concert was fabulous. It was a teach and listen type thing at Lincoln Center. The first violinist and the conductor gave some instruction about the motifs to listen to in the piece, then the orchestra played it, then they took questions from the audience. An hour and a half for all 3 parts of the evening -- perfect for me. My attention span for classical music isn't much longer than that!

So, I didn't make it to the gym last night, but I made it tonight for exactly 40 minutes of elliptical. Tomorrow I meet with my trainer, then Saturday morning I run 4.9 miles in the SNOW with all the other crazies doing this weekend's Central Park race....

Hope yall had a good day.

[guysis 0]

Julie - you sound like me - we have season tickets to the Sunday afternoon series of our symphony here in Portland, OR - they do the same type of thing - about 1 1/2 hours - with the conductors "talking/explaining/playing parts"................I love it - just enough for me also! When do you leave for home for your surgery? Just in case I don't get a chance before you leave to wish you a safe surgery and speedy recovery I'll do it now................I'm sitting there in the waiting room with your family (in spirit) waiting to hear that all is well!

Alan and I walked to Breakfast this morning................I'm planning on going to NIA Fri, Sat and Sun morning.............and then on Sunday afternoon Alan has to check into the hospital in prep for his surgery on Monday morning. We're going out with some friends for brunch before we head to the hospital.............so, I'll post ahead for my exercise days - will correct if I don't make all the days!

I'll keep in touch next week - all prayers and good thoughts appreciated.