My first fill :)

My first fill was yesterday. Not nearly as bad as I thought. It didn't hurt hardly at all (having blood drawn is worse!) and I am sure this will jumpstart my weight loss again.

Today, so far, I have eaten much less than normal, so we are on the right track!

And some info on fills... the lap band is adjustable (one of the pros for me) and its adjusted by "filling" or removing a saline solution into the band via a port that is placed under the skin. This is how it can be controled as you continue to loose weight.


I had 1 cc injected.

New Pictures

I thought it would be fun to take some new pictures. The first time DH did it, I used the timer to take them today so the angle is a little funny. Anyway, I can see a difference, and that makes me happy :)

Once again...

My doctor's office called to cancel. Apparenlty my doctor is sick? But the rescheduled me for Friday. If this becomes a habit I am going to have to find a new place to get fills. The good news is is that my weight moved again. WOO HOO!!

Weight: 186

I am a bad bad blogger!!

Ok, I just realized that my 1 month post op just passed, I'm 2 days late! LOL

Not much going on, weight is 187.5... boooo.... but I have my first fill in 2 days so I am really excited about that. I am sure that will jumpstart the weight loss again. That makes me excited :) I need to take some pictures, I will try to remember to do that soon!

"Are you loosing weight?"

Yep, I got my first one today. That sure makes a girl smile :) This person is the first one who doesn't know I had surgery to say something (the only ones who do know I had it are my husband, mom and two of my friends) so it made me happy!! :)

I did weigh myself today... I had a crazy weekend and forgot on Friday, it said 188...BOOO Apparently that happens though, once you start eating regular food you stop loosing or even gain a bit until you get your first fill. Mine is scheduled for April 24th. WOO HOO I can't wait :)

A little birdie...

Reminded me that I needed to update my blog :)

So, here I am! I've been fairly busy/forgettful so I haven't posted. The last time I weighed myself I was 187, I am trying to hold out until Friday and make that my offical weigh in day. The weight loss has slowed now that I am eating more real foods. I am looking forward to that first fill to start controling my hungar more.

But other than that, all is well!

Oh, my main incision, the port site, is kind of sunken in a bit. I just wanted to make note of that! :)

I'm going down down...

As of today, I have lost 15 lbs since surgery (18 since my highest)!! I am so excited! I am well on my way!! I am feeling really good, but starting to want real food. I am suppose to start my "pureed" diet tomorrow but I have been starting to add in some things from under that list. I have no idea what I am going to eat over the next two weeks. I can have anything as long as it is blended or put in the processor to an applesauce consistency. So yeah... don't know what I am going to eat.

But anyway, just wanted to update!


Weight 188

Bye bye 190s!

Ok, so I need to get on some sort of system here...weighing everyday is probably not the best idea, but with me dropping weight almost everyday, its kind of hard not to! It won't last forever, but I am enjoying it while its here!

I feel good! I can honestly say that I feel like a normal person, its a good feeling after what I was feeling like last week! I am looking forward to new clothes, a healthier body and lots of energy!!

Weight 189

New week....

I still maintain that this has been the WORST week in my life as far as physical pain. But at least there are some good results from it. I do have to say, it is NOT from being healthy and loosing weight the right way. This is from basically not eating and being sick all week, not something I would like to brag about or recommend. I hope the worst is behind me so that I can start doing this the right way!

DH insisted that I measure myself since I have lost so much weight this week. I too thought it would be interesting to see. Here are my measurements from this morning

Neck 15” - ½”
Upper Arms
R- 12 3/4" - ¾”
L- 13 1/4" - ¾”
Bust 41 1/2" -1”
Waist 38 1/4" -2”
Hips 48" -1”
Thighs
R-22 3/4" -0 (I defiantly mistyped this and I don’t have the original paper anymore, DH remembers my right side being bigger. So I will just redo this one)
L- 21 ½” -1”
Calves
R 16" – ¾”
L 16" – ½”
Ankles
R 8 3/4" - ¾”
L 8 3/4" – ½”

Total Inches Lost 9.5”

Weight 190.5 -12.5lbs (since 3/20/09)

Worst Few Days of My LIFE!

CONTENT WARNING: Some parts of this post may be TMI

Ok, so like the title says, the last few days have been utter HELL! Not only have I been doing through the pain of healing from the band and the exhaustion from eating so few calories, I HAD THE FLU! I have had TWO children via c-section, the first of which I labored for 17 hours first, and THIS was WORSE! I guess when you don't eat your body has nothing to throw up so you just heave and heave like you are going to throw up, but nothing comes up. Oh wait, I lied, lots and lots of phlegm comes up. It was so horrible. I had a fever and contemplated going to the ER. Luckily, my fantastic husband got me through it, it was such a HUGE help. I seriously think I would have died on the bathroom floor without him. Thanks babe!

So anyway, the flu sucks.....the flu coupled with lap-band recovery sucks even more. I hate whoever gave this to me!

Weight 193.5

Another good morning...

Well yesterday morning was good followed by a bad afternoon and night. It seems like I feel better in the morning. I fell *almost* normal this morning, besides the pain in my throat, but I have a feeling that it will be short lived.

I am getting really sick of liquids, and to know that I haven't even made one full week and I have to do 2 weeks is a task that seems a bit daunting. Im pretty much sticking to the diet, I have added two things to the mix that are making me stay sane but pretty much still on the same lines, that is small curd cottage cheese that i chew like crazy and really runny mashed potatoes.

I ate last night, a bit too much I think, then we went for a walk, i had to come running back in because i thought i was going to throw up. Luckily, I didn't and the feeling passed, but still, it wasn't fun.

Well, I guess all this pain isn't for no reward. The scale keeps moving....and in the right direction for once.

Weight 195.5

A little better....

I just got up, but so far this morning I feel a little better. The pain has dulled some, although it is still there. I just walked alot last night to deal with the pain, lots of walking to move this gas around inside, that is what hurts the worst, the gas.


For now, in this week, I will just post my weight everyday, I know that it may go up again a bit, but so that I can see if it is related to things I am doing or eating.

Weight 199

Feeling like crap :(

I really do hate to complain since I have had this awesome opportunity to help myself and in turn help my family, but I feel like crap :( This isn't anywhere as bad as the c-sections that I have had for my children but still... I don't feel good :(

Last night I took some meds right before bed and didn't take any during the night, that was totally my fault, so I woke up this morning (my first morning without DH) stiff and in pain. My stomach incisions actually are bothering me, where as before they weren't because of the meds. The pain is starting to dull now, so that is good. The worst pain is in my throat, when air (gas) comes up it hurts where I was intubated, it feels like someone is blowing a balloon in my throat...not good! I have had lots of gas pains moving through my stomach, that is really common. I started adding some infant gas drops to my meds and it seems to help a bit.

Hopefully things will be getting better now. Its been a full 72+ hours since surgery so I would imagine that the worst is behind me. Soon, the swelling should go down and the scale should start to move. WOO HOO!

Today, I am also going to start a food journal. Right now my focus is making sure that I am getting enough protein and enough calories. Its amazing how you can go from eating way too much to being worried about not eating enough, but alas, here we are!

Also, while I need to get on a weighing schedule and right now things are crazy with the way I feel, my weight this morning is...

200.5 Woo hoo!

I am Offically Banded!

Well yesterday was an interesting day. My husband and I arrived at the hospital at 6 AM after dropping my kids off at my friend's house at 5:30 (thanks girl, you are amazing!) Then they took us (me and two others that were having different surgeries) upstairs and left our SO's in the waiting room. We got dressed in our gowns (these weird purple ones that you can blow up with hot air) and then took us to get settled with our IVs and stuff, I also had to get shot in my stomach to avoid blood clots. They brought my DH back up and we waited a little while before they took me out. They gave me a little bit of meds in my IV to start knocking me out, DH said I looked so relaxed :) Then the last thing I remember is being put in the elevator then into the OR where they made me switch beds, and they gave me oxygen and I was out.

I woke up in recovery to someone squeezing my feet, it turns out its this little machine that squeezes your feet to get blood moving until you can get up and get walking. I was also SO thirsty, but because of the nature of the surgery I couldn't have anything to drink until after I had an upper GI test a few hours later. That was pure torture. After I was in recovery for an hour they wheeled me to my room where DH was waiting. It was so good to see him! And if you have ever been in the hospital before you know that they just don't leave you alone! You are constantly being tested, or poked or asked questions. I got extremely extremely nauseous and they gave me some meds in my IV, that didn't do much. I went down to radiology for my upper GI and they had me drink some nasty stuff, but at least it was something to drink! After that I was clear to drink small amounts of water. During this time DH and I had been taking walks to help get things going again. They say walk walk walk, sip sip sip, so that is what we did. I also had alot of pressure in my chest which is actually gas, that was a bit weird. After a little while I started getting nauseous again only this time, much worse! So they came and gave me a shot in my upper arm, that hurt REALLY bad. The nurse told me that my surgeon had cleared me to go home, but since I was nauseous I had to stay overnight! I was really upset because we hadn't made any arrangements for overnight since the surgery is suppose to me outpatient. We figured it out though and DH got the kids from my friends and took them to my in laws where they stayed the night.

This morning I felt much better and we were allowed to leave around 8:30 am. Now I am home, showered and feeling much better. I have 4 small incisions and one bigger one where the port is. And although I am tired and still in some pain I feel like I have made an amazing decision for not only myself, but for my family. This is going to be a long journey, but one that is going to make a world of difference!


Offical Starting Measurements (taken the night of 3/19/09)

Weight 203 lbs

Neck 15 1/2"
Upper Arms R- 13 1/2" L- 14"
Bust 42 1/2"
Waist 40 1/4"
Hips 49"
Thighs R-22 1/2" L- 22 1/2
(taken 7 inches from mid of knee)
Calfs R 16 3/4" L 16 1/2"
(taken 3 inches from mid of knee)
Ankles R 9 1/2" L 9 1/4"

Surgery Tomorrow

Well, as most of the weight losses in my life, the weight loss from the food poising was short lived, but that is all going to change tomorrow! Tomorrow, I will arrive at the hospital at 6 am for my Lap-Band surgery. I am excited, scared, nervous, giddy and several other emotions that are running rampid right now. My biggest fear? The anestesia, I've been under before but it always makes me nervous. The sugery lasts under an hour, sometimes as quick as 30 minutes, so that is good, but alas, I am scared.

But here is to a new way of life, the new me, and my journey!