Kelly and the BANDit

16 Month Bandiversary

2011-07-25T19:06:00.000-05:00

Tuesday the 19th was my 16 month bandiversary. I think the recent fill has actually done something! A first I had to adjust to the tightness and now I think I've got it down. I had actually lost five pounds but unfortunately gained it all back. Now I'm back on the downward slide again. I think I've lost about three pounds. I'm not too far from being under 200 pounds. Although it's not far off, it seems so far away! Hopefully by next month I will be a little bit closer. Anyway, here are my 16 month pictures.

15 Month Pictures

2011-07-08T08:17:00.000-05:00

Here are my 15 month pictures. Obviously not much of a change since I just took the 14 month pictures a week or two ago. I guess I could use the pictures to show off my new clothes! Anyway, here you go...

So, I had my latest fill a couple of weeks ago and it has been a learning experience all over again. It's not often that I vomit on water or coffee, but that has happened a couple of times. I am definitely eating less. Last week my mom, my sister and I went out to eat and I had a total of 5 bites before I was done. Of course I did end up PBing on those 5 bites. That has happened a number of times too. I don't think I am tooooo tight. I think I am probably just right, but I have to be very careful about how quickly and/or what I eat. Anywho, I think I've lost a few pounds since the fill. I hope that keep up!

15 Month Bandiversary and a Fill!

2011-07-05T12:10:00.000-05:00

I meant to post this last week. Obviously I'm a little late as usual. I will work on the photos for the next day or so...

Sunday the 19th was my 15 month bandiversary. I also just got a fill for the first time in almost a year! I got a .3 cc fill and now I am at a total of 7.8 ccs. I hadn't lost any weight in the past three months and was starting to snack again. So, I figured it was time to get a teeny tiny fill. I really hope this does the trick. I'm sure it will definitely jump start something since I am having to be on liquids for a few days. Gosh, it's been so long since I have had to do that. I'm going to have to get some more Click because I am running desperately low and I will be drinking it more often the next few days. Got to get some more Silk too! I also went to Chili's after my appointment and got some of my favorite chicken enchilada soup. Yum!

I also wanted to give a shout out to Vicky. She just had gastric bypass on Thursday. I wish her all the best and success with her surgery!

14 Month Bandiversary

2011-06-13T12:27:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the extremely late post. Thursday the 19th of May was my 14 month bandiversary. Absolutely no weight loss since last month nor the month before. This is quite the plateau. I'm kind of considering getting a teensy tiny fill. Although I'm terribly afraid I won't be able to keep anything down. But I suppose it's worth a shot. I have an appointment scheduled next week. I'll be back again at the end of next week with my 15 month pictures and an update on my appointment with my surgeon.

Anyway, here are my 14 month pictures. Not much different than last month or the month before.

Before 14 Months

13 Month Bandiversary

2011-05-01T11:12:00.000-05:00

I am a bit late on my 13 month bandiversary post. It was on the 19th of April. Nothing much has changed since last month. I haven't lost any weight, but I haven't gained any either. Here are my 13 month pictures. As you can see my Bruno wanted to be in all of my pictures.

Mighty Texas Dog Walk 5K

2011-04-06T15:02:00.000-05:00

This past Saturday I did the Mighty Texas Dog Walk 5K with a couple of girlfriends from work. The walk supported the Texas Hearing and Service Dogs, who provide service dogs free of charge to people with disabilities. I have done this walk a few times in years past. I love seeing all of the dogs and the money goes to a good cause. And there are tons of freebies too. The whole point of the race is to raise money for the organization as well as try to set a world record for the largest number of dogs being walked. We won several years ago, but the Brits have been winning for a few years now.

My dog, Bruno is getting up in years (he's the ripe young age of 12) and even a few years ago he couldn't finish the whole walk and I had to carry him for most of the walk. I have been wanting to do this walk for a while now, so Bruno asked Santa Claus for a stroller this past Christmas. Well, Santa came through! I never thought I would be one of "those" people who put their dogs in strollers, but apparently I am. He would have never made it otherwise. So, Bruno had quite the life, getting pushed around for 3 miles.

I did the 5K with much more ease than those in years past. My feet didn't hurt very much, if at all. Also, it didn't even seem like it was a 5K. It didn't seem so long. I suppose losing a crapload of weight makes it a lot easier!

Here are some pictures from the walk-

Griselda and Chewi, Barbara and Jo, and Kelly and Bruno

One Year Bandiversary!

2011-03-22T08:10:00.000-05:00

My one year bandiversary was on Saturday! In the past year since my surgery I have managed to lose about 125 pounds and drop 4-5 pant sizes and about 3 top sizes. My feet have also shrunk about a size or so.

I can do a lot more than I used to be able to do. I am definitely more comfortable in my skin (well, my loose skin). I have batwings like nobody's business now. I seriously look like I could take off and fly! Luckily my belly doesn't look too bad. The girls are a little lower nowadays too. Oh well, I'm better off than I was. Perhaps someday I will get some work done.

Here are my one year pictures-

I had a check up with my surgeon the other day too. I did much better this past month, losing 7 pounds rather than 2 pounds the month before. He was very pleased with my progress. He mentioned that one year ago he wrote my target weight as 219. That's what I weighed in at his office that day (his scale shows a good 2-3 pounds more than mine). I asked him if that's what he thought I would lose in a year and he said that he thought that was the weight I was going to stay at (the best I could do). And he was very impressed that I was able to reach that weight in one year.

In other news... I have a neck! Look at it! You can see muscles and things! It's amazing. I have never had that before!

One Year Ago Today

2011-03-01T12:14:00.000-06:00

One year ago today I started my pre-op diet. I was having surgery in 18 days and had to start a high protein, low carb diet in order to shrink my liver so that it would not be troublesome for my surgeon when he got in there to do his business. On this day I weighed 340 pounds. I know, it's craziness. I can't believe I ever weighed that much. At the time I didn't think I looked like I weighed that much. But oh, was I wrong. Looking back now I totally see it. So, exactly one year ago today I weighed 121 pounds heavier. (I'm now 219 as of this morning.) Holy crap! I absolutely cannot believe that I have lost that much that quickly. I would have never imagined. I thought weight loss with the Lap Band would be a lot slower. I would have expected losing this much this quickly with the Gastric Bypass surgery. In 18 days I will have my one year bandiversary. But since I actually started my weight loss journey on this day one year ago I will say that I have lost 121 pounds in exactly one year!

Oh, I started physical therapy yesterday for my feet. That was interesting. I found out that my feet are freakish. I never knew that I couldn't bend and flex my feet and toes to the extent that other people can. I even made two of the physical therapists take off their shoes and show me how far they could bend and flex their feet. Then they solidified the fact that my feet are freakish. Who knew? So, they're working on making some muscles and tissues and whatnot come back to life, so that I can use them the way I'm supposed to. They're also using an ultrasound machine to break up the scar tissue in the lumps on the bottom of my feet, or as I so lovingly call them my "lady lumps." Apparently I walk funny, or rather, incorrectly. And they're not sure if that caused the plantar fasciitis or whether the plantar fasciitis caused me to compensate for the pain by walking funny. I think from the two physical therapists' reactions I might just be the worst case they've ever seen. I've always said that if it can happen to anyone, it can happen to me!

11 Month Bandiversary

2011-02-24T19:44:00.000-06:00

My 11 month bandiversary was on Saturday. I am down approximately 119 pounds (at least according to my scale). I can hardly believe it's been 11 months already. Pretty soon it will be one year!

I also went to my surgeon the other day. I hadn't lost much weight since the last time I saw him a month ago. More than likely that's because of the foot surgery a month ago.

On the foot note... my feet are kind of getting better. I gave up on using crutches after a few days and then just walked around in my moon boots for two weeks. I finally got the stitches out and am back to wearing normal shoes. I had a check up with my surgeon on Monday and I asked her when my feet were going to stop hurting. She looked at me kind of funny. I said that my feet still hurt. She said that most people's feet don't hurt by this time after surgery. I also mentioned that I feel a knot on the bottom of both of my feet, right above my heels. She felt it and thought that the plantar fascia that she cut may have rolled up. What? Seriously? Can't I catch a break here? Now I have to start going to physical therapy to unroll the fascia or something of that nature. As long as it makes me better. Whatever. I start that fun next week.

Anywho... here are my 11 month pictures.

Recovering From Foot Surgery

2011-01-22T09:34:00.000-06:00

So, my foot surgery (plantar fasciotomy) was yesterday. Everything went well and I was back home within a few hours. The anesthesiologist was a lovely, lovely man! My feet are all bandaged up and I am having to wear my moon boots if I get up and walk around anywhere. Yes, I am surprisingly able to walk - just a bit slowly and unsteadily. I am using crutches that I borrowed from a friend. The pain isn't too bad. I was expecting excruciating pain, but it's more like the usual plantar fasciitis pain that I experienced prior to the surgery. I was given Percocet for the pain and it is working like a dream. I slept most of yesterday and am surprisingly still awake after having taken some about an hour ago.

Here's a picture of my Betadine covered, wrapped up feet with my swollen little toes. Pretty, huh?

10 Month Bandiversary

2011-01-20T12:13:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was my 10 month bandiversary! I am officially down 115 pounds! Here are the pictures from before and 10 months post surgery. I'm wearing my semi-new SIZE 16 jeans and my new size 7 Privos (since my feet have shrunk significantly).

Holy crap! I'm a fraction of my previous self! And look... I have a butt!

In other news... I'm ready for my foot surgery tomorrow. Well, I'm not mentally ready, but I'm as close as I will get. I will report back when I am out of my drug induced stupor. Wish me luck, a fast and pain-free recovery, and happy drugs!

Pumpkin Protein Muffins

2011-01-07T11:57:00.000-06:00

Look at me... posting two days in a row! I'm on a roll!

I told you yesterday about the Maintain No Gain challenge we had at work... Well, we had a potluck breakfast yesterday for those who participated. I enjoy baking and decided to try something new, so I tried Eggface's Pumpkin Protein Muffins. They were delicious! Everyone was surprised that they were so healthy, yet tasted so good. If you haven't tried any of her stuff, get over to her blog and try out some stuff. Here is a picture of my yummy muffins-

Surgeon Check Up

2011-01-06T18:28:00.000-06:00

I went to my surgeon today for a scheduled check up. He said I'm doing very well, having lost 16 pounds in the last 2 months. He said the least I should be losing per month is 4 pounds. (We had a "Maintain No Gain" challenge at work recently that started right before Thanksgiving and just ended this week. The point of it is to maintain your weight within 3 pounds over the holidays. Well, I lost 12 pounds. Not sure how that happened, but it did.) I told my surgeon about the occasional productive burping episodes and he confirmed that those are stuck episodes. I chew like crazy so I didn't think I would be stuck. But I guess I'm eating too quickly and it's backing up. He thinks my band may be on the tighter side so he said he didn't think I needed a fill. He even asked if I wanted an unfill. Since now that I know I need to slow down I declined the unfill. I also told him about how one of my medications is causing me to have acid reflux every time I take it. I was able to handle the medication just fine up until my last fill. But since this last fill every time I took it it gave me acid reflux. It went down just fine a number of times when I took it with food, but not every time. He suggested crushing it and eating it with yogurt or something so that it passes through my pouch quicker. I'm not sure if that will work or not, but it's worth a try. I've also spoken with a pharmacist at work who suggested trying a different medication all together, or taking Prilosec or another acid reducer daily. I go to my regular doctor on Monday for a pre-op check up for my feet surgery, so I will ask her what she thinks then. ...That's about it for the moment.

Plantar Fasciitis

2011-01-03T12:14:00.000-06:00

Most of you who know me personally know that I have plantar fasciitis and have had foot pain daily for a number of years. I have tried what seems like every possible non-surgical treatment out there including stretching, extracorporeal shock wave therapy, physical therapy, cortisone injections, wearing cast boots, night splints, taping, orthotics, and probably a few more in the 7 or 8 years that I have had it. I have even had x-rays and an MRI. For those of you who don't know what plantar fasciitis is and would like to know please check out this link. (I am lucky enough to have it in both feet). Weight has a lot to do with plantar fasciitis but apparently losing over 100 pounds wasn't enough in my case to make it any better.

Having plantar fasciitis has made it very difficult for me to exercise (which I really should be doing more of since my surgery). For example, when I did the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in November my feet hurt so bad by the end that I was hobbling and saying ouch with every step. This is a daily occurance for me though. It hurts every day when I wake up and all throughout the day. It hurts when I am on my feet for too long (which can be even a short period of time), it hurts when I get up after sitting for a while, it just hurts a majority of the time. I have not been all that great about excercising since my surgery mainly because of this. Even walking hurts my feet.

So, after years and years of pain, I have finally decided to have surgery on my feet this month- the 21st to be exact. The surgery consists of one incision on the inside part of the heel of each of my feet. They then go in and cut 2/3 of the plantar fascia at the base of my heel and sew me back up. Where the plantar fascia has been cut, new tissue will grow to lengthen it. I'm just hoping that it won't keep hurting on the side where the doctor doesn't cut the plantar fascia. They don't typically cut the whole thing at once since there is a greater risk of having your arches fall. I'm sure there are a lot of other good reasons too. But anywho, my doctor doesn't just cut the whole thing at once. After the surgery I will have to wear some lovely cast boots for several weeks. I have worn them before for about 3 months. I call them moon boots. Seriously, they look like something from the lunar landing.

....see????? I am also going to have crutches for the first few days or so too. Apparently I will need them to steady myself. Yea! Fun. : ( Luckily I was able to borrow a pair from a coworker.

So, that's the fun and excitement around here. I hope to God this surgery works! Wish me luck.

9 Month Bandiversary

2010-12-28T07:46:00.000-06:00

Nine months has come and gone. I have been procrastinating at taking my 9 month pictures. But here they are... finally...

Before 9 months

Man, I love this Lap Band!

In other news - Christmas has also come and gone. Santa was very nice and brought me lots of goodies. I also got to see some people who I haven't seen in a long while and who had not seen me since before I had surgery. I got A LOT of compliments. It was kind of weird actually. It was a little hard to take at first but I figure the compliments will definitely decrease over time. I'll take what I can get!

8 Month Bandiversary (2 weeks late)

2010-12-01T15:23:00.000-06:00

My 8 month bandiversary was on November 19th. I'm just a little late with this post. Hell, I'm almost at 9 months now. But I knew that I would kick myself if I didn't do pictures, so I went ahead and did them late. Better late than never. And I also got my hair cut yesterday too, so I'm showing off my pretty new haircut in the new pictures too.

Not much is going on right now. Weight loss is steady, but slow at this point. I don't know if I would benefit from a fill or not. I think if I had any more I wouldn't be able to hold anything down. I'll keep you posted. Here are the 8 1/2 month pictures...

I ran... and no one was chasing me!

2010-11-17T13:13:00.000-06:00

I actually got off my butt the other day and walked/jogged around the track at a middle school down the road from my apartment. I wanted to walk/jog on a track so that I could jog the straights and walk the curves. Yeah, I know, most workout routines involve sprinting the straights and jogging the curves, but I'm just starting. This is quite an accomplishment for me... this coming from a girl who does not run unless she's being chased (by someone with a weapon, etc.). I ended up walking/jogging 2 miles at the track. I like that the weather is cooler now, so I may be more apt to get my butt off the couch and go outside.

I was walking around the track and spotted a spectator. Check it out...

It's Bambi. It was just hanging out, chowing down next to the football field. The picture is kind of crappy since I took it from my cell phone (that was stashed in my sweaty, way too big sports bra) from a ways away. Oh yeah, the big bad mamma jamma sports bra that I bought a while back has a lot of room in it now. It's not quite as supportive as it once was. I guess I'm in the market for a new one now.

The Big 1-0-0 & Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure

2010-11-13T22:32:00.000-06:00

It's official... I have finally lost 100 pounds!

Holy crap! I can't believe it.

Also, I did the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure this past Sunday as well. I was the team captain for my team at work. My friend was visiting from Alaska and did the walk with me. Here's a few of us from our group: my friend Jacque from Alaska, my friend Lana, my sister Lisa, me, and my coworker and friend Jessica. My team raised $1,055 that was donated to Susan G. Komen for the Cure!

7 Month Bandiversary

2010-10-20T09:15:00.009-05:00

Yesterday was my 7 month bandiversary. Wow! How time flies! I can't believe it's already been 7 months. I am about 97 pounds down. I kind of wish I could have said I had lost 100 in 7 months, but the time will come soon. I'm still amazed that I have lost so much so quickly. I would have never imagined!

A lot has changed in 7 months. Here's a list of some of the good things that have changed:
I have had to take a link out of my watch;
I have also had to take a link out of a bracelet;
My rings are too big - I am wearing them on other fingers;
I have dropped 2, sometimes 3 shirt sizes;
I have dropped 3 to 4 pant sizes;
I have dropped countless bra cups; and
My feet have even shrunk a bit too, about a size.

And the bad thing - I am noticing a lot of excess skin on my upper arms. I'm glad the weather will get cooler soon and I will be able to wear 3/4 or long sleeve shirts. I think I will soon be sporting 3/4 sleeve shirts year round!

Here are my before and 7 month photos -

Before 7 months

Anywho, that's it for the moment.

The Little People's Section

2010-10-18T10:11:00.000-05:00

I did something the Friday before last (sorry I'm a little late in this blog post) that I never thought I would do... I shopped in the little people's section at WalMart. (The little people's section is what I call the regular size clothing section.) I was looking for some wear around the house/workout pants and found that I fit into... get this... an XL! (GASP!!!) I know! I was just as dumbfounded. I went straight to the plus size section as usual, but to my surprise the pants were too big. So, I moved into the little people's section. I tried on the XXL. A couple of those were even too big. So, I tried on the XLs and they fit! Granted they are a little snug in the tummy area, but these kind of pants stretch out with wear. I didn't want to buy a bigger size and have them falling off while I'm walking on the treadmill or something. Another great thing about shopping in the little people's section - clothes are cheaper!

Tomorrow is my 7 month bandiversary. Pictures to come....

The Dreaded "P" Word

2010-10-06T12:09:00.000-05:00

The time has come for the dreaded "P" word. Plateau. Yuck. I have been stuck at a 90 pound weight loss for the past couple of weeks. I suppose it's time to step up the exercising and pay more attention to what I am eating. I really don't want to have to journal all my food intake. That is such a hassle. But I will do it if I have to. I've gotten my happy butt to the gym at my apartment complex a couple of times lately. I've also walked around the complex a bit too. It's a lot nicer now that it is starting to cool down a bit. It's sad that 80 degrees is cool, but it is.

In other news, it's time for a new bra. My boobs are getting smaller and smaller. They're still big enough that I have to go to a specialty shop though. However, when the lady at the store fit me, I had lost 4 inches around and went down two cup sizes. This new bra is the same as the last one but it is so new that it is squeezing the life out of me. My bits are coming out all over the place. It is totally not comfortable. At least not now anyway. I suppose after a little while it will get broken in and feel more comfortable. I can't wait for that to happen.

6 Month Bandiversary

2010-09-21T15:03:00.000-05:00

Sunday was my 6 month bandiversary. I am pretty much down 90 pounds. I can't believe that I have lost so much so quickly. I would have never imagined that I would have lost so much already.

I haven't posted much lately because I don't have much to say. Things are going well. No big challenges really. I'm just steadily losing weight. Only occasionally will I "productive burp." For those of you that don't know what that is - that is when I gag repeatedly like I am going to throw up but nothing comes up besides saliva. I never really know when this will happen as it has happened when drinking my protein shake. But I can usually feel it coming on after the fact. Anywho... here are my 6 month pictures... Enjoy!

Before 6 months

Free Protein Bar Samples!

2010-09-07T13:16:00.000-05:00

Quest Protein Bars are giving away free samples of their protein bars which come in Vanilla Almond Crunch and Peanut Butter Supreme flavors.

Follow this link to click your way to two free protein bar samples. The free samples will take a while to get to you, but it's worth the wait.

I bought a few of these last week and let me tell you... they are yummy. They have absolutely no sugar and are very low in carbs. They are also very filling too. Should you choose to purchase, use the code "SAMPLE" for free shipping. And if you don't like the taste, they will refund your money. Happy eating!

5 Month Bandiversary and Photos

2010-08-24T11:26:00.000-05:00

My 5 month bandiversary was last week. I am officially down 80 pounds. I haven't lost much in the past two weeks, if any. But at least I haven't gained any either.

Here are the latest pictures -

Before 5 months

Lauren's Hope Medical ID Bracelets Deal

2010-08-06T11:01:00.003-05:00

Fellow bloggers,

I just found out about a great deal from Lauren's Hope. They make very stylish medical ID bracelets. Here is the deal - Go to their website, click on Create a Link and put a link/image to their website on your blog. Send them a link to your blog confirming that you downloaded a link/image to your website/blog, send an email to them and they will send you a $50 gift certificate. (It's a few emails back and forth, but it seems worth it).

I have been tossing around the idea of getting one and may just get one now. Perhaps some of you may need one for other reasons as well. It seems like a pretty good deal. Check it out...

Hot Summer Meltdown Challenge

2010-08-04T15:31:00.000-05:00

The Hot Summer Meltdown Challenge is finally over... and I came in 2nd place! I lost a buttload! (Well, not literally, my butt is still there). However, I have already gained back a bit. Isn't it funny how that happens? As the second place winner I won a $75 gift card to the store of my choice. I think I may choose Target. I can buy clothes as well as all sorts of other things there. I am moving to a new apartment next week, so I could also use it to buy curtains or a lamp or something. What do you think?

4th Fill

2010-07-25T10:25:00.000-05:00

I went in for another fill on Thursday. He gave me .5 ccs. So now I am at a total of 7.5 ccs. That fill wasn't particularly fun because he couldn't find my port for a second there. He said that since this fill had the most potential for me to feel restriction, that I should stay on liquids for 48 hours afterwards instead of the usual 24 hours. The 48 hours are up now, but that was tough. Things went fine drinking protein shakes on Friday, but on Saturday morning I barfed up my protein shake. Lovely! And I held down some pureed soup for lunch. So, I'm waiting to see how the protein shake will go this morning and wonder if it's just that my band feels tight in the morning. I really don't want to throw up anymore. I hate throwing up. My protein shake tastes good going down but is not so good coming back up.

The Hot Summer Meltdown Challenge ends next week and I'm ready for it to end. I lost about 5 pounds this past week, but it was a hard 5 pounds to lose!

4 Month Bandiversary Photos

2010-07-21T13:53:00.000-05:00

Monday the 19th was my 4 month bandiversary. Holy crap! It's been 4 months already! How time flies! Well, here are the latest photos...

Before 4 months

I'm getting the hang of inserting pictures, huh?

Hot Summer Meltdown Update

2010-07-13T14:52:00.000-05:00

Am I looking at this right?

Am I really in 1st place? What the....?????? Holy crap! Only three more weeks to go! I hope I can keep my standing until then...

Quick Update

2010-07-12T14:05:00.000-05:00

Gosh, it's been nearly two weeks since my last post. Not too much to report on this end. Weight loss has been steady. I lost 7 pounds the week of my last fill. I think I'm doing pretty good as far as the Hot Summer Meltdown Challenge goes. I think I was in 4th place last week. I think. I could be wrong. But according to the chart, it sure looked like it. I can't wait to see the results from this past week.

I still need to exercise more. I have been looking into getting a gym membership, but have been searching very, very slowly. I've spent more time lately apartment searching. The search continues...

I bought a few skirts at Target recently that go with darn near everything. They are very versatile and go with all of my solid colored tee shirts (that I bought for dirt cheap). They can also be altered very easily (hint, hint Lana!). Now I just need some color on my legs so that I don't scare small children. Even my Dad said I looked half dead last weekend after he saw my legs. Oh well, I'm going for that Victorian England look!

3rd Fill & Cherry Pancake Thingy

2010-07-01T13:37:00.000-05:00

I went in for my third fill yesterday. I have been eating a little bit more than I know I should and meals definitely don't last very long until I'm hungry again. So, I got a 1 cc fill, which brings my total to 7 ccs in a 10 cc band. Also, when they weighed me the number didn't sink in until a few minutes later when I did the calculations. I had lost 16 pounds since the last time I had a fill - a month ago. And I had lost a total of 61 pounds! Holy crap! That's a lot of pounds! I'm still completely amazed!

The other day I made this awesome cherry pancake thingy recipe that I saw on The World According to Eggface. She makes the best recipes! Anywho, here is the link to the recipe. But I will let you know that I substituted Greek yogurt for cottage cheese and vanilla protein powder for strawberry protein powder. Regardless, it came out yummy! Here are some pictures that I took of the finished product-

I made a small batch for myself and ate most of it so far. It was so good that I decided to make another bigger batch to take to my parents' house this weekend for a little get-together. I'm sure it will be a hit!

Pants

2010-06-23T20:19:00.000-05:00

I am desperately in need of pants. The ones I wore today fit great when I put them on, but as the day progressed, they began to look like I pooped my pants. Look...

And, no, I didn't pee my pants either. That's just good old fashioned Texas sweat. It's like an oven outside!

Perhaps I should just go pantless and make this my theme song...

I'm scouring the earth for affordable pants. All the pants I have right now are skin tight or falling off. I have looked at several Goodwills and they have crap in plus sizes. I think a trip to WalMart is in store.

And here's a funny story... Last week I wore an ankle length skirt that I bought in Germany 10 years ago. I don't know how it fit because I was a bit smaller when 10 years ago when I bought the skirt. I guess it's the elastic. Who knows? Anywho, I pulled the waistband out to see how much room there was in the skirt and I think the elastic really crapped out then. My coworker and friend, Deb, helped me to rig the skirt to fit with binder clips. By the time I got back to my office the binder clips came undone. Then an ingenious idea came to me! I tucked the top of the skirt into the band of my bra and made it a knee-length skirt! Viola! And I wore it like that the rest of the day! I used my MacGyver-like skills for good instead of evil!

3 Month Bandiversary & Pictures

2010-06-21T12:40:00.000-05:00

Saturday was my 3 Month Bandiversary! Wow! I can't believe that it's been 3 months already. Here are the obligatory 3 month pictures... I am officially down 53 pounds! Woo hoo!

Before 3 months

Doctor Visits and Update

2010-06-15T15:11:00.000-05:00

I went to my primary care physician last week to discuss my routine lab work. When she walked in the room she mentioned that they were all very excited for me to come in that day. She said that my cholesterol was way down and that I should take half the dose of the medication I am taking now. She said that perhaps the next time I come in she will take me off of my choloesterol medications completely! She also lowered my thyroid medication a bit as well. She was very pleased with my weight loss and told me she couldn't wait to see me next time.

I also went to my sleep medicine doctor yesterday. I am doing better with wearing my CPAP, but occasionally I wake up with the mask on my forehead. I can't stop myself from doing it though. Also, once I took the mask off and put it under the pillow... still going. Despite that, she said I was doing pretty well, and to keep wearing it every night. I can't wait until I never have to wear that thing again. A while back I asked when it would be possible to do another sleep study to determine if I need the CPAP or not anymore. She said that she would repeat the sleep study when I had lost about 100 pounds. 100 pounds! Really? Well, I guess I'm at least half way there.

I'm doing well on the Hot Summer Meltdown Challenge and the challenge at work. I have been visiting the fitness center at my apartment complex pretty often. I have also recorded some shows on the Fit TV channel and plan to check those out and do those in the comfort of my own home. I hope that I will find a show or an exercise that I love and will really want to do it. I keep hearing about Zumba and would like to try it. However, I am terribly uncoordinated and can't dance to save my life. That should be interesting. I'm going to try it at home first so that no one will laugh at me except my dog, Bruno. Wish me luck...

The Big 5 - 0!

2010-06-07T20:01:00.000-05:00

It's official...
I hit the big 5 - 0!
No, I'm not 50 years old, I lost 50 pounds!

Woo hoo! I am very excited and can't wait to reward myself with a pair of pretty new earrings. I will let you know which ones I get as soon as I figure that out. I can't wait for the next 50 pounds!

Fitness and Weight Loss Challenges

2010-06-02T20:12:00.001-05:00

The scale is toying with my emotions. My scale at home says great things. The scale at work says so so things. I don't know which to believe! I'm very close to the 50 pound mark and therefore I'm anxious to know exactly how much I've lost. My reward to myself for losing 50 pounds will be a nice pair of pretty earrings. I haven't chosen which ones yet, but am looking at a few on Etsy.

As you may know, I follow a bunch of other bloggers who have had weight loss surgery. Well, today I joined a little challenge put on by one of the other bloggers. It is is called the Hot Summer Meltdown Challenge and it runs from June 6th to August 1st. Those who want to take part donate $5 and the person who loses the largest percentage of their body weight by the end of the challenge wins the donated money in the form of a gift card to their favorite store. So far 33 people have accepted the challenge. That means one lucky person wins a $165 gift card! A very cool blogger made this cool little picture thingy.

I'm hoping I do really well. I have exercised two days in a row already. (Hey, that' s nearly a record for me!) I'm hoping I will do it so many days in a row that it will become a habit.

This challenge couldn't have come at a better time because I am also involved with the Wellness Committee at work and am a team leader in a fitness challenge.

As some of you may know, I am a Legal Assistant for the Texas State Board of Pharmacy. We license and regulate pharmacies, pharmacists, technicians, and technician trainees in the State of Texas. Anywho, we get a lot of complaints - complaints regarding arrests and criminal histories, dispensing errors, impaired pharmacists, etc. Our complaint resolution time is 211 days. That may seem like a long time, but we get thousands of complaints a year. Some take a long time to resolve, some don't.

So, the Wellness Committe at work created the Complaint Resolution Challenge to motivate employees to stay active. To begin, we were divided into various teams. (Here are the names of the teams - Aiding and Abetting (a pharmacist allowing a technician to work without being registered), Technician Employee Pilferage, Dispensing Error, No Counseling, Pharmacy Application (Owner DWI), Technician Application - Falsification of an Assault, Felony Possession of Marijuana, and Pharmacist Application with an out of state order.) My team is the Technician Application - Falsification of an Assault. I was hoping for the Felony Possesion group since I seem to work a lot with those. But I do have a number of falsification of assaults as well. The rules are to keep track of your physical activity starting Tuesday, June 1st. Each day during the week that you do at least 30 minutes of physical activity counts as a day. You will report your total "days" for the week to your team captain. The first team to 211 days will be the winner. Our executive director is very generous and is giving everyone who competes in the challenge two hours off and if your team wins, you get two more hours.

I'm hoping that my participation in the Complaint Resolution Challenge will also pay off in the Hot Summer Meltdown challenge too! Wish me luck!

I Think I'm Stuck

2010-05-31T14:53:00.000-05:00

I think I'm stuck. And it really sucks. I didn't get stuck on food, but on a pill. And not just a pill, a half a pill. I don't know what being stuck is supposed to feel like. What I'm feeling is really bad heartburn. Or maybe I do have really bad heartburn. Who knows? I did gag a couple of times but have not thrown up or anything. Man, this is a crappy feeling. I don't want to have to crush all my pills from now on, but I guess I will if I have to. Let's hope this feeling goes away soon.

In other news - I have noticed a bit of room in my bra lately. That's unusual. I got fitted for a new bra and found out that I had gone down one band size and TWO cup sizes! Maybe someday I will fit into a normal sized bra. At least I'm on my way!

2nd Fill Today

2010-05-26T14:03:00.000-05:00

Today I had my second fill. I really hate when the doctor presses down on my port! That's not exactly comfortable. But, I know it has to be done. So, now I'm at 6 ccs in a 10 cc band. I hope this fill gives me a lot more restriction. I've been eating a little more than I know I should, but still nothing compared to how much I ate before surgery. I also haven't really cheated either. Most of the protein shakes are sweet and I've been eating a little cup of 60 calorie pudding for dessert after most meals, so I don't really really want cookies or cakes or anything like that. I even made a cake and two dozen cupcakes last weekend for my friend's kid's birthday and didn't have one bite. Yea for me!

Tomorrow is my monthly support group meeting. I believe a plastic surgeon is coming to talk about various procedures that can be done after weight loss surgery. They are also doing a clothing exchange. Maybe I'll come home with some nice new clothes. Well, at least new to me!

2 Month Bandiversary!

2010-05-19T11:49:00.000-05:00

Today is my 2 month bandiversary! Wow! I can't believe it's already been two months! Here are my pictures from before, at 1 month, and now 2 months. It looks like I really like the purply pink color, huh?

Before (March 2010)

1 Month (April 2010)

2 Months (May 2010)

I can really tell a difference in my face from the before picture and the current picture. My doggy, Bruno stepped in the last picture, so I decided to take another with him.

Let's see... what has changed in the two months after surgery? Well, the biggest change is that I have lost a total of 47 pounds! Woo hoo!! I'm also eating a lot less and making better choices. I know that I need another fill because I'm still eating a bit more than I know I should. I'm working on exercising more too. I really hate exercising, so at least I'm trying. I've had to clean out my closet and sort my clothes into three categories - (1) fits now, (2) fits later, and (3) too big. I've bought a few new clothes but they were from WalMart or Avenue when they were having a super duper sale. I'm trying not to spend much money on clothes, especially since I already have some clothes for the next size or two down.

Well, I think that's about it for now. Until next time...

Deutschen Pfest 5K Pfun Run (and Walk)

2010-05-17T14:41:00.001-05:00

Yesterday I did the Pflugerville Deutschen Pfest 5K Pfun Run and Walk with two of my friends, Lana and Brandy. Let's just say that was an interesting experience. There seemed to be more people running than walking and we quickly started out in the back because we were walking the race. There was one guy behind us who must have dropped out or cut through the course to finish quicker, so we ended up the last ones. After a while we had a policeman in his car following us very, very slowly. I'm kind of surprised we didn't hear his siren go whoop, whoop! to move us along quicker. We were being silly jumping over orange cones and throwing water at each other. We finally finished... dead last and in just under 60 minutes. There were people lined up along the sidelines cheering us on and the announcer even announced our names as we got near the finish line. As they called my name I kissed my hand and waved to the crowd. It was thoroughly embarrassing, but I didn't know anyone besides my friends, so it didn't really matter.

Well, at least I did it. And it was my first 5K since my surgery. There will be more 5Ks in the future and I will definitely get better and faster. Perhaps I will start a tee shirt collection from all of the 5Ks that I do!

Here's a cute puppy that was standing in front of us at the starting line -

I just thought that was such a cute picture.

And here is Brandy, Lana, and I before the start of the race.

Thanks for walking with me Lana and Brandy! I love you guys!

Lookie what I got...

2010-05-13T19:54:00.000-05:00

Lookie what I got... a new ice cream maker! I know what you're thinking... "You just had Lap Band surgery, you can't have ice cream!" But I can! I can have protein ice cream. I know! Who would've thunk?

In my pre-surgery researching days I came across one of the best weight loss surgery blogs EVER! You must check it out -

http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/

Shelly (the blogger) has some of the best post surgery recipes out there. She is such a creative chef. She has tons of recipes for protein ice cream. The recipe is exactly the same as a protein shake. All you do is prepare your protein shake as usual and then dump it in the (previously frozen bowl of the) ice cream maker and turn it on. Right after I had surgery I used my sister's ice cream maker and made some. It was yummy.

Now I have a problem. Which flavor should I make first? Butter Pecan? Chocolate Peanut Butter? Mochachino Almond? Mexican Chocolate? Oh, the choices are endless! Check out Shelly's Protein Ice Cream page and let me know which one you think I should try first. The bowl is already in the freezer getting ready for protein ice cream tomorrow!

Click

2010-05-13T13:30:00.001-05:00

If you guys haven't heard of or tried Click protein powder yet, I implore you - go out and get some now! It is amazingly good! This is by far the best protein I have tried. If you love coffee, you will love Click! It tastes exactly like a Starbuck's frappuccino. There are two flavors - mocha and vanilla latte. I love both equally. The canisters aren't huge, but they are totally worth it. I ordered some a few weeks or maybe even a month ago, and I am running dangerously low. So, I had to order some more. I have a Click protein shake nearly every morning. Mmmm....yummy!

Friends Don't Let Friends Drink and Eat

2010-05-09T14:59:00.000-05:00

Life after weight loss surgery is different. There are many things that I will do differently from now on. For instance, I am not supposed to drink 30 minutes before I eat or 30 minutes after I eat. And I definitely can't drink while I eat. I found a fabulous video that explains the reason why. Please check it out.

The video and blog title are borrowed from http://formerfatdudes.com. Please check out Rob's website. He's got a lot of great stuff on there.

Whey Crisps

2010-05-04T19:10:00.004-05:00

I bought the coolest product the other day. It's called Whey Crisps.

They are tiny (hamster pellet-like) things that have loads of protein in just one scoop. They come in chocolate flavor (which I bought) and regular flavor. They are the exact same thing as protein powder, but crispy and in the shape of tiny pellets.

What do I plan on doing with them you ask? Well, I am planning on making my own protein bars, amongst other things. I see Whey Crispies Treats (rice krispies treats but with Whey Crisps) in my future as well. Mmmmm.

The Whey Crisps website also has some great recipe ideas for things like brownies, cake and cookies using the Whey Crisps. I think I'm going to have to get the regular flavor too and put them on my yogurt and use them for "breading" chicken breasts. (Obviously the chocolate flavored crisps are sweet, but I don't think the regular flavor is).

Some of the recipes on their website may need a little tweaking to make them better suited for weight loss surgery patients, but at least they give you a good idea of the possibilities. I haven't made anything with them yet, but will share recipes and photos when I do get around to using them. Check them out.... Whey Protein Crisps - Chocolate, Ready to Eat

Support Group

2010-05-01T09:39:00.005-05:00

I went to my support group on Thursday and it was very interesting. We had a representative from Bariatric Advantage there to talk about vitamins and give away free samples. What was really cool was that after the meeting a woman came up to me (God, help me I can't remember her name) and asked me some questions. She was planning on having Lap Band surgery in mid-May and wanted to know if I had any tips for her. I told her about some of the protein drinks that I liked and also recommended a loofah on a stick for bathing (y'all remember that post, right?). I think I talked my face off to her and was very excited because someone was asking me for advice and information - like I was a veteran! That's a different feeling. I also met a lady named Darlene who won the contest put on by Dr. Ganta in December for a free Lap Band surgery. I remember seeing her picture on the website as the winner. I was so excited for her and kept telling her that I couldn't believe she was the one who won. Another guy mentioned that he went swimming for the first time since having surgery and experienced something new. He had lost about 90 pounds and was now a pretty thin guy. He said when he was fat he would always float to the top and that now that he is thin he nearly sunk to the bottom of the pool! I have always been a floater too. I have never been able to dive to the bottom of the pool. I always thought that my boobs were built in flotation devices. So, I'm sure that will be an interesting experience when I get to that point!

First Fill Today!

2010-04-28T11:54:00.009-05:00

Today was my first fill! That was a interesting experience. I laid on the table and Dr. Ganta felt around on my belly for my port. I had no idea where my port was. I never really wanted to go poking around looking for it. I thought it was more on my left side. But instead, it is to the upper left of my belly button (from my view). He made me lift my legs up in the air a few times while he pushed around on my port. That was the part that was a little uncomfortable. Then he gave me a local to deaden the area. Then, thank God I can't see over my boobs to see what he was doing, he commenced to giving me my fill. I wasn't really interested in how or what he was doing. I just wanted it over with. But all in all, it didn't really hurt.

I asked him what size my band was and how much saline he had injected. He said that it was a standard 10 cc band and he had put 2 ccs in it at the time of surgery. He then added two more ccs today. So, I have a total of 4 ccs in a 10 cc band. I'm hoping that this will be pretty good as far as restriction goes. I guess I will find out when I am able to eat real food tomorrow!

On another note... as some of you may know, I work in downtown Austin. We see some strange people in Austin and it's just a usual occurrence. We have a transgender man who walks around in a thong and also ran for mayor. I have also seen a man dressed in a cow costume riding a bike. Today I saw a shirtless man on a bike with a cat on his shoulder. It makes you wonder what might happen if he had to stop suddenly or swerve! ...Only in Austin. That guy was definitely keeping Austin weird.

One Month Pictures

2010-04-25T20:35:00.006-05:00

It's been over a month since I was banded, so I'm a bit late on sharing pictures. But, better late than never. The picture on the left is my before picture, taken in early March, before my surgery. The picture on the right is my current picture, taken this morning. The scale was being crazy this morning, fluctuating all over the place, so I'm thinking that I've lost about 34-36 pounds since the beginning of March.

Can you see a difference? I can see a little difference in the pictures but I have also noticed a change in my clothes. They are either a little loose or too loose to wear. That is such a great feeling!

I have more pictures from front, back and both sides, but I'm still learning how to upload multiple pictures side by side. Perhaps next month you can see all three pictures side by side. I should get the hang of it by then!

One Fill... Coming Up

2010-04-25T17:56:00.005-05:00

I'm a few days away from my first fill and I can't wait. Well, I'm not excited about being stuck with a needle, but I know that's what I signed up for. Despite being hungry I have still been eating crazy small meals and taking my time eating. I'm trying to prepare myself for life from here on out.

I've been doing pretty well. I exercised quite a bit on Tuesday but then my back has been hurting ever since then. I have no idea what I could have done to make it hurt so bad. Despite the back pain I've lost a total of 34 pounds. Woo hoo!

I'm watching an episode of Intervention right now that I had recorded earlier in the week. It's about this girl that is anorexic and bulemic. She consumes about 24,000 calories a day! 24,000 calories! ...And then she purges. She weighs 92 pounds! Obviously, as an overweight person I have never understood bulemia. Of course I love the eating part, but there is no way that I could throw it all up. I hate throwing up.

Anywho, enought about that. Until next time...

Lap-Band 101

2010-04-22T12:49:00.002-05:00

For my friends and family who don't quite understand how the Lap-Band works, this post is for you. First of all, the name Lap-Band is kind of like how we say Kleenex or Xerox. It is a brand name. Not all bands are called Lap-Bands. You may have seen commercials on TV for the Realize Band. That is a different band and Realize is the brand name. The actual term for the surgery and the device is called Adjustable Gastric Band. But since most surgeons use the Lap-Band, most people just call it Lap-Band. Mine is a Lap-Band.

So, as to how it works... the Lap Band System Animation video at the top of this page describes it best.

And for those of you who don't know, I am scheduled for my first fill next week, on the 28th. After that I should be given the green light to move on to solid foods. Hallelujah!

Heart Rate Monitor Watch

2010-04-20T20:51:00.000-05:00

I bought the coolest thing the other day. It is a heart rate monitor watch but it can do damn near everything except make my coffee in the morning! Here are all of the things it can do-

• tell time (duh!)
• monitor heart rate
• keep track of laps and the total time spent doing laps
• count calories burned
• count fat burned
• calculate moving time (how long you have been up and about on your feet)
• determine average speed
• calculate distance
• track steps

This is perfect for when I exercise.

I haven't quite figured out how to use all of the features yet, but I will soon. In the meantime I just like pressing my two fingers on it to get my heart rate.

Here's a great website about target heart rates - American Heart Association.

Pants on the Ground

2010-04-19T11:19:00.007-05:00

A wonderful thing has been happening lately. My pants have gotten too big! The pants I have been wearing to work as well as jeans are now probably a size too big. The tipping point was the other day when I went to the bathroom and realized that I could pull my pants on and off without unbuttoning them. Yea! Now it's starting to feel like something is really happening. I'm sure I'll still wear them for a little bit longer unless I find that I have the next lower size in my closet. I can't wear them for too long because then I really will be looking like a fool with my pants on the ground!

I am so looking forward to buying new, smaller clothes. I'm also hoping I can get some cool clothes in a clothing swap too. I'm checking out my options as far as clothes swapping goes. If you know of any, please let me know!

I Love Cheese

2010-04-14T19:39:00.004-05:00

I was looking on this cool low carb website and found some good recipes that I can eat (once I start eating real food). Technically I am supposed to be on soft foods and liquids, not really solid foods. However, I am getting tired of eating this stuff and have ventured out a little. So far I have had a few fishsticks and a few meatballs (at separate times). They have gone down pretty easily with lots and lots of chewing. Anywho, I saw this recipe and decided to try it. Deb, from work also told me that a friend of hers did this too. All it is is some shredded cheese melted to a crisp on a plate (sprayed with cooking spray). I mean what can be better than melted, crispy cheese?

So, I threw some shredded cheese on a small plate and microwaved it until it looked crisp (a couple of minutes). The funny thing is that it came out heart shaped. I think it was a sign from God saying that cheese is good and that I would love this recipe. He was right! Check out my heart shaped cheese crisp-

Cherry Fage

2010-04-12T19:41:00.008-05:00

I have never liked yogurt. It is too tart and just plain old weird. But, in the spirit of changing my lifestyle, I am trying new things. I kept hearing about the wonders of Greek yogurt. So, I decided to give it a try. I thought I would like one that was sweeter so I tried some that were honey flavored. Nah, not a huge fan. Then I saw that they made some with cherries on the side. I thought "I like cherries. I suppose I should give it a whirl." So I did. And you know what? I like it. Of course my favorite part is the cherries, but it helps me get down the yogurt part. And it is really good for me considering it has 10 grams of protein, which I so desperately need. Anywho, if you're in the grocery store and want to see what I'm talking about, grab a container. It's pretty tasty. Here's what to look for -

You have to make sure to get the Fage (pronounced fah-yeh) brand. They also make some with strawberries, peaches, and honey. And if you go to the Fage website you can download a coupon for $.50 off.

There is a downside though. It's not exactly cheap. One container (one serving) is $2.19. I just spent $20 at H.E.B. yesterday to stock up. I think that I may get to the point where I will buy the big tub of the plain flavor and make my own cherry sauce. That might be better (and cheaper).

Update

2010-04-06T13:37:00.006-05:00

Things are going pretty well around here. I am just the tiniest bit sore now. I am able to wash myself without tongs, get out of bed by myself without slinking out of bed like a snake, and able to walk faster than a crawl. My incisions are almost completely healed. Well, the little ones are but the one big one is still working on it.

I went walking yesterday evening and felt pretty good. I walked a lot farther than I had intended. When I got home I mapped it and found out that it was almost 2 miles! And I didn't collapse!

Oh, and my baby, Bruno is back home! Yea! And no, he did not forget how to walk while at Granny's house. Somehow his muscles remembered what to do. He has yet to Riverdance on me. But in an effort to thwart any future Riverdancing, I now sleep with a pillow over my tummy. Look how excited he is to be home...

Chicken Enchilada Soup

2010-04-04T14:30:00.003-05:00

I have discovered a new love - Chicken Enchilada Soup from Chili's. My bestest friend, Erika turned me on to it late last week and now I am hooked. That was even my Easter meal. It tastes just like a chicken enchilada. It has chunks of chicken in it so I had to attack it with the boat motor (immersion blender) and shred the chicken. Here's what it looked like after the boatmotor -

Yum!

Happy Easter!

2010-04-04T12:09:00.002-05:00

Happy Easter to all my peeps!

Temptations

2010-03-31T21:05:00.003-05:00

Today was a day of temptations. There seemed to be good tasting (but bad for me) food everywhere. We had a birthday celebration at work today with two different cakes. I would have normally had a small slice of each. You know, you have to try them both! Then, I went to H.E.B. to grab a few things and it must have been sample day or something. They were giving out samples of Chicken Lo Mein, Strawberry Pie, and some other lovely goodies. Obvisously I refrained (as I can't eat solid food).

So, my goal is to eat 700 calories, 70 grams of protein and drink at least 64 ounces of water each day. I know it sounds crazy but I am struggling to reach that goal everyday. I think because of that I felt kind of wimpy and puny today. I guess it's time to chug some beefcake shakes. I've been feeling kind of hungry, but when I do eat I think I feel full. It's a totally new and different feeling. I'm currently on the full liquids phase but can also eat pureed food. I have been eating lots of soup lately. Central Market makes a lovely baked potato soup! I am scheduled for my first fill at the end of April, so it's lots of soup until then. I pureed some chili the other day and let me tell you - not quite right. Obviously the flavor is the same, but the texture is WEIRD. Perhaps I'll just put that chili in the freezer and save it for when I can have solid food. I can't wait for solid food. But then again, I'm going to have to learn how to eat all over again!

Back To Work

2010-03-30T19:37:00.004-05:00

Today was my first day back at work. It went pretty well and the soreness is getting less and less. I just move a little slower than usual.

Some lovely ladies at work gave me a goody bag filled with all sorts of stuff as well as lots of words and cards of encouragement.

Thank you guys! I am so grateful for your support!

Surgery Day Photos

2010-03-29T11:43:00.011-05:00

Here are some photos that Lisa snapped with her phone on the day I had surgery. The first one is pre-surgery. She wanted to get one from a few minutes before where I had a hot blanket around my head. They did that to warm me up so they could find a vein. They found one, took off the blanket and Lisa was left with this picture.

The other picture is me after the surgery. I was really quite doped up in this picture and wanted to lay back in bed, but they wouldn't let me. I sat in that wheelchair for about an hour and drifted in and out of sleep while waiting for the radiologist to read my x-ray. Pretty, huh?

When the nurses were prepping me for surgery there was a lady next to me who was having her breasts enlarged. Lisa whispered to me what would happen if they confused me with the lady next to me. Oh, no. That would not be good!

Soreness, No Infection, & Beefcake Shakes

2010-03-26T10:25:00.004-05:00

I'm still feeling pretty sore today too. I think Dr. Ganta punched me in the ribs when I was knocked out. For some reason I am still having shooting pains in my left side in the rib area. Funny thing is there is no incision there. I have no idea why this area hurts. He said that most people aren't sore at this point but for some it takes a few more days. Of course I would be the exception.

Yesterday I went to Dr. Ganta's office because I thought one of my incisions was infected. It was kind of red and puffy looking. He took off my steri-strips, cleaned the big incision and said that he didn't think it was infected. Thank God! He gave me a prescription for some antibiotics just in case.

I told him that I had been doing the clear liquids part of my post-op diet and that it really sucked. I asked him if I could move on to the full liquids phase, which includes the protein shakes and soup, and he said yes! Yea! No more broth! I went home and had a peanut butter and chocolate protein shake for dinner. It was pretty tasty.

Today Lisa and I are having a day of pampering. We are getting our hair cut and she is treating me to my very first facial. I can't wait to see what that is like.

Tong Bath

2010-03-24T15:52:00.005-05:00

I started typing this one on Wednesday but never finished typing it or posting it. So, here it is...

Today was actually a little different... I had to wake up early and go back to my apartment because Lisa had to go into the office today for meetings and plus the maids were coming, so we had to get out of their way. So, I went back to my apartment.

On a side note... I didn't tell y'all the other day that in order for me to take a shower by myself (and spare Lisa the horror) I needed something like a sponge on a stick in order to get to the places I couldn't reach. Lisa went to Walgreens and didn't exactly find a sponge on a stick, but rather found a brush on a stick and a long loofah thingy. So, using her MacGyver-like skills, Lisa attached the loofah thing onto the stick brush with cable ties. And voila! I had a sponge on a stick. It wasn't pretty, but it worked fairly well.

Anywho, I forgot to bring that to my apartment today in order for me to take a shower. So, I used my MacGyver-like skills and used the loofah thingy that I already have at home and held it with some tongs. Yep, I said tongs. Kitchen tongs. How ingenious am I? Yeah, well, you gotta do what you gotta do.

Stupid Gas

2010-03-22T19:48:00.005-05:00

Today started off well - I was able to get out of bed all by myself today! I nearly fell out of bed, but I made it. My sister was amazed to hear me up and about in the morning, considering I had to yell for her to help me out of bed yesterday.

Later on in the day I finally took a shower! I also had to take my bandages off. I didn't really want to do that. But there are still steri-strips underneath the bandages. So, I have five incisions all around the upper part of my belly. One is about an inch or so long. I don't like looking at it. But I suppose they look pretty good as far as incisions go.

The big thing today is the stupid gas pains that I am having. I was told this would happen. It is terribly uncomfortable. Also, they told me that walking would make it go away. So far that hasn't worked, but I keep on trying. I also had some lovely heartburn yesterday too. It's almost like my body is revolting.

Eating isn't really fun right now. Hell, I don't even think you can call it eating! I have been having about a half cup of beef broth for each meal or so. I'm already getting sick of it. I tried some chicken broth and it wasn't very good. Perhaps it was the fact that it was free range, organic broth. Perhaps I like my chickens cooped up, not running around free on the range. Who knows? Lisa got me a can of chicken noodle soup this evening and she blended the heck out of the noodles with this handheld blender thing that looks like (and she calls) a boat motor. I only had about a half a cup, but it beat the hell out of some beef broth. I'm supposed to be on clear liquids for two weeks, so I probably shouldn't have had the chicken and noodles so soon, but I don't think I can take broth much longer. I actually can't wait until I can drink my beefcake shakes!

As for Bruno, my dad reports that my mom carries him around the house darn near all the time. It's quite possible that all four of his legs will atrophy from non-use! Talk about spoiled!

I would like to thank all of you who have called, emailed, texted, or commented here on my blog. Thank you all for your well wishes and support!

I Survived!

2010-03-20T17:18:00.003-05:00

Well, I made it. I'm pretty darn sore though.

Yesterday was the big day. My sister, Lisa was there with me all day and she wrote this play-by-play as things progressed -

[0545 – arrive and ready to check in

0700 – officially check in after running back to K’s house

0800 – K went into surgery

0943 – Dr. Ganta advised the surgery went well and K’s in recovery, nothing out of the ordinary, no complications

1105 – nurse came in to get K’s glasses since they are having her get up/around and she advised that it would be about another ½ hour before I could go back

1144 – asked for a status and went back to visit her in recovery, they are waiting on feedback from the radiologist from her xray

1200 – called all the old people (parents) with a status update

1225 – xray was clear and went back to hang with K

1252 – Green light heading out]

We made it home and I went right back down. I had a lovely little nap, took some more drugs and went walking around the neighborhood with Lisa.

I slept like a baby at night but getting up in the morning was another story. I had to have Lisa stand on the bed on top of me and pull me up. You should have heard the Tourette's I had this morning as Lisa was pulling me up! I was really sore!

I haven't been doing much besides taking my drugs, eating broth, walking around the neighborhood (very slowly) and napping. That's about all I can handle at this point. I can't wait until this soreness goes away!

Shakes

2010-03-17T21:31:00.003-05:00

After reading numerous blogs and forums about protein shakes, I went out and bought a Cooks 5-in-1 Power Blender from JC Penney last week to make my protein shakes. It is just like a Magic Bullet but half the price. It works pretty well so far to make frozen shakes in a single serving size.

I have been experimenting with protein shakes lately. I know that they will become a big part of my life after surgery, so I am trying to get into the groove now. They're actually pretty good. Of course, chocolate is my favorite flavor. There are all kinds of flavors out there - chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, banana, caramel latte, chocolate mint, cookies & cream, Dutch chocolate, summer melon, peanut butter cookie, ice cream sandwich, cinnamon cappuccino, and chocolate peanut butter fudge, to name a few. I haven't tried all of them, but plan on it to find some that I really like. I have been pleased with the whey protein in chocolate flavor from GNC. It's pretty good and I've made a lot of shakes out of it already. For lunch today I had a chocolate bliss flavored shake from Chike. It was really quite chocolaty. I used a Blender Bottle to make my shake at work. It is an awesome little contraption and worked really well. I can see myself using it for drinks on the go. I only have one. I may have to buy more! I also went to World Market the other day and got a number of sugar free syrups that I can squirt into my shakes to jazz them up a little bit. So far I have mixed the chocolate protein powder from GNC with Almond Roca, Irish Cream, and Caramel flavored syrups. Yum, yum!

T-Minus 2 Days and Counting

2010-03-17T12:04:00.010-05:00

Holy crap! Friday is almost here.

I went to Dr. Ganta yesterday for my pre-op appointment. (By the way - I've lost a total of 10 pounds on the pre-op diet. Woo hoo!) He reviewed all of the testing I had done, examined my belly, and said I was ready for surgery on Friday. Oh my God, it's really happening! I am so nervous now. I know that this is what I want to do, but it's the surgery part that freaks me out. Incisions kind of gross me out. I know, I'm a weiner. At this point I just want it to be over and be on the other side.

I went to pick up my CPAP today. I am now the proud owner of a pig nose with head gear. What do you think? Gorgeous, isn't it?

Oh well, whatever keeps me alive in the middle of the night and helps me sleep. I just hope it's fairly comfortable and I can get used to it.

Tomorrow I am taking Bruno to San Marcos to meet up with my mom so that she can babysit him while I recover. I would love to have him around, but he "Riverdances" on my stomach when I'm asleep and he needs to go outside. I can't have Michael Flatley, Lord of the Dance, Riverdancing around on my incisions. I will miss him but will get him next weekend when I go to visit my parents.

Tomorrow is the day before surgery and all I can have is clear liquids all day. And I can't have anything red in color (apparently it looks like blood?). I can have broth, tons of water, sugar free popsicles, juice and Jell-O. I hope drinking a ton of water will make me feel full. And so with tomorrow being all liquids - today is my last day of solid food for a while. Good bye solid food. I will miss you.

Breathing and Sleeping

2010-03-13T19:32:00.002-06:00

On Thursday I went to the hospital to do my breathing tests as requested by the pulmonologist. I had to sit in this weird bubble-type thing and blow into a hose while some lady cheered me on and told me what to do. She said my lungs looked pretty good!

On Friday I went back to the pulmonologist and he read my breathing tests. He said everything was good and he approved me for surgery. Yea! One more test down.

Also, I went back to the sleep medicine doctor and she read my sleep study. It turns out that I have sleep apnea. Lovely. I have to call some medical supply place on Monday to go get fitted for a CPAP mask and all that good stuff. Well, at least I should get a good night's sleep once I start wearing it.

More Appointments

2010-03-13T11:26:00.001-06:00

March 10, 2010

Today I had an appointment in the morning with the pulmonologist. He asked some questions about my history, listened to me breathe, and scheduled a follow up appointment for Friday. He said he didn’t think there would be any reason why he wouldn’t approve me for surgery. Yea! In the meantime I have to go to the hospital to get some breathing tests done. That’s up tomorrow.

Then, in the afternoon, I met with the psychologist for my psychological evaluation. She was very nice and we talked for about an hour and a half. At the end she said that she didn’t see any reason not to clear me for surgery. She thinks I have a great support system and will work hard to stay on track and be successful. Yippee!

Pig Nose Attached To Head Gear

2010-03-13T11:23:00.004-06:00

March 8, 2010

Well, I survived my first weekend of pre-op dieting. I definitely couldn’t live like this for long. I have been pretty hungry but I’m trying to get used to the empty tummy feeling. I’ve been doing my protein shakes and snacking on cheese. Thank God for cheese! I had a very tasty chocolate and peanut butter shake the other day. It tasted like a real milkshake. That recipe is a keeper!

My sleep study got moved up to last night. That was an experience. I have never been hooked up to so many things and had so many wires sticking out of my head and body. The sleep study technician, Susan, was really nice though. When I first got there she fitted me with a couple of CPAP masks in case it was determined that I had sleep apnea so she could put one on me in the middle of the night. Then she hooked me up with all the wires. There were about 15 wires attached to my head, two on each leg, one on my left side, a few on my chest, a few on my face, and a few on my neck. Oh, and some thing in my nose. Then I had a pulse monitor on my finger too. If you were guessing, yes, it was difficult to sleep with all of those wires. It took me a while to fall asleep and then I don’t recall much before Susan woke me up to tell me that she needed to put the CPAP on me. CRAP! I have sleep apnea. So, I put on the mask that covers my nose and mouth. I could breathe easier on that one but it woke me up a few times because I heard air leaking out near my chin. Then, about 4:00 a.m., I decided to try the other CPAP that only goes somewhat into your nose and doesn’t cover your mouth. I think this one looks like a pig nose attached to head gear. Very attractive! I breathed well on it but it is the weirdest feeling when you try to open your mouth or talk. Apparently I eventually fell asleep and Susan woke me up at 7:00 a.m. to disconnect me from all the wires. Then I had to go home and wash my hair because of all the goop left stuck to my head. I think I got it all out.

Here's a picture of the nice room that I did my sleep study in. That matress was sooooo comfortable!

Oh, and the good news… I weighed my self at the sleep doctor’s office and I had lost 8 pounds since I was there last Wednesday! I’ve told a few people and they are amazed. I told them “yeah, if you were starving you would lose weight too!”

I’m heading to the Brandi Carlile concert tonight in Helotes. Woo hoo! Too bad I can’t drink beer at the concert. Boooo!

Next up… the pulmonologist and psychologist on Wednesday.

Hungry

2010-03-13T10:57:00.001-06:00

March 5, 2010

Today is the first day of my pre-op diet. It’s 10:30 a.m. and I’m already hungry. I had a pretty yummy Unjury protein shake this morning that I made with a borrowed Magic Bullet from Jessica at work. Now I’m drinking some lemonade Crystal Light. It’s a little funky.

Also, today was not the best of days to begin drinking 64+ ounces of water today. The bathrooms on my floor at work crapped out. Actually every floor in our tower is affected. So, if I have to go, I have to trek it all the way to another area of the building. Well, I guess it’s exercise at least.

Pre-Op Diet

2010-03-13T10:56:00.000-06:00

March 4, 2010

I start my pre-op diet tomorrow. I am so nervous. I might need to go to the grocery store and get some Atkins frozen dinners or something. I’m stocked up on sugar free pudding, popsicles, Jell-O, broth and soup for after the surgery but I didn’t realize I would need so much more meat for the pre-op diet. Off to H.E.B.!

Sleep Apnea?

2010-03-13T10:50:00.000-06:00

March 3, 2010

I called the person for the psychological evaluation and the message said that she’s not accepting new patients. Hmmmm. I left a message and asked her if she had time for a one time visit or if she suggested someone else. Haven’t heard back so far…

Today I had an appointment with the sleep medicine doctor. That was interesting. It sounds like I may very well have sleep apnea. Great. Just what I needed. Another medical condition. Anyway, the doctor believed I probably do have sleep apnea just based on what I told her. I have a sleep study scheduled for March 13th.

I pigged out this past weekend at Fogo de Chao and also had pizza and breadsticks with my girlfriends yesterday. I know I should feel like it is my last supper, but I can’t help it. It sure was tasty though!

Tests, Tests, and More Tests

2010-03-13T10:49:00.000-06:00

March 2, 2010

So, I have to have extensive testing done to get cleared for surgery. I am able to get insurance to pay for it if I have referrals from my primary physician. Here’s what I have to do: a bunch of bloodwork, a chest x-ray, EKG, sleep study, pulmonary function test, psychological evaluation, and of course, have my primary physician’s clearance.

Yesterday I met with my primary physician to get referrals to do all of the pre-op testing that is required. I had an EKG in the office, and was then referred out for blood work and a chest x-ray.

I’ve also been calling around to make appointments for a sleep study, pulmonary function test and psychological evaluation. Holy crap, I’m gonna go broke with all these tests.

Support Group

2010-03-13T10:48:00.002-06:00

February 25, 2010

Tonight I went to a support group at for patients of Dr. Ganta’s. I had a really good time. I met some people that had surgery a couple of years ago, a month ago, and even a week ago. It was very insightful. This one lady really cracked me up. She had just had surgery last week and was saying that she wanted some pizza. She said she didn’t want to eat it, she just wanted to lick it! I can see myself being in that same situation. We’ll find out. The next support group meets one week after my surgery.

Pre-Diabetic

2010-03-13T10:48:00.001-06:00

February 16, 2010

Today I had an appointment with my primary physician. I had recently had some bloodwork done to test my thyroid, which is usually an ongoing problem. She had also checked my Hemoglobin A1c, which determined that I was pre-diabetic. That was not what I wanted to hear. Hearing that only solidified my decision to get the Lap Band. I definitely don’t want to end up a diabetic. After that I told her about my decision to get the Lap Band. She was very supportive of that idea. She said that she was going to put me on Metformin but decided not to since I told her I was having Lap Band surgery.

The Beginning of Beekcake Powder

2010-03-13T10:33:00.003-06:00

February 15, 2010

Today I had an appointment at Dr. Ganta’s office. I had a nutrition and exercise consultation with Emily and Pamela. Emily explained what I would be able to eat after the surgery as well as the two week pre-operative diet. The pre-op diet consists of a high protein, low carbohydrate diet which is meant to reduce the fat on my liver. This makes it easier for the surgeon since he has to pick up the liver to get to the stomach. My post-operative diet is liquid for the first two weeks after surgery, then pureed foods for weeks 3-4. Then, after that, soft foods for a while. And finally, real food again.

I learned that protein is a very important part of the diet of a Lap Band patient. Since Lap Band patients eat such small meals, they aren't always able to get all of the protein that their body needs. Therefore, they drink protein shakes; or as I call them - beefcake shakes (it's from an episode of South Park). I told Emily that I called it beefcake powder and she absolutely loved it. (Now I am known around the office as the beefcake powder girl.)

I also met with Pamela, a gastric bypass patient of Dr. Ganta’s. She also did my exercise consultation. She had surgery about 18 months ago. She weighed about what I weigh now and is now a size 10. She looks awesome. And she had the surgery when she was 60 years old! She was very nice and offered to exercise with me if I ever need a buddy for motivation. It was nice that she did the exercise consultation because she has been in my shoes and understands what is it like to be my size.

They also offered me a lovely discount if I decided to self-pay. I planned to use insurance, believing that my insurance would cover the procedure in September, but I decided to call ERS (Employees Retirement System) and Blue Cross Blue Shield to make sure the surgery would be covered in September. I didn’t get the answer I wanted. Someone at ERS told me that the Legislature had passed a bill last session that allowed ERS to research the idea of finding a way to cover weight loss surgery in a cost-effective way. They expect to have the results of the research in September, then they would present the results to the Legislature next year when they meet. When the Legislature meets around this time next year, there is no guarantee that they will approve the coverage. Last month we got an email about how the state is experiencing a $148 million shortfall for employee healthcare. They were talking about raising co-pays and deductibles and things of that nature. I think that if they are that short, there is no way in hell they will approve weight loss surgery for state employees. And even if they did decide to cover it, it probably wouldn’t be available until September 2011 at the earliest. So, that’s how I came to the decision to pay for the surgery out of pocket and accept their lovely discount.

Consultation with Dr. Ganta

2010-03-13T10:32:00.000-06:00

February 5, 2010

Today I had a consultation with Dr. Ganta and we talked about which surgery I preferred. I told him that I had originally planned on the Lap Band and since the informational seminar, I was still dead-set on the Lap Band. Since I planned on going the insurance route I needed to show proof of a 3 or 6 month medically supervised weight loss program. He suggested that I use their services because they are accustomed to the requirements of various insurance companies. So, I scheduled an appointment with the nutritionist and exercise consultant.

Lap Band! Woo hoo!!

2010-03-13T10:29:00.002-06:00

I finally decided to get a Lap Band!

In early January I went to an informational seminar at the office of Austin Institute of Bariatrics and Laparoscopy. Dr. Ganta, the surgeon, conducted the seminar himself. He explained all of the different procedures and answered a ton of questions regarding the procedures. After the seminar I spoke with Dr. Ganta, and gave him my information so that his staff could call me and set up a consultation. They called the next day. I believed that my insurance was going to start covering the procedure come September, so I figured there was no big rush and scheduled my consultation for February 5th.