Gastric Banding Surgery: 2nd Adjustment & Shopping

I had a 2nd adjustment on September 26th.  I had only lost 2 pounds in the last 2 weeks and I knew that I've been eating too much.  Mark went with me to my New U appointment and watched the RN do the adjustment.  I have never watched, I don't like needles.

Shopping trip on September 28th at Macy's in the City Creek Mall in Salt Lake City, Utah.

 

  

I went to the third floor to the large women's section.  When the 0x were fitting just fine, I decided to go to the regular women's clothes section and try on the XL size clothes.  But, I discovered that the clothes in regular women's covered the ENTIRE 2nd floor of the store.  Holy cow, I couldn't find  anything on sale.  I had found a dress that I liked, but couldn't find pants and was about to give up and leave when I asked a sales clerk for assistance.  She was so kind, and helped me find just the right clothes.  She found a cardigan to go with my dress and then found 3 styles of pants in 4 different sizes, since I had not shopped for new pants since my surgery.

 

 

Gastric Banding Surgery: New U appointment on September 12th

It has been 3 months since my last appointment at New U.  I haven't been in Idaho Falls on a Thursday for 3 months!

My weight loss was only 4 pounds - way to little for 3 months, well that is my opinon.  But they encouraged me.

I have been excited to wear clothes that I haven't been able to fit into since 2011.  A dress that I almost waited too long to wear,

( my upper hand is holding the edge of the fabric that goes way past the center where it should button)

and a pair of capris that I don't even have to unzip to pull them down.  I love feeling thinner, but then I see a picture of myself, and I still look so FAT!

And I've grown tired of trying to keep track of how much I weighed the morning of surgery, how much I weighed when I started the liver shrinking diet before surgery, and how much my highest weight was this year.  So my weight loss numbers are just going to be from my highest weight in January of this year.  So here it is..........I weigh 50 pounds less than I did in January!

Feeling Sick

I've had a couple times that I've felt really sick after I started to eat.  I think I was eating too fast or was it that I tried to eat one of my favorite old foods: french fries.  I would gag and spit for over an hour and feel horrible.  It happened on July 6th and then again one day in August.

New U appointment on June 6th

My weight loss in the last 3 weeks was only 2 pounds.  However,  the nutritionalist soon pointed out that I've been "stress" eating.   She asks a lot of questions to determine how things are really going. I have really been feeling overwhelmed and ate more than I should have. I had thought they would do an adjustment today,  but she decided I didn't need one.  If the band gets too tight-you start throwing up and feel really sick.  And since I am flying far away to my daughter's home in Indiana,  she didn't want to take the chance. Here are the goals we set:
1. Keep a food diary
2. Use my lap band portion plates (which I forgot to pack)
3. Get hard candies for times when I feel stressed.
4. Focus on drinking 64 ounces a day.
My exercise counselor wants me to
1. Get 10, 000 steps a day
2. Use my band to do strength exercises.  I packed the band, but forgot the list of exercises.

Annual Physical

Every year I have a physical exam with my primary care physician. Mostly because I have to have one every year to be a Boy Scout leader. So on June 3rd my doctor was thrilled with the progess I've made.  I was there in January and the difference in my weight was 38 pounds less!  I got encouragement from her for losing the weight slowly instead of what I hear from my husband and kids; "You should be doing better" etc. I am feeling healthier,  I just have a long road ahead of me

First adjustment on May 16th

Well, I'm a little behind on making posts. My first adjustment was a little weird.  The RN first withdrew all the fluid into a syringe so she would have an extact measurement of how much fluid was in the band. Then she put it all back in plus a little more. It was easier than I had expected.

May 11

My daughter graduated from Idaho State University today.   I didn't get to wear an outfit that I wanted to wear because I'm still too fat.

I have had no weight loss the last 30 days.

But I do have a problem.    I was hiking on Tuesday, the 7th.  After mile 4 my large incision/port area started to cause me pain.  I hiked again Wednesday and Thursday.   I had to hike holding my fat stomach as still as possible with my arm and hand. It is still causing me a lot of pain today.

It's tough

Well, last night I tried to eat my first home grilled hamburger.  Oh man, we were at a friend's home and I don't know what I did, not chew long enough, or what, but I wasn't even half way through the hamburger when I had to run to the bathroom.  I actually threw up some food, and choked, and spit, and it hurt. 

I went shopping today.  I can't even buy a smaller pair of pants, so I didn't buy any.  I am so SICK of being fat!

On the side of trying to be positive; Last week I had 3 people tell me they could tell I've lost a lot of weight and that I'm looking good.

New U appointment on April 11th

I had an appointment at the New U.  They were thrilled with the progress I am making. I told them the things my son says to me and they said that they ought to have him come and inspire others on our monthly support meetings:)  He has been tough on me, but it helps. They have not done any band adjustment since the surgery.

31 POUNDS LOST SINCE THE SURGERY!

I do have to say I had a BAD experience last night.  I had only had a protein shake the whole day, I was babysitting, and my husband picked up some beef brisket.  I ate it too fast, when means I should have chewed on it until you are sick of chewing on it.  I was in so much pain.  I burped and spit for quite awhile.  Although I did not throw up any food.  I really doesn't make me want to go to that much effort to eat beef brisket again.  Although later while my daughter was eating, I took small bites and chewed forever, and it was OK.

I have had to do some sewing on my pants to adjust the waist, but those hips of mine don't seem to be making any progess :(

I did make that chart I talked about in my last post.  What become obvious quickly is:
#1 worst problem: not drinking 64 ounces of water a day
#2 not getting enough protein each day

And I got the creamy bites calcium supplements ordered.  I wish they would get here soon.

Slow progress

I am making progress, but it is really slow. 
Since I wrote last; I finally told my youngest daughter about my surgery.  I was waiting until she noticed that I was losing a lot of weight, but she never did.  She was home for sring break, and delivered a long lecture to me about how she has no patience with fat people.  She has no sympthy for them because they brought their health problems upon theirselves. I told her on Easter Sunday.

 My son chewed me out yesterday about not doing better on my diet.  So I felt that I should read over the materials they gave me at the New U program.  I will be posting information below that I am reviewing.  But first, how have I progressed so far?

Total weight loss this year:
34.5 pounds
My weight at the beginning of the liver shrinking diet which started 2 weeks before the surgery.
And by the way, the last time I weighed this much was way back on July 27, 2008!

Total weight loss since the surgery:
29 pounds

Diet per day Rules:
Drink 64 oz. fluids
Eat 3 meals, no snacks.  Chew each bite 20-25 times.  Eat slowly.
Eat 60g. Protein.  Include a low-fat protein in every meal.  Eat the protein part of your meal first.

I think I'll make a chart to use each day.

Slow learner

I seem to be a slow learner.  I ate my yummy lunch way too fast.  It hurt!  I had to stop eating, and didn't even finish the small amount on my plate.                                
 I finally started to exercise with my daughter Nancy on March 14th.  And I felt healed from the surgery.

First 30 Days

No more weight loss.

No weight loss

I am discouraged.  I am not losing weight.   It seems like I hardly eat anything.   I am not drinking 64 oz. of water a day, so I need to do better on that. I tried to wear jeans on Tuesday but the jeans irritated the iincisions that are still healing.   I went for a nice walk today in the sunshine with Nancy's family in the snow.

First bad nausea

I hope I learned a lesson today. I had not eaten today.  And I was in the SLC airport so I had limited choices.
I bought a chicken wrap.  I ate too fast, and I ate too much.  It hurt and I really had to fight throwing up. I had to lay down on my back.

I am feeling extreme weakness today.

Interesting discovery

I realized something interesting about chocolate on Sunday.
Whenever I have an argument with my husband,  I can eat endless amounts of chocolate,  easily eating 1 pound of candy bars. ...NOT ANYMORE!  

After arguing with my husband  felt the emotional habit of eating chocolate. I dished up a half cup of sugarless ice cream and put chocolate syrup over it. I took 2 small bites and didn't want anymore.

Then I  mixed up another old favorite: some brownie mix stirred up with a little bit of water.  I also ate 2 bites if it and through the rest away.

Late Sunday evening I was visiting my daughter Katie and she offered me a cookie: chocolate no bake.  Shortly after eating it,  I began to have shoulder pains which I tried to massage away. It wasn't until the next day that I made the connection; at my one week appointment I talked to the surgeon about my shoulder pain.   He told me that the first 2 days the shoulder pain is from the gas they put inside during surgery and that after the first 2 days it is referred pain from the stomach.

In February I lost 23 pounds

My total weihtloss for February is 23 pounds.  My friend Patty noticed that my face is looking thinner.  It was nice to hear something nice.

Happy Day

I am so happy today. I am feeling better. It doesn't hurt hardly at all to move around. The shoulder pain is gone! Hip, hip hooray. I can bend over better already, (since before the surgery), a sign of good things to come :) I went out to my hot tub this afternoon. The few pounds I've lost are making a difference. I felt better about putting on a swim suit. Oh, and another nice thing: On Sunday evening, my son-in-law noticed that my face was looking thinner.

Friday, February 23rd -24th

On Friday we traveled to Island Park for a beautiful, snowy weekend at the cabin. By 4:30pm I was feeling extreme exhaustion . All I did was change the sheets on our cabin bed and cleaned out my side of our bedroom closet. So Now I'm laying on Uncle Charlie's bed (which we are using while he is in Texas). The boy Scout's cooked bacon at every meal. Who doesnt love the smell of frying bacon. I gave in on Friday and chewed one bite forever. I ate tiny pieces of bacon into my oatmeal on Saturday and just put it in the blender with my oatmeal on Sunday. On Friday I felt extreme fatigue again - trying to do too much I think. 11pm. Back in bed feeling exhausted. On Saturday I was disappointed to be too weak to go Cross County skiing with the group. I don't have my life back yet, sad.

First Breakfast

My surgery was done through a program which our hospital calls, A New U.  Today is our "First Breakfast" meeting.  Up until now, I have only had clear liquids.

My "First Breakfast" was a chocolate slim fast, it tasted great!  I got my food planning for the next month and received exercises to do with a band.  Then I had my last appointment with the surgeon.

It's official:  I have a 22 pound weight loss this month!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

One Week later!!!

The official one week later weigh in (on my home scale):

TA DA!!!!!!!!!

18 POUND LOSS!!!!!!!!

The last time I weighed this much was on September 27, 2010.

I am so EXCITED and HAPPY!!!!!!

I was feeling so great that I went to my Fit for Life class, which is basically lifting weights and yoga.  It lasts 1 hour and 15 minutes.  I did not do the stomach crunches.  I stopped at Deseret Book, a small store, and when I arrived home (2 1/2 hours total time), I was extremely exhausted.  I missed a 1:00pm lecture class I was planning on going to.  I did make it took a class at 4:30pm, and another meeting which spoke at at 7pm.  I got home at 9pm and went straight to bed.

Tuesday, February 19th

I want to blog my progess so I can easily see my journey.

Today I have slight shoulder pain - Still.

I took my dog Samson for a walk down by the river.  Thanks goodness I could just let him off of his leash, I can't walk as fast as he does..... yet.

It is still painful to bend, but it is getting better.

But by 6pm, I was having A LOT of shoulder pain again :(

Usually 4-5 small incisions

 I DON'T call my incisions small. The incision where the port was put in, is 2 inches long.
The first picture is taken on February 20th.

 

This is the 2 inch incision, picture taken February 17th

THE JOURNEY BEGINS

I had Gastric Banding Surgery on the morning of February 13, 2013.

Here are some of reasons I had to go through with it:
This picture I took of myself on February 7th:

  

And a bad picture of my backside at a party in December 2012.

The bumbling nurse at the hospitalin the Surgical Holding area couldn't get the IV started properly.
The first time she tried it in the back of my left hand.

The second time she tried was in the middle of my lower left arm.  It hurt really bad.  She quit trying and wen to get another nurse.