It's interesting how life has settled in to a whole new routine and way of living since my surgery. I notice similar changes in a  lot of people who I "know" from here. I was so obsessed with reading and posting and checking in even several times per day. Now that surgery has come and gone, I spend my time out living in a whole new way and rarely come here to OH anymore. Not that that's good or bad, just different. My focus is so outward now as I feel so much better about myself, life, my health, and others around me. Life is good.

My weight loss has settled into a routine also. I will go three or four weeks with no change in my weight, but I get smaller a bit at a time over those weeks. I can tell from how my clothes fit that I'm shrinking. Then, as happened today, I will weigh during my weekly weigh-ins and I will have lost up to eight pounds all at once. This has been the only consistent part of my loss. I can't explain it, and I'm sure my NP or my nutritionist can, but I don't care. I've gotten over disappointment and frustration about not losing every week because I know one weigh in will come and I'll be way down into another "decade" of weight. I hung right over 200 lbs for weeks then all of a sudden, I was 197. I stayed there for weeks then hit 193. I would gain a pound then lose that a couple of times over the weeks too. Then, suddenly, today I am 186 after being 194 last Friday. Has anyone else experienced this too? It just seems my body won't want to let go of it then suddenly, bam, it's gone. I feel so satisfied. I've lost a total of 53 lbs now over 9 months - 40 of it since surgery. wahoo!

I'm enjoying see everyone's progress photos. I'll get mine up when I can. i haven't looked at them collectively yet...I'm procrastinating but I don't know why. Perhaps I don't want to see where I was and I know I'm not at goal yet...I'm about half way there so maybe I'll look then. Don't know...I will have to think about that.

Best to you all....what a ride this is! Sending good thoughts to everyone. :)

L.

Quick update....

Had my second fill on July 1st. They added .5 for a total of 5.0 in my band. The nutritionist feels I am very near, if not at, my sweet spot. Hopefully, a steady loss will now begin. Since my first fill on May 28th, I've lost and gained and lost again, but she indicates our bodies try to adjust to how they used to be and our metabolisms just freak out.

Good news is my blood sugars are pretty consistantly in the normal range. Fasting and post meals are anywhere between 90 and 120. Wahoo!! I feel SO much better, my memory is better and I have lots of energy. This is great as I just started my new job as a property broker so it's nice to feel good while working and learning so much.

Still bagging up clothes to share with those who are shinking also. Finally gave in and hit the vintage/resale store to rent more clothes for awhile. I say rent as I don't really get to own them for too long. Some jeans I bought a month ago are now clown size on me so into the bag they went and off to the store I went to retain some new ones. Yay!!

Happy 4th to all...I'll be eating a few bites of a hamburger patty and maybe some cole slaw. Don't eat much now which is fine with me!!

xoxox Lori

It’s now been 7 weeks since surgery. I could write for days about the changes and experiences that I have encountered in these few weeks, but I have lots of stuff to do today, so I’ll keep it brief.

 I’ve now lost a total of 30 pounds. 23 of which in the last nine weeks – about 7 in the two weeks before surgery and 16 since.  I had my first fill on Monday, at my 6 week post op. They added 1.5 to the 3.0 that they put it at surgery. I can’t really say that I’ve hit my “sweet spot,” but I’ve lost 5 lbs since Monday (it’s now Saturday). Wow!!  I couldn’t believe my eyes when I was on the scale this morning. I weigh only once per week so as not to become discouraged, but this was the best one yet! I could tell something was happening because pants I wore last week were even more baggy. Oh well…off  they go to the “sharing bag” that I keep in my closet to share with those who are on the same journey. I love being able to share my clothes and hopefully encourage others who are going through this.

 I haven’t shopped for any clothes yet. I’m a bit apprehensive, as I know it will be weird to find a size to start with. I am wearing anything from 16s to 20s that are in my closet. That’ll start changing a bit faster now I think. I’m now with no long jeans to wear. The last pair are just too baggy and make me look stumpy. I have a pair of Capri length jeans so they are my go-to pair right now.

 Some of the more profound experiences that I have had in the last 9 weeks are seeing a different face in the mirror. Mostly when I don’t have on any makeup, I have had glimpses of my childhood face in the mirror. My smile is different – more smile lines and dimples around my mouth and chin. Not age wrinkles, but more contours. The skin around my eyes is decreasing too which makes putting on makeup way more fun. I’ve been experimenting with different eye liner styles as it’s firmer around my eyes. That’s been fun.

Another is the ability to paint my toe nails! I was able to reach all the lil piggies – even the little one – and it felt so good! Looking at my toes makes me happy now. J

Another was yesterday when I was doing some online training for my new job (I’m studying for my property broker license) and I was up on my bed with books and my laptop all around me. I could bend over to reach things and fold my legs up under me, which I haven’t been able to do in years. I crossed my legs the other day while sitting at a restaurant. I can reach to higher shelves in the kitchen as I can get closer to the edge of the countertop. I don’t mind bending over to reach things below me as it’s not laborious any longer. These are all subtle changes, but give me so much joy as I progress. I know there will be many more and things that I can do but just haven’t noticed yet.

I performed last week on a stage for the first time in years (my husband and I play swing and bluegrass music). I was able to wear a cute little green sharkskin suit that I’ve had for years but haven’t been able to wear. I was actually excited about it instead of dreading it, afraid of what people would think. When I saw the photos and video of the gig, I was so pleasantly surprised and not mortified to have people see the images. Now I’m thinking of cute ways to wear my hair and the types of clothes to wear onstage as I am shrinking. I want to try a French twist style as my hair is longer, but I have no way to do it! I’ll have to hit up YouTube and see if there are how-to videos! It just feels SO good to not feel so embarrassed about being in front of people.

 Eating is going well. I can still eat just about anything – even since my fill. I just have to take tiny bites and chew really well. I do feel full now though very soon so that’s why I’m losing more now I’m sure. I sure feels different for which I’m glad as before the fill, I didn’t have to be so careful. This is really making me slow down and eat a lot less. Yay! I’m enjoying Crystal Lite and Wyler’s individual packets for my water. I don’t miss soda at all. Considering how much soda I drank before, I’m really surprised. I haven’t’ felt any sorrow or remorse for missing any of my favorite foods. I just always go to what I can have and should have for my protein requirements. I ate a cookie yesterday to celebrate passing my preliminary exam test, but I ate 1/3 of it over the course of the day. My blood sugars were fine with each reading. I’m not going to tempt fate and start eating cookies, but it tasted really good and I really enjoyed it as a celebration. Who knew a freaking cookie could mean so much and so little at the same time. I felt no pangs to have another one, or thinking “cool…I can eat cookies now” or anything like that. It was just what it was. 

 Another challenge has arisen this week. At my 90 day follow up at my PCP, I had to do my annual mammogram but got a call that there was something they wanted to follow up. There are micro-calcifications that didn’t look right, so Thursday off I went for a needle biopsy. Ugh. It wasn’t too bad, just more nerves after they showed me the video of what they do! I think ignorance is indeed bliss sometimes! When I could hear the sounds of the machines, I then knew what they were doing and it made me nervous. I wasn’t really nervous before the video! I told the doctor and nurse that and they said people had that reaction more often than they thought. Well hell, stop showing the scary video then! Sheesh! The procedure was ok and the residual soreness has been minimal. I haven’t even taken the liquid Tylenol I bought just in case. Now we are in the waiting stage to find out the results. I don’t think about it too often…there is just so much goodness going on now in my life that I’ll just deal with whatever comes and celebrate all the goodness that is here – my weight loss, my music, my new job, changes my husband has made in his life that are awesome….I’m so thankful and grateful for all of these things. Anything else will have it’s proper place and onward I will tread. Tuesday should bring the results from my PCP and I’ll just fit any further treatments into everything that I’m doing. My husband is taking it harder than I am, but perhaps I’m just staying strong to help him cope. I’ve always been the strong one in my two marriages, and perhaps that’s my coping mechanism. I don’t fall apart so that no one else will either. I don’t know…I reserve the right to change my tune next week depending on the outcome of this, but so far, I’m dealing and thrilled to pieces that I’m shrinking at a nice rate!

Blessings to all as we push along in our journeys!

Xoxo Lori

 Surgery went very fast and very well! I am so thankful and grateful to my family and to the wonderful doctors and staff at Sacred Heart/Rockwood. I highly recommend all of them to anyone considering this surgery (that said, Rockwood is moving to Deaconess Hospital due to a change in ownership, but Deaconess gets high marks too so don’t let that dissuade you).

 I checked in at 10am on Wednesday, the 7^th of April. I was sent to the surgery center where I was ushered into my pre-op prep room. Surgery was scheduled for noon, but it only took them about 45 minutes to get me ready, so Dr. Spitz popped in at 10:50am with the anesthesiologist (sorry, his name is a blur). They did their thing and wheeled me off to surgery at about 11:15 –early is good!

 I recall scooting across from the gurney to the operating table, then them fluttering about and around me. Soon came the mask and instructions to breath in….I remember two breaths…. ZZzzZZZzzzZZZzzzzZzzz…off to lala-land!

Woke up in recovery and chatting with some nice recovery nurse and somehow got on the subject of bluegrass music and discovered we had common friends (I am a musician – as is he). Wheeled up to my room where another very nice gentleman took over my care, I recall his name is Steve. He helped me call my husband’s cell phone as no one had notified my husband and daughter where I was! They spent the rest of the afternoon with me and I was released at 6pm! Wahoo….home I went!

 I felt great! Went home and watched TV and hung out. Still feeling great, but a bit tired, I took one pre-emptive dose of my liquid hydrocodone and went to bed. Next day I wasn’t feeling as good as the night before, but still pretty darn good overall. Took two doses of pain meds that day, and sips of liquids for day two of the two day clear liquid diet.

 Got funny hiccups that reverberated to my shoulders that felt weird but didn’t bother me at all…they actually made me laugh. I can’t recall any actual pain…just some soreness on my left side where the port site is. That faded over the next couple of days and is almost gone now (day 10).

 Friday, day three, I felt much better but just took it easy watching TV with my daughter. Took a shower – which was wonderful – and gingerly bent over to blow dry my hair but was able to without any trouble. Started full liquids which was great….back to jello, popsicles, protein shakes etc.

 Saturday I was ready to get out of the house. Showered again with full hair  and makeup - nice to feel human again. Mallory and I ventured into town but not until I had to try on THREE pair of pants to find some that weren’t hanging on me and looking very dopey! That was awesome! We each got our hair cut and met a friend for dinner at Red Robin. First challenge to be faced - how could I eat? Decided on chicken tortilla soup. Asked the nice server to leave off the tortilla strips and ate around the beans and chunks of chicken. Did great! Tasted great and I just took my time and ate it slowly. It was really nice to not feel deprived and still got to participate in a meal out with fun family and friends. It was delightful!

 Each day just got better and better. Wednesday, the 14^th, brought my one week check up and nutritional meeting. All went great. Overall I’d lost 11 lbs since pre-op visit, two week prior to surgery and start of pre-op liquids! I haven’t weighed since the 14th, but will on the two week day, this next Wednesday. Might just do that as my weigh in routine. Don’t want to get disappointed or frustrated if things don’t move fast enough if I weigh more often.

 Drove to client meetings on Friday, day 9, and did really well. Took along two protein shakes as I was traveling slightly out of the area about 50 miles away. Got home a bit tired but took it easy and slept very well last night.

 Diet is interesting. I’m on pureed food now, which is nice. I did eat some cottage cheese and it goes down just fine. I take small bites and chew it until it just goes down by itself. Put a left over piece of chicken breast in the Cuisinart with some barbecue sauce to make it more like a paste. Added some sweet relish (it’s a Southern thing) and that was like heaven! Will do the same with tuna while in this phase. I felt satisfied but never full.

 Cream soups are working well. The chunks are soft enough that I just chew them well and they go down just fine. Today I made a creamy black bean soup that I found in some recipes on lapbandtalk.com. It was really good and it felt really nice to eat something spicy. I put in a spicy salsa to add some flavor. I love hot food so that was really good to taste. I’ve already tried some refried beans with some sour crème on top and that worked well too. I thinned them a bit with chicken stock, but still felt satiated with about a half cup of those. I think I’m craving more flavorful things since I’ve had nothing but rather bland liquids for the last month! Bring on the spicy stuff! J

 That brings me to prepping for soft foods, which starts this Wednesday. Don’t know what I will start with, but cheese enchiladas sound really good.

 I do my Wii fit every night…about 20 – 30 minutes of free step at a pretty good pace. Dr. said no crunches, weights or stretches for 6 weeks for all of the stitches to heal, so I skip the strength training and yoga that is in my regular routine. Don’t do the in place running on the Wii yet either. Still get tired and want to pace myself. It’s been a really interesting 10 days and I’m so grateful and thankful for this opportunity. I can’t believe it’s behind me now after all of those months of waiting! My heart goes out to those who have to really wait a long time, or save for self pay and such. I had it pretty easy overall and I don’t take that for granted.

One of the biggest wins so far is that I don't have to take my diabetes meds so far (or anymore I am hoping!). Dr. said that as long as my blood sugars don't sustain lower than 70 or higher than 150, I shouldn't take the Glumetza!! So far, my highest reading was 142 and my lowest 92, and that was only once each. Average of fasting/morning is 125 and afer meals is 100!!! I'm keeping my fingers crossed so far, but am getting really excited that I can sustain this win! Now, next is the blood pressure meds as they are the ones that are really f'ing with my memory! Wahoo!! I'm so excited to see such quick, good results on the diabetes front!

 More later when more time goes by. Thanks so much to everyone who has been following along and sending well wishes…they mean to world to me!

Xoxoxo Lori

Just to do a quick update....surgery went very well, quickly and I was headed home within four hours of going to recovery. I feel great...one dose of pain meds and no pain. I thought I would sleep all of the time, but took a great nap and enjoying time with my daughter Mallory who flew here to assist me along with my husband, Mark. They have been awesome to me!

Will write more later, and send best wishes to everyone!!

oxoxox Lori