Goals
Category: Health 1 Person in progress, 0 People achieved this |
Category: Health 1 Person in progress, 0 People achieved this |
Surgeon TestimonialAriel Ortiz Lagardere, MD FACSDr. Ortiz was wonderful. I had met him 3 years ago when I went with a friend while she had her surgery. He took the time, then and this week to answer questions, and give me all of the information I needed. I would recommend him to anyone. |
Strange Weight Stats on September 28, 2008 6:47 am
When I began this journey (when I decided to have the band), my scales said I weighed 267. I dieted and my scales said I had lost quite a bit before surgery. But I just looked at my records from the surgeon's office and they say I weighed 265 the morning of surgery! I know scales are different, but somehow this makes me feel better. Since, when I got back from surgery, mine said 265, too. I went to the doc last week for shingles and his records show my record high at his office was 274! This was from April 2007! So his records show I had lost a total of 91 pounds! I am ecstatic. Especially since, this AM my scales show I am at 179. I have always said I just wanted to lose 100 pounds and I would be happy. That goal seems to be achievable now! Maybe not at my one year anniversary, but certainly before my birthday in November!
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One year banded (almost) on September 15, 2008 5:33 am
Wow, it's been quite awhile since I put anything on here. I have lost 88 pounds in a year. That makes me very happy. Next month I am going to Tijuana to have my band checked under fluoro. I get a free fill since I referred someone, plus a night at the hotel, and a ride from the San Diego airport to the clinic and back. So it will just cost me my air fare. I am sure I don't need a fill. But I want to be checked to be sure everything is normal. Somedays, I think I am too tight (yesterday). Other days, it seems I can eat just about anything (today). Ahh, my fickle band! I am going to the gym 5 days a week, doing 15 min on the treadmaill, and 15 to 20 on the recumbant bike. If my hip is really bothering me, I do just 30 min on the bike (I still need a new left hip). I am also doing some weights with my arms, at home. I need to strengthen the left shoulder (I think I need a new rotator cuff, it feels like the right one did before I had that one fixed). Since the right rotator cuff repair (and PT) cost me about $6000, I'll wait for Medicare to pay for the left one and the new hip. I can stand this for another 5 years! My saggy skin seems to be tightening up. Or maybe I am getting used to it. I would eventually like to lose another 12 pounds, but I will do it slowly. If it comes off, great, if it doesn't, I won't stress over it. I am losing about 2 pounds a month now with NO effort, so maybe by next summer. I can pretty much eat whatever I want, if I stick to the rules. Tiny bites, chewed very well. I still can't do bread, pasta, or rice. And that is OK. Some days I can do tuna, some days not. HMM!! I can ALWAYS eat chips, crackers, cookies and ice cream., I just choose not to! I love my band. I thank God for it daily. I thank Judi for it all the time, too. Since she paid for it. WHY didn't I do this 4 years ago? I pray Ray will be able to get his done before the end of the year!
Update on April 22, 2008 4:43 am
Well, I don't think I have had a slip. I spoke with an aftercare doc in Dr. Ortiz's office and he said it sounded like I need an unfill, do liquids, let things heal, and get a re-fill. That is NOT an option for me. I think, for some unknown reason, I have gotten more restriction. I am back to being able to eat only very small amounts of the approved foods. Even the stuff I was eating with no problem before - soy chips, puddings, crackers, cereal, popcorn, etc. - I find myself having to eat less of. This is NOT a bad thing. I am still doing my elliptical 6 days a week. I am going faster, but for less time - but I am building that back up. I get my heart rate up faster. I wish I could do something about these bat wings and my wattle. The bat wings - well, with my left shoulder like it is, I can't do the weights like I'd like. I could just do the right arm, but then I would be really uneven! I guess I wait til I'm done with this, and find the money for plastic surgery on them. What can be done about the wattle? Anything? More good news - my weight is down to 201 and I can wear size 14 pants. Not real comfortably yet, and you can still see the tummy roll over the top of them, but in another 10 pounds, that will be my size. I will definitely be under 200 by the 1st of May. That is my next personal goal. Then 190 by July 1st. That should be no problem! I LOVE this band!
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My Update on April 8, 2008 6:16 am
Well, my third fill is still working, but I have less restriction. I can eat more than I was right after the fill. I could probably use a little tweak. I have had some PBing, and I don't like it at all. After the last one, I had pain in my chest, sometimes left side, sometimes more towards the middle. That lasted a couple of days. I had gone on liquids. Now if I eat too much, too fast, or just certain things the pain comes back. OK, not so much a pain as discomfort. Pain on a scale of 1 to 10 would be a 1. Even when I take pills, AM and PM. Even jello, if I swallow too much at a time! Actually just about anything cold. Warm or hot liquids are no problem. I am thinking I may have a small slip. This pain is NOT like what you get with a PB, or even a stuck. I'm hoping to last until I can go see Dr. Ortiz in the fall, and have a fluoro. If it IS a slip, insurance won't pay for a fix. I am being VERY careful, and eating WAY better than I ever did before the problem. I DON'T want another PB. If I have a slip, I don't want to make it worse! The good news is, I am back on my elliptical, and am down to 205.
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Third Fill on January 15, 2008 10:57 am
I went for my third fill on December 10th. My 2nd fill was pretty good for about 3 weeks. Then I went to work for 4 weeks, and was too busy/tired to eat. Then Christmas came and I did my best to stay eating right. But after the 1st of the year I began going back to the old habits - eating too much of the wrong stuff. I had had a little stinging around my port and thought I might need to have my fill with fluoro, in case my port had tipped. My fantastic fill doctor found my port without a problem. I now have 3.3 ccs in my 10 cc band. I had GREAT restriction right away. I can't do cold like I used to. Tuna is hard now and it didn't used to be. I CAN still eat protein bars. My weight is now down to 223, and I am wearing size 18 pants, size 2X shirts and I am thrilled. I am back to my elliptical. I had stopped while I was working and during the Christmas holidays. I am still doing just 30 minutes in the morning, 6 days a week. But I have increased the resistance. 30 minutes is really all I want to spend on exercising every day.
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My Story
I'm 59 and retired. I struggled with my weight all through high school. Although when I look back at pictures now, I see that it was more a perceived overweight than a REAL overweight. You know how we all want to look like models. I didn't seriously begin to get overweight until I had kids. With my 1st I gained like 50 pounds and only ever got about 20 off. Gained more before the next pregnancy. Only gained 10 pounds with the twins, but that was because I was so busy with a 2 year old and my husband was overseas for most of the pregnancy. After the twins (I was 21), it was the same as everyone else's story. Up and down. I did diet pills, (when they were legal), did every fad diet known to man (ever try the jelly bean diet?), and lost and gained. I lost 100 pounds TWICE on Nutri-system! The weight always came back, with a vengeance! And I always wound up heavier than I began. Finally at about 47 I hit 250 pounds and decided that was MY "ideal weight". Once I stopped obsessing about it, my weight stabalized. I was 250 pounds for about 10 years. Then pounds started creeping on. I'd get to 255 and diet for a couple of weeks. Then pretty soon 255 was my ideal weight. Then 260. Finally when I got to 267, I decided I had had enough! My friend had lap band surgery 3 years ago. I went with her, and was amazed at how easy it was. The Dr.s were great, she had no troubles and was loosing weight FAST. She lost 90 pounds in about 18 months and has kept it off another 18 months. This summer my daughter offered to pay for my surgery if I wanted to get the lap band. Who could pass that up? I have been banded for 7 days. I am still 2 pounds heavier than I was BEFORE surgery. But I am told that is swelling and gas. It sure isn't food! I have had no pain or discomfort. I am eating thicker drinkable foods now ie: protein shakes, strained baby food, soups. I have had no trouble getting anything down. That scares me a little. Dr. Ortiz says the 1st fill should be 6 weeks after surgery. If I am having no problems with liquids, I am afraid real food is gonna slide right on down, too! Hoping to find a reasonably priced fill doc who uses floroscopy closer than 200 miles away at the fillcenterusa in Huntersville, NC. My husband and I have lived in NC for 2 1/2 years. Moved here from OR where we had lived for 23 years. My husband is retired Navy and then worked at Borden Chemical for 15 years, left there with a disability due to an on the job injury. I have had all kinds of jobs in all the different duty stations we were in. Mostly Customer Service type things. We have 3 grown children and 6 wonderful grandchildren.
I was going to a gym here in town for about 6 months, but it is too expensive. At surgery my weight was 265 and 123 pounds of that was FAT!!!! I have no muscle and need to really work on that.
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