It has been a very busy year for me. I graduated from Nursing school and have been a RN in a Coronary Intensive Care Unit. Then I got pregnant in Sept  weighing in at 315, gained only 10 pounds the entire pregnancy and 9 months later on June 16th delivered a beautiful baby girl.  I lost 25 pounds almost immediately but started gradually gaining it back and now 4 months later am at 315. I'm not totally discouraged, just know it's time to get back to losing. My husband thinks it's hard for me to get as motivated as before because my primary goal of losing weight in the first place was to be able to get pregnant and have a healthy pregnancy and aside from some blood pressure issues, I accomplished that. So now it's harder to find that motivation and since I didn't follow band rules for the past year I'm struggling a little at remembering them and incorporating them into daily life. Having a 4 month old doesn't help because I have to find things that are quick and easy to eat and struggle to write down what I have eatten because I barley have a chance to go to the bathroom. Really all lame excuses, but this is how I have justified for the past few months.
When I got pregnant I had an unfill but now that I am mentally and physically ready to get back to business I have scheduled a fill for Oct 21st. I would love to lose a few before then so I am going to plan out my food at least the day before to try to keep self sabotage at bay.  I just wanted to update on here. I hope anyone who reads this is doing well.  Even at 315, I'm so happy to have my band...lost about 60 pounds in 6 months and am positive I would have never gotten pregnant had I not lot that weight.  I'm almost positive I would be pushing 400lbs if I didn't have my band...I just gotta work it!

How Much Weight Have You Lost?

Your weight loss =

1 pound = a Guinea Pig
1.5 pounds = a dozen Krispy Kreme glazed donuts
2 pounds = a rack of baby back ribs
3 pounds = an average human brain
4 pounds = an ostrich egg
5 pounds = a Chihuahua
6 pounds = a human skin
7.5 pounds = an average newborn
8 pounds = a human head
10 pounds= chemical additives an American consumes each year
11 pounds = an average housecat
12 pounds = a Bald Eagle
15 pounds = 10 dozen large eggs
16 pounds = a sperm whale�s brain
20 pounds = an automobile tire
23 pounds = amount of pizza an average American eats in a year
24 pounds = a 3-gallon tub of super premium ice cream
25 pounds = an average 2 year old
30 pounds = amount of cheese an average American eats in a year
33 pounds = a cinder block
36 pounds = a mid-size microwave
40 pounds = a 5-gallon bottle of water or an average human leg
44 pounds = an elephant�s heart
50 pounds = a small bale of hay
55 pounds = a 5000 BTU air conditioner
60 pounds = an elephant�s penis
66 pounds = fats and oils an average American eats in a year
70 pounds = an Irish Setter
77 pounds = a gold brick
80 pounds = the World�s Largest Ball of Tape
90 pounds = a newborn calf
100 pounds = a 2 month old horse
111 pounds = red meat an average American eats in a year
117 pounds = an average fashion model (and she�s 5�11�!)
118 pounds = the complete Encyclopedia Britannica
120 pounds = amount of trash you throw away in a month
130 pounds = a newborn giraffe
138 pounds = potatoes an average American eats in a year
140 pounds = refined sugar an average American eats in a year
144 pounds = an average adult woman (and she�s 5�4�)
150 pounds = the complete Oxford English Dictionary
187 pounds = an average adult man
200 pounds = 2 Bloodhounds
235 pounds = Arnold Schwarzenegger
300 pounds = an average football lineman
400 pounds = a Welsh pony

For example, a loss of 128 pounds means you�ve lost �almost a newborn giraffe�, or:
(10) dozen large eggs
(4) dozen Krispy Kreme glazed donuts
(2) Chihuahuas
(2) Guinea pigs
(1) elephant penis
(1) average 2-year-old
(1) human head
(1) rack baby back ribs

so far I've lost a mid-size microwave and a guinea pig. 

Well, today was my month post op appointment.  I had a Dietician appt, Psych appt, and was supposed to get my first fill.  I wasn't really too worried about it. You know how people talk about picturing the basketball going into the hoop and chances are better that it will?  Apparently my port doesn't base his (I'm going to make my band the male gender because I "can't live with him, can't live without him") accessablilty on the fact that I practiced imagining the needle going right into the middle of the port, the Doctor pushing just the right amount of saline in and voila, perfect restriction.  I knew this was a little far fetched but now I KNOW it's far fetched.      I laid on the little table thing with a pillow in the middle of my back in a half situp and the Doctor went to town trying to find my port with a needle that was ------------------------------------------------------------------------- this long.  He found the port right away but after a LOT of digging around decided that it must be tilted a little because of my swelling and didn't feel comfortable poking around any more.  Even though I was shaking from head to toe from the position and the pain I would have let him poke around for 10 more minutes if he was sure he could have got it  but he didn't want to risk it so  he said he wanted me to come back next week  to have a fill under fluoro.  I went to the desk to schedule it and the receptionist said "it'll have to be a wednesday."  I said "I can't do it on wednesday, I have class all day."  She said "we only do fluoro on wednesday."  I looked at my calendar and said "I won't be able to do it until June then because I have class every wednesday until then and I'm about to graduate." Then I started bawling, the hyperventilating kind.  She quickly went and found my surgeon's nurse who talked to the people that do fluoro and they said I could come in whenever I want.  I can't believe I started crying like that, it was just such an emotional afternoon for me.  The kicker is that right after my bawling session I had to go see they psychiatrist.  I thought they were going to admit me to the psych ward or something but she was very understanding.       Point is...I really really really wanted to get a fill today but in the grand scheme of things this just puts me back just a teeny tiny bit.  Thanks for listening.

The last two days have been very trying for me.  I have craved EVERYTHING and have ate more (not lots more, but more)  than I know I should.  This puree diet is really starting to get to me.  I didn't think I was exempt from Bandster Hell but I was ok that it hadn't hit yet. But now at a little over 2 weeks post op I am feeling the fire!!  I am so excited to be down 37 pounds (that includes my preop diet because that crap was hard and I count every ounce I lost on it.) so I am going to have to pay attention to the head hunger and soon enough I'll be getting my first fill.  Less than 2 weeks to be exact 4/17 Any suggestions to help me get through the next two weeks?  Angela P.S  Started throwing some running into my workout and I'm so excited because I haven't ran since high school 8 years ago!

So here’s what happened.

Got to the hospital around 7:30 on wednesday morning where Jim was given lots of directions about what to expect during the day and I was taken to a pre-op room where I changed into a gown and got my IV started and all that jazz.  From there they took me to an induction room where they continue getting you ready for surgery, and infact my buddy that used to work at medcentral with me was the nurse that runs that room so we got to talk for a while.  Then they wheeled me to the OR and put some happy juice in my iv and some in my Oxygen mask and I was out.  Didn’t wake up till probably an hour after my surgery was over.  I didn’t really have tons of pain at that time but had terrible pressure in my chest from the gas that they used to blow my belly up.  Then after dozing in and out in the recovery room they let JIm and my mom come in and visit with me for a few minutes.  Then a little later they took me up to my room.  Dozed in and out for a bit and then they got me up to walk for the first time.  Wasn’t too bad because I had a lovely Fentanyl PCA (pain pump) Slept throughout most of the night.  Got up and walked a couple times on thurs morning and then was taken to radiology for a Upper GI (i got to watch it and it was pretty cool because I could see my band inside me) then I came back to my room and was allowed to have some clear liquids which was awesome cause I hadn’t had even anything to drink since about 11:30pm on tuesday night. 

Got discharged from the hospital  around 4:30 and after a terrible ride home got home around 6:30.  Slept most of the night and was in more pain than I ever was at the hospital (because they took my beautiful fentanyl pca away from me) The night was pretty rough but I got up this morning and took a shower and drank some apple juice and feel a little better.  Jim is going to go to mom’s and borrow one of their recliner’s for me and going to the store to get a little soup for me. 

 I have to say, Jim has been absolutly wonderful!  I am so blessed to have him.  He has been so supportive and caring.  He is so upset when he sees me in pain and would do anything for me to take it away. I can’t imagine what I would have done the past couple days without him.  My mom too, was so helpful at the hospital.  

Well, I think I’m done for now, ready to take some pain medicine.  Thanks for all the prayers!!

Love, Angela