Jordan O.

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Well, here I am. 6 months post-op. I have lost almost 60 pounds. I am over the half-way mark to my long-term goal. I have less to lose now than I have already lost. Wheee! Unfortunately, my losses have slowed quite a bit, partly due to stress in the last three months. However, I am beginning a new strength-training exercise routine today that I hope will help me ramp up my losses. I would really like to show losses over the next six weeks of holiday festivities and food. I don't know that I have ever lost wait over the holidays. There is a first time for everything though and I want this to be the year.

I am solidly wearing a size 14, down from a size 20 pre-op. This alone feels like a fantastic result. I have a shape other than round. Yay! The pannus is getting worse the more I lose and I really wonder whether a tummy-tuck will be in my future. I never really considered it, but it definitely affects how my pants fit these days.

Short Term Goal--Lose at least 10 pounds between now and New Year's Day 2010.

To celebrate my three-month surgiversary, and the 50 pounds I have lost so far,(woohoo! 50 pounds!) I have decided to post some pics. 

I still have a ways to go before goal, but, in the mean time, I am happy with any progress at all. 

                BEFORE--5/09                                     3 MONTHS OUT--8/09


 
   

A month ago I received the first fill to my Band. It was 5ml and the largest one my surgeon performs. Below are things I have learned about eating with the Band and am dealing with on this journey.

I cannot eat any of the following:

-White Meat Chicken (sliming & pb-too dry and too fibrous)
-Bread (sliming & pb-too gluey)
-Rice (sliming & pb-too sticky)
-Whole Beef (sliming & pb-too fibrous)
-Pork Chops (sliming & pb-too dry)
-Dairy with Lactose (serious indigestion & gas)
-Prawns (sliming & pb-too fibrous)
-Fish without sauce (sliming & pb-too dry)


I have discovered the following: 

-Sauce is necessary. Period. Sauce is the lubricant that makes protein soft enough to slide through the band. Saliva just isn't enough.
-If I don't focus on eating when I am eating (every time!) I will eat too fast and end up sliming and throwing up.
-Sometimes, you just need a salad because it is easier.
-Plain soy milk makes a perfectly decent latte.
-Ground protein (chicken, beef, turkey) goes down waaaaay easier.
-Soy Crisps work to satisfy the cracker/chip crunchy cravings and they have protein.
-When I am over-tired my port rubs my abdominal wall and it hurts.
-In a pinch, add mayo. Chicken salad, tuna salad, salmon salad, egg salad..they all go down easier than the protein alone.  

I am happy to report:

-I have lost 36 pounds since surgery. (An average of 3.6 pounds/week)
-I have lost 44 pounds since I chose WLS. I am over 1/3 of the way to my goal!
-I am down two pant sizes since surgery. (Was a size 20, now a size 16)
-My joint pain is almost completely gone. It no longer hurts to walk.

Well, what a difference a week makes. Holy Smokes! I've lost 15 pounds since surgery day! 

I feel a lot better and my incisions are all healing nicely. The band-aids are off and I'm not even really worrying about them anymore. I'm only taking the pain medication at night so I can sleep on my side, which still bothers me a little bit.

I did have a small problem last night with some jell-o though. I took too big of a bite I think because it got stuck on the way down and I ended up doubled over in pain and sliming for about half an hour.
So, small bites and lots of chewing are the rules of the day.

I've found that ss long as I'm not hungry I don't mind not eating. At least for right now. A week of not eating anything and the protein was a nice step up. I've been walking and doing work around the house, but I'm kind of excited to get the all clear from Dr. Srikanth to start my full exercise routine so I can start doing Bikram Yoga again. I know the weight is just going to melt off once I get going in my practice again.

Well, I feel like have done about 1000 sit-ups. But, other than that I really feel fine.

The surgery went really smoothly and I was out the same day. I don't know that it could have gone any smoother if I'd tried. According to Dr. Srikanth it was very straighforward and textbook and I should be just fine.

My abdomen is swollen and my left side, where my port is, is more sore than the other. I feel okay standing or sitting, but getting from one to the other is a little uncomfortable.

I didn't think I'd be ready for broth or jell-o this fast, but  small bites are actually working out. Cutting all the vitamins into tiny little pieces is a little annoying, but all in all, it hasn't been that bad.