Shrinky Inky

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Here I am at 5 months (9-26-2007, down 80.5 pounds from my highest weight of 322.  Yet another new cut and color  and the hair loss is considerably less than in previous months.  Feeling great, did my first 5K walk on 9-29-2007 and walking all the time now. 

Vagus Nerve:
The Vagus nerve is the longest of the nerves.

Its name is derived from the same root word as "Vagrant," and "Vagabond." (A wanderer; a rover. - Wandering from place to place and lacking any means of support.) From the Middle English vagraunt, probably alteration of Old French wacrant, present participle of wacrer, to wander, of Germanic origin.

This "Vagabond" originates in the Cranium but wanders from the brain stem through organs in the neck, thorax and abdomen, all the way to the first third of the colon. It has motor functions in the larynx (voice box), diaphragm, stomach, and heart, and sensory functions in the ears and tongue. It has both motor and sensory functions in the pharynx (sinuses) and esophagus.

Stimulation of the vagus nerve is thought to affect some of its connections to areas in the brain that are prone to seizure activity. It is a "Hot Topic" for research in areas of Depression, Obesity, Epilepsy, and is responsible for some phenomenal sensory and motor responses even without WLS.

Emotions running high? Feeling a lump at the back of your throat that you didn’t put there? That’s the Vagus Nerve at work.

Can’t tickle yourself, except the roof of your mouth? (try it) Because when you try to tickle your armpit-The same nerves that perceive the tickle also "know that it’s coming," and thus the "surprise" aspect that allows "tickling" to occur have been preempted. But- Roof of the mouth? Different selective dumping of info prior to reaching the brain. That’s the Vagus nerve "sharing" some info with sensory and motor controls while "not telling others."

The Vagus nerve is known as a "mixed nerve" meaning it both receives input from the body and sends signals to various muscles and organs of the body. It is the primary nerve of the Parasympathetic Nervous System.  It isn’t an even mix, though, about 80% of the axons inside the vagus nerve are sending signals from the body to the brain.

The Vagus nerve consists of Five Components with distinct functions:
--Brancial motor:
(special visceral efferent) Supplies the voluntary muscles of the pharynx and most of the larynx, as well as one extrinsic muscle of the tongue.
--Visceral motor:
(general visceral efferent) Parasympathetic innervation of the smooth muscle and glands of the pharynx, larynx, and viscera of the thorax and abdomen.
--Visceral sensory:
(general visceral afferent) Provides visceral sensory information from the larynx, esophagus, trachea, and abdominal and thoracic viscera, as well as the stretch receptors of the aortic arch and chemoreceptors of the aortic bodies .
--General sensory:
(general somatic afferent) Provides general sensory information from the skin of the back of the ear and external auditory meatus, parts of the external surface of the tympanic membrane, and the pharynx.
--Special sensory:
(special afferent) A very minor component. Provides taste sensation from the epiglottis region.

A simplified explanation to describe "how it works"-
Rather than sending signals out from brain, or bringing sensory info back to the brain, it does both, and it allows "pieces parts" or "stations" along the way to communicate with each other without directly routing through the brain.

It controls much of the movement of the mouth and let’s the esophagus "synch up" with back of tongue motions in order to make swallowing possible. And signals the lower organs of the digestive tract to adjust activity when "food is on the way!"

The Vagus nerve also sends signals to and for those "unconscious" or reflex reactions- such as swallowing when not thinking about it consciously. Often the example given is- "swallowing while sleeping so you don’t drown in saliva." It is associated with Nausea governing factors, Relaxation, (particularly pulse rate) digestion synchronization, etc..

It’s "Fence-sitting" behavior as both Voluntary and Involuntary signal provider, makes it a key factor in most Bio-Feedback processes for reducing stress levels.

How does this effect or associate with Bariatric Post-Op patients?
Signals from the Stomach are "distorted somewhat" and often Disrupted or damaged by the Gastric Bypass. The signals from the pouch often trigger the Vagus nerve to "fire" unique reflex responses. The Vagus nerve transmits the signal to the brain when we are full. It seems to "drop off" some info to other stations on the way to the brain. It is responsible for Diaphragmatic "Dry Heaves" that some experience in the early days following Bariatric Procedures, and longer term is often associated with rapid gastric emptying.

Many Post-ops claim to have their nose start running when they take "that last bite" just before feeling too full. Some experience sneezing or hiccups if they eat a bite too much. Both are actions inextricably bound to Vagus nerve signals. Many claim to get a "runny nose" with one bite too much food for their pouch, and hiccups from eating too fast.

Many Gastric Bypass Post-ops have similar odd signals associated with the connections that the Vagus nerve makes along it’s wandering path. 

Complements of DxE...he originally posted this on March 5th, 2007 & I found this very helpful. He is a wealth of information.

"As god is my witness, I will run on the beach one day."

Yesterday we took a walk from Grand Avenue toward Pismo Pier.  We did the boardwalk and then cut to the beach and walked back, 2.44 miles total.  I saw the people running on the hard packed sand, and I will one day do that.    

Walking is great, but I feel like running out of my skin!

Well, sometimes I used to feel 80 :)  but I can say I've lost 80 pounds (67 since surgery)!!  My five months is 9-26-2007, and I am supposed to be at 100 lbs by my "so-called" six month appointment.  I call it that because my follow-ups have all been late, so my six month appointment is actually closer to seven months (mid November).  That give me about two months to lose 20 more pounds, I hope I can do it.

The thing is I am not in a race and I don't really agree with my surgeon that 100 pounds by six months is a goal I need to strive to reach.  I'm okay with losing slowly, as long as I keep to the plan and keep losing.  I don't like having the same old goals of "dieting" like "I need to lose 20 pounds by X date."  That kind of thinking is a set up for failure in my opinion.  I will do what I do and keep losing 1.2 to 2 pounds a week and that is that.

80 pounds, hot damn!!

You know, just about the time you feel like the scale isn't moving and things just aren't going your way, you take a little trip to Target and buy yourself a size LARGE t-shirt because it's only $2.24 on clearance.   And you pick up a funny halloween shirt (also a LARGE) for $5, just cuz it says "witchy" on it.

And you take them home, and wonder when you can wear them because you know you just aren't a LARGE yet because you still wear your 3X t-shirts. 

So you try them on.....and they FIT And you look so hot your husband's eyes shoot out like a cartoon wolf! 

a LARGE at 4.5 months out with still 100+ pounds to lose.  Wow.

and today I lifted the big water bottle and put it on the dispenser all by myself with only minimal spillage.  Haven't done that in YEARS.

I love my RNY!!

Today Princess Kitty posted about a humiliating college graduation experience and it got me to thinking about remorse, regrets and do-overs.

I have tried to live my life without regret.  Certainly I have been lucky and have had a great life so far, because the downs make the ups so much nicer.

I didn't graduate from college - do I regret it? No, because I went on to an 18 year successful career in banking and becoming a manager.  Do I regret leaving that job? No, because I was burned out and it would have eventually killed me.

I married my high school friend, when we were 28, thinking that was "it."  That marriage failed.  Do I regret it?  No, because I learned so much more about myself and what I can tolerate. 

I have been obese virtually all of my life, and super morbidly obese off and on for the last 20 years.  Do I regret this?  No.  Surprised? Me too!

Why don't I regret it?  Well, I was fat.  So what.  I am finally doing something about it, and isn't that, ultimately, what really matters?  That my mind set has finally clicked and success is what's happening now, day by day, mile by mile, pound by pound.  And each time I put something in my mouth to eat is a chance to do something good for myself and deserve that success.

So live your life without regrets for the past, because it is just that, the past, and you cannot wallow in that if you want to succeed in the future.  We don't often get real do-overs, and my RNY surgery is the biggest do-over of my life, I am not going to screw this up.

I have a list of some goals I made prior to my surgery down at the bottom of my blog.  I was so very nervous a week before surgery that writing down these goals gave me focus and a future that seemed less dismal.  But deep inside I was not entirely sure I would reach many, if any, of these goals.  One by one I AM REACHING THEM - some much sooner than I ever expected.

And along the way, some minor goals I didn't even know I had. 

1.  I wore a t-shirt tucked into a skirt yesterday.  My husband even said I could use a belt.  Wow.

2.  I bent over and put my sox on both feet, then my shoes and tied them and stood up without feeling dizzy, cramped or out of breath.  Wow Wow.

3.  I walked twice yesterday AND went to the pool for an hour.  Wow Wow Wow.

4.  I have lost 75 pounds.  The weight of a kid.  HOLY CRAP!

Who am I???????

Here I am at four months out from surgery, down 72.5 pounds from my highest weight of 322.  Today I walked a 3 mile hike, in preparation for my first 5K (3.1 mile) walk on September 29th.  Woohoo, I'm in "training."  Never thought the word training would apply to anything I did, unless it was to train for an eating competition (which I never did but should have, lol).

I feel really good, am wearing XL/16 clothing and pretty much have gotten over the "food roulette" and throwing up part of recovery.  Not that I let myself get cocky though, if I eat too fast or don't chew enough, then it can happen, but most foods settle well these days.

I did get a new scale today, a Tanita that measures body fat and body water, and has memory features for me and the hubby.  It weighs in at 2.4 more than my current digital scale, which is 2 pounds lighter than the surgeon's scale.  So, I'm not sure how to adjust this on my ticker and records, but for now I will weigh on both and let myself catch up, or something.  Or just suck it up and not "lose" for a couple of weeks while I catch up to the scale.  Oh hell, I dunno, I hate scales.

Ok, off to relax after the long hike!!

Finally I broke the 250 mark.  I never thought I would be below 250 again in my life.  I think I weighed less than 250 once in my 20's, after a year with Weight Watchers where I lost 88 pounds and thought I was invincible.  I had this great retro 40's dress then too.  I wonder what happened to it.  Probably it's in the same place where my memories are, waiting for me to live again.

I feel so much better than I did four months ago, sometimes I look in the mirror and can't even understand who it is looking back at me.  I mean it's my eyes, and sort of my face, but who am I?

This was the thing I worried about the most before WLS - would I like the new me that I was going to make happen?  I guess I'd better just hold on and shut up because we're going there whether I like it or not.  I woke up today remembering all kinds of things I hadn't thought of in years.  Is losing massive amounts of weight waking up lost memory cells in my head like the way it's waking up lost parts of my body?

I wonder....

	05/12/07	06/15/07	07/12/07	08/12/07	Difference
Neck	16.000	15.5	15.250	15.250	0.750	Neck
Shoulder	50.250	49.75	48.875	44.250	6.000	Shoulder
Upper Arm	19.750	19	17.750	17.000	2.750	Upper Arm
Lower Arm	14.000	13.5	12.875	12.500	1.500	Lower Arm
Wrist	7.500	7.375	7.125	7.000	0.500	Wrist
Midriff	46.000	44	43.125	42.000	2.875	Midriff
Bust	52.500	51	50.750	49.250	3.250	Bust
Waist	46.000	43.5	43.500	42.750	3.250	Waist
Hip	59.000	55.75	55.500	54.500	4.500	Hip
Upper Thigh	30.000	29.5	28.500	26.500	3.500	Upper Thigh
Knee	20.500	20.5	19.500	19.000	1.500	Knee
Calf	21.500	21.5	21.500	20.250	1.250	Calf
Ankle	12.000	12.000	12.000	11.500	0.500	Ankle
Foot	10.750	10.625	10.250	10.000	0.750	Foot
					32.875	TOTAL INCHES LOST
322	289.75	273	265.000	250.5	71.500	TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS