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Ok - so yesterday was a rough day - each day is a learning experience - each meal is something new and I have a lot of trial and error going on. Thanks to all the wonderful people here at OH, I don't have to go through most of it alone. There are always people who have gone before, and that means a lot to me! So, firstly - I am extremely grateful for the encouragement, support, empathy, and understanding that so many people have offered.  Secondly - I'm learning how to live this new life one day at a time, one hour at a time, one minute and one meal at a time. The good news is that it's a happy journey - one that I haven't been able to see in a very long time - WEIGHT LOSS!!! Real and true WEIGHT LOSS!!!

So - today is exactly 3 weeks from my surgery + the pre-op 2-1/2 weeks and I've lost (DRUM ROLL for the LapBand, please!!!!) FORTY - count 'em - 40 POUNDS GONE FOREVER!!! That is so amazing to me - someone who needs to lose well over 100 lbs. is watching them melt away a few a week! It's so amazing and exciting that I can hardly believe that I waited this long to do this. However, I also know that if I didn't wait until now I wouldn't have been in the right frame of mind and I wouldn't have been able to take advantage of all that the LapBand tool has to offer. I'm not doing anything special - I'm just following doctor's orders and I'm getting active as well as eating the right things (well - except for yesterday - lol)

Anyway - my doctor told me that if I was committed to this process that I could lose just as much weight as someone who had RNY and I was a little bit skeptical at first - but not anymore! I know that I can lose all of this weight and I know that I can now finally KEEP IT OFF too! It's just amazing - to see and feel:

my underwear not cutting into my thighs and waist anymore (yes, I know - maybe TMI - but if we can talk about dumping and sliming - I can mention my underwear elastic) LOL

pants that were too tight on me - that I couldn't even get up over my thighs now fit me and are actually comfortable!

Blouses that are now so big on me that I'm going to get rid of them! YAHOO....

And just feeling better - not having the back pain, knee pain, ankle pain that I had only a short month ago! I think I need to send some flowers to my surgeon's office!!!

Anyway - I'm positive, happy, hopeful and uplifted like I haven't been in YEARS! My primary care physician kept telling me that my depression was caused by my weight and the shrink (and I) kept arguing that it was chemical imbalance and that my weight was caused by the depression - well, I'm thinking that my primary care physical was right - I haven't felt like this in who knows when! We'll continue to see how things go - gradually, daily, but for right now - I'm really happy and pleased with the results I'm seeing. I'm working at it and it's working - amazing how that goes, huh?

Want a new lease on life?  Just get on the other side of your surgery and you'll be amazed at how much better you feel in so many ways! Of course - the sunshine and beautiful weather sure helps the attitude too!

Have a great weekend - Happy Easter, Passover, etc.

Oh my, oh my! Well - today I tried eating two pureed meals and didn't supplement with the protein shake. That was the last time I'll ever do that!!! There wasn't enough protein in the things that I ate and so round about 4:00 p.m. when I got into the shower and tried to do some cleaning, I not only almost passed out - but I had my first experience with throwing up post-band....

YIKES!!!!!! I really wasn't prepared for that and of course the gag reflex just kept making me gag more...luckily I got it under control before I REALLY threw up - I think you call that "sliming" when you let go of nothing but mucous and liquid???

Anyway - it left me feeling really crummy with a headache and nauseous stomach. So - I made a shake immediately and I'm taking it easy now - back to square one - no more skimping on meals!!!

This surgery has SO been the best thing that has ever happened to me in so many ways! I'm much more laid back and relaxed - ready to face the world and everything going on in it.

The setbacks??? Well - I started walking on the treadmill last week (because I'm not allowed to do anything else yet) and was doing really well. I had worked up from nothing to 30 minutes/1.25 miles in only 4 days time. Then I had a minor complication from the surgery with a bladder infection that was killing me! I got some meds on Monday, but meanwhile, the need to be near a bathroom at all times AND the pain involved, kept me from going to the gym. I have an overly-protective husband who doesn't want me taking any risks or getting hurt in some way.

So - I'm getting THAT under control and out of nowhere, my port site starts to ache. I mean it's enough of an ache that I hurt pretty bad, but not so bad that I can't function. I think that I overdid it again yesterday. I got tired of seeing certain things that needed to be done around the house and probably did a bit too much reaching and bending. I'm still learning what my limitations are and I'm really tired of being laid up.

I need to back up that last statement with - I've had one health issue or another for the past year (since Feb. 2009) and I've been pretty much confined to the house for nearly a year. There were a few short breaks in between - but nothing of any substance. So, here I am now - ready to live again, feeling so much better after losing more than 30 pounds and I just want to get active, stay active and keep working on getting to my goal. 

OK - so what have I learned? That I'm really a lot more positive and a lot more patient that I was before the surgery. Am I frustrated by having these little setbacks? You bet! Am I letting it get the best of me like I would have pre-surgery?  NOPE!!! I would have made such a big deal out of this before - I would have let it ruin my day(s) but now, I just found some quiet work that needed to be done here at home (like paying bills, making phone calls, etc.) and I'm much more accepting of the fact that everything will happen in time. I no longer feel that it won't happen or that I'm not going to be able to lose the weight - because I know I am and I will lose the weight!

One of the greatest benefits that I've already seen from this surgery is the positive, optimistic me is back!!! It's a great feeling to know that I'm getting back to that person that was hidden inside of me for so many years!

How about you? Are you grateful for something today? I'm REALLY grateful for the sunshine after all the snow and rain we've had these past few months!

I went to see the doctor on Thursday. It was my first follow up appointment at 13 days post-surgery. I got the go-ahead to change the diet to pureed foods - YAY!!! I'm still drinking the protein shakes as my main source of protein, but I actually had TUNA on saltines for dinner last night! You'd have thought I was eating a steak!!! I was in heaven. February 28th was the last time I had any "real" food, and I had been craving something with some substance and texture.
Now I need to pay attention to the "green zone" and make sure that I don't eat too much food. 4 tiny saltine squares and a little less than 1/4 cup of tuna with mayo made a great dinner. I pureed some onions and threw those in there too. That added some good flavor to the tuna.

So then I decided to make some egg salad to have around for lunches and snacks. That was a great plan until I mixed in a ground up pill that the doctor warned me would be bitter and totally ruined the egg salad
Lesson learned - although I'm still not sure how I'm going to get this pill down. I have to take the pills for 6 months - it's to prevent gall stones, so it's important - but oh my goodness - it was awful. He told me to grind it up and take it that way for the 2-3 weeks. I'm going to have to figure out how to handle it.

Now I'm afraid that I won't be able to eat the egg salad because I'm going to associate it with the bitter pill. The doctor even went so far as to tell me to take it at night so that the bitterness wouldn't ruin my whole day...LOL

Finding my way with the new diet additions - happy that I was able to go to the grocery store yesterday and buy some REAL food! This has been quite a journey so far and I'm just getting started. The best thing is that from here on out I get to add new tastes and textures and in 2 weeks I get to start eating regular food - that will be a challenge, I'm sure - but I'm ready for whatever comes my way.

I've started walking on the treadmill daily and I've increased my time each day. I have to get a new pair of sneakers, though - as I'm developing blisters on the bottom of my feet from the shoes moving back and forth - too big - hey - I'm going to like that!

So - hearing from anyone who has had the pill challenge would be great!

Spring - what a wonderful time of year! Tomorrow is the first day of spring and I'm over the change in time from last weekend. My sleep has been kind of crazy anyway for the last week because I came home last Friday night from surgery and either slept because of the pain meds or slept because I was so knocked out that I couldn't keep my eyes open. I didn't sleep in my own bed until Tuesday or Wednesday of this week, and then it was only for part of the night. I was diagnosed with Sleep Apnea (a mild case) and insomnia (duh!) a few weeks ago and they brought the CPAP machine to me last Thursday night right before I was going to surgery the next morning. I tried to use it the first night and couldn't sleep at all, so I gave up and didn't get much sleep the night before surgery. I didn't use it for most of the week because I was on the couch - then when I did finally use it I had to call for a different mask.

So - what does all of this have to do with Spring? I am feeling so much better about life, about myself, about getting things done! I am still pretty sore and swollen at the port site (I think that's what it is, anyway). Other than that, I'm healing nicely, still have the steri-strips on my belly, and still on my liquid diet. But - the possibilities for springing into action have been going round and round in my head for days now! I'm so excited about getting moving, starting to exercise and also doing spring cleaning! I'm in this purging, organizing and feeling good state of mind. I haven't felt this good in years! It's more of an attitude than a physical feeling - although, I'm pretty sure I've lost 30 lbs. already since I started the pre-op diet on March 1st. The reason I say "I'm pretty sure..." is because I need a new scale. The one I have is bizarre - it won't calibrate and it runs 8 pounds heavy (I think!) SO - if that is the case, I've dropped below 300 lbs for the first time in over a year, and that gets me excited and more motivated.

I'm going to go buy a new scale. I'm going to start going to the gym next week. I'm only allowed to walk on the treadmill or ride the stationary bike - but that will work! I'm ready for some things to happen that haven't happened in so long - like I'm looking forward to getting on the scale once a week, I'm looking forward to my appointment with the doctor next week, and I'm looking forward to watching the pounds fall off of me. In addition to that, I've taken a new interest in my life and in my home. WOW! I'm making a list of all the projects I need to work on and prioritizing them. I'm working on an idea for a home-based business.

I'm excited about life again - and all it took was to put a little pillow around my stomach.

One of the symptoms of the depression and other ailments that I've suffered from over the years is that my house never gets the cleaning and attention that it needs and deserves. The chaos in my house is a reflection of the insanity in my head. The fact that I've been straightening and I'm ready to completely do spring cleaning from top to bottom of the house as well as the outside - tells me that the mental illness is easing as well! My primary care physician has always said that if I lost weight I would probably get off all of the anti-depressants. I'm nowhere near that yet, but I can see the possibilities if I spring into action!

Busy as a bee! That's me. I'm watching less television, I'm starting to have an interest in things that I had put aside (such as card making and scrapbooking) and I'm thinking about cleaning - that's not something that you sit around and think about much. I'm not ready to take the action because I'm not allowed to do any strenuous work yet, but just wait until after I see the doctor next week. Hopefully he'll say "yes, you can climb on a chair, and yes, you can vacuum." If that turns out to be the case - watch out world!

I'm currently doing research for my new business and I'm also working on that list of things that need to get done around here. I feel ambitious and hopeful for the first time in years. Isn't it amazing what a little WLS can do for a person?

Watch me spring into action on several fronts over the next couple of weeks. I know, I know - I'm taking it slow - but it's fun to plan and think about where I'll be soon!

ENJOY your first day of Spring!!!

Well...here I am and it's Thursday - tomorrow is a week since I officially became a Banded person...

What an interesting week this has been! Late Friday afternoon I was moved from recovery to a private room. The recovery room I was in (I BARELY remember that part) was the one they use for people who are being admitted. So, they move me upstairs and as we come around the corner there's a waiting room. In my doped up stupor I see my husband, my daughter and my girlfriend all with big smiles on their faces telling me they'll be in the room in a minute. Once they arrived, they told me that the doctor said everything went great and that I came through the surgery very well. OK - so, I want to go home!!!! Here I am in pretty bad pain (even with the pain meds) but I want to go home! I was able to get out of bed and hobble to the bathroom (with help from two other people.) I was able to use the bathroom by myself and get back up to come out again. They walked me back to the bed, though. Then I kept dosing on and off while I had a conversation going on around me. They were entertaining each other AND me, so if I dosed off they didn't mind - but I kept trying to get caught up.

The theme of "I want to go home!" continued for several hours. What a dope I was! Here I was in a comfortable hospital bed (well, as comfortable as you can get when you've just had surgery) with the best IV meds going through me, and all I could think about was "I want to go home!" Well this was the first time during the past week that I got ahead of myself!

Around 5:00 p.m. the nurse came in to tell me that I could have some clear liquids and that I could go home if I tolerate them AND if I feel up to it. My darling husband wanted me home, but he also wanted me comfortable, so he tried to convince me to stay in the hospital. I whined just enough about how great I felt that they allowed me to go home. This is why I said that I got ahead of myself! If I had this to do over - I would have stayed in the hospital for the one night and been much happier!

They get me home, propped on the recliner, and settled in - I'm extremely uncomfortable, don't want to stay in the recliner but I know by the pain that I won't be able to get up the stairs and into the bed - let alone sleep in the bed. Well - remember the theme here? Just guess what I did...I not only climbed up the steps (with a pillow on my incisions) but I tried to get in the bed - BIG HUGE GETTING AHEAD of MYSELF!!! You see why I said this was a theme?!!!

I made a few other mistakes during the week - like trying to go to bed again before I was ready, not taking pain meds until I needed them (and really needed them), and drinking too much water - but THANKFULLY, I have not thrown up!!! Almost - but not quite. I had a couple of gagging incidents in the first couple of days - gagging on my own stupid phlegm (YUK!) but managed to keep it to a gag because that hurt bad enough!

I got ahead of myself yesterday when I started doing a few little household chores and sat at the table to make some cards. I'm bored! I want to do some things, I want to get out of the house, I want to drive - but I don't really feel well enough to do that! I'm experiencing a lot of bloating, gas, indigestion and hunger pangs - so at least I didn't make the mistake of thinking that I could go out by myself yet. BUT I sat at the table for about 2 hours making cards yesterday and then I also did a few dishes, made some jello, some pudding and all of my shakes, etc. I just went from doing nothing but walking around the house in circles and making a few trips up and down stairs to activities that required me to stay in one place and work for lengths of time. Last night I wasn't feeling so great - I had some additional pain in my abdomen - DUH!!!

Oh, yeah - getting ahead of yourself - in order not to do that - make sure you have a back-up plan! My darling daughter was supposed to be here for 2 weeks - I thought a week longer than necessary, but I figured we'd have some fun the second week. After 4 days, something came up at home that required her to be there. She left here the next morning (only 4 days post surgery) and I was all alone all day until hubby got home from work. It's been that way the rest of the week and each day it becomes a little bit more OK - but still - it would have been nice to have a back-up plan just in case I needed someone to reach, bend or lift - or for some company!!!

All-in-all, this first week has been pretty good - but I'm anxious to get out, get moving and start DOING something....all in good time....I see the doctor a week from today - I don't want to be Getting Ahead of Myself, afterall!

Well - here I am 3 days post-surgery and I'm starting to feel a little bit better. I was able to go upstairs to bed last night and stay in bed for about 3 hours. That's 3 hours more than I've done before that. I did wind up coming down to the couch around 3:30 a.m. and wound up watching TV and dozing. I haven't been sleeping really well, but that's to be expected. Each day I've felt a little bit better, and each day I'm a little more able to accomplish things - like getting myself up off the couch. The first day and a half I wasn't able to do that! It was pretty comical watching my husband and daughter attempting to get me up off the couch.

Now, I'm walking around the house and I'm not quite so much the "Hunchback of Notre Dame" - I'm only partially hunched like someone's Aunt Gladys or Auntie Sue...LOL

My belly looks like a fight was fought on it. When I first got home from the hospital there was gauze and tape in a "Z" pattern across my belly. I didn't care much - the pain meds were good!   But when I got a look at my stomach - each piece of gauze was numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 - and there was a bunch of tape on top of all of it. Then I looked a little further and had two pretty good sized welts - a small one on the right side and a HUGE one on the left side. I still don't know what those are, but I've been putting triple antibiotic ointment on them just in case. Then there came the time to take the tape off and take a shower - oh my...that hurt! I've got very irritated skin from the tape and some more burns on the skin - so more triple antibiotic! But I'm doing pretty well - so I'm happy that the steri-strips are in place over the five incisions and I'm able to do a few things for myself.

The gas has been a real pain! I didn't experience any of it the first two days. Then yesterday it was slight - today it's really giving me fits! It's causing pain and it's FINALLY coming out here and there. I'm getting used to how much to drink - I took my meds today for the first time since surgery - I was too chicken to take them!

So, overall - everything is going well - I'm recuperating, I'm on my liquid diet, and I'm feeling a little bit better everyday. You can't beat that, can you?! Can't wait to share with all of you! How are YOU doing on your journey?

Hello Everyone!

My name is Joanne and I am Jeri's daughter. She had her surgery yesterday and did REALLY well. She recovered fairly quickly and with the help of medicine was able to come home.

Unfortunately, since coming home she has been having a hard time getting comfortable. She has a hard time sitting, and laying down is nearly impossible. Does anyone have an suggestions? She has hardly been able to get to sleep because of it!

Thanks!

I'm in the pink!!! Yes - I'm feeling good - I've lost a couple more pounds, I'm ready to get this done tomorrow!

I picked my daughter up at the airport early this afternoon, we ran some errands that I needed done and now we're here just chillin'. She was so sweet to take two weeks off of work to be here at home with me and help me.

Still need to finish packing and I'm just tryiing to stay busy.

Got my CPAP today - just in time to take it with me to the hospital in case I have to stay overnight. That is still up in the air, but the nurse said to "count on staying overnight." So - I'm planning as though I am staying.

Congrats to all of you who have already had your surgery this past week and my daughter will be here tomorrow to update everyone after my surgery!

God Bless and thanks for all the prayers and good wishes - I'll see you on the Loser's Bench!  YAYYYYYYYY!!!!!!

Wow! I can hardly believe that I'm counting down the days on one hand! 3/12/10 - that's only 4 days away now. It's such a long time from now - but also right around the corner! Yes - I know I'm contradicting myself, but that's because my brain has been in a bit of a jumble the last couple of days.

Let's see - it started last Wednesday night when I decided to be a "nice person" and make my husband a meat loaf. What a dumb idea!!! I've been on my pre-op liquid diet since March 1st and I had been doing really well. The first two or three days were a bit rough - but I had settled into a routine, lost 13 lbs. and was feeling pretty good about it. Well - that all came to a screeching halt with the darn meat loaf! I don't know what I was thinking - but that meat loaf came begging me to eat it while it was cooking and especially after I took it out of the oven.

SO - Yep - I gave in to the temptation of that meat loaf and wound up eating 3 pieces of it - not large ones, but ate solid food and enjoyed every second of it! Oh well - it could have been worse - it could have been Cinnabon or a Big Mac for goodness sake. I was really pleased to know that I could go right back to the liquid diet without any severe damage and without any major cravings. I just needed to have that darn meat loaf!

OK - I gave in - but I've been very dedicated since. What I didn't count on was the rush of emotions that I'm going through. My brain is causing me to go a bit crazy. Hmmm...all those feelings that I haven't been dealing with all the years I was overeating and stuffing them all down. Well - those started coming to the surface in such a big way that last night I was SURE I was losing my mind and that there was NO WAY I could possibly go through with this surgery on Friday!

I talked about the feelings, got them out - even screamed and yelled a little bit. (The cats were the only ones home at the time and they got that they needed to leave the room for awhile.) I wasn't yelling at the cats - but I was definitely yelling dumb things like - "I'm losing my mind!", "I'm going crazy", "I hate...(plug in your own choice)" and "I can't go through with this surgery."  LOL

I'm still here today, I'm still drinking my protein drinks and my other liquids, and I'm still planning to have surgery on Friday. All those years of stuffing down the feelings led me to believe that if I let them out, I would explode, die, or worse....but guess what - I'm still here today and I'm doing fine!

Nervous - Sure!
A bit Scared - Absolutely!
Ready for a change....PRICELESS AND YES, YES, YES!!!!