Long2bThin2

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Well it's been a long time since visiting here, I get so lost on this site and tend to avoid it.  It wasn't until getting a Happy 3 yr anniverary email from OH that I came back.  A lot has happened in the past year.  Biggest being my husband got a job promotion and transfer to Salt Lake City.  I miss Denver tremendously and after moving my daughter also had my first grandbaby so miss her very much.  I had about a year long pity party.  And yes, resulted in a weight gain of about 35 lbs.  I am so mad at myself and depressed about it that it just put me in a downward spiral.  Good thing is I am working on getting back on track.  I visited Dr Snyer last month on a trip to Denver.  I've done this before and can do it again.  And I didn't regain all 126 lbs!!  I seem to have very little restriction and have had some reflux issues so I am having an upper GI next month to be sure all is well with my band.  Luckily hubby works for the airlines and I can fly back to Denver free and often.  Maybe if I make myself check in here, it will also be an accountablity thing for me as well. 

Well guess it's been a long time since coming here.  In the past year my husband has been transferred to Salt Lake City.  I am missing Colorado tremendously, it doesn't help that my daughter had my first grandchild after my moving away as well.  I come back to visit at least once a month, an advantage of having a husband who works for the airlines. 
My weight has not done real well.  I had a several month long pity party for myself and allowed some old terrible habits back into my life.  So the quest to lose the 35 lbs I gained begins.  I have finally found a support group to attend in Salt Lake City.  The first I went to charged and I didn't want to pay.  A friend's daughter here had RNY surgery and told me of her group so I started attending it.  It's a ways away, but maybe in time I will meet some folks who want to start a gropu closer to me. 

Wow can't believe it's been one year since my surgery (and 4 mos since I've posted).  I just had my one year 'bandiversary' on June 5th.  I have lost 125 lbs.  Dr Snyder told me what my goal was for a normal BMI and that was 169 however he also said he'd be happy with anything under 180.  I'm 181!!  WOOHOO!!  I want to go for the normal BMI however.  I am wearing a size 10 comfortably and just this past weekend bought a size 8 pair of Gap jeans on clearance.  While I can button and zip them, breathing is another issue.    I have them at the front of my closet to inspire me. 
In April I had to have about .50cc taken out of my band as I started having reflux issues.  But come May I stopped losing and haven't lost in about a month.  So just yesterday I had half of that about .25cc put back in, so far so good.  I think I am at 11 in my band but not sure.  What matters more is the restriction.  I recently went on a Mediterranean cruise that my husband took me on as a reward for losing 100lbs.  I had an awesome time and was so thrilled with all I was able to do.  Last year the walking alone would've done me in. And I came home from the cruise one pound lighter! 
My one year post op check with Dr Snyder is on June 30th, I'd love to be at least under the 180 mark by then.  I wanted to reach goal by then, but don't think I will lose that much in 2 1/2 weeks.  But I am a heck of a lot closer to goal at the one year mark than I ever imagined I would be. 

Yep, it's been awhile since I updated.  but I hit 100 lbs lost last week and am now at 102.  This gives me a BMI of 30, which is now moving me into the 'overweight' category instead of obese!!  How amazing is that?  to go from morbidly obese to just overweight.  WOO HOO!!  Three more pounds and I will be out of the 200's too.  I am loving my band!  I've also really upped the exercise.  A friend and I are doing the 'Power 90' DVD workout series.  It's by Tony Horton of P90X fame but this is the series he did befor P90X and not as X which is for extreme.  We do have P90X as well and may consider that after our 90 days of Power 90 is done.  We are finishing our 3rd week doing it and I can tell a major difference already in my upper body strength especially and my endurance.  Maybe the increased activity is what helped the scale start moving better again, it was slow going for a bit, but then I need to remind myself at how fast I have lost.  Dr. Snyder said I was losing at or better than the bypass rate wtih my band.  I'll take that!! 

I hit 90 lbs lost!!  WOO HOO!!!  Only 10 more to 100.  I can't believe it.  If you would've told me 6 mos ago when I had surgery that I'd be facing Christmas at almost 100 lbs gone, I'd have not believed you.  Heck, I don't know if I would've believed 50 lbs. I had struggled with my weight for so long and a part of me even felt it was going to be impossible to lose 100 lbs, it just seemed so big and far away.  I am so happy I had the surgery and that things have gone so well for me. 

Oh and today, I won a Biggest Loser competition at the rec center in my community.  I lost 37 lbs since Labor Day and the prize is over $500!!!  WOO HOO!!  I won by less than 1%. 

Guess I am not a consistent blogger.  October has been quite a month.  I started the month at 66 lbs down and ended the month at 78 lbs down!!  YAHOO!!  My folks came to visit from FL who had no idea I had surgery.  I was at 70 lbs down when they say me.  I was afraid to tell them about it as mom has never been a positve person.  But I did and it went well.   She even complimented me.  I hit 75 while they were here even.    Now I am stuck again.  I hit 78 and go up 2 and back down 2.  I seem to lose in chunks though.  I'll have a week where I am down a pound or 2 every day and drop like crazy then I will hit a period of 'rest' I guess.  Still can't complain. 
The highlight of my month was being on the panel at Dr. Snyders seminar this month.  I can't believe that I am an 'after' now.  Not all the way after as I still have some weight to lose, but a success nonetheless.  He was very complimentary and said I was doing great.  A friend was there as well and may be getting the band as well.  I also went to volunteer training that afternoon to be a volunteer at Rose in the bariatric program.  Exciting times!! 
Oh and the other biggie highlight....SIZE 16 JEANS FROM THE GAP!!!    WOO HOO!!  No more Lane Bryant for me! 

I did it!  I hit 60 lbs lost yesterday, then 61 today.  Friday was my 3 month bandiversary.   Never in a million years did I think then that I would be where I am at now.  I am just floored and thrilled beyond belief.  It hasn't even been that hard.  This last fill seems to have me at a really good spot, that's good because now that I am beyond the 3 mos. date post op, I have to start paying for fills.  I know I need to exercise more.  I was really getting a good habit going with that before I had to have my gall bladder out.  I will be one month out from that tomorrow.  I am feeling pretty good other than the rash that developed beginning in my incisions and has now spread over my entire abdomen.  Dr. Snyder's office referred me back to my PCP for that and he thought it was 'allergic dermatitis' and gave me a steroid shot, an RX strength Benedryl for night time and another allergy RX for daytime.  It's finally feeling less itchy, but oh am I drowsy from the meds.  But I'll take drowsy over itchy!!  Tomorrow I will go back to the Monday night Bariatric Exercise class sponsered by Rose up in Thornton to get an idea of things to start doing at home.  I bought an execise ball and cords to do the things they teach then at home.  Also, I joined the Biggest Loser Challenge up at the clubhouse in my neighborhood, tomorrow is our first week weigh in.  Wish me luck!!  Well til next time......

Not sure where to start or what to say.  I've never done a blog before.  I had lap band surgery on June 5th, 2008 by Dr. Michael Snyder.  So far it's been the best thing I've ever done for myself.  If you would've told me 3 mos. ago I'd be sitting here 57 lbs lighter, I'd not have believed you.  It's not been an easy journey.  Is surgery ever easy?  I had to have many screenings before the surgery, the one that hung me up the most was the cardiologist.  He saw a blip on something and I had to have a nuclear stress test, but PTL all was well.  Just another scare in my health though to know I was doing the right thing.  My recovery had a few glitches, I got thrush and my mouth looked and tasted nasty from that yeast infection.  Then I got so faint and dizzy I was afraid something was seriously wrong.  But just the opposite.  My b/p dropped to 80/50 and pulse to 42 and I got off my b/p meds for the first time in 10 yrs!!!  Already this surgery was worth it.  Fast forward 2 mos. and my gall bladder went on the fritz.  I had gone in for my 2nd fill and mentioned to Amanda a dull ache in my right side.  She honed right in on that as she had her's removed as well.  She sent me for an ultrasound and sure enough, stones and abnormal.  So I got to have a 2nd surgery by Dr. Snyder.  I was so relieved that he does these type surgeries on his bariatric patients.  I'd not have been comfortable having to search for another surgeon so soon.  I knew I was in good hands.  He even said he checked out his other handiwork while in there (the band) and all was well.  I've gone down from a size 26 jean, the highest I ever wore and I was so depressed I had to buy those for a cruise we took to Alaska which was 2 weeks prebanding, to now a size 20.  I can't wait to shop in a normal size store and kiss Lane Bryant good bye! 

Well til next time.....