Alan W.

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i have done it!  i am smaller than my daughter has ever seen me in my life.  I am now 293 lbs - well under the 437 I peaked out at.  I am still swimming all the time.  I have added biking and walking.  I hope to complete a triathelon in August.  I really believe this is a realistic goal.  I can do all the parts.  Now i have to do it in three hours.  My family is going mountain climbing next weekend.  Me - can you imagine??? I am mountain climbing and becoming a tri-athelete.  Who'da thunk it???

I went to Albany last Thursday for a followup.  I was down another 8.5 lbs in the past 5 weeks (total of 108.5 since 8/1/09).  Michelle did give me a fill tho (I now have 8 ccs in my band).  The big news came Friday morning.  For the first time ever, the WII did not groan and tell me I had "exceeded the maximum wieght limit."  In case you did not know, there is a 330 lb limit.  I am now 328.5.  This is the lowest I have been since I started working at GEICO 10 years ago. 

I am closing in on 100 pounds.  The past 2 times I have been to the dr, they have not done an adjustment.  I lost 10.5 pounds on my March 3 visit and another 3 on the 3/27 visit.  The next one is scheduled for the end of April.  I my weight loss is starting to slow down now, but I am getting smaller.  I bought a pair of jeans last week that were a size 50 in the waist.  August of 2009, I wore a 64!  The latest jeans are tight, but I can button them.  I should be able to wear them comforably in the next few weeks.  I feel real good about myself right now.  Check out t he new avatar.  That picture was taken this moring (4/4/10).  I still have 150 or so pounds to go, but I am really high on life right now.  I will post another update when I get my next weigh in at the end of April.  TTFN.

I am down 81 pounds from my peak weight.  I am down 6 inches in my waist from my peak size.  I have 7.5 cc in my band.  Life could not be grander!  I just posted a picture my wife took last weekend - I wore those pants to my 25th high school reunion in June of last year.  I completed round 1 of the great closet clean out.  It was amazing how many pairs of pants I got rid of.  I found a friend who could use them so they did not go to waste. 

To recap, I had surgery on 10/2/09 - almost 3 months ago.  I lost 30 lbs before surgery and 32 since.  I have had two adjustments (added a total of 6.5 cc).  Yesterday I finally had to break down and by some new jeans.  My belt had done all it could do to hold them up.  I went down from a size 60 waist to a 56!!!  That is the absolete smallest I have been in as long as I can remember.  I know the weight loss will slow down, but it has been amazing so far.

You know, they don't tell you that it will take 2-3 fills before you start feeling the affects of surgery.  That means that everything i have lost up to this point was all me.  The lap band will start kicking in in the next couple of months.  I am now 380.0 - the lowest i have been in nearly 4 years.  My driver's license has 400 on it and it is 3 years old. 

I had my first post op weigh in with my surgeon.  In 7 days, I had lost 14 pounds.  I am under 400 for the first time in 3 years.  feels pretty amazing.  I am having issues with my meds now.  I have not had any of my diabetic meds since the day before surgery.  I just started my blood pressure meds back on Wednesday because it was creaping up.  I am having issues with it now tho.  I am running "low normal"  115/60 average.  It is causing me to be dizzy when I stand up.  My regular doctor does not want me to cut it yet.  We will see how this goes.  I started on the protien shakes yesterday along with grits and eggs (not at the same time).  I should be back to regular food in a couple of weeks.   

Well, I have gone and done it!  Dr. B put my lap-band in on Friday.  It has been interesting so far.  Both my glucose and blood pressure have dropped to normal ranges.   This was an immediate change.  I have not had any medicine for either condition since before my surgery.  One day at a time is the way I am taking it.   I am a little sore, but nothing serious.  I have developed a slight cough, but I think that is from the anesthesia.  Coughing and laughing really hurt.  Beyond that, nothing exciting is going on.

I am starting to get antsy.  Friday is my big day - the day I become a "Bagnato Bandit".  My family took me to dinner tonight for a "last supper" of wings.  I could not eat a whole lot.  My emotions are anticipation ( kinda like when you are sitting in the seat just before the roller coaster takes off), nervous (butterflys are doing cartwheels in my belly) and a little scared.  I am sooooo ready.  I cannot wait for Friday night because it will all be over. 

Surgery is on Friday.  I am excited and scared.  I have dropped 30 pounds in preparation for the surgery.  part of me thinks that if I can drop the 30 in 2 months, then why is the surgery even necessary.  I know the answer, but it does provided things to think about.  If I could have done it, I would have 20 years ago.  I have always been good for the short run, but long term never seems to work out.  I will let you you know how things play out over the next few months. 

On the plus side, I have found an awsome support group.  The ladies were more than willing to let me crash their hen party.