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Wow good intentions really go out the window .....I was gonna blog every month.....................and now it has been a year since my surgery.
Lots since the last blog.................

My daughter really gave us a scare the last couple of months..........to make a long story short about her ...........she had surgery last week to have a mass removed...........also removed an ovary............but the best part of this was no malignancy.................now she is on the road to recovery.

I saw my primary Dr. yesterday for those wonderful yearly exams........he seemed really pleased with my weight loss..........over 80 pounds.  He said when he walked in he could tell I had lost a lot of weight.......the only down thing was my cholesterol..........it went way up...last year it was in normal range..........go figure..............so now I am on meds for that.   

Next week I will see Dr. White my surgeon...........

This last year had a lot of ups and downs.  I had my hip replaced in Dec and ended up with two more surgeries on it due to an infection.  That kind of put my weight loss on hold for a couple of months.  I didn't have the energy to exercise or the energy to think about what I was eating........during part of that time all I could eat was crackers and 7 up.  pain meds really kept me naseauted.  But once I got off of those I realy tried to think about what I was eating.

I did find out the hard way that I could not eat white meat of chicken...........we were in Kentucky and just got back in the car when it decided to come up........my poor hubby was doing 70 or maybe 80 on  the interstate and kept saying are you ok.................while I was puking my guts out.........that was the only really bad time I had with vomiting.

I must confess I really like hearing "you look so good"   I have new clothes............right now I only have one dressy outfit.........had to buy it for a funeral thank goodness for sales.  I got it at Dillards for $18.00 marked down from $129.00..............and I can take it in a little...................needless to say I have stopped in there looking at their sales racks............

I have gone from a 4x in pants to a 1x and they are getting baggy.............I even bought a new swimming suit and it does look good on me...........also bought a pair of jeans and wore them on casual Friday at work.............shocked my coworkers then had never seen me in blue jeans............

I still need to lose about 50 pounds.........................and I know it will come off.   I do get discouraged when I hit a plateau thinking is this it............but then a few weeks later the scale does move down again.

I know I will have a tummy tuck..................I could probably wear a smaller size in pants but I gut all that tummy flab., my insurance will pay for that..........my arms have wings.............my plan is take part of my 401k in 4 years and having that removed.    in 4 years I can take it out without a penalty.............

Best thing about this year is my  2 year old grandaughter she gives the best hugs and kisses............she is the only person that can get me to march around the living room and dining room to a barney video.

I had a garage sale this year and got rid of lots of my old clothes.........one lady bought a lot of them and I said to her as she was paying that I had lap band surgery..........(Not sure why I shared this info)............she looked at me and said..........I have been thinking of having it...........and we talked for about an hour she had a ton of questions.

My fingers are getting tired so I am gonna quit typing............maybe I will post again after seeing Dr. White next week...............

I went for my second fill last Tuesday.  Didn't have to wait very long this time.  Not sure how much he put it, but the first time he said that's too much and jokingly I said leave it in.  The Dr. said I would regret it so he took someout.   Dr. White asked me who put in my central line and I told him Dr. Sorrell from Kearney.  He went to Med school with Dr. Sorell so he had lots of cute messages for me to give to him next time I saw him.  Dr. White really had a sense of humor today.

I went over to Village Inn and met my nephew and his wife for lunch.  I had a cup of cheese soup and while eating it got an intense pain....guess I am finally feeling restriction.

I drove on home but before I got home went to Central City for my support group meeting.

The next morning I was having problems drinking but didn't think too much of it.  As the day went on even a sip of water hurt so I called Dr. White's office they said it had probably swollen and would be better in a day or so.  I was hurting really bad and went home from work early.
I called in sick on Thursday every sip of water came back up.  So I just quit drinking.
Friday it was a little better. Friday night I ate some cottage cheese and that was ok.  Sat.  everytime I tried to eat or drink it came back up.   I was planning on going back to the Dr. on Monday.  But Sunday was better.  I had some egg drop soup and a protein drink and tonight I am drinking some crystal light or I should say sipping.

Guess I will start losing again YAA HOO.  I know it will be worth it in the long run.
Next time I have a fill I will be a little more knowledgeable about what to expect.

I am down 69 lbs as of today........yaa hoo......my clothes are all baggy, I have become an expert with safety pins on waist bands of my slacks.     I know I will have to buy some new clothes real soon we are going to Florida in a couple weeks for a wedding.
I did buy a sweater was shopping with my daughter and I thought it would be way too small and to my suprise it fit.   Nice to go from a 4x to size 18.  
Till next time.

Wow where do I start.   I made my goal of 50 lbs by Christmas : )

December 17th I had a total hip replacement, I figured this one would be easier (had one last year at 50 lbs heavier) since I had lost weight my surgeon was pleased with my weight loss too when I saw him for my pre op visit.   The surgery went great came home and the next night went to our Christmas Cantata at church.
We had Christmas at our house my daughter and husband did all the work cooking and decorating etc.  Think they should take over for the next few years.
Jan 2nd I was running a temp and knew I had a sinus infection so called my dr. and he got me in the same day, also my incision had a little clear drainage I wasn't concerned by my Dr. was he did a culture on it and then put me on a potent antibiotic they cost $60.00 a pill and a series of shots for the next 3 days.
The next day I was in the bathroom getting ready to go to the Dr. for my next shot.  For some reason I took my cell phone in there with me, the first time I have ever done that.  I was standing in front of the sink and my incision decided to just explode, I don't know how else to explain it.  I sat down and it kept dripping lots of stuff, it didn't look infected by it sure was a lot.  I called my husband at work and said "You need to come home now"  he could tell by my voice that he knew I was in trouble.  Then I called my daughter and she was close to home so she got her first.  She wanted to call 911 but I would not let her.  My hubby got home and we went to the Dr.  I put a bath towel over my incision and by the time we got to the Dr. it had soaked through that, the Dr. is only a mile or so from our house.
It seemed like we were there for hours but that was only my imagination.  My dr. was trying to get my surgeon on the phone but he was in another town.   Finally got him on the phone and they wanted to see me first thing in the morning .
When I got home my surgeon's office had already called me and said I would have to see another surgeon and they had all ready made the arranagements and to not eat or drink anything after midnight I was having out patient surgery.
To make a long boring story short I ended  up having two more surgeries on my hip since it was infected because of my sinus infection, had a few blood transusions and now am home on IV antibiotics for the next 6 - 8 weeks.
I guess right now I am not focusing too much on my weight loss  I don't even know if I have lost or gained since this fiasco but as soon as the infection is cleared up I will be back at losing weight. 

I haven't posted for along times it seems,  it seems like mike surgery was along time ago but in reality it will be 2 months next week.  And I am down 41.5 lbs  (but who's counting)

I can lay in bed and see my toes no more belly in the way.  I can feel my hip bones and thigh bone now.  I am hoping that maybe I won't have to have the plastic surgery it seems that I am losing it slow enought that maybe I won't have a lot of excess skin hanging off of my belly area.  One can hope.

I had my first fill and met a man there that was waiting for his fill, I thought to myself what is he doing here.........it turns out he has lost over 200 lbs what ann inspiration for those of us waiting for our fills.

I survived a week of vacation, I had to go to Chicago for a one day training class so we made a mini vacation out of it and went and saw lots of family on the way and went over to Fort Wayne, IN and saw more family then we went to Springfield, IL and saw Abrahama Lincoln's museum.  I was so worried about  gaining weight. Wwhen we got home I was hoping I didn't gain a lot of weight back but to my surpise I lost a pound.  I was estatic.  Guess it doesn't take much to make me happy.

One of my coworkers asked me yesterday about my surgery he said "it really is working for you, I should do that."  I know he has tried almost every diet there is.  That made me feel good to have someone asked me for advice on losing weight (me of all people).  Most people just look at me and don't say anything.  At church Sunday a lady came up to me and whispered in my ear you are doing good.  I know another lady at church had the gastric bypass surgery a couple weeks after I had my lap band done.  She hasn't been to church yet so I am anxoius to see her and give her some encouragement.

I wanted to be down 50 lbs by Christmas and I think now I might make my goal.  That is the time I will start bying new clothes......my pants are really baggy on me.  Thank goodness for my Holiday sweatshirts I have they can be worn baggy.

I went to a support group meeting (one is starting in a town real close to where I live).  A lady there said she was tired of hearing how she took the easy way out.  She told the person "you are dieting right now but if you want to go off of your diet you can, my decision to have weight loss surgery was not easy it is a lifetime commitment"   I thought that was a good answer and I am gonna use it on my family that keeps saying that I took the easy way out to lose weight.

Anyway I am so glad that I  had this surgery done........and I am going to keep going to support group meetings..........and will exercise with hand weights while watching tv. 

I am going to call and see if I can get another fill, I am not sure how long to wait in between but I do not feel any restriction yet.  That does worry me, but it must be working the weight is coming off.  : )

It has been a month since surgery and seems like I hit a plateau.   I had promised myself I would only weigh once a week..............duh..........like I could do that the scale is in the kitchen, I put it there to remind me of my weight every time I entered that room.

I have lost 26 lbs.   In the last week or so the scale has not moved.  People I work with are telling me they can see inches coming off, that is what is keeping me motivated right now.

I had not seen my son for almost 2 months and he showed up at my work on Friday.  He did a double take look at me when I called out his name , I was not at my desk when he walked in so he didn't expect to see me where I was standing.  He finally said to me an hour later that he could see I had lost.  We went out for lunch and my son and his wife had a fit when all I ordered was cottage cheese.  I told them my eating habits had changed and I needed to get in protein with my meals and so I would eat protein stuff first.  I didn't even finish the serving they gave me.

My DH even said I lost one of my chins.

I can tell my slacks are really baggy and I sat in a booth in a restaurant and  I actually had space between the table and my belly.  My boobs were not resting on the table.  I think some of you know what I mean by that. : )

I am going to sign up and pay my daughter's membership at the local YMCA so we can do some exersice together.  Walking is very hard for me  I had a hip replacement last Jan. (and that hip is doing great).  I need the other hip done and when I walk any distance it really hurts so I am going there to see what kind of exercises I can do with weights that don't involve my hip.  I had been going to a swim calls but that involved having to be late for work 2 hrs everytime I went to that class.  And the days I would go to the swim class I had to work through my lunch hour.   I won't do that anymore I need to eat my meals at a regualar time away from my desk so I don't wolf them down.

I go for my first fill in 10 days, I can't wait for that I have started feeling hungry at times and that scares me.

Friday was my first post op visit and I really need to do the ticker thing.......I am down 24.6 lbs since I started on this new journey.   YAA HOO    I was supposed to see my Dr. on Wed or Thursday those were the days he sees patients.   I asked about Friday and they asked why so they made arrangements for me to come on Friday since we had tickets to see Elton John on Sat and we live about 140 miles or so from Omaha.      Roxi and Dr. White's staff are the best.

I did do something wrong, I misunderstood the diet that I was to follow as the surgery so was drinking just water and juven and by the time I went to the Dr. my energy level was really bad I was huffing and puffing after walking  just a short bit.   I was supposted to be on the full liquid diet OOPS.  So they told me to go have some mashed potatoes with milk (they said I needed to get some carbs into me)..........the first bite of my soupy mashed potatoes tasted like a Thanksgiving dinner.  I savored every bite.  I kept mixing skim milk into the potatoes to make them really liquidy but they sure were good.  The next day I had some scrambled eggs and they were also very good.

They told me not to try new things until I got home so I took their advice.  

We went to the Elton John Concert the next night.  We had main floor tickets row 7........right in front of the piano.  Great seats.  Unfortunately the people in front of us stood and staggered most of the time....(they had a little too much to drink)  but I sat through most of it and either watched on the big screens they had or sometimes could see through the drunks.   I even closed my eyes and just enjoyed the music.  It was well worth going too would do it again in a heartbeat.    

I bough a souveniour T shirt wanted to get a size medium but my DH got me a large said even after I lose all my weight my shoulders were too broad for a large..........I am gonna prove him wrong, then he said they shrink when you wash them.

I will go back in about 4 weeks for my first fill.  This Thursday I see my own Dr. for a check up and blood work and will go back to work on Thursday.

Today I am treating myself to a pedicure, I promised myself for every 25 lbs I would do something nice for myself.

to be contined

Wow where do I start

Tuesday morning we started packing to go to Omaha then I went to work.  Got home from work and finsihed packing.  I just totally lost it and was freaking out and I knew it but couldn't undestand why I could not stay calm.

We finally got the van loaded and was two blocks from home when I realized I left my insurance card and drivers license at home so we turned around.  When I went in the house the hospital was on the phone to preregister me.  So maybe that was a good thing we had to turn around.

I forgot to take anything to drink with me so about 9 p.m. my husband went out and found me some skim milk that I drank to satisfy my hunger.

Wed. morning went over to the hospital and checked in and then we had to wait, the surgeyr before mine took about an hour longer so we sat there in my cute little gown and hat and just visited.  Right before they came to get me I asked to go to the bathroom and they said they are here for you and they will put in a foley I said I don't think so.....guess what I was right.

They finally came and got me and the next thing I knew I was in my room.  My surgery took longer they found a hiatil hernia and had to fix that before he could do the lap band.

My shoulders really hurt after surgery  which no one explained to me that could happen from all the air they pump in you.

About 8 pm I asked to get up and use the bathroom.  I didn't feel light headed or anything like that just sore in my belly and shoulders.

The next morning I had the swallow test and flunked it. :(
So we stayed and sipped on 1 oz of water for hours it seemed.  Finally I was able to do 4 ozs within an hour and they let me go home about 7p.m.

I waited to take pain meds right before we left I didn't want that 140 mile trip to be painful.  We stopped a couple of times on the way home at rest stops so I could walk around.

The next morning I woke up very nauseated and shaky my hubby called in and took the day off for me.  He called Roxi the bariatric coordinator and they ordered me some suppositories for nausea......must be mind over matter I did not take any of those yet.   I had nausea again today so I wonder if it will be like a morning sickness thing that I will have to put up with for awhile.

My one shoulder still is sorebut I am drinking the proten stuff and some diluted chicken broth and water every hour.

I went outside and took a short walk yesterday and will probably do that today after the football game is over.

I have not weighed myself I am hoping I can hold out till I go to the Dr. next FRiday.

Saturday and 81 hrs till I have to be at the hospital......Like I said before who's counting.

I think this was the worst day on the liquid diet....I tried to keep busy, my daughter had a pampered chef party scheudled tonight at our house. She had to hav3e a party in Sept to get the hostess gift of a complete set of cookware at over 60 percent off.  That is a good deal but she never cooks.  She really did have fun helping make the dish they had tonight.  I told her she could fix it again for my circle meeting at church next month when I have to serve.

I know I was really crabby at times to her, I always want things spic and span and my standards of spic and span are different then hers.

I did cheat this afternoon and have a skinny non fat latte.  My hubby probably thought a little caffeine might make my mood better.

Then I had to smell and watch all my friends eat the chicken nacho recipe....of course there were candies and cake and pop and nachoss and dip at the party, I sipped on an instant breakfast during the party.  Finally had to tell my friends and coworkers and neighbors why I was drinking something instead of grazing on all the goodies.

After the party I did have some cream of celery soup, ( I pick out all the celtery when I am eating it) for some reasons something warms really tends to fill me up and take away hunger.  I wonder if that is normal or maybe just a physchioligical thing.

I cleaned up all the paper plates and cups and did dishes but made my daughter put away the candy, chips and cake that was sitting out.  Too tempting to graze maybe.

I read a post on the over 50 board today and got this ided from them.I willh have my dh take my pic on the day we leave for surgery  in front of our front door a front view and two side view.  Every month I will have him take a pic in the same place to see if there is a difference in me.

I seem like I am just babbling on about nothing but hopefully I can look back in a few months to see what my moods were.

To be continued.

Been on the liquid diet since Sunday and now it is Thursday, the first couple days was the worst but now I seem not to be so hungry.

Had my blood work drawn yesterday.

Today had my EGK, chest x-ray and pre op physical.

What an experience that was.  The dr's nurse told my my EKG was abnormal and they might have to have me go see a cardiologist....what a shock that was and then I said "I hope this doesn't screw up my surgery" and she said it could.  

So there I sat freaking out finally called my husband at work and he said "some nurses don't know how to read those wait till the Dr. comes in"  .  My husband is a RN and worked in ICU for 21 yrs.

The Dr. came in and said everything looked good , I asked about the EKG told him his nurse said it was not normal. He looked at it and said it was ok
.
Then he listened to my heart and lungs or whatever he does with that steteschope.  Then asked me when I had my last breast exam and I said duhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..........not to long ago.  That wasn't the correct answer he looked in my chart........Then asked when I had my last pap test I said oh maybe a couple years ago.........wrong answer again.  He handed me one of those little paper gowns............
My grandmothers had breast cancer and my mother had a hysterectomy in her 40's because of cancer. So he talked to me about the importance of check ups because of my family history.  I honestly thought that when I turned 50 you didn't need those test annually. Guess I was wrong.  
Anyway when my legs were up in those damn stirrups I got a charley horse in my leg.  Great timing.

Then another nurse opened the door whithout knocking, I never heard my Dr. raise his voice but he told her to shut the door and she stood there and said she wanted to talk to the other nurse that was in the room.......good think I am not to shy.

Everything is done now for the surgery just have to wait now.......We will go down on Tuesday and stay in the Hospitality House the night before and will be at the hospital at 8 a.m.

to be continued.

Well now I know why I didn't want to tell people yet.

I first emailed my relatives and first got a positive response and then today got one with a bunch of negative questions.

It really bummed me out with the questions like....

"Isn't there a good chance of infection.......

"Have heard there are good results most of the time but there is still a chance this it is risky but it depends on your attitude."

I didn't know how to respond to that email so I didn't

I told some people at work and they were all positive, some were suprised but were all positive about it.

Tomorrow I will go buy stuff for the liquid diet.......

My sister said she wants to be there when I have the surgery but she lives so far away and her husband is not in the best of health so I tried to talk her out of it.
My daughter is going to stay home and take care of the "baby" he is a 22 year old dog.
My husband will be there of course and I have a nephew and a niece that lives in Omaha where I will be having the surgery, so I am sure they will show up to give my hubby some moral support.