Janet G.

Send Message

Block

Add Friend

Well things have definately not gone the way I wanted.  I'm now 10 months out from surgery (lapband) and I weigh 248.5 lbs.  By my calculations, this is a mere loss of 35 lbs in 10 months.  I sort of thought it would go a little faster than that. 

With this said, though, I need to state that until the last week or so, I haven't been able to do any exercise.  I blew my ACL out for a second time about this time last fall.  My WLS was 12/22.  Because I didn't want to miss any more school than I had already (I'm a teacher), I didn't schedule my ACL replacement until summer, 7/13.  Since this was my second surgery on that knee (and the second in 2 weeks this summer), the doc wanted to take things slow to make sure everything took hold.    Then once I finally get the ok to start exercising, I get a nickel size plantar wart on the ball of my foot, just where it starts curving in to the toe.  This wart is sitting right over top of the tendon to the 2nd toe.  I had it froze off but have been in pain since I had the freezing done.  The healing process is slow and painful.  I haven't even been able to go in for PT for my knee because I can't put full weight on that foot.  So for about a year, I haven't been able to exercise, which is driving my WLS surgeon nuts.  

Tonight, I got on the elliptical trainer at home for about 10 minutes.  Other than driving my new puppy crazy, it wasn't that eventful.  I'm just nervous about  doing too much because of the knee.

The nice thing is that even though I haven't lost much, things have been shifting for me.  I'm now down to a sizes 20-22 where I was 26-28.  So I know things are happening, just not like I had hoped.

Well I went in on Monday 6/29 to have my 2nd fill.  They took me to 6 (milliliters, I think) out of 10.  Things have been sticking for me this week.  I REALLY need to remember small bites, chew completely.  I was back up to 259.6 lbs when I weighed in before the fill.  I was at one time down to 253 lbs.  I still have a long way to go.  My goal is at least 180 if not less but with lapband, I'm not sure how much I will actually lose.  

Exercise is a big thing.  I know that now.  I was doing really well at Curves - going daily, until my knee started hurting me a good deal.  So I had to take some time off.  Unfortunately, that was right before I went in for sinus surgery (can't do anything for 2 weeks - not even walking).  That surgery was last Thursday 6/25.  I get two weeks off and then go in for ACL reconstruction.  (which means more time away from exercising)   I'm hoping the orthopedic dr will let me return to Curves after two weeks, if I promise to only do machines for hips and upward.  

Sorry for the influx of pics but I decided today, after the Chicago conference, that it's ok for others to see me. 

I hate pictures.  I usually volunteered to take pics just so I didn't have to be in them.  I realize there are few pics of my kids with me when they were younger and I'm sad now about that.  I had a difficult time trying to find pics to post.  I had to go all the way back to 2000 to find any and the most recent one (9/2008) is my faculty pic for the yearbook.

Just got back from the Chicago conference.  It was alot of fun.  I had a chance to meet great people and learn a few things.    It also gave me some much needed personal time with my hubby.  He went with me to enjoy some alone time with each other (we have 2 children 15 and 12 yrs old) and to learn what he could to help support me better.

One reason I went was to get focus and motivation back to get back on track.  I lost 20 lbs in the first 2 weeks after WLS ((12/22/08).  I got to about 33 lbs lost before I hit my first plateau.  After a month of not losing or gaining, my surgeon did the first fill (5cc).  I was to go back a month later and see how the fill was working.  Well I gained 3-4 lbs.  After talking with the surgeon he wanted me to go 2 months with the same fill but this time JOURNAL my food intake and start doing some sort of exercise.  As you can guess, I probably wasn't following my diet like I should have been.  It was hard because I was hungry all the time and could eat full normal meals.  As for exercising, I have a blown ACL (knee ligament) which is schedule for 7/13 to get replaced again (I blew it out about 5 yrs ago and had it replaced).  I stepped on the scales last Thursday for pre-op testing and fould that I had gained 9 lbs back.

I joined Curves 6/6/09 and figured I could do some working out there until my surgeries (I have another one 6/25 for nasal problems).  Once I get done with the ACL replacement, I hope to go back to Curves right away and do just workouts that deal with the hips upward.  Curves put me on medical leave (meaning I don't have to pay) until the doctors give the all clear for me to return but as I said, I'm hoping to return right away, just limit my exercises.

The other reason for going to Chicago was to meet some people to get as a support group, preferably who have had the Lap-band surgery but it 's not necessary.  I did meet some great people and hope to keep in touch with them. 

If anyone reads this blog and would like to help be a part of my support group, I would greatly appreciate it.  I don't want to fail at this as I have failed with the many "diets" I've tried. 

It's been over 5 months.  I knew it had been long, just never realized how long.

I started plateauing in March.  April 6, I had my first fill (5 cc? I think is the unit, I know it was 5).  Went back a month later and had only lost 3 lbs.

From mid-Feb until now has been very discouraging for me considering I lost as quickly as I did at the beginning.  So I fell off the wagon.  Unfortunately, my leg got caught on one of the ropes and I've been dragged for the last 3 months behind the d@m% wagon through horse $h!t. 

I think I've beaten myself up enough.  Now's it's time to take control - I just need to figure out how.

Oh well, that's supposed to be part of all this fun, isn't it? 

Weighed in today (1/5/09) and was at a 20 lbs loss.  WOO HOO!!! 

A friend of mine did tell me that this would slow down when I started solid foods but I'm excited now.  I couldn't get 20 lbs off on WW no matter how hard I tried.  The thought of trying to get 10% lost was so far out that there.  I felt defeated before I started because I knew I never got 20 lbs off let alone 10%.

Here I lost 20 in 2 weeks.  Yes, I know this is not normal and that it will slow down, but I'm going to enjoy it anyway.

Wed 12/31

I went in for "1 week" post-op today.  Everything went real well.  Weighed in at 268.7 lbs, which puts me at 16.6 lb weight loss in the 2 weeks since my initial weigh in. (WOO! HOO!  ) You know, the one they do just before you start the liquid diet on a normal stomach.

Both the doctor and the nurse were very impressed.  The doctor kept reminding me that this was not typical and to not be surprised if things taper off.

I have dropped a pant size from that weight loss.  (YEAH!!!)     Luckily for some reason, I was a pack rat with pants as I progressed up through the sizes and I have clothes to shrink into for the first 4 sizes as I progress through my changes.  I'm not a pack rat normally but for some reason, I kept my pants and some shirts as I grew out of them.  Now I'm so glad. 

I go back in 6 weeks to see the surgeon again for a check up and we'll determine if I need my first fill at that point or wait.

Today is Saturday 12/27 - 5 days post-op.    (first post)

Pre-op wt:  285.3#  (12/17)  started 5 days of liquid diet

Op wt: 277.4# (12/22)  down 7.9#

Both of these were taken with me wearing t-shirt, flannel pants, shoes.  My first follow-up is set for Tuesday 12/29.

Things are going ok.  Very sluggish, sore the first couple of days.  The 5 small inscisions are healing well and don't hurt much anymore except one.  Last time I took any pain meds was Christmas morning.

Am running into 2 problems that I'm going to search the boards about:  burning feeling in the stomach, even when I'm only drinking water (I already take Prevacid daily and have been using Tums or Maalox without much help) and the other being that I can feel the port and it causes pain/discomfort depending on what I'm doing.  I'm not sure if the inscision is healing ok because I'm not sure if all the discomfort is from the port.  Curious if others are running or have run into this problem.