Angela J.

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It has been a very busy year for me. I graduated from Nursing school and have been a RN in a Coronary Intensive Care Unit. Then I got pregnant in Sept  weighing in at 315, gained only 10 pounds the entire pregnancy and 9 months later on June 16th delivered a beautiful baby girl.  I lost 25 pounds almost immediately but started gradually gaining it back and now 4 months later am at 315. I'm not totally discouraged, just know it's time to get back to losing. My husband thinks it's hard for me to get as motivated as before because my primary goal of losing weight in the first place was to be able to get pregnant and have a healthy pregnancy and aside from some blood pressure issues, I accomplished that. So now it's harder to find that motivation and since I didn't follow band rules for the past year I'm struggling a little at remembering them and incorporating them into daily life. Having a 4 month old doesn't help because I have to find things that are quick and easy to eat and struggle to write down what I have eatten because I barley have a chance to go to the bathroom. Really all lame excuses, but this is how I have justified for the past few months.
When I got pregnant I had an unfill but now that I am mentally and physically ready to get back to business I have scheduled a fill for Oct 21st. I would love to lose a few before then so I am going to plan out my food at least the day before to try to keep self sabotage at bay.  I just wanted to update on here. I hope anyone who reads this is doing well.  Even at 315, I'm so happy to have my band...lost about 60 pounds in 6 months and am positive I would have never gotten pregnant had I not lot that weight.  I'm almost positive I would be pushing 400lbs if I didn't have my band...I just gotta work it!

How Much Weight Have You Lost?

Your weight loss =

1 pound = a Guinea Pig
1.5 pounds = a dozen Krispy Kreme glazed donuts
2 pounds = a rack of baby back ribs
3 pounds = an average human brain
4 pounds = an ostrich egg
5 pounds = a Chihuahua
6 pounds = a human skin
7.5 pounds = an average newborn
8 pounds = a human head
10 pounds= chemical additives an American consumes each year
11 pounds = an average housecat
12 pounds = a Bald Eagle
15 pounds = 10 dozen large eggs
16 pounds = a sperm whale�s brain
20 pounds = an automobile tire
23 pounds = amount of pizza an average American eats in a year
24 pounds = a 3-gallon tub of super premium ice cream
25 pounds = an average 2 year old
30 pounds = amount of cheese an average American eats in a year
33 pounds = a cinder block
36 pounds = a mid-size microwave
40 pounds = a 5-gallon bottle of water or an average human leg
44 pounds = an elephant�s heart
50 pounds = a small bale of hay
55 pounds = a 5000 BTU air conditioner
60 pounds = an elephant�s penis
66 pounds = fats and oils an average American eats in a year
70 pounds = an Irish Setter
77 pounds = a gold brick
80 pounds = the World�s Largest Ball of Tape
90 pounds = a newborn calf
100 pounds = a 2 month old horse
111 pounds = red meat an average American eats in a year
117 pounds = an average fashion model (and she�s 5�11�!)
118 pounds = the complete Encyclopedia Britannica
120 pounds = amount of trash you throw away in a month
130 pounds = a newborn giraffe
138 pounds = potatoes an average American eats in a year
140 pounds = refined sugar an average American eats in a year
144 pounds = an average adult woman (and she�s 5�4�)
150 pounds = the complete Oxford English Dictionary
187 pounds = an average adult man
200 pounds = 2 Bloodhounds
235 pounds = Arnold Schwarzenegger
300 pounds = an average football lineman
400 pounds = a Welsh pony

For example, a loss of 128 pounds means you�ve lost �almost a newborn giraffe�, or:
(10) dozen large eggs
(4) dozen Krispy Kreme glazed donuts
(2) Chihuahuas
(2) Guinea pigs
(1) elephant penis
(1) average 2-year-old
(1) human head
(1) rack baby back ribs

so far I've lost a mid-size microwave and a guinea pig. 

Well, today was my month post op appointment.  I had a Dietician appt, Psych appt, and was supposed to get my first fill.  I wasn't really too worried about it. You know how people talk about picturing the basketball going into the hoop and chances are better that it will?  Apparently my port doesn't base his (I'm going to make my band the male gender because I "can't live with him, can't live without him") accessablilty on the fact that I practiced imagining the needle going right into the middle of the port, the Doctor pushing just the right amount of saline in and voila, perfect restriction.  I knew this was a little far fetched but now I KNOW it's far fetched.      I laid on the little table thing with a pillow in the middle of my back in a half situp and the Doctor went to town trying to find my port with a needle that was ------------------------------------------------------------------------- this long.  He found the port right away but after a LOT of digging around decided that it must be tilted a little because of my swelling and didn't feel comfortable poking around any more.  Even though I was shaking from head to toe from the position and the pain I would have let him poke around for 10 more minutes if he was sure he could have got it  but he didn't want to risk it so  he said he wanted me to come back next week  to have a fill under fluoro.  I went to the desk to schedule it and the receptionist said "it'll have to be a wednesday."  I said "I can't do it on wednesday, I have class all day."  She said "we only do fluoro on wednesday."  I looked at my calendar and said "I won't be able to do it until June then because I have class every wednesday until then and I'm about to graduate." Then I started bawling, the hyperventilating kind.  She quickly went and found my surgeon's nurse who talked to the people that do fluoro and they said I could come in whenever I want.  I can't believe I started crying like that, it was just such an emotional afternoon for me.  The kicker is that right after my bawling session I had to go see they psychiatrist.  I thought they were going to admit me to the psych ward or something but she was very understanding.       Point is...I really really really wanted to get a fill today but in the grand scheme of things this just puts me back just a teeny tiny bit.  Thanks for listening.

The last two days have been very trying for me.  I have craved EVERYTHING and have ate more (not lots more, but more)  than I know I should.  This puree diet is really starting to get to me.  I didn't think I was exempt from Bandster Hell but I was ok that it hadn't hit yet. But now at a little over 2 weeks post op I am feeling the fire!!  I am so excited to be down 37 pounds (that includes my preop diet because that crap was hard and I count every ounce I lost on it.) so I am going to have to pay attention to the head hunger and soon enough I'll be getting my first fill.  Less than 2 weeks to be exact 4/17 Any suggestions to help me get through the next two weeks?  Angela P.S  Started throwing some running into my workout and I'm so excited because I haven't ran since high school 8 years ago!

So here’s what happened.

Got to the hospital around 7:30 on wednesday morning where Jim was given lots of directions about what to expect during the day and I was taken to a pre-op room where I changed into a gown and got my IV started and all that jazz.  From there they took me to an induction room where they continue getting you ready for surgery, and infact my buddy that used to work at medcentral with me was the nurse that runs that room so we got to talk for a while.  Then they wheeled me to the OR and put some happy juice in my iv and some in my Oxygen mask and I was out.  Didn’t wake up till probably an hour after my surgery was over.  I didn’t really have tons of pain at that time but had terrible pressure in my chest from the gas that they used to blow my belly up.  Then after dozing in and out in the recovery room they let JIm and my mom come in and visit with me for a few minutes.  Then a little later they took me up to my room.  Dozed in and out for a bit and then they got me up to walk for the first time.  Wasn’t too bad because I had a lovely Fentanyl PCA (pain pump) Slept throughout most of the night.  Got up and walked a couple times on thurs morning and then was taken to radiology for a Upper GI (i got to watch it and it was pretty cool because I could see my band inside me) then I came back to my room and was allowed to have some clear liquids which was awesome cause I hadn’t had even anything to drink since about 11:30pm on tuesday night. 

Got discharged from the hospital  around 4:30 and after a terrible ride home got home around 6:30.  Slept most of the night and was in more pain than I ever was at the hospital (because they took my beautiful fentanyl pca away from me) The night was pretty rough but I got up this morning and took a shower and drank some apple juice and feel a little better.  Jim is going to go to mom’s and borrow one of their recliner’s for me and going to the store to get a little soup for me. 

 I have to say, Jim has been absolutly wonderful!  I am so blessed to have him.  He has been so supportive and caring.  He is so upset when he sees me in pain and would do anything for me to take it away. I can’t imagine what I would have done the past couple days without him.  My mom too, was so helpful at the hospital.  

Well, I think I’m done for now, ready to take some pain medicine.  Thanks for all the prayers!!

Love, Angela 

I started my pre op diet last monday (3/3) and the first 2 days weren't too bad...I was really busy with school and felt pretty good.  The 3rd day was a little worse, I felt really fatigued and we had a little money problems so that made me sad and I had to deal with my emotions instead of medicate them with food. Once I got through that day the rest of the week was pretty easy until saturday when I was trapped at work due to the horrible blizzard.  So I was stuck at the hospital with nothing to eat but hospital food and the couple slim fasts I had pack for "just in case."  I feel good because I did really well, I had a little broth from the chicken tortilla soup in the cafeteria and lots of sf jello.  I am so happy with myself because I really could have used this circumstance to pig out and say "I couldn't help it, I was trapped at the hospital without my slim fasts."  But I didn't.  

Sunday was INCREDIBLY difficult, it was a coworker's birthday and she was having a really rough day so I asked people "can you think of anything we can do for Christa's birthday that doesn't have to do with food?"  "How about pizza?" they all chimed.  So I had the least to do, so I ordered the pizza for them and didn't eat any.  After work we went to my parents for my dad's birthday party and there was chili and cake and ice cream and me in the corner with my slimfast...mmm.  So i made it through that, barley and we get home and the power is out all over the neighborhood.  So I light candles and get to work on my homework by candlelight (couldn't do it the rest of the weekend because I was stranded at work and had a presentation to get ready for the next day) and my DH was nice enough to take my car out to get some gas.  When he gets home I hear a beautiful familiar sound of a chip bag crinkleing.  I said "did you buy chips?  I told you how hard today has been and you bring chips in the house?"  He felt so bad so I didn't yell at him anymore but I just kept thinking about those dang chips taunting me from the other room and asked him to make sure they weren't in the house by the time I came home from class the next day...and he did.  Then I went to bed.

Monday I was still having really bad cravings for regular food.  On my way to go tanning I had a weak moment and bought a double cheeseburger at McDonalds.  I ate it and it did not taste like I dreamed it would..which is a wonderful thing.  I feel a little disappointed that I didn't make it through the whole 2 weeks without cheating, but I'm really proud of myself for doing it so well other than that one slip up.  I'm also really relieved to have had the burger because now I'm not having those cravings and constantly thinking about food. I told my husband and he said it was ok and I was doing great and he's so proud of me and said "just don't do it or I'll kill you, seriously I'll end your life."  He's totally joking if anyone reading this is like  OMG I have to alert the authorities.   

So it's tuesday evening, I have a week left of this blessed diet and then my surgery on wed (3/19)  I feel like this has been the longest week ever, but there is a beautiful silver lining...I've already lost 20 pounds.  I have 5 more to go for my presurgery goal and I have a week left.  I'm trying to prepare myself for a possible/likely plateau but I hope I don't. 

Thursday I have to go see my surgeon for my preop clearance and a bunch of other stuff.  I hope he sees how hard I've worked.  He told me when I wanted the band that he would rather see me get bypass because I have about almost 200 pounds to lose and statistically band patients lose 40-50% of excess weight vs. bypass 60-70%.  I'm only interested in the band though so I took those stats as a challenge and told him that he's gonna want to put me on his brochure's when I'm done. 

 Let me preface this short post by saying that I had 4 days last week in which I went to lunch or dinner with family and friends, and I had my time of month (sorry to any men reading this).  But i am still really stoked that I lost 9 pounds in 24 hours on the first day of my pre-op liquid diet.  If I could just lose 9 pounds each day of it I'd be set :)   First day was a little hard, but seeing immediate results and knowing that surgery is just around the corner is really motivating.

 So, this is going to be quick because I have to get ready for work, but I just have to get it off my chest.   I work in a Cardiac intensive care as a secretary, but I am also a student 3 months away from graduating with my RN.  Yesterday I was at work and they were going to be taking a patient that was declared brain dead for surgery for organ donation.  It sounded like something that I could really learn from and I felt like I had an opportunity that most in my class would not have...in fact most of the nurses in my unit have not gotten to watch this be done.  So all day I was planning to go, the organ donation people were ok with it, the surgeon, it was fine.  Then it came time to go get dressed in surgical scrubs....none of them fit.  Not one.  It was so embarrassing to find someone from OR and ask them if they had anything bigger than a 3x.  So she called her supervisor and she came back and said "My supervisor said we don't have anything any bigger, but she said you really can'****ch anyways."    I pretty much hung my head, said ok and went back up to my department where everyone was wondering why I didn't stay.  I told them that they wouldn't let me watch and rushed out with all my stuff so I wouldn't start crying in the middle of the hospital.  I am just so upset that I had to miss out on such a learning experience because I couldn't fit into OR scrubs.  Thanks for listening. 

That is the date of my surgery. Wooooo!! I'm so excited I could...umm, well I mostly study and sleep these days (because of school) but I'll bet I could find some time to yell because i'm so excited. I can't believe it's like 6 weeks away.  I can't believe I will have to start my liquid diet in a month!!  I can't believe I'll be banded by Easter (that will be a challenge seen as though I will only be a few days post op. please don't flame me, i'm not going to cheat for Easter)  Anyways, i just wanted to share my exciting news.

I  called Medical Mutual today and found out that they sent a letter of approval for the lap band procedure yesterday.  YAY!! I still can't smiling.  I didn't realize how much I had been worrying about it on the inside until I found out that I'm approved, after that I feel like my mind has been really clear!!

I have really made a habit out of going to the gym and I am not "loving" it, but I miss it and feel bad if I don't meet my goals for the day or week in regards to working out.  I have been going to 2 different gyms and working out with 2 different friends which is nice because I have 2 people to keep me accountable with exercise.  I've been eating better food but still eat way too much of it.  

I'm hoping to have my surgery the 3rd week of march (the cleveland clinic should be calling me next week to schedule my surgery) so there are some things that I want to work on practicing before I get my band. 
1. eating smaller meals
2. trying different protein shakes and get my RDA of protein everyday.
3. taking smaller bites
4.don't drink with meals
5. continue working out 4-5times /week
6. continue addressing my bad habits 
7. water water water
8. smaller bites (so important it's worth saying twice :)

I'm sure there are more that i'm not thinking of but for now that's what i'm going to focus on.