Kathy S.

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I saw Dr. Weiss yesterday for my consultation with him, and I'm set for surgery in 2 weeks! 

A group of us future-sleevers spent the day together learning about the pre-op diet and the surgery process, and all of us set our dates before we left the office. It was good to be with others on the same journey as me. And it felt good to be affirmed in my decision.

Jason and I talked last night and he's fully on board with me. He'll be looking for protein drinks to buy for me for the 2-week pre-op diet (high protein, low carb) and for the 1-day all liquid diet the day before surgery. I also ordered some unflavored protein powder and some Premier shakes to help me get the 100 grams of protein I'll need to get ready for surgery and to heal afterward.

So I have a busy couple of weeks ahead of me. I have lists to make and things to plan. I've read lots of posts about items to take to the hospital with me, so I need to pull those ideas together and make sure I have everything I'll need. I also want to make sure I have plenty of drinks on hand after I get home so I won't have to send Jason out to get anything. 

February 15 will be here before I know it! And I'll be on my way to better health and greater mobility! 

 

I scheduled my consultation with the surgeon this week for January 22.It's an all-day affair with several appointments throughout the day. But after talking wiht Dr. Weiss that day, I'll be able to set my surgery date. I can take a guest, so I'm going to see if Erin woudl like to go with me. That will be her first day free after her latest long-term sub position. 

I had hoped to have my surgery by now--before classes start on January 14. Since that didn't happen, I now think the next best time for me will be the week before my Spring Break. That will give me 2 weeks to recover before going back to work. So, maybe March 4 will be the day. That's what I'm planning toward now.

Well, I'm looking into a different procedure--trying to decide whether a sleeve or bypass is better for me. I saw the bariatric office staff on March 22 and since then have gotten cardiac clearance for surgery. I've also had an upper GI and am scheduled for a EGD with Dr Weiss on Monday. Then I'll see my GP on Tuesday for the third of 6 appointments required by Anthem BCBS for insurance approval of bariatric surgery. Once Dr. Weiss completes his procedure, he'll schedule to see me to remove my lapband, I suppose, and then I'll have a 3-month wait for a new procedure. I'm going next Wednesday to an informatinal seminar with the bariatric office staff to learn more about the options for me.

My weight is hovering around 265, the highest it has ever been, and, boy, do I feel it. My back and knees let me know they aren't happy with the load they're carryling. Also if I exert much energy at all, my heart starts pounding and my breathing becomes difficult. I'm twice the size my poor little frame should be carrying. 

I've started reading posts on OH forums about revisions and the 2 procedures to get a feel for what to expect. They both scare me because they involve altering the stomach, and I know that Jason doesn't want me to do that. But I feel as if I have no choice now if I want to get healthy. I need help to lose weight and get myself back. 

It's been so long since I've written here. In fact, I can't believe how much time has passed.  And I can't believe how different my life is now.  I lost my father last November and my mother 2 weeks ago.  Both of them are gone in 8 months. I never dreamed that could happen. But here I am--an orphan at 60.

So I have a brand new life--different from anything I've ever experienced before.  And I want to do this right. I MUST lose some weight to maintain the good health I currently have. My blood pressure, sugar, and cholesterol are good, despite my being 100 lbs. overweight. But I feel the extra weight in my back and legs. And I just am not happy with the way I look and move. School starts back on the 17th, so this is a good beginning for me. I can get up early every morning and exercise before I go to work. I also plan to take my lunches every day and keep plenty of water and other liquids in a little fridge in the office. That'll help both Tim and me.

Here I am again--a new start.  But I've been at it for over 2 weeks and am losing weight--finally.  I weighed 245.4 on January 1, and at 2 weeks (January 15), I weighed 240.8.  I'm letting my band do its thing.  I know I have restriction, so I'm not eating much.  I'm also using FitDay and MyFitnessPal to track my calories.  I plan to get my treadmill out soon; then I'll also start tracking calories burned.

I've been PBing this week.  It seems like I've gotten stuck on the oddest foods, and most of the time it has caught me completely off guard.  What I mean by that is that sometimes I can predict that I'm getting stuck--I eat too fast, I eat food that is dense, I don't chew well enough, I take too large a bite.  But I've gotten stuck of foods that have never caused me problems before, and so I don't understand what's going on.

It's been MONTHS since I've had a fill, and I have barely any fluid in my band.  But apparently I DO have restriction, so my band should be able to do its job--if I would do mine.

I've eaten too many sweets and really haven't even tried to eat for my band.  But I know that I can, and I know that when I do, it works.  Jason has started tracking his calories, so this would be a great time for me to do the same.  I really want to / need to lose; otherwise, I know that my health will continue to decline.  It's time to lose.  It's time to improve my life!

I just read a couple of profiles of bandsters who have had similar experiences to mine.  So I need to stop beating myself up over gaining weight while my band was emptied due to acid reflux.  Thatt appears to be a fairly common occurrence.  But it isn't the end of weight loss.  I WILL lose this weight.  I'm on track to do just that.

Tuesday, November 9, was the start in a new direction.  I decided to use an application on my phone, LoseIt, to help me track my food.  So I started Tuesday morning.  I recorded my weight and started eating only the things I knew were good for my band.  Somehow I easily stayed within my calorie quota every day this week.  This morning, Saturday, November 13,  I was down a total of 5.2 pounds since Tuesday.  Obviously, my body is ready to lose.  I had been afraid that I couldn't lose, but that really isn't the case.  Let's get this weight off.

I have 13 months from Tuesday as my goal date.  I'll turn 57 that day.  It will be wonderful to be at the weight I want to maintain for the rest of my life.

I just read my most recent post from August and realized I've gained another 20 pounds since then.  So even though I now have 1.5 cc's in my band--and I have some restriction--I'm continuing to gain weight. I'm 25 pounds shy of my highest weight in the summer of 2006.  And just over a year ago, I weighed 150.  This is not good for my body.  

I know what I need to do.  I need to track my food intake and i need to exercise.  I just seem to find every reason NOT to do those things.  And I eat unconsciously.  I find that I pick up something and eat it before I even realize what I'm doing.  So I've gotten back into my old habits that made me gain weight in the first place. 

I know my band is merely a tool.  It can't MAKE me lose weight.  I have to USE it correctly--and that's something I haven't been doing for a long time.  I'm hopeless only if I quit trying to lose.  As long as I make an effort, I can have hope.

After 2 months with an empty band, I now have 1.5 cc's back in my band, and I'm starting over.  Of course, I'm not exactly where I was 4 years ago--at 245 pounds.  But I have regained almost half of what I had lost and now weigh 200.  So I'm relearning how to eat and drink.

My final fill last fall made me too tight, but I didn't acknowledge that.  So I PB'd a LOT, and I then chose soft foods to be able to get something down.  I started eating too many sweets, and I ate them too often.  So I slowly started regaining weight.  I finally went in June 1 and explained my situation.  Holly took out all of my saline out and ordered an upper GI to see if I had reflux.  Well, sure enough, I did, and it was halfway up the esophagus.  So I took OTC prevacid for 2 weeks and repeated the upper GI.  Thankfully, there was just a hint of reflux, so I was cleared to have a fill.

Now I'm back on track, trying to make good choices.  School starts next week, so I'll have a routine again and should find time to get back to the gym on a regular schedule.  I'm having to dig through boxes of clothes to find something to fit, since I had almost gotten into size 8 and I need 14-16 now. 

I never want to be over 200 again, so I'm starting back toward my goal weight.  It feels good to know my band and stomach are in good shape.  Now I just need to get the weight off--for good.