Kathy S.

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I had a fill appointment today but didn't get a fill because the NP and I agreed I didn't need one.  My next appointment is 4 weeks from today (December 19), so we'll see how I'm doing then.

I weighed 187 on the clinic scales--down 58 pounds from my all-time high of 245.  That was down 4 pounds from my last weigh-in 6 weeks ago.  So my loss is still slow and steady.  

I got into some of my old size-16 pants this week--a nice non-scale victory!  I also tried on some old panties I had in my undie drawer and was pleasantly surprised to find that they fit!!  I've been wearing size 10 baggie panties since way before my surgery.  I have about 20 pairs, all in good shape, so I've just kept wearing them.  But these old undies were size 6, and they fit!!!  I wore them today and didn't have any problems with them at all.  So tonight I splurged and bought 12 new pairs of size 7.   I'm going to bag up all of the old ones and find a new home for them.  I'm not hanging on to any of my baggy clothes, public or private!

I just realized the humor in the subject line as I typed it.  I have dropped another half pound this week, but I've also had bowel problems this week.  A double entendre in the subject line??

Tuesday evening, I realized I was constipated, and by Wednesday morning, I knew I was in trouble.  I was beginning to feel nauseated.  I had taken a laxative twice on Tuesday (mid-afternoon and bedtime), but it had not helped.  So I called my doctor's office and made a late-morning appointment.  I went to work early but began to feel so bad that I couldn't stay.  When I saw the doctor, she decided I had a bowel impaction.  If she wasn't able to help with it, she needed me to go to the ER that afternoon.  So she tried to break up the impaction and had some success, but the bulk of the mass was too high for her to access, so she gave me instructions and sent me home.  I was to give myself 2 enemas over the next hour or so and see if I could pass the bolus.  If I wasn't able to, I was to head to the local hospital's ER for help.  She had even callled them to prepare them for the possibility.   

I stopped at the drugstore nearest my house and went home to start to work.  But while reading the instructions on the enema box, I felt the urge to go.  And go I did.  I was able to pass the material without too much trouble.  What a relief!   

Now, because people who have one bowel impaction tend to continue to have further bowel impactions, I am--per her instructions--taking stool softeners every night and will keep miralax for the occasional constipation problem that might arise.  I also am taking fiber supplements several times a day to keep things moving smoothly.  Bowel health is essential to other health.  I now know that for a fact.  Bandsters must give this area special consideration because our diets are high in protein and potentially low in fiber.  And even though I drink between 80 and 100 ounces of water daily, I need to drink more.  I must be faithful in caring for this aspect of my health.

In addition to that aspect of "going," I also have lost weight this week.  I was down to 184.5 this morning.  That's the first time in a while that I could track a loss in just a week.  But I have such good restriction now.  I'm at 3.8 and am very limited in the volume of food I can consume at one time.  Oddly enough, I don't seem to be restricted in terms of WHAT I can eat, merely in HOW MUCH I can eat--and that's ideal for me.  

My goal is to be below 180 be the end of the year.  The last time I was at 170 was in 1999, so hitting the 170s will be a milestone for me.  I also told Jason that once I get below 150, I'll check into taekwondo classes.  He's really enjoying his classes and has advanced at every testing option in the 7 months he's been going, so he thinks I would also enjoy (or at least benefit from) the classes.  Once I pass 150, I'll give it a shot.

It's nice to have goals and to know that THIS TIME I'll reach them.

I've been at 185.0 for 3 days in a row!  I don't remember when I last hit a low and stayed there.  My usual pattern is to hit a low and then bounce up from it.  But I feel as if the band is doing its job these days.  I'm very limited in terms of how much I can eat.  My meals are very reasonably sized with the degree of restriction I now have, and I like it!  I don't always make the best choices in terms of foods, but that's likely to always be the way I live.  I try not to beat myself up over those less-than-perfect choices; rather, I try to limit how often I make those kinds of choices.  I had several perfect days last week, and I feel pretty darned good about them!  I'm down 60 pounds and am more than halfway to my goal.  And I've done all of this despite a VERY stressful time at work.  I'm looking forward to the holidays for a break from school and a controlled appetite!

I didn't realize this much time had passed between posts.  I knew I'd been busy, but good grief!

I was at 185.0 this morning, down exactly 60 pounds from my all-time high.  I also have had a very good week in terms of eating and disciplining myself.  I haven't had the energy to exercise much lately (I know, I know--exercising woud give me energy) because of my unbelieveably busy schedule.  I haven't even read my e-mail regularly or talked to any of my friends on the phone.  But the schedule will slow down a bit soon, and the semester will draw to a close.

The play I'm in opens next Thursday night and runs for only 3 nights, so once that's over, I'll be home in the evenings.  And I should be able to get caught up on my grading this weekend, which will take some emotional pressure off of me.  In 4 weeks the semester will be behind me, and I'll be able to make some better decisions for staying up with my grading and my other responsibilities.

Between now and the end of the semester, I have to put together my promotion notebook, and getting that done will take a giant load off.  I just need to stay focused and be nice to myself while I work through all of this.

I saw my GP today--hadn't seen her since back in the spring.  The first words she said to me were, "You're shrinking!"  That felt good!  She was pleased with my weight loss and with how good I feel and how energetic I am.  She wasn't completely supportive of my having the surgery, although she was more opposed to the bypass than to the lapband.  Anyway, it's nice to impress her.  That means she'll be more supportive for folks who approach her about surgery in the future.

BTW, my blood pressure today was 120/60, and my weight was 191. 

I got a tetanus shot today because I had been punctured by a cat claw at Mother's Tuesday and my hand had swelled pretty badly the first 2 days.  It's better today although it's still pretty sore.  I got the shot in my right arm because I had gotten a flu shot in my left arm yesterday.  I suspect I'm going to be pretty sore tomorrow.

I had had lab work done in July when I went for my physical (and saw a PA rather than Dr. Hall herself), and I asked for my numbers so I could keep a record of them.  (I had gotten a letter saying the results were good, but I wanted to know the details.)  My total cholesterol was 151, and my triglycerides were 102.  My LDL was 73 and HDL was 57.   

It's good to know the numbers and to feel as if I'm making good, healthful choices.

I had to spit up some water today because it wouldn't go down.  I just drank too fast, and the water had to come back up.  I've read about that happening, but I've always bragged that it had never happened to me.  I guess I really do have restriction--more restriction than I've ever had yet.  So I need to be careful with everything I put in my mouth now.

I've had WAY too many sweets this weekend.  It seemed everywhere I went, someone was pushing donuts or cinnamon rolls or cookies or ice cream--and I sampled them all.  Hopefully, I got that craving out of my system and can be disciplined as the work week starts.  

This week shouldn't be as stressful as last week, but I still have a lot to do.  I need to catch up with my grading for my TR in-person class and my online classes.  I'm getting new papers this week from both in-person classes, so I need to make an extra effort to get them done this week.  I also MUST start compiling my promotion materials--in my spare time, I guess.

At least there are no heavy-duty meetings this week.  I have a lunch meeting Wednesday, but that will be enjoyable.  I also have an all-day conference in Ashland Friday, but that will be a nice distraction.  And I have to take my parents to the doctor Tuesday, so that will provide a different kind of day for me.  And Wednesday afternoon is the Reading Extravaganza at PLD, and it's always fun.  I also have play practice every night except Thursday.  A busy week but one with lots of different activities.

I just created a new album of pictures of the cats and dogs.  I guess now I should upload a few pictures of my husband!

What a week.  I guess this is payback for having last week off.  I'm simply exhausted, and it's only Tuesday.  Good grief.

I met with all of the equine studies students yesterday to get them enrolled for Fall II, and I've also answered I-don't-know-how-many e-mails from online students trying to get enrolled for Fall II and for Spring.  And that's all in addition to my regular teaching, grading, and administrative responsibilities.  Of course, added to that workload is my commitment to this semester's theater production.  We're rehearsing 5 evenings a week, and that is SO tiring!  I know everyone is sacrificing to be there every night, so I don't let myself get pitiful about the time obligation, but I sure am tired.  We open in just over 4 weeks and run for only 3 nights.  It's a great experience, and I'm enjoying it, but I also am to the point of wishing it were over already.  Someone needs to remind me of this when I audition again! 

As for my band this week, the restriction seems to be pretty good.  It's been a week since my last fill, and I haven't had any problems with this amount.  Yes, I've coughed up some food a couple of times when I ate a little too much, but I haven't had any violent eruptions.  I just have good, reliable restriction: a few bites and I'm full.  

I had a few stressful days over the weekend when I ate ice cream, but I think I'm back on track now.  I avoided the candy at rehearsal last night and tonight, and I've made pretty good choices today with my meals and snacks.  I should see the scale start moving again.

I finally have real restriction again, and it's making me take the band seriously.  I haven't slimed or PB'd since I had the fill, but I'm very aware of how different I feel.  I can tell a slight difference when I drink, and that's something I've NEVER experienced before.  I've always been able to gulp water--just turn a bottle up and drain it.  But I don't think I can do that now.  I feel full after drinking, so I think the band is even restricting the water some.  

I had a grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup last night, but I wasn't able to eat more than half of the sandwich and a few bites of the soup.  The dogs were happy about getting the leftovers!   Yesterday I had a chocolate protein shake (with frozen cherries--yum, yum!), a piece of string cheese, and several small handfuls of peanuts throughout the afternoon.  So far this morning, I've had a CarbAdvantage protein shake and am not at all hungry for something solid yet.  I have to go to the office in a few minutes, so I'll take some yogurt and fruit or string cheese and wheat thins for lunch.  Jason and I are going to our favorite Friday night restaurant, Mi Mexico, tonight, and that will really be the determiner for me.  The past 4 or 5 times we've been there, I've eaten my entire dinner (grilled chicken strips covered with cheese sauce, and rice and beans).  I don't think that will be the case tonight.  It's been awhile since I've gotten a to-go box from there, but I think that will change tonight.

I weighed 186.5 this morning.  That means I'm more than halfway to my goal of 130!  I sure would like to keep this restriction and lose 1-2 pounds a week for awhile.   I'm 5 days away from my 14-month bandiversary, and I'm down 58.5 pounds from my all-time high weight.  That's over 4 pounds a month, and I'm very pleased with that, but I really want to be below 170 by the end of the year.  That's about 11 weeks.  Can I do it???   That's my personal challenge--to begin 2007 below 170 pounds.

I had another fill today, my 10th.  I had gotten a fill on August 13 and was up to 3.6 cc's again.  Today I got an additional .2 cc's, so I'm up to 3.8 again (which is where I was on March 12--I guess some of the saline evaporated??).

My weight was 191.0 today, down from 196.5 on August 13.  My surgeon's goal for me duing my first year was 23 pounds, and I'm down almost twice that amount in less than 14 months, so the NP was really pleased and bragged on my progress.

On my scale at home, I've been down to 188, which is down 57 from my all-time high.   On the scale at the center, I'm down 54.  Either way, I'm doing great!

I feel as if I have good restriction now, so I'm going to have to be careful with my food choices and with my amounts.  I didn't eat much at all today, and I filled up very quickly.  It'll be interesting to see how things go with this level.  My next appointment is November 21, the day before Thanksgiving!