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And I do mean slowly,,, but that is ok,,, as long as I keep shrinking a bit more !! LOL

As a revision, we sometimes loose more slowly,, but I can deal with that..LOL

I did miss my day  so I am a little late posting, but It has been a  very busy time , people are very stressed and keep having heart attacks !!!  PEOPLE enjoy the holidays, RELAX !!!  lol

I like my job in cardiovascular,  but like to enjoy the season too...anyway

I started out pre surgery at 248 by Dr Stewarts scales, but I started with him few months before at 253..

Today I am at 168...Ummm YEAH !!!  I had only lost 38 pounds in 5 years with the crap band,,,so I will take it !

I have gone from wearing a 3x  26/28 in pants and tops to a L in pants or size 14 and L or XL still in tops. I get lost on sizes as I do not know for sure what to get and by which company who makes the clothes,, After the panic attack JCP and the poor saleswoman gently escorting me to the petties section telling me I did not belong in the women's any more,,,, I was LOST !!! LOL

!. My A1c stays in the 4.5 range, glucose is in the 80's
2. cholesterol is 150
3. I do not get fatigued but rarely,, 
I can stand and do my job for the12 to 16 hrs if need
4. I have not had a migraine in a looooong time
5. Nor have I had breathing or asthma troubles
6. I sleep better but also don't seem to need as much sleep to feel rested
7 I found my knees !! and guess what ?  THEY CAN CROSS !!!!
8. I think my feet have shrunk too,, shoes seem too big,
9. Took a looong flight to Norway and did not feel like I took the whole seat row..
    that plane was packed too, for 18 hrs...Then got to walk all over the place and still felt good!!
10. the seat belt fit too !! NO EXTENDERS !!
11. I can get down on the floor with the grand kids and still get up and not grunt,,, I can walk up my stairs and not be out of breath.

Now the down side,,,, I am told by my 4 yr old granddaughter in sign language  Nana   has bat wings and she flew  to  Norway......Looks so darn cute have to laugh !!!!

I started out with terrible lap band, and it caused a huge rock mass in the stomach and esophagus, so either way it had to be removed,,, this DS has been a godsend !!  it saved my life in many ways...

I am blessed to have found this site, and  learned sooo much form all the reading and the all the wonderful vets and those who went before me !!!!

These are very wise and wonderful people and  such a back bone when in need !!!
I too have had bumps and rocks to clear in my journey, and  worked thru it, survived the pneumonia and what seemed unending fatigued in the beginning,, but it has all been WORTH it !!!


I do have pict of before and now,  in my profile, only one now, my other computer is on blitz and it has all my pictures on it, did managed to find one current one ! LOL 

The blue uniform one is the pre one and the light red hair one, ( notice I lost alot of hair? LOL) is the latest one !!!

Maybe some one better on coping my picts can get them in the thread,,,

Thanks again  all !!!   I DO LOVE MY DS !!!!

Debi

Well here it is , I am now 6 months into to this,  I did my labs, thought the PCP did not want to do them.. But did as Dr Stewart Requested.

That was the Longest time.. it took FOREVER for the lab to get all the test right. I had 6 redraws, and close  to 32 vials done, which I am sure some were thrown out, because of miss package ding!!..LOL

So far,  I am down from a size 24/26 and just bought a pair of size 16 jeans...and my tops are L/XL  . I can sit with my legs crossed,  AND they even dangle... When I flew to Norway to see a friend I have not seen in 10 years, I not only FIT in the airplane seat, the belt had to be tightened!!!

I walked ALL over Norway, and this place is built in a Cliff !!! NOTHING is level ! LOL  But it was fun. The flight was 19 hours  and other than getting up to move every once in a while, and keeping hydrated,  It was a piece of cake..

Health wise,

I am off BP meds, I run in the 110/70's most of the time
I am off glucophage, my HGB A1C is in normal Range of 5.3
Seem to have lots more energy now days. I keep on goining all day long now.  ( Energizer Bunny here )
I have had LOTS of hair loss , from the anesthetic leaving my body , so I have started biotin and extra protein.
Went to the Salon and had my long hair cut to a shoulder length and added highlights, so the thinness is not so apparent.
Made me feel better anyway!!! LOL

As a revision  from Lap Band, we in general loose a little slower, and may experience stalls, but it does slowly melt away. I was concerned how I had not lost as much as some of the others, and a bit jealous, but in perspective, I had to loose110 pounds and as of today I have lost 62 pounds, so I have lost over half my weight by 6 months,,,, not bad !!!!


I so love my DS !!!!

Wow ! it has almost been a month ! I am still learning alot, discovering what things my body wants or does not want,, those are easier,,, as I get HORRENDOUS gas !  and bad case of runs,,,,

I am still very weak, I only last about 4 hrs and then have to go take a nap.  sure hope this gets better soon. At this point  I don't see how if I go back in two more weeks,  if I could do a grueling schedule at work!  We do 24/7 call, and our days are 12 to 14 hr days.  Then there is the patient  load, and all the equipment I handle.  Can't see it happening!!  I talked to Dr Stewart and he said as I was a revision it will be longer for me to recover.  He did have a heck of a time getting out the band and port. which was on the sternum.  On top of that I have a huge chest cold! that has been lingering for over a week now.  Having to hold my side to cough,...

But I feel pretty good, have lost 13lbs now. Slower than the non- revision people but that is to be expected. So in other wards I am on track....

I do a protein shake in the am, and then eat an egg  an hour later. I am eating about every two hrs. If I get a pain, that is my clue . Most what I eat at this time is eggs, tuna, scalllops, deli turkey and cheese. have cream cheese, small hummus and gluten free chips if I need crunch. I tried some shrimp was hard to chew. Will wait on that for now. Have a craving for a nice steak,,,, will think about that...LOL

Post Date: 12/12/09 8:06 pm
Well just got home,   ended up staying five days. had a lot of nausea and tenderness since my lap band port was anchored to my sternum.

The surgery took about 4 !/2 hours, not bad for a revision lap band to DS.   Yes I have pain, but tolerable with meds.

The worst is the area between my boobs, Dr. S said he had a hard time getting out the band and the port, he had to dissect it and tug alot. I asked him if it was hard getting his knee out of my chest after he was done,  he actually chuckled...    

Other than that it has been OK. the usual "what have I done  hit the third day, then hormones kicked in a bit early,.

( course I have not had any thyroid or premarin by day five) So when  a nurse gave up her extra yogurt  she had brought for herself, that dietary did not bring, I cried cause she was sooo nice!!  Anyone have a Kleenex? lol

And then the stupid for the day...... ( first day at that !)  on way home a shake sounded so nice, DR  said I could do those ,

so had dd get me one, well I am thinking one of real cream like Brahms, she brought home MCD"S fake shake... tried a couple sips    ( knew I shouldn't)   paid for it all evening, rolling and gas,and runs....figured it out very quickly.

Sure hope the learning curve isn't too large !!

Other than that, can;t find a place to get comfy yet. tried bed with pillow on both sides of me, we have a fleece sheet set . 
I felt like I had been consumed by an Eskimo winter bear blanket,!   as big as a woman as I am, you couldn't FIND me !! Nor could I fight my way out of it ! I looked like a fish flailing  in shallow water till my dd came back from getting scripts filled, to fish me out of it... another lesson......

Guess I will carouse other places to sleep....

So that's my new first post report guys!!

Thanks to all the ones before me, most was expected, and helped me to figure it out. Y'all are WONDERFUL and informative!!!                                                             

Debi     

I only have 8 days till surgery... I am ready for this change.  I am very tired of this band, Even with its issues of being broke and not retaining fluid in band, it still has me choking on ANYTHING!!

Probably part of the dysmotility.  either way it is a bummer, waking up at all hours of night choking on my own saliva, not being able to get down liquids sometimes, and  especially not solids that are few and far  between.

If I don't loose from the DS , at least I will be better to handle the diabetes,  but more important is the BAND WILL BE GONE!!

So my Hospital list is :

Ordered meds for next months, in case still need them.
Pillow,
Book
Lip balm
My own shampoo/conditioner
Slipper that slide on
Ins card
Hand lotion
New pair of contacts
Phone and charger,
Lightweight housecoat to come home in if need
All in a rolling carry on suitcase, in case I need to escape and don't have to carry it!!  LOL



My home supplies:

G2-Rain, water, flavorings, like crystal lite
injury liquid protein to add to liquids
SF pudding, and jello
broths,  ginger tea, vanilla teas, etc.
For later coconut milk,  soy
Matrix protein, and unflavored
Lactaid dry milk if needed.


Will pick up a few things when I get to come home,  Depends on how I feel !

After all the other stuff went so smooth,  should have known,,,, I had a snag, Needed the original approval letter from old insurance,

Well it t has just been horrible,,,,, so people  keep all EOB and approvals for what ever!!
I had and stored ,  Was Told I could get it at anytime from web site, just log on and print what I need......
but being as it has been so long and our company has changed to aetna, not united any longer, you have only 18 months to get back on site, then it removes your access..... didn't know that... note to self,  remember this,  lol

As of today Nov 2nd I havae been approved and have a Date.... December 7 th yeah!!!!!

Deb

Here I am starting over. A little history,
In March 2006 I had a lapband.  This occured two months ofter having a left tib/fib fracture and screws put in the tib  and proud owner of a Very large boot!! So did all my walking ect with an extra 10 lbs. I started at 314 and began my journey.

In april of 2007, after not being able to access the port for 7 months, it was removed and new on was position on mid sternum.  The old one had formed a REALLY huge calcium ball... hence all needles bending,  No adjustments. At this time I was at 248.  Now I go along and very slowly creep down about 1 or 2 lbs a month. then in dec of 2007  back injury, from catching a patient off a surgical table, I have my OWN surgery,  Now rehab, takes me about 7 months to regroup. Get back to work in Augest that year.  Then stop loosing. I stay the same, no weight loss.  Keep plugging, doing all I am suppose to do, band eating, protein, water, ecercise.

Then in Dec of 08 I had a gb attack, so emergancy gb  surgery, and and recovery issues, but back at work by March. Then start feeling like I am hungary alot, started gaining for no reason.  Find out port or tubinh is leaking.  I read where when going to surgery, it took three tries to take out saline in port.... aaahhh  it has been punctured!!! 

So now  if I have to have a surgery, I want one that really works!!!  So after reading this for years and new info I have made my decision for DS....

The reasons....

#  First and foremost my HEALTH!!  Diabetes scares the crap out of me... As I am a cardiovascular rn/rt what we deal with all the time is the damage it does to our vessels and heart. 

# Second  during this time my daughter delivered two wonderful children, both born with Treachers Collins Syndrome. theywere born with no ears, fused lower jaws, have trachs, feeding buttons, and  face years of surgeries to correct.  They will get inplantable baja hearing bone conductions devices, so one hears 100% now and the other will tool but since they cannot talk, we are all dong sign.  Along with these two ther are two older brothers perfectly normal,  Just typical for their age.  Makes for a fun household!!!

I bought a home and moved us all in, so we have a TRIBE so to speak.  Thought I would miss being a emptynester, But it has been fun and not a problem...


So this is my story and I will keep up to darte I hope as time ges by. I was kind of feeling like I was too old to keep trying to change my health,  But it is the only thing I really have done for me and don't want to give up on my one goal!!

Deb