reesej1

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Everyone,

I had another .2 cc of saline added to my band on January 29th. I had plateaued at around 230 lbs. for almost a month and decided to try another fill to break through the plateau. I now have 6.3 cc of fluid in my band. A week later, I've broken through the plaueau and have lost another 3 pounds.

I had my first significant complication a few weeks ago. It's funny, the last time prior to the complication I remember telling Dr. Mecenas how smooth and uneventful my surgery and recovery has been. I ate an egg sandwich for breakfast and for some reason it didn't sit well. I may have eaten too fast without chewing properly. I only swallowed a few bites but it caused major problems. I got sick at work 5-6 times that morning. The same thing happened for lunch and dinner. The next morning I scheduled an emergency meeting with Dr. Mecenas to get some fluid removed from my band. You know how the office says that fills can take up to two weeks to take full effect? I though mine may have tightened late, although it had been longer than two weeks since my last fill. When I met with Dr. Mecenas, he said I likely irritated the band at breakfast and caused swelling. That's why I had problems throughout the previous day. He suggested not taking fluid out of the band, but going back to liquids for a day to allow the swelling to go down. It worked like a charm.

It would have been nice to know about this potential complication in advance. That's why I'm sharing it with all of you. If you experience any of the same symptoms I had, instead of scheduling an emergency trip to the doctor, try liquids for a day.

Best wishes to everyone. Feel free to write back with any questions. God bless.

Jim

Everyone,

I had my 5th fill this week. Dr. Mecenas added another .2 cc of saline to my band bringing me to a total of 6.1 cc. I found that I hit a plateau at around 237-238 lbs. after my last fill. After my fill this week, I immediately broke through the plateau and dropped to 235 lbs. overnight. I love the approach Dr. Mecenas takes. Slow and steady so the weight is not lost too quickly. This avoids putting the body into starvation mode. Today, I am exactly 21 weeks post surgery and I’ve lost approximately 39 lbs. That’s right around 2 lbs. per week (1.85 to be exact), the ideal.

  My experience so far has been really smooth. I am so blessed. I have figured out which foods give me problems and which I can get down without complications. I’ve also gotten to the point where I chew properly to avoid getting food stuck. It still happens from time to time based on the food consistency, but for the most part eating is non eventful now.   I’m about halfway to my ultimate goal in less than 6 months. I should be at my ideal weight by my one year anniversary date on July 29, 2009. Life is good.   Merry Christmas and God bless!  

Jim

 

Hi Everyone,

I had my 4th fill this past Monday. Dr. Mecenas added another .3cc to bring me to a total of 5.9cc in my band. It feels good. My weight this morning was 243.8, a total loss of 30.6 lbs since I began the pre-surgery liquid diet on July 15^th of this year. The weight is really coming off slow, but that is fine with me. After each fill, I seem to lose any weight I’m going to lose within the first few days. Then, I consistently plateau for three weeks until the next fill. I found I couldn’t eat the same size portions the last few days than I did last week. I ate a little too fast again tonight and got some food stuck. I find that when I am really hungry I have a tendency to eat too fast. My best advice from experience is to slow down at meals, even if you are starving, and chew your food until pureed in your mouth before swallowing. That is how I avoid getting food stuck and subsequently making the miserable trek to the bathroom. I see Dr. Mecenas in another month. I hope to be in the 230s by Christmas. I hope you are all well.   Best as always.  

Jim 

I apologize for being such a stranger. I am now almost 3 months post surgery and have a lot to report. First, I can’t say enough about Dr. Mecenas and Cayuga Medical Center. I had as smooth an experience as anyone can have with elective surgery. Post surgery, I have no regrets, and am happy I decided to take control of my life. I only wish my ego would have allowed me to make the decision sooner. I just couldn’t let go of the fact I couldn’t lose the weight on my own.

I’m down 25.8 lbs. since beginning the two week liquid diet on 7/15/08. I just had my third fill on Friday and finally feel some restriction with my band. I now expect to break through the plateau I’ve been dealing with and enter the next phase of my weight loss journey. I have the 14cc LG Band. After 6 weeks, my first fill was 3cc, my second added another 1.5cc. Prior to Friday, with 4.5cc of saline in the band, I did not feel any restriction more than what the band provided right after surgery. Well, that changed on Friday. Yesterday, when back on solid food, I got food (ground beef) stuck for the first time because I didn’t chew well enough. I also threw up for the first time because of it. On Saturday I decided to go back on pureed food until I get adjusted to this last fill. I now have 5.6cc in the band.

I am off my blood pressure medication, but had to go back on my cholesterol and triglyceride medication since both levels were elevated. I was informed that this could be a possibility due to family history. When my weight gets below 240 lbs., I plan to do another sleep study to determine if my sleep apnea has been reduced or eliminated.

Thanks to everyone for all of your prayers and support. They have been appreciated. I now hope to "pay it forward" and do my best to help others.

Best wishes. Talk to you soon.

My surgery went well. I was scheduled for 1:00 pm and went in at approximately 2:00. I got to my room in ICU at around 6:00 pm. Of course, I am very sore in the belly. I have five incisions, four are small and the one where my port is located is a little larger.

The night at the hospital was long, but I never sleep well in hospitals anyway. The cords for the heart monitor, the IV, and the oxygen sensor in/on my left arm meant that I could sleep on my back or right side. I had a bad headache most of the night. That was my biggest problem, not any real pain from the surgery. The morphine they gave worked to keep the headache from getting to bad migraine, but did not get rid of the pain. I think the headache was caused by Excedrin Migraine/caffeine withdrawal. The IV keeps you hydrated and I was able to urinate without any problem. The day of surgery I was on my feet twice to walk around the ICU hallways. It felt great to get on my feet and out of bed. I was encouraged to walk as much as I wanted. No food or drinks are allowed the day of surgery, but I wasn't really hungry or thirsty anyway. My mouth got a little dry through the night so I brushed my teeth a few times and was fine.

In the morning I went to have an upper GI scan done at around 9:00 am. I drank some liquid for the scan and the doctor said everything looked good. I was worried how my stomach would tolerate the medicine but I had no problems. After that I met with the nutritionist and saw Dr. Mecenas for the first time since the surgery. He checked examined me and said I could go home. While my wife was on her way to pick me up I was allowed to get a shower and clean up. I left the hospital at around 11:45 and was in Cortland by 12:30, less that 24 hours post surgery. Amazing!

I walked a little today and am hungry, but not starving. All I had today was part of a bottle of Vitamin Water, part of a bottle of water, and three coffee cups full of chicken broth. I did not have any shoulder pain as some warned me about. However, I am having some discomfort in my chest. It feels like I have to burp, but when it gets to my esophagus nothing will come out. I tried Gas-X strips but they did not help. Weird? I got the chills tonight and have a slight fever, but not enough to go to the hospital. I’m going to head to bed soon and get a good night sleep. Tomorrow I’m looking forward to having some Cream of Wheat and strained soups.

Good night everyone and thank you so much for your support. I update you all again soon.

Since its past midnight, it's now officially my day of surgery. I really struggled with the 14 day liquid diet. I just couldn't get satisfied. I did great in regard to the liquid part, but since I couldn't get satisfied, I think I consistently went over the calorie guideline. I began the liquid diet at around 274 lbs. I only lost around 9 lbs. in the 14 days. I know we all lose at different rates, I just hope I was able to shrink my liver to create some room for Dr. Mecenas to navigate during surgery.

I'm scheduled for surgery later today at 1:00 pm. I have to be at the hospital at 11:30 am. I can still eat or drink items on the liquid diet until 5:00 am, then can have clear liquids until 10:00 am. Then after 10:00 am I'm not allowed to have anything including water prior to surgery.

Thanks you to everyone for your well wishes and especially your prayers. Special thanks to everyone at our awesome support group. We had a blast again last night at our meeting. My wife attended and had a great time as well. I'll send an update when I'm able.  

Ingredients:
3 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup minced white onion (1 small onion)
2 medium zucchini chopped
3 stalks chopped celery
4 teaspoon minced garlic
2 cans of chicken broth (14.5 oz.) or however much you prefer?
1 can of diced tomatoes (14 oz.), drained
½ cup julienned carrot
2 tablespoon parsley
1½ teaspoon oregano
1½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon basil
½ teaspoon thyme
1 cup hot water
Small package of frozen chopped spinach  

Directions: Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large stock pot. Sauté onion, zucchini, celery and garlic in oil for 5 minutes or until onions begin to turn translucent. Add broth, tomatoes, carrot, spices, and hot water. Bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Add spinach and cook for an additional 20 minutes.

 

2 tablespoons evoo, extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
1 large shallot, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes in juice, drained
1 can crushed tomatoes, 28 ounces
2 cups good quality vegetable stock, available on soup aisle
1/2 ten-ounce sack triple washed spinach, stems removed and spinach shredded with knife
Salt and pepper to your taste

Heat a medium soup pot over moderate heat. Add oil, shallots and garlic. Sauté 5 minutes. Add drained tomatoes and crushed tomatoes, stir. Add stock and stir to combine soup. Stir in spinach in handfuls to wilt it and combine with soup. Season soup with salt and pepper to your taste. Bring soup to a bubble, reduce heat and simmer 10 to 15 minutes to reduce.

2 tablespoons evoo, extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
1 large shallot, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes in juice, drained
1 can crushed tomatoes, 28 ounces
2 cups good quality vegetable stock, available on soup aisle
1/2 ten-ounce sack triple washed spinach, stems removed and spinach shredded with knife
Salt and pepper to your taste

Heat a medium soup pot over moderate heat. Add oil, shallots and garlic. Sauté 5 minutes. Add drained tomatoes and crushed tomatoes, stir. Add stock and stir to combine soup. Stir in spinach in handfuls to wilt it and combine with soup. Season soup with salt and pepper to your taste. Bring soup to a bubble, reduce heat and simmer 10 to 15 minutes to reduce.

1 head garlic, peeled (about 16 cloves)
1 cup good olive oil
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 stalks broccoli, cut into florets (8 cups of florets)
2 tablespoons soy sauce

Put the garlic cloves and oil in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook uncovered over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until the garlic is browned and tender. Turn off the heat and add the red pepper flakes and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Immediately pour into a heat-proof container to stop the cooking. Allow to cool to room temperature. For the salad, blanch the broccoli florets in a large pot of boiling salted water for 2 to 3 minutes, until crisp-tender. Drain well and immerse immediately into a large bowl of ice water until the broccoli is cooled. This process stops the cooking and sets the bright green color. Drain well. In a large bowl, toss the broccoli with 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 cup of the oil used to cook the garlic, the soy sauce, and 8 or more cloves of cooked garlic. Taste for seasonings and serve cold or at room temperature.

Saute approximately one teaspoon of garlic with olive oil in a suecepan. Boil a package of fresh cauliflower in water until it is soft. Then smash the cauliflower as you would to make mashed potatoes. Add chicken broth to get the cauliflower to the consistency of mashed potatoes. Finally, add the garlic and some butter and salt and pepper to taste.