Sheryle L.

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Sunday I had my first date since having surgery....actually the first date I've had in a long time! Boy was I ever nervous!

I met this man on line, on a dating site geared toward larger people. I have been a member of this site, off and on, for over a year and hadn't met anyone...there just doesn't seem to be anyone in my area. I did I'M one man from Cincinnati for a while but, not having a very good self image at the time ( around 300 lbs.), I never let it go any further.I just rejoined about one month ago.

I was on line on Nov. 2, and according to my screen, my status was showing as offline (I do this a lot when I want to check out the site and not be bothered) when I got a message from a man from Columbus who wanted to chat with me. Apparently, even though I thought I was offline, I wasn't. So after hesitating a few minutes decided to chat. We IM'd each other for about an hour when he asked if he could call me. Once again I hesitated and then gave him my cell phone number. We didn't actually talk until later that day and only for 1/2 hour but before hanging up, he asked if it would be OK if he called me again...I said yes. To make a long story short, we talked Monday, for almost two hours, we emailed a little then he called me again on Thursday. We chatted for awhile before he asked me if I liked going to movies and after I said yes, he asked what I had planned for the weekend. I'm sooo clueless...I started rattling off my plans for Saturday and then asked him what he had planned. He hesitated for a minute or two and said he was going to see if I wanted to meet Saturday but since I had other plans..... All of a sudden, I heard this familiar voice tell him that we could meet on Sunday if he wanted and he agreed to that. Before we were able to make plans, he had to go.. After I got off the phone, I had a panic attack, I had just agreed to meet this man, who I didn't know...this is so out of character for me...who was this woman? 

He called me Friday night and we talked for over three hours finally making plans to meet at the Dayton Mall, go out for lunch and maybe the movies. While we were talking, he asked me if that dating site was the only one I was on. When I said yes, he asked why...he said looking at my picture, it didn't look like I belonged on that site. What a great NSV! I told him that I was overweight, although technically, I'm still considered obese, but hopefully not much longer. Of course, I didn't tell him all that.

I was so nervous....I couldn't sleep that night and then on Saturday, whenever I would think about Sunday, I would panic again, it was so bad that at one point my band must have tightened up because I had stomach pain for about 10 or 15 minutes ( felt like the one and only time I had food stuck but not quite as intense). I was worried about meeting him and what I would do about eating. I slept better Saturday night...must have been exhausted from the sleepless night before, but woke up at 3:30 AM and couldn't go back to sleep.

Sunday, I made my way to the Dayton Mall, hoping that he would not show up. When at 12:00 PM, the time we planned to meet, he hadn't arrived I started to get upset thinking that I had been stood up. He arrived a few minutes later. He is a big guy.. I knew he was tall (6' 4") but still was a bit overwhelmed by him. I'm 2 inches shy of six feet and am not used to have someone tower over me. I actually felt small for the first time in my life...almost petite. What  nice feeling that was. Anyway, we went to lunch at PF Changs where I was at my best - not! I almost got stuck in the revolving door and could barely speak or eat (my band, although not painful was a little tight and I couldn't eat....amazing how the band reacts to stress). I guess he didn't think he had suffered enough, he took me to the movies. After the movie, he dropped me off at my car and sped off. After being a perfect gentleman all afternoon, opened doors for me, held my chair for me and even let me wear his jacket because I was cold, he didn't even wait to make sure that I got in my car or that my car started (I always do this with my friends). I figured he couldn't get away fast enough.

Imagine my surprise when I received a very nice and long email from him yesterday morning. He told me he had a great time and would like to talk to me later in the evening but would let me call him...he was giving me a way out in case I wasn't interested. I called him at 7:15 and we talked until 10:45. So, in spite of my barely talking or eating and several blonde moments, we are going to go out again on Saturday. After the date he had to endure, I really didn't expect to hear from him again......the poor man must be desperate. LOL

As of Friday, October 24, it has been four months since I had surgery. I'm down 78 pounds and feeling great - I have tons more energy. I've gone from a tight size 26/28 to a snug 18. It's my tummy that is keeping me from getting a comfortable size 18. I'm losing inches faster above the waist and in the thighs and bottom but the tummy doesn't want to move as fast. Must be that middle age thing. LOL
 
I still don't enjoy clothes shopping and don't go until one of the girls at work tells me that my pants are getting too baggy and that I need to get some new clothes. It is getting easier...I no longer have to shop at Lane Bryant or get clothes from their catalog or Romans. I can find clothes in all the department stores women's departments. I even bought a few tops in the regular size side of Fashion Bug a few weeks ago. I went shopping with a freind and I immediately headed over to the plus side when Cindy stopped me and told me to look in the other area first. I guess I'm having a hard time realizing that I am smaller than I used to be. I had a similar experience when I purchased a new necklace. I love hearts and found a cute necklace at Kohl's, an 18 inch chain with a floating heart on it. I stood there for a while trying to decide whether or not to purchase it and what size chain I would need to purchase as well in order to get it to fit around my neck....I always have to do this. Since I didn't know what size chain to buy, I decided to purchse the 18 inch necklace, try it on and then purchase a larger chain later. When I got to my car and tried on the necklace, it fit perfectly! I no longer have to buy larger chains.

I can't believe my health has improved so much in such a short time! As I think I mentioned in my last post, I'm no longer on my diabetes or blood pressure medications - this was my first and most important goal. When I went to my PCP the last time he asked me what my goal was, meaning weight, and I told him that I hadn't really thought about a weight goal yet. My next goal is to lose 11 more pounds - then I'll be overweight and no longer obese. Can't believe that being overweight is a goal. LOL

The last week has been interesting -  I've seen a lot of people I haven't seen in a few months. We had a bake sale at work last Wednesday and people from the other building came to ours to check out what we had to offer. Most of these people I haven't seen since two weeks before I had surgery so they had no idea. They would take one look at me and tell me they hardly recognized me! Yesterday when I went to get groceries, I got in the line where the checker was a youngish man who has waited on me many times in the last year or two. I guess I haven't been in his line for a while. He looked at me and said, "you've slimmed down a lot." It's funny the people who notice these things.

I have an appointment to see my surgeon on November 3. I was supposed to see him October 13, but rescheduled. I was still having problems with his comment back in September and since I was losing, not getting hungry and didn't need a fill, I decided I didn't want or need to see him. Right now, I'm still losing, although it has slowed down some, and still not getting hungry but will keep this appointment. With the holidays coming up, having to face him and the scale is the reinforcement I'm going to need.

This is the most difficult post I've made since I began my journey. I'm happy with my weight loss and the difference it has made in my health but have been struggling with my eating and emotions ever since I had my last appointment with my surgeon. I've been working so hard with my food, exercise (I'm up to 50 minutes five to six days a week on my ski machine) and getting in all of my fluids but am apparently doing something wrong. I went from being a model patient in August to.....I don't know what now. I lost about the same amount of weight this month as I have each month but he didn't seem at all pleased. I had lost a total of 64 pounds when I went to his office last  Monday which made about 20 pounds lost since my last visit - I felt like he was accusing me of not eating....but I am. I eat my three meals a day and even have two or three snacks. Maybe under normal circumstances his comments wouldn't have bothered me but had just had a death in my family and was upset about that, then hurricane Ike had plowed through SW Ohio and had shaken us all up and my bad appointment was just the topping to a bad week. So by Friday I was a wreck and went straight for the food. I ate a lot more than I should and did the same on Saturday. I don't think there was a box of Atkins Caramel Peanut Bars left in Oxford by Sunday morning. By the time I was finished eating Saturday I was in pain and thought I might get sick to my stomach. I did get back with the program on Sunday - mostly. I hope I remember how bad I felt so I don't do it again.  Anyway, back to my appointment, I told him that I was getting hungry between meals, was no longer satisfied after eating, wanted more to eat and felt that I could eat more - actually did a few times when I was eating away from home. He gave me a fill but I don't think he wanted to. He gave me less of a fill than the last time and it hasn't seemed to help much. I have to go back October 13 and am dreading it. This morning when I got on the scales and saw that I was down 6 lbs, I almost cried - I should have been happy.

On a happier note - I went to my PCP this Monday. I haven't seen him since the week after my surgery and he was so happy to see how much weight I've lost. I gave him the spreadsheet that I had with all of my glucose tests and he was impressed and said that I was no longer diabetic. So now I'm off of all three of my diabetes meds and he also took me off of my blood pressure medicine. I was thrilled with that - this was the most important goal I wanted to meet and I did. I told him about my appointment with Dr. Teel and as he started to walk out the door, he leaned over and kissed me on the cheek and told me to tell Dr. Teel that he thinks I've done great. He's been my doctor since I was 8 and has seen me struggle with my weight all these years.

I can't believe it's two months since I had surgery - the time has just flown. I guess concentrating on eating right and getting in some exercise has helped me take my mind off of the time.

At my last appointment, which was on August 14, Dr. Teel was pleased with my weight loss. He asked if I was having any problems, if I was hungry and if I thought I needed a fill and I answered no to all those questions. He said that I was doing great, was above the curve and that I was a model patient - he wrote that on my chart too. I wish he hadn't, now I feel like I have to live up to that and don't know if I can. I asked him if I got a gold star and he told me that I would get two. He said that he normally sees his new patients every other week but since I was doing so well, he said I could come back in four weeks. If I start feeling hungry in the meantime, he wants me to come in. I was a little worried when he didn't want to see me in two weeks and still am. Is having to face him and that scale every two weeks keeping me on track? Can I do it for four?

I did ask if I was losing weight too fast and he asked if I thought I was. I thought "are you kidding? If all the weight dropped off overnight I would be thrilled!", but just told him that I was feeling fine. He didn't seem concerned so I guess I don't need to be either.

I've been getting plenty to eat....I eat the one cup at each meal, sometimes a little more and sometimes a little less, and am rarely hungry between meals. If I'm not drinking enough fluiids I feel hunger but once I get back on track with the fluids, I'm fine. I wasn't getting enough fiber for a while but have added Fiber One cereal to my diet, nuts and fruit  and whole wheat bagels so that's helped. I'm having a difficult time getting in enough calories (can't believe I'm actually saying that LOL) so have added two to three planned snacks a day and also Special K20 Protein Water Mix and the South Beach Tide Me Over drink mix and have been able to get more calories and fiber. Still having a dfficult time getting in enough though - guess I need to tell Dr. Teel that next time I see him.

I weighed myself this morning and have lost 51.50 pounds and am off two diabetes meds (Glimpirde, Byetta) and am only taking my Metformin once a day instead of two. My morning glucose tests have mostly been below 100 for the past week - only one has been over 100 but not much. I'm so exxcited about that! I'm still taking the Norvasc for high blood pressure but haven't been to my PCP lately to have my blood pressure checked - haven't had it checked since June. I guess I should make an appointment to see him.

I had my first fill today. I was a little nervous since I didn't know what to expect. Dr. Teel asked if I was getting hungry and I told him that I was but that it wasn't an intense hunger - I've had that before when I've been on diets in the past, would have eaten anyting that didn't move. So he said he would give me a little fill. I had to lie down he sprayed something on my stomach which I guess must have numbed me. Then I felt him press on my stomach by the port then felt a little pressure - it didn't hurt at all. He had me sit up and then gave me a glass of water to drink. He wanted me to take some big swallows and I told him I had gotten so used to sipping that I was having a difficult time making myself do that. I noticed that it felt like the water wasn't going anywhere and then felt kind of like it was backing up so he removed some of the fill. Sitting there with that needle in my stomach while drinking the water creeped me out a little but still nothing hurt. So now I'm back on liquids for a couple of days. When drinking, I can tell that I've had the fill since I can't seem to drink as much as I've been drinking lately.

He's very pleased with my weight loss. I'm down 28 lbs. since surgery - that's about 5 pounds a week. Even though I'm happy to be losing so fast, it worries me too. I'm just worried that it may not be good for me to lose this much this soon.

I went out to eat for the first time on Saturday. We went to LaRosas and I had the Grilled Chicken Salad. That's one of my favorite salads. The chicken is good and moist which is good for the band. I ate all of the chicken, some of the cheese, both olives, some of the lettuce and  accidentally ate a little bit of crouton. I didn't have any problems. It's nice to finally have a little freedom with food.

I can't believe it's been four weeks since I had my surgery - it went by a lot faster than I thought it would. When I remember how scared and unsure I was the morning of surgery and how lucky I've been with my recovery, I feel truely blessed.

I'm finally starting to get some energy back and no longer crash as soon as I get home from work. I've actually been trying to use my Nordic Track most days and have worked up to 30 minutes. I have to confess that I just do the ski part and don't work my arms yet. Just doing the 30 minutes on the ski's is hard enough - I'll get my arms going later. I'm still moving more than I have in years.

I started on solid food today and it's been great! Actually I didn't really mind soft, it was that full liquid diet that just about made me crazy. Up until the end of last week, I wasn't feeling hungry but by around last Thursday, I noticed that I was getting hungry before the three hours between meals passed. I can live with it for now. I'm still not as hungry as I was on the pre-op diet and now that I can eat a little more, it may get a little better.

I had an appointment with Dr. Teel, Monday afternoon and was supposed to get my first fill. I received a call from his office that morning saying he would be out and I needed to reschedule my appointment. I was soooo disappointed - I really wanted that fill. I also wanted the afternoon off work - still not sure which disappointed me more. LOL!. Anyway, I rescheduled for next Monday.

Now on to the good news - I'm down 22 lbs. since surgery which makes a total of 32. Even better than that is that I'm off another one of my diabetes meds. This weekend I stopped taking my Byetta. Woo hoo!!!!! I just have one to go. The internist at the hospital said I could go off Metformin when my numbers were at 100 and I'm very close. My glucose was 99 this morning but back up to 118 this evening. I hope within a week or two I can finally give up that pill too. Everytime I type those numbers, it's hard to believe they are really mine. I can't remember the last time , before surgery that is, that they were this low.

I saw my surgeon today for the first time since surgery. Everything is going very well. I've lost 17 lbs since surgery which makes a total of 27, including the weight lost from the Pre-Op diet. He said my weight loss was above the curve. I hope I can keep it up! My next appointment is in two weeks and I should get my first fill at that time. This makes me almost as nervous as thiniking about surgery.

I started soft foods today and it is wonderful! We stopped by the Waffle House on the way home from the hospital and I ordered a scrambled egg - that was the best scrambled egg that I've ever had. LOL I was a little nervous when I took the first swallow - didn't know what to expect. The waitress was so funny - I guess she's not used to having someone just order one egg and nothing to drink. She kept coming back to see if I wanted something else. I finally told her that I had Lap Band surgery and that this was my first decent meal in two weeks.

I had refried beans and green beans for dinner but couldn't eat it all - couldn't eat the green beans so have saved them for tomorrow.

Yep - one week ago today I had just been wheeled to my room in the Bariatric Unit. I still feel relieved when I think about that part of my journey being over. As I said before, it was thinking about it that was the hardest part.

I still haven't been hungry or had any cravings yet. I do see food on tv from time to time and think, "Mmmm , that looks so good!"  I think about it for a minute and know that I, physically, can't eat it and the moment is behind me. That's different from when I used to be on a diet and I would see something that would start a craving and I couldn't get it off my mind until I ate it or something equally wrong for me. Back then I could physically cheat and now I can't. I hope this way of thinking continues to work for me. I am getting tired of this full liquid diet and am looking forward to next week when I'm supposed to move on to soft foods - can't wait to eat a scrambled egg - yum!

I started back to work yesterday and am only supposed to work half days this week. Yesterday, being my first day back wore me out so I stayed home today and have done a lot of sleeping. I'll try it again tomorrow.

I went to my PCP yesterday afternoon and handed him my spreadsheet with my glucose test results since surgery. He was very impressed by them and even more impressed that I'm no longer taking Glimpiride. He said my sugar levels are in the normal range now. Of course I'm still on Byetta and Metformin, but before, I was taking three meds an my levels were still too high. This week, my highest test wast 159 (this would have been low for me in the past) and my lowest was 98 - I've never tested that low since I've been diabetic. He asked me all kinds questions about the surgery, how I eat, etc. and wanted to see the incisions - makes me wonder if I'm his first patient to have this type of surgery. He also asked what I weighed in Dr. Teel's office, before surgery - he really wants to monitor my weight loss as close as possible. He said to come back in three months so he can see how I'm doing with the weight loss and diabetes. 

I've tried a few new proteins supplements:

Unjury Vanilla  made with Crystal Light Orange - doesn't taste anything like a creamsicle, but not bad.
Isopure - Orange, Banana, Pineapple - good, but not as good as the grape.
Multi-Pro Whey Isolate Blend - Vanilla Cinnamon. Made with milk - not bad but a little too much cinnamon. Will try it made with water.

It's been four days since my surgery and I feel great! The discomfort in my stomach gets better each day and am able to finally lay on my side a little more, which is wonderful because I sleep on my side and have had a hard time sleeping on my back. I've been on full liquids since Thursday and have finally been able to get everything in and today even increased amounts to the  highest ounce allowed.. I'm even starting to enjoy it more, especially the thimble full of cereal I have each morning - instant oatmeal this morning - my favorite! The yogurt and SF pudding have been a pleasant treat as well. I haven't been hungry nor have I had any cravings....please let this continue. I've been walking on my Nordic Track (it's been too hot and rainy to walk outside) for 10 minutes twice a day and this morning it didn't seem as hard as it had so I think tomorrow I'll add another five minutes to my time. Each day I have a little more engergy. I still tire easily, but no longer fall a sleep when I lie down to rest. Thursday, every time I would recline I would zonk out almost immediately.

I'm so thrilled with my sugar levels. They've been a little higher the last few days but that's to be expected since I've been eating more carbs on the full liquid diet. They are especially higher after I've had my cereal, but still are low. My highest reading since I started testing regularly on Thursday has been 158 - that was low for me before. Did I mention before that I am no longer taking my Glimpiride? I haven't had that since I was in the hospital. I still take Metformin and Byetta but I don't think I'll be on the Byetta much longer.

Speaking of my meds - the Metformin has been difficult to get down since my surgery. The pill is about the size of a Centrum Multi Vitamin so is quite large. I asked the Internist at the hospital about it and she said I could cut it in half. Well I did but the halves still looked awfully big and I was afraid to try to swallow them. The next thing I tried was to cut the pill into tiny little pieces - they kept getting stuck in my throat and I didn't like that. Now I crush them, place the crushed Metforman as far back on my tounge as I can and then wash it down with several sips of flavored water - this seems to work pretty well. The taste is awful but at least I'm not choking and gagging.

I tried another one of my protein suppliements this morning
Unjury Vanilla - mixed with milk it is very good. I plan to try it mixed with Crystal Light Orange and hope it tastes like a creamsicle.

I'm so happy that surgery is finally behind me!

I slept very badly the night before my surgery, but I expected that. I think I went to sleep around 8:30 or 9:00 PM and the awoke at 11:30 and couldn't go back to sleep so just stayed up. At around 2:00 AM I took a shower and then started getting things together to leave at my sister's house, since I was going to stay with her for a day or two after surgery.

I headed to Hamilton, where my sister lives, at 3:00 AM. It felt really strange, I don't think I've been out at this time of day for close to 30 years, and then I was usually going home after spending the night at clubs with my friends. That made me feel old! LOL! I arrived at Dorothea's and then we had to wait for our eldest sister a bit. The three of us left Hamilton at 3:30 and headed for Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton.

We arrived around 4:30 and I signed in and waited a few minutes before a same day surgery nurse came to get me. After I got changed and in bed, the IV started, etc., they let my sisters go back and sit with me. Just before 7:00 Dr. Teel came in to talk to me and asked if was was ready. I told him that I wasn't sure. He laughed and said I could back out, but in an hour, it would be too late. The anesthesiologist came in and talked to me and I told her that the anestesia makes me sick and she said they would make sure they gave me something so that wouldn't happen. The anesthesiologist and surgical nurse then rolled me into surgery at around 7:15/7:20 - right on time. The last thing I remember was moving from one bed to another and the next thing I knew, someone was trying to wake me up. My sisters told me that Dr. Teel came out to talk to them at 8:00 or a little after - that's how fast things went. He told them that the surgery went well and that I was doing fine.

I did have a little problem and had to be admitted to the hospital after all. Even though I took my diabetes meds that morning (the Internist said those were the only meds she wanted me to take), my blood suger levels skyrocketed. They gave me a couple of injections of insulin and even though it took my sugar down, it was still over 200 and I heard the internist say she wanted it at 120. So they started a pic line for an insulin drip. Believe me, as out of it as I was, I wasn't happy to hear this. That morning it had taken the nurse three tries to get my IV started so I wasn't looking forward to being poked and prodded again. Fortunately, it only took this nurse one time to get this in my vein. So after five hours in recovery, they moved me upstairs to the Bariatric Unit and I was there until 1:00 PM Wednesday.

The nurses kept asking me if I was in pain and I would tell them no. I just felt a little pressure and discomfort in my stommach, but that was it. I did have a headache and was afraid it would go into a migraine so they gave me pain meds for that. I did suffer a moment of naussea, but I think that was from them wheeling me around through the halls and I got motion sickness. That happened right after they brought me back to my room from Xray. Dry heaves - that was no fun! So other than that little bit of naussea and taking pain meds twice, for my headache (and once they gave me my allergy medicine that went away) I've felt fine. I haven't used any pain or naussea medicine since I left the hospital.

I haven't been hungry and have been having a difficult time getting in all my fluids, but each day I get more in. Naturally, I tire easily - a shower just wipes me out and I have to lie down for a few minutes, but again, each day that gets better as well.

My blood sugar levels have been better than they have been in years and I haven't taken Glimpiride since I was in the hospital. I've made an appointment with my PCP for Monday so he can keep an eye on my diabetes.

I consider myself very fortunate, when I see some of the problems other people have had with gas pains, constipation, pain, etc. - I've had none of that.

I stayed with my sister until this morning and then drove home. She and my brother-in-law wanted me to stay longer but I just wanted to come home where I could relax.

Note: So far I've tried four protein supplements
Unjury Chicken - good (not as good as homemade broth but not bad)
Unjury Chocolate - good (I made this with milk since I was on full liquids but can be made with water when on clear)
Unjury Strawberry Sorbet - drinkable (doesn't make me want to hurl - sorry but that's how I judge them. LOL)
Isopure Grape - very good (this is one of the bottled drinks that I bought at GNC - would definitely get this again)