I'm losing again!

After several months of fighting...I finally gave in and got a fill. I was sick and tired of being sick and tired, so I just wouldn't get a fill, and of course, started gaining weight. I gained about 6 lbs and said enough, so I went in the beginning of January, and since then I've gone from 183 to 175.4! They want me in once a month from now on to monitor me better, so maybe I'll make goal yet!

Just a quickie update...I really haven't forgotten people are checking ;)

Update

I've gotten a lot of emails requesting an update, so here we are.

I haven't been updating the blog because I simply haven't been losing weight. I got down to 178 and haven't budged since - well, nothing lower, although occasionally I jump back up to 180, 181, and then lose again.

I need to be exercising, but my job has become so stressful that I'm just exhausted and numb when I get home - all I want to do is veg.

I had to have a slight unfill last month, and I know I need to be refilled because I'm eating way more than I should be able to, but if I get refilled, I'll get sick over everything I eat.

Ya know, if you're reading this and thinking about lapband surgery, don't let it discourage you. I'm in a very small percentage of people who apparently don't tolerate the band well. The bottom line though is that I HAVE lost 55 lbs, and while still slightly over weight (25 lbs), it's better than being 90 lbs overweight!

I'm a little discouraged, but I've maintained for awhile now that I'm ok being where I am with my weight, and Scott is happy with it, so that works for me. :)

Please take a moment...

Tomorrow morning, to remember those who died on September 11, 2001

The scale is moving!

Start weight: 234.5
Current weight: 179.0
Total lost: 55.5


Triple 5s baby! 55.5 lbs down. My fill is one week old and I've lost another pound, finally. Of course, I'm having some food issues (PBing again), but not too badly. I can live with it, just find myself having to do liquids every other day or so. But that's fine as long as the scale is moving again!

A little bitty fill on 7/24

I saw Dr. B yesterday, who seemed very pleased with my progress, despite the fact that I haven't lost much weight in the past 2 months. He said I definitely needed a fill, but given my history with fills, that didn't thrill me. He said it would be just a tiny one, and it was...only .1cc. So far, it seems good...I did liquids for 24 hours and am now doing mushies, but am back to only eating about 1/2 of a cup. YAY!

Five months post op yesterday

Start weight: 234.5
Current weight: 180.0
Total lost: 54.5

It's been exactly five months yesterday since my surgery. I'm frustrated because I feel like I should have lost more weight than this, and I simply cannot break into the 170s.

I definitely need a fill, but I'm definitely not getting one. I'm still having PB issues, just not as frequently, but I can't see walking in and asking for a .1cc fill...lol...could you imagine the reaction? And really, I wouldn't want any more than that. We'll see how it goes over the next couple of weeks. If I'm truly stuck (and geez, like only a 3 lb loss in the past month isn't stuck?), I'll consider it.

I'm down low enough that I can wear a bikini...maybe I shouldn't, but oh frigging well. I'm comfortable in a regular 14...not 14W, they're too big. Let us not forget that Marilyn Monroe was a size 14 ;)

So...ok where I am, and hope that someday I'll get to goal, but I'm not going to stress over it. With all the issues I've had in the past, this is a great place to be :)

However, I have had to really start upping my vitamin intake, and I'm taking a B-Complex and B-12...my hair is falling out at an incredible rate. It almost nauseates me in the morning when I brush my hair! I just started taking the B's yesterday, so I'm really hoping it helps, and I bought some protein bars today with 32g of protein. I also intend to buy those New Whey tubes with 42g of protein. Between the two, that's 74g of protein a day...hopefully, this will all help!

How long has it been anyway? 17 wks post op

Start weight: 234.5
Current weight: 183.0
Total lost: 51.5

The scale has finally started moving again, but very slowly. I've upped my protein and calories considerably this week, and I do believe it's made a difference.

Still PBing a lot, and in fact, when I don't get sick for a full day, it is a very good day. Two days go by without getting sick and I start wondering if I need a fill. Don't worry, there isn't one in my future at the moment. I literally can't imagine getting one, and suspect that as quickly as the weight came off at first, I'm just catching up to myself now.

Scott says he can't imagine me losing another 30 lbs, but I am still obviously "a little" overweight, so I'm not done yet. I'm fitting into most 14s comfortably, but haven't even attempted any 12s yet...I'm not even close.

My hair is falling out by the handfuls. I know it'll stop eventually, but DAMN, it's a lot of hair. Thank God my hair is very thick, or I'd be bald.

I keep saying that I need to start doing ab crunches, and yesterday, I found one of my ab CDs, so really, I don't have any excuse not to. I hereby make a goal to start tomorrow night after work.

*sigh*

Start weight: 234.5
Current weight: 187.6
Total lost: 46.9

OK, so here we are, almost 4 months post op. I've been gaining and losing the same 2 lbs since May. By my actions, it would appear that I need another fill (grazing, looking for food). But some days, I get sick on 2 or 3 bites of something, and other days I can eat more food than I should be able to - like last weekend, I think I ate something like 5 BBQ spareribs, and this week, I ate an entire Lean Cuisine meal (pasta, broccoli and chicken) and didn't hiccup once.

I can't figure out a pattern, because sometimes I can eat something on Monday, and on Tuesday the exact same food will make me sick.

I can't stand the idea of getting another fill. I'm getting sick so often that the idea of closing my stoma up more scares the hell out of me. I'll be living on soup and mushies if I do. I DO intend to make a regular (non-fill) appointment with my doctor, just because it's time (he wants to see me once a month, regardless of any issues) and maybe he'll have some ideas.

The good news is, at 187 lbs, I do feel better about myself. Being only 37 lbs overweight is a lot better than being 87 lbs overweight. If I don't lose any more weight, I'll be ok...not great, but ok.

I AM getting more exercise. My office moved up a floor in our building, and I started having to park a block away. So I'm now having to walk that block twice a day, plus run three flights of stairs each way. Also, my new cubicle is a lot further from the door than it used to be, so taking my breaks involves walking approximately a block by the time it's all said and done. I'm hoping the weight stall is because I'm gaining muscle weight.

So, that's where I am at the moment.

13 weeks post op...a little late!

Start weight: 234.5
Current weight: 189.6
Total lost: 44.9


Up a pound last Sunday, and haven't budged since. I got a fill yesterday. At the last fill, they said they put in .6cc, but they pulled .7cc yesterday, and then added .2cc more, so I'm up to .9cc. I didn't think it was working until I sat down to dinner tonight...OMG...I ate maybe half a cup of food and I'm stuffed. In fact, I took just "one more bite" and ended up with a quick PB...obviously, that was too much. I'm really hoping this will put me back on the road to losing, since I've only lost 5.2 lbs in the past 31 days.

We'll find out Sunday!

12 weeks post op

Start weight: 234.5
Current weight: 188.6
Total lost: 45.9

I'm getting very excited about the amount of weight I've lost!! We spent today out at Six Flags, so I'm sure I've walked at least four miles, but of course, I managed to eat quite a bit of junk too - a piece of fudge, a scoop of ice cream, half a chicken egg roll, a few bites of turkey leg - I'm sure I'll be back up to 190 tomorrow, but I know it's temporary :)

It is so awesome that I did all that walking and went up and down stairs, and my knees don't hurt, and really, other than a little leg soreness, I feel great!

It may be finicky, and oh so fickle, but I love having this band!

Just a quick update

My band is fine!

They put a .6cc fill in and everything has been fine, so far. The fill nurse said that .6 seemed tight enough to her and it was under fluroscope, so I'm taking her word for it - even if it does seem a tad too lose to me. I'll give it a couple of weeks and then go in and get .2 or .25.

I haven't really lost any weight either since Monday, when they put the fill in. But then too, I seem to lose my weight on the weekends ;)

11 weeks post op

Start weight: 234.5
Current weight: 190.4
Total lost: 44.1

Well, I'm just ounces away from 50% to my goal weight of 145, although honestly, that may need to be upped to 150-155. I won't know for sure until I get there.

I only lost a little over a pound this week, but still, I lost. My fill is tomorrow morning, and while I'm not entirely sure that I need it, after last weekend, my biggest concern is whether or not my band has slipped, so I'm still going in. I've had some odd pains in the port region this week, and also had a couple of very minor PB episodes, but I think those were because I ate too fast.

I got into my size 14 jeans this weekend and that was pretty exciting! In fact, size 14 was as low as I got on Nutrisystem. These are stretch jeans though, so I'll probably be in them for quite awhile. I do have a few size 12s waiting for me...they were given to me by someone on the NS boards a couple of years ago.

I'll be posting pictures later today.

Better late than never

Got my camera working right, finally! Here's a picture of me before my boss' wedding on 3/31. I was down roughly 30-32 lbs. at the time.

Also, I'm scheduled for a fill under fluroscope on Monday at 8:00 a.m. I'll tell them that the max I want is .8, and let them go from there.

It sure is nice to not be choking on everything I eat!

10 Rough Weeks Post-Op

Start weight: 234.5
Current weight: 191.8
Total lost: 42.7

Don't know what I can say at this point, that I haven't already said.

I got on the scales this morning and saw 191.8, but I'm positive it won't last, especially with me wide open. I did take advantage of being open last night and had some of my queso and chips, and may have some today, but I resolve that tomorrow and thereafter, I will eat as minimally as possible, and hopefully won't gain much. But I'm treating today like a vacation :)

CRAP!

WHY is this so freaking hard for me?!?!

I accidentally took a gulp of my coffee this morning, and have been PBing since. I believe I'm so swollen that I can't even keep my saliva down. I called Dr. B's office and got the "on-call" number. The on-call doctor (whose name I missed) said he's actually coming out this way today and is going to try to work out something where he can meet up with me and do an unfill. I told him I didn't care if he did it in the backseat of the car!

I mentioned to him my fill history and he said that he's known several people who could only get .25cc at a time. I think I'm probably one of them. Getting .5cc just seems to be too much for me. I don't know if he's going to completely unfill me (hope not!) or just take out .25cc.

Just hope he hurries. It's already 2:30p.m.

~~~~~~~~~~~~
Update: I met Dr. Felts and his lovely wife at 6:15 at a gas station in Terrell. He had offered to make a house call, but really, I didn't feel right taking him another 40 minutes out of his way (20 coming/20 going), so I just met him there. He had me sit on the tailgate and did the unfill there. He took all of it out - I'm wide open. He told me to call the office on Monday and set an appointment for the following Monday, and to have them put .8cc in only, and that from now on, I shouldn't get a fill of more than .3. They sat there while I drank down a quarter of a bottle of water to make sure everything was ok, and it was.

I came home, and had dinner, and I feel terrific now, except that I can't get as much water down as I want! :)

Fill me up!

I got a fill today! They pulled .6cc out of it, and added .5cc more, so I now have 1.1cc in me. When it came time to drink the water, I got really gassy, and was worried it wouldn't go down, but it did, and I have since had two Soups at Hand, one for lunch and one for dinner. Tomorrow, we'll try mushies.

They (AIGB, not Dr. B's office) were very impressed that I've dropped 14 lbs since I was last in their office on March 15, and at first hesitated on whether I should have a fill...until I told them I was already up 2 lbs this week, starving, and looking for anything in the world to eat. Those were the magic words apparently, because out came the needle.

All in all, this visit went much better than the last one! LOL...I absolutely have restriction, I'm just barely hungry. Hopefully, I'll come out with a loss this week :)

OH...about my foot - it's not a neuroma. My chiropractor, who I needed to see this week, gave my foot an adjustment and now I can walk almost 2 miles completely pain free :)

9 weeks post-op

Start weight: 234.5
Current weight: 194.8
Total lost: 39.7

I really need a fill, but I think I'm going to put it off. Once again, have spent most of the weekend sick, and it's really taking a toll on me. I've spent the last two weekends sleeping most of the day away, after being sick on Friday nights. I'm having a hard time getting down anything remotely healthy, but chips, ice cream, a freaking bagel dog....all the junk food, goes down and stays down. That makes NO sense to me!

I did manage to lose one pound this week, after gaining two and losing three. More evidence I need a fill.

I tried walking the other day and got a pain in my left foot. So I went yesterday and bought a new pair of cross-trainers, threw the old shoes away on the spot, and walked about a mile around the mall, and damned if it didn't start hurting again! I'll be calling a podiatrist tomorrow. It sounds like Morton's neuroma. I can't imagine what I'll look like if I lose all the weight without walking for exercise!!

I need a fill!!

I've been struggling really hard all week, and have put 2 lbs back on! I don't see the doctor again until Tuesday, which is actually a week earlier than it was supposed to be because he has to go out of town. I'll be shocked if I lose anything this weekend. I'm hungry all the time, and my food choices are like totally BAD (mini-eclairs anyone?). I can eat just about anything I want, and am probably eating a cup at a time, and grazing all day. *sigh*

Still, I'm leery about getting the fill, based on it went the first time, and this fill will probably take me up to 1cc. I can't imagine him giving me only .25cc and I already have .5cc in there.

Because I'm hungry, I've been eating fast, so I've had a couple of PBs this week, but nothing like I've had in the past, thank God! Today I just flat out wasn't paying attention and ate too much and oops, there it went. I'm still not really getting that "full" signal...hopefully the fill will fix that.

Eh, life with the band...not quite what I expected it to be!

8 weeks post-op

Start weight: 234.5
Current weight: 195.8
Total lost: 38.7

OK, so since Monday, I hadn't had a PB until Friday night, and it's been bad since then. I'm going full fluids tonight to end it (which I should have done yesterday). Nice loss this week though, 3.2 lbs.

I've started walking down to the dock, and walking back up, instead of taking the golf cart. For those of you who haven't seen it, we live on a hill that has probably a 10% grade. For someone with bad knees, it's a nightmare, and for most people, a few trips up and down it will cause some tightening in the back of the legs, and perhaps muscle-aches. It's not a lot of exercise, but it's a start.

Size 18 slacks no longer fit me at all, but most of my 16s are fairly snug. I have got to get rid of this belly, which seems to be the majority of the "snug" problem. They go over my thighs, they fit my butt, but come to zip them and it's no go. I do think it's time to get going on the exercise.

When I have the PBs under control, I'm happy and excited about being banded. My daughter asked me last night if knowing what I know, would I do it again. I had to think about it for a minute, but ultimately, the answer is yes. I'm thrilled with how quickly the weight is coming off, and knowing that before Christmas (sooner?), I'll be completely done, and in the meantime, I won't look horrible wearing shorts and the skimpy little tops I love wearing so much during the summer. ;)

Oops!

I should have updated this after my doctor's appointment and didn't. I'm sorry for worrying you guys!

The doctor basically said that he believes it's behavioral, that I haven't hurt my band (he said it would take longer than 2 months of the off/on PBing to cause it to slip), and that he won't give me anymore fills until it's under control.

And of course, I haven't PB'd since I made the appointment. Sheesh!! I've gotten close, but have been able to walk it off each time.

Interestingly, he said that I have a tight band. I suspect (and these are just my own thoughts, and I'm too afraid to ask him) that I was probably borderline on whether to have the regular band or the larger, VG band, and he chose the smaller one. It would explain why a 1cc fill would have caused me so much trouble. Maybe on the next visit, I'll ask him. I've actually thought this for about a month now.

I have a visit in 3 weeks to see how I'm doing. He was very pleased that I had lost 11 lbs (by his scale) since my visit on March 20th, and said he didn't think I really needed a fill, because I'm still losing so well. He also told me to eat a snack in between meals to help with the hunger. So now I get 3 meals and 2 snacks a day...bet THAT slows down my weight loss....lol!

Anyway, I was able to actually eat a piece of thin crust pizza last night, which was a real treat. :)

So, that's where we are. Thanks for caring!!