Time flies...?

Wow!  I'm shocked I haven't blogged since December 15th!  I am sooo off track....gotta get back on the wagon.  I do, however, have pictures for you!  Does that make the wait worth it??  So let's see if I can jog my memory back to December....

HA!  Should've known better than for that to work!  Here's what I DO remember: basically, Fuzz decided my band was too tight in December, so he loosened it by 1-2cc's...not much, but enough to make a difference.  At the time, I was relying too much on protein shakes and "mushy" foods to make it through, but was losing weight which made me super happy!  After my band was loosened, I was able to eat more "regular" foods, which was good...and bad.  I still had not gotten used to the idea of having the band, and wanted to eat like I did before having it.  That mindset lost me 0 pounds and gained me a 3 month-long plateau.  With Spring came more exercising and a better understanding between me and my band.  I am still a walking meteorologist, but I have found I have very little trouble eating as long as I take my time and are mindful of my bites and chews!  Whew!  What a difference a little change in attitude can make!  Instead of trying to make my band adapt to me, I'm learning to adapt to my band.  As well, I'm getting much better at not eating unless I'm hungry.  I am constantly motivated by myself, as well as all of the positive comments from people!  Thank you so much to everyone!! 

Ok...here's what everyone's been waiting on...pictures!  At my last appointment the last week of May, I had lost 72 pounds.  According to my measurements, I've lost a total of 39.5 inches!

August, 2009-pre-op

November, 2009: 6 weeks post-op

June 6, 2010: 9 months post-op

Tis the season....

Hey everyone! Once again, I feel obligated to begin this post with an apology for being so lax in posting! So...sorry!! I've been super busy these past few weeks. As many of you may know, I've been interviewing for CRNA school. 2 interviews this past week, with my last one being today at Baptist. Thanks for all of your prayers and well wishes! I feel like today's interview went very well, and I'm keeping my fingers (and toes, for that matter) crossed that I get into the Baptist program!

So onto my weight loss. As of this morning, I have lost 57 pounds! Woohoo!! Each time I step on the scales, I'm so excited to see what the total weight loss will be! I can't wait to step on and see a 1 as the first number....I'm definitely closer than I was 3 months ago.

I'm doing fairly well with my eating, although I've had a few days here and there where things wouldn't go down. I contacted Amber, the dietician, and she said that three things can alter my band tightness: weather, stress, and my menstrual cycle (sorry guys...I just tell you what I know). So, basically, I'm a walking barometer now! Wanna know if it's gonna rain?? Just ask how my foods are going down! Ha! Just call me Lanie Pope! Anyway...I'm trying to focus on my proteins and days I can't eat as well, I just opt for protein shakes...yummy!

Another good goal I've set for myself is to attempt a 5K sometime this spring. I'm working on a program called "Couch to 5K Plan", which takes you from a couch potato to a runner. Seriously...a runner. Crazy, huh?? I'm actually enjoying the tortue, though! It's nice to be able to do something, even just in 1 minute intervals, that I've NEVER been able to do. Plus, it keeps me on track with going to the gym.

I hope everyone has their Christmas shopping done and is not getting overwhelmed with the holidays! While you're fighting traffic at the mall, dealing with annoying and overworked cashiers, and spending all of your hard-earned money, keep in mind the TRUE reason for this holiday. Thanks be to God....for without Him, we have nothing!!

Love to all,
Molly

Short and sweet post....very very sweet!

Hey guys! I'm trying to get out of the house to head to Greenville to visit Michael for Thanksgiving, but I wanted to give a quick update! I've weighed this morning, and have officially lost 50 pounds!! I'm so excited! I feel great, and things truly couldn't be better! I am so thankful for everything I've been through and all of the support from those around me. You are all the best! Will update more after Thanksgiving...
Much love,
Molly

Pictures!! (Sorry I can't figure out how to get my pictures after my text!)

Hey everyone! Happy November 1st! I can't believe it is almost time for Thanksgiving and Christmas....wow, time flies! I am about 7 weeks post op, and decided to do some post-op measurements and pictures today after mom and I worked out. I still don't see much of a difference in my appearance, even though people tell me all the time how different I look! It's tough seeing myself every day, and being able to tell a difference, so these pictures have truly opened my eyes! Not only do they show me how huuuge I was before, I am now able to see a difference...a big difference in only 7 weeks! I'm down 41 pounds, eating solid foods, and extremely happy! I have decided to weigh weekly, thanks for everyone's advice!

I won't go into detail on my actual measurements, but I have lost a total of 22 inches. Measurements include my chest, hips, waist, both arms and both legs. So it averages a loss of about 3 inches per area measured! Not impressed? Get out a ruler and see how long 22 inches is!! Ha!

Now for the pictures...it's obvious which pictures are before and which are after. I am wearing the same shirt, same type of sports bra, but different pants. These pictures have been cropped, but in the originals, you can see the door behind me getting a little larger!! Enjoy the pictures, and I hope everyone has a great week!!

Wow...I'm getting slack already!

Mom was so kind to remind me that today was the 13th of October, and I've only had 1 post this whole month! I've GOT to get better about this blogging! Let's see where to start....

Last week was my 1 month post-op appointment with Fuzz. The appointment is actually a several hour long process where I have vitals taken (including weights), then meet with Jeff (the psychologist), Amber (the nutritionist), Elizabeth (the nurse practitioner), and finally Fuzz. So when I went back for vitals everything looked great. My resting heart rate has actually dropped from the 90's pre-op, to the 70's post op. So if all else fails, my heart is definitely happy with me for letting it take a little break! Then (dum, dum, duuuuuummmmm) the scales. According to their scales, I have lost 28 pounds. When I had weighed 2 weeks prior for my CT scan, I had lost 29 pounds. So I was little bummed about gaining that stupid pound in 2 weeks!

I met with Jeff first. I asked him how I was doing compared to others, got a small lecture on how I shouldn't compare my results with others' in any aspect of my life (that's a psychologist for you! ha), then he said I was doing great! Most lap band patients 1 month post-op (including the 3 week diet) have lost 17 pounds, while bypass patients have lost about 37. At 28 lbs, he said I was actually closer to losing what a bypass patient would lose! That made me feel better!!

Then Amber came in. After a little small talk, she went over a checklist of possible problems I may be having: nausea and vomiting, constipation, overeating, not taking vitamins, etc. I'll spare you all of the gory details, but we discussed any issues I was having and possible resolutions. She also gave me a list of appropriate snack foods (all protein based), and menu ideas for the solid diet. Amber told me that once I had my band adjusted, I would need to be on full liquids for 2 days, then back to pureed foods for 2 days. THEN I get to start solids! Woohoo!! After almost 6 weeks of no real solid foods, I was excited!! We'll get to how this excitement turned into massive pain later...

After Amber, it was Fuzz and Elizabeth's turn. I laid on the table while Elizabeth felt for my port. It's placed right under the skin/fat and is sutured to my abdominal muscles. After some poking, prodding, and me doing a half sit-up, she was able to feel the port really well. THEN CAME THE NEEDLE! Of course I took a picture of the needle, but am having troubles getting it to upload. I'll describe it...it may as well have been a freakin Wendy's straw. It was 5 inches long and thiiiick! Fuzz was real excited to show me the needle and explain what he was getting ready to do with it...little does he know I pass out when I have blood drawn! Ha! After prepping the area with alcohol (rubbing alcohol, not rum...which I would have gladly taken at this point of the appointment), in went the needle and it popped into my port with a fair amount of ease. Shocking, I know....but it didn't hurt at all! I should've known this, but with the needle going through scar tissue, everything was numb. Whew...I was so glad! Fuzz drew back on the syringe to see how much saline was in my band (3cc), then added 1.5cc plus the 3cc he had drawn out. So now my band has a total of 4.5 cc.

I didn't think I'd be able to tell a difference with my band being tightened a little. Yeah...I learned the hard way on Sunday! Here comes the massive pain part! Just a little note...Amber had informed me that my band may be tighter in the morning than in the afternoon, so I may need to stick with a protein shake for breakfast. Makes sense, right? Well, Sunday I figured it would be loose enough to try some scrambled eggs and grits around 10am. Boy was I wrong! 1 bite, and I had the worse pain in my chest! Like I described before, it feels like swallowing something sideways...and it doesn't go down for about 30 minutes! I was miserable! Once it went away, I felt like I could run a marathon (ok...maybe not a marathon, but work with me...) because I felt so much better! After a few hours, my lunch and everything afterwards went down great. Most people may learn from their mistakes, but not the funny fat chick! I decided to try eggs and grits AGAIN on Monday..thinking maybe it was a fluke that it had hurt. Nope. Dead wrong. This time I started out with grits, that subsequently got stuck and stayed for about 30 minutes in my chest and throat. MISERY! They say that this process is all about trial and error, but I'm thinking from here on out, everything will get 1 trial before it's tossed out the window!

I know today's Tuesday and everyone wants to know how much I've lost, but I've decided to stop weighing once a week. It's become discouraging to go from losing 13 pounds in one week to losing .2 now. I'm thinking about weighing every other week? What do you think? I don't want to be obsessed with the numbers...I know I can't gain 5 lbs in 2 weeks (unless I relied only on milkshakes every day!), so I don't think there's any danger in cutting back on my weigh-in days. Don't get me wrong..I'm thankful for every pound I lose! But I also know how I feel when I weigh the same 2 weeks in a row! Anyone have any good ideas??

I know I promised to update more last time, but I'm serious about it now! This blog is helpful to me by allowing me to get out all of my worries and frustrations, and I hope it's helpful to others'! Until next time,
Molly

One goal down!

Good evening everyone! Sorry it's taken me a while to post a new message, but I finally got caught up enough to do it. I started back to work last week, and have been working on applications for nurse anesthesia school. Whew...the deadline was October 1st and I made it with a few days to spare! Now comes the hard part of waiting for an interview!

This past Tuesday marked 3 weeks since I've had surgery. Part of me feels like it was just yesterday, but other parts feel like it was years ago! I feel like the lifestyle I'm leading now is one I've led for a loooong time. It's really starting to become second nature to me. So for the grand total weight lost...31 pounds! I've officially met my first goal: to lost 10% of my starting body weight. I even went over that 10%. I was so excited to get to this point. They say that just losing 10% of your body weight drastically drops your risk of health complications, so I'm happy to get that first 10% gone!

I had a little scare last week. I started back to work on Wednesday, and by 11am had horrible shoulder pain, which I had been dismissing as leftover gas pains from surgery. They were awful!! The next night, I went to my first support group meeting and talked with Amber, who said she would check with Fuzz. She called me Friday morning at work and said Fuzz wanted to see me in the clinic that day. I went, he examined me, and decided to do a CT scan to rule out a perforation or any complications. I kinda freaked out! (not on the outside, of course, just on the inside...I couldn't look like a psycho!) So after all of that, he said I was fine and my lab work looked good. It is possible that it was referred pain from the connecting part of the band to the port laying on my diaphragm. Thank goodnesss!! Since then, the pain has been happening less and less, and I feel sooo much better! He did drop my hours at work to 8 hour days until my follow up appointment next Thursday, so I've picked up an extra day each week. Whew!

Support group was great! First was support group for lap-band patients. In it, everyone asked each other questions and discussed their progress. It felt great to be with people that understood exactly what I was going through! Afterwards, the general meeting began with lap band and bypass patients together. During this meeting, the people from Pacer Bikes came and talked about the benefits of biking. It was very interesting, and really made me want to go out and buy one! Overall, I felt great when I left the meeting...very inspired to continue to work on this.

Hmmm...what else?! OH! EATING! I got to start real foods this past Sunday!! Of course, everything has to either come out of a blender or look like it did. I was a little worried, but so far, so good! Tonight, I'm making ground turkey with marinara sauce, topped with cheese. Yum! I'm trying to introduce new foods everyday to see what I can and can not tolerate. My favorite so far? Wendy's chili! Yep...I've actually eaten beef! For those of you that don't know, I haven't eaten beef since I was 13 years old...it all started with a bet, but when I realized I didn't miss it, I kept it out of my diet. Now, however, I need the protein, so I had to buckle down and try eating it again. YUM YUM YUM!

That's all for now...I promise I'll be better about posting so you're not forced to read 5 page long posts! This week, I'd like to give a special thanks and "lub ya" to Meena for sitting with me and mom before my ct scan, and harrassing the radiology department enough that I didn't have to wait all day!!

Mucho love,
Molly

2 weeks out...time for reality to start!

Ahhh...I'm finally 2 weeks out of surgery! I can't believe it's only been 2 weeks. It seriously feels like years ago! Maybe it's from all of the changes I've made. It's amazing how being in control of my weight/eating habits, has translated into my home life. Don't get me wrong...my house is not spotless. BUT, those of you who knew me before surgery know house cleaning was not my forte! Now I'm not scared of a "drop-in" guest (even though it's still my pet peeve!). It's a very odd side effect, but I'm not complaining!

Ok ok ok...now to what everyone wants to know. Tuesdays are my "official" weigh in day. As of today, I've lost 28 pounds! For those of you that are counting...that's 15 pounds since surgery! Woohoo!! It's such a high to weigh and see the scales going lower and lower! I can't tell I've lost weight yet, except in my t-shirts. Every fat girl knows what I'm talking about when I say that I had to "stretch out" all of my shirts before I put them on. I don't have to anymore! The t-shirts hang on me, the same as before, but without me having to stretch them out! I'm sure it seems like a small deal, but it really does save a little time in the morning! hahaha!

On a blah note...I'M STARVING!! The swelling has apparently gone out of my pouch and my stoma, making them both bigger; therefore, the pouch holds more, and the stoma lets more food go through faster. So...regardless of why, I'm hungry! I'm still on my full liquid diet....and my love of tomato soup is fading rapidly!

I must confess...I cheated a few nights ago. I know, I know...I shouldn't have! Here's what happened: it was about 3 am (I got my days and nights mixed up for a few days), and I was starving, bored, sleepy, etc...all I could do was think about food! So I went on a food hunt in my kitchen. The ONLY thing I had that was not on my diet were green olives. Seriously...green olives. Sooo...I ate one. I chewed it to a pulp...for a good minute before I swallowed. Man was it good!! The first one went down so well, I went for a second one. Then I got mad at myself and ended up throwing the whole jar off the back deck (thanks to a little persuasion by AK).

Work starts back tomorrow. I'm on light duty, which means no lifting/turning/pulling patients. I guess I will make the "Save your Back" committee at work happy!! I'm a little nervous about going back...I'm always nervous about work when I haven't been in awhile! But it will be good to get out of the house and to get back on a regular schedule!! I promise to keep you all updated!

Thanks for everything! A special thanks to mom for taking such good care of me while I was staying with her and dad. She's a great nurse and an even better mom. She seems to make everything better when I'm feeling down. I hope to be able to do the same for her someday!

Love to all, Molly