angelis
Here are my posts from the old format....
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I'm 29, oops, I mean 30 (not used to that yet!) with a BMI of 48. I've been overweight since grade school though I was always athletic and kept active. However, despite repeated attempts at dieting, therapy, spiritual growth, etc., here I am at almost 300lbs, having gained about 10 lbs a year in the past 12 years.
I started looking in to WLS last May after I began to really feel the effects of my weight. Fortunately, I quickly learned about the LapBand and was very excited to discover a surgical treatment for obesity that was SAFE as well as effective. My surgeon seems competent and his office staff are extremely helpful and supportive.
So, after 9 months of research, doctor's appointments, tests, and waiting on insurance approval, I am finally having surgery tomorrow, March 9th, 2004!! I'll be sure to check in with an update as soon as I feel up to it.
Thanks for all your kind comments and prayers - keep 'em coming!
3/11/04 - I'm on the other side! Surgery went very well with no problems or complications. It took less than an hour and I was leaving the hospital to go home within 5 hours. The past two days haven't been too bad. The general "icky" feeling is more uncomfortable than the brief pain at the port site. The pain is mainly just with movement and is not constant. Each day feels better and better. Sleeping is good, though only 1-2 hours at a time. Did have one moment of nausea that brought on some retching but it passed quickly and wasn't too uncomfortable. Haven't taken pain meds since day after surgery. Haven't been hungry at all yet. Started on full liquids today but only got in about 2oz of a protein drink. Scale says I lost 5.5 lbs, which is no surprise considering I haven't had more than 200 calories since Monday!
3/15/04 - Just checkin in to say I'm still doing well. My appetite started to come back on post op day 4 but goes away with 4oz of soup, yogurt, whatever. As the days pass, I am much more interested in drinking thicker liquids like the soups, cream of wheat, etc., rather than watery things as it abades the hunger longer. Today I had tomato and blue cheese soup - it was awesome and only ate about 3oz before I was full. I did have a scare thinking that my biggest incision may be infected but my surgeon put my mind at ease and said my symptoms were all within "expected normal" ranges for post-op. Still have a lot of abdominal swelling. Am planning to return to work tomorrow. Oh, and the best news is the scale says I lost 11 lbs!! Woohoo!!
4/5/04 - Well, tomorrow will be 4 weeks post op. Good news is I am feeling great - no pain, no discomfort, nothing. I barely remember I even had surgery (and I've felt this good for over a week). The bad news is, I haven't lost any more weight. BUT, as experienced bandsters have said MANY times - the first 6 weeks is about HEALING not weight loss!! So, I'm staying encouraged and looking forward to my first fill on 4/16. I've been on solids for a week or so with no trouble eating anything. I do chew well and try to remember to eat slower. So far, I've been able to eat anything I've tried, which is pretty much everything. I am eating less than pre-op but it isn't bandster portions (as in < 1 cup) either. On a good day the scale says I've lost 12 pounds, on a not so good day it could be 2 or 3 pounds less than that. No matter, I feel great and can even notice a difference with this small amount of weight loss. I know I need to start exercising more too. I average about 1-2 times per week. I have a curves membership and they haven't seen me in months. I'm working on changing that though. I'll update again after my first fill. Adios!
5/11/04 - Well, today is two months post op. The scale reads a loss of 14 pounds most days. I did have my first fill on 4/17 of 1cc. Not surprisingly, it didn't give me much restriction. So, I've been eating regular portions, more than bandster size, but less than pre-op. Still haven't started back at curves but I have been walking more and doing other things (dancing, volleyball) that I like. I feel good and clothes are fitting better, even though the scale hasn't moved much. My next fill is scheduled for 5/21 and I can't wait. I've tried moving it up but the doc's schedule is FULL! Oh well, I'll just keep trying to eat smaller portions. It is really a head thing more than a stomach thing. I've discovered that if I am eating slowly and paying attention, I will become "full" after about 1 cup of food. Well, my brain is still in pre-op mode and thinks that there is "no way!" my stomach would be satisfied with such little food so I keep eating. That's my problem, at least until I'm properly restricted. Once tight enough, the band will help me stop at the first signs of fullness, instead of pushing past it. I'm trying to do my best to stop when I'm full and ignore the head hunger but some days it's just too hard. But, I'm positive that every day things will be better and better as I learn (and re-learn!) on this bandster journey!! Till next time....
6/16/04 It is now 3 months after surgery (14 weeks) and I am down 17 pounds. That is within the expected "1-2 pounds/week" loss so I'm not too discouraged. I had my second fill on 5/21 and noticed a little bit of restriction. The little I had is now gone so I'm anxiously waiting until 7/2/04 for my next fill. I've been getting more physical activity, but still not the 4 days a week (at least!) that would be ideal. Even though the scale hasn't moved much, people have noticed a difference. And, my clothes fit better. I'm down one size already so that's nice. I'll be having another surgery in July as well - I'm getting my tonsils and adnoids out! I've been told to expect a lot of post-surgery pain. Also, they say the average adult loses about 10 pounds after this surgery due to not wanting to eat. That is a plus! I'm currently eating up to 2 cups of food, which is way too much. I could be making better choices too. My reflux has really started to bother me at night (a lot of coughing during the night) so I've made a concerted effort to eat less for dinner and nothing after 7pm. Hopefully that will help - I need my sleep!
7/29/04 - Oops, I've been meaning to update once a month but somehow I let 6 weeks go by. Oh well - at least they were a good 6 weeks! I had fill #3 on June 18th and WOW! I finally discovered what restriction is! What a difference. And the scale shows it too as I am now down a total of 33 pounds since surgery (in 21 weeks)! Of course, losing 8 pounds in a week after getting my tonsils/adnoids removed helped too. I really love this band. I've pb'd a number of times, usually because I'm eating too fast and not chewing well enough. It's now been 5 weeks since that fill and I'm noticing I can eat more. So, I'm looking forward to the next fill in August. I am so thankful that God made it possible for me to have this surgery. It is so exciting to see the weight come off, without the headache and deprivation of "dieting". I just eat less. Other people have noticed the weight loss as well and the compliments are wonderful to hear. I LOVE MY BAND!! Oh, and my reflux is gone!
8/16/04 - Just checking in for a quick update. After my previous post, I plateaued for about 3 weeks at that -33 pounds. I wasn't too surprised, especially since I had just dropped a significant # of pounds in a short amount of time after my tonsil surgery. I was also eating up to 2 cups of food at one time, indicating a need for a fill. So, I had fill #4 on 8/13 and I think I am at a great level of restriction (I have 3.5cc's in my 4.0cc band). I can not really tolerate bread and if I don't chew meat well - I'm in trouble! I've pb'd a lot this weekend as I've tried to adjust to this new fill. I've had to really chew well and go slow. My meal sizes have been a half to two-thirds of a cup, which is perfect. And, drumroll please....., the scale showed a 4# loss over the weekend, bringing my total loss to 37 pounds in 22 weeks!! I LOVE THIS BAND!!
9/7/04 As of yesterday I've been banded 6 months, or for 26 weeks. In that time, I've lost 38 pounds for an overall average of 1.46 pounds lost per week. I'm not breaking any records here but, for once in my life, I'm content with just being average. I'm on track to lose 75 pounds this year, which is my personal goal, and am grateful everyday for the blessing of having this band.
Losing almost 40 pounds and 2.5 sizes means I FEEL great! I have more energy, more stamina to do the things I love (dancing, volleyball), and less joint pain. Whereas I used to dread having to find something to wear in the mornings (because everything was too tight and uncomfortable), I now have the problem of not knowing what to wear because it's all too big! I've readily solved that problem though by frequent shopping. Rough life, right?!?!
Many newbies and prebandsters ask if this is like dieting. For me, losing weight with the band has been very different than dieting. For one, unlike some bandsters, from the beginning I CHOSE to not have a dieting mindset with lots of rules about what to eat or not eat. Some bandsters are very careful to watch their calories, or not eat things high in fat (e.g. cheese, peanut butter, ice cream, etc), or avoid carbs. I just decided I had enough of that mentality. Goes to show how flexible this band is and how truly, there is no ONE bandster way that everyone must follow. So, if I want something to eat, I most likely will eat it. I just don't eat much of it. And, interesting
enough, I'm finding that as my restriction has increased to a good level, I'm naturally choosing foods that are healthier and choosing the high fat stuff less often. I can't tell you why it happens, but I love it that the changes are coming from the inside out, not imposed from the outside in! Having good restriction makes A WORLD of difference.
Right now I'm focusing my energy on exercising, which I hadn't paid much attention to the first 4-5 months while learning how to eat with the band. I started back at curves and am going 3-4x's a week, plus doing at least one other physical activity a week. It feels great and I'm hoping to see the results, either on the scale or in loss of inches. The results I've seen so far are more than enough to keep me motivated, not to mention the frequent compliments I get from friends and co-workers.
10/19/04 - This update is a little late but that's because I didn't have much to update until recently. I plateaued after my last post and more or less lost and regained the same 4 pounds for about 6 weeks. I could tell it was time for a fill as I was thinking about food all day long and getting hungry in 3-4 hours, despite eating 1 cup of food or more at a time. So, I went in on 10/15 for a fill. I was supposed to have 3.5cc's in my band (3 fills at 1.0cc and 0.5 on the last one) but the doc could only withdraw about 3.0cc's. He ended up just putting in another 0.5cc to bring it to 3.5cc's total again. And, boy I can tell! I'm eating less than 1 cup at a time and can tell that I need to be VERY careful to chew well and go slow. I love it!!! The scale has finally moved and I've currently lost a total of 43 pounds since surgery, and 57 from my highest weight ever. I'm in a size 18/20 pants, down from 24. Tops are a little more tricky thanks to the ladies! ;-) In another 2 pounds, I'll finally be under the 250 barrier. Woohoo! Oh, and I'm going to curves faithfully 2-3x's a week and loving it.
11/23/04 - Howdy folks! Just checking in to say that things are going GREAT! Since my last fill the weight loss has been nice and steady and I'm down to 244 - a loss of 51 pounds since surgery. Went shopping the other day and bought size 18 jeans that fit and look great and I'm wearing XL shirts (instead of XXL or XXXL). Losing weight feels so awesome! I can do so much more than before and I have a lot more energy and stamina. Still going to curves 2 x's a week plus doing at least one other activity per week. And I have a HUGE NSV (nonscale victory) to report. I just had my blood work done and my numbers are great! Here is the comparison below from pre-surgery to now:
-----------------------Pre-surgery-------------Now
Blood Pressure------------130/89--------------110/78
Cholesterol (total)--------217-----------------180
Triglycerides--------------??------------------102
HDL (supposed to be >40)---low------------------50
LDL (supposed to be <100)--??------------------110
I am so thrilled at these good results. I did find out that I'm anemic (which I was before surgery) so I'll be taking daily iron in liquid form. All other vits looked good, including B12. Getting this surgery is the best thing I've ever done for myself, besides giving my life to Jesus. Thank you God for providing this awesome tool!!
12/28/04 - day before my 31st birthday! Last year at this time I was turning 30 and praying that my 30s would usher in a new chapter in my life and thanks to my band, it has! I've lost 71 pounds since my highest weight (57 since surgery) and I feel great. I'm going to Curves 2-3 x's/week, wear size 18, and even bought a pair of size 16 shorts that just fit! WOW! I can hardly believe since the last time I was in a 16 I weighed under 200 pounds and I currently weigh 238. Sizes have definitely gotten bigger in the past 15 years! Regardless, it is wonderful to be able to buy "regular clothes". My goal was to be in a 16 before my cruise the end of January so I just might make it. Can't wait to go shopping!
I LOVE MY BAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2/16/05 My monthly update is about 2 weeks late - sorry about that! Things are still going very well. I went on my 8-day Caribbean cruise and in addition to getting a great tan - I lost 3 pounds that week! So, I've lost 65 pounds since surgery and just bought my first pair of size 16W jeans! I'm addicted to shopping now! Still going to curves 2-3x's/week, playing on a competitive volleyball league, and doing lots of dancing on the weekends. Life is great! I'll post more for my 1 year anniversary in a month or so.
3/10/05 - This week marks my 1 year anniversary with the band. I always look forward to reading others’ anniversary posts and it’s hard to believe the time is here for mine. Where do the days go?! First, the stats: Banded 3/9/04 by Dr. Bonanni in Reading, PA. I think I was his 45th or so banded patient (he does primarily lap RNY). Banding was covered in full by my insurance company (PRAISE GOD!). Since then, I’ve lost 66 pounds and gone from a 24/26 to 18 and even some 16s. Wow!
Along the way I learned that patience really is a key ingredient to this whole process. It took me 3-4 fills (and 4 months) to get any kind of restriction so I was a “slow loser” in the beginning, averaging just over 1 pound loss per week. Finally, at my 5th fill, 6 months after surgery, I got to my sweet spot and was successfully losing and average of 1.6 pounds per week. Still not as fast as some, but I am pleased, especially since I don’t follow a strict diet plan.
I’ve said this before but for the newbies I’ll say it again. I made the choice from the beginning to not have a diet mentality. So, I still eat mostly the same foods as pre-op (at least the ones that I still want), just a lot less of them. Now, this doesn’t work for everyone, and to be honest, it probably slowed down my weight loss. But, there is more than one way to skin a cat, as they say, and for me, this worked.
Feeling deprived is the number one reason I never could stay on a diet. With the band, I can lose weight without feeling deprived. Now, does this mean I eat nothing but cheese, chocolate, mozzarella sticks, and peanut butter all day? Absolutely not, but I do eat those things sometimes. But, instead of a whole order of mozzarella sticks, I eat 1 or 2.
I’ve often said that I’ll keep doing things this way until it stops working for me. Well, I think I’ve come to that place. For the past 6 weeks I haven’t really lost any weight. Part of that is because I think it is time for a slight fill as I am hungry between meals and can eat more (like a whole 6” tuna sub, bread and all!). So, getting a fill will help. But, I can also adjust my eating a bit and cut back on the snacks and late night eating. If it weren’t for my high level of physical activity, my weight loss probably would have stalled many weeks ago. But, I know what I need to change or adjust.
Can’t wait to see what this year brings!
309(highest)/295(at surgery)/229(current)/180(tentative goal)
BMI: 50(highest)/48(at surgery)/37(current)/29(tentative goal)
4/21/05 - Just checkin in quickly to say things are still going well. I had fill #6 shortly after my last post and I'm pretty tight. It's helping me remember to take small bites, eat slow, and chew chew chew! The scale has moved again and I'm done another 7 pounds since last post. Yeah! And I have plenty of NSVs from crossing my legs (under the dinner table no less!) to buying size 16 jeans from a regular (misses) department!! Woohoo! Thank you Jesus for this tool!
6/14/05 - Oops...I missed my May update somehow. Oh well! Things have been going OK. The scale is moving slower than I'd like though I still seem to be shrinking noticeably. I think my level of restriction is just right, though I could be making better food choices. This morning the scale said 216 (215.8 actually!) so I've lost 79 pounds in about 66 weeks (15 months). Overall, I'm down 93 pounds from my highest weight, which I think is pretty cool! Shopping is now almost a daily habit (ouch!!) as I just love trying on clothes, sometimes just to see what I can fit into, not even to buy something. I'm solidly into a 16 misses and even bought a size 14 skirt. Do I even need to say how excited I am abou that?! My goal is to lose at least another 25 pounds and fit comfortably into a size 12. I can't wait to get there....I know that with my band I will!
7/25/05 - Whew! Summer sure is busy this year. Just wanted to pop in and give an update. I've been very active the past several weeks playing volleyball, swimming, etc. and the effort has paid off! The scale has been steadily going down and is currently showing 209. YEAH!! That means I've lost -86 pounds since surgery 16 months ago and 100 overall, Woohoo! I can't even describe how good that feels and how much fun I am having being a smaller person. Oh, and guess what? I grew almost a full inch!!! Yep, I am now exactly 5 feet 7 inches tall, whereas before surgery I was 5 feet 6 and a quarter. How cool is that - especially since it lowers my BMI a few points! Life is good!
9/20/05 - I've been out of the loop for a bit so wanted to pop in and say hello. It's hard to believe I've been banded for 18months - where does the time go?!
First...some good news. I am very pleased with losing 88 pounds since surgery and 102 lbs since my highest weight ever. I went from a BMI of 50 to about 32/33 and a size 24/26 to....drum roll please....14!!! Well, not EVERY 14 fits, but the jeans I bought the other day do!! I had to look twice at the tag just to make sure. I must've stood there in the mirror for a full 10mins trying to get my brain around the fact that the body in the mirror was mine.
I could go on and on with the NSV's...tons of compliments, loving being active/working out, having more clothes styles to choose from, finding my collarbones (which I love!), etc. Even still...I do have a confession. I've gotten into some bad habits and, not surprisingly, I haven't lost any weight in two months. I've gotten smaller but the scale hasn't moved. I'm one of those "first bite syndrome" people so I've gotten into the soft-food syndrome, as well as eating after I pb, which sometimes allows me to eat a lot more food than I should. I also am eating WAY TOO many sweets. I've caught myself thinking, "You hardly could eat anything today, having a cookie or two won't hurt anything...you can afford it" and I need to change that stinkin thinkin. I can't afford it - I've still got 25-30 pounds to lose.
I did have an upper GI done last week (first one...sheesh that barium is awful after awhile) and went to doc this AM to find out what's up. Doc thinks the band is causing my esophagus to spasm and the esophagus is ever so slightly dilated at the bottom. My fill was super tight (it was weird to watch the barium trickle through) so he decided to UNFILL me completely (YIKES!) and start again, slowly in 6 weeks. I'll also go for a scope (EGD) to rule out more serious problems. I'm scared about being unfilled but I'm hoping that God will help me stay committed and not gain weight, or not more than 4-5 pounds if I do. I'll keep you posted.
1/9/06 - Oops...it's been four months since my update! And, a lot happened in those few months. I was unfilled for 6 weeks and then slowly filled over the next 6-8 weeks (3 fills at 1.0cc's each, 4 weeks apart). So, it wasn't really until this last fill (less than a week ago) that I actually am back to being restricted. The scale went up, of course, during that time but not drastically...all in all about a 10 pound gain. It was actually very good for me to eat "normally" for awhile, without that awful golfball feeling. I'm hoping that this last fill didn't make me too tight as yesterday that old golfball was back and I was NOT happy about it. So, today I'm redoubling my efforts to take small bites, chew well, etc., and things are better today - no pbs. The scale has already dropped and was 211 this morning - almost to the 207 I was prior to being unfilled. I still want to hit 180 so I'm hoping getting restriction back will get me there. I'm also back to working out more (Nov and Dec were so busy so, regretfully the physical activity slacked off), still at curves. Clothes wise, I'm still in the 14/16 range, depending. Outside of the band - life is grand! The new boyfriend (who completely supports me with the band) is keeping me pretty busy. ;-)) Which is probably why I haven't updated in so long. I'll do better from now on, I promise!
About Me
Before & After
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