Shannon S.

Send Message

Block

Add Friend

 Been a long time since I've been on this site. :)

I have been, well I don't want to say non-compliant with the band, but in a sense I was. I wasn't going and getting my fills and I was eating foods I shouldn't have. I never gained any weight, but I hadn't been losing either. I finally called and scheduled a fill (almost 2 years since my last one), and I figured they would be all mad and stuff. When I made the appt, they asked if I was okay seeing a guy named Bill - I didn't care, I told them. I was willing to see whoever. 

My appt for my fill was yesterday. I left that appt feeling better than I had in a long time about the band. Bill sat down with me, TALKED WITH ME about ideas and tips that I could use to help make my band a better tool. Any other time I have gone for a fill, the person says "Are you doing this? Well you should be" and then they fill and its done. I sat in the room with Bill for a good hour discussing techniques and ideas I could use. He gave me a minor fill (0.2cc) because since its been 2 years, he didn't want to make a drastic change and then me have problems. I go back again in September for another fill (I know I will need it because already I'm feeling hungry again, etc).

Also, I was shocked because in the two years it had been since my last fill, I thought I hadn't lost ANY weight. I was actually DOWN 17 pounds since my last visit there. That made my day. My goal is to definitely show them that I CAN do this and I WILL. :)

I'm 2 months post-op and sometimes I feel like I'm a failure already, but I know I'm not. I'm down 28 lbs (going by my WiiFit) and I just can not lose, but I'm not gaining either. I bounce between 259 and 263 constantly. Up down up down up down. And days when I don't eat like I should, I wind up losing the next day. (I do get on the scales every day, first thing in the morning) I do work out when I can (hard to find time sometimes with Ashlyn and work), but I make sure I get my water and my walking in so that I'm at least doing something.

For example: Yesterday, my friends and I went to the Pittsburgh Zoo (with my daughter of course) and for lunch time, I had a personal pizza (which I was going to share with Ashlyn but she wanted nothing to do with it... had I known that, I would have gotten a salad) and a raspberry iced tea. I also drank a bunch of water too, but I felt guilty about the pizza. Then for dinner, we all went to the Texas Roadhouse in Butler, where I had Roast Chicken (which I thought was a breast but it was half a freakin chicken!), mashed potatoes, and a baked potato. I felt like such a pig but when I got on the scales this morning, I had lost 1.5 lb (still in my 259-263 range). I just don't get it really. Maybe its because we walked for like 5 hours around the zoo, I dunno. It baffles me though!

I have had some NSV's though. Today, my friends and I are taking Ashlyn to our local pool and I tried on my swimming suit that has not fit me in a few years and it FIT ME! I'm not happy with the way my back looks in it (I know that sounds weird), but I'm thrilled that it fits me! I also have alot of people telling me that they can tell I have dropped some weight. My face has thinned out, and I'm toning up. My mom says my upper half doesn't look as bulky as it used to. :)

There are goods and bads to this all.
I have my next fill on July 24th. My last fill (June 26th), the PA told me that when the band was put in, DR put in 1 cc because the band was too loose, but when he tried to take it out, he wasn't getting anything. I'm hoping there isn't a problem or leakage or anything.
I do feel some restriction though - not as much as I would like. I did have my worst stuck episode last night though. At the Texas Roadhouse, they had some yummy rolls and I had a few because I was really hungry. I either didn't chew it up enough, or I ate too fast (probably a combo of the both) and it was just horrible. I didn't slime or PB, but it hurt SO bad. I ended up going to the restroom (the waitress was taking orders and hadn't made it to me yet so I had to wait) and as soon as I stood up, the pain went away and I was fine. That was definitely the worst that I had ever had though. I knew enough not to drink anything though. My friend (who doesn't understand much about the band, other than some foods are not tolerated and it helps with portion control) told me to drink something to help it down, but I knew better. :) Needless to say though, I was very careful after that. :)

I'm feeling way better today!

My mom, Ashlyn, and I took a walk on the biketrail today and walked a total of 1 mile! I was pretty stoked. I didn't get winded/red in the face at all.. which is something new for me so I was excited about that!!!

I switched to the full liquids (yogurt, cream soups) and now I just feel hungry all the time! UGHHHH!!!
I also discovered why I felt so blah over the weekend!
This is TMI for some............... fair warning :)
I've had diarrhea since Saturday (it's finally going away) and yesterday I just felt like absolute yuck! I went to bed good at 8pm and woke up around 10:15pm when the power went out. (Isn't it weird how that wakes you up?!?) well, I couldn't get back to sleep and had to keep running to the bathroom. I finally fell back asleep and awoke at 5:30am so that I could get Ashlyn ready so that mom could take her to daycare for me. I went to the bathroom to do my normal (or so it has been the past few days) poopin and wiped and it was bloody! All I could think is that there was something wrong!! I went again about 10 minutes later and had less blood than before and then I finally realized.. I'M HAVING A PERIOD!!! I haven't had once since after I had Ashlyn, and she'll be 2 in August!!!! I'm on the Mirena IUD and Dr. C didn't have me remove it b/c she said the hormones given off by it isn't very much... so wtf?! But after I showered today, I felt much much much much better! And I've been feeling good all day... except for the constant hunger. :(

My big problem is head hunger and not actual hunger. I hear/see all these ads for these foods that normally I wouldn't have had before, but everything just sounds so good!! I have been sticking to my clear liquids though... except I did slip a teeny piece of egg this morning when I made Ashlyn some scrambled eggs and it went down fine but I'm not going to push myself! i made myself feel better by reading the packet that the nutritionist gave me with the foods I'm allowed to have at each stage.. so I just have to remind myself that I won't be living on jello and chicken broth forever!!

I've still been feeling blah but I got some Gas-X strips and they seem to be helping.. now if I could stop running to the bathroom things would be perfect!!!!

I've been feeling pretty yucky today. My mom said it is probably my body washing out all the greasy yucky stuff that was in there, and going through withdrawl of now getting all that stuff now. I don't feel like I have to throw up, but I just feel like blah and I just want to sleep all day. It sucks. :(

I was able to sleep in my own bed last night! WOO! Getting up was a little harder but I know it will get easier each time around.
I took my first actual walk today. I live in an apartment complex and I'm at the top of the hill, while our mailboxes are at the bottom, so I walked down there. I felt pretty good walking! I kept getting itchy though around my incisions but I'm thinking maybe it was just my clothes rubbing against them? I'm not sure. They've stopped itching except the one on my side. Maybe after I hop in the shower it will go away.

I can tell my mindset has changed too. Normally I hop in the car to run down and check my mail, but being that I can't drive just yet (since I'm still taking the pain meds), I had no problem walking down. I did forget to take my water with me though!! Can't be doing that!

What's nice is that I have a good support person too. My mom had the RNY done in 2001 and now since we're on even ground, she's going to work with me to get back down. She'll be watching what she eats, and we'll take Ashlyn for walks on the bike trail to get our walking in. I also have a Wii Fit so that helps out too; we can track our weight and whatnot.

Hope everyone who chances upon reading this is having a wonderful day! <3

I don't think too many people can get on the computer at 1 day, but here I am.
I just got home a few hours ago from the hospital and I'm feeling okay. I'm a little sore and gassy but I expected much worse. I'm wondering where I'm going to sleep tonight though as it did hurt to get out of the hospital bed and my bed is lower to the ground than that. I was thinking of sleeping in the recliner, but that's not very comfortable either. I'm sure I'll figure something out.