joshbowski
I hope I have made the right decision by going with the band instead of the bypass. I'm a little bit scared of the surgery its'self, and 10 times more scared that the band wont be successful. I've worked for 6 years at 6.00/HR job and saved every dime to afford this surgery. I've practially lived in poverty for 1/5 of my life so I could save up for this, and if it doesn't work, I honestly don't know where I'll turn next. Here's hoping for the best in early December.
December 9-- I'll keep this short because I'm in some pain just typing this. My surgery seemed to go okay, but there was a lot more pain than I imagined. I thought it would just be a little tolerable pain and then everything would be okay, but I actually had quite a bit of pain and horrible cramping for about an 8 hour period that was spontaneous and I couldn't control.
We got caught in a snow storm on the way home, and a 4 hour car ride turned into a 7 hour car ride. This is my first day back home, and for some reason I'm pretty hungry. I had my first protein shake already, and I had the feeling of being hungry, I just wish I'd never be hungry again, but I'm not too worried yet.
Funny thing is I gained 2 pounds after my surgery. I went from 315 to 317. I'm not worried about it though, I actually laughed a little when I saw it. I'm sure a few weeks out, the results will be pretty nice. I"ll type more later.
December 15 - I'm one week, and one day post-op. Yesterday, at one week out, I weighed in at 306. I was very happy to see the scale that low, but I assume it's probably mostly fluid weight. NOW, any weight that comes off will all be real fat, I would like to think. It's amazing to think I'm this close to the 200's. I haven't been in the 200's since probably middle school. I'm quite sure I went into high school over 300 pounds. In fact, I was probably around 350 pounds, so it's been a long, long time since I've seen the 200's. It will be quite an accomplishment.
The hunger is still pretty bad, as they have me on full liquids for 6 weeks. It's going to be hard in early January, because I'm going to the Sugar Bowl with two of my brothers and my dad, and they are going to be wanting to eat out every 10 miles. Yesterday I went to the movies (don't see Syriana it is horrible) with my brother and girlfriend, and sat between one of them eating popcorn, and the other eating nachos. I didn't eat any though, of course. I'm not going to risk damaging this band. I'm getting through the hunger though, just by knowing I literally can't eat. The pain is very real, but I just can't eat, and I know it. Somehow that is working, but I still have almost 5 more weeks of doing that. Wish me luck.
January 10, 2006--First off let me say, "LET'S GOOOOO MOUNTAINEERS" I got back from Atlanta a couple of days ago fresh off watching the love of my life, WVU Football win in the 2006 Nokia Sugar Bowl against Georgia. It was a wonderful feeling. I went with my dad, and two of my brothers. It was kind of hard watching them eat junk food, and trying to stay relatively close to what I was supposed to eat, but man, the victory was sweeter than any food I could have consumed.
For two weeks in a row now, I've weighed in at 298. That's right...I'm no longer a 300 pound man. To think, at the height of my weight I was 400 pounds. I've come a very long way. Most of it was through dieting myself, only the last 20 pounds or so have come after the band.
I've adjusted to the band pretty well. I still have pain in my port area any time I bend over. That isn't pleasent. Also, I will not lie. I have been cheating on my post-op diet. I guess it's bred into me after all these years, but I wouldn't have done it, if I would have thought it posed me any real danger. I know the skeptics will say that doing anything the doctor doesn't allow is real danger, and maybe so, but I see all the people here start on soft foods after a couple of weeks, and blended foods after a week or 3 days. Get this: My doctor wanted me on full liquids for 6 weeks, then 2 weeks on blended, then start onto soft foods. Less than 2 weeks out, I was starved to death, so he let me on blended foods. I did that for a while, then around about the first of the year (4 weeks out) I started eating regular food and just making sure I chewed it thoroughly. Nothing too tough like tortillia chips or steak. Just maybe some ham, and a little bit of pizza, and spagetti.
I have certainly learned the way of the band from eating those things. I have thrown up (pb is what people here call it) several times from eating too fast without enough chewing. You'd think that doing all that chewing and swallowing, and doing it all slowly would be easy but it's not. It's like, you take a bite, and you're chewing it thinking "okay i'm going to take it slow" and next thing you know you've already swallowed half of it. I've got to learn to control that better. The last thing a person with no insurance needs is to dislodge that band.
Everyone is noticing I've lost some weight, even though not much of it has come lately. I can't lose any off my waist at all. My waist still measures the same as when I was 400 pounds, but my shirt size has went down 3 sizes (5x to 2x). That is very frustrating. If my waist would just go down a couple of inches, I could buy pants at places like Sears or Wal-Mart. For now, I keep having to go to the Big Man's store and paying a million dollars per pair.
Well, I'll check in again in a week or two. Thanks to everyone for all your support so far!
Feb 13, 2006 -- It's been about a little over a month, I guess, since I've checked in. Things are going swimmingly for me. I have went from weighing in twice a week to weighing in once a week (on Sundays) because it doesn't depress you so much as stepping on the scales after only 3 days and seeing little or no weight loss. The weekly thing is working out better (word to the wise).
I weighed in last Sunday at 283 pounds. I know I'll probably say this a lot in my profile, but that is an amazing feeling. I probably haven't been that low since grade school. More good news is that weight is FINALLY coming off of my waist. I bought three pair of 46x30 jeans the other day, and I actually got one pair at Wal-Mart (not a big men's store) and two other pair from Old Navy. I'm so used to wearing only pants that are generic and for "big men" it's amazing to get into a pair of Old Navy's. I don't really like the pants too well, but they actually FIT. All three of them fit, but one pair is a little tight, one is just right, and one is a little loose, so go figure.
The band is practically a part of me now. The first month to 6 weeks I kept feeling like it was always going to feel weird to have it in me. but I don't even notice it anymore. Things are completely normal. I haven't talked to my doctor in forever, and don't plan on talking to him any time soon. Not that I wouldn't if I needed him, of course, but things are going right on.
I haven't had a fill, and don't think I need one. When he first told me that he wouldn't even give the first fill until after 10 weeks from surgery I was horrifically disappointed. I thought I'd have to wait that long to feel any restriction, but I have restriction already. It depends on what I eat, of course. If I slip up and eat cake or candy, I don't feel any restriction, but I try to fill up on dryer type proteins, like a piece of grilled chicken or a hamburger steak. They seem to keep me feeling pretty full pretty long. AS LONG AS I DON'T DRINK ANYTHING. No one ever made it as clear as it should have been made to me that drinking with or shortly after meals is evil. If I start drinking 10 minutes after I eat, I'll feel hunger again shortly. I try my best to wait for a few hours before I drink.
I eat pretty much whatever I'm in the mood for (I work 16 hours a day 7 days a week at a pizza restaurant), but I can only eat it in extremely small portions so it's working out well for me.
I've heard countless comments on the weight I've lost, and it feels pretty good.
May 28, 2006
I'll be coming upon my 6 month anniversary soon, and yes, I have lost a lot of weight. It hasn't been easy. Lately, the band hasn't been doing as well for me, and I've been taking ephederine again and not eating to try to help keep the weight off. It doesn't make a lot of sense sometimes. Sometimes I can get a piece of bologna and almost have to puke it back up, but like last night I went on a binge and I ate 4 hot pockets, a chocolate snack cake and drunk 2 cans of 12 oz Coke. Does that make any sense? I don't know...all I know is that I'm very happy with the amount of weight I've lost.
I bought my first pair of size 36 jeans the other day. They are a little snug, but I'm tired of buying pants and only wearing them a couple of times before they are too big, so hopefully they will be comfortable on me within a few weeks or a month.
I have gone through a horrible ordeal recently. Seven weeks ago my fiance who I have been with for 3 1/2 years left me. She left me for absolutely no reason, just said she fell out of love with me. The problem is I can't make myself fall out of love with her. I've wanted this surgery since I was 16 years old, and to be honest, I'd give every bit of it back just to hold her for one more night. This isn't the talk of a fresh breakup talking either. It has been seven weeks, and I get worse every day. I started taking antidepressants but they were hurting my stomach so badly I had to quit. I can't sleep at night. All I do is cry from the time I wake up until the time I go to sleep. It's a wonder I can get through my work day. I still leave her messages every day telling her I love her. I know she'll never respond, but I miss her so much.
It's funny, because everyone keeps telling me how handsome I am now that I've lost all this weight, and how I need to go out and date and live, and it's true. I have had interest from several different girls since it was announced I was single, but I just can't...I just can't imagine ever loving another girl besides her. She was and is my everything. When I check in again in a few months, I'm quite confident I'll be saying the same thing. Sometimes I just wish lightning would strike me and put an end to all this misery, it's the best thing that could happen to me.
I don't mean to drone on about my personal life though, this IS a weight loss site, afterall. So, with that, I'll just say this surgery has been a blessing, and without it, I am not sure I could even go on after this break up. At least, being a more normal weight (242 now) gives me a chance of finding another decent girl. Sad but true, they wont even consider you when you are morbidly obese. I now at least have the option of being considered normal as opposed to if she left me when I was over 300 pounds I would feel completely and utterly hopeless.
Please keep me in your prayers, my friends, as I don't know how I'm going to make it through any given day. I somehow keep plugging along.
Oct 1, 2006
I'm getting close to 10 months out. I haven't really lost too much weight recently. I had a fill done, and it has helped me out some, but I'm having trouble avoiding sweets, and it's keeping my weight right around 210. I went from 317 to this weight so fast it was crazy, but now I'm having trouble getting any lower, but I keep trying. I have learned one very valuable lesson about this surgery. It may KEEP you from eating as much, but it does not take away the desire for food. If I didn't have this band to stop me, I'd eat just as much as I ever did. I still long for heaping portions every time I think about food.
I'm still not over my girlfriend/fiance leaving me, as I alluded to in my past post. Everyone said I'd be over it by now, but I'm very much not over it. I miss her so badly, I've completely turned my life upside down. I quit my job that I had been at for 5 1/2 years (and making very good money) and just took off driving one night. I just couldn't stand the pressure anymore. I didn't know if I'd end up in a city somewhere, or driving over a cliff. I miss her so badly...
At any rate, I'm still plugging along, and thank God every day for this surgery. Now, if I could just get into the 100's what a blessing it would be! Until next time...
