WeeSteppn
Back From Un-fill
Apr 03, 2008
Just got back from the un-fill and I feel better already. There doesn't seem to be as much pressure in my chest area now. Plus, I'm drinking a tea and no gurgling! We'll see the real test in a few days when I try hamburger again. I just hope we didn't take too much out where I am too loose again. This can be such a pain but I keep telling myself it's for the best and it all will pay off once I get that "sweet spot". I am now at 3.75 from 3.85. We took out approx. .1 cc of a 4 cc band. She said it's not an exact science though because the syringe holder only is 1/10 lines and we are trying to take fractions of that....or something to that effect. So we'll see.
Mandy
Mandy
It's Been Awhile, ey?
Apr 03, 2008
I feel like I haven't posted on here in forever. I have been so busy lately though. I am now done with school for a bit (BBA obtained..woohoo!). I won't start my masters until the fall so I have a bit of a break. I am doing some teaching as side job for extra $$ but it's not as difficult as actually being the student I don't think. So busy, busy.
The challenge at work went pretty good last week although I worry that it's just water weight. I have been being super good for the last 2 weeks so I hope it's fat and not water. I lost almost 4 lbs this week for the challenge which was super cool. I'll take whatever I can get at this point. I'm back to working out 5 days a week so that's probably helping.
I am going for a slight un fill today at 1:30 because I thought the fill I got a few weeks back was just tight because I was sick last week but this week it's hit or miss. Some days I am fine and others (more often than not) I am super duper tight. I don't want to be like that. I am too afraid of complications. We put in .2cc's last time so I'm going to have her take out 1/2 of that amount and see where that leaves me. Funny thing about this fill is that it's just so hit or miss. For example, last night for dinner we were having turkey brats which I normally can eat. Well last night couldn't get it to go down for nothing. So I gave up and had mac-n-cheese (I know weird that pasta goes down fine). I brought the rest of the brat for lunch today to try again and it went down fine. Seems like I am having a really hard time eating dinner but for lunch I can eat chicken, wraps, brats, etc. Same thing happened the other night with a hamburger (no bun of course). Couldn't tolerate it for dinner but the next day at lunch went fine.
So needless to say I'm finally forcing myself to take out a bit. I don't want to be one of those super tight people just to loose weight. I can't handle that feeling. Plus, I have noticed some reflux after I eat here and there which tells me my food is sitting in my stoma too long and not going down like it should. So we'll see how it goes after this. I can't hardly expect not to have to do any of the work, right?
Mandy
The challenge at work went pretty good last week although I worry that it's just water weight. I have been being super good for the last 2 weeks so I hope it's fat and not water. I lost almost 4 lbs this week for the challenge which was super cool. I'll take whatever I can get at this point. I'm back to working out 5 days a week so that's probably helping.
I am going for a slight un fill today at 1:30 because I thought the fill I got a few weeks back was just tight because I was sick last week but this week it's hit or miss. Some days I am fine and others (more often than not) I am super duper tight. I don't want to be like that. I am too afraid of complications. We put in .2cc's last time so I'm going to have her take out 1/2 of that amount and see where that leaves me. Funny thing about this fill is that it's just so hit or miss. For example, last night for dinner we were having turkey brats which I normally can eat. Well last night couldn't get it to go down for nothing. So I gave up and had mac-n-cheese (I know weird that pasta goes down fine). I brought the rest of the brat for lunch today to try again and it went down fine. Seems like I am having a really hard time eating dinner but for lunch I can eat chicken, wraps, brats, etc. Same thing happened the other night with a hamburger (no bun of course). Couldn't tolerate it for dinner but the next day at lunch went fine.
So needless to say I'm finally forcing myself to take out a bit. I don't want to be one of those super tight people just to loose weight. I can't handle that feeling. Plus, I have noticed some reflux after I eat here and there which tells me my food is sitting in my stoma too long and not going down like it should. So we'll see how it goes after this. I can't hardly expect not to have to do any of the work, right?
Mandy
Added the Weight Tracker!
Mar 24, 2008
As you can see my weight has hardly changed for quite some time now. So I've got to kick it up a notch. If you click on the little button on the chart that looks like a bunch of lines it'll give my actual numbers rather than the chart. I prefer the numbers. Enjoy and let it be a lesson that things move slowly for some but it DOES come off....eventually. 
Mandy
Mandy
Totally Normal....but....NOT!
Mar 24, 2008
Ok, so the tight band passed but now I have a sinus infection from hell! My throat is about swelled shut and my headaches are like bombs going off! Uggg....
I do feel better band wise though. I've heard about ppl getting stuck a lot when they are sick so we shall see. I've never been sick yet since I got the band but so far so good. Able to eat lunch and breakfast (mac-n-cz & oatmeal respectively). So so far so good.
Started a challenge today at work. Somebody wanted to do a 10 week challenge where the biggest looser won a pot of $$. So I entered it. I don't expect to win but I figure with weekly weigh in's with co-workers I'll be motivated enough to stick with it. I need some motivation to break this plateau I'm on.
We weigh in each week but only keep tallies and publish to the members what we've lost or gained not our actual weight which is good b/c I'm not about to publicize anything that personal. Not because I'm ashamed but b/c I feel it's too personal. So we'll see how that goes. I might keep track on here too. Maybe use that graph down below.
Mandy
I do feel better band wise though. I've heard about ppl getting stuck a lot when they are sick so we shall see. I've never been sick yet since I got the band but so far so good. Able to eat lunch and breakfast (mac-n-cz & oatmeal respectively). So so far so good.
Started a challenge today at work. Somebody wanted to do a 10 week challenge where the biggest looser won a pot of $$. So I entered it. I don't expect to win but I figure with weekly weigh in's with co-workers I'll be motivated enough to stick with it. I need some motivation to break this plateau I'm on.
We weigh in each week but only keep tallies and publish to the members what we've lost or gained not our actual weight which is good b/c I'm not about to publicize anything that personal. Not because I'm ashamed but b/c I feel it's too personal. So we'll see how that goes. I might keep track on here too. Maybe use that graph down below.
Mandy
Better Day!
Mar 21, 2008
Although I'm still tight I have had a much better day. I have made extra, extra effort to get all my fluids in today and to eat very slowly. It has paid off. I've had a pretty good day. Some near stuck episodes but no real ones and no sliming or throwing up. Maybe now that I'm coming to the end of my monthly visit perhaps things are loosening up a bit? I've heard that it can affect the band but never personally had it happen. Maybe this last fill though put me into that category of women who are bothered during their TOM? Not sure but glad today was a better day. I actually got to eat quite a bit or normal food for the 1st time in days. For example, for dinner I had whole wheat Rotini noodles with broccolli and shrimp in an Asian Toasted Sesame dressing. It was soooo good. So maybe I am not necessarily too tight. I mean I wouldn't be able to eat solid protein AND noodles if I was, would I? At any rate, I feel better and so glad for it. We'll see what next week holds. Maybe I'll be totally back to normal. That's my hope anyway.
Mandy
Mandy
More and More Tightness 3-20-08
Mar 20, 2008
Well it's been a week since my super tight fill and I keep thinking it will get better after this week because it's my TOM (TMI I know) so I think to myself, "Ok, next week it'll be over and things will loosen up"....but so far it's actually getting worse.
I have tried to eat refried beans today that did not go down. They got stuck and hurt. Yesterday I tried to eat a Hershey's pie (I know I shouldn't have that) from Burger King and threw that up because it got stuck so even soft foods are not going down well. They will after awhile and some level of pain and even liquids have been giving me crap.
Strange thing though is that I have eaten solid protein on some of the days in the past week and some days it happens w/o a hitch and some days it drags awfully. Needless to say things aren't as they should be. My goal is not to be so tight I can not eat....PERIOD!
So I have an appointment for Monday, March 31 to have a slight un-fill and hopefully that'll do the trick. I just wish I could have gotten in before Easter! No goodies for me I guess.
Mandy
I have tried to eat refried beans today that did not go down. They got stuck and hurt. Yesterday I tried to eat a Hershey's pie (I know I shouldn't have that) from Burger King and threw that up because it got stuck so even soft foods are not going down well. They will after awhile and some level of pain and even liquids have been giving me crap.
Strange thing though is that I have eaten solid protein on some of the days in the past week and some days it happens w/o a hitch and some days it drags awfully. Needless to say things aren't as they should be. My goal is not to be so tight I can not eat....PERIOD!
So I have an appointment for Monday, March 31 to have a slight un-fill and hopefully that'll do the trick. I just wish I could have gotten in before Easter! No goodies for me I guess.
Mandy
Holy Tightness Batman
Mar 12, 2008
So I went for another fill yesterday and I am super tight today. I have only tried mushy foods and they are making me gurgle. So I'm going to give it a few days and if I don't loosen up a bit where I can eat meat and stuff I'm going to have to go in for a bit of an unfill. Today so far I've had soup, cottage cheese, liquids of course (water, crystal light, etc.) and I tried a hard boiled egg but was only able to eat the middle part (yellow). The white wasn't crunching up enough. Tonight we're having pasta for dinner ( I could eat that before this fill) so we'll see how that goes. I'm not one to hang onto a tight fill to loose weight. I'm a chicken about the side effects of a too tight fill.
Keep you posted,
Mandy
Keep you posted,
Mandy
My Doctor is Dead
Mar 11, 2008
Found out today at my fill appointment that my surgeon died last Saturday (3-8-08) from a brain tumor. I guess he found out a year ago that he had it but didn't know when it would end his life exactly.
The nurse said he would just have temper flares that were totally not him and he used to read Arabic poems every Saturday and then go for a walk with his wife and they'd talk about them. Well, that Saturday, he read the poems but then on the walk he couldn't remember any of them. So they took him in and the tumor had put too much pressure on his brain and he ended up dying. I'm not sure exactly how like if he had an anuerysm (sp?) or what but I guess he knew it was coming just not when exactly.
I will miss him. He was an excellent surgeon (35 yrs) and he was so fatherly. I was very nervous when I first started thinking about surgery and he was very thoughtful and very passionate. If it weren't for him I don't think I'd have done it.....I'd have chickened out. He saved my life and I'll never forget him. He was a great guy and I'm really sorry for his family's loss.
Mandy
The nurse said he would just have temper flares that were totally not him and he used to read Arabic poems every Saturday and then go for a walk with his wife and they'd talk about them. Well, that Saturday, he read the poems but then on the walk he couldn't remember any of them. So they took him in and the tumor had put too much pressure on his brain and he ended up dying. I'm not sure exactly how like if he had an anuerysm (sp?) or what but I guess he knew it was coming just not when exactly.
I will miss him. He was an excellent surgeon (35 yrs) and he was so fatherly. I was very nervous when I first started thinking about surgery and he was very thoughtful and very passionate. If it weren't for him I don't think I'd have done it.....I'd have chickened out. He saved my life and I'll never forget him. He was a great guy and I'm really sorry for his family's loss.
Mandy
Back From Fill - 3-11-08
Mar 11, 2008
Just got back from getting fill. Found some info I wanted to log. I have 3.67 cc in my 4 cc band. I have only lost 5 lbs since my last appointment which was in December but they said I've lost 59% of my excess weight which is good I guess. They said Allergen the people who make my band expect between 50% - 55% total for Lap Band so I guess I'm doing good. Now, that I've met their expectations it's time to get to mine. I have to get to 155 lbs to get to a BMI of 25 so that's my goal. I'm taking it 5 lbs at a time. I want to learn not only better which I've done since surgery but also healthier which means working in fruits....I have a hard time with those. I just never want them....LOL. All well.
So just wanted to log that info so I wouldn't forget.
See ya'all,
Mandy
So just wanted to log that info so I wouldn't forget.
See ya'all,
Mandy
Last Fill Today
Mar 11, 2008
Well I'm going in for what I suspect will be my last fill. I actually have pretty good restriction right now but my food isn't lasting but maybe 2 hrs so I think I need a tweak. I get full fast but it doesn't last. So I think this might be it for me.
I actually am a bit apprehensive about this fill because like I said I get full quickly and I don't want to end up over filled where I can not eat certain foods and where it's taking me 45 minutes to eat something.
Right now I am fairly normal. I can eat nearly everything although some things require a little more tact. So I'd rather not loose that if possible. Plus, I worry about all the things that happen when a person gets too tight.
So we'll see how this works.
Stay tuned....
~Mandy
I actually am a bit apprehensive about this fill because like I said I get full quickly and I don't want to end up over filled where I can not eat certain foods and where it's taking me 45 minutes to eat something.
Right now I am fairly normal. I can eat nearly everything although some things require a little more tact. So I'd rather not loose that if possible. Plus, I worry about all the things that happen when a person gets too tight.
So we'll see how this works.
Stay tuned....
~Mandy
