25 lbs and counting

Well, I lost 25 lbs and I decided to try on my next size down clothing that have been hanging, just waiting for this moment, in my closet. I was actually able to zip all of them up, and some of them I can wear now. Amazing, I can't even remember the last time I wore them. I think it was 4-5 years ago. I am so glad I kept them. I have about 15-20 pants and oodles of shirts and blouses. It is like I hit the jackpot. I am so sick of wearing the same clothes week after week. Yeah!!
I have been getting a little hungry lately, however I don't feel like eating more, it is just that my stomach grumbles more. I have a "fill" on Jan. 7 and that should take care of that. I will have to go back to a liguid diet -> pureed ->soft and finally to just chewing everything very carefully again. This will happen every couple of months till the band is adjusted correctly for me and my intake needs. This is a wonderful thing!

2nd week post-op

Lost 20 lbs so far. Pretty good. I am feeling better and my clothes are a tad less snug. I found out the nodule on my rib that I was feeling was the port to my band. They put it there for easy access. I am not hungry although my stomach does growl occasionally. I am eating eggs and chicken and vegetables as well as my protein shakes. I went for my 1st check up on Monday and will get my First fill on January 7. I do feel restriction now, but it will be tighter after the fill. I am looking forward to that. I have to make it through the holidays though, but so far nothing has tempted me. No appetite really to speak of. Funny having to remember to eat. I have decided not to go to a Christmas party that we usually go to because they have food on every available surface and it would be torture. I don't want to push it just yet. I will drop Steve off and go to a movie with a friend or something and come back and pick him up and stop in and say hi to everyone then.

1 week post-op

I feel so much better! I also lost 17 lbs this week which helps with the moral. I know I can't expect to keep losing over 2 lbs a day, but it sure was a boost for me. I actually feel a little bit lighter. I am walking more and starting to feel like doing more around the house. I can't drive yet or work, and I have a 5 lb lifting restriction, however I might be able to manage some laundry and dinner for Steve. I am allowed to eat pureed foods now and I had the most delicious poached egg this morning. After protein shakes, yogurt and cottage cheese this was like heaven. I am going to puree some leftover stew for dinner, woo-hoo! I found a new support web-site - www.bariatriceating.com and I just ordered some peanut butter cookie flavored protein mix and some special vitamins so my hair won't fall out. They also have great bulletin boards and a support group every Wednesday online that I just joined. I have a primary care Dr. appt. this afternoon to see how I am doing. My only real problem right now is a pain on my ribcage - there is a lump and I suspect it is a bruise nodule. I saw a movie of an lap band operation yesterday and it looked like they had a machine shop laying on the patient's stomach. I am sure they must have bumped me in this area. Only really hurts when I wear a bra. Another good reason not to work now - I would def need a bra for work : )

3 days post-op

I have been home for 3 days now and I am starting to feel better. When I first came home on Wednesday I felt like I had been hit by a bus. I was never told that this might happen. All I ever heard was once you get home you will feel like getting up and about and that I could probably return to work within a couple of days. This definitely is not the case, and I consider myself to have a high pain threshold. My abdomen feels like it is going to drop off every time I stand up or even move in bed. I think it is because of all the bruising from the laproscopes (I have four cuts/scars from those and one where they inserted the fill port). I am taking a narcotic med for the pain and have been tapering off. I really hate the side effects of pain meds.Well my home nurse just left and said I was doing good. I think I will try to take a walk outside now that the sun is shining.

3 days to go.

I have 3 more days till I get my Lap Band. I am excited and nervous. It seems that there is a lot of negative talk about the band in Blog Land. I keep hearing about band slippage, and getting sick and how to cheat information. One woman who just got a bypass asked me why I am getting the band instead of the bypass. Legitimate question, I guess. I feel more comfortable getting the band, and not having my stomach amputated. The band seems less invasive and more like a tool to use to help me keep my weight off. I can lose weight easily, I just can't seem to keep it off and I have proven that many times over.
I am ready for this change. I can't wait to go through the many different sizes of clothes that I have in my closet and storage containers. They have been waiting a long time. I will get rid of my big clothes as I shed them. That will be very cathartic. I have so many clothes waiting to go to Goodwill. I can't wait till my closet just has clothes in it that fit me.
My weight has impactedIt so many areas of my life. Clothing is at the bottom of the list. I have a big job ahead of me and I am glad I have so much support.

38 days and counting

I am getting Lap-Band Surgery on November 24. I have already been approved by insurance and have seen a nutritionist and a psychiatrist. I also sat in on a session with post-op bandees and went to weight watchers for 6 months. I have been going to Weight Watchers for at least 29 years off and on after my 3rd child was born. I originally had only 30 lbs. to lose, but that started my almost 30 year quest of losing and gaining weight. I feel like I can now see the light at the end of the tunnel. I want to lose 150 lbs. I have been told that with the lap-band you can only expect to lose at most, 60% of your goal. I am hoping to go beyond that expectation. I have talked to several bandees who have lost 160 +, so I am hopeful. Even if I don't get to that goal, I will be happy just to be at a healthy weight.
I have arthritis in my knee from a meniscus tear which required laproscopic repair surgery. I am bone on bone and it is quite painful. Right now I have some relief because I had a cortizone shot one month ago, however I need a knee replacement eventually, and the morbidity risk with obesity is pretty significant.
I chose to write a blog mainly to document my progress through this experience. I want to be able to read back through and remember all my ups and downs. I also want to be able to share this experience with family and friends so they know what I am going through. I saw a friend recently who had lost probably 200 lbs. I didn't know what to say to him because I wasn't sure whether he had lost the weight on purpose, or whether he had been sick. It would have been inappropriate to say "Wow, you lost a lot of weight," or "gosh you look great." As it turned out, he had been really sick (I still don't know what he had), so I am glad I didn't say anything. I want people to know what I am going through so they won't be leary of saying anything about my weight loss. I feel that the more support I have out there, the easier this will be for me. This is an exciting time in my life, and I can't wait to get started.
I am planning to post a before picture (head shot) and probably monthly updates (also head shots). Once I get down to near my goal weight, I may feel brave enough to include body shots (clothed of course). : ) This is always the fun thing to see on other blogs, of which I have read many. I will also try to update as often as possible, but at least once a week. Thank you to all of you who are already showing their support. I can't tell you how much it means to me.