Monday, Monday

Hey all!  Hope everyone had a good weekend.  I went to see my nutritionist last Thursday.  I got the approval to eat a bigger variety of food.  I can now eat deli ham, turkey or chicken, cheese, grilled chicken breast (as long as I chew it until it is the consistancy of applesauce).  Needless to say, I made a stop at the grocery store on the way home!

Friday I took a day of vacation to take my dog to the vet.  It was just a wellness visit with a new vet - no big deal as they say...UNTIL...this little conversation:

VET: Has anyone ever spoken to you about his eyes?
ME: As in another vet?
VET: Yes.
ME: No.  I mean plenty of people have made comments on his eyes...
VET: Well he has what we refer to as macular something or other (ME -sorry I can't remember the name extactly, but suffice it to say it means his eyes bug out - see picture below).

So then the vet takes a look into his eyes and says everything looks good, but I might want to consider having his eyelids sewn down a bit to cover his eyes more (to give him more protection).  So basically, my dog needs plastic surgery.  Are you kidding me?  Then the vet pinches the corners of his eye to show me what it would look like.  Oh my God - it was a different dog!  Totally changed Jake's face.  He went from my cute little Bubba to freaking Kenny Rogers!  See below for frame of reference.

So we will be leaving Jake's poor little buggy eyes alone for the time being.  ThankYouVeryMuch.

In other band related news, does anyone else experience this: one day starving the next I can barely will myself to eat.  Like Friday, I met some girls for lunch and I ordered grilled chicken tenderloins off the kids menu with a side of dumplings - and I ate almost everything.  Saturday, I had a protein shake for breakfast, no lunch and I had to force myself to eat 1/4 of a chicken breast and a tablespoon of beans for dinner.  I don't know...I just find that rather strange.  But the good news is that since I've moved on to more foods the scale keeps moving in the right direction!  That's all that matters to me!

Also, I am thinking of ordering the Zumba fitness DVD's - anyone out there have these?  What do you think??

You Have What??

Ok.  So this post is dedicated to everyone who keeps saying "you have what??" when I say I have the lap band.

Here is the best description I have found as to how the band works:

This may help you in understanding the restrictive mechanism of a Lap-Band.

The protocol for Lap-Band fills calls for a four to six-week delay after surgery, prior to any fills. The purpose for the four to six-week delay is for the patient’s stomach to heal from the surgery, as well as allowing time for the Lap-Band to “seat” or “nestle” into the fat pad between the stomach wall and the interior wall of the Lap-Band.

Prior to receiving an EFFECTIVE fill, it is VERY uncommon to have any restriction from a Lap-Band. 

Normal weight loss with a properly restricted Lap-Band is between 1 and 2 pounds per week.

The normal cycle of fills, restriction and weight loss is as follows:

1. The patient's Lap-Band constricts when the patient receives a fill. Swelling for a few days after receiving a fill is very common. Many doctors require a patient to go on a liquid diet for a day or two after receiving a fill. A fill may have a “Delayed Action” of up to 4 weeks. A “Delayed-Action” means that the fill may not become effective for up to 4 weeks after the fill. That is why the ALLERGAN protocol states that fills should not be performed on patients who will not have access to medical care for at least two weeks after a fill.

2. The patient's stomach capacity is lessened as a result of the restriction caused by the Lap-Band.

3. The patient loses weight because they cannot eat as much food.

4. The residual fat-pad between the inside of the Lap-Band and the outside of the patient's stomach reduces in size because of the overall weight loss in the patient.

5. The reduction of the residual fat-pad causes the Lap-Band to become loose again.

6. At that point, the patient needs another fill, because the Lap-Band is loose, and the patient has a loss of restriction, which allows the patient to eat larger amounts of food.

7. The patient receives another fill and the process starts all over again.

Most Lap-Band patients receive several fills to adjust the Lap-Band as their weight loss progresses, and there is less and less residual fat-pad between the inside of the Lap-Band and the exterior of the stomach wall. Once a patient has lost all of their residual fat-pad, fills become less common. As the Lap-Band patient progresses in their weight loss, the effect of very tiny fills (Less than .2ccs) becomes greater and greater.

It is not uncommon for a late-stage Lap-Band patient to experience a significant difference in restriction with as little as .05cc of fill.  (courtesy of Wendell from Lap Band Talk).

So now you know.  Don't you feel smarter?

Which Came First? The Chicken or the Egg?

I don't know and I don't care.  What I do know is, I was so damn excited to eat an egg this morning, I didn't know what to do with myself!  Yes, that's right people!  I got the green light to proceed onto soft foods!  Called the RN at my surgeon's office yesterday and she gave me the go ahead.  Stopped at the grocery store on the way home from work last night and got the following items:

• Eggs
• Instant Mashed Potatoes
• Reduced Fat Shredded Cheese
• Jell-O Mousse Temptations (only 60 cal!)

Does anyone have any other suggestions for soft foods??

So this morning my breakfast was one scrambled egg with a little bit of reduced fat cheese.  Heaven.  Even my dog was happier.  It's been two weeks since I have been able to give him some of what I am eating, poor thing!  Little does he know he was eating WAY better than me!  My Bubba gets kibble, grilled chicken breast and either a pureed fruit or vegetable at every meal.  Do you know how many times I was tempted to join him at his bowl over the last two weeks??  So even though I only had one little scrambled egg, I had to give a few pieces to Jake.  He is so spoiled! 

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Today is jeans day at work - nice to put on my jeans and have them feel a bit big!  Luckily for me (or maybe it's just sad??) I have pants in various sizes stacked under my bed.  So hopefully through the weight loss process I won't have to spend too much money on new clothes - at least until I get to my goal weight - then, all bets are off!  I think I might consider opening a savings account just for my future fabulous wardrobe.

Return To Work

First, I have changed the settings on my "comments" so non-registered users now may comment.  You are welcome, my extended family.

So yesterday was my first day back at work after being off 6 days - this is the longest I have ever been out, even including vacations.  Worked most of the day without any complications, but ended up leaving slightly early due to sleepiness.  Perhaps it is because I am existing off skim milk and sugar-free popsicles...hmmm...

As for how else I am progressing...I'm getting there.  If these darn incisions didn't exist I would be great.  It's not that they hurt, it's that they totally rank me out.  I hate stuff like that - I usually have to watch Grey's Anatomy through my hands so I can make sure I cover my eyes fast enough for the surgery scenes. 

In other news, American Idol starts tonight.  Not sure how I feel about that.  Can it be any good without Simon?  And last year totally sucked even WITH Simon.  We shall see.  Not sure how Jenny from the Block will do as a judge - considering singing isn't her forte, although look a Paula, I guess.  Oh, J.Lo, who would of thought at the height of your popularity you would be come the next Paula Abdul??

Only 4 more days until I can chew!  Stop laughing.  Some of you have no idea what it is like to have to drink your meals for 2 weeks. 

Until then...

5 Days Post-Op

So here we are: 5 days post op.  Here's what I can tell you:

1. I've lost 15 pounds
2. The gas pains are gone
3. My incisions are less painful
4. This liquid diet blows

For those of you reading this that are not banded, let me remind you that even though the band is in, I have ZERO restriction.  Meaning my stomach still feels about the same as yours.  And this is what I have been filling it with:

• Morning - Protein Drink
• Mid Morning - Protein Drink and water
• Early Afternoon - Protein Drink and water
• Late Afternoon - Sugar Free Popsicle (aka Nirvana)
• Late Afternoon - Protein Drink
• Early Evening - Broth - either chicken or beef and Crystal Light
• Late Evening - Protein Drink

I have to do this at least one more week before I can move on to "mushies" or soft foods (things like eggs, mashed potatoes, jell-o).  Any and all prayers are welcome.  Thank you.

And in these same 5 days, this is what I have learned:

1. I could never ever be a stay at home wife or mom
2. I love my dog, but clearly I don't need to be with him 24/7
3. There are an inordinate number of food programs on TV
4. Ricky Martin is gay - thanks, Oprah
5. This is the best thing I've ever done for MYSELF

Going back to work on Tuesday - Thank you Jesus.
 

Surgery & Recovery

First, thanks for all the support via the comments made on previous posts.  Always nice to have people looking out for you!

Second, I am officially "banded"!  Everything went well.  We got to the hospital at 5:45am and I was called back around 6:15am.  After they prepped me for surgery they were going to allow my mom to come back and sit with me. 

Time for IV insertion:

• Attempt #1 nurse numbs the area around the crook of my right arm (with a shot) and then proceeds to try to insert the IV.  Yeah, not working.  I can feel her digging around in there and she keeps asking if she is hurting me to which I say "no", even though she is.  Finally she gives up and says she wants to try my left arm.
• Attempt #2 repeat steps and reacations above.
• Attempt #3 nurse brings in a special ultra-violet light that she can run over my arms to see my veins better.  Nurse states "I found one!  It looks perfect".  Splendid, I think.  Let's get this show on the road.  Not so fast - nurse can't "catch" this vein either.  Ok so if you are keeping track I've been poked by a needle 3 times and had an IV needle inserted 3 times....and nothing.  Time to talk to Jesus.  So we had a little convo while the nurse went to speak to the anesthesiologist to see if he had any advice.  Meanwhile, I notice that it is nearing 7am.  Hope my mom isn't freaking out because technically my surgery is supposed to start at 7:15am and she still hadn't made it back to see me.
• Attemp #4 - curtain opens.  "Hi Amanda.  I'm Dr. WewillGetthisIVinIfiHavetoDietrying. I will be using an ultra sound machine to insert your IV and we need to move you to a surgical room".  Swell.  So I am moved into a surgical room with 3 anesthesiologists and 2 nurses.  Quite honestly, I am not sure what happened in this room because a) I couldn't look and b) they kept asking me so many questions I couldn't pay attention.  Finally after 15 minutes, the IV was in. 

At this point I think (well, I know because she told me) my mom was brought back to see me and then they wheeled me straight into surgery.  They strapped my arms down and then they put an oxygen mask over my nose and mouth and told me to take deep breaths.  The last thought I had was "oh crap, this oxygen thing isn't working either" and then I woke up in Recovery.  I was in there for about 45 minutes - don't remember much about being here either.

Finally I was wheeled into the room I started out in.  I was still pretty out of it but I can remember one nurse asking if I wanted something to drink.  Did I want soda or juice?  As out of it as I was I remember thinking "hello, idiot, I just had BAND surgery.  I can't have soda".  Luckily my main nurse intercepted and said I could only have water.

Next thing I know it was time to go home. 

As far as pain - my throat really hurt from when they removed the tube and it hurts to go from either laying or sitting to a standing position, but other than that the only other pain I have is gas pain from the gas they pump into your abdomen.

So that's it.  I'm sleeping, watching WAY too much HGTV and trying to get my protein in.  Such an exciting week!  Actually, I am beyond thrilled.  The surgery is behind me and I can move forward in my journery.  I can't wait!

Sad State of Affairs

So I was watching a new episode of MTV's "I Used To Be Fat" - this is a program that follows newly graduated high schoolers through their journey to lose weight before they begin college (so basically Biggest Loser for teens).  Yesterday's program followed Marcie, an 18 year old girl.  She weighed 250 pounds and wanted to lose 90 pounds in 89 days.  Some info on Marcie - she was home schooled beginning in middle school (I think) primarily because she was teased so ruthlessly in school about her weight.  Peers calling her a hippo, a whale, you know, things like that.  Terrible, right?  How nice that MTV is airing this series showing what these overweight teens struggle with and how we should all take a step back and realize that, say it with me, "it's not nice to make fun of fat people".  Cue to a commercial midway through the program for the upcoming season of Jersey Shore.  A girl who *might* have been a size 12 was in the Shore house.  This is NOT ALLOWED.  Sound the grenade horn!  If you don't watch the Jersey Shore, let me explain the term "grenade" to you and the context in which the "Guidos" use it.  See, a "grenade" is a girl (only a girl - not a boy!) that is the *ugly* one of the bunch and when I say *ugly*, in Jersey Shore terms that means the heaviest.

So I say to you, Mr. MTV Producer, are you really that self absorbed that you do not understand your audience?  I am guessing hair-gel/cologne guy who thinks the term "grenade" is funny is not the same one watching a teenage girl struggle with her weight.  Do I think the Jersey Shore cast should refrain from using the term "grenade" - um, no.  They can do and say whatever they want (God Bless the USA).  But perhaps MTV needs to take into account their viewing audience when trying to advertise.

4 Days and Counting

Like any good Boy Scout (or Girl Scout??), it is always best to be prepared.  This past Saturday, I went to the newly opened Container Store in Raleigh.  Oh Container Store - how I love thee, with your storage ideas for stuff that doesn't even need storing.  Seriously, I could spend hours on end in that store (and countless dollars as well).  Anyway, this is some of the stuff I came home with:

All mini-containers.  The littlest one you see there?  Travel salt and pepper!  Only I can find the excitement in that.

I've also started stocking up on my "food".  Ha!  I suppose I should say "liquid" instead.  I have loads of Carnation Instant Breakfast - No Sugar Added on hand:

Plus chicken broth, beef broth, tomato soup, and Crystal Light.  Still need to get sugar-free Popsicles.  I was told by my doctor no Jell-O until week 4 - he considers it a "mushy" food.  Strange how the diet varies between different surgeons.  Other bloggers have been able to have Jell-O the day of the surgery! 

Well, that is all for now...I will be posting the dreaded "before" pictures this weekend.  Stay tuned!