ONEderland

Okay, I know the pedicure could stand a touch up, but the scale number looks good! I've lost 12 lbs. in three weeks. I lost about 6 lbs. during the 10 day pre-op diet, and since surgery on Tues., I have lost about a pound a day. I know that this won't go on forever, but it is still nice to be under the 200 mark. Not going back there ever again!

Now I'm just a few pounds away from my husband and we are having a bet to see how long it will take before I weigh less than him. :)

Happy Memorial Day everyone!

True Confessions

I chewed, but I did not swallow; kind of like, Bill Clinton saying he did not inhale. :) My husband grilled chicken tonight and I thought what would be the harm of chewing, not swallowing and spitting out the remains. I had about 8 chewed (not swallowed bites). It was the most DELICIOUS chewing I have ever experienced. :) Am I the only one that has ever done that? :)

So far feeling good...still lots of r&r, but getting about an hour walking in total each day. The local library had a book sale $5 for a bag, so I stocked up on lots of junk romantic reading that is keeping me highly entertained. We have been renting a movie a night and having a few rounds of family games. The 17 year old is great at whomping our butts at penny poker.

Example diet so far:
1/2 cup Cream of Wheat (lot of skim milk and 2 tbsp nonfat milk added)

1/2 cup SF Carnation breakfast (1 tbsp nonfat milk added)
1/2 cup yogurt

1/2 cup creamed, strained soup (I add sprinkles of shredded Mozzarella cheese and let it melt in...this is over the top delish) - Soup 2 x a day

1/3 cup of SF pudding with skim milk added and 1 tbsp non fat milk)

Then about 32 - 40 oz of water. My tummy can't hold more than that yet.

I did have a summer school teaching position that was supposed to start June 7 (10 teachers) and they called on Friday and said they finalized enrollments and they were down and therefore were cutting 2 positions. Since I was the lowest one on the totem pole (we just moved to the area last year), I was one of the first cuts. They said I would be on standby in case there were surprise enrollments the first day. I was disappointed at first, less spending money with kids this summer, but we will make do and have more time to chill.

Now that I'm an official bandster, I need to look into attending the BOOBS event in September if it is not too late. I just live about an hour north of Chicago, so it would be easy to attend. Who do I need to contact and what do I need to do for now? It will be fun to meet everyone in person!

Hope everyone is having a safe and happy weekend with family and friends!

Happy Anniversary

5 incisions 2 days post op (one at belly band hard to see)

Pix: Wedding 21 years ago

Pix: 2 Days post op

Today is my 21st wedding anniversary. We are not celebrating by going out to dinner, but we had dinner at home instead. I fixed my husband and oldest daughter steak, the youngest is a vegetarian and had soy nuggets and I had a few sips of tomato soup. Next year we will have dinner out. :) Husband and I are going to see "Sex and the City." He is a trooper, because I know this is not his kind of movie, but he knows it is good to get me out of the house.

Day 2 after Surgery: Did not take any pain meds today and seem just fine. Finally, bit the bullet and took a shower. They had put bandaids over my incisions because (just in case) I did not want to get blood on my shirt. :) I was kind of scared to see what they looked like, but they were not too bad. Even my daughters weren't squeamish and they were the ones that took the pix.

Still am not that hungry, but I did eat more than yesterday. I'm now down eight pounds since my pre-surgery diet.

Did not sleep as well thru the night as I would have liked last night, so I'm going to try some liquid Unisom tonight. Just kept waking up every couple of hours to go to the bathroom. Again, bad bladder. Hopefully, that will get better with weight loss.

I have had more energy today which makes me feel good. Knock on wood, still no gas pains. Hope it stays that way.

Also, I had a bit of good news today that I got a new full time teaching position in the fall at a new school that is opening. We just moved to the area last year and I had to start all over in the teaching field. This is not a good time with all of the budget cuts to be getting into a new position, so I feel very happy to have landed this one. I worked part time as a reading tutor last year to get my foot in the door. Yes, life is good. Now I can afford cheerleading, car for teenager and college. All of the "c" words for teenagers.

Happy almost weekend everyone!

It's Offical - I'm Banded

This is not the best pic of me, but it shows evidence that I made it to the hospital. First thing to go with the weight loss is my UNINECK (neck and chin in one). Not an attractive angle for a photo, especially with no makeup.

My surgery was scheduled for 7 am yesterday, and I was waking up in recovery about 9 amish. I was able to leave for home about 3 pm. All went smoothly and everyone was very nice. I received an injection in my belly to prevent blood clotting. They put the massaging socks on my legs to prevent clotting, as well as the pads that inflate like a blood pressure cuff. The nurse Bari (truly, that was her name) did an excellent job on my IV. She numbed it first and I did not feel a thing. My dr. said my liver looked fine and he gave me several pix of my stomach, liver and band (Bogart :).

Knock on wood, I have not had any gas pains. My stomach feels sore, like I have done 1,000 push-ups and my incisions are a bit sore. They gave me a prescription for liquid Lortabs for pain. I wouldn't say I have a lot of pain, but more discomfort. I slept on my back great last night. Only had to get up for my bad bladder as usual. Woke up about 5 am with a little energy and read the paper.

I drove this morning to take a car to the shop. Think it was a bit soon for driving, because it did not feel good to turn sideways, etc., and I didn't want to drive and take pain medication. Afterwards my dh and I went grocery shopping. Figured that got in one of my walking times for the day. I pushed an empty cart and he pushed the grocery cart. Great bonding time. DH took two days off work, goes back tomorrow and then he has a four day weekend. He has been great waiting on me hand and foot.

Food wise, I'm not eating a lot, taking it slow. So far today, about 10 oz. of water, 3-4 oz protein shake and a few spoonfuls of strained soup. I figure it will take a few days to get my appetite back.

The dr. put a Realize band in. I have five incisions that are glued shut. I will share pix later. Just not feeling like taking a shower yet today. They said we could shower and just blot the incisions.

I have little bursts of energy (I read, get on computer, watch a little TV-American Idol, DWTS and Glee) and then I nap for a couple of hours and that seems to work for now. Bending over is not pleasant, so I avoid that. A couple of times I have felt nauseous, and I had a belch/burp and felt much better.

You do not lose weight after surgery; I gained about 3-4 lbs. I figure that will be gone before long with my mini meals.

That is it for the update. Time for my next nap and when I wake up I will do some blog reading to catch up. :) Thanks again to everyone for your support!!!

Band Day - Taking the Plunge

Great horoscope today..."You have people in your corner who love you no matter what. This is the stuff happy lives are made of. You'll be supported in the new adventure ahead of you." Nothing like a horoscope to make you feel better.

Thank you again to everyone for your reassurances! Blog land is really the best!

I lost 5 pounds during my 10 day liquid diet. Off to a good start! I was so nervous yesterday, I didn't even think about eating. :)

See everyone on the other side of bandland!

On the Ledge

The day before SURGERY....

Thank you to Susie, my bariatric nurse coordinator. She talked me off the ledge. I called her in a panic telling her I was having second thoughts and asked how many people cancelled their surgeries at the last minute. Susie was very reassuring and comforting as she answered my concerns. She reminded me of all of the reasons I was having the surgery. I mentioned my concern about feeling and seeing the port, and she told me it was much like wearing glasses. It is different, but you learn to adapt over time. She also mentioned some different port options and placements, that would minimize that concern. I really am not normally that wishy washy nuts...but I have one little devil on my shoulder whispering, "You can do this on your own, look how much weight you've already lost on the liquid diet, you don't have THAT much to lose...". Then there is the little angel on the other shoulder reminding me, "How many diets have you already been on, how long have you worked to make this happen, it is an opportunity, you will be healthier..."

Am I the only one that goes thru these presurgery thoughts??? Maybe I should have spent more time with the psychologist. :)

Thinking of my band neighbors who are being banded today,

http://ellenslapbandblog.blogspot.com/ - Ellen
http://thequeenbeeslapbandlife.blogspot.com/ - Miss Vickie

Reminder of my WHYS today to keep me focused...

Longer life span

Quality of life

More energy

Knees/walking/back/bladder

Healthier blood pressure & cholesterol
Stop avoiding people I haven’t seen in awhile
More active

Not be embarrassed to wear a swimsuit

Look younger
Self Esteem

Weigh less than my husband

Better clothes choices
Lingerie
High heels
Not mind having photos taken
More attractive to spouse
Healthy Role Model for children

I've decided to name my band "Bogart" nickname "Bogey", kind of like a distinguished English butler who is invisible, but provides superior service with a touch of class!

My best tip for the 2 week liquid phase is that Carnation Sugar Free Instant Breakfast is the BEST tasting protein drink. My dr. has us add 6 tbsp. of non-fat dry milk to increase the protein.
I decided on my REWARD goals.

25 lb loss = facial & massage
50 lb loss = IPhone
75 lb loss = IPad

Now time to back away from the computer and do BUSY WORK!

See everyone on the other side. I promise. :)

I'm getting obsessive reading links about lapband. Here are a couple of good ones:

http://www.annecollins.com/diets/lap-band-obesity.htm

http://www.bariatric-surgery-source.com/lap-band-problems-lap-band-complications.html

I was getting scared reading about slipped bands, fills, unfills, missed ports when filled, pbing...etc. on all my blogs.

A couple of general questions out there to calm my nerves:

1) How often do you have a PB incident? (about once a week, once a month or less often)

2) Can you get thru the day without thinking of your band? Does it actually become part of your lifestyle and you don't have to think about it constantly?

3) Can you physically feel your port?

In a way, I think I would feel like Iron Man with a foreign body in me. :)

Thank you for your input. You guys are the greatest!

BTW, latest movie update...took oldest daugther to see Robin Hood last night for a girl's night out. It was violent, but good if you like Russell Crowe. We both gave it 2 1/2 out of 4 stars.

The Good Old Days...Didn't Appreciate them Enough

I promise these are probably the only pix I will ever have up of me in a swimsuit. :) I kept these old pix in my Weight Watchers book to remind me of what I was working for. These pix were taken 25 years ago, when I weighed 127 at 5'5". At the time I was obsessed with my weight and thought I was pudgy. I was doing modeling and commercial print work, and I was always about 10 - 15 lbs heavier than everyone else.

Now many pounds later, I'm not at all obsessed with my weight...I'm just comfortable. I think less about being overweight now than I did 25 years ago. It has become less of a priority in between taking care of children and work. I DO think I need to lose weight; it just is not the obsession that it was in the past. Neither scenario was healthy and a bit to the extreme. My new goal is to focus on being HEALTHY, and being a HEALTHY role model for my daughters.

Day 6 of liquid diets, ho hum...getting a bit boring. We were at the grocery store last night and I told my husband I wanted to buy a small bag of Salt and Vinegar potato chips. I did NOT want to eat them, just lick them. I promise...no eating, just licking. That counts as liquid diet if I just lick, right??? Hmmm...guess I'm craving salt.


I paid my portion of the hospital bill earlier this week and I told the financial consultant, "I guess this makes it real, can't back out now. I bet you get a lot of people who tell you that." She said no, that I was the first. I think it was because my dr. planted the seed last week during our group visit. At the end of the presentation he said that if anyone changed their mind about the procedure, they could walk away and he would support that. He wants people that are 110% committed to the procedure and the work that goes with it. I wonder how many people do change their mind shortly before the surgery. I have worked too hard to turn back now, but sometimes I rub my smooth fat little tummy and say "I'm sorry. Eventually,you will have a few scars, but you will be smaller and HEALTHIER! " Just a few pre-surgery jitters on my part.

Shout out to Gen...great suggestion to add SHOPPING to things to do instead of EAT list. Excellent addition!

I have two bandster buddies who are getting banded May 24 (the day before me). I'm so excited to share this experience with them across the miles.

http://ellenslapbandblog.blogspot.com/ - Ellen

http://thequeenbeeslapbandlife.blogspot.com/ - Miss Vickie

Check them out and give them support and virtual hugs!

Okay, Day 4 of liquid diet. Truthfully, it is getting easier. I think a lot of my eating was habitual.
I'm going to ask my doc to take a picture of my liver when he does surgery and it better look darn tiny and cute for all of this work!

Today I'm going to share a list we did at our preop class. We had to list 10 things to do besides EAT. :) "Eating while happy, sad, frustrated, bored can cause excess calorie intake and prevent weight loss. Here are 10 things I can do to combat these feelings and help achieve my weight loss goals." Then is has the hotline numbers for the two dietitians in the practice.

I could come up with more than 10 and my dh added his own to the list. :)

1. blog (that can kill a lot of time)

2. read

3. walk

4. exercise

5. Games with family

6. movie

7. play with dog (see pic above)

8. stamp

9. call a friend

10. sleep

11. bubble bath

I have added a picture of my PERFECT (not) dog above. She is a soft coated wheaten and VERY spoiled.

Happy Hump Day!

One Week to Go

I have posted my official BEFORE pix. I'm wearing my Chico's Travelers outfit in basic black which covers most of my wardrobe. We all know how "slimming" black can be. :) I carry most of my weight at the top. When I took my measurements, I was pretty much a perfect rectangle. As long as something is perfect, I guess that is good. Also, wearing my comfie flat Sketchers shoes. Can't wait to wear less black and more color. Can't wait to wear cute shoes; I have lots, but they kill my feet. And finally, can't wait to get rid of that double/triple chin!!!

Next week at this time I should be out of surgery. My surgery is scheduled for 7:30 am and my doctor generally takes about 25 min for a lap band and he runs early.

Doing better on my liquid lifestyle. I like Carnation Sugar Free Instant Breakfast. You can add nonfat dry milk powder for extra protein. I've lost one pound in three days. It is a bitty start. My goal is to lose 3-4 more pounds this next week.

Followers...If you have a blog and I'm not following you, please let me know. I try to read your blogs from start to finish. THANK YOU to everyone for your words of encouragement, support and humor. :)

Liquid Lifestyle Sucks

Okay, Edward Cullen has a liquid lifestyle and he deals with it. :) So far I'm on Day 3 of my 10 days of preop liquids. I am playing games in my head and looking for loop holes.

Day 1: Had two shakes, but enjoyed grazing at my daughter's after prom party
Grazing included a strawberry daiquiri, three chicken wings, cheese & sausage cubes
I justified this as being Day 10, so surely it was not as critical

Also, had a small popcorn at the movies

Day 2: Had a slice of cake at church in the am for the children's program

Had one protein shake, then at dinner at 4 small bites of baked, skinless chicken and three small ears of corn
I justified this as being Day 9, surely not a big deal and most of the dinner food was healthy

Day 3 (today): Had a shake for breakfast and two slices of whole wheat toast with a smidge of peanut butter

I justified this as I have not had peanut butter in a LONG time and it was high in protein

Do you see a pattern of justification here??? It explains a lot regarding the failure of past diets.

I have been using myfitnesspal.com and have since recorded what I SHOULD eat the rest of the day and hopefully that will keep me on better track.

My dr. said no ALEVE (for my arthritis) until after surgery, so my body is very achy and OLD feeling.

Thanks for the tips on chewing gum for the need to chew on something phase.

Also, thanks to Linda from Dinnerland for sharing that I should be okay without a one week follow up.

Day 1 - Liquid Lifestyle

Okay, I figured Liquid Lifestyle sounded much better than Liquid Diet...BORING!!!

I've had a busy few days with finishing up my school year. My surgery is on May 25th and I'm teaching four weeks of summer school starting on June 7th. However, I have two days of curriculum study, a week after my surgery. Only problem, is that I will miss my one week follow up. The nurse didn't seem to think it would be a problem, since it is not like gastric where I would have a port to be removed. She said I could call if I was having problems. If I'm doing fine do you think it is life or death for the first week check up? My drs. office is an hour and a half away from my work; so it is not like I can pop in and get back to the meeting.

Today is day one of the liquid lifestyle. I'm CRAVING something to chew. I miss chewing. I have had two protein shakes today and chicken broth. We are planning on going to the movies shortly to see "Letters from Juliet". I know this may be bad, but I'm planning on having a small popcorn...I figured since it was Day 10 I could fudge one small bit. How bad am I???

I did take my youngest daughter to the mall today and was able to go to the mall and not buy lunch from the food court. I LOVE the teriyaki chicken and rice dinner; so it is good to know that I can go to the mall without eating everytime. Do check out the cute purse I got from the perfume counter. So, if I give up eating, will shopping be my new addiction???

Tonight was also my oldest daughter's jr. prom. I love to see the young kids dressed up for proms. Very magical!!! I was going thru some of her pix with her good friend, and noticed that her friend had a picture of her with her mom in her dress. That is why I want to lose weight so I won't be embarrassed to be in the picture too.

Also, had my second and final preop meeting last Thurs. We spent another hour and a half with the dietitians, going over diet before and after surgery. They brought in a gastric bypass patient who was six weeks out from surgery. He shared his story. Then the nurse talked about what to expect before, during and after surgery. That is it for now. Next time I meet up with my doctor and staff will be at the hospital. I'm looking forward to a calmer week next week where I can catchup on blogging.

Happy weekend everyone!

Group visit with Doctor

Today was my group visit with my doctor. (8:30 - 10 am). It took about an hour and a half. There were four of us there that are all scheduled for surgery on May 25. I'm the first surgery of the day. Don't know why that makes me happy, but I'm sure it is a good thing. Out of the four of us, three were lapbanders and one was gastric.

I have attached a picture of my doctor up above (right). He reminds me of the actor Frank Langella (left) , who played Dracula in the movie. :) Kudos to my dr. and the bariatric center:

Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence
In August, 2009 it was announced that Centegra Health System, Amir Heydari, MD, and Centegra Weight-Loss Surgery Center was named an American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence. The ASMBS Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence designation recognizes surgical programs with a demonstrated track record of favorable outcomes in bariatric surgery.

Highlights from the event:

The 10 day pre-op diet has a few options/loopholes :) which helps:

-Focus (little or no sugar carbs)
-Soups okay, not creamy, but chicken noodle okay
-Juice okay

-Fresh fruit okay (no canned or frozen)
-No more than 1 banana a day

-Once or twice if starving, a 1/2 of a lean turkey sandwich

-Four to five protein drinks a day

-Sugar free jello and Popsicles okay

So all in all, not terribly bad. :) Then again, ask me next week. It is one thing to read about it, and another to live it.

Day before surgery is Clear Liquids only.

No Aleve...10 days prior take Extra Strength Tylenol for pain as needed. I generally take two Aleve a day for arthritis pain. Works wonders; so I may be thinner but in pain. :)

We are supposed to wash our tummies extra well the next ten days and clean our belly buttons.

He said on the day of our surgery we would be given the option of a Realize or Allergan band. If we didn't have a preference, he switches back and forth between the two. He said there really is not a big difference between the two of them. Any thoughts on the two bands??? Good things about one or the other??? Here is an interesting link http://www.wlshelp.com/lap-band-vs-realize-band.html

It takes him about 25 minutes to do a lapband.

He talked about the problems that can occur with surgery and that surgery alone is not a cure all. We have to do our part (moving afterwards) and following the diet. He talked about erosion/slippage. We watched a video during the initial seminar explaining the different surgeries and the computer video early in the approval process, so this was not new.

WLS is considered successful if a patient loses 70% of their excess weight. For example, if a patient needs to lose 100 lbs., and they lose 70 they would be considered successful. He said it can take lapband patients 2 - 2 1/2 years to reach their weight goal.

We discussed protein drinks. I will share those later this weekend. I got the Bariatrix Essentials by Metagenics. I purchased some sugar free flavors (Torani) from World Market that another lapbander suggested.

All in all, that wraps up the preop visit with the doc. Starting to get a few butterflies in my head and tummy. :) Does anyone ever think that they can skip the surgery and just stay on the liquid diet forever??? Just a brief thought in my head.

PreOp Class Details

My dr. requires that we take two preop classes prior to surgery. The classes are three hours long each. I took the first one last Thursday (6-9 pm). There were six patients there, including myself. I was the only one scheduled for lap band. When I attend the monthly support group the mix is closer to 50/50 lapband and gastric, so it seemed a bit odd to have that many more gastric patients. The baby spoon shown up above is part of our homework this week. :)

Homework:
-Buy chewable vitamins
(Recommended Choices: Sugar Free Bugs Bunny or Flintstones Complete) After we move on to regular food, we can switch to an adult multiple vitamin

-Examine labels of food we eat

-Use baby spoon to eat and meal and try to make the meal last 20 minutes

-Find a smaller plate (7" and practice using for meals)

One of the perks this doctor coordinates, is FREE membership at a local health/wellness center. (see picture up above) for two months. This also includes membership for a friend so we have a support person. PLUS...8 sessions with a personal trainer. (Ideally, break that into one session a week). Some of the fitness trainers have been to our support group meetings and are great working with WLS patients. My oldest daughter and husband are hoping they will be chosen as my "friend." The facility is next door to my doctor's office. It is state of the art with classes, pools, rehab, exercise equipment...you name it.

Okay...back to PreOp Class.

The first hour and a half we covered information with the dietitian. (we received 46 page handout).

Highlights:

Carbohydrates Recommendations: 130 grams a day

Simple Carbohydrates (Sugar): No added sugar in the first five ingredients
Less than 2 grams of sugar per serving (excluding fruit and milk products)
Protein Recommendations: 50 - 80 grams per day

We talked about the speed of eating and portion sizes.
How to read food labels

Diet before surgery (10 days of liquid diet/5 meals of liquid protein beverage each day)
1 day before surgery (clear liquids)
2 weeks after surgery (Full liquids)
3-4 weeks after surgery (Pureed Food)

5-6 weeks after surgery (Soft Consistency Foods)
Weeks 7 and Beyond (Regular consistency foods - focus on low fat, low sugar-high protein)

They threw in a few recipes. We discussed protein drink options. I think I'm going to go with

Carnation Instant Breakfast/no sugar added (20 grams of protein) Mix 2 packet with 8 oz of skim milk and add 6 tbsp. of non-fat dried milk.

They suggested Atkins Advantage for protein bar (only has 1 gm sugar)

We received a chart to determine when we are hungry (it includes a scale to rate how hungry we are, how long it has been since we last ate, mood...)

The next 45 min. we had a psychologist talk with us. She said about 30-33% of WLS patients gain back the weight they lose. It was also emphasized that we are not going to be perfect. We discussed stress management tips. Again, we had a packet of handouts.

Finally we wrapped up the last 45 min. of the night with a physical trainer. She showed us many exercises that used equipment we might have around home. We also received charts for exercise (10,000 steps program), tips for motivation.

Whew...so that is a quick overview of the night. I found it very helpful and informative. Plus, it makes it seem more real.

I didn't have time to eat dinner before the class, so I stopped at McD on the way home (about an hour drive) and grabbed an unhealthy late dinner. I know those days are limited. :)

Time to call it a night!

Happy Mother's Day

The best part of my week was celebrating my children's successes. My oldest daughter was just inducted into NHS (National Honor Society) at her high school. We surprised her with a cake because we found out before she did. She came home and saw the cake and the copy of the email...and she knew. On Friday, my youngest daughter made Varsity Cheerleading for her middle school. Mind you, she has never been a cheerleader before and has limited tumbling experience. She has some good friends that helped her prepare. These accomplishments are special to me because our family just moved to this area last year. I was so worried about uprooting the girls at this stage (one is a junior in high school and the other is a 7th grader). As a mom, it was important to me that they adjusted, made friends and were happy. They have had a great year and that is the best present a mom could ask for.

Tomorrow is the day I will post my pre-op class notes. Promise! :)

Happy Mother's Day everyone!

My NEW Goal

We just went as a family to see Iron Man 2. I loved the first one and the sequel was just as fun!
My NEW goal is to have a body like Scarlett Johansson in the cat suit she wears! That is motivation to add exercise. :)

I had my first pre-op class last Thursday. I will share more on that later in the week. We received a lot of great ideas and tips.

Happy almost Mother's Day everyone!

3 weeks...21 days...Which sounds better???

I enjoy the blogs that share pix. Above are two pix of our Soft Coated Wheaten named Willow at the dog park. She is NEW to the dog park and pretty antisocial so far. She sits on top of the the picnic table and just looks at all of the dogs. Of course, I'm sitting on the table with her, so we make a good pair. My oldest daughter is taking videos of Willow being antisocial. :)

Wow...hard to believe surgery is just three weeks away. I had to post something today just to celebrate the three week mark!

It kind of reminds me of the time before I got married, I would tell myself..."This is the last time I'm doing this as a single woman...The last time...". Then before I had my first child I would tell myself, "This is the last time I have a date night"... Now everything is, "This is the last time I will do ____ without a band."

There is life after the band! Can't wait! (Remind me I said this when I'm week two of the liquid diet and in the middle of Bandster Hell.)

Tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo (the last time I go crazy eating Mexican food)... :)

Tape Measure Bought

Eeeh gads...I can't even think of the last time I took my measurements. I broke down and bought a tape measure this weekend. Haven't tried it out yet, but at least I have the tape measure. They took my measurements when I had my initial visit with the surgeon. I don't remember the exact numbers, but I do remember that I was pretty much a rectangle. Hmm..so much for the hourglass shape. How did Scarlett O'Hara ever have that 18" waist? :) She had a little help with a corset and no fast food. I remember in my thinner days my waist was 25" and I had 37" hips. I thought I was HUGE!

Got a chance to decorate the blog a little bit this weekend with the help of my teenage daughter. Doesn't seem fair that I give birth to someone who is MILES ahead of me in technology.

I have been reading all of my follower's blogs. I LOVE reading everyone's stories. They make me smile, laugh and get misty eyed! I feel very honored to have these connections. Please check out Deb's blog. She has the cute cat icon and is from Australia. She was banded Feb. 9th and is doing great. I feel very international now to have an Australian follower!

Now to try out my new signature. Is there a way to set it up so it automatically pops up at the end of each posting?

Thank you everyone for smiles across the miles!

Band Month is Here

Now the clock is really ticking; and it is not for having a baby. :) May is my band month and a lot is happening!!!

This Coming Week: My pre-op physical with my regular dr and my first pre-op class (3 hrs long)

Next Week: My appt. with my band surgeon and my second pre-op class (another 3 hrs)

I start my liquid diet on Sat., May 15...not sure what all that entails but it doesn't sound filling. :) I feel like it is a penance for bad eating habits over the years. So I have ten days of liquid diet before the surgery.

Last night we went out for Mexican food...I cherished every bite. I looked at the plate thinking that down the road that much food is never going to happen again in one meal. I'm not really counting down to the surgery now as much as I'm counting down until the liquid diet. That is when my unhealthy relationship with food hits the dust.

Thank you to newly banded Jacquie who gave me a "shout out" and now I have 18 followers!
Not quite sure what to do with everyone, but it sounds exciting to say I have 18 followers. :)

For those of you that are preband, I thought you might enjoy this story and learn from me "what NOT to do." I had my first visit with my surgeon, dietitian, etc. to get the ball rolling last October. I REALLY did not expect to get approval since I did not have any major co-morbidities and my BMI was below 40. When it was time for my 45 min. appt. with the dietitian she wanted to discuss what I currently ate and then talk about what the post-surgery diet would be like. I felt like I was wasting her time and told her, "Shouldn't we wait until I have approval before we go over all this?" I think I rendered her speechless. If I had it to do all over again, I would have asked away and taken great notes. So all in all, I chatted with the dietitian for about 15 min. top. Moral of the story: Go into this with the assumption that you will get approval and get the most out of your time with all of your team of professionals.

My favorite part of the day was when the nurse taking my measurements asked me my goal weight and I told her 145. She said that was realistic and that I would be "cute" at that weight.

She made my day! How often do you get to be called "cute" when you are over 50? Hope reigns eternal!

Follower Advice??? Anything I should be eating now that will not be lap band friendly? I have two weeks to say goodbye to those foods. :)

Happy Weekend!