Ok here I sit and I am going to make a promise I am going to try and post at least once a month. I have been so bad but have had so many things going on these last few months. So an update
Aaron: 2yrs 4 months old and can't stop talking unless he's asleep and doesn't stop moving unless he's asleep or eating but even that is difficult at times. He loves hanging out with his daddy and watch "chug" or "dino train". He has his own language which I have become fluent in although there is still a word or two that I have trouble with. He is extremely high energy and that is ok with me. Recently we had him in swim lessons which he did great and advanced to swim lessons without the parent! Don't know yet when we will start him with that but it will be soon. I have just discovered as well that he has some fall allergies, but he deals with that with some Benadryl or Children's Zyrtec.
Andrew: Just turned 9 months and is "army" crawling and trying to learn to crawl on his hands and knees. Has just recently developed the need to be held and will most often pitch a fit if I try to put him down. Loves to eat and is long and lean. Started transitioning him to more adult table foods and he is adjusting well. Just got 2 teeth in and is working on 2 more. We also have nicknamed him at least for the immediate future Count Andrewla as he looks like a vampire because his fangs came in first before his front two teeth!
Steve: Doing better since seeing the chiropractor. He was having some numbness and loss of function in his arms and all tests have been negative. Thankfully is seeing some improvement with more non conventional medicine. He continues to lose weight and loves telling me when he is able to move his belt hole to the next one down.
Me: I am also doing well now after my own little medical issue. I can say that I have quit smoking after using the medication Chantix however I will not wish my side effects on my worst enemy. Lets just say that although it did it's job it is a horrible drug and will never have a need to take it again. My job is going well too, I have been told to head up our departments education team and have been working hard getting that up and running. I want to go back to school but having some difficulty with the financial aid part. I am determined to go though.
So that's an update on all of us. As a family we are doing great we have reduced our former credit card debt now to less than 3,000$ and we are so close to being paid off that we can taste it. We have been working hard for a long time and have learned many lessons along the way. I have looked for other ways to save money and have really gotten into couponing. Not the extreme type that it takes me 10 hours to plan a trip and all that but I can save quite a bit and most recently I save over 100$ over all with all the items that I got. I will post more later including some recipes lately that I have tried and would like to share as well! Adios for now!!
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Friday, April 13, 2012
updates
As I sit here and realize that I haven't made a post in quite sometime again I am thinking how does my friend who is so much more proficient at getting posts out do it? I seem to never have time to just sit down and type. I'm always either at work or running after one of my boys more specifically Aaron. Well besides the point here I am typing!
First things first Aaron is doing great and talking up a storm as he nears his 2nd birthday! I am trying to plan a party for family and friends to celebrate and I am looking forward to being with him on his birthday. He is my mini me in almost every way! He's always good for a laugh and loves to get into trouble as often as he can. Steve the other day in the midst of another Aaron tantrum looks at me and says "Is this the terrible two's? Because it seems like it's more the hysterical two's!" Ok I had to laugh at that one because he's right when Aaron is having a break down he does make me laugh at what he does. Oh and his favorite word right now is NO!
Next is Andrew and he's doing fantastic as well! He's 4 months old, loving his cereal and just more recently bananas! He also rolled over front to back for the first time the other night. He is such a happy baby and just like his brother always wakes up with a smile. He is also sleeping through the night I don't mind so much that he likes to get up between 530 and 0600 but just wish he might sleep a little longer on some days.
Steve is good as well and loves the time he gets to spend with the boys. Aaron is always wanting to be around dad and loves to play outside with him as much as possible. Andrew of course always has a smile for his daddy as well. For us it's been a little bit of a struggle to find the right balance between adult time and time for kids. We are so tired at the end of the day that it's hard to want to talk instead of going to bed sometimes. We have been able to continue trying to budget as much as possible and really crack down on the amount of money we spend. We are still working towards getting out from under our credit card debt but have a little less than 5,000$ to go. We have been a little more diligent though in trying to get out without kids at least once a month for an adult date! It's definitely nice when we get to sit and enjoy each others company and reconnect even if it's only for a couple hours!
Finally for me...I am good but utterly exhausted half the time. I never feel like I get enough sleep and work has been increasingly difficult but more about what days I work vs the patients that I take care of. I do feel that they are a bit more trusting of me as I near the one year mark in TCU. Recently however I have been having a little bit of a problem with what days I am scheduled. We do self scheduling and I try not to put myself on for more than two days in a row as I am 12 hrs and don't get to see the boys when I am working. However as much as I try to do that I have seen an increase of 3 days in a row or more recently a possibility of 4. I am a very flexible person but take me away from my kids and I become very upset about it. The nice thing is that all the people that I work with all have kids around the same ages and understand what I am expressing. Oh and last but not least I have no report on my weight as I haven't seen the doc in several weeks but I can tell you that I know I am still losing weight as my clothes are slowly starting to fit better and I am in the market for some new things!
Alright then I think that this is long enough for the moment and will try to update more often and share my stories!
First things first Aaron is doing great and talking up a storm as he nears his 2nd birthday! I am trying to plan a party for family and friends to celebrate and I am looking forward to being with him on his birthday. He is my mini me in almost every way! He's always good for a laugh and loves to get into trouble as often as he can. Steve the other day in the midst of another Aaron tantrum looks at me and says "Is this the terrible two's? Because it seems like it's more the hysterical two's!" Ok I had to laugh at that one because he's right when Aaron is having a break down he does make me laugh at what he does. Oh and his favorite word right now is NO!
Next is Andrew and he's doing fantastic as well! He's 4 months old, loving his cereal and just more recently bananas! He also rolled over front to back for the first time the other night. He is such a happy baby and just like his brother always wakes up with a smile. He is also sleeping through the night I don't mind so much that he likes to get up between 530 and 0600 but just wish he might sleep a little longer on some days.
Steve is good as well and loves the time he gets to spend with the boys. Aaron is always wanting to be around dad and loves to play outside with him as much as possible. Andrew of course always has a smile for his daddy as well. For us it's been a little bit of a struggle to find the right balance between adult time and time for kids. We are so tired at the end of the day that it's hard to want to talk instead of going to bed sometimes. We have been able to continue trying to budget as much as possible and really crack down on the amount of money we spend. We are still working towards getting out from under our credit card debt but have a little less than 5,000$ to go. We have been a little more diligent though in trying to get out without kids at least once a month for an adult date! It's definitely nice when we get to sit and enjoy each others company and reconnect even if it's only for a couple hours!
Finally for me...I am good but utterly exhausted half the time. I never feel like I get enough sleep and work has been increasingly difficult but more about what days I work vs the patients that I take care of. I do feel that they are a bit more trusting of me as I near the one year mark in TCU. Recently however I have been having a little bit of a problem with what days I am scheduled. We do self scheduling and I try not to put myself on for more than two days in a row as I am 12 hrs and don't get to see the boys when I am working. However as much as I try to do that I have seen an increase of 3 days in a row or more recently a possibility of 4. I am a very flexible person but take me away from my kids and I become very upset about it. The nice thing is that all the people that I work with all have kids around the same ages and understand what I am expressing. Oh and last but not least I have no report on my weight as I haven't seen the doc in several weeks but I can tell you that I know I am still losing weight as my clothes are slowly starting to fit better and I am in the market for some new things!
Alright then I think that this is long enough for the moment and will try to update more often and share my stories!
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Budgeting
Ok so I figured I type up another post and let you in on a little secret....I need a budget! I see my one friend being so open and honest about her money and her families budget and I get really jealous. I am so jealous in fact that I have messaged her in regards to her secret of what she does.
To go back a few years briefly Steve and I have always been bad with money. We get a little and we can't wait to burn it and then when it's all gone we look at each other and say where did it all go? We have gone through a lot recently. We were foreclosed on and yes we lost our home and it was all because we couldn't pay our mortgage and we were so upside down with the property it just didn't seem worth it all anymore. We also going back about 3 yrs had over 30,000$ in debt. That didn't include the house or cars. We decided at that point we were going to try out on of those debt relief companies.
I have to say that over the last couple years they have done a lot for us by settling out over 25,000$ in debt. Currently we have less than 5,000$ owed and only one car payment. I do rent my house so we have that to consider in the mix but I can say that although we have struggled the last few years I am happy that we are almost to a point that we have no credit card debt. We hopefully only have a few months left to settle these final debts. Our car payment will still be 2 yrs off but once we have the credit card debt done maybe we can make extra payments and get the car paid off sooner.
This is very hard for me to write as I am admitting not only to myself but to the world that we have a problem. We don't do very well at handling money. We try and save and "something" always supposedly comes up or we "have" to have something that really we could live without. I have tried to be really open about where the money goes but sometimes it just goes and even I don't remember where.
So from here on out we are going to budget our money! We have a little credit card debt left to repay and we are going to pay it back. We have some medical bills that need to get paid and they will and we will pay back what we owe on the car and that's it. So here's to a new year of financial freedom!!
To go back a few years briefly Steve and I have always been bad with money. We get a little and we can't wait to burn it and then when it's all gone we look at each other and say where did it all go? We have gone through a lot recently. We were foreclosed on and yes we lost our home and it was all because we couldn't pay our mortgage and we were so upside down with the property it just didn't seem worth it all anymore. We also going back about 3 yrs had over 30,000$ in debt. That didn't include the house or cars. We decided at that point we were going to try out on of those debt relief companies.
I have to say that over the last couple years they have done a lot for us by settling out over 25,000$ in debt. Currently we have less than 5,000$ owed and only one car payment. I do rent my house so we have that to consider in the mix but I can say that although we have struggled the last few years I am happy that we are almost to a point that we have no credit card debt. We hopefully only have a few months left to settle these final debts. Our car payment will still be 2 yrs off but once we have the credit card debt done maybe we can make extra payments and get the car paid off sooner.
This is very hard for me to write as I am admitting not only to myself but to the world that we have a problem. We don't do very well at handling money. We try and save and "something" always supposedly comes up or we "have" to have something that really we could live without. I have tried to be really open about where the money goes but sometimes it just goes and even I don't remember where.
So from here on out we are going to budget our money! We have a little credit card debt left to repay and we are going to pay it back. We have some medical bills that need to get paid and they will and we will pay back what we owe on the car and that's it. So here's to a new year of financial freedom!!
Friday, February 3, 2012
Another year
Even though it's February now I can still say Happy New Year. A lot has happened in the last 10 months since I last posted. I have a new baby boy Andrew Jacob. He was born December 8, 2011 weighing in at 8lbs 4oz and was 20 1/4 inches long and a very healthy baby.
The pregnancy itself wasn't as difficult as Aaron's was and for that I was extremely blessed. I didn't have some difficult moments especially at the end of the pregnancy and when I went in for the c-section I was glad to be done. The last 8 weeks have been a lot of ups and downs. First of all healing from the surgery was more difficult this time around and I ended up with a couple of infections. I also had more pain and swelling as well but I think that in some part it was because I had to keep up with a very active toddler. I was very excited at the fact that Steve was able to stay home with me for the first 2 weeks and Aaron enjoyed having daddy home as well. I also noticed that it took longer to bond with Andrew this time around and I think also that is part to not being able to spend as much time with him and having to keep up after Aaron. I also think that in some part I wasn't really ready to have another baby. I have since been able to get over all of that and have I believe bonded with Andrew as much as I have Aaron.
Another up and down with these last 8 weeks is keeping up a relationship and marriage with Steve. There have been days that I have felt that we were just two people who happened to sleep in the same bed at night but were otherwise just 2 separate people living in the same house. I have had to become creative at when we can spend time together and really make the effort to do so. I am so tired at the end of the day when he comes home that all I want to do is hand over the boys and go to bed. I can say now that Andrew is sleeping through the night that being able to sit down and have dinner and talk with Steve has become a little bit easier.
The last thing that has been bothering me is I think that my body is rebelling against me now. I have been having such pain in my hips and legs and I was talking to Steve last night and told him that somehow I think it's related to the massive weight swings in the last 3 years. I gained almost 80 lbs this time around with Andrew and in the last 8 weeks have lost almost 50lbs. I did get my band adjusted back to around where I was when I had the fluid taken out but it's been fun getting used to eating differently again. Since we don't plan on having more children at the current moment and if we decide we are it won't be for a couple of years I am hoping that I can lose the weight again and stay consistent for a while and really allow my body to get used to what it should weigh.
Oh and one more thing....I go back to work in 4 weeks and I am really looking forward to it. That doesn't mean that I don't like spending my days with my boys I am just not the stay at home mom type. I think stay at home mom's rock but that is just not me. I enjoy being a nurse too much to give it up completely. Also I having jokingly been saying that because Aaron is hooked on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Chuggington that I have been getting "dumber" as the weeks have gone by. :)
Final thought: I plan on being a little more current in my blogging as I really do enjoy it but now in addition to keeping up to date on my weight loss I am going to talk about other things like my boys and my marriage and my finances and all that life entails.....so here's to next time!
The pregnancy itself wasn't as difficult as Aaron's was and for that I was extremely blessed. I didn't have some difficult moments especially at the end of the pregnancy and when I went in for the c-section I was glad to be done. The last 8 weeks have been a lot of ups and downs. First of all healing from the surgery was more difficult this time around and I ended up with a couple of infections. I also had more pain and swelling as well but I think that in some part it was because I had to keep up with a very active toddler. I was very excited at the fact that Steve was able to stay home with me for the first 2 weeks and Aaron enjoyed having daddy home as well. I also noticed that it took longer to bond with Andrew this time around and I think also that is part to not being able to spend as much time with him and having to keep up after Aaron. I also think that in some part I wasn't really ready to have another baby. I have since been able to get over all of that and have I believe bonded with Andrew as much as I have Aaron.
Another up and down with these last 8 weeks is keeping up a relationship and marriage with Steve. There have been days that I have felt that we were just two people who happened to sleep in the same bed at night but were otherwise just 2 separate people living in the same house. I have had to become creative at when we can spend time together and really make the effort to do so. I am so tired at the end of the day when he comes home that all I want to do is hand over the boys and go to bed. I can say now that Andrew is sleeping through the night that being able to sit down and have dinner and talk with Steve has become a little bit easier.
The last thing that has been bothering me is I think that my body is rebelling against me now. I have been having such pain in my hips and legs and I was talking to Steve last night and told him that somehow I think it's related to the massive weight swings in the last 3 years. I gained almost 80 lbs this time around with Andrew and in the last 8 weeks have lost almost 50lbs. I did get my band adjusted back to around where I was when I had the fluid taken out but it's been fun getting used to eating differently again. Since we don't plan on having more children at the current moment and if we decide we are it won't be for a couple of years I am hoping that I can lose the weight again and stay consistent for a while and really allow my body to get used to what it should weigh.
Oh and one more thing....I go back to work in 4 weeks and I am really looking forward to it. That doesn't mean that I don't like spending my days with my boys I am just not the stay at home mom type. I think stay at home mom's rock but that is just not me. I enjoy being a nurse too much to give it up completely. Also I having jokingly been saying that because Aaron is hooked on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Chuggington that I have been getting "dumber" as the weeks have gone by. :)
Final thought: I plan on being a little more current in my blogging as I really do enjoy it but now in addition to keeping up to date on my weight loss I am going to talk about other things like my boys and my marriage and my finances and all that life entails.....so here's to next time!
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Another twist
Ok I know I haven't been on for awhile but really there had been nothing to report. I made it to 237lbs before Aaron's first birthday so not the 100 lbs I was hoping for but definitely a darn good attempt at hitting that mark!! I had to have some fluid taken out of my band about 3 weeks ago as I was having such difficulty with eating where it might take me 2-3 hrs to eat something that might be half of what a normal person would eat and I was totally disgusted with that. I told the doctor that I know that I am supposed to be eating small portions and such but this was totally ridiculous! He agreed and did take some out. In the same visit I had to share with him some news that would affect the next year of weight loss but I will come back to that.
On to Aaron's first birthday! It was a blast is all I can say!! I had so much fun planning it and seeing most of my family and in laws come to the party to celebrate my son. He's has taught me so much in the first year and has also grown by leaps and bounds. At his 1 yr check up he was 23 lbs and 32 inches long! He continues to impress me each day with what he can do and recently gives hugs and kisses to both Steve and I!
So onto my recent discovery of that I am pregnant with number 2! I was a little overwhelmed when we originally found out as we had basically decided we were going to wait because I had just started my new job and didn't want to have a pregnancy to deal with while adjusting and getting to know my new coworkers. Well God's plan was otherwise and here I am 9 weeks pregnant! I have been feeling generally fine although this one is way different from Aaron's. I have been having on and off nausea and general run downess(if that's a word). I also have been freezing a lot lately! So here's to the next 9 months of good health and newborn baby!!
On to Aaron's first birthday! It was a blast is all I can say!! I had so much fun planning it and seeing most of my family and in laws come to the party to celebrate my son. He's has taught me so much in the first year and has also grown by leaps and bounds. At his 1 yr check up he was 23 lbs and 32 inches long! He continues to impress me each day with what he can do and recently gives hugs and kisses to both Steve and I!
So onto my recent discovery of that I am pregnant with number 2! I was a little overwhelmed when we originally found out as we had basically decided we were going to wait because I had just started my new job and didn't want to have a pregnancy to deal with while adjusting and getting to know my new coworkers. Well God's plan was otherwise and here I am 9 weeks pregnant! I have been feeling generally fine although this one is way different from Aaron's. I have been having on and off nausea and general run downess(if that's a word). I also have been freezing a lot lately! So here's to the next 9 months of good health and newborn baby!!
Friday, March 4, 2011
Keepin On
I happened to step on the scale today which lately is something I had been avoiding as I seemed not to be going down in weight but to my great surprise it 239 lbs. This means I am at 91 lbs lost!! I am still on track to lose that elusive 100 lbs by Aaron's 1st birthday. Things have been relatively well for me lately. I haven't been adjusted for several months as I have been losing steadily and that to my doctor is all that matters. He had told me at my last appointment that he was concerned about a number as much as he was concerned about how I felt. I told him that I felt great and that as long as I was able to keep up with my son that I was ecstatic about the weight loss.
As far as the rest of the family Steve is good and continues his weight loss and Aaron continues to grow by leaps and bounds. He just turned 10 months this past Tuesday and is surprising me every day what he can do. He recently started walking with the help of a little push toy that he has. He laughs all the time and likes to put everything in his mouth! Typical child. He has also recently learned he can climb and as a result likes to try and climb up on everything as well including mom and dad! He has been my shining light through everything.
As far as the rest of the family Steve is good and continues his weight loss and Aaron continues to grow by leaps and bounds. He just turned 10 months this past Tuesday and is surprising me every day what he can do. He recently started walking with the help of a little push toy that he has. He laughs all the time and likes to put everything in his mouth! Typical child. He has also recently learned he can climb and as a result likes to try and climb up on everything as well including mom and dad! He has been my shining light through everything.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Some good news
So to start I had a doctor's appt this past Monday and was incredibly shocked to hear that when I stepped on the scale that I had actually lost 8lbs since the last appointment! I was jumping up and down in the office because I was so excited. So I am officially at 243 lbs and that means 87lbs lost! The doctor was so impressed with how I did he decided that I didn't need an adjustment and that I would continue on the same path that I am. I have thought that if I continue losing as I am that I could in fact lose 100lbs by the time Aaron has his birthday!
I continue to have my good days and bad days and I continue to teach myself the difference in how I need to eat rather than how I want to eat. This is still proving to be difficult even after almost 2 yrs after having the surgery. Steve continue to do well also. He is losing which is good and it doesn't hurt either of us that we have to chase after a 9 month old!
Speaking of a 9 month old Aaron is continuing to grow by leaps and bounds! In the last few weeks has had a couple of new teeth come through and is working on about 4 more! So now he has two top teeth and two bottom teeth. He continues to crawl everywhere constantly getting himself into "trouble"! In fact it was just yesterday that my dad said no wonder you lost 8lbs if you are always having to keep up with him.
So after a quick update I also want to welcome home my friends husband who is back home with his family after serving his country! I hope that they quickly adjust to life together as he has been away for almost 8 months. Welcome home!!
I continue to have my good days and bad days and I continue to teach myself the difference in how I need to eat rather than how I want to eat. This is still proving to be difficult even after almost 2 yrs after having the surgery. Steve continue to do well also. He is losing which is good and it doesn't hurt either of us that we have to chase after a 9 month old!
Speaking of a 9 month old Aaron is continuing to grow by leaps and bounds! In the last few weeks has had a couple of new teeth come through and is working on about 4 more! So now he has two top teeth and two bottom teeth. He continues to crawl everywhere constantly getting himself into "trouble"! In fact it was just yesterday that my dad said no wonder you lost 8lbs if you are always having to keep up with him.
So after a quick update I also want to welcome home my friends husband who is back home with his family after serving his country! I hope that they quickly adjust to life together as he has been away for almost 8 months. Welcome home!!
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Just another day
I have continued my weight loss and am at 85lbs lost now. I have had a harder time losing lately because as my doctor says it's because now I have to "work" at it as opposed to having to it just fall off. I had been sick about a month ago and I have seem to lose the restriction and can feel that at times can eat anything and any quantity. I spoke with him regarding this and he feels that I may need an adjustment and I will be seeing him in a few short weeks.
Things around here have been keeping my incredibly busy and when I say things I mean mainly Aaron. He's 8 1/2 months old now and crawling like you wouldn't believe and starting to "walk" around hanging on to the furniture. My favorite thing to do to him lately is when I know that he wants to be picked up when I am not in the room that I walk to the other side of the room and make him crawl to me crying the whole way like I am torturing him or something. :) I know that he will be walking soon enough and then running and then I don't know what I am going to do. Lately I think he's been getting me back for being such a good night sleeper for so long and about the last 5 weeks or so has not slept through the night at all. I surely miss a full nights sleep but have learned to live with it.
One thing that I have noticed lately is how much I miss hanging out with friends. I try to keep in touch but the few close friends that I have live too far away for any of us to get together any time soon and we all have young kids so that doesn't help either at this moment. I am hoping to spend some time out in Indiana this summer as well as looking forward to another visit from a friend as well. I guess that I have to reach out more and try and reconnect with these wonderful awesome girls! I just hope that everyone I have been thinking about lately are doing well and so are all of their boys and girls!!
Things around here have been keeping my incredibly busy and when I say things I mean mainly Aaron. He's 8 1/2 months old now and crawling like you wouldn't believe and starting to "walk" around hanging on to the furniture. My favorite thing to do to him lately is when I know that he wants to be picked up when I am not in the room that I walk to the other side of the room and make him crawl to me crying the whole way like I am torturing him or something. :) I know that he will be walking soon enough and then running and then I don't know what I am going to do. Lately I think he's been getting me back for being such a good night sleeper for so long and about the last 5 weeks or so has not slept through the night at all. I surely miss a full nights sleep but have learned to live with it.
One thing that I have noticed lately is how much I miss hanging out with friends. I try to keep in touch but the few close friends that I have live too far away for any of us to get together any time soon and we all have young kids so that doesn't help either at this moment. I am hoping to spend some time out in Indiana this summer as well as looking forward to another visit from a friend as well. I guess that I have to reach out more and try and reconnect with these wonderful awesome girls! I just hope that everyone I have been thinking about lately are doing well and so are all of their boys and girls!!
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
The second goal
So in an effort to not look at the big picture I have been setting small 20 lb goals for myself. I am proud to say that I have now lost 80lbs and have reached my second goal of 250lbs!!!
The slight depression has relatively cleared up but does tend to rear its ugly head when I have a bad food day. For the most part I am good. So it's on to my 3rd goal. I'm gonna keep trucking to 230lbs and then life may change again as who knows what will happen!!
The slight depression has relatively cleared up but does tend to rear its ugly head when I have a bad food day. For the most part I am good. So it's on to my 3rd goal. I'm gonna keep trucking to 230lbs and then life may change again as who knows what will happen!!
Friday, November 26, 2010
A first Thanksgiving
I have wanted to do another post for like the last week but just hadn't time to actually sit and type it. I have been thinking about this post for a couple of weeks actually because I have been having a hard time dealing with some things lately. I went to the doctors a couple of weeks ago and told him that I was feeling kind of down because I was missing food. I said that it's not the fact that I can't eat the food it's because I can't eat the food the way that I want too. For example I can eat a burger without the bun and no fries but what I would truly enjoy right now is the whole experience of a good burger fixings and all and a side of fries. I am figuring that I am going through what I would have gone through last year if I hadn't gotten pregnant and he seemed to agree. So this truly was my first Thanksgiving with the band. Oh and by the way I did just fine and I had my turkey and ham and all the trimmings and it was good even if it was at work and not my family! Oh and for the update I'm at officially 253 lbs. and have lost 77 lbs. and I am 3 lbs from my second goal of 250! To which I cannot even remember the last time I was that weight. I'm thinking maybe 10 yrs ago??
Another first Thanksgiving is the fact that it's Steve's first with the band as well. He is doing well I think but he hasn't been adjusted yet but he will be in a few weeks. He's been losing weight and was 12 lbs done when he went in for his first checkup. He doesn't like to talk about it too much so that's all I will say about that! Ha Ha!
The last first but certainly not least is Aaron's first Thanksgiving. He is almost 7 months old now and really really trying to crawl forward that is. He has the rolling and the moving backwards down pat but he just can't seem to get it all coordinated yet with going forward. I know it's gonna be soon and can't wait. He continues to be the joy of our lives and is always keeping me entertained. I definitely do miss him when I have to work but it's all best in the end as the days I get to spend with him are priceless!
All in all it was a bunch of firsts for all of us this Thanksgiving season and knowing that this holiday went well the future doesn't seem so dim and I'm actually looking forward to the Christmas season!
Another first Thanksgiving is the fact that it's Steve's first with the band as well. He is doing well I think but he hasn't been adjusted yet but he will be in a few weeks. He's been losing weight and was 12 lbs done when he went in for his first checkup. He doesn't like to talk about it too much so that's all I will say about that! Ha Ha!
The last first but certainly not least is Aaron's first Thanksgiving. He is almost 7 months old now and really really trying to crawl forward that is. He has the rolling and the moving backwards down pat but he just can't seem to get it all coordinated yet with going forward. I know it's gonna be soon and can't wait. He continues to be the joy of our lives and is always keeping me entertained. I definitely do miss him when I have to work but it's all best in the end as the days I get to spend with him are priceless!
All in all it was a bunch of firsts for all of us this Thanksgiving season and knowing that this holiday went well the future doesn't seem so dim and I'm actually looking forward to the Christmas season!
Monday, November 15, 2010
A continuing saga
I have been missing foods like crazy lately and the only reason that I can think of as to why is I miss the experience. I can eat anything that I want but the issue is I always have to modify the meal in some way. I can't sit and eat a big burger and fries or Portillo's beef because I can't eat the bread. So for me I have to deconstruct the meal and only eat parts of it oh and fries are definitely out of the question. I do have some good news though as of this morning I am down a total of 76 lbs! That makes me feel better overall and my surgeon is just as thrilled that I have lost that much so fast. He told me on Thursday that he normally looks for his patients to lose about 70 lbs in a year and he's so impressed with me because I have done 76 in 6 months! So for me there is great news and not so great news as I still miss food.
On another note Steve is doing great in fact I think he is doing better than I did when I had the surgery! He bounced back so fast and when he had his post op appointment he had already last 12 lbs! I am so proud of him one for going through the surgery and two for being able to bounce back so quickly after having the surgery!
So together we continue this journey and I know this is all for the best as we will both be healthier for keeping up with our 6 month old.
On another note Steve is doing great in fact I think he is doing better than I did when I had the surgery! He bounced back so fast and when he had his post op appointment he had already last 12 lbs! I am so proud of him one for going through the surgery and two for being able to bounce back so quickly after having the surgery!
So together we continue this journey and I know this is all for the best as we will both be healthier for keeping up with our 6 month old.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
A new chapter
Today is going to be an interesting day. All the while I have been struggling with living the "band life" I had no idea well some idea that my husband was watching me and struggling with decision himself as to whether or not he wanted to go through the same stuff that I do. Well about 3 months ago he decided that for Aaron he wanted to go through with it. He chose to do the lap band as well.
I don't know exactly what his thoughts are on the whole subject he tends not to be very vocal about those things. Don't get me wrong we talk about things but there are certain subjects that he just doesn't talk much about and his weight is a big one. So today at 1:30 this afternoon his life will change forever. I for him hope that he will have the same success as I have been having and that by Christmas he will have dropped about 30-40 lbs. I know that he will be happy and I will be happy for him. One thing he recently told me while he was spending the day with Aaron was that he was so thankful to me for giving him Aaron and that he loved us both immensely! He is the best!
So pray for both of us as we continue on this journey now as we together head towards a healthier lifestyle and that because of this we will both be able to enjoy that little boy that our Great Creator has brought into our lives.
I don't know exactly what his thoughts are on the whole subject he tends not to be very vocal about those things. Don't get me wrong we talk about things but there are certain subjects that he just doesn't talk much about and his weight is a big one. So today at 1:30 this afternoon his life will change forever. I for him hope that he will have the same success as I have been having and that by Christmas he will have dropped about 30-40 lbs. I know that he will be happy and I will be happy for him. One thing he recently told me while he was spending the day with Aaron was that he was so thankful to me for giving him Aaron and that he loved us both immensely! He is the best!
So pray for both of us as we continue on this journey now as we together head towards a healthier lifestyle and that because of this we will both be able to enjoy that little boy that our Great Creator has brought into our lives.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Never doubt!
I have learned in the last week that no matter what happens don't ever doubt! I stepped on the scale yesterday and I was at 259!! I have broke through that 260 mark and I couldn't be happier. The bummer of it all is now I have to deal with my baby having a cold but compared to each other the cold ain't so bad. I also went jean shopping yesterday with my best friend and thank god for her because she sat with Aaron while I went and shopped.
I have to hand it to the wonderful women at Lane Bryant in Bolingbrook without them I wouldn't have been able to see myself in the size that I bought! First things first sizes I was a size 26 pants and a 30/32 shirt for the most part but it always depends on the cut of the piece. I see myself as a pear shape and I carry most of my weight in my stomach. I think the hardest part of putting on a new pair of jeans is seeing the person that I have become and not the person that I was. It's hard not to see myself at 330lbs instead of 259lbs. So like I said I have to hand it to the women at Lane Bryant who convinced me to try on a size 20 when I thought I was a size 22 and the most shocking part that I FIT into a size 20! I ended up buying two new size 20 pairs of jeans and what I enjoy most about them was how fitted they were. They really compliment my skinny legs and even accent places that I never thought needed accenting. So here I sit in my new jeans confident (ok semi-confident) that I look good.
The difficult part of yesterday was lunch at chili's with my BFF. I ordered soup and salad and maybe had 6 bites between the two and no matter what I did nothing helped. Usually I have no problems especially with soup but yesterday was a problem. I at one point said to my friend that the hardest part of living with the band is you really miss sometimes the foods you no longer can eat. In my life french fries and the reason I say that is because there were two women eating in the booth across the way from us both eating french fries and I found out that is something that I truly miss a lot. When I think of all the foods I can't eat anymore I get a little depressed but then I think of my babykins that I did this for in the first place and I look at it as something that I can live without. While I struggle daily with the life that I chose I see that baby and know that I did it all for him and his little brother or sister that will at some point come into our lives (no not pregnant currently). For that it makes this whole journey a whole lot more worth it!
I have to hand it to the wonderful women at Lane Bryant in Bolingbrook without them I wouldn't have been able to see myself in the size that I bought! First things first sizes I was a size 26 pants and a 30/32 shirt for the most part but it always depends on the cut of the piece. I see myself as a pear shape and I carry most of my weight in my stomach. I think the hardest part of putting on a new pair of jeans is seeing the person that I have become and not the person that I was. It's hard not to see myself at 330lbs instead of 259lbs. So like I said I have to hand it to the women at Lane Bryant who convinced me to try on a size 20 when I thought I was a size 22 and the most shocking part that I FIT into a size 20! I ended up buying two new size 20 pairs of jeans and what I enjoy most about them was how fitted they were. They really compliment my skinny legs and even accent places that I never thought needed accenting. So here I sit in my new jeans confident (ok semi-confident) that I look good.
The difficult part of yesterday was lunch at chili's with my BFF. I ordered soup and salad and maybe had 6 bites between the two and no matter what I did nothing helped. Usually I have no problems especially with soup but yesterday was a problem. I at one point said to my friend that the hardest part of living with the band is you really miss sometimes the foods you no longer can eat. In my life french fries and the reason I say that is because there were two women eating in the booth across the way from us both eating french fries and I found out that is something that I truly miss a lot. When I think of all the foods I can't eat anymore I get a little depressed but then I think of my babykins that I did this for in the first place and I look at it as something that I can live without. While I struggle daily with the life that I chose I see that baby and know that I did it all for him and his little brother or sister that will at some point come into our lives (no not pregnant currently). For that it makes this whole journey a whole lot more worth it!
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
New Clothes
So here I am in the present day as of this morning I'm weighing in at 262 lbs and have lost just 2 lbs shy of 70 and now am toying with the idea of buying a few new pieces of clothing. I must tell you that this terrifies me more than anything that I have gone through with this entire surgical process.
I just recently went out to visit some very close to my heart friends and while there went shopping and happened upon a clothing store. My friend said to me if you want we can go in and I had to agree. Stepping into the store wasn't the worst part, the worst part was knowing if I found anything that I liked I would have to try it on and if I tried it on I felt like it would look terrible on me making me look super fat because it was too small. Well I did find something I like, a pair of jeans that were two sizes smaller than what I would wear normally. Ok so I tried them on and you know what they fit! The best part was walking out of the dressing room and my friend telling me that I looked great! That compliment made the whole experience that much better and knowing that my friend does read this I am going to send out a huge thank you for making my first shopping experience a great one!
The one thing that I have noticed in the last few weeks is the scale is not going down as fast as it once was and that in part is my fault as I have finished breastfeeding and therefore the calories don't get burned off as fast as they once used too. This little fact is a little discouraging as I would have liked the weight to keep "falling" off but I know that I wasn't going to nurse forever so I had to get it done with. I have decided that now is a good time to start getting involved with a gym and start working out. I haven't done this before because it was just too difficult as I was just too heavy and any little workout would leave super sore and achy. I for the most part deal with lots of aches and pains daily and I think that this would just because the weight is being redistributed on my hips and legs. I have talked with another friend of my that has had the lap band and has lost approximately 90 lbs and she says that her biggest pain was in the hips and legs as well. I also know that I need to find a personal trainer for at least the first couple of times that I go to help me establish a routine and what I need to do.
I have good food days and bad food days. When it's good I can eat almost anything without having any problems but when it's bad I can barely eat anything and spend most of my meal running back and forth from the bathroom trying again and again to eat but nothing works. I have learned a lot through almost 18 months of living with the lap band. I know that not only do I not regret my decision but am happy with the results and what it has taught me.
I wanted with this blog to share my weight loss journey from beginning to end. My goal is to get down to approximately 180 lbs when all is said and done and this includes the plastic surgery that I know I will eventually need and going through at least one more pregnancy. I have been able to put down the last 18 months into words and now want to focus on the here and now. More to come as always!
I just recently went out to visit some very close to my heart friends and while there went shopping and happened upon a clothing store. My friend said to me if you want we can go in and I had to agree. Stepping into the store wasn't the worst part, the worst part was knowing if I found anything that I liked I would have to try it on and if I tried it on I felt like it would look terrible on me making me look super fat because it was too small. Well I did find something I like, a pair of jeans that were two sizes smaller than what I would wear normally. Ok so I tried them on and you know what they fit! The best part was walking out of the dressing room and my friend telling me that I looked great! That compliment made the whole experience that much better and knowing that my friend does read this I am going to send out a huge thank you for making my first shopping experience a great one!
The one thing that I have noticed in the last few weeks is the scale is not going down as fast as it once was and that in part is my fault as I have finished breastfeeding and therefore the calories don't get burned off as fast as they once used too. This little fact is a little discouraging as I would have liked the weight to keep "falling" off but I know that I wasn't going to nurse forever so I had to get it done with. I have decided that now is a good time to start getting involved with a gym and start working out. I haven't done this before because it was just too difficult as I was just too heavy and any little workout would leave super sore and achy. I for the most part deal with lots of aches and pains daily and I think that this would just because the weight is being redistributed on my hips and legs. I have talked with another friend of my that has had the lap band and has lost approximately 90 lbs and she says that her biggest pain was in the hips and legs as well. I also know that I need to find a personal trainer for at least the first couple of times that I go to help me establish a routine and what I need to do.
I have good food days and bad food days. When it's good I can eat almost anything without having any problems but when it's bad I can barely eat anything and spend most of my meal running back and forth from the bathroom trying again and again to eat but nothing works. I have learned a lot through almost 18 months of living with the lap band. I know that not only do I not regret my decision but am happy with the results and what it has taught me.
I wanted with this blog to share my weight loss journey from beginning to end. My goal is to get down to approximately 180 lbs when all is said and done and this includes the plastic surgery that I know I will eventually need and going through at least one more pregnancy. I have been able to put down the last 18 months into words and now want to focus on the here and now. More to come as always!
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Starting over
Those first few weeks after Aaron was born are pretty much a blur at this point. I just remember sleeping when he slept being up at all hours of the day and night and learning that breastfeeding is not as easy as some people think. Unfortunately for me I was unable to nurse Aaron but thankfully he was able to get the best of me through pumping. I did sadly end up with a small infection in my incision but that was thankfully taken care of with a course of antibiotics.
I think during the first approximately 6 weeks I completely avoided the scale. I was incredibly swollen in my legs during the first couple of weeks and didn't want to find out what my weight was. I had decided to go and see my surgeon at about 8 weeks after Aaron was born. I do remember stepping on the scale for the first time totally dreading it and pleasantly discovered that I had lost about 30 lbs about 6 1/2 weeks after he was born.
The first doctor appointment with my surgeon I was really nervous as to what the scale would show. It was great when I stepped on and weighed in at 289 lbs. I knew at that point two things that I would NEVER be over 300 lbs again and in eight weeks I had lost almost all of the baby weight that I had gained. I gave credit to pumping and the fact that the baby kept me so busy that there were days that I barely ate. My surgeon was very happy with how fast I had dropped most of the weight but still decided to adjust me.
The hardest part after that adjustment was relearning what I could and couldn't eat and how fast I could eat it. I had gotten used to being able to eat pretty much whatever I wanted so it was really difficult at first readjusting to the lap band life. There were days that I couldn't eat anything except liquids so I tried to make the most of it and made myself protein drinks so I could get not only the protein but calories so I didn't go completely hungry. I tried to start stepping on the scale once a week just to keep tabs on my weight loss and I did go down a few pounds at a time each week which was a good thing for me. I really enjoyed the comments that I was looking good and liked people noticing that my weight was going down.
I realized that basically I was starting over like I had just had surgery all over again. I knew that my thoughts and feeling towards this surgery were going to change again and I would come to find out how much I both loved and hated this thing that was around my stomach controlling me and my food intake.
I think during the first approximately 6 weeks I completely avoided the scale. I was incredibly swollen in my legs during the first couple of weeks and didn't want to find out what my weight was. I had decided to go and see my surgeon at about 8 weeks after Aaron was born. I do remember stepping on the scale for the first time totally dreading it and pleasantly discovered that I had lost about 30 lbs about 6 1/2 weeks after he was born.
The first doctor appointment with my surgeon I was really nervous as to what the scale would show. It was great when I stepped on and weighed in at 289 lbs. I knew at that point two things that I would NEVER be over 300 lbs again and in eight weeks I had lost almost all of the baby weight that I had gained. I gave credit to pumping and the fact that the baby kept me so busy that there were days that I barely ate. My surgeon was very happy with how fast I had dropped most of the weight but still decided to adjust me.
The hardest part after that adjustment was relearning what I could and couldn't eat and how fast I could eat it. I had gotten used to being able to eat pretty much whatever I wanted so it was really difficult at first readjusting to the lap band life. There were days that I couldn't eat anything except liquids so I tried to make the most of it and made myself protein drinks so I could get not only the protein but calories so I didn't go completely hungry. I tried to start stepping on the scale once a week just to keep tabs on my weight loss and I did go down a few pounds at a time each week which was a good thing for me. I really enjoyed the comments that I was looking good and liked people noticing that my weight was going down.
I realized that basically I was starting over like I had just had surgery all over again. I knew that my thoughts and feeling towards this surgery were going to change again and I would come to find out how much I both loved and hated this thing that was around my stomach controlling me and my food intake.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
9 months and a baby
For the most part my pregnancy was ok. I had many ups and downs and if you asked Steve how I was during those nine months he would probably tell you I was completely crazy. The one thing for me was there wasn't a day that went by that something did not hurt somewhere. The hardest part of being pregnant? Watching the scale go back up after I had worked so hard at making it go down.
I had lost 50 lbs before I got pregnant and was told because I had lost that much weight in approximately 3 months that it was inevitable. I was truly excited about bringing a baby into the world as I have wanted one for so very long. I couldn't imagine my life without my Aaron now but again that is another post. The first few months went by quickly and what I remember most about those first 12 weeks was the first OB appointment which we got to see the heartbeat and my chest hurting all the time. During that time I found out that I wasn't the only one around that was pregnant but for the most part I was one of the lucky ones as I had no morning sickness and pretty much other than my chest hurting had nothing else to really complain about.
The best part of the second trimester....hands down at about 12-13 weeks hearing my babies heartbeat for the first time. I think during that appointment both Steve and I cried at that sound. In fact I still have that recording on my phone and I do listen to it from time to time. It became all too real and I was happy. The worst part of the second trimester was a toss up between horrible sciatica pain and falling from slipping on ice at about 26 weeks. Thankfully I was able to deal with both with physical therapy and luckily for me just bruising my hip during the fall. The sciatica pain if you have never dealt with it before is like someone stabbing you in the butt cheek and the pain traveling down your leg. I remember having to walk along the wall at work just in case my leg gave out so I would be able to grab onto something quickly if needed. I also remember the first time that I felt the baby move. I was at about 18 weeks and had just laid down to go to bed and all of a sudden I felt this wave of bubble wrap in my abdomen. It was at that moment that I actually felt pregnant as I knew not only from ultrasound that I was I now could feel this tiny little being inside me.
Many of you don't know that I was classified as a high risk pregnancy and not necessarily due to the lap band but more because of my high blood pressure. The first two trimesters I didn't have much to do however the appointments almost tripled by the end of the pregnancy. I the last month would see my regular OB once a week, the high risk OB once a week and had twice weekly non stress tests in which I would sit in a chair strapped to a baby monitor to see how the baby was doing. Thankfully all was well and in the end it was well worth it. I remember begging to be induced at the end as I was so tired and I hurt everywhere from my feet up and my head down. I think that the only reason I made it to the end was one from the wonderful care of a great chiropractor that I found and the wonderful sanity of my husband. The best thing at the end was my regular OB on April 29th said to me come to the hospital early tomorrow morning and we will induce you because your blood pressure is just to high for our liking. So finally on May 1, 2010 at 6:23 in the morning after 23 hrs of labor and finally a c-section later our baby Aaron James weighing in at 8.1 lbs and 21 inches long came into our lives and changed us both forever.
I know that I haven't said much about my weight with this post but I really didn't want to relive it. In the end I had gained the entire 50 lbs that I had lost back plus about 5 lbs. I think at my last appointment I had weighed in at just under 335 lbs. I avoided the scale and refused to look at the number. I had stopped going to the surgeon as at that time there was no point in going and he told me to come back about 6 weeks after I had delivered. I ate what I wanted and when I wanted depending on my cravings at any given moment. I had a little difficulty at the end but I think that was just Aaron causing some problems. In the end and after some thinking on my part I realized that after all was said and done everything that I had gone through it was totally worth it. I was extremely blessed with a beautiful little boy who is the joy and love of my life.
I had lost 50 lbs before I got pregnant and was told because I had lost that much weight in approximately 3 months that it was inevitable. I was truly excited about bringing a baby into the world as I have wanted one for so very long. I couldn't imagine my life without my Aaron now but again that is another post. The first few months went by quickly and what I remember most about those first 12 weeks was the first OB appointment which we got to see the heartbeat and my chest hurting all the time. During that time I found out that I wasn't the only one around that was pregnant but for the most part I was one of the lucky ones as I had no morning sickness and pretty much other than my chest hurting had nothing else to really complain about.
The best part of the second trimester....hands down at about 12-13 weeks hearing my babies heartbeat for the first time. I think during that appointment both Steve and I cried at that sound. In fact I still have that recording on my phone and I do listen to it from time to time. It became all too real and I was happy. The worst part of the second trimester was a toss up between horrible sciatica pain and falling from slipping on ice at about 26 weeks. Thankfully I was able to deal with both with physical therapy and luckily for me just bruising my hip during the fall. The sciatica pain if you have never dealt with it before is like someone stabbing you in the butt cheek and the pain traveling down your leg. I remember having to walk along the wall at work just in case my leg gave out so I would be able to grab onto something quickly if needed. I also remember the first time that I felt the baby move. I was at about 18 weeks and had just laid down to go to bed and all of a sudden I felt this wave of bubble wrap in my abdomen. It was at that moment that I actually felt pregnant as I knew not only from ultrasound that I was I now could feel this tiny little being inside me.
Many of you don't know that I was classified as a high risk pregnancy and not necessarily due to the lap band but more because of my high blood pressure. The first two trimesters I didn't have much to do however the appointments almost tripled by the end of the pregnancy. I the last month would see my regular OB once a week, the high risk OB once a week and had twice weekly non stress tests in which I would sit in a chair strapped to a baby monitor to see how the baby was doing. Thankfully all was well and in the end it was well worth it. I remember begging to be induced at the end as I was so tired and I hurt everywhere from my feet up and my head down. I think that the only reason I made it to the end was one from the wonderful care of a great chiropractor that I found and the wonderful sanity of my husband. The best thing at the end was my regular OB on April 29th said to me come to the hospital early tomorrow morning and we will induce you because your blood pressure is just to high for our liking. So finally on May 1, 2010 at 6:23 in the morning after 23 hrs of labor and finally a c-section later our baby Aaron James weighing in at 8.1 lbs and 21 inches long came into our lives and changed us both forever.
I know that I haven't said much about my weight with this post but I really didn't want to relive it. In the end I had gained the entire 50 lbs that I had lost back plus about 5 lbs. I think at my last appointment I had weighed in at just under 335 lbs. I avoided the scale and refused to look at the number. I had stopped going to the surgeon as at that time there was no point in going and he told me to come back about 6 weeks after I had delivered. I ate what I wanted and when I wanted depending on my cravings at any given moment. I had a little difficulty at the end but I think that was just Aaron causing some problems. In the end and after some thinking on my part I realized that after all was said and done everything that I had gone through it was totally worth it. I was extremely blessed with a beautiful little boy who is the joy and love of my life.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Pregnancy?
As I have explained before when Steve and I got married children were not far from our minds. We knew that we wanted to wait a little while before having children to give us and our marriage time to get used to each other. Steve was my high school sweetheart and we have known each other now for about 16 years. I think I knew from the beginning that we would get married. We just fit together. We knew how to laugh and how to love and as "tough" as Steve seems to be really he is just a big ole teddy bear!
The lap band changed our marriage a little and I truly believe with as heavy as Steve is there was some aspect of jealousy that he had when I started losing weight so rapidly. I know during the first few months his weight went up as food became his crutch while my weight went down.
During the month of September I had gone to the surgeon and had hit a personal goal of mine of 50lbs lost. I was truly excited but having children was still a far off thought in my mind. I knew that I wanted kids soon but wasn't quite ready to be pregnant. That would all change at 4:00 am on the morning of September 10, 2009. That little stick that happened to be the thing that would completely change my life. I was pregnant! After only 3 months after surgery and 50lbs lost I was having a baby!!
I remember walking into our bedroom as Steve was still asleep and whispering to him that we were pregnant and had to laugh as he rolled over and went back to sleep. I think for both of us it was a few days before it really sunk in and it was truly exciting to share with everyone our news! I made the first appointment with the doctor and when we went in we found out that we were about 8 weeks pregnant at the time but I think that at this appointment was the time when it became truly real as during the ultrasound we were able to see our little babies heart beat going strong.
For me the hardest part was having to deal with knowing that I was pregnant and having to tell my surgeon that my weight loss was going to be put on hold for now. As far as I know he was excited but a little disappointed with the fact that I was pregnant and for me that was the only person I was truly afraid of telling because I didn't know how he would react. Now I knew that a new journey would begin and it would only be a short nine months until my life would again change.
The lap band changed our marriage a little and I truly believe with as heavy as Steve is there was some aspect of jealousy that he had when I started losing weight so rapidly. I know during the first few months his weight went up as food became his crutch while my weight went down.
During the month of September I had gone to the surgeon and had hit a personal goal of mine of 50lbs lost. I was truly excited but having children was still a far off thought in my mind. I knew that I wanted kids soon but wasn't quite ready to be pregnant. That would all change at 4:00 am on the morning of September 10, 2009. That little stick that happened to be the thing that would completely change my life. I was pregnant! After only 3 months after surgery and 50lbs lost I was having a baby!!
I remember walking into our bedroom as Steve was still asleep and whispering to him that we were pregnant and had to laugh as he rolled over and went back to sleep. I think for both of us it was a few days before it really sunk in and it was truly exciting to share with everyone our news! I made the first appointment with the doctor and when we went in we found out that we were about 8 weeks pregnant at the time but I think that at this appointment was the time when it became truly real as during the ultrasound we were able to see our little babies heart beat going strong.
For me the hardest part was having to deal with knowing that I was pregnant and having to tell my surgeon that my weight loss was going to be put on hold for now. As far as I know he was excited but a little disappointed with the fact that I was pregnant and for me that was the only person I was truly afraid of telling because I didn't know how he would react. Now I knew that a new journey would begin and it would only be a short nine months until my life would again change.
Friday, October 1, 2010
A continuing saga
So as it goes I was in the middle of June with my weight loss journey. I continued through the next couple of months going every six weeks to the doctor to be adjusted. Stepping on the scale actually became my favorite thing to do. I would randomly step on during the week and was amazed at how quickly the weight was coming off! I was truly happy when the scale showed my at under 300 lbs and that day I swore never to be heavier than that again. Unfortunately that wasn't going to happen but that is another post. By the end of August I had lost approximately 45 lbs. By all accounts I felt good and I felt better overall. My body didn't hurt as much and my feet which always hurt at my heaviest didn't hurt at all anymore.
I could still generally eat what I wanted to but just had to control portion sizes. It's definitely interesting when you go into a restaurant and order. You get these huge entrees and you end up taking at least half sometimes more like 3/4 of it home with you because you are full. I struggled mostly with what I needed to eat vs what I wanted to eat. I had been able to eat out anywhere and eat what I wanted but now sometimes things would "stick". You will hear me use that term a lot with each post. It really just means that whatever I eat decides that it doesn't want to go through the band all that fast and the food will "stick" in the back of your throat. Not to sound gross but when the food sticks your done eating as you completely lose your appetite. The solution to the sticking is only of of two things 1) it will go down eventually and when I say eventually it's like 30-60 minutes or 2) it comes back up on you and yes I mean throwing up. My first problem was with a portillos sandwich at work. I had been very careful about taking small bites but unfortunately that darn sandwich had me running to the bathroom just in the nick of time. Yep and that's when I realized the hard part about having had the surgery.....you had to be careful. So it might have been the first time that I did that but it definitely would not be the last.
So at the beginning of September I had gone in for one of my many followups and I had hit that 50lb mark. I was thrilled and just wanted to be able to keep going that rapidly but things were about to change and when I say change I mean BIG change!!
I could still generally eat what I wanted to but just had to control portion sizes. It's definitely interesting when you go into a restaurant and order. You get these huge entrees and you end up taking at least half sometimes more like 3/4 of it home with you because you are full. I struggled mostly with what I needed to eat vs what I wanted to eat. I had been able to eat out anywhere and eat what I wanted but now sometimes things would "stick". You will hear me use that term a lot with each post. It really just means that whatever I eat decides that it doesn't want to go through the band all that fast and the food will "stick" in the back of your throat. Not to sound gross but when the food sticks your done eating as you completely lose your appetite. The solution to the sticking is only of of two things 1) it will go down eventually and when I say eventually it's like 30-60 minutes or 2) it comes back up on you and yes I mean throwing up. My first problem was with a portillos sandwich at work. I had been very careful about taking small bites but unfortunately that darn sandwich had me running to the bathroom just in the nick of time. Yep and that's when I realized the hard part about having had the surgery.....you had to be careful. So it might have been the first time that I did that but it definitely would not be the last.
So at the beginning of September I had gone in for one of my many followups and I had hit that 50lb mark. I was thrilled and just wanted to be able to keep going that rapidly but things were about to change and when I say change I mean BIG change!!
Sunday, September 26, 2010
The First Adjustment
I was a little nervous when it was time for my first adjustment, ok I was a lot nervous! I really didn't know what to expect with the appointment. Like any other doctors appointment I went and signed in and sat down to wait. Finally my name was called and the adventure of adjustments and seeing the doctor began.
I went into this small little room and the dreaded scale loomed in front of me. I was told by the nurse to step up. I got on the scale with a little apprehension and low and behold I was down about 10 lbs! This was actually quite exciting to me. I didn't think I would lose that much in 6 weeks. The rest of the little room was a little bit of a blur but blood pressure and the like was taken and at that time it was discovered that my blood pressure was through the roof! I was like great something else to deal with. Oh well I would have to deal with it later. So I finished with the little room and it was off to one of the exam rooms to again wait.
After about 20 minutes my wonderful surgeon walks in and greets me and says to how great I have done by losing 10 lbs. I at that point was happy but not ecstatic as I was kind of like big deal it's only 10 lbs. So the appointment continued by him asking how I was doing and what I was eating and how much. I answered his questions as honestly as I could and he told me what this adjustment would entail. For those of you who don't know me very well I HATE needles. Don't like them one bit. First he took a small syringe with some numbing medication and numbed up the area and then he took a bigger needle and found the port that had been placed during surgery. Once the needle was in the syringe was attached and fluid was placed in the band.
The only way I can describe the feeling of the first adjustment was nauseating. He says to me that this can sometimes happen but I wasn't too sure. The appointment came to a close with him making sure that everything was ok and having me drink some water to make sure the adjustment was good. Then he bid me farewell and told me he would see me in six weeks.
I went into this small little room and the dreaded scale loomed in front of me. I was told by the nurse to step up. I got on the scale with a little apprehension and low and behold I was down about 10 lbs! This was actually quite exciting to me. I didn't think I would lose that much in 6 weeks. The rest of the little room was a little bit of a blur but blood pressure and the like was taken and at that time it was discovered that my blood pressure was through the roof! I was like great something else to deal with. Oh well I would have to deal with it later. So I finished with the little room and it was off to one of the exam rooms to again wait.
After about 20 minutes my wonderful surgeon walks in and greets me and says to how great I have done by losing 10 lbs. I at that point was happy but not ecstatic as I was kind of like big deal it's only 10 lbs. So the appointment continued by him asking how I was doing and what I was eating and how much. I answered his questions as honestly as I could and he told me what this adjustment would entail. For those of you who don't know me very well I HATE needles. Don't like them one bit. First he took a small syringe with some numbing medication and numbed up the area and then he took a bigger needle and found the port that had been placed during surgery. Once the needle was in the syringe was attached and fluid was placed in the band.
The only way I can describe the feeling of the first adjustment was nauseating. He says to me that this can sometimes happen but I wasn't too sure. The appointment came to a close with him making sure that everything was ok and having me drink some water to make sure the adjustment was good. Then he bid me farewell and told me he would see me in six weeks.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Surgery
So I left off with getting ready to go into surgery for my lap band and for those of you out there who don't know what a lap band is it's in laymens terms like a tire with an inner tube. The hard plastic "tire" goes around the upper portion of the stomach and the "inner tube" can later be adjusted via a port placed under the skin to further restrict the food intake. I was like most people I think just plain nervous about having surgery as this was my first major surgery even though it was still laproscopic. I didn't think much about actually having the band put in. I went through the whole process saw the surgeon and anesthesiologist. I think my biggest fear was actually having the tube put down my throat. I have always had nightmares about not being able to get it out because I can't breathe on my own. I guess I'm just weird!
I went in for surgery at about 130 in the afternoon. The next thing I remember is being told it was all over and the recovery nurse telling me that they don't use that kind of language in the recovery room. All I can say is I cannot be held accountable for things that I say under the influence of drugs! I really didn't think much about the whole post operative process. I wanted to go home but unfortunately I was there for the night. I had some wonderful nurses and techs take care of me during my 26 hrs in the hospital. Pain was good and I didn't have to take much pain medication which was a good thing as I had never been big on taking that stuff.
I guess the first thing would be to say that when you first eat after having the weight loss surgery all it is is liquids, clear liquids to be precise. I got tired of jello and broth pretty quick and wanted more to eat but that was not a possibility. It didn't really hit me that this was all for real and that I was being forced into a new lifestyle with eating. For those of you who do read this the real truth is that weight loss surgery is just a tool that helps with losing weight it doesn't do the losing for you.
The first couple of weeks were pretty easy. I was off of work so I could focus on healing and getting better so that was a bonus. The first week about is usually dedicated to both clear liquids (ie jello, broth, juice) and to full liquids (ie. plain yogurt, milk cream of wheat). I think the hardest part about that whole first few weeks was having to measuring everything out and I mean everything except water. The most that I could eat was just a few ounces at a time and I had to eat every few hours which was another difficult thing for me to get used too. I am not a big three meals a day eater, I'm lucky if I get one or two but that is the business of my life. I never felt that I had "buyers remorse" but it was a little tricky getting used to the whole idea of having to change my lifestyle.
So I went along for the first 6 weeks with eating from liquids to pureed (and yes I really kind of skipped this part) to soft and finally to normal food. Then the first appointment for adjustement loomed......
I went in for surgery at about 130 in the afternoon. The next thing I remember is being told it was all over and the recovery nurse telling me that they don't use that kind of language in the recovery room. All I can say is I cannot be held accountable for things that I say under the influence of drugs! I really didn't think much about the whole post operative process. I wanted to go home but unfortunately I was there for the night. I had some wonderful nurses and techs take care of me during my 26 hrs in the hospital. Pain was good and I didn't have to take much pain medication which was a good thing as I had never been big on taking that stuff.
I guess the first thing would be to say that when you first eat after having the weight loss surgery all it is is liquids, clear liquids to be precise. I got tired of jello and broth pretty quick and wanted more to eat but that was not a possibility. It didn't really hit me that this was all for real and that I was being forced into a new lifestyle with eating. For those of you who do read this the real truth is that weight loss surgery is just a tool that helps with losing weight it doesn't do the losing for you.
The first couple of weeks were pretty easy. I was off of work so I could focus on healing and getting better so that was a bonus. The first week about is usually dedicated to both clear liquids (ie jello, broth, juice) and to full liquids (ie. plain yogurt, milk cream of wheat). I think the hardest part about that whole first few weeks was having to measuring everything out and I mean everything except water. The most that I could eat was just a few ounces at a time and I had to eat every few hours which was another difficult thing for me to get used too. I am not a big three meals a day eater, I'm lucky if I get one or two but that is the business of my life. I never felt that I had "buyers remorse" but it was a little tricky getting used to the whole idea of having to change my lifestyle.
So I went along for the first 6 weeks with eating from liquids to pureed (and yes I really kind of skipped this part) to soft and finally to normal food. Then the first appointment for adjustement loomed......
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)