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Sunday, May 29, 2011

It's been One Week...

Bravo if you caught the Barenaked Ladies reference. Ok, so this was a week filled with new experiences and lots of work, let's start at the top...

I didn't post this on my last post but I was really stuck for the first time last Friday. I came home from work and my sister had made chicken and noodles (which is a fave) with green beans, yummy. Well, at least until I decided that I wouldn't pay attention to chewing my chicken. I felt it stop, as all banders have and spent the next 15-20minutes just trying to remain calm and sip some liquid to try and get the chicken to move down. A wise woman once told me to try as hard as I can not to bring it back up, (sorry for the graphics,) so I didn't. I calmly just stood in the bathroom and waited for it to pass. And it did, and it was a HUGE relief. Sometimes I think it just serves as a reminder that we have the band. You get used to smaller portions, you get used to not drinking during meals, you get used to eating in a certain order...but once that food passes the lips, it's sometimes hard to remember the obstacles it will have to pass to reach your stomach. That's where you have to really really retrain yourself and the way you eat. So, once again, after 5 weeks (at the time) of being banded I decided to start counting how many times I chew again.

After that excitement, on Tuesday, I went to have my first fill. The really exciting part was seeing Karen's (my NP who I saw in the office pre-op and in the hospital) eyes light up when she saw what the scale read out. She exclaimed, "Oh my goodness Jordan, you have lost 30lbs since the first time I saw you!" And she took my hand. I almost cried. Before the appointment, I was scared of the fill but also extremely apprehensive that she would look at the scale and say: "Really, Jordan, just 18lbs since surgery?" So when that expression crossed her face and her mouth said the word THIRTY out loud, it was like a wonderful dream. I haven't been at this weight since before my Dad died...over 5 years ago. Wow.

Now on to the fill, if you are squeamish about needles, don't read. So, I've heard all these horrible stories about people's ports (see diagram below) being twisted or turned so the doctor's can't access them and so I was a little freaked before the appointment, also, would I feel like someone was tightening a viscrip around my stomach?? First thing she did when we got in the exam room was just talk to me about my diet and how I was feeling (which is amazing, btw!) Then she asked me to lay down and act like I was going to do a sit up so she could feel for my port. It was precisely where I thought it would be...where I had the most pain while I was healing. Then she pulled out a needle...a very large needle. I believe it was 4" in length. She put it in and honestly it was totally painless, it was more uncomfortable when she was pushing on my abdomen to feel my port! So, then I really got freaked. I felt her moving the needle and she had me partially sit up again and nothing...she couldn't hit the port. All those fears of port torsion rushed into my head and I started to get really really frightened. She pulled the xray over and could see the port and viola...she was just over a little too far. She wanted to go get a LONGER needle so after about 1 minute she stuck me again, about 1/2" to the right of the first stick and IMMEDIATELY she got the needle into the port. All my fears faded away and then I just became amused. She hooked on a syringe and pulled all the way back. She said that usually there is some fluid left in the band from when they test it during surgery. To my amazement, there was 3cc of fluid in my 10cc band! She pushed that back in (during which time I could feel my stomach moving, almost like when it's growling) and added an additional 2cc. So I am officially 50% full! Here is a picture of the complete lapband system.

So, for the next 24hrs post fill I was on liquids. I could have any liquids I wanted as long as they weren't too thick, the stomach swells a little after the fills. Then the next day I could advance to soft solids that didn't require chewing. Then on Thursday at lunch, I was back to normal. I don't feel much different than I did before the fill. It's a wee bit tighter but not much which is why they schedule you for 3 biweekly appointments after your first fill. I will have another a week from Tuesday, hoping that I will hit my sweet spot after that appointment! It can take up to 2 weeks for your body to adjust to a fill, so this is all a new experience for me!

Other than that, I am working a ton at my 2 jobs and enjoying it. I get worn out at the end of the day but wouldn't have it any other way! I just need to find time to work out! My 24Hr Fitness membership hasn't gotten much, well any, use. I need an accountablility buddy...any volunteers??? Lol

Well, that's it for now!! Can't wait to update with more weight loss soon!!

Oh and my girl, Tamera is having surgery in 14 days, 41mins and 20 seconds...just fyi!!!

Peace, love and cupcakes,
      Jordan

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Awesome

This article is great for any Bandster or Bandster to be...it has wonderful tips and an awesome vantage point on the purpose of the lapband.

The Lap-Band is NOT about restriction!

I found it very informative and now I will definitely be paying more attention to portion size and appetite control! It's so important to actually know what we are putting in our mouths!

Peace, love and cupcakes!
   Jordan

Friday, May 13, 2011

A new experience.

So, after I recounted the terrible Steak n Shake event and the flare up that occurred after, I noticed my band felt tighter. I knew this sometimes happens when bandsters get ill. Any type of illness can effect it but especially if you aren't taking in fluids like you should be. Anywho...I called up my surgeon's office and was on liquids for 48hrs then went back to regular food and now I'm all good!!! 

Small NSV (non scale victory) I walked past a long hallway of windows and caught my reflection and could really see the weight loss starting to show. It's minimal, but it's there. I really think what I have lost so far has given me a different kind of confidence. I feel more...empowered. Watch out world, Jordan's on the prowl!! Well, until next time my friends!!
    Peace, love and cupcakes,
               Jordan

Sunday, May 8, 2011

25 days out...

So, here I am. Twenty-four days post-op and down 14lbs. Wait, what was that, you ask? Yes, you read correctly...DOWN 14 LBS IN 24 DAYS. I know that might not seem like alot, I don't know what most people lose at a time but as a chick who hasn't seen below 280 in a few years...the 266 I read last night seemed amazing. Actually so amazing to me that I teared up a bit reading it. The amazing thing is that I don't get my first fill until May 24th. I'm staying full and enjoying my loss so far.

Remember, if you can (I understand either way) I would love to reach $100 on my donations so I can get a t-shirt from the Heart Walk May 21st, please contribute if you can, and the first 1 or 2 people who contribute $25 will also receive a charity match from me. So, donate $25 to my Heart Walk and I will donate $25 for a charity of your choice!!! 

As previously mentioned, I will be joining 24hr Fitness soon so I can get my excercise on!! Can't wait to feel the burn!!! My surgeon said that calorie restriction wasn't necessary at this point but I have been keeping to a 1300 calorie diet nevertheless. And, it's been working great! My overall experience has been amazing...all but one night.


Here I shall recount my dreaded Steak and Shake experience. Dum dum dum..............!

                                      *******DISCLAIMER*******
                                      The experience recounted here is
                                       no reflection on my lapband and
                                       is solely dependent on the dumb
                                       assery of the owner of this blog.

Ok, so I went over to hang out with a wonderful friend the other night after work and arrived at her place around 8pmish. Almost as soon as I got there she asked if I would like some dinner and I much appreciatively said yes and proceeded to eat a couple of Healthy Choice snackers. What I did not exactly plan on was the fact that I would stay over there until the wee hours of the morning. Circa 12:30am we decided to go get Steak 'n' Shake, brilliant idea, huh? So, I probably would have been ok if I hadn't; as previously mentioned; decided to be a complete and utter idiot. I ordered the chicken strips and fries with honey mustard. And, while not the most nutritious choice (although probably the best on the menu) it was Friday free day (the day in which I still count calories but I let myself eat some junk) so I though, "what the hay!" I made sure to drink water while I ate so I could keep eating!! What was I thinking??? And then I got a shake for the road...really, Jordan, really?!? Oddly enough I had no problems with the band. I chewed and chewed and chewed, enjoyed it all...ALL! So, I woke up MISERABLE on Friday. It had nothing to do with my band. I had a bad IBS flare up on Friday. I had to take my zofran and drank about 8oz of water the whole day. My stomach just burned and burned. I realized 2 very important things though.

1. I will not abuse my band again just because I can. Never again. It doesn't mean that much. I got no fulfillment from eating that whole meal. I didn't enjoy the food any more just because I consumed all of it. It was a stupid thing to do.

2. My body has become accustomed to the diet that I've been consuming for close to a year now. Leaner meat, more veggies, less grease. And eating that, especially so late at night = misery.

So, while it was a miserable experience that I'm still recovering from, I learned from it and it scared me enough to remember that I not only have a band but I also have IBS that needs to be looked after and taken care of.

So, I know this post was long, if you hung out...thanks!!!
   
Much love,
   Jordan

P.S. My bestie Cupcake got approval for her surgery so soon we'll be band buddies! Can't wait!!