Dayna B.
August 28th, 2006
I finally decided to update my progress online... I began thinking about WLS/lap band surgery around June 2006 & started researching with vigor. I found out right away that my in my insurance policy, there is a direct exclusion for WLS, so then I began to determine if I wanted to pay for it out of pocket. I figure, if I will pay over $20K for a car that I will only be driving for a maximum of 5 years, why wouldn't I invest a fraction of that in a body that I am going to have until I die??? SOOOO....surgery is scheduled for 10/24/06 & I just had my first blood tests, ultrasound, EDG etc today. I was very pleased with the short time I spent at St Francis Hospital today. I was told to block about 3 hours for it, and I was done in 1.5.
About me...I am a 35 year old active single woman-never married and no kids besides a rottwieller and a tabby cat. I don't think my weight has impacted my social status until just recently- no, I just made some poor boyfriend choices (2 over the past 12 years) and stayed with each of them FAR TOO LONG!!!! I did have enough sense to know I didn't want kids with either, so that was a blessing... the second one was more for convenience purposes~ I worked full time & was getting my bachelors in business administration part time, so I didn't have a lot of time to spare. I graduated in 2004 (after 8 years in college), remodeled a house (which also took up a lot of time during the last 3 years of school) and finally said, "okay, I"M DONE!!!" I sold the house so I wouldn't keep dumping $$ into it, and decided it's time to focus on me. I got a promotion in Feb 2006 which has allowed me more free time, more money, and more satisfaction.
I have ALWAYS been overweight-since I came out of the womb! I just didn't know I was overweight until about 3rd grade. I struggled throughout elementary & jr high and thinned out some in high school (size 14 for the most part) but even then I thought I was huge... (to be so huge now!) I have always liked the way I look besides being overweight- I like my eye color, skin tone, and hair color- I have a nice smile after years in braces (although my lips could use a little of the fat that's everywhere else on my body) and I have a strong independent personality and feel that my only curse is my "outer packaging". I have a good outlook and have never let my weight stop me from trying new things-snow skiing and SCUBA (new favorite) are just a couple of my favorite activities.
So honestly, I feel like my life is pretty full at this point, but I do struggle daily with the reflection in the mirror. I have a lot of cute girlfriends that I do social activities with and it is hard being totally overlooked simply because of my outer appearance. I would love to find a man that meets my standards, but those have been adjusted WAY UP after the last few mistakes... I took several marketing classes though, so I know, I've got to make some changes in order to attract the audience I'm seeking....HOLD ON BOYS!!!
I can hardly wait for my band-day and I am looking forward to finding some support on this sight, so hit me up~ I’m waiting to hear from you all!
I honestly doubt I will update this daily, but probably will on significant dates and more frequently post op, because others’ diaries have been very helpful!
September 07, 2006
I am trying to start prepping for the surgery now so I don't have so much to adjust to afterwards. On 8/30/06 I went to a nutritional class and did my psych evaluation. Over the weekend I went to VitaLady's store and got some protein drinks and vitamins. I started on the protein drinks that same day-Saturday 09/02/06. I have been drinking them in place of breakfast and dinner and eating a decent lunch- makes it easy when the only one expecting dinner besides me are the cat and dog!
I have been on a role too...I managed to start back up at the gym- haven't been going since I moved in April, but have gone the last two days and will be there tonight. I am doing 30 minutes on the elyptical trainer- I used to do a little weight lifting too but have skipped since I started back. I will incorporate that soon. I have also gotten in all 64 oz of water since Tuesday~ mind over matter I guess!
I got an email from an OH member a few days ago that is having her LB surgery the same day I am & have found that to be really exciting! We've emailed back and forth a few times and it really makes it nice knowing there is someone that will be experiencing the same things around the same time. The next thing on my list is to get involved in a support group in my area- I think I'll work on that next week though.
Tomorrow I go in for my scope. I'm not worried about this as I had this procedure done in my early twenties and didn't have any problems with it then. I remember gagging a little as they were pushing the scope down my throat, but I was so sedated, I was more interested in floating around in my own little world than trying to fight it.
So cheery-oh for now...I'll update more when there's more news!
September 13th
So things are still going good...completed all my pre-op tests including my scope, which was last Friday 09/08/06. Boy, those drugs were marvelous! The last thing I remember was remarking on how quickly they worked, then a little while later I woke up in a completely different room! Everything must have gone okay because I got a call from the surgeon's office later that afternoon asking if I wanted to move my surgery forward-as early as this week...unfortunatly my schedule will not permit it, but if I look on the bright side, that just gives me more time to adjust. I made it to the gym 3 times last week- didn't go over the weekend, but made it Monday & Tuesday so far this week and even added in some weight training, so getting back on track regarding my exercise.
I caved in to a nachos craving on Saturday....the restaurant I get them from makes them so that is the only thing you eat the whole day!!! I didn't eat them all- the dog got the leftovers (she's getting a lot these days) but I sure paid for it...I had horrible acid reflux later and that is something that I am happy for- maybe I'll be less inclined to get them next time! I've still been doing the protein shakes for breakfast and dinner but yesterday and today I got a non-fat chai latte (and a snack) mid morning. There are 2 coffee shops within a block of my job and it has been so cold in my office that I couldn't help myself. Okay- the alternative is some type of herbal tea with Splenda...gotta' work on that!
I continue to look at everyone's before and after picture and read your webpages...I can't wait to have some good "after" pix! I can't wait to get rid of my clothes!!! I am a price sensitive clothes horse~ how enjoyable will it be to be able to go into any womens' clothing store and buy things? I have NEVER been able to buy clothes in a regular store-even when I was young, I was a "pretty PLUS" size and even then, I whined to my mom about not wanting the pants with the stupid little animal embroidered on the back pocket...NOT COOL in 6th grade! For halloween in 2007 I want to be a circus tightrope walker, dressed in thigh highs, a cute little tutu and form fitting bustier! Let's see if I can make that happen!
But it's not all about the looks though either...I want to be healthy-I'm already pretty happy, so happy and healthy-what more can I ask for???
My parents are excited for me and have shown the utmost support. But even more exciting, my dad, who is 60 and has been obese since before I was born, is now looking into the surgery also. My mom is interested too, but being on Kumadin (sp?) makes things a little harder for her. But I would love to pave the way for my whole family if I could! This whole process may wind up benefitting more than just me!
October 13, 2006
On Wednesday I went in for my last office visit- lost 7 lbs over the past few weeks- just enough that I wasn't required to start my liquid diet until 7 days pre-op (YAY!) but I am still being concious of my choices and not treating this like a last hurrah.... I am getting much better at eliminating sugar and as much as I might like to take one last trip to the seafood buffet at the casino, I am not.
I haven't thought I was nervous about this whole thing, but I think I might be subconciously...I've been waking up around 2 or 3 am a few nights a week and can't go back to sleep. This is not new, just occuring more often than it used to. I am very confident that I will do well though, so I'm not sure why I'm spending so much time thinking about it.
November 07, 2006
WOW!! How time flies! 2 weeks ago at this time I was just getting comfortable after being released from St Francis. Here's a brief recap:
10/24 surgery day: checked in at 8 am, weighing in at 243. Put on an IV and stuck in a room to wait for my turn. About noon or 1 pm I started getting a little antsy because nobody would tell me how long the wait would be- only that some people don't even get into the operating room until pretty late. Unfortunately, I was one of those people...Finally, after 6 pm I was wheeled into surgery. I definitely voiced my opinion- the least I could have been told was how many people were scheduled before me. BUT that is the extent of my complaints; after surgery I was well taken care of by the staff and felt that they were all very compassionate. I took my first walk before I ever made it back to my room (which was after 9 pm) and was given a morphine pump to help with the pain. It was somewhat painful, but not unbearable. I was released about 10 am 10/25 and went home to care for myself, my dog, and my cat.
Over the next few days I slept a lot, woke up at odd hours, fought A LOT of gas and some nausea. The nausea seemed to be occuring because I couldn't get enough of the gas out, causing some dry heaving. I stopped medicating myself (was sent home with Roxycet- a combination of percoset and tylenol in a liquid form) as of Thursday-switched to liquid tylenol, then stopped any meds as of Friday.
I went back to work Monday 10/30/06-probably a little too soon. Once I got off the meds, things started flowing, and there was nothing solid about it, if you get what I mean! I took an anti diarrheal on Sunday morning and that was a major mistake, because that completely plugged me up and I couldn't even expel air....so more gas build up, which turned into a horrible case of dry heaves on Monday around noon. IT WAS BAAAAADDDDD!!! It took about a half hour to gain enough strength to get my stuff together and go home, and when I got there, it took another 3 hours to get through it. For the first several days, I experienced such a tightness at the top of my abdomen, that it seemed the only thing that helped was complete relaxation and sleep. I woke up in much better shape every time.
So Thursday 11/01/06 was the turn-around day. I completed a full day of work, got to start back on protein, and even taught a 4 hour class on Wednesday (but left a couple hours early that day as I was still a little tired).
That leads us back to today....I am happy to say, I made it to the gym last night, did 35 minutes on the treadmill and had to hold myself back so I didn't overdo it. I am not happy to say that I have not been super disciplined about my protein and vitamin supplements. I have been averaging about 2 drinks a day and about half of my vitamins, but thats a work in progress. I have also experimented a little with some soft foods, which is outside of my surgeon's recommendations- I am supposed to on only protein drinks 3x/day and a clear liquid diet still. I haven't eaten much, or anything that's not good for me, but I have deviated from my program a little....damn, I'm human- its a work in progress! My current weight is 234, although I've been hovering at this weight for a week or so. I am scheduled for my 1st fill 11/20, so I'm excited for that! I have experienced some pretty strong hunger pangs over the past week or so- during the 1st week I was so full of gas, I could hardly get anything down. But the hunger pangs are tolerable and go away very quickly with something as simple as some water or soup broth. So I am hoping to start seeing some more weight loss over the next few weeks, but am not setting expectations too high~ as long as I stay pretty close to my diet and make good choices, I am content.
I will be posting some pre-op pix from the day of surgery and some pix of my incisions, which I am happy with- they are minor and with a little time, should almost completely disappear. I took some pix in my bra and underwear but don't think I want to post them- at least until I have some really good ones to compare them to. So that's it for now- hope this is encouraging to all of you bandsters in different phases!
02/28/2007- Just a quick little update...all is going good with the band, presently between about 210-212# (maybe a little less but this week isn't the best week to weigh myself...) I am in the gym 4-5 days a week, arriving between 5:15-5:30 every morning and putting in a solid hour of cardio and/or weightlifing, depending on the day. I am a member of Pure Fitness and am taking advantage of their program called Reprogram, where I meet monthly with a personal trainer to refine my training program, do a weigh-in and have my BMI calculated correctly based upon the little "fat-pinching" tool they use. I can't remember exactly what it is currently, but it's decreasing and I am losing fat and gaining muscle! I am pretty proud of myself because I have not been able to convince anyone to join me regularly at the gym, yet I'm making it myself religiously!
I am now getting rewarded with people noticing the changes and nicknames like "skinny" and "ever-shrinking lady". I am also in the first "closet clean out" phase, getting rid of the largest sizes I've ever owned and replacing them with the "wishful thinking" wardrobe that I've hung on to for several years, since I out grew them.
I have a good fill- I don't know if I will wind up getting anymore because I am comfortable with my level of restriction. I am at 2.4 cc's in a 10 cc band and that seems to be a good state for me. My last fill was January 8th- I declined getting a 3rd in February.
My scars have faded nicely and I am happy with the shape I'm starting to see develop in my body- I'm even starting to see the shadow of collarbones! I'm putting up a couple of new pix today.
05/02/2007-Bought a house and moved since my last update- this deterred my workout schedule for a little while, impacting the pace of my weight loss, but I KNEW that this was going to happen. On top of moving, I also did a lot of prep work before moving in, like painting two large rooms in my house. I had also really hurt my back when I started a new circuit training program, but I worked through it and was back in the gym after about a 3 week absence. I still lost during that time- just at a slower pace... Now I need to start working on reshaping what's in my head...I have always been happy with my physical characteristics, and they are looking much better now, having shaved off several pounds, but I still feel like I have problems attracting decent prospects. I am not desperate for a boyfriend or husband, and I get a fair amount of attention, but it never seems to pan out...it's been years since I really dated someone new- I get stuck in the old ruts and settle for them, even though there is a constant voice in the back of my head saying, "there's more out there for you" and "you deserve better"... I just have to keep on working on reshaping these negative feelings and work on both my head and body...
