1st Bandiversary!!!

February 3, 2011

Our 1 year Bandiversary

One year ago today Lowcountry and PalmettoCrab started our lives over.  We made the very difficult and complex decision to get Lap-Bands to improve our health and our life expectancy. 

One year ago, Lowcountry was suffering from out-of-control Diabetes.  His hemoglobin A1C was 9.9 at one time (normal is 4.0-6.0).  He was on two different medications for diabetes and more were being added to his daily regime.  Since the day of surgery, he has been on no medications at all.  His A1C is now 5.4 and completely normal.  He went from quarterly visits to his doctor to “See you in a year" on his last visit. 

A year ago, PalmettoCrab was suffering from Diabetes, PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome), sleep apnea, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, migraines, infertility, and NASH (nonalcoholic steatohepatisis) which was found during my surgery.  I was on so many medications, I couldn’t seem to get a pill organizer big enough.  My A1C was 7.5ish.  It is now 5.8; completely normal.  The only thing I take medicine for now is migraine prevention (I don’t even need a pill organizer for that one pill).  All other symptoms and ailments are gone!  My cholesterol is down 100 points, my blood pressure is normal, all of my lab work is within normal ranges. 

Lowcountry has lost 83 pounds and 64% of his excess weight.  PalmettoCrab has lost 41 pounds and 52% of my excess weight.  Lowcountry has 48 more pounds to lose and PalmettoCrab has 39 more pounds to lose.  We are losing slowly but steady.  The slower the better; statistics show the slower you lose the weight, the more likely you are to keep it off.

We started the Couch to 5k program in August.  We love that program and highly recommend it.  Lowcountry ran his first 5k on October 2^nd.  I was so proud of him!  On October 16^th, PalmettoCrab ran her first 5k.  Lowcountry was so proud!  I came in last, but I still finished!  On December 4^th, we both ran over the Savannah River Bridge.  It is a 5.5% grade for almost a mile.  PalmettoCrab ran the 5k which was once over the bridge and Lowcountry ran the 10k which was twice over the bridge!  We are in training again.  PalmettoCrab is training to run her first 10k in the Cooper River Bridge Run in Charleston (Lowcountry’s running that too)!  Lowcountry is training to run a half marathon.  He will be ready by June, but he may not have a race to run in until the fall.  We are also starting to cross-train with weights, yoga, aerobics, swimming, and various exercise machines. 

We are very pleased with our first year.  This has been a major lifestyle change.  Everything else we tried would only be successful for 1-3 months and then we’d fall off the wagon.  This time, we are changing forever!

I wish I was. My training got all out of wack. So I'm kinda starting over with my training and looking down the road.