Just a quick photo.

This is a quicky...my day is crazy.  I had a great getaway with my hubby last weekend and we got to get dressed up and go out.  I looked at this picture the next day, I was and still am very happy with what I see.  Big difference from 6 months ago! It's a strange feeling to look at a picture and feel good about it!  Hope you are all well!

 

Saddness

I had some great things to post but none of it matters right now.  I just read of Barbara losing her husband, and there are no words.  I did NOT have the pleasure of going to Chicago but have been reading her blog for awhile now.  This is so sad.  I  cannot imaging the heartache that she is feeling.  Barbara you are in my prayers and as many others have said....we are here for you.

Back to basics.

I have really gotten away from eating like a bandster so today is day one of the 5 day pouch test.  I am very excited about this and am hoping that this along with a fill tomorrow will give me a kick in the butt.  My life has been fairly crazy the last month with lots of family illness and some of it pretty serious so I have so easily forgotten about ME.  Why is it so hard for me to take care of ME first?  Well, I don't really care why at this point I just need to get back into my routine of no carbs and sugar, higher protein and working out.  I am off right now to do a little workout video with my 3 year old.  Just wanted to check in quick and say hello and let you all know where I am at.  I will write more tomorrow after my fill.  Have a great day all!!

My experience with PCOS and lapband surgery.

I have been wanting to write about this for awhile and I have a few minutes right now so I think I will do it.  I have severe PCOS.  I was diagnosed at the age of 19 after having VERY irregular periods, hair growth in weird places, and a 50 pound weight gain in just a few months.  It took several doctors and lots of work on my part, but I finally found an MD who would listen and was officially diagnosed.  I have tried lots of different meds to treat my PCOS but nothing really worked.  I got pregnant VERY unexpectedly a few months after my hubbyand I got married and miscarried my baby a few week after we found out.  I was devastated, of course.  I quickly got pregnant again with my son probably so easily due to just be pregnant the month or so before.  My second pregnancy took 1 1/2 years to achieve.  I was on lots of fertility meds and finally after giving up and taking a break we got pregnant with my daughter.  We then tried again to get pregnant again about a year or so ago and after 6 mths of ultrasounds, fertility meds, and lots of disappointment  we decided to take a break and I decided to have lapband surgery.  I tell you all of this to give you a little background on just how well I know my body.  Because of the fertility issues I am very in tune with my hormones and I know when they are off.  Before my lapband surgery, I was a mess.  I had irregular periods, very little cervical mucous when I should have had lots, ect, ect.  I am now down 40 pounds since my pre-op weigh in and MAN do I notice a difference in my hormones.  I have had a regular period since my surgery, on time, every month.  I have NEVER had this.  I have TONS of cervical mucous when I should and really notice the hormone changes in my body when I am ovulating and right before my period.  This excites me.  I am very hopeful that this summer we can get my IUD taken out and hopefully get pregnant right away.  Who new 40 pounds would make such a difference?  I have my yearly appt. with my amazing, HOT, (haha) OBGYN in a month or so and am excited to get my blood work done to see exactly how this weight loss has effected my PCOS.  There is hope my fellow PCOS ladies!  They say weight loss is the best cure for PCOS and I am sitting here as living proof that even a little weight loss can have an effect on PCOS.  I am excited for the year to come, to loose even more weight and hopefully have even less issues with my PCOS.  Well, thats it in a nut shell!  Again, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

Quick check-in

Hey all!   I am just checking in to document my weight is staying around 220 which is great.  I hate plateaus.  I get my 4th fill tomorrow and am seeing the new PA.  I am excited to meet her and hope my experience is what I want and need.  I am glad to be getting it before the Holiday and am hoping it will help with all the yummy things laying around.  I don't have much self control when it comes to sweets!  I need to work on that!  I will write more later....probably after Christmas and after my family leaves.  My dad is coming from Phoenix and we are all so excited!  I hope everyones holidays are filled with lots of love, fun, laughter, and NO pounds gained!!

What did MY scale say this morning??

I swear everytime I start complaining on my blog that I am on a plateau I lose!  My scale said....


219!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!




This whole band thing really is so different and I just now feel like I am getting the hang of it.  I am not really hungry till about 3-4 in the afternoon and haven't been eating till then.  NO NO NO!! I know.  Not good.  That is probably why my hair is falling out by the handful.  I have NOT been taking care of myself and giving my body the nutrients/fuel it needs to lose weight and be healthy.  I have been very diligent the last couple days about at LEAST having a protein shake with two scoops of protein in the AM and a cheese stick and maybe a slice of lunch meat or some turkey salad for lunch and then a healthy dinner. Just doing this the last couple days I am down 3 pounds.  I will continue to take care of my body and Monday is going to be "back to working out" day.  I WILL lose 9 more pounds to reach my 50 pounds lost and you will soon see a photo of me sporting a fly nose ring!!

Someday I will figure out why it is so difficult for me to take care of me.

Time to check in!

Hello all!  I haven't been reading or obviously writing over the last week or two for many reasons.  First it was Thanksgiving and it's just crazy.  We celebrated my sons 6th birthday the day before Thanksgiving as well.  It was great!  I can't believe how fast time has gone!  He also lost his first tooth last night!  He didn't even know it, my husband realized it as he was drying his hair after his bedtime shower.  My son was quite devastated that he didn't have the tooth so we made sure to write a note to the tooth fairy and this morning he couldn't come get us fast enough to show us his loot that the tooth fairy brought!  It was fun and it makes me realize even more that every moment I have with my children I need to continue to soak up and I am going to be better at record keeping of their "firsts".  I can't believe the things I don't remember in just 6 years!

On the shoulder front, I am healing nicely.  Sleeping is still quite difficult, but last night I actually slept without pain  meds!  That is HUGE!!  PT is really tough, but I have been working with my therapist since my accident so he really knows me well and knows when to push me and when not to.  This I am thankful for!

On the band front I am stuck at 226.  I have been there for weeks. (I was down to 222 at one point, I am not quite sure what happen.) I finally called my doctors office after calling several other offices and had no luck with finding one that would take me as a patient because they don't use the realize band.  I spoke with my surgeons assistant and felt heard and we have a new plan.  I told her about the traumatizing last fill, about the NP ignoring my questions about my hair falling out by the handful, about not even really knowing how much weight I lost since the last fill and she was very willing to listen.  I told her I wasn't trying to get the NP in trouble or anything like that, that I just want to be successful with my band and weight loss and in order for ME to do that I need a different experience when I come to the clinic.  We decided that I would see a PA that is only there once a week and my surgeon sporadically so that I can "check-in"  The one thing she really emphasized is that with the lap band you are suppose to lose 1-2 pounds a week.  I am down 33 pounds in 19 weeks so am only a few pounds behind.  I am sure part of the plateau I am on right now is because I am not working out, measuring, or making sure I am getting enough protein.  This is partly due to laziness and partly because I just had major shoulder surgery a month ago.  Today this will change.  I am going to get my s#$% together and make this band work for me.  The nurse was really impressed with my weight loss and said I am doing really well.  This made me feel good and also motivated me to, like I said before....get my s#$% together.  Again I only have 17 pounds to go for my nose ring, I would really like to do this right after the holiday when my parents are here visiting.  I would like my step mom to be with me because she is one of my biggest supporters in all things in life.  Sometimes I am  not sure how I would get through life without her!  So....17 pounds in 4 weeks?  That is a little over 4 pounds a week.  It's a far stretch, but I am going to bust my ass to get as close as possible!  

Wow!  I didn't realize I was going to go on and on!  Guess I needed to get it all out!  I hope all of you are well and will be back soon to check in!

*edit*  Just weighed myself and the scale read 224.5!!!!!  yay...hopefully it continues!