Getting "Stuck"

I have encountered one of the least pleasant side-effects of the band a few times now that I've been eating solid food for a while. Getting Stuck. Uck.

If I eat too fast and/or don't chew my food well enough, it can get stuck in my stoma-the small opening created by the band between the small pouch (upper part of the stomach) and the rest of my stomach. This results in a very uncomfortable sensation of extreme pressure in my chest which lasts for 10-15 minutes until the food works its way through, or comes back up...also known as a "PB" or productive burp (this has not happened to me yet). It is annoying, and painful, but it is a very powerful reminder to chew, chew, chew and slow down...which I should be doing anyway!

On another note...lots of folks are curious about how much weight I've lost..I think I am down around 25 pounds now, but I like to go by my doctor's scale for my official weight. The last time I saw him was on June 11 and I had lost a total of 20 pounds. My next appointment is on July 25th. I will definitely let you know the "official" new total then.

Free Yourself Portion Distortion

I'm always one to look for the easier way to do things. This holds true to trying to figure out serving sizes. Sorry, I'm just not too likely to pull out a food scale or measuring cups everytime I eat. Here is a "handy" guide to portion sizes put together by Witchita State University.

http://education.wichita.edu/caduceus/examples/servings/handy_reminders.htm
One of the easiest ways to visually estimate portion sizes is to use an everyday item that you carry around with you all the time, your hand.

-1 ounce of cheese is about the size of your thumb
-A teaspoon of margarine is about the size of your thumb tip
-1 cup of milk, yogurt or chopped fresh greens is about the size of a small hand holding a tennis ball
-1 oz nuts or small candies:About one handful
-2 oz chips or pretzels:About two handfuls
-1 cup: About the size of a man's fist
-A ½ cup of cut fruit, cooked vegetables, pasta, rice is about the size of a rounded handful
-3 ounces of meat, poultry, or fish are about the size of a women's palm
-1/2 cup of cut fruit, vegetables, or pasta is about the size of a small fist
-One ounce of snack foods--pretzels, etc. equals a large handful

Because hand sizes vary according to body, size, gender, and age, it may be easier to estimate portion sizes using some common household items.

-One piece fruit or potato: About the size of a regular (60 watt) light bulb
-One-half cup of vegetables is about the size of a light bulb
-1/2 cup: about the size of a racquet ball
-One cup of pasta is the size of a tennis ball
-3/4 cup: about the size of a tennis ball
-1 fruit serving = ½ cup canned or 1 medium fruit: is about the size of a tennis ball
-1 1/2 - 2 oz cheese: About the size of a 3.5" computer disk or a tube of lipstick or three dominos
-3 oz. meat/poultry/fish: About the size of a deck of cards or cassette tape
-2 TB peanut butter: About the size of a golf ball
-One bagel is the size of a hockey puck
-A medium potato should be the size of a computer mouse
-One teaspoon of peanut butter equals one dice.

Inspiration

http://www.stvhs.com/east/services/weightloss_testimonial.asp

The above link is to a testimonial page from patients at St. Vincents Hospital's (Alabama) Weight Loss Surgery Program. Their stories are amazing and wait until you see how wonderful, healthy and happy they all look now!

Just a Quick Post

I am exhausted! It is 10:30 PM and for the 3rd night in a row I'll be getting to bed waaaay too late. I love my job, but early mornings are really hard for me. As the week goes on and the sleep deficit accumulates, it gets harder and harder to get going in the morning. All that to say...this will be a short post.

I know that many people are following my progress. I find this to be such a great honor and source of encouragement. And, I don't want to leave you hanging! So, here is the latest.

As I already mentioned, my first fill was last Thursday. I had to go back to full liquids for a couple of days to give my stomach a chance to adjust. Now that I've been back on regular food for a few days, I can definitely feel a difference in the amount of restriction. Before the fill I had gotten to where I could pretty much eat as much as I wanted and I was having to really work hard not to over eat. But now, the band is starting to do some of that work for me. If I eat too much, too fast or if I take too big of a bite or don't chew well enough, I get an uncomfortable sensation in my upper chest. The food just kind of hangs there until it can start working it's way through my stoma and into the bottom portion of my stomach.

My head has not really caught on to the idea of my smaller stomach, however, and I still try to eat more than I can. For example, today's crazy schedule had me hitting Wendy's for lunch. I ordered one of their new "Go Wraps" which is basically a chicken tender, cheese, lettuce and ranch dressing wrapped in a tortilla. It's pretty small and I thought I would still be hungry, so I also ordered a small chili. Needless to say, the snack wrap was all I needed to be completely satisfied. But, I didn't want to waste the chili (duh!) so I tried to eat it. I got a few spoonfulls down, but that was it. I let Andrew have part of it and then ate the rest a couple of hours later.

This is a learning process, so I am trying to be patient with myself. I still feel that I am making really good progress and I am very happy with the way things are going. I am also confident that when my head, my stomach and the band all start working together, it's gonna be great.

First Fill

Today I saw Fuzz and had my first "fill". This is when he injects saline to tighten my band. I was ready because my hunger had really kicked back in. I was able to eat more than a cup of food at a meal and was hungry just a couple of hours later. All signs that I needed more restriction.

The fill was quick and relatively painless. Fuzz located the port by pressing on my belly in the area where he placed it. Once he found it he used a needle to access the port and then injected about1.5 cc's of saline solution into the band. The port and the band are connected by a thin tube. He had already put in 3 cc's when he placed the band so now I have about 4.5 cc's of saline. I'm on full liquids again for 2 days until my stomach adjusts to the new level of restriction. Then I can start back on regular food and see what kind of restriction I have.

After my fill, Jeff the Psychologist met with me for a few minutes. He said I seem to be doing really well and was pleased with my progress and my outlook. He reminded me about the June Support group meeting. I am hoping to attend this one.

So far I have lost a total of 20 pounds. That didn't seem like a whole lot to me until I picked up a 20 pound bag of dog food the other night. WOW! That put into perspective how much weight that really is! No wonder I already feel so much better. I am hoping lose around 120 ponds total, I am now 1/6th of the way there. 1 bag of dog chow down, 5 more to go!

BEWARE THE SONIC SMOOTHIE!!

I took the kids to Sonic after school today for some frozen concoctions as a last day of school treat. I scanned the menu for something that looked good but healthy. I decided to have a one of their real fruit smoothies. According to the menu, it's made from real fruit, skim milk and fat free yogurt. So, I figured it was a smart choice.

NOT!

For starters, the consistency was more like a slush than a smoothie. It had big chunks of fruit in it. It wasn't well blended like a smoothie and it was less creamy. It was pretty good, but I had wished it was more smoothie-esque.

Anyhow, tonight when I logged in my calories on thedailyplate.com I was shocked to discover that the smoothie (regular size) has 500 calories and 98 grams of sugar!!! So, guess how many calories I went over by on my diet today? 500!! On a stupid smoothie! I could have had a large order of cheesecake bites, a large root beer float or a hot fudge sundae for less calories!

On the bright side, the smoothie does have a lot of vitamins A & C and calcium. But, so do my daily vitamins and they are calorie free!

So, after looking at their on-line nutritional guide (after the fact of course) I now realize that the best choice, if I should find my self at the Sonic Drive-In looking for something frozen again, would be the vanilla ice cream cone...180 cals, 6 grams fat and 20 grams of sugar. Certainly, it's not health food, but it's not too bad as a treat.

An Easy, Yummy, Filling Dinner --Bean Burrito

Tonight I wanted something heavy to eat...that would stay with me for a while. I also looked over my food diary at www.thedailyplate.com and realized that I haven't been getting much fiber at all. So I threw this together and it was SOOOO good. It would have been better if i had fat free refried beans and whole wheat tortillas. But I had to work with what I had on hand. The best part is that I bought everything at Aldi...making this a cheap dinner, too!

1 Flour Tortilla
1/4 cup refried beans
1/4 cup shredded Colby and Monterrey Jack Cheese
2 Tblsp. Sweet Onion Salsa

Place tortilla on plate. Spread beans on tortilla. Sprinkle with cheese. Microwave for 30 - 45 seconds, just until cheese mostly melted. Spoon salsa over cheese. Wrap up and enjoy!

390 Calories; 14 g Fat; 6g Sat. Fat, 39g Carbs, 3g Sugar; 9g Fiber; 15g Protien, 916 mg Sodium

Food Wars...The Return of the Appetite

WOW! I have been really hungry today! My appetite is definitely returning and I am going to have to be careful! I see Fuzz next Thursday for my first follow-up appointment and possible band adjustment and I think I am definitely ready for a fill. Each day, I have been able to eat a little bit more and today, eating is all I've wanted to do. Some of it has been "head hunger" (wanting to eat even though I'm not physically hungry) and some of it has been real, physical hunger.

My food choices today haven't been great either. Someone brought Krispy Kremes by the station and of course I had to indulge. So, I took a small piece of several different kinds...the total was probably slightly less than a whole donut. I also ate about 10 cheetos today.

But, I am not going to beat myself up. I need to focus on the positive, right? So, here is the good stuff. First of all, the old me would have eaten two or three donuts. Secondly, at my daughter's class picnic today, I steered clear of the chips and cookies and all of the goodies. I ate a hot dog with no bun, some hot dog chili and some fresh melon. Those were good choices. Then, for a snack I had some light string cheese and 2 slices of of low-fat turkey breast. I also had a small dinner. So, even with a few bad choices, I managed to eat just a little over 1400 calories. My daily goal is 1200. I'll walk a mile tonight and burn off those extra ones. Not the end of the world.

More than anything, I just worry that I will, once again, slip right back into old habits. Those cheetos tasted SO GOOD today! Even with the the band there is still that part of me that so easily loses control around food. Yes, I stopped at 10 today...but I worry about tomorrow and the next day. I just do not want to lose control and I really felt myself slipping today. I'll be praying about that! Hopefully, having a tighter band will help, too.

Another positive, I have been faithfully logging my food and exercise on a cool website called www.thedailyplate.com . It is so important to write down everything you eat when you are trying to lose weight and this website makes it easy to do so. Check it out!

What a Great Day!

Today was my first day back in the world of REAL FOOD. To celebrate, my sweet hubby got up extra early (which means about 4:30 AM at our house) and made me scrambled eggs with cheese and toast. He brought me breakfast in bed. What a guy! I ate the eggs like a champ. I nibbled the toast a little, but I'm supposed to be eating mostly soft things, so I left most of the toast on the plate. I did scrape the butter and jelly off the top with a spoon and eat that. What?!?! It was my first meal...gimme a break!

I have truly enjoyed eating again, but it takes a loooooong time. I have to chew everything to a pulp and eat very small bites. I didn't have dinner tonight because I simply did not have time to eat. I went grocery shopping at Aldi and then had about 15 minutes to get to my friend Jane's house for a walk. So, I made a protein shake and had that on the way to Janes. Believe it or not, it hit the spot.

Jane and I walked 3 miles in her neighborhood. I felt great the whole time. I love walking with her. We talk and laugh the whole time and I forget that I'm exercising. It's a great way to catch up with a friend and burn calories.

Jane is the first person who is close to me that I've seen since the surgery but that I don't see every day. The last time she saw me was the day I came home from the hospital. Tonight, she said couldn't believe the difference in me already. She made her husband come in and look at me. He also seemed amazed by how much weight it looks like I've lost. According to my scale I've lost about 20 pounds, so I was really surprised by their reaction. She said my face looked a lot thinner. In fact, her exact words were, "Oh my gosh Tami, you've lost a whole chin!" (to get the full effect you have to imagine her saying that in her beautiful British accent). I loved it! She and Dave made me feel SO GOOD!

It is so great to have friends who are happy when you succeed. I thank God for people like Jane, my husband, my mom, my kids, my co-workers, my good friend Terrie and everyone else who continues to be my cheerleaders through this. Because of them I feel so special and so loved.

I Mowed the Lawn!

Tonight Alton and I did a bit of a trade-off. He needed to mow the lawns (ours and my Mom's) and I needed to cook dinner. He had been outside working all day, so he wasn't looking forward to mowing. And, I certainly wasn't looking forward to cooking another dinner that I could not eat. So, we swapped. I cannot tell you the last time I mowed a yard...it's been at least 15 years. But I did it...with a push mower I might add. It took me about an hour and a half and it was not easy, but I did it!

I cannot believe how much better my body feels. I already have more energy. And, I'm only 2 and a half weeks out of surgery and down by a little less than 20 pounds. I cannot imagine how wonderful I will feel a year from now. And, in just a few days (Monday) I can start adding regular food back into my diet. I am so excited!

On another note...the 5 small incisions from the surgery are completely closed up. I never had any external stitches, Fuzz closed everything with dermabond (glue). That stuff is amazing. No stitches, no wound care. And, the incisions look great. I'll bet in a years time they will barely be visible.

Whine, Cheese and Manna

Yesterday, I had a meltdown. I am smack dab in the middle of my post-op "full-liquid" diet. I hit a wall with it yesterday. The thought of another week and a half of nothing but protein shakes, yogurt, pudding and chicken broth became too much to bear. So, what did I do? I complained. Loudly. I griped to my husband, my kids and I even sent an email to my nutritionist asking her if there was something, anything, else that I could eat.

In the midst of my meltdown, I was gently reminded by a still, small voice that my grumbling was out of line. I was reminded of the Israelites in the desert who constantly murmered complaints even though God had rescued and sustained them in miraculous ways.

I believe that this surgery has rescued me from the slavery of obesity. And, there I was complaining about the manna! So, I prayed that God would forgive my lack of appreciation and that he would strengthen me so that I would gladly stick to this diet for the next 10 days. Then, I wrote this poem:

You let me go. You set me free.
You cleared the way and parted my sea.
Now I wonder in the desert,
"How much longer will it be
before I'm living in the land You promised me?"

Heavenly bread falls like rain
But milk and honey fill my brain.
Excuse me, Lord. I don't mean to complain
But, I'm gettin' kinda tired of this manna.

Egypt is getting further behind.
Memories fade as time goes by.
I've got food and drink and a place to lie
But, nothing seems to satisfy.
Why'd you bring me out here to die?

Rocks spew water, clouds drop bread.
But, milk and honey fill my head.
Not what I have, but what I want instead.
And I want something besides this manna.

Just as I start to melt the gold
and pour it in the idol's mold
Your love begins to take it's hold.
Distant memories, the story unfolds.
You freed this slave whose heart's grown cold.

So, I thank you for this bread today.
Please forgive my heart that strayed.
Milk and honey will have their day.
Right now, I'm quite satisfied with manna.

Walking

So, I've started my walking. Susan (Fuzz's Nurse) gave me a walking plan before I left the hospital. They really stress that excercise is essential to getting the most from your Lap-Band. I've read about lots of people's lap-band journeys on http://www.obesityhelp.com/, and it is true...the most successful people are the ones who regularly exercise. Eventaully, I will be exercising for 60 minutes a day, 6 days a week. But, I am starting out with 20 minutes per day of walking, which, at my slow pace is about a mile a day. So far this week I've done 3 miles. Not bad for someone a week out of surgery! I already feel healthier and stronger. Please pray that I'll have the discipline to stick with it.

I love having my mp3 player to listen to while I exercise. What are your favorite songs to work out to? You can leave a comment at the bottom of this post with your thoughts. Thanks!

Swimsuit Season Begins

Article on FoxNews.com

Healthy Foods That Might Make You Fat
Thursday , May 22, 2008

By Paula Rizzo

Sometimes the foods we think are the healthiest can be deceiving. Jackie Warner, star of the Bravo reality series Work Out, suggested really looking at the foods you are eating.

"I love fruits and you should be eating a lot of fruits, but for someone who is really trying to lose weight, you want to eat fruits that are low in sugar,” Warner said. “And a banana has a lot of sugar calories.”

A medium sized banana has about 12 grams of sugar. Some alternatives include apples, berries and citrus fruits.

Click here to watch Jackie Warner discuss this on video.

Yogurt is another snack that can help sabotage your diet, Warner said.

"It’s got calcium, vitamin D and guess what else it has - 22 grams of sugar,” Warner said. (That's roughly the amount of sugar that is in a candy bar).

"Fat does not make you fat,” Warner said. “It's sugar and calories that make you fat. Period."

Warner also said to never eat any food that contains eight grams of sugar or more.

To really see results Warner warns that you must be a smart shopper and watch out for deceptive packaging. With a package of cookies in hand, Warner pointed out that you should look at how many servings are in there. The packaging says "only 100 calories" but that's for just one cookie — there are three in the pouch.

Alcohol could also be making you fat, she said. But Warner said you don't have to give it up all together.

"If you're drinking two glasses of wine per night, go down to one,” she said. “I'm not about deprivation.”

Back at Work!

Yesterday was my first day back at work. It went very well! I'm feeling good and starting to get some of my strength back. My appetite is weird and I think my body & stomach are still trying to figure out what is going on. I go from being really hungry to feeling very full. I'm having to relearn what full feeels like. I am also really starting to want some real food. For the next 2 weeks I'm on "full liquids" like yogurt, pudding, protein shakes, etc. I am really craving some meat. I want something I can actually CHEW and SWALLOW!! Oh well, this too shall pass. I'm just praying it will pass quickly!

Pastor Pete came by the house last night to check on me, and that was really nice. It is great having a pastor who has also had weight loss surgery. He is able to realate to a lot of what I'm going through. He said the 2 week post-op diet was the hardest part for him, too. I am so thankful for the way my church family has supported me and prayed me through this. At church this Sunday, the message was about recovering from addictions and making changes in your life. It was such an affirming message for me and for this decision that I have made. It was a reminder that God does not want me bound by this weight and addiction to food...he wants me to be free to serve and glorify him!

Pretty Flowers

Look at the pretty flowers that my WBFJ family sent on Friday! I am so blessed to work with such caring, loving folks!

Praise the Lord!

Just as he said he would, Fuzz called at 8:30 this morning. Good news, I tested negative for the c. Diff bacteria. He's not sure why my bowels have gone into overdrive, but we've ruled out c. diff, which can get really serious in some cases. I'm still having some issues, but feeling better today than I have all week. I even took Andrew and his friend to a party this morning and then went and got the oil changed in the van. I'm slowly but surely returning to life.

5 days out

Just a quick update. As I mentioned in the last post, I've had some problems with "The Big D" (some of the folks reading my blog apparently thought I was referring to some sort of football term. No, that's my nice way of saying diarrhea). Dr. Fuzz was a bit concerned so he had me come in so he could run some tests. Apparently, there is a bacteria called "C. Diff." (this is an abbreviation for a long, latin sounding name)that can cause some nasty bowel issues. It's caused either by antibiotics or by picking it up in the hospital, and since I've had exposure to both recently, he wanted to play it safe to make sure this isn't the cause of my issues. He is going to call me tomorrow morning with the results (mind you, he is calling me at home on a Saturday Morning, before he goes to his kids t-ball game...I am so impressed!). He's written me a prescription for an antibiotic that gets rid of c. diff, so if I do have it, I'll take that and hopefully it will clear up. So, please pray that I don't have C. Diff and if I do, that the antibiotics will work quickly. THANK YOU!

Other than those niceties, I'm doing pretty well. I'm feeling lots better today than I was yestarday. Now that I've started the "full-liquids" phase of my diet, I can finally have some things that contain protein. Plus, I'm now on my daily Multi-Vitamin. So, the extra nutrition should help me get some of my strength back. The really good news is that I've lost 17 pounds! Yippee!

A Rough Day

Yesterday was rough. I ran a low fever most of the day and had problems with "The Big D", so I was either in bed or in the bathroom all day. Today is a little better, my fever is gone and I've started Immodium. Hopefully that will help. If not, I have to go back to the doctor this afternoon. Thay don't want me getting dehydrated. I'll keep ya posted!

Liquid Vicodin, Sleep and Chicken Broth, These are a Few of My Favorite Things!

Day two post-op has been quiet and good. I slept really well last night which was great and even managed to get a few more hours in this morning. The pain meds are great to help me get comfortable and sleepy. I'm feeling pretty good and enjoying a quiet house. I'm starting to get a little hungry but chicken broth and other clear fluids are keeping me full. I am really looking forward to Friday when I can start having my protein shakes and some other full liquids, even pudding and yogurt! I think my body is craving the nutrition...especially protein.

Some thank you's before I sign off for the day:

-My absolutely wonderful family who have supported me through this. My very devoted husband, Alton, who has been right here by my side (even on a really uncomfortable chair overnight in the hospital) through this whole process, even though he wasn't crazy about the idea of surgery. My mom, who took care of the kids while I was gone and made dinner for the family and who has been, as always, very helpful. My kids, who keep me smiling.
-Thanks to everyone who came to pray with me at the hospital, including: Pastor Pete, Tim Bussey, Dean Tsiolkas, John Bussard (and his friend whose name I cannot remember)and Wayne Branch from First Christian Church, and also my sweet long-time friend Terrie and her husband Brett (The Minister at Wesley Memorial Methodist Church in W-S).
-My boss and co-workers at WBFJ who have also been so supportive.
-Thanks to my friend Jane for her visit and the beautiful roses.
-Thanks Dawn Creason for last night's dinner.
-Thanks to everyone who has emailed me or commented on my blog with your words of encouragement and support. They've meant more than you'll ever know.
-Again, to so many of the staff at Baptist Hospital who were so kind to me during my surgery and hospital stay. I didn't get everyones names, but here are some of the folks I want to thank:
-The nurse who held my hand in the OR as I waited for anesthesia
-The anesthesiologist who was so kind and warm
-Elizabeth Krings, who was also so caring as I was waiting for surgery
-Fuzz, of course, for doing such a wonmderful job, and for letting us call him Fuzz!
-Linda Waters, the director of the unit I stayed on and her wonderful staff.
-All the nurses from pre-op to recovery who took such good care of me, including: Sharon, Becky, Tammy, Margaret.
-Susan Butler, the Nurse from Dr. Fuzz's team who is such a sweet and helpful person with a real desire to help her patients make the most of their weight loss experience!