Monthly Archives: January 2010

Jan 27 2010

Non-Scale Victories!

I have a few non-scale victories to share with you all! I really haven’t had many until recently, but over the past few days they’ve really started to roll in!

My mom gave me a ring when I graduated from college in December of 2007. I was able to wear it for a while, but it didn’t even take a year before my already pudgy fingers were too thick for the band. I, the Banded Girl (I almost typed my given name there…), wore that ring last week!

I’ve been kind of sad because I was down to two pairs of jeans. Not any more! I’m wearing a pair of 20s for the first time in over a year and a half right now! They’re practically new and have been sitting in my closet for ages. I don’t know what I was wearing seven months ago because I was wearing Lane Bryant’s Right Fit jeans, which have their own special sizing, but I’d venture to guess that I was in a 24 or 26.

My shirts are also starting to get too big and I’m able to shop in my closet more and more. In another five pounds or so I’ll have a ton of shirts to wear. I’m already in four or five that haven’t seen the light of day in a while.

WOOO! Do you have any recent NSVs you’d like to share? Leave a comment so we can revel in your glory :)

Jan 25 2010

When Do You Get a Fill?

I was reading Gen’s blog today, where she mentioned that her test for whether or not she needs a fill is her ability to eat a slice of pizza. She knows it’s time to go in for a top off if she’s can manage a whole slice.

I know that I’ve read in Amy’s blog that her doctor always asks if she can eat a sandwich with bread when she goes in for fill appointments.

I use intuition, which probably isn’t the best strategy. “Well, I feel like maybe I could use a fill, but I’ll wait another week to be sure.” My current thought is “I’m getting hungry way more than three times a day; maybe I’ll ask for a little fill when I go in for my post-op appointment next Tuesday.”

Do you have a test you use to tell you when you’re ready for a fill? How do you know it’s time to go in? Share with the class!

Jan 24 2010

Post-Revision Update: 9 Days Out

I wanted to give you all a quick update about my revision progress.

My incision’s healing really well. All of the steri-strips are still on and the cut itself doesn’t even hurt at this point. It itches from time to time, but it’s really minor.

What does hurt is the area where my surgeon removed scar tissue and resutured my port. It hurts to bend over, it hurts to stretch too much. I live in constant fear of doing something to pull my stitches out so that I have to deal with the same port issues in the future. I’m afraid that sweeping (which I do with much vim and vigor), scrubbing the shower, vacuuming, etc. will do harm. I don’t think that a dirty home is one of the recognized side effects of port revision surgery.

And I’m still exhausted. I thought that I’d be back to 100% energy after a few days out, but I’m not. I’m torn between wondering if I should start to worry and telling myself that this was still an invasive surgery and it might take longer to heal than I’d anticipated.

I think I’m also starting to realize that I’m fairly slow to recover. I missed a week of work after I had all four of my wisdom teeth removed and my face was still very swollen when I returned (it looked like I had eggs on each side of my jaw). When I had my gallbladder removed, I was out of work for a month and school for three weeks. Granted, I had complications that meant I couldn’t sit up for extended periods of time, but still…. It took a month before I felt like I was back to normal after I was banded, when many people report really short recovery times (I swear I read that someone moved the day after she had surgery). So maybe I’m right on track for my crappy recovery system.

I’ll post pictures after the steri-strips come off on Friday. There’s not much to see right now, as the incision is almost completely covered.

Jan 23 2010

Talking Scale

We’ve all heard the rules to help us slow down as we eat. Put your fork down between bites. Chew your food into oblivion. Take small bites.

How about a scale that tells you you’re eating too fast?

Yup. It’ll publicly shame you when you’re not eating at a proper pace, as determined by a food therapist.

(From the Boy, who read it here. Photo stolen from Gizmodo.)

Jan 21 2010

Banded Bloggers: i heart the band

I wish I made Banded Bloggers posts more often! The problem is that a rule I’ve made for recommending another person’s blog on here is that I have to read every post…. It takes a lot of time to go back and read archives!!

In any event, I stumbled across i heart the band not too long ago. Gen was banded in September and has lost as much weight as I have (I have a three month lead on her)! She’s rocking it by exercising and watching what she eats. She’s candid about her life as a telecommuter with four kids in a rural area with no lap-band doctors nearby.

That’s what appeals most to me about Gen’s blog–she lives in southwest Colorado, USA. I grew up within a 100 mile radius and lived in the city where Gen lives before I moved to Phoenix four years ago.

When I was banded, I accepted it as reality that I would never be able to move “home” again. The nearest lap-band doctors are, as far as I know, in the major cities in the nearest states: Denver, Salt Lake, and Phoenix (New Mexico doesn’t have any bariatric surgeons who preform lap-band surgeries, which means the closest city, Albuquerque, is out of the equation). To get a fill would require a long drive or a very expensive flight. Gen makes it work, though, and it impresses me. I feel reassured that I’d be able to make my band work if I ever lose my mind and decide to move back :)

Go check out Gen’s blog. She’ll inspire you no matter how close (or far) you are from her.

Jan 21 2010

Overweight People Are at a Disadvantage

I’d love to be able to devote some time to write a fully fleshed out post on this, but I’m at work and I wanted to get this out there.

An article on CNN today contends that people who are overweight have health problems due to misdiagnosis (or no diagnosis at all). The story comments on fat-phobic doctors, doctors who assume that all of a person’s medical difficulties are because of his or her weight, and tests that don’t work as well on people who carry extra pounds.

None of this was news to me, but what are your thoughts?

Jan 21 2010

Thursday Weigh-In

Starting Weight: 298.2 pounds
Last Week’s Weight: 256.6 pounds
Today’s Weight: 254.8 pounds

1.8 pounds lost. I was wondering how this weigh in was going to go, as I was in the 260s in the days immediately following my revision. Maybe the next week will bring another significant drop in weight :)


Jan 20 2010

SooOoo Tired!

Hey guys! I haven’t forgotten about BandedGirl.com or any of you, but I’ve had a busy few days.

Friday, as most of you know, I had surgery to re-suture my port in place and remove some sensitive scar tissue. Surgery, from my perspective, was a lot like the original procedure in June (you can read about it here). I do remember more from when I was in the operating room this time–nurses asking me how I was doing and squeezing my hand to reassure me and some garbled words I can no longer make out.

It still hurts, but recovery hasn’t been as bad this time as when I got the band. Standing up and sitting down is getting closer to painless every day and I’ve caught myself laying on my left side a few times in the middle of the night. Of course, I awakened because I was in pain, but the fact remains that I was laying on that side :) I’m still exhausted. So exhausted.

Okay. So we toured some houses on Saturday, did some research, went back to the houses…. I slept when we got home.

I read a lot on Sunday (and slept).

On Monday, we gave a building company a down payment on a house and signed the initial contract! It took four hours (my God). We came home and (guess what?) I slept.

I was supposed to go to work yesterday, but I stayed home instead and did a repeat of Sunday’s activities. Oh, and deleted 75 spam messages from this site!

And today? Today I went back to work. I was wiped out by 3:00, but I managed to make it the rest of the day. Now I’m trying to hold on to lucidness long enough to make sure I sleep through the night.

What’s up with all of you?

Jan 15 2010

Port Revision from The Boy’s Perspective

I’m writing this from the waiting room of the surgery center where The Girl is about to undergo a port revision procedure. This surgery is intended to accomplish two things:

  • Remove painful scar tissue surrounding her port.
  • Resuture her port so it stays in place better (her port is, as they say, moblie).

If you’d like to learn more about the surgery The Girl provided details and links in a comment on her post yesterday.

5:57 AM: We arrived, The Girl signed in and paid. All the standard doctor stuff.

6:04 AM: They took The Girl and told me I could see her before the procedure. This is when she gets dressed in that awesome doesn’t-cover-a-damn-thing outfit and goes through the pre-op steps.

6:37 AM: I got to see The Girl for a couple minutes, as promised, before she was wheeled in for the procedure. The doctor was there, too, and The Girl asked about her next fill. He said a week or so, and the nurse asked for confirmation that it wasn’t happening today. He replied, “probably not.”

After that she told me she’d be in recovery for about an hour following the procedure. She also said they put her in an adult diaper this time.

She mentioned that last bit after I told her I was blogging this, so I can only assume an implied endorsement for sharing that with you.

I also assume that she’ll be thrilled when she sees this picture I took:

I assume lots of things!

7:04 AM: This is a little off-topic, but I can’t stay silent any longer: morning news is horrid. Waiting rooms need something else. Maybe a puppy.

I swear, if these anchors had made one more bad joke about the cocaine found in the shuttle’s hanger I might have snapped.

7:21 AM: The doctor came out and let me know that it went well. He said the port is now much more secure, and a good bit of scar tissue that was probably causing problems was removed. He also said he put a little more fluid in there; I imagine she’ll be happy about that.

I asked if it would be about an hour before I got to see her, and he said it would probably be sooner than that.

7:38 AM: “Break out the thongs!”

You’re on television to report the weather, Mr. Weatherman, not make little quips that inexplicably send your annoying co-worker into a giggly tizzy. Please stop.

Thanks.

8:14 AM: I was taken back to be reunited. The Girl was doing much better than ger last surgery (getting the band), but still groggy.

That’s my Girl!

She mentioned that they intebated, which caused a sore throat. There was also a sore, discolored spot under her tongue. The nurse said she didn’t know what could have caused it.

The nurse also said there was no gas this time, so there shouldn’t be as much discomfort. The Girl opted for extra-strength tylenol instead of narcotics, saying her pain was a six out of ten.

We were given the typical no driving-no decisions-no machines warnings, instructions to have someone stay with her today (that’s me!), I signed the responsible person release, and then I brought the car around. The Girl got in with minimal trouble and we left at almost exactly 8:30 AM, making the total time spent there just over three and a half hours.

The bumps on the ride home didn’t agree with her, but that’s to be expected. She said sitting was worse than standing or laying down, so that didn’t help either.

It’s about 9:45 AM now, we’ve been back home for about half an hour, and she’s sleeping (with a few extra pillows, a heating pad, and Teddy Bear, of course).

I’ll be answering any questions you have for me in the comments; ask ‘em if you’ve got ‘em!