Marcie's Lap Band Journey

2009-03-16T23:08:00.000-07:00

Sorry it's been so long since I've been on here. I got motivated tonight when I saw a friend of mine who had surgery for the gastric sleeve.

I am going to admit that I have not been exercising at all like I should be. I do have a list of excuses that I can add here but I am not going to. The bottom line is that I have just lost my motivation. I haven't gained any weight or lost. I am maintaining..... that doesn't make me happy. I need to get myself moving again and it is SOOOO hard!! I can think of 1000 other things that I would rather be doing than going to the gym or even just getting out and walking.

So I have reflected back on this journey I began last fall. I have re-read this entire journal and I am so thankful that I did! I remember what I went through before my surgery... and especially right afterward. I didn't do this to just get to this point and lose my motivation.

My plan is to get back on here and post every week again. It gives me some accountability that I feel I really need right now!

2009-02-23T06:46:00.000-08:00

-2 lbs. I have this nasty stomach bug that has been going around. It hit me on Friday night and I still have it today (Monday)!! I went to the ER on Saturday and was there for 7 hours. I was having so much abdominal pain that I thought I was going to die. The other thing was that I had been vomiting so much that they thought it may have done something to my band. I had a CT with contrast done and found that everything was OK with the band!! What a relief. This has been a hard winter for me!! BRING ON THE SUMMER!!

Anyhow, that's about all that's new. I will post again on Wednesday!

2009-02-16T00:56:00.000-08:00

Sorry I didn't post last Wednesday. It's been a busy week. Thanks to my friend who sent me the friendly reminder :O)

I haven't weighed myself. I have still been feeling really crappy. Haven't been to the gym for a while now... like 2 weeks I think. I have been walking... but I know it's not the same. So my focus this week is to get my butt to the gym at least 4 times and do my walking. I will post again on Wednesday.

Thanks!!

2009-02-05T06:51:00.001-08:00

-3 lbs this week. I feel like my band is finally working for me. I am feeling full a lot longer and have even made the mistake once of eating more than I should. It is VERY painful.... so much that I won't do that again. You either have to just wait for it to go down or throw up. Throwing up isn't a good idea because it could cause the band to slip, but when you are in that situation.... it brings about almost instant relief.

My Bodybugg is my new best friend. It is great! It has really helped me to push myself a bit harder. I was definetly getting comfortable with my workout and not really pushing myself as hard as I could. My goal right now is 10000 steps a day (which is 5 miles) and at least 1 hour of physical activity. So far, so good.

Not much else to report this week. Have a good rest of your week!!

2009-01-29T02:52:00.000-08:00

Got my 3rd fill yesterday. AND... I was actually down -2 lbs more than my home scale showed!! We talked about whether or not to even fill this time and I told her that I really wanted it. Even though I am losing weight, I feel as though it isn't necessarily because of the band. She agreed and put in another 0.5 cc's so I am now at 5.5 cc's . Hope that I will feel something different this time. I am back to liquids today, soft foods tomorrow, and full diet on Saturday. She said that it is because sometimes filling the band can cause excess swelling. If you eat too soon it can make you vomit. Every time you vomit you are risking slippage of the band. And I have come to far to have that happen!! So, I will stick to the schedule.

Oh... BIG news!! I got a Bodybugg~~ I am sooo excited and can't wait to start using it!!! For those of who don't know what that is... it is an armband that you wear all the time, except for showers and bed. It calculates how many calories your body is burning during the day... even at rest. It comes with a computer program that allows you to enter in the foods that you eat during the day. You then plug the band into your computer at night and it will tell you how you did for the day. The idea is to have a deficit between calories in and calories burned. That's how we lose weight. It also has a band that you can wear that looks like a watch that communicates with the armband and you can look at the wristband and know where you are without actually having to upload the armband all the time. It's just another TOOL for me to use in my quest for healthy weight lose. I will keep you updated and let you know how it's working for me. If you watch the Biggest Loser, they wear the Bodybugg. You will notice it strapped to their upper arm.

Hope everyone has a great week!

2009-01-27T05:15:00.000-08:00

I know that I am posting a little early this week... however, I have been going stir crazy here at the house. I have been down and out for the last week with a sinus infection which then traveled down to my chest kicking my asthma into gear! Today I am feeling MUCH better... I think I am on the road to recovery now!

-5 lbs this week! I am feeling really good about that. I haven't seen the scale move too much lately. Tomorrow I am getting my 3rd fill. I will write again and let you know how that goes. I am excited... I feel like this is going to be it. The fill that makes some sort of difference.
Unfortunately, that also means back to liquids for 3 days :O(

Well, that's all for now. I will post again tomorrow evening after I get that fill.

2009-01-22T03:50:00.000-08:00

No weight loss this week. I only made it to the gym 1 day, between working and this darn sinus infection that I have been struggling with. Started on some antibiotics yesterday so I hope I will start feeling better soon!!

I am scheduled for another fill next Wednesday. Will let you know how that goes. I still don't feel as though I am feeling as much restiction as I should.... or at least as much as I thought I would at this point.

2009-01-14T07:03:00.000-08:00

-2 lbs this week. It wasn't hard to get back on track with my eating and the gym. It actually feels really good. Although my weight doesn't seem to be changing too much, I measured my body again and realized that I have lost another 4 inches.... a total of 26 inches.

I have been adding more weights at the gym and not doing cardio every day as I was before. I learned that it may actually be slowing down my metabolism by during the cardio 6 days a week. So, I have cut back to 3 days and will see how that works.

I decided that since I have been having such a hard time just kind of hanging around this weight that I would set a little goal for myself. When I lose 16 more lbs I will plan a weekend away for me and my hubby. I have been wanting to get away to Chicago so this is a little incentive for me.

Hope everyone has a great week!! Keep your goals in focus and you will achieve them before you know it!!

2009-01-07T06:58:00.000-08:00

We have returned to the land of the Artic!!! Holy cow... what a difference in the weather. Anyhow, we had a GREAT time at Disney. The boys did an awesome job with their performances down there and the weather was beautiful every single day.

So I gained +2 lbs over the last two weeks. I honestly did not count calories or anything else while I was gone! All I did was have fun!! And I am totally OK with it. I am back on track now and I will lose it. Life is going to happen.... this journey is for the rest of my life.... not just for a month or a year.

I believe that having the band did limit me to what I ate. I was not hungry all the time... I was just not choicing to eat the things that I KNEW I should be eating.

I hope that everyone has a great New Year in 2009!! I have great expectations of things to come and I am looking forward to what the future is going to bring.

Hard work and dedication are the keys to success. Enjoy life for what it is.... it is OK to have a "bad" day and not make good food choices. The important thing is just getting back on track!!

2008-12-24T04:16:00.000-08:00

-2 lbs this week. It's Christmas Eve!! I can not believe how quickly this month has gone by!! Been very busy getting everyone ready to go to Florida. Can't wait to get the heck away from all of this snow.

It was a good week. It seems that I have been wanting to eat a lot more this week... probably because I am stressing out! That is when I like to eat the most! So I was happy to at least see the scale moving a little bit. I also have not been going to the gym like I should be. I will get back into the swing of it all when I get back from vacation.

I won't be posting next week so MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OF MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY!!! I know that it is going to be a great year for me and for all of you too!!

I know that the waiting process to get the lap band done is difficult. I also know that many of you have to go over hurdles that I didn't have to because of your insurance.... I just want to say to you guys... Keep up the good work and conviction!! You can do it and it will be so worth it in the end!

God Bless you all!!

2008-12-17T16:11:00.000-08:00

Ok, well no weight loss this week. No gain either so I am OK. I really thought that this would be a big week since I got that fill. Not really sure what's going on....

I am feeling a bit more restriction when I eat now. I am not as hungry as I have been. I do know that I have not been drinking as much water as I should be.... this could be one reason for no loss this week. Some days it is just so hard to drink all the time!!

Well, thanks for checking in... sorry I don't really have much to report. Will post again next week.

Have a blessed week!!

2008-12-11T04:09:00.000-08:00

2008-12-11T04:00:00.000-08:00

-3 more lbs this week. I had my second fill yesterday. She put in another 1 cc of sterile saline. That brings me to a total of 5 cc's....over half full now. I swear that she told me the last time that it holds 12 cc's but yesterday she said that it holds 9 cc's. Anyhow... that doesn't really matter so much I guess. So, I am back on clear liquids today.... protein shakes on Friday... and Saturday I can start back on a full diet.

I am feeling really good. I have been feeling really hungry, so I am hoping that this fill will really make a difference. She said that I should start feeling some restiction now.

Ok, well till next week!! Have a great day!!

2008-12-07T11:07:00.000-08:00

July 2008 (left) December 2008 (right) - 50 lbs

2008-12-03T08:05:00.001-08:00

Hi everyone!

-3 lbs this week! Thanksgiving was wonderful. I had a great time hanging out with my family and just doing nothing. I ate everything that I wanted.... just in smaller portions. I had turkey, corn bread.... even cake and pie! I made the decision that morning that I wasn't going to restrict myself from anything that I wanted. I allowed myself this one day to eat whatever I wanted and it was wonderful. I didn't gorge out like I would have in years past. I was satisfied with everything that I put in my mouth and I didn't feel guily at all. Next day, I was back on track with eating the right foods again. It was absolutely amazing for me.

I get my second fill next week Wednesday. I had debated, and discussed with many of you, the possibility of not getting a fill again until after we get back from Disney. After much consideration, I feel that I need to move ahead and do it now before we go. What I was concerned about was not having enough healthy food options available to me when I get down there and then being miserable and hungry all of the time. What I think that I am going to do is send a package to the hotel before we get there with some non-perishable food items that I know I will be able to snack on while I am there. For one, it will be cheaper than buying the same items when we get down there and two, I can include some protein powder which will at least assure me that I am getting the minimum amounts of calories and protein that I need every day. I lived on protein shakes for almost a month and survived... what's another week!!

I hope that everyone has a great week and I will be updating again next Wednesday after I get that fill !!

2008-12-02T05:14:00.000-08:00

I will be updating my blog on Wednesday, as always but I wanted to upload this picture of our newest family member, Joey, since several people have asked to see a picture of him. He is just the sweetest thing... all 2 lbs of him!

2008-11-26T07:48:00.000-08:00

-2 lbs this week. It's been slow and steady... and I am OK with that. I have to keep reminding myself that it took me years to put this weight on and it will take me a while to take it off. If I had really wanted to get it off fast then I would have done the gastic bypass. This was not an intelligent option for me personally. Everyone has to make that decision personally.... and not care about what anyone else thinks about it. You know yourself better than anyone else!

So..... it has been a good week. We got a new puppy! His name is Joey and he is a teeny tiny little yorkie. He has been a lot of fun. He is just like a little baby. Working on the house training... he's not a big fan of going outside in the cold.

Thanksgiving is tomorrow! I am not worried about it at all! Actually, I hadn't even thought about it until someone at work asked me what I was gonna eat. Well... I am gonna eat whatever I want I told her! It's all about portion control and staying focused on the bigger picture. Food doesn't control me anymore. It doesn't bother me to bake cookies or other things that I know that I won't be eating. My boys still need to eat and deserve to have treats. I am so focused on being healthy that I don't even want the things that I use to eat. This has been a real life changing experience for me and I have NO REGRETS at all!

Well, I wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving and will check back in next week!

2008-11-19T11:35:00.000-08:00

It's been a good week. I decided that I needed to add some caffeine back into my diet. I did some research on the benefits of tea and decided that was what I would add back in. It has less caffeine than coffee or soda. It also has many added benefits such as boosting your metabolism, curbing your appetite and boosting your immune system. I have actually been feeling really good and I have more energy. I didn't really talk to my doctor about it, but I did a lot of research on the lapband forum and it seems that it is OK with the band patients... maybe not so good for the gastric bypass patients.

I started a water aerobics class with my sister. It is a couple nights a week and has been really fun. Something different.

Well, that's about all that's new for this week. Thanks for checking in!!

2008-11-14T15:43:00.000-08:00

I am doing much better now that I can eat again!! I have noticed that I am eating less and getting fuller faster... which is the whole point. I am also burping a lot more, especially after I eat. I think that maybe I am still eating too fast. It is really, really hard to make a meal last for 3o minutes when you have stuff to be doing. It seems like forever... and I have not even come close to accomplishing this feat yet.

Anyhow, hope everyone has a great weekend. Thanks again for all the support and encourgement!! I appreciate you all.

2008-11-12T12:36:00.001-08:00

I AM STARVING!!!!!

2008-11-11T14:01:00.000-08:00

Well I had my 1st fill today!! I was very, very nervous. The area was cleaned using a sterile field. She then injected some lidocaine to numb the area... which burned really, really bad. She then pushed around on my stomach to find the right area and then inserted the needle. Now, while she is doing this is she telling me that this is the 1st realize band that her and Dr. Verseman have filled!!! I begin to panic...thinking how is she gonna know if she is in the right area or not. Well, it only took that one poke and she found it. She then instilled 4 cc's of sterile saline. The realize band will hold a total of 12 cc's. This time and the next one in a month will be the largest fills. After that it will just be small amounts that are added as necessary. So, with the needle still sticking out of my belly, she sits me up and has me drink some water. This is to ensure that there aren't any problems with my being able to drink water and keep it down. I had no problems so she took the needle out and placed a small bandaid over the injection site.

Today and tomorrow I am back on clear liquids. This part sucks!! Thursday I can start having my protein shakes and Friday I can introduce a full diet slowly back in. This is the procedure every time that I have a fill.

All in all... it wasn't too bad. The worst part is not being able to eat!!

2008-11-05T08:42:00.001-08:00

-3 more lbs this week! I am now down 36 lbs. I am really excited for next week to get here when I get my fill. Had a tough week.. had 3 party's to go to and there was lots of yummy fat foods to be eaten. Somehow I was able to overcome the temptations and did really well... something that I haven't been able to do in the past. Have also been sick this week so that has been another hurdle. Feeling better today though!

2008-10-29T04:30:00.000-07:00

-3 more lbs this week! Ok, so going to the gym is really not much fun anymore. I am still going everyday, but I do find that I am really having to force myself to go. It sucks! Something else that sucks is this.... I will not be getting my band filled until the 11th of November. What does that mean? Well, the swelling is all gone now from the surgery and I do not have much, if any, restriction from food. I could eat whatever I wanted right now and it would probably pass through with no problem. It has been a struggle every day to make sure that I am making the right choices in my diet. In the past, this is where I would probably fall off my diet and go back to my old ways. This is something that you have to find the strength from within yourself to control... nobody else can make these choices for you.

Other than that, things are going well. I continue to journal every single thing that I eat and drink. This have been very helpful in keeping me accountable. I highly recommend this to anyone that is looking to loose weight. You might be suprised at how much you are really taking in once you start keeping track.

Well.. until next Wednesday..... have a great week!

2008-10-23T12:02:00.000-07:00

1 month since my surgery!!

So I lost another 3 lbs this week! I am now at -30 lbs!! I am enjoying a full diet now. I am still eating pretty much the same things although I have added bread and crackers into my diet. I am very satisfied with my progess. I am doing more and more at the gym every week. I honestly believe that I would not be getting the results I want if I hadn't added exercise into my routine... and it does become routine. I can't say that I enjoy going to the gym, because I most certainly do not. However, I know that it is something that I have to do... just like changing my diet. And so, like it or not, I get up every morning and go and do my thing. I have found that going in the morning works best for me because then I have the rest of the day to not think about it!

2008-10-15T03:23:00.000-07:00

Not much new to report. I am feeling really good still. I have been doing a few more things at the gym now to help tone up my arms and legs. Really feeling that this morning! It's a great feeling though. My diet is going OK. I am getting a little tired of the same old things.. it will be nice next week to have more options. I really am missing eating vegetables and fresh fruit. There is a support group meeting this Saturday at Borgess. This will be the first one that I have gone to. They really stressed to me that attending these once a month classes would be very beneficial. I think that it will be fun to meet some new people that have been through it already and maybe get some new ideas for things that I can eat! Will let you know how that goes.

Today was my weigh day. I am down 2 more lbs. I certainly would have thought that number would be higher with as little as I am eating. I am not letting this get me down though, because I know that even though my numbers are not huge I am definetly loosing inches. So I will just continue to do what I am doing.....

2008-10-11T05:09:00.001-07:00

I have been going to the gym every day. I am really feeling good. Measured myself last night and I have lost 3 inches on my waist and breast, 2 inches on my arms and legs. As a matter of fact, I bought some new jeans last night and they were 2 sizes smaller!! YEAH!! I am slowly introducing food back into my diet. I am finding that I am not hungry and so this makes it much easier. Some of my new favorite foods are salmon, tuna, and refried beans with a little bit of melted cheese on it. YUM. Tried the Banana Creme muscle milk and it was really good too. I am still drinking at least one protein shake a day... just because I am really focused on making sure that I get enough protein... which I most certainly am. I am averaging about 100 grams a day.

Busy day today. Looks like it's gonna be a beautiful weekend!!

2008-10-08T04:15:00.000-07:00

Good morning! Last night I introduced food back into my diet! It was great.... I have been on a liquid diet for 30 days!! I had a scrabbled egg, cottage cheese, refried beans w/ melted cheese. It all tasted so good. It was nice to feel full again. I also weighed myself yesterday... I am down a total of 24 lbs now. Feeling really good.

2008-10-03T10:37:00.000-07:00

I saw Dr. Versman today, well actually it was his PAC. She removed the bandages from my incisions and said that I was healing nicely. The spot that has been so sore and swollen is where my port is. They also said that is totally normal. I will see them again November 11th. By that time I will be on a full diet and will know whether I will need a fill or not. If I am eating and never feeling full then that is one indication that I need to have my band filled.
Going back to work Sunday night!

2008-10-02T12:49:00.000-07:00

I had my appointment with the my dietician today. She said that everything is looking good. Next week I get to start eating mushy foods such as cottage cheese, mashed potatoes, and refried beans. I am really excited about that. Rudy found me a new protein shake at the gym that is root beer flavored. It is absolutely the best thing I have had in weeks! A nice treat. It's called Muscle Milk. YUMMY!!

I went to the gym again today... all by myself... how about that! I did 28 mins on the eliptic and 20 mins on the treadmill. My belly is still a little sore so I hope to keep increasing these times each time I go.

Well, that's about all that's new. I see the surgeon tomorrow.

2008-10-01T16:56:00.000-07:00

Things are going great! I am really feeling good... pretty much back to normal. As a matter of fact, I joined the gym today! I have been walking every day since last Sunday. I know that I can't do much at the gym right now until I completely heal, but it was fun meeting some new people and I can use the the eliptic (probably spelled wrong) and the treadmill. So anyhow, we will see how that goes.

2008-09-29T09:47:00.000-07:00

Doing really good today... just tired. Big day... I get to have soup now!! YUM!! So, I had some tomato soup for lunch and it was sooooo good! Basically, any cream soup... no chunks. It's not a good source of protein, but I have a great protein powder that gets me the majority of the protein I need for a day. (goal is 60 grams per day and 1200 calories).
I would say that I am about 70% back to normal.
I have 2 appointments this week.... Wednesay with the dietician and Thursday with Dr. Versman for a 1 week check. Will keep you posted on those!

2008-09-28T07:05:00.000-07:00

Wow, what a difference a day makes! I am feeling so much better this morning. I put an ice pack on my belly most of the night and it really helped with the swelling. It is still swollen quite a bit but it feels like the swelling inside my stomach has gone down. It's not as painful to burp anymore. I start back on my protein today too which I think will help me feel a lot better. I haven't really had any nutrition since last Wednesday. Still haven't had to take any pain meds since I've been home. That makes me really happy. After yesterday, which was not a good day at all, I feel like I am on the upward swing now. Keep me in your thoughts and prayers please..... I appreciate you all so much!

2008-09-27T05:16:00.000-07:00

Not feeling very good this morning. For whatever reason, my arms are killing me. I have been outside already walking around the pool trying to get this gas moving on out of my body. I am sure that is why I am so sore. I feel like someone stepped on my stomach really hard.... imagine that! Anyhow, today seems to be my worst day yet..... I didn't really anticipate this much pain. I am still not using any pain meds though and I am very happy about that.

I am keeping all of my liquids down. I get to start back on my protein shakes tomorrow. That will be good. Countdown now to October 8th when I get to start on some mushy real foods like mashed potatoes and gravy and refried beans! YEAH!

2008-09-26T14:24:00.000-07:00

So, here are all the details.... everything went really well. I am extremely sore right now and swollen but I am not taking any pain meds. It's more or less just really uncomfortable. I have 5 small incisions in my belly. I have an elastic type band that goes all the way around my waist to help with the pain. The hardest thing for me has been drinking. I have to be on clear liquids for today and tomorrow. On Sunday I can start back on my protein shakes again. I think that will make a big difference too. Give me more energy. Right now my stomach is so swollen that it is really hard for me to drink anything. I know that it is exremely important though so that I do not get dehydrated.

The hospital experience was awesome. I can't say enough good things about all the people that I had contact with there. I was treated so kindly and with the highest respect. They have an excellent bariatric team at Borgess and I would highly recommend it to anyone! The rooms were new and modern. The care was above what I ever would have expected.

Well, I am home now and I plan to spend a few days just resting and recouping.

2008-09-26T06:49:00.000-07:00

I survived the surgery and am doing OK. Having a little bit of an issue getting my liquids down... who would have thought that 4 oz of fluid would take me an hour to drink~!~ Anyhow, I am hoping to be home later this afternoon and I will post about the entire procedure.

Thanks again to all of you who sent good wishes and prayers my way! Love you all!

2008-09-24T13:28:00.000-07:00

So tomorrow is my big day..... I am so excited! Today has been not so nice. At noon I had to drink a "potion" to clean out my bowels. Let's just say that I haven't gone too far away from my bathroom. Anyhow, on a little bit nicer note... everything is in line. I have done everything that I was suppose to and I am getting my overnight bag packed and ready to go. We have to be at the hospital in the morning at 8 a.m. My surgery is at 10. There is a specialist coming in from the west coast to assist in the procedure. Although my surgeon, Dr. Versman, has done hundreds of LapBands, he has never used the Realize Band... which is what I am getting. It seems that the research shows that there is less slippage with this band and also allows for food to pass a little easier than the LapBand brand.

The procedure itself only takes about 20 minutes. It is done laprascopic, just a few small incisions. I will have to spend just one night in the hospital. The recovery process is suppose to be quite fast. This is the best part... I will get to start eating mushy foods with texture on October 8th!

My plan is to take my laptop with me to the hospital. I will write and let you all know how it goes as soon as I can!!

2008-09-23T20:33:00.000-07:00

I am getting so excited... I can't believe that it is almost here!! It makes the 14 days that I haven't had anything to eat so worth it!!

2008-09-22T13:07:00.000-07:00

Today has been a good day. I have to work tonight and tomorrow night. That actually makes things a little easier for me. I can keep myself busy and not think about how hungry I am!

Thanks again to everyone for all of your encouraging words!

2008-09-21T19:53:00.000-07:00

So, I'm not gonna lie... everyday is getting harder and harder for me. I am getting grouchy because I am sooo hungry!! I know that I am almost there. 3 more days of this nasty liquid stuff I have to drink. I will still be on liquids post-op but I am hoping that it will get easier....

2008-09-19T11:58:00.000-07:00

I started on the new shakes that are called Impact. I only have to drink 2 a day and then a protein shake. Might I add that they are so gross! I have all I can do to just get them down. It cuts my caloric intake back to about 850 and I have really noticed the difference. I am starving. It's been really hard for me at night. I am trying to keep busy to keep my mind off from eating but it is so hard. So far so good though. I am on the down swing now... only 6 more days!

2008-09-17T14:28:00.000-07:00

Today was my appointment with the dietician. Nothing major... just making sure that I am getting in enough protein and that the liquid diet has been going well, which it is. Tomorrow I start taking the protein drinks called Impact. 2 a day and a protein shake until next Wednesday. More later....

2008-09-16T12:52:00.000-07:00

I had all of my wonderful preop appointments this morning. First thing was the Upper GI. It was pretty bad. They give you this really thick, nasty, contrast to drink while this grumpy old man takes pictures of your stomach. I guess it was OK. They said that I would have another one after my sugery to make sure that the band is in the right place. They warned me that the barium I drink for that one is alot smaller amount due to the fact my stomach won't hold very much... however, it smells and looks like PineSol!!

I also had a chest xray, EKG, lab work, and an appoirtment with my surgeon, Dr. Versman. We went over the procedure again. He wanted to be sure that I didn't have any new questions. He will be putting in one of the newer bands called Realize. He has done many, many bands before mine, but I will be one of the first ones to get this particular one. It is a bit wider than the other one so the slippage rate is a lot less. It also has a different type of band so it may allow for foods to pass a bit easier without getting stuck. Other than that, it is the exact same procedure... they place the band at the top of the stomach to make a pouch; about 4 ounces. The band is attached to a line line and a port that is placed under the skin in the abdomen area. This is where saline may be added to "fill" the band at future appointments.

So everything is on the right track so far. I start my lower calorie drinks on Thursday.... getting really excited now!!

2008-09-15T17:25:00.000-07:00

Hello! I had a good weekend. It was a little rough because the weather was so rainy and I didn't feel like doing anything. I have discovered the power of the TV. It is amazing how much commercials infuence us without even knowing it. I can sit and watch a program and begin to salivate at the sight of some awesome looking food and I am not even hungry!! I have pointed this out as one of my trigger points.

Tomorrow is my upper GI, labs and Dr. appt... will let you know how that all goes!

Saturday September 13

2008-09-13T12:42:00.000-07:00

I am on day 5 of my all liquid diet. It is getting easier every day. I still would really like something "real" to eat... you know, like a big juicy steak! :O)

4 more days of the carnation instant breakfast, then I get to drink some special shake that the doctor requires.... 2 of those a day and a protein shake. So, I just keep telling myself that it will really be worth it in the end.

I really appreciate all of the support that I have been getting from my friends and family. PLEASE... keep the encouraging words coming my way! You have no idea how much it helps me.

So this week I have the pre operative tests; lab work, appt with the doc, and and upper GI test. Sounds like fun huh?

Oh, I am down 7 lbs as of this morning too!

Thanks for checking out my blog and hope you will come back again and follow me on my journey.

Love you all!!