It's Saturday, and Cancer blows goats.

Here it is a beautiful snowy Saturday. I'm working (of course) today is a basketball tournament. Coaches versus Cancer benefit and so it's a sea of pink. They will be donating proceeds to Am Cancer Soc. and have a dedication to a former teacher/game manager/long time coach who passes away this past fall after a long battle.  I won't be able to be in the gym for that part. Too emotional. I had to say goodbye to my Dad a year and a half ago. He had lung cancer that spread. You aren't the same after you hold a loved one while they leave this world. I'd like to think stronger, more compassionate. Or maybe I just cry a lot easier?  Who knows. I don't know Barbara but my prayers are with her family during this time. It's one day at a time. For a long time.  Cancer can suck it.


Anywho, I think I feel some restriction with this first fill. But I'm afraid to test it! I don't want to stretch anything, or get sick or I don't know what. So I'm following the rules! My PA said that if I am not losing 1 pound/week then we will do another fill in February. But, right now my next appt is for March. So day by day is how we will go people...

1st Fill

Hooray for fill day!  So we start the day at the same ol weight. Darn. My appointment is about an hour away so I drank a protein shake on the way down.  It was a Muscle Milk Vanilla Creme -oh no. No. Yuck. I love vanilla anything usually but holy crap. No.  Got to the appt. and weighed in -3 from last visit. So they were pleased. I was hoping for more in that time but 1) a loss is a loss dammit. and 2) I haven't exercised like I should have so really what more could I expect. 

So I saw my lovely RD. She moved me on to stage 3 foods. That being meats, low fat cheeses, whole eggs (as opposed to egg beaters), and veggie burgers. I believe liver is also on that list. Um no thanks -unless my gram is frying it up with some onions, but she's in heaven.  And I can start my vitamins. Flinstones with iron. My paper also says that at the next appt I will be starting a clacium supplement and the b12 injection. Um what? I have no idea what that is or what's going on with that. I think Amy W has been talking about something like that so I'm going to go look for some more info. 

Interestingly I should still avoid fruits, vegetables and startches/grains/breads for another 4 weeks. Is this pretty standard. I'm curious about the science behind it. Not that I"m doubting, or questioning, I'm really just wondering about it from the pouch/nutrition/digestion point. 

Also on my sheet it says that protein is to be a minimum of 60g, and fluid goal is 48-64 ounces. But it doesn't mention a calorie goal?  Anyone have input on what that could be? I sent an email to my RD asking her because I NEED guidelines!  

On up to see the PA who does a lot of fills for my surgeons office. I really like him a lot. He's funny and makes you feel comfortable. And he may be nice to look at too ;-)     Anywho, so he numbs me with some lidocaine and I'm glad he did. That fill needle is HUGE!!! Holy shitakemushroom! AND he had to poke around a little to find where exactly the bad boy is sitting. I heard "tonk tonk tonk tonk, Ok there it is!" Then in went 5cc.  And then when he measured where the spot was I looked down and there was the gigantic needle sticking out of my stomach, waving around because I was talking. Oh my! Like I said, glad for the numbing. But all was well. Water went down fine. Shakes and broth has also been cruising down fine. I'm a little excited to have some egg in the morning just to see if I feel anything new.


I'm a little sad I'm missing support group tonight. It's a really great group and I learn something every time I go. But work is late this week. There is always next time!

Back to work and time is a flyin by!

A little lengthy. I apologize!

I don't know where time has gone. I've been reading blogs here and there but haven't had blog mojo myself. I think it is the January slump.  Lets catch up.

Last Monday I went back to work. All is well there. One of my teams even had a get well card for me that the players and coaches signed. So sweet of them! They knew I had surgery but not the specifics.  Then that night we had a surprise dinner for one of our surgeons for his years of service. I was SCARED! I was just doing my mushies and shakes yet. I figured I'd sit by my friend, tell her what was going on (she would so benefit from the band!) and she would be my buffer.  But noooo. I did sit by her, and tell her, and she is way interested in talking more about it! But then my boss sits across from me, and the surgeon and his wife diagonal to me. Shit.  I ate the tiniest bit of salad. I had a paper thin piece of ham, 3 small bites chicken, a slice of potato Au gratin (?), and a smidge of baked corn. Then cake came and I smashed it around my plate and ate maybe 1/8 of it during the "roast" of the doc. I felt like any minute my doc was going to come and yell at me. It turned out OK, and no one looked at me strangely. Whew. 

Some interesting things are happening in my clothes. Like baggy ass and droopy frontal area of pants. what? That does not happen to me. I'm a little in shock. I'm happy of course, but a little unbelieving?  Two of my favorite ($) pairs of dress pants are real baggy. I think I'll hang on to them and maybe have them taken in. Not sure.  Today I just look plain frumpy. It was -10 this morning so I went jeans and sweater. I look like I'm swimming in my outfit. It's passing roomy comfy stage. It's to the point of pants too long, sleeves too long. I'm in shock. 

On the scale this morning I was hovering the next decade of numbers! Oh if I could just be there tomorrow for my appt!! So the total loss is now is 33. I thought I was a little more than that but I looked back through my appointments and that is that. I need to figure out those little tracker things. I'm not the suavest at the ol computer sometimes. 

Tomorrow I meet with the RD I like, a PA I don't know, and then up to the surgeons office for my FIRST FILL!! Yay!   I'm excited! I am getting real hungry and need to get moving toward restriction darn it!  I am still measuring my food so that is helping.

On the gym front. Not so good. I went 1 time last week. Total bummer. A 3 day migraine knocked me out of that for sure. Migraine hit me after a wonderful massage. WTF?? Thank God for Z o m i g!

Holy $$ and a little BYOC

I got a letter today from they health system where I had my surgery. They letter that says -this is not a bill. It also says "We recently billed your insurance provider $46.415.71 for your hospital services on December 30.  Um holy shitballs.  I knew it was a pricey thing but really??? Is it any wonder that you get one bariatric procedure and that's it?! Wowsers.  Just thought I'd share my amazement. I certainly see why Mexico is a great option when your insurance doesn't cover it.  My insurance also says that I have to pay $5000.00 out of pocket. So that on top of the co-pays  and mileage I've had may just add up to a self pay. Pretty close anywho.

I've never BYOC so I'm gonna give it a whirl on this lovely Friday.

It’s Friday which means it’s BYOC time. That’s Bring Your Own Crazy….5 little questions you can copy and paste into your own blog to give your brain a break and to get to know your fellow bloggers better.



Enjoy!

1. If you were on death row, what would your last meal be before your “death”?

  Buffalo Chicken something. Salad, wrap, dip, anything. With a side o ranch baby! Bring it!!2. If you drive a car, do you speed?
Yes. I think I secretly want frisked. That said, if my babies are in the car I am considerably more conservative behind the wheel.


3. What movie(s) do/can you watch over and over again?
The Sound of Music, You've Got Mail, Overboard, most Disney -obviously I have children, Sex and the City, The Hunt for Red October, Christmas Vacation, White Christmas, and stupid boy movies (Talledega Nights, Old School, Wedding Crashers...)


4. What’s your favorite blog topic to read about and your favorite blog topic to write about?
I love to read the lap banders blogs. They are so full of experience. I learn so much for my own journey.  Good food ideas, exercise ideas, shopping etc...
I also like to peruse scrapbook blogs -for when I get my mojo back and dive in!
To write about: I don't really know. I'm not so much a writer, def not my fav subject in school... I just write how I would have a conversation with someone. So about life, weight issues, things that piss me off...whatever.

5. Repeat question: Summarize your week in blogland and in real life.
In the land of Blogs: I read alot, wrote a little. Need to comment more.

In the smack yo face real life: I can't believe I'm on week #2 of the bandster journey. Just when I thought it would never get here, it's peeled by and I'm 2 weeks out! yay! I sucked it on the exercise front. I was going to go to the Y today but I was too cold and lazy to get the heck up. Shame on me. So this afternoon I'd like to do some Wii.
Other than that, the fam is great. I nearly chewed off Hubs head and spit it out over a Christmas tree ornament debacle. Too lengthy to get in to... But all is well now. 

The delish buffet at the Spa on New Years Day



My lunch New Years Day.  This summer I'm sampling!!





The End. Happy Weekend!

Late weekend catch up

Well this weekend I was feeling pretty perky so I took my girl and we went to my sister's house. She lives about 2 hours away, and we wanted to take our girls to their first ever movie! We went and saw Tangled. It really was a cute movie. Everyone had delicious popcorn and snacks. I had a delicious Isopure.  Really wasn't that bad, but I would have liked to taste one little kernel?! But then again it would probably be a gateway drug and I would wake up in the popper covered in salt.  So best to avoid!

The next day my sister and I were getting lunch around and talking in her kitchen and the girls were playing a game downstairs. It was getting a little quiet, but we didn't think too much of it. Then maybe 10 more minutes passed and we figured oh crap it's real quiet -better check quick!  Well we hit the bottom of the stairs and here come the 3 and 4 year olds in from the garage.  They are dressed in dresses and leggings, winter hats, jackets not zipped, and boots on the wrong feet with no socks, and no mittens.  They were coming in for the mittens because their hands were too cold OUT SLED RIDING IN THE SNOW. Yes, we win mothers of the year. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry or what. It was real cute though. We just changed them and warmed them up with some lunch and told them to please ask mommy next time so we can help get dressed warm...oy.

Sister and her husband do good home cookin. They ate delish chicken and mashed potatoes and sweet carrots. I had some tomato basil soup with unflavored protein powder added. Real hard though. I nibbled a tiny bit of my girls plate. Killin me.

Not my xray!

Tuesday was my post surgery appts. I had an xray first. They do this so they have a baseline for where the band and all is located. Then I went up and saw Dr. Petrick. He's a handsome guy. I didn't realize that so much the day o surgery -they stole my glasses early on. He said I can go back in 2 weeks and get my first fill! Yay!  Then I went to nutrition and saw Dr. Still. He was really pleased with my progress so far. I've lost 11 pounds since the day of surgery. Yay me! So now I need to get to the gym and speed up some burnage. He said now is the time to see the most rapid loss. I'm all about that so I'll do what I got to do. He also said "Ok let's give you something more to eat" I said "For the love of God yes please"  So he said cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, and egg beaters. I've also included refried beans because I said so. And I ate them today and almost died of happiness. 

We got snow last night and so we went out and played today.  Guess whose snow pants fit?? That's right. :)



Throwing Snow with the babies!



Sexy Hubs getting snow lovin from the babies



I need help finding a recipe!

Does anyone have or know of a ricotta cheese pancake recipe? I remember reading about it on someones blog and for the life of me can't find the darn thing?!!  I googled but they didn't look right.  Any help on this would be much appreciated!

Ahh Happy Friday

Not too much happening around these parts.  Other than I'M HUNGRY. I'm so sick of liquid I could spit nails. -Except I couldn't because I haven't had anything solid since December 17th!!  For the love of pete.

I licked the screen. I'm not even joking.

I see my surgeon again on Tuesday the 11th. They should set me free on some egg beaters, cottage cheese, etc... that route. Let me tell you who hates cottage cheese. Me, dang it.  But I'm going to give it a try just so I can have something different!  I dream of cheese. For real. I dream of melty cheese goodness. On a sammy, on some chicken, on a cracker, on a slime covered toad stool.  It's reaching critical people.

Today I feel pretty darn good. Not much pain moving around. No pain meds for 3 days now. Some soreness in my back is annoying. A little yoga could work that out if soreness is dialed down a notch in the next couple of days.  I'm so glad I have yet another week off. I love it ;)
My paperwork says I should take off until the 20th. Maybe I will...