1st fill

Well, I have to apologise for being soooo slack in updating my blog! I have been doing youtube videos and forgot totally about updating this blog. I do want to do both and need to ensure this blog gets updated as needed. I tried to update a Week 3 blog last week but it didn't upload and I lost all the typing and uploading of photos - damn it!! I gave up and thought to come back later and well - here I am!! Had my first fill at the surgeons office yesterday (my surgeon is Dr Stewart Skinner from the Centre of Bariatric Surgery in Melbourne at the Glen Iris Private Medical Centre). I asked him (as I have been dying to know) what size band I have and he said it holds 7ml. Does that mean it is a 7cc band??? He then found my port (after a few minutes) and said he added "a couple of mls" - does that mean he added 2ml?? A couple to me is 2 so I shall go with that. He wanted to see me in 2-3 weeks for another fill as he said it will take a few fills before I feel restriction and they like to do it every 2 weeks so the weightloss can start. When I told the receptionist I needed to make an appointment with him for 2 weeks she just looked at me as if to say "you got to be joking!!". She said I couldn't get in at 2 weeks, 3 weeks, 4 weeks or even 5 weeks - what the!! She said it was because of the close during the christmas break that has caused such a backlog as everybody wants to see him in the first few weeks back. As Dr Skinner did say to me on the way out if I am having trouble getting an appointment that I could see Caroline (one of the doctors - not a surgeon though at the Centre). He said she can do fills. I told the receptionist Dr Skinner had said that to me and thankfully she was able to make an appointment for 3 weeks (so my next appointment and hopefully fill will be th 11th January - rather than like February!!). I hope she is as quick at doing the fill that he was. I was actually quite surprised that he put the needle in so far away from my port incision site. As you can see by the photo above, the bandaid is where he placed the needle and just above the biggest scar is the port incision site. I measured it - it is like 8cm away. I really really thought it would be an inch or so as I have seen quite a few youtube videos of where their port is from the incision. I have to say this blew me away. I don't feel any restriction though I am on liquids for 2 days so I may notice a difference when I start on solic food again - just in time for christmas!! My last weighin (week 3), I was 108.7kg so it was a loss of .7kg for a total of 10.1kg in 5 weeks. Can't say I can complain about that. If I continue on that track I shall be at goal in about 14 months. I don't think an average of .5 to 1kg should cause too much saggy skin (here's crossing my fingers anyway). Christmas is coming and I don't feel the least bit "christmassy". I have bought all the presents now (my kids, my husband, mum, mum in law, neice and nephews) so at least now I can relax (sort of). Having christmas with my family on boxing day and it will be here (we take turns). We supply the meat and everybody else brings salads, desserts etc. So far I have got a huge ham (Bertocchi), 3 chickens (nobody likes turkey at all), a leg of lamb. I am thinking of getting some prawns and possibly sausages for the kids. I have made it for 1pm so we can put it all out straight away and eat pretty much straight away as well. That way we won't fill up on crap like we do every other year. You know, the dips, chips, peanuts, cheese. Not sure how much I will be able to eat and whether or not I will feel a bit left out but I shall keep you updated - I PROMISE. Well, that is if anybody decides to subscribe to this blog. At the moment it is still at ZILCH!!!!

Week 2 Post-op Weighin

Well, halleluyah I lost weight, though not as much as I wanted (I was hoping for 1 kilor), but I can't quibble over 800grams - it is still a loss. My total now since my pre-op diet is 9.4kg. I now weigh 109.4kg and with another kilo lost I shall be the lowest I have been in 2011. As I am going overseas next March my goal is to get below 100kg by then. I would like to sit in the airline seats without feeling squashed and uncomfortable and also there will be alot of daily walking up hills and I want to have lost weight and be fit enough to cope with that or I shall be bringing Wayne down with my moaning and inability to continue with any of the tours.

Can't wait for my holiday. It is our 30th wedding anniversary and this will be the best trip ever - 5 weeks on a European River Cruise going through 10 countries - wow. I have never (orWayne) been to Europe. I did go to England in 2001 with my mum with my dad's ashes but that was hardly a holiday and it was mostly relative visiting and that is it. I will still not be able to go to England so that is definately another trip altogether. Can't wait. I must say I am a bit thingy about my lapband and being so far from my surgeon and help so I hope nothing happens.

Anyway, hallulyah to me for another weight loss.

Sharon

Hunger starting

Well it is now day 13 post-op lapband surgery. Tomorrow will be my week 2 weighin so shall update my blog tomorrow - I'm hoping for a kilo which will get me under 110kgs. My post title today is "hunger starting". This is due to the fact that my hunger is slowly returning. Yesterday I felt it for the first time. I have had no hunger pangs whatsoever up to day 12 even though I've only been on liquids and mushies. Yesterday, I was actually hungry between meals which is a first (post lap band) and had to have snacks. As I am still on mushies the snacks still have to be mushy too of course so I ended up having some crushed pineapple with yoghurt. Not much mind you, still only 3/4 cup all up but as big as my main meal would of been. I was still hungry an hour later and had the most I have eaten for dinner yet. I ended up having the beef and vegies (1 serve) along with some leftover chicken and vegies (about 1/2 serve). My stomach was actually rumbling. I did like not having that hunger feeling. Oh yeh, forget to mention - I also snaffled 2 potato gems from my husbands/kids dinner as they came out of the oven. I did mash it but still - I doubt potato gems are classified as a healthy option. Oh well, I knew it was gonna come and here it is. One thing I need to remind myself is that although I am hungry it is still nothing like I was pre lap-band when I would eat a horse and still go looking for something else....

Anyway, back tomorrow for my weigh in results.

Sharon

Start of Mushy Stage

Started on my pureed/mushy stage today - woohoo, looking forward to egg salad and something with a bit of texture at last. This morning for brekky I had 1 vitabrits with 1 cup of milk (see photo) warmed up. I waited a couple of minutes for the vitabrit to break up and it basically turned to mush (hence the "mushy" stage!). Must say it was a nice change to my optifast for breakfast. Another thing I am trying to do and have started today, and that is to eat at the table and not in front of the TV. I have a very bad habit of sitting in front of the TV or computer while I eat - Well, no longer! Sitting at the table makes sure I am sitting up straight and my stomach isn't crunched over.

I must say I haven't really done any exercise yet, apart from maybe walking around shops while shopping. I do have a treadmill in the garage and the first couple of days home I managed to get on there and do 5mins at a time. I shall get back onto that asap I think. I want to be able to take my dog for a walk but at the moment my stomach is still a bit sore and she has a tendency to pull. There have been a couple of times in the past I have actually fallen down and grazed my knees so I don't want to risk that at the moment.

Can't believe it is already past 1 week since lapband surgery - it seemed to go soooo slow waiting for it to happen but it has now passed and I'm on my way to a healthier, slimmer me - can't wait.

Shaz