Friday, September 30, 2011

7 days!!

Hello again!!! Officially 7 days until surgery =D The last couple of days have been rough mentally on me =/  Being a recently relocated college student working an 8 dollar an hour job with life changing surgery coming up has been keeping things tough for me.... All of these things with money issues and school and work and surgery coming up has me so stressed out =0 I've put my classes on the "back burner" to focus on the surgery stuff but now it's catching up to me. 
It made me really sad today because I've been staying up really late and sleeping in and today I was supposed to volunteer with work and I woke up 2 hours after the group bus had left =( I feel really bad cause I signed up a while ago and it feels like everything is crumbling at once..... 

I was thinking that maybe the surgery was bad timing but it's the step to making my life better and more enjoyable so when is the best time? NOW. right answer!!!  I've been going through a rough couple of days because all of these things are catching up with me and it's a lot to handle at one time =/ 


On the up side 7 days until my band birthday!!!!!!!  HOLY SCHNANAGINS!!!!!! I just realized something amazing!!!!!! My favorite number is 7 because of my birthday 7-27-87  andddddd my surgery date is October 7th!!!!! and with 7 days left OMG!!! It's clearly meant to be =D I honestly didn't even pick that date because of the number..it was just the soonest they had... Things are turning around folks I can feel it!!! =D 

Tomorrow I'm getting professional pictures taken with my 2 sisters to give to my parents for Christmas. Hopefully they turn out well and I will post some on here so you can take a peek too =) 
Enjoy the rest of your day and your weekend!!!! 

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Oh Happy Day

So I woke up this morning and grabbed my jeans from the dreaded dryer... I hate when they're fresh from the dryer and you have to do that squat roll over partial dance bend to stretch them out just to kind of feel comfortable. Well today TA DA NO stretching what so ever!!! I was so excited I was smiling from ear to ear and did a super happy dance!!!!!!!!

It has been so long since I can remember putting a piece of clothing on and not wanting to stretch it so I don't feel like a stuffed sausage!

Tomorrow I go for my last pre-surgical group meeting where we do success habit training and they give you tips and tricks on making smarter healthier choices. During the meeting they pull you out as a one on one basis and get your weight and you talk to the doctor to make sure your "to do" surgical list is on track. I know my "to do" is done since surgery is 9 days!!!!  HOLY SCHMOLY!!! I'm in the single digit countdown!!!!  =D Any who they want me to attend this last one even though insurance has gone through just so they can't pull anything at the last moment saying that I didn't complete all necessary requirements... blah blah blah dang insurance

I probably should have done this before starting my pre-surgical shakes and bars diet but ahhh what the hey here it is now---> 

Starting weight: 393.4
Last weight at Dr. office: 368.7

Weight as of this morning: 366.4
Measurement Tracker September 27th 2011
Neck  17 inches 
Chest 54 inches
Waist  64 inches
Hips 66 inches

Left  Right 
Biceps 19 inches 19 inches 
Forearm 13 inches 13 inches 
Thigh 33 inches  33 inches
Calf  20.5 inches  20.5 inches 

 Not that any of these numbers matter to you but down the road it will be nice for me to compare too and for you guys to see my progress =D










Sunday, September 25, 2011

Zoo Run Run

Today was the 4th year in a row I have volunteered at the Zoo Run. It's always a lot of fun and it's a great motivator to see all these other people coming out to run/walk for a fund raising event! My goal is to participate in the run/walk next year!!! We will see how that goes =D

Just a few snap shots of my Best friend Sara and I having fun today:




 we worked at the registration tent handing out t-shirts =)










 Oh my how I love her!!! <3

















It's officially day 5 of my pre-op diet and all went well. I have sadly realized that I can no longer spend long amounts of time at my parents house because it's a "trigger" zone for me. I grew up with verbal abuse from my father so I ate to fill the empty and now when I'm there I constantly want to eat because it's what I'm so used to doing when I lived there. It makes me sad because my mother and sister and dogs are there and I love them to death but in choosing my "new" life I come first (yeahhhhh!!!) so I usually only stay about an hour or two and then have to leave. I always come prepared with shakes and bars but when I'm there my old ways of thinking take over and I want to cheat and not just eat but literally stuff myself so it's for the better that I make the choice to leave.

My little sister and I at her 1st Brewer Game 

















My mom and my sister at my old roommates wedding in September 2011 -- LOVE THEM SOOOO MUCH!!!!! 






OHHHH and my foot is feeling better already =D  


11 DAYS UNTIL SURGERY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Friday, September 23, 2011

The "Beginning"

Hi!!! My name is Cheryl and I'm a fun, loving, passionate person who is living life as an overweight/ obese chick.I have always been overweight as far as I can remember and I recently decided to have the Lap-Band procedure done. This blog will keep you updated on my progress and my everyday life. So  enjoy reading and hopefully you might even find a few things useful!!!

**For those of you unfamiliar with the procedure it's an adjustable band that is placed laparoscopically around the upper portion of the stomach to limit the amount of food a person can eat at one time. They have a port which delivers saline to fill the tube, which causes restriction allowing one to not eat as much. This port is attached to the abdomen muscle and is accessed by inserting a needle through the skin for fillings. LapBand.com is a great site for those interested in learning more about the band and the procedure and life with the band.


My surgery date is scheduled for October 7th which means in 15 days I will be banded. I've been working with my doctors since the beginning of February and had to have a 6 month supervised weight loss plan. The plan was meeting with a dietitian, psychiatrist, a weight management doctor to explain the process, and then meeting with weight management doctors once a month in what my doctors call a Shared medical appointment, aka: SMA. It's called an SMA because there is usually 7 to 10 people who are also in the weight management program either doing LAP-Band or Gastric Bypass and in the meetings you discuss successful habits for a healthy life and tips and tricks to changing your lifestyle. During the meeting you get pulled out on a one on one basis and talk with the Doctor about how it's going and they weigh you and take your blood pressure and go talk about what needs to be completed on your "to do" list for surgery. It's been really helpful for me and I have lost 25 pounds just from the program =D
 





I'm currently doing a pre-op diet until surgery day that consists of protein shakes and bars. (mine were purchased through the doctors office but there are so many places you can find them as well) I have 7 shakes and 2 bars a day which equals out to just over 1000 calories.



It made me sad a bit because my 1st day on my pre-op diet I went into work and I was presented with this beautiful movie basket with all kinds of goodies in it for being September's team member of the month (I work at a target). So YEAHHH for awesomeness at work and BOO for getting candy one day to late lol! At least I still get to enjoy the movie =D And my little sister is staying with me the first few days to help me out so I'm gonna just let her and my roommate have it for helping me =)


I've started "prepping" my house for things when I get home from the surgery. They give you a step by step eating plan- which differs from doctor to doctor- and has you go in eating stages because your stomach will be so sensitive and inflamed after surgery and they want you to heal properly so I'm starting with clear liquids. I bought lots of kiwi strawberry propel to add variety into my water drinking and my wonderful mother gave me chicken broth mix and bouillon cubes to make broth with. I was told that because your stomach decreases in size so rapidity you will be very gassy so I stocked up on Gas-X !!!!! =)




Also I found out yesterday that I had broken a bone in my foot about a month or so ago and it's trying to fuse back together and that's why I started having so much pain. I went to the doctor and this is what they gave me ------------------------------------> 
Very attractive right? I was moving stuff out of my storage unit and my little sister and I were moving an elliptical and she accidentally let it drop on my foot. There was bruising but no swelling so I shrugged it off. Well turns out I've been walking on a broken foot the whole time =0 
The only down fall is that I can't exercise so hopefully my shakes and bars will help me to keep losing weight.  

Sorry for the long post but I had to fill you in =D

Until next time Friends!!!!!