Gurgle...Gurgle

My band and I have come to an understanding lately. If I choose to eat too fast, it will stick a ball in my gut and tell me NO MORE OR ELSE! Then I have to wait until I belch (quietly) or my throat gurgles enough to let some air out, or beat on my chest like an ape. If I didn't catch the signal in time, then I'm miserable for 5-10 minutes spitting into the sink feeling like whatever I just ate is coming back to haunt me. If I treat it well, it stays pretty quiet and we get along fine. It sure doesn't like it when I'm in a hurry or stressed. And it doesn't like cold beverages. It will tighten up like a pouting child and remind me to slow down.

The rules of a banded life: treated it kind of like your partner. Be patient, kind, work with it, be adaptable, and respectful. For a little aggravation, you get a priceless return on your investment - the gift of better health!

The nurse at the weight loss center likens the gurgling to the sounds of Chewbacca. It is quite embarassing to be talking to someone and you emit the noise of an alien. I guess not everyone experiences this, but those of us that do, it's hard to disguise.

I have to go to a conference in a couple of weeks and I am dreading having to sit in seminar after seminar for 3 days emitting strange noises. I'll have to time my beverages and meals a little better during that time to avoid the problem.

Otherwise, the process is going pretty smoothly. I can lose 3-4 lbs in one week and then not lose a lb the next, but overall it's progessing. I cleaned out my closets over the weekend and hubby and I took 6 garbage bags plus 2 more bags full of clothes to the local FISH store (sort of like a Catholic Goodwill). Now I need some new going out clothes.

And the cycle continues...

Hubby, girlfriends and family...

Well the past 2 weeks have been eventful at least. Hubby went to see the cardiologist and scheduled him for a heart cath the same week. The doc ended up keeping him overnight in the hospital since he probed a vessel of one of his arteries pretty thoroughly. Apparently, he has a branch off an artery that is getting squeezed between 2 chambers of his heart with every heartbeat, not completely shutting off flow, but definitely narrowing. At this time, he changed his meds and is going to treat it with medication to keep his heart rate and blood pressure low. A few days after the heart cath, his pulse and bp were even higher, so back to the cardiologist for another change in meds. He was off work for a week and missed his fishing trip to Canada with friends and his brother. Wasn't very happy about that. But he wouldn't let me cancel my girls getaway over it. He went back to his family doc this past week when his counts were still elevated and she upped his meds, but seriously it hasn't helped much. Sounds like another change in meds is in his future.

My girlfriends and I went to Columbus for a 2-day getaway on Thursday and Friday. We lined up a package of a hotel room and massage and pedicure for 4 near the Polaris mall and had a wonderful time! For 3 of us, we were virgins at pedicures. And dear Michelle had never had a massage either, so she was a little nervous. But all in all, a wonderful time. Went to dinner Thursday night and my niece and her friend also met us since she lives near Dublin/Upper Arlington. On Friday, we went shopping and got home around dinner time. We all talked like this may have to be an annual event. It certainly was much needed after the last couple of weeks.

Saturday we went to visit hubby's folks and had pizza at Bud's with my folks. Afterwards, we dropped by some friends to see if they wanted to go to Brucken's for a drink. Didn't have to twist their arm much. But we were home by 10:30 pm, so it wasn't a late night by any means.

Today, I decided to make a Sour Cream Peach Pie for my dad....who loves peach pie and custard-type pies so I figured it to be a no-brainer. It is actually quite good if I say so myself.

Chatted with my sister on Facebook this afternoon for a little while and caught up on some family stuff. Lots of drama going to these days with job losses and new babies and job-realignments.

Our little village is getting ready for it's annual festival in a few weeks and I've got alot to keep track of this year, so I'm getting my feet wet trying to learn the ropes. So far, not too bad. We'll see how that weekend goes. It raises alot of money for the local parish and always has a great turnout. Should be an interesting weekend.

E/R yet again...

Hubby still not feeling well...last Thursday he wanted to go BACK to the emergency room for chest pain, nausea, radiating left arm pain, jaw numbness/tingling. They kept him for about 3 hours and then sent him home. Nothing is showing up. Friday he had his follow-up with the family doc for the last time he went to the E/R. She spent about 50 minutes with him and won't rule out a heart problem. I like her. She has only seen him a few times since we transferred him over to her a few months ago. She's an internal medicine specialist and very thorough and seems to listen very well. She doesn't seem to get frustrated that the issue hasn't been found, but says that since he hasn't been feeling well, we may be missing something and ordered more tests. She also referred him to a different cardiologist that he is to meet with today.

As far as the lap band goes, I got my fourth fill about 10 days ago and WHAM! I now know what restriction feels like! Wow! It really forces you to slow down eating and it really cut down my portion size for sure. Interestingly, since my visit I've actually lost 6 lbs! The weight is melting off and even though I've had a few uncomfortable moments when eating too fast, I think things are going rather well. Saturday night, we went to Red Lobster for some seafood and I made the mistake of ordering a Raspberry Lemonade and started to eat a cheddar bay biscuit (just the crusty part, not the doughy inside). Cold liquids are always harder for me to get down since my fill and with the bread - well let's just say I felt quite rough for about 25 minutes. Once things settled down I was able to eat a couple of shrimp and a small lobster tail and some crabmeat, but very slowly and swallow itty bitty pieces at a time. Mental note - no more bread until the END of the meal and No liquid period!

This past weekend we took it pretty easy and stayed close to home. Friday night, hubby went up to the ball diamond to watch the tournament and some of my old friends from high school were up there - so - I walked up there and we caught up on alot of happenings. It was great to see them. It had been since Christmas time since I had seen either of them and they noticed I had lost quite a bit of weight and asked what I was doing. So, I ended up telling them I had surgery. I can't say I've publicized it, but I don't want to lie about it either. Even though they like to talk and it will probably migrate among our friends, I don't want them thinking I'm ashamed of having it done. I guess I look at it like, I have a problem, I'm working on fixing the problem and this is a step in the process that will help me resolve the problem. The one friend is a nurse and she knows more about it than the other friend, but both were supportive and did not judge my decision, so that was nice. They both know my struggles with weight and they both have had their ups and downs too, so they can relate.

I'm taking a late lunch to go with hubby today to his appointment and meet his new cardiologist. We're hoping he can shed some light on what the issue may be. I really hate to think this is something he has to live with. He's only 48 and this has been going on now 5 years. It really affects how much he wants to do and although he tries to keep upbeat, it's really hard when you just don't feel well. He's such a wonderful person - I just wish he would be free from his pain and be able to enjoy life the way it should be.

Just when you think things are calm...

Hubby ends up in the hospital. For 4-5 years now he's had classic heart attack symptoms...radiating left arm pain, numbness/pain in his jaw, headaches, nausea, downright chest tightness. About 10 days ago I took him to the E/R since his doc was out of town on a friday afternoon and he had been getting headaches for about 3 days straight, jaw pain, chest tightness, and his blood pressure was high. After about 3 hours in the E/R his heart rate was in the normal range and his heart rate around 50-60 beats/minute and feeling much better. He followed up with this doc about a week later and she adjusted his meds. Now 4 days later, feeling crappy he went in to see her again. She didn't like the reading of his EKG and sent him to the E/R to get blood work and monitored and they ended up keeping him overnight. Trekked on over there in the afternoon to check on him and have Dad pick up the other car and he's feeling just like he always is...crappy but no worse than normal, which was better than in the morning. They continued to take bloodwork every 3 hours, but dismissed him this morning saying they don't think it's his heart. WTH is it?????

This has been going on for so long...he's had 4-5 stress tests, 2 overnight stays in hospitals, several E/R visits, seen 2 different cardiologists, an internal medicine specialist is his primary care physician, and had everything short of a heart cath done and they find nothing to show it being heart-related. He does have nerve damage in his left leg and arthritis near his left rib cage, but apparently his heart his healthy. It has been an extremely frustrating experience. I hate to see him to through the rest of his life feeling as bad as he does. I guess next up will be to get his shoulder taken care of since it seems like that has been bothering him lately. I'm just really afraid that one of these days he's going to keel over and then it's "Oh, I guess it was his heart after all" from all the providers and then do their best to cover their ass. I just want him to FEEL BETTER!!

Sorry for the rant...

Gracie and her kittens are still with us, however, tonight they get to go to their new home. I told hubby that we need to get her there and fast, because old "orange and white" has been literally sniffing around her behind to see if she's in heat. Tonight my friend Gerry is taking them to his Dad's farm where they will have a nice big barn and plenty of room to roam. They will be the only cats there and his dad will feed them everyday. That was part of the deal, otherwise hubby said he couldn't have them. Must treat Gracie like a princess. She's special.

This weekend will be a nice change of pace from the past couple of weekends. Hubby and I will go down to West Chester for a fill on Saturday, and then he will no doubt go to Bass Pro for fishing supplies to stock up for his trip. Other than that, sounds like most of the weekend is pretty open so we can do as we please. We'll probably have to do a little shopping this weekend since I need a dress for a wedding in a couple of weeks and Mom and Dad's 54th wedding anniversary is coming up. But I'm going to try and stay home as much as possible to get some things done around the house. We've had alot of "family" stuff going on recently...reunions and such, that we don't have to do too much "visiting" over the weekend. Down time is the best...

Family time and such

Our cat, Stuey, had his annual shots and rabies vaccine last night. I told the vet that each year his reaction to the meds gets progressively worse, so he gave him an antihistamine. Poor thing is still under the weather, although he did eat something last night so that made me feel better. Stuey is a grey tiger...14+ pounds and very tall. Great cat, but I'm partial since he's my first pet. The stray, Gracie, and her kittens are still in the back yard. Hubby and I talked last night about it being time to round them up and take them to the farm. Hubby still thinks the young ones need another week. They are really too-cute and alot of fun. We have an umbrella over the bush they chose and a plastic bin with a blanket next to it with a lid overhang for shelter from any rain. You can't say that hubby doesn't have a soft heart for a stray.

Sunday was my mother-in-law's side of the family, family reunion in Burkettsville. A little burg with a church, a bar, a restaurant and not much else. It was a nice time and it was great to see the slide show of when the in-laws were young. He really has a terrific family and they get together quite frequently even though some have to drive a few hours. This friday is the Lake Festival in Celina, so his Mom & Dad are inviting my family over for the fireworks display. We'll hopefully get to see the amphi-cars go into the lake at least once over the weekend.

Hubby and his buddies played poker Saturday night at his buddy's house. Some of his friends that he doesn't get to see much came and played so it was fun for everyone. Jesse, Michelle and I took the time to look into a spa day while the guys are fishing in August. A simple overnight with a massage and pedi and then some shopping the next day. Can't wait. We never did anything like that before as a group so it should be a blast. Although it's kind of hard to find a place that doesn't charge an arm and a leg for 1 night accomodations and a little spa treatment.

This Saturday we are taking my hubby's not-so-little-anymore friend, D-Rock, out to celebrate his graduation from high school. Hubby used to date his mother years ago when he was 2 years old until he was about 8. They have always kept in touch and spent time together, so he wanted to do something special for him for his graduation. D-Rock is going to Otterbein in the fall so he's going to be experiencing alot of changes and freedom in the next few years. What a great young man. There are 8 of us going to a local restaurant to celebrate. We only get to see D once every month or so these days, so it will be nice to spend some time with him before he leaves for college.

I made an appointment this morning for another fill in my band. Not that I don't enjoy being able to eat anything I want, it's just that I feel like I am having to "diet" too much to lose any weight and that is not what the purpose of the band is for. I need to get a little more restriction to keep me from snacking and also cut down the portion size. Although I continue to lose weight, I've only lost about 4 lbs this month in total and would like to see a more significant weight loss that is sustainable. We'll see how this fill goes.

Long time - no post

Back from vacation...back to work. My hubby and I rented a lake house with my sister and her husband last week near Prairie du Sac, WI. The intent was to do a little fishing, sightseeing and relaxing along with catching up and seeing the nephews and their significant others. It is a beautiful area with gorgeous scenery. Bluffs, rolling hills and neat, clean farms dotting the fields. Both Prairie du Sac and Sauk City have around 3000 people or so each, so they are the kind of towns I'm used to.

The fishing turned out to be horrible. One of the locals told us he heard that the fish stopped biting around 10 days before we arrived. My sister and her hubby brought their boat along so we went on Lake Wisconsin a few days to try our luck with no success. Otherwise, we would fish off our dock on Fish Lake and catch the little pan fish, or go paddle boating or using the aluminum fishing boat provided. It was a nice time to try and read a book as there were very few TV stations, much to my husband's dismay.

We took in the local eateries and found some wonderful places along the way. A particular favorite was the Green Acres Restaurant. It seemed like every time we went by there were quite a few cars no matter what day it was. They are known for their steaks, however, I can grill a mean steak and very few places that we go really rival what we can do at home (Morton's maybe, Ruth's Chris - likely). I chose the seafood platter and what a coup! Shrimp as big as I've ever eaten, lobster tail, bacon-wrapped scallops that melted in your mouth, crab legs and fish fillets. My hubby ended up helping me eat it, but wow it was the best. Blue Spoon Cafe was a great place to catch a breakfast and get free Wi-Fi. The Mason Grill & Pub had great food, and the Press Box was a nice place to grab a beer.

On the days when the weather was crappy, we went to Madison, Baraboo, Plain, & the Dells. Visited the local Wollersheim Winery near Prairie du Sac (beautiful by the way). Shopping at the outlet stores in the Dells - so fun. My sister and I both had stupid smiles on our faces as we walked around feeling good about the incredible deals we found. Coach purse for $68, Naturalizer shoes for less than $20 apiece, etc. In Madison, we went to the Essen Haus that our nephew spoke highly of. Lots of beers on tap and available in bottles. My husband is a kind of a beer "snob" in that he likes to try new and different beers. We had dinner there the last night of our stay with my nephew and his wife. My other nephew and his girlfriend stayed with us for 3 days at the house/cabin and it was good to see them too. Lots of changes going on in the family. My nephew's wife is starting her 3-year of medical school and my other nephew is having a baby this fall. It was nice to be able to spend time with them since they are both on their own now.

When we were gone, I asked my parents to check on the house every day and feed the cat since we decided to leave him home this year instead of boarding him at a friends. Dad also had instructions to feed the stray cat "Gracie" a can of wet food if she was around, otherwise leave some dry food out and water. Imagine our surprise when we got back and Gracie had brought all of her 4 kittens over to live at our house behind the deck. She must have had quite a journey bringing each one over...it's a long way from the barn at school where she had them. They look like 2 sets of twins, however, 1 of each twin is a runt. They are almost 6 weeks old, but the runts only look the size of a 3 week old. They are too-cute.

We contacted a lady that runs a cat rescue in St. Marys, but she already has over 100 cats and kittens she is trying to place and doesn't have any room. So, I asked a couple of guys at work and one of my friend's Dad is going to take Gracie and the kittens in a week of two on his farm. He needs some cats and I would like to keep them together. I told my hubby we need to get out of the stray cat-feeding routine because we are just going to compound the problem. I'd love to keep Gracie, but our cat would not get along with her well I'm afraid. I only want 1 cat in the house and right now we are keeping our cat, Stuey, inside all the time since the kittens are around. Not fair to him. But I hate to see Gracie go, she is such a loving small mama.

I met with my lap band doctor a couple of weeks ago by surprise...he was in the office that Saturday doing the office visits. He said I was going wonderful and recommended no adjustment that day as I was losing at least 2 lbs a week with no adverse effects or issues. I don't need to come back until I feel like I'm in need of an adjustment.

When we were on vacation, I actually gained 2 1/2 lbs due to all the "going out to dinner" episodes and grazing during the day. But it came off within 2 days and it's nice to get back to my routine. I was pleasantly surprised it was only 2 1/2 lbs. Last year when we went to Maine, I gained 16 lbs in 12 days. So, the band it definitely helping and as long as I make better food choices, the weight is coming off just fine. Slow and somewhat steady, but the scale is moving in the right direction and that is always an "upper".

Are your feeling Hot, Hot, Hot???

Wow...I took the convertible and drove to visit my folks last night for a bit and at 6:50 pm it was 94 degrees with no sun. Aghhhh! Mind you, I don't much care for hot/humid weather. When you're going 55 in the convertible, it's not too bad...in fact it has to be about 77 degrees outside before you can even say your comfortable with the top down. But 94 is 94 and it's HOT! Nothing like getting up and your "behind" is soaked.

Mom & Dad were pooped from spending the day at Bear Creek Farms and watching a (taste of) Branson show. Hubby lost his "cheaters" (reading glasses) in their chair last week and I wanted to pick them up and of course also see the folks.

My sister e-mailed me and said she is still getting used to her new haircut she got Wednesday. I didn't tell her I got mine whacked off too. Everybody seems to have an opinion on it. My mother, well let's just say she didn't like it longer because I'm too "old" for long hair, and now that I got it cut, "oh, it's so short". I can't win. My hair was layered down to my shoulders as I've been trying to grow it out for over a year with little success. My thin, fine, stringy hair and hot/humid weather don't mix and no amount of volumizing shampoo/rootlift/hairspray makes a difference so "off" it went. I'll admit it's pretty short, but so-o-o much better!

I was reading on lapbandtalk.com about a post that posed the question "lap band vs. sleeve" with the poster wanted member's opinions on the 2 WLS surgeries. Wow did it get ugly! For all the support you can get and questions answered on the forum, the responses to that post show just how petty, mean and confrontational members can be and one of the main pitfalls of the forum. I mean, I go there for support, knowledge, to see what issues members may be having with the lap band and offer the support I can pass on to someone else. It seems like you have to be very careful how you word something lest you offend someone and/or they misunderstand you. There are a couple of "posters" that seem to have their "hairs up" about something all the time and I would just like it if they went to another forum. Most of them have had trouble with their bands and converted to bypass or sleeve and spout about all the problems the band creates. In my opinion, it is their experience and not the "norm". To antagonize people for a difference of opinion or misunderstanding is just plain rude and unnecessary. You can clarify by being respectful, you don't have to incite.

Sorry for the rant. That kind of behavior just pisses me off.

Saturday I get my fourth fill and my sister-in-law is going with me. We plan to make a day of shopping down in the area since we both like Dillards and Jungle Jim's. I was feeling okay about getting another fill until about 5-6 days ago when my band seemed to tighten up. I'm not able to eat as much and really have to eat slow the first solid food I eat of the day to "prime" my stomach for food. Last night, I woke up and tried to shift in my sleep and I had some water come back up in my mouth. It was weird to say the least, especially since I didn't have anything to drink for an hour before bed. I'm going to talk with the nurse tomorrow and go over a few things about being tighter in the morning and also the last few days and see what she thinks. If I get a fill, it won't be much I guarantee. She'll probably leave it up to me. One of the "posters" said something this week about that they were tight too with the hot/humid weather. Odd. I didn't think weather would make any difference, but apparently for some people it does. Some say the barometric pressure causes changes to the tightness of their band, or the time of the month, or stress, illness, etc. This is the first I've experienced it. I guess I'll see what she says. I just don't want to have problems, and I've been losing great the last week. We'll see...