setting goals....

I saw a cute pair of boots on a friends blog, they were black and white toile rain boots. Super cute!!! I found them, but they are not longer available on Amazon. I wasn't going to buy them, just window shopping, but I came across these beauties. I might treat myself once I reach a milestone in my weight loss journey.

First fill went well, if you call.....

almost passing out and puking well....lol it really wasn't that bad. I was already sick and not feeling well when I went in to have it done. I laid down and he numbed the area with a little baby needle. Then he pulled out the BIG needle. I don't get bothered by needles at all, in fact I always watch them take my blood and what not. I started to get really hot. He was having a little trouble finding it, since he's not the surgeon who placed the lap band in me. When he finally got it, he pulled out what was in it, to see how much I already had. It was 2cc's I was under the impression it didn't have any fill in it at all. So he added 3 more. I sat up and was handed a cup of water from the nurse to drink, this is to make sure that it's not too tight and that I am able to get stuff down. Well before I could drink any, I had to hand the nurse back the cup, because my ears were clogging up (worse than from my cold) and everything started getting farther and farther away. So I stripped off my hoodie and laid back down for a bit. When I got my wits about me, I sat up and starting taking sips of the water. I got the hick-ups and almost vomited it up. The band was too tight. He had me lay back down and by this time, my wonderful husband came over and was gently stroking my head and hair. Then when I asked the nurse for the cup, he said..."well it's time for me to go back to the other side of the room" lol I didn't think he had a weak stomach. Wonder what childbirth does to him....if he thinks he gets out of that, he's got another thing coming. But back to the doctors office. This time he was able to find the port right away and took out 1cc and I had instant relief. So as of Tuesday I have 4cc's of saline in my band. I weighed Wednesday morning and again this morning, and I lost 3 lbs. I am so excited and can't wait until the results are such that they are noticeable.

Country roads, take me home........

to the place, I belong......WV (well close enough)

In early January I lost my uncle Tom. It made a few things very clear to me. 1. my dad is 70 and he won't be around forever. 2. I longed to be back "home" more than ever. 3. I missed my family. So, I made a few calls and sent a few resumes and February 1st I started a new job in Parkersburg, WV. We currently are still Buckeyes, but hope to buy a piece of property in WV out, way out in the boonies somewhere.

I had to get a new surgeon to follow-up my care for my band. I will see him March 2nd, for my first fill. I am super excited. I think I've gained back the 18 lbs I lost. I know that I have been eating bad stuff, but.....in my mind, it's because after March, I will never be able to eat some of these things again. So I have probably went a little overboard. I know I should probably still be dieting, but again, I will not be able to have ice cream for dinner in the future if I wish to. I will have to eat as much protien as possible, so to get enough nutrition.

I don't much miss Pennsylvania, but, now I can't be the Pennsylania Penningtons much longer. Until I think of a new catchy name, this will remain so.

Back to work

and sick.....I tried to stay home a few more days from work, but they needed me to come in. I had the procedure last Tuesday 12-22. It was way more painful than I had anticipated. on the second and third day I wanted to curl up in a ball and die. But since curling up was not an option I could only lay flat and not move a muscle or it would hurt to the high heavens. It felt like I had done a million sit ups or been kicked in the stomach by a team of horses. They only give you the good drugs the first day at the hospital (not the morning after, when you really need them) I know 3 others who had this done, and they did not have the complications I did. No gas and no nausea. I have both....still to this day. 12-28. I had to come to work and now I am sick as a dog, I think that I am so hungry it's making me sick. and I have the gas pains on top of it all. Which is a pain in my shoulder and around my lungs. I am supposed to walk as much as possible, so I have been getting up every hour here at work and walking around the office. More to come later.

APPROVED!!!!!

I just got a call from the secretary over at the surgeon's office. She said I was approved. It seems that they were missing a page from the fax and didn't think I had an entire 6 months under the surgeons care. I am so happy. I was very upset yesterday. All I wanted to do was buy a pack of cigarettes, but I did not. I am so glad that I was able to stear clear of the temptation of doing so. I can already find myself being "that" former smoker. If you smoke then you know what I'm talking about. The one who tells you how easy it is to quit and to just do it and they hate the smell (well honestly I have hated the smell all along) but now I can actually smell it.

Insurance troubles..................

The surgeon's receptionist called me and told me that when they sent in for approval the insurance company sent back and was questioning my excercise and probably why I wasn't doing a whole lot more. I am having my chiropractor send a letter to them about the core strength training I am doing and that the broken back I sufford from 3 years ago has me limited in what I can do at the time. He is also going to state how the bariatric procedure will be beneficial to me.

Tomorrow I still go in for pre-op testing. I have to take a "sample" with me and I am having an endescope done. I guess he is going to put me under light sedation and go take a look at my stomach. I have been googling on how to get "the sample".

I am 1 month SMOKE FREE and loving it. I even survived Thanksgiving weekend with my extended family of smokers and was still just fine. I did use that Chantix a little in the beginning but had to stop because it was making my stomach hurt. Then when I went off of it, it sent my body in a whirl wind of emotions. I was ready to divorce my husband. I was hateful, I broke out into sweats, then I was freezing....it's not a very nice drug at all. It has even caused some people to commit suicide. But....it really does help you quit smoking. It's a catch 22 if you ask me. I normally don't get any side effects from prescription drugs, I think I got them all from Chantix. If you know anyone thinking about taking it, incourage them to really research it first.

Going on.....

2 weeks! Saturday at 9:30 pm is my mark. I am actually doing it. I am doing great too. I still want a cigarette not nearly as bad but the point is I don't have to have one. I hope it continues to be easy. I am using chantix, but I am only taking .5 mg as opposed to the 2 mg (1 two x's a day) when I tried this before it made me nauseous. I wondered if that was the feeling I would have when I was pregnant. If it is, then you can count me out. I was so sick for a whole week, all day and all night long. Except for about 20 minutes right after I ate something. It was a mix between hunger and nausea, weird weird weird sensation. I have read a lot about the chantix and it can cause ulcers and stuff like that. So I hope not to have to take it much longer.