9/16/10 Coloring Outside The Lines

• The painting spree has continued...uggh. I got all the external doors painted (harder than it sounds as several are glass...front door; all panes...it's a pain!). Yes, I still have hours of scraping the excess paint off every pane left today (inside done, just the outside)...I've always said that 'I never color inside the lines'...guess that's biting me in the butt. I called my parents to thank them for my Art Ed degree.
  
• The quote went up on the hall wall (look how cute Diane, thanks!) and I spray-painted 25 of my old picture frames black (wow, I haven't had these up since house #3 where I had the obligitory kids photos going up the stairs...DS1 wasn't even born then LOL), I just need the photos...
  Yes, I make patterns of my pics and nail through those to hang them perfectly (no, they're not lined up yet)...I'm anal, remember?!
  
• I officially hate technology...and I don't care anymore that saying that makes me sound old...technology can get me in a four day super mean mood (DH can't even do that)...my DH's been taking the brunt of it as he's tried to help me. Trying to print black & white photos for those frames...new computer downstairs where the scanner is...bought several large sizes of photo paper and then new ink cartridges...downloaded new photo programs...three different ones...then the scanner won't do anything but jam paper or 'pretend' that it's printing (making all those lovely sounds back and forth) just to taunt me while it's not printing...yes, I called my IST Sophmore at college who tried to help me over the phone, but I swear he was speaking a foreign language...four days later and I'm taking my photos to Target today for them to print...d*mn I'm stubborn...I need a TAM class (Technology Anger Management).
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• Fall has decided to arrive here...cold and rainy...OK you Aussie's, I'm sending you Spring d*mnit! 
• Oh, and DD's new job is going well...I packed her lunch the first day and had deja vu of her first days of school. I got a call the first morning 'It is Monday, isn't it Mom?'...she was 15 min. early and no one was there yet LOL. She's been going to a lot of meetings with clients...went to a 'walk through' meeting at the new hockey stadium where they're doing the signage. It sounds like they're swamped and need to get her up and running as quickly as possible...yay job!

It's just another week in BG-land!

5/4/10 Pre-Op Process (Self-pay or Covered)

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The closest I come to understanding the medical system abroad is when 'someone very close to me who will remain anonymous lest her friends read this...like they'd ever want to' spent a semester abroad in France. She made a trip to the ER in the middle of the night just 10 days after her arrival to France (very bloody diarrhea)...which involved a move in
an ambulance to another hospital outside of town, a 5 day stay, a lab analysis of the bottle of Pepto Bismol (yes, I sent her there with a huge bag full of every medication possible...I'm surprised they didn't stop her at customs and do a strip search) that I insisted she take with her to the hospital (they'd never seen Pepto before). NO one at the hospital spoke more than a few words of English and she didn't speak much French at all yet (she attended an English speaking college, and part of her education was learning more conversational French there). In the few minutes a day we got to talk to her (cell phone had almost no battery left and she didn't take the charger to the ER) we received the following information (and yes, I would have flown out the first day if I'd had any clue this was going to be 5 days):

- Day 1: NO one here speaks English!...No, we all applied for our France health care cards, but we hadn't received them yet...I'm perfectly fine now...I think they'll send me home today.

- Day 2: They took my Pepto Bismol and my phone is about to die...No, I don't know what hospital I'm at, but I'll try to ask them if that's it...No, there's NO one here who speaks English that you can talk to...anyway, I think they'll send me home today.

- Day 3: OMG get me out of here! The TV costs cash money and I only had 5 Euros in my pocket when I went to the ER...I've been staring at the wall for 3 days! People stop by all day long to try out their 'English' on me; I keep thinking 'FINALLY! Someone who speaks English! But after they point and say 'American!' or 'How are you?' really slowly I learn that's all the words they know!...Yes, about as many words as I am fluent in French!...I think one of them said something about a 'test'...No, who knows if it was a Doctor or the janitor, they all wear the same thing!...I think maybe they'll send me home after the test today.

- Day 4: GET ME OUT OF HERE!!! They brought me some meat for dinner last night and I turned it over and it had TASTEBUDS ON IT...IT WAS A LITTLE TINY TONGUE!!! I'm starving!!! They stuck a camera up my bum today and the Doc spent 30 min. trying to communicate with me with no English...I don't know, I think I heard the word 'inflammation' and 'polyp'. Two of my friends from college took the train out to see me and they couldn't find out what was going on either...and they speak FRENCH!...No, no one from the college program has called or come to see me...I don't know why they're keeping me so long...I pray they send me home today!
- Day 5: I'm home. I was scared, but luckily I had just enough money to buy the train ticket back to the city. The Doctor told me I have to 'come back' for a 'Colonoscopy' I think to take out the polyp...Yes, I got a copy of the report, but I'M NEVER GOING BACK!!!!
After two different trips to two different Dentists there, with no tooth symptom relief, we all decided she needed to come home after one semester (she was supposed to be there all year). Back in the US, after lots of help from our insurance co., getting the foreign medical bills paid and then the hospital report translated, she had the colonoscopy and the polyps removed, and then had to have the tooth pulled out...she likes to show people the spot where her molar is missing and calls it her 'souvenir from her trip to France'. No, I'm not saying the medical system abroad is bad (I've been told France has a great health-care system), but from a teenagers view it was LOL! And yes, she should have been able to speak more French as it's not their problem to know English. Thank Gawd she's a very independent girl and could handle herself alone!
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3/23/10 Namaste! **Update**

Today is going to be a big Band day in BG Bandlandia with two big 'meetings' later.

Just got home from a Yoga class with DD...no teacher asking me the whole time 'ARE YOU ALRIGHT?' LOL. Much better than Boot Camp, and it still made me sweat! BTW Plank position is much better looking with my Victoria's Secret tight exercise tank/bra top on than it was in my nightshirt...but I did giggle every time the teacher said 'PLANK'! A young (probably 35) woman near us at the end of class turned around and said 'You girls look like gymnasts!' OK, I wanted to hug her for saying 'girls' instead of the usual 'Mom' or 'Mame' I get. It was the first time both of us had ever been to a yoga class, so we set up in the back of the room. We kept up (thank you Wii Fit yoga), but our flexibility is terrible right now (OK, mine is...can't even touch my toes yet...DD is still pretty flexible, even though she kept commenting on how she was surprised how stiff she'd gotten)...we were laughing through the class as our legs were shaking most of the time...so...flexible? able to do all the moves perfectly? umm...NO, not even close! I'm sure the teacher was showing all the 'here's how you can modify this' just for me again. I couldn't help myself when the lady said that about gymnasts...seriously?...I got one of those release-all-the-air-in-your-body-in-a-second-loud 'PFFTS' and then started giggling and said 'WHAT?!!' She looked a litle offended by my laughter and says it again 'Are you girls gymnasts or something?' I seriously couldn't tell if she was joking, making fun of us, or what?! DD just looked at me with the 'Is she serious?' look...thanks for the help sweetie.

I kid you not, I looked the woman dead in the eye and said 'No, we're dancers!' Now, DD is losing it trying to hold the giant 'PFFT' in and I see her shoulders shaking with holding the giggles in (I didn't lie...DD did dance competitively for a long time, and I was on a dance team in HS and College...yes, before you were born). I'm sure it was my Vicky's dance top that dazzled this lady. I'm hoping we don't see the same lady in the Zumba class we're trying next...I'll have to start working on my dance moves LOL. We had a good laugh on the way home.




Time to hit the showers! Namaste!

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3/16/10 Celebrities in WL Denial

WL related things that got me crazy this morning (and it's not even 8:30 am yet as I'm writing this). I know there are many bad WL celebrity examples (did Anyone see Carney Wilson on Dr. Oz recently? She gets a crown for denial and excuses!), but here are a few that got me thinking this morning, because of their denial (and so back up my mantra on how important awareness is):

- This morning on my drive back from the bus stop I heard about a woman whose goal it is to get into the Guinness Book of World Records. She presently weighs over 600 pounds and wants to weigh over 1,000 pounds. She can't walk 20 feet now, but says she's healthy. She said running after her child has kept her weight down (running? seriously?). She's already in the book for being the fattest woman to give birth at 532 lbs. If she achieves this the GBoWR will, I'm sure put her photo in the book, and look, she's already getting press about this. This is just wrong on so many levels. That's press for someone cutting their life short. What's next, a world record for the most cigarettes smoked, the most alcohol consumed in a day?

- Kirstie Alley was on the Today Show this morning promoting her new reality show series 'Big Life' and her new for-sale WL program products ($1,700/one year membership and supplements). The woman is deep in WL denial.
---Meredith asked her if she'd thought about why she gained the weight back after her big bikini reveal on Oprah (2006)...She answered that no, she hasn't thought 'why', just 'did'...she 'did' gain the weight back and the two things her new WL plan (products for sale) help her with her cravings and hunger. Just the 'not thinking about why' and dealing with her emotional relationship with food (see yesterday's blog on awareness) means she's doomed for another regain IMO.
---I haven't been a long time yo-yoer like the tabloids say. I've only been fat four years of my life. Later in the interview she said her first weight gain was in the early '90's after a miscarriage (um, that's about 20 years ago, and her Oprah regain was over the next two years, so she's now been fat since 2008, so 2 years just from this latest yo-yo jump).
---Meridith asked what happened to her role with Jenny Craig and did they fire her/and were they mad at her? She answered that she didn't think they were mad at her and that she felt the split was mutual. Her explanation was that they wanted to go with a more serious commercial campaign and that she liked to have sillier/fun commercials. Um, did she really think anyone would believe that?
---She whined about how the press has hounded her since her first weight gain to sell papers, yet she's very publicly announced her attempt to start WL plans several times in the past and now, already did one show about her weight (I think it was called 'Fat Actress'?) and now another show. It's like telling people about your LB...you can't get mad then that those people are now asking/watching/reacting to your WL, or lack thereof. Also the WL experts agree that the stress and pressure she's under makes the WL even harder to come off...hmm 'stress and pressure' wasn't I just giving that same reason for not telling anyone about my LB at the beginning?
---Meredith asked what her goal weight is this time and she said that she always set her goal too low in the past...when she started her acting career she was 118 and so she set her goals at 120. She admits that 120 is probably not attainable now, so she has set her goal for 145. She's 5'8" and is very big busted. Um, we're almost the same height (1/2") and I'm flat chested and I can't see me reaching 145...I was VERY thin at that weight.
---Kirstie admitted getting off drugs in the past with a rehab program, and Meridith asked if she saw a correlation between the drug addiction and the food one. She was defensive that she doesn't use the word 'addiction', but 'compulsion' when it comes to food. She pointed out that you have to eat every day, it has nutrition benefits, and food is legal. Um, so is alcohol Kirstie, and doesn't red wine have benefits.

- Of course that got me thinking about Oprah as she was much thinner in the clip with Kirstie than she is now. Love Oprah, hate her thoughts on WL and the hypocrisy she spews about WL.
---I hate that's she's so solidly against WLS and then has one guest expert after another on losing weight the 'old fashioned way'...doesn't she see that she's no example of that?...she'd be better off not talking about weight at all IMO.
---The only thing that Oprah does successfully for people needing to lose weight is to make us feel better about her failure (especially those of us who have yo-yoed and/or tried everything like her). She publicly shows that you can have a raft of WL experts, books, exercise gurus and personal trainers, Medical Dr's., Nutritionists, WL Psychologist, and Private healthy chefs at your disposal and sometimes that's still not enough to keep the weight off successfully. Her example as a WL failure helped me when I reached my decision to finally allow myself to look at WLS.

I truly feel for these last two ladies, I've been them, well, without the celebrity part, although I do have the proper sunglasses. I just hate how it perpetuates the perception that the next 'diet' or 'exercise' plan that's around the corner will finally work and be our miracle. I do love that Oprah has owned her regain and is no longer blaming it on her thyroid, and she made a plan to start focusing on herself/putting her needs on the list. It's ironic though, one of the sayings that Oprah spouts out a lot is that life will keep giving you the same lesson until you learn that lesson...I would have loved to have seen her learn this one.

3/15/10 Funky Chicken

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2/3/10 All The World's A Stage

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1/15/10 Friday Facts

STRESS:
-DH is stressed out at work..."worst day ever" yesterday.

-DD got laid off this week (and her BF of 3 years and she broke-up just before Christmas). She's also been sick as a dog for 3 days now (still running a fever...doc thinks it's a virus) "Mom, my life sucks". She's got a two year follow up procedure coming up on Monday (outpatient) and I'm hoping she's not still sick (and that the procedure can go on). Thank God her insurance goes through the month (yes, she'll buy ins. after that).

-DS1 called from college yesterday and thinks he has the swine flu (wouldn't get the shot, believe me I tried)...I'm waiting to see if he made it to the doc.

-DS2 is as happy as a lark...ski club trip tonight.

-Someone please tell me how to sleep better when you're stressed (DH and I are both not getting enough sleep)...and pray for me that I can stay up until 11:30pm to pick up DS2 tonight.

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Happy Weekend All!

11/19/09 Giggles and Jiggles

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Water Treadmill

11/18/09 The Adventure Continues...

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11/13/09 Water, Water, Everywhere...

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8/4/09 Grand Canyon

Since recovering from the big party, I've been trip planning...two trips actually.

We've decided to take a summer vacation. DS1 would rather spend time with all his friends before they're all off in different directions for college so we've planned to leave the day after taking him to college; end of Aug., and before DS2 starts 8th grade here. We're meeting DH's parents at their condo (2nd home) at Seabrook Island, SC for a week. It's going to be a scorching hot week to go, but it's the perfect last-minute place and it's not a too eSince recovering from the big party, I've been trip planning...two trips actually.

We've decided to take a summer vacation. DS1 would rather spend time with all his friends before they're all off in different directions for college so we've planned to leave the day after taking him to college; end of Aug., and before DS2 starts 8th grade here. We're meeting DH's parents at their condo (2nd home) at Seabrook Island, SC for a week. It's going to be a scorching hot week to go, but it's the perfect last-minute place and it's not an expensive trip for us (with the second one going to college there's no excess funds). We need a getaway...especially for DS2 as this summer has been all about his siblings, their graduations, and their new endeavours (college, jobs). It's going to be weird just having one kid on a family trip, but DD just started the new job so she can't go either. I told DS2 that it will be his chance to be spoiled rotten as an only child on this trip LOL.

It's a beautiful island and they sit right on a marsh with a dock for crabbing and a swimming pool right down the street. In a 5 min. drive to the other side of the island you can get to a beautiful uncrowded beach on the ocean and it's less than 45min. from Charleston (sits right next to Kiawah Island). We can't wait.

DH suddenly has lots of trips planned to Phoenix this year so I've decided to take advantage of DD living here and meet up with him after a trip this fall. I'm flying out Oct. 2 for 5 nights and I'm wildly trying to figure out what I need to book. I'm SO EXCITED that I'll finally get to see the Grand Canyon for the first time! I've been to Phoenix/Scottsdale on business before when I was working, but never got to see much.



We booked my FF airline tickets and 2 nights lodging (2nd, 3rd nights of the trip) inside the park (2 different lodges, since that's all that was available now). I think I'll plan the last 2 nights in Sedona, but I'm not sure where to stay the first night; somewhere on the way up to GCNP (maybe somewhere in Oak Creek Canyon?). I'm starting to think 5 nights may have been too many.

DH was a Geologist (before he moved into the business world), so I'm trying to plan mostly outside things and outside of Phoenix. I'm looking for some easy hikes. DH has already hiked down and up the GC; good thing as there is no way my body/back could handle that hike...short hikes for me (maybe this will be the motivation I need to exercise more). You know me, I'm an anal planner and I love coming home from a vacation exhausted. I'm trying my best to make this an economical trip too.

If you have any suggestions/tips for me, please let me know! Back to my research!xpensive trip for us (with the second one going to college there's no excess funds). We need a getaway...especially for DS2 as this summer has been all about his siblings, their graduations, and their new endeavours (college, jobs). It's going to be weird just having one kid on a family trip, but DD just started the new job so she can't go either. I told DS2 that it will be his chance to be spoiled rotten as an only child on this trip LOL.

It's a beautiful island and they sit right on a marsh with a dock for crabbing and a swimming pool right down the street. In a 5 min. drive to the other side of the island you can get to a beautiful uncrowded beach on the ocean and it's less than 45min. from Charleston (sits right next to Kiawah Island). We can't wait.

DH suddenly has lots of trips planned to Phoenix this year so I've decided to take advantage of DD living here and meet up with him after a trip this fall. I'm flying out Oct. 2 for 5 nights and I'm wildly trying to figure out what I need to book. I'm SO EXCITED that I'll finally get to see the Grand Canyon for the first time! I've been to Phoenix/Scottsdale on business before when I was working, but never got to see much.

We booked my FF airline tickets and 2 nights lodging (2nd, 3rd nights of the trip) inside the park (2 different lodges, since that's all that was available now). I think I'll plan the last 2 nights in Sedona, but I'm not sure where to stay the first night; somewhere on the way up to GCNP (maybe somewhere in Oak Creek Canyon?). I'm starting to think 5 nights may have been too many.

DH was a Geologist (before he moved into the business world), so I'm trying to plan mostly outside things and outside of Phoenix. I'm looking for some easy hikes. DH has already hiked down and up the GC; good thing as there is no way my body/back could handle that hike...short hikes for me (maybe this will be the motivation I need to exercise more). You know me, I'm an anal planner and I love coming home from a vacation exhausted. I'm trying my best to make this an economical trip too.

If you have any suggestions/tips for me, please let me know! Back to my research!

6/9/09 Motivation

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5/13/09 Food! Glorious Food!

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5/12/09 My Wii Hates Mii

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4/13/09 Go To The Back Of The Class

I’m home from our long weekend. I took DD back to college this morning and I’ve got an hour here before I start running the boys places. I typed this up on our way to Ohio, but couldn’t use my computer there, so here’s my blog from the pre-op class last Thursday.

4/9/09

Class was interesting, to say the least (read the end paragraph for the interesting part). It was evenly split with LB and RNY patients. We (bandsters) picked up literature depending on which type of band we had chosen (LB or Realize, I’ve chosen LB). I’ll only list the key things I learned that are different between my procedures and what I’ve seen from most others.

Pre-op
--Diet: There is no specific pre-op diet although they do ask you to cut back on fat and sugar for one-two weeks prior. Others here were interested so I did ask why there is no ‘shrink the liver diet’ and if it only pertained to those of us with a low BMI. Apparently no one (regardless of BMI) is required to do a specific pre-op diet and they have never cancelled anyone’s surgery (or closed them up) because their liver was too large. They’ve had no problems with large livers, but she did mention that if you do eliminate most of the fat and sugar for liver shrinkage before that it can help with reducing the post pain/trauma to your body later...smaller liver is easier to move. She couldn’t believe that some docs refuse to do surgery if your liver is too large (I asked this). They are getting ready to implement offering Bariatric Advantage products including the shakes and vitamins, but this is geared more for right after surgery and will still probably be optional before.

--Day Before: There is no enema. Only procedures are using antibacterial body soap for two days prior in the shower and the clear liquid diet/nothing after midnight that everyone else seems to do


Surgery/Hospital Stay

--Catheter: There is no catheter for the LB procedure (it seems like many others do have this).

--Fill: My doc does not put any fill in the LB at surgery (I was bummed about this, but apparently they do this because some never need any more restriction than the LB itself being placed; no fills ever).

--Incisions: Mine will be closed with glue and steri strips (no stitches or staples like some have). The strips can come off at one week at home.

--Gas X: It’s fine to bring this and use it at the hospital, but again they say that it does no good for the air that’s pumped into your abdomen, it will only help the gas in your digestive tract (I’m bringing it anyway even if it’s a placebo, it can’t hurt).

--Overnight: My docs require a one night stay for the LB procedure and insurance covers this. The only bad part about this is that you don’t get to do the barium swallow/x-ray test until the next morning…so only the ‘wet swabs’ (blech) in your mouth until the next morning. I will get a Doppler test on my legs the next day to check for blood clots. I’m not sure if I’ve heard anyone mention having this done.


Post-Op
--Meds.: They’ll send me home with Rx for a pain med (liquid Roxacet (sp?)/like Percocet) and Nexium for the stomach, no anti-nausea meds. unless you have a problem in the hospital (I’m going to insist on getting something I know my stomach, if anyone will puke it will be me).

--Schedule/Fills: Mine’s a little different than some. I see the doc post-op at 2-3 weeks and then the first fill isn’t until 6 weeks. Then every 4-6 weeks as needed for fills.

--Diet: Liquids only for 2-3 weeks/until post-op visit (this sounds like the longest I’ve heard, but I guess I’m paying for the no pre-op diet LOL). I’ve stated this before, but I will again since it’s different than most docs plans; my diet past the first two weeks is never to include protein drinks (protein should come from solids and that’s the purpose of the band to keep you full with food, not sliders. She did mention adding whey/protein powders to your food if you need extra protein.). The 2nd phase got a little confusing as she said that we are not to make/use pureed foods. The doc would rather we chewed soft foods to an almost liquid stage ourselves. I had to ask several questions to get to the bottom of this, but apparently they feel pureed stuff will slip through too fast and leave you hungry…hmm (I get this in the final stage, but mushies?). Pulverize with your mouth or a blender, I don’t see the difference. I told her I’d already made some pureed/froze them and she said to go ahead and use them (hey it’s 2 weeks, no biggie). After that, the diet is the same as others except you can drink black coffee as long as you compensate by drinking extra water, and you can drink diet pop as long as it has gone flat.

--Exercise: No lifting, pulling, pushing or treadmill (hadn’t seen anyone mention no treadmill before) until you’ve seen the doc post-op.

Other than that, everything was pretty much the same as everyone else. Now here’s the interesting part. She finished with the presentation and took a few questions and then said “I’m sure that you’ve all heard that Dr. XXX has left the practice.” WHAT? HUH? There was a unanimous “NO!” She meekly comes back with “Yes, we were all surprised too, apparently he just turned in a letter on Monday and has gone to (competitor).” (She was obviously not happy and somewhat stressed by this).Dr. XXX was the senior partner of the 2 man practice and is very well known in the area. They scheduled surgeries side by side and did them together for more difficult cases. Like I’ve mentioned before, my docs get a lot of the cases that the other hospitals (competitor hospital sent them patients all the time) in the area won’t take (i.e. Hard revisions, super M. Obese, etc.). Pittsburgh is well known as a strong medical city and I had 3 Bariatric Centers of Excellence within a few miles of each other to choose from (and there are several others in the surrounding area). (competitor) is the big conglomerate in the area though that has been buying up the smaller hospitals…apparently they offered him a bundle. Well, all hell broke loose at that point (quietly, but it was so tense you could feel it), it was a mixed period of stunned silence and occasional questions blurted out. I’m perfectly comfortable with my doc (the 2nd doc, and I met him at the seminar), he’s been doing laparoscopic procedures for many years and has done hundreds of bandings, and he’s well know as pioneering some of the cutting edge laparoscopic procedures (like the DaVinci robot that is run from a different room…actually more precise laparoscopically than by hand, so they use this in difficult cases). But I’ll have to tell you, that even I was thinking through…What if he needs help? There’s no one there! Then I’m thinking, what if they postpone my surgery…how can one guy handle the surgical load of 2? The worst part was that we didn’t know this before the class…poorly handled. Some people were asking tons of questions (had never even met the other Dr. and especially with an RNY, I’d be worried too!). She offered to set up meetings with the other doc for people who hadn’t met him. Here’s hoping my surgery doesn’t get postponed! The class left on a pretty uncomfortable note…not the way you want to feel a few weeks before surgery when you’re already nervous.

3/14/09 Cheap Motivation

Santa brought me an electronic Pedometer for Christmas…he’s good to me, that Santa. I haven’t really had a reason to use it until now. I got it out to start using it last week. DH helped me measure my stride and set it up (10-15 min.). It’s got a software component so we loaded that (you just put the CD in and push install). It was inexpensive, easy to set up and it is easy to use. It tracks your steps (and separates steps that are done aerobically) if it’s on you vertically or horizontally even. It comes with a clip and a lanyard, but you can also just drop it in your pocket or purse (way smaller than a cell phone...shaped like an egg).

Well I got to the end of the week and guess what? I couldn’t find the cord to hook it up to the computer so I could download my information...nice. I’d about come to the conclusion that it went out with the Christmas wrapping paper when it turned up yesterday when I was cleaning out my desk (who says Friday the 13th is bad luck). I took a look at the download and it’s going to be easy to use. It’s on all the time and once you set up the date and time I never have to push a button even...well, I do have to attach it to the computer and push 'download' on the computer once a week (but I love how I don't have to even think about it all week if I don't want to...I have more important things to think about...like where I stashed the computer cord!) It shows your information any way you want it; steps, aerobic steps (so I won’t have to track the treadmill separately), aerobic walking time, distance, calories, fat burned and your progress against any goals you’ve set up. It will be simple for me to take my calories burned and enter them into my FitDay food & exercise account.

It’s actually fun to see how you’re doing…I’m easily entertained ($30 bucks...cheap entertainment). So I’m back to tracking steps…now MARCH 2, 3, 4......

If anyone is interested: Omron HJ-720ITC $29.75 Amazon (with free shipping)...way less than what I paid in Dec., and you know OCD me, I researched them all, this one was rated #1 by Money Mag. and had great reviews.

3/13/09 Spring Fever

I’m feeling blah today. I’m not sure what it is…the ‘Spring Ahead’ clock change this week, the lack of enough coffee (I’m sipping my last cup right now to make it last…it’s cold now), or maybe that it’s Friday the 13th. I do know I’m sick of Winter. Mother Nature was teasing me last weekend with that 70° high (mean woman!). It’s 23° right now and we might hit 50° this weekend…weeee. I feel like a hibernating bear right now. I’m a person who is affected by the weather…I think I was meant to live in the South, although I do enjoy watching the season’s change. I enjoy sunlight. I put 32 windows and four glass doors in our house, and no it’s not that big…I just love natural light. Spring is my favorite season, but the past few years here we really haven’t had one. Last year ‘Spring’ was cold and raining everyday, then it went straight to a blazing hot Summer (so no Spring) and unfortunately my Asthma doesn’t enjoy extreme heat of summer. OK, winter is on it’s way out…whinefest over.

I think all of us getting bands this time of year are extremely lucky. I’ve said before that I felt sorry for those getting their bands right before the holidays; especially those in my climate. They must be extremely dedicated…make it through the holidays with no restriction yet and then sit there in the snow all winter. There will be no excuses for me not to be getting enough exercise…I’ll be banded right as Spring begins and will have the nice weather and all the outside activities it brings to look forward to. One more week until the Equinox/first day of Spring (March 20) and I'm hoping it actually arrives and is on time this year. I can’t wait!

3/3/09 Better Late than Never

*Post Deleted for Lap Band Book

1/7/09 Tracking and Measuring-Yikes!

As per my PCP's request I've started my food and exercise log today. I do see the benefit in this short term. In the past keeping logs has helped me with accountablity and you also learn a lot along the way. I plan to keep this up until I'm on the other side of the band and feel comfortable with what I'm allowed to eat.

My goal is not to have to do this long term though. As I've said before I find tracking every calorie, for me, becomes just trading one kind of food obsession for another. There's no way for me to not feel like I'm on a diet and being deprived some how while I'm doing this time consuming task of measuring every bite, writing it down, and entering it in. My food goal is to be on a new lifestyle change NOT ANOTHER DIET, to eat mainly what my family is eating with a few tweaks, minus the bad carbs and sweets, and obviously a whole lot less. I'm hoping that with my previous experiences with calorie counting that the learning curve post band will be easier (I'm talking just calorie counting and categories of foods not all those other things I'll need to learn). I know I'll need to go back to tracking anytime I'm not getting the results I want...it's always helpful then.

So today I signed up for My Fitness Pal; nice site very easy to navigate and people answered my questions within minutes. It was even easy to add extra things (beyond the default) I want to track like fiber, sugar and some additional body measurements.

OK, stop right there. Sure, I know I'm a 'scale whore', yep even when I'm fat I look, but who the heck tracks their measurements as they're gaining weight? NOT ME! I think I was in college fitness class the last time I took my measurements...and I was pencil thin and teaching aerobics classes at the time...Let me just say standing there in my underwear with the measuring tape trying to figure out where to measure my waist was a humbling experience. I'm not one who carries the majority of my weight out front (now the rear is another story), but there is no longer a waist...Do you measure right under the boob line where I'm smallest, the belly button line, just above where I still have a little indent of what little remains of my waist on the sides? In the spirit of getting this over with as soon as possible I picked the largest spot and moved on. I'm pretty sure my current thigh measurement is about the same as my waist measurment in college...great.

My new computer cord came and it doesn't work...so no access to my computer still. I've been waiting for this to load my new pedometer software. Oh well. Tomorrow I'll look at the exercise tracker on Fitness Pal. Wonder what I'll have to measure for that one? Stride? Yes, I can handle that.

1/6/09 The Biggest Loser Winner

I’m watching ‘The Biggest Loser’ right now (along with most of you I’m sure) and I just got another “Little Nudge”…Ever since I’ve decided this past summer to pursue WLS I’ve been noticing these more. Over the years, when I’ve been on my multitude of diets, all I ever noticed was the food; commercials, cooking shows, diet plans…FOOD, FOOD, FOOD! But since my decision I’ve noticed other things…those little nudges that say ‘Yeah, you’ve made the right decision, keep going toward your goal!’. Some were obvious ‘you don’t have to hit me over the head’ things like suddenly having almost no clothes to wear, and the day of my first weigh-in where I got my hypertension diagnosis…yes, the comorbidity I needed to get accepted, but scary at the same time. Some were small lightbulbs like my Mom buying me a kitchen scale that I need for weighing mail…yes, I just realized I’ll actually be using it now for food. I haven’t told anyone but DH about my decision, yet I keep getting these little nudges.

Tonight’s was a biggie though…my youngest DS2 was watching the show with me. He started off the show saying ‘You’re not as big as any of them Mom’…Bless his heart…Denial is a thing I’ve obviously taught my child well. Minutes into the show though the oldest man collapsed and passed out…my son freaked; of course the show was talking all about health problems and that obesity causes them and early death. DS who didn’t want to say anything for fear of making me mad was obviously dying to talk about it (we NEVER talk about ‘IT’, my weight). So, I gave him permission…I told him I wanted to know how he was feeling and I promised not to get mad. He said plenty…he was scared…and he had it all figured out…exactly how old I would be when he graduates college (like his sister is getting ready to) and how I might not be alive by then if I didn’t get thinner…WOW…I hate to admit it, but I’ve been so internally focused on this journey and improving my health that I’d never considered that my kids might be just as worried about my health. He made me promise that I’d be on the treadmill tomorrow morning…fighting back the tears I promised.

He’s in bed now, so I’m glad he missed the part of the show when they go to the Drs. for all the testing. I was glad he missed my tears as I watched the Dr. explain what a fatty liver is (wouldn’t have know that one before researching Lap Band)…and I certainly dropped a few more tears when the guy who had RnY explained how he’d put ON weight since the surgery…I feel for these people. In past seasons you could have found me on the couch watching this show and saying ‘yeah if I had a trainer 24/7 maybe I could get those results’…and boy have I noticed those reunion shows and how so many of those that lost major weight on this show gained a lot back…all the negatives. This year I’m hopeful…and I’m feeling like I’m being nudged in the right direction…I will be The Biggest Loser Winner!