I was a little anxious for my first adjustment. I really needed it, but I also liked eating pretty much what I wanted. However, I want the band to work for me and be the awesome tool that I know it can be. This is the hard part of the band.
There is really no pain with an adjustment. There is a little stinging with the numbing medicine, and some pressure with the adjustment. I had a big hiatal hernia that my surgeon needed to repair. They had to take fluid out of my band during surgery and they think that may have been why the leftover ½ cc in my band had some blood in it.
This is a video of my typical dietary visit with Jenna. This happens to be the video before my first adjustment. Staying in contact with your dietitian is critical to long-term success.
There are several items put into place by our surgeons and program to help us have the best opportunity for long-term success with our bariatric surgery. For me, keeping a food log has always been the best tool for me to stay on track and stay accountable for what I was eating. This video was recorded in the middle of June and I am still sporadic with my journal and therefore, my weight loss has not been where it should be.
This video makes me very happy, but also lets me know how much further I still have to go. I would not get in the kayak last year when we first got them because I was afraid I would not fit or if I tipped it in the lake, would not be able to get back in.
This is the first time I was in the kayak and it was a lot of fun. It also shows that I still have a lot of weight to lose. The funny thing is that right after my sister Sarah turned off the camera I tipped the boat and ended up flat on my back in a foot of water. We all laughed so hard and my nephews thought it was the funniest thing they had seen in a long time. It was a much needed laugh on a long weekend.
P.S. My nephews are pretty loud and pretty dramatic.
I took this video at my parents’ home. It was a really tough couple of days. My grandmother had died and my sister and I went up to help my mom get things together before the onslaught of relatives. Pine Lake is the most quiet, beautiful place to think and get yourself together. However, it also produces lots of Bluegill, which is one of my favorite things in the world.
There were several things working against me. My “triggers” were all happening at one time: the stress of a funeral and losing my grandmother, the stress of a family gathering, the smell of one of my favorite foods. This all puts a girl in a tough position. Add to this the fact that I had not had a fill, wasn’t keeping a food log or exercising and it was a recipe to gain some weight.
What I learn from these blogs is that I am not a great patient and not the best at practicing what I preach. However, the band is my friend and still reminds me it is there and that I need to slow down and focus on what I am doing. I am also learning that this will keep me honest. Videos cannot lie and the only person I hurt if I am not honest in my blogs and food logs is myself.
This is my first video entry. Brian had just given me the camera and as you can see I have a lot of learning to do, especially about sound interference. This is going to fun, but a little scary. Before surgery, I never would have considered myself as someone who would do a video blog.
I have to daily work on making good food choices. When I am stressed food has always been what I have turned to for comfort. I never realized how much until my band. I have had two adjustments and currently have about 4ml in my band. I feel the restriction when I am making good healthy food choices, but as you know, when emotionally eating, it is not the healthy food we crave.
There are so many thoughts and books about emotional eating. But usually about a third of the way through the book, I am even more emotional or stressed. I think the philosophy I am going to work with is alternative releases of emotions. Obviously crying is not the best one, which I find myself doing more of. I am going to focus on quilting which I love and may even try to throw in a little exercise. You know they say that these activities can release some of the good hormones that make you feel good. I am going to give it a try.
I have been a wild woman out of control since 4/10/09 and my weight is up. Friday, Saturday and Sunday it felt as if I had no band in place. I could eat anything I wanted and I did. I also grazed on jelly beans and chocolate. It was hard this weekend (Easter). I really wasn’t hungry, but I wanted food. This was the first time a lot of my family had seen me since my surgery so I was receiving all kinds of compliments. I am not sure what I was thinking. Part of me thinks I got overconfident and thought I wouldn’t have to work so hard and the band would do the work. Boy did I find out in a hurry that is not the case. I have been here before. This seems like the point where I always get stuck when I am trying to change my eating behavior. I am so controlled for about 6-8 weeks then it all breaks loose. I totally lose all control. Not just in my eating, but in other areas of my life as well. I am frustrated and disappointed in myself for letting this happen. Goals to help regain control:
1. pray
2. journal
3. exercise
4. drink the water
5. plan meals
6. eat solid food
Pam Herman, bariatric nurse coordinator for Community Health Network Bariatric Services, underwent gastric banding surgery on March 6, 2009. In this blog, Pam shares her feelings and experiences before the procedure, and as she continues to lose weight.
Today is my 48th birthday. I am not concerned with the number because I feel I am starting this year off on the right track. This will be my healthiest since my early twenties. My sugars and blood pressure are both under control with diet; my body feels better. I am still working on wrapping my mind around all the stuff going on. I am very grateful for the preparation I placed into getting this surgery. There have been many changes taking place in my life. My old habit would be to eat away the frustration. Usually with a very large burger and some fries. The weird thing is that I still want these things. I just know I can’t have them because they will make me miserable for hours. That is the advantage of the surgery. But it is still difficult. I find myself being more emotional and displaying these feelings more. Is it because I can no longer stuff them with food? Is it grieving over the loss of food along with the other losses and changes that are taking place? I think it is all of the above. The roller coaster of emotions is so much more then I thought it would be even though I was prepared for it and had some coping options in place. I cannot imagine going through this process without preparation and practicing the lifestyle changes that are necessary to be successful with this surgery.
Pam Herman, 
