I am swiss cheese...yummmm

So, it is done!!!  I feel pretty good.  They let me come back to the hotel with Casey, so I decided to blog away.

The doctors and nurses at the OCC are so wonderful!!  Someone actually put my compression stockings (sssssexy) on for me.  In the US they usually just throw them on the end of your bed and let you fight it out!

I was in and out of the OR in 30 minutes, and an hour later I was dragging my IV around the halls chatting with everyone else.  I met some great people today!

OH, and the nutritionist was actually really nice.  She told me she was very proud of me for losing 35 pounds.  I take back all the mean things I said - but can I keep my Mexican Wresler name??  Pretty please?

Here are the sexy paper panties they had me wear under my gown!  Mind you , once they were on, they lost this shape and turned into a paper thong from front to back!!!  Super hot!

Here I am pre-op in my sexy gown...I am a fasion diva in my hospital garb.

And here's my incisions.  The only one that I would say hurts is the big one where they put my port in.

Overall, it was not a bad day!  I am off to eat my broth!!

Love from Mexico!!

My bags are packed, I'm ready to go...

Well, not exactly, but we're working on it.  We have to leave for the airport at 4 AM, so I have like 7 hours.  I just got REALLY nervous.  I got online to watch some of the You Tube videos posted by my doctor, and that made me feel a little better.  We dropped the dogs off at the kennel and Bean threw a fit trying to get us not to leave him...made me sad.  And the house seems so empty without the little psychos!!

I think I'm the most nervous about meeting The Sadist.  I have not made the 48 pound goal for loss before surgery.  But I have lost almost 10% of my weight, and I think that is pretty friggin good in 12 weeks.  But I'm sure I'll get some kind of lecture and I'll want to punch her in the face, but I am a lady (LOLOLOL) - my Granny always used to tell me that when I got ugly with someone.  "I am a flower of the south...blah, blah, blah"  Cue the score for Gone With the Wind!!

So our plane leaves at 6:45 in the morning, we get to San Diego at 11:15 and then get our ride to the clinic where they'll do my pre-op testing.  Then we go chill at the hotel until 7:30 Tuesday morning when the shuttle comes to whisk me away to my destiny...Il Destino.

I will try to blog after pre-ops tomorrow to let everone know if I went ten rounds with Sadist.  What should my Mexican wrestling name be???  Oooh...Super Band Babe!!!  That's me!!

Merry Christmas!

So Santa actually came early for me this year.  I got a new treadmill to help with my "project" (as I have decided to refer to my weight loss.) 

I bought Casey and I passes to Disney World for Christmas.  This serves a twofold purpose...one is becasue I love Disney, and I have so much fun being there and people watching, and talking to everyone (yes, I am the crazy woman who talks to random people in line...sorry, it's the southern in me.)  The second reason is it gets me off my @$$ and walking around the parks.  We spent about 8 hours today at Hollywood Studios and most of it was walking.  We did wait for over an hour for the new Toy Story ride (sooooo much fun)  but I figure better standing in line than sitting my fat butt on my couch!!

Anyway, I hope everyone out there had a great Christmas and I hope Santa brought you everything you wished for!! 

Here's a pic of us tonight...we're so cute together!!!

I could put my foot in a cheeseburger right now...

Ok...so normal me is back.  No more bad mood. 

Did I mention that my husband makes cheeseburgers for a living???  Well, not really, he is a district manager for Five Guys

He loves his job, and I love that he loves his job.  But last night he came home from working in a store and he smelled delicious!!!  I have never considered cannibalism before, but...just kidding!  It didn't help that I was grumpy and hungry (on liquids for Pre-Op.)  So I just sat there, drank my dinner and then went to bed.

But it got me thinking about how much my relationship with food has changed over the last few months.  I think for the first two weeks, I felt like I had broken up with a boyfriend.  I mean, I LOVE food.  Am I still allowed to love food after the band?  Sure, but just in a different way.  I can't wait to be one of those girls who eats three bites and then says "Oh, I'm soooooo full."  I have always hated those girls - but I will love it when it is me.

Today may be a tough day.  It is Christmas luncheon at work and then my fater-in-law is cooking tonight since he has to work on Christmas.  I will just think about the future and drink my protein shake.

The Sadist (aka my nutritionist) said I could have green salad, so I will do that.  Christmas Salad...yummy!!  LOL.  Can I at least PRETEND it's a cheeseburger??  Yeah, we'll see how that works.

Anyway, Here's a pic of me and my girls at work getting festive.  Aren't we cute?? 

Ok kiddies...back to work.  TTFN

Scale, thou art from the firey pits of hell....

I am a woman obsessed....The only thing I think about is what I'm eating, what I'm not eating, how many pounds did I lose, how many pounds did I not lose, what do I have to avoid eating, how much longer before my daily weigh in time...

I feel like I am going insane.  And NEVER in my life have I felt this one:
I have lost over 30 pounds on thig pre-op diet, and I am kicking myself because it is not enough.  What the heck is that all about??  I mean, in my previous life (before committing to WLS) I would be ecstatic about 10 pounds. much less 30.  I am feeling like the nutritionist is an evil, sadistic bitch who clearly has never had a weight problem.  It doesn't help that she is not very personable or very good about responding to my emails. 

I sent her an email last week saying I was concerned I would not make the 48 pound loss before my surgery, and instead of offering any kind of useful tips or advice, she responded "Why not?"
Needless to say, I was not impressed. 

Add on that it would be my monthly time (if not for Depo), and stress at work, and I am a mess.

Now I have complained, I am going to hit the treadmill and see if I can work some of this out.  Good grief...

(I'm not usually this way.  If you're reading this, I apologize and I promise I'll be better next time)

Love from sunny FL

Introductions please....

Hello everyone from cyberland!  I guess I should introduce myself. 

I am 31, live in Kissimmee, FL, with my wonderful, supportive husband and my three dogs, Bean, Barkley and Buddy. 

The facts:
I have been overweight my WHOLE life, but I have really lost control over the last 10 years.  In 2001 I weighed 260 pounds on a 5"3" frame.  I was living in a small town in NC and had met a wonderful man who lived in Florida.  We made the decision to get married and I moved.  Well, combine a lifestyle change, increased availability of fast food by about 1 million percent, and birth control, by 2006 I was up to 315 pounds.

I started researching Lap-Band in 2006 and visited a great doctor in Florida but then my insurance changed and the new coverage specifically excluded WLS.  So I gave up...

Fast forward to April, 2010 - my weight was 370 pounds!!!  My husband and I were on a Caribbean cruise, having a great time, but on April 28th, something inside me snapped.  We were stopped in Roatan, Honduras.  We had planned a great day with a private tour guide, but I couldn't even make it up the hill to meet the guide.  I stood in the middle of the street and cried.  Like, CRIED.  Complete breakdown.  Looking back now, I'm sure the people were wondering what on earth was wrong with the fat chick.  I knew I had to do something to change or I would die.

It took me about 6 months of going to the gym, losing a few pounds here and there to come back around to the Lap-Band.  In late September I started researching again and I found Dr. Ortiz.  Most people freak out when I tell them I'm going to Mexico for my surgery.  But I could not find a more experienced, prolific doctor in the US.  I know someone who has done this almost 8000 times can handle it, and I trust him.

I made my decison n October 4 and my life change began.  I was told I would need to lose 48 pounds by my surgery date of December 28.  Now this is still a work in progress.  I have 9 days left and still need to lose 12 pounds, but I am determined.  If I feel this good after 30 pounds...how great will I feel further down the road??  I can't wait to find out!!

So anyway, if you are still reading...I'm glad I didn't bore you.  The pics are from the fateful cruise - though not in Roatan...LOL.  I guess I will break down and take some "before surgery" pics in the next week or so...watch out!!

Oh, and by the way...we are planning to take this same cruise again next November - just so I can kick that hill's ass!!