This is just before surgery once I changed into my "remote controlled" gown.

Just out of surgery, see my On Q Ball, that is to delivery pain meds to my incision sites. Sure helped a lot too, sorry I had to take it out.

First all day at home, see the incisions and bruising. A little painful.

Belly looks better after one week but I sure don't.

1 week after being home, look like I am mad at the world.

This was taken on Sunday August 17, 2008, had on the outfit I had not worn in 3 years.

This is three weeks after surgery.

I forgot to get a picture of me standing up, so this was taken 4 weeks out at a meeting and I am sure not happy with the way it looks. The other is the group of us that went out to dinner that night.

I have lost a little this week, but not near enough to make me happy. I actually think in this picture I look bigger. GRRRRR

OK two weeks have come and gone and I am now 8 Weeks out and have lost a total of 26 lbs. Yes, just one pound in the last two weeks, oh, but I have lost another 2-5 and regained it and lost it again and regained it. I am sure you get the picture. 10-3-08

No picture last week, just did not have the time, Plus I had a gain when I went for my 3rd fill. I now have 5.5 cc in a 14 cc AP Band. I upped my calories and carbs a little and lost 2.5 lbs this week. I am pleased with that although I would like to have lost more. 10/14/08

I managed to keep the 2.5 lbs off from last week, but have not lost any more.

I had two people ask me this week how my eyes got blacked, well, I had not noticed them looking that bad until this picture. Dark circles under the eyes is a Coldiron trait, but mine usually do not look this bad unless I feel bad, and I feel fine. I have just lost like 2 lbs in the last two weeks, but hey I will take it. Oct. 31, 2008

I can tell you one thing, lap band surgery is not easy. I have had the hardest time losing this weight and it sure is easy to get off track again. I have actually gained a little weight and I think it is very noticeable in the above picture. I have a new goal and that is to weigh 250 by my birthday on March 30th. I had hoped for it by Christmas but I knew a couple of months ago that I was not going to make it.

This picture was taken on Christmas Day. I can tell you one thing, my nephew is not taking my picture again. I look awful when he takes them because he is so much taller than myself. I remember wearing this shirt last Christmas and it was too tight, esp. around the "belly." I never knew that 25-30 lbs could make such a difference.

Today is my normal picture taking day. I must say I am not sure if I like my hair short or not. I pray that I am back on track and am losing again. I am down 2.2 lbs but it must stay off me for more than 2 days for me to really claim the lost.

Feb. 6, 2009, tomorrow will be my six month band anniversary and I must say I am not happy with my loss, but I have had a few problems and hurdles to jump through. Hopefully, on Feb. 10 th I can get a fill and get started on the right track again.

Feb. 20, 2009 I am not happy with what is going on, but I have hopes things are going to get better. When I went for my fill in Lexington on Feb. 10, they were able to get 2 cc's out of my band but to me it looked dark brown, the PA said it looked dark green to her. This scared me some, but I am trying my best to stay positive. She, the PA, left the 2 nasty looking cc's out and added 4 cc's. I go back on the 24th for her to remove what is there. If the fill is still in the band she will check the fluid color and continue depending on what that shows. I pray it is still there and is clear.

It has been so long since I updated but I didn't get a picture that I liked the last time and I wouldn't post them. I am not fond of either of these, but I know that I need to update my pictures. The two pictures above were taken Wednesday May 6, 2009. It has been one year since I began the process of preparing for WLS, I am very disappointed that I have not lost more, but I know my time is coming soon and if not. Well, I am very seriously thinking about having the Duodenal Switch. I never thought I wanted anything this drastic but just the few pounds that I have lost I feel, oh so much better. I have more self worth, which I didn't know losing a few pounds would make that much difference but it has. I can not imagine, what I would feel like if I lost 100 lbs, like I would like to.

May 28, 2009
I went back for a fill on May 26 and Tracy discovered I only had 4 cc's in my band again. Now she is convinced that I have a leak. I am going to have surgery soon to replace my port and tubing, my question now is how do they know it is not the band? Guess we will find out. This is bitter sweet news! The bitter part is I have to have surgery again, the sweet part is, I am not a failure, I was beginning to think I had failed at weight loss again. I actually have shed some tears over this, and now I know it isn't me it is the "equipment." I was getting where I didn't want to go any where because I was ashamed I had not lost more weight after my surgery. I pray that this will soon change and I can be a loser again. For once in my life I WANT to be a loser.

June 1, 2009
I was told today that my surgery will be June 11 th, won't be soon enough for me. I honestly can't wait to get back to losing weight. I felt so much better when I was losing. I pray that all goes well and they find the problem and that it is something simple to fix.

June 12, 2009
I pray I am back on the losers bench, at least everyone best make room for me again. I had a port and maybe tubing replaced yesterday, June 11, 2009, I was told that it was leaking like a sprinkler. This is just like starting over, I believe my port has been leaking since sometime in Dec. 2008. I have been grieving over the money I have wasted on trips to Lexington and for fills, and they were just leaking out. I am glad they figured out that something was going on so that I can get back to losing.
I should have taken my picture before this surgery or even today when I got home. I am doing pretty good except I am having more pain in my port area than I did with my lapband surgery. Looks like they cut right over top of the other scar though, so maybe it will heal better this time and look better too. I'm going to take small steps and set small, reachable, goal with a long term goal in mind, also.   Please keep me in your prayers.

This is exactly two weeks after my port replacement.
I am doing OK and have lost a little weight,
but am having to learn to eat the correct way, again.

6-30-2009
After my port replacement, I was very unhappy about my doctor, so today I went and talked to him, actually went to be released from my surgery and was just planning on seeing the PA, but the doctor wanted to talk to me because he had heard I was unhappy with him. After, I took it to the Lord and asked for Him to help me be nice to the doctor, I was able to talk with him, forgive him for the way he had treated me prior to my port replacement and tell him the things I was unhappy with. He and I had a nice conversation and he asked me to stay and I just told him that I felt I had to give this new doctor a try and felt like I was cheating myself if I didn't. I must say, it went much better with the old doctor than I had expected, but then I had put it in the Lord's hands and should have known it would go fine. I was asked to stay and told I would always be welcomed back if I should decide I did not like Dr. Sonnanstine. I left his office almost ready to back out of going to see Dr. Tom and just stay with him, but I felt, once again, that I needed to at least meet with Dr. Sonnanstine and see if he was someone I thought I could work with.
To make a long story short, at this point, I do think Dr. Sonnanstine is someone that I will get along with fine. He follows his patients himself and he gives his patients their fills. He does not use a PA or ARNP to do the fills and this is something I like. There were several questions that I had written down that I never did get to ask, but I understood that he was running late and didn't even attempt to ask them. I did not want to take up too much of his time, I am not one that gets upset if the doctor is running behind, it can happen to all of us and I am sure this is not an every day occurrence with him. He is just so pleasant and seems like he is easy going. I admire the fact that he did not say anything bad about my other doctor and just made the comment that they (my doctor and his partner), were both excellent surgeons. I know my previous surgeon was competent and good, there were just some things that I was just not happy with.
I am even excited about starting to lose weight again and feel like I am starting over and I am ready for the ride.

July 7, 2009
Wow, today is my 11 month bandniversary, it really doesn't seem that I have been at this that long but in some ways it seems forever. I did something that I have never been able to accomplish before and that is I exercised 30 minutes non-stop. Yea, for me, I did an hour all total today but I did have to rest after the first 30 minutes. My 11 month picture, below was taken by my dad, not the best, but I still have to post a pick on this day. In looking at these pictures I believe I was leaning backwards in them. Don't ask me why, but I guess I was trying to help dad take the picture. LOL

July 24, 2009
I have now had a fill and was given 1 cc which brings me to 5 ccs. I have not lost any weight yet but I have slacked some on my exercise, without really meaning too. My knee just hurts when I start and the sides of my legs and it is hard. I ordered me a BodyBugg and watch this week, once it gets here I will not be able to slack any because it will tell on me. Why do I hate exercise so much? I wish someone would tell me and see if I can't get this out of my head. I go for another fill this Thursday, July 30, and really hope it holds me for a while. I have had some sliming episodes and some PBs, too, so I know I have some restriction and I am happy about that. Dr. Sonnanstine was so kind when he did my fill and it is so much different than the fills at BBSA. I really do like him and if I can lose the weight he is the one that can help me do it. He is just so encouraging.

What a difference a year can make. Although, I have not lost near the weight I had hoped to by now, I know I am on the right track. I am so happy that I changed doctors and things ow are working the way they should. Life is good, no matter what some people want to say. I have my friends, family, Dr. Sonnanstine and my Lord to thank for the difference in me. I have so much more self-confidence and I know things are only going to get better.

I really feel sorry for people that have to make fun of others, to get their kicks. This has been a long an hard road, esp. with the incompetent staff of my first doctors. Never should it have taken 7 months to find the problem like I had.

Oh, if you notice my pants are too big now.

Thanks to everyone that had a role in helping me to get to this point.

On a much lighter note today I did the most exercise in one day that I have ever done. 1 hour of step aerobics, and 20 minutes of strengthening exercise. Watch out baby, next year will be even better.

I had to have pictures today, I finally broke a weight that I have been trying to break for a year. These pictures are terrible. The clothes I have on are WAY TOO BIG! The first one I have the waist of my pants pulled up as high as they would go and in the second one, they are rolled down at the waist. LOL Looks like I need to go through my old clothes or go shopping one. I am really happy with my lapband and would do it all again, only with a different doctor from the start. I must say that Dr. Sonnanstine is fantastic and I would recommend him to anyone.

This has been a miserable week because I have been on the tight side with my band and having a hard time eating anything solid, but today I think I managed to get a small amount of food in. I wish I could spot reduce because I seem to be losing a lot in my legs and face, but not in my stomach. I would also love to lose this double chin I have.

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Dr. Tom Sonnanstine
My New Doctor