A Christmas Picture.

Christmas has come and gone...

Phew! The past few days have been insane. John and I had a great Christmas and we both received some amazing gifts. Material gifts aside, the best gift we both received was the news of John's dad being cancer free and in remission for the squamous cell cancer he was treated for earlier this year.

I was pretty nervous about eating on Christmas Eve and on Christmas itself. On Christmas Eve, I made a turkey breast. Luckily, it turned out pretty moist so I was able to eat it without any issues. John made his famous garlic mashed potatoes and then I steamed broccoli and "prepared" some dressing to make the meal complete. I was sure to eat all of my turkey and broccoli (which by the way, I think I had to chew the broccoli more than the turkey to ensure a smooth consistency) and then enjoyed a little bit of the mashed potatoes and dressing. Upon our return from mass, we both enjoyed a little pumpkin pie and called it a night.

Yesterday was a little more difficult. I usually make monkey bread for Christmas morning. John mentioned having bagels and cream cheese instead which I was very grateful for. I ended up having a half of a bagel with peanut butter instead of cream cheese because cream cheese only has 2 grams of protein in it. The protein aspect of my diet is one of the most important to abide by. If I don't consume enough protein, I become weak and have less energy. I am constantly reading labels to ensure that I consume at least 60 grams of protein a day. Sometimes it becomes more of a chore than something I enjoy but I definitely understand the repercussions involved with under eating.

All in all, the holidays were a success. Hopefully at this time next year, I will have somewhat completed this transformation!

A recent picture

It's a side view but here's a picture of me and my nephew Dane.

It's busy time!

I apologize for my lack of posting over the past couple of weeks. On December 10th, I became an Auntie and have been very preoccupied with helping my sister in Dallas and celebrating my 32nd birthday.

I just got on the scale and it says I've lost 24 lbs. I am not sure if I believe that or not. It seems like a lot of weight to lose in a short period of time. I am definitely getting used to eating smaller portions and eating SLOW. While in Dallas, my mom's "companion" commented on how slow I was eating - almost as slow as my mom! (those of you who know my mom know she's the slowest eater, EVER!)

The rest of the healing process is going well. I received a coupon in the mail last week for a free 1 hour session with a personal trainer and am hoping to schedule that for tomorrow or early next week. This should get me motivated to work out on a regular basis as well as giving me the tools for a successful work out regimen!

My dad commented that he could already tell that I have lost a lot of weight, which makes me feel really good! I am sure that people who see me less often will notice more than those who see me on a daily basis and for some reason I take it as more of a compliment when someone who hasn't seen me in a few months mentions that they can tell a difference. I'm also very shy about accepting compliments on how I look. I know by the way my clothes fit that I am losing weight but when I look in the mirror I see all of the rolls and my 500 chins so it just doesn't seem right!!! Over the next few weeks, I am going to work on accepting compliments seriously and not rolling my eyes when someone says something favorable to me.

So there you have it. I may not be back until after Chrismukkah and if I'm not...HAPPY HANUKKAH, MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY KWANZA!

One fill down.

My first fill experience was a little more traumatic than I originally anticipated. John and I arrived for my 3:45 appointment and anticipated a fairly decent wait (the last few times we've had an appointment it took over a half hour to be seen.) but they actually took me back right after I checked in.

First the good news. Since beginning the process, I have lost 15.8lbs!!! I am so excited about those results. I know the weight will come off slower now, but I am off to a great start! The other good news is that my blood pressure was WAY down. Thank goodness, because I was really worried that I would have to go to the doctor soon to have that situation checked out.

Mitch (the Physician's Assistant) then came in and asked lots of questions regarding the past two weeks. He told me that I had probably been eating too much but as long as I knew that there would be actual restriction now, I would be ok. Horray. He also gave me the go-ahead to have sex again. I know you ALL care about that :)

After the review, we went into the fun "fill room". Let me tell you. It was anything BUT fun. I was so anxious that I've now decided that I will need to take a xanax before going again. The room was freezing and totally white. Mitch had me lay down on the cot-thingie and explained what he was going to be doing. First he cleaned the area around my port with some alcohol and proceeded with a spray that basically made me feel like my stomach was on fire. GOOD TIMES! Next, he turned on the x-ray machine and showed me exactly where my port was and then pointed out my band. John was FASCINATED by this. I am so glad one of us was. I just wanted the whole process to be over with. Then the real fun began! Mitch said that on the count of three I'd feel a prick. I waited for the one, two...but all he said was three. I do not like tricks, Mitch. Got it?

The next 10 minutes were insanely uncomfortable. It wasn't necessarily the needle, per say. It was the whole situation. Putting the needle in, filling the band, then having me stand up in front of the x-ray machine so that we could watch the wonders of my body digesting the barium, one barium swallow, adding more saline, another barium swallow, taking a little saline out, more swallow. Seriously, I felt like I was going to vomit. Mostly because I was standing up with a needle coming out of my stomach. And on top of it, John and Mitch (which from this point forward will be dubbed, "Beavis and Butthead" were discussing funny movies, like some Cheech and Chong movie. HELLO PEOPLE, I HAVE A NEEDLE STICKING OUT OF MY STOMACH!!!! They proceeded to laugh while the needle was STILL IN ME. SO annoying. Then on the count of three (where Mitch only said THREE again) the needle was out. We went over what I can and cannot eat for the next few days and that was it!

When I got home last night, I felt really full (Mitch said this would happen) but knew I needed to eat something. I had some delicious chicken broth and wild strawberry jello. I'm feeling a little less full today but the gas sensation I had post surgery is back. I am sure it will subside in a few days but it's SO irritating.

So, that's about it for now. Stay gassy, loyal readers :)

Month 1 Pictures

I can't tell a difference but John says he can.

You'll have to wait until Sunday.

I realized today is not the one month anniversary, Sunday is! Plus my hair does not look good today so I will wait until tomorrow when it looks amazing :)

Stay tuned!

And another thing!

I know you guys are out there. The "comments" section is there for a reason :)

Almost one month.

Tomorrow marks the one month anniversary of my lap band surgery. I couldn't wait until tomorrow to get on the scale so I decided to weigh myself today. My weight was exactly the same as it was the last time I weighed. That's good, I guess. It could be much worse, right? If I hadn't had the surgery, I probably would have gained a good 5lbs over the past week based on my inability to stop eating. Although that brings me to another thing I really need to work on during this "transformation". My attitude. It's funny because at work, I am pretty optimistic but in my personal life, I tend to be very negative. My therapist and I have been working on this for a while and although I have made great strides, I often find myself saying things that probably are quite negative.

On Tuesday when I went to the surgery center, my blood pressure was very high. At first, I was really worried about why this was happening. John and I started "breaking it down" and for now have concluded that it's because of the stress I have been under at work and the fact that I may be doing too much too soon. If it's still high next Thursday when I go for my fill, then I will go see my GP and have him give me his expert opinion. Oh, and speaking of the surgery center? My incisision WAS infected and they're treating me with an antibiotic. I just wish they started treating me last week when I originally went in. Oh well.

So yeah, tomorrow. I feel like it's a pretty big day!!! I'll be posting my pictures by the end of the day so stay tuned!

Thanksgiving. And the stomachache to follow.

Well, it was bound to happen. On day one of "real" food I over-ate.

I really didn't think that I would because my portions were SO much smaller than usual but a few minutes after eating, I had the worst stomach pain ever. I only took about two tablespoons of everything except the green beans and turkey but even after eating such small portions, pain ensued.

At this point, I am really not supposed to have any "restriction" because the band is completely empty. I have noticed that when I eat more than a cup, I get really full. That's great but I am nervous about what will happen once the band fills. I've heard horror stories of what has happened to other people and I'd really like to avoid those situations if at all possible. Following the food plan thus far has been pretty easy. I've been trying to make meals that are high in protein, fiber and low in calories. John really wants creamed turkey tonight which sounds less than appetizing but for him, I guess I will break down and make it.

This morning, the wound by my port starting oozing again. I am kind of annoyed because I went in for this last Monday and they told me it was fine. It's NOT fine if it's oozing a week later. What's worse is that the girl I spoke with on the phone had the snottiest tone when I asked what I should do. Umm, hello? Customer service is what you get paid for, lady! If they aren't nice when I go in, they're going to see a not so fun side of Shayna.

My friend Emily gave me the idea of posting pictures on a monthly basis so on Friday, I will post my one month pictures. Pretty exciting, huh? I can't believe it's been a month. The time really has flown by. The next month is going to be very exciting and I can't wait for next Thursday and my first fill.