Well had my doctors appointment late yesterday and then an adjustment on the lap band.  Officially, according to the doctor's scales, I have lost 33 pounds.  I say I have lost more but not going to argue with it.  It is pounds off that I am determined to stay off.

The adjustment to  the lap band wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, so future adjustments will not be all that bad.

My goal is still to lose a total of 200lbs.  It may take me a few years but I will lose it.  I just love the new feelings and the ability to move easier.  As I have said before in an earlier blog that if you are overweight by a large amount you should look into this surgery.

Next big event is Thanksgiving and then Christmas.  It will be interesting but I think easily manageable.

Big Bear Hugs to all my friends, whether you know me or not.

Well it has been almost a month since I had my lap band surgery and life is wonderful.  Weight is coming off and I am feeling sooooo much better.  At my first weigh in little over a week after the surgery I had lost 22 lbs. 

Now a few weeks later the weight loss has slowed some but I am still almost 40 lbs down now.  Walking has gotten easier too, it should get a lot easier in another week or so when I get a new (smaller) socket.  The weight should continue to go down, though at a slower rate now that I am back on regular food. 

What I love the most about this lap band is the fact that I don't feel hunger any more.  WOOHOOO!!!!!  Eating now is a necessity, not something to use as a stress relief or comfort food pick me up.  I actually have to remind myself now to eat.  I think all this is wonderful.

I heavily recommend that if you are overweight (and not just a pounds though) PLEASE look around your area for a compitent physician to talk to about this surgery.  I did it to save me and so I can be around for a while to bug my wife for many more years.  Of course I didn't want to make her a rich woman that fast.  :)

But seriously my friends, PLEASE look into this. 

Will give you an update in a few weeks after my next weigh in and band adjustment.

After much deliberation by my wife and I we decided I would do it.  So we talked to a doctor who specializes in this and had it done at 7:30 am CST yesterday.  If you are wondering what I did I had the lap band proceedure done.

I am a pretty big guy, about 6'9" tall and around 450lbs.  Even before I became an amputee I had troubles getting around.  Getting up from a prone position was next to impossible.  Knees hurt all the time, got short of breath from exertion, etc etc.  Doc told me that if I didn't loose some weight I ran the risk of losing the right leg sometime in the near future or even worse dieing.  Since I decided not to make my wife a rich woman too soon or not be able to bug her (yes pookie I love you),  I figured I need to get a little more proactive.

I had been going to Dr. Britt for a few weeks, he is a wonderful surgeon and was my wound care doctor helping me heal a blister I had gotten on my heel that wouldn't heal.  He kept after me to go to one of the syminars about the lap bad proceedure.  So I finally relented and went to one.  As part of the syminar he talkes about 5 conditions that if you meet any one of  them you are a prime candidate for the proceedure.  Guess what?  I met all 5, wooohoooo.  Now I was worried.

So the wife and I talked it over and agreed I should start the proceedure.  I had the surgery done at 7:30 yesterday.  I am happy that I did too.  I needed to make a life style change and I did.  If anyone has questions about what I am going through or general questions about the proceedure please ask me.  I will give you an honest answer and try to steer you in a way you can make an educated decision if it is for you.

This proceedure is completely reversable, it is NOT the gastic bypass where they take part of your intestins and close off part of your stomache.  This is a very low invasive surgery and recovery is so much faster without the many complications.  Yes there are complications but they are more known and treatable now then they have been in the past.

I will try to remember and write some blogs on here as I recover and make my way through this.

I hope you are all well.

I have a question to ask other more experienced leg amputees.  I am having some cramps in the remaining muscles in my stump, is this normal?  If it is normal is there anything that you do to help with it?

If not normal any ideas what may be the cause?  I have an appointment with my prosthetisist this coming Wednesday and will probably be doing the work to get a new socket due to the current one being too big (up to 20 plies of socks by lunchtime).

Any help is much appreciated as some days the cramps are bad enough where walking is almost impossible.

Oh I have stepped up my potassium supliments in case that may be a cause.

James.

Well it has been one year today when my life got permenantly changed.  One year ago I became an amputee.  I don't know rather to be happy or sad that it has been a year, but I guess I am grateful either way.  The alternative would be that I would not be here with you, my wonderful friends. 

It wasn't much of a decision when the doctor tells you that you can get the amputation done or not and if not you will be dead within a few months.   When you think about it that is sort of a no brainer.  In a humerous way I tell people that I wasn't ready to make my wife a rich woman that quickly. 

Looking back over this last year I came to a few realizations that I would like to share with you"

1.  Life is truly precious in all forms and we should all be humbled by it.

2.  I truly love my wife.  We have become closer because of all this then we had ever been in the past 13+ years of marriage.  This year we have much to celebrate on our wedding anniversery.  Last years anniversery was celebrated in the hospital a week after my surgery. 

3.  The statement "Whatever doesn't kill me, can only make me stronger" is true beyond any words of description.  We have been through hell and not only survived but we have thrived.

4.  I treasure my new friends that I have on here and Josh in particular for helping all of us and letting us help each other through what we have gone through.  Thank you my friends and especially thank you Josh.

Well I will stop being mushy now and say once again thank you my friends for helping me through this last year of change.  I hope we will all be on here for many years to come.