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About this blog

I was banded on December 17th, 2009 by Dr. Robin Blackstone of Scottsdale Bariatric Center. I received my first fill (3cc) on 1/27/10, second fill (1.5cc) on 2/10/10, third fill (.75cc) on 3/1/10, fourth fill (1.25cc) on 3/29/10, fifth fi

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The Day After...

I am happy to report that, so far, my recovery has been pretty easy. I had some back and neck pain yesterday (from the gas), but most of that is gone now after taking several walks around the bariatric unit here.   I have to say that yesterday the most annoying thing was just being hooked up to so many wires. I still have an IV, but the thing on my finger to track my oxygen and pulse is gone now, the leg pumpers are gone, the thingy w/five wires to my chest is gone, and I no longer have the BP cuff attached to my arm the whole time and going off every 5 minutes. So, I'm finally untangled enough to hook up my computer here! :tt1:   Now, my FAVORITE thing about being in the hospital has got to be being wheeled around in a bed. I don't know why, but that just makes me giggle inside.   The one thing I am kinda worried about now, though, is how I am gonna make it until Monday without eating anything. I am only allowed herbal tea, diet jello, and broth. I think I will e-mail my dietician and just check to see if anything else would be allowable if I am up for it. I have some of those protein bullet shots at home and maybe they would allow that?
adagray

adagray

1
 

Today is the Day!!!

My stomach is growling My butt is sore (from the bowel prep) My laundry is clean (and the kids' too) My house is clean (kinda) My medicine cabinet is stocked with... gas-x strips and chewable vitamins My pantry is stocked with... diet jello herbal tea and low sodium chicken broth My treadmill is dusted off My Christmas presents are bought My husband will have to do the rest!!!   OK, my attempt at a poem of sorts. I do find it a bit humorous how much preparation goes into this half hour surgery. And, you all know this poem doesn't even begin to cover it all. I could write a separate one about the insurance junk. But, here I am, the day is finally here! :tt1:   My surgery got moved back up to 12:30 so I am really happy about that. I was scheduled for 2:30 and was wondering how I would make it that long without food. A 12:30 surgery time makes it a lot easier because I need to be at the hospital by 10:30 which leaves a lot less idle time around here to wallow in my hunger. My 6 yr old son heads off to school at 8:45, then my MIL gets here at 9:15 to watch my daughter, then my hubby and I need to leave by 9:45 to be at the hospital, parked, and in there by 10:30. I'm just enjoying a few silent moments here before my kids wake up.   I am anxious to get this over with, but not worried. I mainly just want to be knocked out so I don't have to feel this awful hungry feeling anymore.
adagray

adagray

2
 

My last meal...

Surgery day is tomorrow. I know I'm not gonna get much sympathy from you all cause I know most of you had to do a pre-op liquid diet. But, for me, this morning was my last meal. I had hard boiled eggs and polenta... trying to stick w/the surgeon's recommendation on what a 'light breakfast is'. My paperwork said eggs and toast, but I have an intolerance to gluten so bread does not agree w/me. So, I ate some leftover polenta (cornmeal mush type thing) I had made for dinner the other night. Its hard to eat 'light' when you know you are not eating again for 5 days! Ack!!!   For lunch, I am only supposed to have soup, then I do the bowel prep (magnesium citrate) at 1pm. I am soooooooo not looking forward to that. I am NOT constipated ever so this stuff is probably gonna give me terrible diarreah. Sorry, TMI! :confused:   Anyway, I am excited to get on w/this. Its been a long time coming. It took me the whole year to get all the stuff done required by my insurance and then I was denied twice and was finally approved on my second appeal. I am sooooooo ready to get this done now. I've mostly just been paranoid for the last two weeks that I would get sick and that would delay my surgery once again. Yesterday I had a scare because I thought I was getting a sore throat, but it turned out to be just an inflamed tastebud on the back of my tongue. I was inspecting and poking my tongue and finally figured it out. And, today it is gone since I stopped gargling w/salt water.
adagray

adagray

9
 

The Day Before the Day Before...

Aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!!! I'm freaking out, but not freaking out at the same time. I just can't believe the day is almost here.   Nevermind about all that good stuff I said I was gonna do this last week in my 'T-7 Days' post. Not saying I've been 'bad', but I haven't been THAT good about meeting ALL of those daily goals. I just feel like I'm going crazy trying to get everything done that I need to before surgery. Its like Christmas is on the 17th because I figure I'll be out of commision until Christmas so everything I need ready for Christmas, has to be ready by the 17th. Oh well, excuses, excuses, but I am doing the best I can and still following all of my surgeon's rules.   I tried to get out of some of my Christmas commitments, but my DH is a stickler for tradition and doesn't want to cut anything out this year. So, we baked cookies all last weekend even though I can hardly eat any. And, I have to get our Christmas Letter done today even though all of our friends are on Facebook and know what we are doing anyway. I know my DH is a little crazy when it comes to this Christmas stuff, but he is also helping me out w/a lot of other stuff so I will humor him on it.   If there is one thing I've learned on this journey is just how lucky I am to have such a supportive husband. He has juggled his schedule around many many times for my doctor appointments and he changed his time off so he will be off for a week and a half after my surgery. Last night, he could tell I was stressing out, so he did the kids' baths, homework, whole goodnight routine, and cleaned the entire kitchen like I've never seen him do before. And, I'm just so grateful because I really do need to rest up as much as I can so I'm going into this surgery as healthy as possible (not burnt out and overtired).   OK, so today is my last day of eating light (but normal). I had a chicken breast for b-fast. I know that is weird, but it is high protein and I felt like I needed something more substantial than a shake. I am gonna have more chicken and vegies for lunch and quinoa pasta w/ground turkey and spaghetti sauce for dinner w/more vegies. Tomorrow morning I can have a light b-fast (not sure what that will be yet), then doctor's orders are to have only soup for lunch, followed by bowel prep at 1pm (magnesium citrate laxative drink). This thing looks disgusting, cherry flavor, but you know it is going to be YUK!!!   After that, I can only have clear liquids until midnight and then NOTHING after midnight and my surgery is not until 2:30pm the next day. Aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!
adagray

adagray

3
 

T-7 Days to Banding

Its hard to believe my banding is only one week away now. I've been working on this ALL YEAR, literally. I decided in early December last year that I was going to pursue getting WLS and after 6 months nutrition visits, two denials, two appeals, and finally one APPROVAL, I am scheduled for Lapband surgery in exactly one week, 12/17!!!   Ever since my approval, I have been feeling more optimistic about my whole life and have been making healthy changes to my lifestyle. My surgeon does not require a pre-op diet, though, so I haven't really buckled down or made any real rules for myself. The only exception being that I cut out alcohol last week. I love my wine and gin and it just doesn't seem healthy to keep that up going straight into surgery. And, this week, I want to really buckle down and be as healthy as I can without actually restricting calories or being hungry. So, I've decided on a few rules for this week. Here goes...   Diet: drink at least 8 big glasses of water per day
cut out rice, pasta, bread, and potatoes (focus on protein and non-starchy vegies instead)
replace b-fast w/a protein shake
minimize sweets (eat yogurt or jello if I want a dessert)
continue w/no alcohol
Exercise: 45 minutes/day either walking outside or on the treadmill (normally I prefer to do Jazzercise, but I'm not supposed to for at least one month after surgery so I gotta get used to walking instead)
Other: use my CPAP machine every night (I haven't been and my surgeon wants me to)
practice using the spirometer gadget they gave us in pre-op class
I think if I do all this I will be in good shape for sugery in a week. Wish me luck! :tongue2:
adagray

adagray

4
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