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One Week Post Op

So I’m officially one week post op. I haven’t posted until now because I’m just really trying to take it all in and enjoy this very special experience. Here’s a small recap of what I’ve been through thus far.   My first seminar was on 6/11/09 I weighed 250. I met with the dietician on 6/20/09 and weighed 245. The day of my surgery is 7/7/09 and I weighed 237. Today I’m one week post op (7/14/09) and I weigh 228. I feel really good about that, and I can’t wait to see more weight melt away.   Tuesday 7/7/09 Today is the date of my surgery and I weighed in at weighed in at 237 lbs. I’m really impressed with myself because that means I’ve lost 13 pounds since my first seminar on June 11th. Everyone at the hospital was great. I’m not going to fake it, I was nervous about having this surgery. I kept thinking did I rush this decision, could I truly have done this on my own, isn’t this a drastic measure, etc, etc. I could think of a million other things that I would rather be doing than having surgery, but this surgery was my one opportunity to truly change my life. I knew that then, and I know that now. How wonderfully exciting it is! My surgery was scheduled at 11:30 a.m. and everything started on time. By 1 p.m. I was wheeled into my room, and the rooms were new and very nice. Surprisingly I was not in very much pain. I couldn’t have any water or broth until 6 p.m. so they started having me walk a little after five, before I started the liquids. The first time I got up, I felt very warm and a bit nauseas. So I sat on the chair and waited a while until I took my first journey down the hall with my lovely IV. The gown that I had on was so big and long that my lovely husband went out and bought me a shorter gown and light robe (I don’t know why I didn’t bring one on my own) 6:15 p.m. until midnight that night I took in a total of 6.5 ounces of water/broth. They would allow me 15 ml’s every 15 minutes. I also walked roughly an hour that night (they even showed me a longer path) that way I wouldn’t have to keep turning around. That first day I didn’t nap or anything like they. I remember them waking me up just a little before midnight, at four the next morning, and at eight the next morning. Overall I got some decent sleep. The majority of my time in the hospital was spent seating in the hospital chairs. When I was in the bed I felt like a patient, when I was in the chair I felt like a visitor. I’m such a freak.   Wednesday 7/8/09 So today I feel pretty good. I’m not hungry but I am a little thirsty. Again I could only have 15 mls of water/broth per 15 minutes and I ended up consuming roughly 16.5 ounces. Again the pain is under control and I’m just not in nearly as much pain as I anticipated.   Thursday 7/9/09 Today is the first day I’m feeling some hunger. I can’t wait until tomorrow when I can have a protein shake. I spoke with my friend who had her Lap Band surgery a little over two years ago. She’s one heck of a mentor and an amazing example of how successful you can be with this Band. She has went from 243 pounds (a size 24) and is now 127 pounds (and a size 2/4). I told her that I am going through a small bout of buyer’s remorse. I know that a protein shake will help suppress my hunger, but I can’t wait until I get some normal food. I’m just excited at the thought of eating cottage cheese, yogurt, roasted veggies, cheese, and chicken, yum. This time I can tell that I’m having true physical hunger, not just head hunger. I walked with my husband and Adrie (our black Lab) around the block. Halfway through it my stomach had a lot of pain. The pain is near the incision where the port its. That’s where all my pain is, nowhere else. Today I’ve had 21 ounces of water and 4 ounces of light Tropicana Orange Juice (super delicious) for a total of 25 fluid ounces.   Friday 7/10/09 Today I woke up hungry and I was glad to know that I could have a protein shake, thank goodness. My mom came down to see me today. She said that she was impressed that I was in regular clothes, and not all slouched out in pj’s. J Yes I get up every day I take a shower, put on some make up, and do my hair. I’m not a girly girl, but by doing so that way I feel better which I hope will help the whole process. I went with my mom and hubby to the bookstore. Instead of the “typical” lunch we had unsweetened tea and enjoyed an hour of reading magazines and books. I looked all over for a book on weight loss surgery. There was one book (besides two separate recipe books) called, Before & After: Living & Eating Well after Weight Loss Surgery by Susan Maria Leach. I really liked what she had to say and I could find myself relating to her story. Granted we had two separate weight loss procedures, but we’re both fighting the same battle. Today I had water, 4 ounces of prune juice, green tea, ½ cup of soup, and 1 ½ Bariatric Shakes. That’s a total of 37 ounces for today.   Saturday 7/11/09 I woke up early and I decided that I was going to find a couple of garage sales to attend to. I found this one exceptional garage sale and I was in bargain heaven. J I drove by the farmers market, and I told myself that I could stop on over there next week (when I could actually purchase some veggies and fruits for the next stage of my post op diet). I had a total of 43 ounces today, mostly water, 4 ounces of OJ, 8 ounces of a Bariatric Shake, and ¼ cup soup. I feel asleep at 7 p.m. and didn’t wake up until 8 a.m. on Sunday. Now that’s so good sleep!   Sunday 7/12/09 Today was the first day where I didn’t much hunger. I love that feeling. I feel so good not having food at the forefront of my mind, I have this new sense of peace and hope in my life. It’s an amazing feeling. My sleep is improving and I’m finally not waking up in the middle of the night. I’ve been having quite a bit of pain today and yesterday with the area around my port. I don’t like taking the liquid pain medicine, because it makes me feel a nauseous and I’m worried that it will make me vomit (and I haven’t done so yet, and I’m a bit scared). I went with my hubby and my little brother to watch Bruno. I had this scheduled for quite some time, but I told them that we would have to wait until Sunday before we could see the movie (I just didn’t think I could sit through a whole movie until then). The movie was totally out of control, but very funny and I laughed the whole time. Going to the movies now is a totally different experience. I didn’t have my diet coke, with popcorn, and sour gummy worms. Nope, this time I had water and I was completely satisfied. Instead of the movie experience being about the food, it was being with my family and just enjoying ourselves, with food not included. What a first. I had 2: 8 ounce protein shakes, 52 ounces of water, 4 ounces of OJ, for a total of 74 ounces of liquids.   Monday 7/13/09 So this may be TMI, but I haven’t been having any bowel movements, and I’m thinking that’s why my lower belly is still so swollen. I miss my old bowel movements; I had worked my way into one bowel movement a day. Now they are pretty much non-existent. Is anyone else having any problems with their stomach looking very swollen? I’ve noticed it in my lower stomach, and I’m thinking that its gas related. I wonder when it will go away. Even though I’ve lost 21 pounds, I can still only get one of my pairs of jeans to button. I’d figured that I could wear some old pants that were too tight, but it looks like I’ll have to wait until the swelling goes down. I’m having some strange cravings, grilled cheese (because I’m thoroughly convinced I won’t be able to tolerate bread) and Mexican food, more specifically chips and salsa and corn tortillas. Today I had one protein shake, water, OJ, 4 ounces of prune juice, ½ cup of soup, and one serving of jello. I’ve had a total of 40 ounces of today.
thatswhatdefinesme

thatswhatdefinesme

8
 

Changes Since The Band

So it’s nearing the end of April and I’m officially down 70 lbs. I’m proud of this because I know how much effort I’ve put forth in this process. However, my goal was to be down 100 lbs by my band anniversary on July 7th. It doesn’t look like I’ll reach that goal, so I’m going to reset my goal and hope to be down 80 lbs by then. That means that I’ll only have 30 more lbs to lose until I reach my goal weight, and I plan on giving myself another 6-9 months to reach that goal. So I called the clinic yesterday because for the first time I had pressure in my chest when trying to drink liquids (mainly coffee with some milk). This really concerned me, which I’m sure any of us fellow Lap Bander’s would have been alarmed. I had a pretty strong fill two weeks ago, and I knew that my band was substantially tighter than before but I would have never imagined it would be that snug. So they told me more than likely there was a lot of swelling from the dinner I had the prior night. So here are my directions for the next 2-3 days: 2-3 ounces of liquid only wait 30 minutes before repeating. Do not ingest additional if you have chest discomfort- wait until the discomfort subsides. Make sure that you are sipping. Do not go over 6 ounces within an hour. Allow yourself to sip only. The following liquids only for today: plain water, warm broth- no chunks, skim milk only Tomorrow, same above but try for 3- 4 ounces. wait 30 to 45 minutes. Same as today. Sunday- let's try to add some Atkins shakes- only 4 ounces at a time. Drain soups so you can have the broth only but make sure that you measure- no more than 4 ounces. You can still have the above. Call or email on Monday....depending on how you are feeling with the liquids, we will have Laura progress you to five shakes per day before adding in softs. :wink2: Take care and I appreciate your willingness to attempt to work through it so we can access if it is a tight band versus some swelling. So let’s just say that last night’s Girls Night Out wasn’t nearly as much fun as it could have been. I decided that since I wouldn’t be able to eat, it probably wouldn’t be a good idea to drink (even one delicious glass of wine). So it’s looking like I’ll just try my best to do my part, and hope that my band isn’t too tight because I really don’t want to have to get an unfill (though I also know that this can be part of the whole process). Changes since the Lap Band: *That I will do everything in my power to never settle again *An understanding that if I do my part, the band will do its part and together I can keep the excess weight off for the long term *That I can cope and soothe myself without food *That Zumba is a super fun high energy exercise class *That it feels great to have so much energy *That I can complete a 5K Race *That yoga is not only challenging but also very relaxing *That I truly enjoy cooking. Veggies are so yummy! *That I’m a truly beautiful person on the inside out *That my dog Adrie is now a much happier pup, because we go for walks and hikes almost every day *I actually enjoy shopping for clothes
thatswhatdefinesme

thatswhatdefinesme

6
 

I'm down 40 pounds!

I stepped on the scale this morning and it read 210. Now that is super exciting! My first goal was 199, my second 175, and my third is 150. I can't believe that the weight just keeps coming off. I feel so great and I can't wait to see what happens when even more weight comes. Not only are my clothes fitting me better, but I exercise even more and it has became so much easier.
thatswhatdefinesme

thatswhatdefinesme

6
 

Am I at my sweet spot? I sure hope so!

So last Monday (not yesterday) I had my third fill. I didn’t notice much of a difference in the amount that I can eat until this past weekend. On Sunday I actually got sick for the first time since my surgery (I was testing the waters and trying to “taste” something I know that I shouldn’t have and them bam it’s coming right back up). It’s such a relief for it to come back up though; it’s much too painful when it’s just stuck. Warning: take your time, chew slowly, and eat the kind of foods that truly agree with the band.   So today in a matter of fifteen minutes I had four compliments. Yep that’s right boys and girls. I had FOUR compliments. The first came from a female co-worker who said, “Erica you’re getting really curvy and looking really nice!” The second came from a really cute guy at work who told me that I looked really good today (on my way to the restroom). I come out of the restroom and another female co-worker tells me that I’m looking good and she can tell I’ve lost quite a bit of weight. Then I head to my desk and the fourth compliment comes from a friend at work who said, “I noticed you today and your ass is getting so skinny!”   Talk about good karma. Granted today I was a little more dressed up than usual, but those compliments just made me feel great. It’s great to know that others are seeing the differences that I see. I guess that will just be more motivation to keep up the good work.
thatswhatdefinesme

thatswhatdefinesme

4
 

2nd Fill and Needing to Engage in more exercise

Yesterday was my second fill. I think that I’m now at 3 ccs of saline in a band that holds around 11 cc’s. When they looked at my food journal I was eating roughly 6-8 ounces of food at one time. They are trying to get my adjustment down to where I will only be able to eat roughly 4 ounces of food. I’m still stuck on a liquid diet until tomorrow morning (I can’t wait for some oatmeal yum). My fill was pretty painless. The first injection went really well, but the second injection was a little trickier because my doctor was having a harder time getting the port to take my second injection. I got a little squirmy just because I was thinking too much about the whole process (I don’t know why I’m not even scared of needles). I’ve gotten used to eating the way I’m supposed to with the Band. I’ve adapted nicely and I’m rarely ever mourning the loss of the food that I can no longer eat. What I’m realizing though is that I have to find new ways to relieve the stress in my life. I feel so much better with the weight that I’ve lost so far (18 pounds since my surgery on July 7, and a total of 31 lost since June 11th).I’d prefer to hit a total of 33 pounds lost by September. That would be a total of 20 since my surgery, and 10 lbs lost per month is a great rate. Sure I’d love more, but that’s a completely respectable number too. I would just like to be fewer than 200 by the end of this year. I’m hoping that with more weight loss, I will find activity to be easier and more enticing. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see. I’m also seeking different forms of exercise. Please tell me what you have tried and what you like. I’d like to try a variety of classes until I find something I really enjoy. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
thatswhatdefinesme

thatswhatdefinesme

3
 

My First Fill

My First Fill So today was my first. It came by very quickly considering I just had my surgery on July 7th. He had to remove two staples that were sticking out of my incisions. Doc seemed to be a bit embarrassed by them, I was just glad that they were taken out. No one enjoys getting that caught on their shirt. The whole process was quite painless and I didn’t have any problems drinking the water they gave me. The only downside is that I’m on water the rest of the day, tomorrow I can my protein shakes. I can’t wait for Wednesday when I’m back to soft foods. My poor belly has been growling all day, but it’s just part of the process. So I’ve lost a bit of weight. I’m really getting along nicely and I’m thankful that this has been a pretty smooth process thus far. No more emotional eating, I can hear my belly growl when it wants food, I don’t feel like a stuffed sausage in all my clothes. I’m down to 223 lbs. That means I’m down 27 lbs since my heaviest and down 14 since my surgery. Not bad numbers, but more than that I feel so much better. I feel pretty good and I can’t wait to see how’ll I’ll feel with another 20 lbs lost. It’s such an exciting process.
thatswhatdefinesme

thatswhatdefinesme

3
 

7 Weeks Post Op and My Thoughts Today Are on Food

My weight loss has stalled the last couple weeks. I know that I haven't hit my sweet spot yet, but I love the fact that such a little amount of food (a cup of food or so) keeps me full. Today was the first time I've let the thought of food consume my mind. I’m not sure if it’s because I have a lot of stress going on right now. I’m working on my Masters Degree and school just started back up today. Plus I work full-time in HR and I have a huge event coming up within the next couple weeks. I am happy that I’m staying busy but it just gets to be a little too overwhelming. I noticed that the thought of food has started creeping back in my mind. I’m great during the day (too busy) but at night I want to eat more than a cup or so of food. I have a couple of friends who have had weight loss surgery (one who has the Lap Band) but all of them are at their ideal weights. They’ve been through what I’ve been through but they aren’t going through it while I am. That makes a big difference. Your brain kind of forgets the struggle. So I need to find other healthy alternatives to the stress that is making me want to eat. On Monday I have my second fill. Maybe some more restriction will help with the weight loss. I just need to concentrate on the right way to live a healthier life.
thatswhatdefinesme

thatswhatdefinesme

3
 

Two Month Band Anniversary

Here’s a little update into my Lap Band World. On the day of my surgery I weighed 237 as of this morning I am down to 213. So in two months I’ve lost a total of 24 lbs, which I think is pretty phenomenal. I struggled with weight loss for about 2 and ½ weeks where the scale barely budged. I’m pretty sure I was snacking too much, and eating way too much cheese (which is supper yummy, but way to high in calories). One week ago on Monday I went in for my second fill. My appetite has been greatly reduced and I have really ramped up my exercise in the last couple weeks. I’m realizing more now than ever I truly do have to do my part if I want the weight to come off sooner rather than later. I started trying to lose weight on June 11th which was when I went to my first Lap Band seminar. I consider that to be my true “starting point”. On that day I weighed 250 lbs, and now I’m down to 213. I can’t even begin to tell you how much better I feel in my clothing, and I’m actually excited now to go shopping (something that didn't used to be nearly as much fun). So at this point in my life I’m so thankful for having decided to have this surgery. It has totally changed my life. I feel so much more confident and comfortable in all aspects of my life. I feel so much stronger and leaner. Those are great feelings to have and this journey is so worth it. I have however noticed that other things in my life have been changing too. This has lead to quite a bit of confusion and challenges. I know that these issues and concerns were in my life before, but now I feel like they need to be addressed. I’m not so sure what my future holds, and that’s an exciting prospect but an equally terrifying one too. I can’t wait to see the final outcome.
thatswhatdefinesme

thatswhatdefinesme

2
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