Ok so Friday 12/18/09 I got my band, I woke up going "OMG WHAT DID I DO TO MYSELF" as the pain kicked in. I'm not sure WHO lied and said it's painless, and you could totally be back to work on monday, but somebody did.

I think compared to most I'm doing relatively well. My uncomfortableness (is that a word? wait it is now) is mostly from over doing it today and gas. Have I mentioned how much I distain gas??? like it's a serious pet peeve of mine when people burp or pass gas in other ways without excusing themselves from the room first, or worse do it and think it's funny. I think I'm emotionally scarred from all the belching lol. As I hid in my mom's room away from everyone but her, just repeating excuse me, excuse me, excuse me, over and over again. So much so she was like just stop saying it lol.

Moving forward, I don't remember most of Friday. Yelling at the nurse, telling her to just stop talking. My friend putting me in the car to take me home, and then hours later my mom coming to rescue and taking me home with her. Don't remember much of that either. But I remember glimpses of it. YAY FOR GOOD DRUGS!

Never would I ever tell anyone to do this as an "outpatient" I would suggest if you have the option to stay in the hospitial over night, that you STAY.

Friday Day 1, I didn't eat anything, just water and ice chips. Saturday Day 2, I did some vegetable broth. But mostly water and ice chips with the occassional popsicle.

Sunday Day 3, I woke up hungry... maybe it was the smell of the turkey that had been baking all night, or maybe just the fact that I hadn't eaten in about 5 days but I was hungry.

I woke up and had some yogurt and helped my mom cook our "Turkmas" dinner - Basically christmas dinner but we have all the thanksgiving foods and it's usually a week before Christmas, so everyone can be there.

Out of habit, as I was making the deviled eggs I tasted the filling, "hmmm that went down easy." Then my sister started serving up her pumpkin bread.. check on the list.. hard breads, hard breads.. hmmm week 3.. ok but it's kinda mushy and soft and oh so pumpkiny, I won't even put butter on it. So she gives me a 1/2 of an end piece. I pinch the corner off, just enough to get the taste in my mouth and let it disolve. I did that twice and then realized it wasn't her "from scratch" bread and threw it out.

Proceeding with cooking the dinner (ok well HELPING, since I was in no shape to cook it like usual.) I made yams, and thought hmmm I could puree these.. wait I don't like candied yams/sweet potatos (I use sweet potato, but make it like yams, tastes better).

But the sugary sweet glaze I made for them was delicious, I kept wanting to "test" it..I fought that battle and won. I know what sugar does to me without a band, not in a hurry to find out what it does to me with one.

Ok so "Turkmas" 2, Me 1...

Feeling the urge of hunger again, I look in the fridge for another yogurt or jello, but I see those deviled eggs. Mmm they're cool now.. I can just eat the filling. Filling of egg #1 gone, filling of egg #2, oh wait hard boiled egg is mushy.. let me see if I can. wait yep I can.

Turkmas 4, me 1...

The crowd gets there and they devoure my sister's homemade peanut butter fudge. I'd been avoiding it, no problem, but when everyone was surrounding the plate and raving about it.. I wanted a taste. I went to pick a lil' piece up and it crumbled. The lapband Gods make an interception.. Turkmas 4, me 1.

Dinner is ready... my mom tells me she made things I could eat.. No mom, technically I'm not supposed to eat it yet, well wait let me just try it and see.

Dinner is served, everyone gets their HUGE plates, I get a cake plate. I take exactly 1/2 teaspoon of all the things I think/know will go down:

1/2 teaspoon of mashed potatos

1/2 teaspoon of stuffing

1/2 teaspoon of gravy or well wait maybe a lil' more.

1/2 teaspoon green bean casserole (french)

1/2 teaspoon pistachio pudding salad

1/2 teaspoon of jello salad (my mom pureed all of the fruit into it so I could eat it and not have to chew or pick it out)

1 itty bitty piece of turkey (about the size of my spoon)

So all in all I have 3-3.5 teaspoons of food on my mini plate. Everyone is looking at me and chuckling telling me, I'm a better person than they are, they just couldn't do it. That they wait all year for this meal.

Umm I know, I cook it... it's freakin' OUTSTANDING.. but some things are more important.

I take my time and try everything on my plate. My once around the plate equaled my brother's first piled on plate time. He says "I'm ready for seconds" and I say me too as I continue to dip the tip of my spoon into the seperate piles for the second time.

About 1/2 way around I've had enough... 1/2 of what I took is now sitting on my plate. I figure if I get hungry I can go back and try more later...

Oddly enough that lil' bit of food, still gave me the itis! Turkmas 10, me 1... lol

I went upstairs and took a nap, woke up two hours later wondering if I missed pie.

Pumpkin, hmmm I just eat the pumpkin part and not the crust...Redi whip too? Yes please...

Turkmas 15, me 1...

All and all I felt good, and I felt MUCH better after eating some real food, I came online and saw how some other people had blended up lasagna and chili, etc.. on day 3 so I felt pretty good about my choices, even if Turkmas kicked my butt...

I love your Turkmas tradition and your writing. Very funny! I think its great that you were able to try a little of almost everything so you didn't have to feel left out.

LOL>>LOL>> I just had my band done on 12/17/09 and let me tell you....I am about to starve...this liquid diet thing is for the birds...CARNATION INSTANT BREAKFAST READY TO DRINK W/WHEY PROTEIN 3X'S A DAY...I CAN'T TAKE IT...I'M STARTING TO LOOK AT THOSE INSTANT GRITS...LOL..that popsicle and that jello is not cutting it for me...However, I must admit that I do get full but the craving for something else is what is getting to me...HELP!!!!

LOL>>LOL>> I just had my band done on 12/17/09 and let me tell you....I am about to starve...this liquid diet thing is for the birds...CARNATION INSTANT BREAKFAST READY TO DRINK W/WHEY PROTEIN 3X'S A DAY...I CAN'T TAKE IT...I'M STARTING TO LOOK AT THOSE INSTANT GRITS...LOL..that popsicle and that jello is not cutting it for me...However, I must admit that I do get full but the craving for something else is what is getting to me...HELP!!!!

OMGoodness Tanya that's exactly what I'm going through.. eating the liquids I'm like but I'm still hungry, (i'm SO not) but like right now I think I overate with my 6 oz of 1/2 broth 1/2 cream of chicken soup and then a jello cup with some greek yogurt mixed in for protein.

I keep looking at the clock like is it time to eat yet? Is it time to eat yet? LOL... but I ended up eating 1/2 of a zone protein bar because I was craving something sweet. I'm feeling "extra" full right about now.. but I'm sitting here like hmmm I could go for another jello..

NO, No I can't... I need to stop the mental hunger because physically I'm SO not. We'll work it out Tanya.. we'll work it out.. I'll add you as a friend, Keep in touch, we'll figure it out together! lol

great feed back (no pun intended. lol) pls. keep posting; I'm doing the leg work now for pre-op and appreciate your posts! rd