3/2/2009

1 MONTH POST-OP VISIT

So, last Thursday I walked into my Dr's office and said "Let's get this ball rolling !" He just shook his head, smiled, laughed and said "I'll get my bag". Thankfully, being a lap-band patient himself, Dr Tull knows how anxious patients can be at this stage of the game.

Getting weighed was a bit of a disappointment.....only down 3 pounds in the month since surgery, and actually up 1 pound since the 1 week post-op check-up. How frustrating when I've barely eaten for a month. Dr Tull reassured me that the band wasn't working for me yet, and things would change.

Watching him prep the needles, tubes and syringes made me a bit queasy....which is funny since I'm a nurse :-) Having worked on an ambulance and in the Emergency Room and Cardiac Intensive Care Unit I'm totally cool helping others.....but can't stand the sight of my own blood....such a big baby.

So I laid down on the exam table (partly to keep from fainting), and the Doc feels for the port....and can't find it.

The conversation goes something like this:

Doc: "Hum, I can't find your port"

Me: "What do you mean you can't find it?"

Doc: "Raise your head....hum, it's a deep one"

Me: "I can find it no problem" (Really wanted to say "And who put it there buddy?")

Doc: "Raise your head higher"

Me: "Want me to find it?" (Nurses are such bad patients)

Doc: "Raise you legs"

Me: "Both of them...at the same time????"

Doc: (smiles) "Keep your head up too"

Me: "Your kidding right" (I hate crunches)

Doc: "Higher....higher"

Me: "That's as high as they go"

Doc: (with a twinkle in his eyes) "I'll have to get a longer needle" (He's enjoying this way too much)

Me: (Raising my head and legs until I was close to kissing my knees....not really, but that's how it felt)

Doc: "There it is !!! Now hold that position"

Me: (He's darn lucky I can't speak while in this position.....by the smile on his face somehow I think he knows this)

I drank 2 full glasses of water without problem, and in the end, he put 1 1/2 cc in the band. This was in addition to the 3 cc he put in during surgery. (I didn't know the band already had 3 cc, but I thought that might be the case since I had felt mild restriction for the past month, but just chalked it up to the healing process.) So I now have 4 1/2 cc total.

Currently this is the perfect amount of restriction for me. I am satisfied with small portions, and get hungry right before my next meal. Cravings are for the most part not a problem, unless I unexpectedly see or smell something really good....but it passes quickly instead of haunting me like it would in the past. I am able to follow all the lap-band eating guidelines, and thankfully can eat and drink without any of the problems some bandsters have.

So now the real work begins....800-900 calories a day, 70-80 protein, < 50 carbs, low-fat. Eat slowly, small bites, and chew, chew, chew. No drinking right before, during or after meals....but lots of water in between meals. My goal is to exercise every day, with at least 3 days at the gym.

Plan to limit weighing myself only on Fridays (was my surgery day) as I know my weight can fluctuate greatly on a daily basis....and to only concern myself with the monthly totals.

Currently at 207.5....will post new pics and measurements when I hit 200 :-) Hope to be there real soon !!!

Karen

Band date: 1/30/2009 :cursing:

My Blog: http://karenslapbandjourney.blogspot.com/