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I just got banded yesterday (12/14/11) Found out I had TWO hernia's. I knew about one but not the other. I'm so glad they fixed both of them! My doctor (Dr. Watkins) was wonderful! He is so funny and I heard he sings country music during his surgeries. He told me that he really loves his job and you can just tell. I'm so happy w/ him and the staff at West Chesters "University Point hospital" - I'm feeling a lot of pain in my left shoulder and just a little where the cuts where made. Not sure what my weight is since I don't have a working scale but when I was weighed in last, I was down another 3 pounds so that from 17 pounds lost total! God is good!!

So I've been on the site again and again reading about other peoples journeys so I decided to create my own blog. I figure I'm going through it too so I might as well share my experience. I was banded on dec 13 at 730 and was in the car by 1010. It was so quick I couldn't believe it. The first day was probably the easiest for me so far. I actually was out for a few hours after surgery gettin my prescription and stocking up on liquids. I'm not sure if I felt great because of the walking around (slowly) or the anesthesia hadnt worn off. I've been on a clear liquid diet (water, hot tea, apple juice, chicken soup without the noodles, Popsicles). Thankfully this time on the liquid diet is MUCH easier than the pre-op diet. I've lost 3 pounds in 3 days btw! The only complaints I have so far are SORENESS and GAS. I've never had any kind of surgery or outpatient procedure (besides wisdom teeth) so maybe I'm just a baby when it comes to pain. Whatever the case....I'm feeling it!! My pain meds are my best friend at the moment :-). I can definitely feel it of I wait too long between dosages. Ironically the soreness isn't around the incision sites but where the port actually is under my skin near my belly button. It's a little distended and that's the only part that is tender to touch or when I'm moving around. After reading on here I've also learned a little more about gas from the CO2 inserted during the procedure. It's bothering me most in my left collarbone/shoulder area. Apparently it has something to do with the phrenic neve,but there are plenty of posts about that. I'm going to try to write more, shorter entries but for the first I had to play catch up. Keep reading :-)

So, I have to admit... this pre-op diet has been quite difficult.... I think I slightly underestimated the hold that my FRENEMY food had on my life.. In fact, I should call it my food master!!! I've always been the type to not want anything, it if I couldn't have what I wanted... so, day 1 was SOOOO hard!! I wanted eggs, I wanted rice, I wanted cheez-its!! I had to tell myself, NO, NO, NO!!!!! It worked until 8ish and I was desperate to chew... I got over it!!! I'm learning that there will be lots of times when I will just have to GET OVER IT!!! These few days have taught me some very valuable lessons: I can't expect to just WAKE up and be a healthy person mind, body and soul.. All of it takes working through some difficult things and training myself to gravitate towards a new normal. Some of my journey must be private and/or only shared with a very select group of people. I have no room for constant negativity... the "old" me is constantly looking for an ally.. so, I refuse to give "her" one.. I must be diligent about ensuring that my head and heart are aligned when embarking on this life altering event... (I have, but it's still not a cake walk!)

I have been on the pre-surgery Optifast 800 liquid diet for 3 days and so far I have lost 5 pounds. Being the third day today I have been struggling, but getting on the scale and seeing that drop has renewed me and I CAN DO THIS. So, while everyone at work is eating popcorn, chocolates and so forth, I am happily munching on my sugar free strawberry jello and thinking happy thoughts of this 5 pound loss and my surgery date on December 22nd. 2012 is going to be a great year. Take care, Jen