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My libido is through the roof since having surgery. It is, without a doubt, the highest it has ever been in my life. A juicy, throbbing beast of arousal. It's like I have a whole new set of nerve endings and with the slightest whiff of sexuality they are firing on all pistons. I haven't even lost that much weight; the weight I'm at now is one I've been at many times in my life, with unspectacular effects on my sex drive. But everything has changed. I understand the appeal of David Guetta songs. I understand why people risk going to jail for public indecency. I understand why women look forward to doing laundry so much. I even think I may be beginning to understand how it feels to be a man. Make that a teenage boy. Let me put it this way, I don't think I'll need to continue the 30 Day Abs Challenge to see results by next week. I have a theory for this: For the first time in my life, the prospect of a toned, sexy body is real. Guaranteed, in fact, as long as I don't push my sleeve. I think my libido went to sleep years ago when it realized it wasn't going to be put to use anytime soon, and now it has awoken like a bear jolted out of hibernation by jumper cables. And how the hell is it that men KNOW when you're feeling like this? Walking my dog today, literally every man I passed turned his head. Two guys even slowed their cars waaaaaaaaayyyy down as they were passing by and watched me. I was wearing sweatpants, slurping on a protein shake, and carrying a bag of $h!t - not exactly exuding an air of....well, what I'd just done in the shower. If you can relate, I would love to hear from you. Especially if you're single like me. How did/do you keep yourself under control? I feel like I'm on the verge of doing something stupid. As a teacher in a small town, something tells me if I were caught in a park humping the statues people wouldn't want me around their children anymore.

Though I often read the blogs, I rarely write my own..... Well, this time is different!!!! This weekend my fiance and I went to Six Flags Great America with my daughter and 2 of his kids. He hadn't been to an amusement park in over 20 years. For me, it hasn't been that long since I have been there (it's only 45 minutes away). I have been there and to several other amusement parks through road trips with the kids and family as well. I always wanted my kids to have fun, even though I had to wait while they went on the rides as I was too big to ride. My kids always had a great time but I felt an emptiness that I could only stand on the sidelines and not have fun WITH them. In addition, my sister ended up meeting us up there yesterday with her boys and husband. My b.i.l. is quite overweight and unable to go on the rides. Of course, he and my sister gave other reasons, but having been there... I got it. It was sad knowing that was ME for so many years. Well, a year after being banded and down 80lbs. I WENT ON THE FREAKING RIDES AND I FIT!!! The best part of the day was going on XFlight w/ my daughter, for the first time, and her looking over at me, doing a fist pump and saying she was proud of me and asking if I was excited. HECK YAH I was. I even rode the go karts and bumper cars w/ my fiance's son and have always avoided those as well as the seatbelt wouldn't fit! I am still a ways from goal, but this was a great reminder of what I have been missing out on in life and how much more this is than just losing weight. We walked the park for 12 hours (yes, from open - to close) and though I was exhausted, I DID IT!! YAY, ME!!!

To the weight loss surgery patient slider foods are the bane of good intentions and ignorance often causing dumping syndrome, weight loss plateaus, and eventually weight gain. Slider foods, to weight loss surgery patients, are soft simple processed carbohydrates of little or no nutritional value that slide right through the surgical stomach pouch without providing nutrition or satiation. The most innocent of slider foods are saltine crackers, often eaten with warm tea or other beverages, to soothe the stomach in illness or while recovering from surgery. Understanding Slider Foods The most commonly consumed slider foods include pretzels, crackers (saltines, graham, Ritz, etc.) filled cracker snacks such as Ritz Bits, popcorn, cheese snacks (Cheetos) or cheese crackers, tortilla chips with salsa, potato chips, sugar-free cookies, cakes, and candy. You will notice these slider foods are often salty and cause dry mouth so they must be ingested with liquid to be palatable. This is how they become slider foods. They are also, most often, void of nutritional value. For weight loss surgery patients the process of digestion is different than those who have not undergone gastric surgery. When slider foods are consumed they go into the stomach pouch and exit directly into the jejunum where the simple carbohydrate slurry is quickly absorbed and stored by the body. There is little thermic effect in the digestion of simple carbohydrates like there is in the digestion of protein so little metabolic energy is expended. In most cases patients in the phase of weight loss who eat slider foods will experience a weight loss plateau and possibly the setback of weight gain. And sadly, they will begin to believe their surgical stomach pouch is not functioning properly because they never feel fullness or restriction like they experience when eating protein. The very nature of the surgical gastric pouch is to cause feelings of tightness or restriction when one has eaten enough food. However, when soft simple carbohydrates are eaten this tightness or restriction does not result and one can continue to eat, unmeasured, copious amounts of non-nutritional food without ever feeling uncomfortable. Many patients turn to slider foods for this very reason. They do not like the discomfort that results when the pouch is full from eating a measured portion of lean animal or dairy protein without liquids. Yet it is this very restriction that is the desired result of the surgery. The discomfort is intended to signal the cessation of eating. Remembering the "Protein First" rule is crucial to weight management with bariatric surgery. Gastric bypass, gastric banding (lap-band) and gastric sleeve patients are instructed to follow a high protein diet to facilitate healing and promote weight loss. Bariatric centers advise what is commonly known among weight loss surgery patients as the "Four Rules" the most important of which is "Protein First." That means of all nutrients (protein, veggies, complex carbohydrates, then fat and alcohol) the patient is required to eat protein first. Protein is not always the most comfortable food choice for weight loss surgery patients who feel restriction after eating a very small amount of food. However, for the surgical tool to work correctly a diet rich in protein and low in simple carbohydrate slider foods must be observed. The high protein diet must be followed even after healthy body weight has been achieved in order to maintain a healthy weight and avoid weight regain.

Saturday, August 3, 2013 After traveling all day on Saturday, August 3, 2013, my driver had already called me and left a message on my cell phone and was waiting for me at the front of the ElPaso Airport baggage claim area. Wow! We drove across the border into Mexico with no problems; they didn’t even ask to see my passport. The driver dove up to the front doors of the hospital, unloaded my suitcase (be certain that you tip the driver especially if it’s a weekend) and took me into Star Medica Hospital in Juarez, Mexico where I was met by Dr. Calderon at the admissions office. He had all the Papers in order for my admission and consent to surgery. He personally assisted the admissions clerk with checking me in, the payment and took me to x-ray for my chest x-ray and then to my surprise upgraded me to a much better room on the 3rd floor. He also took me to the 3rd floor after x-ray, weighed me and measured my height, then took me and my luggage to my room! You can’t get this kind of service In the US! ( I have had 2 deliveries and surgery 2 times in the US and believe me, I was not treated this nice at all). After I got settled into the super nice room, two nurses came and performed an EKG, took blood and started an IV. It wasn’t long before a nice young man came to transport me to surgery. While in the pre op room there were about 5 nurses and an anesthesiologist waiting for me. They were all smiling and talking to me along with putting medicine into my IV. The next thing I remember was being wheeled into a surgery suite with nice Mexican music playing. At this point I have not met my surgeon Dr. Jose Rodriguez. He told me later, that the anesthesiologist put me under before he could talk to me, but he did talk to me anyway. I woke up in recovery with the very same smiling nurses. I will tell you something, the nurses at this hospital are some of the most beautiful young women I have ever seen in Mexico. The young man wheeled me back to my room where I slept for a couple of hours. I’m glad I got that couple of hours of sleep because the gas pain kept me up all Saturday night. It was horrible pain! I couldn’t lie down because that is when they would start. My mouth and lips was so dry, good thing I brought my Burt’s Bees along. The nurses had 2 bottles of water in my room for rinsing and spitting only. I was not allowed anything to drink, just swoosh and spit. I took the IV with me several times out into the hallway and walked around the floor to help relieve the gas. This does work and blowing on the little horn they give you to use. Sunday, August 4, 2013 It’s Sunday and I still have gas pains, but not as bad as last night. There is free wifi here in the hospital, but I can’t get my computer to go online. The nurses tried to help me, but they couldn’t get me online either. They told me that several of the patients can’t get on it either. My cable wasn’t working either, but the nurses called maintenance and a man came right up and got me another remote control. Now I am watching TV in Spanish. The nurse came to my room and told me I could take a shower. I took her up on that. She changed my bed and made it fresh again. The ladies come and clean my room every day. One of the doctors came to see me this morning and said that I could get some ice chips! Yeah! He also said I could take my prescription medications if I chew them up before swallowing with the ice chips. For the first time in several years, this morning, my blood pressure was 100/60! After the vitals were taken, she did a blood sugar on me. I told her that I am not diabetic, but I held out my finger anyway and the test showed I was 126, high for someone fasting for 2 days and not being diabetic. I think is from the IV solutions they are pumping into me. The nurse came into the room with clean bed sheets, towel and new pajamas and told me that I could take a shower. I didn’t have to worry about the drain and she unhooked my IV. I felt so much better after the shower. All 3 doctors came to see me this afternoon. Dr. Rod told me that he took 80% of my stomach, stapled it with 3 rows of titanium staples and also sutured it all together. I have stitches in the muscle of my stomach that will dissolve and the drain has no stitches. After having my first meal since Friday evening for dinner, I was given a nice lunch tray including chicken broth, pear juice, a bucket of chipped ice, tangerine flavored jello and hot tea. I could only eat a couple spoons of broth and some jello, and then I was full. Later this afternoon, the nurse came to walk me down to x-ray for the swallowing test. YUCH! That liquid was horrible; it tasted like liquid cough syrup from when I was a kid. I stood there and could watch the liquid go through my esophagus to my stomach and onto the small intestine. After the doctor escorted me back to my room, I had to brush my teeth to get that horrid taste out of my mouth. A few minutes later, the same doctor came back to take my drain out, didn’t feel a thing, and he put a band aid over the opening. He told me to take the band aid off when I take a shower (no baths) and put a new one on after. Next, a nurse came into my room and took the IV out. I’m glad because the IV was in my hand and it hurt every time they would flush it or add medication. The doctor brought me a DVD of my x-ray swallowing test to take home with me. (By the way, I am on 3 prescriptions and they have to be taken every day. I asked the doctor how I could take them my first post-op day and he said to smash them up to swallow them) I had to get up during the night because I had a headache and my mouth was very dry. I walked up to the nurses’ station with my empty ice bucket and asked for some ice and something for a headache. I was instructed to go back to my room and they would bring it to me. The nurse brought my pain pill and a new bucket of ice to me and told me to put the pill under my tongue. I went back to sleep after eating some ice and the pill had dissolved. Monday, August 5, 2013 It’s Monday morning and I think all the gas is gone. I was able to lie down and sleep last night without any pain except the headache, and there is none this morning. I feel like going back home today, but my flight can’t be changed from tomorrow morning. I plan on taking a shower this morning, getting dressed into my regular clothes and just hanging out here. The time zone here is mountain time so I am still getting used to everything being one hour behind. My stomach is growling a little this morning, and then it stops. I don’t know if that is hunger or just healing. My breakfast this morning consisted of Orange jello, hot tea, pear juice and crushed ice, yummy! I asked one of the nurses if I could weigh myself this Monday afternoon and she agreed to help me. To my surprise, I am down 16 pounds! I have had a headache since last evening and I believe it is my system crying out for caffeine. The doctor said I could have caffeine so I was delivered a large cup of hot tea with splenda sweetener. I hope this takes care of the headache because the pain pills are not. One thing the doctor did tell me about eating is that you should eat the warm foods first to prime your stomach, then the cold. Always eat with protein first, then vegetables and add some fruit if you are still hungry. I haven’t eaten very much because I get full after a few bites of jello and a couple sips of their good chicken broth. Lunch today consisted of pear juice, lime jello, decaf hot tea and a bucket of yummy crushed ice. I never thought I would love eating crushed ice! Maybe when I get home, I will give the shaved ice people a visit and get a sugar free goody! I have been told that the man who will drive me back to the airport Tuesday morning will be here at 8 am. Since going back into the US is worse than coming into Mexico, it could take a couple of hours. There is high security alert at this time. My flight home is at 11:55 am to Dallas, then on to Gulfport, MS. I am worried about the prescriptions I had to buy ($50) to take home with me getting through the TSA people at the border. I have a written RX for them, so I hope that will be enough. A surprise, another belly shot for blood clots, man, those things sting bad! Tuesday, August 6, 2013 I got up early this morning, took a shower and dressed. I asked for breakfast and it was sent to me with pear juice, lime jello and hot tea. I took a few bites of the jello and that was all I could eat. Next thing I knew, the driver called my room 30 minutes early and said he was downstairs waiting for me in the lobby. I grabbed my bags and headed downstairs. He was right there and assisted me to his van. We drove to the border and it was our luck that the DEA was there today. We had to wait for 35 minutes for them to go through all of my prescriptions including the ones I brought with me! We were flagged to go through and on to the ElPaso Airport. I am here now waiting for my flight back to Gulfport, MS. I feel fine, just a little groggy. I am looking forward to being home in my own bed and with my husband and pets. If any of you ever need encouragement or advice, please don’t hesitate to ask me. I will keep posting my progress. Thanks for listening to me!

Well we finally settled on our new home which was a nightmare to say the least, but I am very happy with our beautiful home. Now I have a nice swimming pool to get in so the movements won't hurt as much. This fibro has really taken a toll on me but other then that and my wonderful husband who has done so much, I am fine. The pain at times is unbearable but it is something I just have to live with. As far as my band its still doing its job. I'm stable now. Could lose some more but I really don't care one way or the other if I do or don't. Unless I ever get a tummy tuck I will always have that apron. It's not huge but it bothers me. Oh well clothes hide things well lol. I'm looking for a less physically stressful job because my doctor said if I don't stop lifting and pulling and pushing patients my pain will never get better. So I have been looking around for something a little less stressful. I was checking in so my friends know I am still alive lol. Just relaxing today and watching Hulu waiting for the pool to get cleared up this week so I can jump in it. Here are some pictures of the house.

Without getting to graphic, it was monstrous. I weighed after I got off work and was over a pound lighter. I think I can punch a new notch in my belt tonight.

So five days later and I am doing ..good. I'm shocked. I expected to be flat on my back and forcing liquid down in between gasps of pain. But no. I keep waiting for things to take a turn to bad but they don't - it keeps getting better every day. I was on pain meds the first few days but after day two I was taking less and less. Now it's just me and the occassional twinge. I still have a drainage tube in - the pulling on the stitches hurts more than anything else. I am getting at least 30 minutes a day light light exercise, all my liquid and all my protein. By about 4 pm I need a nap but only for an hour. I am also getting 8 hours a night good sleep - even with a drainage tube. I haven't weighed myself because they asked me not to (based upon my swollen tummy the first few days I would say that was smart). So what can I tell you that made it easier......listen to the professionals and follow their instructions. I started a pre op excercize that got me as fit as possible, preop diet to the letter. Getting up and walking after the operation (pushing past the initial pain of getting up and then walking - only the initial pain of getting up - it does not continue!), and breathing! Take deep breaths and slow exhale...think yoga. It not only gently stretches the stomach muscles and lung muscles it also gets oxygen into the system. And finally to combat sore throat Chloraseptic spray. It makes drinking easier, breathing easier, and getting those pain meds down. And remember each day is better than the one before !

Welcome to new and returning visitors, thanks for stopping by and showing interest in my Fibromyalgia and Bariatric surgery blog. Feel Free to like and follow my blog. Feel Free to invite your friends, family members, and support group members to stop by and like and follow my blog. Most importantly feel free to join a conversation or start one. Fibro Diva's Bariatric Blog is a gathering of those thoughts that escape the Fibro Fog, both those concerning bariatric surgery and Fibromyalgia and those on Fibro only. Fibro Diva's Bariatric Blog is a place to discuss the unique concerns of people with Fibromyalgia who are considering and/or who have undergone surgery to help control their weight, [and possibly take charge of their FM].

Hunger/Cravings/Emotional/Habitual: [ FEEL FREE TO RELATE AND LAUGH WHILE READING ] If you have lived as a human on this planet we like to call Earth, you have experienced these different forms of eating habits. For some us, we have mastered the eating maze and are healthy and happy individuals. For some of us, we were just blessed with good genes that kept and continue to keep us skinny. Others may choose other methods of dealing with hunger and/or engage in habits that keeps them thin (but are in no way beneficial to their health): anemia, bulimia, drugs, even smoking (so I have been told). And then there is the rest of the world, the majority, who simply eat. Well as promised, I stated that I would share as I learned. So here we go. Three days ago, I started to have a strange craving for salt. I figured I just wanted something salty: French fries or something. The first day, I tried saltine crackers- didn't work. The Second Day, I broke down and got a small fry from McDonalds - after three fries and a terrible time swallowing it- I threw the rest away. I figured chips would hurt worse than fries so I didn't go there. By the third day, I was ready to pour salt in my hand and eat it. I ended up eating mashed potatoes with salt and Cajun seasoning. I wasn't really hungry nor did I want any of the things I mentioned. I just wanted the salt. We are conditioned to believe that cravings are ALWAYS remnants of are past BAD eating habits: nothing good can come of it. So I didn't mention it to the doctor. Well, I had a routine follow up scheduled the next day: blood, urine and so forth. Come to find out, I was Dehydrated. One of the symptoms associated with Dehydration is craving salt. Upon finding out this information, I told my doctor about the last three days. He listened and then he explained. There are several types of eating habits, but to simplify here are four main types: hunger or regular, cravings, emotional, and habitual eating. Hunger: Regular - Biologically Necessary Eating: When the food you have previously consumed has been digested and used, the body sends off signals to the brain to start the process of alerting you ( growling stomach, headache, and so forth) that you need nourishment. Insert a bunch of doctor talk here....and then arrive to the point. You need to eat small portions throughout the day to keep your system fueled and your blood sugar levels regulated. Cravings: Mostly a mental hunger but can occasionally be a symptom of a bigger health issue. Cravings are greatly linked to the wonderful neurotransmitters we call endorphins: the feel good stuff. Deserts, fast food, candy, and so forth can all be linked to cravings associated with the release of endorphins. Giving into a craving WITH MODERATION every now and then is not a bad thing. As my doctor has stated once before: deprivation is the mother of all diet breaking habits. Deprive yourself of something long enough and you will most likely binge when you do eat it. A few potato chips did not make you overweight OVER NIGHT. It took Several Bags of Chips over Several Nights to add the pounds. MODERATION is the key. Keeping a food log is a great help in this department. You will begin to see patterns in your eating habits. For example, when and what types of cravings you have and how you dealt with them. And if you find yourself craving something over and over again, do not hesitate to talk to your doctor or nutritionist. In some cases, as it was with my need for salt, there may be a greater medical issue at hand. Emotional eating: Well this topic needs no introduction and has a simple explanation: attempting to make us temporarily feel better through eating. We usually engage in emotional eating during times of Stress, Grief, Anxiousness, Indecision, Depression, Helplessness, and so forth. The best way to combat this eating habit, is to locate the source of the problem. Eating rarely if ever solves the problem that is causing the strong and usually negative emotion. Exercise, counseling, reaching out to others, and sometimes taking time to heal oneself are all great tactics. Once again keeping a journal of what triggers the emotional eating will help you get a better grasp on the problem at hand. NOW WE MOVE ON TO THE UNIVERSAL EATING HABIT ACCURATLEY NAMED HABITUAL (OR RITUAL) Eating: ITS JUST WHAT WE DO. I believe that most people indulge in this eating habit and the following are some examples of when we do it: You are going to the Football/Baseball/Basketball/Hockey game: Hotdogs, Chips, Beer, Liquor. You are going to the movies: Popcorn, Coke, Pretzels, Funnel cake, Pizza or whatever the concession item of your choice is. Its the Holiday Season: I must have all of the usual favorites: Grandma's turkey, Great Aunt's Caramel Cake, Your Spouse's Sweet Potatoes, Your Neighbor's Candy Yams, Christmas Punch, and so forth. The Girls Venting Session: must have Ice Cream of some flavor and LOTS of it and alcohol. The Birthday party: most have party favors and Cake. Men's night: Steaks, Burgers, Chips, Ribs, and Beer. You are bored and in the house doing nothing: Must. Eat. Whatever. Its just what we do. LOL. MOST of us do it and have been conditioned all of our lives to do it. This conditioning has been formed through family traditions, societal norms, peer influences, workplace etiquette, school related gatherings, church and community functions, and almighty MEDIA (just to name a few). The best solution to this is MODERATION. Also, start a new tradition of your own. When all else fails, before you eat something ask yourself the following ( I practice this daily): Are you hungry, have you eaten this lately, how do you feel, and what are you doing at this moment. I usually find that asking myself these questions leads to further questions and eventually to answers. I will either talk myself out of it or I will understand why I am doing it. MOST IMPORTANTLY, No man has ever survived without making mistakes, without setbacks, or without occasional over indulgence. It just happens. Do not beat yourself up about it. Just continue to move forward. You will only be as successful as you allow yourself to be. Surround yourself with supportive people, practice good habits, start new traditions, keep a journal, exercise, and ENJOY your second chance at life. You only live once.

This really gripes my band lol. You did not gain weight over night and you will not lose it overnight with the band. If you wanted fast weight loss then you should have chosen the by pass. The band was not intended for people to drop 50lbs in a month. 1 to 2 pounds a week is normal if you lose more then that is great. You can not expect to get the results that others get. Everyone is different, we all have different metabolisms. However now comes the be mean mommy part..... If you are only giving part of your self to the band you can not expect 100% results. If you are not following the diet plan your doctor has given to you, you can not expect results. If you eat more then you should you will not lose weight. If you are starving call your doctor and ask for suggestions. No one ever said this was gonna be easy except for the people who know nothing about the band and say we are taking the easy way out. If you are eating cookies 2 weeks post op or pizza or fried chicken you might as well forget about doing anything. You have to want this and not following your doctors instructions is like going to court and being accused of murder and telling the judge well yeah I did stab him 30 times but can you just give me probation because I knew it was wrong but I did it anyway. The decisions you make in eating will tell on you. What ever you do in the dark always comes out to the light. Its like getting caught with your hand in the cookie jar while having your mouth full and as you spit out the cookies while you are saying I didnt do it, then you have made yoursel a total liar. Stop cheating yourself if you are newly banded. Our eating habits is what got us to weight loss surgery and weightloss surgery is only as successful as the person makes it. The only guarantee you have is that you will lose the weight if you follow directions. Weight loss does stop at times. Those are the times you have to be strong. If you have only lost 10 pounds in 8 months then its not the bands fault. At some point you did not follow instructions. I went on an ice cream spree which lead to weight gain. I knew it and I accepted it but soon realized I was not helping myself. You have to be willing to give 100% if you want 100% results.