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So since my last update I've survived my 1 week of high protein, low carb eating. It wasn't too bad, especially since I followed a lot of my Whole30 strategies. I also managed to drop around 8lbs which isn't to bad. This week I've started my 2 weeks of clear liquids and it's definitely tough. I'm home with the kids all day and between prepping their food and having to feed the youngest, it's kind of torture. On the upside, I did discover that adding a scoop of unsweetened cocoa powder to the shake helps the taste tremendously. I definitely need to find at least one other shake option, because chocolate is going to get really old really fast. I wish there was an option that didn't use sucralose, because I have a hard time with that flavor. I'm really hoping for some big losses with this stage because I'll be done with almost all of my requirements in about two weeks. Assuming insurance cooperates, that means I should be able to hit my goal of surgery by the first week of September. That is, of course, if I can lose the 35lbs my surgeon is requiring. It normally takes a few months for me to lose that much, so I'm really expecting a lot and I know it. I also have doubts about being able to survive the full two weeks without cracking. Blah! Got to stay positive! In less stressful news, I did my psych consult today. As long as I don't come back as a raving lunatic, that should be all they need to submit my paperwork for approval. So fingers crossed and lots of losing weight vibes going on over here!

I went to see my hematologist last week, and did her tests. The tests came back and based on my understanding of the results, I only need a low dose of Coumadin post-op. yay! I've submitted my update to the dietitian, showing that I'm closer to meeting the guideline. I had a fun moment over the weekend. My nephew and I were sitting on opposite ends of the sofa on Saturday night. There were tons of bonfires and gatherings around the neighborhood. We were sitting there quietly, me playing on my iPhone and he was on his computer. Being funny I sent him a text challenging him to a dance-off on Just Dance. Without speaking, we got up, moved the furniture, and started up the Xbox. I love that game. We played for over an hour. I came close to beating him on one song... however, he stomped me on the rest of the songs. I still need to work up the courage to do the zumba games. As of today, I've been off soda, carbonation, and caffeine a week. In other news, I've lost enough weight to get back into some of my summer work blouses. They are a little snug, but they fit. I was so excited that I wore a blouse and slacks to the office today, however, the blouse is worn under a sweater, to help mask the bulging buttons at the belly. I was informed that I was looking pretty spiffed up and asked what the special occasion was. I was tempted to say something to the effect that I could fit back into the clothes. Instead, it was 'no reason, just felt like it'. I don't discuss my personal stuff at work. I can't wait until I hear back from the doc's office about setting an appointment with the surgeon.

Even though lap-band surgery is the least invasive of all weight loss procedures, it still requires of up to four weeks for full recovery. While patients go back to work 4-7 days after surgery, it takes some time to adjust back to a regular diet and to be able to perform more strenuous activities. Because your post-lap-band recovery will involve different stages, we figured it would be helpful to give you some more detailed insight into what it will look like and how it will feel. LAP-BAND procedure The lap-band procedure takes about 45-60 minutes and involves placing the lap-band device around the stomach and connecting it to the port that is attached to your abdominal muscle. Because the surgery is performed laparoscopically, in order to place the band, the bariatric surgeon makes a total of five small incisions in the abdomen. The first four are an inch long and the fifth is about two inches. The longest incision is then used to insert the lap-band and the port. Once the lap-band is inside, the surgeon wraps it around the upper part of the stomach and secures it in place with stitches. After the lap-band placement, the bariatric surgeon attaches the port to the abdominal muscle and closes the incision. The nature of how the Lap Band procedure is performed dictates the recovery process. This involves healing of the incisions, the port site, and the stomach. RECOVERY IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE LAP-BAND PROCEDURE Following the surgery, the nursing staff will help you recover from anesthesia and get you moving so you can go home as soon as you feel well enough. Within about an hour after the procedure you will be able to get up and walk around. The nurse will encourage you to walk as much as possible to relieve the post-surgical gas pressure and to help you feel more energized. In general, most of our lap-band patients are on their way home within three hours of the weight loss procedure. While feeling slightly sore on the right side (where the port is placed), most of the discomfort patients experience comes from the gas introduced into your abdomen during the surgery. Feeling the gas pressure after any abdominal surgery is normal, and will subside with time. Most patients note progressive improvement within the next few days. In order to relieve the pressure, we recommend patients to stay mildly active and walk a lot to help the gas dissipate. We also advise patients to take Gassex® strips to relieve some pressure coming from the gas inside your digestive tract. The discomfort caused by gas can sometimes cause a shoulder pain, but don’t be alarmed. The feeling will go away as the gas leaves your body. Most symptoms of gas pain go away in about five days after the procedure. WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY RECOVERY – THE INCISIONS Incisions made during the surgery will fully heal in about four weeks time provided you don’t disturb the stitches. The four smaller incisions will fully close the fastest, in about two to three weeks, while the one on the port side will take about four weeks. During the first week you should not take baths, only showers and pat the stitches dry after washing. The incisions are closed with stitches and surgical glue, so you don’t have to specially care for them once you’re home. Just leave them be and let your body do the work. Outside of the mentioned discomfort, a large majority patients are not in pain following the surgery. Nevertheless, in order to minimize any soreness, the bariatric surgeon does prescribe a mild pain killer for the first one to two days after the procedure. Outside of that, you will not have to take any other medication. You will be able to return to work as soon as four to seven days following the surgery – the length of your home stay will depend on the nature of your work.. If your work is mostly sedentary and doesn’t involve heavy lifting, you can be back in only four days. For more physically demanding tasks and lifting above 15lbs, we advise our patients to wait until the fourth week after surgery to engage in these activities. The lap-band clinic staff can provide patients with documentation for their employer specifying that the patient is required to do light duty until they have healed from surgery. LAP-BAND RECOVERY DIET Following the lap-band surgery you will also have dietary restrictions to ease your stomach into working with the band. For three weeks following the surgery, you will slowly progress your diet from liquid toward regular solid meals. The introduction of different food textures at different stages of your post-operative diet is aimed at assisting in your stomach’s healing process (stitching around the band) and helping you to get used to having the band. The general dietary outline involves: clear liquid fluids – 1-2 days after surgery full liquids – 3-7 days after surgery pureed foods – 2nd week after surgery soft foods - 3rd week after surgery solid foods – 4th week after surgery and beyond Prior to the surgery you will be introduced to the details of what you can and should notin the first three-four weeks by a bariatric dietitian in your weight loss program. You will most likely receive a special dietary packet listing foods and recommendations concerning your diet. If the bariatric program has a full time bariatric dietitian on staff, so at any time during your recovery you can call us with any questions. Because dietary restrictions can make your eating monotonous we also advise you searching for lap-bander friendly recipes. By just Googling the topic or searching on Pinterest, you will find many tasty options that you can prepare at home.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robin-korth/sex-over-50_b_5563576.html Naked, I stood at the closet doors with the lights on and made myself ready. I took a deep breath and positioned the mirrors so I could see all of me. I consciously worked to remove my self-believed inner image. I opened my eyes and looked very carefully at my body. And my heart lurched at the truth: I am not a young woman anymore. I am a woman well-lived. My body tells of all the years she has carried my spirit through life. I am a 59-year-old woman in great health and in good physical shape. I stand five-feet, nine-inches tall and weigh 135 pounds. I wear a size six in both jeans and panties, and my breasts are nowhere near my navel. In fact, they still struggle to make it full-up in a B-cup bra. My thighs are no longer velvet and my buttocks have dimples. My upper arms wobble a bit and my skin shows the marks of the sun. There is a softness around my waist that is no longer perfectly taut, and the pout of my abdomen attests to a c-section that took its bikini flatness -- but gave me a son. Why this brutal scrutiny of myself? It was time to counter the damage of my culture, my own soft-held fear and to pour warm love on my own soul. It was time to claim every mark and not-perfect inch of my own body -- a body that had been called "too wrinkled" by a man who was fetched by my energy and my mind, but did not like the bare truth of me. His name was Dave and he was 55 years old. We met on a dating site. Dave was interesting, gentlemanly and bright. He held my hand and toured with me on long bicycle rides. He drove many miles to come to my door. He made meals for us both and ruffled my dog's happy head. I was enticed and longed for the full knowing of this man. And so, we planned a weekend together. That's when things got confusing, unspoken and just-not-quite there. We went to bed in a couple's way -- unclothed and touching -- all parts near. Kisses were shared and sleep came in hugs. I attempted more intimacy throughout the weekend and was deterred each time. On Monday evening over the phone, I asked this man who had shared my bed for three nights running why we had not made love. "Your body is too wrinkly," he said without a pause. "I have spoiled myself over the years with young women. I just can't get excited with you. I love your energy and your laughter. I like your head and your heart. But, I just can't deal with your body." I was stunned. The hurt would come later. I asked him slowly and carefully if he found my body hard to look at. He said yes. "So, this means seeing me naked was troublesome to you?" I asked. He told me he had just looked away. And when the lights were out, he pretended my body was younger -- that I was younger. My breath came deep and full as I processed this information. My face blazed as I felt embarrassed and shamed by memories of my easy nakedness with him in days just passed. We talked for some time more, my head reeling at the content of the conversation. He spoke of special stockings and clothing that would "hide" my years. He blithely told me he loved "little black dresses" and strappy shoes. He said my hair was not long and flowing as he preferred, but that was okay because it was "cool looking." I felt like a Barbie Doll on acid as I listened to this man. He was totally oblivious to the viciousness of his words. He had turned me into an object to be dressed and positioned to provide satisfaction for his ideas of what female sexual perfection should be. He explained that now that I knew what was required, we could have a great time in the bedroom. I told him no. I would not hide from my own body. I would not wear outfits to make my body more "tolerable." I would not undress in the dark or shower with the bathroom door closed. I would not diminish myself for him -- or for anyone. My body is beautiful and it goes along with my mind and my heart. When I told Dave that I never wanted to see or hear from him again, he was confused and complained that I was making a big deal out of nothing. He whined that I had taken a small part of our relationship and made it a major event. I didn't even want to try to explain the hurt and the horror that he had inflicted upon me. I actually felt sickly sorry for this man as I hung up the phone. It was after this call that I went to the bedroom and gently stripped off my clothes. As I looked in the mirror -- clear-eyed and brave -- I claimed every inch of my body with love, honor and deep care. This body is me. She has held my soul and carried my heart for all of my days. Each wrinkle and imperfection is a badge of my living and of my giving of life. With tears in my eyes, I hugged myself close. I said thank you to God for the gift of my body and my life. And I said thank you to a sad man named Dave for reminding me of how precious it all is. Robin Korth enjoys interactions with her readers. Feel free to contact her at info@robininyourface.com or on Facebook. To learn about her new book, "Soul on the Run," go to: www.SoulOnTheRun.com You can also download her "Robin In Your Face" free daily motivational app by going to www.robininyourface.com/whats-new/