Arb

Today was surgery day. I can't believe how at peace I feel with this decision. I know there will be days when I will wonder what in the heck I did this for but not today. Woke at 4:45 to shower and dress. Headed to the hospital at 5:30 for my 6am arrival time. Headed to surgery around 7:45. Not sure how long actual surgery took but I was coming to, trying to pry my eyes open around 9:00, I think. Immediately knew gas pain in my chest and left shoulder was going to be a reality for a while. Now I know what heart attack victims mean when they say it feels like "an elephant sitting on your chest". My elephant needs a lapband! Deep breathing helps the chest pain but then it feels like I have a knife twisting in my shoulder. However, writing this at 7 pm the pain is lessening and I know will go away in time. I will survive! Left hospital at noon and was back home by 1 pm. Have been drinking 2-4 ozs water every hour. This is not a problem so far. I actually want much more but am afraid I will be sick so am holding back. Food doesn't appeal to me right now. Had some SF jello earlier but it was so sweet I coldn't finish it. How strange after 10 days of no sugar that jello now seems too sweet. I like the feeling, however. I have been walking around the house every hour trying to hasten the gas departure and make sure no nasty blood clots come. I have been trying to read but about 3 pages in my eyelids become weighted with lead and I'm off to bed for another nap. I haven't taken any pain pills since leaving the hospital but probably will before night bedtime just to keep ahead of the game. I suspect tomorrow will be the most painful. Seems the second day is always worse than the first. I am also looking forward to eating "real food". Oatmeal, even very watered down, sounds heavenly right now. I'm not really hungry but want something with a flavor other than chocolate protein shake! I am so happy to be posting this blog. Some days I thought it would never happen but here I am and am SO EXCITED about what lies ahead. Good luck to everyone who is banded and those still waiting! I'm proud to now call myself a bandster!:blushing:

My doc says 1-2 lbs a week so 15 lbs in 4 weeks is great! I know some of the stories on here are magnificent but I'm trying to tell myself to be happy with the 1-2 per week. Just think, by June 15, 2010 you will have lost 50-100 lbs! Keep on moving forward!

Today was surgery day. I can't believe how at peace I feel with this decision. I know there will be days when I will wonder what in the heck I did this for but not today. Woke at 4:45 to shower and dress. Headed to the hospital at 5:30 for my 6am arrival time. Headed to surgery around 7:45. Not sure how long actual surgery took but I was coming to, trying to pry my eyes open around 9:00, I think. Immediately knew gas pain in my chest and left shoulder was going to be a reality for a while. Now I know what heart attack victims mean when they say it feels like "an elephant sitting on your chest". My elephant needs a lapband! Deep breathing helps the chest pain but then it feels like I have a knife twisting in my shoulder. However, writing this at 7 pm the pain is lessening and I know will go away in time. I will survive! Left hospital at noon and was back home by 1 pm. Have been drinking 2-4 ozs water every hour. This is not a problem so far. I actually want much more but am afraid I will be sick so am holding back. Food doesn't appeal to me right now. Had some SF jello earlier but it was so sweet I coldn't finish it. How strange after 10 days of no sugar that jello now seems too sweet. I like the feeling, however. I have been walking around the house every hour trying to hasten the gas departure and make sure no nasty blood clots come. I have been trying to read but about 3 pages in my eyelids become weighted with lead and I'm off to bed for another nap. I haven't taken any pain pills since leaving the hospital but probably will before night bedtime just to keep ahead of the game. I suspect tomorrow will be the most painful. Seems the second day is always worse than the first. I am also looking forward to eating "real food". Oatmeal, even very watered down, sounds heavenly right now. I'm not really hungry but want something with a flavor other than chocolate protein shake! I am so happy to be posting this blog. Some days I thought it would never happen but here I am and am SO EXCITED about what lies ahead. Good luck to everyone who is banded and those still waiting! I'm proud to now call myself a bandster!

Still trying to decide which to go with? Any comments/insights appreciated :smile2:

Tomorrow is the big day and I suddenly feel a great sense of calm and excitement, if that makes sense. I feel calm that this is the right time and the right decision for me. I just looked out my back window and saw a beautiful rainbow. I am taking that as a sign that I am making the right decision. I have been asking God to give me a clear sign if I should not do this and I have not gotten that. I think He is telling me to trust in Him and go forward. I'm excited that surgery is finally here and I can move on. That little negative imp inside me is trying to tell me I should be scared/nervous/not wanting to go through with this, and maybe in the morning I will feel that way but as this moment all I feel is ready! I am not ready to post a picture but I am going to (if I can figure out how) since this is how I want to remember me when I get the urge to slack off. After I lose 50 lbs maybe I'll post my head, too:rolleyes2:

Tomorrow is the big day and I suddenly feel a great sense of calm and excitement, if that makes sense. I feel calm that this is the right time and the right decision for me. I just looked out my back window and saw a beautiful rainbow. I am taking that as a sign that I am making the right decision. I have been asking God to give me a clear sign if I should not do this and I have not gotten that. I think He is telling me to trust in Him and go forward. I'm excited that surgery is finally here and I can move on. That little negative imp inside me is trying to tell me I should be scared/nervous/not wanting to go through with this, and maybe in the morning I will feel that way but as this moment all I feel is ready! I am not ready to post a picture but I am going to (if I can figure out how) since this is how I want to remember me when I get the urge to slack off. After I lose 50 lbs maybe I'll post my head, too:rolleyes2:

I don't know if you like oatmeat but Quaker makes a weight loss oatmeal with 9 grams protein per serving that I think is delicious. 2 or 3 different flavors. Maybe that will help for a start.

I'm so sorry. I know that has to be a huge disappointment. When did you get banded?

My surgery is tomorrow, but from what I have read and been told by my doc there won't be any restriction until the first fill and then it usually take 2-3 fills to really feel the restriction. Hang in there!

Six days into this liquid diet and doing ok. Sun-Wed saw 450-550 cals. each. Doc said I could have a few bits of "real food" just keep cals VERY VERY LOW. So, Tues saw 2 oz. steak and 2 tbsp. mashed potatoes. 519 total cals. Wed. was 1 cup ham and beans 433 total cals. Well yesterday waas my first real test. Went to lunch with a friend. Ordered turkey and cheese sandwich, threw away the bread, no mayo. Tasty!!!! Ordered "SEASONED" broccoli instead of fries. Obviously, their idea of seasoned and mine are different. Tasted like plain ole' broccoli to me. So here's the rub....I ordered some ranch dressing to dip. Now, I only had what I estimated to be about 5 tbsp. dressing. Today, entering into Sparkpeople.com my food for yesterday I got a BIG UGLY WAKE UP CALL! Total cals yesterday WITHOUT ranch dressing, 503...with ranch dressing....873!!!! Dumb, dumb, dumb. The up side to this....proof that food journaling is GOOD, proof that ranch dressing is BAD, motivation to do all liquids today GOOD.

I love it! Way to go!!

You see, last night I was wanting to eat big amounts of comfort foot, but I didn't.....so....today I got on my scale. My scale only goes to 300 lbs. After that I get this really snotty message EE kind of like "Error, Error, get off now!" Well, this morning it said.........................299.0 !!!! Woo Hoo!! I know it may go back over 300 after surgery but I think I just won't get on it and give it the opportunity. Ha! Who's the boss now, bossy scale? Thanks to all of you at LBT I was able to vent my emotions last night and now I get to celebrate this morning. Thank you! Oh, I haven't figured out the ticker thing yet so I am going to record here that I have now lost 21.1 lbs since 6/12/09. And I haven't been banded yet.

You see, last night I was wanting to eat big amounts of comfort foot, but I didn't.....so....today I got on my scale. My scale only goes to 300 lbs. After that I get this really snotty message EE kind of like "Error, Error, get off now!" Well, this morning it said.........................299.0 !!!! Woo Hoo!! I know it may go back over 300 after surgery but I think I just won't get on it and give it the opportunity. Ha! Who's the boss now, bossy scale? Thanks to all of you at LBT I was able to vent my emotions last night and now I get to celebrate this morning. Thank you! Oh, I haven't figured out the ticker thing yet so I am going to record here that I have now lost 21.1 lbs since 6/12/09. And I haven't been banded yet. :cursing:

I'm home alone, just finished watching a movie that has left me feeling very emotional and vulnerable. I have this HUGE urge to eat something awful. I decided to go to sparkpeople.com and track some possible food choices. After reviewing how well I have done all week and trying some different options to see what they would do to my totals (cals,carbs,fat,protein) after 15 mins I have decided to have a protein drink mixed with water, grab a book and go to bed. Am I comforted by this decision? Tonight, absolutely not. Hopefully in the morning I will feel much better about this.:cursing:

I'm home alone, just finished watching a movie that has left me feeling very emotional and vulnerable. I have this HUGE urge to eat something awful. I decided to go to sparkpeople.com and track some possible food choices. After reviewing how well I have done all week and trying some different options to see what they would do to my totals (cals,carbs,fat,protein) after 15 mins I have decided to have a protein drink mixed with water, grab a book and go to bed. Am I comforted by this decision? Tonight, absolutely not. Hopefully in the morning I will feel much better about this.

I love your "small portions, small me" analogy. I'm going to use that!

:smile:Good luck. Mine is the 15th so we will be same week banders

You make me smile! Congratulations on finding the 10 little pigs! Mine are still out wondering somewhere

I thought it was just me not knowing how to use the darn thing. I can't get it to work either. Nice to know I have good company. Maybe someday we'll actually be able to chat.

CONGRATULATIONS! So sorry about your terrible night, but so happy you have a celbration this morning!!

Someone gave me directions but I have lost them and can't find the blog again. How do I get a cute weight loss ticker on my page? Thanks!

Someone gave me directions but I have lost them and can't find the blog again. How do I get a cute weight loss ticker on my page? Thanks!

6 days of 10 day liquid diet is done! Weekends are the hardest for me so I know I need to keep really busy. Today was ok. Not real hunger but I had alot of head hunger today. I had a 1/2 cup of beans and ham tonight and still stayed until 600 cals. so I guess I'm ok with that. I'm ready to have the surgery and get on with it. I feel I'm in a holding pattern right now. Anyway, another day down the road. Off to bed for me.

6 days of 10 day liquid diet is done! Weekends are the hardest for me so I know I need to keep really busy. Today was ok. Not real hunger but I had alot of head hunger today. I had a 1/2 cup of beans and ham tonight and still stayed until 600 cals. so I guess I'm ok with that. I'm ready to have the surgery and get on with it. I feel I'm in a holding pattern right now. Anyway, another day down the road. Off to bed for me.

I have horses, too. I got thrown on a trail ride a couple of years ago and was totally embarrassed when I had to have help getting back on. I swore I would never ride again until I could get on the horse without help and without standing on a stupid milk crate. Next summer I'm going riding! Hang in there.