HolliJ

I was due in at 6:15am for a 7:30am surgery. I went home at about... 1:30ish. I'm almost 3 weeks post-op and I've never done a barium swallow.

I only watched the first episode and then canceled the series. I have no interest in watching it after seeing the first one.

I had mashed potatoes like 3 days after I started mushies. They weren't as great as I had been dreaming, lmao. Nothing really has been.

I'm glad there are people who will do Nursing, lol. I was going for it at one point. I started working as a CNA and hated it with a passion. I went from the medical field all the way to computers. I'm now going to school for Software Engineering.

I'm sure it affects many people. Hormones/weight loss. I'm not looking forward to getting my period back, lol. I haven't had mine in about 9 months. Before that, I was regular for about 5-6 months. Before that, it had been 14 months since I had one. I have PCOS. I know it's not healthy, but damn is it nice! I know that once I drop weight, it will come back. Ugh.

I really couldn't care less about the word. Calling me fat doesn't bother me a bit. I know I'm fat. If someone tries to insult me by calling me fat, I'm more amused at their complete failure to wound and I pity them for being ignorant and pathetic. I accept and acknowledge all of my faults and flaws. It is within my own power to either change or embrace these faults. No one can hurt me without my permission. And I do not give it.

Finally lost 2lbs, lol.

Awesome!! I've never had high blood pressure. Mine is usually like... 110/72 or something.

Mmmm, I love oysters. Steamed, though. Raw is too much slime, lmao. It's like drinking sea Water. I haven't had them since being banded, though.

It's 9 days for me. I lost about 5lbs within a couple days after the surgery (most likely Water weight), but for the past 6 days, I haven't lost a pound. I'm beginning to think my scale is obsessed with the number "241". I understand that I'm healing, which is what I keep telling others when they ask how I'm doing, how much I've lost, etc... Ugh, why did I tell people? I'm being patient, though. I'm doing what I'm supposed to doing and I know I'll lose eventually. I'm probably not even getting enough calories in. I've been on mushy foods since Tuesday and I start soft solids this coming Tuesday. I haven't eaten anything that wasn't on my list of foods. And, luckily, I'm not hungry.

Has anyone tried these syrups in their Protein shakes? Someone told me about them last week, so I bought some online. Ok, I might have gone a little overboard... I bought: - Caramel (Dolce) - Cherry (DaVinci) - Dulce de Leche (Oscar's) - German chocolate (DaVinci) - Hazelnut (Dolce) - Peppermint Patty (DaVinci) - Praline (DaVinci) - Raspberry (Dolce) - strawberry (Dolce) There are a lot more flavors, as well. Including shipping, each bottle averaged $6.63 (25oz bottles). Everyone else they seemed to average $7-$8 per bottle. Or if they were cheaper, shipping was expensive or the flavors were limited. There is NOTHING in the nutritional label except 10mg of sodium for the DaVinci syrup. Not sure about Dolce, but I'm sure it's the same. Bought them here: coffee Flavoring Syrup

Don't know if there's a SF Coffee, though.

I ordered nine different flavors here: Dolce, DaVinci, & Oscar's coffee Flavoring Syrup They're either DaVinci, Dolce, or Oscar brands. I got everything (shipped) for less than $60.

Woohoo, I didn't have a lot of internal fat!

Hey, pretty cool! I remember being told that they do put a fill in to make sure everything works, but I think they remove it most of the time.

I gained 3.5lbs from the surgery - most likely from all the Water. Obviously there was no way it could be fat, since I hadn't eaten anything! I'm not paying any attention to what's on the scale for quite a while. Especially since I'm really not getting enough calories in, so I'm sure my body is in starvation mode or something.

I just went this morning (day 5) for the first time. I haven't felt like I needed to, though. I've been on liquids since the 21st, but when I've gone to the bathroom, it's been solid. Weird.

I thought the same thing, about possibly being able to do it on my own. But then, I thought that while I tried diets. "This time I will make it. This time I will be strong". And I never was. I'm sure that I would have been able to lose weight on my own. I really didn't think the pre-op diet was that hard/horrible. After a couple days, I wasn't even hungry. But I know it wouldn't last. I would eat something outside of my diet and then it would have been all over, once I got that taste of it again. And with a large stomach, I would have been able to eat and eat again. Now.. I feel like I'll be able to eat foods that I want, but I'll be eating much less. And I'm going to do everything I can to stay away from foods I really shouldn't be eating (candy, sweets, breads, ice cream, Cookies, etc...). At this point, sugar purged from my system, I don't even crave them. I'm dying for something salty and solid, though! As for the bowel question, I wouldn't know. I haven't done anything but pee in.... at least 5-6 days. I don't really FEEL constipated, though. Gas, yes.

Wonder why my surgeon didn't tell me about a fill before the surgery. Do they not do that? Even give you the option of choosing whether or not to get one? Or was it like a spontaneous decision to give me a fill?

My surgeon filled me during surgery (3 days ago), about 2cc. I was surprised by this, because I know most surgeons don't fill you because of the swelling. I haven't had any problems drinking, other than it's kind of painful - like drinking gives me a big bubble of gas stuck in my stomach/chest. But I haven't regurgitated or anything. It's just been kind of a pain to drink Water, because it makes me so uncomfortable. And then I feel like I'm bloated.

I've told... 5-6 people at one job, 3-4 people at my other job. My family knows (everyone I talk to and my mom might have told my aunts, etc..). My parent's neighbors know (I'm over all the time and sit out in the driveway with them). And then a couple family friends know. I'm not really looking to keep it hidden, but I'm not going out and telling everyone and their brother, either.

Damn, that was long.

Until today, I haven't really been up to posting about the surgery, which I'm sure is understandable. :crying: My surgery was scheduled for July 28. On Monday (the 27th), they called and let me know what time to be there. Unfortunately, it was 6:15am (ew). But hey, better to get it over with earlier. So I drove over to Palm Bay Hospital with my mom and we got there ~6am. Sat in the waiting room a couple minutes until the lady called me over to sign the consent forms and get my bracelet. She then told us to go around the corner to the pre-op room (whatever it's called). I got undressed, put on the gown, and got into the bed. A nurse came over and to give me all my medications. She numbed my hand before she put the IV in. I was given: Decadron - Anti-inflammatory & anti-emetic (prevent nausea) Versed - Sedative/relaxation Zofran - Blocks chemicals that cause nausea/vomiting Reglan - Increases stomach emptying and decreases nausea/vomiting/heartburn/fullness Zantac - Decreases gastric acid secretions Heparin - Anticoagulant The funny part is that she says, "The good thing is that we're going to be giving you all your medications through your IV'. I say, "What about the Heparin?" She's like, "Oh, yeah...that's true. And I usually pride myself on my honesty". So after a little while she gets the needle ready for the Heparin shot. Another nurse sees it and goes, "Oh, ouch". LOL!! Thanks, lady. So she pinches my stomach and injects it. It burned, but it wasn't horrible. So I was like, "That wasn't so bad". But then the burning gets worse after the needle is taken out! Ok, still wasn't horrible... but it didn't feel good. The anesthesiologist comes in and talks to me. Then the anesthesiologist assistant comes in. Then a couple nurses (one guy, one girl). Then they wheeled me off to the OR. Once I got into the OR, I slid over onto the operating table. They put an oxygen mask over my face. Next thing you know, I'm waking up in the recovery room. I don't remember falling asleep at all. I don't really remember what happened after I was woken up, either. Everything was really blurry. Luckily (and due to several medications that prevented nausea), I wasn't nauseous after surgery at all. One of the first things I remember saying was asking if I had a hiatal hernia, which they said I did not. Surgeon came by. I was told the surgery went great, no problems whatsoever, blah blah. They gave me a picture of my stomach with the band, but it disappeared and didn't come home with us. And I'm not sure if the nurse in the recovery room knew much about this surgery, lol. First she asked me if I wanted some soda/Ginger ale. I'm like, "Huh?" Later on she asked if I had gotten the band or if I was there for a fill, because she thought I was just there for a fill. Oooook. At one point I got up and went to the bathroom. Ow. Getting up hurt like a bitch. But I could pee, yay! Even if it was like... pee, stop, pee, stop, pee, stop instead of a steady stream. My mom also came in to see me, which I found out was like 1-1/2 hours after the surgery. She was in the waiting room and was told someone would get her, but they never did. So she went to the desk and asked if she could see me. They said yes, but that she couldn't stay, because it was too crowded in the room. So she came and said hi, then left. I tried to get some sleep, but couldn't... There were men on both sides of me that SNORED and I'm a very light sleeper. Plus, it was just really loud in there. And those compression stockings were annoying. And I had a blood pressure cuff that took my blood pressure every 5 minutes. So eventually I went home. Someone came in and helped me get dressed. I'm usually very worried about being naked in front of other people, but I just really didn't give a shit. So my mom drove me home. I sat in the recliner most of the day, other than to get up and walk a little bit. Painkillers don't really work very well for me, so I was in a lot of pain. The surgeon also filled me up about 2cc. I was able to drink just fine. Didn't have to do a barium swallow or get any other shots. They also didn't weigh me, but I know I lost 10lbs on the pre-op diet (which was just 7 days). I lost 5 prior to that and another 5 since the surgery. Surgery lasted 1.5 hours. Before the surgery, I had acid reflux. Haven't had any. Before the surgery I had this weird single hiccup thing I did like 30 times a day. Haven't done it once. That's about it...

I hear ya. I got banded two days ago. There's gas in my stomach/chest. I feel like I need to burp, yet can't, and it feels horrible (not really "painful", though). Last night it was even making me nauseous. Gas-X strips don't seem to be doing much. This is even from drinking Water. I hope it goes away, because it's really uncomfortable.