BarbaraWM

Current Mood: Very Frustrated :thumbup: So last week I went back for the check up and everything was looking good so they told me to eat solid food for a week and come back for a fill today. Yesterday morning I ate two slices of apple with my breakfast and it did me in. I had a feeling indigestion for the whole day and decided to have soup for dinner and drink as much fluid as I could to "loosen up." This morning, I could feel some pressure in the same place but it seemed to dissipate a little after a coffee. Breakfast went down fine - 2 scrambled eggs - but after I ate lunch the clogged feeling returned. I can only describe it as similar to the feeling I had the week after surgery when I was still swollen and tried semi solid food. Uncomfortable but not really painful. So, being the honest woman that I am, I told the PA about it and she asked a few other questions and decided I shouldn't get the fill and instead I should go back to liquids for a couple of days and then call the doctor on Thursday. If the feeling hadn't gone away by then, they would probably want to get another upper GI series. I am so disappointed! I gained two pounds. I have no restriction. I can eat and drink anything without any real restriction and then this set back. On top of this, I suffer from PMDD and my period is 4 days late (I attribute this to the stress of the surgery) - my OB/Gyn says the later the period, the worse the PMS/PMDD. I am depressed, sad, angry, feeling like a total failure and embarrassed that I acted like a total f'ing baby at the doctor's office today. So, feeling like crap emotionally, and on the verge of tears, I leave the office and run into my surgeon on the street. He asks me what's wrong and I warn him that his PA is going to tell him what a baby I am. I feel like such a failure. I go through a major alteration to my body to lose weight and I feel like this journey that everyone writes about just won't start for me. It's like I'm seated in coach, in a middle seat, on the runway for 9 hours and they won't let anyone get up or take the damn plane back to the gate. I know it took me a long time to get this fat and it will take time to lose the weight...I just want to START.

Bravo! You've put into words my own thoughts about LapBand but more more eloquently than I ever could. You are right - they will come around when they see the healthier, happier you.

I meant POST OP in the first sentence but can't figure out how to edit an entry once it is posted.

Current Mood: Lighter :cool2: Had my first pre-op visit yesterday. Down a total of 20 lbs (they count from the consultation and with clothes on!!) so far. It was more but in the last few days I added a couple of pounds from PMS and once again, the dread of high protein diets.... constipation. After a quick check of my incisions, which are pretty much healed, and a measurement of my waist (huh? they didn't do that before and I didn't see what it measured anyway), the PA asked questions: Are you hungry? RAVENOUS. Do you feel any resistance? NONE What can you eat? Everything. Etc, etc. On the chart that shows too tight all the way on the left and not tight enough to the right, I put myself about 8" off the chart to the right. I am so hungry. Next steps: The PA says it is time for a fully solid food diet. No more mushy stuff, no gravy, no condiments....protein, veg, fruit and good carbs and that's it. She wants to see how I do on solids for a week and then I'm getting a fill - just 3 weeks after surgery! I'm kind of excited about a fill because I feel like my new tool will finally be put to use. It's still shiny and new but don't we all appreciate something when it's a little more broken in and used? I celebrated the move to solid food with meat last night - lamb, two bites of naan bread and lots of curried onions. I ate too much and would have been uncomfortable if I hadn't had the 1/2 mile walk home to move things along. And boy, did it move along! The Benefiber supplement finally kicked in. I'm thinking I am down a couple more pounds today. Phew. Next test, Thanksgiving, which will be interesting because we're not going anywhere and no one is coming over. I told my husband to get the smallest fresh turkey he could find at the market. He came home and proudly presented me with an 8 lb Purdue Oven Stuffer Roaster. He is right -- it doesn't actually say chicken anywhere on the package but come on!!!! This is what I get for asking a Brit to buy the Thanksgiving turkey. If I can't get a fresh bird today then we're having chicken. But..absolutely NO GRAVY! Per the PA it lubricates the food and makes it slide through the stoma faster. Maybe just a dab. Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Remember, don't gobble gobble.

Current Mood: Lighter :cursing: Had my first pre-op visit yesterday. Down a total of 20 lbs (they count from the consultation and with clothes on!!) so far. It was more but in the last few days I added a couple of pounds from PMS and once again, the dread of high protein diets.... constipation. After a quick check of my incisions, which are pretty much healed, and a measurement of my waist (huh? they didn't do that before and I didn't see what it measured anyway), the PA asked questions: Are you hungry? RAVENOUS. Do you feel any resistance? NONE What can you eat? Everything. Etc, etc. On the chart that shows too tight all the way on the left and not tight enough to the right, I put myself about 8" off the chart to the right. I am so hungry. Next steps: The PA says it is time for a fully solid food diet. No more mushy stuff, no gravy, no condiments....protein, veg, fruit and good carbs and that's it. She wants to see how I do on solids for a week and then I'm getting a fill - just 3 weeks after surgery! I'm kind of excited about a fill because I feel like my new tool will finally be put to use. It's still shiny and new but don't we all appreciate something when it's a little more broken in and used? I celebrated the move to solid food with meat last night - lamb, two bites of naan bread and lots of curried onions. I ate too much and would have been uncomfortable if I hadn't had the 1/2 mile walk home to move things along. And boy, did it move along! The Benefiber supplement finally kicked in. I'm thinking I am down a couple more pounds today. Phew. Next test, Thanksgiving, which will be interesting because we're not going anywhere and no one is coming over. I told my husband to get the smallest fresh turkey he could find at the market. He came home and proudly presented me with an 8 lb Purdue Oven Stuffer Roaster. He is right -- it doesn't actually say chicken anywhere on the package but come on!!!! This is what I get for asking a Brit to buy the Thanksgiving turkey. If I can't get a fresh bird today then we're having chicken. But..absolutely NO GRAVY! Per the PA it lubricates the food and makes it slide through the stoma faster. Maybe just a dab. Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Remember, don't gobble gobble.

Current Mood: The title says it all Here I am 12 days post op, having made bets on how much weight I would lose by the time of my first post op doctor visit, and I'm stalled.... already! Ok, I get that the first 5 pounds just dropped off from being on liquids for a couple of days, then the next 5-6 were probably from this very low calorie soft food diet and not being able to eat much as a result of swelling. Now, however, the swelling is down and I don't feel any restriction. I am trying to make the right choices and I'm walking around hungry most of the time but the scale has not budged since Tuesday except to go up or down the same 2 lbs. Restriction: My doctor put 3ccs in my band when he put it in 12 days ago. Last night I ate the inside of a calzone (ricotta, mozarella, mushrooms and a bit of ham). I chewed, I made it last, I swallowed small bits at a time and did not drink. I still managed to eat all of it which was more than the 4 oz my pouch is supposed to hold...it was more like 8 oz and I just couldn't stop myself! I know the band is only a tool and it will take a lot of work and self control on my part but I thought one of the major functions of this tool was to make is very unpleasant to eat too much. It's not doing that for me yet. I guess that's why it takes 5-6 fills to get it right. Also, I'm disappointed with myself for lacking control. I've just gone through this physically painful ordeal, subjected myself to surgery and anesthesia, taken off work and put my family through some major machinations yet I couldn't even make it through 2 weeks of the prescribed diet! I am weak. And, to make things even worse, I am so constipated from this high protein diet with practically no fiber from vegetables and fruit. I remember one of my many past diets was Atkins - I felt the same way then and got very corked up and cranky. I just went off that diet and everything normalized. That's no longer an option. To top it all off, I'm pre-menstrual and this is my "ravenous hunger" week. I dreamed of pizza! That's certainly enough bitching and moaning for one post. If you've made it this far, I apologize for you having read my crankiness. I will try to think and act positively. Positive: My pants were definitely sliding down my hips yesterday and I am no longer short of breath.

Current Mood: The title says it all :biggrin: Here I am 12 days post op, having made bets on how much weight I would lose by the time of my first post op doctor visit, and I'm stalled.... already! Ok, I get that the first 5 pounds just dropped off from being on liquids for a couple of days, then the next 5-6 were probably from this very low calorie soft food diet and not being able to eat much as a result of swelling. Now, however, the swelling is down and I don't feel any restriction. I am trying to make the right choices and I'm walking around hungry most of the time but the scale has not budged since Tuesday except to go up or down the same 2 lbs. Restriction: My doctor put 3ccs in my band when he put it in 12 days ago. Last night I ate the inside of a calzone (ricotta, mozarella, mushrooms and a bit of ham). I chewed, I made it last, I swallowed small bits at a time and did not drink. I still managed to eat all of it which was more than the 4 oz my pouch is supposed to hold...it was more like 8 oz and I just couldn't stop myself! I know the band is only a tool and it will take a lot of work and self control on my part but I thought one of the major functions of this tool was to make is very unpleasant to eat too much. It's not doing that for me yet. I guess that's why it takes 5-6 fills to get it right. Also, I'm disappointed with myself for lacking control. I've just gone through this physically painful ordeal, subjected myself to surgery and anesthesia, taken off work and put my family through some major machinations yet I couldn't even make it through 2 weeks of the prescribed diet! I am weak. And, to make things even worse, I am so constipated from this high protein diet with practically no fiber from vegetables and fruit. I remember one of my many past diets was Atkins - I felt the same way then and got very corked up and cranky. I just went off that diet and everything normalized. That's no longer an option. To top it all off, I'm pre-menstrual and this is my "ravenous hunger" week. I dreamed of pizza! That's certainly enough bitching and moaning for one post. If you've made it this far, I apologize for you having read my crankiness. I will try to think and act positively. Positive: My pants were definitely sliding down my hips yesterday and I am no longer short of breath.

CURRENT MOOD: Ecstatic :biggrin: Just had to post what I ate for dinner because it was sooooooooo good after liquid and mushy food for over a week. I made a 3 ounce extra lean turkey burger (140 calories) with one slice of Kraft deli deluxe American cheese (70 calories), 1/2 tsp mayonnaise (15 calories) and 1 tsp ketchup (5 calories) and 4 thin slices of Claussen deli pickle (3 calories...if that much since a whole one is 5). I ate it over the course of 30 minutes, cutting a small piece for each bite and putting the knife and fork down while I chewed. OMG! It was so good to have flavor and texture all in one. And, it went down great. Not even a burp. The best part about this is that I know I can stomach something that I really enjoy, is satisfying and is on the plan...and, it had 25 grams of protein. YAY!

CURRENT MOOD: Ecstatic :thumbup: Just had to post what I ate for dinner because it was sooooooooo good after liquid and mushy food for over a week. I made a 3 ounce extra lean turkey burger (140 calories) with one slice of Kraft deli deluxe American cheese (70 calories), 1/2 tsp mayonnaise (15 calories) and 1 tsp ketchup (5 calories) and 4 thin slices of Claussen deli pickle (3 calories...if that much since a whole one is 5). I ate it over the course of 30 minutes, cutting a small piece for each bite and putting the knife and fork down while I chewed. OMG! It was so good to have flavor and texture all in one. And, it went down great. Not even a burp. The best part about this is that I know I can stomach something that I really enjoy, is satisfying and is on the plan...and, it had 25 grams of protein. YAY!

Current Mood: Light and Breezy :biggrin: At 8:30 yesterday morning, exactly one week since my surgery, I got an upper GI series to check the position of my band. I was worried about drinking the barium before I went as I'd had a bit of a difficult weekend with pain and the feeling that I had too much restriction. Phew! They don't give you the giant bottle after the band, just a little cup of barium and, I only had to take a few sips. It was really pretty cool watching it go down my throat into the "pouch" and then through the stoma to the larger part of my stomach, which appeared to be something like outer space the way the liquid sort of floated around. The radiologist said it looked exactly right (8 and 2 o'clock) and the restriction looked fine as well. I feel much better today than I did over the weekend or even yesterday. Maybe it was swelling from the surgery that was causing me the trouble. It seems to be pretty much gone now although I still feel...something and, I am still getting winded from walking. Besides the X-ray, I also went back to work yesterday. I've been very open about my surgery with a number of colleagues and to the last one, they all said I looked like I'd lost weight. I even showed a couple of them the incisions (they still had steri strips on them) and then...I got to work. Work is going to be an issue -- too bad I haven't won Mega Millions yet. I don't have enough time in the morning to eat, make my lunch and my daughter's breakfast and lunch and get my daughter to school and then get myself to work on time so I decided to bring my breakfast with me and eat once I get to my desk. Of course, I want my coffee first, which takes at least 20 minutes to drink, then I have to wait 1/2 hour and take 20-30 minutes to eat and then wait 1/2 hour for more to drink. By the time I've actually finished breakfast, it's pretty much lunch time. So far, I've just pushed lunch to later but then, when do I have my protein shake and all that water? I know I just need to work it out but it's a bit of a juggle right now. Update on the post op situation at day 8: 1) I pulled off the steri strips after my shower this morning and 2 of the 3 small incisions look a little red so I put Neosporin and bandaids on them. The other small one looks like a scratch that is healing well. The doctor buried my port behind my navel so, unfortunately, the largest scar is also where I bend and where my jeans hit. 2) My stomach muscles are sort of tender and I have to keep forcing myself to stand up straight instead of leaning forward when I walk - probably just a little residual pain from the surgery, 3) I have a raging yeast infection from the IV antibiotics (this was mentioned in the literature I got before surgery) even with a near constant diet of yogurt. OTC remedy in the works. 4) The band feels tighter in the morning and seems to loosen up as the day goes on. I wake up with a feeling of slight indegestion followed by uncomfortable burps and/or hiccups within the first minute or so of being upright. 5) After days of being ...uh, non-productive and taking colace for that issue, I finally, and with much struggle....um, produced last night. Yay! This took longer than I anticipated so I just bought some Benefiber to add to ....EVERYTHING. 6) I can eat a full 4 ounces of yogurt and 2 ounces of apple sauce without pain. Good news on the scale this morning: I was down 11.3 lbs from my day-of-surgery weight. That's 21.9 lbs down from my consultation weight. I really can feel the difference and it's good.

Current Mood: Light and Breezy :thumbup: At 8:30 yesterday morning, exactly one week since my surgery, I got an upper GI series to check the position of my band. I was worried about drinking the barium before I went as I'd had a bit of a difficult weekend with pain and the feeling that I had too much restriction. Phew! They don't give you the giant bottle after the band, just a little cup of barium and, I only had to take a few sips. It was really pretty cool watching it go down my throat into the "pouch" and then through the stoma to the larger part of my stomach, which appeared to be something like outer space the way the liquid sort of floated around. The radiologist said it looked exactly right (8 and 2 o'clock) and the restriction looked fine as well. I feel much better today than I did over the weekend or even yesterday. Maybe it was swelling from the surgery that was causing me the trouble. It seems to be pretty much gone now although I still feel...something and, I am still getting winded from walking. Besides the X-ray, I also went back to work yesterday. I've been very open about my surgery with a number of colleagues and to the last one, they all said I looked like I'd lost weight. I even showed a couple of them the incisions (they still had steri strips on them) and then...I got to work. Work is going to be an issue -- too bad I haven't won Mega Millions yet. I don't have enough time in the morning to eat, make my lunch and my daughter's breakfast and lunch and get my daughter to school and then get myself to work on time so I decided to bring my breakfast with me and eat once I get to my desk. Of course, I want my coffee first, which takes at least 20 minutes to drink, then I have to wait 1/2 hour and take 20-30 minutes to eat and then wait 1/2 hour for more to drink. By the time I've actually finished breakfast, it's pretty much lunch time. So far, I've just pushed lunch to later but then, when do I have my protein shake and all that water? I know I just need to work it out but it's a bit of a juggle right now. Update on the post op situation at day 8: 1) I pulled off the steri strips after my shower this morning and 2 of the 3 small incisions look a little red so I put Neosporin and bandaids on them. The other small one looks like a scratch that is healing well. The doctor buried my port behind my navel so, unfortunately, the largest scar is also where I bend and where my jeans hit. 2) My stomach muscles are sort of tender and I have to keep forcing myself to stand up straight instead of leaning forward when I walk - probably just a little residual pain from the surgery, 3) I have a raging yeast infection from the IV antibiotics (this was mentioned in the literature I got before surgery) even with a near constant diet of yogurt. OTC remedy in the works. 4) The band feels tighter in the morning and seems to loosen up as the day goes on. I wake up with a feeling of slight indegestion followed by uncomfortable burps and/or hiccups within the first minute or so of being upright. 5) After days of being ...uh, non-productive and taking colace for that issue, I finally, and with much struggle....um, produced last night. Yay! This took longer than I anticipated so I just bought some Benefiber to add to ....EVERYTHING. 6) I can eat a full 4 ounces of yogurt and 2 ounces of apple sauce without pain. Good news on the scale this morning: I was down 11.3 lbs from my day-of-surgery weight. That's 21.9 lbs down from my consultation weight. I really can feel the difference and it's good.

All you need is one co-morbidity and BMI 35+, is that right? If so, tell the doctor your knees hurt. Osteoarthritis is a co-morbidity and related to weight and...most of us over a certain age and weight do have it, even if minimally and undiagnosed. Better than trying to gain weight back.

CURRENT MOOD: Cranky :mad2: Some days just getting out a bed ends up being a bad idea. That was today. I felt a little tightness in my chest last night before bed and upon waking this morning but was going full steam ahead with the plan as prescribed by my doctor. 1/2 cup of coffee, 2 chewable vitamins later the 4 oz of oatmeal with skim milk seemed like a real treat. But nooooooooo. Even though I added plenty of milk to thin it, chewed every rolled oat and took almost 20 minutes to eat it I ended up with that awful pain in my chest again and, it didn't go away. I had it all day, from 10:30 this morning. I tried Gas-X, a warm drink, water, hot broth, a decent walk (in the pouring rain!) and nothing seemed to make it much better. The walk: We went out for late lunch because husband and daughter still get to eat and they were hungry. We walked to the restaurant, probably 1/2 mile, and I had to tell them to go ahead because I felt so winded and uncomfortable. After lunch (broth) we went to the drugstore for the Gas-X and then to a toy store for the two 6-year old birthdays coming up. By the time I got home I was really quite sweaty - from the constant pressure and pain. So, I called my sister in Norfolk to find out if she'd had a similar experience with her band. I forgot about the storm until she answered so I pretended that was why I called. They had 4 feet of flooding and no electricity or land line for 2 days now. Luckily, they have a generator so they can keep the mobile phones charged and, like so many houses right by the bay, theirs is on stilts. Brushing aside all their worldly possessions that were in jeopardy, my sister confirmed that my symptoms were the same she had when her band was too tight! Her suggestions was stick to cold fluids to get some of the swelling down and, if I am really hungry, try some fat free frozen yogurt. I've been sipping ice water as I write this and it does seem to help somewhat. Lord knows I'm not going to attempt to eat anything solid again today but amazingly enough, I do feel a little peckish. I suspected that my band was too tight (3cc fill upon insertion) yesterday and talking to my sister has sort of confirmed that. I suppose I'll need to stick to liquids until I can talk to the doctor on Monday. Dammit! I really wanted that oatmeal with mashed banana that's on the menu for tomorrow.

I haven't had a fill. Just got my band on Monday, 11/9 and my doctor put in 3ccs. Since last night I've been having ice water and took a pain killer and am no longer in pain. I can still feel the band though. I am afraid to eat at all. Good luck with your fill. I'm sure they will do small increments so you won't have this problem.

CURRENT MOOD: Cranky :thumbup: Some days just getting out a bed ends up being a bad idea. That was today. I felt a little tightness in my chest last night before bed and upon waking this morning but was going full steam ahead with the plan as prescribed by my doctor. 1/2 cup of coffee, 2 chewable vitamins later the 4 oz of oatmeal with skim milk seemed like a real treat. But nooooooooo. Even though I added plenty of milk to thin it, chewed every rolled oat and took almost 20 minutes to eat it I ended up with that awful pain in my chest again and, it didn't go away. I had it all day, from 10:30 this morning. I tried Gas-X, a warm drink, water, hot broth, a decent walk (in the pouring rain!) and nothing seemed to make it much better. The walk: We went out for late lunch because husband and daughter still get to eat and they were hungry. We walked to the restaurant, probably 1/2 mile, and I had to tell them to go ahead because I felt so winded and uncomfortable. After lunch (broth) we went to the drugstore for the Gas-X and then to a toy store for the two 6-year old birthdays coming up. By the time I got home I was really quite sweaty - from the constant pressure and pain. So, I called my sister in Norfolk to find out if she'd had a similar experience with her band. I forgot about the storm until she answered so I pretended that was why I called. They had 4 feet of flooding and no electricity or land line for 2 days now. Luckily, they have a generator so they can keep the mobile phones charged and, like so many houses right by the bay, theirs is on stilts. Brushing aside all their worldly possessions that were in jeopardy, my sister confirmed that my symptoms were the same she had when her band was too tight! Her suggestions was stick to cold fluids to get some of the swelling down and, if I am really hungry, try some fat free frozen yogurt. I've been sipping ice water as I write this and it does seem to help somewhat. Lord knows I'm not going to attempt to eat anything solid again today but amazingly enough, I do feel a little peckish. I suspected that my band was too tight (3cc fill upon insertion) yesterday and talking to my sister has sort of confirmed that. I suppose I'll need to stick to liquids until I can talk to the doctor on Monday. Dammit! I really wanted that oatmeal with mashed banana that's on the menu for tomorrow.

Current Mood: Good:thumbup: Well, as much as I enjoyed the cauliflower yesterday, I paid for it dearly. A couple of hours after I ate it and several sips into my protein shake I was struck with debilitating gas pains. I have heard others compare this type of gas pain to labor with labor coming out on top.... they are right! Oh how I wished I could burp, or vomit or anything but no.... Instead I went on line and quickly realized that chemical intervention was required and it was going to have to be something OTC...Maalox to be exact (Gas X was actually recommended by name repeatedly but my corner store didn't have any)! With the aid of Simethicone, the gas storm subsided somewhat though I still had pain. I did not eat dinner. In fact, I took a Percocet, sipped some water to help the Maalox through and went to bed. Lying down helped. This morning it was all gone and I proceeded with caution. Greek yogurt and, dare I try it, 1/4 cup of unsweetened apple sauce. Well, the gas kicked in but not nearly as harshly as yesterday. This time I took a spoonful of Maalox and headed out of the house for a walk. It didn't seem to dislodge the gas so I decided to try warm liquid - decaf, about 3 ounces. I sipped it while I got a pedicure. Well at least that turned out well. The gas was still there but not as bad by the time I walked home. I decided to try for lunch because I actually heard grumbling and felt a bit hungry. Mmmmmm, 2 eggs in 1 cup of fat free chicken broth did the trick (ate about half). Not only was it mouth satisfying, but the pains went away too after a few much appreciated burps. Since lunch...um, let's just say if there were a dog around, it would be getting blamed for the noises coming out of whatever room I am in. Wow! That cauliflower is finally making itself heard and it's not pleasant but boy does it feel good. To paraphrase a famous quote, "A fart by any other name would still smell as ...." Well, you get the point.

Current Mood: Good:thumbup: Well, as much as I enjoyed the cauliflower yesterday, I paid for it dearly. A couple of hours after I ate it and several sips into my protein shake I was struck with debilitating gas pains. I have heard others compare this type of gas pain to labor with labor coming out on top.... they are right! Oh how I wished I could burp, or vomit or anything but no.... Instead I went on line and quickly realized that chemical intervention was required and it was going to have to be something OTC...Maalox to be exact (Gas X was actually recommended by name repeatedly but my corner store didn't have any)! With the aid of Simethicone, the gas storm subsided somewhat though I still had pain. I did not eat dinner. In fact, I took a Percocet, sipped some water to help the Maalox through and went to bed. Lying down helped. This morning it was all gone and I proceeded with caution. Greek yogurt and, dare I try it, 1/4 cup of unsweetened apple sauce. Well, the gas kicked in but not nearly as harshly as yesterday. This time I took a spoonful of Maalox and headed out of the house for a walk. It didn't seem to dislodge the gas so I decided to try warm liquid - decaf, about 3 ounces. I sipped it while I got a pedicure. Well at least that turned out well. The gas was still there but not as bad by the time I walked home. I decided to try for lunch because I actually heard grumbling and felt a bit hungry. Mmmmmm, 2 eggs in 1 cup of fat free chicken broth did the trick (ate about half). Not only was it mouth satisfying, but the pains went away too after a few much appreciated burps. Since lunch...um, let's just say if there were a dog around, it would be getting blamed for the noises coming out of whatever room I am in. Wow! That cauliflower is finally making itself heard and it's not pleasant but boy does it feel good. To paraphrase a famous quote, "A fart by any other name would still smell as ...." Well, you get the point.

I had my surgery on the 9th too. I have never told anyone what I weigh, with the exception of my doctors and only when they really needed to know. Here goes: Height: 5'10" Consultation Weight: 385 Pre-Op Weight: 374.4 Current Weight: 365.7 Goal weight: 220

CURRENT MOOD: Surprised :mad2: After yesterday's fiasco with too much coffee, I poured myself half a cup this morning and took it so slowly that I couldn't finish the last couple mouthfuls because it was so cold. The good news is....no pain! Today is my first "mushy" day and it was so good to have something with texture finally. Breakfast was 1 cup of skim milk, 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder and 1/4 cup of strawberries thrown in the food processor with a couple of ice cubes. It was surprisingly good but I couldn't finish it. I took a nap through lunch time but walked to the store to get some fresh cauliflower. What? Cauliflower. I usually hate it but I looked up a few recipes and thought I might as well try it. Again, SURPRISE! Mashed cauliflower with some margarine, a bit of chicken stock, a splash of milk, salt & pepper and then chopped up .75 ounces of smoked Gouda and threw it in the microwave to heat through and melt the cheese. Oh my it was good. I guess I'm excited about food since I hadn't had anything solid since 11/7. Of course, the house stinks of cauliflower Fill, really? My surgeon filled my band with 3ccs when he put it in on Monday. I've been reading a lot of blogs and it seems like most people start with an empty band. So, Surprise #3, I've already got restriction. All in, a good day. Three more days at home and then back to work - that will be a challenge.

CURRENT MOOD: Surprised :confused: After yesterday's fiasco with too much coffee, I poured myself half a cup this morning and took it so slowly that I couldn't finish the last couple mouthfuls because it was so cold. The good news is....no pain! Today is my first "mushy" day and it was so good to have something with texture finally. Breakfast was 1 cup of skim milk, 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder and 1/4 cup of strawberries thrown in the food processor with a couple of ice cubes. It was surprisingly good but I couldn't finish it. I took a nap through lunch time but walked to the store to get some fresh cauliflower. What? Cauliflower. I usually hate it but I looked up a few recipes and thought I might as well try it. Again, SURPRISE! Mashed cauliflower with some margarine, a bit of chicken stock, a splash of milk, salt & pepper and then chopped up .75 ounces of smoked Gouda and threw it in the microwave to heat through and melt the cheese. Oh my it was good. I guess I'm excited about food since I hadn't had anything solid since 11/7. Of course, the house stinks of cauliflower Fill, really? My surgeon filled my band with 3ccs when he put it in on Monday. I've been reading a lot of blogs and it seems like most people start with an empty band. So, Surprise #3, I've already got restriction. All in, a good day. Three more days at home and then back to work - that will be a challenge.

I just did two days of full liquid and the instructions I got from my surgeon/nutritionist are exactly what Band_Groupie notes above plus fat free greek yogurt. I had a really hard time getting all the liquid in though - 10 minutes for 2 ounces seems to work. Otherwise, I had a lot of pain when I drank too much at once. I had my surgery on Monday and moved on to mushy food today.

CURRENT MOOD: :confused: My neck is feeling better after getting some percocet last night. I still have no idea what they did to it - maybe some vigorous adjustments when they put in the breathing tube? I did something wrong today. I'm not sure exactly what it was but probably coffee and vitamins at the same time. I took my time drinking the coffee and had only chewable bariatric vitamins...didn't matter. I got pain like really bad indigestion and it lasted and lasted. Finally after a couple of hours I decided to try a little yogurt and that seems to have worked to cut the acid. I've just come back from a walk and think it may be the cure for gas. Had the best burp while out walking and felt instant relief. But, maybe I didn't take the surgery thing seriously enough - got a bit winded and sweaty and now feel more tired than I should from only walking a mile slowly. Hoping tomorrow will be better when I get to start the day with some food. It would be nice to poop again some day too.

CURRENT MOOD: :confused: My neck is feeling better after getting some percocet last night. I still have no idea what they did to it - maybe some vigorous adjustments when they put in the breathing tube? I did something wrong today. I'm not sure exactly what it was but probably coffee and vitamins at the same time. I took my time drinking the coffee and had only chewable bariatric vitamins...didn't matter. I got pain like really bad indigestion and it lasted and lasted. Finally after a couple of hours I decided to try a little yogurt and that seems to have worked to cut the acid. I've just come back from a walk and think it may be the cure for gas. Had the best burp while out walking and felt instant relief. But, maybe I didn't take the surgery thing seriously enough - got a bit winded and sweaty and now feel more tired than I should from only walking a mile slowly. Hoping tomorrow will be better when I get to start the day with some food. It would be nice to poop again some day too.

MOOD: Very positive:smile2: I had LAP-BAND® surgery yesterday, 11/9/09 at Lenox Hill Hospital. I weighed in about 11 lbs less than at my last doctor visit before surgery so I felt good about that. Surgery went smoothly - Dr. Roslin said it took 11 minutes - and I was in recovery before I knew it. The nurses were really great. Cute anesthesiologist too. Dr. Roslin told me he filled my band with 3ccs already. I walked out of the hospital with no problems early in the afternoon. So, what about pain? The pain yesterday was all related to the CO2 used to inflate the abdominal cavity. It felt like someone was pushing my lungs or standing on my chest. After a couple of percocets, it mostly went away. I did not get the shoulder pain that is common with laproscopic surgery and they used a local on the incision sites so nothing there beyond a twinge when the dressing pulled. Today, however, I've got muscle pain in my abdomen, diaphragm and neck and a sore throat and mouth, probably from the breathing tube. I am trying to get by with Aleve but if it doesn't subside I may go fill the percocet prescription. I just ate my first "solid" food since Sunday morning - 2 days ago. I had about 2.5 ounces of fat free greek yogurt with 1/2 packet of Equal mixed in. I served it in a children's bowl and ate it with a small coffee spoon, like the kind you get with espresso. It only took me 10 minutes to eat it and I was trying to go slowly. No pain yet so I guess I did it right. The temptation to drink something while eating is very strong. I think this might be the hardest thing for me when eating, especially since my throat is sore. We'll see. So, day one done. Day two off to a good start. I've got fat free cream of chicken soup lined up for lunch and dinner but I'm just not hungry enough to think about it right now. I'm sure it will be good though. And, my first protein shake is chilling now.