Post Op Day 2

When I was discharged from the surgery center yesterday at the 24 hour mark after my surgery I was miserable. I had felt like I had been hit by a bus. The thought of moving or doing pretty much anything made me want to cry.

Today it is almost like I haven't even had surgery. I am a bit tight and the gas pains are getting to me a bit, but I am surviving. I have been able to go without the Loratab for most of the day. I didn't have to take it this evening but I just want to make sure that I can sleep. Sleep is important....

I did learn one...slightly painful...lesson today. I was sitting at my desk enjoying the fact that I have been able to eat something other than broth (I was eating chocolate pudding) and I took a large gulp of my nice cold milk. I knew as soon as I had done it that I was going to regret it. It was a very weird sensation...Since I had my surgery I have been able to feel every drop of anything that I have eaten or drank...anyways...I took a large drink of my milk and immediately had to run to the bathroom. I would feel it trying to come back up...The pain that followed as I tried to keep from throwing up was something i had never felt before.

Luckily nothing hurt when I was finished...The surgeon says that I need to give my stomach 4-6 weeks to fully recover. In that time I need to avoid "stuck" episodes. This was a little bit of a scare but I am fine and I am going to try and avoid it in the future!

Well it is official...

I officially became the Banded Pumpkin as of 7:45am on December 27th, 2012. The surgery only took 45 minutes and everything went GREAT!

I was discharged from the surgical center and allowed to come home today. It is a bit of an understatement to say that I am glad to be home. I missed my kiddos more then I thought i would!

The pain isn't as bad as it could be but then again I am making sure that i am staying up on the meds I was given. The gas pains hurt more then I remember from my last abdominal surgery but those I shall also survive.

I am looking forward to tomorrow. I get to eat real food, granted it still has to be in liquid form. Since I am no longer trying to shrink my liver then I get yogurt and soup and pudding!

Last day of being not banded...

Well tomorrow is the day. It seems like this has been so long in the making but I have to admit how relieved I am that the day is finally here...I am not as hungry as I thought I would be seeing as how it has been seven days since I had more than a protein shake or tomato soup to eat. The bonus to that is that I go into surgery 13 pounds lighter then I started on December 20th!

The one part I am REALLY not looking forward to is leaving my kids for two days....I know they will be fine I just know that I will miss them!

Well we shall see you on the other side of all of this!

Day four of pre-op diet and first Christmas celebration

Yesterday and today were by far the easiest days of this entire ordeal. I woke up both days almost jonsing for my protein shakes. Being around everyone with their food was painless, in fact most of it looked less then appealing...It was a HUGE improvement over the desire to lick the crumbs off of strangers plates on day 2.

Today was the "Brown Family Christmas Party"...It wasn't quite the celebration it typically is. For whatever reason that last few years illness has been attacking the small children and spreading to the adults. This year has been no different. My poor sister in law is the only one of her clan of five still standing. So needless to say they were missing...We were also missing two other sets of cousins and their kids.

Despite the missing family members the party was still fun...I look forward to Christmas Eve!

Pre-op Diet day two

So in some ways today was both easier and harder then yesterday.

First I found that I wasn't as physically hungry today as I was yesterday. It was easier to stick to the approved high protein liquid diet that I was assigned...for the most part.

The second thing I noticed was that my "Head Hunger" was so much worse then I have EVER experienced before in my life! I t is completely irrational and I while I know that...It is hard to keep the thoughts and cravings at bay!

Anyways, on to day three...I wonder what it will bring!

Pre-op diet day one

waking up this morning I was worried that I was going to be hungry. The morning started as normal...I ate (drank) my breakfast even though I wasn't hungry (I so rarely am)...Next I was amazed when my 90 minute timer went off announcing the need to consume another shake.

It wasn't until around 5:30pm I began struggling with the lack of satisfaction from actually eating...the satisfaction from actually chewing and consuming your calories. With that I broke down and had some sliced bell pepper...literally just a sliced yellow bell pepper...no sauce or dip. I have to admit that I feel a little guilty...regardless of the fact that it is a "vegetable" it is not a liquid and not allowed for the next seven days.

I am going to try and refrain from beating myself up...As it was  pointed out to me by my brother from another mother..."At least it wasn't a Big Mac"

On to day two...and this time....no bell peppers!

3 Days and Counting...

Well as of waking up this morning, I have only three days of a normal diet remaining before I begin my pre-op full liquid diet. I have everything I need lined up so that I can be as prepared as possible for when Thursday comes around.

In the mean time I am trying to make sure that I make good choices. The next three days are NOT a excuse to eat whatever I can and/or want. I am however working though a list of restaurants that I want to get a chance to eat at before I begin the next six weeks of my life!

Wish me luck!

Apprehension about pre-op

I find myself only a few days away from beginning the pre-op "Full Liquid" diet for my lap-band surgery. This concept has me a bit nervous to be perfectly honest.

I am excited to start this new journey in my life, but I just can't shake the fact that this is going to be soo much harder then I think it will. That is not to mean that I think this is going to be easy...but still!

For those of you who don't know the pre-op diet is made up of 1000 calories of low carb low fat protein shakes. I have devised a plan to consume them every hour for the five days that they are all that I get. The only major hard hurdle that I see in my future is Christmas day...Because of my surgery date of December 27th, I get only clear liquids starting Christmas morning. That means I get Jello (which is gross), chicken broth, and special k protein water. I get to sit and watch while my family eats the awesome dinner that I am going to make!

OMG!