2 Weeks Post-op

The last week has gone OK.  Physically, I feel like I am completely back to normal.  I have no pain or discomfort whatsoever and my incisions are doing nicely and are just about healed.  I am able to eat increasingly more  at a time and do feel hungry between meals now.  I wasn't expecting to feel this way for a couple more weeks out.  I don't feel a whole lot of restriction; however, I still cannot eat much meat.  I lost 3 pounds last week, which is 23 overall, but the weight loss is not as rapid as I had anticipated.  I am tracking my food intake on a website called Spark People so that I can monitor the amount of calories, protein, carbohydrates, and fat I am taking in.  I have used this website before when dieting, and it really is useful to see exactly what you are eating.  For me it helps to see it in writing, all broken down throughout the day.  I am still drinking some protein shakes and trying to eat a high protein - low carb diet.  It's not that easy when the protein options are a little limited right now and mashed potatoes go down really easy.  I had way too much cheese last week and ended up needing laxatives this weekend.  So, I'm focusing more on having tuna, eggs, and cottage cheese for my protein and laying off the cheese now.  And I know that exercise is going to be the key to losing more weight as well as watching what I eat.  Today I start walking! Even if it's just a short distance at first. :)

One Week Post-op

Last night and tonight I have been able to eat some soft foods without any trouble.  I am glad that I can finally have something that tastes good and that I can chew!  Yesterday I had about 1/2 cup of mashed potatoes with gravy and some Banquet turkey chopped up into tiny tiny pieces.  Had no trouble getting that down.  Tonight I had a very small baked potato, just a little bit bigger than the size of a large egg, and a little bit of cheese.  Later I had 2 scrambled eggs.  The eggs were about the best thing I have tasted in a while!  Everything is going down pretty easy.  The potato was probably the most difficult, but it didn't hurt or make me feel sick.  It just kind of felt stuck for a little bit.  I hope it doesn't keep getting a lot easier, though.  I certainly want to keep losing weight and it's a long time until I get a fill.

I will only be updating every week now for awhile, as I don't think there's going to be a lot to say daily.  So, see you next week! :)

6th Day Post-op - Dr. Follow up

I had my follow up appointment at Dr. Rohrscheib's office.  I am happy to say that my scales at home do not match the doctor's scales.  According to their scales I have lost a total of 20 pounds since beginning this journey (beginning being the first consultation).  I lost 5 pounds before my pre-op visit on May 2nd and have lost 15 since then.  I am so happy about that!  I met with the dietitian again to go over what I can and can't have.  She said I can go ahead and start some pureed / soft foods.  So, I can start having things like applesauce, mashed bananas, cottage cheese, scrambled eggs, and tuna now.  She does want me to keep drinking 2 shakes a day and have one "food" meal of which 1/2 needs to be protein.  One example she gave was 1/4 cup of cottage cheese and 1/4 cup of green beans for dinner.  Anything that can be easily mashed with a fork doesn't actually have to be blended and she said meats like chicken, beef, and pork shouldn't really be tried just yet.  I also need to be taking a daily multivitamin with iron and a calcium supplement.  The nurse looked at my incisions and said they look really good and I can start pulling the steri-strips off tomorrow if I want to.  Great visit!

5th Day Post-op

Well, today has been a good day.  I am feeling good and almost "back to normal."  I've been off work since having the surgery and am ready to go back tomorrow.  I have lost 16 pounds all together so far since beginning everything.  Not 16 pounds since surgery, 16 since initially seeing Dr. Rohrscheib at the very beginning.  I am happy with the progress I'm making but am still a little disappointed that the 2 week pre-op diet didn't yield more results, but if my scales are right I've lost 6 pounds since Tuesday.  That is impressive!  I don't feel hungry ever.  But I am a little tired of shakes and soups.  My daughter made a frozen pizza for lunch today and I really wanted to eat a piece!  It looked and smelled so good!  But it's still going to be a little while before I can have anything like that.  I have a little over a week left of just liquids and then 2 weeks of eating blended foods (the consistency of baby food.)  Compared to what I've already accomplished, this shouldn't be that hard.  But it's weird how appealing even pureed food sounds right now.

4th Day Post-op

Today I feel really good.  The soreness is way less than it has been and I was able to sleep well last night.  I can even lay on both sides now without any pain at all.  I just have to be careful when I roll around, because then I feel a little pulling, but not too bad.  I am going to get some housework done today and maybe go for a walk later.  I have some energy, don't feel sick, and am not in any pain and have very little discomfort.  I do have to work on getting more liquids in, because yesterday I did not do so well with that.  But everything is going great so far.  I am so happy I had this done!

3rd day post-op

Today has been a pretty quiet day.  I have had a little trouble sleeping at night, which makes me tired during the day.  Today I took a pretty long afternoon nap.  Boy, did that feel good!  The bandages came off today, but the steri strips are still on.  The nurse told me to let those come off on their own and not to pull them off.  The incisions look pretty good.  They still look a little bloody under the steri strips, but clean and there isn't any discharge.  I have 4 small incisions that are about an inch to an inch and a half long and one larger one that is about 3 inches.  The 3 inch incision is where the port is and is where I have most of my discomfort still.  Overall I fell really good, though.  I just have to be a little careful how I lay in bed and getting up is still a little bit sore.  Almost all of the soreness is around where the port is now and the rest of my abodomin feels fine.  I'm not having as much gas today, which also feels better.  I do, however feel a little sickish.  I haven't had the desire to eat or drink at all today.  I know I need to get some fluids in so I'm going to work on that.  Overall recovery is going well!

2nd Day Post-op

Well, today is my second day after surgery!  And I know each day is going to be a little better than the last one.  Last night was a pretty rough night.  I wasn't in pain, just really uncomfortable.  I couldn't find a way to lay that felt right and every time I moved it hurt a little bit.  So, I finally got up around midnight and took some of the nasty tasting Lortab Elixer that the doctor prescribed for me just so I could relax and fall asleep.  I was finally able to go to sleep around 2:00.  I think a lot of the discomfort has been gas pains because I am passing a little today and feel better.  Not a lady-like thing to share, but it's the truth!  Ha ha!  Today I get to graduate from water and Popsicles to having the shakes again and some cream soups, yogurt, without fruit, and thicker liquids.  And today is my birthday, so I'm going to try some ice cream tonight to celebrate!  My daughters are going to get a Dairy Queen ice cream cake tonight and I'm just going to have a little of the plain ice cream off the top (no crumbles).  My oldest daughter has been an amazing help to me!  She has been cooking for the rest of the family and doing laundry.  And both of my girls brought me beautiful cards this morning before I was even out of bed!  I am so blessed!  I have a lot of support from my family and friends who have kept tabs on me, too!  Yes, I am a very blessed lady indeed!

Day After Surgery

Well, I've made it to the other side!  Surgery went well.  Apparently I gave them a hard time waking up out of the anesthesia.  I guess I told them I was leaving and kept trying to get up.  Of course I don't remember any of that and my mom and daughters weren't in the room to witness it. LOL!  I was in some pain right afterward, but the medicine they gave me worked quickly and I haven't had any real pain since then.  I have a prescription for Lortab Elixir but have not needed to take any yet.  I have to say my nurse, Julie was amazing!  She was so kind and so helpful and even gave me a hug when I was getting in the car.  When I got home I was incredibly nauseous, so I laid down and fell asleep for a couple of hours.  My daughters were great, letting me sleep and offering to bring me drinks.  I felt pretty good, just sore when I woke up and tried drinking some water and then had a little chicken broth.  Apparently I drank too much (about 1 cup), because I actually got a little sick.  So, today I'm just having sips of water and Popsicles.  My orders are to get 80 oz. of fluid today, so I'm just going to have small amounts at a time.  I am not hungry whatsoever today.  Even the little bit of water I've had this morning has made me feel full.  I know that will change over the next couple of weeks, but after being so hungry getting ready for surgery it feels strange to not want any food at all.  I'm still a little sore mostly where the port is, but it just feels like I've done a lot of sit-ups or something.  So, over all, I think this is a good after surgery morning !  My goal today is to get my liquids in - slowly - and move around as much as possible.  So far, so good!

Surgery Day!

Today is the first day of the rest of my life!  Kind of a trite quote, but with oh so much meaning for me today!  Surgery day is finally here.  I still can't quite believe it!  I have to be at the surgery center at 11:30 in Champaign, IL.  I am now a little nervous about the surgery.  But, I have all of the confidence in the world in my surgeon, Dr. Sidney Rohrscheib.  He is one of most experienced band surgeons in Illinois.  He has done over 1200 gastric band surgeries and I have no doubt he will do an excellent job with mine. 

Well, it's time to get ready to go, so I'm off to see the wizard!  :)

Pre-op Day 15

Last day before surgery!  I am excited!  I am not nervous about the surgery, just a little worried about how I will behave coming out of the anesthesia.  I have never had surgery of any kind or been under general anesthesia before, and I've heard that some people act strangely and I'm hoping I won't be one of those people.  Everyone says not to worry about it and that even if I do act foolish I won't remember it anyway.  I just hope I don't start mouthing off to the nurses or cussing or anything like that.  That would be embarrassing!  But, even if I do, I'm sure I won't be the first or the last person they've seen act strangely.  Anyway, last day of waiting!!  Knowing that the majority of weight I lose from here on out will be permanent is still a bit surreal to me.  There have been so many times I have lost weight and said to myself, "I will never let myself go over _____ pounds again", but obviously that never worked for me.  Now it will, and I think it will take a little while for me to really grasp that.  But I am so ready to get started!

Pre-op Day 14

Happy Mother's Day!  Today has started on good note.  I weighed myself again (I see the obsessive weighing starting now that I have working scales).  Today I weigh 5 pounds less than the scales said yesterday, which makes it a 10 pound total.  That seems more reasonable!  Maybe I have been retaining water since I am just starting with my monthly visitor.  (Ladies who are reading this, I'm sure you know what that means!)  So, I feel a lot less discouraged than I have the past 2 days.  I just have today and tomorrow to get through and then I have my surgery.  Tuesday will be here before I know it!

Pre-op Day 13

Today has been pretty uneventful.  Staying on my diet, but still really bummed about not losing very much weight.  I just keep telling myself that the purpose of the diet is to shrink the liver and if what shrinks it is the low carb / calorie combination, then it should be shrinking like its supposed to.  I guess I'll find out in a few days.  Just have tomorrow and Monday to get through and then surgery day is finally here!  Still can't believe this goal I have striven for for 7 years if finally about to be realized. :)

Shakes

So far I have tried regular Slim Fast (which has too many carbs and not enough protein) in vanilla, strawberry, chocolate and cappuccino flavors, Adkins Advantage vanilla and strawberry, and Muscle Milk vanilla cream.  The Adkins shakes are not my favorite at all.  They don't taste all that great and leave a strange metallic after taste in my mouth.  They also don't stay with me very long.  I'm still hungry after drinking one of those shakes.  The Slim Fast taste really good and fill me up, but they aren't the best shakes to have if you're trying to stay on a high protein / low carb diet.  The Muscle Milk tastes great and is filling!  I have only tried the vanilla cream so far, but it is by far my favorite.  It also has the most protein with 20 grams per serving.  I wish I would have tried those sooner.  They are a little more expensive than the others, but worth it.  They have 170 calories and 7 carbs.  I also bought EAS high protein shakes (17 grams per serving) in strawberry and chocolate, but I haven't tried those yet.  After drinking the first Muscle Milk, I wish I had bought nothing but those! :)  If anyone else is reading this who might be preparing for surgery or is on a high protein / low carb diet, I highly recommend the Muscle Milk!

Pre-op Day 12

Just a few more days and I will be having surgery.  I have been feeling really good about how I have stayed on my diet so far.  But, I went ahead and bought some new scales today and weighed when I got home.  I was really, really disappointed with the number that popped up.  I really haven't lost much at all so far.  I am a little discouraged because I don't understand how being on this diet for 12 days hasn't produced some noticeable results!  I know before starting this I was eating WAY more than 800 - 1000 calories per day and tons of carbs.  I have not been exercising, but I honestly thought that just the reduction in food would have had more effect.  Wow.  I'm a little sad about this, but, I'm going to keep following the guidelines I was given and hope that at least my liver is shrinking some like its supposed to.  Surely something good has to come out of these last several days!  If I had just been dieting like this without the surgery being the first goal, I would be ready to just give up.  But, surgery is the first goal and I want it to go as smoothly as possible.

Pre-op Day 11

Today is the 11th day of the preoperative diet.  I have almost made it through 11 days!  11!  Wow!  Yeah Me!  Ha ha!  I went off and forgot my shake that I typically have for lunch this morning.  So, I'm just having coffee, water, and just one Diet Mountain Dew.  I hope me liking this soda goes away because I can't have anything carbonated after the surgery for awhile.  Normally this would not be a problem as I am not that big of a soda pop drinker anyway.  Maybe it just feels like a treat right now.  Anyway, even though I forgot the shake I'm still doing OK with hunger.  My stomach isn't even growling today like it has during the afternoons recently.  I'm sure I will be ready for a shake by the time I get home, though.  And I foresee lots of Jello this evening after dinner.  I'm planning on having a bowl of soup beans in place of the Lean Cuisine tonight.  I'm still having trouble reaching my goal for protein intake and great northern beans have 209 calories and 15 grams of protein per cup, so I'm having a cup of beans tonight.  Sounds so good!  OK, I'm making myself hungry just thinking about it now. 

Another day almost done and another day closer to surgery!  I'm getting excited!

Pre-op Day 10

Today was a very good day.  Had my usual 2 shakes, a Lean Cuisine Chicken Chow Mien dinner for supper, and 2 hard boiled eggs for a snack, and of course my morning coffee and plenty of water.  I did also have 1 can of Diet Mountain Dew, which is the only soda pop I've drank since starting this.  It's time for bed and I still feel full!  Maybe my body is finally getting used to having less food.  I even put out cookies and cupcakes for the students at work today and didn't feel all that tempted by them.  I got a little frosting on my finger, but instead of licking it off I used a napkin and wiped it away.

The only thing I find discouraging so far is that I am not seeing a difference in my body yet.  My clothes don't fit any looser and I don't feel like I'm losing any weight.  My scales need a new battery, so that is something that is going to be fixed very soon.  I just need some confirmation that all of this is making a difference.  To be able to see even a few pounds gone would really be encouraging.  So, a new battery is of top priority now.  I wasn't all that worried about replacing it before because, quite frankly, I had no desire to step on those scales.  But I think it is certainly a must now.  One good thing, though, is I haven't had the opportunity to weigh myself repeatedly, which can be discouraging from past dieting experiences.  But I am going to keep plugging along!  Surgery day is getting closer and closer!  :)

Pre-op Day 9

One week from today is surgery day!  Can't believe its almost here!  So far today is going good.  Last night went well, too.  Just a few more days to go and this part will be over with.  I know it's not all going to be fun and games after the band is on, but at least there will be some restriction there and I won't feel so hungry all the time.  At least I hope not!  Ha! 

So, this week at work (I work at a college), we are having student appreciation days.  We are feeding the students lots of yummy treats.  Today they got donuts and bananas in the morning, chicken strips, BBQ chicken, and popcorn chicken, and chips at noon, and we'll be putting out some cookies or cupcakes soon.  How tempting all these goodies have been, but I have resisted!  Actually, it hasn't been that bad.  Only the chicken looked and smelled really, really good. 

At home my youngest daughter has decided the Jello I've been eating in the evenings looks pretty darn good, so we made some sugar free lime Jello for me and some regular strawberry Jello for her to have for desert tonight.  When I buy more I'm just getting all sugar free for everyone.  It's kind of nice seeing my kids wanting healthier stuff now without realizing that it's healthier.  Hopefully that will be a good trend coming out of this as well as my own personal successes.

Pre-op Days 6, 7, and 8

What a weekend!  I had a lot going on and not all of it was good.  However, my diet went pretty well.  Friday night was the toughest time I have had since starting this.  I was just really hungry all day and the evening was horrible.  I got through it, but really was not expecting such a difficult time on my 5th day.  Days 6 and 7 (Saturday and Sunday) went really well as far as the diet goes.  I had a lot of personal stress going on all weekend, so I wasn't hungry at all until last night before bed.  But, I hadn't drank one of my shakes, so no surprise that I was hungry!  I went ahead and drank one so that I would feel full and could go to bed.  I didn't sleep well and woke up feeling bloated, tired and grouchy (but not hungry so far today).  On top of the stress I've had over the last few days I think PMS is kicking in pretty hard right now.  Can't be great for the diet but hey, that's life! Ha ha!  So, I've got some stuff going on at home that hasn't been pleasant, I have PMS, and I'm starving.  Look out kids!!  This could be a rough week! Ahhh! ;)

Pre-op Day 5

Today has been a stressful day just because I'm trying to make sure my daughter has everything she needs for her senior prom tomorrow.  Thankfully, my job does not add any stress and my wonderful boss even makes life easier for me!  I am very blessed to have supportive people in my life who help make this journey easier for me.  My diet is going quite well.  I added a couple of sticks of string cheese to what I ate yesterday, which according to the sample diet, I am allowed to have.  I also had some sugar free Jello in the evening after dinner.  It's funny how absolutely delicious Jello tastes right now!  I still have moments where I feel like I'm completely starving, but if I just wait awhile or drink some water or Crystal Lite, it goes away.  I have started drinking some Ocean Spray powders in my water, too.  They are yummy!  I don't know if it's just my mind tricking me or what, but they almost seem thicker than just plain water, too.  I'm also keeping a spreadsheet of everything I take in to make sure I don't go over the requirements the dietitian gave me.  As of today I'm doing great!  5 days almost done!  :)

Pre-op Day 4

Well, today so far has been pretty uneventful.  Good day at work.  Good day with the diet.  I have decided not to add any morning snacks as suggested in the sample menu.  I'm too afraid that eating a little bit for a snack will just make me hungry all day.  Plus, I'm doing well with what I'm already doing.  So, if it ain't broke don't fix it, right?  I do really need to start adding more exercise in, though.  Adding more as in - um, more than none!  That will be my next hurdle.  But, I'm sure that I will feel more like exercising as some of the weight starts to come off.  So, for now everything is going good. Steady as she goes!

Shrinking the Liver

I asked the nurse what it is about the diet that is supposed to shrink your liver, since that is what the purpose of the diet is supposed to be.  She said that the liver stores fat and sugars and your body uses what is stored there first.  So, the combination of the low calories and low carbs helps the liver to shrink because it uses up what is stored there first when you aren't taking in what your body needs for energy.  I also commented on how amazing it is that in 2 weeks that much could change in the size of the liver.  She said, "Oh, you would be surprised!  It really makes a difference."  So, just thought I would share that in case anyone else was wondering.

Dr. Visit - Pre-op

I had my pre-operative doctor's office visit today where I had a physical, met with the dietitian, and got instruction from the nurse.  Everything went great!  I was very happy to learn that I can actually have more food than what I have had the last 2 days.  Here is the sample diet I was given:

Daily:  70-80 grams carbohydrates, 70-90 grams protein, 800-1000 calories

Breakfast:  10-15 grams carbohydrates <200 calories
Low carb protein shake

Morning Snack:  10-15 grams carbohydrates <100 calories
6oz glass of tomato juice/V8 or 6oz light Vitamin C rich juice OR
1 C carrots or other raw veggies OR
1/2 C fruit OR
small piece of fruit OR
Special K bar OR
Stick of cheese

Lunch:  10-15 grams carbohydrates <200 calories
Low carb protein shake

Dinner:  20-25 grams carbohydrates, 300-350 calories
Frozen meal (Lean Cuisine, Smart One, or South Beach) OR
3-4 oz lean meat w/ vegetables and 1/2 C starch (peas, corn, potatoes, rice, pasta)

Snack:  10-15 grams carbohydrates, up to 200 calories
Low carb protein shake OR
6 oz of light/no added sugar yogurt and 1 oz mixed nuts OR
3 C unbuttered or light popcorn
1 oz cheese and a small piece of fruit

So, WOW! That seems like a lot compared to what I have been doing!

I also had my pre-op lab work done, a chest x-ray, and an EKG done today.  Everything's set now.  I have to be at the surgery center at 9:30 AM on Tuesday, May 15th.  No other visits or anything until then.  Woo Hoo!

Pre-op Day 3

So far everything is going really well.  Yesterday was easier than Monday was, and I hope that continues.  I pretty much did the same thing as the first day, except I ate my Lean Cuisine later in the evening and drank my second Slim Fast shake a little later when I got home.  That seemed to take care of the cravings and hunger I had the night before.  The Lean Cuisine dinners I have bought range in calories from around 200 to almost 300.  The first night I had Stuffed Cabbage with Whipped Potatoes that only had 210 calories.  So, on Monday my total caloric intake was a little under 600 (the Slim Fast shakes have 180 each).  That is not much!  Last night I had Spaghetti with Meat Sauce at 300 calories and I think it was a little more substantial.  I felt really full after eating and was fine the rest of the night.  Right now I'm averaging about 102 - 110 ounces of fluid a day, which seems like a lot to me.  I have my pre-op visit at my surgeon, Dr. Rohrscheib's, office at the Illinois Bariatric Center today.  I will have another physical and meet with the dietitian.  I should know if what I'm doing so far is right and more specifics on what I can and cannot have, too.  I haven't weighed myself, so I will be glad to get weighed today and have an official starting weight.  Although, with the way the bathroom calls all night, surely I've had to have lost at least 30 pounds in the last 2 days, right?  Ha! (just kidding!)

Pre-op Day 2

Well, yesterday was not too bad.  All day at work was fine and I wasn't hungry.  I had my coffee in the morning, a couple of bottles of water and one of my Slim Fast shakes.  By the time I got home I was a little bit hungry, but not starving at all.  So, I drank some more water and had my 2nd shake.  So far, so good!  I waited until about 7:00 to have a Lean Cuisine meal for dinner with some more water.  Up until about 8:00 last night I was cruising along with no problems, patting myself on the back and saying, "This isn't going to be as bad as I thought!"  Then it hit!  At about 8:00 I started feeling hungrier than I had all day.  By 8:30 my stomach was growling, so I decided to get my mind on something else and go to bed and watch some TV.  Let me just say that the Food Network is my favorite channel and it is being banned until I have my surgery.  Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives is not the thing to be watching at this point in time!  At 9:00 I got up, looked longingly at the contents of my refrigerator and pantry, and settled for a bottle of water with lemonade Crystal Lite and a cigarette.  (What a combo!)  After that I went to bed and stayed there - until I had to get up 4 times during the night to use the bathroom. :)

So far today has started the same as yesterday.  Not hungry and doing great.  We'll see how tonight goes, though, because that's obviously going to be my weak area.