I'm Banded! -Post-op Report-

I'm 9 days post-op and overall I'm not feeling too bad! The surgery went well. Dr. Bobby, of Lite Life Surgery, Palms Springs, CA was at the helm. He said there were no problems and he even fixed a small hiatal hernia that I had. That might have contributed to some of my acid problems and pain in the past, so I'm hoping that having it fixed helps in the future. 


My mom took the Greyhound over from Tucson and was there a couple days before and a couple days after my surgery. My boyfriend, James took the day of my surgery off. They were both there helping me out. It was great to have them there even though I felt like crap after surgery and I had no patience for anybody. On top of all that, my first nurse, Egle (she had a German (?) accent), freaked out because I didn't bring my diet instructions with me... you know, the one that only consists of diet of ice chips. I handled myself well in the situation. I think the pain and the drugs helped me to step up to the plate and not take her crap. She was  good nurse, but she had no bedside manner. My favorite nurse was Mercedes, the little Filipino lady who took me on my walks throughout the night. She was great. We had some nice little chats. 


I went home on the full liquids and was happy with that. Clear liquids pre-op suuuuuucked. I've mostly been eating yogurts, soups, and liquid breakfast. Don't tell, but I may have had some mashed potatoes too. I get to start purees tomorrow. Any suggestions for good pureed foods? 


Also, anybody else experience any left shoulder pain? I had some sharp pains in my left shoulder and I read that it's common because of air and some nerve that travels between the diaphragm and the shoulder that gets irritated by the port. It seems like it had subsided a little (knock on wood) so I hope it's gone altogether soon.


Currently, I'm regretting trying to lie on my stomach in bed last night. It didn't hurt, but within about one minute I began to fear how it would end up feeling. So, I turned over and OUCH! Whoops. My little port was not happy and it continued to hurt today. I hope it settles down, because the pain makes me feel a little uneasy.


Any words of advice or any food tips would be great at this point! Also, I'm looking for others who are quite new to the process to share the experience with. Just make yourself known if you're out there!

4 Days Down, 5 to Go: Pre-Op Diet Fun

Starting weight: 250 lbs
3 days into pre-op diet: 243! Whoop whoop! I haven't been this excited about losing 7 pounds since the time I almost got kicked out of Naval Aviation for being too fat (and I was down to 165 then. Oh, how things change...)

So, this pre-op diet thing hasn't been amazing, but it hasn't been miserable either. My surgeon's office supplied all the replacements: Bariatric Advantage banana flavored meal replacement powder and drink shaker, Bariatrix Proti-15 peach mango and lemon drink mixes, Bariatrix Proti-15 cream of chicken soup, and some protein bars that are good but I just don't remember the brand. My prescribed diet is 3 shakes, a bar, and a soup per day, consuming them every 2-1/2 hours or so. Not too crazy to follow, I know, but there hasn't been one day that I followed it exactly. I was a little busy running out to do investigations and missed an afternoon shake or two. Also, I just got bored pretty fast and had to shake things up... llllllliterally. I mixed a peach mango drink mix "sachet" (that's what it's called on the website...fancyyy) and a scoop of the banana powder in my shaker and closed my eyes. Then I opened my eyes to make sure the drink would make contact with the correct part of my face. I closed my eyes again, took a drink, and I was in protein drink paradise...fiiiiguratively. ('cause we all know that place does not exist.) The last few nights I have also had a few egg whites alongside my soups since I'm usually starving by dinner time, and 8oz of hot protein drink with green flecks in a bowl pretending to be cream of chicken soup is hardly satisfying (even though it doesn't taste toooo bad). I knew a few egg whites wouldn't derail me either, since they are a pure protein and oh-so-low in calories. Also, I love eggs... from my head down to my legs... and let me tell you, there is a lot between my head and legs. That just goes to show how much I love eggs (or how much I have loved eggs? You be the judge.)

I'm getting so excited! Losing 7 pounds makes me feel like I've already started out on the journey and my surgery is a week from tomorrow, Friday, the 11th! My mom's visiting from Tucson for the event from Wednesday, the 9th to Sunday, the 13th, and my boyfriend is taking next Friday off to be there for me as well. I'm just happy to know that I will have people there to listen to me whine and cry. I just hope they'll take me out to Pizza Hut on the way home. (Psych!)

I'm also getting just a tad nervous because I really have no idea what to expect when it all comes down to it. I'm educated on paper, but I'm sure this is going to be an experience that will be nothing like I've imagined. Any bloggers out there with any stories or tidbits about the experience of surgery? Any bloggers out there pre-op as well?

Below is a picture from a couple weeks ago up by Big Bear Lake, CA. This will give you an idea of where I'm starting.

Off to watch some stand-up on netflix and read some more blogs...