Soreness?

two things.

a)  I have a sore spot (but only if I move just right) in my abs.. but several inches below any of my incisions.. Is this normal for 2+ weeks out from surgery?

b) OMG I'm up 2ish pounds.  However not too freaked out because 1) first several weeks aren't focused on losing, they're focused on  healing (losing is a bonus!) .. 2) i just started my "soft and moist" foods.  Still only 1/4 to 1/2 cup of easily chewed food.. but more than I was eating and 3) TOM sneaked up on me... sorta.  It was actually right on time IF I were still taking my BC pills.  Usually if I'm off the pill it can take anywhere from 2 weeks to 6 months for TOM to show.  so yay for on time? i guess?

That's bout it for now. Hope everyone is having a great Memorial Day weekend!

<3 Sam

Oh yeah

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2nd day of work, here I am!

Yesterday was my first day back at work. and it went .... like work.  Nothing spectacular.  Didn't get tired, didn't get sore.  So yay! (and boo for not being able to claim "ow" and stay home more) So here I am at work again, and things are fine.  Nothing to report there.  Not a whole lot to report in general.

I DO need to really work on remembering to take my vitamins.  I've sooo been slacking.  I think it's cause the Vitaband ones make me feel like I'm foaming at the mouth as I chew them.  Ah well, such is life.   I'm pretty sure this morning on the train ride in I had something monumental (to me) to share with you all, but it must not have been that important as I haven't a clue what it was now.  :)

I don't know if it's just me, but Blogger is being a butt and not letting me post comments! (either that or when it starts working right VWBug is going to have about 3 of the same comment from me).  But it was about a person at her work (banded at the same time a.k.a. recently) being "hungry" already.  She things it's head hunger, and I totally agree.  As I suppose that's what I had/have.  Although mines not so much hunger, and just craving.  I know that I'm not hungry, I even don't want to physically steal my hubbys greasy burger.  But the idea of greasy burger sounds very very good, especially as I sat there eating my greek yogurt.  But I'm definitely working on my thought processes.  Asking myself "am I really hungry?" and "should you be eating that at all?"  And I know if I can keep that up, I'll be setting myself on a good path for the future. :)

ooo! I remembered my monumental thing!  it was Thank heavens for decaf sugar-free tall cinnamon dolce lattes!!

and with that, it's back to work I go! toodles

<3 Sam

back to work :(

I go back to work today.  boo.  I so need to win the Lotto.  I don't think I'd ever get bored of not working.  ah well.   of course this morning my tummy is kinda ..eh.  I'm hoping it's just cause I was so tired yesterday I didn't get in my 5th meal.   So I'm having my protein shake now, instead of waiting till i get to work as originally planned.   I'm also sure not sleeping well for the last 3 nights or so isn't helping any either. soooooooo tired.

But I should go now, finish getting ready.  toodles

<3 Sam

♪ ♫ What is this feeling?? ♪ ♫

What is this feeling?
Fervid as a flame,
Does it have a name?
Yes! Hunger!
Unadulterated Hunger!


For your food  ♪ ♫


Your fries  ♪ ♫


Your Burger!  ♪ ♫


Let's just say - I want it all
Ev'ry little bite, however small
Makes my very bowels begin to growl
With simple utter hunger  ♪ ♫


 In regards to the song, if you've never seen/listened to the musical Wicked, I highly suggest you do


That's right.  OMG I was actually hungry today. (still am) ... with 3 more days of 2 oz servings of full liquids to go.  This might get tough.  But I can do this.  *nods*


on a side note, spent most of the day out and about.  First was looking at houses and found an OMG PERFECT!!! one (except for the location.. mucho commuting was had by all) ..  get this, it has a jetted tub in the master bath, and a hot tub! SQUEEE.  although more to look at tomorrow.


After houses, we saw the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie.  Liked it very very much.   It was fun, and Johnny Depp and Penelope Cruz make good eye candy.  


But now it's laundry and bed time. TTFN


<3 Sam

totally not band related

Yeah, this is totally not band related, but this is sooo my life:

from http://catversushuman.blogspot.com/

Daaaaaaaaang

Yeah, I'm a little surprised at my weight loss so far.  I mean doing all liquids will do that to a girl, but still.  And I either can't measure consistently or I've lost about an inch or so off my waste! so hooray!  I am however trying not to get too excited.  I'm aware that things can and often do swing back the other way upon the start of "real" food, but I'm going to do my best to stick with the 1/4 to 1/2 cup of food recommendations *crosses fingers*   but that's all for now, just wanted to share my surprise/happy!

(and yes, that picture creeps me out a bit too)

<3 Sam

Something that scared me the other day

A few days ago while I was at my  mom's house recuperating,  a couple of friends of the family came over for dinner (and omg damn my mom for making veal parm).  Anyways, her daughter had had the lap bad procedure done in nov. I think.  anyways,  recently she was very sick (throwing up a lot) that didn't have anything to do with the band.  But it seems she's already slipped her band. 6 months out.  That scares me. I know there's tons of people who have had theirs forever with nary a problem, and I hope to be one of them, but the whole slipping/erosion thing is why I spent so much time pre-surgery flip-flopping between banding and bypass.  I'm sure I'll be fine, and even if  i'm not, what will be, will be.  But damn.

<3 Sam

One, Two, Three, Four, Five...

(Think to the turn of the song in Sesame Street)

Day  5 post op.  Doing well.  Most of the gas is gone.  None of it was ever painful, just darn annoying.  My incisions aren't painful either, just a bit tender when a cat jumps on me, and my abs (such as they are) are starting to not be sore too.   The worst bit now is my hand!  I've always been a difficult stick when getting blood drawn. I pretty much ask for a butterfly needle right off the bat.  It's a family thing.  My mom and her dad are the same way.   For surgery they initially tried to put the IV in my left hand,  and complained about my rolling veins.  My response, "that's just how I roll".  At least I made them laugh.  After that still in the left hand she got a nerve.  OMG weirdest feeling ever.  It was a shooting almost pain followed by tingly in my ring and pinky fingers.   And still so far if i bend my left hand too far those two fingers get tingly.  I'm hoping it's just cause the area is still bruised and swollen, so movement pushes down on the damaged nerve and that it will go away soon.  It's grrrr.

As for "food" .. I had/have a dilemma.  My doctors discharge notes said "2 weeks of clear liquids (broth/water/isopure/tea etc) then transition to the directions Kaiser gave you"  The directions Kaiser gave me had me starting out right after surgery with 2 weeks of "full liquids" (pudding, protien shakes, cream of ___ soups  etc. ) skipping clear liquids all-together.  So I called the Doc to clarify and he said I could just follow Kaisers plan and that he tends to be "conservative"..  of course during class Kaiser said "other people might eat __ but we're conservative".  I LOL-ed.   The first day after I had my mom and my hubby forcing me to eat pudding and soup and stuff, and I was very "meh" about it.  After that I decided to split the difference and do a week of clear liquids, and them move on to the full liquids.  And it's still confusing 'cause if you search around there sooooo many different doctor approved plans.  I've seen some with maybe 4 weeks of liquids before moving on to mushy/pureed?  I dunno.  after my week of full liquids I move on to "soft and moist" .. seems like I get to skip pureeing anything.  I think that's it for now, I've rambled a bit.  Have a good day everyone!

<3 Sam

uhg!

Don't know if i'm some freak of banded nature, but I swear it feels like my burps are getting stuck.  I'll have to burp (and even do sometimes) and it's followed by  "OMG OW" .. like an entire balloon is trying to come up through my band.   grrr

Sam

Go away

Dear non-painful but annoying gas.,

I'm done with you.  You can go away at any time now.  I've been walking, i've taken gasx and i'm so over it. 

No love,
Sam

for all of you "been there done that"

I have a question for all you post bandsters.  I haven't had any of the dreaded shoulder pain gas stuff.  But my tummy is very rumbly/gurgly.  Like I can hear it, beyond feeling it.  Is this normal? is it normal 2 days after sugery?   and is it normal to not really be hungry even though i'm off the broth diet and can have real full lquids and jello and pudding and stuff??

just curious.

<3 Sam

I'm on the other side!

That's  right folks, I am officially a bandster now.  Surgery was yestery morning 10:45ish.  was out of there by 3. Everybody was super nice, but it was weird that they just let me out.  No tests or upper gi anythings.  but i'm home, no problems, just a bit sore.  Kinda like i did a bunch of crunches yesterday.  Am glad to be off the clear liquids, although I didn't eat a lot of my full liquids today. just no hunger.  that any my tummy is very gurgly, think it's gas as i've been burpy all day.  have been good with my water at least.  Another night of sleeping on my back, not lookng forward to that. I'm such a side/stomach sleeper it's not even funny.

that's all i've really got for now, just wanted to let the world know that i'm still alive, and everything went a-ok.

<3 Sam

Photo mess:

surgery tomorrow, getting nervous/excited/scared  hubby fell asleep didn't get a chance to take "official" pics, so i leave you with a few from sometime in the last couple of months, and a couple awful ones i took just now (i so remember thinking when camera phones came out "who would want a camera on their phone?? hahahaha).

 

My head..

My head,   I think it's getting smarter-ish.  Day one of clear liquids. Meh. not thrilled, but that's a given. I have my tea, my isopure, my water, and my broth. hooray >.<    I did call my hubby on my way home from work though and ask him if we could go to Garbanzo today, as I didn't get to eat there before I started. I figured that since I'm really only supposed to do 3 days, i could cheat.  But he told me "no, you decided to do this for 5 so stick with it"... which i reluctantly agreed to.   Of course then my Evil Brain said "he won't be home for an hour after you, just drive through somewhere and get something small" .. And I was so tempted.  Until Good Brain said "hey dummy, that's how you got here in the first place.  Hiding what you're eating is bad"  Good Brain won this time.  And hopefully more and more in the future.   Good Brain is also working on the whole sit back and see if you're really still hungry thing.  It's days like today, I think maybe I *can* do this thing.  

and now for measurements, and before pics as promised! (actually pics on Monday, Then the hubby will help)

Neck: 17"
Chest (do you measure this under boobs? including boobs??):53 1/2" w/b's 49" without
L upper arm: 17"
R upper arm:  18.5"
Waist:  54 at belly button
L thigh: 27.75  (7 inches from knee)
R thigh:  27.5

It starts!

Yup, I've started my clear liquid pre-surgery diet today.   So far so good! Of course it's only 7:30 in the morning but hey, I'm keeping it positive.  I've discovered my most favorite de-caff tea.  It's Tazo's Calm tea.

 It's super yummy and de-caff! yay!  I've also got with me a can of chicken broth, a couple of sugar free   jell-os, and an Isopure.  So here's hoping my husband doesn't kill me by the end of the day.  He says I get grumpy when I'm hungry.  I'm sure I don't know what he's talking about. >.>

 At work last week it was cute.  One of my co-workers asked to see my little book from Kaiser that has suggested meals for each week after surgery.  He says he's going to follow along and lose weight too.  I'm kinda laughing my @ss off, cause I really doubt he can eat that little, but he seems to think if I can (with a band) and another co-worker can (with the HGC diet) he should be able to with no surgery and no hormones.  Either way, I totally appreciate the support (even if I'm not sure how he found out what my surgery was.. tell one person around here and they all know). 

After reading Red's blog with her future NSV's, I've discover a future non scale ..loss?  My rainbow socks I'm knitting.  They're almost knee length and have lots of increases to account for my fat calves.  I'm about 1/3 of the way through the 2nd sock, and at the rate I go, by the time I'm done, they won't fit :(                                                                                       

Only 3 work days (including today) left until I'm off for surgery.  Getting kinda scary.  goal for today: another post with measurements and photos. Oh yeah, this shy girl is putting it all out there!  be gentle!

<3 Sam

Does google hate me?

So yesterday my android phone updated itself yesterday while I was out.  When I got home I'm all "oh, okay"  .. and then noticed my contacts were gone.  Managed to get them back thanks to verizon's back up system (thank heavens). THEN I noticed that half my apps are gone.   So i'm in the process downloading those all again, but they don't work.  They crash whenever I try to open them. 

So this morning Blogger is telling me how to follow blogs, because i'm not following any.  UM WHAT??!!  I was following like 20+ blogs yesterday!  now they're gone? GRRRRRR.  (And i discovered this while I was trying to see if I could find the continuation of my "appointments" post that I KNOW I had typed.  

Technology is not always all it's cracked up to be.  >.<

<3 Sam

quick update

clock is ticking away, and I'm getting closer, and it's starting to finally seem real to me. Just spent the weekend reading Amy's blog, and I have to say she give me hope for myself.  I know nobody is perfect, but she's so up front about it, and about not always eating the right food, and not always exercising, that I know I'll be okay.  :)

Now I have to make a choice.  Kaiser recommends a 3 day clear liquid fast.  One of the girls in my class said her doctor recommend a week.  My doc didn't say anything.  I'm thinking of upping my fast to 5 days.   But I'm not sure. supposedly it's the suckiest part of the whole thing, so why should I make the suck last longer?  But I'm all for shrinking my liver and making surgery as easy as possible for my doc.  Thoughts?

<3 Sam