My Journey to lose weight with the help of my friend " BAND"

Tuesday 28 February 2012

I am BANDED!!

Hello hello
First of all, I apologize for the long post!
So I got banded on the 24th. We got to Vancouver on the 23rd. Walked for 4-5 hours, did some shoppings and I must confess, I had a bit of grilled meat!! So good
I went to meet with my Anesthesiologist, it only took 10 minutes.
So Friday morning I took another shower with the liquid soap they had sent me. This soap works miracles. I had gotten a big zit on my face, washed it with this one and it was gone the next morning. Also, since I have a very sensitive skin, shaving leaves a lot of bumps on my legs( especially thighs). I washed it with this and again, it was gone!!
So moving to the surgery, I was scheduled for 11:30, sat in a room until 12;10 when  a nurse came and got me and I walked to the OR.  they got me on the bed, the Anes. Doc put in my IV and in a few minutes, I was gone. My husband received a call from my Surgeon at 1:45 to tell him everything went fine. I remember they try to wake me up at 2. God I felt in so much pain. My throat hurt, my stomach hurt and I couldn't stay up and the nurses insist on talking to you!! I remember( and I am sure I was wrong) the nurses talking about complications, so in that situation( not being awake completely) I was thinking that they hadn't put the band and there was complications!!! god was I ever worried.Mind you up to this point, no one has confirmed I have got it!!!
My wonderful husband had got me a beautiful bouquet of red roses and a very cute lady bear :). Prior to our trip he gave me a Movado watch as a gift to tell me how proud he is of me sticking to my diet and doing this :)
 I have 5 incisions the middle one being the biggest one. They really push you to get up and leave the clinic. I so wanted my husband to get lost in Vancouver and get there later so I can sleep! They dressed me and moved me to those recliners and I kept falling asleep. I swear to god the nurses came to visit me every 5 min. Giving me drugs, dressing me up, checking my incisions....

Anyways, my husband came to pick me up at 3:30. He had already filled my Liquid Codeine prescription. We went to the hotel,  I was in so much pain. I only got up a few times to have my Codeine and sip water and went back to sleep. The gas pain is really something!!!!

My abdomen was so big as if I was 8 months pregnant. I also had a bit of bleeding which stopped right away.
So comes Saturday, I thought I could go walking in Stanley park with my husband. Who are those people who said they went to CN tower the day after the surgery? I would like to know how they did that.  I was in so much pain crying the whole time. My  husband was trying to make me get up and walk every hour but it was too painful.I think I managed to do it 5 times and each time it took me a minute before i started screaming from pain. I am normally pretty good with pain but this was different.
Sunday morning we had to go to the airport at 5 am! We managed to pass the security line and go in front of the line because of my surgery. As lucky as I am , we had 40 minutes delay, so we got to Calgary at 9:45. From this ride and all the walkings to and from gates, I had a bit of bleeding. Got home and my lovely parents had put flowers in every corner of our house. My mom had already made my soup( we'll get to the food later) and she had even cooked for my husband so he didn't have to do anything.
My Sunday was a bit better than Saturday but I still needed help to get up, I am not much better, less pain and can get up with a bit of manoeuvre. I probably finished a whole pack of  Gas-X in those two days!

Strangely enough I had my main pain on the right side( right  shoulder). Then it moved to my left side of abdomen by Sunday. Couldn't drink anything, just made myself drink my water. I tried having a short black starbucks coffee and couldn't. I am a coffee lover and it was odd not to crave that. I had a few sips of my apple juice but it had so much sugar that I felt I was drinking pure sugar!
When I got home, as I mentioned my mom had already made me some soup. God did it ever taste so good. She had made it with real chicken broth( she made it herself) and green lentils, and watercress, she then blended it and passed it through a strainer, it was so gooooood. She also made me cauliflower soup, so good. Tomorrow I am having mushroom soup with skim milk.

One very important thing: I didn't have any nausea or vomiting, I was so afraid of that.

So now my questions:
1-I am having difficulties getting something to eat for breakfast. I have been having half a cup of skim milk with a tea spoon of honey( warmed up).
2-As soon as I have my meal( 1/2 cup of any liquid) I get a slight pain in my left side, is that normal?

Haven't weighed myself yet and am not planning on doing so until next week, but before I left for the surgery, I was down 16 pounds.

Lots of love to all of you,


18 comments:

  1. My gas pains were very minimal. I rode home 6 hours the day after. 3 days after went to las Vegas for a conf. And walked like crazy. 10 months after banding breakfast is still the hardest. Usually do high protien yogurt and water! Good luck. I support your decision not to weigh for a bit.

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    1. Lorie how lucky were you! I still can't walk for more than 5-6 minutes, my heart beat goes to a million per minute. I am glad your was easy. you are right, yogurt is good too, I should try that.

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  2. Well welcome home and happy to see you on the other side...each day gets easier!! Try to walk as much as you are able it really helps with the gas, the healing, the circulation...sounds like your off to a good start!!

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    1. Thanks a lot, I try walking but I get tired really fast, is that normal?

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  3. I couldn't eat anything, I got full on a 1/4 cup of a protein shake or broth. Everytime I ate or drank my chest and shoulder hurt...I attributed this to gas pain. I forced myself to do a couple laps around the house multiple times a day...it hurt like hell but then I noticed it started to take away the pains. Just try to keep hydrated and sip lots of water/broth. If you let yourself get dehyrdated you will get dizzy and sick to tummy and may start throwing up. It does get better..about day 5 for me, I was like a new woman. Day 3 and 4 were TERRIBLE.

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    1. I know, walking has helped a lot, I barely have anymore of the gas pain, I think it is more of the pain from the muscle pain. I can have a 1/4 with no pain. I just have to get used to sipping and eating slowly.
      I am good with my water, try to get my 46 OZ in every day.

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  4. I was on a liquid diet for 10 days after surgery.. I was told to eat watery/milky cream of wheat for breakfast, so I did with some sugar free syrup.. I had to stay in hospital due a breathing issues. They wouldn't let me walk until the next day, so when I did I walked laps around the hospital and then went home and did laps around the house.. I don't feel any pain now and today is my 3rd week from surgery.. Congrats!!

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    1. how did you do 10 days???? I am ready to move to purees and soft foods :)
      I can't wait for the day that I can toss and turn in bed! I still have to lie flat, can you move easily now?

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  5. Glad to see you did it, it does get better! I did not have any issues, I know, not normal! Listen to everyone that did though as they all have different solutions that will help. I did see through liquids for the two weeks, any liquids the third and then mushy the fourth week. Keep up the great work, smile and you'll get through this! (((hugs)))

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    1. You were so lucky Sandi, I am glad yours did not have complications.

      I am doing better today and will stay at home until Monday. That should give me enough time to heal. I am done with liquids now!!! I want something else :)

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  6. I hope you begin feeling better very soon.

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  7. Glad to hear surgery went well, sorry to hear about the pain you had. I was so fortunate and didn't have any gas pains at all. I didn't eat breakfast for a long time after surgery (have never been a breakfast eater). I wasn't hungry at all for the first week after surgery...I was doing good if I got in 400 calories a day. The second week I started getting a little hungry.

    Hope you feel better super fast!

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    1. I am still sticking to my milk, I am planning on some sort of band friendly boiled egg for next week. I am not an egg person but I am kinda craving it now :)

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  8. Oh man, I do not envy what you are going through right now! I also thought the same thing as you did about the recovery. I was staying in a different city and thought I would be up to exploring a little bit two days after surgery. Not so. I was chalk white and hunched over like a cripple, and dead tired after a tiny distance. I kept thinking wtf did I do to myself! But it gets better... way better. That first week blows, and then it starts to get so much better. You really will feel such a difference each day.

    I don't remember how long it took for me to sleep normally, maybe a little over a week.

    I don't know what your post op diet is supposed to be, but for me I was having runny yogurt, protein shakes and then just lots of Crystal Light and sugarfree Jello.

    But man was I ready for the mushy stage... 3 days in and I was OVER the liquid diet.

    Look forward to hearing about your progress. Good luck :)

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    1. In a strange way:) I am glad you felt this way too! I was thinking maybe I am acting childish or something. I am a lot better now( Day6) but you are right, the first few days I was like why the hell did I do this to myself! I have strained soups, my mom has made a different one everyday.I even had greek yogurt, I haven't had any problems, can't wait for my puree phase.

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  9. Congrats on starting your journey! I felt awful too. I had gas pains so bad in my shoudlers for almost a week! I had to sleep in my recliner for a couple of days and then I went back to my bed. It will get better, promise! I didn't have to do a diet before. After I was on liquids for about 3 days and then on to mushies. A scrammbled egg with some cheese was soooo delish! I was never a breakfast eater either, so occassionaly I do a chocolate protein shake with a banana in it. Or a strawberry one with frozen berry mix in it. Those are pretty good to and keep my full til at least noon!

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