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Hi there! I went for my one week follow up to my surgeon today and he let me go to stage four, mushies! Yay! I high-tailed it right to the store and bought split pea soup. Some might not find that overly appetizing, but I love split pea soup. I pureed it with my immersion blender (I literally could not live without that thing) and I must admit, it was a little nerve-wracking to sit down to that 1/4 cup of soup at first. It's almost like learning to eat all over again!

I've heard on other blogs that there are indicators that tell you when to quit. I heard this on bandedwendy's page at youtube. There's something called a "soft stop", where you just begin to feel full. Then, if you ignore that sensation and keep eating, there's a "hard stop" where you feel like you've exceeded the room in your pouch and couldn't eat another bite. Wendy's advice is to LISTEN TO YOUR BODY while eating. Stop at the soft stop. She says that if you push it, you'll be faced with "foaming, sliming and a PB". Sounds like a car wash!

I wrote in my very first blog about foam/slime. This is where your overpacked pouch will reject food, and it sends up saliva which is thick and viscous to facilitate throwing it up. However, I've heard this throwing up is different than the flu-induced variety where you heave and heave. This is where the PB comes in. It's called a "productive burp" which is meant to clear your esophagus of too much food.  Wowser. Graphic enough for ya? Now I was terrified this would happen when I ate. Although I was hungry for food instead of liquids, I got into a very secure place with my liquids and it was daunting to move up to real food, even pureed food.

I asked my surgeon today what kind of volume did he expect me to consume when starting on mushies, and he said, and I quote, "One cup." What??! Let me take this moment to encourage you to be VERY specific in your wording with your doctors. He thought I meant, how much can the pouch eventually hold. No. What I wanted to know was how much should I eat TODAY? 1/4 cup is a good starting point at each meal and I can work up from there. Whew...can you imagine if I tried to cram down a whole cup today? Can you say PB? Yikes!

Anyway, my advice -- start small, eat slow. Don't drink before, during or after the meal for at least 1/2 hour. And guess what - I'm full! And the fullness has stayed with me for two hours so far. And I'm ever so grateful for that.

Hi everyone! I wanted to ask the question - how many of you have done research about your surgery by going to the land of Youtube and searching for others who share your surgical experience?

I've started doing this and I've been really inspired by a few people who have religiously posted an update every week or two since the beginning. It can be such a wealth of information about how you might feel after surgery, complications, wound care, what you'll be eating, exercise -- the list goes on and on.

The two people I've followed the most both before and after my surgery are bandedwendy and newtoy4kt. These two ladies are really smart, funny and most importantly, have done an excellent job of showing me how to navigate the loss of over 100 pounds through lap band surgery. I have started to post my own video blogs on youtube, as well. I think this will be a good way to have accountability, even if it's just to a camera, and maybe help some others along the way. Feel free to take a look at my latest post right here:   and PS. thanks for watching!  Lorie

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COP6uxeiXZQ

Hi everyone! Thoughts are going on paper! Who knows where we'll end up!

It's a mind trick how short a time it takes to make a really big life change. Surgery Thursday, back home Friday. That's quick! In one day, there hasn't even been time for the mailman to come or the laundry to pile up yet. In one day, your milk didn't spoil. You aren't even late to call someone back if only one day has gone by. My point is this, the only place that a change happened in that short an amount of time is IN YOU. They altered your body and sent you home, right? We all say to ourselves before surgery, "I'm not going back to the way I was." In terms of eating, that's absolutely true. You've placed a physical barrier between yourself and the way you used to eat. What about the other things that you researched before surgery? The much-needed vitamins, walking every hour, drinking enough fluids...I'm getting to these.

It's a weird time right after surgery, to be sure. You don't feel your best. You certainly don't look your best. It hurts! Ouch! There might be the need for narcotic pain management if you're having a lot of pain, which will make you more lethargic. You may be dealing with some feelings of missing your old hobby, eating while parked on your ass. Sniff....goodbye old friend. You may even be feeling a little depressed that, even though you did this to yourself, you just wish you felt better and those around you with their big donut in their hand don't realize how insensitive they are being just by existing. Grrr....There are also great moments where you are so proud of yourself for actually going through with this plan, moments where it even seems easier than you thought it might be.  Moments where you feel the gravity of putting yourself first for once. I think women, especially, will relate to this because we get a lot of satisfaction out of sacrifice and doing for others. You finally did it for nobody but YOU, and that feels great.

I have found since being home for three days, it would be so nice and easy to just sit there on that couch with my feet propped up watching Oprah. The word "convalescence" comes to mind. Ahhh...glorious immobility. But this is where it becomes crystal clear that the eating isn't the only thing that has changed. The fact is, your health is entirely in your hands. I'll pause for a moment to let that nugget sink in. Maybe this is elementary fodder for some of you, but this came as quite a weighty (no pun intended) responsibility to me! No nurse is going to show up at your bedside, wake you and shake the vitamins into a little cup. You have to do it. Nobody is going to make sure you get enough fluids to avoid becoming dehydrated. Again -- all you, Baby!  Nobody is going to say, "Drink your protein! Take your walks every hour!" except, guess who!? You! The surgeon's paperwork is scattered all over the flat surfaces in your house advising you strongly to make sure you do these things, but those voices get pretty quiet when they're just typed on paper.

You're home from the hospital. Home looks the same. You even still look the same. The milk's still good! How easy would it be to sit right there and finish Oprah instead of making yourself get up, put on shoes, and walk for ten minutes every hour? Pretty darn easy, let me tell you. Some of us won't rise to the occasion. Some of us will swear it won't hurt if you just skip it this once. In this way, and I've thought about this a lot, surgery does NOT give us an advantage. Surgery gives us a crutch, and it's a rickety one, at that. If you stay on the couch, it's pretty likely that you'll still have a weight loss, but is that number all it's about? Will you being doing the best things for your health? Of course, the answer is no.

I want this band to work for me. It's serious business having surgery. I have been getting by with doing less than the minimum for a lifetime, and what that got me was a size 26 pair of jeans. It wouldn't be enough to simply say I want a change, or even to have some third party alter my body permanently. It means I actually have to DO something different, like walk, or write down what I eat and drink. These are small sacrifices that seem like a mountain to climb when you're only three days past surgery. When I do the right things, only then am I acknowledging how important my life and health really are. Preachy? Perhaps,  but I want to be the example for the right changes.  So, if you're sitting there wishing the pain in your middle would go away and wondering if you should or shouldn't skip this next walk, you shouldn't.

Hey there, OH friendlies! I was able to get my surgery in spite of having bronchitis. Thankfully, it had mostly run its course and I didn't have a temperature on Thursday and no lower lung rattle, so they did it! Although, if you want my honest opinion, I would say if you're not at the very end of the year trying to get surgery, do yourself a favor and push the surgery out a week or two until you're over the coughing, because that has been a fairly big challenge with abdominal wounds. I'm posting a long one about all this so that people who are about to have this done will get a feel for my experience. Read on. First, go get a drink. I'll wait!

I had the surgery on at 3:30 pm on Thursday and I just got home, at 3:00 pm on Friday. I found that coming out of anesthesia, I was really easily awake and aware, but I had some nausea. The nurses propped an alcohol wipe over the tip of my nose and told me to breath in, and the nausea went away! Cool trick...keep that in mind for your hangover mornings, I guess!

My pain has been minimal except when I would cough. They had me do the spirometer breathing every hour and then hold a pillow to my tummy tightly and cough. This helps prevent pneumonia. They also encourage you to get up and walk as soon as you are able, even if it would only be one lap around the hospital floor. I did this and was able to double my distance each hour and by my release, was doing 15 laps. It helps you to pass the post-surgical gas they pump into your abdomen during surgery. 

As for eating, here's what I had -- I had to eat ice chips the entire first day. Slowly. Today, they did a radiology test where they had me sip contrast (nasty, but more flavorful than ice chips!) and they watch it go down to see what level of internal swelling I had or any leaks. I had neither. After, I was able to order two things off the clear liquids menu. I chose chicken broth and sugar free jello. Again, slow is the name of the game, and you have to melt everything to a liquid in your mouth before swallowing. Four ounce per hour, plus any water you can hold.

My greatest difficulty will be in finding a schedule to get all the walking, sipping, eating, resting, and breathing into the spirometer done each day that they suggest. Also, they expect me to begin taking any vitamins or pills I normally take tomorrow. If that goes well, I'll be very relieved, but I'm terrified of taking the pills. I haven't thrown anything up yet, and it's recommended that you try very hard not to right after surgery because of the risk of swelling or slipping your band.  I find it interesting, don't you, that people who don't know a lot about this weight loss surgery business call it the "easy way out" ? I beg to differ. More later! Thanks for your well-wishes! Take care! Lorie

I'm so sad to report that I'm sick and my surgery is coming up on Thursday. I woke up with a cough on Sunday and I went to the immediate care, hoping to get going on an antibiotic right away. There were literally 15 people ahead of me in the waiting room! I counted! Plus, it looked like a zombie movie in there, anyway, so I bolted. No sense taking a chance of getting something worse than I already had!

I went to my family doctor on Monday and he says I have bronchitis and put me on an antibiotic, a z-pak. I sure hope it does the trick. If they have to reschedule me, it sure won't be for my lack of trying to get well. Check it out: I've been pushing fluids, taking tylenol in the daytime, theraflu congestion at night. I'm also taking Zicam tablets (zinc) and vitamin C, alternately, every three hours. I also take my daily multivitamin. I'm knocking back chicken soup (no noodles - pre-op diet, don't forget!).  Finally, there are prayers and naps. I really, really want to have this surgery on Thursday.

I've read a lot about this on the OH forums, and it seems like some surgeons are very cautious about proceeding with surgery and others just require a run of antibiotics and do it anyway. Also, I've read from some patients that being sick didn't make a difference to their recovery (since you feel kinda crappy anyway) and others said it was a nightmare having to cough from a lung issue with the stomach wound sites still fresh. I sure don't want to get pneumonia, and there's a greater risk of that after general anesthesia, anyway. I haven't decided what to do yet. For now, I'm laying low and trying to get well. If I'm still sick on Wednesday, I'll probably have to call the surgeon's office and tell them, I guess. Right?

Pre-surgery labs and evaluation are today...I'll post an update afterward. Stay tuned!

Update: Mostly, this visit was about preparing for surgery and getting labs drawn. I had a tiny fever, 99.1, when I was in the office, but I felt good, so nothing to worry about. Hoping my labs come back without any vitamin deficiencies. They shouldn't...I've been taking a multivitamin and a calcium citrate everyday, as well as an iron supplement.

I'm one week away from surgery! Woot!

Day three of the pre-op diet and I'm FINALLY getting used to it. I was so hungry the first day, I thought seriously about how many carbs might be in a box of kleenex. And, friends, I was crabby. Just ask anybody I met that day. My tummy was growling and so was I. My poor husband. Sorry, Honey. At least I already eliminated caffeine and carbonated drinks a few weeks ago. I can't imagine giving it all up at once. He might have taken a mind to leave me!

Here's what that pre-op diet consists of:  ALL the vegetables you might dream of eating, four ounces of lean meat, 4 cups of 1/2 percent or fat free milk, preferably mixed into protein shake mix...sugar free jello, sugar free popsicles, no calorie drinks, and low sodium broth, unlimited. I find that getting in the required 50 gms of protein a day is no problem. Oh, by the way, the list of what you cannot eat is enormous. No fruit, no fruit juice, no bread, rice, crackers, cereal, potatoes, starchy vegetables, cake, cookies, pie, granola, peanut butter. I gotta stop - I'm getting hungry again. You get the idea. VERY restricted diet.

This is a ten day diet meant to shrink your liver prior to surgery. It is also shrinking my tushy. I've lost five pounds in two days! Also, if you're in the market for great tasting protein shake mix, I recommend Jay Robb brand. You can find this online or at GNC. It's zero carbs, no fat, and it tastes really good. Not gritty at all. Also, Click makes a good tasting Mocha and you can get this at GNC as well, although it has fewer protein grams than some others.
 
A helpful list of things you might get before your surgery date comes: 
Chewable vitamins

GasX strips for gas pain

a heating pad

a kitchen timer to help you remember to drink every hour after surgery

liquid tylenol (taking pills apparently becomes an ordeal after this surgery)

adhesive gauze pads for redressing your wounds at home - band-aid makes a good one

Tiny silverware, found in the baby section, can slow down your eating

lip balm for the inevitable dry lips you always get in the hospital

Lastly, if you find that constipation is a huge problem, and it might be, miralax is a good stool softener and mixes well into drinks, but make sure your doctor/surgeon approves this before you take any

PS. be sure to bring along your sense of humor to the hospital. Your family and friends, not to mention the nurses, will thank you for it!

Well, I'm so excited I could pee ! I just got the call from my surgeon's office that I was approved for the lap band today! She received a call from the claim rep and then called to tell me. Surgery date has been moved up five days to December 9th. Bring it on!  

Today I remembered my pledge to read more about the potential risks of lap band surgery. I have a feeling if I didn't make myself do this, I'll drift on the tide of sweet, busy life right on up to my surgery date having never done any due diligence. So today, I read a lot and I watched a few videos. One in particular was a youtube video by a surgeon who doesn't advocate lap band surgery. He suggests that the device is not meant to remain inside your body long term, and that some people are prone to erosion at the point of contact with the exterior stomach wall. This was a pretty graphic surgery revision in which he removes a TON of scar tisse from around the band, then removes the band itself and did a mini-RNY procedure. The lucky recipient had only had the band placement for two years! Watching this kind of thing can scare a girl, for sure. 

I made the point to my husband tonight that you can be really, really educated about the risks, think it through and decide which surgery to pursue...even so, you may be one of the unlucky people who react badly to this type of surgery. Bottom line, there's no way to know for sure until it's been done. I see the testimonials for and against, and the best I can do is weigh my options and make the best choice for me.

Oh, Baby...this weight loss surgery stuff reads like a science experiment! I just subscribed to a couple of people on youtube who have been video blogging their success since having lap band surgery. It's so informative to see the steps others take along the way.

I tend to be thorough when I'm attempting to learn all I can about something new, particularly when that new thing involves my abdomen and scalpels, right on? However, I'm so very slow to start the research. Now that I've begun, I'm kicking myself wondering why I didn't start reading much sooner. Maybe my procrastination is a subconscious way of holding onto the old tried and true habits that have helped get me to this unhealthy place I find myself today. Or maybe I'm just scared. I mean, who isn't scared a little when they're about to make a huge life change? I'm really looking forward the day when I can look back at this time in my life from a new, healthier place.

In the meantime, here are some fun things I learned this week! This one came from attending a weight loss support group meeting. I'm told that when you chew and swallow food (post lap band) that won't go down, you'll first feel it sitting there like a rock in your throat. Then your stomach sends up foam (foam?) or slime (what?!!!) to help you eject the offending chunk. This can go on for some minutes before you have a PB - productive burp. Wow. I better practice my chewing.

Another fun detail I got from my newfound youtube friend, there is a solution to help with this issue of stuck food. Papaya enzymes! These are chewable tablets you can get at Walmart which are supposed to instantly (somehow) aid in breaking down the food stuck in your throat and cause it to pass right on through. Is this even possible? Again, I'm just starting my research, but I'm thinking if the window of opportunity between food stickage and frothing at the mouth is fairly short, you may want to carry these papaya enzymes in a small triage kit tied to your waist. Sort of like bee sting allergics carry their Epi-pen.  And for God's sake, print up a card to carry that says you haven't contracted rabies...you're just post surgical!

Lastly, hair. Or rather the loss of it, is apparently quite common after surgery. I hear it can be thwarted by investing in Biotin pills (also at Walmart...aren't they amazing? Everything you need under one roof!) which you take each day to encourage hair growth. I won't tell you where I heard this one from because, he, ahem, the person I heard it from...might not like it that I shared his hair loss trials in my blog. Sorry, Honey.

Anyway, I can't say any of these wild and weird things have put me off having surgery, but it has made me really aware that there's a lot to learn and even more to do, so I better get busy reading. And chewing. And drinking more water and walking.