EdmontonGal

Im 5 days post op. Today I has some blended vegetarian chili thinned with tomatoe juice and run through the bullet. I only had a 1/2 cup and ate it VERY slowly! I didnt have any negative reaction either! Friday night (me and the Mr eat out EVERY Friday night, its our night) was the first Friday since surgery. He got a 1.2 roasted chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy and veggies. I could have eaten those potatoes!!!! But I got a chicken noodle soup and drained out all of the veg, noddles and chicken. The broth was so warm and salty!!! It sure hit the spot. I am not a huge protien fan and getting my intake has been really difficult. I was sick of the sweet and creamy protien shakes by day 2. The yogurt was even too sweet. So granted, the broth wasnt a great choice for protien but I needed the break! I also blended a condensed split pea soup mixed with soy milk and had a 1.2 cup at a time this morning for breakfast! 2Tbsp of skim milk powder upped the protien. For salty and savoury over sweet folks, it is tough!

THANKS ROSEY! Its not easy, but then nothing great ever is huh!? KEEP ON TRUCKIN!

Surgery was Tuesday. I got home from hospital Wednesday. By Friday I was drove nutty. My lady friends MamaG and Bestie were available Friday night. MamaG was home alone with hubby away at work and Bestie had gone over to the GTeam Headquarters to help get the 2 babes to bed so that the three of us gals could have a movie night. It sounded wonderful! This was the first time I had a chance to recount the whole surgery experience with my ladies and let me tell you, NO conversation EVER has ANY holds barred! We didnt even get to the movie. The ladies made me laugh way too much and way too hard but it was great to be out and catching up and feeling normal! I shared all the gritty details of my surgery, my worries about the surgery, thier worries about it and EVERYTHING else. I got home at MIDNIGHT and snuggled in to bed, sore but in fantastic spirits. Thank Goodness for friends! Today was my Grandfather's 90th Birthday party. We drove the 2 hours each way to my hometown to be there. There was about 90 people present including all of my Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, Siblings, Nieces and Nephews. Without ANY intention, I fessed up to most of the very important people in my life. I couldn't stay all day, it was a little too much for me 4 days after surgery but I did my best to soak up every minute with them all. I felt badly for not being able to stay the whole day and it just came out, naturally. I had been so nervous about telling anyone really except for the 5 most important people in my life. I was determined not to tell them and open myself up to judgement and feedback of anyone. EVERY response was positive. Everyone had noticed how much hard work I had done in the last year to get to where I was before surgery and EVERYONE congratulated me on my past success and my future success. I left feeling tired, but so much stronger without the weight of keeping something so huge in my life from these people who were such a huge part of my life! All in all, a great day 4 and 5. I'm still experiencing gas pains in my shoulders, my incisions are tender from all of the ghing over the last few days and I am having a super hard time getting my protein quota in daily BUT it will only get better! Take care all! Celebrate all successes BIG AND SMALL!

Thanks for sharing Swirl... and all others! I agree with those who appreciate the honesty from either side of the fence. I too am new to being a bandster - 3 days to be exact and was told that it may not work for me by my surgeon during my entire journey. I decided on the band as I am not concentrating on weight loss. I am concentrating on changing my lifestyle and my relationship with food so that I am not at risk of developing diabetes and the other weight related diseases that run in my family. I spent a year and a half working on this before I decided the band was the right choice for me along with a team of professionals. If I hadnt had the team, I would have thrown down the money looking for a fix and at that time, I wouldnt have been ready. I am still not 100% that the band will work for me and wont be sure for a while but I have to trust myself and the skills I have strengthened this past year to help me in this process. My band may not work, I may have hit my natural plateau or it could be a great addition to my bag of tools?! Who knows? Whatever the outcome is, it will be something that only I will have to deal with on a daily basis and hope that I can still rely on this site for the support from thsoe who have been there and done that. Some of the posts on this thread make me doubt that. Differences in opinion is a spice in life. Lets not forget that. GOOD LUCK all!

Hi Elle; Thanks for the post! The skim milk powder I am adding to tomatoe juice (heated to make myself believe it is cream of tomatoe soup), I add it to my oatmeal, peanut butter, and soy milk shakes, I also add it to my yogurt and everything else that has or could have a creamy texture! I was a little skeptical at first about throwing it in to everything but it works for me. The protien really does keep me full and I even have a hard time finding room to add extras in the diet if I may be hungry later. Lots of protien and lots of water seems to be working for me! I knwo this wont work for everyone but I appreciate the sharing so that I am exposed to new ideas and in turn thought someone may be interested in my experiences too!

Thanks for the support you guys! This site has been awesome as there doesnt seem to be allot of peers in my neck of the Great White North! Encouragement goes a long long way when it comes fromt hsoe who have been there!

Pat on the back! YEAH YOU! Keep up the healthy choices and the little celebrations too!

Keep with it!!!! Keep making your healthy choices! Im only 3 days out of surgery and am having a hard time keeping up with the intake suggested by my dietician. She suggests that it no longer be a calorie game but a protien and fibre game. I am not hungry at all and on full liquids. I am having allot of protien oatmeal shakes and tomatoe juice with 2-4 tbsp of skim milk powder. I fool myself in to believing it is cream of tomatoe soup! I am adding that darned skim milk powder to everything. I find that I am way fuller with all of the protien Im taking. I know this is just random advice from a newbie but I am sending my encouragement too! I've been told many many times over the last year on thsi journey that I can never depend on the restriction of the band alone... I have to find the ability to restrict my intake inside of myself. Kind of defeats the purpose of going through all of this BUT with fills taking so long to schedule here and never a 100% guarantee that the band will fix it all, I have to believe that and work on it! GOOD LUCK TO YOU! I hope you find your sweet spot!

Your day is getting closer and closer! Good Luck!

I slept like a baby the night before my surgery. This for me, was a confirmation that I was soo ready for this! In fact, I felt like I was so ready, that I didn't need anyone to come to the hospital with me the day of. I just figured that my bestie and my Mr. would meet me in my room when I was all wrapped up! The bestie had another plan. She had been through a few knee surgeries and insisted that I would want the company in pre-op. I didn't agree and felt bad for most of the 3 hour wait for taking up her time when I knew I would be calling on her after the surgery for her support. About half an hour before the scheduled time, a nurse came in. She put on some TED stockings and we all had a great laugh at how hot they were. Then she whipped out the IV and the Heparin shots. My bestie let me squeeze the hell out of her hands while the nurse had 2 failed IV attempts and stabbed me in the tummy with a burning dose of blood thinner. Heparin Sucks! If it wasn't for my know-it-all bestie, I may have just gotten up and ran out then. Thank Goodness for friends! Soon after, it was time. They wheeled me up to the op waiting room. It was weird being lined up side by side with strangers, all in the same stockings and sexy blue hats! My nurse came out, got the IV in and told me that her daughter had the same name as me and was the same age. She promised to treat me like her own. Ahh, the comfort. She then took me in to the op room where all the tools were splayed and ready to go. My nerves kicked in big time but I had no time to think about it. I was moved onto the table and given a warm blanket and then OUT!!! 2 hours later I woke up in recovery and was quickly on my way to my room. I was wheeled off of the elevator and there was bestie! She beat me to my room. I was happy to see her! She read quietly while I spent the next few hours in and out of awareness. Soon, she tagged in the Mr and was off. Mr. took me for a few walks around the unit and I was feeling pretty good besides the tightness of the gas but walking sure helped allot! Before I knew it, all visitors had to leave. I cried. I felt alone and scared and I HATE NEEDLES AND HOSPITALS! Mr. hugged me and told me he would be back in no time. I was convinced that I could sleep all night and would be getting up when he arrived in the am. I couldn't have been more wrong! I was awake all night. Between the crazy roommate I had, the IV machine beeping all night and the nurses hellish doses of Heparin I might have slept for 4 hours in total. At 6:00 am when my surgeon came in, I was prepared to do cartwheels to prove that I was ready to leave. This wouldn't have been a good idea I know but the hospital was not helping me recoup! They said I was doing fantastic and could leave at 9:30! YES!!! I survived the hospital stay! Mr. arrived and I wasted no time getting packed up and out of there! The nurses were fantastic - don't be fooled by my negative recount of the hospital stay! Being that we have had about 4 feet of snow here in the last 2 weeks, the ride home wasn't grand either! The ruts on the road made for a horse and cart type ride. It was hellish. Mr, as bright as he is, had brought me a pillow to splint my tummy with on the way home. Smarty Pants. I was sooo thankful! We got home, greeted the lonely pup and snuggled in on the couch to catch up on the sleep I had missed out on in the hospital. I took some pain meds, ate some shakes and applesauce and walked... then did it all over again. Walking sure does help with the gas. My neck and shoulders were VERY tight from the gas too, the walking helped more than the Gas-X strips by far! I slept decently last night at home in bed! Today, I am feeling better. There is less pain but still allot. I have had to concentrate on how to get all my protein in. My dietitian wants to see me eating about 80 grams per day. At first I thought it would be impossible but ,mid-day today, I already hit 29 grams! Skim milk powder in everything helps and the chocolate soy milk with 6g per cup is great too! I even made the bed today. I hope to sweep the floor tomorrow but wont push it! A little bit of progress daily is all I am looking for and more than happy to get these days. In short, Great friends and being prepared will make the surgery process all that much easier! Even if you think you are tough (like me).. you still need the support! Keep up the hard work you guys! A big shout out to Martha too!!! You'll be home soon lady! xoxo Jen

:xena_banana: I am so ready!!! I filled the pantry and fridge with everything on my dieticians shopping list, Ive got my box of kleenex, heat bag, Gas-X strips and blanky ready and waiting near the couch along with the FANTASTIC INFO for reading that was sent by TOMANDER. (My shout out!!) My laundry is done and the house is clean. Ive cleared my schedule of everything non-recoup related and I've got my bag packed for Tuesday morning to take to the hospital...... and still another 2 sleeps. I am going to busy myself over the next 2 days by concentrating on my post-op diet and pre-op exercise regiem and making sure that I didnt forget to do that thing Ive already done but keep reminding myself over and over not to forget to do it! I'm psyched to get the hospital stay over with and probobly more worried about that part than anything else. I do not do sleepovers and the Mr. cant stay at all! This too shall pass and soon enough I will be back at home, back to my kicking ass and taking names... 1st on the list is MUFFINTOP! CHEERS and Good luck to those who share the 18th as thier BandBirthday! And to the rest of you all too! Jen

Thanks guys! There are not allot of people (it seems) in my city to lean on and I have had such great run ins with people here! It goes a long way to know that I am not alone! 5 MORE SLEEPS!

I'm a 28 year old, hilarious, confident, easy -going, loyal professional female. I've been overweight for as long as I can remember and although I faced the same teasing that the rest of the "fat kids" experienced, I've always loved my life. I've always been healthy despite my weight. I've always been active in sports, camping, hiking and all else outdoors and because of this, I was in denial about how my weight was a major health concern. Now, 7 years in to a relationship with the love of my life and my best friend<3, I am at the place where I want to become a parent. A healthy parent! With diabetes having deep roots in my family, my family Doctor told me that I was almost guaranteed to run in to related issues with pregnacy at my weight. So, the journey began. I live in Edmonton. Edmontonians are lucky to have an awesome program here called Weight Wise, offered out of the Royal Alexandra Hospital for FREE! I was referred by my family doctor and was on the waiting list for 2+ years to get in. Finally, in September 2009 I got THE call. It was my time to do this! All of this. Time to change my life! I met my nurse, my dietician, my psychologist and Dr. Sharma. He is the Scientific Director of the Canadian Obesity Network, as well as the Chair of Obesity Research and Management at the University of Alberta. A whole team, just for me! Just for my health!? AWESOME! Bring it on! I attended 10 modules offered by the clinic. The facilitators are a mix of Psychologists, Dieticians and Nurses all coming together to teach the participants about all aspects of obesity and give each of the attendees a "bag of tools" to make the changes in lifestyle to maintain healthy weight loss and adress the emotional components of eating. All of the modules took me about 8 months to complete and I scheduled them mostly at my own convienence. The education component was the hardest to buy in to. I thought that after living my entire life being overweight, that I knew why I was fat, how I got fat and how to lose the weight. I didn't. I also attended an emotional eating support group at the request of my dietician. I thought that I wasn't an emotional eater because I dont cry in to a tub of ice cream when I am upset. I was wrong. Social situations and stressful situations are my most vulnerable triggers. I learned allot through the group and made some great friends too. A year and a half later, I have lost 40lbs (leisurely) and been approved for my selected Lap-Band Surgery. All at no cost, besides parking at the clinic! Gastric Bypass and the Sleeve were a little too permanent and drastic for me but the options were given, provided I committed to the program and was successful! Here I am, 6 sleeps away from being banded. I am nervous, excited, anxious, scared and most of all committed to changing my life. World, be prepared for the same old Jen, with a smaller ass! Good luck to all of you! :grouphug:

Hi there. I am going through the Alex and just got my surgery date of Jan 18, 2011. I started the program in Sept 09. The program was great and I did lose 40lbs while attending! I still am in touch with my team there too and they are fantastic! I also kept in touch with some of the gals from my ee group too! I woudl love to keep in touch and maybe call on you for a little advice now and again. How was your surgery? How are you doing with it all?