Hi Phatgurl80,
Congratulations, I'm glad your procedure went well. Dr. Garcia and company are awesome. Wendy was also one of my nurses. I loved them all. Sorry about all the IV sticks. That intestinal gas will go away when your diet changes on week 2. The clear liquid thing sucks by about day 5. Make sure your blood sugar doesn't get too low. The Gatorade should fix that. The gas pain you experienced in the hospital is from the carbon dioxide that they use to inflate your abdomen during the procedure. The only cure for that is walking.
Go easy on the "Real" food. I've found that many of the foods I loved before are now hard to tolerate. On week 3, I did well with thin deli meat and cottage cheese. I haven't pureed anything. I am 6 weeks out now, and I can eat most anything in small amounts, as long as I take my time and chew it well. Your stomach will let you know when it's full. It's pretty uncomfortable if you over eat, so eat slowly and listen to your stomach. When you start feeling discomfort in your stomach, stop eating. Trust me, it's not pleasant if you over do it. You'll be surprised at how little you need to feel full. I find that my brain tells me I need to eat more than my stomach can hold. When I feel full, I stop eating, and within a few minutes, I feel satisfied. A little brain override...He he.
The cravings have started going away for me now. There is still a mental factor that kind of sucks. Last night I wanted a huge slab of lasagne and a double "Quarter Pounder with cheese" and fries. I still haven't totally figured out how to curb these cravings. Hopefully it will be easier for you.
I am 5 1/2 weeks out, and I have lost 51 pounds. I feel great. There is a little bit of lingering nausea, which has been annoying, but overall, I have NO complaints. I'm just glad the weight is finally coming off. I sincerely hope your experience is as good or better than mine. I wish you much success.