Cassy

ok, so I haven't lost a pound since day 3 after surgery but I did lose ten pounds in those first few days and they have stayed off so I guess I should be happy about that. I think I must have lost water weight and it has not been replaced with loss of muscle or fat. I've lost a total of 8 inches since I came home from surgery which was already after the ten pounds was off so I think the water must have settled out with the muscle and fat. I have been walking at least twice a week starting last week. My energy levels are still pretty low and I think it's just the post-surgery euphoria wearing off. I really need to get a fill so I can get back on track again with feeling good. Went to the Chiropractor for the first time in my life this week and found out I have quite a bit of spine damage. My lower back has compression in one of hte vertebrae and my neck looks like a whiplash victim. I went for three adjustments this week and it feels great already. Who knew you didn't have to have back pain and neck stiffness. What a relief! Also, I go back to my psychiatrist on Monday to get him to give me either smaller pills or liquid for my Wellbutrin and Lamictal because I haven't been taking it reliably since surgery and I am irritable as hell and lashing out at people. No patience and no focus at all. I pray that all works out with that because my fill is this coming Friday and I plan to tell Dr. K to fill it up. I don't care if I have to stay on liquids for weeks. I was suppose to only be able to drink for weeks after the surgery but that only lasted a few days for me and I've been eating regular food since day 7. Oh well, I"m sure we'll find my sweet spot. I'm under some additional stress right now too which is probably bumming me out. My boss's boss is a douchebag and just promoted my boss who has only been with the company for 2 months so I want to know where I can buy a penis since that seems to be the pre-requisite to getting promoted these days. Anyway, I am going to Denver this coming Thursday evening to get a fill on Friday morning and I'm staying at the hotel until Sunday so that I can study in peace and quiet for my PMP examination which will hopefully pump up my resume and earn me some more $$. Measurements as of today are as follows: Waist 45" - loss of 2 inches since 9/27 Arm 16.5" - loss of 1 inch since 9/27 Neck 17" - no loss Hip 50" - loss of 4 inches since 9/27 Thigh 27" - loss of 1 inch since 9/27 Wrist 7.5" - no loss New measurements...just for kicks and grins Calf 17.75" Ankle 10.5" BraBand (under boobs) 43" ON the plus side people are noticing that I've lost weight and I found a really horrible picture of me at work so I can post that as my before. My God I do look sick. I am fitting into my skinny side of the closet 18/20 although I don't fit into the size 20 jeans yet. I think I need to be down to around 230-235 before they will fit. Hopefully in the next few weeks. Ta ta for now.

ok, so I haven't lost a pound since day 3 after surgery but I did lose ten pounds in those first few days and they have stayed off so I guess I should be happy about that. I think I must have lost water weight and it has not been replaced with loss of muscle or fat. I've lost a total of 8 inches since I came home from surgery which was already after the ten pounds was off so I think the water must have settled out with the muscle and fat. I have been walking at least twice a week starting last week. My energy levels are still pretty low and I think it's just the post-surgery euphoria wearing off. I really need to get a fill so I can get back on track again with feeling good. Went to the Chiropractor for the first time in my life this week and found out I have quite a bit of spine damage. My lower back has compression in one of hte vertebrae and my neck looks like a whiplash victim. I went for three adjustments this week and it feels great already. Who knew you didn't have to have back pain and neck stiffness. What a relief! Also, I go back to my psychiatrist on Monday to get him to give me either smaller pills or liquid for my Wellbutrin and Lamictal because I haven't been taking it reliably since surgery and I am irritable as hell and lashing out at people. No patience and no focus at all. I pray that all works out with that because my fill is this coming Friday and I plan to tell Dr. K to fill it up. I don't care if I have to stay on liquids for weeks. I was suppose to only be able to drink for weeks after the surgery but that only lasted a few days for me and I've been eating regular food since day 7. Oh well, I"m sure we'll find my sweet spot. I'm under some additional stress right now too which is probably bumming me out. My boss's boss is a douchebag and just promoted my boss who has only been with the company for 2 months so I want to know where I can buy a penis since that seems to be the pre-requisite to getting promoted these days. Anyway, I am going to Denver this coming Thursday evening to get a fill on Friday morning and I'm staying at the hotel until Sunday so that I can study in peace and quiet for my PMP examination which will hopefully pump up my resume and earn me some more $$. Measurements as of today are as follows: Waist 45" - loss of 2 inches since 9/27 Arm 16.5" - loss of 1 inch since 9/27 Neck 17" - no loss Hip 50" - loss of 4 inches since 9/27 Thigh 27" - loss of 1 inch since 9/27 Wrist 7.5" - no loss New measurements...just for kicks and grins Calf 17.75" Ankle 10.5" BraBand (under boobs) 43" ON the plus side people are noticing that I've lost weight and I found a really horrible picture of me at work so I can post that as my before. My God I do look sick. I am fitting into my skinny side of the closet 18/20 although I don't fit into the size 20 jeans yet. I think I need to be down to around 230-235 before they will fit. Hopefully in the next few weeks. Ta ta for now.

I will be in CO once a month for the next few months and would like to meet up with people if I can arrange to be there when you're meeting>

I'm 33, have had PCOS since puberty and have never used BC at all. Have been married for ten years and just had the lap band on 9/24/08. My ovaries look like grape clusters and I have been bleeding nonstop for over a year because I refused to continue taking he BCP's because I was gaining more weight. I am wondering how many over 30 with advanced PCOS (hirsuitism, ovaries that look like grape clusters, and strange periods) have been successful getting pregnant naturally after lap band. Questions are as follows: 1.) Anyone 30+, banded, severe PCOS prior to band? 2.) How much weight did you lose before you became pregnant naturally? 3.) If not naturally, what treatments did you endure before becoming preg? 4.) Also, did you see a reproductive endocrinologist or a gyn? 5.) How much time elapsed between band and pregnancy? 6.) Anything else I should know? ...like what was tried and did not work? I feel like my time is running out and my chances for Down's are increasing but I'm not sure what I should do...endure the fertility cycle or just wait a while and see if it happens naturally. Thanks!

I would call your doctor, they look really red to me.

Oh yeah, I wanted to ask... Have you told people at work? I did and 95% are supportive but there is one chick I used to work with and a boss that is one layer up from me that have totally changed their attitude toward me for the worst since I told a few people at work that I had surgery. I am secretly hoping that they balloon up so they can feel what it feels like...although I have been overweight since 5 years old and never remember being less than a size 16 so there really is no comparison but it chaps my hide when people judge without knowing. This chick that I"m talking about used to be a skinny girl who made fun of fat people her whole life and was really hurtful and then she became really fat and started hating herself. As soon as she knew I was having surgery (back in May) she started taking the weight loss meds which has been successful for her but she keeps asking me like every 3 days how much weight I've lost like she's competing with me...ahhhh she is so annoying. I want to tell her I don't give a flying F*** what she does, I am on my own mission :rolleyes2: Anyone else have weird experiences?

I am planning on making my trip to Denver a day trip on the 31st. Why did you have to go back in less than 3 weeks? Was it just because you erred on the side of caution so you wouldn't have issues on the way home? I don't want to have to go back too soon because it is expensive to go back and forth from Vegas every couple of weeks. Natalie told me to make sure I eat something while I am there in case they need to adjust it. I'm guessing if I wait 30 minutes after the fill and go down the street and eat something then I shoudl know within an hour or so whether I will have any problems and can leave it all goes well. Otherwise I can high tail it back to his office for an adjustment. Does that sound like a reasonable expectation? I have to tell you all that I went to a seminar tonight put on by Allergan, the makers of the Lap Band and they had Khaliah Ali (Muhammed Ali's daughter), along with Caitlin Van Zandt from Guiding Light (I don't watch it but she seemed popular) along with Dr. Roizen the author of the "You, ON a Diet" series and it was a great presentation. After reading Khaliah's book I decided to have surgery so it was good to hear them in person and really see that it does work and have someone tell me first hand what would be happening over the next few months. If you haven't read her book, I highly recommend it. It's called Fighting Weight and it's all abouther journey. Also, the You, On a Diet book is really good for banders as well. There are great, do anywhere, no equipment needed exersizes and relaxation techniques in there that are really helping me. You can buy both books on Amazon for pretty cheap or they usually have them at your library.

Come on fill#1...I can't wait!

Interesting... My doc told me to never take another pill again. I guess maybe he is just trying to prevent issues. I've been cutting it up the last several days but it is tedious. I am going to look into that liquid Wellbutrin. Thanks everyone!

How are you taking it? I have tried crushing it up and putting it in drinks, ice cream, smoothies...nothing seems to make it bearable. I have to take it 3x a day and it is soooo bitter that I start to throw it up. Anyone have a success story for me?

Hi there, just out of curiosity how is your eating going? Are you able to eat a cup or more at a time? I'm just wondering how you know if you need a fill or not.

Thank you!

I'm new and I'm just wondering... How many fills did it take for you before you hit your sweet spot where the weight just seemed to come off easily and you felt great restriction?

I think I"m going to start posting on a weekly basis just so I don't get repetitive. My weight loss has slowed now as I've figured out that I can eat real food and I've been eating anything I want (in small portions of course) out of need to eat something good. I did low carb for two weeks prior to the band and then the week after surgery I didn't eat or drink much so I guess I overdid it a bit. I've tried everything I've felt like eating and now I need to go back to behaving myself. Friday night I took my first bite of food which was Miso soup and two pieces of Ebi (shrimp roll with rice and wasabi soy). It was a great meal coming off of the juice and protein diet!) Saturday morning I decided to take off my opsite bandages and my incisions turned pink within an hour or so. I've been putting neosporin on at night and mederma during the day to keep it clean and to help the scar heal. The smaller incisions are barely noticable at all. They look like a little scratch. I am struggling with taking my Wellbutrin because I can't swallow it and it is the most bitter thing I've ever tasted. I've tried crushing it up in pudding, smoothies, juices, applesauce...bleck! It is nasty. Any suggestions? I think I might try Lemon Sorbet tomorrow because I'm starting the feel the effects of missing it for too many days. Today I decided that I will focus on starting my own business because I'm tired of being someone else's bitch. I found out that my boss did something behind my back and I really wanted to kick him in the nads today. Definitely need my Wellbutrin As for everything else, everyone at work welcomed me back and it felt nice that they thought about me. Several were nice enough to comment on how they could tell that I was losing. I can get into my size 20 jeans which is nice although they are still tight. If I recall correctly they fit nicely around 235 which is still about 10 pounds from now so we'll see. My fill is 10/31 so I'll see what I can lose between now and then.

I think I"m going to start posting on a weekly basis just so I don't get repetitive. My weight loss has slowed now as I've figured out that I can eat real food and I've been eating anything I want (in small portions of course) out of need to eat something good. I did low carb for two weeks prior to the band and then the week after surgery I didn't eat or drink much so I guess I overdid it a bit. I've tried everything I've felt like eating and now I need to go back to behaving myself. Friday night I took my first bite of food which was Miso soup and two pieces of Ebi (shrimp roll with rice and wasabi soy). It was a great meal coming off of the juice and protein diet!) Saturday morning I decided to take off my opsite bandages and my incisions turned pink within an hour or so. I've been putting neosporin on at night and mederma during the day to keep it clean and to help the scar heal. The smaller incisions are barely noticable at all. They look like a little scratch. I am struggling with taking my Wellbutrin because I can't swallow it and it is the most bitter thing I've ever tasted. I've tried crushing it up in pudding, smoothies, juices, applesauce...bleck! It is nasty. Any suggestions? I think I might try Lemon Sorbet tomorrow because I'm starting the feel the effects of missing it for too many days. Today I decided that I will focus on starting my own business because I'm tired of being someone else's bitch. I found out that my boss did something behind my back and I really wanted to kick him in the nads today. Definitely need my Wellbutrin As for everything else, everyone at work welcomed me back and it felt nice that they thought about me. Several were nice enough to comment on how they could tell that I was losing. I can get into my size 20 jeans which is nice although they are still tight. If I recall correctly they fit nicely around 235 which is still about 10 pounds from now so we'll see. My fill is 10/31 so I'll see what I can lose between now and then.

HI Michelle, I spoke to a few others who had surgery around the same time as us and they asked and he did not refill. Try picking up some Tylenol Rapid Blast Extra Strength. It works pretty good. I have the egg shaped thing too which I think is the pouch but I'm not sure...

ok, question for all of you experienced bandsters out there... I am getting really worried because I healed really fast and have restriction that is fine but I could eat anything I wanted at 9 days post op. Is this normal? I can only eat 1/2 to 1 cup of food at a time but it scares me that on the liquids I felt like I was starving and my stomach was making tons of noise so I started eating real food and it finally stopped. Now, I'm eating real food with each meal. I get a hard lump right at the largest incision which I'm guessing is the pouch that is filled with food and then later on it goes back down. Anyone else experiencing this? Anything I need to be concerned about? The only reason I'm concerned is because my pain tolerance is high and I just don't want to ignore something that might be a major issue. I lose about ten pounds in those first five days and I am teetering around 10 pounds lost for the last several days. This week I'm going to make sure I start walking and drinking the protein.

17" - Neck 17.5" - Upper Arm 49" - Bust 47" - Waist 54" - Hips 28" - Thigh 7.5" - Wrist

17" - Neck 17.5" - Upper Arm 49" - Bust 47" - Waist 54" - Hips 28" - Thigh 7.5" - Wrist

:biggrin: Hi there, I'm really sorry to hear that you are suffering. Have you been using the GasX strips? I've had more gas a few days after than I had at first which is kind of strange I think. You might try a few hours of ice chips followed by a mult-symptom rolaid chewable that you bite off and chew in really small chunks. It helped me yesterday with a titch of heartburn and gas. Otherwise, you can't go wrong with sticking to fudge pops, ice cubes, and anything else frozen you can get down in small amounts. I hope it gets better for you. Keep a positive mindset and you will heal faster because stress releases powerful hormones that can make you worse off than you already are so just try to relax and take care of yourself! oh, also I don't know if you are continually keeping the ice pack on our abdomen but it really helped my swelling to go down during the first three days. I kept it full of ice and on that largest incision for at least 72 hours.

Oh yeah, I forgot about that stuff. It is really tasty too! I can't eat it yet but I'll be thinking about it.

Thursday, 09.25.08 Thursday morning I got up and got ready to go into Dr. K's office for a checkup. Once there I ran into Tangeray who was having surgery the following Monday. She was surprised that I had jeans on but I guess I didn't think anything of it. It wasn't pushing up against anything so I was fine. Dr. checked in to see how I was and also gave me my lap band registration packet and all of his contact information as well as recommendations for the next fill and I was done. Natalie also gave me some tips on eating and winding down off of the pain meds. She also gave me the paperwork I needed to turn into my flexible spending account company so they would approve my expenses for the surgery. I tried to go shopping afterward but was still in too much pain. Went back and went to bed. Got up a few times for meds, to get a small drink, and to refill my ice pack. Slept most of the day and watched a few shows in the evening. Friday, 09.26.08 Was suppose to remove the nausea patch today but decided to leave it on just inc ase. Got up and went with my mom and husband for breakfast. Had about a half cup of mochaccino smoothie which was awesome! I felt so full. We went shopping for an hour or two just after that and then I went back to the hotel to take a little nap. After sleeping for a while we went out to dinner (I have some tomato bisque) and then to a movie. I felt so full that it felt like something was sitting on my chest. ...definitely shouldn't have eaten so much soup. Note I ate about 6 spoonfuls of pure tomato soup. Had a really tight feeling that was really uncomfortable. I looked online and saw that several people noted that eating too much causes the sensation and they said it would pass with walking and movement so I tried that but it didn't work. I figured I would wait until the next day and would see if it got better. After the movie I went straight to bed. Saturday, 09.26.08 Got up packed, moved around quite a bit. I still had that tight golf ball feeling in my chest so I got a little concerned and checked online. Other people reporting this said they would chew up the papaya enzymes and it would help to unstick whatever was sitting on top of the stoma. My mom pressured me to drink water anyway to avoid dehydration so I did and it made it worse. We checked out of the hotel to head to the airport and swung by a GNC to pick up some papaya enzyme tabs. Chewed 3 of them and headed for the airport. At the airport I broke down and called Dr. K to make sure I was doing whatever I should. He basically said stick to liquids and it would wash itself out. He reminded me to not rush the diet. We have plenty of fuel to burn for a few weeks if we can't get food in...water is most important. Also, he said if it was blocked then I would have thrown up any water that I tried to drink so I was fine. He told me to focus on ice chips to reduce the swelling inside. I had ice chips on the plane and half way home I felt relief. Had a sugar free fudge pop before bed and went to sleep without pain meds and slept on my stomach with no issues. Saturday, 09.26.08 Weight 249 Woke up with the first feeling of hunger. Have only been peeing with the exception of one bowel movement on Friday which I decided was my steak dinner from the night before surgery. I decided to weigh myself. 249. Wow, down 7 pounds from surgery day. It has to all be water but it's still weight I guess. I do sense a yeast infection coming on...good thing I planned ahead and have a one day treatment on hand. I think I'll wait another day or two to see if I'm right. I sip a half cup of Atkins protein shake at 8am then have a half a packet of cream of wheat with vanilla flavoring and a dash of splenda at 11am and I feel great. Getting use to the sipping of water though. At 4:45pm I am hungry again so I think I'll find something to eat. Maybe grits or tomato soup.

Thursday, 09.25.08 Thursday morning I got up and got ready to go into Dr. K's office for a checkup. Once there I ran into Tangeray who was having surgery the following Monday. She was surprised that I had jeans on but I guess I didn't think anything of it. It wasn't pushing up against anything so I was fine. Dr. checked in to see how I was and also gave me my lap band registration packet and all of his contact information as well as recommendations for the next fill and I was done. Natalie also gave me some tips on eating and winding down off of the pain meds. She also gave me the paperwork I needed to turn into my flexible spending account company so they would approve my expenses for the surgery. I tried to go shopping afterward but was still in too much pain. Went back and went to bed. Got up a few times for meds, to get a small drink, and to refill my ice pack. Slept most of the day and watched a few shows in the evening. Friday, 09.26.08 Was suppose to remove the nausea patch today but decided to leave it on just inc ase. Got up and went with my mom and husband for breakfast. Had about a half cup of mochaccino smoothie which was awesome! I felt so full. We went shopping for an hour or two just after that and then I went back to the hotel to take a little nap. After sleeping for a while we went out to dinner (I have some tomato bisque) and then to a movie. I felt so full that it felt like something was sitting on my chest. ...definitely shouldn't have eaten so much soup. Note I ate about 6 spoonfuls of pure tomato soup. Had a really tight feeling that was really uncomfortable. I looked online and saw that several people noted that eating too much causes the sensation and they said it would pass with walking and movement so I tried that but it didn't work. I figured I would wait until the next day and would see if it got better. After the movie I went straight to bed. Saturday, 09.26.08 Got up packed, moved around quite a bit. I still had that tight golf ball feeling in my chest so I got a little concerned and checked online. Other people reporting this said they would chew up the papaya enzymes and it would help to unstick whatever was sitting on top of the stoma. My mom pressured me to drink water anyway to avoid dehydration so I did and it made it worse. We checked out of the hotel to head to the airport and swung by a GNC to pick up some papaya enzyme tabs. Chewed 3 of them and headed for the airport. At the airport I broke down and called Dr. K to make sure I was doing whatever I should. He basically said stick to liquids and it would wash itself out. He reminded me to not rush the diet. We have plenty of fuel to burn for a few weeks if we can't get food in...water is most important. Also, he said if it was blocked then I would have thrown up any water that I tried to drink so I was fine. He told me to focus on ice chips to reduce the swelling inside. I had ice chips on the plane and half way home I felt relief. Had a sugar free fudge pop before bed and went to sleep without pain meds and slept on my stomach with no issues. Saturday, 09.26.08 Weight 249 Woke up with the first feeling of hunger. Have only been peeing with the exception of one bowel movement on Friday which I decided was my steak dinner from the night before surgery. I decided to weigh myself. 249. Wow, down 7 pounds from surgery day. It has to all be water but it's still weight I guess. I do sense a yeast infection coming on...good thing I planned ahead and have a one day treatment on hand. I think I'll wait another day or two to see if I'm right. I sip a half cup of Atkins protein shake at 8am then have a half a packet of cream of wheat with vanilla flavoring and a dash of splenda at 11am and I feel great. Getting use to the sipping of water though. At 4:45pm I am hungry again so I think I'll find something to eat. Maybe grits or tomato soup.

ok, so it's a few days after but today is the first day I've really had the energy to sit down and catch up. My last post was on the 21st so I'll fill in what has happened since then... Sunday, 09.21.08 The 21st was Sunday and I was eagerly awaiting surgery. I was also emailing some of the ladies that were having surgery during the week of the 23rd so that we could all meet up on Tuesday. Monday, 09.22.08 I was a zombie at work today just waiting out the time to go to Denver for surgery. Luckily I was able to get all of my important client requests done so I wouldn't have to worry about anything while I'm out this week. Doctor says I should be able to have surgery on Wednesday and be back to work on Monday. I hope he's right because I really don't want to have to take any more time off from work. I guess we'll see. I'm gathering instant cereal, mederma, gas x strips, pepto, liquid Tylenol (rapid blast), hygeine items, loose fitting clothing, my Burt's Bees chapstick, Atkins shakes, throat lozenges, and a heating pad because someone said it will come in handy. Tuesday, 09.23.08 Steve(hubby) and I go to the airport at 4am to catch a flight to Denver from Las Vegas. I'm feeling really excited and relieved to finally be on my way. I saved $6,500 since April for this and my loving husband paid the rest from his savings. It's been a long road but I'm finally made it. The flight went quick and we were there in about an hour. My mom flew in from Idaho to take care of me because Steve is a full time student and will need to spend most of the week doing his work. So, we meet up with mom and go to pick up the rental car I reserved which was Avis...and please don't rent a car from Avis in Denver. They didn't have what I reserved and instead offered me a Dodge piece of crap minivan with a 25 gallon tank. It smelled like smoke so bad that I went back in to ask for a new car. They obliged and I was on my way. What do ya know... the second van was worse. IT smelled like the Marlboro man smoked non-stop in the car from Michigan to Denver with the heat on. It was definitely ingrained into the seats and carpet and it was totally gross. We promptly went to Walmart to pick up some odor eliminator so we could stand to drive around in it... Anyway, we drove from the airport to Dr. K's office in Aurora for my pre-op appointment. It was pretty non-eventful. The nurse checked my height, weight, temperature, and asked me how much weight I lost on the pre-op diet. The answer was 16 pounds. Ten from practicing how to eat with the band (i.e. sips of water and not with food, as well as, chewing each bite 30 times and putting the fork down in between bites), then I lost another 8 with the low carb diet eating mostly beef and fish with 3-4 ounces of cheese a day, an occasional egg or two with cheese for breakfast, Starbucks latte's made with half and half and sugar free vanilla, and Atkins shakes and bars. Dr. K came in with some of his residents that were on rotation and he did a few checks to make sure that all was well and asked me how much weight I lost and said great. He didn't check my liver , just assumed that if I lost weight then I was fine for surgery. Funny thing, I asked his residents if they knew he was famous on the chat boards and they had no idea. Dr. K was obviously uncomfortable with anyone saying that he was a great doc. He totally downplayed every good thing I said to him which I thought was interesting. He explained the procedure for the next morning, gave me the prescriptions (Keflex is the antibiotic and tastes NASTY, liquid Hydrocodone which is the Lortab painkiller, anti nausea medicine, a suppository for hte night before-use it!, and that was it.) I went downstairs to the community pharmacy and got my prescription filled and was on my way in 15 minutes. I got everything in generic form via my insurance and paid $45. At 6:30pm I met up with the girls who were having surgery the same week at Ruby Tuesday's and we swapped stories of where we work, what Dr. K, Natalie, and Mary had told us on the phone prior to our deciding to have surgery and we talked about who was nervous about surgery. Strangely I was calm for the whole thing. After dinner, we headed back to the hotel and I went to bed around 10pm ready for the next day. Wednesday, 09.24.08 Weight 256 lbs. My mom, husband, and I headed to the Crown Point Surgery Center in parker for surgery. Arrived at 7:30am by the receptionist who assisted me in getting my paperwork in place. Within 5 minutes of completing paperwork, I was called back by the nurse to get ready for surgery. Everyone at the surgery center was really nice, my nurse especially. I think her name was Kris. She had me remove everything and gave me some nice warm slippers and a very roomy gown. I was on my period and was completely fine to wear the tampon which was a relief because I hate wearing pads and I was worried about that. Kris took my vitals, wrapped me in a warmed blanket, put on the mini compression stockings and began the anti-nausea medicine. She asked me to take a pepcid and another nausea medicine as well. She also put in my IV and then the OR nurse Carolyn and the Anesthesiologist came in to ask a few questions about history and allergies and to explain the process and then finally Dr. K came in and my husband and mom were able to come in and talk for a few minutes. He said he would call my mom or my husband when the surgery was over and would let them know they could come back in to see me. They wheeled me into the OR and said here we are and that is the last I remembered until some time later when I could tell I was in recovery but I couldn't move, speak, or open my eyes. I could hear the nurses buzzing around having conversations but I couldn't quite wake up. I was basically coming in and out of consciousness. After a half hour or forty five minutes I heard the nurse ask me if I was in pain and I said yes, a 6...take it from me you should say an 8 ..she gave me something stronger than morphine but it barely covered the pain. She gave me some ice chips and then she moved me over to the recliner area to finish waking up. As soon as I was in the recliner my husband and mom came in to sit with me and I was really glad because I couldn't do anything for myself. I was so thirsty and the ice chips were amazing. The nurse also gave me a popsicle as well. After I was fully awake, Dr. K came in to check on me just to make sure everything was fine. Once he stopped by I was wheeled out by the nurse and we were on our way back to the hotel room. I checked the incisions and I had a one inch incision about an inch and half below my bra line with another one that is longer (about an inch and a half) just below that one. Also, one on the right and left side of my stomach parallel with my belly button with one extra one on the left side for the liver retractor. Dr. used clear surgical adhesive and placed see thru dressings on so that you can see the incisions as they heal. Pretty cool. Once back to the hotel room, I went to bed and didn't get up until around 9pm. At that point I did a quick post to make sure everyone knew I was still alive and took some more painkiller and nausea medicine and went to bed. Had to sleep on my back to avoid pain from pushing on the incision sites. I kept the ice pack on all day and night also.

ok, so it's a few days after but today is the first day I've really had the energy to sit down and catch up. My last post was on the 21st so I'll fill in what has happened since then... Sunday, 09.21.08 The 21st was Sunday and I was eagerly awaiting surgery. I was also emailing some of the ladies that were having surgery during the week of the 23rd so that we could all meet up on Tuesday. Monday, 09.22.08 I was a zombie at work today just waiting out the time to go to Denver for surgery. Luckily I was able to get all of my important client requests done so I wouldn't have to worry about anything while I'm out this week. Doctor says I should be able to have surgery on Wednesday and be back to work on Monday. I hope he's right because I really don't want to have to take any more time off from work. I guess we'll see. I'm gathering instant cereal, mederma, gas x strips, pepto, liquid Tylenol (rapid blast), hygeine items, loose fitting clothing, my Burt's Bees chapstick, Atkins shakes, throat lozenges, and a heating pad because someone said it will come in handy. Tuesday, 09.23.08 Steve(hubby) and I go to the airport at 4am to catch a flight to Denver from Las Vegas. I'm feeling really excited and relieved to finally be on my way. I saved $6,500 since April for this and my loving husband paid the rest from his savings. It's been a long road but I'm finally made it. The flight went quick and we were there in about an hour. My mom flew in from Idaho to take care of me because Steve is a full time student and will need to spend most of the week doing his work. So, we meet up with mom and go to pick up the rental car I reserved which was Avis...and please don't rent a car from Avis in Denver. They didn't have what I reserved and instead offered me a Dodge piece of crap minivan with a 25 gallon tank. It smelled like smoke so bad that I went back in to ask for a new car. They obliged and I was on my way. What do ya know... the second van was worse. IT smelled like the Marlboro man smoked non-stop in the car from Michigan to Denver with the heat on. It was definitely ingrained into the seats and carpet and it was totally gross. We promptly went to Walmart to pick up some odor eliminator so we could stand to drive around in it... Anyway, we drove from the airport to Dr. K's office in Aurora for my pre-op appointment. It was pretty non-eventful. The nurse checked my height, weight, temperature, and asked me how much weight I lost on the pre-op diet. The answer was 16 pounds. Ten from practicing how to eat with the band (i.e. sips of water and not with food, as well as, chewing each bite 30 times and putting the fork down in between bites), then I lost another 8 with the low carb diet eating mostly beef and fish with 3-4 ounces of cheese a day, an occasional egg or two with cheese for breakfast, Starbucks latte's made with half and half and sugar free vanilla, and Atkins shakes and bars. Dr. K came in with some of his residents that were on rotation and he did a few checks to make sure that all was well and asked me how much weight I lost and said great. He didn't check my liver , just assumed that if I lost weight then I was fine for surgery. Funny thing, I asked his residents if they knew he was famous on the chat boards and they had no idea. Dr. K was obviously uncomfortable with anyone saying that he was a great doc. He totally downplayed every good thing I said to him which I thought was interesting. He explained the procedure for the next morning, gave me the prescriptions (Keflex is the antibiotic and tastes NASTY, liquid Hydrocodone which is the Lortab painkiller, anti nausea medicine, a suppository for hte night before-use it!, and that was it.) I went downstairs to the community pharmacy and got my prescription filled and was on my way in 15 minutes. I got everything in generic form via my insurance and paid $45. At 6:30pm I met up with the girls who were having surgery the same week at Ruby Tuesday's and we swapped stories of where we work, what Dr. K, Natalie, and Mary had told us on the phone prior to our deciding to have surgery and we talked about who was nervous about surgery. Strangely I was calm for the whole thing. After dinner, we headed back to the hotel and I went to bed around 10pm ready for the next day. Wednesday, 09.24.08 Weight 256 lbs. My mom, husband, and I headed to the Crown Point Surgery Center in parker for surgery. Arrived at 7:30am by the receptionist who assisted me in getting my paperwork in place. Within 5 minutes of completing paperwork, I was called back by the nurse to get ready for surgery. Everyone at the surgery center was really nice, my nurse especially. I think her name was Kris. She had me remove everything and gave me some nice warm slippers and a very roomy gown. I was on my period and was completely fine to wear the tampon which was a relief because I hate wearing pads and I was worried about that. Kris took my vitals, wrapped me in a warmed blanket, put on the mini compression stockings and began the anti-nausea medicine. She asked me to take a pepcid and another nausea medicine as well. She also put in my IV and then the OR nurse Carolyn and the Anesthesiologist came in to ask a few questions about history and allergies and to explain the process and then finally Dr. K came in and my husband and mom were able to come in and talk for a few minutes. He said he would call my mom or my husband when the surgery was over and would let them know they could come back in to see me. They wheeled me into the OR and said here we are and that is the last I remembered until some time later when I could tell I was in recovery but I couldn't move, speak, or open my eyes. I could hear the nurses buzzing around having conversations but I couldn't quite wake up. I was basically coming in and out of consciousness. After a half hour or forty five minutes I heard the nurse ask me if I was in pain and I said yes, a 6...take it from me you should say an 8 ..she gave me something stronger than morphine but it barely covered the pain. She gave me some ice chips and then she moved me over to the recliner area to finish waking up. As soon as I was in the recliner my husband and mom came in to sit with me and I was really glad because I couldn't do anything for myself. I was so thirsty and the ice chips were amazing. The nurse also gave me a popsicle as well. After I was fully awake, Dr. K came in to check on me just to make sure everything was fine. Once he stopped by I was wheeled out by the nurse and we were on our way back to the hotel room. I checked the incisions and I had a one inch incision about an inch and half below my bra line with another one that is longer (about an inch and a half) just below that one. Also, one on the right and left side of my stomach parallel with my belly button with one extra one on the left side for the liver retractor. Dr. used clear surgical adhesive and placed see thru dressings on so that you can see the incisions as they heal. Pretty cool. Once back to the hotel room, I went to bed and didn't get up until around 9pm. At that point I did a quick post to make sure everyone knew I was still alive and took some more painkiller and nausea medicine and went to bed. Had to sleep on my back to avoid pain from pushing on the incision sites. I kept the ice pack on all day and night also.