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Blawndy

LAP-BAND Patients

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Blog Entries posted by Blawndy

  2. Breaking all the rules

    · Blawndy · 04/26/2010 02:46

    Well, I'm at the 1 mont post surgery point and lost just a little weight. To be honest, I've been breaking most if not all of the rules the doctor's office sets. Most of their eating rules for hte first month appear to me to be health and weight loss related, not just band issue related. I've been going more with foods that seem to be easiest to get down and listening to advice of other banders.
    If I ate only what the nutritionist said I could eat, I would not have much selectoin. I'm picky as it is to begin with.
    For example... they say no white starches, no pasta, no potatoes, etc. Well, a baked potato with some shredded cheese is one of mh favorites & it goes down pretty easy with the band. So, yeah, I had some baked potatoes. And I've had sushi rolls which go down really well for me (right now anyway). Among other things. Like they say no red meat for 1 month post surgery. I broke that rule and the no raw veggies rule too.
    I have not been working out either. I know, I am a total slacker, but I was just worrying about getting food chewed well and not getting stuck, healing up, etc.
    I am still tender where the port is. Seriously, that better go away or stop. I'm a little freaked out about the port being tehre anyway, and I went to support meeting where a girl had surgery a few yrs ago, lost weight, and has a golf ball sized bulge where her port is. Like very visible. I do not want that. That was/is one of my biggest worries about all of this. That I'll lose weight & I'll have this huge bulge there that is totally grotesque.
    Anyway, there is definately a difference in how much I can eat. Since the surgery, I've been eating about 1/2 to 3/4 of what I used to. I can tell the restricted feeling eased off a little the fruther away I got from the surgery.
    I've lost from 8-11 lbs so far and go in this Thursday for my first fill.
    I'm not in a race to lose this weight. I realize it will be a slow processs, like 1-2 lbs per week will be just fine for me. I am going to start up the exercise again now though. And I know that will really speed up the weight loss too.
  3. I have a desk job, on the computer & phones all day. I was feeling pretty confident that I would be ok at work today. Well..... not so much. I did remember to bring a pillow to wedge between my sore belly & the seatbelt & I am sure that helped a lot!
    So, my chair at work is el cheapo chair that sort of leans back even though it's not supposed to. I have tried all forms of back supports without success, but did put that pillow on my back to help me sit upright.
    My left shoulder hurt soooooooooo bad!!!! It was awful. All the typing, stamping papers, and pulling & shuffling files was painful.
    Did I mention I'm left handed? I think that makes it worse. (port on the left side)
    I think make another post about being left handed.
     
    Anyway, I had taken tylenol this am before leaving hte house. Pain was so bad, I had to take the 'good stuff' by 9am. That got me thru rest of the day. I picked up some adult liquid tylenol immediately leaving work & took a shot of that for the ride home (I have a 45 minute commute-that's 1 way).
     
    All day I felt cold but sweaty and in fact my head & back were sweating. I'm pretty sure I must have had a low fever. Nice. I also couldn't talk as long. I had to keep taking breathes sooner than usual. I did drink a high calorie Ensure kind of thing with my lunch since I haven't been eating much (on the good side, I have not been hungry or starving). .... just in case energy was an issue. I mean, we have to some calories to have energy, right?
     
    I'm home & ready to relax now. I hope all out there are doing well. And I hope someone is getting some use out of my blogs. Like I did when I was reading other's blogs.
  4. Well, first of all, it never occurred to me to ask my Dr to place my port on the right side. She always does the left side so I figured go with what is normal for her. That could have been a mistake.
     
    In the hospital:
    Right hand/arm:
    - IV catheter- if you're left handed they place your IV catheter on your right hand. Mine was on the back of my hand, not up towards the wrist.
    - the oxygen (pulse oximeter?) thing was taped to my 2nd finger on the right hand.
     
    Left hand/arm:
    - blood pressure cuff on upper arm (all night!!)
     
    Port/incisions:
    Left side: most painful side, port site, excrutiating pain on the left side when raising up, lying down, trying to use left arm to prop or move myself
     
    Rigt side: fine, almost no pain, wouldn't even know I had surgery on that side of my body, can barely feel where incision is; easy to use right arm to prop or move or pull myself up
     
    So here's the lefty dilemma: one of the worst pains I had was trying to wipe after going to the bathroom. Of course I use my left hand normally but bending over that way was terrible pain! I had no choice but to use my right hand (not an easy task on a normal day!!). It was hard to lean back on teh seat since they have that cup right there to measure all your output....so I learned how to stand/crouch and wipe with my right hand.
    Remember that IV cath & thing taped to my finger all on that right hand? Uh huh, that added to the difficulty level. And I was peeing like every 2 hrs at least.
     
    And during that time & ever since the left side & shoulder are still the most painful. If the port was placed on the right side would all of these issues be resolved? Woudl I still have left shoulder pain? Should I have asked for the IV cath & oxygen thing to be put on my left hand?
     
    Just somethign to think about if you happen to be reading all this before your surgery :thumbup:
  5. I'm on day 3 post op today. I felt like I was 14 months pregnant, until I finally passed some gas. I didn't think that could have been the issue as the I figured it was the gas/air they put in the abdomin for the surgery, which I think it was. But passing gas the 'usual' way helped A LOT!!!! I did take a chewable gas ex yesterday with my lunch time broth so by end of day I was feeling really good and even better today. Now I just have basic soreness/aches.
     
    I felt totally full and last thing I wanted was to eat or drink anything else to make my belly stretch even more. But I did keep drinking & actually felt better after eating my broth.
     
    I was freaking yesterday b/c I kept feeling a tightness in my throat and wasn't sure if it was the gas floating up there, a need to burp, or a need to throw up. I want to avoid vomiting at allll costs!! Now I'm pretty sure it was the air/gas floating up. I only felt it when I was standing or walking.
     
    So yesterday morning was my worst day, but I started feeling really good by the afternoon. I'm thinking (hoping) it will be down hill from here. Yay :sad:
     
    I haven't been craving foods too much, but my fabulous dad & stepmom have had my 10 yr old son with them since my surgery. So I haven't had to be around or smell any foods either. When I start thinking about it I kind of crave stuff, but so far, not too bad. I think hte bloated belly kept me from wanting foods too!!
     
    I gained like 6 pounds after the IV fluids in the hospital, but today I'm down 2 lbs from my original weight. Of course, once I start eating real foods, I would expect it to go up again. I'm not too worried about that part right now anyway.
     
    Although I feel pretty good, I am still taking my liquid hydrocodone (vicodin?) on a regular basis. And since the early am is the worst, I kept it by my bed last night so when I got up to use the restroom this morning at 4am, I took a dose right then. I might be ok without it, but I figure being as pain free as possible for as long as possible is a good idea :blushing: I have to go back to work on Monday, so I'll have to stop the good rx tomorrow anyway so I can drive. As long as the gas pain doesn't get worse, I think I'll be just fine for work. (just a desk job on the phone and computer all day).
     
    Ok, I've written like a whole book here, but this is very therapuetic for me. I used to ignore most clothing ads & commercials & stuff, but I am already paying a lot of attention to them now. Wondering when I'll be wearing those skinny girl clothes. I can see that shopping for clothes may become my new addiction !!!

  6. suurgery tomorrow

    · Blawndy · 03/24/2010 00:39

    Surgery is tomorrow. Just added a weight ticker on my signature, hopefully. Want to see if it worked. Drank the magnesium citrate a few hrs ago but not happening yet. Lots of grumbling. I'm hoping it kicks in soon, b/c I do not want to be up in the middle of the night.

  7. Broth suggestions

    · Blawndy · 03/06/2010 01:54

    I'm about 3 weeks from my surgery date. Yay! I'm nervous & excited. I am trying to figure out this website, navigation is a little tough. This is a test - see if I have figured out how to post a blog!
    Anyone have some good broth suggestions? Supposed to have only that and jello 3 days post surgery & after fills. I can't believe eating/drinking just plain chicken broth from a can would be any good. I guess I should look up some recipes & try some out before the surgery.
    If you have some suggestions, please let me know!!!

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