I had to see my gastric doc today even though I've been avoiding her since I had my first colonoscopy 2 years ago, a colonoscopy that was never satisfactorily completed. This was the colonoscopy from hell. It appears that I have an unusually long and twisty colon and the team that was hanging out inside my butt was not at all generous with the kind of meds that are supposed to keep the whole experience light and fun. Anyhow, they never did manage to see the end of my colon even though they made a number of runs at it and kept me in the colon room for a really long time. (I know that they kept me there for an abnormally long time because the recovery nurse told me so.)

The upshot of the failed colonoscopy was that she wanted me to have a barium enema. Her office made the appointment. I cancelled. I was traumatised, you see.

So since my last visit my kid brother has died of bowel cancer and that increases my own odds exponentially and I have an enlarged liver to boot.

I had to see her today and I had to tell her about the lapband. Turns out that I am her first ever lapband patient. She knew nothing much about it. And because I am not morbidly obese, she wanted to know why I didn't just diet and exercise. Why did I spend 16Gs on surgery? She was starting to treat me like a nut. I was starting to feel like a nut and defensive as well.

Then she feels my liver and boy does it feel fat! It seems that fat people often have fat livers. Mine is a monster! It is almost a third over sized. I am horrified by the news about my liver. As for my bowel, I feel kinda casual. This doc is interested in 'em both but more interested in the bowel.

Going to a specialist is always stressful but I guess I found that I was extra stressed by having to both explain and defend my choice of weight loss surgery over simple diet and exercise. To tell you the truth, this left a bit of a foul taste in my mouth. I did let her push my port though. :rolleyes

Have u tried to eat yet? do you think you have any restriciton yet? It really sucks when youve been a good girl and no weight is lost!!!!(except for the burger! hehehe At least youre in onderland!WOOOHOOOOO And your not balding (like me ) That poor girl. I wonder if she has other issues like thyroid or something.

I think that I am going to make another appointment for a fill. The fill tech gave me her card. I don't think that I am in the sweet spot zone. *sob*

Today I had my morning meds and a small tin of tuna with no problems. I hope the damn thing isn't leaking.... I am about to make myself a small dinner snack: an avocado with salsa and extra tomato. Later on I will have my second small dinner snack. I don't know what this will be. Maybe tzatziki or maybe poached eggs with salsa and cheddar cheese? The poached egg thingy I do in the microwave.

green, do they remove the saline during your fill to see how many cc's are there? They should, this way you know if your leaking. I'm pretty sure your not, it will be just that magic cc you hit. Sooner or later (hopefully sooner)

I don't think she removes the saline. But I do think that I now have some restriction...finally! Just not quite enough, perhaps.

You should really ask if they do, or if they will... they've got to have some idea how much is REALLY in you band. Even I lost 0.1cc after my first fill (osmosis or something not to worry about), but if they had not found that our by removing all the saline to ensure how much was in there, I'd think I was at 1.5, when I would really be at 1.4 :omg:

LOL, not a big deal, but it could add up! Anyways, what if someone missed or something once, and you didn't get a whole fill amount in your band at all one time? You could have 5cc instead of 6!

p.s. you talking about avocado made me go out and buy one (I'd forgotten about 'em!)... I had a shrimp salad IN an avocado once, mmm... that would be good. I could eat the avocado by itself, but I'd like to eat something in it, a dip maybe?

I love guacamole. I mix it on my plate with refried bean and rice and salsa. Yum.

Oooh... me too. That's what I'd forgotten, that it was good for anything BESIDES quacamole!

Avocado is nice eaten with a vinaigrette. You can make one by mixing together Dijon mustard, wine vinaigar and extra virgin olive oil.

I think I might have some restriction. I ate at a Japanese restaurant yesterday. I ordered the small (and cheap lunch) plate. :bolt: Towards the end of the meal the food was feeling a little golfball-y. It was hard to stop eating, though. :cry The food was pretty good.:hungry:

One good thing about the band - I would have ordered much more food pre-banding - and I would have eaten it all!:clap2:

Mmmmm the shrimp thing sounds good Mandi!!

Careful green, you'r apt to go racing to the washroom sliming all the way.....(hey, we could make up a new line in jingle bells 'sliming all the way'). What I like to do green is order what I think I want, which is always waaaaayyyy tooooo much, then take home leftovers. Sometimes my leftovers lasts for days.

Today I went out for lunch again. I ordered a lunch combo plate at the local Chinese restaurant. I couldn't eat it all. In the old days I would have wolfed it all down.

Mandi I've had avocado on a veggie sandwich. Tomato cukes and avocado. It is so buttery tasting it makes up for no butter or may.

green...it's never supposed to be "fun" but it really is a great test because early detection of colon cancer results in a very very good long term prognosis. People don't have to die from colon cancer, it is one of the more "treatable" cancers out there as long as people use the tools for early detection. Actually in most cases people don't mind the procedure at all! Diladid is a wonderful drug and I just thank God it's not available on teh market as a recreational drug!! ahaha...Don't put off your scope anyone...It would really suck to wind up with a late stage colon cancer just because you're a little apprehensive or uncomfortable! We should never discourage others from getting this test!!

Actually I am scheduled for another colonoscopy in February. She promised me that it wouldn't hurt this time around. She is going to use a pediatric scope and she is going to give me better dope than she did the last time. And I have an appt to have my great big fat liver looked at in January. Fun stuff in the new year, eh!:phanvan