Well... here I am - on the eve of everything I've been thinking about for the last 4 months (6 years and 4 months). Reading through the site has given me a great deal of steadiness. I have to speak power and success into this process... not fear. So I'm glad to have you all to mentally lean on while I walk down this path.

The surgery is at 7:30 AM and we have to report at 5:30AM and the hospital is about an hour away. So we'll be leaving the house at 4 AM. Because of that we set the baby up to get some sleep with Grandma downstairs so that she didn't feel the shift of having to go down there at 4AM.

My mother in law who is an old school West Indian woman ( just like my mom was ) said ... "is this absolutely necessary?" And I know what she was saying. In our cultures... will power is supposed to prevail and you're supposed to win that way. And I said to her, "If I'd like to live longer than my mom did and avoid the same pitfalls and tack on a few more years to this life for that little girl right there... then YES. It is absolutely necessary - because nothing else worked yet." And she was actually satisfied with that response (which I was surprised about).

I'm gonna go lay my head down for a few hours before we make the trek to the future! Here's to dreams of success!

... And to all a Good Night!

@@The Icy One You crack me up with that *ss Hose comment LOLOL But now that I'm thinking of it... You said you had hot liquids (tea? coffee?) cause as soon as I had my tea this morning I felt the rumblings and it was hose time. LOL

So you used heat on your incisions? Is that okay? cause I'll throw a heat pad on these jammies in a MINUTE. I just didn't want to slow the healing process

@@NolansNana I'm actually not pressed to get the prescrip meds. I don't medicate heavily at all and when they gave me the liquid tylenol intravenously yesterday it was heaven. I just wanted to have it on hand - but if no one has it... then so be it. It's just super sore right now.

Does today count as "Day 2" or is this officially "Day 1"? I ask because i read a lot about "Day 3" and I'm trying to brace myself LOL

If its ok with your Dr., try hot tea with a little honey. It's my " cure all " for everything. Congrats on being banded ! Best thing I ever did ! I just followed my Dr.s orders 95 % of the time, and the weight fell off with no problems . Hope all goes smoothly for you too , take it easy !! Congrats again !!

No heat on the incisions yet! Used ice for a few days. Heat on my shoulder. Glad your doing good!

@@pink dahlia Thank you so much. I had a cup of tea with some lemon puree i made this morning and packet of splenda and everything seems fine. I have no intention of this whole thing NOT working. So I'm doing all that I can.

@@NolansNana Oh... WHOOPS *whips heat pad under the bed before NolansNana sees* WHEW. It was feeling kind of nice but i'll switch to ice (that rhymed LOL)

Thanks!

Lol your welcome luv..heat my aggravate it.

@@Lite'N'Sweet: CONGRATULATIONS! So happy for you......you are going to do beautifully. You have such a great attitude. Hope you're able to take it easy this weekend. I found the walking really helped so much. I liked my Popsicles a lot and I am a tea drinker so I pounded that down. I had a heating pad, too, and used ice a few times on the largest incision where the port is. Like others I filled a prescription and never opened it. I am glad I didn't use it because as it was I got very constipated and finally had to take something day four or five. Even with the discomfort post-surgery and hen the learning curve I have loved every single minute of being banded. I am just so happy. The weight loss is great of course but it's more than that. It's the strength I feel having defeated the appetite monster and the reclaiming of my life. It was so powerful to show up for myself in this way. Be proud of yourself because you are amazing and you've given yourself this gift of a healthy future. Way to go! And have fun with that baby, lucky lucky. Mine is all grown up!

Thank you @@Bandista !! I'm just muddling through today. Gas is my biggest issue today. Just rumbling through my abdomen. I am going to go for a walk in a little bit to see if I can work it down and see if I can pick up some gas relief that is in liquid form.

Hunger is starting to set in. I keep thinking about food but there is a rather abrupt stop to those thoughts now that I can't fulfill them or even take anything else in to satisfy it all. Just Water, tea, broth. Hopefully tomorrow and the following days might be the worst of it and then I'll be done with that hump.

I'm so glad that you aren't in a lot of pain..I know how your feeling. First phase of liquids is rough but its temporary. Hope you have a good night.

Okay - I'm going to call this Day 2. Not counting the surgery day as an official day 1.

Last night was pretty tough because the gas... I mean... c'mon. It was just gurgling through me but there wasn't any real relief if I released it... it just made new gas. So I think that's topic #1 I'll bring up to the doctor once I call through tomorrow. Gas X didn't help because I think once it's in the large intestines there isn't much it can do to help.

I'm starting to feel something when I swallow now. Almost feels like a little lump in my throat. I'm wondering if that is the band. And I have a little tight spot in my chest a little to the left. I guess since the swelling is finally going down, my body is taking inventory of all these new little parts to me.

The sore throat is all but gone except for a tiny bit of phlegm that keeps lingering at the back of my throat no matter what I do. I suspect that will go away soon enough too.

Doing my best to stay away from the scale. I'll let the doctor weigh me in this week.

I did experience tightening in my chest when I swallowed. Definitely ask your Dr though. I didn't get much gas relief either. I used gas x and phasyme. Hope you feel better soon!