An awesome weekend!

So, the end of last week was not looking to promising..but then on Friday I spoke with Dr. Robinson and he said it would be okay to start the mushy food diet. On Friday night, while we were working a photo booth gig – I had my first food in a week and a half. Chicken Soup! It was wonderful!! Then on Saturday, I really started. I’m allowed to have things like Applesauce, mashed carrots, mashed potatoes, sugar free pudding, mashed bananas, 2oz of chicken, tuna or turkey, cheese – that’s about it..but man is it good!

So, I made it through the weekend– until Sunday. We went to a wedding and during the ceremony I was in such agonizing gas pain Austin recommended I take the pain medication. Well, I thought he meant the oxycodone and he meant the tylenol..so as we are driving to the reception I’m like about to pass out. I was super dizzy. So dizzy that when I got out of the car I nearly fell down. We get into the reception and I’m now feeling nauseas (sp?). I tell austin that I think he needs to give me the nausea medicine (see a few posts earlier about that..but it’s not pleasant and it’s not given orally ) So, obviously we are in a public place and he can’t go in the ladies room. We put our heads together and came up with the u-haul trailer!! We had rented a trailer because our friends (whose wedding were were at) had also wanted the photo booth. So we climbed in the trailer – I got the medicine and all was wonderful!!! hahahaha!!

Yesterday, we spent the day at the pool in the sun so that was nice. My incisions are healing up quite nicely and I’m really feeling great! Although, I am a little bummed that everyone isn’t like “have you lost weight?” Everyone at my work keeps telling me I am – but we went to two bbq’s over the weekend and people told Austin that he looked like he had lost weight! Oh well! I have a year to go – and it’s only been two weeks. I have plenty of time!

a few good days..and then a few bad..

So, I started feeling much better on Tuesday/Wednesday. Then on Thursday, the gas appeared again and the bloating and the trips to the bathroom. I emailed the nutrionist and she said for me to stop having milk based protein shakes – so I did that. I’m still having the trouble.

So, I called Dr. Robinson’s office yesterday afternoon – left a message – no call back. So, I called the emergency number on his card and got transferred to a woman who said she worked with him. She went over my symptoms and then said, “I might have an infection and to call Dr. R in the morning.” Who says that??? Now, I had to worry the night away that I had an infection. So, I went home and took a nap.

This morning, I got up and made 5 of the same protein drink, Isopure, which is supposed to be the best lactose-free drink out there. I’ve had one this morning and I already had some gas. So, I called Dr. R’s office again, and then I got a call back. Jennifer took all of my information and said he would call me. He called 5 minutes later. I went over everything with him and he said, some people just can’t take the protein shakes and for me to cut down to half of the protein shakes and start eating some soups. He also said I could start taking my crohn’s medicine again – maybe that will help settle my stomach. So, I’m going to finish my day of protein shakes and then try the soup tomorrow. We’ll see what happens.

back to work..

sucked! I should have taken a few more days. Although, I made it through most of the day until about 3pm – when I got hit with the most unbelievable gas pain ever! I knew it was gas pain because I burped and was relieved momentarily. ugh! Why?!? and I left the gas-x at home. I wish there was a way to make yourself burp other than drinking carbonated beverages because as we know, I can’t.

The tylenol liquid seems to be working quite well. Although, I’m still taking the oxycontin for sleeping..I just can’t get through the night.

I also think I’m starting to get hungry. I’m sticking to my shakes and liquid but I’ve added jello in now. Sugar free is allowed.

Tomorrow…

I am not looking forward to going into work. I just don’t think I’m ready. I technically only took 4 days to recover and they say it takes 5. I would take the day off except we are getting ready for a pitch and we have to practice tomorrow. My goal is to practice, get a bit of other work done and get out of there!

The protein shakes are going okay. I’m starting to think I need to stick with the lactose free ones because they don’t seem to upset my stomach – which is still gassy by the way. I’m not sure exactly how long the gas is supposed to last but I wish it would hurry up and go away.

My pain is worst in the morning and in the early part of the day. As the day goes on – it gets better which should make getting up for work and real pain!

More to come!

I’m banded!!

So, I had my surgery on Wednesday! Everything went great for the most part. Wednesday around 11:30am I got up to the room and wasn’t in to much pain – I later found out that is because I was mostly still under anesthesia. Around 4pm – I tried to get up and go to the bathroom – BAD idea. I was instantaneously queezy. The gave me some medicine for nausea. Aus and mom left around 8pm..I watched American Idol – poor Danny . Then tried to doze off. Around 12:30 my roomate had some cardiac problem and the next thing I know the room is filled with all kinds of people and they are hooking her up to machines and it was quite a to-do. arund 2:30am I got back to be until 4am. At 4am, I got up, went to the bathroom and made my first walk around the floor. It was pretty good and I still wasn’t in to much pain. Fast forward to about 7:30am – the gas pain decided to be knows. HOLY HELL!! I never knew gas could feel like this and it’s not just gas I can pass. Because they filled me with CO2 – the gas is in my cavity. I’m still trying to get it out 3 days later.

So, we spent most of the day on Thursday in the hospital – if you are friends with me on facebook you’ve seen what they did to my arm. I woke up from surgery and looks like someone to a baseball bat to my arm! and it’s not even where my IV was. I got to come home aroun 5:30pm on Thursday night. I pretty much went right to bed, until about 12:30am when I woke up in a dead sweat, dry heaving. Austin gave me some more pain meds and also some medication for nausea. They want you to avoid throwing up at all costs because it can cause your band to slip.

Yesterday, was my first day up and about. We ran a few errands including a trip to Cambridge Eye Doctors for me to get new glasses and contacts. The whole time I was in gettng the exam, you should have heard the noises the gas was making. The eye doctor kept looking and me and I was like, “I can’t help it!”. I did take a nap and then was up for a few more hours before bed. Woke up this morning around 7:30am – again not great. I haven’t mastered the sleeping part yet. This is going to be a little difficult to work out I think! I have a few errands to run with my mom and then I’ll be laying low.

We have a photo booth gig tonight which Austin is going to work with my friend Renee! Very exciting. We’ve hired someone!

Here is a pic of my incisions – I got 6.

This time tomorrow…

I’ll be recovering from surgery. If I make it to then – which of course I will. I really have to stop procrastinating. I have so much to accomplish this evening for BOTH jobs. It will be a miracle if I complete it all – but as Austin points out – I’m not going to be in a coma for the next 5 days. He thinks I will be up and about tomorrow afternoon. We will see about that. I have the pain threshold of a 5 year old.

So, I took my measurements this morning – haven’t checked my weight lately because at the Dr. they said to only measure my weight there. So, all I know so far is that I’m down 7 lbs.

But here is the rundown.

On 4/28                                                 On 5/11

Bust: 44                                                 Bust: 44 (at least my boobs aren’t shrinking )

Waist: 46                                               Waist: 44

Hips: 53                                                 Hips: 51

Thigh: 31.5                                           Thigh: 29

Arm: 15                                                 Arm: 15

I guess this is what two weeks of a liquid diet will do to ya!

I’ll try to post tomorrow after surgery.

Day 7 of the pre-op diet.. I didn’t lose my 4lbs!

I LOST SEVEN!!! I can’t believe that just drinking protein shakes, having two servings of fruit and 4 oz of lean protein can make you drop weight that fast. lol! I went to the Dr. this morning and he was very pleased with my progress. Therefore, I have the green light for May 13th!

I’m actually enjoying the protein shakes. My fav’s so far are obviously Carnation Instant Breakfast (yum!) and the Atkins shakes (Strawberry preferably!). I also really like this kind I found on the internet, Unjury. Also, good and inexpensive. Now for the so so ones. Trader Joe’s World Pure Protein is okay as long as you pour it out of the can. Glucerna is also okay but not nearly filling enough. I dislike the EASCarbControl. Tastes like water with a hint of milk.

I’m also really enjoying fresh vegatables – green pepper, red pepper, onion and green beans chopped and cooked in a little olive oil..yum! yum! We also made a pork loin with a recipe we found online. It called for rubbing ground cumin and parmesean on the loin…YUCK! I do not like ground cumin I have decided – neither did Austin. The pork was good and we will have it again, just with a different prep method. Onward and upward!