It's Done!

It's done!!!!  I got banded yesterday morning at 9:16a.m.  I think I shall dub my new partner in weight loss Fiona.  Why?  Not so sure.  I just like that name.  Sounds foreign - like this thing in my body.  And seems like a good fightin' name.

The whole process wasn't so bad.  I think the 3-day clear liquid diet was actually more of a drag than the procedure itself.  I expected to be much more nervous than I was but I had my mother along to keep me company while I waited.  Why, oh why, does the doctor make you come in 3 HOURS before surgery???  I sat in the waiting room for over an hour before being taken back to get prepped (thank god for trashy magazines).  In the prep room I had to disrobe (everything) and put on the lovely, starchy hospital gown (I swear they are made of curtain fabric).  The the nurse inserted my IV line and hooked me up to a bag of saline and antibiotics.  She also asked a series of questions I am sure I have answered at least 5 times before but at least it helped pass the time. A phlebotomist came in to take some blood and then I was rolled upstairs to another pre-op waiting room for additional waiting.  As I waited for my doctor to come in, I got to hear the doctors talking to the patients next to me and across from me.  One older lady was having some kind of bowel surgery that - if unsuccessful - was going to cause the surgeon to attach a colostomy bag to her (how distressing!).  The guy across from me was having a hip replacement.  I almost felt frivolous having my surgery.  It makes me feel incredibly grateful that overall I am pretty healthy and that what ails me is quite curable.

Finally the doctor came in to see if I had any last minute questions - which I of course forgot.  I asked him a couple of questions about the post-surgery diet.  I had read somewhere that you shouldn't eat hot soup for 4 days post-surgery but he said I could.  Yay!  I love cream of tomato soup.  What I did forget to do was confirm that he was putting in the low-profile port.  I sure hope he remembered cause it's done now!  Then the anesthesiologist came in to ask more questions and see if I had any for him.  Finally, the 2 surgical nurses came in to roll me into the operating room.  I moved onto the operating table and they got me all situated.  Then the anesthesiologist said he was going to give me something to relax me (didn't even ask me to count down) and I swear I was out in 15 minutes.

The next thing I know, I am waking up in recovery and being asked things I don't remember.  I think my mom was there though.  I dozed off and on for a couple of hours it seems like and then they sent me down to pre-admitting again to complete my recovery.  I was able to dress and the nurse came in periodically to have me get up and walk around.  Finally, when I appeared "with-it" enough, they gave me my discharge paper and my husband came to pick me up.

We stopped to pick up my prescription for Vicodin and headed home (probably around 3:30 p.m.).  I grabbed a pre-chilled protein drink from the fridge (Muscle Milk) because I was starving (or so I thought, it's hard to distinguish from the stomach pain) and sipped a little.  But I ended up going back to sleep and napping off and on til about 6:30.  Finally, I woke up long enough to watch Dexter with my husband but decided that was all I could do last night and I took myself to bed.  I did walk around a little bit first and used my spirometer as ordered by the doc.  I slept with my feet elevated above my chest as recommended.

What I am finding amazing is that I have not (knocking on wood right now) suffered from any gas bubble pains (my biggest fear).  I have had them before when I had a laporoscopy and they are miserable.  I had asked my doctors office what to do about them and they had said that walking around and laying down with my feet elevated above my chest was the best thing I could do.  Note taken and followed!

I am feeling pretty good this morning.  I do have stomach pain and I am distended from the procedure.  I took my gummy multi-vitamin this morning and 2 Vicodin.  For breakfast I had 6 oz. of Greek yogurt and made sure it took me 20 minutes to eat it.  I think that has quelled the hunger.

So, that's my story.  My journey has begun.  I am excited and a little nervous.  I feel like this is my last ditch effort to get this weight off and keep it off.  I know that I will need to be vigilant for the rest of my life and I hope that Fiona is up for fighting the good fight with me.

Thanks for reading - if there is anyone out there.  I appreciate all the support and good words.