Hello All, sorry for the long delay on this post. I've been traveling a lot lately, including a trip to Rome, Italy. My recovery continues to go well. I have my appointment to get my first fill this week. At that point, things should get more interesting. I've been cheating a fair amount with all the travel, so I'm really excited about the first fill keeping me honest again.
I will report on the first fill experience soon.....
08 June 2008
30 April 2008
SUSHI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
After two VERY long weeks, I have returned to eating real food today. I'm taking it slow, as the next two weeks is a transitional soft food stage. However, in addition to two 50 calorie string cheeses, I visited my favorite sushi bar. I enjoyed 4 pieces of Sake sashimi (i.e. salmon) and about 10 pods worth of edamame. It was....glorious.
28 April 2008
Let Hunger Reign
I am hungry enough to sell my first born child for a cheeseburger.
At this point, the lap band is providing essentially no restriction (I won't have my first fill for a few more weeks), so I feel like I am starving to death. They aren't kidding when they say that this surgery requires a commitment from you to be successful. At the same time, it is working, and on Thursday I can start eating sushi again!
Exercise is also hugely important, and I've been trying my best. I purchased a treadmill (mostly because I hate nature) and am up to 20 minutes a day so far. My eventual goal is to do 30 minutes a day at a brisk walk. In the LONG term, I hope to jog for 30 minutes a day.
Sigh. I'm going to go eat another sugar free popsicle and wish it was from Graeter's.
At this point, the lap band is providing essentially no restriction (I won't have my first fill for a few more weeks), so I feel like I am starving to death. They aren't kidding when they say that this surgery requires a commitment from you to be successful. At the same time, it is working, and on Thursday I can start eating sushi again!
Exercise is also hugely important, and I've been trying my best. I purchased a treadmill (mostly because I hate nature) and am up to 20 minutes a day so far. My eventual goal is to do 30 minutes a day at a brisk walk. In the LONG term, I hope to jog for 30 minutes a day.
Sigh. I'm going to go eat another sugar free popsicle and wish it was from Graeter's.
First Two Weeks
The first couple days after surgery were somewhat unpleasant. I was allowed to eat full liquids after the first day (protein drinks, pudding, strained soups, milk, and the like). The main goal was to consume at least 60 grams of protein each day, while also taking a multivitamin and a calcium supplement.
The pain subsided after a few days, and I stopped taking the heavy drugs after about 5 days at home. I've heard that some patients stop even sooner, and I probably could have.
I had some mild nausea, but was able to avoid vomiting (which is very important to allow the stomach to heal) by eating slowly and taking it easy.
I went back to work 8 days after surgery. I probably could have gone back sooner if it had been urgent.
Today, 28 April 2008, I returned to the doctor for my first checkup. I am now down 33 pounds since I started the preoperative diet. I will continue to document new events in my lap band journey. The next big step will happen on Thursday, when I am allowed to start eating soft foods.
More to come!
The pain subsided after a few days, and I stopped taking the heavy drugs after about 5 days at home. I've heard that some patients stop even sooner, and I probably could have.
I had some mild nausea, but was able to avoid vomiting (which is very important to allow the stomach to heal) by eating slowly and taking it easy.
I went back to work 8 days after surgery. I probably could have gone back sooner if it had been urgent.
Today, 28 April 2008, I returned to the doctor for my first checkup. I am now down 33 pounds since I started the preoperative diet. I will continue to document new events in my lap band journey. The next big step will happen on Thursday, when I am allowed to start eating soft foods.
More to come!
Day of Surgery
After not eating anything the night before, I arrived at the hospital around 9:30 on 15 April 2008. Due to a scheduling problem, my surgery was pushed up in the day. Originally, I was scheduled for around 1:30 pm. Instead, I was prepped and IN surgery at 10:45.
Everything went great with the laparoscopic procedure, and I was taken to recovery less than an hour after things got underway. I awoke in recovery mildly disoriented and in a moderate level of pain. At this point, the most agonizing thing was my exceptional sore throat. (This naturally arises from the tube they place in your throat during surgery to help you breathe.) I also felt quite a bit of pain in my abdomen near the incisions, but doses of morphine every 15 minutes handled the worst of it.
After a couple hours in recovery, I was taken to a hospital room. I was encouraged to practice using my inspirometer (a breathing "toy" that forces you to take deep breaths) and to eat ice chips. A little while after arriving at the room, I was taken to X-RAY for a chest film. (The X-RAY is to verify that that lap band port has been correctly positioned.)
The rest of the night wasn't too bad, and I took several short walks throughout the evening and early hours of the morning. The following day I was allowed to eat broth and Jello. After showering with the assistance of a nurse, I was allowed to depart for home around 5:30 pm.
Everything went great with the laparoscopic procedure, and I was taken to recovery less than an hour after things got underway. I awoke in recovery mildly disoriented and in a moderate level of pain. At this point, the most agonizing thing was my exceptional sore throat. (This naturally arises from the tube they place in your throat during surgery to help you breathe.) I also felt quite a bit of pain in my abdomen near the incisions, but doses of morphine every 15 minutes handled the worst of it.
After a couple hours in recovery, I was taken to a hospital room. I was encouraged to practice using my inspirometer (a breathing "toy" that forces you to take deep breaths) and to eat ice chips. A little while after arriving at the room, I was taken to X-RAY for a chest film. (The X-RAY is to verify that that lap band port has been correctly positioned.)
The rest of the night wasn't too bad, and I took several short walks throughout the evening and early hours of the morning. The following day I was allowed to eat broth and Jello. After showering with the assistance of a nurse, I was allowed to depart for home around 5:30 pm.
Preoperative Diet
For the two weeks prior to surgery, I had to follow a very aggressive diet. The goal was to lose as much weight as possible, while also shrinking the liver and helping to establish good eating habits prior to surgery. It was a difficult time, but I lost 20 lbs!
The diet:
3 No Sugar Added Carnation Instant Breakfast Shakes
2 Lean TV dinners 250-300 Calories, 17+ Grams Protein
64+ Ounces of water
Like I said, a LONG two weeks, but worth it!
The diet:
3 No Sugar Added Carnation Instant Breakfast Shakes
2 Lean TV dinners 250-300 Calories, 17+ Grams Protein
64+ Ounces of water
Like I said, a LONG two weeks, but worth it!
Welcome Post
Welcome to Jason's Lap Band. I hope that visiting this site will provide some useful information for you. My goal is to document the experiences of a lap band patient for future reference.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)