Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Lap- Band Update- My first fill!

Well today it is 4 weeks since my surgery. Up until now I have been on liquids/mushy foods which has been the trial of the last six weeks. These last two weeks have been really hard to stay faithful to the "mushy foods" rule because I feel so "normal" and I want to eat! Today was my first "fill" Up until today the band around my stomach was empty, so my stomach was not restricted making me be able to eat less. The doctor accessed the port on my stomach with a needle and injected about 2 cc's of saline to "inflate" the band. This constricted my stomach and now I will only be able to eat very small portions. When he was filling my band he had me drink water and I needed to tell him when I felt too restricted. I didn't know how I was going to be able to tell, but man, it was easy to tell! When I had too much, it kinda felt like it was backing up in my throat, but since it was just water, after a few seconds it went down. He let a little saline out and then I could feel the water going down, but it wasn't backing up. He said he thought that would be a good spot for me and I would have a good amount of restriction. I am on liquids for the next two days, then on to mushy for a few days. If all that goes well I can start eating again in about 4 days. I cant wait for that! I told my mom I want a big BBQ on memorial day LOL. I will be able to eat only a few bites, but it will be worth it to not have to be sipping on a protein shake while everyone else indulges! As of today, I have lost 27 pounds! That was encouraging. According to my calculations, I had lost 23, but when they weighed me today she said nope, 27! I am excited that I can start working out now, and get back to my regular life somewhat. I know I haven't updated as often as I wanted to, but I have tried to hit all the major landmarks. I will keep you posted on how I do with this fill, and how the weight loss progresses.



P.S. I am attaching some pics of the whole process. The first few are kinda graphic for those scared of needles LOL. The others are me my doc...

3 comments:

Jason and Mari Rowell said...

Hey Jen...congrats on those 27 lbs!!! Enjoy the BBQ this weekend :-)

HG said...

YEAH !!! An update! Thanks Jennifer, and congratulations on your success so far. I know you'll continue to do well.

How was the BBQ last weekend?

Take Care,
HG

Anonymous said...

Hi jennifer,
I've been following your journey and have to say I am very proud of you and your accomplishment!!! I am considering lap band myself and wanted to see and hear all you had to say! thank you for all the information. Not sure if you remember me but we did go to school together (jennifer Burns)

Good luck on the rest of your journey!!!

My Friends