Joining you in bandster hell

I'm getting hungry - clearly the honeymoon is over. As warned by our surgeon, after a couple of weeks of no appetite, I am now hungry again. Trying to rely on willpower to lose some more (or at least not gain anything) until 17 December when we get our first fill - although I know that may not do the trick either. It's a journey and I know I shouldn't be impatient...

Is this Bandster Hell?

OK - so almost 2 weeks since surgery and I am definitely hungry again now....! I wasn't sure if it was just that I was interested in food since we can expand our diet that made me think about it a lot but it sure feels like hunger! Not as bad as the pre-op diet days when I almost ate small children and pets in a 10 metre radius of me but definitely thinking about what to eat next. I guess this is the infamous Bandster Hell I have read about! And so I need to be careful because it would be easy to consume the wrong things. Well - it would be easy to get them in - not sure if they would stay down. I haven't tried anything too adveturous yet but I did have one of my favourite foods for breakfast today - vogels toast with vegemite - it was heaven! It is still another 3 weeks till our post-op consult and the first fill so I will need to turn to will power to get me there and to keep up the awesome progress I've made so far.

It's so great to have Maree on this journey with me... we can compare notes, congratulate each other on our success, and offer advice and support when hunger sets in. I think I am going to need it during the next 3 weeks!

I'm doing well - been back to the gym doing RPM/Spin classes since day 5 post-op and my 5 small wounds are healing well. I've been back at work since then as well including some travel for work. I made sure I took some protein shakes with me so I wouldn't have to worry about what to eat. I have lost 10.5kgs since my pre-op consult... it's incredible.

Only 4 weeks today till Christmas - just imagining what weight I might be by then is making me smile. And of course I will have had my fill by then so should be out of Bandster Hell. Can't wait!

Mushies and more mushies

Trying to work out what day postop I am, 11 I think. Started mushies on the weekend - sooooo good to "eat" something - have been having scrambled eggs, mashed baked beans with cottage cheese, mashed veges and chicken thigh with gravy, weetbix - all good. No problems so far and still losing - down 7.5kg since preop (3 weeks ago) and 4.1kg since surgery day. Had what the other bandits I've been reading call an "NSV" (that's a non scale victory for those of you playing at home) - wore my jeans for the first time since surgery on the weekend and they were loose! Admittedly these are the jeans I had to buy this winter when I put on 5 kg - but yahoo!

Scars/wounds are going well - small and healing well. What else? Went to the gym yesterday - and walked and ran (well jogged slowly - very slowly!) on the treadmill doing day 1 of week1 of the Couch25k programme. Bit sore today but not too bad.

I'm getting some more interest back in food - still happy with fairly small portions but definitely thinking about food a little more than last week - as expected. First fill due on 17 December - may be willpower for part of that time, but that's okay.

7 Days banded - Yahoo!

Hard to believe that it is a week already since we were banded. It has all gone well for me - operation was uneventful and I felt pretty good after theatre on the day, must be that I am a surgery junkie with this being my 4th anaesthetic in the last 18 months. I flew home the day after surgery once Maree and I had been discharged and had planned a few days at home to "rest". Not a lot of rest was had actually with lots to do as my friend and neighbour died while I was in hospital (cancer beat the 46 year old mother of 8 and 10 year old girls - soooo sad!) and helping out there and doing a reading at the funeral. But I seemed to be able to do everything I needed to in spite of only having a few small protein shakes and soup to eat. I have even been to the gym and done a spin class on day 5 post-op but I'll wait another week before I do a pump class with weights!

It is so odd not to be feeling hungry really.... I am still a bit confused about whether I need to eat or I'm just interested in some texture. I am really sick of the fluid consistency we have been restricted to for the last week and looking forward to some mash. I was going to wait til tomorrow but after a conversation with the dietitian today she says we can start tonight. I don't need to be told twice - scrambled eggs here I come!

I have lost 2.1kgs this week bringing the total so far to 9.4 since my pre-op consult and I am at a low point I haven't been able to get to for 20 years!!! It is amazing and I am so pleased I have done this. Long may it continue....!

Day 6 and soooooo over liquids

Can't wait to start mushies on Saturday - I'm not 100% sure if week 2 starts tomorrow (a week from the op) or Saturday but I'll err on the side of caution and have another day of liquids tomorrow. Really looking forward to more savoury food - shakes and smoothies are all so sweet. Have had soup every night but that's getting old, too. Made cheesy broccoli soup tonight - thinned with lots of trim milk - was tasty. Feeling full now which seems weird as all I've "eaten" today is 1/2 a sculpt protein shake, a drinking yoghurt, a flat white and the soup.

Wounds are looking good - more like scars now. A few small bruises around the larger one and a couple of random bruises on my stomach - did someone lean on me?!! - but no pain except a few shoulder tip pains every now and then.

Made it under the the milestone 10kg mark - never want to see that number on my scale again!

Liquids, liquids and more liquids

Day 4 postop and all is going well. I started not really wanting to drink anything but felt really weak. Once I made sure I drank something with some calories I felt better. I've lost 2.8kg since the morning of surgery (4 days) - that kind of loss won't last but I'll take it for now! So 6.1kg down so far since the beginning of the preop diet - another 200 grams gets me under a milestone 10kg figure - which I never want to see again!! Lots of exclamation marks in this post - I must be excited...

Today is my last day off work - would enjoy another day at home but as I haven't told work about surgery (yet? - that's another post) - and I've taken annual leave so far, I'll go in tomorrow. I work 8 - 2.30 then pick up the kids from school so hopefully I'll cope okay. Otherwise I'll come home for a rest at lunchtime. I'm dreading my emails when I get in - everyone always seems to need everything urgently when I take a couple of days off work - I don't think I'm that indispensable!! Or maybe I am...

Took my steristrips and dressings off this morning. Tried doing it in the shower but felt a little nauseous at the thought so decided sitting down was better! They all (5 incisions) look great - 4 teeny tiny ones and 1 larger (maybe 2 cm) above my tummy button - I have a band aid on that one and on one on the left which is not quite so closed up.

Had a good day today. Went to the movies, Julie & Julia - loved it and all the food didn't make me hungry. Normally I'd watch a food movie and then want to replicate the great dishes. This time, I wasn't bothered. Got a protein shake on the way out and have taken the afternoon to drink that. Soup for dinner, I think. Looking forward to mushies on Saturday - eggs definitely.

Banded at last!

Home from the hospital today after being banded yesterday morning. Went in at 6.45, was out of surgery by 8.40am, one of the first things I remember is Jenny being wheeled into recovery. From my notes it looked like I had some pain as I was given morphine but I don't remember any of that. Was soon back in my room (next door to Jenny's) drinking my 30mls of water an hour for the first 4 hours and sucking on ice chips. Was parched - didn't feel too flash the rest of the day - not too much pain but nauseous a couple of time (some drugs fixed that) and just felt better lying down. Talked to the darling husband, Mum and our other sister on the phone. Jenny visited and sat and watched TV in my room while I reclined. A bit of sleep last night and I feel good today - surgeon came and checked on us this morning and we were discharged about 10am - home for the first (small) protein shake (about 1/4 cup) and a trim flat white - couldn't drink all the coffee but infinitely better than the instant coffee we drank at the hospital - only to find out there is plunger coffee but it's hidden!!!

Went to my girls' ballet concert at lunchtime - coped fine and they were gorgeous, of course. Had another half cup of protein shake then a small lie down for about an hour when we got home. Am just making some chicken broth - a bit sick of sweet flavours.

Can't believe I'm actually banded! Was a pretty smooth experience and much better for having Jenny there with me. We are going to work our bands and support each other in this exciting, scary journey.

The final countdown!

One hour until we leave for the hospital - in 4 hours I'll be a bandit!! Woke at 4.30 am and can't get back to sleep. Very excited and only a little bit nervous. Jenny stayed here last night. A last supper of chicken thighs, broccoli and asparagus and a bowl of weight watchers jelly last night - the preop diet has been all about willpower and boring food but I've lost about 3.5 kilos so that's a great start on this journey - only (!!) 30 kilos to go! In other great news I had a call from my health insurer yesterday and they're going to give me a discretionary payment of $7500 - very pleased as I thought my BMI may be too low (that's very strange to write!) and I may be too healthy to meet their criteria. Result! Better go and have a shower and get ready - will be staying overnight. Means I'm missing the first night of my daughters' first ballet show but my darling husband will be there and I'll get to see them tomorrow if I'm feeling okay. Will post again when I get home....

Are we there yet?

Day 5 of Optifast and I am so sick of those bars for lunch. Today I had my protein and salad for lunch instead of a bar - I couldn't stand chewing that chemical-tasting horse chaff once more. I've lost 2.5 kg so far which is great - and it's only 7 more days to go until I'm banded! Yay!!!

I'm Hungry!!

It is day 11 of the Optifast pre-op diet today and I'm still hungry!! Really really hungry... almost gnawed my arm off while I was working this morning.... I have lost 5kgs on the diet so far which is great but most came off in the first 5 days and it is painfully slow since then. I am comforting myself (No - not with food!) with the thought that this time next week I will be banded! Yippee!! Can't wait. I know I might be hungry again in the first few weeks post-op before my first fill but at least I will be able to eat something other than optifast shakes, bars or green vegetables! I may just have to break out and have a no dressing chicken salad for lunch tomorrow instead of a bar... What a rebel!

The countdown is on...

11 sleeps to go until surgery! I started Optifast today - not too bad so far (had a coffee shake for breakfast then a choc bar for lunch) - but that is not a lot of food! Got really hungry about 3 but ate a couple of sugar free lollies and a Sprite Zero and seem to have passed hunger now (for a while anyway!). Took my measurements yesterday pre-Optifast - that gave me a fright - I am officially bigger and heavier than I have ever been - even weigh more than 37 weeks pregnant with twins -arrgggghhh!!! But that is in the past and every day now is a day of progress towards my slim self. A card I saw once said "inside every fat person is a thin person waiting to get out - I think my thin person may have suffocated" - hope mine is still alive and kicking!!

I'm looking on this period pre-op and before I have a fill (or fills) to get some restriction as another one of the diets I've been on - with the added bonus that this time when the scale goes down, it won't be going back up!!