Wednesday, December 28, 2011

So this surgery thing ...

.

Tomorrow I go back to see my surgeon, for the 3rd time since my surgery in August.  Lap Band surgery.  Right from the get-go after my operation I discovered that I could still eat anything I wanted.  I spoke to a girl at work with a band who said she hasn't eaten steak in 2 years.  I was able to eat it in my 2nd week.  And when you don't feel that restriction - it's like just trying to diet the way you would normally - which I have proved I am no good at.  Awkward sentence structure anyone?  Anyway.


The doctor reassured me and told me everyone is different.  Some people only require the band itself - that puts enough restriction on their stomach to make them cut way back on what they eat and how much.  Other people require 1 fill, or 2 or more - where they fill the reservoir around the band with saline to make it tighter.  I have had 2 fills so far.  I can still eat a whole sandwich, I can eat chewy meat and taffy.  Not together of course.  The only time I have had any real trouble was one day at work when I ate a hard boiled egg and must not have been paying attention and didn't chew it as well as I should have or eaten it slowly enough.  Next thing I knew I was nauseated and was sitting at my desk with my garbage can in my lap, waiting to throw up.  But it passed pretty quickly and that has not happened again.


A couple bites of dry toast got a little stuck once, but then it passed and I was able to continue on and eat what I wanted.  I don't even get too full very quickly.


As happy as I have been in other aspects of my life, this is my one disappointment lately.  I admit I did not even attempt to eat well over the holidays, and I can tell in my energy level I've had too much sugar and in my waistband that I have eaten too much of the wrong things.  


We will see what the doctor says tomorrow.  He told me last time that he knows people who are overweight always feel like they are failing - and he doesn't want me to feel that I am failing with this.  He said if I fail - that means he fails too.  At least he's supportive and isn't going to beat me up.  Obviously he is used to working with people who are really good at beating themselves up.  He knows not to add to it.


We will see.  Just one more challenge I guess, one more fight to win.


But tomorrow I need the doc to explain to me (don't know why I didn't think of this before surgery!!) why this isn't the same as a cow having more than one stomach!  Look at the illustration.  I eat and the top stomach gets a bit full, but since I take small bites and chew really well it passes down into the second stomach and I can just keep going.  Right?  No?  Well he's going to need to tell me why that isn't true.


Because really, when you feel a bit cow-ish to begin with, you don't want to resemble one gastronomically too!


MOO-O-O-O!!!!


Oh.  That rhymes.  I didn't mean to do that.  Really.




.

1 Comments:

Cindy said...

Mooove this blog post to the printer and take it with you to the doctor. Wow, makes you wonder if the saline was going anywhere. Can they check on the success of the operation?