Slightly confused.....?

After my complete de-fill two days ago I've had a slightly confusing time. I had expected to be extremely hungry, but I haven't been. I guess there's still enough restriction from having the band, albeit empty, that it staves off the hunger pangs. On Saturday night I had no acid reflux at all, so I had the first decent sleep I've had in ages. But Sunday night I woke up with a nasty dull ache in my chest - about where my band is. It went off after a while and I went back to sleep. But the pain came back with a vengeance about half an hour after I got up this morning. I'm not sure what it is or what causes it. All I can do at the moment is monitor it - but it is a little worrying. All the talk of possibly needing an x-ray on Saturday has got me wondering what could possibly have gone wrong? If anything? I suppose I just have to be patient.

As far as food is concerned, I'm all souped out! My diet has consisted of soup, smoothies, yoghurt and milkshake (not all at once!). At work today, I took a can of soup with me. I hadn't realised until I went to open it, however, that it didn't have a ring-pull, and I didn't have a tin opener! I ended up trawling around people's offices trying to find someone who might have a Swiss Army knife! I found one eventually (thanks Ade!).

Tonight I've already had some mushroom soup (blended to remove the bits), and I'll have a fruit smoothie soon. I'm planning on moving onto mushy food tomorrow, and am looking forward to an ocean pie for tea!

Stomach cramps

On Saturday I experiened some severe stomach cramps. I began the day still constipated (four days!) - this has been a typical experience after each of my band adjustments, presumably because of the lack of fibre consumed while on fluids and mush. I decided some serious action was needed and took several measures to deal with the situation in a multi-pronged attack! I started the day with a good-sized bowl of All-Bran which packs in loads of fibre. Mid-morning I drank a strong coffee (caffeine aids digestion) and ate a banana. Later, I ate some brown bread and had more coffee (I'm normally a weak tea drinker). After my lunch, which included the bread and some mixed salad, I developed a sudden attack of stomach cramps - severe enough that I couldn't stand up comfortably, and I had to sit down. To begin with I was a little anxious that I had done something to my band. But then I realised the pain was too low down for that to be the case. I presumed that it was related to the constipation or perhaps to the sudden rush of fibre rushing around my digestive system!!

Anyway, a lot of sitting down, some soluble paracetomol and a couple of hours later, the pain gradually eased. Once I was able to stand up I moved around quite a bit and a little later I was fine again. By that time I had decided that it might have all been related to the olives I had in my mixed salad which have probably been in the fridge a little longer than they should have been. However, I mentioned this all to my Dad on the phone later that day and he said it sounded like trapped wind! I have heard of people getting trapped wind and talking of a lot of pain being involved, but I have never experienced anything like this myself. You live and learn.....!

What a relief !!

I went to see my nurse today. After describing my symptoms (heartburn, acid reflux, slime, vomiting, pain and difficulty drinking), she immediately recommended an aspiration. In order to ensure that my stomach has time and space to settle down (especially after all the acid), she took out 0.5ml, taking me to 0.1ml less than I was at when I had my last fill. She suggested that once I had given my stomach a chance to settle, I could go back to the clinic and have a small re-fill in a couple of weeks or so. At first, this amount of de-fill (0.5ml) seemed a little alarming - I expected her only to take about 0.2ml out. In a way it feels like going backwards. But on the other hand, the relief I have felt since is worth the backtracking.....

Obviously I am back onto fluids for three days and then mush for three days before reverting to solids again. After getting back to work following my de-fill today I immediately tried some drink, and found, with enormous relief, that I can drink again!! Oh, the sheer heaven of being able to drink a glass of anything and not suffer all the burping and gurgling and acid and pain and slime! The absolute beauty of being able to drink a glass in a couple of minutes instead of taking an hour or two! At the time of writing this I have already drunk twice as much today as I have typically got through per day in the last week or two. I am now on a mision to re-hydrate over the next few days and get some serious moisture back into my skin, hair and nails!!

I asked about the oddity of being able to eat easily but not drink without a great deal of trouble and the nurse didn't immediately have an answer. I hypothesised that it might be because solid food somehow 'opens' up the stoma between the pouch and stomach, whereas drink doesn't have enough 'force' to do this and 'backs up'. On reflection, the nurse recalled a number of gastric band patients who have noted that sometimes when eating, the first few mouthfuls are more difficult - and then the restriction appears to ease off. This could indicate that my theory has some merit. Anyway, there doesn't appear to be any other obvious explanation. I will raise this issue when I next go to the support group meeting and see if my doctor has any suggestions - I am curious!!

I am sitting here watching 'Britain's Got Talent', with a finished glass of Diet Coke by my side and plans to re-fill it during the ad break! Just such a simple pleasure in life holds such meaning and satisfaction!!!

Saliva, tightness, choking and all that jazz

I got some really good advice yesterday from the UKGastricBand forum. One piece of advice was to take Gaviscon for the heartburn. My husband very kindly went out and bought some Gaviscon liquid today while I have been at work - so I haven't tried it yet. However, I have heard about Gaviscon and believe they have a very good reputation. I don't intend taking it in the long term - just long enough to get me over this current bout of extreme tightness and associated acid.

Another nugget of information I got was from a lady who herself has experienced this odd thing of finding it easier to get solid food down than liquid. I was so relieved to find someone else who had experienced this because I really was starting to think I was going mad!! I guess it's possible that solid food kind of 'pushes' its way through the stoma of the pouch into my main stomach, whereas liquid may just 'sit around' and temporarily block the stoma. I have certainly felt something that can only be described as a 'suction' effect sometimes - this may be when the liquid makes it to the other side (of the stoma) so to speak!

I am aware that stress, emotions, 'that time of the month' and other things can be a reason for the band suddently getting very tight. A man at the Healthier Weight support group told us about a time when he was experiencing huge stress at work. He found that over the course of a week, he went from having 'normal' restriction to a point where he couldn't even swallow his own saliva! And in his case, he had not just had a fill as I have, but had been banded a couple of years before - so this really was completely out of the blue. He had to get an emergency aspiration.

I don't think I am anywhere near that point - but I did have a bit of a fright this morning. I woke up in the early hours half choking. I rushed into the bathroom and had to spit out some saliva. I remembered this man's story and wondered if I was experiencing the same thing. I slowly drank through a cup of hot water and reassured myself that all was OK - I could at least get liquid down. In hindsight, this morning's experience was almost certainly related to the fact that I went swimming last night - swimming late in the evening always makes me very snotty next morning - so I suspect I was simply 'choking' on a bit of snot / saliva in the back of my throat (sorry if this is all a bit too graphic - hope you're not eating while you read this!!!).

There is a hint that my band restriction may not be quite as ridiculously tight today, although having said that, I have so far eaten very little (haven't really felt the need!). I haven't had quite so much pain and fluids are going down slightly quicker (I can drink 0.5 litres in about one hour, as opposed to two!!!).

I will persevere and be patient and see what tomorrow brings.....

Some patterns emerging

I believe that in the fuzziness and unpredictability of my band, there are possibly some patterns in its behaviour emerging....

1. It's definitely MUCH tighter in the morning
2. It's A LOT easier to eat mushy food than to drink (yes!)
3. It's easier to drink AFTER I have eaten than before (yes again)
4. It's easier to eat mushy food than 'smooth' food like yoghurt or soup

When I say "it's easier.....", I mean that the harder option gives me mild pain in my chest (in between my boobs) and all round the sides to the middle of my back! I also get mild heartburn, lots of gurgling in my throat, and occasionally slime. I had a slime moment today - and it wasn't after I ate my dinner (Weight Watcher's ocean pie) - it was after eating a smoth Muller Light yoghurt. Well, I say "after", I had only actually eaten one fifth of it!

I really don't understand this thing about drinking being harder than eating. When I drink, the only way I can get it down is to take tiny, tiny sips - it took me about two hours this morning to drink 0.5 litres of low sugar Ribena. Even sipping it very slowly I was getting a considerable amount of discomfort - to the point that I felt like not bothering - but I know how important it is to keep drinking and stay hydrated. It feels almost like someone taking the end of a vacuum cleaner to my insides - like a sort of suction effect!

And (if you've been reading the last few posts you will know this) I have only experienced any post-fill difficulties of this sort in the last couple of days. Initially, through the fluid, mush and early solid phases - it all seemed fine! I have posted a message on the UKGastricBand forum to see if anyone has any ideas. But failing that, I am going to persevere for at least a few more days before perhaps calling my nurse to see what she says.

Watch this space!

Port Pain and Pilates

I had a half-hour Pilates session today - my first ever. I did it to a DVD with two colleagues of mine. We found a quiet room at work and locked ourselves in so no-one could walk in on us! It was hilarious! The woman delivering the DVD was very muscular and really made everything look like a piece of cake. She would tell us to get into a particular position and we were all laughing our heads off crawling around on the floor and trying to copy her!!

If you don't know much about Pilates (I had no idea what it was - I thought it was some sort of Japanese Tai Chi sort of thing!), it's basically a whole series of slow, stretching and strengthening exercises designed to tone muscle. Most of the exercises are done sitting or lying on the floor and by the end of the session I had sore pelvic bones! I've ordered an exercise mat to avoid this problem in the future. We've decided to sign up for an 8-week course run at our local sports centre - it starts after Easter and I'm already looking forward to it in a masochistic sort of way!

The woman on the DVD made it look easy but it is actually really hard! My two colleagues had already done a session yesterday as well and were both aching today - I guess I've got that to come...

Anyway, it didn't all go smoothly. One of the exercises involved lying down on my left side with my arm stretched out above my head. I then had to raise my right leg up and down and then make circles in the air with it. Now, when I did this on the other side (my right side), I had no problems. But when doing it on my left side, the side my port is on, I got quite nasty pain around my port. It felt as though if I tried to carry on I might do some serious damage (like strain the muscle or tear the tissue or something) - so I stopped. I have experienced very minor, occasional niggles from my port area on and off since I was banded in November. But I've never experienced pain like this before. I wondered if I would get any port pain when I started swimming again, but I haven't - it's been fine.

So, I'm left wondering what this is all about. Will it be like this forever? Was this just a one-off? Next time I try that particular move I expect I will be a little nervous. I have posted a question about this on the UKGastricBand forum and will let you know if I get any insightful responses. Failing that, I am going to ask about it when I next go to a support group meeting (that's about three weeks off) and see what my Doctor says. If I get any recurrence of pain (i.e. without doing Pilates), I may even give my nurse a call and see what she says.

Band adjustment no. 5

I had my fifth band adjustment today. I had 0.3ml added, which makes me 0.2ml short of where I was when it was too tight. This is my band history so far:

Adjustment no. 1 - 19th January = 5.0ml added (weight 16 stone 6lbs)
Adjustment no. 2 - 15th February = 1.5ml added (weight 16 stone 0lbs)
Adjustment no. 3 - 26th February = 1.0ml added (weight 15 stone 8lbs)
Adjustment no. 4 - 4th March = 0.5ml taken out (weight 15 stone 3lbs)
Adjustment no. 5 - 22nd March = 0.3 added (weight 14 stone 12lbs)

With a bit of luck, this should be my last fill, although I understand that we often need to have a small top-up each year to allow for minor leakage. As always, the procedure was not at all painful, and the needle going in is hardly noticeable. Afterwards, I was able to drink a 200ml glass of water fairly quickly and without any problem. I have since drank a thick banana milkshake - also without any difficulty and no sign of pain, saliva or indigestion. Fingers crossed that this one will go well. I am hopeful that this will give me the perfect level of restriction - my 'sweet spot'.

Sharing experiences

I went to the HW support group meeting today and it found it really helpful. It wasn't so much the formal presentation (though that was also very useful), but more the general sharing of experiences among the bandits present. It's unbelievably helpful to know that other people have experienced similar struggles, successes and concerns as I have. I got so much out of the meeting I cannot hope to relay it all to you, but here's a selection of things I recall:

1. My hair is still falling out! I was advised to take some zinc supplement tablets or kelp. However, the hair loss is very widely known among people who have lost a lot of weight and is only temporary (I was assured that I wont go bald!). I bought some zinc supplement tablets from Boots on the way home - they are not chewable but seem small enough to swallow without any trouble.

2. A man who reached his target weight about four months ago (and looks fantastic) has not had a de-fill. He's stopped losing weight because he's chosen to consume more calories by eating 4-6 small meals per day. He says he eats anything, including some chocolate, but in limited quantities. He had also had a tummy tuck! It's funny seeing him now and not having known him before his weight loss - if I just saw him in the street I wouldn't have had the slightest clue that he was once super-obese!

3. I came away from the meeting feeling really reassured about getting another fill tomorrow. I have been a little anxious about it because of what happened last time (slime, pain and indigestion). However, hearing what other people can (or cannot) eat, it's clear that I do not have the same level of restriction as them. One man said he was in the same position as me some time ago and had had a very small fill of just 0.2ml and it made all the difference and got him to his 'sweet spot'.

4. I asked what signs a person gets that they are at the right level of restriction and was told (by several experienced bandits) that "you just know" when you get there - "you will know".

5. One person shared that although they had been banded and reached their 'sweet spot' a long time ago, they still exprienced very variable restriction - some days wondering "how in earth did I manage to eat all of that" and other days unable to eat more than a mouthful or two of a meal. I have had some hints of this - some days I seem to have restriction, and other days not.

6. Another man told us how during the week while he's at work he buys his lunch from a local sandwich shop. When he first went there he asked if they could make him a sandwich with just one slice of bread and since then they have nicknamed him "Arfur" - as in 'alf a sandwich!!! Nice to know that some outlets are willing to make special concessions for regulars.

Well that's it in terms of hard facts. The main thing I gained from today is just a sense of not being in this alone, that loads of other people have been there before me and are willing to share their experiences. If you are reading this and get an opportunity to go to a support group I would highly recommend it.

Full, twice in a day

It started with the lunch I had so lovingly prepared. The cherry tomatoes glistening and inviting, the cucumber and yellow peppers just crying out to be eaten, and the olives, spicy and chewy, just waiting to be stuffed - into my mouth. I also had some crunchy Ryvita minis and a pot of mixed tuna and cream cheese, to supply my protein needs. I started eating, doing my duty and chewing well. Within a short time, about a quarter of the way through my meal, I began to feel full. The whole meal was only about 240 calories, so not exactly a King's banquet. I have been happily eating small meals without any problem, so was a little taken aback to be feeling full so early. I should have put it to one side and not eaten any more. However, the 'food gene' in my head told me to have just a little more..... I stopped half way through and found the courage to put it to one side, aware of the conflict within me - my head telling me to carry on eating because there's still food on the plate and it would be a crime to leave it..... and my stomach telling my "stoooopppp! I've had enough!!"

So, I ate half of it, and ate the other half a couple of hours later. Then this evening I moved onto my next meal. It was sprouts, wholewheat pasta cooked al dente, spinach and smoked tofu. Delicious (it might not sound it to any carnivores reading this, but to me, a lovely meal!!). It was a low fat meal made of healthy ingredients - and it all fit easily onto a 7-inch side plate (as advised by my provider). The whole meal was about 300 calories. I got about one third of the way through it and began to feel very mild pain behind my breastbone. I paused for a while and ate a little more but at the half way point, quit. I still couldn't bring myself to throw good food in the bin so I've put it in a plastic tub and will eat it for lunch tomorrow!

So what's happening? I had a small aspiration a couple of weeks ago and since then I have been disappointed at the lack of restriction. I have been able to eat anything, including all kinds of 'difficult' foods. This morning, I decided I'd had enough and booked another small fill for Sunday 22nd March (in six days time). Then this afternoon, out of the blue, suddenly I'm getting real restriction and 'full' feelings for the first time. Odd timing, what?! I'm going to see what happens in the next few days and make a final decision on Saturday.

Eating in the right order

I mentioned yesterday that a fellow bandit had advised me to eat proteins first, veggies next and carbohydrates last. At the time I couldn't understand the logic behind this. Since then, however, I've mulled it over a bit and figured it out! My pouch, created by the band, has a volume about the size of a golf ball, or a couple of tablespoons of food. This is not large enough to take even a small meal. Therefore I have to eat very slowly to allow time for the food to pass through into my main stomach. If I eat too fast the pouch will get full too quickly and this leads to pain, indigestion and the like. However, towards the end of a meal, obviously I don't want all of the food to pass through - I want some of it to stick around for a while to give me a sensation of feeling full, or at least satisfied.

Now, in the handbook given to me by my provider, they recommend that I finish off a 'soft' meal (i.e. one made up of slider foods) with some crunchy vegetables or a piece of fruit. The thing about eating a meal in the right order follows a similar logic: Proteins should be eaten first for two reasons. First, proteins are more likely to contain fat than other elements of the meal. Foods containing fat have a greater tendency to turn into mush once chewed and tend to pass through the band more easily (I was told this by my doctor). Eating proteins first means that the pouch will empty relatively quickly leaving space for the food that follows. Second, we need to ensure that we consume enough proteins since these foods provide essential minerals and vitamins and also help to give a 'full' feeling. Therefore, eating these first means that if we get too full to finish the meal, we will have eaten the most important part of already.

Veggies should be eaten next because they can be cooked lightly so that they are still quite crunchy. Veggies will then stay in the pouch for longer and give us that 'full' feeling we seek. The idea behind the carbs being eaten last is because they are sometimes regarded as the least essential foods in terms of minerals and vitamins, and are relatively high in calories. The thinking is, that if we get too full to finish the meal, it will be the least essential carbs that are left.

Now, the advice about eating in the right order was given to me by an American lady. This is important because the Americans have a slightly different position to us Brits on the question of proteins and carbs. There is a much greater emphasis in the USA on bandits consuming high amounts of proteins and very little carbohydrate. This was brought home to me when I purchased an American gastric band recipe book a while ago - none of the meals has any carbohydrates in (e.g. potato, rice, couscous, pasta etc) and there is an enormous focus on proteins. In Britain, on the other hand, we are advised to eat a balanced diet. My provider recommends a meal is made up of one quarter carbs, one quarter proteins and half vegetables.

The result is, that while I see the logic behind eating in the 'right' order, I don't necesarily agree with it! It seems to me to be a good idea to consume proteins first to make sure they get eaten. It also seems to me to be a good idea to follow the advice of my own provider and finish off a meal with crunchy vegetables to give a full feeling. However, I think carbs are actually important - for energy, for instance, so would eat these before the veggies. If I thought I was getting full enough that I wouldn't be able to finish off the meal I would simply eat smaller portions of each part of it, rather than leaving out one whole element of the meal completely.

While I won't be following the American lady's advice in its entirety, I am at least happy that I understand the logic behind it now. Funny thing, this band, you almost need a degree in anatomy and nutrition to get the most out if it!!

Aspiration no.1

I travelled to Birmingham yesterday for a small aspiration. I had 0.5ml taken out leaving me with 7ml in the band - 0.5ml more than before my last fill. Straight afterwards I was able to drink a glass of water fairly smoothly, without any pain, gurgling, heartburn or 'slime'! Oh, the relief is palpable! I have been put on Rinitidine (an anti-indigestion formula) for a few days to reduce any inflamation in my oesophagus that might have been caused by the retching and saliva-pouring (what others sem to refer to as the 'slime').

Today I have been in Birmingham again, this time for a work-related meeting. A buffet lunch was provided so, being on fluids again (have I ever been off them?!), I drank some cold tomato soup that I had taken with me. Well, actually, I only drank half of it, it being decidely unpalatable. I have been feeling fairly full all day on relatively little food so the early signs are that I have good restriction wihout all the nastiness of pain etc.

It's been a long day and I could do with some food now, so I'm going to have some of my home-made fish soup again, left over from yesterday. This really is a winner, try it - here's the recipe:

1. Cook a boil-in-the-bag cod in parsley sauce in the microwave.
2. Defrost (in the microwave) a good handful of frozen prawns.
3. Boil, on the hob, some small-cut peeled potatoes together with a couple of handfuls of frozen sweetcorn.
4. Chuck all this in the blender with enough milk and/or water (2:1 milk:water is best) to produce the right consistency and add some vegetable (or other) gravy powder/granules.
5. Blend, heat up in the microwave if necessary, eat!

Lovely!

Two steps forward, one step back....

Today hasn't been good. It started with the two and a half hours it took me to drink 200ml of tea, 200ml of orange and 200ml of strawberry shake, all accompanied with constant gurgling, indigestion, pain behind my breastbone and other shooting pains generally around my abdomen. Oddly enough, I could have coped with that, but then I ate some scrambled egg. It was prepared exactly the same as the scrambled egg I ate at about the same time yesterday - and I was looking forward to it. In fact I managed to eat most of it - carefully, slowly, and 'chewing' each morsel exaggeratedly (if chewing is what you can call it - more like squashing it with my tongue really!). Just as I was finishing the gurgling got worse and then I had quite nasty pain in the back of my throat to the point where I was even finding it difficult to breathe. My mouth then started filling up with saliva. I kept swallowing it, thinking I could somehow overcome this phenomenon by sheer willpower. But it was not to be. Fearful of a nasty accident on my desk I rushed down to the toilets. I spent what seemed like hours bent over the loo while loads of saliva just kept pouring out. This was accompanied by cramp-like sensations in my stomach, abdomen and upper chest. By the time this was all over I was really quite exhausted and felt quite ill for two or three hours. During this time I was actually afraid of drinking anything so started to get dehydrated. By mid-afternoon I became convinced that none of this was normal and phoned the bariatric nurse at Healther Weight. I explained my symptoms and she immediately said that I was obviously "too tight". I have arranged to see her for a small aspiration in Birmingham on Wednesday and until then I'm back on fluids.

These bands - are they weird or what? Last night I ate a small mushy meal of pasta, fish and broccoli - all without any problem - and yet today I can't even get pure fluids down without a struggle!! I tell you, the next time I hear anyone talk about the band as being a 'quick fix' or worse, the 'easy option', I think I'm going to punch them on the nose!!!

So, the result is, having got 7.5ml put in my band, I'm going to take a step back (but hopefully forwards, if you see what I mean) - probably to about 7ml (6.5ml gave me no restriction at all). It brings home the warning printed in my 'band book': "People occasionaly make the mistake of thinking that 'more is better' - that if the band is working well at one level of adjustment, it will work even better if we make it tighter. This is a serious mistake." (from Your Surgery: A before and after guide to getting the most from your surgery by Healthier Weight). I must confess that when the nurse said last week that she was going to put 0.7ml in, I was a bit disappointed. However, I described what and how I was eating (completely truthfully), and the fact that I could easily eat bread, pasta and other 'difficult' foods - she changed her mind and increased it to 1ml. I was quite pleased about that because I doubted that 0.7ml would make that much difference - how wrong can you be?!!

This evening so far, I have managed some Ribena and four squares of Dairy Milk chocolate (well, a woman has to get her calories from somewhere, doesn't she?!). I am going to keep trying to get fluids down and may be really adventurous and try some soup later.... ah well, no-one said this was going to be easy!

Some progress today

Things have faired a little better today, although it wasn't a good start. It took me about half an hour to sip through 200ml of hot lemon. This was accompanied by pains in the chest (about where my 'pouch' is). I followed this up with some orange juice which brought on a small episode of saliva-pouring (see yesterday's post). After that, I drank a strawberry shake and this went down fine! Since then things have got better and better. I ate some runny scambled egg for late breakfast - it was great to have some semi-solid food again! For lunch I ate mashed potato with gravy - lovely! This evening I managed a small plate of soft mashed broccoli, soft-cooked filled pasta, and cod in parsley sauce. It took me about 40 minutes to eat, slowly and carefully chewing each morsel. Apart from the odd twinge (I've had odd, mild pains around my abdomen), I had no problems eating all this pureed food, which is a really good sign that the band is beginning to settle down. I have also been quite full after eating each of my meals which is a good sign that the band is at last starting to do its job!

There seems to be a general consensus among more experienced bandits that when you get to the fill that is closest to your 'sweet spot', it takes up to two weeks to really settle down. Prior to that, indigestion and pain and saliva etc are fairly normal. I am now quite optimistic that I will be able to return to some form of 'solid' food in a couple of days from now.

Indigestion, pain and tiredness

A couple of days on from my 3rd fill now, and things are worse, if anything. I am struggling to get anything down - even water, black tea etc. So, I am struggling to consume enough fluid and keep hydrated. Thicker liquids like soup definitely go down a bit easier. In addition to the indigestion-like feelings in my throat, today I have also been getting cramp-like tightness in my chest, in my back and in my lower stomach too! It's such an effort, and a pain - literally - to drink that it's getting me down. Yesterday by mid-evening I still only managed about 400 calories so I sucked a bar of Dairy Milk chocolate and got my calorie count up to 650. I have bought another bar today in case the same thing happens. I know I shouldn't really be eating chocolate but I am not alone in this. I remember reading about a lady who found she was struggling to eat after a fill, and the only things she was able to eat were chocolate and ice cream! I went a for a short walk with my hubby today and after about 20 minutes I was ready to quit - I just felt sooooo tired and lifeless and weak. I am sure this is because I'm just not eating enough at the moment. This was also brought home to me this morning when I weighed myself - I was two pounds less than yesterday and three pounds less than the day before! I know I bought into this to lose weight, but there are sensible ways to do it, and silly ways......

So, what goodies have I got planned for this evening? Well, I will be attempting to finish off the fish soup I made last night and once again attempting a yoghurt or fromage frais. I may also try a strawberry shake - however, I won't stick it in the blender, I'll just mix it by hand so it has fewer bubbles in - bubbles make the indigestion pain etc worse.

I must confess that when I was thinking about whether or not to have a gastric band, I read some horror stories about people vomiting, not being able to eat, getting 'iron fist' pain and so on - and I thought - I'll be careful and that won't happen to me.......Mmmmm, little did I know then......!

Getting plastered

The five wounds I have are all getting itchy, so I decided to take off the dressings today and have a look. The two on the outside are small, neat 1cm cuts. The one in the middle and the one at the top are both also small but appear to have oozed a little - but not recently. The larger one to the left of middle (the port entry) looks about 3-4cm long and a little messy, though again, it does not look to have leaked in the last couple of days at least.

Having a very sensitive skin, there was a lot of redness around the edges of most of the dressings. The itchiness was eased with a gentle wash. I replaced all of the dressings with new, smaller ones so that less of my tummy area is plastered! I have been told that the sutures can come off in about 7-10 days but knowing how long I take to heal it may be a little longer.

I've stopped taking the co-codamol today because the codeine can cause constipation. I have felt some more pain but it's not too bad. I'll try to get some soluble Paracetamol to keep in reserve.

Bodily functions...

I've told you about what I've been eating but didn't say what my body is doing (or not doing) on day four since my op. Well, I feel less bloated today which is good because it also means I feel a little more energetic. I still have to be careful though because every so often I come over very lightheaded and 'wobbly'. Also today, although the general tummy pain has subsided, I have new, more intense pain around the port site. This is only mild most of the time but gives me a bit of a 'kick' from time to time. I went with hubby to Tesco (my big day out!) this afternoon and had to stop walking at one point when I got a sudden sharp pain. One of the nurses did say that the pain often gets worse before it gets better so I'm putting it down to that. The only way now, is up.

Oh, and what's my body not doing? Well, I don't want to go into all the gory details, so let's just say I also bought some Lactalose and prune juice.....

If you've had the op and can remember what day four was like for you - post a comment - it would be great to hear from you.

Recovering at home: Day 3

Today, my tummy feels a bit ‘tight’, as though I’d overdone the sit-ups at the gym - I wouldn’t really describe it as ‘pain’ though. The worst thing is bending down, particularly to the left side (where the port is), or sitting up from a lying down position. I got up about 9.30am this morning. I would have slept longer but I’ve had these anti-embolism stockings on for two days now and they needed washing. Hubby washed them for me before he went out for the morning so that meant I had to get up and keep moving around while they were drying on the radiator!

I keep reading on other web sites and in the literature that I have, how lots of people have difficulty belching when they get a band. Not me – I’ve been belching for England! Every time something goes into my mouth, rest assured, about two minutes later, burp!

I still feel bloated and am struggling to get much drink in. I’ll probably consume about 600 calories in total today. I’m not hungry. Tonight I’m going to see if I can blend cooked broccoli and potatoes into a thin enough consistency (if I can drink it through a straw it’s thin enough) to drink as I need some more savoury drinks and something with a bit more oomph in it!

I spent a couple of hours watching TV this morning and dozing off in the chair but otherwise have tried to be a bit more active today. We went for a gentle stroll around the block this afternoon for about 20 minutes which blew some cobwebs away. As you may have deduced, I have also spent quite a bit of time today updating my Blog. I truly hope this is helping people out there to come to a decision, or perhaps it is reassuring? I don’t know. But I do think keeping, what is essentially a diary, is helping me. I know that on good days I’ll be looking back at my Blog and reminding myself of the less good days that have passed and what progress I’ve made.

I’m getting thirsty and am overdue some pain relief. I’ll post again to let you know how my ‘broccoli and potato surprise’ goes…..

Recovering at home: Day 2

I’m back at home now and slowly trying to adjust to the new ‘me’. Yesterday I felt very bloated and unable to consume enough volume of liquid to provide sufficient calories for energy. Consequently, I felt quite tired and drowsy. I only managed to consume about 365 calories in total. According to the literature I have, this ‘bloated’ feeling can last a few days. I’ve been drinking shakes, ‘yoothies’ (liquidised yoghurt, berries and ice), orange juice, Weight Watchers soup and tea.

I spent most of the day sitting in a chair and occasionally getting up to prepare drinks in the kitchen. I felt very light-headed all day and my temperature was all over the place. Although the thermometer told me my temperature was normal and stable, one minute I was burning hot and the next I was shivering with cold! My head and upper chest were very red too (even when I was cold).

I had quite a lot of difficulty trying to get comfortable in bed Sunday night. It took about an hour of moving pillows, sitting up, lying down, moving the bedding again and so on. By the end of it I was in tears, partly through frustration and partly because all of the sitting up and lying down again had made my wounds quite sore. Still, with my husband’s help and patience we got there in the end. Once I’d got comfortable I managed to get a good night’s sleep.

Recovering from surgery: Day 2

Having slept quite well during my first post-operative night, I dragged myself out of bed on Sunday morning and slowly went through the process of washing, and changing into my day clothes. I enjoyed a first post-band cup of tea (drunk very slowly in tiny sips so that much of it was drunk cold) and enjoyed slowly walking around the room. My pain was similar to yesterday – just mild really. However, I did still feel very drowsy and had a hot head and chest.

I had a number of visitors including the bariatric nurse from Healthier Weight. I was able to ask her a number of questions I’d thought of as I’d gone through the reading material yesterday. For example, people report that the fluid phase gives a dry and ‘furry’ mouth – I asked ‘can I chew sugar-free Orbit gum?’ (or similar). The answer was yes – or even sugar-free Polos (as long as I don’t forget and crunch them instead of sucking!). I also saw Dr Ashton and Dr Favretti. They were pleased to see I was doing well and said the operation had gone exactly as planned. Dr Ashton said he looked forward to seeing me getting thinner over the coming months!

My husband came to collect me at about 10am. We had a little wait for the nurse to discharge me and we then had to collect some co-codamol from the pharmacy. Eventually we set off for home - another phase had begun.

Recovering from surgery: Day 1

After initially waking up from the anaesthetic at about 1115h, I then dozed for the next two or three hours. I was not in any real pain, just aware of some soreness around my tummy – which was fine if I didn’t move about too much. I lifted up my pyjama top at one point to inspect the ‘damage’, and there were five separate dressings, four in a line across the middle of my abdomen and one on its own in the middle and above the others. In the main ‘line’ of wounds, it was the one second from the left that was the most sore – this, I presumed, was the ‘port’ entry site. I never experienced any soreness from the one at the top or the two outer wounds.

As well as the dressings I also had a saline drip in my left hand and initially, an oxygen mask. The nurses later replaced this with a tube under my nose with two small protruding tubes that send oxygen up your nostrils. These were fine but they made my mouth and throat very dry. I was encouraged to sip water frequently and did so.

At about 3pm, two nurses came and helped me to get out of my gown and into my own pyjamas. I then sat in the chair watching TV and sipping water for several hours. My bariatric nurse came in the afternoon and left some reading material about the post-operative eating plan. I read what I could but felt very sleepy. Fortunately, being a Saturday night, my favourite programme (The X factor!) was on and kept me occupied. During this time, the nurses popped in every so often to check on me, replenish my co-codamol and do more observations but otherwise this was a peaceful and reflective time.

The best way I can describe the pain I experienced is to compare it with the feeling of stomach cramp that sometimes accompanies severe diarrhoea in a hot country! Alternately, what you might get if you’d been down the gym and seriously overdone the sit-ups!

At 9.30pm I got myself washed, teeth cleaned and ready for bed (X Factor lovers fear not, husband was video-taping the results show!). This was no mean feat considering I had to lug the saline drip hanger around with me and continually untangle the extended oxygen tube from various bits of furniture! I called the nurse to help me get into bed which I knew I wouldn’t be able to manage on my own. The nurse attached some wrap-arounds on my lower legs which were attached to a machine. This inflated the material, applying pressure to my calves to reduce the chances of a DVT (deep vein thrombosis). If you’re having difficulty understanding my explanation, think of these wrap-arounds being like large versions of the thing that is wrapped around your arm when you have your blood pressure taken – these are exactly the same except less pressure is applied. I mention these wrap-arounds because I found them really funny. There I was, lying in bed, and every 25 seconds (I know, I counted), one of my legs would be lifted up by a few centimetres. Then 25 seconds later it would go down and the other one would be inflated up – and so on. As I lay there trying to get to sleep, I had a vision of someone filming my legs during the night and then speeding up the replay and thought it would look like something out of a Monty Python sketch ….. Yeah, OK, perhaps I was still ‘high’ on anaesthetic!!

I drifted off to sleep about midnight. A was woken at about 1am, 4am and again at 5.30am for observations and more co-codamol, but otherwise slept well until about 0830h.