Soft is Good (in this case)

Not only is the sun shining bright and the air deliciously warm, but I am on Cloud 9 right now for a few other reasons as well!

Today was my first post-op visit w/ Dr. V.

Good news #1: All my incisions are healing nicely, and everything looks good on that front (post-op-wise).
Good news #2: I got the OK to start the Soft Food Phase today!
Good news #3: I only have to stay in that phase for one week, and then I get to move on to the final phase of going back to solid foods for the following week. This will be followed by my very first adjustment!
Good news #4: I am ahead of the game w/ a total weight loss of 17lbs!!! (which means I'm doing excellent so far)

Everyone at the office was so proud of me and happy for me, that it made me feel extra happy myself! I stayed to have lunch w/ them and shared Sharon's soup and chicken salad w/ her. After about 1.5oz of soup and maybe an ounce of the chicken salad I was full! I was also drinking water though, which probably filled me too. I have to learn to drink 30min before eating and 30min after, not during. I can't tell you how good it felt to just be able chew something!

So, the Soft Food Phase works like so... I get three meals and two snacks. Each meal will total 4oz of food, and must contain at least 2oz of protein. Pureed chick pea or bean soups are good choices. The only foods that don't have to be pureed are eggs, fish, tofu or low-fat cheese. Everything else, veggies, fruits, other meats, etc. get emulsified (I can't wait to start using the Cuisinart emulsion blender my mom got me for Christmas!). As I mentioned earlier, I cannot drink whilst eating. This will take some adjusting for me. Oh, and I have to eat s-l-o-w-l-y... as in at least a half-hour for each "little" meal.

Gaspar (NP w/ the practice who is amazing w/ adjustments... he apparently has magic hands) explained to me, that the reason for switching to solid foods before my adjustment, is so that I will be better prepared for the change once I get that first fill ("fill" is another term used for adjustments, as they are literally filling the band w/ saline).

Even though I had a huge weight loss since the surgery, this is not the norm and my losses from here on in will be nowhere near that. Unlike the Gastric Bypass (Roux-en-Y), which is a restrictive AND malabsorptive procedure, Gastric Banding is purely restrictive. What does this mean? Well, w/ the Band, simply the amount of food you are able to eat is "restricted", but w/ the Bypass, not only is the amount of food limited, but, because your intestines are altered/re-routed, some of the nutrients and fats are not absorbed. That is why people who have the Bypass lose an immense amount of weight and FAST. The Band allows you to lose weight at a more steady pace. So, going forward, it's more normal that I will lose about 1-2lbs per week tops. Which, I personally believe, will prove to be more rewarding in the end, and is the better option for me.

Last night I realized that I am already feeling more confident and strong. I know this may sound silly because it's only been 11 days since surgery and I have a long way to go before reaching goal. But, I was thinking, it probably has to do w/ the simple fact that I had the surgery. I faced one of my BIGGEST fears... and survived. I can't tell you how amazing that, in and of itself, feels. I feel like I can do anything now. And I am ready for whatever comes next. The past 2 weeks haven't been easy, but every step so far has been worth it.

I am thoroughly enjoying this tuna for dinner! Protein shakes... see ya never! Ha ha (well, at least for the weekend)