20 and 2

The 20 minute run (slow jog) was a big success last night.  I was really dreading it but it went by relatively quickly and without pain.  I think it might be the farthest that I've ever gotten with Couch to 5K (I've tried this training program multiple times before without completion).  Now if I can get one more run in this week that is more like 25+ then I will feel good about participating in the 5K on July 11th. 

And 2 cc is what was added to the band today, so my total is now 8cc.  It's so funny how quick these appointments go, it takes no time at all, in and out,  yet the build up is so great because you know how much the visit will help you in the long run.  Still looking for that sweet spot, hoping the additional 2cc will help me get there and help me get through the temptation and overindulgence that normally comes with a holiday weekend with friends and family. 

It's been a while

Haven't posted in a while, most likely because I'm in what feels like a no man's land with the band.  Not loosing, but not gaining.  Definitely not feeling the restriction I had right after my first fill.   My next fill appointment was scheduled for July 13th but now that my work travel schedule has changed I was able to get one for this Wednesday.  Woo-hoo!  This will be a good thing going into 4th of July weekend with friends and family and then a work trip right after that.  With a recent fill I will be much more in tune with what I consume. 

Still training for a 5K on July 11th, not quite where I need to be but I'm pretty sure I can jog the majority of the race.  Last night I did day 2 of week 5 of Couch to 5K, and it felt really good.  My plan is to do day 3 of week 5 tomorrow which is a 20 continuous run, it will be my longest yet.  I've scheduled the workout in my work calendar which always seems to help!

Small plates are a good thing

This evening J and I went to the Paella Festival at Jaelo.  I was a little scared of how I would do because I've stayed pretty tight from my first fill and because I have being staying away from grains for the most part just to play it safe.  Well it was a great evening because in addition to José Andrés being there (which was so cool) the food and drinks were delicious!  Thankfully they use very small plates so I was able to eat a few bites of the many different types of paella they offered.  The paellas came out in pans the size of this picture, it was quite the experience.  Just goes to show you can enjoy most of what you want just as long as you go slow and take your time. 

First fill

So the fill was actually today, not yesterday, I was a little thrown off by the long weekend. 

Everything went according to plan.  The NP put in 6 cc's of saline and I did not feel a thing, it was done before I even knew it started.  I was able to drink water right after and will stick to liquids today because after each fill your stomach reacts by swelling up, so no solids today.  I do feel a little different, almost like my throat is tight, but it could all be mental. 

I hope this fill give me some restriction right off the bat because my next appointment is not until July 13th due to the holiday and work travel.

Back in action

 Finally able to get back to working out this weekend.  Since the surgery it has been pretty low impact, mostly walking.   Sunday I started back on the Couch to 5K podcast at week 3, had to fast forward a bit as I'm signed up to run a 5K at our big all staff meeting mid July in Salt Lake City, so I have to get in gear before then.  Later that evening I was back playing tennis- I had practice for the summer league I play in, but only 2 of us showed up with the coach so it was more like a private lesson, and I got a great workout in.   I'm looking forward to our next match on Saturday.  And today I spent over two hours in the garden, I guess I never realized what  a workout that can be, my legs are feeling it for sure.  And in a few weeks I hope to have some harvest from all this hard work.  I see a few hints of veggies here and there so hopefully they pull through.

Tomorrow is my first fill, excited but a little nervous for it.  J told me they will put 6cc in this first go around, which sounds like a lot, so I'm hoping the real restriction will occur as a result.  I'll post more tomorrow.

Chicken tenders not so tender

So now I think I know what it feels like to be "stuck".  This weekend I made a big batch of Baked Panko Chicken Tenders (from www.loveandoliveoil.com) for a yummy high protein lunch option to bring to work.  Everything was going according to plan until today's lunch when all of a sudden BAM, something was not right.  I was stuck.  I took some deep breaths, drank a little water, and took a timeout from lunch.  A minute or two later, although it felt like a lifetime, everything was back to normal.  Now I can't say this was a complete surprise,  I had read from others that chicken (especially after a microwave heat up) can be tough for the band, but I guess I didn't think that would happen to me until at least my first fill.  Never-the-less it was a good lesson learned and a reminder to take even smaller bites and to chew for a little bit longer.  Until next time chicken tender...

One sushi roll?

Someone pinch me.  Never in the past has one sushi roll been sufficient for a meal.  In the past, 2-3 would tide me over, but one, that's pretty exciting.   And it's possible that once I start to get the band filled (currently empty) it might even be less.  But what I'm finding out is this is a mental game as much as it is physiological one, and I have to be OK with eating less.  And I'm fully aware that the next week or week after that might have something completely different in store for me, I may be in a honeymoon period of sorts, but I'll take my 14 lb weight loss for now.

Post-op visit

Met with the NP today to check my wounds and to discuss how recovery is going.  He took the dressing off for the first time to reveal some nicely healing wounds.  Now I just have to start massaging them to reduce the visibility of scars.    The plan is to go back in two weeks for my first fill.  This is a week earlier than J which I'm pretty excited about as he was in bandster hell for a good bit of time.

Appetite is still coming back, a little stronger each day,  but so far I've been able to keep it in check eating a majority of healthy protein, and the scale is still moving in my favor.

Food laundering

Food laundering is my term for the antics I pulled last night at dinner to appear "normal".  For a change of pace J and I walked to a really cute local Mexican eatery near our apartment for dinner.  And since I am still on liquid/soft food right now my options were pretty limited.  I ordered a cheese enchilada just so I could eat the soft re-fried beans, but after a little bit I felt bad because I had not touched the main course.  So in my infinite wisdom I started moving it around, cutting it up, and placing pieces on surrounds plates other than my own.  This I dubbed food laundering, an act that I'm sure will become commonplace until I become comfortable with my new eating habits that don't include eating everything on my plate.

Fast forward to today

OK, so the last time there was much activity on here was back in December as the process is a long and arduous one to say the least. Testing, required visits, paperwork, insurance, paperwork, scheduling, back to insurance, and on and on. If you told me back in December that it would be May until I was able to have surgery I would have said no way! 6 months! And remember it was not because of the required pre-op diet, because I was exempt from that. This is just a long process, which is all to say you have to be ready and committed to keep it moving forward on your own behalf.

But today I write 4 days post op. Surgery was on Tuesday (5/11/2010) and I'm recovering quite well. Still slow to get around but I was able to work from home on Friday and get out to the movies and the garden. Looks like I'm off the pain medication for good. Sleeping is still a little tough as I'm a stomach/side sleeper. So for now I'm resigned to being a back/side sleeper. Currently on a liquid diet until my 2 week post op appointment. Yesterday, I started getting my appetite back a little bit: 1/2c Greek yogurt for breakfast, 1/2c soup for lunch, 1c soup & 1/2c mashed potatoes for dinner. OK, so its not completely liquid but you catch my drift. It's an odd feeling being head hungry because I know I haven't really eaten in 4 days, but when I go to eat my body is just not into it. But that is something that I will just have to accept.

One thing I wish the doctor had told me was not to weight myself right when I get home, all the weight that I lost in the run-in liquid diet seemed to come right back during surgery. I know this is a function of the fluids and the surgery but it was a little upsetting at first. But today I'm back to my day of surgery weight so I'm feeling good about that.