First First

I want to start off by saying that I am so far behind on blogs this week. I read a few and then need to get back to work. It is starting to be my busy season so I'm afraid it won't get better until October.

I had my first fill yesterday and it went pretty well. I did make one mistake though. I didn't have anything to eat before and was left starving and unable to eat after the fill. I was told not to eat anything for four hours before the appointment. Since it was at 1:00 PM, I decided not to eat anything because I don't get hungry until 10:00 AM and that would be too late. So I had coffee in the morning and a protein drink at 10:00. I guess I thought I wouldn't be hungry after the fill - ya know, like when you're first banded. WRONG!

I just red Kristen's post about her last minute foods before her fill and I realized I need to plan better next time.

But I digress. Back to the fill. I was meeting my fill doc for the first time and I am relieved that I really liked her, especially since the next fill option would be 50 miles away. She is a little bit of a wacka-doo, but in a good way. My fella came along. He didn't get to acompany me for the surgery so I guess he wanted to feel included. It was really funny though because he kept answering questions to the doctor ABOUT HIMSELF and not about me. She spent more than an hour with us and took a really detailed history. She also talked a lot about diet. She is a Naturopathic Physcian so she's all about the weird foods. Even though I am a vegetarian, I eat very plainly. No flax, tempeh, dahl, or seaweed. I like very few types of beans and legumes. I also tend to eat the same foods over and over. But she couldn't argue with my results!

The fill itself was very easy. She found my port without any issue and gave me 1.7 CC's. She said my band would hold up to 4 CC's. She had me sit up with the needle sticking out of my belly and drink water. She wanted me to feel the water stop momentarily at the band and then go down, but I couldn't feel the water at all! I mean, I felt it in my mouth, but not at my band. Sometimes when I eat, I do feel things go through the band - like my bottom stomach will be growling and I know the food hasn't made its way down there yet. Anyway it was kind of frustrating to not be able to know if I was getting enough of a fill based on the information she was seeking.

I was on clear liquids until this afternoon and now I can have mushies. Back to normal tomorrow. I got super full on a Orange Juilius earlier so I think I have good restriction.

My dad is coming this evening so I'm not sure how I'll handle that. I haven't told him about the band yet and now I can't eat regular food. He gives me and my daughter guitar lessons, but lives about two hours away so we haven't gotten together for awhile.

When I told him this was a good night, I forgot that it is Maundy Thursday. This is the celebration of the Last Supper and my church does some really cool things so I'd like to go. I also have a busy work schedule tomorrow so I don't know if I'll be able to slip out to go to Good Friday services. We have a video presentation that plays along with U2 music that is so cool and powerful!

I am also looking forward to Easter Dinner. Not for the food so much, but because I will be able to enjoy my meal without pigging out and going crazy. We've had a few family get-togethers since I was banded and I've loved dishing a small plate of food and eating it slowly. I used to eat so much BEFORE the dinner that I wouldn't even be hungry for the meal, but I'd eat it anyway. And of course I'd feel just awful. Who'd have thought that I'd actually enjoy eating slowly and savoring every bite?