Not such a good day

Urgh. Yesterday was not great. Nothing happened, but I think I've entered what's called "bandster hell." It's when you're post-op, you're in pain, you don't have restriction in your band yet so you still feel hungry, but you're on a very restricted puree diet.

The day started off well and I was feeling good, but then I started developing the dreaded post-op gas pains. Basically, when they do the operation they fill your abdomen with air, and afterward they're only able to get out about 95% of it. The other 5% has to reabsorb on its own and the only thing you can do to speed that up is drink lots of water and walk as much as possible. I have been trying to do those things, and I think I've been doing OK, but oh--my chest feels tight and my breath is shallow.

I had to call the surgeon's office anyway to make a follow-up appointment and while I was on the phone I asked about it, and they said it's just gas pains, probably an air bubble that has lodged itself under my breastbone. Isn't that lovely? It feels pretty much horrible. It makes me want to lie down and not do anything for ages, but instead they tell you to walk, walk, walk.

My incision pain is getting better, but it isn't gone by any means, and all the walking creates some sharp pains. Plus, you need to drink constantly, but only little tiny sips, which isn't exactly satisfying, you know? I really just wanted to GULP. And of course you can't drink at all during meals, and a lot of puree is pretty tasteless and could really do with a kick of something, ANYTHING, to drink along with it.

Also, part of my left leg is numb, which the surgeon's office also said was normal, so, you know, I'm not worried that I'm dying or anything but it still feels weird and bad.

And also, and I think this is the worst thing, I am so hungry, or rather my stomach is. It is growling and sending out painful hunger pangs. And yet, I cannot STAND the idea of food. Everything on my list of approved foods makes me want to gag just thinking about it. But I NEED to eat, and meet my protein quota, so... well, lots of protein shakes. Seriously, just thinking about it makes me want to vom. Right now I cannot even think about the fact that I have a week and a half of this left. It is just overwhelming. It is worse, somehow, than the straight liquid diet. I finally forced myself to eat a tiny cup of yogurt, and I could only get halfway through it.

But I DO want normal food. I would kill for some rotisserie chicken, for example, or salmon sashimi. OMG anything SOLID that I can chew, anything that doesn't taste like it was made by Gerber and sold in a tiny jar.

So, yeah. I'm hungry, I'm tired, I'm achey and sore, and mostly I'm just grumpy. I just want to be at the next part already. I know, nothing ever comes easy and I knew this would happen going into the surgery. But oh, I wish it would just go by faster. Or at least that I could EAT without wanting to puke.

OK, so, that's my litany of complaints. I still don't regret the surgery because I know that this part is only temporary and it WILL get better. But oh, god, I wish I could go to sleep and wake up in like three weeks. I hate this part.