Merry Christmas!!!!

I made it to South Dakota last night with no travel problems....a small miracle considering the last 4 years of travel have brought many issues.  Delays, cancellations, lost bags, blizzards, etc...this year I walked into LaGuardia Airport and saw the shortest lines I've ever seen.  Both flights took off on time and landed on time.  It's a Christmas Miracle!!!  And it wasn't snowing in South Dakota and the roads were good.

The only problem at the airport was MY FIRST PB!!!!  Let me back up to Wednesday of this week when I got my first fill.  If you've been following me, you'll know I haven't had the best/easiest go since surgery.  I had a long, painful recovery, a leaking incision for over 2 weeks, and one trip to the ER for breathing problems.  So I go to my doctor on Wednesday and was a little nervous, but also excited for my fill.  They lay me down on the table, start DIGGING around looking for my port.  She (physician assistant) was poking and prodding so hard, my whole body was tense and I was screaming inside.  So she "thinks" she found it, put the needle in (OUCH!) and can't find the port.  So she takes the needle out, pokes around with her fingers  some more and says my port is tilted.  She said this isn't common, but it does happen.  She now just has to figure out if it's tilted up or down.  She thinks up.  At this point I feel all the blood drain from my head and feel like I'm going to pass out.  Luckily, I'm already lying down.  She goes in with needle number 2....no luck.  All I can think of is .....of course this is happening to me, nothing has been smooth so far!  She then goes to get the doctor.  He then pokes & prods some more, sticks in needle number 3 and thank the lord, he gets it!

I have had the largest black and blue mark on my stomach since Thursday.  I will take a picture tonight and post it before it  gets better.  It was worse, but still pretty big & gross.  I'm not sure if I should expect this bruising every time?  Or if it's just because they couldn't find it & had to try 3 times?  Anybody else experience this bruising & pain?  She did say once I start losing weight it will be easier to find my port....but in the meantime, I'm not looking forward to fills.

They started me off with 1.0cc in my 10cc band.  I did the rest of that day & the next day liquids/purees like I was suppose to.  On Friday I ate the inside of a chicken fajita panini (chicken already cut small so it was perfect).  I had told a couple people, since my fill was so close to flying and I really wouldn't know what my band was capable, I was planning on not eating anything while in the airport & flying for fear of PBing.  Well, I get to my gate in Detroit and have about 20 minutes before I board.  There was a Fuddruckers right across from my gate.  I figure I would get some chicken fingers & eat the chicken part & try to not eat too much breading.  Well, it took forever to get my food...I saw the chicken fingers come directly out of the fryer and into my hands....sit down at the table and tell myself to let them cool.  But I'm also nervous because I know once they start boarding my flight, it would be quick (very small planes flying into South Dakota so therefore takes about 2 minutes to board everyone :-) )  So I take a bite...I immediately realize it was too big, but it was also sooooo hot.  I instinctively take a drink of water (how many rules have I broken so far...anyone keeping track?!?!?!) and swallow because it's so hot.  I get this tight feeling in my chest, start hiccuping and and I'm like "crap...I can't believe I'm having my first "stuck" in the airport after I was adamant about NOT eating.  My flight is starting to board.  I throw my food away, get up and start walking (more like pacing) and all out panicking on how I'm going to board this plane.  I go to the bathroom (luckily a small bathroom where there was no one by the sink), do a big cough & some of the food comes out.  I still can feel like I'm stuck.  I walk out to make sure the door hasn't closed to my flight.  Run back to the bathroom, do another big cough and the rest came out!!!!

I made the flight!  I guess my band is working!!!!!  The rules will now be followed to a "T" and I hope it's a LONG time (or never would be nice) until the next PB.

For everyone celebrating Christmas today, have a great day and a great time with your family!