Just a quick update...

So it's day 5 of recovery. The surgery went great, the healing process has been a bit difficult. It's hard not being able to pick up my kids or let them sit on my lap or sleep with me. The pain has gotten a lot better just real sore in the port site. Hopefully I can start my full liquids soon, the clear liquid stage is killer.

It has brought on many different and mixed emotions. You really don't know how much food effects you till you feel like you are in starvation mode. The liquid phases are so important to the healing of your stomach.

Recovery in general regardless of the reason just sucks, it's a long process and is never really any fun! I hope the next 2 and half weeks just fly by. I will be so much happier when I can start eating soft - solid foods. I've never craved an egg as much as I do now! I want tomato pie and a scrambled egg with turkey bacon and salsa, oh and topped with a sprinkle of cheese! Doesn't that sound good? These are all things that I can eat!

I've joined a lab band forum and have found tons of awesome recipes! So I've decided that I'm going to start a new section on my blog for recipes. I encourage everyone to send me recipes that you want featured or posted. If you could put the calorie, fat, carbs, sugar, and protein count with them that would be great! If you don't have all the information don't let it stop you from submitting your recipe anyways!

Give me a few days to get it all set up and then start enjoying the recipes, try them out and then let us all know how they came out!

I've found through all of this that, it's more than just putting a tool in your body, it's about, your lifestyle, eating habits, your support, and your choices. You have to have a tremendous amount of support, a shoulder to cry on, because believe me tears will be shed, someone to encourage you and remind you of your reasons along the way, but most of all you need to surround yourself around people who aren't going to pressure you into eating things you know you shouldn't.

It can't be looked at as a diet it has to be looked at and approach as a lifestyle change, a decision you decide, a decision to live a long healthy life. That doesn't mean you have to give up all your favorite little treats, snacks, and goodies, it just means you have to learn to not have them every day of your life!

So I know I sound like I'm preaching, but I assure you I'm not, these are things I have to tell myself all the time. A daily remind, because sometimes just looking at my beautiful children just isn't enough.

Step by step and day by day, I will have to learn how to use my tool, and work through the up's and down's of my emotions. If there is one thing that my mother has taught me, it's to go through with the things you choose to do and commit to it. Don't give up just because it gets hard or you don't want to do it anymore. This is something I try to teach my children as well, and I need to set that example for them also.

Someone once said "No one ever said it would be easy, they only said it would be worth it"