i still have Lortab brain...

I tried to go off the painkillers on Monday...BIG mistake!!!  Not only was there pain, but I was completely out of it all day yesterday.  I assume it was because of the lack of pain killers since that is the only thing I did differently.  Lesson learned...

But, because I am still on Lortab (same as Vicodin) I have difficulty bringing thought together in an eloquent manner.  So, I'm retreating to the bullet post 'cause I have lots of things to tell you.

• I have lost 13lb since my pre-op testing appointment on August 30.
• I had my 1st post-op appointment with Doc S and he was pleased!  He said I looked great and seemed to be impressed with my recovery and the amount of daily activity I was doing.  He said that as far as activity goes, I can do anything I want as long as it doesn't cause pain.  Exception--a few more weeks of lifting restrictions (nothing over 10 lbs).
• The nutritionist, Brittany, stopped by as well.  I love her!!!  We had a nice chat about things, she said it was ok to take my Calcium even though it meant chewing (mine are kinda like a Starburst) and confirmed that I need to try harder to get in my protein.  I have been averaging around 20-30g per day and I need to get it up to 60.
• My family is AWESOME!!!  Mom dropped everything yesterday to come over and stay with me when I told her I wasn't feeling well.  She even helped me get all my clean laundry put away AND cooked dinner for Darrell!  My dad is on his way over now to visit & to play fetch with Murphy (since I still can't throw the ball).
• My sister & her wife will be staying with us for a few days while they have some work done on their house (they had a burst pipe a couple of weeks ago).  In return, they will be feeding Darrell while they are here so that he can have a break from the casseroles.  His response, "I hope I like what they cook as much as I like your casseroles."  LOL
• I have had a few panicked "OMG what have I done?!?!?!?!?" moments in the last few days.  Seriously, I just threw away 80% of my stomach and I can never get it back!!!
• Thankfully, those moments don't usually last very long.
• The recovery pain for the sleeve is significantly more than it was for the band.  Strangely, though, I seem to have a lot more energy and am dealing with it better.  Go figure.