Christi!! How was your...

First day at work?  Did you make it a half day or full?  Was it good to be back?  Are you tired?  Did anyone notice you slimming down?  What was everyone's thoughts?  How do you feel?  Was it hard eating there? Did you get enough water in?  WOW!  Ok, fill us in, I think I asked enough!!!

Returning to work went just fine.  I had told everybody at my clinic that I was having this surgery, so they did ask me few questions, but it was pretty much back to work as usual.  I think some of them are worried about overstepping, and maybe some feel that I did a pretty extreme (unecessary?) thing.  I don't know that any feel that way, nobody has said anything negative really, but there seems to be some hesitation.  My supervisor was very open to talking to me about it.  He seems to be very interested in this healing process, and in how I deal with things, like being around food and such.  It's nice to have somebody who is interested, who asks questions, and *****ally seems to want to understand (he and his wife have a friend who did this also, so he's got some awareness).  I think that's probably the hardest part, is trying to explain the why's and how's to people who are holding back for some reason.  Friends and family can be the same way.  Like I said, most of them, I think, may be just worried about privacy issues, but I want to be open with the people I deal with every day, if they want to know.  I guess, too, that I'm lucky that I work with people who get along as well as we do, and who do care about each other (hey, not trying to say we have perfect relationships), so it wasn't scary to return to work.   Bet you didn't expect an essay answer.  Me neither, but once I started typing, I find I have a ton of stuff to say. Anyway, supervisor told me that he could tell I had lost some.  I am chosing not to tell anybody how much total yet, or how much I'm hoping to lose.  I'm not ready to vocalize to them the full extent of my excess.  I haven't given my family any real numbers either.   I drank some yogurt, and some water, did get in what I needed for the morning.  Remembering to sip isn't too hard.  My energy level kept wavering back and forth.  I decided 6 out of 10 hours was enough for the first day back, so I did leave early and took a nap when I got home.  I stopped at Cub (by my work), trying to find some caramel Torini SF syrup, and that wasn't quite as painful as the trip to my Cub, yesterday.  I've been getting phantom hunger, anger, headaches and nausea when I go into a grocery store.  BTW, anybody know where I can walk into a store and buy the SF caramel syrup these days, preferably close to the midway, or Rosedale area?   So far both stores are sold out, and I don't want to keep going into grocery stores if I don't have to.   My abs were a bit sore.  A lot of movement from sitting to standing and back again.  But I think I'm going to shoot for a full day on Wed.  Tuesday's are short days anyway, so tomorrow will be much like today.  I am a bit worried about lunch on Wednesday.  I'll probably take some protein loaded tomato soup to drink, but it's clinic meeting over lunch day, so I'll have to sit and smell real food, and watch people eat.  I'm worried about that.  I could smell their lunches today, and it did set my head into thinking I needed food, but it wasn't painful, or hard to deal with.  I'm sure I'll be fine, but I do worry. Question.  I did find that I had a lot of gas issues today.  I had GasX with me, and took plenty of it, but it really didn't help.  Anybody have any ideas that may help with this problem?   Well, thanks for reading!       

I am not sure if there is a World Market near you, but they have the SF Syrups. I bought Hazelnut and Carme from there. Good luck.

Yes there is!  Thank you, I never would have thought of that.  I've been wanting to go there out of curiosity anyway, now I have a valid excuse.

Ahhhh, gas.  My favorite topic!  My suggestion?  Febreeze.  Semi-seriously - I bought a bottle my first day back.  I hadn't realized, in the privacy of my own home, how much tooting was going on!  But when I got to work?  WOW!      So Febreeze.  Have it handy, and don't be afraid to use it.  (I found I could fart discreetly enough, having a nice upholstered chair, but when I'd get up and then sit back down?  It's like I'd fluff all the fart back out of the cushion and get to smell it all over again!!!  ) Anyway, on a more serious note, my personal solution may not work for you, but I found milk to be the culprit, and on PNC, we are to drink 3 glasses a day.   I try to time my milk later in the day so I bless my family, not my co-workers.  And I've been using other sources of protein to substitute for the morning glass.  Personally, and again, this may not work for others, but I love beef jerky!  Low fat, high in protein, I love it!  And you have to chew the dickens out of it, so that satisfies a craving as well! The gas issue may not linger, but if it does, try to figure out what triggers it, and then maybe talk with your nut to see if you can find an alternative! HUGS!

Oh, I am the febreeze queen, unfortunately, I easily get headaches from it, and I'm scared to over-febreeze since I am in the reception area.  Although it would be better than making them deal with the alternative.  My cat won't even come near me when I 'm on a roll.   I know dairy is really hard on me.  A little bit puts me in the can for hours , and then it takes me a day for the gurgling and gassing to settle down.  So far, it seems like just about anything that isn'****er, or popsicle, gives me gas.   Boy I hope this passes.  How am I supposed to attract me a husband if I walk around tootin and stinkin?  this adverse affect would greatly sadden my Mom, especially since I am an old maid already. Oh, I wish I could eat.  I keep reminding myself its only a few more weeks, but I might be dying here.  The brain is one powerful machine.  I swear that suddenly, out of nowhere, I think I'm hungry.  I get that hollow feeling like the one I used to get where you waited too long, and are so hungry you are either gonna puke or your stomach is gonna growl.  Obviously neither happens, but it does suck when it happens.  Most of the time it's actually not so hard, or so terrible, just when it hits, it hits really hard. Thanks for your suggestions!