Cangel76

Sorry I can't read everyones post, this one has flown away from me a bit. I am Celeste, I was banded November 2nd and wish you all the best of luck. You can read my blog to see how I have dealing.

Hello there. I am day three out. I have not had a ton of pain, in fact I got out of surgery at 10:30, woke up at 11:30 am and didn't take meds until 8:30pm that evening. After that it was every 6 hours or so. It was sore in the way that one would get if you have a really bad cough for a week, that soreness in the muscles, or you do a ton of stomach crunches and you are achey to move. The pain is really not terrible. Check out my blog and read the status a little. I don't want to eat right now, so don't think that will be a huge problem. My doctor said if in a week I am really hungry we can start introducing mushy foods. I started this proces at 234 and then got down to 217.5 by surgery date. After 2 days post op I am at 217.5. So we shall see how it goes from there. Be patient, take the proper time to heal. Pre-op diet, not sure what you have to do for it. Mine was protein and veggies so that was pretty easy. I ate lots of veggies and salads to keep me full. It is important to change your relationship with food or this won't work. If you don't eat right you will just gain weight back. Don't worry about that now, just get through pre op and start working on dietary changes now. Good luck!

Sounds like your only option is mornings. I may also make a suggestions, it might be time to look into a new job in a different school district if this isn't resolved by your Union. How can you truly take time to do a quality grading job if you are rushed? Good luck hon whatever you do.

Are you keeping up with mainly proteins? That helps you to loose weight, also, when you exercise you build muscle, muscle weighs more then fat. So keep that in mind. Good luck!

I am in a lot of pain and still groggy. I am taking pain meds just every four hours or so. I knew it wasn't going to feel like a lazy stroll down a river, but I feel like I did 1000 crunches, it hurts to stand up, hurts to sit down. How did you all sleep with out the hospital bed?

Thanks everyone, I am feeling pretty good today. Have to attack my school work and get as much done as possible. Hope you all have a great day. Feeling better, still gassy but not in pain. Though I had my pain meds at 5:30 last night so who knows. LOL I am on every four hours or as needed. Trying to use them as little as possible.

I am feeling hungry but I won't cheat. I know my doctor said to loose the most weight and stay healthy to focus on proteins and veggies. I am looking forward to snacking on some different foods though. I am on the liquid portion, only three days in and he is big on gettin 60-74 grams of protein and 64oz of water. He said you will loose your hair if you don't get enough protein. I have thin enough hair as it is. Good luck hon and we will get through this first part. I am only day three and still sore and gassy. I am hoping to not have to use pain meds today though.

Day 3 for me, a little sore still, made the mistake of sleeping on my right side so my port hurt this morning and my husband had to help me get up and reposition. I am doing well otherwise, still gassy. Took my levothyroxine with Water, cut it in half so it was really small. In an hour going to take my first dose of Protein and then move on to my second and third. LOL

My name is Celeste. I have been battling the bulge for ten years now. After a long time of diet and exercise only causing me to gain weight I thought I was hopeless. I went to my OBGYN for my yearly check up and mentioned the Poly Cystic Ovary Syndrome and asked if there was a way to help control the weight. He looked down and frowned a bit, "the only thing I have seen help people loose weight in this situation is banding." The next day I went about looking at the surgery details. I think that was in May or June, everything has blurred together now. I was suddenly at the end of a six month journey and was told, "you are approved, we can do surgery November 2, 2010." I quickly accepted and jumped on board. This is what I wanted after all, wasn't it? With no second thoughts about what the procedure could help me with I agreed. As I got closer the fear of going under hit me. Like a ton of bricks, to the point I had a panic attack in the OR. Nothing a little bit of drugs couldn't help with I suppose. The Anesthesiologist said to me, "you have to be sure you want this procedure done or I won't put you out." I looked at him and said, "I have to be sure you are going to wake me up." He nodded and off I went. My doctor, Doctor Gedeon of Bristol told me he was going to do the surgery a new way. With one incision in the belly button. It is less invasive and because I was skinny it would work. So when I woke up I was thrilled to see no wholes in me. YAH! I was feeling pretty good as a general rule. I was only suffering gas pains. I went from 11:30am (the time I finally woke up) until 8:30 that evening with out pain meds. I got up and walked twice at that point. From that point on I walked whenever I could. Of course with all the IV fluids I had to pee a million times, thus not sleeping that well. I rested most of the day dozing on and off as it was. When it came around to the morning time I was needing pain meds every 5-6 hours and honestly, I was allowed them every two hours. The nurses said how strong I was to be so determined and self reliant. In the morning they carted me down to do my swallow test, ouuu that was disgusting tasting but not the worst. The x-ray technician that took an X-ray of my stomach said to me, "you had lap band, but your so skinny." I laughed, in the last ten plus years of my life I have never been called skinny. My doctor is great, I love the staff. They are very good and gave me great guidelines to live by. Once on solids only eat 1/4 cup at a time. Eat all your proteins first and make sure they are solid proteins. One does not want to add the extra calories of liquid protein once on solid foods unless it is a case of needing a carry along meal. Vitamins will be my new best friend and my doctor expects my weight to drop pretty fast. He read the review from the Psychologist and the guy said, "motivated and determined to not just loose fat, but life a healthier life style. She doesn't appear to have food attachments and looks to be ready to stop letting her health control her life." He said he had never seen such a glowing review from the Psychologist, but here I am digressing. I am now home, day one, my two and a half year old has already tried to jump on me. She knows something is wrong and doesn't know how to approach me, but is giving me lots of kisses. My ten year old is thrilled to see that I am "alive" and well. He is being gentle and loving and trying to help out with his sister as much as possible. My husband is taking on all the duties of a husband and helping out with everything. I am uncomfortable today and in a decent amount of pain. My last dose of pain meds was 11:30 and I took another dose at 5:30. I want to remember that there is pain so that I do not push myself too hard and get hurt. If I forget I have limitations I know I will hurt myself. Trying to force down some broth and protein shake. It's a slow go but I do not want to get sick from trying to drink this stuff. I read somewhere some people say they were dreaming of food after. I AM TOO!!! I dreamt of a nice crisp salad, then I dreamt of stuffed mushrooms and I watched a cooking show on television. Oddly though, I had no desire to eat. My mind is processing out why my body isn't asking for these things. I hope I dream about pot roast tonight. Getting in my head what to do for Thanksgiving. My Mom and I are cooking it together, with her in ICU last week and finally out, me out of surgery starting a new life, this is so going to be our blessed holiday this year. After two deaths in the family this year and a close call for my Mom, everything should go up hill from here.

Was banded November 2nd, 2010 in the morning. Recovery is going a little tough for me. The air pockets are tough. However the actual incision site is not so painful.

What kind of diet do you have to do? I was Protein and veggies, it wasn't so hard. If it was all liquids I would have had a harder time. Good luck.

I had mine November 2nd, who are my band buddies and how is the healing going?

I just got banded, keep in touch, the journey is going to be emotional. Good luck! I had to wait 6 months to qualify.

Elfiepoo, you may just be putting on muscle faster then loosing fat at this point. Muscle weighs more than fat.

Skat no one even recommended gas x strips. I was told to walk it out, walk, walk, walk. So that is what I am doing. So far it is decreasing very slowly. I joked with my husband and said, "why don't they put a tube in your rear and let it just come out that way. Not efficient but it feels like there should be some way to get rid of the excess air.

That is a great story! I can't wait until I am falling out of my clothes.

Thanks for the information, looking forward to it.

I always get nervous with surgery and wrote my children the, "if I die, Mommy loves you!" letters. I cried leaving my two and a half year old daughter and knowing my almost ten year old son was at his fathers. My husband drove away and left me alone. I have been super excited and was in a good mood in Pre-Operative. Joking and laughing with the girls. Suddenly people started filtering in and reminded me about the surgery. My doctor had told me because I was skinny he was just going in through the bell button. As I waited the anesthisiologist started bringing me to the OR and I freaked. "I can't do this, I change my mind, I don't want to go under." Kerry, the nurse, calmed me and promised I would wake up and that everyone feels this way. The Anesthiasiologist asked if I was committed to the procedure and I nodde. He put the mask on my face and that was all I remember. I was in recovery for a while and feeling really good besides the gas pain. I talked with the nurse and we laughed and joked around in between me napping and being awake. Around 3:30 I dozed off as much as possible. I am still in pain today. FEels like I did a 1000 sit ups and I am still groggy. I will be on a liquid diet for a few weeks. I think the thing that struck me the oddest is every time I doze off I dream of food. I dreamt of my surgeon and I having a salad, my hubby and I mushrooms. Even now I am having a hard time keeping my eyes open. Looking forward to the recovery in a few weeks. PS sorry for any misspellings. I am still kind of asleep.

My friend has a similar problem. She is going to see a therapist for eating issues. Maybe start there and see if you can get help in rethinking what food means to you in your life and how you can make changes for yourself to be healthier.