melzie_99

I'm not going to lecture you, I'm honestly just fascinated that you WANTED to eat! I cried daily the first week because I was so tired of having to have my shakes/protein drinks every couple of hours and I had absolutely no appetite. It was so depressing to me initially to still be cooking for my husband and missing the food I used to eat but having no desire for it whatsoever...I felt like I had lost a friend! LOL But yeah, like the others said, I wasn't allowed soft foods for about 2 week and even then it was hit or miss; 2.5 years post surgery and I still can't eat some of the foods you tried.

Well, it's halfway through the month but I'd still like to join; I'll just set a smaller goal...lol. So here goes! Name, real or screen~Melanie Goal weight for May 31st~185 Weight on May 1st~198 Age~30 Dietary goal for May~recording all food eaten Exercise goal for May~exercise at least 2x/week Personal goal for May~be more positive about how I look Date banded~1/10/11 Total weight loss since banding/pre op diet~75 lbs What is your favorite flower~ purple roses Oh, and my starting weight as of 5/13/12 is 193.4

I was pretty miserable the first week after surgery; lots of pain from the gas they put in your abdomen during surgery, plus I had some depression from not being able to eat, something that my life had revolved around for so many years. I think it's good to stay nearby, and walking is supposed to help, but I guess I would be worried about overdoing it so soon after surgery. Sitting in the car was VERY uncomfortable, so not sure how you'll be feeling to do a road trip...

I've jumped on the 'wrap' bandwagon and decided to give it a try, as a have a pretty good pooch in the belly and my arms are awful. I'll let you know if and how well they work when I get them!

I still struggle with this one. I have been banded for almost a year and a half now and have lost a good chunk of weight (over 70lbs). Because of all the blood, sweat, and tears (literally) that have come with this journey, I am proud of what I have managed to accomplish. I have told a few select people about the surgery, and while most of the responses have been positive or neutral, I have met a few people who decided to give me the whole "you could've done it without surgery if you tried harder" speech. It makes me feel bad when I see others who have lost just as much weight if not more than me without surgical intervention, but I feel I made the best decision for me. That being said, I have chosen to pick and chose the people I share my story with.

I wonder if not chewing well enough is my problem as well! I recently had a slight unfill due to recurring reflux issues that ultimately led to me getting aspiration pneumonia (sad part is the dr's nurse was against my unfill until this occurred). Now it seems like everytime I eat something I get these horrible rumbling/gurgling noises like my stomach is working overtime to digest my food. I will try chewing more and see what happens; glad to hear I'm not the only one with these issues!

My dr didn't set a goal for me either, but said a good weight range for someone my height and build (5'5.5''/medium build) should be in the 155-165 range. I initially set a goal of 145 to be in a good BMI range, but have decided to aim for 155/160 and go from there. I haven't been that weight since college and was pretty thin then (IMO), so not thinking I will shoot for 145. I say set a goal 20-30lbs over your ideal weight, see how you look/feel, and go from there. It's up to you at the end of the day; good luck!

The entire process, from initial referral from my dr to my surgery date took a month and a week, and that's only because I had them push back surgery because I wasn't mentally prepared at the time. It can be a little daunting, believe me, and part of me wishes I had a few more requirements beforehand, but I don't regret my decision one bit. My surgeon is a Center of Excellence and he and his staff have been wonderful. My only regret is that I didn't do this sooner!

I know, waiting is so hard, especially after losing so much (I've lost 61lbs total so far, some pre-band) but know I still have another 60 to lose sucks. Trying to be patient since it took almost 7 years to gain all this weight, and I know the band isn't a miracle worker...I want to be able to wear shorts and sleeveless tops again without being mortified! (Plus, I have never weighed less than my husband, so that's a big goal of mine...only about 35 more lbs to go for that!)

I like that my pointy chin (which I used to hate) is becoming prominent again...lol. Also like being able to see a defined waistline again and ankles that aren't constantly swollen!

I was initially given a nasal cannula (the little prongs that go in your nose with flowing oxygen) after surgery; once they saw my oxygen levels were stable I just wore my CPAP when sleeping. Because I was continuously on oxygen, I am not aware of any issues with that, and my sleep apnea is pretty bad (during my sleep study I had over 100 episodes/hr). I think it's something they will monitor pretty closely, especially if you have sleep apnea. The only people I've heard about having a lot of problems are heavy smokers...

I had a morphine pump in the hospital, but honestly I used it maybe 4 times right before I had to get up and walk or go to the bathroom. I was given liquid hydrocodone and honestly that stuff made me so loopy if I was in pain while I was on it I don't really remember. I preferred the water filled heating pad they gave me...wanted to take it home with me.

I agree about the liquid temperature; when I have issues with the band like that I go on warm liquids...drink lots of tea and eat broth based soups. I think you're probably not losing much between most likely being dehydrated and your poor body is probably hanging onto every calorie it can because you're not eating enough. Because your intake is so low currently I wouldn't recommend overdoing it with exercise, but eventually you will need to increase it to at least 30 minutes, even if you break it up throughout the day. If you can, I would recommend trying a liquid diet for a little while...your band is most likely really irritated at this point and I know when that happens to me I can't eat solids for the rest of the day without sliming, no matter how much I chew it. Maybe even yogurt or sugar free jello would help...just throwing some ideas at you; sorry they're so random!

All of my process (meeting with PCM, meeting surgeon, and Tricare approval) was done in less than 10 days. I think my starting BMI was around 44, however, and I had already been diagnosed with HBP and sleep apnea, as well as having a documented history in my medical records of trying to lose weight. I was not required to have a true psych eval; I met with a social worker for about 5 minutes. Nutrition class was for about 3-4 hours and then I had my counsult. I actually could've had surgery the following week but decided to wait until the following month to mentally prepare. I have Triwest, and honestly, you never know about Tricare; it took me 3 years and 4 doctors to get my last surgery approved even though I superceded all their requirements yet this was approved in less than 48 hours. Make sure you give your PCM as much info as possible so they can submit a good referral; a lot rides on what they send into Tricare... ETA: Just for clarification, my surgeon is a Center of Excellence, so even though the process was fast he's not sketchy in the least.