steph324

I just made chocolate cake so I can take cake balls (chocolate cake crumbled and mixed with Bailey's liqueor, rolled into balls and dipped in melted chocolate) and I did not ONCE lick the spoon. As soon as I was done with the mixer, I dumped the blades into my dish Water. Same with the spatula and the bowl. Let me tell you, that took willpower!

Also yesterday I had several people tell me that I look like a completely different person from even a few weeks ago. Good to know that even though I am not seeing much movement on the scale, the inches are shifting around!

Also, my best friend had a pair of sandals that I admired every time she wore them. She bought them in South America, so last year when she visited she brought me back a pair for my birthday. Only problem was, even though they were my size, my foot was too wide for them. Tried them on the other day and they FIT! Who knew you lost weight in your feet?

I am four weeks out from surgery, excercise 6 days a week, drink at least a gallon of Water everyday, eat only the foods and amounts I am supposed to, and have been gaining and losing the same 2 pounds for the last two weeks. I lost 12 pounds in the week after surgery, but have not been able to lose anything since. My doctor warned me this could be the case though, so I'll just wait, knowing that if I keep making the right decisions, it will make a difference eventually!

I haven't had my first fill yet so don't know what I will not be able to tolerate, but do have a suggestion for the sushi issue! I am diabetic and white rice really spikes my blood sugar. I have found that I can ask for my sushi rolls to be made without the rice. They turn out much smaller (which isn't a bad thing for our band) but the taste doesn't really change. I have been to many restaurants and no one has denied the request.

Honestly, I took my pain meds the day after surgery and have not had to take anything since. I did not even have the horrible gas that people complain about. I think it is truly different for every patient. I have had way worse pain from dental procedures and from kidney stones than I did from this.

When I first started looking into surgery, my BMI was hovering around 40. On the day my paperwork was submitted to my insurance company it was 35.1 (if I had lost 2 more pounds I would not have been able to use insurance!) On the day of my surgery my BMI was 32 and my goal is to lose an additional 55 pounds. I am now 2 weeks out and loving it. I am already able to stop taking one of my blood pressure medications so this is something I will not regret. Good luck on your journey!

I had the gas pain in my shoulder the night of my surgery. It kind of felt like if your shoulder needed to crack. Not excruciating, just annoying. I walked while scissoring my arms up and down which relieved it almost immediately. It never came back. I also did not experience the gas coming out of either end. My stomach was about 10 inches larger when I came home from surgery than it was when I left ( I actually took pictures and sent it out to friends saying "this is what I would look like if I was 6 months pregnant") but it went down about the 5th day.

I wish I had no appetite! I was banded the same day you were and my appetite came back with a vengeance around day 7. I am now on the mushy/soft food stage and feel so much more satisfied since my Protein is coming from FOOD instead of shakes. Going through the full liquid stage while my body was screaming FEED ME was not fun! I have talked to several people who did not regain their appetite for 3 or 4 weeks though. My surgeon does not fill the band at all during surgery so if yours put some in when he banded you maybe that is causing it? I will say that my activity level has been pretty high for the last week or so and that is probably contributing to my appetite.

I am 11 days out and still have to wear a sports bra because underwire hurts too much, even with a bandage over it!

My doctor also recommended Milk of Magnesia if I couldn't go for more than a few days. I was told to avoid anything harsh like Ex-Lax.

Keep in mind, the Wii subtracts weight based on the "How heavy are your clothes" question. This could account for some of the difference!

I attempted to sleep in a recliner the first night, but realized it was a little late in life to learn how to do that! I slept in my bed, on my back the first night, but able to move onto my side hugging a pillow by the second. I haven't had any problems, but I tend to have a fairly high pain tolerance.

Had surgery on the 27th and I'm still having shoulder pain. If it weren't for the gas pain i wouldnt need the liquid pain medicine. The incision pain isn't that bad. But I made a mistake and got on the scale. I havent lost an ounce in three days. That was disappointing. But oh well. I think my body thinks it's starving because I'm on Clear Liquids only so I'm only getting in about 250 calories a day.

Don't feel bad blessedmom! I actually gained 10 pounds in the days after surgery (couldn't understand how eating 300 calories a day could make me gain weight!) On the 3rd day I was able to start adding Protein Shakes to my clear liquids and once I started to get my Protein in and to get closer to 1000 calories a day, I started losing. You are probably still retaining fluids from the IV. Make sure that you get your Water in every day and you will be back to losing in no time. I had my one week post-op appointment today and am actually down 10 pounds from my surgery date so lost all the gained weight and then some!

I have panic attacks too, but honestly, the hospital was so friendly and professional I did not need to take anything. The lady beside me in the prep room was starting to get really nervous so they did give her something to calm her down. They gave me my anesthesia shot as they started to wheel me from the prep room to the surgery room and I went out just about as soon as I hit the surgery room. Woke up a very short time later and did not even realize surgery was complete. I thought I was still waiting! Once I hit the room, they were quick with giving me Zofran and Morphine. I left the hospital late that afternoon, slept through the night and have been fine ever since. I don't do well with pain medication so was happy to be able to stop using it the day after my surgery. I have not had to take my anti-anxiety medication since the surgery 8 days ago.

Just had my one week post-op appointment. I am down 12 pounds since my surgery date and my surgeon recommended I go see my primary care physician to get off of my blood pressure medication. I may only be a week out, but deciding to have this surgery has been the best decision I have ever made! Now to get off of the diabetes medications!

Mine didn't start until the 2nd day after surgery, but it has definitely been here ever since. It got so bad that I actually took my pain meds hoping for a little constipation! I plan on calling my doc in the morning to see if I can take some immodium or something. All the paperwork gave suggestions on handling Constipation but nothing about diarrhea!

My doctor told me to use Maalox rather than the Gas X. He said it is much more effective on this type of gas.

I have the major gurgling stomach this morning too. I was banded the same day as you. It doesn't feel like hunger pains, or even as if I have to go to the bathroom especially, but it feels like something is ALIVE in there. Weird.

I had the weight gain. I was frustrated yesterday morning about that...but this morning it is gone plus two more pounds! How many days post op are you?

I was banded on Thursday. I didn't expect to be losing weight during this period, as my body heals, but wasn't expecting to gain. I know it's got to be from Fluid retention, but still!

I was banded two days ago and I'm wearing my normal clothes. I'm not noticing a pregnant look.

Must be nice! I actually took a picture and sent it to a few people telling them "this is how I'd look if I was 6 months pregnant!" I measured my waist before I went to the hospital yesterday. Today it is 9 inches bigger! I'm hoping that now that the gas is moving (embarrassing!) it will start to go down. I have also gained 4 pounds which seems weird since all I have managed to eat in the past 48 hours was a sugar free Jello cup and a cup of broth. Guess it's all the IV fluids still hanging around. I am able to tolerate liquids well so at least I am getting in all of my Water.< /p>

Well, got to the hospital yesterday at 8:30 in the morning, surgery was right at 10. Other than fighting nausea for several hours following surgery, I have had very little problems so far. Had one dose of pain meds this morning and am severely bloated (my waist is 8 inches larger than it was when I went in for surgery!) but otherwise I feel good. Reading this site and hearing the good, bad,and ugly has been really helpful in preparing myself. Thanks all and good luck to those going through it in the next few days!

Good luck to all of us going into surgery tomorrow! Getting nervous, but definitely ready to move on to this stage of my life!

Ive actually done all of that. My surgery is scheduled for Thursday. I was just wondering what tests they will do at the hospital prior to surgery. Will they do an Upper GI?

I have my appointment for my pre-op tests tomorrow and I was just wondering what tests I have to look forward to. I know they will do a standard blood test and probably an EKG but what else do they do?

I am still pre-op but as of today I have lost 43 pounds from my high weight. Very few people have noticed even though I have dropped 18% of my body weight. I certainly can not see a difference, but people who know I'm dieting have said that they see it, but I won't believe it until it comes from people who are out of the loop! It has only been within the last week that clothes I have been wearing from the beginning are starting to look big on me. Through previous attempts I knew that it takes almost 50 pounds for me to start moving out of my initial size but from there they tend to drop away. Just be greatful to know that those pounds are dropping away, never to be seen again and know that the sizes will come eventually.

I actually had another patient at my doctor's office go off on me in the waiting room about the fact that I don't need surgery. She started off by asking when I had my band added. When I informed her that I was scheduled for the next month, she started getting very upset at me saying that I don't need the surgery and that people like me waste the surgeons time when he could be working with people that need it. I was floored.

I am 5'6. When I started my 6 month doctor supervised diet, I was at 243 pounds. I have Type II diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, high cholesterol, and anxiety attacks. When we submitted to my insurance company, my BMI was right at 35. They obviously felt that I had enough serious health concerns to approve me for the surgery with no money out of pocket so why is this woman judging me? As of today I am at 203 pounds and a BMI of 32.8, but that has been through hard work. I know I can lose the weight on my own. I've done it before, if I don't get this surgery, I would continue to do it again and again. This is a tool to help me KEEP IT OFF!