JerseyGirl80

I eat beef jerky, I have to chew it to death but I don't have a problem with it. But everyone is different, you won't know how you can handle it until you try it for yourself. My doctor actually recommended it for when I'm craving something salty like chips.

I have it too, it didn't move my process along any faster (although my insurance didn't require a 6 months waiting period, I only needed 3 months of visits) all it did was add to my list of co-morbidities to help me get approved. I don't think it will speed up the process for anyone, if your insurance requires a 6 month diet or any kind of "waiting" period you will have to follow their requirements. I haven't heard of anything rushing this surgery, this is not the kind of thing someone should rush. As someone that's already had the band, I think waiting 6 months is probably the way to go to get used to the idea and start your lifestyle change. As PCOS is considered a co-morbidity, it doesn't warrant a rush on surgery and is not seen as something as, for lack of a better word, important, as other ailments a person may have. Even patients with high blood pressure, sleep apnea, diabetes ect, have to follow the steps required by their insurance. Keep in mind that PCOS isn't well known, it's not until recent years that it's even being taken seriously by doctors that don't specialize in it. I work in the medical field and have delt with my share of doctors and nurses, I have mentioned PCOS to them and I get "what's that?" as a response from them. A few times when I dicussed it with my previous doctors before I was diagnosed, they just dimissed it as if I didn't know what I was talking about. So just imagine what insurance companies may think of it, most of them are not medical professionals, they're paper pushers. Good luck to you and be patient, 6 months will go faster than you can imagine.

I just had my first fill on Jan 18th. I felt "tighter" or "restricted" for a few days, then back to normal. It wasn't until 2 weeks later that I really felt the full effect of the fill. I can't eat as much as before and I can't drink as much in one sip as I did before my fill. I even feel tighter at certain points of the day. I can't eat heavy foods for breakfast or else it will get stuck, so I stick to protein shakes. That has been my experience so far. it's odd how this thing works sometimes.

Hello Brandi and welcome. Just breathe, it will be ok! This is a big change mentally and physically, you have to be patient and take your time with it, don't be too hard on yourself. Most of us are food addicts, we all love food and we've all freaked out with the thought of never being able to have our favorite things ever again. We didn't get to the sizes we are because we love salads and boiled chicken lol. You just have to tell yourself you are doing this to be healthy, you have to want the change more than you want your favorite foods. Don't think about what you might be giving up, it's just food, yes I said it, it's just food, you are worth more than that. I don't tell myself that I will never have Mcdonalds ever again or I will never have this or that again because that had been the basis of every crash diet I've been on, it's caused me to panic in the past and has caused me to feel deprived and in the end, that kind of thinking was what's caused me to fail over and over again. But that's just me. The band is restrictive, it's to help us from pigging out and to help us make better choices in making every bite count towards nutrition and not pleasure. it will never make our food choices and will never cook us a healthy meal, and it most definitely will not exercise for us . Yes, some of us can't eat certain foods anymore, but that is something you will gradually come to find out for yourself and you may not even want those things anymore once (or if) they give you problems. I know that thought seems impossible in the beginning but it can happen, and has happened for some of us. Right now if I wanted to I could eat Mcdonalds, but I'm choosing not to because I didn't go through all those hoops, and my surgery to sabotage myself. Will I ever eat Mcdonalds, or any other of the junk food I love ever again?, yes, one day down the road I will allow myself to have it as a treat, maybe just some of a cheeseburger and not half the menu like I've done so many times before. But I choose to not incorporate "poison foods" in my everyday eating, like I used to. I go to restaurants with friends and eat, much less than before, and I always have lots of leftovers, but I still can enjoy myself, I just don't over indulge anymore, there's no need to and no uncontrollable drive to anymore. Those are the changes I've chosen to make, and you will and can make your own healthier choices too. Don't look at it as an end all to yummy foods, it's a gradual lifestyle change. We are not perfect, we have bad days but we move on from it and push ourselves to get where we want to be. I never thought I could do this either so you are not alone in that, but I made my change in August 2010, and I am now 7 weeks post-op. I still have days when I doubt myself, but this site is awesome and very supportive, it keeps me on my toes. Being here is a constant reminder of what I am doing and helps me stay accountable for my choices. I wish you the best of luck. Remember anything worth having is never easy. You can do this!

I had port pain once I started doing things too, even small things like doing the dishes or laughing alot would cause some pain and discomfort. You only being 4 days post-op I'd say it's normal to be feeling pain from doing even minor tasks. 2 or 3 weeks out of surgery I felt fine with some port pain occasionally, but I decided I was well enough to take the garbage out, not a good idea, from lifting, pulling and taking the trash out to the curb I was hurting in my port site for 2 days, it didn't hurt while I was taking it out, but afterwards I sure felt it. My pain was inside too at the port, not so much the incision itself. If you are having pain try to slow down a little, I know doing dishes isn't terribly physical work but your body is still healing and even little things sometimes can disrupt the healing process. Keep moving of course, like walking around and leaving the house do to errands, but be careful and aware of any, even slight, pulling, lifting, pushing, even holding any excess weight like pots or dishes. You may not realize it but these small movements can effect you, you are using different muscles and you don't even know it. If the pain is unbearable or continues to be really bad I'd talk to your doctor. I am 7 weeks post-op and I still have occasional port pain when I'm more active than usual. Nothing severe just an occasional light stinging that only lasts a few seconds, maybe minutes and sometimes at night when I'm laying on my stomach I'll feel something, but it's nothing terrible. Feel better soon!

Thank you for the support and the great analogy, it means alot!

Thank you so much. I know all these things, we all do, but it helps so much hearing them from others that "get it". I have been drinking broth between meals to also "pretend" there's something of substance in there, it does work.

I know I know! I'm havin' a mental breakdown lol. I am feeling better today though, I'm blaming all the ice and snow for making me lose it lately! And Yes, this is not a diet and I'm doing good with my eating, but I know my weight loss would be so much better and I would feel better about myself if I just moved my big self around a little more. Side note and maybe TMI, but this made me really happy this morning and made all the grief worth it, my boobs are officially further out from my body than my belly! That hasn't been so in a long time lol! I noticed this this morning when I put on a smaller sized t-shirt.. I'm excited about that! I'm starting to look like a woman again and not a butterball!!! YAY!

Yes it is still early in the game for me, I guess I'm just getting a little impatient and overwhelmed in the last few days. Afraid of failing or not doing as well as I should be blah blah. I'm good at beating myself up, I guess we all are. Thank you so much for your kind words, they're encouraging, it's good to know there are others that understand. I'm scheduled for another fill Feb 22nd, I'm hoping that will help some. Until then I will try to eat more veggies and thicken up my Protein shakes with ice and frozen fruit in the blender to help keep me full. I just sooo can't wait to be satisfied with a tiny bit of food! As much of a lover of food I am, I hate it, I'm sick of eating. That probably sounds weird coming from a food addict but lately I can't be bothered with eating anything even when I am hungry. I know I don't have to explain myself to people, I shouldn't and I'm not. I normally wouldn't care what anyone thinks and I'd be the first person to tell someone else the same thing, but when it comes to my weight I get so defensive lately. I know I'm trying and I know this process is slow and being that I was 300+lbs losing 35lbs is hardly noticable to people, but it is kinda upsetting when they are constantly "checking in" So I kind of feel like I'm being judged now because people know I'm supposed to be magically losing weight, since that's what most people think the band is, magic, and yet the weightloss is barely noticable. But I know, it doesn't matter what anyone thinks, and this is about me and my life and changes, I gotta get over all that and just breathe for a minute I guess. Best of luck to you too!

I'm a stomach sleeper too. My first 3 weeks after surgery I slept on my back on the couch slowly transitioning to my side with the help of some pillows. I couldn't sleep in my bed at first because I live alone and couldn't sit up out of it without assistance. The one night I tried to sleep in my bed, maybe 3 days post-op, I was stuck like a turtle on it's back LOL I could not get up, I had to slowly slide myself to the edge of the bed and try to pull myself up using the nightstand, funny now but not so funny at the time. It took me about 4 to 5 weeks to feel completely comfortable sleeping on my stomach, I tried a few times before then but still had some pains in my port site. I'm 7 weeks post-op and I've been sleeping on my stomach just as I always have.

Some days are better than others, I'm not liking how hungry and lazy I've been the last few days. lol thanks for that, it's true, skinny girls are bitches because they're hungry.. I have been quite cranky lately, carb/grease/sugar withdraw? If I close my eyes real tight I can almost feel like a skinny bitch hehe

Melissa, the "know it alls" I was referring to ( and no you do not sound like one, thank you for your helpful response) were the ones that think new people are stupid and just rant on berating them instead of offering helpful advice or just ignoring our posts and keeping their negativity to themselves, I've seen this way too often on here and it's discouraged me from posting. Thank you again for responding. Maybe the mistake I'm making is that I feel like I have to be a crazed work out obsessed maniac, like I used to be whenever I'd start on another one of my "diets", I'd go from a couch potato to someone who would work out everyday for a few weeks or months and quit. I do need to take this slowly and make smaller goals for myself instead of getting too overwhelmed with the thought of having to be super woman.

So I'm 7 weeks post-op and the initial excitement of being banded is fleeting. *big freakin' sigh* Am I alone in this? Does anyone else feel like they were super excited in the beginning and now it's just like, "ok , now what?" Friends and co-workers keep asking "how much have you lost?" and it's making me feel pressured. Every time I talk to them they ask and it's getting on my nerves because I see their puzzled faces when I don't have any big numbers to tell them. I feel like no one gets it, no one really understands the band, and I don't have the time or patience to explain every last detail of this process to every single person that asks. Grrrrrr!!! I knew all about bandster hell, which is where I am and I've accepted it so I don't need to be yelled at or lectured by all you snotty-better than everyone else-know it all-sitting on my high horse-senior bandsters, so save it, I don't need your negativity and neither does anyone else. Anyway, right now I'm feeling the need to whine, and you are the only people that can understand! I also get the fact that this isn't some magic pill and that I do need to work my butt off, and that's fine, it's really how I wanted to lose the weight anyway, but I'm just getting frustrated lately. I'm getting full faster, eating way less and eating the right things 98% of the time, but still getting a little hungrier between meals than I was a few weeks ago (especially in the last few days) and I could still eat like a linebacker if I really tried (even after my first fill on Jan 18th, which is normal, I know) but I don't eat that way in fear of barfing, again. I had my first meeting with the porcelain Gods the other day, that wasn't fun. It was my fault, ate too heavy too early in the day and got stuck on the 2nd bite. .Oh well, I survived, lesson learned. My weight is trickling off very very slowly especially in the last 2 weeks, but I was just hoping that I would have done better or would have found more motivation to work out by now. I really am happy that I have lost what I have lost, I'm just more upset with myself for not feeling more motivated. Again, my initial excitement is fleeting and I want it back. I was all gung ho and motivated to work out after surgery then within a month I fell back into my old lazy slump. I need some motivation and some accountability buddies! Thanks for reading my rant!

I felt pretty bummed too in the beginning. Once I went back to work and got back to the swing of things I felt better. And definitely after I started eating again and started seeing the scale going down, I felt even better. Eating less but still being able to live my normal life is what I wanted. Initially I was feeling down because I was thinking about the food I was giving up. But now for me, I don't feel deprived of anything, I don't crave certain things anymore, and even if I did I know that I could have a tiny bit as a treat (since thats all I'd have room for anyway, which is what I love about my band) and I don't feel like I've given up anything, I still eat, just less. I'm still social, I still go out to dinner with friends I just don't order like I used to but that's ok. I feel like those are the biggest adjustments I've had to make, (making better choices, especially while going out with friends) but I've been able to do it. Things will all come into balance again and you'll be feeling better soon! Once you start moving around more and get on a "regular life" schedule everything else will fall into place. This is a huge change, it's been 7 weeks for me and I'm still slowly adjusting. Things do get better!

lol better out than in! lol Cute doggie!

My surgeon gave me a script to go get a sleep study, his office gave me the info for several clinics and hospitals that I could use. I just picked one at the nearest hospital and I called to schedule myself. I didn't need a referral from my PCP. I'd rather have my band surgery 10 more times and go through the gas pass over and over again than go through another sleep study. It was hell, the wires and gross jelly were making me so itchy, the position I had to lay in , voices in the hallway, my neighbor getting up to pee every hour (we shared a bathroom) my hair in my face, the thought of the creepy tech watching me in his little booth all night, all made me crazy! I didn't feel like I slept at all. In the morning the tech said he thought at one point I was gonna get up and leave because he saw how annoyed I was getting. NEVER AGAIN!

I'm 6 weeks post-op and I would consider it. I have no pain and I'm able to sleep on my stomach as usual. I don't really see a reason not to ride a roller coaster at 3 months post-op, unless in your case your doctor has some other reason. My doctor said I could return to all normal activities, including strenuous exercise, after 6 weeks.

Some insurances need a referral, some don't. You don't have a PCP? If not maybe you should get one. If you are seeing a pain doctor, I'm not sure if they'd write a referral after the first visit, but after a while they might, some of them even suggest weightloss surgery. I didn't have a PCP . The first thing I did was I went to a seminar. My insurance didn't need a referral but they did need medical necessities. I already knew I was over weight by more than 100lbs, and I have PCOS, which would have been enough for my approval. At the seminar I made an appointment with my surgeon, I didn't know him prior to the seminar. I met with him a month later and he gave me perscriptions for blood work, an ekg, a sleep, apnea test, a chest x-ray, and a psych evaluation, which revealed more co-morbidites favoring my approval. If you find a good surgeon with a great staff they will tell you what you need to do for your insurance to get approved. My Doctors insurance case worker pretty much did everything for me, they made it so easy. Also, my surgeon has an in-house nutrition staff and referred me to a psycologist that all of his patients use, I don't know if all Docs are like that but it would have been annoying having to find doctors and nurtrionists that specialize in weight loss surgery. Anyway, luckily my insurance at the time, Aetna, was pretty easy with their requirements. One of the big things some insurance companies look for is proof of you being over weight for at least 2 years (mine required it), if you have no medical records showing this they may give you a hard time, or just deny it completely. It's hard to really tell you where to start not knowing your insurances requirements, but it couldn't hurt to go to a seminar just to see what they tell you, that's what I did because I didn't know where to start.

That's wonderful, Congratulations!

What a coincidence, I was just searching for crock pot recipes lol. I don't have one but was going to buy one tomorrow. I was looking at some recipes on this site http://busycooks.about.com/od/healthycrockpotrecipes/a/healthycrockpot.htm

Bring a pillow, this helped me on the drive home. Every bump hurt but holding the pillow against me really made a difference. Are you going to be inpatient? I was outpatient, I didn't even bring my cell phone or bother wearing a bra, how scandalous!. I brought a pillow, gas-x, a hair tie, lip gloss and my compact... I'm high maintenance lol I never leave home without a least gloss and a compact!

I'm not in retail but was for years, now I have a desk job. When I went back to work I had to keep getting up to walk around because it was killing me to sit for too long. The position I'm in at my desk was making my incisions hurt, walking or standing were the only things that made me feel better. I naturally press my stomach against my desk while sitting/typing/writing and that wasn't good for my boo boo's.. Moving around helps people heal faster anyway. So, I actually spent more time standing or walking around the office my first week back. You might be ok with standing and walking around, but definitely make them aware at work that you have had some sort of surgery and may need to rest. Remember you will still be healing so don't over do it. Everyone is different and you won't know what you'll be able to do until you get there. Good luck!

Thank you!

I would ask your doctor or nutritionist this question, as every Doc does things different. I was told by my nutritionist that mushy was anything I could mash up easily with a fork and to stay away from "anything that walked on land" for a few weeks. She said eggs, tuna, flaky fish, over cooked veggies, mashed potatoes, even Pasta was ok if I over cooked it, basically according to my Doc just about anything but meat was ok as long at it was "mushy" mushed up first and then chewed really well. I was advised to not puree anything and not to eat Soups because they are "too easy to eat and you need to get used to food".

You are more than welcome Suzanne, us bandsters have to be here for one another. I'm by no means a pro at this, I just started this journey, my first fill is tomorrow and I'm still afraid of screwing up but I am doing my best not to. Feel free to keep in touch, I'd like to know how things go for you. And thank you, I'm excited about my weight loss even though I still got a long way to go! After surgery I was really tired and had terrible gas pain in my back, it was awful, but I was home 4 hours after I woke up from anesthesia. I had little surgery pain, if you talk to others who have had it you'll hear similar stories, although others do have more pain than I did and some people don't get gas. My incision pains really just felt like I did a million sit ups, it just felt like muscle burn, not anywhere near as bad as I expected. I'm pretty good with pain so I didn't need pain meds until maybe day 3. I only needed them because the rest of my body was so sore from lifting myself up off the couch lol (I live alone, so most of the time I had no help moving) and again it just felt like bad muscle burn. I really felt good even the next day besides the gas which really was hell for about 3-5 days, but other than that I was ok, just tired. I took it real easy for about 2 weeks, then went back to work.