enterprise01

I had severe reflux before surgery. I was taking Prilosec OTC plus 4 extra strength Zantac every day to keep it under control. My doctor still did the surgery and told me that it would make the reflux go away. And he was right. I haven't had even a single episode of heartburn since the surgery 4 and half weeks ago.

How about Miracle Whip? It's much lower in calories than mayo. I usually make chicken salad and tuna salad with half low-fat Miracle Whip and half low-fat mayo. I don't particularly like tuna, so I often mix it with just a little bit of mayo, a lot of salsa, and a dab of horseradish. The salsa really cuts the fishy taste.

It took me about 10 days to feel comfortable sitting for extended periods of time.

Tonya, you're looking great. You should be so proud of yourself. And you are very beautiful, too!

How long have you been using the Rogaine? It will take at least 3 months to see the results. Are you applying it to your entire scalp? You need complete coverage for the best results.

Boo hoo. He has to work 36 hours a week. Let me get out my violin. Sorry, but this just makes me incredibly mad. I wish I could work ONLY 36 hours a week. Most people don't like work. That's why they call it work. If it were fun, it would be called fun. A normal work week for me is 80+ hours. January and February are the slow time of the year for my industry, so that's the only reason I could take time off for the surgery. A 36 hour work week would be part-time for me. I have no sympathy for your husband. He's lazy and self-centered.

Where are you shopping? I love v-necks and have a hard time finding them. I'm very large chested, so a crew neck or boat neck makes my boobs look even bigger. I agree with you on the 3/4 length sleeve. It's a very flattering style.

My period was 2 weeks late on the day of my surgery, which is very uncharacteristic for me. I think the excitement in the weeks before the surgery threw my cycle out of whack. Then my period started during surgery, and that was very inconvenient. I'm 4 weeks, 3 days post-op and my period is not here yet. Cramps started 3 days ago, but no period. I think it's still out of whack from the surgery. I wouldn't worry if I were you. I'm sure the menstrual delay is from all the stress, nervousness, and excitement that you're experiencing right now.

Lap-band surgery was my 15th operation, and it was by far the worst. It completely knocked me on my ass for a good 5 days. Hang in there. Each day gets better. By week 3, you'll be back to normal.

I wish I could post this anonymously because I know I'm probably going to catch hell for it, but here it is. I think the idea that you need to drink 8 glasses of Water a day is complete crap. I'm not saying that 8 glasses a day will do any harm, I just don't think it's necessary unless you are very active, eat tons of salty food, or are exposed to hot weather. In fact, snopes.com has an article about this very topic. I think someone a long time ago came up with this theory and it has since taken on a life of its own. See: http://www.snopes.com/medical/myths/8glasses.asp I have been trying to drink about 8 cups of Fluid a day, but that's only because having a bottle of water in my hand prevents me from having food in my hand (and subsequently in my mouth). It's only in this regard that I think drinking water helps you lose weight. And drinking water when I'm hungry has certainly never helped quell the hunger. Water will not curb your appetite.

You're right -- I meant 10cm. Sorry about the typo. Nuts are a good idea. I'll buy some cashews on my way home tonight. Thanks for the encouragement.

I hardly ever burped before the band. Remember that burping contest in Revenge of the Nerds between Booger and Ogre? Well, I could beat both of them easily. My burps occur all the time now -- full stomach, empty stomach, it doesn't matter. And the burps are deep and guttural and seem to last for a good 15 seconds. My boyfriend says I sound like a foghorn. He's been teasing me unmercifully.

I've only had 1 fill and am not feeling any restriction yet, so your husband is probably in the same boat. I think the 2nd fill will really help him. Live long and prosper!

Mine is also a 10cc band, which holds 4cc. I think I can go back in 2 weeks for another fill. Meanwhile, it's been 2 hours since my breakfast of yogurt and cheese (total 210 calories) and I'm already getting a headache from the hunger. Ugh! I just have to remember that 2 weeks is not long, right?

I don't know your husband, but that might be possible. I know that in the past when my ex-boyfriend acted like the food police, it irritated me enough to rebel. And the more my mother asks me about my weight, the less I want to diet. Your husband needs to want to do this for himself. Nothing you can say is going to make him change. Just be there for him, be supportive without being intrusive, and let him know you're willing help to him in any manner he needs. The only thing I would suggest to him at this point is that he may want to call his doctor and schedule another fill. It sounds like he doesn't have enough restriction. Has your husband done enough research on the band to know what's normal and what's not? I'm wondering if maybe he's just not informed enough to know the best way to work the band. If you think that is the case, then perhaps you should try asking his doctor to talk to him and educate him a little more. Maybe if it came from someone other than you, your husband might be more willing to listen and to comply.

Thanks, Mark. It gets discouraging sometimes. I feel like I'm just waiting for the band to kick in, and I'm afraid that it may take forever to get there. I'm not known for my patience. But it certainly helps to have the support of other bandsters like you.

It's been 24 hours since my first fill and I'm not feeling any restriction. I had 2 scrambled eggs and about 10 olives for dinner last night and went to bed hungry. I just knew I wouldn't be one of the lucky ones who gets restriction on the first fill.

According to the stats, only 2% of the people who lose a significant amount of weight are able to keep it off. Like Sunshine said, we can all lose weight on our own, but keeping it off is almost impossible. Sure, I can be perfect on a diet for 4-6 months, and then I get sick of being hungry all the time, so I go back to eating what I want. And then after a month of eating everything in sight and seeing that I gained 20 lbs, I'll say to myself, "I'll start back on the diet tomorrow." As Sunshine pointed out, tomorrow keeps getting postponed. If I could lose weight and maintain it on my own, then I would have been thin 15 years ago and there would not have been any need for this surgery. And if the band had been available when I was 25, I would have done it then and saved myself all those years of torture. Since you have PCOS, you know it will be even more difficult for you in the long run. Why not get the help you need to control your weight? As for your friends, it's very easy for them to say just diet and exercise and do it on your own. They don't know how hard it is to stay on a diet permanently when your stomach is constantly growling at you.

I've lost 15 lbs in 4 weeks, so you're doing better than me. You're doing great, so don't get discouraged. And you'll start to lose even more after you've had a fill.

Give Rogaine a try. It's been a miracle drug for me since I lost about 1/3 of my hair due to thyroid problems. I apply it all over my scalp morning and night. My hair is now as thick as it was when I was a teenager.

Yes, that's very annoying. I've started dry cleaning my nice t-shirts, and they are holding up much better now. But in 2 years, I'll end up spending $50 to keep a $20 t-shirt looking good. Not very economical.

Laurend, I have the same sort of peeve. I hate it when you find something that you like and then the manufacturer changes it. I just opened up a container of Nutrisystem's Whipped Sweet Potatoes with Cheese. It used to be a completely powdered meal that you just added water to. It always came out smooth and creamy. Well, this new container has chunks of something in it. I can't figure out what it is. It was perfectly fine the way it was. Why change it? The same thing has happened to me with toothpaste, deodorant, dishes at favorite restaurants, cat food, etc. If it's not broken, don't fix it (or change it)!

I posted this in the January Bandsters thread and thought I should post it here, too, for all of Dr. Spivak's newer patients: I had my first fill today at the SurgiCenter on S. Main. Joy did the fill but Dr. Spivak supervised. It seems that my large incision is infected. Guess that's why it still hurts. My boyfriend has been changing the bandage for me, so I had not looked at it until today. My port is directly below the large incision. The skin around that whole area is still kind of numb from surgery, so I didn't need any lidocaine for the fill. Dr. Spivak found the port by palpitating the area, and Joy inserted the needle. They put 1.5 ccs in and then had me stand up for the fluoroscope. The barium swallow was tolerable (very, very chalky). While you're standing there under the fluoro, you can see the barium going down. They thought I had enough restriction, so they removed the needle, put a bandaid over the area, and sent me out into the hallway to drink a bottle of Water. They said that I needed to drink at least half the bottle before I could leave. If I was unable to get the water down, they would remove some of the saline. Fortunately, I had no problem and drank the whole bottle in a couple of minutes. They also require that you stay on soft foods for 48 hours after a fill. The whole procedure takes about 10 minutes. For those of you who are Spivak patients, make sure you take your parking ticket inside with you and they will validate it for you. And now I'm off to eat my Nutrisystem lunch. Let's hope I feel something.

I had my first fill today at the SurgiCenter on S. Main. Joy did the fill but Dr. Spivak supervised. It seems that my large incision is infected. Guess that's why it still hurts. My boyfriend has been changing the bandage for me, so I had not looked at it until today. My port is directly below the large incision. The skin around that whole area is still kind of numb from surgery, so I didn't need any lidocaine for the fill. Dr. Spivak found the port by palpitating the area, and Joy inserted the needle. They put 1.5 ccs in and then had me stand up for the fluoroscope. The barium swallow was tolerable (very, very chalky). While you're standing there under the fluoro, you can see the barium going down. They thought I had enough restriction, so they removed the needle, put a bandaid over the area, and sent me out into the hallway to drink a bottle of water. They said that I needed to drink at least half the bottle before I could leave. If I was unable to get the water down, they would remove some of the saline. Fortunately, I had no problem and drank the whole bottle in a couple of minutes. They also require that you stay on soft foods for 48 hours after a fill. The whole procedure takes about 10 minutes. For those of you who are Spivak patients, make sure you take your parking ticket inside with you and they will validate it for you. And now I'm off to eat my Nutrisystem lunch. Let's hope I feel something.

Trust me, it's no better being short. I'm 5 feet tall and have never been able to wear something off the rack. Not only is everything too long, but it's out of porportion, too. I love the new hip hugging jeans because they actually come up to my waist instead of up under my boobs. Although, because they are meant to be around the hips, I have to take the waistband in about 8 inches. Sleeves are always 6 inches too long and sweaters bunch up in the back because they are too long and yet not wide enough to fit over my big butt. Even petite sizes are not petitie enough -- they're really made for women who are about 5'4". And Jacqui, I've seen your before and after pics. You look fabulous and even when you were heavier, you were very pretty. Femininity has nothing to do with size. Look at RuPaul. He's more of a woman than I'll ever be! I think it's all about self-confidence and attitude.