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i was super nervous the night before. i don't think i slept at all. wishing you luck and a speedy recovery.

I second what Cindy said!

Congratulations on the start of your journey to your new life! You need to do this for YOU not anyone else. I don't like it when people who don't understand anything about the band or are not over weight but tell you what they think you need to do. The lapband is a tool and it will not work if you don't do the work too. I think of it like one leg of a 3 legged stool, the other two are all about you, diet and exercise. It is there to help you and if you use it and don't abuse it, it will help you.

you do what is right for you and no one else. I don't know how long the mental hunger is there, as i still have that feeling. LOL! i am still amazed at how much less i eat and am satisfied, but sometimes i am like "oh i wish i could eat more of that." Don't let anyone discourage you from your efforts. you are doing this to get healthy and to live life. and you deserve that, we all do!

no, have not had a problem at all with the skins. you can have Tomato Soup on the mushy stage. i love Tomato Soup and was so excited when i could have it. LOL

I try to drink a Protein Shake every morning as most mornings i am not hungry at all. I use the Isopure ( i think that is the name), got it at Walmart, has 20 grams of Protein per serving and i use milk, so i get about 25 grams right away. then mid morning i have a small bowl of oatmeal and that has some protein in it. If i do eat in the mornings, i have eggs with some cheese. i like to eat tuna, chicken and turkey. I do have steak, but eat only ribeye as it is tender enough and i take tiny bites. I eat protein at every meal. I do have a yogurt in the evening too, has protein in it also. Once you start eating solids, it will be easier to get in the Proteins.< /p>

OMG, I have been eating tomatoes every day the past 2 weeks. I have a huge garden and so many freaking tomatoes, but I love eating them and have been craving them like crazy. LOL! We planted 10 different kinds so we would have a huge variety of tomatoes.

Anyways, i know they are good for me but wow, i am eating them alot. LOL

Congratulations and wishing you a speedy recovery and sening you well wishes. You are right that none of us should be ashamed for trying to get healthy and to starting over. I have been fortunate in no one that i have told about it has been negative. In fact they have all been extremely postive and ask questions about it instead of being negative to me. I have heard so many people talk about them getting reemed by others who do not understand anything about the band or have never been overweight. People have a right to be healthy and happy and a part of me felt so bad when i was approved for the surgery and my insurance paid for it all that so many people out there desperately need it and can't get it or afford it.

I will be thinking of you on Wednesday. Keep us posted on your progress.

Yeah! that is awesome! congrats to you. feels great huh! i know when i lost 22 lbs in a few weeks, i was estatic. but my surgeon's nurse remindied me the first few weeks was not about loosing weight, but about healing. still felt good though. LOL

anyways, keep up the good work, you should be on mushies soon and believe me creamy Soups never tasted so good until then.

Sending you well wishes on your new journey to your new life.

Welcome to our club Lauren. Sending you good luck wishes on your new journey to your new life! I do not regret one bit of this. i am down 33 lbs now and am feeling great. We have a great group here!

All I have to say is omg, and wow! that is insane. I personally would have went off at the fact that i was called 7 times to confirm. that is absolute BS that they made you feel bad about the doctor having to miss his flight. not your fault the moron booked his flight before his appts were done. that is so unethical it is not even funny. I would have reported each and every one of the medical "professionals", and i am using the word "professionals" loosely here, to their appropriate boards to be investigated. If you are uncomfortable with the people you are working with, and it sounds as if you are, then i would switch doctors. You are not going to be happy when you do get your band and it sounds like to me you will not be able to call them in an emergency, sounds like they are herding people in and out like cattle.

I did not feel comfortable with my first doctor and staff when i had my consultation, so i went to someone else. and i am glad that i did, cause he is awesome and one of the most premier, experienced lapband surgeon's in the country. he is down to earth and i call him Mr. Zen! his staff is great too. you can call them anytime for any emergency.

I do hope you get your situation figured out soon. wishing you luck

I too had a hiatal hernia, did not know i had it, repaired when i got my band placed. I had my gallbladder out over 9 years ago, had 3 small incisions with that and thought it was way more painful than the lapband recovery that had 5 incisions. The pain was not all that bad, just took OTC advil as i am allergic to all pain killers, the gas was the bad part, and the shoulder pain. I am 32 lbs down and do not regret one bit, even when i had a lovely vomiting episode a few weeks ago. that was not fun.

good luck to you and your new journey.

welcome to your new life. There are alot of great people on here and great advice.

Not all doctors require the pre-op diet, mine had me do it. said it is to shrink the liver to get to the stomach better. I did have a hiatal hernia repaired, didn't even know i had a hernia. It is common for many of us who are overweight to have hernias. I was having pain and reflux and had no idea that i had that issue. LOL! but i am fine now, no reflux, no more tummy pain.

My advice for you, get mylanta gas chewable tablets for the gas pains, do not drink from a straw, makes the gas worse, use a heating pad for the pain in the shoulder afterwards, walk as much as you can after sugery, helps move the gas around. and most important, follow your surgeon's post op diet and instructions. don't introduce foods before they tell you to as your body is going to be adjusting to the band. the first few weeks are not about losing weight, it is about your body healing and getting adjusted to that band.

Sending you well wishes your way for a speedy recovery

welcome and sending you luck and well wishes for a speedy recovery for your upcoming surgery. congrats on your new journey.

sounds like you need more Protein. i am not hungry in the mornings, so i make sure i drink a Protein Shake that has 20 grams of protein every morning. mid morning i have a bowl of oatmeal or an egg with cheese and a slice of whole wheat toast. eat protein at every meal, it will keep you fuller longer. i can go 5 to 6 hours between meals. drinking Water with your meals is just pushing the food down through the band, so you are hungrier. that is why they tell you not to drink after eating. you should be losing 1` to 2 lbs a week as that allows the skin to catch up to the weight lost.

go to the ER right now! do not wait and mess around, this is your life you are talking about! this can be really bad if not taken care of now. your surgeon should have an emergency line you can call, even at night and on weekends.

All depends on who you go to that determines the cost. My doctor in Kansas, his is $16,000 if you pay cash. I do know that most do financing and I don't know if you can petition your insurance or not. Try it and see what they say, the worst they can tell you is No! To me this was a decision that I made to make my life healthy and long and to be around for my kids and to watch them grow up and have kids of their own, to teach them healthy habits of eating right. Kids see you eating crap and they are going to eat the crap too.

You want the weight to come off slowly as it is more likely to stay off, your skin can keep up with the weight lost versus gastic bypass which most people have saggy skin cause they lose so much so fast.

follow your doctors instructions, don't eat things before you are supposed to. eat slowly and chew, chew, chew your food well, small bites. stay away from white bread, i can eat whole wheat bread with no issues as long as it is small bites.

i have 5 incisions, one is bigger though, about an inch. the rest are half inch. my surgeon went through a previous scar i had for my gallbladder removal, instead of making new ones. Love him

i can't feel my band either, but can feel it inside when it is tight. Now my port is harder to feel than most. Mine is deep next to my belly button, so as i lose weight you can't see it. if i lay down and do like a situp, then i can feel it.

Congrats to you. It will get better, i promise

Try the Mylanta gas chewables, helped me so much. I sent my husband to the store to get me some, he came back with 3 boxes, didn't want to have to go back. LOL

And do not drink from a straw. I did not drink the Protein Shakes until after 1 week as they kept making me gassy, so i just stuck to broth, popsicles and Jello. i did drink skim milk too.

the first 2 weeks suck, banders hell. but when you get to finally have some creamy Soups, oh that was the best. loved me some Tomato Soup and creamy potato soups.

Wishing you luck on your new journey to your new life

I know exactly how you feel. I had mind done in April and did not get a fill for 6 weeks after and felt like i was eating like i did before the band, like it was not even there. LOL

but once i got my first fill, i noticed that i was eating alot less. i am on my 4th fill now and finally have good restriction. I eat about 1 to 1 1/2 cups per meal and i eat until i am satisfied, not full.

Everyone is different in the amount that is right for them. Some get the restriction right away, some it takes a few fills. You will know what is right for you after your first fill. Hope this helps

Wow, i am sorry to hear that you are having issues you had no idea about before. But at least you know now that you have reflux which if left untreated can cause other issues down the road. I do hope the Bariatric Surgeon is correct and that the Band will not affect your problem. Maybe get a second opinion to confer what was said. Wishing you the best and hope it all works out for you.

You will see that you are eating more, you will know you need a fill. For me, i am eating alot more than i should, so i know i need to get a fill. Congrats on the weight loss!!!

I take chewable Multi Vitamins and the viactive for Calcium.< /p>