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- GLP-1 medication Zepbound, Wegovy, access, side effects, progress, and support.
- Before surgery Compare procedures, plan ahead, and get honest pre-op answers.
- Post-op Recovery, food stages, symptoms, and support.
- Long-term Regain, labs, habits, and life after the honeymoon.
- Revision Explore revision options, complications, and next steps.
Everything posted by Pammy S Lewis
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Less than 24 hours post... in pain.. Question
i had the same chest pain and it really scared me. called my dr and he said it's totally normal. it's actually band pain from the surgery and mine went away after about 3 days. totally normal, don't worry about it. the gas pain will subside too. just try to relax and take care yourself. the first 2 or 3 days are the worst and then you'll feel much better
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5 months and two days later ... I'm at GOAL!!!
wow, thanks for sharing. that amazingly fast. congrats!
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Early weeks weight loss
thanks, that does help. almost makes me want to do liquids only for a while longer to lose some more until i get my fill but i don't know if i could hack it.
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Early weeks weight loss
great thanks!
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Early weeks weight loss
doh! newbie me found the answer in other threads. apparently, totally normal to stop losing or gain when going from liquid diet to food.
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Carb withdrawals
i got thru those with sugar free popsicles. they saved my life!
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Early weeks weight loss
hi everyone i was on a liquid diet for 1 week post op and just started on soft mushy foods (didn't have to do a pre op liquid, only for 1 day before surgery). i lost 10lbs on the liquid diet and had a feeling it would stall when i started on food and that's what happened. i'm following my diet and only eating like 600 cal a day but feel like i'm pigging out, ha. maybe i'm in starvation mode until i get up to a normal 1100 cal or so normal diet. anyway, just wondering if this happens to everyone, weight loss stops until you get your first fill maybe? would love to hear what people's experiences were with their first few week's weight loss. i know that you're not supposed to count on any and that the time is to heal, but i would expect some since i am eating so much less than before, right?
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why is it
having the same problem today thanks for the info.
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Calories.
you should meet with a nutritionist through your doctor. if not, definitely ask why because it's important. i'm one week post op and just went to my mtg and just started on soft mushy yesterday. she said 60 grams of protein a day (up to 80 for big guys) and keep fat below 3mg per serving. that's what mine said, but i just realized she never said how many calories! i just started tracking everything on fitday.com and it's an amazingly useful site to diary on, love it! there's also a free iphone app that syncs with the desktop version. you can search for generic foods or create your own using your own labels to input the info. it tracks protein, carbs and calories and weight/goal. it seems on my 2nd week diet right now, i'm eating about 500 cal a day, but that seems pretty low.
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SLIMING
what are you supposed to do so that doesn't happen? just leave the water in it? or do you have to do something else.
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In Los Angeles and looking for a buddy
don't feel overwhelmed. just feel organized and fully informed. i felt like i didn't have enough info so more is good. hope your surgery goes great!
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Look for help in California
i went to dr jeremy korman and he has offices in miracle mile and marina del rey. i had it done 3/15 and have been really happy with he and his staff. he met with me personally, no group mtg (i did it at the miracle mile office, i think they do group mtgs though in mdr). here's the marina del rey info and the phone for miracle mile below that. http://www.labariatriccenter.com/ Miracle Mile Outpatient Surgery Center 5757 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 6 Los Angeles, California 90036 PH 323.964.0866 Ask for Joseph Rubin also, cedars sinai has a lap band program. i don't know anyone who's had it there, but i can't imagine it being bad since it's one of the best hospitals in the world. http://www.cedars-si...eight-Loss.aspx
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Looking for friends on the same journey!
i know, i'm really happy i found this site. have found a ton of great information and it's so reassuring to hear stories about people going thru the same things. i feel like it's way better than going to a support group (for me at least because i don't have time!)
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Looking for friends on the same journey!
hi jen. i got banded on 3/15. no kids but happy to be an auntie to several. i'll kick you in the bum if you do the same.
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Bad Breath?
i was told by the nurse at my dr's office that it's because i'm in ketosis. she said it's absolutely normal (i was banded on 3/15 too and just started on soft foods today and noticed that it's better). i think it's just mainly bad when you're on the fasting diet. don't chew gum though. i asked if i could and it's on the no list for a while. just brush and use listerine if you can.
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breast augmentation
yikes, they can do breast augmentation now thru your navel! that's crazy!
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taking meds/after banding
i think it depends on the dr what advice you get. mine never even mentioned anything to me about it and i read about it here! i've been crushing mine and it's fine. better to be safe.
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AM I A CANDIDATE?
i am 5'4" and weighed 174 when i went in and under the new fda guidelines i was ok to do it. my insurance, however, would not cover it so i had to self pay. but i didn't have any health issues besides high cholesterol, which was taken care of with meds. you may have to go through a lot of tests and get a sleep apnea test to see if you can qualify with your insurance that way. otherwise, there is also financing.
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Anyone have regrets early post surgery?
love the quote about church in your sig line! funny.
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When I take a deep breath, lots of pain in my chest.
yes definitely. i also had a lot of pain in the center of my chest and called my dr and spoke to a nurse. she said it's extremely common. mine went away completely and i could breathe fine after about 4 days. it's been a week and i feel great now. hang in there!
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Anyone have regrets early post surgery?
i had a ton of anxiety the first couple of days after surgery and kept thinking that i had made a huge mistake. it's been a week now though and i feel like i made the right decision. i had to so some relaxation exercises and get myself centered because the anxiety was driving me crazy and i felt totally off balance. once i started feeling better and got myself grounded, it went away. hope you feel better about your decision. i think how you feel is pretty normal.
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caffeine
i know! i'm dying too. i miss it SO much in the morning. it's hard to even get out of bed knowing i can't have coffee!
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not required to do liquid diet before band.
on the day before surgery i was told to eat a light breakfast and then do protein shakes and liquids for the rest of the day with nothing after midnight.
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In Los Angeles and looking for a buddy
hi! good luck with your surgery, hope it goes great. i realized that i got really sick of just one Protein drink so i wanted to buy another flavor. also, i had bought broth in chicken veggie and beef and then when i tasted them i only liked one so i ran out of it really quick. here's what ended up working really well for me: - EAS Protein powder - i bought like 3 different kinds and some were horrible and i wasted a lot of money. this one's great because it mixes easily in Water with a spoon and tastes good. some of the other ones got goopy or were gritty or i had to use a blender. - cartons of low sodium beef broth. this worked when i felt hungry because i felt like it has flavor. it tastes good alone whereas the chicken and veggie seem like a base for cooking. also, i would put a splash of non fat milk in it to make it creamier. - non fat milk. i hate non fat milk and was surprised how great it tasted!! - white grape juice. the juice you drink needs to be clear and without pulp so this seemed like a good choice. you have to be careful with it though because it has a lot of carbs so don't drink a lot of it. i ended up watering it down and only taking a couple sips of it maybe twice a day. - sugar free popsicles!! these have been great! after surgery your throat will be kind of scratchy or sore from the breathing tube and this helps. - sugar free Jello. really great when you feel like all you're doing is drinking. you can kind of (sorta) chew on something a little bit. my suggestion is when you eat it to chew it or let it dissolve a lot in your mouth before swallowing it. when i first ate it, i just swallowed big pieces and didn't go over well with my tummy. - WATER!!! you need to constantly be sipping water all throughout the day. absolute necessity. - magazines or dvds - i got bored with tv pretty quick and wished i had bought some magazines or got some dvd's. i didn't feel well enough to actually read and those could have helped with the boredom. - thermometer- i felt like i might have a fever and was worried about infection. called my dr and he i needed me to check my temp so i had to go out and get a damn thermometer because i didn't have one. ended up being fine and didn't have a temp, but a good thing to have on hand because it's one of the things they tell you to call them if you have a temp. for the first couple days you might be sleeping a lot but you should try to get up and walk around your house at least once an hour or every 2 hours or so. the more you walk and gently move around, the faster you will get rid of the gas inside of you, which can be painful for some people. i had weird neck and muscle pain from it. ok, and here's my biggest piece of advice: for the first 2 days, i was drinking WAY too much Protein shake at once and i was getting chest pain (which is actually band pain). go by what your dr says to drink, which is probably around 4 oz at a time. and sip slow. half way through it, actually set it down and wait a bit. the hardest thing to get used to is how to go so much slower but you need to be gentle with your tummy.
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How am I supposed to feel
lucky girl! i had my surgery 5 days ago and i'm definitely hungry and already wanting real food!