nikki c

I tried both ways, decided it was less gassy without the straw. hth

Thanks for the book recommendation - it's on it way to my house already! I called a therapist I liked when I was in high school (depression). He was kinda short on the phone and seemed to think that "overeating" disorder is fairly mild and not a big deal. I, on the other hand, know that i'm in need of help. Called a therapist in the area who specializes in eating disorders and had to wait 8 WEEKS for an appt! Here's hoping the book helps... BTW - My doctor recommended a book "why we get fat" (i think). Red cover, looked good - ordering it too

I've filled my DVR with shows to watch, have jello and chicken broth. Is there anything else I'm going to wish I had post-op? Thanks!

Today I was bending to move clothes from my washer to my dryer and my belly got in my way. THEN, it occurred to me that this is the LAST time that will happen!!! I start my 2 day fast tomorrow and banded on MONDAY!!! BYE BYE BELLY ROLL!!

LMAO, yeah the gum thing REALLY pissed me off! It's ok to be hungry, you can eat! I've been eating about 2500 calories and am losing (slowly, but losing still) by skipping the carbs! have some eggs!

IT IS SOOOOOO FRIGGIN COOL! It was like an epiphany, lol. I'm sure you guys remember what it feels like to never get where you want to be. It finally occurred to me that I can get there, and that i'm going to very very soon!

Ditto that that's very little fiber, but banana is binding (and full of carbs/sugars). Before adding a supplement, I'd nix the banana and try something else in your shakes. There are a lot of recipes on here.

I have a 3 y/o VERY acutive boy. I hadn't planned on telling him anything but i know he';ll know somethings up (also very smart) when I'm laid up and unable to play, etc. I told him I had an "owie" in my tummy and had to have surgery to fix it. He has limited understanding about surgery, but at least I told him something. I told him the dr would fix my owie (and the he could see them, lol - no doubt he'll want to doctor me himself!) This will also help afterwards in explaining why i can't carry him, rough house, etc. HTH

I wouldn't start liquid, but you should start eating low carb. My diet was less than 30g carbs per day (not including carbs from veggies or eggs, cheese, meat). You will lose weight and i think it'll make pre-op diety easier cause you'll be over the carb withdrawal!

I'd call the surgeon/anesth to ask about motrin, tylenol would be safer i think (except the liver affects...i dunno) because it's not a blood thinner like motrin. have you been low carb before the diet? if not, i'd say most of this is due to carb withdrawal, which will last 2-3 days then get waaaay better on day 4 (for me at least). I didn't think i was gonna make it lol. I'd say you need a movie or park day to keep kids out of your hair, best of luck!! Nikki

I am having banded plication. It operates like a sleeve for rapid weight loss + the band for continued control down the road. I was in a debate about this as well. You should see if any surgeons in your area are doing this, as it's relatively new (perform in MX for a while, though). Results have been excellent so far. If you have to choose only between the sleeve and band, i'd say sleeve for sure. No doubt that's what i'd definitely do, and i've researched both of them thoroughly. http://www.peachtreebariatrics.com/gastric-band-plication.php http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/15214-banded-plication/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21546318 http://www.fortworthlapband.com/BandedPlication.aspx http://www.hollywoodbariatrics.com/bariatric-surgery/banded-gastric-plication hth!

OH! ANOTHER TIP! coffee cream = HUGE carbload (if you like it creamy, like me). Discovered full fat half & halfd. 2tbsp for 1g carb!! WOOOOHOOOO! ) Also, i bought popsicle molds and used crystal light to make them. Its a nice, cool treat (sugar free popsicles are 4g carb). And its cheaper than buying them pre-made, too i'm all about cheap! you can bake pepperoni or parmesan cheese lumps and make them into chips for something crunchy. Look for marinades for your meat to make them more interesting. Meat doesn't really soak up a lot of it so i consider it 1 serving of marinade per piece of meat. I also make a deli variety plate of cheese, pep, salami and ham and have the for lunch frequestly. don't forget sugar free jello! HTH, and good luck! The carb withdrawal SUCKS in the first few days, but after 1-2 weeks it goes away completely. I no longer crave them or even think about them. FRIGGIN AMAZING!, if you asked me

my diet was less than 30g carbs per day, and it didn't include carbs from veggies or "meat" products (eggs, cheese). I snack on cheese or broccoli w/ sour cream dip. Pepperoni and salami sticks (wal mart) are my fav. Breakfast is 3 eggs + 3 egg whites with 1/2c cheese + 1/2 c ground sausage or chopped bacon. I eat breakfast late so i usually don't have lunch, maybe an atkins chocolate shake and cheese around 2 (yummy!! and filling). dinner is meat (as much as i want, usually 2 chicken breasts) and a veggie. I did find AWESOME salad dressing. Marie's ranch (in produce section) you get 2tbsp for 2g carb (might be 1g, i can't remember). its DELICIOUS! I put that on a load of lettuce and chopped chicken and bacon. I've been doing this for about 2 mos and amazingly have not gotten bored. Once i had a pound of bacon for lunch, lol. I don't like tuna/chicken salad without bread, but if you're open to it you can do that - just watch the relish! Also - I thought chewing gum was great to keep my mouth busy, until i discovered it had 2g of carbs in each piece! FML!

WOOOOOHOOOO!!! CONGRATS!

I read another thread on here about the sleeve pain compared to gallbladder surgery pain, but i can't relate to that. I've read that it's hard to get up and down out of bed and that the incisions hurt. I had a c-section on 2007 and am wondering if anyone here can relate c/s pain to sleeve pain for me? I wasn't in bad shape after the c/s, I actually had no painkillers and took a shower the next day (was more scared of popping staples!). I'm still going to go through with my surgery, but I'd like to know what i'm in for! thanks nikki

Thanks for all the reassurance, ladies! This makes me feel better. I totally agree on the "happy thoughts" thing - I've done that before and it really is amazing how you can change your physical feelings but concentrating on them not being painful (kinda got that out right, lol). I haven't asked my surgeon about pain management because it wasn't a concern until i read the posts on here. I will talk to him at my preop next Wednesday. Thanks again, ladies!

I have gained 12 lb in the last month doing that. No rules (even though i was supposed to be low carb). I feel panicked that I won't enjoy food anymore, but now i just feel like **** cause i've gained weight. My doctor's great and won't give me grief, but i know they'll weigh me at preop and i'll feel horrible about my gain. I think i hate food just as much as i love it! one thing the psy did tell me was that i needed to replace my food obsession with another obsession, so i think you're on the right track there. I cant find anything i feel would replace food as an obsession, though! What comforts, makes me feel good and i can do it while watching tv? doc office does recommend replacing food addict. with exercise addict. i just need to get busy and stay that way. that's hard right now, though cause i'm always tired from my weight! I don't know how ppl larger than me do it! I have a friend who's been banded for a year. she said the cravings and mental eating weren't an issue for her after surgery cause the last thing she wanted was food. then others have said that the skinny feeling takes over the pleasure of food. i think i might just be over worrying about it - maybe it just happens after surgery. i know i'll see food differently and maybe the mental hunger just gradually goers away as i learn control. i started a thread "do you miss food" and got some interesting answers, you may want to check it out. best of luck - your surgery is only 2 days after mine. WE'RE GETTING CLOSE!!

Well, I found a counselor who specializes in eating disorders. She was a QUACK! I learned more about her than she did about me - she didn't even know I had a kid until 45 minutes in! So i'm looking for someone else now. I don't have time or $ to waste like that!

Hi all! I'm Nikki, 25 in Jax, FL. I'm having banded plication on the 27th with Dr Cywes. It's a lot more like a sleeve than a band so i like to hang out on these boards. Looking forward to getting to know everyone!

UPDATE: I've decided to get counseling pre-surgery. My first appt is tomorrow, i'll let you guys know how it goes!

Thanks for all the advice. I know being thinner will definitely be worth not eating, just wondering about my emotional attachment to food. I am like another poster said they were - i think about a food situation (bbq, etc) and get excited about how much and what i'm going to eat. hoping that goes away with time )

Mine covers the whole surgery, i just pay 30% of the band device, not the whole surgery. Was curious if anyone knew the cost of only the band.

I've been reading in here about care credit. Apparently they loan for medical costs with no interest if pain in 10 mos.

Well hje is now in another surgeons practice (dr. cywes), and dr cywes is not going anywhere. I have a really hard time imagining that another doctor will not perform a fill simply because he didn't do the original banding, but as you said, i have a lot to learn. my opinion should probably be discounted.