jennifer1

Hope everything went well and you're recovering nicely. Remember this is the first day of your journey as a bandster! the first 3 days are the worse, but you can do this!!!

Hi Lorie. i am going on 3 weeks post op and my scale actually went up 2 pounds. i was about to jump of the ledge till i spoke with my dietician. the first months focus isnt weight loss, but healing. this is soooo hard for me to accept cuz i've wanted this for so long. my band is empty so i have no restriction since my swelling went down. my appetite is crazy and has mood swings. i get my first fill on the 17th and i cant wait. unfortunatly we have to be patient and wait for a fill to get restriction. we can do this!!

Hey Kym girl i'm in the same boat. i'm on soft foods and i have gained 3 of the 15 pounds back that i lost pre-surgery. I was so upset and discouraged till i contacted my dietician. I am soooo ready to get a fill and start seeing this weight fall off i dont know what to do. i know that the first month is supposed to be for healing and i'm not expected to loose much weight, but that still doesnt mean i dont get upset that it's not happening. I just want the restriction now so i can get this ball rolling. i feel you hunny! trust me i feel you.

yep...totaly depends on your method of pay. most insurance companies require a 6 month doc. supervised diet..self pay can be as little as a few weeks after meeting with the surgeon.

in addition to getting opinions here...this is something you should discuss with your doctor. i do agree that this is a last resort

i lived off propel water, crystal light, broth and SF popcicles. hang in there it gets better!

i totally understand where you are comiung from. i just told my friend today that the weekends are the hardest. i'm so used to getting my comfort foods and a movie on friday(cuz i deserved it after working so hard with my patients all week)...well that's what i would tell myself anyway! i havent had a fill yet and i cant wait. i'm using these board to keep my honest as well.!!! LOL

my one complaint was with the financial people. i was self pay and wasnt told until the day before surgery that i couldnt pay with a credit card, which left my scrambling the day before surgery. they finally said only the surgeons portion couldnt be in a credit card and the rest could. so i scrambled to get a cashier's check for the surgeons portion and was left to think i was going to put the remainer on my card that day. when i go to pay they have added a 3% charge for using my credit card!!!WTH!!!! i could have gotten all casheirs checks and avoided this!!! so $250 out the window. i had no choice but to pay it cuz i wasnt rescheduling my surgery. so if you're self pay beware of no credit cards!!!!! other than this i have been very pleased with that office.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!! ugh it suck to be on the liquid diet on your bday!!!!! i strategically planned when i would get my band so i would be able to eat "normal food" by my bday! the only thoughts i can offer are to focus on the end product, getting banded and changing your life! Congrats on your decision to get banded. How is the liquid diet so far? How long do you have to do it? Mines was two weeks and the first 2 days were the hardest. Feel free to PM if you have questions. Enjoy your bday and try to find something fun to do to get your mind off the steak and cake! LOL!

for those of you who have not been banded here's my 2 cents: * for every negative comment about the band you can find 2 positives.... * everyday you wake up something good or terrible could happen to you, yet we still get up and go on with our lives anyway, right! my point is there is always gonna be someone wiht a negative experience, but that hasnt stopped us form doing other things that people had a negative comment about. i've been banded only 2 weeks but i have no regrets! I choose to take charge of my health and life and i hope you decide to do the same!!!

congrats on being banded!!!

stay strong the first 3 days were the worse for me. just have to give it time, and time is the only thing that will help. kinda wish i could hit a fast forward button! LOL!

i'm 2 weeks out and my port is still tender. this morning i was running from a bee and literally feel backwards out the back door on to the concrete flat on my butt! im praying i didnt knock anything loose!!!! wonder if i should call my doc to be safe.

yeah today for the first time (i'm on soft foods now) i ate too much ground hamburger meat(made like a sloppy joe..no bun of course) and I was soooo miserable. before that would have been nuthn for me to eat plus more. i will NEVER do that again..if i had a fill i definelty would have thrown up. so no more of that for me. i hear you about the inches and i'm tryn to rid myself of my scale addiction! LOL

awwww woo woo wooo....it's perfectly normal to be scared before surgery..i mean it is surgery!!!! pray before you go in and you'll be just fine. believe me it's gonna be sooooo worth it!

everything went well with dr. elli. i never feel rushed and he always answers all my questions. the dietician is also very helpful when i email her with questions

hi tomorrow i will be 2 weeks post op. i was banded the day after you. i start soft foods tomorrow. do you find that your appetite varies from day to day. somedays i feel i could get a cow and others i'm forcing myself.

nice blog! you made me smile.. today several people at work are starting to notice my weight loss. i dont really see it, but knowing others do is a great motivator. i wont get my first fill until june17th and i cant wait to know what restriction feels like cuz i have none right now. i started back in the gym yesterday(just cardio for another month) and already i'm back up to an hour...so i'm hoping that and increasing my water intake with combat the fact that i dont have a fill till i get one. keep up the good work!

i was self pay and i didnt do the psych part. and i'm perfectly sane!!LOL! i think that's only a requirement for insurance. $$$$$ in my pocket!!!!

i chewed gum before and after surgery. my surgeon never told me not to. i find it hard that a piece of gum that's been chewed could get stuck, the hole isnt' that small..i mean food passes through it. i also used sugar free mints. i know the day of surgery i couldnt chew gum cuz i causes the stomach to produce gastric juices in preparation for digesting whatever it thinks you about to eat.

i chewed gum before and after surgery. my surgeon never told me not to. i find it had that a piece of gum that's been chewed could get stuck, the hole isnt' that small..i mean food passes through it. i also used sugar free mints. i know the day of surgery i couldnt chew gum cuz i causes the stomach to produce gastric juices in preparation for digesting whatever it thinks you about to eat.

i have 2 really. one about an inch long for the port and another about 1/4 on the right bottom side of the belly. there was one small dot between my breast, but i'm not sure they even did anything with that..LOL!

i was a self pay and the day before surgery my surgeons office called and told me that my balance of $$11,500 was due day of surgery..ok i knew that, so i say i'm going to put it on the credit card i used for my pre-op testing. she tells me it has to be cash or a cashiers check. no credit cards!!!!!!!!!!! WTH!!! nobody ever mentioned that before. so spent the day before my surgery tryn to figure out how to get the cash off the credit card in less than 24 hours! i was told only the surgeons portion had to be cash or check and the rest could be credit card. ok i got the cashiers check and put the rest on the credit card the day of surgery when i hand her my cc. she said there's a 3% charge for using a cc!!! WTH!!! again noone said that crap yesteday!!!!!! so another $250! i was soooo pissed, but what could i do i was going into surgery in like 30 minutes!!!!! oh they havent heard the last from me about this!!!!! so frustrating!!

the same thing happened to me....i sat there drinking soup while all my co-workers were eating jimmy johns sandwiches and cookies and chips...that really didnt bother me,,,,butttttttttt...the next day someone made pigs in a blanket and sat them right by my desk...i thought i was gonna cave....only 3 people at work knew about my surgery so that wasnt on purpose. i just took my paper work and went to another room cuz the smell was sooooo damn tempting. sometimes you might have to take a walk or sit somewhere else during those times. it's gonna be sooo worth it trust me. i made it 2 weeks with no cheats..i still dont know how i did it to this day. BE STRONG GIRL YOU CAN DO THIS!!!

$12,500 for me in illinois...including all pre-op testing and follow-up/fills for first year! I'd do it again in a heart beat!