pamela3782

I'm glad today is easier for you and I know that occasionally you will tend to have minor slip ups but please keep in mind that although you have lost 5.5 in two days even with going over in calories (please don't get me wrong that it great!) you should still try to stay under the 800. The doctor tells you how to make it work for a reason. I KNOW it's really hard right now and the liquid diet post op may seem incredibly drastic at times as well but just keep remembering its all for the greater good in the long run. As an overweight woman myself I have made food an excuse. A lot of times I said I was hungry but in all fairness I wasn't. I was just use to eating. I've realized now that I was flat out lying to MYSELF and the only person that gets hurt is me. You will come to realize a lot of the times the "hunger" is in your head. If you feel yourself getting hungry besides at normal meal times, drink a glass of Water or crystal light. If you can drink that and then 20 minutes later still feel hungry, eat something small. Also, eat slowly and chew thoroughly. It's something you will need practice with anyway so it will get you use to it. It takes a full 20 minutes for your brain to recognize being full so if you are a fast eater by the time you actually feel full, you're actually stuffed. Good luck with everything and if you ever need to talk feel free to message me. ~Pam

I just had Dr. Rich do my surgery on Friday......one word..........AMAZING! I have never seen a doctor care so much for his patients. He is thorough but is the nicest guy. I had my surgery done at Good Sam and I can't say enough about the staff. They had me sooooooo at ease. The nurses were all terrific, the anesthesiologist was incredible, and the other surgeons (who I can't remember because I was under) must have been fantastic because my recovery has gone without a hitch. The nurses at good sam even called me the next day to ask how I was doing. I wish you the best of luck (Not that you'll need it with Dr. Rich). Please keep me posted on your progress and let me know how everything went. If you have any other questions please feel free to message me ~Pam

So I had my surgery on 4/15 and the last 3 or 4 days I have been REALLY emotional. I have a lot going on with my family and my marriage stress wise. I have always been a detached person when it comes to showing my emotions to most people and I have some pretty thick skin so not much gets to me but these past few days I have been crying at the drop of a hat. I feel like I don't have any control over what is happening around me when usually I'm at the top of my game. Has anyone else felt an emotional change like this shortly after surgery? What did you do to change it? Did you end up getting a grip on yourself again? Thanks in advance for any advice ~Pam

Remember that non scale victories are good too. All though you may not be losing, by getting more exercise you are going to be gaining muscle. I'm pretty new to this but like Dave said sometimes uping your calorie intake may kick start the losing process again.. Good luck!!

My doctor had told me instead of trying to eat really doughy bread (white bread, bagels, italian bread ect) try to toast it, it gives it a different texture. Also small bites chewing VERY well. Once you realize how really chewed bread actually feels in your mouth (texture too) you may not miss it as much as you think you might. When food isn't chewed thoroughly, it tastes different. That is something you will realize over time. Some tastes are more of a habit than an addiction. I'm sooo jealous! I can't eat solids for another 3 weeks! Good luck with it all.

My surgery was on April 15th. I didn't have a specific pre-op diet however I was required to lose between 10-25 lbs so there was some dieting involved. I see a lot of people had to do a liquid diet but I just watched what I was putting in my mouth and was quite successful. I dropped 12 lbs in a week and a half. Hope that makes you feel a bit more at ease. Good luck with your surgery and if you have any questions feel free to message me. ~Pam

Hi all! I was banded on Friday 4/15 and I have to tell you compared to the way I thought this was going to be, it's been fairly easy to deal with pain wise. The mental part of it is still a little difficult but I'm sure as time goes on that well change. As far as being afraid of not waking up afterward, that was my BIGGEST fear and I can tell you now that I was afraid for nothing. You wake up and you wonder when they are going to start lol. For all of you that are going to go through it a few words of advice.... *They are going to tell you to take large breaths and let it out slowly, do it it works wonders. *Gas pains come with the territory and it is normal. They last anywhere from 3-5 days. Mine are almost gone on day 3. *Move, move, move. I can not stress this enough. Do not push yourself to hard but the more you move the easier time you are going to have. *Take tiny sips, your stomach is going to swell and the gas is going to get trapped. If you drink to much to fast it could make you feel more pain or make you nauseous. Sometimes it helps to sit up straight and keep your hands above your head if you get that feeling. If you have any questions or would just like to chat about whats going on add me as a friend and message me. Best of luck to all of you ~Pam

I use Unjury as well. Very easy to get down and the flavors aren't bad at all. It was the protein shake my Dr. recommended. Good Luck Isopure is good while your on your clear liquids also.

Ok so I am 3 days post op. First 2 days I didn't have any trouble getting anything down, seemed to just slide being I'm on liquids. For 2 days I really suffered from gas pains in my shoulder and under my rib cage but otherwise the pain wasn't to bad. Now here I am on day 3. I feel like the majority of the gas is gone however now it is really hard to get anything down unless it is just the teeniest little sips of something and space them a few minutes in between. It feels like it is getting stuck or I need to burp really bad. Am I trying to over do it? Is this normal and is there anything I can do to fix it? Oh also I have almost no hunger pains and I keep getting a charlie horse type feeling around my incisions any time I stand up. Thank you in advance for your feedback ~Pam

Not from NYC but I am from NY. About an hour from the city. We should definitely keep in touch

I feel fantastic! Much easier to deal with than I thought it would have been. Can't wait to see where this takes me

I had my surgery done by Dr. Richard but a friend of mine had his done by Dr. Anthony (he is doing extremely well also). I will tell you that I never in a million years would have doubted the care that that entire practice could give. I figured that today would have been a lot more painful for me but I woke up this morning after a fairly good nights sleep and feel even better than yesterday. The gas pain is still there but not quite as bad. They say it usually lasts about 3 days. Still feels like I took a punch to the stomach but its a dull pain, very tolerable. If you have any questions please feel free to message me and I wish you all the luck in the world To everyone else that commented thank you so much for your kind words.

Thank you T. I definitely have been walking as much as possible. I'm also standing, twisting, leaning and bending. No more shoulder pain and the rib pain has lessened by at least half. Considering I had surgery yesterday I feel pretty amazing!

So at 5:30 this morning I was on my way to Good Sam for my lap band surgery. Surprisingly I honestly had about 6 seconds of nervousness and then was fine. Got down there, got in my gown, stats were taken and I was good to go by 7. Had to take out my tongue ring but luckily it didn't close lol. At about 7:10 I was in the room getting nice and looped up on what the anesthesiologist liked to call my double margarita lol. They rolled me in to the OR around 7:20 and then "sent me to the Bahamas". Next thing I knew I was waking up. Very groggy but I recovered very quickly. They expected me to be in recovery for about 2 hours before taking my xrays and moving me and within about 40 minutes I was up and ready to go. Drank that HORRIBLE contrast for my xrays and then everything seemed good so they moved me to another room. My dad and Kev came in. I talked to them for a while and then I slept for about 20 minutes. Woke up talked a few more minutes and they said they wanted me to pee. They had me drink some apple juice and my dad and Kev went out. By the time they came back I had peed and gotten dressed into my normal clothes. The nurses kept calling me "Miss Independent" because I didn't ask or wait for help from anyone. I even started to straighten up the room a little when I came back in lol. They then offered me a job lmao. I was expected to be released around 4 but being I was improving so quickly I was on my way home by 12:30. Dr. Pucci and the entire Good Sam staff were amazing. I could not have asked for better people to deal with! They told me to expect gas pains from what they filled my stomach with in my shoulders and it would probably move around. I have been in and out of sleep all day but have stayed awake for the better part. I even went to my cousins house to visit with her and my aunt. With the exception of the gas pain the surgical part of it isn't unbearable. I will probably feel worse tomorrow but today it feels like I just took a really powerful punch to the stomach. I ate some broth and Jello and have been drinking my Protein and Water when I can actually breath. The air bubbles are right beneath my rib cage right now so breathing is a bit of a chore lol. Anyway I will keep everyone posted on whats going on but I really from the bottom of my heart appreciate all the prayers, well wishes, and love. You have no idea how much that means to me

I was not put on a specific "pre-op diet" but I was asked to lose anywhere from 10-25 lbs so technically I did have to diet just not liquid like some. My surgery is also in the morning @7:30am. I wish you the best of luck and remember that you are the only person that can decide what is right or wrong for you. You have consciously made this decision knowing that is the best option for YOU. I too have caught a little flack from certain people and I came to the realization that everybody is going to "know someone who knows someone" who had a bad experience. That is what all of the testing you go through is for. To make sure you are physically and mentally ready to make this change. Bottom line they are not comfortable because they are not educated enough in the process or do not know specifically how your weight effects your every day life. They will lighten up with your success. Once again GOOD LUCK!!! ~Pam

Good luck to you and okiekatt tomorrow. Mine is on Friday and I'm starting to get a little shaken up myself. I'm sure all will be fine. Take care!!!

Thank you all for your stories and input. I think it just helps to hear that I'm not the only one that goes through this. Congrats to all that have made the relationships work. Good luck to those making the changes you need to better yourselves. I think we are all really in that boat. I know I didn't mention it in my original post but I know one of the big things for him is his brothers wife left him after she lost the weight. I have heard from 3 of his family members and him "you're not going to pull a 'Sue' are you?" We had our problems way before I made any decisions to get this surgery. It's just hard to have little support and then hear that. Anyway thanks again!!! ~Pam

So my surgery date is April 15th and my husband is not as supportive as I would have expected him to be. Our marriage has been on the rocks for years now and came pretty close to an end back in January. I was just wondering how your relationships have changed with your significant others after the surgery. I'm not ultimately looking for just positive stories, just honest ones if possible. I'm all about being upbeat and positive but I just really want raw honesty positive and negative alike. Thanks for your time ~Pam

Hey Ladies!! I've already met Jennifer (shes a pretty cool chick) but you guys are more than welcome to message me as well. I'm 29 and my surgery is in The 15th of this month!! Hope to hear from you guys!! ~Pamela

I just posted this on another forum but it seems to fit here as well. First things first, take a deep breath. Yes surgery can be very scary and yes sometimes there are complications but if you are well informed and you fully trust that you have a competent surgeon that will do everything in his power to take care of you, you shouldn't worry about it to much. Of course there are always thoughts in the back of your mind that make you second guess your decision but you are doing this to be a better mom to your kids and just over all a better you. I look at it this way, the rates of something going really wrong are slim to none. Saying that you don't want the surgery due to the "what ifs" is like saying I won't ride in a car just in case I get into an accident or I'm not going to cross a street because I might get hit. As long as you are educated on what to expect and your doctor has been thorough with you, go for it with your head held high and don't look back. Your kids will have a better life because their mom will be happy and healthy. My surgery is on Friday and I have butterflies like crazy but I know in my heart of hearts it is what I HAVE to do in order to live my life to the best of my ability. I hope that everything goes smoothly for you and if you ever feel the need to talk message me directly. Hope to hear from you soon. ~Pam

First things first, take a deep breath. Yes surgery can be very scary and yes sometimes there are complications but if you are well informed and you fully trust that you have a competent surgeon that will do everything in his power to take care of you, you shouldn't worry about it to much. Of course there are always thoughts in the back of your mind that make you second guess your decision but you are doing this to be a better mom to your kids and just over all a better you. I look at it this way, the rates of something going really wrong are slim to none. Saying that you don't want the surgery due to the "what ifs" is like saying I won't ride in a car just in case I get into an accident or I'm not going to cross a street because I might get hit. As long as you are educated on what to expect and your doctor has been thorough with you, go for it with your head held high and don't look back. Your kids will have a better life because their mom will be happy and healthy. My surgery is on Friday and I have butterflies like crazy but I know in my heart of hearts it is what I HAVE to do in order to live my life to the best of my ability. I hope that everything goes smoothly for you and if you ever feel the need to talk message me directly. Hope to hear from you soon. ~Pam

April 15th for me.....wish me luck!!!! Hope all went well for Freelance Frog and Thatgurl today. You're both in my thoughts!!!

Hey Steve!!! Welcome to LBT!! I'm pretty new to this as well but already I have met so many great people and have read the highs, lows, ups, downs, ins, outs, of many peoples experiences. You will find a lot of advice from people as you need it. The more proactive you are here the better the experience so good luck and keep us posted on the progress! ~Pamela

This surgery is just a small part in the process. The majority of this is mental. You said you felt like a whale (don't worry everyone has felt that way) so use that to your advantage. When you feel like you want to over indulge remember that feeling of inadequacy and tell yourself you NEVER want to go back to that. The band is a tool but your mind is part of the solution. Find yourself a "buddy" wether it be on here or a family member or friend you feel comfortable talking to and when you are having a "moment of weakness" talk to them. It may help. Good luck to you

I bought the tropical ones for while I'm on the clear liquids. It is terrible warm but when refrigerated or on ice its not so bad. Mine came in a pack of 6 8oz bottles for about 5 dollers. Another good one is unjury which was recommended by my doctor. You can go to unjury.com and order it. I think GNC may also carry it. Good luck