Rachel412

breakfast: protein shake lunch: small Wendy's chili with cheese dinner: 1/2 a whole grain wrap with turkey, spinach, tomatoes, greek dressing and feta cheese (I just had the other half for lunch Sunday) snack: low fat cheese stick

Congratulations Siobhan

That is amazing, especially with 10 months of pregnancy in there! Congratulations!!

Ooooooo-kay then! Have a great evening!

My response was in no way directed towards you- it was directed towards your surgeon, and from your post, it sounded like he (?) did your surgery with no real education about what you were getting yourself into! It scares me and makes me sad, all these patients out there with a band around their stomachs who just haven't been prepared for what comes next. Again, I don't hold the patients responsible for that, I hold the surgeons responsible.

Isn't it FUN!!

They found mine when they opened me up, even though they looked for one when they did my Upper GI and didn't find it. I can't say whether it affected my recovery, since I've only had this surgery once but it does seem like my recuperation was very similar to what people without hernias say. I've had MUCH less heartburn or reflux since the surgery. If I woke up at night I had to keep Tums by my bed because I'd always have wicked heartburn- no longer a problem! I think I've taken Tums twice in the past 6 weeks... total!

Hiya! I bought and read (and enjoyed) Bandwagon... jean-onthebandwagon.blogspot.com That's the author's site, and you can order the book through her or Amazon. It's a big book, 500+ pages, but I absolutely think it was worth the price. I wish you only success with this new band you'll (hopefully) get!

Awesome so far! I hated having to wait the 6 months but looking back, I'm glad I did... by the time I got to surgery I had zero doubts and I had to meet with the staff nutritionist once a month so she really did help me learn what to expect and how my eatings habits would need to change. I had my first fill Thursday and so far I can tell the difference in how soon in a meal I feel satisfied and how long that lasts- hopefully it's not just swelling

It sounds to me like you just need a tiny top-off to your fill. If you're satisfied for 3 hours, and the "green zone" is 4-5 hours, you're almost there! Congratulations!

Your best bet is really to check your BCBS' website or call them- all of the plans are a little different. Look for a "medical policy" link on your insurance site, mine's on the very first page at the bottom. Search for "adjustable gastric band". I had to do a 6 month wait period so I started the process in October of 2010 and was banded mid-April, 2011. Its fine if your BMI drops below 40, your starting weight is what matters.

Welcome to the other side! I hope Bandster Hell is kind to you. My biggest tip for getting up out of bed is to take it slow and try to swing your legs out together, not one at a time, which will keep you from twisting at the waist.

Congrats on your loss! And I know you said you don't feel restriction but it seems like you've got the best of "restriction" without all the yucky PBing and sliming side effects

Well mine is on my right side, just under where my ribcage ends... a good 4" or so higher than my belly button.

GET BETTER DRUGS! I hope you already called your surgeon I had a morphine pump right after surgery and even though I was hitting and hitting the button it wasn't helping with the pain. They ended up changing me to Dilaudid after a few hours (took a while to get approval, a new pump, etc) and it helped immediately. Not all pain killers work for all people. Keep us updated!

I'm only about 6 weeks banded, but I already love that when I look in the mirror, I see the shape of a woman and not the shape of a blob!

I'm a little scared that you were able to get the surgery and fills done while having the completely wrong idea about how the band works. My surgeon made me take a test! No lie! Glad you're on the right track now

At the moment I'm taking Flinstones type chewable kids Multivitamins, twice a day. I make sure they have Iron in them. When I run out I'm hoping to get Centrum Complete chewables. I also take a (chewable) calcium supplement twice a day. For Protein shakes, my favorite so far is this one: http://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Standard-Double-Chocolate/dp/B000QSNYGI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1306005805&sr=8-1 No weird after taste, high in protein, low in carbs. I put it in a mixer with milk and a few ice cubes to thicken it up. Sometimes I add half a banana or some smooth Peanut Butter.

The low fat cheese sticks have less Calories and more protein!

My nutritionist tells me to eat 3-4 oz of protein, then up to a cup of veggies, then a small amount of grains if I want them. So you ate 4 oz of meat- sounds right to me! Have you been banded yet? Any fills? That would explain why you were hungry again after 2 hours.

You'll learn if this fill has done you any good by eating what you'd normally eat, but paying close attention to how you're feeling as you eat. If you're only able to eat 4 or 5 bites, well... Make sure those bites count! Btw we are on the same schedule! Surgery and first fills on the same day!

If you keep eating your small meals and avoiding snacking on food thats not on your plan, you will get used to it. I know it sounds impossible but try to just focus on true hunger versus head hunger. I started drinking decaf chai every time i was feeling hunger- for me the heat of the drink seems to convince my head hunger that i ate. The better you stick to eating on your plan now, the better you'll do when you get a fill. Hang in there, we've all been where you are!

I don't know if this helps at all (and it's probably too pedantic for you) but I found the chart at the bottom of this page helpful for nothing the differences between the two: http://www.vitalady.com/protein.htm

How do you feel after you eat? How long are you satisfied for?

It's normal! I was tired for 2 weeks past surgery. I hope it's less for you!