jen120

(((Hugs))) I am always the biggest person on the plane. I actually stopped flying all together because it caused me so much stress and I cant afford to buy 2 seats. I hope everything goes smoothly for you. I will keep you in my thoughts and say an extra prayer so that you have a safe and friendly flight. I hope you dont have to squish!

I never comment on someone I think might be pregnant until I see the baby crowning! But in all seriousness you are doing great! I've been there plenty of times and some days I can do ok and other I fall apart and cry. (((Hugs))) Old people and kids have no filter. I work at a Children's Hospital and I get kids who say "Mommy why is she so fat?" all the time. Usually the parents are appalled, but some dont even react. If appropriate, I get down to their level with a big smile and a friendly voice and tell the kids that people come in all shapes and sizes and that everyone is special in their own way. Then I move on.

Awesome...Congrats on your weight loss! You are doing great! I actually am experiencing the same thing, but usually only when I stand from a sitting or laying position. Time to make a dr. appt too!

:success1: Awesome!!! Keep up the good work!

Rebecca, So sorry you are going through this. Here is my advice for what its worth. 1) Based on the little you have said, he seems like he is clinically depressed and most likely needs medication. If he is already on anti-depressants then he needs to up the dose or switch medication. It is not an exact science, I've been on 7 different meds to find the perfect combination that works for me. 2) Communication is the key. What does he want? Does he want a divorce? Does he want to see other people? Are there things in your relationship that need to be fixed? Does he want to work on improving his own mind and your relationship? Does he just want to bury his head in the sand and hope everything magically gets better? If he says "I dont know"...that is not an acceptable answer. What do you want? What are your needs in the relationship? 3) I would definitely encourage couple's counseling as well as individual counseling for both of you. I know this may be a hard sell given his recent distaste for therapy, but if you are going to make this work, it is vital. 4) OK...here is a little tough love and I'm giving you the advice I would give my best friend. You must take control of the relationship. I know you are hurt and confused about what is going on. But you cannot be sitting around waiting for him. Give him a deadline (Jan 2012) to figure out how he wants to move forward. In that time frame you can also figure out what you want. You cannot just take him back when he decides he' done playing single guy. If you want to make it work and he does too...you have to develop a plan together that takes into account what you both need. He doesnt move back until he is ready to commit to hard work and fixing the relationship. In my opinion, he needs to prove to you that he is worthy of your love, care and affection...not the other way around. If he still cant figure out a plan then its time to move on. Good luck...if you need a friend to talk to I'll be happy to listen.

My stomach makes noises...I figure that is normal. I think its just the digestion going on. With regard to the burping after drinking...you may just inadvertently swallowing a bit of air while you drink and that may cause you to burp. I know I burped a lot right after surgery, but not so much now. I think that your chest feeling tight is what "full" feels like. I dont feel it very often as I have no restriction and have not had a fill. I'm still pretty new (7 weeks since surgery) so others may have better info!

Awesome! Congrats on all your hard work!

I was just curious...I had to give myself 7 days of Lovenox injections into my tummy after surgery. (Yes I had to give myself a shot for 7 days!) The surgeons at my office require all patients to get Lovenox after surgery to prevent blood clots. Of course they didn't tell us about it until a week before the surgery! Did anyone else do this? By the way...it was really easy and didnt hurt. Just kind of freaky sticking a needle in your stomach and injecting the Fluid. Luckily I had a lot of extra padding!

Good Luck!!! I am happy you get to eat. I had to do 2 weeks of protein shakes only and it sucked!

So are you still going to have the surgery? If you feel fine and dont have any other issues like fever or feeling tired or any symptoms of being sick, there is no reason why they shouldnt go ahead with the surgery. Increased White blood cell count can be caused severe emotional or physical stress...I know my 2 week pre-op liquid diet caused both of those! A lady who had surgery my same day had a massive cold with laryngitis and the works 4 days before surgery and she still had it. I would not get down. Like you said you feel fine. Just be sure to make your surgeon understand how great you feel. Good Luck!

I wasn't very nervous because I was very ready. But I have to say, the surgery and recovery have been so much easier than I thought they would be. Just take one step at a time. You will do great and you will be very happy for doing it. Good Luck!

Lizzy gave the perfect advice! Good luck with your recovery!

Do not be afraid. The kinds of foods you are describing are not things that usually get stuck. Just take it slowly and try to "chew" the best you can. It's tough to chew because these things are already mashed up quite a bit. Take small bites like a quarter of a teaspoon and you'll have no problem. When I moved to that stage I ate cottage cheese, yogurt, pureed Soups, tuna with mayo, refried Beans, cheese and sliced lunch meats. I had no problems at all. I know you'll do great! Enjoy your new foods!

You are not alone...my weight loss stalled at 3 weeks after surgery and I lost nothing for 3-4 weeks. I was so frustrated. I felt that since I was barely eating anything compared to before that I should be dropping 5 pounds a week. I was eating about 800 calories a day. I ended up increasing my calories to 1000-1200 a day and now I am losing.

I had the same question and was told that while the pouch is smaller it is still part of your stomach. It will no do "damage". She did caution that while spicy or other heavily flavored foods might have been ok pre-surgery, that I should try them slowly to make sure I dont get heartburn or have issues. You just cant predict if your stomach will handle everything the same as before. She definitely said you cant damage anything.

I totally have this issue...I have always been a big drinker with meals. Currently I drink while I eat. I always have a bottle of Water with me where ever I go. It is definitely something I need to work on myself. Currently I do not have a fill and have little to no restriction, but I am eating the portions I need to eat and I am not hungry in between meals. So this must be working to some extent. I guess you need to listen to your body and find out what works best for you.

Dont cancel your surgery. You need to look at this liquid diet as part of the process. I had to do 2 weeks pre-surgery. It was hard...very hard. I cried a lot, I was grouchy, I was achy, but I got through it. I told myself it was necessary to help shrink my liver to make the surgery safe and successful. You need to get back on track right away and stay the course. You can do this! We all can because we are so much stronger than we think we are. Hang in there...it will get better.

It is my understanding that the band and all its part are silicone (it doesnt matter what brand). There is some research that shows some people can be allergic to it...but it is extremely rare. I honestly would not worry about it. But talk to the surgeon once you are approved.

I did not have a BM for about 4 days after surgery and then it was just very little. Not unusual at all to be a bit constipated, especially if taking vicodin as constipation is a known side effect. Congrats on your surgery and I wish you a speedy recovery.

I know how you feel. I have almost 2 people to lose. I'm just focusing on 10 pounds at a time. We can do this!

I only lost 5 pounds on my 6 month doctor supervised diet. So dont worry too much.

I have 1 on some days 2 (if I drink a lot) of the pencil packs of "Crystal Light" or equivalent a day. I mix 1 packet into 24-32 oz of water so it is very dilute. The rest of the time its plain water for me. Some people are dead set against artificial sweeteners...I say to each his own. I am getting in over 64oz of fluid a day which is what is important. You gotta do what works for you. By the way, there are so many contradictions no matter where you look in the health and diet industry. It is really frustrating and very hard to navigate what is the best advice. So I feel your pain!

:woot::welldone::waytogo: Super Awesome!

Congrats...I hope everything continues to go well. I was one of the lucky ones, my pain was much less than I anticipated. Never even took pain meds.

Welcome and congrats on the surgery and weight loss. This board has been very helpful for me. I hope to see you posting more often!