lifeisjustbeginning2011

Just lay around and rest. Sip fluids continuously whenever you're awake, never miss a pain med dose for the first 2 days (and yes, liquid Lortab tastes terrible). We all know it gets better because we were all just there 2 weeks ago. Remember that you're only a day post-op and you're not expected to feel comfortable or all peppy. The tight tummy feeling (hard to get in and out of bed, or a recliner) goes away after 48 hours (generally). Everyone is different, but one thing is the same - everyone feels disoriented, medicated, and has no appetite for the first two days. That's a promise. It gets better, or we wouldn't be here <HUGS> Amy

I'm so glad to hear you're feeling good. I'm going out to eat tonight for the first time (PF Chang) and I'm nervous about it. I've already looked at the menu online and I know what I'm going to order I'm like you - I'm just not focused on the scale. Although it is nice to lose the weight when I do, I have to remind myself that it will not magically melt off every day. My main concern is getting good nutrition and being healthy. The pounds lost are just kind of a bonus at this point. I'm having fun with my blog. It is so nice to look back to when the journey started and to read my thoughts and things I've discovered along the way. Amy

I just googled it and found where they sell the plates and bowls. Dishwasher safe but not microwave safe. They have Lap Band written on them. LOL. Not that I really care a lot, but I wish they had just left that part off. After shelling out all this money for the surgery, I think I'll have to just look at the picture I have printed out and pretend that it is drawn on a plate. They're 4-5 bucks each, but a minimum order of 25 of each piece - so mostly designed for doctor's offices to order. http://www.lapbandtools.com/products/Portion-Control-Bowl.html http://www.lapbandtools.com/products/Portion-Control-Plate.html

Ohhhhh....sounds way cool!!! I'm going to have to ask around! I've seen the drawings of a plate with the shaded portions for the food groups, but I bet they're going to make a whole lot of money on plates!! Why didn't I think of that?!

Just tried the calcium chewable from Bariatric Advantage today. It was raspberry flavored - SO YUMMY!!! It looked like a Starburst and tasted like one too!! I really like the liquid stuff I have now (Reviva) but these might be great to have for traveling or times when I have to leave home before I can take the first dose of Calcium. I take thyroid medicine (hypo) and can't take the Calcium for 2 hours after....so these might be good for my morning dose and I could stick with the liquid for my evening dose.

I don't think I've shared this, but my #1 recommendation is.....< drumroll > Glass custard cups with lids (by Pyrex or Anchor)!! I bought them at Walmart (4 cups and 4 lids) for about $9.50. These are great because.... ---They hold 1 C each, making my 1/2 C meals very easy to "eyeball" ---When I make a meal, I make a couple of extras, slap the lids on, and freeze them ---They're easy to eat out of ---Dishwasher safe (lids and cups) ---Contents don't ever stain (because they're glass! GO BUY SOME!! I have two sets now (8 cups) and I'm going to buy another two sets tomorrow. So helpful! http://www.walmart.com/ip/Pyrex-8-Piece-1-Cup-Storage/15114589

I think I have finally figured out my eating schedule to eliminate the rumbly tummy!! It took me a week on mushies (still another week to go). I had meals at 9AM, 1PM, and 6PM. No hunger in between, just made sure it was protein packed. Today's culinary masterpiece was chicken, salsa and cheese for bfast and lunch and for dinner I had BBQ chicken, I bought a rotisserie chicken and ripped it all up, I will have meals for days. Tomorrow might be some hot sauce chicken...mmm. Good thing is that this stuff is good for me. My perfect amount seems to be 1/2 Cup and no water for an hour after eating. Holds me for hours as long as there is good protein. I still can't believe it has only been two weeks since surgery...the bad days are disappearing from my memory!!

I'm private pay, so I had every choice available to me. Why the Lap Band? Control. I'm a control freak (working on it). All of the other methods can be destroyed just like the band can. You can gain everything back and even more. Complications can happen with any of the WL surgeries, but far less with Lap Band. Buuuuttt....I'm fairly young (33 yrs) and have no children. Much easier to do with a Lap Band. Long term, fewer complications. I went to 5 doctors, their support groups, seminars, etc. I learned which docs cared about aftercare and which didn't. I became an expert on Lap Band Surgery. I talked to patients in waiting rooms, forums, etc. I talked to some that didn't follow food rules and blew it, I talked to some that did great, and some with so-so results. I'm a super picky eater - so part of my surgery is learning to cook (as opposed to reheating stuff) and learning to accept new foods. I'm learning recipes for one and a whole lot about myself in the process. The money for my surgery came from my new car fund. One day I woke up and realized that I couldn't drive a new car if I was dead. However, I can have a Lap Band, drive a less pretty car, and be alive.

Thankfully, it only happened to me twice. There was a VERY close call at a store once, but I barely made it. I was constipated right after surgery but it quickly turned to diarrhea. I've had it for nearly a week. However, it IS getting better. I bought generic fiber tabs from Walmart and I take half of one twice a day. They're HUGE chewables and I don't want to get too much and have the opposite problem. It is thickening up day by day. I'm sure it is totally normal - compared to what we were eating pre-op (junk food!), our bodies don't know what the heck is going on. LOL. Make sure to keep up your fluids since they're exiting rapidly!

Of course it gets better! Everyone is different, though. You have to remember that your body is under a lot of stress from the lapband and hernia repair. You've rocked your world...and for me, two weeks and I'm about 70% back to feeling normal. I still get tired, but my body was used to operating on 2500 calories or more a day....and now it has to be happy with around 700. BIG CHANGE! Hang in there - some days are good and some days aren't.....but you're on your way to many many more good days! Amy

Aye....that sounds miserable I was so turned off by anything food related or drinks that I ended up (for the first 3 days) putting juice and crushed ice in a cup with a large medicine dropper in it. This way I didn't have to move my sore belly to sit up for drinks, I just squirted some in my mouth every time I thought of it. I'm 2 wks post op today and I'm finally able to drink about 24 oz in a day, which is good. Finally getting some energy back Hang in there!

congrats to the newest bandsters!! :) come join us in the post op "July Bandsters" :) It's getting kinda lonely!

Down 25 pounds so far Lost 16 on the 1 week pre-op diet and the rest since surgery two weeks ago. So, 25 pounds in three weeks. I'm happy, but not watching the scale too much. I have to keep washing my jeans and drying them on high - I have a bad case of droopy a$$ in my current pair. I'm not complaining though

My doctor's office gave me a Lap Band Post-op kit and it had some brochures that were very helpful. In book # 2 (Living Healthier Ever After), it states that you should: -only eat three meals a day, -never have anything in between the meals -no liquids -pouch can only hold 1/4 cup of food (or 2 oz) I've heard different things from patients on here, but I guess I'm taking this as the final word. So, for lunch, only 1/4 cup of food. I had a pretty good lunch, just under 200 calories and at the 1/4 c limit. Pureed chicken, salsa and unflavored soy protein powder with 1/2 slice cheese and a dessert of 1/2 of a snack cup of chocolate putting with a tablespoon of powdered peanut butter. YUMMY! I'm going to try really hard to stick to what Allergan (Lap Band maker) recommends and track when I finish my meal and how long it takes for my tummy to growl again. I figure this is the only way I'm going to be able to tell the doc exactly how full I feel. Sheesh....this Lap Band stuff is a science! Amy

You're only 7 days post op Relax.....make sure to be up and walking around for at least 5-10 minutes of every hour you're awake. You had three different surgeries, your body is adjusting to a whole lot right now.

Have you tried pureed chicken yet? I mixed an ounce with a tablespoon of pureed salsa yesterday and YUM!!! The spicy kick hit the spot. I bought the "carving board" chicken pieces in the deli section. Mmmmmm. Still have yet to add any veggies - I'm guessing that salsa doesn't count. LOL!!

Talk with your doc, but crush the antidepressants if you need to. Missing those or reducing your dose over the course of a week will show for sure. I was scared to take pills and I crushed for the first few days, but now I realize that I can break them into several small pills and they go down just fine. There's no magic answer to the emotional eating - I'm pursuing a counselor that specializes in bariatrics. The surgery was the easiest part so far - the rest is seriously hard work. Hang in there!

If you scroll to the bottom of this page, there are several additional forums that you might find helpful in making your decision. http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/

Good luck to everyone tomorrow and Friday! :) I'm thinking bout ya'll.

YES!! My instructions say no more than 2 days. I went 5 days without one, but get some stuff at the pharmacy to get things moving again or you're going to be very uncomfortable if you aren't already!

sure - I'd be happy to send it to you. it will come from lifeisjustbeginning2011@yahoo.com.

Support group is tomorrow night at True Results Hope to see you guys there!

Still trying samples of the multivitamins that I received via mail for free (Celebrate and Bariatric Advantage). However, for calcium, I use Reviva liquid (Costco and Sam's). It is sour blueberry flavored. YUM. I take 1 oz in the am and 1 oz in the PM. If you don't have a Costco card, you can buy online and pay a little bit more ($1.50) and you can still get it. My Sam's only carries it every once and a while, so I had to go for Costco.

Yes, yes, and yes! I didn't want to eat anything for days. Protein shakes were too much for me - I probably went 3 days living on watered down juice and gatorade. And you know what? I'm still alive. Your tummy went though a big change and you've gotta listen to it. Keep walking (I moved my arms in the air while walking and it helped), make sure to stay hydrated, and rest. It is really important not to force anything down - if you feel full, stop and take another bite in 20 minutes. It gets better, April. PROMISE!

Personally, I would wait until you get back. Better to risk gaining a pound or two then to put your life at risk or feel very uncomfortable when away from home. I made my first fill appointment for a Monday, so that I have all week to get used to it and go back if I need to. My doc office (and many) don't do fills on Fridays for that reason alone. Play it safe, sister.