anewchapter

Good thread girls....uplifting and positive.....does a lot for the mind. In my whole teen and adult life I was only able to shop in regular stores for about 1 year. I can't wait to shop in regular stores again. I can't wait to be able to shop again (plantar fasciitis makes it hard to shop for even an hour right now). I can't wait to be able to share clothes with some of my friends. I can't wait to shop in my own closet.....so many sizes in there.....lol. This time the plus clothes will be donated when I'm done with them!

I would take the suggestion about calling your doctor's office and asking what kind of liquids you should be on. I was on 4 days of clear liquids (juice, broth, gatoraid and protien powder with water) then 10 full liquids (strained cream soups, Protein shakes, smoothies, and milk). I can't believe someone can live and function on the calories from just juice, gatoraid and broth for more than a couple days. Also, check out my thread about what types of pain meds to take for shoulder and adbominal pain. Hope you get some answers from your doctor's office

I'm finally feeling better today.....long winded thread on pain meds explains more about what I did for the gas pain.

Well my doctor's office said it is normal when I called yesterday and to keep up with the gas-x, maybe tums (although I thought this was for heart burn - I did not try tums), heating pad and walking. My room mate also suggested using her portable massaging chair to help the gas get moving. I was also wondering if some of the cramping was due to only eating a bit of Soup and Protein drinks, as I read another post somewhere and someone said they started to feel better when they moved on to mushies, like I wasn't eating enough to move the gas. So instead of pain medication I decided to take more gas-x and have some chicken vegetable noodle soup, which I put through my bullet to puree, and then added about 6 crushed up crackers that got nice and mushie. Low and behold, while eating the mushy cracker chicken noodle puree soup and sitting on the massaging chair finally some gas found it's way out Sorry to be so specific. The rest of the night I walked around my living room every hour for a couple minutes and sat on the massaging chair 3-4 times. Later that night took more gas-x (which put me one dose over the daily limit) and I made some lipton chicken noodle soup and put crackers in it to get mushie and just chew chew chew. When I went to bed I massages my lower belly for about 10 minutes. For lunch today more cracker mush lipton soup and some brown Beans in molasas (which I just mushed up in my mouth). Hopefully I have turned the corner, cause today I'm feeling sooooooo much better then the last couple days. So I'm moving on to a modified mushies/pureed stage (I'm not to have mushies for another 6 days), but I'm feeling good and can't live with that pain any longer. Still a Protein shake for Breakfast, but lunch and dinner will be some sort of mushed up, with a bit of liquid item. Something with more substance then cream soup. On a side noted, I bought the Shoppers Drug Mart extra strength chewable gas tablets today and they seem to be working WAY better then the gas-x extra strength brand!!! Hopefully my co-workers don't notice....but at this point I don't care To anyone experiencing major, bring you to tears, painful shoulder and abdominal pain; just keep working the gas-x (maybe try another brand), walking, heating pads, a little massage and make sure your getting enough calories.....hopefully it will pass pun totally intended!

Hi All, Just wondered what type of pain medication anyone with horrible shoulder and abdominal pain is taking? I was doing fine 5-6 days post-op, now the last two days have sucked!!!!! I take the gas-x, walk and use a heating pad. Today on my walk home from work, which took 30 instead of the usual 15 mins, I was basically in tears the entire time. Like the walking was making the pain worse. Taking a deep breath sent a sharp pain to both my left shoulder and left abdominal area. Finally when I got home sitting made the pain subside. I am considering taking my percocet for relief, but I think pain medication just makes the gas worse. I know for sure if I was in this kind of pain pre-surgery I would have went to the hospital or to my doctor. I called the clinic during the day today, before the walk home incident, and they said everything is normal. Thanks for your input and prayers.

I totally agree with all of the above....don't sweat it. I cheated a little to (in fact I drank alcohol both Saturdays before the surgery and was told none was allowed) we're not expected to be 100% perfect. You're doing great!!

P.S I wish I was feeling that good....right now I want to cut off my arm and stab myself in the stomach were it hurts!! Just be thankful you are feeling so good.

10 days post-op I don't think your doctor would even consider it. Some people have to wait 6 weeks for a fill, others are more lucky and only have to wait 4 weeks. Take your time....it's a long road. If you're doing good, don't rock the boat.

I've read 20 pounds per pant size...don't worry you'll get there.

I was told whenever I'm feeling up to it. No time restraint was put in place.

Update: called my clinic...they told me all is normal. To continue to take gas-x and even some tums, heating pad on my shoulder and keep on walking. I worked through my lunch today so I can go home a bit early and tomorrow I'll remember the heating pad. I feel a little better now that it's later in the day. Maybe my body just didn't like getting up so early today

Thanks everyone for your replies. I'm 8 days post-op and back to work as of today. Maybe I'll try the gas-x strips, I've been using the crewables, but I'm not really sure if they've been helping. Today on my 15 min walk I was in a lot of pain. Both shoulder pain and in the last 2 days I've been getting like a sharp spasm pain in my lower left abdominal area. I was going to wait till the 10 day mark before calling my clinic. I hope I make the whole day at work today. I'm an admin assistant so I do a lot of sitting, but already I feel tired and cranky

I'd like to read some replies to this post because I was banded on the 15th and I still do not feel "normal". Shoulder pain is sometimes so painful it's breath-taking. Still no signs of being hungry, I just eat my protein and soup as directed by my post-op diet, although I don't think I'm eating the full amounts. Nor am I drinking the full amount of water I should be. Sleep is so all over the place. One night ok, then one night up from 2am - 6am, wide awake, then another night so tired just not able to sleep due to shoulder pain.

I wish you well and was also wondering what is deferred shoulder pain?

My pre-op diet was 2 weeks of no carbs, sugar, alcohol, fruit, cheese, nuts...basically protein and veggies. Based on the Dr.'s office I lost 5lbs, but I know I gained a couple pounds from consult day to start of the pre-op diet which was 5 weeks. From my results I lost 9 pounds: weight in the morning first day of pre-op diet and weight in the morning day of surgery. I also didn't follow the diet to the 'T'. But I was proud with my results and know that I was making a really big change from the way I used to eat.

I didn't get any till day 3 post op and took them till day 5 (but if I had them day 2 I would have taken them). I'm finally feeling better today, day 6. But I think any walking you can do helps SO much!! Even marching on the spot if you can't get outside.

Hi there, I also had this and many other types of "maybe I shouldn't do this" thoughts going through my head. Even while sitting on the hospital bed waiting to go into surgery I was thinking, "if they don't put me out right now I'm gonna make a run for the door." This is a HUGE decision and with any major decision there will be doubt.The pre-op diet did give me a moment of, "maybe I can do it on my own" thought. But then I remembered that if I really could have "done it on my own", I already would have. It also reminded me of how much food had a hold on me and when you break the cycle it is freeing. I clearly remember how good it felt to not be so full all the time. I think there is a negative attitude about admitting "we can't do it on our own", like we're weak or something. But we are so strong by doing this. It's like standing up and staying, "I have a problem....but I"m not going to let it ruin my life anymore....I'm taking a stand for me.... I will be happy."

I am self pay as well and I would go with the local option. As the other's have said, aftercare is so important. You don't want to be sitting at home saying to yourself, "I really need to talk to someone about _______, but I'm not sure how much that will cost me." I bet when your aftercare and fills are paid out of pocket there are sometimes when people do not go in and pay for what they need. When it's paid up front you are free to ask and get as much as you need.

Hi Ann, Well I certainly know what you are talking about and this was one of the questions I asked when I went for my consult. I was told that I would not need to count calories after being banded. Just follow the guidelines and make the right choices. Now I do not have much experience yet, I was banded this past monday, but I will certainly take their advice. My clinic doesn't want me to trade one obsession for another. I will follow the post-op diet to the "T" because I want to heal as safely as I can. But no where in their guidelines is the need to count a single calorie or log anything. As like you, I know I can count points, calories, etc and log everything I put in my mouth. And I know I can lose weight with this method. I also know I am not successful in the long run doing that. My father always says the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. You have to do something different is you want different results. Well this time I am not going to do the same old things I have always done to lose weight. I will rely on my clinic to give me the support I'll need and my band to help me with portion control. My goal in all of this is to lose the obsession with food! I stopped logging and counting the first day of my pre-op diet August 1, I have lost 12 pounds since. I'm happy with these results and I am enjoying not being "full" all the time. And most of all, it's like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders.

Hi There, I had surgery on Monday and couldn't help but step on the scale yesterday...That was a bad mistake...I had gained 2 pounds. I know only 2 and not 15.5, but I was still mad. I hadn't eaten basically a single thing since Sunday night...in my mind I should have lost a couple pounds...forgetting of course that I just had surgery, but body is in shock, full of extra fluids. I reminded myself that I actually wasn't taking in all the protein and water I should been. So I made some changes to my liquids yesterday and today I lost those 2 pounds plus 3 more. I also will really try to only weigh myself once a week. Cause it really does play a nasty game with your brain. Just keep doing what the Dr's tell you to do, follow the liquid diet and those pounds will come off. Just remember they are pounds from liquid, not calories and will come off quickly. I also think walking is the key with helping the body get rid of the bloating and gas. Hope your doing well soon.

My clinic does not put anything in the band during surgery to allow the body to heal. They only use a 9cc and 14cc band depending on the size of your stomach once they get in there. Although the 14cc band they said does need more fills before the sweet spot is reached, just because it's bigger. She also said most people will end up with the 9cc band.

Hey all fellow August Bandsters. I was banded yesterday and everything went very good I also had a bit of trouble sleeping the couple night right up to the big day. And I felt like I had butterflies in my stomach the whole (2 hr) drive to the clinic and right up till they knocked me out. I was terrified of waking up without the band. I did ok on the pre-op diet but not as good as I should have, so I was really nervious about that. It was the first thing I asked when I woke up. I was in recovery at the clinic for 3 hours after the procedure. I wasn't in very much pain at all (2 out of 10), no nausea (but they gave me gravel before even asking, so that probably helped). Mostly my throat was sore from the tube. And my arm was swollen, bruised and sore from where they injected me with something (I think it was hapranin and antibiotic). Everything is getting better today tho. I bit of, not pain...but more like irritation in my left shoulder (the results from the gas), this is when I know I need to take more pain meds. The port incision bothers me the most, but really not that bad. I have not been hungry at all, just thirsty. Basically after having my appendix out with open surgery, this has been a breeze. I was 3 of 3 people having surgery yesterday tho and I'll give you a bit of an update from what I saw. One lady ended up having to stay the night, not sure why, but she did. The other lady was not looking very good when I saw here, puked up some water after surgery, was having nausea issues I guess and also issues voiding. They would not let her leave before she voided. I was 20 mins shy of being the last into surgery and the first discharged. Although I was the youngest of us three, so I'm sure that also helped. I wish everyone well on their up coming surgeries

Thanks. It does help. I am self pay as well because in Canada they only cover Gastric By-Pass....and that is too crazy for me.

Good for you!! I think it's important to both have a morning time with food and have some of your favorites to get them out of your system, and to really set ourselves up for success on the pre-op diet. I'm glad I didn't go from one exream to the other. I also struggle with not drinking with meals. Although I have been good this week, it was hard to get started. Sounds like you have a great plan in place for success

Hi Crash...this was an awesome post. Just what I need to get through the last 5 days of my pre-op diet. It's so inspiring to hear from people who have made it through the surgery and are doing well. I too have had a couple slip-ups during my pre-op diet and felt guilty about it. However, I was a binger and my small slip-ups have not even touched the type of damage I used to go to myself. Physically with food, and mentally all day long. I used to be totally consummed by food. Eating, thinking, living in guilt. Being on the pre-op diet for the past 8 days and I already fell like a weight has been lifted of my shoulders. It's like the never-ending cycle I was in...ended. And I'm so much more at peace. I have also been enjoying not being so full all the time. I was eating so much all the time I was constantly full and uncomfortable all the time. It feels so good to be satified with a regular, healthy meal and not so controlled by carbs and sugar. I have sugery on Monday and it just can't get here soon enough. I will take your advice about having everything I'm allowed during post-op and about bring a pillow with me for the drive home (especially because my drive is 2 hours long). Thanks again