healthy and happy

Hello Cara, I am Agnes. I live in Virginia. I too, had my surgery on August 11. First couple of days were a little rough, but I am doing great now. Just yesterday, I had my 2 week followup appt and they said I could eat some food now- mushies and soft but never the less FOOD, so I was pretty excited about that. I am hunkered down today waiting for Hurricane Irene to come through. I guess you are preparing for the same thing. Good luck with your journey. Keep in touch!

They were quick to tell me no! But I called them and fought with them and told them I wasnt going away. i met all the criteria and I would fight them to the end. My doc said it is very common for them to deny at first and then overturn later. I think they are hoping people will change their minds and forget about it. But I wasnt about to do that. As soon as I let them know that I wasnt going away though, they were quick to overturn the decision and let me get going. Hang in there!

Which part of VA are you from?? I am from Emporia and I work in Va Beach and Suffolk a lot? Where are you from and when were you banded?

A friend of mine also gave me this recipe idea if you like Mexican food. Mix a 1/2 cup of fat free refried Beans with a lilttle taco seasoning. Then put it in a small container. Sprinkle a little fat free cheese on top. When you are ready to eat, pop it in the microwave to melt the cheese on top. Delicious!! And if you are a sour cream eater you could put a little dollop of that on it too. This is great for something quick you can pack to take with you to work too.

Wow James, Dont let all your hard work be lost. Everybody has their ups and downs! You went through a difficult time but now you need to get it back on track. I have only been banded now for a little less than 2 weeks, so I guess I am not much of an authority on the subject, but I do know that I didnt go through this surgery to let myself get back to my old habits. Make an appointment with your doc and get a fill or whatever it is you need to jumpstart you again. Good Luck!

I sleep on my side, so I placed a pillow beside me and kind of hugged it. It kept me from rolling too far over on my side and it made sleeping much easier. I am 8 days out and the port site definitely was the most difficult to heal. I still feel like it is pulling a little just after I eat ( or drink that is), but it is getting better everyday.

Hello Shawna, I feel your pain. I have BCBS of NC. I had called my insurance company and looked up online to see what the qualifications were for being approved before i even began my journey. I met all the conditions. I was trying to hurry things along so I collected all my letters of support from my general physician, got a weight history from my doc to show that i had attempted to lose on my own, went to the psych visit, went to the informational session and to a support group meeting. I had a surgery date scheduled and had started liver shrinkage diet and BAM! My surgeions office called and said the insurance company denied my claim. I called and they said it was due to the psych visit they didnt feel i was ready for the lifestyle change. I called the psych and she said that her report to them indicated that i was a good candidate. She said that insurance companies often do this hoping that ppl will just forget about and not fight. Well, I fought. I called them and asked them to send me a letter of denial because I wanted to know exactly why they denied becuase I had contacted my congressmans aid to help me fight this. (that was not an idle threat, my brother in law just happens to be a congressmans aid), but low and behold my surgeion called them the next day and they overturned the decision immediately. August 11, I had my surgery!! Keep fighting it girl. They are testing you. I will say however that according to my BCBS stipulations if your BMI is between 35 and 40, you had to have 2 other medical issues as well to be approved, so you need to determine if you have high cholesterol or joint issues or sleep apnea. The only other choice would be if you gained a few more pounds and were 40 or more BMI. Good Luck!

I get to start on mushies next week. A friend of mine that was banded about a year ago gave me a couple of ideas of things that she ate that were easy to take with you to work as well. She made up some 4 oz cups of fat free refried Beans with a little chile seasoning. then she sprinkled a little fat free cheese on top and put it in the microwave and heated it a little. She said it was delicous. She also used a little marinara sauce and low fat ricotta cheese to make little lasagna cups with no noodles. I dont think I will be too choosy when i can finally have something. My doc had me on the liquid diet for 2 weeks preparing for surgery and then 2 weeks post op, so I will be happy with anything. lol Good luck!

Good Luck on your Journey. I was banded on Aug. 11. I am feeling more human everyday. At first it is confusing figuring out how to drink the shakes and get all your Protein in, but it gets easier with each passing day. Good Luck with your journey and keep us posted on your progress!

Friends and family told me the same thing- You have lost weight a milliion times before so you really dont need this band do you. But that is precisely why I decided to get it. I can lose weight but I always go back to my old overeating habits and gain it back. that is why I decided I really need this tool to help me make it lifetime.

I agree with Lisa. I am drinking the Carnation Instatant Breakfast and the Bariatric Advantage shakes but often cant finish them, so I was having a hard time getting in all my protein, so I ordered the Unjury protein (unflavored) and I mix it with pudding or with unsweetened koolaid and it is a great way to get in the extra protein. Good Luck!

I dont think I want to even know more about how to cheat. Today marks one week exactly from surgery date, and I dont know what switch got flipped in my body, but I feel fantastic today. Not hungry, no gas (knock on wood!!!) and I think I figured out how to put that darn weight ticker on my signature. Happy Day!!! I am going to the gym now!

Thank God I found this site and get to read about everyone elses experiences. It lets me know i am normal, because I too am starving. When I do drink my shakes I usually only want about 4 ounces and it seems to satisfy me for a little while, but after an hour or so, I am hungry again. I am just going to be patient and I will make it. When I go back for my 2 week checkup next Friday I am so looking forward to them saying I can eat some food, even if it is mushy!! I feel like it will make me feel so much better. We just have to make it through this rough patch. Its only a couple of weeks. Just think about the big picture.

Dont get discouraged! It passes quickly. I was banded on Aug 11. I felt similar to what you are describing the first couple of days but today I feel great. Still a little bit of gas but getting better everyday. You MUST get up and walk though. That will help you tremendously. The more you walk the better off you will be. I promise. It will help the soreness from surgery go a way and help with the gas as well. keep your head up. It will all be worth it. You are going through the worst part right now. Keep the BIG picture in mind. (Pun intended).

Sandy Cheeks I am with you on that one. I was banded on Aug 11. Did the 2 week pre-op liquids. After surgery I thought I only had one more week on liquids and my doc said "No, I want you to do full liquids for 2 weeks". Uggh!! Oh well I will make it. On the bright side the pounds are dropping fast! Hang in there. It will be over before you know it.

Hello Caryn, My name is Agnes. I am 44 years old. I was banded Aug 11 as well. I started my journey out weighing 253. I lost a lot preparing for the surgery. This morning I am weighing in at 222. I too have had horrible gas pains. I feel better today than I have felt since the surgery. I am very excited about starting this journey. When I signed on and saw your post this morning, I was pretty excited. It is great to talk to people who are going through the same thing I am and had their surgery around the same time. I live in Emporia, Va. I am married and have a daughter who will be 17 in September. She is a senior in high school this year. I am excited about losing this weight so that we can do all of the things that I have only dreamed about with her before she goes to college (horseback riding, roller coasters, trip to New York, skydiving, etc) The list goes on and on. Great talking to you!! Keep up the good work!

Every single one of you are sounding like you are experiencing the same thing I am. I was banded on the 11th. I was doing so great walking around in the recovery room, the doc let me go home and not spend the nite. Each day I have felt a little better but i must say the gas is ridiculous for me right now. I do not want to drink my shakes because I feel like it will make it worse.. I am sure it will get better with each day so I am still optimistic! I really enjoy reading everyones posts on here. It makes me know that I am normal and that nothing is going wrong.

I had my surgery yesterday as well and I did have some pain in the upper stomach/chest area, but I got up and started walking even before I left recovery. It helped a lot. I did so well, the doctor let me go home the same day of surgery. I was very happy to be able sleep in my own bed. I am still very sore this morning and I am really curious about how I will do when I start drinking the shakes this morning. Actually I am drinking the first one right now. So far so good. I think it will get better each day. Yesterday when I got home I took some of the pain med that the doctor prescribed but so far today i havent taken one yet. I really dont want to sleep the whole day away and they knock me out.

Definitely. I just had my surgery yesterday. I felt like I needed to take a giant burp. Part of mine may be that I also had a hiatal hernia repaired. But I immediately started walking in the recovery room. It helps a lot. The doc said it was normal to feel that way, so hang in there. Hopefully it will get better. I am interested to see how I will feel today as I start drinking the shakes again. All I had yesterday was broth and jello and I really didnt eat too much of that either.

My surgery date is August 11. I cant wait!!!!

The headaches will go away after about day 3 or 4. I had the same problem. I was a sodaholic and when I went on the liver shrinkage diet I had a fierce headache. I even literally threw up. But after the first few days I felt great. I guess we now know what a drug addict feels like when they are drying out. you will get through it. Hang in there!<BR>

I too am in the pre-op stage and have lost 17 pounds. I am scheduled for surgery on August 11 so I am on the liver shrinkage diet right now. The bike is a great way to get some exercize in and it doesnt feel like a chore. I too bought a bike and have mapped out some 5 mile, 10 mile, and 15 mile routes close to home. Years ago when I had lost a great deal of weight and was in good physical condition, my sister and I rode a 100 mile tour. Before you know it you will be mapping out a long ride too. Keep up the great work and good luck with your surgery!<BR>