Stacie from St. Louis

I can't make it this month.

I'm hoping to attend but have to admit I'm nervous.

What fun! Love these pics!

Thank you for this post - it captures exactly what so many of us have felt and are continuing to struggle with. I only get weighed at my nurse practitioner appointments (monthly) and the last time I had gained a pound. I was devastated and actually cried in her office! All I could think was just what you said...all that money, all the pain, all the deprivation, and I'm going to fail at this, too. Then...what choice do we have? We dry the tears, get up, and simply move forward. Thanks again for your post. Stacie

For me things began to improve after 5-6 days, and from there it just got better and better. Take the pain meds, and get a lot of rest.

I was banded in October 2011 and have been worried about this as well. However, I'm going in for my third fill this week and can't wait to see how it turns out. Throughout the whole process I have continuously heard that the weight loss can be slow and we have to be PATIENT. It helps to hear it again.

I really admire you for posting this and for making the committment to start again. That is fantastic~ As for what you should eat, your surgeon (or his nurses) will probably be able to give you written instructions, but why don't you spend the next 8 days/week doing the "pre-op" liquid diet, just as you did back in '08 before your surgery? Then, when you get the adjustment, you will be ready to hit the ground running with a day or two more of liquids, then mushies, then solid food. You can do this - this website is full of supportive people willing to help. P.S. Congratulations on your son!

Hey, welcome! Where do you live in St. L? I'm in O'Fallon. As for the liquid diet - it's brutal, but you'll get through it. It might actually make getting through the holidays easier! Looking back, I can't believe I was able to do it myself. I was banded on 10/11/11 and am doing well - over 20 lbs. lost.

These stories definitely make me realize that my aggravating aches and pains due to obesity are only minor inconveniences - thank you for making me realize how lucky I am to be otherwise "healthy."

I like the "getting over food poisoning" idea.

Thank you for this link - I can tell it already that it will help me.

Okay, I'm four weeks post-op and have had my first fill. I'm down 20 pounds since the start of the pre-op liquid diet. Today is the first day I can actually eat the way you are supposed to with the band - small portions, protein-first, tiny bites, well-chewed, etc. I've been so looking forward to "getting started" and now that it's time, I'm really excited but also a little overwhelmed! I sat down to make a grocery list and just drew a blank, LOL. Anyone else feel this way at my stage?

My suggestion would be to follow whatever recommendations your doctor or nurse practitioner makes.

Reading your post was like reading my own!!! The burping and resultant pain was crazy and I cried too, A LOT. We are so used to comforting ourselves with food, and when we can no longer do that, it's like being adrift in the ocean with no life raft. It gets so much better, really! By the 5th day I was feeling better, and two weeks after I felt pretty normal. This online forum saved my sanity, too. Just keep reading and reading, and by all means take the pain meds!!!

I was banded on October 11th and am going in for my first fill on November 8th. After a rough first couple of weeks, I am feeling great and doing well with my eating. I don't weigh myself at home so I am eager to see what the scale says next week. So far, however, I have learned a couple of very important things about myself and my eating habits: 1) I have probably eaten WAY TOO FAST for years. I know this because I just can't do it with the band and I've noticed my meals take longer now. 2) I have probably not chewed my food adequately, because now that I have the band it will not go down easily unless I chew and re-chew my food. I find my self attempting to swallow way too soon, which causes discomfort - my old way of chewing just doesn't work now! 3) Having second or third helpings was a reflex! When I finish my dinner now, it feels WEIRD to not go for another helping of something, even though I'm not evn hungry. It had become second-nature. For me, these are great insights, and every day I am more and more aware. Please feel free to comment and share your own insights!

Hi, Amymom2! You are down nearly 29 lbs?!?!?! Congratulations. That is awesome. How are you feeling? I think we had surgery at about the same time (mine was Oct 11th).

GO CARDINALS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I enjoyed chocolate Carnation Instant Breakfast when nothing else would go down...

My stomach rumbled too. I figured it was complaining about what I'd done to it! LOL

I promise, it gets MUCH better. I think things started to turn around for me about the 5th day after surgery, so you're getting there! I took the pain medicine to combat the pain, but it sounds like you can't do that, and that sucks. They say to walk, walk, walk, so force yourself. Burping/hiccupping is exactly what I did for the first 5 days, and they HURT! Miserable. But it gets so much better. Try to distract yourself with TV and books, and remind yourself why you took this dramatic step. It also helped me to surf the internet and this website for success stories. Good luck!

I've tried, but the URL is what ends up showing up instead of the ticker! What am I doing wrong?

What an amazing and exciting accomplishment! You are gorgeous!

Hello! I'm two weeks post-op and keep reading about people using Unjury brand protein shakes/products. I'd love to hear from some users about these - are they really that tasty? And what about the vitamins? Most vitamins are huge and I'm wondering if the Unjury ones are small so as to fit through the band....thanks for your help!

That is good news (the lack of pain). I am 15 days post surgery and am doing much better, too. Each day brings an improvement. Are you scared to get that fill? I'm a little scared, because I don't look forward to going back to that burping, painful feeling that I had post surgery - it probably won't be that bad, though. We are having a baby shower at work today for a co-worker - these events usually mean everyone brings a dish and it is a food free-for-all. Not looking forward to that now that my appetite is back, LOL!

Breeze0404, I feel better every day. The incisions are not problematic, and the soreness from those was comparable to having done a whole lot of crunches and the muscle soreness you get the next day. It was the "gas" pains from the CO2 in my stomach and endless painful burping during the first week that was super difficult. I guess your esophagus and stomach are swollen following the surgery, so every swallow is rough at first. Take the pain medication they offer! Don't hesitate. The burping gets better by about the 5th day. Following that, my biggest issue has been nausea. They think that may be due to excess stomach acid, which seems to be better when I eat yogurt and Tums. At my 1 week follow up I'd lost about 17 lbs (presurgery diet and 1 week post op liquids) but haven't gotten on a scale since. My pants are definitely looser, which is exciting! I'm on soft foods now. One big issue that I wasn't prepared for is trying to get my medications down. I take Celebrex (for joint pain) and Cymbalta (for depression/anxiety), and a blood pressure pill. The first two are in capsules, which are too big to swallow now. So I have to break them open and sprinkle the contents in Jello. I don't think that works terribly well, so I wish I'd known that ahead of time so I could get liquids or smaller tablets. Just FYI. Looking foward to talking with you all and hearing about your experiences.