gottobeme

Hopefully this helps you some, I was told before surgery that right after surgery I would only be able to have about 1 oz at a time but they also warned that dehydration was the most common complication after surgery. I set the alarm on my phone for about every 10-15 min while I was awake. I used a medicine cup and would drink about 1 oz everytime my alarm went off. Gradually I would increase the amount I drank. If you do start yogurt tomorrow I would water it down a little until you no longer feel pain.

If you stay well hydrated it is not as tough as it sounds. Drinking "flushes" the food through your pouch so you do not feel satisfied as soon as you would with out it. I found a video once with a great visual for this. They showed how slow applesauce went through a funnel, then added Water and you were able to see how quickly then it went through the funnel.

I was also banded in April and have not been stuck. I also have not yet had a fill other than the 1 cc they put in at the time of surgery, so I know I am not a "normal" bandster.

This is totally normal post op! The journey is different for everyone, take it one day at a time and don't worry about what "might" happen. IF it happens you will deal with it then. Sit back take it easy and enjoy the journey!

Anyone else doing a lot of shopping at thrift stores? Almost all of my shorts are too big but work fine with a belt. I refuse to buy more since I only expect to be able to wear them a few more weeks. One of the Goodwill stores near me has 50% off - off season items so I am trying to stock up on sweaters for winter. I learned last winter that I get colder a lot easier than I used too. All of my clothes from last winter are too big so picking winter shirts up now for a couple bucks each seems like a good idea to me.

I am sorry to hear about your loss. However I am glad to hear your son was able to communicate his feelings to you and help you begin your WLS journey. Great to hear about you being able to get off of your Metformin. It sounds like both of us have weight loss goals of around -140 lbs and you are almost half way there! And in a very short time!

This is a wonderful gift the two of you are giving your children! Not only will they have two healthy active parents but also they will have healthy role models to learn from!

I'll try this again. My previous post did not work.... It could be anything mentioned above. I dealt with vertigo during my 6 month pre op program and my weight loss docs had me see my PCP so I would pass that advice along to you. Mine turned out to be tiny crystals in my ear that move around sometimes. I am supposed to do positional "exercises" to help cure/prevent mine but when I am having vertigo episodes they just make me feel queasy and I'm afraid I will vomit.

Cool, my posts seem to be working now. I'm sorry to hear about the problems you have had with the NP. I think it is important for the surgeon and staff to know how you have been treated. You are the patient, which makes you a consumer of their "product". It is important for us to be comfortable with those providing our medical care. There are some instances where we don't have much of a say in our providers such as emergency procedures but in our case as bandsters we should "help" our surgeons learn to provide better "service" to their patients. I see a PA instead of the surgeon. The PA was there when I had surgery although I was already out by the time he arrived in the OR so I didn't meet him until a few weeks ago. My first post op appointment was with the surgeon. Although I like my surgeon, his PA seems more comfortable working with patients in an office setting. I would think that surgeons who have PA's or NP's on staff have them to help provide a more personal touch than the surgeon may be able to provide. (My sister is a PA in an emergency department so maybe my view is a little different from others on this.)

testing before I post because previous ones did not work

BTW... I am a Christian! And I support marriage between two adults who love each other! And that my friends will be my last post on the subject.

I used mine for the first time last weekend. I usually just save leftovers for a later meal and have ordered a couple of times from the childrens menu with no questions asked. Last weekend I was with a group that stopped at Lamberts (home of the throwed roll) in MO. We were on a bus ride back to WI from LA so keeping leftovers was not really an option. I ordered from the childrens menu and the server started to say something, I flashed my card and he took my order no questions asked. I guess it all depends on if they have seen one before or not.

Well I'm 15 weeks post op and still no fill. I'm not complaining! Sometimes I feel like I'm not a true bandster since I haven't had a fill and haven't yet felt like I'm in bandster hell. My surgical PA told me that I am not typical of the patients he sees. I did find out that I have an 11cc band and they did put one cc in at the time of surgery. I don't see him again until September 13th. We'll see how things are going then!

I have not been on a computer for a while so the few posts I made could not be made to the "Springers" board. Although I like to read and reply to posts on the general board I don't feel the "connection" there that I do here! I think I have caught up on everyone's posts. I completely understand the gaining weight while on vacation. We took a mini vacation to Six Flags Great America earlier this month and I had so much fun riding roller coasters that I would not have even been able to fit on last summer! We did pack a cooler and had most of our meals in our van but I did partake of some pizza and funnel cakes. I did keep my portion size small, drank plenty of water and did a lot of walking...Overall I did pretty good on that trip. Then, last week I went to New Orleans for the ELCA youth gathering. We had a great time! We walked everywhere in the heat, humidity and rain. My eating habits weren't the greatest but really not all that bad. My biggest problems were 18 hour bus rides each way. Because I wasn't sure what food might be available to me along the way and in NOLA I packed foods I knew I could eat that traveled well. I found out that nuts are a slider food for me. Also when we stopped at a convenience store at 3:45 a.m. the Chex "mud puppies" wore me down. When we got home I had gained 2 lbs. I'd like to think I'm just retaining water because of the weather but I highly doubt that is it. I have an appointment with my surgical PA tomorrow so I may be getting my first fill. Still not sure whether or not I need one. I can eat more than 1/2 cup at a time but if I follow the "rules" they work pretty good for me still.

Yes others in the group seem to have gone silent. I do hope they are all doing well and just lurking in the shadows. Seems like ppl are viewing the posts and just choose not to share. That's ok too. Maybe our posts help them as well. I hope so, too. I'm baaaaack!!!! There was a time when I would weigh myself everyday and then I just decided to stop. Wasn't easy but my mood for the day was based on a number. Ended up more often depressed because it didn't seem to matter how hard I tried, the scale wouldn't budge. Now I swing between daily weigh ins and waiting a few days before I step on. Seems to help and I try very hard to Celebrate even the smallest loss. I wish I didn't feel compelled to weigh every day. The humidity is back up this morning, and so is my weight. I can tell I am losing, though, by the fit of my clothes. Or at least that is what I am telling myself. There is no possible way that I could be gaining when I am limiting my calorie intake and walking 10 miles daily. I like this idea of replying to posts within the post! Since my surgery I've had a lot of time to think about my own self image. I've lost almost 30 lbs and not one person other than my sisters (who are aware I had WLS) have noticed. I do understand and am experiencing the same thing. Only one person outside of my immediate family has commented on my weight loss. I have a story to share along these lines... Last fall many of my co-workers knew I was working with Dean Comprehensive Weight Mgmt Program. A few were very supportive, most said nothing (didn't bother me at all) and another told me one day when I had lost about 20 lbs that she had not noticed any difference. I know her personality and it was not meant to be mean and I didn't take it that way but I was still like "WTF??? Why would you say that to someone? If you don't notice you don't need to say anything at all!" After I had lost about 30 she did mention she could tell I was losing weight. I've had to question why this bothers me. Am I more concerned with how others see me, or is my own self image more important. Have I not lost enough for it to even be noticeable? I have wondered exactly the same thing. For me most people did not start to say things until I had lost about 50 lbs. I started at (5'4") 270 lbs. so I'm guessing the heavier you are the longer it takes for people to notice. It seems like after you hit a certain point more and more people start commenting on your weight loss. I think sometimes they are just not really sure what is different about you and afraid to say something just in case the accidentally insult you. The questions and self doubt can consume me if I let them. I did this for me, not for others and how they see me. I want to feel good in my own skin. Move around without the burden of 50 extra pounds dragging me down. No one but me felt that. They may have seen it, but they didn't feel it. I haven't shared my surgery with hardly anyone, thank goodness. I have shared my surgery with very few people. Mainly because I feared yet another failure. I, too, did it for myself...for my health primarily but my self-esteem has also improved. I think most of you know I have shared my journey/surgery with just about everyone who will listen. For me I have decided this is a good way for me to stay accountable. I understand this is not an approach that will work for everyone. I am sure to tell people it is only a tool and I can still gain all the weight back if I do not use it correctly. As you know I'm a hair stylist so I work with people everyday. I may only see my clients once every 6 weeks but many times during the year. We share and over time bond with our clients. I found it amazing how the over weight clients seemed to bond with me. We had something in common. On the other hand, my skinny minnies would avoid taking to me about things like their diet or exercise programs feeling like I couldn't relate. Sadly, I can relate to both sides as I wasn't always this heavy. It will be funny to see how this shifts as my body changes. I'll be the same person I am now, but I know I will be treated differently by both groups. I understand exactly what you are saying. I am already treated differently and have wondered if it has to do with my improved self-confidence. Maybe people treat me differently now because I am somewhat less reserved and give them more of an opportunity to interact with me and be nice to me. As an adult, I wasn't treated badly when I was obese (given two exceptions) but rather it was more like I was invisible. There are a few people who treat me better now that I have lost weight....not people I cared much for before...so I take it with a grain of salt. I second the invisible feeling. I won't even start about the whole dating scene. That's a whole layer cake of dysfunction. Sadly, our society sees heavier people as being weak which is anything but true. You are definitely right about our society. I can't even imagine how difficult it would be to navigate the dating scene today. I have been married 22 years...I think we could use some counseling. We get along fine but some things are greatly lacking, even with the weight loss...That's all I will say. We are each determined in our own ways, far stronger than we give ourselves credit for and should be proud of our smallest accomplishment. Yep, I'm proud of my loss but perhaps I need to focus not on what the numbers are but on who I am becoming in this process. I think we will all grow differently on this journey but I feel each of us with transform not only physically but mentally as well. It will be enlightening to watch and share. You've summed up well how I feel. I've lost weight before, lots of weight each time, only to gain it back. This time will hopefully be different from the standpoint that we now have the tool that will help us do our part so that we can stay on-track and consequently not get caught up in a vicious failure cycle. I am also on somewhat of a spiritual journey with this WLS journey so I can relate to transforming mentally as well as physically. Ok, maybe too much coffee this morning and too much alone time to reflect and ramble. Time for Julz to shut down her mind and move into her day. I enjoyed your reflections. Have a terrific evening! A great post to come back to after my hiatus! Back to your regularly scheduled program cheerio my friends, j~

Riding whatever I want to at Great America and also not having to turn sideways to go through turn styles!

I have never been stuck and was wondering "when" it happens? By "when" I mean is it as soon as you swallow the offending food? How long is is after you swallow the food that you feel stuck? My next question is how long does it last? I'm guessing it can vary a lot. Then generally what happens? How does it feel? Do you start PBing right away? Are there anythings you do to help? I've heard of pineapple juice or some sort of enzyme. I just want to be as prepared as possible. I hope it never happens but I know the odds are that it will! I have been extremely lucky with an easy post op and so far have not needed a fill. I figure my luck will run out sometime!

As hard as it can be try NOT to weigh yourself everyday (unless you think you have not been eating healthy). I try to only weigh myself once or twice a week and when I do I try to do it at the same time of day...in the morning before I eat... and wear the same clothes. That helps cut down on variances we have throughout the day. Also if my rings are feeling tight I figure I may be retaining water and skip the weigh in. It's a lot easier psychologically to not see a number that is higher than it is to see the number but know it is probably just water weight. With the weather most of the country has been having, I would say blame it on the heat!

I have gotten rid of mine. I had lost about 70 lbs prior to surgery and had only used it a couple of times in the two weeks following surgery so I just decided to pack it up! With that said keep in mind that being overweight can cause OSA but it is not the only cause. If you have snored at a healthy weight in the past be sure to talk to your doctor. If you have only snored as an overweight (or obese or morbidly obese) person then there is a good chance you may one day be rid of your CPAP!

Pure protein bars are usually my choice to have on hand. I was allowed to have them when I started soft foods a long as I chewed them well. Check with your doctor though as to when to have them. I'm now almost 3 months post op and my clinic recommends bars and shakes only if you are not able to get enough protein in with your regular meals. I do like to keep one in my purse for days I'm on the go and didn't have time to plan ahead.

My birthday is Sunday and I do plan to have some birthday treats, I just need to make sure they are gone before Monday!

Hopefully the doctor doing the surgery has some sort of support program set up to to help you loose the required weight pre op. Every doctor is different. Mine (and my insurance) required at least 6 months of a combination doctor appointment/support group meeting along with visits with a nutritionist and psych eval. I lost 70 lbs between August '11 and my surgery in April. If you have the support are the right tools it is not hard to do. I was on a modified very low calorie diet for the majority of that time and would supplement healthy meals with protein shakes and bars. I found it to be extremely helpful, it also helped to have an idea of what life would be like post surgery.

Are you able to eat popcorn? My husband and son will make it and it smells so good but I am afraid to eat it. I did pop a couple of kernals into my mouth once and then spit out the hulls because I was afraid they might get stuck. I probably should still try to stay away from it. I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to stop at a reasonable amount if I am able to eat it.

It's in the past...Look to the future!