ElizabethAnne

Congratulations on your 52 pound weight loss! You are doing great!

Thanks for sharing your experiences, stephyanders. I have a Camelbak bottle, but currently, I prefer using my REI bottles, simply because they're easier to clean. However, it makes sense that the Camelbak bottle would be beneficial to use after I am banded. It's good to know you've not had any issues with extra air.

Congratulations on your weight loss, Deb! You will get to the loose-clothes stage soon. Like dhales, I first noticed a difference after I had lost about 20 pounds.

Yay for you on fitting into your size 14 jeans! I am so happy for you!

We'll be eager to hear how it goes. Please send us an update when you feel like it. Best wishes for your surgery and congratulations on your first NSV!

Thanks for your response and for sharing your experiences. Checking with my doctor is a good suggestion. I will do that. It's difficult to know what to expect since our individual experiences vary greatly. I am a little concerned about getting my water in during the work day, so I appreciate reading what works for you. Like you, I currently try to stay on a schedule. Most days, though, I end up drinking the majority of it at one time, either before I go to lunch or go home for the day. Recently, I've been making a conscious effort to gradually consume it, but I've made little progress and must do better after I am banded. I don't enjoy drinking water, even with flavoring in it, so that's probably why I end up drinking it as I do. Congratulations on your 91 pound weight loss! You are doing a great job! It's interesting to read that you have good restriction and have not needed a fill. Did your doctor place any fill in your band during surgery?

I typically don't like "shakes" but the Premier chocolate flavor tastes good. Wish I could say the same thing about the vanilla flavor.

My family and I will hiking daily in a hot, dry climate about 4 weeks after I am banded. I am concerned about becoming dehydrated from not being able to consume enough water. Will I be able to drink several ounces of water at once at this post-op stage? Or should I purchase a hydration pack like a CamelBak so that I can sip small amounts as we hike? I don't want to hold the rest of my group up with frequent water stops so I thought this might be a good solution, yet I am also wondering if sipping from a hydration pack will have the same effect as using a straw. If you've had any experiences with this, I'd appreciate your thoughts. Thank you!

Deb, I am sorry to read about your mother's broken hip. What a stressful time this must be! Try your best to eat so you can stay healthy for your mom. And you don't want your hair to fall out or thin because of not getting enough protein. (I mention the hair component because that's what has happened to my mom recently.) Congratulations on your milestone! I am so happy for you! Hang in there...there will be better days ahead.

Has anyone tried Citracal Calcium+D Slow Release 1200 tablets after being banded? I received a sample yesterday and like the idea of a once daily dosage, but the tablets are large, and I am wondering if they will work after surgery.

Stories like yours give me great hope---thanks for posting!

It sounds challenging, and in no way am I minimizing what you are going through. In fact, I dread it, but I do hope I have the opportunity to experience it because that will mean I have been banded. Try to focus on the progress you've made so far. Julie, 15 pounds IS significant, and soon you will likely be healed enough for a fill.

Yay for you! That is awesome! I currently have some clothes that are too large, which I would like to donate to Goodwill, but I am keeping them until I have surgery and am confident the band will work for me. If I am successful, I am going to clear all of those unneeded clothes out! In the past, I have always kept most of them because I knew I would likely need them again at some point...that thought is such a downer, but hopefully that yo-yo dieting will soon be a thing of the past. Keep working hard---you are doing great!

When I have done medically supervised liquid fasts in the past, our group was taught that lightheadedness, headaches, and constipation were caused from not drinking enough water. I drank the required amount but discovered I always needed extra.

I've been using the Centrum chewables.

My surgery date is June 5. I am literally counting the days until then and am praying nothing goes awry this time. My pre-op appt. is Friday, May 18.

Mike, Sounds like you are doing well, and that's great! It's wonderful that you are able to get back in the pool already. Congratulations on your weight loss!

Congratulations, Anissa! I am so happy for you! Take good care of yourself.

My only pre-op diet requirement is 1400 cals a day. When I thought I was having surgery in April and was on my pre-op diet, I did "practice" for the future with liquids. I wanted to figure out in advance of surgery which ones I could tolerate.

Deb, I am so happy for you! Wish I was having surgery tomorrow, too. Like Julie, I love your new photo! Please send us an update as soon as you feel like it. Best wishes! You'll be in my prayers.

I agree with what Deb wrote and also wanted to send some thoughts from an earlier post: Most days, there are moments when I continue to doubt whether the band is the right treatment for my obesity. However, I no longer agonize about my decision and am completely ready to go. I have researched WLS extensively and have determined the band is the best choice for me right now. There may be something better in the future, but I do not want to wait any longer. Additionally, my surgeon thinks the band will work for me, and I do trust him completely. (I picked him based on his educational background and experience.) I wish I had a crystal ball, but since I don't, I am making the best decision I can, given the facts with which I have been provided. Though I'd like a guarantee that this will be an effective obesity treatment for me, I'm realistic and understand fully that guarantees do not exist in WLS. However, I am hopeful that I will someday have a weight management success story that will offer hope to other obese individuals. But if it turns out the band does not work well for me, my life will hopefully go on, and after I analyze the situation completely, I will then move on as well. I have made many weight management mistakes in the past, but I have gained knowledge from each experience and will persevere. Best wishes!

We all make mistakes, so try to move on and not ruminate about it. The additional scoop of protein will likely help produce a weight loss on your scales. And as Deb wrote, most importantly, you are one step closer to getting your band!

Good for you! I hope you are able to do it. Sounds like you are very motivated! I am trying to maintain where I'm at right now until my pre-op diet begins, but today has been a difficult one. I've eaten a huge volume of healthy foods, but my appetite has been insatiable. I keep reminding myself that my surgeon's NP said he will cancel my surgery if I gain weight, which seems to help. My husband just asked if I'd like some chocolate. He brought home two large Dove bars for a treat...a new type with roasted almonds. I couldn't resist the temptation, but I did stop with one small bite of his. I told him to hide the other one and reminded him how lucky he is to be blessed with good genetics. I need to go walk some of those excess calories off.

That's good to know! I've read something like this before on the main forum but didn't really understand it. Thanks for sharing!

I am worried about the port pain, too, and about constantly irritating it. I want to ask my surgeon if he can place it well above my waistband area yet below my bra area. When I last saw him in January, I didn't realize surgeons placed the ports differently.