LisaBC

I had this as well.. it was a huge bruise and went away on it's own. Nothing to be too worried about!

I was banded on Jan 26, so almost two and a half weeks out now. I have just started the last week of full liquids and I feel really good. I am down 25 pounds since starting the two week pre-op diet.
The first week after surgery you will not have any physical hunger at all. That was very weird for me to not be eating but feeling very full all the time. During the second week, I started to feel a bit hungry.
My incisions are almost all healed now and my energy is back. The first few days you will be very tired. I wish I had stayed an extra day or two longer before coming home to "real" life and taking care of kids etc.
All in all, this was the best decision I have made for myself in years. I do advise you to make sure you have an aftercare doctor set up at home for fills etc before booking your surgery. Once you get home, you really are on your own. OCC has been awesome in answering my questions via email since surgery, but this forum has been my saving grace for information.
Good luck in making your decision!
Dr. Ortiz is wonderful and pretty easy on the eyes too
Take care!
Lisa

I would have to agree... the first 2 or 3 days I was ready to eat my own shoe, but as the days went on, my body got used to the Protein shakes and smaller dinner portion very well. At the end of my two week pre-op, I found I wasn't even hungry anymore. It really is a mind over matter situation when you are doing the pre-op diet.
Keep your eye on the prize!
you can do this

I ate sugar free popsicles and drank water with Crystal Lite. The broth certainly gets old after a while.. thats for sure!

As soon as you get to regular food and off optifast or just protein drinks, the diarrhea will go away. It is a very common response to the weight loss drinks and surgery. I had it nearly 2 weeks with Optifast and after surgery for about 10 days and then it seemed to stop. Now I am a month out and have the opposite problem!

This happened to me as well. For two weeks all I ate were saltiene crackers and maybe some veggies at night. The Dr. ran all kinds of tests to make sure I did not have some type of bacteria growing, it was all negative. After two weeks I was fine, really careful of what I ate and once the real food was introducted and no more protein shakes I was fine. Down 68 pounds since Oct 3rd 2011 and 78 since September pre-diet. Good Luck it will get better...

I ate sugar free popsicles and drank water with Crystal Lite. The broth certainly gets old after a while.. thats for sure!

I have been drinking the Premier ones from Costco as well.. No chalky, medicine taste. In fact they taste like a yummy chocolate shake!

Hi!
I'm having surgery with Dr. Ortiz on Jan 26! all the best to you. You must be on the pre-op diet as well.
Sorry we will miss each other by a couple of days.
Take Care
Lisa

I know there is wifi available at the Marriott hotel. Good luck to you! you will be in good hands. Please keep us posted on your journey. When do you return home?
All the best!
Lisa

All the best Meredith! I have have just started the second week of my pre-op diet and the second week is a lot easier (at least for me) than the first few days on it was. I think my body now realizes that this is all it's getting and I am not going to starve! not nearly as hungry as I was.
Wishing you lots of success and stay strong on your liquid diet.. it takes lots of willpower.. you can do it!
Lisa