Nikki

That's great! I am going to try to do the same. I really feel like I am learning so much more every day but there is so much more that I want to know. Everyone has been asking me how much more weight I've lost but I don't know, I haven't owned a scale in years!! I'm glad that I went to the HS meeting for my daughter, lot's of great information about getting ready for college.

It's funny because I have been constipated after previous surgery - chidbirth - etc and actually asked my doc about it. He said that it wasn't necessary and I only had one day of pre-op dieting or liquids anyway. After wards my doc suggested that I take some "colace" stool softner and liquid fiber if I felt backed up. Good luck with your surgey!

AnnaB6- What do you mean every 15 to 30 minutes? I am only allowed 3 small meals a day. I was told that if I ate often "grazing" they called it; then the band would not work for me.

Hey everyone! SO great to have found this thread. I was banded on 3/5. It's so great to see everyone's progress and have support from people who are having the same "issues" I read earlier in this thread that someone (sorry still can't figure out how to go back and grab a particular quote) was talking about Muscle Milk. Read the label. A co-worker proght some in for me because he knew that I was drinking protein and he owed me luch LOL. When I read it I opted not to drink it because of the sugar and fat contenet. It really seems to be a high calorie drink with protein added. I know that we are all different and our doctor's and nutritionists are giving us our own specific instructions. I just thought that I would share my own observation. I've opted to drink Isopure, It sort of tastes like Gatorade but has 40 grams a botle and no sugar, no, fat and only 160 calories. Hope this onfo helps.

Hey Cherg- Good luck at the meeting tomorrow. Let me know how it is. I am attending a parent informational meeting for parents of Juniors at my daughter's HS. Hopefully, I'll make it to the next one. I have an appt for my first fill on 4/12. I think I'm going to start a Dr. Gritsus thread. Please look it. Let's see if we can find some more people?

when is the meeting? I would love to go too. Do I need to sign up?

Thans for the encouragement DynamoMini - Good luch with your surgery! I'll keep you in my prayers too!

No- wasm't me. I haven't been nack _ Thank God since my own surgery. I know hat I have been there plenty before. Between the kids, myself and other freinds and family :-) Please add me to your buddy list, I'd love to kep in touch. Do you attend the support groups at the pavillion?

I seem to have developed a serious problem with main meds. When I was younger I took whatever was prescriped and basically fell asleep, I was under general anesthesia a few times, no problem, just went to sleep and woke up. Now I can't even tolerate tylenol PM. I broke my leg a few years ago and had an awful reaction to the morphine that they gave me for pain. They gave me percacet (not sure how to spell it) to take home after my week long hospital stay and I became so paranoid that I thouht people were in my room trying to kill me and then had a migraine the whole next day. Needless to say I didn't take another. I got vicadin for a back injury and almost threw up in my carpool the next morning. Followed by another migraine. I was banded on 03/05/07 - they new about my morphine problem don't know whatthey gave me but I was sooo sick that I barley made it through my barioum swallow test. I was so nauseuos that they gave me to pain killers just a battery of anti neasea meds, including the patch for motion sickness behind my ear. I want to be prepared should I have any problems - band related or not that will not affect me this was. I don't want to risk the vomiting with my new band. I also know that two years down the road GOD WILLING I may need plastic surgery. I would appreciate any feedback. Thanks

Thanks- You know demarol was what they used at the hospital after things went so wrong with the morphine, I thought (because I told them that was what I reacted well to) that was what they used this time but I really don't know. I have to find out for sure. At home, I just take tylenol - what can I say - I'm more afraid of the vomiting and migraine than the pain. Thanks again.

I alays tell people that New Jersey made me fat. When I moved to "the burbs" from Manhattan after my second daughter was born my lifestyle changed dramatiacly. I was on my @$$ more than I had ever been before. I no longre walked to the subway to go to work, but walked to the garage to get in my car. There are no sidewalks here, which make walking just plain dangerous! I used to walk 20 blocks to work in NYC when I was 8 months pregnant because I enjoyed walking. But tuly, it's been more than that I know. I know that food is like a drug for me. I am the oldest sisiter who feeds everyone, whenever my siblings need comfort they come to me to be fed. LOL One day my sisier came over, she was so upset and I said I wish there was something I could do, she said Feed me, that's what you do, that's what I need. Living with lots of stress and having an addict in my life has also made me become a food addict I think. BUT!!!! I was banded on 03/05/07 - have lost 17 lbs and have resisted temptation so far. I pray every night to get me through the next day. Thanks.

Hi cherg! Thanks for responding. how exciting. You have been banded for almost a year. How is it going? How has your progess gone, I am so excited to connect with someone who was banded by Dr Gritsus AND lives in my area!! I love CHilton by the way, I had my daughter there, had my surgery for my broken leg there and then had the hardware out of my leg two years later and every time, the nurses and staff made me feel very special.

Those pics are great! Thanks for posting them. I was just banded and need to loose about half of my current body weight to be at a normal BMI. I have already lost 17 lbs and was thinking that if it goes so fast I will have enough skin for another whole person!! I guess that by then I will figure out with my doc what type of pain meds I can tolerate. That seems to be my biggest obstacle, I always get sooo sick after taking any pain meds.

you said that you are having slimfast - I'm not very farmiliar with the content but maybe something thinner for your protein intake? I drink ISOPURE for my protein (I was just banded on March 5) for my 60 required grams my intake is only 240 calories, yes I was feeling weak until I started to add some skim milk, and juices. My caloric intake is now at almost 500 and I feel great!

Hey Rita Ann and Fran. I've been scouring this site just reading and learning more from the posts tham from anything else. I am SSOOOOO excited to read that you guys are so close to me!!!! I live in West Milford and work in Bloomingdale! I was banded my Dr. Gritsus at Chilton Hospital on March 5, 2007. Let's keep in touch!!!!!

Hi! I was just banded on March 5, and have already lost 17 lbs as of today. I'm worried that I may be loosing too fast. The ketosis "stinky breath" has defeinetely set in, which is difficult because I have to socialize with others to make money! My doctor reccomends a liquid diet for three weeks post op. I have 13 days to go. I saw that other people are eating "mushies" I would love some ight now, I read that 100 grams of cards stops the ketosis and bad breath, I also read another woman experienced it for a year. Makes me wonder would I rather be fat or not ever be able to be in the same room with another person and have this gross taste in my mouth?

I went to my first follow up today. I spoke with my doc about a few things. The bad breath, the feeling so sluggish in the middle of the day, the brain fog. He suggested that I up my carb and calorie untake. In my ENTIRE adult life I have NEVER had anyone tell me to eat more calories and carbs. Haha. Can you imagine?

Hi Judiy! You articulated so well what I have been feeling for years. I am definitely NOT this woman that I see in the mirror. I was banded on March 5 and have lost 17 lbs. I had my first follow up with my doctor today and I never thought that I would hear someone tell me that I needed MORE CALORIES! Good Luck. Please add me to your buddy list.

NJ Chick - that's a great picture! I love that you keep coming back for inspiration. I saw the NJ forum and was so excited!

Thanks for all of your input and encouragement. I'm in sales and the people that I work closely with know, While sharing the info I actually found out that one of the guys I'm training was banded two yars ago but never went back (what's that about?) and his mom was very sucessful with the band a few years ago. He says that while he was growing up she was always "mom size" as he put it, and now she looks like a totally different person. I'm going to talk to my doc tomorrow, it's my first follow up appointment, about adding a few carbs to bring me out of ketosis. I brush all day at work, have listerine in the bathroom and use those listerine strips. It's baaaadddd. Can any of you tell me about the weight loss and maybe what I should expect, like after I go off liquids on on to my small portions, how much can should I expect to loose? I know everyone is different, but what is the expected range? Thanks to all of you again!!!! and CONGRATS to all of you, I'm so impressed with your success!!

I just did it myself after numerous tries. Copy the url from tickerfactory that is in the bbCode box the on this site go to USER CP, then edit signature and just paste it into the space where you would normally type something in NOT down at the bottom where it says enter url, check it out

is that what that is? LOL. I wanted a scale, gotta change that, my baby days are over good night

WAIt - there was a code before now I see it!!!! You did it

that's weird - you went to tickerfactory.com and created a ticker - then you copied the ENTIRE thing. then here on this site you went to USER CP, EDIT SIGNATURE and in the big window up on top where you would normally type something in you pasted it then hit preview and that's all you got? on tickerfactory, did you see the ticker you created? maybe with all the tries something happened to the url, click on your link there or create a new one

OK so let me know when you've tried that and if it works or not, K?