A New New Dawn

I had this after surgery actually and it subsided after a week or two. I would still ask your dr. I got mine checked out just to make sureand he said it was normal (honestly, I forget what he said could cause it) but he did a thorough exam. I remember if I would put my legs up on my ottomon, they hurt putting pressure against my calves.

If you haven't tried out Protein drinks to see which ones you like, you may want to do that now. Also, do some shopping to have your post-surgery necessities (soup broth, creme Soup, sf popsicles, etc). Congrats!

Definitely do the research to come up with the decision you feel most comfortable with. Write down the pros and cons, sounds silly but will help you come to what your own decision. I have seen a lot of success stories on here of people losing over 100 lbs. There is less maint. w/ the sleeve in that you have the surgery and that is it. You do not go back for monthly fills (for several months) and (to my understanding) you don't have issues with food getting stuck. It only restricts the quantity you eat by making you feel full w/ such a small pouch. The band may not last indefinitely. However, not everyone wants that invasive of a surgery, such as the sleeve and there are risks of it leaking, etc.. Personally, I didn't like the thought of my stomach being cut and stapled, etc. It is truly a personal decision and there are pros and cons for either surgery. Best of luck to whichever decision you come to. Don't sweat it. At least you have options. There is no "right or wrong", just what you feel is best.

If I am really craving a salty snack, I like the (new) Special K cracker chips. They are 110 calories per bag and I let one bag be 3 servings so I am only having about 30-40 calories each serving.

Jello also makes a refrigerated sugar free chocolate mousse that I like if I am craving chocolate or sugar free fudgecicles. Yum. I like the idea of making Protein shake popsicles though!

It sounds like you are at risk of putting your body into starvation mode. You should get in about 1000 calories per day and 50-60 grams of protein. Your metabolism will actually slow down by taking in too few calories and you need the nutrients and protein.

I like all the same snacks at AJTexas. Those items seem to work for me. However, I wouldn't snack unless you felt hungry and weren't making it to the next meal time.

By red, inflamed and hurting, I meant looking or feeling like it may be infected. It would be swollen, sore, red, etc. Mine was that way and it was an issue w/ the stitches (thankfully, no infection and was easily fixed).

that is the best phone call!!! I remember being so excited and then a wave of OMG hit me too!! Congrats!

Just be careful too about the TT. When it is done by a general surgeon ask what the final result will look like. My mom had the gastric bypass and lost a lot of weight. Her surgeon did the TT and it's a little freaky that he didn't leave any belly button or "make" a new one. Sure, she isn't wearing any bikinis but it took her a lot of getting used to as funny as it sounds.

Congrats - the hernia must be painful but so glad to get that taken care of too! Hopefully, your pain meds are helping too.

I am about 7 weeks out. So far, I lost 10 lbs on the pre-op diet and 29 lbs since surgery. It is working for me! Good luck tomorrow!!!!

Have fun in MX! I wouldn't worry about getting sick. All the resorts are very careful about that and about their water.

Awesome news!

Welcome to the LBT forum. One thing you will also notice on here is every doctor and every patient is different. So, as my doctor stressed to me, you need to trust the team you are working with. My doctor and dietician recommend the gummy or the chewable Vitamins. My gummy vitamins are sugar free and minimal calories. I chew them up really well and have had no issues with them. Other people do the chewable (flinstone type) vitamins. I get a huge bottle of my adult gummies from costco for very inexpensive. The no drinking with meals is hard for me at times but the payoff of learning new habits is worth it. As for meds, you have a couple options. Many meds come in a liquid form or if yours is a tablet you can use a pill cutter. My blood pressure medication is a large pill so I cut it in half. Right after surgery, I was cutting it in fourths. Also, understand this is only a tool so you still have to do the work to make good food choices. I had horrible food habits before the band but with all I have invested in this band, I haven't wanted to go back to my habits since the surgery. It has really kickstarted me into a healthier lifestyle and I am so pleased with the results thus far. No need to be disgusted with yourself ~ as that will make you feel worse about yourself. Try to accept your current circumstances and try to use that negative energy into positive energy to move forward in this process. Also know that many times insurance may not approve during the first pass (as they may want additional paperwork from your dr. or have questions, etc). Don't let that discourage you. It happens sometimes and doesn't mean denial, it just means they need clarification. Good luck to you and you CAN do this!

Having had a few "stuck" episodes, I don't think that is what you are experiencing. Typically, they are painful and cause a lot of pressure in your chest. Also, I think you would have felt it within minutes after eating. I have seen several people coming down with the flu, perhaps you are just coming down with a virus of some sort. If you are having vomiting, you may want to call your doctor to get some anti nausea meds. I hope you feel better soon!

My lesson learned... prevention is key! I will get this right!!!

I was told to get 8 glasses of water/liquids in per day and around 60 grams of Protein. So, I would use that as a guideline for how much of your shake you should have (keeping in mind the shake counts as liquid too). Also, you may not be able to get all of that in now so work your way up to that if you cannot get all of it down in a day. Good luck to you! Hope you took it easier today.

Thanks for all the suggestions. I actually am getting reacclimated to my band after getting my first fill. So far, I have found (as many others have said) bread is a NO NO. I was just going to have a nibble and it was painful. It passed in a few minutes so it wasn't too bad... I found that trying to drink made it worse for me. Well, today, was a different story. I may have been eating too fast (even though they were very small bites and I was chewing the heck out of them), plus it was a pork roast that I think was too dry. A few minutes after dinner I was getting uncomfortable and then it hit me like a ton of bricks. It was a very bizarre feeling going through all of it (it lasted about 1/2 an hour). My fiance and I went for a walk as I was hoping that would help. It was very embarrassing when I was trailing behind him because I was literally foaming at the mouth. I am not sure if that is what is meant by "pb'ing". It was so uncomfortable. We kept walking very slowly and I was breathing like I was back in Lamaz (sp) class. All of a sudden I was in brutal agony and felt like it needed to come up but it wasn't trying to. That must have been when it finally went through the band as it was instant relief. I guess this is part of my learning curve but it also scares me a bit that I feel like I could use more fills down the road and if getting stuck is already this easy and painful, what would it be like with an even tighter band??? Nonetheless, my band is still my friend and I am happy for having gone through with it. Thanks again everyone.

That is great news. I had my surgery a couple days before you and a very similar starting weight. I agree with everything you said. It is amazing the difference in how I feel alone - taking solace in the simplest of things like you mentioned even just bending over to tie shoes, etc. I just had my first fill so I am getting reacclimated to the band. However, loving it all the same. I am so happy to have the help of my band to get control of my weight and health back. I did have a very painful "stuck" episode today. The dietician told me before to try to walk if that happens. It was pretty agonizing but I know it is part of my learning curve. As soon as it passed it was fine. It is a great feeling, as you mentioned, finally having control over my eating. My daughter (17) was so proud of having money from having her first job she wanted to take me out to eat. She took me to The Cheesecake Factory. They have a fabulous new menu called "skinnylicious" so I was able to eat tasty and healthy food. I never would have gone before and not at least brought home a piece of cheesecake... I had no desire to do so and avoided that temptation. Congrats on all your success and best wishes to you going forward!! We can do this! Yay - lap band!

Congrats on your surgery! Honestly, it sounds like you way overdid it. Your body needs rest right now. Yes, you should get some exercise in but in the form of walking around the house and moving around this soon after surgery. I, too, felt pretty good after surgery and my body let me know the next day when I overdid it. Please do yourself a favor and rest and get small walks in at home for now. I never was laid up in bed, but I did rest. Your body just went through a major trauma and needs to use its energy towards healing. I hope you feel better soon.

Kudos to you for taking charge of your life at such a young age. Many of us have wished we did it sooner. Best of luck to you on this new journey.

I had my first fill on Tuesday. I felt pretty uncomfortable in the port area for a couple of days. I do think all the pushing a prodding around is what may be making you sore. If it gets worse though, I would call your doctor's office and inquire.

Awesome ~ great inspirations for us just getting started too! Thanks and CONGRATS.

Sorry to hear about your struggles. It seems counterintuitive that your doctor won't fill you until you lose. That is what will help you not eat so much. Good luck in losing so you can get them; otherwise, I may consider seeing another doctor that is willing to help you. Yes, we need to do the work and the band is only a tool but as it seems you do not have the "luxury" of it being a tool for you. Best wishes to you.