A New New Dawn

Sorry to hear you are going through all of that. Moving is no fun and sounds like challenging circumstances. Try to see it as a cleansing process as you move forward. As for the no energy, I was struggling w/ that a few days ago and realizing I wasn't taking in enough protein. Are you sure you are getting in 50-60 grams per day? That can make a huge difference. Good luck.

Sorry to hear you are struggling a bit. We definitely all handle it differently. I have a very high tolerance for pain so the pain didn't bother me, only when I had to get up and down from a chair. It does get better and I actually think days 3 and 4 were the worst of it for me. I agree with others to definitely take small sips too throughout the day. It is a new habit for us and easy to overdo it. That can add to the pain. Good luck... you will be feeling better in no time.

Hopefully it isn't delayed but if it is, it is for good reason. I wouldn't want to go ahead if there could be a complication. Be glad they are being thorough. I know we want to lose the weight like yesterday but your safety comes first.

As for getting Protein during the day and not wanting to cook - here are some suggestions, have some tuna salad or egg salad prepared (make ahead of time to last a few days). But don't eat with bread, eat by itself. Another idea is cottage cheese. Have some lowfat cottage cheese on hand as it has good protein. Lastly, make a (healthy) pot of Soup to last a few days. I find that soup goes down well for me and is mushy. They had some lentil soup at work that was really tasty. I also just bought a tub of premade refrigerated chicken tortilla soup from costco. It had about 15 gr of protein and only 130 calories for a cup. I had mentioned measuring your food so you are not exceeding 3/4-1 c of food at a sitting. I find my eyeballing it or allowing myself to serve my portion unmeasured ends up with me eating more than I should. Heaven knows I don't want my band to potentially slip or to dialate my stomach too much so this helps me tremendously. Hope that helps!!! Glad you are back to being you again...

Definitely agree w/ the pain meds will make you forget about your neck. Good luck to you!!! It's so exciting.

Hope the claims are unfounded and he is a good doctor.

Definitely call the insurance and they can tell you ahead of time or at least give you an idea. Also, the "pre-existing" conditions may aid in your favor to get approved if they cover the procedures. Typically, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, etc. help get approved quicker. As the surgery will ideally correct those issues that could be life threatening.

Sounds like you are doing everything right! Hang in there!! I understand the feeling of "being watched too". My daughter, thankfully, just got her license. She has piano lessons w/ my dad tonight. I was dreading the thought of going there as I feel like I haven't lost much yet since the surgery and don't want to "reveal" myself just yet. (Aside from the fact that my stepmother drives me crazy - lol). So tonight she is taking herself for her lesson.

Lucy, (hopefully I didn't post this already) but one thing that is really helping me too is to premeasure my portion. I make dinner for the family and make sure that my portion of meat doesn't exceed 3-4 ounces (about the size of a deck of cards) and the additional food (ie. vegetables) added to the meat doesn't exceed 1 c. of food. So I measure essentially 1 c. of food (meat and veggies together) and serve it on my plate. That is my dinner/meal. This way I am less inclined to over serve myself and I mentally know that what I have on my plate is what I am allowed. The fact that you have gotten foods stuck and are not full makes me wonder how fast you are eating too. It is taking me a lot to slow down (and I need to more so than I have). I know there are phone apps (silly as it may sound) that you can use that time your bites so they are spaced out enough and you slow down that way. I think the phone app is called "eat slower". Good luck! Even if you aren't getting a fill for a couple weeks there are things you can try to do in the interim. Also, try to avoid having those really tempting foods in the house. Trust me, I am HORRIBLE at dieting and food is so tempting but we owe this to ourselves. The couple of minutes of euphoria isn't worth years on the body! Lastly, I am not as active as I could be... but one thing I am making myself do is to go for a walk after dinner. I would normally be inclined to go plop on the couch to watch tv or play on computer but I am making myself go for a walk. Even little things can add up to being successful. YOU CAN DO THIS! Best of luck to you in finding strength and perservering!

I am sure that would be scary coming from a close source, who I am sure what very upset by what happened to his beloved sister. That is terrible. Certainly, do your homework and also know that there are risks associated with any procedure. However, it does sound like she "abused" her stomach and the band. Also, not knowing if she was avoiding warning signs that there were issues and perhaps she didn't go to the doctor when she had them. There are so many unknowns. Also, how many years ago did she have the band. A LOT has changed in how they do the procedure and the band itself. The biggest thing is to listen to your doctor and listen to your body. Lastly, I agree with an earlier post that people dying from heart attacks, stroke, etc. outnumber the risks of having the surgery. Doing nothing is almost certain premature death, sadly. Best of luck to you and hope you can find peace in your decision. Anyone I have talked to has told me the same thing "I wish I would have done this sooner".

How exciting. I am almost 3 weeks post-op and reveling in finding my clothes are getting very loose on me! I am noticing it more in my clothes than the scale so I'll take it! I have a magic bullet knockoff that I bought at a garage sale. I was going to send it with my daughter for college but kept it and it works well. Of course, the pureed food leaves a lot to be desired but the blender is doing it's job and is much easier to clean and use than my standard blender. Just make sure you add plenty of liquids to the meat/protein and cut the meat into small pieces first or it won't work. Good luck on your journey.

Please let me know if you do start a new group. I would be glad to join and don't want to miss the post. Wish I would have known of the "plication" before I had mine. I think I may have opted for that too!

I would talk to your doctor as I never found OTC ones helpful myself. I am on BP meds and it has a dieuretic in it now so that covers me. Also, are you watching your salt intake? That makes a huge difference for me.

Do you know what carrier? I have BCBS of IL and the approval process was a breeze. However, for me, my BMI and 2 comorbities "helped" me get approved very easily. Definitely ask if they cover weight loss surgery and what are the requirements to get approved. When I called they also sent me all the information they provided over the phone by mail so I could look at in greater detail. The form they sent actually was a bit more detailed and said I had to document my diet, etc. Do you have a surgeon or practice you are working with? They typically are very familiar with the actual requirements of the various insurance carriers and give you direction too. They will say you still need to call insurance to be sure but they should know for the most part since they are doing hundreds of these. Good luck.

Hi Venessa, I am in Hanover Park, IL (south of Schaumburg, IL). Where are you at so far with WLS? I was banded on 7/25. So far it's been good. I haven't had any real issues to speak of yet but of course the weight cannot come off quick enough for me. It's been a challenge adjusting to the new lifestyle and I imagine even more so once I start getting fills. Hope you are well.

It is very difficult to readjust to new portion sizes, etc when we have had these behaviors for so long. One thing that is helping me is to measure out 3/4-1 c of food, put it on my plate (ideal to use a salad plate so it looks full or a bowl) and I eat what I serve. I find if I just randomly serve myself I, too, was eating too big of a portion. This keeps me "honest" with myself. Good luck!!

Definitely call your doctor! It could be a slipped band or something else. I had horrible pain in my back when my appendix ruptured (and no pain in the normal place you would for that). I walked around like that for a few days thinking it was just a really lower backache. In your instance, I have read if your band slips deep breaths can be painful.

Definitely track your calories and activities. It is easy to feel that you are on track not realizing what you may be drinking or eating. Also, Water weight can fluctuate a lot. I forgot to take my bp meds for a day or two and that threw me off since it has a diuretic in it too. Just a bump in the road, you will get past this.

It is likely still the gas trying to work its way through your body. It's very important to move around and take pain meds, as needed. Try to walk every couple hours to help it work its way out. Also, forget about your manners for now and if you need to burp, etc. let it go. It should pass in the next day or two. Good luck.

I agree it is a very personal decision. I told my coworkers and it has been fine but others have had bad experiences and people that weren't supportive. My coworkers inquired how I am doing here and there but, they have their own weight issues, so they don't seem to be "monitoring me" or being nosey about it. One thing I have noticed is coworkers come and go and you don't really "owe" them any explanation. I have left jobs over the years to move onto another or friends have left and we will say we are going to keep in touch and never do. So I consider most of them, just that, coworkers. I am friendly and sociable but know that they are not my "inner circle". For me, it has been family (parents, etc) that seems to be more nosey and feel like they have the right to watch over me and want to tell me what I should be doing and how to lose weight. Good luck w/ your decision.

It will happen. I have been stuck at the same weight for a week. Also, I am struggling w/ family asking have I lost weight, etc. They do not understand it doesn't just "fall" off like for bypass surgery and I have educated them on the fact that I have essentially no restriction now and won't for a couple months (or so) until I have had the appropriate amount of fills. They didn't understand that either. It's hard when you know your family is watching you, but in some regards, it helps keep you on track. My kids and fiance are fine but parents, and friends think it is just supposed to melt off in a few weeks. Good luck to you! I am constantly reading all the success stories on here and believe it does work just requires some patience (which can be a challenge).

Also, if you don't know this, make sure your meals consist of high protein (between 50-60 grams per day). The most important aspect is getting in your protein. When you do have a dinner, eat the protein first - that is what will keep you full too for several hours.

It is normal to have days where you don't lose. I have had the past week like that even though I am not exceeding about 800 calories per day. It sounds like you weren't really given instructions post-op. My surgeon had me on liquids for 2 weeks post op and then pureed/mush foods (which would also include scrambled eggs and cottage cheese) for 4 weeks. Definitely no chips and meals not to exceed about 3/4 of a cup each. No liquids with meals from now till infinity (must be 1/2-1 hour before of after). They told me the port site is what may bother you more than the other incisions because it is the largest one. When you can get to regular foods, I found at costco by me, a jalapeno greek yogurt dip that is lo cal and delicious (reminds me of the dips they make with salsa and sour cream mixed). It also has Protein. I cut up veggies for my kids to have with the dip. They also have a low fat tzatski (sorry spelling) dip like the sauce they put on gyros that is great with veggies. If you must have a salty snack, there is "skinny pop" popcorn (pre-popped in a bag) that is 39 calories for a cup and tastes good. As mentioned above, most surgeons wait until 4-6 weeks post-op to get a fill. Have you coordinated with a local surgeon that will do this for you? If not, you should start getting that set up. As for exercise, I was told to do what I could tolerate (walking, biking, etc) - nothing too strenuous right away but to get you moving at least. Good luck to you!

As suggested earlier, try out the protein drinks now so you can figure out which ones you like. You can even ask on here to poll the popular ones or I asked people at my support group meeting. Also, shop for the food items you will need after surgery (broth, cream soups, shakes, etc.) so you have all that on hand. If you can, you may want to have some family meals prepared in the freezer too or perhaps the older kids can assist with meal preparation. Lastly, accept help if available. Some of us are used to be independent and don't want to inconvenience others... Now it is time for you to be your priority and put yourself before others while you are recovering. Good luck and best wishes.

So worth it and keep up with the walking as able. That will aid in a speedy recovery.