aviva1979

I'm not sure abt the tummy rumbles. Gas? Hunger? Mysterious loud tapeworm making a racket?

If it helps at all until tomorrow morning - an ice pack on the belly helped me sooth the itch. Good luck!

When I had my 1 week post op f/up appt we made the appt for my first fill. Banded July 11 and fill appt is Aug 7.

I asked my doc b/c the edges of my steri strips were getting ragged abt 4 days (and 2 showers) post surgery. He told me it was fine to remove them. I did for all but one that seemed stuck on there pretty good. I ended up seeing my doc 6 days post op and he removed the last one and said everything looked great. Advised me not to put any lotion or anything on them for another 5-6 weeks. Agree w/ others to check with your doc since all of our bodies are different.

Amazing work! Congrats!

Good luck EJRN!

Bandster hell???

The nickname for the time btwn surgery and hitting your Green Zone.

Just ordered variety pack and a tub of unflavored to try and add to other stuff I'm having.

Let me know when you track it down.

I *think* this might be what the gal was describing: Syntrax nectar brand. Check out netrition.com/syntrax_nectar_page.html

Lottttttts of flavors. Expensive. Think I will try the variety sampler pack.

Plication is similar to the sleeve (it makes a banana shaped smaller stomach) but rather than cutting away the excess stomach they just stitch it up in a way that folds it in on itself. So it's reversible. I was intrigued by it but my surgeon doesn't perform it. I've seen some others here on LBT who have it with great results!

Just wanted to say I hope you feel better day by day, and I agree w others that I think you had great self awareness yesterday and that is something to be proud of.

My surgeon told me the first 30-45 days are more about healing than losing weight' date=' and any weight lost is a bonus. Make sure to check with your doc to specify the proper amount of calories you are to eat, if it's too low then you may not lose weight due to starvation mode. Try not to pay as much attention to the scale at first. Just come up with routines that incorporate exercise, plenty of Water, and learning how to eat properly. One day you'll wake up and your clothes will fit MUCH different. Hang in there!![/quote']

I really needed to hear this today. Thank u!

Agree with sbeth on the coughing being normal - great job Maggie!

Aggiemaggie - I'm on my mushies now too. I've enjoyed: applesauce, cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, tuna fish, canned green Beans, baked beans, and black beans so far. I chew the crap out of em and haven't had any issues so far. Good luck!

They are lucky I wore PANTIES!! LoL! When youve come out of surgery' date=' ask the nurse for the HOSPITAL PANTIES they are very comfortable (ask for a few, so you can take some home)[/quote']

Haha. I went without in the hospital. There was one nurse who was very concerned and followed me around holding my Johnny closed when I walked. Having my sister have to basically put my underwear on me when I was discharged was an experience i could have lived without.

Premade def has more sugar than any of the powders I have. I'm getting a little tired of the shakes. I heard at support group last night abt a brand that starts with "necta" and has some interesting flavors. I'm gonna try and track it down.

Aviva -thanks! I am going to try that! Any experience with the deep breathing being a little difficult?

a little, but not a ton. i was inpatient and the nurse checking in on me was all over me about forcing deep breaths and tho i was annoyed/in pain at the time i think it helped. what the medical staff told me was that at first shallow breaths can be common coming out of anesthesia and then with the pain meds you might be on - and then ppl may continue with shallow breaths b/c the muscles in their stomach are sore from surgery and the deep breath is expanding and stretching them.

is it more uncomfortable or outright painful? if it's painful i'd say call your doctor. it may be nothing more than healing, but hey - they just got paid a bunch for the surgery, they can answer a phone call

Ricksgal - I found chloraseptic lozenges helped my throat a ton. For me it didn't seem to get a little better day by day. It just hurt a few days (w a phlemy cough) and then one day I stopped.

I'm getting excited. Hubby (who is also a bandster from 2 years ago) took me out an got us each a new fitbit (logs your activity' date=' sleep time, calories in and calories out. etc... and he got us the matching scale called the fitbit Aria and we have made a day of figiuring out our new toys, then going to a gym to work out, and out to eat for a cup of Soup each. Then home in an effort to pull our house into the sanctuary we would like tot be when it gets close to our anniversary.

I'm so happy. I love my life[/quote']

Very curious what you think of the Fitbit - Have been trying to decide btwn that and Nike Fuel Band. It has a pedometer, right?

I do not love Greek yogurt. I wish I did but I don't. I did just discover Chobani bites tho - come in a 4 pack and they are 3.5oz which feels like a great size for me. 100 cals, 10g Protein and low in sugar. Decadent flavors. Highly recommend!

Thanks! It's Thursday at 9am!!!

Yay! Good luck!

hey France - i measure out my portions before I start eating' date=' so that way if i don't notice my body telling me to stop, at the very least i've run out of food. My nutritionist told me no more than 1 cup (8oz) at a meal/sitting. If i want a little variety and more than one taste in a meal, then i reduce the size portion of stuff I'll consume. As an example last night I had 1/2 a cup of canned green Beans and 1/2 a cup of vegetarian baked Beans - but i measured it before I ate it to help me from overeating.

if you are still hungry after the 1 cup portion my recommendation is to change activities - do something else for a while - and if it's an hour later and you're still hungry, then have another 1/4 or 1/2 cup of something.

also, make sure you're fully hydrated. sometimes i mistake hunger for thirst and i'll eat something only to still have the same feeling in my body - but it turns out what solves it is a drink.

Avila, I hope I don't come off as an ass but I can't keep my mouth shut. I've seen you post similar stuff before about doing something else if you're hungry or stopping after a cup of food. I can only speak for myself but if I had that kind of control, I wouldn't be a fat ass that had to get a Lapband. Your suggestions are noted but at times they, to me, to be a little condescending, in that, I am weak or inferior because I can't do Portion Control or cannot control my hunger. I can eat the same amount of food I could before banding and am hungrier cause this liquid stuff is not doing the trick. No disrespect meant but I needed to get that off my chest...

G[/quote']

Hey George-

I'm sorry my posts have rubbed you wrong - I'm only trying to offer advice to folks asking. I am someone who has struggled with portion control my entire life. It's how I got to be over 300lbs. I haven't found the lifestyle changes with the band easy by a long shot but I've reached a point in my life I needed surgical intervention to help.

I have gotten so much from LBT and some of the best advice has been delivered directly and from the writer's own experience. Just as you are speaking from your experience I'm speaking from mine. I'm not trying to condescend by suggesting measuring portions before meals - I'm just saying it has worked for me - because if I don't I won't stop at a cup of food - I will finish whatever is I front of me.

I'm committed to making this a success for the rest of my life. If I come off strong it is only because I'm feeling a bit zealous given the necessity that I change my life.

Best,

Aviva

Hi guys had my bad fitted on the 16th July am starting week 2 but little confused what to eat , am meant to be on a puréed diet but don't know when to stop eating and how much to eat either. Please help!!!!

hey France - i measure out my portions before I start eating, so that way if i don't notice my body telling me to stop, at the very least i've run out of food. My nutritionist told me no more than 1 cup (8oz) at a meal/sitting. If i want a little variety and more than one taste in a meal, then i reduce the size portion of stuff I'll consume. As an example last night I had 1/2 a cup of canned green Beans and 1/2 a cup of vegetarian baked beans - but i measured it before I ate it to help me from overeating.

if you are still hungry after the 1 cup portion my recommendation is to change activities - do something else for a while - and if it's an hour later and you're still hungry, then have another 1/4 or 1/2 cup of something.

also, make sure you're fully hydrated. sometimes i mistake hunger for thirst and i'll eat something only to still have the same feeling in my body - but it turns out what solves it is a drink.

So lovely. I was allergic to the adhesive they used so on yesterday, day 10 post op, I wake up itching like crazy. My chest and stomach is a giant red blotch and itches like crazy. Nothing is helping. NOTHING. Yes, I tried it. God it itches!!!!

ugh that sounds awful

do you have a local doc you can go to? if not - i'd post this as a question on the Post-Op main feed. i know i saw some others posting about something similar and they might be able to tell you what helped them.

I can't find activated charcoal anywhere .. Where did u find it Aviva?

CVS or Walgreens... if it's not at your local drug store - check a Whole Foods or any kind of health food store.

I have not been able to pass gas as much as I need to' date=' thats for sure. Gas X helps somewhat, but I am definitely going to have to try something stronger soon... any suggestions? Love the heating pad...without it, probably wouldn't get any sleep![/quote']

Gas x did nothing for me, but activated charcoal seemed to help.