mrsto

In the beginning, I was scared, too. I was so afraid of having some issue; PBs, vomiting, etc., that I ate very little, very slowly. In time, once you get used to all of the new feelings and sensations, you will settle into what becomes the "new normal". I honestly do not recall my doctor telling me how much to eat. His biggest thing was to stop at the first signal. For me, that is (in terms of something like chili), about 2/3 cup. You will find your way with this......we all do. As far as things tasting different, I found that more so right after surgery. As the weeks & months passed, things normalized. But there are things that I don't crave anymore. I think a lot of it is that I'm acutely aware of how every bite of food feels when I eat it, and how much work I have to do TO eat it. Somethings aren't worth the effort anymore. Steak, for instance. Once in a blue moon I'll have some, but it's a lot of work. Good luck..... Definitely a learning curve!

How do you stop at a certain weight? EASY - you add an extra snack or two. I, for one, have a goal of 150, and I'm shorter than 5'5". Why would someone choose to stop at 150, is a pretty broad question/statement to make. There are other things to consider beyond height alone; age, body type, bone structure, etc. If I got down to (let's say) 135, I would look drawn and unhealthy. At my age, too thin doesn't look "well". If I continue to eat as little as I'm eating now, my weight will drop to a place that I really don't want it to be. I'm not 25 years old anymore, and looking drawn with a wrinkly face isn't my goal. When I get to where I want to be, if I can't control how much weight continues to come off, I will adjust the fill to a point where I maintain a weight that feels and looks good. And I look forward to having that problem to deal with.

I was at my wits end too, but it's really important to stick with what your doctor tells you. There is a reason for it during the healing process. I remember dreaming about cottage cheese....of all things! I craved it so badly, you would have thought it was a T-bone steak with a loaded baked potato! You'll get through this.... It sucks (no better way to put it), but soon enough it will be behind you, and you'll be on your way.

Are you sipping the water slowly, or guzzling it? If you take in too much too fast, it can cause discomfort.

I'm currently taking Celebrate chewable multivitamins, which are a bariatric brand. They're decent, and have a lot more in them than any gummy I've seen. I take liquid calcium, which is pretty good. The brand is Solgar, which I get at the Vitamin Shoppe......strawberry flavored.

I think that two weeks is a reasonable amount of time. Everyone heals differently after surgery. Some spring back in a few days like nothing ever happened. And some (like me) took longer. I think you'll feel more relaxed with the whole thing, if you have those two weeks lined up & don't feel rushed to have your energy back. Good luck - very exciting!

Mine was stitched to the muscle as well. I believe that they all are.

Love refried beans! I still eat them at least once a week.

I've had Miracle Noodles, but didn't like them. I'd rather use spaghetti squash.

I've had this on my FB wall (posted by someone else), and tried to upload it here several times. This morning I FINALLY figured out how to do it. Duh.....

LOL!

You never hog a thread, and you have absolutely no reason to apologize. LOVE your posts!!!!

My doctor have me a prescription for Lortab (liquid Vicodin with acetaminophen), with two refills. I used it for a good two weeks, and sporadically during the third week. I also had my gallbladder removed at the time of surgery, so that may have been an additional pain hurdle. Honestly, recovery from this surgery took a lot longer than I expected, and I was really glad to have the narcotic pain meds. That being said, I don't think 8 days is unreasonable at all.

This whole subject is very angering. The only thing this lying POS president is a candidate for, is impeachment. KNOWINGLY, lying to the American people about this bullshit health plan....... I'm so sick of the continued lies on how he wasn't aware of this, that & the other thing. You're the president for God's sake.......where the hell have you been though all of this?! I can't even look at the man......makes me physically ill.

You are amazing, CG. It's quite liberating to be able to eat one brownie, and not feel the need to devour the entire plate. It's a good place to be! No, I take it back.......it's a GREAT place to be!!

I kept TicTacs with me at all times. In the beginning, I tried to chew a half a piece of gum, but got serious gas. Now, I have zero issues with it. But Tic Tacs helped with the metallic taste. If you don't like them, there are tons of other sugar free mints to try.

I would venture to say that a doubled premium is due to the ACA. Most premiums rise at intervals, but this time around is a huge hit for most. Let the games begin!

My doctor has us on full liquids the day of the fill, and then back to what feels comfortable. If I have the fill in the morning, I'm told, if I can tolerate it, I can have mushy in the evening. All docs are SO different.

tmf - you crack me up! I SO appreciate your sense of humor. There have been times when I wanted to just say "I had bariatric surgery"!! But I stop myself.... If I'm really excited, and someone doesn't get it, or passes judgement, it rains on my parade. So I withhold my exuberance for the people in my world who know me

For the last five years since living in this house, we haven't had ONE trick or treater. Most of the people on the block have grown children who have long since left the nest, and those with little kids, well......don't know what they do for Halloween. As for the neighborhood kids, we live in the hills, and I don't think they want to walk all the way up here. So, THIS year, we both decided not to buy any candy. If by chance someone rings the bell, we're not going to answer it. All the past years, we're the ones who end up devouring the candy, and I tell my husband to take the rest to work. Not happening this year..... uh uh, nope.....not happening

I say, move forward with whatever you need to do to make yourself healthy AND happy. As some posters mentioned above, I think it's a very good idea to take him with you to the seminar. My sense of him, just by the little you said, is that he will be supportive whether he understands it or not. As long as he remains supportive and doesn't put you down in any way, shape or form, he can probably be educated. Once he see's the weight coming off, and you becoming a much more healthier version of YOU, he will probably (hopefully) come around. I wish you all the best.....

I've been having a lot of pain issues lately. Nothing band related, but spinal/neck issues. Because I'm so afraid to take Advil, I've been hitting the leftover bottle of Lortab from my LB surgery. When I take that, or Percocet, or Xanax for anxiety, I notice that I get a bit sloppy with my eating. I think the narcotic/sedating meds bring down our defenses. Maybe that is some of what was going on with you? Also, somehow......when we've gone through such physical trauma, it's easy to go to those comfort types of foods. Ya know.....the kind our moms gave us when we were sick as kids. Old habits DO die hard!

I've heard you say this in various posts. But it still seems to go against what most of us were told. Believe me, I enjoy a few drinks on occasion. And as much as I love beer, I haven't touched it since surgery.....and I won't. My biggest concern is, that it seems some of the damage we hear about happens silently. Then....boom! The band has slipped, eroded, etc. If there is any possibility that drinking beer, or any other carbonated drink will cause issues down the road, it's just not worth it (for me).