burnsun

Great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I know I was told after 8 weeks with my emergency band surgery & c sections....... but my edema was so great...... that i was larger than I had been at 330 lbs....... and had problems moving! So I wore my hose and walked as much as I could...... (pain or not)

I was able to get in my Fluid w/o a problem after the first two days..... about 2 oz every 15 minutes.

I also discussed with my doctor. We took no pain meds that they would not give a c section patient (so that I could no have to dump the milk......same with the anethisia) it was different from the normal program....... I also took liquid tylenol with me and used this for the pain after the leak tests.

But I am not a big pain person anyways...... I just used my heating pad and bed buddy.

I also hate pumping...... but brought home 40 bag of milk.....and remember sitting under the dek at the South West Gate pumping cause there were no plugs in the bathroom and all the ret were out in the open!!!!

It might take a while and I have to eat about 1300 cals with more carbs which make my loss a little slower..... but it keeps going. I also lost with the band....... 130 lbs while breast feeding but my daughter was much older!

I haven't had any problems yet! I just needed to eat a little more than 800 cals....... I use two extra Protein shakes made with milk or a rtd Isopure to make sure I get enough Protein and carbs to breastfeed.

I also breast fed for almost a year after my band too!

I agree with you..... I felt the drain removal was the worst of my experience too!

laughing sort of..... not at you..... but realizing that I must be the only harry potter fan....cause I saw your post and immediately thought of a goat and poison!!

I hope this resolves soon!

I loved my band till I was pregnant the second time with it. I just get to much morning sickness for it to be compatible with me.

I flew a lot with it.....never really had too many problems with it cause of flights. But I did have the " varying day thing" Some days really ltight others not. My sleve does that too......But no where near as finiky as the band..

But I will say....today I got to eat a salad!!!!!!!!!!! I never realized how much I missed them.....never could eat them with the band. (except the blue cheese pecan one from outback....so shredded....I used to call it prechewed!....would last me three days) But my sleve lets me eat a walnut craisin vinegrette one!!!!!!!!!!! It was amazing!

I have eight kids....range from 9 months to almost 9 years. I had my surgery in Mexico on a tuesday and was back home on Sat and was back to normal routine that night! I had a little help from my husband on lifting the 2 1/2 yo but not as much as I should have...... I am fine.

It worked out great for me~

The starch and the bread and the cookie thing...... was exactly one of the reasons the band worked so well for me....... with the vsg it is really really hard cause I can eat them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think I went 2 years w/o any bread white or wheat or any kind!

I find the vsg much harder.....or I guess at this moment more difficult....than the band. BUT I know it will be easier to maintain my weight if I get down cause I am doing great on the 1200 to 1400 calories an full and want no more about 100% of the time even with carbs...............

I just feel that there are days I am " more open" / days I wish it was smaller and days I wish it was mroe open!

I would shake if I stayed around the 800 calories....... and in relationship to things that I hated with the band / love with the sleeve...... I can eat vegetables (the good ones,,,,, like brocolli or cauliflower or carrots or celerery).....today I ate asparagus.... a whole serving not just like one tip.... before sliming and pain (like with the band).... I can eat a salad......

So at times my issue is making better choices and by actually spending the money on food for me (cause I only have one kid that eats raw vegies at this point) and justifying the expense...... I know.....

but I really feel that this is a lot like with the band..... some days more / some days less..... who knows why...... I just have to get in all the Protein, liquid and chew and I will be fine!

Oh I forgot with lunch......I remembered this...... it seems weird

but if I chew like I did banded ....25-35 times each bite...... I get full faster......if I big bite (and I got back in the habit of this since I had my wisdom teeth done.....cause it still hurts 1 month later....hell vsg was easier!!!!!!!!) I can eat more....... this seems the opposite of what I expected..... but it is true.

I think it is because of the time it takes me to eat.

Graxing is the thing that kills me..... but I really like the portable calorie thing and of course there is more exercise..... though I also gain weight (muscle) for a while till I start to loose......

but like I said I have been in a long stall...... but the sizes of clothes and inches are disappearing...... so I try not to panic!

Yep.....the TPN line (the central one) is the same kind I had whem I was hospitalized with band issues and pregnant. IT WAS NOT FUN AT ALL! (doesn't sout like it does it).

But I will say after about 16 hours with it in...... my whole outlook changed. I was so sick....so hungry and so dehydrated...... it really made me feel better and gave me back the energy to keep going! (I was able to buy Emerson another 10 + days in utereo) and I know they did not want to try the band removal while I was as sick as I was before the line......

It was not fun, but if it gets you to the end result.....the leak heals...... it will help!

(by the way I liked the TPN so much better than the NG tube!) but...... I was so scared by the concept of the tpn........ but it was not as bad as other options at that moment.

I understand...... going through the same issue here.

I only have 20 lbs to go......and I seem to be sabotageing myself. I decided that I HAVE TO CONTROL THIS! ANd I am going too! I am also trying not to kick myself in the but to much! Cause if I am eating good food...... then at least it is a lot of good food....like broccoli and celery.

I know my biggest problem with the sleeve (that I did not have with the band....is I can eat bread & Cereal.......the carbs kill me...... even if good whole wheat or oat or other dark one)

SO here is my new plan......

1) more liquids...... 3-5 glasses Water & crysal light..... even my skim milk (at least two or three) and 1 rtd Isopure or hgih Protein shake......to make sure I get all the Protein I need!

2) I am spreading my pills out through the day.....some of them make me nausious and "fill me up" so instead of taking the Vitamins, at the same time as my two others..... I am trying one about an hour before each meal...... I eat less and

3) I am writing all that i eat in an iphone app..... I have it with me at all times.....and I check in a nuerotic sort of way,,,,,, use it to make food choices (sometimes better)

4) and trying not to kick myself to hard....... but I want to take this off and be successful for me and my family!

The scale started moving again....though the clothes were always getting smaller.... but I had been more hungry and grumpy!

(****I am still breast feeding......so I also need to eat and drink a lot more than some of you.....same with needing Calcium and Iron supplements too)

I know that the best thing I found for my but and bottom half is using a good pair of tights...... Walmart had some really "nude" looking ones with no seams that were cheap.....$5 each.....that held my tummy and but in the right place.

I can loose a whole size when I use them...... these were comfortable enough to wear in the summer (especially if you have to wear hose anyways......)

I like them..... have thought about the other products...... I wasa lot younger the first time I lost weight.....and had not had the c section...... so stuff mostly right back where it came from.....

this time I have this annoying hanging thing above my c section.....so I am thinking of one of them....... though I just haven't really wanted to do it!

And I hate underwear too! Weird!

Mine did too! With the band loss originally it was almost a wwhole size........ so I got to be a 9 or 9 1/2 (who hoo....sarcasm here......still huge and limited cheap options) but I used to be and 10 1/2 or an 11.

I also lost some width too!

BUT I COULD BUY BOOTS OFF THE RACK................that was amazing and of course expensive!

Reply....in my state you are paying for the ones in the basement....... either on medicaid or when they do not pay their bills and it passes on to you and your insurance provider.

You are paying for medicare now with fica.....

I see and have seen this issue from all sides (one pregnancy w/o insurance) over 19k....this was the normal one by the way. Tests that cost me 200 and 40 dollars were reimbursed in a subsequent pregnancy (when I had insurance) for 12 and 25 bucks! And with emerson ...... stuff covered and not covered and all the fighting..... I am still getting bills and I really do not know what to do!

All of my adopted children get medicaid throught their adoptions (they were all US children in or would have been through the system) and I have used this as their primary and as a secondary! I watched my husbands grandma.....spend and sell and do everything right till she had no money left..... we could no longer help her....and then we were stuck trying to find her medicaid and medicaid bed in a nursing facility ,,,,,

something is way wrong!

I really feel the most screwed people are the ones who pay their bills and have no insurance!

i just got an iphine two weeks ago.....and i love it too.....shhhhhhhhhhh do not tell my dh though! he still thinks i hate it! My only problem is actually using it as a phone! I get a ton of calls while driving and to answer it is difficult cause I also need the lock cause my kids like to play with it and dial china! Even with the headset it is harder to answer than my old one!@

( I needed an new phone....cause mine fell out of my bra cause my girls are shrinking and into the toilet with help of my son)

I downloaded almost the same apps as Susan mentioned.

I love my Otterbox.... but again I have 8 kids and my phot takes a ton of wear and tear that most do not

I think by day 15 I was ready for the rubber room! You sound very good and I hope you do not have a leak or that this fixes it!

I know how it feels. I spent so much time with that damm ng tube and a tpn line the last weeks I was pregnant before the emergency band removal that I cry about it just thinking about it!

I am so sorry you have to go through this. I wish i had words of wisdom. I just know that when I heard the ng tub get ready to flush I just wanted to cry and scream!

Please know that this will pass eventually. It is hard. I think the ardest part for me was my little girl being afraid of me and scared of the tubes and the noises!

I hope you feel better and get some answers soon

I felt fine the next day..... I would have been confident going home. BUT I AM CRAZY! I always have done natural child birth and been runing around quicker than any nurse wanted (and hour in bed was almost impossible for me) and we will not discuss the things I did after my c section when I finally woke up!

Sometime with SDS with my kids we get the 23 hour thing in the surgery center!

I wish i could have had mine done as one operation! Heck they could have just done the c section then too! Would have been so much easier for me!

Mine were two separate....but that was because I was an emergency and was almost 32 weeks pregnant. Guess waht lost the band and became a mom for the 8th time all in about 2 1/2 hours!

I would do it. And all my problems started when I got pregnant too! (had one godd pregnancy...... but never worked right after the m/c before Jordan......or really the correct word would be "never worked the same"

my kids accidently pulled off two different skirts and a pair of shorts the first time I lost weight with my band (IN Walmart and in LOWES!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

I got to buy new clothes after that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

About 2 weeks out of surgery.... I really had no issues at all. I can not guzzle a 24 oz in 2 minutes but I can drink all I need and or want.....

My regret..... I get to wear my band wardrome again...... I wanted to by all new clothes..... welll Maybe my sleeve will eve make me skinnier than the band did! then I could get all new clothes!

Awesome job Bob! I am so proud FOR YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What is an I-touch? Do I want one or would that make my husband jealous?

You can go to Walmart or walgreens or other pharmacy and I have had them print out labels for my medication that we get mailed. Though it may be something they just do for me....cause I have so many Rx's filled there for short term stuff with the kids...... but school requires it be printed and have extra copy of it too!