Bandista

Wow, you must be so relieved to have that plug gone and to be able to swallow well again. And that back pain is behind you, too. Hallelujah and here's to spring, being able to exercise outdoors and really recover from this winter's difficulties. June will be here before you know it -- call out for support whenever you need a boost in this 2.0 Bandster Hell. You are so in touch with your body and what it needs. Exercise, Protein, veggies. I am now totally convinced about the NSAIDS. My surgeon does not prohibit them but I don't ever want to get into this kind of trouble with swelling. Some of us are more inclined to inflammation than others and that is my body type (arthritis profile, etc.).

Very exciting! I'm so happy for you to be choosing yourself and your healthy future. I am just about four and a half months out and really thrilled with this decision. My advice is to be gentle with yourself, take all the time you need -- and to walk like crazy. Start now and then when you wake up from surgery be that walker. This helped me shed the anesthesia and kick my body into healing mode. I liked having my Popsicles and warm tea post-surgery. Good luck to you and best wishes for a speedy recovery!

Goal for March 31st - 202 Weight on March 1st - 216 Weight on March 8th - 212 Weight on March 15th - 211 Weight on March 22nd - 209

I hope you're feeling better today -- it's such a nuanced process, isn't it? It sounds like you're really in touch with your body and that you've got a good doctor to work with. I am really noticing much more "restriction" now and how I have to proceed so carefully. Like many others, I am not doing shrimp as those rubbery foods don't work for me. Good luck to you -- you're doing so well!

Hi Sharon -- welcome aboard! I learned so much here reading and asking questions. Started research last June and had my surgery in November. Four+ months out and so happy with my decision. Re: NZ, never been but would love to travel there one day. You must be in summer now?

Hi Nat, I'm with you on medication feeling too strong -- I filled my prescription but didn't use it. That could be what is causing the nausea but listen to your doctor! I had a patch for a couple of days and did not have nausea, but narcotics can be a culprit for so many things, including nausea and constipation (ask your doc about that, too, so you don't get uncomfortable in that department). If it's any comfort, a month from now this will all be the distant past. And meanwhile congratulations on taking this big step in choosing yourself and your healthy future. I am four months out+ and so happy!

Hope all goes well -- you'll have such a clean house! Nothing worse than a sick child but they recover so fast. Hmmmm, something to have in the med cabinet -- what do people recommend? I had a patch when I came out of surgery but no prescription. Is there an over the counter? Good to be prepared.

I know just what you mean -- green and lean (well, on the way to lean!). It feels so empowering, this triumph over the appetite. And all just in time for a health-filled spring and summer. Yippee!

My surgeon is, I believe, of the small frequent fills school of thought so after four weeks out I got a fill then had weekly appointments then every two weeks -- skipped once to assess for myself then went back for a fifth then waited a few weeks and six was magic number for me. Of course not only are all our bodies different but our doctors are as well. I always tell mine that I really don't want to be too tight and we are in total agreement on that. He says that most of his patients want to get as tight as possible right away to prevent overeating, but of course we know better (thanks to this forum) that the band does not work that way. I think protocols also differ because patients need to become educated and doctors like to give time for that to occur. I am labeled as a restrictor and came into banded life with a lot of nutrition background already, not a junk food eater (believe me, you can get just as fat on healthy food, however!), plus I'm the same age as my doc -- I think he felt like I could assess well for myself without getting into trouble, particularly since I have been so worried from the get-go about being overly-restricted -- and I don't want to be on a diet, I want the lifestyle. I think if you communicate where you are mentally to your doctor and let him/her know you think you need a fill, you will be able to have a good dialogue.

Thank you for that! I keep waiting for some let-up in the pain department but meanwhile so grateful for the weight loss progress, which will hopefully lead to less impact on the joints, better sleep for healing, etc. But these days I am so happy I don't let the other stuff get me down as easily -- the band has given me this enormous relief and I feel I can take on the other issues more readily and with a clearer head. Your posts have helped me so much -- to see what a turn-around you've been able to achieve is so inspiring. Even on NSAID and ice pack days I feel like there are others who really get it, this need to save ourselves, to be able to live as fully as possible. Thank you for that!

If you cannot drink water you need to get fluid removed from your band immediately, but you must know this. Dehydration is very dangerous. I would go right to the ER if my doctor was not a available due to weekend, etc.

Wonderful post! So many great items but one I love is the way your band has your back AND your stomach -- that's very funny. And you are amazing, Ms. Fitness! Way to go!

Red Bird, so sorry you are going through this! We really do have to advocate so hard for ourselves. Is there some one you can take with you to help? They need to take you seriously and get your band working well for you -- it's adjustable and that's the whole point! Granny, glad you have the TX plan as a backup. Hope you find something closer to home. Good luck both of you with these challenges -- don't stop until you get there!

Hey, congratulations on your surgery! Very exciting. Post-op protocols vary so much. Mine was one day clear, one week full liquids and then one week of mushies. So I guess I was right there in mushie-ville at ten days. One of the things I'm learning about banded life is that it turns out hunger is not really the enemy anymore. This did not happen right away -- I have had six small fills to get to this place. Now when I'm hungry I feel like it's a positive signal from my body that it needs food. Just like a "normal" person! Then a feeling of having had enough. All of that will come your way, but of course there is this time now of healing up completely and keeping all the appointments with the surgeon's office to assess for fills, etc. Meanwhile, spring! What a great time to have a brand new chapter in life open up. Best wishes to you.

Way to go -- so happy for you!

Oh my god, that is hilarious HealthyNewMe! I was already feeling a little weepy from reading some other wonderful posts and now I'm laughing crying! Oh, that's my bottom! And Pink Dahlia, what a great NSV, you skinny thing you. KC Gal, our scale is positioned with a huge mirror off to the left. I stand on the scale and check out my pooh bear profile and now I notice if I really suck it in I can see those numbers down there, too. Total victory over the scale in an NSV kind of way. Shazam, hope school is going well -- and enjoy that jacket. So nice to be in "normal" sizes, isn't it? Yippee!

Congratulations to the new couple! So happy for you to have your beautiful wedding and the honeymoon of your dreams. Thanks for the great blog -- a reminder that life is not over with the band; it's just beginning. Best wishes to you!

Hi Netty, so happy for you to be choosing yourself and your healthy future! I am just four months out -- began my process last June, was banded in November and I am feeling very happy with my decision. It's not just the weight loss but also a feeling of having reentered my life. I'm out of food jail, no longer obsessed and just so much more at peace with everything. Best wishes to you -- glad you're here!

Beautiful post, Di, and a beautiful woman. So happy for you! And for me, that I get to be on this forum with people like you. This is so inspiring, and like Leepers, I feel a little teary. Just read Shel's Bandiversary blog, too -- really, we are so, so lucky to have our bands and this reinvention of our lives. Here's to your health!

This is so inspiring, Shel -- you look amazing. I am so happy for you! This is such a profound process and I consider myself very fortunate to be in the company of this forum and YOU as we all recapture our lives, step by step. Best wishes for a health-filled spring! Going to read your blog now.

Hi Kara, what a confluence of events! I hope you are both recovering well and settling back into your lives. Like every one else mentioned, don't worry if your weight is up post-surgery as there is a lot of inflammation. I was several pounds up and then one day it dropped off. Your body may be holding on because of all the stress and worry as well as the surgery itself. Like you, I did not experience an immediate return of hunger. I was on one day clear and then one week full liquids then on to mushy foods for a week. All throughout that time I did not feel hungry and I think that's a good thing as some people wake up from the surgery "starving" and feel very frustrated about that. My surgeon told me not to worry about calorie or Protein goals at all during this time -- that the objective was just to heal up from the surgery. I enjoyed tea quite a bit, and broth. I really liked potato leek Soup. I'd feel a little hungry but then a bite or two of something would give me that "full" sensation and so I just stopped (important to learn that!). I loved my Popsicles but couldn't even finish one of those. The hunger did return, however, and for me it was well-timed with when I went back to the surgeon to assess for a first fill. It took me six small fills to get to what I think is the Green Zone. Those early days were a little taste of that. Best wishes to you! Try not to worry about the number on the scale. I know it's hard -- I still really struggle with that myself. The weight is going down and of course it's happening......even a little gain is usually a precursor to a real drop for me. But it's hard for me to believe in the whole thing and I guess I use the scale to prove to myself that, yes, it's true. I'm losing weight. It's working! It will work for you, too.

Congratulations on reaching Onederland! Very frustrating to have a three-week stall but you got through that and put the 200s behind you. I am so looking forward to that day! Maybe you're afraid of another stall or just a little nervous about how your life is changing so quickly. Ironically, sometimes we're afraid we're going to screw something up so we go ahead and.....screw it up. Not sure what that is, but it's a very human tendency. Be careful not to let self-sabotage into the game. Be kind to yourself. Use positive self-talk. You have chosen yourself and your health above everything else and you deserve all good things. Best wishes to you!

Hi Sylvia, this is such a difficult time, the waiting game! I hope you hear soon and can start making plans. Meanwhile, best wishes for a great first weekend of spring (so I'm told -- wouldn't know it to look out the window!).

Hi there, congratulations on your surgery! I definitely gained at the time of surgery and then it dropped off again at day five or so -- all that inflammation. Please don't pay attention to the number. This is your time to heal up from the surgery and then to get used to banded life! I know how it is, though, but really, really, don't worry about any gain right now. Best wishes!

I don't do artificial sweeteners at all. A good coop or health food store will have lots of Protein shakes to choose from -- look for Steevia, as that is a plant, but make sure you get 100% Steevia and not one that is mixed with something else, like Maltodextrin or other fillers (my auto correct is trying to change Maltodextrin to "Exterminator" -- hmmmm). Watch out for all those additives and fillers -- have to really check labels carefully. Real food in small quantities is my goal; a diet free of chemicals is a beautiful thing. Good luck to you -- I think you are really on the right track for true health!