PamRN

I didn't have a preop diet either except nothing after midnight the night before. Doctors seem to vary on their recommendations, but really you should be ok. When is your surgery? As long as you're going to the bathroom normally, and stick as close as you can to your dr's recommendations you shouldn't have any problems. Maybe the person you were told about was having bypass? That would certainly account for a need to have it completely empty and rested. No bowel checking or testing was done on me presurgery. I know we cancel endoscopes if the patient has bowel residual, the cameras can't see if it isn't cleaned out, but I don't know about other surgeries, are we comparing apples and oranges here?

I started gaining after marriage, (so naturally that makes it my husband's fault). I was a tall skinny kid, and even after having my first child I easily lost all the weight. After the second child the story changed. A few pounds overweight, I started on my first diet, the snowball started rolling downhill from there. We bought an ice cream shop, and I ran it for several years, I also started college, and then got pregnant for child #3 during those same years. During school season I sat on my butt for day long lectures, then sat on my butt at night for studying at home, I sat and rocked the baby, with his frequent wake up/feeding schedule, I was just too tired to exercise. Then of course, all summer long I ate ice cream... LOTS of ice cream. I went from an average weight of #135 to a highest point of 280 in less than 10 years. My moment is a combination of many, my most recent was seeing pictures of myself at my daughter's wedding earlier this year. My dress was a 24/26, it looked too snug... I'm embarrassed by how I looked, even though I'd primped and tried to look my best, I looked awful. I knew I HAD to do something. A friend had recently had RNY and I couldn't wait to talk to her. I'd casually researched bypass surgery, and decided it was time to see what I could do to get things rolling. I knew about Sharon Osbourne and her successful band, and thought that would be so nice, but I knew I couldn't have afforded it, so I was settling for RNY, until I found this site. I learned about going to Mexico here, I learned I could afford Mexico here, I found out about my surgeon here, all good things preband, plenty of other's negative experiences after... I know I was a lucky one, in many ways, but I got banded, and it's working for me. Thanks to all of you wonderfully open and sharing people here, I learned enough to be prepared for anything from port wounds that might not heal, to port revisions, to port removal. I learned what to pack for my trip, I knew what to have on hand for my return home, and what to expect with my diet, my weight loss and or occasional gain, and when to consider getting a fill. I know I was lucky, lucky to have gotten a band, lucky to have a good experience with my surgeon, lucky to have been given a chance to make a real difference in my weight, lucky to have found lapband talk, lucky to have met all of YOU

Good Luck and God bless Rica. Cancer and all it's various forms and treatments can be pretty confusing, especially to those of us who don't work in that specialty field, but all the recent advances seem very encouraging. Penny is such a great asset to this site, and definitely a good support person to have in your corner right now, with her experience, she could help you understand the information you'll be given, and if need be even help you ask the right questions. I'm sending you my best wishes for a treatment that works for your dad, and the blessings of strength for you and your's.

Try hanging your arm down, pat the area you plan to stick, even shake your hand a bit to draw blood down, then do as Betty says, use the lancet to make a blood drop, then if necessary you can GENTLY squeeze the area to cause a big enough drop of blood, then touch the strip to the edge of the drop and let it draw the blood into itself. Warm compresses are a good idea too. If you can't get it to work, Betty is right, call the company and ask for better instruction.

Great thread Tanise, your success is very inspirational. I too wanna grow up to be like you Keep posting, your advise is right on target, your success proves it.

Hi Trish, I've heard nothing but good things about Dr. Kuri, so I think you've made a good choice. Let us know how you are and ask anything you'd like to know here, everyone is so supportive, and caring. No subject is taboo here... (see previous thread titles) NOTHING band related is too sensitive, nor too gross, nothing weight gain or loss related is attacked. Nothing presurgery is considered a dumb question, hell nothing post-banding is considered a dumb question. We're all here for each other, welcome aboard, and good luck on your upcoming banding!

I've stopped losing pounds, I'm at one of my "comfort weight" plateau's, but find my clothes are getting baggier... how weird is that?

Betty, sometimes my stomach growling is so loud anyone within 10 feet of me can hear it! I think there's either a thread, or a thread hijack discussion of this with some of us, it seems to be something we all noticed after banding... I can live with it considering the advantages of my band... but it is a bit of an embarrassment at times.. like when DH says incredulously, "what the hell was that?"

LOL @ hot but not flashes! Surely we can say them in one sentence and have them mean something sexy... right??? Congratulations Marie, You DO deserve to be young and hot and feeling good, You're really doing great, so what ever you are doing, keep doing it! I'm a slower loser too Kim, I'm down 16 pounds, but seem to be stuck now for the last two weeks. I feel some restriction, and am eating way less, but like you I can eat anything I try as long as I chew well and eat slow... I'm comforted by the idea that it can drop off later too.

Penny, I'm so sorry for your loss. I do hope your mom gathers strength and well being and wish you all comfort in one another. May God be with all of you and your's.

Maurine your experience sounds a lot like mine. I couldn't do the liquids for long either. I was so afraid that it would stop me from losing, but luckily it hasn't. I slowed way down once I resumed regular foods, but It's still on the downward trend, about a pound or so a week. I am trying to make mostly good food choices, but allow myself a little room for normalcy, and so far it's working. Congratulations on being banded, and best wishes for continued success! PS That really was sweet of Hopeful1, imagine how much good she inspired with that single act. First the good feeling it gave you, and next how you would have given off that vibe to others you came in contact with, and now the nice vibe it sends out to all who read your post... talk about pay it forward! Angels do come in all shapes and sizes don't they?

Hi Selecia, and welcome aboard. You're story is very much like that of so many of us here. This is the best site I've found for information and support. For the most part, unlike certain other boards, this one is pretty impartial, it is not run by a single person who interprets every post and inflicts their personal opinion on it. I've found this to be a site of warm honest support, with opinions and experiences offered to all for education, and consideration, so we are able to make informed personal choices. Congratulations on your banding, I wish you continued success!

Leatha and New Hope are absolutely right, you could end up with severe erosion, which could create a whole new host of additional and serious issues, let alone easily cost you the band. Do consider at least an ever so slight unfill, like Leatha said, 0.1 cc might even be enough, I'd rather take a touch longer to lose the last of the weight, than risk gaining it all back plus some if I lost my band. Reflux is not our friend... Try a call to your doc, and see what he/she advises. One way or another you do need a remedy.

Aww thank you all so much. I did have a nice birthday. We had a family day, dinner, movies, and DH bought a huge cake that I initially tried not to eat, but I just didn't want to disappoint him and the kids, so for their sake I did eat a small piece... <VBS> I got the best gift on Blossom's birthday!

It took about 3 days before I could tolerate lying on my port side, and 3 weeks before I could lay on my tummy. By week 4 I'm completely intact, and feeling pretty good. My loss has slowed considerably, as expected, around 1 to 2 pounds a week. But my inches... where in the heck are THEY going? I'm down 2 sizes already, but the weight isn't dropping that fast, and I'm not doing an excess of exercise... I like this trend for sure!

Happy Birthday Kathy!

I was banded on 9/21, and from the first through the third week, I felt like I was starving too. In comparison to my intake preband, I guess I was. I'm now just over a month out, and the hunger has become manageable. I can eat pretty much anything that isn't doughy, or pasty like breads, crusts, or foods hard to chew down to nothing (dry meats). Though only in small portions. I'm still learning to pay attention to eating while eating, or that mid-chest pain stops me right away. I hate that food stuck feeling, but it does teach you not to want the things that bring it on, to eat more slowly, and to chew really well. Water has become my drink of choice, which I still find unbelievable, and I'm sure that makes a difference in my hunger as well. It's an adjustment in our lifestyles, but have patience, (easy to say) and the band works.

My daughters both get stress related hives. They use prescription zyrtec for hives, it seems to work great for them. I keep extra in the medicine cabinet for breakouts. It usually only takes a dose or two to clear it up.

That sounds SOOO fun. I also married a non-dancer, and though he's a great husband, I really wish we had that in our lives. I didn't start gaining weight until I gave the dancing up. We're not big drinkers, and he's not much on going dancing, so after we got married, he never really wanted to go anywhere for dancing. I went anyway with girlfriends for a while, but I always loved dancing with my man best. Then eventually he leaned on me about going out without him until I quit altogether. I gave up the only exercise I enjoyed for that man... now I sit here this morning, lap-banded and giving my keyboard a better workout than any part of my body has had all week... he better not say a word!

I'm so sorry for your loss Penni, and send my deepest condolences. I love Greg's analogy, keep that thought in mind.

From what I've read, laser surgery for hair removal is supposed to be nearly painless, supposedly pt's don't feel much if anything at all. It only works well for fair skinned dark hair'd people, particularly those with coarse hair, and it could take up to 10 visits to permanently wipe out all hairs because of the different phases of growth in each hair follicle, meaning there may be some hair that hasn't surfaced when you get a treatment, that will pop up after. Pt's who qualify for it, should see marked improvement after each treatment. There's a doc in our area that does it for $150 a visit... take that times 10 visits, and it's costly, but I guess if you only go a couple of times a year until you're done it might be ok.

To help with choking down the protein, I use a small food chopper, or blender and fill it with ice, then add enough shake to just cover the ice, and make it like a shake... I feel like it's a little easier to get them down, and it helps to get my water intake up. 2 for 1 kind of thing... I found slimfast's new lo-carb shakes at walmart, and they have 20g of protein too, along with a nice host of other nutrients, potassium etc... I like the milk chocolate and the vanilla but can't drink either very well right out of the can. I have to blend them with ice.

"but try a SMALL cup of foamy fresh carrot juice with a 1/2 fresh beet juiced with it....pure heaven!!!" LOL! Should we have an anchovy hanging over the side of the glass for garnish?? Blech... never could (& I did try a time or two) bring myself to tolerate the flavor of beets. Last night, I was at our local hobby lobby, and to my great dismay, they have out all of their seasonal christmas items... beautiful greenery's, shiny ornaments... and chocolate MINT HERSHEY'S KISSES... those ba$t@rds!! Don't they know that I'm still a new bandster and can't take the temptation of something I know will only be around for short time? I bought a bag of course... just to prove my point you understand... a kind of protest...and ate a good half dozen before I knew what hit me. :sick When I realized what I'd done, I stuck them under the nose of my kids, and they quickly disposed of them for me. I think they didn't even bother to unwrap them... inhaled them foil, flags, and all. I think it's a hereditary thing...

Denise, only 6 short days til your new beginning, have you made your list and checked it twice? Have you started buying what you'll need post op? You probably won't feeling going to the grocery store for a few days after banding, so this is your preparation week. I think getting things all ready the week before really helped time fly. By christmas you're gonna feel like a million bucks... and here's hoping there's some smaller clothes under the tree!

What a cute picture, I love the teddy with or without the boa, he looks so huggable.