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Mr. James: I took almost three weeks (I have a great employer!) but really could have returned after two. (My surgeon uses staples and they didn't come out until after one week--think steri strips or glue would be easier on a person). Stopped the liquid pain meds after three days. Best wishes to you!

ShinyHappy, when I went back to work after three weeks, the doctor said I still couldn't lift more than 10# for another two weeks. As many have said on these threads, although the incisions may seem to be healing well, there are many abdominal muscles that require a long time for healing. Maybe bring on someone else for the first six weeks to help out?

Sorry, no clue about soy--am a whey isolate person all the whey :Banane20: Get mine from Welcome to the powders?utm_source=BariatricPal&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=CommentLink" target="_ad" data-id="1" >unjury Homepage and Amazon.com: Online Shopping for Electronics, Apparel, Computers, books, DVDs & more . Be sure not to get whey Protein concentrate--uses lactose as a filler and must be blended well in liquids. Whey isolate is much purer. As Jack said, tons of flavors to choose from, no matter what kind you choose--but just be sure to make it part of the daily routine!

I took one day shy of three weeks (I have a great employer!) but in all reality, I could've gone back after two. At five days, I was just getting my staples out--so it may depend on what your surgeon uses to close the incisions. Steri Strips would be easier on you, I would think... Your age may make you bounce back faster too!

For the Ticker Factory: go in and create your own ticker (be sure to remember your password!) At the end, highlight everything in the top box (the bb: box), right click and hit Copy. Then come into this site and go to UserCP in the Menu Bar. Go to Edit Signature on the left. Left click in the big box. Then right click and hit Paste. You should see your ticker appear. Be sure to go to the bottom of the page and click on Save Signature. When it comes back, you'll see your ticker at the top of the page. (Then to change it, all you have to do is to double click on the one at the top of the page)...

Had nausea only during and after coming home from the hospital. It was definitely a combination of two things: (1) liquid pain meds--the dosage was set so high I cut down to 1/4 of the dosage prescribed and took it for three days. (2) If you get juice after surgery, make sure it's diluted 50/50 with Water. I drank two 8 oz containers of cranberry juice and then realized what was causing my nausea in the hospital. Other than that, no nausea at all.

One of the most positive aspects of the band is that it assists with "portion control". I have worked out for 24 years and felt I was eating all the right foods: skim milk, Cereal, tuna, yogurt, cottage cheese, very little red meat, lots of veggies. BUT what I never realized was that nothing was going to stop my body from requiring lots of food to fill up my stretched tummy--even if it was the good stuff!! I almost laughed when they said my insurance company wanted a list of everything I had done over the years to lose weight--what a list I provided them with! And none of the list ever worked for a longer period of time than six months! I'm proud of each of you for wanting a better quality to your lives and to avoid those ailments which will inevitably befall every one of us. Good luck to each of you!

Welcome back from all of us!! Getting back on the horse is easy when you have a great support group like this! :scared:

Yes, like LosingJusMe, when I stall out I return back to my pre-op days of keeping a food Log, specifically watching calories, carbs, and Proteins. Just had to do that after Thanksgiving (when I gained 2 #) and after analyzing what I was doing, make the necessary adjustments and have begun to lose again. There's nothing in the world more degrading than having to change your Ticker UPWARDS!! :scared:

Just a quick question: what KIND of Slim Fast are you using? Be very careful about the carbs in each can! Slim Fast Optima has too many carbs, but Slim Fast DOES make a Lo Carb variety with only 5 grams of carbs. So also watch the carb numbers on Boost, Ensure, Carnation Instant Breakfast. You can buy whey protein isolate powder and mix your own shakes--with little or no carbs and with the isolate, very very little lactose at about 100 - 110 calories a serving. :scared:

Welcome Firedust! All I would advise you to do is to read, read, read--everything you can get your hands on regarding Lap Band Surgery (and even Gastric Bypass--just to see what's going on in the WLS world). Have you attended a seminar yet? That's your first step--it's totally free and you can ask all your questions of real professionals. Find a Bariatric Center or contact your surgeon and they will be able to line you up. It's the most informative 3 - 4 hours you can spend, other than online here!

Well, SueBob, I only know what I read in these threads--but people have stated here that it takes 20 minutes to begin the digestion process from our pouch. I DO know that when I have pain (for whatever reason--too much, too fast) it takes about 25 minutes and suddenly the pain disappears. Want_so_bad, you will find that 1/4 to 1/2 cup (2 to 4 ounces) of food is going to satisfy you completely. For breakfast and lunch, I go with 1/4 cup so that I don't get that 'overfull' feeling--but dinner time it's usually 1/2 cup. You won't realize that's all you're eating, but when you measure it, you'll be shocked! :hungry:

Honestly MissSac, I was absolutely petrified out of my gourd the last week! I couldn't stay still--and thinking that it was an "elective" surgery chosen by none other than me, made me even more nervous! In the hospital operating-waiting room I was with three other women, and I was laughing and joking around with them--but on the inside I was thinking "Come on--get this over with before I run screaming out of here!!" But I will tell you this, suddenly Monday will be here and zippity-do-dah you will be home and recuperating--and time will absolutely FLY by and soon you'll wonder why you were nervous in the first place. Good luck to you AND your girlfriend...

Touche, Kacee!! My head just wants to fill up the plate at every meal--but I've learned to go with 1/4 - 1/2 cup and begin with that. Once that's down, I NEVER want any more! At our lunch deli where once I would have a large styrofoam container filled with food, I now get a small one and have only one scoop put in (tuna and noodle casserole on Fridays) and believe me, it's plenty! Now if I could just get over that "head" thing!!! :hungry:

Chrisann, stay away from Slim Fast Optima--there are way too many carbs in that. Buy the Slim Fast Lo Carb--only 5 grams of carb and 2 grams of fiber--but there IS 190 calories in the 11 oz. can. Everyone--if you're going to buy Protein powder, be sure to get whey protein isolate and not whey protein concentrate. The isolate is pure and mixes instantly in liquid, whereas the concentrate uses lactose as a filler and must be mixed with a blender.

I use the unflavored in sugar-free fat-free instant pudding and it's great--I'm even able to double up on the Protein. But I tried the unflavored in a can of soup-to-go from Campbells that was just warm (not hot) and it was nasty! The chicken broth is okay in a pinch--but I don't find the chocolate to be that great. I'm sold on the WPI (whey protein isolate) that I get from Amazon.com: Online Shopping for Electronics, Apparel, Computers, books, DVDs & more in chocolate malt and belgian chocolate flavors (and I get them with free shipping and no tax--what more could you ask for?!) Now they taste fabulous, just mixed with Water in a shaker--not even in a blender! I've been buying 2# containers for $27.99 and just bought a 5# container for $47.90. (and whoa! It came in BUCKET!!!)

Please don't be so hard on yourself--just remember that with each morning comes a NEW BEGINNING! We just get back on our horses to ride again. I stopped losing two weeks ago (and actually had to change my ticker, much to my dismay) so I decided to go back to what the nutritionist had me doing for six months: a food LOG! I was then able to see places where I could improve and I set mini-goals for myself, calorie and protein-wise. My weight has gone down twice now in the last five days (but I'm still not going to change my ticker until I'm sure--don't want to jinx myself!!) This will pass and you will wonder why you doubted yourself at all!! :bounce:

Okay, here's what Women's Health says: "Lap-Band patients are advised to consumer 50 to 60 grams of Protein daily to avoid protein deficiency. Protein deficiency causes hair loss, fatigue, edema, muscle weakness, and a delay in wound healing. A lack of adequate protein may also lead to depression, anxiety, irritability, apathy, and other mental health conditions, as well as cause a number of physical health issues from gallstones to colds, headaches, low blood pressure, anemia, irregular heart rates, and in extreme cases, death. A lab can measure the amount of protein in your blook by performing a serum albumin blood test." Anyway, this is one of the articles I read in the seven months leading up to my banding--and I've followed its advice faithfully...

2B, I didn't see whether you responded to the comment on the lack of Protein? Are you getting 60 - 80 grams a day??? One of the most common symptoms of a lack of protein is hair loss--and the list of other symptoms goes on and on. A shake in the morning and one in the evening will provide you with 40+ grams--trust me, protein is essential in we Bariatric patients!

Wow, you said it all! You have quite a knack for rhyme!! :clap2:

I am so tickled for you, Cajun!! What I am especially tickled with is your surgery date--you know, many are stalling until "after the holidays" to get banded ("Just one more holiday, please") and I am so proud of those who are getting banded BEFORE Christmas! (I was set up to have a second fill on December 28th and moved it up to December 21st--I want to be tight for Christmas!) So my hat (if I wore one!) is off to you!!!

Here's what I tell ANYONE who has doubts: go to an informational seminar--if you have already, go again but this time take your husband and son with you. Ask questions--any question you can conceive--of the professionals there, and weigh all your options. Only then can you make an educated informed decision. And read, read, read--everything you can find on the surgery--good AND bad. Without the surgery (and I don't even know your BMI, history, etc) your quality of life is going to go severely downhill in the future. Yes, you can try to diet and exercise but if you are like the rest of us, you will fail time and time again--it's just built into our fat cells! The very best to you and the decision you must make...

I went back to Curves three weeks ago and last week I started back to the YMCA (figured four weeks for Curves and six weeks for the YMCA). (Two days each weekly) So my question to all of you is: have any of you had issues with lower abdominal pain? I've been to the Y 3 times--I workout for an hour on the machines--and now I'm having severe pain in the area below my port. It IS easing up since Thursday morning (I last worked out Wednesday) but it's still there. I'm blaming the leg press, because when I work that, I do experience pain in that area and end up holding that area while I'm pressing. Could this be it or do you think it's just working with too heavy weights?? (I've severe kicked back from where I was before surgery) I am such an idiot--I'm considering waiting until January to go back to heavy weights again and kick Curves up to three days a week. What's your thoughts??

At the pre-op surgical visit, my surgeon DID encourage me to go the bypass route: because of my history of acid reflux. He said acid reflux is enhanced with the band and if that happened, his only alternative for me would be a "sleeve". But at my age, I opted for the less invasive surgery and guess what? I have had NO acid reflux in almost eight weeks! Of course, I also haven't had my triggers: tomato products and chocolate!! I love my band and could not imagine going the bypass route! (Did you know that the early bypass patients are now having their livers fail??? Learned that from my brother the doctor!)

Well, we all learn to deal with our bodies ourselves, don't we?! When I was first banded, I naturally assumed that to get something unstuck, you would just drink liquid to flush it down. And then I read that it forces it farther down and can make a bad situation worse! Boy, I LOVE reading these threads! Your "island" thing works for me too, after my aerobic dance I hunch over my island and just stay there and I feel better!