make33

Wilted, I am SO sorry for what has happened to you. You and I KNOW this jerk is not worth your time or trouble. They say "Retrospect is always easy", but the problem is that in order to be able to look back and see why something happened in our lives, time has to pass. But believe me, when you are banded you can put all your concentration on you--making your body the best and healthiest it can be. Hang in there--these boards are for support--and hopefully you have family and friends that are giving you that also... Travelling on with your life...

CoolCrystal, a woman after my own heart! And you know, it was probably our imaginations that we were being 'watched' when it came to food!! ("Paranoia will destroy ya!" Yep, I hid anything that I thought people would look down on me for buying in the seat, under my purse!! I am so-o-o glad those days will be behind us! Even though I'm still big, I walk proudly, because I KNOW I've done something about it! :clap2:

Like LapBandit, I was permitted liquids, cottage cheese, yogurt, and sugar free popsicles and fudgsicles. The biggest thing I was NOT permitted to have was SUGAR. (So I could deplete my glycogen stores and shrink my liver to make surgery easier). But best to check with your Bariatric Center for your answers...

I just want to remind everyone to be sure to get whey Protein isolate, no matter where you get it from. If you buy the whey protein concentrate, it will not blend easily in any liquid (except with a blender) and has lactose as a filler. The isolate is a little more expensive, but well worth it. For all of us that will have to take a protein supplement for the rest of our lives, it's important to get the best for our bodies. :biggrin1:

I order unjury all the time. I love the chicken broth flavored and I use the unflavored in sugar free/fat free chocolate pudding mix. Wasn't crazy about the chocolate flavor, mainly because I'm hooked on Chocolate Malt and Belgian Chocolate whey Protein isolate that I get from Amazon.com: Online Shopping for Electronics, Apparel, Computers, books, DVDs & more (and free shipping!)--now they taste great, and they are even better in Water than in skim milk! Glad you are going in the right direction with whey protein isolate!!!

My surgeon's orders are to stop drinking 1/2 hour before meals and to wait 45 minutes to an hour afterwards to start again. But I'm not a diabetic--maybe that's why you have to wait 2 hours?? Anyway, in the hospital they gave me a tube of wonderful stuff called "Toothete Mouth Moisturizer", a little bit bigger than a tube of Blistex but you just run it around the inside of your mouth when it's dry--man, what a wonderful feeling! Maybe the drug store would have that to help you...

At two weeks and one day after surgery, it was as if someone drew a line in the sand and I felt just terrific!!! If you follow, on December 5th you will feel so-o-o good you will wrap all your Christmas presents!! Ooops, back that up--you will go Christmas shopping!!! I'm just five weeks post-op now, and this week (before I had my first fill today) I actually FORGOT I had the surgery I felt so good!!! The very best to you...

Okay you asked for it! 1. Not having people look away when I walk by, because they don't want to "stare". 2. Being able to get into any buffet line and not have people watch what I'm putting on my plate. 3. Meeting someone new and not have them assume I'm stupid just because I'm fat. 4. Buying clothes downstairs in a department store (ours all have the Plus sizes upstairs--to give us some exercise I think!!) I'm just being totally honest with myself and you guys! :bounce:

No-one can ever understand obesity like an obese person! I wish I had a nickel for every time someone insinuated that just eating less and exercising would melt the pounds off! (And I have worked out since October of 1983!!) And no, you most certainly are NOT taking the "easy way out"--because we all must follow the band's rules after surgery and that is not an easy task! I'm so pleased you are standing your ground--some others might have caved... Keep it up! :bounce:

I'm going to be honest with you: I think you're looking for a way out. All these "reasons" you are giving for NOT having surgery done are day-to-day occurrences--and there is NEVER going to be just the perfect time for your surgery. This is and has been your decision to make--you need to face yourself honestly and judge whether you truly want this surgery now or if you really want to continue your life as it is right now. That's all you have to do...

I don't have the actual "panic attack" like you're experiencing, but the first couple of weeks it was like there was something 'missing' at the dinner table! (I never drank before with Breakfast or lunch, but I sure DID for dinner!) And some of the foods we've been eating (I was banded four days after you) have been kind of dry--i.e. refried Beans (even with cheese) or mashed potatoes--the kind of foods that just cry out for some sort of liquid. I now find that the hour until I can drink after meals goes by so very quickly--I look up and I can begin drinking again. I am still bad with Water intake--unless you count the two cups of coffee I get in every morning. Then I usually go to a Protein shake, followed by lunch. Afternoons, I do juice of some sort (tomato, cranberry) and sometimes I'll do chicken broth Protein (Welcome to the unjury Homepage) and sometimes I'll hit some water in between. Evenings are for a sugar-free hot chocolate (it's getting cold in Pa!)--but I definitely try to mix up my liquid intake each day! :bounce:

I bought a Taylor digital scale because it's so accurate and I love seeing my weight in 10ths of a pound. Same as the others, think I bought it at Walmart for around $35-$40. (I was only .8 # off from the doctor's scale this morning!)

I had the WORST time trying to add my ticker! (And I'm PC literate!) Same as you I had it all made and when I got to the last page of the Ticker Factory, I had no clue which one to choose and where to put it here (was trying in Options) After you are done in the Ticker Factory, highlight ALL of the info in the top box (the bb box), right click and choose "Copy" Then in here go to UserCP, and "Edit Signature". Click in the big box, and then right click and choose "Paste". When you go the bottom to save, you will see your ticker come up up top. Thanks to everyone who helped me at the time, especially Stephanie!

Here's some other suggestions from my list of Phase II foods: Yogurt, low fat cottage cheese pureed, egg beaters pureed, oatmeal, cream of wheat, cream of rice, farina, grits, mashed potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes, mashed winter squash, juices (low sugar), applesauce, pureed peaches pears and pineapple, pureed carrots green Beans and squash and sugar free hot cocoa (in Pa. this time of year we need it!) My surgeon even permitted tuna salad and egg salad! There is also a chicken broth flavor whey Protein isolate that is really very good (and unflavored to add to s/f puddings and jello) that is offered at Welcome to the unjury Homepage I am officially off phase II tomorrow, with my first fill, but I must admit I've been pretty satisfied with this phase! (So-o-o much better than liquids~!)

Laying in the Operating Waiting Room with three other women, I was cracking jokes, but inside I was screaming "let's get this thing started!" The anesthesiologist in the OR Waiting Room was an older man than the guy I had previously met with and this one was a real jokester--so when I saw the "real" anesthesiologist in the Operating Room before I went under, I said to him "I'm so-o-o glad it's you in here!" (I didn't want jokes any more...) Everyone has to consider "what if I don't wake up on earth" when they go under--and we all came out okay...

My preference in Protein supplements is whey protein isolate, almost carb free and lactose free. I use chocolate Malt and Belgian Chocolate (mixed in Water tastes great!) that I get from Amazon.com--I also get chicken broth whey protein isolate and unflavored protein (for mixing in s/f puddings and jello) from unjury.com. In a bind, I use Slim Fast Lo Carb shakes in a can, which are okay, but kind of fakey tasting (NOT the Optima--too many carbs). Good luck to you--you're counting down the hours, eh?!!!

This is a major serious decision in our lives and not to be taken lightly. If you don't follow the "rules", there could be serious consequences. Apparently Dolfan13 was required to follow a liquid diet, so I think he/she should give serious consideration to whether they have made the right decision at this time in their life. My surgeon is my leader, and I do strictly as he says. That's the only way to play.

You know what you did and now you have to face the consequences of surgery being more complicated than it should be. All I can say is after you are banded, you won't be able to cheat.

Once you get the surgery scheduled, (if it isn't already) the time goes by SO quickly! Surgery day is a blur--but I made myself get up and around that day (surgery at 7:30 AM) because the sooner you get moving, the better. You do get liquid meds for the pain--and the surgeon gave me a prescription when I went home. I took it only three times--mainly at bedtime--but I really don't like using that kind of stuff. I was on here quite a bit the first few weeks myself when I was off work--the people on here are so empathetic with everyone else... In a few weeks after surgery you'll be feeling terrific, and I have times now when I totally forget I had the surgery! (Also haven't had my first fill yet--that comes on the 16th.) This is the absolute best tool we've ever been given to help us lose weight--and all we have to do to let it work is to follow the rules! The very best to you...

Sorry Carla, I'm with everyone else! Phase I (Liquids) is for 1 - 2 weeks, followed by soft foods for 2 - 4 weeks. Solids don't even come until the 5th or 6th weeks--chewed or not. This is only one MONTH out of your life to help your band heal, so that it can become the tool you need it to be for you. Are you getting enough Protein? Protein Shakes are very satisfying and are beneficial to your healing. My suggestion, as always, is to get some whey protein isolate powder (I use chocolate malt or belgian chocolate--which tastes great mixed with water) that I get from Amazon.com=free shipping! Also you can try chicken broth whey protein isolate or even unflavored (to mix with sugar free puddings or jello) at Unjury.com. Please go the protein way--and NOT the solid food way. Once you get back on the program, I'm sure the pains you are feeling will go away...

This may be of no use to you, Kim, since I work in an office--but when I went back to work, my weight limit was 10# for two weeks--and that was at almost three weeks post-op. I was just permitted to return to Curves at 4 weeks post op, and I'll go back to the YMCA at 6 weeks post-op. If you ask your surgeon, he should be able to tell you when--and it will probably depend on just what you are carrying on that dolly...

I lost 6 pounds prior to surgery (and 17 since). I started pre-op September 30th with a surgery date of October 17--but they moved my surgery up to October 9th--yippee! My salvation in the pre-op diet was the yogurt, which I had for lunch and the cottage cheese, which I had for dinner. (Breakfast was a Slim Fast Lo Carb shake). I DO drink a lot of coffee too, so I'm fortunate not to be a pop-a-holic! The first few days were somewhat rough, especially in the evenings (I'm an evening eater), but I bought a box of sugar-free fudgsicles and allowed myself two each night. After the first days, my system adjusted to no sugar and I found it much easier to follow. (And there really ARE a lot of choices in the list). Good luck! :bounce:

I totally agree with kacee--I worked out four days a week right up until the day before surgery and could NOT have gone back to work after even four days (seems to be the normal time in the posts). Grant you, I'm older but I do have a desk job. (I DID have actual staples too, which I think made a big difference over steri strips) Crazy8, I responded to your thread about what my pre-op diet was, as directed by my Bariatric Center. I forgot to say that my directions specifically said do not buy Slim Fast, Ensure, or Boost. However, that was probably before Slim Fast Low Carb (5 gr carb), which I occasionally use now (still on soft foods). But you probably bought Slim Fast Optima, which has mucho carbs--stay away from carbs!! Best of luck to you, ansherwo...

It's a shame your Bariatric Center didn't provide you with this. My pre-op diet called for: 1. 2 or less servings daily - juice, gatorade, Powerade, or fruit 2. 3 or less servings daily - Jello, popsicles, sugar-free fudgsicles 3. 3 or less servings daily - 1 cup skim milk or 8 oz yogurt (Dannon light, Yoplait light or Colombo light) or 1/2 cup cottage cheese 4. 1 - 2 a day - Atkins or Carb Solutions shakes 5. Any amount of these daily: sugar free beverages such as Crystal Light, Wylers Light, Sugar free Koolaid or Tang, diet Snapple, Fruit2O, Propel, or coffee or tea with sugar substitutes or water--broths (all varieties) and sugar free popsicles and sugar free jello. As you can see, the idea is to reduce your glycogen stores and make our livers smaller, to make surgery easier. So STAY AWAY FROM SUGAR! It's tough the first couple of days, but after that it gets easier--then next thing you know, it's time for surgery! Good luck to you...

The only thing that got me through the pre-op liquid diet phase was being able to have yogurt and cottage cheese (not post-op though). My surgeon required everything sugar-free pre-op to reduce the glycogen stores and reduce the size of my liver. The first couple of days was tough, but by the day before surgery, my system was used to it. Just be sure to get in your protein--with (sugar free/low carb) Protein shakes. Good luck to you next Thursday--it'll be here and over in a heartbeat, trust me!