aubrie

Hey Tex! I'm in Corpus. Dr. Chang did my surgery last November. I've been quite successful so far. I'm on the board a lot of the time. PM me if you have questions or need someone to talk to. You too Melij75!!!

Kizzie, I've read your posts. I have a semi recommendation... If it's possible....Have a heart to heart with one of the chefs in your place of residence. I'm still not clear on the particulars, but gosh, that could work to your advantage to have the chef in your corner!!! He really will need to know your dietary needs for the next month or so. They will be pretty specific. If I were a professional chef, and I had the chance to help someone, I'd jump at the chance. Given a list of do's and don'ts, I would take it as a professional challege. Tell him so!! You may end up with a very dear friend out of the deal, but he/she really needs to know your requirements in advance. Ask your doctor if there is a support group in your village or town. You may be surprised. There are more people out there that have had this procedure than you think. I highly recommend it. Once you're able to exercise, join a dance class, or a community swimming pool, or a gym. You'll make lots of new friends!! I did. Then you won't have to sit around and listen to your roomates be critical of you. Make a new life in ALL aspects of your life. I wish you all the best!!! PM me if you wish. good luck.

After water aerobics, I get home around 7:30 and start dinner. I'm literally RAVENOUS. I can't seem to stay away from the chips while I'm waiting on dinner to cook. It's just horrible. I'm good as gold on all the other bandster rules except this one. Eating at 8:30 is just to late, but I don't know what else to do.

Yes. I know we have a little bit of a drive from San Jose to Pacific Grove, but I have no idea how long of a distance we're talking about. I guess Cali is about as big as Texas....

Wouldn't it be interesting if someday, behavior like this is considered a hate crime and those little devils could be made to stand before a judge and explain their lack of manners and sensitivity. Then force them to wear a fat suit for a week and see how their lives change!! I'd slap the shit out of my kids if they ever did something like that.

Flying into San Jose on July 2nd... But I'm staying in Pacific Grove. will be there 10 days on vacation. Guess I won't be quite close enough huh?

Thanks Jack. I didn't realize that over time we would lose our adaptive capability in our liver, and become toxic with minute amounts of alcohol and sugar. What a trip. When I think what I used to drink, and the buckets of ice cream I used to eat, my liver must have been lined with steel! Mega bottles of water later.... I feel better.

I can usually tell a few seconds after I swallow. It's pretty immediate for me. I walk around with my arms up in the air and give my tummy as much room as it needs to let it pass through. sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't and I'm miserable. I've never PBd though. I've slimed a time or two, but nothing ever came up. I get my third fill tomorrow, so I'm expecting some new troubles after that. Right now I can eat just about anything.

I'm forbidden protein shakes for this very reason. ONLY if I'm sick or just had a fill. The end. Period. Doc says I MUST eat my protein. Jachut is wise. She hit the nail right on the head. I bang around the kitchen every morning, grumbling because I have to prepare a "real" lunch and pack it. I can't just toss a cup of soup or slim fast in my bag. I have a chicken leg, or tuna, or turkey salad, or left over fish or shrimp, and I always have a bit of veggie, salad or fresh fruit too. It's a pain in the ass, but I do it faithfully every damn morning. I even take my lunch box to office luncheons. It goes with the territory.

At a nice restaurant, you can usually find a nutritious appetizer on the menu for your meal. For example: I have ordered shrimp cocktail or crab cakes. It's cheaper, just the right size and no waste. Nice places also have VERY nice soups. One place I went to in Vegas, I had lobster bisque that was to die for. I didn't feel the least bit slighted.

mashed banana mashed avocado mashed sweet potatoes refried beans with light sour cream (YUM) applesauce comes in all kinds of flavors these days(Unsweetened too) pudding, custard, or mousse baked winter squash egg drop soup shaved turkey with a bit of light miracle whip cream of wheat with vanilla and cinnamon (YUM)

If a doctor won't take your case, at least research the nearest fill center to your city. You're one of us sister girl!! We're just worried about you!!!

Yesterday was my birthday. My office had a cake for me with fresh fruit on top. (So sweet of them to think "fruit") I had a tiny piece. My husband took me out to dinner. I had a cocktail. No problem. I had lamb and spinach salad. I was actually pretty good. Then had about three small bites of a cheesecake the waiter brought to the table. I definately didn't go overboard, but I haven't had sugar and alcohol at the same time in months. I feel so lethargic and drained today. It's killing me. I feel just awful. All this from a drink and few bites of cake? Wow have times changed. After feeling like this, cake has lost it's appeal. I even have a raging headache. Is it normal to get sick like this from a small indiscretion? Anyone else get like this when they've been naughty?

TAKE YOUR TIME. Yes, listent to your body right now. Healing is your number one goal. Not losing weight and sprinting. You'll get there. Congrats on your surgery and be gentle with yourself. Lots of changes happening. Be observant and tune in to your body. Do exactly what your doctor tells you. Even if you don't agree, or feel like you can. 15 minutes of walking is fine a few days after surgery. You need it to move the gas in your stomach, but don't overexert yourself. 15 minute walk several times a day will be helpful.

Yes, that cough after surgery is not uncommon. It's good to try to cough that stuff up though. You don't want prolonged congestion or leave yourself open to pnuemonia. Did they give you the little breathing contraption at your pre-op to work with before and after surgery? I was very consistant with mine, breathing deep into it and trying to get the little pointer to get to the right place. It was hard after surgery, but expanding the lungs during pre - op helped.

I've flown several times since being banded. No, the metal in the port does not set off the security devices. I had no problem with that. On short flights at lower altitudes I had no problem with my band, but with long flights at 35, 000 ft. I could literally feel my band tightening. It didn't hurt, it was just a little uncomfortable. I could drink liquids, but nothing solid for several hours after landing. It only lasted about 6 - 8 hours, then I was fine, but I do recommend you put some mushy stuff of slim fast in your suitcase for when you get there. You might not be able to eat much right away. I now travel with slim fast, applesauce cups and tuna cups in my suitcase. It's standard travel items. On a long flight, I try to see if I can find a smoothie in the airport to take on the flight with me so I have something to eat. Those dry little sandwhiches just don't do it......

Twin Labs is a very reputable vitamin line, and I am familiar with it. I will head to the health food store and look for the chewable calcium citrate. thanks for the tip!!! I may have to try the Centrum chewables. I hate that I spent so much on the Bariatric Advantage. Ideally I would like to use those up first, but there are 120 tablets in the bottle. I can't bear to think of chewing 120 of those horrible things!!!

I tried the bariatric advantage chewable vitamins. They are watermelon flavored, and the nutrition is very good.... BUT 1) they are very chalky. I can't stand the grit on my teeth. 2) they seem to be formulated more for a bypass patient. they have WAY more B-12 than what a bandster needs. My surgeon said that it won't hurt me since it's a water soluable vitamin, and our body will just pass what we don't need, but that chalky texture is really yucky. It's a calcum carbonate.... My doctor prefers I take calcum citrate for better absorption. I've looked for some of these and found them in small size to swallow, but even then they are HUGE. I'm afraid that after some additional retriction, they won't pass through my band. I can't find a chewable or liquid calcium citrate...

Lucky you! I'm not allowed to have protein shakes unless I'm sick or just had a fill. No liquid calories.... I have to get all my protein from solid food.

I've been hearing snippets here and there lately, that they are discovering that using soy as your only source of protein can actually be dangerous??? Why?

MickeyMammoth is right. You can't trick your body without repercussions. Our tongue was designed to detect sweetness for a specific reason. When you taste something sweet, your tongue sends an instant message to your brain that sugar is coming and it's time for an insulin dump. The insulin is released to help process the sugar. Your body DOES NOT know the difference between real sugar and fake sugar. It doesn't detect the imposter. So now you have insulin swimming around your body with nothing to process. You can't do this over, and over and over and over again, without your body finally saying, hell with this crap, I just won't do it anymore. Now that sugar isn't processed properly and turns to fat. It's that simple. You've also stressed out your pancreas, and set yourself up for some form of diabetes. Have you not wondered why this generation has RAMPANT diabetes? We didn't have artificial sweetners 40 years ago. I avoid it like the plague. It gives me headaches and clouds my thinking. I think it also increases my joint pain, not to mention increasing my cravings for carbs. It's just not worth it to me. A level teaspoon of real sugar only has about 16 calories. I think I can handle that on the rare occasion that I need to sweeten my coffee just a bit. I don't completely rule out real sugar, I just make sure it's not a habit. My doctor and surgeon are completely in agreement with me on this one.

My surgeon made a very small slit in my stomach muscle and nestled the back of my port into the slit and then stitched it down. So my port doesn't stick up. Not yet anyway. But it's my understanding that repositioning a port when you get close to goal is fairly common. However, if I really work out hard, my port area gets sore. I also can't wear a floatation belt for deep water aerobics, because it squishes right where my port is located. So I REALLY get a double workout!! I suspect that the more weight I lose the more noticable it will become.

Well..... the fat in my flaps is certainly lumpy. My doctor said they were "fat globules". Whatever that means. I suppose that is a possibility. I had to crack up laughing while I was driving home yesterday.... There was a tattooed motor cycle rider driving alongside me. The tats on his arm caught my attention. When I looked, he had obviously lost a LOT of weight, because he had some awesome "flaps" that hands down topped mine. At the high speed he was driving, they were literally flapping in the wind. I got the giggles so bad I almost hit the curb!!! Oh the things we notice after being banded........

I have two sons in college.... YES, the cost is astronomical... when the second one went away I thought I would die of lonliness. I cried for three weeks. But I got a dog just before he left and that helped. I called a lot, much to his chagrin, and tried to renew old friendships and make some new ones. It will pass, but it took me about 8 weeks to get over it. But I have to laugh. BOTH of them are home this summer and working to save money to pay for next semester. THEY ARE DRIVING ME FREAKING CRAZY!!!! I got so used to having my house the way I want it, I can't stand the mess, the noise, the mountains of laundry, the clutter, the phone ringing constantly, the constant snacking, the beer bottles, the broken stuff around the house, the added expenses, and late nights. I am SO READY for them to return to school. LOL Suggestions? Take a dance class or an art class. Something creative just for you. You'll have something to get you out of the house, of course a bandster always needs exercise, it's positive, fun, you'll make new friends, and it will keep your mind off your lonliness.

I think everyone is different.... It depends on exercise, muscle mass, toning, bone structure, height, etc. But for me.... 15 lbs = one dress size. I've lost 57 pounds and have gone from a 24 to a 16. I have also noticed that I'll find my clothes to be looser, but the scale will show no loss at all. I chalk that up to building muscle from exercising. I don't worry about that to much.