virginiann

Oh my gosh enterprise01 you made me laugh so hard! I needed it! Thank you! I think I'm in the same boat as you. I'm 5'2" and I too remember crossing my legs once in 1993!

Ditto for me too Nicole. I met Shauna through this board (actually at the hospital and didn't know it). We both had the surgery an hour apart! Same doctor! We are feeling the exact same things. My port site is still sore but getting better everyday. I am very close to my PCP and I didn't discuss this with her at all until it was time for her to provide evidence that I had been on a medically supervised diet. I knew she would be okay with it since I have been trying for sometime now to lose this weight. I have Aetna PPO so I didn't need a referral or anything like that. Hearing you are Morbidly Obese out loud for the first time is very devastating. However, you don't have to be that way forever! At least you are still very young and much of your adult life is ahead to enjoy. I am 49 and I vowed not to be a fat 50 year old! My birthday is in October. Keep asking questions, we will answer! We are all here for each other!

Oh my goodness, I am the queen of surgeries. 1.)Hysterectomy (uterus only) 2.)Tubes/Overies/Appendix (three years later) 3.)Thryoid Removed 4.)Disk replacement in neck 5.)Carpal Tunnel 6.)Gall Bladder Now Number #7 Lap-Band! You should be fine! I am!

Hey Shauna, I haven't heard from Lilmonkey, I too hope all is well. Yesterday was my first day back at work and I came home very tired. I've been posting on the May 2007 board. Have you heard there is a support group that meets I think the first satruday of the month? I think I'm going to try and go this next time. How are you feeling? How are things going?

I hope you are all okay. I had a bad day yesterday Wondering what the heck did I do! I even had bouts of get this thing out of me and I want to eat normal! Had a good cry and my hubby gave me hugs and I have moved on. Today is my first day back at work 8 days post-op. I had an easier time getting out of bed this morning and I feel pretty good. Boy what a day makes! Well I just wanted to check in and say hello and I hope all of you are doing well today.

I enjoyed it also, if you noticed while Big D was explaining how the by-pass worked using that little stand up chart. It also had the lap-band on it. So I am hoping they do get a couple of those cases. I am not normally home on Monday nights so I will have to remember to record it.

Tonight on TLC a new series starts titled "Big Medicine" Here is a piece I cut and pasted from the TLC website: BIG MEDICINE offers a behind-the-scenes look into the controversial world of bariatric surgery. The series chronicles the emotional journeys and transformation of obese people who have opted to undergo weight-loss surgery in an attempt to regain their lives. You can go to their website and read more about. It is on at 9pm Pacific Time. You might want to check your own time zone. This should be very interesting for all of us!

I got the day off and I sure needed it. My boss didn't call me till 9:30 pm last night. We get along very well and you can even say we are friends. He has been with me though this whole journey. Getting out of bed in the morning is till an adventure in pain. Last night I had had it with not being able to sleep on my left side so I rolled over and man the pain! But you know what, the longer I lay there the less the pain and eventually I fell back to sleep! I almost feel normal today as far as food goes. I got up and had my coffee (decaf of course). Then I made myself some maple and brown sugar lite instant oatmeal. Very runny. I ate about a 1/4 of it and I feel very full and satisfied. And to think I use to use two of those packages! Now I am sipping on my second cup of coffee and just 'kickn it' as my boys would say. (grown boys). I am officially one pound under my pre-surgery weight. I went in weighing 208 and came out weighing 217 today I weigh 207. I am going to go out and find me a couple of inexpensive very casual dresses to wear to work. Any elastic on my waist is uncomfortable. I don't even know how I am going to deal with underwear! I hope you all are feeling better today!

oh yeah, do you guys use any instant messenging programs? I use MSN and my screen name is virginiann@hotmail.com I am always on when I am at home. V.

The potatoes went down just fine. I only ate maybe a 1/4 cup and it satisfied me. I have not heard back from my boss about tomorrow. But I am sure I will get it off. I was told 60 grams of Protein a day but at this stage not to worry too much about it. I can't even get a whole shake down me. I have been using Body Lean from Hi-health and it has 40 grams of protein. To get it down I made chocolate pudding out of it. I used the surgar free instant Jell-O and substitued milk with my shake. It made 5 little cups. It takes anywhere from 45 mins to an hour to get it down. When is your post-op appoinment? I am feeling much much better tonight. Virginia

Hi guys! I do not wear the brace they gave me because it was way too big and the night nurse (Rick) said he was going to get me a smaller one but he never did. I took a look at the food list for phase two starting tomorrow and about freaked! I made up a list and my hubby went and got it all. I've been having such a bad day hugry wise, that I decided to make me some instant mash potatoes and ate some right now... they did not taste as good as I expected and I even added a little bit more butter. I figured a few hours was not going to make a huge difference. I was just geting so tired of cold, sweet and liquid. I have been nursing these potatoes for 40 minutes now. I think I do have some restriction or it is just in my head. I guess this is something we all have to go through ourselves. I still have gas but not as bad as it was. The site where my port is has the nastiest bruse I have ever seen. I tried on a pair of shorts today and it is not comfortable. I think I will have to go buy a couple of dressed to wear to work this next week. I wish I could burp! But I can not. I have not taken any pain meds today but I think I will before bed. I work at Bank of America. The call center on Buckeye and I-10. I respond to the e-mails people write from the Bank of Ameria web site. Therefore, I sit in a cube and answer e-mails all day. It is an awesome job, great benefits. Was a blessing to have our Surgeon having the lap-band the same time we did! Did you guys tell me your names? Virginia

Selain, LilMonkey.. I love being able to chat with someone who are exactly walking in my same shoes! How cool is that? Are you all still doing your heprin injections? Are you hungry? What are your first names? Yesterday we drove up to Pulden and it was very difficult on our bumpy roads. Dr. Debarros told me that the new band, as far as effectiveness is now on the same level as bypass. Why anyone would choose bypass in this day and age I'll never know. He also told me that he was waiting for this band so he could have it done. A friend of his is lying out from New York, and he is schedule next month. We start on the full liqiud diet tomorrow and I am really looking forward to eating Yougert, puddings, creamed Soups, etc... So does anyone think this weird pain in the center of our chest is the feeling of 'fullness' everyone is talking about? I keep walking around the house saying "if i could only burp" I know I would feel better. Also, for those that were banded last week, how many of you are going back to work tomorrow? I am suppose to but I really feel I could take another day or two off. I'm just not up to par yet and my eating is so strange. I am still up 2 pounds from my pre-surgery weight. Okay this is turning into a book.... Virginia

Hi, Dr. Debarros told me about the new band (I got it also). He said the difference is the inside of the band the part that inflates does not go all the way around the band. It has a section where there is no fill area due to the connection of the bank. Look at some pictures and you will see what I am talking about. The new band does go all the way around, no gap. I could not find anything online about it either and I searched for ever! When I called the office to inquire about the new band they said it was the one replacing the old. So until Allergen updates their web site I guess this is all the info we will have. If any of you know more let me know! Virginia Banded 05/21/2007

Oh my goodness! Am I to understand that all three of us were in the same hospital at the same time? Boy that is way cool. I came out of the hospital 9 pounds heavier than when I went in. I about freaked until I remembered it has to be the junk they shove into you. I went into the hospital at 208 came out 217 and this morning I am back down to 211. I too have this lump in my chest. I do not know what it is but I have noticed that if I drink to fast or gulp it is really noticeable. If I could only burp one good loud screaming burp I know I would feel better. But it keeps coming out the other end! and loud! I was told to take the bandages off but leave the steri-strips on. But if your incision sites look good I wouldn't stress about it. I am a big believer of pain meds. I have no kids at home, have no intentions on jumping in the car and going anywhere. I get up and move around and walk plenty. I will not be in pain, there is no reason to be, unless you feel susceptible to additions. The pain meds takes the edge of the port pain. It is a little easier to get up and down from my recliner with the meds. Getting out of bed in the morning, now that is another story. You would of thought that someone was spearing me in the side it hurts so bad. So far I have not been hungry and yesterday I came up with an idea to get me to get my Protein and liquids in. I made a batch of Protein Drink mix with some instant pudding and set it in the freezer. When it was frozen I ate off of it till it was melted. Almost a full 10 oz I did the same for my Crystal lite. I made it into a slushy. So between that and my Soup and my decaff coffee in the morning I know I got in what I needed to. Other than that it has been a huge chore. Do you gals work? If so when do you plan on going back, and what do you do? I live on the West side Peoria/71st Ave. My post op visit is on June 1, 2007 I think at 11am

Gas!! That is an understatement. I feel like I am going to explode!! And I get up and walk around a lot. I've done a few light chores, a load of laundry, dishes. Cooked dinner for my husband and Son.. My port side is extremely tender. I hope I will be up to going back to work on Monday. Virginia

Here is what I decided to do about getting the liquids in me and it is working. I made some Crystal Lite ice cubes and added them to more crystal lite and blended until it was slushy. I did the same thing for my Protein shakes.That one turns out to be more of an Ice Cream consistency. Hope this gives you an couple of ideas. It sure prevents me from gulping.

Thanks Carrie. I do have Hydrocodon (Vicoden) and that works great. I guess I just want to be one of thos that says "oh it doesn't hurt".... How can that be? Oh well, I can only deal with me. Virginia

I had my surgery on Monday 05/21/07 and I too had a terrible time yesterday getting my fluids in. Let me tell you what I did for today. I made cherry Crystal Lite ice cubes blended them along with added Crystal Lite. What I got was a slushy I could use a spoon to regulate my size an easy of going down. I also did the same with my protein drink. Only with that I added sugar free hazelnut syrup. I drink decaffeinated coffee in the morning. Yesterday I could only drink a half of a cup today I was able to drink the full cup. I know it is going to take some time for the pain to subside, but I am on this journey to the end! Virginia

I have a ton of pain at the port site. It makes getting up and down difficult. This had better subside by Monday. That is when I go back to work. I only remember one gal to the right against the wall and her husand was tall as well but I didn't think he need the band so it must have been someone else. You can e-mail me privately if you would like. virginiann@cox.net

I also went to the WLIAZ. Dr. DeBarros did my surgery on May 21st. The hospital staff was great. The hospital itself was very old and in need of work. I was just so impressed how organized the whole day was. When I went into admitting, they had all my medical records, meds, what I was in there for. It went like well oiled machine. I have hypocalcaemia which means my Calcium is always low. There are not a lot of doctors that know how to treat this disease. However, Dr DeBarros as very familiar with it and decided to keep me overnight to make sure all went well. Unfortunately, it did not. I had to have a bag of Calcium the next morning and I was not released until Tuesday night. I have a ton of pain at the port site, and I’m learning how to eat and drink which is weird if you think about it. Although I am in a lot of pain, I know I can do all of this on my own if necessary. Having someone stop in and check on the two of you you will be fine. I have been droping hints that he get it done and he said no way! Good luck to both of you! Virginia

Wow, you guys are discribing me to a T. My port site is the only part of me that hurts and I would give it a 10 when I try to stand up or get out of bed. I have that same strange feeling in my chest..from what I have read, and trust me it has been a lot. That is the indicator of being full. So yesterday I blended my Protein shakes until they were foamy and ate the foamy part with a baby spoon. I was much more confortable the rest of the night. Here is a question for you all: I am scheduled to go back to work next Monday, but if this pain doesn't lessen, there is no way I could go back to work. What advise can you all give me? Virginia

I talked to my doctor and nutritionist about this 'grazing' thing. And it has always been reccomended by the NIH, ntritionists, doctors and more... that eating 5-6 small meals a day is the healtiest way to eat. It keeps your sugar levels and it is not 'grazing'. Grazing is sitting your butt down on the couch with a bag of chips and dips, then fixing yourself some ice cream. You get the picture...