Patti C

HELP PLEASE!!! I have not been on here forever, but do continue to read the posts. I am in trouble. For some reason the past month I have lost control of my brain and will power. With the band I cannot eat but about a cup of food, but after a hour or so I start looking for something to snack on. I usually choose a small box of raisins or a slim fast bar, but I eat it. And then an hour or two later I do it again. With my job I eat breakfast at 7:00 and drive an hour to work and I don't go to lunch until 1:30 or 2:00. This month I have gained 4 pounds! I am just sick with myself. Please someone give me some ideas to shock myself and my system back into the proper strenght to fight myself. You are always to inspirational. Any ideas will be appreciated. Patti

Jeanie, Could you send "The Wooden Bowl" to me at my email address. I am not too good on the computer and I don't know how to just pull off just your post with that on it. It really touched me and I have a friend who really needs to read this. Thank you if you can. My email address is pjclifton123@hotmail.com. That is special.

Patti C

I just don't understand. I have been doing so good. Got banded July 12 and lost a pound or two a day up until Monday morning. That was 11 days and I had lost 14 pounds. Then Monday morning I had gained 1 pound. Tuesday the same and this morning I had gained 2 lbs. Why? I did go on soft food on Friday, but I have not had from 600 to 800 calories a day and I am drinking all of my Water everyday, just like I had from the being. My lower belly feels so full. I am pooping and peeing just like I had been. Does anyone have any ideas? This the first time I can say I am really discouraged. I am thinking of just going back on the Protein Shake liquid diet. Please, has anyone been here yet?

Patti C

It will be ok. I had not had been in the hospital for 32 years and then I had my gall bladder taken out. Boy have things changed and for the better! It is kind of funny. Someone is talking to you and then the next thing you know you hear someone calling you name and wanting you to talk to them. It is like a black spot. I didn't even have time to think about it. Once I was in that holding room, some man introducted himself and then they were asking me about pain. They immediatley had pain shots and in a matter of maybe 5 minutes, there was no more pain. Some of there drugs are great! My sister heard a lady who had the lap band surgery right after me. As she came off the elevator to go to her room she was saying "Am I skinny yet. giggled, and then They sure have good drugs down there". So don't worry. It will be fine. Just try to stick to the pre-op diet and Dr Malley and the nurses will take care of the rest. The one thing I cannot emphasis enough is to get up and walk as soon as you can and walk as much as you can. The nurses did not much time to help me walk during the day, so my sister walked with me or I just walked in place beside the bed. It will help so much with the gas pains. I am not much of a walker, but I have found that helps every time I have any sort of pain. I have blamed any little bit of pain on trapped gas in my stomach and back, so walking helps so much. My first night home I took gas-x that everyone recommended. That did not touch it, so I tried a tablespoon of liquid Mylanta. That was all it took. Slept like a baby, so I will not be caught without that in my medicine cabinet. Good Luck and I know July 31st will be here before you know it.

Patti C

I am so glad you got to see around the hospital. I am sure that that helped you relax a little bit about your surgery. When are you going to be banded? Good Luck. I am sure it will be fine. I go for my one week check up tomorrow and I have started a list of questions for Dr Malley. He is so good and his nurses are the best. I just feel so comfortable with each of them. Let me know if you have any other questions. I got in touch with a lady from this site who had Dr Malley and she is a surgical nurse. She was so helpful. Just pretty much gave me a blow by blow discription on what was going to happen and it was right on the money. Helped me so much. Good Luck! Patti C

Lynette, tomorrow will be better. I know it will and so do you! Lets just put our bad experinces behind us, learn from them and look ahead. You have done so well and have been such an inspiration to all of us. Lean on us now, and know we are holding you up high and you are headed in the most positive direction. We are with you. Just hold our hands and we will continue to walk this road together!! Hold that head up high and walk proud knowing you are on your way to a wonderful life with that beautiful husband and little boy of yours! I am praying that God will bless you and make you feel much better tomorrow. Hang in there.

Patti C

Hello to all my dear friends here in Lap Band Land. My day has been much better. No more pain. I have just stuck to liquids and Jello today and think maybe I have passed this test. I know I sure learned alot last night and I sure am going to think alot before I eat anything new, especially runny mashed potatoes or pancakes.

I did have good news today. I had been taking 2 blood pressure medicines a day up until surgery day, July 12th. My doctor told me to try taking only one since my pressure had been so good in the hospital. So since then I have only taken one. I went to local doctor today and had it taken. It was 130 over 68. WOW! That was great. So I think that is working. I will still keep taking one though. I also took a pill for diabetes and have not taken it. Praise the Lord, my blood counts are running from 78 to 110. That is great too. Already off of two medicines. Don't let anyone even try to tell me I did the wrong thing!

A little scare was probably a good thing. I am much more aware of what I eat and Lynette I thank you for sharing you experience. Now we know one more thing that we just have to be warry of. We are strong women and man, and we will survive all of our trials. Hang tough everyone, and good luck to all.

Patti C

Just go to the monthly support groups and then click on the one labeled Lucky Sevens. Then go to the last page and you might have to work back a few pages thru the post and you will find Chimboree. She keeps up the calendars, and she tells you how to print off your own. You need to send a post on this site to tell them when you were banded. They try to keep up with everyone and are very encouraging. Let me know if you don't find it. Good Luck

Patti C

Thank all. You took away the tears! I think I had that sliming thing lat night Don't know for sure, but it sure scared me. I had made what I called those runny mashed potatoes. I thought they were plently runny with lots of chicken broth. They tasted sooooo good. I took very small bites and chewed each bite so there was no even small pieces of potato. I ate really slow. It was a small new potato from the garden. I ate about half of it in about 30 minutes and then the pain started. I stopped eating immediately. I know I am not to drink for an hour so I got up from the table and started walking. It only got worse, so after 45 minutes I started sipping my Water. Still no relief. I started coughing and this awful stuff started coming up. I went back outside and started walking up and down the road in front of my house. Finally I coughed up a bunch and it was a teribly sever pain. I was sure I had broke something loose with my new banding. I headed back to the house. By the time I got home, the pain was just gone! I continued to drink last night and went to bed early. I am up already this morning and I just had to write this down for you all to hear. Just in case you have something like it to you. I was so scared, but I am OK today. It is amazing. You would not know anything happened last night.

I will tell you, I am not eating anything like a potato again any time soon. I guess it got into my new stomach and just gummed up and had to fight to go down. Thank goodness I did not throw up! I see the doctor on Friday. Boy this experience gives me lots more questions added to my list to take to my appointment.

Thanks again for you encouragement. My teary day is over and the sun will come up again today!!

Patti C

Linda, You got a band twin. I am Patti C. I talked to you the other day on the Chat board. How are you doing? I have had my worst day since surgery. Nothing to bad and nothing I was not warned about. I was having runny mashed potatoes. i made them really runny with chicken broth and ate really slow, but for some reason they clogged up my band. Oh my goodness it hurt! I drank Water and walked for about an hour and it is better now. but I bet I won't be having runny mashed potatoes again any time soon. I know I did not think they would gum up like that, but anyway this has passed and I am just trying to drink all I can.

I go to my surgeon on Friday. I am excited to talk to him and the nurses. I have several questions written down to ask. Otherwise I am sure I would forget something. I have lost 7 lbs since surgery so I think all is going right.

So how about you? Got any good stories to tell? I hope you go to the Lucky Sevens site also. Their are some wonderful people there and they are very generous about telling their experiences and supporting everyone. Good Luck and let me know how you are doing.

Patti C

Dini, Your Annafrancesda is just precious. I wanted to hug her thru the screen. You certainly have something very special to modivate you to get yourself in the best health possible. I am single,and have never been married and have no children. I am also 53, so I am too old to do anything but spoil my nieces and nephews and be very jealous of wonderful people like you who are doing so much to raise up loving and precious children. Thank you for sharing her with us.

And all of you other Lucky Sevens, do know how much your sharing your family and lives with me means. I truely love each of you and appreciate all of your encouragement and enthusiam. For some reason I am having a teary night and coming to this sight has already helped so much. Thanks so much and have a wonderful evening and GREAT tomorrow!

Patti C

Auntie Phyl, I diffently have that on my places to go list. It is just beautiful! Now I just have to save my money and get someone to go with me. I live just south of Kansas City MO, so I would have a long trek before I got to Vancouver. But that has not stopped my yet! Just lost this weight (and I have a long way to go, but I will do it) and save my pennies. Now I have two goals to strive for. Thanks

Patti C

Lynette, That chicken salad looks wonderful. You said it was a mushy and I have to wait a week for that. I can't wait. I am also working on my patience!! One quick question, or maybe two. Do you mean those little packages of cream cheese or 2 of the regular size packages? Also, do you have any idea what the calorie content is? I am trying to keep count on my calories as much as possible. Right now it doesn't amount to much, but I am sure that time is coming.

Also when we get to go to solid food, are we going to be on a specific diet or do you know the plan? I have done Adkins before and it worked ok for me. I just wondered if you knew.

Last thing for the day, Suddenly today (6 days after surgery) I am having terrible pain in both of my shoulders and I have a bad knee anyway and it hurts like crap today. Got any ideas? I have not had bad gas problems all along. Could that just be coming out? Just wanted anyones thoughts. Thanks!

Patti C

Nurse 76,

I love the idea of a "cookbook" and I would love to have some new ideas on how to fix something different as we go along. Let me know what I can do to help. I am not too good on this computer, but I love to try new things and what a great way to test out to find new favorites to eat!

Patti C

Auntie Phyl,

Guess I am having trouble with my short term memory, but where is this Whistler BC? Where do you cross over into Canada? That was a gorgeous place. I think I would like to try to plan a trip there when I get "Skinny"! Did you say you just went for the weekend? Thanks for sharing the pictures. What fun!

Patti C

I just got banded on July 12 at Menorah by Dr Malley. It all went great, but in my research and waiting for my insurance to approve my surgery, I talked to a lot of people who had surgery at Heartland and they said it was like a private spa. They loved it and said you could not get better care. I kinda wanted to have mine there, but Blue Cross will not pay there so I went where they pay. I don't think you will have any problems. Dr. Malley is great. Patti C

I haven't had mine on but 5 days, but my doctor told me to not worry if they fell off, but if they didn't he would remove them when I went back for my first appointment which is this Friday morning. I have been thinking like you. That it is not going to feel very good!

Patti C

Thank you so much Chimboree! I will check it out tonight! You guys are so good

Patti C

Thanks, I will get that checked out. And yes this time I wrote it down. We go through so many pages on this site that I knew it would be easier to just ask again than to try to look back and find it. And I was right.

I also wanted to ask you about something else. I have a good friend who I have dieted with for years and she has ask me if I could set up some kind of a site to post a daily journal about what I do each day and any changes that occur. I thought it might be good therapy to try to do something like that. What do you think? I don't have any idea how to set it up, but I do have a good friend who would probably help me. Do you think that it might help someone else to read about what the surgery was like and the daily challenges?

Patti C

I really don't know. I just kinda remembered that you all had talked about we needed to have one, so since I am off I thought I needed to look into it and get it ordered.

I know that feeling of "I just cannot wait". But it will be here before you know it. I started planning and scheduling and working with the insurance company in February and July 12th finallly got here. I am so excited for you.

Lynette, I know you have been over this before, but I did not write it down. What info needs to be on the Medic Alert braclets about our surgery? I wanted to get that picked out and ordered. Thanks,

Patti C

I had my surgery July 12 (last Thursday). I have been amazed with how well everything has went. You all told me to just walk and walk as soon and as much as I could. I have had the gas pains, but not bad at all and if I just get up and walk a little bit they have immediatly gone away. So if I have any advice for anyone getting ready to be banded, JUST WALK! I have also had the great news this morning that I have lost 7 pounds since my surgery. It is so modifational. That helps with any little pains I do get. Today I got to have applesauce, yogurt, SF pudding, and runny mashed potatoes added to my choices of food. This is suppose to last for 14 days and then I get mushy stuff. Let me tell you that applesauce never tasted so good. But I could only eat less than half a cup before I was full. I guess that is a good thing. My main problem is not drinking Water an hour before and an hour after a meal. Also none with my meal. I have just caught myself doing it absent mindedly. Got to find a way to get that to my attention. Oh well, thanks for listenly and thanks for all of the encouragement, ideas, and experiences you all share so openly and honestly. You are my special friends that I think of and pray for every day.

Patti C

Please tell me what PHAT really means. I think I might be behind.

Patti C

Good Luck all you lucky banders this week. I got mine last Thursday and all is great. I am sure it will be for you too. The waiting is the hardest part. Just hang in there and it will be over before you know it! Just think by this time next week, you will be telling us all about your experience and encouraging the next group! Think Positive and head to BAND LAND! My thoughts and prayers are with each and every one of you!

Patti C.