new life!

I'm glad I found this thread... For about a week I've had horrible back pain... I told my friend that I was going to come to lapbandtalk.com and see if I could find any answers... My pain,however, is not in the center of my back.. it is in my back but on my right side. This is my "heavy" side... I call my hanging side my "sidecar"... during the school year I usually wear a girdle thing... I'm wondering if I'm pulling at my back muscles by not wearing it now that I'm on summer vacation... but I also wonder if it is because of the weight shift with the pounds coming off... I don't even know what kind of doctor to go to? Should I see my regular doctor, the surgeon, a chiropractor.. JACK... what do you think? I've never done the chiropractor thing... anybody else with this kind of pain?

I ended up borrowing my Tax Shelter Annuity money that I was saving for retirement. I pay it back monthly at a lower rate than a traditional loan would have been. I finally decided that I had to do it otherwise I may not be around to use the retirement money. Do you have anything like that through your work?

So why did I pay $15,000 for the surgery when I could have done South Beach?

I felt the trouble with breathing... but now after 10 days.. nothing... so glad that went away. It really worried me.

Major Pre Op diet for me. 10 days of liquid diet... I'm glad I did.. plenty of room in there for the surgery to go well.

I actually live in Platteville... Had Dr. Hoppenbecker at St. Mary's in Madison do it... I go tomorrow to the nutrionist for my first follow up... I'm very anxious to see what the next phase of "food" is... I've had my full of broth and yogurt...

Really,where are you? Who did your surgery?

Top of the screen... chat.. Maybe if there is enough interest we should set up a support time? Or if people opened it when they were viewing we could ask questions right away... just a thought... anyone have ideas?

Every time I go into the Chat there isn't anyone in there... Does anyone ever use it? Is there a set time when people gather to chat?

Hey Road Queen

I too am a business teacher. How long did you stay off when you got your band? My students (especially the accounting kids) are really wanting me back. I don't want to push it and be exhausted every minute of the day.

What about other meds? I crush them and have mixed it in yogurt, pudding, juice... and I swear I'm going to gag and vomit... As a matter of fact for three days I didn't take my 2 antidepressants and boy ... duh... I felt dizzy, sweaty, sick... my pharmasist had a fit!!! So... any tricks to how you take your meds.. they just are not meant to be smushed and taken that way... why can't we swallow them?

Thanks Kathy... good to hear that it isn't unusual for the breathing pain to still be here... might help too if I put on a bra!!! LOL... but it feels good to not have it rubbing against the incesions. So, what did you start with when you started eating the mushies? I'm amazed at houw much I'm enjoying yogurt (always hated it when I was trying to "diet") and I love a popsicle!!! Amazing!!!

WOw.. guess I was fighting the napping and stuff this week. When my husband left for work this morning I took a pain med and laid back down... my principal (I teach) woke me up at 11 when he called with a question... wow... I haven't slept that late in heaven knows... I had restless dreams last night and during that "nap"... but must have needed it... I gotta stop fighting my body and if it wants rest give it to it... I had thought about going to school this morning for the kids signing up for next years classes day... glad I decided against it. How long did most of you stay off work? My doc. said to take two weeks.. that seemed extreme, but maybe I need to...

Still feeling weird when I take a deep breath, that bothers me... did anybody else experience that?

question for you all...I went to the ticker website and then I got stuck on how to transfer it to the lapband site... what did you select to do that?

I was banded on April 25 in Madison, Wisconsin. So far, so good. Not too much pain.

how do you get that little chart at the bottom that shows goals and loss so far?

I just had my banding on Monday... I'm surprised how well I do feel... but still sore and tired. The worst entry is the one the port is in... it feels very tender and bruised like crazy. Normal? It is a very strange feeling this new stomach... my husband asked me when we got home on Tuesday if I was hungry and I said I didn't know what the feeling was that I had... I think now I'm beginning to know hungry feeling as opposed to ouch feeling!! LOL

Hi... I've been on the site before my surgery and now that I'm "banded" I want to visit more often... I'm having trouble setting up my information. How do you get the information about your doctor, your goals, your weight and the chart entered?

And what does PB stand for?