lindata

What I meant to say was after surgery gas pains are normal. I didn't mean gas pain from one meal should go away in a month! It took me around 2 months before gas pains finally eased up to where there were no more.

Yup, gas pain is normal. It should go away in a month or so.

Usually your band is unfilled or slightly filled at the time of surgery. After surgery you probably won't be hungry for a week or so while you get over surgery. Then comes a bit of a tough part. Then you enter what's known as bandster hell. You probably will be hungry. Some people are lucky and never need a feel, they feel full from the beginning, but most people are hungry. This is when you just have to knuckle down and admit you're hungry and you can't do anything about it, period. What you can do is come here and complain about bandster hell. There are many posts about that topic!! What helped me the most during this time was Protein shakes. They tended to fill me up the best and fulfilled the protein and Calcium requirements (since I used milk instead of Water with them). chicken broth also tended to fill me up quite well. And sip your water in between. Water fills you up too. You are going to be a bit hungry, but it's only a short time in the scheme of things. It's going to take willpower but the results will be worth it. If you eat something you shouldn't, say you skip a step and eat solids when you should be on liquids, you may end up hurting your healing stomach. I found this time wasn't as hard as later on, since I had a lot of willpower going into this. I mean, I just shelled out $18,000, had major surgery, of course I was going to do it the right way. Just look at it that way and that first month will fly by, really. Keep yourself busy and keep your mind off food and that's the best thing you can do for yourself. For example, that first month I was on this site probably every other hour!! I also read a lot and started taking walks later on. You MUST follow your doc's rules about eating in this healing stage no matter how hungry you get - but it's really not THAT bad! You're not going to want to gnaw off your arm or anything like that! The worst part is just not knowing how you're going to feel. I mean, it's not like you've done this before! Once you've had surgery you won't want to screw up your band by eating wrong, trust me! You said you know how dangerous it is to eat wrong in this initial stage - that's a good thing! Some people are not scared to screw up their band, so they eat the wrong things, and then they do screw it up or have complications later on. It's good that you're worried. That means that you won't do the wrong thing! Don't worry, you'll be just fine. Another thing that you'll hear on this site a lot is head hunger. That's probably a LOT of what you will feel after surgery, and that's probably what you're most scared of really. That means the hunger you think you feel, like hmm, I could eat a big mac or a chocolate or some cihps right about now (even though your stomach is not growling). It's when you feel that snacking feel come on. Try to discern between head hunger (snacky, peckish feeling) and real hunger (stomach growling, lightheadedness You'll be surprised how often your hunger is only head hunger. If you can do this before surgery you'll be that much more ahead of the game. When are you getting your surgery btw?

Yes, actually I saw my regular doc not too long ago and she thought it was great about my weightloss and was really interested in the band in a positive way. Then I saw another doc and I told him I couldn't swallow pills because I had a band. He had no idea what I was talking about for a minute. Then he said well, I'm sure they can dissolve! Yeah, maybe when I puke it up after it getting stuck it'll dissolve in my spit on the floor. I didn't feel like educating him. I just said I suppose I could crush up the pills. But I'm changing the post topic, aren't I? Sorry!

Rarely do I peek my timid head out from the protective wings of the November Nymphs board, but I checked out the rest of lapbandtalk the other day and found a mentors board. I volunteered to be one! It's really fun if you guys haven't seen it yet. I figure I asked a lot of newbie questions and here's a good way to "pay it forward".

Can anyone say HOT!!!! sssssssszzzzzzizzzling!

I didn't have insurance - self pay the whole way, but I have absolutely no regrets. I'd pay for it again if I had to. About the eating Gosh, I can't even remember what I ate before surgery - I think it was a liquid diet?? Let me know what she told you. After surgery it's pretty simple. Most doctors follow the plan below, but yours may have a different plan. Follow whatever YOUR doctor tells you - don't compare with other people, it's really important to listen to your doctor. Everyone's doctor has varying times to be on the different food stages. The first few weeks after surgery are liquids, and don't worry you will not die on liquids! I know it's hard to believe that you can survive on so little, but really you can! Liquids are things like Protein shakes, chicken broth, juice - anything that has no "particles" in it. Then for a few weeks you can add mushy things. Basically anything you can process in a food processor (well, maybe not hard things like meat though). Then after that you can eat soft food for a few weeks. Then it's back to eating regular food, except you have to really chew it to a pulp. One great tip I got off of here was when you reach this stage, think pencil-eraser amounts, and chew until it's liquid. It's very, very, very important not to skip stages because you are healing. You'll think you can skip stages, you'll read of other people skipping stages (heck, I think I even went to solids before I should have), but DON'T skip stages. The longer you let your tummy heal, the better shape it will be in in the long term. I've heard people say that the reason you need to do this is so that the band "settles" in place and you're less likely to slip later down the road. Some people have restriction right away and some people need months' worth of fills before they feel the tightness when they swallow their food - but that's getting ahead of ourselves! Let me know if you have other concerns. This is kinda fun!

Oh God, don't say that. I never looked at it that way before!! Well, sheeooot, if that don't motivate a person, I don't know what will. :thumbup:

Hi Bimbabe. What would you like to know?

Yeah, I'm not so sure anyone would want to see my girls in the strong mid-day sun either.

:wink2::frown::smile: Ever feel like 95 percent of doctors are against WLS and 5 percent are for it? Hmmm, kind of like how 95 percent of people who lose weight on diets will regain their weight and only 5 percent will keep it off. I've had it with being in the 95 percentile group - that's why I got the band, and I'm loving it!

Hi, I wouldn't mind being a lapband buddy. I would have liked someone like that when I was going through all my thousand pre-op, post-op and bandster hell questions! I got banded November, 2007, was self-pay, have lost 55 pounds, have PB'd, slimed, and had one unfill due to being too inflamed, so I am thoroughly initiated in bandster life! I'm a SAHM, mid 30's, married. I would like to follow Indiogirl's lead and say I'm here to help, I'm here to "pay it forward" to all the experienced bandsters who helped me through my fears and struggles, and most importantly to be non-judgemental. I'm faaaaar from being a perfect bandster myself!

Sunday at Tiffany's - isn't that a movie? You'll love Twilight! I put a hold on her third book in the series at the library. It wasn't even in print yet and I think I was hold number 99! I'm just starting Two for the Money by Janet Evanovich. I just finished reading Peace Like a River. OMG!!! What a GREAT book!

Well, Sades, wouldn't you know it? I have an excuse. I got sick the day after I posted my challenge. But I did lose weight thanks to being sick!

Too funny! Maybe I should try that too! harhar Well, after my good intentions, I got sick last week and haven't been out of bed since. Maybe it's my subconscious telling me to keep being lazy! :frown:

P.S., my husband still loves me at any weight, with zits on my face, with bad morning breath, with greasy hair, with my bad attitude, with weight gain and weightloss.

Yes, I feel very much the same - a physical addiction, one that came on slowly over the years. I didn't realize at first until it was too late.

Well, I go away for a few months and look what happens - everyone in Arkansas gets banded without telling me! Wow, I can't believe how many people are posting here now, I'm going to have to come visit more often! I was banded by Dr. Gibbs, btw, and I really like him and his nurse - they take good care of me.

Soooooo ..... ummmm .... anyone want to train for a half marathon? Did I just say that? :crying: Yeah, it's the crazy alter ego in my brain voicing this very crazy idea that I can do a half marathon this spring. My hubby did it last year for the first time and he wants me to do it this year. Now, keep in mind I'm 5'4", hardly a gazelle, and built like my Ukranian ancestors - in other words more suited to ploughing a field, picking rocks, and hauling Water on my shoulders with my stumpy, sturdy legs, rather than running and leaping and cavorting with legs that are a mile long!

Shalee - my body likes 180 too! It's been around that weight for quite a few years. And even now with my minor binge session, that's the weight it went right back to.

Shalee - how exciting! That's so funny how you described going with the lowest price on your housing projects. Me and my husband learned the hard way on that too! Definitely go with the best! I bet once you get your tummy tuck you'll see a huge difference. And who needs a boob job? Just roll them up and tuck them in a Victoria Secret and away you go! Cindy - I'm so glad you're going to get an unfill. I'm very very happy that I may have prevented for you what happened to me! What really sucks is that I gained 10 pounds with the unfill (totally my fault - pigged right out!). Then I got 1 cc back of the 1.5 cc's taken out. I think I'm going to need another .25 cc's. I got the 1 cc done today and already I don't have much restriction. :crying:

Where's Lizzie? I miss you, girl!

Okay Sades, sounds like you and me need to kick each other's butts. Let's get to the gym, okay? I had been planning this for a few days but keep delaying it. Let's work out tomorrow, no excuses. Are you in? So I went to get a fill. I love my doc. He didn't even bat an eye at my weight gain, said I was doing great. Even the nurse. She asked me what do you weigh? (she wasn't the one who did the weighing in) and I said I wasn't going to tell her! Well, of course she can look right on the chart but didn't say a thing. It's amazing what ten pounds looks like. I can't believe the difference in my body. I want to get it off!

I'll check out City of Ember and The Book Thief. I've read Philip Pullman. You might like the Percy Jackson and the Olmpians series. I really did! It's a YA. I also really liked most of the books by Karen Cushman. Aren't young adult books great? Who knew? My friend is a librarian and has a degree in young adult literature, so she's the one who got me hooked. Anyone else reading any great books? Has anyone read the book for this month yet or shall we just go back and forth suggesting books to each other? I don't mind either way.

Whoohoo TX! I understand about hills - I've got them too.