"Nita

I'm sorry you are going through this. I had some of the same as well. My husband was not at all happy about my decsion. I finally quit trying to convince him and scheduled my seminar and just told him, I am going to do this. I think it would be easier on both of us if you tried to learn a little about it and come with me to the seminar. He did and once he learned about it and found it was nothing like the RNY that his cousin had, he was on board. As for my mother...LOL...let's just say she is my mother :tired which is never a great thing, oh well, you can't change people. You can give them the information and hope they change or just ignore them and focus on yourself right now. You have a whole board of people here who will support you and go through this with you. You aren't alone!!!!

thank you all so much. I have my grocery list in hand and will make this next week of mushies more varied and tasty!!! I am feeling less down now although I still can't think about buffalo wings or chicken nuggets without wanting to cry!!!! I wish I cold just stop thinking about them all together but that seems to be like when you get some stupid song stuck in your head that you just can't get outta there! 8 more days of mushies to go. I think I can, I think I can, I think I can......LOL (anyone else remember The Little Engine That Could? lol...I think that was the name of that book anyway.)

some of these things on this thread make my peanutbutter and dill pickle sandwiches seem completely ordinary!!! and I would dip anything in ranch dressing...chips, pizza (a favorite), fries, chicken, crackers, you name it, it can be dipped in ranch dressing. Childhood gross stuff.....I loved fried spam with syrup, fried bologna with salsa and mustard, pickles dipped in chocolate syrup, and mayo, salt and pepper sandwich on white bread (no meat or anything). Is it any wonder I grew up to weigh 300 pounds, LOL oh and I am still grossed out by the thought of fritos in buttermilk!!!!! I think that one wins as the grossest.

OK, almost three weeks out and this is really hard. I am fighting not only the head hunger which is horrible but actual hunger too. I have found that I am way more obsessed with food than I ever imagined I was. I am so sick of bland looking bland tasting mushy food and as stupid as it sounds.....I am truly grieving the loss of junk food and of eating as much of as many things as I can eat. In my head, I know this is dumb since that habit is what got me where I am but I feel like I've lost a friend. Yesterday we had to go to two different family Fourth of July parties. Well, I tried to take the focus off the food and enjoy visiting with everyone and relaxing but all I could focus on was the constant eating by everyone but me. It wasn't as if there was a meal then socializing. People ate the entire day. chicken, ribs, sausages, chips you name it and it was in the hand or mouth of whoever I was sitting by, standing near, or talking too. I was miserable. I actually cried when I got home. How pitiful is that???? I just feel disgusted with myself that food is this important to me. I am still sad and weepy today over all the food I wish I could eat instead of this mush. I really never expected to feel or act this way.

I just want to say, you can do this!!! You have overcome so much and empowered yourself to make major changes in your life. You should feel empowered now and proud of yourself. start there and really think about how much you have accomplished. As strange as this sounds to any of us. size has little or nothing to do with self-confidence and sexiness. (neither does hair) I have known dozens of thin (some who had incredible bodies) who were so insecure and afraid for anyone to see what in their minds were imperfections. This is true no matter the length of their hair. So whether you lost 100 lbs and are worried about sagging or you only weigh 100 lbs and are worried about a birthmark or scar, insecurities are in our own heads. If you feel beautiul and sexy and carry yourself as such, you will be seen that way. The long hair is only sexy if the woman feels sexy and flips it around in a sexy way. The short hair is equally sexy if the woman feels sexy and acts sexy!!! You are a beautiful sensual woman who is strong and capable!!!! You can do this!!!!!

It isn't only the different agencies but what specific plan your company has. If the company can add clauses to the insurance. For instance, I have United Healthcare which covers most people's band 100% but the company my husband works for (which is self-insured through UHC) has a clause that they only allow 50% coverage for any obisity related surgury and there is a clause that it has to be at an outpatient facility and yada yada yada. So it probably wouldn't be of much help to know what agency covered other's bands because it will depend on the actual policy.

I guess I should add that my doctor stitches inside and steri-strips surface so I didn't have any external stitches. These two are from inside. I just don't know if they worked themselves up from deep inside after the knots disolved or if the tails were left too long and are sticking out. Will they disolve if they are exposed like this?

OK, I will call the doctor's office in the morning but I thought I would see if this is normal here first.... Two weeks since surgury. Steri-strips are all off, two of my incisions have a thick clear fishing line type thread which I assume are my internal stitches sticking out. These two incisions are still somewhat open of course because of this. I just noticed it about an hour ago as I have avoided looking too closely at them (I told you I am a wimp). I have a friend who is a nurse, I asked her and she said to give them a gentle pull and see if they come out. She thought maybe the ends of the disolving stitches worked their way out. Well, they don't come out. In fact it hurts to pull them at all no matter how gentle. Anyone else have this?

I am finally doing OK. It was a really rough first 9 or 10 days but I feel pretty good now. Still having trouble getting comfortable at night. I have found that sleeping wedged between two pillow so I am not on my side but not on my back either..sort of propped on the pillows, makes it better. It just feels like everything is pulling and sore when I try to sleep. I have added liquid Iron and I think the anemia may be on the mend but still feeling a little unwell. Best of luck to you last three June bandsters!!!!

I was told that chewing gum stimulates stomach acids (as if stomach was getting ready to digest a meal) so not only can it make you gassy and refluxy but can cause you to want to eat more. Don't know....just passing along what I was told.

Your not alone. I will never understand my mother!!! I guess that is just part of being a daughter. But I am sorry she hurt your feelings. You know you are not pretending anything. My mom made all of these wonderful offers (mostly in front of people) of how she was going to come over and take care of me, cook for the kids and husband so I wouldn't have to deal with food while I was on liquid and mushies and couldn't eat it. how she would do the shopping and help me out around the house because (according to her) I needed to rest afterward so I could recover. Now, knowing my mom the way I do, I should have anticipated the outcome of this......nope, got me yet again!!!! (everytime she does this, I think...maybe this time she is really going to make an effort to mother me, to be here for me, to be human....) I am 11 days out and haven't seen her once!!!! I called her everyday for the first five days and would ask her if she was going to come over and see me. I didn't ask her to keep her word about cooking or cleaning or anything else, just to come keep me company and visit. She only lives 30 minutes away. And every day she had some excuse and would remind me how I have always been so independent and strong that I don't need any help. I can manage. So......I quit calling and she hasn't bothered picking up the phone to see how I am. And I guess that's just the way it is between us. She has done this to me before and a lot worse as well but....LOL, this was supposed to be about your mom so I'll stop ranting now. Again, I'm sorry she hurt your feelings. Things are never simple between mothers and daughters. I wish they were!!!

I am a bit of a wimp when it comes to pain. I know this. I just don't like things that hurt, LOL. I am 11 days out and finally feeling pretty good now. At the worst (the first couple of days) I would put the pain at about a 7. then it was hanging around a 4 or 5. Not terribly painful just enough to be very uncomfortble. Now between 0 and 2. I took some tylonol last night because I couldn't get comfortable in bed and was fine. The closest I can describe the feeling is of post-childbirth. The pain isn't like actual child-birth (which is horrible!!, LOL) It is much more like the hours following childbirth, that feeling of all the muscles between your neck and hips hurting as if you had just pushed a ten pound bowling ball out!!! LOL I had aches in my stomach and back, sharp gas pains in my shoulder and neck and pulling sort of pains near the incisions but nothing I couldn't handle (with the help of pain meds of course!!!) I have posted several times about how I was still hurting long after I thought I should feel better but I haven't regretted this at all. That is saying a lot considering I am a self confessed whimp!!!!! This is surgury and isn't going to feel good but it's not that bad either. It is worth it for a week of discomfort. You can do it!!!!!

I am sorry your family didn't give you the praise you deserve right now. You are doing a great job though so don't let this set you back. Just keep doing doing as well as have so far and be proud of yourself. I am proud of you and I think your doing super!!!!

Mine was done at an outpatient center. No cath. I went to the bathroom before they took me to the O.R. the only thing I had was an IV, blood pressure cuff, and the thing on my finger to messure blood oxygen and these strange leg stockings. They velcroed around my legs and they inflate and deflate (similar to blood pressure cuff) to sort of massage your legs and prevent clots.

I was just commenting on this to my husband!!!! pre-band (I am 10 days out) I would have reflux at least a couple times a week. Mostly if I skipped Breakfast or had an empty stomach and it would be bad enough that I often threw up bile (sorry for that image). Well, now I am not sure if I ever truly had an empty stomach before, LOL cause this is a whole new feeling. I think I will have to learn what empty and hungry and all of those things feel like. As stupid as this sounds, I didn't even realize exactly where my stomach was in my abdoman. I always thought it was a litle lower and more center. I was surprised to see it on flouro and now feel where it is when it is empty and hungry. Obviously I never felt true hunger pains before. So now I have to question did I have reflux from having an empty stomach (my solution was to eat something of course...a sandwich or a couple slices of toast usually did the trick) or from whatever I ate too much of the night before that was probably still hanging around.... but like you, I haven't had any reflux at all since the band.

Lap-band's name, not musical group... when I went to the seminar for my surgury, the surgeon made a corny joke about being a good surgeon but not "lord of the ring" meaning he couldn't make it magical. so.....I call mine "my precious"...LOL Any of you moms or geeks who like LOTR will understand that one, (I'm both.....had to watch the movies because of my boys but would have watched them anyway, lol)

is it the norm to have a post-op appt. at a week? mine isn't for five weeks???

congratulations!! can't wait to be there as well. you should be so proud of yourself!!!!

I hadn't even thought about being anemic, but now that ya'll say that, I think I may be. My feet and hands are freezing. I can't get warm. I feel weak and like I am just not recovering well, white as a ghost, fuzzy headed (of course that could be from calorie loss as well), low body temp, duh....LOL. I think I will take some iron as well as upping the protien drinks and see if that helps.

congratulations and best wishes!!!!!!

disclaimer: I am a big wimp so don't let my experience or pain scare you!!!! I am sure you will do much better, LOL!!!!! Let me just say that I really like Dr. Spivak and his staff. I wouldn't have chosen anyone else to do this. He is one of the best around! Again, Don't take my experience as an example cause I still (8 days out) feel like I have been run over by a train! From everything I have read I am healing slower than most. So I am sure you will do much better!!!! Immediatly after...... I was nausous & I have to say I was not thrilled with the staff at the surgury center. It is an in and out sort of place. As soon as I was awake, they had me get up, inspite of the vomiting, and get dressed and sit in what they called the step down area. They did the flouro which was neat because I got to see my band. I was given a bottle of Water and told when I drank it I would be discharged. There were several other patients in this step down area which was basically a room lined with recliners. Some were doing really well, some were nausous or hurting. I can't tell you how bad I just wanted to lay down and sleep and try to let some of the meds that were making me so queezy wear off, but didn't happen. I was given the choice to sit or walk, not to lay in a bed. It took me about an hour maybe two to finish that water. I was still vomiting and hurting of course mostly from the vomiting. They did give me meds to help with the nausea but were really pushing for me to drink the water so I could go home and rest. They do not keep people overnight or anything at this facility. I wish my insurance would have covered a hospital, I think I may have been more comfortable if I had a bed to sleep off the meds longer, but they only covered out patient center so here it was. As I said, some people were doing much better though and I think the nausea is what really messed me up more so than the actual surgury. So if you do wake up and feel ok, this would be great that you get to go home really soon not mess with hospital stuff. The first couple days were really rough and while I am still not what I would call recovered, I can feel improvement every day.

OK, 8 days out. I am finding each day brings something new. I can tell an overall improvement with each day but I seem to get a new ache or pain as each day as well. the hunger pains set in today...big time. It feels like I am completely hollow. I guess I have never been truly empty bellied, hungry before...LOL. This is a whole new feeling for me. I am so soar in every muscle between my neck and hips still, front and back. I can't find a comfortable position to sleep in and I wake up with my back hurting as bad as my front. I can't believe how slowly I seem to be recovering. It is getting rediculious now! I am still white as a ghost. I have no color at all in my face. People keep asking if I am going to pass out. Not a big ego boost when my best compliment of the day is that I look like I am dead....LOL. My temp. is still low (hasn't gone over 96.5) the nurse said some people have a bit of a shock to their body after surgury and this can happen and is OK. I am doing three protien shakes a day and some broth and Jello along with at least one baby prune juice a day but I feel weaker today than I have in the past 7 days. I have now lost 12 pounds in 8 days. I guess this rapid weight loss while I am sure most is Fluid, is the best part of these 8 days!!!!! Just whining......I really thought this would be easier. tell me I will feel sooo much better soon.

anyone? I just don't know if I should take the strips off if they don't start to come off soon or just leave them alone. I thought I remembered people talking about scabs and such at 7-10 days ..... I still have the strips but it looks a little wet under there, no sign of the strips coming off or of scabs.

I think it depends on how well you handle pain in the first place. I know people who seem to have no pain receptacles, LOL...break a leg and never need so much as a tylonol. I however am a bit more of a baby when it comes to things that hurt...... I am seven days out and luckily do not work outside of the house because I am just now feeling somewhat better. I was in quite a lot of pain for the past six days not constant but most of the time. I was taking pain meds up until today which also made me feel groggy and a little queasy so add that to the delay in feeling good. Now at day seven, I am not feeling like a million bucks but do feel able to get around and able to do things again. I am still having soreness and gas pains in my chest though. I swear I have worn a path in the carpet from walking around and around and around the downstairs of my houseday and night, LOL. Don't use me as a standard of how you will do. Just keep in mind that if you normally are down longer than average with illnesses or injuries, this will be no different. It is all about how well your body heals and how well you handle pain. While most people say they were fine in a few days, I have had people write me and say they were down for a week or two as well. I wouldn't schedule any billion dollar mergers or anything for a couple weeks just to be sure.

OK, one week banded!!!! Yeah, I survived that first week . I found out I am a real wimp cause I have been in quite a bit of pain up to day five or six. still not feeling like a million bucks or anything so hats off to all of you who are back at work three days out. LOL... that's not me!!!! OK, the question..... how long do the stri-strips take to start peeling off? i have showered several times, bathed once, and seven days out, they aren't even turning up at the corners. I think they are super-glued to my skin (just kidding..). shouldn't they be peeling off soon? As for other one week stuff.....no hunger at all. In fact, I am having to make myself drink broth and protien drinks. feeling no hunger at all. having no problem sipping all my water though. I am down 20 pounds from pre-op diet and this week. 10 from pre-op diet, 10 from this week. although I think most must be fluid cause I can't see where 20 pounds is missing from anywhere!!! LOL. Nita