Makinchanges4me

Ok I am going to put it out there who are you doing or why are you even thinking of getting wls take that in to consideration , ,heck I tell everybody now , why because I don't care what people think it was not any one's decision but mine and my family & friends that were with me before me being banded are still there , I for one have a healthier, movable life and I am not sluggish and tired all the time like I was , good luck on your journey .

How are you doing? How was your surgery?

Congrats on getting the band tomorrow. I get mine next week. Best wishes!

I needed to take a break for a moment from the band discussions to reflect on the loss we as a whole have just suffered. When I say "we" I'm referring to those who have been fans of Robin Williams since Mork and Mindy.
He was a genius. He was an alcoholic. He was HILARIOUS. He was severely depressed. He was incredibly talented, and our world is a sadder place without him.
RIP, Robin Williams. You inspired me in so many ways.

Amen.... So unbelievably sad.

Good idea -- that is a big drop. Once I saw the hospital bill and what the whole thing cost I decided to never hesitate calling and putting my medical professionals to work. I think they like to have that patient communication, too -- the band requires a lot of that initially. At day four or five I dropped six or seven -- I think it had to do with the retention letting go. Hope you're feeling good. Great to have the surgery behind you now and whole new life ahead. I have so much energy now it's crazy. And down another size in jeans. Yippee! Best wishes to you....

Men! Careful, we may round up a posse and come after you, lol. Seriously, congratulations on such great success -- what a great start.

Men!

I tried several brands. Atkins is my favorite. Has less carbs/sugar. Has Protein, Vitamins, and I think it has a better taste. Comes in several flavors.

OK, everyone who has never slipped up and over-ate raise your hand??
Hmmm? I'm not seeing any hands?
Relax Kandi, you're just being normal. You may have pushed the limit on your stoma and esophagus but probably no harm done. Most of us, when we do this(oh yeah, I have), go back to liquids and soupy foods for a day or two to let the stoma recover.
If the surgery demanded perfection from it's patients, no one would ever qualify.

Mine is similar to Andrew's story. I was lying in bed and felt a large bump at the bottom of my sternum. I called my husband crying, "There is something really wrong with me! I have this huge lump and I'm so scared!" Needless to say, I can be dramatic and start wailing about how I just started to live my new life and now I could possibly die. My husband leaves work so he can take me to the doctor. When he arrives, he says, "Let me feel it." So, I lie down and sure enough, he feels it too. He said, "Oh my gosh, this is really bad." In my shaky, tearful voice: "It is, right? I thought so too [sniffle]." My husband proceeds to feel it, looks into my eyes, smirks and then says, "Well, the good news is, you're going to live because you're officially suffering from getting to bone-y. This my dear is the tail end of your sternum, a bone and not some foreign bump that will cause you to die."
Lol!

My funniest moment post-op was something that happened a few months back after losing 120+ pounds. I discovered a bump under my chest on the side and my wife was pressuring me to go to the ER. I called our ins co nurse line and they said to go to the doctor if it's not gone in 2 weeks.
After hanging up I found a similar bump on the other side. When at a cardiologist appointment the next week he laughed and said that was the bottom of my rib cage.

Almost every Bandster has gone through what you're experiencing. It's called Bandster Hell and it will continue till you get enough adjustments to place you in or near the green zone. This happens anywhere from one week out to 6 months out. I was in BH for 4 months before my 3rd fill gave me enough satiety to not be hungry all the time.
Yes, the hunger seems worse than before surgery. But before surgery, it wasn't hunger, it was just our eating demons telling us we "wanted" food. Now, it's your brain and body telling you that it "needs" food. Remember these feelings so that you can tell the difference between head hunger and true hunger.
You should follow your doctors advice. But, the hunger was so intense for me I had to eat. So, I focused on eating healthy foods like salmon, chicken, lean beef, veggies etc. I ignored the 1/2-1 cup limits and ate till I was no longer hungry. I lost 12 lbs the first 2 weeks and then nothing for the next 3.5 months. Then my 3rd fill made BH go away. Hang in there, it's only temporary.
My port site took nearly 3 months to heal. I've seen many other patients comment on the same port site incision issue.
Like B-52 says: "Till there's restriction, it's just another diet"

A BIG bottle of Water, chapstick, lifesavers, tooth paste and tooth brush. It took me a full day to get rid of the cottonmouth. Flip flops, 2 pillows for the car ride home. A magizine with cute clothes so you can see what you 'll be wearing soon , in smaller sizes. Good luck !!!

Hey there, congratulations on your surgery date! I was banded in November and I am SO HAPPY. The walking post-surgery is so important -- I was glad I had flip-flops to slip on when I felt like I needed to pee (often, but that's me). Then I'd take the IV pole up and down the hallway and then back to bed for a nap. Repeat cycle but longer walk -- you get the idea! I brought stuff I didn't need. I liked having my own pillow not just in the car but in my room. I used the hospital robe, not the one I brought, I liked having my iPad but I didn't write in the journal I brought or read my book, etc. But nice to have all options! I am a tea drinker and brought my own teabags.

wear a loose comfortable sun dress. bring a sports water bottle so you can have ice Water for your trip home as well as in the hospital. wear sunglasses for your trip. I dunno why but I got a headache on my trip home which was a 2 hour trip. good luck

Hi! I had my surgery back in March. I read on the forums all the things to bring. You can read about my prep items in my blog: http://banderland.weebly.com/my-lap-band-journey/surgery-is-tomorrow
There is a bit of a wait before surgery, so I biggest suggestion is to bring something to occupy your time. I mostly played candy Crush on my phone.
Congratulations and good luck!
PS- I'm 152 days post op and would do it all over again in a heartbeat!

Had to go back to liquids the last few days. Still feels tight in my chest. Going to stay on liquids a few more days. I am feeling better though.

I think you were not out of line at all. My thinking is that people think their method is the best. Territorial I suppose. Yes, we lose weight at a slower pace but we keep it off better. At least that's what I'm told. The slower the loss the longer the results. This, I'm sure, does apply with all of us with the tools as well as those who don't. No matter which route we decided to go or which one our physicians recommended, we are all in this together and should be supporting the weight loss journeys - NOT the tools!

The nutritionist I see says we should not use straws for at least 6 months. This gives you time to heal and prevents excess trapped gas (and pain). I think different Dr.s have different opinions about this as well.
Personally I have an in-law that has had the lap-band and she drinks from a straw all the time. She is a number of years post op though.

Hello All!
Tomorrow morning is the day! I get banded ladies and gents. I've got my rx's, heating pad, liquids, gas-x, chapstick, loose clothes, and this feeling of anticipation. The day is finally here. For those of you who have speaking with me on the board you know that I have been working really hard to listen to my body. My goal was to begin retraining my brain before being banded. As with everything else in my life I find that if I prepare myself I tend to do well with what I do. I've learned so much just getting ready for surgery, being on the pre-op diet, and I've already had a few non scale victories. I managed to complete my pre-op diet with out trouble, I've listened to my body every step of the way and I feel like a million bucks. I work tonight and then I am off to surgery tomorrow. Any last words of wisdom.....

I'm getting the band on 8/5. Your post was appreciated. Everything I have read (incl book from True Results) states that it is a tool and not a magic cure. I have to do my part as well. Thanks for the tips!

Try sugar free popsicles. The ones we bought have only 15 calories and no sugar.

Try sugar free popsicles. The ones we bought have only 15 calories and no sugar.

I'm 2 months post-op! Down 46#'s
Start weight 267
2 months -221
So excited!!! Can't weight to get to under the 200 mark!!! I'll be there in a month hopefully!!! Congrats to everyone on their journey!!!