Longhorn

That's quite a change! You're body is so much smoother and slimmer! Isn't it great that you don't have to reach goal to enjoy the benefits of losing? Congratulations!

I thought I would have a hard time giving up diet soda. I've been building up to drinking at least six a day for 30 years. I'm not a coffee or iced tea drinker so soda was my drink of choice all day long. I went ahead and gave it up when I started the pre-op diet and didn't miss it! I had a headache for a couple of hours the first few days but that went away. Now I sip on Propel or, gasp, water! Oh, and I like Diet Snapple, too. I never would have believed it would be this easy!

My doctor told me to get in 64 oz a day and I could count the protein shakes, etc., toward that total. I think I'm coming close. I'm pretty much sipping all day.

This is one reason I was glad not to stay in the hospital. I remember how little rest I got after my first child was born! I've been in the hospital a few times and I've never rested well, and just when I would get to sleep, someone would come in again. Once my room was near the nurses station and all I could hear was the nurses laughing and talking, day and night! I asked them to quiet down but it didn't help much. I live out in the country and I didn't have one visitor. I could watch what I wanted on television, decide if I wanted to take a phone call, hang out with my laptop, and sleep when I wanted. It's been really nice!

My surgery was on Thursday and I'm planning to go back on Tuesday. I teach at a community college so it shouldn't be too taxing. I have long breaks in between classes. If I have to, I can teach sitting down as my lessons are on PowerPoint. I'm feeling pretty good today and think I could go back tomorrow if I had to but I'm glad I'm waiting until Tuesday, not so much because of the pain but because I might still be tired.

My pre-op diet was a low-carb, high protein diet. However, I have a relatively low BMI and my surgeon said he wasn't worried about my liver being too big. I believe he does require a liquid diet for those with higher BMIs. His post-op diet is the most conservative I've seen on this board! First two weeks: Clear liquids (including skim milk and protein shakes made with skim milk) Next four weeks: Full liquids/pureed foods (foods that could fit through a straw but no fruit juice) Until 5 months post-op: Soft foods. 5 months post-op: Normal food. Most people are eating soft food and then normal food much sooner than this. I plan to ask him more about this when I meet him on Friday. I don't know if this schedule depends on how I'm doing or why it is so strict compared to others.

Thanks, Flip! Let us know what you get, if you like it, and if it works. I may have to try soy next.

There's a thread for those over 50 and another for those over 60 in the Lap Band Support forum. Some of these topics, including Medicare, have been discussed there. You might want to check them out. I'm 52 and it never crossed my mind that I might be too old. Silly me! But then I never think I'm as old as I am. :Banane20:

I was banded November 1. Here's the sequence of appointments that I went through: 1. Initial consultation with surgeon. They took my weight, blood pressure, and temperature. I had downloaded and filled out some forms in advance about my health and weightloss history. I met with the surgeon who explained the surgery and answered all my questions. I had already been approved for credit. I made the appointment for surgery for 13 days later. 2. Meeting with nutritionist. She went over the pre-op and post-op diet. 3. Meeting with psychologist. I filled out a brief form rating my level of depression and self-esteem. We discussed my weightloss history, feelings about myself, family support, etc. It was a very uplifting meeting. 4. Appointment with my GP. He had no affiliation with the surgeon but because I had the tests done in his office, I saved some money. He examined me and recommended me for surgery. I also had an EKG, chest X-ray, and pulmonary function test. The nurse drew blood that was sent off to the lab for a bunch of tests. My doctor had also faxed the results of tests I had this summer which saved me money in not having to repeat them. 5. Pre-op meeting at the hospital. This was just a meeting to take care of the admissions paperwork. I brought a printed list of the supplements I take which saved a little time. The technician took my blood pressure, pulse, and temperature and asked questions regarding my medical history. 6. Pre-op visit with the surgeon two days before surgery. His assistant weighed me, took my blood pressure, pulse, and temperature. She had me stand on a special scale to measure my fat percentage and I did a metabolism test where I breathed through a tube for about ten minutes to measure my daily calorie requirements. She said this was to get a baseline measurement so that if I reach a plateau, they have something to compare. I showed 50 percent of my weight is fat and we want to get it down to 25 percent. My metabolism showed 2600 calories per day, which makes me wonder why I couldn't lose weight when I cut it to 1600 a day -- I guess we'll see! I then met with the surgeon who examined me and decided where he was going to put my port so that it doesn't bother me when I bend over. Some people do all of this on one day and some appointments are spread out, like mine were. I'll go in one-week post-op to visit the surgeon again. Everything has gone like clockwork. Good luck!

I'd like to start riding my bike again. I didn't actually stop because of how I looked but how difficult it is to bike in the hilly area where I live. I have an electric bike to help with the hills but it has had plenty of technical problems so I'd love to be able to ride my regular bike and weighing less would surely help!

Massage and heat have helped me. Mine is in the front so I massage it myself and then I use a heating pad on it.

Well . . . First Day: I got home from the hospital at around 1:45. I was sore but upbeat. The worst pain was in my left shoulder. I spent the day in my La-Z-Boy with a pillow under my knees and another on my stomach. I frequently dozed, hung out on this board, and sipped Propel and Protein beverages. I took Tylenol with codeine every 4 to 6 hours. I had a slight fever of about 99.2. I slept in my bed but woke up a lot. It was painful to turn over but I could get comfortable enough to sleep on my side with my body pillow under my belly and between my knees. Second Day: The pain in my shoulder had lessened but I was more sore around my incisions and my abdomen became bloated. I kept up the Tylenol and walked around. Late in the afternoon, my husband gave me a back rub and that seemed to help get the gas moving. I couldn't stomach any more whey protein so I switched to low-carb SlimFast. By evening, the bloating was mostly gone. My fever went up to 99.9. I slept better the second night. Third Day: I was pretty sore when I woke up this morning and a little discouraged. However, as the day went on, I started feeling remarkably better. The pain in my shoulder is only an occasional twinge. My belly feels better and my fever is gone. I took regular Tylenol this afternoon. I was awake more and able to move around better, though I still took it easy. I had more SlimFast, Jello with added powdered egg whites, Propel, a couple of SF popcycles, and Water. I'm taking the prescription Tylenol before bedtime. And that's it so far.

The only time I've been lactose intolerant was when I drank a whey Protein shake. However, usually if I take Lactaid when I drink it, I'm okay. I didn't have any trouble with

Thanks for the advice! That's my thinking, too.

Happy Birthday and congratulations! You're a great inspiration to those of us just beginning the journey!

Well, I hope you get to the right amount of restriction soon. Your progress is even more amazing, doing it mostly on your own. Eventually, your band is going to start working for you, right? I'm not even thinking about losing weight yet. I'm just focusing on healing and following the rules.

You need to get in touch with this guy: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/members/wendell-edwards/ He's an inspiration to all of us but I think you could especially relate to him. Good luck!

I'm feeling great, thanks! As today passed, I felt better and better and I'm off of painkiller for now. I might take some before bedtime just to make sure I sleep okay but I'm just a little sore and I only feel it when I'm getting in and out of my chair or bending down. I think I'll be ready to go back to work on Tuesday! I hope I'm as successful as you have been!

Cool! You got it!

Is that the code from the first box when you created your ticker? Also, you can click on "preview signature" under the signature box to see if it's working without creating a new post.

You need to go to UserCP at the top of the page, then "Edit Signature", then paste the code into the signature box. Then it will appear every time.

When you created it, there was a page with various windows of code. Copy the code in the top window, then paste it in your signature. That's at the UserCP link, click on "Edit Signature." I hope this helps!

Same for me! I was beginning to feel a little down this morning because I didn't feel that great and I can't believe how much better I feel now! And on regular Tylenol, too. :clap2:

Hi, Linda. It's great to hear from you! Your symptoms sound the same as mine. I was able to get comfortable unless I was getting up or down. I also had a low-grade fever the first two nights -- highest was 99.9. But no fever today and the swelling is down. I took regular Tylenol this afternoon and not the prescription Tylenol. And I'm feeling much better! I'm just a day ahead of you and it sounds like you're already doing well so keep up the good work!

Great news, Pam! Now that I'm near the end of day 3, I am feeling so much better! I think I could go to work tomorrow if I had to but fortunately, I don't have to go back until Tuesday. So take it easy and baby yourself and you'll be fine. :clap2: