Apryl1957

Thank you. Glad to know I am not alone and I pray I am lucky like you with this. I am a wreck right now.

ok, please help me get my nerves in check. I am terrified. I have been doing ok since surgery, I am just over three weeks post op. Everything has been fine until the other day while sitting at my desk I got the sharp stinging feeling (quickly came and went) just above my bellybutton. I have not incision near the spot. It is right where my slacks button up or snap. It came and went and then when I went to get in my car and was in the seat and reached out to pull the door shut I felt it again. I do not feel it all the time only when I move in certain directions, attempt to bend or reach for something. I have had no fevers, no chills, weight in continuing to go down, eating ok feeling fine other than this. Even my energy level is good. I am terrified that the band slipped but is the band that low on my midsection, and that it means surgery again. As I said, scared to death. I don't know why I only feel it when I move certain ways. When I finish the post I am calling the doctor but am so afraid. Anyone with suggestions please.

I am now, as of today, three weeks post op. I have to say that pre-op and even surgery, other than the wake up after surgery and feeling like a truck hit me, has not been bad. Pain if any was truly minimal and I am happy with that. Adjusting to eating however is a challenge. I was counting down the weeks and days to finally be able to eat something solid and once I was clear nothing solid stays down. I seem to be on a mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes, ice cream (not good for you), applesauce, cream of wheat and Soup diet now. Yesterday I filled my plate (haha) with three baby white potatoes that had been baked and three Swedish meatballs. Two bites of the potatoes and -nope, stop, that did not work. They came back!!!! So, I waited about 15 minutes and mashed those little guys and cut each meatball in to four little bits and was able to finally get one potatoe and two meatballs down. that is the first meat that agrees with me. chicken so far is out of the question and I dare not try anything I can't mash. Is anyone else running into these problems? My doctor did an ultrasound three days after surgery so everything inside is fine but I have nightmares that this is not normal. According to my diet I should be able to eat boiled chicken now- Nope! I am not losing much at all, and had a WOW wake up call last night. I realized as I was eating cream of wheat for dinner that I was eating wheat (which my husband and I gave up Oct of 2013). That is probably adding to my loss of weight lost too. So no more COW for me. I had hope to be weighing a lot less now but it is slow. I am hanging in there, no choice and I do have faith this will work, it is just pulling on my nerves trying to expand my diet and find the norm again as to variety.

Well, my day is coming, Friday the 27th. I am excited to be finally taking the next step but still read all these issues that people are having and pray that I avoid them. My doctor told me that I will not have much pain yet others in the forum say they have major pains. I truly hope not. Hiccups, choking, all kinds of other problems. I don't want to be sick or have the issues just good results and a healthier life. I am focusing on the positive, those that are happy with this decision and the outcomes. I figure I have made it through the first challenge, hopefully I make it through the rest. This has to be a positive move for me so I hope all the challenges are not so difficult.

Congrats on finally getting there.

Congrats on getting to the stage you are in. I am scheduled for surgery the 27th and am glad but still a tiny bit shaky. I have done very well on pre surgery diet and average a pound a day. No cheating but I, like you, can't wait to actually chew something. I am not hungry, just want to taste something other than liquid all the time. I have had to make myself learn to drink more. I am getting about 32 to 40 oz a day now and for me that is a lot. Before this if I got down 16oz of anything in a day it was unusual. Hang in there, I am following right behind you just as there are many right ahead also. this blog has been a great source of inspiration for me and I am thankful for it. Good luck as you continue your journey. Connie

That is a great accomplishment. See, you were able to drive by all of them (twice) and had the will power to not stop. I have discovered that my eyes are hungry and if I distract them I do ok. Keep up the good work Connie

WOW, how awesome. Way to go and it sounds like you are in a nice place '1'. Connie

Mine is between 700-1000.

How did you pull of the 5 days liquid diet? I got 15 ugh! Anyway, congrats and I feel like you do. Excited and anxious at the same time. Chatting on the site gave me lots of encouragement and my nerves really settled down. I am ready for the band just need to get through 8 more days of 'liquid only'. Its a challenge but doable. Best of luck and keep chatting here, it is a great and informative site. People are in all different stages of the process and give great advice and encouragement. Connie

Well I am ending my sixth day of a fifteen day liquid pre-op diet and so far ok. I surprisingly have discovered that I am not starving but that my eyes are hungry. Grocery shopping Saturday was not really a smart thing to do since I know how good things taste but I got through it. I am turning my head and eyes on food commercials and working on staying positive. I came home after work today thinking I was hungry (normal routine is to come in and have a ice cold coke and a couple chips) so I ran in, drank some crystal light and then weighed. I am down 7lbs in six days. That results changed my mind on thinking I was hungry. Yippee!! Its a shake for dinner and 8 more days to go. I CAN DO THIS!!! Staying distracted helps a lot, closed the pantry door and drinking a lot. I may get to the point of just closing my eye:) Thanks for being my support- it is great to be able to tell someone who understands. Connie -D day the 27th..

So I am now on day two of my pre-op diet. Day one was not bad, a little hungry at lunch time but I found that eating my broth with a 'spoon' rather than drinking it helped. I drank more yesterday in one day that I normally would in three. Today one shake so far, I actually like the chocolate, and am off to drink another now. Not sure but do we have to drink 3-4 shakes a day or is it just that is the max we should drink. I drank two shakes, 32oz of crystal light, broth for both dinner and supper and went to bed without being hungry. It is noon and I have had one shake (breakfast) so far. I am concerned that I am not eating enough since I am not 'yet' hungry. Anyone know if I must consume 3-4 shakes a day even if not hungry. Unfortunately I anticipate that within the next 13 days I will not be having this concern.

Very glad things are working out for you and you were able to get through the rest of your pre-op in control. I wish you great success. I am in day two of my pre-op and find house cleaning is helping distract me. I also have found a lot of support and comfort chatting with other here. I hope you have smooth sailing from here on.

Thank you all for your very positive words of encouragement. They have helped me greatly. I am not sure why I am a little uneasy, I think that maybe it is because I have had so many failures that I am afraid to anticipate a lot. One day at a time-right! Today is the first day of my pre-op diet and I have done great, exactly as instructed. I hope tomorrow and the next 13 days will be ok too! When I think about it 13 days is a long time for nothing solid but then it really is just two weeks. Gosh, I make myself dizzy. Ok, so I can do this, and I pray for no complications and that six months down the road I will know this was all worth it. Thank you all so much, my family has been great but talking with people who know what I am doing, what I am feeling and what I hope for is giving me strength and peace of mind.

Try Dr. Lee Grossbard. He is well known and has been doing weight control surgeries for many years. He along with several in his office have the lap-band so they are walking proof of positive results. I am scheduled for surgery with him on 6/27 and so far I have been very please with his knowledge, information and experience. Good luck