StLouisGal

What an awesome "Mom and Son" picture. Thanks for sharing. You are looking great!

My doc said no alcohol for 6 months, no carbonation, period. He gave the same explanation the one in the video did. He also explained that one drink has the power of about 3 because you are drinking on an empty stomach.

Try to stick to the liquid diet. I was on Clear Liquids plus 2 Protein shakes a day for two weeks. I is really hard but very important for your stomach to heal, especially since yours had a little extra stress with the hernia repair. Getting the Protein Shakes in and taking your Vitamins will help with the dizziness and weakness. Just take it easy and go slow. It is terrible that the nurse treated you so badly in the hospital. I hope you reported this to the hospital and your doctor. Pain management is the main reason you are in the hospital the night after the surgery and that kind of treatment is unacceptable. Your body can't heal if you are in pain. Hang in there. You will be feeling better in a couple of weeks and back to your old self. You had a little more going on than most band patients so give yourself some time. Take care of yourself!

Hang in there Jaimie, :biggrin: You are doing great! It's hard to know if you need a fill or not. If you have trouble with stuff you usually eat, you probably don't need a fill. I have been craving stuff between meals too, I think mostly because I'm bored not because I am really hungry. Eating just sounds like a good idea. I also think I may be craving carbs because I tried eating crackers under my cheese. My doc told me to skip the crackers because they make you crave carbs. Since I stopped eating the crackers I am doing better. I think I will be a very old lady by the time I figure all the ins and outs of this band but I'm sure glad I have it. My next fill isn't until July 31 and I am wondering if I really need it. Take care of yourself and keep on keepin' on.

I have really good restriction and don't have a problem with tuna salad (I make my own with no sugar added pickle relish, onions, and low fat mayo) It is less dry than plain tuna, Soft chicken should be fine as long as you eat very, very slowly with tiny bites. I haven't tried bread but Pasta gets stuck. Try to stay away from the liquid calories (yogurt, Soups, shakes, etc.) because you don't feel full on them. Hang in there! The weight loss is worth the effort.

Great haircut! Keep up the good work!

Ok, this is just too wierd, I've lost an elephant penis and my brain (if it is average sized.:rolleyes2:

It's been four months since my surgery so here is the latest update. The first one was taken at my high weight of 289 on 11/29/07, the second one was taken on 6/16/08 at 227

Hang in there, four months ago I was right where you are today. It does get better. As the pounds start to melt away you will love your new life.

This is a great, positive post! Thanks for sharing. My story is almost identical to yours Shinyhappymommy, banded in mid February, lost about 60 lbs since I started pre-op, no complications, feeling great about myself and enjoying smaller clothes sizes. I have a APS band with 3 cc's in it. I have almost too much restriction. If I eat too fast, or try to take too big of bites I do get stuck but I can eat a small healthy meal without problem if I eat very slowly and chew very well. No more quick meals for me. I haven't really found anything that is impossible to eat although there are several things that I choose not to eat because I know they aren't good for me and if I can tell myself I can't eat them it is easier to say no to them. Crusty bread and butter fall into that category. I don't get that gnawing hunger I got before I got the band. I find that sometimes I go looking for food because I am bored and eating fills the time but I try to stay busy enough to avoid that. This board has been a great support to me on this journey. Even though I have had an easy transition to banded life, there have still been questions and concerns that I have found answers to here on the board. Thanks to all of you for that support.

The only time I have gone to a Mexican place since my band I ordered a cheese enchilada. When asked if I wanted an order of enchiladas I said no, I want one enchilada. that is what I got and it was the perfect size. I ate slow with tiny bites and finished about the same time my family finished their monster platters. I was more concerned with eating something that would stay down than the calorie count at that point.

I've been a Curve's member for 3.5 years. I love it! I was banded four months ago. I waited 11 days before going back and I skipped the squat machine and the crunch machine for about a month after that. I have lost 36 inches since my surgery so I must be doing something correctly. I go at least four times a week and sometimes 5 or 6. If you go often you get to know the coaches and other members you are working out with and we are great cheerleaders for each other. I am reasonably sure that had I not been a Curve's member before my surgery I would probably have weighed at least 100 lbs more. I am excited about our Curves getting the new "technology" in the next few months. I am glad to hear that it really works. I've been to several different Curves around the country while traveling and they do vary a lot in the equipment available, friendliness of the staff, etc. but it is a great way to start the day before a long car drive.

I've taken a water pill (Maxide or Diazide) for years for fluid retention. I had to stop because after I lost 60 lbs my blood pressure was dropping too low. I did not affect my band at all. :tongue:

Slowing down definitely helps. Saturday I PBd all over myself on the way to a dance recital, talk about embarrassing. Fortunately it was a hot day so I found a sink, washed up and dried quickly as soon as I went back in the sun. We had gone out to lunch before the recital and although I didn't eat a lot, I guess I ate too fast and talked too much because about 15 minutes later (as we were in the car and on our way on a busy street) here it came. :tongue:

If you go to Vitalady.com, you can buy samples of several Proteins to see what you can tolerate before you buy the 60 serving can. I enjoy the Protein nectar by Syntrax. The Twisted Cherry is pretty good and the Fuzzy Navel is really good. "Iced tea with lemon" a little too creamy for my taste and tastes like instant tea. They are pure protein with no carbs or fat. 23 grams per scoop. You can purchase them at Vitamin Shoppe or online. They tend to be lighter than the ones mixed with milk. I like

Is your insurance through an employer? Are there other options? If you go the self pay route, your insurance probably won't pay for complications or fills either so that can run into a large amount of money. When your company's open season on insurance come around check the other available policies and see if you can change plans. Make sure you call them to make sure LAP Band is a covered procedure or you may find yourself in the same boat all over again. You could also try appealing to your insurance company. Call them up and find out why it is not a covered benefit. Some companies just reject it the first time around to make patients go away. Other times it is because the employer has made that a specific exclusion for Bariatric surgery. Mine did for a long time but now it is covered. Keep working at it and it will work out. If your insurance will pay for the doctor supervised diet, start now. That way when the insurance is figured out, you will be ahead of the game, if they don't you will at least be a few pounds lighter.:tongue: Hang in there. It is worth the fight.

Congratulations In our preband lives would you have ever dreamed you could lose 50 lbs in four months!!!! WOW.

I've had all my fills done under flouroscope. You lay on the X-ray table, they find the port and mark it then the doc injects it. It takes about 1 minute. I can't eat anything for four hours before the procedure.

Crystal, It really sounds like you aren't getting enough calories to maintain your body. I know it is really hard to find that balance. I don't lose weight unless I am taking in between 1000 and 1200 calories. That is really hard when you have good restriction. Also, are you getting enough "good" fat in your diet. My doc recommends a couple of teaspoons of canola or olive oil a day or some Peanut Butter. (the peanut butter really helps boost the calories and would be a nice spread on your multi-grain crackers.) Your body needs that to function properly, plus it keeps your skin nice too.

Good luck to you! Let us know how it goes?

Given the price of fills, aftercare, and possible complications, I would consider changing hospitals or doctors. However, it is very important that you be comfortable with your doctor/clinic for this to be successful. I'm not from your area so I can't advise on specific doctors but I did change doctors/hospitals when I found out that my insurance would not cover the first one. Before the surgery is the best time to change. It ended up adding a few months to my journey but I think it was the best for me. Good luck in your decision. The decision to have Lapband surgery has been great for me. I hope it will be for you.

You are all doing so awesome! It does make it a bit harder to drive without the aid of our belly :tongue2: I think we can deal with that. I have two awesome NSV's We went to visit my uncle, whom I haven't seen in about a year, we had a lovely visit and came on home. The phone was ringing when we walked in the door. It was my uncle. He said,"I forgot to tell you that you have lost a lot of weight and look terrific. I'm proud of you" That made my day! On Saturday I went shopping, walked into OLD NAVY, a store I have never even been in, and found a top that almost fit. It will fit in another 5 lbs or so. I was so excited that I bought it. It's been a great week!

Nettie, Forget the mirror, look at those beautiful pictures of you. You are a gorgeous woman! I was always the fat one in my family and heard about it often, my only wish was to be loved for me, not to be left out of social engagements (like my sister's wedding) because I didn't fit into the style dress she wanted. It hurts. You can't let it get to you! You have to be comfortable in your skin, no matter the size. The are a unique and wonderful person. It has taken me many, many years to realize this but you can do it too.

It takes a lot of getting used to. The worst part is eating out and convincing the server that you really don't want anything to drink. They seem to think they aren't doing their job if you don't at least have a glass of Water. I am like many others, if it is there, I will pick it up out of habit so I politely tell them that I don't care for anything to drink and then give them a good tip for complying with my wishes. Just keep practicing, now that I am four months from my surgery it is much more of a habit. I don't know what to tell you about spicy, I usually avoid spicy foods but I like the sour cream idea.

What a cute slideshow! Keep up the good work! You are looking sharp!