gin765

@Tssiemer1... too much Protein? I haven't heard of that before. Can you tell me about it?
I just ordered some Isopure Perfect Zero Mint chocolate Chip Protein powder from Amazon.com. In my mind it will taste like my favorite ice cream. In reality, I'll probably be disappointed. Just couldn't help myself!

I am naming this morning's Protein shake "Almond Joy." I mixed 1 scoop Isopure Low Carb Dutch chocolate Protein powder with 6 oz Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Almondmilk Coconutmilk Blend. You lose some of the Protein vs. mixing it with skim milk, but the flavor was quite festive! It was still 25 g protein. Almond Breeze is in the refrigerated "healthy" dairy section of the grocery store... where they sell Horizon milk, Yo Baby yogurt, tofu, etc. The Vitamin Shoppe has 1 lb bags of Isopure, so you don't have to commit to a whole 3 lb tub.

My insurance just approved me today. So excited. Waiting to hear from the Dr. to schedule a date. Overweight my entire life. Now I have diabetes and I made the decision. Any tips are very welcomed
Lisa
Sent from my XT1080 using the BariatricPal App

Happy for you!

Had my first fill today... three months to the day from my October surgery. I wasn't sure what to expect, but it was really easy and uneventful. Phew, what a relief!
I was the first Lap Band "installation" my hospital had done in almost three years. I'm in one of the areas currently instituting a full-court press to talk folks out of banding and into other procedures. The consensus today was that I'm doing better with weight loss than most of their gastric sleeve patients. Yippee! So far, so good. Still 100% happy with my choice and so thankful the doctors agreed to trust in me that I had proper expectations and would follow the rules.

Mine randomly started the morning of. Awesome. I was totally freaked out too! The other gals are right. Just tell the nurses in pre-op. You'll probably still get a pregnancy test though. Hahaha... I did. Apparently that was "standard procedure." They will give you some fancy hospital-issue mesh panties and GIANT pads (just like what you get in the maternity ward) to wear into surgery. It turned out to be no big deal and certainly nothing to postpone your surgery over. I even ended up with a male nurse overnight and he really didn't care either. Nurses have truly seen it all.

I just got my pre-op appointment and my surgery date. My pre-op is this Wednesday, December 2, 2015 and my surgery date is Monday, December 7th (no time yet). EEEEEKKKKKK!!!! Now I am a BUNDLE of nerves, excitement, anxiety, nerves, excitement, anxiety (well, you get the picture). This just became real!! Any advice from any one? I have been so impatient about getting these appointments and now they're here.
My journey/adventure is about to begin.....

Hi there,
I guess it's true that Time flies when you're having fun; I've been having a lot of that. Honestly, I cannot believe that two years ago today I was waking up from surgery and beginning a new chapter in my life. I had no idea then of the many ways my life would be reshaped aside from the shape of my body.
I'm forever grateful the band was available to me as it has been the perfect choice for my situation. We are all different. I was 52 at the time and had never been an overnight patient in a hospital before. I can barely tolerate going to the dentist. Getting a band was a big decision but I was fortunate somehow to just know that that's what I wanted to do. Thank goodnes there are so many different surgery choices available to us; we live in marvellous times.
Two years ago I was 250+ and now I'm in the seventies. I'm a little tall and like my curves (oh my goodness, do I LOVE having a waist!) so I don't want to get too thin. But a word about collarbones: YIPPEE! And hips. Wrists. You know how it is -- I'm celebrating this new body every day. I was wearing size twenty pants and am now in tens. No more Plus Size anything. I would not have predicted that I have a thing for clothes, but oh yes, I sure do. It's so much fun to be able to just try something on without all of that angst.
I have been an exerciser for many years (arthritis - have to move) but in the last two years I have ratcheted up to being more of an athlete. I feel ridiculous even typing that out as it's such a foreign concept. I used to work out for 45 minutes 3-4 times a week; well, it turns out I am some one who needs more like 75-90 minutes 5-6 times a week. There's the faking it until making it thing and that's what I did. I pretended that I liked it, that I was one of "those" people until I actually have become something resembling one of those lucky people who truly look forward to exercising. Like I said, resembling. I'm not quite there but I raise my hands up in that crossing the finish line pose and I go do what I need to do and I feel like a million bucks afterward.
food. I am happy to report that I still like food. I can taste almost anything and be quite satisfied. That is a miracle. I love to cook and one of my weird non-scale victories (NSVs) is being able to tie my apron double around my waist. I love that. All those years in all those kitchens with my big fat Winnie-the-Pooh belly in an ill-fitting apron or Chef's jacket. No more. Silly, but that just feels so good. I was very restrictive in my former life so I am careful to not be on a diet. I make good choices, which I can do because my appetite is dimmed and I know what good choices are. But I also let myself have a little bit of whatever I want, whether that's a square of chocolate or cheese (behold, the power of cheese). This is why I still have a little weight to lose but I'm okay with that. I do drink alcohol and we have a lot of dinner parties, go to restaurants, etc. Practically no one knows I am banded; I'm extremely private about that. What people do see, however, is how much I'm exercising and how good I feel. It was important for me to go a bit slowly because I wanted the weight loss to be incremental and I didn't want to have saggy skin.
Well, that's about it. I am tremendously grateful to all of my Lapband Talk friends and now Bariatric Pal. You know who you are -- the encourageers. Virtual friends. This has been my first experience on a forum and it's been great. Best wishes to all of you wherever you are in the process. For new people, a few words: don't get too hung up on what kind of surgery you had; we have much more in common than not. Don't try to give or take advice from strangers on the internet. Have a good working relationship with your doctor and show up for all your appointments. Show up for yourself! I really had to put myself first to get the surgery and choose my own well-being over taking care of other people's needs first. I don't do that any more and, guess what, every one else benefits from that. Here's to our health!

I am 52 and WAYYYYY past having kids but because I am pre-menopausal I had to take a pregnancy test
"Aunt Flo" hasn't been over but once, and it was a "brief" two day visit, in her old rusty red Cadillac since surgery!!!!
WOOO HOOOOO

In the ten years I was a hospital nurse, I took care of more postop females than you can count. I guarantee you, if you reschedule, you will then get your period within 24 hours of surgery, whether it's scheduled to be then or not. Honest. The other posters are quite right, we have seen it all, and dealt with it all, and nothing out of the ordinary. Don't give it a second thought.

I am naming this morning's Protein shake "Almond Joy." I mixed 1 scoop Isopure Low Carb Dutch chocolate Protein powder with 6 oz Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Almondmilk Coconutmilk Blend. You lose some of the Protein vs. mixing it with skim milk, but the flavor was quite festive! It was still 25 g protein. Almond Breeze is in the refrigerated "healthy" dairy section of the grocery store... where they sell Horizon milk, Yo Baby yogurt, tofu, etc. The Vitamin Shoppe has 1 lb bags of Isopure, so you don't have to commit to a whole 3 lb tub.

So, I just tried the unjury chicken Soup Flavor and it doesn't seem to have the unpleasant egg taste that was bothering me with their chocolate Splendor and Unflavored powders. I mixed 1 single-serve packet of Unjury chicken Soup Flavor (equivalent to 1 scoop) in 8 oz Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup (strained) and am sipping it out of my travel mug.
I appreciate the update on the "too much protein" scenario! That completely makes sense about over-stressing the kidneys. Thanks for the education!

I was banded Wednesday, so I am day 4 post-op. I had heard the wonders of powders?utm_source=BariatricPal&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=CommentLink" target="_ad" data-id="1" >unjury, so I have a entire selection of their powders I've been trying. Sad to say, I just don't like them. To me, it gives everything a subtle rotten egg taste. Now that I've been looking at it this morning, it looks like they use an egg Protein, which is where that taste is probably coming from. The Unjury powders also don't seem to make a very thick Protein shake. I thought it was kinda runny. I'm totally bummed about it and am Googling my heart out this morning to find some other options. Unjury seemed to be such a high-quality product and I had liked that components weren't from China. ** sigh **
I will say, however, Unjury's opurity Band-optimized chewable Multivitamin is very pleasant.
I'm drinking an EAS AdvantEDGE chocolate Fudge shake at the moment. It's alright, but I'd wanted to locate a Protein Powder so I could use real milk.
Anybody else have other suggestions?

Hi all!! Just wanted to say that I made it through my two week pre op liquid fast!!! Tomorrow at 1pm I too will be banded! I'm excited and nervous all in one! I am glad that I made the decision to change my ways and hopefully my life!! Wish me luck!

@@gin765 Congrats on making it 5 days without hunger! Once the hunger came back I was a little worried that I would slip back into my old habits but that hasn't happened. I get full so fast now that I cant possibly imagine how I would overeat. I made a mistake yesterday because I let myself get distracted with work and didn't eat anything all afternoon. By the time I did eat I was really hungry and wolfed down some cottage cheese. That was the first time I felt like throwing up...it really felt bad. Lesson learned, eat slow!

@CJ2009... I made it until today, day 5 post-op without being hungry. And then, it hit me about an hour ago. Right now, I am sooooo hungry I can barely think. Maybe it's because I felt so much better today and was more active? I've walked over 7,000 steps, which is more than double yesterday and 6x the day before. How did you get your hunger under control? More Protein? More calories from Soup, dairy, juice? Just try not to think about it?

Yep had them too for about 5 days, and i was barely eating and very slowly sipping. Mine started of painful but slowly got less painful only annoying. Most of the recovery should be 6 days. After 3 weeks today i still get the occasional one lol.

@username2...I am so sorry to hear your surgery has been delayed! I can imagine how disappointed you must feel, as I have been in a similar situation of delay. Last December, when I was almost finished jumping through all the hoops, my husband lost his job right before Christmas. For us, no job = no health insurance = no surgery. I was so upset, but that actually helped demonstrate to myself and to him how much I really wanted to get banded. Once he got a new (even better!) job, I didn't have to start completely over, but I did have to repeat several of the test I'd already done, because they were more than a year old. If you can, try to find some good in your situation. Thing usually do happen for a reason. Chin up... I'm sure you will come out on top!

I am only one week out from my surgery and I have been having hunger pains since day 5. The first couple of days I wasn't hungry at all then all of a sudden I feel like I am starving. I am following the doctor's diet progression and making sure I am getting enough Protein and fluids as well as keeping my portion sizes where they suggest, but I am still super hungry. I have even lost 4 lbs since surgery.
I wrote my doctor's office 2 days ago about this issue and they called me yesterday. The nurse said that no one had ever said that they were having hunger pains and that it is all in my head. I freaking know what hunger pains feel like, ok. This is not in my head. In fact, I just ate a little over an hour ago and I am already hungry!
Has anyone else experienced this?

Good luck to all of you who are just starting your journeys! I'm almost at my 1 year bandiversary, and still on my own journey
To username2 who has surgery delayed, I wouldn't worry to much! Your doctors schedule the surgery around your safety, so I would be glad they aren't taking any chances. Also, this whole process is a marathon, not a sprint. I know the feeling of wanting to get this done asap, especially after the weeks and months of planning and preparing. It's awful if you have to repeat the pre-op diet, but in a year it will all be a distant memory. The pre-op diet is really challenging, but it gets your body and mind ready for the big changes ahead.
Good luck!

Hi all! So, I was banded this morning. I had been totally freaking out since last night. However, I am happy to report all went well... yippee! The whole experience and my pain level are so much less than what I had imagined. Staying overnight, because my doctor's cautious and we'd planned that. Have been allowed to chomp on ice pellets, which is a life-saver. Will practice Clear Liquids tomorrow. Bring on the cherry Jello! Be brave everyone... we can do this!

I'm 4-days post-op today and think I've turned a corner. Going for only Tylenol today, instead of narcotics. The liquid Tylenol I found is the only thing that seems to bother my cute little stomach. It's so thick and nasty syrupy. We will try crushing the actual pills today and mixing with Water.
I am on a clear liquid diet for the first 2 weeks also. It does includes sugar-free Jello and popsicles, which is really nice, because you actually get to chew those. The both completely disintegrate into liquid upon chewing, so I don't know why you couldn't have them. I've rejected a lot of the Protein powders I've stocked in and have sent my dear husband out a couple times to the grocery store, GNC and The Vitamin Shoppe. Now, I think we're finally getting somewhere!
I have been fortunate not to have any of the terrible shoulder pain folks are reporting. My stomach and intestines started making loud, ridiculous rumbling / gas noises last night while I was sitting on the couch. My husband was a bit shocked.... hehehe. It eventually settled down after an hour or so.
Just emptied the dishwasher without incident or additional pain. So excited for that successful, "normal" activity! I had gone to the pumpkin patch with the family yesterday, which took all the strength I had. Lucked out that they had 100% apple juice boxes at the snack stand. The girl at the register thought I was a nut when I carefully read the label and asked for a cup to pour it in. She very politely explained to me, in detail, the workings of the juice box / straw combination. I thanked her kindly and said I'd still like a cup please, as I'm currently not allowed to use straws. Then, she really thought I was out of my tree! Lesson learned that I'll have to pack a little cooler of liquids when I venture out.
Make it a great day everyone! So proud of all we have already and are yet to accomplish!

Wishing much success to all !

I'm 4-days post-op today and think I've turned a corner. Going for only Tylenol today, instead of narcotics. The liquid Tylenol I found is the only thing that seems to bother my cute little stomach. It's so thick and nasty syrupy. We will try crushing the actual pills today and mixing with Water.
I am on a clear liquid diet for the first 2 weeks also. It does includes sugar-free Jello and popsicles, which is really nice, because you actually get to chew those. The both completely disintegrate into liquid upon chewing, so I don't know why you couldn't have them. I've rejected a lot of the Protein powders I've stocked in and have sent my dear husband out a couple times to the grocery store, GNC and The Vitamin Shoppe. Now, I think we're finally getting somewhere!
I have been fortunate not to have any of the terrible shoulder pain folks are reporting. My stomach and intestines started making loud, ridiculous rumbling / gas noises last night while I was sitting on the couch. My husband was a bit shocked.... hehehe. It eventually settled down after an hour or so.
Just emptied the dishwasher without incident or additional pain. So excited for that successful, "normal" activity! I had gone to the pumpkin patch with the family yesterday, which took all the strength I had. Lucked out that they had 100% apple juice boxes at the snack stand. The girl at the register thought I was a nut when I carefully read the label and asked for a cup to pour it in. She very politely explained to me, in detail, the workings of the juice box / straw combination. I thanked her kindly and said I'd still like a cup please, as I'm currently not allowed to use straws. Then, she really thought I was out of my tree! Lesson learned that I'll have to pack a little cooler of liquids when I venture out.
Make it a great day everyone! So proud of all we have already and are yet to accomplish!

It's like a long pillow 2-3 times the length of a standard pillow, it's designed to support the bump during pregnancy (I had a baby in June so had one) but it gave me some support & protected my incisions. Here's a link to one, there are different types but mine is just a basic straight one http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00BUDHTQ4/ref=mp_s_a_1_6/279-2456307-7499534?qid=1445177332&sr=1-6π=AC_SX110_SY165#immersive-view_1445177350728