tonyisstillhere

i had a fill thursday and i hadn't had one since april. i thought i had found my right spot but over several months i gained weight and decided it was time to go back. i was hungry all the time. on thursday evening i was fine to drink Water but since then i have not been able to keep anything down. i know i'm getting dehydrated because i can't drink. i feel like i have a lump in my throat all day long. i know the first few days have been a little rough with fills in the past but this one seems worse. any similar experiences? should i try to get an unfill? all i want to do is drink water!

over the years my closet has just kind of become organized with fat clothes coming in on the left and the smaller clothes being pushed to the right. i've found myself wearing clothes i haven't worn in 3 years as i slowly make my way to the right of the closet. i'll pull something out and just say 'let's see if this fits' and so far, everything has! i went on my first bike ride since weighing my heaviest and did 11 miles. i'm going to start riding my bike to and from work!

update 1/14. i received a bill from the hospital for over $6000, but sorted it out with United Healthcare with one call. apparently the hospital overcharged me when they made me pay $1700 and they should have only charged me $800. i'll be calling the hospital in the morning to get my money back. once again UHC has proven to be a great resource and advocate. none of the horror stories i've heard about their service have applied to me!

the hospital took a credit card payment pre-op

day 5 and feeling 100%. i was 242 at the hospital before my surgery after starting my pre-op diet at around 250. on the 17th, the day after my surgery, i spiked to 249! i was amazed, but i imagine it was all water retention from the fluids in surgery. since then i've seen a pleasing decline and today the scale read 238!!! it's been over a year since i've seen the 230's. i find myself looking at my old smaller clothes in my closet and it's nice not wishing, but knowing that i will wear them again. when i get down to around 220 i will be able to fit into about 50% more of my wardrobe! under 200 and i'll have to buy all new things. that's money i look forward to spending. my diet hasn't been going quite to doctor's orders. the 100% clear liquid diet was abandoned a few days early and i've gone to mostly clear liquids and mixed in some protein drinks and some soupy mashed potatoes. the hunger was too much and i figured it was time for some protein. tomorrow i go back to work, so i'm preparing myself with special k protein water for mid morning when i start to get hungry, crystal light to drink throughout the day, and protein drinks for lunch and mid afternoon. when i get home i may have some soup or something else light for dinner. with the way i'm feeling lately, i'll be ready for solid foods by the end of the week. the exercise portion is scaring me a bit. i still have port site pain and i don't want to overdo it. i think i'll start tomorrow with walking on the treadmill in the gym and see how that makes me feel. i took a walk today in the 40 degree weather and though it was short, it was more acitivity than i've had since surgery.

day 5 and feeling 100%. i was 242 at the hospital before my surgery after starting my pre-op diet at around 250. on the 17th, the day after my surgery, i spiked to 249! i was amazed, but i imagine it was all water retention from the fluids in surgery. since then i've seen a pleasing decline and today the scale read 238!!! it's been over a year since i've seen the 230's. i find myself looking at my old smaller clothes in my closet and it's nice not wishing, but knowing that i will wear them again. when i get down to around 220 i will be able to fit into about 50% more of my wardrobe! under 200 and i'll have to buy all new things. that's money i look forward to spending. my diet hasn't been going quite to doctor's orders. the 100% clear liquid diet was abandoned a few days early and i've gone to mostly clear liquids and mixed in some protein drinks and some soupy mashed potatoes. the hunger was too much and i figured it was time for some protein. tomorrow i go back to work, so i'm preparing myself with special k protein water for mid morning when i start to get hungry, crystal light to drink throughout the day, and protein drinks for lunch and mid afternoon. when i get home i may have some soup or something else light for dinner. with the way i'm feeling lately, i'll be ready for solid foods by the end of the week. the exercise portion is scaring me a bit. i still have port site pain and i don't want to overdo it. i think i'll start tomorrow with walking on the treadmill in the gym and see how that makes me feel. i took a walk today in the 40 degree weather and though it was short, it was more acitivity than i've had since surgery.

update 12/21/08 i had surgery on 12/16 and everything went well. united healthcare continues to be top notch. i receive regular follow up calls from the Bariatric Nurse in charge of my case at OptumHealth (United Resource Networks). my total out of pocket so far for the surgery is about $1700.00 (and my maximum is $2000). i am sticking with united through this whole process!

that's similar to what's been happening to me. for a long time i just ignored the feeling of hunger, but i realized that with just a bit of protein the hunger subsides. i think since we're still healing, eating anything substantial beyond clear liquids is going to make us feel really full. i had half a cup of tomato soup yesterday too and had the same experience. i just had to sit there for about half an hour while it digested.

thanks for the advice! i've just been adding about 2 protein drinks per day and that has helped immensely with the hunger. still doing mostly clears though.

after being banded on the 16th, today is the first day that i'm really beginning to feel like myself. most of the gas pain is gone and my muscles don't ache like they have. it doesn't hurt nearly as much to swallow and my abdominal area seems to be healing up. i was able to sleep on both sides without much discomfort last night. i have until monday before i have to face the stress of work again. last night, the hunger got to me. after 3 full days with no solid food and no protein to speak of, i gave in and made myself a soymilk protein shake. i just used about 8 oz of soymilk and one package of whole foods soy protein and mixed it up. i drank it over about half an hour and regretted having so much after awhile. for the first time since surgery, i felt full. very full. it took about an hour to pass and make me feel normal again. i got through that one without much of an incident, but now i know what i can handle and that i need to go slllloooooww.

after being banded on the 16th, today is the first day that i'm really beginning to feel like myself. most of the gas pain is gone and my muscles don't ache like they have. it doesn't hurt nearly as much to swallow and my abdominal area seems to be healing up. i was able to sleep on both sides without much discomfort last night. i have until monday before i have to face the stress of work again. last night, the hunger got to me. after 3 full days with no solid food and no protein to speak of, i gave in and made myself a soymilk protein shake. i just used about 8 oz of soymilk and one package of whole foods soy protein and mixed it up. i drank it over about half an hour and regretted having so much after awhile. for the first time since surgery, i felt full. very full. it took about an hour to pass and make me feel normal again. i got through that one without much of an incident, but now i know what i can handle and that i need to go slllloooooww.

i'm supposed to be on them for a week, then to full liquids for a week, then mushies for a week, then solids. i think i'm going to graduate to protein drinks and soups a little early, maybe tomorrow.

is anyone else struggling with hunger while on the clear liquid diet post op? i am on about 72 hours with no solid food and i did not expect to be hungry at all. the only thing that seems to work is special k protein water... any suggestions?

so i survived the first night in my own bed. last night and this morning is the first time i am really aware that i have a band. when i stretch i can feel something at the top of my stomach, just below the center of my ribcage. i was able to sleep on my side, though the port is on my right side and it was definitely noticeable. the hardest part about sleeping is that just about every muscle in my body still aches and every time i need to get myself up, the pain in my abdomen flares up. i find it easier to sit than lay down. yesterday, i had alot of clear liquids... possibly more than i was even supposed to. i love drinking warm veggie broth and grape juice because my throat is still so sore. swallowing hurts, but the warm stuff goes down more easily. today i plan to go to whole foods to pick up a few more clear liquid items and get the soy protein powder i want for next week. one of the most unexpected things is that i am very hungry. i spent most of the day yesterday trying to ignore the hunger pains and working down the veggie broth because it is the closest thing in flavor to real food that i can have. this morning the hunger hasn't hit yet and i'm hoping that as i graduate to full liquids next week the hunger will be less noticeable. today i'm going to make sure and go on a nice long walk and i think that will help some of the pain. it's true what everyone says... getting up and moving around helps. the hard part is fighting through some of the drowsiness from the pain meds and just making yourself do it.

so i survived the first night in my own bed. last night and this morning is the first time i am really aware that i have a band. when i stretch i can feel something at the top of my stomach, just below the center of my ribcage. i was able to sleep on my side, though the port is on my right side and it was definitely noticeable. the hardest part about sleeping is that just about every muscle in my body still aches and every time i need to get myself up, the pain in my abdomen flares up. i find it easier to sit than lay down. yesterday, i had alot of clear liquids... possibly more than i was even supposed to. i love drinking warm veggie broth and grape juice because my throat is still so sore. swallowing hurts, but the warm stuff goes down more easily. today i plan to go to whole foods to pick up a few more clear liquid items and get the soy protein powder i want for next week. one of the most unexpected things is that i am very hungry. i spent most of the day yesterday trying to ignore the hunger pains and working down the veggie broth because it is the closest thing in flavor to real food that i can have. this morning the hunger hasn't hit yet and i'm hoping that as i graduate to full liquids next week the hunger will be less noticeable. today i'm going to make sure and go on a nice long walk and i think that will help some of the pain. it's true what everyone says... getting up and moving around helps. the hard part is fighting through some of the drowsiness from the pain meds and just making yourself do it.