Kaitiana

Goodness...I haven't logged on here in so long! Going to try to remedy that now. Life's just been crazy! Will try to catch up on past posts. Hope everyone is doing well!

Actually, I think they DO have classes for people who want to learn how to flirt...I'm not sure where you would find them exactly, but try looking for body language experts or coaches. I know that I've seen them on television shows before. Good luck!

I had my tonsils out when I was 18. I have to say that it IS tougher when you're older than if you get them out younger, BUT the tonsillectomy was definitely easier to recover from than my C-section and even my lap band. Just make sure that you follow the advice to get as much liquids in when you can. And don't be afraid to use the painkillers as needed. My biggest obstacle in recovery honestly was having to deal with my 5-year-old little sister and 4-year-old little brother at the time sneaking around my mother to torment me. *grin* I can't offer any specific advice as far as having the surgery while banded goes, but I bet you do fine!

Goodness...another November thread? It's impossible to keep up with all of you! =)

You're welcome! Here is the link to Dr. Wagner's website: Bariatric Weight Loss Lap Band Gastric Bypass Surgery St. Louis Missouri (MO). You want to scroll down until you see seminars and you can find out information about his seminars there. Also, the St. Alexius New Start website is here: St. Alexius NewStart. Good luck making your decision, and let me know if you have any other questions! Thank you!

Hi there! I had surgery on 11/17/08 and my surgeon is Dr. Van Wagner of Heart of America Bariatrics. I had my surgery at St. Alexius and had a great experience. Dr. Wagner also performed the surgery on two of my co-workers, who were the ones that inspired me to have my surgery with him. I second the recommendation to attend a couple of seminars in order to learn more about the surgeons and figure out which might be the best for you. I admit that I only went to Dr. Wagner's seminar because I already knew I wanted to go with him thanks to my co-workers, but it's never a bad idea to check out your options. Good luck!

I have to say I've been lucky enough to never be treated in a snooty manner by salespeople--lucky for them, too, as I would let them have it! *snicker* I never really understood the snootiness--especially in a profession where a lot of people often work on commission. HELLO, snooty skinny saleslady--that "big" woman in your store may very well be shopping for friends and/or relatives and "big" people's money spends just the same as "skinny" people's money! And if it's a store that CARRIES plus-sized clothing or items that are not dependent on size--such as perfumes, jewelry, etc.--it's triply stupid to be snooty toward overweight customers. Not to mention just plain rude, of course.

I do have to ask--are you walking or doing any other exercise? I have noticed that if I don't walk, then I maintain around the same weight. Whereas if I walk 20-30 minutes at least every day or two, then I steadily lose weight. Just a thought. If you're not walking/exercising* regularly, try adding it in. If you are already, disregard this. I will say though that the first 4-6 weeks after surgery are first and foremost about healing. Try not to stress too much if you're not losing that much yet. It should get better once you have your first fill or two. * Please note: only do whatever walking or exercising that your doctor has cleared you for. For instance, I have been cleared to do whatever amount of walking I want, but I'm holding off on other forms of exercise until my surgeon clears me.

I have to echo what the others said. I was banded on November 17th and was on clear liquids for a week, then full liquids for a week, and only this week was progressed to soft/mushy food. Next week I get to start eating solid food--BUT I am to introduce things slowly to see how I tolerate them, and I am supposed to avoid pork and beef for at least two months. It sounds to me like you ate way too much and the wrong type of food for the stage of recovery you are in. I would think that even if your doctor had advanced you to solid foods so quickly it wouldn't be advisable to try so many different types at once. You should definitely discuss things with your doctor if you are worried.

jmegirl and lindata: Thank you! My literary agent just sold my book at the end of October (publishing moves at the speed of a glacier--I haven't even seen the official contract yet), so it won't come out until either late next year or early 2010. I actually found out somebody wanted to buy my book on my birthday--and ALSO got the call I was approved by the insurance company for the lap band. It was my best birthday yet! =) My main character is a Fury out of Greek mythology in modern-day Boston and she's a ton of fun to write. I'll PM you both my pen name and book title and you can check out my writing website if you'd like! And I DO love young adult fiction. I read more adult than YA these days, but I have always loved YA and will always read it. I was just banded November 17th of this year--early on but doing great so far!

Good for you! What a great NSV. You should be proud of yourself. =)

I have a few young adult recommendations for you if you haven't read them yet: Tithe by Holly Black (faeries) Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr (also faeries) Vampire Academy and Frostbite by Richelle Mead (duh--vamps! :cursing: ) Those are the ones I can think of off the top of my head. And I LOVE Charlaine Harris's books, both her Sookie Stackhouse series and her Harper Connoly series...tho I have to catch up on them both. It's nice to see so many people here with similar reading tastes to my own! (My books are actually going to be published by the same company as Charlaine, Jim Butcher, and LKH. I'm very excited!)

Welcome to LBT, and good luck with your surgery! =)

Congratulations, Ejmdiva! I've been lurking around this area of the forum for awhile and I'm so excited for you! I'm not pregnant or trying to conceive yet, but one of the major reasons I just had the lap band surgery is so I can get a lot healthier before we DO try to conceive in a year or so. Reading about all of you going through your pregnancies is helping me calm the baby fever for now! =) Again, congrats!

It's been a little quiet around here so I thought I'd start a new thread. How are my fellow Notorious Novembers planning to handle Thanksgiving? Since most of us are so recently banded, it's important to have a strategy ahead of time! My husband, toddler, and I are going to my mother's tomorrow. Since I am still on full liquids, I am planning to take some blended Soup with me, and I am also planning to make a sugar-free chocolate pudding pie tonight. That way, there will be at least two things that I can have for lunch. I am also planning to have some of my mother's mashed potatoes and gravy, but I plan to thin the potatoes out with extra milk. Everyone knows about my surgery and has been really supportive, so I don't expect any issues there. So what's everyone else planning?

Sounds just about perfect to me. My surgeon wants me to get at least 50g of protein a day right now. I am on the full liquids stage.

I completely agree with what Restless Monkey said!

I am on one week of clear liquids, one week of full liquids, one week of mushies, and then I get to move on to regular foods. I think I'm feeling pretty lucky now...Then again, my surgeon had one week of clear liquids pre-op and a lot of other people I know with different surgeons got to at least drink protein shakes, so I guess he's stricter before surgery rather than after.

Good luck to all our November 21st bandsters!!!

Hooray, Ebony Rose! Glad to hear that your surgery went as well as mine! =)

I have to admit that at the beginning of my six-month doctor-supervised diet and exercise program, I was very frustrated and impatient to get the surgery done as soon as possible. I resented having to stay fat another six months. However, at the end of the six months, I actually came to appreciate the fact I'd had that extra time to really think about things and make 100% sure that I did want the lap band. It really made me feel good about my decision, that I hadn't rushed into something too quickly. Good luck with your wait. I hope it goes by quickly for you!

Here are my stats: Surgery Date: 11/17/08 Pregnancy High: 330 Pre-op Start: 290 Day of Surgery: 278 Current: 276 Goal Weight: 150

I carry my epi-pens around with me at all times because I have had two near-fatal episodes of anaphylactic shock and unfortunately we never figured out what caused it. The allergist that ran all sorts of tests finally just diagnosed it as "idiopathic" which basically means they don't know what the cause is. He said it could happen again many times, or it may never happen again. It makes me feel a lot safer to have my epi-pens because I know that chances are they will keep me going until medical help can arrive, which is very important to me because the second episode was so much worse than the first one, I don't even want to imagine what a third case might be like! I would highly recommend discussing with your primary care physician or allergist getting a prescription for an epi-pen to carry around with you just in case you get inadvertently exposed to your allergen again.

HeatherO: My surgery went very well. The surgeon told my friend that it was "textbook perfect" so I'm hoping that it continues to go that way! I am 3 days post-op now and feeling pretty good. Just tired, achy, and very gassy. In fact, my worst pain comes from the gas rather than the incisions or port site. I am just taking Gas-X periodically, and Tylenol for the pain, and walking for 5-10 minute intervals every 30-60 minutes, depending on how I feel. And of course I've been napping a lot! How are things going with your pregnancy? =) I am very curious about that since I hope to start trying to conceive in a year or so and I've been lurking around the pregnancy part of LBT.

Hi fellow thirty-somethings. I am 32 and 3 days post-op and so far loving my band. I have one son who will be 3 in January and the main reason I decided on the lap band was so I can become a healthier and more active mom for him, and so I can have a healthier pregnancy in a year or so once I've lost most of my excess weight. Looking forward to getting to know all of you!