TX_IT_Chick

I didn't get in on March 11th for my fill due to probably not getting my rear in gear to get it scheduled. I'm set on ....March 21st!! Almost 8 weeks post op!! I'm at the point that I want to feel restriction so I can stop eating! I still get hungry!!! I'm not afraid of the fill itself. Just how it'll show me how to eat. I am one who'll have to experience the negative at least once before I "get it". I bet I could eat anything I wanted, as long as I chewed it well. Shandra

OK, now I'm two weeks post op and I can go to the "Blended" phase of my diet. I was told I could have flaky fish and I've been eating some of that. I cut it up to tiny little pieces and I chew it for at least 30 times before I sallow. I feel I could eat anything. I had some mashed 'tatoes, tonight as well. I'm trying real hard not to drink anything with my meal, before and after. I don't go for a fill for another 4 weeks (need to get that scheduled!). I'm worried that I am eating too much or not correctly. I'll go back over my doc's info, but it says I should be eating baby food consistency foods. I'm down the 20 lbs from the first day of my liquid diet (212 to 192.5) OK almost 20 lbs.... I'm back to walking my dogs 1.5 miles a day and my incisions are healing nicely. I've been so tired that I didn't want to go back out to the support meeting tonight. I will go next month. Have a great night!!! :tt2: Shandra

I had my surgery on the 29th and boy am I SORE!! I feel like a slob for not being as active before surgery as after. I am still in the same clothes I wore to the surgery center!!! I'm trying to drink as much broth as I can along with Popsicles. I know I need to walk more and I've been doing the breathing treatments. I can't wait to take a shower. And it's been so cold here in TX the last fews days that I can't get out and do a lot a walking like I'd like. I hope this is all normal... I have to schedule my one week follow up appt with my surgeon and I guess get back to a regular schedule. I think that I'm just worried b/c this is so out of the ordinary for me. I've been staying with a friend at her house since I had surgery. I'm ready to go home and to get back into my routine, ever so slowly..... If there are any words of advice, I'd like to hear them. I will try to walk around the house a little more before I take some pain med and go to sleep on the couch.! Later ya'll!!! :frown: Shandra

Ruby, I was just in your shoes. Can you feel that they're still warm?? The first couple of days were very hard for me. I took a small tiny bite of grilled chicken for dinner and I did it again at lunch the next day. If you only do that, you're still doing GREAT on your pre-op diet. I also had purchased some chip dip that I finally found at the store and I just had to try some. I dipped my spoon in to get just a very tiny taste. I even admitted that to the dr's office. I think while they really want you to stick to the liquid diet, they'd much rather have you take a small bite like I did, than to eat a whole meal and undo what you've worked so hard for. But try as hard as you can to stay on the liquid diet!!! Each day does get easier!!! Make sure you drink your Water too. Crystal light in water will help SO much!! Get several flavors that you like and keep them handy. I thought I could only have the drinks and plain water. How boring!! I'm only a few days away from my surgery and I hope to lose 10 lbs for it. I'm very close. Like a friend told me the other day...."You'll be hungry for the next 10 days, then probably never again". And "NOTHING tastes or feels as good as skinny is". Hope these help and hang in there!! Drink your water!! :rolleyes2: Shandra

Boy that pizza in the dr.s office smelled good! I am SICK of this liquid diet...... I found out that I was going to be the first surgery of the day and I got pushed back to 12:30. While I understand why, I wanted to be home recovering instead of waiting... :rolleyes2: Shandra

Today, I had my 2nd visit at TLC Edge, and tomorrow I have my visit w/ my surgeon. I'll get my appt time for surgery and the chance to ask any questions. I've been on my liquid diet for just over a week and by my scale I've lost almost 10 lbs. 212 the first day and 203.5 this morning. Of course, it was first thing in the morning and standin' neekid on the scale! :smile: My visit at TLC said that I'd lost only 7 lbs. I hope, by my scale that I get down 20 lbs. We had a catered Breakfast this morning and boy did it smell good!! I so wanted to have some, but I didn't! Yea for me. My friend who is also banded told me, "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels". She has some gems!! :smile: Shandra

I'm single, with furkids , who I love w/ all my heart!! I'd at least like to date after I lose this weight. (What does that say about my personality??? :girl_hug:) One day I'd like to get married, and I feel that I'll have a better chance of that when I weigh less. Shandra

I know that I need to drink water, but plain water, unless I've just come in from walking the dogs, in August, is BORING and hard to choke down! Glad to hear that you had Crystal light b/c I can get that down much easier. And I have some in my pantry! Yeah!! I was told that I'd need two cases before surgery (up to 5 drinks a day), and 1 after. I can't wait to get off the opitfast. Also it's really hard to watch TV when you see all these commercials for food. That is going to be a challenge for me. My friend, who is also banded, gave me a gem in my email this week: "You'll be hungry for the next 10 days, then probably never again". I look forward to that day! It's coming soon. :biggrin: Shandra

My BC pills are small enough to take after banding. I would take them with you and ask your doc or someone in his office. Also I was told that in the long run the opening into your stomach will be size of a pencil so if you BC pills are smaller than that, you shouldn't have a problem. I was told that mine would be ok. Shandra

Hey Stacey! Good to hear. I had been attending another business's support meetings b/c that where I thought I'd be having my surgery. At the last meeting, it was suggested that I at least give them the opportunity to match the price that TLC Egde offered b/c they'd done it for someone else. Someone called me, but either I got the number wrong or they blocked my number because I could never get back in touch w/ them. I'm so close (on my liquid diet now) that I didn't want to change anything for fear of something going wrong. I'm apprehensive but excited for this change. So far everyone that I've spoken to at TLC Edge has been nice and helpful. I need to go get another box of Meal Replacement drinks before my surgery; I was told I needed 3 but I could only afford 2 at the time. Dr. Veninga is the dr. I chose. I meet with him this Wednesday. Thanks for the encouragement! Shandra

I've not had my surgery yet. Jan 29th, first one of the day! I'm going this route b/c insurance denied me, and $10K is something I can afford (a car payment) pretty easily. So far everyone seems to know what they are doing! :ohmy: I've been happy w/ the quickness of my questions being answered. I had to have some tests re-done for this time around b/c I guess my previous results were outdated. That annoyed me; I had to go to a dr that I'd never used before, waited much longer than I felt I needed to, to get a few things done. That, however, is a gripe I have about all dr's visits. I did some research on each of the dr.s they have listed and the one I picked had a lot of great feedback. I can update this thread when I get back from my surgery. Shandra

I'll be 35 in a few weeks. I need this change in my life, I feel, to move forward and really grow, not only professionally, but personally too. I've only told a few people about my surgery. I have two neighbors who know, and the person who's taking me on the day of my surgery. That's it!! The person taking me, also has a band. We've become a lot closer since I found out she has the band. I had asked one of my two neighbors to take me since I though I'd have the surgery shortly after I decided it was for me. Insurance had other plans though. It's been a while now so I'm sure she's forgotten it. I was going to tell my mom, but changed my mind. I don't like keeping this from her, but while she was here for C'mas, she left a food-stuff here saying that it would help me lose weight, "be a better choice for me". It was a butter made w/ yogurt. I don't really eat a lot of butter, and it hurt me. I know she only did it to help, so I can't really be that mad. But that's what changed my mind. I'll tell them after I've lost some weight, when they see me next, in March or so. I'm also hoping that this weight loss will improve my career. I work in a male-dominated field and I'm very frustrated that I've not been promoted in the 3 years I've worked there. Plus the fact that when a position came open, and they promote from w/ in (Hahaha, jokes on you!!!!), that I was not even considered for it. And Yes, I did tell my boss that I wanted to move into that position!!! What good is it to keep getting certifications if you can't/aren't being allowed to use them???? That's most of my story. I won't bore you w/ the rest but I'd love to hear why you have decided or not to tell who ever! Shandra TX_IT_Chick!!

Only a few people know that I'm having my surgery. I haven't told anyone at work, and just a few people know. Not even my family. They won't see me for a while, until after I get back on solid foods. Where I work, I MUST be Mary Sunshine, being "the face of the IT dept" (at a position that gets very little respect!). So I will have to muster through my two week liquid diet. Shandra