gojaguars

Hey Linda, My friend and I both were just banded by Dr Robert Cywes on May 8th. We both like him. During our pre surgery appointments we also met with his partner Dr Baptista and he was very nice too! We would highly recommended them. They have completed over 1,200 Lap Band Surgeries, which is more than other drs in Jacksonville that we found. We know several people from work that have used these drs also. Hope that helps.

Hey Allison, please add me and my friend to the May 8th date, gojaguars and Terri. Thanks!

Hey Everyone! Seems like we are feeling about the same...sore around port etc.... One thing that helped me in the clear liquid and full liquid stage was making homemade broth. Just take some chicken pieces and/or I used some beef Soup bones and added a package of stew meat to it with a couple diced onions, 4-5 ribs of chopped up celery and chopped carrots. Cover with Water and simmer 1-2 hours and season with pepper, garlic powder or whatever your taste is. I loved the broth! And used the chicken with some broth and made chicken and dumplings for the kids one day and used the beef and added some vegetables to make them vegetable beef soup. The homemade broth really satisfied me and was so easy. Now that I am in the soft food stage some ideas my friend (we were banded the same day) came up with was since we can have very "wet" tuna salad, chicken salad, turkey salad and egg salad was to make it very wet with the mayo and keep containers with that already prepared in the fridge. So for lunch we had a spoonful of tuna salad, egg salad along with a piece of provolone cheese and a few little rings of the mild banana peppers. OH WHAT A DELICIOUS FEAST it is! Part of the hard part seems to be retraining ourselves to eat slower, small bites, chew, chew, chew and for us, our Dr says no drinking 10 minutes before eatting and no drinking for 20 minutes after eatting. That is taking a bit of concentration to get used to. :thumbup:Good Luck to everyone. :wink_smile: :thumbup:And please post your tips or recipe ideas too.

My surgery was on May 8th and I am very sore the last two days in the port area all the time except when I am laying down. At first it was just when I turned the wrong way in bed but it was better as long as I was very careful. I wonder if I pulled it out of place somehow sleeping wrong or while I was walking my dog? Sneezed a few times today and it was terrible! I go back to work next week sitting at a desk also and will definitely get the padded bandages. All of the other incisions are healing nicely.

Thanks to everyone posting, I agree with all of the things mentioned and I won't miss: * Struggling to find a comfortable way to trim my toenails and polish them and still be able to breathe. * Being the heaviest Mom when parents gather. * Breaking a sweat on my forehead or upper lip just while shopping and walking in a store. * Shopping for clothes in the Plus size section of the store and limiting the stores we can shop in. * Ugly bras and underwear. * No men looking at me more than a friend. * Not wanting my picture taken with my kids/family as I am so heavy and ugly in pictures. * Hurting feet and walking slower than everyone else due to my weight. * Sitting on the floor if I want to and not worrying how embarassing it will be for others to see me struggle to get up off the floor. On one of my Dr appointments he pointed out that as an overweight person we have really limited our lives and lifestyles as we have gained weight by not being able to comfortably do certain things, so we choose to cut them out.....one of his examples was crossing your legs.....simple tasks we used to be able to do and can no longer do, due to weight. As we loose the weight we are regaining the ability to do many things we have not been able to do for a long time and taking control over our lives again. Not to mention all of the health benefits and being able to live longer and be with our loved ones longer. :thumbup:Cheers to all of those ahead of us that have lost so much weight and to those just getting started on this healthier journey :wink_smile:. Best Wishes to everyone of us.:tt2:

Hey Everyone! I was wearing a hospital gown, the slipper socks and they put on white thigh high support hose, then the compression stockings on my calves to help prevent blood clots and no underwear. I had to keep the thigh high stockings on for 24 hours after surgery to prevent blood clots. Plus I was cold and they covered me with several warm blankets. When I was wheeled into the OP room, they had me scoot over to the OP table but I was all covered up still and they had me put out my arms to put on a Blood Pressure cuff and the other arm had the IV in it, then the anethesologist just said he would give me something to fall asleep and they put an oxygen mask on me and said take a deep breathe and that is all I remember. That one breathe. Then I woke up in the recovery room. It was very smooth and they were all very nice and took very good care to be gentle and calming. And I do not remember anyone seeing me naked at all.

Hey, I was just banded on May 8th and that is exactly the protein shakes that I bought. The Chocolate one is my favorite. And I like them very cold or over ice. Good Luck meeting your online friend in person. Sounds exciting!

Hey everyone, seems there are quite a few of us May Bandsters! I am feeling better today, not as sore and ready to take on the Protein drinks today. I was starting to notice yesterday the hunger feelings coming back and find myself reminding me that the Band is a tool to help us, we still have a lot of hard work to do to get where we want to be. I did take someones advice and went out with my son for a little bit we ran through the Chinese Take Out and I got some Won Ton soup and Egg Drop Soup. It was ok, but not as great as I thought it might be. Oh, well, a 1/2 cup and I was full and satisfied for quite a while. I have not talked to my friend this morning yet, but will keep you all updated. Thanks again for all the info and support.

Hey Everyone! I have been reading silently for some time now and want to thank everyone for all the great information and support. My friend and I both were banded on May 8th. We are doing pretty well, just pain in our left stomach. Is that the port area? We feel it mostly when we get up and down. Our Dr has us on clear liquids for days 1-3, days 4-8 full liquids doing the protein drinks up to 3 times per day and no snacking. Then day 9-15 soft foods and real food day 16 and afterward. It is so great to do this with a best friend and we also work together and sit right next to each other at work. We are in our forties and want to be healthier. It is time to take better care of ourselves for those we love and ourselves. Good Luck to everyone!!!

Congrats, Princesstracey!!!! What a GREAT way to begin 2008!!! Were you able to get the pain meds in liquid form? Hope so, and that they help with the pain soon! I am just in the beginning stages of the dr appts before getting the band and just discovered the website. Thanks for sharing with everyone ! Best Wishes!