MamaJava

As a new band patient, I'm struggling with the full liquid phase of post-op life. My 2-week follow-up appt. is tomorrow (01/16) and I'm going to hopefully be cleared for purees and/or soft foods. Otherwise, I may lean over and chew Dr. Schram's arm off... I am beginning this journal to track my daily food. If I don't do it, I know I won't be as successful as I could be. Here goes nothin'! TODAY'S FOOD ~ January 15, 2008 (-12 lbs. so far) BREAKFAST: 1 cup 1% milk w/ 1 scoop chocolate protein powder (30 g.) 1/2 cup cream of wheat SNACK: 1 vanilla pudding LUNCH: 1/2 cup beefy mushroom soup (blended down to liquid) 1/2 cup Activia vanilla yogurt SNACK: 1 grande decaf skinny mocha DINNER: 1 sf/ff chocolate pudding + 1 scoop protein powder (30 g.) 1/2 cup beefy mushroom soup (blended down to liquid) 5 Hershey kisses (didn't swallow each until melted) liquids today were 3 bottled waters, 2 cups Orangeade, some apple juice Feelings: I have high energy, but I feel very hungry. Maybe it is more a feeling of wanting to CHEW. I'm sure it's mental. I'm trying my best to stay busy. The busier I am, the less I think about what I'm missing out on. Plugging away! I feel great other than that, so I'm not gonna complain.

Hey, hooker! LOL Just keep your head up. You know it takes awhile to get the right restriction. Just talk to Dr. Schram-a-lamma-ding-dong next time you have an appointment and I'm sure he'll reassure you that you are doing fantastic. I see you all the time and I think you're doing quite well, dear! I hope I get restriction with my first fill, but since we have the same band installed by the same doc, my experience will probably be similar to yours once I have my first fill, too. :smile:

It's amazing what I'm reading here. My doc said absolutely no foods are off-limits for the rest of my life. I can have anything I want as long as I make healthy choices, chew everything very well, and if it goes down and doesn't come back up, then obviously it's a food that I can have. This is why I chose the band. Now I was told of foods that people have reported to have issues with (those were the popcorn, white breads & pasta)...but I was just warned to try them but to be careful. My doc said the band is a universally fantastic tool BECAUSE of the fact that nothing is off limits. This is why it reins as a more logical choice over bypass surgery. It's just what your own personal band will and will not tolerate is where the changes come in for each individual. I guess it's all a matter of your doc and what research you've personally done. I did a ton and never read one food to be forbidden with the band ever.

I think we are pretty close to you! Lisa lives in Tipton and I live in Tecumseh. :welldoneclap: We ought to keep chatting and become friends...then the 3 of us (or whoever else from these Michigan boards wants to come) can meet for a get-together sometime. I definitely know where Stockbridge is. My hubby and I had our wedding reception in Chelsea at the Comfort Inn by 94. ~Krista

I'm 10 days post-op and have some serious health food cravings. I've never been a sweet or junk food eater anyway, but I was a carb & fat addict. Anyway, I want veggies. Crunchy, raw veggies with hummus (sp?). I'm also craving fish, chicken, corned beef as far as meats go (all lean and broiled or grilled of course). I really would love some broiled seafood, a fruit salad or a huge chicken Caesar salad. Is there something behind this? I'm still on full liquids and I'm really doing okay with it. I just get cravings, but I'm really surprised at how healthy my cravings are! That's not like me. Usually I'd drool over burgers and fries, cheese-covered enchiladas and deep-fried chicken gizzards...but I'm shocked at what's happening. Is this something that is typical with the band? Do some folks totally lose their desire for the bad stuff once they are banded? I hope so...this will make my journey so successful if I can stick with eating what I'm craving now. :welldoneclap:

Actually I bought the 60g Protein powder so I wouldn't have to mess with "getting in " all my daily protein required by my doc. I hate having to add those weak low-gram protein powders (which taste like a$$) to every meal..so I do the 60g once per day in a very yummy drink. I thought it might help me feel fuller, but it still doesn't. I don't think protein is working for me...period. Not 5 g, not 10 g...doesn't matter. It's not helping me feel full. It is helping me to not lose my hair and I love the Protein shake I drink everyday that gets all my protein in (the 60 g powder I bought rocks for that reason alone). I also make sure I get a lot of food Proteins too...I pick full liquids and clear drink-adders with as much protein as I can find. I'll be fine...it's just really hard but I'm doing it! :welldoneclap:

Yes - I was banded 01/04 and my best friend was also banded back in November. Our doc requires 2 weeks of clear & full liquids, followed by 1 week of puree's and then 1 week of softs. So I'm still in the clear & full liquid stage. I did have mashed potatoes once cuz I was very, very hungry (to the point of stomach growling) but I just went very slow and only had about 3/4 cup. Also, our doc does not consider Cream of Wheat to be a full liquid. I think that is technically a puree...so you are lucky! I have my 2 week post-op appt. on the 16th (Wed.) so I'm going to see if I get the go-ahead to begin purees and/or soft foods. I'm really very hungry and I would just love to chew something. I miss chewing. I can't believe you've already lost 13 pounds after only 3 days post-op?!?? What the heck are you doing? I've lost 13 and I'm 10 days post-op and I'm on the same diet as you almost. :welldoneclap:

I have the newer Realize band. My doc switched to those and uses only Realize bands now. Aside from all the differences above, he says there is also higher success rate and less difficulties with the Realize band. He mentioned something about needing less fills and it being more effective at curbing hunger. Not sure if it's true, but he is a teaching physician of lap bands specifically around the world, so I think I'm inclined to believe him. :smile:

I finally found out that my band is a 9 cc band. I'm curious as to why it's 9 and not 10...LOL...just seems like an odd amount.

OK - I've re-done the list. I copied it back to right before it got messed up, then went through and manually re-added those who kept adding to the wrong list afterwards. LOL Here we go!!! Keep the list going from this point forward! UPDATED AND CORRECTED LIST Dec 31- Chrisann (honorary member of the Jan 08 bandsters) Jan 1- HAPPY NEW YEARS! Starting the year off right! Jan 2- phowell, Megmarie21, Gingerbug(Victoria), jengland, racetrackweary, rainbowme2(Bunny), RT, jojokitty Jan 3-WOWOX7, Woodsy,momto3, Mommamare, nancy52,AnneElliot, ovahkummer Jan 4- KUgirl, steviegene, SuzanneG, Songinmysoul, sleclerc (shirley), WendyRae, MamaJava Jan 5- texasbandster Jan 6 Jan 7- CallmeJim, comepickmeup, NukeChik, mamato3, kintime, Shell, destined2befree, babedoe4, ch4251 Jan 8- Fat&thrifty(and husband Joe), itz me, faa31, crackedpepper, flipbarnett, Joanna240, rustymarie, gingydilly Jan 9– Redtulips3, FLMan, TachaBaby505, Lillyanne_M, CJV Jan 10- luvsrocks, Hilary, Jen25bl, jtag10_4, Char1007, Pizzaman citygirl4616 Jan 11- brez1015, Tmusicmaker123, Poopsie, Ready2JustDoIt, B-Man, ganigirl6, Ms.BearKat11 Jan 12- jen6740 Jan 13 Jan 14- CoreynVA, acalpn, srbanker(Suzanne), grayl, cnukaya, Jessthat, Deedle, thinner-or-bust, gilliebean, greeniiii, mitch, WestCoastFatGuy, SMR100 Jan 15- Travelology, Dianegoe, poodlecamper, LKM, greeneyez Jan 16- Kathy, Saleel, back2reality, Cherry_Blue, Dazzle, nadean, with his help, Laurinda; Pikedafoe, Ms.Toya Jan 17- SJK, Alfie, L.A., lwood, tweenwaters, Laurieloo, kcintx,mia31771 Jan 18- RuthE?, shanarene Jan 19 Jan 20 Jan 21- mo7293 (Maureen), graham, lee41 Jan 22- purplegoddess, DPJDMOM, bcgates, AmyMT Jan 23- min, Ang1982 (Angela) Tigger_Shorty (Rose), WhirlWinds Jan 24- holleyhobby,jst4kel,kimmycrs, Somogyi1, rakes4321, RomeGA3 Jan 25- Noni(Mary), htay73il (Hope), Thor, rakes4321(Amy) Jan 26- Louise (London) Jan 27 Jan 28- kawanabear(Kalonda), crystalcml, blg200200, justtjohn, PeachesPJ, kpoincon Jan 29- diane-south fla, Milton 5a (Lauren, UK, 21) Jan 30- PortuguesePrincess(Stephanie),Amberwaves(Amber), Tamika(taismommy), jaycee Jan 31- SarahT1982, lkgrubb, sexymama

Ack...the wrong list got copied somewhere in the last 2 pages and now the list is all messed up. I've been dropped off and a whole lotta dates now don't have the newest people on them. Remember to copy the LATEST AND MOST RECENT list on the last page of this thread. I'll re-do it in my next post and hopefully we can start fresh again! :smile:

Yes, we are relatively close to Hillsdale. (I'm answering cuz Lisa and I are best friends and we live in the same area). It's about 35 minutes SW of where we are. We are just about smack-dab in the middle of Ann Arbor & Hillsdale, to give you a better idea. Curious: why do you get your band fills in Hillsdale? Are they cheaper there? Or, is your doc there? Nice to meet you, now that I've intruded. LOL

Ummm...to the OP: Where on earth did your friend get approved for a LapBand before they did an entire rundown of lab & blood work? Who does that? My insurance required labs for ALL my bloodwork. Every single metabolic disorder had to be cleared before I could get approved for surgery. If I would have tested positive for some sort of thyroid issue, then I would not have been allowed to have the surgery until I tried medication first. I would think good insurance or a good, decent lap band surgical facility would do what is a normal, necessary thing before having any sort of surgery. Perhaps the problem is with your friend's specific location, or sounds to me like she has one idiot of a doctor...IF what you've stated is in fact the truth. If she paid out of pocket, perhaps it was her own negligence and being in too big of a hurry to slap a band on herself hoping for a miracle cure. Anybody who is their own advocate and researches properly should know in advance that rushing into something without properly researching first can be a potentially huge disaster. Anybody who knows anything about metabolic disorders knows that the lap band can definitely still be of enormous benefit to a person's life. Medications aren't cures and neither is the band. Also, if your friend has properly researched her lap band surgery prior to running in to have it done, she would have known that in NUMEROUS cases, restriction is not felt until after 2-3 (or even more) fills! Not only that, but many, many MANY lap band patients do not lose weight during the post-op healing diet. My best friend lost weight during the 1st 2 weeks of full liquids, but has not lost anything since then. She has had her first fill, and has absolutely no restriction still. She's frustrated, but she's educated herself enough about the new tool inside of her body to know that is perfectly NORMAL. She's eagerly anticipating her next fill (or next 2 or 3 if that's what it takes) to feel restriction and to begin losing weight. She certainly is not blaming her thyroid issue or lack of bloodwork on something that she already knew was normal before she even got the surgery. I'm really surprised by the lack of education that seems to be fueling your post.

Actually, the Any-Whey was horrible for me. It made me gag. The one I've found that is fantastic is a chocolate or strawberry one by "Pro Complex" that I got at GNC. I'm literally in love with it. :eek:

Is it possible to lose feeling in your stomach after a procedure like ours? Like numbness or nerve damage to the actual organ? What I mean by that is...I get absolutely NO feelings of being full. Not at all. Not after any amounts of my full liquids. However, after about a cup, I begin burping and I get "the slimes". Is that going to be my ONLY indication of fullness forever? I would love to feel full to help me with this new lifestyle...but I haven't felt full (not once) since being banded on the 4th. I'm getting really worried.

Why would people think $16,000 was a lot? My total will be around $18,000 and that includes the surgery, physician fees, the band cost, my Nutritionist, my first fill, follow up appointments, my PAT testing, the anesthesiologist and a few more things I'm sure. I thought everybody would consider ALL the costs when stating how much their band costs. I thought everybody knew the entire thing is typically between $15,000 - $18,000.

I was given the new 'Realize' band during my surgery on the 4th. Does anybody know off hand how many cc's that band is total? I don't believe they told us. The one we were shown at the seminar was an older model and it's not what I got. Thanks!

Mornin', Jim! I'm 6 days post-op and this morning I finally got out of bed for the first time without making a game-plan first to avoid pain. LOL I just sat up and got up. I must be doing really well. I still have a huge dark purple bruise the size of a softball around my port site incision...but oddly enough it doesn't hurt to touch it. There's not any pain at all. My ribcage is still sore. That doesn't bother me much at all most of the time. I'm getting ready to make a 30 gram Protein drink and get my daughter off to school. Hopefully all that will happen before my baby wakes up. I'm already back to normal routine and will be out and about running errands in a couple hours. Talk to you all later! :rain:

Oohhh...yes I have serious throat pain. You can also see raw scrapes in my throat. I have HUGE tonsils, so that might have a lot to do with why I received such heavy scraping. I'm still sore, and I'm already 5 days out. *sigh* It's worse at night, of course. I can surely sympathize with ya.

Thanks, Taismommy for posting that. The calories are rather low, the fat is low also. I think it's a good tradeoff for 60 g. of protein. :whoo:

Since being banded on the 4th, I've desperately been searching for a Protein shake or powder (to add to skim milk) that I really, really liked and that made me want to really, REALLY drink it. I found it! So, I'm going to share my discovery with you. I found it at GNC. It's expensive, but totally worth it. I got the Rich Milk chocolate flavor and it's called "Pro Complex". It's 60 g. of protein per serving. HOLY MOLY! What I'm gonna do is split the serving each day. I'll have 1/2 serving (of course that would be 1/2 the powder as well) in the morning, and then the other 1/2 later in the day. Let's see if this finally helps me get full. Nothing else is working. Oh...I'm also gonna check online to see if I can get it for a lower cost somewhere else. It's kind of outrageous, but since I have 1 more week of full liquids to go, I think it's totally worth it. :bandit

I was also banded on the 4th and I am also hungry. I have 1 more week of full liquids, but I'm thinking of beginning purees just a few days early. I bought some new protein stuff today that I hope will give me a full feeling. So far I've been having 15-20 g of protein powders added to nearly everything I eat, but I never get full. I bought some stuff that will pack 60 g of protein per scoop. I'm crossing my fingers and begging some higher being to bring on a full feeling for me. :cry

Great - I think I'll wait until about 4 weeks as well. I remember distinctly choosing the band for a thousand reason over the gastric bypass, but the main reason was because of the ability to still have wine and not get insanely drunk from 1 oz. I love my wine, but I hate being drunk. Bleh! So in about 3 weeks I'll be able to sip slowly...:kiss2:

I absolutely love this thread! Here's me in April '06 at one of the least heaviest weights I've been. I think I was a mere 275 when this was taken (did I just say "mere"?) And here I was just this past Thanksgiving Day 2007 at my all-time heaviest of 298. I'm the one in the orange holding the pie:

Hiya, Jim! I also have disturbed sleep patterns since I was banded a few days before you were. That's getting a little better. My worst thing right now is the incision soreness around my port site. I can't even feel the other incisions...so I guess things are going well on my end. I'm assuming we'll all be normal again real soon. :ranger: