p3photogal

Hello! i am in King George and am looking to add a few more friends to my lap band life! There is also a great support group for wls and a seminar by another national forum in May in northern VA. Should be so much fun! If anyone wants to keep in touch or find out more about the seminar, let me know! there will be 2 plastic surgeons there doing free consultations as well as a catered lunch and all sorts of little surprises!

when you are hungry drink Protein, even if you can only drink a quarter or half a shake, protein is your best friend! It will make those hunger pains go away completely and keep them at bay for a long time. The higher the protein, the longer the hunger feeling will stay away because it takes longer for your body to process it. Always remember protein first. I am 4 days out today and am feeling fabulous. i am walking about a mile a day separated into a morning and afternoon walk. i am also able to sleep on my stomach or side without any problem. i drink about a half a Protein Shake at a time, but can eat about 3/4 cup of thinned cream soups. Some i can eat more than others, it all depends on the amount of protein. i also add unflavored protein to soups (when they are cold) then heat them up and blend and strain them. I had cream of brocolli today with about 2 tbsp of grated cheese for some extra protein. Definitely wait 20-30 minutes after drinking to eat, and at least 30 minutes after eating to drink clear liquids! You will thin out the thicker items in your pouch and it will wash it right down so you will get hungry much quicker. My dr tells me my ultimate goal is to pee every 2 hours and it should be extremely light in color.

I posted my story on the main board but i am feeling great! I overdid my walking yesterday and walked about a mile and felt like I pulled a muscle in my abdomen, so I did some indoor walking and a lot of resting today, but other than that feeling great! AND! I can actually sleep on my stomach and side! Even my port side! it doesn't hurt at all, the incisions don't bug me, just the muscle in my abs. I was so happy to be able to sleep when I took a nap today and not in my recliner!

my stomach is constantly making gurgling noises, i had read about it somewhere that it always will, but that's not a huge deal to me, it's funny! haha.

I totally agree with everyone else, I posted my update on another thread so i won't repeat it here, but funny story... This morning i started drinking after obviously not drinking all night so my stomach was empty. I took two sips and then a sound like Water going down a bathtub drain happened it was so funny i just had the visual of a whirlpool of liquid swishing around the band and going through the hole! hehehe.

My surgery was scheduled for 10am on April 3rd. I arrived at 8:15 to the same day surgery waiting room, I no more than cracked my book open figuring on at least an hours wait when they called me back and had me undress and put the robe on. The drew blood for last minute tests, and started the IV asked a bunch of questions. Then they brought my husband in and we just watched TV for a bit lol. I was pretty relaxed through the whole thing. The anesthesiologist came in and told me she was going to give me something to relax, and then would give me the main anesthesia in the OR. My surgeon came in and told us a little about the procedure and how when i was asleep they would stand me up and do all sorts of stuff and to check everything, I was like WOAH! So that was the last thing i remember, well that and the nurse putting nipple cream on my lips because my lips were dry and since the anesthesia would make my mouth, throat and lips dry after surgery. So then I woke up in recovery, kept dozing off here and there felt pretty good, no real pain. the highest my pain got was a 5 on their 1-10 scale and even that was just port pain, more when i moved than anything else. I started out in the bed, then moved to the recliner, started on liquids. The nurse came in and checked my vitals and I started walking right then, they were shocked that i jumped out of bed (it was really high! lol) and started walking, no problems at all. I was on morphine pump at that time, but i wasn't too kean on it, it was great for pain, but made me a little naseas. I was taken down for the barium swallow and everything looked great, but that stuff was NASTY! I had to do it twice because they didn't give me enough the first time, which made me pb a little air. no vomiting though. Then when i went back to my room, i tried some apple juice. I must have been drinking too fast and threw that up...not painful, not hacking just kind of like a kid spitting up. Once that was done I was fine. I blame it on the morphine. The switched me to oxycodone and I was fine, and also gave me two doses of anti nausea meds in my iv. No nausea since that one bout. I do have anti nausea pills two different kinds with me at home now. I am taking pills fine, just cut up in half or quarters. I took one oxy last night and switched to tylonol today just for general muscle acheyness. I have been walking every two hours and getting my fluids in. I get gas pains here and there, but nothing bad at all. I would have to say the most pain I have today is maybe a 1.5 and thats if I move suddenly. I slept in my recliner last night just fine and my dh massaged lotion into my lower legs since I hadn't been up to walk during the night and they were sore. But not clot sore, just muscle inactivity sore. It took a while to get released from the hospital because after they took the catheter out I couldn't pee. I tried SO hard. I sat in there for about an hour just praying i could pee because if I didn't they would have to cath me again, in and out cath, but still! So finally I peed and all was good. honestly i would think that i just worked out too hard and had some muscle pain if I didn't look at my stomach and see incisions. i feel pretty good and still don't feel like it's 100% real! lol Hints I learned, I always have a pillow on my lap, the extra pressure even slight makes my incision pain feel really good. Chap stick is a must when you walk, walk with ice chips or sip Water the first few days, your mouth gets SO dry. Gas x strips help a lot when you get a small gas attack. drink those fluids, we are supposed to aim at peeing every 2 hours! i have been able to have cream Soups no problem i can eat about a half to 3/4 of a cup of split pea, but less of cream of potato.

My surgery was scheduled for 10am on April 3rd. I arrived at 8:15 to the same day surgery waiting room, I no more than cracked my book open figuring on at least an hours wait when they called me back and had me undress and put the robe on. The drew blood for last minute tests, and started the IV asked a bunch of questions. Then they brought my husband in and we just watched TV for a bit lol. I was pretty relaxed through the whole thing. The anesthesiologist came in and told me she was going to give me something to relax, and then would give me the main anesthesia in the OR. My surgeon came in and told us a little about the procedure and how when i was asleep they would stand me up and do all sorts of stuff and to check everything, I was like WOAH! So that was the last thing i remember, well that and the nurse putting nipple cream on my lips because my lips were dry and since the anesthesia would make my mouth, throat and lips dry after surgery. So then I woke up in recovery, kept dozing off here and there felt pretty good, no real pain. the highest my pain got was a 5 on their 1-10 scale and even that was just port pain, more when i moved than anything else. I started out in the bed, then moved to the recliner, started on liquids. The nurse came in and checked my vitals and I started walking right then, they were shocked that i jumped out of bed (it was really high! lol) and started walking, no problems at all. I was on morphine pump at that time, but i wasn't too kean on it, it was great for pain, but made me a little naseas. I was taken down for the barium swallow and everything looked great, but that stuff was NASTY! I had to do it twice because they didn't give me enough the first time, which made me pb a little air. no vomiting though. Then when i went back to my room, i tried some apple juice. I must have been drinking too fast and threw that up...not painful, not hacking just kind of like a kid spitting up. Once that was done I was fine. I blame it on the morphine. The switched me to oxycodone and I was fine, and also gave me two doses of anti nausea meds in my iv. No nausea since that one bout. I do have anti nausea pills two different kinds with me at home now. I am taking pills fine, just cut up in half or quarters. I took one oxy last night and switched to tylonol today just for general muscle acheyness. I have been walking every two hours and getting my fluids in. I get gas pains here and there, but nothing bad at all. I would have to say the most pain I have today is maybe a 1.5 and thats if I move suddenly. I slept in my recliner last night just fine and my dh massaged lotion into my lower legs since I hadn't been up to walk during the night and they were sore. But not clot sore, just muscle inactivity sore. It took a while to get released from the hospital because after they took the catheter out I couldn't pee. I tried SO hard. I sat in there for about an hour just praying i could pee because if I didn't they would have to cath me again, in and out cath, but still! So finally I peed and all was good. honestly i would think that i just worked out too hard and had some muscle pain if I didn't look at my stomach and see incisions. i feel pretty good and still don't feel like it's 100% real! lol Hints I learned, I always have a pillow on my lap, the extra pressure even slight makes my incision pain feel really good. Chap stick is a must when you walk, walk with ice chips or sip Water the first few days, your mouth gets SO dry. Gas x strips help a lot when you get a small gas attack. drink those fluids, we are supposed to aim at peeing every 2 hours! i have been able to have cream Soups no problem i can eat about a half to 3/4 of a cup of split pea, but less of cream of potato.

Amy of course you are welcome! Tomorrow's the day girls!!!! Good Luck, God Bless and get skinny! lol

Mine is probably confident. Something I have struggled with for a long time!

wow i can't believe you were in and out so quick! welcome home and congrats!!!! I hope my recovery is as easy as yours...I have to spend the night in the hospital though. They line up ten 1 oz cups and I have to drink them every hour. an hour later, they line up another 10 cups. ugh...lol Make sure to take some deep breathes to reduce risk of pnuemonia!!!

wow i can't believe you were in and out so quick! welcome home and congrats!!!! I hope my recovery is as easy as yours...I have to spend the night in the hospital though. They line up ten 1 oz cups and I have to drink them every hour. an hour later, they line up another 10 cups. ugh...lol Make sure to take some deep breathes to reduce risk of pnuemonia!!!

Heres the info from the tricare policy manual: Tricare's requirements Gastric Bypass (Surgery for morbid obesity) – Limited Benefit – Gastric bypass, gastric stapling, gastroplasty, and vertical banded gastroplasty may be covered when one of the following conditions are met (view Hospitalization Costs): The patient is 100 pounds over the ideal weight for height and bone structure and has an associated medical condition, such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, cholecystitis, narcolepsy, Pickwickian syndrome (and other severe respiratory diseases), hypothalamic disorders and severe arthritis of the weight-bearing joints. The patient is 200 percent or more of the ideal weight for height and bone structure, regardless of associated medical conditions. (this is by using the metropolitian weight table.) Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding is covered, effective February 1, 2007. The following are not covered: Biliopancreatic bypass (jejunoileal bypass, Scopinaro procedure) (CPT codes 43645, 43845, 43847 or 43633). Gastric bubble or balloon Gastric wrapping/open gastric banding (CPT code 43843) Unlisted CPT codes 43659 (laparoscopy procedure, stomach); 43999 (open procedure, stomach); and 49329 (laparoscopy procedure, abdomen, peritoneum and omentum).

i am on only liquids, clear liquids and 3-4 protein shakes a day. I was down 10 pounds the first week...and now i am UP 2 pounds! WHAT?! so I don't know what the deal is, i did get metamucil today and am going to have that tonight and then again tomorrow and hope things get back to where they were. I wish I had added in the benefiber or metamucil from the get go...ugh. I took stupid exlax yesterday and thought I was dying! I had awful cramps for like 4 hours curled up in a ball, it did help a bit, but not nearly as much as I thought it would...that was the first time i have ever taken anything like that...and NEVER AGAIN! It hurt so BAD!

A YUMMIE Protein shake?!!!!! I have been trying out a whole bunch and today i ran out!!! ahhhh, so off to the base I went and they only had myoplex and muscle milk. muscle milk??? hmmmm....chocoloate mint? YUM! So I grabbed a four pack and came home and poured one over ice...it's REALLY GOOD!!!!!! Other's on my approved list: Atkins Carmel Latte - sooooo yummie Atkins Mocha - i add an oz of sf davinci kaluah syrup to it and it's my starbucks fix! mmmmm yummie! Muscle milk has a ton of different flavors so I am going to try out a few more as soon as I find where I can get them.

Gigi! you'll do great! Travel safely and check in when you can! We will be thinking of you!!!!

my husband made teryaki chicken the other day and i about wanted to kill him! It's my all time favorite, and of course it smelled throughout the whole house and was dying! Then he made Blueberry bread. I swear! I was litterally plotting to suffocate him in his sleep! lol...damn liquids!

Hey all...so i am going to ask a personal question, but i am totally at a loss! lol So I am on liquids, and either costipated, or just not producing that form of bm? Anyone else? I lost 10 pounds on liquids, and now today i am up 2 pounds! The only thing I can think of is constipation...it doesn't make sense, I am a good little liquid dieter! haha

hey welcome ready to lose! How is everyone? who is on strict liquids with me in here? Anyone having constipation issues?! or is it because we are on liquids we just don't produce that type of waste? I am so confused! lmao.

small pillow to hold against your stomach if you cough and to put between you and the seatbelt on the ride home. any meds you take daily, vitamins, things to do since you will not be able to sleep that first night! They wake you up every 15 -30 minutes to check your vitals i am bringing my laptop with some movies.

haha, I am PRAYING to be on atkins right now! just to be able to chew some of the grilled chicken dh made last night!!!!

I haven't had any surgerys and nerves haven't set in much, but i think the day before I will probably be freaking. I haven't really let myself have time to worry about it...though i can't wait to get off this liquid diet, i feel like I am walking through quicksand. Can't get enough calories in to balance with protein. It's driving me nuts!

KCV and actually all of you April banders, If you scroll down on the main list of message board subjects you will find the yearly/monthly list. Clock on that, scroll down to APRIL 08 and click on that. Inside there is a list of dates, and a whole bunch of other listings, if you are april 3 and want to join our group, please come on in to the one that is labeled "any april 3rd?"

For me, I think it's a matter of complete faith in my surgeon. I have never had a major medical procedure, and honestly I just don't think about it. I have myself convinced that it's just another "test". I know all of the pre-op possibilities, but the limited probability of them do not outweigh my health, happiness, and finally feeling like I "fit" in my body. The benefits far outweigh the risks for me, and maybe I am naive to think that this whole decision is bigger than me, but I just feel completely at peace with it. I will probably be a wreck the day before, but honestly I won't even allow myself to look at the calender, there's just no reason to freak myself out for something that will turn out to be the GREATEST thing I could ever do for myself. I completely understand your fears, but lets take it one thing at a time... Anesthesia - what most people are afraid of - you've been through it more than once and know you don't have a bad reaction to it... laproscopic entry and exit- you've been through that too...you know it's a tool that is used with skill and precision and they can get in and out without issues. the actual banding - they are already in there...it's that last step, nothing past this point can't be fixed...if it slips, they adjust it, if it leaks, they replace it, if it erodes, they don't even have to deal with it surgically in most cases, it's an unfill. So then it's done. Be sure to have the gas-x strips, a small pillow for if you caugh to hold against your incisions, walk walk walk, sip sip sip...and you will be on cloud nine with the rest of us when it comes time for that first fill. We are here for you, and we are all going through this together. We will be dealing with the same things each day after surgery, and we will be here no matter what. So just take a breathe, look at some before and afters, and imagine your life 3,6,9,12 months from now and smile at your projected success. Because you WILL succeed!

ummm, it really depends on who the reviewer is. They might approve because it's the band and not bypass. Normally the requirement is 100 pounds overweight or a bmi of 40. There is a work around though. have your high blood sugar listed as pre-diabetes or diabetes and they will most likely approve you. They make exceptions for bmi 35+ with diabetes or heart problems in some cases.

there is no scientific proof behind how much water we actually NEED to take in a day. so 64 oz is the amount everyone tells us. more is better, less is ok, but not so good. Drink water, it's simple as that, just drink what you can and make sure to get the minimum in.