jaria007

Yay! Love this thread. My boss (just think Miranda from the Devil Wears Prada) stopped and said "whoa! let me look at you! you are turning into a hot mama!" That made my day. I also went from an 18 to a 16 pants! Pants still need to be wide leg to get up over my thighs lol but in any case they were from the Gap! lane bryant pants were too big!. Yay

I'm there too! 32 pounds myself, and the same 2 pounds back and forth since june! We should be the 3 bandateers lol

I'm so BLAH! I am normally the most disciplined diet person ever but have been so opposite since the surgery. I find that that things I should eat- like protein hurt no matter how much I chew and make me puke. So then I find myself eating oatmeal, soup, chili, etc because I can keep it down. I tried Lean Cuisine and couldnt keep it down. However, I dont feel full. I've also had crazy cravings for sweet stuff. I at least reach for a 100 calorie pack instead of a box of oreos, but either way I dont seem to lose unless i stick to protein and low carb. I lost a ton of weight fast at the beginning because of the liquid diet. I literally lost 20 pounds in 2 weeks. After that, I went to mushies and gained 6! I then had my first fill and lost the 6 plus another 4. That was June. Since then, i've only lost 2 pounds which comes off and on again. Havent dropped another pound. I'm also tall, so 32 pounds is nothing on me. I mean, I have noticed a slight difference, but I thought I would have at least lost 50 by now. I do need to exercise more. Ughh, I guess I am just looking for a pep talk. I am super discouraged.

I had my first fill today too. it wasn't very quick as he had to poke around for the band a bit (it was weird because I could hear the needle scrape the band) but it was totally painless. Just took a lot longer than I expected. I also got 3ccs and have been making weird frog in my throat noises all afternoon lol. My coworkers cant stop laughing at me

Honestly, aside from minor port pain--i cant even tell I had surgery lol

I lost 8 pounds pre op and 12 pounds 2 weeks post op. For the last 2 weeks, though, I haven't lost a pound, but was told it is to be expected. I havent gained weight, so i am happy lol

I havent had my first fill yet but have been assured that it is covered. It took 3 hours for me to get my approval from Highmark

I may be wrong here as I haven't had a fill yet, but my understanding is you shouldn't eat/drink at the same time because it pushes the food through the band meaning you won't be satisfied as quickly. Therefore, you should train yourself as of now not to do that. Drink a glass of water 30 minutes before and 30 minutes after eating but not at the same time. Fellow bandsters, please correct me if I am wrong

the only thing I can see is that you may be drinking things with a lot of sugar substitute and/or sodium which on some people causes them to retain water. Funny enough, in order to get rid of retained water, you need to drink more water :w00t:)

i ate some mushies the very first week as I mentioned before, but I strayed from anything with pasta (like noodles in soup). Instead I did tuna with mayo or oatmeal all blended and it is very filling and I have experienced no problems. Maybe, if you are feeling burning, try a different mushy (one that is more protein). Just wondering. I had some hummus today and that went down fine. I can't wait till I can eat a piece of chicken or fish again LOL. Good grief I switched the tv channel to find a show all about donuts. I am being mocked by THE BIG GUY UPSTAIRS! :scared2:

Hi everyone and thanks for the response. At least I am not alone in this. My doctor did give me the gallbladder prevention pill (Octavan or something like that) but I didn't have any weird side effects from it. I am also on coumadin for another 6 months because I had a a pulmonary embolism last november plus vitamins and calcium but nothing more. I guess I will just take it a day at a time. i'm definitely feeling better today than yesterday though

txjanna-the hospital gave me something that resembled watered down grits and called it a full liquid on day 2 post op. I was told, if it fits through a straw--its a liquid. I've eaten really soupy oatmeal (blenderized of course) as a liquid with no problems. I also did the same with tuna-added mayo and kept the water from the can then blenderized the living daylights out of it. Sounds gross, but it actually tasted just the same and was something different. It's probably a mushy but I've been on liquids 2 weeks pre op and 1 week post op and am really sick of soup and protein shakes. So far I've had no problem with this. Also, I make my own shakes as a change of pace. I will add skim milk, a frozen banana, and pulp free oj and blend for a tasty shake. There are tons of ideas on this board. I've been changing it up and am greatful for the support. Like I said, Ive expereinced no issues doing this and have lost 9 pounds since last Monday )

Hi everyone. I was banded on 5/19 and so far am very happy with the band (17 pds lost in the last 3 weeks of liquid diet). However, I expected to be back on my feet right away and I am not. I constantly read posts about people being out and about a few days post op, and here i am, 1 week later, dreading working tomorrow. I decided to go to the mall for an hour today and felt really odd. I had tunnel vision, got really clammy, and very dizzy. I had to rush home and lay down. I'm guessing it is from the cut in calories, sugar, and caffeine. I have been getting my proteins, drinking my water, and taking my vitamins as well as eating sufficient calories (i think) but I just feel super weak. Also, another odd thing--my vision seems sharper. That's a plus though lol Anyone have tips on overcoming the weakness post op?

The first six weeks, from what I understand, are will power. Yes, you might be able to eat more, but you should make healthier choices. Instead of enchiladas and chips and dip, try a piece of fish and a veggie. Lean protein will keep you full longer and will not cause you to gain weight

if you have a blood clot in your lung you will know. I had one in November and it was the worst pain in the world. Dont freak yourself out, but do talk to your surgeon or even your PCP to see your next steps.

Thanks everyone. I will admit the pain is a little more than I expected and seems to be worse today (day three) than days 1 or 2. However, I am very happy with everything and excited for the future. I forgot to add that I had and esophageal hernia which they found and repaired in surgery. I am a bit nervous about insurance. I hope i don't run into any problems because the hernia surgery was not preapproved. I read a post just now of a fellow bandster's isurance denying payment after the surgery because of the hernia and some other issues. I'm probably working myself up over nothing but the day that EOB comes in the mail will be a grand sigh of relief!

:biggrin:I am now a fellow bandster! I went in yesterday morning at 5:30am with the surgery starting at 8:00am. I woke up in a bit of pain but nothing too bad. I had a pulmonary embolism in November, so after that pain I can pretty much deal with anything! LOL. The worst part was the nausea. I had been given some anti nausea medication prior to going under but it didnt help. I felt pretty crappy yesterday--couldn't even sit up without wanting to heave. I must say the staff was wonderful. My nurse was there every second I needed her and the bariatric coordinator, physical therapist, nutritionist, hospital administrator and social worker all paid me visits to answer any questions I had. I definitely cannot imagine having done this outpatient, so I am glad I picked a surgeon who banded inpatient. The night in the hospital was definitely needed. I felt much better this morning. Slightly more pain from sleeping wrong (my neck is killing me) but I got up and walked around a lot. There was this man named John who was studying to be a nurse and I was his patient for the day. He kept me company all day asking different questions and doing vitals and things. So cute! My nurse was great with getting me discharged at the exact time I needed (my ride had a small window of time to pick me up and my nurse was super accomodating). I laughed because I walked up to the nurses station to ask for help carrying my bag to the car and the nurse I spoke to thought I was a family member of the patient and not the actual patient--she said she couldn't believe I was just operated yesterday because I looked 100% LOL. So, I am back home. Took a little nap and feel a bit more pain now. It's hard finding a comfortable way to sit and the gas pain is horrible. Even the gasx strips arent working. Anyway, I would do it again in a heart beat and now am looking forward to watching the weight melt away! Horray for the May Flowers

good luck everyone. I go in at 530am. So nervous! Hugs for all my fellow 19th bandsters!!

Called my doc office. CPT is S2083 and Diagnosis is 278.01 in case anyone needs it for adjustments. Waiting to hear back from insurance as to whether it is covered.

Does anyone with Highmark know if adjustments are covered? I tried calling them but no one knows what I am talking about

typically when bodies plateau, you can jump start your weightloss by changing your routine. Whether it be a different kind of exercise, a different kind of food, etc. There was this woman on TV who started eating backwards. She was eating her dinner for breakfast (fish, chicken, etc) and her breakfast for dinner (wheaties, etc). She lost a ton of weight. Not telling you to do that but maybe try changing your routine. It is normal to stall during weightloss so be sure to take your measurments as you may very well be losing inches.

hey there. I am in exactly the same boat, go figure. My surgery is on Monday and I got sick yesterday. I took some theraflu, airborne, vitamins, vapor rub...the works. Hopefully i will be rid of it. However, if I can offer some advice...If Monday comes and you are still sick..RESCHEDULE. 4 years ago i had another surgery scheduled and was sick and decided to lie. They did a blood test before and noticed my white cell count was elevated and asked me if i was sick. I said I felt fine. What was an outpatient surgery turned into a 2 night stay because I became VERY ill afterward. Instead of returning to work in a week, I returned in a month. I vomited for days straight, lost my hearing for weeks, and was just deathly. Surgery will shock your system and being sick can just lead to infection and prolongued healing. It really isnt worth it. So Ill say a prayer for you and maybe you can do the same for me and this bug will be gone in a day or two! :party:

you may not be required to go on one, but i personally, would do it anyway. The reason behind it is to shrink your liver to make the surgery easier, and I am all about making it as safe as possible. My doc actually requires it and it hasnt been bad at all.

I ended up needing an endoscopy. I couldn't believe how easy it was! I remember going into the room and laying on my side. They had me bite down on a plastic thing and then I blinked and said "Nurse you need to sedate me more because I am still concious" To which she followed "oh hun, we are already done. you are in the recovery room" LOL I was so confused. No sore throat or anything. I think I am happier doing that over swallowing barium anyday

I have to do the shots afterward. It's not bad. I still have a stash of them from the last time I had to do them lol. Just go to tickerfactory.com and fill out the info, then cut and paste the code into your signature