Lanakila

Butterflies have been my friend. I'm naturally an impatient healer, so it stands to reason that I've been "helping" the scab on my port incision along. I have had two splits of about the same size as yours. My fluids have been clear, so I've not been worried. After the first botch job, I actually cut just the end of the butterfly off and taped it directly across the incision, stickiness and all! I think that using the butterfly as usual just didn't provide enough tension across the split.

My doctor originally prescribed one week each of Clear Liquids, full liquids, mushies, soft foods, tender foods, then regular as tolerated. At my one-week post-op, I admitted that I had started full liquids 2 days early. They said that was common for folks with no restriction and that as long as I stayed on each level a FULL 5 days, I could keep moving on. I was sooooooo relieved! I get mushies starting tomorrow :lovechoc:

OMG honey...you are hungry for a reason...you aren't getting enough calories! Did your dietician tell you how many calories you should be getting within the 2nd week after surgery? Are you getting enough Protein? Consuming protein will make you feel more satisfied. Have you logged your food on fitday.com or dailyplate.com? I think that you will be appalled at how few calories you are getting in. Your body has gone in to starvation mode and is holding on to EVERYTHING you put in to it because it doesn't know if/when you will feed it again. You need the calories and nutrition to heal properly. Eat enough, or drink it if you have to! Maybe you could make both your soup and Cereal with milk to pump up your nutrition and calories.

ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY! I didn't get prescribed a pre-op diet, but I did self-impose a restriction on myself. I got off of diet soda, since carbonation is a no-no after the band. I sampled a zillion protein supplements so that I would know which ones worked for me before I was post-op. A few weeks before sx, I started doing just a shake for breakfast and lunch. I drank crystal light like a FIEND! I ate regular dinners. Not HUGE dinners...just what we usually ate for dinner. After shakes all day, my dinner portions started to shrink along with my stomach. After a week of that, I started doing "healthier" dinners. It was a good transition for me. After that...getting off of the fatty-mcfatty stuff, I started losing my cravings for it. You know how people stop craving carbs after being on Atkins a little while? Kinda like that.

I know that both of you are terribly disappointed in your lack of success. I'm certainly not going to harp on your poor food choices, as I think that these are probably based in something else completely. Have you considered seeking a therapist that specializes in weight loss surgery patients? This is not to say that you "need therapy", I just mean that you might benefit from exploring some strategies to help you cope with your problems. They can help you decide whether you would like to see a different doctor. Maybe they can help you determine exactly why you eat for reasons other than hunger. Maybe they can help you overcome your feelings of being upset and discouraged. I think that the mental adjustment to the band lifestyle is far, far harder than the dietary restrictions themself. Considering how tough of a time you are having with the dietary part, it's no wonder that you are struggling with the mental aspects...even if you aren't aware of them. We accept you, wholeheartedly, whether you are a success story or not. Don't hesitate to stick with us. You can rant about your frustrations, rave about ANY victory you have, and know that we will support you in any way we can.

A "fluoro" is a fluoroscopy. This is sorta like an x-ray, but instead of capturing a still image, it gives a moving one. Think ultrasound but for this you have to drink a radio-tracker. Some docs use it when you get a fill for two reasons; to ensure that they locate your port correctly and not insert the needle into the tubing, and to watch the rate of flow of the Water you drink during the process so that they can adjust your band accordingly. If the water slows down too much, they let some saline out, and vice-versa. The band size is absolutely NOT in the control of the patient. Just like some people have bigger or smaller feet, some people have a bigger or smaller area for the band to go around. On top of that, the sizes available between the Lapband and the Realize band are different. Think British sizes for shoes versus American sizes. I'm not really a shoe gal, the analogies just fit well! I don't have a clue what a 'VV' is. I'll be interested to find out!

I'm down 9.8#, 1.69 BMI on the week, for a total loss of 15#, 1.81 BMI. Getting back on aerobic machines this week, but also going on purees, so I expect things to slow down quite a bit. We'll see... Great job for everyone so far! I don't think we've seen anyone who hasn't had some kind of progress this month, NSV or weight loss, so we can all Celebrate like crazy! :tt2:

I'm sooooo relieved. I went to my one-week post-op appointment today. I admitted to them that I had gone to full liquids on Tuesday. They said that as long as I go 5 full days between I can move on to each of the next phases. That gives me purees on Sunday! :tt2: I know that everyone's prescribed diet is different, but I was kinda jealous of those who didn't have the week of clear, week of full liquids, week of purees, week of "soft", etc. Not trying to rub it in...just cheering at the top of my lungs!!! :smile2:

Bev, I was banded on Thursday, and went back to work on Tuesday (Monday was a holiday). I'm sure that I could have worked all day on Monday without any problem. I work at a desk, but get up and down a few times a day (in addition to potty breaks) and I think that would have been just fine too. When I got to work on Tuesday, everyone who came by to check on my said "I thought you were supposed to have surgery last week?" I LOVED it!!!

Post-op appointment today with the PA. I wrote another thread about how HAPPYYYYYYY I am with Dr. Moran's office. Please note that your personality may not be compatible with someone who is "all business", but I actually appreciate to-the-point much more than smile-pat-smile-pat. Just not my style.

Tabbaby, can you tell us what kinds of things, specifically, you are scared of? Is it the surgery process itself? Are you afraid of complications? Are you afraid of not being able to eat? Let us know so that we can address specific things for you, k? As for me, I cannot think of a SINGLE thing that I regret. It's important that you realize that, for the most part, you will be able to eat anything you do now. You won't be able to eat as much...but you'll still feel full so it doesn't matter. You won't be able to eat as much...so you'll probably choose that protein-packed chicken over that cupcake (probably, but it's ok if you make a poor choice sometimes.) There are terrific counselors that specialize in working with weight loss surgery patients. Hang out here to get first hand perspective, and maybe seek out one of those counselors too. Pop in anytime! :tt2:

Two hours seems excessive. I was told an hour on each side of the meal, but have recently been told that I can do 1/2 hour on the front end and another half on the other. Just so you understand, the "dry" spell is to keep him from washing food through his band, making him lose the full feeling as the pouch empties and letting him eat more. I dunno if you knew that, but I thought I'd toss it in anyway.

Oh Honey! Coming from a culture in which it is just plain impolite to turn down food or not clean your plate, I can surely understand what you are looking at. Try this: "Thank you so very much! Is it ok if I take only half? My doctor wants me to start a very strict diet on Monday so that I can quit taking so much medicine. The medicines are soooo expensive and he says that I won't have to take them if I lose that weight." Very small portion taken, don't eat it if you can avoid it...but a tiny portion is not a catastrophe Blame it on the doctor Strict Diet Starts Monday...not today, so you don't turn them away Lots of meds (even if not true) Meds are expensive This leaves them with their dignity and expresses your appreciation while preserving your efforts too. If the language barrier is greater than you can get this message through, consider going through the younger generation. If a younger person comes by the office, or meets you on the grounds, give the story almost as though you were "complaining" about your doctor. Good Luck!

Were you closed with steristrips? Alot of people develop a rash, and even blisters, from a sensitivity to steristrips. It doesn't always show up right away, so it is possible that it could be showing up now. I was banded on the 28th and I was closed with glue, so I had no bandages or steristrips. Maybe what you are seeing is a "rising" bruise. There are deep muscle bruises from the procedure that may not have shown up before, but they often "rise" to the surface after awhile. If you continue to be concerned, call your surgeon. That is what he/she is being paid for, so don't hesitate to use them!

If you are in to chocolate, try the Swiss Miss Sugar Free Chocolate Pudding. It's in the dairy case. It's amazingly creamy, not at all thin like most sugar free stuff. It's also an excellent chocolate-ness.

Tell that surgeon "you're fired"! If he's such a hard-ass he obviously things he's in control of the world. Be sure to tell him why you went with someone else too. I see no reason why what shift you work would make any difference. It's the same regardless of whether/where/when you work...failure to plan is planning to fail. So plan for 12 hours and tell him to hit the bricks! :thumbup:

Rachelle, has your doctor suggested any strategies for counteracting the wear on your kidneys that will come with having a protein-heavy diet? I realize that we've been eating that protein all along, but we've always had other stuff to balance it. I'm curious (and nosey too!)

So how sad is it that I've had my Wii, and Fit (!) sitting on my mantle for 2 weeks and haven't even taken them out of the box. Now THAT'S a get-off-yer-fat-ass-already project if I ever heard of one! I'll bet if you puree bologna it would taste quite a bit like the completely mascerated vienna sausages that I tried :cool2:

Beans for me? Not until the week 3 mushies :bored:Try www.lapband.com for some food guidelines. My doc actually follows those to a 'T'.

"Put on your big girl panties" honey and take control of your life. Putting the blame on your boss only irritates you more and accomplishes nothing. Try to follow up with her when you make your next appointment. Maybe don't even tell her what it is for. Maybe she doesn't think you are worth the band. Maybe she thinks you are lazy...lots of people think that about us, you know? Tell the therapists office the truth, then reschedule the best you can. Decide right now how you are going to handle this if your boss does this again. Will you "take lunch late/early", leave anyway, or allow her to piss you off again? I cannot say that your being angry about this is really indicative of your needing counseling per se. But I do think that counseling in general, anytime you are facing a life-changing experience (before OR after), is really a great strategy. Hang in there...and hang out here...we're here for you!

I was banded on the 28th and I agree with Lori completely! While I have had NO other pain since the day of surgery, any area near my large incision still hurts!

While it is exciting to see loss in the beginning, remember that this period is REALLY about healing...not losing weight. The weight loss is just a bonus and should not be your focus right now. Hang in there...the scale WILL move again!

I think that this is for 2 reasons: 1) To start you on the path to changing your mindset about food BEFORE you have to deal with it in addition to post-op pains, and 2) To shrink the fattiness of your liver so that they can move it out of the way (it partially obstructs your stomach) easier during the surgery. The fat around your liver is some of the first fat to be lost when you diet.

In this new lifestyle, there is no "cheating" anymore. You may make "poor choices", but you really shouldn't consider them cheating. It's a change in mindset that all of us have to learn. Cheating has such a "you've been bad" connotation and we want super-positive to go with our super-bands!