RestlessMonkey

I am SO GLAD!! What's wrong with your ticker? It looks fine.. but back to the hydration thing. I appreciate you telling me you tried it and it helped; that means a great deal to me! It's such an odd thing to tell people who are (usually) in agony but those it helps, it helps a lot! :thumbup: And...if the hydration doesn't help, and you know you are chewing well, small bites, then you are too tight. So it's nice to have something to try before an unfill. If you ARE too tight, often a minute (like .2 - .4 cc) unfill will make a miraculous difference. Good luck! The band wasn't meant to be a torture machine.

unfortunately most insurance policies will NOT pay for the platform shoes. However if you're self pay, you can negotiate! :thumbup:

they're all a little different and the big key is DO NOT LIE! Mine asked odd questions many different ways. Like: Do you want to murder your family? and then 5 pages later Agree or disagree: Killing my family could be fun then 7 pages later True or false Shooting the family is something all people dream of. Exaggerated of course but you get the drift. Just answer honestly. OH and if you say yes you want to shoot your family, have a good reason ready cuz the therapist SHOULD ask! :thumbup: It's really no big deal as long as you're truthful. Apparently Unforgettable and I took the same long weird test!

Since you have PCOS you're safest to run this by your gynecologist. There is a link between fat and estrogen, but I can't find a good source so can't really tell you for sure what it is. However losing weight DOES impact estrogen levels and while you don't have a ticker, if you've lost 30-40 pounds or so (guessing) odds are that's the culprit, estrogen. Call your doc on Monday and get it checked out

Please don't feel badly, Patty. It wasn't your post that caused this, not at all. And bottom line as long as you check with your surgeon and he clears you, that's all that matters! And summer, I got through my Clear liquids by drinking nothing but vodka. :thumbup: Mudslides will need to wait for "full liquids".

I THINK they're teasing me because while straightforward and even "tough lovish" I'm usually fairly nice and rarely snarky snippy or petulant. But tonight I did get a little ticked off. Or not. LOL

Ok NOW you made me giggle. :thumbup:

Nah. I've always had a temper. And...I've been likened to Julia Sugarbaker on the old Designing Women sitcom... and offered jobs at car dealerships after making the deal on my cars. So I'm angry and mouthy. However generally I'm live and let live. And honest to goodness I think if Formerfatchick had the guts to say it was Beth who'd upset her so, I'd have kept my trap shut. Beth can take care of herself (one reason I love her). But the blanket whining just finally....did me in.

I think, honest to God, that it is WAY more unkind to tell a person they are fine, when they may not be, than it is to call someone out. And Beth's delivery shouldn't detract from her message. Futher it should NOT "make anyone" act like a teenager. If you want to keep it private, take it to PM (that's what the P stands for, private) or email each other. But facts are facts. And I have been on here FOREVER and usually don't lose my temper but today I just finally had enough, I guess. If Formerfat had let it die, it would've. But I'll back out now and remember if I see certain people headed off the cliff to just smile and wave! :thumbup: NBD I can do that!

I have poo and I'm not afraid to fling it.

What? I know I've been around here for over a year, Beth that long too. How you choose to react to any given situation is in each individual's control. No one "makes" a person revert to his/her teen years. I know we all should get along and there's a nice way and a mean way to say things but honestly that is just BS. If you don't like it, don't read it. You're a grown up. Act like one. And it's berate not berade. Sorry to be petty but the person screaming on here the most seems to be you. We all try to "discuss the idea" and not the person. Facts are if you cheat post op it can hurt you. Sugar coating things isn't on most of our diet plans. If you don't like my posts, don't read them. We all have that right, fortunately! There are posters I avoid; but I don't attack them either. I find your behavior as bad, or worse, than hers actually.

I LIVE in San Antonio and can tell you that no hospital worth it's salt will allow a person on pain meds to leave alone. You can't even sign the form with your post op instructions. Unless you're "lucky" and get a crappy nurse, you are going to be in trouble. You'd best clear with your doc about that part of it...(Maybe he can have someone on hand to assist you) As to flying, by 2 days after you should be ok but you'd be WAY better off to have someone to help you. Remember if it's a long flight you don't want clots (that's an issue on any flight for anyone, moreso for we larger people post op) so you'll need to get up and move around some. Again your doc or his nurse can give you their specific preferences. good luck!

Great! :thumbup: Walk, take pain meds as needed, breathe deeply as often as you can....you'll be marvelous!

A high BMI doesn't mean you need bypass. And I'm not being petulant either. Personality types and medical issues play into it more than starting weight. If you love sweets and can't give 'em up, for example, the dumping syndrome effect of bypass may be better for you, even if you "only" need to lose 80 pounds. So research is good and asking your surgeon why is good. Higher BMI is NOT a good reason though. I'm glad you both are going to ask, and think it over, and pick the right surgery for you. It isn't easy, but then so many worthwhile things AREN'T easy, are they?

JAYTEE562 I know I don't really BELONG here and I'll skedaddle soon but I had to tell you I just read the little "descriptive line" under your avatar and I almost spit my Protein shake all over my keyboard! It amazes me how many people on here ARE banned I always wonder WHO is banning them, and from what.

Hey if you can sing like Frank you can call me a broad (or a dame for that matter) ANY time.

Each doc has varying rules about drinking and eating. Mine says no drinking during a meal (that should last no longer than 30 min) and then 15 min afterward. It's not the problem I thought it was because now that I have restriction drinking while eating is uncomfortable at best, or painful at worst. However I suggest enjoying the cocktails BEFORE your meal. Not during and after. You may or may not have excess skin. People THINK bypassers are more prone because they lose faster. However take a bypasser 1 year after she achieves goal, and she will have the same loose skin that she would've had if she'd gone the bypass route. In other words, we lose generally more slowly so the sag has time to tighten up, but like an overstretched balloon or rubber band, many of us will have SOME loose skin regardless. Personally I prefer plastic surgery to open heart surgery, or surgery to amputate a limb lost due to diabetes. Whether you tell, or not, is your business. I'm a teller but I prefer that; it fits my personality more than trying to keep it private. Some aren't as "up front" about stuff. It's your news. Share it or not. And as to complications; you can read the lap band complications section but for scientific data, ask your surgeon for some references, or buy a few books that cover all types of WLS and read over them. All forms of WLS work to a point and all carry risks; you'll need to pick the one (if any) that is right for you. Although you didn't specifically ask, I can tell you that at almost 1 year out I LOVE my band. I can eat anything and have no problem foods. I am not tighter in the morning nor am I too loose at night. I have great restriction. I don't have any side effects, no GERD, no port pain, nada. I feel better, at almost 75 pounds down than I have in years. I have a ways to go but have firm belief that the band will help ME get there. I have an awesome amount of control, for the first time in my life, over what I eat and what I even WANT to eat, and it is thrilling to me. I wouldn't trade my band for a million dollars. Not everyone is so happy or trouble free, though. You'll have to weigh it out for you. I took a LONG time, and a LOT of changing my mind, before I settled on the band. (it was NOT a whirlwind romance LOL) But once I committed I went full bore and I LOVE LOVE LOVE it. Good luck!

No pleats, no zipper, no bell bottoms (ok I AM 54)

I've been called worse.

Safest to call your doc. Odds are it's just soreness, but at 8 days post op a "new" pain is nothing to disregard, so give him a buzz.

AND one more thing I just thought of. While our bodies will produce a good deal of gas, and it can be painful, GAS X or something like it (clear it with your surgeon first) will work wonders. HOWEVER the surgeon pumps gas into your abdominal cavity and that stuff isn't even touched by gas x. ASK your surgeon if he will remove as much as he can before he closes you up. They CAN remove it. But some don't, or don't think to. Your body will eventually absorb it and dump it but in the interim it can be MISERABLE. So ask your surgeon to remove it and you'll already be ahead of the game! :thumbup:

The recliner sounds wonderful, no wonder you were asking! But you can bask there during the day (remember to walk some each hour...prevent those clots and move the gas!) I am sure there's a percentage of post op patients who really can't stretch out but I think more would feel "normal" if they just got over the fear and went to "bed" the first night or so. The pillow to brace is key. And knowing you will have help to get up if you need it is also important. Since we are banded laparoscopically, our muscles aren't cut and while our innards (medical term, that) may be upset with us, they all still function just fine. So it's kind of like how you're sore after exercise (of course I have to remember FAR back for that) It hurts, but using the muscles some to warm them up feels better? This is not the same, but similar. The more you move, the more normally you act, the better you are going to feel. By all means, pamper yourself in that fine recliner. Take it easy. Dont' decide day 3 is the day to clean out that closet that's been bugging you LOL but do "putter" around. And as has been posted, take your pain meds IF you need them. I did feel some pain. My goal wasn't total eradication of pain. For some, that's the aim. But I wanted to balance the pain with being alert and aware. I HATE feeling groggy and "out of it". For me, distraction and tylenol worked just fine. I had some movies I wanted to watch, a couple good books, some magazines, and even a couple crossword puzzle books. That type of thing worked for me but won't for everyone, so do what you need to, so that you will feel good.

Unforgettable is right. We WISH all medical personnel were kind and compassionate and interested first in our health and well being, but that isn't true. There is a predominance of kind compassionate people but you still have to use your brain and make your own choices. That's why, if you think the doc has a hidden agenda, he very well may. Find out WHY he's pushing one thing over another (and this is true for any medical procedure, not just this surgery). If you find his reasoning is dicey, get another opinion. By doc 2 or 3 if they ALL agree with doc 1, then maybe you are the problem! LOL But knowledge is a GOOD thing. Finding out all you can and making your own best choice is optimum.

I'm not Kiaa but maybe I can give you a helpful tip. IF you lie flat from the first night, it's going to be easier. This is because 1. you'll still have good drugs on board and it won't hurt and 2. stretching out early on will keep things from getting stiff, used to being compressed, etc. I think probably most people are "afraid it WILL hurt" and don't just go for it, then by day 2 or 3 when they try to stretch out it DOES hurt, like a self-fulfilling prophecy. Night 1 (I was at home but you can do this in the hospital too) I slept on my side (the port side actually) with a pillow to kind of help brace me. Actually the pressure is GOOD for you; it can help slow and stop any bleeding etc (like you hold pressure over a cut on your arm, say, to stop the blood flow) I was a LITTLE stiff getting up but used my 4-poster bed to help me pull up (in the hospital you'll have side rails etc). Night 2 I slept on my stomach (which is my norm) I was fine the next morning. I was a LITTLE sore but it was like too many sit ups sore, not like major surgery sore. Use a pillow to help brace your abdomen when you sleep, when you sit up, etc. The counter pressure is VERY helpful and keeps the muscles from hurting too much. If given a choice between a pillow and prescription paid meds, I'd say the pillow helped me WAY more. I did take tylenol every 6 hours when awake. I didn't take the prescription med because I didn't want or need it, but by all means take it if you need it; and timing it to have a dose about 30-45 minutes before bed time will help. So yes you can sleep in a recliner if you have one and want to. But I didn't WANT to sleep in the recliner; I wanted to rest well and don't do that in a chair. I can't help but think that getting "good" sleep early on helped me recover more quickly too. Recliner? not a must have unless you just want it.

Apparently some people's tastes change. What happens is you get used to things. Say you drink tea sweetened. If you go a month drinking only unsweetened, then sweetened will taste funny because it isn't your "normal" any more. So there isn't really a physical alteration, just a change in habit and perception. That means, too, you have to be careful or the sweet stuff will start tasting good again. You can train your body to like it. Same is true of foods high in fat. You aren't used to them now, so they upset your stomach. Keep at it and you can get used to them. This isn't uncommon. Adding anything into your diet (like a lot of Fiber when you were eating low fiber, for example) can cause a gastric upset. That's also one reason travelers can get sour stomachs. Although there are "bugs" that can get you, of course, but A big change in our diets upsets our digestive systems. If you normally eat low fat low carb, say, and then go on a vacation and graze on foods higher in fat and carbs, you'll feel it in more than just tighter clothes.