MissBS

I know I was told that I had to have someone with me when I had my surgery. Will you be staying in a hotel? Do you have someone to drive you where you need to go (a taxi?) and pick up any prescribed medication that you will need? If you are going to be alone, I would make sure that you know where you can get quick medical treatment if it becomes necessary. I didn't really need any help, but I was glad that I had somone there with me. Good luck to you!! Becky

Hi Dianem and welcome!!! You are very close to your surgery day - congratulations and good luck!!! It is normal to be a little bit nervous, but I must say that it is rare to read someone say they are enjoying their pre-op shakes :rolleyes2: Keep coming here and reading and asking. We are here to support you and help you out, now and after you are banded. Again... good luck and take care!!! Becky

Hi. I'm glad I didn't have to make a choice. My doctor just gave me the one that either he prefers, or that he thought would work best for me. I'm surprised that your doctor won't help you with this decision. If you can't find anything that makes one seem better than the other, maybe you can flip a coin or do eenie meanie miney mo. I'm not trying to make light of your decision - it is a very important one. I wish you good luck in making it and with your upcoming surgery. I'm sure whichever band you pick, it will work for you if you work with it. Take care!!!! Becky

Good luck to you!! I think it is important to feel comfortable with your surgeon. I'm glad you have an appointment. Won't be long now. Take care. Becky

Hi Tracy and welcome! How nice to see a neighbor on here!!! I may not be help to you on this question, but I hope that we can keep in touch and maybe even meet. When I decided to get the band, I also decided that I was going to pay for it. I have issues with insurance companies, I didn't want to wait forever, and I'm not good at hoop jumping. I just picked a place (it ended up to be Houston Texas - a place called True Results... who knows why). I have had to fly down there for my initial consultation, my surgery, and my fills. I got a pretty good deal and it included 2 years of follow up visits and fills. My doctor is Ken Hollis and I LOVE him and his staff. I know some people from here go to El Paso, some to Denver, some to Phoenix, and some go to Mexico. I think there might also be someone who does them in Pueblo CO. If you are going through insurance, I'm not sure what all the steps are, but I bet someone on here will help you. I love my band and I am soooo happy that I got it!! I had my surgery on September 19th, 2008 and I've lost 70 pounds since I began this journey on August 20th, 08. I feel so good. Good luck to you. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help you. Take care. Becky

Hi Erik and welcome!! Congratulations on getting your surgery date. Not too long now. Good luck and I look forward to following you on your weight loss journey. Take care. Becky

PLEASE STEP AWAY FROM THE DOG!!! Just kidding. Boy do I remember how hard it was. I counted the days down until my surgery.... couldn't wait to be off of that pre-op diet. Then I realized that after my surgery, I was going to be on the same diet but with a different name "The Post-Op Diet". YIKES!!! You are almost there and it looks like you have done GREAT so far. Before you know it, you'll have your band and you'll be eating "real" food (easy for me to say... right?) Really... keep up the good work and good luck on your upcoming surgery!! Becky

Hi. I had 2 cc's put in at the time of surgery, but I didn't know that until I went in for my first fill. I had NO restriction after surgery, none after my first fill and none after my second fill. Yes, I was living in bandster hell. Things really started to change after my third fill. I've now had 4 fills, have 6.4 cc's in my 10 cc band and I have LOTS of restriction. Still learning how to eat/live with this restriction. Everyone is so different. I've read about people who have so much restriction after surgery that they don't even need a fill, or don't need one for a long time. And then you read about people who have had 8 to 10 fills (or even more) who still don't have good restriction. All our bands are different, all our bodies are different, and all of our reactions to fills are different. Good luck to you!!! Take care. Becky

Hi. I agree with the previous posters - you need to do what feels right to you. I tell everyone cause that's how I am. I am so excited about having my band, that I just want to share it. Now about your sister - first of all - you will be doing it on your own too. You will be chosing the food that goes, or doesn't go, into your mouth and you will be exercising a lot too. Not much different than what she is doing. Acquaintences - of course they will notice as you lose - if they ask, you can just say I've made the decision to eat healthier and exercise more, and it's working. No lie. They don't need to know you have a little helper inside you. Just remember - YOU ARE DOING THIS ON YOUR OWN and getting the band is NOT the easy way out. Staying the way we were was the easy way out. Good luck to you!!!! Becky

Hello and welcome to LBT. I can't tell you what your first few days after surgery will be like, but I can share with you what mine were like. I was in and out of the surgery center/hospital the same day (thank goodness). I didn't feel too bad that day when I got back to the hotel where I was staying. The next day was kinda rough. The pain meds I was prescribed gave me an AWFUL headache, so I quit taking them. The pain from the gas that they put in me during the surgery was what I had the most trouble with. I took the Gas-X strips and walked quite a bit.... but.... it hurt. The actual incisions did not hurt too much, but it did hurt to get up from a sitting position or from laying down. I couldn't get comfortable laying down, so I slept the first week kinda sitting up (since I was not home those first few nights, I didn't have my Lazy Girl to sleep in). I drank Propel water, hot tea, watered down juice, and broth. It wasn't fun, but it certainly wasn't horrible. I felt pretty good a week after my surgery and good after about 10 days. Was it worth it - you bet!!! Would I do it again - in a heartbeat. I'm sure you will get many responses and the descriptions of people's days after surgery will go from the good to the bad and even to the ugly. Good luck to you with your upcoming surgery. Becky

No you are not alone. I never ate pureed meat - or baby food - seem kinda the same to me. When I was on mushies I ate cottage cheese, tuna fish, yogurt, etc. Good luck to you!! Becky

Yep.. it is that surgery gas they put in you. When I first read about it, I wasn't sure what everyone meant. I thought they were just talking about gas.... you know... :tt1: I thought to get it out, you would just.... you know :smile2: I had that pain for quite a while. And it did come and go. It gets better. Becky

You need to see a doctor and the sooner the better. Does your surgeon have an answering service? An emergency number? If not, I would go to an emergency room. It is easy to become dehydrated. Please get some medical attention... now. Good luck to you. Please let me know how things turn out. I'm so sorry you are having to go through this. Becky

Hi. Thank you for sharing. It's so nice when those things happen, and they seem to happen when we really need them. This road we are on is a bumpy one and it's easy to get discouraged. We have to find things to keep us motivated, focused on our goal, and smiling. Way to go!!! Keep up the good work - you're doing great!!!! Becky

Just be careful with that pureed/blender stuff. I'm often surprised at some of the ingrededients that people have listed on their soft foods/mushie recipes. "If you can drink it through a straw" is one of the common quotes I see. Well... you can put a Snickers bar in a blender with a bit of milk and make it where it will fit through a straw.... but..... Makes me wonder sometimes :tt1: Good luck!!! Becky

Better do what your doctor tells you to do. Not worth the risk. I'm sure those refried beans did taste wonderful (I remember my first taste of them), but you don't want to mess anything up. You will soon be able to have soft foods and then onto solids. You might not be as strong or energetic as you want to be right now, but that will come too. Just focus on healing and doing what you are supposed to be doing. Good luck to you!! Becky

I was told not to worry too much about getting all the protein in until I was on solid foods - and then it does become much easier. I too like the Atkins Advantage shakes (chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry) and have one every morning. It works out well because my band is really tight in the morning and I need to drink my breakfast anyway. I eat refried beans, cheese, cottage cheese, tuna, ground turkey, ground beef. I keep track of my calories, protein, etc, on dailyplate.com and I usually am right at, or over, the 60 grams that my doctor wants me to get in each day. When I first started, I thought I would never be able to get in 60 a day, but it isn't as bad as it sounds. Good luck to you!! Becky

Hi. I recently hit a major plateau and was looking for something to feel good about/keep me motivated/celebrate, since the numbers on the scale were certainly not moving. I remembered that I had taken my measurements when I began my journey. I dug out the card where I had written them down and measured again. (bust, waist, hips, thighs, calves, neck, and upper arms). I had lost a total of 28.75 inches. Suddenly I felt better. If you are new and have not measured yourself - do it. Good luck to anyone who is just beginning this wonderful process!!! Becky

Hi bayba. Welcome and congratulations on getting closer and closer to getting your band. I can tell you are excited!! I too lost many times on Weight Watchers and the many other programs out there - but never kept it off. I needed something more and I am so happy that I decided to get the band. Now about that husband of yours ..... his "embarrassment" will probably turn to excitement and pride as you begin to lose the weight. Remind him how much his support means to you. And when he tells people that you did it on your own, he will be right. The band is a tool that will be placed inside you, but it is you who will be making the changes necessary to become the healthier and happier you. Good luck to you on your journey - let me know if there is anything I can do to help you! Take care!! Becky

Hi zillyanne. Thank you for sharing. I've felt many of the things you talked about in your post. I think I'm getting closer to my sweet spot - I do know there is hope.... I can just feel it. It hasn't been easy, but it has been worth all the ups and downs that I've been through. Your post gives me renewed hope that I will make it to my goal - and I can tell that you will too!!! Congratulations on getting to that wonderful place where you are right now. Keep up the good work. Take care!! Becky

Hmmmmm. Would you please tell me a little bit more about this. Not sure I know what you guys are talking about. Thanks. Becky

Hi. When I PB, the actual food that I just ate - that can't go down (whether it be too big of a bite, not chewing enough, not waiting, or a food that is not agreeing with my band at that time) comes back up. I agree with Amy - it is not really throwing up .... no picnic, but not as bad. I just got a fill Wednesday and my band is REALLY tight now. I've always been tighter in the mornings, but today I PB'd coffee - YIKES!!! I was better by lunchtime, but it's going to take some getting used to. Good luck to you and take care!! Becky

Hi. I felt pretty good one week after my surgery and great by about two weeks. I think it is pretty normal to be scared that something will happen to your band. I don't think drinking liquids can cause much damage, but you might want to just sip until you think the swelling has gone down. You do need plenty of liquids, so keep drinking. And bending, sitting, standing, getting up..... those things might hurt for awhile, but I don't think by doing them you will hurt your band. Walking is great and I do think the bands are pretty tough.... just like we are. Like I said.... your band is new and I'm sure it is common to worry about it. Smile - it will all get better!! Take care. Becky

Hi jen. I did lose some hair. It seemed like a lot at the time, but it did stop and I'm growing new hair now. That started about 4 months after my surgery and lasted for a couple of months. Some say you lose hair because of the surgery, some say not enough protein, I've heard not enough water...... who knows?? I've taken Biotin, but not sure that helped any. I'm sure there are some people who do not lose any hair. Maybe you will be one of the lucky ones. I do take a multi-vitamin every day (Walgreens A to Z chewable). I also take a B 12 dot each day for energy and chewable calcium. I was told to make sure to get 60 grams of protein each day. When I first heard that it seemed like a LOT, but it really isn't hard to do. I had to have 2 protein shakes a day for my pre-op diet and still have to have one every day for breakfast. I like the Atkins Advantage shakes. I like the chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry. They are kinda expensive.... but we are worth it. I'm sure some people don't like them... but I do. I try to keep my calories at about 1000 a day. You might want to check with your surgeon - these are the things my doctor told me to take/do - yours might want you to do something different. Don't worry. It all seems overwhelming at first... but it gets easier after awhile. Good luck to you. Let me know if I can do anything to help you out. Becky

Hi Catemc. I had no restriction after surgery, none after my first fill, and none after my second fill. Things did change after my third fill. Everyone is different, so it is hard to say what is "normal". Sometimes it can take a few days, or even a week or two for a fill to take full effect. Good luck to you!!! Becky