Kellster

It's certainly weird not eating as much food - especially with the gigantic portions we are used to in America. My doctor gave me a card asking if I could order senior's meals - he changed from kid's because kid's meals tend to be fried, etc. and at least senior portions are smaller. My Lap-Band Journey card has that message on it too.

I've been out to dinner with friends and I either order Soup (not the creamy ones), or something healthy off of the appetizer menu, and I plan for leftovers. And I don't feel ashamed to leave food -especially bread - on my plate.

I was at a baby shower this weekend, and there were delicious chicken salad sandwiches on a croissant. I cut it in half and gave part to my friend, and took off the top bread and lettuce and just ate the open faced sandwich, with some fruit and veggies. It was great, I felt like I ate everything and didn't miss out.

Yum where's my Protein shake.

Thanks for the inspiring words, Spidey! I definitely need to come on here for encouragement sometimes. The mayo Banditos rock!

My fill went great - I was in and out in less than 20 minutes, a miracle for my busy office. He put 3.5CCs in, and I could feel the Water gurgle down, but it wasn't uncomfortable - which he said was perfect.

Next fill - 6 weeks from now!

Hey Banditos, looks like we're all moving along well!

I've been off living life with the Band - in Bandster Hell of course. But I go for my first fill today, and I can't wait! This thread has helped me prepare for it.

Although I'm a bit peeved - my buddies MamaDot and MamaBully were banded by the same surgeon as me a week after my band date, and got a fill a week ago - lucky girls! I should have pestered that receptionist some more, I swear she doesn't like me. Ah, all things happen for a reason, right?

I've been hovering around 30lbs lost, but I know I eat significantly less now than I did pre-band. I've been fighting off depression so it's been hard to be motivated to exercise but I'm doing little things here and there. Hoping the fill will help me get refocused!

Johnsonsnickers, you beat me to it! I actually had less cramps this month, and I'm wondering if it's the hormones from my melting fat, or the fact that I weigh less, or both!

My poor bf, he's in for a treat if I get crazy because of hormones. Hehe.

Mine is on the left, about 3-4 inches above my waist, but just slightly to the left of my midline. It's in a good place when I'm standing. But when I sit, there's still a roll there and it tends to bump against stuff... lol. I can feel it quite prominently and asked my surgeon about it and he said that as I lose weight it will settle into my abdomen, that he has never seen one visible to the naked eye on a skinny bandster. Whew!

I'm either maintaining or losing slowly, but I'm trying to pay a lot of attention to what I'm eating now that I'm onto soft foods. I've also been going to the gym as much as possible, today will make 4 times this week. Working out makes me feel like I'm doing something good for myself, and I can tell I'm getting stronger. Now I can't wait to bring in the weight lifting so I can build muscle to burn even more fat!

WOOHOO!

Oh and the moron receptionist at my surgeon's office scheduled my fill for 6 weeks out even though my doc said 4 is ok. But I feel ok going for a couple more weeks, I'm doing ok with portions/food quality and I enjoy taking big gulps - not for long!

I like this idea of weighing on Fridays! This morning I was 340.6 so I'm down about 28 pounds so far, woohoo!!

Hitting the gym again tonight. :-)

Hey kids, I'm back and had to update the poo status (aren't you glad???).

I'm on mushy/soft food now and I'm happy to report that I am back on my at least 1/day poo schedule. I really think that the low-sodium V8 that I drink daily helps me feel more full, and helps me move that bowel. I ran out a couple days ago and it's been a bit harder than normal.

And I agree - total volume is way down. I keep waiting for more but nope! No bowl-fillers for me now.

Hey Banditos!

I'm happy to report that my bowels are back on the regularity track. I don't know what I'd do if I didn't poo every day. It's weird, but true.

In talking with my roomie/fellow bandster, I think my daily movement has to do with Fiber (of course). She HATES veggie juice, and I adore it. Plus my dietician says to drink V8 or other veggie/tomato juice especially for women to get the potassium you need. Keep in mind that my surgeon allows a full liquid diet for the two weeks after surgery. :cursing: So glad I don't have to do just clear liquid.

In any case, I think the Fiber in the V8 is really helping my BMs be less like the Rock of Gibraltar (although I had a similar experience for the first one), and more like soft-serve ice cream (bet you're hungry for that now). :cursing: I also saw some lil packets of Benefiber advertised on TV, that you can mix into Water, I wonder if that will benefit us. I plan on asking @ my follow-up appt.

Poop on, my friends!

Hey Dani, reading this inspired me to check where my BMI was at, and I too have gotten mine below 50!!! Congrats to both of us, this is a big step! Next BMI goal for me is under 45.

I still like Banditos, although if we are being correct with Spanish it should indeed be Banditos de mayo.

Why do I like Banditos? Because -ito or -ita means "little" in Spanish. And I sure like the thought of being a little Bandster... :redface:

But I'm too lazy to go change my banner... haha. Too much energy spent at the gym!! Yayyy!

Just an update, because I know you were all waiting with bated breath... :eek:

I've had a BM every day for the past few days. It seemed like once I got ye ole bowels moving, they wanted to get back to regularity. Not sure if that will continue, but boy I sure hope so!

Hey all - are any of you having any clear ooze coming from your incisions? My port incision isn't painful, isn't red, had some of the skin glue flake off, and there's some clear pinkish Fluid leaking out now and again. I had a friend who is a nurse take a quick peek at it yesterday and she said it's all good (and that draining the goo inside is good, as long as it's not smelly yellow pus...), but just wanted to bounce it off of my fellow Banditos.

Hey Dani, well you live and you learn, right? I'm glad you didn't have any further complications like vomiting, etc. Just remember, our surgeons know best and have been doing this for years. Treat your stomach like a baby stomach, and remember the steps you have to take, liquid, pureed, mushy, and then soft/real food. I'd do liquids a bit more and then if you want more texture move on to pureed, but not right to mushy/soft yet. Just take it easy, you know you made a mistake, and you can certainly learn from it!

Thank you also for sharing your experience and being honest, because it helps the rest of us learn too!

Oh, I forgot to mention that I posted the poll as private - so your poll answer won't show who you are. But feel free to post a reply if you want to share/discuss!

Hey my fellow Banditos! I'm always curious to find out what each surgeon prefers in regard to what brand of band they use. I've read the comparison info on Allergan vs. Realize, and to me it's the difference between a Ford and a Chevy. BUT to satisfy my curiousity, I thought I'd post a poll.

BTW - I have the Allergan 14cc band, and when I asked how they choose what size to put in, my surgeon answered that it has to do mostly with how tall you are, rather than how much you weigh. I'm a tall gal, at 5'10'', and according to my surgeon the taller folks need the bigger band. Interesting! :grouphug:

Beer.

I don't miss it yet, but I am in mourning for it already. :grouphug: I love beer like a wine afficionado loves wine. I'm a stout/red/amber/black/micro-brew fan, but there's nothing like an ice cold domestic light brew on a hot day at the river... And since it has carbonation, it's on the band no-no list. :puke:

My surgeon recommends no alcohol for a year, mostly due to the calories and the potential for addiction transferance. Once I do drink again, it's dirty martinis for me. Good thing I love good vodka too! :hurray:

What kind of Protein is in the Profect vials? I have a case and a half of New-Whey 42 that I love the flavor of (sample - so I get all flavors), but my dietician doesn't like the fact that it's made from collagen protein isolate - boo. So as of now I have been drinking my World Wide Pure Protein Shakes from Trader Joe's, and I still love them. Have some Unjury but haven't tried the chicken broth yet - I'll try that tomorrow. I need to find some other protein supplement that packs a high protein punch but is either fruity or salty, I love sweets but the WWPP vanilla and chocolate are going to get old soon...

I think it all depends on your surgeon, yet again. We know all surgeons are different. I don't know for sure what dietary suggestions mine has for post-band "real food, " but I think I remember something about 1000-1200 calories, balanced meals of course with lean Protein. I'll find out more at my post-op follow-up appt 5/27.

Congrats everyone! Keep up the walking, it really helps make you feel better and eradicate the gas pain.

It's still a bit surreal for me, too! In the hospital, my Mom kept saying, "Can you believe you're done? You had the surgery, finally!!!" and to be honest - I still kinda can't believe it. Except for these incisions... lol.

Hey all, I have a question about one of life's necessary actions - the great bowel movement. :smile: Like the title of the thread, this isn't for the squeamish or shy so if you're not down for discussion about #2, here's your chance to click away from this page. I'm going to be a bit descriptive, but as Dr. Oz says - "Be honest, and don't be afraid to talk about what's going on with your body." :hurray:

What has your experience been with BMs after the band? I was a regular gal before the band, and would poo 3-4 times a day, usually after a meal. From talking with my roommate (nothing is sacred when you live with someone) who is also a bandster, I knew that my poo schedule would indeed be disrupted by the liquid diet and the surgery.

It's day 4 for me, and I've passed some gas since surgery day; in fact the staff wouldn't let me leave the hospital unless I had passed some gas (gotta make sure the bowels are awake from the general anesthesia I guess). But I hadn't felt the need to poo yet. This morning though, I felt the need to go but couldn't QUITE get there. So I relied on my trusty friend, coffee, to inspire my bowels to move. I mixed a bit of black coffee with my delicious vanilla World Wide Pure Protein Shake, and lo and behold, about a half hour later - success! It wasn't quite the same as before, a LOT smaller and harder, but I was happy to have any #2 action at all. I'm gearing up to head to the gym for the first time and take a whack at walking on the treadmill. Lord knows for some reason the gym inspires my bowels to move - whether I want it or not. :puke: So hopefully there's more to come!

I know I'm not eating hardly anything, it takes effort just to get my Water and Protein in (according to my surgeon's dietician - liquid first, protein second), but man, I miss pooing! How's it going for all of you? :grouphug:

I too have had all these feelings, but for me they were spread out among the 9 months it took from my first thought about Lap-Band to surgery day. I've always been a confident, happy person, and didn't really let my weight hold me back no matter what (or so I thought). I pretty much considered myself a skinny girl in a fat suit. :puke: People would comment on how confident I was and wondered where I got that inner peace from. I know now it's called survival, without it I probably would have been in a constant state of depression.

The 9 month timeline was super hard for me, I am very driven and usually get what I want when I want it, so having to wait for something is not my usual M.O. But this was really meant to be. I needed this time to learn how to think differently about food and eating and even my emotions. I had to keep reminding myself what I was waiting for, how I was going to change, etc.

The morning after I heard about the surgery in August 08 (and for the first time thought surgery MIGHT be a good option for me), I sat down with my Mom and discussed it with her. For the first time ever I was really honest with myself and with my Mom, my biggest cheerleader and one of my critics too. I told her how I felt that I had tried everything possible to lose weight, and how I kind of stopped trying because to me it was now an immovable mountain that I had no hope of climbing. I had no light at the end of the tunnel anymore, and had pretty much accepted that I would be obese for the rest of my life. But hearing about Lap-Band gave me hope, just a glimmer. There's addiction in my blood, I know that, and thinking of my obesity and problems with food as a disease really helped me make the decision. We talked about how my weight held me back from doing the things I love, being active, playing sports, riding rollercoasters, the list goes on and on. A long, LONG conversation later, I was determined to get the band.

But through the 9 months of waiting, including the 6 month supervised diet, I had a rollercoaster of emotions. My self-esteem took a huge beating, because I had to keep reminding myself of everything I was missing out on because of my weight. I had the same doubts, why am I choosing to be cut open and have something foreign put in my body? What kind of person am I that I can't successfully lose weight on my own by eating right and exercising? Am I a lazy loser? Am I a failure in treating my body right? How much of a jerk am I that I have to have SURGERY to correct a "simple" weight problem?

But then I look back, and I know that the time I spent waiting and preparing for this event was well worth it. I know now that for me, this really was a disease that needed surgical help. If I had some other disease that required surgery, would I question that? Probably not. But obesity is a disease that is so physically apparent, and so socially spurned and accepted at the same time, yet we are just starting to really think of it as a disease, one that is reaching epidemic proportions. I needed to do this, for my physical self, and my mental/emotional self as well.

Post-surgery, I have noticed that I am pretty emotional, and have teared up numerous times during this post. I'm grateful for that, because I'm shedding tears and the defense mechanisms I had for years that allowed me to survive as a fat woman with some sort of confidence intact. I'm sure this rollercoaster will continue as my body and psyche change. In fact, my doctors have warned me that my hormones and emotions will be crazy, as fat cells melt away and the hormones that are stored in the fat are released into my bloodstream (oh yay!). :hurray: By the way, they said I'd be more fertile too, and to double-up on protection if I didn't want a baby (what? I just hold hands...).

For me, my emotions are partly the mourning of my old self, my old way of life and indulgence, excitement for my new self and returning to things I love, gratefulness that I had the ability to have this done, amazement at the change already happening, and anticipation of everything that will be available to me as I create a new healthy lifestyle and move towards a healthy body.

I am SO glad that I have this forum to spew my thoughts to people who understand what I'm going through, because you all are right there with me. I'd apologize for the long post, but hey - I needed to get this out. :grouphug:

GonnaRide, I'm glad you're well enough to post on here. I wish only the best for you and am sending healing and healthy vibes your way. Stick with it, and you know you have all of us here to support you. Especially when you need to vent!

Hey everyone, just wanted to give an update.

I was able to walk around the block yesterday without much of a slowdown (yay!), and again - the walking makes me feel so much better and gives me energy. Some friends came over and it was great to chat and have normal conversation. And it was fun to show them my incisions and have them be grossed out, bwahahahaha.

I tried to stay up as late as possible so I could sleep well, finally went to bed around 11. I got into my deliciously comfy bed with my clean soft sheets and multiple (6) pillows, lay down on my right side (port is on the left), and fell fast asleep. And I didn't wake up til this morning sometime, when I awoke laying on my back, surprised that I had slept so long. I lay there for a moment thinking, "Do I have any pain? How do I feel? How are my incisions?" I was surprised at how little pain I felt. So I rolled over on my right side again (left side is still questionable) and went back to sleep.< /p>

When I woke up, I felt great! Incisions themselves are a tiny bit sore, the hematoma below my port incision is still swollen, ugly, and pretty darn tender. But my energy feels good, I can take a big deep breath (still using my incentive spirometer) without pain, and I've had some Water and Protein shake. Gonna pop in some Vitamins, since I've had some muscle cramping, etc., and go for a walk around the block. Also, I'm going to get out of the house and get a pedicure today, woohoo!

I honestly think my surgeon is a miracle worker, because I feel so great and have so little gas pain and soreness. Now time to schedule a follow-up appt.

Well I've been home for awhile but finally dragged out the ole laptop to let you all know what's up.

Arrived at the hospital with my sister around 5:40, surgery was scheduled for 8:30. Checked in, paid my copay (ouch, but not as bad as self-pay), and went up to surgery waiting room and hung out for a couple hours. Parents arrived and I was finally called to pre-op around 7:30ish. Put on the sexy gown and waited. For about two hours. Why you ask? Because my PCP apparently can't read directions well and didn't dictate my pre-op physical, and faxed it instead. Saw a bunch of nurses/anesthesiologists, got an IV and answered tons of questions. Finally rolled back to the OR around 10:00 after they got everything straightened out. Moved onto the deliciously warm OR bed and got strapped down. My surgeon was finishing up another surgery, so I didn't see him - but when they got the call to put me to sleep, I took three deep breaths and then faded to black.

Woke up in recovery, felt pretty good, was smiling and answering tons of questions again. All I could focus on was the TV - everything else was blurry for a bit. Changed the channel to softball, and got a bit emotional thinking that I will be able to play again soon! :w00t: The anesthesiologist said I woke right up after surgery, and he was quite happy with how I did. A nurse asked how my pain was, I told her I had some discomfort between my shoulder blades in my back like I had slept for wayyy too long, and my incisions were burning a lil bit. She gave me a bit of morphine, and all was great. Rolled out of recovery on my way up to my room at 12:30.

My parents and sis were waiting in my room, and I was so glad to see them! Got up and walked a bit, man that felt good to get out of bed. Walked 5 laps and then I was pretty much sitting in a chair or walking the rest of the night. I was a lucky girl, quite a few of my best friends and my boyfriend came by and brought flowers. :tt1: That cheered me up a lot. I kept walking, and it realllly helped me feel good. Had some clear liquid dinner and was able to tolerate it, drank all the broth, all the juice, and the Protein beverage. I didn't have any problem getting anything down or keeping it down. Didn't really have any gas pain in my left shoulder, but I think the pain in my back between my shoulder blades was gas. It wasn't horrible, very tolerable and walking helped a LOT.

Had the leg massagers in bed, they were pretty nifty. Slept from 9:30-6am, with a break at 3am for another heparin shot. It did pinch and burned a teeny bit but not too bad. sleep was fitfull, because I'm a tall girl and I kept sliding down so my feet were at the bottom of the bed. I was even able to roll over to my side a bit, so that was nice. Woke up this morning and had to get out of bed, I was so over laying still. Walked a bunch more today and was feeling great! My surgeon, bariatric coordinator, and a handful of other folks stopped by to see how I was doing (all said I was doing GREAT!) Finally got discharged about noon, and was able to walk out to the car.

At home at last, it is so nice to be in my own space. I'm a little bit tired, so after a few laps of my complex, I took a quick nap. I've had some broth and a Protein Drink and some Water so far and I am FULL. Going to go on another walk soon. I'm still pretty sleepy but feeling good. Had my mom get my prescription for Loritab Elixir, and took some after my broth. Incisions look great - my doc just switched to dermabond (skin glue) instead of staples, thank goodness. One is a bit weepy but that's ok. All of my incisions are in a row, it's interesting. My port incision is the biggest, and the most sore, and there's a small hematoma (bruise) underneath it which is quite snesitive. I'll try to post pics soon. Abs are sore, neck is sore from sleeping weird, but I feel great overall!

Now I am in my favorite chair, with my water bottle at my side, and one of my best friends chillin with me. Gotta get up and walk so I feel even better. SO glad to have this behind me, I'm ready to heal and start eating right and exercising. :crying: Also looking forward to being able to cuddle comfortably again... hehe.