Weas123

That looks crazy! I would just rahter ride it out. IT helps to listen to my Ipod and zone out... sooner or later it comes up or goes down (it is the BEST feeling when it passes or comes up... like immediate relief!!)

Um... isn't the cabin of an airplane pressurized? I think this is a little piece of bologna. :tongue2:

When you have food stuck, DON'T DRINK ANYTHING! Your first impulse will be to drink some Water to get it through, but it just makes it worse. :tongue2: (<-- you if you drink water when something is stuck) ___________________ Update: When something gets stuck, you will know it. It feels like there is food, literally, sitting in your throat (not a choking feeling, though)... it's not painful at all, it's just uncomfortable. For the first couple months I ahd my best fill, I carried around a bag in case I had to chuck (luckily never had to use it!)... It won't last forever, it comes up or goes down, one way or the other... just let it be and ride it out... don't drink water!

One more: I can sleep at night without snoring like a lumber jack.

I didn't have to go to a group meeting or anything, but I had to go to a psychiatrist... it was very routine and easy... The questions were like: have you ever tried to kill yourself?, do you have disillusions about what the surgery will do for you?, have you ever had an eating disorder?, do you understand what the band is?, are you willing and able to follow directions with regards to the band?... so on and so forth. (on a strange side note, my doctor spent about 30 of the 60 minutes showing me pictures of his car... strange) The questions are very easy and they will not try to trick you or play mind games with you. It's a very easy step in the process.

I was a size 18 when I got the band... and that was too big for me not because of what size I was, but because I was being so unhealthy. Mostly, I did this for my health and that should be the main concern of everyone. Never hurts to be a sexy bitch, either :-)

If you're eating so much that it would streach your pouch so early, you would have thrown it up by now. I think the pouch streaching only really happens after you have a good fill in you and the food moves down very slowly.

The swelling is the air that the doctor injected into your stomach so he could move around more eaisly. I know it is uncomfortable and unsightly (I thought "I'm FATTER coming out?!??!?!")... The swelling goes totally and completly down about two weeks after surgery, but it gets more tolerable about a week after. It's not forever and it's totally normal. As far as advice to help it: beano works well for the pain... also rubbing your tummy in a clockwise motion around and around works (just don't try to pat your head at the same time). Enjoy the bed rest :-) ... also enjoy the fact that a lot of weight is coming off in just a few months.:tt2:

I thought of one more - I can go in public without thinking people are looking at me. That's pretty cool, too.

Keep up the good work!

I think the reason we go on a post op diet is to make things easier for the surgeon. If we go on a low fat diet, the fat around our livers is shrunk and it is easier to retract it during surgery. I didn't have a pre op diet. Whopee.

I wish. To be honest, I'm in ned of some diarhea. This constipation is killing me! When I used to eat (lolz), I used to go every day...now it's once a week!!! To answer your question, it probably isn't causing diahrea, but the change in your diet is messing your stomach up... order should restore soon.

They're very routine, easy questions like "Have you ever had an eating disorder" and "have you ever attempted suicide?" ... they don't try to trick you or mess with your mind, or anything. It's super easy.

For the pep talk lady: read this one:

You're going to lose a ton of weight. There's your pep talk :-) Here's something I wrote last week, it'll do you well. Here are the REAL issues you're going to love!!!: 1. Clothes I don't have any that fit. Seven months ago, "my clothes don't fit" would have meant they were hugging me in all the wrong spots. Now I mean all my clothes are too big. My mom calls me "parachute pants" and it does not hurt my feelings. I have to spend hours upon hours shopping for new clothes in the mall. Since, now, I feel better about myself, I have to spend an additional half hour at the nail salon and hour at the hair dresser. How great! 2. Reinforcement I can't go anywhere these days without running into someone I know and them commenting on my appearance. "Wow! You look so much different!"... "How did you do it??"... "You look amazing!!"... that's just the beginning! Don't even get me started on the male attention!!! How great!! 3. Mind Before the lap band, I spent my down time thinking abut my next meal. I don't do that any more because I'm not obsessed with food. Now I get to read great books to occupy my mind. How great! 4. Money A Lean Cuisene is a feast for me. Because of this, I have saved so much money. The month before I got the band, I spend $76.22 on fast food alone (Pizza, tacos, fries, burritos, etc.)... and now I HAVE that money for myself! I spend this money on clothes that are from normal stores, bras from Victoria's Secret and getting my hair done... for me. (I can't begin to even think of all the time I wasted eating, too!). *5. A lot of people are talking about how they are stopping their medication. Well, I had to ADD a medication - Birth Control! SNAP! I wrote this to all you who are struggeling. Don't give up because you will be happy some day!!!

I had the "last meals" (Hello In N' Out!), and I am so jealous that you're eating all that right now! (but remember, you just have to lose that much more later). Yes, I ate what I wanted the last few weeks before surgery and I loved it. Now, six months out of surgery, I'm glad I did it. (Don't go unhealthfully overboard, though!!!)

I stayed overnight in a hospital in my own private room. I was miserable and didn't get a wink of sleep. I would have preferred to be at home, so count yourself very lucky. On a side note, when I stayed overnight, I got Morphine. I didn't use their pain medication all night because I didn't want to get addicted. That , I don't recommend.

I checked in around 6:00 in the morning. Both of my visitors were allowed to wait with me in the back, once I got my I.V. in. Once I was there, I changed into the gown, got my IV, and basically just waited until my doctor got there. I was in surgery around 7:30 and up and awake by 10:30. I went home the next day. It was basically one big room witha lot of beds and there were curtains seperating each bed. All the people who are having an operation are waiting in this area (i.e., no ER patients waiting). 6:30 - Check in 6:45 - Go into the waiting room, change clothes get IV in 7:15 - My 2 visitors came in to wait with me 7:20 - Dr. Arrives and they wheel me into the OR 7:30 - Surgery starts 10:30 - I'm awake in the recovery room, as soon as I fully wake up, tehy move me into my private room for an overnight stay.

Were we not supposed to have coffee? Oopsie :-) I have coffee and tea about twice a month as a treat and I'm still alive. :biggrin: (I've heard that caffene is okay 3 months post op.)

I don't know about you, but I've had the band for a long time. I have done this once or twice and it was with bread both times!!! I miss bread... sigh. I don't think it's an eating disorder. If it makes you happy, do it! :-) I don't think it's that big of a deal.

I still lost weight after I went onto solid foods. It's possible, but you just need to watch what you eat.

No food tastes as good as losing 60 pounds does.

Well, actually, since I lost all my weight, I ADDED a medication - Birth Control SNAP!

From someone who had been banded over six months, I know what it feels like to have the unknown facing you. No one can really prepare you for the person experiance of stuck food, but here is how I can describe it best: It feels like, literally, there is fod stuck right in the base of your throat (not choking, just stuck there)... it isn't quite painful, but it is very uncomfortable, and sometimes it is worse than others. Bread, mostly, gets stuck for me. It is miserable until you either throw up, or it does down. Until then, I tell my loved ones not to talk to me, touch me or look at me. Eventually, you know intuitavly what will get stuck. Some days something gets stuck and other days it's just fine. You know right after you swallow that it's bad news bears. But, you learn to stay away from the bad foods. And don't stress about it happening: it happens to everyone! I'm not meaning to scare you because I need you to know this: the GOOD far outwieghs the bad.

I didn't, but I got the best Jello. Yum yum yum. :-) lol I also got a free hair brush, tooth brush, cathader, nose canula, and morphine.