HelloPenny

Glad we are so much alike Ronda. You are absolutely, right. And I know this, too. We have no reason to be grumpy! I booked a 7 day cruise today for when my Husband returns from being deployed today! I HATE obsessing about food. I HATE IT! That's probably why I was over 300lbs! I love food. My world revolves around food. I went to college for food. My career is food. All I do all day is read recipes on web-sites and critique them for people. So I didn't obsess about what I was eating. I just ate. However, I did start a really healthy lifestyle before I got the lap band, and it was pretty exciting. And, some of the most amazing recipes I see every day are perfect for this new healthy lifestyle but I can't enjoy any of them yet. Just store them up and wait! I am excited to get back to my healthy lifestyle. This doesn't feel healthy to me. I know I am starving and so does my body. I did eat some SF jello. Think 20 calories did anything?!?! LoL

it's air/gas trapped under your diaphragm pushing up. You feel it in your shoulder. Try some Gas-X. The strips worked for me. I had lots of gas.

Thank you Caladonia. I have all that stuff and was a wealth of information..... 3 days ago. The bright happy shiny feeling my new band was giving me wore off. Maybe all that liquid I drank washed it away! OH! AND to top it ALL off! I spilled my oh so yummy Chocolate & Peanut Butter protein shake all over me and the couch earlier! Now I am getting screamed at to come clean up the floor better. I don't think that someone newly banded should have to mop!! How about you guys?!?!?! No really, I am thrilled I have my band. I am being a poop. I am in a bad mood. I want food. I am mad at myself for my lack of self control. I just need to get glad. As my Mother would say.

My Doctor didn't require me to go to the Nutritionist but they did write me a prescription for it. I just talked to the Nutritionist on staff at the hospital and their Bariatric Coordinator. Tricare didn't require it. I did have to go to a psychologist and have a chest x-ray and upper GI. If you are either one of those two things (which sounds like you might not be) they will approve you, no problem. I was in the 200% category and got an approval in less than 48 hours. I was shocked.

Thanks for the recipes. I am not ungrateful. But, I am very discouraged. I am losing this battle. I keep taking little bites of food I am preparing for my Daughter. I make sure they are tiny and chew them up very well. But, I KNOW it is too soon to be eating anything. I am definitely going to eat cottage cheese and eggs on week 3. I don't care what my Doctor's post-op diet says. The Bariatric Coordinator did say that I could try.

100 lbs plus a co-morbidity. or 200% of your ideal body weight. If you are either one of those you will get approved in less than 48 hours usually. Humana Military Healthcare Services TRICARE Health Matters Issue 2:2008 ADSM PCM Changes

Good to hear you got your Unjury! I am so freaking hungry. I don't want to look at anymore liquid. I have to do this for another 5 weeks.

Amen Sister! I don't think I can do this for 5 weeks. I don't even want to eat because I am so sick of liquids,

Anne.. Glad you are liking the book. I didn't learn so much about the surgery but was entertained by her back ground story.

I had some bean and bacon soup last night, too. And Lord knows I have the strictest post-op diet on here! I just pureed the hell out of it and added an extra water. Was just like cream soup if you ask me. I sipped it all night long. Took me the whole evening to drink about 10 oz. I used one of those hand held Campbell soup containers. It's going to take some getting use to the amount of left overs in the fridge! A pot of soup could last a LIFETIME! Who knew?! By the way if you reuse those (and it says not to on the container) they get REALLY HOT in the microwave. Be Careful if you are using the unjury powder. You can't add it to anything over 130 degrees. I have been using a little meat thermometer to measure the temperature of all my liquids. Oh and my incisions are closed with the glue too. They look really good. And showering has not bothered them at all.

I had the ball (OnQ pain pump) and Liquid Hydrocodone! YIPEE! I'm all about the drugs. I don't like pain. And, I don't really have any to really complain about. The pump was easy to take out. One side slide right out no big deal... and trust me I was totally freaked out about taking it out. But, literally I just pulled and it started coming out. Did not feel a thing. The other side had scabbed a little, so It hurt getting the scab free. You are numb so of course you don't feel it! The liquid hydrocodone makes me a little sleepy but nothing I can't stay awake if I want to. I take 10 to 15ml every 4 to 6 hours. 3 hours if I really hurt.

That is so awesome!! WOW!! Good for you! I hope I am as successful as you are! II did not lose very much on my pre-op diet. I think because, I started a healthy diet back in August before I looked into getting the lap-band and since then I have lost a total of 40 lbs. But, most of that was before the pre-op diet and being banded. I know it will come. I just want the big results too!

I am doomed! Today has been OK. Little sore. Started full liquids today. Had some chocolate EAS in my coffee. Was yummy. Drank it all morning long. BTW... I know I have said this before but the EAS is awesome. I got a HUGE bag at Sam's for $20. The protein is high and the carbs and calories are low. Then I had some of the hand held Campbell's Creamy Tomato soup. I poured out 2/3 of it to containers, and then thinned it down with skim milk, and added a scoop of unflavored unjury. It was so good! I used my hand mixer to mix it up. It got a lot of air into it and doubled it in size. So it filled the whole container. Was really good. I think I will buy some more of that flavor of soup. Plus I liked the little hand held container. Was easy to sip out of. I need to try and drink some water. I bought a big container of those single packet, Kellogg protein water mixes. I got pink lemonade. I was worried it would be too acidic but it has not bothered me at all. Tastes good too.

Well.... That's a pretty loaded subject. I talked to my Bariatric Coordinator Nurse today about it. I was asking her why "their" diet did not have eggs on it. I am HIGHLY upset about the lack of eggs. I started out by saying "I know that Doctor's post-op diets are all over the board. But, why no eggs or mushies?" Her response was about what I expected. One of the Doctors in practice with my Doctor is very "black and white" about things. So, he follows the suggested diet from the Lap-Band manufacturer to the letter. Even his coordinator has asked about exceptions and he doesn't want to hear it. So, she said that around the 3rd to 5th week that some Doctors start the mushie stage. Eggs, Mashed potatoes, cottage cheese, etc. She said you need to make sure that your suture have had time to heal and bind to your stomach. That scar tissue has formed to prevent slippage, etc. And, the big reason they make their people follow a liquid diet.... Malpractice Lawsuits. If you go off their diet and something goes wrong... they are not responsible. If you stay on their diet for the whole 6 weeks.. you will probably heal completely and not put your self in any risk. Basically she said I could try and eat some eggs around week 4. If it hurts. STOP.

Newgrama - Cute graphic in your sig! I am being SOOO bad about drinking anything or getting my protein! I mean like SUPER bad. I did get my unjury chicken soup mix in the mail today. It's pretty yummy. If anyone is on the fence about getting some.... GO GET SOME! It tastes exactly like a "Chicken in a Biscuit" cracker. Exactly. I made some chocolate cheesecake pudding tonight! Sounds pretty exciting. I am hoping it tastes as good as it sounds. Just a box of SF chocolate fudge instant pudding and SF cheesecake instant pudding. 4 cups of skim milk. 4 scoops of unflavored unjury. TA DA! Going to make some broccoli and cheese soup tomorrow maybe some Cream of Tomato, too. I can't pull all my tricks out of my hat too fast. I am on liquids for F~I~V~E WEEKS! :thumbup::scared2:

I thought I was going home, but Tricare made me stay. At least they blamed it on Tricare. I didn't want to inconvenience my family any more than I had already. Plano is about an hour drive from Denison. My Father took off work to watch my Daughter and my Mother was able to work from her laptop and run into work for a little bit, since she works close to Plano. I didn't want anyone to have to drive back down the next day or have my Father take more time off. But, that is what happened. It was OK though. Staying in the hospital wasn't all bad. They took good care of me and I got more drugs than if they would have sent me home. I got muscle relaxers and pain medicine. Which was nice. I would stay overnight if I had to do it again.

Well, I wasn't going to do it at first. But, then when I pulled on it to see it just started coming out really easy and it didn't hurt at all. So I was like OK I can do this!

Jenny.... Click on one of my tickers. That will take you to Graphical Tickers and Trackers: Weight Loss, Trying To Conceive, Pregnancy... where you make a ticker. Setup a pin so you can go back and update it. Once you finish the setup it will give you a code (use the bb code) you copy and past into your signature under the User CP section. Look over to the menu on the right for the User CP section.

The pain you will have in your chest area is your port, apparently. I haven't been brave enough to really poke around my stomach to feel the port. Gingerly poking around, I don't feel it. So, I don't have some big hard lump that is obvious. My Doctor's literature says no fills for 6 weeks, so no I don't have an appointment for a fill yet. I do have a follow up appointment. I took my pain pump out this morning. Didn't hurt at all. Probably because the area was numb! A small scab had formed around one of the catheters. That hurt a little. No regrets. I have not been in any pain that was over a 3 on a scale of 1 to 10. I have been taking my medicine religiously though. I think some people avoid taking it or feel compelled to not take it. Not me! Give me the drugs!

Ronda... 3 oz sounds like a little too much to me. Everything that was given to me said no more than 2 oz. But that may be my pouch and not yours. I can't even have full liquids till Saturday! 3 full days of clear liquids for me. My Bariatric Coordinator Nurse suggested that for protein drinks including soup, to make 6 oz at a time and sip it over a 3 hour period. And by sip she meant sip! She said to practice sipping with a small teaspoon. And, Good Lord, I am gassy! Haven't had a BM but I sure am noisy!

I feel pretty good overall. There is some pain in my chest where the port is. I have an on-board pain medicine pump called OnQ. It delivers a Novocaine like medicine that numbs the area. It will probably run out tomorrow and I have to remove it myself. Just a small plastic catheter. I think I will make my Mom do it. LoL. I have been taking my liquid hydrocodone like clockwork. I am a little uncomfortable when sitting especially if I am in a slouching position. I feel much better when I stand or sit very straight up. Laying back in a recliner feels better. I have been sleeping in a recliner. I tried laying down on the couch the other day and didn't feel comfortable and then I couldn't sit up without help. So, I will skip the laying down for awhile. Yesterday I had the pain in my neck/shoulders that they talk about. MY anesthesiologist said it was from air getting caught under the diaphragm and pushing up. I had previously heard it was from air roaming around in your chest and traveling to your shoulders. I think the anesthesiologist explanation sounds a little more believable. I am hungry. I have been dreaming about food. Commercials are torture. I have gotten like 5 emails today from different companies/web-sites with recipes, and they all look so good. There was one with soups and stews that really got to me. I kept making my Mother look over to show her a recipe that looked good, and she finally said "You are just hungry." Then she started ignoring me. We were driving home earlier this evening and passed a factory near our house that makes frozen Mexican food, Ruiz. I said "Oh, that smells so good!" and my Mother said "I can't even smell anything!" So needless to say I am looking forward to Saturday when I get full liquids. I am disappointed that my Doctor's diet does not have eggs on it. Anyone else have eggs in theirs? When could you start having them?

Hey Ronda! Good to hear you are feeling well, too. Sounds like we feel about the same. I was just going to tell you that my Bariatric Coordinator Nurse said the "growling" in the lower stomach was from swallowing air. Mine is growling too. She said you should feel hunger in the middle of your chest. That it is different and takes awhile to get use to. Not real sure if I believer her! But that is what she said!

I am home! Tricare made me spend the night. I wanted to go home the same day. Feel OK. A little pain but nothing I didn't expect.

Thanks for the info on the pump Bikini. I may take mine out on Thursday now. I like the idea of the area being numb though. Hmmmm .

Well, I am home! I had to stay overnight, and I was not planning on it. They said it was Tricare who required it. Which is funny because most insurance companies want you out ASAP. I have an interesting little on-board pain pump thingy.... It's called OnQ. I have all these little tubes connected to catheters and this little ball of medicine in a pouch, that I wear around like a purse. It delivers a numbing medicine like Novocaine to my incisions. They said I could take it out on Thursday, but I think I will leave it in till all the medicine is gone. I feel pretty good. I have some pain in my neck/shoulder. It's either the gas they talk about being caught under your diaphragm and pushing or it's the bad pillows at the hospital. I have some pain in my chest and the doctor said that was from the port. I got a prescription for liquid hydrocodone. I just took 10ml. Will see if that helps. I also took a Gas-X strip. I weighed 296 before the surgery yesterday. I had my Mother take some before pictures. I am on clear liquids for 3 days, then full liquids for 5 weeks. Eggs are not on the full liquid diet :sad_smile:. I was looking forward to eggs. When did you guys get to start eggs? Oh by the way for those that are hungry. My Bariatric Coordinator nurse said that if you are hungry to have more protein. That it's OK to have more than you 60 grams (my recommended amount) if your body is still telling you it is hungry. She said to make 6 oz at a time, and drink it over a 3 hour period.