Catherine55

Hang in there! You guys are in "Bandster Hell" -- and it's not uncommon at all to gain weight during this time. I tried really hard to be good during that time, but with Thanksgiving falling toward the end of it, I managed to put back on 5 lbs. I've had 2 fills since then and am at very decent restriction. The weight is finally starting to come off!! As of this morning, I'm down just over 18 lbs and am really thrilled about it!! Try not to get frustrated -- you're going through a tough time now, but it will get much better soon! I put a few entries about how I felt during that time on my blog -- check it out if you're interested! Happy New Year! Catherine

I was banded 10/23/08 and have had 2 fills. The last one got me to a good spot, and I'm finally out of Bandster Hell and losing weight again! I was wondering what those of you who are at good restriction feel like when you eat. For me, I'm generally OK, but I tend to feel a little stuck toward the beginning of every meal. I get a little sliming, but don't need to PB to get unstuck. It's not painful or anything -- just uncomfortable. After I get stuck that one time, generally the rest of the meal is smooth sailing (I am taking small bites and chewing a lot, of course). Is that what it feels like for you, too? Or, are you having a different experience? Also, is anyone else finding it really hard not to drink during meals when you're eating with others? I am finding that really challenging. Thanks and Happy New Year to all! Catherine

Hi there! Welcome! I was banded on 10/23/08 and have now had 2 fills -- am at a decent level of restriction right now. I agree with the other poster -- you don't have to chew chew chew mushies, but practicing isn't a bad idea. On Water, I'm still able to drink as much as I like, and I down it pretty easily. You definitely don't want to become dehydrated! I've been keeping a blog since just prior to surgery -- feel free to check it out (link is below). It sounds like we felt pretty much the same way after surgery, so it may give you an idea of what to expect. :party: Happy New Year!!! (The first year in which we'll all be able to keep -- and exceed! -- our WL resolutions!)

Congrats!! My weight is FINALLY starting to drop off as well! I spent a bunch of time in Bandster Hell before my first fill, but now that I'm at a decent level of restriction, I'm losing steadily! Am minus 18.4 lbs as of this morning!! YAYYYYYYY!! I actually LOST more than 2 pounds over the holidays -- a first! :party:

I went in for my second fill today. I had my first one (1.7 ccs in a 5 cc band) a week ago, and it didn't get me to good restriction -- it made a little tiny difference, but not a lot. So, I went in today & my doctor looked to see how much was in my band -- and she said that I only had .7 in it. I asked if that means I have a leak, and she said that I shouldn't worry at this point, and that it could mean that the band had low pressure (?) after surgery and that the extra 1 cc was left in the tube. Has anyone heard of this? We're going to monitor how the band is doing, but this makes me nervous. It's weird that a bunch of saline is missing. I just got banded less than 2 months ago. If I have a leak already and have to go back under the knife to get it fixed, I am going to be UPSET!! Anyway, hopefully my Dr. is right about the reason for the difference. Will keep my fingers crossed. I can feel a difference on the restriction now (I have 2 ccs in my band -- possibly plus the extra cc that doesn't want to come out of the tube) and that seems to be making a difference. Catherine

One more thing to add -- Jello's chocolate sugar free / fat free pudding is yummy and was on my doctor's list of OK foods for liquids. It's a really nice treat, takes about a minute to make & is low cal. Best wishes, Catherine

It does not have to be so bad! I hated the shakes, so I started having Isopure zero carb zero sugar Protein drinks instead (at my dr.'s rec.). Also, I made a bunch of really delicious Soups and pureed them so that I could have things I liked during the liquids phase. I put photos & recipes up on my blog. Another thing I did was to buy soups like turkey chili from a healthy soup place and I'd puree it when I got home. If the soup was too thick, I'd just add some chicken broth to thin it out. Seriously, it was yummy! Also, for Breakfast, I'd often puree up some cottage cheese (adding a little skim milk) and puree a banana with some skim milk to use as a syrup on it. If you like cottage cheese & bananas, you'll love this! Just get creative and you will find plenty of good, healthy things to eat! You're not stuck with gross shakes or canned soup! All the best, Catherine

1.7 ccs in my 5 cc band. I am OK to do mushies today, but I haven't had any non-liquids yet. Am wondering if I'll notice a difference.

Turns out it's a 5cc band. Any idea how many ccs are needed to get to the sweet spot?

I went private pay (BMI too low for insurance) and would do it again, too. I was banded just over 6 weeks ago, am down nearly 15 lbs (through Thanksgiving, no less!) and have been surprised by how easy the surgery was. Good luck with your decision! Catherine

I just had my first fill today -- 1.7 ccs in my band. I know that I have an Inamed 9.75 band, but am not sure if that's 9.75 cm or that it holds 9.75 cc (and the Internet seems to have conflicting information). Can anyone clarify this for me? Also, if you have the same band as me, how many ccs did you need to get to your sweet spot? I'm wondering if I'm even going to notice this first fill -- though my Dr. says that she usually only does 1 cc for the first fill and gave me an extra .7 because I asked her not to hold back. Catherine

I'd be interested in attending. I'm much more likely to go if it's in NYC! Catherine

I have my first fill tomorrow -- If you go to Dr. Ren, I was wondering how many fills it took for you to get to good restriction. I know that some doctors fill more than others. Thanks in advance! Catherine 230/216.4/155 Blog: Chronicles from Band Land

I'm 5'6. Glad you like the blog! Catherine 230/216.4/155 Blog: Chronicles from Band Land

I totally am with the person who recommended the Isopure drinks -- I got mine at GNC and they were SO much better than the nasty shakes! Plus, they have 40-something grams of protein and no sugar or carbs. My doctor put one in my post-op goodie bag and since then, my giant $40 container of shake mix has sat there collecting dust!

After that last post, I have to ask -- do any of you guys still have shoulder pain ever? Mine is gone 99.9% of the time, but every few days, it hurts for a while in the same way it did after surgery. Was wondering if that's happening to anyone else! Also, how long did your Dr make you wait for a fill? I have to wait 6 weeks post-op for my first one (it's scheduled for Tuesday - yay). I was banded in Mexico (Dr. Rumbaut w/an Inamed band) and my Dr. here in NYC uses a different brand of band, so her patients can get their fills earlier. Just curious to know what other peoples' experiences are like! Catherine 230/216.4/215 Blog: http://chroniclesfrombandland.blogspot.com

WHEW! I was banded 10/23/08, and you guys are making me feel so much better -- it's good to know I'm not alone! My weight loss has really slowed down. . . and even went a bit in the other direction (yikes!) over Thanksgiving, though that's coming off now. My first fill is next Tuesday! Can't wait. FILL 'ER UP!! Catherine 230/216.4/215 Blog: http://chroniclesfrombandland.blogspot.com

I'm 6 weeks post-op and noticed that my fingernails seem more brittle than before -- they keep breaking (and aren't long to begin with). Maybe it's weather related or fallout from Thanksgiving cooking & cleaning, but I was wondering if anyone else experienced this. Thanks! Catherine 230/216.4/155 Blog: Chronicles from Band Land

Heck no!! Don't even think about it!! The risk is that you will wind up vomiting to the extent that all of your stitches get ripped out and your band slips. It's totally not worth it! That said, I'm on the very tail end of my mushies phase, and I've eaten a few things that aren't really all that mushy. But I was totally strict during the liquids phase and most of mushies! Catherine Banded: 10/23/08 230/216.4/150 (using my pre-op diet weight now) Blog: http://chroniclesfrombandland.blogspot.com

Another thing I forgot to mention is that both Dr. Rumbaut and one of his main patient coordinators (Cathy -- I talked with her a lot when making my decision) are banded. I felt that a doctor who had the band himself would have an advantage over doctors who hadn't experienced it for themselves. Also, because I'm a lower BMI patient and (though no spring chicken) young enough, Dr. R. was able to do my surgery using just two incisions. I do not think that many patients qualify for this, but it really cut down on the amount of pain I had and, of course, the number of scars I will have. I hope that's helpful! Catherine Banded: 10/23/08 230/216.4/150 (using my pre-op diet weight now) Blog: http://chroniclesfrombandland.blogspot.com

I did my surgery with Dr. Rumbaut on 10/23/08 and had an excellent experience with him and his staff. They gave me all the time I wanted to speak with them and ask questions before I made my decision. They are incredibly well organized and I felt very well taken care of. Everything from pick-up at the airport, driving me to my appointments, my pre-op appointments, surgery and recovery went very well. I posted about this in detail on my blog -- feel free to check it out (link below). One thing I really appreciated was how nice & new (and immaculately clean) the hospital was. And (shockingly, compared to the U.S.), I had a private room -- with a sofa that they made into a comfortable bed for my mom at night so she could stay with me -- AND, when I pressed the nurse button at night, they answered within seconds and a nurse came into my room in under a minute, every time. Dr. Rumbaut's office also helped me get in with an excellent group of doctors at NYU for my post-op care, and I've already been to my first appointment there. Another nice thing is that all of his patients seem to stay at the same hotel, so there were fellow bandsters there for my mom and I to hang out with, which made everything much nicer and feel less scary! I chose Dr. Rumbaut because I have a friend who did her surgery with him 3 years ago. I hadn't ever considered going to Mexico before then (in fact, I thought she was insane for doing that before I did my research). I am very glad that I went there. Had I stayed in NYC for it, I would have paid $25K more to have my surgery with a doctor who has less experience at a hospital that wasn't as nice. I hope that helps! Feel free to private message me if you have other questions! Catherine Banded: 10/23/08 230/216.4/150 (using my pre-op diet weight now) Blog: http://chroniclesfrombandland.blogspot.com

I had a bunch of the things that other posters mentioned, but I'll put my whole list of full liquids here even though there are repeats with earlier posts. My doctor recommended the camomile tea -- apparently it's good for helping get rid of gas, which is an issue for everyone after the surgery. . * chicken boullion & beef boullion (I had these from clear liquid diet, but I didn't really use them post-op) * Organic chicken broth (which I didn't wind up drinking b/c it was too bland, but did use for Soups that I made) * Isopure vanilla shake mix (BLECH!!! Barely touched it after I found out about the next thing on the list.) * ISOPURE Protein Drink (Yum compared to the shake -- I bought it at GNC --no carbs, sugar free, 46 grams of protein) * Skim milk * Camomile tea * Cranberry juice (all natural, no sugar added. . to be diluted) * Gatoraid (I was worried about dehydration, but b/c of calories and b/c I could drink as much Water as I wanted, I didn't wind up drinking these & they are still in the fridge) * Fat-free, sugar-free popsicles * Fat-free, sugar-free Jello Gelatin (which I didn't really use -- I don't love gelatin) * Fat-free, sugar-free Jello pudding (yum yum!! That's now a staple on the shopping list.) * Cream of Wheat (which I like OK, but have only made twice or so) * Flintstones chewable vitamins * Organic canned soups * Soups that I made myself (recipes & photos are posted on my blog) -- That's one of my favorites * Yogurt smoothie (only had once -- hadn't realized they were so high in sugar) * Cottage cheese (which I blended with skim milk to make more liquid -- was my favorite thing) * Bananas (which I blended with skim milk to make a nice smoothie for Breakfast -- yum!) * Fat free yogurt Hope that helps! :drool: Catherine Banded: 10/23/08 230/216.4/150 (using my pre-op diet weight now) Blog: Chronicles from Band Land

Whoops -- just looked at the nutrition info. The calories aren't that bad, but there are a big percent from fat 60/140. Was just assuming high-cal from the name!

Probably yes -- but that's probably too high in calories!

Not sure about you, but I find the (gag!) shakes so gross!! The only one that tastes good to me is SlimFast, but it has too little Protein to be of much use to us (though I do have one for breakfast most days). My doctor gave me an ISOPURE drink in my post-op pack that's more like a sports drink. They sell them at GNC, and they have more than 40 grams of protein, no carbs & no sugar. The taste is WAY better than the shakes. I put a photo of the bottle in an early post on my blog. Catherine Banded: October 23, 2008 Blog: Chronicles from Band Land