Stitchy

Liz - If you elect to go to MX, have your aftercare and fill doctors lined up before you go. Some docs won't help you and that's not a good thing to find out when you are in distress. As Dody said, your doc may have a list of things for you to do, but if you are self pay, the list may be a lot shorter. I didn't have to do anything except fill out a questionaire. Best of luck and keep posting.

If this is a new job, you will have new coworkers, right? You just like to eat light lunches and soups do the trick for you. Shouldn't require any explanations.

Honestly, I was not very hungry until just before I could start eating soft foods. (I was really ready by then.) My doctor defined liquid as anything that could be sucked through a straw. I blended all kinds of food and thinned them with milk if they were too thick. That way I got good nutrition and was never light-headed. Because my stomach was swollen I was not able to eat much and I felt full. I couldn't eat more that half a cup and it satisfied me. Hope this helps.

Deanna Nerves are part of the process. Many of us have "tried everything." The weight comes back ... with friends! My weight gain was not so much in indulging in sweets, entire bags of potato chips, etc., as just plain overeating. I watch what I eat because with a little bitty stomach, I can't eat very much. The ravenous hunger is gone (after the healing phase). I definately would do it again. I've had other surgeries, and this one was easy. It was outpatient. I had the surgery around noon and was home by dinnertime. (Not that I was having any. :rolleyes ) I can understand that you might really nervous since you have had surgery complications in the past. But the past is past. This is now. Look forward. Starting a new job? You said a few weeks after surgery? I would think no problem. If it was within one week, you might be pushing it. A new job might be good to keep your mind occupied so you aren't thinking about food so much. I would be sure to eat really Protein rich foods. You will be on liquids by then I would think. Thinned and blended Soups (think chicken noodle, here) and easy on a new stomach and good brain food. Good luck.

Welcome, Dorty! I think this is a wonderful group. I am not comfortable with a support group in a live setting. That's one of the things I hated about WW and Nutrisystems. There is a group available to me at my doctors clinic, but I don't go. I really feel I get all I need right here.

I also love "I am not a garbage bin." My mother was a young woman during the great depression of the 1930's. Food was scarce. You had to clean your plate. Her training during that period was passed on to me. I had to clean my plate - starving children in China, etc. It's hard to break that mindset. That "Garbage Bin" mantra is good. I'm going to use it.

Isn't the port stitched to the muscle? I can see it coming loose, but how can it be flipped back into position and stay put?

They always ask if you have allergies before surgery - adhesives, latex, etc. Sometimes you just don't know until it's over!:faint:

Congratulations, Christy! What a wonderful unexpected NSV!

I didn't have a rash on my body, but I did find that I was allergic to the wrist band the clinic used. I had it on for about two hours when DH said he noticed it, but of course, he didn't say anything to me. Later that evening at home, my hand itched, and I noticed I still had the band on. My entire hand was in hives! :omg: Yuk! Took days for it to settle down.

OMIG!! I remember the cabbage soup diet! :peep: :fish: :jaw:

If you are keeping well nourished, I think you will be fine. Just be sure to get plenty of Protein - you know, brain food. A new job isn't necessarily bad. You won't have time to think about food so much. If you find yourself feeling bad, call your doctor and tell him what's going on. He/she may let you have some more protein-rich foods sooner than normal - like blended chicken noodle soup. Good luck. Let us know how it is going.

WOO HOO!!!! :peep: Contratulations!!

Nice ticker, Kutia.

Well, do your best to follow your doctor's orders, but it's OK to bitch about it.:heh:

Some doctors require all patients go on a pre-op diet. Others, none. But some may be a hybrid. It may have to do with your starting weight. It's really important to shrink your liver before surgery if it is particularly fatty. Find out what kind of liquid is required. Can you blend Soups that have veggies and Protein? My doctor said liquid is anything you can drink through a straw. Seven weeks is a long time to go without good protein. I would talk to your doctor to be sure you are getting good nutrition.

No, you shouldn't drink right before or during your meal. But, if your food is dry, it could get stuck in your throat. Try using a *dipping sauce.* That could be canned gravy, salad dressing, sour cream. Since you won't be using much sauce, it won't add much to the calories and may make you feel a lot better.

I can't feel my band at all. I can feel my port under skin and fat :scared: . However, I don't notice it if I'm not touching it. Or, if I lean against something like a counter and it presses on it. I can't see it either.

Hope If you are regularly PB'ing, you probably don't need a fill yet. Get that under control before doing anything more to yourself. I think you just need to pay attention to what your body is telling you. I am one of the older gals, too - 60. We just react to things differently than the 30 year olds. Metabolism is different now. Sad, but that is the way it is. I would forget WW and follow the bandster diet. Three oz of Protein, then veggies, then carbs. I just try to eat good food. I have yet to have my first fill. Banded about 2 months ago. However, I have been gaining and losing the same pound for about three weeks. I found I was able to eat anything I wanted to put in my mouth, *normal* sized bites, and but still chewed well. That isn't good. No wonder I have stalled. I finally made my first fill appointment for the end of July. We may just be slow losers.

Can you believe it that we are far enough along in our banding that we can have mini-challenges? Remember when we were all so nervous about our surgeries that we could hardly stand it? :nervous Somehow I missed the start of the September challenge. :scared: Since I am stuck at the moment, and not getting my first fill until the end of July, I think I will *challenge* to lose 15 lbs. That will be about 10 weeks. It's a wussy amount, but I've never done a challenge before. Best to be conservative.

I have been so proud of myself that I have been losing weight without a fill. Well, my bubble has burst, finally. I'm not gaining, but have been stuck for a couple of weeks. I've been able to eat normal sized bites, and anything I want. That's not good. I've made an appointment for my first fill near the end of July.

Now THAT was the good part. My surgery center had a nutritionist and psych in the office, so the only paperwork was regarding my health, physical and mental. There was quite a bit of that, but at least there was no fighting with the insurance company.

I second the hot liquids.

Test the more solid of these for yourself. My first golf ball was scrambled eggs. Think of this stage as food you could eat if you had no teeth. Gorton's frozen fish - no breading. They come in 3-oz servings Frozen crab cakes - again in 3-oz servings Cottage cheese and canned fruit Refried Beans topped with melted cheese Soups with chunks of vegetables or soft meats. I lived on soups. Canned fruit (fresh is too much just yet) Mashed potatoes Saltines or Ritz crackers with humus Yogurt Applesauce pudding Cream of Wheat Fluffy scrambled eggs - some people add cottage cheese

I started out with about 1/2 cup of food or about 3 oz of fish (fish is great Protein for just starting solids). Eat slowly, chewing very well and pay attention to how you feel. Generally, I found that when the question of have I had enough pops into my head ... I had. Stop eating - put the food in another room. If you are still hungry in 10 minutes, you can have more. That has worked really well for me. I never have gone back for the rest. Good luck