Elisabethsew

Congratulations on a GREAT first week. I was banded a day after you but won't have my first weigh-in until 4/14 at the post-op visit. I wish you continued success and thank you for sharing your experience.

Hi Tracylou, Pre-op diets are similar but you should check with your MD or his/her dietician to determine what they want you to follow. My full Fluid diet consisted of clear soups, sugar-free ice-pops, sugar-free/fat-free pudding and yogurt, and sugar-free fruit juices. The day before surgery and the day after was clear fluids. For two weeks after surgery, I have to do full fluids again and progress to a soft diet for weeks 3-5. For the ticker, go to tickerfactory.com and follow the directions. I posted a thread on this today.

Welcome Christy and Fat Crusader. I'm 6 days post-op and anxiously await my first weigh-on on 4/14 to see how well I am progressing. I'm also looking forward to post-op week #3 when I advance from a full fluid diet to a soft one. The good news is I really don't have an appetite. I wish you all the best in your weight loss endeavors.

As I was reading posts on various topics, I noticed www.tickerfactory.com above the weight loss tickers that people included after their signatures. I went to that site and followed the easy directions: Step 1 : Choose a ticker design. Step 2 : Choose a slider. Step 3 : Enter weight statistics. Step 4 : Cut and paste. The site offers several options for cutting and pasting but none worked for me so I simply cut and paste the actual completed ticker into an email and then opened this site, LapBandTalk.com. I went to "User CP" and opened "Edit signature." I signed my name, typed in the date I was banded, and then cut and pasted the design from the email into the signature box. I did a preview and, when all looked fine, accepted the edit. I hope that helps others who are computer "challenged" like me. :help:

Best of luck with the weigh-in. The purpose of the pre-op diet is to shrink your liver to make surgery easier. You'll do great.

I was banded on 3/30/06 in New York by Dr. Alan Geiss. He's done over 1000 bandings with a great success record. Elisabeth

Splenda IS Aspartame! The brand name is Splenda and the generic is Aspartame... just like drugs. Elisabeth

I'm sure you'll do fine with the surgery and wish you good luck. Never allow any health care professional to "talk" you into a procedure. It's their job to give you all the information so that YOU can make an informed decision that works best for YOU. Elisabeth

Best of luck to you on your surgery. I am 6 days post-op and doing well. The purpose of the liquid diet is to shrink your liver so surgery goes easier so try and stick with it. Elisabeth

Hi Donna, It's interesting to see how differently the diets are prescribed. It felt like such a treat to be allowed to consume some lite ricotta cheese this morning. Because I hate yogurt, the dietician allowed me the ricotta cheese which is normally a week 3 post-op "soft" food. I had 2 oz and that gave me 8 g of Protein. The medifast shakes have 11-12 g. My next treat will be being able to sleep on my side. LOL. Elisabeth

Hi mwillis, Congratulations on your great progress. If you figure out how to make the ticker thing, let me know because I have no idea. I'll know how much weight I lost when I see the surgeon for my post-op appt. on 4/14. As for sleeping, I'm still flat on my back as it's too sore still to lie on either side. Elisabeth

Hi Donna, SEW are my initials and yes, I do sew... counted cross stitch, candlewicking, and needlepoint but all that has been tabled while I finish my degree. I work full-time as an RN. It's post-op day 6 for me and my belly is bruised, incisions (6) are healing, but I'm still uncomfortable bending and sleep flat on my back. I took pain medication the first 3 nights to sleep but now only take tylenol at night and nothing during the day. I'm condemned to full fluids for another 8-9 days and have a hard time getting all the "food" in. When I wake up in the AM, my stomach is gurgling like crazy and I'm full after an 8 oz protein drink. I called the dietician yesterday and she said I could substitute one medifast shake for 2 oz of lite ricotta cheese. I did that this AM and feel better. What I am discovering is how strong an emotional addiction I have to food. For example, when I prepare dinner for my family, I am not hungry but just seeing and smelling "real" food ignites those cravings. I take a few sips of water to feel full and avoid the temptation to taste. I look forward to hearing more about your experiences and hope I can do as well as you have. I have no idea how much weight I lost because I don't have my first weigh-in until 4/14 at my pre-op visit. I lost 23 pounds before the actual surgery and gained 5 the morning after it. I am not sure what is considered your "starting" weight but I am assuming it's the weight you are prior to going into the OR. Elisabeth

I also heard on the news that Splenda will likely be pulled from the shelves but it was still available in the grocery store here in New York this afternoon. I did a search and found the following, http://www.dorway.com/badnews.html Elisabeth :ban:

Banded 3/30/06 No erosion No fills Dr. Alan Geiss New York Elisabeth :ban:

Thank you so much for responding. I had a lap cholestectomy (gall bladder) 4 years ago and it seemed MUCH easier than this. Tonight, I sneezed and wanted to die. LOL. Knowing that what I am experiencing is "normal" really helps. Elisabeth

Congratulations on your GREAT progress. They weighed me just prior to going into surgery and then the AM after... a gain of 5 pounds did not make me happy but they warned me. I have my first real post-op weigh-in on 4/14 and am anxious to see how I do. Thank you for the sleeping info. I dread going to bed. Elisabeth

I give you a lot of credit for going back to work so early. My surgeon won't let me go back until 4/12. The way I feel now, I would not be able to survive a 12 hour shift. LOL. Best of luck to you on your weight loss. Elisabeth

I am so very sorry to hear of your bad experience. Based on what you have written, it sounds like you need to continue seeking out medical opinions until you get an answer. Have you had a total body scan, seen an endocrinologist, been evaluated for electrophysiological studies for your heart arrhythmias, been to a hematologist to rule out cancer, etc. (the RN in me is coming out)? Perhaps you should have the band removed? I hope you find answers so that you can regain your health. Keep me posted. Elisabeth :ban:

Thank you for sharing your experiences sleeping. Like you, I flip from one side to another and have not had a good night's sleep since my first night home after surgery. I am exhausted today and am hoping tonight I will get some decent rest. At this point, I have no appetite but do have a 24 oz bottle of water with me at all times. I am taking Tylenol ES twice a day and have been out walking the past two days. I'm going to give Crystal Lite a try. It seems the longer I am drinking the Medifast shakes, the less I like them. I appreciate you taking the time to share you experiences. Elisabeth :ban:

How do I get my ticker going? :ban: I'm a registered nurse but fail when it comes to computer skills. :help: LOL. My surgery was 3/30/06 and I see my MD for the first post-op visit on 4/14. Elisabeth

I was placed on a FULL liquid diet consisting of fat free, sugar free pudding, fat free, sugar free yogurt (regular or frozen), clear soups, fat free, sugar free ice pops and clear juices and two Medifast shakes a day. I did CLEAR liquids the day before surgery and the day after and now am back to FULL liquids for 2 weeks post-op. Elisabeth

Getting insurance approval for my surgery was a nightmare. I was well over the BMI of 40 but had no co-morbidities and did not have a history of being on diet pills. Blue Cross/Blue Shield demands a "Diet History" and wants to see a 6 month, medically supervised program of diet pills and exercise. Before you do all the "prep" for the lapband surgery, make a call to your insurance carrier and find out if you qualify. Elisabeth

Hi Everyone, On Thursday evening (3/30/06), I had gastric lap-banding. After an esophagram on Friday morning, I was given a clear liquid diet and sent home. Although I have a total of six (6) incisions, the only place I had pain was on the left side and the pain has now been replaced by a soreness. The most difficult challenge I have is not being able to sleep on my left side. I gave it a try last night and wanted to die. LOL. Can anyone tell me when they felt OK and experienced a good night's sleep? I was on a full fluid diet one week pre-op and am on that same diet post-op. The only difference is that I consume 4 medifast shakes a day as opposed to 2 a day pre-op. The diet is boring and I have trouble getting all the liquids in. Any pointers? I look forward to learning from you all and being supportive in your weight loss efforts. Thank you. Elisabeth :ban: