GayleTX

Go ahead and start on your protein supplements....find some you like. They will help you help and stay strong and will help meet your liquid intake requirements....also help satisfy cravings. Don't settle for some junk off the grocery counter (like Carnaation of Slim Fast).....use good quality ones made for bariatric patients (not athletes) and experiment with them.

Sounds like your doctor is being cautious and working well with you.....it just takes a while. But until you get good restriction you have to use your common sense and a little will power (example: what are you doing eating sandwiches!! They are not in a bandster's life any more!)

No silly questions around here.....a few silly answers, yes, but no silly questions!! If you are using Choose2Lose.com (and that's the only one I can figure out myself!)......when you get it designed, copy the top address box and take it to your 'edit signature' and paste it in your addy box. Every time your weight changes you have to go back and build it again...kind of a pain but they are neat to look at!! NSV=non scale victory. Some great thing that has to do with your journey but not necessarily losing another pound (like being able to cross your legs for the first time in years!).

Hmmm.....Brownwood brings up memories of Underwood's BBQ. Is it still there. Sooo good!! (is it surprising I have a 'weight problem'?)

Hope, my BMI was 62 and I was using a walker part time and shopping for an extrawide wheelchair when I had surgery. Six months later I was walking a mile a day and felt 10 years younger. I shudder to think what my life would be like right now if I had not taken the big step. And, yes, we professional helpers are so useless to ourselves....lots of fodder for a shrink there, isn't there.:phanvan

The customer reviews on the website for MB's are for the most part negative....and their so-called customer service is non-responsive. Like Carlene, I went with the HB personal blender ($14) I've used it twice a day since last March and it's still going great. I also have a little Black/Decker chopper that I grind my meat with for chicken/ham salad...it was about the same price. It has held up well and it much easier to clean than a food processor and works better than other choppers I have had.

Every doctor seems to have their own little schedule.....think it's because LB is realtively new and we are still a big experiment and there is no way to know yet just what is ideal. So they just make up their own set of rules. That said....from what I have read and observed on boards, that is about average, maybe leaning to the early end of average. You'll just need to ease into it carefully and see what you can tolerate. If it seems a little painful, back off for a day or so, then try again. You'll do fine!!

I was referred to Dr. B by my cardiologist because of previous health problems - he felt he would be a good choice for me altho he works with several LB surgeons. He is one of the more experienced in the lapband field and has a good track record and reputation. He is comfortable to talk with, his office staff is friendly and helpful. My surgery was a great non-event.....not even a gas pain, no complications of any kind at 10 months out. I'm due to see him in a few weeks for routine follow-up. My surgery was at the Wise Regional Hospital in Decatur....they are very experienced there and was the only place my insurance would approve.

What you are experiencing is very typical. Very few people can get the Protein that you need for the first few weeks.....don't worry about it. You are not expected to get it all in yet. Right now you need to sip and rest and heal and keep hunting liquid Proteins you like. Have you tried the nectar protein powder.....it makes a thin drink in many flavors....my fave is Fuzzy Navel - peachy, tastes similar to Tang. I drink it straight or mix with SF Lemonade (Chrystal Lite/Kookaide, etc). When you get to the mushies stage you'll be worrying about eating too many carbs.....that's normal, too. Carbs like potato Soup, etc are about our only choices at that stage so just eat them and enjoy them...it's only a short while. Take care and best wishes.....

I was banded just a short while before my 62nd birthday and I was in terrible health and getting worse, almost an invalid. So it was not a hard choice for me....not much to lose other than weight. I went thru the surgery without a hitch, no complications, have become 100 pounds lighter and 10 years younger in just a few short months. As you said, food was a major part of our lives....we never drank, danced, partied, etc....just cooked and ate and gone out to eat for celebrations and entertainment. That has not changed!! Only difference is, I can go out to more places now...I can climb steps, fit in booths, dress appropriately for nice places. It's all good!! I wish I could have made this change in my life when I was your age....I would have had a happier existance and so would my family. Best wishes to you!!

Glad you're feeling better. Too bad we have to learn all the lessons the hard way, isn't it. Good advice someone gave me: "Don't let yourself get too hungry or too full." And that helps....I've always been guilty all of my life of not eating on schedule then getting too hungry and eating too fast, too much. That's one of the lessons I've had to learn the past few months.

SheSmiles.....please note that Cam's eating practices are those of a bandster who is already at goal and has been for quite some time....you are not....you are a newbie who needs to be pampering your pouch, not stirring up cravings by eating carbs, and definitely not drinking with or immediately after your meal!! You just do what you know to do and don't worry about what your friends may think....you are there for companionship, not an eating festival . Life has now changed for you....you are eating to be healthy, not eating for recreation!! Be strong and do what you know to do.......and have fun!!! (BTW....I find it safer to not drink very cold drinks before eating....it tightens the band and makes it harder for food to go where it should when it should. You might try sipping a cup of hot coffee or tea before your meal but let it have time to travel on thru before you begin your meal).

I don't personally know a thing about slippage (thank god!) but I do know they are not common and not that easy to induce....usually violent vomiting, not just PB and sliming. I do know, howeve, that for the next 24 hrs or so you will want to stay on liquids or at least mushies. Don't overfill your pouch...let it heal from the strain it's been under. Warm creamy Protein drinks will sooth the pouch. You will be sore for a day or so. No aspirin or NSAIDS of any kind. I find that a ZanTac for a day two helps get it back to normal pretty quick.

We eat at I-HOP a lot since I was banded....I can eat eggs, bacon, sausage easily; I usually order a cheese omelette but I can't hold much of it so end up taking it home. I never touch the pancakes, breads, or potatoes because of the carbs. I would be scared to try a pancake, especially in public! Just cut it up a little, stir it around in syrup and nobody will even notice.

In my state's early days (not that long ago....late 1800's...the most common wars were between two kinds of people....cattle ranchers and sheep ranchers. They may have looked alike and spoke the same language but there was 'bad blood' between them. In fact, the sheep/cattle controversy is the thing that promoted the invention of the barbed wire (or as we pronouce it ..."bob war".) The cattlemen won, and most people in these parts have never eaten lamb (however, they would have agreed that the only good sheep is a dead sheep.) However, there are herds of sheep now living peaceably in west Texas because there is a market for the meat with the influx of Hispanics and MidEastern populations descending upon us in recent years. I have tasted lamb a time or two....not being raised on it, it just tastes to me like 'good beef gone bad.' Our taste buds are such products of our childhoods....... But now back to baklava......true food porn....I love that!!!

Christy......please go to Controls and add your stats to your signature edit. That will help people give you appropriate answers and info for any questions you may have in the future. Your feelings about food will change many times as you go thru this journey. At 9 mo.out, I'm making peace now with the things I can/can't eat. Just make the right and healthy choices and you'll be so successful that food won't hold the power over you that it once did. Best wishes!

Gabi.....most doctors will give you a fill within 3 weeks after the first one...make an appointment and get a little more restriction....it will become much easier.

I'm down from a full D to a skimpy C, band is 6 inches smaller. The boobs and the neck were the first things to go, then my butt.

Gabi...please to go 'use cp' and edit your signature to add in your surgery date, beginning weight, current weight, height....that way people can give you replies based on your own personal situation...that's important) Gabi......are you saying you have not had a fill all this time???!! If so, you have not really had a functioning band all this time! You've done it by yourself, which is pretty remarkable. But, if you're like most of us with eating disorders, you won't keep it off. I am shocked that your surgeon did not give you more instructions and guidance...have you looked thru your paperwork again to be sure there's nothing in there? You will probably need 2-3 more fills to be able to have a functioning and effective band. The band surgery is just Step One....what you do afterward is what makes the band work. There are many eating rules you must follow to keep off the weight or to lose more (and to care for your band): Eating guidelines: No carbonated drinks....ever!!! No liquids during or for one hour after a meal....ever!! Drink at least 64 oz of liquids a day (Protein supps count, caffeine drinks do not) No fried foods, no sweets (there are wonderful Desserts you can make with Splenda, etc, though....you don't have to suffer) Take in at least 60-100 protein grams a day. At each meal, take in your protein foods first, then eat your veggies next. To keep your weight loss moving and to control your cravings, eliminate all white carbs from your life (i.e., starches...white bread, pizza crust,Pasta, rice, potatoes, corn, etc). Don't every let yourself get too hungry...or too full. You need to start tracking your food intake on a site such at www.fitday.com so you can monitor your carbs, calories, etc. Don't try to keep your calorie count too low....you'll stall out, especially as much as you've already lost. Most of the new research says you need about 1000-1200 cal. a day to continue to lose. If you are not sure of what foods have Proteins, carbs, etc, google and find lists of good protein sources (meat, Beans, peas, etc) Find yourself some good protein supplements and use them for the rest of your life to protect your muscles and hair. Make sure the ones you use are for bariatric patients, not athletes. There are some excellent, good-tasting products out there so don't settle for something you don't like. Exercise is important to keep your muscle mass as it should be and to keep your heart healthy. Vitamins are also important. Make sure you have blood work done every 6 mo to prevent anemia, low potassium, etc from sneaking up on you. Best wishes.... I hope this helps you. Again, I'm impressed you've done what you have essentially on your own. Let me know if I can be of help.

I didn't realize how fortunate I was to have the doctors I had! After reading other people's posts for nearly a year now, I appreciate the skill and information and pre-care I got from my doctors.

I was admitted at 9, went into surgery at 10, got in my car and went home at 2:30. But don't tell the kids to look for you that early......make it a late estimate, then surprise them and come home early if you can. In fact, I told my family I wouldn't be home til the next day, just in case.

The products on www.bariatriceating.com are very high quality.....all designed for weight loss surgery patients, not body builders or athletes. They carry several different brands of powders and RTD (ready to drink) as well as some great hi protein/lo carb bars. The Matrix drinks are creamy, the nectar drinks are thin (like juice)....give you good vairety. My favorites right now are Fuzzy Naval (peach) Nectar and Orangecream Matrix. The Micellar Milk is an RTD delicious.....17 oz, 40 grm of Protein....tastes like rice pudding kinda. During cold weather, I love the IDS cappacino powder in my coffee....sometimes use the Belgian chocolate powder in it.....and the Vanilla/Cinnamon powder is good in hot tea. There is no reason for anyone NOT finding a protein supp that they like these days.

battleweary.......you may know this already but apparently lots of wls patients don't........be sure you have a fill doctor lined up for your aftercare BEFORE you have your surgery. Not all doctors will do fills for out-of-country lapbands, so be sure you can find one in your area that will work with you. Best wishes!!

I would try it only if he's an absolute doofus and totally unobservant about you and how and when you eat and if he lives on another planet. Also, I don't think I could have gotten by with spending $20,000 and DH not noticing that for sure!! Seriously, it requires a lot of support and encouragement....and someone that will be close to you for the rest of your life needs to know you have a foreign object implanted in your body for future medical situations. Because that thing is in there to stay!!

You not only CAN....you MUST drink.....minimum of 64 oz/day....coffee doesn't count since it's a diauretic. Protein supplement drinks count toward your Fluid intake. Carbonated drinks are a forever no-no; juice is not a good choice because of the high sugar/calories. You need to quit drinking a few minutes before your meal, do not drink any at all with your meal, then wait for an hour after your meal to drink again. Drinking with or right after eating washes the food out of our pouch and you are hungry again much too soon. Do you know if you qualify for surgery? Most doctors require a BMI of 40 and I'm estimating yours is about 35 (209 lbs/5'4").