KMCD

I have had some strange food taste changes and I thought it would be interesting to see if anyone else has too. Here are mine: - hamburger tastes like cardboard (no flavor) after you chew it a thousand times; - as soon as I put tuna in my mouth, I gag from the overwhelming fishy flavor (I used to love it); :puke: - weak ice tea is my favorite friend now (instead of diet coke); - sweets give me a headache (I'm a chocaholic); - coffee tastes so bitter after a few swills (even with three splendas in it) - had 1/2 a small piece of store bought chocolate cake and it SUCKED! Way too sweet, made my teeth ache! - bread does NOT go down! (yippee that's my worst enemy!) Thats all I've tried that new so far. Still loving the refried Beans, chicken breasts, salad is divine (like always), although I need less dressing than before to be happy. :hurray: Just wondering about you guys...:grouphug:

OMG!!! I totally owe Raelita an apology!!!!! I am WAY TOO serious!!! What an idiot! I DID misread your post!!! Anyway, after I read wannabe's post I got this picture of Alex from Madagascar biting the zebra on the butt and I busted out laughing. God, I hope you guys know which movie I'm talking about. Anyway, sorry Raelita, you go girl, hang on to your humor and never mind the crazy post I put up! I just feel like I have to defend us all. I guess it came from my mom announcing in front of a group of people "should you be having a half glass of wine? The paperwork said you shouldn't drink!" I was furious and embarrassed. But, I knew it would happen. She apologized afterward, but it was too late. It was a celebration, I had half a glass of wine. I am eating healthier. Having the band didn't mean that I could NEVER have certain things again. Ok, I'll stop ranting. And I promise NEVER to get too serious again! Please remind me if I do...mea culpa...

I'm in ONEDERLAND!!!! I guess I lost what I gained last week and I'm down to 199.2 again! YEAH ME!!!!!! I hope it lasts, I've been there before, but this time, it's much sweeter...

Congrats JayTee on your bday! You are absolutely right in that our tool is the band not a BAN! I LOVE that play on words! Raelita, I may be way off the mark and misread your post but what you said scares me. How is licking a pork chop, sucking on salt from a pretzel and sucking on a peppermint make you a bad bad girl that needs to be punished? That makes no sense to me. I don't mind confessing my diet infractions here so that people can see what we all struggle with, but asking to be punished over something like that seems a little harsh...and I'm sure you don't mean it, but almost like it pokes fun at us. I don't think any of us need to be punished. I know that for me, I will have good days and bad days. Yesterday was not a great day, but that's okay. We are all learning to use our new tool. There is no way we will all be perfect 100% of the time. Plus, I worry about setting up the doctor for being your confessional so that he can lecture you or something. This is YOUR tool, this is YOUR body, this is YOUR weight loss experience. Don't let anyone else control that for you. That's just my two cents and I don't want to be offensive or anything.

My first fill is May 28th. It's a little earlier than usual because my doctor is going on vacation and I would have to wait a long time to do it if I don't do it then. Anyway, I am so very excited! I can hardly wait. The other day, at my post op visit, there was a woman in the waiting room. She was smiling and just glowing. My doctors waiting room is sort of depressing and all the people that I see come in avoid making eye contact and such. Anyway, she was talking to anyone that walked in the door! Found out, it was her first fill. I wish I had been a little more outgoing, but I was a little nervous. She was adorable though I loved her enthusiasm. I'm vowing next time to talk to anyone and make eye contact. I have a right to be there just like everyone else! I wish everyone luck with their first fills. Be sure to let us all know how it goes! Plus, those of you who are saying that your weight is stalling out, OMG, Beefromcalie has lost 15 and CelticAngel has lost 25! That's fabulous! I wouldn't be too hard on yourselves just yet! Take care all!

I had a cookie and some peanut m&ms today. No more restriction! Bleh! :thumbup: Plus, I noted that I was doing that head hunger thing when I should have been full. Anyway, one hour after I ate the sweet stuff, I got this tremendous headache!!!! Then I realized that I haven't had a headache since BEFORE my surgery...I haven't had sugar since BEFORE my surgery!!!! Holy moley, I just figured something out...sugar is BAD for me!!!!!!!:biggrin: Guess I won't do that again any time soon.....

Oops and I meant to also say, a 12 pound loss is great! Even if its pre op. I wouldn't worry about it, do what you can and congratulate yourself for making such a big change in your life. We didn't become fat over night. Changing our habits doesn't happen overnight either. Sorry to ramble on and on in two posts! Good luck and keep us posted on your progress!

Hi all, I posted a similar thread and I have to say, it was wise of you to put boundaries on your thread about no lecturing. I received more than a few lecturing responses and I just felt worse about myself. When I finally checked it out with the doctor (after beating myself up), they said it was fine and I should progress my diet as I needed. I just noticed today that I really don't have any restriction now and I'm back to having the head hunger that makes me want to eat even when I know that I'm supposed to be full. I have my first fill on the 28th and I'm really looking forward to it. Nervous and excited! I am sure it will work because right after the surgery (when I guess there was still swelling), I was happy as a lark to push my plate away and be done with dinner! I have lost 17 pounds and the doctor seems happy with that. I'm just pleased that I've done it (the surgery), I'm committed to it (and yes, not following the crazy post op diet doesn't mean you aren't committed to losing weight!) and I'm moving forward. I even took a couple of really long walks that made me sweat like crazy just because it felt so good! Now THAT is something new for me! Be nice to yourself and keep plugging along. Good luck on the weight loss front. P.S. my doctor also said that they expect you to gain a little weight before your first fill (after having lost weight on the preop diet) and not to "freak out" (his words exactly). He said that the fills will help a lot. Take care!

Okay, so I figured I would be dropping weight like mad because I'm not eating nearly as much as I usually do. But, Band_Groupie is right, I think my body is in starvation mode right now. Anyway, I lost .2 lbs, I'm down to 201. On Wednesday, I weighed and I was 199.2, but I knew that was short lived and that our bodies fluctuate so much. I'm only going to weigh on Fridays from here on out!

I think I experienced my deepest depression the week before surgery. I suddenly realized that I was mourning the life I was leaving behind! It's crazy to think that I would actually mourn my fat self, but I was also mourning taking big bites of yummy foods and sodas and sweets and BREADS! I almost backed out of the surgery. But I went ahead and I'm really glad I did. I can eat right now and push my plate away without the awful feeling that I want to pull it back and dig right into it. Anyway, I just wanted to say, you know we are all right there with you on this. We are all going to experience our down times at different times during this process. I agree with myturn2b about seeing a doctor or someone you can talk to about it. I have heard it is not unusual for people to go through this after WLS. Hang in there and let us know how you are doing! P.S. I love how motivating lingling is! You rock girl!

My wise nutritionist said that if we drink with our meals, we turn our lap band into a very expensive funnel! Great visual! It's still a hard habit to break!!!

HAHAHA! LOL!!! I know exactly what you mean! It feels like a burp is about to come up and then it turns into a weird hiccup that feels like it bumps up against the band! Haven't had it in several days, but I am burping a lot more. I have always burped before (I don't notice a louder sound), but they sneak up on me a lot quicker than I realize. I suppose nice restaurants are out of the question right now, huh?!?!?!:thumbup: And yes, when I burp, it feels so much better than it used to! How funny!

Hey Jujuvee, the only reason I mentioned your post was because it was the second post and it made me pause and think hard. Lots of others have weighed in (no pun intended) on it too. But, the word from the doc is that I'm fine. As long as I listen to my body (and chew really well), it's okay. Particularly since I was having such a hard time with nausea and such. If I had called him on Friday, this posting never would have had to happen. Today, I feel 100%, almost like I never had surgery (except for the scars). I knew that as a nurse, I would take risks that I shouldn't. That's what I feel bad about. I know more than I should, which isn't always a good thing. I tried to prepare myself for this by really working on sticking to the preop diet (of which I did okay until the last weekend before). The one thing I will never do (which I have heard among my profession), is try to do their own fills, unfills! YUCH! I was lucky, this one turned out okay, but it was a good lesson. Thanks for all the support. You guys have no idea how much it means to me!

Thanks everyone, I really appreciate the input. After I saw Jujuvees reply, I felt super ashamed. Especially since I've been waiting years for the lapband, not five months. I don't want to risk anything, but I was thinking that if I was super exhausted and feeling nauseated (to the point of dry heaves), what was I protecting? If the sutures were going to split, they would have with all the dry heaves.:tongue: Being a nurse, I suppose has its downfalls in that I know how tough those sutures are. It takes more than just a little bit of stomach rumbling to pull it out or break it. I understand what everyone is saying though. I will double check with my nutritionist. I'll let you know the outcome.

Okay, so I got downright tired of being tired and nauseated all the time. Just eating creamed soups and such was horrible. I was supposed to go to pureed food, but it looked and smelled bad. Last night, I got together with some friends and we have bar-b-que. Someone had brought chopped beef. I took tiny portions of that, creamed corn, potato salad and macaroni salad. I ate very very very slowly and chewed the heck out of everything. It went down just great and I felt so much better, I was ready to stay up until midnight talking! Today, we went out to lunch and only ate a small portion of my chicken (again tiny bites) and some refried beans and I stopped before I felt full. I have been starving this last week. I know I'm only a week out and I feel bad for not following the diet. Am I going to mess up my "pouch?" Of course, I really don't have a pouch since there is no saline in the band yet (just an expensive funnel right now). Everything goes down okay and I chew the heck out of it. I just hated the feeling of being so lethargic and with out energy. I got the band hoping I would be able to eat what I wanted, just in smaller portions. Surely, having the band doesn't mean that I will have to go back and forth between liquids and creamed soups the rest of my life?!?!

Stick to your goal lingling! You might feel great at 87, you might feel great at 72. What matters if you are happy with the result. If not, keep going! Let him have his goal. You don't have to match his!

I haven't been doing much either, except walking. My S.O. is getting tired of it. I just feel so listless. I'm taking a nap every day too. Of course, this week has been really tough. I started back to work on Tuesday. Tues, Weds and Thurs were butt kickers and took a lot of energy. I also noticed that I just didn't eat or drink hardly at all. The other night I started feeling nauseated all the time and now I've got a headache. I'm thinking I'm just not getting enough Protein and Water. It's just so hard to eat. I feel full immediately. There isn't even any fill in my band yet! Surely, this is just swelling and will go down soon. I can't imagine always feeling nauseated when I eat, that will be a total bummer! Plus, I really thought that if I wasn't eating very much, I would be at least dropping weight like crazy. No such luck...still in the 200 category. I guess I'm just having a couple of bad days..... P.S. I'm not taking any pain meds, haven't since earlier this week. Incisions are tender, but nothing bad. Gas pain is all gone too. Just no energy...

Today I'm down to 201.2!!! Not too much more to ONEDERLAND!!!!!!!

Hi all! I'm not working out (other than walking), but I did go back to work on Tuesday. It was a tough day, but I made it. I had planned to go back on Monday, but with everyone in my house being sick with either a vomit bug or a cold, I just wasn't ready. Yesterday was my first day back on the hospital unit teaching my students. Had to walk a ton, but I did okay. Made it to Church choir last night until my stomach starting feeling sore from using my abdominal muscles while singing. I already feel almost 100% but waiting for the go ahead from the doctor before I venture into the gym. Especially with all the flu and sickness going around. Getting sick is the LAST thing I want to do right now!:thumbup: I see the doctor a week from today (next Thursday). Steri strips are still holding tight. I'm dying to see the scar underneath them though. Started mushies today. Heavenly!!! Hope everyone else is doing well!

So sorry to hear about your trouble! That stinks! Celebrate that bday when you get out. Update us and let us know what's happening. You are in my thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery.

Is anyone having problems wearing a bra? One of my incisions falls right under my bra line. I tried wearing a jock bra today and it felt so tight and uncomfortable, I had to take it off. I have to go back to work tomorrow and I don't think I can fake it and get away without wearing a bra. I don't know what else to do! I'll take any suggestions!:ohmy:

Hi all, I'd like to jump on the band wagon!!! :thumbup: My preop/pre diet weight was 218, I weighed today and I am down 14.8 pounds (203.2)! My BMI prior to surgery was around 37. But my ticker says that I'm 36.3. I'm 5'5". I am hoping to lose down to 145 but will take 150 if I feel good there. Let me know what else I need to add. Everyone seems to be doing so well! How inspiring! Just 4 pounds until ONE-DERLAND! Thanks for putting this all together.

I just got a phone call from my surgeon! Isn't that cool!?!?! I got to ask him about the feeling the need to burp and not being able to. He said exactly what you guys said! He's not too concerned and said it would pass with time. I have taken two walks today. One around the block and another one down to our local laundromat (our dryer decided to die on us) which was much longer. Did well on both, just still have that feeling like someone has their fist around the top of my stomach. So very strange. Thanks for the support Ya'll are amazing folks!

Okay, so I feel like I have a fist right between my breasts (sorry to be graphic) and I feel like I need to burp, but every time I try to burp, it hurts like a big dog. I'm taking small sips and not using a straw, plus, I'm walking some. My incisions are super sore, but the tight feeling is making me crazy. Well, so is the gas pain. My shoulder feels like it's going to fall off. Is this normal or should it have dissipated by now?:smile2: Thanks for the input...

Hello fellow Bunny Bandsters! It's official, I have a band!!! I had everything in place and ready to go. I had made up jello ahead of time and made sure I had enough liquids to last a lifetime. What I didn't plan on was our youngest daughter waking up at 5:40 throwing up. I almost backed out of it because I can't stand to be away from my children when they are sick. But, in the end, my SO stayed with her and I went to surgery by myself (my niece dropped me off) and then my mother picked me up. They gave me an enormous gown to put on. It was bothersome, but I'd rather too big than too small. I was so anxious that I begged the anesthesiologist to put me out right away. I even let him use versed (I hate it because I can't remember anything). The next thing I remember, I was in the recovery room with the nurse chastizing me for being "difficult" by continuing to gag and throwup after the surgery. She kept saying that nurses and doctors were the worst patients. I wanted to deck her one. I had warned them about me throwing up after surgery. Somehow, I don't think it's controllable, nor is it my fault. So, I just laid there and dry heaved for a while. The good news is that I only have three incisions instead of 5. He said it was because it was easier to visualize everything than he thought. I spent the night at my parents house because my SO was super worried that I would get what our daughter had. Now I know what the gas pain feels like. I was thinking my shoulder was going to fall off! But, as I move around more, it feels better. I moved myself to full liquids (sherbet and creamy soups) because I just couldn't tolerate a diet of jello only. I feel a little bit better each time I fall asleep (or take a nap). Burping has been an experience. Feels like I need to burp but when I try, I get a weird pulling sensation and no burp comes up. Strange. I also can't tell where my port is. I go back to see my doctor in two weeks though. I can't wait to get healed up. I'm ready to get going on this!!! I hope everyone else is doing well. :smile2: