TexasMama

Hey JPT, I am glad to hear your mom is okay. That is always scary! As for the fill, I got one last week, and am feeling much more restricted than I was before, but I hear that is different for everyone. However, I did get a shot of lidocaine before my fill. I was super happy about that, LOL, as I was quite sore from overextending myself. I hope it was okay for you!

Thanks girls!! Elle, I go back on April 26. So, basically a month from my fill. I've already lost 2 lbs since my fill on Tuesday. The next few weeks will certainly be interesting!! I might actually meet my first mini-goal of 40 lbs down by June 22 (when we go on vacay) since I am already 16 lbs down (I need to update my ticker!) so only 24 lbs more to go. Wow. I think it's doable if I have no more challenges....we'll see. I'm not going to beat myself up over it if I don't....it's just a goal... I just want my sister to at least be able to notice I've lost some weight and on me, it's hard to tell now that I am so big! Ya know?

I now have 5cc worth of saline in my band and I am a happy camper! I'm on liquids until tomorrow morning, and I can move to soft foods like yogurt and cream soups. Friday I can start to resume a regular diet again...or at least, as regular as I have been. If you haven't had a fill yet, it's really not that bad. I think I was pretty anxious about it for nothing. She felt around for my port, and when she found it, gave me some lidocaine first via a tiny injection that I didn't even feel. However, because I was pretty sore from overextending myself the other day, it didn't numb me as well as it could have. When the needle for the fill went in, I didn't feel it at first, but then I could tell it was there. It just felt sore, not a sharp pain or anything. I am entirely convinced if my muscle wasn't so sore it would have been absolutely effortless. I can TOTALLY already tell the difference in restriction. My protein shake went down a LOT slower! Heading to the gym tomorrow morning to work out with my trainer. I have hired him for two months, twice a week, to get me in a routine. Best money I ever spent, besides the cost of the band!

at this point, anything and everything (okay, not really, but close). I am VERY hungry--and actually it is so weird, I am hungrier than I was before my surgery, with OBNOXIOUS stomach growlings. It SUCKS, I feel like a complete failure! The only thing I'm not doing is eating a bunch of bad crap (no junk food/sugar)...but I'm definitely suckin' down 1500-`1800 cals with NO problems. I can eat a fajita, a BIG bowl of broccoli, and be so hungry for more that I eat the rest of the broccoli. I cannot WAIT to get some restriction. This is beyond crazy to me. My only saving grace is I joined Lifetime Fitness! My fill is next week. Can't come soon enough.

JPT--you and your Mom are in my prayers! That is so very sad. I lost my mom almost 10 years ago, and though it doesn't sting nearly as much, there are times I am so very lonely for her. I hope she makes a full recovery!!

Oh Tom, I am so sorry. I don't know what sliming is, thank goodness, but I know what it is like getting stuck. It has happened to me twice now, and it was HORRIBLE. The first time I was here at the house and it wasn't so bad, but the last time was at Kona Grill, on a piece of chicken that I KNEW as it was going down I didn't chew it enough (too focused on the kiddos). I go to get my fill on the 29th. I sure hope I start losing after that. I've been sitting at only 14 lbs lost the first two weeks, and NONE for the past two weeks and it's sucking wind. I'm starving all the time!

SMOKEY!?! Wherefore art thou?

He said they were normal "in most cases". I am to go to the ER if they get larger suddenly or I develop a fever. Thanks for asking! They are both still there.

Well, folks, I've joined the club. I've not lost one pound, in fact, I've gained one instead. It is a bummer but I know why. I guess we all just have to wait until our fills. My doc calls it the "green light" phase, where you're losing and eating with no problems. My first fill is not until March 29. Should be interesting! Oh, and I finally got my new Asics, in the right size, so I have been walking! Now I am off to order the new sports bra. Enell.com here I come! LOL

My fill isn't scheduled until 3/29. I am still pretty scabby though on my port incision. I hope that isn't still there by then or I doubt he'll do it.

I've read just about everything you could find on the topic and it's one extreme or the other. The site of my I.V. was my wrist, basically on the side of it. Flawlessly done and I have no bruising. However (and I realize this is normal) I do have site pain, as if it were bruised....but the odd thing is that I noticed a lump near the site this morning. It is about 1" wide, and is raised above the skin by about 1/6". I read a bit about it and it didn't seem like it was that big of a deal, but of course I am going to be paranoid and a lot more conscious of it. Well, I was cleaning my daughter's room and I look down at my wrist and notice that now, I have ANOTHER lump, just under thr I.V. site. So I thought, well, I better read more about it, and naturally I found evil Google had every horrible article on the topic up for my perusal. Am I just crazy? Has anyone else dealt with this? I am hoping it is just normal and not sepsis or anything. I find it odd that two weeks later I am dealing with this and it never came up before.

My next appointment with my doctor isn't until 3/29. I'm weighing in daily, realizing there are fluctuations. I have to go get labwork done on the 16th. How about you?

Miralax, baby! Miralax! It's the best! It's very typical to be constipated at this stage. Try the Miralax, you will be pleasantly surprised, but not too surprised if you know what I mean.

You know, I am glad you brought that to my attention--the salt part. I did actually cut down the salt from the original recipe, because I added the chicken broth. And yes, I would eliminate the 1 tsp of salt if you are using full-sodium chicken broth. If you are using low sodium chicken broth you can keep it. Your other option is to not use the added salt at all; just adding a bit of flake salt to taste upon serving. It just got better as it simmered. I gotta say, it was darned tasty. I didn't even taste the spinach, in fact, this just tasted like split pea soup. The bright green color dims a bit the longer you simmer it; we had it on the stove about 2 hours in the end and it began to take on the usual pea-green of familiarity. LOL It's darned tasty. Now, in the event you do make it and you over salt it, the best remedy is to create more puree (you can use just peas if you wish) and dump it in, thinning with Water, a 1/2 cup at a time.

I put a wonderful homemade soup (my sis sent me the recipe, which I modified) on my blog. There are pics with the recipe, as well. It's a SUPER way to get iron thanks to the spinach! I made it with ham hocks to give it a wonderful smokey flavor. It really was delicious, like split pea soup but easier, no soaking peas...!

no pooping issues for me so far. Justplaintired, if you're having issues, the absolute best thing to help is Miralax. You can get it at any pharmacy. The small bottle should be fine. I only had to use it twice after my last c-section. It was very gentle and extremely effective!

Chatted with my doctor today about why we have to do liquids and mushies so long. He said the liquid portion of the diet is the MOST important. The longer you are on liquids, the less chance you have of your band slipping down the road. Reducing the amount of motion on that portion of the stomach (by just allowing liquids) will help the band sort of "cement" into place. When solids start, the constriction and movement of the stomach in digestion messes that "cementing" process up...so there you go, folks...something to think about!

Hey sophinator--no worries, you will do great. Yes, my dr gave me the okay to have a light dinner the night before, just nothing by mouth after midnight. The last few days of the first week are hardest, at least, to me, so if you need support, come here to get it!! We can help talk you down from the cliff. I just had my first post-op dr visit and all that liquid is WORTH IT when you get on the scale! I promise!!

I'm so glad to hear your surgery was a success!! You know, I really didn't have a lot of gas pain. I found out about a week before my surgery that my dr is kind of famous for trying to get the excess CO2 out before closing up patients. I had just a bit of soreness in my upper shoulders. My really sore spot was the hernia repair. Fortunately that is going away and now that I am no longer on the Lortab, I can tell my port incision is a little tender. I know what you mean about your little ones. My youngest is just at the tail end of 2 (her 3rd bday is next week) and she's been "Up! Up! Up!" wanting hugs and jumps and I hate to have to tell her no. Makes me sad. I try to make it up by getting down and hugging her anyway, but I don't know if her little princess self is 100% satisfied with that. ROFL. I am eating mostly liquids, but I was allowed to have something--eggs-- after I called his office yesterday flipping out. I had a scrambled egg last night, and today I ate the pulp of a pickle (LOL, my biggest craving--a big, fat, Claussen pickle!! Go figure) and a piece of string cheese. He expects to give me full clearance for cream Soups, yogurt, and cottage cheese for the next week. I really do not know how I am going to go another week without eating some kind of meat! It's going to make me crazy. justplaintired, Lortab is a mix of hydrocodone (Vicodin) and Tylenol. It is an opiate like Codeine but some claim it works more effectively. I don't really like being "loopy" myself, but I felt like Tylenol alone would not cut it! You are brave!!

How are you feeling? Sledgehammer to the gut? Hope you are up and about and that your surgery was a success!!

Good luck!! You will do great!!

Well, I couldn't stand it anymore. I had a half of a cup of Campbell's Tomato soup made with skim milk. It was heavenly. I did so well with it that I called my doctor's office to ask them if I could have eggs for dinner. They said if I could tolerate it, I could have ONE scrambled egg. JOY OF JOYS! I had a bite of hubby's grits, too. I tell you, if they are gonna make you have liquids for so long they need to keep you on a morphine drip. LOL!!

Hi there--I cannot imagine how frustating this must be! Have you seen an endocrinologist?

Wow. Could not have said this better. Great post. I see posts like the OP's scattered throughout this board. I think it's important to stress accountability. If you get called to the carpet, it's probably for a reason. I'm very new to my band (and vice-versa, I suppose ) but I already know how powerful my psyche is just 6 days post-op. It will always be a struggle. It's how you react to that struggle that counts. Repeat after me: If I work with the band, the band will work for me. If I give up on the band, the band will give up on me. YOU are responsible for you. Good luck.

How scary!! I am so sorry you are delayed but I hope that everything gets fixed so you can be banded!!