LollyMoe

I was banded on August 11th and seem to be doing fairly well with the exception of a cough I have developed. I have coughed until I feel like my insides are coming up. Cough meds don't seem to be slowing it down. It is making me somewhat weak most of the time. Today, I start on a soft diet finally. The liquids are fine but it will be nice to add something with a little more substance than broth. I am determined to follow all the rules and not mess up my band! food is never going to rule my life again.

Thanks Kaninag. I think I am becoming paranoid about my band and don't want to do anything that would mess it up. I feel so lucky to have it at all. I will follow your advice and move on to soft diet today. I have been looking forward to soupy grits believe it or not. I have always liked them but didn't cook them that way too often since hubby likes them the regular way. I guess I just worried too much. Thanks ag:rolleyes2:ain for answering. Have a nice day. Later entry today: Well, I have tolerated five Ritz Wheat crackers with Deviled ham spread on them. No restrictions felt. I ate slowly, chewed until it was mushy. Sure did taste good. I'm trying my grits tonight.

I know this is going to sound wacky but I am concerned about it. So far, since 8/11, I have been consuming liquids. I don't seem to "feel" any restrictions or having any problems with the amount I drink. For instance, I can drink 8 oz of Protein shake with no problems. The sample menu says 4 oz. I do drink it slowly w/o any difficulty. Do you think I have stretched out my pouch already? Have I abused it? Tomorrow, I start the soft diet and the book's sample menu is q2hrs but serving sizes are 4oz. Will I start to feel some restrictions when I consume a different type of food stuff? Please let me know something. I am almost afraid to start the soft diet. Thanks everyone.

Congrats! What a wonderful result of all your hard work. You did it!

My nutrition nurse says that watermelon is a fibrous fruit and can get stuck....so be careful. I can't have it until 28 days post-op.

Congratulations Jen. I'm a newbie but I hope that your experience will put you in the place you want to be for your life. I am so looking forward to losing the weight but the #1 reason for the surgery to me was the opportunity to get off all of these meds I'm having to take everyday. Strive forward and don't look back...you can do it!

She is dangerously risking her life. She is plain foolish in the bargain. She needs help before deeper complications arise. I think I would tell the doctor (if you have the same one) or least tell the nurse and ask her to relay the message. It can be done without her knowing you did it. You might save her life.

My doctor recommended the Gas-X and it worked for me. Made a huge difference. Don't know where your PA is coming from on this information.:biggrin:

Thank goodness, I am feeling a lot better than Friday. Still not up to all the fluids I need and still taking breathing treatments but I'm on my way. I have a question: I read a lot of the postings on this website and I noticed that a clothing exchange was mentioned. Do we have one? I have two beautiful blouses, a Black one with beading and a White one with beading. They came from Catherine's and were a Christmas present from my mother. They are a 5X and too big for me. I have never worn them at all. I would be happy to find a home for them other than just sending them to the thrift store. Anyone know of someone.

My friend thought she would "beat" the no cola rules too. She would let it sit until it went flat before drinking. Well, she almost lost her band from doing it. The pouch swelled and was drooping over the band so much that the doctor was ready to remove it. She had to go back on a Clear liquids diet for a few weeks and it got better. Said she learned her lesson. I was the biggest diet Dr Pepper freak around but I went cold-turkey off of them about 10 days prior to surgery on Aug 11th and so far, I don't miss them. I worked too long & too hard to get to the surgery date and I am NOT doing anything to mess it up! It's way to important to me.

I sound like a long-shoreman when I belch! It's the gas...you might try Gax-X, it works pretty good. The strips melt on your tongue. It's better to belch than keep it inside. I was banded, Aug 11th, 2009, and I am still on full-liquids and just belching away. Thanks goodness, my family understands and since I'm retired, I don't have to go anywhere. Hope it gets better for you.

Hey 123crod: Do you drink your Water everyday? If so, Special K has the powders that you add to your water (much like Crystal Lite) and it has 5gms of Protein in it. That is one way I get my protein in. I was banded on August 11th by Dr Miles in Birmingham, Al and am doing great so far. I am 67 years old and heading for my 70's. Yippee. Hope you manage to resolve your protein problems. As a nurse, I would encourage you to find any means of getting in your protein that you can manage.

Kaninag, I would call him but Dr Miles put me on a steriod pack the day after the surgery. He felt my stomach was so swollen it was causing too much restriction. The thing is, I have been feeling great until this friday. What concerns me the most is that I didn't get near enough fluids/protein in yesterday. Today is better but not great yet. If it doessn't get any better in a day or two, I'll call my lung doctor.:thumbup:

I had a horrible day yesterday! Woke up not being able to breathe very well. I felt like a wide band was around my rib cage and someone was pulling it tighter by the minute. I couldn't walk but a few steps before I was struggling to breathe. No engery, no desire for even my wonderful protein shakes, couldn't take my meds and even struggle to talk. I am on full liquids and am pretty much only taking in protein shakes, tea, broth and trying so hard to get my water in each day. Yesterday, I managed a couple shakes and that's all. I couldn't move out of my chair. Now, I do have COPD from the life long asthma and my doctor says that I have damaged my lungs over the years from under-treatment. Some days, I do wake up not being able to breathe well.But, nothing like yesterday. Late in the afternoon, I did a breathing treatment, got back on the hateful C-pap for awhile. Not much change last night. This morning, I have been breathing better but still not up to par. I feel very weak & sleepy. I can't understand if this in some part my band, gas, and my normal breathing problems or what. I just know I can't deal with another day like yesterday. I was a whipped puppy! Anybody got any suggestions? BTW: how many grams of protein in one scoop of the Matrix powder?:thumbup:

Hello Everyone. I am trying to get my ticker rule to work, so just testing.

I can already tell how important the protein shakes are to us. The decrease in energy is evident when I don't get in mine. I am going to try Kaninag's recipe for a variety shake. Right now, I'm on plain vanilla but my hubby puts a banana in his shake. He doesn't need to lose weight but he likes the shakes anyway. There are several people in my church that had the surgery and they use some of the different flavored shakes but I purchased the Vanilla b/c you can always add a flavor. As Kaninag said.....get your protein.:confused: <a href="http://www.TickerFactory.com/weight-loss/wgr2i97/"> <img border="0" src="http://tickers.TickerFactory.com/ezt/t/wgr2i97/weight.png"></a>

Congrats Jason on a one year anniversary. I do plan to come to every support meeting that I can. I feel that for me the group meetings will be most beneficial. Good way to pick up brand name tips.

Good Morning Everyone. I am sending you a wish for a good day, one that is complete in every way possible. At day's end, I hope you can say to yourself "It's been a good day". I was sorta depressed when I left Dr Miles yesterday. He made me feel that he didn't believe I would be successful. I got up this morning and decided to look to my own goals, be happy, and just shake off the feelings I had yesterday after seeing him. Maybe he was having a hard day...who knows. Time to go get a protein shake....see you later.

Got my staples out today! When Tracie weighed me, I had lost 17.5 pounds in one week. I told her that she was wrong and made her do it all over again. I couldn't believe it. I have never ever lost that much weight in a month..much less a week. I ask about moving to a soft diet but doc said NO. Oh well, I'll be there sooner or later. :biggrin:

Thanks for the welcome Kaninag. I went back and read a lot of the old posts and I am now beginning to feel like I know some of you. I am looking forward to getting support/advice from all of you that are ahead of me. Someday, maybe we can meet at group. Have a safe day. I have a question: I am on full-liquids and can have yogurt w/o chucks. My poor hubby has brought home two different kinds. The yoplait smooth is nice but way too high in everything. The other is okay on the label but it is so bitter! Could someone just tell me a brandname of plain yogurt to buy? I hate to keep buying it and can't eat it or won't eat it. I love yogurt and think it will probably save me often when the going gets tough or something.

Thank you Busdriver. I am so ready to get healthier and off all these stupid meds I'm on. Now, I feel I have a chance again to the lose the weight w/o putting it all back on.

Hello Everyone. I am a newbie. Banded on 8/11/09 by Dr Miles. Had to stay overnight due to Medicare. I am doing well with only minor pain every now and again. Haven't had to take anything for the pain yet. Staples come out tomorrow. I want to thank Shawna for agreeing to be my Angel mentor. It makes me feel stronger to know I have someone that will reach out if needed. I cannot believe that I haven't wanted a diet cola at all since giving them up. I was so addicted to them. Water with crystal lite seems to be satisfying me for now. As soon as I figure out how to put all the "pretties" on here, I'll get mine up.

I was banded on 8/11/09 and have lost 8 lbs so far. My pre-op was clear liquids and required for the day before surgery and three days after. However, I started over the weekend anyway. I figured it would give my liver more of a chance to look good and the doctor said it was in great shape. I am now on Full-liquids with Matrix protein shakes, strained creamed soups, broths, yogurt, tea, and water. Staples out tomorrow!

I was banded on 8/11/09 and have now moved to full-liquids. I can have a protein shake with skim milk, tea, strained cream soups, broths, plain yogurt and of course water, water, water. Feeling good. Just one site that is still tender. Not walking much except in house from room to room and back. Will have to lose some more to make my legs work again, I guess. Lots of pre-surgery problems with them but looking forward to getting better. Huge amount of gas gurgling.....

Congrats Teena. I plan to become a clothes horse when I get where I want to be. In the meantime, I'll buy as little I as I can to get by. Thankfully, I don't work anymore, so won't need a lot. I also plan to get rid of the bigger clothes as I come out of them!