Excited4Change

I have a Blackberry (Tour) with Verizon service. I have the exact same app, Calorie Counter by FatSecret. It was free as well in Blackberry App World.

Like SIL, I had the leg massage things on, but only during surgery, and they were placed on over my compression stockings. After surgery the compression stockings stayed on, the massage things came off. Good luck and I hope you have a speedy approval!

Oh and to answer your question regarding the stockings being uncomfortable or hot, I did not really find them to be very uncomfortable, except perhaps for the elastic part at the very top which was tight at times. The material was very thin and let air through so I did not have any issues with them being to hot. However it was January and very cold when I had my surgery and the weather in May will be much warmer so that is something to consider. Anyway, good luck on your journey!!

I wore mine during surgery and probably for about a day and a half following surgery. They suggested I try to keep them on at least through the night following surgery. I have not heard of anyone having to wear them for 6 weeks after surgery so I wouldn't be overly concerned. Even if you do have to wear them for 6 weeks, they can't be more uncomfortable than the extra weight you are carrying right?! That would have to be the way I would have looked at it, its a small sacrifice to make in order to get healthy.

Sorry, I just saw this thread, so I hope it is still relevant! I am currently working towards my degree in psychology online. I did 1 year and a quarter of college on campus and for a few reasons, money, time, convenience, and surgery, I decided to switch to my college's online degree program. I felt comfortable because I am still taking the same courses I would have on-campus, same professors, and same requirements. My degree will not say "on-line" and will look just the same as on-campus graduates, I am also able to walk in graduation if that is something I am interested in. If you are able to find an online degree program similar to mine, then I suggest going for it! I am wary of certain programs, such as the ones seen in television commercials (collegeinyourpjs.com, etc) because I am not sure of the accreditation or how reputable they really are. Anyway, I am now in my second quarter of online courses and so far am really enjoying them. My grades have increased, I am able to work more hours at work as well as have a more open availability. I am not constrained by having to be at a class at a certain time multiple times a week so I am able to complete my course work on my own time, whether that be during the day or 2am. You didn't really ask any specific questions so I just gave a little overview of my experience thus far with online learning. Let me know if you have any other questions!!

Okay so prior to my surgery in January, I had been on Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo for about a year and a half. During that time I also started college and gained more than the normal freshman 15. So my concern now is, how much of that weight may have come from the birth control as opposed to the whole freshman 15 deal? Since my surgery I have not had a period until this week and am supposed to take my first pill on the sunday after the start of my period which is TODAY!!! I am terrified about my weight loss slowing down or stopping or even gaining weight when going back on the pill....I know there are a few threads regarding birth control but none really specifically about Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo, so if anyone has any experience with this issue or advice it would be greatly appriciated!!!

I had surgery on the 8th and for the two days after it I only had Water, broth, ice chips, and maybe 3 SF popsicles total. I counted my calories yesterday and it was about 75 calories. Today I am allowed to start my full liquid diet and I am scared I am going to gain weight back or stop losing. I am trying to stomach down a bottle of the Isopure drink right now but its yucky haha and also one bottle is 170 calories which is alone a lot more than I had yesterday. I am not feeling hungry at all yet which is good, but I don't know if not eating enough is going to make me lose slower because my body goes into starvation mode (how do i know when this happens?) or if I start eating more will I gain?! Starting to feel a bit confused...oh well :/

I was banded on the 8th and am also feeling no restriction at all, I am able to take sips just as big as I was prior to surgery. I am not really feeling any hunger though which is good. I was on a clear liquid diet for 48 hours post-op so today I am able to start my full liquid diet. I am actually scared to since I am afraid I will stop losing weight or gain some back by moving up to full liquids...So far I have been losing about a pound a day. Oh well, good luck to everyone!!

I haven't read through the whole thread yet. However, when I first became interested in the lapband was sometime in the summer of '08 I believe. I went to a seminar and I knew that this surgery would be the right thing for me, I was at a weight of about 220lbs. Unfortunately I got a call a few weeks later saying that I did not weigh enough for the surgery. I was devastated. That fall I went off to college and instead of gaining the freshman 15 I ended the year after putting on a freshman 30 yikes! I didn't purposely gain that much weight but it happened, and now thankfully I do qualify and am getting the lapband this Friday. I am not judging anyone who is under 200lbs or even just over 200lbs because honestly I am jealous that you guys are somehow eligible for the lapband at 220 or lower when I wasn't (I'm sure height and BMI plays a part, as well as co-morbidities, I am 5'5 no Co-morbidities)! The lowest weight I can ever remember being is 194 and that was probably in 6th or 7th grade. I wish I could have gotten the lapband then or even when I was 220lbs instead of having to gain 30 lbs to be eligble. Now I just have more to lose and will take a while longer to reach my goal weight. So I guess my point is, I'm sure most of us wish we could have found this wonderful tool earlier in our weight loss struggles, and while we may not agree with someone under a certain weight getting the band, whether that be because we are concerned or even jealous, I am going to assume that their doctor knows what is best and would not allow someone to get the band if they truely do not need it. I am also not going to pass judgement on anyone, especially if I don't know all of the facts. They could have other conditions or there may be other things that I don't know about that give them more reason to have the surgery. Anyway, I'm sure this post just sounds like a big ramble but hopefully it made a bit of sense. (I am on my liquid diet and a bit tired so I am sure that is where the rambling is coming from!)

I have a week to go before my surgery and it can't come soon enough! I am actually concerned because I have not been informed that insurance has approved me, my surgeons office has been doing all of that and I figure if there was a problem they would have let me know? However, I also assumed they would let me know when I was approved...I guess I will call the office on Monday just to check. Anyway, I felt the need to post because I think I just had my epiphany. I decided since it is the first of the year and I will be (hopefully!?) getting banded in a week, I should take some of those dreaded before pictures. UGH! Worst experience ever but I guess it really made me realize that getting banded is the right step for me! I didn't realize just how many rolls and how big I actually am Hopefully I will have some new pictures soon that I won't feel so bad about!! Good luck to all!!!

I am scheduled for January 8th as well!!! Only a week away so I am starting to get a little nervous and excited, hard to tell which! haha anyway my doctor only has me doing 48 hrs of clear liquids before the surgery. I am thinking of starting on maybe Monday though to try and get a bit of a head start. Would be nice to make friends with some people who have the same surgery date as me! Hopefully we will be able to keep each other on track and motivated!! :biggrin:

Thanks for the tip. That would be no fun! I don't know what is going to happen. My friend is saying that he wouldn't pay to go to disney...so IDK what will happen... That is making me more upset than anything. Being a student I always have to go to Disney during the hot/crowded/and more expensive busy season. This is the perfect almost once in a life time opportunity because I am taking all online classes this semester and his school has a "Winter Session" where you can take classes for just the month of January while everyone is on Winter break. It is optional and he has chosen not to participate this year. So now is the perfect time to go and probably the only time we will both be able to go during a slow period at the World. :thumbup: Last time we went was Summer 2008 and it was really hot and crowded and expensive. I think that kind of left him with a sour taste in his mouth regarding Disney. We paid about $730 each for just the hotel/plane/park tickets, and then with food and other activities we spent much more money. Right now I have been able to find a Hotel/Park Tickets for about $350-$400/per person. That is considerably less than last time (but still more than he is willing to spend on Disney World), and since we are driving we have no plane fare (although now we have gas to pay for), and we can take our own food to save a lot of money in the parks, even more so for me since I will be on the liquid diet. I can't seem to make him understand that it will be a much nicer trip if we go now because of the low crowds and the nice climate. :thumbup: Will have to see how this all pans out. :/

Mom on the go, I do have a pair of spanx and an off brand version from victorias secret I believe, both are uncomfortable, but I can see how they would be beneficial while traveling and at the parks. Hopefully I will have lost a few pounds and they will be slightly more comfortable! I'll have to try some of those EAS shakes, I know I had a strawberry flavor that was in a box like you are talking about, I didn't really like it so I hope the chocolate and vanilla taste better. Since I will be on full liquids I know I can at least have some of the soups without chunks so that will probably help energize me and keep me feeling full longer if they don't decide to move my mushies in sooner than 3 weeks out. Thanks for the advice about looking at which rides have warnings for pregnant women and those with bad backs, I think that will really help me determine which rides I will feel comfortable on and which ones will be safer for me to ride! ElfiePoo, thanks for your tips! I do not want to risk my port flipping over or anything so I will make sure to discuss that point with my surgeon as well! I think I will tell him something regarding the surgery, not nessecarily what it was for, or I might use the hernia suggestion from earlier. I'm not sure yet. Also, I have heard a lot of people mention that my stamina will be lower. I have expected this since I will be on liquids. However does anyone have any suggestions as to liquids or something I could have that would help me have more energy and stamina? That might be wishful thinking, but I thought I would ask and see if anyone had any suggestions!!

Haha! Yeah I have heard a few icky things about the hojo. Cockroaches, and other dirty things...haha But yeah ive been looking around a lot for the past few days and I wouldn't mind paying a few extra dollars for a hotel that is a bit nicer, but my friend doesn't want to spend any money on Disney as it is. He is willing to settle for the lowest price hotel even if it is a bit icky. :smile:

I wanted to stay on resort at probably All Star Movies. However since we are already on such a tight budget we are looking at places off resort. The cheapest place we were able to find so far is the Howard Johnson's Maingate East. Its about $26/night, but they also charge a $2.50 resort fee each day. I read a few okay reviews but also some not so good reviews! Any suggestions?

Tina, Thanks for your concern. I understand how that could be a problem. Obviously I am planning on talking with both my surgeon and the nutritionist at the surgery center about whether or not I would be well enough to go, and also if I can go what kinds of precautions I should take and how to manage my diet. I just figured I would ask on here to find out what people thought, if anyone had done it before, and the concerns of others. I certainly don't want to do anything to compromise all of the work I have done thus far and will have done after the surgery. I am not really stressed about keeping it a secret from my friend, if he finds out he finds out it would not be the end of the world and I am not losing sleep over it. However I would prefer that he didn't know if possible and I have received a few suggestions on how to handle the situation without telling him necessarily that I had weight loss surgery. Thanks again for your concerns. I hope everyone does realize that I am going to talk with my surgeon before making any decisions so I know I will be making the right decision. And I also hope no one thinks I am being naive, I do realize that while it is an outpatient procedure, I am having surgery and will have to make huge changes and can't expect to just come out of surgery and everything be normal. I hope that my post shows that I am trying to educate myself on my options and become aware of concerns I may not have previously thought of, rather than just decide to go to Disney without doing any research on how to take care of myself and keep myself safe if I do go!

First off let me say that I am so jealous that you get to go to the World about once a month!! I would love that! Right now I a have an internship that I work once a week and was only given 2 weeks off for the holiday so I have surgery on a Friday and have to work the next Thursday. I am hoping I will be alright by then, however I will still be on the liquid diet, and since my internship is in a city I have to take a train then walk about 3/4ths of a mile to my office from the train station. Hopefully that won't cause any trouble for me! As for my friend, I know him fairly well and how he responds to certain things and while I may be underestimating him, and I really hope that I am, I am probably not. Will probably play that situation by ear and just see what happens. As for shakes do you, or anyone really have any recommendations? I have tried many different ones and really haven't found any that I can stomach! Im assuming by the time I have been on liquids for a few days, everything will seem much more appealing just because I will be so hungry and desperate for something different haha! For now I think I am just going to try the unflavored powders and see how those work mixed with crystal light packets, water, and other liquids. Also since I will be on the "full liquid" diet as opposed to the "clear liquid" diet, I will be able to add some juices, sugar free jello and sugar free popsicles, which will hopefully fill me up a bit more and make me feel like I am eating food! Mom on the go, it makes me feel a bit more confident knowing that you went to the world about the same time I would be going post-op. I think I am going to try to get back on my feet and start at least walking as soon as posible following the surgery in order to sort of "prep" myself for disney if I get to go.

Thanks for your opinions and suggestions, it is still up in the air whether or not I will be going. My pre-op diet is actually pretty tame compared to others I have seen. I only have to be on a clear liquid diet for the 2 days prior to my surgery. I was told that those two days will be the worst since I am not used to it and don't have the band to curb my appetite at all. Since I will only be about a week and 2 days into my liquid diet I am hoping I won't be too worn out from it yet. I am also kind of counting on my age to help me out a bit since I am only 20. However, I won't know and I understand no one can really tell me how exactly I will be feeling post-op since everyone is different. Only my parents know that I am getting the surgery and they have both been very supportive and helpful which is good. I do not want to tell my friend because I am slightly embarrassed and I am not sure how understanding he would be. The only other person I told is one of my older sisters ( I am the youngest by 15 years and the only one still at home with my parents so I should be able to hide it) but she made a huge deal about the whole "cant you just eat less and work out" thing that Im sure many of you have heard before and made me feel guilty about my parents not being able to afford the surgery (assuming I am approved, my insurance will help cover some of the cost) so we just kind of dropped it. I told her I was considering it at the beginning of my journey and since it has been about 6 months since the beginning and I obviously have not lost weight and have not mentioned it further, I am assuming she has let it go and thinks I am no longer pursuing it. We will see what happens... :/

It is my favorite place on earth!! My best friend is not as excited because he thinks Disney is for little kids and doesn't want to waste his money on something like Disney. Which might be one of the reasons we might not be able to go, we are both in college so neither of us really have that much extra money. For my liquid diet I should be getting a minimum of about 64 grams of protein each day. I have tried numerous protein drinks and have hated most of them. The other day I got the flavorless Unjury Powder and the flavorless Beneprotein. I have heard the Beneprotein is better tasting but it is only about 6 grams of protein per scoop as opposed to the 21g in each scoop of Unjury. Hopefully if he believes that this "liquid diet" is just a cleanse he will understand if I feel weak or need to take a break, and also since I am overweight if I need a break hopefully he wont think much of it or make a big deal out of it. If I take a plastic ziploc type baggie with some protein powder in it to mix into my drinks to the park, do you think Disney will make a big deal? I don't want them to think it is some sort of drug or a powder I am going to make explosives or something out of! I know that is a bit extreme but I just don't know what they think of unidentified powders haha!

You are getting banded tomorrow?! Congrats!!! I see you have already lost 19 lbs!! Double Congrats!!! I seem to be staying in the same about 6 lb range and fluctuating but hopefully by the time I get to DW ,if I get to go that is, I will be down at least a pant size! Have fun on your trip! That week is probably one of the best weeks to go, nice temperatures and low crowds! Enjoy!!

Since we would be driving and are college students on a budget, hopefully we will be bringing our own food rather than eating at the parks in order to save money. I tried to kind of preface it by saying I think to save money on food I am just going to do some liquid cleanse diet while we are there. :/ I feel really bad but he is a skinny little thing who is always complaining about his size 29 pants falling off....so he doesn't exactly understand what I would be going through. I am also hoping we will be so busy in the parks and such that it will actually help me with my liquid diet and distract me from any hunger I may be feeling. I don't know haha! Thanks for your suggestions!!

Hello! I am getting banded on January 8th! I am also hoping to go to Disney World Jan 17-22. At that point I will be on the second week of my post op liquid diet. Is this a crazy idea? Also I would be going with my best friend who does not know about the surgery and I am not planning on telling him. Does that make it even crazier? I don't know what to do!? Does anyone have any suggestions or advice? Thanks in advance!!

JGF and Doll I hope you both get good news from your ins! My last nutrition appt is tomorrow and then I'll be in the waiting game to hear from my insurance company as well! JGF like you I am choosing to keep my surgery sort of quiet. I just turned 20 so a lot of my friends are young and fit and don't exactly understand that this isnt the easy way out and im hoping for it to be a tool to help after years and years of unsucessful dieting! My parents are very supportive and that is more than enough for me right now. When I first started considering the surgery one of my older sisters who is 16 years older than me, found out and basically tore me apart with the same things im sure many have you heard "cant you just eat better and work out" blah blah all of that stuff and just making me feel guilty saying that our parents cant afford this right now (we just moved 2 years ago and our old house is still on the market and has been for almost 3 years so my parents are paying two mortgages, my mom is legally blind so she does not work and my father is retired so we have very little income right now) I do feel bad but that is why I am working so hard with my nutritionist to make sure my insurance approves me and helps cover *hopefully* most of the cost of the surgery. Oh well, we will see. I am sorry for such long posts by the way, I just feel so at home here already! I feel like even though I can't really talk to my friends about how im feeling during this process, I always have someone to turn to here!!! So thanks to you all!

I know my surgeon wanted a 2-year weight history. I would assume a weight history of some sort would be enough evidence. I'm not sure how many years they want evidence for so that might be something to ask your insurance/surgeon. Best of luck!