montynic

Sorry you had such a rough experience once you got home. Hope your recovery starts going more smoothly soon! Hang in there!!!

Thanks for friending me too! It will be nice to know someone who is getting banded on the same day as me! I am very excited about the surgery and pretty much just ready to go. I do, however, have my occasional moments of worrying about all the what ifs, wondering if I am making the right decision, and second-guessing my decision to implant a device into my body. (But, given that I am a therapist, over-thinking things from all angles tends to be an occupational hazard of mine.) Overall, I am very excited and am impatiently waiting for 4/1 to finally get here! How are you feeling now that 4/1 is only 2 weeks away?

Mushy foods are the greatest! I never knew I could get so excited about scrambled eggs! I'm doing much better. I haven't had to drink any Lortab in a couple days and walking around at work has actually helped relieve some of the pain.

I'm doing pretty well. Everyday is a little easier. Ya, I plan on adding pics, I just haven't gotten around to it yet. :-)

I understand mourning the loss of your old life. As with any loss, we have to give ourselves permission to grieve for what we are losing, even when the loss is our choice & is in our best interest. My main worry is that I am only 25 and don't know what the future has in store for me. I don't anticipate removing the band in the future, as I want the flexibility to fill/unfill it as needed, so I worry about whether or not this implanted device will last me the next 50 years of my life & how it will impact my future. I am worried I will not be able to remain consistent with regards to proper nutrition choices, especially since my favorite foods are Chinese & Mexican! Despite the fears I just rattled off, I am confident I made the right decision & am excited about getting a second chance on life. I have been overweight my whole life. I feel like I am getting the chance to start over & experience what it feels like to be normal-sized! There are so many things I want to do with my new life!

My “wish list” keeps getting longer. I rearrange the list all the time so that each goal/objective is listed in the order it will be achieved! I have had several surgeries, but those 5 minutes between being wheeled away from pre-op & being asked to take deep breaths & count backwards always feel like the longest minutes of my life. I immediately start praying & telling God that I'm not ready to come home yet. I reached my max weight of 360lbs in 5/07, when my ex-husband and I separated. I lost 100lbs within a few months, thanks to a diet of Jack Daniels (admittedly, not the healthiest way to lose weight). After my "divorce diet" I began gaining weight almost immediately, even though I was eating healthy (which my Dr. attributed to PCOS). Once I reached 325lbs I decided it was time to do something about my weight, only this time I want to do it the right way. I finally feel like I am at a point in my life where I am ready to begin this journey! So, what grade do you teach?

~Nicole

The fill was easy enough, but I didn't get any restriction from it and my doctor requires 6 weeks between fills. My next fill is not until 7/8. I still haven't lost any weight since surgery on 4/1 (but I haven't gained either). Congrats on the 7lbs! I am exercising daily and averaging about 10 cups of water per day. I eat oatmeal for breakfast on most days. Lunch is either some form of salad (with tuna or chicken) or one of the recipes I got from bariatriceating.com . I typically cook chicken or fish for dinner, with veggies on the side. I am still adding a scoop of Isopure protein powder to my morning coffee to make sure I am getting enough protein. I snack on either a slice of cheese, greek yogurt, cottage cheese, or a spoon of peanut butter. Glad to hear things are going well for you! Enjoy your month of no classes! ~Nicole

Thanks! I definitely needed the pick-me-up. Seems like life has gotten in the way for the past few weeks... and I have become pretty discouraged (which I know is ridiculous, because I know this is a long-term process). Got my first fill today (5cc's). I'm hoping that will get the scale moving. Patience has never been my greatest virtue. :tongue_smilie: Hope all is well with you.

~Nicole

Thanks! I definitely let myself get discouraged. I know this is a long-term process, but I expected to see at least some weight loss in 2 months since surgery. I finally got my first fill today (5cc's). I'm hoping that will get my scale moving. How are things going with you?

~Nicole

Bandster Hell indeed!!!! I got my first fill today (5cc's). I'm hoping my scale will start moving now. I'm anxious to hear how yours goes on the 28th. Hang in there. We can do this!

I completely sympathize with you on Bandster Hell!!!! I got my first fill today (5cc's). I'm hoping my scale will start to move now. How did your fill go?

Hey Stacey~ Just checking in to see how you are doing. I almost feel normal again at this point. The pain is gone, the hunger is growing, and I am finally able to sleep on my side/stomach again. I am, however, finding it more difficult to drink all my liquids (seems like I am sipping all day long)! Hope all is well! ~Nicole

I'm doing better. I still have pain in my chest and shoulder, but I am only having to drink Lortab every 8 hours. I had planned on returning to work yesterday, but that definitely was not going to happen :-) I will go back to work tomorrow. My post-op appt is also tomorrow @ 130p and I'm hoping to advance to the mushy phase because I have suddenly become really hungry as of last night. My stomach is growling loudly for food and attention!

Nope. No luck yet! My second fill is on Wednesday, 7/7. I have only lost 5 lbs since surgery on 4/1. I have no restriction and am hungry all the time! I'm sorry to hear you are losing your willpower to keep it up... is your doctor at least willing to work with you about getting fills more frequently?

I'm doing much better. The shoulder pain from the gas is finally gone, as is the chest pain from the hernia. So, yes, I guess I can say the post-op pain is pretty much gone.I am having some tenderness at my port incision and my stomach muscles ache as if I just finished a thousand crunchies. I have not taken any pain meds in a few days and have been able to sleep in bed the last few nights... I was even able to sleep on my side last night. I was advanced to mushy foods last Wednesday, which has helped with the hunger. How are you feeling? 4/20 is just around the corner!

Glad to hear you are finally feeling full faster! 5cc did nothing for me. I can't even tell they added anything to the band. The doctor requires 6 weeks between fills, so I have 4 more weeks until I can get another one. Good luck at your next fill. Hope you reach the green zone!

Congrats on your 102lb loss!! Your before and current pics are completely inspirational. I can only hope I am in a similar situation when I am 5 months post-op!

Thanks for checking on me! I got home from the hospital around 530p. I am in quite a bit of pain... not so much pain at my incisions or in my belly, but severe chest and shoulder pains, especially when I try to breathe. According to my doctor I had a "very large hernia" that needed to be fixed, so she anticipates I will have a very painful recovery.

I ended up getting bumped to March and am still waiting for insurance approval. I'm just anxious to be done jumping through all the necessary hoops. How are you feeling with Feb 10th quickly approaching?

~Nicole

Looks like we are both being banded on 4/1!

Good luck today! Can't wait to hear all about it once you are feeling better.

Just checking in to say hi and to see how you are doing... hadn't seen any posts from you lately.

Just checking in to say hi and see how you are doing... hadn't seen any posts from you lately.

Just checking in to say hi and see how you are doing... hadn't seen any posts from you lately.

Thanks for asking! I'm doing well. The scale has yet to move since surgery. I am always hungry, no matter what I eat or how protein-rich the food is. My first fill is not until May 26th. My doctor likes to take things very slowly, which is becoming somewhat frustrating. How are you doing?