Brian-LA

Hi Maxi !!! I was wondering how well you were doing ? Has a lot of the pain gone away / are you feeling more like yourself yet ? I am Hoping all is well and you are feeling GREAT. -Brian

Hi Debbie ! I didn't have the same Post Op experience as you in terms of being able to get down fluids. BUT try the Powerade ZERO instead of the water to help restore some of your fluids too. My Doctor recommended a Gatorade type drink to help make sure I didn't get dehydrated. ALSO sip water all day long to also help maintain your fluids. Do it hourly, half hourly, etc. You definitely don't want to go to the ER for dehydration. HOPE everything else is going well. -Brian :smile2:

Hi Butterfly2010! I am sorry to hear that about losing people... BUT as they say they probably weren't your friends or that good friends after all. So far I haven't lost friends but I have also mostly been cooped up at home / I return to work on Monday. I seriously wonder what kind of reactions I will get OR IF I GET SERIOUSLY HAZED OR RAZZLED by my friends or co-wrkers once I get back. I only told 4 people / close friends who weren't supposed to tell anyone but since I am fairly well known and people talk... EVERYONE might know. As a guy in a pre-dominately male work place / semi -testosterone filled environment... I am a little apprehensive. BUT screw 'em if they mess with me ... I am a higher up at work and I will make their lives miserable !!!! ( ha-ha just kidding ). No I can take anything anyone dishes out but I do wonder. Hope you are having a great weekend. -Brian :smile2:

Hi OCButterfly ! Wow we are both Southern Californians and Bandsters. 10 Lbs is awesome! Yeah I have had all the same cravings as I am sure we all have. Its is kind of funny I have been home on Disability for over 3 weeks from my Operation & go back to work on Monday ... BUT I have been watching A LOT of TV including a lot of food shows on Travel Channel ( their Food Paradise shows ) and I never really watched such shows before ( probably also no time before ). I have been a little more fascinated by Food then before but to tell you the truth I think I am finally getting over it or it is at least lessening. Going back to work where I work A LOT of hours should also help. BTW what movie did you see and was it good ? I work in the Motion Picture Industry / am a Movie Fanatic but since I have been in the Industry I seem to see a lot less movies.... -Brian

Hi John ! That is extraordinary ! And Please anyone and everyone post here. A great success story as yours is truly an inspiration to us all. Please post anytime as it will help your fellow new Bandsters in their new journey. How did you do it ? Thanks -Brian

I am a total PC Gamer ... Shooter Gamer. I play a heckuva A LOT of Modern Warfare 2 under the name of DEADMEAT ( you can friend me ) and I can not wait for Black Ops and Medal of Honor. I am so much of a Gamer I just bought a $3200 PC with two GTX 480s in SLI ( in regular english my PC has not one but two of the most powerful video cards at $500 each running together as one super video card ). And my old PC was still extremely powerful ... I gave it away & it had a GTX 280 card in it. Too much technobabble !!! -Brian :smile2:

Mine is just like harliquinn's... it is about 1 inch above and to the left of my Belly button and YES I can feel it thru the skin. In fact I freaked out my 8 year old niece and sister and law by making them touch it. It feels pretty odd & weird to touch a hard plastic object just under my skin. It doesn't hurt though... it is just a weird feeling. I am already used to it. -Brian :smile2:

Hi Fran ! I just cut & pasted this post from Cathy in Texas. Go to www. tickerfactory. com Flip through the many pages of ticker rulers. Once you find one you like, select the radio button to the left. Press Next Select a ticker marker that will move across the top of your banner, by marking the radio button to the left. Press Next Enter a password/pin in the box Select the Public data radio button Choose if you want to track your weight change, weight or waist. Enter your target weight Enter your current weight Enter todays date Press Next If you like the ticker that you have created, then highlight and copy the bbcode (first box). Now go back into Lap Band Talk sign in Click on "User CP" near the top left (under the pictures). Click "Edit Signature" (3rd section down left column) A little box will pop up like the ones do when we post. Type a little message in the box. (mine says when I started, when I was approved and surgery date). Once you have something typed then skip down a few spaces(by pressing the enter button), then paste the bbcode in that same box. Now without pressing any other options, hit the Preview Signature button at the bottom. If you like what you see, then press the Save Signature button. It's done. Before you leave the ticker website, there is a blue hyperlink that states, "IMPORTANT: To update your ticker, click on it or bookmark this web address:" Click and Save this page in your favorites. When you want to update your weight loss, go find the link in your favorites, enter your password and press enter. Then update your new figures. Press the next button. Your done. You won't have to cut or paste anything else. By updating with the password/pin, tickerfactory will automatically update the changes on your signature page. Hope that helped. -Brian :smile2:

Hi Des ! Well I am just continuing on our big Sept 2010 Bandster Support Group from the Pre-Op Forum. Thanks for the complement. As for eating out... hopefully it will be uneventful and a lot more pleasant then I have had. :scared2: I guess it is all a learning experience for all of us as we continue our new Bandster Life ! I hope you are doing well and feeling well too. -Brian :smile2:

I guess I will re-introduce myself. I am Brian. I live in Los Angeles / Santa Clarita, California. I work in the Motion Picture Industry. I was REALIZE Banded on Wednesday Sept the 8th, 2010 by Dr. Michael Feiz. Right now I am a little over 3 weeks Post Op. So far I am down 20 lbs since the 8th. I am feeling 100 % back to normal except that I have felt Restriction a few times and I have actually thrown up about 2 times. Right now I am on Mushy / Soft Foods stage. So far so good. I got Banded because I was sick and tired of being overweight and the price it has caused me in terms of self confidence and my social life. I have been overweight my entire life and I am so glad I decided to take action and get the Band. -Brian :smile2:

I was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA. Went to School at the University of Wisconsin - Madison. I currently live Santa Clarita, CA ( a suburb North of L.A. ). I work in the Motion Picture Industry in Post Production. -Brian :smile2:

Yes Diarrhea is normal Post Band. Unless you are getting dehydrated ... a SERIOUS ISSUE to watch out for it is normal. My Doctor told me to make sure I was drinking a low cal Gatorade like Gatorade C2 or what I found to be much better and ZERO calories ... Powerade ZERO which comes in strawberry, Grape, Orange, Lemon Lime, etc. My favorite is Grape & Strawberry. I did call my Dr. after a few days of severe diarrhea and he said I could take Imodium or similar anti-diarrhea Over the Counter drug. I did and it went away / lessened. JUST MAKE SURE YOU DON'T GET DEHYDRATED or you will have to go to the emergency room. -Brian :smile2:

I just started a Sept 2010 Bandsters Post in the Post Op Section. -Brian :smile2:

I guess since it is now October we should all move over to The POST OP SECTION under a Sept 2010 Bandsters heading. -Brian :thumbup:

Hi Jacqui ! I am sorry I do not know if an ulcer is a disqualifying condition.... although I seriously doubt it. You should make a post here in Pre-Op or Post Op like " Is Having an Ulcer a Disqualifying condition ??? " I am sure you will get a few immediate replies. I seriously doubt it though ... my sister got a Gastric Bypass and now that I am banded is thinking about getting a Band. So I doubt it. I am now over 3 weeks Post Op and I feel 100% back to normal. I will return to my semi-physical job on Monday although I probably could have gone back to work this last Monday I waited an extra week to be sure. My REALIZE Band is working. I have had a few episodes of Restriction which is the Band working and stopping me from eating more. Good Luck Jacqui and keep posting and reading the posts and replies here.. it helps. -Brian :drool:

Good Luck Debbie ! You are going to be just fine. You might have some pain but remember it all goes away in a few days. In a few days you will be fine and then you can be on your road to getting better in life. Good Luck and have a fast recovery !!! As for any last minute stuff ... did you get the Sugar Free Popsickles and Powerade Zero I mentioned. I am sure you got the Protein shakes but the Sugar Free Popsickles are absolutely the best and the Powerade ZERO is a no calorie thirst quencher / rehydrator. I highly recommend the Grape and Strawberry. -Brian :smile2:

Hi Kat ! I think it is also BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION. It is like the animal that keeps getting shocked when it does something, sooner or later, it stops doing the behavior. The Band restricts me when I can't do it for myself. It is negative reinforcement like a slap on the wrist for bad behavior. Eventually after a lifetime of bad behavior I will slowly but surely have to change my ways. -Brian :mad:

Hi CeciGirl & ScarredforLife ! SLIMING is part of the Restriction experience. It is basically a step below of vomiting / throwing up. When I personally feel Restriction my chest is really tight, my stomach - the esophagus feels tight and I feel really really full. I get a nauseous feeling and then the sliming starts - it is basically my body producing A LOT of saliva to help dislodge the food. So much so that I start spitting up all the produced saliva into a trash bucket or something. Sometimes it is just saliva, sometimes it is a bit frothy and sometimes it is the beginning of me throwing up. So far with my Restriction, sliming usually does the trick and I don't throw up or dry heave or pray to the porcelain god. So for my personal Restriction experience it is usually a tight feeling in chest and esophagus, then some nausea and then sliming and if that doesn't do it, I throw up. So far I have thrown up about twice. I have slimed about 12-14 times. It is just my body AND MY BAND telling me to back off, slow down and stop eating. -Brian :mad:

Hi Lyla ! IF you got a REALIZE Band, you should know it AND you should have gotten a REALIZE Band ID Card with your registration number. You take that REALIZE Band ID number and put it into the REALIZE BAND website for access to your REALIZE MY SUCCESS Personal website / Weight Loss Program. It is pretty good / great. Its an interactive weight loss online program with a lot of great stuff. If you got the REALIZE Band ask your Doctor for your card and ID Number. The funny thing is that before I was banded I didn't know which band I was getting and I didn't even know I got the REALIZE Band until after. Before Surgery I was hoping for the Lap Band because it is the more famous one but afterwards I realize the REALIZE Band was better and my Surgeon ( who is a Beverly Hills Surgeon / Done well over 1000 Bands plus does 10-15 a week KNOWS more then me ) plus the REALIZE Band is newer technology too. It is also wider which helps prevent slippage. As for dining out... yeah being Banded makes it a new experience !!! I had heard from Banded people about the first time when you eat out and when you have to RUN for the bathroom... IT'S TRUE. I had to quickly say excuse me and make a 50 yard dash for the bathroom. Once inside I started to slime and dry heave until it settled down after 2 minutes. I apologized after returning to table but it defintiely was a good learning experience and I know I am going to lose weight when all I could eat was a fraction of what I normally do. I think you will learn and adjust your life to living with the Band. You will eat breakfast and a lunch. You will because you will have to. I will eat slower and only a portion of what I previously did because I HAVE TO. I mean that is the reason why I got the Band, personal control alone just wasn't working. I needed more. I assume you are in the same boat or why get banded in the first place ? We will both be fine and soon we will both be GREAT :smile:. -Brian

Hi Debbie ! I am not sure if there is a costco near you and or if you are a member ... BUT I highly recommend the PREMIER chocolate Protein shake ( 30g Protein, 1g Sugar, low fat, and only 11 Fl. Oz ). It sells 18 for about $24 and its pretty good IMHO. I also bought the EAS Myoplex Light Chocolate Shakes. They are pretty good too. STAY AWAY from the Atkins shakes... they were pretty gross and left a crappy taste in my mouth in my opinion. ALSO BUY HIGHLY EXTREMELY RECOMMENDED : sugar free Popsickles. They are the most awesome thing you can have and I think I am now addicted. I personally choose the DREYERS NO SUGAR ADDED FRUIT BARS... about 25 cal / a pop. Awesome tasting IMHO. Popsickle brand and Crystal Light also make Sugar Free Popsickles too at around 15 calories a pop. Not as awesome as the Dreyers but good still. MY DOCTOR also recommended a sports Gatorade type drink. He personally recommended the Gatorade G2 Low Calorie drink so I could rehydrate and make up immediately Post Op. After doing some research and looking at the store shelves... I have found Powerade ZERO which comes in all great flavors like Grape, Orange and strawberry. ZERO CALORIES and it rehydrates / has electrolytes. I recommend the POWERADE ZERO over the low cal Gatorade. And then you can have broth. -Buy Gas X disolvable strips for Post Op Gas pain. My Doctor does not recommend the Sugar Free Jellos in the first few weeks because he said it could go down like a big glob in your stomach. He didn't recommend them in the first few weeks. Your doctor might be different. -Brian :smile:

Hi Lyla ! Actually my Surgeon adds a partial fill when he put in my REALIZE Band. I have felt Restriction a few times already. I have thrown up once and I have slimed about 6-9 times. Tonight I went out to dinner w/ my special friend and I actually had a fish dinner. I am actually allowed some fish in my current diet / Mushy phase / semi-soft soft food phase. It came with a decent amount of food / salad / bread / etc... stuff in my previous life I would have gobbled up and consumed in less then 10 minutes. Instead I actually only ate the actual fish and gave all the rest to my dinner companion who is a very beautiful very shapely blonde. And after eating about 2/3 of the fish I felt restriction and it stopped me dead in my tracks. I was pretty amazed. I actually had to excuse myself to the bathroom where I started to slime and started spitting up a lot of saliva to lessen the feeling. When I returned to the table I told her what had happened and how I know I will lose weight with the Band because I just ate about 1/6 of what I would normally eat. My Obesity Problem is that I am a serious Compulsive Overeater / Binger. I used to consume extremely VAST amounts of food. I was never really a junk food / sweets person but a Fast Food Junkie. -Brian :smile:

DON"T BE EMBARRASSED ! I did have a good amount of gas post op and did a lot of tooting... AND THEN after being on liquids I started getting the absolute WORST Diarrhea AND THEN to top it off I had about three ACCIDENTS where I thought I was tooting and pooted instead ! Gawd I was completely embarrassed! Of course now I am thinking wow I am using the word tooted and pooted - I am double embarrassed. Just kidding . Luckily I live alone and was pretty anti-social in those first 11 days. And considering that I took my first shower 4 days Post Op... I was glad to be anti-social. Boy I am discussing a lot about being gross and disgusting those first 2 weeks. -Brian :thumbup:

Hi Jenn ! No I am not in Corrections but I do have a semi-physical job ( not as much as Corrections ). My Doctor advises 2 weeks of Disability time for people who have to bend over a lot and or pick up items more then 10 lbs / AND or a physical type job. Also depending on where your surgeon puts the Port, you might want to take off some time so it isn't so sensitive. My Surgeon puts his Port directly above the Belly button so I was a little sensitive there for about a week. I work in the Motion Picture Industry and this is the start of my third week off and on Disability. I will return to work next Monday. I was going to take 2 weeks off but decided with my job and what I do... I would play it safe and take the extra week to make sure there weren't any complications. -Brian :smile:

Hi Danielle ! Wednesday is 3 weeks Post Op for me. What are you eating now out of curiosity ? I am about liquid / half soups / some luncheon meat and some string cheese. Some eggs too. I do have a food processor but it is still boxed up :glare: This Saturday I went out with a special friend and since we can't go out like we used to for awhile I did TRY to actually eat a burger and within 2 bites I was Restricted and I started to throw it up ! Boy my Band is working. I did notice my appetite is returning ALTHOUGH I am not really eating too solid foods and not much bad food I am on the OTHER HAND eating A LOT of soup, eggs, etc... too much in my opinion. Although it is about a quarter to a half of what I am used to eating. -Brian :smile: