Dave_NW

I know how you feel, and where you want to be. In six months your friends are going to want to know what you're doing to look so good. You can tell them then, or leave them wondering. I'll bet they'll be happy for you. I was banded Dec 6, and up till the few days before, I had everything all sorted out. I began to second-guess myself, and run back through all the things I had done to get to that place. When I did, I forced myself to relax and feel confident that I was ready for surgery. I think it's natural to second-guess yourself. It's how we humans make sure we're doing the right thing. I think the self doubts are our brains trying to help us make sure we're not being impulsive or self destructive. So if you give yourself time to consider it, you're actually right where you're supposed to be, and you deserve to be very proud of yourself. As for feeling oinfident about surgery ahead of time, just relax and let the process happen. You're going to be handled by experienced people who are doing exactly what they know how to do. Let go, and give them the chance to step up and be good for you. They'll make things much easier. Post surgery, you know you'll feel sore, there will be gas, and maybe a bit of pain. Sip Water like a leaky faucet, walk till the nubbies wear off the bottom of your slippers, and keep your mind in the process, so you can make the most of the recovery steps, but minimize the physical side effects. I did that, and I was fine. For me, the lap band surgery has been almost a non-event. Recovery has been very direct. I won't say it was easy, but overall, it's been quite manageable. The biggest surprise for me was discovering that I am apparently lactose intolerant. Who knew? Threw a bit of a wrench into the spokes, though, when I'm trying to live on Protein shakes.... Keep your eyes on the prize of becoming the person you want to be. Surgery is the next step in that process. You're going to be fine. Best of luck, Dave

I wanted to check in and bring you folks up to date. I was banded December 6, and stayed at the hospital two nights. They repaired a hiatal hernia and a ventral hernia while I was there, so I expected my recovery was going to be more of an issue. Where most banding patients end up with five or six incisions, I wound up with 13. As it's happened, the banding has been almost a non-event. No shoulder pain (I think because I walked a lot in the first few days after surgery, and I sipped a lot of Water.) Incisions healing normally, no swelling or port pain, just the expected bruising and localized stiffness. Now, on Day 11, I'm feeling better than I have to date. I'm still off work, but all in all, I feel pretty good. What WAS an event that I wanted to share with everyone, was that four days after I got home from the hospital I began to feel "off." My sense of taste went downhill, my stomach felt "wrong," I began to have diarrhea, and my whole (generally) positive attitude went right out the window. On Monday morning the dry heaving started. I'm not a fan of vomiting under any circumstances, but this experience scared the hell out of me. My jaw clenched, I was in a cold sweat, my stomach began to roil, and then - BAM, the urge to vomit happened. Several long, protracted straining urges to throw up. But it produced NOTHING. Just the strain. I have never felt such a weird sensation. After the second event that day, I called my surgeon's office to ask what I should do. Obviously something was wrong, and I was concerned it might tear the band loose. I was adivsed to see my regular doctor, because the dry heaving was very problematic. Long story short, I ended up at the hospital Emergency Room. They gave me two doses of an anti-nausea drug, which stopped the vomiting symptoms, and took some blood. After an IV bag of fluids, since I was dehydrated, they sent me home. Diagnosis: Stomach virus. For the next two days I couldn't eat anything, as the virus worked its way through my system. All I did was sip water and sleep. I felt awful. Finally, today (Thursday), I feel much better. I'm eating again, (still on liquids only - I can't even go to mushies for another two weeks), and I feel a thousand percent better. My point in sharing this is to warn you about the unexpected side effects you may feel that have nothing to do with the band. And to warn you about dry heaving. It was absolutely AWFUL. On the plus side: I'm down 31 pounds since I was first weighed by my surgeon's staff at the end of September. Dave Edited to add on 12/17/2010: Now we're thinking it may not have been a virus at all. We're discovering I may be lactose intolerant, and that the symptoms I've been experiencing are related to that. Stay tuned...

Good plan. Study as much as you can, because where the band is concerned, knowledge is power. THe more you know, the better prepared you'll be. Good luck! Dave

Congratulations on your success! That has to be a wonderful feeling. I look forward to feeling that way again. :clap: Dave

I focused on refreshing my memory about the surgery process, what they were going to do, and how I would feel afterward. I read this site extensively, going through old threads to make sure I knew what to expect. I deliberately skipped over "problem" threads, choosing to cross that bridge when and if I ever get there. I made sure I had all my paperwork in order, figured out what I would wear in the hospital for my recovery (they kept me two nights because I had two hernias repaired in addition to getting the band.) I figured out what I wanted to have with me, and basically I tried to concenrate on my new life after surgery, That was a week ago. I'm pleased to say everything went just as I expected. When I felt discomfort after surgery, I knew it was mainly gas, and what to do for it. By day 2, I was already much improved. After the second night in the hospital, I was itching to go home. No trouble, no trauma, no surprises. I gained ten pounds in the hospital from the fluids they gave me, so I left the hospital heavier than when I arrived. No biggie. I expected it. That has slowly been going away, and now, on Day 7, I am one pound below my surgery weight. Woohoo! Enjoy the experience, let your surgeon show you why he/she's a pro, and let the hospital staff do their jobs. They were great to me, and it was all pretty anticlimactic. Good luck wth your surgery. You'll do fine. Dave

People who don't have problems don't post about their surgery. The problems you read about are only those people who need help. How many thousands more get through it without ever asking for help? I told my family and close friends. At work I told my manager and closest coworkers. I didnt tell anyone with any sense of "Was this a good decision?" in my voice. I made it clear this was my choice, for me, and that I didn't care if they disapprove. To a person, every single one has been supportive. They all want me to succeed. I chose to tell because I was inspired by one coworker who had this surgery a year ago. He's down about 90 pounds so far. Looks great. I was hoping that by my sharing my story other coworkers may be encouraged to have something done. (There are several.) The only person who gave me any sort of attitude was an IV nurse at the hospital when I was recovering after surgery. She was going on and on about how it was wrong and how I should have tried hypnosis and whatever. Her nerve was incredible. And the fat broad weighed about 300 pounds! I finally told her I was done listening to her, and would she please shut up. I'm still pissed she would be like that - while I'm recovering from the surgery! Duh! Dave

Rick, remember that the people who post about problems are those who are having an issue of some sort. For every one of those posts, there are literally THOUSANDS of people who don't post anywhere, because they aren't having any problems at all. So you're not seeing the full picture. You asked about the good side of having the surgery. Turn that upside down, and reverse the question. What is the good side of NOT having the surgery? Based on your stats, (quite similar to mine. I'm 57, started at 320, BMI near 50), I'll wager you've been like me - a guy who has been on every diet in the book, and all with relative success - for awhile. At some point, every pound, and usually even more, comes right back. So if you don't have surgery, what do you have to look forward to? More of the same? Progressive degeneration into further medical issues? How is that good for anyone? Isn't it time to try and do something that has a chance to work, once and for all? The thing to remember about the band is that it's not a magic bullet. It will NOT fix your weight issues, or change your love/hate relationship with food.. It is a tool that can be used with diet and exercise to bring down your weight sensibly, and help you to live a better life. Given the likely possibility that doing nothing is only going to result in greater weight, more medical issues, and an untimely death, for me, surgery wasn't only an option, it was a chance to get my life back on track. Keep doing your research, and keep asking questions. If you find the band is for you, go for it. You have nothing to gain by NOT doing it. Good luck! Dave

I think surgeons adjust their plan to suit their patients, and what they know works (or doesn't.) I did a three week Atkins-like pre-op diet, (high Protein, very low carb), and it went well. I kind of liked the reduction of my eating method pre-op, as a way to slide into the post-op liquids only diet I'm on now. I've made the transition pretty well, so far. (I'm seven days post-op.) The pre-op diet isn't so much about weight loss, as it is reducing the size of your liver. Don't concern yourself about pounds lost right now. Just get ready to have your surgery, and prepare yourself for what comes next. Good luck! Dave

The purpose of the pre-op diet is to reduce your carb intake, which will shrink the sze of your liver. It needs to be moved during surgery so the band can be put in place. If your liver is too large, it can literally block access to where the band needs to go. So even though you feel like you haven't lost enough weight, you're probably going to be fine. Weightloss can come later. Good luck! Dave

As you go along, you'll find Costco's meats, produce, and fresh deli items are especially excellent. One thing about the USDA meats is that the price per pound is usually a lot lower than in grocery stores. The family pack bulk items, like the steaks that come four or five in a pack, are a great deal. Break the pack into individual serving sizes, and save some serious cash. I'll check closer on the gummy Vitamins too. I'm using Unjury's chewable Multivitamin now, and it's okay, but it's gritty. Now if I can only find a replacement for the Calcium citrate tablets I'm usng. They're okay, but huge. And I need to take four daily... Dave

From everything I've read, vomiting or PBing or sliming one time is enough to teach you why you don't want to do it again. You're at the point where your stomach is adjusting to the placement of the band, and your stomach is healing from the stitches used to attach the band in place. Give it a chance to heal. Eating solid food now could cause problems, including even tearing out those stitches. If you're seriously fighting yourself already over the situation, you're setting yourself up for serious problems later on. Follow the plan your surgeon laid out for you, and be successful. Derail that plan, and you're headed for failure. You aren't yet "fully" banded, because you don't have restriction, the magic sweet spot that makes the band work so well. Once you get to that point, it'll be different. You're still weeks away from your first fill. Hang in there. Follow the plan. Anticipate success. Good luck! Dave

MRSA can be fatal. If not to you, then to the staff at the hospital. Regardless of how frustrated you may be, keep in mind delaying your surgery could very easily save your life. Hang in there. Dave

As I understand it, the biggest purpose of the pre-op diet is to reduce your carb intake, in an attempt to shrink the physical size of your liver. During surgery they need to move your liver out of the way so they can insert the band. Weight loss during the pre-op diet is not the major goal. A side effect of the diet is weight loss, but it's more about your liver. I had a three week pre-op diet, but was put on an Atkins-like thing. I ate high protein, very low carb foods, and it worked fine. I did "cheat" a few times, like on Thanksgiving, but I got back on track the nxt day. I ended up losing weight anyway, and my surgery last Monday went "by the book." I know it's hard, but try and focus on the ultimate point of getting primed for surgery. Weight loss will happen after the fact. Good luck! Dave

If you click on the line in the upper left of the screen that says "Signed in as [your screen name]". then click on "My Content" you'll filter through to your posts. You can find a specific thread you've posted in more easily. Cuts down on a lot of needless scrolling to find what you want. Dave

Hey, thanks for that! I was already planning a trip to Costco tomorrow anyway, so I'll pick up a case. One thing you may not know is that if you buy a case of something at Costco and it doesn't work out for you, you can return the remainder and get your full money back. So if you got something to try and it just wasn't good for you, they'll refund the money as if the item was unopened. (My spouse is a refund cashier at Costco.) If you compare Costco and Sam's item for item, I think you'll find the general quality at Costco is better. If you decide you like Costco better, you should ask Sam's to refund your membership fee. Not sure if they'll do that, but I know Costco will. Dave

I get the Muscle Milk Light at Costco, Do they sell Premier Protein Shakes there, too? Can anyone tell me about Isopure? I'm looking for any alternate to all the nonstop sweetness. I'm not a big sweets eater, and I'm really tired of it already. Any options out there? Dave

Congratulations, Chris! You deserve a medal for enduring that long diet process. I don't think I could've done it. (My insurance didn't require it.) Hope your banding goes well, and that 2011 is everything you want it to be! Dave

Unjury's chicken broth isn't really that bad, especially if you season it to taste. I used a meat thermometer to get to maximum allowed temperature of 130F. It worked fine. Added a bit of fresh ground pepper to it, and it wasn't bad, for a protein shake. Dave

I've also heard women tend to have more restriction during their monthly cycle. Not sure if that is an issue here, but you may want to check your calendar and see if that could be a factor. Could also be as you've lost weight things have adjusted internally, and now your band is getting easier restriction than before. Anything that causes any sort of swelling or bloating inside could affect how your band works. Good luck! Dave

Shannon, I was banded two days before you. Read your blog, and can totally relate to your feelings right now. Advice: Get up and move! The gas dissipates better with movement, and I can't overstate the importance of movement to help you feel better. The bloating, nausea, and general malais will go away, but you need to get out of bed and walk. Sip as much Water as you can handle. Staying hydrated will make a huge difference in how you feel. You need to be proactive in your recovery. Hang in there. It gets better every day. Good luck! Dave

Followup to the unflavored mixed with beef broth I tried for dinner last night: Don't do it. It was nasty. The flavor was too intense, and no matter what I did to it to season/modify it, there was no way out. It went down the sink. Ended up drinking a Muscle Milk Light shake for dinner. 20g Protein, 10g carbs. I'm finding the flavor is consistent, and it's quickly turning into the only shake flavor I can drink. I was a real fan of unjury pre-op, but for some reason post-op, I'm not feeling it nearly as much. Anyone else finding their post-op taste buds are different? I'm also finding my love of coffee is subsiding, too. Used to drink several cups every morning. Now I drink maybe a half cup, and I'm done. Just not into it. Since I live near Seattle, home of Starbucks and Tullys and a zillion other coffee roasters, I may be run out of town! LOL! Dave

I was banded on Monday, and was having trouble laying flat on my back, and also on either side. Gravity wasn't my friend. I got a "bed wedge" pillow from a hospital supply store that works in two directions. If I want to sit upright in bed the back of it goes vertical against the headboard, but the front is sloped, and I can place a couple of regular pillows in front of it. To lay flat with my torso slightly elevated I flip it over, with the back of it laying flat on the mattress, and I can place a regular pillow on it for my head. This allows me to sit up or lay down for sleep, without stressing my incisions. (I had two hernias repaired during the banding process, and have 13 incision sites.) It's working very well. Dave

unjury makes an unflavored version. They also have a chicken Soup version that isn't half bad. Just watch the temperature. The liquid can't be above 130F or the proteim will clump up. Not a pretty mixture. I'm planning to mix the unflavored with some chicken or beef broth from Safeway for my dinner tonight. The broth has only 1g of Protein by itself, so adding the unflavored should help bring up the nutrition level. As for the chocolate question: It's best with milk, but will work with Water (coffee is hot water, after all.) Some people have mentioned adding SF pudding to it, to thicken it up some. I haven't tried that yet. Experiment and see what you come up with. Good luck! Dave

Get up and start moving. The pain you have from gas is due to the volume they pumped into you during surgery. The only way to dissipate it is to move around. Walking helps dramatically. Try using Gas-X strips too - I found that helped me. (I was just banded on Monday.) Each day gets easier, but you need to be proactive in your recovery. Sip all the Water you can tolerate. You need to stay hydrated. And if you feel the urge to pass gas, do it. You need to get it out of your system somehow. Coughing up the phlegm that accumulated in your lungs during surgery is vital. Get up and move. Really. I'm five days Post-Op, and I'm feeling remarkably good. Much better than I expected to. Good Luck! Dave

I was banded five days ago, and had a hiatal hernia and ventral hernia repaired at the same time. I'm in minimal pain, and my back is fine. I suspect you strained your back somehow, perhaps by trying to compensate after surgery to minimize pain in your stomach area. Using muscles you weren't used to using could easily do that. Hang in there. Dave