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Hi everyone, My big day is thursday....YAY! I have a three day prep to do nightly beginning tomorrow... 2 T Milk Of Magnesia-yuk Fleet enema-double yuk antibacterial shower The Milk of Mag I can do,but an enema-ew. I am doing just liquids the next couple of days, no more Medi-fast shakes.What can they possibly expect to get out of me! Anyone else have to do this? Thanks

Yay! I'm happy I'm down 4 lbs this week! Still in pain since banded on 2/19/13. But getting Better!

Remove soda completely from your diet. As for chips, why? Are you looking for crunch factor? If so, there are others ways to get that crunch feeling. If it must be chips, there are some good Protein chips alternatives out there that can be used as a treat, but not an everyday thing. By treat, I mean once a week.

I had to be on all liquids for two weeks prior to the surgery. Full liquids like protien shakes, tomato Soup, I drank sugar free kool aid like it was going out of style. It was extremely difficult and I did falter a few times, here and there (not that I am saying that cheating is good) but I am just being honest. My doctor wanted me to loose a few pounds before the surgery and they also want you on all liquids prior the the surgery so your liver shrinks a little bit. If the liver is enlarged, it's harded for them to manuver around while doing your procedure, that's all... and as large people, our liver tend to be larger and fattier! :wink2: The pre-op diet is hard, but I managed! As I mentioned, I wasn't as diligent as I should have been the first week, but I did stick it to very closely the second week. My surgery went off without a hitch and I was home the same evening watching movies with my fiance! Hope that helps! Susie Girl!

I will be 3 months out next week and my NUT told me capacity right now is around 1/4 cup of dense foods.

Yes! I have been on soft foods for a week now and I started out the same way. I can take more in now even after just a week. Just keep on an eating schedule adding a little more when you can but don't force it. Your tummy is still swollen, a week will make a big difference. Last night for dinner I had 3 good sized shrimp, a couple bites of tomato/avocado salad and even a couple of bites of pasta. I was pleasantly full. It will get easie

Hey everyone! 2 weeks out today!!! I took my steri-strips off 2 days ago and was AMAZeD how small the incisions were! Wow!! It's like he didn't even do surgery on me lol. Starting to love my sleeve beside over eating last night and suffering alllllll night with horrible heart burn! Happy 2 weeks to all my may 10th sleevers

A friend of mine shared this with some friends and myself back in November as she has a hair loss problem. She was taking the 500mcg daily for some time. I decided to do it as I have thyroid issues and noticed my hair falling out {prior to surgery}. I went to the drug store and found Biotin 5000mcg and decided on buying that. Of course, the old mentalitiy, whether it be eating or anything, bigger is better. I've been using it up until the last two weeks or so as I've noticed my hair drying out. I'm not sure if it's from the biotin because my Dr switched me from one anti-depressant med to Cymbalta around the same time I started with Biotin. I'm actually doing a process of elimination to see if it's one or the other, or perhaps the two together. Who knows. But I will say, I did notice an improvement in my hair in thickness even after having the surgery in late January.

Oohh wow!! Ur a newbie!! Im sure ur prolly still in some pain, I know I was for a few loooooong weeks. Its a hard lifestyle to adjust to. I know I was angry cuz pop was my biggest downfall and I couldnt have it! I found that walking really helped alot! Walk alone, get ur mind right then u will start feelin better!!

For the last week I've been having an attitude I've been screaming at my babies which is stressing me out because I love them dearly I feel sick and I'm always tired don't know what to do Going to see my therapist maybe she can help Does anyone else have this problem Sent from my iPad using RNYTalk

I also had thrush. I had to take serious doses of antibiotics- 4 different courses of different kinds. It would get better, then come back. I started to gargle with listerine and that helped. The thrush lasted about 6 weeks. Make sure you talk to your doctor, so that you get the right treatment. Good luck.

I was banded 4/23 and I am exhausted. I try telling myself that I'm only three weeks post op and that I just need to heal but I do not have the energy to do anything. I feel like a lump on a log with no motivation, energy or spirit. I just don't feel like myself. I'm trying to get in all 50 g of protein and am doing pretty well at that. I am also taking vitamins. I just don't know what to do! My life is just supposed to be getting started again and I feel like it's about to end. I know, a little dramatic, but I'm struggling. I just don't feel like myself. Is this common????

Ok, so for the past week I've had bronchitis and have been coughing by head off! So much, that it has made me throw up several times (upside, I did lose 3 lbs. in 5 days!)I went to the Dr. and got anitbiotics and cough medicine, but the episodes of coughing continued. Yesterday I was stretching and felt a SHARP pulling pain in my lower abdomen. I quickly stopped and applied pressure. Nothing is protruding, but when I stretch like I am going to do a back bend it is PAINFUL! Could this be a hernia from coughing? Could this be something else? Is this nothing? Any insight will help before I take the doctor route. BTW...Go Kentucky Wildcats!

I think you'd feel better in some clothes that fit. Buy them on clearance if you have to but get rid of the really baggy stuff. I've been on a pretty steady cycle of lose a little, stall a lot, haha, don't lose your focus :-)

I agree on the clothes. Another thing to try is ebay - I've bought a few things there for cheap. About the stall - maybe think about whether you might have let little Snacks and meal additions work their way into your diet over time. If not - and you're still eating pretty clean and under 1200 calories of so - then the scale is bound to move in time. Your body may just be adjusting to where you are.

Completely normal. If you are about to start your TOM, or are on it, a lot of people gain weight or stall until it's over. This is just water weight. Just drink extra fluid and it will flush it from your body.

I was 2 weeks till I could sleep on my right side, 4 weeks till my left side or stomach. My surgeon follow up was at 4 weeks and when I asked about it he told me that at that time the tummy was strong enough to handle bungy jumping but to expect some pain when moving around for a few months as he "stabbed me many, many times" , then he laughed. I laughed but it was more that nervous, that's not really very funny laugh that you give someone when you don't know what else to do. I am not almost 11 weeks out and sleep just fine in any position. It's all good now, hang in there.

I think it took me about 2 weeks also until I was comfortable sleeping on my side. It gets better.

I was just banded yesterday and am sometimes feeling very hungry as well. I am hoping the protein shakes and other liquids keep it under control. I hope I will get used to it somewhat because I have 5 weeks to go before my first fill. I totally understand your pain!! We can do it though!!

I gained over 20 lbs. in the hospital !!! But a week and 2 days later I had not only lost all that but I also lost 13 " real " pounds !!! Now I am at a stall since Monday but everyone including my Dr. Say it's normal... Also, my stomach is still bigger than before surgery and I'm told in time that will go away. So don't fret over the weight, it's totally normal !

Immediately after surgery, the 3 most important requirements are Protein, Vitamins and fluids. These are key. food is secondary, especially because the volume of food is very limited in the beginning. Your body is converting your stored fat into energy that drives you body. As a result you are losing weight. In my opinion most of the protein shakes taste terrible. But it is very important that you take in the required protein each day. As time goes on and your meal volume increases, you can gain most of your protein from your meals, provided you consume high protein meals. But that is not the stage you are in, so experiment and find the protein shakes that you can tolerate. There are a wide variety of powder and premix protein shakes available. For me Muscle Milk Light powder mixed with a half a banana in a Ninja single serving size blender worked well. Your protein requirement is a combination of the protein you consume from meals combined with the protein from supplements (protein shakes, protein bars). It is equally important that you take in the required amount of fluids each day. I use to like to drink a glass of Water with ice cubes several times a day prior to surgery. But that changed after the operation. After surgery, I found that flavored water (Crystal Light) was good. Also I began drinking fine teas. The Fluid requirement is the total amount of fluids that you take in each day. It included the fluids you consume in your protein shakes. It is also equally important that you meet your Vitamin requirement. Your body does not convert food into the essential vitamins that you need. That is why you must use supplements. In the area of foods, I found that Soups and chili went down easier. Therefore that is what I used. I wanted to get off the protein shakes as soon as possible, so I made my own soups and chili with about twice the protein as store bought variety. I have include some of the recipes in the link below. It also gave me good control over the volume of the meals that I consumed. I would make up a pot of food and store it and eat it all week. http://www.breadandbutterscience.com/Surgery.pdf

Hi Everyone! Is anyone going to be in Mexico the week of 2/13? I am seeing Dr. Ortiz

Almost 6 weeks post op. I am so tired from about noonish until 5pm. It's not that mid day tiredness. But sheer exhaustion. I did return to work this past week and I guess I can contribute it to that?? But I'm getting plenty of sleep and all my supplements, protein and water. At what point do I think it's anemia or something else?

I am 6 weeks post op and still feel tired and fatigued . Had VSG with hiatal and umbilical hernia repair. I hear everyone saying how much energy they have. Any thoughts ???

I just read a great article about Easter; it can be found here: http://www.dailybreeze.com/opinion/articles/6877872.html?page=1&c=y Here's a cut and paste: Evidence of faith, cause for hope Here are ten reasons why the resurrection of Jesus Christ remains the most important occurrence in history. By Paul Viggiano Hope Orthodox Presbyterian Church Charles Hodge, the renowned 19th century Princeton theologian, penned these words concerning the resurrection of Jesus Christ: "It may be safely asserted that the resurrection of Christ is at once the most important, and the best authenticated, fact in the history of the world." Hodge buttressed this assertion with 10 arguments. Nine of these arguments would pass muster vis-à-vis any other notable historical event. The 10th is undeniable: 1. It was predicted in the Old Testament. The Christian faith began at the dawn of man with God making a promise to redeem mankind through the death and resurrection of the Christ. The Old Testament was a widespread and well-known document. 2. It was foretold by Christ himself. People have twisted the Scriptures from the very beginning. For those who doubted the promise of the Messiah, or were inclined to bend the Scriptures to their own agenda, Jesus re-announced that he would die and rise again. 3. It was an easily verified event. The Resurrection wasn't a matter of secret knowledge. It was a physical resurrection. There was no faith required to observe the risen Christ. 4. It was substantiated by abundant, suitable and frequently repeated evidence. Jesus was a threat to the religion of the Jews and the authority of Rome. They wanted Christianity to end. All they had to do to achieve this was produce the dead body of Jesus. This would never happen. 5. There were numerous, competent witnesses of the event.The Resurrection didn't happen in a vacuum where only the devout or those skilled in piety could observe. Jesus was a public figure followed by hundreds and seen by thousands for 40 days after his resurrection and before his ascension. 6. The conviction of the witnesses was testified by their willingness to suffer even to the point of death. The Christian faith grew dramatically after the ascension of Jesus, due to the spirit-inspired testimony of the apostles who all (but one) were put to death for their faith. It can be argued that people have been known to die for a lie, but it is a much harder argument to make that people will die for something they know to be a lie. 7. God confirmed the testimony of those who witnessed the Resurrection by signs and wonders seen by entire communities. Jesus conferred the power to perform signs and wonder to his apostles; this continued for years. The authorities certainly had the time and occasion to expose these apostles if they weren't genuine. 8. The fact of the Resurrection has been commemorated by a religious observance of the first day of the week from the time it happened until this present time. The regularity of millions (now billions) of people meeting on a weekly basis for thousands of years speaks toward the reliability of the data. 9. The effects produced by the Gospel admit of no other rational solution than the truth of Christ's death and subsequent resurrection. The Christian church is his monument. All believers are his witnesses. The tome of literary, archeological and historical evidence of the Resurrection is simply unmatched. Unbiased observers have taken historical events as fact with much less evidence. The truth of the Gospel, the Resurrection, in fact all of Scripture can, and always has, passed every legitimate method of scrutiny. The real question is, "How legitimate are the methods?" Using man-made disciplines and evidences to determine the authenticity of Scripture would be like using my Casio to determine the accuracy of the atomic clock. Add this to the fact that man has a propensity to interpret facts through his own grid. For example, if someone's grid doesn't allow for miracles, he won't believe the event was a miracle no matter how much evidence he is given; he'll just wait for some new explanation. Besides, it would be foolish to think that God has left us at the mercy of our own ability to do research in order to know the truth, let alone be saved. This brings us to Hodge's last point. 10. Simply put, we know the Resurrection truly took place. Jesus said that his words are sufficient to judge us -- words which we still have in the Bible. The testimony of God's word is self-evident and undeniable. When people deny the Scriptures, they are denying something they know to be true in the depth of their heart. Man's accountability to God is not capricious; it is based in something men know. And what a glorious thing God has revealed to us -- that there is hope beyond the grave. Jesus is called the first fruits of the Resurrection because those who trust in him will be resurrected as well -- this is what the Bible calls the good news. He is risen indeed!