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I get banded bright and early in the morning! I am so excited, but nervous as well, hoping that I can handle the changes. I actually surprised myself with self control on the pre op diet so....I'm hoping that stays with me over the next few weeks. Banded 5/10/07

I had my surgery on Nov 26th and now, for last one-two weeks or so, I can sometimes have a very light color of diarreah, though in very small amounts. sometimes it can be 5 times a day, and other days it can be none at all. Any ideas?

At three weeks, I was only able to tolerate Protein Drinks and Cream of Mushroom/Cream of chicken Soup. That was pretty much my diet for weeks 3 and 4. As far as the mashed potatoes, it's the total amount you're eating per day that you should track. If your getting your recommended grams of Protein in, then you probably aren't going to have much room for potatoes.

I went for my first 2 week post op and list 20lb and feeling great. I can start mushy foods today. he said to watch calories more then anything and to eat protein first. he agreed that the south beach diet is probably the best to follow. he said about 1000 1200 calorie a day and 60 to 80 grams of protein that that sound right. he also said 4oz of protein per meal. he used a 34 bogie us that considered average

I'm almost 3 weeks post surgery and can say that with my two protein drinks a day and all the water, I really don't "crave" anything at this point. Don't get me wrong, food smells delish, but I just don't have the overwhelming urge to eat it. Went to dinner with friends last night and had grilled salmon - I ate 4 small bites of that and 4 small bites of retried beans (I was at a Mexican restaurant) and that was so filling. I was actually afraid I wasn't going to be able to keep it down.

After 3 weeks surgeon moved me to soft & regular food.

Thanks for the replies......I saw my GP last week and asked him about the procedure...he was very very enthusiastic, and mentioned that he had thought about suggesting it to me but thought I might be offended (he has only been my GP for a year) He wrote out a referral straight away....so I already have that taken care of...the money for the gap is sitting there ready as well......so only the thought of fitting it all in with my trip is a concern. I phoned for an appointment with the surgeon that same day and was told the first available date was Aug 29th....perhaps an email outlining my shedule wont hurt......:ohmy:What about these phych evaluations I have been reading about? I know we wouldnt have as hard a time as the Americans, but do we still have to go through that nonsense? Must admit I am not much one for phycologists....see have no idea how to spell it even!! LOL :blushing:

GrannyL, if you are seeing Dr Copp at Greenslopes, then yes, you have to see the psyche and also a dietition. But if you have the gap and you've had health insurance for at least a year, then he'll be able to fit you in to the first available, possibly Sept? As for the trip, go for it. You can have any fills removed or lessened for while you are away, then come back and have some put back in. You only need approx. 4 weeks after surgery to be back on solids again. At least, ring the surgeon's offices and say that you want to book your op for as close to the first appointment date and would they be willing to make a tentative scheduling for you now? It can't hurt to ask.

It started this weekend with constipation. I took milk of manganese, 5 Colace and a glycerin depository with no results. After several hours of hurting I woke my husband at midnight go try and find an all night drug store to get me a fleet enema. After giving myself the fleet and waiting for about an hour and half I finally got some relief. I was able to sleep about 2 hours before having to get up and get ready for work. So my day at work was spent hurting, sore and sleepy, Not a GOOD DAY! Now this being Friday and seeing how I have 3 teenage girls, the family had made plans earlier in the week to see the movie “Ice Age Melt Down”. So even tho I am tried and sore I go to the movies. We get there a hour earlier, because I have this thing about getting an aisle seat (no one likes the fat woman to crawl over them) and after standing in line for a while we are told the 8:00 show is sold out!!! Now if you have kids you have to know it is rare that they all want to see the same thing at the same time. Now comes the arguing, everyone wants to see something different and they all start at different times. Needless to say I was in no mood to handle the arguing so we went home without seeing any movie!! Saturday was our weekly shopping trip to Wal-Mart, I was still ill and sore and was in no mood to go but went any way. Now Wal-Mart rents out part of it’s store to Sub-Way, so you smell fresh baked bread cooking the entire time you shop. If you’re not hungry before you go you will be after. My girls while we are checking out ask if we can eat at Sub-way. So what do I do, I order myself a foot-long roasted chicken with all the trimmings, now you and I both know there is no way I should be able to eat a 6 inch let a lone a foot long but I did. It took me about an hour and a half but I did it. For dessert I had myself 2 chocolate doughnuts that Wal-mart had on sale and sooo sweetly put up front so I wouldn’t miss em. Now you might be saying to yourself this couldn’t get any worse, ohhhh but wait it gets even better (worse). That same day, I am depressed and pmsing so I sit in front of my computer playing card games eating kit kat candy bars (notice the s) while dipping them into a can of chocolate icing. That night I was feeling pretty bad about myself due to my lack of self-control and emotional eating. We decide to order pizza and catch a movie on TV, I thinking to myself I will skip the pizza and go with wings as a lesser of the two evils. Now my husband has been at work all day so he has no idea of my binge eating all day. The pizza arrives and he puts 4 large pieces on his plate. I am on my 4th wing, the little drumlette part when he turns at me and ask “Aren’t you full yet?”. Ok here is where very bad turns to horrible for me. At that very moment in time all my angry I was feeling came pouring out of me like a river that had been damned for sometime. Now dare he ask me that, do you know how much meat is one a drumlette?? I yelled at him while hurling my wing at him…..”If you wanted a skinny woman you should have married one”, walked out of the room and didn’t speak to him for 2 days! I was feeling bad enough about myself and then for him to make that comment to me, it was all I could take! He sent me a dozen roses to work 2 days later saying he was sorry. He has never had a weight problem so he has no idea that trails and pains I go through every day of my life and I know he will never understand. I know he does what he does or says what he says out of “love” but I know also he wants that beautiful thin wife that he can he proud of on his arm when we go out. I would like to sit here and say this week has been better but to be honest it hasn’t really. I am talking to my husband again but I am still full of angry and depressed. I did go see my doctor yesterday and explain to him that if I could eat a foot-long sub I needed a fill, he agreed. I am scheduled for the 14 of April for my now 2nd fill since my banning feb 8. I ask him about when he would think about taking this blood clot filter out of my vein and said he would like for me to lose at least 50 more pounds, it would be easier and safer. The February Bandsters have really kept me going this week, I was able to vent and see the humor in some of the stuff that happened this weekend. I don’t know how I would survive this without them. Ok so I had a complete and totally melt-down this weekend, today is yet another day and today I start all over again!

I love Syntrax Nectars but everyone has different opinions. It takes WEEKS to get to the point where you can not only get in all your fluids, but Protein as well. Try not to stress too much in the meantime. I love the Syntrax Medical Unflavored - perhaps trying that in your own warm broth will work for you. You just have to keep trying to find the thing that works. If you try cold shakes and don't like them, try mixing the chocolate/vanilla/unflavored Nectars with warm tea or coffee (if you're cleared for coffee) and see if that goes down better. Nectars are my favorite and I still drink a shake daily, usually with warm coffee or tea in the morning, but sometimes with Water. Yes, the chocolate truffle is even good in water, in my opinion! Good luck. Congrats on your new sleeve and again, don't stress about protein just yet. Worry more about hydration. Shoot for those goals each day but don't beat yourself up if it takes a while to get there. ~Cheri

I had lapband 7 years ago. After a year, I had severe GERD and had to have most of the Fluid taken out of the band. After 6 more years of severe GERD and finally a diagnosis of aspiration pneumonias and staph in the lungs, it was recommended by the head of the GI department at a large metropolitan hospital that I have a conversion to RNY bypass. I am still down about 65 pounds from the original 100 I lost with lap band. Insurance approved the surgery in 2 weeks so I guess there's no question that this is the fix! I meet with my surgeon (the same one that did the lap band) next week for pre-op appointment and surgery date. I am scared, elated, preocupied with bypass information. I am reading everything I can get my hands on. I devoured the Big Book of Gastric Bypass and am re-reading it, marking questions and thoughts to talk with the surgeon and the dietician about. Not sure how or why I missed Bariatric Pal before, but I need all the help I can get. I have great family support and a couple of friends/acquaintances who have had bypass surgery so I feel supported. I need to move on from the "deja vu all over again" feeling and know that this is procedure is way different. I would love to hear from anyone else who has had a conversion.

I just started the process.. have a nutritionist appt on Monday.. some ppl I know got through it in 2 weeks .. others months.. nutritionist psych blood work .. I think I might have to go through the months journey .. but Im glad to hear it was worth it ..

I need to give more information. I was banded in 2006 but didn't get it filled until January this year. I am well restricted right now and experience very little hunger. I like it and I'm losing weight. I eat a vegan diet that is nutrient rich and low in fat. I try to take a long (one hour) walk three times a week, and other days I'm walking about 20 minutes with the dog. In another thread, they were talking about needing more calories than what I'm probably getting in order to really lose weight. Plus they were saying you could create a calorie deficit when you are exercising. It's very confusing advice to me. I like what I'm doing now, but now I'm questioning whether I'm doing things right. Then there's also the school of thought that says that longevity is encouraged by caloric restriction, even though your metabolism slows down, in fact, because of that. That would tend to justify my current eating plan. The only way I can see to increase my current calories is to add an avocado on some days, but avocados aren't always available.

Congratulations to both of you!!! Keep everyone on here informed on how your doing and be sure to come here for help when you need it! I couldn't have made it without this group this week. Life savor ! Take care.

I had the same thing 2 weeks out. Developed a rash on my chest and back. Two weeks layers it's almost gone. Weird.

Hi Everyone ! My name is Mary, and I'm almost 3 weeks post-surgery. As of a week ago, I was down 24 lbs, but that included the weight I lost during the 10 pre-op diet period. I'm starting to feel pretty good, other than I get tired easily. That may be compounded by the fact that I have other chronic illnesses (hypo-thyroid, ulcerative colitis), but I'm glad to be getting into the pureed food stage ! Was anyone else bothered by the odd sensations of the gas exiting your body? It kind of made my left shoulder hurt a little....nothing major, just a discomfort. :thumbup:

It never ceases to amaze me how ill mannered some people can be, and then there are the people that just say what's on their mind without giving any thought to how it might sound. I had a similar incident with a female securty guard in my office building. I started walking everyday at lunch, after a few weeks the 20something size 6 in our office asked if she could join me. Sure why not the company is great. After a few weeks of walking the guard is talking to us one day as we are waiting for the elevator on our way back from our tortureous walk (noon in houston heat) she asks so "who asked who to walk" we told her that skinny 20something asked if she could join me....the guard says "Oh, I would have thought it was the other way around." I just shook me head and got on the elevator....some people are just clueless as to how they sound, honestly this guy is probably one of those. You keep doing what you are doing and don't let idiots sidetrack you!! ~Monica

Hello everyone! I was banded on Aug 12th, I have lost 26 lbs.. very excited about that. I was feeling great the week after my surgery, I could not have felt better, well that did not last to long.. I know I am in need for a fill, just becuase of the hunger pains I get now but my doc will not do this for another 2 weeks.. anyway I am trying not to over eat so I am eating weight watchers meals.. I feel full after I eat them, but then about an hr later I am nausea.. can anyone tell me why this could be happening.. I litterily have to hold back a gag. I am willing to try any sugestions. Thanks Laura

i'm 2 months out and i have NOT lost any hair so far. i had the lapband done in 2008 and my hair started falling out within 2 weeks of surgery. i'm hoping that it doesn't start coming out now, but if it does, i know it will grow back.

"And don't worry, I have had a number of clients tell me in their first few sentences that they didn't want to see me" That's plane rude. Of course they want to see you. Its part of getting the surgery - and they want the surgery right? Well, if they want it badly enough, then you'd think they'd be happy that they only have to see X number of professionals and maybe do a bit of dieting before hand. Could be worse, we could be made to jump hoops and do a weight training boot camp for a week before.

oh dear....Granny has a big mouth or a big foot eh!! :ohmy: never mind...at least you know how to spell it! how about the 2 week pre op Optifast diet? Does that apply to us usually?...yuk...hate the stuff, thats about my worst fear of the whole thing! Now PLEASE dont tell me that it was your family who developed it! :blushing:

Can anyone give me an approx idea of how long the whole process takes? I have just made my first apointment with a surgeon at Greenslopes in Brisbane, and it is for the end of August. From there what other appointments, tests, etc etc need to be done before you get a surgery date? My main problem is that I have an overseas trip booked for November, and am thinking that I will have to put off the operation until next year as by November I probably wouldnt be used to the eating regime etc to be able to head off overseas! I also have no idea how long the waiting time might be...is it usually weeks? months? Any info is welcome....thanks! :ohmy:

I have my surgery Feb 07. My first week of preop diet....well not good! i did lose 6 pds but there was some taco bell mixed up in there! Think if i ace this second week i'll be safe for surgery? So embarrassed and mad at myself!

I had surgery three weeks ago. I was 197 on the day if surgery and I'm 182 today. Some people may think that's a slow loss but I'm ok with it. But the scale hasn't moved in a few days. I'm eating about 500 calories a day and get between 50-75g of protein a day. I get nearly 60oz of fluid and I'm exercising too. Anything else I can do to get the scale to budge?

Yeah I can't wait to find out at my 2week app. I hope 4 weeks I can deal with that lol. What about walking do I have any restrictions at that. I mean I do walk every day about 5 times a day like half way around my block. I just don't milk now how much I'm allowed to.