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My husband just had banding on 6-10-08 and is in excruciating pain with his left shoulder, he is at the doctor right now having a cat scan, I stumbled on theis chat forum trying to find some answers and it seems that this is pretty common. Tha makes me feel better, but I am sorry for all recipients that you have to suffer with this. I am hoping for my husbands sake that this will ease up soon. I hanve never seen him in so much discomfort,on the bighter side he lost 16 pounds in 7 days!

Hi Meg, I had surgery on 8/10 - so about 10.5 weeks out. I am down almost 43 pounds. I had an easy physical recovery. I was in the hospital a little over 24 hours. I wanted to get back to things as soon as possible - so I stopped taking the prescribed pain pills and was driving again a couple of days after surgery. I do have a very flexible job, and I work mostly from home. I started working again a couple of days after surgery. I have not had issues with any foods as they were reintroduced. The post-op liquid phases were challenging. I felt hungry during those phases - I did follow my plan (I didn't cheat). Also, during the pureed phase I felt like I could eat more than I should. Then I counted calories, and I realized I was not really eating that much. Prior to surgery, I did not expect some of the mental changes. My spouse and I really enjoyed trying new restaurants, we liked tasting menus etc... And, that is no longer a reasonable activity given the restriction created by the sleeve. I also really liked trying new recipes and cooking. I do mourn the loss of those things. I still enjoy eating... but it does not bring pleasure like it did before. It has been more of a mental challenge to deal with that than I expected. I am glad I had surgery. My physical health is better. I think this was the right decision for me. If I could go back, I would do it again.

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I am only about 1 month post op. I am on soft foods. On the list is tuna with mayo, no celery. I don't like mayo so I had it plain thinking that was ok. I had bad chest pain and burped. This pain lasted 10 mins. I thought it was from eating too fast, even though I didn't feel like I was eating too fast. A few days later, same thing. This time I blamed it on too big of bites, even though tuna crumbles apart and I did chew, chew,c hew. Today I tried it again. (I did not make the tuna connection until today as I thought I ws eating too fast first time and too big of bites the third time). This time I said to myself tuna must not agree with me, and then I remembered the chart says mayo and maybe it's too dry without anything like dressing or mayo. I dry heaved and slimed. Then my stomach muscles felt crampy. At dinner, I was eating a sweet potato and the pain was so bad. Maybe I didn't heal from this afternoon. I slimed in the sink for what felt like forever, Now my stomach muscles hurt like they do after throwing up. Why am I getting stuck with no fill? Did I hurt my stomach, my band or my plication? I go to the dr tmmrw and now I don't think I will get the ok for solid foods. Please help me with my misconceptions. Is tuna without anything bad? Can you get stuck without a fill? Could I be physically hurt around my band? I will tell the doctor tomorrow but please help me too!

My first stop after leaving the exam room would have been at the front desk demanding to speak with the surgeon. I would have let him know all and I mean ALL of the detrimental things this lowlife jealous piece of crap of a person said to me and tell him that I will not have her speak to me ever again!!!! You employ these people and as such, you do not have to take any of their idiocy! My mother is a nurse and she has fired subordinate nurses for this type of unprofessionalism. This is unacceptable. Ok, done with the anger over what happened to you. Now, you have lost 94 lbs in 5 months??? That is PHENOMINAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I wish I could come close to that average. Do you realize that that equates to 19 lbs per month, 4.4 lbs per week, and 0.6 lbs per day!!

Nope. All this has cost me is maybe is a total of $150 dollars in co-pays from the supervised diets, the wiegh-ins, and the EKG's ( I had two). Since I actually went in and out of surgery, technically I don't have co-pays anymore either and I pay nothing for hospitalizations or surgery. Heck, I just had my gall bladder taken out and it cost me nothing. I think I spent $10 dollars over for my vicodin because I didn't have my medical card with me.

My day consists of protein shake for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner, with a Salad with certain veggies only and salad spritzer. That's it! My day comes to about 600 calories. I just finished my 5th day and I've lost over 10 lbs already. The first 3 days were not hard, but the fourth day I forgot my vitamins and I was really weak and nauseous. Today, I actually had a can of cream of chicken soup instead of a shake, and it tasted soooo freakin' good! I know when I make the shakes, I use one scoop of protein powder, crushed ice, fat free milk, and a couple of splendas and vanilla extract. (My boyfriend actually adds lowfat cottage cheese and instant oatmeal to his and it makes a more substantial shake.) dabble!You are so funny! Wheat toast is the exact thing that I have been fantasizing about. You must be a bread person, too. I would imagine if I was having a bread fantasy though, I would pick French, but the thought of just a nice, crunchy, crispy wheat toasted slice of bread is sending me into orbit! I feel your pain! Thank goodness for a great sister you have. amber! You can do it! CapitolChick! I think you just made a good point. I'm going to up my protein amount while trying not to up the calorie amount too much. That may be part of the hunger and tired issue I am having. Thanks! jazma! I'm going to check out that flavored SF syrup you are talking about. I don't know the calorie count, but I'm having a super fantasy about how it will taste in my protein drink. LOL! Thanks!:biggrin2:

I am getting hungry a couple hours after eating. I am 12 days post op. I ate 1/2 cup of cottage cheese for lunch and am hungry a couple hours later. I lost 19 lbs the first 9 days and now a pound every other day.

Things will get better - they will. Gas pains - I had pain in my left shoulder for a week after surgery. For that pain, I agree, Gas-X isn't going to help. The only thing that helped with the pain in my shoulder was walking, just pacing thru the house. It took a week for it to go away but it got better each day. I couldn't get all the Protein and Water minimums in for about a week after surgery. Just do the best you can. I realized quickly that I could no longer tolerate plain water - I drank nothing but plain water prior to surgery, but post-op couldn't drink it. I got dehydrated and felt horrible. I switched to Vitamin Water Zero and Propel Zero (both zero calorie drinks) and was able to get more in. I set the timer on my phone to chime every 5 minutes and that was my reminder to sip. Each day will get easier. Everything is a chore now and it will feel like that for a while. Once you start introducing foods, you'll get frustrated with how long it takes to eat (I remember crying one day because it took me 20 minutes to eat 1/2 of a scrambled egg). I'm here to tell you that at 10 months post-op those things, those frustrations, pains, worries are a distant memory. I'm now living the life I'm supposed to live. I'm living a new normal now. You're going to do great - be kind to yourself and your new tummy. You will learn what you can and can't do!

My Nut said to expect 10 lbs a month average.

I've found laser terrific for chin and upper lip - only about $10 for chin. Not permanent but huge improvement with both finer hairs and less frequent re growth over a short period of time. And its very quick - 5 mins and you're on your on your say. But don't wait too long - I'm in my 50s and some of those chin hairs are now turning white - you need dark hair to laser. And my skin is quite fragile (ageing) so plucking - that makes hairs coarser - causes me to end up with nasty lumps and scabs from ingrown hairs that irritate for a long time before they break the skin surface. Really yuk.

HI LachaeJ YOU SOUND LIKE ME. I HAD LAPBAND IN 8/2008. I LOST NO MORE THAN 42 LBS THE WHOLE TIME I HAD IT. WAS EITHER TOO TIGHT OR TOO LOSE. AT ONE POINT MY HUSBAND RAISE THE HEAD OF OUR BED TO THE POINT WE WOULD SLIDE TOWARD THE FOOT OF IT LOL! HAD A LOT OF COMPLICATIONS WITH THAT DARN BAND. REALLY BAD REFLUX AND ESOPHAGUS DAMAGE. I GOT MY RNY BYPASS 12/24/2014 YEAH!!! I'M WITH CHUBBSEY1. I FORGOT WHAT I LOST ON THE PRE OP FAST MAYBE 10-12LBS. I WAS ONLY ALLOWED 4 OR 5 shakes AND broth FOR 7 DAYS. WHEN YOU SEE YOUR DOCTOR, HE MAY NOT HOLD YOU TO THAT. MY DOCTOR ASK FOR A 15 LBS LOST AFTER I HAD THE FIRST SURGERY (I WENT IN 8/27/14 FOR REVISION, BUT HE FOUND THE BAND HAD ATTACHED ITSELF TO MY LIVER AND THE PORT HAD EMBEDDED ITSELF IN ME EVEN THOU HE HAD TOTALLY UNFILLED ME IN APRIL. SO I HAD A 2 HOUR PLUS SURGERY TO GET IT OUT. RESCHEDULED FOR BYPASS IN DEC.). I DIDN'T LOSE THE 15 LBS EVEN GAINED A LITTLE. HE JUST SPOKE TO HOW GREAT I HAD DONE ONLY GAINING LIKE 5 LBS WITH NO BAND IN 4 MONTHS. HEY HOPEFULLY YOUR DOCTOR WILL REALIZE HOW GREAT YOU'VE DONE TOO ESPECIALLY BEING ABLE TO EAT AGAIN WITH NO RESTRICTION. BE BLESSED DENISE

I had a lap band in 2008 that has been a tremendous failure. I have been so sick with it that I had to have all the fluid removed from it. My doctor suggests a revision from the lap band to a RNY. I need to lose 10 lbs before I can meet with the surgeon. Any suggestions on how to lose 10 lbs fast?

"Spending" 200 calories to get 12 grams of protein is not a good bargain IMO. I wouldn't touch that with a 10 foot pole. With respect to protein shake ingredients, every surgeon's office has their own rules for both pre-op and post-op nutrition. You really should get in touch with yours and check to see what they want you to do.

I started the day after surgery with 30 minute walks and now two weeks post op I'm back in the gym 2 hours a day doing my normal cardio and light weights! Our all depends on you're body and when you feel well enough to excersize... Banded August 28 2012<br />Starting weight 293<br />Day of surgery weight 273<br />Current weight 258<br />Goal weight 160 5ft 10

Goodbye Food..hello great new life. The pre-diet is toughest the first 4 days. I am NOT saying it's a walk in the park after, either, but it's much more tolerable. I was sleeved 8/20 and with the 2 week pre-op I am down 72 pounds. I assure, this is worth it. I had my own doubts, but at 10 weeks, I am such the believer.

SleevePlicationTalk Newsletter Hey, Sleevers! Summer’s over and we’re into the beautiful days of early autumn. No matter where you live, we hope you’re getting a chance to get out and enjoy the weather! Any activity you do counts toward your weight loss, health and pleasure, so make an effort to get outside and get moving. Don’t forget to take your SleevePlicationTalk.com app with you so you can read the newsletter and keep up with the boards! Here’s what you’ll find in October’s newsletter. Member Spotlight: We’re still recruiting! Sleever Challenge: Lend a Hand! Having a Healthy Autumn: A Few Tips for Parents – and Other Busy SleevePlicationTalk.com Members! Weight Loss Surgery: Not the Easy Way Out! Can’t wait to get started? Neither can we! Enjoy the newsletter and please feel free to let us know what you think! Thanks for your support. Sincerely, Alex Brecher Founder SleevePlicationTalk.com Member Spotlight: Still Recruiting! If you want to be in the spotlight or you want to nominate someone else, let us know in the Spotlight Forum or send Alex a private message. We’re always looking for outstanding members to highlight! Sleever Challenge: Lend a Hand! We like to challenge you to try something new or unusual in each newsletter. The Sleever Challenge is a non-competitive way to push yourself a little further and experience something new while gaining confidence. Why do we ask you to post what you did? It helps motivate others and give them ideas for their challenges! This week’s challenge is pretty simple. Before the next newsletter, we’re just asking you to help someone. It can be any kind of help, from helping an elderly neighbor take the newspaper in to volunteering to give a motivational talk at your local weight loss surgery support group meeting to making dinner for your spouse even when it’s not your turn. This challenge does more than make someone else’s life easier. It makes you value yourself more when you see how powerful you can be just by being kind to others. Don’t forget to let us know how you helped someone! What did you do? How did it make you feel? Let us know how it goes in the Sleever Challenge forum! You can always check out any of the previous Newsletter Challenges and give us updates on those. You can always see the old challenges in the archived newsletters. You’ll see challenges on food, fitness and more! It’s never too late to try something new and exciting! Make It a Healthy Autumn: A Few Tips for Parents – and Other Busy SleevePlicationTalk.com Members! Okay, we know that the autumn is a busy time of year. If you’re a parent, your children are back in school and their activities are in full swing. You may be juggling work with your chauffeuring, catering and cleaning business – aka, taking care of your family! Most of us are pretty busy even if we’re not parents. It’s easy to use not having enough time as an excuse for getting off track with your weight loss. You might eat foods that you know you shouldn’t because you feel you just can’t squeeze in the time to prepare a healthy snack. We’ve all done it. You rush out the door in the morning and are busy all day. Some of these happen along the way. You are starving by lunchtime and grab a few truffles that make you nauseous. you dumping syndrome. You go by the vending machine for a soft drink that’ll make you feel sick within minutes. You realize at the end of the day that you haven’t stopped to drink for hours, and you have a headache and your stomach hurts. You know you should be eating lean Protein, but the closest thing you can find is pepperoni from the company’s pepperoni pizza – so to be polite, you eat the entire slice and it causes an obstruction. You start to depend on Protein shakes because those are the closest thing to a healthy meal that you can find at the company cafeteria. You don’t have to let a hectic schedule get in the way of your health! What can you do about it? Here are a few tips to make the most out of every day Prepare some of your meals and Snacks at the beginning of the week. Wash your fruits and vegetables so they’re easy to prepare when you need them. Cook some your Proteins - chicken breast, fish, seafood, lean beef and/or veggie burgers – and freeze them in single-serving baggies or containers. Cook up bigger batches, put them in single-serving containers and freeze them so you can defrost them when you’re ready to eat them. This is a great option for healthy side dishes, such as whole wheat Pasta, carrots or Beans. (You don’t have to make too much, since your single portions post-surgery are pretty small). Place snacks in single-serving bags if you buy a multi-serving package Plan your Breakfast the night before so you don’t have to think about it in the morning. Take the time to make a grocery list. It’ll save you time in the end. Using a list will keep you from forgetting foods and needing to go back to the store during the week. You’ll be faster in the store because you won’t get distracted. Sticking to a list will keep you from buying foods you shouldn’t. Buy ingredients for breakfast Buy snack foods Make sure you drink enough. Stash Water bottles in your car and at work and keep them filled. It’ll encourage you to drink throughout the day and you won’t have to take the time to run to the kitchen each time you need to drink. Stick a pitcher of water in the fridge so you see it several times a day. Keep healthy snacks at work so you never find yourself starving with nothing healthy to eat. Beef Jerky and canned tuna, chicken, beans, vegetables keep for months. Frozen foods to consider keeping around include grilled chicken and fish, veggie burgers and vegetables. Yogurt, low-fat cheese, cottage cheese and deli meats are high-protein snacks to keep in the fridge for a week or more. The more you plan, the better off you’ll be. You’ll save time and be more likely to eat well. And remember – you’re worth it! We suggest picking one or two strategies and working on them until you master them, then moving on to a new tip. Let us know how helpful the tips are! That’s a lot to chew on for this newsletter, so we’re going to end it here. There’s no end to the news, tips and conversations over at SleevePlicationTalk.com, so come on over via your computer, smartphone or Kindle! You can always check out the old newsletters, too, in the Newsletter Forum. Thanks for coming along in this newsletter and for being part of our fantastic community! We couldn’t do it without you. Have a great month and take care of yourself and each other, Alex. ==============================================================If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter, you may unsubscribe by going to your Control Panel and clicking on the Newsletters tab, or clicking on the following link: {unsubscribe}

Can’t believe tomorrow is surgery day! I’m feeling excited and a little nervous. But I’m ready. HW: 321 CW: 276 GW: 180 Sleeve scheduled: 5/10/18

I’m doing well. I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how great this recovery has been. I had an appendectomy last year and it was more painful than this sleeve recovery. @ReneKiser yes I’m on full liquid right now. I have my follow-up appt on the 18th and I have to eat an egg before my appt to see if I’m ready to transition to soft foods. I don’t have a drain for my incisions. HW: 321 SW: 271 GW: 180 Sleeved: 5/10/18

Same here. HW: 311 CW: 257 SW: We’ll see on May 10! First goal weight: 191 lbs Second goal weight: 159 lbs Goal weight: 142 lbs 5’6” 34 yo female in NC

Pagie I feel your pain. I'm less than 10 pounds from being 100 pounds down and I've been bouncing on the 4-5 pounds I need for weeks. I've upped my exercise, added carbs, decreased carbs, done everything I can to break into the next decade and it's just not happening. However, I just fit into another size down, so I know that I'm reshaping myself. I'm trying to concentrate on that last size I lost and not worry about the scale. I'm also adding in more exercise. For real, I can handle the number I see on the scale now if I am fit and fine. So, I'm letting go of the scale until next week and going to go walk to the gym, do my workout and not worry about the numbers. I also had a friend make a huge deal over how great my butt looks (he's a butt man), so that gives me incentive to keep on working out.

My surgery was 10/19 with Winterstein. He was great. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I am lucky to have a Protein shake for Snacks and 2ozs lean meat and veggies. I am also using crystal light and Water. I may have lost 6 lbs, but so hard to tell on my scales. Think I need a new scale..digital so I can read it accurately! Can't believe it's 10 days!! Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

Well, i'm now a member of the Hair Loss Club. I started noticing a lot of hair in my brush, on my clothes, etc..just a couple weeks ago. It was even wrapping around the hair brush handle. Last night I cleaned out the brush, brushed my hair, and it was full of hair again! Eeekkk! My hair is kind of long, very thick. Not sure if I should color or not (it's due), not sure if i should wait a while or just get it chopped now to spare the mess somewhat. My surg was 10/25/12. Sw 300/cw 245. Age 50

Triplets!! My surgery is 9/19 too, and today is day one of the pre-op diet. I can have liquids including yogurt, Jello, cream Soups and pudding. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App