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Do you think drinking them for a 4 week period is going to kill you. All I can say is for myself, without them I would fail my 2 week post op. I am on my pre op and its already coming close to me breaking down. I goto bed starving. But drinking the EAS drinks help big time. I also use Promasil zero carb shakes but they are just as good as Water "no thickness". Hope your house is cleaned out. Goodluck (null)

If you don't like cooking every night- I don't! I cook up a batch of something I can reheat all week. Portabello mushrooms became a favorite on my Pre-op diet! I make different stuffings or fillings each week, then they're my go-to for lunch or dinner. I find the largest ones, too. I then have a homemade meal within the constraints of my diet for 3-4 days without cooking (for mr, at least. I still have a hard working hubby and 2 teen daughters to feed!)

It is either gas still or you are drinking too much too fast. I used a medicine cup, 1 oz cup and I drank out of that for first week...little sips. When you eat too much or a large bite, that is exactly what being stuck feels like...pressure in your chest. You can try gas x to see if its the gas...but otherwise take smaller drinks and/or bites...and chew chew chew!! Hope this helps you all!

Ugh. This show was supposed to "motivate" moms who want to lose weight. Forget it. The first woman had 25 lbs to lose and lost 12 on the South Beach diet. Yay for her. The second woman had about 35 to lose before her high school reunion, and decided to do it by running a marathon. Yeah, right. The third woman is MO, but only gained weight during her pregnancy and first few years as a mother of quintuplets. Before that she'd been slim all her life, even competing in a 1990 beauty pageant at age 21. She's 5'6", weighs 258, and had bypass surgery a few months ago. She said it's so she'll be around for her five kids, but also mentioned that she wants, once again, to have a body she can be proud of. I am absolutely dumbfounded by people like this woman, who only got fat as an adult, while she was carrying SEXTUPLETS (one was stillborn), and she was consuming 7500 calories a day on her doctor's orders. Six years later she weighs more than her highest pregnant weight, but had gotten down to 190 in the interim. So it's only the last two or at most three years that she's been carrying 100 extra pounds. She seems to me like a TEXTBOOK case of someone who should be banded and NOT bypassed. How can a doctor sincerely recommend such drastic surgery to permanently change the basic functions of a healthy young body that has only recently gone awry? Given time and a certain amount of caloric restriction she probably could have lost a lot of that weight on her own. The band would have been PERFECT for her. Yet nowhere was the band mentioned. Of course. Grrrrr.

Hey guys.... hope you are all well, I just got to the fart discussion while reading abour Darcy and Lisa's ordeals so I need to ask, what has happened since? hope both of you are better and the complaints sent. I was hoping to come here and just share my horrible week with you. My baby was in hospital ( ok, she is almost 3 but still my baby). Was a horrible experience. Feeling so helpless! ( she was there for 2 nights, but we waited in the ER for 8 hrs before she was seen, from 11 pm so I count that as the 3rd night.) She is fine now, happy and eating well, and drinking, and really angry, and throwing horrible tantrums, and well, i guess expressing her frustration the only way she can.... But now I have to pick your brains once more..... The last night in the hospital I started having really bad acid reflux, similar to what i had when i became too tight and had some fill out. But I can still eat and drink no problem. The usual pain I used to get if i ate too fast or too big, on the left side of my chest ( just above the boob), has gone for good and was replaced by a bit of pain, and stretchy feeling right in the middle of the abdomen, behind the sternum, at the level where the ribs end. So, has my band moved? Its the only thing that makes sense to me. Unless someone wiser and more experienced tells me otherwise you can tell me that if it had moved i couldnt eat or drink for example.... maybe my acid is just stress? ( woke up choking in acid when i tried to sleep last night, backache from couch today) And I also have this weird hiccups that wake up the neighbourhood and hurt a bit, if i stand up suddenly or pick up something or take out the trash.... and constant burping the brings up the acid again, yuck..... thanks guys..... tellie

I had the same thing happen to me and it didnt start until a week after surgery. I was banded on 4/7 and the pressure finally relieved itself about 5 days after it started. Basically, it started last weekend and I noticed it was gone by Friday (yesterday). Now all I have are hiccups. I hiccup when I eat or drink something. That is all for now. I think I am over the hump and now all that needs to happen is for my incisions to heal. I noticed this morning I have a little piece of one stitch sticking out. My post-op visit with my doctor is on April 24th.

Does one ever get use to a fill? One day I can eat one thing and have absolutely no problem, the next week eat the very same thing (cooked by the same person, same time of day) and I'm PBing. I just don't get it. It's been 3 months since I've had my first fill (2.5cc) and just when I think I've got it all figured out.....here comes the pbing again. Any suggestions?:omg:

My doctor talks to me quite a bit about how things are going with my appetite, how fast and how much I can eat. He also monitors my weight loss. If I am losing 1-2 pounds a week, no fill is needed. He does make me wait 6 weeks between fills though.

Delo, that's what my DW does to get things moving again. She noticed the difference after a couple of fills. Her doctor wants her to do a week of liquids and a week of mushies. She would drop quite a few pounds doing it that way, so now, when she stalls out, she'll do liquids for a few days and it gets the ball rolling again.

Hey Parker, how are you feeling? Seems we all picked a great week to get on the 'band'-wagon. I understand your not telling anyone. Eveyone knows I've had surgery, just very few have the info on what or why. I didn't find this website until the night after surgery when I was totally freaking out. I'm glad we aren't alone. I got support right away that night, and I come back here very often throughout the day just so I don't feel so alone. Reading the reminders, walk, sip, take it easy no one is exactly the same helps. Ive only had Clear liquids since the surgery, but may try a Protein shake today to regain some energy. What are you doing???? Bren

my port is bothering me/painful and i havent lost a single pound in 2 weeks. i have a fill on friday. i cant freaking wait. *grumbles*

:frown:Well so much for the beach day, it has been pouring for two days now, so my granddaughter and I have played dolls, dressup and today it will be the "Tea Party" time. God has given us this time together and I will not grumble about the rain, we must need it. Trying to stay on plan with a three year old in the house is harder than I thought! She wants Chicken Nuggets for lunch! Here we go, Fast Food places are places I try to stay away from now, they tempt me too much! I can't have fries now, they come right back out and no bread, so what will I get a thin piece of hamburger meat? No thanks, I'll save my money. May get a happy meal with Chicken Nuggets??? Have a great day all, and my God bless your lives today.:thumbup:

Hi - I was banded on May 5th and have lost steadily. :eek: However, the last two weeks I have not. Glad to hear this happens and can change. Hopefully quickly. Changing up my exercise (just started spinning agian and adding weight training!) and will try to change up the eating. Thanks for all of your feedback. It is always nice to know we are not alone. Thanks

Hi Leener , There are bandsters who are vegetarians and do quite well. I dont think long term you have to stick to a low carb diet, but for folks with PCOS, it is generally advised that they do stick to one because typically they are insulin resistant as well. I am assuming that because you are obese that you have made the wrong food choices in the past or have a satiety disorder like the rest of us here? Which means making some changes are a good thing because even being a veggie means that you will have the band to help you with portion control. It will be harder for you to get your Protein, but protein can be found in low fat dairy, Beans, tofu, low fat cheese etc... You will not starve and the most important thing is that you wont be very hungry since the band is a restrictive device that will help you with your portion control. Now regarding complications, yes there are some. I have had a great experience with my band and no problems. I PB very very rarely (less than 10 times in 2.7 years) All ya need to do is chew chew chew. You might have to stay away from some of the fibrous veggies, since they can be stringy and cause you problems. No one knows which foods they will not be able to tolerate. It is trial and error. Regarding the Water, I can still drink water at a pretty rapid rate. I have been tight occasionally where I sound like a drain pipe when I drink too fast, but you should still be able to drink your water without a problem. Thicker drinks do go through more slowly and you will have to be careful to pace yourself. I still love food just as much as before. I now eat foods that I would have never considered before banding. I love veggies now and I especially love fish and wouldnt have touched a piece of tilapia pre banding. Now I eat fish several times a week, love making turkey/ veggie chili with zucchini and 5 different kinds of organic beans etc... You may have to supplement your diet with some Protein shakes or bars since you will need to keep your protein intake high if you want to lose weight. But at the end of the day, it boils down to calories in and calories expended. My advice is to be aware of the pitfalls, problems or complications of lapbanding, but dont become obsessed with the negative. Nothing is perfect and nothing is foolproof. It is a tool and you will get what you put into it. Dont worry dahlinggg...... Babs in TX 334/180 -150 ish

Will I heal? yes Will I become infected? no Will I get pneumonia? no Will it be freaky because there is a freaking device wrapped around my stomach? yes perhaps for a while then you'll get used to it then no. Will I become dehydrated? no Most of us can drink plenty of Water whenever we want. I love water and drink tons! And farther out: Will I pass out from PBing? Depends, I hardly ever PB Will I have terrible pain in my chest like some people? Perhaps, but pay close attention and you'll learn how not to do that and then no. Will I erode? extremely unlikely so no Will complications from erosion in my stomach kill me? I've never heard of that happening. Emotional: Will I enjoy life without my food? You'll learn to love the fact you can have what you want and stop eating before you're gorged. Will I ever be able to enjoy food again? Yes. I eat almost anything I want. You really can eat almost anything if you eat it slow enough. I choose to eat healthy most of the time because I didn't do this to eat cheeseburgers. What will life be like without being able to just drink and eat whenever and however like before? Thinner and healthier. You'll be able to drink anytime except right before and after eating. What will I do with my time without it being centered on eating and cooking? Center on cooking healthy meals that you enjoy. Center on making the foods you enjoy in a more healthful way. Made chicken chili tonight for the first time. YUM! What will I do with my thoughts and emotions that can't be comforted with food anymore?? That's a good one. I'm still working on that. I am finding myself struggling with frustration and slight depression and that's not me. Can't figure out if it's winter blues, PMS, the band thing or all three. I get over pretty quickly (usually when my hubby apologizes whether it's his fault or not.) :puke: I will learn to deal with stress in a different way. I'll have too. But you'll be amazed at how you will be able to deal with losing weight without being afraid of gaining it back. That's a pretty cool one. Good luck to you!!! Hope this helps!

Actually a week before surgery it still hadn't hit me that it was really happening. It hit me the day of. Keep busy and clean your room, do laundry (you'll want fresh sheets), and organize. You're going to be great! You got this! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

It is perfectly normal. Surgery of any kind lends to a bit of anxiety or nervousness. You have done lots of prep work to get this far. This precursor to surgery is not just to shrink your liver but also prepare you for post op and beyond. You're committed and ready. Keep your eye on the prize so to speak. I stressed about the change. Not in my appearance but in my diet. There is lots of sacrifice but it gets easier with time. 1 week post op I was thinking what did I do?. Now at nearly 5 weeks post op I am thankful I did it. I feel amazing, accomplished and capable. Not to mention beautiful. You can do this and you will be fine. Take care

Hi Cyndy, I used Dr Hadar Spivak, but my closest friend used Dr Wilson and LOVES him! She says he's super nice and the staff is great too. She goes every 6 weeks for fill/adjustment, I think perhaps it's played a large role in her success (she's lost 90 lbs since Nov 2005)... that and working out at Curves M-F. I'm attending the support group meeting tomorrow night at Memorial Hermann too! I think the seminar starts at 6:00, the "Bariatric Buddies" support group begins at 6:30 PM and it's for anyone interested who's had or considering bariatric surgery... there's always a mixture of band and bypass patients. I enjoy connecting with others and not feeling so alone. Last month a few people from the seminar same to sit in for a while. And, some of the people who've already had the surgery will go out to chat with seminar visitors. All the best, Karla

Congratulations, you are doing great. I am back on softies as I just had my first fill yesterday. I had liquids all day yesterday. Bored, Yes I know the feeling. I do try to switch it up and I have been doing a bite of cooking. I still have to get the protein in. I tried some red pepper soup it was very tasty. Not hot but warmed it was just what I needed. There are people on this site that have recipes listed some are very good. Check them out. Hope all is well. I was banded June 29 I am only 4 weeks post op and feel so much better today. imaluckydog

Welcome to the world of restriction. It's fantastic isn't it? I literally struggle to eat 1000 calories a day now whereas before the surgery I'd struggle to keep it below 2000!!lol!! I'm losing at least 3lbs a week at the moment and I haven't even started exercising yet. Best of luck to you!

Hello all- So glad I found this website--it's always less daunting to know you're 'not the only one' out there and can discuss what's going through your mind (which works overtime with big decisions like this) I meet my surgeon tomorrow morning with hubby and my sister to set a date. April 3 is being strongly considered, at my request and the surgeon's office OK, as my Easter week off will minimize the need for lots of sick time. My background is that I've always been the 'big one'. The youngest, yet largest sibling. The big, funny friend. The mom who can't jump into the mix for anything too physically demanding. The overweight bride. The airplane passenger they all dread sitting next to--and who prays that she won't have to ask for an extender. Ugh...I'm sick of all those labels. I'm ready to start fresh and get healthy. I have sleep apnea, take BP meds, have knee pain, back pain, and am on anti-depressant. I'd like to eliminate those eventually. I have finally decided that my love affair with food is not so 'lovely' and I want to see how the other half eats. I have a loving, (thin) husband who is very supportive but doens't really 'get it' the way we all do..he is very supportive of whatever I do though and I'm very thankful for that. I have to boys 7 and 10 years old who need a mom with more energy and confidence. I want to be able to set a good fitness example for them too (and maybe show up in some of their childhood photos..lol) I actually started this process, in Buffalo NY, in November 2010 with original intentions for surgery in early 2011. They'd put me on S. Beach diet as part of their pre-surgery requirements...I'd done very well on s. beach and the surgeon gave me the choice as he felt I was an excellent candidate but since I was having success did I want to try on my own? I did try on my own and eventually (again) failed at weight loss. So I"m back...but this time for the Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy as I'd, over my year, heard several stories of how the lap-band required a great deal of maintenance and had some pitfalls along the way. Maybe it was meant to be that I waited as my insurance carrier, which covers the VSG now would not have last year. So, cross your finger and say your prayers for me that I get my surgery scheduled and I can join you all in the Quest for a new beginning. I'm ready. Nervous about surgery but definitely ready. Moreso than ever before. Thank you for any advice or support you can lend me. I've told a very select few people (a couple close co-workers, friends, and family) and plan to keep it to myself generally. Amy

I do the same as you. I weigh weekly on Wednesday because that was my surgery day. I am 7 months out and the value of having those documented in my notebook is I can see patterns. I had scale 'issues' several years ago where I was obsessing and even getting on multiple times in a day. It was way out od hand and the scale was dictating my feelings and lufe. My then fiance took it away and said no more scales. I am now 17 years married to that wonderful man and swore when I started this journey I wouldn't let the scake define me or the progress I make. I weigh faithfully on wednesday. Some weeks it goes dow sometimes ir stays the same but ultimately it is just one measurement I use for my success. Moral of the story is whatever you decide in terms of how often you weigh yourself, just make sure it is a healthy relationship with the scale. You own it not the other way around.

In pre-op wearing my designer gown! Had my I'VE antibiotic and weigh in I love this scale down 10 lbs in a week . I think they make these gowns so big to make people feel better about themselves! The staff here at Richardson Surgery Center are great . See you on the other side folks D