Hi Everyone!!

Where are all the March bandsters at?!! I was just approved last week and have a surgery date of March 16th. Looks like I'll be starting a two week pre-op liquid diet (Optifast) on March 2nd which I'm not looking forward to!! Anyone else scheduled for March? Do you have a pre-op diet to follow?

Good Luck to everyone!!

Hi everyone!! I hope all the post-op bandsters are doing great and the pre-ops are moving along in their process! I was banded on March 16th and so far I am very happy I did it! Surgery was very uneventful and my recovery has been the same. I was lucky enough to not have to stay the night in the hospital and was home and asleep my 5pm on the day of surgery. It was a little difficult getting used to sleeping on my back but I am able to sleep on my left side now so I'm sleeping better. I also really haven't had any gas pains. Just a few little ones here or there but nothing horrible. For me I think the worst pain is just my incision in my belly button. Even that is more of a soreness than pain. I was up and walking around the day after surgery and went to out outdoor mall 3 days later to walk around. At night I am still taking the narcotic pain medicine but mostly that's to help me sleep. Other than that I'm not taking anything during the day for pain. I'm very happy with the actual surgery. Now the hard part starts...learning how to use the band!! I have my post-op appt this week and I'll find out then how much I've lost during my 2 week pre-op diet and since surgery. Fingers crossed that it's a good number!

Good luck to everyone!! Hope you're all doing great!!

:bananajump: Good Morning MARCHing Bandsters!! Newday, no more mishaps with slipping on the liquid pre=op diet, Off to the gym once thekids are on the school bus. The beginning of my new life awaits!! I hope everyone is doing well.

I am on my 5th day out from banding and today is my first day back to the office. I am not sure I will do a whole day but fortunately I have flexibility. I am feeling really good. Everything is coming alone nicely, I am doing well with my liquids and I am down 12 pounds as of this morning. I know there will be some scale movement up and down when getting back on solids and such, but for now I will own it and see it as a very good start.

Have a fabulous Monday everyone!!

I am not sure if this is normal, but I was banded on the 15th and came out of the hospitqal weighing more than when I went in,,, It has taken me until this morning to get back down to my weight the morning of banding,,, strange. I have been following the liquid diet to a "T" but now am wondering what will happen when I start on pureed food tomorrow. Think I will just try getting an extra walk or two in each day,,,Was just wondering if anyone else had this problem? No matter,,, I am still happy I had it done!

Rosie

I was banded 3/1/2011 and I am so very happy with my progress so far! My band is still empty until 3/30/2011, but I have already lost enough to comfortably fit into a pair of pants that I couldn't even button before surgery. I almost waited too long because they are almost too big! I only weigh when I go to the doctor, so I can't say how many pounds I've lost....last weighin was 3/10/11, 10 days after surgery....lost 8 lbs.

I'm excited after attending the post op seminars and can't wait to attend my first monthly seminar this Saturday!

I LOVE my band, but I can't wait to get it filled so I won't be so hungry every 2 hours.

Any one have any ideas for the liquid diet... I've been on broth, sugar free Jello, and protien shakes... is there anything else I can have on the pre-op liquid diet. I'm 5 days in and down 10lbs!!! going great but I'm afraid I'm going to get so tired of eat the same thing over and over again and break.

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Any one have any ideas for the liquid diet... I've been on broth, sugar free Jello, and protien shakes... is there anything else I can have on the pre-op liquid diet. I'm 5 days in and down 10lbs!!! going great but I'm afraid I'm going to get so tired of eat the same thing over and over again and break.

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Can you have "full bodied" liquids yet? I know that after day 3, I had alot of tomato basil soup!

I'm not sure. But I have to call my doctor... because all they told me was liquid diet.... nothing else... I'm so confused with what I can have and can't have. But I will ask today. Thanks would love to try that tomato basil Soup... Sounds Delicious!!!

Can you have "full bodied" liquids yet? I know that after day 3, I had alot of tomato basil soup!

rosie, They may have had to give you additional fluids in the OR during your surgery. I know that my blood pressure drops alot with anesthesia, so I am anticipating a weight gain when I have my surgery in 10 days. Best of luck to you!!

I am not sure if this is normal, but I was banded on the 15th and came out of the hospitqal weighing more than when I went in,,, It has taken me until this morning to get back down to my weight the morning of banding,,, strange. I have been following the liquid diet to a "T" but now am wondering what will happen when I start on pureed food tomorrow. Think I will just try getting an extra walk or two in each day,,,Was just wondering if anyone else had this problem? No matter,,, I am still happy I had it done!

Rosie

Stephanie, I know that it is still just Protein shakes, but I have been adding some of the SF Jello powder to my shakes for some different flavors. There is also this great website that I found called "theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com" Shelly that runs the blog was a size 28 now a size 4 and she loves to cook. There are so many ideas there for every phase of our journey. Best of luck-I have my ice cream maker in the freezer now to make some Protein ice cream. YUM!!!

Any one have any ideas for the liquid diet... I've been on broth, sugar free jello, and protien shakes... is there anything else I can have on the pre-op liquid diet. I'm 5 days in and down 10lbs!!! going great but I'm afraid I'm going to get so tired of eat the same thing over and over again and break.

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Fly4kidsrt, thanks for the information... I will check that site out... I am so hooked on getting information because I am trying to find out all the if and what could happen... I am really excited about my upcoming surgery... Ice cream Protien sounds wonderful!!!

Stephanie, I know that it is still just Protein shakes, but I have been adding some of the SF Jello powder to my shakes for some different flavors. There is also this great website that I found called "theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com" Shelly that runs the blog was a size 28 now a size 4 and she loves to cook. There are so many ideas there for every phase of our journey. Best of luck-I have my ice cream maker in the freezer now to make some Protein ice cream. YUM!!!

Stephanie, I know that it is still just Protein shakes, but I have been adding some of the SF Jello powder to my shakes for some different flavors. There is also this great website that I found called "theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com" Shelly that runs the blog was a size 28 now a size 4 and she loves to cook. There are so many ideas there for every phase of our journey. Best of luck-I have my ice cream maker in the freezer now to make some Protein ice cream. YUM!!!

I love that blog!! Shelly really does have some great recipes I can't wait to try out! Let us know how that protein ice cream turns out! I might have to invest in an ice cream maker!!

Its a chillie tuesday the 22nd here in NZ and my surgery is tomorrow, not really sure what to expect. Feeling heaps better just like my own self so dont think i will have to put off my surgery going for my last pre op weighin in about 1/2 hour and hopefully lost a few Kg. Im gonna find outwhat time i have to be there tomorrow and what i need to do and bring im nervous. but excited. what can i expect???

Rosie I gained about 8 pounds from surgery. They give you IV fluids, and the body tends to hold onto what it has as a way of responding to the traums of the surgery. I was banded the 15th and yesterday finally lost a half pound from my preop weight...and today am up 1.5 pounds from that. I actually am having some scale issues so plan to go buy a new one tonight. My doctor told me to not even worry about losing anything the first 2 weeks out...but I'm still hoping to. I'm almost back to normal, I worked Saturday night and had sore abdominal abs afterward (of all the nights to actually have to LIFT a patient...had an emergency situation and had no choice).

I'm off pain meds now...even motrin. Please no one tell me how horrible I am, I know htis already but I already moved on to soft foods days ago I had soup get stuck once, and last night I was nibbling on ham and totally forgot to chew well. It came back up and now i understand what exactly "sliming" is. I've backed off since and have a huge focus on hot liquids. It's still a struggle. Sometimes it hurts to eat or drink, I'm belching a lot, and either I eat too quickly (then am overfull for awhile) or I eat foods that are soft enough to pass thru quickly and I get hungry after 2-3 hours. I can tell, though, that once I really learn how to use the band it's going to be a FANTASIC tool. I want bread so bad, but after the potato soup got stuck the other day I KNOW if I even try a bite of something doughy it'll get stuck and hurt. That pain is a big incentive. I'm managing soft meats ok (except tuna, go figure) and granola with nonfat milk or yogurt...and scrambled eggs with onion chunks. I have yet to try well cooked veggies.

I haven't started exercising yet, Saturday night on my feet for 12 hours was enough LOL...but I'm planning to walk to the bus stop to get 2 of my 3 kids in a few minutes. Only half a mile total, but that's more that I did in my unbanded life.

Sorry to be a horrible example. I also found a piece of chocolate today and ate some. The rest is headed to work with hubby tomorrow...I'm doing a LOT of that. And I felt like an idiot this morning. DH bought flavored carbonated lemonades last night and I set a mug out to get flat, then dumped it this morning not wanting the SUGAR...it was perfectly flat and ready to be drunk....I dumped it out then read the bottle. ZERO CALORIE. D'oh.

Thanks for all of the info Marcy,,,I haven't been quite so brave as you... tomorrow I get to start on pureed foods,,, that means I can have some oatmeal, or a scrambled egg!!! My dr has me on that for 2 weeks. I am not going back to work til the 28th and have a follow-up with my dr on the 25th. In the mean time, I walk as much asd possible, and only take pain meds at nite,,,but gonna try without any tonite. I feel just like you that this band is going to be a great tool. My daughter had RNY a couple of yerars ago, but I didn't want to do that to my body. I am drinking all of the time it seems,,, Again,,, thanks for the info,,, and I will keep watching your posts,,,Hope your walk was nice,,, Take care,,,

Rosie

Rosie I gained about 8 pounds from surgery. They give you IV fluids, and the body tends to hold onto what it has as a way of responding to the traums of the surgery. I was banded the 15th and yesterday finally lost a half pound from my preop weight...and today am up 1.5 pounds from that. I actually am having some scale issues so plan to go buy a new one tonight. My doctor told me to not even worry about losing anything the first 2 weeks out...but I'm still hoping to. I'm almost back to normal, I worked Saturday night and had sore abdominal abs afterward (of all the nights to actually have to LIFT a patient...had an emergency situation and had no choice).

I'm off pain meds now...even motrin. Please no one tell me how horrible I am, I know htis already but I already moved on to soft foods days ago I had Soup get stuck once, and last night I was nibbling on ham and totally forgot to chew well. It came back up and now i understand what exactly "sliming" is. I've backed off since and have a huge focus on hot liquids. It's still a struggle. Sometimes it hurts to eat or drink, I'm belching a lot, and either I eat too quickly (then am overfull for awhile) or I eat foods that are soft enough to pass thru quickly and I get hungry after 2-3 hours. I can tell, though, that once I really learn how to use the band it's going to be a FANTASIC tool. I want bread so bad, but after the potato soup got stuck the other day I KNOW if I even try a bite of something doughy it'll get stuck and hurt. That pain is a big incentive. I'm managing soft meats ok (except tuna, go figure) and granola with nonfat milk or yogurt...and scrambled eggs with onion chunks. I have yet to try well cooked veggies.

I haven't started exercising yet, Saturday night on my feet for 12 hours was enough LOL...but I'm planning to walk to the bus stop to get 2 of my 3 kids in a few minutes. Only half a mile total, but that's more that I did in my unbanded life.

Sorry to be a horrible example. I also found a piece of chocolate today and ate some. The rest is headed to work with hubby tomorrow...I'm doing a LOT of that. And I felt like an idiot this morning. DH bought flavored carbonated lemonades last night and I set a mug out to get flat, then dumped it this morning not wanting the SUGAR...it was perfectly flat and ready to be drunk....I dumped it out then read the bottle. ZERO CALORIE. D'oh.