February 2006 bandsters unite!!

[JanetC 2]

Welcome to all the new Febsters!

Becky & Tammy -- SOOO glad to hear you're both doing better!!

My period snuck up on me during mushies. I handled it by doing a LOT of Protein shakes. They're chocolate & not technically cheating. Oh ick, forgot you can't do them.

Just increase your Protein & chew chew chew. Go easy on yourself... it's your first period since surgery & you're still in healing phase. :eek:

It will get better later (I'm counting on it). Once we get fills & feel restricted we won't be ABLE to overeat like this month, thank goodness!

(( Hugs to everyone!! ))

[Julie* 0]

Hi Everyone-

Sounds like we're all coming along pretty well. Tomorrow will be 2 weeks already for me. I am still on mushies for another week and am having a hard time keeping the portions at a 1/2 c. I am able to eat quite a bit more of blended Soups. I have noticed though that I am eating SO much less and that I do feel some restriction when I have a fruit smoothie.

This morning I was at a press conference for work and they had mini quiches. I popped one in my mouth without even thinking about it and even though I chewed and chewed it kind of got stuck and was really uncomfortable until it went down.

Tomorrow is my post-op appt and I can't wait to see what the scale says. Mine at home says 16 pounds lost but most of that was pre-op.

[Sunta 4]

Hi guys,

I'm on day 13 now and while I had two good days last week, yesterday and today it's back to gas, gas, gas! I've never had so much gas in my life! It keeps me bloated and I have a feeling of being stuffed to the point of nausea all the time. I see my doctor on Wednesday and will surely address it then. I couldn't even think of eating right now. I'm disappointed that at nearly two weeks out I am still having such a hard time. It seems like alot of people are eating mushies and feel that they have a normal stomach. My stomach hurts all the time. One good thing is that the surgery site is improving alot. I wish I could find something to really take this gas away!

[nanster 0]

Hello All Feb Bandsters!

Well, first day back at work today...did ok, but it was tiring. I sit at a computer all day, so my back was a little tired and my tummy a little "cramped" (as in cramped for space!) but I had enough energy to do my job and was clad to see everyone again after a week off.

Julie, we seem to be very close in ht/wt at the start and my band date was 2/24/06 - I've only dropped 10 lbs but I think that's quite a lot in only 10 days. I'm sure it will go slower once I'm eating more...I guess I was OVERLY cautious, but I was scared of gas and vomiting, etc. (which is on my list of LEAST favorite things!!)

Sunta, no offense, but it's somewhat comforting to know that someone 13 days out is still having some roller-coaster days...I thought I was the only one!! Maybe I'm not as weird as I thought!

I was actually "HUNGRY" today for the first time!! I actually have had pretty good restriction I guess because I feel extremely full after eating...even just creamed Soups.< /p>

As far as my time of the month...I was "lucky" enough to start the morning of surgery...my timing has always been just perfect! I had already had my "last meal" the day before surgery, so I guess I indulged my PMS cravings at that time.

I have two spots that feel "kinked" after I eat anything...one is high on my left side and one is lower on the right....seems one or the other "pinches" after I eat. Not miserable by any means, but a little uncomfortable.

Glad to hear responses from so many people with surgery dates close to mine...really helps me gauge how I'm doing and helps me if I'm not having a good day.

Hope to get to know all of you better and share our "losses" as time moves on.

We're all in this together, right????

Later,

Nanster

[Julie* 0]

Nanster: I had to do a 10 day pre-op liquid diet so I dropped 9 of my pounds before the surgery even happened. This past week I've only lost 1 pound. It's really hard for me to stay at the 1/2c with the cream Soups and stuff. Glad your first day back at work went ok.

I am 2 weeks out today and have a question. Does anyone else feel extremely tired by about 8:30pm? I am usually up until about 11pm each night but have been SO tired that I go to bed much earlier. Otherwise, I fall asleep on the couch which is not like me. Could it be just lingering effects of having surgery? During the day I feel really good though hungry.

I have a follow up with my surgeon this afternoon so I will check with him too.

One more week of mushies!!

[RoxanneRoll 0]

Well one week out...and I decided to take this week off work as well. My gas pain is getting better, but still becomes excruciating after an hour or two and I have to go lay back down. In the morning my band feels very tight and makes me feel a bit nauseated to the point were I can't eat anything until late morning. I noticed last night that I can feel my port through my skin, is that normal? Can anyone else feel theirs? I also find that during the day I can only eat about 1/4 c at a time..but at night I can take in a lot more.

I was planning on flying to Utah tonight....but have cancelled the trip. I don't want to find out what gas bubbles in my shoulder feel like at 30,000 feet......also I just dont feel good enough to take a vacation. I do have a trip to San Francisco planned in two weeks that I am looking forward to however.

I am really enjoying stepping on the scale and seeing the numbers go down!!

[Sunta 4]

Hi everyone, it's my two week anniversary today! I went back to work yesterday and it was pretty rough. the gas pain was beyond horrible. I kept running to the bathroom every half hour. I've decided to try a whole day with no dairy products and see if that makes a difference since it seems my gas becomes the worst about 1-2 hours after drinking anything with dairy. I did get Lactaid but it didn't make any difference. Today I'm sticking to strictly soy milk and smooth Soups with no milk. I'm wondering if anything is amiss with my band since so many people seem to be gas-free at two weeks out. I see the doctor tomorrow thank goodness. I am still sleeping in my recliner because laying on my side in bed pulls on the surgery area too much to sleep comfortably and laying on my back in bed is not comfortable. Thank goodness I got the recliner. I don't know what I would have done without it! Glad everyone else seems to be doing so well. Roxanne, glas to hear your gas pain is a bit better. I feel for you!

[JanetC 2]

Julie -- I still feel tired all the time & find myself taking naps at odd times. I work at home, so luckily I can!

Becky & Dena -- Here's hoping those ugly gas pains leave FAST!!

Nanster -- I'm with you on the kinks. I really feel it in my shoulder... if I get too hungry OR too full. Undocumented feature of the band, I suppose, lol.

I'm still having gas pain, but it's SOOO much better then it was. I only take Tylenol PM every now & then. And the pain really does seem to denote that I'm hungry -- or over ate.

I do feel my port, though Mikey's sticks out more. I get pain in/around it sometimes. I'm assuming it's still muscles healing, since the top incision has similar pains as well. I know that those 2 were the deepest cuts (per my surgeon).

I have more restriction then Mikey, but am still able to eat WAY too much, I just have to be sure it's well chewed. We got our appointment for our first fill yesterday (3-week check-up). The weight loss has stalled, so we cannot wait until March 21st!!

Mikey & I are half-way through the "6 week healing" period. When you consider how major the surgery is, we're doing awesome. Can't wait to be looking back at it from 6 weeks out!

[Dancer 0]

Hi everyone! Sorry I have been mia....have just been tired and really crazy at work.

I too find myself very tired. Seems I just can't get enough sleep.

I am really hoping that the gas pains go away for everyone soon. I feel so blessed that mine were not bad. I never actually had any in my shoulder. I know how lucky I am!

Yes, I can feel my post through my skin. It doesn't really stick out yet, but I have a feeling that it will the more weight I loose.

Usually feel like I don't have much restriction, but I am doing my best to keep to the 2-3 oz portions. I am on liquids the rest of this week and all of next week.

Then I do two weeks of chopped up food and one week of regular food.

THEN I can get a fill. So annoying! I want to start loosing really consistenly. My surgeon won't even talk to me about a fill until another 5 1/2 weeks has passed! UGH!

Ok, enough pitty party from me. Just frustrated.:cry

Have a great day everyone and I will check back in later!

[JanetC 2]

Ouch Michelle!! That's a long wait for that first fill! It's going to be worth it though... I can't wait!

[Dancer 0]

Forgot to add....I did start working out again last night!

Hubby and I went for a walk. Wasn't too long but it is a good start.

The last time hubby and I lost weight we did it with diet and exercise...duh...so we started back on the same work out routine.

We have a very pretty pond that is a block or so from our house. We walked over there and made it one time around and then home. It wasn't much but it is a start.

At least I could let go of some guilt about the days I eat over my 2-3 oz portion!

[RoxanneRoll 0]

I would really like to see the total weight loss just since surgery....not from before with the post op diet. I am just curious to see how much people have lost since the surgery ...how well the band is working for them. Perhaps we can give two numbers....one for highest weight and one for surgery date. I see some numbers and think...wow..the band is really working for them...only to later find out a great deal of that was lost during the pre op diet. And btw...kudos to all of you who lost so much pre op!!! I am not knocking that weight loss at all.

For me...268 is my highest and my surgery date weight....I sucked at the low cal pre op diet. I wanted to eat...I kept thinking that I'll never eat like this again.....so I cheated here and there...but enough not to lose any weight. I went to Red Robin one night and was going to be good...but then thought...this is the last time I am going to enjoy fries...so I had em. (yes I am here because I am addicted to food) I wasnt required to do a opti fast diet either. At any rate I thought it would be nice to see how much people have lost just since the band was placed as well.

[skbishop78 0]

Hey Ya'll.

Happy Birthday to me today, I get my first fill for my birthday! I am 15 days post op and feel like i can eat a horse. I am going in today...instead of the 14th due to that my hunger is crazy!!! I am kinda scared.....I will let ya'll know how it goes.

[JanetC 2]

Happy birthday Stacey!! And congrats on the 1st fill! I think you're the first of us! Let us know what it's like!

Dena -- We lost a bunch right after surgery (we both lost 10 pounds in that first week)... but then it stalled. As we went back onto solid food, I think I'm glad that we didn't gain, lol.

We're definitely hungry again & having to fight ourselves to not overeat. Bring on the fills! (First one 3/21, they moved it up a week for us .)

[RoxanneRoll 0]

Happy Bday STacey!!

Janet...I wasn't referring to you and your husband...I meant for everyone of the Feb 2006 bandsters.

I just thought it would be nice to see how much people have lost since the surgery....to see how the band is working.

Am I not making sense?? sorry if I sound confusing.

Dena