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I Had My Lap Band March 19Th



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Hello lap band talk, I have just found this site and I'm loving reading everything so far. It has given me so much information and insites into other peoples journeys. I had my lap band placed March 19th. The three days of clear liquid diet prior to surgery were really hard and I will admitt I was so cranky. But it was worth it and Dr said my liver was small enough and not in the way during surgery. The first and second day were the worst for me and I was taking my pain medications every 4 hours, but after those first two days things starting improving. My abdomen was starting to become less swollen and the full liquid/puree diet is much more tolerable than Clear Liquids. It still amazes me that a cup of food is making me full and I haven' t even had a fill yet but as the days go by I get hungrier which is probably a good thing and means my stomach is healing and the inflammation is going down. My lap sites are actually not that painful at all, the worst is the gas pains. I actually asked my Dr the day of surgery "will you push all the air out of me when you are done." Haha it's because I'm a nurse. He said he would do his best and I believe he did but that little bit of air is still so painful in my left shoulder and neck. It is getting better and I am walking every day! I have already lost 12 lbs and I'm so happy! I didn't even lose 12 lbs while on weight watchers for 6 months. I keep stepping on the scale because I don't believe it's true. I know this stage isn't for weight loss and it's about healing but this first 12 lbs is so exciting I can't wait to start lossing more. After my first post op visit I plan and starting the couch to 5K program. Has anyone else done that? And how did it work for them. I know I have a long journey with this band ahead of me but I'm so ready for a change and already feel happier than I have in years. Good luck everyone, can't wait to share our stories!

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Hi nursenetty,

I had my lap band the same day as yours. I have a dr appmt today. I am on liquid/ puree diet now. I am walking and also plan to do couch to 5K program. Lets do it together. When are you thinking of starting?

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Hope your Dr appt went well! I have my post op appt next week. I plan on starting the couch to 5K after my appt pending everying is going well. I'm so glad to have a partner in the couch to 5K, Lets do this !!

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Hi everyone! I am new to the site as well. Had ny surgery this past Monday-4days out! It was so good to read the posts, specifically about the neck and shoulder pain. Thought I was hvn a Heart Attack! What is the couch to 5k?

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Congrats to you on your journey to the new you!!! Hope you love your band as much as I love mine! I'm also hoping to do the couch to 5k program...on my treadmill though!

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Thank U so much for the well wishes! I'm not enjoying it yet, but I hope to as well. I am so grateful for having found this site to read about everyone's amazing journey, successes and failures. Awe-Inspiring! Thx Again!

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Starting couch to 5k this week. Let me know how week one goes everyone. Best wishes :)

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What are you doing this week.. As per my program you have to walk?

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I'm just walking this week to. I've been trying to walk everyday since surgery, so far I've done 8 out of the past 13 days. Hey at least I'm trying :) I'm going to my first post op appt wednesday and going to get the ok to do more exercises. I also bought a pilates reformer machine from groupon yesterday. Love pilates but hate the floor and how it hurts my neck and back, this machine will help that. Start my soft diet tomorrow, I'm so excited to eat an egg...ah the little things right? Good luck everyone!

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Definitely get into the running! I did my first 5k in November and it has been a healthy addiction ever since! It has definitely helped the pace of my weight loss and also helped me gain muscle and tone throughout my first year. I didn't do the couch to 5k program...I kind of just felt my way through the races on my own. Now I am down to 8 minute miles!

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Wow congrats to you. I hope to be were you are at someday. Did your joints hurt like crazy when you first started running?

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Absolutely. It definitely hurt in the beginning. Just make sure you take a day of rest between workouts when necessary. It gets easier!

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Hello lap band talk, I have just found this site and I'm loving reading everything so far. It has given me so much information and insites into other peoples journeys. I had my lap band placed March 19th. The three days of clear liquid diet prior to surgery were really hard and I will admitt I was so cranky. But it was worth it and Dr said my liver was small enough and not in the way during surgery. The first and second day were the worst for me and I was taking my pain medications every 4 hours, but after those first two days things starting improving. My abdomen was starting to become less swollen and the full liquid/puree diet is much more tolerable than Clear liquids. It still amazes me that a cup of food is making me full and I haven' t even had a fill yet but as the days go by I get hungrier which is probably a good thing and means my stomach is healing and the inflammation is going down. My lap sites are actually not that painful at all, the worst is the gas pains. I actually asked my Dr the day of surgery "will you push all the air out of me when you are done." Haha it's because I'm a nurse. He said he would do his best and I believe he did but that little bit of air is still so painful in my left shoulder and neck. It is getting better and I am walking every day! I have already lost 12 lbs and I'm so happy! I didn't even lose 12 lbs while on weight watchers for 6 months. I keep stepping on the scale because I don't believe it's true. I know this stage isn't for weight loss and it's about healing but this first 12 lbs is so exciting I can't wait to start lossing more. After my first post op visit I plan and starting the couch to 5K program. Has anyone else done that? And how did it work for them. I know I have a long journey with this band ahead of me but I'm so ready for a change and already feel happier than I have in years. Good luck everyone, can't wait to share our stories!

I'm glad I'm not the only neurotic nurse! I asked my surgeon the same exact question about getting all the gas out lol. My post op appt is tomorrow and I can't wait to tell him he certainly did not get enough out because the pain I had in my left shoulder/neck was the most intense ever. I plan on doing the couch to 5k program also after my sister pops her baby out :) This site has been such a lifesaver and very supportive.

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Welcome to the group nursenetty!! I too had my surgery on the 19th. I have been thinking about doing the couch to 5k program as well.....I wonder if coukd start a thread called couch to 5k. Where we could encourage each other and track our progress. Let me know your thoughts....if its something you would like to participate in.

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Yes of course I would be interested! Lets do this and keep eachother motivated. I love all this support from everyone, keep on smiling :)

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      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. LeighaTR

        I hope your surgery on Wednesday goes well. You will be able to do all sorts of new things as you find your new normal after surgery. I don't know this from experience yet, but I am seeing a lot of positive things from people who have had it done. Best of luck!

    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

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        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

    • CaseyP1011

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