I am new to the boards and just got my date today - August 17! I am so excited! My surgeon is Dr. Allan Geiss in Syosset, NY. Looking forward to talking to everyone.

I'm nervious, excited, and having just the slightest bit of concern about feeling the port. But overall I can't wait to get healthy!!

If your surgery is in August too, come on in!

:clap2::sun::Banane56::wave:

Diva

Thanks for the advice! I did end up peeing but it was soooo slow and in small trickles, but hey at elast I've peed lol

904cathe,

I was banded yesterday and I have the same chest feelings, I had them immediately after surgery and they told me it was gas, as long as I walk a lot and even bend over some I burp and it feels better.

Happy2BeMe,

I work for Starbucks so I know your pain about the coffee, I suggest gogint o a 1/2 caf now to wean yourself to decaf. It worked pretty well for me....

JoliesMom - Thanks so much for the response on Lovenox....weird that not everyone has to do that. My doc made it sound soooooo important. But, yeah...it sure does burn....i am counting down the doses now....only 4 more to go....wahoo!!!! My poor belly....has all these incisions and now all these little poke marks from the lovenox needles.... It was kind of funny though. I told my boyfriend before I had the surgery that he was going to have to give me a shot twice a day and when I came home and did the first one, he watched and nearly fainted...haha...boys!

904Cathe - I too felt the heaviness in my chest. It will go away. Mine lasted about 2-3 days....all good now!

Ok early August bandsters, how long before you could comfortably wear your button and zip shorts, pants, whatever? I'm a week out yesterday and while I can get them on, they are VERY uncomfortable! I know my tummy is still swollen, when can I expect that to go away? I would like to wear normal clothes again!

Bug - I had to start wearing regular pants on Monday (4 days post-op) when I went back to work. They weren't very comfortable. Today is the most comfortable I've been since surgery. I have on dress pants. My swelling is finally going away....I would say I'm about 80% there. Hang in there....it will go away soon!!!!! ....keep drinking! I have been drinking like I'm walking through the desert and staying near a bathroom.

Hey Trizzy: Congrats! Don't worry, I am a meat and potato gal too but I added baby meats to everything I could. I really helped me get through the liquid stages. I blended everything from Lasagne, to Tuna Helper and it was all good. The extra baby meats added were what I needed to maintain my strength and not get hungry. I even blended baby ham and cheese into runny mashed potatos and it was GREAT!!! Add baby beef to mac & Cheese too. It also helps to add some seasonings. Very good tasting and satisfying. Good luck!!! Just keep the prise in sight, "the weight loss and never being fat again", that will get you through. Tammy

Hey Bug: I was banded Aug. 3, and I was very uncomfortable for about two weeks. The bloated feeling mid section right under my boob line and gas. I'm in my third week now and just now feeling back to normal. My port still pulls and causes some discomfort at times but the swollen-bloated feeling is gone. At my one-week post-op visit I had lost 7 pounds. I and my family have noticed a BIG different already in my consumption amounts. Much less. But my scales haven't move yet. But I'm sure they will. Hang in there and take advantage of wearing loose clothes. Other's in my office were a bit jealous for a couple of weeks as I got to wear knit sweats etc. I LOVED IT! :scalesno: Tammy

A life-long question answered thanks to my surgeon! I've always found that no matter what style pants/shorts/skirts I wore, they always seemed to ride very high on my waist. My mom works at the hospital where I was banded and she ran into my surgeon today. He asked how I was doing and she mentioned my port is being irritated by my waistbands. He said I have a very short torso and little space between my sternum and hips. That's why my port seems to be right where my waistband is, because it's the only spot he could put it because I've got such a short torso. Never knew that, but certainly explains the fashion problems I have! :scalesno: He did say the port will shift a bit as the swelling goes down and as I lose weight, so hopefully it won't be too much of a problem. Of course if I lose weight, then I can just wear low-rise jeans more!

Bug,

I was not able to wear shorts/pants comfortably for about two weeks. I looked and felt about 5 months pregnant! When the swelling finally went down, everything went back to normal.

Ok early August bandsters, how long before you could comfortably wear your button and zip shorts, pants, whatever? I'm a week out yesterday and while I can get them on, they are VERY uncomfortable! I know my tummy is still swollen, when can I expect that to go away? I would like to wear normal clothes again!

Losha,

I loved the too full feeling as well. I felt good on every level. Now I don't want it because it spells trouble! You will really lose an interest in food, but what is great is that your attention will likely turn to other things that are better for you. As I said before, you will eat to feed your body, not your mind.

i am going to be having the procedure in September. it is good to read that so many people feel the same way. what is life when you are to tired to do anything? i don't want to go to my kids games because i am fat and don't have anything to wear, i don't look in mirrors. Basically I am limiting living because of my weight. i do worry about emotional eating which is what i do. i always want that "full" feeling. i worry that i will continue to eat. i am hoping that the lap band makes this difficult by making it so uncomfortable. excercise i can do, i just worry about controlling my mind. is anyone able to tell me if they are still hungry with the band. yes, i know it is a tool not a "miracle cure"

What are you guys eating? I'm still on full liquids for another two weeks and I'm getting tired of soup and runny oatmeal! I'm actually really looking forward to the pureed stage, which is next for me, because I can have tuna fish and egg salad. Help! :help:

I had hiccups for the first time the other day and it drove me crazy. I realized I had eaten too much too fast. I also found Gas X did not help much. I use Mylanta instead. I have found the mushy stage challenging because I tend to eat faster when I am hungrier. I have to keep reminding myself to chew slowly because I risk taking in too much food.

I am so glad that we have this thread for August banders!! I have the hiccups all the time--and it hurts!! Not really sure why?? What all can you all eat on the mushies stage?? Right now I can only have mashed potatoes and eggs. It's getting very boring--need someth new!!

Hi everyone,

What about coffee? Has anyone's doc restricted coffee? I think I would die if I can't have coffee.

I was told by my surgeon that coffee is ok post-op. Just no milk with it for the first week.

The mushy stage has been challenging for me but I still prefer liquid nutritional supplements, bananas, mashed potatoes, soft fish, tiny bites of chicken, 1/2 cup of fine ground beef, applesauce, well cooked vegetables, runny oatmeal, eggs. I have not attempted steak, salad, potatoes, bread, pasta, and I have sworn off rice forever! Tuna is not easy for me because I still find it too dry even when mixed with a little mayo.

What are you guys eating? I'm still on full liquids for another two weeks and I'm getting tired of soup and runny oatmeal! I'm actually really looking forward to the pureed stage, which is next for me, because I can have tuna fish and egg salad. Help! :help:

This is my first time posting but I have learned so much from lurking the month prior to surgery but I don't remember this problem...I was banded on 8/21 and feel like I'm doing pretty well. But there is this heaviness in my chest, what I would imagine a heart attack feeling like. I am telling myself that its just gas. Am I fooling myself?

That's gas. My doctor did an EKG on me because I complained of the same thing. It was gas and lasted 3 days unfortunately. Good luck and hang in there!

One of my life savers when I had my gastric bypass (sld) and now after being banded is cottage cheese. Right now, I get the whipped kind which is similar in consistancy to yogurt but has 10-16G of portein per 1/2 cup. I would much rather get my protein from real foods if possible. I enjoy miso soup(blended) and my local chinese restaurant has a bean curd with vegetable soup (blended) it is wonderful. But just to let you know anything on the third day in a row for me is hard to take. I did have some thai coconut soup a couple of days ago and it was heavenly (ordered it mild). It is not creamy and probably did not have much nutritional value but I was happy. The yogurt I am having now is satifying much more than the soup, just the thickness on my tougue feels good. Also I got black bean soup and blended it this week and it was wonderful.

One thing I also do is track what I eat on Weight Watchers online, for me I can convince myself I am not eating what I think I am and it adds up. I have found for me that this makes me accountable and I have to look at the nutritional value of the foods I am eating. For instance I was going to buy soup and thought the Tomato and Basil Bisque would be great but then I looked at the fat content and it had 11G per servings, 1 protein, 1G Fiber and 820 sodium. I am not even close to my points quotient for the days (before and after surgery) but I know that I don't what to eat anything that does not give me anything my body needs.