September Bandsters

[gonnabethin 10]

Next week you will not need willpower! The soreness is a gentle reminder what I chose. After 4 weeks im sure I will be ready for a partial slice!! JUST eating the toppings off will be heavenly!!

'The muscle milk is good too, but it has 11 gm. of fat in one premixed drink container"- THANK GOODNESS that will be the only thing that helps my survival part of liquids!!

[BJean 16]

ItsGottaGo: So happy for you that your little problem is gone! I'm beginning to get pretty concerned because I can't seem to get things to move on through. I'm hardly eating though. I'm not eating nearly as much Protein Shake as I should be. I get so dang bloated and uncomfortable! My nurse friend emailed me and said that the shoulder pain gas from the laprascopic surgery has nothing to do with the bloating I'm feeling. She told me that the gas they use in the surgery has to be absorbed by your system. The intestinal gas is I guess from whatever we're eating.

Well, duh! Anytime in my life that I've eaten much artificially sweetened foods, I get bloating. And everything practically that they say I can eat is sweetened artificially. I'd rather not eat usually.

Today I got to have some V-8 juice and that was a refreshing change. Yeah. You guessed it... bloating... just like everything else. I'm also supposed to be chewing a Multi-Vitamin and that almost made me spew. So I'm feeling pretty guilty that I'm not maintaining my nutritional stuff like I should.

I don't have the big swollen area by my port site either. I'm 5'1.5" and I'm not happy with how high my port is placed either. I expected it to be in my lower abdomen. All my other incisions look ok - but the one sort of under my right boob looks a little iffy. It may be due to the fact that I had the hiatal hernia.

I was glad to read here that everyone recently were posting surgery times of from one hour to an hour and a half. JamesA (I think) was telling about his 10 min. surgery - which turned into 11 min. because of a hernia repair. That's a darned big discrepancy.

It's great to be hearing from all of you who shared surgery dates with me this week. It is reassuring to know we're all having similar symptoms.

Let's keep up the good fight! I'm looking forward to being able to exercise when I feel better. I know that will speed up the losing process and will make me feel better. Best regards to all of you!! BJ

[valgal1968 0]

Itsgottago: Count your lucky stars! Having the runs is not all that fun, I agree, but the opposite is absolutely painful. I'm sure that if the diarrea doesn't clear up soon, they will have a remedy for you. But you shouldn't be having all the trapped gas pain that so many of us are experiencing and believe me that's a good thing!

About the trapped gas pains, well everytime I put a strawberry shake into the blender with Protein Powder I would get gas pains after I drank it. Not chocolate, not vanilla, only strawberry. But dummy me I had to have 3 of them before I figured it out. DUH! :embarassed: :puke: I do need alot of gasX but I also need my dear hubby to pound me on the back too. That helps really.

[valgal1968 0]

Also, can anyone tell me what types of different Protein Shakes they use/used. I have been using the HMR shakes from the hospital, but they are expensive and get boring after a while.

Congrats on getting to have your surgery. I know you must be doing the happy dance right about now. :puke: I am using the whey Protein from Walmart, vanilla flavor and I mix it with crystal light( strawberry, banna, orange) Yum. The powder only cost about $11. Hope this helps.

[lamamama 0]

How does everyone know where their port is? I didn't even think to ask my dr. or the nurses. Is it on the left or right? How can I tell? I do have 1 incision on my right that looks longer than the rest. I'm kinda scared to poke at myself to see if I can feel it.

I totally understand about the pizza thing. My daughter wanted a happy meal tonight and I was seriously entertaining the thought of sucking on a french fry. I did refrain myself (this time) who knows about the next!

[ItsGottaGo! 0]

I only know where my port is because the surgeon told me yesterday when he removed the gauze bandages. I had thought it was the incision further to the left and smaller, which I was originally happy about because when my arms are down, it kind of hides it, but I found out it is the other incision and it is about 3 inches long. I thought it would only be about 1-1/2 inches long. All the other incisions are very very small. Smaller than and inch. The port incision looks huge to me and I have olive skin that scars easily. Oh well, I'll make do. That should be my biggest problem in life, huh.

[cindyn 0]

You can see where my port is by the oval bruise it left!! It is a bit tender. My stomach is still bloated from the gas. I hope I can fit into my pants. I have next week off then back to work. I have a desk job. I am sure a week will make a good difference.

[sweetsue 1]

Add me to the list of September bandsters. I'm scheduled with Dr Ortiz for 9/29. Yikes it's coming quick. I am nervous! Not nervous about the surgery as much as I'm nervous about living with the lapband. I'm nervous I might suffer painful PBs. I'm afraid I'll forget to chew thoroughly enough. I'm nervous I might puke in front of others. I LOVE food. I feel like I might possibly never enjoy food again after lapband. I might really just hate the chewing, chewing, chewing. I don't really have time for a 45 min lunch break. I know I probably sound a bit overly dramatic. I'm sick of being fat so I'm going forward with this in spite of some of the horror stories I've read. Good luck to you all! Susan

[gonnabethin 10]

Sweetsue- D I T T O!!

I share all of those fears!! My journey has begun-Good luck to you! Too late to turn back now- however I did question what have I done!! Once the soreness subsides I will be thrilled!! I think the stories here are skewed- Im hoping!! There are hundreds of lurkers that we dont hear from. All the people I know personally who have a band DO NOT have these horrors! They have all done well no problems. I asked the erosion rate is 3% and slippage is 2-3%. Slippage can be decreased by not vomiting per the surgeons and not overfilling.

Regardless of the many opinions and risks-did this for me! I dont want diabetes, and other complications so it is time to get the weight off!

Hang in there and Good Luck!!

[want2lose 1]

Congratulations Wantlapband! I am using SportPharma Whey Protein. I bought two bigs bags at costco, one Vanilla and one chocolate. The muscle milk is good too, but it has 11 gm. of fat in one premixed drink container. Good luck!

I bought the SportPharma chocolate too, but haven't opened it yet. Is it good? I have been doing really well with unflavored beneprotein and haven't been brave enough to open the sportpharma bag.

[jgandg 0]

I like Isopure Zero Carb Protein powder. 50 grams of protein, 200 calories, 0 carbs. I've tried chocolate and vanilla, both are very good.

[BJean 16]

jgandg: I have a problem with the whey Protein powder mix that I buy from my doc's office. They said one alternative is Isopure, but that it doesn't have as much protein as the mix I am having a problem with. But since you're saying it tastes good, I'm thinking I should find it and try it b/c I am not getting enough protein with this other stuff. I just don't tolerate it well at all so I don't drink much of it.

My question is, and I know we probably live in quite different locales, where do you buy it? I am thinking I will give it a try on your recommendation! Thanks, BJ

[BJean 16]

Hey all you last week bandsters: Last night I managed to pass into another phase of this healing process. This morning my left shoulder doesn't hurt at all, my back doesn't hurt, and I am able to lie down on my left side which aids in the gas passage delimma (that I'm so famous for NOT doing).

Last night my doc's menu plan included unsweetened applesauce and I had some. In fact, DH brought home 3 different kinds and I tried two of them. After that, I bothered to read the ingred. and saw that I actually had some "cane juice" (obviously sugar cane) in one of them. Don't know if that had anything to do with dramatic change of affairs around here, but I doubt it. Having 2 small containers of applesauce is the most food I've eaten in one sitting since the surgery. OMG it was good!

I'm living for tomorrow. I get to add mashed potatoes with a little sour cream and butter!!

I've read some of your posts about smelling pizza and having those cravings, etc. and I can honestly say I am not having those issues. Each day I've gotten on the scales I have noticed at least a small loss. And yesterday I watched Oprah and those doctors of hers who are into grossing us out with morbid heart surgery, etc. Well, the combination of those two things have me psyched and I'm determined to get on with the remake of BJ.

I also watched Ellen start her show the other day and she talked about how our children are becoming obese. And she attributes it to the fact that they spend so much time inside. I thought about myself and realize that I, too, spend too much time inside. I get out to run errands and to buy food - either fast food or groceries and I go to every drive thru that is available. All that stops right now!!

I am tired of being a victim of my own lazy, depressive ways. I'm going to overcome all the temptations of the food and restaurant industry and of the food commercials on TV and in magazines. I'm going to stop watching so much TV and reading so many magazines. They are all evil and bad food is evil and I'm going to conquer EVIL!!

I realize this profession of my new-found faith in myself is very self-indulgent, but what the heck, whatever works for me to reaffirm my Quest for health and beauty and self-confidence is fair game!!!!

How's everybody else today???

[chattanoogabrat 0]

Hello All,

My surgery date is Friday September 29th, at Memorial Hospital in Chattanooga TN. I have to go for my lab work and Uppper GI monday and on day 2 of my liquid phase.

This board is going to be so helpful and a true blessing. Any tips on liquid phrase or tips for surgery would greatly appreciate it.

:puke:

[BJean 16]

Larry welcome aboard!!

My surgery was last Monday (9/11). So I finally have a voice from experience.

The most surprising thing for me has been the confirmation of what so many posters have been telling us. Walk, walk, walk, after surgery.

I was very drugged and I have bad knees and I didn't get out of bed until late in the evening after my 7 AM surgery. Then the next day or so I slept a lot - probably due to all of the pain meds they had given me. I didn't take any additional pain meds when I got home because the doc and nurse told me that they are constipating. Which you REALLY don't want.

The shoulder pain and possible back pain are very real. I did swing my arms when I walked and when I was sitting I usually did up and down arm movements. Both things gave me temporary relief from the shoulder pain.

The good news is, it is day 6 and I have almost no shoulder or back pain! So although it is excrutiating at times, you can live through it.

Stick with your pre-op diet. It only goes to make your life easier and more comfortable. It helps your doctor have more space in which to do his maneuverings since it reduces the size of your liver considerably. Carbohydrates cause your liver to expand and they are real no-nos!

Ha, I sound like an expert. And of course I am not. But I have learned something from my journey so far and am happy to share. I wish you the very best and you'll learn some good stuff here! BJ