I'm scheduled for surgery 8/27 in Memphis....looking for other Tennesseans to share the journey with. I'm both excited and scared.

How are you feeling Amanda?

Thank you for asking. I am feeling better. I am finally on Stage 3 (soft foods)

I am addicited to cheese now! It is sooo delious! Of course not really eating for 44 days anything anything would taste good.The cheese is Kraft, skim milk, 40 calories, 4 grams of Protein and maybe 2 total carbs. I'm just still in shock. I think what I use to eat, which I was like a bottomless pit, could eat 2 chicken sandwiches, fries, a large Sprite. Even at Taco Bell, I would eat like 3 Taco's plus 2 Cheesey Roll ups and 2 bowls of those Fesita Potatoes followed with an apple pie and a large Mt. Dew. And now its like, I eat 2 pieces of cheese and I'm stuffed. And I'm not hungry at all. And don't really care about eating, I just wanna eat ice all the time!

Hang onto this time. Your appetite will come back. Your going to have your ups and downs. But like they say work your tool. Start working out as soon as you can. Get into the habit.

My doctor hasn't approved me to exercise yet. I've had ALOT of DOWNS, It started Christmas Day when I had this horrible pain in my belly around my incision & drainage tube was. I didn't sleep well that night, maybe got 3-4 hours, I was naseua, having hot flashes, weak, shakey. So I went to the ER the next morning. My urine was the color of Apple juice. I was dehydrated, had a UTI and an infection where my drainage tube was. I could barley get in my fluids, couldn't take my medicines without getting nauesa. I couldn't stomach the Protein drinks, my hair has started falling out. But I'm doing better, getting a little food in my system and I've been able to up my Fluid intake.

Wow I never had a drainage tube and started soft foods after one week. Then other foods as tolerated.

Well, my doctor wanted the drainage tube in, it was suppose to be for 7 days but with the holidays it stayed in my body for 9 days. And I was on 2 week stages at a time, clear liquids the first 2 weeks after surgery, then advanced to Stage 2 (protein drinks) now Im at Stage 3 (soft foods) Got another week on it then Stage 4, I'll be able to have more of a varitey

My doctor never really gave me restrictions. I simply started walking in the treadmill. Slow but kept going

I also at this stage was sick of protein drinks. I ate eggs. Cheese made me very sick. I had the sweats and dumping from that. It's mostly trial and error. But the told me to start walking and I just did a little at a time

Hi, I'm Amanda, from Hendersonville, TN (20 miles N of Nashville)....In need of support groups, friends, exercise buddies, whomever who understands me and what I'm going through!

I had mine done at Centennial too but with Dr. Dyer.

The staff was great! How is your progress?

Overall I'm feeling pretty darned good. Had mine at Centennial with Dr. Houston. Cannot say enough good about him and the staff at Centennial - especially the nurses.

We should host our own "Conference."

Make a day out of it, everybody bring a dish, grill out some chicken, swimming!

When did you have your surgery? I had mine November 2012. Still have 50lbs to reach my goal.

I had mine December 17. Ive lost 102 pounds...still have another 102 pounds to go!

I'm glad I found this group. I'm having surgery on Monday June 23rd at Centennial with Dr. Olsen. I'm having lap band to sleeve revision surgery. I'm very nervous, excited, and anxious right now.

I had mine December 17. Ive lost 102 pounds...still have another 102 pounds to go!

So you got away to go to. It can be frustrating can't it