I wanted to start a thread for those of us who are waiting "with bated breath" for our surgeries in March.

I am supposed to start Optifast on February 26th. I am currently waiting for the shipment, including my surgical package to be delivered. Once I get my package I am supposed to call the clinic.

Ever since committing to this surgery (which I am paying for myself via a personal loan) I have been obsessed with reading everything I can about it and about people who have had it. I am still kind of hoping for some kind of "divine word" about whether or not it is the right thing for me to do.

I am "only" 75 lbs over my ideal weight but am type II diabetic. I am trying to figure out if my reason for doing this is my health or my vanity or a combination of both. The diabetes needs to be gone (when I am 20 lbs lighter it is gone) but I am sure looking forward to losing the weight and actually keeping it off for more than 20 minutes...

I was banded on 3-15-07. Its been hard!!! I have been very sick. Today is the best I have felt. My stomach can't handly pain meds. and the gas oh the need to burp a can't. I'm hoping this is the hardest and things will only get better from here.

Cindy

Yes it is harder for some verses others, depending on so many factors.

Hang in there, you are only a couple days post op, from here it gets substantially better each day. Just hang in there! Liquid tylenol, heating pad, hot water bottle and walking, OH! how about sipping on some chicken broth?

Post later tonight and let me know how you are doing.

:high5: Here I sit, afternoon before my surgery, planning my 'last super'. WAY more excited than nervous!! All prayers are appreciated. Any and all post-op tips or information also greatly appreciated. I've waited soooo long ~ BRING IT ! !

God Bless,

Theresa Ann

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Next week starts a new life for you, what an incredible feeling.... It is early enough in Spring to feel good, the days are longer, it is going to be the best thing you have ever done for yourself.

You are going to love to go shopping for new clothes, just think of a whole new you...

Tips:

Heating pad, hot water bottle, pain meds (at hand), tylenol, walk, walk, walk. Drink, drink, drink. That is all you need, the surgery is very very very simple, your stiches are not going to hurt. Your port will be tender, you won't be able to sleep on your left side for a couple days (I slept on my left side 3 hours post op, and have ever since). You won't be hungry for a couple days, but your body needs nurishment and hydration so drink to feed your body.

I am so excited on your behalf....I would do it for you if I could, and go to work right after.

I'm day 5 post-op. I think i'm doing alright. Today I got to move to full liquids.

Had some wonderful cream of chix soup and vanilla yogurt so far today. I am trying so hard to keep up w/water. After flipping through my weightloss book for dummies again, I realized I have been dehydrated. So that's why i'm dizzy and had an excruciating headache yesterday!

Shoulder pain gas is subsiding slowly. I've been walking but as soon as I sit back down it slowly comes back. I can deal.

According to my scale, I've lost 14 lbs since surgery on 3/14.

Could this be possible? Could it all be water?

I'm still kinda swollen in the belly area.

Hope everyone is doing well post-op.

I can't wait to get back on my treadmill.

She had Gastic bypass surgery and had lost 100# since November 2006! OMG! I initially thought 2005, but NO! it was just 5 months ago. So we chatted for awhile. She initially lost a ton of weight the first 3 months and now it is down to 10# a month. (she only gets to eat 2 ounces of food at atime)

I have a friend who is getting gastric bypass surgery instead of the lapband. He has several health issues and his doctor has told him he'll lose more faster with the GBP. His doctor said usually after a year someone with LBS and someone else with GBP who started out the same weight will have lost the same. He's just having some really bad health issues and needs to get as much off ASAP. He'll be in the hospital several days and out of work for 6 weeks and not able to drive for 4.

I wonder how often she eats 2 oz - that seems like such a TINY amount!!

That was my fear also because I did do that in my last surgery. I told the doc of my fears and they juiced me pretty good. Everything turned out okay.

**QUESTION** for anyone. Has anyone had the runs since surgery? I do not like milk and I think it might be the slimfast mixed with extra protein or the liquid Tylenol? I have had a couple of popsicles also. Think this is normal? With all of my problems I am so glad to be on this side of the band.

*FORGOT*..I also had to have a hernia repaired! Anyone else, and does this slow down recovery?

I also had hernia repair along with my band. The doc said I might be a little more sore than just being banded, but I am 11 days post-op and doing good. Still on liquid diet, until wed. What kind of surgery did you wake up during? That is a scary thought.

I wonder if someone would walk me through the ticker thing. I can make the ticker but don't know how to get it over here. Sorry for the dumbness.

Hi all

I just wanted to check in! I got to the hospital at noon for my 1pm surgery. Things went well during surgery, no hernia or gallbladder problems. I was back at the hotel by 4. They put a dramamine patch on me to prevent nausea, but it makes my eyes dilated, so seeing fine print is difficult. I walked a lot that evening, but did not sleep well that first night. I took 2 doses of the pain medicine and gagged on the taste both times. :welldoneclap: So, I started using a chicken broth chaser!! Fortunately, I have not had to use very much of it! I think the worst part of this recovery period is the discomfort of getting in and out of bed and sitting up and down. I am also having trouble blowing my nose. It feels like I can't catch my breath.

We flew home on Saturday, I was exhausted. Once we got home, I went right to bed, I slept all night through!:notagree Travelling was easy, just a little slow!

I am having a hard time staying on clear liquids for the first 3 days. I feel like I am always :hungry: . I went out today and bought some soy protien powder from GNC. It makes my chicken broth taste really bad! :phanvan

So, 2 days post-op, and I am feeling really good, and have had no gas pains as of yet! I'm walking a lot and doing 1 more day of clear liquids which I try to drink slow. However, I am not feeling any restriction at all! I can drink my cup of chicken broth in 1 sitting, usually takes me about 5-7 minutes. I have been heating it up in the microwave to almost boiling, so I take longer to drink it. But at the airport yesterday, I had 3 spoonfuls of my husband's frozen yougert. 1 of the spoonfuls was a bit bigger then it should have been, and I stuck in my mouth anyway. No problem, slid right on down... I was hoping to have some restriction....

Sorry about the long story, I just had to share!

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:high5: Here I sit, afternoon before my surgery, planning my 'last super'. WAY more excited than nervous!! All prayers are appreciated. Any and all post-op tips or information also greatly appreciated. I've waited soooo long ~ BRING IT ! !

God Bless,

Theresa Ann

Ditto! Less than 12 hours for me. Woohoo! Bring it on!

According to my scale, I've lost 14 lbs since surgery on 3/14.

Could this be possible? Could it all be water?

I can't wait to get back on my treadmill.

14 pounds in 4 days? What is your secret? If you lost that kind of weight you better start drinking alot of water, I think you may be dehydrated, that is ALOT of weight in 4 days, especially 4 days post op.

Drink, drink, drink right now...that kind of weight loss that quick makes me nervous.

I have a friend who is getting gastric bypass surgery instead of the lapband. He has several health issues and his doctor has told him he'll lose more faster with the GBP. His doctor said usually after a year someone with LBS and someone else with GBP who started out the same weight will have lost the same. He's just having some really bad health issues and needs to get as much off ASAP. He'll be in the hospital several days and out of work for 6 weeks and not able to drive for 4.

I wonder how often she eats 2 oz - that seems like such a TINY amount!!

I really don't know but! I have her email address and if you would like PM me and I will give it to you to pass to your friend, I am sure she would be more than happy to introduce him to her online support group just like this one.

I wonder if someone would walk me through the ticker thing. I can make the ticker but don't know how to get it over here. Sorry for the dumbness.

Sugarbear:

Call me tonight and I will get on my computer and you get on your computer and we will do it together home # 775-825-2080, I am in pacific time.

Hi all

I just wanted to check in! I got to the hospital at noon for my 1pm surgery. Things went well during surgery, no hernia or gallbladder problems. I was back at the hotel by 4. They put a dramamine patch on me to prevent nausea, but it makes my eyes dilated, so seeing fine print is difficult. I walked a lot that evening, but did not sleep well that first night. I took 2 doses of the pain medicine and gagged on the taste both times. :welldoneclap: So, I started using a chicken broth chaser!! Fortunately, I have not had to use very much of it! I think the worst part of this recovery period is the discomfort of getting in and out of bed and sitting up and down. I am also having trouble blowing my nose. It feels like I can't catch my breath.

We flew home on Saturday, I was exhausted. Once we got home, I went right to bed, I slept all night through!:notagree Travelling was easy, just a little slow!

I am having a hard time staying on Clear liquids for the first 3 days. I feel like I am always :hungry: . I went out today and bought some soy protien powder from GNC. It makes my chicken broth taste really bad! :phanvan

So, 2 days post-op, and I am feeling really good, and have had no gas pains as of yet! I'm walking a lot and doing 1 more day of clear liquids which I try to drink slow. However, I am not feeling any restriction at all! I can drink my cup of chicken broth in 1 sitting, usually takes me about 5-7 minutes. I have been heating it up in the microwave to almost boiling, so I take longer to drink it. But at the airport yesterday, I had 3 spoonfuls of my husband's frozen yougert. 1 of the spoonfuls was a bit bigger then it should have been, and I stuck in my mouth anyway. No problem, slid right on down... I was hoping to have some restriction....

Sorry about the long story, I just had to share!

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Well congratulations!!!!

Woohooo!

If it is taking you 5-7 minutes to drink 1 cup of chick broth it is way to hot for you to drink so you are blowing on it or you have restriction and don't even know it. It would take me about 1 minute to drink 1 cup. Read tammy and my notes a few posts up going back and forth about our lack of restriction, maybe you can join our "club"

Yes, out of breath thing is protocol from surgery, it will go away day 3-4-5, just about the time the gas skeletol pains show up in your upper left chest. If the soy Protein makes your chick broth taste bad try something else that tastes good, but make sure you drink your 64 oz. of liquid to stay hydrated. Funny you should mention your nose. Right after surgery for several days my nose "ran". My nose NEVER "runs". I never blow my nose (maybe once a year maybe). That is interesting!

Keep me posted on your progress, and restriction.

This afternoon I went to my clinic's walk in clinic hours because of the whole blood in urine and low fever thing. But according to the basic dipstick the only signs of the obvious UTI everyone thought I had were just the blood in the urine and the fever. :phanvan The doctor said that if I wasn't allergic to most antibiotics he would give me one but since I was he didn't want to since there weren't obvious signs of an infection. So he looked at my incisions and pushed on them a bit and my back and tummy and so forth and thought the blisters I got from the tape were interesting (I just reminded him, well I do have a lot of allergies...) and decided I would be ok for a couple of days while they did a culture on the urine and my regular doc can call me after the results come back. But if I get worse go to the ER, etc.

So I went back home and rested some more. Was all irritable then too-- the mini makes me some jolts here and there and not a super smooth ride. So then I rested and calmed down and so forth. had some thinned out potatoe Soup that pureed and I put in some unflavored unjury in it for extra Protein. It was pretty damn good. And I had a slimfast earlier and some cranberry juice. And there is my Water... Oh and I had pudding to take my pills. I know my calories are surprisingly low but I am just not that hungry right now. I would totally go for a milkshake though (thinned out of course so not too thick)... I adore ice cream and ice cream products so I think having a shake during my liquid phase would be apropriate. What I need to know next is does ice cream itself count as a mushie? And I know I can't eat too much ice cream. I'm being really good about that even in my dreams about measuring out only half a cup into a little dish and then chewing any nuts or bits really really well and not going back for anymore not even a spoonful because yes those do count. LOL.

kyethra;

My vote would be: If the ice cream would br cranberry, it would be medicinal. Better yet, what about calling your local soft serve yogurt shop and ask them if they have low fat cranberry yogurt?

I know I'm getting closer and closer everyday. Tomorrow will be my 7th day on the Optifast 14 Day Liquid Diet! Getting Banded 3/27/07 I thought as each day goes by it may get a little easier. But the past two days have been very, very tuff! I haven't gone off course, but this is a Monster Hurdle. Sometimes it's hunger pain, and others I just want to chew and swallow something. I mean I've been eating some s/f Jello and Popsicles, chicken broth, but just a temporary fix. Anyone have any suggestions? I'm not going to cave in, but I'm just looking for some imput?

Thanks Rocko~~:help: