SHRINK'N VIOLETS

Hello all... I'm Tracy and I'm starting this thread because I just found out that I'm scheduled for Surgery on April 26, 2007.

fffffffffffffffffffast forward to April 30, 2007

SPRING HAS SPRUNG!

We made it to the other side of bandland and now we are set to support one another while we shrink our booties and grow into our new smaller skins.

All are welcome to join in and post, but we are not a group that bickers..... please be supportive as we all have different paths to follow... but the journies to the more healthy self beckons....

Let the losing begin!!!!!!!!!!!

I hate protein shake thingys normally, but this is a recipe I got on one of these boards that Dr. Miranda from Dr. Ortiz's office passed along...

1 cup vanilla soy milk

1 T unsweetened cocoa

1 scoop choc. protein powder (I'm using Designer Whey)

1 Banana

Blend like crazy in blender. Add ice cubes if desired.:clap2: I promise it really does taste good!!! (I'm a super picky eater)

7 Weight Watcher's points for the whole thing and 24 grams of protein. It's big enough that I had it for breakfast and my lunch yesterday. I can see using light vanilla soy later on after I am healed. BTW, I prefer the 8th continent light vanilla to Silk's light. On the other hand, Silk's Very Vanilla tastes like a milk shake.

Twigs

Well, today mom and I started our mushies...and it felt SO awesome to have real food again. Since so many are still on pre-op diets, I won't say what we had, but we shared it and still didn't finish it!!

Dr. Cywes told us today we're doing great and that we can expect to start getting those "i'm hungry" feelings. I'm down basically 8 lbs since surgery, but he said most of that is water weight and I can expect to get that back in the next 3 weeks, but that as long as i stay away from carbs and stick to my diet that i can still expect to see a 1 or 2 lb loss at our next appt (3 weeks from today). So at least he's prepared me for that!!

Now, I need to find a Gym with EARLY and LATE hours (and hopefully a shower!) that's close to home and safe for me to go to alone. We have no room in our house - I am a packrat, and hubby is too....baaaaaaaaaaaad combo. So even though I have a Gazelle exerciser, i have no room for it. So i'm going to break down and find a gym....preferably one i can do a month by month membership. See, in the summers at my job, we get REALLY busy and i'll work from 6am - 7 or sometimes 8 pm, so I don't want to pay for months that i know i won't be able to get in there when they're open. I'll just have to look around this weekend.

Anyway, good job everyone! We're all going to do marvelous!

Btw, thank you to those who complimented me on the picture. Take care!

Hi everyone, hope your all well.

I had my pre op blood tests etc and it looks like Im all set for 26th April. Its all pending my blood results, but I had my bloods done in February and everything was normal, so Im hoping things have not changed.

I am excited but I have to admit that I had a bad day on Saturday where I was very emotional and wondering if I was doing the right thing. I tend to focus on the negative comments on here and remember those and forget easily all the wonderful comments about how the lap band has changed peoples lives. I had a good long chat with my DH and he reminded me of what the surgeon said at our first consultation. He told me that diets dont work and it is obvious that dieting has made me obese and that while this is not going to happen overnight and without considerable effort from me that diets will be a thing of the past.

Anyway another issue that I know I will have to cope with is that I am an extremely impatient person, this is part of my compulsive nature. I need to promise myself that its progress Im after not perfection and that this is new to me and to work with the band and hopefully it will work for me.

Its so great to have this site to read and get such wonderful feedback.

Love Brenners x

OMG! I just got this e-mail from my insurance coordinator:

Hi Michelle!

I just received your information from Dr. Greene's office. It looks as if all of the information is there (which is usually the hardest part).

As we speak, I am referring everything over to our physician for review. I should have an answer back sometime today. I will let you know.

Thanks

Stefanie

Ack! Someone somewhere is reviewing my info TODAY!!! It is going to be VERY HARD to concentrate on work!!

On a good note... I re- (re-re-re...) started my lc diet AND, even more amazingly, I actually EXERCISED this morning!! I dvr'd a FIT TV workout show and made it through 1/2 hour of it... I'm planning on doing it every morning 'til I can do the whole hour w/out passing out! lol!

Ok... back to work... but I am so nervous (my pcp notes aren't really "weight-related" and I'm so worried that the ins. co. will make me do another 4-6 months "supervised" diet -- uh, hello? I've been DIETING MY WHOLE LIFE AND ALL IT'S GOTTEN ME IS TO 317 LBS!) Oddly enough, I'm hoping that my big fat a$$ and horrible BMI and sleep apnea and high cholesterol and borderline diabetes... will actually be a blessing for once and work in my favor to show them that I need this procedure!

I am rambling. Can you tell I'm a bundle of nerves???

BBL.

Hi everyone,

Well I'm getting back into my report writing from home today, and boy oh boy is it painful (mentally taxing!)....Aaaaaaaa!!!

Panda: You look so pretty, your gonna WOW em all, your hubby will have to fight the blokes off you!

Pam: Well my dietry intake is about 650-700 cals a day, and quite frankly the mushie stage is Boreing...but its better than just fluids, so I cant complain. I think my trouble is Im not adding enough varity into my diet, everything is liquidised, or very 'watered down' into baby kind of food. Typical day looks like this so far:

Breakfast: 1 weetabix with milk & sweetner OR

100-150 mls of porriadge OR

1 yougart

Lunch: Small tin of soup OR

Small pot of cottage cheese with pinapple (yum) OR

scrambled runny eggs made with milk too & a bit of greated cheese on the top OR

Mullar low fat strawberry rice pot

Dinner: small amount of mashed potatoe & carrots & cottage cheese OR

Soup again :think OR

liquidise what my family are having, into a soup

Snack: Low cal yogart with a compot (stewed fruit)

So you see its really boring, do you have any suggestions?? Im on this for another 3.5 weeks!!

Hugs Sara

The thing that is bothering me is that every doctor seems to tell their patients something different. My doctor said 2 weeks liquid pre-op, 2 weeks clear liquids post-op, 2 more weeks liquids (full liquids) and then mushies. That means 6 weeks of liquids. That sounds extreme to me. It seems like most people only do about 2 weeks of liquids post-op and then get mushies. What do you all think?

Now, I need to find a Gym with EARLY and LATE hours (and hopefully a shower!) that's close to home and safe for me to go to alone. We have no room in our house - I am a packrat, and hubby is too....baaaaaaaaaaaad combo. So even though I have a Gazelle exerciser, i have no room for it. So i'm going to break down and find a gym....preferably one i can do a month by month membership. See, in the summers at my job, we get REALLY busy and i'll work from 6am - 7 or sometimes 8 pm, so I don't want to pay for months that i know i won't be able to get in there when they're open. I'll just have to look around this weekend. ...

Panda

Check with some of your local hospitals. One less than 5 min from my home has a fitness center which is open 24 hrs and cost $54.00 for 3 months. They give you a key card and you can go in anytime you want. After hours you have to go through Emergency and walk through the hospital but it's worth it. They also have a personal trainer there during the day that helps you to set up a program just for you.

Thatmight be a good option if your hospital has one.

When I make flight reservations I go to www.seatguru.com and using my flight reservations (they always tell you what the plane is) I can see how the individual airlines have configured the seating in that airplane. Then I select my seats and avoid those narrower seats or ones without leg room (My DH is tall -- I'm short). I NEVER fly without it. On my flight home from Dr. Ortiz's office last week I selected the bulkhead seat along the window. I was very comfortable the whole trip...and that was two days post op.

Also, save yourself line time by printing off your boarding pass at home or at the hotel before you go to the airport. Most of the airlines have specific lines for those who have already pre checked in that are always shorter! Also, I notice that many times the airline give me extra bonus miles just for using the preboarding option.

Twigs

The thing that is bothering me is that every doctor seems to tell their patients something different. My doctor said 2 weeks liquid pre-op, 2 weeks clear liquids post-op, 2 more weeks liquids (full liquids) and then mushies. That means 6 weeks of liquids. That sounds extreme to me. It seems like most people only do about 2 weeks of liquids post-op and then get mushies. What do you all think?

Well, the thing is that I don't think anyone here will advise you to go against your doctor's orders. But maybe you could discuss it with him? Tell him about your activity on this board and ask him for the rationale behind his instructions. Maybe if you understand his reasoning it will make it easier to follow the diet he has outlined. I don't think you'll need to worry about being hungry on a liquid post-op diet...that won't happen. You may get plenty bored, however!

My doctor is one of the most experienced in the country and seems to be quite liberal. He only requires liquids for 24-48 hrs after surgery. For the next 4 weeks it's on to soft foods.

This is my last day off but I think I will be ready to go back to work tomorrow...will have to give some thought as to what to bring for lunch. Pain is much, much better this morning. down another pound! Well, I'm gonna get my walking shoes on and get after it today! Ya'll have a good one!

Gina--your post op directions sound just like mine. I did pretty well following them. I stuck to the clear liquids exactly as told---and jumped from full liquids to mushies a day early, then mushies to solids a couple of days early. But I took a long time out from expecting my stomach to digest serious food.

There is a wide range of dietary instructions. There is also a wide range of fill schedules, and pre-op diets, and how they close your incisions---everything varies. The success rates vary as well---and there are so many variables, it is hard to say which ones may lead to slips.

My Dr. that does my fills is even more conservative than my surgeon! I figured it was a month out of the longer life I was hoping to have with weight loss. It does allow your band to become set. I agree talking to your Dr. is the way to go, don't just take it upon yourself to change the plan.

It is my understanding that some Dr.'s are using different manners now of "setting" the band. In my case, the lower stomach was brought up and stitched to the pouch area, enveloping the band. As scar tissue (adhesions) grow, it secures the band in place. If you make your stomach digest food before this can happen, it leaves wiggle room for the band. It is in a moist environment, so it takes longer to heal the stitches than the ones on your belly outside. A friend on another thread said her Dr. told her he did not stitch her band in any way---so there may be Dr.'s doing it in ways that no longer require the extended liquids. But be sure to ask---you don't want to lose your band over a few weeks of liquids. It is doable---I'm proof!!!

I am a firm believer in ASKING the Dr. I ask mine all kinds of questions, but I went in fully informed!! He should be willing to answer anything! You are paying him good money---he works for YOU!!!

Hope everyone is doing good this morning. I am suffering from allergies. And I do mean suffering. My DH put all my beautiful lillies he bought me out in the garage to see if that helps me or not. They were so beautiful---it makes me sad, that I cannot see them. He has never FILLED the house with them like this before---so I don't know if they would do it or not. I checked, and the neighbors lilacs are not blooming yet, and that is what usually gets me going!

Terri---if you are still having problems with protein, you might want to get some unflavored powder that can be added to food---as opposed to shakes. I keep some on hand, and use it, when I feel like I need to bump my intake. I have added it to spaghetti sauce, beef stew---all kinds of things! Not enough to alter the flavor, but just a part of a scoop, to add some protein.

Sara---you are missing....chocolate!!! Jut kidding---but maybe add some sf pudding cups, or popsicles for flavor. They just give a lot of bang for the buck, when it comes to taste! I enjoyed family style meals, that I mushed more for myself. Chicken & dumplings, or I would belnd some roast & gravy with a cooked carrot, and eat that over some potatoes. I don't know what the calorie count I ate was, I never paid it any attention. I know I didn't eat a lot of it, but it tasted good---like the food I was used to eating!

Gotta go find another box of kleenex---ttyl

Kat

Kat, Thanks for the info. I was just feeling like I was the only one who had to do the liquids for so long....feeling sorry for myself I guess. I will talk to my doctor and do what he says.

April 17 here! One week!!!!!!

Bec

Hi All,

Terry- Thanks for sharing your journal ideas on caloric intake. I am glad to see I am in the "normal" range (normal as I defined it w/ you and Sara, lol). I am gonna try to stay around 600-800 over the next few weeks. Funny thing is, I've never ever ever had 800 calories a day. Now I am trying to get that many in.

Sara- Thanks for asking about how I am doing. I was very down Sunday (totally empty house) and for the first time ever, I could not turn to food to "comfort" me. I spent the day thinking about how this is my first noticable change from the band...I CAN NOT OVEREAT. That is why I started exercising yesterday. I need to keep my endorphines (don't think I spelled that right) up. I hope to develop the habit of exercising instead of eating when I need that comfort. My partner is in the military and has drill this weekend. Since I am not quite ready to drive 113 miles to see her (as I normally do on the drill weekends) we will have skip this weekend. :cry But that is ok...I have soo much homework to do, now I have no excuses.

Thanks for sharing your menu. I know that the next few weeks will be boring for us all...but I think we need to start looking at food differently. I want to look at it as needed to live, needed for fuel. And get away from the idea that it is enjoyment. Seeing food as enjoyment has gotten me to 280. So as I look over my boring menu for today, shake, shake, pudding, soup and thinking about other things that are more enjoyable...like the new car I think I am going to buy on Friday (more on this later)!

I went to the gym again today! 5miles on the bike in 30 min and 49 sec. I got my (.) this morning and almost talked myself out of it. But as I sit here, drinking my coffee and relaxing online, I am so glad I did. My port site was sore this morning, plus cramps (and day 2 is worse), but the exercise helped.

Have a great day everyone!!!

peaceout

Can someone post the link of Panda's picture<?xml:namespace prefix = v ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" /><v:shapetype id=_x0000_t75 path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" filled="f" stroked="f" o:preferrelative="t" o:spt="75" coordsize="21600,21600"> :confused: </v:shapetype> I want to see how pretty she is..... I want to bask in the weight loss; daydream that it could be me. This thread is moving so fast I can't keep up. I love it all, the good, bad and ugly it really helps us to prepare for what is to come. Thanks everyone who has been banded and keeps us updated. I am day 2 of my low carb diet. I am doing well, no cheats I can say proudly (even if it is only day 2:rolleyes: ) Yesterday I had my Atkins shake for breakfast, around 900 I had a couple left over deviled eggs, lunch was a great chef salad and i dipped my fork in the dressing, dinner chicken with mushrooms, asparagus, and salad. The family even enjoyed the meal.:hungry: So far today, two deviled eggs and my Atkins shake. I am feeling a little hungry but will stay strong. 7 days and a wake up until my band date (but who is counting). <O:p</O:p

Anyone else have Steak Out? I've been living off of them. I work long hours so I don't have time to cook most of the time, and I can call and order it on my way home and they deliver it shortly after I get home. Since I'm on my SSS Pre-op diet, I had to find places with good salads. Steak out's ham chef salad.. mmmm.. I only wish they put boiled egg in it. Would be 100% perfect!

I will have to think more about what to get for fiance after the surgery. Right now he works 3-11, and I'm in bed by time he gets home anyway.. but the day of my surgery he officially gets a promotion and will be on the same hours as me.. 8-5. Woohoo. But, that means he'll expect me to feed him. Frankly, he could use it.. for the past year or so, he's eating like a teenager, which is is NOT anymore.. and his metabolism is trying to tell him, but he's ignoring it.. Since I'm in bed when he comes home, he keeps cookies, crackers, cheese and mt. dew (mmm my beloved mt. dew) for his daily food. Eats boxes of cookies or donuts for dinner.. snacks on crackers and chunks of cheese. He's getting to be squishy (hehe), and I don't eat those kinds of things for my meals and I'm this much overweight.. where is the justice..