I just found out my surgery will be in July (granted my pre-op testing goes okay) SOOOOOOOOO

Here's a thread for everyone getting banded in July 07!

Does anyone have any good ideas for a neat name we could call ourselves?

Chimboree!!! Are you still on? Do you have a big red area under the painful port site. Mine is still hurting badly and is hot to the touch, and is swollen. I wondered if it's normal? Is that how yours is? I think we were same day or a day apart (Thurs) I put my question on the post op board, but then saw that you are having same pain. Will you compare notes with me? CC

Chimboree!!! Are you still on? Do you have a big red area under the painful port site. Mine is still hurting badly and is hot to the touch, and is swollen. I wondered if it's normal? Is that how yours is? I think we were same day or a day apart (Thurs) I put my question on the post op board, but then saw that you are having same pain. Will you compare notes with me? CC

That's not normal. It sounds like you might have an infection. My surgeon told me to look for swelling, redness, and heat.

Hi all . Sorry I have not been on in a while. this thread is so hard to keep up w/ so I wont try LOL

I was banded on the 16th and im feeling good . My port incision and the one between my boobs is a bit sore but other than that im feeling good.

I need to work on my walking a bit more. Tomorow is my 2 week post op visit so im sure my doc will let me have it about walking then LOL.

FINALLY Tomorow ends my 14 days of 3 times a day of heprin injections.

THOSE were SO fun let me tell ya .

Just wanted to say HI and i hope to be more active on the thread more.

Love

Mindy

My, this thread does move fast :eek:

Since my first post I have managed to skip and skim through most of the 4000+ posts to this site. Took me 6.5 hrs. All I can say is that I wish I had visited earlier. I have been on LBT since earlier this year (cant remember exactly....it is under my name somewhere) and I just have not visited these threads because I thought they were strictly for ppl who had been banded already.

Gosh, what a mistake. You all sound like an awsome support group. Almost like a family.

Ok, a little about myself. If not interested, nows the time to scroll onward....

I actually started my band journey in 2004 when my BFF Darlene had RNY done. I went through the whole process with her including twice a day dressing changes when she got infected. (Im a nurse so who else would have the pleasure of changing those dressings? :woot: ) Anyhow, I was truely amazed at her progress. We litterally spent nearly every day together for the 2 years or so after her surgery. I learned so much from her but knew that there was no way I was gonna let someone take part of my gizzards out. That's when I started researching the Lap Band. Just so happened about that time, the hospital I worked at opened their own state-of-the-art bariatric unit. And just so happened that one of my friends was over it, so when they needed extra help, they would pull me down there. I got lots of experience and lots of knowledge from them. Well, it was during all this time that all the hurricanes hit in Florida, so me and DH decided it was time to move back to TN. I had decided about 9 months before we moved that I really did want the band but my insurance wouldnt pay (bummer) So I decided to wait till we got settled in TN to pursue it. It was a gut-wrenching decision to move as we were leaving our best friends behind but we felt it was time to go. We had only been here a few months when I got to "hankering" for the Lap Band again. So I started doing research and low and behold my new insurance where I work now, does pay for it. YIPPEE!!!!:bounce: I started on my real journey in January of this year. Everything went smoothly until I went to a follow-up with my surgeon in June for what I thought was going to be my presurgical visit. When I got there, the insurance lady told me that I was 1 "weigh-in" visit short and that I still did not have the 5 year history of weights that I had to have before they could send it in to the insurance company. I was very bummed to say the least but she was very encouraging and told me that according to what she was looking at so far that there would be no way they would turn me down. So I left the office and made a last weigh-in appt with my reg. MD who couldn't see me till later in July and called all over Florida to get my 5 years of records sent over.

Now this is where it gets real good :woot: About 1 week later, I was driving down the road and my cell phone rang. Expecting it to be my hubby, I answered it and surprize...it was my surgeons office telling me I was APPROVED!!! I was so shocked, I had to pull over in a parking lot. But by then I was confused and asked the girl how? I didn't even have all the required info in. She said that the insurance lady went on vacation the day after my visit and someone accidentally sent my records in for approval and without question they approved it.

That is why I am a July bandster instead of an August. And I think that it was the grace of God that it happened. I could not have been grouped with a nicer bunch of ppl.

So without adu (sp?) I introduce myself and hope you will forgive this long post and accept me into this warm, cuddly group that you have.

Hi Friends!!

I had been complaining how restrictive my post op diet is and how hungry I am with the hunger pain and finally figured I was in the throws of Bandster Hell!! So in a fit of hunger pain, (10 days out) I cut a dice size of hard chedder cheese and am sucking on it like a hard candy. this is making me feel better and I love the taste, but is this real bad for me to do? It's kind of like cheese juice going down. Mentally and physically this makes me feel better. I did it once last night and once tonight. I never even heard of bandster hell until it happened to me.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlueEyedBaby

Me too, me too....add me as a July Bandster

Anyone else here banded on the 27th?

Me! What a lucky day!!!

Nice to meetcha' twin :eek:

So how are you progressing?

I am doing awsome. More detail later....as you can see it is quite late here. You have a good one and take it easy :notagree

:update:

At 5 days post op I thought I would give an update. I was reading everyone else's experiences and thought I would throw mine in.

The shoulder pain (gas) subsided by the second day for me. I did a LOT of walking. (Thank God for pain meds to make that more doable!) My port incision is the most sore, but seems to be healing nicely. Is anyone else itchy all around your incisions? I think the band-aid adhesive caused it.

I am feeling hungry on occasion, but I can only take a few bites at a time to feel full really, then take a break and come back for more later. I can, however, eat a whole Sugar Free pudding cup pretty quickly. I found a SF Banana Fudge flavor and I love it! I am so totally over soups and broths. I am getting desperate. I even put some chicken salad in a blender with extra mayo and mustard to make it creamy. It was...well...different. I was also able to finish off an entire protein shake today. I use Pro Complex Vanilla powder and mix it with FF milk, frozen berries, and a scoop of Splenda. Not bad!

Is anyone having the New Whey protein shots? They come in these containers that look like giant test tubes. They have 25g or 42g bottles and they come in different flavors. They are great for liquid only stages because you get all that protein in a very small amount of liquid! You can find them sold online and at The Vitamin Shoppe. My doctor's office sells them. My friend who was banded in Dec. drinks them still, especially after getting a fill.

Also, is anyone else weighing themselves compulsively? I feel like it is a ritual everytime I step foot in my bathroom now! I have never been this way because I was scared of what the scale would say. I think it is nice now to be hopeful as I approach the scale so I do it all the time! I lost 6 pounds on the Pre-op diet and I have lost another 4 pounds since surgery. Off to a pretty good start I think.

I have my post-op appt. this Tues. and I really hope they will tell me I can start trying some solids again soon. My blender is going to burn out otherwise!

My mom is so sweet and took my girls to spend the night with her tonight. They are 2 and 3 years old. It is a nice and needed break. I think I overdid it a couple nights ago trying to clean up around the house. It just gets so messy so fast with 2 little ones running around and stir crazy! After having "a talk" with my DH, he is helping out a lot more now.

Well, I am off to bed now I think. I am so pumped about sleeping in tomorrow!

it is only 1am and today is not going well at all,

after i left you guys last night to go to bed i could not sleep, finally at 6 am i got to sleep and I was up at 9! i'm waiting for the baby sitter to come so i cam go to the gym , wainting.... then she shows up at 10.30 when i'm supose to be there at 10.30. Anyways i get to the gym only to be told that my personal trainer is not in day and that she said she txted me. NO SHE DID NOT. I made it very clear i was not happy with today or the servies i've had since i started. then i got home and the baby sitter how tidies the house put all my dirty clothes in my press with all my clean clothes. also while she moped the floor she scratched the wooden floors with the side of the mop

and if thats not bad enough the baby wont sleep and it driving me nuts!!

oh finally last bit my moms scales says i'm 177lb and he one in the gym says i'm 181. not happy at all

BlueEyedBaby, thats some journey you've been on. i bet your friend loved having your support and also how great was it having the ins approve you. i was selfpay myself and it breaks my heart what i paid for it when it could have been used for my daughter but it will be so worth it in the end!! welcome great to have you on bored

Sunny your too sweet, i'm your role model wow never taught i'd ever hear that!!!!

how you doing girlfriend. did you manage to get the song yet? i hope you like it if you do get it

OnMyWay, sounds like your doing great. about the scales and being on it all the time i was at the start but i had to stop. it was not doing me any favours and was driving me crazy!! now i weight myself 2 times a week and that is it. no more!!!

Chimboree!!! Are you still on? Do you have a big red area under the painful port site. Mine is still hurting badly and is hot to the touch, and is swollen. I wondered if it's normal? Is that how yours is? I think we were same day or a day apart (Thurs) I put my question on the post op board, but then saw that you are having same pain. Will you compare notes with me? CC

Hey CC! I'm sorry you're having that pain. I have some soreness around my port incision, but no redness or heat. I would definitely go see my doc about that. It does sound like it may be infected. If so, you wanna catch it now and get it treated before it gets bad.

Don't stress about it...just get in to your doc and they will take good care of you!

Well, we want to wish well our friends who are going today:

Stonersmom, Only4Me, and BMS0502

Check in w/us as soon as you can!

On deck for tomorrow, I have:

Trish2U, Caolin, ChunkyBuddy, LuciaMaria, TJFandri, and Chris45

Let us know what your thoughts and feelings are!

Good Morning all.

Welcome Katrina, what a journey you've been on to get your band, but thing always work out don't they. Congrats!

onmyway, I've read up on the shots, but haven't tried them. have you yet, and are they good?? I did weight in compulsively the first 2 weeks, and then my loss stopped, and I stopped gettin on, a little depressing, but bound to happen sometime.

Hope our bandsters for today are on their way, and will be recovering well today.

Good morning Chim, you headed back to work today. I hope everything goes smoothly for you. You'll have to let us know.

Sunny, I'm here, where are you!!!! We' were gonna chat this week, remember!!

Phyl, I got the DaVinci raspberry syrup last night and put it in my shake this morning with 1 oz of raspberries. OMG, it is so good. It reminds me of Greater's black raspberry chip ice cream (for who ever is familiar with Greater's ice cream) oh, I'm going to have another one tonight!!!

Dini, how ya doing babes, I'm up finally. This it the latest I've slept since being off. It's gonna kill me to get up ar 4:30 am next week for work. I think I need to play the lotto this week. Maybe I won't have to go back,LOL!!

Sorry, you aren't enjoying anything you eat! I didn't have that trouble either! Trouble is it tastes too good and I feel just good enough that I want to eat more than I should. Haven't, but definitely tempted, lol! Although some have said the meds affect your taste buds, so maybe that is it.

Thanks to you and mango! Perhaps it's as you say and the meds haven't made their way out of my system yet.

I had half a cup of oatmeal for breakfast this morning. I think because the taste was very mild it didn't bother me. Normally I would eat oatmeal with brown sugar and cream, but today it was without any extras. I enjoyed it! So perhaps I need to find foods that have minimal taste. I've had to water down my apple juice because it's just too sweet for me and water seems to be what I'm enjoying most of all. The difference is so strange!

I jumped on the scales this morning and am down to 236lbs today. :whoo: I went up to 245 post op due to the IV fluids, and I'm really pleased I lost that. I'm off to the gym now to spend some time on the treadmill. In spite of the pain I've had, I'm so excited about this new lifestyle and new me!

Ruby - I am also having trouble eating what the diet says to eat. I make something,, then I can't eat it - cause it's gross,

I blended some vegetable soup, smelled o.k., yet gross, threw it out.,

I then tried potato soup, smelled o.k., yep still gross, I got a few spoofuls in. Even my protien drinks taste like sh#@. I liked them before. What is going on? Everything I taste is yucky.

I can't start mushes till Tues.

Cate54 - I hope you feel better soon. Are you taking pain meds from the doc? Maybe they are making you sick?

I know what you mean. I had no problem with the boost breeze before surgery. Now after I drank it the first 3 days out and then at night I had this AWFUL after taste in my mouth. It made me kinda nauseous!! Now I am having a hard time forcing myself to drink them. I have been trying to get at least 1 of the 3 a day in that I need but yesterday I only got a half of one in. I then tried my beneprotein in chicken broth and it grossed me out too. I am having a hard time getting my proteins in now. Can't wait to advance from liquids. I still have one more week yet!!!

Hi Friends!!

I had been complaining how restrictive my post op diet is and how hungry I am with the hunger pain and finally figured I was in the throws of Bandster Hell!! So in a fit of hunger pain, (10 days out) I cut a dice size of hard chedder cheese and am sucking on it like a hard candy. this is making me feel better and I love the taste, but is this real bad for me to do? It's kind of like cheese juice going down. Mentally and physically this makes me feel better. I did it once last night and once tonight. I never even heard of bandster hell until it happened to me.

That sounds like a good idea, but of course you should check with your doctor or dietician. My doctor told me I could call his office if I had any questions relating to diet. He has a dietician there, and any medical questions that his staff can't answer are passed on to him and they'll get back to me within 24 hours. So perhaps call his office.

I saw an ad for pizza on TV last night and started to drool at the sight of the melted cheese. It's very strange because I'm not a big pizza lover. So I've had cheese on my mind since then! Maybe if I start suffering from head hunger, I'll give that a shot myself.