I FEEL GREAT!!! :biggrin2: Wow, that's all I can say! I started pursuing the lapband journey last year and found out it was not covered by Tricare, and was THRILLED to find out it was covered in Feb of this year. That is when I started by making an appointment with my Dr and started on the road to Tricare approval. The things I worried about most were not ever being able to drink Diet Coke again and crushing up my meds. Well the worst part is actually crushing up my meds. YUCK!!! It's just nasty! But the best part is that I am 19 pounds lighter today than I was 2 weeks ago. The pounds are literally falling off and I can look in the mirror and see a difference.

I am not having any huge cravings for any kind of food. I am eating just like I was told that I needed to eat. I am starting to get a little hungry, but I look forward to when I get my first fill. My downfall of diets was that I always got hungry, and this is why I failed. Everything I eat is now sugar free and definitely no bread or Pasta. Physically I feel better and mentally I feel more confident than I have in a long time.

I am 110% happy with my decision!!! :biggrin2:

Congratulations! I hope I have the same experience after I am banded. I am in the insurance approval process with Cigna.

congrats I am 5 days banded I hope I am just as happy at my 2 week mark :eek:

I'm 11 days out from surgery and feel the same way! I know how you feel about the diet coke. That was the one thing that I thought I would miss so much. Funny but I haven't even missed it at all!!! The first thing that has gone away was the swelling in my feet. What a difference that alone makes. I used to hate those first few steps because my feet hurt so much. In just a week it was all gone and I could finally see my ankles again and it didn't hurt when I took those first steps after waking or being in the car for my 1 hour commute to work. Even better I can finally wear all the cute shoes I have in my closet that I haven't been able to wear for at least a year!! So far I haven't been all that hungry and I only moved to a full liquid diet yesterday. My co-workers couldn't believe that all I was having for lunch was a measly little 5 ounces of Soup and that was enough to fill me up. I've lost about 14 lbs since surgery and looking forward to the other 136 going bye bye forever!!! I still think about my favorite chicken florentine Pasta but i'm sure i'll figure out a way to make something similar without the pasta that will fit into my new plan. Someone posted the other day about taking tostitos spinich dip and chicken and mixing that together so as soon as I can go to real food thats one of the first on my list. Good luck in your journey!!!

Dana

congrats! im one wk post-op and to b honest im still in a lot of pain and have bad heartburn i hope to feel as good as you in two wks cause as of now im a little depressed that i feel so crappy the gas pain will not go away no matter how much i walk im very glad you r doing well and i wish you lots of luck and your new journey to becoming heathly

I am inspired by your excitement - congrats! I was banded 5 days ago and am thrilled that my scale shows 10 lbs lost. I see it in my face - as do others. I am starting to get a little too creative w/ the liquid diet thing - convincing myself that anything that fits through a straw is considered liquid. I'm thinking of liquifying a Big Mac meal. JUST KIDDING.....gross. But, I have thoroughly enjoyed blending many of the different soups I find at salad bars. I'm looking forward to the mushy-food stage - but hope the pounds will continue to drop. Good luck, everyone!

Zeama--I am 5 weeks out and also have to crush meds that I take. If you put them in a small amount of applesauce and then cover them with applesauce then just swallow, you never know you've even taken them. A happy note about me I am down 25 lbs and I am off all of my diabetic meds and Blood pressure meds.

Good Luck and continued success on your band journey. Leah

Hi, just wanted to ask all of you newly banded a couple of questions. Do you feel like you get spasms in your esophagus. I sometimes feel like I can't take a deep breath and I yawn constantly. Do you ever feel like you made a mistake? I don't want to feel sick all the time. I guess I am getting a little depressed:(

I was banded on 7/17/08.

Bella, I think those symptoms will go away for you. I'm definitely having a hard time remembering to sip slowly and not just guzzle the liquids down. I know right away when I do it too quickly, and I get those feelings you have. New habits that will just have to be practiced/repeated to really sink in. Congrats on your incredible weight loss so far! That's awesome! It will all be worth it for us- I'M CONVINCED!

I was banded on 7/15/08. I'm down 16 pounds total. I have my 1 week post-opt appt. tomorrow and will confirm my weight then. My 5 cuts are healing nicely. I had a few depressed days where the liquid diet was just too much and I was over doing it. I really think it's effects from the surgery and it's normal to have a few days post opt like that. I have not yet cheated on my post-opt diet. I'm too scared to after hearing all the stories here of bands slipping, etc.

I log all my foods, like a food journal into thedailyplate.com and just the last 2 days I've worked up to 8 glasses of Water daily and I can't seem to go over 550 calories. 3 months ago I gave up an 8 can a day Diet soda routine. It's about all I drank all the time. With straws. I gave up straws too. I can't say I miss it at all.

Choopie, I am glad to hear about someone else with gas pains. I am four days out and expected to feel much better today, but still feel pretty weak and am dealing with not soreness, but pains which must be gas. I will pray that the two week mark will leave us both feeling like new women!

I am three weeks post-op and feel fine. No more gas pains, very little soreness and not hungry (amazing!). I had bad gas pains for about 10 days after surgery. I walked as much as I could. I tried the GasX strips, but it didn't help much. One day I woke up and the gas pains were gone. So just hang in there, it gets easier. I've lost 13 pounds so far and am very pleased. (Some people lose way more the first few weeks, but I am a slow loser and for me this is like the speed of light).

I am starting on regular food, but I find that I am just not that hungry so I am trying to really pay attention to the signals of physical hunger. I try to get a least one Protein shake in a day. I go back for my first fill in August but if this continues, I'm not sure I will need it. We'll see.

Congrats Zeama! I am in the same boat. I feel pretty darn good.

The one thing I don't get is...

It seems like I am the only one here who is on all Clear liquids for 2 weeks post-op (then I can only add Protein shakes and tomato Soup for 2 more weeks). When I see my Dr for my 2 week post-op I will be asking him why.

I have been reading others who added mushies/soft foods 2 weeks out...

Choopie, I am glad to hear about someone else with gas pains. I am four days out and expected to feel much better today, but still feel pretty weak and am dealing with not soreness, but pains which must be gas. I will pray that the two week mark will leave us both feeling like new women!

Hi tnag86

its good to hear what other people r experiencing i was afraid i was the only one lol i do hope we will feel better soon im also feeling tremendous gas pain my incisions dont hurt at all but the heartburn is a killer but i know it will all pass eventually its just ive never had much patience, which is prob why i couldn't stick to a diet to long i always got frustrated when the weight wouldn't come off quick enough i pray that u feel better soon please keep me posted on your recovery GOOD LUCK!!!!

Congrats... I was banded on 7-10-08.. I put on a pair of capri pants to day that were a little snug at the first of tsummer now they are lose in the waist you better bet I wore them to my first day back at work since my surgery. heeeheee Good luck and keep up the good work... Laurie

I am almost 3 weeks post-op and I feel great! Like many of you, I too had the chest pain, heartburn etc. I even had some doubts that maybe I made a mistake getting the band. Now that I am 3 weeks out, I feel great and I love my band! I eat very little and get full so fast. For those recently banded in the last week or two, hang in there! You will soon feel fabulous!