Hi all you April Bandsters! We have our own April '09 Forum here. This will be our 1st Master Thread to chat, share dates, diets, feelings, etc. When it starts getting too long (loads too slowly) we can start a 2nd and so on.

Sherry (Sissyh1006) has started a list with all our surgery dates, so she'll be along soon and you can give her updates.

If you want a "Bunny Bandsters - April '09" signature line (see below) then click HERE (feel free to change anything). On LBT go to 'User CP' (in the top banner) then down to 'Edit your Signature' (on the Left column). Now copy the PICTURE of the Bunny signature with the peep and paste it into the edit your signature box.

Can't wait to meet you all! -BG

Ideere- that weight loss is AWESOME! Sorry to hear you're having trouble with the liquids. We're you a big drinker (not booze :wub: ) before surgery? I'm wondering if that has any effect (affect??) on post-op.

Good luck to all being banned today! Can't wait for tomorrow!!!

congrats on the loss ldeere! My husband is really concerned about hydration, I haven't had surgery yet and he is already trying to make sure I am in the habit of constantly drinking. I guess thats a big problem after surgery. Do you just forget or is it uncomfortable to drink? I am so curious to hear details on everything.

I am 3rd day in with the pre-op liquids.......yesterday was SOOOO hard for me - it seemed like I was smelling food everywhere.

I had a huge headache all day, and felt dizzy most of the day.

Today is going better -- no headache and not having the HUGE hunger pains, yet.

Congrats to all that have had recent surgery - keep it up --- can't wait for my turn on April 28th!!

Hello Everyone!! So glad to hear everyone is doing sooo good! I'm on day 8 after surgery and doing a lot better! Had my staples out yesterday and that helped a lot! I also got to weigh and lost 7 pds. so that for sure made me feel better! I go back to the Dr. May 19, just to see how things are. So how do we post losses, do we wait until we go to the Dr. or weigh at home and maybe post once a month? The Nurse told me that they have people that have waited 3 mt. before they had a fill and they had 1 man that has had only 3 fills in a year. So that means that maybe I won't be going in to the Dr. but every few months. So if anyone has any suggestions, let me know! Also for those of you that have yet to be banded, there is also some back pain that is normal. About 2 days after, my lower back started hurting and hurt for several days and the Nurse said that a lot of people have that. I, also am having trouble getting all my water down, I found a 48 oz. water jug at Wal-Mart, so I fill that up every day and that way I can keep up with how much I've drank that day.

Hey Doodle, glad you're doing well! ThinWithin started a Friday weigh in thread for us and LingLing has started a spreadsheet (she needs your Friday weight and your starting weight-highest while on the LB journey, pre-op) post HERE.

Also I started a thread for those of us yet to be banded so we can help each other through the initial period (since we've got people at so many stages now here). If you're being banded next week, or really I should have said, anytime the end of this month and want to support each other through our banding, post HERE.

Tomorrow is the big day. I'm so excited and maybe a little bit nervous. Someone called from the hospital today to go over all the details and to verify some medical history. I guess it's all finally starting to feel real. I sure I hope I can sleep tonight.

Hope all went well today for Hannahj914, sylver28, MrsMitch, mec267's wife, kimba74, DottieD00, Vcatalina1.

And all the best tomorrow for Jenfs5, scoobydoo, rannah12, vayiayia, allformyson, abbie-pie beefromcalie, contemplating, sweet68, Stephanie1972, wishuponaband, ldl, loser09, delancruz64, Justired, smiley78, mytum2bhappy, tammy webb and jamie05.

PHEW what a list.

Sorry my wishes have been late of late. Been sleeping alot to get away from pain.

I hope everything went well today for Lachdanon, Elayne, babydoll1, 2Legit2 Quit, tawandabee, hairnv, memzie, Jeansthings, aris, taina009, IsabellaP84, pottergirl and swrktp. So sorry I didn't get this message out last night, but I was thinking of you.

And want to wish the best to Suzdavis, victoria_057, poconomon, barbgrl, tiffalicious81, baljay, trishb13, moonbeam, auntbrat and jukebox81782 for tomorrow.

Please keep us in the link.

Things went well for me, today is the first day I've had any real pain, but when I say REAL!!! It's real! It's hard to keep track of all the liquids and protein, but it's going ok...I feel like I have a low-grade fever, but other than that, the experience was well worth it! Keep your GasX right beside your Hydrocodone and Phenegran and you will live! They are my best friends right now. Good luck and thanks for the prayers everyone sent up for us. I'm so thankful it's over and I hope everyone else has as good of an experience as I have had!

Tomorrow's my LapBand surgery. I wish everyone the best on their surgery and LapBand journey. I'll post on Friday when I return home from the hospital.

Blessings!!!

Myturn2bhappy and Thinwithin.... I drank a lot of water before my surgery. I guess after surgery, I had quiet a bit of restriction whether it be from the band or from the swelling.....but a lot of restriction nonetheless....so when I would drink a small amt of liquids, I was full. If I continued trying to drink more, I was miserable. I did have quiet a bit of gas discomfort, not really pain, just bloating and feeling kinda miserable after I ate or drank. That is getting better. I was finally able to get in over 48 ozs of liquid today so I am feeling better. Hope you're surgeries go well!

Had my surgery on Monday morning.

All went well.

While traveling the 50+ miles at 5:30 in the morning (check-in / pre-op was at 6:15 and surgery at 8:00) I sorta panicked and thought, "What the hell are you doing girl??"

I found 2 Valium (10 mg) from a recent dental procedure and took one to sleep better before getting up at 4:00 am.

It worked well and although I wasn't bright-eyed and bushy-tailed - at least I had several hours of sleep.

Before the pre-op business started - IV and the like - I asked the nurse if I could have the 2nd Valium.

She said "of course" - apparently Valium is prescribed frequently.

I wouldn't recommend anyone taking it on their own - but I had it AND I asked.

It lowered the anxiety a bit.

It was nice to see many smiling faces overhead as I was wheeled into the OR.

This is a HAPPY surgery and the surgical team made it almost pleasant.

No snags - no traumas - I went smoothly from recovery into my own private room.

Attentive nurses - especially my personal nurse "Tyler".

He was very informative and gentle.

Best of all - my family (3 children) spent the entire afternoon with me and my husband stayed well into the evening.

Sleeping wasn't as easy as I had hoped.

Several helpful doses of morphine - the pain wasn't too bad.

They skipped the dreaded CPAP and I wore the oxygen doo-hicky the entire time I was there.

I also needled insulin shots as my glucose spiked - because of body trauma from surgery and the dextrose drip.

All in all - it went smoothly - although I gained about 8 pounds - water retention, EKG monitor and what-not.

But after 4 days - my weight has gone 2 pounds before my pre-op weight.

I'm moving slowly - sipping juicy water regularly - chewing my vitamins and getting ready to take my first shower and change my dressings.

Good luck to everyone else!

goodness this is a long thread, I wasnt expecting to be here - my date was orginally set for may after a long wait and see game with the nurse staff (papers missing)...but then the doctor called me last friday and said we can do it Tuesday (4/14)! So I quickly did the diet and made it by my hair of my chiny chin chin. lol.. so now I'm an April banster.

goodness this is a long thread, I wasnt expecting to be here - my date was orginally set for may after a long wait and see game with the nurse staff (papers missing)...but then the doctor called me last friday and said we can do it Tuesday (4/14)! So I quickly did the diet and made it by my hair of my chiny chin chin. lol.. so now I'm an April banster.

Paxie, Welcome. I've found it to be a wonderful, friendly and informative place.

I was banded on 04/03 and had dermabond (glue) used instead of staples for my incision sites. I used some surgical tape remover yesterday and it seemed to get some of the 'gunk' off. But now my abdomen is itchy as all get-out. I took a shower and figure it just may be healing... Anyone have any suggestions? Thanks!!!

those of you with small children might appreciate this more than others but I realized today that I only have ONE HAND LEFT on my countdown. that's a big deal in the countdowns in our house lol