FLORIDAYS

I did it...so I know you can do it and the upside ...you will lose weight, you will have a healthy liver for surgery and you will realize you don't need to eat food to live. You just need nutrition Best of luck... Day 1-4 is the worst...be ready for it...and don't cheat.

Good idea if is fat free dressing? Don't forget those hidden calories...

Sugar free whenever possible is just better for you. In some things it's just not worth the extra calories... Like popsicles, jello, pudding, jelly.... All those calories add up so the logic is to cut them where you can and eat healthier. Most diabetic diets are all about sugar free ... Because its better for you.

Since this job doesn't matter to you then by all means do what you want but I have been a business owner and am currently in sr mgt HR so my advice would be put all time off requests in writing and ask for approvals in writing as well, As far as your surgery I do not. See why you can't wait the 90 days. Good employment is based on the employee and the employer working together for a common goal. They do not owe you anything. The probationary period is a lot like the liquid diet we bandsters go on... If you aren't willing to commit to excellence for a short period of time why should your employer keep you on? Just something to think about.

You all are so encouraging... Thanks for the info about the healing. I appreciate it

I usually order fish, baked potato and a salad or vegetable. Obviously I cannot eat everything so I just bring it home. Sometimes for more casual dining I order the soup or a chicken or shrimp quesadilla... I will eat usually the insides out of 2 slices and leave the tortilla and take home the rest.

He will tell you like it is and has no problems answering questions... I credit him with helping me understand how to become one with my band!!

you look wonderful Cheryl!!!! Congrats!

Not at all.... in fact I never took any pain meds. The only discomfort I had was the gas for about a week.

Yep they did.... Both of us were dumbfounded.... but rather than arguing we just ignored it.

You know early on I asked my Dr the following... What percentage of people who fail are self pay vs insurance paid. I thought for sure he would say ... hands down insurance paid people... my thinking was obvious in that if you shelled out the cash you would be more committed. He said... you know I dont know but it would be interesting to find out. On my next visit... he said he had the office manager do a sampling and they found that it was pretty split.... which surprised me but he said its about committment. ANd somepopel have it and some poeple do not. He said his heart ache when he sees someone failing because he knows they just arent putting in the effort... no matter what they tell him unless of course there is a medical reasoning to back it up. I guess like with anything else... there are those who want and do and those who want to talk about it....and do not want to do

I wouldnt think another thing about it. A pound is a pound.... Water or no water. And you have been around long enough to know most people dont think before they speak... so my advice... ignore it and just keep losing. Trust me when I tell you when you reach your goal people will still be saying dumb things... like last week someone said... oh look... now he (my husband) is the fat one in the relationship.... I mean really???? What a silly thing to say. Mostly because hubby is 6'1" 200 lbs and other than a typical middle paunch because he says working out will ruin his golf game.... but thats another story....) he is trim... It was just a classic case not thinking before speaking.... And you cannot fix it.

I carried my 377 lbs well too... and if I didnt do something about it I was going to carry it to my grave.... My response to people who told me why I shouldnt have surgery was ... Thank you for your opinion. I appreciate it. I didnt argue with them or try to change their minds... I just listened to what they said and moved on.

I would suggest getting in touch with a reputable Band surgeon in your area and have a frank discussion with him/her. Bring your medical records with you....

Oh Donna you look wonderful!!!! What a long way you have come! Stand loud and proud!

Here is a pic I took this morning. Belly button is mostly healed... scars seem to be fading....and the drain site is coming along... I am just concerned if it will heal flat like the rest of it.

Someone said that to me today. I was back at work ...granted I was at home but I could do my job in a closet and no one would notice...LOL. Any way I was on the phone with one of my employees and she asked how I was recovering from my surgery... She doesn't know it's nature..but anyway I told her I was really surprised at how well I was doing albet I would like to feel a little less tired....but she said...well happy people get good results. It got me to thinking.... And of course there are exceptions to this rule of thumb...but do you believe it?

Like many others i am sure.... I get a lot of PMs from people at different stages of their journey asking how they can be as successful as I have been, what were my challenges, what do I eat etc....... And I answer each and every question. A handful of people, write back thanking me or expressing their concerns, frustrations etc....But I really am not sure why most of the others actually do not... I offer my opinions, answer their questions and give them the what worked for me speech... And then I never hear from them again. Not even a thanks for taking the time to answer me... I am not expecting life long pen pals and i I am greatful when Someone actually acknowledges my repy... But for someone to take the time to write, m to take the time to answer I am baffled as to why they don't acknowledge my answer. Just another thing to make you go hmmmmm

My day started out typical...until I left work for a 1045 a dr appointment. My plastic surgeon has been concerned about the bleeding from my belly button that started almost 2 weeks after my tummy tuck.....but stopped since I saw him Monday. For precaution he wanted to check me out anyway. Last night I thought I was in the clear...no bleeding, minimal swelling... But I went anyway because I am a firm believer in following drs orders. And this morning there was a small amount of blood and swelling above the incision line. Immediately the dr noticed the swelling and decided to make 3 tiny incisions, pack them with gauze and let me drain for 24 hrs. Once he did that.... He said that would redirect the belly button bleed but my body has a mind of its own because it didn't work. After another 15 minutes of push and trying to figure out where is drainage was coming from he decided to send me accross the street to the hospital for an ultrasound so he could see exactly where they pockets of blood were. Keep in mind this drainage isn't too unusual...it's not life threatening... its just messy and inconvenient. But the fact it didn't stop once he made the cuts concerned him. So he called the radiologist ...you know the one doctor who you never meet but sends you a bill for reading your radiology reports.....LOL Anyway they saw me right away...which was a little concerning to me ....but comforting too. I hop on the table and the tech starts to do the ultrasound and finds two dark spots on either side of the belly button...not under the muscle....just under the skin. I also saw my port which looked pretty!!! The tech called in the dr who assured me he just spoke to my plastic surgeon and he was going to aspirate them.....or try too. Basically that means to take a needle and stick it in the dark spot and try to suck it out. The dr called the spots blood clots or hematomas. After i heard the blood clot word I asked him how concerned I should be. He said they were not in arteries or veins so not life threatening. He said they are not unusual and they would eventually be absorbed by the body but they would just as soon get rid if them. He brought out a 5" needle and plunged into the larger clot. Nothing. It was so think he couldn't suck it out. He said he needed a bigger needle. I equated that to JAWS...we are going to need a bigger boat! The larger needle didn't help....he got about an Inch up the needle and it stopped. Too thick. He did get a little to send to the lab to rule out anything funky but he decided to move to the smaller one. That one came out lick a dee split. One down..one left.... The radiologist called my PS and told him what's was up and they decided to let me go and let the drains do their thing tonight and I go back in the morning to clean the drainage and decide what to do with the remaining clot. I was uncomfortable but had to go back to work to clean up stuff which I left...considering I was gone 4 hrs and only prepared for one!! I was walking a little funny but finished out my day and drove home. My PS called me on the way home to see how I was doing... And to tell me what he and the RAD discussed... So tonight I am lying in bed...resting and being really mad at my body for keeping this old blood as a souvenir from my surgery....

I made my own and also bought a sodium free brand Cottage Inn...wasn't too bad

Best wishes for success in losing weight however you chose to do it.

I just had mine in dec... Originally I wasn't goig. To get implants but after careful discussions and thought I opted not to be a A cup and went for a full B. I am thrilled with the results. I have a thread posted In this section and also have pics on my gallery if you want to look. http://www.lapbandtalk.com/topic/161780-tummy-tuck-and-breast-left-on-tuesday-1218/ Love love my new body and the extra skin on my arms and legs just doesn't look quite as bad anymore.

I was 50 when I was banded 2 yrs ago. I am 5'9" and I lost 220 lbs in 23 months. I am maintaining at 157 and would like to lose 10 more lbs so i have some wiggle room. I went from 77" hips to 37". Part of my plan was to visit my dr monthly. I stuck to 1000 calories a day and weighed, measured and tracked everything I put in my mouth. I had an average loss of 10 lbs per month. My decision to get the band over other WLS was because I didn't want my anatomy changed. That's not to say other types of WLS doesn't work... I just didn't feel it was the choice for me. So far I haven't had any issues I hear other discuss. I listen to my band and I don't test it's limits very often and so far it hasn't failed me.