jinfrin

wow...ive never heard of no pre op diet...i would be very careful if i were u..i know that i have learned that every doctor is different...some are sticter than others..I do know that from study and homework, a preop diet is not only to help u out in the long run, but aids in post op recovery time as well....I also learned that by doing a preop u shrink ur liver and stomach, but that ur liver lies on top of ur stomach and by shinking it , even a little, helps the surgeon be able to get to ur stomach easier. Also by shrinking ur stomach and all, aids in recovery-less swelling, irritation...my preop diet of clear liquids with protien shakes-3-4 a day...for 2 weeks helped me out immensely.... I know for a fact that by doing that I breezed thru the recovery...I also talked to those thru my doc office and they seemed to have the same results...my doctor how ever has had the band himself and knows from past...by being so strict, it is challenging at times...but in the end-i have yet to have any issues...mentally it was hard-either way...but i do know that it has taught me a lot....wishing u luck...I had my first fill 2 days ago...4.9 cc in a 10 cc band....no issues yet...my doc has me do 2 clear days...2 full liquid days...then back to what u are able to tolerate...i have seen where some can eat again the same day....but just from the swelling and all-i can see the reasoning behind taking it slow...less self sabotage...lol

funny....you sound just like me...I still dont know my "full"..I dont think I eat enuff by fear of throwing it up...but I will say I pretty much can eat anything now and surprisingly more than I thought....I push myself everday a little further than the day before....I found that my fear disappaited more an more everytime i ate...still does now....I concentrate on my chewing and small bites, that is the key to this being successful.....small bites and chew chew chew......so far so good.....good luck!!

also...I live my life for everyone else....always have...I am a hair dresser so it is easy to do...I felt guilty for letting this occupy my whole life for the last 6 weeks or so...I too thought I was never going to eat again...I think I read too many blogs...too many posts about not eating this, not being able to do that....etc...I felt 2 weeks ago like you , there where times I thought omg, what have I done?? but I gave myself the patience for just that day... I didnt think about 2 weeks from now....2 days from that day... just that day... I got thru and the next thing I knew, it was another day.... and another... and I think my doctor is the hardest one I have read so far... I didnt see where others made their patients go on 5 weeks of luquid hell!! and I did it... and I will tell you that until I could eat, I didnt feel human yet....BUT.....when I began eating (very slowly, introducing food back little at time)...every bite...I felt better and better, and now I am actually suprised at how much I feel like my old self...scares me a bit because my restriction is so good-I can eat anything....which I dont want to know because I dont want to be able to eat too much....you will get thur this I PROMISE!! you know why?? because you sound just like me 2 weeks ago......I was right there in your shoes ... and today I am still sore.....still learning but every day gets better and better....easier and easier....believe in yourself....you can do this!!

I was banded on 3/8/11...I was self pay so my journey for this was very short...Which i think helped me in a way to not give me time to back out...every doctor is different for preop and post op rules...( I learned that after surgery)....I had 2 weeks of clear liquids before surgery!! there were days where I thought I couldnt get thru another one...how can I sustain off of this?? have energy?? etc... I played the what ifs in that area....but a couple days in and I actually had more energy (I had protien shakes provided by doctor)...and felt great...I went to the doctors and mini seminar on 2/16/11...sent my personal check out the next week....and kept myself busy until that morning....I remember walking at nite..thinking to myself....this has consumed every minute of my life since I made the decision to do it....and I remember crying....and my mom, one of many positive people in my support group, looked at me and said " why cant this occupy every bit of your time? for once you are making "you" the number one thing in ur life!! for once you are putting yourself first!! it will ease with time and with learning a new way of life....a new routine for health....it will ease as you begin to do new things and learn new ways...you have already taken the biggest step forward and that was making a date...march 8th...the beginning of my new life.....it has been a month and I'm not going to lie....there were a couple times I thought this day would never come...moments of "what did I do"...but those moments....thoughts of negativity....lasted 5-10 minutes....here and there...(more when I couldnt eat)...I felt times of alienation....not "normal"...only when I was hungry....I also had to stay on clear liquid a week after surgery...then 3 weeks of full liquid...If I were asked what the hardest part was preop and post op would be the emotional part...it is amazing how much ur mind can do....play tricks on you......physically your body is going to do what it is going to do...mentally you can get thru this...mentally you can make yourself believe in you....get thru "one more day"....emotionally.....only you can understand...whether it be needing food...wanting food...being with family and friends and remembering "feeding" time....how much we make our lives focused around food....all these ?'s and more are all normal....I could write a million I think I came up with before and after my surgery.... this is all normal.....I will tell you this....Every day it gets better and better.... Everyday when I thought I couldnt get thru...I was sore...I was gassy.....I was bloated.....I was pissy....I was hungry.....gets easier and easier..... I feel human again....I feel more positive with everyday....when your co workers and family and friends look at you and praise you ..when you feel that you can not bare to talk to one more person about this, or hear one more " wow...You look great already"....it just starts to fit...I along with you and everyone else out there banded...have a long journey ahead....but if we keep our eyes on the prize, we will succeed....we will conqure this...just know you have to do your part as well with lapband....this isnt the "easy way out" like some think....It is actualoy harder than ever....now we have to do our part to make sure what we do and eat are a postive choice that will have a profound effect on our tomorrows......I wish you the best of luck...and I will pray for your peace with this, as I know that thru prayer, is one of the main reasons I have gotten thru this thus far.........dont give up....you have finally made you inportant enough to you......and that my friend is AWESOME!! good luck.....Jenn

I was banded on 3/8/11...I was self pay so my journey for this was very short...Which i think helped me in a way to not give me time to back out...every doctor is different for preop and post op rules...( I learned that after surgery)....I had 2 weeks of clear liquids before surgery!! there were days where I thought I couldnt get thru another one...how can I sustain off of this?? have energy?? etc... I played the what ifs in that area....but a couple days in and I actually had more energy (I had protien shakes provided by doctor)...and felt great...I went to the doctors and mini seminar on 2/16/11...sent my personal check out the next week....and kept myself busy until that morning....I remember walking at nite..thinking to myself....this has consumed every minute of my life since I made the decision to do it....and I remember crying....and my mom, one of many positive people in my support group, looked at me and said " why cant this occupy every bit of your time? for once you are making "you" the number one thing in ur life!! for once you are putting yourself first!! it will ease with time and with learning a new way of life....a new routine for health....it will ease as you begin to do new things and learn new ways...you have already taken the biggest step forward and that was making a date...march 8th...the beginning of my new life.....it has been a month and I'm not going to lie....there were a couple times I thought this day would never come...moments of "what did I do"...but those moments....thoughts of negativity....lasted 5-10 minutes....here and there...(more when I couldnt eat)...I felt times of alienation....not "normal"...only when I was hungry....I also had to stay on clear liquid a week after surgery...then 3 weeks of full liquid...If I were asked what the hardest part was preop and post op would be the emotional part...it is amazing how much ur mind can do....play tricks on you......physically your body is going to do what it is going to do...mentally you can get thru this...mentally you can make yourself believe in you....get thru "one more day"....emotionally.....only you can understand...whether it be needing food...wanting food...being with family and friends and remembering "feeding" time....how much we make our lives focused around food....all these ?'s and more are all normal....I could write a million I think I came up with before and after my surgery.... this is all normal.....I will tell you this....Every day it gets better and better.... Everyday when I thought I couldnt get thru...I was sore...I was gassy.....I was bloated.....I was pissy....I was hungry.....gets easier and easier..... I feel human again....I feel more positive with everyday....when your co workers and family and friends look at you and praise you ..when you feel that you can not bare to talk to one more person about this, or hear one more " wow...You look great already"....it just starts to fit...I along with you and everyone else out there banded...have a long journey ahead....but if we keep our eyes on the prize, we will succeed....we will conqure this...just know you have to do your part as well with lapband....this isnt the "easy way out" like some think....It is actualoy harder than ever....now we have to do our part to make sure what we do and eat are a postive choice that will have a profound effect on our tomorrows......I wish you the best of luck...and I will pray for your peace with this, as I know that thru prayer, is one of the main reasons I have gotten thru this thus far.........dont give up....you have finally made you inportant enough to you......and that my friend is AWESOME!! good luck.....Jenn

Hi, my name is Jennifer and I am new to this site. This is actually my first posting on any site...I was banded on march 8th, 2011..just a week ago today!! I am excited to get to know others who have been banded or going to be, and start a new life of positive feedbacks to begin this new successful journey in my life!!

congrats to the both of u!! yippee!!....I also have lost a total of 26 lbs since starting this journey 4 weeks ago....I luv how u both have so many goals and things to accomplish..However, in reality...is this not hard mentally?? I'm not sure if I am in the right frame of mind yet.... I am happy, excited , dont get me wrong...but emotionally I am struggling a bit...I find myself sad at different times in the day....maybe because I am only on full liquids....maybe when I can eat again, solids..will I feel different....I'm scared that I dont have the right attitude at this point...?? I wish u both much success and happiness....I will continue to pray for stength and finding my happy place.....jenn