roziecakes

I've heard that there are some surgeons who recommend that post-op folks drink wine (in moderation) because it can actually help weightloss. I don't know the mechanism though.

I have my first post-op appointment tomorrow with my surgeon. I think I'm getting my staples out, and getting my diet advanced to Mushies (woohoo!). Then I drive home to Oregon with my sister in tow, to spend the weekend performing with my band and seeing my best friend get married! I'm so excited

ha ha! I know, right? When someone first suggested it to me, I raised an eyebrow, but it's actually good stuff!

You can do it! Good luck today!!!

This might sound really weird, but you can also get hemp protein. Because I have hormonal problems, I shy away from whey protein and also soy as welll, and I use hemp protein powder. It's a little expensive, but it's great! I just had to get over it being 'hemp.' It doesn't mean you're eating pot.

This is an old thread, but I wanted to comment about my experience with this Bariatric Center. They seem to be quite knowledgeable and since they are a bariatric center of excellence they really seem to have their stuff together. Their seminar was really informative. However, as a self pay they were quite lacking in being helpful with information about finances, I think they mainly work with insured folks. That was what ultimately made me choose another doctor. This bariatric center was extremely expensive, I thought; and really difficult to talk to about finances. However, for those insured, they are probably a fantastic choice, they seem to be excellent medically.

It's so good to read about others who are doing so well! I got banded on the 8th and I'm doing fantastic. I'm really surprised at how well it's going. Congratulations on your progress!! I loved reading this thread.

I've heard that from others that waiting a little bit to have breakfast is the thing to do. I will remember this. I really hate throwing up, and have only done it a handful of times in my lifetime, and sliming sounds really icky.

Me too! I've been pretty darn hungry though today and yesterday. I figure this is just part of the process, and this too shall pass. I admit that I'm really excited for mushies at this point. Come on mushies! I can't wait.

I was banded on the 8th, and while I've been surprised at how much energy I do have, I definitely do not have as much as usual, and in fact today, I've felt totally wiped out all day today. I even took a nap in the middle of the day which I never do. I imagine that most of our bodies' energy is focused on healing, so don't worry too much. Be kind to yourself!

I was banded on the same day as you, and my gas pains are pretty much gone, but burping is a little difficult still. I've been walking A LOT. I have found that getting up and down out of a chair quickly several times kind of jiggles it loose, or bending over and bracing myself on the counter. Hope that helps somewhat. Hope you feel better soon.

This is a great thread! I can't wait to have mushies! Only a few more days. I'm counting down.

I agree, don't be too hard on yourself! The first day of my liquid diet I was so hungry I couldn't stand it, and I ate a chicken sandwich at the end of the day. I still ended up losing 25 pouinds before surgery, so don't worry. As long as you are being aware and take everything one step at a time you'll do fine! Good luck!

Hey there! I got banded on the 8th. I got home the day of surgery, and I was pretty swollen. I drank about a cup of water and/or tea (unsweetened) at a time, and I could eat a whole sugar free popsicle. As of today I can eat about 1/2 cup of puree'd soup at a time, and that holds me for about four hours, but I can drink water in sips, pretty much as much as I want. I think it just goes through. I can't gulp any liquids though, and my doctor says I shouldn't anyway. Hope that helps!

Looks like you're doing great! We got banded the same day I'm not having any problems either. Today I'm feeling just about normal. Hope you're doing well still!

This is exactly what my doctor told me. I was told that gum can help tide me over if I'm starving and helps stimulate chewing. I was told that coffee is fine in moderation, just don't put a bunch of cream and sugar into it. Like, a cup a day is fine.

What I did was I started writing down and thinking about all of the exciting things that I will be able to do once I lose all of the weight, like fit better in chairs, go out dancing all night, riding horses, riding bicycles and motorcycles, running marathons, rockclimbing, etc etc. I felt like that was really empowering, and then I felt less nervous and more excited. Remember that each step you take is bringing you closer to the healthiest you! Best of luck with your surgery

I thought that it would be really hard to not drink with meals and to sit and sip on a protein shake while my family was eating food food, but I'm actually not bothered by it at all. It just feels like part of the process. I look at it not like I'm being deprived, but that I'm going through a special training, and these are the steps I need to take.

Dr. Hanna performed my lapband surgery on June 8th, 2011. Dr. Hanna is extremely professional, knowledgeable, and intelligent. He really knows what he's doing and what he's talking about. Above all, Dr. Hanna really cares, and he and his staff bent over backwards to accomodate my needs. He is a kind, compassionate person as well as a great doctor. I felt safe, well-cared for, and calm the entire time. Not only that, the surgical staff at Ukiah Valley Medical Center are superb. They were all professional, kind, and knowledgeable; I really feel blessed to have gotten surgery there. It was worth the 8+ hour drive from my home town. Thank you so much for everything Dr. Hanna, Debbie, Jessica, Julie, and all of the other great staff at the hospital; and of course to my stepdad Michael for facilitating everything for me.

Wow! You look amazing! Good job! I find your post very inspiring and I feel hopeful about the upcoming month. Keep up the good work

In my case, I started losing weight without the aid of the band first; and I'm like you, I love to exercise, but if I stop for whatever reason the weight piles back on. I have had a hard time exercising as much as I would like due to a very bad back. After losing a fairly good amount of weight, but not enough to really make a difference to my back, I thought long and hard about what solutions there were for me; and I knew that the weight loss had to happen faster to prevent back surgery. I will definitely take a lap band over back surgery any ol' day. So what I would say to you is, really think about the goals that you have, and take a good inventory of your current habits, and see how much you can do before you consider surgery. I didn't decide to get surgery until I had exhausted all other options, and for me, I believe this surgery was exactly the perfect thing for me, because at this point I'm fairly disciplined. It's true what everyone says about this being hard work. It is, and it's only day 3 for me! Amazing. Bottom line is, it's all about a true lifestyle change, whether we find that through surgery or not; that's what will help you ultimately, is being able to stop doing the things that aren't working for you, and finding the most efficient and best way for you personally to find health. best of luck to you!

I don't believe that the band would cause auto-immune disease, but as a sufferer of autoimmune Hashimoto's Thyroiditis and discoid lupus, I can tell you that flare-ups and problematic symptoms happen to me when I'm sick for another reason, or stressed out, and I believe that in some ways the band does stress our bodies at least a little; it's not the natural way for our bodies to be. I'm of course not against the band, since I have one myself, and I believe in my case the benefits far outweigh (pardon the pun) the risks. Perhaps your body is stressed out, and you are now experiencing symptoms of something you had all along? Also, more food for thought is that my doctor told me that although research hasn't really shown the causes of autoimmune problems, it does seem like there is a genetic link, so you basically have them your whole life; but for many, they don't experience symptoms until adulthood. Changes in hormone, lifestyle, weight, etc can make symptoms more apparent. I didn't have any symptoms of lupus until I was 26.

I've been totally curious about Zumba for a while, but was nervous because I was worried it might be hard on my joints, but it looks like so much fun! I want to try it! This thread has inspired me to check out a class now. What level of fitness do you recommend before trying?

I'm 29, and I admit that I love water aerobics! They have been really helpful since my back injury, and I believe that I owe part of being able to walk now to the strength that they provided me. And yes, I am almost always the youngest person in class. It's true...