Freddy Henin

All right, So I'm 5 weeks out from surgery...I feel GREAT, I'm down 30 pounds, my eating has been good and healthy...but I'm struggling with my morning schedule to have enough time to get some food in me...What do you guys grab "on the go" to eat?

So I'm the at Busch tour in STL, beer is everywhere...I'm on my liquid diet right now...I've taken a few sips from family and stuff, I feel fine (just burping) but is that ok to do? I'm not saying I'm drinking an entire cup, just like 20 sips on a 3 hour tour

Had my surgery a week ago...I've been recovering GREAT...started my second week of liquids today...looking forward to having mashed potatoes next week lol But question....We go to this place for lunch everyday and I've always love their chicken salad...I'm wondering how healthy it was though... All it is is lettuce, tomato, cucumber, grilled chicken, and cheese on top....I would have Oil and Vinegar on it and that's it...LOVED IT and literally ordered it everyday....What is unhealthy with it and what can I have to replace what is unhealthy :-)?

Question....My overall plan once I reach my goal of 200 pounds, I want to maintain....But I want to maintain on my own without the band...I don't want to take it out of course but I want to unfill it completely (I haven't asked my doctor what he thinks of this yet but I'm just asking here)....I want to rely on my own to maintain, I'd like to gain 5 pounds at 200 and NOT run to the band but lose it on my own...if I fail at it, I want to fill it again, but just to try it out.... so technically 2 questions....has anybody done this before.....and second, does the band still have a restriction when it's completely unfilled

So I'm confused as to why breads get the stuck feeling the most...what's so special about those.... the other thing....what do you do to get unstuck...like is it pain for a couple of minutes, hours and you just have to wait...or do I like have to go to the hospital for it?

So I'm bored...like having Carnation instant and stuff is great...but I'm bored...and having to drink every hour is rough....like I forget to...then I'll be sipping some decaf tea or something and my stomach gets really gassy and I spend the rest of the hour burping...is this all normal? And how long does it take to NOT burp this much?

I got mine on the 18th as well...same here...no gas pains...just abdomen muscle pain :-)

More2love...how are you feeling? Are you walking around...staying hydrated...I'm glad to hear somebod had it on the same day...would love to talk to you more one on one and chat sometime'? Momma9398....start changing that mindset now...it's amazing how during my pre-op diet I realized that A) Im not attached to food emotionally and our body doesn't need much to survive...I've lost 15 pounds so far and any small adjustment in my diet from now is worth one pound lost...remember, it's a drastic lifestyle change...we might have to eat to lose weight for 2 or 3 years to reach our goal but then we maintain...after living the habit of eating healthy, we won't care about food as much as we do now :-)

So I finally have a surgery day story that I'll share eventually on the surgery day stories in the POST-OP section Had my surgery this morning, I feel great, I was very nervous today but looking back at it it wasn't difficult...a little bit sore where the port is so I'm on liquid Percasete a bit...the resident doctor said I could probably go home with the way I'm healing and walking around already... This is what I want to say, I can START my journey now...the Pre-OP process for me was short but I couldn't wait to get the band and do this, I lost 15 pounds on the Pre-op diet and already feeling good about myself...I'm already LOOKING better....if you're having cold feet, trust me when I say that the surgery just gives you a tool...I'm looking forward to making the decisions myself of WHAT I need to eat...I have the freedom to eat whatever I want...that's not saying to eat everything...but the past week (an the next 4 weeks) I'll be learning what to eat and what my body NEEDS, not what my mind WANTS This forum is incredible, I wouldn't have been ready for this surgery if it wasn't for you guys....you got me ready mentally, physically, emotionally BEFORE the surgery...THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU...

I'm feeling great...back home...relaxing, had friends come visit me most of the day and I took my meds and napped...not sure how to sleep exactly though...like afraid if I lay all the way down I won't be able to get up because of the muscle pain in my abdomen

My girlfriend yesterday mentioned to me that she's worried that I'm gonna change personality wise...my surgery's in a week, I'm very excited but I have thought of that before...I'm a very social guy, outgoing and love to communicate with people...DOES personality change after you lose weight?

Forgot to mention that after surgery, I had a different robe on that was brown lol

Been looking forward to writing a story in this section for a while :-) Got my surgery this morning in UPMC Horizon in Greenville, PA by Dr. Myers at scheduled time of 7:30... Got to the hospital at 5:30 with my mom and my grandpa...got admitted and sat in the waiting room for about 2 minutes before somebody came and took me and my family to a room...was told to take everything and put on the awkward robe (which was blue at the time, keep that in mind) Guy came, hooked up mu IV, shaved my stomach, asked me all these questions (name, DOB, surgery I'm having...boring medical history)...at a quarter till 7, They wheeled me out, rolled down the hall and they stopped where my family has to go sit in the waiting room... Went to the holding bay for operations, got asked my name, DOB, my surgeon's name and name of surgery by EVERY nurse that asked me all the other questions...surgeon came by along with the anesthesiologist talk to me for like 2 minutes...then I got rolled away to the operating room... Once I got in, realized there's alot of people in that room...all going around, grabbing something off a shelf. walking into small rooms with their mask on...they put some air into my mattress and slid me over to the operating table...released the air and now I'm on a slab (started freaking out a bit slightly in my head)...it was cold so they all were scrambling to get me comfortable (warm pads, heating pads, pillows, arm rests, foot holders, it was comfy within 4 minutes)....then my anesthesiologist walked in...had like 5 or 6 syringes in his hand and started putting them into IV...mentioned something about Margaritas, Tequilas while this nurse put an oxygen mask to my face...it smelled like plastic...I made the statement that it smelled like plastic, they agreed.... BAM, woke up in recovery at 9:05...tired of course...sore and realized that surgery was over...within a few minutes of coming to, I started feeling my one muscle spazzing very bad, like q dozen times in a row, over and over and over....mentioned it hurt pretty bad and they put in some morphine which helped ALOT till I got to my room an hour later... Now it's 10, i've been up, I feel great besides the pain that's starting to come back...had lunch and my nurse gave me some liquid prekassete (sp?) which helped with tolerating the pain so I can get up and walk around... Now it's 2 AM, I've been in and out of 1 hour naps all day, my family came visited, my girlfriend and best friend came visited me, walked around with all of them...my doctors came in...first my surgeon said that the surgery went so smooth...His 2 residents came and praised my surgery and recovery saying that I look like I could go home today since I've been recovering so well....my respiratory therapist is shocked at how clear my lungs are and that I don't have anything to cough... Overall, today is already the best life-changing day of my life...I'm on fluids and drinking a couple of ounces of protien an hour...awake, watched a couple of TV shows, made some friends down the hall...hope everyone's story is like mine

If you're in Youngstown, OH...it's 27,000 dollars, doesn't include a hospital stay...most hospitals in NE Ohio are about the same I just had my surgery this morning at UPMC in Greenville, PA...16,500 with a nights stay and a year worth of fills (paid 2 weeks before the surgery)...staff here is amazing and very caring...never had a 10,000 price option around here but still don't regret it

I'm on liquids for 2 weeks then Purée for 2 weeks...and yes I'm an official bandster :-)

Well...Surgery is at 7:30 AM tomorrow morning....Got to be there at 5:30....I'm just having surgical anxiety...not nervous about the band AT ALL....nervous about surgery...never had surgery before IN MY LIFE...Hospital is about an hour away so I'm not looking forward to the drive there (maybe I'll sleep on the way there)

So I lost 10 pounds in about 48 hours....I'm glad about it...but should I be worried?

sorry I should have mentioned lol...Surgery is on wednesday...started my liquid diet 2 days ago lol

So today is my second day of my Pre-OP diet, I feel fine...I get hungry but nothing cream of SOMETHING can't help...but I am worried about something...I'm worried that I'm gonna get bored...I mean it's a 5 week process (1 week Pre-liquid, 2 week post-liquid, and 2 week "mushy")...I have to do 19 days more of this, I have no idea what I can have to spice things up that I don't get bored...anybody have some kind of list of stuff to keep me mentally satisfied lol

ok, this is all good to hear...I think my biggest thing I'm looking forward to is being a bit more secure...I mean lugging around 380 pounds is a good reason to be a bit insecure with myself...I'm not saying I'm depressed...but it does bother me when we go out to eat and we sit at a table not a booth....can't fit on rollercoasters and such...so those are the things i'm looking forward to for sure

My surgery is on the same day :-)...only got to do a week of liquid pre-op...went and had hibachi tonight as my "last meal"...looking forward to this journey :-)

What should I take with me to the hospital?

So I'm gonna be banded on the 18th...I have to fly to St.Louis on the 27th.. Would there be problems flying?

Can the band slip even if my surgeon is gonna be sewing my stomach around it? I'm confused as to how it will slip if it's possible