Allison0927

great job keep it up!

I hear you - that part (that's hopefully coming soon for me) is scary to think about (all the attention). Wonder how i will handle it? I don't think you need a shrink - i'm guessing you will get plenty of support right on this forum. best of luck and congrats on your success!

what's the prize for first?

it will go away i promise - mine came about day 3 after surgery and finally left about day 8 - worse 5 days ever - definitely the worst part of the whole thing - the surgery was a breeze compared to the pain of the gas after. Best of luck.

great blog - congrats on the improved you!!!!!!!

good information - i'm glad the gas isn't killing you - it did me but it was gone by about day 7 or 8. Good for you on the weight loss - keep up the good work and positive attitude.

i'm going through the same thing - i was banded 7/5 - i lost 13 pounds on the 14 day pre-op and 7 in the first week after surgery. I have lost nothing since and gained almost a pound back. i moved to soft foods on the 8th day following surgery - I HAVE NOT CHEATED ONCE! i've stayed at my dr. recommended 800-900 calories per day - plus i have been doing cardio - treadmill and swimming. I did 3000 calories per day and no exercise prior to banding - i do not understand the scale at all AND AM SO FRUSTRATED I COULD SCREAM OR CRY!!!! how on earth am i doing this well with food and exercise and only gaining rather than losing???????????

i'm going through the same thing - i was banded 7/5 - i lost 13 pounds on the 14 day pre-op and 7 in the first week after surgery. I have lost nothing since and gained almost a pound back. i moved to soft foods on the 8th day following surgery - I HAVE NOT CHEATED ONCE! i've stayed at my dr. recommended 800-900 calories per day - plus i have been doing cardio - treadmill and swimming. I did 3000 calories per day and no exercise prior to banding - i do not understand the scale at all AND AM SO FRUSTRATED I COULD SCREAM OR CRY!!!! how on earth am i doing this well with food and exercise and only gaining rather than losing???????????

LOL i always joke with my husband that if i'm ever playmate of the month and get to list my pet-peeves - my number one is "eating anything for shock value" - this includes eating contests and those strange food shows where they eat like gourmet bugs and such.

i'm forced to be sober by the surgeon's restrictions - couldn't drink during 14 day pre-op diet - cannot drink 6-8 weeks following surgery during healing. I'm looking forward to my first drink after healing. I may end up pretty much quitting drinking though or only doing it every great once in a while because on the dr.'s 800 calorie per day diet - it leaves very little room for the calories from alcohol (even though i would only do a shot of absolute mixed with crystal light - the fewest calories possible). Best of luck to you!

Well, I've finally joined the ranks of all my fellow bandsters. My surgery was July 5. As much obsessive reading and research I did prior to surgery - somehow, someway, I confused the start of my surgery. I thought my surgery was at 7:30 am (with hospital arrival at 5:30 am). While on the way to the hospital I discovered that my surgery was at 7:15 with arrival at 5:15. A little panic set in knowing that we were already going to be 10 minutes late for the 5:30 arrival (my husband, last minute, tells me he has to drop some paperwork off at his office on the way to hospital since he would be gone a lot of this week taking care of me). We arrived at the surgery center (Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton, Ohio) at 5:40. Thankfully, they never said a word about my being about 25 minutes late. They gave us a beeper and the waiting room was already pretty full for being that early. By the way, I've never been to that part of the hospital - the waiting room was the best, nicest and newest I've ever seen. There were tons of big comfy seats, a lunch room with lots of tables and several vending machines, and plenty of TVs with various programs going. They even had "patient status" tvs where loved ones can track the patient by his or her assigned number. The screen is constantly updated - so that my husband knew when they were taking me into OR, when I was having the operation, and then when I was being taken out of the OR. It was pretty cool - and I imagine a great comfort to all those waiting in the waiting room. About 10 minutes later we got the beep and the nicest nurse escorted me back to the surgery holding rooms so they could prep me. They politiely told my hubby to wait in the waiting area and they would come get him when I was ready to go and waiting to go into the OR. The nurse took all my vitals, asked me lots of questions then had me completely undress (including underwear) and put on the hospital gowns and hair cover and thick socks/booties. She put an anti-nause sticker behind my ear. She then hooked up my IV - which did not hurt at all. Another nurse then came in and hooked up my massage boots (to help ward off blood clots). Those felt good as many posters on here have also noted. Next came the surgeon who as usual was very calm, focused and friendly. He spoke to my husband and I for a few minutes. After he left, in came the anasthesiologist. She was so young and beautiful but the nurses all assured me she was the best. (I am 37) She had two male anastheis (sp?) nurses with her that were so nice to me. At that point, it was a kiss and I love you to my husband and they began to transport me to the OR. They must have started some twilight or relaxation agent in my IV before we got to the operating room. I was so relaxed on that bed ride. Overall, I would say I was not nearly as nervous as I thought I would be the entire morning from start to finish. In any event, they wheeled my bed up next to the operating table/bed and I must say that thing was very tiny and very NARROW. I only weighed 264.4 that morning - and I'm pretty short (5'4"). I cannot imagine how people much larger and taller than me (and I'm guessing many are that are getting barriatric surgery) could possibly fit their entire bodies on that table. There is no way! In any event, as soon as I got onto the table they put an "oxygen" mask on me and told me to take deep breaths. I am not sure what was really in that mask or my IV for that matter - but the last thing I remember was taking 3 or 4 breaths then suddenly knowing that I was on a bed traveling down a hall as they kept saying "Allison, Allison" wake up honey it's all over. I was in some kind of post-surgery holding area. For a while I was alone with just me and a nurse that watched me the entire time. Soon out of the corner of my eye, I saw another bed arrive on the other side of the nurse sitting in the middle of us at what looked like a small computer station. The nurse immediately asked if I was in pain and I said yes - she said ok, honey I'm giving you pain reliever in your IV. I then could barely choke out what my immediate problem was: my mouth was as dry as the desert. Seriously, I have never been that dry mouthed in my life. I was begging (in a choked, barely audible voice I'm sure) for Water. The nurse kept saying she couldn't give me anything yet, but she would bring me ice chips soon. I just laid there so drowsy - falling in and out of sleep for the next hour or so. Next they took me to a "discharge" area (or the last step before discharge). They brought my husband back and the two of us sat in that room for about 2 hours because it hurt to drink the little bit of water they gave me and I could not pee (had not since my urine/pregnancy test at 6:30 that morning). I got up and walked with a nurse to the bathroom and still couldn't go - it was weird. They told me they pumped 3 full bags of saline in me so I was plenty hydrated for the surgery day. They kept warning me to walk and drink plenty of water when I got home. At about 2, I told the nurse I was ready to go and they discharged me and wheeled me to my husband's waiting car. I don't think I could have walked it on my own at that point. Since being home, now 48 hours later, the thing I'm most surprised about is how I have absolutely no desire for food or water at all. It has been a major struggle to get 1 or 2 glasses of water down. During the 14 day pre-op diet I drank water and crystal light like it was going out of style - more than the recommended 64 ounces per day. I am sore but I cannot tell if it's all gas or what. The gas never went to my shoulders as I have read so many times on here. It's all concentrated around my heart area. My 5 small incisions do not hurt at all - so no problem there. I have been walking and taking the gas x strips - I guess it's all a matter of time. I am hopeful that I will soon be back to my usual self as each day is getting better. One other thing - I'm one of those people that weighs every single day. On the morning of the surgery I weighed 264.4. On the day after the surgery (I basically slept in the 24 hours since the surgery and ate nothing other than 2 sugar free popsicles) I weighed 268.8. I could not believe this - I about fell off the scale. I know they pumped me full of gas and saline - I thought gas would not weigh anything so the gain must be all water from the saline. In any event, when i weighed again this morning it was back down to 264.4. Just letting everyone know that something crazy like that can happen on the scale just from all the fluids they pump into you - and that such weight quickly disappears. By the way, whatever little medicine patch/sticker they put behind my ear really worked because I was never nauseous andd never threw up through this day. Best of luck to all my fellow July bandsters. I hope my story helps you!!!

UPDATE: I am now 11 days out and the gas is GONE! I am soooooo happy about that! That was the worst part of the whole experience. But it's over. The appetite is back in a way. Because I've now been dieting for so long I think the stomach is just used to less food and I'm not nearly as hungry as I would be normally. But, at least on the surface, I feel fully healed and as if I never had the surgery. I suppose the changes will hit me when I start getting fills. But for now, I feel like my normal self on a diet. That's ok though since I know there is light at the end of the tunnel (i.e., fills are coming). I started walking on the treadmill the other day. I plan to do it at least 5 days a week - 30-60 minutes each time. One other unpleasant but not entirely unexpected development: I have not eaten one bad thing or gone over my calories at all since starting the pre-op diet through today. I even started walking. BUT, my weight loss has basically frozen. I have not gained but I have not lost in the last week. I have basically hovered between 256.2 and 256.8. Back and forth for the last 5-7 days. I know this is "normal" and I did go from liquid to mushies (but the calories have stayed the same). Just letting everyone know that this truly happens (the no loss or plateau early on even though we are strictly adhering to the diet/physician instructions). I will be much more smiley when the scale starts moving again to reward me for being the perfect little bandster (sigh), But, again, the bright side is I am completely back to normal 11 days out of surgery so there's hope for anyone suffering the short-term effects of surgery. BEST OF LUCK TO US ALL!!!!!!

if fruit and/or yogurt are available i would go for that. I am a lacto ovo vegetarian (no meat or seafood at all) - i eat dairy but i have always hated eggs (eggs mixed into something is ok - but plain eggs or an omelette no way). I will be having the same trouble as you (i just haven't been to a restaurant for breakfast since starting my pre-op diet). Some restaurants have oatmeal - i may try that. Otherwise, you are in a pickle. Maybe a protein shake before you leave for the restaurant and then get coffee and fruit at the restaurant? Or, unsweet cereals (i.e., special K, Kix, bran flakes) are decent. That's really all i can think of.... (unless it's a buffet and you can get lunch foods - salad etc.) Remember, restaurants are about conversation and good company not the food.

GOOD LUCK! parties and such are the hardest part of this but i will say this - you are probably way more conscious of not eating/drinking alcohol than other people are of noticing you not eating/drinking. There are ways to avoid scrutiny by walking around with a plate with a little food on it or a drink cup in your hand (just put water/crystal light in it). Don't worry - and if anyone asks why you aren't drinking alcohol - do what i did when i first learned i was pregnant but before we started sharing the news with others - tell the person you had a little too much to drink the night before and can't do it again today - any drinkers will understand that and back off LOL!

I take one chewable Centrum (with iron) per day - and one scoop of powdered calcium citrate per day which i mix in with crystal light and Water. That's all our surgeon requires.

i'm 10 days out today and i would say by days 8 and 9 i was feeling more like myself. The gas was TERRIBLE around days 3 through 6 or 7. So incredibly painful - way worse than i expected or read about even on this site. But it finally did disappear. I never thought it would but it did. You will feel better it's coming any day.

my dr. said 6-8 weeks after surgery before having alcohol - each doc different. trust me i'm counting down the days.

GREAT JOB!!!! keep up the great work =)

I agree with what you said at the end about obviously NOT weighing daily was not working. I find that whenever in the past that i've been being "good" or dieting I would weigh every day. whenever i went through "i don't care" periods - weeks and months at a time - when i didn't diet or exercise - i didn't weigh because i didn't want to know and i was afraid to. Weighing daily - as frustrating as it can be - keeps me in line. It just does. So we all have to remember -do what's best for YOU because you're the one that has to live with this and you will answer to you for your success or failures. BEST OF LUCK!!!

this post could have come from me - except the gain was a .2 instead of a .8. I was banded 7/5 - been weighing every day and seeing a loss every day - even if the loss is only a .4 or .2. Then today i gained a .2 after doing everything by the book - i was so disappointed. But, this afternoon I got my period and now i know why the .2 gain. In fact, it should have been more than a .2 gain given past experience with the time of month gain - so that tells me that i actually "lost" again. Everyone says not to weigh every day - but i know me - i will anyway. did you just move from liquids to mushies/soft foods? if so that can account for a gain too according to many posters. In any event - there are going to be gains and losses if we weigh daily - it's the price we pay - instant gratification or disappointment instead of having to wait a week for the weight.

My understanding is that whether there is a 6 month supervised diet for UHC plans goes by EMPLOYER - employers have different plans.

wannabe - when were you banded? I was banded 7/5 and am entering the bandster hell part where i'm healed (or feel healed) and yet i haven't had a fill - so i'm trying to follow an 800 calorie diet with no restriction (pure will power). I am "able" to eat the same amount as before surgery but i am not - i'm sticking to the diet and hoping my fills kick in soon. Are you really only able to eat the small cup of food with no restriction yet? that's good - but i don't get it????

wannabe - when were you banded? I was banded 7/5 and am entering the bandster hell part where i'm healed (or feel healed) and yet i haven't had a fill - so i'm trying to follow an 800 calorie diet with no restriction (pure will power). I am "able" to eat the same amount as before surgery but i am not - i'm sticking to the diet and hoping my fills kick in soon. Are you really only able to eat the small cup of food with no restriction yet? that's good - but i don't get it????

it could be that you are not eating enough calories - eating under the calories can cause the body to go in starvation mode and you lose nothing. Also - have you been working out? if you are working our and/or you are eating the correct amount of calories - then this sounds like an issue for your doc/nutritionist and don't be shy about asking lots of questions. Best of luck.

try to get the prescriptions filled ahead of the surgery - you will not feel like going anywhere right after the surgery and will want your liquid pain meds.