desertdreamers

Pre-op, one of my favorite junk foods was pizza - post-op, I nearly always PB when I sneak some, no matter how finely I chew it up. Sigh - I really need to learn to leave it alone. Sems like someone has pizza ordered in for work every 3 - 4 weeks. I can resist the initial rush, but hours later, when the last couple of pieces are on the break room table ... Unfortunately, I've found out crispy Snacks (Cookies, crackers, chips, popcorn) go down fairly easily. Things that gum together (bread, cake, cinnamon rolls) do not. I try to avoid having anything "evil" in the house. No buying a bag of cookies thinking I'll take them in to work (they don't make it). Ice cream still calls to me - I allow myself to have some every time I lose another 5 pounds, and I'm still losing.

I was on Nutrisystem before banding, and was s l o w l y losing with it. After banding, I've continued getting the NS - I live alone, and have a hard time cooking for one. If I make lasagna, I have it for days - same with pot roast, chicken, etc. With the NS, it's shelf stable (no refrigeration needed), so I can put them in my lunchbox, briefcase, locker at work, or even, travel with them in my suitcase, like I did in March. Just rehydrate &/or nuke when you're ready and add your fresh veggies, fruit, or salads. This way, I can have lasagna today, pot roast tomorrow, tuna salad or chicken al fredo for lunch ... And, they boost the Protein levels with soy, Beans, etc; and the Fiber levels for a lot of stuff. I pick and choose each delivery for my favorites - some of them have changed post-op - either too spicy now, or my tastes have just changed - but they're changing their recipes, too - they didn't have the chix al fredo when I started, and it's yummy! I tried HC in the past - they're better with salt (I know, one of their selling points is low sodium, but, crimminey, it's nasty!). You might want to try Ms. Dash & stuff like that. My BP doesn't seem to go up with salt (30 - 50% of the population aren't salt responders), so I just use flavored salts.

Hmmm - microwave, (reg) coffee maker, personal blender (WalMart - less than $20 - great for my smoothies), Vidalia chopper (as seen on TV - it works!), cats & dogs, computer, books ... I have DirecTV satellite with TiVo @ home - I find I try to pause the car radio or TV at work (I just hear or see the end of something, and reach for the remote to back it up play again - I think it's giving me ADD :phanvan ) I tried the Pasta Maker thing, too - cr*p - either undercooked, or gummy and nasty Oh - try the "Tweeze-ease" (or whatever it's called - As Seen on TV) - battery powered tweezer that you just rub over your chin - or wherever - and it gets those straggler hairs off -much easier than trying to tweeze one at a time. A little harder to do the brows, tho - I completely ripped out one brow and had to rip out the other to balance it a couple of months ago. Ouch

My BCBS of New Mexico flat out refuses to cover banding, but would cover the (more dangerous, more complications) bypass. Go figure! I paid for myself at AIGB - Dr. Benavides in DFW 11/29/06. Best money I ever spent. The folks @ AIGB were surprised NM BCBS wasn't paying for the banding yet - they said it would probably happen "one of these days" - but I didn't want to wait. Good luck!

I take an 800 mg Motrin, my prozac, and a little generic claritin pill every morning. Most of the time, everything goes down fine. I work night shifts, so, most of the time I'm taking my meds at the "end" of my day. For the first month or so after banding (11/06), I was cutting the motrins (they're too nasty to crush!), but I got cocky and stopped cutting them. Just last week, on my day off, I slugged down my pills as usual and ye-ouch! PB'd for an hour, waited another hour and retook the pills I saw in the sink (uh, new pills, not the actual ones from the sink - ick). I've been chopping up the motrins again since then, and the others are still going down fine. I think it was because I'm not as open when I first get up, and the sucker went down sideways that morning. BTW, I've also gotten up, staggered into the kitchen with dry mouth and slugged down cold Water and choked on that! How can you choke on water? (and I don't mean it went down the wrong way - I PB'd). Guess it was too cold and too big a gulp...

Is there no filter for porn?

I like the occasional snack-pack of small pretzels - satisfies my crunch and salt cravings. I used to love bread - but it gums up and I PB (or really want to!), unless I soak it in in soup. Dry foods go down so much easier for me than moist ones. 8

Omamoon - speaking as someone who is an ER nurse - my apologies for the rudeness of the first one. Appearances must have been really deceiving - I have to admit I get annoyed at people that "act out" out of proportion to what we think they should be feeling (like the folks that are laughing and chatting with their friends, then, when the nurse or doc shows up, they start moaning and yelling). So sorry you had to go through the whole thing - you must have been in excruciating pain with your stomach being strangled - and so happy you survived!

Wow - wish I'd seen this thread a couple of days ago! I was banded Nov 06, and wrote earlier about my PBing after my fill. I've done so much better since then - learned to take smaller bites and chew well, with rare (less than once in 2 weeks) episodes of minor PB. THEN, I got cocky. Pre-surg, I used to buy the roasted chicken from the grocery. While putting the other groceries away, I'd eat about half the chicken (while sharing little pieces with my dogs & cats). Post-surg, I've eaten chicken as an entree and as a salad ingredient. No probs. So, I bought a chicken Friday, and THOUGHT I was being careful - only ate the drumsticks, and gave the critters most of the skin. Ten minutes later, started massive PBing - for almost 2 hours. Really miserable - I was afraid I'd slipped my band, but finally calmed down. Now, I'm afraid to even try to eat the rest of the chicken. I'll make sure I have pineapple juice and meat tenderizer handy from now on. Thanks for being here and sharing...

Hey, Susannah - According to various reports, there are some areas in the US where obesity is more of a problems, but it really is everywhere. I ended up having to pay for the surgery myself because my insurance company doesn't pay for the lap-band, just for the bypass surgery. I really didn't want to get the major surgery and my innards rerouted!

April (and others that expressed concern) It had been a week since I wrote - and I'd been concentrating on doing everything right. (Eat slow, small bites, chew well, etc). Thought "Yippee! Got this PB thing licked." No pain, choking, or other problems. Then, I got cocky. On the way home today, I thought about stopping for takeout. Decided "no"; felt real proud of myself. Roadblocks! Couldn't go my usual way home - saw the drive-thru Chinese and took it as an omen. Had a little bit of the cashew chicken and rice - yum good. Went down fine. Two hours later, I pulled it out of the fridge and took 3 bites - yipes! Just a little PB, and back to liquids today. The rest of the chix is back in the fridge - trying again tomorrow. Don't know if it was being reheated, left-over status, shrinking pouch, or what. If I choke again, the dogs will get a real treat. Anyway, thanks for caring and your support!

Hey, MysticstarD! I just found this site this week, and I'm almost 2 months post-op. Wish I'd found it sooner. I was a self-pay, too - $16000 for the procedure (including round-trip airfair and hotel room for 3 days, and fill adjustments for a year) - separate charges for the psych consult and preop testing. This may be the only year I'll ever get to take medical expenses off my taxes.

Hi - I was banded 11/29/06 (2 days after my "first" birthday) by Dr. Benavides in Richardson, TX (DFW area). NOTHING available in New Mexico except RNY, and I just didn't want to be hacked up. My insurance, BCBS of NM, doesn't pay for anything but the RNY - go figure! I almost went to Mexico, but chickened out - Dr. B was more expensive, but, as a self-pay, my fills (under fluoro) for the first year are included. Got my first fill 2 Jan 07 and have been having PB 3 - 4 times a week since. SOOO glad I found this site and now know I'm not (totally) crazy. It was frustrating that something that went down no problemo one time made me hurt & puke the next. Now, I'm going to concentrate on 1) smaller bites, 2) more chewing, and 3) listening to my body's signals to STOP. Thanks for being here! :nervous

Found the site yesterday (1/15/07). Now, I know I'm not crazy for puking several times a week. No one told me to go back to liquids/mushies after my fill for at least a day, or to do the same when I PB'd. I was afraid I'd have to get an unfill - looks like I just have to eat smaller bites, chew better, and pay more attention to my body's signals to "STOP or I'll puke!"

Found the site yesterday (1/15/07). Now, I know I'm not crazy for puking several times a week. No one told me to go back to liquids/mushies after my fill for at least a day, or to do the same when I PB'd. I was afraid I'd have to get an unfill - looks like I just have to eat smaller bites, chew better, and pay more attention to my body's signals to "STOP or I'll puke!"

Hi - I'm new here - banded by Dr. Benavides in DFW 29 Nov 06 - first fill here in Albuquerque 2 Jan 07. I've been PBing 3 - 4 times a week since then. No one told me to 1) go to liquids and mushies the first few days after the fill, and 2) back to liquids/mushies after PB. Shoot. Wish I'd found this site earlier!! Have to admit I've had mixed emotions about the PB - I've been trying to learn my body's signals for "SLOW DOWN" and "STOP!!!" Thought if I just learned those signals, I'd quit PBing. The PAIN, oh, the pain! (And the relief after PB). ... Also noticed I'm losing weight faster, so I didn't want to get unfilled, but worried about slippage. OK - from today on - since I PB'd after lunch today - liquids & mushies the rest of the day. CONCENTRATE!!! on chewing and small bites; pay attention to WHAT I'm eating and WHEN I get the pain (good to know the pouch and band can vary at different times of the day). When do I worry about too much PB and go for an unfill?