CarynW

Congrats to all the new bandsters! Mine was last night, they didn't get to me until about 630 ish I think. Procedure went fine, I woke up with a ton of pain in my abdomen and nothing even touched it. They gave me dilaudid, which only marginally worked. Around 930 I got up and my mom got me dressed. Went to leave and unfortunately couldn't find my cell phone. We tore the place apart, and long story short, it was stolen. I don't know if it was the staff, or another patient's family who was in recovery with me. I am so effin pissed. They were very nice and concerned and the one girl said they would replace it. I called the insurance today and i'll have a new one tomorrow, but I am holding the surgery center 100 percent responsible for this. I have an HTC Evo, NOT a cheap phone, and I use it at work and for school, etc. It's my lifeline! Gosh i'm so upset! Next step is to call and make a police report with that city. It's completely disabled so they can't do **** with it, even if they reset it. Whoever has it has total access to all my pictures, videos, contacts, calendar, EVERYTHING. Oh, and my MUSIC! Dammit! Just remembered that. Aaaaacchh! Anyways, this morning I was in A LOT of pain! Seriously, I couldn't keep the liquid vicoden down, it is SOO nasty! It's made me vomit twice! It's now 1230 and i'm actually feeling a hair better. The gas pain isn't as bad anyways. I'm hoping by tomorrow to be functioning again.

I'm at the surgery center waiting right now, my scheduled time is an hour away, aaaack!

After my first csection, I did the same thing, felt a pop and had burning pain in one spot forever it seemed. The doc said I most likely pulled on an internal stitch and that it would heal fine. It did, but damn it hurt for days! That's probably what you did!

Regfern, I thought the same things you did about how it will change eating and drinking with friends. Years ago when I quit smoking, I would think there's no way I can do.this, what am I going to do when my friends and I are sitting around chatting and smoking, I won't be smoking, ill just be wiring there!, ill end up caving! Now, 8 years later, I still sit around outside while my friends smoke and it doesn't bother me one bit, I still sort of enjoy the smell even, gross I know! It will be the same with food I assume. Even now, on my protein diet preop, I don't miss eating everything with them, I'm not craving anything since I'm so full of protein, so its just the habit I've got to break, and like any habit that takes years to form, it will take time to break it.

I'm another 11th-er here! Lost 8lbs so far on the high protein diet and i'm actually liking it! Crazy I know, but I feel so healthy only eating veggies, lean meat, fruits and protein shakes/bars.

Oh, and it's not because i'm ashamed, it's the fear of failure or lack of meeting other peoples expectations!

I have only told my 5 best best girlfriends about it, my partner at work (I work on an ambulance, and he's a good friend and spends 12+ hours a day with me!), my husband, mom and cousin. I haven't told everyone, especially work people because 1)I don't want my work knowing until afterwards, and 2), i'm not really open to harsh judgements. No one really knows what my battles are and why this will work for me, kwim?. I'll be taking 3 months off work from sept till dec, due to school so i'm super apprehensive because I know there will be a big difference when I go back (even if it's only 30lbs, it will be obvious on my frame), but i'll tell people then. I definitely can't announce on FB at all unless I want everyone at work to find out.

My appt is the 11th, so i'm still pre-band, but the way I understand it is this: Before lap band-my portions are out of control. I'm amazed at how much food I can eat and still be hungry, or hungry again an hour later. I started running about a year ago, starting wtih the couch to 5k program. I completed it and can "run" about 2 miles without walking. However, I can only run about 18 minute miles (10-12 is average!), and I have plantar fasciitis in both feet, which basically means my damn feet hurt all.the.time, if I don't wear "good" shoes and even if I do, if I walk a lot, like shopping or anything else pretty much. I quit running about 2 months ago and haven't had as many issues with my feet, which has been nice because I was running, it was awful, every day pain and I could never even THINK about wearing flip flops. What i'm hoping for AFTER: First off, I think the 2 week partial liquid, high Protein diet i'm on to shrink my liver is fabulous because I feel like it's breaking my food addiction. I know I wouldn't be able to maintain this forever, so I still need the band, but i'm surprised at how much I think about food and want it even when i'm not hungry! So i'm feeling great on what's now the 4th day of my protein diet and have not cheated at all. So after this inital "Breaking the habit" diet, when I DO go back to eating regular foods, which won't be until 4 weeks AFTER the band, i'll only be able to eat a half cup of food at a time, at most. I already eat healthy and do not eat a lot of sweets. After band, as my butt gets smaller I am hoping it will be more comfortable to bike and I fully intend on starting riding bikes with my kids. If my feet get any better then I want to start running again, but only for stamina and as a supplement, so that I don't hurt my knees or feet again over time.

Yay! Today sucks. I want to eat. I feel depressed and don't want to go anywhere or do anything because EVERYTHING reminds me of food. Feels like when I quit smoking 8 years ago. Trying to fill my time with things but too down about it to want to do anything. I have tons of food here that I would love to munch on but won't, absolutely won't, so i'm doing well in that aspect at least. But this sucks. I just made myself a chicken salad for the first time, and it's pretty darn good, I'm hoping that will fill a gap.

Hello fellow August Bandsters...I really think we should come up with a name for us and a roster? I'm lame like that tho! HAHA How about the A11s??? LMAO! Ya know, the A for august and 11 for 2011!? So anywho, I'm Caryn, 28, starting weight is about 240 (fluctuating between 238-245), I have 2 kids, Trace, my boy, is 6, and Codi, my girl, is 3. Husband is Ryan, married 8 years. Today is the 3rd day of pre-op. It's partial liquid, high Protein. Yesterday I baked a gigantic mulit layered cake for my friends birthday. I didn't lick as single spoon, bowl or beater! Go me! We went to dinner and then the bar. I brought my dinner of tilapia and veggies, we went to a seafood so that was fitting, lol. At the bar I had a rum and diet coke, which is cheating I know, but I really wanted a drink! A beer woulda been great but I refrained. Anyways, I made it through the night with only that minimal infarction, so i'm proud of myself. Been 239 since Thursday, which is actually good because I am rarely the same weight 3 days in a row, so I must be about to lose. Oh, and my awesome husband is doing it with me! Not the band, but the pre-op diet. I swear he's already lost 5lbs....MEN!

So, i'm sure i'll be successful in my weight loss journey, but I stress about the ability to maintain that. You never hear about the 5-8+ post op people. Is it easy to maintain for life!?

Your doc didn't give you a paper that said what you can eat? Mine is high protein partial liquid. It says protein shakes, veggies, salad and more protein shakes, as well as water and liquids.

Lots of us! Yay! I start a high protein partial liquid diet on Thursday!

That's good to hear! The reason I was resistant to anything like this is because of the LOOONG term success. But I can only take one day/year at a time I guess.

Ya'll may remember me posting, asking about how much time to take off work. Well, I scheduled the surgery for Aug 11 and I'll have exactly two weeks off work, like exactly, i'll go back to work the night of the 2 week mark. HOWEVER, I have to start school the 18th. One week later. It will be one day, then 3 days off and then 4 days of school and I would start work again the night of the 4th day. I emailed the director and asked if there would be heavy lifting the first week of school (the very first day, prior to the start is just an orientation, so sitting, maybe walking around), and he said there's no lab days till the very end of the month, and even then, no heavy lifting. I'm so relieved! I am still nervous about starting school full on 9 hours a day 11 days after surgery, but I am pretty strong and healthy now so i'm hoping recovery won't be so bad. I've had two c-sections and within a week of both, I was feeling great. Am I nutso!?

Thank you, I was a bridesmaid and my friend did my hair

I'm thinking muscle milks, Protein Bars and fruit will be what I take to school. This might sound crazy but I am stressed about munching during study sessions. I used to snack on Cereal (but way too much) , or if we had good veggies in the house I would cut up and munch on those, I'm worried about what I can or will be able to snack on when I'm studying. I'm thinking sunflower seeds? I know I need to wean myself off that habit but I swear it helps me concentrate.

My surgery date is Aug 11th! I am excited and just want to get the first few weeks over with!

MIne was a joke. A 1 minute phone call from the psych asking if I ever wanted to commit suicide, am I bulemic, anorexic, etc.

My surgeon says NO carbonation, pretty much ever again after surgery because it wears the stitches out that keep the band in place. I love beer. LOVE beer. And I LOVE smirnoff ice flavored drinks. Waaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! But I also love some mixed drinks like Sex on the Beach and other drinks mixed with juices, so i guess i'll be switching to those when I want to drink.

I have my date Aug 11th and I haven't given myself the "go ahead" yet because i'm terrified to gain more. I've gained 10lbs since I started working nights back in Jan and that has been brutal for me to deal with. I mean i've been overweight forever but I was stuck at a certain weight for over 2 years and then all of a sudden, with zero effort, bam 10lbs. My liquid diet starts on the 28, so i'm making sure I stay "good" until at least the 26th! Then i'll give myself permission to splurge until the 28th when I have to start liquids. I'm terrified of it!

Jess55, I had to laugh, of course I can't sit back and watch an emergency go down and most of that stuff isn't lifing, so much as bending twisting, running around, etc, that's why I wanted to know if I COULD after only a 4 day recovery. I had no idea about the gas problems and pain and all that stuff, i'm very much a novice to surgery and other then my c-sections, i've never had surgery for anything. I thought laproscopy was much more of a breeze, but I guess it's not THAT much easier of a recovery, lol!

Sorry, if everyone has answered these before. I have my seminar tomorrow but I need some real life advice on some questions I have. First: I am an EMT and work on an ambulance, I do heavy lifting, moving patients, etc, every shift. I have 4 days off every other week and can't take time off right now. I can get away with having my partner lift the gurney in and out of the rig (it's hydraulic so we don't have to lift it with a patient on it, except for getting it in the rig), but helping move patients and other unforseen things can happen where I will HAVE to do my job (so to speak, lol), and even if I can get away with not lifting as much, my regular job entails carrying things, squatting, bending, twisting, etc. Is 4 days enough recovery to be able to go back do you think? How long until you resumed totally normal acitvities (picking up your kids, carrying groceries, picking up heavy objects, etc)? I do not want to tell my work about me doing this. Second: The REASON I can't take off much, if any, time right now, is because I am starting paramedic school (it's the next step up from Emt) in mid Aug. From aug until sept, i'll be taking as much time off as possible and then in mid september, i'll be taking 3 months off, which is the remainder of the first part of my schooling. I can take up to 12 weeks personal LOA per year, and the first part of the school, which is full time hours basically, is about 4 months, so for the first month-ish, I have to kind of creatively schedule until I can take my leave. Sorry if none of this is making sense, but it DOES have a point, I swear! What i'm worried about is that if I have the procedure done, is it stressful and do you feel sick until you get the fill level just right? I will already be under a ton of stress with school because it's an extremely stressful program and I am afraid of two being too stressful put together. My hope is that I can have the procedure done, and basically get right back to living without having to think too much about it. I already eat healthy and run for exercise. I know my weaknessess for sure and the areas in which I can improve (like portion, I can eat WAY too much at one time!), and I will absolutely make whatever changes I need to in the diet and exercise department, but other then that, I am hoping this won't be too much of a "thing" in my life. Does that make sense??? Probably not, haha. Third: What should I expect at the seminar tomorrow? Is there a lot of people at one time or is it a one on one thing? My stats: 5'1 236lbs, size 20 pants, 2x shirts. My "ideal" weight is 122, which is totally bogus for me. Even in high school, when I was doing drugs, I was 140 and that was about a size 8. Gawd, to have THAT back (the size, not the drugs!), so really, I think 150 is a perfect weight for me. I am physically strong, doing manual labor at work and ride horses so I have always had a ton of muscle. At my heaviest, one year after my son was born, I was 158, size 24 pants. Through Weight watchers, I got down to 230, where I remained for freakin EVER no matter what I did , and then in Jan I started working nights. No big changes in diet and BAM 6-10lb gain. Which I learned is normal for people starting nights because of the lack of "down" time and non-eating time (seriously, I don't get much sleep during the week) so my metabolism is all screwed up. Anyways, just looking for some answers!

Thank you all so much, I was only curious! After reading these and going to the seminar I totally understand I need to take 2 weeks off. They said my insurance is great, only requires the minimum of time, like 1-2 months, so that is good. I am thinking that if it all goes through and i'm approved and everything, then i'll take 2 weeks off before I go to school. I can't take the time off once i'm in school and i'll be doing hands on skills and stuff so I want to be as close to 100 percent as possible for that. The reason I don't want to tell my employers is because I don't want them getting their panties all in a bunch and making me retake our lift-test that we have to take when we get hired and then after any injury. It blows, it's torture and it's way beyond what I need to do on a day to day basis at my job, it includes a cardio test too and it just sucks. I had to retake it after I had my last baby and I just don't want to do it again! Plus I don't think it's any of their business.