ellyk

Hi Cathy, Wow, 42 lbs in 9 weeks. That's amazing! Congrats! Thanks for the advice. I called my doctor yesterday and she said to do the same thing that yours did. It is already looking better. Thank goodness because I was really freaking out. Let's just hope it continues to get better. Kelly

I am almost 5 weeks post-op and yesterday one of my incisions opened just a little bit. There is a hole the size of a pen point in the incision and it is bleeding. Not bad bleeding, but just every now and again. The incision is right on my waistline, so my pants always rub against it. It's a little tender, but doesn't really hurt, and the discharge is not a strange color. I spoke to my doctor's office and they are not concerned, but I'm still a little freaked. I just figured that almost 5 weeks out, I'd be out of risk of having an incision open. Has anyone experienced this before? Thanks for any advice. Kelly

Hi Jennifer1, Recently my appetite has been starting to return. I am not always able to go three hours between meals, probably because I'm not getting enough Protein. Regardless of my appetite, I have been forcing myself to stick to the plan. I do not eat more than I am supposed to, and if it is before I am supposed to eat, I try and remember to drink something, because I am usually just thirsty. My biggest problem, though, has been drinking slowly enough and not drinking during my meals. I don't know about you, but I was the person who could drink 2 whole glasses of a beverage while having dinner. From what I understand, some people are able to eat as much as they did before until they have a fill. I'm trying really hard to not let myself get there. What I can tell you is that it is easier to stay full once you move to soft foods. I'm eating more protein and food that just feels more substantial. Hang in there. We didn't go through all of this to fail. Good luck

I was banded on May 18th. My doctor told me to take the larger bandages off the next day and to allow the steri-strips to come off on their own.He then said if they hadn't come off at the 2 week mark, to remove them. Good luck!

Thanks everyone It is good to know that there are people out there who are happy. I was just starting to feel overwhelmed with the number of posts talking about things not working the way they had expected. I am really happy with my band so far. Still a little tender in areas, but I'm back to work and loving that I do not have the desire to eat everything in sight. I have enjoyed the mushies stage, but didn't even think about ff refried Beans with a little cheese. I might have to try that tonight. I did let some feta cheese melt in my mouth yesterday, and I thought I was going to die from how good it was. Regretably, I do not have a ton of recent "before" pictures. I took a couple the night before surgery (in the standard sports bra and shorts) but I think those will be for my eyes only. I am planning on taking them again once a month so that I can keep track of the progress. I am going to take the advice and measure myself. I know that this is going to be tough, but I didn't spend the time and money to mess it all up. I am ready for the work. Thanks for the reassurance. Kelly

HI everyone! I have watched this forum for months, but now that I am 2 weeks post-op, I realize that I need to get involved. I had surgery on May 19, 2011 and I have lost almost 16lbs so far. I am trying to everything by the book. I just started mushies today, but I feel like I'm still not doing it right, even though I haven't eaten anything I;m not supposed to eat. I hear so many people say that they hate their bands, so I'm freaking out a little. I guess I just want some reassurance that there are people who are happy that they made this decision. I look forward to hearing back from you all!