LB4Me

Thanks for the lovely post. I am reluctant to talk about it to people outside my small circle. But you have made me see the other side of the equation.

:Banane08: Rock on! :Banane10:

Once you are at the hospital, just know you are in good hands and relax. It is all over sooner than you can imagine. Follow the doctor's instructions, don't be a hero and take your pain meds, drink your protein and water and the recovery will go easy as well. Then the hard work starts.

God lick tomorrow. Just remember after surgery to take it slowly and follow your doctor's instructions.

Glad to hear that you followed through with speaking to your managers. It is a first step. Once I decided to have the surgery, I also started paying more attention to what and how I ate. I think it helped.

Hope you're feeling better an resting at home.

I just gave my husband a big hug and kiss after reading this. He is my major supporter in this journey even if he cannot understand my weight issues - he has never had a fat day in his life. But I made him part of the process from the beginning. We discussed it. He came with me on all my doctors appointments. We read all the literature together. He now cooks all my meals so I am not tempted to add a dab of butter or some extra cheese. And he hid the Halloween candy from me!

Me too. I was so much more ready for the surgery and aftermath by spending as much time on here as I did. And post-surgery, as long as I am on here, I am not using my hands for eating. So it is a win, win.

Non-fat, refried beans only at this stage. It is also suggested that you stir in some smooth salsa to make it more liquid. Top with low-fat cheddar cheese and microwave.

Had my xray and follow up with the surgeon today. I was feeling so good today (8 days post op) that I practically skipped to the hospital. Surgeon was happy with my healing and I got to skip ahead to mushies. I could not wait to get home to a scrambled egg! Tonight, refried black beans. Heavenly!

Amp up your protein. My sister is a tri-athlete. She kept pushing me to add more protein to my protein. When I finally did, I started to feel less hunger and better. I started adding add'l unflavored protein or LF PB to my shakes. I also healed very quickly. I am on day 8 today and saw the surgeon who gave me the go-ahead to move to mushies.

I added a tbsp of LF peanut butter to my protein shakes when I was really hungry. It boosted the protein and somehow made them more satisfying. But unfortunately, as Corrigan said, this is the rough time. Just keep thinking, it is for a limited time and it will get better. I think the 2 week pre-diet helps really prepare you for the post surgery.

Very good advice. Thanks for sharing.

I agree with Secretbeauty. If you work for a large corporation with a good benefits package, it is best to tell them what you plans are as soon as you can. Especially if you anticipate future issues in relation to your work or layoffs. I work for a large Wall Street firm. I told HR as soon as possible and provided letters from my doctors. This put me into a temporary disabled category which has saved my job. Also, many people don't realize it, but if your benefits include disability insurance, the time off for surgery can be approved as STD. I did not know this, but when I told HR what I was doing, they told me.

elcome aboard from another very happy NYC bandster. I was banded at NYU on 10/20, the day before you. We have an October bandsters group under post op. Please join us.

Pulmonary clearance is usually a Pulmonary Function Test (PFT). They put you thru a series of breathing exercises and draw some blood. Super simple if you have no breathing issues. I had/have breathing problems so I've been thru the tests four times so far. They need an awareness of any pulmonary issues for the anestisia.

:Banane04: YEAH! :Banane03: :Banane02:

- taking vacations and not worrying how much walking there will be - being able to commute to and from work by train, not cab - taking my dog for a walk, myself - not depending on my husband or a dog walker - not worrying about going to a fancy hair salon cause I may not fit in the chair - not afraid to let my husband see me come in or out of the shower - quit my job and know that I can reinvent myself - getting on a stepstool to grab something off a high shelf - wearing pretty shoes and knowing that they can hold my weight

Drink apple juice watered down. Then water, water, water. As soon as you can, start drinking protein shakes again.

Some of it also boils down to dollars and cents. If you buy a second hand car to get to and from work, you treat it as such. You fill it with the least expensive gas you can find, you only wash it when absoultely necessary, you never offer to drive on nights out... When you buy a Mercedes you put money into it. You keep it tuned, it is kept in a garage and you feed it regularly with the best gas you can. And you show it off. If you are putting the time and expense into being banded, you're gonna treat your body like a Mercedes, not a Pinto.

Welcome. I am from NYC too and was banded at NYU by Dr Kurian on 10/20. The experience at NYU was wonderful. You could not have chosen a better surgeon/hospital. I had never had surgery before and they made me feel so comfortable. I have also had very little recovery issues. The after care from the packet i received is very intense as well. No room to mess up. My word of advice to you is Protein, protein, protein. Drink those Protein shakes now. And keep drinking them after the surgery - no matter how much you want to stop. They help with the hunger and the help with the healing.

I had never had surgery for anything. I never even had stitches. I was freaking out just like you last Thursday. You know what, the surgery was the easiest part of this whole thing. Up to the surgery, you had to make the decisions, be in control. As soon as you step into the hospital for your surgery, you are no longer in charge. Just give it up to the doctors and nurses. I am never a passive person, but I decided to just let them do their thing. And it was over before I knew it.

I have 2 1/2 weeks off work and then 2 weeks working remotely from home. If you have the luxury of taking more time off, why not? Even if you feel recovered, spend the time doing nice things for yourself.

I just told this to another poster. I had a probiatic, FF yogurt and I was going before it was finished.

Welcome to the other side. I hope your recovery is quick and painless. I too took 1/2 doses of the pain meds for about 2 days and then stopped. The 1/2 doses allowed me to take the edge off and sleep, but didn't totally drug me.