sassyfrass

Wow, so sorry to hear about getting to the hospital only to have to go back home and wait another day. You have to get phsyched up all over again. But I hope it all works out for you. Also....I want to say CONGRATULATIONS to all others just banded! You sure help alleviate some of my fear for my upcoming surgery on Wednesday! Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences!

My surgery is also Feb 29 and I only took off until March 6. I sit most of the day too. So it should be ok from what I have read although I know it is different for each person.

I am so NOT looking forward to having one of thes episodes after I am banded next week. I am thankful for these forums, because One post that has stuck with me since I read it (sometime last year) from a guy (can't remember who?) was about this same topic. He said, just as Denise said in this post, that he found that he could eat most anything he wanted but he key is to wait after you swallow a bite. Give it some time to get all the way down. He originally thought he was fine to take another bite after he first swallowed, and thought it was all the way down, but he found out differntly. I am trying to take all of this good advice and remind myself of it each time I take a bite. I know I may not be immune to every having a stuck episode, but I will sure try my best to heed all the warnings I have read about. Thanks, Denise for all of your good advice I read on these forums from time to time. I appreciate all of the tips and advise given by the veterans...and everyone else too. I wish you all much success.

I'm no banded yet (until next week) but thought I read somewhere that if your port starts bothering you after weight loss, it can be changed to a smaller port. ? Not sure how much that actually entails.

I am downloading on my android right now!! Thanks for the tip!

It's strange, to me, too, how so many Doctors are different with the pre op diet as well as post op. I have surgery next week, but after surgery, the 1st week is supposed to be clear liquids. By 2nd week, can add protein shakes, and pureed foods, yogurts, etc... 3rd week can have mushies. I don't know if I could deal with protein shakes only for the whole 2 weeks. Wow. I wish you well. None of this will be easy. I sure don't look forward to the 1st or 2nd week for sure, but at least I can have soup broth. I love love love sweets, but I don't think I would want them only for 2 weeks. It may be easier than you think, but who am I to say?

wow, I am feeling blessed with my pre op diet of low carb eating for these 2 weeks, after reading that many of you can only have liquids, preop. I just started my pre op last Wednesday. As of this past Monday, I had already lost 5 lbs. I have to deal with the liquid stages after surgery so I'm very thankful I don't have to do only liquids before. It's hard enough to stay under 40 carbs some days. Breakfasts get really boring with low carb options, but I am determined not to cheat, even a little. Didn't even have a piece of my mom's Birthday cake. It looked sooooooo delicious, but I wanted to be sure my liver shrunk for the surgery. I am nervous enough without adding to it with my careless eating. Having said that, I did add a no carb protein shake after my gym workout today. It was actually quite tasty. I wish you all well with your surgeries and your weight loss efforts.

Thanks, Judy. I know I will be soooo nervous. But I agree with other posters, that this forum has been such an inspiration and help to me. I am so thankful that everyone has been posting before AND after. It really helps to chat about the whole experience. pre and post banding. I appreciate you all so very much.

Sorry for the disappointment of having to reschedule, but it will all be worth it in the end. For the newly banded group, congrats! I am glad all has gone so well for you. Especially all those without much pain at all. I can only pray to be that successful with my surgery next Wednesday. I have one more week of low carbs. It is not real easy with sweets everywhere I look, but I have made it one week already! I wish all of this week's surgeries many blessings and much success! :0)

Glad to hear all is well with surgeries! Good wishes going to the remaining Februaries.

I wish all of you with surgeries today the best! Prayers going up for you. Oh, Jessika, how I hope to have a great outcome like you had! I wish that for all of us Feb bandsters I look forward to reading all of the stories. God bless.

That is awesome! All the best reasons for this added tool! I wish you even more success as you continue down this healthier path. :0).

Oh how I dream of being in onederland! Haven't been there since 2006, at least! One day it WILL happen. That will be an awesome feeling!

That sounds great to me. I have to keep telling myself this is REALLY happening! And my low carb eating starts tomorrow. I pray that God will help me ( and all of us here) to be successful in each step of the way. I just hope I dont mindlessly put something sweet in my mouth- forgetting! Getting more nervous by the day. How ' bout you?

Support is ALWAYS welcome. :0)

I am just curious since there are "last supper" topics for pre banded days, it would be interesting to hear the same for after banding. After your surgery, once you were past the liquid, mushies stages, when you were finally cleared to try a "normal" meal, what did you try first?

I hope you start feeling better, Greekie, and all others just out of surgery. I said a prayer for you all. Also said one for the rest of facing the same thing in these next 2 weeks or so. Mine is for Feb 29! My low carb pre op diet starts this Wednesday. Oh the nerves are already starting.

Happy Bandiversary to you!! Hopefully about this time next year, it will be 2 wks away from my first bandiversary!

Wow! Interesting answers. I like the thought of food losing it's hold! That is truly the best!! I get banded in almost 2 weeks so I am totally dreading the liquid stages, but would sure not want to jeopardize my healing, so I shall prevail. I am sure that I will be like some of you in thinking that first bit of food I actually get to eat, after all of that, will taste like heaven. B-52, I am sure I will be a bit fearful to eat much of anything, at first also. As a matter of fact, I actually mentioned that very fear when talking to the surgeon last week. He said that no matter how a person tries, at some point with the band, EVERYONE gets 'stuck' in some form or another. His words. He was trying to ease my mind about it. He says since everyone is so different in what they can or cannot eat, it's a learning experience as we go. He assured me that by 6 months of being banded, eating would come like second nature; versus having to think about it, as when we first get banded. Thanks for all of the responses. I wish you all much success.

Terri, I hope you enjoy your cruise! Hope it's a blast! I have to start my 2 wk low carb diet next Wednesday, so I know I'll be having some of those liquids/soft foods as well. I will definitely have plenty of chicken and steak also. Who knows, I may be one of those that won't be able to eat such things very well, afterwards. . I know I will be craving some serious sweets, but I WILL do like I should. I want to make sure my liver is shrunk like it needs to be before surgery.

No, I don't think that having someone on his show means he endorses it. He is probably just trying to get the info out there for all to hear and form their opinions. He had a guest Dr. on his show not too long ago, regarding weight loss/excercise. I can't remember all the details of the show, but Dr. Oz was astonished at the things that Dr. believed. He even said the purpose of having the Dr. on his show is to ask him questions so that everyone watching could understand what that Dr. was saying. He didn't agree with that Dr. at all. Quite interesting.

I have heard, also, that it's the starting weight and BMI that Insurance goes by. I just got approved for surgery, but my 2 week low carb pre-op diet doesn't start until next Wednesday. I need to lose weight with that before surgery, but my insurance is approved already. The weight loss during the pre-op is to shrink the liver, and really has nothing to do with the insurance approval at that point. That's how it has been explained to me. ( and really it makes sense). I have co-mordities, as well, so it would still have been okay for me even if I do fall below my 40 BMI after the 2 week period before surgery.

It's so crazy how different doctors have you do different things, but I'm so thankful that I do not have to be on liquids only before surgery. I just have to do low carbs for those 2 wks. No more than 40 carbs per day. I can handle that. After is going to be the hardest, with 2 wks of liquids only. I am sure I may have to take them up on one of their suggestions in my materials from the Doc's office. They suggested if you crave something and just really want to taste it, to just take a bite or two and chew it up, but don't swallow it. Hey, I am all for that, if it gets me through the day/week. It's keeping the carbs low. That's the main thing that helps shrink the liver for surgery, so in my opinion, I think you will be just fine to have a small low carb meal. Enjoy every morsel....and I wish you well for your surgery. I look forward to hearing how it goes for you.

Congratrulations to all of you that are banded now. I hope you will continue to feel better. I look forward to reading more of your posts as you progress. I have to start my low carb diet next Wednesday (Feb 15) so....as much as I love Olive Garden, I may just have to save up my weight watchers points that day so that I can have my Chicken Alfredo that night, because I may never be able to do pasta again. One never knows. I know some that can, and some that can't. Anyway.....it's getting more and more REAL as the days are drawing closer. I will be a pile of nerves by the 29th! Oh my! I wish those you you with upcoming surgeries very well. loving this thread!