shellyj

i have an official card from the BioEntrics corporation i got the card from my dr. it looks like a business card and is blue and mustard yellow it says this person has an adjustable gastric band inplanted around the stomach to assist weight loss... it also has a pic of an x-ray of the band and a drawing of the band... if you want one you might could call the 800 also printed on my card 800-432-8803 www.bioenterics.com i dont know if i'll use it or just enjoy the meal for a couple days???

hi ya'll i was banded 8-18 and am scheduled for a fill on 9-15. i have lost 10 lbs since surgery- i had lost 15 but 5 came back as i introduced solids!!! i to have been able to eat anything... i have not pb'd or vomited and dont get chest pressure i just eat chew eat chew and by the time i think GOD I HAVE EATEN ALOT (about 1 1/2 - 2 cups) i quit eating but dont feel full just ashamed:eek: i dont feel tooo bad i hadnt had any carbs all summer so while i'm *healing* i am eating the carbs to. protien first though!!! i just got back from the dr and he confirmed that its because the swelling is down, as long as i am not feeling any discomfort that it isnt stretching, the food is just passing through. michelle 8-18-03 325/308/170 10 since banding 17 total

the waiting is the hardest part!!!! :D i went through the same thing... i was lucky that my process wasnt as long as some others, timing is everything! my first appointment was 7-1 i had surgery on 8-18! (there was a cancelation the day i scheduled surgery so i got first dibs!!) good luck in your journey. i would do exactly what your doing now... research, research, research! and ask questions! you'll get there! GOOD LUCK!!!!! 'patience is a virtue' easier said than done!! lol

it was really good! i ate on it for 3 days! i wish i had some now! i bought a whole chicken and i will make it again this weekend! it has all of my favorites...cheese, sourcream, guacamole, tomatoes....lots of flavor!!!

you can SELL your clothes on e-bay. i just thought since we all will be going through so many sizes and the clothes we BUY will have no use to us once undergrown. sure they could be donated to goodwill, a yardsale, consignment but it would be nice to help a band buddy. you could also have a link to one of the other clothing exchanges instead??? the link below will take you to Obestiy helps clothing exchnage page if you want to check it out. http://www.obesityhelp.com/morbidobesity/clothingexchange.phtml as far as it working??? who knows. it was just an idea

hey megan!! the hiatel hernia is very common for bandsters... alot of surgeons will even fix it for you when they do the band! just be sure and tell the surgeon when you talk to him/her. it will probably be on the questionaire they make you fill out! good luck!

i think its really weird how most of our bodies and minds are reacting the same way! i have been having alot of these same issues and it was such a relief to see this post this morning as far as food goes i am still telling myself i am healing and can eat higher calorie/carb foods that i wont be eating later down the road and to enjoy it while i can! i am trying to weed out the carbs as i notice how crummy and cravy (not a word?) the make me feel. and as far as the scale... i bought a really good one this weekend and as soon as i got home i jumped on and guess what!!! i gained 2 pounds. so no more scale until i have been filled and am *supposed* to be losing. i felt like a failure, like a pig. i totally forgot about the 15 i had lost. not fun. so its in the closet till i get filled. i decided i WILL NOT let the scale effect my mood! DONALI- i though of you! not counting the regain unless it's 5 or more. great job on all the pep talks they helped me too!

hey kelly!!!! looks like all of us august bandsters are going through the same things!!! thank goodness for this forum!! i dont feel like i get 'full' now because i chew chew chew until the food is 'the right texture' (im sure you know what i mean) and when i eat my 1/2 cup portion- nothing...so i keep eating...i do become satisfied but not *full*. when i was first banded and still swollen i would definitaly get the full feeling. i cant wait to get filled. i havent pb'd or vomited so i know im not overeating. i just have to quit eating before that happens. i guess i'm so afraid of pb'ing or vomiting i have been stopping early enough. as far as the pain- no i havent experienced that...could the back pain be gas that hasnt dispersed? i have heard it can take 2-3 weeks.....i dont think the gas would make it to your ear though!!! good luck

i am pretty tall. i meant to mention that height has everything to do with sizes because at 5'-10" and weight 303 i carry my weight alot differently than someone 250 and 5'-2". i have even had a dr tell me "whoa, when i saw 290 on your chart and walked in i thought i had the wrong room." not that you can be 300+ and look thin by any means i guess i just have room to spread it all around!! lol!!! i carry most weight in my tummy but every part of me is overweight. one time when i lost enough weight to fit into a size 14 i was amazed that i weighed 215! my mother and brother (when told) were also shocked that i wasnt under 200 at that time. ...and of course brands have everything to do with sizes...

i have heard it is about 20 pounds per size... who knows??? i mean if you hit a plateu you may be loosing inches and not any pounds!!!! i started loosing in june and i was wearing a size 30 then, by the time i had my surgery i was in a 26. the weird thing is i dont know what i weighed when i started 'loosing'- i was weighed july 2 and weighed 325. between 7-1 and 8-15 i lost 8 lbs and 1 pants size. since banding my tummy is still swolen and i can hardly button 24's but just before i went in i could button them just not able to sit down! i wish the swelling was gone i think i could be comfy in 24's instead of tight. i am wearing 26 today and the legs are starting to look like clown pants. THEY NEED TO BE RETIRED!!! a cool thing happened though my boyfriend and i went to the movies last friday and i fit into the seat without having to CRAM my big behind in!!!!! i smiled through the whole movie!!!! (maybe they are just making the seats a little wider these days for obese america.

i bought 'designer whey' from GNC stawberry. i think they are all gross. i also tried EAS Advantage and they werent very good either. you just have to suffer through it! good luck!!! the upside is by the time you get banded the broth and Jello and then Soups will taste like heaven!!!!!!!!!!!

as much as clothes cost and as quickly as we'll be going through them i know i for one cant afford to upkeep my 'busness proffessional' wardrobe for every size!!!! the way i have seen it work on other sites is... 1. THERE IS NO SELLING OF CLOTHES 2. Donater can pay shipping or request the Donatee to send shipping cost prior to shipping clothing. 3. must agree to relist clothing after through using i think thats it. they have a feature where you can show a photo of clothing i dont know if thats do-able??? michelle

well i'm not from georgia but i am a southern girl! i live outside of nashville and that is where i was i banded on 8-18!! have you been banded yet or are you still researching? or waiting for approval?

i was banded 8-18 and am on soft foods! chicken, veggies... on bites i take about 1/3 of a forkful...depending on texture and chew until the food is liquidy. the more restricted you are the more you have to chew!!! i have swallowed some bites to soon! some say use shildrens silverware. bandsize... about 2 inches in diameter. roughly the size of your thumb and index finger into a circle...depending on hand size. but remeber all of your stomache is cinched into that. as swelling is going down my appetite is going up! i had surgery on monday and went back to work on friday. i left an hour early and went home and slept 14 hours!!! everyone is different though!

hey bright! it would be no problem for a fellow bandster! remember i offered! i am going to the post office this evening i'll see if they can tell me the price to mail 5 pounds to dublin and i'll let you know what they say! i have no idea as i have never shipped overseas! October is right around the corner!!!!

hi coal! i also got started early with weight loss. it cant hurt right? well i will say i definitaly struggled to maintain what i had lost. i started *dieting* june 1 - august 4. i'll even say i felt like i was missing out on the 'last meal' cause i didnt want to regain what i had struggled to lose on my own! with your surgery already being scheduled and only 22 days away you wont have the stress of wondering if youll get approved. that was a rough time for me! if you get started early its just that much more that you wont have to lose once banded!! do you have a pre op diet? i lost 8 lbs on my pre op diet! and 15 in the 2 weeks since banding. when on my liquid diet i did adtkins. i bought 'designer whey' Protein shakes they are carb free and sugar free. oh yeah taste free too. i had stawberry flavored and add 1 splenda for sweetness. good luck!

dang kellymoos.... my total bill was 21,000 including surgeon, anesthesiologist, pre-op testing, and hospital. the insurance get a discount so the amount they paid was 17,000! i have to pay 1400. not bad. i'll make my money back in saved grocery bill over time!

i counted mine from the first time i got weighed since my most recent gain. i had been embarassed to go to the dr so it was at my surgeons office. i weighed at a hospital last week wich was 2 weeks post of and i had lost 18!!!! bringing my total weight loss to 22!!!! -since july 1. i did lose some weigh in june but since i didnt know what i weighed i dont know what i lost or my *true* highest weight was. i am with donali any pound lost is a pound counted! (now that i know what i weigh i am not afraid of a scale)

hey bright- i dont know how much shipping is but i wouldnt mind shipping you some if your uncle has a hard time finding them or has to pay a lot. i live outside of nashville tn and i at our local walmart they sell a box of 5 packages of Peanut Butter cups (3 per pack) for 4.25$!!!! if you get the candy bars at a pharmacy or grocery store but they are about 2$ a piece. the only ones walmart sells in bulk are the pb cups the other flavours are 1$ each. another benifit is if you eat to many it will work as a laxative. i have eaten 3 candy bars in a day and not had that effect though! now as far as the brownie mix, pancake mix, Cookies, pizza crust and other foods they make have all gotten horrid reviews, and they are fairly expensive...15$ a box of baking mix. if you eat more than 20 carbs a day though these candybars turn into fat! so that is important!

the chicken is cooking as we speak!!!!!! i was digging in my cookbooks and found a crockpot cookbook!!! looks like i'll be putting that one to use! i always used the crockpot for soups- not anymore! the pork shoulder sounds yummy to but since i am a southern gal i'd be adding bbq sauce! my boyfriend makes me homeade adkins bbq sauce! it is somthing like louisiana hot sauce or similiar, vinegar, and splenda! it a bit of a stretch but the hot and sweet are yummy! especially with pork! i'll let ya know how my dinner is tonite! i am exited to be cooking dinner! (not something i ever do!) i know it will be good! i'll be thinking about it till then!

hey bright... make that 1 thing!!! my doc says diet sodas are ok after 2 weeks of being banded! sip, sip, sip.... i have drank a diet 7 up and a few sips of diet cherry coke! some say to let it sit for a while and thats good advice! i took a sip of fresh diet cherry coke and could feel the fiz fizzing. now it was such a tiny sip theres no way it could have expanded to more than 4 oz but cokes are one thing i used to chug! i have been enjoying sugar free popsicles and puddings, jellos etc and i am sure they are fine to eat on your regular diet i dont want the extra carbs they give you. i am still healing so i am eating anything on my post op diet-carbs or not! and i have lost 18 lbs!!! i thinks as long as your not eating desert as MEALS than a 'taste' isnt so bad! you can order candy bars online at: http://atkins.com/shop/atkins-food-brands/endulge.html I like them. especially when not having any carbs!! they save the day!

i was only banded 8-18 but heres my 2 cents! 1. i agree with both comments alicia and kellymoos. +++ i also thought the recovery for the band was bad enough i CANT IMAGINE going through bypass!! my bosses wife had bypass done a year ago so she let me know what all the recovery entails!!! 2. WORST- so far...PRO OP DIET!!!(Post op hasnt been bad Soups never tasted so yummy)... the gas pain and soreness... (not really THAT bad!!) having to get used to small portions and realizing that if i snack... that it really was a meal because i get full!! thats not bad just different!! BEST PART- realizing that if i get discouraged i have my band to keep me in check, if i am not loosing i can get a fill, if it takes me 3 years to reach goal thats fine because i dont have an 18 month window!!! i could go on here.... 3. i have lost 18 lbs 2 weeks post op just from following the post op diet. i have to agree with kellymoos this webiste has been a big help and the support and knowing these people are where you were, are now, or are heading is a comfort! Megan- i also agree that slow weightloss is still weightloss!!! i hope this helps! good luck to you!

to cure a seet tooth you can get no carb/no sugar candybars at walgreens, walmart, kroger, eckerds. i would say most rx's and most groceries in the dieters section brands are... adtkins, carbolite, pure-d-lite, and russel stover. as long as you stay under 20 carbs a day you can eat these. i like the atdkins brand best. when i do the adtkins diet i eat 2 candybars a day. i am 2 weeks post op and not watching what i eat all as long as it meets my dr's criteria i am allowing myself to eat. as soon as i am cleared for reg foods i will do adtkins strictly. or try anyway! michelle 325-303-170

yum that sounds sooo good! i'll have to get out my crockpot i guess being banded it will become a new way to cook 'tender' meals! another great thing about that meal is that there is NO CARBS!!! (sometimes the jarred salsa will have them though) my fav. is making homeade salsa and of course guacamole.....oops drooling on myself... this may have to be dinner for tommorrow! do you usually go for dark meat now post-band since it is more fatty easier to get down? i am still 'healing' and just got cleared for 'tender' chicken!!!!! thanks for the yummy idea! michelle 325-303-170

well i had my surgery on monday 8-18 and today is friday 8-22 and i am back to work. this was my surgery experience... i went friday for pre-op testing they did a chest x ray, ekg, bloodwork, and i met with the anesthesiolist. it took about 2 hours. i did only clear liquids till sunday night. i went to bed at 9:00 pm and was up at 5:30 to get to the hospital by 6:30. wehn i got ther they put me in a recovery room until 10 i was given a shot for nausea and 2 pills. they took me down to surgery at 10 and started an IV then i went to sleep! i woke and everyone was telling me i made it and to breathe!! i was hot and sweaty but they took off my warming blanket i also felt like crying i was told its the aneshtesia. they wheeled my up to my room and i had to PEE so i got that out of the way! then i layed in the bed for about an hour eating ice chips. i had made friends with a girl who was being banded the same day so i walked to her room and we ate popsicles. then i got some more pain meds and had to go lay down! they came and got me for the barium swallow (tastes nasty) then i layed down until my doc could come visit! i left the hospital at 5:30. the drive home made me VERY nausous and when i got home i took 2 gas x's and went straight to sleep. i woke up at nine and think i had a PB. i was having pain in my chest so i leaned over the sink afraid i was going to vomit but i burped really loud and leaned over again and thought i was going to burp again but it was liquid and the shell of the gas x. it didnt hurt and wasnt like a vomit. i am still sore and eating only broth, protein drinks, jello and water. still taking the gas x. my incisions look good no drainage or bleeding. i have been sleeping on my back and a little on my side. i have been weening myself off the pain meds but i am sure i will finish the bottle i was given. i am so grateful i have been banded and i am glad to say i havent been too hungry. this morning my tummy was growling but i drank a shake and it is satisfied! so thats how it went! 325/318/175 i wont weigh until 9-9 so i dont know what i really weigh!