Mary Jo F

Hi - I am checking in after my surgery 8/08. I really had no problems. However, by the last week of the liquid diet I was so over it. I have gotten so I can drink the stuff lumpy. Yeah Yeah Yeah I know. I am down about 12 lbs post surgery. Saw dietician today and on to mushy food. I really am happy with the way my surgeon and insurance carrier prepared me for this surgery. It was not easy. Six months of follow up, all kinds of evaluations....I am doing what they say - to a point. I have my first fill next week. He moved it up because I am doing so well. I Have a definite "enough" feel in my tummy. And like I said, I don't have any fill yet. Feel the best I have in years. Started my journey at 319 and am down 269. Lost a toddler along the way. My husband says the Chinese are happy as they have had a few more CHINS added to their phone book. I have to have my work badge changed as guess what - I have a FACE!!! --- Banded by Dr. Stephen Butler, Lakeland, FL....

My doctor has given me a "program" of what to eat, what not to eat and how to do so. I had Clear liquids until the day after surgery, then "full liquids". Like I said I thought I had screwed something up as I wasn't really feeling anything but the dietician said fluids go right thru so tonight I did yogurt with Protein powder and some Jello powder. Incredibly yummy - NOT but it did give me a "more full" feeling - that to me is like a midabdomen pressure. Yay no peuking yet for me. I do not even see bread on my list for ever. It is 3-4 oz of a protein, 3-4 veggie and a carb. Eat protein first, veggie second and preferrably by carbo not hungry. A friend who had gastric bypass still cannot eat bread after 7 years - it gets stuck and I have seen it and I don't like it. But since I started liquid Protein shakes two weeks prior to surgery and now after with just mainly fluids? I am not really hungry and I am learning to go with that feeling instead of it is Noon time to eat regardless. This is an adventure and I hope to keep on it. Am waiting to hear about exercise, not happily as I hate it. And my kids - 25 and 26 are into it and want to run me ragged. Lord help me. So just a slug am I.....

CherieElise - I am with you. I had no real problems. The gas was okay but I sort of expected it and knew just to let it go. Luckily I had a single room. LOL. Once I was up and about I felt good. I am sore, like someone says the lower abdomen feels like over worked muscles. You are asleep so no telling what they do to you when asleep, jumping jacks or something. HEY THIS ISN"T A DRUM....In any event went back to work today. Glad I did as it was so mental I forgot to move. Truly. I talked to the dietician today because I was concerned that the liquid Protein drinks were not seeming to go anywhere and I thought I may have screwed something up. She laughed and said no the Protein Drinks are mostly liquid and they flow right thru (Duh) and she told me to put the protein into nonfat blecky yogurt which I did and added some sugar free pudding. Not bad. Won't make it an always and forever meal but hey what are our options. YOu just have to make the best of it. Once that decision is made you should know what you want and you will do whatever you need to do to achieve it. Surgery was not cheap, even with insurance and I have a lot riding on this.For my family, friends but most of all - FOR ME.......It was a journey from the day I decided to lose weight in late Dec and I lost 50 lbs until the two weeks of shakes and I lost another 10. I will not say I didn't put a bite of something in my mouth tho because I did. And it was all I needed. Which made me proud! In any event if your mind is not on the end result it will not succeed. I hope I don't have to eat my words in six months but I ahve a good team with me and as their test kitchen (I was the dr's first lapband in his own hospital) I feel I have to give them all the info and feedback I can so they can work with others. We all have to keep our chin (s) up and get fit and healthy together. I want to see all of us posting a year from now!!!!!!!

I too am new here since yesterday. I skim the negativity but sometimes in the negative you can find positives. I also find more questions. As my surgeon - I was his first! and his team, New to Bariatric, they really cannot answer ALL my questions, nor do I expect them to. I believe in my heart the day I got scheduled and started the surgical date thing that I became - that was I not anyone else, part of THEIR team and it is up to me to give them the good, the bad and the ugly and let them find the answers for the next person. I tend to be very relaxed about stuff which is NOT GOOD. But I also an not afraid to tell them what is going on. My one concern is - I do not have a fill. He told me he put "some" Water in because I had been so good. However I have to say I don't FEEL anything. I don't feel any different (other then the surgical holes) then I did the day before. It scares me. I worked hard to get here, it was a journey of many years, alot of tears, alot of fear. I am alone as I have a family of light weights. I did this to ME, no one else. And I will get out of it. In any event, I have nothing but good things to say except that the Protein shakes for a month are annoying and boring no matter what. But you do what you have to do to get thru this and make it work. I am determined to be down 100 lbs by next year. So my question to long termers is - is this normal physical feelings at this early time - i.e. like nothing happened? How do I know I have reached the pouch limit? I really don't want to fail and I don't want Dr. B to have to go back in and revise it. he said I can't hurt it. But can I.. Actually it is kind of fun. I look at it as a game and you have to go to jail sometimes before buying railroad...But you will get thru it... By the way, imagine my life. I live in a household of my husband, myself, my 26 yr old daughter and her boyfriend - who is a certified CHEF. He is top notch in his field and cooks most of our dinners. We buy the food, he cooks it. So imagine how I feel sitting at the dinner table with a Protein shake and his massive goodness flows? He cooks healthy and fresh and it is just awesome. I will never be able to eat everything he cooks, but I could have a bit....Looking forward to that - and still lose weight. With his help, and daughters, I lost 50 lbs pre-surgery and so I knwo we can do it after......and maybe, just maybe, I will be the mother of the bride!!! If they ever get their restaurant going and making money - hahah ahahaha... Please feel free to write me at maryjofundock@yahoo.com <a href="http://www.TickerFactory.com/weight-loss/wReMN0E/"> <img border="0" src="http://tickers.TickerFactory.com/ezt/t/wReMN0E/weight.png"></a>

Hi!!! I am Mary Jo. I am 53. Have two children, age 31 and 26. Husband - SKINNY always. Started at 319, by time of surgery was 270. Surgery was Mon Aug 8th. Not alot of weight loss since, maybe 5-6 lbs and I am sure it is a lot of that water weight. Still doing shakes only with some jello and broth and can do yogurt. I can't have anything more solid until 9/22 apparently. I see others are actually able to have soft foods etc. I am not sure if I feel the band or not. I don't have any real issues but if I drink too fast or even sneak a bite of something when the fam isn't looking (Daughter and BF live with us) I feel a "heaviness" mid-belly which for a person of size probably is the lapband area, right? Surgeon feels it is my "trigger". I do not have a fill. That won't be for three more weeks until I am healed. Just keep the convo going. It is nice to know I am not alone. I live in Lakeland, FL and will go back to work tomorrow. Glad I took a whole week off just to chill.

I had my surgery on MOnday and took a week off. I am glad I did. Every day is better .

I had mine on Aug 8th. I took pain meds thru my iv twice. And once by mouth. I can say that the pain is minor. You just have to put your big girl panties on and deal. If you move you can get the gas out. It is not COMFORTABLE but it is liveable. I will say the hospital bed makes it easier but I went home to my own bed (had to use two pillows) and now I am at least able to turn over albeit slowly. The swelling goes down alittle each day. Just drink drink drink (or jello)....It is so worth it!!!!

I am far from there but that is okay. I have gotten under the really dreaded 300. Not sure WHERE that came from. But I go by 10's...Now I want to be out of the 60's. It took me a LONGGGG time to get out of the 70's (Before banding) and I thought I was going to poke a stick in my eye but I got thru it. Now lets see what the next chapter, with band, holds. No fill yet, not even week post surgery but wow glad I found you guys it has been a blessing. Like my husband (Mr. I have never been one lb overweight in all my years) just said "Good for you to find others that understand"...AMEN!'' <a href="http://www.TickerFactory.com/weight-loss/wReMN0E/"> <img border="0" src="http://tickers.TickerFactory.com/ezt/t/wReMN0E/weight.png"></a>

Thank you Karen!!! I am glad that Dr. Butler was finally able to get the program started. He is such a good surgeon and I am glad that there is another alternative here in our fine city. Like I said I had to go to Plant City as LRMC doesn't have a program. I am hoping that they do start one in the near future. One of my work mates had her band placed a year ago. She is doing well with a complication (not related) and sort of funny, she had female surgery and her port was tipped upside down!! So she went without a fill for a few months until they could fix it. She did very well during that time but it is nice to have local support. I am not sure where she goes for her forum but I think it is in Bartow. Once a month. When is the one at the library, that is close as I am north 98. If I call the library will they have the info???<a href="http://www.TickerFactory.com/weight-loss/wReMN0E/"> <img border="0" src="http://tickers.TickerFactory.com/ezt/t/wReMN0E/weight.png"></a>

I had more problems pre-surgery and it was terrible. I am a multiple time a day person to NOTHING. It did finally go away. I have not had issues since surgery and found it funny that that was not a condition for discharge like it is for a lot of surgeries. It will come but if you are uncomfortable use the laxatives and take a warm bath to ease the discomfort. It isn't fun but your body is adjusting to a lot of change. Remember you are not EATING so there is nothing to escape.......As long as you are urinating fine......

No fill? My surgeon said he put some Fluid into mine at time of surgery as "I had done such a great job of doing the pre-surgery shakes" I laughed because I cannot say I didn't taste a morsel here or there, just a TASTE and only about four times in the two week period. And I didn't use all the shakes at that time. My thing was if I wasn't hungry why eat, wasn't that part of what we are learning here? I did lose over 10 lbs in that two week period and feel good now. Had surgery on Mon 8/8 and have lost about five lbs but could be just from the bloat post surgery which is fine. Down is down. I am concerned tho as I too can drink as before without issue. Water especially. Jello, well that can trigger that pressure mid-abdomen, but I can do a 8 oz shake thinned with no problems except I do get full. I cannot SIPI. Is that bad? I just cannot do it and was not able to do it after surgery either. No vomit for me.. I am having my first fill in three weeks I believe. This is such a fun adventure...Just keep up with the ride! <a href="http://www.TickerFactory.com/weight-loss/wReMN0E/"> <img border="0" src="http://tickers.TickerFactory.com/ezt/t/wReMN0E/weight.png"></a>

I am at day 6 and I find that I don't SIP like I should and it doesn't seem to bother me. I don't gulp the shakes and I make them thin. I actually had a bunch of the pre stuff left so add a scoop of Protein to it to hopefully help the healing. I don't have a gas issue and I guess I am blessed. BUT I am afraid if I am drinking too much igt may hurt me. Can it or is this okay as it "Slips" thru? I am NOT really hungry either. So the protein is doing its job. I am visually hungry and could eat everything in site. My family is good but I can't cut three naturally thin (damn them) people off from everything because I CHOSE to get overweight. Therefore I tolerate thngs and try not to touch. I will admit to an indiscretion of a tiny taste which again did not HURT. I was sort of mad. I wanted it to hurt so I wouldn't do it again. My "trigger" as the surgeon puts it is apparently this feeling of pressure mid-abdomen (is there a mid-abdomen on a person of size??)...I am not even sure physiologically where this dang band IS let alone where I shoulod feel it. Am I odd? Please feel free to email me directly with suggestions as I truly need someone to help me thru this maryjofundock@yahoo.com I am glad to find this site!!

HI I just joined this site. I am in Lakeland also. Dr. Stephen Butler did my surgery on Tuesday. I was his "first".....He is a renowned surgeon in his own right here in the area but he just ventured into Lapband. I am glad he did. And he is so close. Unfortunately the hospital in town (For which I work) Lakeland Regional does not yet have a bariatric program so I had to go to Plant City where Dr. Butler also does his surgeries. Luckily the insurance made that an "in network" site due to the circumstances so my out of pocket was not as bad as we had anticipated. Still HIGH but what is health worth. After the thousands I have spent over the past 30 years it was a drop in the bucket and I am confident it is my last bucket anyway...Good bye diabetes, sleep apnea and all that gross stuff. HELLO seats on an airplane, ability to breathe, wear clothes in most stores...YIPPEE. and to grow older and drive my kids crazy .... lol.