crzytchr

Welcome Tiffany. I am so sorry you are in "bandster hell", it isn't a fun place to reside. Since you were banded Oct. 1, I would think that your banster hell days are probably getting close to being over. Hang in there! It gets better. How many fills have you had?

Are you logging your food/drink intake online? Try doing that for a week to see what you are consuming each day. If you are eating below 1000 calories most days and have for a year, your metabolism has probably slowed down and you should try to add more calories. Just make sure it is something healthy like extra lean protein, a couple of eggs, skim milk, etc.

I can not see my port. I can, however, feel it if I apply pressure in the area where I know it is. I do not even know my band is in, except when it is doing its job:thumbup:. Then you don't feel it, but you know it is there, because you are full after eating about 1/3 of what you ate prior to banding.

My usual answer is follow the diet your surgeon gave you. You should've been given some guidelines on what they wanted you to eat. Normally you would be on clear liquids (New Whey protein bullets, broth, etc) for the first week, then move on to full liquids (regular protein drinks, cream soups) They didn't give you ANYTHING to guide you?

Anytime you are struggling to get your calories in, try drinking some skim milk. If you don't like it plain, make some homemade hot chocolate with cocoa powder and splenda. It is cheaper than buying Protein drinks and taste better too!:thumbup:

How long it takes depends on the insurance. Mine took only a week. I was banded 4 weeks after my first phone call to the surgeon's office. Most insurance take much longer. It all depends on the requirements they have. First step is to immediately get your referral and find a bariatric surgeon who does banding and accepts medicaid. Once there, they should have staff that handles insurance and will know exactly what to do. Good Luck!

"Productive Burp" it means to bring food that is stuck back up. It is often accompanied by its buddy, "slime" (excess saliva). It is kind of like throwing up but not as nasty, since no stomach acid is involved.

If you PB after almost every meal, then your stomach is irritated. Go on liquids for a day. The next day, when you eat, consciously make sure you eat slowly and chew well. If you still PB, then you are probably too tight. Please contact your doctor and tell him/her what you have told us. That is the person who can help you. If your band is too tight it will be almost impossible for you to continue to lose weight. It will lead to you either consuming not enough calories (cause your metabolism to slow down) or eating slider foods which are going to stop weight loss.

I also used skim milk in my cream of chicken soup. It is really yummy if you add a little sage, garlic powder and pepper. It was so tasty my daughter took some to work with her for lunch!

If I'm not mistaken, Phase I of South Beach is close to Atkins. You should drop quite a bit, but DO NOT CHEAT ON IT. That is the only way it works. Drink lots of water and follow it to a "T" and you should do fine. Congratulations!

Honestly, I have kids and I would probably be asking so many questions and embarrass my children too, just because I worry about them. My mom didn't embarrass me, but I didn't want her at the hospital because she makes me nervous in situations like that. I ended up letting her go, because she really wanted to be there. Talk to your mom and try to figure out why she is being negative. Is she afraid of the surgery? Does SHE think you don't really need it? Find out what is going on, if you can.

I didn't use them, but I am from Baton Rouge, if you don't hear from anyone regarding Whyweight, then you can send me a message and I can tell you who I used. He does the surgery in Lafayette, also, but his office is in Gonzales. Congratulations on your decision to get banded.

You need to start eating more calories. You aren't consuming enough. You may find that once you start getting a little more, you may start losing again.

Congratulations!!!!:thumbup:

Congratulations!!!!:thumbup:

Being stopped up is quiet normal after surgery. If your surgeon doesn't have anything they specifically recommend, you can take a stool softener like colace. It is fairly gentle and should get things going in a couple of days. I also experienced the tightness you are talking about, but anytime you have tightness in your chest you should call the surgeon's office and let them know and see what they suggest.

There is a restriction on lifting for 4-6 weeks. Be sure it is listed on your release. Other than that, I am not certain. I am sorry you are having that kind of trouble. I just had to do the formal extended medical leave form and fmla letter due to my recovery from my hysterectomy. Now, THAT takes a while to get filled out, but the letter you want they should have. It is just a permission to return to work/school form, with a section for restrictions near the bottom, that EVERY surgeon should have.

Turkey chili should be fine. Be careful about the raw veggies if you have any restriction at all. Quite often they stick, so take it slow and be careful.

I don't have problems with acid reflux now, but pre-banding I did. I have used apple cider vinegar and it worked for me. It tastes AWFUL but it did help me. If you continue to have problems you should contact your doctor and possibly have your band checked. Good luck.

Try anything you want that isn't likely to cause problems. I began eating whatever my family ate for dinner, I just ate less and chewed it well. I stayed away from bread and steak, other than that, I tried whatever I wanted. If I chewed well and the first bite felt stuck at all, I stopped and ate something different. I think I ate spaghetti (1/2 c with whole wheat pasta) and fried fish (1 small fillet) right after starting solids.

I am with you on this one! I too, consumed the Taco Bell pintos and cheese. They are quite tasty. Now, I keep the cans of Taco Bell refried beans at home and eat it at least twice a week, but only 1/2c at a time!!!!! I also add some ff sour cream to it. Yummy!

For me, I finally realized that in order for me to be around long enough to continue to put others' needs before mine, this one time, I HAD to put me first. It is the best thing I have ever done for myself and for the benefit of my family. They are so much happier now, because they see me looking and feeling so much better already. Realize that you are worth it!

If you have the freedom to rest when and if you need to, then you should definitely be able to work by Monday.

Thanks for updating us! I was getting worried. I am glad you are feeling better. Are you going to try to just stay unfilled the rest of the pregnancy?

Most surgeons require a pre op diet, mine did not, or at least didn't for me. It seems that most are requiring 2 weeks. You will have to ask your surgeon what he requires.