gottobeme

Riding whatever I want to at Great America and also not having to turn sideways to go through turn styles!

I have never been stuck and was wondering "when" it happens? By "when" I mean is it as soon as you swallow the offending food? How long is is after you swallow the food that you feel stuck? My next question is how long does it last? I'm guessing it can vary a lot. Then generally what happens? How does it feel? Do you start PBing right away? Are there anythings you do to help? I've heard of pineapple juice or some sort of enzyme. I just want to be as prepared as possible. I hope it never happens but I know the odds are that it will! I have been extremely lucky with an easy post op and so far have not needed a fill. I figure my luck will run out sometime!

As hard as it can be try NOT to weigh yourself everyday (unless you think you have not been eating healthy). I try to only weigh myself once or twice a week and when I do I try to do it at the same time of day...in the morning before I eat... and wear the same clothes. That helps cut down on variances we have throughout the day. Also if my rings are feeling tight I figure I may be retaining water and skip the weigh in. It's a lot easier psychologically to not see a number that is higher than it is to see the number but know it is probably just water weight. With the weather most of the country has been having, I would say blame it on the heat!

I have gotten rid of mine. I had lost about 70 lbs prior to surgery and had only used it a couple of times in the two weeks following surgery so I just decided to pack it up! With that said keep in mind that being overweight can cause OSA but it is not the only cause. If you have snored at a healthy weight in the past be sure to talk to your doctor. If you have only snored as an overweight (or obese or morbidly obese) person then there is a good chance you may one day be rid of your CPAP!

Pure protein bars are usually my choice to have on hand. I was allowed to have them when I started soft foods a long as I chewed them well. Check with your doctor though as to when to have them. I'm now almost 3 months post op and my clinic recommends bars and shakes only if you are not able to get enough protein in with your regular meals. I do like to keep one in my purse for days I'm on the go and didn't have time to plan ahead.

So school has been out for a few weeks (I am a special ed aide) and I miss the structure it gives me (not to mention I love what I do). Don't get me wrong I also love being able to sleep in late on my days off (I work a retail job for the summer), work in my yard when it's below 90 degrees and I hope to spend more time at the pool. My problem is that I don't have the same schedule that worked perfectly for me through the school year. It is soooo much easier to stay away from food when it is not always around. Even though my start time for my summer job is later than my school job and it is about the same distance away, I have not been able to get myself in the habit of walking to work yet this summer. I did it almost every day during the school year. I have no good reason for this. Sure I can say it is because it is too hot but the truth is it's usually not that bad before 9 a.m. or after 6 p.m. I just need to get my butt in gear and do it. I also have been pushing it and eating things that I really shouldn't. I do feel that we should not deny ourselves or it will backfire but I also know it is a lot easier for me to say NO to something and stay away from it completely than it is to have a taste and then say no to later. Does that make sense? Think of it this way, if I have ice cream at home then there is more in the freezer calling my name. If I never eat it at home in the first place it doesn't bother me as much as it does once I have that first taste. If I have it at a restraunt it's not as bad because when it is gone it is gone. My husband made some delicious cheese cake like thingies for a lock in our daughter had at church. There were some left over and I had 4 pieces over two days. Pre-Band I would have had them all within 30 min.! If I had not had the first one this time I would have been able to stay away from all 4! There is also a "Pub" mix he got as Costco that I have been eating instead of my reduced fat Triscuts. I have never been good a journaling my food but I'm thinking I need to start doing it again to help me through the summer. Thanks Springers for letting me confess and ramble!

My birthday is Sunday and I do plan to have some birthday treats, I just need to make sure they are gone before Monday!

Hopefully the doctor doing the surgery has some sort of support program set up to to help you loose the required weight pre op. Every doctor is different. Mine (and my insurance) required at least 6 months of a combination doctor appointment/support group meeting along with visits with a nutritionist and psych eval. I lost 70 lbs between August '11 and my surgery in April. If you have the support are the right tools it is not hard to do. I was on a modified very low calorie diet for the majority of that time and would supplement healthy meals with protein shakes and bars. I found it to be extremely helpful, it also helped to have an idea of what life would be like post surgery.

Are you able to eat popcorn? My husband and son will make it and it smells so good but I am afraid to eat it. I did pop a couple of kernals into my mouth once and then spit out the hulls because I was afraid they might get stuck. I probably should still try to stay away from it. I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to stop at a reasonable amount if I am able to eat it.

It's in the past...Look to the future!

I would also have mixed feelings in your shoes. People of very few words should not work in medicine! I guess by the same token though I have sat for hours in a doctors office waiting for my daughter to be seen because he wouldn't shut up, he kept stating the same thing over and over again but in different ways! I guess there has to be a happy medium. My thoughts are if you are hungry while on vacation eat. Don't wait to eat because it is not "time" to eat. Listen to your body and eat when it tells you to, just be sure to eat what you are supposed to and keep the serving sizes to "bandster" size servings. My first several weeks I would eat about 5X's a day but small portions. It worked with my work schedule and helped me from getting too hungry. Now that I am able to eat more at a sitting I try to keep it down to 3X's a day but sometimes I do put a snack in there, usually because I end up working late and need something to help me along the way.

I think I will look for the Werthers...I don't know if I'll be able to stop at one or two though. If not I will give them to my kids and tell them to hide them from me. They are a great help to me that way!

Be sure you are drinking plenty of Water. I actually set the alarm on my phone for 10-15 min the first few days and drank approx 1 oz of water at a time (I was afraid to try to drink more or faster). I was told dehydration is the most common reason people had problems post op. Be more concerned about getting your liquids in than anything else. Try for at least 48 oz of Fluid a day right now. More is better. sugar free popsicles help get your fluids in and are tasty too! Days 3 and 4 were the worst for me! It gets better!! I was lucky and never had the gas issue from surgery...from what I've read though the best thing to do for it is walk, walk, walk.

Here are a couple of older posts I found that you may find helpful...I did... They both mention "soft signals"

Before I was banded I read some posts on here that mentioned "soft" signals. If I can find them I will see about re-posting them.

I am 11 weeks post op and have not needed a fill yet. Although I would say I have not been through bandster hell I will say that the first couple of weeks after surgery were the toughest (full liquid for me). Day 3 or 4 seems to be when people start to question what they have done - based on my own experience and from my friends her on LBT. If this happens to you just remember it is very normal and things will get better! I think it is hard to know if you have restriction until you are allowed to eat mushies or soft foods. Follow your own doctors orders...every doc has their own protocol so listen to yours, ask questions here but always follow up with your own doc! We can give great advice but it is no substitute for your doctors care! Best of Luck Thursday!!!

I have read older posts where people reccomended having one for after surgery. My clinic never mentioned anything about one though.

This sucks! I think I would say something to her if you are unfortunate enough to have to deal with her again. Many times PA's have a much better bedside manner than doctors and are able to spend more time with patients. It doesn't sound like she even takes the time to listen/read about each patient. Please report her!!!!

Not knowing everything that was said I am going out on a limb here... I was banded a week before you and when I went for a fill one of the questions I was asked was about eating soft foods. I think the idea behind the question is to make sure we are eating band appropriate foods at this time since some soft foods, like ice cream, are high in calories. My guess is that the PA meant a balance of good foods and restriction and not restriction alone. We do still need to make healthier food choices, remember it's just a tool.

That is a tough decision. I was talking with a friend earlier and she was asking about having surgeries for the excess skin, I told her since I would never be able to afford it - it wasn't an issue! I would probably go for the TT or thigh lift. I have always had huge thighs and add the rolls of skin to that...YUCK!!!

Thank you for your story!!! There are many people who come on this forum and are in a similar situation.They are also afraid to go back to their doctor. When I went to my WLS seminar one of the PA's told us a similar story. What I took away from his story was that they are there to help us - not to berate us. I have recently started getting a lot of compliments on my weight loss. It is no secret that I have had WLS. I do tell people though that I can still gain the weight back and keeping it off is the scary part for me. Stories like yours are great reminders that we are not alone on our journey!

If I am sitting or standing I can feel mine. I can even look at my stomach and see where it is, although someone else would not be able to. If I am laying down flat I usually can not feel or see it. I hope that info helps you.

I agree with honk. Once in a while it happens, don't knock yourself out about it!

I had impaired fasting glucose, depression and sleep apnea. My BMI was 46 when I started my WLS journey and under 35 by the time I had surgery. My insurance - which is affiliated with the clinic I go to - uses the BMI you start the program with.

It gets better! If your doctor allows you to have cottage cheese and greek yogurt as part of your full liquids they will help. Don't worry about gaining weight right now. Your body is healing and it is normal for many people to gain weight during this time.