Megansmommy

After 4 weeks of hanging on by a rope, it finally came... My second fill date! Restriction is back! I can have a Muscle Milk and feel myself getting full. What a relief. I know it will change again, but I have a spring in my step again. 2 lbs down in first 5 days. That's a motivator! I'm going on my first post-op date today. Big deal here! Thought I'd want to wait, but sometimes you just have to just take a chance. I'm more proud of myself for putting myself out there than excited to go. Part of "the journey." Please know I'm with you all! Through highs and lows and all the plateaus! ----Much love and support---

All I can say is Thank God I have my best friend who has the same dx as I, is a Lap Bander, and is also a single mom of a 5 year old. I'd probably have lost my mind by now if not for her. Banded 12/22/11, struggling, but 33 lbs down. Woohoo! Plateau at same weight now for a few weeks. Having anxiety on top of being a new Lap Bander is hard! As stress kicks in, I can actually feel my band tightening up. A blessing or a curse? Depends on the day! liquid calories are also my friend and enemy. Crazy how dichotomous this journey is. Depression, on the other hand, affects me differently. I tend to swing to 2 extremes: eating a lot (binging) or not at all. Having a Lap Band is helping me put a stop to this insanity. (Remember that crazy bald lady Susan powder from 90's infomercial? Lol). Stop the insanity! Even with a lap band I'm still struggling to not eat until I feel sick. This is crazy. Got my first fill a few weeks ago, yay! It's helping, but liquid calories are do tempting! By this I mean Muscle Milk light or fruit smoothies. Yes, I know, fruit = sugar. I add liquid vitamins, Benefiber, Protein Powder, light soy milk and Splenda. But still. this is hard. THANK YOU for those positive messages of encouragement from all of you out there! In the last few months I've read your posts, which have helped me tremendously. Mostly, I feel less alone and less like I'm losing my mind as this is a psychological journey as well. I often wake up early anxious (3 am today) and hungry. I wanted frosted mini wheats (which I can eat for some weird reason- but no other carbs) but am having crystal light with Protein powder instead. I'm inspired by you all!

I am having same problem (banded 12/22/11). Protein drinks filled me up so much I couldn't drink enough liquids. I cut down on protein drinks to ensure I was hydrated first because I couldn't urinate frequently enough. Ok now 3 days in. Next...integrating more protein in! A hard balance to find when still so swollen. Best wishes!

It took me a while to figure out how to manage pain post-op, but I have a little routine going (fluids, pain med, sleep, walking). Plus I have my best friend helping me with my 5 yr old (were both single moms) who had her band put in 4 yrs ago. She is a great help! It's nice to read here that I'm not alone, and I'm more hopeful that pain will begin to subside each day. My biggest challenge is um, eliminating. (is there a nice way to say its hard to pee?). I was catheterized post op, and had to drink A LOT before I could go at home. Going online helped me understand I was dehydrated. Oh, my routine was made easier with the alarm on my phone to get up, drink, walk, and take pain med. yes, even at night. I'm hoping I'll be somewhat rested for Christmas! Just throwing out a thanks to you all for the great info and support. Alison