Rebecca Cain Salpacka

sugar free fat free pudding was my big thing, would get the small box and put into 3 containers of 1/3 cup each...1/4 cup just wasnt enough sf ff popsicles...applesauce..grilled fish fillet is my big thing for dinner

actually my exercise was nil the first week post op..but last fri and this tuesday, i went to the gym, fri i did 10 mins on treadmill and then some 5lb weight exercises that the trainer has me doing...i did them on my own at my pace and will meet with her again in a week or two when incisions are all healed completely lol. Tuesday tho, i upped the treadmill to 20 mins (both days were with an incline) plus did the weights. I use a heart rate monitor with chest strap at the gym cuz its more accurate then machines plus u can see what u burn with the non machine exercises lol. Fri i burned 315 cal and tuesday 416 cal. Im only eating about 600-800 cals right now, i think i need to up it to 1000 but im so picky with some of my eating that its hard to that many calories with the few mushies and puree things i will eat lol. I start solids this coming tuesday and will be able to hit that easier...but i am still glad that im losing at all, anythiing is better than a gain lol.

It may be long, but its inspiring. You fought a good fight and it lead to a better healthier you! So happy that you were able to have the baby after being told you wouldnt be able to. I tried for 4 yrs before finally conceiving my son and i said the same thing just 3 months prior (im done, i dont even care anymore if i get pregnant) they say if u stress over it, it can effect you getting preg so dont stress and it will happen...im a firm believer lol. Way to go on the 80 pounds...i cant wait to reach that mark. my highest weight ever was 357, im down 21 lbs but only 3 of that has been since surgery 2 weeks ago. Its hard not to get discouraged when its not coming off in bigger chunks, but i know it will once i get a fill, and i know that the slower it comes off, the easier it is to KEEP it off. thanks again for sharing your story and good lukc with your continued success.

My withdrawals so to speak is from the social aspect...i never realized just how often friends would say "hey lets grab lunch or dinner" in the last 2 weeks tho they know i had surgery, they have forgotten a few times and asked me. Now yes i can go and have some Soup, which is what i did the one time i went..but that day, i realized how miserable i was because i couldnt ahve what a really wanted, while everyone at the tables around me, could. my friend only ordered soup, to be supportive, but it was still tough for me..so now when im asked to go out to eat, i turn it down...but once i can have solids, i will go, because im ok with not eating as much, its jsut hard to not have the stuff i actually want lol. I think we have all felt either the miss of the food or the socialization. Fortuantely the same friends i turned down, then came up with other ideas for going out. One even asked if i wanted to go for a walk at a nearby nature center...so that was very cool.

Okay by heal i mean scab over so they arent gaping anymore. I was surprised my doc took my staples out just 5 days after surgery..hgowever 2 of the smaller ones were just scars by day 7, two others were scabbed over shortly after the steristrips fell off. HOwever the larger one (5 staples) wwhich is where the port is, is still gaping..its not real deep, but its not scabbing over or anything, and the steri strips were off 5 days after staples removed. i have two friends that are nurses..both looked at it and said its not infected, and they dont think it needs to be closed back up..but i have to keep using bandages so if anything comes out of it (its not draining or oozing but there is some wetness from the wound) it wont get on my clothes, then at night, i sleep in just a tshirt so nothing is on my waist ( the incision is right at my waist so my pants set right on it) and i let it "air out" but even that doesnt help it scab up. just curious how long some of you had to wait for things to start to clear up so to say

ty cazzy, i didnt know you could by the steristrips over the counter..i just may do that..thanks

before getting a fill...there isnt much restriction at all, so its very easy to slip up. dont beat yourself up, u have the right attitude of getting back on track..good luck!

id like to think im pretty lucky..but there are times when he eats something i really want in front of me, and i know he isnt doing it to be mean, but i seriously wanna hurt him lol

im 11 days post op and i too have had a few emotional moments. most recently was over the weekend. hubby was trying sooo hard to come up with new ideas for me to eat while on mushies..i would tell him no i dont want that, or no i wont like that..and he would just keep shooting new ideas. totally nothing wrong with what he did, but i was crying and i snapped at him cuz "he just dont get it". of course he dont get it, hes not banded, but he sure was trying to "get it" and for that i am thankful...but i still was a mess. I have close friends as well as a sister who have had either LB or GB and both went through this as well...so it is very normal

I agree with elcee....wait til 21st. its not that the recovery is gonna be bad, but the energy level you have the first week or so..is verry low becuase of your diet..and u if u exhaust yourself further, it will slow down healing.

Im on mushies and purees and i know im eating mucccccccccch less than before my band... last night for dinneer i had a 3oz grilled tilapia filet, then had 1 cup mash potatoes with applesauce mixed in, but only ate about 2/3 of it. I felt satisfied, but not full...i felt good. but in my head i think its too much...is it? my doc told me that once i go on solids, if i am able to eat a whole burger patty, i should get a fill. to me that would mean 3 oz patty, so does that mean that if i can eat a 3 oz grilled fish fillet (mashed up really good or pureed, before starting solids) that i should need a fill? or is it just when i am eating that portion of things like pork, chicken, beef.....when i asked her this question..her response was .... when you are eating an amount that causes you to stop losing, then get a fill. well considering that i use to eat a 1lb patty plus bun and fixings and fries just two months ago...i would think that eating even as much as a 6oz patty without the bun and fixings, i would still lose ... so which do i go by how do you decide when you are ready for a fill?

im still at mushies too, im getting tired of eggs and grilled fish (not together) seems like its all i eat, tho i know i eat a few other things lol. whatever i eat tho, i usually last about 4 hrs..but the last 2 or 3 days, i found myself hungery after about 3 hours but would force myself to hold out to 4 or sometimes 5 hrs before eating again...im pretty sure i will be doing my first fill shortly after starting solids..which i start this weekend.

wow,,they did lapband that young? perhaps had they had you wait til after you got through your adolescence years, your body would have been more prepared..and you wouldnt have had problems. I think that if they put the band back in place, if thats possible, and work with you to retrain yourself to follow the guidelines again, you will do better. your body was still growing and developing so even if you were following what they said..it likely wouldnt have the same results as an adult makgin the same choices. just my thought. Whatever you decide tho, i wish you the best..just make sure you get a couple of doctor opinions, if you at all have doubts about what this doc is saying.

i worried about the same thing, but ended up losing 6 lbs during the 1 week preop liquid diet...you will be fine.

I ate the potatoes and fish about 5pm and at 8 i was hungry and had 1 cup of pudding, and was good for the night. earlier in the day tho.. i had a 11 oz Protein drink, at 7 a.m and lunch i had just a fish fillet (3oz) at about 1230...so i am going anywhere from 3-5 hours without being hungry, so i guess im doing ok. my doc weighed me on may 1 and i was down 4.4 lbs from the 24th suregery was 26th....i weighed myself yesterday and was down anohter 1.4 lbs..but am trying to make srue i dont weigh more often than once a week lol...so im staying off of it til next thursday. in my mind..going by if im losing is what i would use to decide on a fill or not...she did not schedule me a fill she just said that as long as its 3 wks after surgery, and then went into if im eating the full patty and in email said if im no longer losing..lol

were any of you told that after having the lap band, having an NG Tube done can be dangerous, if the dr inserting the tube is not aware of your band? i have a friend who had hte band and later had bypass...yesterday she brought this up to me...i called my surgeon and sure enough, they said that if the doctor that is inserting the tube isnt aware of your band, they may force it and you can asparate...now if you know u will be having a NG tube used then no problem, u can tell doc and they will know to be cautious wiht it... but what if you get an an accident, are knocked out cold, and while in the E.R, they need to use one for some reason, and noone is there from family to tell them and you obviously cant. I asked if it would be a good idea to have a medical bracelet stating that I have the lap-band, and they said yes. It may be a situation that may never happen, but it scares me at the thought that it could. was just wondering if it was ever mentioned to any of you or if it has, do you were a medical bracelet or necklace stating you have the band. I have the card in my wallet, but the jewelry would be noticed right away.

my thoughts exactly lol...

same here...im also on synthroid. my primary nor the docs i seen through my pre-avals for the band ever said a word about it. i was banded on 4/26.

there are few places to get a ticker at..but tickerfactory.com seems to be the most common one used.

my bmi was 67 when i met surgeon..never required it to go lower for me to have surgery...i was banded on 4/26, so far so good...so if a doc says bmi is too high...u can try other docs

Havent had any pain meds since night of day two..so i know thats not making me tired. I have just started Protein drinks today (was doing Clear liquids through yesterday), im sure doc will tell me tomorrow its from not enough of one thing or anohter but man it sucks sorry just had to vent

im on same meds but havent taken since saturday night. I have been keeping activity to a minimum tho...i wouldnt say im not in any pain..definitely feel by the port and pulling around the incisions...but the meds made me high in like 5 mins , and i would be asleep in like 20 mins...hate spending my day sleeping lol..Now, if the pain meds would help with the pain from the gas..id be drinking it like Water...but it wasnt so i have been doing without. I get staples out today, friend told me i may feel more pain after, and will prob want the meds again a time or two..so we will see. I too was banded on 4/26

my pain has been minimal outside of the gas pain. i havent taken pain meds since saturday night (i was banded thursday afternoon) i do have some soreness around the incisions but mostly cuz of the pulling of the staples i think. They come out today..so we shall see. A friend said after they are out i may actually be in pain still, jsut a different kind of pain..so who knows lol. whatever you do, dont second guess your decision, the pain and icky feelings after the surgery are not life long...what is life long is the improved health you will have from making this decision. feel better!

LOL I just have to say i love you called me Becca...my family and childhood friends are the only ones that call me that, i insisted on Becky once i hit High School...now as an adult, it doesnt matter either way..but thought it was cool you did that .. and even spelled it like I do lol.