PAenergy

Just had my first fill yesterday. Now I have 4 cc in a 14 cc band. They had a bit of trouble with access due to the scar tissue, were able to access it after about 4-5 tries. The sips of water went down with no problem. I went to choir rehearsal a few hours later and my the reflux I felt when I tried to sing with my full voice and diaphragm. Note to self - don't schedule fills too close to singing engagements.

Feeling well and enjoying a little bit of texture in my pureed foods. I'm committing to hitting the gym 4-5 days/week for about 1 hour each. I do notice if I try to eat my last protein meal too early (like 5pm), I am hungry later at night. Maybe I need to just get to bed earlier since I'm trying not to eating another meal or snack after 7pm.

Thanks gottagetfit and Tanya. Sorry for the delay in the response, but things are going well and I'm so glad the doctor has now released me to go back to the gym (aerobic activity only right now).

I couldn't have any Easter candy and I love mini snickers and Reese's. So, for snack today, I had my peanut butter cup greek yogurt (plain greek yogurt, sugar free chocolate syrup, and peanut flour). It was great. Maybe tomorrow I'll have the snickers version and add sugar free caramel syrup. Anyway today the abdominal pain is minimal unless I bend or reach around the wrong way. No need for Tylenol. As you can see above, I am happy to add some flavor now that I'm on a full liquid diet. 4 oz (1/2 cup) of cream soup filled me up. The yogurt was in the morning and I could only eat 2 oz. of that. I got my fluids in (56 oz. - my doctor wants 48-64 oz for the first week). I think i'll try sleeping on my side tonight. Cabin fever hit early as I said yesterday, so 2 trips to Walmart (which I counted as my 30 min. of activity today) and went to my son's basketball practice.

So happy to be starting pureed food/mushies today after 4 weeks of liquid diet. I haven't had cream of wheat in a while and I enjoyed it for breakfast thoroughly. It was the hearty grain version and I added skim milk, french vanilla protein and davinci cinnamon sugar-free syrup. 17 grams of protein and 160 calories in 4 oz. Woohooo. I found a good protein breakfast out side of my staple of greek yogurt. Now it's off to the gym for a treadmill and elliptical workout.

That's great. Keep up the good work.

Congratulations. I'm glad you are doing well.

I agree with the liquid extra strength tylenol/Acetaminophen (500mg/5ml). You may have to get the pharmacist to order it for you but it is an over the counter medicine. You have to drink a larger amount if you get children's tylenol (160mg/5ml). My pharmacist thought it wasn't made in this strength and couldn't be ordered, but told me if I found the NDC # for this dose she could order it. I knew it was made so guess what I was able to give her? I gave her NDC #60258-050-08 and her supplier was able to get the extra strength (adult) acetaminophen liquid made by Cypress pharmaceuticals that arrived the next business day. It was $13 or $14 for an 8 oz bottle at Walgreens pharmacy. It doesn't taste better, but at least I only need 2 tsp for 1000mg dosage (equivalent to 2 extra strength tylenol) rather than 6 tsp of the children's to get 1000mg dosage.

Mike, you are doing great. Keep up the great work. I actually like the gym, but always have trouble getting into the "habit" of going continuously. The reason I like the gym is because I am very competitive especially with myself. I love setting workout goals and beating them. I started back at the gym about 3 weeks before my procedure on 4/5/12. Now my surgeon wants me to wait 2 weeks before going back. He'd rather I walk around the neighborhood instead of on equipment. I can't believe that I am already longing to go back. Maybe because I'm feeling pretty good 5 days out, but took off 3 weeks (my surgeon wanted 4 weeks) and am feeling some "cabin fever" already.

Still some incisional pain that is much better when I take the Tylenol w/ codeine. I'm still not that hungry, but I am lucky that we don't traditionally have a big Easter dinner. So there aren't a lot of people eating around me. I did go to the movies today because cabin fever is already starting to set in. I wish there was a better movie selection right now, but 21 Jump Street was cute (yet different than the TV version I remember from the 80s).

Wow, I'm having trouble just getting in my 48-64 ounces of clear liquid. I ate a half a cup of jello and felt completely full (that's only about 1.5 oz. of fluid). I really don't feel hungry and I am lovin' it.

April 5th

Congratulations stephyanders and socaldad! I know things will go well.

Sorry I didn't write this before you went to surgery, but I know you will do well. We are all here for you.

Congratulations!!! You're on your way. Enjoy vacation. I started my pre-op liquid diet started the day my cruise ship arrived back in FL. It was like a last hurrah, but I must say that I didn't go as crazy as I thought I would with the food. I guess we are all moving into a different mindset.

Deb, Have a great time. Just go for it. At universal, the Hulk was the only ride I had trouble getting on when my BMI was around 41/42. That ride is on the amusement park side, not the movie ride side of Universal studios. I went on everything on the movie side including Mummy roller coaster and the newer roller coaster at up to a BMI of 46. I was a little embarrassing, but I was on vacation and decided that let down wasn't going to stop me from trying the next ride. At Disney, I've been able to go on all of the roller coasters at each park. So don't hold back, unless different rides just aren't your thing otherwise.

I'm am pretty much an adventure seeker, but I must say that over the last 3-4, I have been oner 250 lbs and have been limited from doing some activities. Most of these activities are on my "reward/to do" list as and when I loose the weight. I want to go sky diving (maybe indoors first, then the real thing), horseback riding again, more roller coaster riding and riding other amusement park rides, zip lining (in the jungle- I recently did it from man made tower, yes at 276 lbs), rock wall climbing again (did this for the first time the day before I started my liquid diet), repelling from 60 feet or higher, skiing, water skiing, scuba diving again. Okay I pretty much want to do most adventurous things except for bungee cording jumping. I also look forward to being able to dance without getting tired so easily and without my knees killing me. My first frustration actually occurred about 5 years ago when I couldn't ride one of the roller coasters at Universal Studios in Orlando because the harness would close. I've still been going on others, but sometimes am uncomfortable in the harnesses. I'll be back at Universal Studios in July so I plan to go on "The Hulk" then. That will get the ball rolling. I promised my son that I would go skiing with him after I loose 100 lbs. I've never gone skiing and I was afraid to learn it or try for the first time at 250+ lbs. Wow, I can't wait.

Okay. This liquid diet is kicking my butt!! I'm one week in and haven't really cheated. I say "really" because I'm not using protein shakes soley from the list the nutrionist gave me, but I made sure they closely compare to the listed shakes in terms of calories, carbs, and fat content. I'm feeling really jealous of those pre-op patient who get to have one "sensible" meal. I CAN DO THIS!!!

It's great that we can express our mutual struggles and triumphs with this pre-op diet here. I must say....it is kicking my BUTT!!! I'm one week in and haven't really cheated. I say "really" because I'm not using Protein Shakes soley from the list the nutrionist gave me, but I made sure they closely compare to the listed shakes in terms of calories, carbs, and fat content. I'm feeling really jealous of those pre-op patient who get to have one "sensible" meal or any real food at all. WE CAN DO THIS!!! The scale HAS been a great motivator. I will also remember to look at all my pre-op pictures to motivate me as suggested here. I also need to add some Fiber to this liquid diet. I will use Metimucil and add it to my Water. I have been tracking my meals on my fitness pal.com and notice that on top of my Calcium w/ Vitamin D supplements, I am already taking in double the daily recommended calcium dose with the 6 recommended shakes. I know this is contributing to my constipation. I guess that's why i haven't noticed much gas. I may have to get a Vitamin D supplement seperate from my calcium to make sure I absorb the necessary calcium and don't worsen my known vit D deficiency. There I go being all technical. I just want to go to the bathroom): Oops TMI.

It's great to see that we are continuing to grow. Welcome to everyone. Gottobeme, you sound like my sisters. They do the same thing to me. Please feel free to ask questions. I look forward to sharing from a medical and personal standpoint.

Hi reboktx. You have come to the right place. I have not done my surgery yet, but have gotten a lot of information from both here and youtube. There is a group on here specifically for men with lap bands under the group category. On youtube, there are many women like on here, but one gentleman I saw making videos of his lap band experience is nrk2of3. Maybe your husband wants to check this out. Hope this helps.

That's great brokenwings. There was actually a conversation in our lunch area on Friday about bariatric surgery. If it wasn't such a crazy work day and I didn't have to quickly get back to work soon after the conversation started, I probably would have joined in. It seems like people in my department are alway on one diet or another and one girl, currently doing the hcg injections (with a 500 kcal diet), was say that she would NEVER do weight loss surgery. I was burning to to join in and give my views, but like I said I had to get back to my patient. It probably would have been the best time for me to put it all out there. I feel like I have to inform people that no matter which surgery I choose, WLS is not the easy way out and takes a lot of work in conjunction with "the tool" of WLS.

Lovlee, have you considered the couch to 5k program (9 week program) and the 5k to 10k programs that some lapbanders talk about on youtube. if you google c25k, you find a lot of information including podcasts that you can download you an iPod or mp3. These podcasts take you through the about 30 minute workout. Some let you use your own iPod music and others have programed music for the podcast. I downloaded the free c25k app on my iPhone, but don't plan to start it until I am 1-2 months post op.

Hi gig. I think one of the things I have to put under my nervous column is that I am also having my procedure done at the hospital where I work also. It's a pretty large facility, so most of the people who will be caring for me don't know me since I work in cardiology. Plus, I tend to be a private person and haven't told but 3 people at work yet. I have no plans of hiding that I am having lap band surgery, but I am also not shouting it through the hallways. You probably know how us medical people can be. Once I return to work and say I was out for 3 weeks due to having surgery, there will be questions galore.

My surgeon requires a 2 week liquid 1000 kcal diet which consists mostly of protein shakes (6 to be exact). I'm jealous that so many get to have limited meals with their pre-op diet, but I have all intentions of following what my surgeon suggests for liver reduction. I'll be looking forward to the broth, jello, and sugar free popsicles to break up the monotony since those items are also allowed. It's funny what you look forward to when you are on a limited diet.