morelgirl

@u4leigh I see people who adore their doctors, too, and I don't have that either. Mind you, I don't dislike my surgeon at all and have no reason to complain about my treatment or care. He's just not the warm, fuzzy type, but he is competent, intelligent and always ready to respond to my questions and explain things, and that's really all I require. Remember, though, that you are paying your doctor for a service, and if he treats you badly, there are other doctors out there who could take over your care if you wanted to switch. That's another benefit of being self pay (I was, too), in that you aren't wedded to a practice that takes your insurance--you can to with whoever you please! I think you're doing great! Keep working and keep your great attitude, and you'll absolutely succeed!

Glad to hear you're doing so well, Violet! Hopefully it's just the beginning of a fabulous new life.

Helen, first off, be so proud of what you've accomplished. 85 lbs is amazing! As for eating too much lately...have you been eating more because you've been feeling hungry, or for other reasons. If you've been hungry, you might want to consider if a fill adjustment could help. You might need a small fill to get you back to good restriction. If it's not hunger, well, that's more complicated. I've seen people suggest that going back to basics can help, like going back to a liquid diet for a couple of days, but if you're eating for emotional or psychological reasons, that might not help. What might do more good is finding a local support group. Sharing stories and getting advice from other people always makes me feel stronger. Also, getting you mind off food by filling in time with other activities you love can also help make it through a rough time. Good luck!

Good luck, Greekie. Keep an eye on what goes in, and I'm sure those 4 pounds will come off!

Onederland is the state of your weight starting with a 1, as in being less than 200 pounds. For people with a lot to lose it can be a huge accomplishment.

Hi, I'm in Vancouver and I got banded 2 weeks ago at SW WA Medical Center by Dr Jan.

Quick weight loss can often trigger gallstones and necessitate the removal of the gallbladder. It's not that uncommon, and your doctor certainly knows his way around your abdomen; after all, he's been there before! My doctor actually prescribes a medicine after all his surgeries that keeps gallstones from forming, which I'm pretty grateful for. I'm wondering why more of them don't do that?

I know I'm likely paranoid, but I have to ask... I was banded on February 1st, and from the first moment I woke up after surgery, I've had zero issues with my band. I mean, I had a tiny bit of gas (no pain, and Gas-X dealt with it no problem) and a couple of days of shoulder pain, but to me, those could be issues with any surgery and have nothing to do with the band. I have never had even a hint of nausea, I had no issues with liquids, and with my surgeon's permission, I moved onto purees and mushies 1 week after surgery. I'm careful to eat small amounts, because I don't want to stretch my pouch, but I really feel like I could eat absolutely anything with no problems. It's willpower that's keeping me off solids rather than my band. My surgeon said that I should be ready for solids by the time I have my first fill, which he suggested would be at my 4 week follow up. I guess my problem is figuring out in my head how to schedule my transitions to reach that target without rushing things. I had one week on liquids, and Wednesday the 15th will mark 1 week on mushies. I'm thinking that if I do the third week on mushies and what my dietician called "mincies" (finely minced solid Proteins like chicken, or ground turkey) that gives me the last week on soft solids before my fill. Does that sound reasonable? Am I totally over thinking this? ;P

Well, I don't have hunger "pains" per se. I get hungry, but it's usually close to mealtime, so I just go ahead and eat. I also allow a snack or two if I need it, so long as it's small volume and fits in my calories (I'm trying to stay around 1000 per day). It seems to me that the more Protein in what I eat, the more satisfied I am. Also, if I really like the taste of what I eat, I also seem to stay full longer, though that's probably all in my head! I generally try to eat about 1/2 c of food at a time.

Congrats, and best of luck! This is a great place to ask any questions you may have in the coming days, so don't be a stranger.

Best of luck!

Thanks so much!

The emotional down, that is. Hopefully, there will be lots of down happening on my scale in the weeks and months to come. My last entry was a bit on the depressed/depressing side, and I'm going to work not to let that take over. After all, things are actually pretty good. The surgery was surprisingly easy, in more ways than one. Since my insurance excluded the procedure from my policy, I ended up paying cash for it, and let me tell you, that certainly speeds up the process--so much so, that when I gave my surgery date to the program coordinator at the center where I had the procedure (a little less than three months after attending the mandatory information seminar on bariatric surgeries in general), she informed me that she thought I had set a new speed record for the pre-op phase of the process. And the surgery itself was way less scary thanks could have been. In and out of the operating room in 1 hour, and home in my recliner within another six. Surprisingly, the incisions ended up being the least noticeable pain after the fact. The shoulder pain, which I hadn't heard of but now know is normal, was much more uncomfortable. In reality, the incisions just itch a lot. Only the largest one is a problem, and that's mostly just sore, as if I had pulled a muscle there a few days ago and it's now slowly repairing itself. It only really bugs me when I stretch. All in all, the recovery is going smooth and easy, just like the surgery. Let's hope it's an omen of how the weight loss will go as well. So really, I should be feeling pretty good. And I am, on top of the underlying low grade fear. This could mean very good things for me, especially now that I'm on mashies; it's amazing how that one little step can make a person feel sooooooooo much more human. In two and a half weeks, I go back to the surgeon for what I hope will be my first fill, and then the journey can really start. Please, bandster hell, go easy on me. I'm still feeling a little fragile.

Thanks, Caribear! My excitement is gearing up, and I'm happy with the decision I made.

Good luck, Heather. You sound like you're in a great place for surgery and for taking the first step toward a new life. I'm sure you'll do great!

@WickedWitch -- Don't be too scared of the pain. Everyone's surgery experience is different, and while Greekie has been bothered by pain, I've had almost none. It varies from person to person. Your pain might not be bad at all! If you're really scared, remember than you will be prescribed painkillers to take home, and you can and should contact your doctor if they don't give you relief. Your doc won't want you to be in pain because it can interfere with the healing process. Good luck!

Apologies to anyone who is (like me) old enough to see that post title and now has the Grateful Dead stuck in their head. At least be comforted that I am in the same boat. It is appropriate, though. I am truckin' along here 10 days post-surgery. I'm really enjoying my mushies over last week's liquids, but I am trying to keep an eye on my calories and getting as close to my minimum protein goals as I can. On that score, I can't wait until I can actually eat meat again. It has sooo much more protein than the softer eggs and beans and cheeses I'm most comfortable with at the moment. Honestly, I'm so comfortable and having such an easy time of it, that I'm guessing I could probably handle soft solids if not solids already, but after pushing for early mushies, I'm trying not to rock the boat too much more. And honestly, I'm not really having hunger issues yet, either. I mean, I get hungry, but it pretty much corresponds to mealtimes and 1/4 to 1/2 cup of food keeps me satisfied for hours. I still worry, though. I'm a bit paranoid about whether I'm inadvertently stretching my pouch, but I think my volumes are small enough to be safe. Fingers crossed. Some soreness around my largest incision still, a bit worse today after I overdid it a little yesterday on the bending at stretching, but nothing liquid Tylenol isn't dealing with. First fill should be in 18 days, and I'm marking the time off with eager anticipation!

Congrats on your successful surgery and positive experience. Definitely take the pain meds as prescribed and do NOT wait for the pain to become bad before taking. My dr and nurses were very insistent that any pain over a 3 needed to be medicated. Basically your body can either heal or fight pain, but it can't do both at the same time, so don't be brave! Hopefully the meds will help you sleep tonight, but propping yourself up so you aren't completely flat might help, too. All the best!

Good luck to you. 7 am is the first surgery slot in most hospitals, so you've got a good shot of going in on time. And even so, delays don't always happen. I went in within 30 minute of my noon scheduled time. I'll be sending positive thoughts!

@queenbea I had exactly the same experience with the sweetness of the protein shakes. I didn't use them pre-op, but being on them post-op for a week nearly drove me bonkers. I had to beg to move on to mushies. It turns out that it isn't unusual to become a bit hypersensitive to sweetness after bariatric surgery of any kind, so I can't promise you have it any easier after surgery. Unfortunately, the bottom line is that you need to follow doctor's orders, but there may be a couple of things you can try or at least ask about. You might be able to do broths after you've gotten your protein down, which at least might relieve your taste buds a bit. Also, there are people who make unflavored protein powders. I used one made by Now Sports. The benefit of it is that you aren't wedded to one or two favors like vanilla or chocolate but can mix it with whatever you want. Maybe if you used that mixed with skim milk it would be less sweet and more palatable to you? It's worth a shot. Good luck!

Puréed black bean soup with salsa and lite sour cream is my new best friend! I also gave myself permission to do mashed potatoes with rf cheese melted and mixed in. It's not low cal and will be a no-no in the future, but right now my focus is on healing and feeling good rather than losing weight. At least until the first fill. I also have done okay with soft scrambled eggs, but I think the key is to go slow and listen to your body. Not everyone can tolerate the same things at the same stages.

Actually, I feel pretty great. The shoulder pain was the worst, and something I didn't expect, but it only really lasted about 2-3 days. I didn't have much issue with gas, but I know some people do, so I did Gas-x preemptively and maybe that helped. My incisions itch, but have never really hurt. The largest one feels sore (like a mild pulled muscle) but it's much better than I expected. At my 1 week follow up appointment, I did have to beg the surgeon to let me try mushies, because liquids were driving me bonkers. Everything I was allowed to eat tasted sweet, and I have never been a fan of sweets. Since I was doing so well (not even a titch of nausea since waking from surgery) I got the okay. Let me tell you, a quarter cup of puréed black bean soup and I felt like a whole new woman! Lol.

Got mine February 1st. Good luck to all those still waiting!

I wish you all the best of luck, Charlie, and totally support your decision. I, too, have been overweight to varying degrees since I started school at age 5, and by the time I was 9, I had started dieting. Here's the thing, though, the bug secret that no one tells you: DIETING DOESN'T WORK. In fact, it has a 95% failure rate. Can you name one other thing that humans do with that failure rate that they continue to preach and push and make others buy into? Of course not, it would be ludicrous. The band, though, CAN work, if you work with it. You never failed by not losing weight by dieting; you just didn't have the right tool. Here's hoping your new tool helps you build a better future!

Oh, ditto times a million on the soft foods. It was like becoming human again to have something other than liquids! Glad to hear all is going well for you.