☠carolinagirl☠

jim, thank you for sharing your story. you have been my support on this forum since i started pretty much. i am in the (blame myself for gaining it back what i lost also). i dont wanna ramble because you know i can.....what's done is done. there is nothing that we can do to make us what we (were). What we were then is not whom we are NOW. I would rather have you NOW then you were THEN. you are doing so well. I am so proud of you and your wife is awesome because of her support. FABULOUS. Let's look at today and then tomorrow for all the good it will bring us. YOU are almost there. You are such an inspiration to me. I thank you for that sir.

i add milk or water to my protein and put in freezer until it gets to a consistency i like and then drink it up. YUM. def saved me during all my 4 weeks liquid pre/post op diets (and putting in ice cube trays helps also).

miss---------dont waste your time.

well, let me know how the dr appts go and if your in VA, let me know as i am just down the road. where is ty going if i can ask? (sorry if i am nosey)

i would rather have (loose skin) than be over 300lbs again. just my opinion. do this surgery FOR your health. not for looks. looks fade.........good health does not. all the best

pre op was 2 weeks liquids post op was 2 weeks liquids (clear/then full) 2 weeks mushy/real soft---that i am on now then soft/tolerate food if dr okay on f/u next week guess all drs are different in their (diets)

well, as ms j says and my surgeon and from my own experience, we are just drinking our fluids (fluids are coming in and they must go out). i think in surgery they give alot of meds and it gotta all come out somehow......def hit me. they said that yoghurt activa works just like align does but i cant do any so they said to do that capsule (i dont swallow, i open it and use the powder).

jim, i am sorry to hear that. i am thinking also, you dr may be associate with other hospitals also just as mis said. stay positive. i believe good things happen to good people and you are a good person.

Yes it is. Trust me I know. I was ms bathroom queen for about 6 days after surgery My dr recommended me to find align (and i merely open the capsule and put into my morning shake) and it helps me with this issue. Been fine ever since. I get mine at walmart (the generic brand--same ingredients for about 16 dollars a box). Promise this will help. (but ask your dr if its ok to be on safe side)

thanks, i really enjoyed reading this.

i had my surgery on a wed and took the entire next week off. am glad i did as i was able to rest. i work at a desk job. def take some time to take care of yourself. no heavy lifting and walking and drinking your fluids.

I did nothing out of the ordinary today. I came to work, drank my Protein shake. About 5-10 ago, I started getting (feeling like I was gonna throw up and the shakes alittle bit). I started panicking as I do best.........got one of those anti-nausea meds that they prescribed me and put it on my tongue.... I am now scared to death because I know you are not suppose to throw up. I am scared I will hurt my band/plication. What do I do. Can someone please tell me? I plan on calling the surgeon when they arrive in the office in about 10/15 more minutes. Help Help Help

I adore all your posts. They always make me smile. Just wanted you to know.

why the scale plays mind tricks. our bodies change weight constantly and hard to make an accurate reading. drink a 20 oz soda and you gain. pee it out and you most likely lost. i went through that scale habit for alot of years. if i gained, my day was shot. if i lost, it was party time. you are doing fabulous. just because the scale says you gained, did you? go by your clothes fitting looser and you feeling better. YOU GOT this GF....only weigh once a week at same time. say sun morning at 9......

this is the surgery that i had done. here is some info on it: (keep in mind that all surgery is at risk for complications and it is best to discuss with your surgeon if this is right for you. And also make sure this is for you by researching and asking questions). Banded Gastric Plication: Best of both worlds The gastric band and the gastric plication weight loss surgery procedures are less invasive and possibly safer than other bariatric procedures currently available. In both cases, however, there effectiveness is somewhat diminished because they are not as invasive. There is a growing consensus that by combining these two procedures bariatric surgery patients may get the best of both worlds. Each of the procedures individually may yield over 50% excess body weight loss (EBWL), however combined, there is the belief that EBWL may reach or exceed 75%, similar to that of the much more invasive gastric bypass. Original Stomach Shape and Size The procedure will begin with a gastric plication to initiate weight loss. The surgery, combined with diet and exercise, will yield excellent excess body weight loss within the first several months after surgery. The band will also be implanted during surgery, however adjustments will not be made until the patient’s weight loss begins to slow (about 8 months to a year after surgery). This means that many of the complications associated with band adjustments, like infection at the injection port and port flippage, will be decreased. It also means that fewer adjustments and follow-up will be needed in the first year after surgery. A recent study by Huang, et al. showed promising results when combining these two procedures and there is ample evidence that the combination will yield additional weight loss compared to each procedure individually. Of course, longer term follow-up and clinical data is yet to be evaluated. Lap-Band Placement Gastric Band and Gastric Plication Combined Advantages of Banded Plication Possible additional excess body weight loss vs. each procedure alone. Reduction of complications associated with band adjustments and fills. No cutting of the stomach or rerouting of the intestine. Fewer adjustments needed in the first year after surgery. Less risk of the gastric band slipping or eroding (resulting in additional surgery). Encouraging obesity related disease resolution rates. Considerations of Banded Plication Band over Plication is still major surgery that comes with inherent risk. There is very little long-term data to support the effectiveness of the procedure. A medical device (Lap-Band® or Realize® Band) will be implanted in the abdomen. Risks associated with gastric banding, while reduced, are still possible. This procedure may not be covered by public or private insurance. About Gastric Plication The gastric plication procedure is a new form of bariatric surgery that offers the restrictive properties of the gastric band or gastric sleeve, but in preliminary data, is showing fewer potential complications. Gastric plication does not require rerouting the small intestine, implanting a medical device or removing any gastric tissue. The procedure works by folding the stomach in on itself by suturing or clipping, creating a much smaller vertical gastric pouch. This procedure is very similar to the gastric sleeve without the resection of the stomach. About the Gastric Band Gastric banding also known by its trade names Lap-Band® and Realize Band®works by restricting the amount of food that can enter the stomach at any one sitting without any cutting of the stomach or small intestine. The surgeon places the band around the upper portion of the stomach and tightens it to form two connected stomach chambers. The smaller, upper gastric pouch becomes the primary receptacle for the food being consumed, making the patient feel fuller, sooner and stay fuller longer.