JaimeLou113

If i stall out for a few weeks, I go back on liquids to jump start myself again. I see that again in my future very soon....like Monday

My surgeon says to stop 5 minutes before.

Did you have a hiatal hernia repaired at the time of surgery? Many obese people have these hernias, where the stomach invades the chest cavity through the diaphragm. You may not have known you had one. It gets fixed during surgery, because they have to pull your stomach down to place the band. If you had a hernia, they tightened up your diaphragm, to prevent re-herniation. The tightened diaphragm will cause the lower rib cramping.

I was told to stop drinking 5 minutes before. Not to contradict your doctor, but I'm just saying......

I was also banded on March 19th. I am 5'9" and started at 350 (before the pre-op diet). Last week, I was 310. I don't count calories, as my program focuses more on learning to recognize your green zone. I drink 1 - 2 liters of Water a day. I walk 2 - 3 miles a day, and do 30 - 60 minutes on the elliptical a couple of times a week. I also work with a trainer twice a week. I am also obsessed with the scale. I weigh first thing in the morning, naked, post-pee, pre-drink/eat, pre-shower, with the scale in the exact same place on the floor (ruling out as many possibilities for discrepancy as possible ). I have noticed that the days after training when I'm a little sore, and any morning I wake up feeling bloated, I weigh considerably more. I started taking Gas-X before bed to minimize the bloating, and that's helped to even things out. I also changed the batteries in the scale, just in case that was contributing to the fluctuations. I went to support group last week, and was given a tip by a bandster who has been really successful. She told me to make sure I ALWAYS eat the Protein first. She also said to start setting the stopwatch on my phone, to start timing how long it takes me to eat, how long I chew for, and how long I wait between bites (I have trouble with slowing down on eating). And, she said to drink, drink, drink BEFORE I eat, and that will help to make me less thirsty and less likely to drink during the meal (I'm not very good at that either). Last thing she said was to stop eating at night....never eat after 8pm. If I have to, slowly drink a Protein shake. I've been trying all of these things the last week, so we'll see how well it works out for me. But, I'm really happy with my results so far!

I am 5 weeks out, and I have never been so gassy in my life. I have found that if I take 1 or 2 Ultra Gas-X soft gels when I go to bed, I am so much better. I was waking up so incredibly bloated, it was painful, and I would spend the first 3 hours of the day passing it. Started with the Gas-X, and it is so much better. I don't wake up bloated, and it seems to keep me from getting gassy throughout the day. Soft gels work better than the chewable tabs.

Hello, all! Hope everyone is doing well. The last month has gone by fast, and I've been doing really well. Until today..... I went for my first fill today. I only got 2.5 cc (long story), but I feel horrible. My stomach is crampy. I have that pain that radiates up into my left shoulder. I'm just plain uncomfortable. I can drink ok, and I guess it's a good thing I'm not allowed to eat until Thursday...liquids only. Bottom line, is this supposed to suck this bad? LOL Thanks!

Ok, good to know I'm not the only one! Thank you!

OMG! Yes! It started today at work. I thought it was because the pants I was wearing came up a bit higher, and may have bee irritating my incisions. Super annoying and painful!

Found this online. Hope it helps! TOTAL GASTRIC VERTICAL PLICATION (TGVP OR PLICATION) Total Gastric Vertical Plication (TGVP or Plication) is a fairly new restrictive, laparoscopic technique that reduces the size of the stomach and limits food intake. The Plication involves sewing one or more large folds in your stomach, in which the stomach volume is reduced about 70%, making your stomach the shape of a tube. The sutures used are non-absorptive and there is no cutting, stapling, removal of the stomach or intestines, or uses any foreign implants. This creates less risk for complications and also allows for full absorption of vital nutrients (no malabsorption created). Although this is a newer procedure, the current statistics show a loss for most patients of approximately 62-67% of excess body weight. You may hear other surgeons explain that this procedure is reversible, but it has been shown that when the sutures are removed, scar tissue may have formed around the folds of the stomach, preventing it from returning to its original shape (think of it as the sides of a balloon sticking together). Due to this fact, this procedure should be considered as a permanent weight loss surgery.

My friend had surgery a year and a half ago. She also had a really hard time emotionally. She has recently started counseling to help her deal with the emotions she had been pacifying with food for so long. Her recommendation to me was to start counseling as soon as possible after surgery, so that it doesn't pile up on me all at once. As some of the other posters have suggested, it may not be a bad idea for you to contact someone at school, or look to see what your insurance will cover in the way of mental health services. This is a happy time, and you should be happy! I hate that you're not....it makes me sad, too. We need to take care of ourselves in many ways. Don't neglect your head and your heart <3 Hang in there! It will get better!

I am sorta lucky to have my life very compartmentalized. I have work people, friends, and family. I haven't told any of my family (complicated relationships). I haven't told my boyfriend (didn't want to hear "but I love you just the way you are!" I know that, but I don't love me this way, and that's all that really matters). I told them I was having a hiatal hernia repair (which is true....they repaired it during the surgery). I've only told a few friends....the ones who will keep their mouths shut And, I told everyone at work....mainly because I didn't want to play 20 questions every day. Yes, I'm losing weight, and you already know how. I didn't want to field, "Oh what diet are you on? How much are you exercising?," blah, blah, blah, every time I turned around. Figured telling them was just easier. Did you tell people?

Hi! Hope everyone is doing well. I realized I never really took the time to introduce myself to the group. My name is Jaime, and I am 33 years old. I am a pediatric ICU nurse in NYC. I have struggled with my weight for years, and finally came to the decision to be banded back in December. It was a big step for me, as I had always been fiercely opposed to surgical intervention. But, I came to accept that it didn't mean that I was a failure (weight loss being the only thing in life that I have ever truly struggled with, not to mention failed at multiple times), it just meant that I needed extra help. My co-worker took me to lunch one day, and "delicately" steered the conversation toward losing weight. During the conversation, she shared with me that she had been banded 10 years ago, at the tail end of the clinical trials phase. She and I have similar personalities, and listening to her story of what brought her to get her band was like listening to a tape recording of the thoughts in my own head. I attended my seminar a couple of weeks later. I had a few big things going on in my world for December and January. I made appointments with my primary care doctor, and all of my surgical consultations for the end of February. I started my pre-op diet on March 5, 2012, weighing in at 349.7 pounds that morning on my scale at home. I was banded last Monday, March 19th. It was a very quick process, and I am so thankful for that. I think I may have chickened out if I would have had to wait. My insurance didn't require additional months of monitored weight loss. I was really afraid I would have to wait until July or August to get this done, and I'm POSITIVE I would have bailed if that had been the case. Start to finish was 3 1/2 weeks. My post-op course has been really uneventful. I haven't had any problems. The first 3 days were horrible (to me, but they probably weren't so bad), but it got better after that. I am so thankful that things went so well. I went for my first esophagram today, and things look good. Because I am doing so well, I was given permission to advance my diet 2 days early! Yay! I was prescribed thin liquids for 10 days, mushies for 10 days, and then to solids. But, I get to start mushies 2 days early, which I'm super happy about. I weighed in today at 328. That's 20 pounds in 3 weeks! So cool! I'm really glad I found this site. Pre-op, I hadn't really found anything helpful or useful. I'm not sure how this just showed up out of nowhere, but I'm glad it did. My friend recommended www.obesityhelp.org, but I found that to be more for people who wanted sleeves or bypass. It seemed to be a lot of band bashing, which wasn't very helpful to me. Today, while I was at the surgeon, I saw a printed ad for Obesity Help, which I thought was funny, since my surgeon's practice does 80% bands. I will have to pass this resource along at my first support group meeting in April. Anyway, that's me and that's how I got here! Looking forward to making this journey with everyone!

Thanks, Ladies! Kelly - How are you feeling?

Hi! New to the group....I was banded on March 19th. How's everyone doing?

It also comes in Pina Colada, but my VS doesn't carry it in-store, so I have to special order it. I usually make the chocolate with 2% milk and ice in the blender.....so good! Otherwise, it is a bit chalky/fake tasting. But, these are my fave, too!

Banded 3/19/12.....clears day/night of surgery. full liquids for 10 days. purees for 10 days. then regular food.

I do something similar. I don't cook, so it's easier for me to just buy canned Soup....whatever kind....add chicken stock or skim milk, and stick it in the Magic Bullet. It chops up any chunks and thins it out. Pop it in the microwave for a minute or two.....and dinner is served!

I get mine at The Vitamin Shoppe. It comes in 5 flavors: chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, Tropical Dreamsicle, and Pina Colada. I usually have to special order my Dreamsicle and Pina Colada. It also comes as individually sold packets, so you can try before you buy.

Native Hoosier! I live in NJ now, but I saw the "greetings from IN" and had to look. Hope everyone is doing well!

I was also banded on the 19th. Post-op day #6, and I feel great! The first 3 days sucked, but I have been improving every day. I was able to get out and take my puppy for some long (30-45 min) walks. The gas pains were horrible. I went for a massage on Thursday to loosen up my shoulders. It helped a lot. I was eating Gas-X like candy! I feel incredibly lucky because I haven't had any issues so far. A friend of mine had a gastrectomy done about a year ago, and she's had so many issues from day 1. I started feeling hungry yesterday evening. I am sticking with the liquids.....as prescribed. 3 more days and I get puree's! I love the Jay Robb Protein powder. That's how I got through the pre-op diet. I'm trying to eat more Soups and stuff blended up in the Magic Bullet. Put enough milk, Water, or chicken broth in it, and it liquifies down perfectly. Anyway, I'm trying to only have to drink 2 shakes per day. However, I'm starting to get hungrier, so I may need 3. I just found this website, so I'm really glad to find a group of people who know exactly what I'm going through! Wishing everyone the best!