gale_1016

Weighed in at 240....down 3 lbs since last week!! Good luck to all!

This is great to know! I don't take medicine very often, but it's good to know I can take pills!

For those that cannot take Benadryl, try the Benadryl cream...I haven't yet, but the itching is killing me so I will be getting some today. I can only take oral Benadryl at night bc it knocks me out!

I am almost 2 weeks post op & today I'm HUNGRY! The past few days I've been hungry often, but I could eat a 1/2 cup of soup & be satisfied for a few hours. This morning I ate a bowl of oatmeal & after I finished I still felt hungry. Not getting a fill until May 24....guess it's time for will power to kick in! Anyone else experiencing this?

Good morning! I know quite a few of us on here were banded on 4/23. I just wanted to check in on everyone's progress on recovery. I went back to work on Tuesday. A very busy 12 hour shift. I talked to one of the nurses at the surgeons office the day before I went back to get my work release & was informed of a few more restrictions I wasn't aware of...such as no lifting more than 30 lbs (I was told 20 lb the day of surgery) & no bending, pushing, or pulling for 4 weeks. Well that is what my job consists of. If I would have known this before hand I would have taken more time off work. Luckily I have a supervisor that accommodates my restrictions. Let's talk hunger! I'm hungry every 2-3 hours. Although I can only eat a very small amount at a time, I still get hungry often. I'm trying to make healthy choices, but there's not many choices on a pureed diet. I get my first fill 5/24. Until then, I will utilize self control. My pain is under control. My incision sites are still tender, but I know that takes time. I finally removed the steri strips yesterday. And I got very nauseated while doing it. My husband teases me about being a nurse, but having a weak stomach over my own wounds. It's totally different when it's on yourself! I look for to hearing how everyone else is doing! Oh yeah, weight loss....27 lbs down since starting preop diet 2 weeks before surgery!

Also forgot to mention that my new best friend is myfitnesspal app! Logging my food is so helpful. Please add me if you use it as well.... gale1016

Hey! I was banded almost 1 week ago & even though the first few days were rough, I am now feeling back to my old self. I was wondering how long most people took off from work? I took off a week thinking that was more than enough, but decided that maybe I should have taken longer. I am a nurse & am on my feet 10 hours of my 12 hour shift. Is it just me or is recovery taking longer than expected?

Name, real or screen~ Amy (gale_1016) Goal weight for May 29th~ 236 Weight on May 1st~ 243 Age~36 Dietary goal for May~ To stay under 1100 calories each day Exercise goal for May~ Start walking 30 min 3 times a week Personal goal for May~to end my battle with food. I want to start eating to live, not living to eat Date banded~ April 23, 2012 Total weight loss since banding/pre op diet~ 17.6 lbs What is your favorite flower~ Azaleas I'm new to the site, newly banded. Excited to be part of the monthly challenges!

Anyone feel free to add me....gale1016 Always looking to make new band friends!

I discovered this app a few days ago after I saw several people on here were using it. I absolutely love it! I am shocked that so far every food I've eaten has been on the food list. Even generic brands. It has really made me reevaluate my food choices too. I didn't realize how many calories I could consume on pureed foods! Soups aren't all that healthy. So glad I discovered this site!

Myfitnesspal is an app that you can download to your droid or iPhone. I don't know if you've ever done weight watchers online, but it's kinda the same tool. You enter your weight, your goal weight & how many pounds you want to lose a week & it will calculate how many calories a day you should eat. Then it has a daily log to keep track of your food intake & exercise. It will also record & track your weight loss. Just another excellent tool to have in addition to the band!

I will definitely find you on there!

I can't wait to see the 230's either! I was 248 the morning of surgery & today, a week later I'm 243. It's only 5 lbs, but I'm still convinced I have some swelling in my belly considering I still can't suck my tummy in! I was 236 when I got pregnant with my son. He's almost 10 months old....way too long to be holding on to baby weight!!!

I had surgery on 4/23 & was suppose to go back today. I'm a nurse on my feet most of my shift so decided to take one more day. I only work 3 days a week so I will only work tomorrow then off until Saturday. I'm a little nervous about going back. I work in pediatrics so getting kicked or elbowed is usually a daily occurrence. Hopefully my quick reflexes will kick in! Good luck to all that are back to work this week! I'm anxious to see if my clothes are looser, since I've been mostly in PJ's since surgery!

I was you just 3 days ago! I regretted ever getting the band bc of the intense pain in my chest that radiated to my left shoulder. Trust me, it gets better. I'm still having the pain in my chest occasionally when I feel a burp coming up, but it won't come out, but the shoulder pain is gone. These are the awful side effects of surgery I wasn't warned about. I found out on this site that what I was feeling was normal. Hang in there, in a few days you'll feel like a new person.

I had my surgery on April 23 with Dr. Reilly as well. I was very satisfied with my care.

Yes the gas pain was the worse. After 3 days of no success with the gas x I tried taking it before I ate. Big difference! It does get better. On day 2 & 3 I just knew I had made the biggest mistake of my life. I'm almost 1 week post op now & I feel totally different. Get the gas moving & you'll feel so much better!

I was one that went home 4 hours after. It was rough. My husband took off the full week bc we have a houseful of kids, one being 9 months and weighs over the 20 lb limit for lifting. I wish I had been a little more informed about recovery pain. I definitely agree it has a lot to do with the decrease in calorie intake. That was a huge shock to this body! I go back to work Tuesday, but only for 1 shift, then I will have 3 more days off. Hopefully the one day doesnt send me over the edge! Haha!

I also had a hernia repair, which I didn't know I had. I had an EGD a month before surgery that didn't show one. I think the repair of that is what has slowed down my recovery. I guess I was being too optimistic about the recovery time. Best of luck to both of you!

Not sure what your doctor's post op diet is, but for me week 2 is thick liquids (puréed soups, yogurt smoothies, pudding) & week 3 is soft foods (canned chicken, baked fish, tuna). So depending on where your meals take place I'm sure you can find something that fits your diet without anyone being suspicious. Cream soups are usually an option at most restaurants. And a safe food to not risk getting stuck.