GREATFUL

Hope everyone is doing well. I am now 5 weeks out and feeling great. I still sometimes have have a slight pulling sensation at my port site. I now have an appointment for my first fill, June 18th. I can't wait, I am able to eat way too much and get hungry way too soon after a meal. I know that some of it is head hunger but most of it is not. I have only told a few people about my surgery, nobody at work knowes. I am so glad that I did not tell everyone, because just the few I have told are driving me nuts. I talk to my sister about every other day, and she alway ask "Well how much have you lost?" I try to explain to her that yes I am loosing but this is the healing stage of my surgery and it is slower now. And we went out to eat with to a wedding, one of my friends who knowes was there, I felt like she was watching every bite I was taking, she even asked me once "Are you sure you can eat that?" I told her YES, I do know what I am supposed to eat and not eat. Oh well, maybe I am just being silly, but I am glad I only told a few people. Is anyone else going through this?

Murfreesboro Surgical Specialists - 615-867-1940 - I dont know how much, I was covered by my insurance. Good Luck!

I Second THAT!!! I am from Middle TN also. Dr. Eckles banded me on May 2nd. He is great and I just love his staff. They went to bat for me with the insurance company, followed-up and stayed on top of it until I got my approval. Just cant say enough good things about them.

Mine said it meant that your swelling was going down and you were healing properly. Doesnt make it any easier, but he did make some suggestions on the diet. He said I could eat nuts, such as walnuts (not alot just a few) between meals if I was real hungry. He said to chew, chew until they were mush. It has helped today. He said they also had good oil in them that would help prevent hair loss.

I went for my first followup yesterday. I am over 4 weeks out, banded on May 2nd. And my doc said he would not give me a fill until I was past 6 weeks. I was a little disappointed, I have no restriction and getting hungry. He said we would rethink it in two weeks. I guess this is what they call "Banster Hell". Good Luck!

I have been on mushies for the past two weeks. I have had the following: Tuna, onion, pickle juice, lite mayo - blended The same as tuna but with chicken. Once I even smashed a cracker up in it real good. Potatoe salad - blended Husband BBQed pork ribs - put some in the chopper, little BBQ sauce and it was real good. Oh one of my fav. was - take sugar free whipped cream, spread it in a bowl and freeze it - make FF -SF instant pudding and pour in it, drizzle a little cho. syrup on it and it is soooo good. Put you Protein powder in the pudding and you have a good source of your protein for the day. White Beans cooked in Ham bullion - soo good, cooked real soft, they smash real easy and have a very good flavor Just a few thing that helped me along the way. Good Luck.

My Doc said the same thing about caffeine being a appetite stimulant, but he also said that caffeine causes dehidration, for every cup of coffee you drink, you need to drink an extra glass of water. He said it is hard enough to stay hidrated in the first 4-6 weeks that you don't need caffeine making it worse. He also said it can cause reflux.

Hey Everyone, Tomorrow will be four weeks since I got my band. I has been an adventure so far. I am on pureed food until tomorrow then I start my week of soft food, then regular food. At my support meeting the nurse told us about this liquid fiber product, it has no flavor and you can add it to anything. We were talking about this stage where the hunger is kicking in, She said that this fiber would help you stay fuller longer. (it would also help in the BM departmert) I picked up a few packets of it, it I have to say it helps. I was getting hungry about 2 hours after eating and now I dont have the hunger pains until about 4 hours. So going to pick up more of that today. We were out of town all weekend for a wedding and I have to say the food choices were limited. But I took it all in stride, reminding myself of the bigger goal. Good luck everyone!

I had diarrhea also. It got better when I started on mushies. I have no more problems with it now. Congrats on being banded.

Hello Everyone, Sure glad to see that everyone is doing as well as they are. I will hit my 3 week mark tomorrow. I can't believe it, it seemed to take so long prior to surgery and now it has been 3 weeks after. To all of you coming after, just keep the faith, the pain does get better, you will feel stronger and the gas does go away. All that I am feeling now is a slight burning, pulling kind of feeling in my port incesions. But that is not all of the time, just comes and goes. My DH and I have been walking at least a mile every evening, and that is helping I think. I have been on muchies for a week and loving ever moment of it after the liquids. My surgen went on vacation after my surgery, so I don't have my followup with him until the 31st. Good luck to all of you!!!

I am not at home, and can't remember the brand name. I will post it when I get home Okay. I do know that it is 100% Whey Protein, I get it at a health food store here. I have also seen it at Krogers. It is cheaper at the health food store. I love the vanilla, you can mix it with anything sweet, such as shakes and puddin. I can't tell it is in there. I have to admit, I ate puddin for supper last night. Not bad, counting the milk and the powder I was gettin around 28 gm. of protein. Oh, I use the sugar free/fat free instant cho. puddin mix with milk, and the vanilla protein powder, just blend until mixed well, and it is like haveing a thick cho. shake. Very good, had that this morning for breakfast.

Hey, I am in the mushy stage also. One of my favorites is - vanilla protien mix (18 grams per scoop), mix with a cup of milk, and 1/2 package of surgar free, fat free instant puddin mix. Mix in the blender for a few min. I use diffrent kinds of pudding, my favorite is cheesecake flavor. I have also tried the cho. and white cho. flavors. I then layer it with surgar free whip cream, you can also dirzzle a little hershey cho over it (just a little for looks). Oh it is sooooooo good and very filling. I also take a boiled egg and smash it real good with a fork and mix it with tuna and lite mayo. I cooked a pot of white beans last night. Having them for lunch today. Smashed with some ham broth. That is all I have come up with so far. Just my second day of this mushy stage. But sure glad to be here, was tired of the liquid stuff.

Dutchgrl59- So glad that all went well with your surgery. I had a hernia repaired also. Each day get better, just take care of yourself.

Good Luck tomorrow!!! you are lucky not to have a very restrictive diet. It was not fun, yes, the weight loss was great. But you will get there! I am 2 weeks out today. I have made it a point to only weight myself once a week. Every Wednesday, since that was the day I was banded. As far as the hunger thing, I started mushies today. I had some tuna with a smashed up boiled egg and some FF mayo. It was great. And I am soooo full. So NO I am not starving. I do deal with head hunger some, but that is just part of it. I miss popcorn, like when watching a movie or TV, but have replaced it with SF popcicles. Again Good Luck tomorrow and joining bandland.

I start mushie today. And soft scrambled eggs are on my list that the doc. gave me. He told me, think baby food, if you would feed it to a baby, with no teeth, then you can eat it. Also, you want to make sure it is not dry food. I have never heard that protein powders could plug the hold. I guess if you just ate the powder and didnt add water or milk to them, maybe, but that would be terrible to get down anyway. Good luck!!!

I have no incision below my belly button. They are really about two inches above. I have six total. I wore real loose warm up bottoms, the kind with a draw string. I wore a sports bra home, still have a problem wearing my wire cups, they get uncomfortable as the day goes on sitting at my desk. GOOD LUCK!!!

Glad you are doing well. I found my second day to be very tuff. I was sore, gassey, stiff etc. Everyone told me the third day was the worse. But for me it was the second. So maybe that is the way it is going to be for you. So just keep telling yourseld it is only going to get better from here. Rest, drink your liquids, walk and just chill out and it will all get better in a few days. In my prayers...along with all of the others being banded today and tomorrow.

Sounds like you are doing great. My Doc. said not to worry the about your protein intake the first two days. Just drink water and rest. Then you can focus on getting your protein after that. I had the same feeling when I swallowed that you are having. The nurse told me it was air. Just try to take small sips. It helped me to use a coffee straw. You know those little ones. Made me slow down, and didnt get much air when I used them. Good luck and take care of yourself, it gets better everyday.

didnt mean to post twice, computer messing up and thought I lost the other one.

Bullwinkle, I am with you on the chicken broth thing. I am sick of it. You are lucky to get to start the pureed diet today. I have to stay on full liquids for 2 weeks. BUMMER. But heck I am going to do this. It is real interesting how diffrent doctors are about the pre and post op diet. I am counting the days until next Wednesday and I can have pureed food, on that for 2 weeks, then I can have soft food. My tummy is just a growling, I am not hungry but sure is making some angry noises. I thing I have some wild animal in there. (I guess it is my ex-appitite in there raising heck like some crazy beast caged up lol) Have had a few moments of head hunger, but with the support of my DH and my determination to be a winner at this I have gotten through, and they only last a little while. Just got up and found something to do, fold clothes, unload dishwasher etc. Being back at work help some, staying busy. Good luck to everyone being banded today, and everyone on the mark for Monday, have a great weekend and good luck.

Hey Raysbabe, you can have scrambled eggs? Lucky you, I was banded on the 2nd and have to be on full liquids for two weeks. I would kill for a scrambled egg. Oh well, only one more week to go and then I can mushies. OH, I live not far from Nashville, we are almost neighbors.

Love the Name!!! I feel a-MAY-zing. I am now one week out. I returned to work yesterday. It went well, just a little tired, more overwhelmed by the work on my deck then anything. I am feeling better and better each day. The pain is less and less, gas pain slowly going away. I did take the lortab before I went to bed last night, it helped me relax and get a good nights sleep. I also brought an icepack to work with me, that was my salvation. Up into the afternoon I had burning sensation in my port area, ice pack and liquid tylenol took it away and made it possible to get through the day (Doc. said that was normal, sign it is healing). Big diffrence between sitting on the couch watching TV and sitting at your desk working. LOL Back at work again today, so far so good, armed with liquid tylenol and ice pack. Hope all of the ones being banded today are doing well, JerseyDori, Mischievous1 and ShayDee. You are in our thoughts, lets us hear from you when you can sit for a bit and type. Cindyluhu and cfred, good luck tomorrow.

Paulette, I am so sorry!!! Hope you get a date real soon. I had to do the bowl prep also. It was not fun, but the doc said it would help afterwards with gas. I guess he was right. I have not had a very bad problem with it thus far. Hope everyone else is doing great. Good luck to all who are coming up.

How is everyone doing? I am making progress. Not in much pain today. Just lots of GAS!!! gasX is my middle name, LOL and walking. Making sure I get my fluids in is hard. I am keeping a food journal, it helps to keep me on track. Each day is getting better, I am going to try to return to work on Monday, but it depends on how I feel. Hope all of my fellow May Bansters are doing well.

Michelle, I would look very close at what your insurance plan says. Mine was BMI over 40, or 35 with co-morbids. Just make your insurance company give you the qualifications for WLS. I am also 5'2, I did weight 225. So my BMI was over 40. Also your surgens office can find out what the requirements are. I live close to Nashville also, I had my surgery this last Wed. by Dr. Eckles in Murfreesboro. The staff at his office are great, they went to bat for me on the insurance. Insurance was taking their sweet time getting me an approval, and were quite snotty to me. His office called them and gave them the "low down" on how he wants his patients treated, I had my approval that day. Good luck!!!