A New New Dawn

Congrats - the hernia must be painful but so glad to get that taken care of too! Hopefully, your pain meds are helping too.

I am about 7 weeks out. So far, I lost 10 lbs on the pre-op diet and 29 lbs since surgery. It is working for me! Good luck tomorrow!!!!

Have fun in MX! I wouldn't worry about getting sick. All the resorts are very careful about that and about their water.

Awesome news!

Welcome to the LBT forum. One thing you will also notice on here is every doctor and every patient is different. So, as my doctor stressed to me, you need to trust the team you are working with. My doctor and dietician recommend the gummy or the chewable Vitamins. My gummy vitamins are sugar free and minimal calories. I chew them up really well and have had no issues with them. Other people do the chewable (flinstone type) vitamins. I get a huge bottle of my adult gummies from costco for very inexpensive. The no drinking with meals is hard for me at times but the payoff of learning new habits is worth it. As for meds, you have a couple options. Many meds come in a liquid form or if yours is a tablet you can use a pill cutter. My blood pressure medication is a large pill so I cut it in half. Right after surgery, I was cutting it in fourths. Also, understand this is only a tool so you still have to do the work to make good food choices. I had horrible food habits before the band but with all I have invested in this band, I haven't wanted to go back to my habits since the surgery. It has really kickstarted me into a healthier lifestyle and I am so pleased with the results thus far. No need to be disgusted with yourself ~ as that will make you feel worse about yourself. Try to accept your current circumstances and try to use that negative energy into positive energy to move forward in this process. Also know that many times insurance may not approve during the first pass (as they may want additional paperwork from your dr. or have questions, etc). Don't let that discourage you. It happens sometimes and doesn't mean denial, it just means they need clarification. Good luck to you and you CAN do this!

Having had a few "stuck" episodes, I don't think that is what you are experiencing. Typically, they are painful and cause a lot of pressure in your chest. Also, I think you would have felt it within minutes after eating. I have seen several people coming down with the flu, perhaps you are just coming down with a virus of some sort. If you are having vomiting, you may want to call your doctor to get some anti nausea meds. I hope you feel better soon!

My lesson learned... prevention is key! I will get this right!!!

I was told to get 8 glasses of water/liquids in per day and around 60 grams of Protein. So, I would use that as a guideline for how much of your shake you should have (keeping in mind the shake counts as liquid too). Also, you may not be able to get all of that in now so work your way up to that if you cannot get all of it down in a day. Good luck to you! Hope you took it easier today.

Thanks for all the suggestions. I actually am getting reacclimated to my band after getting my first fill. So far, I have found (as many others have said) bread is a NO NO. I was just going to have a nibble and it was painful. It passed in a few minutes so it wasn't too bad... I found that trying to drink made it worse for me. Well, today, was a different story. I may have been eating too fast (even though they were very small bites and I was chewing the heck out of them), plus it was a pork roast that I think was too dry. A few minutes after dinner I was getting uncomfortable and then it hit me like a ton of bricks. It was a very bizarre feeling going through all of it (it lasted about 1/2 an hour). My fiance and I went for a walk as I was hoping that would help. It was very embarrassing when I was trailing behind him because I was literally foaming at the mouth. I am not sure if that is what is meant by "pb'ing". It was so uncomfortable. We kept walking very slowly and I was breathing like I was back in Lamaz (sp) class. All of a sudden I was in brutal agony and felt like it needed to come up but it wasn't trying to. That must have been when it finally went through the band as it was instant relief. I guess this is part of my learning curve but it also scares me a bit that I feel like I could use more fills down the road and if getting stuck is already this easy and painful, what would it be like with an even tighter band??? Nonetheless, my band is still my friend and I am happy for having gone through with it. Thanks again everyone.

That is great news. I had my surgery a couple days before you and a very similar starting weight. I agree with everything you said. It is amazing the difference in how I feel alone - taking solace in the simplest of things like you mentioned even just bending over to tie shoes, etc. I just had my first fill so I am getting reacclimated to the band. However, loving it all the same. I am so happy to have the help of my band to get control of my weight and health back. I did have a very painful "stuck" episode today. The dietician told me before to try to walk if that happens. It was pretty agonizing but I know it is part of my learning curve. As soon as it passed it was fine. It is a great feeling, as you mentioned, finally having control over my eating. My daughter (17) was so proud of having money from having her first job she wanted to take me out to eat. She took me to The Cheesecake Factory. They have a fabulous new menu called "skinnylicious" so I was able to eat tasty and healthy food. I never would have gone before and not at least brought home a piece of cheesecake... I had no desire to do so and avoided that temptation. Congrats on all your success and best wishes to you going forward!! We can do this! Yay - lap band!

Congrats on your surgery! Honestly, it sounds like you way overdid it. Your body needs rest right now. Yes, you should get some exercise in but in the form of walking around the house and moving around this soon after surgery. I, too, felt pretty good after surgery and my body let me know the next day when I overdid it. Please do yourself a favor and rest and get small walks in at home for now. I never was laid up in bed, but I did rest. Your body just went through a major trauma and needs to use its energy towards healing. I hope you feel better soon.

Kudos to you for taking charge of your life at such a young age. Many of us have wished we did it sooner. Best of luck to you on this new journey.

I had my first fill on Tuesday. I felt pretty uncomfortable in the port area for a couple of days. I do think all the pushing a prodding around is what may be making you sore. If it gets worse though, I would call your doctor's office and inquire.

Awesome ~ great inspirations for us just getting started too! Thanks and CONGRATS.

Sorry to hear about your struggles. It seems counterintuitive that your doctor won't fill you until you lose. That is what will help you not eat so much. Good luck in losing so you can get them; otherwise, I may consider seeing another doctor that is willing to help you. Yes, we need to do the work and the band is only a tool but as it seems you do not have the "luxury" of it being a tool for you. Best wishes to you.

Where did you read 11% result in death? I have read many online articles, and studies and the complication rate isn't even that high, let alone the death rate. The death rates I have seen were <3% (which there is a risk of death with any surgery). Personally, my surgeon has never had that happen and has been doing the procedure for many years. Definitely research further and ask that question at the seminar for further clarification. Also, keep in mind, what is the death rate for doing nothing and staying the same weight or gaining (as we all have struggled with here)? I wish you the best of luck on this very important journey and hope you find the answers you are looking for so you can be comfortable with whatever decision is right for you.

I am not sure about lactose or soy free Protein drinks; however, know that you can embellish your current lineup too. Many people put them in the blender and add a little bit of banana or even Peanut Butter. Personally, I like to blend my drink with ice to make it more of a "shake".

That is normal (unless it is inflamed, red, swollen, etc. or extremely painful). It is the largest incision with the most stitching/cutting, etc. to place the port. My surgeon told me that one would be sore the longest. For me, it was pretty sore up until about 5 weeks. However, if anything seems abnormal, definitely contact your surgeon's office and let them guide you.

So glad you are doing well!! Time for you to shine now.

I am from the Chicago area but may be relocating to Omaha (fiance's job). I would love to see if there are others from the area. Thanks!

What type of "mushies" are you having? If you are just pureeing mixed foods you will not get the same fullness or restriction as if you pureed and ate your protein first. Make sure you are eating the protein before any veggies or other foods. Also, make sure you are drinking enough. Many people get hungry from not drinking what they should. Lastly, if you are doing proteins first (around 3 ou.), then try to step back and think are you really physically hungry or is it "head" hunger. I went through a period where I thought I was very hungry but it was really the smell of food that made me think that. Physically, I realized I wasn't hungry. Also, measure your portions so you don't overeat. You need to heal properly and don't want to get in bad habits. You shouldn't serve more than a cup of food. Good luck to you. You have had your habits for years and it will take time to get into the new groove.

Actually, it is usually the opposite. They want to see you lose weight to show you are committed and can stick to a diet afterwards. I would follow the diet from your surgeon/nutritionist as they know what they are doing and who you should trust. Best of luck to you!

I hope everything went well. For me, it was much easier than I had built it up in my mind!!! Best of luck on your new journey!

That's an awesome victory and cause for being proud of yourself!

I just printed off several recipes from her site that look delicious and healthy. Thank you for sharing! I also love recipes that aren't made with all kinds of artificial sweeteners and ingredients too!