make33

All I can say is that this Lap Banding surgery is very serious and is for persons who have determined that their lives need to change. If you are hedging because of your love for food, then I suggest you wait until you have had enough: enough of the co-morbidities, enough of the ridicule, enough of the guilt after. Please don't have the surgery just because you were approved by your insurance company. This has to be for you, when you are ready and prepared for it.

Had my date changed (from October 17th back to October 9th--whahoo!!) which did freak me out because I only had four more days instead of 12!! My hospital is only one in a whole circuitry here in Western Pa, so our UPMC's are all the same. Is the new hospital part of your hospital "chain"?? I'm sure your surgeon is more comfortable at the new hospital, so I'd go along with his wishes (even though you were mentally "all set to go"). I find that there are great personnel in every hospital, as well as a few bad ones. My best to you in your journey, moonshadow...:sneaky:

Well, I've got to say that I have a Protein shake every day (and if lacking, twice a day) and I would hardly say I have that problem!! Au contraire!! Now I use the powdered (belgian chocolate) whey protein isolate (not the canned garbage) and I mix it with Water. No clue but all I can say is that I've never found it to be the case with me...

I was on liquids for a week post-op, followed by four weeks of soft foods (aka mushies), such as cottage cheese, yogurt, applesauce, even baby foods!! At five weeks, I started on solid foods very slowly. My Bariatric Center gave me a booklet that had step-by-step instructions which I followed to the letter. I just hope your band hasn't slipped...

Moonshadow, I am so very PROUD of you! On a thread like this you stand out like a big ole shining star! You've got a great start on the rest of your life!

Shortgal, you do make a good point: I do a shop-till-u-drop trip with my two cousins three times a year-- And I've always thought to myself "My cousin Dottie is the biggest, then Fran is the middle, and I'm the smallest" (FAT PERSON, of course)--until once I was discussing sizes with my cousin Fran and realized she wore a smaller size than me!!! Live and learn!!

Boy, that looks WILD, Dave!!! It doesn't look motorized so my fear for your body is lessened! And of course, you DID buy all the padding gear to go along with that?? Have you had any spills yet??? (Do the words "spring chicken" mean anything to you???) Just kidding: it looks like it would be a fantastic time--you enjoy the heck out of it~!!

The unjury website is for whey Protein isolate, which is the purest (don't get the whey protein concentrate). Their products are okay--and the best part is they sell sample packets. There are also a gazillion other flavors and types of whey protein isolate on the Internet (I use amazon.com and get free shipping). SydneyLouWho, (I love that moniker!) I do find that Protein shakes satisfy me for hours (just the powder--please don't buy the canned garbage), so that may be an option--as well as losing the carbs from your diet! The very best of luck to you...

This whole thread has had me laughing and crying and then laughing again! Becca, that was so poignant! This thread says a lot about us and our lives, both before the Band and after--God bless us, every one!!

EVERY TIME FOR THE ENTIRE SIX VISITS!! And we had to walk from her office over to a gym where people were working out and then the fat person had to get on the big digital scale in front of everyone!! The Insurance Company wanted to see if I could lose weight following her "diet", so naturally they wanted a logged-in weight monthly.

Ditto for me! One to two pounds a week is just perfect. Tomorrow it will be five months out and I've lost 40 pounds, which is the way I want to lose it. I will admit, when I've had the scale stall (for three weeks) and then suddenly jump down four pounds, I kinda wish it would do that more often!!! My boss's daughter and his son had bypass and he said his son (13 months out) is way below his goal weight and looking pretty drawn (too thin). He went to his surgeon for the one year checkup and they just said "Wow--we have to get pictures for our website!!" No thanks, I'll take my time thank you! And by the way, another consideration is that we can exercise our butts off - while the bypassers lose so quickly there's no way they could keep up--thus plastic surgery is a must (boss's daughter is shelling out $13,000 to shed her excess skin!)

I absolutely LOVED your discourse!! Of course the moon-in-void was beyond my realm, but I got the idea! I've been on this forum for almost a year and really have not yet read of anyone who's been skinny and actually admitted they had made fun of (even silently) us fat people--and it's refreshing to hear someone say they now understand. Bless your mother! I wish you the very best in your surgery (glad it's on a good day for you) and I know you'll be offering up some hilarity in this forum...!

I experienced a lot of pain doing the leg press surprisingly enough (Didn't realize I use my abs for that too)! When I asked the surgeon, he said he had sewn my port into the abdominal muscles and the pulling is what would cause me the pain. Others here say their surgeon didn't sew down their port (?) but I would definitely say all the sit ups could be aggravating it. One idea would be to lay off those for a week for two and see if you still have pain running and on the eliptical. If so, I may be tempted to call my Bariatric Center and see what they have to say...

I found a chart out on the Internet that would tell you. There's three figures for your age: the low range, the medium range, and the highest range. It's great that you want to be in the correct range for your age!! Congratulations on the weight loss to now!

What always amazes me is that the soreness doesn't necessarily occur the next morning--but the second day after!!! I always find that relaxing in a hot tub (with bubbles) and then using BioFreeze on my legs afterward helps. Being older, if I kick my weight up I'll sometimes cramp up in the evening, so that alleviates that. Yep, as you continue working out (and you ARE going to continue, right?!) your legs will become less and less sore--there's something to look forward to!!

In the morning, I'm generally busy--but come mid-afternoon, I begin to get famished (around 2:30 - 3:00)--so I've switched my Protein shake time to then--and it makes me feel full right up until dinner time. Otherwise, I'd be looking at what munchies the girls in my office have out front!!! This time is short, so please try to bear with it--we all had to do it, so I know you all can too!!

Janeth, I am in awe of what you have done in the past with yourself and your outlook right now! Our demons come in many shapes and you have tackled yours with amazing grace and insight. I am absolutely positive that you will use this tool to its best advantage! And I know that you will have temptations but will not succumb to them--I know myself that I didn't come all this way just to be my own worse enemy. It IS tough, but with severe fortitude and proper life changes, we can make it through. Good luck on your journey, m'dear...

I've had three fills and am up to 2.5cc in my 10cc band. With my last fill, I got some real restriction for about two weeks!! My fourth fill is coming up on Friday and I am praying it will bring me to that sacred place!! The only thing I'd say is that you seemed shocked that you had gained weight--now I've weighed myself EVERY DAY OF MY BIG FAT LIFE on a digital scale, even! So my suggestion to you is to purchase a scale (my Taylor brand from WalMart cost about $35.00) and begin keeping track for yourself. Don't become obsessive (like I am) but you'll at least have a beginning gauge to work from. Don't worry--it all works out in the end, m'dear!

Caryn, I had so much trouble getting my ticker for so long with mine, I made instructions for myself: For the Ticker Factory: go in and create your own ticker (be sure to remember your password!) At the end, highlight everything in the top box (the bb: box), right click and hit Copy. Then come into this site, sign in and go to Edit Signature on the right. Left click in the big box. Then right click and hit Paste. You should see your ticker appear. Be sure to go to the bottom of the page and click on Save Signature. When it comes back, you'll see your ticker at the top of the page. (Then to change it, all you have to do is to double click on the one at the top of the page)... Hope this helps!!!:tongue:

Like Shortgal, I had been on ERT since my hysterectomy and for the last few years, had my gynecologist cut back on the patch strength. I always wore my patch somewhere in my mid-section and so for my surgery, I took it off------and never put it on again!! I had tried and tried to get off it before, only to be like you and wind up with hot flashes constantly. But this time, nothing--I mean absolutely nothing! AND if anything, I've been more COLD since surgery than warm!! Go figure!! :tongue:

I had begun to gain weight (there is nothing more disheartening that having to change your ticker upward!!) and began assessing what I was doing with my body. What I discovered is that, like you two, I had found my old love, cashews!!! And they were so chewable and went down so easily, I was eating a large can within a few days. I had totally eliminated the yogurt, cottage cheese, canned chicken, and tuna that I do so well with in my diet. Nuts, although Protein, have SO MANY FATS! Honestly, as soon as I got off the nuts and back onto the dairy Proteins and canned chicken and tuna, I began to lose again! It would be better for you to do at least one Protein shake a day (make it from powder, not that canned garbage) and get your 20-30 grams of protein in that way, rather than the proteins from nuts. I only wish you the very best...:tongue:

I'm actually watching a number of items on Ebay right now (I make sure they're inexpensive: pantsuit for $9.99, etc)! My cousin gave me a $50 gift certificate for Christmas at Boscov's and I'm going shopping Good Friday with a (fashion knowledgeable and thin) girlfriend. I know I'll be buying knit elastic-waist pants because they always seem to expand and contract with your bod! :thumbup: I have some of those now that the waist fits me fine but the pants themselves are baggy as all get out! My boss's daughter had bypass and he said she went to the Salvation Army and Good Will for "interim clothes", and my Bariatric Center does have a clothing exchange where you can take your old clothes and pick out others for no $...:cursing: Regardless of anything else, it's a great quandary to be in!!!

There are many many times when I feel like this is a real test of our own will power--but with the third fill I got, I finally got real restriction for two weeks. So there is a light at the end of the tunnel, Ang--I KNOW it's there for us! I'm sure with the move coming up on Saturday, your mind is certainly on more than "what am I going to cook for dinner?!" Moving is your main priority right now (and by the by, your pain on the left hand side could be your port--have you been packing and lifting boxes??? Your port is sewn into the abdominal muscles and they could be getting sore from the workout you're giving them!) I wouldn't be too concerned about the cooking--there are tons we can eat that don't require cooking (yogurt, cottage cheese, cheese) and I find that Michelina's makes a great little microwave meal that done in a jiffy!! Life is too short and there are many many food options, m'dear!! :thumbdown: PS Just make sure you get back to Curves next week!!!

Wish I'd had 'behavior modification' classes instead of the nutritionist for the six months prior to surgery! She didn't help at all, knew nothing about the Band or supplements, and let's face it: what good could she do in a 15-minute visit each month (which took me 50 minutes to get to and then 50 minutes back!) Ya do what ya gots to do ta make the insurance companies happy!! I still face my own battles every day, replete with head hunger and many many triggers--so welcome your behavior modification classes with open arms (can we all join you :confused2: ) !!

I'm with sfeiner--in the SIX MONTHS of testing and consults prior to my surgery, yes, I was poked and prodded over and over and saw multiple doctors (and not in one day either!). I work and am lucky enough to have a caring employer who allowed me the time for all the testing it took beyond my vacation and personal time. And blood letting?? I am the worst blood-giving patient ever and one afternoon (of many) I spent at the hospital I gave blood twice, through my vein AND an artery! I think your Center is being thorough and you are experiencing what many pre-op banders go through. I know I was GLAD to have such a caring facility and surgeon...:thumbdown: