aubrie

think of what could happen if you DON'T have the surgery!!! THAT you are to young for..... I'm sick that I waited until age 48 to do something about this. I got fat at age 31. 17 years of putting my life on hold was dumb. I admire you for wanting to take care of it early. You will not only help yourself, but your husband and his health, and you will also bring up your children to be healthy eaters, and not set them up for future problems. Find another doctor. Start looking at the posters on this site. There are quite a few who are close to your age. they did it. so can you. find a supportive doctor.

I can't see my collar bones yet, but I lost a lot of weight in my face and neck. I am amazed at the disappearance of my double chin. I constantly touch my chin expecting it to reappear and it never does!!! I can feel my jaw bones, my shoulder bones and my wrist bones. It's amazing. Even my 23 year old son came up to me in the kitchen last night and said, Wow Mom, I think your forearms are the same size mine are! where did they go so fast? I just wanted to hug him!

Could you be in the state of ketosis? this happens when you are on a high protein low carb diet. It's common among Atkins dieters. I had something VERY similar for about 4 weeks post op. Once I started adding more carbs into my diet, it stopped.

Way to go Max!!!!! Keep going and doing what you're doing. Congratulations and welcome.

My doc also said 4 weeks, but I had a problem with my incisions spitting out sutures. Just when I thought I was almost healed over, these little thread things started popping out. I had to wait an additional three weeks for them to fall out and heal back over. It was a pain because swimming is my exercise of choice.

Iy your husband is telling you to look outside the marriage for physical satisfaction and love, then he is no longer committed to your marriage. why he's continuing to stay in it is beyond me, except maybe to make you suffer needlessly. He's already divorced in his mind and in his heart. Be kind to YOURSELF. Tell yourself you deserve better. You deserve to be loved, cherished and adored. You deserve happiness and security. Go out and find it. He's given you his blessing, what are you waiting for? But I agree with all above. Don't tell your man you know he's looking on match.com. Cover your ass first financially. Believe me, if he was cruel enough to tell you to look elsewhere, he'll be cruel enough to take you for your half of everything!! good luck sweeties. My heart goes out to you.

My DH is a bit overweight, so I was afraid of the pressure from his weight. I just got on top. Problem solved. I was able to control what I could handle.

There are lymph nodes in the area you are describing, but I would still get it checked out. I have numerous little lumpies there now, and had my OB/GYN check it out. He wasn't alarmed, but I'm still going to have my regular mamogram done on Wednesday. I want them to compare to the image to when I was fatter. It ALL feels different....

I wasn't allowed to lift anything over 5 pounds for three weeks after surgery, and nothing over 10 for an additional two weeks. (My husband laughed at this... He wanted to know how I was going to get my purse to work.....smart ass......)

I've heard that romaine lettuce goes down easier than other kinds. Maybe because it's crunchier??? It's just a suggestion, but I don't have a problem with salads , "yet". I go in for my second fill on Wednesday, and some say more things get more difficult the more restriction you have. We'll see.....

Cut your regular eggplant down the center length wise. Soak in salted water for about 30 minutes and then boil until soft and pulpy. Peel and cook 1 small potato in water until soft. Brown 1/2 to 3/4 pound hamburger very well and pat dry with a paper towel. Add 1/2 small onion chopped, about 4 to 5 cloves of crushed garlic, some parsley, oregano and lots of thyme. Cook until onions are tender. Add the potato and mash into the mixture. This helps hold it together. Then add the pulp from the eggplant. Mash well. Save the eggplant skins. Mix all this up together and then gently stuff back into the skins. they will be thin and fragile, so be gentle. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and Italian bread crumbs and bake at 350 for about 45 minutes. HEAVEN!!!!!

I've told my DH for 3 1/2 months now that I can't eat bread. I never tried. Last night I woofed down a Burger King kiddie burger like nobody's business and topped it off with a small order of fries. No pain. NO getting stuck. No PB. All I got out of it was GUILT!!! I'm SO MAD at myself.....

At 48 I didn't expect this AT ALL..... My secretary went over to the local police department to deliver something for me. The officer in the entry hall that was checking ID, said... "oh... you're from the county. Do you know that Jail Diversion girl that comes over here? Why isn't she coming today? I always check her ID. Be sure and tell her I said hello, and tell her that I'm a really nice guy and I would like to see her again." My secretary giggled and said she would deliver the message..... Well, I've lost so much weight I can't wear my wedding ring anymore and haven't gotten around to sizing it. So this gentleman obviously thought I was single.... Ha! This is the first time anyone has noticed or flirted with me in about 15 years!!! Wow!! What a great feeling.

That's just the tip of the iceburg!!!! there is a LOT of scarey research out there. It gives me horrendous headaches. I don't touch the stuff. As far as I'm concerned.....It's basically poison.

I think you need to be frank and let your sister know the trouble it has caused. it wasn't her place to tell your kids. I think you also need to have a talk with your daughter and explain very carefully the concept of privacy. At eight years old, she should understand this. Especially if you are honest with her and let her know how much it means to you. As for your ex-husbands grandmother? It's really no longer any of her business either. Just gently tell her it's private and you would rather not discuss it. I don't tell anyone about my surgery, but I won't lie either. It always get you in trouble in the end. Just be honest with everyone invovled.

You can get protein powder without flavor. Be sure to buy whey isolate. It's better tolerated by bariatric patients. I order mine online at Bariatriceating.com. They have TONS of stuff special for us. It's very high quality and they ship to your door. the unflavored you can put in gravy, soup, all kinds of stuff.

this sounds heavenly!! I'm DEFINATELY going to try this!! thanks.

guacamole. applesauce. Refried black beans with fat free sour cream. Egg drop soup. Fish (tilapia) poached in seasoned chicken broth with summer squash. (YUM) whipped sweet potatoes. Baked butternut squash. mashed banana. Cauliflower cooked in broth and mashed. yogurt. creamed spinach. cheese souffle. egg custard. cream of wheat. red beans and rice mashed. smooth peanut butter. These were my favorites during "mushies". May not be your preferences, but they're suggestions.

Two eggs. Scrambled or soft boiled. 1/2 small banana. 1/3 cup of lowfat cottage cheese and 4 large strawberries. 1 packet of Quaker Weight Control high Protein oatmeal with extra 1/2 scoop protein powder and 3 peeled grapefruit sections. If I have time, I also make cream of wheat with 1/2 skim milk and 1/2 vanilla slim fast. I add a touch of cinnamon, protein powder and vanilla. It's delicious. Even my husband likes it. One high protein shake with fruit (after a fill or if I'm not feeling well ONLY.) I put low carb vanilla slim fast in my coffee for a little extra protien I rotate these out so I don't get bored eating the same thing.

I'm three months out and still suffering from constipation. I didn't have a bowel movement for a week after surgery. I called my surgeon crying and he told me to do Milk of Magnesia. I've had constipation problems ever since. I'm just the exact opposite of everyone else. I'd rather have diahrreha any day than be plugged up. YUCK! Not to mention it hurts....

I couldn't give a coons butt about my tummy becuase I can cover that with most clothing and wear "things" to hold me in. But my arms are another story. It's hot here in south Texas, and short or sleeveless shirts are worn almost year round. I'm starting to see the puckered loose skin on my arms and I don't think it's going to go away. At 48 I tend to doubt it. I've heard that plastic surgery for arms is a little tricky and many times not very successful. They have to pull and tuck it up in your underarm. A long cut down the length of your upper arm would leave a scar that could easily be seen. My "National Geographic" boobs are not real attractive either. Hopefully Victoria's Secret push up bras will help.....LOL

I don't know about you, but for me the choice of the band was a moral and ethical issue established by myself. I could not see myself mutilating the body that God gave me to lose weight. I could however see utilizing a tool to help me do so, that didn't damage my "holy temple" however untidy it appeared to be at the moment. It was reversable and less risky. I value my gift of life, and knew that the risks were far greater with a bypass. I just can't see how an insurance company could have the audacity to force you to have a procedure that you are not ethically or morally comfortable with. That is just plain wrong, and they are far overstepping their boundries. I too was initially denied, but I stuck to my guns. I cried for three weeks and then I just got MAD. it took me 11 months, but I did it and so glad I did. And I'm still comfortable with my decision, and between me and God? I think we're square there to. Just my opinion, but it's heart felt.

I went out of town this past weekend. while I didn't eat a lot, I did eat some foods I haven't eaten in three months. (Chinese) On both Friday and Saturday night my feet puffed up HUGE. :eek:It was gross. Sunday, my feet never went down at all. I gained 4 pounds. Today, my swelling is gone and I'm back down to my normal weight but my face and my face only is puffy, red, swollen and I have hives all around my eyes. I itch like CRAZY!!! Can you develop an allergy to food just because you haven't eaten it in a while? do you think this is even band related? I'm also FREEZING but have no fever. I haven't had the really cold sensation since my early stages and post op days. Also.... I have been chronically constipated since being banded. I fight that daily. Since I ate the chinese, my bowels are moving normally....It's heaven. what the heck is going on????:thumbup:

Thanks to all of you. The swelling is down on my face, but the itching is still there. I still have redness under the eyes. Why the eyes????? The bowels are still doing great! I can't complain there. Gosh, it's been 4 days already. I guess I will call the doc and have him check me for allergies. Do you think benedryl will help with the itching if it's food related? I've only ever used it for poison ivy, chicken pox and stuff.

I don't have a problem with lettuce or greens of any kind. BUT I have heard that romaine lettuce is the best tolerated. Try that first and see how you do. Just CHEW CHEW CHEW.