Lucy

I wasn't trying to make anyone worry or feel guilty when I wrote my post about not cheating. I wrote it to encourage all of us (myself included) to think about what we eat before we eat it. I'm sure none of us have slipped our bands, but it's important that we all keep on top of ourselves in order to make sure that it doesn't happen.

I'm not trying to argue with you, I'm just stating my point. Internet maps are not going to make paper maps obsolete. They are an alternative. I stopped using internet maps because the directions are almost always wrong when I've used them or they give me the worst directions that take me miles and miles out of the way. When I look at a regular map, I can decide how to get there on my own. Since you mentioned it, I don't use a microwave, either.

How do you think people got around before the internet?

mmmm...beer...

I hope everyone is doing well. My throat is finally feeling better and I'm hoping to get to the gym tomorrow and start going on a regular basis. Now, I don't want to sound like a b*tch, but I feel like I should say something about the "cheating" on chicken nuggets and tortilla chips. The few weeks after banding are for HEALING. Yes, it sucks to be on liquids (I would kill someone right now for something "real" to eat). But your doctor put you on this liquid diet because it's necessary. If you do not give your band time to heal you could cause some serious damage. From what I have been told, if you eat something solid, your stomach needs to work more to digest it. The more it works early on, the greater the chances of slipping your band. Is it really worth it for a bite of some real food? If you think so, then go ahead. But I don't think any of us had this surgery done so we could cheat. It's 2-4 weeks out of your entire life where you can't eat real food. Stick to it and you will succeed. But if you start cheating now -- at the MOST important part of your lapbanding experience, what kind of precedent are you setting for yourself in the long run? I'm not pointing fingers, believe me. I watch my husband eat dinner every night and it kills me that I'm sipping on soup and he's munching away at something delicious. Or even if it's leftover baked beans and a slice of pita, it looks better than any lobster of foie gras I've ever had. But I knew this wasn't going to be easy. And I have to stick to my diet if it's going to work. Be strong, Junies! Resist the urge to cheat and risk losing your band!

I think they all suck equally. I'm partial to the road map atlas in my car.

Ja9va -- I've been told that most people have difficulty with rice. Especially, 1/2 a cup, that sounds like a lot. Maybe try not eating and it see how it goes. Hotty, as far as I know, you should be able to eat almost anything since you don't have restriction. Are you eating slowly? Chewing like crazy? That should help a lot.

I take Garden of Life's Perfect food every day and have been for over a year. It's a really good source of nutrients and Vitamins and it keeps everything, ahem, regular. I mix it in my Protein smoothie with yogurt, Protein Powder, flaxseed oil, and berries, which masks the taste. The powder doesn't smell like something I would want to drink alone. They also make it in a capsule form.

Xgrl, I have a lower BMI and my insurance wouldn't cover the surgery, but they wouldn't have covered it no matter how high my BMI would have been. It really depends on your insurance company. A lot of people on this forum have been banded with a low BMI, so it's really worth looking into. I had to take out a loan to pay for my surgery, but it's worth every penny.

I did some googling, and I think the bracelet is a good idea. I just ordered one off Medic Alert. Thanks to whoever mentioned this company, I like the idea that there is just a phone number on the back for them to call. I don't need to alert the whole world to my lapband.

Out of curiosity, if I am in a situation where I am unconscious and in a hospital or ambulance, will the medics actually look for a medic ID on me?

Great idea for a thread, Bubblebutt. I just finished: Leaving the Saints by Martha Beck -- really interesting story of a woman raised Mormon and all the dirty secrets of the Mormon church. Kabul Beauty School by Deborah Rodruiguez. An American woman opened a beauty school in Afghanistan after 9/11. I wanted to read it because I heard her interviewed on NPR a few weeks ago and she sounded so kooky. Last week I heard another interview on NPR with one of her former students who now fears for her life because of all the secrets Deborah Rodriguez revealed about her and the other women there in the book. It's not the most well-written book, but it's quick reading and an interesting view of life under the burqa. I'm in the middle of reading On Beauty by Zadie Smith. It's decent reading. She writes very well. Just ordered The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan. He writes mostly about food ethics. He's one of my favorite people on the planet. Usually, I try to buy books at a local bookshop because I prefer to support them than some giant conglomerate bookstore. But Amazon is convenient when I'm looking for something that not everyone carries (which is often the case). I also highly recommend Alibris.com for used and out-of-print books.

I already "donated" $15,000 to my band. This website has been a great resource for me, but I'm not interested in paying for access, simply to eliminate the ads. Instead of putting the money towards this website, why don't you pay to upgrade your internet access? Then all the websites you visit will be faster. Just a thought...

Tell him what you told us. That you want to make peace without feeling like a doormat. Be assertive about your feelings and hopefully he will respect them.

Don't forget Fire Island. Somebody please shoot me if Mitt Romney gets elected...

bcrazy, I tried to drink the Isopure clear drinks, but I think they are repulsive. I had 4 days of clear liquids post-op and I just decided to focus on being hydrated those 4 days and not worry about the protein until I get on to the full liquids. I still find that it's hard to get in all the protein. I'm not very hungry and it's hard to get anything besides water in.

Sweetie, you know your man better than any of us. It doesn't sound like the situation warrants your apology over his, but my point was that sometimes it's better to reach out and keep the peace. I don't think you should call him and apologize for something he did, but call him and let him know you love him. Even though you are angry. What the hell do I know...I'm an artist, not a therapist! :biggrin1: I just happen to have an amazing husband who handles these situations better than me so it makes me feel like I know something about handling arguments with the significant other. Here, have a hug.

Rita, I am so glad that you had your hernia found and repaired. I hope you aren't feeling disappointed about not being banded, it will come soon enough. My throat is feeling a little better, but not great. I feel like my tastebuds are changing. I bought a ton of apple juice and white grape juice before surgery, and I don't want to drink it anymore, it tastes sicky sweet to me. Today I went to the movies and the smell of popcorn all around me was completely unappealing. I did have a smoothie from Ben and Jerry's and it was the best thing I have had since I was banded. But it was enormous! I probably had 1/3 of it over an hour and that was that.

Hey everyone, Thanks for your kind words of support. Eddie -- I totally understand your situation. My husband has a CRAZY job where he leaves at 6am and comes home anywhere between 7 and 10pm. He is only required to be there from 9 to 6, but he works more hours because that's how it goes in his field. His crackberry rings until 2am during the week and he often takes calls at 8am on Sundays! This bothers me, but it's also the only thing we really argue about. At the end of the day, the arguments happen, and are sometimes necessary, but they don't make anyone feel better and they don't bring you closer together (until you have great makeup sex, woo hoo!). All this to say, I agree with the others. Call him and tell him how much you love him and find a way (other than food) to let out the stress. Then, when you are back together, make sure he gives you all the oral pleasure that he owes you for being such a jerk.

Hi Junies! I'm 5 days out and feeling better than a few days ago. I still have some gas pains, but it's not too bad. My throat has been KILLING me since the surgery -- the anesthesia tubes must have really irritated me. Around 2pm yesterday I suddenly felt like I could barely swallow or breathe. I called my surgeon and he said that there wasn't anything wrong with the band and that it was irritation from the tubes. He suggested I go to the ER. HELL NO! Unless I'm having a heart attack or there is a bone sticking out of my body, I am not sitting in the ER for 8 hours. I ended up going to my MD's office -- she was awesome (although her staff gave me a hard time for just showing up without an appointment). After taking a chest X-Ray and looking at my throat, she said that my throat was so swollen from irritation that there were blisters in my throat! She gave me an Rx for steroids and I went home. Feeling better today, although not 100%. I'm just glad it wasn't pneumonia or something worse. I hope everyone here is doing well with their pre-ops and post-ops. I'm finally on to full liquids. Not much more exciting than the clear liquids, but at least I'm getting more protein in. I have been having the WEIRDEST cravings -- does anyone else feel this way? For example, I have been craving doughnuts and I never eat doughnuts -- I've probably had 10 doughnuts in my entire life. And yesterday, I would have given my left arm for buttered toast. Again, I can't remember the last time I had buttered toast -- when I was 9 years old? Of course, I have also been craving cheese and that is something that I've eaten every single day of my life, so not all the cravings are irrational

Miso soup is Japanese. It comes as a soup mix. It has seaweed and chunks of tofu in it, but I strain them out since I am still in the clear liquid phase. I think it's delicious. If there is a Japanese market near you, that's the best place to get it, but you should also be able to find it in any good grocery store or if you have something like a Whole Foods near you.

Eddie, thank you so much for your encouraging post. It's been difficult with the gas pain and, unfortunately, the Gas X strips don't do a damn thing -- most of the pain is in my back, chest, and shoulders. The vicodin helps with the pain, but I hate that it makes me feel groggy, so I've been trying to not take it as much. Thankfully, my husband has been taking very good care of me -- making miso soup and rubbing my back. Luckily I don't seem to need a buttwiper, but I can never have too much love and support! I'm sure this gets easier as the days pass...:sick Love to all of you.:kiss2:

Good luck to all of you getting banded tomorrow! I have been feeling a *little* better, but still having a ton of gas pains. Did a lot of walking around the apartment today, but I couldn't muster up the energy to get dressed and walk outside. I was feeling so weak and nauseaus that I was afraid I would walk too far and feel faint. Plus, it was almost 90 degrees outside, I think that's too hot! I have one more day of clear liquids and then on Tuesday I will finally be able to progress to full liquids. I haven't been getting much protein because all of the clear liquid proteins are disgusting to me. Hopefully I will be fine for one more day. I bought a bunch of pre-made protein drinks that Odwalla makes that are chocolate soy dinks. They aren't exactly delicious, but they are bearable. But the Isopure makes me want to vomit. I've been drinking a lot of water, light cranberry juice, chicken broth, and miso soup -- the miso soup is the best thing I had all day

Hey everyone, hope you are all doing well. I had my surgery yesterday and it went very well. I've been having excrutiating gas pains, but other than that, things aren't too bad. Just wanted to let you know I'm okay. xoxo

Thanks Momma and Ja9va for your words of encouragement. I don't own a recliner so I slept in the bed last night. Or should I say, "slept"? I didn't get to sleep until about 3am and woke up around 8 or 9. After I posted earlier today, the vicodin started kicking in a little more. The gas is still there, but it's not as bad as it was yesterday. My belly is much more painful today than it was yesterday, though. It must be the anesthesia wearing off...thankfully all my incisions are pretty close to each other -- an inch above the belly button and below the bra line, so my clothing shouldn't interfere with them while they are healing. Dawn, I don't think the GasX is worth the money. I'm still taking one every so often, but I don't think it does anything helpful, placebo-wise or not. Others here might feel differently. Also, I found that Tylenol just started making an adult-dose chewable tablet for anyone looking for a chewable pain killer for after being banded (I couldn't find the liquid tylenol). I'm DYING to take a shower -- my doc said Ihad to wait 48 hours. Anyone else have this order given to them? I feel all greasy and sticky from all the tape all over my arms and chest....(sorry, that might have been an overshare). Snoopy, my thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.