the best me

Yeah, me, too. I have been waiting patiently for her (Paula) to post. I know the electricity was back on at her house so they returned, she just hasn't checked back in yet. We are slowly finding out about those of you that were hit by the storms. There are so many of us all over the country...the world!...it's hard to keep up and remember who lives where. Anyhow, glad you are getting back to normal!!! Did you get the meter fixed?

Wow Puddinpie. Thanks for the update. I'm sorry for the pain but at least the bleeding is explained. Yeeeoowwch!! Wishing you pain-free Stone Passsages!!!

I vomited once...everything came up just fine, thanks...it was gross, like vomiting is. I had taken some liquid pain meds and it made me nauseus, which is why I vomited. A PB is very different. It's getting up and out something in the upper pouch that is stuck. It's immediate relief from something very uncomfortable. Hard to explain but it's definately not a vomit. Another thought, if you chew your food well enough to pass through the band, it gets to your lower stomach, you have food poisoning and it comes back up, it's just well-chewed and liquified with stomach acid food. Gross, and not good for your band, but it does come up if needed. That stomach muscle is pretty strong.

Okay, so today I had a Balance Bar and a cup of coffee on my way to church, then we went to lunch where I ordered a burger. I forgot to sub the fries for a veggie, what with 2 kiddos to order for and a table full of family, and I ate a few of them. I cut the burger in half and ate a bite. It didn't get stuck, but I felt the need to burp...a little uncomfortable, not to just sit there, but I knew I needed, and wanted, to eat more than one bite of burger and a few fries. I got up and walked around, burped a little, sipped some tea, and was able to comfortably eat about a 1/4 of the burger. That was a case of the, I was "just hungry and the restriction prevents you from eating" scenario. So when I got home, I ate the other 1/4 of the burger no problem. I wasnt' hungry. For dinner, I ate the other half and some Ranch Style Pinto Beans. Still not hungry. I'm just not hungry. I ate a Balance bar, a burger, and a few fries today. wow. Some days I want to eat more and I do. If you can live with this type of eating, you'll be okay. By the way, thanks so much MochaWendy and Rachele for chipping in your opinions and personal experiences. We can't predict how it will all turn out for us. It's important to hear it all to make an informed decision for ourselves. I love my band, and if I lose it, I'll live without it and will NOT have a different type of WLS. That's me. Yay for all of us! Good thread, people!

Jennifer, come eat lunch with us. please!!! you will see the band in action at many different stages post-op. If you want a baby, LB is a no-brainer. I'm glad you are reconsidering, based on the fact that you want to be pregnant at least one more time. It's personal and you will get support no matter what you choose. You aren't wishy washy, you are smart for taking time to research all facets of your decision. Nov 5th 11:30am at Ruby Tuesdays on I-77 at Arrowood. Yay!

Hubby got up and said, "what was that?!" Thankfully I had the volume down low, but I'll still go to bed doing the Monster Mash. Thanks! That was really gross.

Whew! I gotta go to bed and get back at ya later, tater. Can't do all that tonight!!! But I will say having surgery is scary. It's all so sterile and medical, very intimidating. But once you get your meds, you don't remember a thing. Count backwards from 100, get to 95 if you are lucky, wake up, it's done. I'll get the rest tomorrow. Night!!!

Yep, swelling is normal. You were just pumped full of fluids and gas. It goes away. Hey! Welcome to bandland! Congrats!!

Okay, and I lost 15 pounds the first 12 days after surgery and didn't lose another ounce until just before my first fill at 3 months!!! I went up and down a pound or two and it wouldn't have been so bad but my weight was 208. I hate 208. It's how much I weighed when I got PG with both of my kids. I could never get below it, but for the occasional 207.something. I was hoping that blasted 208 would be left in the dust as a distant memory, but noooooo, my body liked it too much. Thankfully, I'm down below 200 and struggling for the 180s, but it was a little disheartening at the time. Glad you are feeling better about it. It helps to have a little temper tantrum...is that what that was? hehe. You are funny. The scale is a curiosity. Look if you must but ignore it if you don't like it. It really is meaningless this soon after surgery.

Hi Shaz. What happened on 7/28 and 7/12? Please explain. And welcome to LBT!

Both. When your band is tightened properly, you will have to eat more slowly, chew carefully, and you will get full on less food. That is down the road now. Right now your diet is mushy and it should be. The food you eat should go on down with minimal "restriction" so that your stomach doesn't have to work much while you are healing. If you have food up top, your stomach will squeeze and spasm to make it go on down past the band. This is fine once you are healed up, but is NOT okay right now. I promise, you will know all about restriction after a fill. It's a whole new world but not one for you to experience just yet. I waited 3 months before my first fill because I was restricted from the get-go. Most folks get past the healing stage (6 weeks) and feel like they can eat anything anyhow anytime. Sounds like you will be in that category. The restriction you have right now is making you eat less, but with no discomfort. You are fortunate. Your diet is also an issue. Right now you are on mushies and they go right on down, and they should. Once you are on a regular diet and eating hard protiens first, then veggies, then carbs, you may feel a big difference then. Just wait, though. Heal up for now. Does that explain it?

My first fill was 2cc and I had to get an unfill of .4cc, leaving me at 1.6cc in a 4cc band. My doc was Kuri and my fill doc here in NC (Gonzales) said Kuri typically does 2cc for the first fill so we did. I wasn't surprised that it was too tight for me. Fills are funny. Take it slow and eat well if you are hungry...don't just go grab the ice cream, ya know? Folks talk about fills "kicking in" up to a week or two after the fill so give it a bit of time. If you are eating solid protiens first, then veggies, then carbs, you should feel the difference with your restiction. You might not if you are still on mushies post-fill. Change the foods your are eating, slowly adding in less mushies and more solid protiens and I'll bet you will feel it. Let us know how it goes!

Pavarathi, maybe stay away from the veggie juice as it might be too acidic right now. Stick with bland, do your protien drinks, broths, clear Soups or runny creamy soups, blended out. Try eating Tums for the heartburn to reduce the acid. Or try crushing a Prilosec or eat a chewable Pepcid AC if you have that in Oz? Rest that stoma, that's for sure, and call you doc Monday if it doesn't improve. What Cindy said about blowing it out if something is stuck makes sense but I don't know what med that is? Alka-seltzer would probably do it if you are comfortable with that. How about a small sip of Sprite? It's not likely something is still stuck, but you never know. It sounds like you are swollen, at the least. Yuck, what a bad feeling. I'm sorry! Take it easy and let us know how it goes.

OMGosh, Jane, this is little Miranda? How old is she now? She has Down Syndrome, right? Many kids with Downs have heart problems so I was just checking. Bless her little heart...literally! And bless you for being such a great mom. I'll be praying for your family. Oh, and congrats on the dress! Ooohh, can't wait to see a pic...that's a MUST POST!!!

Congrats Shan!! sounds like you are recovering well! Rest, walk and sip. Welcome to bandland!!!

Woohooo! They actually look smaller (to me) than 40D's when they are up where they belong and not dangling like tear-drop pendulums... so, another NSV. I keep having to adjust the driver seat in my old mini-van. I don't sit in the seat the same. I move it forward, back, up and down trying to get upright enough without cutting off the circulation in my lower legs. I think I finally got it, now if I can just avoid hitting the button on the side of the seat accidently and moving something. And the spill-spot on the part of my seatbelt that goes across the front of me has moved. It used to be in the center of my chest where spills happen, ya know, coffee, drippy burgers eaten on the run...now it's higher up because I need less belt to go across me! wooohooo!! Of course, now that I have adjusted the seat so much, it's hard to compare just how far it has moved, but I'll take it anyhow! NSV's are great!

sorry you got mad, fee. I tried to help. I hope you get this resolved and heal up soundly.

Yep, no regrets. Not a one. It isn't always easy to lose the weight, and it's been a bit slow, but I am losing and I have hope...something in short supply pre-band.

I've been lurking here, too. Great thread, gang!

cereal with milk is good, as tolerated. PButter toast is great! Slimfast...good or get a higher Protien content drink. Plain old CIB or Boost is a good Meal Replacement...just know that the liquid calories will go on through and may not leave you satisfied until lunch. Grilled chicken breast for breakfast...it doesn't have to be your typical breakfast food. Chicken salad. Egg salad on crackers. cheese and triscuits. Try anything, get creative. Eat what you want that also makes your band work it's best. Sometimes we want to overthink it all. It ain't rocket science, and thank the Lord, because I'd be lost for sure. You have the knowledge, just slowly, ever so slowly, start practicing stuff. You and your band make a great team!!!

(Hey Melissa! This is the first posting of yours I have seen since you got your band!! You got your band!!!!!) Karen, when I do a banana I type in a colon : and then type the word banana right beside it and it shows up on the screen. try it! You are next girlie!!!

Totally agree with this statement! This is absolutely true!!!

Great attitude Beth! Way to go! Oh, and Congrats!!! Heal well!

#1 As the swelling goes down, restriction reduces. Some folks end up feeling "wide open" before their first fill, so this doesn't surprise me. concentrate on healing and getting nourishment. weight loss at this stage in the game is a bonus. #2 Egg drop Soup is full of protien and is easy to drink, even at work. I'm not surprised you got sick. Youare 3 weeks post-op, your diet has changed exptrememly, you went back to work and probably overdid it...all that adds up to a compromised immune system. Rest when you are off work. Get good healthy liquid calories in...don't be hungry, explore more mushies, keep your energy level up. #3 Your weight stall is not an indication of illness, it means you are able to eat more than you could last week, so you won't drop as fast. Let our matabolism adjust...don't worry about the scale past curiosity. Heal, wieght loss is later when you have more control over your intake. And your port pain is normal. Yuck. Mine still gets sore and I don't know why, though not often. Give it a few more weeks and you will realize how much better it feels. #4 You are welcome! And you are doing great! Focus on the right things, taking good care of your body and letting it heal, nourishing it, resting it. You have the rest of your life to lose weight. Just take care of that band now so it can help you later!

1. Bread-yes 2. Pasta-yes 3. Pop-nope...unless it's flat and only a small sip when really thirsty 4. Tortillas-corn, yes. tostitos, yes. flour, small bites, not much, too risky for me. 5. Salad-no problem 6. Steak-cut small (as if for my 2yo) and well-chewed 7. Roast-pot roast? small bites, well chewed 8. Cereal-yes 9. Hamburger-yes, and the bun, 1/2 is plenty 10. Pizza-yep, 2 slices tops 11. Apples-peeled, yes 12. Chips-way too easy to eat 13. Cheese-yep 14. Shrimp-surprisingly, yes. I avoided it in the beginning but now it's fine, well-chewed. I don't eat much though, or often 15. Pop corn-yep 16. Pretzels-ah yes...but they are pretty dry so just a few I drove through Wendy's the other day and got a 99cent box of 5 chicken nuggets w/ bbq sauce. I can also eat the chili at Wendys, and the side salads but it's hard in the car (that's not a band related answer, though!) I have eaten a Wendy's single with everything, I just don't snarf it down like I used to and I spit out the unchewable bits...yuck. Chick-fil-A chicken sandwich...add the packet of mayo for moisure and take small bites. The waffle fries are no good unless they are crispy with lots of ketchup...wasted calories in my view. McDonalds burgers and salads, all fine. Other people with tighter restriction might can't eat all this. They are probably losing faster than me, too. Oh well. I eat fast food MAYBE once a week. Less than that most times. But, in a pinch, no problem. Being banded, how you eat is more important than what you eat. If you want to lose weight faster...take better care for what you eat. Being banded has not cramped my style at all. It was an adjustment at first, but it's all good now. Good luck!